《The Hitting Zone》


 1 It Hurts

    The sun was painting a pretty sunset in the Southern California area tonight. All pinks, oranges, reds blending together as the sun tried to disappear behind some hills. I don''t like sunsets. Not one bit. It always meant that it''s time for me to go back to the house. A house that wasn''t a home. Never was and probably never will be.

    I parked my bike beside the one story building and snuck in through the back door trying to make as little noise as possible. Less noise usually meant less trouble.

    "Jake!? Get in here this instant!" A high pitched voice hollered from the living room. She didn''t sound like she was in a good mood. She hardly ever was. I sighed and made my way to the room where my mother waited.

    She sat on the ratty, old, blue couch we''ve had since I could remember when. A glass bottle half empty was in her right hand. A baseball bat in her left. MY baseball bat. Oh no, this can''t be good. "Well?? Aren''t you going to greet your mother? Should be common courtesy to greet the one who brought you into this world." She took a few swigs from the bottle, no doubt getting shit-faced. Like always.

    "Hi, Mom." I tried to keep my distance from her and making sure I had an escape plan. Not something a thirteen-year-old usually had to keep in mind, but you pick up on these things when you''ve only ever lived with an alcoholic, abusive, crazy mother.

    "We got a call today." Her voice made me tense preparing for whatever bad news she was about to deliver. "A man was looking for me to ask if my son, Jake, would be interested in going to some fancy-schmany private high school on a baseball scholarship. Imagine my surprise to find out my boy was so good at a sport I banned him to play. So I decide to go through his room to find out what other secrets he''s keeping." She playfully swung the bat around, looking a bit deranged. "Look what I found."

    I clenched my fists, inwardly cursing that coach. I told him to never call the house number; that he could just find me at my school. "That''s just for decoration." I lied through my teeth, hoping to buy some time before the alcohol makes her sleepy.

    She chuckled, placing the bottle down as she stood up. "My boy, you think you can lie to me?" She gripped the bat with both hands and started to recklessly swing it around. "Were you thinking I didn''t notice you leaving early and coming back late? That you were slowly turning into your brother? Into your father? Stupid."

    I knew it was time to make a run for it. Whenever she mentioned the missing half of our family, it only spelt out bad news for me. And danger. As I tried to back up the way I came in, she charged me. Lifting the bat in the air, she swung it down like a sword, connecting with the back of my head. I tumbled down in pain and she continued her beating. The bat took turns hitting by ribs, legs and arms. I rolled into a ball, trying to protect my abdomen and head. Everything was hurting in mere minutes.

    Why me? Why her? Did my dad and older brother know that they left me in the hands of a crazy person? Do they even care?

    I blacked out.

 2 Help Him

    "How is he today?" Doug Duncan asked the old doctor sitting across from him. They both sat in the doctors private office talking about Duncan''s most recent case. A boy beaten so badly by his mother that even the paramedic threw up after coming to the bloody scene.

    The doctor pushed up his glasses and opened the case file, sliding it to Mr Duncan. "Here''s the latest updates. We''re at the six month mark now. All fractures, bumps and bruises are healed over. Rehab went well. No setbacks. The physical scars aren''t so noticeable anymore." He sighed. "The mental scars are the real problem. According to his psychiatrist, he still hasn''t spoken. A nod here and there is all we can really get from him."

    Mr. Duncan nodded. "It''s the same on our side. The trauma is still recent so it''s understandable." He closed the file and slid it into his briefcase. "We''re going to move him next week."

    "To an orphanage or a group home?" The doctor frowned. "Although I''ve said that he''s recovered, I would recommend that he would be closely monitored in case issues arise. Injuries that were so severe might affect his growth in the future."

    Mr. Duncan grimaced at the thought of the kid''s injuries. "No, as the ward of the state, I''ve petitioned him to be placed with a foster family up north. We have a lead on the boy''s father, but aren''t too sure." He stood up and the doctored followed suit. They shook hands and gave tight smiles. "Under the circumstances, it''s hard to say it''s been nice working with you, but at least you''ve made it easy on me. Thank you."

    The doctor nodded sympathetically. "Good luck to you and to the boy. He''s had a rough start."

    Mr. Duncan sighed and left the office, closing the door behind him. As a social worker, he''s use to working with doctors reporting child abuse cases, but not one as serious as this, where the mother was charged with attempted murder. He walked down the hall to get outside to make a call.

    "Hello?" A woman''s pleasant voice answered on the first ring.

    "Mrs. Atkins? Doug Duncan here. Have you read the case file I sent over?" He asked.

    "Oh, hi Doug. Please call me Mary. And yes, my husband and I have both looked over the case file. That poor boy. We have talked about it and agreed that he needs our help. We already told our boys about the new addition and readied a room for him."

    Mr. Duncan sighed with relief. "Thank you Mary. I wish all my emergency foster families were as kind as you guys. I''ll be bringing him over this weekend if you''re all set then?"

    "That will be just fine. It''ll just be my youngest and me at home this weekend so it won''t be too overwhelming, I hope. My youngest is also fourteen so I''m sure they''ll get along as well."

    "I wouldn''t expect any trouble. Jake hasn''t really even communicated with others so it''s hard to say."

    "He isn''t talking?"

    "Not really. A word here and there. A local psychiatrist will work with him once we get him settled in with you guys. I know it''s not easy to take in a teenage boy that you don''t even know, but you can reach out to me at any time for help."

    "No worries, Doug. This is what we signed up for. To help kids in need. Jake is a bit older than the ones we usually get, but my four boys are all near his age and I''m sure that''ll help him."

    "Thanks again, Mary. I''ll send you the details via email, but you can expect me to bring him by Saturday morning."

 3 Mr. Duncan

    "Hello Jake. How are you today?" My social worker walked into the hospital room where I''ve been staying in for some time now. Doug Duncan was only five and a half feet tall. Six inches taller than me, but his personality felt stronger than his stature. "Are you feeling all better and ready to get out of here?"

    I shrugged. Not sure what to say. I''m alive, so good? But also my mom is being tried for attempted murder, so how good can I really be?

    Mr. Duncan stared at me, and I just stared back. Finally he just continues, like my lack of replies don''t bother him. "We found a home to place you in. It''s a single family with four kids of their own. We have already prepped the parents on your situation and they know to not allow your mother to contact you." I clenched my fists at the thought of ever seeing her again. "As for the case against your mother, her lawyer has her pleading not guilty on the basis of having a mental breakdown."

    I turned away. I didn''t really want to hear about her. Someone like that had no place in my life.

    "I won''t lie to you. It''s going to a long, hard case. We do have a restraining order in place and she has no way to make bail without money or family to help." He paused. "You''re fourteen now, so I think you''re old enough to know that we are looking for who your dad might be."

    I looked up at him and he looked at me. They didn''t even know who my dad was? Did they even know I have a brother? Should I mention it? No. I shouldn''t. They left me before, so it would only make sense that they wouldn''t want me now. What''s the point.

    Mr. Duncan waited patiently as I looked at him. Maybe he thought I had something to say or some kind of insight on where to search. I just didn''t care, so I looked away once more.

    "Okay then...we''ll hit the road once you''re all packed up."

    I walked over and grabbed a backpack from a chair. I was already told last night to be ready to leave with Mr. Duncan so it''s not a big surprise. Some friends from middle school came by with a few clothing items and my baseball glove. They didn''t bring the bat. Last I heard, it was being held as evidence. Not like I wanted it back.

    Mr. Duncan watched me put the bag on my shoulder and then gestured for me to follow him out. "Once you get settled and all the paperwork is processed, the state will issue a check for the family to help you get some necessities. So even though it might seem like you don''t have a lot now, it''ll change in time."

    I followed him out to his car, a clean, but obviously older, four door sedan. I got in the front passenger seat and placed my bag at my feet. Mr. Duncan got in on his side and started up the car.

    "The Atkins will be the ones to take you in. They live more up north, still on the coast. It''ll be a nice change, I''m sure." He spoke as he drove, filling up the silence with small talk. "The Atkins are a great family. Very kind and easy to get along with. Their kids are all in high school. We''ll be able to send you to the same one for now, until we find your father and then we''ll see how it goes from there."

    Mr. Duncan prattled on as I watched the scenery fly by. He seemed like a nice guy in his young thirties; helping the helpless and changing lives. Hopefully he could help me change mine too.

 4 Watsonville

    "Hey, Jake. You should start waking up. We''re almost there." Mr. Duncan patted my shoulder as if waking me gently.

    I opened my eyes slowly, pretending to just wake up. After driving all Friday, we stayed in a little dinky motel to sleep. Then early Saturday morning, we got up and hit the road again. California is a long state, so to drive from the south to the north would take more than a few hours. This morning I pretended to sleep the rest of the way so I wouldn''t have to hear Mr. Duncan''s forced small talk any longer.

    Don''t get me wrong, he seems like the nice guy type, but all he''s been talking about is my foster family, The Atkins. The parents both work as real estate agents in a small company they own themselves. They have four boys in high school: a senior, a set of twins in their junior year, and a freshman like me. They live in a quiet house, on a quiet street, in a quiet neighborhood, in a quiet town. Can four teenage boys be described as quiet? It all just sounds like nonsense to me.

    "Watsonville is only a city away from the beach. It may be a small community, but there are multiple bigger cities on all sides so you get a bit of everything." Mr. Duncan is just like a machine of endless facts and comments. He exited the highway and started to take some streets. "Mary Atkins and her youngest boy, Noah will be there to greet us. From what I understand, Wayne and the older three boys are on a small trip, but will be home tomorrow."

    I stared out the window, with nothing to say. This whole thing feels a bit surreal. I''m no longer a prisoner to my mom, but now the state is going to just put me with a random family? They could be just as crazy.

    "Starting Monday, you''ll be eligible to go to high school with the other boys. I''ve already signed you up with Mary and Wayne as your temporary guardians. I''ve spoken to the school counselor at length about your case so if you have any problems, you can go to her." Mr. Duncan tapped his steering wheel. "I''ll leave a piece of paper for you with names and numbers just for clarification. You''ll also have a psychiatrist, which you''ll need to visit once a week. Mary will get you all signed up and settled with that."

    Great. So they think I''m the crazy one.

    I started to zone out on what he was saying and started to focus more on what I was seeing. Mr. Duncan was driving through small neighborhoods with the occasional grocery store or fast food restaurant scattered throughout. Definitely a small town feel to it.

    "Jake?" Mr. Duncan raise his voice, grabbing my attention. He glanced at me to make sure I was looking at him. "I know that there''s a lot to take in. Don''t be nervous. I''ve got your back. If you feel uncomfortable or scared, you should reach out to me or your psychiatrist and we''ll find you a new temporary home."

    I scoffed inwardly. Scared? What can be scarier than my own mom trying to kill me?

    "Your new home is coming up." His driving got slower as we moved through more residential streets. He slowly pulled into an empty driveway of a pink house.

    I kid you not. Pink. The two story house was pink, with white shutters framing the windows. A small porch with a wooden swinging bench was very picturesque. Something out a magazine.

    I looked at Mr. Duncan, unsure if this was really it. He just gave me a reassuring smile and got out of his car.

 5 First Meeting

    I followed Mr. Duncan''s lead and also got out of the car, grabbing my backpack. He confidently led the way to the door and knocked on it. I stood a couple feet back, making sure to keep my distance.

    The door opened to reveal a woman. She was taller than Mr. Duncan, light blonde hair to her shoulders, and had really bright eyes. She smiled at Mr. Duncan. "Doug, hello, it''s nice to finally meet you in person." I twitched; he doesn''t even know these people personally? She turned to me next. "And you must be Jake! It''s great to have you here. My name is Mary Atkins, but you can just call me Mary. Come in guys, come in!" She held the front door open and waved us in.

    I looked at Mr. Duncan, unsure about this. She was just too happy, too welcoming, and too different than what I''m use to. She was well-put together in a three-piece business suit and heels, looking more like a lawyer in my opinion.

    Mr. Duncan smiled at me and then at her. "Yes, yes, thank you for your hospitality." He walked in and gestured for me to follow. "Jake, this is your new home so no need to be shy."

    I tried to keep my poker face as I walked in.

    Mary closed the door behind me and then led us through the first floor, pointing out the living room, office, kitchen, and then sat us in the dining room, where a plate of cookies were placed on the table. She sat at the head of the table, Mr. Duncan sat on her left, and I sat on the other side of him.

    They made small talk about the drive, the weather, and other mundane things. The conversation was light until Mr. Duncan brought out a file from his briefcase. "So as we discussed before, Jake is a special case." He gave me a light smile before turning back to her. "He can communicate, no problem, but he doesn''t like to talk."

    She gave me a sympathetic smile. "Yes, I saw that in his psych evaluation. I''ve already talked to the whole family so we''ll try to make you as comfortable as possible."

    I nodded. Sure. I, at least, believe that she wouldn''t kill me. I''d make sure of that.

    "Mom, you can''t even tell that you guys are making him uncomfortable right this moment." A voice said behind me.

    I jumped a little, caught off guard. I glanced at the boy that stood behind me. He definitely belongs to Mary with his light hair and bright eyes. He looked to be almost the same height as Mr. Duncan, but skinny.

    "See how tense he is?" The boy rolled his eyes. "He jumped a mile high just at the sound of my voice."

    I frowned at him. It definitely wasn''t that high. What an exaggeration.

    He laughed at the sight of my face. "Okay he didn''t jump that much." He turned to his mom. "Let me go show him to his room and get him settled in. You guys can continue the adult stuff."

    I looked at Mary to see what she would say. She looked at me, then back at the boy. "Alright, make sure to help him unpack. Take the cookies with you. He hasn''t even tried them yet."

    "Yea, yea." The boy grabbed the plate of cookies. "Let''s go, Jake. I''ll show you the room. We''re bunking together so I hope you don''t have too much stuff."

    I stood up and grabbed my backpack. Mr. Duncan coughed a little nervously. "Jake only has a backpack worth of personal items and clothes. I''m actually leaving a check with your mom to help him buy some more."

    The boy glanced at my bag, then looked me in the eyes. "New clothes plus new stuff equals new start. Simple math." He nodded at me. "Let''s go on up."

    I gave a look to Mr. Duncan and raise my hand to give a small wave. He nodded. "I''ll be back Sunday night when the rest of the Atkins get back so I''ll see you then."

 6 Unpacking

    "Just follow me." The boy smiled at me and then led me to the stairs by the front door. As we climbed the stairs, I noticed multiple pictures were hung on the walls. Family pictures apparently. The boy caught me looking and stopped in front of one. "This is a photo of us we took last month, during Christmas."

    They all wore matching Christmas tree sweaters in front of a fireplace. He started to point at each one. "That''s obviously me. Mom. Dad. Zeke is the one that isn''t smiling right there. Dave and Kyle are the twins." Zeke and the twins looked very similar to Noah and his mom. Very strong genes. Their dad was tall, with sandy hair, and light colored eyes. "You''ll meet them tomorrow when they come back from camp." He picked up a cookie and started to eat.

    I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. I could hear the bitterness in the word camp, loud and clear.

    He sighed at my look. "It was a baseball selection camp for travel ball from the fall and winter season. Unfortunately I wasn''t invited because I''m not at their level yet." He shot a glare at the photo. "Those jerks." He turned away and started to stomp up the stairs. I followed.

    He pointed at closed doors and told me which room was whose. The twins shared the master bedroom with Zeke. His parents room faced the front yard and had a bathroom of their own inside. We had the last room on the right, facing the backyard. The bathroom that belonged to us was the one in the hall, but apparently, sometimes his brothers used it as well.

    He opened the door to our room. "Well, this is it. Mi casa es su casa. Yada-yada." He went to the bottom bunk of the bed and continued to eat the cookies. "Top bunk is yours. That dresser on the left is yours. I tried to clear out half the closet but I have too much baseball stuff so there isn''t much space."

    Baseball? I thought back to his comment about his brothers who are at camp for travel ball. They must be good. I''ve heard from a few friends in middle school, that they got to play baseball on city teams when the schools baseball team wasn''t in session.

    "Do you really need help unpacking or are you just zoning out?" Noah said from his bed.

    I dropped my backpack near the two dressers on the left side of the room and started to put away what little I had. All that was left was my baseball glove and the backpack itself.

    "Backpack goes on the back of the door. I''m sure you''ll have to use it for school on Monday." Noah seemed to know that I didn''t know where to put it.

    I close the door slightly to find a backpack already hanging from a hook. I hung mine as well and pulled out the glove.

    "Oh! You play!? You should have said something sooner." Noah set the cookie plate down and opened his closet. It had three-foot shelves that held multiple gloves, old scorecards, and some baseball books. Three aluminum bats caught my eye from the corner of the closet. I flinched and took a step back.

    Noah didn''t notice as he was busy pulling out a baseball backpack that contained a bat, glove, some balls, and other gear. "Just set it in here and we''ll be able to go play later." I placed my glove in his outstretched hand. "Wow. This is really broken in. You must have had this forever."

    Not really. I grabbed it from the lost and found in seventh grade after I outgrew the kid one I got from a friend. I never had baseball stuff of my own.

    Noah sensed something was off about me. He pushed the bag back to the closet and stood up to face me. He patted the top of my head, "Don''t worry if you think you aren''t good. I''ll teach you everything I know."

    I tilted my head.

    "Oh? That wasn''t it? My bad." He shrugged with a smile on his face. "No matter. I''m the best around here so you''ll have something to learn."

 7 Noah

    I rolled my eyes. How can you be the best when you were the only brother not invited to that camp?

    Noah narrowed his eyes, no doubt not liking my attitude towards his claim. "You don''t believe me?"

    I stepped out the room and pointed at his brothers room.

    He stepped out as well to see what I was pointing at. He looked back at me, "You think my brothers are better than me?"

    I nodded. Obviously.

    He crossed his noodle arms over his chest. "Okay, fine. So I''m not the best. But, I''ll have you know, I''m the best freshman. Even my brothers didn''t make the varsity team as freshmen. That''s a fact."

    I looked at him curiously. Could he be better than me?

    "What? Are you still doubting me?" He stood a little taller.

    I shook my head, no. I''m sure he''s better than average with this attitude. Noah looks to be a pretty straightforward kid.

    He smiled at my submission and threw an arm around my shoulders, dragging me back to our room. "You''re a smart kid, Jake. I like you. Let''s finish mom''s cookies and then I''ll show you around the neighborhood. There''s a park down the street where we can throw the ball."

    He pulled the cookie plate off his bed and sat on the floor. He gestured for me to sit on the other side of the plate. "You haven''t tried them yet. Come on, grab one."

    I did what I was told and took a cookie. It looked to be chocolate chip. I don''t think my mom ever set a foot in the kitchen, let alone baked homemade cookies. I ate the cookie slowly, savoring every bite. So good. It was soft and melted in my mouth.

    "Mom only makes these on special occasions, holidays, and birthdays. They''re super good so my dad''s afraid that we won''t be able to hold ourselves back when eating them. Hence why we don''t get them everyday."

    I finished my first cookie since forever. I looked at Noah, then at the plate, then back at Noah.

    He understood right away and pushed it closer to me. "Help yourself. You don''t have to ask me for a cookie." And so I did. "Ya know, I thought I wasn''t going to like you."

    I froze. Then slid further away from him and the cookies.

    "I said thought!" He scooted the plate to me, but stayed where he was. "My brothers are super close so I always feel a little left out. The age gap is only two and three years, but we haven''t been to the same school since we were kids in elementary school. And we never played on the same team before. Look, even now, they were picked for the elite camp and I wasn''t. It just feels good to have someone a bit closer."

    I stuffed a cookie in my mouth. I got what Noah was trying to say. He thought I might be like his brothers and that there would be a significant gap between us. I also felt like there was a gap between me and my brother. He was ten when I was three so there was a seven year gap. Dad took him away and not me. That''s all I remember, but that''s enough to make a difference between us.

    "You''ll meet them tomorrow by the way. You better be on my side for everything like the twins are. They fight the most, yet they like to team up together against me. So now, it''ll be two versus two." Noah continued.

    I held up three fingers then two, trying to ask about his oldest brother.

    He squinted at me, then he got it. "Oh, Zeke? He doesn''t really meddle unless it''s baseball. He likes to act all high and mighty." He frowned. "He''s the captain of the varsity team so he''s a bit more strict lately."

    I offered him the last cookie to cheer him up.

    He shook his head. "I''m good. You have it. Then we''ll go down and see if mom will let us go to the park."

    I nodded in agreement and ate the last cookie just as slowly as I ate the first.

 8 Shopping

    "Okay, lets go find my mom." Noah jumped up with the empty plate and led me downstairs. Mary was no longer in the dining room so we checked the kitchen next. Noah put the plate in the sink but she wasn''t in there either. "Must be in the office. Mr. Duncan sure didn''t stay long."

    I swallowed harder than normal. I felt nervous knowing I was left here with quite a few strangers.

    Noah was oblivious as he moved throughout the house looking for his mom. He knocked on the office door before opening it slowing. "Mom, you busy? Can I take Jake to the park before we have lunch?"

    "Come in boys, let''s talk." Her soft voice called out, but I couldn''t help flinching. ''Let''s talk'' was my moms go to phrase before giving a beating. Mary wasn''t her though. She was sitting in a black leather chair, behind a desk, with glasses on.

    "What''s up?" Noah walked in as I stayed just outside. He glanced back at me, but didn''t comment.

    Mary didn''t say anything about my strange behavior either. "I wanted to take Jake to the mall for clothes and school supplies today since I have an open house to show tomorrow. I figured we can head out now for an early lunch, get the shopping done, then maybe a movie before dinner?"

    Noah nodded along. "Okay. That''s fine. We''ll just go to the park tomorrow then. No worries."

    Mary smiled and stood up. "Alrighty. Go get in the car and I''ll grab my purse."

    Noah left the office and dragged me towards the garage door. "What a treat! Free clothes, eating out, and a movie! All for you! I''m starting to think you''re the new favorite in this family."

    I gave a light smile. Noah was like the definition of easygoing. He patted the black sedan. "This is mom''s real baby. She loves her bmw." He pointed at the silver suv type. "The dodge durango is the family car. Zeke uses it to drive us to and from school and practice. Occasionally he''ll let the twins practice driving." He shuddered. "Pray every time you see one of them in the drivers seat. It''s not a pleasant experience."

    "Are you talking badly about your brothers again, Noah?" Mary joined us in the garage.

    "No ma''am. Just giving Jake some lifesaving advice." He winked at me.

    Mary sighed and shook her head, but didn''t say anymore.

    We all got into her car and started to go. The mall they took me to was in the city of Marlo, just a couple miles over. It was two stories and took up way more space than I would expect. The first stop was at the burger joint on the second floor.

    When we were seated at a table, I made sure that Noah sat across from his mom, and I sat next to him. Keeping a safe distance from her felt like a priority.

    "Mom, we have to get him some baseball clothes and stuff!" Noah told her, excited.

    The exact opposite of what I was feeling. I shook my head violently, trying to disagree.

    Mary laughed. "I don''t think you guys are on the same page here."

    Noah shot me an incredulous look. "Bro, you have a glove, but no athletic wear. How are we going to play together if you''re in jeans?"

    I widen my eyes looking at him, then tilted my head towards his mom.

    He rolled his eyes. "My mom doesn''t mind. Really. We all play baseball and she''s very supportive. It''s no problem at all."

    For obvious reasons, that felt like a stab. My chest started to ache and tears were threatening to fall.

    "Mom!?" Noah looked towards Mary while putting a hand on my shoulder. "What''s wrong with him? Did I say something malicious? What do we do?"

    Mary calmly slid the napkin container towards me. "Just let him cry it out. He''s going to be okay."

 9 Big Brother

    Noah wasn''t satisfied with her response. He shook me a bit. "Jake? Jake, I''m sorry okay? We don''t have to play baseball. We can play mini golf tomorrow instead!"

    I grabbed a napkin and dabbed the tears from the corner of my eyes so they wouldn''t fall. I looked at Mary and nodded my thanks.

    Her gentle smile never wavered. "It''s okay to get sad Jake. No matter what you''re sad about, we''ll face it together. If you''re not ready to play baseball so soon, that''s okay as well. It''ll be waiting for you and not going anywhere. Wayne and I raise the boys to follow their dreams and to do what they like for hobbies. We don''t force them one way or the other."

    Just...just nothing like my mom.

    "Jake?" Noah still worried.

    I gave him a thumbs up and a weak smile to signify that I''m fine.

    He sighed. "You had me scared for a second. I thought I broke you or something."

    "Oh?" Mary chuckled. "Who knew you could play big brother so well, Noah? It''s a nice change for you."

    Noah rolled his eyes at her. "I''m not playing. I am his big brother. I checked his birthday, I''ve got three months on him." He grinned at me. "If you have any problems, just come to me. I''ll solve them all like a real big brother. Unlike mine, who bully the young and don''t know how to treat others with respect."

    "Oh really?" Mary smirked. "How do you plan on helping him with his math homework if he''s ahead of you?"

    Noah''s jaw dropped. "He''s not in geometry with me? I thought you would place him in all of my classes so I can watch out for him?"

    "Nope." Her smirk was more pronounced. "Jake is actually very bright when it comes to math. He''ll be taking pre-calculus with the twins."

    "You would put him with those troublemakers?" Noah looked at me with pity. "It''s gong to be hard on you, Jakey. This is what you get for being so smart."

    Mary rolled her eyes like Noah usually does. "Don''t be so dramatic. Dave and Kyle are well-behaved in class." I noted how she had to add ''in class'' at the end. Even she couldn''t admit that they weren''t as much trouble as Noah made them out to be.

    "What about the five Saturday detentions they had to attend for being a disturbance in class just last semester alone?" Noah refuted.

    Mary looked at me, embarrassed. "They aren''t that bad. Just rowdy teenage boys."

    I shrugged to show that it didn''t matter to me. As long as they didn''t want to beat me up then I don''t care.

    We spent the rest of the day doing what Mary had planned out. I got a few sets of school clothes, some workout clothes, and my own set of school supplies. Afterwards, she took us to see an action film I''ve never heard of, but Noah claimed it was a remake of a classic and it''d be great. Then we ate dinner at a taco place on the way home.

    Today was the first day in quite a long time, that I spent with a friend and I almost forgot how it felt before. Noah felt trustworthy and his outgoing personality made it easy on me.

    "Tomorrow morning, Mom has her open house. Want to go to the arcade?" Noah asked as we finished putting away my new clothes. "It has mini-golf, arcade games, and the batting cages. It''s only two miles by bike."

    I scrunched up my face at the thought of riding a bike.

    Noah noticed. "What? You think that''s too far or something?"

    I shook my head and cleared my throat. "Can''t." I coughed up the one word and quickly looked away.

    "Ohhhh. You can''t ride? That''s okay. We''ll just have mom drop us off. No worries." He patted my shoulder and smiled. "I''ll teach you when we get back in the evening." He got into his bed. "Go on up. It''s time to sleep."

    I nodded, and scurried up onto the top bunk. It didn''t take long to hear Noah snoring, yet I couldn''t fall asleep the same way. Today was a whirlwind and I was still catching up, mentally.

 10 The Arcade

    "This is it. The Arcade." Noah stretched his arms out wide after we got out of his mom''s car. A huge, castle-like building stood before us. It was legitimately named ''The Arcade'' on the highest part of the building.

    Mary drove away to go do her work, leaving me with an energetic Noah. He had on his baseball backpack that held some bats, gloves, snacks, and money for lunch.

    I kept two feet between us so he wouldn''t accidentally hit me with his aluminum bat.

    "Let''s play mini golf first. It''s around the right side. There are four courses to choose from." He explained as we walk around. "Easy. Moderate. Hard. And hell. We''ll do the easy one first to see where you stand."

    I stand at the bottom. I''ve never held a golf club in my life. Especially not a putter. Nonetheless, I accepted the putter and tiny ball Noah handed me after paying for them.

    Each course had only nine holes. Noah had me try all thirty-six holes and patiently taught me the tricks to getting the hole-in-one for each hole. Soon enough I had it figured out. It really was fun once you get the hang of it.

    After we turned in the putters, Noah dragged me through the Arcade and taught me all his favorite games. "These are the essentials." He told me. "If you don''t know how to do these, then the other boys at school will make fun of you. And if they do that, I''ll have to go around starting fights to protect you. Then mom will get mad at the both of us. See the connection?"

    I nodded slowly. I really didn''t, but Noah would know better than me. I never played games with friends or done anything outside of school grounds. And my mom was mad at everything all the time, so it made sense that his mom would be mad about fighting.

    After the mini golf lessons, and losing every game we played against each other, we made our way to the snack bar.

    Noah ordered a pizza to share and two sodas. He placed his bag down and we sat on opposite sides of the table and started to dig in.

    "The cages is where I would take you next, but you seem to have a slight aversion to baseball right now. You have a glove, yet you didn''t want baseball clothes to play in. It''s strange, ya know." Noah confronted.

    I kept eating, not wanting to talk about it. I don''t know what''s wrong with me either. I should be able to play freely now without my mom holding me back, but it makes me anxious. Hypothetically speaking, it''s not like she''ll catch me playing and try to kill me again. But still. The fear is there.

    "What do you like more: hitting, pitching, or fielding?" Noah changed tactics.

    I frowned, but lifted one finger.

    "Hitting?" He nodded. "Most do. But for me, I like fielding. Sudden sprints to catch an out of reach fly ball. Diving for hard grounders. The satisfaction of snatching a line drive out of the air."

    I looked at him with a blank face. I couldn''t exactly relate. At my middle school we only had a batting cage and not an actual field. All I got to do was practice batting and occasionally throw the ball around with a classmate. I wasn''t even officially on the team since there''s no way my mom was going to sign the parent release statement.

    "It''s fine." Noah waved his hand back and forth as if trying to disperse my negative aura. "Let''s see if you can try batting here with me. No pressure. If you don''t want to try, we can also just take a look to kill time."

 11 The Cages 1

    After we ate, Noah dragged me towards the batting cages. Right before going through the double doors that led outside to the cages, there was a long counter, filled with baseball memorabilia.

    "The cages are token operated." Noah explained while getting some cash out. "One token for one dollar. Each token gets you twelve pitches from whichever machine you would like." He handed a twenty to the lady behind the counter. "Twenty tokens please."

    "Sure thing." The lady counted out twenty tokens and pushed them towards us. "Do you need any helmets, bats, or batting gloves? We can rent them out for a few dollars." She waved her hand towards a wall that had everything you would need to use the batting cages: helmets, batting gloves of multiple sizes, and all kinds of bats.

    I took a few steps towards the bats, examining what she had. I don''t know much about bats except that there are weight and length restrictions for different age groups.

    "Come on Jake. I have bats for us to use. We can share my helmet and gloves for now. No need to waste money." Noah tried to rush me.

    But I wasn''t interested in his bats. They were aluminum like my old one. The one my mom used to beat me. What caught my attention was the wooden bats that were also grouped there.

    I lifted one, a little unsure of what to expect. The weight was the same as my old bat but somehow it felt heavier. Solid. I held it like I was setting up in the righty''s box and took a slow practice swing.

    "Please don''t swing bats inside." The lady called out.

    I jumped and accidentally dropped the bat.

    "Sorry, he didn''t know! I didn''t get to tell him yet." Noah apologized for me as he picked up the wooden bat. He looked at my guilt stricken face. "Don''t worry, you''re not in trouble. She just doesn''t want us accidentally breaking other merchandise. Do you want to use this bat? It''s wood. The ball wont go very far." He thought a bit then shrugged. "Well it''s just the cages so it''s not like it could go far anyways."

    He took the bat to the counter. "My friend would like to use this. How much would it be to rent it?"

    The lady flipped the bat to the end of the barrel where a sticker said ''for sale only'' with a $60 next to it. "Wooden bats are easier to break in the cages."

    "No way. Sixty dollars? That''s too much! And it even looks used already." Noah protested.

    "It''s a MLB prime maple Louisville slugger. It''s original cost is easily over one hundred dollars. We cut the cost since it''s a return item." An older man came from behind us. "It''s a good bat. Hard to break or chip. Even some professionals would use it."

    "Even more reason to just let us borrow it." Noah countered, facing the old man. "C''mon boss. We''re just lowly freshmen...how could we break a bat that even professionals trust?"

    The old man smiled and patted Noah''s head. "So relentless. Definitely an Atkins boy." So they knew each other? "Fine, ten dollar rental fee. If you break it, you buy it. The full sixty."

    Noah happily slapped a ten dollar bill on the counter. "Thanks boss. We''re just having fun anyways. Stop worrying so much."

    The old man just shook his head and walked away.

    "That''s the boss." Noah told me as he put the wooden bat in my hands. "He runs this place so we see him frequently. My brothers say he use to be a pro way back when."

    My eyes widened. That frail old man use to be a pro?

    "Let''s go see what you can do with the bat. Maybe we can convince mom to buy it if you like it." He threw an arm around my shoulders, pushing me towards the doors.

 12 The Cages 2

    "The batting cages are lined up easy to hard. You can find the speed and type of pitch listed up there." Noah pointed to the first cage we walked up to. Softball Slow-pitch. "As you can see, this is where little girls will gather. And sometimes old men who play in adult slow-pitch leagues." A bunch of little girls were lined up for this particular cage with parents standing nearby. "There''s also a fast-pitch softball machine."

    "Moving on to where we want to be. The baseball speed starts at 50 miles an hour. Then 60 mph. 70 mph. Then in increments of five. 75 mph. 80 mph. 85 mph. 90 mph. 95 mph. And 100 mph." Noah took me along the cages, pointing out the difference between each one. "The faster you want, the less you have to wait. Not everyone wants to waste a token on something they can''t even hit."

    I nodded along. This was my first time seeing so many pitching machines. At my middle school, we only had one machine that could change speeds but you had to do it manually. I was told it was a donation from someone''s dad, but it benefited me the most. I use to spend hours and hours in there playing around as the other boys got to play real baseball.

    "Where do you want to start?" Noah''s smile was the biggest I''ve seen yet.

    I tightened my grip on the bat and walked back to the 50 mph cage, then got in line.

    Noah''s smile faltered. "Please tell me your joking. This is for grade schoolers."

    I shook my head, no. This is where I should start. Warming up is important. Plus I have a new bat that I haven''t even tried before.

    "Ugh. You suck." He peered over at a further cage, then looked back at me. "I''m going to the 70 and 75 cage. There''s not much of line here so just join me when you''re done." He handed me half of his tokens, then opened up his backpack. He pulled out his helmet and pushed it to me. "Use this. I''ll go back and get one from the counter. You don''t really need gloves on such slow speeds."

    I nodded. I''ve never used batting gloves before anyways. Noah patted my shoulder once then ran off after putting his bag back on.

    I waited patiently behind a couple of kids, younger than me. The twelve pitches for each token made things go by quickly, and it wasn''t long before it was my turn. I put the helmet on and took a few practice swings once I stepped in the cage. Then I put my first token in.

    I stepped into the righty''s box and got set: feet apart, knees lightly bent, elbow back, shoulders loose. The first pitch came. Seemingly slow, but I waited then perfectly hit the ball, sending it back towards the machine. Good. That''s one. The bat felt a bit foreign but it was nice.

    I haven''t held a bat in about six months. Not since my mom came after me with one. She had broken both of my arms, split my head open, rib fractures, and there was a lot of blood. I don''t remember much after the first hit to the head, but I remember seeing a lot of red when opening my eyes. It was sickening. The first two months were easy, just lying on a bed, all bandaged up with casts. The last four months were straight rehab and strengthening all the muscles that atrophied.

    Even now, I just don''t feel the same. Just...so...weak.

    I finished the rest of the pitches, sending them all right back to the pitching machine perfectly. Instead of leaving the cage after, I put another token in, but this time I went to the lefty''s box.

 13 The Cages 3

    That''s right. I stepped into the lefty''s box. I practiced both since the end of sixth grade when I heard the school coach say switch hitters are the most useful because it''s like two batters in one. They can face any kind of pitcher.

    It took me quite awhile to get the hang of it, but now I was pretty equal for both. I could do the exact same thing, sending all twelve pitches back to the machine, with my left.

    I left the cage and got in line for the next speed, 60mph. Noah was right about the 50, it was pretty wimpy. It didn''t even feel like a warm up for me, even though I took half a year off. This was the line I fit in with the most. All the kids in this line looked to be close to my age and to my stature.

    It only took a few minutes to get to my turn. I put in my third token and got in the righty''s box first once more. Twelve pitches turned into twelve perfect hits straight up the middle. The fourth token let me match my perfect right with a perfect lefty performance. Very even, very equal. The satisfaction was insurmountable.

    I moved to the line for the 70mph cage just as Noah came out of the 75mph next to it. He smiled as he came over. "Moving on up, huh?" I nodded. "It''s going well then?" I nodded again. "How many coins do you have left?"

    I pulled out the six tokens to show him.

    Hie rolled his eyes. "I can''t believe you wasted four dollars on the slow stuff. That won''t make you into a better player."

    "Warm-up." I muttered.

    He squinted at me. "You needed a warm-up? Twice in each cage?"

    I nodded. I haven''t even held a bat in six months, of course I need to shake off the rust.

    He put a hand to his forehead and sighed in exasperation. "Unbelievable. What a waste. You better hit at least half of these 70''s then. Like full on hit where you know it''ll be a fair ball."

    I shrugged. That''s easy. 70mph isn''t my limit. I went into the cage after it freed up. Put the token in. Then got set.

    "Tighten up your stance!" Noah called out from behind.

    I ignored him. Everyone hits differently and have different preferences. The way I taught myself leaves me satisfied so I see no reason to try something new. The first pitch came, I sent it right back to the middle.

    "Lucky hit!" Noah called out. "Let''s see if you can do it again."

    Of course I did it again. And again. And again. For all twelve pitches. When I turned to face Noah, I had to laugh at his shocked expression.

    He came back to reality at the sound of my laugh. "Unbelievable! You let me believe that you weren''t even good."

    I raised my eyebrows and went to put another token in.

    "Again? Come on. Let me see you do the 75 instead!"

    I shook my head no and slid the token in. Then went to the lefty''s box. Noah was saying something but he stopped mid sentence as soon as I hit the ball back to the machine. Repeatedly. Perfectly. Twelve for twelve.

    I felt good. If only I could do this everyday.

    I stepped out of the cage and Noah tackled me, pushing me around playfully. "Jake!! Too amazing! My brothers can''t even do that! Were you always able to do that? You''re like a machine yourself!"

 14 The Cages 4

    "Practiced." I mumbled, not liking the extra weight he was putting on me. I slipped out of his grip and started to move to the 75mph line.

    "You practice that? Since when? For how long? Do you think I can do that to?" Noah was like the energizer bunny. He kept going and going, with endless questions, not even leaving me room to reply.

    I just let him talk to himself. Besides not being able to get a word in, I wouldn''t even know how to explain to him. Practice really sums it up. I started it a couple years ago. I imagine my reflection when I''m on either side of home plate so it''s the same swing, just like looking in a mirror.

    Noah finally paused to take a breath. He looked at me excitedly. "We have to hustle my brothers." I raised an eyebrow. "Think about it. They would never believe that the foster kid we got randomly assigned to us, is actually a switch hitter. This is our chance to win some extra money so we can come here more often."

    I started to nod. I like it here. Mini golf was fun too. And I would like to practice swinging every day. It brings a certain calming effect to me.

    "Can you do the 75mph too?" Noah glanced at the cage as the line got shorter and shorter.I gave him a single nod. "Just like last time?" I nodded once more. "With both?" I nodded again. "Bro, I really hope you can. This would be the biggest hustle." He pushed me to the cage as it finally emptied. "Show me. Show me. Show me!"

    I lightly laughed at his impatience. But I also felt eager to show off. No one my age has ever complimented me on my switch hitting. That high school coach who tried recruiting me was the only one to really know what I could do.

    The 75mph cage really didn''t feel difficult to me at all. I smoothly got into the rhythm of hitting the ball right with the center of my bat and sending it straight to the pitching machine. I used a token for my right and then a token for my left. There wasn''t much variation in how I hit the ball.

    "You''re a legit machine, Jake!" Noah pounced on me once I stepped out. "You hit all those pitches to the exact same spot. That''s not normal at all!"

    I pouted.

    Noah ignored my discontent and dragged me to the 80mph cage. "This is the real test now. Most high school pitchers only have a velocity of 75 to 80."

    I scrunched up my nose, not impressed, but Noah didn''t see. He was too busy pulling his baseball gloves out of his backpack. "Put these on. We have to protect these golden hands of yours!"

    He tried giving them to me, but I refused. I held up my hand to show the size difference between us. Noah is easily half of a foot taller than me even though we both have skinny frames. His five foot six inches towered over me making me feel like he really was older than me. It only makes sense that his hands are bigger too.

    Noah sighed and put the gloves away. "Will you be okay without some? Or should I go back to rent a pair."

    I gave him the universal okay sign. I never could afford batting gloves beforehand when I was hiding baseball from my mom, so it''s not like I''m use to it.

    I clutched the wooden bat in my left hand and two tokens in my right. It was time to try the 80s.

 15 The Cages 5

    I went in the cage, but didn''t put a token in right away. Instead, I took a few practice swings with my right and then my left, trying to time my swing to what I think would be able to hit 80mph. Even though I use to be able to do it perfectly, it''s been so long. I don''t want to let Noah down and look like a liar or a braggart.

    When I finally felt comfortable enough, I put the first token in. The first pitch came, and then went back with the swing of my bat. It was a little off, but I can adjust. I got in the zone and sent back the other eleven pitches, put in a new token and did the same thing with my left.

    I let out a big breath of air and let my body fully relax. This was it. The feeling I looked for. I stepped out of the cage, surprised Noah wasn''t yelling about, excitedly.

    He stood right out side the gate, jaw dropped. I shifted foot to foot, nervously; not sure if he''s still excited. For the day that I''ve known him, he''s been showing his emotions without care so he''s easy to read. Except for right now.

    He looked at me with a sad looking expression. "Jake. Why are you doing this to me?"

    My eyes widen with alarm.

    "I just said I was the best freshman." He sighed. "Now I actually have competition."

    I relaxed and smiled at him.

    He gave me the side eye. "Are you going to try the 85?"

    I held out my last two tokens and nodded. I wanted to at least try a challenging speed once, before running out of tokens.

    He pushed me along to the cage. "Go! Go! I can''t wait to see!" He kept pushing and I bumped into something hard. We both had to take a few steps back.

    "What the hell?" A tall and very well built guy turned to face us. He glared down, "You kids need to watch where you''re going."

    I froze, terrified of this guys booming voice.

    "Sorry!" Noah jumped out in front of me. "My bad. I was too excited and accidentally pushed him into you."

    He sent us another glare and walked towards a few guys at a nearby bench, not bothering to even accept an apology.

    "Oops, my bad." Noah faced me, giving me a tight smile. "You okay, Jake? He didn''t scare you did he?"

    My grip on the bat tightened, but I shook my head no. It''s not like the guy was going to hit me. It was only a moment of panic.

    Noah patted my shoulder. "That''s good. Why don''t you go ahead and get in the cage before he gets back. It looks like he''s with some friends and they all look pretty serious."

    I didn''t waste any time and got in the 85mph cage. No need to look for a confrontation with the guy and his buddies. I slid my second to last token in and immediately set up in the righty''s box. The balls came quick and I got off to a slow start, only fouling off the first three, but then started to connect with the rest.

    The hitting was a good stress relief. I turned to put in my last token, but stopped at the sight outside of the cage. Noah was there smiling at me like a goof, which was normal. But the four guys behind him, staring me down, was anything but normal. I clenched the bat, freezing up again.

 16 Trouble 1

    Noah was oblivious to what was behind him. He just kept up with the nonsensical chatter which I couldn''t hear too clearly over the sound of bats connecting with baseballs from the other cages.

    "Are you done?" The guy I ran into before suddenly spoke, making Noah jump.

    He turned around, and had to look up at the guy and his friends. "Uh. Can I help you?"

    The guys friend on the end, with a nearly bald head, crossed his arms in front of his chest. Making his arms look like they belong on a weightlifter. "Your friend is holding up the cage. Is he just going to stand there all day or will he let others have a go?"

    Noah glanced back at me as I stood still as a statue. "Jake? Do you want a break or something?"

    Or something is right. I nodded. I wanted these big guys to stop staring me down. It''s intimidating. I forced my feet to move and I slipped out of the cage, keeping my distance from the big four as best as I could.

    Noah gave them a wave as if presenting the cage. "Sorry for the holdup." He left them and joined me where I stood a few yards away. "You okay, Jake? You''re acting funny." He thought for a second. "Well. Even more unusual than usual."

    I looked down at my running shoes that were brand new from yesterday''s shopping spree. "Intimidating." I mumbled.

    "Wow. Five syllables. I''m impressed." I looked up to glare at him. He just laughed and patted my shoulder. "Don''t worry. They won''t hit you. They can''t really. The old man would kick them out indefinitely and then where would they go?"

    I gave it some thought. It sounded true. Normal people wouldn''t just go around hitting others. I took a deep breath and let some tension out.

    "Just look at them." Noah pointed to the cage with a smirk. "You would totally own them in there. And they''re even older than us. That really says a lot about you."

    Noah''s voice carried his comments to three of the four guys. Two of them looked at one another, communicating without words. The third turned all the way to stare us down.

    I flinched, and tried to shift my body behind Noah, but he wasn''t having it. He threw an arm around my shoulders, keeping me at his side. "Look pass them and into the cage. Mr. Tall and Buff has already missed two, fouled three, and hit three. Ok four fouls now."

    I cringed at his narrating, not even daring to look. I kept my eyes on my shoes, praying Noah would lose interest and we could move on.

    "Foul. Foul. Foul." Noah told me about the rest of his pitches. "Wow. Lame. Seven fouls. Three hits. And two misses. He''s not even close to your level."

    I wish I could be invisible. Why isn''t this over yet? The guy has already finished his token so we should definitely leave now.

    "You got something to say brat?" A pair of shoes came into my line of sight and I feel ten seconds away from fainting in fright. Noah basically summoned a demon before us.

    I glanced up and it was the bald guy. Great. The scariest looking one. I nudged Noah, trying to move us away from this potential fight.

    But Noah stayed firm. In fact, he merely scoffed at the baldy. "What''s there to say? I was just telling my friend what was happening in the cage since he couldn''t see clearly."

    I didn''t dare to look up at the baldy. "Brat. You trying to say you can do better."

    "Nope. Not at all. But my friend can. In fact, he could do it left-handed."

    Oh god. If you exist, please make me disappear.

 17 Trouble 2

    "What the fuck. You think this brat can do better? We play varsity for our high school, not some pick up ball in the park." The bald guy didn''t sound happy at all. I''m surprised he didn''t just start throwing a punch at Noah''s smug face.

    "Yea? So what? We do too!" Noah pulled me closer.

    We what? No, no, no. I shook my head, trying to claim innocence. I''ve never played on a team before, let alone played in a game.

    Noah glanced at me. "No need to hide it, Jake. We got this." Got what! I don''t understand this kid at all. He can obviously see my discomfort, but he keeps trying to pick a fight.

    "Oh? Want to make a wager then?" The guy was smirking like we were easy prey.

    "Sure. I hope you''re good sports after eating a loss." Noah had no intentions to back down. I kept shaking my head so much, I started to feel dizzy.

    "Seems like your friend is wimping out to me." He laughed.

    Noah gave my shoulder a squeeze. "He just doesn''t like taking on bets since people will think that we''re hustling them."

    My jaw dropped. Damn. This kid.

    "No problem here. Just sounds like boasting me. Ten dollars on who can connect on more pitches." The guy proposed.

    "Fifty." Noah countered.

    "A kid like you has fifty on him?" He asked, doubtful.

    Noah shrugged. "Nope, not on me. But, I have that much faith in my buddy here." Who exactly is your buddy??

    "You bet what you have. There''s no credit on a gamble." He stated firmly through clenched teeth.

    Noah took his arm off me and slung his bag in front of him. He started to pull out what money he could. A few dollars here and there. "I''ve got 12."

    The guy whipped out a leather wallet and pulled out the same amount. "Deal. Let''s go. Your friend versus mine." He abruptly turned and went back to his group.

    I frowned at Noah as he put his backpack back on.

    Noah just grinned. "This is great. Easy money. He''s basically throwing it at us."

    I shook my head. Sounds more like the guy wants to take revenge on Noah for his trash talking. "We should just go." I mumbled.

    "It''s too late to back out now. I don''t want to just hand over my last 12 dollars without even trying. Come on, just this once. We''ll leave right after so we can avoid them. Pleaseeee?"

    I rolled my eyes at his pleading. "Fine."

    Noah laughed, cheerfully, and started to drag me to the four guys. "I knew I could count on you Jake. You''ve already proven you could do 85mph so it''ll be easygoing."

    "Easy?" The bald one scoffed. "I didn''t say we would do the 85. We should obviously do the most challenging at 100. My friend, Tyler, will be going for us. He''s our cleanup hitter so it''s only natural that he would represent our school." He nodded towards a slender but lean man on his left. He had short brown hair and a sharp cheek bones.

    I looked at Noah, worried. 100 mph? I''ve never consecutively hit that. Ever.

    Noah''s face twitched, fighting off a scowl. "We never agreed to 100mph. We came from the 85 cage and you guys are standing in front of said cage. It''s only reasonable we stick to where we''re at." I nodded. Finally, this kid is talking sense.

    "I didn''t do the 85 cage." Tyler smirked. "Why should we do the speed your friend is already accustomed to?"

    "We only agreed to whoever makes the most contact." Baldy followed up. "You''re the one talking smack, so I pick the speed."

 18 Trouble 3

    Noah looked at me, unsure. That makes the two of us. I had no idea how good this guy was and I wasn''t sure if I''d be any better.

    "Oh. And you''re friend has to do it left handed of course." Baldly added. "You specifically said he would."

    My eyes widen as I tilted my head at Noah. Why is this getting worse. I''m not completely ambidextrous. I always like to try to go righty first in order to get comfortable first.

    Noah gave me a weak smile. "Yes. Left handed. It''s all the same for Jakey here."

    The guys laughed, but not like it was funny. More like it was amusing that Noah could talk so much smack. Which was impressive, especially he''s bragging for me and not even for himself.

    "I''ll even go first." Tyler put a helmet on and walked over to the 100mph cage. He went right on in since there wasn''t a line. The rest of us followed to stand just outside the cage in order to watch. Noah stood next to the three and I stayed on the other side of him, still wary of the strangers.

    "Stop looking so nervous. This guy doesn''t even look any better than the one we saw in the 85 cage." Noah nudged me.

    "I''m a pitcher." A voice said from the other side of Noah.

    Noah grinned at me sheepishly. "Semantics. They''re from the same team. Can they really be so different?"

    A loud clank came from the cage. I looked just in time to see the ball hit the netting beyond the machine. "That''s one." The baldy stated. Tyler had already put the token in and started on his twelve pitches. He was in the righty''s box, looking lean and mean.

    "Hit. Hit. Hit. Miss. Foul. Hit. Hit. Foul. Foul. Hit. Foul." The baldy called out every swing. Tyler''s swing was nice and solid, with almost no holes or faults. Definitely not a normal high school player. He turned to us. "That''s eleven out of twelve."

    "You mean seven." Noah''s eyes narrowed. "There was definitely only seven hits."

    The baldy grinned down at us. "We agreed on connections. In order to foul tip, the bat has to connect with the ball."

    "That''s some bs. You''re basically taking advantage of us! Don''t you have any shame facing a couple of freshmen?" Noah finally started to show the worry and tension I''ve been feeling since the beginning.

    "Don''t talk shit, if you can''t back it up." The baldy''s smile looked evil, perfect for a villainous upperclassmen.

    "But-" Noah tried to continue his complaints, but I nudged him. He turned to me raising an eyebrow. "You have no objections now?"

    "No." I whispered. If fouls can count as connections then that''s no problem at all. Foul tipping is easy. I practiced that all the time. Especially when I got bored of hitting the same speed over and over.

    Noah studied my face, looking for a trace of assurance. He nodded once to himself. Then patted my helmet. "Good. Good. I knew I could count on you. Go win us some money so we can play some more."

    I nodded back. I stepped into the empty cage and took a look on the outside. The four were taller, older, and no doubt probably better at baseball. But the batting cages aren''t baseball. Not real baseball anyways. It''s just me, my bat, and the machine. Nothing else is needed. No reliance on other players. No wide variety of pitches. No change ups headed my way.

    I put my last token in and stepped into the lefty''s box, feeling a faint smile growing on my lips.

 19 Trouble 4

    I felt relaxed in the box. The machine spat out a baseball very quickly, but my hands moved just as fast. I fouled the ball back. Not super great, but good enough to pass. The next pitch came as soon as I got back into my setup. I swung and fouled it back again. My swing is a little late, but that''s okay as long as I keep connecting.

    The great thing about pitching machines is their lack of variation. Once you''re at a set speed, you know what to expect and it''s all about getting into a rhythm and staying relaxed. No surprises. The balls kept coming and I kept fouling them back. I could adjust my swing and try for a few more hits, but there''s no sense in risking it. Tyler only had one miss, so it''ll be better if I just foul all twelve back and get the win.

    I kept up the even pace. Set, swing, fouled back. I could hear Noah cheering from behind. He probably understood that I would choose to just foul all twelve back. Easy win.

    "That''s what I''m talking about!" He yelled after I fouled pitch number twelve back. "Left handed, twelve for twelve. We have a winner."

    I rolled my eyes at his bragging, and slowly made my way out of the cage. My arms felt like jelly and the bat felt like it gained weight. 100 mph is no joke. I took the helmet off, and wiped off the sweat from my face as I stood next to Noah.

    Noah was looking up at the four guys, arms crossed, smirking. "Well? Hand over the twelve dollars. A loser is a loser."

    The baldy frowned. "Tyler has more hits. All your friend did was foul it back."

    "Who was the one that said it''s all about making a connection?" Noah shot back. "You made the rules, not me. Don''t tell me you want to back out after losing to a shrimp like Jake."

    Rude. I nudged Noah, making sure he could see my frown. I just won him some money and now he''s putting me down? He should be praising his savior, me.

    Noah was too focused on getting his money. He stood straight, hand out, waiting to be paid.

    Baldy grumbled, but nonetheless smacked the money into Noah''s hand. "Double or nothing." He declared once the money was handed over.

    I shook my head no, yet Noah lived in his own world and nodded. "This time he gets to bat right handed."

    "Most hits this time though." Baldy demanded.

    I kept shaking my head and stepping back. Noah paid no mind, just held me in place with his arm around my shoulders. He whispered to me, "I''m doing this for you."

    I looked at him, skeptical.

    "The bat in your hands is sixty dollars. Scam them two more times and we''ll have plenty. We can buy the bat outright and even have money leftover to play some more video games." Noah''s plan had merits and sounded appealing.

    "But..." I glanced at the cage. I don''t know if I could win if it''s based on hits and not contact.

    Noah seemed to understand my worry. "Look, its a gamble. I get that. You win, we get you a bat and we play some more. You lose, I''ll just call my mom to get us and then maybe we can convince her to get you the bat. You did have money leftover from yesterday''s shopping trip."

    I really didn''t want to ask Mrs. Atkins for money. She wasn''t my mom. And even if she was, that would be more of a reason not to ask.

 20 Trouble 5

    I guess I made my decision. It won''t hurt to try again, especially since I''ll get a chance to go in the righty''s box. I gave Noah the go-ahead nod.

    He looked back at the guys. "We''re in. Double or nothing. Whoever gets most hits win. Jake gets to bat right-handed. As winners, we choose to still go second." He raised an eyebrow. "Unless you''ve got a problem and need the kid to go first?"

    The baldy sneered. "Yea, right. In case you missed it, Tyler had more hits. Your friend couldn''t do nothing but foul. You''re in over your head, brat." He looked at Tyler. "Show them how it''s done. Just getting the same amount of hits again will do it."

    Tyler put his helmet back on and got back in the cage, swaggering with a bigger attitude than a loser should have. He slid his token in and got ready.

    "Foul. Foul. Hit. Hit. Hit. Hit. Hit. Foul. Hit. Hit. Hit. Hit." Baldy called out the result of every pitch. Every time he called out hit, I felt my heart grow heavier. He went from seven hits to nine. No misses. I feel slightly hustled. This guy is obviously a star on whatever team he''s on. Why do they feel the need to challenge us? Just because of Noah''s smack talk? Weird.

    "Nine out of twelve isn''t bad." Noah commented as Tyler walked out of the cage. "Too bad, Jake can do better." He handed me a token. "Here. You ran out right? You can easily hit more than him."

    I started to sweat. Where does Noah get this sky high confidence from? He''s not even the one going in the cage.

    "Stop stalling." Baldy glared at us.

    I swallowed down my anxiety and forced my legs to move. This is definitely the most nervous I''ve felt in a batting cage ever.

    "Worst case scenario isn''t the end of the world Jake. Stop looking like you''re going to your own funeral." Noah said.

    Noah is right. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, releasing my tension. Worst case scenario is just going home. I can always tell Noah that I don''t want the bat so Mrs. Atkins doesn''t have to buy it. There''s a lot of ways to save up money to buy it myself.

    I put in the token Noah gave me and got into the righty''s box. I should just use this opportunity to see what I can do now that I can adjust my swing and try for hits.

    The first pitch arrived in the time it took to blink. I swung my bat, keeping a good grip. Foul. Okay, not bad. I got set again for the next pitch. I just need to lower my shoulder to get the appropriate angle to hit the ball. The pitch came and I sent it back the way it came. Hit. Good. What a relief. I tried to keep the same stance and motions. Hit. Hit. Hit. Hit. Hit. Hit. After the eight hit on the ninth pitch, I heard an unusual sound. It was hard to describe. It sounded like someone punching a wall? Like when the plaster gives.

    I was swinging at the next pitch when I finally figured it out. It was my bat. Crack! Pieces of my bat flew with the ball, and the rest split apart in my hands. I quickly stepped out of the batters box and let the rest of the pitches go by, before picking up what pieces I could. Then I slowly left the cage and immediately looked at Noah with disbelief all over his face. I''m sure I mirrored what he was feeling. I never broke a bat before. I''ve never even seen a broken bat before. Oh crap.

 21 Trouble 6

    "You lost." Baldy and friends smirked and laughed. "We''ll be taking that." He snatched the money clutched in Noah''s hand, then the four of them turned and disappeared back into The Arcade area.

    I held the pieces of my bat, facing Noah, scared he might yell at me.

    Noah frowned at the retreating four. "Damn. We would have won! Those cheapskates." He sighed, looking at me. "This isn''t good."

    I gulped.

    "Let go see what the owner has to say. Remember, it''s always best to be on the offense. Just follow my lead." He held his head high and led the way back to The Arcade.

    I closely followed, feeling depressed.

    We marched back into the shop and rental area. Noah didn''t hesitate and walked right up to the counter and flat out told the lady, "I would like to lodge a complaint. You guys let us borrow faulty equipment."

    The lady''s eyebrows shot up as she peered down at us. "What did you break?"

    "We didn''t break anything." Noah refuted. "That so-called ''superior'' bat that you loaned us for ten dollars, fell apart in my friends hand as he was batting. He''s lucky it didn''t cut him up or anything. I''m sorry to say, I''m going to need my ten dollars back."

    My jaw dropped, stunned at his approach. Is this what he meant by being on the offense? Instead of us paying them back for breaking their bat, he''s going to demand that they pay him. Noah really has no shame. I set the broken pieces on the counter and quickly took a step back, making sure I was standing slightly behind Noah.

    The lady frowned at the pieces of wood. "Where''s the rest?"

    "In the cage. It burst apart everywhere so we picked up what we could."

    "Did it burst apart or fell apart?" The old man walked around the counter to stand beside the lady. He was the supposed boss who may have been a pro. He squinted at Noah, "Well? Which is it?"

    Noah swallowed hard, not looking as confident as before. "Uh-both? It fell apart as my friend was using it in the cage and when it connected with the ball, the pieces blew everywhere."

    The old man thought for a moment, leaving us in suspense. "I seem to recall my employee telling you boys that a wooden bat would be easier to break in the cages." He raised an eyebrow. "Which cage did it break in?"

    Noah twitched, "The 100mph cage...but you can''t tell me that my friend could use enough force to break the bat. It was obviously cracked or faulty."

    The old man looked at me in surprise, "So this young man can hit a 100mph fastball? Impressive."

    "Thank you." Noah answered on my behalf. "Now, about my money? Also, isn''t it only right that we get that token back too? The bat broke half way through the twelve pitches so that''s a waste of a token." I was amazed at Noah''s demeanor. He wasn''t even going to let a token go.

    The old man gave a light chuckle, but surprisingly, he pulled out a token and placed it on the counter. "Here''s the refund."

    "And my ten dollars?" Noah asked.

    "I also remember telling you, ''you break it, you buy it''." The old man held out his hand. "So instead of returning your ten dollars, I''ll be asking for fifty from you to cover the cost of the bat."

    Noah turned his back to the adults and faced me, mouthing one phrase, easy to understand. Oh shit.

 22 Trouble 7

    Oh shit seemed to be the theme of the afternoon. After the old man found out that we didn''t even have any money on us, he called Mrs. Atkins. Apparently, the twins had broken something a few years before and they exchanged numbers in case something happened again. Unfortunately it was me who broke the bat.

    I started to feel anxious and sick to my stomach. Just thinking about Noah''s mom getting mom was stressing me out. Will she act like my mom? Will she just ignore me since I''m not her kid? I definitely prefer option number two.

    We were sitting in the old mans office, waiting for her arrival. We both sat on a worn couch opposite of the old man, who sat behind a desk filled with clutter.

    Noah was giving him a rundown on everything that happened between us and the four older teens. He had a talent for spinning stories to make us look like the ones picked on. "They just couldn''t stand seeing a kid better than them." He finished.

    The old man peered at me. "So you''re better than them?"

    I shook my head no, but Noah answered for me. "He''s way better. He''s like a machine. Same perfect swing over and over."

    The old man looked at the bat pieces in my hands. "Can''t be that perfect of a swing if the bat broke." He looked me in the eyes. "Did the ball hit close to your hands causing the bat to break along the handle?"

    I shook my head no. I always try to hit baseballs with the sweet part of the bat where the barrel is thickest.

    "Jake isn''t a newbie. He knows what part of the bat to hit with. My theory is that there was a crack and with his perfect hitting, the balls hit the same spot over and over, until bam! Bat explosion." Noah always had answers, especially when he can still put the blame on someone or something else.

    The old man looked at us, amused, no doubt he was able to see through Noah''s explanation.

    A knock on the door interrupted us. A tall woman walked in. Mrs. Atkins. She greeted the old man before turning to us. She was still in a business suit looking more intimidating than yesterday. "You guys broke a rental bat?"

    I felt extremely guilty as I held what was left of the bat.

    "Technically." Noah cringed. "But I''m standing my ground that it was cracked beforehand."

    Mrs. Atkins remained expressionless as she turned back to the old man. "I''ll defer judgment to Mr. Williams. He''s the boss so he would know best."

    "Yea, best how to scam us out of our money." Noah rebuked.

    "Noah James." Mrs. Atkins scolded. "I taught you to respect your elders regardless of personal conflicts. You''re setting a bad example for Jake. You should take note how he sits quietly and doesn''t inject snide comments."

    Noah jumped up. "Yea, because he''s terrified. Look how frozen he is. These four guys bullied us, took my money when the bat broke, then ran off. Now we have a bunch of adults telling us that we''re the ones in the wrong and that we''re in trouble. Where''s the justice?!"

    Mrs. Atkins expression softened at the sight of my stiff posture. "Is that true, Jake?"

    I didn''t answer and just kept my eyes down on the bat pieces. I was shocked again how Noah can change black to white and vice versa. It''s a real skill. To not always be right, but at least never wrong. He told the truth, but not the whole truth.

 23 Trouble 8

    I heard Mrs. Atkins sigh. "Even if you boys aren''t totally in the wrong, we should still pay for the bat."

    "Tell you what, if you guys pay for the broken bat, I''ll give you a discount on a new one." Mr. Williams spoke up.

    I lifted my head, filled with hope. I really like batting with a wooden bat. Even though it felt heavier and different, it was something new.

    Mrs. Atkins saw my excitement. "Okay, deal." Then she looked at Noah. "But we''re still having a talk with your father when we get home. Just because you''re right doesn''t mean you''re not in the wrong." Damn. It was like she could see right through her son.

    I looked at Noah, nervous that he might get upset since he looks to be in trouble, but I''m not.

    He rolled his eyes. "Don''t pity me. Mom''s just mad that I was rude and outspoken. She just might ground me."

    "Or no cookies for a straight week." She countered.

    "Nooo. Mommm." Noah pleaded. "You know I didn''t mean it. It won''t happen again."

    She looked skeptical. "We''ll discuss punishment at home." I shivered at the word. "First, lets get the appropriate bat. I feel like we should wait until your father gets back. He''s more knowledgeable when it comes to this."

    "Jake wants the same one as this." Noah looked towards me for confirmation and I nodded along eagerly. "He was excellent with this bat. Twelve for twelve up to the 85 mph cage! And then he fouled all twelve 100mph pitches and put those guys in their place. But then they wanted to count only hits, yet he could still hit some! He was amazing mom!"

    "Oh?" Mrs. Atkins tried making eye contact with me, but I looked away shyly. Noah was just bragging; I''m only good in the cages. "Well how much is a brand new version of this bat?" She looked at Mr. Williams.

    He thought for a minute. "With the discount, I can sell you one for $120. Plus the fifty you owe, it''ll be $170. Is that fair?"

    She glanced at Noah. "That''s usually on par with your aluminum bats right?" He nodded. "Okay, but Jake, you''ll have to take care of this bat. We can''t afford any spares at the moment."

    I nodded. I would agree to any conditions to get this bat. A new one is even better!

    "This is your first wooden bat, right?" Mr. Williams asked me.

    I nodded.

    His lips twitched. "It''s a bit harder to take care of compared to an aluminum bat. Will you remember how to look up how to take care of it when you get home?"

    "No worries. I''ll look it up and print it out for him." Noah interceded on my behalf.

    "Very well then. We won''t be held responsible after the sale is finalized." Mr. Williams stayed clearly. He looked at the pieces I was holding and raised an eyebrow. "You gonna toss that? Or just keep holding it?"

    I looked at it sadly. This was my first bat since my hospital visit. It didn''t last long, but it gave me hope. I didn''t really want to part with it.

    "Do you have a box we can put the pieces in?" Mrs. Atkins suddenly asked. "Technically we did purchase it so we might as well take it home as a souvenir or something." She winked at me. "Right, Jake?"

    I nodded, enthusiastically. That''s exactly what I want.

    Mr. Williams chuckled, but didn''t comment on my peculiarities. "Well, lets get you the new bat too and send you boys on your way." He stood up and led the way out of the office.

    I looked at Noah, grateful to meet a friend like him. He looked at my face and laughed. "Don''t look at me like that. This isn''t anything special. Just another day with the Atkins family." Then he lowered his voice. "But if I do lose my cookie privileges, you must share with me."

    I nodded quickly. I owe Noah more than just cookies.

 24 Taking Care of a Wooden Ba

    I stared at the papers before me, dumbfounded. I squinted at all the tiny words all over the place, then looked up at Noah, confused at where to begin.

    We were sitting in his room back at the house. His mom made the purchases and brought us back, telling us to start looking up wooden bats. What we found was shocking. We really underestimated the task.

    Noah used his computer and printer at the desk in his room to print all applicable information. He was looking at the information at hand before decisively pointing at one article. "We''ll start here. This will be rule number one of taking care of a wooden bat. ''Store your bat handle up.'' That''s simple enough." He looked at the bat in my hands, then looked around the room. "We''ve gotta make sure it stays in an upright position and out of the way so it doesn''t get kicked or knocked around." He got up and took the bat away from me and placed it properly between the desk and bed. "There. That''s also a cool place away from humidity." He sat back down.

    I looked at my bat, a little sad that I couldn''t hold it all the time.

    "Next." Noah read aloud. "Keep your bat clean with alcohol. Alcohol will keep dirt and dust off to ensure a great grip. Okay, we''ll have to ask dad for that when he gets home for dinner."

    I nodded even though I didn''t understand what kind of alcohol is used on bats...

    "Keep your bat dent-free by using a piece of bone, or another wooden practice bat to rub out any misshapen sides. Uhhhh." He glanced at the shoe box next to me. It held my first broken bat.

    I scooter closer to it as if to guard it. I don''t want to use it as a sharpening tool. It''s worth a lot to me.

    "Okay, okay. We''ll ask dad about that one too then." Noah rolled his eyes. "The rest is all about storing your bat properly and out of damp places and away from extreme temperatures. Nothing too hard."

    I opened my shoe box to examine my broken bat. I was glad Mrs. Atkins understood that I didn''t want to get rid of it. She''s definitely not anything like my mom so far, but that makes me even more upset. Why didn''t I get a mom like her?

    "You look like your dog died." Noah laughed. "It''s just a bat. Go put the box on the dresser if you want."

    I got up and placed the box on the dresser next to a few of his trophies and awards. Noah wouldn''t understand that this bat felt like my lifeline to baseball. God only knows if I''ll be able to hold a metal bat ever again.

    "So we''re going to need alcohol and something for when your bat dents." Noah said thoughtfully. "Hmmm. We also need to get you a bag to hold it. But it can''t get humid in there. Plus it has to be big enough for your glove. And we need to get you a helmet of your own. And maybe batting gloves." His eyes sparkled. "I''ll talk dad into taking us to O''Conners. It''s a huge sports store that will set you up."

    I looked away uncomfortably.

    "What is it?" Noah got closer to me.

    I scrunched up my nose and shifted from foot to foot. "I''ve never actually played before, ya know." It was hard to squeeze out such a long sentence. I felt winded and dizzy at my admittance, afraid Noah will get upset.

    "Play?" Noah''s eyebrows pulled together. "Play what?" His eyes widened with realization. "Wait. You''ve never played baseball before?"

 25 No Knowledge

    Noah was stunned. "But you have a glove! And you bat so well! Any team would die to have you in their lineup! How are we going to get you on the varsity team with me? Have you practiced fielding and throwing at all? Do you know positions?"

    I just shrugged in response. He was asking so many questions; I didn''t know where to start.

    He frowned. "Let''s start with hitting. You can obviously do that. Have you ever hit off a pitcher? A real pitcher?"

    I shook my head no. At my middle school I was only allowed to use the batting cage.

    "Okay. Moving on to throwing. Can you throw a baseball?" I rolled my eyes. Of course I threw the ball around with friends at school. "Just checking. Geez, so much attitude. How about fielding?"

    I looked away.

    "Really, Jake? What''s with that response?" Noah grabbed my face and forced me to look at him. "What do you know about fielding?"

    "Throw to first." I mumbled.

    Noah hands fell, "Oh lord. So you don''t know anything about positioning?"

    "I know where each position is?"

    "Have you never seen a game? Or participated in a scrimmage? Damn, did you even have a childhood."

    I flinched and my eyes started to sting. I moved away from Noah and his hurtful words. There wasn''t anywhere I could go, so I climbed the bunk bed and got under the covers. I hid all the way under as I start to cry silently.

    "Jake? Jake??" Noah shook my bed. "Are you sick? Should I go get mom? Hold on!" I head him run out of the room.

    I didn''t want his mom. Or mine. Or any mom for that matter. I just wanted to be alone.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    NOAH:

    Noah ran downstairs to fetch his mom. He had never seen someone cry so suddenly without something being wrong. "Mom! Where are you?! I need you!"

    "Dining room!" She answered.

    Noah ran through the living room, passed the office, and arrived in the dining room. Surprisingly the man that brought Jake was there with her. "I think something''s wrong with Jake, mom! He started crying and is hiding under the covers now."

    "Oh? What happened before that?" She asked.

    "We we''re talking about baseball. That''s it."

    The man sighed. "I''m shocked that he even would talk to you at all. Let alone about baseball. Have a seat, Noah. Let''s talk about Jake for a minute."

    Noah looked at him suspiciously, but with a quick glare from his mom, he sat down. "What''s there to talk about?"

    "You know that your parents take in a foster kid every now and then right?" The man asked. "Jake is a ward of the state. He was removed from his mom''s custody for abuse."

    Noah looked concerned. "His mom hit him?"

    The man nodded. "Among other things, yes."

    Noah looked nervous and guilty. "I probably made him cry then. I asked if he even had a childhood right before he started to cry. But it was a joke cuz he didn''t know anything about baseball!"

    The man gave him a tight smile. "Jakes mom didn''t let him play baseball. It was taboo. So he''s probably having conflicting thoughts and feelings about playing and being around others who play."

    "What should we do then?" Noah asked worriedly.

    "All we can do is be here for him. Be supportive." His mom smiled gently. "Let him cry it out for a few minutes before your brothers come home. Then we can all have dinner together. Jake just needs time to adjust."

    "I''m worried about you and your husband the most. Jake has no experience with real parenting so he might be hard to handle at times." The man said.

    "Ridiculous." She brushed it off. "It''s because he has no knowledge, that he''s so well behaved. I''d be more comfortable if he went wild like my other boys. We''ll play everything by ear for now."

 26 Mr. Duncan’s Checkup

    Noah didn''t come right back, which should have made me worried, but all I felt was relief. His comment on my lack of childhood felt like it shattered something inside and I needed time to gather myself. Mr. Duncan said before that I would have to see a therapist and I can understand why. I''m still broken. Maybe not on the outside anymore, but definitely on the inside.

    After twenty or so minutes, I felt better. Maybe crying is a stress reliever? I got up, stretched, and went to the bathroom to wash my face. Then I went to go look for Noah. Maybe his brothers were back and that''s why he didn''t come back.

    I heard voices coming from the dining room so I peeked in. Mrs. Atkins and Mr. Duncan were on one side of the table talking to one another, while Noah was on the other end just frowning at them.

    Mr. Duncan noticed me first. "Oh, hi Jake. How''s it going? Getting adjusted?"

    I nodded once. Noah and his mom were very welcoming.

    "That''s good." He nodded in satisfaction. "I wanted to be here for you when you meet the rest of the Atkins in case you get overwhelmed."

    I tilted my head in confusion. Why would I get overwhelmed?

    "He''s not that wimpy." Noah rolled his eyes.

    "Noah James." Mrs. Atkins frowned. "Mr. Duncan is just doing his job, looking out for Jake."

    "I''ll be looking out for him." Noah gave me a smile. "I wouldn''t let anything happen to my little brother."

    I felt warm inside from his sincerity. Noah made me feel safer than anyone I''ve met, including police and doctors. I went over and sat next to him to show Mr. Duncan that I believe in Noah.

    Mr. Duncan gave a light laugh. "I''m glad you guys have bonded so quickly. Nonetheless I have to make sure your brothers and dad have the right attitudes to a new addition. Even if you guys pass tonight, I will still have to make visits every now and then.Scheduled visits and surprise visits. I''ll also receive progress reports from your school, therapist, Mary and Wayne. And I''ll also be giving you updates on the search for your dad."

    I turned away to show my displeasure.

    Noah took note. "You don''t want them to find your dad?"

    I sneered. He didn''t want me to begin with; why would he want me now. He already has the son he wants.

    Noah looked upset and asked Mr. Duncan, "What if his dad isn''t a good dad?"

    Mr. Duncan was caught off guard. "Uh, well, we''ll cross that bridge when we get to it. We''re still looking through records just trying to find a name so it won''t be any time soon."

    Noah didn''t look happy with that answer, but I didn''t mind. They could take all the time they need. Finding him would be pointless.

    "Jake doesn''t need him anyways." Noah huffed. "A dad like that already ran off on him so what''s the point wasting time looking for a deadbeat. Jake can just stay with us."

    "Noah." Mrs. Atkins warned. "You don''t speak ill about strangers. There could be circumstances that couldn''t be helped. You should always look for the best in the people and not assume the worst. What does making assumptions do?"

    "Make an ass out of you and me." Noah sighed, but I laughed. I''ve never heard of a saying like that. "Mom has a lot of those. She''s what you call an optimist. Always seeing the bright side of things. Just wait until dinner."

    "Oh. Dinner. I should get the Salisbury steaks out of the oven and finish the sides." Mrs. Atkins got up in a hurry. "Why don''t you set the table, Noah? Let Mr. Duncan chat with Jake."

    "Ridiculous. Jake only talks to me."

    Mr. Duncan looked at us in surprise. "You''ve heard Jake talk?"

    "A little here and there." Noah slapped my shoulder. "It''s a work in progress."

    Mr. Duncan looked at us, happy.

 27 Meeting the Atkins 1

    "I''m glad." He told us. He looked at me specifically. "You''re doing great Jake. I''m sure you''ll be safe and happy here."

    I gave a look at Noah. The word safe isn''t one I would use in his company. He seems to be a troublemaker.

    Noah looked offended. "Are you trying to say that I''m not safe?" I tilted my head in response. "Okay, Okay. Today was a bit tricky. But nothing happened! You even got a new bat today!"

    "You got a bat?" Mr. Duncan asked.

    I nodded.

    "It doesn''t bother you?"

    I twitched.

    "It''s a wooden bat." Noah cut in. "He didn''t want to use either of my aluminum bats. Does that have something to do with his mom not letting him play baseball?"

    "Something like that." Mr. Duncan grimaced. "She''s a very sick woman."

    Understatement.

    "Noah! Set the table please! And grab a chair from the office." Mrs. Atkins hollered from the kitchen. "Your dad sent me a text saying they''ll be here in just a few. Eight plates, eight sets of silverware, eight chairs."

    "Ugh." Noah got up to do as he was told.

    As he moved around, I sat patiently at the table. Mr. Duncan did too; not bothering to force small talk.

    It wasn''t long before we heard noises from the garage and chatter started to flow into the house.

    "You were total shit this week. I don''t even know why you were invited."

    "That''s rich coming from you. Even Noah would be a better participant."

    "That runt? Puh-lease." I heard a scoff.

    The two arguing voices found their way to the kitchen. They were both tall. Like Mrs. Atkins tall. Six foot. Lanky and slightly lean. They both stopped arguing once they saw me and Mr. Duncan sitting there in silence.

    "Oh, you must be the twins." Mr. Duncan stood up and walked towards them with a hand out. "I''m Doug Duncan. This is Jake Hollander." He held out his hand.

    One spoke up. "Yes, hi. I''m Kyle. This is my twin Dave."

    "David." The other twin corrected.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "It''s all the same. I''ve been calling you Dave my whole life. I''m not going to stop now." He gave me a nod. "What''s up, Jake?"

    I blinked, unsure what to do. Waving seems lame. A head nod back wouldn''t really be me. I just sat there, frozen.

    "Jake''s shy." Mr. Duncan shrugged. "He doesn''t talk much."

    "Only to me." Noah bragged as he brought in plates and silverware.

    "Liar." David rolled his eyes. He zoned in on me. "Jake, don''t be fooled by this brat. His bragging is the only thing he excels at."

    I just kept staring. Dave and Kyle we''d identical twins. Both had the same built, same face, same haircut, even the same demeanor. It was uncanny.

    "Jake...really doesn''t talk." Mr. Duncan said helplessly. "But, apparently he has said a few words to Noah. Which is an improvement compared to the faces he makes at me."

    I frowned at him.

    "See?" He gave me a light smile. "Just proving a point. Don''t mind me. I''ll go see if Mary needs help in the kitchen." He made his way out of the room.

    Dave plopped down next to me on my left. "So you won''t talk to us? Even though we''re taking you in? Don''t expect me to protect you at school then."

    My eyes widened in fear as I looked towards Noah, fear written all over my face. What does that mean? Mary didn''t say I had to talk to her at all... And why would I need protection at school? Is high school really that troublesome?

 28 Meeting the Atkins 2

    "Stop being a douche." Noah smacked him on the back of the head. Then nimbly dodged the arm Dave threw out. "Jake, don''t listen to his crap. Nothing about high school is scary."

    Kyle took a seat across the table. "That''s because you have three older brothers watching you. What about the time you pissed off Alex from the football team?"

    Dave snorted. "Right! If it wasn''t for Zeke and us, you would probably have your ass kicked." Dave nudged me. "Watch out. Hanging with this brat will get you in trouble on a daily basis."

    I nodded. I could definitely tell after today.

    Dave looked at me, surprised I would agree, I guess. "Looks like he''s already dragging you down. Just stick with me."

    I looked at him with disbelief written all over my face. Noah and even their mom has mention the twins a couple of times. From what I gathered, they''re the real troublemakers and Noah has nothing on them.

    Dave reaches out and pinched my cheeks. "What''s with that skeptical look?? Noah already talking shit about me, huh?" He let go and jumped up to put Noah in a headlock. "Ya brat, what did you say?"

    Noah laughed as he slipped out of his grasp and nimbly ran to the other side of the table, avoiding be caught. "I just told Jake the truth: the twins are the real troublemakers."

    Kyle jumped out of his seat. "The twins?? Me too?" Him and Dave trapped Noah between themselves. Kyle grabbed Noah''s arms and stretched them up, which was easy to do since he was easily half a foot taller than him. "Get him Dave. Make sure he pees his pants."

    Dave smiled evilly as he got closer to Noah. He reached out and started to tickle Noah''s armpits. Noah was laughing ridiculously loud. He must be very ticklish, because I''ve never seen someone laugh so loud. It was only a few minutes before he started yelling for mercy, for me to save him, and for his mom to come help. Anything to make them stop.

    "Boys. What did I say about teasing Noah?" A masculine voice came from behind me.

    I flinched and quickly looked. This man was the definition of huge. I thought Mrs. Atkins and the twins were tall, but this man made them look normal. He was easily 6''5" and was buff like he hits the gym everyday. Yet, his face had some wrinkles from smiling and laughing too much. His light eyes were a dark gray and matched the silver suit he was wearing. Definitely Mr. Atkins.

    "Dad, don''t be deceived. This is retribution for his shit talking." Dave didn''t stop his assault.

    "It''s not shit talking if it''s true." Noah gasped out between laughs.

    "Okay, Okay. That''s enough. I don''t want Noah to pee his pants in front of guests. Set him down and go see if your mother needs help bringing the food in." Mr. Atkins took control and halted their torture session.

    The twins let Noah go and grumbled as they went to the kitchen. Noah was still struggling to catch his breath as he flopped into the seat next to me.

    "Noah, how many times do I have to tell you not to rile up the twins? Don''t be so provocative." Mr. Atkins took a seat at the head of the table.

    "I was falsely accused, Dad!" Noah cried out, pouting. "The only bad thing I may have said to Jake about them, was that if one of them is driving, make sure to pray."

    "So dramatic." Mr. Atkins laughed then looked at me. "But seriously, make sure to sit in the very back and stay buckled up. A seat belt can save more lives than God."

    "Wayne!" Mrs. Atkins came in just as he finished. "I don''t want to hear you bashing your own sons and my god in the same sentence again." Mary gave me a tight smile. "I swear it''s not always this rowdy."

    "Lies." Noah whispered to me.

 29 Meeting the Atkins 3

    I laughed at Noah''s remark. It''s true that this family seems pretty lively at all times. Just being with Noah all day, was more excitement than I''m use to. I couldn''t imagine being with all of them, all the time.

    "Noah. Are you mocking me?" Mrs. Atkins raised an eyebrow.

    "No ma''am." He sat up straight. "I was just telling Jake that he''s going to have so much fun in precalculus with the twins."

    She looked at me worriedly. "Well maybe we should make sure you''re in a different class time or something."

    "But then he won''t share his other classes with me!" Noah refuted.

    "What?! Jake''s in math with us?" Dave walked in with a pan and set it on the table.

    Kyle followed in with a pot of mashed potatoes. "Wow. He must be brilliant. That must be why Noah is sticking so close to him."

    "Boys." Mr. Atkins warned. "We don''t put others down. Especially your own brother. Someone get Zeke from the garage. Let''s start taking seats before dinner gets cold."

    Mr. Duncan snuck in from the kitchen and quietly took a seat on the other side of me. "You doing okay so far? I know it''s a lot to take in. A lot of new faces."

    I shrugged, silently watching the bickering and moving about. Kyle went to get Zeke. Dave and Mrs. Atkins were going to and from the kitchen, bringing out food. Noah was telling his dad about the shopping trip yesterday.

    There was a lot going on, but I felt at peace. This is way better than the dead silence I lived through. There was constant laughing even when they were supposedly fighting. When my mom and I would fight, it was just one-sided abuse.

    "Listen up! Dinner is on the table so start simmering down and find a seat." Mrs. Atkins sat at the other head of the table.

    Noah was next to her, then me, then Mr. Duncan, and Mr. Atkins. That left the other side of the table open for the twins and Zeke. Dave was the first to come in and took a seat next to his mom. Kyle came in next, and took a seat next to his dad. Then it was Zeke.

    No one has really talked about him much so I wasn''t sure what to expect. I vaguely remembered that he didn''t smile in the family photo hanging on the wall. Noah also said he was strict, didn''t meddle when he and the twins fought, and that he was the captain of their varsity team.

    Zeke looked exactly like the photo. He didn''t smile and looked very serious compared to everyone else in the family. He sat exactly opposite of me, making me slightly nervous.

    "Jake, this is Zeke. Don''t be scared of him. He just has face paralysis." Noah introduced.

    Zeke'' eyes shot towards Noah instantaneously. "What was that?"

    Noah coughed trying to cover his laugh. "Nothing. Just telling Jake that you''re the captain of the team at school. And that maybe he should ask you for a tryout."

    "Team is already put together." Zeke didn''t even sugarcoat it. "He can play with the other freshmen."

    I looked at Noah, unsure if I would even want to play. Let alone play with a bunch of strangers. Noah didn''t even look upset or worried. He winked at me, then smiled at his oldest brother. "What if I told you he could hit a 100mph fastball...multiple times?"

    The table seemed to fall silent all at the same time. All side conversations stopped and all eyes were on me.

    Zeke squinted at Noah. "I would have to ask you to prove it."

    Noah''s smile got even brighter as if he expected that response. He looked at his mom innocently. "Mom, you didn''t tell dad what happened today?"

 30 Meeting the Atkins 4

    Mrs. Atkins didn''t look as happy as Noah did. She looked at him sternly. "I was going to wait after dinner since we have a guest over."

    "Why? Did Noah get Jake in trouble?" Mr. Atkins frowned. "It would be better if Doug sees all sides of us. No reason to pretend to be perfect."

    Mr. Duncan glanced at me. "From what I heard so far, I already approve. Jake seems to be having fun and he even wants to play baseball again."

    "Well for starters, they broke a bat." Mrs. Atkins stated. "A wooden bat. An expensive wooden bat that Mr. Williams wasn''t going to rent out in the first place. Luckily he was nice about it and let me buy a new one at a discount for Jake."

    "How did you guys break a bat?" The twins asked at the same time, obviously in the same wavelength.

    "Faulty equipment." Noah rolled his eyes. "Jake is like a machine and can hit the ball with the same part of the bat repeatedly." He moved his eyebrows up and down at Zeke. "He foul tipped 12 of 12 pitches in the 100mph cage."

    Zeke''s eyebrows furrowed.

    "Wait, honey. That''s not such a big deal. Did something else happen?" Mr. Atkins asked.

    "Noah had no money on him at all so they had called me in. Apparently Noah lost it all in a bet." She replied. "He also was out of line when telling Mr. Williams what happened. Very rude and undisciplined. Grounding isn''t a very viable solution, so I''m proposing no sweets for his lunches or after dinner for a while."

    "We were cheated!" Noah cried out. "We would have won if the bat didn''t break."

    "Noah, what have I told you about gambling?" His dad asked. "You''re too young. You shouldn''t be wasting money away like that. No sweets for a month."

    "A whole month?!" Noah slouched in his chair.

    "For being rude to an adult that''s adequate punishment." His mom agreed.

    "So you were betting that Jake could beat someone in the cages?" Kyle asked.

    "Yea." Noah mumbled. "They first challenged him to pitch connections in the 100 mph cage which he won by foul tipping all of them. Then we did double or nothing but this time only hits count. His bat broke after eight hits, just one away from tying it. They grabbed my money and ran off."

    "A loser is still a loser." Dave laughed out. "Did you know the guys? Were they older or younger?"

    "They were some kids from a high school. The guy that went up against Jake was the cleanup hitter they said." Noah smirked. "I hope we play against them in a real game soon. Such wimps."

    "It''s a long season." Kyle shrugged. "We might get to see them around. Then we can make fun of them for losing to a bunch of kids."

    Dave laughed. "That''d be great. Are we still doing that tournament before league play?"

    "It''s in two weeks on that Saturday." Kyle nodded."That''s our best chance of running into teams we don''t play normally."

    Dave looked at me, smiling. "We''ll put Jake in the stands to see if he could spot them. Then we could psych them out if we run into them."

    "Jake wouldn''t be in the stands." Noah disagreed. "He would be in our lineup. I told you he bats really well."

    "Batting better than you is nothing impressive." Dave snorted.

    "He bats better than you and Kyle, combined. AND he can switch hit." Noah looked at Zeke. "You have to at least let him try out for varsity. He can really hit."

    Zeke looked at his parents then back to Noah. "I''ll give him a tryout tomorrow after school during practice. But just because he''s good in the cages, doesn''t mean he''ll do well in real scenarios."

 31 Meeting the Atkins 5

    I swallowed harder than normal. Zeke didn''t hold back at all. Either I''m good and can stay, or if I flop, then I''m out. I thought the four from earlier today were intimidating, but they can''t compare with the pressure Zeke emits.

    "The coach will want to keep him." Noah crosses his arms in front of his chest.

    "Okay, that''s enough." Mr. Atkins declared. "Let''s eat dinner before it gets cold. Noah, no sweets for a month. Respect your elders. Zeke, you''re not the coach so you can''t make decisions like this. I''ll call the coach tonight and explain the circumstances. Dave and Kyle, I don''t want to hear about you picking fights with strangers or ''psyching'' them out."

    Mr. Duncan looked impressed with the way all the boys settled down and started to focus on food instead of talking back. Mr. Atkins really took control and was swift with his decisions.

    I put my focus on my plate. Mrs. Atkins filled the plate with Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, and carrots. I''ve never had a home-cooked dinner before. I was lucky to even find food in the cabinets. Even if they were rowdy, slightly scary, and overbearing, this family would be my dream to stay with.

    "Are you nervous about school tomorrow?" Mr. Duncan turned to me to ask.

    I glanced at Dave, a bit worried about what he said before.

    Noah noticed. "Don''t listen to Dave. I''ll have your back. And if I can''t solve it, we''ll just tell mom. She''s on the PTA." He saw my confusion. "It''s the parent-teacher association. Basically she helps with fundraising and all that. If anyone''s mean to us, she can tell the principal to expel them."

    "It doesn''t work like that, Noah." Mrs. Atkins corrected him. "I have no authority to get anyone expelled. But if you do have problems, Jake, you should let me or your counselor know immediately. The school doesn''t tolerate bullying."

    I nodded to show that I understood. The rest of dinner was filled with normal chatter and the occasional snarky remark. They talked about classes that we''re going to be boring tomorrow and what homework needed to be done tonight. It felt like I was on a tv show where everything and everyone seemed perfect.

    I felt a tinge of jealously, but quickly stuffed it down as I ate the perfect dinner Mrs. Atkins made. There''s no point being jealous now that I got to live this life too. The past is the past.

    After dinner, came dessert. More cookies. I saw Mr. Atkins frown, yet he didn''t say anything. Noah was the only one who couldn''t have any. Afterwards it was goodbye to Mr. Duncan, homework, showers, bed.

    Mr. Duncan''s goodbye was simple as he said he''d be back soon to check up on us. He also told me to keep my head up and to make sure I listen to Mary and Wayne. I nodded my consent and he was off.

    Noah and I didn''t have homework to do since we weren''t the ones to miss any school. So after our showers, he gave me a rundown of what to expect tomorrow. After getting my class schedule from the office and meeting my counselor, I would follow Noah around since we have all classes together with the exception of math. But I would have that with the twins so I wouldn''t be alone. Then after our last class together, we have baseball practice.

    "The coach knows a lot about baseball. He''ll see how good you are and keep you even though you don''t know much about the game. The hard part will be finding you an appropriate position to play." He thought for a bit.

 32 Classes 1

    Noah said he would think of a solution for me. It''s not like he knew how good or bad I was at fielding either so we could just come up with something at my tryout/practice.

    With all of today''s excitement, I had no problems falling asleep.

    The next morning could only be described by one word: madness. The twins were yelling and hollering all over the place and making a lot of racket. It didn''t take long for Noah to get dragged into their drama.

    I stealthily made my way downstairs with my backpack in order to keep my distance.

    "Good morning Jake." Mrs. Atkins greeted me when I walked into the dining room. Surprisingly the table was set with breakfast foods. Mr. Atkins and Zeke were also there, already eating.

    I put my bag down and sat down with a seat between me and Mrs. Atkins. I looked at all the food spread out that included waffles, cereal, eggs, bacon, and so on.

    "Just help yourself honey." Mrs. Atkins smiled. "I only do breakfast like this on Monday mornings to start the week off right. The rest of the week is usually just cereal. So don''t hold back."

    I nodded and started to fill my plate. The only breakfast I''ve ever had was from my school or when I stayed in the hospital, but neither of those places could compare. In my opinion, Mrs. Atkins should be a chef and not some realtor.

    Us four sat and ate in silence as the three troublemakers made a lot of noise upstairs. There was yelling and thumping and it just sounded like chaos. I was halfway done when the three finally ran down the stairs.

    The twins were quick to stack their plate and start stuffing their food down. Noah glanced at me as he sat down, "Wow. You ditched me for food? I see how it is."

    I froze. Then poured as I looked at him.

    He sighed. "I was kidding! Just finish eating. I understand how good mom''s cooking is." He started to load his plate. "I just thought with a brother my age, you would be there to help me in fights."

    I looked nervously at the twins. They were stuffing their faces and easily looked menacing compared to Noah. I really didn''t want to face them. Like ever.

    "They won''t hit you. Mom would skin them alive." Noah said.

    "Yea, we have other ways to torture you." Dave laughed.

    I shivered as I thought about their tickling session. I wouldn''t want that either. I shook my head at Noah showing my unwillingness to take them on.

    Noah sighed. "Guess we''ll just have to beat them on the field."

    "You''re on the same team." Mr. Atkins finally came in to play. "You boys should be working together and building each other up, not tearing each other down."

    "Yes dad." The boys chorused. Even Zeke.

    "Good." He stood up. "I hope you kids all have a great day. If any problems arise, be sure to let me and your mom know. And look out for Jake today." He faced me. "Jake, it''s okay to be nervous and scared. Noah will be there to help. Any other trouble, just find Zeke." He nodded at us and left to the office.

    I looked at Zeke. He still looked even more intimidating than the twins so I hope I won''t ever have to rely on him.

    Zeke suddenly stood. "Okay, time to go."

    The twins grumbled, but nonetheless also stood up. Noah looked pitifully at his half-eaten food, and grabbed the muffin and toast.

    "Alright boys." Mrs. Atkins sent us off with a smile. "Listen to your dad. Be good. Be safe. Be productive." She waved us to the garage.

 33 Classes 2

    I followed the boys through the garage to their Dodge Durango. Zeke was already in the drivers seat, turning the car. The twins were putting baseball bags into the trunk.

    I forgot my bat upstairs! I started to head back in, but Noah grabbed a hold of me. He pointed at his bag in the trunk. "I put your glove and bat with mine. We''ll share for right now. I also packed some old cleats of mine that you could use for now."

    I sighed with relief.

    "We keep our baseball stuff in the trunk so after school we''ll go straight to the car to grab it before practice." Noah rolled his eyes. "Zeke parks all the way by the fields, so walking through the parking lot in the morning is slightly annoying."

    I didn''t get it, but I nodded along anyways. Then we piled into the car. Dave snatched the front passenger seat, forcing Kyle to the back with us. Even though there was a third row, we three, stayed in the middle since it wouldn''t be a long ride. Thankfully Noah sat between me and Kyle so I wouldn''t feel very anxious.

    Zeke turned up the radio to drown out the twins bickering and off we went. When they said it was a short drive, they meant it. Within ten minutes, the high school appeared in sight. It was in the middle of a residential neighborhood, but stood out as the gym took a lot of space up front and had ''Watsonville High School'' written on it. How generic.

    Zeke drove through the entrance and went to a back parking lot, circling the school, giving me a good look. It wasn''t overly huge, just midsized. There looked to be a couple of main buildings and then some portable classrooms added on the edges. In the back of the school looked to be the athletics area. There was outdoor basketball courts, tennis courts, and a pool beside the gym. Then further down was the football fields and baseball fields. Surprisingly there was two of each.

    I tugged on Noah''s sleeve and pointed outside the window as we passed by the first set of fields and drove to the second set. The baseball field and football field were only separated by the outfield fence.

    "This lower field is for varsity." Noah said. "Hence why Zeke parks all the way down here. That football field is where varsity soccer and football practice, but they play their games at the stadium a couple blocks away. The upper fields are for freshmen and junior varsity teams to practice and play games."

    After Zeke finally parked, we got out of the car. The older three started walking towards the school without a glance to us.

    Noah held me back and pointed at their baseball field. It was totally decked out with dugouts, stands, lights, and pitching mounds to the side for warming up. "Practice is here everyday after school from 3-6. We also play our home games here so they have a caretaker for the field itself."

    They don''t have to do cleanup and take care of the field themselves? How fancy. Even though the school isn''t huge or a private school, they could still afford something like a caretaker? Nice.

    "I''m not a caretaker, Noah Atkins. I''m the field manager." A voice said from behind us.

    I jumped, totally startled, and we turned to face where the voice came from. A middle aged man in a ''WHS'' baseball cap was sitting on a golf cart.

    "Right, right. I forget sometimes." Noah placated. "Jake this is Mr. Miller, the field manager. Mr. Miller, this is Jake, my foster brother. He''s going to join the team today."

 34 Classes 3

    Mr. Miller looked me up and down, clearly not impressed with what he saw. "Another freshmeat?"

    "Freshman like me." Noah corrected. "But he''s going to be the best hitter we have, just watch."

    "I doubt it. He doesn''t even have the frame to hit homeruns." Mr. Miller scoffed.

    "Baseball isn''t all about homeruns." Noah three an arm around my shoulders. "Just watch practice after school. You''ll see how amazing this kid is."

    "Uh-huh. Sure." He looked at me. "Do you not talk?"

    "I do all the talking for him." Noah pulled me closer. "You gonna give us a ride to the office after being so rude to a kid?"

    Mr. Miller rolled his eyes. "Blackmailing an adult will get you in more trouble than you can imagine one of these days."

    I looked up at Noah, worried.

    Noah just dragged me to the golf cart and pushed me on. Then he sat next to me. "Thanks for the advice Mr. Miller. I''ll keep it in mind for next time."

    Mr. Miller just shook his head, but didn''t say anything. He started to drive the cart.

    "Don''t worry about Mr. Miller." Noah patted his shoulder. "He sounds and looks like a grump, but he''s super nice. One time he saw the twins bullying me and sprayed them with the hose."

    "I sprayed you too." Mr. Miller cut in. "You three were on the freshly planted grass. Have some self awareness."

    "See? He just doesn''t want to be seen as a nice guy." Noah smiled. I wasn''t seeing it though. I think Mr. Miller really didn''t have a sweet side, just a sour attitude. "We need to get Jake''s schedule so take us to the office good sir!"

    Mr. Miller only grunted. He drove us past the upper fields, the courts, the gym and towards the school buildings. We passed many students but no one said anything, just a few shouts of "Hey, Noah!" We even passed by his brothers, who were surrounded by other teenagers, but they didn''t pay any mind to us.Maybe Noah and Mr. Miller did have a friendship...

    "Get off. Get going. I expect to be amazed this afternoon." Mr. Miller pulled up next to the front glass doors.

    I hurried off while Noah took his time. "See ya then. Be prepared. Thanks for the ride!" He stepped off and Mr. Miller left without another word. "He gives me a ride every morning." Noah told me as he waved, confirming my guess that they were close. "He''s not just the field manager. He''s also the third base coach for games. So he knows what''s up."

    Wow. I wouldn''t have guessed.

    "Now let''s go and get your schedule. Class will start soon." He opened the door for me and I stepped in. My first step in a high school.

    I took a deep breath and walked in. It was a wide hallway filled with teens in front of lockers, and doors that were wide open waiting for students to come in.

    "This way." Noah dragged me through the first door on the right. "This is the front office. You can find your counselor here. If you get lost, come here. If you lose something, come here. If you''re late for school, we''ll come here. Anything you need at all, start here."

    ''Here'' was a long counter with a couple of ladies standing behind it. They were chatting with each other, helping students standing in the front of the line, and papers were going from desk to desk behind the big counter. The office was filled with adults moving behind the scenes.

    "They''re all office people. Counselors. Principal. Vice-principal. Administrative. Receptionist." Noah pointed at different people flying by.

    I just nodded. It was a busy place, and I didn''t really want to be here longer than I have to.

 35 Classes 4

    "How can I help you boys?" The woman asked when it finally got to our turn.

    "This is Jake Hollander. He''s new. My mom registered him." Noah introduced. "She said he should also meet his counselor?"

    The lady nodded and started to look around and came back with some papers. "Here''s your schedule. A map of the school. The list of books you need to check out from the library. And an agenda book to keep track of your assignments." She looked towards a lady on her left. "Macey, have you seen Mrs. Golladay? She has a new student."

    Macey shook her head. "Nope. Maybe she''s out and about." She looked at us. "She''ll get you called from class to introduce herself to you when she finds the time."

    Noah gave a nod and grabbed my papers for me. "Alright. Thanks. I''ll take him to the library now." Noah led the way out, back to the huge hallway. "That was strange."

    I tilt my head, not understanding.

    "Mom specifically said you would meet your counselor in the morning." He answered. "I wanted to be there with you too. Just because I''ve never met her either." He shrugged. "Whatever, it''s fine. Let''s go to the library."

    I followed him through the hall as an endless amount of people greeted him. Noah was really popular from the looks of it. The definition of everybody''s best friend, I guess.

    The library already had a good amount of students on the computers and filling up the tables. "Slackers." Noah called them. "They waited until the last minute to get their homework done." We walked up to the librarian and collected the books I would need. Noah frowned at my locker slip. "Your locker is nowhere near mine. I think it would be better if we share until you get comfortable. This way we can walk to and from classes together."

    I nodded eagerly. I didn''t want to be on my own so soon. The school was much bigger than my middle school and it looked easy to get lost. So he led me to his locker where we stashed all but one of my books.

    "English, World History, break, Biology, Spanish, lunch, math is when we''ll split, and then reconvene for Health." Noah gave me the rundown of the day as we walked to our first class. "All the teachers should know that you don''t really talk so don''t stress about that. I''m going to try and make sure you sit next to me in every class."

    True to his word, Noah convinced every teacher in our first four classes to let me sit next to him. They also gave me looks of pity, so I knew, that they knew, what had happened to me. Maybe not the whole story, but at least enough to feel sad about it. Noah paid no attention to it though and introduced me to all his friends and classmates. I obediently followed him to each class, trip to the locker, new class, new people.

    By lunch, I was mentally exhausted. I couldn''t remember anyone''s name and I felt dizzy with all the homework I got today.

    "More than half of the classes are over with." Noah comforted me. "Let''s eat outside since Mom packed our lunches. Normally I eat in the cafeteria, but it might be too cramped and whatnot."

    I nodded. I definitely wanted to stay outside, especially on a nice sunny day like this. It was still chilly because it was only February but the sun made it bearable.

    Noah led me to the benches near the gym and picked one to sit at. We sat on either side and pulled out the lunches his mom made us.

 36 Lunch

    "The injustice!" He cried as he compared our lunches. "Look how different our lunches are!"

    I looked. We both had a sandwich, chips, a banana, apple slices and a granola bar. The only difference was that I had a bag of cookies and he had a bag of carrot sticks.

    I offered him my cookie bag. He opened it and took half. "Thanks, Jake."

    "Put it back." A stern voice made us jump. Zeke walked up to our bench and snatched the cookies out of Noah''s hand and put it back with mine. "Mom and Dad said no. Don''t be bending the rules." He looked down at me. "Jake, don''t just go with whatever Noah says. You''re supposed to follow the rules."

    I quickly nodded and stuffed my cookies back in my bag to make sure Zeke wouldn''t take them.

    Noah made a sad face at my lunch bag holding the cookies. He quickly turned to Zeke and glared. "What are you doing here anyways? Shouldn''t you be sticking to routine and eating in the cafeteria with the team?"

    "Dad said to watch out for Jake. I''m doing what I was told." He took a seat next to Noah. "The twins should be here in a few. I sent them a text of where we were." He pulled out his lunch and started to eat.

    Noah rolled his eyes. He moved away from Zeke and took a seat next to me, moving his food over too.

    "What are you doing?" Zeke asked.

    "Jake won''t want to sit next to the twins." Noah looked at me, and I nodded my confirmation. "They scare him. Besides, they behave better when you sit between them."

    Zeke looked at me. "You know you''ll have to be with them for pre-calculus, right? Better get use to it."

    "Stop being so no-nonsense, Zeke." Noah opened his bag of chips and started to eat. "Jake is still adjusting. If you don''t be more encouraging, I''m going to tell Mom." Wow. How childish. Would that even work on Zeke?

    To my surprise, it did. Zeke looked me dead in the eye and said, "The twins aren''t scary at all." I gulped. Even though that was supposed to be comfort, it sounded more like a threat. And it certainly felt true.

    "Hey fam-bam." Dave plopped on one side of Zeke, and Kyle sat down on the other side. "What''s up, kiddos?"

    "Nothing. Just Zeke being Zeke." Noah sighed.

    The twins shared a look, then grinned at Zeke. "You gonna take that captain?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.

    "Make him run laps!" Dave suggested as he pulled out his lunch. "100! No less."

    "Why don''t you run laps, fatty." Noah grumbled as he watch Dave pull out his cookies.

    Dave waved his cookies in front of him. "Ehh? Is that the sound of jealousy? That''s unbecoming on a freshman like you."

    "Don''t antagonize him." Zeke slapped Dave in the back of the head.

    They''re resorting to violence. I quickly focused on my food and ate as fast as I could. I really didn''t want to be next.

    "Jake, slow down." Kyle commented on my eating. "Your food isn''t going anywhere. You''re going to give yourself the hiccups."

    I refused to make eye contact. Don''t look, and it won''t hurt. Maybe they''ll go back on focusing on one another.

    "You guys scared him." I heard Noah declared. "I''m telling Mom when we get home. Hopefully you guys lose cookie privileges too."

    I cracked a smile. All Noah ever thinks about is blackmailing and threatening. It''s like he was raised my the mob and not some perfect family living in a pink house.

 37 Be

    "Looks like I made him better. You boys are welcomed." Noah held out a hand. "Give me a cookie so I won''t tattle."

    "You brat. I''m not giving you any! I didn''t do anything." Dave huffed and guarded his food like Noah would snatch it.

    "It was obviously Zeke who triggered something." Kyle intervened. "Try and blackmail a cookie out of mr. goody-two-shoes."

    "Don''t worry, I''ll report to mom and dad what happened. I''m sure they''ll know." Zeke said. "No cookies for you. And, you''ll have to run ten laps for trying to blackmail your captain."

    Noah groaned. "You''re abusing your power! How about you let me off since I''m bringing a superstar to the team?" He patted my back. "Jake will easily become a starter, no doubt."

    I didn''t dare to look up.

    "Oh? You wanna make a bet?" Dave asked.

    "Yes!" Noah answered right away. "If Jake makes the varsity team, you run my laps and I get your cookies for the week." I looked at him, incredulously he still wants to make wagers even though that''s what gotten his cookies taken away.

    Dave shook his head. "What would I get then? You don''t actually have much to gamble with."

    "Jake will give up his cookies for a month." He replied. My jaw dropped and I immediately started to shake my head. I didn''t want to lose my cookies too. And to think that I actually offered him some and risked offending Zeke.

    Kyle started laughing and my distress. "Doesn''t look like Jake agrees. It isn''t fair that you''re trying to gamble away his desserts. How about a different trade?" He grinned. "If Jake makes varsity, I''ll give up my sweets for a week, and Dave will run your laps. But, if he doesn''t make the cut, you have to clean our bathroom for the whole month."

    Noah frowned. "That favors you guys too much. Those are harsh terms." He looked at Zeke. "Besides, Zeke wouldn''t go for it. He would rat us out to mom."

    "Three months." Zeke said. "You lose, you keep it clean for three months. If he makes it, I''ll throw in my sweets for a month and won''t make you run laps for non-baseball purposes."

    The twins were stunned. Apparently they didn''t expect for Zeke to up the ante. Noah, however, didn''t seem surprised at all. He grinned like the cat that ate the canary. "Deal. No take backs."

    Zeke''s smile made me nervous. "No take backs." He agreed.

    I shivered. This feels like a trap. I don''t know for who, but with the bet on and against me, I started to feel sick to my stomach. I leaned over and whispered into Noah''s ear. "But I don''t know how to really play."

    Noah grinned, not even bothering to whisper back. "No worries. We''ll discuss the game plan in health after math."

    We five finished eating just before the bell rang. Zeke was the first to make his move and walked off without saying anything else.

    "Jake and I need to go switch out books at my locker." Noah told the twins. "I''ll walk him to your class afterwards. Why don''t you go make sure the teacher gives him a seat far away from you two devils."

    Dave and Kyle laughed together before replying. "Sure, sure. A seat will be ready. We should also tell the teacher that he doesn''t speak very much."

    "Only to Noah." Kyle agreed. "We all saw that he could talk so it''s not like he''s mute. He''s just very selective."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Leave him alone." He pulled me away. "Let''s get your book."

 38 Pre-Calculus

    At his locker, Noah took away my book and replaced it with my pre-calculus book. He grabbed his own book, then started to walk me to my class in the upperclassmen hall. "Kyle is slightly nicer than Dave so try to stay closer to him. Dave will only bring you trouble. And if they start to fight, just ignore them and move on. Don''t try to get in the middle, they''ll just drag you down with them."

    Uhh? I wouldn''t have thought of getting between them, ever. It was only yesterday they trapped Noah between them and tickled him till he cried mercy.

    He led me to an inner classroom that didn''t have any windows. How bland.

    "I''ll take it from here." Kyle met us at the door. "Better hurry to geometry before you''re late. You don''t want detention when you have such a huge wager on the line after school."

    Noah nodded. He gave me a tight smile, a wave, then ran off. Leaving me on my own for the first time since the batting cages. I swallowed down my panic.

    "Well, lets go meet the teacher. He''s an old man, close to kicking the bucket. Maybe we''ll all get A''s if he passes away." Kyle dragged me into the room. I felt my panic starting to rise back up. Who would wish for their teacher to die?? Too drastic. I thought Kyle was supposed to be nicer than Dave...

    Kyle introduced me to the teacher and the rest of the kids that were already in their seats. Then he dragged me to a two person table and squeezed me between him and Dave. This is what Noah told me to avoid. Oh god. I started to breathe in and out really slow to try and calm myself.

    "Jake, you look scared as hell." Dave commented as the class started. "I thought you were supposed to be good at math? Are you nervous that you won''t know anything?" He pulled out a sheet filled with problems. "Here. This is from last week. What do you think?"

    I slowly looked it over and nodded. This was simple. If I could focus on the problems and not the fact that the twins were squishing me, then I could make it through the hour.

    "Oh? Why don''t you go ahead and try them then?" Dave slid the sheet in front of me. I glanced at the teacher who was talking up front. "Don''t worry about him. We already explained that you don''t talk much. He won''t call on you in class. Just work on that sheet."

    I got a pencil out of my bag and started to work on the sheet. I don''t know what it was about math, but it always came easy to me. Math doesn''t lie and it doesn''t have multiple meanings. It felt like the only constant I had since childhood. I finished the worksheet quickly and easily. It honestly felt just like a refresher on what I already knew.

    "Wow. Done so soon?" Dave took the sheet back and looked it over. "No trouble at all?"

    I shook my head no.

    "Why don''t you try this one too?" Kyle pulled a sheet out of his folder and put it in front of me. I finished his even faster. It was the same kind of problems, just different numbers. "Wow. Mom wasn''t kidding when she said you were good in math."

    "This is going to be great." Dave smiled at me, making me feel slightly uneasy.

    "Okay, pass up the extra credit sheets I handed out last week." I heard the old man announced. Then I watched as Kyle and Dave both passed up the sheets I had just worked on. They put their names on my work, and shamelessly turned it in. My jaw dropped.

    "Thanks kid." Kyle patted my head.

    "Yea, we''ll be counting on you this semester." Dave laughed.

    My lips twitched. Counting on me? For what? Doing their math homework?

 39 Game Plan 1

    Math went nothing like what I expected. The twins didn''t torture or terrorize me. After I did their homework, they didn''t bug me at all. I took notes and they played on their phones. They didn''t even open their books. After class, they even helped me get back to Noah''s locker before going to their own class.

    Noah and I exchanged our books and went to our last class of the day, health. Apparently it was only for freshmen and it only lasted a semester. The rest of the time would be physical education or another elective if you played a sport. For example, since his brothers played baseball for the school, instead of p.e., they took a computer coding class.

    Health was held in the gym with about fifty kids in the bleachers as a coach spoke about human anatomy and physiology. Noah had us sit near the back and didn''t even bother to pay attention. He just started to talk to me.

    "How did math go? Did you understand? Did the twins do anything mean to you?" He quizzed me.

    "Fine. Yes. Not really." I whispered.

    He nodded, satisfied. "Good. I was worried the whole time. Now let''s discuss our game plan for this afternoon."

    I let out a sigh, making sure he knew that I didn''t have the confidence he had.

    "Now, now. Don''t be such a pessimist. Hitting is your thing. That''s what we emphasize. Zeke and the coach will probably have a few pitchers to go up against you. Maybe even the twins since Zeke took the bet."

    My eyebrows shot up. The twins were pitchers?

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Don''t be too impressed. They really only pitch to contact, and aren''t very fast compared to a machine. Maybe 85 mph at most. They don''t have any special pitches except a change-up. You have good timing so I''m not worried about them." He took a deep breath. "The real challenge would be against a junior named Garret Knudsen. He''s our ace. He''s a lefty that has a really good cut fastball."

    I raised my a hand to stop. "Cut?"

    Noah nodded. He pulled a notebook out of his bag and flipped to a blank sheet. He drew the pitchers mound and batters box. "Look here. So when a lefty pitches a cut fastball, it comes inside for a righty''s swing, jamming him and making the ball pop up or go foul." He drew a path to show how the pitch would look.

    I pointed at the lefty''s box.

    "That''s right. You''ll have to switch to left for him. Especially if you don''t want him to break your bat. A cut fastball is known for breaking wooden bats in the pros. As for speed, Garret throws a max of 85 mph as well, but he has way better control." He looked up from the book. "If you think you can''t get a hit, just foul it off. Preferably wide so they can''t get you on a foul pop-up. Understand?"

    I nodded. I could foul pitches very easily. I don''t know if that''s a talent, but it''s the closest I can get to one.

    "Good. I already let it slipped that you can switch hit, but they don''t know that you''re equally dominant so just pretend to be a righty until Garret comes up." He flipped the page and started to draw bases. "Now onto fielding. You know the basics right?"

    I shrugged. I practiced throwing fly balls to myself and occasionally I would get another player to roll me grounders, but never at game speed.

    "Okay, this is what we''re going to do." He circled the shortstop position. "That''s me." Then he circled the second baseman position. "This will be you."

 40 Game Plan 2

    On no. No, no, no. I shook my head and moved my arms to form an x. There''s no way I could play second base. I didn''t know much, but I knew that position would be way too complex for a beginner like me.

    "Now hear me out, Jake." Noah tried to calm me. "Most hits come to left field, third base, and shortstop, because a majority of high school ball players will bat right-handed and pull it. As a second baseman, you will only have to coordinate with me and I can just tell you where to go."

    I stopped disagreeing, but was still hesitant. There''s a lot that goes into an infield position. I didn''t want to let Noah down, but I did want to play with him.

    "After testing your fielding, they might do situational plays. Like runner on first, one out, a hit comes towards me the shortstop. What do you do?"

    I pointed at his hand drawn second base. I obviously cover to get the runner out.

    "Yes, but you also have to make a quick throw to first to try and get the double play. As long as I''m fielding the ball, you should always cover second base, then throw to first. That''ll cover most plays. For when you field, I''ll cover second, but you should only throw to me if someone is coming from first. Normally no one would be on base, so that''s when you immediately throw to first."

    I nodded. This was the basics. I''ve seen a few games in middle school so I wasn''t a total newbie. I just didn''t have the experience to apply these plays.

    "Now let''s talk about covering first base. Do you know when to do that?" Noah asked.

    I didn''t reply right away. I don''t think I ever saw a second basemen go to first...I''ve seen a pitcher cover it in a middle school scrimmage game.

    "Okay. If the ball is hit to the first baseman, it''s going to be your job to back up the play. If the ball gets into the right outfield, you should sprint out onto the grass and act as a cutoff man. What else..." Noah tapped the pencil against his notebook, trying to think of the main points I needed to know. "I guess the most important point would be our communication on who is covering the base." He shrugged. "We can wing it for now. Today''s goal is to just get you on the team. You''ll impress them with your batting, skate by on fielding, and then we''ll work on your situational plays afterwards."

    My eye twitched. So much so quickly.

    "Just rely on me. You''ll do great." He gave me a confident smile and I really felt like I could do this. He made a fist and held it out. "It''s a fist bump. You''ve done this before with friends, right?"

    I made a fist of my own and bumped his. I''ve never had someone to do this with, but I''ve seen other kids in my grade, do it. Noah really is my first friend. Every kid before was just a classmate. No one had ever reached out to me before like Noah did. I didn''t want to let him down, so I must get on the team and win this bet for him.

    "You look pumped up. That''s good." Noah slapped my back. "Just think, if we could pull this off, we''ll get to play baseball together every day. I can''t wait. We''ll practice turning double plays, fielding drills, and go win games together. It feels nice to be able to share the excitement with someone."

    I thought so too, but I don''t think I would play without him. So this is my only chance. I don''t want to miss it.

 41 Tryout 1

    Finally after class, we got to head down to the fields. Since we took a golf cart up to the office in the morning, I didn''t realize it was a bit of a walk back to the car. We ran into the twins and Zeke by the car, and Noah grabbed his bag.

    "We change in the clubhouse behind the dugout." Noah said as we followed his brothers down to the field area. "It''s nothing fancy, a very simplistic locker room." Simplistic was an adequate description. The large singular room only had open lockers in a U-shape, with a bench before it all around.

    Noah dragged me to the far corner. "My locker is over here." We passed by fellow students who had already started changing. We got a few curious glances, but surprisingly no one said anything. "Here ya go." Noah started to pull out some baseball clothes and placed it on the bench. Then he started to take off his shirt.

    I suddenly realized I would have to change in front of him. And the team. Everyone would see my scars. I held the edges of my shirt down, refusing to take it off. My scars were long, jagged, and were still an ugly shade of red. The doctor said they would start to fade in a couple of years and eventually be unnoticeable. But that was forever away.

    After Noah changed his shirt, he saw that I had not. "What''s up?"

    I wrapped my arms around my stomach.

    "Bathroom? It''s just around the corner." He squinted. "Are you getting nervous?"

    I picked up a pair of pants and a shirt from his pile, then quickly ran off to the bathroom. I went into a stall and safely changed, alone. I returned to Noah at his locker.

    He rolled his eyes at me. "Such a kid; afraid of changing in front of others."

    I stuck out my tongue. For good reason. I get enough pity already, being known as the foster kid. I don''t want them to wonder why my mom almost killed me. It''s too hard to think about, let alone talk about it.

    Noah passed me a worn out pair of cleats. "These will have to do for now. They might be slightly bigger since I''m taller. We really have to convince dad to take us to the sports store asap."

    I put them on, laced them up, and walked a step forward and a step back. They weren''t too big. Doable. I gave Noah a thumbs up.

    He laughed at me. "Dork. You''ll be getting new ones soon, so they don''t have to be a great fit for you." He stuffed our school clothes at the bottom of his bag. "Most of the team is already in the dugout. Lets go." I followed him out of the locker room and he led me to the dugout. He placed his bag on the ground and pulled out our equipment: bats, gloves, his helmet and batting gloves, a few water bottles.

    "So you''re Jake?" A voice from behind made me jump. The man was as tall as Zeke, but more filled out. He looked to be near the same age as Mr. Miller, but unlike him he gave off a more friendly demeanor.

    I nodded, but still took a step closer to Noah.

    Noah threw an arm around my shoulders. "Hey Coach! Meet Jake, my foster brother, and your new second baseman." Noah''s easygoing attitude helped me relax.

    The coach smiled at us. "Oh? Already picking out a position? How cocky."

    I tended up. Noah gave me a pat. "It''s called confidence, Coach. Jake is more amazing than me."

    "That''s not saying much." Dave laughed as he joined us.

    Noah''s eyes narrowed. "Remind me again, who made varsity as a freshman? Was that you and your crappy pitching? Oh no. Wait. It was me and my superior fielding."

    Dave glared. "Pitching requires more effort. A kid like you wouldn''t understand."

    "Boys." Coach cut in. "Let''s focus on the tryout first before we get lost in this endless discussion."

 42 Tryout 2

    "We''re going to do warmups first." Coach looked around. He cleared his throat and raised his voice. "Listen up, men. We have a new face among us." He tried to pat the top of my head, but I dodged by reflex. The team laughed at our awkward moment. "Well, you''ve definitely got quick reflexes." He looked around at the guys in the dugout. "This is Jake Hollander. He will be getting a tryout at today''s practice so we''ll be changing things up a bit."

    There was twenty or so pairs of eyes on me. I quickly took a step behind Noah, trying to avoid the looks.

    Zeke clapped his hands just outside of the dugout. "Stop gawking. Grab your gloves and head to the outfield for warmups."

    The team went into action, grabbing their gloves and following Zeke to the foul line in the outfield. Noah turned around and gave me mine before having us follow.

    Zeke stood on the foul line and dropped his glove. "Skips." The whole team followed suit, and started to skip forward to the center of the outfield.

    "Just skip forward then we skip backwards." Noah explained. "Our warmup is all about dynamic stretching. Do you know what that is?" We stood at the end of the group and did our skips with the team. Only going like twenty yards out then back.

    I shook my head no.

    "Basically it means stretching as you move. Which is different than static stretching which means you stay in place. Dynamic stretching is better because less chance of injury and you become more flexible. Good for baseball."Noah commented.

    For every word Zeke called out, Noah had to explain what it was specifically. Zeke was able to shorten every stretch into one word, making me feel that I didn''t know anything about stretching. Occasionally I could hear the teammates mention my name, making my face burn with embarrassment.

    After an assortment of dynamic stretches including arm and leg swings, circles, shuffling, squats, jogging and a few short sprints, Zeke told us to pair up and grab a ball.

    I obviously stuck with Noah like gum into shoe. We picked up our gloves and he grabbed us a ball. We stayed on the edges of the group so I didn''t feel too uncomfortable being around so many strangers.

    As we threw the ball back and forth, he would keep taking a few steps back, increasing the difficulty of the throws. He wasn''t the only one. All the guys on his side kept backing up further on the grass. Dave and Kyle were already the furthest apart, challenging one another to who would have to make a bounce pass.

    Noah didn''t go as far as them and as others. "We''re infielders." He explained. "We focus more on speed and accuracy than distance. The twins are pitchers so they also need the strength."

    I glanced at Zeke, all the way on the other end, tossing the ball with a tall, dark skin boy. They had the same distance between them as the twins.

    "Zeke? He''s a center fielder so he naturally has the strongest arm. He''s throwing the ball to Mahki Holstrom. He''s also a senior. He plays in the outfield as well, usually on the left, but it depends."

    I stopped throwing the ball, and tilted my head, letting Noah know that I didn''t get it.

    "He''ll play on the right if Garret isn''t pitching. Because Garret is a lefty, it''s better if he plays left to better protect the foul line." Noah explained.

    "Bring it in." Zeke called out. I turned and saw the coach already standing beside him. It must be time to start the tryout. I forced myself to jog towards him with the rest of the team.

    Noah caught up to me and gave me a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Remember to stay calm. Stay alert. And most importantly stay loose. Don''t tense up. You''ll make errors and bad judgement calls if you don''t."

    I nodded. There''s no need to be so uptight. I went years without being on a baseball team before. If I can''t play here with Noah, I''m sure we can still go to The Cages together in his free time.

 43 Tryout 3

    "With Jake here, trying out, we''re going to switch things up a bit." The coach announced. "Whoever wants to pitch against him will go warm up in the bullpen." The twins were the first ones to start moving. "Everyone else will do fielding drills in the outfield with Coach Luis." He clapped a few times. "Get going."

    The team started to disperse. Five guys, including the twins, went to the bullpen on the side. Zeke stayed with the head coach, and an older man took the rest of the teens to the edge of the outfield.

    I tugged Noah''s sleeve and pointed at the team. Them being in the outfield wouldn''t be safe if I was hitting.

    Noah looked at them, then back at me. "Uh, what about them? Did you want me to leave you stranded with Zeke?" He saw my frown. "Okay. If that''s not it, then what?"

    I moved closer and coughed before spitting out. "Unsafe."

    "Ohhhh." He brightened up. "Right. Right. It is unsafe for them if we don''t have people fielding." He dragged me closer to Zeke and coach. "Coach, Captain, we have cant put our team at risk. I think it would be best if you put an outfielder in front of them to watch out for balls in play."

    Coach laughed. "I don''t think it''s necessary. Between your brothers and Garret who also went to warm up, it''s going to be difficult to get the ball out that far. At most, a grounder may dribble over to them."

    I frowned and turned to Zeke. He blinked in surprise. I crossed my arms over my chest. I didn''t want to be responsible if someone got hurt. After being in danger all my life, I don''t want to put someone else in a bad position.

    "I think he''s saying he''ll tell mom you aren''t playing very safely." Noah translated. "Usually you''re a stickler for the rules. What would mom think of your irresponsible actions?"

    Zeke sighed. He turned to his teammates. "Assign someone to watch for fly balls. They''ll get to work on their fielding during sprints." Suddenly the guys started to volunteer.

    I nodded. Satisfied that no one will get hurt, i have a thumbs up.

    The coach chuckled. "You really have confidence to beat on my pitchers?"

    I shook my head no and pointed at Noah. I believed him. If he thinks I can do it, then I won''t let him down.

    Noah smiled broadly. "Yep, yep. Jake is amazing at hitting." He started to walk to the dugout. "Let''s get a helmet on you and grab your bat. You should start taking practice swings. No doubt, those guys will try and come out fast." I followed along.

    Once we were in the dugout, Noah put his helmet on me. Then he pulled my wooden bat out and handed it over. "Will you need gloves?"

    "Nah." I whispered, clutching my bat and made sure it was smooth. No splinters. We walked to home plate and he watched as I swung the bat around.

    "You don''t look like you''re putting in a whole lot of effort." He said.

    I moved my shoulders up and down, then took my stance. I pretended I was swinging at a 100 mph pitch. The whoosh of the bat felt loud between our silence.

    "Okay, I take it back." Noah conceded. "You know best."

    I gave a slight nod. I knew my routine best. Everyone is different; what matters most is what felt right for you.

    "Here they come." Noah looked towards the bullpen. I looked as well, trying to size them up. "I''ve already told you about the twins. The one that''s slightly taller than them, but just as lanky, is Garret." He pointed out. The three pitchers walked in front of two guys, who were in catchers gear. "Kelvin is the catcher on the left. Jordan on the right. Jordan is a senior and he really only catches for Garret. Normally he plays third. Kelvin is also a senior, and he catches for everyone else." Noah gave me a rundown as quick as he could before they approached us.

    The only thing I really felt that stood out, was that they were all tall. It seemed to be a requirement to be a ball player. I gave the side-eye to Noah. He was short compared to the team, but still had six inches on me.

    Noah caught me looking at him. "What''s up? Getting cold feet?"

    I rested my bat on my shoulder to signify that I wanted to hit.

    "Great!" His smile never disappeared.

 44 Tryout 4

    Zeke and the coach also joined with the group. Coach was the one to take charge first. "Kyle, Dave, then Garret if we really have to." He looked at me. "You don''t have to run the bases. Treat it like batting practice for now."

    I nodded and everyone started to take their place. Kyle went to the mound, Kelvin tightened his catchers gear and squatted behind home plate. They did a few warmups as the rest backed up and became spectators.

    I stood just outside the righty''s box, waiting for them to tell me they were ready. Looking out to the field felt a million times different than looking at a pitching machine and netting. It felt so open; I could hit the ball anywhere.

    "Get a feel for the pitches, Jake." Noah called out. "It doesn''t have to be all hits." I think he''s advising me to foul off a few first before getting comfortable. I nodded.

    "Okay, kid. Step in. Anything close will be a strike, anything outside will be a ball. Don''t worry about the calls. Let''s see what you can do." Coach commanded.

    I took a deep breath and slowly let it out, then stepped in the box. I faced Kyle. He gave a nod, then got set. He did his motion and the ball came quick. A fastball maybe around 80mph. Too easy. I know Noah said to get a feel for it just because I only have pitching machine experience, but I couldn''t pass up and such a simple pitch. I took a fast step, moved my wrists, swung my arms, and connected with his pitch. It was a line drive to left field where the team was.

    Luckily Zeke had someone stand on watch. The hit dropped right before the guy and he caught it on the bounce. Thankfully not disturbing the teams fielding practice.

    "Nice one, Jake!" Noah called out.

    I could also hear Zeke and the coach talking in the background, but couldn''t make out what they were saying. I was zoned in on Kyle, who looked in the outfield with disbelief on his face.

    "Kyle!" The catcher, Kelvin, called out to him. He faced us, and then Kelvin threw a ball at him. "Next pitch."

    Kyle nodded, but still looked a bit distracted. He got set once more. This time he tried pitching a bit faster, but to me it looked even more down the middle. When Noah said that the twins pitch to contact, he must have meant they always pitch in the strike zone. I started my swing and this time smacked the ball to the opposite side in right field.

    This time Kyle didn''t turn to look. He started to glare at me. "Ball." He demanded.

    Kelvin tossed him one and got back into position. "Doing pretty great kid. Usually Kyle makes batters pop up or groundout. Easy plays. So far, you''re two for two, both line drives to good spots."

    I think it was a compliment, but the way Kyle kept glaring made me feel my anxiety bubbling up.

    "Keep it up, Jake! Show him what a real hitter looks like!" Noah cheered like mad. "Don''t you dare wimp out from his glare. He can''t do anything bad to you. Zeke would stop him."

    I glanced at Zeke, not ready to offend Kyle even more without appropriate backup.

    Zeke and Coach stood like statues. Firm and unmoving. Zeke glanced at Kyle. "Focus on better pitches. Don''t get so rattled."

    "Yes." Kyle responded. He walked off the mound and wiggled his arms, probably to loosen up. He came back on the mound and eyed me down, but no longer looking as fierce. "Ready?"

    I felt better and stepped back in the batters box. The next pitch came. Hit. Then the next. Hit. And so on. Hit. Hit. Hit. Kyle pitched a total of thirty baseballs that I sent all over the outfield. Some pitches looked on the border of the strike zone, yet it was close so I still sent it out.

    "That''s enough." Zeke called out. "Jake, take a small break as we collect the balls. Dave, you''ll start taking a few practice throws with Kelvin."

    We all split up. Kyle and Zeke jogged out to collect the balls together. Dave and Kelvin started to warmup again. The coach went over and spoke to Garret and Jordan. Noah followed me to the dugout and handed me one of his waters.

 45 Tryout 5

    "Excellent start!" Noah told me as I drank. "Kyle''s face was priceless. Dave started talking crap halfway in, saying he could do better. But, they''re identical twins. Even their pitching doesn''t have much variation." His eyes twinkled. "Want to know what you should do this time?"

    I closed the water bottle and nodded. Anything that could help me get on Noah''s team, would be something I could try.

    "Foul every pitch. Like you did in the 100mph cage!" He laughed to himself. "I can''t wait to see Dave''s expression after you foul thirty of his pitches back. I wonder if that would make him more frustrated than Kyle, because he would think that he''s doing well when you''re actually just messing with him."

    So he just wants me to do it for amusement? I rolled my eyes.

    "Hey! It can benefit you too!" Noah tried to convince me. "Just think. This can show Coach and Zeke your perfect batting control. Not everyone can foul every pitch. It could be a deciding factor on maybe letting you into the team."

    I mulled it over. I guess foul-tipping could be considered a talent. I glance at Dave, who was throwing some very hard pitches. "Tell Zeke." I mumbled.

    "Zeke? You want me to tell him that you''ll be fouling every pitch?" Noah asked, sounding confused. I nodded. "Why?"

    "Let''s gooooo." Dave hollered from the mound, sounding pumped up. Kyle made me anxious, but nowhere near as much as Dave.

    I pointed at him. "Scary."

    Noah watched as his brother stood on the mound sounding super excited and ready to go. "You''re right. He might be slightly more emotional than Kyle." I snorted. "I''ll tell Zeke to watch out. Not that I think Dave would charge you and knock you out. But if it makes you more comfortable then I''ll do it." We walked out of the dugout together.

    Kelvin had a full bucket of baseballs near him as he squatted behind home plate. Zeke and Kyle stood with Coach and the others already. Noah joined them and started to tell them what I was going to do. I could see their jaws drop with disbelief. Zeke was the only one not to lose composure. He just gave Noah a nod.

    Noah turned back to face me and gave me the universal ''Okay'' with his hand. I sighed with relief then stepped into the righty''s box once more.

    Dave faced me down with a gleam in his eyes. He looks so excited; I feel like I''m going to do something very wrong and slightly mean. He got set and did his windup motion. I clenched the bat and began my mission. Fouls. The first pitch came in hard and fast. I fouled it back.

    "Woo-hoo!" Dave cheered. He looked at Kyle. "That''s how you do it, Kyle. No perfect performance for him now."

    Kyle''s lips twitched, fighting off a smile. "Sure, sure. I''ll believe you if you can get him to miss."

    Kelvin tossed a new ball to Dave and he got set once more. The pitch came and I fouled it back again. Dave did another round of self-cheering, making me feel guilty on the inside. We did the same thing for five or so pitches, until Dave caught on. He started to frown before every pitch, then scowl, until he finally looked outright pissed.

    "Are you doing this on purpose, Jake?!" He started to step off the mound. I took a few steps back, keeping a safe distance.

    "It''s part of the tryout." Zeke declared. "Get back on the mound. Unless you want to forfeit and make us lose the bet? If you do, you''ll be the one cleaning the bathroom for the next three months. Stop trying to act like a tyrant." That sounded a bit funny coming from the real tyrant.

    Dave grumbled, but stayed on the mound. He tried moving his pitches to the inside, outside, low and high, but I was able to keep fouling them back. His speed wasn''t enough to fool my eyes. After the the thirtieth foul, he stomped off the mound and went to the dugout. Kelvin ran after him.

    I looked towards the group just in time for Noah to pounce on me. "Unreal!" He shook me a bit. "I''m even more convinced that you''re a machine!"

    I turned red at the compliment and pushed him off me. I examined my bat to check for chips or cracks. Not too bad. I looked at Zeke, who was talking to Garret and Jordan by their coach.

    "Looks like they''re planning something." Noah noticed where I was looking. "But we planned something too so you''re in a good spot." I nodded.

 46 Tryout 6

    Their talk didn''t take very long. Garret jogged to the mound and Jordan to home plate. The coach waved us over as Zeke headed to his teammates in the outfield.

    "What''s up Coach?" Noah asked as we got close. Garret started to practice some pitches with Jordan so we were still having a face off; we just didn''t know what the change was.

    Coach jerked a thumb at the team in the outfield. "Zeke is getting some players to fill in. Make it more game-like. Sure, Jake can hit some pretty sweet pitches, but I want to know if he can hit them to the open spots in the field. I don''t want just a player hitting right to the field players."

    Noah looked at me. I shrugged. I''ve never tried avoiding players or hitting to open space. In the cages, I can''t really tell where the ball would go so I like hitting it right back to the pitching machine. Noah gave me a pat on the back and whispered. "I won''t be fielding against you so just hit up the middle. Just don''t hit Garret. He IS the ace."

    I nodded. Sounds fair. I wouldn''t want to hit anybody. Especially the best pitcher on Noah''s team.

    "Looks like the whole team is going to watch. Kind of makes it feel like a scrimmage or something." Noah commented as Zeke came back with the whole group.

    Some players went to positions right away, probably wherever Zeke assigned them. The assistant coach and leftover players went to the dugout to watch.

    "Oh? This is getting serious." Mr. Miller came out of nowhere, making me jump.

    Noah patted my shoulder. "You need to stop being so tense. People coming from behind don''t usually attack. You always react like you''re doing something you''re not supposed to." I gave a weak smile. Technically I was doing something I wasn''t supposed to be doing. He gave me a push to the batters box. "Go. Remember the plan. Kick butt and we win extra desserts."

    I nodded and left him with the coach and Mr. Miller. Unlike before, I took a few practice swings as a left handed batter.

    Jordan threw the ball to Garret, then glanced down at me. "You want to try batting lefty against a lefty?"

    I nodded.

    "Aren''t you afraid of the curve? It''d be more beneficial to hit right handed just in case."

    I shook my head. Noah said to watch out for the cut fastball, which would come inside for a righty. Noah knows him better than I do so I should just stick with the plan.

    Jordan raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Well, if you can do it, then do it." He squatted behind the plate.

    I stepped in the lefty''s box and got set. Facing down Garret wasn''t as scary as the twins. He was calm and there was no specific expression on his face. I looked past him and took note where all the field players were. Dropping a hit just past the infield and right before the outfield would be best, but the outfield looked like they were playing in. If I hit the ball like I normally do, it would be a line out for sure.

    Garret started his motion and I gripped my bat a little tighter than normal. Noah said to hit it just over his head, right between the shortstop and second baseman. His pitch wasn''t the cutter, it was an average fastball, not much different from the twins. I hit it perfectly up the middle.

    As the ball was fielded by the center fielder, only Noah was clapping and cheering for me. Everyone else just seemed focus on the next pitch.

    Garret started to work, throwing pitches around the strike zone and at various speeds. I easily sent them to the same spot over and over.

    "Can you hit it anywhere else?" The coach approached me at the batters box after the tenth hit.

    I looked at Noah. He was the one that told me to hit it there. Was there somewhere else I should hit to?

    Noah jogged over. "Sorry Coach, that''s where I told him to hit it to."

    "Are you saying he can hit anywhere he wants?"

    "Within reason I suppose." Noah answered. "I''ve seen Jake bat in The Cages. He likes to hit in the same spot over and over. Just like how he can do continuous fouls. He''s like a machine, right?"

 47 Tryout 7

    The coach looked at me, impressed.

    "He can''t hit a homerun obviously." Mr. Miller joined us. He looked down at me, making me nervous. I took a slight step back. "And he doesn''t have a backbone."

    Noah crosses his arms in front of his chest. "He doesn''t need one with me around. The point is, he can hit well. Very well."

    Mr. Miller looked at me. "Can you at least bunt?"

    I pointed at the first and third base line.

    "Are you asking us which side? Or telling us, you can hit both sides? The lack of communication between players and coaches are very important. How are we going to keep taking time out of practice to play charades with you?" The other assistant coach joined us. I think it was coach Luis.

    I tugged at Noah''s sleeve, feeling pressured by the man. Even Coach Wilcox and Mr. Miller frowned at him.

    Noah glared at Coach Luis"Jake obviously said he could do both. If you keep bringing up his muteness, I''ll tell my mom and dad." Apparently this Coach has said something while I was hitting against Garret.

    "Luis, I don''t think you''re being very appropriate. Why don''t you let me make the decisions here." Coach Wilcox made a stand. He looked at me. "So you can bunt?" I nodded. "How about fielding?"

    "The basics." Noah answered for me. "He can play second so we''ll be able to work together."

    "How basic?" Mr. Miller asked.

    "Let''s find out." Noah rubber his nose, trying to hide a smile. "Jake hasn''t actually played in a game before."

    "What!?" All three coaches exclaimed.

    Mr. Miller was the first one to react. He started to laugh and reached out, patting Noah on the shoulder. "You found an unpolished gem! Nice one!"

    Noah swatted his hand away. "Jake had family problems and couldn''t play before. So he only practiced batting. Everything else would have to be taught."

    "Let''s see what you can do." Coach Wilcox said. "As long as it''s halfway decent we can keep him in the lineup and use his batting. Go grab your glove."

    I did what I was told and ran back to the dugout. Which was still had half the team there. I slowed up and stuttered step, trying to decide if I''ll be able to get my glove safely.

    "What are you hesitating for?" Kyle called out. "We all saw your superb hitting. If we didn''t let you on the team, wouldn''t that mean that none of us pitchers should be on the team either?" I saw the other guys with him, smile and laugh. None were glaring at me or yelling at me so it must be okay now.

    I went in the dugout and changed out my bat and helmet for my old secondhand glove. Then I started to run back out.

    "Wait." A loud voice commanded. I froze and slowly turned around to see Dave coming my way. I felt my whole body twitch, automatically thinking about running back to Noah. Dave was the one that was the most pissed off and he might still be angry at me. To my surprise, he slapped a baseball hat on my head. "You need this. You can''t play baseball without one." He gave me a serious nod then walked back to his friends.

    I fixed the cap so I could see properly and went back to Noah and the coaches.

    "They''re just going to have you field some grounders to first and second. Then maybe catch some pop flies." Noah smiled at me. "If you can just do okay, they''ll let you be on the team. Then later this week, you and I can start practice turning double plays."

    I nodded eagerly.

    Noah looked around. "I wonder where Zeke went. He''s going to flip out once he finds out you made it. Then we can tell mom and dad and celebrate during dinner. Oh, then we can also call Mr. Duncan. He''ll be happy for you too. Who else..."

    I shook my head sadly. That was it. Just his family and my guardian. There wasn''t anyone else to brag to.

    Noah saw my depressed face. "Hey! No sad faces! You still have to show some fielding skill! Go, go, go!" He pushed me towards second base.

 48 Tryout 8

    I felt like they went pretty easy on me for the fielding test. The coach just smacked a few grounders my way and would call out to throw it to first or second base. He''d occasionally mix in a pop up or line drive, but I didn''t really have to dive in the dirt. Which is good I guess, since I''ve never tried. Maybe they could sense my hesitancy to do so.

    "That''s all we really need to see for now, kid." Coach Wilcox called me in and I went over. He stood with Mr. Miller, Zeke and Noah. I didn''t even notice when Coach Luis left. Maybe they could see that he made me uncomfortable. "We''ll put you on the varsity roster."

    Noah started jumping around me excitedly. "Did you hear that, Jake? You made it! We win! Extra cookies all week!" At this point, I''m pretty sure all Noah ever thinks about is cookies.

    "That doesn''t automatically make you a starter." Zeke burst the bubble of excitement. "Some players go the whole year without seeing any official playing time. The first game will be the following Saturday in a tournament we''re in. League play will start the week after that. So for now, practice hard and learn what you can."

    I looked to Noah. I really didn''t know much about baseball and league play. Heck, I never even got to watch a professional game before.

    Noah just patted my shoulder. "Don''t worry, I''ll explain tonight after dinner. Just be happy with me! You made the team! As long as we get your fielding and baseball knowledge up to par, your batting skills can get you a spot in the starting lineup. Zeke is just being a negative Nancy."

    "Ten laps." Zeke clenched his jaw.

    Noah wagged a finger back and forth in front of him. "Nope. The betting terms said you wouldn''t make me run laps anymore."

    Zeke''s lips twitched, almost upturning to form a smile. "I said for non-baseball reasons. These ten laps have a baseball related reason."

    "Oh yea?" Noah glared at him. "What''s the reason?"

    "Jake is new. It''s unlikely that his endurance is up to varsity levels. Show him what a lap looks like. Then you both can do ten to familiarize yourselves. You want to be able to play short and second with one another, right? Get going." Zeke turned away before Noah could even sputter out a reply. Mr. Miller and the coach laughed at the captains antics and just left us to go back to the team.

    Noah groaned. "What a cheat. He''s just bitter that he lost the bet and that he can''t get me to clean his bathroom?" Is their bathroom really that bad? Mine and Noah''s seemed pretty clean.

    "Better get your laps done before practice is over, or you''ll be walking home." Zeke''s voice carried from across the field where the team was gathered.

    Noah sent another wasted glare at his oldest brother, then turned to me. "Let''s go put your glove back in the dugout and rehydrate. Every five laps is one mile. So we''ll have to run two. It isn''t hard." He walked us back to the dugout.

    I was debating if now was a bad time to tell him I haven''t ran such a distance since before my hospitalization.

    We drank some water and I left my glove with his on the bench. Then he led me to the outer circumference on the fence that went all around the field.

    "Let''s do this!" He took off, leaving me a few paces behind. "C''mon Jake! Two miles isn''t bad compared to the four I usually get. Zeke must be going easy on us."

    Easy? I trailed behind Noah the whole first lap. By the second lap, I was gasping for air. I''m so out of shape.

    Noah looked at me with concern, as he slowed up to match my jogging pace. "Do you not like running? Why do you sound so out of breath already? We''re not even a mile in."

    "Haven''t. Ran. In. A. While." I gasped out, forcing my feet to keep moving forward. It''d be embarrassing if I was kicked off the team for not being able to run laps.

    "You''re kidding." Noah watched me struggle. "Maybe I should tell Zeke? This might be too much too soon."

    I shook my head. Nope. I just had to fight against it. I forced air into my lungs and kept pushing myself.

 49 Out Of Shape

    It took me fifteen minutes for each mile. A whole half hour of running at a pathetically slow pace. I didn''t even make it back to the dugout. As soon as we got in through the fence, I fell to the ground, and sprawled out, trying to catch my breath.

    "Jake? You still alive?" Noah looked over me. "You''re like really red right now. Should I go get the trainer?"

    Trainer? Like someone who gets other people into shape? I could use that another day, maybe. Right now I just want to rest. I closed my eyes.

    "What''s wrong?" I heard Zeke asked. He must have came over once he saw me collapse to the ground.

    "Is he playing dead?" Kyle suggested.

    "He probably is dead." Dave retorted. "This is his first varsity practice. Don''t you remember those days?"

    "I''m telling mom." Noah declared. "You pushed him too hard and now look. I told you, you shouldn''t have made us run ten laps."

    "Relax." Mr. Millers voice joined the fray. "The kid is just tired and out of shape. He''s never played in a game, so he''s probably never been on a team or done a real practice before. Try to do three hours of hitting, running, and fielding for your first official practice. It won''t be easy."

    I opened my eyes and found the lot of them standing around me. I pointed at Mr. Miller.

    The grumpy man nodded at my response. "See. I''m right." He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. "Don''t lay on the grass after running like that. Put your hands on your head to open up your lungs."

    I did as I was told.

    "That''ll be it for you today." Mr. Miller stated. "I''ll tell Wilcox. This week we''ll work on you getting into shape, and focus on your synergy with the little Atkins. Your batting doesn''t look like it needs adjusting so we can leave it be. You won''t participate in hitting practice." He nodded at his own plans, then walked back to the head coach who was speaking with the team.

    "We''ll go home early today." Zeke said out of nowhere. The three other brothers stated at him in shock. He cleared his throat. "Go grab your stuff. Meet at the car. I''ll tell coach." He followed Mr. Miller''s footsteps and left just as suddenly.

    Dave and Kyle looked at one another, then at me. "Wow. Who knew you would be so handy, Jake?" Dave was the first to say something. "Losing that bet doesn''t feel so bad right now."

    "That''s right! You owe ten laps." Noah smirked. "And Kyle will have to give up his sweets during lunch for the week. AND Zeke will give us his for the month." Noah smiled happily. "And we''re going home early. And mom and dad will probably take us out to celebrate. This is the best Monday I''ve ever had in my life."

    "Do you think they''ll really take us out to eat?" Kyle smiled at the thought.

    "They did when we each made varsity." Noah reasoned. "They''ll want to do it for Jake too." He waved his hand. "C''mon Jake, lets pack it up. We''ll do a whole day of practice tomorrow. Tonight we''ll celebrate. Oh, and I can pull up some of the greatest double-play-duos in the history of the MLB."

    I nodded eagerly and followed.

    "He''s just like a dog." I heard Dave say to Kyle.

    "More like a puppy." Kyle replied. "Noah calls to him and he follows."

    "Noah never followed us like that when we called him. What a non-cute little brother."

    Noah waited until we were far enough before saying, "The only times they asked me to follow them along was so that they could torture me. Tickle torture. I would pee my pants and it traumatized me." I nodded. I''ve seen them in action. Although Noah didn''t pee his pants last night, it didn''t look like fun. "But for the record, I don''t think of you as my puppy or dog. Just my younger brother. I''ve gotta do my best to protect you from the other three." He declared and started to pack up our gear.

    Noah didn''t notice how his words affect me. I felt really touched at the thought of having a brother that wanted to protect me. Even though we haven''t known each other for a whole week, he felt more like a brother than the one I had.

 50 Tattling

    We packed up pretty quickly; it didn''t take long for all of us to pile in the car and head to their house.

    "Wow. They''re both home." Noah said after seeing both of their cars in the driveway. We had to park out on the street in front of their house.

    All five of us hopped out and grabbed our bags. The older three left their baseball bags in the trunk, but Noah went and grabbed his.

    "What are you doing with that?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.

    "I need to take it inside. Jake''s bat requires extra care and maintenance since it''s wood. Plus I want dad to take us to O''Conners and get Jake some equipment. He can''t keep using mine. It''s not exactly a proper fit."

    "Oh good! I want to go to O''Conners too!" Dave jumped in. "My batting gloves get torn so easily." He glanced at me. "I don''t know how Jake can hit without a pair."

    I flipped my hands and showed them my calluses.

    "Dangggggg." The twins said at the same time.

    "What are you boys doing just hanging out in the front yard?" A feminine voice called out to us. We looked towards the front door to see Mrs. Atkins staring us down, with her hands on her hips.

    "Just admiring Jake''s work ethic." Kyle replied.

    "You''re all back so early. Did something happen?" She frowned, examining all of us.

    We all looked at Zeke. He stepped up first to head inside. "I called it early today. Jake made the team. But he''s out of shape so we brought him home to rest. I''m going to shower first."

    "Second!" The twins called out at the same time. They looked at one another and then raced to the house and probably up the stairs.

    Noah and I brought up the rear. She looked us over. "Why is Jake all dirty and sweaty? You look like you didn''t even practice."

    Noah slapped me on the back. "It was a tryout mom. They wanted to see how he did. And then after he made the team, Zeke made us run ten laps each! Poor Jake couldn''t last. He collapsed as soon as we finished."

    "Oh, Jake is that true?" She looked me up and down. "You do look a bit exhausted. Come inside and sit down. Let''s tell Wayne what happened and see how he wants to deal with Zeke."

    We followed her in the house and found Mr. Atkins in the office. He was working on the computer, but quickly gave us his undivided attention. Even sitting down, he was as tall as me.

    "Dad, Zeke made Jake and I run ten laps for no reason." Noah got right to the point and complained about his oldest brothers wrongdoings. "Jake had just finished his tryout, made the team, and didn''t even meet with our teammates before we were sent on a run."

    "Ten laps?" Mr. Atkins frowned. "That''s only two miles. That shouldn''t be too hard for you." He looked at me. "But for Jake...you feeing okay?"

    I shrugged. I just felt tired and a little sore.

    "Jake, do you mind if we give the boys some background on you? Nothing too detailed, I promise. I just don''t want them pushing you too hard, too fast."

    I shrugged once more. It didn''t seem like a big deal, but maybe they were worried because I only left the rehab hospital last week.

    "Noah said Jake collapsed after running. Do you think we should do a check-up or something?" Mrs. Atkins looked worried.

    Mr. Atkins turned to Noah. "Is that true?"

    "He just wanted to lie down on the grass because he was so tired. It wasn''t like he passed out." Noah quickly corrected. "I told Zeke that he shouldn''t make him run so much on his first day, but he said it was for endurance reasons."

    I''m pretty sure he did that because you called him a negative Nancy. Noah sure had guts to tattle on Zeke. I''d be too scared to say anything at all.

    "Okay, we''ll discuss at dinner. We''ll go to Da Vinci''s to celebrate you making varsity. As a freshman, no less!" Mr. Atkins stood up. I took a few steps back to give him space. Alright, mostly to give me space to run since he still intimidated me. "Sorry, didn''t mean to startle you. Why don''t you boys hurry and shower?"

    "Yep, yep!" Noah grabbed my arm and started to drag me past his mom. But he quickly stopped. "We need to go to O''Conners after dinner too! Jake has almost nothing. And my stuff is a bit big or baggy."

    Both of his parents nodded and agreed. Not even showing a hint of displeasure. I wonder if all parents were this nice and caring, and it was just me that got unlucky?

 51 Celebratory Dinner..?

    After all our showers, we all piled into the kids car. Mr. Atkins drove, with Mrs. Atkins next to him in the passenger seat. Zeke sat between the twins in the middle row, emitting such a scary aura that the twins didn''t say a word on the way to dinner. Me and Noah sat in the very back which is normally used for storage apparently. Noah looked squished, but I felt quite comfortable.

    The Atkins took me to a place called Da Vinci''s, an Italian restaurant by the looks of the menu. We were able to sit at a round table that fit us perfectly. After ordering water and pasta for everyone, Mr. Atkins got down to business.

    "You want to tell us your side of the story, Zeke?" His dad asked, not sounding overbearing, just average like how you would ask someone how their day was.

    Zeke straightened up more so than he already was. "At lunch-"

    "At lunch?" Mrs. Atkins interrupted. She looked around the table. "What happened at lunch?"

    Zeke eyebrows pulled together. "What were you asking about then?"

    "Let''s start with what you have to say about lunch." Mr. Atkins looked concerned.

    "I''m not exactly sure. We all ate lunch together outside. Jake acted a bit strange like I scared him." Zeke stayed plainly.

    "How?" Mr. Atkins asked the same time Mrs. Atkins asked, "What did you do?"

    Dave smiled broadly. "I''ll tell you what he did. He slapped me upside the head for no good reason and that was when Jake started to avoid eye contact."

    "Wrong. He slapped you for antagonizing Noah with cookies." Kyle corrected. Dave stuck out his tongue.

    Mrs. Atkins looked at me sympathetically. "They''re just messing around, Jake. There''s no reason to be afraid."

    Mr. Atkins sighed. "I think we should address this now. Boys, Jake has a severe aversion to violence. His birth family wasn''t very kind. Actually, he ended up in the hospital for a few months and just recently started to get better." He eyed Zeke. "So I would prefer if he didn''t run extra laps. I''ll be calling your coach to talk about easing him in. I don''t want him to aggravate any old injuries."

    All the boys looked at me making me feel like I was a freak show. I studied the table, keeping my head down.

    "I''ll keep an eye out for him." Noah spoke first. "As my only younger brother, I''ll make sure no one picks on him. Especially these three monsters." I cracked a smile.

    "Hey! I''m not scary at all compared to Dave and Zeke." Kyle said. Looking at me, he faked a sad face. "I''m the second least scary one here, right Jake?"

    I gave a simple nod.

    "Wait. That''s not fair!" Dave cut in. "Who''s the third least scary one then? Me or Zeke?"

    I pointed at Mr. Atkins without even thinking. I haven''t been around him much, yet he made me feel safe by how easy he could control the boys.

    "What! You''re less scared of some man who is over a foot and a half taller than you?" Dave rolled his eyes. "Fine. Who do you think is the scariest one here? Just so we know what makes you so nervous all the time."

    Unconsciously, I glanced at Mrs. Atkins. It was nothing against her specifically, but the fact that she was a mother. I wonder if motherhood made my mom into the monster she had become.

    "Mom?? You''re afraid of mom?" Dave hollered, and starting laughing. Even Kyle and Noah started to chuckle.

    I looked back at the table in embarrassment. I should have just pointed at Zeke. He wasn''t really scary, just intimidating.

    "Boys." Mrs. Atkins tried to calm them. "Jake, it''s okay. I understand why you feel that way. Don''t worry, I''m not bothered by it." I glanced at her, and she was smiling. But not in the creepy, mean way my mom would before hitting me. "Jake''s recent hospital stay was his mom''s doing." She told the boys.

    All laughing ceased. The quiet this time around was even more deafening.

    Noah was the only one that didn''t look shocked. "She wasn''t a real mom like you mom." He nudged me. "You''ll learn to like her. She makes good cookies so that''s a plus."

    I nodded in agreement. That was a very true statement. And my mom and never cooked for me before so that difference helped.

    Mrs. Atkins laughed. "I''m happy to know that I''m only good for cookies."

    "And for bailing us out of trouble." Noah added.

    The whole table laughed and started to lighten up once more. The conversation changed to stories of the boys getting in trouble all over town and in school. I happily ate my food as I listened to them talk about the past. This is what a family should be like.

 52 O’Conners

    At dinner, Noah reminded his dad that they needed to stop at O''Conners after dinner to get me some equipment. Right after, the twins jumped in and said they needed stuff as well so the whole family decided to go.

    I vaguely remember Noah mentioning O''Conners before as a sports store or something. But when we got there, I realized it was so much more. There was daily athletic wear, specific practice clothes, cleats and equipment for all kinds of sports. Mrs. Atkins went to look at their regular clothes for women. Zeke didn''t say where he was going. Then the twins ran off claiming they wanted to look at cleats.

    Noah and Mr. Atkins stuck with me, and started with looking at baseball pants. Mr. Atkins was quick to pick the right sizes and throw them in the cart. We passed some baseball t-shirts and he grabbed a few of those as well.

    "Anything you like in particular, just go ahead and throw it in the cart." He told me as he picked up some long socks.

    I looked at Noah and mumbled, "Alcohol."

    Mr. Atkins froze.

    Noah nodded. "Yea Dad. We need alcohol for his bat to keep it clean. And maybe some other piece of wood to keep the dents out of his bat."

    Mr. Atkins sighed with relief. "Oh. You guys mean rubbing alcohol. You had me worried for a second there." He patted his chest. "I thought my heart almost stopped."

    I looked curiously at Noah.

    Noah grinned. "He thought we wanted real alcohol. To drink."

    I shook my head immediately. Alcohol made my mom really crazy sometimes. Or it would make her pass out and then extra angry when she woke up. I didn''t want anything to do with that crap.

    "No need to be so adamant." Mr. Atkins gave me a light smile. "So tell me about your wooden bat. Do you like it?"

    I nodded. Very much.

    "Is it harder to hit the baseball?"

    "No way, Dad. He still hits it perfectly." Noah answered.

    But I disagreed and nodded. They both looked at me. I cleared my throat and coughed out. "Doesn''t go as far."

    "Wow. Four words." Noah nodded at his dad. "You''ve almost been elevated to my status."

    "How many words do you get?" He asked his son.

    "Quite a few a day." Noah shrugged, like it was no biggie. "Especially when he doesn''t understand something."

    "Like what?"

    "Well today we were discussing Garret''s cutter so I had to explain what a cut fastball was. We also talked about playing second and short together. Sometimes I get a word or two. Or a nod. Or a shake of the head."

    Mr. Atkins laughed. "You must be the one he trusts the most."

    "Is that true?" Noah looked me in the eye. I turned red and gave a quick nod, then turned away to go look at something else. Noah caught up to me real quick and threw an arm around my shoulders. "Awe. I''m honored Jake. I''ll be your translator and interpreter until you''re ready to talk to everyone else."

    I could hear Mr. Atkins chuckling behind us, probably amused. Noah led me towards the baseball equipment area and started to point out some expensive cleats and gloves.

    I felt uncomfortable with the thought of the Atkins spending so much money on me. The clothes were already enough. Plus the bat was really costly. I don''t think Mr. Duncan check from the state would cover all of this.

    "If you need it, grab it." Mr. Atkins told me.

    I shook my head. I really didn''t need it. In fact, I don''t even want it.

    "You can''t just keep using my old cleats. And your glove looks really worn. What if they tear or break?" Noah scrunched up nose.

    I looked at Mr. Atkins and shook my head so he would know I was okay with what I had.

    "Maybe Jake likes what he''s using." He told Noah. "Your old cleats are worn in so they probably don''t give him blisters. And maybe his glove is broken in perfectly for his fielding."

    Noah sighed. "Okay. That makes sense. Moving on."

    They dragged me all throughout the store to look at anything I might need. We grabbed alcohol and a piece of wood for my bat. Finally after an hour of torture, the whole family met up at the front of the store to checkout. Everyone had grabbed something, even quiet Zeke. The total was in the hundreds and make me sick to my stomach. But Mr. and Mrs. Atkins didn''t even blink. They just paid and passed out the bags for us to carry.

 53 Trainer 1

    The next day we followed the same routine for the morning. Noah helped me pack my own baseball bag with all my gear and my baseball hat that Dave gave me. Apparently it was the school baseball hat that went with the game uniforms. I felt touched at the thought. I''m officially on a team.

    We ate breakfast, packed up the car, and went to school. After filing out of the car, we grabbed our backpacks and went our own ways. The twins and Zeke started their trek up to the main building, while Noah and I waited by the field.

    Mr. Miller showed up with his golf cart almost immediately. "You boys should start walking up to the school. You need the exercise."

    "Very funny." Noah snorted and still got on. he grabbed my arm when he saw me hesitate. "Get on. Mr. Miller has a very dry sense of humor. As dry as the Sahara desert."

    He started to drive the cart. "It''s not a joke that Jake is out of shape."

    "My parents are going to call coach to explain. Cut him some slack, he just got out of the hospital."

    "No joke? Why didn''t you say something?"

    I felt ashamed and tried to focus on the passing students.

    "That''s a bit insensitive to say to a mute." Noah replied.

    "I was talking to you smartass."

    "Also rude to call a kid bad names." Noah laughed. "But, I''m not sure what happened to Jake. Mom and Dad said his birth mom was an evil witch." They definitely didn''t say that, but that felt like an accurate description. "Jake has been doing rehab just as recent as last week. So tell coach that we should have the trainer stop by practice to help out."

    Mr. Miller stopped the cart near the building. "Hmm. That''s a pretty good idea. Especially coming from you. Now get off."

    Noah rolled his eyes at his remark. "See ya at practice. Try not to be late this time, Mr. Miller." We both stepped off and headed for class. Noah glanced at me as we made our way to his locker. "Do you know what I mean by trainer?"

    I shrugged. The first thought that comes to mind are the trainers that make people get skinny.

    "Our school has two athletic trainers, and a couple assistants. But between Mom and Coach, I''m sure they''ll get a real trainer to come on down. Usually they tape up athletes to help prevent injuries. They also supervise all games in case an injury happens so you''ll see them around. But they also rehabilitate hurt athletes and plan programs to prevent injuries so I felt like that would help you. He can come up with a plan best fit to get you in shape without aggravating any old injuries. Isn''t that great?"

    I shrugged. I guess. It''s not like I''m really injured right now. Just out of shape. And I get tired easily.

    "Come on, lets see some more enthusiasm!" Noah nudged me. I tried my best to give him a smile. "Eh, slightly better. Don''t make that in class though, you''ll scare the other kids."

    No one would be scared of me. Not with Noah around. I knew Noah was nice and easy to get along with, but it really showed at school. Everyone always greeted him with a smile, wave, a hello, whichever way they could. No one specifically came up to him with me around so I kind of felt that he had warned them off. It was a nice thought, yet now, I felt even more ostracized. Only Noah spoke directly to me, along with the other Atkins. But also, I felt protected because I had nothing to say to my classmates. I might even feel more terrible if they try and talk to me and I couldn''t say anything back. I don''t know. It''s a toss up.

 54 Trainer 2

    The day passed by without much hassle. Lunch was only me and Noah outside; his brothers must have stayed with their friends elsewhere. Noah just chatted away about baseball and his favorite players, filling up the silence that I leave. Occasionally he would require me to nod yes or shake my head no, but it was very relaxing. I did start to wonder what his real friends think about him ditching them, just to hang out with me, but again, no one ever approached us.

    After lunch and a stop by his locker, he walked me to my math class and left me in the care of his twin brothers. Who, once again, had me fill out some problems for them. I did make sure to solve the problems step-by-step just in case they''ll have to study it before a test or something. They weren''t very rambunctious in class, and they let me solve the problems in peace, so I really didn''t mind. They even walked me to Noah''s locker afterwards.

    When it came to practice, I got changed in the bathroom again. Noah looked at me funny, but he didn''t say anything which I appreciate. The scars aren''t crazy visible like they were early on, but I didn''t need any more pity than I already get.

    When the whole team gathered in the dugout, the head coach demanded our attention. "Boys. This is Jake Hollander. He''s officially on the team. Great with the bat, but doesn''t know much when it comes to the game. I expect all of you to lend a hand when needed. Don''t crowd Jake and overwhelm him with nonsense. Introduce yourselves one at a time throughout the week."

    "Wow. Mom must have called him and told him what''s up. Look how nice he''s being to you." Noah whispered.

    "Noah. Ten laps after warmup." Coach hollered. The guys all laughed, especially the twins.

    Noah frowned. "But-"

    "No buts." Zeke came close. "Talking back will be an extra five laps. You know talking while coach is talking is ten laps. Being close with Jake doesn''t grant you exceptions." He glanced at me. "If you don''t understand something, you''ll ask afterwards."

    I nodded urgently. Noah looked like he was going to start talking again so I grabbed his arm. He pouted, but was able to hold himself back.

    Zeke nodded, satisfied. He looked around the team. "Jake is a special case, but we''ll treat him as normal as possible."

    Coach agreed. "After the trainer gets him up to speed and he can steadily keep up, he will practice at the same pace as everyone else." He jerked a thumb towards the field. "Get going. Warmups."

    The team hustled out of the dugout. We did the same warmup as yesterday so I didn''t need to look to Noah for constant guidance. Which was good, because he was frowning and didn''t talk at all. We went through the whole warmup and passed the ball back and forth without talking. As soon as coach called us in, he took off to do his laps.

    I stood there, confused on what to do. It was weird that Noah would be so quiet. I didn''t think he would take so much offense to Zeke and Coach telling him to run.

    "Jake? You joining us or did you want to run laps like Noah?" Coach asked. He stood with the whole team staring at me.

    I dropped my glove and took off after Noah. I rather run two miles again than be left with a bunch of strangers. Contrary to my thought of catching up to him, he caught up to me on his second lap while I was still on the first. Damn. He runs fast.

    "Jake?" Noah slowed to my pace, not sounding out of breath at all. "What are you doing? Is Zeke making you run laps too?"

    "I. Chose. To." I gasped out, already tired from the short sprint.

    "Idiot. Why would you do that? The trainer should be here soon, to come up with a program for you to follow."

    "You. Were. Upset." I stuttered stepped, then fix my stride length.

    "Stupid. Not at you. I just don''t like how Zeke bullies me sometimes. Him and coach. There were other players whispering too. They only like to come up with punishments almost every practice for me. Dad says it''s because they want me to be a better player. But it still gets to me sometimes, ya know?"

    I nodded. Even though I was having trouble comprehending as I struggled on our laps.

    Noah became his usual talkative self as he ranted about how hard Zeke is on him. He didn''t even make the twins run as much as him. He was able to keep ranting for the rest of the run, all the way back to the dugout.

    As we drank our water and I caught my breath, Mr. Miller approached us with an average looking man by his side. "Jake, this is Andrew Vishnevsky, the school''s athletic trainer. You''ll be under his care for now."

 55 Trainer 3

    Andrew Vishnevsky looked younger than what I thought an athletic trainer would look like. He might have been right out of college or grad school or wherever trainers studied. He had dark hair, dark eyes behind glasses, and looked like he could just be a passerby off the street.

    He held out a hand, "You can call me Drew."

    I looked at his hand. Then at Noah.

    Noah laughed. "Just shake his hand. You really don''t have to be so hesitant. Just give him a nice, firm handshake and say hello." He gave me a shoulder pat. "I''ve got to go to the regular practice before they make me run some more." Then he ditched me. I ran ten laps with him!

    Mr. Miller laughed at my heart-stricken expression. "You can''t use Noah as a shield all the time. Vishnevsky will take care of you until he deems you fit." He turned to leave as well.

    I sighed with dejection, then faced Drew. He still had his hand out, waiting patiently. I stretched out my arm and gave his hand a quick shake.

    "Mary Atkins, your guardian has given me your medical records." He looked at me, expressionless. "Do you have any aches or pains on a normal basis?"

    I shook my head no.

    "When you were running, did anything hurt?"

    I started to shake my head no again, but then nodded. I pointed at my side, where my rib cage was.

    He pulled out a sheet of paper and looked it over. Then back at me. "You have fractured your rib cage on that side, correct?"

    I nodded.

    "It''s been so long since the original injury. I''m guessing there might be muscle damage or worst case, nerve damage." I flinched. "I''ll assign some exercises pertaining to the chest area so hopefully it''ll help. Let''s move to the grass area so I can see you try some exercises and drills." He pointed to some open space. "I''ll meet you over there. Grab your bat, glove and a baseball. I''m going to grab some tools."

    I ran around, gathering my gear. Drew was already setting up a speed ladder and mini hurdles six inches high, when I returned.

    "We''ll start with some speed tests just to get a feel for where you''re at. I timed your mile with Noah and I wasn''t impressed. Fifteen minutes? I know Noah can run almost two miles in the amount of time. I also took note of your hard breathing and how you needed to drink quite a bit of water. Let me ask, how much water do you drink during the day?" Drew spoke nonstop.

    I held up one finger. I have a water with my lunch.

    "You''re kidding." He deadpanned. "What a joke. And you want to be an athlete? Not with that attitude. Athletes should drink half their weight in ounces of water. Since you weigh about 120lbs, you should drink at least 60 ounces of water. Got it?"

    I nodded.

    "Agility ladder first." He commanded. I stood before it...not sure what to do. "Is this your first time?" He asked after my awkward pause. I nodded.

    He sighed and started to show me some footwork skills. He did simples ones at first and started to record how fast I could do them. Then more complex ones, where my feet started to get tangled.

    I was already tired when we finished the ladder work, I couldn''t imagine getting through the rest of this training session.

    I stumbled through the rest of his drills and somehow made it to the end. Coach came over and asked Drew how I did.

    Drew sighed and glanced where I was chugging water. "I can get him in somewhat decent shape by the tournament. His hand-eye coordination is excellent. Speed is good if it''s short and not consecutive. He just gets too tired too easily. Easy fix though. Just needs time and effort."

    "Noah! Zeke! Come on over!" The coach hollered.

    The both jogged over from the dugout, where the team was taking a water break.

    "Jake will be spending his practices with Drew. Warmup and tossing will still be the same, then you''ll report to Drew over here." He told me. He faced the Atkins. "This weekend, I would like you guys to work on teaching him some routine plays between infielders. Then maybe tryout some relay throws from outfield to cutoff man to home plate. Next week we''ll see where he''s at before the tournament."

    Noah looked excited. "Jake can play in the tournament?"

    Coach glanced at me. "If he meets my standard. Better to get some experience in the tournament before league play starts."

 56 The Weekend 1

    The rest of the week went according to plan. I settled into the Atkins routine of school, practice, home. At school, Mr. Miller would give Noah and I a ride to the buildings. We went through classes and ate lunch together. I would do the twins math homework and class work with my own. At practice, I would follow Noah through warmups and we would toss the ball together, before I was sent to Drew.

    Drew was not my friend, I had decided. He pushed me through difficult workouts and made sure my whole body would be sore the following morning. After Friday''s practice, I was convinced that practice may be for masochists. Pain was a reason that I was starting to have second thoughts on playing. I really couldn''t tolerate much more.

    "It''ll be better when you''re actually playing real baseball." Noah said to me in our room Friday evening. We had just finished our showers after coming home from practice. He stared at me as I laid on the floor of our room. "Are you just going to be like this all night?"

    "Yes." I replied, trying not to move.

    "Oh? That was such a clear yes. Are you choosing to talk, because moving your head hurts so much?" He sat upright on his bed.

    "Yes."

    "Back to back one worded answers. It''s almost like we''re having a real conversation." He looked down at my pathetic state. "Even if it''s at your expense, it''s pretty nice. Will you use one worded replies from here on out?"

    "Maybe."

    He jumped up excitedly. "Wait here. I want to show the twins and Zeke." He ran out of our room. It wasn''t like I was going anywhere. Every part of my body was so sore. He returned in a mere minute with the three. "Watch this guys. Jake, are you still giving out one word replies?"

    "Yes."

    "Wow!" Kyle squatted near my head. "He must be dead tired. Too tired to move his head. And probably too tired to be scared."

    Dave squatted on the other side and poked my cheek. "Say something else."

    "Ouch." I wanted to move away, but it required too much effort. Normally I would hide away if the twins came too close, but the lack of strength played a big part in my lack of movement. Correlation. There''s some math going on, I know it.

    Zeke leaned against the doorframe. "Don''t billy a defenseless kid. His body is probably sore and stiff. Tomorrow we won''t go out to practice."

    "Oh man." Noah groaned. "But how are we going to work on our plays?"

    "We''ll do theoretical research first. We can pull up some clips and background for him to watch and learn. It''s better if he sees what he''s supposed to be doing first anyways. Stop poking Jake." He stopped talking baseball to scold the twins, who were taking turns poking my cheeks.

    "But it''s interesting." Dave kept poking. "Jake never lets us get this close. Look. He doesn''t even mind."

    "I do." I told him, blandly. Even thinking about falling asleep.

    "Hey, look! I got two words! Obviously this is working!" Dave started to poke at a faster rate.

    Noah pushed him away. "Leave him alone."

    Dave fell over from his squatting position but quickly got back up and tackled Noah. They started wrestling around me, but I didn''t move. In fact, my eyes started to feel heavy.

    "Boys! Dinner time!" Mrs. Atkins hollered from downstairs.

    Kyle shot up and ran down first. Zeke walked away at his normal pace. Dave and Noah continued messing around.

    After a couple of minutes, Mr. Atkins appeared in the doorway. "Your mother has called you. Get moving." They broke apart and Dave bolted out. Mr. Atkins looked at me, seeming more like a giant than usual. "You okay down there, Jake?"

    "No." I replied honestly. Everything hurts.

    "He''s sore from all the practice." Noah informed him. "The trainer said it''s hard to get muscles that haven''t worked in awhile, into shape. He''s been lying on the floor since after his shower. He''s even been giving one worded replies. Watch this." Noah squatted near me. "Do you want to eat or sleep?"

    I closed my eyes. "Sleep."

    "Food will give you energy and fuel your body into recovering." Mr. Atkins informed me. "Which means you won''t be in as much pain tomorrow morning."

    My eyes burst open. "Eat."

    He laughed and helped me off the floor.

    "How''d you get him moving?" Noah laughed. "I thought he would give up dinner for sure."

    "I told you, Jake has an aversion to pain. If it''ll make the pain go away, he''ll do it." Mr. Atkins helped me move down the hall.

    "We should give him an ice bath then." Noah grinned at me. Ice bath? What did that mean?

 57 The Weekend 2

    His dad agreed that we would try the ice bath treatment after dinner. Noah told his brothers and they all agreed that it was a good idea because I''ll feel way better tomorrow. Maybe even well enough to try and do some plays with Noah. But at the sight of the twins exchanging smirks, I started to feel anxious. With good reason apparently.

    After dinner, Noah''s dad filled the hallway bath with cold water, then dumped two buckets of ice. Noah gave me a bathing suit to change into, which I found weird since it''s a bath. I kept my T-shirt on as well, just in case.

    When I walked back towards the bathroom, Noah was sitting on the sink counter so the twins could squeeze in, making me more suspicious. I put my hand in first and shivered. Soooo cold.

    "No wimping out now, Jakey." Dave taunted. "Dad put so much effort in bringing up the ice, so you can''t waste it."

    I glanced back at them and frowned. Dave was teasing, Kyle had a phone out and pointed at me, and Noah was just swinging his legs, nonchalant about it all.

    I poked Noah''s leg, and then pointed at Kyle.

    "He''s filming your first ice bath experience." Noah grinned at me. "It''s a right of passage. They filmed mine too. Dad also has recordings of theirs so it''s all fair. Just grin and bear with it."

    I didn''t grin. I kept my frown firmly in place and even made sure the camera saw it. I went back to the tub and stepped inside, letting the water go up almost to my knees.

    "Start with getting your lower body in. Then once you adjust, you can slide down to allow your upper body to soak as well." I heard Zeke say from the hallway. Great. Even he showed up for the show.

    I braced myself, then quickly sat down so my whole lower body would be in the ice bath. I wasn''t feeling very tight and sore in my lower half now; in fact I was hardly feeling anything.

    "Jakeeee! Smile!" Kyle squatted and got close.

    I took a page out of Noah''s playbook and rolled my eyes. I don''t think it had the same effect with all my shivering.

    "Now submerge." Zeke instructed, still in the hallway. "You only have to stay in between six and eight minutes."

    I nodded, not so much to him, but to encourage myself. This will help my pain. I scooted down and lowered everything but my head in the bath.

    "That''s about two songs." Dave laughed. "I don''t know if he''ll be able to last."

    Noah looked at me. Then back at Dave. "I bet he lasts the whole eight minutes. On Sunday you pay for The Cages."

    Dave''s face twitched. "For everyone? Or just you?"

    "Just for me and Jake." Noah winked at me. "It''s okay if you don''t want to take the bet. You did lose last time. In fact, you still owe ten laps."

    "Fine. I''ll bet he won''t last four minutes. But you have to take the ten laps back AND pay for my cage play."

    "Sure." Noah shrugged. He looked at Kyle. "You want in?"

    Kyle kept his phone focused on me, still recording. "No way. This week without dessert has been the worst. Also, I feel like Jake has great odds. He''s only shivering. Not crying aloud like you losers."

    "Bro, you didn''t even last thirty seconds." Dave shot back. He looked as I soaked in the ice bath. "It''s weird that he isn''t even whimpering though. Maybe he really is a robot."

    "Dad told him this technique would make the pain go away. And Jake hates pain." Noah gave me a thumbs up. "He''ll stick with it as long as he has to, to make the pain go away."

    I nodded.

    "What?!" Dave glared at Noah. "That basically means that you hustled me!"

    Noah shrugged. "Prove it."

    Their bickering went on the whole time as I shivered in the ice cold water. Finally, Kyle said it''s been over eight minutes and I slowly stood up and stepped out of the tub.

    Dave grumbled before stomping away. Noah tossed me a towel and I started to dry off.

    Kyle stopped recording and started to watch the playback. "This isn''t as entertaining as ours. You sure did that like a pro. Have you really never done this before?"

    I snorted. Who would ever do this multiple times? I better feel back to normal tomorrow or I''m going to be severely upset with Noah.

 58 The Weekend 3

    Saturday morning came and brought the expected results. I wasn''t as stiff as a board and I even felt rejuvenated. At breakfast Noah and Zeke told their parents what we had plan. I would spend the morning watching videos and tutorial clips they would pull up on their smart-tv in the living room. Then after lunch we would practice in real life at the park. Their parents didn''t have any disagreements, especially considering they had houses to show for potential clients and would be gone until dinner.

    Their only concern was the twins. "Idle hands are the devils workshop." Mrs. Atkins worried.

    I tilted my head in confusion.

    "It''s from the Bible." Noah told me. "It basically means one who is not occupied, is likely to do evil things and get into trouble."

    I nodded. After one week in this house, I''d believe it. The twins reminded me of the cartoon of the Tasmania Devil. Always destroying what was in front of them and causing havoc.

    "I''ll text Garret to invite them over for pitching practice." Zeke replied.

    "Will you? That would be great." She gave him two thumbs up. Noah laughed at his mom as she looked dorky. Even I stifled a laugh. She looked at us. "And you two troublemakers, be good for Zeke. I don''t want a replay of last weekend."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Don''t worry mom. We won''t go to the cages until tomorrow."

    She put a hand to her head, exasperated. "That''s supposed to make me feel better?"

    "Zeke will be with them tomorrow, honey." Mr. Atkins tried to soothe her. "Plus I heard Dave is paying for Noah and Jake, which means extra supervision."

    She squinted at him. "Why is Dave paying for them? He wouldn''t do something like that."

    "He lost a bet with Noah and Jake during the ice bath." He told her.

    Her eyes immediately swung back to us. "Another bet? Noah, this is getting out of hand. I''m seriously concern that you might have a gambling problem."

    Noah shrugged. "It''s only a problem if you''re losing."

    I burst out laughing. What a typical reply from Noah, the gambling addict.

    Noah started to laugh with me. "Sorry mom. That was too funny. I''ll cool it on the gambling, I swear."

    Mrs. Atkins looked at us laughing. "Well, I''ll let it slide for now." Her and Mr. Atkins said their goodbyes and left in their respective cars.

    Noah wiggles his eyebrows. "I didn''t say anything about hustling though."

    I shook my head at the thought. What a scam artist. A con man. Nah, gambler still fits best. He''s taking another gamble, that his mom won''t kill him when she finds out that he lied.

    "If you''re done eating breakfast, dump your dishes in the sink and move to the living room." Zeke stood up. "I''m going to wake the twins and send them to Garret''s."

    We went our separate ways. Zeke up the stairs to deal with the twins. And we did what we were told, dumping the dirty dishes in the sink and going to the living room.

    Noah turned on the tv as we slouched on the couch, getting comfy. He grabbed an IPad and started to pull up tutorials on YouTube. "We''ll start with the basic of the basics. Positioning. Where should you stand and why." We started to watch the video that may have been for elementary school kids.

    There was a lot to take in. Depending what kind of batter was up to bat, who was on base and where, I would have many options that I could take. I don''t know if I''ll be able to keep it all straight.

    "Why aren''t you taking notes?" Zeke frowned when he walked in half an hour later. "There''s no way you''ll be able to simply memorize every possibility."

    Now he tells me. I looked at Noah, wondering why he didn''t say anything. He looked at me sheepishly. "I didn''t even think about taking notes. This is mostly common sense to me at this point."

    Of course. Since he''s played for years. I ran up to our room and grabbed one of my school notebooks with a pencil.

    When I came back to the living room, Zeke had commandeered the iPad from Noah. He was creating a playlist of videos I needed to watch and study.

    I looked at the total time as it started to add up to over an hour. Then two. Then three. Zeke was ruthless.

    He glanced at me. "Make sure you pay careful attention. I''ll quiz you at the park this afternoon. Every wrong answer will equal a lap."

    Correction. Zeke was merciless.

 59 The Weekend 4

    We, legitimately, watched baseball videos all morning. And not the fun kind. All of it was informative or a tutorial on what to do for each situational play. Noah had briefly gone over situational plays with me before my tryout, but we ended up not having to go over it since my batting impressed everyone. By lunch time, I had wrote down five pages of notes with an attempt at some diagrams for reference. Safe to say, I''ve retain at least half of it. Maybe.

    I looked over my notes during lunch and on the way to the park, trying to make sure I''ll pass the test Zeke wants to throw at me.

    Their neighborhood park was bigger than what I had expected. It had a playground, soccer field, and a baseball field. We lugged our gear on over and placed it near home plate. Then Zeke had us do the same warmup as always, even though we weren''t doing a full practice. Surprisingly the twins showed up with Garret and they joined our warmup.

    "What are they doing here?" Noah asked Zeke.

    "In situational plays we need extra players. Someone to hit the ball to Jake. Someone to play first. You''ll play short. Depending on what I want to do, we''ll need those guys to stand in for real players." Zeke informed us.

    "Hey!" Dave yelled out. "You basically just called us lackeys!"

    "And your point?" Zeke continued the warmup without stopping.

    "Is this really the way you treat your younger brother, who''s doing you a favor?"

    "You''re doing the team a favor. Not me personally. Take it up with Coach." Zeke remained expressionless as always. We wrapped up the warmup and got our gloves.

    Zeke took up a bat instead and dragged a bucket of balls closer to himself. "I''ll hit the balls since I have the best control." No one refuted. "Noah to short. Jake to second. Garret, you''ll play first. Dave to right field and Kyle will be a catcher."

    "Wouldn''t Garret in the outfield be a better choice since plays it more?" Dave disagreed.

    "I''m left-handed." Garret made a face. "It would only make sense If it was left field. Glove side closest to the foul line and whatnot."

    "It''s just practice." Dave put his hands on his head. "I don''t want to go all the way out there and shag balls. Make Kyle do it instead."

    Zeke''s eyes cut through him, making me feel nervous for Dave. Zeke looked like he was about to thrash him. "Fine. Kyle does have the stronger arm. It would only make more sense to send him."

    Kyle smirked at Dave. "You''re right. I''ll do it. Since I have a stronger arm." He jogged to the grass and found a good spot to stand.

    Zeke ignored Dave''s look of displeasure. "Since you''re catcher, you''re responsible for handing me a ball. And making sure the rest make it back into the bucket."

    Dave grumbled and took a spot next to the bucket. He gave a ball to Zeke.

    Zeke looked at me. "I''ll be calling out the situation before I send the ball to you. You field accordingly. Every wrong one will equal a lap, which you''ll run on Monday."

    I nodded nervously and got set.

    "No outs." Zeke smacked a light grounder my way. I quickly fielded it to Garret who waited at first patiently. Zeke nodded, satisfied. "Simple and quick. Next. One out, runner on first." He sent me another grounder towards my right hand. I bare handed it, and lightly tossed it to Noah, who was waiting on second base, then he fired it to Garret on first.

    Garret whistled. "Not bad. Already attempting bare hands? You also paired with Noah very nicely."

    "Wrong." Zeke shut down Garret''s compliments with one word. "That''ll be a lap."

    "What. Why?" Noah looked as upset as I felt. That was my first real attempt at a bare hand and Zeke isn''t even giving us credit as a pass?

    "I said runner ON first." He stressed. "That could possibly mean he staying close to the base. Maybe without a lead. The batter could also be a slow runner. It would have been a safer play if you backhanded with your glove to ensure it didn''t get past you. We don''t need fancy and nice looking plays. We want safe plays that''ll win games."

    My jaw dropped.

 60 The Weekend 5

    I looked at Noah for help. Noah was already on it though. "How are we supposed to know that about your imaginary runners if you don''t say so beforehand?"

    "You''ll have to observe the situation beforehand."

    "What does that even mean?" Noah rolled his eyes. "The runners aren''t real. We can''t see them. Can''t judge them. Can''t see if they''re leading off or not. I vote that Jake doesn''t have to run the lap." My savior!

    Zeke glanced at Garret. He shrugged. "Just a bit unfair. I''d let it slide until coach puts him in a game, but then double the punishment then." He sent me a thousand megawatt smile, yet it felt anything but friendly.

    "He must be bitter about losing to you last Monday." Noah mumbled to me. I nodded in agreement. Garret didn''t seem like an evil guy but looks can be really deceiving.

    "Okay. In this upcoming tournament, when you play, for every error you commit, you''ll have to run a mile the following practice." And sometimes you get what exactly is advertised. Zeke looked mean and scary, and his words definitely confirmed initial impressions.

    "Isn''t that too much?" Noah pouted. "Sounds like you''re abusing your power."

    Zeke smiled at Noah. Making us both shiver. "If that''s what you think, then as his ''mentor'' you''ll help him run his laps. Half a mile for each of you for each error."

    I don''t know about Noah, but I felt better about it.

    "We can discuss more with Coach during practice." Zeke added. "Let''s get back to fielding now. Any more disagreements and you''ll be running home." Noah and I got back into our spots, without argument. "Next play. Runner on first and second. No outs." He smacked a hard grounder to Noah''s right side. He dove, using his glove on the backside, then use that momentum to keep turning right, throwing me the ball. I caught it while touching second and quickly threw to first.

    I smiled at Noah and gave him a thumbs up, even thinking about saying something about how well he fielded that.

    Only, Zeke spoke first. "Fail."

    We looked at him, confused on what we missed now.

    He looked at me, "You''re going to get wiped if you play like that."

    I looked at Noah for translation, finding him looking at me already. He nodded. "You can''t hang on the bag like that Jake. The runner will come in hard, spikes aiming at your ankles to ruin your throw to first. Not only does your throw have to be quick, your feet has to move as well."

    I sighed, but nodded. I could understand that.

    "Hit one out here already! I''m getting boreddd." Kyle complained from afar as Noah was busy teaching me and Zeke was busy scolding us.

    Zeke grabbed a new ball and got ready. "Runner on second. The score is tied at zero, bottom of the seventh. It''s a single to left field. Jake, you''re the cutoff man. Where do you throw?"

    I pointed at home. We have to defend against the run. High school baseball only has seven innings so if the opposite team scores in the bottom of the seventh, we lose.

    He nodded. Then he sent a line drive single between me and Garret, to Kyle. Kyle caught it off the bounce and threw a bullet to me, like it could have been him pitching. I caught it, then threw to Dave.

    Dave caught it off a bounce. He looked at me on the edge of the infield. "Yo. You may be a batting genius, but you have really weak arms."

    I turned red with embarrassment.

    "He''s only a freshman. He can''t be good at everything." Noah defended. "Jake hasn''t even practiced fielding so I think he''s doing great."

    "No." Zeke stayed firmly. "Dave has a point. Jake can''t throw very far. We''ll have to convert Julian into the cutoff man for this side." He thought for a minute. "Julian will go to the grass as the cutoff guy, Jake, you''ll have to immediately go cover first base just in case."

    I nodded, actually liking this plan.

    "This is just a temporary solution." Zeke started me down. "We don''t want someone useless on the field that we have to constantly accommodate."

    "Hey! Too far! Jake will make it up for it with his bat!" Noah glared at Zeke.

    Zeke quirked an eyebrow. "We''ll see."

 61 The Weekend 6

    We spent the whole afternoon running scenarios and Zeke would talk about what was the right decision afterwards. He sounded like a baseball encyclopedia, spitting out facts and how-to''s for second basemen. I made a mental note to try and remember to ask Noah how he knew so much even though he plays in the outfield.

    By the time we got home, everyone was exhausted. We each took a shower and took our spots at the table for dinner.

    "You boys are awfully quiet." Mrs. Atkins noted. "Are you all actually getting along?" She faked gasped.

    "Just tired." Noah mumbled, and I nodded my agreement. "Zeke ran us into the dirt. Physically and mentally. I feel like all of us could play second base now that Zeke has crammed in so much info."

    Their dad laughed. "Isn''t that a good thing? Jake won''t be considered such a newbie anymore then."

    "Still at the beginner level." Zeke said between bites of his dinner.

    I picked at my food, sulking. It''s not my fault I couldn''t learn this earlier. Not everyone is blessed with a perfect family and two wonderful parents. I didn''t get one decent parent. My dad and brother had never once come back either. They truly didn''t care. Maybe they don''t even exist and I just imagined them. I was young when they left.

    "Jake? Jake!" Noah nudged me. "You''re zoning out over there. You okay?"

    I shrugged and let out a sigh. I was caught up in my thoughts.

    "Look what Zeke did." Noah huffed out. "Jake went from talking yesterday to not even being mentally present. We demand reparations."

    "What does that even mean?" Dave asked.

    "It''s Noah. He''s obviously demanding money like always." Kyle replied. "Noah must have all recessive genes to be such a hustler in this family."

    "I''m not a hustler." Noah pouted. "Just a poor boy who can''t handle this slander. Reparations from you two as well." The twins started to object.

    Mr. Atkins laughed. "There will be no reparations of any kind. Simmer down. Noah, where did you even learn such a phrase?"

    Noah feigned innocence. "English class of course."

    "I thought we agreed you wouldn''t gamble anymore." Mrs. Atkins frowned at her youngest son.

    "I wasn''t betting. I just demanded money for Jake''s mental scars from today''s family practice." Noah looked towards me. "I''m sorry my family is so heartless, Jake." He faked sob, making the others laugh.

    "They''re nice." I mumbled in reply. And it was true. They were all nice. Even the twins and Zeke. No one tried to make me uncomfortable intentionally, nor have they hurt me.

    The whole table froze as if someone hit the pause button in a movie.

    Noah jumped up first. "You guys hear that?! Jake said two words, and to the whole table. AND it was a compliment! This is a cause for celebration. Mom, break out the cookies and ice cream!"

    "Denied." Mr. Atkins was quick to respond. "You''re still on sweets probation."

    "Mom? Are you actually tearing up right now?" Dave said in shock.

    We all turned to look at her. She tried waving at her eyes to dry up the tears that were sprouting. "Allergies."

    "In winter?" Kyle asked, skeptical.

    "I believe she''s just a bit emotional since those have been the first words Jake has said for her to hear." Mr. Atkins suggested.

    Mrs. Atkins stood up and walked to the kitchen. "I''m going to make some pudding pie. You boys continue eating without me."

    Dave scrunched up his nose. "Was that really the first time you said anything around her? Even we have heard a word here and there. Especially last night when you couldn''t move."

    I focused on my plate of food.

    "Leave him alone. You heard mom a couple days ago. Jake''s mom was super mean." Noah went on the defensive. "Even she understood that he feels scared by the thought of a mom."

    "It''s not the thought of a mom." Mr. Atkins corrected. "Jake just associates bad experiences with the word mom, because that''s what he called the woman who gave birth to him."

    "Then rename her." Noah looked at me. "Give your mom a new name. Anything you can think of."

    "Monster." I whispered.

    After a pause, Mr. Atkins said, "Adequate. From now on, you don''t have to think of that woman as your mother, but as a monster."

    "Monsters always get defeated." Noah gave my shoulder a pat, then whispered. "Save me some pudding pie."

    I cracked a smile.

 62 The Weekend 7

    "Why do you need so many tokens?" Dave demanded as we stood at the counter at The Cages. After dinner last night, the boys all agreed we would go to The Arcade from mid morning to late afternoon.

    At the moment, Noah was trying to convince Dave we needed thirty tokens which would cost him thirty dollars. "Dave, you lost the bet. You said you would pay for the cages. You can''t go back on your word. Kyle even has it on film."

    "Noah''s right." Kyle waved his phone proudly.

    "I just don''t understand why you need so many. We aren''t going to be here the whole day." Dave grumbled, but still pulling out his wallet.

    "Jake likes to do every machine. And he hits both left and right. That''s almost twenty tokens just for him." Noah informed them. "Zeke, tell him he has to follow through or he has to run laps."

    "You brat." Dave reached out, but Noah swiftly dodged and took cover behind the eldest brother. I also took a few steps back to get out of fighting range. I really didn''t need that many tokens, but Noah was doing his best to swindle others so I couldn''t interfere.

    Zeke stood tall, unmoving like a mountain against the wind. "You lost the bet. You should have clarified how much you were willing to spend if it''s such a big deal." Wow. Zeke to the rescue. I never thought he''d be righteous and fair like his dad. He looked at me suddenly. "And you better not waste a pitch." He turned all the way to tower over Noah. "You as well. No misses."

    "Fine. But I get to pick my own speed setting. You can''t just be unreasonable and demand I hit a bunch of 90 mph in a row." Noah said back.

    "Agreed." Zeke nodded, then look back at Dave. "Get going. We''re waiting on you."

    Dave mumbled on his breath and turned his attention back to the lady behind the counter. The same one as last week. Luckily she didn''t call me and Noah out for being bad last week.

    "Ah. The Atkins all here together again. It''s been awhile since the whole crew was here at the same time." Mr. Williams came out of his office and greeted them.

    The older three greeted him politely, but Noah didn''t bother. Instead, he came up front and dragged me along. "Look here, Mr. Williams. Jake hasn''t even made a crack in his bat. That last one was definitely faulty."

    "Let me see." Mr. Williams held his hands out to me.

    I pulled my bat out of my bag and gently laid it in his hands for him to examine. The wooden bat had a gleam to it like it was made with laminate. That''s only due to my constant polishing with the rubbing alcohol every night even when I didn''t get to use my bat at practice with Drew.

    "You really took care of it this week." He handed it back. "Keep up the good work. And please, don''t break it here otherwise I''ll have to hear Noah complain a million more times." He laughed to himself and strolled away to chat with other Sunday regulars.

    Dave came back with our tokens and we split them twenty to me, ten to Noah. Apparently Dave also got ten for himself. "Where do we start?"

    Noah rubbed his nose. "Welllllll Jake likes to start slow. Like real slow."

    "Let''s just separate and do our own thing for now." Kyle proposed. "No doubt, we all want to work on different things."

    Zeke nodded, then shot Noah and I a look. And not the friendly kind. "No gambles, bets, or hustles. Or, I''ll make you both walk home."

    I nodded obediently. I would never go looking for trouble. The same can''t be said for Noah. He''s like a magnet for bad ideas. It would be best if I could just relax in the cage and not make everything pitch and hit apart of some bet that''ll lead to disaster.

 63 The Weekend 8

    I started with the 50 mph cage even though it was super easy. I hardly got to swing the bat this week so I might as well used the same warmup as last Sunday. Don''t change what works.

    I consecutively sent every pitch back to the machine for each side I batted on. It took me quite a bit of time to catch up to the Atkins boys, but honestly it was very relaxing. No Noah making me anxious with his gambling on me. No twins scaring me with their overpowering personalities. And no Zeke hovering over me, telling me what I could improve on. Just me, my bat, and my helmet. The original three amigos.

    I ran into the twins first, at the 70 mph cage, where they were challenging one another to who could hit more. Not even betting on anything, just bragging rights I guess.

    "Look who finally made it." Dave smiled at me. But not in a kind way, more like a "I-found-my-next-victim" way.

    Subconsciously, I took a step back.

    "Now, now." Kyle threw his arm around my shoulders, trapping me. "There''s no reason to be afraid of us, right? We''re practically brothers." I didn''t know how to reply since each path seems thorny and no matter what, I wasn''t going to get away without a scrape.

    "We just want to see you work in the cage. You do you." Dave told me. "Nice and easy for you right?"

    I squinted, not sure where he was going with this.

    "You boys find someone yet?" An older man came out of the 70 mph cage, interrupting the twins. He looked to be in his forties and caught sight of me. He laughed. "You want to have an even younger boy go up against me? I may be old, but once upon a time, I played college ball."

    Kyle tightened his grip on my shoulder. "This is our younger brother. He''s a batting prodigy. Watch and learn."

    I looked up at him. Are they bullying an old man? Or betting against him? Either situation sounds like Zeke will get mad. I didn''t want to walk home. I started to look bath and forth and the faster speeds to see if he was around.

    "See? He''s even shaking his head. This kid obviously doesn''t want to go up against an oldie like me." The old man chuckled.

    "He''s just making sure no one is around to see you get your ass kicked you old geezer." Dave snorted. I stared at him, wide eyed. Is he really not scared that Zeke might make us walk home?

    The old man didn''t mind the cursing and just laughed it off. "Fine. Show me what you can do kid."

    I really rather not.

    Kyle walked me in the cage and whispered, "This old man is a friend of the boss. Don''t you like hitting here? Show off and win us a boatload of free tokens."

    "But Zeke-" I mumbled.

    "Don''t worry about Zeke. It''s not like we''re betting like Noah or picking a fight. We''re just asking you to show us some pointers. Think of it as a task that has a reward. It''s not a gamble because we won''t lose anything." He had a very convincing speech.

    After mulling it over for a second, I decided to go for it. I came to do the 70mph cage anyways so it''s not like I want to skip it. And skip out on a free chance for tokens.

    "Good boy." Kyle patted my helmet and stepped out of the cage.

    Rude. I''m not a dog. I slid one of my tokens in and started with my right. I continued to stay perfect, not missing a beat. When I finished, the old man looked at me with surprise. He looked like he was about to say something as well, but I already put my second token in for my lefty side. After completing my task perfectly, I turned to smile at the twins. I felt like I was in good condition so that old man must be impressed. We''ll definitely get some free tokens, right?

    The old man was jaw-dropped shocked. The twins were beaming at me with pride. But unfortunately, my smile had vanished. Like my hopes of not getting caught. Zeke stood right behind the twins with his arms folded across his chest.

 64 The Weekend 9

    Where did he even come from? I was positive he wasn''t there when I put my second token in. The guilt started to weigh me down and I became hesitant to leave the cage.

    The twins caught onto my expression and turned around as well. It would be a miracle if they could still keep their smiles in front of that stone-cold statue that is their brother.

    "Don''t hold up the cage." Zeke finally broke the silence.

    I made my way out as fast as possible and stood before him, knowing punishment can''t be that far away.

    Zeke hadn''t said anything just yet, as the old man swaggered over. "My! What a show! Such a talented boy! Why don''t I give you a few more coins and see if you could do some more. Where did you even learn such a skill?"

    "Mr. Porter." Zeke faced him down. "If I''m not mistaken, you''re a coach at a prep school now. This could be considered as a bribe. Or worse, scouting the other team at a non-supervised practice."

    The old man stiffened up. "I''m just enjoying my weekend hitting the ball. Nothing over the line."

    Zeke raised an eyebrow. "Talking to a minor without an adult present is pretty suspicious." Zeke looked at me. "Do you know this man, Jake?"

    I shook my head no.

    "This is called stranger danger." Zeke explained slowly as if I was an elementary school kid. "You never know if an adult will approach you with evil intentions so it''s best to avoid them unless your with someone you trust." He gave the man a side eye glance. "We''ll be moving on now. Please don''t cause us trouble. Jake, follow me."

    I did what I was told and obediently followed him to the 75 mph cage. The twins did so as well, not daring to piss Zeke off more than he already is. The old man gave us one last glance before going back inside.

    "Are you all brainless?" Zeke asked out of nowhere all of the sudden. No one replied. The twins hung their head and I avoided eye contact. "Mr. Porter isn''t just a friend of the boss anymore. He took the head coach position at Sunset Preparatory over Christmas break. That''ll be a seeded school in this upcoming tournament. Did you guys want to give all our secrets away?"

    Dave shrugged. "We didn''t know. We can''t fix it now."

    "Not in the way you think." Zeke replied, regaining his calm. He rested his eyes on me. "In this cage, I want you to mix in a few fouls and at least one miss for each token."

    What a waste. I pouted at the idea of wasting good pitches.

    "Don''t make that face. You dug this grave. I''m fairly certain that he can watch the video cams in the boss''s office so we have to start putting on a show." He thought a bit. "It''s also not a bad plan to keep going throughout the season."

    I sighed, slowly making my way to the cage. I tried to perform the best I could to please Zeke. I started with a miss, swinging too fast. Then I mixed some fouls with hits all over the place, not even trying very hard. Then I followed through and did the same thing with my left.

    "I know this has been said before, but Jake you really have great bat control." Kyle exclaimed after I stepped out. "It really looked like you were struggling." That''s because I was. I was struggling to do such sloppy hits and fouls.

    "Jake, you''ll be our sandbagger." I tilted my head at Zeke''s command. "Basically it means, you should fake being awful. And then when we need you, we can use you in clutch situations without anyone being on guard against you."

    So he wants me to hustle like Noah does to others? I don''t know about this. Where was Noah to ask for help? I started to look around frantically.

 65 The Weekend 10

    "Are you looking for Noah?" Kyle knew exactly what I was thinking, so I nodded. "He went inside to look for new tape for his bat." He showed me his bat. "New tape to keep a better grip."

    I looked at the doors then back at Zeke, trying to ask if I could go.

    Zeke narrowed his eyes at me. "He won''t be able to change my mind. You can go to him for now, but then come back so we can start working with you and how you can fool pitchers and other teams."

    I sighed and gave a slow nod. Fine, fine. Zeke is the captain so it''s not exactly easy for me to refute. I took off my helmet and put it under my arm, then made my way back inside, leaving the three behind.

    Noah wasn''t by the counter like I thought he would be. I looked around and found the tape they were talking about, but no Noah.

    "You looking for baby Atkins?" A female said from behind. I nearly jumped out of my skin and quickly became on guard. I really hate when people speak from behind. Luckily it was just the older lady from behind the counter so we had some distance between. Her eyebrows shot up at my weird attitude, I''m sure. "He went to the snack bar for food."

    Lunch already? I nodded my thanks and headed to the snack bar, finally spotting Noah, who was near the front of the line. I squeezed through the crowd to get to him.

    He grinned right away. "Jake! Glad you came to find me. I''m sneaking in a cookie before Zeke sees. You want one?"

    I started to nod, but then thought how I already pissed Zeke off once. No need to make it worse so I changed it to a head shake.

    Noah gave me a look of suspicion. "Is Zeke waiting for us?" I pointed at me and he sighed. "Guess I won''t get anything sweet for right now." We stepped out of line and headed to a more open space. "Did you come to get me since Zeke wants you?"

    I nodded vigorously. Noah''s deducting ability was on point.

    "Why do you look even more worried than normal? Did I miss something?"

    I kept nodding.

    "Well are you going to tell me or just keep nodding?" He rolled his eyes.

    I took a deep breath then spat out my summary. "Twins. Me. Trouble. Zeke. Mad. Hustle."

    Noah''s eyes lit up at the last word. "What? Hustle? Like try and put more effort in kind of hustle? Or my kind of hustle?" I pointed at him. "Fantastic. Let''s go back to Zeke ASAP." He dragged me back through the arcade and back to the cages. He spot Zeke and the twins chatting near a bench. "There they are!"

    I''m starting to think Noah is a real addict. Just the word ''hustle'' and he''s dragging me back to his oldest brother, regardless of the fact that I''m in trouble.

    "Zeke. What''s up?" Noah joined in, excited at the prospect of potentially scheming against others.

    "I''m thinking we should have Jake sandbag."

    Noah made a face. "Uh, I''m pretty sure that term is used only for bowlers? We don''t have a handicap to take advantage of..."

    "We do. Jake looks like he would have no good qualities." He answered blatantly. Ouch. He doesn''t hold back at all. "So I''m thinking we should fool other teams into thinking he''s a weakling. Have him work the count a bit and get the pitcher to waste some pitches."

    Noah lit up once more, "We could have him do that! He can even foul the ball back even if it''s not a strike, making the pitcher frustrated." He glanced at me. "We have to make sure the foul isn''t a pop up for the catcher though."

    Noah didn''t have my back on this matter at all. I sighed in defeat and started to seriously listen to what they wanted me to do. Basically I want to make the pitcher tired and throw off his pace.

 66 The Weekend 11

    They had me practice at every speed. Zeke even started to get specific and would tell me to either foul it down the first baseline or the third baseline. After almost two hours, they completely stole the joy away from the cages. It use to make me feel relaxed and like I was in my own world. And now....it was boring. Zeke wanted to control my every swing and I was losing my passion for it.

    Noah noticed first. "I think we should take a break and do something new. Jake looks annoyed."

    Zeke frowned. "We could practice more."

    Frustrated, I took off my helmet and gave it to him. "I don''t want to do this anymore."

    He looked at me in surprise. The twins and Noah were shocked as well. This was my first complete, clear sentence since my mother''s attack. Besides frustration and boredom, I was angry. I can''t even say why I was angry. Just upset and off-balanced.

    Their silence was crushing me, making me feel even worse so I took off with just my bat. I walk through the doors to go back inside and slithered my way through the crowd that was just showing up for lunch. I didn''t have a destination in mind, but I just wanted to be alone in my turmoil.

    Unfortunately, Noah wouldn''t let me. He was always five steps behind, just following me wherever I would move to. It took me awhile to settle on sitting out by the mini golf courses.

    "I would ask if you were okay, but you''re obviously not." Noah plopped down beside me. "I can''t believe your first full sentence, that I would get to hear, was that you don''t want to hit anymore. You''re so good and you look like you really enjoy it more than actual baseball practice."

    I shook my head. "That wasn''t hitting." I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my head on them. "That wasn''t fun."

    Noah blinked at me a couple of times, making me embarrassed. Then he surprised me by letting out a laugh. "So you don''t like fouling the ball?"

    "Not satisfying." I mumbled.

    He laughed some more. I turned my head the other way. "Sorry, sorry. I''m just shocked that out of all the things in the world, this is the one that''ll get you to talk." I kept looking away. "Ya know, in games, it won''t be like this. Zeke just wanted to see you practice fouling the ball off in different ways. But we''re not going to want you to foul off fifty straight pitches, that would be impossible. A pitcher would give up and just intentionally walk you at that point. Or maybe even hit you with a pitch after five or six straight fouls."

    I faced him once more so I could get a clear understanding. I had never truly faced a pitcher before unless you counted my tryout. No one had ever kept a count against me though. And the twins and Garret all threw nice-looking strikes so it wasn''t like I had to try very hard.

    "Realistically, Zeke and Coach may want you to work it to a full count, foul off some extra pitches to increase the pitch count and tire out the pitcher. But then, at the right moment, you can send a hit to wherever you see fit. You''ll be able to hit it how you want to and where you want to." I started to brighten up. "It''s hits that get the game exciting, Jake! You''ll be able to drive in runs and that''s what wins baseball games."

    "Fielding?"

    He grinned. "Hitting wins games. Bad fielding loses games. You can never win a defensive battle in baseball. Someone will eventually make an error."

    I nodded thoughtfully. I realized I was being too rash. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I shouldn''t have ran."

    Noah nodded. "You shouldn''t. Face your problems head on. Even if that problem is a controlling Zeke. Older brothers are too bossy sometimes so you have to put them in their place and lay down the law."

    ....what. There''s no way I could tell Zeke, straight up, that I didn''t want to listen to him. I shivered at the thought. He would make me run laps for the rest of the year, I''m sure.

 67 The Weekend 12

    After talking it out with Noah and getting more baseball information, I felt more relaxed. He helped me straighten my thoughts out and I was thankful for it. He told me the boys probably ordered a pizza from the snack bar and got the food by now, so we should hurry back.

    He was accurate with his assumption. The three were sitting at a round table chomping on an extra-large pizza, water bottles all over the place. They stopped eating as we approached the table. Noah sat down and looked at me, expectantly.

    I took a deep breath and looked Zeke in the eye. "I want to hit."

    The twins jaws dropped.

    Zeke gave a simple nod. "Yes, I know. But it all depends on the situation. You have to look at who is pitching: are they good or bad? Do they have endurance? Would a hit on the first pitch throw them off? Or on the fifteenth pitch? There''s a lot to take in account during games."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "A simple yes would have sufficed. Jake likes to hit. You should have explained that you don''t want him to foul off every pitch all the time."

    Zeke frowned. "No, that would probably make pitchers angry and throw at you. Today was just practice."

    I crumbled to my seat. Practice. Again. I thought today was for relaxation and hanging out. The twins laughed at my heartbroken expression.

    "You really surprised us though." Kyle passed me a plate with pizza. "I didn''t expect you to snap like that, at all."

    I turned red, ashamed of how I acted, letting my emotions get the better of me.

    Dave nodded along to Kyle''s words. "Yea, no kidding. Only Zeke can piss off a mute so much that he''ll speak aloud."

    Noah frowned. "Jake isn''t a mute."

    Dave waved him off. "Yea, sure. He''s pretty damn close. Normal people talk more in an hour than he does in a week."

    Noah glared, then he pouted at Zeke. "Dave is bullying Jake. I think the only compensation we need would be ice cream." Zeke got the stern look on his face, making me shrink in my seat. "Look, you too! Ice cream or I tell mom you almost made Jake upset enough to run away." Blackmail. No surprise there.

    Zeke caved though. He looked at Dave. "Go buy ice cream for everyone."

    "Everyone?" Dave squinted at his oldest brother. "Including you?"

    Zeke nodded. "We have to stick together. If one of us doesn''t get ice cream, they might tattle on the others. We''re family." My heart started to pound at the last word.

    Dave rolled his eyes. "If we''re family, then pitch in. I''m super broke after today. So many tokens and now you want me to buy the ice cream..?"

    "Denied." Noah replied. "You insulted Jake so we have more dirt on you. You would get the biggest punishment."

    Dave groaned and got up, stomping his way to the counter. Kyle and Noah laughed as me and Zeke continued to eat pizza.

    The rest of the afternoon was spent stuffing our faces and playing video games. The twins took a strange pride in beating me and Noah at every game we stopped at. Zeke just sat in the snack bar area with our bags, playing on his phone.

    When we passed by him after over an hour, I noticed he was still on his phone. I tugged Noah''s sleeve and pointed at the scene, wanting to know what was so important.

    Noah gave me a light smile. "The bracket for the tournament must have came out. He''s probably looking up every team that we might potentially play."

    "Not even probably." Kyle cut in. "He''s definitely looking up every team. Even the loser ones that will play against seeded teams. Zeke is overly dedicated to his captain position."

    I nodded. I know that he knows everything this is about baseball. It only makes sense that he would be checking out other teams.

    "The tournament this weekend has a simple format." Noah explained. "You win, you move on. You lose, you go home."

    "It''s all relatively local." Dave added. "Sixteen teams including us. Everyone plays in the morning. Then there''ll be eight teams left to play in the evening." So a doubleheader? "Sunday morning is the semi-finals. Sunday evening would be the finals."

    They added little tidbits here and there about what schools we need to worry about, but it didn''t mean much to me. I was more focused on the fact that an elimination game would be my first official baseball game experience.

 68 Explanation

    After playing at the arcade, we all went back home to enjoy Mrs. Atkins home cooked Sunday dinner. None of the boys went in specifics about our day or about me talking more than normal. I''m slightly glad since I''m sure it would be blown up into a bigger deal than it should be.

    After dinner, showers, and homework, I started to go through the notes I took over the weekend. I wanted to review before tomorrow''s practice so I wouldn''t be unprepared if Zeke wanted to quiz me again.

    Noah came back to our room as I was looking at my notes on the floor. He laid down on his bed. "Are you nervous?"

    I nodded. Extremely nervous. This tournament will hold my first game memory. I don''t want it to be a bad one. If I make a mistake, we could lose and drop out just after game one.

    "Is it because of this upcoming weekend?" Noah read my mind. I nodded, giving him my full attention now. "What about it makes you nervous?"

    "Losing." I mumbled under my breath.

    "Oh. That''s not a big deal. It''s normal for teams to lose. No one wins all the time. Don''t get me wrong, it''s not enjoyable. Think of it as a learning experience."

    "But then we can''t play anymore." I whispered, bowing my head.

    Noah laughed outright. "That''s not entirely true. At least, we still have the season." He moved to the floor so we were eye level. "I told you I would explain How league play works, right?" I vaguely remembered him saying something about it before. "So this tournament is considered a single game elimination format. Which means you lose and you''re out. That''s normal for tournaments. League play is different."

    I grabbed my notebook and flipped to an empty page, jotting down what he was saying.

    "I know you didn''t really play in middle school, but you knew they had games against other middle schools, right? High school is similar. We''re in a league with seven other schools. Throughout the season, you''ll play each team twice. At the end of the season you''ll compare conference records, and the best one will be crown as league champs for that season. That''s when losing starts to matter because every league champ from other leagues will play in C.I.F."

    What''s that? I paused a moment from taking notes to look up at Noah. His eyes were shining and he seemed excited.

    "CIF stands for California Interscholastic Federation. All California schools are a part of CIF, but within the CIF is different sections, and within them different divisions. Each division will collect a group of league champions and then find a division champion." He sighed. "But this is all far off. The season doesn''t even start till next week after the tournament. Just know we want to win conference games in order to become league champs." He said with enthusiasm.

    I wrote down the basics: win games. That seemed to be the theme with everything he said. If we win, we get to play more games.

    Noah peeked over and then burst out laughing. He rolled to his side and started to laugh so hard, he was wheezing.

    Mrs. Atkins stepped in the doorframe. "What''s going on in here? We can hear Noah''s laugh from down the hall."

    I shrugged. I have no idea what set him off.

    "Mom. His notes!" He kept on laughing, holding his stomach. I looked at my notes, trying to see what was so funny. My handwriting was neat and I didn''t think I had any misspellings.

    Mrs. Atkins looked on as her son rolled around the floor. "Noah. It''s almost bed time. Please stop causing a ruckus."

    Noah snatched my notebook and stood up. He showed her whatever made him laugh. "I was explaining to Jake what the season looks like and how it''s supposed to go. This is all he wrote in the end."

    Mrs. Atkins cracked a smile. "I hope you boys can win as much as you can then. It''ll be the only time all my boys play together on the same team. Win it all!" She cheered and then left.

    I stood up and looked at my notes in Noah''s hand, trying to find the humor.

    Noah saw my confusion and started laughing once more. "You wrote win games. That''s all. You''re so simple-minded that it''s hilarious. You don''t even know how we stack against other teams and you''re all set on winning everything."

    I guess it sounded naive once it''s said aloud. Noah did say that it''s normal for teams and not everyone can be unbeaten.

 69 Julian

    The next day we started the school routine once more. It followed the same pace as the previous week so I really felt like I was settling in. It wasn''t until practice that something new happened.

    "I''m Julian Wilson." A tall teen with broad shoulders stood before me and Noah as we finished warmups.

    The name sounded familiar, yet I couldn''t remember why.

    "Julian usually starts at first base." Noah told me; then faced Julian. "Did Zeke send you over to go over plays with Jake?"

    He nodded. "We''ll have to coordinate well."

    I pointed at Drew, the trainer, who seemed to be waiting for me with the ladders all set out. He saw me pointing at him and waved. So deceitful, trying to act friendly before he goes back to torturing me.

    "You can go with him first." Julian sounded mellow, like he was one to just go with the flow. He started to walk back to the group, but I reached out and grabbed the back of his jersey. He turned back to us and I dropped my hand. "What is it?"

    Noah cleared his throat. "Jake wants to go over the plays now since he feels insecure about it."

    "You sure it doesn''t have anything to do with him not wanting to work out with Drew?" He replied lazily.

    I tugged my cap down to hide my guilt.

    "It''s also true that he''s insecure though." Noah defended. "Zeke bullied us all day Saturday, going over situational plays. Could you imagine? I think he would feel better if Zeke wasn''t supervising since that would be added stress."

    I nodded. Noah had a way with words.

    "Okay, but you''ll have to go join the group in team drills." Julian acquiesced. "I''ll take Jake in the infield to go through some visualization. I''m sure Zeke will test us still, but it''s always better to be prepared when he''s the proctor."

    Noah patted my shoulder. "You''re in good hands. I trust Julian will help you out a lot so no need to be anxious around him." He gave me a reassuring smile before running off to join the team and coaches.

    Julian led me to the infield and we stood near first base. "This base gets the most action. Anytime the ball is put into play, someone should be here to cover. Even if it''s a long hit to the outfield. Do you know why?"

    I frowned. To hold them at first base would be my first guess, but he wouldn''t want such a simple answer.

    "It''s because of errors. Running errors." He explained. "Say we the other team gets a hit to the outfield. A base runner is trying to score from second. He''s quick and makes it home as we bring the ball back to the dirt. But maybe, just maybe, the hitter thought we would make a useless throw home so he started to move to second. Now with someone at first, we can try and catch them in a pickle."

    What... I raised my hand slowly.

    He raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a question?"

    I nodded. "Pickle?"

    He cracked a smile. "I didn''t think the first word I would hear from you would be pickle. Not even a simple hi, bye or how are you. But just pickle." He gave out a laugh. "I forget that you''re still new to baseball. A pickle is also called a rundown, which occurs when the baserunner is stranded between two bases. I''ll remind Zeke to have us try a few before the week is up."

    I sighed, filled with depression at the thought.

    Julian patted my head, pushing my hat down. "There''s a lot to learn. Even for me. Baseball is always evolving and there''s a million different things that could happen. Even professionals can be caught off guard, or make errors, and there''s always a loser. So don''t act too depressed."

    Julian''s words brought comfort and really put me at ease. I tried to make a mental note to look at pros making errors on the web later tonight.

    "Now let''s get back to work. Drew looks ready to snatch you at any minute." He continued.

    I snuck a glance at Drew and he really did look upset. Oh man, I''m scared to find out what''s waiting for me over there. I swallowed hard and tried to remain focused on what Julian was trying to teach me.

 70 Practice 1

    Drew was trying to kill me. I could feel it. Every muscle screamed as he kept pushing me, even tempting my lungs and heart to jump out of my chest. This is borderline abuse.

    "You did well today." Drew watched me as I stretched. "You''re not even close to your limit, but you''ve improved compared to last week." He looked as the team was running plays on the field. "Looks like you could go join them now."

    I panted, but nonetheless made my move so I could get away from this devil. I approached the coaches that stood near home plate.

    Coach Wilcox looked me over. "You''re smaller than I remember. Didn''t I say to gain muscle?"

    I discreetly pointed at Drew as he was leaving the field.

    Mr. Miller laughed. "I think he''s blaming it on Vishnevsky."

    Coach just shook his head. "Okay, it''s not like I was expecting you to hit homeruns." He gestured to the where the team was practicing. "We''re running potential game plays. Zeke mentioned that he taught you on Saturday?"

    I nodded.

    "Good." He looked at his team, before calling out, "Hey Roberts! Head to the bullpen with the other pitchers. Jake is going to try a few plays."

    Roberts was a lanky second basemen. He sent a look my way, not exactly a pleased one, yet not an outright glare. He took off and jogged to the bullpen where some pitchers and catchers were working together, under Coach Luis.

    "Jake. Treat this as a real game. Full effort at all times. I want to see if you could potentially play in real games." Coach slapped my back and pushed me forward. "Get out there!"

    I jogged on out to a neutral spot for second base. Noah gave me an encouraging smile and Julian gave a simple nod.

    A player held a bat and ball. He called out. "No outs, no runners!" He tossed the ball and then smacked a hard grounder at me.

    As I had just taken someone else''s spot, I kind of expected they would start with me. I''m the new one after all. I ran up to greet the ball, caught it on a hop, then quickly sent a throw to Julian, who caught it right at chest level.

    "Good start." The play caller told me. "Next! Runner on first! One out!" He tossed another ball up and sent it towards the third baseman.

    The third baseman grabbed it bare handed and attempted to throw to second base, but no one was there...

    Noah was running towards third base and I was standing awkwardly, trying to remember what to do. We didn''t practice any plays on Saturday that was related to third base. I could remember watching some videos pertaining to covering second base but I wasn''t sure if it was supposed to be me or Noah. Noah''s the better fielder so I was going to let him grab it, but for some reason he was moving to third. The play died and everyone paused to look at me.

    Coach Wilcox blew a whistle and stepped onto the field, near the play caller. "This would be an error. And the worst kind too." He looked at me. "Jake. Second base was yours to cover." A snort came from the third baseman. "You got something to add, Chris?"

    The third baseman straightened up. "No, sir."

    "Then why the unnecessary noise?"

    He sneered. "Well, sir, I''m just not surprised that a freshman would make such a fatal error."

    "Hey!" Noah shouted, standing tall. I turned red with embarrassment, just wishing the Earth would swallow me up.

    "Quiet Noah. You aren''t the coach." Zeke came in from the outfield. He jogged in, taking a stance near me, but not too close. "Sorry Coach, I didn''t work on third base plays this weekend. There was a lot to cover just between second and short, first and short, and cut offs."

    Chris, the third baseman snorted once more. "You shouldn''t even have to go over every play with a varsity player. This is ridiculous."

    Coach Wilcox slowly walked a little closer. "You''re right. I shouldn''t have to. Especially with a seasoned varsity member like you. Why don''t you tell me why you didn''t throw to first after seeing no one covering second? If we couldn''t get a double play, it would only make sense to get at least one out to lessen the pressure on your pitcher."

    Chris seemed to be at a loss for words. "But, but-"

    "No buts. Ten laps. Go. Under thirty minutes or I''ll make you run another ten." Coach Wilcox said with authority. Chris threw down his glove and took off fast. "Jason! Play third!"

    "Yes!" A boy the same height as Noah came from a small group watching from the sideline. He had black curls leaking out from under his cap, which had a stark contrast to his pasty white skin.

 71 Practice 2

    Coach Wilcox looked more calm with Jason near third. Next, he turned to me. He slowly made his way over, making me nervous. What if I got cut right now? Noah would flip out. "What have you gone over exactly?"

    "He''s taken notes on the basics." Zeke replied for me. "Saturday we went over the most common plays."

    "Obviously not." Coach refuted. "Hard grounders down the third baseline is second after grounders to the shortstop." He looked at me. "You would cover the base of it was a grounder to Noah, right?" I nodded. "Then why wouldn''t you do the same when the ball goes to third?" I lifted a finger to point at Noah. He was more athletic and knew what to do so shouldn''t he cover..?

    Coach chuckled at my weak response. "You think Noah should do it since he''s a better player?" I nodded, exactly. "Okay. Think about it like this. If it''s a grounder to the first baseman, where would you go?"

    I pointed at first base. I should cover. We went over this Saturday. Someone should be on the base.

    "Right. Now, why wouldn''t Noah do the same, and cover for his side? We can''t leave third open, because there''s a chance for error."

    I nodded, starting to understand. That makes sense. I should have thought about it more.

    "Let me give you a cheat." Coach Wilcox called in Noah, Jason, and Julian. "How many players do we have on the infield?" I raised four fingers. "And how many bases?" I raised three fingers. "So if there''s an infield hit, you have one player going to the ball and everyone else should grab a base. Understand?" I nodded. "Just remember B. The letter B rhymes with three. Want to know what else starts with the letter B?" He grinned. "The three roles of an infielder: ball, base, backup. Your job on every ball in play, is to pick one of these three options. You either go to the ball. Go to the base to cover. Or backup a play."

    Enlightenment dawn on me.

    "Wow Coach. Who knew you can make baseball this simple." Noah smiled, trying to hold back a laugh.

    Coach didn''t hold back his laugh. "This is as simple as can be. This is what I use to teach little leaguers." My face twitched at the thought of being compared to little kids. Coach noticed. "It''s nothing to be ashamed of. You just lack practice."

    Noah gave me a thumbs up. "Three B''s. Apparently that''s all you needed to know. Everything that Zeke taught you is just extra details." Jason and Julian let out little laughs.

    "That''s not true." Coach Wilcox came to defend his captain. "Zeke probably gave you more in-depth information that you should continue to study. Baseball doesn''t always go according to plan. The three B''s are just the guidelines." He clapped his hands twice and turned away. "Back to your positions!" He headed back to his spot next to Mr. Miller.

    Julian and Jason were quick to walk back to their spots, and Zeke had already ran back to center field. Only Noah stuck around for a second. "Don''t mind Chris. A few of the upperclassmen are just mad that you have a better bat. Just focus on playing. Not even playing well. Just having fun while playing baseball." He pulled my cap over my eyes before taking off.

    I fixed my hat so I could see properly. I wasn''t completely naive. Some of the guys were bound to be upset with a total newbie on a varsity team. Zeke even said so before, that they shouldn''t have to accommodate me. I need to carry my own weight.

    I focused on the guy calling the plays and hitting the ball. We started to run a few more plays, and with coach''s cheat, I felt more comfortable making decisions. The infield plays became easier and easier.

    As we started to work on hits to the outfield, I really started to understand the point of knowing ball, base, backup. If it was hit to the left field, Noah would go to the ball to be the cutoff and I would cover second. If it went to right field, Julian would go to the ball to be the cutoff man, and I would go cover first base. In regards to center field hits, Zeke threw bullets to Noah and I made sure to cover second. Since I didn''t have a strong arm to throw home, it wouldn''t make sense for me to go to any ball in the outfield. Noah though, had a crazy arm to go with his outstanding reflexes. I really wasn''t surprised that he would start at shortstop with those skills.

 72 Practice 3

    The last hour of practice went by quickly as we ran these situationals. Chris came back from his run, but coach didn''t put him back in. He did mini drills off to the side with some others.

    Eventually coach called everyone into a huddle, including the pitchers, catchers, and spares. He took a good look around the group, making eye contact with everyone. "The tournament this weekend has released the bracket. Our first game on Saturday will be against Villa Park High School."

    That meant nothing to me, but the team seemed to tense up at the name.

    "Aren''t we the third seed? Why are we playing a powerhouse school right off the bat?" Garret spoke up.

    Coach sighed. "The seeds were based off last seasons records. Last year, Villa Park had their worst record in thirty years. They only won three games last year so they were given poor ranking."

    "I''m sure they recruited some guys to transfer." Dave said. "A big school like them wouldn''t want to suck two years in a row at any cost." The rest of the team started to add on and talk to one another.

    Coach blew his whistle and team got quiet. "I have made my concerns known to the tournament adviser already, but no matter what we still have to play. They will make sure that all players have their paperwork turned in and are eligible to play for their school. If they do have transfers, then they have legally moved into their district lines."

    The whole team seemed full of sighs and downcast looks. I caught Zeke tilting his head at Noah.

    Noah jumped up and down and grabbed everyone''s attention. "Why are you guys acting like you lost already? We''re the best team Watsonville has had in decades. In fact, we would have won league last year if y''all had me on the team. Now that you do, the sky''s the limit!"

    Half of the guys laughed and the other half threw their gloves at him. As Noah got pelted with gloves, I noticed that the team''s atmosphere didn''t seem so gloomy anymore. Did Zeke and Noah plan this? I studied Zeke''s face for clues, but it was expressionless as always.

    "Settle down!" Coach demanded everyone''s attention once more. "This week, we''ll start running more game scenarios to prepare. It''ll be warmups, some light tosses, bp, then these situationals. Hopefully by the end of the week, we can get some background on Villa Park''s new team." He clapped his hands a few times. "Good hustle today. Get home, eat, do your homework, go to bed. Dismissed!" He walked over to his assistant coaches and started their own discussion.

    The team started to head back to the clubhouse in little groups. I wandered over to Noah first. I cleared my throat, preparing to ask him a question.

    "Hey, Why was Chris running laps?" Dave put his arm on my head, leaning on me. "We could see him running from the bullpen and wondered what was up."

    Noah''s face scrunched up. "That asswipe tried to give Jake a hard time because Jake made an error. Coach saw right through him."

    I looked around to make sure no one else heard his words. But we were the only ones left lying about. Kyle must have gone inside with the team and Zeke was with the coaches.

    Dave applied more pressure to my head, resting more of his weight on me. "Worried that Noah might get in trouble?"

    I tried my best to nod but it was a little too hard.

    "He''s probably not going to forget this." Dave said. "Be careful not to piss him off without us present. I''m not saying he''s a bad guy, but he can be hotheaded."

    And this is coming from Dave? I started to shiver. Great.

    Dave pushed the bill of my hat down over my eyes. "Stop being such a scaredy cat. Chris wouldn''t dare to do anything that could get him kicked off the team. Just be wary." He pushed off me and headed to the clubhouse. "Hurry on up. I''m hungry."

    I fixed my hat. "Bp?"

    Noah swung his head back to me. "What was that? Bp? Are you asking what that is?"

    I nodded. I didn''t understand when coach mentioned it in the practice plan.

    "It''s batting practice!" Noah smiled at me. "The pitchers will take turns throwing pitches for us to practice our swing. Kind of like the batting cages. Except the pitches will come from our teammates and you get to see where the ball will go."

    I cheered up at the thought of getting to bat with live pitchers.

    "But you probably won''t get to participate." Noah killed my one second of joy. "You have to train remember?"

    I pouted at the thought. Ugh. What happened to, ''hitting wins games''?

 73 A Talk

    I was pretty much depressed for the rest of the evening. What''s the point of all this practice, when I couldn''t even bat. Don''t they understand that I''ve never challenged real pitchers before? I sighed and continued looking up common pitches thrown at the high school level. I wanted to at least prepare in case I come across something new like I did with Garret and his cut fastball also known as a cutter.

    A knock interrupted my note taking. Mr. Atkins stood in the doorway of the room. "Mind if I come in?"

    I shrugged. Noah was still in the shower so there was space for him to stand, but he''s a pretty big guy.

    He leaned against my desk, and gave me a light smile. "Studying?"

    I shook my head, feeling a little guilty for not working on my homework.

    He laughed. "It looks like you''re studying different types of pitches. That''s studying even if it isn''t homework." He tilted his head. "Are you trying to become a pitcher? Or is it for hitting practice?"

    "To be a better hitter." I whispered.

    "Ambitious! That''s good to hear." He cleared his throat, turning a little solemn. "I''m glad that you''re starting to talk more. And we''re happy that you picked up baseball and get to play with the boys. But you know...." He took a deep breath and I started to feel anxious at what he was trying to say. "This doesn''t solve the root of your problems."

    I tilt my head in confusion.

    He squatted so we were eye level. "You remember how Mr. Duncan said you would see a therapist in addition to your counselor at school? Well we found a nearby psychologist that handles abuse victims. We would like you to start visiting him once a week. And then he would start working with you and your school counselor."

    I didn''t know what to say or where to start. And that would probably be my first problem when I see the psychologist. What would we talk about if I don''t talk? The second problem would be the school counselor. She never called me into her office so I''ve never met her. Even if she did, I probably wouldn''t go alone since being in a room, alone, with someone that could be like my mother would be a hell no from me. The third problem would be when? When would I go? Between class, practice, homework, shower and sleep, there wasn''t any real free time. Except....on the weekends...

    I looked at him. Waiting.

    "Do you have a question?" He raised an eyebrow, looking like a friendlier version of Zeke.

    "When?" I spat out.

    "When would you see him?" Mr. Atkins asked and I nodded. "We''re thinking Wednesday nights. One of us will pick you up early from practice and then wait for your session to be over."

    "You can''t do that Dad." Noah burst into the room, startling us and making Mr. Atkins stand upright. "Jake can''t miss practice!"

    Mr. Atkins frowned and I was stunned. "Noah you don''t understand right now, but-"

    "No. You don''t understand." Noah cut him off. "If Jake misses any practice, then the other guys will be upset if he starts above them. Chris was already out for him today."

    "Noah. This isn''t really negotiable." Mr. Atkins sighed. "This is for Jake''s mental health. The state says he has to get counseling. We can only obey the law and get him the help he needs."

    "Jake is fine." Noah looked my way. "Tell him you''re okay. You want to play baseball."

    I couldn''t. Because I didn''t really want to. What I wanted was to play with Noah. I wanted to hit the ball. I wanted them to want me. And. I didn''t want to let them down.

    I wasn''t okay. Not at all. I was anxious a lot. About anything and everything. Mothers. Women who could be mothers. Aluminum bats. Anyone bigger than me. Anyone that was aggressive. I was scared Mr. Duncan could find my dad and brother. I was scared he couldn''t find them. I was scared they would find me and blame me for making mom crazy. There were so many worries. I had so many questions. But I couldn''t voice them out. I...felt like running.

    I abruptly stood up. Then quickly bypassed Noah and moved down the hall. Unfortunately Kyle had just come up the stairs and we ran into each other. Okay, it was more of me running into his chest.

    "Woah. You okay there kiddo?" Kyle caught me before I fell.

    "Jake!" Noah was the first to come out of the room. Mr. Atkins wasn''t far behind. "Jake." Noah sighed with relief when he saw Kyle holding me. "I didn''t mean to make you run, Jake. You can see the guy, I don''t care. I''ll just have to make the team understand."

    "Understand what?" Kyle asked in confusion. "What''s going on?"

    "Jake is going to see a psychologist on Wednesday nights." Zeke declared from his bedroom doorway, standing more firm than his own dad. He eyed me. "Coach will understand. Just focus on you first." He turned back into the room.

    Mr. Atkins had a calm expression. "See? Everything will work out. Eventually."

    Eventually. I didn''t like that word. It was like a promise that may be kept, but not in the way you expected.

 74 A Child Psychologis

    Noah was accurate in his prediction of me not being able to participate in batting practice. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I continued my endurance and speed training with Drew, during that time. Then afterwards I would join the team for situational plays and try to ingrain coach''s words into my brain. Wednesday evening quickly approached and I left as soon as Mr. Atkins showed up to practice. I noticed Chris and Roberts, the original second baseman, glaring at me as I left, but no words were said.

    Mr. Atkins took me directly to the therapist, not even letting me shower. We walked into a quiet looking building that simply said ''Behavioral Center.'' No one was in the waiting room as the receptionist greeted us. Mr. Atkins filled out some papers as I sat in one of the many available chairs.

    The place had magazines and toys spread out across a coffee table, but none really grabbed my attention. I patiently waited for Mr. Atkins to finish the paperwork and kept my eye on the receptionist. She kept sneaking looks at me, making me feel unsettled.

    Mr. Atkins came to sit next to me after doing the paperwork. He gave me a tight smile. "Doing okay?" I shrugged in response. "For the first meeting, I think he''ll let me be in the room with you. If that''s okay with you?"

    I nodded. Definitely. I didn''t want to be alone with a total stranger. At least Mr. Atkins was an acquaintance.

    We waited in silence as the receptionist entered the paperwork. After ten to fifteen minutes, she asked us to go on in. Mr. Atkins led the way and ducked through the doorway leading to the therapists office.

    "You must be Wayne Atkins? I''m Dr. Elijah Moore." I heard a voice from the other side of Mr. Atkins. He finished stepping through the door and revealed a thin man in glasses. They were shaking hands and exchanging greetings.

    "And you must be Jake Hollander." The thin man pushed up his glasses and held out a hand for me to shake. I stared at it, feeling awkward and wondered if it was too soon to leave.

    "Jake doesn''t really liked to be touched." Mr. Atkins explained.

    "Oh well. No matter. A lot of the kids I get are similar in that aspect. Please, take a seat." He gestured to the couches in his office, before heading behind his desk. He sat down in his chair and I took note of the plaque on his desk: Elijah T. Moore, PhD. Child Psychologist.

    I waited for Mr. Atkins to sit, then found a spoton the other side of the couch. I angled myself to make sure I had both men in my vision. Not that I think anything would happen, but it doesn''t hurt to have a plan.

    Dr. Moore was already scribbling on his notepad. "So Jake, do you understand why you''re here?"

    I gave a nod of the head. They thought I was crazy for not talking. I think I might be too much like my mother. I remembered my explosion at the boys just this past Sunday.

    "Can you tell me what you understand?" He asked, making eye contact.

    I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with how penetrating his gaze felt.

    "Jake doesn''t talk very much." Mr. Atkins cut in. He frowned. "Did you look over his file beforehand?"

    Dr. Moore nodded and faced Mr. Atkins. "Yes, I did. But for preliminary meetings, I like to gather my own opinions on where I think Jake is at. The last doctor he saw was a psychiatrist which is fundamentally different then what I am."

    "What''s the difference, if you don''t mind me asking?" Mr. Atkins glanced at me. "I would like to make sure Jake knows what''s going on before you go any further."

    Dr. Moore turned back to me. "Do you know what the difference is between me and your last therapist is, Jake?"

    I shook my head no.

    Dr. Moore gave me a smile. "That''s okay. Let''s start with your last therapist. He was a psychiatrist. That means he''s a trained medical doctor, who can prescribe medication to treat a mental health problem. I''m a psychologist, who focus on treating emotional and mental suffering in patients with behavioral intervention. For example, he had prescribed Zoloft to treat your anxiety. As for me, I would like to get to the root of the problem to find out why you''re so anxious. It''s common for our two professions to work together to treat a patient since we share the same goal: to make you feel better."

    "Jake is no longer on any medication since he left the hospital and rehab center." Mr. Atkins intervened. "Should we also be consulting a psychiatrist?"

    "I would like to start without any medication assistance just to see if it''s something he can face on his own. I''m not saying that''s a bad idea, I just don''t recommend putting children on prescriptions where they then become dependent on them." Dr. Moore explained.

    Mr. Atkins looked at me. "Want to try this out first?"

    I shrugged. It didn''t feel as intimidating as before when I was trapped in a hospital bed. And it was reassuring to know that he won''t be diagnosing me as crazy and putting me on meds that make me tired.

    Mr. Atkins visibly relaxed at my shrug. "Okay, you guys can continue. I''ll try and interrupt less."

 75 Dr. Moore

    "I don''t mind at all." Dr. Moore stated. "It''s nice to see a foster parent involved. And it looks like you already have an understanding of Jake."

    Mr. Atkins laughed awkwardly and ran a hand through his hair. "My wife and son know better. I only know slight clues from them."

    "So you''re not as close as they are?"

    "I wouldn''t say that." Mr. Atkins sighed. "Jake isn''t close to my wife, but he''s spoken in front of her this past weekend. He''s really attached to my youngest son, Noah. They''re the same age. Share a room. Similar classes. And play baseball with my other sons."

    Dr. Moore looked at me. "Does Mary make you feel anxious?"

    I shrugged. Not her in particular. But mom''s in general.

    Dr. Moore went back to Mr. Atkins. "How does Jake communicate with you and your family normally?"

    Mr. Atkins scratched his stubble. "It''s more Noah speaking for him than anything. He moves his head a lot. And can be very expressive with his face and eyes."

    "So you''re close to Noah?" Dr. Moore asked. I nodded. "That''s a good start. Having someone there for you can give you a sense of comfort. Have you spoken directly to Noah?"

    I nodded slower. Maybe not in a clear manner, but I''ve spoken to him so that should count.

    "Jake has said a few words around all of us this past week." Mr. Atkins interjected.

    Dr. Moore took some more notes. "Now that I have an idea of where the current you is, do you mind if I ask more about your past? Say for example, your mother?"

    I tensed up.

    "She abused you with her own hands correct?"

    I flinched at the memory.

    "Did you ever try to stop her? Maybe by speaking up? Or reaching out to authorities?"

    I shook my head. Her abuse was the only way of communicating. I thought it was normal for the longest time. I got a headache replaying every hit, every sneer, every nasty word. I rubbed my temples.

    "Jake?" Mr. Atkins voice felt far.

    "Let him sort out his thoughts." Dr. Moore said.

    I was dumb. I should have spoken up. I could have gone to a teacher or the police. Why did I stay and take it? What''s wrong with me?

    "If you''re wondering why you didn''t speak out, I have an answer for you." Dr. Moore caught my attention. I looked at him, ready to hear what he had to say. "It''s because she''s your mother. She gave birth to you. Like it or not, you have an attachment to this person." He took in my distress. "I''m not saying this to scare you, but to comfort you. It''s a normal biochemical reaction in your brain to want to be with someone close to you. Even if they hurt you. Children are the most sensitive to this."

    So just because she gave birth to me, I didn''t tell anyone about my abuse? How stupid.

    "It''s like that in most child abuse cases. Sometimes the children even lie to authorities in order to protect their parents. It''s almost ingrained in your being to protect those close to you. Regardless if they have hurt you. And children love attention, even if it''s only negative." He pushed up his glasses. "Now. Do you understand Jake? It''s not your fault that it got this bad. You didn''t push your mom this far. She''s a mentally ill woman that needed help a long time ago."

    "I-" I cleared my throat and tried to speak without making eye contact with either of them. "I did it. She said-she said no to baseball and I-I-I didn''t listen." I hung my head in shame.

    "Jake. Normal parents won''t attempt to kill you for not listening." Dr. Moore countered without pause. "Wayne. You''re a parent. How would you discipline your son for not listening?"

    Mr. Atkins had to clear his throat. "My first step is to make sure they know that they disobeyed. My second step would be a punishment, but at most it would be a grounding or extra chores. Mary and I don''t condone corporeal punishment at all. We don''t even allow are kids to fight one another." I peeked up at him and was shocked. This giant man was crying. Not anything dramatic; just tears leaking out of his eyes as he looked at me. "What your mom did, Jake. It''s awful and I hope she pays for it every time she thinks of what she lost. And not just the freedom she lost, but a wonderful, bright son who will do great things."

    My eyes stung, but my tears didn''t fall. Mr. Atkins is a great dad. Nothing like the loser who left me with a crazy lady.

 76 Eavesdropping

    The ride home was awkward. We didn''t talk about the emotional scene in the therapists office, nor did we talk about the therapist himself. Once we got home, we went our separate ways: he went to the office and I went to shower.

    The boys were back from practice and had already showered so once I was done, we headed downstairs for dinner. The boys were their normal rowdy selves, and Mrs. Atkins scolded them like usual; only Mr. Atkins was really silent, like something was on his mind. My therapy session probably depressed him and put him in this awful mood.

    After dinner, was homework. Noah and I worked on ours together in our room. It was nice having him in a majority of my classes so we could compare notes and answers. I may have the advantage when it comes to math, but Noah was surprisingly great at literature and history. Maybe because they were all opinion-based questions and Noah always had an opinion on everything, all the time.

    As he started to work on his math and I finished mine, I stood up and headed for the door.

    "Bathroom break?" He kept moving his pencil.

    "Thirsty." I mumbled.

    Noah stopped. He turned to me, smiling growing on his face. "So you''re going to the kitchen?" I nodded. "I''ll go with you!" He jumped up and got close to me, in order to whisper, "I think mom baked some cookies today. So you get the milk and I''ll check her favorite hiding spots."

    I brightened up. Just what we need before bed. I followed Noah quietly down the hall and down the stairs. He was a pro at stealth, probably from doing this a couple times. Even though he was as skinny as me, he was definitely a fat kid at heart. As we passed by the master room, we could hear yelling between the twins and got even more quiet. The stairs were the trickiest since Noah would skip a stair that may creak. I followed every step diligently.

    As we approached the kitchen, we started to hear his parents. They were speaking in low voices at the kitchen counter. Noah put a finger to his lips and we hid just around the corner.

    "You weren''t there, Mary. It was just so raw. I felt like I was seeing the younger version of myself on that couch." Mr. Atkins rough voice was barely above a whisper.

    Noah and I looked at one another, staying where we were.

    "It''s okay, honey. We can do this for Jake. Wouldn''t have you wanted someone there for you at that age?"

    "Mary, I was a mess. A total wreck. Even if someone tried to be there for me, I wouldn''t let them in. I had to hit rock bottom before I sought out any help. That''s when I met Gary. He''s told you some stories but not nearly enough. I''m scared that we''ll let Jake down."

    Noah looked at me. I looked down at my feet, finally realizing that they were talking about me. Apparently Mr. Atkins experienced something similar.

    "You won''t. Wayne, you''ve been a perfect friend, husband, and father, so don''t you dare revert due to a simple insecurity. Don''t you remember when I got pregnant with Zeke? You were scared you weren''t going to be a great father. Scared that you might fail. Everyone goes through that. It''s the same thing with Jake. I''m scared too. And Jake has to be the most scared out of all of us."

    Mr. Atkins let out a short laugh. "You act so fearless. You were ready to take him in at the first email. I don''t know how your heart can be so open all the time."

    "You''re right to call it an act. I''m scared too. Jake has mom issues, but I''m a mom and I can''t stop being one. You saw how happy I was to hear him speak. He''s reaching out. So we can do the same." We heard her sigh. "You can always call Gary again. Get advice from him. He helped you and now you can pass it on and help Jake."

    "I should give him a call. We haven''t spoken since Christmas so it''s been a couple of months. Do you think I''m weak for needing advice even though I was in a similar situation as Jake?"

    "Of course not, darling. You''re just on the helping end now. It''s a different point of view. I do think that you should keep going to the sessions with Jake though."

    "You''re not going to go next week?"

    "Jake feels more comfortable around you. Let''s not change anything for now. This therapist is still new to him. I wouldn''t want him to feel trap with me and some guy he hardly knows."

    Mrs. Atkins was smart. I wouldn''t trap myself like that. I would refuse and run away. I nudged Noah and pointed back at the stairs. He got what I was trying to say and we snuck back upstairs. I wasn''t thirsty enough to interrupt their talk, especially with Mr. Atkins feeling so conflicted.

    I felt lighter knowing that he wasn''t upset with me for making him cry. He was just scared that he couldn''t help me. And that''s okay with me.

 77 Friday

    The atmosphere at Friday''s practice was filled with tension. Warmup was silent like always, but seemed to be at a faster pace. Everyone was kind of acting like Zeke: serious and bland. Even Noah. For the first time since knowing the trainer, I was happy to be with him instead of the team.

    We worked out just as hard as any other day. I would definitely need an ice bath tonight if I wanted to be somewhat not sore for tomorrow. After training with him, I was sent back to the team, then we started to run plays. We worked on fielding, double plays, and getting the ball back to the pitcher as soon as possible.

    At the end of practice, coach gathered all of us and had us stretch as he spoke. "Tomorrow is the Tulare Invitational. You boys know it''s a single game elimination format. You also know that we''ll play game one against Villa Park. What you don''t know, is my thoughts about this weekend. I believe this is the best team we''ve had in the history of Watsonville baseball, including last year. We''re not just going to try and win this tournament, we WILL win." The team cheered. "Settle down. We still have to put in the work. Let''s talk strategy." He nodded at Zeke.

    Zeke stood up and took a piece of paper out of his back pocket. "This is the lineup Coach and I came up with. Save all objections until the end." He stood in the center of our stretch circle. "Lead off will be Noah Atkins, shortstop."

    Noah jumped up. "Yes! Woo-hoo!"

    Zeke glanced at him. "Your job is to get to first. Your fast and able to steal bases but that only matters if you make it to first. Try for a walk or even get hit by a pitch." My jaw dropped.

    "Hey! I can hit!" Noah protested. "I''m going to tell mom that you want me to get hit."

    Zeke''s glance turned into a glare. Even I straightened up, though he was only looking at Noah. "Sit down."

    Noah quickly sat back down and went back to stretching, avoiding his look.

    Zeke was taking this very seriously. He cleared his throat and started to speak again. "Number two spot will be Jake Hollander, second base." He looked at me. I quickly nodded. He moved on. "Third, in the hole, will be Mahki Holstrom, left field. Cleanup will be me at center field. Next, Julian Wilson at first base. Following will be Jason Morris at third base." There were a few gasps and whispering, but Zeke just spoke louder. "Seventh spot is Antonio Perkola, right field. Eight spot is Kelvin Bender, catcher." The murmurs got louder. I even saw Noah making a face. "Last will be the pitcher, Kyle Atkins."

    The team was no longer whispering, and were even outright protesting. I scooted closer to Noah and tugged his sleeve, not understanding the big deal.

    Noah took off his baseball cap and readjusted it, looking nervously at Zeke, who was looking at everyone else. "The team can accept me because I''ve been with them since school started in August. I''ve proved to be the best shortstop. You have great batting, we have to put you somewhere. But Jason replacing Chris at third is a slightly big deal. Chris started at third base every game last season." He took a deep breath. "But I think the biggest surprise is that Garret isn''t starting at pitcher in a game that could be our only game this weekend. Usually in tournaments, you start with your strongest pitcher so you have a better chance of surviving to the finals. But it looks like we''re gonna try and save him for later on."

    I frowned, whispering back. "He can''t pitch multiple games?"

    Noah let out a laugh. "No way. There are rules for pitchers. In high school, pitchers are only allowed three appearances a week and/or 30 outs, whatever comes first. But the real tricky part comes with pitching limitations. A varsity pitcher is only allowed 110 pitches, a game. But you also have to pay attention to rest days. If a pitcher throws less than 30 pitches in a game, he isn''t required to rest. So for example, we could use Garret for 30 pitches tomorrow in the span of two games, and he could still pitch on Sunday. But if he did ten pitches in game one, twenty in game two, he could only choose one game for Sunday, because he''d be at the three game limit. But Monday''s are like the reset button for a new week. But that doesn''t affect days of rest that would be required."

    Ugh. I wish I had my notebook.

    "31-50 pitches require one day rest. 51-75 requires two days. 76-110 requires three whole days. So say we use Garret like that and on Sunday in game three, he throws 100 pitches, we won''t be able to use him in a game until Thursday. He would have to rest Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday." Noah continued.

    I didn''t know this much effort went into baseball. Coaches had a lot to keep track of just for the pitchers alone.

    "That''s why almost half the team has pitchers." Noah didn''t stop even though I could no longer keep up. "There''s about 25 games a season, excluding playoffs so it takes a lot of strategizing. We can only play two games during the week and one on Saturdays except for tournaments that require doubleheader''s."

    I held out my hand to stop him. I was thoroughly lost. I just wanted to know what the big deal was. I glanced at Garret to see if he was upset with not starting, but he looked perfectly at ease. I showed Noah.

    "Of course he doesn''t mind. Coach and Zeke are basically telling him that they value him so much, that we can''t waste him on a game one." Noah''s eyes sparkled. "But it also says that they think we''ll win game one, even against an old powerhouse school."

    I relaxed at the thought.

 78 Pre-tournament 1

    Early Saturday morning, the whole Atkins family plus me, were piled into the suv with our baseball bags filling the trunk. The game started at 9am at some baseball complex that would be able to accommodate all games. Which meant check-in was at 7:30am and warmups at 8am. Therefore, we were on the road at 6am. The injustice.

    Zeke and the twins sat in the middle row, while Noah and I squeezed in the very back. Mr. Atkins drove as Mrs. Atkins read a book in the passenger seat. Compared to yesterday''s tense practice atmosphere, the Atkins boys were very relaxed. The twins slept, leaning against the cool windows; Zeke was reading a book for homework; and Noah was trying to teach me how to play his handheld video game.

    To be honest, I really didn''t want to learn. I wanted to go back to sleep. Even after last nights ice bath, my body felt stiff, especially after being squished in the back.

    Noah kept talking on and on, and I really didn''t understand. I''ve never had the opportunity to play games before, so I sucked. He should know best after playing in the arcade for the past two Sundays.

    "You should focus less on video games and more on the upcoming game." Zeke spoke to us without turning around. "As freshmen, you both have a responsibility to prove that you belong, otherwise the upperclassmen won''t be happy if you keep starting over them."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "It''s not like you would let us start, if we suck."

    Zeke looked up from his book and glanced back at him. "I''m glad you understand. If you don''t get on base at least once, you won''t start the next game. Regardless if we get to play in game two." He turned his head to look at me. "Don''t forget that you''ll have to run laps for every error. Including mental errors when you''re in the batters box."

    My eyes widened. I had forgotten. Between school and practice this week, it slipped past me that I would have a punishment if I messed up today. I tensed up, and slowly looked at Noah. He would have to run too. I should apologize beforehand.

    "Dad! Mom!" Noah called out. "Zeke is threatening us!"

    "Noah, my hearing is just fine." Mr. Atkins glanced at us through the rear view mirror. "Zeke is in captain mode, not older brother mode. He''s being fair to your teammates."

    Noah sighed. "Is Zeke ever in big brother mode?"

    Zeke eyed him. "I wouldn''t have put you in the lead off spot if I didn''t think you could do it."

    Noah smirked. "I wouldn''t let you down. Plus." He threw an arm around my shoulders. "Jake will be able to drive me home."

    "That''s unrealistic." Zeke shook his head. "Jake doesn''t have hitting power. Especially with a wooden bat. What could happen is you getting on base, steal. Maybe steal again. Then he could drive you home. But I do want to try a double steal with you both at least once."

    Uhhhh. What. I stared at him with wide eyes.

    Noah noticed. "A double steal is when we''re both on base, and attempt to steal ahead. It could be first and second running to second and third respectively. Or it could be second and third, stealing third and home. Orrrrr it could be first and third, you fake stealing second, I run home, then you safely make it to second or go back to first."

    I shook my head vigorously. He didn''t understand. I cleared my throat. "I don''t know how."

    "To do a double steal?" Noah said. "No worries. It doesn''t require too much coordination. You just have to time it well."

    I kept shaking my head.

    "You don''t know how to steal." Zeke stated.

    I nodded.

    Zeke and Noah stared at me in disbelief. But I don''t know why they''re surprised. I''ve said before, that I''ve never played in a game. Maybe they didn''t understand that I wasn''t really ever on a team or practice with one. I was only allowed in the cages.

    Zeke and Noah exchanged looks. Zeke sighed. "Why didn''t you say anything when being taught the signs?"

    "What signs?" I tilt my head in confusion.

    Zeke immediately swung his head to Noah. "You didn''t go over the signs?"

    "Oops." Noah shrugged, shamefaced. "It may have slipped my mind."

    Zeke rolled his head back, exasperated. "How do you expect him to know what to do throughout the game?!"

    "Zeke." Mr. Atkins warned. "It''s fine. Noah can go over it with Jake right now. It would still be reasonable for Jake to not know all the signs. We have another thirty minutes until we arrive."

    Noah looked at me, pleadingly with his eyes. "It''s easy. I swear."

    "I still don''t know what signs are for..?" I replied in a low voice, still confused on what they were talking about.

    "Secret signals will fly back and forth between managers, coaches, and players determining such things as pitch type, location, infield-outfield depth and position, bag coverage, take, hit, bunt, bunt and run, suicide squeeze, hit and run, run and hit, steal, double steal, or delayed steal." Zeke told me, straightforwardly.

    I blinked. And blinked again. Uh. This doesn''t sound like something I can learn in half an hour.

    "You''re intimidating him." Noah put his hands on Zeke''s head, forcing him to face forward. "Just leave it to me. I''ll get him to memorize the basics."

    "It''s me leaving it to you in the first place, that got us to this point." We heard Zeke mumbled.

    Noah paid no attention to his snide remark and faced me head on. "Okay Jake. This won''t be too hard. Just listen here."

 79 Pre-tournament 2

    If I thought learning Noah''s video game was hard, I was an idiot. Learning baseball signs for both offense and defense was impossible. I had a hard enough time getting past the ''indicator sign''. Basically fake signs would be thrown in and wouldn''t matter at all, until the indicator sign appeared which was a touch of the belt.

    Noah put all the focus on the offensive signs. He said we could fake it for the defensive signs since I wasn''t that great of a fielder anyways. I would just stand where he told me to and follow coach''s three B''s.

    For the offense, I was to look at Mr. Miller, the third base coach for signs all the time. Noah taught the basics: take, hit, bunt, bunt and run, suicide squeeze, hit and run, run and hit, steal, double steal, or delayed steal. I wanted to ask what half of that stuff even meant, but I thought it was more important to know the signs. ''Fake it til I make it'' was going to be my new motto.

    "If you ever don''t know what to do, call for a timeout." Noah wrapped it up as Mr. Atkins looked for parking. "Then I''ll run out of the dugout to talk to you." We can do that?? Thank god.

    "That''s frowned upon." Zeke noted.

    "What''s frowned upon..?" Dave asked, yawning as he woke up.

    "Don''t worry about it." Zeke replied. He nudged Kyle awake. "Time to wake up. We''re here."

    Kyle was even more groggy than Dave and looked at all of us, bleary-eyed. "I didn''t even remember getting in the car. Were you guys awake the whole time?"

    I nodded, sadly.

    "Okay boys. We''re here." Mr. Atkins had found a parking spot finally and had turned off the car. "I''ll help you guys unload." He got out and headed to the trunk to pull out our bags.

    Mrs. Atkins turned to look at all of us as we unbuckled. "Good luck boys. Make sure not to fight with one another. It''s just a game. One out of many." She made eye contact with me. "But also don''t forget your goals."

    I thought of my notebook and how I wrote that we needed to win games. Keep it simple. We win, we play more. I nodded and gave her a light smile.

    Then me and the Atkins boys started to get out of the car. We walked to the trunk area, where Mr. Atkins handed us our bags. "Good luck out there, boys. We''ll be cheering for you."

    "I would hope so." Dave snorted. "It''d be real awkward if even our own parents cheered against us."

    Mr. Atkins pushed Dave''s cap down. "You''re not even pitching in game one. You won''t be getting our cheers anyways."

    Kyle laughed. "Yes, all the cheers will be for me. It''ll be a no hitter, shutout."

    "I wouldn''t be surprised if coach called me in to relieve you." Dave gave a light shove.

    Mr. Atkins sighed and focused on Zeke. "Try and keep all of them in line. Your mother and I will hangout in the car until it''s closer to game time." He patted Zeke''s shoulder then went back in to the drivers seat.

    Zeke looked at the four of us. "Follow me." He spun 180 degrees and started marching through the parking lot. We followed in a single file line so we could maneuver between other parked cars.

    As we got closer to the complex, I took in the scenery. There were four full sized baseball fields with stands around them as well as stadium lights. With sixteen teams in this tournament, eight teams have the early morning game like us. The other eight will play right after. Then comes deciding the evening games and night games.

    "Jake! Keep up!" Noah called out to me. As I was studying the fields, him and his brothers had already gotten ten yards ahead of me.

    I picked up my pace and jogged towards them. Only to be cut off by three teens. I accidentally ran into one and stumbled back, falling on my butt.

    "Jake!" Noah called out. He pushed past the guys and knelt down beside me. "You okay?"

    I nodded. I just wasn''t paying attention.

    "Hey kid. You gonna apologize?" The guy I ran into towered over the both of us.

    "Their just some kids. Leave them alone." His friend rolled his eyes. "Let''s go check in." The guys snorted but followed his friends. But when they turned they came face-to-face with the twins.

    "You punks think you can just push a kid to the ground and get away with it?" Dave sneered.

    "Typical San Marino douchebags." Kyle put on the same identical expression, creating an eerie scene.

    The three guys straightened up their postures. The leader took charge. "What''s it to you? Got too much time on your hands these days? If I were you, I''d be worried about even making it through the first round."

    Dave pushed past the guys and approached me and Noah, as we were standing up. He threw his arms around the both of us and faced the strangers. "These are my superstar brothers. They both have more talent than your whole team combined. So I''m not worried at all."

    "And unlike you fools, we don''t have to play against a seeded team. We are a seeded team instead. And we get to play a has-been." Kyle spoke. "We''re not scared. Just happy to have a warmup. Hopefully you won''t get mercy ruled." He threw up a peace sign and Dave dragged us along.

    We ignored the three like they were air and caught up with Zeke. He looked at us, then at the three, then back at us. "Don''t squander precious time with insignificant players."

    My lips twitched. I didn''t think Zeke would be one to take shots at others. We moved along and found some of our teammates to stand with near the check-in table. As we waited for the rest, I started to examine all the other ball players that were showing up.

    I was definitely the smallest. Noah was next even though he had six inches on me. Maybe the lack of muscles made us feel smaller to. I looked at our team and really, only the seniors had good builds. A few of the juniors as well, like the twins and Garret.

    "Stop looking around." Noah rolled his eyes. "You look antsy like you feel like you don''t belong."

    I nodded. That was very accurate on how I was feeling.

    He laughed and shook his head a little. "Stop stressing. You made it. This will be your first official game."

 80 Opening Ceremony

    I started to panic with all the other players starting to show up for check-in. Sixteen teams, with a max of twenty-three players a team, equals three hundred sixty-eight players. Plus coaches, parents, families, friends, and random spectators. Easily over five hundred people all crowding around, waiting for the opening ceremony.

    "You have a nice look of distress written all over your face." Julian patted my cheeks, pinched them, and moved them around. "There. That''s better. Now it''s a sheer look of fear." He laughed to himself, drawing the team''s attention to us.

    Noah pushed him away from me. "Don''t invade his personal bubble."

    "Why? Does it scare him?" Chris sneered.

    "He''s like a little deer." Garret joined in. "He gets frightened at the sound of anything and looks like he''ll bolt if you get too close."

    I pouted and looked at Noah for help.

    Noah tilted his head at me. "Ya know, he definitely does give off the ''Bambi'' vibe." I didn''t know what that meant, but the guys laughed and even angry Chris cracked a smile.

    I stepped away from Noah, frowning.

    He reached for me, but I dodged. "I''m just kidding Jake. Come back!"

    I moved closer to Zeke, who was busy talking with the coaches. Zeke noticed our foolishness right away. "Quit it. It''s almost time for the ceremony." He looked around at his teammates. "Remove your jackets and reveal your jerseys. We''ll lineup by jersey number."

    I cringed. "High to low?" I whispered.

    The coaches stared at me with shock.

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "That wouldn''t make sense. Low to high! Let''s go!"

    Noah immediately got behind me and put his hands on my shoulders, massaging them. "Come on Jake! Take off the sweatshirt! It''s almost time."

    I started to shake. I really didn''t want to. Not at all. If I took off my sweatshirt, they would see what number Zeke gave me this morning. Noah laughed right away when he saw me put it on. The rest of the team will probably follow suit.

    "C''mon Bambi." Dave snuck up on me, making me jump. He reached out and started to tug on my sweatshirt. "Why is lining up making you so nervous?"

    I wrapped my arms around my body, trying to keep the sweatshirt on.

    "Zeke was actually funny this morning." Noah stated. "You should have heard him when he gave Jake this jersey."

    Kyle joined in and tried to pull my arms up. "I''ve got his hands! Dave, pull up the sweatshirt!"

    This scene felt oddly familiar, especially when I thought about their tickle torture, the first time I met them almost two weeks ago. Kyle held me at my wrists and lift me in the air so it was harder for me to struggle. Dave lifted the bottom of my sweatshirt and pulled to my head, making it get caught on my hat, and making it get stuck, blocking my vision.

    Unfortunately it couldn''t block my hearing. All of the guys were laughing. Kyle released my wrists and set me back on my feet. I struggled to get my sweatshirt back on properly and food my baseball cap caught in my hood. I fixed it and pulled my cap lower to try and hide my embarrassment.

    "I didn''t even know you could wear that in a game!" Dave choked on his laughter and started coughing. He leaned against Noah. "Tell me, what did Zeke say when he handed it over."

    Noah grinned. "''Zero the hero.''" That phrase sent the whole team into another round of laughter. Even the coaches were smiling.

    Ugh. I tugged my hood over my cap and squatted down, trying to diminish my presence.

    Noah patted the top of my head. "It''s only funny since it''s not something Zeke would normally say." I didn''t budge.

    "Want to know what comes next?" Kyle asked. I peeked up at him, seeing that Noah froze. "It goes zero the hero, first the worst, second the best. Guess who is number one?" He turned Noah around and showed me his number one jersey.

    I let out a smile. Noah brushed Kyle off and squatted in front of me. "Don''t mind them. Let''s go. We''ll lead these losers to a nice trophy finish. I''ll be right behind you in line so you don''t have to be afraid."

    I loosened up. I''m not afraid. Just embarrassed. And a little shy. I took off my sweatshirt and stuffed it in my bag. The rest of the team looked to be ready to go as they were in some semblance of a line.

    Zeke walked to the front of the line and stood in front of me. "The captains lead the teams. There really was no reason for you to worry."

    Noah laughed. "It''s just fun seeing Jake be more alive with the team." He patted my shoulders again. "Follow Zeke closely and you can practically hide behind him if someone was looking at us dead on."

    I stepped closer to Zeke. Voluntarily.

    He sighed and shook his head. "Noah. Stop messing around. It''s time." He turned around and started to walk. I hurried to stay close, and the rest of the team followed.

    As we walked by other teams and adults, I started to hear some unpleasant comments.

    "Look at that little boy! He''s standing right behind Watsonville''s captain."

    "Maybe he''s the team mascot or something?"

    "Stupid. Only official players can be apart of the opening ceremony. Even coaches are separate."

    "I heard the Watsonville captain is the number one player in the county. And could easily be placed in the top ten in the state."

    "The shorty must be his youngest brother. I heard Watsonville''s varsity team has all the Atkins on it now even though the youngest is a freshman."

    "Nepotism."

    I looked back and forth, worriedly. I was attracting too much attention.

    "Just let them talk." Noah whispered from behind me. "We''ll shut them up in game one." He didn''t sound as easygoing as before. I think the nepotism comment got to him. Noah liked emphasizing that he made the team thanks to his own hard work, but it''s hard to prove when we haven''t even played yet. Hopefully these guys will see Noah''s talent separate from his brothers.

 81 Game One: Villa Park 1

    The ceremony was boring and painless. Nothing like what I expected. Our names weren''t called out and not to much was said. We just stood for the national anthem and they announced which teams would play on what fields for the early set of games. There was also talk about having good sportsmanship and to respect your opponent but I could hear Dave halfway down the line, scoffing.

    Finally we all left the field in our lines with the first seed leading the way. Then the second. Then us. Then so forth. Apparently the four seeded teams got to play earlier so they have more time between games. Advantage of being on a good team I guess.

    We went back to our bags and carried them to our respective field and dugout. As the seeded team we got to choose which side, and coach chose the third base side. If there was a reason for it, no one told me.

    The other team, Villa Park showed up right after and took the other dugout. Both teams pitchers and catchers went to the bullpens next to the dugouts on each side. I guess we didn''t warm up the same way we do for practice, on game days.

    I followed Noah obediently through the motions. As we were the home team, we got to start with batting practice. I happily grabbed my bat and helmet, but when I turned to face the cage they had going, I ran into Zeke. I stumbled back and tried not to draw attention to myself.

    Zeke stared me down. "Only practice bunts and fouls for now. I spoke with the coaches and explained to them your special talent. Coach Wilcox will let me send the signs when you''re up to bat. So make sure to look at the dugout before every pitch. Since there isn''t a specific foul signal, it''ll be me rubbing my nose. Got it?"

    I sighed and gave a sad nod. I knew I wouldn''t get to hit right away, but it''s depressing that I don''t even get to take normal practice swings like everyone else.

    Zeke walked away and Noah quickly took his place. "It must be nice to be so good at batting, that even Zeke wants you to toy with other pitchers."

    I raised an eyebrow.

    Noah tilted his head and moved his eyes to the side. "The other team has some players watching. Probably their substitutes trying to get some last minute info on us. Put on a good show!" He winked.

    I slowly turned and caught sight of what he was talking about. Most of the Villa Park team was doing their own set of warmups, but four of them had eyes on us. I shivered and quickly turned away. I almost went and did batting practice like I normally do. That would have ruined Zeke''s plan right away. That was a close one.

    I took a deep breath and followed through with what Zeke asked of me. When it was my turn, I focused on bunting. When I would take full swings, I made to foul them back, hopefully leaving the impression that my swing is too slow.

    After the whole team, besides the battery, got to practice swinging, we switched with the other team. Zeke led us through our normal dynamic stretches and then we did some light tossing. Then the starters took their positions on the field and Coach had a player hit some random balls so we could get game ready. Just like situationals. Except now we''re really preparing for the real thing. How nerve wracking.

    "Relax! Relax!" Noah shouted at me as I fumbled an easy grounder. "Just like practice Jake!"

    I eased up and focused on making accurate throws to the respective bases that coach called out.

    I notice a couple of umpires meeting at home plate and called for the coaches to give their lineups. Our coach left us and met with the other head coach and the umpires.

    Zeke jogged it in with the other outfielders and motioned for us to head to the dugout. "Make sure your bat and helmet are in the proper spot. We''ll be taking the field first so keep your gloves on and properly tuck in your jerseys." He announced to the team, and sent Noah a look during the last part.

    Noah sheepishly re-tucked In his jersey and brushed some dirt off him.

    "Jake?" A teen with dark skin and dark eyes and hair, came up to me with a slow pace. I looked at him curiously; he was looking strange as he looked to be in slow motion.

    "What are you doing Tony?" Noah laughed.

    The guy stopped and scratched his stubble. "I didn''t want to scare off Bambi so I went with the slow and steady approach." Our nearby teammates that heard, started to laugh. I felt my face heat up, but tried not to react.

    Noah waved him over. "Jake''s fine with me next to him. No need to be wary of anything when I got his back. What''s up?"

    Tony got close and gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Still don''t know how to not scare you. I just wanted to make sure that you know I''m your right fielder. I''ll be right behind you."

    I nodded. I recognized Antonio. We''ve been practicing together for a while now, but I didn''t know he went by Tony.

    He patted my shoulder, "I just wanted to make sure that you don''t worry about any grounders that get past you. Don''t freeze up. Zeke or I will get to it and immediately send it back to the infield so don''t get down on yourself. Just cover the appropriate base." I nodded. "As for pop fly''s, I know we didn''t get to practice them very much, but if I call for it then stay out of the way. You don''t talk and you''re still a fielding newbie so it wouldn''t make sense for you to call for priority. Rely on me. I''ve got your back."

    My heart warmed at his words. What good advice. I''m glad he came up to be beforehand, otherwise I''m sure I would have made an error somewhere. And an error means laps.

 82 Game One: Villa Park 2

    Coach Wilcox came back. "Alright boys, not much to say. You know what to do." Kyle and Kelvin came from the bullpen to the dugout. "We''ve got Kyle going up first. No wild pitches. Give your fielders a chance to get outs. Walks are how we lose games." He clapped his hands a few times. "Simple is best." He looked at me. "Three B''s, don''t forget."

    I nodded. I''ve burned it into my brain all week. I''m pretty sure I''ve even had dreams about the three B''s.

    Coach stepped aside to his assistants and Zeke took over. He put a hand in and the rest of the team added theirs. I held my hand out as well, confused on what we''re doing. Noah happily tugged my hand and put it closer with the others. "Win on three. One. Two. Three."

    "WIN!" The whole team, but me, shouted. Some of them clapped as the starters jogged out to their positions.

    Noah dragged me to the field. "That''s our pre-game cheer. To pump up the team."

    And the team did look pumped up. Everyone on the field had an extra hop in their step. Kyle and Kelvin were doing a few warm up pitches from the mound, and the outfielders were tossing a ball around. Julian was rolling grounders to us infielders and we would throw it back to him. Noah explained before, that we do this at the beginning of the inning and every time we switch from offense to defense.

    After two or three minutes, the home plate umpire signaled it was game time. The extra balls went back to the dugout. The other team sent out their first and third base coaches, and the umps all took their spots.

    Villa Park''s first batter stepped up to the plate after some light stretches. He was a righty. Kyle read Kelvin''s signs, nodded, then got set. Then he pitched a heater right down the middle. What a great pitch! To hit! But the batter didn''t swing at all. He just watched it for a called strike.

    "Nice one, Kyle!" Noah said from his spot, clapping his glove.

    Kyle glanced back at him after he got the ball back. I saw the biggest smile on Kyle. Was he that happy with Noah''s praise..?

    He went back to the pitchers rubber and got set once more. This time the batter foul tipped. No balls, two strikes. A 0-2 count. No outs. Kyles next pitch was on the outside, but the kid still swung. Strikeout! I copied Noah and clapped with my glove, as our dugout cheered for Kyle. He was off to a good start.

    The second batter worked it to a 2-2 count, but then grounded out to Noah, who threw to Julian at first. I made sure I ran to cover second just in case. Not that I believe they would make an error, but just to further ingrain what to do in my head.

    The third batter popped up on his first pitch. It was a foul pop out caught by Jason, outside the third baseline. The team cheered and I let out a sigh of relief.

    A laugh next to me, made me jump. "We''re you happy that you didn''t have to do anything?" Julian asked as we jogged back to the dugout. I nodded slowly. "Games aren''t like practice where Coach aims for you ten times straight. Or wants you involved with every play. But that can also let you slack off. So stay focused out there!" He smacked my back and found a spot to sit on the bench.

    I looked for Noah to see what I should do next, but he was already near the batters box, taking practice swings, watching the villa park pitcher warm up.

    "He''s up to bat. You''re on deck. And Mahki is in the hole." Mr. Miller stood beside me. "Noah knows what to do, but he figured you might get confused. Grab your bat, put on your helmet, then go stand in the on-deck circle. You can take practice swings out there. But be careful of foul balls that may come your way."

    I nodded, thankful that Noah still thought of me, also glad that Mr. Miller came over to instruct me. I put on my helmet and held my wooden bat with care. I maneuvered between my teammates, careful not to touch any of them. I stepped out of the dugout and stood in a painted circle off to the side. I watched as Noah took practice swings at the same pace as the Villa Park pitcher. I started to follow suit.

    "Jake." A voice called out. I turned to the dugout and saw Zeke standing beside Mahki, who already had his helmet on and bat in his hands. "Take it slow." Zeke hinted.

    I nodded. Right. I shouldn''t look so ready to hit. My job was to be to test the pitcher and help Jake advance a base.

    The head ump signaled for the batter to step in. I watched Noah''s at-bat, feeling nervous for him.

    I''ve never really paid attention to his batting before, but now I had an up close chance to watch. Noah let the first pitch pass by for a called strike. 0-1. He took a deep breath and some practice swings before getting back in the batters box. Mr. Miller was the third base coach and didn''t send any signs, fake or real. I guess Noah is going off Zeke''s earlier instructions.

    The next pitch was a ball. 1-1. The following pitch came in high. 2-1. Coach Luis, as the first base coach, clapped his hands and called out, "Good eye." Noah watched the next pitch. Strike. 2-2. Ugh. Zeke said to try for a walk or hit by pitch, but it was looking tight for Noah. He didn''t even attempt to swing at those easy strikes.

    The next pitch came in. I squinted. It looked liked a curve. Noah stepped, then started to swing, but the ball fell into the catchers mitt. A swinging strikeout. Just like Villa Park''s leadoff hitter.

    I watched as he made his way back to the dugout and took off his helmet. He scrunched up his face when he saw my look of worry. "That was a bit pathetic on my part, I know. There''s always next at-bat." He held out a fist. "Get on base, okay?"

    I gave him the fist bump he was looking for and nodded. Then I headed for home plate. As I approached, I started to panic. Which side should I choose. No one ever told me if I should go with right or left... should I pick myself?

 83 Game One: Villa Park 3

    "Like in warmups!" I heard Zeke call from the dugout. Right. Be consistent. I was practicing bunting as a righty earlier, so I might as well go to the righty''s box. I got in and noticed right away that first and third were playing in, while second and short were not far away from the pitcher. Noah was right to say that their guys were studying us in warmups.

    I left the first pitch pass by for ball one. I took a quick step out and peeked at Zeke who was in the hole. He was ready with his helmet on, and bat in his hands. He didn''t give any signs so I guess I should just stand here. I got back in the box and pretended to show bunt. First and third looked ready.

    The pitcher threw high and I withdrew my show-bunt. "Ball. 2-0." The ump called from behind the catcher.

    The catcher stood up and threw the ball back. "Relax! There''s nothing to worry about." He glanced down at me, making me nervous.

    I quickly stepped away and looked at Zeke. He was rubbing his nose. He must believe the next pitch would be in the strike zone and wanted me to foul. I got back in the box and studied the pitcher. He wasn''t as tall as the twins and not as scary looking either. There''s nothing to fear. The third pitch came. Such an easy one. I delayed my swing and fouled it down the first base line towards coach Luis.

    My team dugout cheered for me. Startled, I looked back at them and they were all clapping like I got a hit.

    "Nice swing Bambi!"

    "Good eye!"

    "Work it!"

    Uh. Maybe this is a part of Zeke''s plan? Or did the guys think that was my best attempt at hitting a live pitch? Zeke rubbed his nose. I gave a slight nod and got back in the box.

    "2-1." The ump got in position.

    The pitcher nodded at the catchers sign and got set. I focused on his motion, throw, and watched the ball. It was close. It could be a ball, but also be called a strike. Zeke said to foul anyways, so I tipped it back.

    It smacked the catcher in the mask. "Shit!" The ball bounced away and the catcher flipped off his mask. He Reuben''s his forehead.

    "You okay, son?" The umpire asked, stepping in front to examine him. Two older guys came from the Villa Park dugout. Probably a coach and athletic trainer or something.

    The pitcher came from the mound and shot me a glare before joining the group talking to the catcher. I, worriedly, kept taking steps back, scared someone was going to get mad at me.

    An arm was put around my shoulders and I jumped away, scared. "Chill, it''s just me." Noah didn''t let me shake him off. I stopped struggling, but still felt tense. He lowered his voice, "Catchers often get hit by fouls. Nothing to worry about."

    I pointed at the group. "But he doesn''t look okey."

    "Well. Yea. It probably hurt." Noah turned me, forcing me to look at our dugout. "Don''t look at them. Look at your teammates. They aren''t mad at you and that''s what matters."

    The team was leaning on the fence, looking cheerful and not like the opposing team. I relaxed a little, seeing that Zeke wasn''t angry at all. He gave me a nod, signaling that I was doing okay.

    "Zeke asked me to come out here, since he knew you would probably panic. Just stay loose. Get on first. Zeke said to aim for a walk. And foul it down first base side if you''re scared that you might hurt the catcher again."

    I nodded. That sounded safe.

    "Batter!" The umpire called for me. I started to shake and slowly turned around. The other team had all returned to their respective spots, just waiting on me.

    I glanced at Noah. He sighed and guided me back to the box. He looked up at the catcher, who had yet to put on his mask. "On behalf of my teammate, I would like to apologize for the bump."

    The catcher sneered, "What. The little guy too scared to say it himself?"

    Noah blinked. I started to shake. "Yes. Actually. Jake is a mute. If that''s a problem, I can report you for prejudice against those with speaking disabilities, to the tournament advisor."

    The catchers jaw dropped. I started to shift back and forth, worried that Noah will get us in trouble like always.

    "It''s fine." The ump intervened. "Watsonville apologized. Foul tips are apart of the game. Number one, return to the dugout. Number zero get in the box. Catcher, if you don''t want to get in trouble for unsportsmanlike conduct, then get in place."

    Noah gave me a pat and left me to fend for myself. Luckily, the catcher listened to the ump and squatted. I took a breath and let it out slowly, then got into place as well.

    The pitcher looked annoyed with the pause in the game. He got set, did his windup, and the pitch came in high. 3-2, full count. The catcher threw the ball back and they got set once more. I kept my normal stance and the infielders held normal position. The next pitch came, low. Too low. It bounced on the plate, into the catchers glove.

    "Ball four, walk." The umpire called out.

    My team cheered like crazy like I had hit a homerun. How embarrassing. I carefully set my bat on the ground and jogged to first.

    "Not bad." Coach Luis said, without any expression. "You don''t need to be so careful with the bat. Just toss it closer to the dugout for the guys to put back."

    I frowned. Does he know how much that bat cost? Luckily I saw Noah come out and got my bat, someone who really understood. Mahki got ready to step in the box. He looked at Mr. Miller, who did some random hand signals, then stepped in the batters box.

 84 Game One: Villa Park 4

    Mahki took the first pitch as a called strike and immediately looked at me. I looked around, confused on what to do. My foot was still on the bag...I didn''t even lead off first because we never practiced this.

    Some laughter came from the dugout. I looked and Zeke was talking to Coach Wilcox, while Noah was talking to the guys. Something must have happened.

    I peeked at Coach Luis, who was shaking his head in disappointment. He caught me looking. He got close and lowered his voice so the first baseman couldn''t hear. "You missed the sign."

    What sign? I looked at Mr. Miller and squinted. Did he give the indicator sign? Was I supposed to do something? Mr. Miller made eye contact with me. He tapped his shoulder, ran two fingers across his chest, touched his belt, then touched his elbow. Okay the belt was when he has something for us to do. Was was the elbow touch..?

    My jaw dropped. That was for a steal. I immediately shook my head no. I heard a burst of laughter come from the dugout. Dave and some other juniors were watching me. I felt my face heat up. Apparently this wasn''t the first steal sign. I wasn''t even comfortable with taking a lead, do I really have to do this? I looked at Zeke, hoping that he would help.

    Zeke copied Mr. Millers signs. Why were they so adamant on this? I''ve never attempted a steal! I''ve never even practice sliding into a base. I looked at Coach Luis and didn''t look happy with my response. I sighed. Fine. I could fake it.

    I started to step off the base, taking a small lead, keeping my eyes on the pitcher. The pitcher was right-handed so he had his back to me. He peeked over and I hurried back to the bag.

    The dugout laughed once more. A few shouts started to come from my team:

    "C''mon Bambi!"

    "You can''t just stand on the bag the whole time."

    "You''re not making the pitcher nervous at all, Bambi!"

    Of course not. I''m the one out of my comfort zone. The pitcher shouldn''t be worried about me. He did his motion and pitched to Mahki. I took a small lead, with the intent of running back to the base, but Mahki connected. It was a line drive to center field. I booked it to second and saw Mr. Miller waving me on to third. I saw the center fielder catch the ball and decided I couldn''t outrun his throw so I stayed at second.

    "Mahki, come back!" I heard coach Luis call out. I looked back and saw Mahki halfway to second base, where I stood. He looked up, saw me, then quickly cut back and dove back to first base, just barely beating the ball back.

    Oh no. That was my fault. Oh geez. Coach is going to be mad. Zeke is going to be mad. Even quiet Mahki is probably mad at me. I peeked at him on first. He was patting the dirt off the front of his jersey. He glanced my way and let out a laugh. "Don''t mind, Bambi!"

    My face was on fire. So embarrassing. I quickly looked away. I check Mr. Miller, praying he wasn''t giving the steal sign. He added a few extra signals before touching his belt, then gave Zeke the sign to hit.

    Zeke stepped up to the box after a quick practice swing. The team dugout stopped with the Bambi jokes, and cheered for Zeke. If it''s on the ground, I should run right away. If it''s in the air, I should be wary of a pop out or line drive. Just try not to get in a double play, I told myself. I really wished they had let me participate in batting practice so I could know what to do.

    I saw Mahki take a lead so I followed suit. But unlike him he stepped over a few feet, I tried to stay within arms reach so I wouldn''t get thrown out.

    From the corner of my eye, I saw the second baseman run over to me, I quickly dove on the base. I could hear some laughter. I peeked up and saw him laughing, showing me his empty glove. The pitcher still had the ball in his hands.

    I picked myself up and rubbed the dirt off my hands. My face really couldn''t get any redder. Not only was my team laughing at me, but now even Villa Park was making fun of me. Why did I ever think baseball would be fun? I sighed and looked at Zeke in the batters box, still waiting for his first pitch. His eyes were looking sharply at the pitcher who was still having a laugh at my random dive. I know that look well. It''s his "You''re in so much trouble" look. I gulped.

    The pitcher finally regained his wits and got set on the mound. The catcher gave some signs and the pitcher nodded. I took a few steps off the bag. He peeked at me, seeing that I wasn''t taking much of a lead he smiled and focused back on Zeke. He did his motion and the pitch was headed to the catchers mitt.

    But Zeke didn''t allow it. He took a step with his left, and his arms quickly swung the bat, connecting with the ball and immediately sent it out over the right field fence. Was that the advantage of aluminum bats? Or Zeke''s raw strength? No wonder he was the captain. The right fielder didn''t even attempt to chase after it; he just turned and watched the ball go over. The umpires moved their arms around to signal homerun.

 85 Game One: Villa Park 5

    Wow. Zeke really is a monster. I jogged to home plate, with Mahki right behind me, and then Zeke came. Him and Mahki exchanged some kind of hand shake. I weakly held out my hand for a high five. Zeke gave a light smile, smacked my hand and patted my helmet. I''ve never seen him in such a good mood.

    We three had a nice welcoming once we got back in the dugout. A lot of them smacked my helmet and patted my shoulder. Finally I made it back to my bag and turned my helmet in for my baseball hat and glove. I made sure my bat was in the proper place before looking for Noah.

    "Jake!" Coach hollered. The team quieted down and made space for me to go where I was summoned. I shuffled my feet to him and stood by Noah who looked to be summoned beforehand. "Want to explain why you didn''t follow the signs?"

    I glanced at Noah and he took over. "We just went over some of the signs this morning, Coach."

    "I heard." He glanced at Zeke who was getting a drink of water. "What I want to know is why he didn''t try to steal? You barely led off the base." I''ve never seen coach so upset.

    I looked down at my cleats, nervous.

    "Uh." Noah coughed a few times. "You don''t have to run bases when you hit in the cages." An awkward pause followed. "Jake doesn''t know how. To lead off. Or steal. Or slide into bases. Obviously."

    "Did you see him jump back on second, Coach?" Kyle laughed. "That was a typical Bambi move." The rest of the team laughed at the memory. Ugh.

    I heard coach chuckle, and peeked at him. He didn''t look so serious as he was smiling. He caught me looking back up at him. "Kid. You''re just too raw. From now on, when someone''s on base, I want you to strictly study their movements. How far they lead. If they attempt to steal. If they fake movements."

    I nodded. I plan to. This first at bat has just been one embarrassment after another. I''m probably going to be traumatized for the rest of my life.

    "And when your third base coach waves you on, don''t stop." Coach Wilcox became stern once more. "If the cutoff man was a second quicker, he could have thrown out Mahki and that would have been one less run."

    I nodded. I didn''t really do so well overall. Coach finished scolding me and went back to watching the game. Noah and I sat down and watched as well.

    "But, dude. Wasn''t Zeke''s bomb fantastic?" Noah nudged me. "I think he did that for you after that second baseman made a fool out of you. Once Zeke saw that the pitcher was busy laughing, I''m sure he knew the guy would throw an easy pitch."

    My eyes widened. Zeke did that for me? Maybe he wasn''t such a bad guy after all.

    "Zeke said I should tell you that you have three mental errors already." A teammate with a clipboard stood in front of us. "That''s six laps for each of you."

    "What. No." Noah protested. "Brian, tell me you''re kidding." He glanced down the dugout where Zeke was speaking with Coach, watching Julian at the plate.

    Brian showed us the clipboard. "Number one, missed the steal sign completely. Number two, didn''t follow the steal sign the second time. Number three, didn''t follow Miller''s instruction to go to third." And sure enough each reason was written down. "Honestly, he probably could have told me to write down more like crappy leading and whatnot." He gave us a sympathetic look. "And to think, it''s only the first inning."

    I want to cry. Luckily I get to split the laps with Noah, otherwise I would already be at twelve. Brian walked away and I looked at Noah, helplessly.

    Noah sighed. "It''s fine. We can hold it at six. That''s not too bad. Just focus on fielding cleanly. Next time, I''ll make sure to get on base so they won''t be able to ask you to steal." He patted my shoulder. "Zeke must have done this on purpose. Everyone knows you''re the slowest on the team. In what reality, would you be able to steal?"

    I made a face at him. Rude. He didn''t have to put it that way. I turned back to the game and decided to ignore Noah.

    Julian was working the count and smacked a line drive in the gap between right and center. He easily made it to second base. A double. Something Mahki should of had. I squeezed my glove. Dummy.

    Unfortunately our offense dwindled there. Jason grounded out right to the first baseman and Julian was unable to advance a base. Then Tony struck out swinging.

    The ump called the inning and we switched. With Zeke''s homer, we took an early 3-0 lead over the former powerhouse. Even though I already got assigned laps, it was a nice feeling to know that I wasn''t one of the three outs.

 86 Game One: Villa Park 6

    Top of the second inning. Villa Park gets to send out their core hitters, batters four, five, and six. Noah told me that three, four, and five spots were usually the best batters in every team. Just looking at our own, convinces me. Mahki got a hit, and scored a run. Zeke hit a homerun,got three RBI''s, and a run scored. And Julian hit a double.

    Kyle didn''t seem nervous on the mound, at all. In fact, he looked excited. After the ump signaled for the batter to step in, Kyle looked at us fielders. "Ball will be flying!"

    "Yea!" All of the fielders yelled back...except for me. Someone really should have taught me these cheers. I glanced at Noah, but he was focused on the batter. I got set as well, even though I was praying the ball wouldn''t come my way.

    After a few pitches, the cleanup guy hit a line drive towards left-center, but Zeke sprinted there, slid, and snatched it before it touched the ground. Line out. He jumped back up on his feet and threw a perfect pass to Noah. Too amazing. I don''t think I could ever do that.

    "One out! Play''s at first!" Kelvin hollered before squatting behind the plate. Kyle eyed down batter five, got set, and went through his motion. Unfortunately, the guy connected right away. A hard grounder between short and third. Jason dove and missed, but Noah was able to backhand it while falling into the dirt. He jumped back to his feet and fired a bullet to Julian. Julian didn''t even have to stretch out for it.

    "Out!" The first base ump declared before the guy even got there.

    "Two outs!" Kelvin yelled out.

    I gave Noah a smile and thumbs up. He brushed a bit of the dirt off him and smiled cheerfully. No doubt, happy with that play.

    The following batter put up more of a fight and fouled a couple of Kyle''s pitches before flying out to right field. "Three outs, change!" The ump declared. We jogged back to our dugout, still holding a nice 3-0 lead.

    "Kelvin up to bat. Kyle on deck. Noah in the hole." Mr. Miller called out before heading to the third base coach spot. Coach Luis headed out as well.

    "You might as well grab your bat and helmet too." Noah told me, while putting his helmet on. "Even if Kelvin and Kyle don''t get on base, I will." He said confidently.

    I did what I was told and put my helmet on, and grabbed my bat. I followed Noah to where Coach was, standing just inside the dugout, waiting to go on the on deck circle.

    Coach noticed the both of us, ready to go. "Please don''t start a comedy show this time around." He sighed.

    I thought about everyone laughing at me in the first inning. Oh god. I don''t know if I wanted to go up again so soon.

    Kelvin made the pitcher work, but ended up striking out. Kyle grounded out to the shortstop. Noah really knew the team''s strengths and weaknesses. He went to the batters box and I took over the on deck circle, but didn''t take any practice swings. Instead, I watched Noah''s at bat diligently, praying he would get out. I know that it isn''t a nice thought, but I really wasn''t prepared to go back up again.

    This time Noah didn''t slack off. He found a good pitch to swing against and sent it between the first and second baseman for a single. He got to first, turned around, and gave me a thumbs up. What a show off, I scoffed.

    I looked at Zeke coming out of the dugout to grab Noah''s bat. Mr. Miller was sending signs, but I knew they were for Noah since Zeke said to look at him when I was up to bat. Sure enough, he rubbed his nose. Foul it.

    I got in the righty''s box. The Villa Park pitcher sure had his work cut out for him. I would be the eleventh batter he''s faced. And so soon. I wonder what his total pitch count is at. I fouled. Fouled again. The third pitch was a high ball, trying to tempt me to strike out. 1-2 count. He must be tired. Ball. Foul. Foul. 2-2. Every time I looked to Zeke, he wanted me to foul. I left the obvious balls go by so it didn''t look like I was swinging at anything and everything. Foul. Foul. Ball. Ball.

    "Walk. Take your base." The umpire said.

    A ten-pitch at bat. I gave myself a mental pat on the back. That should be what Zeke was looking for. Making the pitcher tired and annoyed so he would throw more balls and issue more walks. I carefully set my bat down and jogged to first; Noah moved to second and Mahki came up to bat.

    I took note how far Noah was standing off his base. He seemed to be just one step closer than the shortstop or second baseman. The first baseman wasn''t holding me at the base so I scooted out. As long as I was closer to the bag than he was, I should be okay.

    I watched for Mr. Miller''s signs. He gave the go-ahead to Mahki to swing at anything he wanted. Noah and I were to run at contact.

    Mahki took a ball. Ball. Foul. Ball. On the fifth pitch, a 3-1 count, he started his swing and connected. This time I didn''t watch the ball. I focused on Mr. Miller as I ran to second. He waved Noah on home and me to third.

    "Slide! Slide!" He yelled as I got halfway there. Did no one tell him? That I didn''t know how to slide? Awkward.

 87 Game One: Villa Park 7

    Awkward was the word of the day. Since Mr. Miller wanted me to slide, I would have to try my best. I didn''t want to give Zeke any reason to add more laps. My first attempt at a slide looked more like an awkward fall onto to the base. I tried to dive head first like Mahki did in the first inning, but it didn''t look as smooth. But I got it done. I was hugging the base as a heavy pat came down on me.

    "Safe!" The third base ump called out.

    I could hear cheers and laughter from the dugout and spectator stands. Ugh. I coughed out some dirt that I accidentally let in my mouth as I dove. Dumb decision. I should have slid feet first.

    "Time out, ump?" I heard Mr. Miller asked.

    "Time!" The ump let everyone know.

    Mr. Miller tugged me to my feet as I coughed some more. "That was the ugliest slide I''ve ever seen in high school baseball. But you were safe so it''s good enough for me." I finished coughing and stretched a little. The third baseman was a bit harsh with that tag. "Don''t worry. It''s an easy trip home. Zeke is up to bat."

    I nodded. Zeke should be able to drive me home easily. The time out ended and Zeke got in the batters box, only for the catcher to stand up and signal for an intentional walk. I pouted at Mr. Miller. What was the point of my slide? I could have stayed at second, and still easily get to this spot because of the intentional walk.

    Mr. Miller wasn''t paying attention to me; he was busying giving the signs out. Especially to Julian who is up to bat with two outs and bases loaded.

    Julian was to swing at anything close. He nodded and got set in the batters box. He swung at the first pitch and completely whiffed. Being on third, I could hear some of the guys laugh in the dugout. Julian didn''t worry about them and got set once more. The pitcher was really sweating this inning. He had it easy with two outs and no one on base. Now the bases were loaded and a run had already scored.

    The next pitch went wide, past the catcher, and hit the backstop. Everyone started to yell, cheer and groan. I looked around and noticed my dugout yelling at me and Mr. Miller waved me on. Uh what? Like go home? Now? I stood on third base frozen.

    The catcher had chased the ball down and tossed it to the pitcher who was now guarding home plate. They exhaustingly looked at me. Jokes on them, I didn''t even attempt to run.

    "Bambi! What happened?!" Someone called from the dugout.

    I faced them and shrugged. Wild pitch? Passed ball? I don''t know.

    The guys all laughed and I saw coach put a hand to his forehead, shaking it disapprovingly.

    "On a wild pitch like that, you should have ran." Mr. Miller sighed. Oh, man. I hate hearing ''should have''; it usually meant that Zeke was going to add laps. I snuck a look at him on first. He was apparently waiting for me to look his way. He held up two fingers. Two more laps. Great. Fantastic.

    I sighed and tried to focus back on Julian. Him and the battery had already gone to their respective spots. The pitcher agreed to a sign, and started his motion. The pitch was slow and looked to have nothing on it. Julian easily sent it high and away. I ran to home plate and turn to look to see what would happen. It was high, but it didn''t go far enough. The center fielder caught it on the warning track, before the outfield fence. Three outs. Bummer.

    I jogged to the dugout and changed out my gear.

    "Jakeeee." The coach stretched out my name. I shuffled on over, pushing my hat down to hide my shame. "Do you know that we missed out on a given run?"

    I nodded. Sadly. A look at Zeke already confirmed that.

    "Wild pitches or balls that get behind the catcher, mean the runners have a good chance on moving up. If you had a good lead, you wouldn''t have even needed to slide."

    Wait. I would have needed to slide into home plate? I probably would have failed anyways. Good thing I saved myself from that embarrassment.

    "Okay, try not to forgot." He patted my head. "Get out there with the boys. Defense now. Let''s keep the shutout going!" He raised his voice for the team to hear.

    I hustled on out to my spot and joined the infielders in warmup. Kyle was still on the mound and was looking even more pumped up. Especially with the other team only sending out the bottom of their lineup.

    Top of the third. Batters seven, eight, and nine. Kyle didn''t waste any pitches, and aimed for the strike zone with every single one. It was a groundout to short, strikeout, and a pop out to third. Three up, three down.

    Oddly enough, when we got back in the dugout, no one congratulated Kyle on a good inning. Jason, Tony, and Kelvin all grabbed their bats and helmets and ignored him.

    I pointed at the odd sight to Noah. Noah leaned in and whispered, "Kyle is in the zone. He''s perfect through three innings. In high school ball, that''s pretty impressive, especially against aluminum bats. He''s got four more innings to go."

    Wow. I nodded, impressed. I peeked at Kyle and he looked happy, sitting all alone. Like he has met his goal: pitch well enough so no one would bug him. I wonder what Dave''s thinking in the bullpen right now.

 88 Game One: Villa Park 8

    Unlike us, Villa Park replaced their pitcher in the bottom of the third inning. The guy was good. He got Jason to strikeout, Tony to pop out, and Kelvin to strikeout. Three up, three down, in the bottom of the third. A theme.

    We went back out for defense.

    Top of the fourth, Kyle now has to face the top of the lineup again. He didn''t look worried at all. Maybe because he''s faced them before and already got them out?

    The first batter wasn''t as passive as before. On the first pitch strike, he swung and connected. It was a line drive. Right. To. Me. I didn''t have to move, just put my glove in front of me and caught it. What a miracle. The whole sequence was done in thirty seconds: Kyle got set, pitched, the guy swung, and the ball came right to me almost like magnetic force. I stared at the ball in the glove of my webbing. Wow. I''ve never caught such a fast hit before.

    "Jake!" I looked up at Kyle. He stepped off the mound and held up his glove. "Nice catch!" I took the ball out of my glove and passed it back.

    I looked at Noah and he was smiling at me. I smiled back. I heard some cheering from the stands and squinted to see who would be so excited for me. Unsurprisingly, it was Mr. and Mrs. Atkins clapping and saying nice catch. I blushed. Even on a good play, I''m embarrassed.

    I opened and closed my glove a few times ready for the next batter. That felt pretty good. I don''t think I''m that afraid of a ball coming my way now.

    Kyle nodded at Kelvin''s next hand signs. Batter number two had grounded out to Noah in the first inning. Kyle threw a ball. I blinked in surprise. Usually he starts off with strikes. Another ball, 2-0 count.

    "Don''t be wimping out!" A shout came from the bullpen. Dave was leaning on the fence, yelling through it. "If you give up a walk, I''ll replace you right away."

    Kyle took off his cap and wiped some sweat off his forehead. Maybe he was shaken from the line drive to me. That was the first real solid connection Villa Park got off him. Kyle got set and threw his fastest pitch right down the middle. Strike. 2-1. Dave must have gotten through to him. The next pitch was also a strike, but the guy swung late and fouled it. Still a strike I guess. 2-2. Kyle got the ball back and set up again. This time he shook off Kelvin''s sign. And again. Then nodded. He completed his motion and threw another fastball down the middle. The kind that I would like to send right back up the middle, but this batter didn''t keep an eye on the ball and totally missed. Strikeout!

    Kyle got the ball back and pointed at Dave in the bullpen.

    "Show-off!" Dave yelled.

    Kyle just grinned. The third batter smacked a hard grounder down the third baseline, but Jason was playing close to the bag so it was an easy play. Three outs. We all hustled back in the dugout.

    Noah and I went to our bags simultaneously, put on our helmets, and grabbed our bats. We were up after Kyle. We headed to coach at the end of the dugout. Noah went to the on deck circle and took practice swings as Kyle took practice swings just outside the batters box.

    "That was a good catch, kid." Coach rested a hand on my helmet. "Good reaction speed."

    "Yea! Nice one Bambi!"

    "What a surprise!"

    "Shouldn''t you be better at the plate, than at fielding?"

    I frowned. I am better at the plate.

    "Don''t mind them." Zeke joined us. "Keep looking for walks. We''re not going to be able to hide your batting talents forever, but I would like to save it for the championship game tomorrow evening."

    I nodded. Then turned around to pay attention to the new pitcher. I still didn''t know enough about real pitching so I found Zeke''s instructions a bit useful. With me fouling off pitches, I got to see more than usual players do. Which I needed since everyone has been playing for so long, that they''re use to other kids pitching to them.

    Kyle has grounded out before, but this time wasn''t much better. He struck out, looking. He didn''t even take a swing. He must be too concentrated on pitching. Noah moved to the plate, and I to the on deck circle. This new pitcher was more relaxed than the starter. He was fluid with his motion and didn''t look anxious at all. I wonder what qualities you needed to possess to be a pitcher.

    The guy pitched Noah some balls, mixed with strikes, seemingly all over the place. I couldn''t decide if it was bad control or if it was super great control. After a full count, Noah struck out swinging. He gave me a tight smile, but didn''t look happy. I glanced at Zeke and he rubbed his nose. Might as well foul. See more live pitches.

    I stepped up to the plate and studied the pitcher. His first pitch came. Ball. Second pitch: ball. Third pitch: ball. With a 3-0 count, I stepped out and pretended to take a practice swing, while looking for Zeke. Should I foul if the next pitch is a ball? Or just take the walk?

    Zeke clapped his hands. "Let''s go Jake. Eye on the ball."

    ....isn''t that what I''ve been doing..? I slowly stepped back into the box, mulling over his words. He didn''t signal for a foul, but did say eye on the ball. So maybe he wants me to wait and see? If it''s a ball, then accept the walk. But if it''s a strike, maybe foul it? Or just watch it go by?

    I sighed. Please be a ball. That seems to be the safest option.

 89 Game One: Villa Park 9

    The next pitch was low and inside. I flinched back.

    "Strike." The ump called out. "3-1."

    I looked where the catchers mitt was and realized it was framed really well. I frowned at the call. I turned back to the dugout and saw Zeke rubbing his nose. Guess I''m going to foul. The next pitch came, also looking to be on the borderline. It could easily be called a ball, but with a catcher framing it, it could be just like the last one: a called strike. What a risky pitcher. I swung and fouled along the first base line. 3-2, full count. I looked at Zeke, still rubbing his nose. Foul if it''s in, I guess I''ll only take a ball four if it''s an obvious ball. I fouled three more times before getting the fourth ball. I lightly placed my bat down and jogged to first. Battery''s sure are interesting. This pair definitely worked much better than the first pitcher.

    I stayed on the base until the pitcher was set on the rubber, facing Mahki, then I started to inch off. Mahki got the same assortment of pitches, all on the border of being strikes or balls. With a 2-2 count, he swung and hit a grounder to the shortstop, who easily fielded the ball to the second baseman and got me for the third out on second base.

    I sighed with relief that nothing embarrassing happened this time around.

    "Nothing to get depressed over." Mahki jogged with me back to the dugout as our teammates took the field. "No one has a perfect batting average."

    I wasn''t depressed. Just relieved. I gave a small smile to show that I was fine. We both changed out our gear and went to our own positions.

    Top of the fifth inning brought the cleanup hitters for Villa Park, but Kyle easily shut them down. It was a simple fly out to left, pop up to me at second, and then a groundout to Noah. One, two, three. Kyle was on fire. He didn''t waste a single pitch.

    Everyone continued to stay away from him as our own cleanup batters went up. Zeke hit a stand up double. Julian grounded out, but Zeke was able to make it to third. Mr. Miller gave Jason a sign I hadn''t memorized yet. I tugged on Noah''s sleeve.

    "Just watch. They''ll be able to pull it off." He replied.

    The pitcher went through his motion, but at the end, Jason showed bunt. The pitch was a little high, but Jason was able to push it down and take off for first. I didn''t even notice that Zeke had already taken off from third and was charging down the line to home plate. The third baseman was holding Zeke to the base so he wasn''t ready to field the bunt, and the pitcher was caught off guard. Zeke slid home, feet first and popped right back up. The third baseman was able to still make a play at first and threw out Jason. Two outs, but now up 5-0.

    Unfortunately the momentum stopped there and Tony popped out for the final out of the fifth inning.

    Top of the sixth inning, Kyle completely shut out the bottom of their lineup. Which made sense since even their clean up hitter was struggling, then what good could they do. It was a complete annihilation. Kyle didn''t throw one ball, all strikes.

    At the bottom of the sixth Noah put on his helmet with complete seriousness. He glanced at me. "Last at bat. Gotta make it a good one." He left me without any further ado.

    I glanced at my helmet, unsure if I should put it on as well.

    "Put it on." A voice from behind commanded. Startled, I quickly turned around. Zeke stood there. "If one of them get on base, and you get a chance to go up, you can hit freely."

    Freely? Without any restrictions? I looked at him hopefully.

    "No one will give you any signs. You can do whatever you see fit." Zeke patted my head and wandered away to talk to others.

    I quickly replaced my hat with a helmet and grabbed my bat, then rushed to stand next to Noah.

    He looked at my eagerness. "What''s got you so excited?"

    I lifted up my bat.

    "Oh? You get to hit?" Noah grinned. "Ya better pray we get someone on base then. High school baseball is only seven innings. As the home team, if we lead after shutting them out in the top of the seventh, then we don''t get to bat in the bottom of the seventh."

    I nodded. I understood that part. That''s why I immediately got my helmet and bat. This is what I was looking forward to.

    Kelvin struggled in the box, swinging at bad pitches. But he hung in there and fought for a walk. I looked at Noah with sparkling eyes as he moved to the on deck circle. Someone''s on base. I have a chance.

    Kyle got in the box, but he wasn''t there mentally. He just stood and took three strikes looking, then wandered back to the dugout like a man lost in thought. He was three outs away from a perfect game (high school version) so I could forgive him.

    I moved to the on deck circle and watched Noah with extreme concentration. As long as he doesn''t hit into a double play, I''ve got a chance. Noah was more calm in the box, compared to his other at bats. Very relaxed and focused. Ball. Ball. Foul. Foul. Foul. Ball. 3-2. You got this. The next pitch was a close one, he swung and connected with the bottom part of his bat. It took a high bounce right to the pitcher. The pitcher barehanded it and threw him out at first, and the first baseman was able to throw it to the shortstop at second base. Kelvin was just too slow...

    I looked at my bat. I guess...it just wasn''t meant to be, this game.

 90 Game One: Villa Park 10

    I slowly put back my helmet and bat.

    Noah patted my back. "Sorry, Jake. My bad. I should have just tried for a walk or strikeout."

    I shook my head. No way. If Noah purposely struck out, I would feel awful.

    "Okay. Defense time! Let''s get this win!" He grabbed his glove. "And more importantly, let''s help Kyle get this perfect game. What a way to start off the season!"

    I nodded and followed him out onto the field. Even though I was starting to feel more comfortable with the two plays I had made, I really didn''t want any balls to come my way. I wouldn''t want to ruin the perfect game. Who knows how many laps that would equal. I think I was up to eight, but knowing Zeke, I''m sure it''s more.

    Kyle, at the top of the seventh inning, has to face batters one, two, and three. This would be their third time up, which means they''re probably familiar with his pitching by now.

    The first batter made me the most nervous. He had a strikeout in the first, and then that hard line drive to me in the fourth. Noah signaled to me to back up. We stood where the dirt met the outfield grass.

    "Stay calm." Noah said aloud. "Just don''t panic. If it comes, make sure to field the ball properly, plant your feet firmly, and throw accurately."

    I took a deep breath and looked at Kyle up on the mound. He didn''t look nervous at all. Just seriously happy. If he''s not afraid, then why should I be?

    Kelvin gave Kyle the signs as the batter stepped up to the plate. They agreed on the pitch and Kyle stepped on the rubber. I got set as well, ready to field anything that came near me. The batter came out swinging on the first pitch. He fouled it back, but high. Kelvin flipped his mask off and looked for the ball, but couldn''t make the catch. I saw Kyle deflate at the thought of missing an easy out.

    A new ball was sent to Kyle. He walked to the back of the mound and had a moment.

    "Get it Kyle!" Noah slapped his glove. "I''ve got your back!"

    Kyle looked at him and gave a wry smile, not looking so confident anymore. I chose to slap my glove a few times too. He looked my way, surprised. Then he laughed to himself and turned his back to us, in order to face Kelvin and the batter. I wasn''t trying to be funny. I was just hoping he would cheer up and strike the batter out like he did when Dave was cheering from the bullpen.

    It may have helped, because he got the guy to strikeout swinging with the following pitches. As the batters changed, Kyle turned to me and laughed some more. I looked towards Noah for help, but he just shrugged.

    Batter number two flew out to right field after three straight fouls. Two outs. Then came up the potential last batter. Everyone was cheering for Kyle: the bullpen, our dugout, and the spectators. It was surprisingly loud, but you could really feel the energy.

    Everyone had something encouraging to say. I felt excited too, but didn''t speak out. I just couldn''t force anything out. Noah was hollering for the batter to hit it to him. Some were doing the same. Others yelled for a strikeout. I didn''t want to distract him with me suddenly speaking out so I kept it to myself. Just one more out. C''mon Kyle.

    I didn''t notice before, but Kyle was drenched in sweat. He had worn a long-sleeve shirt under his jersey since it was cold this morning, but it looked to be bothering him now. It was about an hour before noon, so the sun was nice and high, emitting some warmth in this cold February.

    Kyle stared down the batter, got set, and pitched. Ball. It was fast but too high. The crowds cheering dwindled, yet I could still hear his parents yelling his name. The next pitch was slower, the batter fouled it down the first baseline.

    Julian had dove for it, it was that close. You could hear the dugout let out a sigh of relief. One ball, one strike.

    Next pitch. Inside. Ball. 2-1. Then the following pitch. Kyle seem to put a lot of effort in this one, but it looked too easy. The batter thought so too apparently. He smacked it right towards Kyle. Kyle was unprepared and didn''t react in time.

    Both Noah and I moved to cover. Noah and I were both playing back so we had a good chance to stop it. Noah easily dove and caught the ball in his glove on his left hand. "Jake! Throw to first!" While he was still on the ground, he tossed the ball in the air with his glove just as I got close.

    I caught it with my right, planted my left foot and threw to Julian as the batter entered my line of vision. It was close. Which was faster? My throw or the runner? We all held our breaths and looked at the first base ump.

    "Out!" The ump yelled out as he did the arm motion. Everyone jumped up and rushed Kyle on the mound.

    I stood still. The guys from the bullpen and dugout all ran out joining the starters on the mound. The crowd was yelling like crazy; I can''t believe they were all our fans. There must be normal baseball fans watching and just cheering for such amazing pitching.

    "That was a great throw, Bambi." Mr. Miller came to stand next to me.

    I gave a nod. It was a great throw. Especially since it came from me, the weakest arm on the team. But the thing is, I could have blown it. And that''s unsettling to know. So many different things could have gone wrong and Kyle would have lost the perfect game.

    "You look like you''re thinking too much, kid." He continued, drawing me out of my thoughts. "Why don''t you go celebrate with the team and enjoy the moment?"

    I shook my head. I wasn''t the type to yell and jump around. Even Zeke was happily patting on his brothers back on a game well done.

    I just turned away and headed back to the dugout.

 91 Game One: Villa Park end

    After gathering my stuff and packing up, I left the dugout in search of the bathroom with my bag.

    "Jake! Where are you going?" Noah''s voice came from behind me. I turned in time to see him running towards me while zipping up his bag.

    I waited until he caught up then started to walk some more.

    "Hey? What''s up? You just left the team hanging like that. You didn''t even congratulate Kyle! That was so amazing! I didn''t think our first high school game would be to witness and be a part of a perfect game. Just wow! Mom and Dad must be super happy."

    I didn''t know how to answer Noah. It''d be weird to tell him that I just didn''t feel like it. During the game I was excited for Kyle, but now I just felt kind of empty. I decided to just keep up the hunt for a bathroom.

    Noah prattled on and on about the game and how he was scared of not being able to make that last play. "Man, I was so scared when that ball got past Kyle. I felt like everything was in slow motion. And then I was having an inner panic attack that I didn''t throw the ball high enough for you. And your throw! On point!"

    Maybe that''s why I don''t feel so good. I could be having a panic attack. Like a delayed one. Like looking back on that last play is making me sick. I hurriedly looked for the bathroom. Left. Right. A full 360 degree circle. I spotted one in a building between the stands of different fields. I rushed to it

    "Hey Jake?! Do you have to go to the bathroom that bad?" Noah spoke to himself, as I was speed walking to the bathroom.

    I dodged through the crowd to get to where I needed to be. Somewhere along the way, I lost Noah, but I didn''t care. He''d be okay. I wasn''t. I immediately entered the bathroom, went straight to a stall, fell to my knees, and threw up.

    I emptied out my whole stomach. Everything I had for breakfast, plus the snacks on the way here.

    "Jake? Is that you?" Noah sounded to be right out my stall. I gagged in response. "I''m gonna text Dad for help. Hold on."

    Like I had a choice.

    By the time Mr. Atkins walked in, I had nothing left to throw up. I would just occasionally dry heave.

    He spoke with Noah about what happened and Noah said he didn''t know. He knocked on the stall door. "Jake? Can you let me in?"

    I stayed on my knees, but turned around and unlocked the stall. Then I went back to staring at the toilet water.

    "Did you feel sick all morning or was it sudden?" He picked my hat off the ground and put it on my head, backwards. I held up two fingers to indicate the second guess. "Does it have anything to do with the end of the game?"

    I nodded. I didn''t feel nauseas until the game ended. Then all these ''what if'' questions popped into my head. I tried to slow down my breathing. "I could have messed up."

    "But you didn''t!" Noah said. "You did it! We did it!"

    I started to feel sick again.

    "Noah. Why don''t you get Jake a cold water. And a Gatorade to replenish his electrolytes." Mr. Atkins handed him a few dollars. "The snack bar was just outside."

    "Alright..." Noah said slowly and I heard him walk away.

    "After the play, were you thinking, ''what would have happened if I messed up the perfect game?''" Mr. Atkins asked.

    I nodded, glancing up at him. "They would have been mad."

    Mr. Atkins squatted down so he would t be so high above me. "You''ll never know that for sure. The chances of that ever coming up again is minuscule. Almost nonexistent. There''ll be other plays. New plays. Heck, you could go the rest of the season without having to make the game ending play."

    That''s true, I guess. The chances of me participating in another perfect game would be astronomical.

    "Overthinking something that has already happened, won''t change anything. Just let it be, and let it go." He told me. "If you want to talk it out, I''m here to listen. If not, that''s okay too. We could also save it for Dr. Moore."

    I thought about it. Mr. Atkins was right. It was done with so it was dumb to worry over. But maybe we should talk about it. With the therapist. "I''ll save it for Wednesday." I mumbled.

    "Great." He stood up. Then lifted me up. "Next time you throw up, don''t sit on the bathroom floor. Especially a public bathroom. It''s unsanitary."

    "I''m back with the drinks!" Noah hollered, almost running into the stall that we were trying to get out of. He looked me over. "Jake, you look super pale. Maybe we should get something to eat to fill you back up."

    "Actually He should stick to fluids for right now." Mr. Atkins advised. "Let''s get back to your team first. Jake, rinse your mouth out. Then you can start taking small sips of the Gatorade."

    I grabbed the water from Noah and went to the sink. I rinsed my mouth quite a few times to get rid of the smell. Then I followed them out while holding the Gatorade. Apparently our team was watching the game after ours, because the winner will be our next opponent this afternoon/evening.

 92 Lunch

    It was Katella High School versus Pleasant Valley High School. By the time we showed up, our team was spread out in the stands, munching on sandwiches and snacks. Mr. Atkins pointed us to Zeke and the twins and went to go join the other parents.

    "Jake!" Dave hollered as we sat down. "What happened to you, kiddo? Noah said you got sick?" He pushed a plastic bowl over. "Mom delivered soup for you."

    I bowed my head over the soup.

    "What about me?" Noah pouted.

    Zeke placed a wrapped sandwich in his hands. "Ham and cheese."

    "Yum!" He quickly unwrapped it and started to devour it.

    "Eat up Jake!" Kyle got up and sat behind me. He started to massage my shoulders. "You did great this morning! Who knew you would be so talented in fielding!"

    His massage wasn''t helping me relax at all. In fact, I started to feel nervous. His hands were too close to my neck. He could easily get mad and start to choke me. I gulped and tried to slide out of his grasp.

    "Don''t get too close." Noah warned. "Jake had a panic attack. He needs some space."

    I gave him a weak smile. Even though he wasn''t there in the bathroom when I spoke to Mr. Atkins, he still understood that something was off with me, mentally.

    Kyle sighed. "Alright." He went back to his spot on the other side of Dave. "You''re fielding was spectacular today. I just wanted to show some appreciation."

    Noah wiggled his eyebrows at me. "Hear that? Kyle wants to treat us to a round at the cages."

    My spirits lifted and I looked at Kyle hopefully.

    Kyle scratched his cheek. "That might be a bit much. You guys are too expensive."

    "Wowwww. We save your perfect game and this is how you repay us?" Noah said in a loud, obnoxious manner. The team took note and started to jump in.

    "Don''t be so cheap, Kyle!"

    "Yea! What''s the price of a perfect game?!"

    "I thought you were the nice twin!"

    "Hey!" Dave jumped up at that last remark. He pointed at Garret who spouted off. "We''re identical, both in looks and personality. Equal counterparts."

    Garret laughed. "Oh? So you''ll be pitching a perfect game this afternoon too?"

    Dave snorted. "That''s not fair. Kyle got the easy team." He straightened up and pounded his chest in a manly manner. "But I will pitch a shutout. We won''t give up a single run in this tournament." He declared.

    The guys laughed and cheered in agreement.

    "Not realistic at all." Zeke dampened the mood.

    "And why not?" Dave said, haughtiness leaking out of him.

    Zeke nodded at the game we were supposed to be watching. "If you stopped fooling around and paid attention, you would see that Pleasant Valley is about to mercy rule Katella."

    "Whatttt."

    "No way."

    "15-3 in the fourth. One more inning, and they could pull off a called game."

    I didn''t know what they were saying. I looked to Noah for help, but he was studiously watching the game. I shrugged and opened my soup and started to sip it.

    "Why even worry?" Julian leaned back in a relaxed movement. "They gave up runs. As long as we score one more than them, we win."

    "And," Garret added. "Dave said he would pitch a shutout."

    The guys all laughed, joked, and hollered at Dave. Dave didn''t look scared at all. He merely nudged Kyle. "Watch me one up you."

    Kyle laughed. "In your dreams. Today''s glory belongs to me." He glanced at me. "And to Jake. I couldn''t do it without him."

    Noah threw his wrapper at Kyle. "Rude. That was my perfect stop that saved the day."

    "Wrong." Kyle stated. "What really inspired me was Jake''s cheer."

    I looked up at him, startled. When did I cheer?

    "What. No way. Jake didn''t cheer." Dave refuted.

    Kyle nodded. "Oh yes he did. In the top of the seventh inning, against the first batter, I was slightly rattled from a foul. I felt the pressure creeping up on me." It was like he was telling a tall tale, instead of something that had just happened. All the guys were quiet, and following what he was recalling. "I''ve never gotten so far against a team without giving up a hit. But there I was, so close, yet so far. Then just as I was mentally crumbling, I heard someone beating on their glove. To my surprise, it was our very own Bambi! And then I thought to myself, ''if Bambi isn''t scared of a ball coming to him, then how could I be outdone?'' I''m fearless compared to Bambi!"

    All the guys laughed and I started to blush. So that was why Kyle laughed on the mound. He thought I wasn''t scared of getting the ball sent my way. When, in reality, I was praying that he would strike the guy out so I wouldn''t have to field at all. Awkward.

    Dave looked at me with a fire in his eyes. "You''ll have my back too, right? I''ve even paid for a batting cage excursion for you!"

    "Yea, because you lost a bet!" Noah rolled his eyes. "The way I see it, you should run the laps we owe Zeke." I nodded my head eagerly. Noah looked at Kyle. "Well? You didn''t want to pay for cages? Why don''t you return our great play with some generosity?"

    Kyle nervously looked at Zeke. "Is that even allowed?"

    Zeke was nonchalant. "I don''t see why not."

    "How much do they owe?"

    "Ten laps."

    Kyle thought about it. "Okay. Deal. I''ll run your laps that you owe from game one."

    Noah''s smiled almost looked like it could split his face. I also happily downed my soup, feeling much more at ease.

    "You''re a fool." Brian said from afar. "They owe ten laps, each. That''s twenty laps for you!"

    The team almost died laughing from the look on Kyle''s face. Everyone was struggling for air at the sight of his pale complexion.

    Zeke stood up very suddenly. Other people in the crowd started to clap and shout some congratulations. Zeke spoke over the team, as the laughter died out. "Pleasant Valley won. Mercy rule ended the game at five innings." The team returned to normal and the intensity in their looks, increased.

 93 Game Two: Pleasant Valley 1

    "This game will be a hit fest." Coach declared. He had gathered us after the end of Pleasant Valley''s win. "We''ll have James start on the mound."

    "What about me?" Dave asked, pointing at his face.

    "You would be the worst choice for this game and up against this lineup." Coach didn''t hold back. "As someone who pitches to contact, you should know giving up hits is common. What Kyle did earlier, was a freak moment. James Lohr, will you be ready to go?"

    Dave looked down, acting pitifully.

    James, a senior that I haven''t spoken to personally, stood up. "Yes coach. Can I go start warming up with Kelvin? I want to make sure all my pitches are in good form today."

    He waved them off. "Start off with some light tossing first. We''ve still got an hour before we take the field for warmups." He looked at the sun, which was above, but in February it would start setting soon. "Playing a late afternoon game is more disadvantageous than an evening game in February. The sun will be setting during the game. Fielding will be difficult."

    James and Kelvin stood up and walked away with their gear. One of the assistant coaches went with them.

    "You boys watch Pleasant Valley beat on Katella, right?" Coach looked down at us.

    The guys all avoided eye contact and made some incoherent mumbles.

    Coach sighed and shook his head in despair. "Unbelievable. Just because you know how the game ended, doesn''t mean that you know all that has happened."

    Zeke stood. "Their strengths lie in their bats. Though they only gave up a few runs, that was presumably their best pitcher. That''s why I suggested for James to start instead of Dave. James has more variety in his pitches and will be able to throw them off their rhythm."

    Coach nodded. "Diligent observation."

    Dave looked even more upset, not liking what Zeke had to say. He sighed and flopped back, laying his head on his bag like a pillow.

    "Pleasant Valley won''t be pushovers with just a little strategy." Coach continued, ignoring Dave''s display of dissatisfaction. "They were able to mercy rule Katella. Katella might not be a strong team, but they have solid foundations. We have to come out, swinging. I don''t want any meaningless strikeouts."

    I sat up a little straighter. Swinging? Does this mean I''ll be batting? I snuck a peek at Zeke. He caught me looking and shook his head. Still not time? I sighed and slouched.

    "Jake." Coach called. I straightened back up. "Excellent fielding in game one. Your running and sliding still needs work." The guys laughed and I blushed. "I''m gonna have to make you sit this one. At least to begin with. There will be a lot of base runners so I won''t you to focus on learning."

    I felt dejected once again.

    Noah patted my shoulder, sympathetically, and whispered. "It''s a good learning opportunity."

    "Noah, you''ll be sitting out as well." Coach followed up. "This will be more of a hitting contest and your batting isn''t up to par."

    "But-but-but, bad defense loses games!" Noah protested.

    "And good offense wins games." Coach retorted. "Both of you will sit, watch, and learn. If I see a need to put you in, I won''t hesitate." He looked at some other guys. "Daniel Myers and John Roberts. You''re both it. Any slacking and I''ll pull you immediately."

    "Yes!" Both guys said in unison.

    Coach continued to give out instructions and what to look out for. After awhile he went off to the side with the coaches, trying to figure out a new batting lineup order.

    Noah, Dave and I all sulked in our misfortune of not getting to play. Kyle looked at us and rolled his eyes. "You''re all a bunch of five year olds. It''s just one game. You don''t see me complaining."

    "Easy for you to say. You got to pitch a complete game this morning." Dave glared at him. "And the satisfaction of a perfect game, at that. I have to wait a whole day. Today is pointless."

    "If we don''t win today, you don''t get to pitch tomorrow." Zeke said as he came over to look down at our sorry state of mind.

    Dave peeked up. He glared at his oldest brother. "You better hit a homerun on my behalf. Or I won''t forgive you for holding me out."

    Before Zeke could reply, Noah jumped in. "Same! I know you probably told coach to hold me out. I want a homerun on my behalf too! A totally separate one from Dave''s."

    Zeke rubbed the space between his eyebrows. "Can you guys be serious for once? In a tournament, you can''t just think about the current game, but also the next game, and the game after."

    I tugged Noah''s sleeve and held up three fingers.

    Noah grinned. He looked up at Zeke. "Jake wants one as well. You should hit a homer for every brother you bench, otherwise we''ll just think of you as heartless and cruel."

    Dave nodded in agreement. "You said it yourself. If we don''t win today, then I don''t get to pitch tomorrow. Don''t let us down captain."

    Zeke''s eyes narrowed at the sight of us three. I shivered and cowered behind Noah. Zeke sighed. "We''ll see what I get. I can''t promise something absurd as three homeruns."

    "Wait. What." Kyles jaw dropped at the sight of Zeke giving in. "What about me? I won''t be playing too! A homerun for me as well!"

    "Impossible." Zeke and Dave said at the same time. They looked at one another in surprise.

    Dave shrugged. "Kyle already has his moment of glory. He doesn''t need anything else. What did you want to say?"

    We all looked at Zeke. He cleared his throat, but spoke low. "If I were to hit three homeruns, we will win in a called game. And we''ll mercy rule Pleasant Valley just like they did to Katella."

    The Atkins all looked at each other before jumping up and beating on Zeke. They patted his shoulders, stomach, back, arms, anything they could touch. They all laughed as I stayed seated, confused on what the big deal was.

 94 Game Two: Pleasant Valley 2

    Game Two Lineup:

    1 3B Jason Morris

    2 1B Julian Wilson

    3 LF Mahki Holstrom

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 RF Antonio Perkola

    6 2B John Roberts

    7 SS Daniel Myers

    8 C Kelvin Bender

    9 P James Lohr

    Noah and I depressingly looked at the lineup as the starters took the field. As the seeded team, we were given home field advantage again. Which means we bat last in the inning and coach got to pick the third base side dugout again.

    "Take a seat boys." Mr. Miller slapped our backs and pointed at the bench. "Pay attention and try to learn something new."

    Noah pouted. "What could I possibly learn? I know everything this is to know about baseball."

    Mr. Miller slapped him upside the head, knocking his hat off. "It''s that kind of attitude that will be your downfall. Watch. Study. See what you can learn. And improve." He walked over to Coach Wilcox.

    Noah sighed and picked up his hat, putting it back on his head. We walked midway down the bench and sat with the other guys, getting a new point of view.

    "The bench not good enough for you, Noah?" Chris sneered. He sat on the very end to watch the game.

    Noah sat up righteously. "No. It''s not. I''m not satisfied sitting here. Can''t say the same for you though. You''re probably happy you could still even be on this team."

    Chris started to get up and move. I flinched back. Only a deep voice held Chris back. "Quit your bickering. This is a team. We''re a team. No sense in dragging one another down." I peeked over to see Sean settling the fight. I didn''t know much about him but he always laughed and joked with everybody on the team. "Watch the game. Let''s cheer for our teammates."

    I quickly turned to watch the game that was about to start. James was ready on the mound. I tugged on Noah''s sleeve to try and distract him from angry Chris.

    He looked at me. "What is it?"

    I pointed at James who began pitching to the other team.

    "James? Are you wondering why coach picked him over Dave and Garret?" His mood lightened up as I gave a nod. "James is a junk pitcher."

    I raised an eyebrow.

    "It means he can throw a lot of junk. He can mix in all kinds of pitches. His fastball isn''t very fast, but he has a change up, slider, curve, splitter and sinker."

    Can one guy really throw that many different pitches? This is just high school baseball right?

    "The price of throwing all that junk when your body is still developing is too high. James doesn''t care though. He likes to mess around with his pitches, trying for more movement than speed."

    I didn''t really get it. Why do it, if he knows it''s bad for him? I studied the guy on the mound as he made batter one groundout. Then batter two pop out. And batter three groundout. As the team jogged back to the dugout, I watched as James walked back with his head held high, smiling. Then it hit me. We were similar. He pitches the way he wants, knowing the consequences, the same reason why I would still hit baseball in the batting cages even though playing baseball would make my mom angry: because we like it. He likes the way he pitches and he''s just enjoying the moment. I found solace in the cages and enjoyed the comfort it gave me.

    As I was lost in my thoughts, our guys had started their offense. Jason was the lead off man this time around with Noah sitting on the bench.

    "Earlier, he went 0-2 with a sac bunt." Noah sighed. "And now he''s taking my spot. The injustice."

    I thought back to game one. Jason was batting sixth; he had grounded out, struck out, and did that bunt that allowed Zeke to score. "Shouldn''t that be 0-3?" I mumbled, unsure.

    "A successful sacrifice bunt does not count as an at bat, nor does it impact a player''s batting average." Noah informed me. "If Zeke was unable to score at that moment, then Jason would be 0-3."

    I nodded. Okay. That''s understandable I guess. I looked to see how Jason was doing. He was fairing pretty well at the plate compared to game one. He connected on a pitch, and it turned into a bloop single just over the shortstops head. The center fielder was quick to react and returned it to the pitcher just as Jason reached first. Our team clapped in the dugout.

    "That''s Jason''s first varsity hit." Noah smiled. "Not bad."

    We clapped as well. Julian got up to bat next.

    "He went 1-3 last game. His hit was a double." Noah reminded me.

    I gave him a side eye and said in a low voice. "Double. Fly out to outfield. Groundout. No runs batted in, no runs scored."

    Noah looked at me, impressed. "So you remember these details too. Good. It helps to have a good memory in baseball."

    We watched as Julian smacked a hard grounder between the legs of the pitcher and sneak past between the shortstop and second baseman. Jason sprinted and safely made it to third, and Julian stopped at first base as the ball was returned to the infield.

    Mahki came up to bat next. 2-3 last game, with one RBI, and one run scored. In terms of hitting, I would say he''s only second to Zeke. Unfortunately, at this at bat, he hit a Nice grounder to the shortstop, who threw to second, to first. A 6-4-3 double play. Two outs. But thankfully Jason made it home as the fielders were focused on getting the two outs.

    "Why did they ignore Jason?" I asked Noah, confused on why you would ignore a runner that would score. Especially when it was a grounder to an infielder. He could have easily thrown it home so Jason would be tagged out.

 95 Game Two: Pleasant Valley 3

    Noah pointed at Zeke, who was walking up to the plate. "That''s why. As an infielder you should be aware of who is coming up to bat, what the score would be, and so on. They gave up the run to get the two outs. That''s a million times better than no outs and bases loaded for Zeke, the number one player in the county. Even if the shortstop had thrown home, there would be no guarantee that they''d get Jason out on the tag play. They gave up one run which is manageable."

    I watched as Zeke got in the batters box. He had a good stance. If I was tall and built like he was, I would want to try a similar stance. It''s a good way to hit for distance. The pitcher didn''t give him anything good to hit, just two balls on the outside. With the third pitch, he tried to come inside, but it looked to be right over the plate. Zeke ate it up. He blasted it over the left field wall. Home run!

    The guys all cheered from the dugout and the bullpen. As Zeke touched home plate, he pointed at the bullpen, then came back to the dugout.

    I looked at Noah, confused on what that meant.

    "That was Zeke showing off. Dave demanded a homerun, right? Well Zeke delivered." Noah explained. Who knew Zeke had a side like this. I kind of always thought he had a stoic personality.

    In the short time that Noah explained, Tony went up to bat and sent a fly ball to left field as well. Except his was caught for out number three. The teams changed sides.

    James had a strong first inning that didn''t transition into a good second inning. It started off with back to back doubles, cutting our lead to 2-1. Then a pop out. Strike out. Fly out.

    Bottom of the second, John, Daniel, and Kelvin would start us off. I was interested in what John would do since he''s the player I had replaced. But I didn''t get much...he struck out looking. Daniel grounded out. And Kelvin''s would-be line drive single was snatched by the third baseman with a spectacular jump. Three up, three down. Top of the third we go.

    "At this rate, we won''t be able to get the called game that Zeke wanted. Even if he does hit a couple more homers." Noah mumbled as we watched our team take the field.

    "What''s a called game? Mercy game?" I rubbed my head trying to recall.

    Noah laughed. "A called game is when you end a game early because one team leads by a lot early on. It''s called a mercy rule. It''s to shorten the span of a game. For this tournament, if a team is ahead by ten runs at the end of five innings, they declare the game over. That''s a called game. During regular season games, you have to lead by fifteen by the end of the fifth. Right now, we only lead by one. That means we have to score nine more runs, while they don''t score any, and we can be declared the winners by the end of the fifth inning with a score of 11-1. But it''s looking bleak right now." Noah nodded at the field.

    I looked. While Noah was telling me about the mercy rule, James had given up another double. I looked just in time for him to strikeout the next batter though.

    This game was nothing like a hitting fest that coach had predicted. It was rather close. James gave up another single. Then a groundout that allowed a runner to score. 2-2. Then he struck out the batter for the last out. Bottom of the third, game tied at two. For the team to win a called game, they would really have to start scoring.

    When James came back to the dugout, coach called him over when he should have been getting ready to go up to bat.

    "Coach is going to pull him." Noah whispered. I raised my eyebrow. Pull how? "Look at the bullpen. Troy and Ryan are warming up. Coach will probably put in a pinch hitter for James. Then after we finish batting, replace the pinch hitter with a new pitcher." Noah grinned. "You should know, not every game is like your first one where Kyle pitched the whole time. I''ve explained the pitch count and rest days to you before. Kyle was under 110 pitches so he was okay, but he did well over 76 so he''s gonna have to rest three whole days. For the game on Tuesday, he''ll be unavailable."

    Oh. Okay. That makes sense, I guess. James should be under 76, but over 50 for sure, so he would need two days. We can use him on Tuesday then.

    Sure enough, James went to sit down and Sean was going up to the batters box, with Coach right behind him. Coach spoke to the ump and the umpire pulled out some paper to make a scribble on. He looked to someone in the stands and called out ''pinch hitter.''

    I tried to see who he was talking to, but the stands were crowded with parents and other players.

    "He was announcing the change for the official scorekeeper." Noah saw me checking out the stands. "The scorekeeper has the record book that keeps track of the game, at bats, the pitch count and so on."

    I was interested to know more, like how it was done, but Noah went back to cheering. Sean would lead us off. Followed by Jason and Julian. Then hopefully we could also bring up Mahki and Zeke.

 96 Game Two: Pleasant Valley 4

    Sean went around the umpire, and stepped into the lefty''s batter box. I blinked in surprise. I didn''t get to participate in batting practice ever thanks to training with Drew, so I didn''t even know I had teammates that could also bat left-handed.

    Sean exuded confidence, like he will get a hit. No matter what. The first pitch was a ball. Sean didn''t flinch.

    "Watch closely." Zeke said as he stood next to us, bat in hands and helmet already on. Apparently he had complete confidence in the guys batting before him.

    I glanced at him, then quickly turned back to Sean. Zeke said to watch so I should make sure not to miss anything in case he quizzes me. Sean dug his back cleat in, looking for a solid hit, I would guess. The next pitch came and looked to be within the strike zone. Sean took a step forward, but then dropped his shoulder, shifted his hands and placed a bunt down the third baseline, then took off for first base. The third baseman was caught flat-footed and was late to react. He stumbled for the ball, and made a throw to first. Not in time. Sean was safe.

    "A bunt single." Noah said in awe. He looked at Zeke. "Is that what coach wanted him to do?"

    Zeke nodded. He glanced at me. "Take note. That''s a good bunt. Sean bats lefty so he can be closer to first. There''s not that much of a difference but it can still make a difference. Does that make sense?"

    "It depends on the throw." Noah elaborated. "If that third baseman had been expecting a bunt, he probably would have fielded better. And with that, a better throw. A millisecond can make all the difference in baseball."

    I nodded. Zeke was a bit vague, but Noah''s explanation helped.

    At the sound of a bat hitting a ball, we all whipped out heads back to the field. Sean was sprinting around second, to third. And Jason was running as well. I spotted the ball in the outfield just as the right outfielder was throwing it in. Jason slid into second, barely avoiding a tag. Everyone was clapping and cheering. I even clapped a few times as well.

    Julian came up to the plate and Zeke left us to get ready to go to the on deck circle. Julian had single in the first and hopefully he could do it again. He worked the count and with a lucky call, he earned a walk.

    Bases loaded for Mahki. I looked at Mr. Miller to see what he''ll have him do. Mahki was a great hitter in my opinion. For today, he''s 2-4 so that''s a .500 batting average. If they want this called game, I''d let him start off swinging. But I didn''t see Mr. Miller give him the go ahead swing sign.

    I nudged Noah to get him to look.

    Noah glanced at me. "What is it?"

    I mimicked a swing.

    "You think he should hit?" I nodded. "No outs, bases loaded, you would normally let your guy swing. But in this case, we should stick with the wait and see approach. First off, the pitcher just gave up back to back hits, then a walk. And he looks to be still pitching. He''s wild right now, so a walk would be the best case scenario. Why? Because of reason number two: Zeke is up next. Mahki has some hits today, but he''s also hit into a double play in each game. If we want this to be a called game then we need runs, not outs. Reason number three: it would be better if Mahki struck out, looking, because then Zeke would be up with bases loaded and one out." He took a deep breath. "Get it?"

    I scrunched up my nose. I guess. I really need to start thinking of all aspects of the game. I''m nowhere near Noah''s level. I glanced at Zeke in the on deck circle, taking light swings. I''m sure Zeke would have even more to say about what to do in this situation. It''s amazing that he hasn''t made an out yet. For the day, he''s 3-3, with two homeruns, one intentional walk, four RBI''s, and two runs scored. I can see why people have been saying he''s the best player in the county.

    Mahki stepped in the box and stayed loose. He watched the first four pitches go by and become a 2-2 count.

    I clenched my fists. "Why doesn''t he foul them off? That would put pressure on the pitcher and maybe force a walk."

    Noah stared at me, in shock from my outburst. By the time he composed himself, Mahki struck out looking. "Uhhh. I don''t think he can just randomly foul any pitch like you, Jake. You''re a special case. I''d be lucky to hit the ball; it would take a miracle for someone at my level to foul as I please."

    I sighed. Right, right. We all have different talents. Not everyone can be good at everything. Except for Zeke. He stepped up to the plate, looking more intense than normal.

    "Zeke! Don''t forget what you promised!" Noah hollered for everyone to hear. "You''re only one third of the way there!"

    "One fourth!" We heard Kyle yell from the bullpen.

    Zeke stepped back out of the batter''s box, looking annoyed.

    Noah laughed. "He''s probably mad that we''re not focusing on the overall picture. He doesn''t like to be called out like that."

    Then why do it? I made a face. I wouldn''t intentionally make Zeke mad for any reason. No doubt he would retaliate with laps.

    Zeke got back in the box after a practice swing and stretch. He watched every pitch very carefully, making sure not to swing at obvious balls. With a 3-1 count, he sent an easy pitch, high in the air. The highest I''ve ever seen. It carried and carried over the left field fence once more.

    Noah jumped up and down, excitedly. The whole team did. They yelled and whooped, as all the guys touched home with Zeke coming in last. As soon as Zeke stepped in the dugout, everyone jumped on him and continued on with the excitement. Noah was the loudest and most energetic.

    Zeke pushed Noah''s hat over his face, and let out a rare smile of pleasure. The scene made my heart twinge with an unknown feeling. But it felt unpleasant, like I was left out.

 97 Game Two: Pleasant Valley 5

    As our rambunctious team started to settle down, the other team replaced their pitcher. A little too late in my opinion.

    Noah returned to his seat next to me as the team congratulated Zeke. He raised an eyebrow at me, "Why didn''t you celebrate with us? That was a grand slam! Zeke''s only done that two times now."

    Oh. It was something special. Like Kyle''s perfect game. I turned my focus on the new pitcher, and mumbled, "I don''t like to be so close with others."

    "That doesn''t make sense. We''re around you all the time." Noah argued.

    "I don''t like to feel trapped." I admitted, more clearly.

    Noah didn''t reply. And I didn''t look his way, effectively ending the conversation. It would be hard to explain that I always need an exit plan, in case I get hurt. Noah can think of these guys as teammates and friends, but for me, they''re still strangers. They could have anger issues like my mom.

    Back to the new pitcher on the mound, he was just what they needed. He got Tony and John to groundout for back to back outs. As we go in to the top of the fourth inning, the score changed to 6-2, with us in the lead. For a called game, we have to score six more runs and keep them from scoring anymore.

    Like Pleasant Valley, we changed pitchers. I recognized the guy as Ryan, a senior like Zeke. They spoke frequently at practice so I knew of him even though we have never spoken personally.

    Ryan looked relaxed on the mound, with the four run lead. He got the fifth and sixth batters to both groundout. Gave up a bloop single. Then struck out the eighth batter. Not bad. Exactly what we need to attempt for a called game.

    Bottom of the fourth, brings up our weakest part of the lineup: batters seven, eight, nine. Daniel, Kelvin, and now Ryan. Daniel really didn''t look good at the plate. He had an ugly strikeout that made me wonder if he needed glasses. No wonder Noah started over him in game one. Even though they''re both weak in hitting, at least Noah didn''t look as shameful.

    Kelvin finally ended his hit-less streak by sending a grounder between third and shortstop. Unfortunately, Ryan ruined it by hitting a soft grounder to the pitcher, who threw to second, who threw to first. A 1-4-3 double play. The dugout seemed to be full of groans. Guess we might be playing the whole seven innings. Which isn''t a problem for me. I really didn''t mind sitting on the bench and watching them play.

    At the top of the fifth, Ryan got back on the mound. No one seemed worried that we couldn''t pull off a called game anymore. Unlike other pitchers, Ryan didn''t give off a fierce vibe. He just took his time and didn''t shake his head at Kelvin''s signs. He was able to strikeout the ninth batter easily.

    Even when he gave up a double to the next batter, the leadoff man, he still looked calm. I wonder if he''s always like that, or if he''s only like that because we have a comfortable lead. The next batter hit a hard line drive between Mahki and Zeke in the outfield. The guy in second hustled around the bases and scored with ease. But with Mahki''s strong arm, they were able to tag the batter out at second for our second out. 6-3. Ryan wasn''t upset with giving up a run and simply started to work on the next batter. The batter in the third hole spot, was having a bad game with two groundouts. That didn''t change even with the change in pitching. Ryan got him to groundout to the second baseman who threw to Julian.

    This was the first time I got to see John field a ball. He greeted the ball like he wasn''t afraid to make an error. And maybe he wasn''t. He treated it like any other grounder from practice and fielded it cleanly. I thought back to game one, where I caught a line drive right to me and a pop up that was pretty average. Grounders make me the most nervous due to the fact that they''re unpredictable and can take a bad bounce. I guess if I went to the ball like John did, then there would be less chance for the ball to get away from me.

    As I thought over the different actions between mine and John''s fielding, Coach called us to pay attention. I snapped out of it and looked on with the rest of the team.

    "Boys, Zeke has something to say before we start the offense." He nodded towards Zeke.

    Zeke looked around at us, making sure he had all of our attention. "I know we''re winning, but I''m not satisfied."

    "He''s never satisfied." Noah whispered lightly under his breath. I mentally nodded in agreement but didn''t dare to acknowledge aloud, in case Zeke caught us.

    "This inning, I want us to score seven runs. With seven, the mercy rule will come into effect. It''s been a long day between traveling and playing two games. With our second win, we''ll have to play game three tomorrow. I want us to be well-rested so it only makes sense to cut this game short." When Zeke spoke, the team listened. Everyone nodded in agreement. "Jason, Julian, Mahki, and I will start the offense. Coach?"

    Coach nodded his head. "This would benefit us in the long run. You all take charge and make sure to get on base and avoid getting out. Tony, John, and Daniel, I''ll be replacing you guys since today your bats aren''t working. We need to get on base." He looked over at me and Noah. "Freshmeat, grab your bats."

    I swallowed hard. All eyes were on us and not all of them felt friendly.

    "No easy outs Noah." Zeke said sternly.

    "Aye, aye, captain." Noah gave him a salute. The team let out little laughs, loosening the atmosphere.

 98 Game Two: Pleasant Valley 6

    Jason was to leadoff. As someone who had a single and a double already this game, we all had high hopes, but he came back empty handed. He struck out putting us in a tight spot. The called game looks even harder now.

    Julian was next. He had a good game going so far with a single and a walk. As he walked up to the plate, Coach called me, Noah and this other guy, Bryce, to him.

    "Noah, you''ll bat after Zeke. Then Bryce. Then Jake." Coach instructed. "Helmets on and bats in your hands. Find some space to stretch and take some practice swings."

    The sound of the aluminum bat, hitting a baseball, made him pause. We all looked to the field to see Julian sprinting past first, and dove head first to second. The dugout made noise and the crowd cheered.

    "Good." Coach nodded to himself in satisfaction. Then he turned back to us. "Noah, Bryce, you both have the same job: get on base safely. Hopefully drive in any runners left on base." He made eye contact with me. "I''m going to let you hit. Anyway you like and anywhere you please. I just want runs. Got it?"

    I nodded. Noah and Bryce also voiced their agreements. Coach then waved us away so he can watch Mahki at the plate. Even though Mahki had a good first game, in this afternoon game, he had grounded out into a double play and had struck out looking.

    This time around, he didn''t let us down. He sent a hard grounder down the third baseline, squeaking by the third baseman, but stayed in fair territory. Julian didn''t hesitate, and sprinted all the way home. By the time the left fielder got the ball back into the infield, we already went up to 7-3, Mahki made it to second base easily.

    Six more runs to go with Zeke up to bat. Noah moved to the on deck circle and I stood beside Bryce, ready to go.

    The catcher suddenly stood up and held his glove up and took a step away. They were going to intentionally walk Zeke. That would be his second of the day. Which is understandable since he hasn''t recorded an out yet today.

    "Noah, come back." Coach spoke. Bryce and I faced him as Noah came back to the dugout. "They''re hoping the next batter will hit into a double play to end the inning. So we''re going to change things up. Jake, you''ll go up first. Use your head up there. You need to keep the momentum going. Bryce and Noah will follow up."

    We all nodded and moved appropriately. Zeke was already sent to first base and it was my turn to go up to the plate. I gripped my wooden bat. This is it. My first chance to hit the way I like.

    "Be smart!" Coach called out one last time.

    I frowned, not totally sure what he means. Can you outsmart the other team? Is that a thing?

    I got in the righty''s box and relaxed my body. The first pitch was a ball. I studied the infielders and took note how they played right on the line of dirt and grass. They were definitely looking for a double play. Hmmm, be smart. Be smart. Be smart. Another ball went by. 2-0 count.

    Smart batting made me think of Sean''s at-bat. He pretended to be looking for a hit, when instead, he pushed for a bunt and was able to get a single. I thought about it. I could do something similar.

    After taking the third pitch for a called strike, I stepped out of the batters box, walked around the catcher and umpire, and got in the lefty''s box.

    Everyone seemed surprised. The catcher stood up and looked back at the ump. "Can he switch sides during an at-bat like this?"

    I froze. Can I? It''ll be really awkward if I can''t.

    The umpire called time out and replied. "Yes. He can switch sides every pitch. He just can''t do so when the pitcher is in motion."

    The catcher sized me up, then jogged up to the mound to meet with his pitcher. Oddly, the infielders joined them as well. Kind of like a team meeting.

    I peeked at my dugout. Everyone was leaning forward on the fence, calling for me to hit the ball. I looked for Noah. He caught my eye and gave me a thumbs up. I don''t know if that''s because he knew what I was doing or if that''s for good luck.

    The umpire decided they had enough time at the mound and went to tell them to break it up. Then both the ump and catcher returned to home plate as everyone else got back into position. I noticed the infielders had stepped up and no longer played so far back.

    I didn''t see any obvious gaps between the infielders that I could utilize. I had to think a little more.

    The pitcher got set and started his motion. Mahki looked to be inching a bit further from his leadoff spot from second. The pitch came and both Mahki and Zeke took off running. I quickly changed my grip on my bat to a bunting position and was able to touch the ball. Only for my bunt to go foul down the third baseline.

    The third baseman would have been too slow to throw it to first again. Mahki and Zeke went back to their positions and the pitcher got a new ball. I saw the third baseman already cheating and sneaking a few extra steps in.

    The pitcher got set. I showed my bunt this time, determined not to fail. The pitcher went through his motion and sent me a sloppy pitch. It didn''t have anything on it. Just begging to be hit. I took back the bunt, and went back to my normal hitting position. Then I took a good cut and sent the ball right over the third baseman''s glove even though he jumped.

    I took off and ran as fast as I could to first, not paying attention to anything else.

 99 Game Two: Pleasant Valley 7

    As I rounded first, I saw that the outfielder just getting to the ball so I decided to run to second. I didn''t want to stay on first and risk the next batter, Bryce, hitting into a double play. This whole inning is a gamble to turn this into a called game so I have to try.

    As I headed to second, I kept my head up and watched the ball. The left fielder was throwing to their cutoff man, the shortstop. The shortstop had his body angled towards the third base side, looking like he was going to throw home as soon as he got the ball. Thankfully that meant I didn''t have to slide.

    As the relay throw was happening, I was able to watch Zeke run home. He''s crazy fast to go from first base to home plate off my double. The shortstop threw to the catcher, but the throw was off and Zeke was able to safely slide into home. The crowd was going crazy.

    "BAMBI!!" The dugout yelled out as a group. I jumped and saw my teammates shaking the fence and hollering at me. They must be excited that the score was now 9-3, four more runs to go.

    The catcher asked for a time out and went up to the pitcher, with some of the infielders joining. The second baseman stayed near me, which confused me. It''s a timeout...I can''t go anywhere..?

    I turned my focus onto Bryce, who was coming up next. I didn''t really know him at all. We''ve had no contact. I think Noah had mentioned that there were four sophomores on the team: Sean, Brian, Theo, and Bryce. They had been on junior varsity last year as freshman and made an impact, so this year coach brought them up. Sean was the first one to make his appearance as a pinch hitter and surprised me with a bunt single. He was also the inspiration for my hit just now. Brian and Theo were always with the pitchers so we didn''t interact at all. Bryce never did infield work with us so I wasn''t sure what he could do, and since I never participated in batting practice, I didn''t know what type of hitter he was.

    As the umpire broke up the meeting on the mound, I looked towards Mr. Miller, wondering if he would give out a sign to Bryce. Or if all of us just got to freely hit as we please. Mr. Miller did a bunch of random hand gestures but never gave out the indicator sign so I guess Bryce is on his own.

    The pitcher looked to be shaken up after my hit. He was throwing all over the place and ended up walking Bryce. Not that I was upset by it, but I wished I could see why coach had picked him to pinch hit.

    The other teams coach came out and changed pitchers again. As he warmed up on the mound, Mr. Miller called me over.

    I jogged to him real quick during this timeout. He put an arm around my shoulder, leaned in close to my ear, covered his mouth with his hand and whispered. "You''re going to steal third on the first pitch to Noah."

    I shook my head, vehemently. Nope. No way. I''ll get out and coach will get mad at me and Zeke will for sure make me run laps.

    Mr. Miller pulled me even closer. "Stop being so transparent. Bryce is going to run as well. It''ll be a double steal. If you don''t run you can cause two outs and the inning will end. Just look at me, Okay? Don''t worry about the pitcher, catcher or anyone else. As soon as I clap my hands, sprint to me. Try and slide away from the tag. It''ll come late since Noah is a righty. He''ll be in the way of the throw."

    I thought about it. If I caused the inning to be over, I''m sure my laps would be doubled. I could do this. Even if I got out, they can''t really blame me. They all saw how bad I was in the first game.

    "Remember to lead off the bag." Mr. Miller smacked my back and sent me back to second base. I unsteadily jogged back. Lead off?

    As I got back to the bag, the umpire signaled for the pitcher to stop the warm up. Everyone resumed positions. I took note that the shortstop and second baseman were further back and not really holding me to the bag. Even the first baseman wasn''t standing on his bag. They were still looking for a double play, which is plausible with Noah up. He hit into a double play last game so they might have known that he hits grounders.

    I thought about how I''ve been watching players on base and how they led off. They usually were ten to fifteen feet off the bag depending on the middle infielders. I swallowed hard and started to step off the bag. I tried to stay in the direct line to third, and measured out a good distance off the bag, but still closer than the fielders.

    I know Mr. Miller said to focus on him, but I couldn''t help but to watch the pitcher. I didn''t want to be picked off and not even get a chance to save myself from laps. I glanced at Mr. Miller, ready to sprint and probably dive at third if I have to.

    The pitcher got set, peeked at me, peeked the other way at Bryce. Then he started his motion. I watched Mr. Miller from the corner of my eye and he brought his hands together as the pitcher took a step forward.

    I broke out in a sprint to third base. My eyes didn''t even want to see where the pitch went, I focused on third and Mr. Miller. "Stay up! No slide!"

 100 Game Two: Pleasant Valley end

    As soon as I stepped on third, I looked to the catcher to see what he did with the ball. He was standing, with the ball clutched in his hand, looking me then at Bryce. Then he angrily sent it back to the pitcher. "One out! Plays at first! Look at home!" He yelled out then got back to a squatting position.

    Mr. Miller gave me a pat on my helmet. "Not bad, kid. We shook them up and they lost a double play opportunity." I nodded, just happy that I didn''t have to slide. "Watch Noah''s bat." He lowered his voice. "Four more runs." Then he stepped back to the coaches box.

    I took a small lead off third, but the third baseman was too close for me to try to go any further. Plus the pitch was able to look at me before he started his motion. I didn''t dare to ease up.

    Noah was in the batters box and didn''t look as easygoing as he usually looked. He was giving the pitcher his undivided attention and was prepared for anything. His focus paid off as he was able to sneak a hit over the second baseman''s head. I ran home and after touching the plate, I looked to see what they would have Bryce do. Only to be surprised that he was right behind me. He didn''t even have to slide as the other team brought the ball back to the infield. Noah hit a two RBI single.

    I gave him a thumbs up and he reciprocated. Then I felt an arm on my shoulders, turning me around, and dragging me back to the dugout.

    "Nice job out there, Bambi!" Bryce guided me back to the dugout. We were greeted with pats, compliments, and sheer happiness.

    I wiggles out of his grasp and went to my bag in the open space. I switched out my helmet for my hat and made sure my bat was properly stored in my bag.

    "You did well." Zeke''s voice made me jump just a little. I faced him and nodded happily. I was able to hit the ball. "The fake bunt...did Noah tell you to do that?"

    I shook my head and looked at Sean. "He faked a big hit, to get a bunt-single." I could do the opposite right?

    Zeke let out a rare smile and patted my head. "You''re a quick learner. Very coachable. Tell you what, if we''re able to mercy rule them, no laps for you from this game."

    I immediately lit up. Then hurried to the fence to see what Kelvin could do at the plate. No laps, no laps, no laps. I prayed to the baseball gods that Kelvin would get another single like earlier. Just anything. Don''t let my hopes die here.

    Kelvin had an unfortunate 0-2 count against him. The pitcher looked excited. He would definitely pitch another strike. Come on Kelvin. Pull through. And he did! With the next pitch, he swung his bat and sent the ball to right field. It kept going and going and then made it over the fence for a two-run homerun! 13-3!

    The umpire was signaling homerun and then made a safe gesture and called the game. We did it! The team all hustled out to wait for Kelvin at home plate. I eagerly turned to look at Zeke.

    Zeke crack a smile. "No laps for this game. Let''s go." He followed his teammates to home plate.

    I followed along but kept my distance, not wanting to get stuck in the crowd.

    As soon as kelvin touched home plate, the team jumped him and pushed him around. I watched as they went crazy celebrating. Pleasant Valley walked off the field to their own dugout to pack up, a stark contrast to our joy.

    "Woo-hoo!" I hard smack on my back sent me stumbling forward a few steps. I turn to look at Dave, who came from the bullpen. The pitchers all joined in the celebration, but he stood beside me. "You know what this means, Bambi?"

    I put my hands on my back. That really hurt. But it didn''t make me cower in fear. It felt like Dave''s personality. Loud and aggressive. But mostly, energetic.

    "I get to pitch tomorrow. In the semifinals." He stood tall, hands on his hips, looking proud. "I''ll be able to one up Kyle and throw a perfect game against a better team."

    "I thought perfect games were rare?" I mumbled.

    He reached out for me and put me in a fake headlock, making my heart pound. "What''s that Jake? You get one hit and now think you can talk back to an upperclassman?" He flipped my hat off and started to mess my hair up.

    "Hey!" A force knocked into us, but Dave was able to hold us upright. He turned us to look at Noah. Noah was glaring at him, fury in his eyes. "What are you doing to Jake?! Let go, you idiot!"

    Dave released me and Noah pulled me closer to himself. Dave looked on as Noah fussed over me. "What''s up? We were just having some fun."

    Noah picked up my hat and slapped it on my head. "Jake, are you okay?"

    I nodded.

    "Did Dave hurt you? Be honest. I''ll tell my mom right away."

    I shook my head. He scared me a little but I''m not in any pain.

    "Don''t be such a worrywart." Dave said nonchalant. "Jake spoke back to me so I was showing some brotherly love."

    Noah looked at me for confirmation. I guess I technically spoke back to him, but it was a sincere question. Nonetheless, I nodded. "I''m okay."

    Dave''s arms stretched out and snatched up Noah. He did the same thing he did to me. "Now let me show you some brotherly love!"

    "Keep your love to yourself!" Noah struggled in his grasp.

    I let out a small laugh. Dave may be loud and boisterous, but he meant well. I didn''t feel any danger with him or his twin. Most of the Atkins felt more reliable than anything. Even scary Zeke wouldn''t hurt me. Not when he can just make me suffer through running laps.

 101 Reporters 1

    After we gathered our gear from the dugout, we left the field for the next game to start, San Marino versus Trabuco Canyon. The winner of this evening game will be who we play in the morning.

    "Boys, go home. Eat dinner. Rest up." Coach instructed as we stood off to the side of the field, near the spectator stands. "Us coaches will watch the game. We''ll create a stat and info sheet and send it to your emails before the night ends. You''ll be able to read it before you go to bed."

    The team nodded their heads obediently. The whole point of turning game two into a called game was in order to get rest. If we stayed to watch this game, it would defeat that purpose.

    Everyone said their goodbyes and started to head off with their parents. There were even some seniors who were able to drive themselves and went off alone.

    I stuck close to Noah as we waited for his brothers.

    "Do you think Mom and Dad will treat us to dinner? Or make us wait until we get home to eat?" He pondered.

    Since we were over an hour away from their home, and it was almost six in the evening already, I held up one finger to go with option one.

    He nodded. "That would be best. I''m so hungry right now. We better go somewhere that serves you a basket full of bread right as you sit down."

    "Well you did work hard today, kiddo." A stranger said from behind us.

    I jumped, startled that someone got so close without me noticing. I quickly maneuvered to step slightly behind Noah, using him as a buffer against this random stranger.

    The man had a polo shirt on over his potbelly. He wore some old looking glasses and a slightly torn baseball hat. He held out his meaty hand, holding a small, thin, white card. "I''m Luke Thompkins. A reporter with Bay Area Times. I was hoping to ask you kids some questions."

    Noah accepted the card and looked it over. Then he looked back at the man. "Oh? What do you want to ask? And why do you want us to answer? Don''t reporters usually interview coaches or captains?" Noah surprisingly started the questioning instead of the other way around.

    The man gave a jolly laugh. The kind a fake Santa would use in a holiday movie. It put me on edge. "You''re a smart kid. I just wanted to get to know the only two freshmen participating in this tournament. And even got starting positions in the first game for a seeded team. That''s an unusual sight."

    "You can''t question us without our coach or parents." Noah crosses his arms, defiantly.

    The man dropped his smiled and turned serious. "As expected of an Atkins. You know the rules well. I was hoping you would answer some questions without them present. Like, is nepotism the reason you got the starting job at shortstop? Your oldest brother is the captain."

    Noah sneered, ready to go off on the man. But Zeke suddenly appeared, stepped up and got in front of us, shielding is from the reported. "Mr. Thompkins, what a surprise. Still breaking the rules, I see. Hopefully you won''t get in too much trouble when I report you to the association like last time."

    I couldn''t see the man''s face anymore which made me feel more comfortable. But I could hear his disgust when he spoke to Zeke. "And hopefully you won''t be in a bad spot when I do a story about you giving a starting position to your littlest brother. Such nepotism would be frowned upon throughout the county. You may be the best player within county lines, but you''re also the most despicable." Despicable? What did that mean?

    Zeke turned his back to the man and faced us. "Let''s go. The twins already went to Mom and Dad. We should do the same." He waited for us to pick up our bags and then we walked away from the man. After we were fifteen yards away, Zeke spoke up. "It''s best to avoid that reporter."

    "I know." Noah huffed, still heated over the nepotism comment. "I recognized him right away. Did he think I wouldn''t? I remembered what he said about you last year. Freakin'' douche. I was on guard as soon as any so-called reporter would approach kids without adults present."

    Zeke nodded, and patted Noah''s shoulder. "You did well."

    Noah became a little shy with the praise. "Well, I mean...I almost lost it with the nepotism comment. I hate that everyone thinks I only made the team because of you and the twins." He deflated a little.

    "Let the scorecard be your voice. Two hits for five plate appearances. Two runs scored. Two runs batted in. No errors." Zeke kept his arm around Noah''s shoulder. "That''s a .400 batting average at the moment."

    Noah cheered up and stood up a little taller. "That''s right. As a freshman, I especially kicked butt today. And I saved Kyle''s perfect game with an outstanding diving stop."

    Zeke let go of him and gave him a slight nudge. "Simmer down. If we go by the numbers, another freshman did better than you." The both looked at me. I flushed red at the attention.

    "Jake''s last at-bat was good, right Zeke?" Noah gave me a smile. "I really thought you were bunting. Especially when you first attempt at a bunt went foul. I was scared you would bunt foul again and be called out."

    I tilted my head in confusion. "You can''t bunt foul when you have two strikes?"

    Noah and Zeke jaws dropped.

 102 Reporters 2

    "You didn''t know?" Noah asked, shocked.

    I shook my head. When would have I learned that if Noah didn''t teach me? I knew the very bare basics less than two weeks ago. Most of what I know comes from the videos Zeke made me watch and commit to memory.

    "Then why did you swing?"

    "The third baseman came in so I knew I could get it over his head." I shrugged.

    Zeke eyed me. "Five laps." He then took the lead and walked in front of us.

    Now it was my turn for my jaw to dropped. Why?? How did I get stuck with laps? What happened to not giving me any laps for game two? Five laps is a whole mile! And there''s still tomorrow''s game. Thankfully Kyle took my game one laps or I''d really be crying right now.

    I looked at Noah for help.

    He shrugged and motioned for us to catch up to Zeke. The three of us found the twins and Mr. and Mrs. Atkins in an open area, but a man with a camera was there too. He was taking pictures of the twins who had their backs up against one another.

    "I''d also like a shot of just Kyle. No doubt his perfect game will be a headliner for the sports section. No NorCal high school player has thrown a perfect game in the last three decades." The man was saying.

    Dave moved away from Kyle and joined us and his parents. "I can do it too." He mumbled.

    "Let Kyle have his moment." His mom scolded. "When you do it, we''ll celebrate you as well." She noticed the three of us who stood behind them. "Hey boys, we were wondering where you were. Mr. Cameron wanted to do a special article on you kids. Isn''t that sweet?"

    I warily took a step back. Another reporter? We just escaped the first one.

    Noah laughed at my reaction. He tugged me back to him. "Not all reporters are like the guy before. We just have bad history with him. Mr. Cameron here is a good guy. He''s the one that made Zeke famous statewide in high school baseball."

    I relaxed.

    But Mrs. Atkins didn''t. She frowned. "You guys ran into Thompkins?"

    Noah nodded. "He tried interviewing me and Jake without you present and I even warned him. Then Zeke showed up and said he would report him."

    Mrs. Atkins whipped out her phone. "I will right this moment. That guy should know better by now." She went a few feet away and started to make a call.

    "Hey guys! You finally showed up!" Kyle was done taking pictures with Mr. Cameron and they rejoined our circle.

    Mr. Cameron''s eyes lit up at the sight of Zeke. "Zeke! How''s it going?" He held out his hand.

    Zeke shook it firmly. "Can''t complain. We''re off to a good start."

    "Yes, yes. I was able to watch both games. Three homeruns, two intentional walks, and a double. An impressive 1.000 batting average. Definitely living up to your status as the best in the county. Do you mind some questions and pictures? I just finished asking Kyle about his perfect performance."

    "I don''t mind." Zeke replied.

    Noah smirked. "I know a certain somebody who also has a perfect 1.000 batting average and isn''t ranked in the top of the county."

    Mr. Cameron''s attention shifted to us. "Ah, right. Noah you had a strong showing as a freshman. And you must be Jake Hollander, the freshman with a 1.000 batting average."

    I shuffled my feet and safely found a spot over Noah''s shoulder, trying to avoid his attention. The only reason I have a perfect batting average is because walks don''t count for anything and I only have one hit for one plate appearance. Nothing impressive like Zeke''s multiple homers.

    Mr. Cameron blinked in confusion with my response.

    "Don''t mind Jake. He''s super shy." Kyle explained my reaction.

    "Oh. Well are your parents here? I''d like to ask a few simple questions about how you feel playing alongside the Atkins and what it''s like to be one of only two freshman in this tournament."

    I backed up even more, almost bumping into Mr. Atkins. Mr. Atkins put a hand on my shoulder for reassurance. Or to stop me from running away. Too soon to tell. "Jake is actually staying with us right now. He''s in the foster system. We act as his guardians."

    "Oh." Mr. Cameron paused. "I''m sorry for being so insensitive. I hope you''ll allow him to answer some light questions. Just a little filler in case we have room."

    "Jake won''t talk to you." Noah answered before his dad could. "I''ll answer for the both of us."

    Mr. Cameron looked confused.

    "Jake hardly speaks at the moment." Mr. Atkins explained. "In the eyes of the state, he''s a mute. Diagnosed as selective mutism."

    Mr. Cameron smacked his own forehead. "I''m double sorry for being insensitive again."

    "It''s fine. It''s not something you would expect to come up." Mr. Atkins gave my shoulder a light squeeze. "Jake, do you want to answer some questions? I''m sure Mr. Cameron can make them yes or no questions. And we can fill in the gaps."

    I immediately looked to Noah. He gave me a bright smile. "We can do it together. I''ll answer for you and we can be grouped together."

    Mr. Cameron sensed my closeness with Noah. "Yes, I can do that. In fact, it''ll be easier to interview the two freshmen together. It can be a nice short side piece. Kyle and Zeke will be getting all the attention, I promise."

    Mr. Atkins gave me a little push to Noah.

    Well it doesn''t sound so bad if it''s just going to be a little. And almost unnoticeable next to Kyle''s perfect game and Zeke''s multiple homeruns. I gave one last glance to Noah to confirm. He gave me a nod then threw an arm around my shoulder, making us face Mr. Cameron head on.

    "We''re ready." He said.

 103 Reporters 3

    Mr. Cameron pulled out a small notepad and a pen. He flipped to an empty page and started his scribbling. "So you''re both freshmen for Watsonville High. Was it a difficult process to make the varsity team? Or did you feel confident with your older brothers by your side?"

    Noah''s arm around me turned stiff, but he didn''t get upset. "Jake and I had two different kinds of tryouts. He just started school two weeks ago and was able to impress the captain and coaches in a one day tryout. As for me, I spent the whole fall semester training with the baseball program before they decided on rosters during the holidays. I was confident in becoming the best shortstop in the program due to my hard work and effort that I put into practice. Not because I had big brothers already on the team."

    Mr. Cameron jotted that down, filling up a few tiny pages. "I didn''t mean to imply that you got on the team because of your brothers. But how do you feel about others believing that''s how you got on the team?"

    Noah glanced up at Zeke and then gave the reporter a smile. "Like Zeke told me earlier, I should let the scorecard speak on my behalf."

    Mr. Cameron nodded and continued writing. "Yes, I was impressed, especially with your defense. You had that last grab in the first game in order to save Kyle''s perfect game. You and Jake were able to pull off a nice combo there. Do you guys practice that often as middle infielders?"

    Noah laughed. "We practice all aspects of the game." I nodded. Yea, because I know nothing.

    "Are your team practices a challenge with such a great player leading your team?"

    I nodded right away, but Noah disagreed. "This is the only kind of practice I know. Even in little league, when my brothers and I were on all different teams, we would still practice together at the park. But, it''s nice to finally have some competition. With the twins as pitchers and Zeke as an outfielder who''s great at hitting, I like going up against others who play in the infield like me."

    Mr. Cameron looked at me. "But you think the practices are challenging?"

    I nodded. Then nudged Noah. Noah cleared his throat. "Jake doesn''t really find it difficult, just different. Jake hasn''t played with a team before so he''s unaccustomed to playing with others in a group setting."

    Mr. Cameron tapped his notebook with his pen. "Does that have something to do with why you''re in the foster system? I''d hate to dig up something that you feel uncomfortable with."

    Mr. Atkins spoke up before Noah could. "Jake can''t answer too many questions about his past so it would be best if you let it go. Sorry."

    "No, it''s okay." Mr. Cameron gave an apologetic smile. "As a reporter, I''ve come across kids with complicated backgrounds before. Since I''m a sportswriter, I should focus on sports. I''ll just work around it and say you find the practices different from what you''re use to."

    I gave a nod. This guy really isn''t so bad. A totally different atmosphere compared to that Thompkins guy. He asked us a few more easy questions about what it''s like playing with older teens that are practically adults, if we like batting or fielding more, and what we look forward to this season.

    Noah was able to tell him that we would do our best no matter the age gap. That he likes fielding and that I like batting. And that we look forward to winning with our team and hopefully we can win league with all his brothers on the same team.

    Mr. Cameron showed some enthusiasm with Noah''s last answer. "This is the first time that I''ve heard of, where four brothers all play on the varsity team. You boys are really setting records and making history around here." He looked at Zeke. "And it all started with you. I still remember the first time I saw you play as a sophomore. Such a keen eye during batting, and always making great plays on defense."

    Zeke tipped his hat. "Thank you. I appreciate all the support."

    "When I saw the high school player rankings, i wasn''t surprise to see you still holding first in the county, but eighth in the whole state of California is crazy impressive. And most of the guys ahead of you are pitchers. Do you think you could be drafted into the MLB right out of high school?"

    My eyes widened in shock. I knew Zeke was good; it''s feels like everyone says he''s the best in the county, but out of thousands and and thousands, he''s eighth?? My jaw dropped. And now this reporter says he has a chance to be drafted to the pros right after high school?

    "It would be an honor." Zeke smiled. "But I''m still considering getting my education first. A free college degree wouldn''t be so bad. And I''ve always dreamed about going to the College World Series."

    "Have you narrowed your college choices? I know you visited a few, unofficially, over winter break, but no one has reported that you signed a national letter of intent."

    Zeke tilted his head slightly. "I''m still thinking over my options. The quiet period ends next week at the end of February so it''ll be more clear when I''m able to talk to the coaches again."

    Mr. Cameron nodded, understandably. The total opposite of me. I was beyond confused. A letter? Unofficial visit? Quiet period? They were talking complete gibberish in my eyes, but none of the other boys seemed as lost as me.

    "With such a hot start, I wouldn''t write off getting drafted just yet." Mr. Cameron smiled. "The ESPN 100 will update their player list later this week. Last I saw, you were at 58. You might just break top 20 after this tournament if you keep hitting the ball out of the park."

 104 Reporters 4

    It took a bit longer for Mr. Cameron to ask some more questions after talking to Zeke about his future options. He was very thorough in his questions about today, tomorrow, and the season. By the time he was done, Mrs. Atkins has already ended her phone call and was just waiting on us.

    "Okay, one last thing boys. I would like to get a picture of all five of you together for a group shot." Mr. Cameron smiled at us, happy with all the notes he had written down.

    I nervously looked at the Atkins. He said five. That includes me right? I''ve never had my picture taken before. What do I do?

    Noah saw me inching away and quickly grabbed me. "Where do you think you''re going? Come here. It''s just a picture." He looked at Mr. Cameron. "How should we pose?"

    Mr. Cameron started to arrange us. Noah and I would stand in the front, with his arm over my shoulders, like he usually does. The twins and Zeke stood behind us, with Zeke in between the twins. He had each twin put an elbow on Zeke, leaning on him, and Zeke had his arms across his chest, looking intimidating as always. "Looking good! Let me just snap a few. For the first one, let''s use serious expressions."

    He went on and on as he started clicking his camera. He kept picking out different expressions like frowns, smiles, and smirks, but I just stood there frozen. I just tried my best not to look terrified. Luckily he didn''t comment on it and just ignored my awkwardness. After ten minutes he finally started to part ways.

    "Well thanks you guys. Sorry to hold you up. I''ll let you all get to dinner and head home. Rest well for tomorrow!" He lowered his voice and whispered. "I''ll be cheering for you boys, but not aloud. Have to be non-biased in this job, you know."

    They all laughed and started to say their goodbyes.

    "Mr. Cameron, if that last group shot doesn''t make it to the paper, can you send it to me?" Mrs. Atkins asked before we left.

    Mr. Cameron nodded and held up his camera. "I''ll send it all to your email. I took some during the game as well and captured some good action shots."

    "Thanks!"

    We finally separated and got to go back to the car. We stuffed all our bags in the trunk and got into the same seats we had sat in, on the way here. After discussion and hitting the road, Mr. and Mrs. Atkins decided that Kyle would get to pick what''s for dinner since he had the most impressive performance.

    "Hear that, mister-first-in-the-county-and-eighth-in-the-state?" Kyle taunted Zeke. "I had the better performance."

    Zeke smirked. "You forgot 58th in the country. And I might even break the top 20."

    Dave and Noah laughed.

    "I." I coughed and cleared my throat. The car seemed to quiet down and so many eyes focused on me. "Uh. I didn''t understand." I turned to Noah and pretended only he was listening. "What the guy was saying."

    Noah squinted at me. "What part?"

    I glanced at Zeke real quick.

    "Ohhh." Noah nodded. "The talk about Zeke''s future in baseball? Right, you wouldn''t understand since you barely even know how high school baseball works."

    "All you need to know, is that Zeke is good. Really good." Noah told me.

    Dave snorted. "Don''t ask Noah. He doesn''t even know what''s going on."

    Kyle laughed. "Yea, it''s something that really only affects upperclassmen."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I know a little."

    "What did you not understand?" Zeke asked.

    I looked at my hands, avoiding eye contact. "The letter? And quiet period. And ESPN 100."

    "The ESPN 100 is just the top recruits in the country." Noah explained. "ESPN is the top sports channel. They have analysts and reporters everywhere. They have rankings for almost everything sports related. Like for high school baseball, they''ll list the top 100 players and update it every few weeks. When it gets closer to draft day, they really emphasized the top 30 high schooler who could possibly be drafted."

    Zeke nodded. "That''s pretty much the gist of it. Unlike other professional sports, the MLB can draft high school players that just graduated. But that''s rare. It''s mostly college players unless you''re really good."

    "You''re good." I whispered.

    The twins laughed. "That''s an understatement."

    "The national letter of intent is kind of like a contract to go play at a college. I would commit to play for that school in exchange for a scholarship to pay for my education." Zeke told me. "When we spoke about the quiet period, it''s a certain period of a few weeks where college coaches can''t contact potential recruits. It''ll end at the end of this month, and that''s when I''ll start thinking about what I want to do."

    "Zeke has a lot of options." Kyle added. "He''s good enough to possibly get drafted by a pro team so of course a lot of super colleges want to recruit him. By March, our house will have a ton of visitors and there''ll be scouts showing up to watch him."

    I looked in amazement at Zeke. I feel like he keeps getting better and better every time we spoke about baseball.

    "It''s harder to make a choice when you have so many options." Zeke faced forward and got into a more comfortable position. "There''s a lot of pros and cons you have to go through for every opportunity. Some colleges are too far. Some don''t offer enough scholarship money. Some won''t have a shot at the college World Series. Some will require me to stay for the full four years before I go back to the draft. Then there''s the MLB teams. Some will start you in the lowest of minor league teams and it''ll take years to make it to the majors. Some will use you as a bargaining chip for trades. Then there''s money to think about. The earlier you get picked, the more you get in bonus."

    "You don''t need to worry about money, Zeke." Mr. Atkins cut him off. "We''ve told you before. Pick what you want to do because you want to do it. Not because having a lot of money will help your future. You don''t have to be so reasonable all the time."

    The car went oddly silent. Even the twins had nothing to say. I looked at Noah but he just shrugged and pulled out his handheld video game. Maybe they have had this talk a few too many times and didn''t want to continue anymore.

    I sighed and looked out my window to watch the scenery. I didn''t realize there was so much to baseball outside of games and practice. There''s college and the MLB. Zeke would be a pro in the end no matter what path he takes, I''m positive.

 105 Prepare

    Kyle ended up picking an Italian restaurant for dinner, so Noah did, in fact, get to gorge on bread. Afterwards, we finished the drive back to the house and started to take showers and prepare for bed.

    Noah had let me go first, so by the time he came back to the room, I was already in pajamas, sitting on the floor with my bat in my hands. I was cleaning it with the alcohol that was specifically for wooden bats. I only got one hit, but I had fouled the ball a lot today and I was worried if it could break again. I could feel some little dents and brought out the piece of wood that Mr. Atkins bought for me.

    "You really care for that bat, Jake. Almost like it''s your own baby." Noah laughed, laying down on his bed. "I don''t get why you would even like it. An aluminum bat can lengthen the distance you hit. And your swing will be much quicker with a lighter bat."

    I didn''t look up. "My mom hit me with one."

    Noah didn''t say anything for awhile. The only sound between us was me, caring for my bat. I knew Noah would ask one day why I wouldn''t touch an aluminum bat. It was better to tell him now and then maybe he could explain to others when the question came up again. When Mr. Duncan found out I was using a wooden bat, he completely understood, but that''s because he knew what happened.

    "Jake?" He said after sitting in silence for so long.

    I froze, but didn''t dare to make eye contact. I don''t think I could stand anymore pity from Noah. He was the first one to reach out to me when I got here, but he also takes care of me. Whether it''s standing up for me when others get upset, or defending me from his brothers, he was always there to help for the last 14 days. He deserved to know some things about me. But I wasn''t ready to tell him everything.

    "Jake." He took a deep breath and let it out. "I''m sorry you had such a crappy mom. But, I''m happy you were able to come here." I heard him move off his bed. He sat across from me on the floor of our room. "If you ever want to talk about it, you''ve got me. Right?"

    I nodded, keeping my eyes on my bat. We sat in silence as I worked with my bat. He just sat there and watch me. Maybe waiting for me to share some more, but I had nothing else to say.

    "Noah! Jake! Do you get the email?!" Dave burst into our room, startling us. He looked down at us and made a weird face. "What are you guys doing..?"

    "Jake is cleaning and taking care of his bat. It requires attention or he might break it again." Noah replied. He stood up and stretched. "I was just watching since I''ve never cared for a wooden bat before. What were you saying about the email?" He moved to his desk and switched his computer on.

    "Coach sent out the scorecard and stat sheet for our opponent." Dave leaned against the desk as Noah started typing and logging in.

    "Who''s it going to be?"

    "San Marino." Dave curled his lips in disgust. "I can''t believe my first pitch outing is up against those douchebags."

    San Marino? That sounded familiar.

    "Is that the guys Jake ran into this morning?" Noah looked up from the computer. "You called them douchebags then too..."

    "That''s a lie. That was Kyle." Dave huffed.

    "Okay, then it was you who called them punks." Noah rolled his eyes. "Why so much animosity?"

    "Because they''re a bunch of cheats." Kyle voiced his opinion from the doorway. "Just look at the scorecard for game one and then game two."

    I hugged my bat, waiting for Noah to look at the attachments in his email. He studied the first one with a frown, then opened the next. He then went back to the first. Then back to the second. Finally he scooted his chair back from the desk so he could look at both twins. "An anomaly for both makes it a coincidence."

    My eyebrows raised and i asked in a low voice. "What does an anomaly on a scorecard look like?"

    Noah waved me over. "Come here." I got up and carried my bat with me. I looked at his computer. "This is the scorecard for their game one. A scorecard records details of the game as it unfolds. The scorekeeper will list the lineups batting order and add the players number and position. They''ll record the play-by-play and at the end of the game they tally up the stats."

    I studied the image and there was numbers everywhere, expressing groundouts, fly outs, strike outs, and so on. There were a few symbols that I didn''t recognize so I pointed out the most glaringly one. There was a PH and PR listed under almost every name in the lineup and then a new name.

    "That stands for pinch hitter or pinch runner. That''s the anomaly. Usually a team wouldn''t bother replacing every player in the course of a game unless it was a one-sided game." Kyle explained.

    "One-sided can describe a game that is a total blowout one way or the other." Noah elaborated. "When you''re either winning by a lot or losing by a lot. But in this game," he moved the mouse around, highlighting certain at-bats. "It was relatively close at all time. Another strange thing would be the hit-by-pitch. There''s four of them for this team. That means San Marino has either wild pitchers or they play dirty."

    "They definitely play dirty." Dave declared.

    Noah clicked on the other attachment. "Now look at game two." It oddly resembled game one, with a bunch of pinch hitters, runners, and substitutes. Only two were hit by pitch. "San Marino is throwing a lot of inside pitches. It''s crazy that multiple pitchers are like this."

    "It''s the way their coach has taught them." Zeke walked in the room, making it even more crowded. "San Marino is known for their aggressive play style. They really make baseball a contact sport and won''t throw away an opportunity to run into you at the bases." He looked at me and Noah. "You two will have to be the most careful."

    I swallowed, hard. Would it be rude to ask to sit out this game?

 106 Game Three: San Marino 1

    The dugout was tense. Beyond tense. Everyone was stiff and didn''t seem relaxed at all. Even Zeke''s face was stiffer than normal, but not because he''s afraid of losing, but because he was wary of the aggression San Marino might show.

    After he came to our room last night, he agreed with what the twins had said before: they play dirty. But in a near acceptable way, where it''s hard for an umpire to decide if they''re doing it on purpose. He spent most of the night instructing us on safety. "I rather lose a game, than lose you guys for the season." Zeke stated. That sentence had comforted me last night; knowing Zeke wouldn''t punish me with laps if I dodged an ugly slide.

    "Listen up." Coach Wilcox called for our attention. "I''ve already shown the umpires and tournament advisers the scorecards. They said they''ll pay attention to the wild pitches so don''t me timid up there." His eyes fell on me.

    "Don''t worry about Jake, Coach." Noah said for the team to hear. "He could easily dodge any wild pitches."

    Coach lifted an eyebrow.

    I nodded. I''m really good at predicting the pitches trajectory and taking note of the spin, to ensure that I could hit any pitch. It would be even easier to get out of the way.

    Coach smiled. "If Bambi ain''t scared, then you older boys need to stop looking so afraid." The guys all laughed, but me. One, now even Coach is calling me Bambi. Two, I''m still scared. I was thoroughly worried after Zeke warned us last night that they like to slide with spikes up.

    I usually don''t like the ball coming to me, but I rather have the ball come to me for every play, that way I don''t have to cover a base and risk somebody purposely running into me.

    "Okay, now that your faces aren''t so paralyzed, here''s the starting lineup:

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Hollander

    3 LF Mahki Holstrom

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 1B Julian Wilson

    6 RF Sean Isner

    7 3B Jason Morris

    8 C Kelvin Bender

    9 P Dave Atkins

    Look alive and be aware."

    "It''s David, Coach." Dave just got back from warming up in the bullpen to hear the lineup. "You guys never listen to me. One of these days, I''m going to stop replying to Dave. My name is David."

    A few guys laughed.

    "We can always call you Davey like when we were little." Noah snickered.

    "What''s that!" Dave tried getting to us. I stepped away from Noah, making room.

    "Quit it." Zeke bopped Dave on the top of his head with his glove. "It''s almost time to go out and take the field."

    Dave looked like he had been wronged by his brother. He pouted. "Is that anyway to treat your pitcher who''s about to perform?"

    Zeke rolled his eyes at the act and walked out of the dugout. "Let''s go. Hands in." The team all got up and joined him. I hung on the outskirts. "Win on three. One, two-"

    "WIN!" The team shouted in unison. The starters jogged to their positions and the bench players went back to the dugout. Others went to the bullpen.

    I ran to my spot, trying not to flinch at the feel of the cold breeze. Mid-February in Northern California only had highs in the 50s. Game three starts at 9am, meaning the temperature was still only 46 degrees Fahrenheit. Mrs. Atkins was well prepared and had long sleeves ready to go in the morning with our freshly washed uniforms.

    "Jake! Focus!" Julian rolled me a grounder.

    I snapped back to reality and cleanly fielded the grounder. Julian then rolled one to Noah. And then Jason. Then back to me. While we practiced grounders and throwing to first base, Dave was on the mound taking his warmups very seriously, and the outfield were throwing long to one another.

    Even though the team was in a happier mood when we left the dugout, it started to revert back.

    The umpire called for the balls back. All extra baseballs were sent back to the dugout and we got ready for the batter to step in the box. As soon as the San Marino batter stepped up to the plate, cheers were being yelled out.

    "Get him Joey!"

    "Start off strong!"

    "Get on base or lose your leadoff spot!"

    The cheers weren''t even coming from their dugout, but from the stands. I looked past the fencing and saw what looked to be like San Marino players in the stand as well as in the dugout. Is their team really big? Why can''t all their players be in the dugout?

    "Don''t get distracted, Bambi!" Noah clapped his glove, getting my attention. "Dave start with a strikeout like Kyle did!"

    Dave looked back at him and tilted his head back, smiling like he already got the strikeout. I''m glad these two were still confident in our win. Add in Zeke and that''s three. That''s one-third of the starters on the field. Dave turned back to face the batter down.

    I also put my focus on the batter and lowered my body to be ready for any grounders hit my way. Ideally Dave would strike every single one of them out and I wouldn''t have to worry about fielding errors or getting hurt from a collision. Not realistic at all, I know, but I could dream.

 107 Game Three: San Marino 2

    Dave stepped on the rubber and started his motion. On the very first pitch, the batter connected and sent it to the outfield. My heart started to pound. But my eyes were able to calmly watch Mahki catch it. I let out a sigh of relief.

    "That wasn''t a strikeout at all." Noah muttered, but loud enough for the infield to hear.

    Dave sent a glare his way, then faced batter number two. He came out swinging as well, fouling back the first few pitches. Dave tried to finish him off, looking for a strikeout, but the guy ended up smacking the ball down the first baseline, just out of Julian''s reach. Sean picked up the ball and immediately sent it to Julian at first, holding the player there.

    "Jake!" Noah grabbed my attention as Julian threw the ball to Dave. "You forgot the three B''s. You didn''t move at all."

    I shivered and peeks out to center field. Zeke clapped his hands twice which I found ominous. I quickly turned away from his and gave Noah a helpless shrug.

    "Don''t worry. This time was no big deal. But you should have backed up that throw in case Julian missed it." Noah scooted over back to his spot. "One out!" He yelled out. "Plays at second and first!" He clapped with his glove. "Got your back Davey!"

    The infield left out little laughs. Dave rolled his eyes and got back on the rubber, mumbling to himself, but not looking super upset. He let the first two batters connect, so I thought he would be nervous or afraid to pitch to the strike zone, but he showed no fear. His very next pitch was right down the middle.

    This time the ball flew to dead center. Zeke jogged a few steps back and caught it. Then threw a bullet right to Noah''s chest. He quickly turned, ready to throw to first in case the runner had stepped off the bag. But he didn''t. Noah threw to Dave at the mound, and hollered. "Two outs! Dave''s letting the balls fly today!" Who heard, had laughed. Even I smiled.

    Dave''s lips twitched but he turned away from us and faced Kelvin to get the next pitch sign. I think Noah might be in trouble when it''s time to go back to the dugout, but that could just be my opinion.

    Batter number three followed number ones steps: he sent a nice and high fly ball to Mahki for three outs. We jogged to the dugout and got ready to go on the offensive.

    As Noah and I were putting on our helmets and grabbing our bats, I saw Dave in the corner of my eye.

    I quickly made space just as Dave put Noah in a headlock and tickled his rib cage. "You punk! Making fun of me out there, huh?!"

    Noah laughed. "No, no. I was just stating the truth. It''s not my fault you let the team down and lost the perfect game already."

    "Why you little-" Dave gave up the headlock and focused on just tickling him.

    "Quit it." Zeke slapped him upside the head, knocking Dave''s hat to the ground. "Noah needs to start us off and you''re here just playing around."

    Dave rubbed the spot where he got hit, and bent down to pick up his hat. "Give him laps!"

    "Are you volunteering to take his and Jake''s laps??" Zeke towered over him, exerting dominance.

    Dave inched away. "Nope. Nope. Uhh I actually gotta go talk to Kelvin about some signs. Ok. Bye." He weaved through the team and made his way to the other side of the dugout.

    "Idiot." Noah mumbled as he straightened his uniform up.

    Zeke''s glare went to him. "What are you still doing here? Get out there. If you don''t get on base that''s another two laps for the both of you."

    We both bolted, scurrying away.

    "What a tyrant." Noah mumbled as we both got out of the dugout. He stood outside the batters box and took some practice swings.

    I nodded at the statement and got in the on deck circle. Zeke was too mean sometimes. We went from being punished by my mistakes, to now where Noah has to get on base. Add in the fact he gave me five laps for no reason yesterday after game two, and I can see me do nothing but run tomorrow after school.

    Not that I didn''t have confidence in Noah at the plate, it''s just...he''s not as good as me. He couldn''t guarantee getting on base or even hitting the ball like I could. But I wouldn''t hold it against him. He didn''t hold my novice fielding against me even though I''ve been racking up the laps. Luckily Kyle took game one, and Zeke voided game two, otherwise we would spend all week running.

    Noah swung at two nasty curves with insane trajectory. They looked to be high pitches, then would drop low in the strike zone. For the third pitch, Noah had decided to be patient and didn''t swing, which ended up being a bad decision since it wasn''t a curve this time. It was just a fastball in the upper part of the strike zone. He was called out on strikes.

    Noah looked up in exasperation, but collected himself and walked himself back. He patted my shoulder and whispered, "Couldn''t distinguish the curve from the fastball." Then he went back to the dugout.

    "That''s two laps for each of you." I heard Zeke tell him.

    I started to walk to the plate when I heard Noah shout, "Double or nothing!"

    My eye twitched. Damn. Does he really need to add extra pressure to me? I looked back at the dugout to see what Zeke would do. He brushed off Noah and sent him away.

    He faced me and rubbed his nose for me to see. He wanted me to foul. Probably wants me to tire out this pitcher with the good curve. I could do that.

 108 Game Three: San Marino 3

    I got in the righty''s box and stretched a little before getting set. Then I faced the pitcher. The San Marino was a teal color and really made him look tan. Kind of like a stereotypical surfer boy with sun bleached hair peeking out of his cap.

    He used three strikes to get Noah and must have thought I would expect a strike. It was another curve, but it had too much spin on it, falling too quickly and bounced on the plate for ball one.

    "Good eye." Mr. Miller clapped from the third base coach line. I stepped out of the box for a practice swing and then got set once more. I followed the pitchers motion carefully and looked at the release point. This one was a fastball. I swung late and fouled it down the first baseline.

    The pitcher looked at me in surprise. That must have been his top speed. Nothing too impressive, hovering in the high 70s. Just like the twins in my eyes. He followed up with three more just like it and I sent them all in the same direction. He sure was adamant about these strikes.

    The dugout cheered me on and made me a little nervous. Zeke said before that if I fouled too many times, a pitcher would lose his cool and could throw at me. This definitely seems like the team that would pull that kind of stunt.

    The pitcher did look frustrated, but no pitches came at my body. He ended up walking me after sixteen pitches, where I was able to foul twelve. He looked annoyed, but didn''t spare me a glance as I jogged to first.

    "Way to work it." Coach Luis spared some praise my way as I stepped on first.

    Mahki was up next. In the tournament, he was 3 for 6, so it was a 50% chance for a hit. Unfortunately it didn''t happen. He flew out to center field and the ball was sent back to the infield. I was still standing on first. I didn''t even feign tagging the base and running. Mostly because I didn''t really know how, but also because I didn''t want to give them a chance to hurt me. Safety first is my life philosophy.

    With two outs in the bottom of the first, Zeke came up to bat. His appearance brought about cheering from the stands, dugout, and bullpen. In both games yesterday, Zeke started off with a homerun. This game wasn''t any different to him. After a 2-2 count, he blasted one over the left field fence.

    I ran around the bases and touched home, with Zeke right on my heels. He picked up his own bat and patted the top of my helmet before accepting the praise from his teammates in the dugout. I followed a few steps behind and watched as all the guys celebrated are 2-0 lead.

    I spotted Noah by our bags and headed over. I changed out my helmet for my hat and grabbed my glove. I sat beside him.

    "Zeke is a straight up beast." He said once I was seated. I nodded. That''s an accurate statement. "I wonder how-" He cut hisself off mid sentence. "Never mind." He sighed.

    I curiously looked at him, wondering what was with the depressed atmosphere around Noah even though we were winning. But with Sean''s strikeout it was time to take the field again.

    Top of the second. Dave was still pitching to contact, but didn''t give up any hits. He shut them down with a fly out to short, a groundout to short, then a fly out to left. He flexed his arm in front of me and Noah as we got back inside the dugout.

    "Not only did you lose the chance for a perfect game, you don''t even have a strikeout." Noah snorted. I let out a smile. Noah sure never minced his words.

    Dave was about to reach for him, but a hand on his shoulder made him freeze. He slowly turned and looked up to Zeke.

    "You''re in the hole." Zeke told him. "Helmet. Bat. Get on base."

    Dave gave a tight smile and a nod before leaving us alone.

    Zeke looked at us. "Stop antagonizing him."

    "It''s motivation." Noah laughed.

    "Two more laps." Zeke replied, straight faced and walked to coach.

    I frowned at Noah. Noah bumped my shoulder with his. "He''ll lighten up once we get the win. Maybe he''ll take them away like yesterday. Or we can try and give them to Dave."

    Unbelievable. I rolled my eyes away from him and looked to the field. The bottom of our lineup would be going out there to start the bottom of the second.

    Jason led off for us. He had shown two different sides during yesterday''s games. In game one, he did nothing, but in game two, he got a couple of hits. Jason had a tough fight at the plate. He missed the first pitch, then took two balls, fouled one back, fouled another wide of the third baseline, took another ball. With a full count, he was able to send a hard grounder between second and first. He made it to first base without any problems.

    The team clapped and the stands cheered. It was a good start. Kelvin was up next. The pitcher must have been shaken or tired or something, but he threw three straight balls. Then kelvin took a called strike. He looked at Mr. Miller. This time Mr. Miller added a new sign compared to what he was doing for the last few pitches. He added an elbow touch. The sign for a steal.

    I nervously looked at Noah.

    He caught me looking and let out a laugh. "There''s no need for you to look so worried. You''re not the one running. Not everyone is as bad as you. Kelvin will either take the pitch for ball four, or he might swing and miss big in order to distract the catcher."

    Oh. I turned to watch, wondering how Jason looks, stealing second. Maybe I could learn something from him.

 109 Game Three: San Marino 4

    Jason took a normal lead off first base. He stood three or four yards off the bag and was inching towards second. The pitcher didn''t even bother looking his way. Jason inched further and further out.

    The pitcher started his motion and with the lift of his leg, Jason took off. It was a fastball right down the middle, Kelvin whiffed and the catcher quickly popped up and threw the ball to the shortstop at second base.

    The throw was bad and off its mark, it went high enough where the shortstop had to jump up. Jason began to slide, feet first. Then it seemed to happen too fast for me to comprehend. The shortstop came down with the ball and then Jason was screaming. The umpire yelled, "Out!"

    Coach Luis ran to Jason and Mr. Miller joined them.

    "Chris, warm up." Coach called before stepping out of the dugout.

    I looked at Noah, who was staring at the grouping at second base. He lost his easygoing demeanor and was frozen solid. I poked him. Then poked him again. After the seventh poke he came back to reality and looked at me, with a grim expression. "Jason is hurt."

    No duh. I could see that. In fact, I think everyone heard it. That scream. I shivered.

    Someone from the stands came onto the field and joined the coaches. After some discussion, Mr. Miller and Coach Luis helped Jason to his feet, they then preceded to carry them to the exit where a golf cart was waiting. They set him down and the man from the stands, got in the driver seat, and drove Jason away.

    Coach came back to the dugout and took off his hat to speak to the team. "Jason is going to the hospital."

    The team gasped and started to talk all at once.

    "What the hell?"

    "That was illegal for sure!"

    "How was he even called out?"

    "That couldn''t be considered a tag."

    "Quiet." Zeke commanded and the team listened. He nodded at Coach for him to continue.

    Coach sighed. "We won''t know much for now. The shortstop stepped on his foot perfectly and according to the ump, the tag fell on him before he touched the base. Jason''s parents will update me when they know more." He looked around. "Tony, take his bag out to the stands for his parents. Kelvin, get back in the box. Dave to the on deck circle. Noah in the hole. Only one out. Let''s stay focused." He put his hat back on and clapped a few times to snap the team out of the silence.

    Everyone did what their told. Noah grabbed his helmet and bat and moved towards the entrance. Zeke stood nearby and started to speak with him alone. Tony grabbed all of Jason''s gear and took it out to the stands then returned to the dugout so the game could resume.

    The team still wasn''t in a good place mentally after Jason''s sudden exit. Kelvin flew out to center field and Dave grounded out right to the first baseman. Noah came back and changed back. He didn''t say anything to me, but still had a pensive look on his face. I followed him out to the field. Chris stood by third, taking over for our missing teammate.

    In the top of the third inning, Dave took on batters eight, nine, and one. Thankfully, his bad batting didn''t follow him to the mound. He got number eight to hit a soft grounder to me, and I was able to cleanly field it to Julian. I looked to Noah right after for a smile or acknowledgement, but he only had eyes for the next batter. I went back to my spot and tried not to dwell on it.

    Batter nine struck out, then the top of the lineup grounded out to Noah. Three up, three down. Bottom of the third we go.

    Noah would lead off, then me, then Mahki. Noah and I had our bags next to one another, and grabbed our bats and put on our helmets at the same time. As we walked out of the dugout, he stopped with me at the on deck circle.

    He leaned on my shoulder, and in a low voice told me, "Whatever happens this inning, don''t panic."

    The phrase ''don''t panic'' increased my anxiety ten-fold. I looked up at him, worried for what was to come.

    He kept his head low, close to mine. "Everything is fine. Just play like normal. If I do something weird, don''t pay any attention to it. Don''t panic. Don''t worry. Don''t stress. Just stay focused."

    You''re doing something weird right now, i thought to myself as he walked to the batters box. Noah was looking fierce and he stared the batter down more seriously than I''ve ever seen.

    He didn''t waste any time up there. He smacked the first good looking pitch right between left and center field. It was a solid line drive and the best hit I''ve seen from Noah. I watched as he hustled down the line to first, rounded the base, and headed straight for second without slowing up. I tensed up as the San Marino outfielder got the ball and threw it back in.

    The shortstop was the cutoff man, once he got the ball he turned and found Noah already standing up on second. He made a face and threw it back to his pitcher.

    "That''s the way to do it baby Atkins!" Someone yelled from the stands. Others joined in and clapped for Noah''s hit. Noah gave two thumbs up...show off.

    Zeke came out to collect Noah''s bat as I went up to the box. He made eye contact with me. "Keep doing what you''ve been doing. I want this guy out of the game." He went back to the dugout.

    I swallowed down my nerves. Zeke is basically saying to foul every pitch I can, right?

 110 Game Three: San Marino 5

    I took a deep breath and got in the box. Noah took a lead off second, but stayed closer to the bag than the middle infielders.

    The pitcher ignored him and focused on me. His first pitch to me was the same as the one that Noah hit. A good fastball in the strike zone. I really wanted to follow Noah and get a hit as well, but that wasn''t what Zeke wanted. He wants a new pitcher so I fouled it. Then fouled another. Foul. Foul. Ball. Foul. Foul. Foul. Even pitches that could be considered balls, I made sure to tip them. I couldn''t let this guy get off easy and walk me.

    "Get him Bambi!"

    "You''ve got this!"

    "Work it! You''re doing great kid!"

    I heard the cheers come from all around as the catcher went up to the pitchers mound to have a mini meeting. I took a look around and everyone in the dugout and bullpen was up against the fences, yelling for me to get a hit. Embarrassed, I looked away. They didn''t know that Zeke told me not to. They must think I''m struggling up here.

    The catcher came back and got back into position. The pitcher got set once more. I stepped back up to the plate, trying to make it look like I was going for a hit. Foul. Foul. Foul. Foul. After four more straight fouls, the next pitch came inside. Way inside. I avoided it by stepping out of the box. Ball.

    "What was that!"

    "Ump! Did you see that?? He was aiming for our guy."

    "Don''t get scared Bambi!"

    I wasn''t scared of a brushback pitch. I could see the trajectory well and it''s not like it was crazy fast. Just mid-70s.

    "Sorry about that." The catcher apologized when he threw the ball back to the pitcher. "He must be getting tired from the consecutive fouls."

    He didn''t sound sincere at all. I wasn''t scared of getting hit by a pitch, but the catcher definitely didn''t seem friendly. I scooted towards the front of the box, just a little further away from him. Then put my focus back on the pitcher. He was sweating even in the cold morning, but could still throw strikes. I tightened the grip on my bat. Zeke wants him out, so I have to foul what I can.

    The pitcher stepped on the rubber and went through his motion. This time he threw a curve at eye level that could drop in the dirt. I fouled it as it dipped. Fourteen pitches. My arms felt a little heavy from the bat, but I was starting to feel excited.

    This was nothing like fouling pitches in a batting cage. In the cages, the pitches didn''t change and there wasn''t any variation pitch-by-pitch. Against a real pitcher, I had to put more effort in making sure I had the timing down and the location right. It wasn''t as boring as I thought.

    Foul. Foul. Foul. Ball. Foul. Foul. Foul. Ball.

    "Ball four. Take your base." The umpire called out.

    I carefully set my bat on the ground and jogged to first, while there was some clapping. They didn''t sound as enthusiastic about my walk compared to Noah''s hit, but that''s okay. I understand.

    As Mahki stepped out of the on deck circle, San Marino''s coach came out of the dugout and called for a pitcher change. He went to the dugout and so did their infield.

    "You can really use a bat." Coach Luis stated as we were alone.

    I nodded.

    "Keep it up." He encouraged..? Though it sounded more like a command...

    It took awhile for everything to get back to normal for the game to resume; but when it did, the atmosphere seemed to change.

    We still had a 2-0 lead. And there were no outs in the bottom on the third with two on base. But I had an uneasy feeling.

    I studied the pitcher and didn''t see anything special about him during his warmups. I looked around and noticed the infield was playing back...and they had such serious expressions. Like a team of Zeke''s. I shivered. I didn''t want to wander off first and have them try to make a play on me like they did to Jason.

    Mahki''s first at bat resulted in a fly out to center, so hopefully he''ll have better luck against this new pitcher. He took the first pitch as a called strike. My hands twitched. That was a good pitch to hit! Then a ball, ball, foul. With a 2-2 count, he connected and sent the ball just over the center fielders shoulder.

    I sprinted to second and slowed up, when I saw that the center fielder was able to get to the ball and send the ball in. I looked to third for Noah, but he wasn''t there. He was on the way to home!

    I didn''t see the relay, but the throw came from the corner of my eye and was also heading to home. The catcher got in the base path and was ready to catch the ball. Noah ran with his head down, on focused on home plate. He pushed off and looked to dive between the catchers legs, but ended up colliding with him. They both laid in the dirt, in a tangle of limbs. What''s the call?!

    I looked at the home plate ump, who was looking down at them. Finally he extended his arms and declared, "Safe!"

    Zeke came from the on deck circle and helped Noah up. Noah looked short and scrawny compared to his big brother. Noah said something to him, Zeke then leaned over and picked him up and carried him to the dugout.

    My jaw dropped. Did Noah get hurt too?!

    Just as that thought crossed my mind, I saw some San Marino coaches come out to the catcher, who was still lying on the ground, holding his knee. A collision that hurt both parties? How dangerous...

    I nervously looked to the dugout, but couldn''t see Noah. The team was crowded around him on the bench. My anxiety started to spike up.

 111 Game Three: San Marino 6

    I started to feel sick. My head was pounding in rhythm with my heart. I felt like I couldn''t get enough air in my lungs. I watched the dugout diligently, waiting to see Noah.

    Zeke stepped out of the dugout and went to speak with the umpire. He glanced down at the catcher with disdain, but didn''t say anything to him and his coaches. He turned to me, standing frozen on second. He said something else to the ump before jogging out to me.

    He stood before me, like a tower, blocking out the sun. "Noah''s okay."

    I moved so he didn''t block the dugout.

    "The catcher is worse off. Trust me." He stepped in front of me again.

    I finally looked up to him. Trust? Trust him? I couldn''t even trust myself. Why would I trust him? I started to walk towards the dugout.

    "He''s fine. Stay on second." Zeke grabbed my shoulder, pulling me back. "You can check on him when we switch to defense. Stay here, be alert, and be ready to score." He didn''t wait for my reply. He made sure I was still on base, then headed back to the batters box.

    I could do this. Just stay where I''m at. Noah isn''t going anywhere. He''ll still be in the dugout when I get back. I repeated these thoughts in my head to calm myself.

    The catcher ended up being carted off just like Jason. They sent out a replacement and the ump allowed the pitcher to throw a few warmups before letting Zeke get in the box.

    Zeke got in the batters box and everyone started to cheer, already predicting another homerun. I stayed on second, not daring to lead off. I was hoping Zeke would hit a homer as well so I could get back to the dugout to see if Noah was really okay.

    Zeke let the first two pitches go by as balls. Then he hit a line drive down the first baseline. I ran to third and saw Mr. Miller waving me on. I rounded third, but abruptly stopped. The new catcher was guarding home, waiting for the relay throw. I immediately backed up and stopped on third.

    The crowd was shouting for me to score and my teams dugout was close enough for me to hear them saying I should have ran. I didn''t care. I wasn''t going to be another Jason or Noah.

    The right outfielder was able to get the ball back in, just as Mahki and Zeke took a few steps back to their own bags. The bases were now loaded with Julian up to bat.

    "Kid. You''re too green." Mr. Miller said to me as I stood on third, nonmoving. "If you ran at full speed, you wouldn''t have needed to slide into home, and you definitely wouldn''t have collided with the catcher."

    I didn''t even turn to acknowledge his comment. I didn''t mind being called green. I was new to the game so it''s not much of an insult to me. I''m not at the point where I can judge if I''m fast enough when I''m running the bases.

    Julian connected on one of the pitches and sent it to center field.

    "Okay. Be ready to tag up and run home." Mr. Miller looked to the outfield and as soon as the fly ball was caught, he yelled out, "Go!"

    I merely watched as the ball was returned to the infield and to the pitcher. Yells started to come from the stands, and not the friendly kind. Some were yelling at me for not scoring and other yelled that I needed to be replaced.

    Mr. Miller came close and leaned in. He made eye contact with me. "Jake? What''s happening? You''ve missed two scoring opportunities. That last one could have been an easy tag up, run home, and we would have scored another run."

    I looked away and shifted away from him. Did he not see that last collision at home plate? I don''t even know what tag up means. I wanted to go back to the dugout more than anybody, but I also didn''t want to get hurt.

    "Don''t mind, Jake!" A booming voice came from the stands. Startled at how loud the voice was, I turned to look. Mr. Atkins was standing up in the sixth row of the bleachers. He saw me looking his way. He clapped. "You''re doing great! Keep it up."

    I saw Mrs. Atkins next to him giving me two thumbs up, just like Noah did earlier. So embarrassing. My lips twitched and I looked away from them. Sean was coming up to bat and I was hoping he would get a hit so I could go back already.

    He got in the lefty''s box and stretched a little. The pitcher eyed me on third, but I wasn''t even leading off. He nodded and focused strictly on the batter. Sean didn''t lose out to him though. On a 1-2 count, he was able to hit a grounder between third and short. I jogged home.

    Mahki was right on my heels, sprinting all the way from second. 5-0. Sean was able to pull off a two-RBI single. Zeke had stopped at second.

    Mahki grabbed Sean''s bat and we headed back to the dugout. Coach was there waiting for me, but I walked by him, looking for Noah.

    "Jake." Coach''s voice was filled with displeasure, but I ignored it. I found Noah by our bags just hanging out with Dave.

    I took off my helmet and stood in front of him, unsure of what to do. Where did it hurt? Does he need to go to the hospital? I shifted from foot to foot, trying to find the words.

 112 Game Three: San Marino 7

    Noah smiled at me. It was his same old smile like always. No hint of anger like before. "Jake, what happened out there? I told you not to panic at anything I do."

    I froze. He did.

    "You did exactly everything I told you not to." Noah shook his head with faux disappointment. "You stressed, worried, and lost focus. No doubt we''ll have extra laps because of you this inning."

    Dave laughed from beside him. "Don''t be lying. You''re the reason you guys will be running laps for days. Pulling a stunt like that? You''ll be lucky if Zeke doesn''t kick you from the team."

    I frowned. We''re running laps because of Noah? Because he got hurt?

    "Jake Hollander. If you ignore me like that again, you won''t be playing on my team anymore." Coach spoke from behind me. I slowly turned and came face to face with his glare. "It''s bad enough to have one Noah. I don''t need another. When I speak, you listen. Understand?"

    I shrunk back, trying to make myself small as possible.

    "Coach, don''t be so unreasonable." Noah said, fearlessly. "Jake thought I got hurt from the collision and probably didn''t want the same thing happening to him. He doesn''t do well with pain."

    "No pain, no gain." Dave jumped in.

    "Zip it." Coach sent Dave scattering with a simple look. He faced me and Noah. "What about at Julian''s at bat? That was an easy tag and score play."

    A what..? I made a face of confusion.

    Coach noticed and shook his head in disbelief. "Noah, I can''t believe we trusted you to teach Jake anything. From now on, Zeke is strictly in charge." He pointed at me. "From now on, listen to the coaches and Zeke. No the twins and not Noah. You both will be the death of me." He muttered the last line and went back to watch Chris, Kelvin and Dave get ready to bat.

    I looked at Noah, worried. I''ve never seen coach so upset.

    Noah kept his smile. "Don''t worry about him. Coach is just mad about my tackle."

    ...his tackle? At home plate? I stared him down.

    Noah rubbed his nose. "I may or may not have collided with the catcher on purpose."

    "He definitely did it on purpose." Tony said from a few feet down. He slid down the bench to get closer to us. "Noah isn''t hurt at all. Not even a bruise. Too brutal for a freshman."

    Noah let out a chuckle. "I wasn''t able to slide into second, so the catcher was the next best choice. They want to play dirty, I can one up that. Granted, Zeke was livid when he helped me to the dugout."

    "Yea, because he thought you ended your season." Tony snorted. "Usually only older players would be so skilled at hurting others."

    I looked at them with a feeling of dread creeping on me. Disgusting. He actually hurt someone else intentionally? I quickly grabbed my hat and glove and got away from him.

    "Jake? Jake!"

    I ignored him and moved all the way to the other end of the dugout, near coach. Chris had just returned from striking out and was talking it over with him. Then he sat down. I stood near Coach as we watched kelvin step up to the plate.

    "You got something on your mind, kid?" Coach grunted, not taking his eyes off the game.

    I glanced down at the dugout and caught Noah staring at me, wondering why I left him so suddenly.

    "Noah hurt someone." I mumbled, feeling uncomfortable. "On purpose."

    Coach sighed. "Yes, Zeke and I already talked to him about his aggressive play. That''s not the way we play baseball. Daniel will be going in to replace him at shortstop." He glanced down at me. "You okay with that?"

    I nodded. I didn''t want Noah to be so close to me. I was seriously concerned for him, and then I find out, that the collision was instigated by him on purpose. How was that any different than outright hitting someone? Even worse, it''s just for a game. A game that we''re winning.

    Kelvin grounded out to short and ended the third inning. For once, I was one of the first players out on the field to warmup. Julian and Chris were close to follow. Julian started to roll us some grounders and got us moving.

    Kelvin took a minute to get his gear on because he was the last out. After catching a few of Dave''s pitches, the umpire called for the batter to step up. Dave went three up, three down once more. A fly out to center, a strikeout, a fly out to left. Not going to lie, every time one of his pitches get hit to the outfield, my heart starts to beat faster. He''s definitely capable of giving up homeruns. Even with a five run lead, I felt a little nervous about it.

    We jogged back to the dugout. I didn''t want to go near Noah, but I would have to bat this inning. I tried to focus on switching out my gear and not so much on the fact that Noah was blatantly staring at me.

    "Jake? Are you upset?" He whispered.

    I pretended not to hear, grabbed my bat and headed for the other end of the dugout near the on deck circle. Am I upset? A little. But more than anything, I feel betrayed. I never would have thought the one friend I had, would purposely hurt someone. That goes against everything I believe in.

    Even if he justifies it by paying them back for hurting Jason, that just makes me more sick. That''s like saying I should have hit my mom back every time she came after me. As the saying goes, an eye for an eye, leaves the whole world blind. If you treated violence with violence, you are no better than the original offender.

 113 Game Three: San Marino 8

    Dave was up to bat first. Daniel was in the on deck circle. I stood in the hole, still lost in my thoughts.

    I was mindlessly watching Dave''s at bat when I noticed that one of the pitches was heading right to him. My mouth opened to say something, but it was useless. Dave turned away as it bounced off his butt.

    "Dead ball. Take your base." The umpire declared.

    Dave tossed his bat to the dugout and then limped-jogged to first. I stepped out to go to the on deck circle, but coach cut me off and went out first.

    He walked straight to the home plate umpire. "Listen ump, this is getting ridiculous. My boys are getting hurt left and right here. Either reign them in or eject them."

    The ump had taken off his mask to speak with Coach. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Get back to your dugout before I eject you."

    Zeke came out of the dugout and guided coach back. He looked at me. "Just walk."

    I blinked. Okay. I stepped to the circle and Daniel moved to the batters box. Daniel, in my opinion, was nowhere near Noah''s level. His fielding was only lacking a little, but his bat wasn''t any good. He went 0-2 in game two yesterday, after getting the start over Noah. Today he easily struck out in three pitches. What a waste.

    I glanced back at Zeke to make sure he didn''t want me to foul. He just stared me down, not touching his nose at all. Okay. Whatever he says, goes. I got in the batters box. As far as I could tell, this pitcher didn''t throw any breaking balls so he wasn''t very interesting anyways.

    I easily earned my walk and took first base, moving Dave up to second. Dave clapped and yelled, "That''s the way to work it, Bambi."

    I raised an eyebrow. What. I think my last at bat was better than this one. I didn''t even have to work as hard. There was no sense of satisfaction in this walk.

    "Just ignore him." Coach Luis grumbled.

    I nodded and focused on Mahki''s at bat. The first pitch came, and he took it as a called strike. So annoying, he does this too often. He got ready for the next pitch. The pitcher began his motion and planted his left leg just as his dugout yelled, "Runner!"

    Startled, I went back to first and looked to second to see what Dave was doing. But Dave was no longer there. By the time I looked over, he was already hugging third base. Whhaattt. Did I miss a steal sign again..? I looked to the dugout, and the team was cheering but coach wasn''t even smiling. Uhhh. I looked to Zeke, at the on deck circle. He was resting his bat on his shoulder and frowning at Dave on third. Uh oh. I was nervous seeing those two upset, but at least it wasn''t at me this time.

    The pitcher got the ball back and angrily toed the rubber. His frustration was written all over his face. He faced Mahki once more, but without concentrating clearly, he threw an easy pitch that Mahki was able to send to the outfield.

    I looked solely at Mr. Miller as I ran. Coach said to listen to him or I''d be screwed. He was waving me on to third. I put some more effort in, touched second and sprinted as fast as I could to third.

    "No slide." He instructed.

    I safely stopped on third and turned back to see Mahki avoid a tag at second. 6-0, the lead was growing bigger. I struggled to catch my breath as Zeke stepped up to the plate. No doubt, ready to cause more damage to the scoreboard, by scoring more runs.

    The pitcher was red in the face at this point, showing no composure. He glared down Zeke like he was looking for a fight, not even sparing attention to me and Mahki. As soon as the umpire got in position behind the catcher, the pitcher threw a bullet at Zeke. Literally at him, not even pretending to pitch to the strike zone.

    Zeke''s eyes narrowed and tried stepping back out of the way, but he still nailed him in the thigh on the side.

    "Whoa!"

    "Ump!"

    Coach stormed out of the dugout. "That was deliberate! Now what do you have to say?? They''re even blatantly going after my best player!"

    The umpire pointed at the pitcher then gave the motion to eject him, sending the whole crowd into a frenzy. He pointed at Zeke to take his base. The San Marino coach came out and started to argue the ejection. The three of them started to get in a heated discussion.

    I looked up at Mr. Miller.

    He patted the top of my helmet. "The San Marino guy is just buying time for a new catcher to warm up. He knows his player was in the wrong. Look at their bullpen."

    Sure enough they had someone throwing in there. The pitcher to throw the dead ball was escorted off the field and out of the dugout by the second base umpire. Zeke stood on first, looking unaffected. The discussion went on for a bit, until the home plate ump took a step back and pointed at our dugout. Then at San Marino''s.

    I glanced up at Mr. Miller, not knowing what that meant. He made a face. "He''s warning both teams. From here on out, any dangerous play will be met with an ejection." He gave me a smile. "That''s good news for you Bambi."

    True. I wasn''t out to hurt anybody, and I especially was wary of anyone hurting me. The coaches went back to their respective dugouts as a new pitcher came onto the mound.

 114 Game Three: San Marino 9

    After the pitcher was able to throw some off the mound to the catcher, Julian stepped up to the plate, ready to go. The new pitcher must have been a senior, because he had a better temperament and wasn''t in any hurry. Even though they were down by six runs, the pitcher stayed collected. He was able to put Julian in a tough spot with a 1-2 count, (one ball, two strikes), getting him to swing on a pitch that came inside. Julian''s connection went straight to the third baseman, who threw to the catcher at home, who then tagged the plate, then threw to the first baseman. A 5-2-3 double play to end the fourth inning.

    I jogged back to the dugout to switch my gear. Noah stared at me the whole time I stood by my bag. After I put my hat on, he reached out for me, but I sidestepped.

    "Jake." He whined. "Stop ignoring me."

    I brushed him off and went back on the field. I wasn''t sure how to face Noah just yet, so I went back to default and treated him like everyone else. Wary of any actions he might take.

    Dave got back on the mound to start the fifth inning. Even though he was hit by a pitch at his at-bat, he was on fire on the mound. He struck out batters five, six and seven like they were little leaguers. He strutted back to the dugout like he was a king.

    "Dave you''re out." Coach said once we got back to the dugout. "Get a jacket on and do a proper cook down."

    The king deflated and turned into a peasant pleading for leniency. "But coach...I''m pitching a shutout."

    Zeke came in from the outfield just at that moment. He slapped the back of Dave''s head. "Don''t talk back. Get a jacket on. Coach says you''re done."

    I started to ease away to get away from this argument.

    "But I''m doing so well." Dave pouted as he rubbed his head.

    "We''re up by six. Your pitch count is under 50 so you''ll be eligible to pitch on Wednesday. Do you want to start the season opener or not?" Coach asked impatiently.

    Dave perked up right away. "I''ll go get my jacket on!" He hopped about the dugout excitedly.

    I moved to sit near my bag, but then realized Noah was still there. He opened his mouth, but I turned away and sat alone at the end of the dugout to watch our team go on the offensive.

    Sean, Chris, and Kelvin were due up in the bottom of the fifth. Sean grounded out to third. Chris got a stand-up double. Kelvin continued to struggle at the plate, and struck out swinging. Coach sent Bryce to pinch hit for Dave, but he ended up flying out to left field. Three outs.

    As we took the field for the top of the sixth, coach replaced Bryce with our new pitcher on the mound, Tyler. Tyler got the first guy up to fly out to Zeke in center field.

    The next batter he faced should have been the pitcher, but they already pulled that kid to put in a pinch hitter of their own. They had put in a lefty, an uncommon sight so far in this tournament. The only ones I knew that could bat left was me and Sean. This guy wasn''t as good as us, but on a 2-2 count, the edge of his bat connected with the ball and sent it down the third baseline.

    Chris went to field the ball, Daniel headed his way to back up the play, and I covered second base. Chris snatched up the grounder, grabbed the ball out of his glove, then threw it towards Julian. For some reason his throw looked hurried and it went just wide of Julian''s reach, letting the batter safely reach first.

    The San Marino bench went crazy with their cheers as our team turned stiff. An error. The teams first official error. Chris kicked at the dirt and cursed. Daniel and I slowly drifted back to our spots, preparing for the next batter, the leadoff man.

    Tyler was frowning up on the mound, but didn''t say anything. Neither did Chris. Tyler threw pitches all over to batter number one, allowing him to walk. He was able to throw strikes to the next batter, but that only made things worse when the guy sent one to the gap.

    Mahki beat Zeke to it, and threw it in to Daniel and Daniel immediately threw to Kelvin at home plate. But it was pointless. The man from second was able to score. The runner from first stopped at second and the batter was safe at first. 6-1...we lost the shutout.

    "Don''t mind! One out!" Kelvin hollered as he gave Tyler the ball back.

    Tyler toed the rubber with a little more force than necessary. He then faced batter number three in the lineup, who previously had a fly out and a strikeout. The batter was a first pitcher swinger, and hit something that could have been a ball. It bounced my way with speed. I collected the ball and lightly tossed it to Daniel on second. He stepped on the bag, then threw to Julian, beating out the runner. A 4-6-3 double play.

    "Nice Bambi!" Daniel came over and patted my back. "That was some quick thinking! You didn''t look like a rookie at all!" He guided me back to the dugout.

    I let out a little smile. That fielding was pretty good for me. And it felt good to just rely on my reflexes and know to throw to second so we could attempt the double play.

 115 Game Three: San Marino end

    Once inside the dugout, the team started to pat me on the back, shoulder, head, wherever they could reach me. They congratulated me on the good play. I shyly nodded and made my way to my bag. I was going to get to have one more at bat at the least.

    Noah looked at me, when I approached, with a sad expression. "Now can we talk?"

    I shook my head and grabbed my helmet and bat. I had to go to the on deck circle. Daniel was already up to bat and I was next. Daniel ended up flying out to right field, keeping his hitless streak strong.

    Before I stepped in the box, I looked for Zeke, but he wasn''t in his usual spot, so I stuck with what I know...get a walk. We''re up 6-1 so I didn''t put in the effort to foul every pitch. Only fouled a few to keep the count going so I could earn my walk.

    I made it to first, but my stay didn''t last long. Mahki grounded out into a double play, effectively ending the inning. I jogged back to the dugout and got my glove. Noah didn''t try speaking to me this time; just watched me as I traded in my equipment.

    When I jogged back out to my position, I saw a familiar face on the mound: Garret! He caught me looking at him and grinned. "Watch me in action, Bambi. I''ll shut these guys down to end the game without a sweat."

    I gave a little nod and moved to my position. Garret was the fastest pitcher I had faced in the little amount of time that I''ve been playing. I didn''t know if the cutter was his only other pitch besides the fastball, but it wouldn''t matter. Most of San Marino were right handed and wouldn''t stand a chance.

    After a moment, I realized that Kelvin was also replaced. It took me a moment to remember the other seniors name, Jordan. He was specifically only Garret''s catcher.

    Garret did what he set out to do. He got all three batters to strike out swinging on nine pitches. He didn''t give them any mercy and completely shut them up and shut them out. With us leading at the middle of the seventh inning, the umpire called game and we didn''t have to bat a pointless half inning since we already won.

    The team crowded the dugout and happily spoke to one another. I quietly put my gear in my bag and was the first one to leave the dugout. Or so I thought.

    "Trying to sneak away again, huh?" Noah was waiting just outside the dugout with his bag already on his shoulders, all packed up. "No escaping me this time. Just tell me what''s wrong already."

    I took in a deep breath of air. Then let out, "You intentionally harmed someone."

    Noah blinked. Then blinked again.Then let out a laugh. "That''s what you''re mad about? But that''s just apart of the game!" He continued to laugh, but I couldn''t stand it. I walked past him. "Hey, Wait!" He reached out for me, but I dodged.

    I looked at him with disdain. "It''s not fun when others get hurt." I said clearly without stuttering or having to clear my throat. This was something I was firm on, violence is never an option.

    Noah froze. He stood tall. "I did it for Jason. They sent him to the hospital, Jake. Don''t you care? Wouldn''t you want to have someone get revenge for you? As they say in the Bible, eye for eye and tooth for tooth."

    "It also says that you should turn the other cheek." A woman said from the side. Mrs. Atkins stood near the fence with her husband behind her. "Jesus said ''Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.''"

    Noah looked down in shame after being told off by his mother. He kicked at the grass. "I didn''t read the whole book. Sue me."

    Mrs. Atkins looked at me, knowing how I felt about violence. "Why don''t you boys come off the field? We''ll wait for the twins and Zeke, together."

    Noah looked up from the grass to see what I would say. But I had nothing to say to him. Mrs. Atkins put it perfectly. I turned away and left the field so I could stand with his parents on the other side of the fence.

    Noah silently followed. We joined his parents and as we stood there, multiple strangers came by to congratulate us on making it to the finals. I stealthily hid myself by Mr. Atkins in order to not draw attention to myself.

    "Well if it isn''t baby Atkins." A snarky voice said among the crowd. Mr. Thompkins pushed his way to stand before us. "You look healthy for someone who had such a nasty looking collision at home plate."

    Noah made a face. "I''m okay. Just banged up."

    "Yes, yes, much better than Michael Fultz." He sneered. "How does it feel to end someone''s baseball season before it even starts? You''re just as bad as your brother, Zeke."

    Mrs. Atkins stepped up beside Noah. "That''s enough. You can''t question my son like this."

    "Why not? You complained to my boss saying I interviewed him yesterday without an adult present. Now here you are. I can ask him as many questions as I want."

    Mr. Atkins stepped forward as well, towering over everyone. "Sure. But we have the right to refuse to answer. Come one Noah. We''ll wait in the car. Jake, let''s go."

 116 Lunch 1

    The four of us sat in the car, and waited for Zeke and the twins. They were probably having a postgame discussion that we bailed on.

    "I didn''t know I would end his season, I swear." Noah spoke aloud for us to hear. I looked away from the window to look at him. His hands were put together and his elbows rested on his knees.

    "That''s no excuse, Noah." His mom told him. "Try to switch perspectives. What if Dave had hit the other teams best player, then they retaliated by hitting you. Wouldn''t that feel unfair?"

    Noah frowned. "But that''s part of the game."

    "What if they went after Jake?" Mr. Atkins asked suddenly.

    Noah looked at me. "Jake''s different."

    "They don''t know that." Mr. Atkins shook his head. "All they know is that he''s batting 1.000 and hasn''t made an out at the plate yet. He''s just a tiny freshman. He would be the easiest target."

    I know Mr. Atkins is speaking hypothetically, but it made me feel nervous. I should be more cautious from here on out.

    "Fine." Noah sighed. "I was wrong. Violence isn''t the answer."

    "That didn''t sound sincere at all." His mom replied.

    Noah sat up straight, turned his body to mine, and stared me in the eyes. "Jake, I wasn''t thinking clearly. From now on, I won''t intentionally hurt anyone...even if they deserve it. It''s not fair to them and it''s not fair to you. Now will you forgive me?" He pleaded after making the pledge.

    I gave a weak shrug. Noah''s a pro at twisting words and getting things his way. I didn''t want to give in so easy and have him end up breaking his oath.

    Noah sighed. "Jake, to be honest, you''re a bit mean. You may not hurt others physically. But you''re hurting my feelings right now."

    "Noah James-" Mrs. Atkins was about to jump in, but Mr. Atkins held out a hand to stop her.

    "I''ve apologized and I feel remorseful. I would never take away someone''s chance at baseball on purpose. It was the heat of the moment. Now you''re refusing forgiveness." Noah continued. "As my best friend, you should know that it''s upsetting not being trusted by you. When you ignore someone''s feelings, that''s hurtful too. On the inside."

    I mulled it over. I could relate. My mother was physically abusive, but her words would hurt more than being hit. They left mental scars that would never heal like a bruise that could disappear in a week. Her anger at my dad and brother were directed all at me, causing her to hate me. Just like how my aversion to hurting others, was causing me to lose trust in Noah. He had already said sorry and that he wouldn''t do it again. Why isn''t that enough? Why wasn''t I enough for my mom? Couldn''t she just be happy that I was with her?

    "Ya feel me, Jake?" Noah said after we all sat in silence.

    "I understand." My voice cracked. I cleared my throat. "No more hurting others."

    Noah smiled bright and threw his arm over my shoulder, drawing me closer to him. "Glad we got over our first fight. Now we''re true brothers." He pulled me in tight.

    I started to tear up, but instead of pushing him away, I just let him be. Noah''s my closest friend. And the closest thing I''ve ever had as a brother. My own brother was 10 when I was 3. He felt like a figment of my imagination. Something there, but not there at the same time.

    The sudden opening of the trunk made us both jump. We heard the other boys throw their bags in and then closed it before piling in the middle row.

    "Mom! I get to be the starter for the season opener!" Dave said once his butt touch the seat.

    "That''s not a for sure thing. My rest period will be over by then too!" Kyle argued.

    "You weren''t there in the dugout when coach said it." Dave smirked.

    Kyle looked at Zeke. "But I''m the better option! I had a perfect game!"

    "Yea." Dave said. "Against a shitty team."

    "Language." Mrs. Atkins warned. "Why can''t you boys fight and make up like Jake and Noah."

    The twins simultaneously looked at us in the back.

    "They don''t look like they''re fighting?" Dave remarked.

    "They just made up." She replied with pride. "It was civil compared to the constant bickering you two do every day."

    "I didn''t see them fight at all.." Kyle said. "When was it? What was it like?"

    "What do you mean, ''what was it like?''" Dave snorted. "Jake obviously gave him the silent treatment."

    "How is that different from any other day?" Kyle asked with confusion.

    Zeke, who was sitting between them, lifted both arms and rested a hand on each of their heads. "You both sound too energetic. Some laps can cure that."

    The twins clammed up.

    Mr. Atkins let out a laugh. "Okay. That''s enough. Dave, you pitched well today. Where do you want to go for lunch?"

    Dave smiled evilly. "Anything goes?"

    Mr. Atkins frowned. "Within reason. You still have the championship this evening."

    "It''s not like I get to play." Dave shrugged. "Let''s go to Outback Steakhouse. I''m thinking a nice juicy steak will fill me up and replenish the calories I burned this morning."

    "I second the motion!" Kyle added on. "Look at us. We already made up! Now it''s a double celebration."

    "Triple." Noah corrected. "Jake and I made up too! Which means we should go there after the championship."

    "Denied." Dave said. "Mom and dad said it''s my pick."

    "That''s not fair. I can''t have steak before the big game." Noah pouted.

    "Too bad. Have a salad." Dave and Kyle laughed mercilessly.

 117 Lunch 2

    Apparently Outback Steakhouse was a popular, Australian-themed restaurant that served different kinds of steak. The twins and the adults were able to order their favorite steaks. Zeke picked a chopped salad with grilled chicken.

    Noah was still deciding as the waiter stood by our table. "But I really want a steak too."

    "That''ll sit in your stomach too long. It could affect your game performance in a couple of hours." Zeke educated. "Have a salad. It''ll fill you up and give you fuel."

    Noah scrunched up his face at the though. He turned to me. "What are you getting since we aren''t allowed a heavy meal?"

    I pointed at a specific item in the menu. The waiter peered over my shoulder and nodded. "Good choice. Our baked potato soup is a favorite."

    "Soup?! You''re getting soup? That''s not even a meal. That''s an appetizer." Noah squinted at me. "Are you secretly an old man?"

    "I like soup." I stated as I kept my eyes on the table.

    "All kinds?" Noah asked.

    I shrugged.

    "Come on. Give me a list."

    "How about you order first so we can get our food?" Mr. Atkins reminded him.

    "Just give me the soup too then!" Noah told the waiter. "But make sure you bring out extra bread. Like lots of bread. As soon as they come out of the oven, bring them straight to our table."

    The waiter wrote down the order on his notepad and went to the back to prepare our food.

    Noah turned back to me. "So? You gonna tell us?"

    I looked around and they were all staring at me, waiting for something. "I like all kinds of soup."

    "Why?" Dave made a face of disgust.

    "It never goes bad and it''s easy to warm it up in the microwave." I replied honestly. "People-at my old school-knew I wasn''t well off. The food pantry gives soup cans."

    The silence at the table was thick.

    After a moment, Noah patted my shoulder. "Thanks for sharing Jake. But ya know, you don''t have to force yourself to like it now. Mom and Dad can afford real food."

    I tilted my head. "Soup is real food."

    Mr. Atkins coughed to grab our attention. "I personally like tomato soup with grilled cheese."

    There was another awkward pause until he nudged his wife. "Oh. Well I like tortilla soup. Especially on cold winter days." She looked expectantly at the twins.

    "I''m with dad. Tomato soup with grilled cheese." Kyle nodded along.

    Dave still had an expression of disgust going on. "You''re all so gross. Soup is basically liquid dinner."

    "Chicken noodle soup." Zeke commented.

    Dave looked bewildered. "You''re all crazy."

    "I think there''s a soup restaurant nearby right?" Mrs. Atkins ignored Dave. "Soup plantation? Serves a lot of different kinds of soup." She smiled at me. "If you do well in the next game, you can pick that for dinner, if you''d like?"

    I looked at Zeke. He and Noah haven''t picked a meal yet. I''m sure one or both of them will outperform me.

    "Zeke would get to pick dinner all the time if we went by normal rules." Noah read my facial expressions clearly. "He only gets to pick when the rest of us does poorly. The hard life of the best in the county."

    "Best player." Zeke replied. "Not the best team."

    "What''s the difference?" I asked. Shouldn''t the best player be on the best team..?

    Zeke''s eyes settled on me. "The best player won''t always be on the best team. The best team is a well rounded team with hardly any holes. They have great pitching and have strength in their rotation. They''re batting lineup has no weaknesses, just good batters and better batters. For example, our team is good. Great even. But not the best. Our bottom lineup is always questionable. It''s not easy for everyone to have a good game on the same day."

    The family may have been surprised that I spoke a couple of sentences, but for me, Zeke''s explanation was the most shocking. He was a guy of few words, yet when it came to baseball, he was the almighty god. He knew everything, all the time. Noah knew a lot, but no one near as much as Zeke. He was only a mini version of the real thing.

    "So, who''s the best?" I pulled my eyebrows together.

    "Paradise." He answered. The table fell quiet. "They''re the number one seed right now. We''ll play them next. If we beat them, not only do we win this tournament, we also move up in county rankings. And state rankings. They''re predicted to win CIF Northern Section, division two."

    "Glad I''m not Garret right now." Dave shivered. "He''s going to take a blow today."

    "I don''t plan on losing." Zeke said immediately in response.

    I looked at Noah. "You told me before?"

    Noah looked confused for a second but quickly understood what I was saying. "Yes, I''ve told you about CIF. It''s divided into sections, then divisions, then conferences within each division. We''re in the northern section with Paradise. They''re in division two and we''re in division three. The difference in divisions is usually the size of the school. We''re average on the scale. But Paradise Prep is a private school, that can give athletes preferred admission. So they get a lot of good guys."

    "Jake will get to hit freely, I''ll be able to drive him home. As long as we score more, we win." Zeke put forth.

    Hit freely? Anyway I want?? I grinned, even showing teeth. Who cares about the game, when I get to do what I want now.

 118 Game Four: Paradise Preparatory 1

    "The sponsors and spectators of the Tulare Invitational is proud to have these two teams competing for the championship." The organizer of the tournament was giving a speech right before the last game of the weekend. Both teams were already properly warmed up and was just waiting on this guy to say that we could play. His speech was all about sportsmanship and playing to the best of our abilities.

    "Now we''ll let the announcer read off the starting lineups to introduce our future champions." He spoke into the microphone and then walked to stand with a few other men off to the side.

    "You step out and wave when they call your name." Noah mumbled. Our whole team was standing on the first baseline as part of the introduction. As the lower ranked team for this game, we were marked as visitors and had to bat first.

    Paradise preparatory stood on the third baseline, looking proud and....huge. They all looked like Zeke, tall and muscular, like they were looking to go pro right after high school.

    "For Watsonville High School," an announcer started to say over the speakers. "We have leading off and playing left field, Mahki Holstrom." Mahki stepped forward, and waved to the stands and received a nice round of applause. I raised an eyebrow at Noah. Why is Mahki leading off instead of him?

    "Batting second and at second base, Jake Hollander." I took the smallest step forward and then quickly went back to my original spot. Noah rolled his eyes at me.

    "Batting third, in center field, Zeke Atkins." Zeke stepped forward and received more cheers of encouragement than Mahki and I did combined. He stepped back.

    I looked at Noah with total confusion now. Not only was Noah not batting first, but now Zeke wasn''t in the cleanup hitter spot? Noah just shook his head at me.

    "Batting fourth, playing in right field, Sean Isner....batting fifth, at first base, Julian Wilson...batting sixth, at third base, Chris Ludwick...batting seventh, at shortstop, Noah Atkins...batting eighth, behind the plate, Jordan Sanders...and batting ninth, starting on the mound for Watsonville High, Garret Knudsen!"

    Cheers came raining down and the applause for our team soon came to an end. The announcer moved on to introduce the number one seed, Paradise Prep. Once called, they would take a huge step forward and then back. Without waving, and with their hands behind their back, they looked serious.

    After the announcements, both teams headed back to their respective dugouts. I grabbed my helmet and bat and stood near the entrance of the dugout with Mahki and Zeke.

    Zeke looked ready to go like us two. He looked down at me. "Hit as much as you''d like. Clear the bases if you can. Then be prepared for me to send you home."

    Mahki looked from him to me and then back to him. "You''ve been holding him back?"

    Zeke rolled his shoulders back and stood tall. "I was letting him get accustomed to live pitches. This weekend is his first for seeing curves and other breaking balls."

    Mahki patted my helmet. "Work hard." He left the dugout first so he could take some practice swings.

    I started to follow him out but Zeke put a hand on my shoulder to stop me. Bewildered, I looked up at him, unsure of what he wanted. He leaned down and in a low voice he told me, "We have to score early. They''ll start with easy pitches so foul just a few, but once you get a full count, send a hit to open space."

    ...That''s a bit specific. But I nodded along. I didn''t mind fouling a few extra pitches as long as I get the satisfaction of actually getting a hit.

    He patted my back and sent me out of the dugout. I took my spot in the on deck circle and lightly swung my bat, putting my focus on Mahki who stepped up to the plate.

    Mahki took the pitch as a called strike. Then a ball to the outside. A ball too high. Another called strike. He stepped out of the batters box and took a couple of practice swings to time with the speed of the pitching. Then he steadily got back into place. He was able to foul the next pitch down the third baseline. Then another pitcher too high. A 3-2 count. Did Zeke tell him to do the same thing as me..? The pitcher was on his seventh pitch. He completed his motion and in went in the dirt. Four balls, a walk. Mahki tossed his bat towards our dugout and jogged to first.

    I nervously gripped my bat as I got in the righty''s box. For most of the weekend, I stood in the right handers box, except for my one hit. I figured I should stay the same for right now unless Zeke says something about it.

    I got set and faced the pitcher. He nodded at the signs given and did his motion. A nice speed around 75mph would be my guess. I let it pass for a ball. Ball. Ball. My eyes narrowed. Were they going to walk me? When I finally just got a chance to hit? I watched the next pitch closely; it looked a bit high, but I didn''t care, I fouled it back. It went high and back into the stands.

    The catcher gave me a funny look before throwing the pitcher a new ball. I loosened up and got set once more. This time the pitcher sent the pitch a bit low...I didn''t want to give the umpire a chance to call it a ball and make me walk, so I lightly fouled it down the first baseline.

    "Are you really that much of a sucker?" The catcher mocked as he got back into position behind the plate.

    I glanced at him, then at the ump. But the ump didn''t say anything, so I turned my focus back to the pitcher. He was smirking like I just made a fatal mistake. Between the catchers comment and the pitchers confidence, I started to feel nervous.

 119 Game Four: Paradise Preparatory 2

    I fixed my grip and watched the pitcher diligently as he completed his motion. From his release of the pitch, I could tell it was coming faster than before. I felt a tug at my lips. They thought they could just throw 10mph faster to throw me off?

    I stepped forward with my left foot and started my swing. The ball met with the sweet part of my bat and flew over the pitchers head, into the outfield.

    I sprinted to first and watched as my hit dropped in front of the center fielder. I stopped at first and saw Mahki slide into third to avoid a tag from the relay throw.

    "BAMBI!" The guys in the dugout yelled out, all at once. I jumped and looked to my left to see them shaking the dugout fence. Were they going to act this excited every time I get a hit?

    I gave them a little nod, then turned my attention back to the game. Zeke was stepping up to the plate. I saw that Mahki started to lead off and I followed suit. I only went five feet off the bag...still traumatized from yesterday''s running errors.

    But my lead had no affect on the pitching to Zeke. The Paradise Prep pitcher was back to pitching balls all on the outside until it became a 3-0 count. Even the fourth pitch looked to be another ball, but Zeke didn''t let it. He took a monstrous step forward, stretched out his arms to swing his bat, and sent the ball flying well over my head. I turned to watch it go over the right field fence.

    "Start running!" Coach Luis pulled my attention back.

    I hustled around the bases with Zeke barely a step behind. I touched home plate and turned in time just to see him touch it. Mahki gave him a high five and then threw his arm around my shoulders, walking me back to our dugout.

    "Wow kid! That was a stellar hit!" Mahki complimented me. "It looked to be a faster pitch than his normal too!" He pushed me into the dugout first.

    Everyone was crowded around. I tried weaving my way through, but ended up being slapped on the helmet by everyone around.

    "Great hit."

    "Nice one, Bambi!"

    "Hey guys! Back off!" Noah made his way to me and pulled me out. "Jake is claustrophobic so stop that. You can''t do this every time he gets a hit."

    "That definitely fits Bambi''s image." Garret''s joke made the team laugh.

    I felt my face heat up with all the attention. I quickly went to my bag and put away my bat and helmet. I put my hat on and sat down on the bench.

    Noah sat down beside me. "We really need to work on your baserunning."

    I made a face at him. Did that mean more running at practice?

    "Don''t look so horrified." Noah laughed. "Maybe we can convince Drew that you need to change your focus to learning how to run the bases instead. Don''t you want to stop training with Drew?"

    I nodded.

    "Ok then."

    The sound of the bat hitting the ball made us look to the field. Sean had just hit a fly ball to the left fielder to make out number one.

    Julian followed up with a high pop up to the third baseman. Then Chris struck out.

    Noah wiggled his eyebrows. "Looks like I get to lead off next inning. Let''s go!"

    We grabbed our gloves and jogged onto the field. After a quick warmup, everyone was in their places. This would be the first time I get to see Garret pitch against an opposing team.

    Normally he had a relaxed expression throughout practices and whenever I''ve seen him. But on the mound, he looked ferocious. Like he was mad at the batter just for existing. He really didn''t give off the same vibe during my tryout. Maybe because he knew I would be a future teammate.

    He struck out the first guy on three pitches, all without a swing from the batter. Then the same for the second batter. Then again for the third. He struck out the side with just nine pitches. It was strange that they didn''t swing at all.

    As our team jogged back to the dugout, I noticed how Garret and his catcher, Jordan, conversed in low voices. They didn''t seem especially excited even though they struck out the top of the lineup.

    Inside the dugout, I wanted to ask Noah about the strange scene but he was already grabbing his bat and helmet, then ran back out to the field.

    I looked around to see who I could ask, but the twins were both in the bullpen and Zeke was speaking with Garret and Jordan now. Something was up.

    I could only wait until Noah comes back or Zeke comes over. I held my glove in my lap and watched Noah''s at-bat.

    Noah got in the box. But then I lost sight of him. Garret and Jordan had helmets on and bats in hand as they stood just outside the dugout, cutting off my view of home plate. I frowned and looked for Zeke. If they moved on and were back to talking to themselves, then that means I can ask Zeke.

    Zeke was now speaking with Coach and they were both frowning, looking super unapproachable.

    All of a sudden people started to cheer and I stood up to see what had happen, only to find Noah already on first base, giving the dugout a thumbs up. My lips twitched at his dorkiness.

    Finally Jordan and Garret separated; the former to the batters box and the latter to the on deck circle. Jordan didn''t even take a practice swing. I don''t think I''ve ever seen him hit or move his bat, thinking about it. I studied his movements. They looked stiff like a statue and showed no flexibility.

    I frowned. He''s not going to be able to get a hit with a stance like that.

 120 Game Four: Paradise Preparatory 3

    After the first pitch went by for a called strike, I could tell that Jordan didn''t even have the intention to swing. Which was weird. Super weird. I glanced at Zeke and Coach. They were watching Jordan with a pair of frowns as well.

    Jordan took another called strike. Then, oddly, the pitcher threw three straight balls. With a full count, the pitcher sent a high one towards the catcher. Jordan barely did a weak swing and started walking back to the dugout before the ump even said anything.

    As he passed by Garret, Garret shook his head for him to see, then headed to the lefty''s batters box.

    Seeing that Mahki moved to the on deck circle, I started to put on my helmet, and carefully held onto my bat. I kept my eyes on Jordan to see what Zeke would do or say, but was let down when they just ignore one another. Jordan sat alone and no one made any moves to talk to him. I don''t think I''ve seen him interact with the team much since he spends a lot of time in the bullpen.

    I looked back to Garret to see what he would do. Him and Jordan seemed close so I wondered if...he would also do nothing...

    Garret already had a 2-1 count when I looked. The next pitch wasn''t visible to me with Garret in the lefty''s box, but with a swing, he pulled it to the right outfield, and took off running. Him and Noah both raced around the bases. By the time the right outfielder sent the ball to the cutoff man, Noah was safe at third and Garret safe at second. So he could hit too. I felt a little guilty thinking that he would be like Jordan.

    Mahki moved to the batters box, and I hopped up and stepped out onto the field so I could stand in the on deck circle. Mahki took some pitches and ended up popping out to the second baseman, not allowing Noah and Garret move up.

    He gave me a weak smile as he moved to the dugout and I to the plate. This time I got in the lefty''s box, curious how the other team would react. If the third baseman would move in like yesterday, then it could be an easy RBI.

    Surprisingly the infield didn''t change at all. Not on guard for a bunt? I looked to the outfield and saw the left fielder draw in, with center and right field shifting over a little. With their movements, they left a bit of empty space in right field. I could try for that spot which was similar to where Garret hit.

    The pitcher wasn''t accurate at all, and looked to be all over the place. He threw balls all on the outside of the strike zone. Again I had to foul a few off to please Zeke. But from my observation, I didn''t think it tired him out at all. On his ninth pitch to me, I stepped up and out to angle my more to the right, then swung my bat.

    I jogged to first as I watched the ball fall into that open space. The right fielder sprinted to it and sent it to the second baseman. The second baseman threw to the catcher at home but Mahki had already joined Noah at the plate. They both had easily scored making the score 5-0 in the top of the second.

    Zeke stepped up to bat. Like me he was still batting with a 100% success rate. But we weren''t really on the same level since not only did he have more hits, but he also had homeruns. One for each game at least.

    This time he smacked the ball into the outfield fence and off we went. I safely made it to third, and him to second. I was gasping for air as he stood tall, not even looking winded. If I wasn''t in front of him, he probably could have made it into a triple.

    Sean was up next, with runners on second and third, two outs, he couldn''t do a bunt. Thankfully. Because, I don''t know if I''d be able to time it as well as Zeke did before. Working a 2-2 count, he sent a nice high fly to center field for our number three. Time to change sides. I jogged back to the dugout, trying to catch up with Zeke. I worked up my courage and grabbed his sleeve just as we got inside the dugout.

    He looked down at me with eyebrows raised in surprise. "What is it?"

    I pointed at Jordan who was already on the field with Garret, warming up.

    Zeke frowned. "You noticed?"

    I shrugged. I noticed that he wasn''t trying, but I couldn''t understand why.

    Zeke rested a hand on my head. "It''ll become clearer after another inning or two. Don''t worry. Just ignore it and focus on you. No matter what happens, you should remain focused on winning. Nothing else." He gave a tap and then went to switch out his equipment.

    I did the same and got back on the field.

 121 Game Four: Paradise Preparatory 4

    Garret was back on the mound and was still pitching straight strikes. With a 0-2 count, their cleanup hitter, tapped a slow grounder my way. I greeted the ball, fielded it, and made a nice easy throw to Julian at first base for the first out.

    The fifth batter in the lineup took two called strikes as well, then swung at the third. The grounder went straight to Noah, who had no troubles fielding it to Julian.

    The sixth batter also took two called strikes. On the next pitch, he sent a grounder within Chris''s reach. He snatched it up and made the throw to Julian for the final out. End of the second inning.

    Garret and Jordan walked back together and I jogged with Noah. The whole inning seemed weird to me. Three groundouts? All at 0-2 counts? I glanced at the other teams dugout and saw them taking the field, preparing for the third inning. For a team that''s down 5-0, they looked very relaxed. No signs of distress or worry could be seen.

    "What''s wrong?" Noah asked as we got back in the dugout.

    I plopped down to sit. I took of my hat and scratched my head, unsure if I could put my feelings into words. "It''s strange."

    Noah lifted both eyebrows. "What? What is?"

    "Their hitting." I put my hat back on.

    Noah glanced at the other team on the field. "Oh. You mean how they all grounded out? With two strikes for each of them?"

    I nodded, looking at him expecting him to know what was up.

    Noah put on his helmet and got out his bat, then shrugged. "I don''t know. Maybe it''s their strategy? Like which infielder might be bad at fielding..? Don''t worry about it for now. You did fine." He headed to the entrance of the dugout.

    Don''t worry? Zeke had said that about Jordan''s batting. Was there a link?

    To start off the third inning, Julian, Chris, and Noah would go up. Julian started with a strong single between the third baseman and shortstop. Then Chris followed up with a single of his own, between first and second. Now that I''ve been having weird thoughts all game, this started to seem strange too.

    I watched Noah''s at bat closely. With a 2-1 count, he sent a grounder right to the shortstop. I watched as the shortstop fielded it, nice and slow. But then there was a weird hesitation as he looked at second and third. Nevertheless, he tossed to the second baseman on second, who threw to the first baseman. They got the double play.

    As Chris and Noah jogged back, I thought about what I saw. It''s like they were moving in slow motion. No. It was like all their movements were calculated. Like they didn''t want to get the outs. I frowned.

    "Hey don''t make that face. I thought I hit a good pitch." Noah sat beside me. "For a second, I thought I would beat out the double play, but, oh well."

    I wanted to tell him that he only almost beat it out, was because of their delayed response, but that wouldn''t be nice. And I wasn''t totally sure anyways. Maybe that guy wasn''t sure if he should throw to third instead.

    I started getting a headache from overthinking this. I leaned back and tilted my head back, just looking at the ceiling of the dugout.

    "Uh...you okay Jake?" Noah asked.

    I gave him a thumbs up. I''m fine. Just confused. Confused about things I shouldn''t worry about.

    "Well you don''t have time to relax right now. Jordan just struck out. Again." Noah sighed. I sat back up and watched as the teams started to switch. "It''s weird that he would strike out twice."

    I froze and glanced at Noah.

    "I mean, this is the first time I''m officially playing with him in a game. But usually he does well at batting practice during the week." Noah continued. He stood up and stretched. "Okay. No slacking off. Let''s go!" He ran onto the field to join the minute warmup.

    I grabbed my glove and slowly followed. The bottom of the third would bring up Paradise Preparatory''s batters seven, eight, and nine. I was on guard for something suspicious to happen again.

    Garret kept up with the strike and got batter seven to fly out to left field. Nothing weird happened. But that''s what I thought at the beginning of their offense each time so far. Batter eight would be the key. With a strike against him, he sent a long fly ball to Zeke in center field for our number two. My eyes narrowed at their last batter, who was also their pitcher. If he flew out to right field, then something wrong was really happening. I watched as Garret''s first pitch to him was quickly sent to Sean in right field. End of the third. Still 5-0.

    So they all hit fly balls this time. Maybe not with all the same counts, but it was too much to be a coincidence. Once in the dugout, I walked straight up to Zeke.

    "Jake? What are you doing?" Noah asked from behind. "You need to get your bat and glove. You''ll be coming up again this inning."

    I ignored him and stopped in front of Zeke, who was standing next to Coach. I jerked my thumb to the field so he could understand what I want. And what I wanted, was answers.

    Zeke sighed. "I told you not to worry. Just play like normal. Don''t overthink. Get hits, get on base. Field properly, get outs."

    A snort came from five feet away. Jordan was sitting there with his catcher gear still on. "You''re too naive if you think that we can win against them with just that."

    My jaw dropped. Noah gasped from beside me. Zeke and coach frowned, but neither of them had any disputes.

 122 Game Four: Paradise Preparatory 5

    I looked at Jordan. After a moment of silence, I spoke up. "What do you mean?"

    His eyes widen, but then quickly went back to normal. "Zeke is too hopeful about this situation. These prep kids are just toying with us. You''ve already noticed and you''re just a newbie. How do you think this will play out?"

    I shrugged, not sure what he meant.

    "Option one: they start to play like normal and we barely win. They''ll get to say that they gave us a handicap since we''re a public school and they had misjudged how well Zeke can carry this team. Option two: they start to play like normal, and come back from behind to beat us. This is the worst between the two. Not only did they give us a handicap, but we blew it. If even you can see their lack of effort, then so can the reporters. They''ll attack Zeke no matter which way we go. He''ll look bad if we lose our lead that was given to us. But he''ll also look like he needed a handicap if we win. It''s all psychological."

    "If it''s really like that, then we should win at least." Noah frowned. "It''s not our fault they thought we needed a handicap."

    Jordan rolled his eyes. "A win like this is meaningless. It''s a lose-lose situation."

    "Strikeout!" The umpire called. We turned to see Garret walking back and Mahki walking up to the plate.

    "Looks like they''re waking up." Jordan said. "Garret is a rather good hitter. He at least believes in not striking out." He looked at me. "Get your helmet on and experience it for yourself. You''ll feel the difference. You probably won''t be able to get a hit. As for the team, we''ll be held at five runs."

    I won''t be able to get a hit? I frowned. "Zeke said to get a hit and get on base. He''ll make sure I score."

    I walked away and grabbed my helmet and bat before stepping out. Mahki was already on his way back from striking out as well.

    "Hey! Wait!" Noah caught me before I stepped up to bat. He pulled me away and lowered his voice. "You''re confident you can get on?"

    I was taken aback with his question. I didn''t realize he was so unsure about this game too.

    Noah looked awkwardly at the ground. "Jordan is a bit odd, but he''s a good player. The best catcher we have, but he says he''ll only catch for the best pitcher. But if he thinks we''ll lose and embarrass Zeke, then..."

    Then you''d believe him. I gave Noah a light pat on the shoulder. "I can do what Zeke said." Beyond that? I''m not sure. Maybe we''ll still win. Maybe we''ll lose. I''m not a fortune teller and I''m not a pro at baseball; knowing how the game could turn out is not in my skill set.

    "Step up please." The umpire called me out. "Or it''ll be a delay of game."

    Noah gave me a nod and ran back to the dugout. I got back in the righty''s box and was set to hit.

    "Looking nervous." The catcher commented.

    I wasn''t feeling it though. I was actually feeling more pumped up then earlier. Now I''ve gotta find somewhere to hit to that can earn me a few bases.

    The pitcher started his motion and I noticed it was slightly different. He was definitely putting in more effort now, like earlier when he gave me an 85mph pitch to hit. He did a full windup and came at me with a fastball right down the middle. I let it go by for strike one.

    I stepped out of the batters box and looked towards the outfield. They were playing in, which was smart since they knew I couldn''t hit the ball hard enough for a homerun. The next best thing would be to hit a triple. But I suck at running and I''m not really a good judge with decision making. Ideally, I should hit the ball to a corner of the field. But which corner?

    I stepped back up to the plate and took the next pitch as a called strike. As the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher, I saw the center fielder inching in some more. Maybe they knew I like to hit it up the middle, but that''s a little presumptuous. I only have three hits in this whole tournament, two did go up the middle, but that''s only a 66% chance. Is that enough odds for them to gamble on? I really have to study baseball some more.

    I looked my bat over before getting back in the box. There weren''t any dents from the previous hits, but with me aiming for a bigger hit over the center fielder, I was scared I was going to break my bat.

    I took a deep breath and got set to swing. If Zeke wasn''t afraid of criticism for winning a game, then what''s a chip in the bat? I focused solely on the pitcher. I already had two strikes against me. If I was a pitcher, I would want a batter to chase a ball outside or in the dirt for an easy strikeout. I watched as the pitch came out of his hands and took a sharp dip down and bounced before the plate for ball one. A 1-2 count. A little bit trickier.

    I dug in. This one, I''ll have to send out. I thoroughly watched the next pitch as it came in. It was fast. Easily 88mph at least. But it was just a fastball with a straightforward trajectory. I moved my hands, wrists, and arms, catching up with the speed of the pitch. I heard the ball come off my bat, and I took off. I sprinted as fast as I could to first and looked for the ball going to the outfield.

 123 Game Four: Paradise Preparatory 6

    The center fielder had turned to sprint back, he made and awkward leap and the ball hit off his glove. He landed on his stomach and the ball kept rolling away. I was halfway to second and could see the left outfielder running over to help him. I put some more effort in my sprint and rounded second, now facing Mr. Miller.

    He looked shocked as I sprinted his way. Then he started to point at the ground just left of the bag. "Slide!"

    I dove head first like before, but this time I was able to remember to close my mouth. I grabbed hold of the base and slide a little over it, just as a heavy pat landed on my head.

    "Safe!" The third base umpire yelled out.

    I heard the crowd all around get loud and shouts of "Bambi!" came from both them in the stands, and those in the dugout. I didn''t dare to move until Mr. Miller called ''time'' and pulled me to my feet.

    "What a blast! Noah wasn''t lying when he said baseball isn''t all about homeruns. Did Zeke know you could hit this well??" He helped brush the dirt and dust off my uniform and face.

    I shrugged. This was all circumstantial. I wouldn''t have been able to hit it so far if the pitcher wasn''t fast, and I wouldn''t have been able to hit it over the outfielders head if they weren''t drawn in so much. This was probably a hit that I wouldn''t be able to replicate unless all these conditions were met.

    Zeke was up to bat next. Before he got in the box, he glanced my way and gave me a head nod. I felt warm inside at the thought of making him proud.

    The ump resumed the game and Zeke stepped up to bat. The pitcher sent a glare my way, saw that I wasn''t even leading off and let out a scoff. Then he faced Zeke. Zeke looked steady as always.

    He didn''t waste any pitches like I did. On the first pitch he saw, he must have liked it, and just smacked it away.

    "Run Jake." Mr. Miller has to remind me as I was caught looking at his hit.

    I jogged to home plate then turned to watch Zeke. He was taking long strides and rounding the bases way faster than I ever could. The outfielder threw to the shortstop for the relay throw. Then the shortstop threw to the third baseman, but Zeke was already standing there, catching his breath.

    "Looks like captain didn''t want to be shown up by a scrawny freshman." Sean came over from the on deck circle. He clapped my back and sent me towards the dugout. "Good hit Bambi!"

    I stuttered step to the dugout, trying not to trip. His compliment was echoed throughout the dugout as the guys kept their distance when I got in. They really listened to Noah about how I didn''t like to be crowded.

    Noah jumped on me right away though. "That was too perfect. You''re a machine when it comes to hitting. So perfect all the time." He dragged me back to our bags so I could take off my helmet. He spoke louder. "Take note Jordan. This is how it''s done. Even if they pick up the speed, that guy is still not a match for Bambi."

    "That''s not even their ace right now. What are you getting so excited for?" Jordan shot back, still sitting alone.

    "That''s their problem for sending out such a crappy pitcher." Noah shrugged. He faced me. "I picked your bat up for you. The sound of your hit had me worried. Mom would have killed us if we broke it already."

    My face lost all color and I quickly examined it, thankfully not finding any odd bumps or dents. I tried calming my racing heart.

    Noah let out a light cough. "My bad. That wasn''t what I meant. She would just be upset, but she wouldn''t do anything crazy."

    I sighed. I know. Not all moms were as crazy as mine.

    The team started to cheer. We both turned our attention to the field. Sean had just hit a single, and Zeke scored another run. We clapped as well and Zeke came back to the dugout.

    Zeke took off his helmet and addressed the team. "Listen up." The team quieted down and all eyes went to him. "Paradise will start to try now and put in effort. Some of you have noticed that they looked to be treating us without respect. Remain focused on our goal: to win. What others think and say is irrelevant."

    "Yes!" The team agreed in unison.

    Zeke, apparently, had no trouble accepting a win even if others accuse him of taking a handicap.

    Julian struck out and ended our offense. We would take the field for the bottom of the fourth inning, with a 7-0 lead. Garret is back to facing the top of the lineup again, but he had more of an advantage than the other pitcher. Not only do we have a nice lead to back him up, but he was also currently under 30 pitches.

 124 Game Four: Paradise Preparatory 7

    Garret faced off with the first batter and worked it to a 1-2 count, only to let him get a single just down the first baseline. The second batter was also able to hit one of Garret''s pitches into play, but luckily Noah made a diving stop and tossed it to me. I stepped on second then threw to first. We got the runner coming from first, but weren''t able to turn the double play.

    Top of the fourth with one out. We all got back to our spots and Garret faced the third batter. The third batter ended up connecting as well and sent the ball between me and Julian, getting a single, and also advancing the runner to second base. I looked to Noah, worried. Even though we got the second batter on a fielders choice, all three guys have sent the ball into play.

    Noah wasn''t paying any attention my way. He was focusing on the runner on second, Garret, Jordan, and the batter. A check throw could be possible...but I couldn''t remember what sign to look for from the catcher. If Noah moves in to cover the base, then I''ll try and backup the throw in case it goes bad.

    Garret now has to face their cleanup hitter with only one out. Best case scenario would be an easy double play. Worst case scenario, a three run homer. C''mon Garret, I thought in my head. Just hold him here. He brought the batter to a 2-2 count, before throwing his cut-fastball. As a lefty, his cutter run to the inside for right-handed batters. Usually inside pitches were more difficult to hit, but this cleanup hitter was able to send it to right field, getting it past Sean.

    Julian ran out to the grass to be the cutoff man, and I went to cover first. The baserunners were sprinting around, not losing out to Zeke in speed. The cleanup hitter tagged first and headed to second. The runner on second made it home. Sean made the throw to Julian who immediately turned to throw home but Jordan was crossing his arms in an X, and the runner that was on first base scored. 7-2. Julian sighed and gave the ball back to Garret on the mound.

    Garret kicked at the rubber, frowning.

    "Don''t mind!" Noah yelled out. "Let them hit. We''ll get a double play on the next one. We''re still winning. Stay calm."

    Garret looked up and gave him a nod. Then he faced the next batter as we all moved back to our spots. Noah still had to stick closer to second base to make sure the guy wouldn''t take a big lead off the base. Garret seemed to put more strength behind his pitches and was able to get batters five and six to fly out to Zeke in center field. That ended the fourth and kept the score 7-2, still a five run lead.

    We got back to the dugout and our team got ready to go back on the offensive. Chris, Noah, and Jordan would start us off. As the three got ready, the Paradise coach came out and talked to the umpire before calling out a new pitcher.

    "That''s still not their ace." Jordan said from nearby. He had his helmet on and his bat in his hands.

    "But that is their second best pitcher." Zeke stood by me. "Not only is he second best on his team, but also in the top five in the county. He has a variety of pitches."

    I studied this new guy that took the mound and preceded to do some warmup pitches. "What pitches?" I asked in a low voice.

    Zeke took a seat beside me. "He switches between a two-seam fastball and four-seam fastball regularly. He also has a 12 to 6 curve. Then a slider. Which is between a fastball and curve. The four-seamer is the most common because it''s the fastest and straightest pitch. Almost no movement. A two-seamer is similar to a sinker; it''ll move downward. A 12 to 6 curve is self explanatory; it''ll be top to bottom movement, it can be hard to time."

    "Slider?" I asked, wanting to know more.

    "The slider will look like a curve coming out of the hands, but if you''re batting right handed and it''s coming from a righty, it''ll break down and away from you." Zeke reminded me of an encyclopedia. It felt like he knew everything pertaining to baseball. "Watch closely now. Even though you don''t have the best view here, you can know what to expect." He pointed to Chris, who had just stepped up to bat.

    The new pitcher was as fast as the one before, if not faster. He didn''t have any wasted movement or pitches. He struck out Chris with three pitches. And then Noah. Jordan stepped up, Garret moved to the on deck circle, and I put my helmet on.

    Jordan was able to foul off the first pitch. Took the second pitch for a ball. Then a called strike. Another ball. Foul. Foul. Then his patience paid off and he connected with one. He made it safely to first and looked back at our dugout. It looked as if he was proving a point.

    I looked up at Zeke to see if he knew, but he was too busy scolding Noah for a sloppy at-bat. Garret moved to the box so Mahki could move to the on deck circle. Usually I would stay by my bag, but this time I took a knee near the fence and continued to watch this pitcher. Top five in the county was nothing to sneeze at. He could probably take on Zeke.

    Sadly, I wouldn''t get to face him this inning. Garret grounded out to third and ended the offense for us.

 125 Game Four: Paradise Preparatory 8

    Bottom of the fifth, still 7-2. Garret stepped up and we got in position. He let off another single almost immediately, making the team feel down. At least, I was. I was nervous that it would get worse and Jordan''s worst case scenario will happen. Garret''s supposedly the best on our team when it comes to pitching, but if even he is getting rocked like this, then I can''t imagine what would happen to the other pitchers.

    "No worries!" Noah shouted. "Next batter! Make him hit it to me!"

    Garret shook his head with dismay. Then got back on the rubber to face the next batter. He started off with his cutter and got the guy to swing and miss. Then again. And again. His first strikeout since the first inning.

    He continued with the cutter with the next batter, yet this one was able to tap it my way. I quickly ran to it and tossed it to Noah at second, who then threw to Julian to make the double play and quickly end the inning.

    Noah jumped around me. "Wow! That was quick thinking Jake! You''re really getting the hang of it now!"

    I rubbed my nose, too embarrassed to say that I thought we wouldn''t have been able to turn the double play. I was still absorbed in the possibility that we could still lose with two innings to go.

    I put my helmet on, grabbed my bat, and headed back out of the dugout. Mahki was taking practice swings trying to match the timing of the pitchers warmup pitches. Which I found useless since that probably wouldn''t be the speed in real time.

    The umpire signaled for the batter to step up to the plate so we could start the sixth inning. Mahki only last three pitches before grounding out to third like Garret did.

    After studying the guy on the mound, and considering his pitches, I decided to step in the lefty''s box. With my short arms, it wouldn''t be wise trying to chase after his pitches the run to the outside. If I bat left-handed then these pitches will come at me and will be easier to hit.

    The pitcher nodded at the sign the catcher gave and started his motion. I watched closely and judged the first pitch to be his curve. I let it pass for a ball. The next pitch was another curve but looked to end in the strike zone. I let it. 1-1. The pitcher on the mound smirked and got set once more. I don''t know what he''s so happy about. It''s only one strike. His next pitch came a bit high, but still in the zone. He was a straight fastball almost reaching 90, I bet. I took a short step, moved my wrists and swatted the ball down the third baseline, squeaking by the third baseman.

    "Keep going!" Coach Luis waved me on to second base. I rounded first and was able to see that the left fielder had just barely gotten to the ball so I didn''t even have to slide. I proudly stood on second.

    I looked back at my dugout where shouts of Bambi were the loudest. Noah was shaking the gate wildly and cheering. As they calmed down, Noah hollered out to Zeke at the plate. "Jake is showing you up again! You need a single for the cycle!"

    Zeke shook his head. I don''t know if that was to say that he wouldn''t get a hit or if he wouldn''t stop at first. He stared down the pitcher. The pitcher arrogantly pitched a fastball in the same spot as before.

    Zeke didn''t hesitate and swung. Except he hit it to the right fielder. It bounced once before being quickly thrown back in. I made it to third and Zeke stood on first. He got his cycle just like that. Almost no effort. No wonder he belongs in first.

    The crowd gave him a standing ovation. I could hear Mrs. Atkins yelling happily ''that''s my son!'' It made my chest felt tight. No one would claim me as their son with such joy. My dad was m.i.a. (AN: missing in action) And my mom was on trial for trying to kill me. I felt like crumbling all of a sudden. Life''s problems were weighing me down. I stood frozen on third.

    Sean came up to bat and hit a high fly to left field. Zeke tagged up and made it to second as I remained on third. Mr. Miller was saying words, but I couldn''t hear them. I was too caught up in my thoughts. I don''t think my mom ever claimed me with pride. She would say ''my son'' like I was a sin and just straight filth. Julian struck out and it was time to switch sides.

    I mechanically walked back to the dugout with Mr. Miller beside me, still talking but I was still not listening. I took my helmet off and really felt tired. It was just so much of an effort.

    "Jake? Jake?! Jake!" Noah''s yell in my ear made me turn to him. He looked at me with wide eyes. "Are you okay?? What''s going on? Zeke and Mr. Miller couldn''t get through to you."

    I saw the two behind Noah, talking to coach. Most of the team already ran out into the field. Zeke brought coach over to me.

    Coach looked at me, pushing his hat up. "Jake, do you need a rest? It''s okay if you do. Roberts can go in and you can take a seat."

    A rest? Yes. I need to rest. I plopped down on the bench and held my head in my hands. This weight felt too heavy. I was too tired. Something is wrong with me.

    "Roberts! Get on that field! Noah, Zeke, you both get out there too. I''ll keep an eye on Jake." Coach''s voice sounded distant even though I could see his feet by mine.

 126 Game Four: Paradise Preparatory 9 ~Noah

    ~~~~~NOAH~~~~~

    Jake looked like he was shutting down. I felt helpless to stop it.

    "Roberts! Get on that field! Noah, Zeke, you both get out there too. I''ll keep an eye on Jake." Coach''s yelled at us to take the field.

    I didn''t want to go, but Zeke grabbed me by my collar and dragged me onto the field as we followed John.

    "Zeke, something''s happening to him. We can''t just leave him with Coach. He''s going to feel scared and get agitated. He might run if I''m not watching." I swatted him hand off my jersey.

    Zeke glanced at the dugout then back at me. "Jake isn''t feeling anything. He''s despondent. What he needs is a therapist, not some kid who might make him feel worse."

    I frowned. "Let me go tell dad then." I thought about what we overheard the other night. "Dad would know what to do."

    Zeke sighed. "Fine, but don''t waste anymore time. The umpire is already giving us looks." He left me to get to his position.

    I jogged to the fence behind home plate, trying to look for my parents.

    "What do you think you''re doing?" The umpire approached me. "It''s time to get back to the game. Get in position or get in the dugout."

    "My teammate has a medical emergency." I didn''t spare him a glance. I spotted my mom and dad in the middle row, near the steps. I waved at them. "Hey! Hey! Dad!"

    The crowd started to point at laugh, but I didn''t care. My dad looked embarrassed as he made his way down the stands to me. He towered over me, making me feel a little more calm. "What is it? Why are you stopping the game like this?"

    "Dad. It''s not me. It''s Jake." I quickly explained. "Something happened and now he''s not responding to anyone. Even me! No talking, no eye contact, barely any movement. Coach is taking him out of the game."

    "That''s strange. Did you guys accidentally trigger him?"

    "What? I don''t know. I don''t think so."

    "I''m giving you ten seconds to get back to your position." The umpire said from beside me.

    "Just get to the dugout." I pleaded to my dad one last time before running to my spot.

    Garret made sure I was ready before turning back to Jordan. He got the first guy to fly out to Mahki in left field. The next guy struck out looking. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, I couldn''t wait to get back to the dugout. By now, I could see that my dad was sitting by Jake and Coach was standing near, not even watching the game.

    A loud ping grabbed my attention. I caught a glimpse of the ball soaring above me. I turned and watched it go over the right field fence. A homerun. 7-3.

    I turned back to Garret to try and make sense of what had happened. But he didn''t look like he believed it either. He examined his fingers like they would have the answer.

    "Don''t mind! It''s only one! Let''s get the next batter!" I slapped my glove a few times, trying to sound tough. Garret clenched his hand and gave a nod before facing the next batter. Internally, I wanted to freak out. Jake wasn''t being his normal self and neither is Garret. He''s never given up a homerun before. Hopefully he can hold them here.

    The following batter was the cleanup hitter. He had a double last time. I wiggled my shoulders and got loose. Garret faced him with less strength than normal. The guy was able to get ahold of his high fastball and sent it high and away. I turned and watched it as it went over my head. Luckily he hit it towards center where the distance is longest. Zeke caught the fly at the fence. Warning track power. I sighed with relief and then bolted back to the dugout.

    My dad was sitting next to Jake with a few inches between them. "Well? Is he better?"

    My dads lips pulled up. "It''s a process Noah. You can''t really define better. Is he better than where he started? Maybe. Is he better than half an hour ago? Maybe not. Don''t worry so much. I''ll watch him. We''ll take him home. And then after a good nights sleep, we''ll take him to see Dr. Moore."

    "His therapist?" I furrowed my brows. "You can''t fix him?"

    "Jake doesn''t need fixing." My dad corrected. "He just needs to know how to face things head on. He needs to know that we''ll be there for him." He looked past me. "Do you guys know when this started? It''d help to know the trigger."

    I turned to see Zeke right behind me. "Somewhere between his hit and Sean''s flyout. Normally he would at least look nervous about missing cues on what he should do like tagging and scoring. He didn''t even look my way. But he looked normal when he was batting."

    Dad got up and started to pack Jakes bag. "Well I''m going to guide him to the car. Maybe some quiet will do him good."

    I held out my arm. "No. Let him stay for the rest of the game. So he''ll know we won. That might cheer him up. He''s more talkative when baseball is involved."

    Dad looked skeptical.

    "I think so as well." Zeke nodded. "Jake was rather talkative today compared to normal. He was asking questions and that''s why it''s so surprising that he would clam up so suddenly."

    Dad set Jakes bag on the ground, all packed up. "Okay. It''s only another inning. Hopefully the win will cheer him up."

    I nodded. Then I went to my bag to grab my bat and helmet. I was supposed to be on the on deck circle already.

 127 Game Four: Paradise Preparatory 10 ~Noah

    ~~~~~NOAH~~~~~

    By the time I stepped out of the dugout, Chris had already struck out. So instead of taking practice swings, I went straight to the batters box. The pitcher was throwing straight heat and I couldn''t keep up. I felt disgusted with myself for not even being able to foul one off. Being the best fielder in the world won''t get you anywhere if you can''t even get a hit. I struck out and stomped back to the dugout. I threw my gear in my bag and grabbed my glove.

    "That was pretty ugly, wasn''t it Jake?" I mumbled as I sat beside him. I peeked at him and saw that his eyes were closed. "Oh good. You couldn''t even see how bad it was."

    No response came. This was just like earlier when he was mad at me. Except...there was at least some kind of emotion shown on his face before. Now he just looks like he''s sleeping. Or... I poked his cheek. "Dad, I think he''s sleeping. Like for reals sleeping."

    My dad just smiled. "Good. A little extra rest might help. Maybe he''ll feel better after a nap."

    Jordan came back from striking out as well and back on the field, we went. Bottom of the seventh with a 7-3 lead. Safe. Comfortable.

    "Bring it home Garret!" I cheered, getting into position. The team went through a minute warmup before Paradise came up for their last chance at an offense. The first guy popped out to Chris. The next one hit a hard grounder my way, but I smoothly fielded it to Julian at first for the second out. The final batter hit another high fly, but all Zeke had to do was run in and catch it for the win.

    The team celebrated the win at the mound with Garret, but I went to the dugout. My dad had put Jakes baseball bag on and started to lift him in his arms.

    "You going already? What about the medals and trophy?" I hovered close to them.

    Dad just smiled. "Stop fretting like your mom. Your mom will stay for the ceremony to take pictures and to supervise Zeke''s interview. Jake and I will rest in the car."

    "I should stay with you...what if he wakes up and I''m not there? He might get upset." I threw my glove in my bag and zipped it up.

    "Noah, you''re making a mountain out of a molehill. Calm down." My dad commanded. "Stay with your team. Jake is steadily asleep. Even if he does wake up without you there, it''s not a huge deal. He''s gone his whole life without you and survived. He''ll keep going."

    I pouted. "I just want to be there for him."

    "Grab his medal for him instead. Closing ceremony will only take about an hour." Dad walked away with Jake in his arms, attracting stares from the nearby crowd.

    "You look like dad just stole your puppy." Dave mocked outside the dugout.

    "So what." I grabbed my bag. "I can be sad that my best friend isn''t okay, alright?"

    "Sure. Sure." Dave put his hands on his head. "I wonder what''s going to happen when they find his dad. Hopefully it doesn''t happen too soon otherwise we''ll lose a great hitter before the season is up."

    I crossed my arms. "From what I gathered, Jake doesn''t really like him either."

    Dave shook his head lightly. "That doesn''t matter. A lot of kids don''t like their parents and vice versa. But they''re still stuck with one another unless there''s extenuating circumstances."

    Jakes mom almost killed him. They wouldn''t just let anybody take him in. Even if it''s his biological dad.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    JAKE

    I felt like I was in a fog. Nothing was clear.

    "Jake. Jake. Jakeeee." Someone was close to my ear calling me. "We''re home Jake. Let''s go inside okay?" I felt arms under my neck and knees, supporting me. Home? Did I have a home? A familiar one story house formed in my mind and I started to gasp for air. No. I didn''t want to go there. Not anymore. Not ever again. I struggled, trying to get away.

    "Jake? It''s okay. It''s me. Wayne." The voice said. "I''m just taking you to your room. I''ll let you sleep some more in your comfy bed. Calm down. We''re home now."

    Wayne? Did I know a Wayne? I cracked my eyes open and squinted at the blurry figure. Wayne isn''t my mom. I relaxed and mumbled. "I don''t want to go home."

    "Don''t be silly. This is your new home. You have a nice warm bed waiting for you. Noah is already inside. He''ll be there if you need anything." A pink blur got bigger and bigger. Ah, the Atkins house was pink. Their home is very nice on the inside and out. Just like them.

    "Jake?" The voice kept talking, but I didn''t care. I was safe. It was safe to sleep.

 128 Monday Morning 1

    When I woke, I was startled. Somehow I went from the game to my bed. Was it all a dream? I sat up and noticed I was still in my dirty uniform.

    "Oh. You''re finally awake!" Noah stood up so he can peek in the top bunk, where I slept. "Go take a shower and I''ll tell mom to warm some breakfast up for you."

    I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "I have a headache."

    Noah looked startled. "Oh. That could be because you slept for so long. How about you go take a nice warm shower to feel better." He sniffed. "And smell better." He cracked a smile and headed for the door. "I''ll be downstairs with mom and dad." He left.

    I rolled out of bed and made my way to the bathroom, with clean clothes in hand. Once I was there, I realized, it was Monday. There''s school. We''re going to be late! I rushed through my shower and quickly got dressed. I tugged my socks and shoes on before running downstairs with my backpack.

    "What are you doing..?" Dave asked as I tripped over the last step, stumbling a few feet.

    I held up my backpack.

    Kyle came out of the kitchen just in time to see me hold my backpack up. He and Dave made eye contact and started to laugh together. I shook my backpack at them with exasperation.

    "We''re going to be late!" I told them.

    They stopped and looked me over. Dave spoke first. "Late? For what? Mom said you''re appointment wasn''t until nine o''clock."

    Kyle laughed at my confusion. "There''s no school today, kiddo. It''s President''s Day. All schools have the day off. But there''ll be an evening practice so make sure your bag is ready to go before you forget that too."

    My bag? My bag! Where did I put it? I didn''t even clean my bat after yesterday! I tried to recall yesterday''s game against Paradise Prep. I had a few hits. Zeke got for the cycle. And then-and then? I put my fingers to my temple and tried to soothe the headache that was coming back. Yesterday, I froze.

    "Jake?" Noah''s voice sounded near. I opened my eyes and saw him standing by the entrance to the dining room. "I was wondering what was taking you so long. Come on. Sit down and eat something before it gets cold again."

    "But..." My headache started to get even worse. I felt lost and confused. I was missing my bat and bag. I barely remember the end of the game last night. And now I''m told there''s no school today.

    Dave came over and took my backpack out of my hands. "One thing at a time. Go eat. You don''t need this today."

    I nodded and walked over to Noah. He then guided me to the table and we sat beside each other. Mr. Atkins sat on one end. And Mrs. Atkins sat next to Noah on the opposite end.

    "Good morning Jake." Mr. Atkins greeted me. "How are you this morning?"

    I was still rubbing my head and frowned. "I have a headache."

    Mr. Atkins exchanged looks with his wife, then looked at me. "Drink some water. You slept a lot and didn''t have time to rehydrate. The boys told you that there''s no school today, right?"

    I nodded and grabbed the glass of water in order to chug it.

    "With the day off, I think it would be a good idea to see Dr. Moore today." He continued. I choked on my water and set the glass back down.

    "Is this about yesterday?" I cleared my throat after a few coughs. I nervously looked at Mr. Atkins. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to fall asleep."

    Mr. Atkins gave me a soft smile. "It''s nothing you have to apologize for. We just think it would be a good idea to consult Dr. Moore and talk it out. It''ll help you in the long run. It''s nice to see you talking again, but it would be helpful to know what happened and what we can do to prevent another incident like it."

    I stared down at my hands, a little ashamed.

    "Don''t be so down about it." Noah said. "I''m going with you and dad this time."

    I raised an eyebrow at him.

    He shrugged. "I want to know what he''s like. What the place is like. With me there, you won''t be scared right?"

    I slowly nodded.

    "Then I''ll go to. It''s better then sticking around here with the boys." He rolled his eyes. "Maybe I need to see a psychologist too. It''s hard being the youngest of four. You can never impress anyone."

    "What?" My eyebrows furrowed.

    "Listen. Zeke had a perfect batting average throughout the tournament with no fielding errors. He was named tournament mvp. Kyle won tournament best pitcher for that perfect game. And even Dave was an honorable mention. The injustice." Noah shook his head, looking a little depressed. "And then you stole best underclassmen performance. What did I get? A little mention that I was also a freshman like you." He pouted.

    I lightly pat his shoulder.

 129 Monday Morning 2

    After breakfast, Mr. Atkins drove me and Noah to Dr. Moore''s office. This time the receptionist let us go in right away. Noah pulled me to the couch and we sat together as Mr. Atkins sat on the other side of Noah.

    Dr. Moore smiled and greeted us warmly, "Welcome back." He looked at Noah. "You must be Noah? I''ve heard a lot about you."

    Noah nudged me. "You talking crap on me already?"

    I shook my head vigorously. Technically I didn''t say anything. I pointed at Mr. Atkins to push the blame somewhere else.

    Noah swung his head to face his dad. "Wow. Betrayal by my own dad. So what did you say? That I''m perfect? The best son? The worst? Youngest is a given. Hmmm."

    Mr. Atkins rolled his eyes. "The most dramatic." He gave an apologetic smile to Dr. Moore. "Excuse Noah and his antics. He''s....a bit....unique. One-of-a-kind."

    "No, it''s fine. It''s alright. I did want a glimpse of their dynamic together so this is actually really great." Dr. Moore smiled and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Noah, what do you think of Jake''s inability to talk."

    Noah sat up straight. "Inability? He can talk just fine."

    "I know. I''m talking about his selective mutism. His inability to speak in social interactions?"

    Noah squinted. "I don''t have a problem with it. Jake and I talk often. He only struggles to talk to strangers now. Which is normal. Zeke doesn''t like speaking to others and I don''t see him sitting here in this office."

    Dr. Moore looked to Mr. Atkins. "Zeke?"

    Mr. Atkins gave a tight smile. "My oldest son. He''s the strong but quiet type."

    "How does he do in social environments?" Dr. Moore asked.

    "He likes to stare at people and scare them away from talking to him." Noah muttered. I let out a little laugh. That was partly accurate. "Zeke doesn''t speak much, but when he does, people listen. If I had to describe him in one word, it would be, overbearing."

    Dr. Moore grabbed his notepad and wrote some things down. "And you, Jake? If you had one word to describe Zeke, what would you use?"

    "Intimidating." I said clearly.

    "Oh? In what way?" He continued.

    I froze. Why was there suddenly a follow up question..? Noah didn''t have to answer a follow up question. I tilted my head at Noah.

    Noah sighed. "I''ll go first. I find my older brother very overbearing. He''s a tyrant on the baseball field. Number one in the county if you didn''t know. He wants everyone on his level and just dominates the sport. It''s hard to compete with that pressure even though we''re on the same team. For example, this past weekend, we had a tournament and he won Most Valuable Player. You know what I got? An honorable mention. Even though I had so many great plays, it doesn''t amount to Zeke''s achievements."

    Dr. Moore took notes. "Jake, do you think along the same lines?"

    "Of course he doesn''t." Noah laughed. "Jake is very similar to Zeke. He''s really good at baseball too. He won the award for best underclassmen performance." Noah nudged me. "Go on. Tell him why you find Zeke intimidating."

    I cleared my throat. "He''s tall."

    Noah laughed at Dr. Moore''s stunned expression. "Keep going."

    "He''s older. Good at baseball." I mumbled.

    Noah continued to laugh. "Come on. What''s the main reason?"

    I took a deep breath, and let out, "He makes me run laps."

    Noah leaned back into the couch, laughing his head off. Mr. Atkins sheepishly ran his fingers through his hair. And Dr. Moore paused from his note-taking. I sat there awkwardly.

    "The laps are apart of the baseball team." Mr. Atkins jumped in to explain. "I promise we''re not abusing Jake. The baseball team has a system where they have to run laps for mistakes or for misbehaving. Jake and Noah run together."

    Dr. Moore slowly nodded and started to write once more. "This is good. This is exactly what I wanted to see. When Jake came here last week with just you, he was stuttering. Noah really does give him a sense of comfort. But what I want to know...is why that didn''t help yesterday?"

    Noah looked unsure. "That''s never happened before. Jake was fine. And then suddenly, he wasn''t. He just clammed up and then decided it was nap time."

    Dr. Moore nodded. Then focused on me. "Jake, how about you tell us in your own words what happened and what you felt? Just give us a rundown of the late stages of the game."

    I nervously looked around the room to see them all staring at me, waiting. I couldn''t remember much though. Just the feeling of being tired and weighed down like I might drown.

    "Wasn''t it something that was done or said?" Dr. Moore prodded.

    I thought about it, trying to retrace my steps. I got a hit. Then Zeke got a hit. I was standing on third base, looking at him with amazement. He had gotten the cycle: a single, double, triple, and homerun in one game. It was impressive. Impressive enough for his mom to cheer super loud and say with pride, ''that''s my son.''

    A phrase no one would say about me.

    "Did you figure it out?" Noah asked. He was studying my face closely as if it was a textbook.

    I gave a small nod, but didn''t say anything. How could I put my feelings into words when I was feeling a multitude of things?

 130 Monday Morning 3

    "Let''s focus on the trigger first." Dr. Moore suggested. "What did you see? What did you hear? Smell? Touch? Taste? The five senses can tell you a lot."

    I pursed my lips with hesitation.

    Noah gave me a nod. "Don''t hold back."

    "I heard Mrs. Atkins." I slowly started. "She said, ''that''s my son'' in regards to Zeke''s hit."

    "And why do you think that upset you?" Dr. Moore questioned.

    "She-She-she sounded...proud." I stuttered, trying not to choke up. I closed my eyes to try and stop the tears. "No one will say that about me."

    The room got quiet. I could only hear their breathing. No laughter from Noah. No sighing from Mr. Atkins. No sounds of note-taking from Dr. Moore.

    "Jake-" Noah started to speak, but was cutoff by Dr. Moore.

    "How do you know someone won''t say that about you?"

    I slowly opened my eyes and focused on him. "Because I''m not anyone''s son. My mother use to say ''my boy'' but with negative connotations. With undertones of disgust, hate, and indifference. My dad already left. I wasn''t enough of ''his son'' to even keep, let alone be proud of."

    "What makes you think that only birth parents have the right to call you ''my son''?" Mr. Atkins spoke up. "Is it not the same, if I call you my son? I''m a foster parent, you''re a foster son; so why can''t you be my son?"

    My jaw dropped and I felt my face heat up with embarrassment. I didn''t know what to say.

    "Yea Dad!" Noah put an arm around my shoulder and tugged me in. "Tell him! I already tell people that we''re brothers so why can''t Mom and Dad call you their son? Will it bug you? Will it make you angry? C''mon. Use your words. Let''s hear it."

    Unsure, I looked at Dr. Moore for help. This is obviously not how a psych appointment should go, right? He just sat there, pen in hand, ready to record whatever I might say. I turned my attention to my shoes and studied the carpet. "I wouldn''t be bugged by it. I just don''t want you guys to do it because you feel like you have to."

    I felt Mr. Atkins get up and soon his shoes faced mine. Then they disappeared as he got on his knees. I looked up and we were eye level.

    "Jake. You''ve got to understand, we don''t do anything because we have to. It''s because we want to. We wanted to become foster parents. We wanted to take kids in and help them get a new start. We wanted you. So believe me when I say this: I''m proud of you, son. You did well this weekend. Not just on the field, but off it too. You didn''t hide away from your teammates or coaches, and you faced strangers head on. You''re a wonderful kid. You even taught Noah a lesson this past weekend that really got through to him and it''ll make him a better person. How can I not be proud of you?"

    Tears rolled out of my eyes and down my cheeks. Mr. Atkins pulled me into a hug and just let me lean on his shoulder.

    "Me too! Me too!" Noah threw his arms around us, unable to reach all around but was still able to squeeze us.

    I just sat there in their embrace, unsure of what to do with my arms. It would be too awkward to bring them up now, yet I felt kind of rude just sitting there, accepting their hugs. Finally I cleared my throat and tried not to sniffle. "Thanks. Can I go blow my nose now?"

    Noah and Mr. Atkins let go and started to laugh. Mr. Atkins stood all the way up and lightly patted me on the head. Noah got up and grabbed the tissues from Dr. Moore''s desk and handed them to me. I cleaned up my nose and wiped my eyes.

    Even though I felt jealous of a family like the Atkins, it felt good to be included. And to know that there are more people like them out in the world.

    Dr. Moore clapped his hands. "That was well done. You stated your problem clearly and accepted the solution. I can''t promise that you won''t feel the same in other situations, but it''s something you must face head on." He gave me a smile of assurance. "But never be afraid to face such feelings head on, because there will always be others to help."

    I nodded. I wasn''t alone anymore. In fact, looking back, I wasn''t really alone before. I had friends in school, but I never reached out or asked for help. That''s my fault.

    "Now let''s move on to a different topic that I wanted to bring up, if you don''t mind." Dr. Moore said.

    I glanced at Noah and Mr. Atkins, not exactly sure of what else there could be. I only had one breakdown this weekend, I swear. Unfortunately, they looked as lost as I did.

    "I''ve noticed that you''re being more verbal." Dr. Moore brought up. "I don''t know if it''s because you''re comfortable with Noah here or if it''s because you''re getting better."

    "Oh. It''s both!" Noah answered for me, excited. "Jake really spoke a lot this weekend. We even had our first fight. He spoke to a teammate without my intervention. And he hardly hid behind me like usual. But of course, he speaks to me the most. It''s because we''re best bros!" He smiled brightly like my talking was all due to him. Which...it is...slightly.

    "Good, good. That''s quite an improvement. But, I want more. I want you to get out of your shell and gain some self-confidence." Dr. Moore said. "Obviously, I can see some of your confidence links to Noah and baseball. But, you can''t always rely on outer stimulants for help. The self confidence should come from within and not from something external. Do you get what I''m saying?"

    I scratched the back of my head lightly. "Kind of?"

 131 Monday Morning 4

    "Let''s focus on confidence building for those with low self-esteem." Dr. Moore looked at all three of us and didn''t just focus on me, making me feel more comfortable. "I honestly believe the best way to build someone''s self confidence, is to give them challenges that they can accomplish. Because, you can give someone all the ''pats on the back'' in the world, but that won''t build their self confidence. It''ll just comfort them. You can tell them, ''you don''t have to be afraid anymore'', but it''s not going to make their fear go away." He faced me. "Right?"

    I nodded. It was all comfort phrases. It didn''t make me any less afraid. Just less alone.

    "So, I think it''s important to put them into situations where there''s a challenge. A challenge that provides an appropriate amount of fear. But not too much that it''ll overwhelm them and incapacitate them. Just start working at the little things until you feel comfortable then find an even bigger challenge." Dr. Moore said. "Like this weekend, Noah said you spoke more than normal?" He looked at Noah to confirm.

    Noah nodded. "Yep. Jake spoke to us. My brothers. Our teammates. He was very outgoing."

    "Well it''s normal to start talking around those you live with." Dr. Moore said. "But I''m curious as to what made you feel like you had to talk to your teammates?"

    "Baseball, of course." Noah answered for me. "He really only talks about baseball. Jake doesn''t waste words. He treasures them like gold. But if he doesn''t understand something about baseball, he''ll ask me or Zeke. But yesterday, he even spoke to this guy named Jordan."

    "So baseball really brings you out of your shell?" Dr. Moore asked me directly.

    I shrugged. I guess it did. Looking back, it started at the cages with Noah. Even when I was scared with those guys hovering over us, I also didn''t pass out of fear.

    "Okay. So we''ll start with that. Starting tomorrow, I want you to try and talk to a different teammate a day, excluding the Atkins. You can say anything you want. A simple hi. Or a more in-depth question like how are you. Or just ask anything related to baseball. One word is all you need."

    I gave a quick nod. I could try that. It sounds easy enough.

    "Alright. We can check in on that next week to see how it goes. Is there anything else you would like to share today?" I shook my head no, and he looked to Mr. Atkins and Noah. "And would either of you like to talk about something today? It can be about anything related or unrelated to Jake."

    No one had anymore to say. We all stood up and headed for the door. Dr. Moore walked us out of his office and out of the building. As Noah and I got in the car, Mr. Atkins and him stopped to exchange a few words. Then Mr. Atkins got in the car and we started to leave.

    "What were you guys talking about?" Noah asked.

    "He and Mr. Duncan have been in contact. He was just telling me that we''ll have another visit soon."

    "Why?" Noah asked, very blunt. "When other kids stayed with us, their social worker only visited once a month."

    "Jake has a lot going on compared to others. He''s a special case. I''m sure Mr. Duncan wants to make sure he''s doing well and whatnot. There could also be things that he would like to talk about like his mom''s court case or finding a lead on his dad."

    Noah glanced at me, then looked at his dad as he wove through traffic. "What if Jake doesn''t want to go back to his dad? I mean, that man did leave his with a crazy lady. He could be crazy too."

    Mr. Atkins sighed. "I''m not entirely sure how that all will work out. The tricky thing is that the state doesn''t really know who his dad is. He isn''t on the birth certificate so they can only go off some secondhand information. Then there''ll be a blood test and custody exchange. There''s a lot to go into it. There''s also a possibility that he wants to sign his rights as a parent away. He could even be dead already. I really don''t know how they''ll go about this situation." He paused. "I''m sure it would be easier if they had a name to look up. Right now they''re just going off his moms known associates." He glanced in the rear view mirror to make eye contact with me. "Do you have anything you want to share to help the search?"

    From the corner of my eye, I could see Noah slightly shaking his head. I cleared my throat with a light cough. "I have my mothers last name. My dad left when I was three." I shared a little. Mr. Atkins waited for more, but that''s all I was willing to share. If Noah thought it was a bad idea to find this man, then I shared the same sentiments.

 132 Trophy Shelf

    The conversation died there. Mr. Atkins didn''t ask anymore follow up questions, which put me and Noah at ease. As soon as we got back to the house, Noah dragged me to the living room as his dad went to the office area.

    Dave and Kyle were both on the couch watching the TV, but Noah didn''t bother them. Instead, he positioned me behind the couch, and faced me in the opposite direction of the TV. We were looking at a floor to ceiling trophy wall. No joke. It was a wall of shelves with trophies, medals, awards and framed pictures up on it. There was still plenty of space all around, but a lot of it had Zeke''s name on it.

    "Look here!" Noah pointed at one of the higher shelves. The section had five medals hanging off it, a picture of me and the Atkins boys, and an article was framed right beside it. "This is from yesterday. Mom already organized it all and was super excited about it. The reporter, Mr. Cameron had already sent her the pictures from Saturday so she printed the group shot so it could be with the medals."

    I pointed up at the framed article. "Why is the newspaper framed too? Is it his article?"

    Noah nodded. "It''s the article he posted Sunday morning so it only talks about Kyle''s perfect game and Zeke''s perfect batting streak. I''m sure mom will frame today''s article talking about our win. Mr. Cameron had interviewed Zeke and coach after the game, plus it talks about how we won these medals so it''s definitely frame worthy."

    "Yes, definitely frame worthy." She echoed as she walked into the room, two frames in her hands. "You boys did so well, it was a two-page article."

    "Let me see!" The twins said simultaneously. They both jumped off the couch and each grabbed a frame.

    Their mother laughed. "Okay, make sure you boys put it up afterwards. I''m going to go find your dad about some open houses coming up."

    "He''s in the office already." Noah told her as he moved to the twins. She nodded and left. Noah tried looking at each article, but the twins didn''t allow it. "Come on, you guys. Let me see! I want to know what they said about me and Jake!"

    Me? I''m going to be in it?

    Dave put his hand on Noah''s head and pushed him away. "Oh, don''t worry. I''ll read it to you, kiddos." He cleared his throat. "''In game three of the Tulare Invitational, David Atkins made an outstanding start, throwing five scoreless innings, with five strikeouts, and only conceded one hit.''" He read off the article.

    Kyle chuckled. "Why don''t I read what follows that?" He peaked over Dave''s shoulder to read off that page. "''Almost as good as Kyle Atkins outing on Saturday, who had the county''s first perfect game recorded in the last thirty plus years.''" Kyle laughed some more. "I didn''t even pitch yesterday and I still made the paper! I''m going to be mention in all future articles as the guy who pitched a perfect game!" Kyle did a little dance and celebration.

    Dave snorted. "I can only get better from here on out. You can''t beat a perfect game once you get one. Now you have to live up to that standard. Better not slack off or they''ll make fun of you for being a flash in the pan."

    Kyle scoffed. "Forget you. You''d be the flash in the pan. I bet you give up multiple runs in your next outing."

    "Definitely won''t be more than what you''ll give up."

    Kyle squinted. "We''ll compare end of the season records."

    Dave nodded in agreement. "Loser admits he has less skill."

    As they finally agreed on the bet, Noah pulled both frames out of their hands. He carried them to the couch and sat down to look it over. "Jake, come take a look."

    I obediently went over and sat beside him. He held out both frames so we could look at them at the same time. The first thing I noticed were the pictures that were in the article. There was a group shot of the team holding out their medals and coach holding the trophy. Another picture was of Zeke getting a hit. Dave and Garret pitching. And a small one of Noah fielding. I, excitedly, pointed at it.

    Noah smiled. "Looking good, right?" He looked over the article and found something related to him. "''Noah Atkins, a freshman starting at shortstop for Watsonville high school, is the youngest brother of Zeke, David, and Kyle.''" He frowned. "That can''t be all I got!" His eyes looked all over both framed pages, looking for another mention. His face started to fall and lost the previous minutes happiness.

    I understood what his expression meant. I lifted my hand and rested it on his shoulder. "Your picture made the paper, isn''t that great? Everyone will know and recognize you!"

    Noah gave me a sad smile. "Yea, recognize me as the youngest Atkins brother." He sighed. "So depressing. Oh well. Let''s see what he said about you." His eyes scanned the paper and stopped at the end of page two. "Here we go: ''The top freshman of the tournament was given to Watsonville''s Jake H. He had five hits for five at-bats, and had an impressive 100% on base percentage. Jake also had no errors playing at second base and even helped record the final out in Kyle Atkins perfect game.''"

    Kyle started to laugh and leaned on the couch so he could see the article again. "Look! I''m mentioned again. Hahahah this is too great. Even a freshman with a perfect batting average can''t steal my limelight."

    Noah rolled his eyes and got up off the couch. He walked around back to the trophy shelf and set the frames in the same section. "How annoying. Thank god Zeke isn''t as a braggart as you are, otherwise it''d be unbearable to live with you all."

    "Where is Zeke?" I spoke up, curious that I haven''t seen him all morning.

    Kyle stopped laughing and looked at me, surprised. "You sure are talkative today."

    I turned red from embarrassment.

    "Zeke is out for a run. He doesn''t like to stay still for long." Dave answered. He got back on the couch and turned the volume up on the TV. "He''ll show up for lunch. Then we''ll get ready for an earlier practice than normal."

 133 Spring Training 1

    The day went by smoothly as we just relaxed around the house, with the exception of Zeke. Dave was right that he would turn up for lunch, but afterwards he spent the rest of his afternoon locked away in their room. He didn''t come out until it was time for him to drive us to practice.

    We showed up ten minutes early, and started to drop our bags off in the dugout. We put on cleats and set out the waters.

    "You guys might as well start your laps." Zeke said out of the blue.

    "What do you mean, you guys??" Dave stood up a little straighter. "I didn''t do anything to deserve laps!"

    Zeke pulled out a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket and read off it. "Kyle said he would take the kids twenty laps from game one. Jake and Noah, do you guys really want me to list every reason or just accept your discount of twelve laps?" He looked our way.

    Noah frowned and looked at me. "It''s a gamble. We could appeal the decision and get less? Or we could end up with even more. I''ll leave it up to you."

    I thought about the automatic five I got right before we spoke to the reporter. Then there was game three and game four. I had so many running errors and I even fell asleep before it ended. The odds aren''t really in our favor. Every five laps equaled a mile. Twelve laps was only a little over two miles so it''s doable for me. "We agree to twelve."

    Noah nodded and looked at Zeke. "We accept."

    "Okay, but what about me??" Dave jumped back in. "They all have reasons? What reason could you possibly give me?"

    Zeke consulted his slip of paper. "As a pitcher, you gave up a hit. As a batter, you had a weak groundout to first base. Then you were stupid enough to take a hit by pitch just to get on base in a game where we had a sizable lead. Fifteen laps. Five for each action that ticked me off."

    Noah and Kyle laughed at Dave''s fallen face. Even I cracked a grin. Zeke had no mercy. Not even for his own flesh and blood.

    "You can''t do that!" Dave finally spat out. "Otherwise the whole team would be running laps during practice all the time!"

    Zeke stuffed the slip of paper back in his pocket. "The rest of the team isn''t related to me. I hold you guys to a higher standard. That''s an extra five for questioning my decision."

    Noah nudged me. "Let''s go ahead and start now so we don''t miss too much of warmups. Dave can argue this forever."

    I nodded in agreement and followed him as he headed to outside the field fencing. Kyle seemed to have the same idea and followed us out, but it didn''t take him long to start leaving us in the dust.

    "You don''t have to run at my pace." I huffed out as we started the third lap. "You''re faster."

    "Silly. Who would I play catch with for warmups if we don''t finish at the same time? Besides, who would push you to go faster? Only two weeks and you''ve improved so much. Can''t stop progress." Noah said easily.

    Eventually we saw Dave running around as well; apparently he couldn''t convince Zeke to not make him suffer with us. We would wave as our teammates showed up and started their normal warmup. Finally after the twelfth lap we entered the field and went to the dugout for some water.

    A familiar face sat on the bench with a crutch in hand, and a foot propped up. Jason.

    "Hey, Jason. We didn''t see you sneak in." Noah commented as I chugged my water and tried to catch my breath.

    Jason let out a short laugh. "Mr. Miller drove me down from the parking lot with his golf cart. But I saw you all running. Zeke has a weird way of encouraging you guys."

    "That was more like punishment than encouragement." Noah muttered. He glanced at me, then back at Jason. "After you got hurt, I did something dumb and hurt their catcher."

    "I heard." Jason grimaced. "That was a stupid thing to do. What if you ended up hurt yourself. Vengeance doesn''t belong in baseball."

    "Yea, Yea. No need to preach. Jake already scolded me, okay?" Noah brushed him off.

    Jason looked at me with surprise. "You actually scolded him?"

    I nodded. Then I realized what Dr. Moore suggested just this morning. To start talking with a teammate a day. This would be a good start since it''s just Jason alone and Noah is here for backup. I cleared my throat and looked at his foot. "What is wrong?"

    He blinked, slightly shocked. "Well...the other guys clear tore through mine as he landed. He cut up my foot to the point where I needed stitches. I''ll only be out for two weeks. No biggie."

    I nodded. "The absorbable kind?"

    "Yep! So I don''t even have to go back once it heals over and everything. I''ll be back on the field in no time." He pulled out his phone. "For now, I''ll be reading up on the A''s chances on making the World Series this year."

    I was unprepared for the shift in conversation. I glanced at Noah for help. I knew Jason was talking about an mlb team and I knew that the World Series was the thing that determines the champion of baseball at the end of each season. But I definitely don''t know anything about the team or their chances.

    Noah perked up. "Oh right. Today is the reporting date for the pros right?! They''re about to start spring training. Ahhh. I''m so excited for the season to start." Noah took over the conversation for me and they spoke about the major league for a little.

 134 Spring Training 2

    Jason and Noah talked about the teams that were great last year, those that had a chance to win the whole thing this year, who retired, who was traded, and who might make their major league debut. They went back and forth for too long, and Coach caught us just standing around, talking.

    "Noah! Jake! Over here now!" Coach''s stern voice made me shiver and I definitely didn''t want to go over.

    "Busted." Jason whispered, as we left him in the dugout.

    We jogged out to coach as he glared at us. Once we stopped in front of him, he started to rant. "It''s bad enough you owed Zeke laps and didn''t do them on your own time. Now you''re basically skipping practice just to chat away with Jason. News flash, you can chat with him in your free time, that''s why there''s cell phones. Even though you''re both freshman, you should still be focused on the task at hand. We have Wednesday''s game to prepare for. Do you want me to bench you both?!"

    I quivered with fear and stepped behind Noah to hide.

    "No need to raise your voice coach." Noah dragged me out from behind him. "You''re scaring Bambi. We were just inquiring about Jason''s injury. No big deal."

    Coach''s face turned red with anger. His glare became more ferocious and I could almost imagine him trying shoot lasers out of his eyes. "Laps! Now!"

    Noah pouted. "But what about practice?"

    "You should have thought about that before shooting the breeze with Jason. Laps! GO!"

    I quickly turned and started to jog away.

    "How many?" I heard Noah ask.

    "Until the end of practice!" He yelled.

    I picked up the pace and exited the field as the twins just finished their laps. They stopped, thinking I was heading for them, but instead I moved past them and started the laps.

    "Jake! Slow down!" I heard Noah said from behind, but I didn''t dare. He was better off catching up to me with his fast legs, instead of us getting into trouble for not focusing again. "If Coach is going to make us run for the rest of the evening, then it''s better to have a nice even pace so you don''t tire yourself out."

    What Noah said, sounded reasonable, so I slowed up to the slow pace he was doing. "This is all your fault." I told him, resentful that I have to run even more. Especially on a practice that Drew wasn''t going to show up at.

    Noah laughed at my sorrow. "Its not a big deal. Coach is just a little upset that we weren''t hustling to practice with the team."

    I gave him the side eye. "A little??"

    "Okay. More than a little. This run will be good for you though. Works on your endurance and whatnot. Small price to pay. And you talked to Jason too!"

    I frowned. "Just a little. You''re the one that kept talking about the A''s with him. We should have left after I spoke."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "The A''s are THE team to cheer for around here."

    "Isn''t the San Francisco Giants just across the bay?" I rolled my eyes right back at him.

    "Blasphemy!! Don''t ever mention them again. On this side of the bay, you''re in A''s territory." He thought for a minute. "You''re from down south right? Do you like the Angels or Dodgers?"

    I shook my head. "Neither. I don''t know anything about either."

    "You never-" He cut himself off. "Right. You had a crazy lady controlling your life. You probably haven''t watched any real games or know the players, since you barely even know the rules now." He brightened up. "But this just means that we can convert you into an A''s fan now."

    "What do you like about them?"

    "What do you mean? I like everything about them! I grew up watching them! They''ve been apart of my life forever. The whole family likes them. We got to a few games throughout the year!" He caught his breath. "You''ll see later in the month with Spring Training going on. The TV in the living room will always be on, broadcasting their games."

    "What exactly is Spring Training?"

    Noah stumbled, then quickly regained his footing. "Wow. Total newbie. Geez. Spring training is where new players get to try out to make the roster, and gives established players practice time prior to the season. It''s like an extended tryout. Practice games will start by March 1st in like two weeks. Then they play multiple games all month to find out which players they want to keep on the roster. Opening Day is when the season starts at the beginning of April. Then they play all summer long." Noah sighed. "I can''t wait."

    I couldn''t really understand why he''s so attached to it. Just sounds like what we''re doing, to me. We practice and coach picks out the starting lineups for the games. And we play games all spring?

    Noah continued to talk all about the A''s and why they should make the World Series this year: the pitching rotation is the best it''s been, they had last years rookie of the year, they have another good player coming from the minors, their lineup shows promise, yada yada, etc.

    I could barely keep up normally, and this run was making things worse. Even though we were going at an easy pace, after an hour, I was panting. It was barely fifty degrees (Fahrenheit) and I was sweating like it was the middle of summer. I really can''t decide what''s worse: this or Drew''s training.

    Coach really made us run all the way until the end of practice. After the team started to leave, he called us over. I flopped at his feet, laid on my back and stretched my arms and legs out like a starfish. Noah stayed standing, but put his hands on his head also steady his breathing.

    "Tomorrow, I expect better. Baseball practice is for baseball practice." Coach instructed. "You slack off for one second and you''ll lose your starting position, understand?"

    "Yes, sir." Noah replied. Hopefully for the both of us since I couldn''t move anymore.

    Coach looked down at me. "You''re still out of shape, Bambi? Don''t worry, Andrew will be here tomorrow."

    I groaned.

 135 Popular

    On Tuesday, we followed the same morning routine and got to school. The twins and Zeke left us by the field and they made their way to school. We didn''t have to wait very long for Mr. Miller to show up with his handy dandy golf cart.

    He laughed as he watched me moved to the cart very stiffly. "All those laps yesterday made you sore? What a wimp." I made a face at him and slowly got on in the back. Noah sat up front with him. "But I''m glad to see that you''re okay, Bambi. You had us worried Sunday evening. Good thing it was just exhaustion. You should really try and run more to build up that endurance. Playoff games will be the full nine innings."

    "Look at you! Already planning for the playoffs?!" Noah laughed. "What happened to the pessimistic Mr. Miller? This one is already planning playoffs based off one tournament."

    Mr. Miller drove us up the hill to the classroom buildings. "We beat the best in the area this past weekend. I''ll be extremely disappointed if you all start losing to these second rate teams in our league."

    Noah laughed. "Could you imagine Zeke losing? Especially with his bat on fire like this?"

    Mr. Miller didn''t laugh. He stopped in front of the building like always, and let out a sigh. "I don''t have to imagine. I was around last year when we lost the chance to win league."

    Noah stopped laughing and awkwardly got off the cart. I followed suit. "Right. Right. Last year. It''s been soooo long. No worries. We''ll win every game for sure."

    Mr. Miller let out a tight laugh, before driving away.

    I looked up at Noah. "You shouldn''t make empty promises like that."

    He slapped my shoulder. "Who told you that was an empty promise? I was sincere in my declaration."

    I raised an eyebrow. "You told me that it was normal to lose. And that we can''t win all the time. Just last week."

    Noah''s lips twitched. "That was to make you feel better before your first set of games! There are plenty of high school teams that have an undefeated season. Even you, yourself, said that we should win every game. Stick to your notes kid." Noah put his arm around my shoulder and dragged me along to his locker.

    As we moved to his locker, the amount of greetings and waves he received were almost twice as much. We grabbed our books from his locker and moved to our first class. English. It was practically just a grammar and literature course that required little effort on my part.

    There teacher never called on me in class. None of them did. I think Mrs. Atkins must have sent a note or something, explaining my condition. Her, or maybe the counselor that I have yet to meet.

    "Noah! Congrats on the wins!" A tall, thin boy stopped in front of his desk after we had found our seats. "My parents showed me the newspaper right away, asking about you and your family."

    Noah grinned, but to me, it looked a little off. "Thank you. It was a good set of games."

    "Zeke didn''t record a single out! And Kyle had a perfect game right off the bat. Even Dave pitched a shutout." The kid continued to talk, and with every word said, Noah''s grin started to look more like a grimaced.

    "Yes, they all played great." Noah agreed. "Everyone on the team put in their full effort so we could win the trophy."

    The guy turned his head my way. "No kidding! I heard Jake here, also showed some batting skills! They said he was the best freshman there."

    That grabbed the attention from the classmates around us. They got up and hovered over our desks and circled around us. All of them starting to talk at once, forcing the conversation to end. More and more of the kids crowded me, asking about being the best freshman in a varsity tournament. I started to huddle in my chair, praying that class would start soon.

    "That''s enough!" Noah shouted above the racket. There was some movement, and I saw him stand up on his chair so he could be taller than everyone else. He saw me cowering in my chair and sighed before addressing the class. "Yes. The varsity baseball team won a big tournament this past weekend. All my brothers played extremely well. And yes, I did get to play too. Same with Jake, who even got the honor of best underclassmen at the tournament."

    The chattering started up again.

    "But-" Noah continued and got them to quiet down once more. "Jake is really shy. Reallyyyyyy shy. And a little claustrophobic. So please don''t crowd our desks. You''ll make him freak out and have a panic attack or something. Which would be detrimental to the team since we have a game tomorrow. So back off."

    The kids started to go back to their own respective desks. Some still hung around to ask Noah a few more questions about tomorrow''s game. He gave them the start time and said they could all come and watch it for themselves.

    Then he finally sat back down and sighed. There were no longer any traces of a smile (either forced or genuine.) I can''t believe this tournament was such a big deal. I looked at him with amazement. Him and his whole family were just too impressive.

    Noah didn''t pay any attention to me though. He looked to be lost in his thoughts and not happy ones from the look of it.

 136 Slides

    Noah''s depressed attitude followed us throughout the day and seemed to worsen every time someone came up to talk about our wins this past weekend. His voice became monotonous and his sighs made the atmosphere around him uncomfortable.

    I waited until we sat at our bench for lunch, before saying something. "Why are do you sound so dissatisfied when talking about the win this past weekend?"

    Noah looked startled, almost as if he was surprised I would start a conversation by myself. Then he did another sigh, "I''m just a little disappointed that everyone is talking about my brothers and not me. None of them made varsity as a freshman so shouldn''t I be the one they talk about?" He ran his fingers through his hair. "I''m just used to being the best on my team. It sucks to lose the spotlight."

    I shrugged, not sure what to say. We both pulled out our lunches and started to eat in silence. After sitting around, I came to realize something: I stole some of the attention he was looking for. I put my carrot sticks down and looked across the bench at Noah, my best friend, my only friend. "I''m sorry."

    Noah looked up, startled. "What? Why? What happened?"

    I shifted uncomfortably. "I''m sorry I stole your attention."

    Noah raised his eyebrows. "What. You''re not making sense." Then it dawned on him. "You think I''m mad that you''re more in the limelight than I am?" I nodded. "You think you''re stealing the attention that I want?" I nodded again. He started to laugh like normal Noah. "Jake, I''m not upset with you at all. Don''t apologize to me like that ever again."

    I tilted my head. "Are you mad at your brothers then?"

    Noah laughed a little more. "No, no, no. Well, normally, yes. But no, I''m not mad at them for this. It''s more like I''m mad at my circumstances. Like if I was born just a few years earlier, than they would be the ones being compared to me instead of me to them." He thought to himself. "Hmmm. It''s like I''m an artist. A painter. People come up to compliment my friend, who is also an artist, but sculpts instead. I''m not mad at him for being a great artist. I''m mad that these people won''t compliment my own work first. Why would you tell a painter, that his friends sculptures are really good?"

    ...

    I stared at him blankly. Was that supposed to be an analogy? If so, it was poorly executed. Analogies are supposed to have some relation, right? The only similar component I could recognize is that, the painter isn''t getting complimented on his work. So Noah just wants people to compliment him? Hmm. That makes sense. It''s weird to get compliments for your brothers, since it''s not like you trained them or anything.

    "I think your fielding is the best on the team." I told him. If all he''s looking for, is compliments on his game, then I could give it to him. I was present. I saw every grab, snatch, dive, and throw, he did.

    "Of course." Noah snorted. "The best fielder always plays shortstop. Do you know why?" I shook my head, no. "It''s because most balls hit in to play will go to the shortstop. Just look at our scorecards from the weekend. I definitely recorded the most outs compared to the other fielders."

    "I remember." I nodded in agreement. "You''re very agile." I thought about all his diving stops and grabs.

    "Duh. I have to be. All shortstops have to be. It''s a necessity. You should work on your agility too." He picked at his lunch. He pointed his carrot at me. "You''re too flat-footed when it comes to defense. We should work on that." His eyes widen and he dropped the carrot. "And running the bases. And go over the hand signals. And anything else that isn''t hitting."

    I shrugged. Sure.

    Noah groaned. "Tomorrow''s the game. Zeke and the coaches will be mad that I didn''t teach you all the signs before the game. Again." He sighed. "And you still don''t know how to slide."

    I wiggled my nose. "I learned how to slide this past weekend."

    Noah outright laughed. "Jake, that can''t be considered sliding. At all. More like tripping and falling onto the base. And eating dirt. There''s multiple types of slides you need to master for different situations."

    This time it was my turn to sigh. "How many?"

    "There are four main ones: feet first, head first, pop up slide, and a hook slide. Unlike your go-to head first slide, the feet first slide is the safest and most common. Head first slides are risky and are proven that they slow you down. You should really only use it when the other team throws a high ball on a tag play." He took out a cookie to eat. "Pop up slides should be used on all delay steals and on slides where the base runner sees the ball gets away from the defender and he has a chance to advance to another base. It''s the quickest slide, but you have to be careful not to interfere with the ball or play, otherwise you could be called automatically out."

    I couldn''t imagine doing a pop up slide ever. I haven''t even tried sliding feet first, I couldn''t imagine popping up to try for an extra base. I''m not even that fast. "A hook slide?"

    Noah replied. "This slide really isn''t used as much any more like it was in the past, but it can be an effective slide when going to one side of the base when a throw is on the other side. It works the best at 3rd base. Basically, the base runner bends out his left leg similar to a hurdler stretch position. He has his other leg extended out and just touches the base with the left leg away from a throw to the other side of the base. It''s too complicated for you."

    No kidding. We spent the rest of the lunch break talking about the slides and whether I could even learn them. Noah said that there were drills you could practice, but nothing beats like a real game situation.

 137 Sliding Practice

    We finished our classes, got ready for practice in the club room, and started our warmups. Zeke led us at a steady pace, reminding us to be careful stretching to make sure we avoid injuries before tomorrow''s game. Afterwards, we followed routine: I went to Drew as the team got to start batting practice.

    "Don''t look so depressed." Drew put a hand on my shoulder, drawing my gaze away from my teammates and their practice. "We''re going to do something new today. Your coaches told me about your games this past weekend. Congrats on doing well and winning."

    "Thanks." I mumbled.

    "They also told me about your lack of ability in sliding and stealing bases."

    I blushed and looked away. Surprisingly when I turned my attention away from Drew, I spotted Mr. Miller headed our way in his golf cart. A long piece of cardboard was flapping up and down on top of the cart. He pulled up next to us and hopped out. "Found what you asked for, Vish." Drew and him unattached the cardboard from the cart and laid it on the grass. It was three feet wide, and over ten feet long. Mr. Miller got back on the cart. "Work hard Bambi. You can join us for fielding after an hour with Vish." He drove off with a simple wave, leaving me dumbfounded.

    Who''s Vish? I looked at Drew, and gathered my courage before asking, "Is he calling you Vish?"

    Drew laughed. "Yea. It''s a nickname that a lot of coaches call me by. It''s a play on words. My last name is Vishnevsky...a little hard to pronounce so you cut it short, Vish. And it rhymes with fish so it''s easy to remember. Now come here and sit on one end of this cardboard."

    I plopped down on one side.

    "You know I''m an athletic trainer, right?" I nodded. "Well, I really emphasize the training part. So I know multiple drills for many sports. Yesterday, Coach Wilcox called to tell me about your difficulties in sliding so I volunteered to help."

    The red on my face didn''t go away; in fact I felt even more warm. So embarrassing. I looked at the cardboard, not sure how this was supposed to help.

    "Don''t worry about the cardboard for right now. Let''s start with the fundamentals." He started to instruct me. "While you''re sitting on the ground, keep one leg straight out and the other leg bent, and then place it underneath the straight leg creating a figure four shape." I did what I was told. "The straight leg should be bent slightly at the knee, and the heel should be raised off the ground to prevent catching the ground with the cleats. So kind of use the bent leg under your straight leg to help you keep your foot elevated."

    I felt awkward in my movements, trying to imitate what Drew was saying.

    "Good. Now, you''re going to want to keep your head facing forward to the base, with your chin tucked close to the chest. Your arms should be bent at the elbows, and keep your hands up in the air so they don''t get scratched up in the dirt."

    I no longer felt awkward. I felt dumb. I held my hands up like I was being robbed, and my chin touched my chest so I could only see my foot stretched out.

    "Can you memorize these steps?" I nodded slowly. I guess I could. "Excellent. Now stand up so we can start practicing."

    Uh. What. I slowly got up and looked at him. "How?"

    He tapped the cardboard with his foot. "You''re going to slide on this. It''ll be easier on your body so we can avoid unnecessary injuries. You remember the positioning right? Well give it a try and let''s see how it looks." He nudged me along. "Just sprint a couple of steps and slide on the cardboard."

    I backed up a few more feet and took a deep breath. I could do this. I took a deep breath and started my run. Once on the cardboard, I started my slide, tucking my left leg under my right and made sure that my heel wouldn''t touch the ground. I tucked my head down, looking at my own foot and then threw up my hands so they wouldn''t get in the way. With the last movement, I suddenly fell all the way on my back and my head bounced off the cardboard. "Ow." I mumbled, forced to look up at the clouds in the sky.

    Drew laughed. He walked over to me and looked down at me. "Ok. Not bad. You were right to go with your momentum, but then you ruined it in the end. When you toss your hands up, don''t throw your chest up and back, otherwise you''ll hit your head on the ground every time. Good thing Miller found this cardboard for you to practice on." He pulled me up to my feet. "Now this time, keep your core strong. Use those abdominal muscles to keep you up." He advised.

    I dragged my feet back to where I started my run last time. I tried to tighten my abs to make sure I even had any. Then I started my run, my slide and this time I didn''t fall back. I got my hands up, but made sure to put them together and stayed upright.

    Drew laughed again. "Oh no. You can''t do that. That''s awful and awkward. Just no." He helped me back up.

    And so we followed this pattern where I would try a slide, he''d laugh and then give me something new to fix, help me up and repeat.

 138 Game: VS Lincoln High School 1

    "You look even more stiff than before your first game." Noah laughed as we jogged back to the dugout after finishing pregame warmups. It was Wednesday, about five in the evening. We all went through school and then straight to the field afterwards to start warmups.

    "You know how many times I had to practice sliding?? My back, abs, quads, and hamstrings are all super sore." I huffed. Yesterday was one of the worse days with Drew, ever. Even though we only worked on sliding, it was because we ONLY WORKED ON SLIDING. I still couldn''t get up to his standards.

    Noah laughed at my complaints. "It''ll make you a better player so just keep working at it." We grabbed our gloves and moved to the exit of the dugout, ready to run out on the field with the rest of the starters.

    For our home opener, Coach went with the following lineup:

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Hollander

    3 RF Sean Isner

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 1B Julian Wilson

    6 LF Mahki Holstrom

    7 P Kyle Atkins

    8 C Kelvin Bender

    9 3B Chris Ludwick

    Yesterday, Dave rejected the idea of letting Kyle start over him, but coach didn''t budge. He had to remind him who it was that pitched a perfect game and who had more days rest. Coach did say Dave would be the first choice coming out of the bullpen though, in order to cheer him up.

    "So for home games, we do the cheer, and run to our positions. As we do the mini warmup on the field, the broadcaster will announce our names over the intercom. Nothing extravagant like the finals of a tournament, but still. It gets your heart pumping."

    I made a face of skepticism. "How would you know? This is your first home game here too. It''s not like you could be on the team last year as a middle schooler."

    Noah''s face actually turned a little pink. "Well, it''s the thought that counts. Every time I think about playing under these lights, on this field, with this team, it gets my adrenaline going."

    I scratched my cheek to soothe an itch. "What''s so special about it? We''ve been practicing under ''these lights, on this field, with this team'' for the last few weeks now."

    Noah patted my shoulder. "You''ll see. It''s different, especially as the first home game."

    Coach turned our lineup in to the umpire, other coach, and official scorekeeper. He returned to the dugout and Zeke huddled us up. "Win on three. One. Two."

    "WIN!" The team said together. Then the starters jogged out to our positions. Kyle took the mound and Kelvin went behind home plate.

    A deep voice spoke over the sound system and introduced us by batting order, then named us and our positions. Cheers and screams of encouragement from the stands grabbed my attention. The usually empty bleachers behind home plate were filled with students, parents, and others who came to watch. At the tournament, we had fans, but nothing was as one-sided as this. I felt slightly overwhelmed and it became harder and harder to swallow.

    "Jake. Jake! Jakey!" Noah''s voice got closer and louder, until I felt a heavy weight on my shoulder. I turned and he was leaning on my shoulder with an elbow, weighing me down. "Pay attention or its laps, remember?"

    I moved my head up. And down.

    He squinted at me with suspicion. "What''s wrong? You were just talking a few minutes ago. C''mon, use your words!"

    My face twitched. I glanced at the stands. "There''s a lot of people. Here. Watching."

    "Jake. Are you getting stage fright?" He chuckled. "There''s less people here than Sunday''s championship game. It just feels like more because this time, they''re all our fans. Just soak it in." The umpire was calling for the balls so Noah had to go back to his own position.

    I stood there and looked around, trying to take his advice of soaking ''it'' in. The sun was already gone, and the stadium lights lit up the field. Every seat on the bleacher was taken and the people looked to be squished like a can of sardines. My teammates faces were tense and serious like we were already losing. I couldn''t understand what Noah wanted me to soak in? The whole environment and situation was filled with anxiety. And I didn''t need to suck in anymore anxiety. I had plenty of my own, even on a good day.

 139 Game: VS Lincoln High School 2

    Kyle stood on top of the mound like a king sitting on his throne. He oozed confidence and was nowhere as anxious as the rest of us. Wait. Maybe "the rest of us" wasn''t a correct portrayal. All the Atkins boys looked relaxed in their own skin like winning was the only outcome for today''s game. Yesterday, Zeke mentioned that Lincoln wasn''t in our league so it wouldn''t affect our conference record, but he still wanted the win. He wanted all the games to be wins.

    The team was quick to agree, but in my mind, I think only Zeke felt the urgency to win every game, be great at every at bat, and to have full concentration for every play. He was at a whole different tier.

    "Play ball!" The umpire, behind home plate, announced. He knelt down behind the catcher, ready to start judging the game.

    Kyle stepped on the rubber and Lincoln''s leadoff hitter stepped up to the plate. The batter let the first pitch pass by for a called strike. He turned to look at where it landed in the strike zone, nodded to himself, and stepped out of the batters box for a few practice swings. His actions put me on edge. Something about the way he looked at Kelvin''s mitt, made me feel uneasy, as if he was just confirming something.

    Kyle got the ball back and got set on the rubber once more. He stared down the batter until he got back in the batters box. Kyle went through his motion and pitched a fastball. The batter wasted no time and swung, connecting with the ball and sending it into the outfield.

    Noah moved to the grass to be the cutoff man and I moved to cover second base in case the throw would beat out the runner. Mahki chased the ball down to the outfield fence, grabbed it, and immediately threw to Noah. Noah caught it and turned to me, ready to throw, but the batter was already standing beside me on the base. A stand-up double.

    Lincoln''s dugout was cheering for their guy, but the silence from the stands was more deafening. Kyle threw a perfect game in his first outing this season, and now he already gave up a hit to the first batter in his second outing. A rather big hit too. This guy was now already halfway to home.

    Everyone got back into position for batter number two. Noah didn''t go as far out as usual, trying to hold the runner to second base. I watched as Kyle toed the rubber, looking furious. He gave up his first hit of the season. For some reason it felt more dramatic and severe compared to any other hits our team has given up. Which was ridiculous, since even Garret gave up hits and he''s considered our best pitcher.

    Batter two stepped up to the plate and Kyle glared. He got set, completed his motion, and threw his fastball as hard as he could. Which was a mistake. The pitch went wide and Kelvin was unable to catch it or even to stop it. He jumped up and flicked off his mask in search of the ball.

    "To third!" Noah yelled out. He was following the runner from second base to third base. Chris was already standing on the base, waiting for Kelvin to throw to him. Kelvin found the ball and threw to Chris, he reached out and tagged the runner who slid into third.

    "Safe!" The third base umpire yelled out.

    The Lincoln dugout went crazy. On the other hand, ours was silent. The fans, friends, and family were no longer quiet. There were murmurs of talk that I couldn''t hear, but no one looked happy.

    "Jake." Noah waved me over as he walked to the mound. He wasn''t the only one heading to the mound; Kelvin, Chris, and Julian were going up there as well for an infield meeting.

    I jogged up and joined them just as Chris handed Kyle the ball. "Stay focused on the batter."

    Kyle glared at him. "Excuse me? Are you saying I wasn''t?"

    Chris sneered. "Can you say in good conscience that you weren''t worried about the hit that you gave up?"

    "Of course I''d be concerned." Kyle shot back. "I wouldn''t want to do it twice."

    Chris was about to continue, but Kelvin smacked him on the head with his glove. "Shut it. You''re snide comments aren''t helping. Pay attention to the task at hand. That what Coach always says so that''s what we''re going to do."

    Noah nodded. He put a hand on his older brothers shoulder. "Wake up, Kyle. You already gave up a hit. What''s another one? They score a run? Big deal. Zeke would score more on his own than what that team will score in total."

    Kyle''s glare vanished and his lips twitched as if fighting off a laugh. "Yea, yea. I know. I just need to loosen up." He wiggled his arms and shook them around.

    He accidentally hit Julian with his ''loose'' arms. Julian took a step back. "Damn. Can''t you be normal for once? Stop doing weird stuff on the mound. Everyone is looking."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Kyle, just focus on the batter. We''ve got your back."

    Kelvin nodded. "What he said. Now, let''s go."

    "I said the exact same thing!" Chris grumbled.

    "It''s the way you said it." Kelvin pushed him back towards third. "Now do your job and get on third." He raised his voice as he walked back to home plate, "No outs! Runner on third! Play is at first! Let''s go!"

    "Yea!" Julian and Noah yelled back, and also headed back to their positions.

    I just nodded to myself and went back to where I belonged. I didn''t really understand why we went up to the mound, when not much was said. I guess that''s something to ask Noah when we get some time in the dugout.

 140 Game: VS Lincoln High School 3

    Kyle was still moving his arms around as if that could really loosen him up. From what Drew has told me before, being tensed up is a frame of mind and not so much the state of your body. No matter how much you stretch, it won''t help unless you calm yourself and face your challenge. But it''s also good to be aware of yourself. I don''t know.

    Kelvin gave the signs out, and Kyle stopped moving around so much. He settled down and started to pitch. Ball. Ball. Strike. On a 3-1 count, the batter swung at a would be strike. He popped it high and it came down right in Noah''s glove above his head. He immediately threw to Chris at third, to see if the runner would be careless and had stepped off. He didn''t, but at least we had an out now and the runner didn''t score.

    That didn''t seem to comfort Kyle any, though. He continued to struggle with wild pitches, but Kelvin was able to stop them all and made sure not to let the runner on third score easily. Kyle ended up walking the third batter, bringing up the cleanup hitter.

    "Strikes, Kyle!" A distinct voice came from the bullpen. "Start throwing strikes or I''ll come out and replace you!" Dave was hollering from the bench within the bullpen, bundled up in a sweatshirt.

    Kyle didn''t hear it or he was just ignoring his twin and blocking out the chatter. It was hard to tell the difference when he was only focused on Kelvin. Kelvin gave out some signs and one was actually for field players: watch out for steal, defend the run. Uhhh. I thought the defend the run sign was for different situations like bases loaded, no outs? That would be a reason to throw home. Shouldn''t we be aiming for a double play here? We could get the runner out at second and the batter out at first.

    Kyle nodded and agreed on the pitch that was asked. He pitched and the ball bounced in the dirt. Somehow I doubt that was what kelvin wanted.

    "Runner!" Noah yelled and stood on second with his hands up. I watched as the runner from first made it to second without sliding. I looked back to Kelvin, who merely frowned and threw the ball back to Kyle.

    Kyle looked stressed as he angrily toed the rubber. I felt lost. Why didn''t Kelvin throw? Weren''t we watching for the steal? Now we didn''t even have a chance for the double play. Ugh, I wish I had my notebook so I can jot down these questions so I don''t forget to ask about them.

    Kyle got set. He threw a fastball right down the middle for a called strike. The batter glanced back at kelvin''s mitt and I had a weird d��j�� vu moment. I started to back up so my heels would touch the grass, unsure if this guy would also swing at the next pitch. Kyle accepted the next set of signs and started his motion. The batter was already stepping forward and swinging as the ball came; he connected perfectly with the sweet spot of the bat. Luckily, it was too perfect: it was a line drive straight to Kyle, who was following through on his motion.

    I sighed with relief. From the sounds around, I wasn''t the only one either. The crowd started to cheer for Kyle, breaking up the silence that hung over since the first batter. Two outs, top of the first, runners on second and third.

    Just like Dave''s yelling though, Kyle seemed to block out the cheers from the crowd. He was completely absorbed with Kelvin. His eyes didn''t wander, he didn''t react to the runners leads, and he no longer showed any emotion. He was angry like before, nor was he nervous and showing off a smile like in his last game. He was just...there.

    As he started off batter number five with a ball, I started to feel that I was wrong in my observation. Ball two. He wasn''t actually ''there''. More like...going through the motions. Ball three. He was there in body, but not spirit. I read that somewhere before. Ball four. Another walk. He has loaded the bases now.

    I nervously looked to Noah to see what he was going to do. Noah always had an answer. It may not always be a good answer, but it''s better than anything I could come up with.

    Noah caught my look and nodded towards Kyle, like he wanted me to go up there. I shook my head and pointed at him. He rolled his eyes and waved me in as he started to jog to the mound. I sighed and followed.

    "Sooo. Whatcha doing?" Noah asked when Kyle finally noticed we were on the mound with him.

    His eyebrows pulled in together and a frown was very much evident on his face. "Trying to get through this inning."

    Noah looked to me. "Oh. Did it look like that to you, Jake?"

    Uh. What. Yes? No? I settled with a shrugged, not understanding what point Noah was trying to make with my answer.

    "You''re right, Jake." I''m what? "Kyle isn''t even trying to get through this inning." He isn''t? "He''s just dragging it along so Dave can get his opportunity as well." Ok. Noah is just making nonsense up.

    Kyle''s frown turned into a glare. "You guys don''t think I''m trying up here? I''ll have you know, it''s not as easy as it looks."

    "And that''s where you''re wrong." Noah corrected. "Throwing strikes is easy. Throwing good strikes is the hard part. But the hardest thing to do in baseball is to defend against a walk. You know why? Because there''s nothing we can do. They just get to be on base for free." Noah, fearlessly, stares up at his brother. "Throw a strike. Give us a chance. We had your back on Saturday. Even if it''s a bad strike, the guy will have to hit it. There''s more of a possibility on getting an out that way."

    Kyle pushed Noah''s cap down. "You punk. Who do you think you''re talking to?"

    "Wrap it up, boys." The umpire said as he approached us.

    Noah smirked at Kyle. "You already lost the perfect game, stop being such a scaredy-cat."

 141 Game: VS Lincoln High School 4

    Kyle lifted his glove to smack Noah, but Noah was quick to jog back to his position. Kyle looked down at me. "You got anything else to add?"

    I vehemently shook my head no and ran back to my spot. I think Noah only dragged me up there was to use me. I don''t know how effective the chat was, but it was nice to see Kyle showing some emotion again. He looked lively.

    Kyle faced down the sixth batter, with the bases loaded, and two outs, still the top of the first inning. It was a long beginning for a game in my opinion. Kyle''s face was no longer a blank sheet of nothingness. He straightened up after getting the sign and started pitching. A called strike. A foul. An 0-2 count almost immediately. Foul. Foul. Another foul. This batter wasn''t giving up. His team had a good scoring probability as long as he could get a single. On the sixth pitch, he connected and put the ball in play. It flew high and towards Zeke in center field. Noah was backing up and he was running in. I cringed, afraid they could run into each other.

    Zeke didn''t let that happen. He yelled out, "Mine!" Noah slowed up and watched as his eldest brother caught the ball, underhanded, for out number three. We actually made it through the inning without giving up a run.

    The team jogged to the dugout to get ready for our offensive. Noah and I put on our helmets and grabbed our bats. We both stepped out of the dugout, ready to get to work. Sean was close behind, but he staying in the dugout in the hole spot.

    "You think this guy would be easy to hit off of?" Noah asked as we watched the Lincoln pitcher do his warmups with his catcher.

    I nodded. This guy didn''t have speed and seemed to lack velocity. He was no better than a pitching machine in my eyes. We watched as he mixed in a high-to-low curve that the catcher was able to catch with ease.

    Noah whistled under his breath. "That was a good pitch." He glanced at me. "Ya know, when I asked if this guy looked easy to hit off of, I meant for the normal players like me."

    "Oh." I mumbled. "Maybe some difficulty..?"

    "You don''t know?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t know what you see, or how you swing. It''s not easy for me to judge. I know I can hit off him. And Zeke can too."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Ridiculous. You both have perfect averages right now. Don''t compare yourselves to mere mortals." He left me to head for the batters box. He took some practice swings before stepping up to the plate.

    "Jake. Come here for a sec." Coach called me back to the dugout. Zeke stood next to him with his helmet on. I walked over to the both of them. "You''re sticking to walks today."

    Again? My excitement deflated. I looked at my cleats, wondering if I should just sit down or something. "Walks aren''t very fun."

    Coach laughed. "It''s a free base."

    "I could get on base with a hit." I mumbled.

    "Do you really want the attention though?" Zeke asked. I looked up so I could see his eyes. "It''s not like you''ll do this for every game. We let you go crazy on Sunday night, right? You went 4-4. So how about we calm it down before we start playing the teams in our conference?"

    I thought about it. I really did grab a lot of attention...both good and bad. It''s probably best to blend in and not stand out so much. Hiding in Zeke''s shadow would be a good cover. "But...I really want to hit." I don''t even get to do batting practice with the team; I''m always stuck training with Drew.

    "I''ll pay for The Cages on Sunday." Zeke stayed.

    I started to nod, but then thought of Noah. "Just for me? Or Noah''s too?"

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "Fine. Noah''s too."

    I gave a nod and smiled, happy with the deal. I moved back to the on deck circle, but Noah was already done with his at-bat, having to pop out to the second baseman.

    As we switched spots, he raised an eyebrow. "Was my pop up that funny to you?"

    I stopped, still smiling. "Zeke is paying for the cages on Sunday. For the both of us." Then I continued on to the batters box. I stepped in and faced down the pitcher.

    He wasn''t impressive at all. Strike. Maybe a little bit taller than Noah. Strike. His speed was in the low 70''s. Ball. His frame was thin like he was still growing. Foul. But I guess that''s true for every boy in high school. Foul. I''m still only five foot. Ball. I''d be extremely disappointed if I stopped growing so soon. Ball. I wonder what it takes to grow as tall as the Atkins? Ball.

    "Ball four. Take your base." The umpire told me.

    I carefully set down my bat and jogged to first. Coach Luis was there, waiting. I wanted to ask to see if he knew, but his scowl told me that my mind shouldn''t be wandering. I turned my attention to Sean at bat, and Mr. Miller near third base. I didn''t want to accidentally miss a steal, especially now that I''ve practiced it.

 142 Game: VS Lincoln High School 5

    Sean has now started his third game in a row. For some reason, I was under the impression that Tony was the real starter, but I guess starters do change by game based on performance. Tony had yet to get a hit, meanwhile Sean has a hit for every game he''s been in.

    Sean didn''t stop the hit streak here. With a 2-2 count, he hit a nice single to left field, letting me advance to second base without needing to slide and he stood on first with a smile.

    My smile was still on my face too. Zeke is up to bat with two on and one out. This is easy pickings for him. True enough, Zeke sent the very first pitch over my head. This time, I didn''t get distracted and only focused on Mr. Miller, who was waving me on. I sprinted as fast as I could, tagged third base and headed to home. Julian stood nearby holding the bat out of the way, he signaled no slide. I touched home plate to score the first run, and then turned out to the field to see what was happening.

    The ball had apparently gone between center and left field and was able to hit the fence. By the time I was able to look, their outfielder had thrown it to the shortstop, who was turning and throwing with all his might at me.

    Julian pulled me back by grasping my jersey and dragging me with him. "Watch out! Sean is coming home!"

    Sean was barreling down the third baseline. The Lincoln catcher was standing guard and was in the process of receiving the shortstops throw. He went to tag Sean, and Sean started his slide. They collided at home and rolled in the dirt.

    My eyes immediately went to the umpire. I knew what I saw, but he would have the final say.

    "Safe!" He extended his arms out.

    The fans started to yell and cheer, and Julian pulled Sean up and smacked his backside, congratulating him. Sean waved to the crowd and then at Zeke, who stood on second. Julian handed him Zeke''s bat and we walked back to the dugout together as Julian got ready for his at-bat.

    Once in the dugout we accepted claps on the backs and a few ''nice run'' comments from the guys. No one crowded me, and they let me easily walk unhindered to my bag, where Noah was waiting.

    He gave me a thumbs up. "Good run."

    I put away my helmet and put on my baseball cap. I made sure my bat was in my bag, then sat down beside him. I was still panting, trying to catch my breath from not only the run, but the excitement. I got to see such a tight play up close. Sean had timed it perfectly and was able to sneak his hand in between the catchers legs.

    "Do you think I''ll be able to slide like that eventually?" I asked Noah.

    He looked away from Julian''s at bat, back to me. "What? Who? You want to slide like Sean?"

    I nodded.

    He thought about it, then nodded. "I believe you can. You have some talent in baseball. Even if your batting is overshadowing everything else, your fielding isn''t bad. And you''ve never played real baseball like this."

    The sound of the bat connecting with a ball grabbed our attention. We watched as Julian''s hit went high and far to center, but the center fielder caught it with ease. Two outs, bottom of the first inning, 2-0, and Mahki up to bat.

    "Does Coach always change the lineup?" I asked in a low voice as we watched Mahki''s at bat.

    Noah shrugged. "I''m not entirely sure. I''m a freshman like you, you know. This is also my first year with him. But, last semester when he was deciding on the rosters, we would play games every other day and he kept moving us around, both on the field, in lineups, and teams. It''s like he was putting together a puzzle. Just trying to find what fits best."

    I nodded to myself. That makes sense. Not every team we face will be the same and we also shouldn''t be predictable for opposing teams.

    Mahki kept the momentum going, and with a 2-0 count, he smacked the ball down the line past the first baseman. Zeke had a good lead off second base, so with the outfielder just getting the ball as he touched third, he continued on to home plate. By the time the right fielder got the ball to the second baseman, Zeke had scored and Mahki was still standing on first. 3-0.

    Kyle moved to the batters box and Kelvin to the on deck circle. Chris stood ready by the fence, looking surly as always.

    "Why is Chris batting last now, though?"

    Noah scowled in his direction. "Cuz he sucks."

    Uhh. Wasn''t that a bit harsh?

    Noah noticed my shock, and lightly laughed. "Okay. He doesn''t suck per se. I don''t really know why he''s batting last. You''d have to ask one of the coaches or Zeke. Zeke helps out with the lineups."

    I thought about other things I wanted to ask. "Why did we go to the mound?"

    Noah looked confused for a second and then the realization hit him. "Oh. That mini meeting in the last half? That was to try and calm Kyle down. Buy him some time to get his head on straight. The second time was for encouragement and motivation. There''s over a dozen reasons for us to visit the mound. You don''t have to speak. Just listen. I got you covered."

    I shot him a look. "Like how you lied to Kyle?"

    "I motivated Kyle." He corrected.

    I rolled my eyes.

    Speaking of Kyle, we watched as he hit a high fly to center field to end the first inning. We led 3-0 going into the second. That should help him relax on the mound.

 143 Game: VS Lincoln High School 6

    We took the field, did some warmup throws, and got set for Lincoln''s offense again. Kyle stood on the mound, looking a little more comfortable than his first inning. He got batters seven and eight to fly out. Batter nine hit a double to left field. But it didn''t turn into anything as the leadoff hitter grounded out to Chris at third base.

    For the bottom of the second, we also failed to get anything started. Kelvin struck out looking. Chris hit a pop up to the first baseman. And Noah hit another fly ball, but to left field this time.

    "I don''t understand what I''m doing wrong." He grumbled as he switched out his equipment.

    I had to switch mine out too since I was in the on deck circle, waiting for my at bat that has now been put off to the third inning. "You hit under the ball too much."

    He swung his head to me. "You can tell?"

    I let out a little laugh. "If you hit the top part of the baseball, it would be impossible for you to hit the ball high in the air. You should probably choke up on the bat a little."

    Noah looked surprise. "You''ve been talking more and now look. You''re even giving out advice."

    I pulled my hat down and started to leave the dugout. "You don''t have to listen to me."

    "No, no I will. You''re practically a hitting prodigy. You can foul off the ball as you please and hit it wherever you want. That''s too insane. You know what you''re talking about when it comes to hitting."

    The heat rushed to my face at the compliment. "I don''t know everything. Zeke is better."

    "Zeke IS the best. That''s the correct phrase." Noah laughed as we went to our positions.

    I understood what he was saying. If I said I was good and Zeke was better, then that leaves room for argument that someone could even be better than him. But if you''re the best, no one can get higher. And Zeke is the best in the county...but not in the state. It''s scary to think that there are more players as good as him and even better. I shivered. Focus.

    Kyle looked to be back to normal and didn''t struggle with throwing strikes anymore. He got the second batter to pop out to Noah again. And then batters three and four grounded out to Noah as well. Noah wasn''t flustered at all. He smoothly fielded and threw to Julian like this was any different than practice.

    He flexed his skinny arm at me. "That inning was alllllll me."

    I laughed.

    "Way to be modest." Kyle snorted as he joined us in the dugout.

    "Modesty is overrated." Noah smirked. "Gotta give credit where credit is due. If I didn''t have your back, you''d be crying right now with all those would-be hits."

    Kyle reached for him, but Kelvin dragged him away. "Don''t get so excited. Do you want to give Dave the mound so soon? You haven''t gotten halfway through the game yet." They both went to the other side of the dugout.

    I grabbed my bat and put on my helmet.

    "You still trying for walks?" Noah asked.

    I nodded and smiled. "Zeke said free batting on Sunday. For the both of us."

    "What a dork." Noah waved me on. "Go, go. Get on first. We''ll discuss your negotiation skills another time."

    I simply nodded and headed to the plate. Forcing the pitcher to walk me didn''t require as much effort as before. His pitch count was getting high and he already looked exhausted. A good curve can''t help you if you don''t have the endurance to go along with it on the mound. I knew a little about lack of endurance. Even hitting is a struggle if you don''t practice every day.

    I started to lead off first base, but not too far where a pitcher would want to do a check throw. Noah could call be a prodigy al he wants, but it will forever only apply to hitting. Running the bases would be my weakest point. Weaker than my fielding, and weaker than my arm.

    Sean worked the count to a 3-1, but ended up flying out to center field. I came back to first base and sighed.

    "You need to work on tagging up and running to the next base." Coach Luis grumbled.

    I shrugged helplessly. I still haven''t worked on tag ups. I''ve only seen a few examples, but that doesn''t mean I''ll just automatically be able to do it.

    Zeke came up to bat next, looking stone-faced like always. And like always, he was able to connect with the ball and send it to the outfield. I started inching my way to second, keeping an eye on the outfielders to make sure they wouldn''t catch the ball. They didn''t so I took off. I glanced at Mr. Miller and saw him waving me to him, so I touched second and ran to third.

    "No slide!" Mr. Miller said my favorite phrase in baseball. I stopped on third, Zeke stopped on second, and the ball was given back to the pitcher. Another stand up double for Zeke. A real monster. The best.

    Julian came up next, looking eager to swing since there was only one out and runners on. Sadly, they didn''t give him his chance. They intentionally walked him so they would have better odds for a double play. Which I still find silly, because it was still possible for the next batter to get a hit. Especially someone like Mahki. He even had an rbi single in the first inning.

    Unfortunately, Mahki played right into their hands. He hit a sharp grounder to first. I took off for home at the first sound of contact. The first baseman barehanded the ball, threw it to the catcher at home, who touched the plate before I could. Then he threw back to first base where the second baseman came over to cover, beating out Mahki''s sprint.

    I sighed. End of the third inning. Up 3-0, but still lost out on a chance to score a few more runs. Oh well.

 144 Game: VS Lincoln High School 7

    "That was a 3-2-4 double play." Noah told me as I switched out gear. "First baseman, catcher, second baseman. You don''t see that very often. Most double plays are 6-4-3 or 4-6-3."

    I scratched my neck. "I haven''t studied scorekeeping yet. I only know a little. The most common. I didn''t go into depth."

    Noah laughed and we walked out to the field. "It''s no biggie. You don''t have to cram all baseball into your brain in a small period of time. It took me fourteen years to get to this point."

    As we took our positions, I realized Noah had a point. My baseball knowledge was limited, but I also didn''t put in as much time as he did. I could only play at school and even then, I wasn''t allowed on the school team officially because I would have needed parent permission.

    A part of me felt cheated. But a different part of me felt thankful. I liked learning from the Atkins...it would feel weird if someone else taught me baseball at this point. Even if my dad had stuck around and taught me like he did for my brother, then maybe I wouldn''t have a talent in hitting. The only reason I could hit so well was because my middle school had a batting cage with a pitching machine. I didn''t get to play with others since it was a liability and all.

    "Get it, Kyle!" Noah cheered from my right. I liked learning baseball from him even if he was forgetful and sporadic.

    Kyle was pushing the batter into the corner with a 1-2 count. It was the fifth batter who got a walk in the first inning. This time Kyle got him to groundout right to Julian, who put in little effort to field the ball and step on first for out one.

    The next few batters would be the real challenge for Kyle; the next three had all hit to center field, and the one after that had the double in the second inning. I would feel intimidated up on the mound, but Kyle had the hint of a smile as he studied the batter.

    Kyle has to be more than confident because he threw nothing but strikes. One, two, three. Three strikes, and the guy struck out looking. What a pathetic at-bat. Two outs in the top of the fourth.

    Batter seven came up to the plate looking unsure of himself, which only made Kyle grin more broadly. He also took a called strike. Then another. 0-2. He stopped and stepped out of the box for a few practice swings. Then came back, but his demeanor changed. He no longer looked worried, but confident. Kyle didn''t seem to notice and pitched again.

    The batter didn''t waste any time and committed to stepping forward and swinging his bat. His bat met the ball and sent it back the way it came. Except...higher...and farther. I turned and watched as it soared to the outfield, well above Zeke''s glove, and unfortunately over the fence. A solo homerun. 3-1.

    I looked to Kyle to see what he was feeling, but I couldn''t see. He was still facing Kelvin as if he knew that it would have been a homerun right away. Eventually the umpire threw him a new baseball and the next batter stepped up.

    I glanced at Noah to see if he was worried like me, but he held a face of indifference. "Next one, Kyle. You can get this next one." He clapped with his glove, making some noise.

    Kyle nodded at Kelvin''s hand signs and got set. He threw a fastball right down the middle for strike one. Apparently he wasn''t as shaken as earlier in the game. He continued to pitch against this guy and got him to groundout to Chris at third.

    Bottom of the fourth. We jogged back to the dugout and I went to my bag, trying to decide if I should put my helmet on.

    "Kyle. Get back in here." Coach commanded as Kyle had just left the dugout with his bat, helmet, and batting gloves.

    Kyle frowned and made his way back. "What''s up coach?"

    "You''re done. Dave''s going to close it out." He told him straightforwardly.

    "No way." Kyle''s eyes widen and he immediately protested. "I''m up to bat right now. How can you just let him take over??"

    "How can I? Because I''m the coach." He responded. "Besides, I was going to send a pinch hitter for now. Dave will take the mound in the top of the fifth."

    Kyle clenched his bat. And his teeth. "Let me at least go up to bat. I can''t just go out like this."

    Zeke came up and put his hand on his brothers shoulder. "You did well. Only one run over four innings."

    Kyle glared up at him. "Don''t give me that crap. One run. Three hits. Two walks. You know Dave will do better today. Just let me have this at bat to redeem myself." Kyle no longer had the air of the calm twin. With this attitude and his identical looks, he could be Dave and I wouldn''t be surprised. "Don''t pretend that you wouldn''t want to earn back a run that you gave up."

    Zeke looked to Coach.

    Coach sighed. "Fine. Get out there. If you come back without scoring, don''t be surprised if you have twenty laps waiting for you tomorrow."

    Kyle grinned and headed back out; he walked past Kelvin who was already in the on deck circle.

 145 Game: VS Lincoln High School 8

    Kyle stepped up to bat with the same face he uses against batters. The kind of face that says: I''m going to own you.

    From the corner of my eye, I could see Noah putting on his helmet. I turned to look as he put on his batting gloves.

    He caught me looking. "What?"

    I shrugged. I didn''t have anything in particular to say.

    But that didn''t stop Noah from explaining his actions. "Kyle will get on. The odds of me coming up to bat is pretty high. I need to make up for my first two at-bats."He held up his bat. "Check my grip for me?" He stood up and found some room to get in a batting stance.

    "Swing halfway." I said in a low voice. "Like where your bat would meet in the strike zone."

    He held his bat like I asked.

    I got up and nudged his hands higher up on the handle. "Choke up on your bat and you''ll have a more compact swing."

    He did so. Then he pulled his bat back and swung halfway. "Feels different."

    I nodded, then sat back down as he messed around with his swing. He looked up at me, "Aren''t you going to get your helmet on? You''ll come up too!"

    I raised an eyebrow. Noah had a lot of confidence in his brother. Even if he got on, there would be Kelvin, Chris, and Noah before me. There was plenty of ways the inning could end before I even get a chance to go up.

    "Stop being such a Debbie-Downer." Noah rolled his eyes. He went to my bag, grabbed my helmet and replaced my baseball cap with it. "You have to prepare yourself mentally."

    The ''ding'' of an aluminum bat rung in the air. Noah swiftly turned back to the field and we watched as Kyle''s hit bounced off the outfield fence. He sprinted from home plate to second base, without needing to slide. The team in the dugout yelled and hollered for him, and same with the crowd. Kyle looked over at us and gave us a fist pump.

    "That''s what I''m talking about!" Noah whooped. He smirked at me and wiggled his eyebrows. "Always follow my lead on betting. I know how to read." He thrust my bat in my hands before grabbing his own and heading to the entrance of the dugout to wait ''in the hole.''

    He knows how to read? Read what? The situation? The atmosphere? I shook my head to push aside these thoughts. One thing''s for sure, I would never bet against Noah. I don''t think I''ve seen him in a losing scenario.

    I held my bat in my lap and watched on. Kelvin followed up with a single, pushing Kyle to third. Chris came up only to pop out to the second base, leaving no chance for the runners to go anywhere. Noah moved to the batters box, and I finally dragged myself to the on deck circle.

    Noah was excited, swinging his bat wildly as if changing his hands positioning could allow him to hit by itself. I wonder if he knows that he has to not only see the ball too, but also get the timing of the swing as well? There was also a chance that he could hit into a double play, strikeout, pop out, and so on.

    Once Noah stopped his practice swings and stepped into the batters box, he became serious. His feet were shoulders length apart, slightly bent at the knees, back elbow up, and bat steady. The pitcher threw a couple wild pitches; probably worn out already. With a 2-0 count, he sent a strike towards home. Noah didn''t squander the opportunity; he stepped forward with his left, and started his swing. The ball jumped off his bat when they met over the plate. The ball soaredto right-center field.

    Kyle easily jogged in from third, and got Noah''s bat out of the way for Kelvin, who was hustling thanks to Mr. Miller''s signals. But the ball came back to the infield in a brisk manner, stopping Kelvin at third and Noah at second.

    Noah raised both fists in the air as if he drove in the winning run, accepting the applause and cheers from those nearby. 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth.

    Kyle took Noah''s bag to the dugout and I took over the batters box. I wasn''t able to foul off many pitches thanks to the pitcher getting tired and already throwing all over the place. I easily earned my walk and jogged to first base so Sean could come up.

    For Sean, the Lincoln''s coach came out and changed pitchers. But instead of calling someone from the bullpen, he pulled the left fielder in and sent someone from the dugout to left field. Coincidentally, the left fielder was the one to hit the home run off of Kyle. He was tall and lean, with a baby face that couldn''t even grown a pre teen mustache. He warmed up and threw some excellent practice pitches to his catcher while his coach went back to their own dugout.

 146 Game: VS Lincoln High School 9

    Finally, it was time for the game to continue. The pitcher stepped on the rubber, and Sean stepped into the lefty''s batter''s box. He was 1-2 today, with a single and a run scored from the first inning. Sean was able to continue his hitting streak to another game, but it didn''t mean much to me. If anything, I didn''t have any faith for him to get another hit today. Sean hasn''t had a multi-hit game as far as I know.

    The new pitcher came in high and fast, getting Sean to whiff on the first pitch for strike one. Then he got Sean to chase an outside pitch for strike two. I frowned and studied the guy on the mound. He was better than the starter, so why wasn''t he put on to begin with? He followed up with another high fastball; this time Sean got a piece of it. His bat got underneath and popped it directly up and the pitcher took a step back and easily caught it for the second out. Three pitches for one out. Very efficient.

    Zeke took over. He stepped in the batters box, facing the kid on the mound without fear. Which makes sense. As the best in the county, who would he fear?

    The pitcher didn''t step on the rubber, but instead, walked a little back, off the mound, and used the cleat cleaner. Odd. Why would you need to use it on a dry evening like this? It''s not like the field is wet. The catcher approached him before I could figure it out. They both raised their gloves to cover their mouths and spoke in low voices, so everyone else was unable to hear. It was a short conversation and soon enough, the catcher jogged back to his spot.

    Unexpectedly, he didn''t squat behind the plate. Instead, he held his right hand all the way out towards the lefty''s box. The pitcher got set, did his motion and threw the ball all the way out to the catchers hand for ball one.

    The crowd started to get loud with a mix of boo''s and cheers, almost as if they were confused on what to do. Well, same here. I turned to Coach Luis to see what he had to say about it.

    Coach Luis felt my stare and faced me. "What? Never seen an intentional walk before?"

    I mean, I have. I shrugged. I just have never heard a crowd so divided.

    Coach ignored me and turned his attention back to Zeke at the plate. Zeke was served four balls, way outside and got his walk. I moved to second, Noah moved to third, and Kelvin scored a run to make the score: 5-1.

    Julian comes up with bases loaded, still two outs, bottom of the fourth. The catcher went back to his squat and the pitcher got set. Like he did to Sean, this pitcher faced Julian with some serious fastballs. Julian also struggled and ended up flying out to the left fielder, therefore ending the inning. Everyone jogged back to their respective dugouts.

    I caught up to Noah and we went to our bags to switch gears. "That was weird." I mumbled.

    Noah looked at me. "What? What was weird?"

    I shrugged. "Everything?"

    Noah eyebrows lifted. "You wanna stop being so generic? Give me some specifics."

    I pushed my hair back and put on my cap. "The pitcher." I began. "Everything about him. He''s better than the starter. Then, he intentionally walked Zeke with the bases loaded? Just...I don''t know. It''s odd."

    Noah laughed. "There''s probably a dozen reasons he didn''t start the game. Maybe he pitched earlier this week? Maybe they''re restricting his pitch count so he can start later this week? Who knows." We grabbed our gloves and headed back to the field. "As for the intentional walk? Maybe he knew Zeke is unbeatable and wanted to lessen the amount of runs scored..?"

    We went to our respective spots and started fielding the grounders Julian was rolling out. Dave was already on the mound, throwing warmup with Kelvin behind the plate. He was going to start with batters nine, one, and two. He easily took care of them with a groundout to first, and two strikeouts. In the fifth, we couldn''t get much going. Mahki grounded out. Dave flew out to center. Kelvin walked. And Chris popped out.

    Top of the sixth: Batter three had a walk and a groundout so far. Dave didn''t start off wary of the heart of the lineup at all. He just started pitching as hard as he could and got the guy to strikeout on three straight pitches. Batter four had a line out and groundout so he had a good eye in my opinion. Dave started off with a couple of strikes, but after the batter fouled a few, Dave became more wild and walked the cleanup hitter.

    Kelvin gave out the signs to watch for a steal or a hit-and-run. Noah inched closer to second base and I moved more towards first since Julian was stuck on the bag, trying to hold the runner close by.

    Batter five had a walk and a groundout to first. Dave started off with two bad balls giving the batter a 2-0 count. Kelvin signed for a check throw and Dave complied. The runner was still close enough to the base and didn''t need to slide or dive back. Dave got the ball back and took a deep breath before facing the batter again. He threw a strike right down the middle. The batter swung and connected, sending the ball my way.

    I got low and stretched out my gloved hand. The ball went in the glove, and I brought the gloved hand to my throwing hand. I took the ball out and threw to Noah at second base to get the advancing runner. Noah caught it, tagged the base, and started to throw to first. The runner came in sliding and his legs tangled with Noah''s. Noah crumpled to the ground and didn''t get the throw off. I ran to him and started to help him up as the runner jogged to his dugout.

    "You okay?" I asked, worried. I looked him over, but could only see a bunch of dirt on his uniform.

    "Yea, no biggie. It wasn''t a hard slide. Just a well-timed one." Noah groaned as he saw the batter safely on first. "That could have been a double play. Unlucky."

    "You okay?" Dave came off the mound to check on Noah as well. "That was a bit dirty."

    "Just a play in the game." Noah handed Dave the ball. "Sorry. Could have been a double play."

    Dave pushed Noah''s hat down. "I''ll just have to strike the next one out for ya." He walked back to the mound.

    Noah fixed his cap and saw me still standing there. "What is it?"

    I looked at my hands. "Was I too slow?"

    "Don''t be silly. That happens often in baseball." He patted my shoulder, reassuring me. "Get back to your spot now. There''s only two outs."

    I did what I was told, but still felt something pulling at me. Luckily, Dave did what he said he would do, striking out the next batter and ending their offense. We jogged back to our dugout.

 147 Game: VS Lincoln High School 10

    Bottom of the sixth inning, Noah, me and Sean would get to start on the offense. I took a seat next to Noah and studied his movements to make sure he wasn''t hurt as we put on helmets.

    He caught me looking and laughed. "Seriously Jake? It''s no biggie. This happens often in games. I''ll show you some clips later."

    "It''s nice that you can laugh it off." Chris snorted as he passed us to sit on the other end of the bench. "If some idiot took that long to get me the ball, I would have just let the runner be safe. Why should I risk an injury? So I could sit out a few weeks like Jason?" He scoffed.

    The dugout got eerily quiet. My eyes widened and looked at Noah once more.

    Noah frowned as he stood up. "You got something to say Chris?"

    Chris stopped and turned to face him with ten feet in between. "I already said it, but I''ll clarify it for you and the kid. Jake is too slow. He could get by on the easy stuff, but with a hard grounder he''ll take too long and you''ll get hurt. Unlike you, I won''t put up with that crap. A loss is better than a season-ending injury." He glared at me. "What a ��" Zeke stepped in front of him and he stopped mid sentence.

    Zeke had his back to us so I couldn''t see his expression, but with the silence of the dugout we could hear what he says. "Who is the captain on the team?"

    Chris sneered. "So just because I''m not a captain, I can''t tell the underclassmen what they''re doing wrong?"

    "If it was constructive criticism, I would have let it slide." Zeke''s voice was devoid of any emotion. "But it''s not. Tomorrow, twenty laps for you."

    Chris glared, then smirked as his eyes looked for Coach. "Coach, Zeke is abusing his power of captain to protect his youngest brother and friend. How will you rectify this situation?"

    Coach came over. "I agree with Zeke. Even if what you said was right, how you said it was wrong. Twenty laps. If you''ve got a problem with how we run things, you can drop down to JV for some games." He looked around. "Myers. Get your glove on. You''ll be going in for Chris."

    Daniel jumped up, with an incredulous expression. "I''ll have to play third?"

    Coach eyes narrowed. "Have to? No, you get to. If you don''t want it, I''m sure someone else on the team would like to."

    Daniel gulped. "No that''s not what I meant." He put on his glove and started to do some stretches.

    Coach spared Chris one last glance. "Sit down." Then he walked over to me and Noah. "Tomorrow you''ll stay late to work on turning over all kinds of double plays. I don''t want my players to get hurt." He looked down on Noah. "And I especially don''t want players who don''t know when to get out of the way." He nodded to us then went back to his spot to watch the game. "Get out there already."

    We quickly got a move on. Noah hustled to the batters box and I stood in the on deck circle. Sean was in the hole, waiting by the entrance of the dugout.

    "Hey. Jake." I turned to see Zeke calling me from beside Sean. "Come here."

    I dragged myself over, scared he wanted to talk about my ''slow'' fielding too.

    "Do you want to hit?" He suddenly asked, surprising me. My jaw dropped but I nodded eagerly. "Okay. Go ahead. I think you''ll find this pitcher interesting."

    "I already find him odd." I added. "But Noah didn''t think so."

    "Watch his pitches closely. Maybe you''ll want to foul some off so you can see more. But that''ll be a risk for you. It might work against you and you could end up like the others."

    "The others?" I tilted my head.

    Zeke pointed past me. I turned in time to watch Noah strike out. "Just think. He hasn''t given up a hit yet. This could be your first out."

    "Should you be adding pressure to him like that?" Sean jumped in.

    "It''s no pressure." I scratched my cheek. "I only find him odd. Not really difficult. Interesting at best." I gripped my bat. "I''m going to go hit now." I left them and came face to face with Noah, who was coming back to the dugout.

    "You get to hit?" Noah asked.

    I nodded.

    "What do you think you''ll do?"

    I shrugged. "A single most likely."

    Noah nodded and patted my shoulder as we moved past each other.

    I stepped in the lefty''s box without a practice swing. The left fielder turned pitcher wasn''t surprised. Or maybe he didn''t remember what I hit before. He just got set and threw his first pitch, a fastball outside. Ball. He had something extra compared to the first pitcher. A fastball down the middle for a called strike. Not only did he throw faster, but he didn''t have any breaking pitches. Ball. With a 2-1 count, he came after me with a fastball down the middle, I fouled it back. 2-2. He gave a smile as he got the ball back. Maybe he did have a breaking ball? I watched closely. He started his motion and the ball came out of his hand. It had movement. Not much, but it was going further down and a little away. So a two-seam fastball. Also known as a sinker. He mixed it well with his four-seamer. I remember reading that sinkers were used to get strikeouts and groundouts. I shouldn''t disappoint. I swung and connected, sending a hard grounder between third and shortstop.

    It squeezed between the two infielders and I safely reached first. Claps and cheers came from the stands, but no one could outdo Noah. He yelled the loudest and clapped the most. I turned red and tried to remain focused.

    Sean moved up to the box and Zeke to the on deck circle. I looked to Mr. Miller for the sign. He signaled for me to lead off and run as soon as the ball was hit. Sean faced the pitcher and got in the lefty''s box. The pitcher started off with a two-seamer, luring Sean to hit the same pitch as me. He did so, hitting a grounder right to the shortstop. I was sprinting as fast as I could, but it was no use. The shortstop tossed it to the second basemen, who tagged second base and threw to first.

    "Out!"

    "Out!"

    I sighed along with the crowd. A double play. Zeke wouldn''t get to come up again unless the other team tied the game up and forced us to bat in the seventh. I jogged back to the dugout and switched gear.

    "Were you satisfied?" Zeke stood nearby.

    I shrugged. "I guess. He used both a two-seam and a four-seam fastball. He uses the same motion and throwing mechanics but it doesn''t hide the stitches."

    Zeke raised an eyebrow. "You could see the stitches that clearly?"

    I nodded, not understanding the significance. And Zeke said no more. We ran out onto the field with our teammates for the top of the seventh inning.

 148 Game: VS Lincoln High School 11

    Dave got on the mound. The first one to leadoff for Lincoln, was the left fielder/pitcher/home run hitter. Batter number seven. A fly out to center and then a home run. I turned behind me and watched as the outfielder backed up; obviously wary of this guys hitting power. Dave wasn''t scared though, he came with strength and speed from the first pitch.

    Batter seven didn''t back down either. He missed the first pitch, but was able to foul off the next few. On the sixth pitch, he hit it perfectly. It zoomed off the bat and flew to the outfield. Zeke jumped but wasn''t able to come down with it. It continued over the outfield fence. A home run. Again. By the same guy. I watched as he jogged around the bases with a smile on his face. His team and a little of the crowd clapped and cheered, but it didn''t have that much of an impact on the scoreboard, 5-2.

    I glanced at Noah, unsure if we were going to go to the mound again like we did with Kyle. Noah just shook his head at me, then gave a little point towards the dugout.

    I looked to the dugout, trying to figure out what he was trying to convey.

    "Hey loser! We''re even now!" A shout came from our own dugout. Followed by some laughs. Kyle was leaning against the fence and yelling at Dave. "At least I lasted more than three innings before giving up a home run." He antagonized.

    Dave rolled his shoulders back and toed the rubber, seemingly not paying his twin any attention. He faced batter eight with the same mentality as the last batter. He started strong and fast, barely taking rest in between pitches. Batter eight was lucky to put one in play down the first baseline. Julian went and got it. I ran over to cover first, but so did Dave. I awkwardly stopped and so did Dave. Julian ended up sprinting back to the base by himself getting the first out of the inning.

    He threw the ball back to Dave, who headed back to the mound. Julian then surprised me by jogging over to me. He put his glove up to cover his mouth. "Why''d you stop?"

    I shrugged. "Dave was going?"

    Julian shook his head in dismay. "Remember the three b''s? Ball, base, backup. I had ball. Daniel has third. Noah had second. What does that leave you?"

    "First?"

    Julian nodded. "You should have ran over to first no matter what. Either to go to the base itself. Or if I threw to Dave, to back him up in case I threw a bad ball or something. Understand?"

    I blushed and nodded. I made another mistake. That''s two that I know of. I glanced back at Zeke, wondering if he''s counting the laps I''ll have to run. He didn''t even look my way thankfully.

    "You''ll definitely get laps." Julian said nonchalantly. I jumped as he had just read my thoughts; I felt even more embarrassed. "You''re a strange one. Sometimes you''re hard to get a read on, but then others you''re like an open book." He cracked a smiled and patted my shoulder. "Come on, Bambi. Let''s finish this game strong."

    I nodded and we went back to our respective positions. Batter nine was someone new who had replaced the left fielder after he moved to the pitching position so I didn''t have any guesses as to what he would be like. It didn''t matter though, he swung on the first pitch and sent the ball right over Daniel''s head. Mahki came in, caught it on a bounce and threw to Noah. I sprinted to the bag to cover in case the guy kept running. Noah turned to throw to me at second, but the runner stayed on first.

    He threw the ball to Dave instead. "Next batter. Don''t mind."

    Dave''s jaw was clenched and he said nothing. Just gave a light nod and faced the next batter. Batter one has one hit so far this afternoon, but Dave has gotten him to ground out before. Kelvin gave out the signs for the pitch and to watch for a steal.

    Dave slowed down. He looked more meticulous in his set up and motion. The batter whiffed the first pitch. Strike. Even his aim looked more accurate. Strike. He got the ball back and slowly got set again. He took a deep breath and let it out over a long period of time. Lifted his glove and pitching hand to his chest. Lifted his left leg, then stepped far forward with it, and his right arm followed the flow of his body. Strike.

    "Strike three. Out." The ump announced.

    Dave got the ball back and the next batter switched spots with the one who just got out. Dave stuck with what was working and continued getting strikes. He easily got another strikeout, effectively ending the game, giving us a 5-2 win.

    The team jogged it in to the mound to congratulate him and then we gave high-fives to one another. With the exception of Chris. I spotted him still in the dugout, packing up.

    "Don''t worry about him." Noah laid his arm around my shoulders, leaning on me. "He''s just a bitter upperclassmen. When he first found out that I made varsity as a freshman, he acted the same way. He just thinks he''s better than everyone here."

    I rubbed my nose, feeling a little insecure. "Coach said he was right though. I''m not fast enough." We watched as the team started to move back to the dugout. "And Julian pointed out another mistake. If I have to be honest, I don''t think I should be a starter."

    Noah pulled me closer. "That''s a load of nonsense. Just think. How many other players out there have a perfect batting average? That, by itself, gives you reason to be a starter. Normally they would place a bad fielder but good hitter in the outfield. Unfortunately your weak arm would be even more of a problem there."

    I pulled my hat down, feeling embarrassed by the compliment and insult.

    "We''ll just keep practicing until you get it right." Noah concluded. We walked back to the dugout together.

    Brian Swoope intercepted us, clipboard in hand. My stomach sunk at the sight. He grinned. "You already know what I have here right?"

    Noah sighed. "How many?"

    "Fifteen. Each." He laughed at my pout. "That''s only three miles. You can do that in half an hour easy." He waved and went back to some other guys.

    "''Only three miles''?" I groaned. How hateful.

    Noah laughed. "Three miles is shorter than a 5k race."

    "Why would I care about that?" I mumbled as we separated and started to pack my own bag.

    "Because we run 5ks as a family. And now you''re a part of our family." Noah packed his own bag.

    I started to object, but then realized what he had said in the last half of his sentence. I''m a part of their family? And as a family, they run 5k races? So I have to run a 5k race with them? I felt a mix of loss and elation. Happy to be included in their family but upset that it would mean more running. I guess there really is pros and cons to everything.

 149 Mrs. Golladay 1

    The next day was a Thursday, and it started off normal like always: breakfast, Zeke takes us to school, Mr. Miller drives us up to the building, and then we stop by Noah''s locker before class.

    When we sat in our seats, it felt like Monday all over again. The other kids crowded us and congratulated us on winning the game. But this time, they were able to see Noah in action and gave him the attention he deserved. He laughed with them and shared his thoughts on playing with juniors and seniors.

    A few of them also tried talking to me, but I shied away. I''m still at the ''talk to a different teammate a day'' stage. I don''t think I could communicate with my classmates just yet. Most of our classes followed the same pattern where we would be complimented and then Noah would answer their questions.

    It wasn''t until math with the twins, did I get a break from all the hovering. The twins and I shared a table in the back corner and no one approached us to ask about the game. A few guys walked by and exchanged weird handshakes or simple greetings, but no one stayed for too long.

    I sighed with relief as class started.

    Kyle looked down at me, eyebrows raised. "Long day?"

    I nodded.

    "Let me guess: the freshman are all excited about you and Noah playing varsity?"

    I nodded again.

    He laughed. "Yea, it''ll be like that all year for you. It''s not often that freshmen make any varsity team so it''s a rare accomplishment. It''s natural for others wanting to know what it''s like. But then there are others who get jealous. Anyone from JV or the freshman team bug you?"

    I shook my head slowly. No one really talks to me directly. And if they do, Noah tries to intercept them.

    "He''s got Noah to watch out for him." Dave jumped in and turned to me. "Noah had a problem with some of them last semester right after the rosters were decided for varsity, junior varsity, and freshman levels. He knows what to watch out for."

    "A problem?" I mumbled.

    Dave and Kyle nodded together, and Dave answered first. "Since he plays with the varsity team, the other freshmen kind of exclude him from their group. Think about it...there''s twenty plus freshmen on the low leveled team so why doesn''t Noah hang out with them? Or better yet, introduce them to you and vice versa? It''s because they don''t get along; Noah knows it would make you uncomfortable, because they would probably be just as jealous of you as they are of him. As for the junior varsity team...he just beat them all out for a spot on the varsity roster. It''s not a good feeling to be beaten by someone younger than you. So they don''t really acknowledge him either."

    I started to understand why Noah only hung out with me. He knew a lot of people, but wasn''t necessarily close to them

    "Just imagine a bunch of kids like Chris." Kyle added. "Like him, they can''t accept that they''re not as good as they thought."

    The classroom door opening interrupted the class and everyone got quiet, including the twins. The class watched as another student walked in and handed the old teacher a note.

    He read it and then immediately looked at me. "Jake Hollander. It''s for you. Pack your backpack just in case it goes on for awhile." He passed the piece of paper to the person in front of our row and they passed the note back. The student who had delivered the note was already leaving, apparently done with his job.

    The note made it to our desk.

    "A hall pass to the Counselor''s office." Dave read it. He glanced at me. "Mrs. Golladay''s specifically? Do you know where to go?"

    I slowly nodded, recalling the front office where Noah told me to if I needed anything. I put on my backpack and stood up.

    Kyle handed me the note. "See ya at practice."

    I nodded and left. I made my way through the halls and into the front office. It wasn''t as full as the first time I was there, but it still had a good mix of students and adults. I waited in line and handed my slip of paper once it was my turn. The lady led me around the counter and to a closed office door. She knocked, opened and let me in. Then closed the door behind me. I swallowed my fear. It''s okay. Everything''s okay. The door isn''t locked. I can leave anytime I want.

    "Jake Hollander?" A woman sat behind a desk, reading glasses perched on her nose. I nodded slowly. "If you''re Jake Hollander, take a seat. If not, go back to class."

    I debated for a second on whether I should actually sit or if I should just leave. I had a gut feeling that I wasn''t going to find this pleasant just from the strict tone of her voice. In the end, I decided to sit across from her on the other side of the desk. No need to get in trouble for not showing up when I''m already here.

    She studied me through her frames of eyewear, and watched as I shifted uncomfortably. "Don''t squirm. It''s unbecoming for young men like you. Sit straight and firm."

    I flinched, but did what I was told.

    She held up some papers. "I''ve been getting progress reports from your teachers. Let me start off with this....it''s unimpressive and disappointing seeing excellence wasted. On you." I gulped. "You don''t participate in class. You don''t communicate with teachers or classmates. And. Now. I''ve gotten multiple calls showing concern about why someone like you, has made the varsity baseball team. Care to explain?"

    Explain? What? I shook my head slowly.

    A loud bang came from her desk as her palm met with the wood, making me jump. "Speak when spoken to."

    My breathing became more shallow and came out in faster beats. My hands felt clammy and the backpack still on my shoulders, felt heavy. I cleared my throat, trying to find the right words to say.

    "Tell me. Why is it, that a kid like you, has made the varsity team? Are the Atkins giving the coach extra money on the side to let you play? Is Zeke Atkins blackmailing him, saying he won''t play without his brothers? I find it highly suspicious that a timid, mute, faint-hearted kid like you found courage to join one of the best teams in the county."

    I started to shiver. How is this lady a counselor? My eyes started to blur, my nose tingled, and a lump formed in my throat...I was on the verge of tears. I don''t want to be here. Not with this lady. She''s too domineering and too much like my mother. I suddenly stood up.

    "Where do you think you''re going? Sit back down. We''re not done discussing how you''re receiving undeserved special treatment." She commanded.

    I ignored her and bolted out of there. I swung the door open and ran. Bypassing the adults and students in the office, and then out to the empty halls. Class was still going on, but I couldn''t go back. Not where she can find me.

 150 Mrs. Golladay 2

    I decided to look for Noah, only to realize that I didn''t know where his math class was. I didn''t want to go back to the twins since that''s where Mrs. Golladay would look first. There''s Zeke...but I don''t know where he would be either. Running didn''t sound so bad for once so I continued. I ran through the halls, out of the school, and through the parking lot. I ran through the residential neighborhoods, trying to remember the way back to the Atkins house. Mr. Atkins should be home. He would know what to do.

    After fifteen minutes, I slowed down to a walk so I could catch my breath. And to figure out where I was. I wish I paid more attention to the streets we took to get to school so I wouldn''t be this lost. By now, math should be over and health should have started. Noah would see that I''m missing. Maybe he''ll tell the teacher and the office. Maybe they''ll tell him instead. Ugh. What to do, what to do.

    A car honked. I jumped and looked around. A black and white cop car with the words, county sheriff, pulled up next to me. The driver side window rolled down to reveal a middle aged man with a gray mustache. "What are you doing out here in the cold, kid?"

    I shrugged. I''m not sure anymore.

    His eyes narrowed. "I received a call, reporting a suspicious teen for just roaming around in circles." I blinked. I was going in circles. "Is there a reason you''re not in school?"

    Yes. I nodded. There was definitely a reason I wasn''t in school.

    "Are you trying to go home?"

    I nodded some more. Yes. Exactly. I want to go back to the Atkins house.

    "I''m not really good at charades kid. I''m also not a fan of twenty questions. Why don''t I give you a lift home and we can talk with your parents?"

    I ran my fingers through my hair. Then I thought of a solution. I stepped closer to the cop car and mimicked writing on paper.

    He looked shocked. "Oh. You''re a mute? You can just take some paper out of your bag to tell me where to go."

    I hurriedly went through my bag and grabbed a pen and a piece of paper. Then I started to scribble.

    "Lost. Don''t remember address. Looking for the Atkins home." I showed him.

    His eyebrows disappeared under his bangs. "Usually older kids like you aren''t this dumb. You must be autistic. Get in the backseat and I''ll take you to the station. We''ll talk more there."

    I got in the back, feeling extremely embarrassed. I wasn''t dumb or mentally lacking. I just...I can''t find the words. I held my tears back as he drove throughout the unfamiliar houses. We arrived at the county sheriffs department and walked in together. The police department had an open setup with ten desks in a giant size area. He led me to one and we sat down on either side.

    He pointed at his nameplate. "I''m deputy O''Brien. Can you tell me your name?"

    I wrote down ''Jake Hollander'' and showed him.

    "Good. Good. Now, if you can''t remember your address, do you think you can remember a phone number for your parents? Home, cell, or work phone numbers?" I shook my head no. I didn''t bother learning any of that since I always had Noah. "Okay. How about I look up your parents names?"

    I frowned. He kept saying parents this, parents that. But I don''t acknowledge either of them. What if...I did this? I scribbled on my sheet of paper. "Foster parents: Wayne and Mary Atkins. Social worker: Doug Duncan. Doctor: Dr. Moore. Best friend: Noah Atkins." I passed it over, hoping he could make do with that.

    "Oh." He replied, surprised. He thoughtfully tapped his desk as he looked at the paper. Then he looked at me. "You''re not trying to run away from them are you? Are you in danger in any way?"

    I shook my head vigorously and snatched my paper back to add a note. "They''re nice. Super nice. I want to go back to their house." I handed it back.

    He thought it over and made a face. Then sighed. "Okay. First off, I''m going to see if they have called to ask about your whereabouts. You can''t be reported missing until 24 hours, but maybe they''re worried and called. Next step is to reach out to child protective services and your case worker. Just to be sure that this family isn''t coercing you in any way. Then we''ll go from there. Sound good?"

    I nodded.

    Deputy O''Brien started making phone calls and spoke with others. I sat back feeling a little more relaxed like I did before being called into Mrs. Golladay''s office. I held my backpack in my lap and waited. And waited.

    "Jake!" A familiar voice cried out from the entrance. I turned to see Mrs. Atkins speed walking my way and then she broke out into a jog. She stood by me in seconds. "Jake, where have you been? We were so worried! Where did you go? Are you okay? What exactly happened? Is something wrong?"

    I started to tear up again. So much concern. From a woman that''s a mother, but not my own.

    "Jake? Jake?" She became blurry as the tears came out and skewed my vision. She turned to the deputy. "Are you O''Brien? We got your call and I rushed right over. What''s happening? Where did you grab Jake from? He should be at baseball practice right now, not an intimidating police department."

    Deputy O''Brien fixed up his desk, pulling out some notes. "I found Jake Hollander on the corner of Rolling Hills and Wilson Avenue. He looked cold, confused and too young to be on his own during school hours, so I pulled over to ask some questions, which he was unable to answer."

    "Jake''s a mute." She quickly came to my defense.

    The deputy nodded. "Yes. We established that. And then settled on notes for communication. He was unable to list an address or phone numbers. But he was able to list names." He tapped my notebook paper with my chicken scratch on it. "I made some calls and found that you were already looking for him."

    So soon? Did Noah call her?

    Mrs. Atkins nodded, and crossed her arms over her chest. "My youngest son has the same classes as Jake. When he didn''t show up to the last class of the day, he sent me a text. I immediately called the school to find out where my kids are. They had the nerve to tell me that Jake isn''t my kid even though I''m listed as his guardian. Let me tell you, I want to file a complaint with the county for the schools lack of supervision."

    "And that brings up my next phone call." The deputy stood up. "The school reported Jake Hollander as a truant. As he was picked up by me, an officer of the county, I''ll have to write him up."

    "Write him up?" Mrs. Atkins jaw dropped. "You''ve got to be kidding."

    "I''m not." He looked down at me. "Jake, did you or did you not leave school campus during class hours?" I nodded. "That means that you skipped. An unauthorized absence is frowned upon. Education is vital to your future. Understand?" I nodded again. "This is your first offense so you''ll get off with a warning. Next time you get caught with an unauthorized absence, and marked truant, it''ll go on your permanent record and your parent or guardian will be fined $2500."

    I gulped. That''s a lot. For just skipping class? I looked up at Mrs. Atkins, sorry for dragging her down with me.

 151 Mrs. Golladay 3

    Mrs. Atkins frown deepened. "I don''t think Jake would skip without reason. From what I heard from my sons, Jake was called to the counselor''s office and then he never came back. It''s strange they would mark him truant when they were the ones to see him last."

    The deputy looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "You saw the Counselor last before leaving school?" I nodded. "Did they give you any expressive approval to leave the school?" I shook my head no. He sighed. "Then you''re still on the hook."

    "Wait just a moment." Mrs. Atkins glared at him. Then she knelt down beside me. "Jake, you''re not in any trouble. Not with me. Not with the school. And not with the police. So can you tell me why you suddenly ran off?"

    I shifted uncomfortably, but then recalled Mrs. Golladay''s words about fidgeting so I stopped and shivered.

    "What is it? Want me to get Wayne here? Will you tell him? Or Noah? Dr. Moore?" Mrs. Atkins started to panic. For the first time in three weeks, she looked as anxious as I felt.

    I took a deep breath and and let it out. Dr. Moore said I should push myself out of my comfort zone a little bit a day. And since I won''t be making it to baseball practice, I might as well speak to Mrs. Atkins. "I got scared."

    "I thought he was a mute." The officer stated almost right away.

    Mrs. Atkins eyes narrowed and she immediately stood back up. She faced the cop, and leaned over him with her massive height. "Jake has selective mutism. Look. It. Up." She glared at him. "I will be taking him home now. Write him up all you want. Give him the warning. Give me the warning. Hell, give me the fine. But I assure you, I''ll be back to file the complaint against the school. If Jake got scared, then I can only imagine what that so-called Counselor has done." She whipped her hair into his face and lightly smiled down at me. "Let''s go home, Jake. We''re done here."

    Home. Their home. I like their home and I like how they shared it with me. I got up and we walked out of the department, side by side. She opened up the passenger door for me and I got in, then she got in on the drivers side. Usually I would feel nervous sitting so close to Mrs. Atkins, but today it felt like a comfort.

    "Wayne and Dr. Moore are at the house, waiting." Mrs. Atkins told me as she navigated the streets. "I gave them a call after I got the call from the police station. What a scare." She let out a puff of air. "We have to get you a cell phone. We can pre-program everyone''s number and maybe also set up the gps so we can easily find you." I let her rant on about safety of having a phone and how it would bring her peace of mind. Apparently this really shook her up and that made me feel guilty.

    I had other options. Thinking back, I could have waited for Noah at his locker. Or tell the twins what was wrong and they could have called their parents for me. Or i could have just gone down to the field and waited for one of the coaches or something. I really was middle headed. "I''m sorry." I blurted out.

    Mrs. Atkins hit the brakes and the shoulder belts kept us in place. She turned to me. "What? What''s wrong?"

    I felt the heat rush to my face and lowered my eyes. "I acted on impulse. Noah told me to face problems head on, but I ran. Again."

    "Oh, honey. That''s not a bad thing. Sometimes it''s good to rely on instincts. If your intuition told you to get out and get away, then trust that feeling." Mrs. Atkins looked upset. "We can talk this out with Wayne and Dr. Moore."

    I nodded and she began to drive again. She got us back to the house and I saw a few cars on the street, parked outside their house. I looked back at her, slightly confused on why the street is so busy.

    "They were worried about you too." She smiled, got out and went to the house.

    I slowly followed her steps, trying to think of who she meant. Who else would be worried? Mr. Duncan? Noah? Maybe the twins and Zeke? I walked in and was shocked to see the whole baseball team squeezed in the living room.

    "Jake!" Noah called out first. He ran to me and pulled me into a hug like I would disappear in front of him.

    "Jake!" "Bambi!" "Where''d ya go kid?" The other guys got up and clambered over, crowding me.

    "Back it up." Noah held onto me defensively. "Jake needs space. He''s just a kid okay?"

    "You''re just a kid!" Dave slapped him upside the head.

    "And you''re the one crowding him!" Kyle accused.

    Noah ignored them and held me at arms distance. He looked me up and down, checking for something. "Good. You''re still in one piece. Mom called dad and said she was picking you up from the police station so I was worried you would get beat up."

    Why would I get beaten up?

    "So what happened?"

    "How did you even end up at the police station?"

    "C''mon Jake. Tell us!"

    The lot of them clamored around asking for answers, but I didn''t know where to start.

    Three loud claps came from the entryway to the dining room. They quieted down and faced the man who commanded their attention. Zeke stood by Coach Wilcox and Mr. Miller. "We''re leaving. Practice will resume at the field down the street. Jake has to stay here and give an explanation to our parents."

    The team sighed and started to move to the door.

    "After practice, we''ll come back here for pizza and Jake will have answers for us by then, I''m sure." Zeke added on, perking the team up. They left with a pep in their step and moved out with speed. Zeke and the coaches brought up the rear.

    Zeke grabbed Noah''s collar and pulled him away from me. "Let''s go. You too. You''ll see him in a couple of hours."

    Noah struggled. "You don''t know that for sure. What if he runs again? I''m staying here."

    Zeke looked to Coach. Coach sighed. "You know the rules Noah. If you skip practice, then I won''t start you in the next game."

    "That''s fine by me." Noah stood firm and moved to my side. "Jake isn''t playing either. Might as well keep him company."

    Zeke shook his head in dismay. "Whatever. Get to the kitchen. They''re waiting for you, Jake." He put his hand on my shoulder. "Next time, run to me. Whatever it is, I''m sure I could deal with it."

    I thought of Mrs. Golladay''s blackmail comment. And gave Zeke a tight smile. The three of them moved on out and Noah dragged me to the kitchen.

    Mr. and Mrs. Atkins day on either side of Dr. Moore. They had paperwork spread out and Dr. Moore held his notepad.

    We sat across from them.

    Dr. Moore pushed up his glasses and looked at me. "Where do you want to start, Jake?"

 152 Mrs. Golladay 4

    I shrugged, not sure where to start.

    "Let''s start with Mrs. Golladay." Dr. Moore decided. "Today was your first time meeting her?"

    I nodded.

    Mr. Atkins frowned. "I thought you were supposed to meet her on the first day of school?"

    "She was too busy." Noah replied. "I tried getting her to see Jake on the first day so I would be there with him, but it was a no go."

    "It took her this long to meet with you?" Mr. Atkins had a notebook of his own in front of him and was taking notes. "Unbelievable. Tell us how everything went down. Don''t leave anything out. Include what you were feeling, okay?"

    I cleared my throat. "I was nervous going in. Then anxious when the door to the office was shut. She-she-She reminded me of my mother."

    "How so?" Dr. Moore interrupted.

    "Her demeanor. She was loud, demanding, and a little aggressive." I took a deep breath. "I may be over-sensitive. I was expecting someone calm like Dr. Moore and got caught off guard."

    Dr. Moore looked a little surprise. "Yes, a counselor is similar to a therapist. But a school counselor would have placed more focus on your academics, whereas I focus more on your mental health. Did you guys discuss school at all?"

    I thought back. "She said ''unimpressive'' and ''wasted excellence'' and I don''t participate or communicate. She had received progress reports from my teachers." I bit my bottom lip before speaking up. "Then she brought up baseball."

    Mr. Atkins started tapping his pen against his notebook. "This doesn''t sound like you had a meeting with a counselor at all. And I''d like to see these so-called progress reports from your teachers." He looked at his wife, who was radiating anger. "Mary. Have you received any progress reports from his teachers."

    Mrs. Atkins shook her head. "No. They send email updates to Doug though. And as far as I know, there hasn''t been any negative comments." She looked to Dr. Moore. "Do you have any clue in regards to these progress reports?"

    Dr. Moore made a face. "As far as I know, Jake doesn''t struggle academically. This conversation has raised many red flags for me as a therapist and a guide for children. Counselors wouldn''t use appalling terms in front of students with such special circumstances. But I would like Jake to continue for now. An academic focused counselor bringing up athletics sounds dubious." He nodded at me. "Why did she bring up baseball?"

    Um. I looked down at me hands and tried to think of what to say or what to tell them.

    "Don''t hold back Jake." Noah spoke up from beside me. "This lady is already in the wrong. You might as well say everything in one go. Mom and Dad will have your backs."

    I looked up at his parents, who looked at me with earnest. Especially Mrs. Atkins. She came and got me from the police and even dared them to give her a heavy fine. She was the definition of a formidable opponent. She could solve any and all problems that came her way. In my first weekend she dried my tears, bailed me and Noah out of trouble, and got me my first wooden bat so I could play baseball again.

    "She asked me how I made the varsity team. Something about you guys giving the coach money. Zeke was brought up too...she thinks he''s blackmailing Coach." My attention fell back to my hands and my voice got small. "''Timid. Mute. Faint-hearted. Undeserved special treatment.'' I got scared and wanted to run. So I left. I didn''t want to go back to math where she could find me. And I didn''t know where Zeke and Noah were, so I kept running."

    Silence hung over the table. Heavy silence.

    The loud bang of a chair hitting the floor made me jump. I looked up and Mrs. Atkins was standing up with her hands on the table. Unsurprisingly, I wasn''t the only one staring at her. Noah, Mr. Atkins, and Dr. Moore was also shell-shocked with her sudden movements.

    "Why are you standing?" Mr. Atkins asked, putting all of our thoughts to words.

    "Isn''t it obvious?" She replied. "I''m going to the school. Speak with Dr. Bodon and have this counselor fired immediately. Who does she think she is to talk to my kid like that? And even had the nerve to speak ill of another child of mine? She wants to see blackmail?" Mrs. Atkins scoffed. "I can gladly deliver. I can pull all my boys out of that school and put them in a private school to play for an even better team and to have a better education experience."

    Mr. Atkins stood up right away and held his wife by her shoulders. "Now, now. You''re acting slightly irrational."

    "Wayne!" Mrs. Atkins cried out. "Weren''t you listening? We''re accused of bribery. Zeke is accused of extortion. And Jake was degraded by a ''supposed'' school educator. We need to confront this; it''s not something that can just be brushed aside."

    Wayne bent down and picked up the fallen chair, and guided his wife to sit back down "I heard. And so did Dr. Moore. Stay calm. We''re going to address this through official channels. If we just go and demand her job and she gets fired, then that''ll look like we''re guilty of bribery. First we collect all the info we can from Jake. The boys. Doug. And write out a statement with a lawyers help. Then we''ll go straight to the school board."

    His words had some affect on Mrs. Atkins as her body relaxed. She turned to Dr. Moore. "Can we count on you for an official statement."

    Dr. Moore nodded. "Yes. I''m stunned that this is what the school considers a counselor." He peered back at me, pushing up his glasses. "I''m curious to know more specifics though, if you don''t mind Jake."

    I shrugged.

    "Looking over what was said...the words really cut like a knife, however I don''t believe you would run simply from words. Tell me more. Her actions. Her tone of voice. The atmosphere."

    I shifted uncomfortably. Then stopped. I shouldn''t squirm. "She hit the desk with the palm of her hand. And raised her voice. She said it''s ''unbecoming for young men to squirm'' in a seat."

    Dr. Moore sighed. "I wonder how many other kids were treated like this."

    Mrs. Atkins pointed at her husbands notes. "Write that down as well. More mental trauma. We''ll sue. I want to make sure this woman never works with kids again."

    Mr. Atkins did as he was told. The three of them started to map out a game plan and phone calls were to be made. Noah and I sat still and watched as they spoke and planned for the takedown of a school counselor like she was a domestic terrorist.

    "Don''t you feel better watching them?" Noah asked in a hushed whisper.

    I nodded. I felt warm inside. Mixed with guilt and happiness. Guilt for putting them through so much trouble, yet, on the other hand, happiness for being called her kid like I really was one of them.

 153 Extra Training 1

    The team ended up not coming back for dinner. Instead, they went to Gina''s Pizzeria. Zeke and the twins stopped by the house to pick up me and Noah. Mr. Atkins handed money over and sent us away, claiming that the adults would take care of this from here on out. Mr. Duncan was on his way over, Dr. Moore was working on his report, and Mrs. Atkins continued to make phone calls to other parents, teachers, and then the school board.

    "Tomorrow morning, we''ll settle this at school." She stated, confident. "Go out and have some fun with the team. Make sure to eat a salad with your pizza." She waved us out.

    Off we went. Gina''s Pizzeria was a local pizza parlor, barely three miles away from the house. Zeke parked in a packed lot, and we followed him in. The placed was crowded with our team and other patrons of the pizza place. Zeke joined the coaches in line and Noah dragged me to follow the twins to sit with the team.

    They were squished together, taking up two long tables and half the building. I awkwardly sat on the end, hiding behind Noah''s frame. Mrs. Golladay''s words were still fresh in my mind; some of the baseball families had called to voice their concern with me on the team. She even went so far as to say that the Atkins paid my way to be on the team and that Zeke had threaten the coach. Not that I believed all of it. I couldn''t imagine coach being threaten or Zeke be threatening. They seemed to have a great coach/player relationship. Then there''s the Atkins. They''re good people. And really big on integrity so I doubt they would bribe anyone for me to play a sport. As for the other baseball families...I didn''t know them. Heck, I hardly know my teammates at all.

    Noah noticed my hesitation to speak with the team, almost instantly. "Why are you acting so shy? This isn''t your first time meeting them?"

    I took a quick look around and lowered my voice. "Some of them don''t like me on the team."

    Noah made an ugly face. "That''s according to that quack of a counselor you saw. For all you know, the families that called could be from the JV and freshman teams. It''s common to see jealousy amongst your peers when you''re this good. I''m sure everyone here appreciates your effort and what you bring to them team."

    I glanced at Chris, who sat at the other table with some of the bench players. "Not everyone."

    Chris caught us looking at him, and suddenly stood up, catching the guys around him by surprise. They all watched as he made his way to us, and the team started to quiet down so they could hear what he had to say to me and Noah. He stopped at the edge where I sat and looked down at us. "Do you have something to say?"

    I shook my head, no, right away. I definitely had nothing to say to this six foot senior that looks like a hoodlum. And acts like one too.

    "Yea. I do." Noah stood up. Half his height, and almost half his weight, Noah didn''t really stand on the same ground as Chris. "I want to know if you cried to your parents about Coach benching you, because you insulted Jake."

    "First off, I didn''t insult him." Chris glared at Noah, then swung his eyes lower to meet with mine. "I was advising him on his sloppy play. Second, I wouldn''t cry to anyone, let alone to my parents." He looked around to make sure the team was listening. "Third, my parents wouldn''t call for nonsense like this. They couldn''t care less for baseball. They think it''ll just look good on college applications." He focused back on me. "I may give you a hard time on the field, but it''s well-deserved. You play like a true freshman. You have a god-given talent at the plate, but it just makes you look worse when you play defense." He shifted his eyes to Noah and smirked. "Maybe if you two combined to one person, I would have no complaints."

    "Sit down." A deep voice commanded.

    Chris slowly turned and found Zeke behind him. "I was just telling the freshmeat what to work on. Lighten up." He mocked, yet he still scooted his way back to his seat, and sat down like he was told.

    Zeke raised an eyebrow at Noah, who caught on and also sat down. He put the both of his within his sight. "You two missed today so that means you''re out for Saturday''s game. Next game you''re eligible for is Tuesday''s. With your free time this weekend, you''ll be doing extra training."

    I swallowed my protests.

    Noah didn''t. "What do you mean extra training? That''s not a thing. I''m positive the league put a ban on extra training."

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "The Coach isn''t allowed to make you practice more than 18 hours a week. As your older brother though, I can encourage you and we can play together." Encourage and play together had a heavy tone to it. I encourage could mean boss around. And play together means he''ll be keeping a close eye on this extra practice."

    "My condolences." Dave snickered beside Noah.

    "You''ll be there as well." Zeke added, not leaving Dave any room for rebuttal. "We''ll need pitchers, hitters, and stand-ins. Noah and Jake will work on double plays so there won''t be any repeat mental errors." With nothing else to say, he moved to the seniors table and sat close to Chris.

    The pizzas, wings, and small salads came out rather fast and filled our stomachs with the same speed.

 154 Extra Training 2

    When we got home, the dining room had completely transformed. It used to be clean, and well organized, yet now it looks like a tornado of papers went by. The adults had papers on every available surface of the dining room table, and had even pinned some to the walls. And the amount of adults had doubled. Mr. Duncan showed up and Coach had beaten us home after pizza. The final member was introduced as George Pickens, the Atkins family attorney.

    Mr. Pickens sat quietly beside Dr. Moore and listened to his medical jargon regarding me and my issues. He looked like a grampa on the brink of retirement, but he gave off the vibe of someone that shouldn''t be messed with.

    Mr. Duncan hovered over me. "Are you alright, Jake? I''ve heard everything from Mary and Wayne, however, I''m still worried."

    I shrugged. I''m fine now, I guess. The Atkins seemed to have everything covered.

    Noah stepped in front of me. "Nope. He''s not okay. Even I''m not okay. We should stay home from school tomorrow in case that woman comes after him or something."

    I froze. I didn''t even think of school tomorrow. What are we going to do? I looked up at Mr. Duncan, worried.

    "You''ll be going to school tomorrow." Mrs. Atkins jumped in and declared. "There''s no reason for my kids to put their education on hold, in fear of getting in trouble with a school counselor. George has already contacted the school board on our behalf and got that woman placed on paid administrative leave. For now. Soon we''ll have her out on her butt." She narrowed her eyes at Noah. "So go do your homework."

    "Busted." Noah mumbled before dragging himself upstairs. I followed. "I really thought I''d be able to get us the day off. Mom is too quick."

    I shrugged. As long as Mrs. Golladay isn''t there to harass me, then I don''t care.

    "Don''t act so nonchalant." Noah instructed as we walked into our room. "Tomorrow, not only do we get back to classes, but practice. We got today off so we''ll have to work twice as hard tomorrow. Zeke might even make us stay late since we won''t be playing in Saturday''s game. Then Sunday night be even tougher."

    I frowned. "Zeke owes us batting cages on Sunday. He promised."

    Noah brightened up. "Right! Good! Excellent! Tomorrow will probably be the worst of it." He pulled out his homework and I followed suit.

    We spent the rest of the night finishing our homework and getting ready for tomorrow.

    Friday. The kitchen was still a mess for breakfast so Mrs. Atkins let us eat in the living room before sending us off, with promises of talking to the school board and having answers by the end of the day. Then Zeke drove us to school and Mr. Miller met us by the fields.

    "Doing alright?" Mr. Miller asked as he drove me and Noah up to the building.

    I nodded. But then realized he couldn''t see me behind him, so I cleared my throat and forced out a, "Yes."

    "Good. Next time you run into trouble, run to the field. You can find me there, working on the field. You won''t have to talk or anything. Just know that you can relax in the dugout or exert some of that excess energy around the field." He let us off and waved as he drove back.

    "He''s right." Noah tugged his backpack up a little higher. "Next time you feel like you have to run, either from a bad or scary situation, or even from your own feelings, go to the field. That way we know where to look. I was really scared and nervous when you didn''t show up to class. I had texted the twins. Zeke. Mom and Dad. No one knew." He scrunched up his nose. "I know they said your mom was locked up but I still got nervous that she came after you."

    I flinched at the thought. Then vehemently shook my head. "Mr. Duncan promised me that she won''t be out."

    Noah gave me a tight smile. "Good." He then threw an arm around my shoulder and dragged me to his locker. "Let''s grab our books before class."

    We got a move on and started our school day, following the normal pattern, and came across no surprises or obstructions. The morning flew by and turned into afternoon practice. The whole team warmed up together with the exception of Jason, who still sat on the bench resting his injury.

    "Gather up." Coach commanded right after warmups. We circled around him and took a knee. "I know we had a bit of distraction yesterday." I scrunched down, trying to make myself disappear. "But that''s life. You can''t turn around and change the past, but you can work twice as hard in the present, to change the future." He looked down at me and Noah. "Did Zeke tells you the consequences of missing yesterday''s practice?"

    Noah sadly nodded and I mimicked his actions. "Benched for the game."

    The team let out whispers and murmurs immediately. I felt even more put on the spot.

    "Are you trying to lose the game on purpose coach?" An angry voice raised above the others. The team quieted down and all eyes went to John Roberts...the original starting second baseman.

    "What was that, Roberts?" Coach faced him head on.

    John stood up. "Supposedly these two freshmen are good enough to replace me and Daniel. But now that they''re having a fight with the school, you''re benching them? Isn''t that suspicious? Are you trying to lose to prove a point that we need them?" My jaw dropped. I''ve never heard John speak so much and he was surprisingly not well-mannered like I thought.

    Coach took off his baseball cap, and looked around at us players. "How many of you think I''m doing this to punish the school and not the freshmen?" A few hands went up, excluding the twins, Zeke, Garret, and Jordan.Even Kelvin''s hand went up. Coach''s eyes narrowed and went back to John. "I''ve stated the rules before, that if you miss a practice between games, you will sit the very next game. If you can''t put full effort in, then you obviously need the rest." He looked around at the players that have raised their hands. "As for purposely throwing a game? That isn''t my style. And if that''s your style, then you can get the hell off my team."

    The atmosphere was tense and heavy.

    "Garret will be on the mound. Zeke will still be cleanup. If you don''t believe you can win without some freshmen, then I don''t need you on my team." His eyes came back to me and Noah. "And if we don''t win without the freshmen, they''ll be shouldering the blame. 100 laps. Each."

    Noah jumped up. "Coach!" He protested. "That''s not fair! We didn''t have a say in the matter!"

    Coach glared down. "You did." His eyes shift to mine. "You both did. Instead of following rules, you deserted them and treated them as guidelines. That''s not how the real world works. You put yourselves before your team and teammates and these are the consequences." His lips turned up into an evil grin. "You better hope this team wins tomorrow or I know what you''ll be doing on Sunday."

    He was definitely talking about running laps and not going to the cages. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to stay calm. Just gotta have faith in this team. They can win without us. My brows furrowed. Wait. They can win without us? I didn''t really like the sound of that thought....almost as much as I hate the idea of losing.

 155 Extra Training 3

    After Coach wrapped up his ''pep'' talk, he divided us up and sent us away to different assistant coaches. The pitchers and catchers went to the bullpen. Infielders went to practice grounders and turning double plays. The outfielders got to start off with the batting cage off to the side of the field.

    "I think we should join the other infielders." Noah said outright.

    I nodded in agreement. Instead, we were facing Drew. Andrew. Andrew Vishnevsky. Vishnevsky. Vish. So many names, but still the same personality.

    Even though he was only average height, he still had a few inches on Noah and more than enough on me to make me feel short. He grinned down at us. "I heard you two won''t be playing tomorrow so we can obviously have more fun than the others."

    "Drew...Don''t take this the wrong way, but I don''t find training fun." Noah looked my way. "Right, Jake? It''s just a way to get better and improve on the actual game. What I find fun is playing in games, making spectacular stops, and hitting in runs."

    I nodded. "Hitting is fun."

    Drew''s smile didn''t waver. "That''s okay. I''ll teach you some fun training techniques today. Why don''t you boys change into running shoes and meet me in the parking lot?" He turned away before we could voice anymore opinions.

    Noah and I sighed in unison, but did what we were told. We ditched our gloves and cleats in the dugout and jogged out to the parking lot in our running shoes.

    Drew pointed to either side of him. "One here, and the other here. You both are going to race up the hill, then jog back down."

    I pouted and Noah frowned. As always, he spoke up for the both us. "Race? That''s not very exciting. Plus, Jake isn''t an opponent for me." He caught my glare. "Jake, you know running isn''t your expertise. I wouldn''t want to face you in a hitting competition."

    I shrugged. Fair enough.

    "Don''t worry about the race itself. Just run your fastest up the hill. It''s about working your muscles differently than your normal training." Drew instructed. "Now line up."

    We got on either side of him, facing the 50-yard uphill obstacle. That would almost take us to the JV and freshman fields. Awkward.

    "On your marks. Get set. Go!" Drew commanded and we took off.

    Noah took an early lead, and his stride lengthened as he reached the top first. He put his hands on his hips as he triumphantly waited for me. Whereas Noah stood up proudly, I reached him, gasping for air. Running uphill? It felt like I ran up a mountain. With me beside him, we slowly jogged back down, two sharp contrasts of a baseball player. One in excellent shape and had no limits. The other, me, already thinking of begging for mercy, wishing I could go back to sliding practice.

    We arrived in front of Drew, who had a mini notepad in hand and was writing down some numbers.

    Noah peaked over. "What''s this supposed to be?"

    "A rough estimate of your times. It''s a good start. From now on, you''ll have to beat your previous sprint times."

    I was still struggling getting air into my lungs, however, Noah was quick to grasp what was being said. "Our times? We have to beat them even though now we won''t be in perfect condition? Isn''t that unrealistic? Plus how could you just go off a rough estimate?"

    Drew thought about it. "Okay. Let''s do this then. Take off your hats and set them down." We did so. "This will be where you guys start. I''ll go to the top and be the finish line. That way, the times will be as accurate as possible. Remember that you have to really push yourselves to beat your best times." He started to jog up the hill himself.

    "I can''t believe you had to deal with him every day." Noah gave my shoulder a pat. "I can''t believe he thinks this kind of training is fun and exciting. So dull."

    I nodded in agreement.

    "Ready?!" Drew hollered from the top of the hill, waving. The two of us got set like before. "Go!"

    We pushed off at the same time, but once again Noah took the lead. He flew up the hill unfazed as I forced my legs to exert more effort. By the time I reached the top, Noah and Drew were discussing his second time.

    "A millisecond too slow." Drew grinned. "Now for the fun part. Ten burpees." He turned to me as I tried to catch my breath. "Not bad, Jake. You barely beat your original time."

    I nodded. My calves burned, but at least my face didn''t have an ugly expression on it like Noah''s.

    "You didn''t mention punishment." Noah crosses his arms over his chest.

    Drew smiled, good natured. "I said you would have to beat your original time. That was warning enough. Anymore back-talk and I''ll double it."

    Noah rolled his eyes, yet didn''t say anymore. He backed up. Then he squatted to the ground, putting his hands down on the ground, he kicked his legs back out so he was in a plank position with his arms extended, holding him up. Then he immediately returned his feet back to the squat position and jumped up, yelling "One!" Then he repeated the process until he got to ten.

    For the first time, I saw Noah out of breath. We jogged back down the hill to our hats, but the roles had reversed. He used the jog down to recover his breathing and I was okay to go.

    "Are burpees that difficult?" I asked.

    Noah nodded. "Burpees improve your lungs and heart and requires your body to produce energy without help of oxygen. It''s very tiring." We got to the starting line and looked back up at Drew. "It''s going to be even harder for me to beat my best time if I have to keep doing burpees." He glanced at me. "Drew must be secretly related to Zeke in order to be this sadistic."

    I gulped.

    "Ready?" Drew asked. "Go!"

    We moved up the hill. Noah took the lead, but definitely didn''t look as fast as the last two times. I forced myself to dig in and try my hardest to catch up to no avail.

    Noah started his burpees by the time I reached them. Drew looked at me with a sad expression, causing me to shiver. He held out his notepad showing my times. "Too slow. Ten burpees for you as well."

    I squinted at the paper and reached out suddenly to point. "No, I still beat my first time."

    Drew looked surprised at my outburst. "Yes but not your best time. So give me ten. Any argument and you can double yours as well."

    I swallowed down my displeasure and followed Noah''s pattern. Unlike him though, I wasn''t able to do the ten consecutively without a break. I had to pause and then get back to it.

    As we jogged down for the third time, we were both busy catching our breaths. This training was no joke. The end of practice couldn''t come soon enough.

 156 Extra Training 4

    Luckily, we didn''t have to do this all practice. Unluckily, Drew had more ''fun'' drills up his sleeve. After twenty or so runs up the hill, and countless burpees, he had us jog to the gymnasium.

    The gym was a two-story building with boys and girls locker rooms on the first floor, along with some coaching offices and the athletic director''s office and the trainers room. The second floor was a basketball court or volleyball court with electronic scoreboards and shot clocks and could be configured to use two smaller practice courts with a divider. I had only been in the gym for health class, but never had a reason to go in besides that. The varsity baseball team had our own club room by our dugout so it was pointless to use the gym''s lockers downstairs.

    "Why are we at the gym?" Noah huffed, looking a hundred times better than me, who had his hands on his knees, just thankful for a break.

    Drew grinned. "More running, of course." I groaned. "Now, now. We''re changing it up. This time we''ll include stairs and I''ll switch up the way you have to go up them."

    "The way we go up them..?" Noah asked. "Are there different ways to go upstairs? Do you mean the pace? Like a slow walk to a fast run up the stairs?"

    Drew laughed. "Look at you, not even being creative. This is why you don''t progress much with training on your own. You have to think outside of the box. For now, you''ll take the stairs, one at a time. So one foot on each step. Then you''ll run across the length of the gym, and go down the other set of stairs, one at a time. Then run the length of the lower level to get back to the original set of stairs. Second time around, I''ll have you skip every other stair, so two at a time. Then you''ll come down the same way."

    "Isn''t that dangerous?" I gasped out, finally standing upright.

    Drew shook his head. "There''s danger in everything. But if you''re scared that you might fall down the stairs then I''ll let you come down normally. Deal?"

    I nodded. My legs aren''t long enough to skip stairs going down.

    "Okay. Lineup. Noah in front. Jake right behind him. Noah, if Jake catches you, then I know you aren''t trying hard enough. Jake, if Noah is able to lap you, then maybe you should be doing more training like this." Drew commanded.

    We lined up accordingly and started the drill. The first time up and down was easy and simple. The second time, made my calves and quads burn. Then drew became more imaginative by having us hop up and down the stairs. Then he yelled for us to hop on one leg. The next time was only for the other leg. Then he thought we should hop backwards to work the hamstrings as well. This went on until the end of normal practice time.

    Drew clapped us on the back for a job well done and said we could walk back down to the field by ourselves since he had no need to go back down with us.

    I dragged my feet and slowly followed Noah down. "I think I''ll need an ice bath tonight."

    Noah groaned. "Me too. Who knew Drew could be so sadistic? We definitely couldn''t play in tomorrow''s game with our muscles all beaten up like this."

    I nodded.

    "So unlucky. I thought we might have a chance since Coach only stated that we wouldn''t start. But now...we won''t get to play at all. Ugh. If the team loses without us and we have to run 100 laps each, please just bury me."

    I let out a light laugh. And then stopped. I leaned close to Noah and whispered, "Do you really want them to win without us? Wouldn''t that mean that they don''t need us?"

    Noah laughed and threw his arm around me. "You''re becoming a true competitor now, Jakey. You want to win and want the team to win. But you want to be the reason why they win. It''s a hard emotion to fight off."

    "Emotion?"

    "It''s pride. You have pride in what you do." Noah sighed. "I want the team to think that they can''t win without me too, but that''s being conceited. Ideally if they win 1-0, I''d be satisfied. Or 2-1. Or 3-2. As long it''s a one-run game, I can claim that we would have won more with us in the lineup. Or if the other team gets a few too many runs, I can say that my defense could have prevented some runs."

    I nodded. I see. We want them to win, but not by a lot. We want them to need us. "What do you think tomorrow will be like?"

    "They''re playing Katella..." Noah sighed.

    That sounds familiar. "Have we heard of them before?"

    "Right before game two of the tournament. Pleasant Valley played them in game one...and mercy ruled them." Noah sighed. "And we had mercy ruled Pleasant Valley. So the chances of tomorrow''s game being a close one? Zero." Oh.

    We arrived at our field and started to pick up our pace to join the team, muscles protesting in anger. The team was circled around Coach once more as he was talking about tomorrow''s game.

    "I don''t want to see any errors tomorrow. Katella may not be up to our level, but that doesn''t mean I want to see anyone slacking off." Coach spoke. "Any sign of someone taking it easy, I''ll pull you and put in a pitcher if I have to."

    "We''ll play anywhere!" The twins said in unison, raising a hand each.

    "Of course, since you can''t have the mound." Garret laughed at their enthusiasm to play a field position.

    Dave rolled his eyes. Kyle, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Trying to act like an ace? Remind me, who has the perfect game?"

    The team started to laugh.

    "Settle down." Coach intervened before Garret could come up with a rebuttal. He looked around. "All of you go straight home and prepare for tomorrow. Eat. Shower. Sleep. Tomorrow''s game is at 10am. Warmups start at 9am. Be here no later than 8:30am. Zeke, wrap it up."

    Coach joined the other coaches and they walked away, leaving Zeke at the center of attention. Zeke looked around at everyone of us. "There isn''t much to say. Tomorrow we''ll win. No excuses." Man of few words. "Bring it in. Win on three." The team jumped to their feet and put their hands in with Zeke. Noah and I stood on the edges, unable to even get our hands in the actual pile. "One. Two. Three-"

    "WIN!" The team said simultaneously. Then we scattered. Some were in hurry to get home, running straight to the club room. Some left equipment in the dugout. The team came together for practice and games, but was always quick to dividing up to little groups once done. It was interesting.

    "Stop zoning out." Noah nudged me. "Let''s go home and beg dad to prepare an ice bath after dinner. I''m so hungry."

    I nodded and we got moving. The team all divided up, but at least Noah never leaves. In math, he''s a constant, a never-changing variable. A fixed or well-defined number. To me, that''s also a comfort.

 157 Game: VS Katella High School 1

    "You guys still look as stiff as boards." Dave laughed at Noah and me, as we walked down to the field on Saturday morning. Almost late February, and still super cold. As required, we still wore our uniforms and brought our bags in order to warmup with the team, even though we wouldn''t get to play.

    "That ice bath didn''t seem to work at all for you two." Kyle added.

    Last night, Noah and I, forced ourselves into an ice bath after dinner, before bed. It hurt, but felt undeniably good. Regrettably, we were still super sore and unable to walk and move normally.

    "I don''t know how we''ll get through warmups without collapsing." Noah groaned and I nodded in agreement. "It would be too soon if I ever have to train with Drew again."

    "After the game and lunch isn''t too soon right?" A familiar voice said from behind us. We didn''t even have the reaction time to jump in fright. Drew smiled nice and bright at our slow moving figures. "Looks like the training was effective. After lunch, I don''t mind giving you some pointers on my day off."

    "No, no, no." Noah answered immediately. "We couldn''t possibly take your free time. Plus there are league rules to follow. No practices on game days. Only so many hours allowed with school coaches and trainers and all that nonsense."

    "Plus, I''ll be in charge of their afternoon training." Zeke cut in, and cut through, taking the lead to the club room.

    "Good to hear! I can always trust you to make sure they properly work those muscles and buildup their strength and endurance." Drew said happily as he joined Zeke upfront.

    "Looks like you guys won''t be getting any breaks." Dave laughed at our depression.

    Noah merely glanced at him. "You know he said at Gina''s that we would need helpers. Guess what you guys are?"

    Dave stopped laughing and looked seriously at Kyle. Kyle just sighed and let his shoulders droop. "Canon fodder. Just expendable parts."

    The four of us continued to trudge our way to the club room and slowly joined the others in getting ready for warmups. Out of all the Atkins, only Zeke would get to start so we lacked the energy and spirit compared to a normal pregame warmup. There wasn''t anything to be nervous about for once.

    We got ready and took our bags to the dugout, just as the visiting team came down and got settled in their own dugout. As we did our respective warmups, I noticed one of the Katella players constantly looking our way.

    I tugged on Noah''s sleeve between exercises, "Hey, is it normal to watch the other team warmup?"

    Noah shrugged. "Yea. Occasionally. Why?"

    I nodded at the opposing team. "This one guy is staring. Every time I look over."

    Noah made a funny face. "Uh, probably because you keep looking over..."

    I blushed. "I''m only looking because he keeps looking."

    Noah rolled his eyes. Then turned to look as well. "Okay. Which one is it?" He paused as he made eye contact with the one I was talking about. "Oh. Him. Yep, that''s a bit strange. It even feels like he''s looking specifically at us, and not just at the team in general."

    "Maybe he has a bone to pick with you kids." Dave joked from the other side of Noah. "You shined at the Tulare Invitational and his team lost in game one."

    "Maybe he''s looking for a fight." Kyle added. "We did mercy rule the team that mercy ruled them."

    I quickly turned my attention away from the guy and solely focused on my stretches.

    "No need to be nervous, Bambi." Dave laughed. "It''s not like he''s coming after you. And you''re not even playing. Just relax."

    I nodded and took a deep breath and slowly let it out. No reason for me to be so paranoid.

    I followed the team with the rest of the warmup, stretches, light fielding and even got a few swings in during batting practice. Then coach announced the lineup:

    1 1B Julian Wilson

    2 P Garret Knudsen

    3 LF Mahki Holstrom

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 C Jordan Sanders

    6 3B Chris Ludwick

    7 RF Tony Perkola

    8 2B John Roberts

    9 SS Daniel Myers

    "Strong beginning. Weak bottom." Noah mumbled as we found a place to sit on the bench with the other non-starters.

    I nudged him and frowned. "Don''t be mean."

    "I''m not being mean." Noah pouted. "I''m being honest." He looked past me and raised his eyebrows. "Even Sean got slighted."

    I turned to see what he was talking about. The starters had just started to jog on the field, and Sean was speaking with Coach. "Is he upset or something?"

    "Of course. Aren''t you upset that you can''t play?"

    "But I skipped practice and coach said.."

    "That just makes it worse for him. He''s been getting a hit every game, and Tony hasn''t, yet all of a sudden, the better on is on the bench."

    We watched as they spoke; Sean appearing angry and coach as calm as a pond. As soon as the umpire called for the balls and for the batter to step up to the plate, coach sent Sean back to the bench.

    Sean sat down, a few feet away from me, and right beside Jason.

    Noah leaned forward to look at him. "What did coach say?"

    Sean looked at us. "What?"

    "Why are you benched too? Did coach give you a reason?" Noah pressed.

    Sean scrunched up his nose. "To see what Tony can do in a game. No real reason. Just trying out new versions of the lineup."

    Sean and Noah sighed together.

    "Hey now, being on the bench isn''t so bad." Jason tried to cheer them up. He still had stitches and had to keep his foot elevated.

    "Says the guys who HAS to sit on the bench." Noah scoffed.

    "What a crybaby." Kyle sat down beside Noah. "Pitchers have it the worst with so many limitations. Just be glad you''re only benched one game. We can go a couple games without seeing one official pitch in a game."

    "Just look at the bullpen." Dave took over. "Eight pitchers and one catcher. None pitched last game and probably won''t be able to pitch in todays game. Garret''s looking in prime form. Nothing like what he showed at the tournament."

    I turned and watched Garret up on the mound, curious about what Dave could see.

 158 Game: VS Katella High School 2

    Garret was set to throw the first pitch of the game and started off with a swinging strike. He continued to throw fast and his pitches didhave location like Dave said. He was able to send the first three batters down in order: groundout to short, strikeout, and another groundout to short.

    "That should have been me." Noah pouted as we watch Daniel get the third and final out by throwing to Julian.

    "You didn''t have to skip practice." I replied, looking at my fingertips. "Zeke said so. I would have been okay with just your parents and Dr. Moore."

    Noah patted my back. "I''m not blaming you, Jake. I''m just a little sad. Give me a hundred repeats and I would still stay home with you. We''re friends. Wouldn''t you stay with me if I was upset?"

    I nodded and looked up. "Yea, but that''s because you''re never upset."

    "I''m always upset. You''ve seen it. My inferiority complex to my brothers. It''s normal to have something to get mad or sad about. Just as long as you have a way to cheer yourself up with."

    I nodded thoughtfully.

    The team came back to the dugout and we started our offense. Or at least...we tried to. Julian struck out. So did Garret. Then Mahki sent a high, but short, fly to left field. Three up, three down. We switched.

    "That was depressing." Sean mumbled. "I expected a hot start since this was the team that got mercy ruled."

    Noah nodded, then looked at me. "Hey, wasn''t the pitcher the guy that was staring at warmups?"

    I faced him and gave a slow nod. "He was also the first batter. I was going to say something about it being weird that a pitcher would lead off, but Garret is batting second today."

    "No, no. It''s still weird. Garret is talented in everything. If we compare him to Garret then technically they''re on par with one another right now." Noah turned to watch the game and I followed suit.

    "Want me to look him up?" Jason suddenly spoke up.

    Everyone but the coaches turned to him.

    "Do you have your phone on you?" Kyle frowned. "If coach or Zeke catches you, you''ll regret it."

    Jason shrugged. "Technically I''m on the injury list so I''m allowed to have my phone in the dugout. Coach only said to use it if I need it."

    Dave stood between him and the coaches, blocking them from seeing us. "Look him up in then. Preferably, check the stats from that game in the tournament."

    "But he doesn''t need to." I mumbled, unwilling to get in more trouble.

    Noah elbowed me in the ribs. "Shut it. We need to see what we''re going up against." He stressed the word need in order to get Jason to pull out his phone.

    Jason whipped out his phone and started his search. Using the name, Brett McCauley, and the keywords, Katella High School, Jason was able to find what we were looking for. "Brett McCauley played in the first game of that tournament, but wasn''t the pitcher. He was the cleanup hitter and first baseman. He''s a sophomore. First year on varsity. In that game, he was the one to drive in their three runs, by hitting a home run. The kid is a monster."

    "Hey! I''m a sophomore too." Sean said. "Why don''t you call me a monster?"

    Jason scoffed. "''Cuz you don''t hit home runs." He looked at me and Noah. "The freshmen can also be considered monsters. For now. But if they don''t hit home runs and pitch next year, then they''ll be demoted."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Did you see anything about his pitching? We only saw an inning and it was a quick one at that."

    Jason looked back at his phone and started to type away. "Found his freshman year record. He was on JV. Hold on." He tapped on the screen a couple of times. "5 wins, 2 losses, 40 innings pitched, 55 strikeouts, 30 walks. Pretty decent for a JV freshman."

    "Put the phone away." Kyle muttered. "They''re coming back."

    Even though Jason was supposedly allowed his phone, he took Kyle''s suggestion and put his phone back in his pocket. I watched as our teammates jogged in.

    "I wasn''t paying attention." I frowned.

    "Grounder to first. Strikeout looking. And another groundout to short." Noah sighed. "What a good day to be a shortstop." He leaned back. "Next time, you should at least watch from the corner of your eye. What if Zeke quizzes you or something?" I straightened up and Noah laughed at my rigid posture. "I''m kidding. Relax. Let''s just watch this McCauley guy pitch against Zeke. Should be a good indicator of whether he''s good or not."

    I nodded and watched the game diligently. Noah''s joke about Zeke quizzing us seemed like a real possibility even though nothing specifically was said. Zeke put his batting gear on and was already at the plate. Jordan and Chris following behind. The pitcher, Brett McCauley finished his warmup and signaled to the ump he was ready.

    Zeke stepped in. Brett came at him with a high inside fastball, which Zeke took a swing at, sending it just foul down the right field line. Brett held out his glove for a ball and seemed to be really focused. Yet, his next two pitches, were low, almost bouncing in the dirt. With a 2-1 count, Zeke sent the next pitch just over the second basemen''s head, to the right-center. He was unable to move to second after rounding first, due to the quick throw from right field.

    "He''s only so-so." Noah stated.

    "What..?" Dave asked. "Were you expecting him to end Zeke''s hitting streak? If he could do that, then Katella would be a higher caliber team."

    They bickered a little more, but I watched the pitcher. He had an interesting style from going high, low, low, and then high again. Technically, if Zeke didn''t swing at all, that would have been a walk.

    Unfortunately it wouldn''t matter. Jordan flew out to center. Chris flew out to right field. And Tony imitated them, sending a fly ball to center for our number three. 0-0, end of the second inning.

 159 Game: VS Katella High School 3

    Top of the third inning, our team took the field. Garret stepped on the mound and started to throw some practice pitches to Jordan.

    "At least Garret is doing better than that Brett guy." Kyle commented. "One hit versus no hits."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Stop thinking like a pitcher and comparing stats. What we need is to score."

    Garret was able to get the seventh batter to groundout to John at second. And then struck out the eighth batter.

    "Now he''s even beating him in strikeouts." Dave added.

    Unfortunately, he couldn''t keep up the perfect game and gave up a single to the ninth batter, bringing up Brett McCauley. For a sophomore, I felt that Brett was pretty tall compared to Sean.He stood in the box and faced down Garret.

    "Get him, Gare!" Jason hollered. The rest of us bench guys clapped and cheered as well to bring life to the game. The stands only held parents since it was a weekend and the students wouldn''t usually come, especially for a mid morning game.

    Garret went at him with his cut fastball from the start, getting a couple of swinging strikes. Then he threw a ball to the outside, hoping to get him to chase but the guy didn''t fall for it. With a 1-2 count, he connected on a fastball slightly out of the zone and got it past the shortstop, earning him a single and advancing the other runner to second.

    "I could have gotten that." Noah huffed, then he glanced at the twins. "Look at you two, jinxing Garret. Now he has more strikeouts and hits."

    The twins ignored him and watched as Garret struck out batter number two with ease.

    "Not even shaken after giving up back-to-back hits." Kyle said.

    "Averaging more than one strikeout an inning." Dave mumbled.

    "Pitchers.." Noah just shook his head.

    With our offense back up in the bottom of the third inning, we failed to even get on base. John grounded out to third. Daniel pop out to left. And Julian sent a long fly to center.

    Top of the fourth, Katella High School up to bat. Groundout to second. Groundout to short. Then a surprising walk from Garret to the fifth batter. But nothing came of it as batter number six hit a soft roller to short, and Daniel lightly tossed it to John at second to get the runner. Three outs.

    Bottom of the fourth brought up our better batters and it showed. Garret and Mahki both got singles and stood on second and first, respectively, as Zeke stepped up to bat. Zeke wasn''t held down to just a single this time...instead...he smash another homer. His sixth of the season. Zeke made the score 3-0. The team crowded and congratulated him and the other runners as they made it back to the dugout.

    "Finally." Noah let out.

    I raised an eyebrow. "Were you worried?"

    He gave me a weak smile. "Just a smidge. Can you blame me? Three straight scoreless innings stresses me out. Especially when you have someone like Zeke on your team. With him in our lineup, could you ever see us being shutout?"

    I shook my head. "That would take a very good pitcher."

    Noah nodded.

    Alas, our offense died there. Jordan grounded out to second. Chris struck out looking. And Tony grounded out to third. The team switched to defense.

    A sigh came out. I looked to the one looking depressed and found that it was Sean who had let out that heavy breath of air. "Are you okay?" I asked.

    Startled, he stared at me, wide eyed. "Are you talking to me?"

    I turned red with embarrassment, but was able to force myself to nod and continue. "You sighed. A heavy sigh. Like you''re not happy."

    Sean gave a tight smile. "I''m not happy. Tony is still hitless, yet I''m still on the bench. It''s a hard life."

    I scrunched up my nose. "That doesn''t make your life hard...just a little sad. For a moment."

    "Yea Sean." Noah jumped in the conversation. "You don''t have a hard life. Just a hard moment you have to suffer through. You calling this a hard life is an insult to others who''ve been through something truly awful."

    Sean patted his own head awkwardly. "Oh. Sorry, Jake. I didn''t mean it so literally. Just an expression."

    I shrugged. "I wasn''t saying that to make you feel bad for me. Even I don''t have a hard life. Just hard moments."

    Noah smiled. "I''m so proud. Look at you talking to someone for so long and with such deep meanings."

    I blushed and pushed him away, trying to put my attention back on the game. Garret got the first guy to groundout to short and the next guy to strikeout swinging, bringing up the ninth batter who had a single at his last at-bat. Strangely, Garret walked him by pitching all over the place.

    Up next was Brett McCauley. And just like last time, there was a runner on first and two outs. Unlike last time though, he didn''t chase Garret''s cut fastball, and instead, patiently waited for a ball over the plate that matched up to his taste. He sent a line drive between Zeke and Tony in the outfield and took off running. The runner on base didn''t waste any time either and hustled to third as the batter made it to second for a stand up double. The Katella dugout went wild, cheering for Brett''s hit.

    "He connected on all three of his at-bats versus Garret." Noah remarked. "He''s good. No doubt."

    I nodded in agreement. Although...I could connect against Garret any time on any pitch. But it''s wrong to compare oneself with someone of lesser skill. Now, comparing our fielding, there isn''t much to say since there wasn''t much to see. As for pitching, he easily beats me. I struggle so desperately with arm strength, that I''m not even a cutoff man when I should be.

    Garret didn''t let it get to him, and still came at the following batter just as fiercely, getting him to strikeout for the third time this game. The dugout whooped as our team jogged back in.

    "Gotta get that boy a sombrero!" Sean hollered our happily. Then stood up to clap Garret on the back for a job well done.

    "A sombrero?" I asked aloud, more than slightly confused.

    "It''s when you strikeout three times in a game." Noah explained. "A golden sombrero is when you strikeout four times in one game. Platinum for five. Titanium for six. But those are super rare. The record for strikeouts in a nine inning game in the mlb is five. The players who got six, had extra innings. Giancarlo Stanton, from the Yankees, was the first major leaguer to record two platinum sombreros in one season. There have only been eight guys with titanium sombreros. But again...they all went in extra innings."

    Noah started to rattled off weird stats that I couldn''t fathom, and spoke of players I''ve never heard of. I didn''t want to say anything, but I never really watched the MLB. I couldn''t at home so it was only in passing in public locations, where you would be unable to hear the broadcasters. So...I nodded along and pretended to understand.

 160 Game: VS Katella High School 4

    As Noah rambled, I watched Brett pitch another inning. He completely shut out John and Daniel, striking them both out with ease.

    "We could have done better." Noah stopped it with the stats in time to throw shade at our replacements. I raised an eyebrow at him and he caught my look. "Okay, so you would have done better, I might have also struggled...but I''ve adjusted my swing! So we can''t know for sure."

    I held back a chuckle. I guess we really can''t know for sure. Plus, if it was us versus them, I could hold us up at the plate. John and Daniel were a combined 0-4 so far today.

    Their strikeouts brought Julian up, who wasn''t having a good day at the plate either. This time around, he worked the count to a favorable 3-1, and was able to smack a ball right over the first baseman to right field. He safely made it to first, but was unable to try for second.

    Garret was up next. He got set in the lefty''s box, and Julian started to take his lead.

    "Miller showed the sign to steal." Noah mumbled.

    Sure enough, Julian looked to be taking a big lead of the bag. He was inching further and further, keeping an eye on the pitcher''s back to see if he would possibly do a check-throw. Suddenly Brett took a small step back, off the rubber, turned towards first, and threw a bullet at his teammate. The first baseman caught the throw and made the tag before Julian could get fully back. Out number three. End of the fifth inning, still 3-0.

    "Damn." Noah slouched. "That was a crazy check throw. So flawless. I definitely would have been caught too."

    I nodded. "Same." There''s no way I would have beaten that out. Julian is a senior and has the experience, yet he was stunned.

    The teams switched and we started the sixth inning. Garret was still going at it, full throttle. He got them to pop out to third. Groundout to third. And then a strikeout looking to end the top of the sixth.

    "Seven strikeouts already." Dave applauded Garret as he walked into the dugout. "You think you can shut them out?"

    Garret slapped Dave''s back. "Of course! Too easy! There''s a reason I''m the ace."

    "But you gave up two hits to the leadoff hitter..." Kyle smirked. "Just reminding you who has the perfect game on this team."

    Garret lunged for him and tried to put him in a fake headlock. "So annoying. Just wait. One of these games, I''ll get it too!"

    "Ridiculous." Kyle laughed out. "If you couldn''t do it against Katella, then you''re not going to be able to do it against our other opponents."

    Garret shoved him away. "Bro, we won''t know until the season ends." He waved and went to go up to bat.

    "Highly unlikely." Noah stated from the side. "Actually, extremely unlikely. There has never been two different pitchers on the same team, that pitched perfect games in the same season. Never ever. At least, not in the states. If there was, I would have heard of it."

    Dave squeezed in between me and Noah and put him in the headlock. I scooted over to give them space. "What was that punk? You trying to curse me too?"

    Noah just let out a laugh/wheeze, struggling to catch his breath. Soon, most of the dugout was looking at laughing.

    "Quit fooling around down there." Zeke''s stern command came as he left the dugout to go stand in the on deck circle. Apparently Garret got walked, and now Mahki was up to bat.

    The team returned their attention to the game and started to holler out some cheers and chants for our guy. The pitcher, Brett, looked to be getting tired as he threw a couple of pitches wide.

    "That kid has some skill." Dave commented, while still having his arm around Noah.

    "Yea, he got two hits off Garret." Noah rubbed in.

    Dave squeezed him a little tighter. "Not just at the plate. But on the mound as well." He caught me looking and pulled me into a similar position as Noah. "Looks like he''s getting tired right? Throwing a bunch of balls?" I nodded. "That''s him just staying loose. He''s preparing to take on Zeke again. With the same conditions. That kid has guts."

    "That''s dumb." Noah stared. "I wouldn''t be so pigheaded to think I can construct the game the way I like it. If he was really good, he would have just came after them from the beginning."

    "Maybe he wants to prove that he can get Zeke out? Who knows. I just know that he''s not putting in full effort right now."

    We watched as Brett walked Mahki, moving Garret to second, and bringing Zeke up to bat. Two on, no outs. Just like last time. Unlike the two previous at-bats, Brett found his control and came at Zeke with speed similar to the start of the game. He was able to get Zeke to a 2-2 count, however, Zeke is just too good. He sent a hard grounder right up the middle between short and second.

    Garret sprinted around third and slid into home. Mahki was held at second and Zeke at first. 4-0. All runs driven in by Zeke. A pause came to the game as the Katella coach came out and signaled for a pitcher change, sending Brett back to the dugout.

    After the change and subsequent warmup, the new guy faced off Jordan and walked him, still trying to find rhythm. With the bases loaded, Chris struck out.

    "Justice." Noah leaned forward to whisper to me even though Dave was still separating us. He tightened his grip and we looked back to the game.

    Tony was able to send a long, high fly to center field for our number two, but Mahki tagged up at third and made it to home safely. 5-0. John popped out to third to end the sixth.

    "Keep it clean and get the complete game shutout!" Kyle cheered as our teammates took the field again.

    Dave sighed to himself. "Another game where the other pitchers won''t get to see any live action. Poor guys."

    "Why don''t you give up your innings then?" Noah smirked.

    Dave let go of me to attack Noah. "Absurd. Why me? I need it more so I can take over as the new ace." Noah laughed as he was tickled.

    Garret, the current ace, finished out the game. Getting two popouts to second base, and then striking out the final batter to end the game. 5-0, win.

    We all jogged out of the dugout and went to high five the starting members on the field, and then the bullpen players joined. They gave Garret a hard time for stealing all the spotlight and not saving them any of the action. Nonetheless, everyone was happy for him and his shutout. It''s a real feat in high school baseball in the age of aluminum bats. Right behind a no hitter and a perfect game.

 161 Postgame: VS Katella High School

    After the game, we packed up and headed to the parking lot, where Mr. and Mrs. Atkins were waiting.

    "Did you boys have fun?" Mrs. Atkins smiled.

    I nodded.

    However, Noah didn''t. "How could that be fun? We had to sit on the bench and watch other players suck at our position."

    Zeke was quick to hit him upside the head. "Don''t say suck. Besides, you all made your choices."

    "I would have chosen to pitch...I didn''t get a choice today." Kyle muttered.

    Zeke slapped him upside the head. "You chose to be a pitcher. Improve your batting and you can play on the field as well." He looked to Dave. "You want to add on another remark with them?"

    Dave grinned and took a step closer to their mom. "No way. You look to be in a bad mood, so it''s probably best if I stay clear. Wouldn''t want your pms to be my cause of death."

    Surprisingly their mom slapped him upside the head. "David." She scolded, then glanced at Zeke''s strict expression. "Honey, why don''t we ask your brothers to name something they liked about the game? Then we can go to lunch."

    Zeke looked at Kyle, expectantly. "Well? You first."

    Kyle scratched the back of his neck. "I guess I like the pitching. Garret had a nice shutout going and it fired me up. I really want to pitch some today."

    Dave nodded. "Me too! Definitely. And the other pitcher today was pretty decent. He had an interesting approach when he faced you the second time around. Plus, he held you to two singles. He could have been the first pitcher to get you out this season."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "All you guys care about is pitching."

    Zeke zeroed in on his littlest brother. "How about you? What did you like about the game?"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Winning, I guess." He smirked. "Nice to know, that you can win without me and Jake holding down the middle."

    Zeke was about to say something, but Mr. Atkins jumped in. "Zeke, That was a valid answer. An opinionated question means that there are no wrong answers."

    Zeke clenched his jaw but didn''t talk back. Instead, he moved on to me. "Jake, what did you like about the game?"

    "Being there." I said the first thing that popped into my head. The whole Atkins stared at me. "Uh...I mean, I liked watching. With Noah. And the twins. And Zeke played well. And Garret." They kept staring, so I looked down at my feet. "And watching someone else play second. Not that I don''t like playing, but I liked watching too."

    After a moment of silence, Noah was the first to speak up. "I want to change my answer!" I brought my eyes back up. He smiled at me. "You make me feel like my answer is too shallow. Zeke, can I change my answer or not?"

    Zeke nodded.

    "Watching Daniel play the same position as me was beneficial to me." He stated. "Even though we play the same position, we play differently in certain aspects. I did learn some things and feel like I can improve my own play."

    Mr. Atkins patted Noah and I on the head. "What good young men we have here. Playing is fun, but learning is important as well. I''m glad you boys still had fun. Now let''s go get some food."

    "Outback!" The Twins said in unison as we started to make our way back to the cars.

    "Zeke gets to pick." Mrs. Atkins turned to her eldest. "What will it be today, superstar?"

    "Yea, superstar..." Dave dragged out in a mocking tone, earning him another slap upside the head from his mom.

    Zeke shot a glance in my direction. "We still owe Jake a trip to the soup plantation for doing well last weekend. If I remember correctly, he went 4-4 and didn''t make any errors."

    Noah patted my back. "Yep, yep! Jake had a single, single, triple, double. I remember it clearly."

    "Guess it''s decided then." Mr. Atkins brought out his own keys. "We''ll meet you boys there. Drive safe." He and and his wife split away from us to head to their car, further away in the lot.

    "Thanks." I looked Zeke in the eye.

    Zeke gave a simple nod then started to walk ahead, beating us to the car. He opened up the trunk and started to put our baseball bags in.

    "Excuse me?" A boys voice came from behind us.

    I twitched and shuffled my feet closer to the car, while turning to face the stranger. Only to find...he wasn''t a total stranger. He was the sophomore from Katella, Brett McCauley. The pitcher and leadoff hitter...up close, he looked even taller and bigger. More like Zeke and less like Sean. I guess age doesn''t really determine your size.

    "Can we help you?" Kyle asked with a friendly tone. Opposite of Dave''s glare, Zeke''s indifference, Noah''s smirk, and my fear.

    Brett stood as tall as the twins, but shorter than Zeke. "Yes, I''m Brett McCauley. The pitcher from today''s game."

    "Yes. We know." Dave said with attitude, crossing his arms over his chest. "What do you want?"

    Brett held out a baseball and a sharpie. "I was hoping Zeke could sign this for me. It''s the homerun ball he hit off me."

    A weird silence fell over the boys. Then the twins started to laugh in sync. It was a little eerie when you factor in their looks and the way they sounded the same. It was like a weird echo.

    Meanwhile Zeke took the ball and sharpie from the guy, then proceeded to calmly sign it. I scooted closer to him to see what he would write: "To Brett. Homerun on Feb. 23rd. Zeke Atkins." Then he handed it back to him. "You pitcher well today."

    Brett took the ball back, careful not to smudge the writing. He grinned. "Thank you! I felt happy holding you to a single at your third at-bat."

    Zeke frowned. "You should never put your sole focus on one player. One player at a time, one out at a time. Just think, if you faced those two before me, head on, you would have two outs with me up to bat. If I hit a single then, there would be no extra runs. Don''t put yourself in a situation intentionally like that again." Zeke scolded, not holding anything back, making the twins laugh harder.

    Brett turned red with embarrassment. "I knew my team couldn''t win so I wanted to test myself."

    "Who said your team wouldn''t win?" Zeke''s eyes narrowed. "Don''t decide the outcome of the game before playing. It''s a disgrace to the game itself, and to the other team." Zeke closed the trunk and headed for the drivers seat.

    "You''re a funny guy, Brett." Kyle patted his shoulder and got in on the passenger side. Dave got in the backseat, and Noah and I were about to follow.

    "Uh, Noah? Jake?" Brett held us back.

    I flinched in surprise and quickly got in the car next to Dave.

    "Don''t mind him." I heard Noah say. "Jake''s not good with strangers. He''s really shy."

    "Oh. Sorry. I just wanted to say it was a bummer not playing against you two. I saw you both in the tournament and it was hard to believe you guys were younger than me."

    "A year difference doesn''t mean anything." Noah said. "I''m sure there will be more chances to play against one another. But...be careful, Jake is good. Maybe even better than Zeke." Noah laughed and got in the car, pushing me closer to Dave. He then closed the door. "Okay Zeke, Let''s go. I''m hungry!"

    Zeke complied and the car started to move. I peeked over my shoulder to look outside the rear window. Brett McCauley was jogging back to his school bus, still holding that ball with care. "Why did he want Zeke''s signature?"

    Kyle laughed in the front. Dave nudge me. "Because he''s a superstar." Then he started to laugh as well.

    I looked to Noah for help, not understanding.

    Noah smiled. "Zeke''s great. Great enough to maybe go pro either after graduation or a year or two in college. Wouldn''t you want a potential hall of famer''s autograph?"

    I shrugged. "I haven''t met any famous people before so I''ve never gotten anyone''s autograph. What do you do with it?" This caused the twins to laugh even harder.

    Even Noah started to laugh. "It''s just like a collectors item. Not everyone does it. Don''t worry about it. If it happens again, just laugh it off like the twins do. It''s a bit weird to ask a high schooler for an autograph, but you''d be surprised how often it happens to Zeke."

    I nodded. Yet...I don''t think I''d be surprised. I think Zeke is great too. Maybe I should ask for an autograph as well?

 162 Planning

    The soup plantation was heaven. Or at least as close as I could get without dying. I was able to try every soup, including ones I''ve never had before. The adults talked about having Mr. Duncan and Dr. Moore over for dinner in order to talk about Sunday night''s game plan with meeting with the school board. The twins talked about pitching techniques. Noah was attempting to bargain with Zeke, trying get this afternoon practice either postponed or totally cancelled. I happily enjoyed the atmosphere around the family, satisfied with the food.

    After lunch, Mr. and Mrs. Atkins headed home, while us boys went straight to the park. Zeke took us to the same park as before a couple weeks ago. We placed our bags down, and got out the necessary gear, then began to warmup.

    After sufficiently stretching and warming up the muscles, we got into position. Or at least, Noah and I did. Zeke took a small bucket of baseballs, a bat, and stood near home plate. He declared the twins as stand ins. One was to be the first baseman, and the other had to be the runner so we could properly work on turning double plays.

    Then we started to practice. Zeke would take turns hitting grounders to me and Noah in order to keep us on our toes. The twins had to take turns being the runner, since they would get tired after 15 or so sprints. I really got the hang of fielding the ball quickly to Noah as he stood on second, then he would throw to first. Even after a collision with Kyle, noah popped up without a problem and just kicked dirt at his brother, laughing.

    The hard part came when it was Noah''s turn to throw to me, and I was to throw to first. I didn''t realize how awkward I was before when throwing from second to first. After a few, I was able to find good positioning so I didn''t have to turn at weird angles to get the ball to first.

    "You''re looking much more natural." Noah complimented at the end of it all, as we packed up our bags. "It''s hard to believe that you haven''t played real baseball. Your talent is on par with Zeke''s."

    I glanced at Zeke, who was already heading to the family car. "I don''t know about that. He''s really tall and can hit homers. I struggle getting the ball to the outfield." I looked back at Noah. "You guys are all naturally tall so that would help with your baseball potential."

    Noah nodded, then he looked unsure. "Can I ask how tall your mom is?"

    I froze for a second.

    "It''s okay if you don''t want to talk about her. I just figured you can predict your final height when looking at your parents." Noah explained.

    "It''s fine." I told him. Then held my hand up just a little above his 5''6". "She''s a bit taller than you. Maybe and inch or two."

    "5''7" to 5''8"? That''s pretty tall for a woman."

    I snorted. "Your mom is six foot."

    Noah laughed. "Yea. We got pretty good genes. But you know, as long as your dad is taller than your mom, you should be at least her height!"

    I laughed. "Genes don''t always work like that. I could have all recessive genes and be this short for the rest of my life."

    Noah narrowed his eyes. "So being short would be a recessive gene for you? You know how tall your dad is?"

    I swallowed hard. Then looked around to make sure Zeke and the twins weren''t close enough to hear. "It''s been years. I was really little when he left. Three or four. It''s a vague memory. But he was taller than my mom for sure."

    Noah patted my shoulder. "Don''t worry, I won''t let anyone take you away. Especially not someone who had left you before." I sighed with relief. "Hey...do you ever wonder why he left you though? Was your mom not crazy back then?"

    I shrugged. "I was too young to understand anything. All I know is living with my mom."

    Noah frowned, but didn''t say anymore about it. Instead, we walked to the car in silence, and put our bags with the others, then got in the backseat.

    We headed back to the house to shower off the sweat and dirt. I finished first in our bathroom so Noah had to go second. With nothing to do in our room, I headed down the stairs.

    "Hey Jake, how''s it going?" Mr. Duncan was in the dining room with Mrs. Atkins. I guess it was getting close to dinner time.

    "I''m okay." I shrugged.

    "He and Noah had to sit on the bench for today''s game." Mrs. Atkins told him. "They both skipped practice on Thursday."

    Mr. Duncan watched me closely. "I know all about the incident with Mrs. Golladay. And although I think she is under qualified as a school counselor, I still think you shouldn''t have ran away from school."

    "I know." I mumbled. "I had other choices."

    "Good. I''m glad you know that." Mr. Duncan smiled. "I don''t want to get such a phone call again. I was scared that something may have seriously happen."

    "Something serious did happen." Mrs. Atkins stated. "This lady scared him. What kind of school employee does that?"

    "Okay, okay." Mr. Duncan conceded. "I was just thinking, in the moment, that he could have been kidnapped or something. Some foster children, who run away, end up being kidnapped and sold by human traffickers. It''s a scary world out there."

    Mrs. Atkins frowned. "How does that even happen?"

    Mr. Duncan gave a helpless shrug. "If a foster kid runs away, sometimes the foster families don''t report it so they can still collect money. By the time we find out, there''ll be no trace of the kids."

    How scary. I looked to Mrs. Atkins. "I won''t run away."

    Mrs. Atkins widened her eyes. "Oh, Jake, I know. I wouldn''t let you go missing like that."

    "I definitely wouldn''t let Jake vanish." Noah claimed as he walked into the room. He threw his arm around me. "Jake is here to stay. No matter what."

    Mrs. Atkins beamed at the sight of us being so close. However, Mr. Duncan had a slight frown upon his face. I could tell what he was thinking. What if they found my dad? What if he wanted me back? I knew they were struggling with finding him, but eventually it''ll come up. I''m going to have to beat them to it. I''m sure there''s some kind of paper I can get him to sign so he can''t claim me.

    "Dr. Moore is here too." Mr. Atkins walked in with the doctor behind him, breaking up my thoughts. "Why don''t we start talking about what we should do in tomorrow''s meeting with the school board?" Right. One thing at a time.

 163 School Board Meeting 1

    Saturday night''s dinner was not only filling, but it was comforting. With the Atkins, Mr. Duncan, and Dr. Moore, we had a full table. Over the course of the night, the adults started to plan what was to be said to the school board on Sunday night. It even seemed like Mrs. Atkins was excited to go.

    Sunday morning, after breakfast, Zeke kept his promise and took us to the cages. The twins decided to stay at home to work on their pitching, they claimed, yet they were still in their pajamas when we left them. It didn''t matter to me and Noah though. We just enjoyed the free cages and hit to our hearts content. Noah was particularly happy since he got the opportunity to freely work on his new grip with the bat. To me, he looked more stable and seemed to connect with the ball more.

    Zeke was also nice enough to treat us to lunch even though that wasn''t included beforehand. Noah repaid in kind by paying for his entry for mini golf. Which was also fun, but Zeke easily crushed us. Finally, we headed home and cleaned up.

    It was time to go to the meeting with the school board. Mrs. Atkins had all of dress nicely and even made Noah brush his hair and didn''t allow him to wear his baseball hat.

    We took the family car, squeezing everyone in, and headed to the school. The meeting was to be held in the gymnasium, on the basketball court. We arrived and filed in, coming across strangers and familiar faces. I was surprised to see Coach Wilcox, Mr. Miller, and a few of the players on the team sitting in the bleachers of the gym. Zeke and the twins went up to join the team as coach came down.

    He handed Mr. Atkins a few sheets of paper. "These are Jake''s stats from the few games he''s played in. Just in case it comes up."

    "Thanks." Mr. Atkins flipped through the sheets. "You put a lot of effort in this for us. I appreciate it."

    Coach laid a heavy hand on my shoulder. "Jake is undeniably good at hitting. It can''t be disputed. I hate seeing a counselor interfering with sports when a player isn''t even struggling academically." He gave me a smile. "Jake, you made the team fair and square. I personally presided over your tryout. If baseball comes up in today''s meeting, I''ve got your back."

    "Thank you." I said, sincerely.

    He gave an extra pat, nodded at us, then went back up the stands to join the team.

    "You should join them Noah." His mom said. "Only us, Jake, and George will be allowed at the main table."

    Noah frowned, unhappy with the thought. "It''s not like you sit at the table the whole time. Where will Mr. Duncan and Dr. Moore sit? Where will you guys sit before going up? What if Jake needs me to help communicate his point across?"

    Mr. Atkins smiled. "Don''t worry. We''ll be right there. Jake won''t have to do any of the talking. We have George to speak for us."

    "Let me just stay with you guys until you get called up." Noah demanded.

    Mrs. Atkins sighed, but let a smile play on her lips. "Fine. We''re sitting in the very front until called. The others will sit there too so I guess one more won''t be too noticeable."

    "How could I be ''noticeable'' in this crowd?" Noah gestured to the steady stream of people flowing in. It was mostly parents, but there were a few students. "Is this how many people usually show up to school board meetings?"

    Mrs. Atkins smile turned into a smirk. "Not usually, but this is a special unannounced meeting. Which means even less might have made it since it was so last minute. But don''t doubt this mom." She gestured at herself. "I''m on the pta. Summoning parents with a single text can be considered my special skill. Parents will always be concerned when it comes to the health and education of our children. Imagine their surprise when both were in jeopardy due to supervising neglect."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "All I heard, was that you''re a mom nerd and can call on other mom nerds."

    All I heard was ''our'' children. Like she was claiming me as one of her own. Not only did she treat me as one of her own, but now she was outright claiming me. My face felt flushed.

    After a couple of minutes of chatting amongst ourselves, the other adults in my life started to show up. Mr. Duncan was first, looking as tired as always, but he assured me that after today, Jane Golladay wouldn''t be present in my life. Dr. Moore appeared next, looking different without a pen and notepad in hand. He didn''t make a big promise like Mr. Duncan, but instead told me that I shouldn''t take this to heart. It was normal to come across angry people every now and then. They have their own reasons and it''s better to just face them head on.

    George Pickens, the lawyer, was the last one to show up in the group. Despite that, he looked the most ready. He was in a three-piece suit on a Sunday evening, and a briefcase in hand. He didn''t speak to me directly like the others did, probably knowing that I was uncomfortable with strangers.

    With the group all together, we sat in the first row of the bleachers facing the basketball court. At half court, a long table with five black leather chairs faced us and those present. In between us and that, was another table of the same size but with normal metal folding chairs. Except the metal chairs had its backs to the crowd.

    It was only a few minutes wait before five figures filed into the gym and took the seats facing the crowd. The one in the center stayed standing and clapped his hands twice to gather everyone''s attention. "Good evening everybody and thank you for joining us in this last minute school board meeting."

    The crowd quieted down and became more settled, focus on the five before us.

    "I''m board member, Gerald Cole. To your far left is Amanda Jimenez. Then Rob Graham. On the other side we have Sally Massey at the end, and Harold Tate beside me." The older man spoke clearly and in a raised voice so everyone could hear him. "Today''s meeting only has one item on the agenda. And that is to suggest the removal of Jane Golladay from her position at Watsonville High School."

    A few murmurs broke out in the crowd, raising the volume within the gym.

    Gerald Cole cleared his voice. "First up, we''ll hear from Mrs. Mary Atkins. You and your family may sit at table before you."

 164 School Board Meeting 2

    Mrs. Atkins stood up and walked to the table, facing the five. "Hello, even though we know each other, I feel like it''s only proper I introduced myself for all to hear."

    Gerald nodded, then sat down. "The floor is yours."

    Mrs. Atkins faced the crowd. "Hello everybody. My name is Mary and some of you may know me from the pta meetings. Or maybe your sons play baseball with my sons. Or you may even know me and my husband, Wayne, from our real estate agency. We''re active in both the school and the community. This is our home." Her look became serious. "As some of you know, Wayne and I, are foster parents. Every so often we get a request to take in a child and help them adjust. Early this month we received a similar request, except with more strenuous circumstances. Another high schooler."

    Mrs. Atkins smiled at me in front of the crowd. "Jake is our newest addition. He''s a bright young man who excels in math and likes to play baseball with my other sons. In spite of a rough start in life, he''s powered through and made tremendous progress. He''s an abnormally quiet kid, but that doesn''t make him a bad teen. It doesn''t make him a scheming, manipulative child like Jane Golladay has portrayed him to be. I''ve asked for this emergency meeting today to remove her from not only my sons life, but from our school. Someone who can spit such vile words to a young boy should have no reason to be a school counselor."

    Most of the crowd started to clap. Mrs. Atkins smiled up at them. "Thank you everyone, and let me also thank you for your time. First off, this is Wayne, my husband." Mr. Atkins got up and joined her up front, giving the group a wave. "And we brought our family friend and lawyer, George Pickens to present our thoughts to the board." Mr. Pickens got up and joined them. "And last, but not least, Jake. Come on up." She waved for me to come.

    Noah pushed me up, off the bench and to his mom. I slowly made my way to them, feeling over a hundred pairs of eyes on my back.

    "Just give them a quick wave and then you can sit." Mr. Atkins whispered.

    I gulped. I slowly turned to face them, lifted a hand, then immediately turned my back to them.

    "Bambi!" A few of the guys from the team whooped. They got loud and I felt even more embarrassed. I quickly sat down next to Mr. Atkins, who had sat on the end.

    Mrs. Atkins gave my shoulder a light squeeze before taking a seat next to me, leaving Mr. Pickens on the end. Mr. Pickens placed his briefcase down in his spot, but remained standing.

    He waited until the gymnasium quieted down before addressing the school board. "As Mary has said before, my name is George Pickens. I''ve known the Atkins for the last two decades and have been their lawyer just as long."

    "You know this isn''t a court case, right?" Sally, the woman on our far right said.

    Mr. Pickens nodded. "It''s not one yet, but has potential. Not just against Jane Golladay, but against the school board as well."

    "On what grounds?" Sally frowned.

    "Failure to protect a child. Gross negligence. And willful misconduct." Mr. Pickens walked to stand between the two tables, still facing them. He raised his voice for all to hear. "These would be my top three. Depending on how this meeting goes."

    The five men and women stayed silent so Mr. Pickens continued.

    "Let''s backtrack and talk about Jake. Jake Hollander is 14, a ward of the state and in the custody of the Atkins family. I''ve asked his caseworker from the state to be present and to share a few things about Jake and his circumstances." Mr. Pickens turned and faced the crowd. "Come up and share a few words, Doug."

    Mr. Duncan stood up and walked over. Mr Pickens sat down in his seat and let Mr. Duncan have the floor. He was as awkward as I felt. "Uh, hello. My name is Doug Duncan. I''m a caseworker with the state of California, working with children in the foster care system." He faced the five board members. "I help children in the foster care system resolve behavioral, mental, and emotional issues. I try and find them a right fit with a reliable family, a good school, and a communicative psychologist in that order. Jake is a brilliant kid, but lacks social skills. He suffers from selective mutism."

    "And what''s that supposed to mean exactly?" Harold asked from the board.

    "To explain, we have brought Jake''s psychologist, Dr. Elijah Moore." Mr. Pickens stated from his seat. He looked over his shoulder and beckoned over the doctor.

    Dr. Moore got up and walked over to Mr. Duncan, standing beside him. "Selective mutism is a complex childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a child''s inability to speak and communicate effectively in select social settings, such as a school. It doesn''t mean that he can''t speak at all, but more like social anxiety is crippling his ability to do so."

    "So imagine my surprise when I heard that a school counselor was not only accusing him of being a poor student for not participating in class, but she was also trying to force him to speak aloud to her." Dr. Moore became stern as he stared down the five. "Selective mutism is a disorder where the child has an actual fear of speaking. When confronted, it''s normal for them to feel overwhelm, and will commit sporadic behavior. Like Jake. After being accosted and insulted, he listened to his instincts and ran."

    "Luckily, he was found by a police patrolman in the area." Mr. Duncan continued where Dr. Moore stopped. "This is where gross negligence comes into play. This is an open campus so I want to know why there weren''t more adults supervising the area? Can the children just come and go as they please?"

    "That''s a topic for the school principal, sir." Amanda Jimenez spoke up. "As we are the school board, we look over the district as a whole. I would like to get back to Mrs. Golladay. Your group has stated, a few times now, that Jake was accosted and insulted. In what way? Can you be more specific?"

    Mr. Pickens stood up, paper in hand. "Key words from the meeting include: Unimpressive. Wasted excellence. Timid. Mute. Faint-hearted. Jake has been accused of not participating in class or communicating with class mates. And it''s been insinuated that he''s receiving ''undeserved special treatment.''" He looked back up and focused on Dr. Moore. "As a psychologist, what are your opinions on the words being said to your patient, Jake."

    Dr. Moore faced the school board. "Honestly, it makes me feel disgusted. This is borderline discrimination against those with disabilities. And I''m appalled that any so-called counselor would think it''s okay to describe a child like that. This could have unforeseen psychological damages on Jake and could cause a serious setback in his treatment."

    Mr. Pickens nodded. "Thank you Dr. Moore. Mr. Duncan, do you have anything else to add before I move on?"

    Mr. Duncan nodded. "I do. I''m concerned with the treatment that Jake has received. This counselor was supposed to greet him on the first day, but instead put him off for weeks. And then treated him like trash on the street. What I want to know, is how many other kids were made to feel this way?"

    Mr. Pickens tilted his head at the board members. "That''ll bring up my next point. The counselors patients, aka the students of the school, aka the kids of our community. I will now ask a few to come down and share their own experience with Mrs. Golladay."

 165 School Board Meeting 3

    Mr. Pickens let both, Mr. Duncan and Dr. Moore, sit down in their spots in the first row. Then he holding up a new piece of paper, he called some names out. Kids and adults started to come down from the bleachers. One by one they told the board and the people present, their experiences with Jane Golladay.

    "I was overweight a few years ago and attended Watsonville High for all four years of high school. I was depressed, and angry at my body." A fit young man told his story. "Junior year was a real low point, and I remember thinking to myself, why even continue living like this? Or living at all? Luckily a friend caught me trying to slit my wrists, and told me I should see the counselor. I did. And I''ve regretted it since. This woman flat out called me obese and that I would die soon anyways. I was scared. Young and dumb. I stopped eating completely. I developed an eating disorder and lost a lot of weight. Too much, too fast, that I became sick. In fact, I''m still in recovery." He continued on about how her words influenced him, but not in a positive manner.

    "I was being bullied my freshman year." A young girl spoke next, with her mother by her side. "It''s been two years. When I brought up the bullying to the school counselor, she told me I was being paranoid about nothing. The following week someone stuck gum in my hair, tripped me in the halls, and put water in the cracks of my locker to ruin my school books. Not only did she listen to my complaints, she accused me of being over-dramatic. It took months for me to speak out, and tell my mom what was happening. She had to take the matter to the principal, Dr. Bodon. He dealt with my bullies, and I''m thankful for that. But I was disappointed to see Mrs. Golladay still working at the school. What most adults don''t know, is that there''s a saying among those in need of therapy at school: downplay golladay. She will downplay your problems and issues, and even make you feel like everything is your fault. It''s not a good feeling for any struggling teen in high school."

    And it went on. At first, I was embarrassed being up in front of everyone, especially since this meeting was mostly about me. But as each experience was shared, I realized I wasn''t alone. They were all victims of an awful counselor. However, they didn''t have a Dr. Moore to refute the counselors words and tell them that they would be okay. They didn''t have a Mrs. Atkins who would pull every connection she has to get an emergency meeting. They didn''t have the Atkins financial freedom to hire a lawyer to take on the school and the district. At this moment, I felt extremely humbled. Even with a rough start at life, I was given a second chance with a family who were beyond perfect. At least...in my eyes.

    After all the speakers had a chance to share their story, Mr. Pickens stood up and faced the board members. "I''m not done just yet. I wanted to bring up another subject or two that Golladay had shared with Jake. She accused Zeke Atkins, the eldest of the Atkins boys, of blackmailing his own coach to get Jake on the team. And if that wasn''t enough, she suggested the Mary and Wayne may have even paid for him to be on the team."

    "I''ve heard about the Atkins boys." Rob Graham spoke up for the first time. "All four are on the varsity team. Highly unusual for brothers to make the same team, when they''re all in different grade levels. And then their new foster son also makes the team? Highly improbable."

    Mr. Pickens eyes narrowed at the man. "Words like this prove that you don''t even know what you''re talking about." He glanced back at Mr. Atkins. "Wayne, why don''t you share the stats for this season for your boys. Starting with Jake."

    Mr. Atkins stood up, turning his body sideways so everyone could hear him clearly. "Jake has a 1.000 batting average. That means he has yet to get out this season over the course of six game, four of which he started. He has no fielding errors. My youngest son Noah, isn''t as good at the plate, but has a spectacular glove. His perfect fielding rivals the seniors on the team. Dave and Kyle are pitchers. Dave has given up only one hit over five innings against one of the top schools in the county, San Marino. Kyle has a perfect game, the first in decades. Zeke is the undisputed top player of the county; if he shouldn''t be on varsity then no one else should be either."

    Mr. Pickens turned back to Rob. "Please. Tell me which boy doesn''t belong on this team." The man stayed silent, so Mr. Pickens continued. "Not only were these accusations of her hurtful to a young boy, but they were unfounded. My question to you five, is what will happen next?"

    Gerald, in the center, stood up. "We are thankful for the enlightenment we''ve gotten from the meeting. The next step will be to have a private hearing with Jane Golladay and her union representative."

    The gym got loud, filled with voices of disappointment and demands for immediate justice.

    Surprisingly, it was Mr. Pickens who held up his hands, gesturing for silence. The crowd simmered down and all attention was on him once more. He faced the five board members.

    "That''s doable. She''s has the right for due process. But, I want to remind the five of you, board members of our district, that you work for us, the community and the families of the students. As stated in the National School Boards Association handbook, you are to provide support and guidance for parents and guardians of students. Not to protect school employees."

    Shouts of agreement echoed.

    Mr. Pickens waited for them to settled again, before adding on. "When a school and its teachers and employees fail to meet the students'' and parents'' needs, the issue moves to you five on the school board. Not only are you required to be accessible for meetings like this, you are to be held accountable for performance and actions of the schools in your district. We ask to not be let down like the previous kids under Golladay''s ''care''." Mr. Pickens gave them a nod and returned to our table.

    The crowd behind us exploded with applause. Gerald had to wait more than a few minutes before the masses calmed down. He cleared his throat and spoke as loud as he could. "This will be the conclusion of today''s meeting. If any of you are interested in attending Jane Golladay''s hearing, we''ll make it a public event to ensure fairness and equality." He was quick to change after Mr. Pickens speech. "It will be tomorrow morning at 9am, in the Board Room of the District office. Space is limited. As it''s held during school hours, we please ask that high schoolers remain in class."

 166 Monday: Results/Practice 1

    The Atkins firmly agreed with that last part, so after getting home, Mrs. Atkins stopped by mine and Noah''s room. "You both will be going to school like normal tomorrow with the other boys."

    "But mom-" Noah started to protest.

    "No buts." Mrs. Atkins cut him off before he could get started. "Do you really want to make Jake face that woman again just so you can skip some classes?"

    Noah looked down. "No."

    "I would be fine." I spoke up after seeing Noah looking sad.

    Mrs. Atkins gave me a light smile. "Of course you would be. We would support you with all our might. But, think about this, if you miss class or practice, you''ll have to sit out the following game. That''s the rule. Do you really want to sit out again?"

    I checked with Noah. I didn''t really mind sitting on the bench as long as Noah was there.

    Noah frowned as he thought it over; after a minute, he faced me with a serious expression. "School. Then practice. The next game is Tuesday so there''s only one day we have to be good."

    "Noah James." His mother scolded. "I expect you to be good everyday." Her facial muscles relaxed. "I''ll make sure to text you the results after the meeting so you can tell Jake, okay?"

    We nodded and she left us so we could go to bed. Noah waited for me to get to my bed up top, then he turned off the light and got in his bottom bunk.

    "Are you really okay, Jake?" He asked.

    I snuggled under my comforter. "I''m fine. Your mom said she wouldn''t let that woman come after me, and I believe your mom."

    "What do you think will happen at the meeting tomorrow? Will she get fired?"

    "I. I hope so." I stuttered a little.

    "Regardless, I don''t think she''ll be work at our school anymore. Did you see all those kids that were supposedly ''helped'' by her? That''s crazy that she''s been able to stay for so long."

    "Yea." I mumbled, feeling tired from the days activities.

    "Alright, we''ll talk tomorrow. Goodnight!"

    "Night." I yawned, burying my head into my pillow.

    Sunday night turned into Monday morning, bringing the usual beginning of the school week drama. Kyle and Dave bickered, Noah dragged his feet around, and Zeke ordered all of us to get in the car so we wouldn''t be late. The boys left us at the bottom of the parking lot by the fields so Mr. Miller could bring us up with his golf cart. Then we followed the same class routine, pushing our way to lunch time.

    We were walking to our usual bench when we came across a surprise. A big surprise. Our picnic bench was crowded and overflowed to the surrounding tables.

    It wasn''t just any crowd though. I recognized every face present. I could even name every guy there. They were the varsity baseball team. Our teammates.

    "What took you guys so long?!" Dave dragged us over, forcing us to sit with him no matter what.

    "We go to our locker before lunch now, in order to have our math books ready." Noah told him. "What are you all doing here?"

    "You guys never join us in the cafeteria, so we figured we would join you outside." Julian said from the nearby table.

    "Jake doesn''t like crowds." Noah started simply.

    I shrunk with embarrassment, but the guys just laughed, adding a few calls of "Typical Bambi."

    "Did you read Mom''s text yet?" Kyle asked from the other side of the table, squished between Garret and Sean.

    Noah pulled out his phone and powered it on. "Nope. Mr. Yee is too strict with phones and I didn''t want it taken away." The team got a little quieter, waiting for Noah to go through his texts. He jumped up. "Yes! We did it! We''ve replaced her! Permanently."

    The team cheered like Zeke had hit a home run. I sat in silence, not really understanding. I had to wait for them to settle back down and for Noah to come back to sit. Only then, I was able to ask, "They''re replacing Mrs. Golladay?"

    "Yep." Noah answered as we pulled out our lunch bags. "Mom said she''ll be replaced by a better school counselor. And, apparently, Dr. Moore showed up again and suggested that the school district start providing a school psychologist."

    "Why...?" I mumbled as I started to eat my sandwich.

    Noah shrugged. "She didn''t say. Besides that, she said we should practice extra hard today to prepare for tomorrow''s game."

    My lips twitched. "Extra? Like Friday with Drew?"

    Noah made a sour-face, pursing his lips and closing his eyes. "Don''t bring that up ever again. My muscles are still twitching. I think mom is just being supportive. Don''t take her words so seriously."

    "Why not?" Zeke''s voice made us flinch.

    We both took our time to turn to face him. He flashed a smile that brought a knot in my throat. "You both still need more work for skipping out on Thursday and missing the game on Saturday."

    "We didn''t exactly miss it." Noah refuted. "We were there. Shouldn''t we be more focused on tomorrow''s game?"

    "Not a rank school. Nor is it in our league." Jordan said from his spot at a separate table. "This is when we should put some serious thought and effort in our actions. Polish up these diamonds."

    Zeke nodded at the last line. "Exactly." The pit in my stomach grew. "It wouldn''t hurt for you two to hang out with Drew today." Did I say pit? My stomach is now missing completely. I''m just empty.

 167 Monday: Results/Practice 2

    Practice came and so did Drew. After warming up with the team, Noah and I were sent to him off to the side. He has such a happy disposition for someone I consider to be a master in torture.

    "Hey kiddos!" He greeted. "Wanna guess what we''re going to be doing today?"

    "Hopefully not running out of our minds since there''s a game tomorrow." Noah pleaded.

    Drew simply laughed. "Sure. I wasn''t planning to run you into the ground today. Instead, I''ll be helping you with your arm strength."

    I peeked up. "I have weak arms. Almost as bad as my running."

    Drew nodded. "Coach told me. So I''ve suggested to him how I have some drills and exercises that can help."

    "Does this mean I can go back to the team workout?" Noah asked. "My arm strength is perfect."

    "There''s nothing that''s completely perfect." Drew responded. "Okay, first things first, Jake. Lay on the ground, on your stomach, like you might have to start doing a push-up."

    I laid on the grass, ready to start.

    "Now Noah, stand by his feet, and lift his ankles to your hip level." Drew continued.

    "Wheelbarrows?!" Noah exclaimed. "You want us to do wheelbarrow walks the day before a game? Are you crazy?"

    I rolled over to my back so I could look up at them. "What are we doing and why is it crazy?" I asked Noah.

    "Drew is going to make us do wheelbarrow walks. Basically you''ll be in the plank position, I''ll lift up your ankles, then I''ll have to walk you to wherever he decides. You''ll be walking with your hands the whole time. You''re not going to be able to throw a ball tomorrow after this kind of workout."

    I checked out my scrawny arms, then looked up to Drew.

    Drew caught my sad expression right away. "Don''t be sad, Jake! You and Noah will be switching positions often. Plus, this isn''t just an exercise for arms and shoulders. It also builds up your core. A strong, balanced trunk and torso are necessary in baseball so that the limbs are able to be in control and move powerfully. It''ll help you in the long run."

    Knowing that there was no way I could reject him, I turned back over to my stomach side and prepared myself. Noah grumbled some more, but still ended of complying.

    Practice went on. Besides doing wheelbarrow walks, Drew had us do a variety of other exercises and showed us a few stretches so we would stay loose.

    By the time we finished, went home, ate dinner, and showered, my arms felt like lead and my abdomen felt like it was continuously flexing. Noah felt the same as we laid on our bedroom floor, trying to find the strength to do our homework.

    "Hey Jake, did you do-" Kyle stopped what he was going to say as he walked into our room. He curiously looked down at us. "What are you guys doing on the floor? It''s not like you did much running compared to Friday..."

    "Arms are too sore to move." Noah sighed.

    Kyle laughed. "I can''t wait to see how you boys play tomorrow. Please don''t be making any errors behind me." Kyle was the starter for tomorrow''s game again.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "What did you come here for? Jake?"

    Kyle moved over to me. "Yea, I came to ask if he did his math homework. Dave and I need to see it."

    "It''s over there." I nodded with my head since my arms were too heavy to move.

    Kyle found it in my stack of done homework. "Great. Thanks! I''ll give it back later!" He waved as he walked out.

    "What was that about?" Noah asked.

    I shrugged. "They need help with math?"

    "Then why didn''t they ask for help?"

    I looked at him with confusion. "They just did?"

    "No, what he just did was ask to see your work. So he could copy it."

    "Okay. And?" Still not getting the point he was trying to make.

    "Jake!" He suddenly sat up. "Are you saying that they copy your math all the time?"

    I blinked. "Well. Yea. They need help."

    Noah started to laugh. "Jake. If they really needed help, they would ask for you to tutor them, not just give them the answers. What you''re doing can be considered cheating."

    "I thought I was helping." I mumbled.

    "Oh, you for sure are helping. But now we can exploit this."

    "What do you mean?"

    "We can get free cages for weeks off them. They''re practically cheating. Can you imagine what would happen if mom found out?"

    "If mom found out what?" The only female voice in the house asked from our doorway, making the both of us flinch with surprise.

    "Found out that Drew keeps trying to break us?" Noah offered up a lie.

    Mrs. Atkins squinted at us, but decided to let it pass after looking at me, still sprawled out on the ground. "Should they be making you this sore all the time? I don''t think any of the boys had this much trouble. Maybe we should visit the doctor or something?"

    "I''m just out of shape." I repeated the words I heard all the time from Drew, Zeke, the coaches, and the other team members.

    "Hmm." Mrs. Atkins looked down at me. "If you''re sure?"

    "Mom, Jake''s okay." Noah cut in. "He''s just not use to playing so much. Give him a few more months and he''ll catch up in no time."

    Mrs. Atkins seemed satisfied with that. "Alright. I was just worrying. What I came in here was to see if Jake was okay with Dr. Moore working at the school for a little bit?"

    I shrugged.

    "Why? Is he taking over for Golladay? That sounds like a demotion." Noah said.

    "No, he''s not taking over as a school counselor. In my text, I told you how he wants schools to start hiring school psychologists to help students with mental and behavioral support? Well, the school asked if he could volunteer a few hours a week to see how it goes."

    "Okay. What does that have to do with Jake?"

    "Dr. Moore doesn''t want to stress Jake out by suddenly appearing or make him feel awkward about seeing his psychologist in a more social setting."

    "I don''t have to see him alone, do I?" I asked.

    "Of course not." She replied. "This is more for the other students. You''ll still be seeing him on Wednesday''s with Wayne or whenever you need to. But if you want, you can also visit him at the school office if he''s there."

    "Okay."

    "Okay as in you''re fine with him being there?"

    "Yea." I thought about all the students that told their experience with Golladay in yesterday''s meeting. "Other kids might need him too. Dr. Moore would know what to do to help them."

    Mrs. Atkins smiled at me. "Great. I''ll go let him know." Off she went.

 168 Game: VS Santa Fe HS 1

    "My arms..." Noah complained beside me as we tied our cleats in the clubhouse. "Every little bit of my arms hurt. They don''t even feel like they belong to me anymore."

    I nodded along, agreeing completely.

    A resounding slap on our backs made us let out more groans and moans. "Don''t be such downers. It''s game day! You boys should be happy. And excited now that you can get back in the lineup." Kyle stated, giving our backs an extra pat before leaving with his gear.

    We grabbed our own bags and carried them to the dugout like the rest of the team. We pulled out bats, helmets and gloves.

    "I don''t know if I''m excited about getting to play in a game again. Or if I''m nervous that I might make an error thanks to my sore muscles." Noah commented.

    I shared the same sentiments.

    The lineup had changed once more as well:

    1 2B Jake Hollander

    2 1B Julian Wilson

    3 LF Mahki Holstrom

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 RF Sean Isner

    6 P Kyle Atkins

    7 C Kelvin Bender

    8 3B Chris Ludwick

    9 SS Noah Atkins

    Every game had a new change and I was starting to get use to it, yet I didn''t really like this one. I had to lead off for the first time. Usually Noah was ahead of me, or even Mahki.

    "It''s just for the first inning." Noah said as he caught me looking at the posted lineup. "I mean, it''s not like you''ll have to leadoff every inning. Sure enough, I''ll be batting right before you once the game gets going. The leadoff spot just ensures that you get the most at-bats possible."

    I frowned. "What about you?"

    Noah scratched his nose. "Well, I''ve been struggling at the plate just a little so Coach probably wanted me to go last for now."

    "But you changed your grip. That''ll help you."

    "I''m not consistent with it just yet. Don''t worry about it. It''ll change after today." He attempted to flex his biceps, but then quickly dropped his arms so they rested by his sides. "Okay...maybe not today. But, as soon as my arms recover, I''m sure I''ll be back in that leadoff spot."

    Uh huh. Sure. If his arms felt anything like mine, then I doubt he''ll get to show off much this afternoon. I was even worried for myself. For once, I hoped that Zeke asked for nothing but walks from me. I don''t think I could get a solid hit off, using these arms.

    Noah and I struggled together, in warmups as we threw the ball back and forth. Every part of my arm hurt and felt weak, it was almost the same feeling I had after waking up from the incident with my mother. Except, mildly better since it was only focused in my arms and a little in my abdomen area. Muscles of steel, here I come.

    After warmups and batting practice, the announcer once again introduced us as we took our starting positions. I started to get use to the feeling of people cheering and hollering out my name in a non imposing manner. I even smiled as I jogged out.

    "Just wait until we start having road games next week." Noah wiggled his eyebrows. "You''ll go back to being a worrywart in no time." He laughed at my stricken face. "I''m kidding. Slightly." He jogged to the other side of second base.

    My thoughts wandered as I tried throwing a ball to Julian, unfortunately totally missing him. He smacked his glove a few times. "Focus Jake. It''s game time."

    Right. Right. Why worry about away games just yet? It''s not like I have to play one tomorrow. Today is a home game. A comfortable home game with classmates in the stands, teammates in the dugout, and Mr. and Mrs. Atkins sitting with the crowd. Nothing to worry about here.

    Kyle took the mound, ready to go.

    "Better not suck!" A yell came from the bullpen. I turned and caught his identical twin pouting against the fence, wishing he could be the one up on the mound.

    Kyle paid no attention to Dave and focused strictly on the batter from Santa Fe High School. Like Jordan said yesterday, this wasn''t a team in our conference nor was it a ranked team in the county or state. That didn''t matter to Kyle though. He was looking at them like they were ranked number one in the nation.

    Their first batter popped out to Julian at first base. The second batter flew out to Mahki in left field. The third batter was able to squeeze a grounder past Chris at third, and safely made it to first base. However, Kyle surprisingly threw a pickoff attempt and got him out before even facing their cleanup hitter. Three up, three down.

    We all jogged back to the dugout. Kyle and Julian were together, laughing about how the runner didn''t expect an immediate pickoff attempt at all. But to be honest, neither did I. I didn''t even see the sign for Kyle to throw a pickoff, but I didn''t want to admit that just in case Zeke wants to assign some extra laps.

    I silently got my bat and put helmet on as I walked to home plate. I watched their pitcher warmup and couldn''t see anything special about him. I turned back to the dugout to look for Zeke. Please don''t make me hit. It''ll be really embarrassing if my first out against me would be against a pitcher of this caliber.

    Luckily, it was as if Zeke could read my mind. He tapped his nose and that was the sign to work for a walk. Fouling wouldn''t be a problem, but hopefully this pitcher would just have bad control.

 169 Game: VS Santa Fe HS 2

    As it so happens, the pitcher was lacking in control and I easily earned a walk without having to move my arms around too much. It hurt just to swing my arms as I jogged to first base. I rather run than have my arms be like this ever again.

    As I got on first, Julian stepped up to bat. He sent a high, but short, fly ball to the left fielder for the first out. Mahki had more luck at the plate, hitting a short line drive over the second baseman''s head, sending me to second.

    Zeke comes up with one out and two on. In typical power-hitter fashion, he sent a line drive to the outfield with ease. I sprinted as fast as I could, tagging third and easily reached home to score the first run of the game. 1-0. Santa Fe was quick to get the ball back into the infield, holding Mahki at third and Zeke at second. I went back in the dugout to exchange gear in order to be ready for our next defense.

    Sean, who sat on the bench last game with Noah and I, came up to the plate ready to swing. Mr. Miller signed for a hit and run, which means the runners would run at contact. Sean didn''t let them down, and hit a hard grounder towards the shortstop, then took off for first. Mahki sprinted down the third baseline, scoring the second run of the game, 2-0. Zeke was too close to the shortstop so he was held at second. The shortstop threw to first to get Sean for the second out of the inning. Kyle ended our offense with a swinging strikeout, unable to touch anything.

    To start the second inning, Kyle came out angry and aggressive, obviously not pleased with striking out in his own at-bat. He struck out the first two up with no problem, which was amazing since they were the cleanup hitters. Against the sixth overall batter, he gave up a short hopper that came my way.

    I stumbled forward, trying to get my body in front of the ball like Zeke had taught me before. It took an awkward bounce, and hit high up on my arm instead of going into my glove. I hurried to grab it and threw to Julian at first, while still on my knees. But it was no use, the batter already made it safely. An error. On me.

    "Jake!" Noah jogged over to me, pulling on my arm so I would stand up. "That was a tough play, don''t mind."

    I rubbed the spot where the ball hit my arm. "I''m sorry."

    "What are you apologizing for?" Noah cracked a smile. "This is apart of baseball. Errors happen all the time, even in the major leagues. They average about one error a game. So just think to yourself, the error of this game is already done with. Nothing else to worry about."

    "Are you guys done so I can get back to pitching?" Kyle grumbled as he got close to us.

    I brushed the dirt off me and nodded. Then I looked him in the eye. "Sorry."

    "What are you apologizing for?" Kyle oddly repeated what Noah said before. He got closer to me and pushed my cap over my eyes. "If I was a better pitcher, then that would have been strikeout number three. Just watch me get it back right now." He walked back to the mound.

    I fixed my hat so I could see properly.

    "See?" Noah smiled. "Even Kyle isn''t mad at you. He''s mad at himself for not getting that third straight strikeout." He patted my shoulder. "Refocus." He jogged off back to his spot.

    I rubbed my arms. Between getting hit by the ball and Noah''s pat, they were really aching. I''ll need another ice bath when I get home. I moved back and got into position for the next batter.

    Kyle faced him with the same aggression as the first two batters. This time, sending him away with a looking strikeout for a hard earned strikeout number three to end their half of the inning.

    We all moved to the dugout to get ready for the bottom of the second inning. I sat down by my bag and put on my helmet, since I might have the chance to get up again. Noah switched gear and headed to where the entrance was since he was in the hole and would definitely get to bat.

    "That''ll be ten laps." Zeke said from the side, making me flinch. I didn''t pay attention to my surroundings and he caught me off guard. "Ten laps for every error recorded. Mental errors will be five."

    I looked up at him with a sad expression, already thinking about my future laps. "How do we classify mental errors?"

    Zeke cracked a smile. "Up to my discretion." Then he walked away to speak with the coaches.

    "Wow! Look at you pout!" Kyle flopped down next to me. "Just a few weeks ago, we were thinking you were a robot with only set emotions."

    I turned my pout his way.

    "Don''t look at me like that. Makes me feel like I kicked a puppy or something. I just came over to cheer you up."

    I brightened up. "You''ll run my laps?"

    Kyle burst out laughing. "No way. I was just going to remind you that if you have laps to do, you won''t have to do the wheelbarrow training."

    I nodded thoughtfully. That makes sense. I rubbed my arm where the ball hit. I''m sure it wouldn''t hurt this much if I wasn''t sore to begin with.

    Kyle noticed my actions. "Does your arm really hurt? It''s not like a line drive hit you. Might just be a bruise."

    "I''ve had worse." I shrugged, looking away to focus on our team''s offense.

    Kyle didn''t say anything else. Or maybe he didn''t know what else to say. My mom was like a demon living in the shadows, always there but not always noticeable.

    Kyle stayed beside me as we watched the game. Kelvin grounded out to second. Chris flew out to center field. I moved to the on deck circle as Noah got up to the plate. Unfortunately, he ended the second inning with a strikeout. We went back to the dugout together to grab our gloves.

 170 Game: VS Santa Fe HS 3

    Kyle took the mound for the third inning, and continued to show great control. Groundout to short. Single. A groundout right to Julian at first base. And then another groundout to Noah at shortstop.

    The bottom of the third inning brought up the top of our lineup once again. I stared at Noah pointedly as I put my helmet on. "''I''ll be batting in front of you once the game gets going.''" I mocked his earlier words while raising an eyebrow.

    Noah waved me off. "My bad. Won''t happen again."

    I tilted my head.

    "Okay, okay. I''ll make sure to get on base next time."

    I nodded, satisfied. Grabbing my wooden bat, I headed for home plate. After a peek at Zeke, who tapped his nose, I worked on getting my second walk of the day.

    Previously it was Julian who popped out and then Mahki got a single. This time around, Julian was the one to get a single, moving me up to second. And Mahki was the one to fly out to right field. Zeke came up with one out, and two. Steady as always, he smacked another double to the outfield. I made it home, 3-0. Julian was held up at third and Zeke stood proudly at second as the crowd cheered like crazy. The hit streak continues.

    Sean followed up with a walk. However, Kyle hit into a 6-4-3 double play, effectively ending the inning. *Reminder: 643 DP is a groundout to shortstop, who throws to the second baseman to get the runner at second base. Then the second baseman throws to first to get the hitter out.

    To start off the fourth inning, Kyle came out hot, striking out the first guy with just three pitches. The next batter up was the cleanup hitter and he didn''t disappoint his team. He hit a clean one between me and Julian, safely reaching first.

    Kyle didn''t let it get to him. He strictly focused on the next batter. He jammed him with a fast inside pitch, making the batter hit a weak grounder to the mound. Before I could respond, Kyle charged the ball, grabbed it bare-handed, turned 180 degrees and threw a fast one to Noah at second. Noah didn''t miss a beat, had the ball and tagged the base, then threw his own fastball to Julian at first. A 1-6-3 double play.

    I blinked in surprise. That was a well executed play starting with Kyle, the pitcher. I wasn''t able to react at all. I didn''t move to the ball or the base, nor did I backup any part of that play. My shoulders drooped with dissatisfaction. I could have done something. Anything. I should have.

    I thought it over as we started the bottom of the fourth inning. I watched on as Kelvin grounded out to second and Chris sent a high fly to center. Noah went to the batter box, and I went to the on deck circle. Even though my mind was still back on that last defensive play, my eyes watched every movement of Noah''s.

    His back leg dug in and was the anchor for his body. His left leg was shoulders length apart, up front. Elbow and bat back, ready to swing at anything. From behind it was hard to see his grip, but just looking at his stance, I could tell he was confident. He didn''t let my premonition be wrong, and was able to send the first pitch over the third baseman''s head, then he took off. I watched as the ball started to roll down the line and the left fielder came in to get it. Noah rounded first, yet didn''t stop. Instead he sprinted to second as the left fielder grabbed the ball and threw it to the infield. Noah started to slide and was able to dodge the tag of the second baseman. Safe.

    Noah jumped up and held his hands high to accept the cheers of the parents and students. He smiled my way and gave me a thumbs up. My heart thumped harder than normal, creating a feeling of anticipation. I want to do that too. My feet started to carry me to the batters box.

    "Jake." A firm voice called out to me, stopping me in my tracks. I turned and found the owner of the voice. Zeke. He tapped his nose. I sighed, but gave a nod to confirm. Stay more low profile and just get a walk. Which I did. Too bad it didn''t matter with Julian''s fly out to right field. The score was still 3-0. What a waste. I''m sure I could have driven Noah home even with my sore arms. Maybe. Maybe not. I let out another sigh.

    Unlike my depressive state of mind, Kyle continued to show that he was 100% focused. He shut down Santa Fe in the top of the fifth inning, getting the to: groundout to third, and then back-to-back strikeouts. That makes six in five innings. I remember the twins saying that if you could average just one an inning, you would be deemed talented. Wow.

    Bottom of the fifth. Mahki led off with a stand-up double. Zeke advanced him to third with a bloop single to left field. Sean did a sacrifice bunt like the one I saw the first time he did it with Zeke. Mahki slid into home making the score 4-0, but the pitcher recovered and was able to throw the ball to his first baseman, getting Sean out. Zeke safely stood on second. Kyle, who was already 0-2 on the day, came out swinging. He was able to hit a grounder up the middle, safely reached first, and moved Zeke up to third. Unexpectedly, Kelvin ruined it by hit a hard grounder right to second. The second baseman snatched it up, tagged second base, and then threw to first. A 4-3 double play. Our players jogged back to the dugout to grab their gloves.

    I glanced at Noah as we left the dugout. "Do you think I can be as smooth as that someday?"

    Noah grinned. "Even smoother."

    I relaxed. "You think so?"

    "I know so. Just look at yourself. You''re very talented for someone who never had any formal training." Noah patted my shoulder and split away to his position. "It''s like baseball is in your blood."

    I frowned, not totally understanding the phrase. But I shook it off and turned my attention to the batters coming up.

 171 Game: VS Santa Fe HS 4

    Top of the sixth started with the ninth batter, who had a single off Kyle in the third inning. He didn''t waste Kyle''s perfect control and was able to connect with another one, sending it well over Noah''s head. He sprinted, but I turned my attention to where the ball went to instead. Noah moved towards the grass to be a cutoff man, and I moved to the bag to cover the base. Zeke was the one to field the ball, and threw it to Noah. Noah turned to throw it to me, but the runner was already on second base, trying to catch his breath.

    Noah sighed and threw the ball to Kyle on the mound. Kyle glared at the runner before turning to face the next batter. I was worried that he was going to give up a few more hits due to his frustration, but it just seemed to make him focus more. He struck out the next batter right away. Then a groundout to Chris for the second out. And then an easy pop up to me to end the inning. I was worried over nothing.

    Bottom of the sixth. Chris led off, Noah was on deck, and I was in the hole. Chris continued to struggle in the box, striking out, and ending his day, 0-3. Noah moved to the batters box and I moved to the on deck circle.

    But a heavy hand landed on my helmet, stopping me from moving. I froze and gulped. I slowly turned and came face to face with Zeke. He was squatting so we could be eye level.

    "If Noah gets a hit or gets on base, then you can hit as well. As a lefty though." He instructed. I lightened up and nodded along. "From here on out, we''ll let you hit as a lefty and get walks as a righty. Just to start fooling other teams later on."

    I didn''t understand. But I also didn''t care. All I heard was that I get to hit. More often too from the sound of it. I nodded again and turned to watch Noah''s at bat diligently. If he could just get on base, that would give me a chance.

    Almost as if I willed it to happen, Noah was able to get a bloop single just over the first baseman''s head. He safely stood on first as I walked to the lefty''s box, my first opportunity to hit since forever.

    I could hear the crowd mumbling about my change in stance and it looked like the other team took note as well. The Santa Fe dugout sent out signs and the team responded. None of the matter to me. My priority was set. I was going to get a hit. Even with my sore and heavy arms. I just wanted to swing the bat once today with the intent to hit.

    The pitcher came at me with two balls in the dirt, and then a called strike just catching the outside corner. I didn''t bother to waste my energy on those bad pitches. I retained my focus and watched as the fourth pitch came. It was a fastball right down the middle, but just a little high. Almost at my chest level. I took a step with my right and started my swing. Ignoring the protest of the muscles in my arms, I connected with the ball and followed through, sending a line drive to the outfield. I took off to first.

    My line drive wasn''t super powerful, nor did it go very far. The center fielder was able to get it on the bounce and send the ball back to the infield, holding Noah at second and me at first.

    Coach Luis gave my back a hard slap, making me flinch. "Not bad, kid. I expect more of that."

    I gave a nod even though I didn''t get to decide when I would get to hit. I mostly just left it up to Zeke.

    Sadly, the momentum stopped with me. Julian came up next, only to ground out into a double play to end the inning. I sighed as I changed out my gear, slightly upset that I wasn''t able to do more.

    "Don''t sound so depressed." Noah comforted me as we grabbed our gloves. "We''re winning. ANDDD we get to play." He tilted his head to the other end of the dugout. "Look at coach."

    I did. He and the other coaches were talking to Kyle, with Kelvin nearby. Kyle looked upset, but coach held firm and pointed at the bench. Kyle stomped over and threw his glove in his bag.

    Noah and I knew better than to stick around and we headed out to the field. Obviously, coach just benched Kyle in order to bring in a new pitcher. With Kelvin taking a seat as well, that means Jordan was taking over. And Jordan only catches for Garret.

    Garret and Jordan were already in their positions, warming up. Garret would get to face the core of the lineup: batters four, five, and six. He had previously pitched against Katella on Saturday, but was able to keep his pitch count under 75 in that shutout he had pitched. There wasn''t any need to be nervous as Garret didn''t look tired at all. With two days rest, he came out strong and was able to shut down Santa Fe''s last hope for a comeback. He struck out all three batters without any problem, ending the game. We won 4-0.

    We celebrated as a team and congratulated one another for a job well done. The lively atmosphere would usually make me shy away, but today I felt more relaxed than I had in awhile. Even my heavy arms and sore abdominal muscles seem to vanish with the announcement of our win.

 172 An Invitation 1

    After Tuesday''s game, the parents let Kyle pick dinner and we celebrated another good outing by him. Dave sulked, Noah protested that his two hits counted for something, and Zeke ignored it all.

    Oddly, Zeke''s attention was mostly on his phone, which was a rare sight. It didn''t take long for the family to notice and started to comment.

    Kyle started with, "What''s more important than celebrating me?"

    "Kyle." Mr. Atkins warned. He looked at Zeke. "Son? You know we don''t like to see phones at the dinner table."

    "I''m sure it''s for a good reason." Mrs. Atkins replied in Zeke''s defense.

    Dave was the one to take action. Mostly because he was sitting beside Zeke, he was able to peek over to see what was on his phone.

    Zeke was quick to pull his phone away. But Noah was on the other side and was able to get a good view of the screen.

    "He''s looking at the rankings." Noah stated. Then paused. His eyes widen and his voice became a pitch higher. "He''s looking at the rankings! ESPN 100 must have updated the list!" Noah snatched the phone from Zeke''s grasp and started to scroll.

    Zeke attempted to grab his phone back, but Dave held him back. "You knew we would be asking why you were on your phone! That must mean you want to show off!"

    Zeke grunted and tried to get Dave off of him.

    "Please settle down." Mr. Atkins pleaded. "We''re in public. Come on now."

    Dave loosened up and Zeke stopped struggling.

    "Well??" Kyle asked from across the table, focused on Noah''s actions.

    Noah looked up from the screen, excited. "Number 25!"

    "In the nation?!" Kyle''s jaw dropped.

    Noah nodded and passed the phone my way. I looked and saw Zeke''s stoic face next to the number 25, along with a mini biography. It also explained the reason he jumped up 23 places, remarking on his perfect performance so far. I passed the phone along to Mr. Atkins, and he and his wife huddled over it to read.

    "Congrats big brother!" Dave tried pulling Zeke in some more, yet Zeke was able to push him off. "Wow, stardom has turned you heartless. Not even accepting your little brothers congratulations??"

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "I wasn''t just looking at myself, ya know. If you scroll down, you can find a surprise at 356."

    I turned to Noah. "I thought it was a top 100 list?"

    Noah nodded. "Yep. But that''s just where the main focus is. But they''ll sometimes release the top 500 so you know what players are moving up and becoming newsworthy."

    "Oh my goodness." Mrs. Atkins exclaimed as she held the phone. She beamed at Kyle and thrusted the phone his way. Mr. Atkins also looked excited.

    Kyle accepted the phone and his jaw dropped. "Me? I''m at 356?!" He held the phone gingerly as if it would take away his ranking. "Does this mean I moved up in state and county rankings? I''ll actually be on a list?"

    Zeke shrugged. "I''m not completely sure. But if the nation took note of your perfect game, then maybe."

    The family continued the celebration, with Mr. and Mrs. Atkins just showering praises over Zeke and Kyle. Dave went back to sulking, but would flash the occasional smile and laugh when his parents looked his way.

    I felt an uncomfortable tug at my heart. Later on that night, after getting home, showering and doing homework, I asked Noah about it.

    "I felt sad when looking at Dave at dinner." I told him as we laid in our separate beds in the dark. "He looked upset about the rankings."

    Noah sighed. "Yea. I would be too. Identical twins in almost every way but one is having more success in pitching. The world isn''t always fair. You probably just felt empathetic. I know I did."

    "You felt sad?"

    "I felt motivated. Two of my brothers are listed in the nations top prospects list. But also a feeling of urgency. I have to make that list too. If I don''t, then that''ll mean that I''m inferior to them. I''ll never be as good. That''s probably what Dave was feeling. A sense of urgency. If he doesn''t catch up, he''ll be left behind."

    My heart started to pound. I didn''t want to be left behind either. However, I don''t know if I could ever get to the same level as someone like Zeke. Even if I was given a few years.

    It took time for me to shutdown my wild thoughts and to go to sleep. The next day was still a school day, Wednesday.

    We followed the same morning routine and went to the same classes. The team still took over the benches near Noah and I during the lunch period. Of course, the talk of the day was Zeke moving up the rankings and Kyle showing up. Garret showed the same bitterness as Dave, but he still congratulated Kyle on a job well done.

    Pitching must be a really competitive position. I wouldn''t be able to handle the physical or mental pressure that they put on themselves. And the idea of going a few games without even playing is a depressing thought.

    We finished up lunch and the rest of our classes, then headed down to the field for practice. We changed to practice clothes and set our bags in the dugout, and started to tie our cleats. We took our gloves to the field and waited for Zeke to start the warmups.

    Noah looked around, eyebrows pulled together. "That''s weird. I thought Zeke would have beat us all out here like he normally does."

    I nodded.

    Noah grinned. "Do you think this means that he''ll have to run laps himself?"

    I shook my head. I couldn''t even imagine it.

    "Gather round boys." Coach''s familiar booming voice grabbed our attention, not even giving me a chance to imagine anything. Next to Coach was the other assistant coaches, Zeke, Drew, and an older man I''ve never seen before. "Get close and take a knee. A.D. Barber has something to say."

    As the team moved in and got down on one knee, I whispered to Noah. "A.D. Barber? Who''s that?"

    Noah held back a chuckle. "A.D. isn''t his name. It stands for athletic director. He''s basically the coaches boss. He oversees all sports." His face became solemn. "I wonder what made him leave his office and come down here...?"

 173 An Invitation 2

    Athletic Director Barber cleared his throat as he studied each and everyone of us. "Good afternoon boys. I thought I should stop by to share some exciting news. First off, let''s congratulate Zeke and Kyle Atkins for their positions in the National rankings." He started clapping and we followed suit.

    Kyle jumped up. "Yes, everyone heard that correctly. Yours truly is now a nationally ranked player."

    Coach shook his head with annoyance. Director Barber just stared at Kyle, surprised at his outburst.

    Dave threw his glove, hitting Kyle on the back of the head. "Sit down. No one asked for you to cut in. Besides, it''s not even an official top 100 rank. You can drop out by next week."

    Kyle smirked at his twin. "Unlikely. I have a perfect game. How many other high school pitchers can say that? In the whole country?" He scoffed. "If I get taken off the list, we''ll all know it''s rigged."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "Or maybe they''ll find out you went up against a crappy team."

    "Language." Coach warned. "Dave, zip it. Kyle, sit down. Athletic Director Barber didn''t just come down to congratulate you two on your rankings."

    Kyle looked surprised. "Really? Why else would he leave his office then?"

    A.D. Barber let out a cough.

    "No offense. I just meant, you have a lot of work to do, so it doesn''t make sense that you would visit us." Kyle scratched his jaw. "But, I''m not implying that you''re skipping out on your work. I just mean-"

    "Just sit down." A.D. Barber sighed in exasperation. Kyle finally did what he was told. "As I said before, I''m here to share some exciting news. For the team." He looked around at us, then looked at the coaches. "I''ve gotten a call this afternoon from the organizers of a baseball tournament this weekend."

    The team burst into murmurs and whispers, predicting what it could mean. I looked to Noah to see what he had to say, but he was strictly focused on the athletic director.

    "Listen up!" Coach commanded, getting the team to simmer down. "Let the director finish."

    The older man nodded his thanks to Coach. "As I was saying, you boys are invited to a tournament this weekend. I''ve already moved the originally scheduled game towards the end of the season. This weekend will be important for you, your season, and for the school." He took a deep breath. "As a division three school, it is a privilege to be able to participate in the Foothill Classic. I would like for you boys to represent the school by showing great sportsmanship and also by winning at least a game or two." He nodded. "Your coach will take over from here." With a wave, he left and headed back up the hill to the school buildings.

    Unlike before, the team stayed completely silent, all eyes on coach. I peeked over at Noah. His eyes were on coach, unblinking, plus his fists were clenched as if he was struggling to withhold his emotions.

    "Well, you boys heard him." Coach took over. "We''ll be taking part in the Foothill Classic. Again. I know most of you participated in last year and were disappointed with the results, but new year means new teams." A few moans came from within the group but I couldn''t pinpoint them. "We have three days of practice before Saturday. I''ve decided that we''ll be doing circuit training. There''ll be three groups: conditioning & training with Drew, batting practice with Miller, fielding practice with me. Coach Luis will oversee pitching. Pitchers and catchers won''t work on their hitting. They''ll use that time to work on pitching. Last year, our pitching was weak and couldn''t really compare. This year will be different."

    All eyes went to Kyle. Yet, he didn''t take the bait this time to jump up and show off. Instead he was pulling the grass out...

    "Don''t be such a coward!" Dave jumped up.

    Kyle frowned up at him. "I''m not a coward. I''m just realistic. Last year we got our butts kicked. You were the one to say that I only got the perfect game because it was a bad team. You should know best how I''ll measure up against the teams in the Foothill Classic."

    I poked Noah. "Do you understand what''s happening? What''s the Foothill Classic and what happened last year?"

    Noah gave me a tight smile. "You heard the athletic director right? We''re a division three school. The Foothill Classic is for specifically chosen schools that rank in division one and two. These are schools with more money, better facilities, and more players. Think Paradise Preparatory. But bigger and more ruthless."

    Before he could say more, Dave was walking up to Coach. "I want to start game one."

    Coach blinked in surprise, then squinted at him. "Are you asking or demanding? You know you''re not the only starter here, right?"

    Dave stood firm. "I''m the only choice. Why waste Garret on game one? As for Kyle, he''s scared. Traumatized by last year apparently. He''ll only get cold feet and drag us down."

    "I will not!" Kyle stood up and declared. "Remind me again, who has the perfect game? I''m leading you in all pitching stats."

    Dave sneered. "Yea. Remind me. The only pitcher with a perfect game so far this season is acting all solemn like losing is inevitable. What kind of example are you setting, huh?"

    Kyle glared at him. "Coach should let me pitch first. No doubt we''ll have to play the number one seed or something. Might as well let the superior pitcher go first."

    "Hey, Hey. Are you both forgetting who''s the ace on the team?!" Garret got up too.

    The three started to bicker and the rest of the team started to chat to one another about the upcoming tournament. I was no different. I turned back to Noah, hoping for some more background on what was going on. I didn''t like the feeling of being left out. Even the players who weren''t on varsity last year seemed to know what happened. Noah included. No doubt he knew because his brothers were in the game.

 174 An Invitation 3

    Noah didn''t notice me looking at him, waiting for answers. He was too busy looking at Zeke and coach to see what they would do.

    Zeke was the first one to make a move. He stepped between the twins and simultaneously hit them both on the back of the head. "Zip it. Neither of you will start the first game. We''ll come out strong and start with our ace."

    Garret straightened up and smirked at the twins. The twins glared at him, seemingly ready to tackle him, but Zeke held them by the collar of their shirts.

    "That''s enough. Time to practice. Coach will divide us up after warmups." Zeke spoke with authority. He looked at the rest of us, who were still on one knee. "Like coach said, new year means new team. The same goes for us. Now, let''s lineup." He turned and headed to the outfield.

    We all got up and followed. Even though Zeke only repeated what coach said before, it seemed to settle down the team and instill some confidence. Everyone started to concentrate on what we were supposed to be doing and gave 100% effort throughout practice. After warmups, Coach divided us up into smaller groups and we started the circuit.

    This was my first time getting to participate with the team the full practice. Usually I would have to run laps or I would be sent off to the side with Drew. My group was filled with other infielders like Noah, Julian, Chris, John and Daniel. The only one we were missing was Jason, who still had a few more days of being sidelined.

    As infielders, coach made us start with Drew first. Drew had set up what looked to be a mini obstacle course filled with cones, ladders, and poles. I had no clue on what to do. Luckily Drew gave a brief overview on what to do and had me go last. Apparently the whole course was to work on agility and speed since they go hand in hand.

    After Drew, we moved to Coach in the infield. He had a bucket of yellow beside him, waiting for us. "Straight line. One at a time. After fielding the ball, I want you to sprint to me and drop it in the bucket."

    That''s weird.

    Julian was in the front so he became the first to go. Coach picked up one of the yellow balls and did an underhand toss towards Julian. Julian went up to it, but as soon as it bounced, it diverted to a different direction.

    My jaw dropped. But after a look at the others, I realized they weren''t surprised. Even Julian, who had to chase down the ball and then sprint to put it in the bucket. Coach threw a new one to Daniel. I poked Noah in the back. "What is that??"

    Noah shot me a grin. "It''s a reaction ball. It has bumps to make it uneven so when it hits the ground, it''ll change direction. Cool, right?"

    I frowned. No. Definitely not cool. I already have enough problems.

    "Just stay loose. Don''t be going all-in, in one particular direction. You''ve got to be flexible both in body and in mentality." Noah gave me a light pat on the shoulder. "It''s fun."

    I soon found out why Noah said it was ''fun''. It''s because he was ridiculously good at predicting the unpredictable directions. Meanwhile, I was the worst. I didn''t cleanly get one ball. Instead I was chasing it all over the place. The other infielders laughed at my display, making my face flush.

    However, I was able to redeem myself at the next station: batting practice. Mr. Miller was in charge of the machine and would adjust the speed for each of us. As the speed would increase, they would start to struggle even though it was all fastballs. For me? This was a piece of cake. The cages are like my original home. The first place I felt happy when living with my mom. The cages also showed Noah my talent in hitting and inspired him to get me on this team. Today, I used the cages to show the other infielders why I deserved to be a starter.

    When the speed reached 90mph, the guys started to have more misses, a few fouls, and maybe a hit or two. I continued to hit every pitch perfectly, back into the netting. When it was my turn to step out, the boys surrounded me.

    "Why don''t you hit like that in games?" Chris glared at me, hostility evident.

    "That was amazing!" Daniel complimented.

    "You should be able to do this much if you could hit off Garret during your tryout." Julian conceded a head nod.

    My face flushed like before, but this time from their compliments and not their insults.

    Noah jumped in to save me, addressing Chris first. "Zeke signals what Jake should do. If he signals for a walk then there''s nothing Jake can do about it." He smirked. "Jake will be our secret weapon this weekend."

    Chris snorted. "How can he be a secret when they can easily look up his stats and see his 1.000 on base percentage. They''ll be on guard immediately."

    "That''s on the assumption that they don''t factor in his height." Julian patted the top of my head. "If they see that a five foot player gets a lot of walks, then they might lean to the fact that the pitchers in division three can''t throw strikes when given such a small strike zone."

    Noah nodded, excited. "Right! Zeke planned to save him for league games, but I''m sure he''ll be asked to get on base no matter what this weekend."

    "Huh. We''ll need it." John mumbled in the back. The faces on our teammates stiffened, and the excitement over my batting died. Even Noah had nothing to say in response. We just moved on as a group, going back to where we started: to Drew.

 175 Last Year’s Foothill Classic

    After practice, we were all feeling drained, with maybe the exception of Zeke, who never looked tired. He drove us all home, where we were able to shower and sit down for dinner.

    Zeke was the first one to say something about this weekend''s tournament. "Mom, Dad, the game for Saturday has been pushed to a later date."

    "Oh?" Mr. Atkins raised an eyebrow, but didn''t dwell on it for long. "Too bad. Do you boys want to plan something for the weekend instead?"

    "It was postponed because we were invited to a tournament." Zeke ignored his dad and continued on. "The Foothill Classic. Just like last year. Did you guys want to drive us and watch? Or do you want to stay home and I''ll just drive us there and back?"

    Mr. Atkins shook his head. "Of course we''ll go. It''s fun to watch you boys play. We''ll all go together and make a trip out of it. Stay the night there so we don''t have to drive again on Sunday. If I remember, this was the tournament that was almost a three hour drive. Do you know what time the first game will be?"

    My jaw dropped. Three hours? What. Why didn''t anyone say that beforehand?

    "Why even bother staying the night?" Kyle snorted. "We''ll be lucky just to get past game one. Remember last year, Dad? We were mercy ruled by that one school?? We didn''t even make it two hours."

    My jaw remained opened. They were once mercy ruled? That doesn''t sound right... Especially when you have a Zeke on your team. Yet the tense silence around the table said otherwise.

    Mrs. Atkins was the first one to break the silence. "A baseball game can be unpredictable. Just like life. Have some more confidence, Kyle. You''ve been doing well." She looked around the table. "All of you have been playing very well. Your father and I wouldn''t miss any of your games for the world. Even if you do get blown out. We''ll just stay the night in the hotel and spend Sunday sightseeing or something." She looked to me. "Jake, you haven''t been to San Francisco or Oakland right?"

    "I''m from Southern California." I stated clearly.

    "See? There''s our backup plan. If you boys don''t do well, we can take the long way home and show Jake some cool spots." She tried to soothe them.

    "I plan on winning. Not losing." Zeke stood up at his spot. "Thanks for dinner." He grabbed his plate and glass, and then took it to the kitchen. As he passed by the table on his way out of the dining room, he said, "I''m going for a light jog around the neighborhood."

    "Be back before 10." Mr. Atkins frowned as his eldest walked away from him, without another word. "That boy is so taciturn. I can never tell what he''s thinking."

    Noah waited until he heard the front door shut before saying anything. "I could. He didn''t like how Mom was making plans for if we lose."

    "What? Why?" Mrs. Atkins looked at her youngest, worried. "It''s normal to have backup plans just in case. It''s what parents should do."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Yea Mom. But, you''re not supposed to share that with us. Just keep it to yourself. What you should have said would be something along the lines of: have confidence Kyle; I believe you guys will win it all."

    "Do you really want mom to lie to us?" Kyle shook his head, dismayed. "Be realistic. I know Dave got me pumped up earlier during practice, but that was just heat of the moment stuff." He stood up with his dishes. "I''m done too. Excuse me." He deposited his dirty dishes in the sink and headed up the stairs.

    "Is...is this weekend going to be hard?" I glanced around the table.

    Dave was the first to sigh. "Yep. We''re just a no name school to these guys. Last year, we thought we were coming in hot since we were the only division three school invited to a mainly division one tourney. What a joke. All of us pitchers got rocked, and our bats couldn''t hit anything."

    "Even Zeke?" My eyebrows shot up, looking at Noah for confirmation.

    "Zeke had one of his worst days at the plate. He went 0-3. All strikeouts." Noah said in a low voice as if he was worried Zeke could overhear us, even on his run. "However, that pitcher was number one at the time and even got drafted right out of high school. He was incredible!"

    "But now Zeke''s number one...so we should do well?" I asked a follow-up question.

    "Zeke''s number one in OUR county. The Foothill Classic is in a completely different county. A bigger one with more competitive teams and players." Noah let out a sigh. "I''ve told you that school population plays a part in the division. If a school is a bigger, they''re more likely to have better players grouped together. Another factor, are private schools. They get to recruit specially talented individuals and basically set up a top notch team."

    "Oh." I squeaked out.

    "Yep. Think Paradise Preparatory. But better. Paradise Prep is just a private school in division two. And they tried to play us like we were dolls. Could you imagine what division one schools would be like?"

    I thought back to the finals of my first tournament. "Will they also give us a handicap?"

    "No, you dope." Noah rolled his eyes. "Paradise Preparatory just likes to think they''re better than anyone else. These other schools will want to squash us just to get us out of the way. Like last year. A mercy rule. Against Zeke. Could you imagine?"

    I slowly shook my head. I really couldn''t see it. Zeke is infallible in my eyes.

    ������������������������������

    Author''s note: sorry, I think I''m going to need more than 500 characters to tell you guys about my day. So. First off, I redid all those early, small chapters of mine and posted them on Moonquill. Afterwards, I was looking into making it into a book and then found out I would have to take it off all websites for it to be published with kindle so yea...no more book. Not yet. Maybe when I actually complete the story. Next, I''m thinking I could work on my other story (that gets almost none of my attention) and turn that into a cheap book to try and make some money. Will I? Eh. I don''t know just yet. More bad news, webnovel told me I can''t be featured again because my chapters are too small....*sigh*

    As of right now, I''m really leaning towards moonquill just because everything else is just dragging me down and making me depressed. So, I''ll be working on posting all my chapters there this upcoming week. As soon as it''s all caught up, I might just post there and only there. Slightly disappointed that almost none of you went to check out my edited work on moonquill btw...

 176 The Foothill Classic 1

    We finished out the week with high leveled intensity at practice, cramming every possible second with a drill, stretch, or conversation about the upcoming weekend. Thursday night, the Atkins and I packed up the bags for the weekend stay, making sure we would be ready to go after coming home Friday evening.

    After Friday''s practice, coach gave us a meeting time and place for the tournament, and then Zeke hustled us home. Once at home, we took turns showering and finalizing what needs to be on the car for the mini road trip. We had so many bags that Noah and I had to put some under our feet when the trunk filled up. Then off we went.

    Mr. Atkins drove through the town of Watsonville and then onto the main highway, officially starting the three hour drive.

    Mrs. Atkins, in the passenger seat, started to pass out tupperware to each of us. "I prepared dinner while you boys were at practice. I didn''t want to stop somewhere for fast food or sit down for a nice meal and take a lot of time away from our drive."

    "I don''t mind!" Noah said excitedly, opening his container and revealing his dinner: alfredo pasta, green beans, corn, a slice of garlic toast. And two homemade cookies on the side. "Perfect mom! Thanks!" Noah started with the cookies skipping over his whole dinner.

    "Thanks mom!" The other boys echoed as they opened their containers, revealing the same dinner. Mrs. Atkins included plastic forks and they started to dig in.

    I held my dinner, not ready to eat yet. "What about you guys? What will you eat?

    Mrs. Atkins turned to face me. She had to look between the older boys who got to sit in the middle row. She gave me a happy smile. "We ate before you boys got home. We want to make sure we get to the hotel before ten so you boys can have enough sleep. The first game is at nine in the morning, so I''m sure you''ll have to be there at eight."

    "Seven." Zeke corrected. "Check-in and registration is at seven for all teams. Then we''ll head to the field for warmups at eight."

    "Oh, okay." She nodded. "Sixteen teams like normal?"

    "Single game elimination format." Dave said between bites. "There''ll be only four teams left on Sunday morning."

    "It''s a long shot for us to be one of those four." Kyle muttered.

    Dave reached over Zeke in the middle, just to flick Kyle''s leg. "Don''t be such a Debbie Downer. I hope coach doesn''t let you pitch game two with that attitude."

    Kyle was quick to slap his hand away. "How many times do I have to say that I''m being realistic? We were destroyed in game one last year. In five innings."

    "Boys." Mr. Atkins warned. "Hands to yourselves. It''s okay to disagree, but it''s not okay to fight over it. Besides, it''s a game. You''re supposed to have fun. Not stress over being a winner or loser."

    The car got quiet.

    "Okay, so that was an unpopular opinion." Mr. Atkins recognized. "I''m just saying that it won''t be the end of the world. Just go out and have fun. Zeke, it''s your last year of high school ball. Do you want to look back at how much fun you had? Or look back and see how pointless your stress was?"

    "Winning is fun." Zeke said in an inexpressive way.

    Noah was the first to laugh. The twins followed up. Even their parents were smiling.

    I poked Noah, more than slightly confused.

    Noah took a breath from laughing so hard. "It''s just funny because it''s Zeke. The robot gave such a robotic answer."

    "Five laps Noah."

    Now that made me laugh. That''s what I expect from Zeke. With the atmosphere turning light, I felt relaxed enough to eat. Mrs. Atkins always made the best food and it would be a waste to miss out.

    The drive felt long as we drove on the dark highway, but according to the clock, Mr. Atkins got us to the hotel in less than three hours. Once parked, Mrs. Atkins went in ahead of us to check in and get the room keys. While Mr. Atkins helped unload the car and divided up the bags among us.

    Mrs. Atkins came back to the car holding a few sets of room card keys. "Okay, I reserved two rooms, adjoining one another. Your father and I will be in the smaller one. You five will take the suite. There are two beds plus a couch that can pull out into a bed."

    "Dibs on bed!" Noah hollered out.

    "Dibs!" The Twins said in unison.

    Zeke merely glanced at them. "I''m oldest, I don''t have to call dibs."

    "No one should be calling dibs. There are plenty of beds." Mr. Atkins sighed. "If no one wants to sleep on the couch bed, then Zeke can fit with the younger two on the king size bed."

    "I can sleep on the couch.." I offered.

    "It''s a couch that turns into a bed." Mrs. Atkins corrected. "Don''t pay attention to them. I''m sure it''s just like any other bed except it folds into a couch."

    "No. Jake should sleep on a normal bed with me." Noah protested. "I even called dibs on our behalf."

    "No dibs." Mr. Atkins said once more. "It''s settled. Twins get a bed. Zeke and Noah share a bed. Jake gets one of his own."

    Noah pouted. "I''ll just stick with Jake. I don''t wanna sleep with Zeke."

    I toed the ground, keeping my eyes down. "I prefer my own bed. I don''t like to be touched when I''m sleeping. I won''t be able to sleep well."

    The family stopped bickering.

    I continued. "It''s not a big deal...it''s just-sometimes my mom would wake me up by hitting me and then I would have trouble going to sleep."

    "Fine. I''ll sleep with Zeke." Noah said firmly. "Can''t let tomorrow''s star player be sleep deprived."

    "Hey! Who''s going to be the star tomorrow?!" Kyle argued. "Shouldn''t it be a pitcher? Keeping the big schools at bay?"

    "You won''t be pitching tomorrow." Dave said coldly.

    And the bickering picked up once more. Not like I minded. I hate having to bring up my past and feeling their pity. Them accepting it without question and continuing normal conversations make me feel like I don''t stand out.

 177 The Foothill Classic 2

    As it was still winter, the weather was extremely cold in the morning. Early March let the fog from the bay area roll in and settle in the hills. I was completely bundled up, completely covering my uniform with a school sweatshirt and a jacket from Mr. Atkins.

    "This will help warm you up." Mrs. Atkins handed me a hot chocolate and I graciously accepted.

    We were all at the tournament grounds surrounded by players, coaches, and parents from other schools. Zeke went with Coach to check us in with our roster and school credentials. Mr. Atkins took the twins to some booths that were selling tournament merchandise and souvenirs. Noah went with Mrs. Atkins to get hot chocolate, but only she returned with a drink in hand for me.

    I was instructed to sit at the bench and watch everyone''s bags until the team showed up. "Where did Noah go?" I asked Mrs. Atkins quietly.

    "Ah. He saw someone he knew from a baseball camp from a year or two ago so he went to say hi." She replied.

    He just left me? Alone? Or technically...alone with his mom? I swallowed harder than normal and tried to keep my breathing steady.

    "Are you nervous? Being alone with me." She read my mind.

    I thought about denying it, but it''s probably better to tell the truth. "A little. Not you specifically. But alone with a woman that''s around my mother''s age."

    She gave me a light smile. "I''m glad that I don''t scare you too much. February has been a tough adjustment period for you so I was scared you would be uncomfortable with just me."

    "It hasn''t been so bad." I spoke into my hot chocolate, not wanting to make eye contact. "I like playing baseball with Noah. And the others. I didn''t get to do that before. I could only really use the batting cages at my old school."

    "I''m happy that you found something you like to do. It''s a great outlet to let out pent up emotions like stress, fear, and anger. And it''s fun! Right?"

    Hmmm, did I find baseball itself, fun? I found playing baseball with Noah was fun; Noah could probably make any sport fun though. Would I like baseball still without the Atkins? That used to have an easier answer when I was younger, yet now...I hesitate to answer.

    When living with my mom, I thought of baseball as an escape. According to her, my dad and brother were able to leave her because of baseball so maybe I would have the same opportunity. And I guess...I kind of did. If that coach never called my mom, then maybe I''d still be stuck with her and her psychotic episodes. I vaguely remember cursing him for calling when I told him not to, but now I''m glad he did. I never would have met the Atkins without him.

    "Ah! Zeke''s back." Mrs. Atkins didn''t say anything about me zoning out and just stated the obvious to get my attention.

    Zeke walked straight to us, making others dodge him and get out of his way. He looked to his mom. "The team met in the parking lot and are already heading to the field to get set even though we won''t warmup for a little bit. Coach went on ahead and I came to get you guys. Where''s everyone else?"

    Mrs. Atkins stood up. "Your dad took the twins to look at the tournament shirts. I think it''d be cool to get you all one and to take a picture. Noah went to say hi to someone he recognized." She took a look around, trying to spot her missing members of her family. "I''ll go round them up, so stay here with Jake."

    Zeke nodded. Mrs. Atkins started to move through the crowd, leaving us alone together. I felt a deja v�� moment pass me by as it became harder to breathe and I struggled to swallow.

    "We''ll be going all out today, and tomorrow if we can make it there." Zeke said out of the blue, catching me off guard.

    I looked up to him as he stood a few feet away. "All out? As in?"

    "As in everything. Garret will pitch first for as long as he can. As for the offense, we hit anything that''s close."

    "Hit anything?" My eyes widened. "Like against Paradise? Doesn''t matter where or how?"

    "Just get on base...if you can. Paradise isn''t much compared to our first opponent today. Paradise was overconfident and didn''t have much incentive to win the tournament. Today is completely different." He gestured to the crowd of people. "It''s busier than the last tournament right? Do you know why?"

    I nodded. "Noah said these schools are bigger and have more of a student body."

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "For a baseball team, that means that there is more of a chance to have some better players and have a more competitive environment. But what I''m talking about is the people here to watch. There are multiple college coaches here, including a scout or two from some MLB teams. This is when stars try to make something out of their high school career."

    "So you want to do well to attract their attention?" I asked.

    Zeke let out a small smile. "I do. But not individually. I want the team to attract attention by pulling off an upset. Or two." He reached out and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Hit anything you can. We''ll need all the help we can get. As long as you get on base, and i can bring you home; we''ll have a chance at winning."

    I smiled as wide as possible. Hit freely. Just like I would if I was at The Cages. Instead of feeling nervous like the team was all week; I was feeling anxious, but eager. I couldn''t wait to test out my swing against these new pitchers, who will surely have different styles.

 178 The Foothill Classic 3

    Mrs. Atkins found the missing members of the family and brought them back to us. As a group, we headed to our designated field where we would play game one.

    Zeke led the pack, with his parents right behind him. Noah and I walked behind them, with the twins behind us. As we maneuvered through the crowd, my eyes started to drift around as I took in my surroundings. This tournament had the same amount of teams as the other one, but Zeke was right about there being more people and it wasn''t just students. Besides...what kind of students would want to wake up this early to watch some high school baseball? Our school was three hours away and I couldn''t imagine anyone coming to watch us play potentially only one game.

    Someone bumped into the back of my shoulder, making me think it was one of the twins. I quickly turned to see what they wanted, but was greeted by an unfamiliar face. The older man apologized and kept walking. I stopped and looked for the twins, then for Noah, and then for anyone I knew...

    They were gone! I must have gotten separated when my eyes started to wander. I clutched the straps of my bag and frantically searched for them with my eyes. But it was no use. I was too short, and there were too many people. My panic started to rise.

    "You look lost, son." An old man approached me, giving a gentle expression.

    I gulped. Then nodded.

    He looked me up and down. "You look familiar somehow. What school do you go to?" He looked at my hat, which only had a W on it. Mr. Atkins jacket covered my school''s name and I thought about revealing it.

    But, his words struck a chord from within. ''Familiar''..? Now that he mentions it...I feel like I''ve seen him before. Maybe it''s his voice. I squinted, trying to recall the escaping memory.

    It suddenly hit me. Stranger danger! Zeke said that to me before when an old man tried talking to me. His face wasn''t clear in the bright sun, but his voice was distinguishable. I started to back up to try and get away. Back then, Zeke said to avoid adults I don''t know when I''m alone because they could have not-so-good intentions.

    The old man noticed my odd behavior and raised an eyebrow. "What is it? You don''t need help?"

    I shook my head as fast as I could. I didn''t want his help. Not at all.

    "Coach! There you are!" A tall kid in his baseball uniform grabbed the coach''s attention. "I was looking everywhere for you." He took off his hat to reveal a shiny head without a strand of hair.

    My eyes widened as I recognized him as well. Baldy! From the cages! The guy who snatched Noah''s money because I broke a bat. I started to hyperventilate. Why is this happening? Weren''t we a long way from the house? Can the world truly be this small?

    "I was trying to help out this kid." The older man spoke. "He obviously looked lost and now even looks distressed. I should at least take him to the information booth so he can find his team. Why don''t you get the team together and head to the field?"

    I was about to turn and run, but a hand gripped my shoulder making me jump in fright. I started to shake as I peeked to see who else has shown up.

    Noah! I sighed with relief and almost let a few tears of joy out.

    Noah frowned at me. "Where''d you go of a sudden? I took my eyes off you for a minute and then we couldn''t find you! Come on. Let''s get going. I''ve got to tell everyone I found you."

    I nodded eagerly, wiping the water that gathered at the corner of my eyes.

    Noah noticed and his frown deepened. "Are you crying? What happened? Did you get scared?" He paused. "Did someone scare you?"

    Before I could answer, the old man came closer with his player in tow. "Oh! Looks like the boy found someone he knows! What a relief. Looks like there''s nothing for us to do."

    Noah turned to look at who came close to address us. And like a car wreck in slow motion, Noah and baldy made eye contact. I couldn''t do anything to stop it except pray that he wouldn''t remember.

    "Thief!" Noah exclaimed, pointing his index finger at baldy, recognizing him almost immediately. "You''re the guy who stole my money at The Cages!" Okay, so Noah remembered the guy, but may be fuzzy on the details of what really happened. Suffering from selective memory, I see.

    Baldy''s eyes widened and his jaw dropped, realizing who we were on the dot. "What are you two doing here? Watching your brother play or something? You''re a long way from home."

    "You know these boys?" The old man studied us.

    "They show up at The Cages in Marlo." Naming our favorite pastime. "Me and some of the guys had a run in with them." He sneered at Noah. "Especially that one. He tried betting on his friend and lost some money on it."

    "We wouldn''t have lost if you didn''t cheat." Noah claimed.

    "You wouldn''t have lost, if you didn''t gamble." A stern voice came from behind. Zeke joined our little party of four. He knew the old man by sight. "Coach Porter. Good to see you. Maybe you should also have a discussion with your team about unauthorized gambling."

    "Ah! Zeke Atkins!" Coach Porter smiled bright. "I knew I recognized this kid from somewhere. And don''t worry about my boys, I''ll make sure they know that gambling is illegal for minors. Even unofficial betting." He glanced at baldy.

    Baldy had the decency to look ashamed unlike my best friend, who continued to uphold a self righteous attitude. Zeke put an end to it by resting a hand on his head.

    "We''ll see you in a few." Zeke said as he dragged Noah away and I quickly followed. The coach and his player didn''t have a chance to respond, leaving me a little clueless in what Zeke meant by that. He let go of Noah and glanced at the pair of us. "Why do you two always attract trouble?"

    "Do not." Noah refuted. "I found Jake and he looked like he was about to cry. So I asked who was being mean and then those two jumped in. How do you know them?"

    Zeke looked to me first. "You were about to cry?"

    I scrunched up my nose. "Not really. I was just happy to find Noah. I still get jumpy with strangers and then I saw that he was the old man from the cages so I felt anxious too."

    Zeke gave a nod. "That''s fine. Next time, head to an information booth or security to locate the field. Mom and Dad were worried that you ran off again."

    "I assured them you wouldn''t do that anymore. Especially with us right beside you." Noah cut in. "But back to how you know them, Zeke??"

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "That was the coach of Sunset Preparatory. A private school near Watsonville. They tried to recruit me a couple of times. They''re also our first opponents."

 179 Game One: Sunset Preparatory 1

    Oh. That reminds me of what he said before at the cages a few weekends back. When he was saying not to show off because there could be others watching and taking notes. I thought back to what else he had said and then tugged on his jacket. "Does this mean I don''t get to hit freely? Because they live nearby and can tell other teams in our conference?"

    Zeke stopped. He turned to face me. He studied my face before patting my head. "Don''t worry about that anymore. This tournament is more important. We''ll do what it takes to win. Besides, they aren''t in our conference remember? They''re a division above us. And it''s very unlikely they would go around talking about to potential rivals."

    I sighed with relief.

    Noah grinned. "Setting Jake loose? Can''t wait."

    Zeke didn''t reply and started to lead the way again. He took us to our field where we would get to play game one. The team was already in the dugout, with parents filling up our side of the bleachers.

    I peeked over at the other dugout and found the familiar faces from my first visit at the cages. I gulped.

    "Why do you look so nervous?" Noah smirked. "We''ve beaten these guys before, we can do it again."

    I squinted at Noah, failing to find where his confidence comes from. We didn''t beat them...they took our money and we had to pay for a broken bat. Also...that was just the batting cages and not a full fledge baseball game.

    "What''s up?" Kyle asked as we found somewhere to sit on the bench in the dugout. "You guys were gone for a bit. Coach is about to talk about the lineup."

    Noah started to put his cleats on. "Jake ran into some familiar faces."

    Kyle''s jaw dropped. "Jake ran into someone he knows? From Southern California? How?"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "No, stupid. He ran into one of the guys who took my money the first time Jake and I went to the cages together."

    Kyle blinked in surprise. "I forgot about that! Well isn''t that some good news? Didn''t Jake beat them in a hitting contest? Ya know, before he broke the bat?"

    My face flushed and I tried to put all of my attention on putting my cleats on. Why do they have to keep bringing up the broken bat? What happened to faulty equipment?

    "That''s what I''m saying!" Noah looked down the dugout and found who he was looking for. "Garret! Come here for a sec!"

    Garret stretched out his long legs before standing upright, and made his way over, weaving through our teammates. "What''s up?"

    "Jake and Noah know some of the guys from the cages back home." Kyle started to look more carefree than he has been lately. "We should win. If we don''t, it will all be because of your crappy pitching."

    Garret pushed down Kyle''s cap. "You jerk. What happened to win and lose as a team?" He looked to Noah. "So you two know some Sunset players? I hear it''s a rich school. They can afford to offer good players scholarships to a private school. How nice."

    Noah wiggled his eyebrows up and down. "That doesn''t mean you''ll always get the best players though. Jake had out-hit their cleanup hitter at the cages."

    "By how much?"

    "One. For the first challenge. And he would have beaten him again, but he broke his bat." Faulty equipment! Even Noah was dropping the excuse he had made up.

    Garret''s lips twitched. "So you guys have confidence we can win...simply because Jake had gotten one more hit? I don''t know if you can recall the tryout, but please remember what Jake did to all my pitches."

    I was able to hit every one.

    "Now." Garret continued. "Imagine the player you went up against. He''s only a step below Jake? So what...he''ll be able to hit nine out of ten of my pitches? You guys didn''t really think this through. Plus. What about their own pitching? Who are they throwing out on the mound today? What if he can get everyone out, but Zeke? There are more factors in a game than just someone being able to hit slightly better than the other player." Exactly!

    That was exactly what I was thinking! I nodded and gave Garret a thumbs up. He understood my thoughts more clearly than Noah did today.

    "Doesn''t it give you the slightest confidence boost though?" Noah grinned. "I''m not so nervous anymore when I know that Jake can hit better than their cleanup hitter. It''s a good start."

    Garret pushed Noah''s cap down as well. "Stop lying. When are you ever nervous?" He shot me a smile. "But, I''ll admit, that piece of info did cheer me up just a little bit."

    "Listen up!" Coach commanded in a loud voice, forcing our eyes to go to him. He looked towards our end of the dugout. "Take a seat. I''ll be going over the lineup and I don''t want any distractions." Everyone sat down. Garret didn''t dare to go back to his original spot and just squeezed in between Kyle and Noah. "Here we go:

    1 2B Jake Hollander

    2 LF Mahki Holstrom

    3 SS Noah Atkins

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 P Garret Knudsen

    6 C Jordan Sanders

    7 RF Sean Isner

    8 1B Julian Wilson

    9 3B Chris Ludwick

    This is how we''ll start, but I will throw in pinch hitters and pinch runners if I have to." He looked directly at me. "If there''s a scoring opportunity and I don''t think you''re hustling to get it, I will pull you. Regardless if you can get on base."

    I rubbed my nose in embarrassment. My baserunning skills weren''t the best, but at least I could attempt a proper slide now.

    Coach took his focus of me and addressed the team as a whole. "Sunset Preparatory is a nice school with some excellent players of their own. Steady batters and solid pitching. Don''t expect that Zeke can single-handedly carry us like before. Take every opportunity you can to score. As for fielding, be ready for balls to be coming your way. Garret is good at strikeouts, but we won''t be able to rely on that against these superior teams."

    Coach checked his watch. "We''ve got about half an hour before warmups. Stay loose and keep your focus on the upcoming game."

 180 Game One: Sunset Preparatory 2

    There wasn''t much time to do anything else but to relax. I made sure my shoes were tied and my glove was ready to go for warmups. Then I took off Mr. Atkins jacket and stuffed it into my bag, but I was going to keep my sweatshirt on until I got warm. With my spare time, I looked over my bat and made sure there weren''t any cracks or dents I would have to worry about in my first at bat.

    Coach really does switch up the lineup every chance he gets. I wonder if Noah''s hits encouraged coach to let him hit right before Zeke? I was a little disappointed that I didn''t get to bat after Noah, but at least this time I felt more prepared to go up first, knowing that it''s all so I can get the most at bats.

    In this tournament, we were one of the lowest ranked teams so we would have to be the visitors for every game. Which means having the dugout on the first base side (unless the home team says otherwise) and having to bat first. So even if we were winning, we get to bat the full seven innings.

    An hour before game time we started to go through our whole warmup process. We took turns using the field with the other team to practice fielding and throwing. There was a batting cage in the outfield that we also switched off with the other team, making sure to get batting practice in.

    Once properly warmed up, I took off my sweatshirt and replaced my hat with my helmet.

    "Do your best!" Noah handed me my bat. "I''ll be right behind you." He started to put on his own batting gear.

    I left him with a nod and stepped out of the dugout. I surveyed the field filled with Sunset Prep players, doing last minute warmups so their pitcher could throw some practice pitches off the mound. I studied him as he threw a few well placed pitches with speed towards the strike zone.

    Finally the umpire called for the balls to be thrown back in, and for me to step up to the plate. For the majority of my hits, I''ve hit left-handed so with Zeke''s advice, I got back in the lefty''s box.

    As I looked for a safe place to hit the ball, I couldn''t help but notice how tall the infielders were and how they offered no gaps to hit through. Popping it over their heads would be a bit difficult given their heights. I got into a comfortable stance to watch the first pitch.

    The right-handed pitcher came at me with a curveball that looked to be outside, but it would definitely drop into the strike zone. I tightened my grip and met the ball with my bat as fast as I could, sending it down the first baseline. I dropped my bat at the end of the swing and took off after it.

    The first baseman dove but to no avail. The ball snuck past him and the right fielder came in to field it. I safely tagged first, not bothering to round the bag since I had no chance for second.

    "One, two, three!"

    "BAMBI!" My dugout yelled at me from barely ten feet away, making me flinch. That only resulted in the team laughing some more.

    Coach Luis didn''t say anything but gave a pat on my helmet to let me know I did well. Mahki stepped up to the plate, and I saw Noah move to the on deck circle, with Zeke in the hole.

    Mahki tried swinging on the first pitch like me, but ended up whiffing for strike one. He tried to defend the plate, swinging at anything close, but ended up sending a high fly ball to left field, not giving me any chance to advance.

    Noah stepped up next, ready to go. His stance looked steady, his hands were choked up on the bat, and most importantly: he looked confident. He fouled the first pitch back. 0-1. Good swing. Noah no longer looked off balanced like before. The next two pitches were balls on the outside making the count, 2-1. I could tell that the speed of the pitches were a bit too fast for him, but he fought hard and fouled off another. And another. Then another ball. 3-2. The following pitch was up high and well above his strike zone.

    "Ball four! Take your base!" The umpire''s voice was clear.

    Noah lightly tossed his bat to the dugout and ran to first as I jogged to second. I looked back at him with the intention to give him a thumbs up for hanging in there, yet he didn''t look happy with the walk and was busy staring at his hands.

    I sighed, not fully understanding what he was thinking. We''re both on base, with one out, with Zeke up to bat. This is perfect. I checked Miller out by third to see if there would be anything I specifically had to do. He gave a few signs to Zeke, basically telling him to hit as he pleased. Mr. Miller did sign that the runners should go at first contact. Right. Can''t waste this run scoring opportunity.

    Zeke stepped into the batters box and I began to inch off the second base bag, making sure I was closer to the bag than either of the middle infielders. The pitcher looked back making me freeze, then he looked over his shoulder to check on Noah, who stood calmly two feet off the bag, no trace of nervousness.

    The pitcher ignored us, and turned his attention solely on Zeke. He started with a fast inside pitch, which Zeke let him pass by for ball one. The pitcher then threw one in the strike zone, but Zeke let that one pass by as well. 1-1. The pitcher seemed to gain confidence after the called strike and went after Zeke with another fastball inside that looked like it could pass as a strike. Zeke planted his left foot forward, opening his stance as he started his swing. The barrel of the bat connected perfectly with the ball, sending it well over the infielders.

    I reminded myself not to watch the ball, and to watch Mr. Miller. Mr. Miller was waving me on as fast as his arm could go around, trying to tell me I should just sprint all the way home. I complied.

    I did my best to round third and run home as fast as I could...which isn''t too impressive. Garret, who picked Zeke''s bat up and got it out of the wave was screaming my favorite phrase, "No slide!"

    I touched home and held my hand up for a high five to Garret. Unexpectedly, he grabbed my raised hand and dragged me a few feet out of the way. Before I could ask what was going on, I heard him holler, "The relay is coming!"

    I turned and watched just as Noah and the ball were coming to home plate. The catcher stretched out his body to block the plate, while catching the ball on a one hop with his glove, then he turned to tag Noah. Noah slid under his outstretched arms and tagged home plate between the catchers legs.

    "Safe! Safe!" The umpire gave the signal for a valid run.

    Noah jumped up and held up a fist and the cheering crowd. He found me in Garret''s grasp, and sauntered up to us, smiling as wide as ever. "Wasn''t that exhilarating?"

    I think my heart stopped. That could have easily been another collision. I let out a long puff of air and gave Noah a smile. "Nice."

    Noah laughed and put his arm over my shoulders, dragging me back to the dugout with him. "2-0! Quick lead!"

    Garret slapped him on the helmet. "Well done! Take this back with you though." He handed him Zeke''s bat. Then he got in the lefty''s box. That''s right. The inning wasn''t over yet. We still had more chances to score with Garret up to bat and Zeke on second base.

 181 Game One: Sunset Preparatory 3

    Our teammates greeted us with slaps on the backs, high fives, and smiles all around. We went back to our bags and switched out our gear. As I was putting on my hat, I heard the ''ding'' of a bat hitting a ball. I turned to watch Garret run to first as the ball was fielded back to the infield. Zeke was held up at third.

    Jordan stepped up to the plate next. I remember Noah saying he was one of the better batters, but only played in games where he would catch for Garret. It was a weird dynamic for me and I wanted to ask more about it, but that was all Noah knew.

    "You boys ran well out there." Coach cake over to congratulate us. "Especially you Noah. I think you may be the fastest on the team. Besides some of the seniors. But you''re aggressive out on the bases and that''s what we need right now."

    "Easy-peasy." Noah grinned.

    Coach studied his face for an extra second or two. "But, I also want you to watch for Miller''s signs. He''s the third base coach. He''ll know best whether or not you can score."

    Noah rubbed his nose, looking a little contrite. "It was the heat of the moment. I felt 100% positive that I would be able to score."

    Coach sighed. "But you don''t factor in the chance for a collision and getting hurt. Trust Miller." He left to go back to the end of the dugout to watch the game.

    I stared intently at Noah.

    He finally felt me looking at him. "What is it?"

    I grimaced. "Don''t get hurt."

    Noah immediately smiled. "Of course I won''t. Coach can say that Miller knows best all he wants, but really, I know my own body better than anyone else. He was just saying that to scare me."

    I hope so.

    The sound of a hit made us look to the field. It was a hard grounder to the second baseman. He smoothly fielded the ball and gave a short toss to the shortstop on second, who tagged the bag and then threw to first. A 4-6-3 double play. Noah and I sighed in sync.

    "Hey, hey. Don''t look so down. It''s only the first inning." Mahki hit the tops of our heads with his gloved hand. "Let''s get out there and show some defense of our own. We''re off to a good start!"

    As a team, we switched to defense and ran onto the field for some warmups. We took a little longer than normal since Jordan was the last out and needed some time to get his catchers gear on. Once he came out, Garret was able to throw some warmup pitches. They looked fast, but not as sharp as they could be. Maybe he''s trying to fool the batters coming up, I decided, not worrying about it. I hardly know anything about baseball itself, let alone a complicated position like pitching.

    Soon enough, the ump called for the balls back and for the batter to step up to the plate. Garret came at him fast...but wasn''t able to place his first two pitches in the strike zone. 2-0. I looked at Noah on my right to see if I should be worrying, yet Noah was in the zone, focused on the batter. I snapped out of it and tried to do the same.

    On the third pitch, the batter swung even though it was slightly inside and could have been a ball. It was a pop up foul on the third base side. I watched to see if Chris would go for it, but to my surprise I saw Noah sprinting on over. He tracked the ball, called for it, and made the perfect catch for out number one. His smile was bright once the clapping from the stands picked up. However it didn''t last long as Chris exchanged words with him.

    I was tempted to go over there, but their conversation didn''t look like a pleasant one so I held off. Finally, Noah was able to get away and threw the ball back to Garret, adding some words of encouragement.

    Garret nodded, showing no expression. He faced down batter two. His first pitch was another to the inside, but still close to the strike zone. The batter swung, popping it high in the air, and again, on the foul side of third base. Noah started running over, but Chris waved him off, got under the ball, and caught it for the second out. He threw it back to Garret, then turned to glare at Noah. I saw Noah stick his tongue out and I let out a little laugh.

    Garret didn''t pay any mind to us and just stared at the ball in his grasp. Four pitches, two outs, but he didn''t look happy. If anything, he looked a little frustrated. He fixed his grip on the ball a couple of times before turning to face the third batter.

    He started off with a fastball right down the middle. I flinched, expecting a hit that didn''t come. The batter took it as a called strike. Garret followed up with another inside pitch that didn''t make it in the strike zone. 1-1. Garret''s frown deepened. He tied the rubber lightly, but his attention was on his fingers and the ball within. His third pitch was his fastest, but the batter let it pass by for a high ball. 2-1. The next pitch was too far outside to even get the batter to chase after it. 3-1. Garret settled on throwing the next pitch for a guaranteed strike...right down the middle. And it would have been a strike if the batter didn''t swing like he had done for the first pitch. However, the other team will never play like how you want them to. He swung and sent the ball sky high towards the left side of the outfield.

    I gulped as I watched it fall on the other side of the outfield fence. A solo homerun, making the score 2-1. What a bomb. Mahki didn''t even have a chance to jump at the fence to steal it.

    I turned back to Garret to see how he was taking it. I found him and Jordan on the mound, talking it over I presume. I glanced at Noah and finally got his attention. He reassured me with his steady attitude and a smile still in place. He must have confidence in Garret. I tried to feel as calm as Noah looked.

    Jordan went back to his spot behind the plate as the cleanup batter stepped in the box. He was the guy from earlier today and from the cages a few weeks ago.

    "C''mon Garret! Let him hit it here!" Noah excitedly clapped with his glove a few times. Enough to grab the batter''s attention and have him send a glare his way.

    Garret smiled at Noah''s encouragement and came at the batter with fast pitches. They weren''t well placed, but they had enough speed to catch him off guard. He ended up hitting a grounder with the end of his bat. It rolled past Garret''s right side, but Noah was there to greet it. He was able to pick it up, barehanded, and threw it perfectly to Julian''s glove. Three outs!

    We headed back to the dugout, happy to be holding our 2-1 lead. Noah bounced over to Garret, beaming, "That was too perfect!"

    Garret shook his head, bitter. "What? The homerun I gave up? Or the way we got the first two outs?"

    Noah raised his throwing hand. "The last out! The grounder! It really came right to me! It''s like I spoke it into existence. Maybe you should do the same. Say ''I''ll shut them out from here on.''"

    Garret''s lips pulled into a thin line. "No need. I have a more concrete way to make it happen: effort. Max effort."

    Noah shrugged. "Speak for yourself."

 182 Game One: Sunset Preparatory 4

    Garret left to go sit beside Jordan and probably to speak about his pitching. I felt bad not saying anything encouraging like Noah did, but Garret didn''t look bothered. He was strictly focused on his pitching and how the first inning went down.

    The top of the second inning brought up Sean, Julian, and Chris so I felt that there was a pretty good chance of me coming up to bat. I set my glove down and changed my hat out for my helmet.

    Noah wiggled his eyebrows. "Think I should get ready too?"

    I shrugged. "Nothing is guaranteed. We could possibly make it to you again."

    Noah dragged me into a loose headlock. "Aw! I''m so proud! Look how positive you''re becoming!"

    "We could also go three up, three down." I mumbled.

    He shoved me away. "Don''t put that out there in the universe! Take it back!"

    "I take it back...?"

    Noah sighed with relief. "Thank goodness. Never say that kind of stuff. The universe is always listening."

    "Sometimes I wonder if we''re ever on the same page." I mumbled, shaking my head.

    "Of course we are." Noah replied promptly. "We''re two peas in a pod. You''re jelly to my peanut butter. Just like Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle."

    "What?" I shook my head in confusion.

    "I''ll tell ya later." He pointed at the field. "Sean just struck out. You''re in the hole."

    I grabbed my bat and moved to the entrance of the dugout to watch Julian''s at bat. Sadly, it didn''t amount to much; he flew out to center field, getting close to the warning track. I moved to the on deck circle and Chris moved to the batter''s box. I, lazily, swung my bat as a lefty; doing it more for the stretch and not to time the pitches like normal players. Chris followed in Julian''s footsteps, by hitting another high fly to center and making the third and final out of the inning.

    I sighed and dragged my bat back to my bag in the dugout.

    Noah was waiting there. He quickly slapped my shoulder. "You must''ve not taken it back!"

    "I did!" I pouted, rubbing my shoulder. "You heard me take it back."

    "Obviously you weren''t very sincere." Noah lectured. "Now let''s get back on the field and return the favor."

    I nodded and switched out my equipment, then followed him out. Garret took the mound, looking more secure in his pitching. In the bottom of the second, he got the first guy to pop up to me. I felt relaxed as I made to grab and the out. What a good feeling. Garret made the next guy hit a little dribbler to himself. He barehanded it and threw a bullet to Julian. Julian tagged first base and that was out number two. Garret faces off with the next guy with nothing but fastballs and ended up striking him out swinging. Three up, three down.

    "What did I tell you?" Noah beamed at me. "I said we would return the favor and we did. The universe is always listening."

    "But...we didn''t really do much. It was all Garret and his pitching." I replied as we got in the dugout. I started to switch out my hat for a helmet again. I would be first up this inning.

    Noah shrugged. "Okay, So Garret saying he would put in more effort was also put in the universe and the universe answered. Same thing."

    I laughed at the way Noah always has to be right and grabbed my bat before heading out. I made my way to the lefty''s box, stopping a few feet away to let the pitcher throw some warmup and so I could take a practice swing or two.

    The pitcher threw some low pitches, looking to be on the border of the strike zone. Hmm. Low. But doable. I could hit a grounder between the infielders or something. I took a look at their positioning. The first baseman was closer to the baseline than before, with the second baseman also cheating a little that way. The shortstop was only an extra three steps towards second base, but he created a nice gap between himself and the third baseman.

    That''s where I''m going to aim. The umpire called for me to step in the box and I did so. I steadied my back leg towards the back of the box, and had my right leg ready to take that step forward.

    "You have a nice hitting streak going on, kid." A voice from behind caught me by surprise and I looked back to see if I was hearing things.

    A ''plop'' sounded in the glove.

    "Strike one." The ump called out.

    I blinked. What. Just. Happened. I squinted at the catcher as he stood up and threw the ball back to his pitcher. He looked down at me and winked. "Hard to imagine you having a perfect batting average when you can''t even keep your eye on the ball." His voice was definitely the one from before.

    I looked at the umpire, but he didn''t say anything. Was this allowed? Can the catcher distract a batter in the middle of the at-bat? The catcher squatted back into position and I took my stance once again. The pitcher started his motion.

    "Maybe the Atkins did pay your way onto the team. Just like they did for your friend." The voice stated, getting my attention again.

    I turned to frown at him, and missed another called strike. I glanced at the umpire for help, but he just shrugged. I took a step back and turned around to face the dugout, looking for help. I found Noah''s face right inside the dugout, waiting in the hole. He caught me staring right at him, and pointed at himself. I nodded.

    Noah jogged out and called time. I met him closer to the dugout so I could get away from the catcher and the weird atmosphere he had created. Noah leaned in and covered his mouth, "What''s wrong? Why aren''t you focusing? You keep looking back at the catcher and umpire."

    I leaned in to whisper. "The catcher keeps talking to me. It''s distracting."

    Noah''s eyes widened. "Is he saying anything offensive?"

    I shrugged. "Not really. Just making me uncomfortable. Is he allowed to talk?"

    Noah nodded. "He is. It''s all a part of the game. He''s just trying to get in your head to mess you up."

    "Boys." The umpire came over. "Thirty seconds is up."

    Noah straightened up. "Yes, sir. Just explaining to my friend that the catch is allowed to chat during the at bat."

    The umpire nodded. "As long as it''s not offensive or derogatory. Now back in the box."

    I swallowed hard. Noah gave me a pat and then went back to the dugout. I fixed my grip on the bat before getting back into the batter''s box.

    "Had to consult with your little friend? That''s cute. Thinking you can do something even though you clearly can''t." The catcher made his remark, but I kept my eyes on the pitcher.

    Both of his pitches came in low. He''ll probably try and come in high or outside. Maybe both. I watched as he went through his wind up and the ball left his fingertips. The ball would be high, but definitely close to the strike zone. I should just swing and get away from this annoying catcher. I took a step forward, my wrists carried my bat to meet the ball. Then the ball started to rise just as my swing crossed the plate. I adjusted as best as I could, connecting with the ball and sending it towards the direction I was aiming for: between third and short.

    Unluckily, it wasn''t a grounder. I hit just under the ball to send a fly ball to left field. I ran to first, praying the left fielder wouldn''t make it in time. He didn''t let his team down, sliding forward to catch that pop. Out. First out of the third inning. The first out of my high school career. The first out of my life.

 183 Game One: Sunset Preparatory 5

    I was stunned. I felt sad, confused, and disappointed all in one. I slowly made my way back to the dugout, where my teammates faces were reflecting my own emotions. I passed Noah, who was in the on deck circle, and he handed me my bat on my way in. No words were exchanged. I sighed and took my stuff to my bag.

    I put my helmet away and examine my bat to see if there was something else I missed. Maybe I had a dent?

    "It''s not your bat." Zeke came up to me, holding his own bat. "You were distracted. Easily. Then you were fooled by the low pitches you saw." Zeke tilted his head at the field. "If you paid more attention to the other at bats, you would have noticed something. Something like how half of his outs came from fly balls. A fly ball pitcher. Not uncommon at the high school level." Zeke gave me a pat on the head. "There''s no such thing as a perfect batting average. Why are you upset over it?"

    I put my hat on to hide my embarrassment. "I could have done better."

    "That''s a good trait to have as a ball player." Zeke said, fully turning to the field. "But just know, there''s never been a player who had a perfect batting average. At any level. Getting out is just part of the game. The most important aspect is the final result. I rather go 0 for 4 at the plate and win instead of going 4 for 4 with a loss. It''s about perspective."

    Mahki smacked a hard grounder towards first. The first baseman dove, stopping the ball in its tracks. The pitcher came over to cover the base and the first baseman tossed him the ball. Just barely beating out Mahki. Out number two. Noah walked up to the plate and Zeke left me so he could go to the on deck circle.

    Noah didn''t do any better than us, and ended up grounding out to the shortstop to end the inning. He came back in and we exchanged sighs. What a rough inning. Noah switched out his gear and we took the field together.

    Garret stood on the mound with the poise of a great pitcher. He shut Sunset Prep down, three up, three down. A groundout to Noah, a fly out to Sean in right field, and then a swinging strikeout. It''s hard to imagine that I was even worried for a second in the first inning. Garret bounced back fast...I should take note and do the same.

    As Noah and I sat down by our bags, we both let out sighs; this time they were sighs of relief and not of depression.

    Top of the fourth would get to start with Zeke, Garret, and Jordan. I started to hope for some action on their behalf, wanting to score more runs.

    "Hey, Noah?" I asked, thinking of something he had said before.

    "Hmm?" His eyes remained on Zeke, who was stepping up to bat.

    "You know how you were saying that you have to speak to the universe? What does that mean exactly?"

    "It''s relative to the law of cause and effect. For every cause, there''s an effect. And vice versa. For every action, there''s a reaction. Law of laws: you get back what you put out. You put out negative, you''ll get negative back. Put out positive, and positive will be returned. It''s very philosophical." Noah spoke, never taking his eyes off Zeke.

    I nodded even though I hardly followed. I believe in concrete numbers and equations like in math, where there is always an answer. In math, nothing is based on feeling or emotion, it''s just right or wrong. No gray. Philosophy doesn''t seem to be up my alley at all, and I hope I won''t have to take such an abstract class like it.

    But...Something bugged me about what he said. "Well, what if...both teams are putting positive vibes in the ''universe'' like we will win?" I scratched my nose. "Who does the universe answer first?"

    Noah was about to reply, but the ding of the bat cut him off. Zeke hit a laser line drive a few feet away from the shortstop. Amazingly, the shortstop jumped as high and far as he could, totally outstretched, and snatched Zeke''s would be hit. Instead, it was Zeke''s first out of the season. The crowd went wild with claps, cheers, and "oohs" and "ahhs".

    Noah slowly turned his head to me, eyes wide. "And that is why you don''t question the laws of the universe." He said something else, but it was hard to hear over the crowd of people that were watching.

    "What''s going on?!" I leaned towards Noah''s ear so he could hear me.

    Noah pointed to the field. I looked. Zeke was still outside the dugout, waving to the crowd. The he took off his helmet and waved it at the shortstop, who in turned, tipped his cap. The cheering soon died down, Zeke came back, and Garret moved to the batter''s box.

    "Zeke had a perfect hit streak going." Noah explained as I could hear him now. "That was his first out and it was a great play. The fans and parents were just showing their support for them."

    "No one clapped for me..." I said.

    Noah laughed. "That''s because you''re just a freshman...with a bunch of walks. It''s not as impressive. But, I''m sure mom and dad clapped for you. You probably just weren''t paying attention."

    That''s true, I guess. I tend to tune out the crowd since they don''t really have any affect on the game. I peeked down the dugout to see how Zeke was taking his first out of the season. Would I see disappointment or anger on his face?

    Zeke looked the same as always as he shared some words with Coach and then he came on over. He raised an eyebrow at me. "What? Did I disappoint you?"

    I shook my head vehemently, but Noah was the one to answer. "Yea, but no worries, you can make it up to us by hitting a home run at your next at bat."

    Zeke pushed his youngest brother''s hat down over his eyes, letting out a brief smirk. "Why don''t you focus on you. Get on base."

    "I will! No matter what." Noah fixed his hat, pushing Zeke''s hands away. Zeke gave us a nod and went back to the coach to watch the game with him.

    "Zeke took it well." I mumbled.

    "Of course he did." Noah said. "We''re still winning. Now, if we were losing it would be a totally different story. He would release his scary aura and probably glare at us to death. The twins are competitive with one another, but Zeke takes it to a new level. He wants to win every game, all the time."

    "What''s wrong with that?" I thought of the notes I took once upon a time. I had wrote that I wanted to win every game possible so I could keep playing with Noah.

    "It''s unrealistic. Too many factors and too many games. Just look at the major league. No professional teams goes unbeaten. What they aim for is a conference win so they can go to the playoffs. It just so happens that the team with the most wins, goes." Noah shook his head. "You''ll see a more competitive Zeke during the league games. Trust me, it won''t be pretty."

    I gulped. Noah''s words scared me as I started to think of the future and the consequences I might run into if we don''t win games.

    My mind didn''t wander for long. Garret flew out to left field like I did. And Jordan popped out to the third baseman to end the inning. Still 2-1. Bottom of the fourth we go.

 184 Game One: Sunset Preparatory 6

    Bottom of the fourth started with Sunset''s number two batter who popped out foul in the first inning. This at bat, he made Garret work and throw strikes by fouling off what was close and letting balls pass. With a 3-2 count he sent a line drive right up the middle. Both Noah and I were too short and too far away to make a play for it. Zeke was running in to field it, so Noah jogged out to be the cutoff man, and I covered second base right behind him. In the corner of my eye I could see the batter rounding first and running as fast as he could to me.

    Zeke caught the ball on the hop and threw a bullet to the infield, bypassing Noah, and aimed straight for me. I caught the ball with my glove and swung my arm to try and tag the player who had already started to slide into the bag.

    "Safe!" An infield umpire declared.

    I sighed, disappointed. I threw the ball to Garret on the mound as the runner stood up and brushed himself off. He looked at me with a smirk across his face, "Still a kid with kid moves."

    I frowned, not understanding. I looked over to see what Noah thought. Noah rolled his eyes and shook his head, so I took it as not to care. This must be another attempt to ''get inside my head'' like Noah said during my at bat. Zeke said I shouldn''t get distracted by the other team and to focus on the game itself. I rolled my shoulders back and found my spot, trying to stay loose.

    Garret''s next showdown came against the guy who had hit the home run. Garret didn''t look put down from giving up the double, but looked more motivated to get this next out. He started off with a couple of cut-fastballs, his specialty, and drove the batter to an 0-2 count. The batter was able to attack the first fastball that came his way, and the runner on second took off. A hit-and-run.

    The hit was a fast grounder to Noah. He grabbed the ball, barehanded, and threw the ball to Chris at third. Chris tagged the runner before he even. Got a chance to slide.

    "Out!"

    The runner looked as stunned as I felt. Noah took a chance and threw to third for the potential out instead of getting the for sure out at first base. Why? I rubbed my forehead to calm the headache I could feel coming on.

    "One out! Runner on first! Play at second on first!" Noah hollered out for the team to hear. Some of the guys mimicked him.

    Garret stared at him for a moment as if he had something to say, yet he just turned back to Jordan and got back to pitching. He sent their cleanup hitter, the one I knew, down with just three pitches, looking more dominant than ever.

    He continued throwing strikes to the next batter. Unluckily, he connected and sent a grounder between me and Julian. Julian was trying to hold the runner at first so he was too close to the bag and couldn''t help. I dove in the dirt, but came up empty-handed. Sean came in and fielded the ball back to the infield, only allowing a single and letting the runner advance to second. Two on, two outs. I knocked some of the dirt off of me, feeling even more down on the way I keep coming up short in everything I do.

    Garret waved Jordan to the mound and he complied. They had a brief discussion and then Jordan went back to his spot behind the plate. Whatever was said was effective, since Garret was able to strike out the next batter without any problems. End of the fourth, still 2-1, thankfully.

    Top of the fifth would start with Sean, Julian, and Chris like the second inning. This time I didn''t mention any negative comments as I put on my helmet and grabbed my bat. I wanted a chance to redeem myself sooner rather than later.

    Noah sat down beside our bags, but he tended up after looking over my head. I turned to see Zeke standing tall, arms crossed over his chest. If Zeke was usually described as expressionless and stone-faced, then right now he was anything but. He radiated anger and the frown on his face was deep.

    I worriedly looked at Noah to see what was up.

    Noah shrugged, faking nonchalance. "I didn''t do anything wrong so I don''t know why you''re looking at me like that."

    "20 laps." Zeke spun on his heel and walked over to Garret and Jordan.

    "What was that about?" I whispered.

    Noah rubbed his nose. "It may have something to do with my fielding choices. Don''t worry about it." He nodded at the field. "Sean just struck out, looking. You''re in the hole. Don''t let that catcher get to you this time. Just block him out. He''s irrelevant."

    I took his advice and moved to the dugout entrance. Chris moved to the on deck circle and Julian stepped up to bat. Julian had a powerful hit at his first at bat, where the center fielder had to go to the warning track to catch it. I noticed the outfielders backing up, expecting another long one. I gripped my bat, excitedly, looking at the extra gap they had left between them and the infield. That''s where I would aim to hit!

    Julian had other ideas though. He was swinging for the fences from the get-go. He fouled off the first pitch sending it just left of the third baseline, going over the little fence. Just a couple more feet over and that would have been a home run. That didn''t discourage him though, if anything it gave him more confidence. The next pitch looked to be a low ball, but Julian swung anyways, almost imitating a golf swing and sent the ball in the same direction as his foul. However, this time it stayed fair. The left fielder chased it down and jumped to make an attempt, but the ball was blasted on out. A home run. 3-1!

 185 Game One: Sunset Preparatory 7

    Julian ran around the bases, greeting Chris at home plate with a double high five. I stood on the on deck circle, with my hand held high for him. Julian came by after picking up his own bat, then slapped my hand as hard as he could, making it throb. But his smile wasn''t something I could bare to frown at, so I grinned through the pain.

    Julian then headed into the dugout, where shouts and slaps could be heard even in the stands. I didn''t bother taking practice swings in the circle, and instead focused on what the pitcher had left in the tank after giving up that home run. Chris tried his hardest in the box, but that made him look sloppy and out of whack. Kind of what I imagined myself to look like in my last at bat. Chris tried to recreate Julian''s swing, and even got under the ball to give it the height. But it didn''t have the distance. It flew right to the center fielder for the second out.

    He dragged his bat and himself back to the dugout not even sparing me a glance or a glare. I didn''t mind. I just moved to my lefty''s box and dug in.

    "Look at who''s back, the little freshie who finally hit into his first out. That''s pretty great kid." The catcher started chatting as he squatted into position. His words sounded like they were complimenting me, but the tone was definitely mocking.

    Just tune him out, I reminded myself. Focus on the pitcher, his fingers, and time the swing with his release. I didn''t waste any time or any pitch like beforehand. The first pitch was low, but I liked it enough to swing at it, and sent it right up the middle. I dropped the bat and sprinted to first, I rounded the bag but saw that the center fielder was already throwing it in to second base so I stayed on first.

    I could hear Noah cheering for me as he moved to the on deck circle and Mahki came up to bat. I peeked over and he gave me a thumbs up. I smiled, happy that I didn''t let that catcher distract me. Sadly, my happiness didn''t last. Mahki continued to struggle at the plate and sent a weak grounder to the second baseman, who easily threw him out. 3-1, bottom of the fifth we go.

    Top of the fifth started near Sunset''s bottom of the lineup players, which Garret had shutdown before, but now he began to struggle. He walked the seventh batter and followed up by letting the eighth batter hit a single. With runners on first and second, no outs, I started to panic. A home run could take away our lead. I kicked at the dirt, trying to keep my anxiety in check.

    "Slow it down, Garret!" Noah yelled out. "Take your time, no rush."

    Garret looked extremely tensed in the shoulders, but he didn''t snap back at Noah. He just got set once more to face their number nine batter. He took a few deep breaths, checked the runners to make sure they weren''t trying to steal, then he started his motion. I don''t know if his pitches got sharper or if the number nine batter is just that bad, but he whiffed on three straight pitches. Strikeout.

    Now back to the top of the lineup. Garret hadn''t given anything up to the leadoff guy, but has given up a double to the number two. A double play would be great. Or back to back strikeouts.

    Garret''s pitches continued to be sharp, but with a better batter in the box, he was able to distinguish the difference between balls and strikes. With a 2-2 count, the leadoff batter swung at an outside fastball, just barely hitting the ball with the end of his bat. It was a sharp grounder heading between first and second. Julian was close to first to keep the runner near the bag, so I was the closest one to go for it. I sprinted over, stretching out, landed in the dirt, but I at least stopped the grounder from going to the outfield. Without thinking, I transferred the ball to my right hand and threw to Julian on first, from my knees.

    Julian tagged first, getting the batter out, then threw his hardest to Noah at second base. It was close. We waited for the umps call.

    "Safe!"

    Noah shook his head in disappointment, but then collected himself and made sure the runner that made it to third base didn''t try to sneak home.

    So no double play. I sighed and steadied myself on my feet. Noah took the ball to Garret on the mound and surprisingly Julian came over to me.

    "Don''t beat yourself up over it. That was a nice stop and we at least got one more out." Julian patted my shoulder.

    I flicked some of the dirt off me. "But we could have gotten a double play if I was faster. Or if I had a stronger arm. Or if I threw it to Noah at second instead." I sighed again.

    Julian let out a laugh. "Why are you trying to be a perfectionist? Just think, if you didn''t stop the grounder, the score could have easily been 3-2 or even 3-3. You made a smart decision and got the for sure out. When I was younger, I had a coach that told me ''play the way you face'' and it''s not bad advice for newbies."

    I wanted to argue that I''ve could have done more, but Julian was already jogging back to his position. I glanced over and saw that Noah was also in position and Garret had been waiting on us. I felt the blood rush to my face, so embarrassing.

    Garret didn''t seem to mind, he merely gave me a nod and then faced the next batter. The one who had hit a double off of him at the beginning of the fourth inning. Garret didn''t even look like he remembered. He treated him the same as every other batter: strike him out. Garret started throwing some pitches, starting with his cut fastball that came inside on righty''s. The batter let them passed for called strikes until he couldn''t anymore. He fouled an extra two before Garret gave him an outside fastball like he did for the last batter.

    The batter reached for it and sent a grounder to almost the same spot. I started to move for it, but Julian was able to cut it off since he didn''t have to hold any runner at the first base bag. He grabbed the ball and threw to Garret who ran over to cover first base. Last out to end the fifth inning. Still 3-1. What a relief.

 186 Game One: Sunset Preparatory 8

    Top of the sixth would get to start with Noah, so as soon as we got back to the dugout, he grabbed his bat and helmet then left me on my own. I looked around and found Zeke already heading out to the on deck circle, and Garret was eagerly waiting in the hole. With the twins in the bullpen, I didn''t have anyone to talk to.

    "Still sulking over missing out on the double play?" Julian noticed me looking around and made his way over. Surprisingly, Jason was right behind him and hobbled his way over.

    I shook my head. "No, it''s okay. You got the last out and we didn''t give up any runs."

    They laughed. Jason plopped down next to me. "It''s really not a big deal. Plays like that happen all the time. It was an especially nice stop for you."

    That kind of stung. ''For you''? For a newbie, it was good. I let out another sigh.

    Julian knocked on Jason''s head. "Don''t turn a compliment into an insult."

    Jason smiled at me, sheepishly. "Oops. Sorry, Jake. I just meant-"

    "Are your stitches out yet?" I cut him off, desperate to change the subject. I didn''t want to hear him try and take back what he originally meant. It would be even more insulting to be babied.

    Jason lifted his injured foot, which could now fit in his shoe. "Oh sure! Got them out yesterday! The doctor said I could start jogging on Monday, and see how I progress from there."

    "That''s good." I gave a light smile.

    Jason leaned in close and whispered. "I cant wait to knock Chris back down to the bench and show him how a starter should really perform at the plate."

    I tilt my head in confusion.

    Julian leaned in. "What did you say to Jake?"

    Jason leaned back out, feigning innocence. "Nothing. Just waiting to get better."

    Julian gave him the side eye, but action on the field grabbed his attention, and ours too. We all looked as Noah was jogging to first after a ball four call. He was walked, bringing Zeke up to bat. Zeke got in the batter''s box and stared down the pitcher, ready for anything that came.

    The pitcher was getting tired and started to have trouble getting the ball to the strike zone. On a 3-0 count, Zeke didn''t take a ball four, instead he connected as best as he could, sending the ball well past the infield. Noah took off sprinting. The ball hit the outfield fence, dying at the warning track. Both the center and right fielder ran to get it, with the right fielder beating him out just barely. By the time they got the ball, Noah had rounded second and didn''t look like he was going to stop at third. I watch the relay throw come from the right fielder, to the second baseman, to the catcher guarding home plate.

    Noah was already sliding in, head first, when the catcher caught the ball and swung his body around to tag him. We anxiously awaited the umpires call.

    The ump took a moment, then he extended his arms. "Safe!" 4-1.

    Noah jumped up and pumped his arm. Then he ran back to the dugout to accept his compliments. He was beaming by the time he came back to our spot to sit down, where he also accepted a round of ''good jobs'' and ''nice run'' from Julian and Jason.

    Noah brushed off some of the dirt from his slide. "Jake, wasn''t I amazing?"

    I nodded and gave him a smile. "You run really fast!"

    Noah raised an eyebrow. "There was technical skill involved too!"

    I shrugged. "I didn''t see it."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "You newbie. I had to round the passes at the best possible angle in order to cut down how many steps I had to take. Plus there was the timing of my slide. And the way I chose to slide."

    I blinked. I really didn''t know so much could be going on when trying to score. Maybe I need to buy a book about baseball. I started to get lost in my thoughts, but not for long. Our offense died after Zeke''s double. Garret and Jordan both grounded out to short, not even giving Zeke a chance to advance to third. Then Sean struck out swinging to end it.

    Bottom of the sixth, we took the field. Garret was well over 70+ pitches, meaning he would need a three day rest no matter what. Coach must think he''s doing okay with our 4-1 lead so he didn''t see a reason to replace him.

    Garret got the third batter, who had hit a home run in the first inning, to ground out to Noah for the first out. The familiar face of the guy who took our money and ran, stepped up to bat. As a clean up hitter, he was doing a poor job with a groundout and a strikeout. Or I guess we could say, Garret is doing a great job holding them down to one run.

    My thoughts must have jinxed Garret and my own team. On the very first pitch, the guy sent a high fly over the right field wall to make the score 4-2. Garret got a new ball from the umpire and checked his gripped, seemingly not upset about the player running the bases.

    Garret''s confidence eased my anxiety and made me feel like if he wasn''t worried, then I shouldn''t be worried. His confidence showed in his pitching as he was able to get back to back strikeouts from batters five and six, keeping the score at 4-2 as we go to the last inning.

    I, cheerfully, picked up my bat and put on my helmet and headed for the entrance of the dugout. I would for sure be able to get one more at bat. Even with all the assurances I''ve received from some of my teammates, I felt like I haven''t done much. I''m just lacking in some way.

    Julian hit a single just past the first baseman and safely stopped at first. Chris failed to get a hit, once again popping out to the center fielder. It wasn''t even near the outfield fence so Julian couldn''t tag up and advance to second.

    I relaxed my shoulders as I stepped into the lefty''s box. There were many possible scenarios for what could happen at my at bat: hit, pop out, groundout, strikeout, maybe an error by an infielder, I could be walked, and so on. But seeing the pitcher sweating and looking exhausted, plus my clear mind, made me think that the odds were in my favor. Just in case..I looked back at the catcher. "I''m going to get a hit." I had to put it out in the universe.

    The catcher scoffed, not taking my words seriously I guess. I put my attention back on the pitcher, and let my body get into its normal stance. The pitcher''s tiredness showed, as his pitches were all over, no rhyme nor reason. I found one that I liked and started to swing my bat. It connected perfectly with the barrel of the bat and took off, just over the third baseman''s head. I sprinted to first and saw Coach Luis waving me on, so I rounded the base path, and was able to see that my hit nearly rolled into the corner of the field. The left fielder fetched it and quickly threw it in to the shortstop. The shortstop turned to try and make a play, but I was already safely standing on second and Julian was standing on third. A stand up double. My favorite. I let out a smile.

    "Woo!! Bambi!" I heard some of my teammates yell and shake the fence of the dugout. My smile grew a little more and I gave Noah a thumbs up as he moved to the on deck circle. He returned the gesture before focusing on Mahki.

    Unlike our last game where Mahki went 2-3, today he was 0-3. Nothing looked wrong with him like injury or mental distress...he just couldn''t get anything going. And it showed. In his last at bat, his frustration seeped through, and he struck out swinging even though the pitcher was throwing quite a few balls.

    Noah moved to the batter''s box. I thought he would fight for another walk, but he found a pitch that he liked and swung, sending a hard grounder up the third baseline. Unfortunately, the third baseman was playing closer to the bat than usual, due to Julian being there. He fielded the ball and threw Noah out at first the end the top of the seventh. 4-2.

    We switched sides and Garret took the mound. This would be Sunset''s last attempt to tie up the game or take it over. I didn''t dare to take my eyes off the batter. Garret was only allowed a max of 110 pitches and he was nearing the 90s. Even if he didn''t look tired, that didn''t necessarily mean that he didn''t feel tired.

    Luckily we started with the bottom of their lineup. The first batter up hit the bottom of a pitch, popping it up straight to me. I raised my glove and caught the ball, then was greeted with a round of applause. I nervously looked around trying to figure out what was happening.

    "Just give it back to Garret." Noah told me. "The cheers are for him. He''s about to get the win against a better school so of course the families and spectators are happy."

    I nodded and threw the ball back to Garret on the mound. Garret must have heard Noah''s words and looked a little red in the face. His own embarrassment became a distraction and he walked the next batter.

    "Throw a strike, Garret!" Noah clapped. The team followed his lead and started to clap for our star pitcher as well.

    Garret took a deep breath and faced the ninth batter. A flyout and a strikeout. He could easily get this guy. He came at him with strikes over the plate, getting an 0-2 count before the batter swung at the next pitch. He smacked a grounder just past Garret, between second base and Noah. I started to move.

    "I got it!" Noah yelled, calling me off. I froze and watched. Noah caught the grounder with his glove, tagged second base, and with a smooth transfer of the ball to his throwing hand, he threw to Julian at first. Two outs! A double play to end the game! 4-2.

    I ran to Noah, to tell him what a good play that was, but he pulled me into a headlock immediately. "Did you see how awesome I was?!" He started to laugh.

    I nodded or at least, tried my best to. It didn''t take long for our teammates to surround us and to join in on the celebration.

 187 Between Games

    The celebration was cut off by the coaches and umpires as they wanted us to shake the other teams hand to show some sportsmanship. Our team lined up on the first baseline and they lined up on the third baseline. Zeke led us and both teams started to pass by one another at home and simply shared a high five. Halfway through, my hand started to hurt and feel heavy. I wanted to put it down to rest, but Noah enlightened me from behind, saying that it would be disrespectful.

    And the end of their line was the coaches and I once again came across the familiar old man.

    "Jake Hollander." The old man stopped me, causing Noah to bump me in the back. I started to fall forward, but the old man put a hand on my shoulder to steady me. "No need to be nervous, I just thought I should commit your name to memory."

    "That''s just a part of Jake''s personality." Noah cut in and commented on my behalf.

    "Unusual kid." He let out a laugh and I looked down at the ground in embarrassment. That''s just the way I am, okay? His laughing stopped after a few seconds. "I was surprised that we were able to give you, your first out. A fly out. Would have been better if it was a strikeout."

    "We''re not impressed with your underhanded ways." Noah rebuffed. "Trying to tease a freshman isn''t very polite."

    "And neither is talking back to your elders." Our own coach rested his arms around our shoulders. He started to push us along. "Good to see you Porter, but I have to prepare my boys for the next game. If you''re still interested then you can watch from the stands." Coach didn''t wait for a reply, even though I doubt he would get one. He just directed us back to our dugout where the team was already packing up.

    "Grab your gear." Coach commanded. "We''ll do a postgame meeting and a pregame meeting before I let you boys get some food."

    We did as we were told and followed our teammates in packing up the bags, and moving out of the dugout. I bundled back up with my sweatshirt and Mr. Atkins jacket, and followed Noah to where the team decided to gather in an empty bleacher.

    Coach cleared his throat as he stood before us and after we finally settled down, he started to speak. "It was a good outing. A win, plus no throwing or fielding errors." He glanced down at Noah beside me. "There was a questionable play, but overall, I''m satisfied. Sunset Preparatory is a division above us, and has more access to players due to private school funding."

    The team started to get rowdy and some smash talking started in the back.

    "Quiet." Zeke spoke up from his spot in the front row, eyes on coach.

    The team went silent and coach started speaking again. "The next game is at 4pm, so we''ll be having to deal with twilight towards the second half of the game. Take note of the suns position when we start warmups."

    Mr. Miller stepped forward from the side, and gave Coach his smartphone, with something obviously pulled up.

    Coach took hold of the phone. "Our next opponent has been decided as well: Durham Preparatory."

    A few groans broke out.

    Even Noah joined in. "Not another private school. They''re basically stacked teams all the time. They get to throw school money at players to make them go."

    "Yes, yes. But," Coach grinned. "That doesn''t always mean that they''ll be better. We just beat a prep school that was one division higher. This prep school is also division two, so why can''t you beat them as well?"

    The tide seemed to change within the team as they got more excited.

    "What was the result of their first game?" Zeke asked.

    Coach looked at the phone. "6-5. It was a close one against Live Oak High. Never heard of either of them." He looked to his assistant coaches but they all shared helpless shrugs. "Looks like we''ll be going in blind. I''ll look over their box score and see if I can find anything if use." He nodded to Zeke. "I''ll let you wrap it up." He walked away, taking his staff with him.

    Zeke stood up and took center stage. He looked around. "First off, I''m happy with the win. Coach was right when he said we did well. I almost have no complaints." His eyes fell on me and Noah, making me flinch. "Of course, I do know of a couple of freshmen which will have to run quite a bit on Monday."

    The team broke out in laughter, Noah frowned, and I sighed in despair. With my bad at bat and my questionable fielding, I wasn''t too surprised.

    "Moving on." Zeke commanded everyone''s attention. "I know some of you had to carpool since not all parents could make the drive. My parents are inviting all of us to eat lunch together at a nearby restaurant." He went on, giving out lunch details before letting us go.

    Everyone went in their respective car they showed up in, and we all met up at the food place. Lunch wasn''t rushed and everyone seemed relaxed.

    I was squished between Julian and Noah. "What will we do with the free time after lunch?" I asked Noah as we waited for our food to come out.

    Noah shrugged. "Probably just watch whoever is playing on the fields until we can warm up. Sometimes these tournaments have really odd gaps between games, but there''s nothing we can do about it. Our game this morning wasn''t too long, especially since there wasn''t a whole lot of hits for either team."

    That''s true. Garret only gave up five hits and two runs. Not bad. Meanwhile our offense had eight hits and four runs. Three of which were mine. I frowned to myself. I had almost a third of the teams hits, yet I was feeling weighed down by my own thoughts of ''not performing well enough''. I even had more hits than Zeke. Granted, he had one less at bat...but still. Why did it feel like I didn''t do well at all?

 188 Game Two: Durham Preparatory 1

    After lunch, we went back to the tournament area and sat at an empty bleacher, and just relaxed. Some of the guys laid their heads down on their bags, and put their headphones in to listen to music. Some pulled out their phones to play some games or go on social media. Even Zeke pulled out his phone.

    I curiously studied him, wondering what he could be playing.

    "Zeke''s probably searching for info on the next opponent." Noah caught me staring. "Zeke is always thinking baseball. More than anyone I know."

    "You''re all about baseball too." I replied.

    Noah smiled at me. "Of course! I want to play for the rest of my life! All throughout high school, college, work my way through the minor league and then become a professional."

    "But, can''t you be drafted right after high school? You guys talked about it before...that Zeke could be drafted to a pro team if he entered into the draft."

    Noah nodded. He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to us as we sat off to the side. "The draft is in early June before graduation. About three months from today actually. Zeke is getting tight on time on making a decision."

    "He didn''t strike me as the indecisive type?" I pointed out.

    Noah shrugged helplessly. "Who knows what Zeke''s thinking? He''s not exactly an open book. But, it''s definitely on his mind. No college has grabbed enough of his attention to make him drop the idea of going pro right away. That''s even with scholarship offers being thrown out." He peeked over at his eldest brother, who was still studying the info in his phone. "He has a lot of choices, that''s for sure."

    I nodded in agreement. "What would you do?"

    Noah grinned as he looked back at me. "Of course I''d play a year in college just to show off at the College World Series before entering the draft. What about you? What do you think you would do?"

    I thought about it, and came up with an answer. "I would follow you."

    Noah laughed right away. He reached to put me in his fake chokehold, but I dodge. "C''mon Jake! Let me show you some brotherly love."

    "Keep it to yourself." I rolled out of his reach, then jumped to my feet.

    Noah didn''t give up. He hopped up as well and followed me down the bleachers. "Jake! Come back! I promise I wasn''t going to hurt you. It''s just for fun."

    I snorted. Fun for who? I sped down and reached the bottom. Just as I started to pick up speed and try to find a hiding spot, I felt a heavy weight on my back just before falling on my face.

    Noah sat on top of me. "No doubt you''re getting a little faster, but you''re no match for me." He started to tickle my rib cage.

    I let out a few laughs, but then started to gasp for air. It''s not very easy to breathe when someone is sitting on you AND tickling you.

    "20 laps. Each." A stern voice was close. I peeked up and saw Zeke towering over us as we rolled on the ground. "Why are you trying to tire yourselves out before the game?"

    Noah slowly got off me, and then helped me up. He readjusted his cap. "We were just having some fun."

    "There are times when it''s okay to have fun, and then there are times when you need to focus on relaxing. Are you trying to tell me that you don''t want to play in this next game?" Zeke seemed like he was getting angrier by the second.

    "No, I just-" Noah started to defend us.

    But I cut him off, and apologized for the both of us. "Sorry. We shouldn''t have been wasting energy." I toed at the ground, a little scared to look up.

    "Jake, don''t apologize." Noah said, getting a little bit louder. "Zeke just has a stick up his butt and doesn''t know that this is a form of relaxing too."

    "Maybe it''s you, who should be learning from Jake." Zeke continued the scolding. "Apologize instead of making excuses. At least he knows he''s in the wrong. Now sit down. Coach should be back soon." I watched Zeke''s feet turn and go back to where he was sitting.

    Only then, did I dare to look up. Noah was still beside me, fists clenched, and a frown etched into his face. He glanced at me, then abruptly turned to climb back up the bleachers. I followed and we quietly sat back down, next to our bags.

    With Noah looking gloomy, I naturally felt guilty. So I did what I was best at: apologizing. "Sorry Noah." I mumbled.

    Noah let out a long breath of air. "Stop saying that. I''m not mad at you. Only at the killjoy brother of mine. I mean, I''m competitive too! But, like dad said, we should be having fun."

    I nodded to whatever he said, just happy that he wasn''t angry with me. Noah continued to be moody, but I didn''t mind so much, knowing that it wasn''t because of me.

    After ten minutes, Coach did show back up with his assistants right behind him. His appearance made the team stop with their activities and fully grabbed their attention. Coach pulled out a piece of paper. "This will be the lineup. As a collective, your pitcher coaches and I came up with this lineup so no complaints."

    He read off the list:

    1 1B Julian Wilson

    2 SS Noah Atkins

    3 2B Jake Hollander

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 LF Garret Knudsen

    6 RF Mahki Holstrom

    7 P Kyle Atkins

    8 3B Chris Ludwick

    9 C Kelvin Bender

    It changed. Again.

    I scooted closer to Noah. "I didn''t know Garret could play in the outfield."

    "I mentioned it before." Noah replied. "When we were trying to get you on the team, I told you, he can play in the outfield thanks to his strong arm, plus he can hit. He''s not as useless as a set of twins I know."

    I snickered. Always hating on his own brothers. Noah could always fit in a snide remark about one or more of them.

    "What about Sean and Tony?" I asked as I remembered that Mahki would play in right.

    Noah shrugged and lowered his voice. "They aren''t doing well at the plate. Neither is Mahki today, but Mahki has the best arm after Zeke, and his overall batting average is pretty good."

    Oh. Right. You can be benched for your lack of performance. Coach does make the lineup with the idea of trying to win the game; that''s why he was always switching it up, trying to find the perfect lineup. This lineup made me a little more comfortable, sitting behind Noah, and right before Zeke. I couldn''t see how we could lose with the three of us in the beginning of the lineup.

 189 Game Two: Durham Preparatory 2

    After coach announced the lineup, he also informed us that we would get to be the home team since we beat the higher seeded team. That meant, batting at the bottom of the inning and we would get our dugout, the one on the third base side. We haven''t played any away games so it''s kind of what I''m used to.

    When it got closer to warmup time, Zeke led us to the empty dugout to drop off our bags and to get our cleats on. After making sure everything was settled, we started our warmups.

    Kyle was noticeably nervous as he tripped over his own feet a couple of times as he watched Durham on the other side of the field. After the fifth bad throw during tosses, Zeke finally went over and spoke to him quietly. After that, Kyle straightened up and his eyes didn''t wander to see how the other team was doing.

    "What do you think he said to Kyle?" Noah asked for my opinion as we moved to practice fielding.

    "If you don''t stop fooling around, you''ll run laps." I imitated Zeke as best as I could, even staying expressionless.

    Noah cracked up laughing, drawing attention to us. I nudged him. "Sorry, that was too good. I didn''t think you would actually come up with an answer."

    "Then why did you ask?" I mumbled, embarrassed.

    Noah shrugged. "I thought you would say ''I don''t know'' or something and then I would tell you what I thought Zeke told Kyle."

    I looked around to make sure none of our teammates were too close, then I asked. "What do you think he said?"

    "I bet he threatened to replace Kyle with Dave. That''s usually a good motivator to get Kyle to focus. He doesn''t like to be one upped by Dave. But same with Dave. Must be hard to have a twin that plays the same position as you. I''m glad none of my brothers play shortstop."

    I nodded. I was happy none of them played second. It was the only suitable position for me. I wonder what position my brother played when he was younger. Was he playing in college or trying to make the cut in the minor leagues? Did he even keep playing baseball after leaving with dad? Maybe he played in high school and stopped after graduating. I think he was seven years older than me so he should be about 21.

    "Jake. Jakey. Jakeee." Noah''s constant chatter pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked at him with a blank face. "Hey, where''d you go? You froze like an old computer."

    I shrugged my shoulders, trying to get rid of the tension that built up. "I was just thinking."

    "About?" Noah curiously eyed me.

    "Freshmen!" Coach''s voice could be heard clearly even though he was by home plate. "Bring it in. Focus on warming up."

    We both shut up, ran to our positions, and didn''t talk anymore during warmups. After an hour, the umpires showed up and the stands started to fill up with spectators. We were back in the dugout, waiting to take the field after coach exchanged the lineups with the other team''s coach and the umpire.

    "Dave, James, Theo, Troy, and Ryan, go to the bullpen with Jordan. You five will be on standby starting from inning one. Make sure to get up every now and then to stretch." Zeke spoke and the team started to move.

    Dave bumped Kyle on his way out. "Try not to need me too soon." He laughed as Kyle pushed him out of the dugout.

    Coach came back, signaling for us to take the field. We ran out to our positions and started to toss the ball around as Kyle took the mound to throw some warmup pitches.

    Watching Kyle made me think that Dave was right about him...he looked shaken already and lacked confidence before the game even started. His nervousness amped up my anxiety and I made a bad throw to Julian on first.

    Julian shot me a look after he had to reach to catch the ball. He sent the ball to the dugout and jogged over to me. "What was that?"

    I tugged at my jersey. "Just a little nervous."

    He pushed down my hat. "You''re always nervous. That''s why you''re Bambi. Just play like you normally do. Nothing new and nothing creative. You aren''t Noah so don''t try to be flashy. Just one out at a time." The umpire behind the plate was calling for the batter to step up so Julian had to go back.

    He was right. I''m always nervous, but I''m still able to make plays. This game isn''t any different.

    Kyle faced the leadoff hitter for Durham Preparatory. His first two pitches went wide, even making Kelvin get out of position to grab them. With a 2-0 count, he tried calming himself down to throw a strike down the middle. Unfortunately, that''s what the batter thought he would do, and swung, connecting with the ball and sending it up the middle. Zeke fielded the grounder and threw to Noah, holding the batter at first.

    The Durham dugout cheered as loud as possible, making Kyle flinch. He started to look pale like he might even throw up. He faced the second batter with shaky legs and bad aim, walking up and giving up a free base.

    Before the third batter stepped up, Kelvin jumped up and ran to Kyle. They shared some words, hidden behind their gloves. Kyle''s shoulders stayed tensed up, but his expression became a little more clearer. The umpire called for Kelvin to come back and he complied.

    Kyle checked the runners on first and second before facing the third batter. He completed his motion and threw the ball to Kelvin, just barely catching the inside corner for a called strike one. His first real strike, excluding the one the first batter hit to the outfield. The batter was unfazed. He stepped out of the box, took a practice swing, then stepped back in. Kyle checked the runners, making sure they didn''t have an overwhelming lead off the bag.

    Then he turned his attention to the batter. With an aggressive step forward, he pitched a fastball, aiming for the strike zone. The batter was able to see it and swung. The sound of the aluminum bat hitting the ball made a ''ping'' sound, but I hardly noticed as the ball came towards me on the hop. It was a sharp, fast grounder. I used my glove to get it out of the dirt, and using my right hand, I took it out of my glove and did an underhand toss to Noah, who was waiting on second base. He tagged the bag before the runner from first could even start his slide, then he threw to Julian with great aim, beating out the batter and converted the double play. Julian quickly stepped off the bag, ready to throw home in case the runner on third tried to score.

    The runner retreated back to third and stayed there so Julian returned the ball to Kyle on the mound. Our own dugout didn''t lose out in cheering, happy with our double play. A few "Bambi!" shouts made me blush.

    "That was great!" Noah gave me a thumbs up and I returned the gesture. Noah really had a good arm as a freshman, making such an accurate throw with a runner in the way. I probably would have accidentally hit him in the face or something.

    Kyle was the only one who didn''t look happy with the double play. Instead, he was back to looking as pale as a ghost. He watched as the cleanup batter stepped up to the plate. He was the first lefty I''ve seen besides me and Garret. I watched as he dug his back leg in and stared down Kyle. I shivered. He gave me the same feeling as Zeke, like he would blast any pitch that came his way.

    Kyle started with a ball in the dirt. Then another ball wide. His third pitch came a bit high and could have been called a ball of the batter didn''t swing. But he went against logic and sent the ball flying. It zoomed well over the infield and didn''t start its descent until it went over the fence. A home run. 0-2. I stared in shock. This would be the first time we would start behind the other team. As long as I''ve been on the team, we''ve always had the lead.

    Granted, we didn''t have a turn up to bat yet. Kyle wasn''t even surprised. He just sighed and kicked the dirt after Kelvin tossed him a new ball. I worriedly check to see if Noah would say anything, but all Noah did was stare at his brother on the mound.

    Kyle remained pale as he faced the fifth batter. Again with a favorable count, he hit a ball deep to left field. Garret sprinted back and was able to catch it right before the fence. A collective sigh came from the players on the field, the players in our dugout, and the parents in the stands. It would have been unbelievable for Kyle to give up back to back home runs in the first inning of the game. It was still hard for me to swallow that we were already losing by two.

 190 Game Two: Durham Preparatory 3

    The dugout was oddly silent as I put on my helmet and grabbed my bat. Noah was already way ahead of me, moving with purpose. Him and Julian were out taking practice swings, waiting for the umpire to signal that we could start our offense.

    I moved close to them, just inside the dugout though. I gripped my wood bat, excited for another chance to hit the ball. I already decided I would do better in this game compared to this morning.

    "You look excited." A comment from behind caught me by surprise, making me jump. I peeked back to see Zeke with his helmet on and a bat in his hands. "I won''t hold you back, but I want you to put your focus on getting on base."

    I tilted my head. "I''ll get on base if I get a hit?"

    Zeke didn''t change expressions, but I could hear the frown in his voice as he chided me. "A lot could happen when you put the ball in play. I know you have confidence in your hitting and that''s great, but you have to think about the other team as well. They have a highly rated defense. They could easily make a great play to get you out. Or if Julian or Noah got on base, they might even turn a double play. Don''t underestimate them. And don''t overestimate yourself."

    I sighed. Zeke was right. I should consider the circumstances.

    Zeke patted the top of my helmet and leaned down to whisper. "Get on base and I''ll send us around the bases to at least tie up the game. For Kyle. And for the team."

    My first thought went back to the ''don''t overestimate yourself'' comment that he just said to me. But looking up at him, I had no words to argue with. Zeke was the best player I knew and if he said he could do it, then I would believe. I nodded and then heard the umpire call for Julian to step in the box. I turned my back to Zeke and paid attention to the game.

    Zeke''s words were a clear and forthright declaration. If I got on base, he would tie up the game. So hopefully Julian and Noah would get on, so we could take the lead instead.

    Julian was able to connect with a pitch, but was unable to safely reach first. He grounded out to the second baseman, who threw to first before Julian could get there. Noah moved to the batter''s box and I moved out to the on deck circle.

    Noah had better luck: on a slightly high pitch in the strike zone, he swung with his high grip on the bat, sending a line drive between left and center field. With a drop of his bat, he was off. Noah immediately sprinted to first and didn''t hesitate to round the bag and head straight to second. He completed an unnecessary slide into second before the ball even got to the cutoff man, but the crowd loved it. Noah jumped up and dusted himself off.

    I shook my head at his antics. I was almost completely positive that Noah will hear Zeke say something about the useless slide and will be tacking on more laps. At this rate, we''ll be spending all of Monday''s practice running.

    I got into the lefty''s box, ready to go. With Noah on second, I didn''t have to worry about a double play so I had options. I decided to swing at anything close on the off chance that I could send Noah home. Sad to say, I didn''t even get a chance. The first pitch went high and wide, making the catcher jump out of his crouch position. The next two went in the dirt. And the fourth went wide, past the catcher. Noah took off and sprinted to third and safely reached due to the wild pitch.

    I lightly put my bat down and jogged to first. Zeke was up so I didn''t bother leading off the base like I should have. Zeke said he would bring us home, and I believe him. But his first pitch held a surprise that I did expect. This pitcher still had bad control and threw another wild pitch. Normally it would have been outside for a lefty like me, however Zeke was a righty so that was an inside pitch. Really inside. He barely turned away in time and took the pitch to his lower back.

    "Oooh." The crowd exclaimed in sympathy.

    "Take your base!" The umpire declared, pointing for Zeke to go to first.

    Zeke dropped his bat and shot a glare at the pitcher. The catcher was quick to put himself between the pitcher and Zeke and ensured that Zeke didn''t make a run at his teammate. I moved to second and continuously checked to make sure Zeke was okay. Zeke was typical Zeke, just standing on the bag ready to play some baseball.

    Garret stepped into the lefty''s box, with one out and the bases loaded. Mr. Miller signaled for him to hit anything that came close and for us runners to be ready to go. I took a page out of Noah''s book, and stepped off the bag as much as the fielder was away. It was daring for me, but I thought it would be okay even if they attempted to throw me out, Noah would have a chance to score from third with his crazy speed.

    Unexpectedly, the pitcher found his rhythm against Garret as his pitches started to land within the strike zone. It didn''t faze Garret though, he found one that he liked and blasted it to the outfield. I resisted the urge to look where it would go and kept my eyes on Mr. Miller. He yelled, "Go!" And sent Noah home so I figured I should make a run for third. Mr. Miller waved me on and did a windmill like motion to signal to keep running. I rounded third and sprinted on home.

    Noah was in my line of vision and yelled for me to not slide. I stepped on home plate and turned to watch how this play would end. Zeke was blazing down third baseline, showing a speed faster than Noah. He easily touched home as the ball was thrown back into the infield. Garret stood on second, showing pride in his bases-clearing, standup double. We took the lead 3-2.

 191 Game Two: Durham Preparatory 4

    Back at the dugout, we were surrounded by the team and accepted compliments and cheers. Even Coach gave us a satisfied nod. Mahki was starting his at bat as we put away our helmets, and took a seat to rest.

    After Zeke placed his helmet in his bag, he went up to Coach and they had a private discussion that didn''t involve anyone else.

    "Do you think that pitch hurt him?" Noah whispered to me as we both looked at Zeke and coach. Coach had his arms across his chest, his body slightly turned to the field so he could still watch the game going on. Zeke''s arms were at his side as he stood ramrod straight. If he was injured, then he hid it well.

    "He looks okay to me." I shrugged.

    Noah squinted down the dugout, looking suspiciously at his oldest brother. "Yea, but he always looks like that. Happy. Sad. Mad. That''s just his face."

    I gave another weak shrug before leaning in. "What about Kyle? I''m more concerned about him..."

    Noah waved me away. "Don''t even bother. Kyle will either sink or swim on his own. Just field and focus on offense. I told you before, good hitting wins games, bad fielding loses games. Pitching is irrelevant."

    I let out a laugh, and Noah joined in.

    "What''s so funny over here?" Sean scooted down the bench to be a little closer.

    "Nothing much." Noah replied. "Just telling Jake that pitchers don''t matter. They''re just part of the game so the ball can be put into play."

    Sean let out a laugh too. "Don''t let your brothers hear you saying that." He elbowed me. "Don''t take Noah''s words too seriously. Pitchers can make or break a team. They''re the core and we fielders are just side shows."

    "That''s a lie." Noah refuted. "Just look at the Mets last year. They had a great pitcher like DeGrom, yet they couldn''t win a game to save their lives. Without batting, you can''t win."

    "No way, in the major leagues you need a good pitching staff if you want to make a run at 100 wins in a season." Sean argued.

    They bickered throughout the rest of the inning, but I didn''t pay any more attention to it since I didn''t know much about the MLB. All I knew was some team names and even then, I couldn''t name them all.

    Instead, I watched our team finished out the inning. Mahki sent a very hard hit line drive to the second baseman for the second out, then Kyle struck out swinging, leaving Garret stranded on second base.

    The second inning didn''t hold much action for either team. Kyle was able to finish them off with a groundout to Julian at first, a swinging strikeout, and then a line drive right to Garret in left field. Three up, three down. The same went for us. Chris and kelvin both struck out swinging, and Julian only hit a fly ball to their left fielder. Three up, three down.

    Kyle stood on the mound at the top of the third inning, looking more comfortable after shutting them out in the second inning. The third inning started with Durham''s ninth batter, who popped out to Zeke in center field. After catching the ball, Zeke threw it in to Noah, who played middleman. Noah got the ball from him, and spent a few extra seconds looking to the outfield with an odd look on his face. Finally he shook his head as if he was lost in his thoughts and were trying to disperse them.

    He turned and threw the ball to Kyle on the mound, not noticing my curious look pointed his way. He just peeked behind him, then faced forward, looking like nothing happened. I tried to do the same to focus on the batter coming up.

    Kyle was back to facing the top of the lineup, starting with the guy who had hit a single off of him almost immediately. He didn''t fare any better this time, giving up a line drive down the first baseline. It was just out of Julian''s grasp, meaning that Mahki had to run to the corner where the ball had started to roll to. Julian went out to be the cut off man, Noah took near second, and I moved towards first to back up the catch in case Julian misses or Mahki overthrows.

    Mahki picked the ball up out of the dirt and threw to Julian spot-on. Julian quickly relayed the ball to Noah at second base, but the batter had already slid into the bag safely before Noah could even attempt a tag. Noah gave the ball back to Kyle, who was back to looking whiter than normal. Oh boy.

    We moved back to our positions, with Noah staying a little closer to second base than normal, making sure the runner didn''t take a nice lead off the bag.

    Kyle''s pitches started to drift away from the strike zone again. The second batter hit an outside pitch between me and Julian. I took a few steps and dove for it, before it rolled to the grass. From my knees, I quickly fielded the ball to Julian for the second out. Julian stepped off first and pumped a fake throw to second, keeping the runner from advancing.

    After making sure he wasn''t going anywhere, Julian gave the ball back to Kyle. Kyle''s struggles continued as he walked the third batter with pitches all over the place, and then even hitting the fourth batter. The cleanup hitter who had smacked the ball out of the park in the first inning.

    Durham Preparatory started shouting accusations:

    "That was on purpose ump!"

    "He''s just faking losing control!"

    "He just so happens to hit our best player?!"

    The yells not only came from the dugout, but the stands as well. It didn''t take long for the Durham coach to step out of the dugout and our own coach followed suit. The home plate umpire called ''time'' and met with the two coaches, with another ump coming to assist.

    "Pot calling the kettle black." Noah spat out as he came over. "What a load of crap."

    I shook my head in confusion.

    Noah nodded towards the Durham dugout. "They''re accusing Kyle of purposely hitting their best player, right? Well what about them hitting Zeke? Not only is he our best player, but he''s the county''s best player too. If the ump is going to discipline Kyle, he''ll have to be fair and call it both ways."

    "How?"

    Noah started to answer me, but it looked like the coaches and umpires discussion had came to an end. The head ump took a few steps forward and pointed at our bench and then he also pointed at Durham''s.

    "See? He just issued warnings to both teams." Noah explained. "So the next time a suspicious or questionable play happens, he can eject the offender without argument."

    I gulped and worriedly looked at Kyle.

    "Don''t worry. Kyle''s fine." Noah tried to placate me. "The worst that can happen is that he continues to struggle and accidentally hits another player. Then he''ll be ejected from the game and some other pitcher will take over. Pitchers are expendable like that."

    My lips twitched at his last statement before he moved back into position. Noah really didn''t hold pitchers into high regard and I wonder if that had something to do with growing up with Zeke as an older brother. You can''t really see the importance of a pitcher if you have a brother who owns an unbelievable hit streak, no matter who the pitcher is.

    With the bases loaded and two outs, the inning ended kind of anticlimactic as the fifth batter popped out to Chris at third base. Not that I have anything against boring when it was in our favor. It''s just...maybe a little disappointing. Like it should have ended with a comeback strikeout from Kyle, or a great diving stop by one of us infielders, or even a jump at the fence to rob a grand slam by the outfielders.

    I stopped my imagination from running wild and focused on getting my helmet on and pulling out my bat. I would be second up to start the bottom of the third inning. With our 3-2 lead, I''m sure Zeke won''t mind if I get a hit or not.

 192 Game Two: Durham Preparatory 5

    Noah was able to start our offense with a walk, earning a free base. Before stepping into the box, I checked with Zeke to make sure he didn''t have any specific instructions for me. He just glanced towards Mr. Miller, so I did the same. Miller moves his hands around, mixing in signals and fake signals. As far as I know, I think it means that I can just do what I want.

    I stepped into the lefty''s box and eyed the pitcher. He didn''t show any outstanding pitches or speed, and he even lacked control. Him and Kyle, both seem to be having a bad day on the mound. Durham''s pitcher started me off with a couple of balls in the dirt, and then he started to find the strike zone. I took two called strikes just to see what he could do. With a 2-2 count, he completed his motion and threw a fastball low and inside but still within the strike zone. I really couldn''t understand this guy. He wasted so many pitches when he could still throw something like this?

    Even though it was a well-placed pitch, my hands were quick enough to react and connect with the ball. The ball came off my bat and shot right up the middle, just narrowly missing the pitcher, then it snuck past the middle infielders. I took off for first and was able to see the center fielder come in to make the play. He got the ball back in just as Noah and I stood safely on our respective bases.

    The ball was returned to the pitcher and Zeke stepped up to bat. Two on with no outs. My heart started to pound, knowing that I would have to start running as soon as I hear the ''ping'' from Zeke''s bat hitting the ball.

    To my surprise, and to the surprise of others watching, the catcher stood up with his hand out, signaling for an intentional walk. The pitcher agreed and threw four pitches way outside. They were going to load up the bases with no outs. I couldn''t understand. I just have to save my questions for Noah the next time we were in the dugout.

    With Zeke being intentionally walked, I advanced to second and Noah advanced to third. Garret would get another chance to send us all home with the bases loaded and no outs. He stepped into the lefty''s box and looked ready to kill it.

    The pitcher miraculously came at him with some serious speed, no longer having trouble with wild pitches. I frowned at this phenomenon. This pitcher was extremely odd and gave me the same feeling as Paradise Preparatory, like they were intentionally playing with us. Kind of. More like, just with Zeke by taking away his opportunities to hit.

    Garret got a piece of the ball on a 1-2 count, sending the ball high in the sky, but unfortunately it was heading right to the shortstop. I stayed on second base, thinking the shortstop would catch the easy out. But the unexpected happened, he tripped just as he got under the ball, and missed the catch.

    Shocked and caught off guard, I sprinted to third as fast as I could.

    But to add more confusion, Noah was still on third, yelling at me, "Go back! Go back!"

    The ball came from over my shoulder and the third baseman caught it before he started running to me. Extremely confused, I did what anyone normal person would do: ran away. Back to second like Noah said. As soon as I switched back, the ball flew over my shoulder again to the waiting second baseman. Stunned, I couldn''t avoid his tag. I was out.

    The play didn''t end there. The second baseman suddenly threw to home plate, where Noah was heading. Seeing the catcher with the ball, Noah turned back to third. The catcher threw to the shortstop, who was covering third, and he chased Noah back towards home plate. Then the shortstop threw to the pitcher who was covering home, and he chased Noah back to third. Noah lasted way longer than I did in a rundown, but he couldn''t get an advantage over Durham. It wasn''t much longer before he was also tagged out. Shit.

    I started moving to the dugout, and Durham went back to their own dugout too. I watched in confusion, feeling my head hurt from not understanding what just happened.

    "You idiot!" Chris cornered me as soon as I got back in the dugout. "What were you thinking?!? Why did you run us out of the inning?! We had the bases loaded! We could have scored more runs!!"

    I cowered against the fence, scared of Chris, whose face was turning a dark shade of red, and just radiated anger. His arms reached for me and grabbed the front of my jersey. But only for a second, as Noah squeezed between us and slapped his hands away from me.

    Chris glared and tried to push Noah aside, but soon the rest of the team jumped into action and a few grabbed him to pull him back.

    "LUDWICK!! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU''RE DOING?!?" Coach hollered as he made his way to this side of the dugout. He got in Chris''s face and poked him in the chest. "I''m the damn coach around here. If I see you lay your hands on anyone else in this team, I''ll kick you off without hesitation." He glanced to Coach Luis who just came over. "Take him away to cool down." He found another face. "Sean, grabbed your glove. You''ll play third."

    A hand reached for me out of the corner of my eye and I ducked to dodge, squatting behind Noah. Noah felt my sudden movements and turned to face me. He squatted too, eye level with me.

    "Jake? It''s okay. Coach Luis is taking Chris away. It''s just Zeke." Noah pointed at the feet that was closest to us.

    I felt myself starting to shake. If Chris had such a reaction to me, I couldn''t imagine what Zeke would say.

    "Take the field!" I heard coach yell and my teammates started to scatter.

    "Kyle, stall for some time during your warmup." Zeke spoke up. Soon the dugout got a little quieter.

    Noah was still squatted beside me, but I didn''t dare to look up just yet. I was positive Zeke was going to chew me out next.

    "Zeke, you''re scaring him. Squat down too!" Noah demanded.

    Within seconds, his knees dropped into my vision. I tried scooting back, but landed on my butt, now facing Zeke and Noah. They both still had helmets on just like me.

    Noah glared at his eldest brother. "Say something! Your silence is just making him worse."

    Zeke sighed and took off his helmet, tucking it under his arm. "Jake, it''s okay. Mistakes happen. What Chris did was inexcusable. You can be assured that he''ll not only be punished by coach and me, but I''m sure the school will share some words about his physical reaction. There''s never any reason to hit someone. Especially a teammate."

    I peeked into his eyes, seeing the calm expression like always, I relaxed my tensed body. I peered up at him. "Are you mad at me too?"

    Zeke just shook his head. "If anything, I''m mad at myself. I sometimes forget how new you are to the game itself. It didn''t even cross my mind that you don''t know what the infield fly rule is until you took off for third."

    I gulped and looked at Noah, remember his urging for me to go back to second. "I wasn''t supposed to run?"

    Noah let out a smile, "No. The infield fly rule was invoked. That means-"

    "We''ll talk about it after the game." Zeke cut him off. "We have to get back to the game now. Come on." Zeke stood up and Noah did as well. They both held out a hand to me. I grabbed them with my hands and they lifted me to my feet, making me feel a little lighter. "Grab your gloves and focus on defense for now. Let the last inning go; we still have the lead."

 193 Game Two: Durham Preparatory 6

    We had to hurry out as the umpire was already heading over to tell coach that time was up. I don''t know what Kyle did to stall for time, but the umpire wasn''t happy with our team.

    Top of the fourth: Kyle was able to strikeout the first batter up. He then allowed a single to the outfield. After a fly out to Zeke in center field, I watched Noah studying Zeke as he threw the ball back in. He was definitely suspicious of his brother and is probably thinking of how he''s hiding an injury. Zeke didn''t look like he was in pain, nor did he say anything about it, so it must not be a big deal. He wouldn''t do anything to harm the team.

    The following batter was in the ninth slot, and previously hit a fly ball to the outfield. Kyle cornered him into a 1-2 count, making him swing on a bad pitch. He hit a light grounder right to Noah, who tossed it to me as I ran for second base. I caught the ball, tagged the base, and got out of the way of the runner that just became our third out.

    The team jogged backed to our dugout, but I slowed up, trying to see if Chris was still in there. He would be even more mad than before now that he''s been replaced in the lineup.

    Noah grabbed my arm and started to pull me in. "He''s not here. Coach wouldn''t let someone so hotheaded like that in the dugout. Come on, let go over the infield fly rule from last inning."

    My shoulders sagged and I followed obediently. We sat down by our bags and our teammates started our offense with Mahki, Kyle, and Sean.

    "So the basics of the infield fly rule has to meet certain requirements, first there has to be less than two outs, and also a force play at third: i.e., when there are runners at first and second base, or the bases are loaded." Noah tilted his head at me. "So last inning we had bases loaded and no outs. As soon as there was an infield pop fly, you should have looked towards the nearest ump or even just keep your ears open. They''ll call ''infield fly'' and usually will point up at the sky to signal that the batter is automatically out. No matter what."

    "So when the infielder tripped and missed the catch...I didn''t have to run?"

    Noah shook his head. "Nope. Because the batter was already out. Plus, this is rule is to discourage infielders from purposely missing the catch so they could turn double or even triple plays."

    I looked out to the shortstop on the field for Durham. "Do you think he did it on purpose?"

    Noah gave me the side eye. "If he didn''t, then he''s the clumsiest shortstop I know. At a private school no less."

    That''s a yes then. Ahhh, why didn''t I know about this before? Dummy. But then I thought about another odd thing about it. I looked at Noah directly so he could see my seriousness. "How did they know that I would mess up?"

    "It''s because they did their homework." Zeke appeared in front of us, making me jump a little in my seat. He ignored my actions and glanced at Noah. "Have you explained the infield fly rule adequately?"

    Noah nodded. "I did. We were just discussing if it was on purpose or not. Which you think it is too..."

    Zeke looked at me. "I don''t think they purposely set that whole situation up like that. But I''m sure they were told that you were a newbie or at least a freshman."

    "Do you think they hit you on purpose..?" I said in a tiny voice, afraid he would get mad about it.

    Zeke merely shrugged. "No use to worry about it now. It''s happened. And then an intentional walk to load the bases? I''m completely positive they won''t give me a chance to hit."

    Noah looked at Zeke, up and down, as if he was looking for evidence. "Are you hurt?"

    Zeke frowned. "No."

    "Then why are you making that face?"

    "Because I have a younger, troublesome brother."

    "Kyle? Yea, I know. He''s been pretty rocky on the mound today." Noah played dumb.

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "Stop playing around. Your immaturity really proves that you''re a freshman."

    Noah leaned back and put his hands behind his head. "No shame here. I am what I am. I do what I do."

    "Five extra laps for not paying attention to the game." Zeke said before walking away.

    "You weren''t paying attention either! Hypocrite." Noah spoke as Zeke went to the other side of the dugout. He didn''t spare us an extra glance. Noah sat back up like normal and suddenly scooted in super close towards me. "He''s hurt!" He whispered-yell into my ear.

    I retreated back in shock. "What?! How can you tell?" I peeked back to where Zeke went.

    Noah put his hand on my head to stop me, ensuring that I was only looking at him. "Don''t draw attention. I could tell as soon as he got defensive. If he really wasn''t hurt, he wouldn''t have insulted me."

    "What do we do?" I whispered back.

    "We watch. Just keep an eye on him for any weird movements or something out of the ordinary. It''s probably not too bad if he can still move around and field the ball." True. Noah would know after watching him for so long.

    Our conversation was cut short there as the fourth inning ended. It was a quick one with Mahki getting a walk, Kyle popping out to second, Sean hit a high foul, which the catcher was able to catch. Then Kelvin finished it with a soft roller to the first baseman who didn''t need any help to beat him out to first base. Still 3-2, us. Top of the fifth we go.

 194 Game Two: Durham Preparatory 7

    Top of the fifth inning, Kyle had to start at the top of the lineup. His jitters continued as he allowed back to back singles, placing runners on first and second. He was able to strike the third batter out, bringing up the cleanup hitter.

    The cleanup hitter was the one that reminded me of Zeke, with an overwhelming aura of ''I''m better than you''.He had previously hit the home run, plus he was also hit by Kyle''s pitch in his second at bat.

    Kelvin called time and walked up to the mound to share some words with Kyle. I peeked over at Noah to see if we should join, but he just shook his head. The talk didn''t last long, just a few seconds before Kelvin went back to his spot. Then came the showdown.

    Kyle checked the runners, stepped on the rubber, checked again, and then started his motion. The ball looked to catch a piece of the strike zone to me, but the ump called it a ball. Then another ball. A foul tip back into the netting. A foul line drive down the first baseline. On the 2-2 count, his fast, heavy swing connected perfectly with the ball. It wasn''t a ''ping'' or ''ding'' sound, but more like a ''bam!'' as it flew away. I turned to watch it go to the outfield. Zeke tracked it down to the fence, jumped, but came down empty handed. Another home run. A three-run homer to give them a 5-3 lead. Shoot.

    I kicked at the dirt so I wouldn''t have to look at the runners rounding the bases and scoring points. The Durham dugout and their fans in the stands, both hollered and celebrated, making it feel like the end of the game.

    "Jake!" Noah''s voice made me look up. He was jogging to the mound like the rest of the infield. I quickly made my move to join them.

    Coach had also left the dugout to join us on the mound. He held out his hand to Kyle. "You just don''t have the right mentality today."

    Kyle sighed, passed him the ball, then walked off the mound back to the dugout.

    Coach waved to the bullpen and Dave came running out. He joined us on the mound and coach handed him the baseball. "Come out fast. And come out hard. Nothing easy, alright?"

    Dave nodded eagerly. "Yes, sir. No worries! I''ve got this."

    Coach looked at us infielders. "I don''t want anymore grounders sneaking through. Hang back towards the grass if you have to. Good luck." He gave a nod, then walked back to the dugout.

    Dave shooed us off his mound so he could warmup properly on the game mound, so we all went back to our positions. The umpire gave him a couple of minutes before asking the batter to step in.

    Dave looked way more comfortable than Kyle did, but he started off a little wild, walking his first batter. I suppressed a sigh and tried to remain diligent. Dave bounced back with a swinging strikeout and then got the seventh batter to hit a grounder to Noah. Noah played it safe and got the out at first to move us to the bottom of the fifth.

    Durham weren''t the only ones to start at the top of the lineup. We got to do so as well. Julian stepped up to bat, Noah was in the on deck circle, and I was in the hole. Julian worked the count to earn a walk, however Noah wasn''t any help and ended up striking out. He stomped his way back to the dugout, glaring at his bat like it was the culprit.

    I stepped up to the plate and checked Miller for any signs, but he only gave out the sign to swing. I peeked at Zeke in the on deck circle, but he didn''t add any signs. I dug my back foot in and faced the pitcher.

    The pitcher was obviously getting tired; his pitches had slowed down and he started to lose momentum. Which makes sense since Kyle was just pulled too. They had to have almost the same pitch count. The first pitch was a ball, but the second pitch looked too sweet to pass up.

    I stepped forward with my front foot, moved my arms and my wrists, twisted at the hip and connected with the ball. The ball was a line drive over the third baseman''s head and the left fielder was unable to catch it, letting it go over and hit off the wall. I was sprinting to first then onto second as I kept my eye on the outfield. The left fielder played the ball off the wall, and threw a long one to make it to the infield. The cutoff man, the shortstop, caught it and turned around to stop Julian and me from advancing anymore.

    Ah, what a good feeling. I clenched my hands as they could still feel the vibration of my bat when it connected with the ball. Now it was up to Zeke.

    Zeke got into the batter''s box, yet the catcher didn''t squat. Instead, he held out his hand to call for a ball from the pitcher. Again. Like Noah and Zeke said before, they had done their research and they weren''t going to give Zeke a chance to even bat. Cowards. They rather load up the bases than face him head on.

    With Zeke being intentionally walked, it brought up Garret with the bases loaded and one out. Just like in the first inning. If Durham could have a repeat of their first inning, then why can''t we?

    Unfortunately, that''s not how the game works. Garret tried his best, but ended up grounding into a 6-4-3 double play. Great. I held back a groan as I jogged back to the dugout. I don''t know what it is with today, but I''ve been feeling frustrated.

    Top of the sixth, we took the field and Dave got on the mound. He started out strong, getting the first two batters up this inning to ground out. One to Noah and one to me. At least we won''t fall too behind.

    The Durham leadoff hitter stepped up to bat and Dave came at him with a couple of fastballs down and away. Some were balls and some were strikes, making up a 2-2 count. Dave got set, did his motion, and threw a pitch inside. The batter slightly leaned in, not even attempting to swing, and let the pitch hit just above the knee.

    The umpire didn''t waste any time pointing at Dave and then did the arm motion to signify that he was out of the game. My jaw dropped. Coach was the first to react, storming out of the dugout.

    "Are you kidding me?!?" Coach''s voice could be heard nice and clear. "That batter leaned in! That should have been an automatic strike! Meaning he should be out!"

    The umpire said something back, but it wasn''t clear since I was so far away. I stepped closer just as Dave joined coach and the umpire.

    "That was a good pitch! And it wouldn''t have hit him if he didn''t lean in!" Dave tried to defend himself.

    By now, me and the other infielders were near the mound so we could hear what''s going on a bit better. The batter had already ran off to first base with his smug face.

    "I gave warnings for both teams." The umpire said in a calm tone, not fazed by our team''s yelling. "It was a dangerous pitch. After my warnings, you should have been more careful about your pitch selection."

    "What!! You can''t just influence the game like that!" Dave started to turn red in the face.

    The umpire looked at him. "Son, I suggest you leave the field now. I''ve already made my decision and ejected you from the game. Any more arguing and your coach will be the next to go."

    My jaw dropped. "Can he do that?"

    No one answered me. Instead we watched as Mr. Miller and coach Luis come out and drag both coach and Dave away. Coach Luis pointed at the bullpen, asking for a new pitcher. With Kyle gone, and coach back in the dugout, Coach Luis took over and handed the ball to the newcomer.

    Troy, a senior pitcher that I didn''t know very well. He was tall, lean, and didn''t speak much. His blond hair stuck out of his cap a little bit, but it didn''t seem to bug him.

    Coach Luis looked at the four of us as Troy started to warm up with Kelvin. "Stay calm. There''s nothing we can do to change the umps decision. Hell, he can''t change it either. One more out and we''ll switch to offense." He headed back to the dugout where Dave was packing his bag and Coach was still yelling out complaints.

    "Does Dave have to leave the dugout? Or is he just super mad right now?" I whispered to Noah as we headed back to second base. Julian and Sean already ran back to their own spots.

    "He has to leave. All ejections have to leave the field. And not just our field, but the dugout and the stands will also be off limits." Noah sighed. "No doubt, he''s mad about it too. He just got in. And had a better start going than Kyle."

    I sighed too.

    "The worst part is that he won''t be eligible to pitch tomorrow if we even get that far. All ejections have a minimum one game suspension. So even though his pitch count is still low, he won''t be able to be in the dugout tomorrow. If we make it that far." Another sigh.

    "We''re only down by two." I tried to comfort. "Batting wins games, fielding loses games, and pitchers are irrelevant." I didn''t exactly believe that last part, but I figured it wouldn''t hurt to say it.

    Noah started to grin. "Right. Right! We just have to leave a strong showing in the bottom of the inning." His enthusiasm returned and comforted my own anxiety. As long as Noah hasn''t given up, then I think there''s still hope.

    The umpire decided Troy had enough time to warm up and called for the game to resume. Troy''s first opponent was the second batter, who had a walk, groundout, and a single. So 1-2 for the game. I didn''t know Troy well enough to guess what he would throw. He surprised me by starting with a high curve that fell into the strike zone for strike one. Then a 12-to-6 curve, catching the bottom of the strike zone for strike two. The next pitch was a curve that went at the batter, making him flinch, but then it drifted to the center for strike number three. The third out was a looking strikeout on three pitches.

    I was stunned. I didn''t expect our bullpen to have a curveball specialist. A strong urge took rise in me as I really wanted to face him in the next practice. As we jogged into the dugout, I stared at Troy, curious as to why he hadn''t been used before.

 195 Game Two: Durham Preparatory 8

    In the dugout, Troy was talking to coach and Zeke, while Mahki stepped up to bat. With Dave out and Troy as his replacement, he should have been grabbing a helmet and bat to go to the on deck circle. Yet, after a few seconds he went to sit down.

    "Bryce!" Coach looked down the dugout and spoke out to a sophomore next to some of the pitchers that weren''t sent to the bullpen. "Grab a bat. You''ll pinch hit."

    Bryce, at six feet towered over me, jumped up. "Will I get to pitch too?"

    "You haven''t even warmed up." Coach frowned.

    "I''ll warm up properly after my at-bat." Bryce replied as he put on his helmet and grabbed his bat.

    Coach''s frown remained. "We''ll see what you can do at the plate first. Get out there and take some practice swings. Stretch."

    Bryce hurried out with a giant smile in place.

    "This will be his varsity debut." Noah whispered to me.

    I nodded. That sounded about right. He was a sophomore this year so he couldn''t have played last year as a freshman. I know this because I remember Noah making a big deal about being the first freshman on the team for Watsonville in more than a few years. Even Zeke didn''t make the team as a freshman. And I know Bryce hasn''t played this year yet.

    "He can hit even though he pitches?" I asked quietly.

    Noah gave me a look, making me feel embarrassed. "Of course. Not everyone is like the twins. Just look at Garret. He can pitch well and get hits. Bryce is a bit like him. Bryce also plays outfield, but with our lineup now, it''s kind of hard to put him in."

    "I see." I peeked down to where Troy was sitting with a few other seniors. "What about Troy?"

    Noah scrunched up his nose. "What about him?"

    "Why is he getting replaced so soon? He came out hot and throws some nice curves."

    Noah sighed. "He''s strictly a relief pitcher. He doesn''t like hitting. He doesn''t throw more than 30 or so serious pitches so he would never be able to be a starter."

    "Oh. Why?"

    "Because he''s the type that doesn''t want to get hurt. He''s already taking risks by throwing nothing but curveballs. Apparently he was throwing them back in little league so he has a higher chance to have elbow problems in the future." Noah rolled his eyes. "What a dummy. If it''s such a problem, he should stick to fastballs. No college coach is going to want a picky pitcher."

    Mahki''s ''ding'' of the bat grabbed our attention, but it was nothing to be excited over. He hit a high fly ball straight to the right fielder for the first out. Bryce moved up to the batters box and Sean to the on deck circle.

    Bryce was a righty like the majority of the team. His stance looked solid, and he held his bat back without doing any unnecessary movements. He fouled the first pitch back, but wasn''t fazed by the sudden speed. He seemed comfortable just jumping in without warming up. On the second pitch he was able to get a solid connection and sent it to the outfield. As he sprinted around the bases, the center outfielder caught the ball on the hop and made a quick throw to his cutoff man. The cutoff man tossed to the shortstop, who was covering second, just as Bryce was sliding in. We waited for the call.

    "Safe!" The umpire extended his arms.

    Our bench let out cheers and a few claps for the sophomore. Our offense started to feel a little more active again. Sean stepped up to bat on the lefty side and already started to show for a bunt. Kelvin was on deck. And Julian in the hole. Even Noah got out his helmet, anxious for our offense to get some hits and to score some runs.

    Sean was only faking a bunt, and instead had pulled his bat back to try and get a hit. He ended up grounding out to the second baseman. Kelvin was more patient and worked the count since everyone could see him getting tired up on the mound. He earned a walk and Julian followed suit.

    With the bases loaded, Noah stepped up to the plate, and I moved to the on deck circle with Zeke right behind me. What a good opportunity. Granted, there were already two outs so there''s a force play at any base the infield wants, which puts us at a slight disadvantage. Noah choked up on the bat and took his stance. A hit to the outfield could easily tie up the game.

    The pitcher got set, and started his motion. The pitch went wide, but the catcher was able to stop it by getting his body in front of it. Ball one. The pitcher was sweating even in the cool evening air. His next pitch made it over the plate and Noah fouled it back for strike one. On the third pitch, Noah got a better piece of it, sending the ball to left field. It looked good!

    The baserunners all ran. I studiously watched as the ball came down and the left fielder came in. Drop. Drop. Please drop. The left fielder dove forward, full body extension. I squinted as he dove at the ball and slid forward. After a brief second he jumped up, ball in glove, and the cheers roared from the Durham dugout. Third out to end the sixth inning. Crap.

    Our runners all came to the dugout, none looking happy about what had happened.

    "We still have another inning." The familiar stern voice of Zeke spoke up as we all grabbed our gloves. "One inning can change everything around so keep your heads up. Don''t give up until the game is fully over."

    "YES!" The team yelled out together.

    The atmosphere lightened up and we took the field.

    Bryce had convinced coach that he could pitch for a little until one of the bullpen pitchers were ready to go. Seeing that he had no game experience, Coach said he would give him three batters to show what he could do. That was enough to send Bryce sprinting to the mound even though Kelvin didn''t put on all his catchers gear just yet.

 196 Game Two: Durham Preparatory 9

    Bryce was a little to eager so when he came out without Kelvin, he was stuck throwing the ball around with us infielders. Noah looked as skeptical as I felt. I didn''t have a justified reason as to why I felt that way, I just haven''t seen him pitch before and that made me nervous since we''re in a tight spot.

    Soon enough, Kelvin came out and Bryce was able to start throwing some practice pitches. From the corner of my eye I could see someone warming up in our bullpen, giving me the feeling that coach didn''t believe that Bryce could get all three out.

    The umpire called for the game to resume, and the Durham batter to step up to the plate. Bryce would only get to face three batters, but unfortunately for him he took the mound in time to face batters three, four, and five. That''s basically the core of any teams lineup.

    Bryce looked to be excited and I think his excitement translated to nervousness. His pitches were all over the place, resembling Kyle''s earlier performance. The third batter hit a double...and then so did the fourth batter, who drove in another run to make it 6-3, them. After giving up back to back hits, and even giving up a run, his pitches became more off-center, resulting in giving up a walk to his third opponent.

    Coach didn''t waste any time and came out of the dugout after Bryce''s third batter. He took the baseball and sent Bryce to the dugout, head hung low. I felt a pang in my chest as I know what it''s like to be a disappointment. Coach pulled James from the bullpen and handed him the baseball. No words were shared this time around, just a glance over all of our faces, then he joined Bryce in going to the dugout.

    Noah and I drifted towards each other as James threw some pitches to Kelvin.

    "That wasn''t a good start for Bryce at all." Noah whined. "Why couldn''t his pitching be on par with his hit?"

    I tilted my head. "I mean, it kind of was. He hit a double, and then he gave up doubles."

    Noah grabbed my shoulders and shook me, while trying to hold back a laugh. "Jake, I''m being serious. Don''t you realize how serious this is? We''re even losing by more now."

    I brushed his hands off me to stop the flailing motion. "Do you not believe in Zeke''s words that an inning can change everything?"

    Noah stopped his mini panic attack. "Of course I do. In fact, he stole that from me." Uh-huh. Sure. Who was just complaining about giving up another run? "We''re just gonna have to pull off a comeback win. It''ll be a little tricky with you and Zeke getting to bat so soon, but still doable to at least tie it and go to extra innings."

    I kind of felt hesitant to burst his bubble, but felt the need to say it. "Zeke hasn''t been allowed to hit all game. It''s really up to the batters after him."

    Noah stopped his chattering and looked me in the eyes. "Jake." He said in a very serious manner. "Pick a side. Either be optimistic or pessimistic."

    "What? You''re doing the same thing, jumping back and forth from ''oh no'' and to ''we got this''." I said back to him.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Oh lord. Fine. You stay on the fence. I''ll be the optimist and my good thoughts to the universe will push us to the win."

    This time it was my turn to roll my eyes. The universe talk again? I sighed, shook my head and walked back to my spot. Noah could really give me a headache sometimes.

    James was done warming up and it was time to get back to defense. He picked up where Bryce left off, facing against the sixth batter. The sixth batter had struggled all day and luckily it continued as James was able to strike him out for the first out of the inning.

    I peeked over at Noah and he was already looking at me. When he caught sight of me glancing over, he pumped his fist to show he was happy with the first out. I stifled a laugh. What a weirdo.

    James faced the next batter. I got set, hoping for a double play even though it would require me not to mess up. However, the ball never comes when you''re ready for it. Unless your Noah...who''s ready for anything all the time. To the horror of me, the team, and our fans, the seventh batter hit a long, high fly. The kind that goes over the outfield fence and clears the bases. 9-3.

    I gulped. That''s a big difference from needing two of three runs to tie up the game.

    "Don''t mind, don''t mind!" Noah hollered for the infield to hear. "What''s another few runs? Next batter, James! Contact us good. Better than walking and giving up free bases."

    My lips twitched. Noah really was fulfilling his role as the optimist. But really...down by six..? I sighed.

    "No sighing!" Noah yelled making me jump. "All of you! Heads up!" He clapped his glove a couple of times. Okay maybe he''s totally immersed in his role of an optimist. If he''s treating it like it''s not impossible to catch up, then I''ll believe in him.

    After a look around at my teammates, I could see that Noah''s words had reached them and they no longer looked down. Instead, everyone faced the next batter, ready for the next play. I followed their lead and got set as well, but I wasn''t needed. James got the remaining two outs by getting the batters to hit grounders to Noah. Noah was smooth, quick, and efficient with his fielding, looking more like an upperclassmen with experience.

    Getting back to the dugout, he kept the atmosphere light. "We haven''t lost yet. Instead of thinking of three outs till we lose, I want everyone to think seven more runs so we can play again tomorrow!"

    "We don''t need you to tell us that!" Garret pushes down on Noah''s head. "Silly freshman. We''ve done a few more rally''s than you have so just sit down and watch."

    I laughed to myself as they started to bicker. I put on my helmet and grabbed my bat. I was up first this inning to start us off.

 197 Game Two: Durham Preparatory 10

    As I left the dugout, I noticed the pitcher change immediately. He wasn''t very tall, but his speed was impressively hanging around the low 80s just for a warmup.

    "He doesn''t have any breaking pitches." Zeke said from behind me, also ready for his at bat. "He could possibly reach 90mph, but it depends on his condition. I want you to get hit off the first pitch, if you can."

    I nodded. "As long as it''s in the strike zone, I can do it."

    Zeke patted my shoulder. "Good. I''m counting on you."

    I was stunned. As the umpire called for me to step up to the plate, I moved mechanically since Zeke''s words were still sinking in. He''s counting on me? Counting on me. On me.

    A smile took over my face as I got in the lefty''s box to face the new pitcher. He wasn''t anywhere near as tall or scary as the pitcher''s on my own team. Why can''t we score a few runs off him? The first pitch came, a little outside, but it was still within reach. I extended my arms and swung my bat, connecting with the ball and sent it to the opposite side aka the left field. I dropped my bat and took off.

    I was able to make it to second base without needing to slide. I clenched my fists in excitement. Good start. I looked to the pitcher and found him glaring at me. I nervously looked away as fast as possible.

    After waiting a few seconds, I slowly turned to look and found him already facing down Zeke. The catcher stayed in his squatting position, indicating they wouldn''t do another intentional walk. I guess they think that they have enough of a lead to be able to face him head on.

    I''m okay with them coming to that conclusion. Especially since we need quite a few runs. Zeke didn''t disappoint. He also crushed the first pitch like me, but unlike mine, his went clear over the center field fence without any hope of being caught. I ran around the bases, happy to cut the lead down 9-5. Four more to tie, five more for the win.

    We both returned to the dugout and received a few compliments, but everyone''s main focus was the batters box. We still had a long way to go. It''s not like everyone else could hit home runs on demand like Zeke.

    Garret was up next. He didn''t copy us on swinging at the first pitch, and instead took as many pitches possible, before finding one he liked and sending it past the infield. He easily earned a single. Mahki, who had been struggling all day, copied him and also earned a single. Garret was fast enough to reach third, sliding in to avoid the tag. Great. Two on, no outs.

    James was supposed to be up next, but coach replaced him with another pinch hitter: Tony. Tony couldn''t come up with anything and ended up striking out, which isn''t as bad as a double play I guess.

    Sean came up to bat, and stepped into the righty''s box. I guess he wasn''t going to try a bunt when that would give them a chance for the double play. Sean didn''t play mind games with the pitcher: i.e. swinging on the first pitch, like me and Zeke,or taking a whole ton of pitches, like Garret and Mahki. He settled on a 2-1 pitch, that could have possibly been called a ball. But he swung and sent it to right field. This time there was no super catch like last inning, the ball dropped and the runners advanced. Sean was safe at first, Mahki made it to third, and Garret scored to make the score 9-6.

    Kelvin moved to the batter''s box and Julian went to the on deck circle.

    Noah grinned at me as he grabbed his bat. "It''s happening! The momentum is with us! Get your helmet on too!" He left to go stand in the hole.

    I did what I was told, put on my helmet, and I held my bat in my lap. My bat was extremely dirty and I could feel a few small dents in it as I ran my hands over the wood. I barely had it for a month, but it felt like a prized possession now. It was one of the few personal items I could actually call mine.

    The ''ding'' of a bat made me look up. Kelvin had hit a high fly to left field. The left fielder got under it and caught for out two, but was slow to throw it back to the infield, allowing Mahki to tag up and score. Kelvin''s sacrifice fly made the score 9-7, with two outs.

    Julian was up next, with Sean still on first. Any kind of fly ball could be an out, or any infield grounder too. I slowly moved to the edge of the dugout, feeling a little lightheaded.

    A familiar heavy hand landed on my shoulder. "Don''t think so much." Zeke said, helmet on and bat in hand. "Like Noah said, it''s three runs to go. Not one more out until we lose."

    I smiled, thinking it was weird for Zeke to quote Noah when it''s usually the other way around.

    Zeke let go of my shoulder. "You must be pretty relaxed if you can still smile." Uh? "Usually your on puns and needles even when it''s not a do or die situation."

    I blushed. "I-I just can''t-umm." I paused and tried to find the right words.

    "It''s okay. Just continue to be yourself." He pushed me out of the dugout.

    While we were talking Julian smacked a hard grounder just past the third baseman, moving Sean to second. Noah stopped up to bat and I was now in the on deck circle.

    Be yourself. I didn''t really know what that meant. I couldn''t be anyone else...but also, I was changing. That''s what I wanted to tell him. That I was changing, and I wasn''t as nervous as when I first came to the Atkins. Yea aggressive actions still made me flinch in fear, but I was back to talking again. I went months in a hospital without speaking one word, but being with the Atkins made me feel a little safer.

    Noah took the first pitch as a called strike. I frowned. I didn''t mind if we couldn''t win, but I definitely don''t want it to be Noah''s fault. He shouldn''t be the last batter up. The pitcher threw an intense sequence of outside and inside pitches. Noah pushed the count to 3-2.The next pitch came far inside. Far enough to hit Noah on the thigh.

    Noah took a knee. I dropped my bat and ran to him just as the ump stepped forward and pronounced dead ball and for him to take his base. Then the ump pointed at the pitcher and threw him out. The crowd went wild and so did the Durham coach. He practically sprinted out of his dugout.

    I helped Noah up. "Are you okay?"

    Noah smiled at me. "Of course I am. Bases are load and my best friend, who is a hitting genius will end the game for us." He pushed down on my helmet. "Send anything to the outfield and I''ll make it home for the win." Then he turned off to jog to first, pushing Julian to second, and Sean to third.

    The Durham coach was still relentlessly attacking the umpire with his words, trying to defend his pitcher. He went so far as to accused that Noah had leaned into it. Which is silly since it would have been a ball four no matter what.

    I went back to my bat and picked it up. I watched as the umpire sent the pitcher packing, and soon the Durham coach got the same treatment, sending the crowd into more of an uproar. This was my first time seeing such a chaotic scene in baseball. It lasted almost ten minutes with the umpires having to call security to send off the red-faced coach. The assistant took over and had a pitcher warming up in the bullpen until the game resumed.

    I looked over to Zeke. "Any info on this pitcher?"

    Zeke shook his head. "Must be a newbie." He looked down at me, straight in the eyes. "Go get him."

    Finally the umpire called for me to step up. I joyfully stepped up to bat on the left side, facing a new pitcher. His warmups didn''t show much so I let some of the pitches go. Reasonable speed. Reasonable placement. He just didn''t seem to have anything extra. With a 2-2 count, he delivered a fastball high and inside. My step forward opened up my stance and I pulled it to right field. It went straight to the corner.

    "Stay fair!"

    "Run!"

    "Go, Go, Go!"

    Shouts came from everyone, everywhere. I only hesitated for a second before decisively starting to sprint. If the right fielder caught it, that would end the game. If it was foul, I would just have to go back to the plate. There wasn''t any reason not to run.

    As I rounded first base, I peeked at the ump and saw him indicating the ball was fair and the fielder was able to make the catch. I stopped at second, staying standing. I watch the relay from the right fielder, to the second baseman, to the catcher at home. Noah didn''t doubt my hit and took off running as soon as it went off my bat, just as the catcher got the ball, he slid past the catcher and smacked home plate with his hand.

    A three-run double. We win! 10-9! I stood on second not knowing what to do as my team bolted out of the dugout and headed straight for me.

 198 Postgame: Durham Preparatory

    Kyle was the first one to reach me. He lifted me off the ground and spun me around. The rest of the guys circled around us and started beating on my helmet, making me extra dizzy. I couldn''t get a word in as they all talked over one another with such excitement. Eventually my helmet fell off and they started to touch me, making me feel uncomfortable with their proximity.

    "HEY!" I heard Noah''s voice but couldn''t find him. "HEY! Put him down! Stop getting so close you guys!"

    I was pulled out of Kyle''s grasp and set back on my own two feet. Zeke had saved me from the mob and soon took control of his team. "Backup. That''s enough. Come on, we still have to shake their hands and show some sportsmanship." Zeke waved away the team, giving me some breathing room.

    The team slowly moved away and started to line up to shake the opposing team''s hands. I picked my helmet off the ground and started to look around for Noah.

    "I grabbed your bat for you." Noah approached me with my wooden bat in his hands. "I didn''t want some idiot to come by and accidentally break it."

    I took it, grateful to have a friend like Noah. "Thanks."

    "It''s no problem." He threw his arm around my shoulders and guided me to where the team was exchanging hand-slaps with the other team. "I knew you''d be able to do it. A walk-off hit in such a big tournament like this, I''m sure you''ll get plenty of exposure."

    I tensed up.

    "Don''t worry, I''ll block all the reporters." Noah declared. "Especially since they should be interviewing me for my superior fielding. And I scored a few runs. Plus, I''m an Atkins. That''s gotta count for something."

    I relaxed and let out a laugh at Noah''s rambling. We moved with the team and shared ''good game'' with the other team even though they looked reluctant to say it. It''s gotta be hard to blow a six run lead in one inning.

    After the exchange, we packed up our bags, cleaned the dugout, and moved to outside the field to a clear bleacher for the team to gather. The team was unrestrained as they shared their favorite moments of the inning and bragged to one another how we pulled off another upset.

    "What''s an upset?" I asked Noah as we took off our cleats and switched them for something more comfortable.

    Noah grinned. "It''s when a not-so-good team unexpectedly beats a great team. We''re the underdogs of the tournament and now we''re headed to the semifinals for tomorrow. It''s a great feeling."

    Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind and lifted out of my seat. A deja v�� feeling overcame me as I was swung back and forth like a rag doll.

    "You punk!" Dave shouted in my ear as the swinging continued. "What a stud you are! Are you really a freshman?!"

    "Dave, put him down." Zeke said from the other end of the bleacher, causing the team laugh at the spectacle Dave was making.

    Dave set me back down and patted me on the back a few times. "I couldn''t see well from the other field, but as soon as I saw our team rush out of the dugout, I knew you pulled it off!"

    "Hey!" Noah frowned. "I''m the one who scored the winning run. Some credit should go to me!"

    Dave rolled his eyes and sat down with us. "Your fast legs is really all you''ve got going for you."

    Noah shoved him. "At least I wasn''t ejected and I get to play tomorrow, unlike you." He stuck his tongue out.

    "Alright. Shut up and settle down." Coach joined us and motioned for us to be quiet. "I thought since we had the earlier afternoon game, we would be able to watched our potential next opponent. Unfortunately, it''s already been decided. They won both game one and game two by a score of 10-0."

    The team as a whole seem to freeze as if someone pushed paused. I poked Noah''s side and whispered, "What does that mean?"

    Noah''s face looked grim. "10-0 plus the fact that they''re already done, means those were called games. Mercy rule was put into effect. They scored the 10 runs before the fifth inning and gave up zero for two consecutive games."

    Wow. So they''re good at offense and defense.

    "Is it University Prep?" Zeke spoke up.

    Coach nodded. "It is."

    The team stayed deathly silent.

    Coach sighed. "Don''t take yourselves out of the game before it even starts. Didn''t we just pull off an incredible comeback?"

    "That''s right!l

    "In the last inning too!"

    "Right?!"

    The team perked up and slowly came back to life.

    Coach smiled. "Good. Alright. Tomorrow''s game will be at 8am, be here at 7am for warmups. I''ve spoken with your parents before coming over and most have agreed to check in a nearby hotel. For the ones who couldn''t, the Atkins said they can take you in. So go to your parents and find out what each of you will be doing. I''ll send out a mass text for dinner plans in an hour or two."

    The team started to disperse as they each met up with their respective parents. I obediently followed the Atkins boys to the Atkins couple. Mrs. Atkins smiled at all of us and congratulated each of us individually on something we did well at.

    Mr. Atkins, however, remained quiet. His expression was blank, but I felt unsettled even though his gaze was solely directed at Zeke.

    Sure enough, after Mrs. Atkins finished her round of compliments, he took over. "Zeke. How''s your back?"

    The twins, Noah, and I, all immediately looked to Zeke. Zeke shrugged. "It''s fine."

    "Really?" Mr. Atkins didn''t fold. "You wouldn''t mind having the tournament trainer look at it then, would you?"

    Noah nudged me. With that nudge, I could tell he was trying to say that he was right and that something was wrong with Zeke. Even Mr. Atkins thought something was off.

    Zeke kept his own blank expression, looking almost identical to his father. "I don''t see the need to waste my time or his. Shouldn''t we be heading back to the hotel? We''ll have to shower before dinner and make room for the members of the team that''ll be staying with us."

    A deflection! Just like what he did with Noah during the game.

    Mr. Atkins refused to give in. "You were hit by a pitch. You either get it checked out here by a professional or we''ll take you to the doctor at the hospital."

    Zeke''s facial expression finally changed to a frown. "I wasn''t the only one hit."

    Mr. Atkins looked down at Noah. "You too. Athletic trainer here or a hospital visit before bed?"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I''m fine. Maybe just a bruise on the quad."

    Mr. Atkins stared him down

    Noah straightened up. "But you''re right. I should get checked out before we go. Definitely. Don''t want anything hidden to pop up." He shot a glare at Zeke. "Let''s go together. As a family."

    Zeke let out a sigh, but didn''t put up a fight any longer.

 199 A Bad Omen

    Mr. Atkins knew exactly where to go and led us with confidence. The twins followed right behind him, then me and Noah, then Mrs. Atkins and Zeke.

    "You really shouldn''t give your father such a hard time, Zeke. He''s just looking out for you." Mrs. Atkins spoke to Zeke in a light, but serious tone. "Injuries aren''t something you can just brush off, especially if you want to play at the next level."

    "I know, Mom." Zeke replied.

    "If you know, then why did you argue? Now I''ve gotta get checked too." Noah grumbled.

    "It''s probably best if you get checked too, no matter what." Mrs. Atkins said from behind. "Getting injured while you''re still young and growing can affect your growth in a negative way."

    "Like me."

    No one said anything.

    I kept my eyes on my feet. "You shouldn''t hide injuries or they''ll only get worse."

    Noah practically jumped on me and pulled my into a hug. "My poor baby brother. Forever going to five feet tall."

    His joke brought a laugh out of me as I pushed him away. "I''ll grow soon! I''m all better now." I peeked back at Zeke. "It doesn''t hurt just to make sure you''re okay."

    Zeke clenched his jaw.

    I don''t think that''s a good sign. He''s very against getting checked out so there must be something seriously wrong and he knows it. I sighed and glanced at Noah. He was still jumping about and was moving as freely as ever. He didn''t look like he was hiding any kind of pain. Then again, I couldn''t tell Zeke was hurting until Noah said something and I didn''t really believe it until Mr. Atkins said something.

    Mr. Atkins stopped in front of the informational booth to speak with someone in charge. That person, in turn, led the seven us to some chairs and table in the back where it was a bit more private.

    The person faced us as he patted the table. "Hop up here if you were the one that got hit by a pitch. Everyone else can just take a step back so I can have some space to examine the player."

    The adults, the twins, and myself all took a few steps back, making it clear who the patients were. Zeke and Noah stared at one another, before Noah caved. He dropped his bag on the ground and got up on the table.

    "And where were you hit?" The man asked as he got a little closer to Noah.

    "Just above the left knee, on the quad." Noah patted the body part in question.

    "Ok, sit up straight and let your legs hang over the table edge so they can dangle there." The man instructed. After Noah got in the directed position, the man took hold of his left foot and start to wiggle it. "Any pain?" Noah shook his head. The man then extended the leg, then bent it at the knee, then extended it, and then bent it. "Any knee trouble?"

    "Nope. No radiating pain at all." Noah answered.

    The man nodded, but kept moving Noah''s leg around like he was trying to catch him in a lie. He had Noah lie down, move his leg around, then stand up and move his leg around. By the time he confirmed that it was just a bruise, I was yawning, wishing I could take a nap.

    The man brought out a bag of ice, put it on the bruised area, and taped it over his pants. "You can take that off in twenty minutes. It might be uncomfortable now, but your bruise won''t hurt tomorrow during the game."

    "Thanks!" Noah hopped off the table and wobbled over to me. "For a tournament trainer, he''s very thorough." He stated.

    I nodded in agreement and then we watched as it was Zeke''s turn. Zeke had set his bag down and started to get on the table, but the trainer held him back.

    "First, untuck your shirt." He asked after he found out that Zeke was hit in the lower back. Zeke untucked his jersey and undershirt. He then lifted his clothes to reveal his lower back. Everyone sucked in air at the sight of a black and blue blob on Zeke''s lower back.

    "Damnnnnn." The twins said in unison.

    "Language." Mrs. Atkins warned sternly. She worriedly looked between Zeke and her husband. "Did you know it would look this bad?"

    Mr. Atkins let out a sigh. "I didn''t know what it would look like. I just knew he was moving differently than normal."

    Noah nodded. "I thought he was moving funny. Especially when he would throw the ball to me."

    As they spoke, the trainer was keeping Zeke busy with stretching like touching his toes, reaching for the sky, and turning only at the waist.

    "I''m going to need you to tell me if a certain movement hurts you." The trainer paused in his assessment. "I can''t just base a conclusion off your tensing up or making a face at me. You need to be vocal about what''s hurting you."

    Zeke looked over at his dad. Mr. Atkins frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, not giving an inch. Zeke sighed and nodded.

    "It especially hurts to twist." Zeke spoke up, finally admitting that something was hurting. "Touching my toes and reaching isn''t too big of a deal, but relaxing hurts too."

    The trainer had him do more movements. Then he had him lay on the table and ''move this way'' and ''move that way'' and so forth. His exam took a lot longer than Noah''s. At the end of the thirty minutes, he taped an ice bag to Zeke''s back and gave the same instructions, but he didn''t stop there.

    "You need to take a couple days off from baseball. I''m not suggesting you just lay in bed all day. Keep up with normal daily activities. I also would suggest you ice for twenty minutes every two hours or so. And while you''re not icing, keep it compressed with some wrap or brace."

    Zeke stood up. "Just icing it is fine. Thanks."

    "Hold it right there, young man." Mrs. Atkins jumped in, holding her hand up in front of Zeke. She faced the trainer. "Sir, is it not just a bruise? Why so much precaution?"

    "I believe your son has a moderate contusion to his lower back." The trainer leaned against the table. "Contusion is just the medical term for a bruise. Most people think of a bruise as a black-and-blue spot. This happens when small blood vessels get torn and leak blood under the skin. But bones, muscles, and organs can also get bruised. After taking a hard hit like that, he should have been icing right away and maybe he could have played tomorrow."

    "But he''s icing it right now...won''t it be better by tomorrow?" Kyle interrupted.

    "No, because with constant movement like throwing and swinging the bat, he aggravated the contusion to the muscle. It''s important to ice a contusion immediately because it''ll alleviate pain right away and it''ll prevent further swelling." The trainer responded to Kyle. Then he looked at Zeke. "I recommend you sit for a week. If you still feel any pain whatsoever, see your family doctor just in case."

    Zeke frowned. "Thanks for your advice and examination, but I''ll be playing in my game tomorrow."

    The trainer sighed and shrugged. "I''ve done my part. If you have any questions, or any other problems that pop up, I''ll be here." He walked away, back to help others.

    "You won''t be playing tomorrow." Mr. Atkins spoke clearly. "Take a week off."

    Zeke''s frown was starting too look permanent. "I can''t, Dad. Tomorrow is too important. We''re playing University Prep. It''s already going to be a tough game."

    "My words are final, Zeke." Mr. Atkins stayed firm. "You''re the captain. You should know better than anybody, that playing with an injury will only hurt the team in the long run. Miss a week or end up missing tournament play at the end of the season when it really matters. I''ll let you choose."

    Zeke froze. Then sighed, his stance deflating with him. He slouched for only a second before his back pain acted up, making him stand normally. Another sigh. "I''ll call coach."

    I looked at Noah, eyes wide. We''re really going to play a game without Zeke..?

 200 Pregame: University Preparatory High School 1

    As the family loaded up the car and drove to the hotel, Zeke made the call.

    "Hello Coach."

    "My dad asked me to visit the athletic trainer on site."

    "No, it''s not anything too serious. Just a contusion."

    "Yes, I was going to tell you that it was recommended that I sit and rest. My dad helped me come to terms that tomorrow''s game isn''t as important as the season overall."

    "...I didn''t give anyone a hard time."

    "We''re heading to the hotel now. We''ll shower at meet everyone in the restaurant at the hotel."

    "Yes. I''ll let them know."

    "Okay, see you at dinner."

    Zeke hung up and put his cellphone away. He looked at his dad, who was driving. "Coach said everyone will meet for dinner at 7pm at the restaurant in our hotel. He sent you a list of players that''ll be staying with us tonight."

    "What did he say about your injury?" Mrs. Atkins turned her head to look back from the front passenger seat.

    "That it''s best to rest one game instead of missing league games later on." Zeke said, sounding like Mr. Atkins from earlier too.

    "Tomorrow is going to be tough." Kyle sighed. "I don''t envy you guys at all."

    Dave snorted. "This afternoon was tough. Down by six no thanks to you."

    "What do you mean by that?!" Kyle glared at him. "We were only down by two when I left the game."

    "Yea..the first time we were down this season.."

    "At least I didn''t get ejected. You can''t even sit in the dugout tomorrow."

    "I didn''t give up any runs though." Dave shot back. "You were shaking like a leaf up there."

    "We should make the seventh inning runs your fault." Kyle argued. "We wouldn''t have been put in that situation if it wasn''t for you getting kicked out."

    "Well I-"

    "ENOUGH." Mrs. Atkins raised her voice, making me jump in my seat.

    Noah raised an eyebrow at me, but didn''t say anything.

    "No more fighting today." Mrs. Atkins declared. "I swear, you boys can never just get along."

    "We get along." Dave rolled his eyes.

    "Yea, all the time." Kyle agreed.

    My jaw dropped at their blatant lies. I shook my head in disbelief.

    "The best of friends and the worst of enemies." Noah leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Don''t even bother." He leaned back and spoke up. "Hey, Mom, can you read coach''s text to dad to find out who''ll be staying with us tonight?"

    "Yes, hold on." She grabbed her husband''s cell from the cup holder and started to use it. "It says we''ll be hosting three extra boys for the night. It''s some of the seniors since they drove themselves and don''t want to drive home and back. Which I agree; It''s too long of a drive for kids. Let''s see...Mahki, James, and Ryan."

    "How are we going to do the bed arrangements?" Noah asked.

    "There''s an extra bed in our room. You and Jake can have it. The twins will take the couch bed. And the seniors can split the beds."

    "Mommm." The twins groaned in sync.

    "Don''t ''mom'' me." She said back. "Neither of you will be playing tomorrow. Kyle you''re on three day rest and Dave...I don''t even know if we''ll be able to sneak you into the stands. Your comfort is not my priority."

    "Zeke won''t be playing tomorrow either." Dave poked Zeke in the cheek.

    Kyle joined in and poked his other cheek. "Yea. He''s just on the injured list."

    "And because I''m injured, I need to have the most comfortable spot." Zeke grabbed each of their fingers to force them to stop. "Touch me again, and you won''t be pitching for the rest of the season."

    The twins didn''t take the threat seriously and just laughed simultaneously.

    "Look who''s in bad mood because he can''t play tomorrow." Kyle wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

    "Poor Zeke. Do you need a new ice pack?" Dave said in a baby voice.

    "Stop the teasing." Mrs. Atkins said, exasperated. "Can''t we just get to the hotel in peace and quiet?"

    "Mom, we''re already at the hotel." Noah pointed out. He unbuckled his seatbelt before the car was even parked. "You should have made your request sooner."

    Their mom just sighed and shook her head. Mr. Atkins found a parking spot and soon we were filing out of the car, grabbing our baseball bags, and heading inside.

    "I don''t know why I have to carry Zeke''s bag." Noah grumbled as he struggled to squeeze in the elevator with the rest of us. "I was hit by a pitch too."

    "Yea, but you''re not hurt." Kyle shrugged.

    "And, you''re a freshman." Dave added.

    Noah pouted at his parents. "I''m being bullied and you''re not even stepping in?"

    "It''s called building character, sweetie." Mrs. Atkins patted Noah''s head.

    He looked pitifully at his Dad.

    Mr. Atkins shook his head, fighting off a smirk. "I carried enough of your bags when you were children. Just think of this as a rite of passage, being forced to carry a seniors bag."

    The elevator filled up with laughter.

    Soon, we were on our floor. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins helped me and Noah grab our clothes and move it to their room. Then we hurried through showers and getting dressed for dinner. Mrs. Atkins gathered all of our dirty uniforms, saying she would use the laundry room in the hotel so we could have clean clothes for tomorrow.

    "It''s not like the older three need it." Noah snickered as we walked from the elevator to the restaurant. It was almost time for dinner and I was starving. Today had a lot of excitement...ups and downs.

    "Punk! I could still play on the field or bat!" Kyle pulled him into a headlock, giving him a noogie.

    We navigated through the seating area to where some of the team and their parents had gathered already. I started to slow down, thinking about Chris. He was really upset today and I don''t think I could face him just yet.

    "Don''t drag your feet." Zeke said behind me. "You''re slowing up the rest of us."

    Noah peeked back at me. "Jake? What''s up? Aren''t you hungry?"

    I started to nod, then shook my head no. I wouldn''t really be hungry with Chris around.

    "Why don''t you guys go ahead?" Mr. Atkins stepped up next to me. "Jake and I will talk it out."

    Mrs. Atkins ushered the twins and Zeke away, knowing that Noah wouldn''t agree to leave me behind. Noah tilted his head, trying to make eye contact with me. "What are you afraid of? It''s just dinner with the team...like lunch earlier today."

    I clasped my hands together. "But...Chris...will he be there?"

    "Chris went home." Mr. Atkins stated, catching both, me and Noah by surprise.

    "Dad, you saw what happened?" Noah asked.

    He gave a nod. "When Coach Luis walked him out of the field, I approached them. We shared a discussion. Chris will be benched for a week. Tomorrow he won''t be welcomed in the dugout."

    I let out a sigh of relief, and then let out a cough before speaking up. "I really didn''t know about the infield fly rule." I turned red with embarrassment.

    Mr. Atkins chuckled. "That''s okay. You''re learning. There''s never any reason to lay your hands on someone else. Chris received his punishment, I''m sure he''ll reflect on his actions." He pushed mine and Noah''s backs. "Now let''s get to the table. The team is probably waiting on us now."

    Sure enough, they were. Everyone was already seated. The three of us filled up the vacant seats as Zeke suddenly stood up. Coach also stood up and walked over to stand beside him.

    "Boys, Listen up. Your Captain has something to say." Coach demanded the attention of the players and parents.

    Zeke took over. "Unfortunately, I''m unable to play tomorrow." The table went ice cold, no one spoke up. "I have a contusion on my lower back. It''s not that bad, but I don''t want to risk it and get seriously injured later on as a consequence and risk our chance as league champions. That being said, I still want all you to try your best to kick butt tomorrow. It''s not everyday we get an opportunity to play the best team in the Northern Section. Don''t let me down."

    His words felt heavy, making the atmosphere depressing. No one had any smack talk to share or laughs saying that we didn''t need him anyway. I nervously looked at Noah to see what he would say, but he also looked to be fighting his own depression.

    "Sorry to hear that, Zeke." One of the Dads spoke up. "We love watching you play. We were expecting a good game for tomorrow."

    "You can still expect one. We''re no pushovers either." Zeke spoke with confidence.

    Other parents shared their well wishes and soon coach directed us to order food, eat, and get some sleep.

 201 Pregame: University Preparatory High School 2

    I stepped into the familiar lines of a batter box. I dug in, pulled my bat back, and eyes the pitcher. It was foggy and hard to see. That''s the problem with living on the coast of Northern California. There''s something called the marine layer and it made it cloudy almost every morning. I squinted at the pitcher, trying to find him in the mess of white.

    The pitch came from nowhere and I was unable to react in time.

    "Strike one!" This umpire was extra loud.

    I squinted at the direction of the mound, but still couldn''t find the pitcher. Another fastball came in and my hands couldn''t move my bat fast enough. I whiffed. "Strike two!" I completely, and utterly, missed the ball. I stared in disbelief at my bat.

    "Hard to imagine you having a perfect batting average when you can''t even keep your eye on the ball." Someone said. I looked around trying to find the source to argue that I didn''t have a perfect average. I already hit a fly ball!

    "Focus on the ball!" I heard Noah say from afar.

    Right. I already had two strikes. I faced the invisible pitcher and tried to have my bat ready, but it started to feel foreign in my hands, like it no longer belonged. I took a look at it, and it wasn''t my bat! I must have grabbed an aluminum bat by mistake. I dropped it, feeling like it was burning me. A pitch flew right past me into the catchers glove.

    "STRIKE THREE! You''re out!"

    Me? I''m out? A strikeout too? I looked down at the bat, but it wasn''t aluminum...it was just wood. How? I grabbed my bat and dragged myself back to the dugout, trying to figure out what just happened.

    "You idiot! What were you thinking?!" I was grabbed as soon as I entered the dugout. Chris was shaking me by the front of my jersey. "We could have scored more runs!!"

    I frowned. "You''re not supposed to be here. Mr. Atkins said you wouldn''t be here."

    Chris gave an eerie smile. "Oh? I''m not?" His face started to morph and his hair grew longer and started to curl. That face...a small nose, thin lips, and the forehead wrinkles. My heart started to pound, my breathing felt labored, and I started to struggle out of the hands of the monster.

    My mom. It''s been almost a year since I''ve seen her face. I moved frantically, trying to escape.

    "Playing baseball?! I. SAID. NO." A hand came with blazing speed at me and connected with my face.

    I gasped and sat up, surrounded by darkness. I was panting, trying to breathe in oxygen. I looked around me trying to figure out where I was. Everything was so dark. I blinked a couple of times to let my eyes adjust. I was in a bed, in a plain looking room. The hotel room.

    A snore from beside me made me jump, causing me to slide off the bed and landed on the floor. Ouch. I rubbed my hip and I slowly stood up and looked at the culprit. Noah was spread out on the bed, letting out light snores, not even noticing my panic attack and fall. On the other side of the room, Mr. and Mrs. Atkins were sleeping peacefully on their bed. I sighed. It was just a dream. No. A nightmare. And nightmares aren''t real. Just a figment of my imagination.

    I went to the bathroom to pee. After washing my hands, I splashed some water on my face to wash away the sweat. My heart was still beating like a drum, hard and fast. I took a few more deep breaths to try and steady myself. I walked out of the bathroom and saw that they were still sleeping soundly so I checked the time to see how much longer it would be until breakfast.

    3:12am

    I ran my fingers through my hair, debating about what to do. I could just lie in bed and wait until Noah wakes up...but that''ll be awhile. Or I could just go for a walk around the hotel...but it''s the middle of the night and adults would find me suspicious.

    There''s no way I could just fall back to sleep after that nightmare, but it doesn''t hurt to try, I guess. I got back under the covers on my side of the bed and focused on my breathing. That whole nightmare was unsettling. From not being able to see the pitcher, holding the wrong bat, striking out, being grabbed by Chris, and finally to the moment that my mom showed up. I''ve never had such a bad nightmare before. At least, not one I could remember.

    I was used to living with a nightmare in the real world so I never paid too much attention to my dreams before. This was unprecedented for me. I stared into darkness, thinking about my nightmare. Playing it over and over again.

    Not seeing the pitcher wouldn''t be plausible in reality. Even thick fog wouldn''t cloud my vision like that, or if it did, the game would be suspended. Next would be the part about holding the wrong bat. It would also be impossible to mistake my bat for an aluminum one. The feel would be different and plus they don''t even look similar. I discarded the early parts of my nightmare.

    Chris grabbing me was just a coincidence since it happened earlier today. My brain was probably just stealing some memories to entertain itself. Mr. Atkins said Chris would think again before putting hands on me. So even if the fear is there, at least I know the Atkins would step in to protect me.

    As for mom? The nightmare was pretty accurate there. The way she looked, the manner she spoke...it could have been a memory too, but there were a lot to go off of. I couldn''t remember a time where I didn''t get hurt or verbally assaulted. At least when I was young, I just remembered being ignored.

    Not in a bad way...just, not as important. Like my role in the family was close to a plant in the corner. I was just there, existing. And then after my dad and brother left, I was front stage and center to my mom''s abuse.

    A light flipped on, startling me out of bed again. I groaned as stood up.

    Mr. Atkins let out a laugh. "Sorry, Jake. I didn''t realize you were up already. I figured this would be the best way to wake you two up."

    I eyed the clock. 5:40am. "I couldn''t sleep very well."

    "Oh." Mr. Atkins got closer, studying my face. "You look a little pale. Do you want to try and nap some more? I can wake you when it''s time to get in the car."

    I shook my head. I won''t be able to sleep now.

    He eyed me. "Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"

    "No. It was just a nightmare." I grabbed my uniform that Mrs. Atkins washed and laid out last night. Then I went to the bathroom to change. I really don''t want to talk about it. Not today. We had an important game to play, without Zeke too. My wild imagination just needs to stop. I''m okay, I''m alive.

 202 Game Three: University Preparatory H.S. 1

    "Kid, did you stay up too late watching tv or something?" Mr. Miller asked me as I placed my bag on the bench in our dugout.

    "Nope." Noah answered before I could even think of how to reply. "We both went to bed no later than 10pm. Mom and Dad can attest to that. Jake was already dressed before I woke up though." We organized our bags and started to put on our cleats. "Has coach came out with a lineup yet?"

    Mr. Miller glanced at me, seeing that I had nothing to add, he answered Noah. "He''s still making adjustments. He''ll finalize it by the middle of warmups."

    "Has he decided on a pitcher yet?" Noah finished tying his shoes. "I mean, someone''s gotta start warming up, right?"

    "Worry about yourself." Garret came over and pushed Noah down to sit on the bench. "Let the coaches worry about that. We, as players, should be trying to focus on getting to peak condition for the game." He caught sight of me. "Jake is a prime example of not being in peak condition. He doesn''t even look like he''s in good condition." He reached for me and I dodged, taking a few giant steps back.

    I bumped into a body, causing more panic from within. I hopped out of the way, grabbing onto the dugout fence, trying to get my heart to settle back down. A few stares were directed at me, however they kept their distance. Except for one. Noah. He got up, concern written all over his face.

    "Jake? You feeling okay? It''s one thing to look nervous, but you''re acting extra skittish today." Noah approached me carefully, like I would run if he got too close. Which, not gonna lie, sounded like a great idea. Running would relieve some of this pent us anxiety.

    "I just had some trouble sleeping so I''m a little on edge." I mumbled as I avoided eye contact.

    "I would be too, if I had to play University Prep." Kyle said from nearby. He wore his uniform to be like the team, but he was able to stay bundled up under a sweatshirt and a jacket AND a blanket. Lucky.

    "You''re such a pessimist." Mahki said from beside him, also under the same blanket. It was really cold this morning. "Have some more faith. Last year we couldn''t even get past game one with Zeke and now we''re in game three, trying to make it to the finals."

    Noah grinned. "All thanks to me."

    A round of ''boo''s'' and ''yea, rights'' broke out in the dugout, loosening up the atmosphere.

    "Okay, go warmup you goofs." Mr. Miller waved us out.

    I was the first one to exit. I sprinted to the outfield, where we would usually start our warmups. Of course, that doesn''t mean I was the first one out there. Almost everyone on the team was faster than me and easily caught up and then beat me to the line. I didn''t mind. It''s not like I was trying to race them. I just wanted to exert some of my nervousness.

    With Zeke sitting out, Mahki took over and led us in our warmup routine. We followed the same pattern before every game, however it felt a little different without hearing Zeke''s commands. He always demanded attention to detail and more intensity. Not that Mahki didn''t do the same...he just wasn''t on Zeke''s level.

    After stretching and tossing the ball around, Coach called for James and Kelvin. Noah told me that James has been tapped to start, probably because he showed something good at the end of yesterday''s game. I thought that was baseless since James did give up a home run...if he''s the best we have to start with, then we really need to come out swinging.

    Warmups finished and we moved to the dugout to find out the lineup for the game. Coach had taped it to the fence before he went to meet with the opposing coach and umpire at home plate to exchange lineups.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Hollander

    3 CF Mahki Holstrom

    4 LF Garret Knudsen

    5 1B Julian Wilson

    6 RF Sean Isner

    7 3B Daniel Myers

    8 C Kelvin Bender

    9 P James Lohr

    Ah. So Mahki would be taking over Zeke''s spot on the field, and Garret would be taking over his spot in the batting order. The two of them still don''t equal a Zeke, but I guess that''s the best lineup Coach could come up with.

    Noah excitedly got his helmet on, tugged on his batting gloves, and held his bat with pride. If he moved twice as fast, I moved twice as slow. I set my helmet and bat on the bench, trying to see if they were any different from yesterday.

    "What are you looking at?" Noah peered down at me. "It''s almost game time, get the helmet on."

    I did as I was told, then picked up my wooden bat.

    "You''re acting really weird." Noah stated bluntly.

    "I''m feeling pretty weird." I muttered.

    Noah raised an eyebrow, but didn''t make any other remarks.

    "Listen up." Zeke stood in the center of the dugout. "I want everyone to go out there and try your best, no matter what happens. Whether we''re up or down on the scoreboard, that shouldn''t reflect the amount of effort you put in." The team nodded in agreement. "Ok, bring it in. Team on three. One, two-"

    "TEAM!" Everyone said together. I hung around the outer edges, still jittery. Coach came back and it was time to go.

    Apparently, University Preparatory High School was the number one seed in the tournament so they got to bat in the bottom half of the inning for every game. They also took the third baseline side. Just another reason to feel uncomfortable.

    Noah rushed up to the batter''s box, once the ump gave the signal. I dragged my feet to the on deck circle and swung my bat around to loosen up.

    The pitcher on the mound was tall, lean, and had a mean fastball. And by that, I mean the speed didn''t dip below 90mph...during his warmup before Noah even got in the box. With our team being in the dugout on the first base side, Noah was able to look my way as he stepped in the box. He smiled. The kind of smile you give when you know there''s nothing to really smile about.

    The first pitch was right down the middle, yet Noah didn''t swing. "Strike one!" The umpire''s voice caught me by surprise and made me drop my back. I almost felt like it was similar to my dream. My nightmare. Ugh. That''s not possible. You can''t dream of the future. I picked my bat back up, checking for any chips.

    The second pitch came, a screaming fastball over the plate. Noah swung his bat, but it was a complete miss. "Strike two." He wasn''t keeping his eyes on the ball. The pitcher didn''t waste a pitch and came right at him with another blazing fastball down the middle. Noah swung...and missed. "Strike three, you''re out!"

    I swallowed the lump in my throat. Why did the ump for this game have to be so loud and vocal? I should just swing on the first pitch so I wouldn''t have to hear him. Yea, that sounds like a plan. A good plan.

    Noah and I walked past one another, with grim expressions for two different reasons. I got into the lefty''s box, not even willing to look up, just on the off chance that I would make awkward eye contact with someone in the opposing dugout.

    The pitcher looked extra tall on the mound, like how Mr. Atkins towers over me. He kicked up his front leg and started his motion. I already decided to swing on the first pitch so his incredibly fast speed didn''t even compare to my bat speed. My swing connected just perfectly at the barrel of the bat, and took off between first and second. I dropped the bat and sprinted to first base. The second baseman dove at my grounder, making an excellent catch robbing me of extra bases, and if that wasn''t enough, he threw a fastball from his knees to the first baseman, beating out my sprint. I grounded out. I didn''t get a hit. I sighed as I slowed down.

    I headed back to the dugout, grabbing my bat on the way.

    "Tough break." Mahki gave me a tight smile as he headed to the plate from the on deck circle.

    "It was hit really well." Garret shrugged as I approached the dugout and he moved to the on deck circle. "Nothing you can do about it."

    In the dugout, more comments of the same sentiment came my way. I merely nodded and went straight to my bag, switching to my hat and glove.

    "That sucked." Noah expressed my thoughts verbally.

    "Yea." I let out a puff of air.

    "You were in too much of a hurry." Zeke came over and sat on the other side of me. "Did you feel anxious?"

    I looked at the cleats on my feet. "The umpire is really loud today."

    A pause stood between the three of us for a minute, before Zeke said anything. "Does loud noises really scare you that much?"

    I kicked my feet against each other, letting him think whatever he wanted.

    "Jake isn''t feeling normal today." Noah jumped in to offend me. "He''s been extra skittish this morning and even admitted to not feeling the same. Just give him some time to adjust."

    "You''re guaranteed five innings." I felt a pat on my head, then watched Zeke''s feet walk away.

    I lifted my head up after he left. "Thanks, Noah."

    "It''s no biggie." He nudged me. "Just keep calm. Baseball is a pretty long game. And Zeke''s right, we are guaranteed five innings of being on offense. Just one hit from anyone on the team and you''ll be guaranteed two more at-bats. Happy thoughts."

    I sighed. That''s not really a happy thought right now. Batting is what I like most about baseball, but with the ump making me jumpy, it just doesn''t feel right today.

    A little ''ding'' made us look to the field. We watched as the ball went higher and higher, then it dropped down to the first baseman''s glove for the third and final out of the inning. Three up, three down. Not a good start.

 203 Game Three: University Preparatory H.S. 2

    Bottom of the first inning, James stepped on the mound, and we took our respective positions. James pitching style was interesting in an unusual way. He throws, what Noah calls, junk. Noah said before that he compensated his slow fastball by learning to throw a slider, curve, splitter, and a sinker. None of those stood out by itself, but he was proficient in throwing each and could switch among them to confuse the batter.

    I knew the basics of what each pitch should look like from the help of the internet, but since James threw so many different types of pitches, it was hard to to tell which was actually thrown. Especially compared to someone who only had a curve and a fastball. If a pitcher only had two different types of pitches, I wouldn''t even worry. If I faced someone like James, I might struggle even with such good vision and timing. I probably should look up more ways to tell the difference between the different kinds of pitches.

    The first batter up for University Preparatory didn''t have any trouble with James pitching. He swung on the first pitch, sending a line drive to right field. Sean caught it on a bounce and threw it in without aim. Julian was still close to first, so I prepped myself to catch the ball.

    "To second!" Noah called out. After I caught the ball, I turned all the way around and threw to second base, where Noah was waiting. He caught my throw and eyed the runner, but the runner safely retreated back to first.

    Wow. My first relay throw. How exciting. My heart pounded with excitement instead of the usual anxiety. Maybe I could be the relay man now? My endurance has improved and my arm strength is no longer pathetic like it used to be.

    Noah returned the call to James on the mound. He didn''t look upset or depressed like either of the twins would. Nor did he give off a feeling of superiority like Garret. It was more like...indifference.

    James stepped on the rubber and faced off with the second batter. This batter took the first pitch, watching it fall into the catcher''s glove for a called strike one. The second pitch looked slightly different from my angle, yet the batter didn''t hesitate. He swung and blasted the ball faster than my eyes could keep up with. By the time I turned and located the ball, it was sailing over Garret''s head in left field, and it didn''t stop til it was over the outfield fence. A home run. 2-0, them. The cheer of the crowd was so loud, it made me think that University Preparatory was a local school. Maybe they''re nearby...I should ask Noah when we get to the dugout.

    I gulped and peeked at James on the mound to see if he would have a reaction now that we were already losing without getting a single out. I caught him looking towards the direction the ball was hit, but he didn''t stare for long. He looked back to Kelvin behind home plate and asked for a new ball. The umpire handed one to Kelvin, who threw to James.

    Both the runner and hitter made it back to their dugout, letting the third batter take center stage. James was able to stick him in a corner with an 0-2 count, getting him to swing and miss on his junk pitches. The batter connected with the following pitch, sending a soft roller up the third baseline. Daniel sprinted forward, grabbed the ball barehanded, then threw to Julian at first. Unfortunately, he threw over Julian''s reach, practically throwing the ball to our dugout. Luckily it hit off the fence and rolled back to Julian. Julian reacted quickly, following the ball and picking it up. He turned to find the batter safe at first, without an intention moving to second. Oh boy.

    Julian threw the ball back to James. "Don''t mind. Focus on the next batter."

    James shook his head for a second, glancing at Daniel, who kicked at the dirt. He looked at the next batter, the cleanup hitter...for the number one team in this tournament. After a glance at the runner, he focused on his pitches. A curveball was hit foul down the left field line. Slider for a ball. Splitter for a ball. The connection came on a 2-1 count. It came...and it went. It seemed to have the same trajectory as the previous home run, soaring over the left field fence, making the score 4-0. The cheers were like surround sound, just drowning us in disbelief. Did we even have a fan in the stand?

    My jaw clenched. Are we going to lose this game in the first inning by the mercy rule? At the rate we''re going, we''ll be done for by the time they get to the first home run batter.

    "Bring it in!" Noah''s command pulled me out of my thoughts. He was running to the mound while waving at the rest of us infielders. Kelvin got up and joined us as well. We made a circle around the rubber, with Noah stepping a little in the center.

    "No more." He declared. "No more runs."

    "It''s not like I can help it." James spat out, showing some dissatisfaction.

    "I don''t mind giving up hits." Noah said. "At least we can try and make plays off them. But you know what you can''t defend against? Home runs. And walks. But you''re ball is finding the strike zone so keep it up; just keep it in hard to hit places."

    James stared him down. "It''s not like you guys saved the other two hits."

    "That was an error by Daniel. Whatever." Julian shrugged. "You can also blame me for not jumping high enough. But you know, we could have tried for a double play."

    "No ifs." Noah cut in. "Let''s just put some more effort in what we can do. James, just stay away from the middle of the strike zone, Okay? I''ll try my best for any ball coming on my way. More effort equals more results."

    "Ten more seconds, kids." The ump had came up to warn us.

    Noah gave us one last look. "No more runs. That''s all I ask. Keep us in the game." We parted ways, and went back to our own positions.

    James showed a little more energy on the mound as he prepared to face the fifth batter. He took Noah''s advice, throwing pitches inside and outside, avoiding dead center. On a curve away and low, he got the batter to swing for strike three. Our first out! What a relief. Now we''re on pace to at least get up to bat for the second inning. Supposedly.

    The sixth batter got lucky, by jamming an inside pitch, hitting a bloop single over my head, equally between me and Sean. Sean was coming in so he called me off, caught the ball on the bounce, then threw it in to Noah, keeping the runner to a single.

    The seventh batter also tried swinging at inside pitch, but his was a fast grounder to third. Daniel fielded it, and threw the ball to me as I raced to second. I tagged the base, beating out the baserunner, and tried to throw the ball to first before the hitter. I had to throw at an awkward angle and my arm strength still wasn''t sufficient. It bounced before Julian, who dug it out of the dirt, but still lost out to the batter. No double play, but at least we got the force out at second. Two outs.

    The eighth batter showed patience, fouling off any close pitches of James, and letting the outside pitches pass for balls, earning himself a walk. But it didn''t matter since the ninth batter sent a high fly right to Mahki in center field to end the inning. Finally.

    I let out a sigh of relief as we jogged back to the dugout.

    A smack on the back pushed me forward a few extra steps. "Don''t be so down. It was only one inning." Noah smiled at me.

    I let out a hollow laugh. "I was just relieved that we didn''t get mercy ruled in the first inning."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "That would have been highly improbable. Coach would have switched pitchers sooner than later."

    "I don''t know." I lowered my voice as we sat down by our bags. "He let James give up four runs and didn''t even come out to say anything."

    Noah looked past me. "Sneak a glance. He''s talking to him now. And, if you were paying attention to your surroundings, you would have noticed that Bryce started to warmup in the bullpen."

    I briefly looked down the dugout and saw Coach leaning over James, who sat on the bench with a sullen expression.

    "He''s done for the day." Noah stated. "He just didn''t have the energy on the mound. So moody." He huffed.

    I agreed. He just didn''t look alive out there.

 204 Game Three: University Preparatory H.S. 3

    Top of the second, Garret stepped up to bat, Julian got in the on deck circle, and Sean was in the hole. I took off my glove and placed it beside me, thinking about all the things I wanted to ask Noah.

    Garret struck out on three pitches before I figured out what to say, and then the crowd cheered for the pitcher, reminding me. I poked Noah. "Is University Preparatory nearby? They have a lot of fans here."

    Noah sighed. "They''re about an hour from here, but still closer than us. But not all are fans. I told you before that this is a big tournament with some pretty good teams with elite players. There are plenty of scouts that come to watch. College and professional scouts." He gestured to the opposing team''s dugout. "University Preparatory is THE best baseball school in the CIF Northern Section division one. You know how Zeke is the best player in our county?"

    I nodded.

    "That''s because we''re not in the same county as University Prep. I don''t know much about their county rankings, but I know a lot about the state rankings. They have the third and fifth best players in the state...supposedly. It hasn''t been updated in a couple of weeks."

    I remember Zeke ranks 8th in state. "So...we''re playing against two Zeke''s?"

    Noah let out a laugh. "Two Zeke-caliber players. Hence why everyone is struggling to stay motivated. We don''t even have a Zeke and they have two. It''s a slight disadvantage."

    I rolled my eyes. More like a giant handicap. "Which two players is it?"

    "Both of the home run hitters."

    I sighed. Of course. Figures.

    "The fifth best in state was their cleanup hitter, which is now on the mound. He''s the type to be drafted to the major leagues right after high school." Noah said. "The third best is the shortstop, the second batter in their lineup. They''re heavy favorites to win their league championship and their whole CIF division. It''s impressive."

    He paused as we watched Julian hit a pop fly to right field for out number two. He shook his head at the sight. "So this is what it feels like to be a true underdog..."

    I didn''t have a response. I didn''t know what to say. Same here? It''s not like I really understand the concept of being an ''underdog'' or being a ''favorite'' to win. What I did know, was that Zeke was crazy good. And if we had to play against a team that had a couple of guys on his level...well...I don''t like our odds.

    "Why''s he showing a bunt?" I caught Sean at bat, in the lefty''s box, holding his bat out, knees bent, fingers in place.

    Noah was focused on him as well. "Maybe he''s trying for a bunt single. Or he could be showing bung to draw them in, and then he''ll do a push to get the ball past them."

    "He''s probably showing a bunt because he knows his swing can''t keep up with the dude''s fastball." Garret plopped down next to me, making me flinch. He raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you going to be okay today?"

    I shrugged.

    "I don''t think my swing can catch up to a 90mph fastball, but I still wouldn''t show a bunt." Noah murmured, ignoring Garret''s comment to my jumpiness.

    "Yea, because you suck at bunts."Zeke came over and stood nearby. "It would just be an easy out if you attempted to bunt. The best we can hope for from you is a walk or a lucky hit."

    "I take offense to that!" Noah exclaimed, popping up off the bench.

    "Shut up and watch." Zeke commanded. He glanced at me. "I came over to instruct you to pay attention as well. This could be useful to you in the future."

    I nodded, earnestly, hoping not to attract any negative attention. Sean took back his bunt to let a ball pass by. Then he showed again, this time getting a piece of it and sending it down the third baseline. With a fluid motion, he dropped his bat and sprinted to first. The third baseman was caught flat footed, and rushed to the ball. He got up to the ball, glance at Sean, who was guaranteed to be safe, then watched as the rolling ball go over the foul line.

    "Foul!" The home plate umpire declared, bringing a round of ''boos'' from the stands and a little from our dugout. Sean was forced to go back to the batter''s box with a 1-1 count. He picked up his bat and got set again, showing bunt.

    I watched closely as the third baseman cheated a little in, but not much to be obvious. This time he was on his toes and already prepared for Sean''s bunt. Except, Sean didn''t repeat his actions completely. This time he did the push bunt, squeezing the ball just past the third baseman''s feet. Sean took off to first.

    The shortstop came over to field the ball, yet didn''t bother making the throw since Sean''s speed easily allowed him to make it to the base safely. Our dugout clapped and cheered, however we still couldn''t compare to University. That didn''t matter now though; we have someone on base!

    Daniel stepped up to the plate, and Kelvin to the on deck circle. James wasn''t in the hole so he must be getting benched. I wonder if coach would let Bryce come in to pinch hit if we''re able to load the bases.

    Daniel took the first two pitches as called strikes and it started to stress out the dugout. Garret was whispering curses next to me and Noah was hollering for a hit over the fence. The team was pretty much divided between both reactions, with the exception of me and Zeke. We just silently watched.

    I noticed the way Daniel had stepped up to the plate with an open stance, having his back leg closer to home plate and his front leg further away, opening up his stance. He was aiming for a hit down the third baseline. He wanted to pull his hit and try not to let it go opposite field. Clever. Now he just has to connect.

    I don''t know much about Daniel besides that he plays shortstop like Noah. Even though coach put him one position over, I could tell by his error that he wasn''t fully comfortable with it. As for his batting...I can''t really remember anything significant.

    On the third pitch, Daniel swung his bat just as the pitcher released the ball. He timed it perfectly, smacking the ball down the third base side. The third baseman was set in his stance, however the ball took a weird bounce, sneaking under his elbow.

    The crowd let out a collective gasp. Meanwhile, our whole dugout was going crazy telling Daniel to run. The shortstop, the third best player in the state, dove for the ball, sliding in the dirt, stopping the ball from going to the outfield. From the ground, he threw the ball to second base where the second baseman tried to make the tag, but Sean had a good lead off first and slid in safely before the throw had gotten there.

    The dugout started to get rowdy as we now had two runners on the bases. Kelvin moved to the batter''s box, but wasn''t able to start his at bat because the University Preparatory Coach came out of their dugout. He pointed to the third baseman, then to the dugout before sharing some words with the umpire.

    "He''s pulling the third baseman..?" Garret asked as we watch the third baseman moved to the dugout and a totally new player jogged out to replace him.

    "He made errors." Zeke replied. "Not scorebook errors, but mental ones. With a big school like them, I''m sure they have more players to choose from, allowing for changes in times like this."

    "That''s practically saying you have no trust in your teammates." Noah frowned as the situation unfolded.

    "It''s called a competitive environment." Zeke responded, not even concerned. "College and beyond would be the same way. A few mistakes and you would be easily benched." He glanced back at me. "No matter if you''re good in one area. Beyond high school baseball, you have to be well-rounded."

    Beyond high school baseball? Would that even pertain to me? I didn''t feel any anxiety from Zeke''s words, because I didn''t really see a future for me that involved baseball. I played baseball now because of Noah. He likes to and he said we should play together so I don''t want to let down my one friend. Maybe if Noah wanted me to play in college? I would have to think some more about it. For now, I''m still only a freshman. I have years.

    The coach returned to his dugout, the new player got into position, and the pitcher stood on the mound with confidence. Kelvin got into the righty''s box after a practice swing. He chased an outside fastball for strike one. Then foul tipped an inside pitch for strike two. The third pitch went back to the outside, but he was able to touch the ball, sending a grounder to the second baseman. The second baseman fielded it with ease and threw him out at first for our third out.

    The team seem to let out a collective groan. The score was still 4-0 heading to the bottom of the second. Bryce was called from the bullpen and came jogging in, meeting the coach at the mound, as everyone else went to their own positions. Coach gave Bryce a few instructions and words of encouragement, and then went to the umpire behind the plate to announce the pitcher change. By the time he was done, Kelvin came out of the dugout with his catchers gear on.

    At the bottom of the second, Bryce would have to start at the top of the lineup, almost as if the first inning didn''t exist. Which was actually a nice thought. Without the first inning, we wouldn''t be losing and I wouldn''t have a groundout.

 205 Game Three: University Preparatory H.S. 4

    If Bryce felt nervous, he didn''t show it. Which is surprising considering his debut performance yesterday. Noah said Bryce was similar to Garret, as in he could hit and pitch, but I have yet to see anything special about his pitching. Granted...I only saw him pitch to three people just yesterday.

    Bryce stepped on the rubber up on the mound. The leadoff hitter had stepped up to the plate and looked more than ready to hit a pitch outta here. He came pretty close, hitting a long fly down the first baseline, but Sean was able to make the catch at the warning track. The first out. He''s already off to a better start than James.

    The second batter, the third best player in the state, stepped in the batter''s box. With a glance at Noah, I took note how he hung back, practically on the grass. I followed suit.

    Bryce faced him with determination, trying out his fastest pitch on the outside corner. Ball. He aimed for the same spot, but caught the corner or the strike zone for a called strike one. I watched on, in confusion, as he sent the third pitch to the same spot. It didn''t make any sense to me why he would do that. Especially to one of the best high school players.

    The batter punished Bryce for his mistake by hitting a stand-up double off the outfield wall. He stood proudly on second base as Noah and I exchanged looks. Bryce didn''t inspire any confidence in me even though he''s doing slightly better than James. I wiggled my shoulders, trying to stay loose.

    The third batter, who reached on error last inning got ready to bat. On a 2-2 count, he smacked another grounder down the third baseline. Daniel didn''t rush, fielded the ball, made sure the runner on second wasn''t going, and was able to throw the batter out at first. The second out. For the first time this morning, instead of letting out a sigh of disappointment, I let out a sigh of relief.

    The relief didn''t last long. Bryce''s pitches started to become wild and missed the strike zone. He walked batters four and five, loading up the bases.

    "Just get it over the plate!" Noah clapped with his glove a few times, trying to encourage our sophomore pitcher on the mound. "Force out at any base. Plus you can get him to pop out."

    Bryce glanced back at him, gave a nod, then put his focus back on the sixth batter in the box. I remembered the sixth''s batter last at bat, since he snuck a bloop single over my head last time. Bryce was able to trap him into a 1-2 count, putting him on the defensive. Bryce aimed a fastball on the far side of the strike zone. The batter swung, hitting the ball near the end of his bat, sending a grounder between me and Julian. I moved to the ball as Julian moved to the base. I played the way I faced, fielding the ball and focused on throwing a perfect ball to Julian, not minding the runners.

    "Out!" The umpire behind first made the call, signaling the end of their offensive, letting us escape without giving up another run.

    We headed to the dugout, feeling a little more energized. Bryce, Noah, and I would get to start off the third inning.

    As Bryce stepped into the box, Noah watched from the on deck circle, and I from just inside the dugout. Bryce swung at every pitch, and missed, causing the umpire to yell out "strike" multiple times. Which, in turn, made me flinch three times until Bryce struck out.

    I felt on edge as I stepped in the on deck circle, trying to mentally prepare myself for my at bat. Noah started his at bat, not bothering to swing at the pitches he couldn''t reach. Instead he focused on just trying to get a piece of what was close, pushing the count to 2-1. Then he fouled one back. 2-2. A high fastball. 3-2. Then one below the knees. 4-2. A walk. He tossed his bat to us as he jogged to first.

    The bat landed near me and I started to imagine that it was the one from my dream. I avoided the bat by ten feet, no doubt looking a bit odd as I moved to the lefty''s box. Someone from our dugout would have to grab that bat. I''m not even in the right frame of mind to think about it, let alone touch it.

    Mr. Miller signed for me to swing and for Noah to run at the first sound of contact. A hit and run. We need it. I took a deep breath and faced one of the fastest pitchers I''ve ever come across. Touching the ball doesn''t seem to be a problem, but trying to aim is. Last at bat, I was too much in a hurry to get away from the ump.

    This time I tried to tune it out and focused on what the pitcher threw. His first pitch was right down the middle, urging me to swing, yet I held back the urge. "Strike!" I fixed my grip and waited for the next pitch. A ball near my knees. 1-1. The next pitch wasn''t as fast, but it had some movement and look to drift to the far side of the strike zone for me. I didn''t know what it was, but I swung, connecting perfectly with the barrel of my bat. He zoomed right back the way it came, just narrowly missing the pitcher. I sprinted to first and Noah was already half way to second.

    The shortstop seemed to come out of nowhere as he gloved my grounder, touched second base, then threw a bullet to his first baseman. A double play to end the inning. I blinked in surprise. Where did he come from? Was he cheating towards second and I didn''t notice?

    I made my way back to the dugout and Noah soon caught up. We switched out our gear together as he spoke.

    "That was just unlucky. Don''t mind. It would have been on any other given day if we weren''t playing one of the best shortstops in the state and nation. He''s practically a pro." Noah tried to comfort me, but it just made me feel a little dumb.

    That''s right. I was already told he and the pitcher were the top two players in high school baseball. Even ranked higher than Zeke. Why didn''t I hit anywhere else?

    "You''re not using your head out there." Zeke said as we headed on out to the field. I''m not surprised Zeke could read minds; he was pretty observant. "Transition to fielding. You can reflect on your at bats in the next inning." He sent us away as Bryce was ready to face the next few batters from University Prep.

    Bryce was on point in the bottom of the third. The seventh batter hit a grounder right to Julian at first base for an easy out. The next batter hit a hard grounder my way, but I was completely focused and didn''t stumble in what I needed to do, throwing him out at first for the second out. The last batter mimicked his first at bat, hitting a high fly to center field, hardly making Mahki work. Still 4-0, them, as we head to the forth.

 206 Game Three: University Preparatory H.S. 5

    Top of the fourth. I took my seat beside Noah as our first three up started to prepare for their at bats. Mahki would lead off, then Garret, and Julian. On any other given day, I would think of this as a solid lineup. But against this pitcher, our lineup looks like Swiss cheese a.k.a. full of holes.

    "You did well, fielding that grounder." Noah remarked as we watched Mahki step up to bat. "And Bryce looks like he settled down. Now if we could just string together some hits."

    I nodded in agreement.

    "Are you tired?" Noah asked. "You look a little beat. Is it because you had trouble sleeping?"

    "I had a nightmare this morning and woke up too early." Too stressed. I looked around to make sure our teammates weren''t too close. "My nightmare included my mom."

    Noah''s eyes widen. "Why didn''t you say so sooner?"

    I shrugged. "It''s not like it happened in real life. There''s nothing I can do about it. It was just a nightmare."

    Noah frowned. "You could have talked about it. With me. Or with Dad. I don''t know much about Dad''s past, but it sounded like he went through something similar. Maybe it would help you to talk about it with him. Just think, if Dad can turn out to be an amazing person, then I think you can too."

    I thought back to the time we eavesdropped on Mr. Atkins talking about my first therapy session with his wife. He was scared, nervous, and worried about letting me down. He obviously had trouble with a parent, or two, as well so he could relate. Maybe he would know some shortcuts on how to not be a nervous wreck all the time.

    "I''ll talk to him after the game." I conceded. "Maybe we''ll see Dr. Moore and talk to him about it too."

    "Include me too!" Noah pouted.

    I frowned. "I don''t know... It''s-it''s kind of personal." I don''t think it''s something I should share with another kid. My mother was straight out of a horror movie, with all of her abuse.

    "Jake, we''re best friends. And best friends share everything. No secrets. Even if you''re afraid to talk about your past, I''ll be here for you."

    So mushy. I turned red and pushed him away. "Fine. Whatever."

    Mahki hit a high fly to center field for the first out, bringing up Garret. Julian moved to the on deck circle and Sean to the hole spot. Garret swung and missed, prompting the umpire to yell out strike one. I flinched in my seat.

    "Uhhh, does the umpire have something to do with your nightmare too?" Noah asked. "Or is it just a side effect of not enough sleep?"

    "My nightmare started with me being at bat." I clicked my cleats against one another. "The ump was loud in calling strikes. And the catcher was talking. Almost saying the same words as yesterday''s catcher in game one."

    Noah frowned. "What did he say, that made it stick with you, even in your sleep?"

    "Something about having a perfect batting average when I can''t even keep my eye on the ball. I don''t know. But I don''t have a perfect average anymore so that doesn''t really upset me. But in my nightmare, I struck out and Chris confronted me in the dugout again. Then he turned into my mom. And as she slapped me, I woke up."

    Noah grimaced. "During times like this, you just gotta remember that dreams aren''t real. Even if they have some memories mixed in."

    I nodded solemnly. "I''ve been trying to tell myself that."

    Garret''s bat made the perfect ''ping'' sound as it connected with the ball. We watched as it squeezed between the first and second basemen. He reached first, rounded the base and saw the ball being delivered back to the infield so he didn''t push it. The dugout perked up with some excitement again.

    Sadly, that''s all the excitement we would have. Julian hit a hard line drive...right to the shortstop. And then Sean hit a high, short fly ball to center field where the outfielder merely had to run in to make the catch. Still losing 4-0.

    Bottom of the fourth, Bryce was back to facing the top of the lineup. The first batter was daring enough to pull out a surprise bunt, getting the ball to roll down the third baseline, catching Daniel unprepared. I stood frozen, not sure what to do. Julian had immediately covered first and Noah to second. Unexpectedly, Bryce was able to react, spinning all the way around after he finished pitching. He grabbed the ball barehanded, and spun another 180 degrees and threw the call to Julian. I had a flashback to the first inning when Daniel overthrew when completing a similar play.

    Bryce didn''t make the same mistake. His throw was almost like a pitch, with impeccable aim. He was able to beat out the batter for the first out. A lot of claps and cheers commended him for a well executed play.

    Unfortunately, those claps turned into cheers for the other team, as the second batter stepped into the box. So far he had dominated at the plate, and on the field when he was on the defensive. Definitely Zeke-tiered player. And with him batting so soon in the lineup, it was hard to pitch around him and just walk him. Because there''s also the cleanup hitter to worry about. What a headache.

    Bryce faces him head on, just to end up getting burned. The second batter/shortstop hit a solo shot over the left field fence for another home run. 5-0. Shoot.

    "That was a good pitch, Bryce." Noah told him as we got ready for the next batter. "Good placement with good speed. Do it again."

    Bryce was the only pitcher I knew that accepted Noah''s encouragement unconditionally. Usually the twins would sneer, Garret would ignore or laugh, and the other pitchers just didn''t want his reassurance.

    Bryce took his compliment to heart, and practically gave the third batter the same pitch, except with a bit more speed. The batter replicated his teammates swing and sent the ball flying to left field. Garret tracked it down to the fence, put his hand on the gate and held up his gloved hand, catching the fly ball at the warning track. Second out.

    "That''s the way to get it done." Noah clapped his glove. He held up two fingers and hollered. "Two outs! Play''s at first! Let''s get it!"

    "Yea!" Some of the guys said together.

    The cleanup hitter dug in after stepping in the batter''s box. What a presence. Not only was he shutting us out as he took the mound, but he has also drove in some runs. I could see how he was ranked higher than Zeke. Zeke was just an outfielder, compared to this guy who could also get things done on the mound.

    Bryce was able to push him to a 2-2 count after some fouls, draining himself of some energy and pushing up his pitch count. Then it happened. The batter connected, sending a very fast and hard grounder towards my general direction. If I didn''t stop this, he would easily get a double and be at risk to score a run. I rushed to get my body in front of the ball, put my glove in the dirt to try and block it from going under me. The grounder hit the palm of my glove, bouncing off at nailing me in the chest, then fell to the dirt. I picked it up, ignored the pain, and threw to first just as the runner arrived.

    Everyone looked to the first base umpire, waiting for his decision. He lifted his fist and gave it a pump. "OUT!" The third out to end the fourth.

    Noah was the first to get to me. "Wow! What a stop! Did it hurt?! Let me see!" He was going about a mile a minute as we jogged to the dugout.

    I flopped down on my spot on the bench, dropping my glove beside me, keeping a hand on my chest, as if I was trying to contain the pain. "I''ve had worse." At least...worst from my mom. But a ball has never hit me so hard before; not even the one that had hit my arm. That had merely left a bruise. This one hurt more since my chest area didn''t have much muscle to protect the bones.

 207 Game Three: University Preparatory H.S. 6

    "No, just let me see!" Noah reached for me. I held on tightly, keeping my jersey close to my body so he couldn''t pull it away. Not because I was afraid of the bruise that ball had definitely left, but because of the scars I had all over. Just last year I had a few broken ribs that needed a correction surgery so they wouldn''t cut my lungs, plus all the times my mom had beat me hard enough to break the skin. She never took me to a hospital growing up so I never had stitches. Everything had to heal on its own. "Is it that bad? Should I get the trainer?" Noah worriedly examined my extreme reaction to make sure he couldn''t see. "He''s definitely going to go see the athletic trainer." Zeke appeared, with Coach right beside him. "You heard Dad yesterday. Trainer or doctor.""I''ve already asked an official to bring the trainer here." Coach continued right after Zeke. "You took a hard hit.""I''m okay." I mumbled. "It''s just a bruise." Coach frowned. "Even so. I''m taking you out. You see Zeke, don''t you? He played with his bruise and now has to sit a week. Do you also want to sit a week?"I glanced at Noah and saw him pouting still. I don''t know if he was upset or not with me not showing him, but I didn''t want to make it worse. We still had a game on Thursday and I don''t want to upset Noah even more. "I''ll rest. But really, I don''t need to see the trainer."Coach glanced around the dugout. "Roberts! Start stretching and warming up. You''ll be going in for Jake." John jumped up and started to move around. "The trainer is here." Zeke stated, waving over the man from yesterday, who had just walked in the dugout before the inning started. Daniel was up to bat with Kelvin and Bryce following behind. The trainer walked over and nodded at Zeke. "I heard someone took a ball to the chest?""A harder grounder." Zeke pointed at me. "He also isn''t very compliant.""You better become compliant." Coach warned. "Or else you''ll be sitting for the next month." I looked down at my hands, holding my jersey to my chest. "Does everyone have to look? Can''t it be private?""Jake is super shy." Noah sighed. "He doesn''t even change in front of me in the bedroom. Nor does he change clothes in the dugout or clubroom back at our school.""Hmmm." The trainer hummed. "Well, I can take you back to the tent where I examined your teammates yesterday."I looked to Coach. "Can Mr. Atkins come with me?"Coach nodded.I slowly stood up. "Should I bring my bag?""Leave it. Kyle has nothing to do." Zeke replied. "He''ll carry it. We''ll meet up after the game. If you''re quick, you can watch the ending from the stands like Dave, wherever he''s hiding."I glanced at Noah. "Sorry.""Don''t be silly." Noah brushed it off. "I''ll do the comeback win so after you get the all clear, we''ll be playing in the finals." Noah pumped his fist. I smiled at his unending optimism. Then I followed the trainer out the far exit since the game was still going on. Some of the team shared their well wishes and pats on my back or even just a nod in my direction. "You''re quite popular on the team." The trainer commented as we walked to the stands. I shook my head. "Not really." As we got close to the stands, I looked for the Atkins. "Jake!" They were waiting in the front row. The two of them stood up and walked over to me and the trainer. "Hello, nice to see you again. I''m Mason Washburn, the athletic trainer from yesterday." The man shook their hands. "I was asked to come look at Jake''s injury from a hard hit ball."Mrs. Atkins nodded immediately. "Please do. It looked awful from here. I couldn''t imagine how it felt." She looked me over worriedly. "Are you feeling okay? Would you rather go to the doctor?""I''m okay." I mumbled. "He won''t let me see his injury in front of others so we''re going back to the tent. He asked if someone else could be there and I said yes. I like when the parents are present just to make sure they understand what''s going on as well.""We''re Jake''s guardians." Mrs. Atkins claimed. "I can go with you, Jake."I looked at Mr. Atkins in a hurry. He caught the look of panic I shot him. He gave a tight smile and patted his wife''s hand. "Why don''t you watch the rest of the game? To cheer for Noah. And to send us updates. I''ll go with Jake."Mrs. Atkins was about to disagree, but after a look down at me, she sighed. "Okay. Let me know if it''s anything serious. Or if it''s okay. Just give me a rundown too."Mr. Atkins smiled and placated his wife. "Of course. Have your phone on you." He pecked her on the cheek and then went with us to the tent from yesterday. I was asked to sit on the table and remove my jersey and shirt. I nervously looked at Mr. Atkins. "I''m-I-There''s...uhhh." I stumbled trying to find the words. Mr. Atkins waited calmly as the trainer watched us in confusion. "I have-there are-um. Scars." I finally spat out. "I have scars."Mr. Atkins nodded, understanding what I was getting to. "I have scars too. Both inside and out. Will it make you more comfortable if I turn away?""Just��don''t stare, okay?" I took off my jersey. Then my long sleeve, revealing my upper body. The trainer, Mason, took in a sudden deep breath of air. "My god." He let out as he got a good look of my chest and stomach. I had a over twenty scars, big and small, white and red, crisscrossing all over. The biggest scars were from emergency surgery last year, measuring the longest at four inches. The small scars were from when my mother would stab me with a pen or a box cutter knife. Whatever was convenient for her and within reach during one of her episodes. I looked away, shy from the attention. "I." The trainer stood up straight and cleared his throat. "This. I''ve never seen anything like this.""They''re old. From my mom." I spoke up, hoping he wouldn''t think they were from Mr. Atkins. "Last year. Now I live with the Atkins."Mason looked to Mr. Atkins for confirmation. Mr. Atkins nodded. "We''ve recently been given guardianship. Jake has been with us for almost a month. How does the recent hit to the chest look?"Mason came close and gingerly touched the ball mark forming on my chest. "It''ll definitely bruise. Does this hurt when I push over here?" He pushed down beside the oncoming bruise. Then beside it. He had my lie down and pushed on other places. I answered all his questions and complied with all his requests. "No trouble breathing?"I shook my head. "Only at first.""That''s common with hits to the chest." He glanced back at Mr. Atkins, who had patiently waited to the side and was sending updates to his wife. "I don''t believe anything is broken or that it''s anything more than a bruise. However, if breathing problems crop up, I suggest going to the emergency room immediately. Keep an eye on him. I''ll set you up with some ice before you put your shirts back on." He said the last line to me.He grabbed a bag, filled it with ice, then held it to the spot on my chest as he wrapped me up. He helped me put on my long sleeve, stretching it over my bulging chest of ice, and then I put my jersey back on.

 208 Game Three: University Preparatory H.S. 7

    Mr. Atkins and I thanked him and left the tent.He looked like he wanted to say something, but I cut him off. "How''s the game going?"He glanced down at his phone. "Not so good. Mary said she would meet us at the car."I blinked in surprise. "So quick? What happened?""Mercy ruled. We lost 10-0 in the bottom of the fifth." Mr. Atkins sighed. "She said the boys are packing up the baseball bags in the car now. Let''s go." He guided me towards the parking lot. "What day will we see Dr. Moore this week..?" I asked. "Wednesday evening. Is something bothering you at the moment? Is it about others seeing your scars? I can call and ask to see if he can move us up a couple of days?" Noah obviously got his rambling from his dad. The similarity was a bit uncanny. I shrugged a little. "Not really about the scars. I can just hide those. It''s-I-there was-" I started to ramble again, trying to find the words that could explain my nightmare. "This morning, I didn''t sleep well because I had a nightmare. That involved my mom."Mr. Atkins slowed down to a stop. He gave me a look of sympathy. "It''s good that you brought it up. If you kept it to yourself and bottled it up, it can come back to bite you later on."Did that happen to him? Noah and I overheard him talking to Mary about his past and how he had to hit rock bottom before letting anyone in to help. Knowing that something similar had happened to Mr. Atkins and seeing him be a functioning adult makes me think everything really will be okay in the end. But...I want to ask: how long did it take? Where did it start? When did it end? "Jake?" Mr. Atkins called for my attention. "What do you think? Want to talk about it earlier? We could also talk about it together before we go in? What do you want to do?"I want to ignore it. But, that''s not realistic. Especially seeing how jumpy I was today. It''s not something I can hide, like my scars. "Wednesday is okay. Noah and I talked about it a little so I''m fine."Mr. Atkins looked relieved. "Okay, we''ll wait until Wednesday." He started to walk again, with me right beside him. We walked to the car in silence, yet I wasn''t bothered by it. At the car, all the Atkins boys were standing by the opened trunk, talking. Noah was the first to notice us walking towards them. "Everything okay Jake?"I gave him a thumbs up. "What a relief." He sighed. "As long as Jake doesn''t have any trouble breathing, he should be good to go." Mr. Atkins said. He looked at Zeke. "So no crazy amount of laps and running. I''ll be texting your Coach."Zeke frowned. "How are we ever going to get better if you keep restricting their intensity of practice?"The twins and Noah were dead silent, not even breathing too loud. Mr. Atkins tilted his head to look at his oldest son. "Last I checked, I''m the parent here. Would you like to be held responsible for someone''s health? For your own? Could you handle the consequences?" "I can be held responsible for my own health." Zeke continued to talk back to his dad. "I could have played today. We could have had a chance. I could have easily done just as well as Seth and Hayden."Mr. Atkins looked at the rest of us. "Why don''t you boys get in the car while Zeke and I have a talk?"Noah didn''t hesitate to grab me and we got in the very back of the car. The twins got in the middle rows right after us. "Oh, Jake? How are you feeling?" Mrs. Atkins was in the front passenger seat. "He''s fine. Shhhh." Noah answered. "Zeke is talking back to dad. He''s still mad about the game."To my surprise, Mrs. Atkins didn''t say anything about being shushed by her own son. She just turned to look out the trunk with the rest of us. "Zeke, I know where you''re coming from." We could hear Mr. Atkins say in a light tone. "If you could, then I would have been playing." Zeke''s tone became aggressive. This is the first time I''ve heard him so upset. "This was one of the few chances I would have had to play against these guys. Now it''s gone. In five innings. Dad, how could you possibly know what I''m feeling?"Mr. Atkins sighed. "Zeke, it''s called being empathetic. Putting yourself in someone else''s shoes. Knowing you, and knowing how much this means to you...I''m sorry. You did miss out. But, think about this: would you rather miss out on this game or miss out on playing baseball for years to come? Let me tell you, when you don''t take care of an injury immediately, it''ll never fully go away. It''ll keep plaguing you and dragging down your potential. Sure, you might have made a difference in today''s game, but what if you didn''t? What if your contusion got worse and you needed more time to rest? In the grand scheme of life, this one game won''t make or break you. There''ll be more games with more importance."Zeke didn''t speak right away, after his Dad''s speech. His dad waited patiently to see what he would say. Surprisingly, I heard Zeke sigh with heavy remorse. "I didn''t want to raise my voice. I just don''t like to be left behind. This was a good chance to prove myself in front of college and professional scouts.""You''ve already have their eye, son." Mr. Atkins reassured him. "You''re a standout on the field and off. Wherever you decide to go, they''ll be lucky to have you.""And if I decide to enter the draft to become a pro?""Then you better come up with a PowerPoint presentation for me and your mom on all the reasons why." Mr. Atkins replied. "And I don''t want to hear money as a reason.""Yea, yea. I know." Zeke waved him off, giving off the feeling of a rebellious teen for the first time. "Let''s go get lunch. I''m sure the twins are complaining to mom right now."Mr. Atkins agreed as they shared a smile and headed towards us. Noah immediately faced forward and gave the twins a look. Kyle understood the unspoken command. "Mommm, what''s for lunch? My vote is steak.""All you think about is steak." Noah rolled his eyes."Then pasta it is!" Dave voted. "You didn''t even play in the game, why do you get to decide?"The bickering went on as Zeke and his dad both got in the car. A decision was made by Mrs. Atkins and we were off. As we drove, I felt an ache in my chest. An ache unrelated to being hit by that grounder. Instead, it came from inside. Seeing Zeke and his Dad have what looked to be an argument, that in turn, became a display of parental love and care, made me feel like I was missing out. I was always missing out.

 209 Postgame: University Preparatory H.S.

    At lunch, Noah started to tell me how the game ended. Top of the fifth inning, we couldn''t come up with much. Daniel flew out to center field. Kelvin was able to hit a single. Bryce attempted a bunt, but the pitcher was able to throw Kelvin out at second. Luckily, Bryce was fast enough to make it to first safely, giving Noah a chance to come up. Noah only got a walk though. My replacement, John Roberts, couldn''t come up with anything and struck out. The bottom of the fifth inning is when things really started to fall apart. Bryce started strong, striking out the fifth batter. Then, against the sixth batter, he threw a fastball over the plate, practically right down the middle. The ball was well hit and went the distance for a solo shot home run, making the score 6-0. That was followed by back-to-back doubles, driving in another run, 7-0. He was able to get the ninth batter to strikeout looking. The leadoff hit a single, pushing the eighth batter to third base. Then it was the second batter, Mr. third-in-state. Noah shook his head sadly. "That guy blasted another home run, driving in three runs, making the score 10-0, effectively ending the game." He let out a heavy sigh. "It was a heartbreaker. I''m kind of glad you weren''t there to experience it. Bryce was in tears as coach spoke to us afterwards.""He cried? Why?" I asked. Yea, it sucks that we can''t play another game, but I didn''t really see the reason to cry. "Maybe cuz he''s the reason we lost? Duh." Kyle said as he stuffed bread in his mouth. "Rude." Noah stuck his tongue out at Kyle. "He has a point." Dave pointed at Kyle. "Bryce was on the mound and we were mercy ruled. It says a lot about the pitcher.""Or it just says we went up against a good hitting team." Noah rebuked. "That too." Dave shrugged. "It''s hard to shake off a loss like that. He''s gonna be a mess for the next couple of weeks.""Don''t speak like you guys didn''t lose too." Noah pouted. "We lost as a team.""I didn''t pitch." Kyle replied. "How can you blame me for not even playing?""Heck, I wasn''t even in the dugout." Dave added. "I had no hand in this loss."Mr. Atkins cleared his throat at the head of the table. "That''s enough. I''m disappointed that both of you are distancing yourselves from your team. You win as a team, and lose as a team. Regardless of how much playing time you may or may not of had." Sometimes I got the feeling that their dad used to be a coach or at least played a lot himself. "Look at Zeke. He actually puts the whole loss on his shoulders. Take a little after him, will you?""What and hide my injury?" Dave snorted. "Better yet, be conceited enough to think he could change the game all on his own?" Kyle said. "I don''t think, I know." Zeke replied, nonchalant about the whole discussion. He was only focused on eating. "Braggart." Dave huffed. "Some example you''re setting as a captain." Kyle add. "That''s how a captain should be." Noah spoke up, drawing the twins attention to himself. "A captain can make or break a team. They should be able to carry the whole team." He grinned, turning to Zeke. "And that means if we lose in the future with you on the field, then you''re a crappy captain.""Language." Mrs. Atkins warned. "You boys can never just be supportive of one another. You''re constantly fighting."That didn''t seem like fighting to me. "Boys will be boys." Mr. Atkins told her. He looked at Zeke. "With the week off, why don''t you go over your college brochures? We can even visit a school this weekend as a family if it''s nearby."Zeke clenched his jaw. "Isn''t the beginning of the season. We can''t just go on a vacation.""It''s not going to be a vacation." Mrs. Atkins replied. "As a senior, you get five official visits to universities. I really want you to take advantage of that even if they aren''t your first option. Just get a feel for the atmosphere. And if you pick a local school, we can make it an unofficial visit and just go as a family. You boys only have a game Thursday and then Monday. We can at least go Saturday to Sunday."Zeke let out a sigh. "Sure. I''ll pick a school out when we get back home.""For us to go too, it has to be a close university!" Dave got excited. "The best options would be Stanford University or University of San Francisco.""I want to go to Stanford too!" Noah joined in. "You''re too dumb to even try." Kyle smirked. "You''re not any better." Noah huffed."Do you have to be smart to play college baseball?" I asked. The bickering ceased. Noah shook his head. "Not if your skilled in a sport. They lower standards for athletes. Especially scholarship athletes. If they really want Zeke, he would just have to get the minimum scores required. He is nationally ranked so there won''t be too many hoops for him to jump through."I nodded, kind of understanding. "University of San Francisco would be cool." Kyle jumped back in, talking about the colleges. "The Giants fans would be annoying though. However, you''d be even closer to Oakland than we are now."I looked to Noah for help. Why does that matter?"We''re A fans. Oakland Athletics is our team." Noah explained. "Yours too, now. By default. But San Francisco and Oakland are near one another so they''re practically rivals even though they''re not even in the same division." Noah started rambling again, chatting about the major league and its teams. I let him go even though I hardly understood. The whole table had a lighter atmosphere listening to Noah, than when we were talking about our loss. As long as everyone else is happy, I''m happy.

 210 Note

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 211 Zeke’s Mail

    After lunch we went back to the hotel to shower, pack up and load everything in the car. Mrs. Atkins thought about some places they could stop by on the way home to show me, but in the end, they decided to save it for another weekend when we had more time. It was still a long drive home, plus there was homework to worry about.By the time we arrived at their house, it was late afternoon. Mrs. Atkins went to the kitchen to start dinner. Mr. Atkins went to his office to return some calls for their work. The boys and I went to our rooms to put away our dirty clothes and to prepare for school tomorrow. Noah and I did our homework together with the exception of math. He was still doing Algebra, while I had breezed through my pre-calculus. We finished in time for dinner and headed down to the kitchen to see if food was on the table.Instead, what we found was a table full of papers, envelopes, postcards, and the such. The table looked like it belonged in a post office. Zeke stood by the table, arms crossed, staring at it all. "What''s all this?" Noah''s eyes widen, implying that this isn''t a normal occurrence. "College brochures from all the schools interested in Zeke!" Mrs. Atkins announced proudly as she walked in with another armful of mail. She dropped it on the table. "Alright Zeke, how do you want to sort it? By division one, two, three? I''ll definitely trash the community college offers. Not that there isn''t anything wrong with community colleges...you just have better options." She grabbed some of the bigger packets. "We could also sort by the size of the scholarship offer. Look! This is school is offering 75% right off the bat!"Noah ran over to look at what she picked up. Then he frowned. "Mom. That''s a small D2 (A/N: Division two) school. Not even a well known school for that matter. Are you trying to hide Zeke away from the scouts? No one will pay attention to him there!"Mrs. Atkins frowned. "Listen here, young man. Nothing beats a free education. That will open plenty of doors for you in the future if baseball doesn''t work out."Noah rolled his eyes. "So will becoming a pro. The minimum is 550,000$. If Zeke can get picked in the first round, he''s practically guaranteed a million. The number one pick last year got 6.7 million. You can easily pay for college then."Mrs. Atkins mood deflated. She looked at Zeke and sighed. "Just remember to pick out five schools for official visits. You''re running out of time." She walked back to the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes. Make sure to get somewhat organized please. Have Noah and Jake help you if you need it." She disappeared into the other room."What do you wanna do, Zeke?" Noah asked, excited to dig in the pile. "We can cheat and just organize it by what they sent: postcards, letters, packages."Zeke glanced to the kitchen, where his mom went. Then he looked down at Noah. "We''ll start by dividing them up by division. Pull out your phone in case you need to look some up." Zeke also pulled out his own phone. I stood there awkwardly. "What should I do?""We''ll hand you the mail after we figure out the division." Zeke declared. "You''ll make the piles and keep them separated." He picked a few out of the big pile of mail. "These are all D1 schools. They''re well known so I don''t need to look them up. Okay, let''s get started."Zeke put us to work. Mostly me. Zeke was quick to pick out brochures and mail that belonged to big schools, and told me their division level. The big pile of mail started to dwindle as I made smaller piles on the floor. Noah took his time looking up the schools they haven''t heard of. It didn''t take long to have it all sorted. The three of us stared at the four piles on the floor: D1, D2, D3, and the ''other'' stack. "Let me go get something to put them in!" Noah ran off and came back in two minutes , holding some buckets. He put each small pile of mail in their own bucket. "There. That way it''ll be easier to move. And to add more mail as it comes." Noah looked up at Zeke, excited. "Will you start opening the D1 brochures and offers? Let''s see if there''s anything good!"Zeke rubbed the back of his neck, looking tired. "Maybe another day. It''s almost dinner time. I don''t want to make a mess going through it." He let out a sigh. "I''m going to tell mom we finished and help her bring out the food. Go get the twins." He left us alone with all of his mail pushed up against the wall. Noah let out a sigh as he watched his brother walk away. "How annoying.""What..?" I asked, confused with what he meant. "Zeke. He''s annoying. He keeps putting off making a decision for his future." Noah looked at me. "Did you know that most high school players will sign their letter of intent in November. Or February. There are specific signing days, yet he just let them pass like it''s no big deal.""Is it because he wants to go pro?" I asked. "That''s part of it, I think. But he doesn''t want to admit it aloud. Dad tells us to make a decision on what we want to do without being concerned about money, but Zeke is practical."I nodded. Always. "Zeke knows that he has the best chance of being a pro out of all of us. I''m too young. The twins are mediocre at best." My lips twitched. "He also likes competition. He wants to compete with the best and the best play professionally. There''s also the College World Series to consider..but only if he sincerely thinks about college.""What do you think he''ll do?"Noah grinned and put his hands on his head, stretching. "Want to make a bet?"My lips twitched. "That would be unfair. You know him better.""No one really knows what he''ll pick. I just believe he''ll go straight to the pros. He''s just that good." Noah said. "Normal ball players would be just happy batting .300. That''s getting a hit 3 out of 10 at bats. Zeke is batting over .900 right now and isn''t satisfied. That''s the making of an all-star. College ball would just be too easy for him."I thought about it for a second. "So...I can go pro too?"Noah dropped his arms, staring at me. Then he let out a sharp laugh and hauled me into a headlock. "You punk. Bragging like that!"The rest of the family found us like that, laughing. Noah was stilling rubbing my head and accusing me of bragging. But in my mind, I thought it was a fair presumption. I had just as many outs as Zeke...one. I don''t hit as much or can smash out home runs, but I could get on base.

 212 Wednesday-Dr. Moore Appt.

    The beginning of the school week started off normal as always. Class, lunch, class, practice, dinner, homework, bed. At practice, I was wary of running into Chris, but surprisingly he wasn''t around. Coach later told me that he has been suspended from baseball activities for the week for laying hands on a fellow teammate. I started to feel guilty until coach added something else before leaving me. "It''s not you specifically, Jake. He would be suspended regardless of who he laid his hands on. I don''t want you thinking it''s because of your past that I did this. I don''t tolerate violence of any kind in my team. Chris is already lucky I didn''t report him to the school and get him suspended from classes." With that, he left me to conduct some coaching with the pitchers and catchers. Knowing that I wouldn''t run into Chris this week, really lightened my mental load. Plus, Zeke couldn''t make me run laps. As he was sidelined, forced to just watch, I got to participate like a normal player going through fielding and batting drills. No Drew for me this week. Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Atkins came for me in the middle of practice to take me to Dr. Moore''s office. Noah followed me, waving goodbye to the team and coaches. My lips twitched at how happy he looked, like he was going on a vacation and not to my psych appointment. What a weirdo. Mr. Atkins didn''t say much when Noah told him that he wanted to join us. He just sighed and agreed, leading us to where we are now. In Dr. Moore''s office. The four of us. Noah and I sat on the couch, Mr. Atkins in the chair, and Dr. Moore behind the desk. Dr. Moore looked at me, pen and notebook in hand. "Jake? I''ve heard you have something you specifically want to talk about today?"I looked him in the eyes. "I had a nightmare Sunday morning. The kind where I woke up sweaty, heart pounding, and slightly confused.""Let''s start with what it was all about." He got his pen and paper ready. I repeated the dream I. It''s entirety from the loud ump, the mean catcher, striking out, to Chris confronting me, and then turning into my mom who had smack me into waking up. "That''s quite a nightmare. Full of everything you fear, right? Striking out, being confronted, your mom hitting you?" Dr. Moore asked. I shrugged. "I wouldn''t particularly say that I''m afraid of striking out. And confrontation only makes me anxious. It''s being touched that scares me." I peeked at Noah, who was sitting there quietly all the way through. "I also don''t like to be crowded. Even when the baseball team is celebrating...I get nervous if there''s no way out."Noah nodded. "This past weekend, Jake had hit a walk off single to win the game for us so the team surrounded him to celebrate. But I safely intervened.""And by intervened...what did you do?" Dr. Moore asked Noah. I told my brother to put him down and for the team to backup. They know Jake a little better now so they try to contain themselves."Dr. Moore wrote something down before looking back at me. "Did any part of your dream have any resemblance to reality?"I nodded. "The catcher in one of the games spoke to me. It was his words I heard in the dream. Then Chris...he really grabbed me during one of the games because I made a mistake. As for my mother...she has hit me many times so I''m sure that''s from some memory.""Dreams related to waking-life experiences are associated with REM theta activity, which suggests that emotional memory processing takes place in REM sleep. REM stands for rapid-eye movement and that''s for when the brain activity is high, almost resembling being awake." Dr. Moore explained. "What you saw are key memories that had a very big impact on your emotions. The most vivid memories are usually from emotional events that stick with you.""Like his mom hitting him?" Noah cut in. Dr. Moore didn''t mind. "Yes. That had a big impact on Jake. Same with your teammate Chris grabbing you." He said. "That probably triggered something in your brain to relate that to your mother. Maybe because she had done something similar.""So there''s nothing I can do about it..?" I asked, feeling a little down. "There is. And you''re already doing it." I looked at Dr. Moore and caught him smiling at me. "The first step is to talk about your dream with someone else. That releases some of the pent up distress. Then we discuss your dream and how it relates to reality and why it bothers you. Next, we need to replace your unhappy thoughts with something that cheers you up." He looked at Noah. "What do you think Jake would do to be happy?""The batting cages of course!" Noah told him. "He loves batting. It relaxes him during practice."Dr. Moore looked back to me. "Next time you have a nightmare or distressing thought or even a bout of anxiety, I want you to imagine yourself batting. Do you think you can do that?"I shrugged. "I guess.""Good. Let''s practice a bit." Dr. Moore instructed. He had me imagine past scenarios that would give me anxiety attacks, and then would tell me to think about the batting cages and how I like to hit the ball. It didn''t work all the time, but I started to feel a change from within. Almost like I was taking a step towards taking control of my life again. If my emotions could control me, then I could also take control of my emotions. We talked a little more about my nightmare and how it shouldn''t happen so often since people only remember their dreams when they wake up during REM sleep. There was hope. "Before you go, I wanted to ask how you''re doing with social interactions? Have you taken the step to speak with your teammates one on one? How about strangers?"I mean...kind of? I glanced at Noah and he understood right away. He spoke up for me. "Jake has been speaking more with others, but he''s never really alone since I''m around. We have the same classes and are on the same team and we share the same room so it''s kind of hard for him to be alone."Yet, it''s not hard for me to feel alone. I thought to myself. Dr. Moore made a face, but didn''t say anything else about it. Instead, he switched to a topic we haven''t really spoken much about: my dad. "Have you had any dreams pertaining to your father?"I shook my head. "I can barely remember what he looks like." I mumbled. "He left when I was little. Real little. Three.""You still remember him from when you were three?" Dr. Moore asked, showing some surprise. I gave a slow nod. "Nothing specific though. Just little things like seeing him walk outside.""Oh? Do you know why that stuck with you? Or maybe even what he was doing?""He was leaving." I cleared my throat. "I don''t know if that was really the last time I saw him or not. But it''s the image of him leaving that stuck with me. He didn''t turn around." Neither did my brother. They just walked out and kept going. Leaving me behind. I fell silent, no longer wanting to talk about it. "Think of the batting cages!" Noah bumped his shoulder into mine. "Remember? Don''t get so down on yourself!"I did what I was told. Batting was easy. There was a certain rhythm to it that brought me peace.

 213 Wednesday Nigh

    After the appointment, the three of us headed home for dinner. The atmosphere in the car after my appointments always feel heavy like it''s weighing down on everyone present. Noah who was sitting in the front passenger seat, by his dad, turned to his father. "Dad? How''s the hunt for Jake''s dad going?"Mr. Atkins peeked at me through the rear view mirror. "They''re looking. Mr. Duncan said they have some leads but nothing definite. I''m sure when they have someone in mind, they''ll suggest a blood test just to be sure."I swallowed down the anxiety that was rising. Just think about the batting cages. I took a deep breath and reminded myself. "What will happen after they find him though?" Noah asked. "I want the details. Like a step by step plan for if it happens."Mr. Atkins frowned as he focused on the road. "There are plenty of variables in play that can''t be accounted for. First step would be finding him. Then confirming his blood relation. Then there''s background checks, interviews, scheduled visits. It''s a long process. It''s not really something you should be worry about to be honest.""How can you say that, Dad?!" Noah huffed. "Jake is my best friend. The younger brother I always wanted. I don''t want to wake up and have him suddenly vanish. Plus I worry that his Dad will be like his mom. And maybe he won''t let us see Jake anymore, especially if he lives far away. Jake is from Southern California so there''s a good chance that his dad is too. That''s a long drive."His dad chuckled. "Don''t worry. It won''t be sudden. They''ll need to thoroughly check the man and his situation. We don''t even know a name right now, so just let it be." He looked back at me, using the mirror. "You too, Jake. No one is just going to take you without asking questions.""There''s a chance that he won''t want him, right?" Noah asked in a small voice, as if he didn''t want to bring it up. "I mean, he''s left Jake before. What if he doesn''t want to be his parent?"Mr. Atkins sighed. "Then he''ll have to relinquish his parenting rights. Also a process.""Would Jake get to stay with us?""That depends on his social worker and on the state. We can''t force him to stay." Mr. Atkins pulled into the driveway of his home. "No more ''what ifs''. We''ll tell Jake as soon as we know anything. That''s the best we can do for right now." He turned off the car. "Make sure to grab your bags and backpacks." He left first.We got out of the car and grabbed everything from the trunk. "Sorry, Jake. I didn''t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything. I just really wanted to know what they would do about your dad." Noah apologized as we moved our baseball bags to the family car. "I didn''t mind." I shrugged. "Who knows if they''ll actually find him. And even if they did...I doubt he''ll want me now. He left me then and he never came back. No calls, no letters, no visits. Almost like he never existed.""Do you ever think the man from your memories was even really your dad?" Noah asked as we moved towards the house. "You said you were three. That''s really young. I don''t think I can recall anything about being under the age of six."I knew he was my dad because my brother was there too. But I didn''t want to bring him up. That wasn''t exactly irrefutable proof. "My mom would constantly bring him up. And use him as a reason to beat me."Noah sighed. "No offense Jake, but your family sucks.""None taken." I agreed. We walked up the stairs to our room and dumped off our backpacks. I contemplated for a minute whether I should tell Noah about my brother, but then I thought of his own. They would bicker, but I doubt they would ever leave Noah behind. My brother should be an adult by now, but he never looked back either. They just left like I didn''t exist. Maybe it was all my imagination?I shook my head to myself. No, that''s silly. I know they''re real and that they existed. We lived together. My mom cursed them till hervoice went hoarse. I watched as she burned every picture, baseball card, and any other personal item of theirs. Maybe she wished that they didn''t exist. "What are you zoning out for?" Noah waved his hand in front of my face. "Let''s go eat dinner. We still have to shower, do homework, and make sure our uniforms are all ready to go."I nodded and we headed back downstairs. Everyone else was already at the table, just waiting on us. We sat down and everyone started to fill their plates. "Who''s pitching tomorrow?" Noah asked Zeke. But it was the twins who answered in unison. "Garret." A pair of identical groans followed after that. Dave stabbed at the veggies on his plate. "Totally unfair. I hardly got to pitch at all this weekend.""Who''s fault is that?" Kyle rolled his eyes. "I''m the one with the perfect game, shouldn''t I be number one?""It''s the first home league game, so the real number one will start. We need to start off strong and work our way to a good record." Zeke said. "League!" Noah said happily. "It''s finally starting!"

 214 Game: VS Redwood High School 1

    Thursday morning, we packed up our uniforms into our bags and headed to school. Today''s game would be played at 2pm so after lunch we would head on down to the fields for warmups. Noah was the most excited. "Mom, Dad, you have to come today! Sit up front and cheer super loud!" He commanded during breakfast. "Yes, of course we''ll be there." Mrs. Atkins smiled at her youngest son. "We''ll try and be at every game this season.""Yea, whatever." Noah brushed off. "But this is the most important game. First league game of the season and out of all of your sons, only I''m starting! Even Zeke will be on the bench!" He laughed. Zeke didn''t say anything; he just took his plate to the kitchen and immediately headed to the garage. "Leaving in two minutes. If you''re not in the car, you''re walking to school." The garage door closed louder than normal. I stuffed my face with bacon and rushed my plate to the kitchen, not willing to be left behind. Noah''s laugh had stopped me. "Don''t panic so much. If Zeke really left, Mom or Dad could take us." He slowly got up and out his plate in the sink as well. "Don''t give your brothers such a hard time." Mrs. Atkins sighed as we headed to the garage. Noah lifted his hand in a wave. "Yea, sure Mom! Bye!"I lifted my hand too and we left. Now at lunch, Noah and I sat at our usual spot, alone. We both ate, one faster than the other. I paused to ask. "Why weren''t you this excited for our last game? That was a game where your brothers didn''t start or even play in."Noah frowned, then let out a sigh. "That was different. I knew how good University Prep was so there''s no way I could relax knowing our best player had to sit out. I like winning more than anything." He thought to himself for a minute. "Okay, I lied. I like playing more than anything. I could lose every game and still be satisfied."I tilted my head to the side. "So you think we''ll win today? Without Zeke?"Noah gave an affirmative nod. "Redwood High School is mediocre. Nothing really stood out to me last year when I would watch my brothers games.""The twins made varsity as Sophomores too?"Noah nodded. "They didn''t play as much though. Like Bryce is now. Kind of. They would just get the occasional inning. No starts unless it was a non-league game against a poorly ranked team.""Only league games matter?"Noah nodded. "As long as you win all the league games, you''ll become league champs and get a chance to play in the CIF tournament. Regardless of your record against other teams." He pulled out his sandwich and bit into it before speaking again. "That''s not to say that non-league games aren''t important in their own way. Say if you have two teams with the same league record at the end of the season, the next thing to do would be to compare their overall record.""Oh. Okay." I went back to eating my lunch. I only had a few more minutes before we had to go down to the field. "Try sounding a little more interested." He pleaded. I looked back up at him, thought for a second, then found something to ask. "Is today''s pitcher going to be good?"Noah rolled his eyes, but still had an answer for me. "It''s the first league game so they''re probably going to send in their best. Just like how we''re starting with Garret."I brightened up at the thought of trying to hit off someone of Garret''s caliber. Lunch ended and we made our way down to the field, backpacks on. We ran into a few of our teammates and shared some greetings. His brothers were already at the car, getting all the baseball bags out. Even though the twins weren''t able to get the start for the game, they still had a chance of making a relief appearance so they still had to dress out, warmup, and go through all the motions. Zeke, on the other hand, only had to wear his uniform. He wasn''t going to play at all.We dumped our school bags in the car and carried our baseball bags to the clubroom by the field. We got changed and took our gear to the dugout before warmups. As I tied my cleats on the dugout bench, I noticed a bus pull up. Redwood was here. They filed out of the bus and made their way down to the field with their coach leading them. I saw Mr. Miller meet them halfway and he shared some words with the opposing team''s coach."Long time coaches in the same league will obviously know one another." Noah told me as he caught me looking. "I was just thinking about riding a bus..." I mumbled. He laughed. "Oh. That''s not what I expected. Have you never been on one before? A public bus or a school one?""Neither.""Not even for school field trips?"I shrugged. "I wasn''t allowed to go on field trips. My mom would never sign a release or give money so I was always left behind."Noah patted my shoulder. "Don''t worry about it. Our first away game is after the weekend so we''ll be taking a bus then. It''s not all that exciting. Just a huge car."It''s not like I was interested because I thought it would be exciting. I just thought it was something I had never done before. And then I got lost thinking about all the things my mom held me back from. I wonder how she would react to me playing baseball right now? "Are you all ready?" Zeke looked around the dugout, making the team halt their side conversations with other teammates. "Good. Don''t slack off out there today. Work hard and be aware. Mahki, go warm them up." He commanded. "Yes!" Mahki jumped up and was the first one out of the dugout. "Let''s go you guys. You already know what we should be doing."Everyone hurried after him as he turn and left for the outfield baseline. Mahki led us, shouting out the name of the stretches as we warmed up. Then we paired up and threw the ball back and forth to warm up the shoulder. Coach came over at some point, but only addressed us when we were through. He pulled out a note pad. "Garret and Jordan, head to the bullpen for a proper warmup." They did as they were told. "As for everyone else, I have the lineup already set."

 215 Game: VS Redwood High School 2

    Coach announced the lineup:1 SS Noah Atkins 2 2B Jake Hollander 3 CF Mahki Holstrom 4 P Garret Knudsen 5 1B Julian Wilson 6 C Jordan Sanders 7 3B Daniel Myers8 LF Antonio Perkola9 RF Sean Isner"Even if I didn''t call your name, I want you to warmup just like you would if you were starting. You boys know me and my system. I have no problem switching things around in the middle of the game and using pinch hitters. Pitchers too. I know Garret is the ace and is starting, but we can''t make him work the whole game." Coach clapped his hands a few times. "Get moving!"We hustled just like it was practice. We went through batting practice and fielding, working up a sweat. At 1:55pm the coaches exchanged the lineup information with each other and with the head umpire. Since school was still in session, almost no students were present in the stands unless they skipped class or had a short day and got off at lunch. There wasn''t that many adults either. Noah said it was because most parents worked in the afternoon and didn''t have flexible schedules like his parents.Zeke didn''t send us off with a speech this time. He merely stated, "Win."The team yelled, "Win!" And off we went. The nine of us starters took the field as an announcer called out our names and positions over the broadcast system. Garret stood on the mound with pride as the announcer called his name last. He finished his practice pitches and waited for the first batter to step up to the plate. The leadoff hitter for Redwood High School waited for the umpire to wave him on before stepping in the box. Garret started with a fastball right down the middle for a called strike one. Then another. On an 0-2 count, he went head on, trying to get the batter on three pitches. But the batter didn''t just take it. He completed his swing, connected with the ball and sent it to right field. Sean sprinted back, eyeing the ball. He easily caught it before the warning track for the first out of the game.The second batter almost followed the same pattern, yet he smacked a line drive to right field. Sean had to sprint forward and dive forward, just barely snatching the ball before rolling in the grass. He quickly jumped to his feet and showed that he caught the ball in his glove. The first base ump called the second out of the game.Garret was throwing nothing but strikes, letting the balls be put into play, yet he didn''t seem worried. Even after giving up a single to the third batter, he just turned it around by striking out their cleanup hitter with ease.We jogged back to the dugout in high spirits. Noah, me, and Mahki switched out our gear and moved to the appropriate spots so we could start our offense. I stood in the on deck circle, with Noah nearby, waiting to be beckoned to the batter''s box by the ump. Noah looked past me, into the stands. He found what he was looking for and lifted his hand to wave. I peeked behind me and found his parents easily since they were front and center. They were both smiling and waving just as happy as Noah. "They''re waiting for you to wave too!" Noah smiled at me. I peeked behind me again to see them still moving their hands. I sighed and lifted my free hand before facing the field and Noah again. "Don''t look so anxious. They wouldn''t have gotten mad if you didn''t wave. Just maybe a little hurt. On the inside."Somehow that sounded worse. Luckily I did wave and didn''t cause them any sadness or even accidentally make them angry.Soon, Noah was called to the plate and the game resumed. This was supposedly their ace that they chose to start with, but he was off to a rough start thanks to back-to-back singles by Noah and I.Mahki left us hanging by striking out, but Garret didn''t let us down. He also hit a single, by sending a hard grounder down the first baseline. I took off to second, stopping safely at the bag before looking for the ball. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blurry figure headed to home. It only took a millisecond before I came to the conclusion it was Noah.The relay throw came just a second after Noah slid into home. The ump called safe, and the cheers started as we took the lead, 1-0. He headed back to the dugout and Julian moved to the plate.The pitcher on the mound looked rattled as he just gave up his third single in the first four batters. He ended up walking Julian, loading up the bases. Garret moved to second, and I jogged to third. "Hey, kid, this is a tricky situation so stay aware." Mr. Miller told me as Jordan stepped up to bat. "There''s a forceout at any base so if it''s a grounder, you need to take off for home plate immediately. If it''s fly to the outfield, be ready to tag up and score."I nodded to show that I understood. Unfortunately, Jordan didn''t do either and had, instead, popped out to the first baseman, leaving everyone as they were. Daniel was up next. He worked the count into his favor with a 3-1 count aka ''the batter''s count." It didn''t matter to Daniel as the pitcher continued to throw some wild pitches, walking Daniel. With the bases loaded!I jogged to home plate, touching it without anything to worry about, making the score 2-0. Garret moved to third, Julian to second, and Daniel took over first. Tony stepped up to bat and ended our inning with a grounder to the shortstop, who threw the ball to his second baseman covering the bag. Bummer. We could have had more, I thought to myself, still trying to get to my bag.

 216 Game: VS Redwood High School 3

    Top of the second inning, we took the field and Garret got on the mound. He toed the rubber before getting set. The fifth batter stepped up and on a 1-2 count, he smacked a line drive single in left-center field. Mahki gets to it and throws to Noah as I cover second. Noah was quick to turn after receiving the ball, but there was no play to be made since the batter stayed at first. The sixth batter got jammed on Garret''s cutter that came inside for righty from a left-handed pitcher. It was a routine pop up for Julian at first. Of course the runner wouldn''t try to tag on an infield pop up. That would be suicide. The seventh batter was a lefty, surprising me a little. I couldn''t remember a time seeing Garret facing a lefty besides the time I tried out for the team last month. Would he still use his cut fastball? I got my answer almost immediately as he threw one, which goes outside for a lefty. The batter swung, catching a piece of it, sending a grounder towards left field. Noah made a diving stop, gloving the ball. From his butt, he threw the ball to me at second getting the runner out. I turned to throw to Julian at first for the double play, but the runner slid into me, knocking me to the ground. The runner jumped up and hustled back to his dugout as I watched the batter reached first safely. "Jake!" Noah appeared beside me. He squatted down. "Are you okay?" Before I could reply he looked to the second base umpire. "That was intentional! He was targeting the player, and not the base!"The ump looked down at us and gave a helpless shrug. "He stayed on the base path and was able to reach the base.""But he clipped my teammate with his cleats! That''s a dangerous play!" Noah didn''t give in. "Cool it, brat." Garret put his hand on Noah''s head, slightly pushing down Noah''s hat. He looked to me. "You okay, Bambi? Do you need Drew to look you over?"I quickly got up and shook my head no. I handed the baseball over. "No." I felt the heat rush to my face. "Sorry. I should have done something more to avoid that slide." Like jump up and make the throw. Or maybe, since I was running to second to tag the bag, I could have taken an extra step after getting the runner out. That way the runner wouldn''t be able to reach me. "Think about it later." Garret patted the top of my head with his glove. "As long as nothing hurts, we''ll continue the inning.""I''m fine. Really." I sprinted back to my position to prove I was okay. Noah frowned, but after another pat by Garret, he went back to his position too.Garret closed out Redwood''s second inning by getting the eighth batter to hit a slow dribbler to the mound. Garret barehanded the ball, spun around, and threw to Julian for the third out. We jogged back to the dugout. Noah followed me closely, looking me up and down. "Are you sure you''re fine? Any cuts? Scrapes? Potential bruises?"My lips twitched, fighting off a laugh. "Why are you being like this? I said I''m fine.""Zeke said he was fine too and now look." Noah huffed as we sat in our spots. "Noah just worries since it''s rare for a collision not to result in any injuries for both parties." Jason came on over, walking normally now that his foot has been healed. "Plus, you came down pretty hard. At least, that''s what it looked like to us."I thought about the game with San Marino where Jason got hurt in a similar collision at second. Even Noah had hurt the other teams catcher in their collision at the plate. I rubbed my nose. "I''m okay. I promise. The bruise on my chest hurts a little, but it''s not a big deal."Noah squinted at me, but nonetheless we were to go up to bat for the second inning. We both put on helmets and grabbed our two very different bats. "Good luck out there." Jason cheered us both on as he had to sit the bench. I wondered why coach didn''t just start him today with Chris suspended from team activities. Speaking of Chris, I heard he wasn''t allowed to skip class to watch the game. Maybe he would come down to the field afterwards. Sean was already in the batter''s box as Noah stepped into the on deck circle and I stood by the dugout entrance. Sean was quick to groundout to the second baseman. Noah followed up with a swinging strikeout. I moved to the lefty spot and dug in. The pitcher started with a fastball high, just outside of the zone. "Ball." The catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher on the mound. The pitcher definitely calmed down since the first inning. Maybe seeing that Garret wasn''t at his best improved his mentality.Another pitch came, almost right down the middle. I took a step and started my swing. My bat connected with the ball and I pulled it to right field. As I sprinted to first, I had a perfect view of the right fielder running in and making the catch to end the inning. I let out a groan as I slowed down to a jog and headed back to the dugout. Most of the team started to take the field as I ditched my helmet for my hat and my bat for a glove."You don''t have the power to hit it over an outfielders head." Zeke said from behind me, making me jump. "I''ve hit the fence before." I mumbled as I headed out. "There were better options. Don''t just be swinging mindlessly out there." Zeke said before letting me take the field.I pouted as I jogged to my spot and took a few warmup throws with Julian. I wasn''t ''swinging mindlessly''. I really did like that pitch though.The ump signaled for balls to be returned to the dugout and for the Redwood batter to step up to the plate. This player would be number nine, at the very bottom of the lineup. Garret was straightforward and went at him with his fastball down the middle. The batter didn''t hesitate at all and completed a mighty, exaggerated swing. To everyone''s surprise though, the bat connected with the ball and was blasted to the outfield. I ran to second to cover, and Noah moved to the grass to be the cutoff. The ball bounce off the fence to Tony''s glove. He grabbed the ball out of his glove and took a few steps before throwing to Noah. Noah turned to me, but I crossed my arms in an ''X'' to sign that he shouldn''t throw. The batter had safely reached second base without even needing to slide.

 217 Game: VS Redwood High School 4

    At the top of the third inning, with a runner on second base, Garret had to face the top of the lineup again. The first batter repeated his previous at bat by flying out to right field for the first out of the inning. I thought getting an out after giving up a hit was a good thing, but Garret acted otherwise. He toed the rubber on the mound and said a few words to himself before facing the next batter, not looking happy. The proof came with the next batter as his pitches scattered and seemed to dance outside the strike zone. He walked the batter. Runners on first and second. I glanced at Noah, but he remained where he was. The third batter, who was the first to get a hit off Garret in the game, stepped in the batter''s box. Garret tried making a change by starting with his cutter, coming inside on the batter. Too bad it didn''t work like it had against the other player. This batter seemed more than ready, opening his stance, and making a more compact swing, connecting with the ball with a ''bam''!I gulped. That didn''t sound good, nor did it look good coming off the bat. At least, not good for us. I watched as Garret didn''t even look behind him, he just leaned over, hands on his knees and spat. He knew it was gone. By the time I turned my head to look, the ball was long gone. The Redwood dugout was getting loud as they celebrated taking the lead, 3-2. Even the stands were making noise...noises of distress. This is our best pitcher and he''s starting to crumble. I looked at Noah and finally made eye contact. I tilted my head towards Garret to ask if we should do or say anything. Noah just shook his head and got back into position. Garret straightened up, Jordan tossed him a new ball, and he got set on the mound. He went back to pitching fastballs all over the place, giving the batter a 3-0 count. When he finally threw a strike, the batter swung and hit a line drive just over my head. Sean came in, caught it on the bounce, and threw it to me, the cutoff man. I turned around, kind of wanting to make the throw so I could show off a little, but the batter remained at first. I sighed and looked at Noah, expressing my concern. Noah held out his glove as if wanting the ball so I threw it to him. He jogged up to the mound and the rest of the infield started to as well, but he waved us off. We stayed put and he went up to Garret, handing over the ball. They both covered their mouths with their gloves and exchanged words we couldn''t hear from even a few feet away. They used the full ten seconds, making the ump come to the mound to end their discussion. Noah went back to his own position and Garret faced the next batter, determination in his eyes. I peeked over at Noah to see if it went well, yet his facial expression didn''t change. For the first time, I could really see the similarities between him and Zeke. Whatever was said, must have been effective as Garret was able to turn things around, getting the next two batters to fly out to right field to end the inning. We lost our lead, but not our hope. As soon as we got back to the dugout, Mahki, Garret and Julian grabbed their bats. Noah and I sat by our bags in our usual spot, where Jason was. He didn''t move since we left him. I rubbed my chest trying to ease the stress the bruise was causing me. It didn''t hurt too much this morning, but after the collision it started to ache as time passed. Noah eyed me, but let it be. He focused on Jason to talk about his return to normal baseball activities and how he feels. Jason was adamant that he could have started today, yet Coach didn''t want to start him right away. He was hoping he could get an at bat as a pinch hitter and then maybe take over at third. "I really want to take the starting spot back before Chris joins us on Monday." Jason sighed. "Even if it was for a brief moment, I was happy to start a couple games.""You''ll be able to do it." Noah reassured. "He''s been too hot headed and not able to find any success at the plate."Jason smiled weakly. "I need to work on my batting too.""I would invite you to join us at the cages this weekend, but I think we''ll be out of town since we won''t have any games until Monday." Noah said."Oh. Where are you all going?"Noah shrugged. "It''s up to Zeke. Mom and Dad want him to use up his five official visits. The idea is for him to visit the school and we''ll get to sightsee.""You think he''ll stay local for college?""I, personally, think he''ll enter the draft right away." Noah answered. "Zeke is just too good to be wasted at the college level.""Yea, but that''s been said about a bunch of people. Look at our own Billy Beane. He was great in high school and then sucked in the pros."Noah''s frown returned. "Yea, but now look at him! Still in baseball! About 20 years with the A''s AND now he''s the executive Vice President of baseball operations for the A''s. That''s not a bad life."Jason glanced at Zeke, who stood on the other side of the dugout. "Yea, but that''s not the same as actually playing."Noah sighed and didn''t reply, clearly understanding what that meant. However, I didn''t get it. Baseball was baseball. But also..."Who''s Billy Beane?"Two pair of eyes turned to me and widened with disbelief. "You don''t know who Billy Beane is..?" Jason asked. "Should I?" I asked."Of course you should! You''re a baseball player now!" He shook his head in disappointment. "Noah, are you even teaching Jake anything about baseball?""There''s so much though!" Noah fake cried. He looked me in the eye. "I''ve let you down, Jakey. Don''t worry, I''ll teach you all there is about the Major Leagues that you would possibly need to know. Starting with the A''s. The Oakland A''s are our favorite team around here okay?"I nodded obediently.

 218 Game: VS Redwood High School 5

    "Don''t be lying to him." Sean came over and sat on the other side of Jason. "The San Francisco Giants are just as popular around here. Both stadiums are about an hour and a half away from here. They''re super close together. In fact, when they play one another at either stadium, it''s called ''the bay bridge series'' or better yet, ''battle of the bay''. Because they''re both in the Bay Area and connected by a bridge."I nodded, understanding that it was a popular rivalry. "The A''s have a better record against the Giants though so it''s best if you just stick with me." Noah claimed. "Remind me again who has won more World Series this last decade?" Sean cut in. "Oh yea, that would be the Giants: 2014, 2012, and 2010. The last time the A''s won was 1989."The sound of a bat hitting a ball paused the conversation as all our eyes drifted to the field. Mahki hit a line drive between right and center field and took off sprinting. He rounded first and sped up as he saw the center fielder pick up the ball near the outfield fence. The player fired the ball straight to the shortstop who was covering second. Mahki started his slide as the tag by the shortstop came down for his foot. The dirt kicked up making it hard to see. Jason and Sean both jumped up and got up close with the dugout fence as if that would make it clearer. The second base umpire lifted a hand and pumped his fist. "Out!" His declaration was followed by groans from our dugout and stands. Mahki got up and jogged back to the dugout, head hung low. As soon as he walked in, Zeke pulled him aside and they shared a private conversation. Garret stepped up to bat, Julian went to the on deck circle, and Jordan stood in the hole. Garret came out swinging at anything and everything. He fouled a few line drives down the third baseline as if he was releasing some inner anger. I glanced at Noah, who was still sitting beside me. "What did you say to him on the mound?"Noah gave a lopsided grin. "That if he didn''t get his act together, I was going to demand that coach take him out."My jaw dropped. "Can you do that?""Of course I can''t. And Garret knows it. But it got my point across that he was sucking." He focused on Garret''s at bat.Garret only had a 1-2 count, but he fouled off at least five pitches, making the pitcher impatient. The pitcher made a mistake by throwing a curveball on his next pitch. As a lefty, Garret had an advantage with a righty''s curve. It came from out to in the strike zone. He didn''t waste the opportunity and smashed the ball to left field. He casually tossed his bat towards our dugout and started to jog the bases.The left fielder didn''t even attempt to go back to the fence for the long fly. It easily soared over the fence, clearing the six foot fence by an extra ten to fifteen feet. A monster of a home run! Garret tied up the game, 3-3. He returned to a lively dugout that praised him for his hit. The pitcher looked a little shaken as he pitched to Julian, and ended up walking him. It didn''t mean anything though since Jordan came up and hit a grounder right to the shortstop. The shortstop fielded the ball, threw to the second baseman, who touched his bag before Julian could get there. In a fluid motion he threw a perfect ball to his first baseman, getting Jordan. A 6-4-3 double play. "Do you think I could be that smooth in turning a double play?" I asked Noah as we took the field with our gloves on. "What are you talking about?!" Noah dragged me in a headlock. "Of course! You''ve been smooth before! Plus, we did something even better defending Kyle''s perfect game! Sure, it wasn''t a double play but it was a close one. You just need more practice." He let go of me and we parted ways to get in our two different spots.Top of the fourth inning and Garret would start at the bottom of the lineup. He started strong, striking out the seventh batter. Then he started to repeat last inning. A walk. Then a single. With two on and one out, the lead off hitter came up to the plate. He had previously hit two fly balls to right field for outs, but his third at bat didn''t go the same way. This time he pulled his hit, sending it to left field. The ball bounced on the warning track before hitting the fence just between Tony and Mahki. Noah moved out and I moved closer to second. Mahki called Tony off so he could field the ball and throw it in with his stronger arm. I took note of the runner on first who had already past me, and didn''t look to be slowing down while heading to third. "Runner going home!" I told Noah as clear as I could. The runner on second had already scored and the other runner was moving. The batter definitely got a double. Mahki''s throw came in, Noah received and threw to Jordan at home. The runner had already started his slide and it looked to be close. The batter remained at second and everyone waited for the call. The head umpire extended his arms, "Safe!"The player who had just scored jumped up and went to his dugout to celebrate. The game was no longer tied...we were now down by two. Damn it. I sighed to myself. So much for home field advantage. Nothing''s been going our way. I moved back to my spot and Garret got a new ball. "One batter at a time, Gare!" Noah clapped, finally talking to him aloud. "Stay focused."Other teammates shared the same sentiments as the second batter in the lineup stepped in. Garret looked tensed, and nowhere near the laidback guy he usually is. The second batter sent a long fly to center field but Mahki was there to make the catch. The runner on second tagged up and sprinted to third as Mahki threw to Noah who stood on the edge of the grass and dirt. Noah turned and relayed the throw to Daniel at third. He made the tag but not in time. Safe at third. The third batter stepped in with two outs and a runner on third. He was already 2-2 on the day with three RBI''s and a run scored. He didn''t stop there. He sent one of Garret''s fastballs to the outfield for a stand up double, driving in another run. 6-3. I shook my head, not knowing what to do or say. "Stop looking so wimpy!" A familiar yell came from our very own bullpen. "Yea! I could do better than that!" A similar voice echoed. "Don''t listen to those fools." Noah rolled his eyes and told Garret. "They''re just getting antsy. Come on now. Put them in their place."Garret nodded and faced the Redwood High cleanup hitter. I wonder who Noah wanted Garret to put in their place. Was it the other team? Or the vocal twins in the bullpen? Maybe both. Garret followed through and did his job, getting only his third strikeout of the game, but finally ending their offense for now. As a team, we jogged back to the dugout, no one looking more depressed than Garret himself. This was one of his worst outings that I''ve ever seen. He didn''t even do this poorly against a powerhouse like Sunset Prep over the weekend.

 219 Game: VS Redwood High School 6

    I told Noah my concerns as we took a seat in the dugout. Noah just shrugged. "You can''t be good all the time. Ya know how I told you that succeeding at the plate three out of ten appearances makes someone an excellent batter? Well for pitchers, they''ll come across rough starts every now and then. If superstars didn''t, then we would have quite a few pitchers with ERA''s under one."I waited a second as we watched Daniel stepped up to the plate, before asking, "What does ERA stand for?"Noah let out a laugh. "Sorry, I keep forgetting. ERA stands for Earned Run Average. Basically how many runs given up per nine innings.""Shouldn''t it be seven innings?"Noah shrugged. "It could. Some high schools do. But when colleges start scouting you, they''ll do it by nine like a normal game. They play nine innings in college ball so why would they want to know what your ERA is over seven innings?""Oh." I didn''t understand, but I didn''t want to continue this conversation so I let it be.Daniel snuck a grounder passed the second baseman and safely reached first base for a single. Tony got up to bat and Sean moved to the on deck circle. Noah switched out his hat for a helmet and I followed suit. Tony hit a grounder to third, but Daniel already had a good lead so they were unable to try for a double play, but was still able to get Tony out at first. Sean got in the righty''s box. Noah grabbed his bat and excitedly stepped into the in deck circle. I grabbed my bat and slowly walked over to stand at the edge of the dugout. "Are you feeling okay?" The proximity of the questioner made me jump in surprise. Zeke stared down at me, not even bothered by my reaction. After staring blankly at him for a minute, he asked again. "You has that collision earlier. Does your chest hurt at all?"I shook my head, no. "I''m okay.""Any trouble breathing? Dad said to make sure you weren''t wheezing or struggling."I felt a little warm inside and out, at the care the Atkins always show. Noah was number one. Then Mr. and Mrs. Atkins closely followed. They took me in unconditionally and showed concern that I''ve only received from doctors. My eyes started to sting so I quickly looked away and tried to not cry. I''m a teenager. I shouldn''t be crying so easily. "Jake?" Zeke questioned. "I''m okay. It doesn''t hurt." At least the bruise didn''t. My heart inside was aching though. How could this family of strangers take me in and care more than my own family could?"What''s going on?" Coach came over. "Why does it look like you''re bullying Jake? He looks like he''s about to cry."Coach''s voice was a bit loud and caught the attention of the dugout. "Hey Captain, don''t be mean to Bambi!""Yea, Bambi is too cute to be picked on!""Pick on someone your own size!"I felt the heat rushed to my face, no doubt turning me into a tomato. Ah, so embarrassing. Why is it always me?"I was just asking about his bruise." Zeke replied nonchalant about the teasing. Coach stepped in front of me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright? I didn''t think it would hurt enough to make you tear up. I can replace you and let you get some rest.""I''m not crying!" I looked up defiantly. I rubbed the corner of my eyes. "Nothing''s wrong. I''m completely fine."Sean hit a short fly ball to left field for the second out of the inning, moving Noah to the plate and letting me escape this embarrassing situation. I could still hear some of the guys laughing and mentioning ''bambi'' as I stood in the circle for practice swings.Noah fought at the plate, defending it well by fouling anything close and then letting balls pass. He earned a walk and jogged to first. By his posture I could tell he wasn''t satisfied. I guess he wasn''t aiming for a walk like I used to. I walked around the catcher and umpire so I could step in the lefty''s box. I was happy that Zeke didn''t make me hold back anymore. Earning a walk isn''t as fun as getting a hit. It doesn''t cause excitement within the player, dugout or fans. It''s just a free base.The pitcher looked tired as we were a little more than halfway through the game. Either his stamina was weak or his pitch count is higher than I think. He started me off with some balls out of the zone giving me a 2-0 count before he finally gave me something close. I was able to hit a single to left field, but it didn''t go far enough to let Daniel try for the plate. Bases loaded, two outs, Mahki stepped up to bat. Mahki has been in a slump for quite a bit now. Even with his hit last inning, he was still thrown out so technically he hasn''t reached base safely since last Saturday in game two. This at bat wasn''t any better. He struck out, swinging, leaving the three of us stranded on base. That would have been the perfect time for Zeke to bat. He would have been able to send us home and take the lead back with one good swing. Instead, we''re still losing 6-4 going into the fifth. We jogged back to the dugout to grab our gloves as the rest of the team took the field, eager to start this inning. Even Garret, who has been ''off'' for the whole afternoon on the mound. "Why''s everyone so excited?" Noah asked Jason as we put our helmets away and slapped on our hats. Jason grinned. "Zeke said he would treat the team to pizza tonight if Garret can shut them down this inning.""That''s it..?" Noah raised an eyebrow. Jason''s smile got even bigger. "He also said he would talk to coach so we wouldn''t have practice tomorrow if we also pull off the win."Noah rolled his eyes, grabbed his glove and took the field. I was right beside him as we jogged to second. "Never trust Zeke." Noah said in a low tone to me. "What? Why? You don''t think he''ll do as he says?" I was surprised. Zeke seemed pretty straightforward to me. Noah gave me a look from the corner of his eye. "He doesn''t have a job so where would he get money for the pizza? It''s obviously going to be on mom and dads tab. As for no practice tomorrow...?" He took a step closer to me and whispered in his glove. "For his college visit, we have to leave tomorrow because he''ll get to sit in on a college class as part of the visit. So with the five us missing, why would coach still have practice? Three of us are starters and we make up like 25% of the team. AND Zeke is the captain.""So he''s...lying?" Noah put his hand down and shook his head. "More like trying to inspire the team. But he''s always trying to bribe them with things that are already a given. Hence why you should never trust Zeke. At least...not with things like this."I nodded as we moved to our appropriate spots. The ump called for the game to resume and Garret got set. Even though I didn''t find anything special about having pizza for dinner or missing practice tomorrow, Garret was definitely hyped up. He threw his cutter consecutively, getting the fifth, sixth, and seventh batters to strikeout. Three up, three down. I stared at Garret''s back in amazement as I followed him to the dugout. His cutter was similar to a fastball besides the sideways break in towards a right handed batter; making it hard for batters to distinguish. "He can''t do it all the time." Noah read my mind, making me flinch. I gave him a weak smile of embarrassment as we both sat down. Most of the team was crowding Garret on the other side as he was getting ready for his at bat. "He doesn''t throw a cutter like he should." Noah continued. "I heard the twins talk about it with dad before on if they could learn how to throw a cutter from Garret. But dad said something about how he''s different and how he adds an extra flick of the wrist or something. I don''t know how it''s bad for him, but I think he''s only allowed to throw a certain amount a week."Oh. More problems for pitchers to worry about.

 220 Game: VS Redwood High School 7

    I couldn''t even try to understand the pitcher position. I could barely understand my own position, second base. Honestly, I wish I had a stronger throw so I could just play in the outfield. It seemed like they didn''t have much to worry about. Maybe I could talk to devil Drew about making my arm stronger. Garret led us off to start the bottom of the fifth inning. The pitcher had already changed and was able to throw some practice pitches off the mound. Right away, you could tell he was excited as he came at Garret with a fastball down the middle. What a dummy. Garret wasn''t like other pitchers who couldn''t hit. Noah told me that before, and Garret has definitely proven it.He didn''t let us down. He brought his aluminum bat forward with a ''swoosh'' and sent the ball back the way it came. Just higher and farther. It soared over the center fielders glove as he jumped at the fence. Home run! Another solo shot for Garret! Instead of showing off like last time, he diligently ran around, tagging all the bases and hustled back to the dugout. 6-4. We still have work to do. Julian and Jordan both carried the momentum into their at bats by hitting a pair of singles. Daniel slowed it down by hitting a grounder right to the third baseman. The third baseman was able to tag third base for the force-out and throw to his first baseman to make it a double play, only leaving Jordan, who had safely made it to second base.Surprisingly, Tony, who wasn''t really a good hitter, was able to smack out a single of his own, moving Jordan to third base. By this time, Noah and I both got ready for our at bats. As he moved to the on deck circle, the other team''s Coach came out to have another pitcher change, making Sean wait outside the batter''s box. Noah shuffled back to the edge of the dugout, where I was standing. "Bummer. I wanted a hit too."My lips twitched. "You can still get one. Who''s to say that this pitcher will be better than the last?"Noah nodded and smiled proudly at me. "Right! Now you''re thinking properly!"I didn''t know there was a wrong way to think? Or maybe he''s talking about his ''universe'' again.The pitcher had warmed up in the bullpen, but the umpire still allowed for him to throw a few more pitches off the mound before resuming the game. It didn''t help him any as he walked Sean on four straight balls, loading up the bases. Noah gave me a little nod before stepping towards the box. I slowly moved to the on deck circle. I really didn''t like when there were already two outs and Noah is up to bat. Not because I don''t have faith in him, but because I''m afraid for him. I don''t like seeing him getting the final out of an inning because I know he''ll be upset with himself.Noah faced the pitcher with determination. The Redwood pitcher continued with a couple of more balls, pushing the count to 2-0. Noah evened it up by fouling a few all over the place. On the eighth pitch, he finally got a solid connection, sending the ball to left field. Almost right to the left fielder though; he lazily stuck up his glove and presumably caught the ball. Only for it to bounce out and hit the grass. An error. A fielding error!Jordan peacefully jogged home. Tony sprinted from second to third, acting like he would try for home plate, but Mr. Miller gave him and everyone else for that matter, to stop. Noah''s hit was too shallow so the left fielder had already recovered and threw the ball in right to their pitcher. 6-5. One more run to tie it, and two more to give us the lead. I walked around and got into my lefty''s box after the play had officially died. This pitcher didn''t even pose a challenge to me. Whatever he had, I could hit. The real problem was the fielders. I needed to hit it out of their reach. I glanced around the field as a pitch passed by for ball one. The infielders didn''t play to close to any of the bags since there were already two outs. It''d be a little hard to squeeze a grounder in.As for the outfield, they seemed to be a little more shifted to the right. Which kind of makes sense. My hit last at bat was to right field. And the at bat before that was a fly out to right field. I smiled just as a pitch crossed the plate for a called strike one. With them shifted like that, the third baseline would be a perfect spot to aim for. I just have to get it passed the third baseman. On the next pitch, I tried my luck and used as much effort as possible to lift the ball and send it where I wanted it to go. I watched in amusement as the third baseman tried to jump but came down empty handed. Then everyone started to run. My teammates on the bases tried to run home, the left fielder ran to the ball bouncing to the corner of the field, and I sprinted as fast as I could. All three made it home. The ball made it to the infield. And I made it to second base without needing to slide. Making the score 8-6, for us!

 221 Game: VS Redwood High School 8

    Mahki, who came up next, didn''t come up with anything. He popped out to the right fielder to end the inning, yet this time there were no sighs of disappointment since we already had the lead again. The dugout was filled with relief and excitement. As I was heading in, most of the starters were headed out to their fielding positions. A lot of them patted me on the helmet or the back, but I didn''t shy away. It was just in passing and they weren''t crowding me so there was nothing to fear. Noah waited for me by our bags, a giant smile across his face. "That was awesome! I knew you could do it!"I took my helmet off and put on my cap, grabbing my glove too. "I wish I could run like you though. You scored from first off my double."We moved to the field, getting ready to get in our own positions. "Hey! Don''t try and steal my only talent." He fake pouted. I tilted my head. "But you have multiple talents: running, sliding, fielding, throwing, and you know so much about baseball." I slowed down as we approached second base. "I wish I could do everything like you."Noah dropped the fake pout as a new expression took over. He looked to be happy, but embarrassed. He readjusted his baseball hat. "You''ll get there. Just follow my lead." He sprinted to the left and I jogged to the right of second base.I would follow Noah''s lead in almost anything. He was easygoing and kind. He was generous with his words to cheer others up. The only reason I would want to be good in other baseball aspects besides hitting, is because Noah''s good at them. I want to be as outgoing as he is. He''s friendly to almost everyone and will always stick up for any injustice like when Jason got hurt. Granted, I don''t like him hurting others but isn''t it a good feeling to know someone has your back?Garret was very effective in the top of the sixth inning, getting Redwood to go three up, three down. Groundout to me. Strikeout swinging. And a groundout to Daniel at third. We ran back to the dugout to hopefully add on a few more insurance runs. I sat down next to Noah like normal. "Do you think Zeke will tell us tonight which college he wants to visit?"Noah nodded. "We have to know by tonight. There''ll be travel plans, hotel reservations, and an itinerary schedule. I think he''s already cutting it close as it is.""Hmm.""Mind you, he still has to call the college coach for wherever he wants to visit and try to arrange the last minute official visit. For his visit, he''ll have to sit in on a college class, stay in the dorms with a player from the team, hang out and even practice with the team, then there are meetings with coaches, an athletic director, maybe someone in the main office to talk about school itself, and even a tour of the campus. There''s just a lot to be done."I gulped. "Do...uh��will a night''s notice be enough to plan all this?"Noah gave me a look that screamed ''that''s a dumb question.'' "Of course. Maybe not for a normal recruit. But for someone like Zeke, who is ranked nationally? Plenty of schools wouldn''t mind a last minute visit if there''s a chance that he might attend their school and give a boost to their baseball program."I wanted to ask more about what we would be doing as Zeke did his college visit, but our offense ended just as quick as Redwood''s. Garret grounded out to the shortstop. Julian hit a catchable fly ball to left field. And Jordan struck out swinging.As we got ready to take the field for the seventh inning, Zeke shared a private conversation with Garret. Garret frowned, but nodded as if accepting instructions. He got on the mound and threw some practice pitches as we moved to our positions. Top of the seventh brought up the better part of Redwood''s lineup: batters two, three, and four. Garret started with a regular fastball, which the batter turned into a line drive right to Mahki for the first out. The second out came from a pop fly to Tony. The cleanup batter smacked a double from the outfield, making me a little nervous as the fifth batter stepped up to the plate. He could possibly tie the game with a two-run home run. Garret wasn''t scared though. He came right at the batter with a fastball down the middle for a called strike one. And another. On the third pitch, I thought he would have picked to go with his cutter, but instead he stuck to the fastballs down the middle. The batter wasn''t fooled and was able to connect, chasing the ball to center field. Mahki tracked the hit to the warning track and jumped up to intercept its trajectory. He landed on his feet, ball in the glove for the third and final out of the game. We won! Our team started to celebrate. The infielders and bench players rushed Garret on the mound while the other two outfielders sprinted to Mahki. I watched as the three outfielders came on in to join the rest of the team in celebrating."Whatcha thinking about?" Noah came to stand beside me as I was watching the team have some fun. "Just that...the hit could have been a home run." I mumbled, taking another glance back at the outfield fence. "Another five or so feet and it could have been anyone''s game for the taking." Noah grinned. "Yep! Isn''t that great?"I frowned. "Great for who?""For us. At least if we were losing like that game against Durham." Noah replied. "In baseball, you almost always have a chance."Just like in the Atkins family. I have a chance to be somebody new. I have a chance to forget about my unforgivable past. I have a chance to be happy.

 222 Zeke’s Choice

    As the team finished congratulating one another on the win, we started to move to home plate to exchange greetings with Redwood High. They looked bitter about their loss since they had blew their lead. I wonder if my team had the same look when we officially lost to University Prep...I had to leave early to get checked out and we were even mercy ruled. I bet my teammates faces looked even worse than this. I hope after Zeke starts playing in every game again, they won''t lose. We won''t lose. I don''t want them to look as sad as this.We held up our hands and Redwood did the same in their own line. As the two lines passed each other, we continuously slapped hands (high fives) and said a simple "Good game." To every player regardless if they took the field today or not. Noah told me before that this was to show good sportsmanship and I can definitely see it. But maybe if we lost...I wouldn''t feel the same way. Coach gave a wrap up speech after we packed up our bags. He told the others to take tomorrow off and rest well for the weekend to prepare for Monday''s game. "That doesn''t mean to just laze around, boys." He added. "Move a little. Pick up a bat and take some practice swings. Go for a jog. Find a friend and play catch. If we play poorly on Monday, I won''t let a practice be canceled again."The team agreed wholeheartedly and we started to part ways. Since the game was earlier in the afternoon we were done before dinner. As we met up with the Atkins parents in the stands, they said we''ll go home and showering before meeting everyone for pizza at Gina''s. Apparently Zeke''s parents had no problem with him saying that they would buy everyone pizza for dinner. Instead, they even asked for the team to invite their parents as well to make it a big party before we start our three day weekend. The twins and Zeke sent texts to the team to spread the word. They also decided on a time to meet everyone and then we went home. At the house, we took turns in our respective showers and Mrs. Atkins collected our dirty uniforms to wash before we go. Noah and I were both done and ready to go before Zeke and the twins so we waited downstairs in the living room, watching some sports highlights. "Do you have any interest in other sports, Jake?" Noah asked as we watched NBA and NHL highlights on ESPN. I shrugged. "Not really." The only interest I even had in baseball was hitting. And playing with Noah. "Do you guys play anything else besides baseball?"Noah scoffed. "No way. Baseball is life in this house.""No, family first." Mr. Atkins walked through the living room. "Then school. Baseball is important, but not THE most important. Right, Noah?"Noah rolled his eyes. "Yes Dad.""You boys want to watch how Zeke will pick his first official college visit?" His dad asked. "He''s already in the kitchen with a few of the letters spread out on the table."Noah jumped up excitedly. "Yea, definitely!" He turned and pulled me off the couch too. "Let''s go, Jake!" He let go and sprinted for the kitchen. Mr. Atkins sighed. "I wish Zeke was as excited about college as Noah." He walked with me to the kitchen. "Jake, do you have any interest in any particular college?"I shrugged. Another interest question. "I''ve never seen a college before. Honestly, I''ve never thought that far ahead." I always thought it would take a miracle for me to make it out of my mother''s house alive.We walked into the kitchen and found Zeke sitting at the center of the table on the long side, with ten to fifteen letters spread about. Noah was circling around, reading each one. Mr. Atkins nodded at his oldest son. "Looks like you''ve narrowed it down quite a bit." I took a glance at the boxes in the corner. "First, I picked out of the Division one box." Zeke stated calmly. "Since we only have the weekend and you all want to come too, I picked schools within a five hour drive.""What?! You ruled out UCLA and USC? Those are top baseball programs in California. And CSUF has been in quite a few College World Series!" Noah interrupted. He mentioned a few acronyms of schools that were popular. Even though I never thought about going to college just yet, I was from Southern California and knew of those schools mentioned. UCLA-> University of California, Los Angeles USC-> University of Southern California CSUF-> California State University Fullerton Zeke rolled his eyes at Noah''s objections. "I don''t want to spend all weekend in a car. Maybe I''ll visit those schools during spring break. For now, my first visit should be local." He waved his arm across the table gesturing at the letters. "So this is it. D1 schools nearby and interested in me.""Which one will it be?!" Noah asked as he started picking up some of them to read. "Oh! This one wants to discuss a full scholarship opportunity!""Money isn''t everything." Mr. Atkins frowned. Zeke nodded slowly. "I know. That''s why I included non scholarship offers. Especially if they have a good chance to make it to the College World Series." He picked up a maroon envelope and pulled a white letter from it. "I would like to visit this school. They have a good program in place and their academics are top-notch."Mr. Atkins took the envelope and letter, looking it over. He brightened up instantly, looking a lot like his younger sons. "Really?"Zeke gave a single nod. "It''s not a bad choice. There''s no scholarship offer in the letter, but maybe after seeing me in person, they''ll have something more to give."Mr. Atkins beamed. "No, no, don''t even worry about a scholarship for this university. Your mom and I will gladly pay every penny for you to go here and get a degree.""I will gladly do what?" Mrs. Atkins walked in, with the twins close behind. "Are you all ready to go yet? We''re going to be late if we don''t leave soon."Mr. Atkins proudly handed her the letter and envelope of Zeke''s chosen school. "Zeke has picked his school for his first visit. Isn''t this great?!"She took a look at it, then covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my goodness. Zeke, really?"Zeke stood up and pulled out his phone. "I''m going to call the coach right now to see if he can even fit me in first." He took the letter back and walked into the parents study to have some space from us."What was it?" Noah scooted towards his mom who still had the envelope it came in. He peeked and then his eyes widen. "Stanford University?!"The twins gasped and started to talk a mile a minute. Noah jumped in too. Mr. Atkins smiled at his wife. "I''ll go to the study as well and start making reservations for the hotel. Why don''t you take the younger four to the pizza place and start dinner with the team. Zeke and I will be late."Mrs. Atkins nodded, a smile never leaving her face. "Wouldn''t this be great? He would barely be an hour and a half away, he would get a degree at such a good school, and be able to play baseball."Mr. Atkins smile weakened. "Honey, don''t pressure him too much. He''s only looking so far. He might not pick Stanford at all."Mrs. Atkins hopes didn''t dwindle. "Or he could fall in love with the campus as soon as he sees it. Maybe after the visit, he''ll decide that this is it."As they continued their ''what ifs'', I moved closer to Noah and the twins. I tugged on Noah''s sleeve and said in a low voice, "Why is everyone so excited?"Noah smile was just as wide as his parents. "Stanford University is one of the best colleges in the nation for academics. And their baseball team has more than just a few College World Series appearances. They''ve been to the NCAA tournament 31 times, and appeared in the CWS 16 times. Plus they have a lot of conference championship titles.""They haven''t won the College World Series since the 1980''s though." Kyle added."Zeke could change that though!" Dave said confidently. After a few more minutes of an energetic discussion, Mrs. Atkins hurried the four of us to the car and to Gina''s Pizzeria, to meet the team for dinner. We left Mr. Atkins and Zeke behind, but they were able to join us just as the pizza was getting devoured. There, Zeke made an announcement about his visit, surprising the whole team.

 223 First Sincere Vacation

    To say the team was happy for Zeke was an understatement. Everyone congratulated him and asked him for more details like if he thought this would be ''the one''. Zeke was plain as always. "My parents and I agreed that I would use up all five of my official college visits given. Since we have a long weekend, I thought a nearby college would be a good place to start. Stanford fills certain criteria of mine for now so it doesn''t hurt to give it a chance."Of course, that made his parents beam with pride."So you''re all going for the whole weekend?" Garret asked between bites of his pizza. Dave nodded, still reigning in the excitement. "We won''t get to stay in the dorms or practice with the team like Zeke, but we still get to go on the tour of the school, watch him practice, and sightsee.""The real question is...will you bring your gear too?" Sean leaned in. "Just in case they let you practice too?""That''s not allowed..is it..?" Noah asked Zeke. All eyes went to him. Zeke looked around to see his brothers eyes all trained on him. I guess practicing with a college team would be a big deal. "Bring your gloves. Just in case. You never know." He turned his back to us to talk to coach. His words got his brothers going though. The three of them got into a heated discussion on what to bring. Zeke''s words of ''you never know'' seemed to imply that they really might have a chance to play a little so maybe it would be best to just bring everything. Kyle said cleats and a glove would be enough, but that didn''t sit well with Noah. Noah was team everything since he wasn''t a pitcher like the twins. A glove and cleats wouldn''t be enough. He would want his bat and batting gloves, which means he might as well pack a helmet too so why not just bring his whole bag.Mr. Atkins settles the argument by saying they could also bring their baseball bags. If we weren''t allowed to play with the team, we could just hold our own mini practice at a nearby park or something. The rest of the evening continued to have a lively atmosphere because of the win and from Zeke''s college visit. When we got home, I was mentally and physically exhausted and completely ready for bed. However, Mrs. Atkins instructed all of us to pack up and that we would leave after breakfast tomorrow.Noah and I emptied our school backpacks to use as clothes bag for the weekend. I copied whatever he packed from sweats, to baseball pants, to a nice pair of jeans. Noah didn''t take long to notice my strange movements. "Why are you copying me?" He let out a laugh. "It''s a bit creepy."I turned red with embarrassment. "I don''t know what to pack." I mumbled. "I''ve never been on a trip before.""What are you saying? We went on a further road trip last week. Tomorrow is only about an hour drive. Maybe a little more with traffic."I shook my head. "Last week it was for a tournament so I only had to pack my uniform and pajamas. Now, I don''t know what to bring.""You''ve never been on a weekend vacation before?" He blurted out, but realized what he said almost instantaneously. "Sorry. I should have known."That''s right. I''ve never been on any kind of vacation before. Not even school field trips. My mom would never let me go anywhere for too long. It never made sense to me how a certain parent could be so neglectful in one aspect, but do controlling and demanding in others. If I had to describe that woman in one word, besides monster, ''selfish'' would be it. She was selfish to trap me. Selfish to treat me like dirt. Selfish to only care about herself."Jake, Jake!" Noah waved his hand in front of my face. "Don''t worry about it okay? This trip will be mostly fun. Just think, Zeke will be with the school team for 48 hours. That''s two whole days of freedom.""You know it''s not a whole two days, right?" Kyle''s voice at the doorway made us both jump. He let out a laugh at our guilty expressions. "We''ll still have to see him for part of the day. No doubt, mom and dad will want us at the tour. Maybe watch his full practice with the team and coach. For this weekend, all eyes will be on Zeke."Noah pursed his lips. "Bummer." He then squinted at Kyle. "What are you doing here exactly?"Kyle leaned against the doorframe. "Just making sure you kiddos don''t forget to pack your toothbrushes and the such."Noah waved him away. "You and Dave are more troublesome than we are. Go lecture him."Kyle rolled his eyes and left. Noah told me what to pack as we wrapped up. We spoke about the upcoming visit and what we each expected to happen. Noah declared that Zeke would get an official scholarship offer from the school. After we thought up quite a few different scenarios, we pushed our bags to the door, turn off the lights and went to bed.

 224 Arrival

    Mrs. Atkins woke us up earlier than if it was a school day. She urged us to get dressed and to pack up our bags in the car. We did as we were told and were the last two to sit at the table for breakfast. Mrs. Atkins hurriedly filled our plates and rushed us to finish eating so we could hit the road. I eagerly dug in. Mrs. Atkins made more for breakfast than my mom ever made for me my whole life. She had waffles, pancakes, toast, scrambled eggs, bacon and cereal spread out across the table. It''s hard to remember that this time last year, I would only be able to eat the middle school free lunch for the whole day. Maybe if I was lucky, I would be sent home with a soup can by a classmate or teacher. It''s weird to look back on these moments and wonder why no one thought I was in danger. Did they just not care? Was it because I wasn''t related to them? Or maybe because I didn''t speak up so they didn''t reach out?"Don''t stuff your face like that." Dave said in disgust as he looked at me from across the table. "When Mom said to hurry, she didn''t mean to swallow it whole."I slowed down."Don''t worry, Jake." Noah comforted me. "Mom can always pack it for you to take on the road if you''re still hungry.""Sorry, Jake." Mrs. Atkins added, looking at with concern. "You don''t need to eat like that. In a few minutes I''ll pack some of the food for you to eat in the car.""Me too!" Kyle waved his fork around. "I''m a slow eater, but I''m super hungry."Mrs. Atkins smiled. "Yes, yes. Anyone else?""Same here!" Noah replied. Mrs. Atkins went to the kitchen, and came back with a few plastic containers in hand. She filled up three separate ones and went to put them in the car. "So what''s the plan for today?" Noah asked his dad, who sat at the head of the table. "Are we going to the hotel first? Or ditching Zeke at the university first?""We''re not ''ditching'' Zeke." His father corrected. "We''ll be going straight to the hotel. A player from the team will be picking Zeke up in the lobby to take him to school. From there Zeke will drop his bag off in the player''s dorm room and attend a class with him. That''s why we have to be punctual this morning. Can''t be a second late.""What happens after that?" Noah asked as he ate. Mr. Atkins looked to Zeke. Zeke pulled his phone out with a sigh, and clicked on it. "After dorms, class, and meeting the team, I''ll eat lunch with them." He looked to his dad. "I''d like to attend that without all of you.""Hey!""That''s not fair!""I wanna go!"The three brothers objected. Mr. Atkins shot them a look to silence them. He then nodded at Zeke. "That''s fine. What''s next?""After lunch the coach and athletic director will want to talk with us in the financial aid office. Then there''ll be a tour of the school and athletic facilities. Plus a meeting with an academic advisor to talk about the application process. Then I''ll have a practice with the team before dinner. After that, they put down ''team event'' so I guess I''ll get to hang out with the other players. Saturday morning they have a walkthrough practice that I can participate in. Lunch with team. Then they have video and pregame preparations that I''ll get to attend to get a feel for how they face their opponents." He glanced at his phone. "For their game on Saturday, we all get to attend for free and will be able to get some vouchers for their snack bar. After that, I''ll be with the team again until Sunday morning. Sunday morning, we''ll have time to ask the coach any questions we may have. That''s it."That''s it? That''s it...uhhh that''s a lot. I looked over at Noah to make a comment, but Noah''s frown stopped me from saying anything. "What are we going to do with all of our free time?" Noah asked Mr. Atkins. "Sounds like Zeke doesn''t even want us to come." Did it?Mr. Atkins replied. "We''ll have our own plans for when we''re not needed. For the meetings with school officials, we''ll have to find something for you boys to do. Afterwards though, you may as well join us for the tour of the school and we can watch Zeke''s tryout before dinner. Zeke didn''t say we couldn''t join him for dinner so wouldn''t eating at a college campus be an experience for you? Saturday, your mom has already planned some things for us to do without Zeke before the game. It''ll be fun."Noah squinted at his dad with suspicion in his eyes. "Okayyyy. Better not let us down. This is Jake''s first official vacation so it can''t be boring."Mr. Atkins blinked in surprise. "First ever vacation?" Kyle''s jaw dropped. "You''ve never gone anywhere else before?" Dave mimicked his twin. I stopped eating and shrugged. "I traveled from Southern California to here with Mr. Duncan. That was my first time leaving the city I was born in."The table fell silent, but only for a second before Mrs. Atkins came back in. "What are you boys doing? It''s time to go. Come on!"The sound of clattering dishes and shuffling feet filled the room once again, dispersing the sad and pitying atmosphere. We put the dishes in the sink and started to pile in the car. Noah and I had another tight fit in the very back seat since the trunk and floor were filled with bags. But I didn''t mind. Even though I was slightly claustrophobic, this wasn''t so bad. Only Noah was close to me and I knew he wouldn''t do anything to hurt me. Plus, Mrs. Atkins has placed the container of food on my seat.After everyone got in and got comfortable, we were off. Mr. Atkins drove us the whole hour and a half. Like Noah said, it wasn''t a far trip, just a lot of traffic. We pulled into a nice hotel, and Mrs. Atkins started the check in process. This time we went in the lobby with her. Only Zeke brought his bags in so we could sit around and wait for the player to pick him up. We didn''t have to wait long since Zeke had messaged the player when we arrived, and the hotel the Atkins picked was super close to the university supposedly. A tall, muscular man, with a full grown beard walked with a purpose right towards us after walking in the lobby. I straightened up in my seat and my heart started to pound. I found the man completely intimidating. "Hello, I''m Bradley Thompson. You must be Zeke Atkins and family." He gave a friendly smile as he peered down at us. Mr. Atkins and Zeke stood up and shook his hand as they introduced themselves. "And these are my other boys: Dave, Kyle, Noah, and Jake." Mr. Atkins gestured to the rest of us as we stayed sitting. "My wife just went to check in so you''ll meet her in a minute."Bradley nodded and continued to smile. "Sure. We still have some spare time." He looked directly at Zeke. "I''ve heard a lot about you from the coaches. Everyone''s excited that you''re here."Zeke, who was two inches shorter than the man, raised an eyebrow. "Oh. I didn''t know the coach had the time to tell the team just yet. I did call and plan this a little last minute."A little? More like completely last minute. I relaxed a little in my seat, finally not feeling so anxious."We''ve heard about you beforehand so coach had sent a simple mass text to all of us. Very positive." He patted Zeke on the shoulder. "Your stats so far this season has really blown me away." Bradley spoke some more before Mrs. Atkins came over. He introduced himself to her and exchanged pleasantries. After a little bit of small talk, it was time for him to take Zeke to the dorms to drop off his stuff before heading to class.

 225 Stanford University: Friday 1

    After Zeke left with the Bradley guy, the twins started talking almost immediately. "That was The Bradley Thompson right?""Of course it is! How many Bradley Thompson''s do you think play baseball for Stanford??""I just can''t believe they sent him to pick up Zeke!""Yea, no kidding. Does this mean they really want him?""Definitely! You don''t just send a star player to pick up a recruit. Usually you would send a freshman or someone that doesn''t normally start."Dave and Kyle went back and forth so quickly, it was hard to tell who was who. I looked over to Noah for help, but surprisingly he looked as lost as I did. I nudged his foot to get his attention. He snapped out it with my prompting. He stood up and waved his hands between the twins. "Wait. Wait just a minute. Who was that? And why is he such a big deal to you two?" I nodded. That''s exactly what I wanted to know as well. Good work Noah.Dave and Kyle looked up at the standing Noah."And you call yourself a baseball fan..?" Dave shook his head in disgust. "Typical brat. Only cares about the stars and not the newcomers." Kyle said with disdain. "Boys." Mr. Atkins warned. "Let me remind you that I also haven''t heard of this Bradley Thompson. Why don''t you enlighten all of us here."Mrs. Atkins nodded in agreement. "I also don''t know this boy. Is there something I should be worried about?""No, Mom, of course not." Kyle replied. "Bradley Thompson is one of the top draft picks this year. If anything, he could probably convince Zeke to come here for college if he doesn''t go in the draft.""He''s in his junior year." Dave added. "He won honors for both his freshman and sophomore years. He was even drafted in the first round last year, but decided not to go.""Oh, I''ve heard about him then." Mr. Atkins eyes sparkled with recognition. "A talented kid no doubt. Hopefully Zeke will chase after him and come here for school.""I''m positive he''ll stay to finish college." Dave told his dad. "He''s only got a year left after this so he might as well get his degree, right?"Mrs. Atkins also looked excited by those words. "That''d be perfect! Let''s hope Bradley can convince him. Seeing someone near the same level as you staying for college would be great.""A level above, Mom." Kyle corrected. "Bradley was the number one baseball player in the whole state of Texas before committing to Stanford. He was number two in the nation his senior year of high school. Zeke is a ways off...""Zeke''s close!" Noah cut in with a frown on his face. "He''s #25 in the nation. He''s getting close. Give him a few more weeks and I''m sure he''ll dominate the scene." He smirked. "Otherwise, why would they send such a highly rated player to pick up a recruit?"The twins broke out in identical grins. "Exactly." They said simultaneously. "If Stanford and a soon-to-be pro really want Zeke here, then I''m sure multiple professional teams want him too." Dave wiggled his eyebrows. "Maybe first round pick.""Or he''ll go to college, get a degree, and go to the College World Series here." Mrs. Atkins said with hope in her eyes. She really didn''t want her son to give up on college so soon I guess. "Okay, that''s enough speculating." Mr. Atkins stood up with a sigh. "After all, it''ll be Zeke''s decision so we shouldn''t have too many expectations. Let''s get the bags and find our room. Then we can drive around town and find some lunch on our own before going to the school."And with that, the conversation came to an end. We went to the car and grabbed our bags that had the clothes in it, but left the baseball bags in the car. Mrs. Atkins had checked us into a two bedroom suite. Her and her husband shared one room to themselves, while Noah and I shared one with the twins. Both rooms were connected by double doors so it wasn''t like we were on our own. The twins picked their bed, the closest to the door, leaving Noah and I the one by the window. We unpacked a little before going out with the parents.We had more than just a few hours to kill until the afternoon, but we couldn''t go very far since Zeke needed his parents at the meetings after lunch. Mrs. Atkins decided on taking us to a huge outdoor mall that was within walking distance of the university. At first, it was slightly boring as we walked through clothing stores, but then we came across a sporting goods store as big as O''Conners back in Watsonville. The twins were the first to split off from the group, claiming a need to look at running shoes since theirs were falling apart. Mrs. Atkins moved to the women''s athletic wear, leaving me and Noah with her husband. "Well?" He asked. "Anything you two want to look at while we''re here?"Noah smiled. "Depends. How much are you willing to give?"His dad raised an eyebrow. "You plan on buying something?""Only if it''s with your money." Noah snorted. I let out a laugh. Noah jerked his thumb at me. "Even Jake thinks it''s funny that we''re in a store with no money. C''mon Dad, help us out!"His dad sighed and pulled out his wallet. "Forty dollars each. That''s it. I''m sure your brothers will want some money when they find out I gave you two some." He handed us both two twenty dollar bills. "Noah, you have your phone on you, correct?"Noah nodded as he stuffed the money in his pocket. "Good. I''ll let you two go off on your own as well, but don''t leave without me or your mother. Keep your ringer on in case I need to reach you. And call me if you need anything." His dad started to inch away. "I''m going to find your mom first. Be good. Be safe.""We know, Dad." Noah rolled his eyes, but was still smiling. "See ya around!" He turned to me. "Let''s go see what they have for baseball equipment first!" And off we went.

 226 Stanford University: Friday 2

    Noah dragged me around the two-level store to look at everything that had anything to do with baseball. We started with equipment like he wanted; from gloves, bats, cleats, to training equipment that I''ve never seen before. "Catch!" Noah was ten feet away and threw a bright orange ball at me. I flinched and tried to avoid it, but it still hit me in the arm with a solid ''thunk'', before falling to the ground. I rubbed my arm as I picked up the ball. "Sorry, I didn''t think you would just let it hit you." Noah stifled a laugh. "You okay?"I nodded as I turned the ball over in my hands. It was shaped like a baseball, but was too soft, too heavy, and too orange to actually be considered as one. "What is this? A weighted ball?"Noah nodded. "It''s for training purposes. Mostly pitchers would use it to help with their velocity. Generally speaking, the faster a fastball is thrown, the harder it is to hit."I thought about it..."But, I can hit a ball in 100''s. Or at least foul it.""A machine and a real person are different. A pitcher can vary their pitches from fastball, to curve, from 70mph to 90mph and so on." Noah said. "You won''t always be able to get a hit. I still think you''re amazing for not even striking out yet."I gulped. I struck out in that nightmare. That was enough for me. I really don''t want to do it again. Even if it wasn''t real. "I rather groundout in every at bat than strike out once."Noah laughed at my determination. "That''s a great goal to have! I want to finish this season completely error-free.""I-I-I already have an error." I stuttered. Besides official errors, I had what Zeke called ''mental errors.''"You don''t have to have the same goals as me." Noah smiled with ease. "Could you imagine if I said I wanted to never strike out again? I mean, it''s a good goal to have, but it''s not realistic for me. Everyone has their own personal goals and achievements. It wouldn''t make sense if the twins wanted to aim for no strikeouts or no errors. Theirs would be more pitcher specific like a lot of strikeouts, a low ERA, a low WHIP, those kind of things.""A whip..?" The first thing to come to mind was them pitching fast like throwing a whip. "Just WHIP. It stands for walks plus hits per inning pitched. It''s measures the average amount of baserunners a pitcher allows on per inning. Lower WHIP equals low amount of baserunners equals less runs scored which means good pitching."Ugh. Pitching just has too much going on. I could never learn all these stats. Good thing I have Noah. The ball in my hand started to feel heavy. "Should I put this back? Or did you want it?""Pshh. Why would I need that? My arm strength is perfect."That''s true. I lifted the ball up and down. "Do you think I should get it? My arm strength has gotten better, but it''s not that good just yet."Noah frowned, took the ball from my hand, and set it back on the shelf. "Silly. You''re not a pitcher. Why worry about your velocity? Plus, you could injure yourself without the proper training." He picked up a bright yellow ball and tossed it to me. "This would be more beneficial, I believe."I caught the bright yellow ball and found it familiar. It had bumps everywhere, making it uneven. "Isn''t this the reaction ball?" I recalled the practice we used it. "Yep. Exactly. As an infielder, you need to work on your agility and reaction speed." Noah held out his hand to ask for it back. I threw it to him and he backed up. "Okay. You ready?""Ready?" I looked around. We were in the middle of an aisle with people coming and going. "I''m just going to roll it to you. You don''t even need a glove to play with it. That''s why it so convenient. You can just put it in your pocket and take it anywhere to practice." He pulled his arm back and underhanded the ball towards me.The yellow ball bounced left, left, right, left, and I jumped at it. It went off my hand and down the aisle. I turned to chase it down, but I didn''t have to go far. A young man bent down with perfect timing, easily catching it with his left hand. He stood back up and saw me looking at him. "Were you playing with this?" He asked with a frown. "You know, they ask for customers not to play in the aisles. They have a specific area you can test equipment so you don''t accidentally hurt someone." He continued to scold. "If I had accidentally slipped on this ball, how would you have taken responsibility? Your parents would have to ground you for life after I sue."I started to shake as my anxiety skyrocketed. "It was me." Noah jogged down the aisle to stand beside me. "I was the one to roll it down the aisle. We were just trying it out. No need to get so mad since you didn''t even get hurt."The young man didn''t let up. "You don''t know that. I could have pulled a back muscle from bending over."Noah didn''t give in. "That must mean you''re out of shape. Not my problem."His face twitched. He tossed the ball back to Noah. "Don''t play in the aisle, kids. It''s unsafe. You''re lucky it was me this time and not some older gentleman. Or better yet, the store manager, who would have kicked you children out." He turned around and left us without looking back. "What a punk." Noah muttered. "It''s not like it was that big of a deal." He looked at me and asked, "Are you okay, Jake? He didn''t scare you right? It was just a stupid lecture from a fellow teenager. Just think of him as one of the twins. Just thinks he''s a know-it-all."I gave him a tight, yet weak, smile. "I''m okay. You''re right, he wasn''t that mad. Just a concerned citizen."Noah rolled his eyes. "Don''t make him seem like the good guy."I pointed at the ball in his hand. "But he was a good guy. He stopped the ball for me, and didn''t yell at me, or hit me.""That''s just acting civilized. Normal people won''t go around hitting and yelling at you." He handed me the reaction ball. "But...He was quick in his decision making. He made it look easy. He must play baseball too."I nodded. That''s a fair assumption. I looked at the ball in my hand. "I think I''ll get this. I really do need to work on my fielding.""Good!" Noah went back to check the shelf. "It''s $15. What an expensive training tool. That''s almost half your money."I shrugged helplessly. "It''s fine I guess. It''s not like I need a glove, bat, cleats, or helmet. I''m satisfied with what I have."Noah nodded, understanding. "Plus, the good stuff is all super expensive. Your used bat for example was a lot. Even my old cleats that you wear, were about $50." He looked around and spotted something in the distance. "Oh! I know! Let''s go over there!" He dragged me away from the baseball equipment section. I held the reaction ball in my hand, still remembering the way that guy smoothly picked it up without any trouble. I kind of didn''t want to be an infielder since it came with so much trouble, but working on fielding grounders might make me want to stick with it. Noah''s destination was the athletic wear section for baseball. We passed by baseball pants, belts, plain t-shirts, long sleeves, and socks. He pulled me to a section that was specifically filled with professional teams baseball clothes. Most of it were the ''Oakland Athletics'' and the ''San Francisco Giants.''"It''s because they''re the local team so of course the store would have more of their items in stock." Noah explained. "We need to get you an A''s shirt or something! That way you won''t stick out when we start going to games to watch them play."

 227 Stanford University: Friday 3

    We went through all of the Oakland Athletics shirts, sweatshirts, and jerseys. Noah found a jersey that could fit me and supposedly had the star player''s name on the back. He claimed that he had the same and that I should get it so we could match when we start going to the games. But..."It''s too expensive." I studied the price tag that stated: $60. "I''m already getting the reaction ball with my money."Noah grabbed it as I tried to put it back on the rack. "We''ll put our money together. $80 will be enough to cover both items."I frowned. "I can''t take your share too. That''s not fair.""Just treat it as a gift!" He put in my arms. "Really, don''t worry about it. There''s nothing I need here. I already have this jersey at home too. C''mon, wouldn''t it be cool to twin it at the game?"I hesitated. I really didn''t feel right about accepting his money even if he wasn''t going to spend it. "Wouldn''t your dad want his change back? What if he doesn''t want me spending all this money at once?"Noah rolled his eyes and took me by the collar of my shirt, and started to drag me to the front of the store. "If I say don''t worry, then don''t worry. You can trust me. When I have ever led you astray?"I cracked a smile. A lot. He''s always making bets and starting fights. Yet...he''s never lied to me so I guess he may be right. His parents don''t seem to be the kind to get mad easily. They would probably love him even more for sharing and being thoughtful. That must be nice. Two perfect parents. Still together. And they love all their children. "Jake?" Noah felt me slowing down and didn''t want to choke me with my own shirt collar. "Really. It''ll be fine. Dad gave us the money to spend so I highly doubt he''ll care what we spent it on." We reached the front of the store where the cash registers were and got in line. I let my depressing thoughts go and focused on the items in my hands. Not everyone has good parents, but they turn out okay too. I''m not a lost cause. I have Noah. If I just follow him, I should be alright. We stood in line for only a few minutes before it was our turn to go up. The lady took my two items and scanned them as we both pulled out our two twenties. $80 just on two items. That could buy so much food for the old me. "That''ll be $80.23. Cash or card?" The lady said in a monotone as if she''s done this all day."Cash." Noah said right away. Then paused. "Uh, wait. Excuse me? How much did you say?""$80.23." She repeated, slightly annoyed now. Noah held our $80. "Shouldn''t it be slightly cheaper? The jersey was $60 and the ball was barely $15.""Plus tax." She narrowed her eyes at us. "Are you paying or not?"Noah frowned. "I only have $80...can you loan me a quarter until my dad comes?""That''s against store policy." She said. "You either pay or get out of the way. You''re holding up the line."Noah sighed and looked at me. "Let''s just wait on the side until we see Dad or the twins."I nodded. I guess that''s all we could do. "Here''s a quarter. That should be enough, right?" A male voice interrupted us and held out a quarter between me and Noah. "Perfect! Thanks!" Noah quickly grabbed the quarter and turned to pay the lady cashier so we could collect my items. Unlike Noah, I had time to see who was nice enough to help us out. To my surprise, it was a familiar face. The young man from the aisle, who easily caught the reaction ball. Concerned citizen!"I see that you boys decided on getting that reaction ball. That''s a good choice." He noted. I gave a small nod, not sure what to say. "Thanks again." Noah finished at the counter and said while turning. But then he paused. "Oh it''s you again."The young man frowned. "Is that what you should say after I just loaned you money?"Noah shrugged. "I already said thanks. Twice. What more do you want? If you wait a minute, I can call my dad over to return your quarter to you." He started walking away from the cashier. "Let''s get out of the way Jake. Don''t want to make that lady mad."I followed him to the store''s entrance, where we parted ways with his dad. Oddly, the young man followed us. "You didn''t have anything to buy?" Noah asked him, suspicious. The man shook his head. "I was just looking. And I heard your pleas while passing by.""I wasn''t pleading." Noah corrected. "I was making a suggestion. 23 cents shouldn''t be too big of a deal."The man folded his arms across his chest, reminding me of Zeke. "I was just helping. No need to be so snippy.""We would have been fine without your help. My parents are in the store. We could have just waited for one of them.""Oh, so your parents are here? I was concerned that someone would just let their kids run around on a Friday when they should be at school.""What''s it to you?" Noah glared. The guy shrugged. "Just saying...I could have slipped and been seriously injured. How could you compensate me for that?""It didn''t happen though." Noah rolled his eyes. "Just let it go.""And you should just listen. You really aren''t coachable at all."That got Noah''s attention. He looked up to the guy. "Coachable? I''m perfect in that aspect. I always listen to my coach and willing to learn so I can be a better ball player.""That applies to being a better person as well." The man continued his lecture. He was definitely the definition of a concerned citizen. He really didn''t let us off and spoke a little more about listening and being respectful in public places. By the time Mr. Atkins came to the front of the store, the two of them were sucked into their own conversation. Mr. Atkins stood beside me to watch the debate. "What''s going on? Who is he?"I shrugged and whispered, "A concerned citizen." I then explained our two encounters with the guy starting with playing in the aisles and then how he came to loan us a quarter. Mr. Atkins stepped up to Noah and rested his arm on his shoulders. "That''s enough Noah. You''re acting a little ungrateful. He''s just warning you the dangers of breaking the rules. He was even nice to help you out. What do you say?"Noah sighed. "Thanks again." He then looked up at his dad. "Can you give him a quarter so he''ll go away already?"Mr. Atkins frowned. "Don''t be rude." Too late for that. I stifled a laugh at Noah''s wronged expression. Mr. Atkins settled the mini debt and thanked the guy for his generosity. The man left with a wave and headed out of the store.Unfortunately, the lecture didn''t stop with him leaving. Mr. Atkins took over and told Noah how disappointed he was that his son would get in a heated debate with a stranger. Mr. Atkins only stopped for air and when his wife arrived, with the twins right behind. I thought the lecture would keep going on once Mrs. Atkins was told what had happened, yet Mr. Atkins didn''t tell her and finally let Noah off the hook. Me too I guess, since I had to hear about it as well.

 228 Stanford University: Friday 4

    With the five of us reunited, the parents decided it was time for lunch before we headed to the university. The outdoor mall had an assortment of restaurants to choose from. We settled on a family diner and had hamburgers with fries.On our way to the university, Dave asked a question that even I wanted an answer to. "Why did Zeke not want us there for lunch?""So he could bond with the team?" Noah shrugged. "More like, so we wouldn''t embarrass him." Kyle muttered. "He''s obviously ashamed that his family followed him for a college visit.""What''s there to be embarrassed about?" Dave shot back. "We''re baseball players too. He should have let us joined him.""He probably didn''t want us to distract him." Mrs. Atkins tried to soothe her boys. "This is an important life decision that needs to be scrutinized closely. You boys would take away the college atmosphere. Not because you''re immature, but because Zeke is older."Um. Isn''t that the same thing? The other boys seem to have the similar thoughts as me, yet no one dared to correct Mrs. Atkins. Mr. Atkins smiled at us, using the rear view mirror. "I''m sure Zeke just didn''t want us hovering. It''s good to be on your own sometimes." He found a visitors parking spot and pulled the car in. "Okay, I shouldn''t have to remind you boys, but be on your best behavior. No fighting. No running around and causing trouble. No gambling of any sort." I think the last line was specifically for Noah. I grinned at him and he nudged me away.Mr. Atkins turned off the car and we started to pile out. Him and his wife led the way through the parking lot and onto the actual campus. The school reminded me of a garden or a nature preserve with all its flowers, trees, and bushes everywhere. There was a mix of historic buildings and modern complexes scattered to my left and right. Students walked around, rode bicycles and skateboarded throughout the school as we walked to the main offices."What a nice place!" Dave looked around, excited. "Right?! I can''t wait to go to college and be free." Kyle sighed. "Be free? Excuse me." Mrs. Atkins looked back at her twins. "I''ll have you two know, that I''ll be expecting daily updates when you go to college. If not, I''ll visit every weekend."Noah laughed. "That''s if they can even get to college, Mom.""Little rascal!" Dave was the closest and quickest twin to react, pulling Noah into a headlock. "I''ll definitely get into a college with my baseball skills.""Yea, a community college." Noah snorted.We ended up stopping in the middle of the walkway as Dave and Noah continued to mess around. Noah was able to tickle Dave under the arm, making him release his grip on Noah. Then it became a cat and mouse game as they ran around, Dave trying to catch Noah. They weaved through the crowd, ran around bushes and sprinted across the nice green lawn. Kyle made a sneak attack and was able to catch Noah off guard. He held him up, merciless, and Dave started his attack. Of tickles. "They''re so lively." A loud voice said from behind me, making me jump. "Are you sure you''re related?" I didn''t waste any time getting out of the way, standing behind Mr. Atkins. "I like to think I''m adopted." A familiar voice replied, deadpanned. Zeke! I peeked and saw him standing next to a big-bellied man as tall as Zeke. The big-bellied man laughed, shaking with his whole body, reminding me of a Santa Claus. Minus the beard and white hair. But he was definitely red in the face. The maroon-red shirt didn''t help his complexion any. "It''s good to see children so lively. These must be your parents! Hello, I''m Leroy Fairynaz. The head coach of the baseball team."Mrs. Atkins stepped up and shook his hand. "Hello, I''m Mary and this is Wayne, my husband. We''ve heard a lot about you and your program."Meanwhile, Mr. Atkins faced the trio of troublemakers. "Boys! Come!" Mr. Atkins sounded like a dog owner, disciplining his pups, making me smile.The twins stood on either side of their mom, while Noah approached me, where I stood behind his dad. "Why does it look like you''re hiding?"I nervously put my hands together and tapped my thumbs. "I was startled. But, only for a minute. Zeke''s Coach was loud and it was sudden-""Okay, okay. No need to go any further." He tugged me from out behind his dad. "Your minute is up. Time to face him." We stood in front of his dad, who gave me a reassuring smile. Mrs. Atkins just finished introducing the twins and moved on to us. "And these are my youngest boys, Noah and Jake. They''re both freshmen in high school." She rambled on how we were also part of the varsity team at school, but I zoned out. ''My youngest boys.'' Noah and me. Me and Noah. I''m one of her youngest boys? She claimed me as one of her own. Even if mothers and women near my own moms age made me scared, Mrs. Atkins wasn''t really one of them anymore. Ever since she picked me up from the police station, I''ve stopped being so on edge around her. Last week at the tournament, we even stood together and shared some words. The question is...what would I call her? My foster mom? That''d be a weird way to introduce someone. Plus, it would put me in awkward position to explain where my original parents were.A nudge on my right drew me out of my thoughts. Noah eyed me and whispered, "Sounds like that Coach is going to take Mom, Dad, and Zeke to the meetings now. Are you sure you''re okay?"I nodded, feeling good. I even gave him a thumbs up. "First up, we''ll sit down with the financial aid director and the dean of student life." The coach said, still loud, but it hardly bothered me now. Mrs. Atkins looked at the four of us. "Maybe one of us should supervise them?""Mommm." Kyle groaned. "We''re not kids anymore." Dave huffed. "Correct me if I''m wrong, but you three were just running around without a care." She shook his head. "I think it''s best if I stay with you while your dad goes with Zeke.""Oh, this is an easy fix." Coach Leroy cut in, hands on his belly. "I''ll text a few of those boys to come on over. They can do a tour of their own. Maybe even go to the fields.""Yes!" Noah exclaimed."Perfect!" Dave fist pumped. "Bye, Mom!" Kyle pushed her and Mr. Atkins closer to Zeke. Mrs. Atkins looked unsure. "There." Coach Leroy held up his phone. "Already sent the text. A couple of them will be here in no time." So decisive! He didn''t even let Mrs. Atkins make the decision. "Let''s head to the offices before we''re late. I really want to go over some numbers with you both regarding financial aid." He spoke with Mr. Atkins as he led the way to one of the big buildings. Mrs. Atkins gave us a tight smile. "Okay, be good for reals this time. He said a few minutes so don''t go anywhere. Just wait for some of the players to find you." She followed her husband and the Stanford coach. Zeke lingered for a moment, eyeing each and everyone of us. "Try not to embarrass yourselves too much. It''ll reflect poorly on me." And with that, he turned and hurried alto catch up to his parents.My jaw dropped. They just left us. Without even a second glance. "Shouldn''t they at least wait until a player gets here? What if they can''t recognize us?"Kyle laughed. "We''re four high schoolers surrounded by young adults...trust me...we stick out. They''ll have no problem seeing us."

 229 Stanford University: Friday 5

    We were only left on our own for five minutes, before I spotted someone familiar. "Concerned citizen!" I tugged at Noah''s arm.

    Noah turned to where I was looking and saw the young man from the sports store. He frowned as the man kept walking towards us. "He can''t be a player here, can he?"

    I shrugged. How am I supposed to know?

    "What? You guys know someone?" Dave leaned in to join our conversation.

    "Nah." Noah replied. "Just a busybody."

    The concerned citizen was walking with another young man, who had a full grown beard, looking closer to 30 than 20. They were getting closer and closer, looking at us while moving their lips.

    "Ah! What a small world!" The concerned citizen spoke up first as he and his friend stood before us. He eyed me and Noah. "Familiar faces in familiar places. So you two are related to Zeke?"

    I shook my head, but Noah was the one to speak. "What''s it to you?"

    He smirked. "Still have an attitude huh? I''ve been asked to babysit you. Apparently, even your parents know that you can''t be trusted alone."

    "Wait, Nick, you know them already? Didn''t Zeke just get here this morning?" The other man spoke with an eyebrow raised.

    Nick, the concerned citizen, nodded. "Met them before lunch at the sports store in the mall. They were playing with a reaction ball in the aisle and one of them let it pass."

    I looked away in embarrassment.

    "Hey, Hey! I thought you said you didn''t know him." Dave stepped up to the two men. "I''m David. This is my twin Kyle. And these two brats are Noah and Jake. If they annoy you, feel free to slap them upside the head."

    "I''m going to tell Mom and Dad that you''re telling strangers to beat us up. Take a second and think about Jake, okay?" Noah folded his arms and stood as tall as he could, staring Dave down. Dave looked at me with a little bit of guilt in his eyes.

    The two men laughed.

    "Are you sure you''re all related to Zeke? He was so much more mellow than you two." The stranger asked almost the same question as their coach. Zeke must have really made an impression on them already.

    Noah moved his glare passed Dave, to the new guy. "Does a whole family have to have the same personality? Last I checked, we''re not carbon copies of one another."

    "Woah, cool it kiddo." Nick raised his arms and waved them a little. "It was just a joke. No need to get so angry. How about we walk around and show you boys the school?"

    "Sure. Let''s start with the baseball field." Kyle spoke up for the first time since their arrival.

    Nick looked surprised. "You all don''t want to see the school? Take a look around? Maybe stop at the cafeteria for ice cream?"

    "Why?" Noah shrugged. "We''re not going to college any time soon. Plus, this might not be the college we would even want to pick. Let''s see the field." He looked at me. "Did you bring your reaction ball?"

    I nodded and patted my pocket. I leaned closer to him to whisper. "But, can we stop for ice cream?"

    Noah gave me a smile, then turned serious as he faced the concerned citizen and friend. "We agree to stop for ice cream. Then the field. We even have the reaction ball to play with for a little while."

    "Ice cream?" Kyle rolled his eyes. "Why waste our free time? I want to see the field. You and Jake may not be thinking about college just yet, but I am."

    "With your grades?" Noah scoffed.

    "Alright, let''s do this then." Nick interrupted them before the bickering started. "Shawn can take the older two to the field, while I take you kids for ice cream in the cafeteria."

    "We''re not kids." Noah huffed. "We have names."

    "Eh?! I want ice cream too!" Dave glanced at Kyle. "We''ll see you later loser."

    Shawn, the other guy, walked Kyle one way, while Nick led us the other way. Nick, true to his responsible personality, pointed out certain buildings and notable landmarks of the school as we walked to the cafeteria. The cafeteria had a self-serve frozen yogurt machine. The three of us grabbed cones and started to pick our ice cream of choice. Nick paid and then stated he would take us to the field.

    "Mind you, this is the field we play on for games so if someone is working on the grounds, then you can''t step on it. You''ll have to just settle for looking from the dugout." He explained. They did have a game tomorrow so it was understandable.

    "Yea, that''s fine." Noah licked his ice cream. "I just want to really get a feel for how different it is from our own."

    "Ah, I remember the first time I stepped onto a bigger field back in high school. What an experience." Nick reminisced. "The first time playing on such a field, I thought I would never hit the ball out of the park ever again."

    Noah snorted. "What a braggart. Are you even officially on the team?"

    Nick smirked. "If you must know, I''m the vice captain."

    "No joke?" Dave asked. "That''s pretty cool. I bet Bradley Thompson is the captain though, right?"

    "Well...yes." Nick deflated a little. "But its really me that handles the team to make sure they''re not slacking off."

    "Yea, because you''re only good at nagging." Noah laughed.

    I tried not to give in, but still cracked a smile. I focused on the chocolate frozen yogurt in my cone as we walked to the stadium.

 230 Stanford University: Friday 6

    This is a real baseball stadium. I stared in amazement at the field surrounded be stadium seating. The furthest point in center field labeled the wall as 400''. 400 feet?!? The green grass looked to be freshly manicured and well taken care of. Our school had a nice field too, but our grass was nowhere near as green. And the stadium seating surrounding the field really made me feel small. There were rows and rows behind both dugouts and home plate. The only similarity I could find was there were no seating in the outfield. Here, beyond their outfield wall stood so many trees, it looked like a forest. If someone hits a home run, they must not get the ball back.

    "How amazing!" Noah finally spoke up. I nodded in agreement. He looked up at Nick. "Can we go out there? Please?" No longer the rebellious teen, Noah looked more like an obedient puppy, wagging his tail with excitement.

    Nick ran his fingers through his hair. "I don''t know. Let''s find your other brother and Shawn first. I don''t see them out here so they must be in the bullpen or cages."

    Cages? I lit up.

    "Bullpen then." Noah sighed. "Kyle''s a pitcher. Plus, he sucks at batting."

    I sighed too.

    Dave on the other hand, became excited. "Yes! Let''s check out your bullpen!"

    Nick waved us on, and led us down to field level, passed the dugout, and towards a shaded area, fenced off. The fencing was intertwined with a dark colored tarp so you couldn''t see in. Nick went to the gate and opened it for us. All four us walked in and found an interesting scene...

    Both Shawn and Kyle were doing handstands. Like they were gymnasts or something. Their hands were shoulder length apart, fully extended, and their body was straight as can be. It''s just...the two weren''t on the same level.

    Kyle was sweating like it was 100 degrees when it was barely 70. His sweat was rolling down his shaky arms as if they could snap any second. In fact, his whole body looked as if it was vibrating with his twitching.

    Meanwhile, Shawn was smiling with ease. He saw us enter from the corner of his eye. "Oh, hey guys. You''re just in time to see Kyle lose in a mini competition with me."

    Nick shook his head, dismayed. "Why are you even competing with a high schooler? Have you no shame?"

    Shawn grinned. "He wanted to. Turns out, we''re both pitchers so I thought I would show him how different the college level is." He looked at Kyle. "Have you had enough yet? You''ve done well for someone who doesn''t train like this normally."

    "N-n-no." Kyle stuttered. "I can s-s-still g-go." His arms were no longer pencil straight as they wiggled.

    "Then let''s make it harder." He pushed his hands out a little wider, then bent them slowly at the elbow, then pushed himself back up. He was doing handstand push-ups.

    Kyle gritted his teeth, pushed his hands a little further apart, and tried one. That''s all it took to send him sprawling in the dirt of the bullpen. He landed on his back with a ''thud.''

    Dave and Noah started laughing at their brothers'' pathetic face as he continued to sweat even when finally getting to relax his muscles.

    Shawn was more graceful coming out of his handstand by setting one foot down, and flipping into a normal standing position. He checked his watch. "About a minute and a half. Not bad."

    Dave went over to Kyle and poked his shaky arms. "What a baby. Bet I could last longer."

    Kyle glared at his twin. "20 dollars says otherwise."

    "I''ll do it with you!" Shawn eagerly got into position. He shifted his hands to look at us three remaining. "Come on and join us!"

    We watched as Dave struggled to get straight and wobbled around.

    "No thanks." Noah replied.

    I licked my ice cream in response.

    Dave finally got straight, already red in the face. "Are you watching the time?"

    Shawn lifted his wrist with the watch, staying perfect with even one arm. He checked the time. "Got it." He resumed a normal position.

    "Don''t be too amazed." Nick told me and Noah. "Shawn practices this every morning after waking up. He says he''s been doing it since his freshman year in high school."

    "What grade level is he now?" Noah mumbled, not taking his eyes off Shawn.

    "He''s a senior on the team. Like me. We''re both set to graduate this spring. We''re also roommates. That''s how I know about his strange morning routine." Nick said.

    "Does he do this because he''s a pitcher?"

    Nick shook his head. "Apparently he was cut from his high school baseball team as a freshman outfielder. They told him that his arm strength wasn''t strong enough and he wasn''t suited as an infielder. His dad suggested he do a handstand challenge to help with building up arm muscles. He did. And stuck with it until now."

    "How did he go from outfielder to pitcher? Did his arm strength improve that much?"

    "Handstands don''t just improve the arms. It also helps with the core muscles and balance. With a better balance, his coach found a talent for pitching in him. His sophomore year of high school, he made the varsity team, surpassing his classmates."

    "Big deal." Noah finished off his ice cream. "Me and Jake are freshmen on our varsity team."

    Nick blinked in surprise. He looked at Noah. Then at me. He examined us up and down.

    "We both start too." Noah added.

    "What positions?"

    "I play short and Jake plays second."

    He nodded. "So that''s why you got the reaction ball. You obviously need to work on fielding grounders." He gave me a look of pity. "You totally whiffed that slower bouncer earlier."

    I focused on my ice cream, feeling more and more embarrassed.

    "Don''t hold that against him." Noah defended me. "Jake was picked for his superior batting skills. He''s not that bad at second base either. A reaction ball doesn''t bounce normally at all and he''s new to it."

    "Ugh!" A grunt from Dave grabbed our attention as we watched him land on the ground, not too far from Kyle, who still hasn''t moved.

    "Wow. Identical times for identical twins. Crazy." Shawn had already got back up on his feet, looking down at the twins. "You guys should keep practicing that. It''ll help in the long run." He walked over to us. "What do you two wanna do? More challenges like this would be fun!"

    Nick gave an easygoing grin. "Noah is a shortstop so I figured I could show him a few things too." He looked at me and I looked away. "Jake can watch and learn too."

    "Wait." Noah looked up. "You''re a shortstop?"

    ""The starting shortstop for our championship-bound team." Shawn emphasized.

 231 Stanford University: Friday 7

    Noah puffed up his chest. "So what? I''ll be the starter for my college team too!"

    Nick smirked. "Sure you will, kid." He looked at me. "Let me see the reaction ball."

    I dug it out of my pocket and handed it over.

    He looked back at Noah. "It doesn''t look like we can use the field right now but we could play a little in here." He gestured to the area between the fake mounds and home plates. "If we go across, fence to fence, that should be about the distance from a batter to a shortstop playing in towards the grass. Best out of five?"

    Noah snatched the reaction ball out of his hand. "The same person should roll or bounce it every time to keep it fair. We can just stay on the same side and switch accordingly." He handed the ball to me. "Here Jake. You can do it."

    I pouted and eyed my ice cream that I was still licking.

    Shawn grabbed the ball out of my hand; not like I was going to fight him for it. "I can do it. Let the kid eat. I''ll throw it the same way every time. As a pitcher, I can guarantee it."

    Noah, who had been impressed with the handstand performance beforehand, acquiesced. He and Nick moved to one side of the bullpen and Shawn headed to the other side. To get out of the way, I moved to where the twins were. They were both sitting up now, with their legs crossed, ready for the mini competition between their younger brother and a college player.

    "Who do you think will win?" I asked.

    "Obviously Nick." Dave snorted at my question like it was a no brainer.

    "Noah is at least seven to eight years younger, half a foot shorter, and just not as experienced. You could say that Nick has played with and against future pros." Kyle lectured.

    "Can''t we say the same if Zeke goes pro?" I asked, tilting my head to look at them. "Noah said before that age is just a number. Which I believe. I''m the same age as him and nowhere near as good."

    "In fielding. But your batting is better." Dave nodded. "I see what you''re getting at. Talent is also a factor at play. Raw talent helps a player learn and adjust quicker compared to someone who could only rely on hard work."

    Kyle glanced at us. "Yea, but...Nick could have talent too. And a higher level at that. I still say experience matters the most."

    "Ready?!" Shawn asked, making all eyes go to him. He waved my reaction ball in the air, looking at the two competitors. Nick and Noah had set up cones about ten to fifteen feet apart. "If it hits the fence, you don''t get a point. Make the catch with two hands, one point. One-handed is two points. Who''ll go first?"

    "I will!" Noah placed himself right in the middle of the cones. Nick stepped to the side. "Ready!"

    Shawn grinned with a glint in his eye. He started an underhand throw, but instead of releasing it like a ground ball, he threw it up. He didn''t throw it too high as we were in an enclosed bullpen. But still went up enough to catch Noah off guard. It came down and bounced, but of course it wasn''t a normal bounce. As soon as it hit the ground, it skirted to Noah''s right.

    Noah dove to his right side, but it was no use. The ball hit his forearm and then the fence behind him for no points. Noah got back up on his feet, dusting the dirt off his clothes. Surprisingly, he didn''t yell for foul or cheat or whatever. He just accepted it as is and switched places with Nick. Nick picked up the ball and threw it back to Shawn.

    "Ehhh, who knew the kiddo could be so mature?" Nick smiled as he took his spot.

    "Shawn said he''d be fair. And, you can never be sure how a grounder will come at you." Noah crossed his arms over his chest. "I do regret not going second though. Now you''ll know that he''ll be unpredictable as well."

    Nick laughed. "Shawn is always unpredictable. Don''t worry, he won''t go easy on me either. If anything," He looked at Shawn. "He''ll play even more tricks on me."

    Shawn laughed, but I noticed how he didn''t deny it. "Ready?" Nick nodded. Shawn whipped the reaction ball at him with a sidearm throw, without wasting a second. The ball skipped towards Nick, bouncing whichever which way, showing no signs of rhythm.

    Nick moved like a crab towards his right and scooped up the ball with both hands. "One point." He declared, straightening up, and throwing the ball back to Shawn in the air.

    Noah and Shawn frowned at the same time. I could understand why Noah was upset...because he was already down by one. But as for Shawn, I couldn''t say. Maybe he''s just very competitive like the whole Atkins family?

 232 Stanford University: Friday 8

    The best out of five wasn''t as close as I thought it would be. The twins were right to say that experience mattered most. Noah didn''t let anymore balls pass him by, but it was rendered useless. He stopped three with two hands and one with one hand. Shawn was ruthless to him, but just as much to Nick. Nick also didn''t let any balls pass, yet he was able to grab three grounders one-handed. Score of of 8 for Nick to Noah''s 5.

    Noah wasn''t filled with resentment towards concerned citizen like I thought he would be. He had been pretty hostile to Nick in the multiple encounters we''ve had. But Noah took this opportunity to bug him for tips on fielding. I tried to listen in to improve my own craft, but it was like they were speaking another language. I wanted Noah to translate, but he was too absorbed to see my distress. Which wasn''t a bad thing. I could always have him break it down for me when we get home after this trip.

    "Anything you want to compete in?" Shawn came over to where I stood by the twins. He smiled gleefully as if it was him that had just beat Noah. And Nick for that matter. He was definitely the competitive type. I remember what Nick had said about Shawn not even being able to make his freshman high school baseball team. Then he had a crazy comeback year and made varsity as a sophomore. What a jump. You have to have a competitive spirit to get there. He even changed positions and excelled some more.

    I looked at the fake home plates, wishing this could be a real field, where I could show something that I excelled in.

    "Jake would probably like to see the cages." Kyle stood up and told Shawn. "He''s more of a batter than anything."

    "Yea, according to Noah, Jake practically spent all of his free time in a batting cage." Dave added, standing up as well.

    Shawn blinked. "Oh? I thought Jake was your brother too." He looked at me. "So you grew up in the batting cages?"

    I shook my head. "Not really ''grew up''. I just spent a good couple of years only practicing in a batting cage, because I wasn''t allowed to be officially a part of the team."

    Shawn looked more confused, but I didn''t elaborate. "That''s weird. Well, I can take you all to the cages. No one should be using it right now. Most of the guys would be in class or in the gym working with weights." He looked over to where Noah and Nick were going over techniques. "Hey! I''m gonna take these three to the batting cages in the back. Are you two coming or not?"

    Noah lit up. "Of course! I can''t wait to see your faces when Jake gets in there to show off." He bounced on over, not even thinking about his loss. He sent me a grin. "Don''t hold back. It''s just cages and it''s not like we have to worry about these guys spreading info on us to other high schools. That would just be petty."

    Shawn raised an eyebrow as his lips thinned. "Holding back? Do you hold back on a normal basis?"

    Do I? Not really? Well maybe. Kind of. When Zeke tells me too. Or I''ll choose to fight for a walk rather than a hit. I settled on shrugging in response.

    "You have to see him in action." Noah declared.

    Shawn looked doubtful.

    Nick headed for the exit of the bullpen. "Let''s go then. We''ve wasted quite a bit of time already so Zeke and your parents might almost be done."

    We all made a move.

    "Did you know Jake isn''t actually one of the Atkins brothers?" Shawn asked as we filed out of the bullpen. "The way Zeke spoke about them, I thought Jake was included."

    Before Nick could reply, Noah jumped in, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "Jake is my brother. An unofficial brother. Not all brothers have to be blood related."

    "He''s our foster brother." Kyle explained Noah''s defensive remarks.

    An awkward pause from Nick and Shawn made me feel uncomfortable.

    "That''s chill." Shawn gave a nod, not making me feel any more relaxed.

    Nick gave a tight smile. "More like, that''s rough. Foster kids never have good backstory''s. UC Irvine had recently completed a study suggesting foster kids are at a significantly higher risk for mental and physical health issues."

    "What?!" Noah exclaimed. "Is that true?"

    "I''m actually studying to be a sociologist." Nick said with a little embarrassment. "Last summer I worked with child protective services and it wasn''t a pretty sight. There are plenty of issues with California''s foster care system." He looked at me with a slight frown. "Jake...you do look a little small for 14. How long have you been with the Atkins?"

    The twins and Noah didn''t get what he was implying, but I did. During my hospital stay, I heard about how malnourished I was compared to a normal kid my age. My height could even be stunted because I didn''t have enough nutrients. Nick was implying that the Atkins weren''t feeding me very well or maybe that they were even starving me.

    I cleared my throat. "I''ve just been placed with them about a month ago. I was worst when I first came to them. The Atkins are very nice people."

    "Awe!"

    "So nice!"

    The twins pulled me away from Noah and tugged me back and forth, messing with my hair and pinching my cheeks. Their antics didn''t block my view of Nick visibly relaxing, his shoulders fell for a second before regaining his perfect posture. Nick really was the definition of a concerned citizen. He even picked a profession that helped others. Wait.

    "Sociologist?" I asked, making the twins release me. "Does this mean you''re not trying to go pro after college?"

    At this point we had walked towards the back area they had spoken of before. The batting cages. It was well hidden and a private area that was not only fenced off, but also had the tarp woven with it to block curious cats just like the bullpen.

    Nick opened the gate to let us in. "It''s a fallback career. If I become I pro, great. If not, I still have something that I want to do. Besides, not all pros will last 20 years, so it''s good to know what to do afterwards. Always have a plan and what not."

    Noah glanced at Shawn. "And you? What are you studying?"

    "Kinesiology. I would like to be an athletic trainer. That way if I can''t play baseball anymore, at least I could still help athletes like me." Shawn said with pride. I could definitely imagine him becoming someone like Drew, helping athletes get into shape, prevent injuries, help with injury recovery and so on. Or torturing kids like me. Shawn waved his arms out. "Well, this is it. We have three stations so multiple players can practice. We adjust the speed of the machines as needed. There''s also a random function to help players not to get accustomed to one speed."

    "That also helps with reaction speed." Nick added. "Being able to time your swing to an unknown speed really helps with decision making at bat, in games."

    "Awesome!" Noah exclaimed. The twins said similar words of agreement as we looked around. The three stations were divided evenly and had protective netting everywhere. Before entering any of the stations there was a cubby that held a wide assortment of bats, helmets, gloves and even new tape to help with the bats grip.

    "Jake, you can choose first. I''ll help set up a machine for you." Nick offered generously. "You''re the only one who hasn''t really gotten to do anything."

    "I got to eat ice cream." I chirped.

    Everyone laughed at my reply, yet I don''t think they really understand how happy I was with that. I never got the chance to eat ice cream before arriving to the Atkins. It was a luxury I couldn''t afford and not something my mother would ever buy.

 233 Stanford University: Friday 9

    I moved to the cubby that held the equipment. "Is it really okay to use whatever is here? Doesn''t this belong to the team?"

    "Sure!" Shawn came over and Noah followed. "All of this is spare equipment from the players past and present. Not everyone wants to wear out their favorite gear. Especially when hours of practice will age your equipment pretty quickly."

    "What a nice life college students live." Noah sighed as we looked at all the leftover gear. "I couldn''t imagine having so much extra baseball equipment, that I could just leave it out for others or even leave it behind."

    I shot him a disbelieving look, that he didn''t catch. This is the same kid that let me use his old cleats that were still in an okay condition. Noah had plenty of equipment.

    "Not everyone is the same." Shawn said. "Some just have supportive families that can afford all the extras. Others have a scholarship to rely on. And then there are some with part time jobs on top of school and baseball, just to have the best for their game." He pulled out one of the smallest helmets and slapped it on my head. "Here, this won''t be too big on you."

    I adjusted it so my ears didn''t fold. What a brute. I looked over the bat choices. In college, they could still use aluminum bats, which filled the container. I peeked around, not even daring to touch one.

    "This one would be the lightest." Shawn pulled out an aluminum bat that was silver with green writing. "It looks a little long, but this would probably suit you best."

    I shook my head and took a step back as he held the bat out to me. He frown and pushed it to making me flinch. Noah intercepted, snatching the bat away.

    He forcefully put it away, then glared at Shawn. "Jake doesn''t like aluminum bats. Stop being so pushy."

    "Pushy? I was helping." Shawn didn''t like the attitude Noah showed.

    Dave joined us to explain. "Jake only uses wooden bats."

    "That''s a waste." Shawn shook his head. "You should obviously use a bat more suited to your stature. He''s tiny with such thin arms. Wood bats are heavier and they don''t have as much power."

    Noah was about to stand up for me, but Dave beat him to it. "Jake won''t touch an aluminum bat. Stop asking. And stop forcing it. It''s not like it affects you in any way. If you don''t want to give him a wooden bat, that''s fine, we''ll just go back to the offices to rejoin our parents." Dave stood firm in his decision. Kyle and Noah stood side by side, nodding in agreement.

    Shawn''s eyebrows furrowed. "Fine. Whatever. No need to be so defensive. Just grab any wood bat you''d like. I''m just saying, they''re going to be heavier than you think." He gave a helpless shrugged and moved to the station Nick was setting up.

    "Thanks.." I mumbled to the trio of brothers that stood up for me, knowing that I would panic if that bat touched me.

    "Sure thing!" Dave lightened up. He gave my shoulder a pat. "Choose what you want. Don''t care too much about what he said, you''re already great at the plate anyways." He gave a nod of reassurance before joining Shawn by the netting.

    "I''m sure you''ll impressed them more than we could. Don''t hold back." Kyle grinned at me before joining his twin.

    Noah was busy pulling out the few wooden bats he could find as his brothers spoke to me. He presented me with four choices. "This is all I could find. I didn''t want you to have to dig around and move the bats yourself."

    Because he knew that I wouldn''t. Noah understood my fear to even touch an aluminum bat, let alone hold one. Even during games, when the batter before me would get a hit or walk, and would toss his bat to the dugout, I wouldn''t be the one to bring it back in. I would studiously ignore it and dodge it as I walk up to the batters box. Someone else would have to come out of the dugout to get it out of the way. Which makes me wonder if Noah or one of the other Atkins boys had said something to coach and the rest of the team. No one ever got mad at me for not helping.

    My thoughts didn''t slow me down in picking a bat. I lifted each one and took one practice swing to find what I was most comfortable with. Shawn said they were heavier than the aluminum bats, but I''ve been using my bat for a month now and was accustomed to it. I found the bat with the most similar balance and decided to use it. It''s not like it had to be perfect. It was just the cages.

    Noah and I joined the others.

    "You don''t need any batting gloves? It''ll tear up your hands." Shawn looked down at the bat in my hands.

    I shook my head and directly passed him to get in their batting cage. Nick stood behind the protective netting with the pitching machine.

    He loaded it up before looking at me. "What speed do you want to start with?"

    I thought about it. Normally I go from really slow to really fast to get properly warmed up, but it''s not like I plan to hit for a long time. Just a couple of swings. "Let me try out the random setting please." I had never done something like that off a machine so it should be fun. Maybe even close to a real game like scenario against a pitcher.

    As Nick changed the settings, I took some practice swings with my left out of habit. Anytime that I think I need a hit now, I automatically start swinging as a lefty. Being ambidextrous was one of my early advantages, but lately I felt that my left has received more attention and practice.

    "Ready! It''ll spit out 20 pitches so don''t step over the plate and accidentally get hit." Nick explained as he pushed the button and the pitching machine roared to life. He moved to the side where the netting was thicker so he wouldn''t accidentally get hurt.

    I stepped on the lefty''s side and waited with my bat back and elbow up. This should be fun. The first pitch came out at an extremely fast speed, barely giving me time to swing my bat with precision. Instead I just barely hit a grounder right back at the machine. Wow. First pitch was 90mph right away.

    I reset my position to prepare for the next pitch. The machine whirred and spat out another pitch, this time around 70mph. I was patient and swung the bat, connecting perfectly with the pitch. The hit was a line drive right near the machine.

    The machine made a similar sound as it prepared to spit out another ball. The pitch came at 85mph, significantly faster than the last pitch, but not as fast as the first one. I stepped, swung, hit a line drive to the same spot. I frowned as the machine was ready to shoot me another pitch. Then I let out a sigh.

 234 Stanford University: Friday 10

    I continued to hit every pitch, fast and slow, back towards the machine as a line drive. Besides the first pitch that surprised me, the rest really weren''t that hard. In fact...it was too easy. Not interesting like I had thought before. After my 20, I headed out of the netting and rejoined the Atkins boys.

    "Great job, Jake!" Dave slapped my back, forcing me forward.

    "I think you may be more related to Zeke than we are." Kyle laughed. "No one else can hit so consistently like you two."

    I blushed. It''s not like they didn''t have a chance to be like Zeke. The twins focused all of their attention on pitching. Plus Noah was more talented at fielding, but he wasn''t bad at the plate. I looked at Noah to see if he was offended by Kyle''s comment since I knew he wanted to surpass Zeke one day.

    Noah tilted his head at me. "You don''t look satisfied."

    I blinked in surprise. Then glanced at the two college players beside us. I didn''t want to seem cocky...except... "It wasn''t a real challenge." I shrugged helplessly.

    Shawn frowned, but Nick didn''t reveal any different expression. "Why not?" He asked, not sounding or looking upset.

    I looked at Noah and he gave me a nod to say that it would be okay. I needed that kind of confirmation just in case I would upset these men that were taller and stronger. "There are two things that made it easy. The first was the location of the pitch. Even though the speed would vary, the location wouldn''t. If I know the location, that cuts down the difficulty in half."

    Shawn''s frown deepened. "So what. With a varying speed, that should have at least thrown you off."

    "Yea..." I mumbled. "It should have. But, the machine was too loud."

    "The machine?"

    "The pitching machine makes a certain noise when it''s getting ready to shoot the pitch out." I explained. "The noise gets louder when it''s a fast pitch because it needs more speed itself before sending the ball. So when it slowed down, I would have to be patient. But when it got a little louder, I knew I had to be ready to swing to match the fast speed. All of that plus knowing the exact location it would come to, made it easy."

    The cages filled with silence. No one spoke and the breathing was barely audible. After two long, awkward minutes, I shuffled my feet away from the group to the cubby. I put away the helmet and bat, before facing them, uncertain of what they were thinking.

    Noah was the first to return to normal. He pounced on me, jumping around excitedly. "Wow. Too cool! A random pitching machine can''t even throw you off!"

    Ah, compliments are so embarrassing and hard to accept. I tried to brush it off. "I''m sure Zeke could do the same. And the first pitch did throw me off so it''s not like I''m completely perfect. Pitching machines are only good for practice."

    "Look at you, comparing yourself to a monster like Zeke?!" Kyle laughed.

    Dave joined in the laughter. "And only one of his hits wasn''t a line drive and he has the nerve to claim he isn''t perfect. We definitely have a mini monster on our hands."

    Nick nodded in agreement. "What a rare talent! And only a freshman too. That alone could prove why you deserve to be on your varsity team regardless of your questionable fielding. Even college players will struggle with the randomization setting on their first try."

    "Yea, but just because you''re good in the cages doesn''t always mean it''ll translate to real game scenarios." Shawn snorted, no longer happy as he was in the bullpen. He even killed the excitement of the Atkins and made me feel a little more embarrassed. "Pitchers can choose location, speed, and pitch type. Then there are other factors that could come into play to give a pitcher more advantages."

    It finally dawned on me why Shawn wasn''t very happy with my performance. He''s a pitcher. No doubt my show of batting''s skills lit up his competitive spirit. "Yea." I conceded. "I''m not perfect in games either."

    "But pretty darn close!" Noah added, also picking up on Shawn''s attitude, but not caring. "Jake hasn''t been struck out this season so far. And he''s safely reached base at least twice in every game he''s started."

    Shawn was about to come back with another challenging remark, but Nick stepped in before it could escalate. "Shawn, just accept that Jake has some good batting skills. It was smooth and solid and didn''t show any obvious flaws. It''s not like you''re pitching against him. And you won''t be. He''s a freshman in high school." He emphasized the last sentence.

    Shawn let out a breath of air that seemed to also release his anger or whatever it was. He gave me a light smile. "You do have a good swing. Very well balanced. And as a lefty, you won''t be at a disadvantage against left handed pitchers."

    "He''s not a lefty." Noah replied, matter of fact. "He throws right, but can bat switch."

    Shawn and Nick even looked more impressed.

    "I am slightly better with my left now though. I think." I told them. "I''ve been only batting from the left lately so my right might not be up to the same level."

    "Wow." Nick let out. "You lot are definitely impressive. From Zeke, down to the youngest. Your high school is very lucky to have you all. No doubt creating a dynasty."

    "Ehh, it''s not that amazing." Dave started to feel a little embarrassed, joining me in that department. "League just started, but we definitely have high hopes. Making it to CIF is the goal after all."

    "With the five of you all on one team, I can''t imagine how other high schools must feel." Shawn shook his head. "I wish I had a big family like that."

    Me too.

    After filling us up with more compliments, it was time for us to go. Nick and Shawn had received texts from their coach, demanding that they bring us back. All six of us walked as a group, leaving the big stadium behind and headed towards the office area where we had last seen Zeke and the parents.

    We joined them and the coach, while Shawn and Nick headed off in different directions as they still had classes to attend before practice. The Stanford coach was the one to give us an official tour of the school and was well informed. Even more so than Nick, who had given brief introductions before.

 235 Stanford University: Friday 11

    The tour of the whole campus lasted for an hour. Honestly, it wasn''t that exciting. Zeke and his parents were the only ones interested, while me and Noah just kept dragging our feet. At least we weren''t as bad as the twins, who claimed to need to use the restroom and never came back. As my legs felt heavy from walking around the huge campus, I had an urge to just sit at the next stop.

    "Okay, that''s pretty much it." The coach stopped and faced Zeke. "If you want a more thorough tour, just let me know and I can contact someone in the main office."

    Zeke gave a nod. "Thank you, sir. I''ll let you know." He looked at his parents. "Did you guys want to go?"

    Mr. Atkins lips twitched at the not so subtle hint Zeke just gave. Apparently he didn''t want us around anymore. Mr. Atkins looked at the coach. "Next on the schedule was Zeke''s practice with the team. Is that like a tryout with the team? Can me and the family watch from the stands? Or is it considered a private practice?"

    The coach smiled warmly. "Oh, it''s no problem. You and the family are more than welcome to sit and watch." He glanced at us. "I''m sure the boys can learn from it, maybe get inspired. Maybe even feel the need to encourage Zeke to come here." He laughed.

    "That''s great, thank you." Mrs. Atkins smiled, ignoring Zeke''s subtle hints. "Will it start right away, or will we have some time to go by the college store? I wanted to look at some souvenirs."

    The coach checked his watch. "It won''t start for another hour, but I''ll have to go and meet with my coaching staff beforehand. I should also take Zeke back to the dorms so he can get changed and grab his gear."

    "Don''t let us hold you here then." Mr. Atkins said. "We can find the store on our own. And we''ll have to meet up with our other boys. No doubt they''re lost." Yea, intentionally lost.

    "Well, I didn''t get the chance to show you the way to the stadium." The coach was uncertain.

    "We know how to get there." Noah spoke up. "That''s what we were doing with Nick and Shawn. They showed us the field and let us play around a little bit." He noticed the coach''s frown. "Don''t worry, we didn''t go on the field or anything. Shawn just showed off his talent in handstands versus the twins. We also played with the reaction ball Jake has."

    I quickly pulled the ball out of my pocket to prove Noah was telling the truth.

    The coach gave a light smile. "Yes, yes. Shawn does have a wonderful talent in handstands right?" We nodded. "He''ll be tomorrow''s starter on the mound so I''m glad he didn''t do anything too crazy. That boy has a tendency to run wild." He looked over at Zeke. "I''ll take you back to the dorms, Zeke. We can also talk a little more on what you can expect out of the program."

    "Thanks for showing us around!" Mr. Atkins waved them off.

    "It''s my pleasure. Don''t hesitate to call me with any questions that you might come up with." He turn and left with Zeke, who could only shoot us a look before disappearing in the crowd.

    "He obviously doesn''t want us here." Noah commented. He grinned with an evil glint in his eye. "Maybe he''s afraid he won''t perform well in the practice?"

    "Could it be because of his bruise?" I realized. "Do you think it might still hurt?"

    "No need to worry." Mrs. Atkins spoke up. "Zeke assured us that he was feeling completely fine and he would sit if anything starts to hurt. He probably just doesn''t want us watching because you boys will get jealous and want to join."

    Noah looked skeptical. "Yea right, Mom. More like he doesn''t want you two getting so attached to the idea of shipping him off to college."

    "A mother can dream." She said, whimsically, as she looked around the beautiful campus. "It''s such a good university. It would have everything he''ll ever need. A good baseball program. Excellent courses to study. And most importantly, it''s not too far from home. We can watch every home game, and he could come back in his spare time."

    "Early signs of empty nest syndrome." Noah told me. I looked at him, confused on what that meant. "She''s already getting depressed about Zeke''s leaving." He looked up at his dad. "Are you going to be sad too? You know, you have other sons to take care of."

    Mr. Atkins laughed and patted Noah''s head. "It''s nothing to be sad about. It''s something to be proud of. A baby boy that we''ve raised into a young man is preparing to leave home for the first time. We just worry about his happiness and future. Just like we do for all you boys." He looked at his wife lovingly. "It''s just a little hard since Zeke is our first. But, everything will work out in the end."

    Mrs. Atkins smiled at her husband. "I''m just not ready yet."

    "Ughhh." Noah broke up the moment. "He still has a few months left. You guys don''t even know if he would choose this school. Maybe he''ll be a first round draft pick. Or maybe he''ll want to do a year of community college to focus more on training. Or maybe he''ll just hit the road and start at some random minor league team in the middle of nowhere."

    "Right." Mr. Atkins agreed, mostly to placate Noah. He pulled out his phone. "We should probably get moving. I''ll text the twins and see if they want us to meet them at the bookstore or at the field."

    Mrs. Atkins nodded, wiping the corners of her eyes even though I didn''t see any tears. "Yep, I''m getting ahead of myself. We have Zeke for the rest of his senior year, plus summer vacation." She waved at me and Noah, gesturing for us to follow her. "Come on. Let''s go check the school store. Maybe we can find some souvenirs to take home. Plus we can grab some snacks to take to the field as we watch Zeke''s practice. It''ll be a few more hours until dinner."

    We moved through the crowd with a purpose. Mr. Atkins has reached the twins over the phone and they said they would meet us at the field. Then we reached the school''s bookstore that not only had books, obviously, but it had school supplies, food, electronics, little trinkets with Stanford University written everywhere, and so on. It reminded me of a real store with all of its options.

    Mrs. Atkins browsed around, grabbing a few things here and there. Noah and I followed diligently even through the clothing section. It was there that something caught Noah''s eye.

    He pulled out a cardinal red shirt, with white wording on it. ''Stanford University Baseball.'' He held it up in front of his mom. "Pleaseeee?" He noticed her hesitation at the price tag. "Just think of this as advertising to Zeke. If you buy one for me and Jake, we''ll wear it, forcing him to see it, think about it, and maybe it''ll remind him of his visit and how great the school is."

    She started to cave. "Well, I guess we can splurge on this. Should we get one for all of you?" She started to brighten up the more she thought about it. "This could be really good motivation for the five of you. Wouldn''t it be just great if all five of you went here for college together?!" She didn''t wait for a reply. She just started pulling out the appropriate sizes for all of us, making me smile that she included me.

    "It''s not very realistic though." Noah mumbled for only me to hear.

    I glanced at him, knowing what he was thinking. "Because Zeke will go pro?"

    Noah nodded. "If he doesn''t go immediately. I can''t see him sitting back a whole four years unless something like a serious injury happens."

    I couldn''t see Zeke waiting either. I didn''t know him super well, but I knew his love for baseball.

    "Besides," Noah added. "I want to go pro right after high school."

 236 Zeke’s Tryout 1

    Noah''s eyes sparkled with excitement just at the thought. He started to look at the other baseball related items as i got lost in my thoughts. It was almost as if he was ready to graduate high school and move on to the next stage. Where as I...I didn''t know what to do or where to go. Just trying to keep up with Noah now made me tired. And I wasn''t even doing a good job at it. Even if I was the best hitter in the world, who would want someone who can''t field? Did I like baseball enough to even move on to the next level? The only reason I played now, was because Noah wanted me to. Could he single handedly drag me to the professional level with him? That''s not very realistic.

    "Jake?" Mrs. Atkins voice pulled me out of my own head. She was holding two different sizes of the same shirt. "Are you okay?"

    I shrugged. "Just thinking."

    She smiled. "No need to stress about the future." She told me as if she was reading my mind. "There''s a saying that you should know by now: everything can change in a New York minute. That means any given millisecond. One decision can change your whole future. But then, another decision can change it in a completely new direction."

    I contemplated over her words, then nodded. "Thanks." I mumbled.

    Her smile grew, a trait Noah definitely got from her, making me relax a little more. She held up the two different sizes to compare to my body. "I''m trying to decide if I should get you the small or the medium. The small would definitely fit you best, but if you have a growth spurt then the medium would last longer."

    "Medium." I looked up to her to make eye contact. "I''ll grow."

    "Of course you will!" Noah popped back up, tackling me from behind. I fell forward a few steps but was able to hold us up. "Hey, Mom, can I also get this keychain? It''s only a few dollars."

    Mrs. Atkins frowned. "The shirts are already so much. Why would you want a keychain anyway? You don''t have any keys."

    He feigned a hurt expression. "For a keepsake. I decided that I want to get a keychain from every college I visit since I won''t officially be going to any after high school."

    "Good lord," She rolled her eyes up. "What have I ever done to get a hell-raiser like Noah?"

    "You were obviously a saint." Noah grinned. "Not every mother could be blessed with a boy like me."

    She held out the five t-shirts to Noah. "You hold everything until we get to the cash register then if you want that keychain." She looked at me. "You want anything else? You should get something extra too."

    I shook my head. I was happy with just the shirt.

    We headed to the front of the store where the registers were. Mr. Atkins stood awkwardly high among the student population, with his arms full of snacks. We joined him, got in line, and they paid for everything before we hurried to the stadium. According to the time, we took longer than the time allotted.

    As we walked into the stadium, I was surprised to see how many people came just to watch a practice. We found the twins saving a few seats behind home plate and a few rows back.

    "What took you guys so long?" Dave whined.

    "Yea, you already missed the warmups." Kyle added.

    Mr. Atkins waved the snack bag before settling into a seat. "Sounds like you two don''t want a snack. Looks like you''ll just have to wait for dinner."

    They pounced, begging for forgiveness. Mr. Atkins, satisfied with their act, pulled out some snacks to give to them.

    "It''s not like you missed much." Dave relaxed back in his seat with food in hand. "They just ran around a lot. Did some static stretching. Now they''re tossing the ball."

    Sure enough, they were normally throwing the ball back and forth. It was easy to spot Zeke since he was the only one not in a matching Stanford baseball practice shirt. He was paired up with the guy that picked him up at the hotel.

    "He gets to throw with Bradley Thompson?" Noah asked as we received our own snacks from Mr. Atkins.

    "Of course." Kyle munching on his food. "They''re both outfielders. With strong arms. Look, they''re already having one line back up, further and further."

    Zeke was with the line that stayed on the foul line while the other half kept backing up towards center field. I could never throw that far. Okay, never is a strong word. I would at least need more training to get to that level.

    "What if Zeke can''t make a long throw like Bradley? Do you think they''ll cut the tryout short for him? Just send him on his way?" Dave asked.

    Mr. Atkins shot him a stern look, causing him to zip it. "I''m sure it''ll be a fair tryout. They did want to see all that he had. I imagine he''ll get to do the full practice."

    "Yea dummy." Kyle laughed, nudging Dave.

    "Kyle." Mrs. Atkins warned. "Be good. No name calling."

    "Sure Mom." Kyle replied, nonchalant.

    I looked nervously at Noah and whispered. "Will Zeke be okay? He won''t suck like Dave said, right?"

    "Of course." Noah said confidently. "Zeke is someone that''s being scouted by the pros. And he dominates at the high school level. He''ll easily fit in at the college level. Probably continue to stand out if you ask me." Noah smirked. "Could you imagine Zeke blending in?"

    I let out a little laugh, happy with Noah''s answer. If he wasn''t worried, then I won''t worry. He knows Zeke and baseball better than I do, so if he says it''s alright then I''m sure it is. I watched as that Bradley guy backed up, still playing catch.

    "That''s about the distance from second base to a long fly in center field." Noah narrated as they got further apart. "And that could be the distance from center field to either first or third base." They kept getting further apart. Noah squinted. "Finally. That just might be the distance from home plate to a high fly to center field. You know what that means?"

    I shook my head.

    "That if there was a runner on third with zero or one outs, and they were attempting to tag up on a long fly ball to center field, well...Zeke might be able to throw them out."

    My jaw dropped. I checked the distance between the lines. Every one of them looked to have a strong arm. They were all present so that must mean infielders too.

 237 Zeke’s Tryout 2

    "College players are definitely held to a higher level." Dave said with a sigh. "Especially at a division one school with a chance to play in the College World Series."

    Kyle nodded in agreement. "No weak links allowed."

    "That''s not necessarily true."Mr. Atkins explained. "Each player can have a strong suit like throwing, fielding, batting or pitching. This is just good fundamentals. I''m sure each coach has a different bottom line for their minimum requirement. It''s all about finding the perfect fit."

    "Zeke could fit in anywhere with any team." Noah stated, confident in his oldest brother''s ability.

    Mr. Atkins smiled with pride as he turned to watch Zeke workout with the team. "He''s very adaptable."

    The only question is whether he can keep developing at each level." A stranger walked in the row in front of us. He was average at best in height and looks. He wore a baseball cap with a logo on it, and had sunglasses on to block the glare of the late afternoon sun. "Wayne, Mary, how are you two doing?" He took off his glasses and put them away in a jacket pocket. He then held out his hand for Mr. Atkins to shake.

    Mr. Atkins complied, and gave this stranger a handshake and a smile. "Hello Will, we''re doing well, thanks. How are you?"

    "Oh you know...just a lot of traveling up and down the coast now that high school baseball is officially starting everywhere." He shook hands with Mrs. Atkins next. "Imagine my surprise when I heard that Zeke would be visiting a college. I dropped what I was doing and hustled here on a red-eye flight."

    Mrs. Atkins took her hand back before replying. "You shouldn''t have. It''s not like Zeke is making a commitment just yet. We want him to explore his options."

    "Entering the draft is a valid option!" Willie said energetically. "Zeke would definitely be a top pick by the end of his senior season and can secure a guaranteed contract."

    "Willie, we''re just showing Zeke some college options right now." Mr. Atkins said in a calm manner. "He never used his official college visits so we asked him to at least look some over. I know your set on pushing him to the draft, but even if he does get drafted, he can still decline."

    Willie wasn''t discouraged by their cold attitude. "Right! Which means you should see where he''ll land at least. If it''s in the later round, he could go do some years in college, and possibly move up to be an overall number one pick."

    Noah and the twins gasped. I was still a little lost on who this guy was, but it seemed like he had something to do with players going in the draft and becoming pros.

    "Or," He added in a somber tone. "He could drop in the draft if he performs poorly in college. Then he would have trouble getting any scouts like me to look at him."

    The twins shifted around a little restlessly.

    Mr. Atkins wasn''t fazed. "We''ll see. Zeke is a hard worker with tremendous talent. I won''t force him either way, but I won''t let others force him either." He pointed to the field. "And it looks like he''s fitting right on in."

    All of our eyes drifted to the field. The team had started to conduct some fielding drills after splitting between infielders and outfielders. Pitchers and catchers had presumably gone off to the bullpen. Zeke stood with the outfielders not looking like a high schooler with college guys. He caught high fly balls, dove for line drives, and smoothly picked grounders out just like the rest of them. You couldn''t really tell that it was a tryout. It was just a practice.

    The ''Willie'' guy pulled out a notepad and started to jot some things down while mumbling. "Outstanding. No signs of nervousness or hesitation. He''s definitely suited for the pros."

    I tugged on Noah''s sleeve and pointed at this guy, who seems to know the Atkins. "Who is he?"

    Noah shrugged. "I don''t know." He looked to his dad on the other side. "Dad, who is he?" Noah didn''t lower his voice like I did. He just used his normal voice to ask his dad about the guy in front of us.

    Willie quickly turned around. "I''m sorry, that was rude of me. I''m Willie Ramsey, a scout with the Chicago Cubs. I''ve met with Zeke and your parents before, and spoken in length to Zeke''s coach. Which is your coach too." His eyes sparkled as he looked at the family as a whole. "Coach Wilcox has mentioned how great the team is this year thanks to the presence of the Atkins family. No doubt, good genes play a factor."

    Mrs. Atkins blushed. "Don''t be ridiculous. Please sit down; you''re blocking the view for me. I want to watch Zeke enjoy some playing time with college players."

    "Right!" He sat down, but still turned to face us. "The twins, Kyle and Dave, who is who?"

    Dave and Kyle looked at one another, then turned to face the man simultaneously. "Guess."

    The man let out a chuckle. "I was interested in the one who threw a perfect game."

    Kyle straightened up right away. "Me!"

    Dave snorted, crossing his arms across his chest. "Against a crappy team."

    Willie laughed at how quick they fell apart. "Still a wonderful feat. Congrats, Kyle. Dave, I''m sure you''re not far behind." He looked at me and Noah. His eyes focused on Noah. "And you''re Noah. The youngest. You look just like your mom."

    Noah wasn''t won over. He put his hand on the top of my head. "Incorrect. Jake here is younger than I am."

    The man was taken aback. "What? I thought there were only four of you altogether."

    "What''s it to you?" Noah glared, becoming defensive. I''ve noticed that whenever someone tries to dig into my business, Noah was always the first to attack and snap back.

    "Noah." Mr. Atkins warned, reeling him back in. He smiled at Willie. "Jake lives with us. He''s also on the team."

    "The varsity team?" He scrutinized my appearance. "The same team as your sons?"

    "Got a problem with it?" Noah demanded.

    "Nope, just curious." He gestured to the field. "I''m going to work now. Let''s share a conversation afterwards." As quick as he was to start talking, he shut up just as fast. He studied the practice like he would be quizzed on it; taking notes every so often in his messy hand writing.

    We watched as Zeke participated in their practice as if he, himself, had a game tomorrow. He dove at every ball that may or may not be in reach. He wasn''t afraid to get dirty as they ran around the bases working on their slides and situationals. Their batting practice was more elaborate than ours and included several different pitchers, with righty''s and lefty''s. Zeke didn''t have any problems hitting anything close and wasn''t cocky as a few had left the stadium into the forest. Zeke was just as cool as in every day life, not showing a change in expression.

 238 Zeke’s Tryout 3

    After two hours of what looked to be a normal practice, their coach spoke to the team as a whole. Some of the guys raised their hands, then they broke up. More than half of the players went to the dugout, the only ones that stayed on the field took positions like they were on the defensive.

    Zeke, who had also jogged to the dugout came out with a helmet on and a bat in hand. He tightened his batting gloves before walking towards home plate.

    "More batting practice?" I mumbled, a little jealous.

    Noah shook his head. "It''s not. Look how the players on the field are. They''re set as if they''re playing a game. The coach probably wants to test Zeke''s ability in a game situation. Kind of like your tryout except with players playing defense." We watched as a pitcher took the mound, and a catcher squatted behind home plate. "Looks like he had this in mind all along."

    "How can you tell?" I asked.

    "The pitchers all went to the bullpen in the beginning right?" I nodded. "That''s pretty normal. But then when it came to batting practice, he had some coaches throw instead of the players. That''s a little odd, but you could chalk that up to him wanting to save them for tomorrow''s game. But now, it''s obvious that he wanted them to test Zeke."

    "Your deductive reasoning is really good." Willie complimented Noah, not caring that he was eavesdropping. His eyes remained on the field, watching the pitcher warm up a little more. "But you know, most college teams have some coaches throw batting practice pitches. It''s not uncommon at this level. You don''t want one of your own pitchers throwing out their arm doing something like that, but you also need your batters to face pitchers so they get comfortable. Hitting off a machine isn''t the same as facing a live arm. Pitchers have complicated forms sometimes that can mess with timing."

    I froze. "Hitting off a pitching machine is bad?" With something to worry about, I forgot to be scared of this stranger. I was more afraid of what he was saying than anything else at the moment.

    "It''s not necessarily bad. A pitching machine can be useful for hand-eye coordination, timing, and bat control when used correctly."

    "You just said the timing is one of the problems." Noah pointed out.

    "In a sense. It depends." Willie finally turned to face us, giving us his undivided attention. "It helps improve the timing of your swing, but it can also throw your conception of speed off. For an example, an 80mph pitch from a machine requires different timing than an 80mph pitch from a live pitcher. You know why?"

    Noah and I both shook our heads. I was surprised that Noah was finally at the same level as me: clueless.

    "The pitcher has a windup, stretch, and style that''ll never have a perfect replica. Take your brothers as an example. They''re identical twins with identical strengths. Yet, they don''t have the same style. If you compare their video side by side, you''ll see that Kyle has a more explosive step towards home plate."

    "Is that true?" Dave leaned in, now curious about the conversation. "Do you think that''s why I''m not doing as well?"

    "I wouldn''t say you''re doing poorly. You have more confidence than your brother, which is important trait to have. It''s also good to have different deliveries. If you both have the same exact delivery than other teams in your league won''t have much to do in preparation."

    "Have you been watching us?" Kyle asked, not minding the comment about his lack of confidence. "Can a scout watch high schoolers who aren''t eligible for the draft?"

    Willie cocked his head and grinned. "Scouts can take note of any player they deem interesting enough. We may not approach right away and might wait until your senior year, but we pay attention to any outstanding talents. Even players from the Little League World Series will be noted. Granted, not all players get much better afterwards but their are exceptions. Cody Bellinger from the Dodgers and Todd Frazier from the Mets are two that I can think of off the top of my head. Michael Conforto, also from the Mets, is one of the more notable ones since he played in the Little League, College, and MLB World Series. Only one of three to do it."

    Wow.

    "Okay, that''s enough bugging Mr. Ramsey." Mr. Atkins spoke up after a nudge from his wife. "All of you are too young to be thinking so far ahead."

    "That''s not what you said when you made us take the SAT and ACT last year before Christmas." Dave grumbled.

    "Yea." Kyle echoed. "You were all about planning for the future and making sure we get good scores so we could get into college."

    Mr. Atkins wavered. "Well..."

    "Let''s focus on Zeke for now." Mrs. Atkins proposed. "He''s the only one graduating from high school this year. After we get him settled, we''ll focus more on you two." She gave them the side eye. "For baseball and academics."

    Dave and Kyle quieted down and stopped raising a fuss.

    Noah laughed then leaned in to whisper. "I wonder what she would say to them if she knew that you were doing their math homework."

    "She''ll get mad at me too though." I mumbled, scared she might overhear.

    "I''m only teasing. I wouldn''t get you in trouble with mom." Somehow, I didn''t really believe him. Noah is always making trouble. "What do you think about what that scout said though? Pitcher versus machine?"

    I shrugged. "I''ve never really noticed. But I also only have a month experience." I thought about it a little more. "Do you think that''s why I didn''t do so well against University Prep? Their pitcher was fifth in state right? Was something odd about the way he pitched?"

    Noah looked bewildered. "If you don''t know, how am I supposed to know. You''re the batting expert."

    Am I though?

    I turned in time to watch Zeke stepped up to bat. I couldn''t compare to someone like him, who could send the ball well over the fence. And at the college level too!

 239 Zeke’s Tryout 4

    Zeke had taken a few practice swings while the pitcher threw off the mound, but neither looked serious. They were both sizing one another up before the actual showdown. Righty vs. Righty. Zeke stepped in the batter''s box.

    The pitcher bent over and read the catchers signs, and nodded with acceptance. He stood straight, did a full windup and came at Zeke with some speed. Zeke returned the ball just as fast with an easy swing, getting it over the shortstops head. Then he took off to first like it really was a game. He rounded the bag just as the left fielder came in to field the hit. He picked up the ball and threw a bullet straight to the second baseman, who was covering the bag. Zeke started to slide and the tag came down. It was pretty close. One of the assistant coaches, acting an umpire, extended his arms and called safe.

    The Atkins family as a whole, started to clap and cheer. I joined in, moved by their happiness for Zeke.

    Zeke jogged back towards home plate, sparking confusion on why he ran if he was just going to bat again. Murmurs from around made me remember that quite a lot of people came, just for a practice. Tomorrow''s game would have even more people. I swallowed the lump in my throat at the thought. No need to panic. Everyone will be sitting. And I''ll be with Noah and the Atkins.

    "Oi. Look! They''re sending a baserunner to take Zeke''s place at second." Noah patted my shoulder while pointing at the field. Sure enough, some player from the dugout with a helmet on ran to second base.

    "He''s not only testing Zeke. But his own players too." Willie''s eyes didn''t stray from the field.

    "Why would he do that? Shouldn''t he already know how they''d react?" Kyle asked, leaning forward to watch Zeke step up to bat again.

    "It''s better to have a runner instead of some hypothetical situation." Willie explained. "That way there''s no cheating and no denying that something else could have happened. Look at the infield right now. With no outs and a runner on second, the middle infielders can''t stray too far or the runner will steal. But they can''t be in on the infield grass because they''ll have a smaller chance of stopping grounders. If there was only a pretend runner, they could just cheat and hang back."

    Oh, that makes sense. I let out a light smile, facing Noah. "Next time Zeke wants to do situationals, we should demand that there be a real runner. Otherwise how will I remember anything?"

    Noah nodded, smiling even more than me. "No more cheating for Zeke!"

    The twins both let out groans and started to conspire against us.

    "That would make us the runners."

    "I don''t want to do that at all."

    "Democracy. We''ll tell Zeke we should vote on it. I''m sure we''ll win. 3-2."

    "Math homework." Noah taunted in a low voice so Mrs. Atkins couldn''t hear. The twins stopped and stared at Noah, glaring daggers at him, making me shiver. "Be good. You don''t want mom to ask any questions do you?"

    "You would get Jake in trouble too." Dave narrowed his eyes at Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "I''ll just tell mom you bullied him."

    They both shot him looks of disgust and disdain, but didn''t say any more about opposing the real runner program.

    A ''ding'' sound reverberated around the stadium. Our heads all snapped towards the field, looking for the ball to see what would happen. Zeke''s hit headed dead center, high in the air, giving us plenty of time to locate it.

    The center fielder tracked it all the way down to the fence. Just when I thought it was a goner, the center fielder jumped, his gloved hands outstretched as high as he could get it. With a plop, he landed back on his feet. He then pulled the ball out of his glove and took two steps to make a strong throw to second base. The runner, who didn''t go too far thankfully slid back, head first, narrowly beating the tag.

    "What a grab! What a steal!" Noah jumped up. "Did you see that Jake? That''s Bradley Thompson! He was number two in the country when he graduated high school. The timing on his jump was perfect. His height also gave him an advantage." Noah got all excited, but he wasn''t the only one. The men that came to watch the practice was also impressed and shared their thoughts on it.

    Willie was taking notes like his life depended on it. "The runner on second was also notable." He muttered. "Normally someone would take off on contact or even as it looked like it was going over. But he held himself back. He knows his teammates well. He probably guessed that Thompson could make a play at it and didn''t want to risk the double play. Good judgment." He spared us a glance. "If you guys want to learn a little about base running, this kid looks good." He tapped his pen on his head. "I''m gonna have to get his name afterwards. Just in case."

    By now, Zeke came back to the batter''s box, picking up his bat. The runner on second took his lead off the bag as they started the new at bat. Zeke had learned his lesson and started to show great control with his swing, avoiding hitting balls towards Bradley in center field. Instead, he hit quite a few up the baselines and snuck some between the holes of the infield. After scoring an imaginary four runs, he grounded into a double play, ending the inning.

    The coach had the team gather in once more and held a group discussion. He spoke with them at length, easily taking up twenty minutes. Just when I thought it''d go on forever, the team did a chant of ''Stanford!'' Then they filed back to the dugout for their gear.

    "Will you be waiting here for Zeke?" Willie stood up and asked the parents. "If you don''t mind, I''d like to share a few words with him."

 240 Zeke’s Tryout 5

    Mrs. Atkins lips thinned before speaking. "Yes, we''ll be waiting for him here. What did you want to talk to him about?"

    "Just about the draft process and what he can expect from me for the next few months leading up to the draft. You all probably know that I''m not the only scout here." Willie looked around to emphasize the fact that others were still here even though the practice was already over. "A lot of us would like to know which way he''s leaning to. I, for one, was very surprised when I heard about him making an official college visit. Definitely made some GMs a little nervous. No one wants to waste a pick on a player not even playing."

    "GM?" I repeated the two letters.

    "General Manager." Noah told me. "They basically pick the players from the draft with help from their scouting team and other executives."

    "Like we said, we want Zeke to use up all five visits." Mr. Atkins stated, firm on that decision.

    Willie nodded. "I understand. I would want my kid to know the difference and his options. In fact, I would suggest you have him read up on what happens after you get drafted. I don''t like kids thinking that''ll they''ll make the big leagues right away. They have to start in the minor league system, receive crappy pay, and fight for a position just like college."

    "You don''t get paid to play for college though." Dave pointed out.

    "They pay you with scholarships. Some better players get more like 80%-100%. Players in the middle will receive half as much. Then the lower rung players won''t receive much besides help with admission. Then we have walk-ons who get in the school on their own merit and don''t receive any financial aid from the team." He shrugged. "Every school has a budget for scholarships just like how the minor leagues has a budget for their players."

    "But if you get picked in the first round, you get guaranteed money, right?" Kyle asked.

    Willie nodded. "If you get drafted there''s guaranteed money in contracts for bonuses and the such. I personally think Zeke is first round material, so no doubt he''ll get a nice lump sum."

    "But you don''t get to make the decisions." Mrs. Atkins frowned. "Zeke could slip to one of the later rounds and receive the bare minimum. I''ve heard some things about the minor leaguers making less than minimum wage."

    Willie rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed. "Very unlikely. But if he does drop to an unsavory position, he could alway just go to college and rejoin the draft after two seasons."

    "That''s why we''re having him look at some schools." She nodded her head, feeling good about giving Zeke a fallback option.

    "Why do you think you''re having me look at schools?" A familiar voice said from behind. We turned and found Zeke looking down at us. "Are you sure it''s not because you prefer I get an education?"

    Mrs. Atkins gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. "A good education isn''t something to look down upon."

    Zeke sighed. "I never said I was against it. I just said I didn''t see any reason to need to do these visits during the season."

    "Are you saying you didn''t like practicing with a collegiate-level team?" Mr. Atkins asked.

    Zeke perked up. "I found it enlightening. They play at a higher level. I''m exhausted even though it was just a practice before a game day. I actually wish I came during winter break so they could show me how hard they go."

    "What a masochist." Kyle muttered to Dave.

    "And a sadist. A dangerous combination." Dave agreed. "He''s definitely not gonna get a girlfriend anytime soon."

    "It would have to be a freaky one." Kyle wiggled his eyebrows. They both laughed.

    "Boys." Mr. Atkins said in a warning tone before turning back to Zeke. He gestured to Willie. "Zeke, do you remember Willie Ramsey? He stuck around to ask you some questions."

    Zeke moved closer and sat down in one of the seats with his dirty uniform. "I remember. Mr. Ramsey is with the Cubs organization." He looked at him calmly, not even fazed that he was a scout for a pro team. "What can I help you with?"

    "I just wanted to ask what spurred you on to start visiting colleges when you had seen set on going pro immediately?" Willie glanced at his parents. "But I''ve kind of already know the answer now. So I''ll choose to ask a follow up question: are you leaning more towards college after this visit?"

    Zeke took a moment before answering, making us hang on the edge of our seats. "I wouldn''t say I''m more inclined one way or the other just yet. But I can say that if I was to pick a college, Stanford would be one of my top picks. That''s why I chose to visit them. I like what they have to offer for both academics and their baseball program."

    "Does the fact that Bradley Thompson is planning to return for his senior year next year to finish his degree before entering the draft affect your decision at all?"

    Zeke nodded. "I want to compete with him and against him."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    Zeke raised an eyebrow. "If I came here next year as a freshman, I would have to compete against him for the center fielder position. But we would also get to compete together for the College World Series."

    "Are you sure you''re not leaning towards college now?" Willie asked, tapping his knee nervously. "You have a lot of good things to say so far and this is only your first visit."

    Zeke gave a light shrug. "If there''s something I don''t like, it would be the loss of the seniors and the commitment. Stanford has a lot of good seniors graduating this year that I won''t get the opportunity to play with here. Then there''s the commitment. If I enter college, I can''t enter the draft until I finish my junior or senior year. Or turn 21."

    Willie appeared more relaxed, hearing that Zeke had his worries. "There''s also community college if you want to gain some more experience without being in the minors. Community or junior college players can be drafted at any time. So even if it''s not something prestigious or long term, it could help."

    "We already set aside the two year schools." Mrs. Atkins said with a frown.

    Zeke looked at her. "Mom. They''re just in a box. Doesn''t hurt to look."

    Mrs. Atkins pouted. "But look, you fit in right here. Good school, close to home, you can play baseball and you''ll have a scholarship!" She really was pushing for him to come here.

    Zeke gave his mom a look. "What happen to supporting whatever decision I make if I look at five schools personally?"

    Mr. Atkins patted his wife''s shoulders, while looking at Zeke. "We aren''t pushing you. She''s just expressing her opinions on why she would like you to go here. If you choose a community college for a year, that''s good too, but we would still want you to be close to home so we can watch your games."

    My heart tugged. How supportive. Just...so much care and love. My mom couldn''t care less either way. I wonder if she''s even been asking about me or if she just forgot that I even existed. My dad wasn''t much better. He didn''t abuse me, but the words ''neglect'' and ''abandoned'' spin around my mind every now and then. There were even more questions to what he would do or say when we get reunited. Would he let me continue playing baseball with the Atkins? Would he watch every game? Did I even want him to?

    Zeke was already testing his dad by the time I checked back in. "What are you guys going to do if and when I get drafted by a team on the east coast?"

    "We''ll be able to watch on the TV." Mr. Atkins replied.

    Zeke just shook your head. "You guys..." He sighed. "Just let me finish this visit and we''ll talk more about it later.

    "So you''re still on the fence?" Willie spoke up.

    Zeke nodded. "Yea, I guess so."

    Willie stood up and walked over to Zeke, holding out his hand. "Just let me know when you have a firm decision. The cubs have the 16th pick in the first round of the draft so we would like to have a firm grasp on who would be committed to sign. We don''t want to waste a pick on someone who bails on us."

    Zeke stood and shook his hand. "You''ve been the scout most interested in me; of course I''ll let you know." He glanced around the stadium to see a few stragglers hanging around. "I like people like you, who are upfront and honest. All these other scouts seem interested by attending, but not many make an effort to speak with me."

    Willie chuckled. "Scouts can''t get too attached. Not everyone we suggest to management will be picked." He went back to the Atkins parents and shook their hands as well before saying his goodbyes. "I''ll see you all tomorrow at the game. Seeing Bradley Thompson in action will also be good for me to report on." With a wave, he left.

 241 Stanford University: Saturday 1

    After the scout, Willie Ramsey, left, the other random men in the stands started to follow him. I figured it was to find out what him and Zeke talked about. If they were scouts like himself, then they probably had an information exchange or something to find out the status of players. Maybe he''ll share, maybe he won''t.

    Zeke faced us as we all started to get up and move around. "I don''t want you guys to stick around anymore today."

    The twins froze and Noah''s jaw dropped. Mrs. Atkins frowned and I remained confused. Does this mean we won''t be eating dinner together?

    Mr. Atkins was the only one who wasn''t surprised, offended, or anything. He just smiled at his oldest son. "Okay. Will you be eating in the cafeteria with the team? Or do you need some money to eat out with them?"

    Zeke shook his head. "They provide my meals even if we go out. Afterwards they plan to take me out around the town to show me what else there is to do in town."

    "What are we going to do then?" Noah remained a little upset. I didn''t realize he wanted to eat with the team so much.

    "We''ll go pick somewhere by the hotel for dinner. Then we can even catch a movie." Mr. Atkins offered. "Tomorrow morning we can go to San Francisco and take Jake to the Golden Gate Bridge. Maybe Chinatown. The Ghirardelli Factory too. We could also drive by the stadiums on the way back before we come watch Stanford play their game."

    The boys cheered up at Mr. Atkins suggestions.

    "The game starts at 7pm." Zeke reminded his dad. "Meet me at the gate so I can bring you guys the tickets." He looked around. "I think this would be our seating area. The coach said somewhere behind home plate." He lifted his bag. "I''m going back to the dorms to shower. See you tomorrow."

    "Be safe if you go out with the team." Mrs. Atkins rushed to say before he left. "No drinking. No getting into cars with someone who has been drinking. Don''t do anything illegal. Have fun though."

    Zeke let out a light chuckle. "I''m not dumb, Mom. You taught me better than that." He waved. "Have fun at the movies." He walked away, leaving us behind.

    As the family watched him walked away, a heavy atmosphere started to settle in. I looked around at them, confused at their sad expressions. I poked Noah in the arm. "Are you okay?"

    Noah regained his normal attitude and nodded. "Of course. Who needs Zeke around anyways. All he does is boss us around and nags."

    "It would have been cool to have dinner with the team though." Kyle remarked.

    Dave agreed. "Yea. I wanted to ask Shawn about his pitching since we didn''t get to see him do anything at the practice."

    "Okay, okay, lets go eat." Mr. Atkins guided us out of the seating area and started to lead us out of the stadium. It''s just a day without Zeke. No need to get so depressed." Oh. They were sad about Zeke not wanting us around?

    Mrs. Atkins sighed. "It''s just a sign of what''s to come. Soon, he''ll be off to college, busy with school, the team, and his friends. Or worse, he''ll go to the draft, and be stuck in the minor league system. The money won''t be enough and he''ll have to work in his spare time and he''ll never call home." Mrs. Atkins looked close to crying, making me a little nervous.

    My mother used to cry every now and then, with incoherent mumblings about my brother and father. Those would be the really bad nights. She would become hysterical and the beatings wouldn''t end until she passed out.

    Mr. Atkins put his arm around her shoulders as we walked, heading to the car in the parking lot. "Honey, we have a few more months left. Just soak it in. He''s growing up. It''s not like he was going to stay five forever. Plus, we have other boys to focus on afterwards." He glanced at us behind him, raising an eyebrow.

    Noah was the first to get the unspoken hint. He moved away from me and got on the other side of his mom. He pouted. "You always pay more attention to Zeke. What about me?"

    "What about you?" Dave went over and pushed him aside. "Earlier, mom said she would focus more on us. We''ll be leaving next so we should obviously get more of her attention."

    "Awe. Boys." She pulled the two of them into a group hug. "I''m just a little emotional about the first of my boys leaving. I''ll be okay." She gave a look of determination. "I''ll make Zeke call me every day he''s away."

    The family laughed. Even I shared a smile. The Atkins family reminded me of a family in sitcom, constantly having heartfelt moments...something I didn''t experience until meeting them.

    We reached the car and started our night without Zeke. True to his word, Mr. Atkins took us out to dinner by the hotel, then let us pick a movie to see afterwards. It was an easygoing evening filled with laughter and excitement. As we ate, they took turns reminiscing stories of Zeke being young. He was always a serious person even at eight years old when he explained to an umpire that he missed the call and that he was out on a tag play, instead of being happy about being called safe.

    All the childhood stories they brought up for me to hear all revolved around baseball and it made me realize that baseball was in their life since the beginning. The same could be said about me too. It just had two different feelings. Theirs were happy, funny, and exciting. Mine was secretive, lonely, and relaxing when in the cages. After tonight, I had a strong urge to find my brother. Just to see if baseball was still a part of his life like it was mine.

    After the movie, we hustled back to the hotel to get some sleep. Mrs. Atkins suggested we leave early in the morning if we wanted to do everything that Mr. Atkins suggested. Apparently it''d be another hour drive from Stanford to the Golden Gate Bridge.

    Laying beside Noah on our shared bed, in a room we shared with the twin, I felt him move about trying to find a comfortable position. After a couple of minutes, I turned to face him even though it was hard to see in the dark. "You seem a little restless."

    Noah sighed, flopping down on his back. "I feel a little restless."

    "Because of Zeke?" It''s been a theme all night since Zeke asked us not to be at dinner with him and the team.

    "I just feel like he''s leaving us behind. I felt happy about making the varsity team, but then they had a selection camp after winter ball that I wasn''t invited to. And just as I was feeling good about being a starter, and finding my swing, Zeke is already preparing for the next level." He voice got lower and he whispered. "I''m also a little sad he won''t be around too. What will I do then?"

    I didn''t know what to say or how to comfort him. My older brother was never around for me to compare myself to or to look up to for inspiration. Sometimes he doesn''t even cross my mind because of his lack of presence in my life after being three years old.

    "You can always compare yourself to Zeke''s sophomore level stats next year." A voice said in the dark. It was Dave. Still awake too. "Besides, you still have us. And then after we leave, you have Jake. He''s like your unofficial twin since you''re both in the same grade."

    Noah laughed. "You''re right. I do have Jake."

    Me? I felt warm being included. I don''t think I''ll ever get over this feeling of belonging. Just when I was lamenting over not being able to help, Dave reminded me that I''ll be there with Noah for all of high school. At least...as long as my dad didn''t show up.

 242 Stanford University: Saturday 2

    Saturday morning, we rose before the sun to get ready for the day. By the time we hit the road, the sun was up and shining bright making this a clear day. Unusual for an early morning in March in the Bay Area. Mr. Atkins drove us straight to the Golden Gate Bridge and found parking nearby. Mrs. Atkins pulled out her smart phone and started to take pictures like crazy.

    We walked around the nearby park, posing by the water, with the bridge in the background until she was satisfied. With Noah and the twins, I was comfortable to take pictures. They were the ones I hung out with the most and the twins were more bark than bite. Once Mrs. Atkins was done, we walked up to the bridge and started to walk across. Even though it was sunny this morning, it was still slightly cold with a breeze. I hugged my sweatshirt close to me, taking a look over the bridge while walking.

    My eyes caught a blue sign bolted to one of the poles. ''There is hope, make the call.'' A phone number was listed. I stopped for a second to read the smaller writing. ''The consequences of jumping off this bridge is fatal and tragic.'' I blinked a few times, then turned to Noah, but him and the twins started to get further ahead.

    "What is it?" Mr. Atkins asked me, coming up from behind. Him and his wife walked more at a leisurely pace, following us while taking more pictures.

    I pointed at the sign. "People jump off the bridge?"

    Mrs. Atkins worriedly looked up at her husband.

    Mr. Atkins patted her shoulder. "Why don''t you catch up to the boys. Jake and I can talk about this."

    She let out a sigh and hurriedly to her sons who were leaving us behind.

    "Golden Gate Bridge is the second most used bridge for suicide attempts. People who are depressed, lost, and can''t see a way out come here to jump off. Most will die from impact trauma. The few that survive mostly die drowning or of hypothermia in the cold water." He sadly looked over the water then back to the sign. "There are people who care about them. They just don''t think about it. Families and friends volunteered to post these signs so others can call for help before doing something dumb."

    Oh. I turned to stare down at the water. It''s a pretty big drop.

    "Jake. I know we''ve only been to a few sessions with Dr. Moore and haven''t brought this up yet, but have you ever thought about suicide? Or thinking that you just can''t live a certain way anymore? Or just giving up?"

    The last question made me pause. Mr. Atkins patiently waited. "I did give up. The last time my mother beat me, it was bad." I hugged my sweatshirt closer to me. "I was very tired and the pain was overwhelming. One of my last thoughts after why me, was it''d be nice if this ended. For good."

    Mr. Atkins pulled me into a sudden hug. "It''s okay. I understand. That''s in the past now. From now in, if you feel scared or on the edge, come to me. To Mary. To Noah. To Zeke. To Dave or Kyle. To Dr. Moore. We''re all here to help." He pushed me at arms length to look me in the eye. "Suicide is a selfish act. Only selfish people think about their own problems and how to end things. They don''t think about who they would leave behind and what would happen if they were gone."

    I nodded, swallowing a lump. I wanted to cry, but there wasn''t any reason to. I never contemplated suicide. I was too scared. The only time I gave up, I thought I would be better off dead than in pain every day. But I was saved. Some strangers took me and they were too nice to leave behind. "I won''t even consider it."

    "Good." He rubbed the top of my head, messing up my hair. "Now let''s get back to the others. They''re waiting for us." He pointed down to the end where a group was waving and jumping up and down. A few incoherent shouts came from them, but it got lost in the wind.

    Yea, we had someone waiting for us. We moved away from the edge and started to walk again. Side by side. A random thought slipped from my mind to my lips. "Have you ever known someone to commit suicide?"

    Mr. Atkins paused for a second, but then kept pace with me. "A long time ago. It''s been two decades."

    "Do you miss them?"

    "I think about it every day."

    That didn''t sound like a yes or no, but I let it be. If Mr. Atkins didn''t want to share, it was for good reason. I''m sure. I would honestly say he was the most trustworthy adult I''ve ever come across. As we walked closer to his family, the shouts of ''Dad!'' and ''Jake!'' got louder. I peeked up at him. I would want my dad to be a dad like him. Or better yet, for him to be my dad. But that''s just wishful thinking.

    We met up with them, and took some more pictures. Mrs. Atkins looked a little worried, but calmed down and returned to normal after a whispered conversation with her husband. We continued our day of fun after walking back across the bridge to get back to the car.

    We stopped at a huge chocolate store they called the Ghiradelli Factory. Chocolate was being made in front of us and the selection of what we could pick was huge. The parents let us each pick a bag to have after lunch or to take to the game. Afterwards we headed to Chinatown for lunch and then followed that up by going to a fortune cookie factory. We were able to see how they were made and were given free samples to take as souvenirs.

    Mrs. Atkins didn''t let up there though. She bought a few more and packed them up with our chocolate. She led us around the district to sightsee and souvenir shop, but the spending spree already stopped. By mid afternoon we were back on the road. Mr. Atkins was true to his word and drove us to both major league stadiums to show me where each team played.

    The first stop was the Giants stadium. The boys shared a few fun facts and mentioned a few famous players when we stopped to look. Then like Sean had said about them being connected by a bridge, we went over and parked near the A''s stadium. They spoke on and on about the coliseum. Any and every little thing they knew, they shared. From players, to events, to their own visits to the park. After a whole hour lesson, we started to move on. Or so I thought. Mr. Atkins drove to the location for the potential new stadium and shared some more stories.

    I wonder if they knew that I couldn''t retain much of what was said. I was already exhausted from walking around all day and just wanted to take a nap. I dozed off as they were sharing some more history of the team.

    Noah woke me up when we got back to the hotel. We quickly dropped off the souvenirs, and packed up the snacks to take to the field. Before leaving, Noah put on his Stanford baseball shirt and told me to do the same. I listened and changed in the bathroom. When I came out, the twins had also put on their shirts so the four of us matched. Mrs. Atkins was quick to whip out her phone and to start taking pictures.

 243 Stanford University: Saturday 3

    We hurried to the stadium with our snacks and met Zeke by the entrance of the stadium. He actually let out a short laugh when he saw me and his brothers in the Stanford baseball shirts. He looked at his mom. "Was this your doing? Is it supposed to promote this school to me some more?"

    Mrs. Atkins faked being offended. "How could you accuse me of something like coercion? Noah wanted one, and then Jake, and then the twins. But to make sure you weren''t left out, I got you one as well!" She whipped it out of her bag and handed it over.

    Me and the other boys laughed at her skills of persuasion. Only Noah wanted one, yet we all got one. Heck, the twins weren''t even there so how could they even ask for a t-shirt?

    Zeke held the shirt out to make sure it was the right size. "Thanks. Shouldn''t you hold it since you have the bag? I might lose it."

    Mrs. Atkins smile seemed a little brighter. "Why not just wear it for the game? Show your support for the team? Plus, I can take some more pictures with you and the boys."

    Zeke''s lips twitched, but he didn''t try and fight it. To make his mom happy, he changed his shirt right then and there, handing her the one he was wearing. Zeke was full of muscles, and unlike me, his body was a clean slate. I started to feel a little self-conscious even though it wasn''t me who was changing in public. I hugged my arms to my body.

    Mrs. Atkins noted my actions. "Jake, are you getting cold? Want to put on your sweatshirt? Wait. Let me get a picture of all you together. In front of the Stanford University sign!" She herded us into position and started to snap away before I had time to correct her. I just accepted it as is.

    After the impromptu photo shoot, Zeke passed out the tickets and we went on in. Our tickets were scanned, and we found our seats just a few rows back from yesterday''s seating. We were still behind home plate and took up almost a whole row with the seven of us. A few sets of eyes followed Zeke as he moved through the crowd and sat down. But as the stadium filled up, we started to blend in even though we wore matching shirts.

    The stadium was starting to fill up with more and more students wearing similar shirts as us or at least, shirts of the same color. The scouts that were obvious to spot yesterday started to get lost in the crowd too.

    I looked around in amazement. This was almost three or four times as many people that showed up to our games. I spotted a familiar face as it came down our row and sat down on the other side of Mr. Atkins on the end. It was Willie Ramsey, the scout.

    He waved to us and started to talk to Mr. Atkins. Sadly, we couldn''t hear now that the place was filling up. Both teams took turns warming up and using the field for some batting practice before the game started. As we got closer to game time, Mrs. Atkins recruited her husband and the twins to help get food and drinks with the vouchers handed over from Zeke.

    "So what do you really think of the school?" Noah asked excitedly, now that it was just us and Zeke. Zeke sat on the edge, then Noah, and me.

    Zeke scratched his jaw, where a little of stubble had started to grow. "Too soon to say."

    "How is it too soon?" Noah pouted. "You''ve been here for over 24 hours. You have to have a first impression, right?"

    Zeke''s eyes were set on the field, watching the teams prepare. "It''s an option."

    "Of course it''s an option." Noah said, exasperated. "That''s what Mom and Dad have been saying this whole time. I just want to know if you like the school or not."

    "I like the school." Zeke stated. Just as Noah was about to say something else, he spoke up again. "I like the coach. I even like a majority of the players on the team." His eyes seem to cloud over. "But I don''t necessarily think it''s better than being a first round pick in the draft."

    Noah nodded, happy with his answer. "That''s the Zeke I know." He elbowed me and said, "See. I told you Zeke is someone who would go straight to the pros."

    "If I don''t get picked in the first round, I probably won''t go." Zeke declared firmly.

    Noah shrugged. "You''re almost top 20 so it shouldn''t be a problem."

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "You''re an airhead sometimes. The draft is compromised of high school and college players. Just because I''m top 20 out of high school players, doesn''t mean I''ll get selected in the first round." He looked down at his new shirt. "Stanford is a great fallback option. Potential free education too."

    "Oh!" Noah realized his mistake in his thoughts and took a minute to digest it. "You just have to continue your domination."

    Zeke clenched his fists, yet he had a grin on his face when he replied to his littlest brother. "Don''t you worry about it. Focus more on yourself. I''ll be just fine."

    Noah nodded, not even noticing the scary fists in his brothers lap. Now that he had more time, he told Zeke all about playing a mini game against Nick. He even told him how we first met him, how we got ice cream, then about the twins competing with Shawn in a handstand competition, and then mentioned my hitting in the cages. He didn''t leave anything out.

    Normally Noah wasn''t this forthcoming, but it seemed like he had missed Zeke enough to become more honest. He didn''t forget to tell Zeke about yesterday''s dinner and movie, and then all the events of this morning and afternoon. By the time he was done, the others were back, food was placed in our laps and drinks went to the cup holders.

    What was more interesting, is that Zeke listened to all of what Noah had to say without becoming annoyed or anything. He listened patiently and asked for clarification in parts that were a little scattered. The scene made me think Noah wasn''t as far from Zeke as he had thought. Even though it was just catching up with one another on a days worth of events, it made me happy for Noah. A bonding moment with his big brother.

    The opening intro started after the national anthem was sang, and Stanford started to take the field. The twins became especially excited as they saw who was the starting pitcher on the mound. Shawn.

 244 Stanford University: Saturday 4

    Shawn looked even bigger on the mound than any pitcher I''ve ever faced. It was like he demanded all eyes on him. As he threw a few warmup pitches, I started to notice a peculiarity.

    "Is he throwing funny?" I asked Noah as we unwrapped the foil around our hotdogs.

    Noah looked up to see. Then he tilted his head. "He has a weird setup. And throwing motion."

    "You dummies." Dave, who sat beside me, knocked us both on the head. "His delivery is just different than the average pitcher."

    "What''s different about it?" I asked as the game started and the first opposing batter stepped up to the plate.

    Dave paused. Then scratched his head. "It''s- I think it might be- uh..."

    "The mechanics, timing, and style are all his own." Zeke said from the other side of Noah. "Shawn is the top pitcher here. I think he leads the league in strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP."

    **A/N: Reminder: ERA- earned runs average. WHIP- walks/hits per inning pitched.

    "Oh, oh!" Kyle bounced in his seat, excitedly. "Does that mean he''s going into the draft too?"

    "He could." Zeke replied. We watched as Shawn struck out the lead off batter. "He''s also trying to be an athletic trainer."

    I nodded. I remember him saying that when him and Nick spoke about fallback plans. Speaking of Nick...I scanned the field and found him at the shortstop position. I nudge Noah and pointed.

    Noah grinned when he figured out what I was pointing at. "Of course, Nick plays shortstop like me. You think any other position could have better hands than me?"

    "It''s not the hands that decide the position." Zeke refuted before I could say anything. "It''s someone''s personality."

    "That''s not true!" Noah argued. "Shawn even started to be a pitcher because of his strong arm and good balance. It''s based of skill and talent."

    Zeke shook his head. "Look at Shawn now. He''s comfortable on the mound and in control. His personality reflects his position."

    "Can you say that about the twins when they take the mound?"

    Zeke paused for a moment, before saying. "It''s part of the player''s attitude. If you feel awkward the way you play, then you aren''t going out with all you got, which means that isn''t the position for you."

    "I still don''t agree." Noah huffed.

    The family''s attention was on the game, but my thoughts were still lagging behind, thinking about what Zeke and Noah argued about. If Zeke was right, then that I meant I wasn''t playing up to my full potential. I still felt more uncomfortable at defense than anything. Actually, the only time I felt comfortable was batting. Preferably against a machine. But hitting against pitchers is fun too. If I could, I would want to try and face that guy from University Preparatory just one more time.

    Shawn dominated the other team in the first four innings, only allowing one hit and one walk. The more he pitched, the more interested I became in his delivery. It was very fluid, yet it seemed to take forever to complete only for the ball to come blazing by the batter to the catcher.

    Even though I found him the most fascinating on the team, he wasn''t the star. Bradley Thompson was the college version of Zeke in my eyes. Every at bat he had, he was able to send the ball to the forest passed the outfield fence. The score became an amazing 7-0 in no time.

    Throughout the game, Noah and his brothers would say tidbits about the sport as we watched. It felt more like a study session on the game of baseball than actually watching it just for fun. I didn''t mind though. I liked hearing what they had to say about Shawn and how they would face someone like that at our level.

    "Is there anyone in our league that throws in a weird manner like Shawn?" I asked directly, while holding my Ghirardelli chocolate that we bought earlier.

    Noah shrugged. He didn''t know that much more than me when it came to other players in the league unless they had a significant ranking or something. Noah turned to Zeke and stared him down until he turned to look back at us.

    "What was the question?"

    I cleared my throat and repeated myself. "Is there anyone in the league that throws in an unusual way?"

    Zeke thought about only for a second before throwing us a name of a school. "Golden West."

    "Ah! The sidearm dude!" Kyle blurted out. He leaned over Dave and poked me a few times until I looked him in the eye. "Have you seen anyone throw sidearm off the mound?" I shook my head, of course not. I just started playing baseball games when I joined them. "It''s weird, but if you don''t get overwhelmed easily, you can tell that it''s nothing special speed wise. It also won''t have too much movement."

    I frowned. "Then why do it?"

    Kyle leaned back to his own seat. "Who knows. It''s really bad for your elbow too. No scout would want something like that. Right, Mr. Ramsey?"

    Willie, on the other side of the parents leaned forward to look at us. He sighed. "There''s a benefit of throwing batters off rhythm, but I can say it''s only effective if you''re a relief pitcher. Even then, the few sidearm pitchers in the big leagues didn''t start out that way. They usually have good over the top mechanics to work off of." He looked at the twins specifically. "Don''t throw your arm away."

    Dave and Kyle nodded obediently.

    Tonight I found out that college games go to nine innings just like the majors. Shawn pitcher for six only allowing four hits, one run, and two walks. But he got eight strikeouts.

    Bradley Thompson stoke the show though with his three home runs and one intentional walk. He also made some nice catches in the outfield looking like he was a man among children.

    Stanford University easily won the game 12-1, and didn''t have a need to bat in the bottom of the ninth. The stadium cleared as the student population went crazy celebrating and breaking off into smaller groups to finish hanging out on their Saturday night. With some space, we stood up and stretched.

    Mrs. Atkins squeezed through to get to Zeke. "What are your plans for tonight? What time should we be here tomorrow morning?"

    Zeke shrugged. "I''ll just hang out with the team. Wherever they go, I''ll follow. As for tomorrow, just come after you check out of the hotel. I might have to run a few more drills, but that''s not too important. Afterwards, Coach will want to sit down and speak to us about scholarship money and what he can offer."

    Mrs. Atkins brightened up immediately. "Isn''t that great? Maybe it''ll be a full ride and you won''t even need to take a single loan."

    Zeke remained expressionless, not leaning one way or the other. But that was good enough for his parents, who had assumed he would be committed to just the draft. After a little small talk and a mini recap of the game, we parted ways with Zeke. He went to join the team now that they must be done with their showers, and we headed back to the hotel. After a day of running around, sightseeing, and eating whatever came my way, I was beyond exhausted. Almost like the first time I trained with Drew. I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.

 245 Stanford University: Sunday

    Sunday morning, Mr. Atkins woke us up to get dressed, packed up, and to load up the car. We did as he instructed, then we were able to enjoy the free continental breakfast that came with the hotel stay.

    After a heavy breakfast, we headed to the school and met with Zeke, who stood with Coach and Bradley Thompson.

    Noah lit up, and for once ignored Zeke to focus on someone else. His eyes never left Bradley. "Can I get an autograph? Please?"

    Bradley chuckled. "Sure. Do you have paper and a pen?"

    Noah came prepared, whipping out a notepad and pen.

    "Should I make it out to Noah? Or to the whole Atkins family?" He asked as he received the utensils.

    "Just your signature is fine. That way I can sell it if you hit the big time." Noah said innocently.

    The twins broke out in laughter and I joined in. Typical Noah, always trying to make a dollar. I guess you could also say this is a bet. A bet that Bradley Thompson would make it big in the MLB.

    Zeke rolled his eyes, slapping his youngest brother upside the head. He looked at Bradley. "Just make it out to Noah."

    Bradley laughed. "Sure." He signed it and handed the paper and pen back. "I''ll become so good that you''ll want to keep that framed on your wall someday."

    Noah smirked. "Nah. That spot is already reserved. For Zeke''s signature."

    Zeke shook his head, but I could see a little smile fighting to appear on his face. "You''re ridiculous." He looked to Coach and held out his hand. "Thanks for letting me come on such short notice. I appreciate everything you guys put together for me." They shook hands.

    Mrs. Atkins looked surprise at the sudden goodbye. It was then that we noticed his bags were already packed and sat on a bench. "Oh. I didn''t realize we would be leaving so soon."

    The coach smiled warmly at all of us, patting Zeke on the shoulder. "I''ve already shared with Zeke what I thought about him and his skill. Stanford is ready to prepare a full ride scholarship to cover all of his tuition for the four year stay."

    "Wow!"

    "That''s great!"

    "What''d you expect? It''s Zeke."

    "Yea, only he could get a full ride after asking for a last minute visit."

    The whole family started talking at the same time, happy with the offer to Zeke.

    "We only ask that you let us know as soon as you make a decision." The coach looked at Zeke alone. "That money could help out other players on the team, or even help us recruit another player of the same caliber." He handed Zeke a manila envelope. "This is the paperwork. When you''re ready."

    Zeke held the long envelope carefully as if he was scared to fold it. "Thanks Coach. I won''t drag my feet for too long."

    "At least say that we would be the number one choice if you decide to go to college." Bradley smiled as he shook Zeke''s hand too. "It was nice meeting you and getting to know one another. I hope you take my experience to heart and really consider my school. I''m positive you would become a starter as a freshman and help me carry this team to the College World Series after these seniors leave."

    Zeke raised an eyebrow. "If I became a starter, it would be for center field. Are you willing to move to the corners?"

    Bradley turned serious. "For you? I''d consider it. Heck, I would let you have the cleanup spot too. If you could handle it."

    Zeke opened his mouth to speak, but Noah cut in.

    "Of course Zeke could handle it! He doesn''t even need you to hand him those things. He''ll be able to take it with his own skill." Noah handed me the autograph on the notepad. "Here Jake, you can have this. The only autograph I need is Zeke''s."

    There was an awkward pause where no one knew what to say.

    Of course the twins attacked first. One grabbed Noah and held him up as the other started to attack him. By tickling him. Noah burst out laughing and started to struggle in their clutches.

    "Hey, hey! What do you mean you only need Zeke''s autograph?"

    "Yea, what about us??"

    "Are we nothing in your eyes?"

    "Just who do you think you are?"

    "Talking so big like you''re so great!"

    "You''re just a little punk!"

    "Join in Jake!"

    "Yea! He only said Zeke."

    I just laughed, hoping not to get involved. I could see where the twins were coming from, being slightly dissed by their younger brother. But, I could see Noah''s perspective a little better. He looked up to Zeke the most like he was his idol. Even if he won''t admit outright, I know he wants to be as good as him. No, even better.

    As the twins tortured Noah, the rest of the Atkins expressed gratitude to the coach and Bradley, before waving them off. Soon it was just us. And Noah''s endless laughter. Which almost sounded like he was choking at this point.

    "Okay, put him down. He has have enough." Mr. Atkins commanded and the twins complied. He gave a stern look towards Noah. "That was impolite to say."

    Noah shrugged, trying to regain his normal breathing. "What can I say? The truth hurts."

    I laughed. What a response.

    Mr. Atkins just shook his head. "Can''t you be a little more mature now that you''re in high school? You still act like an elementary kid sometimes."

    Noah frowned. "Coming from the man who let the twins tickle me as punishment."

    Mrs. Atkins let out a giggle. "He''s got you there." She looked at all of us. "Well, overall it was a successful trip. Zeke got an official offer. The twins didn''t start any trouble. Noah didn''t gamble. And Jake was able to see a little of San Francisco. Not bad. Why don''t we head home now?"

    Everyone agreed and we headed out. Zeke carried his bags to the car before stuffing them into the trunk. Then we piled on in, and headed home. But sadly, traffic made the short trip a bit longer.

    Noah sighed after glancing out the window for the millionth time. We were in dead stop traffic. "Can we stop for lunch?"

    "Yea."

    "I second the motion."

    The twins agreed, also cranky about the traffic.

    "Next stop, let''s get off." Mrs. Atkins told her husband. He nodded.

    "It''s only been an hour." Zeke said. "We''d be home sooner if we keep driving. This is about the same time we''ll be on the bus tomorrow."

    "Exactly why we should take a break now." Noah said. "We''re already going to be in a bus for a long time tomorrow. Might as well give us a break."

    "Wait. Tomorrow is going to be two hours too?" Kyle groaned.

    "At Porterville." Dave sighed. "Probably have to share the bus with the softball team too." Another groan from Kyle.

    Noah leaned forward to the middle seat, closer to the other three. "Wait. We take the bus with the softball team??"

    "Yes." The twins groaned in unison, seemingly both upset about the fact.

    "For away games, we''ll travel with varsity softball team." Zeke confirmed. "Our school is too small to afford two different busses for no reason. We go to the same place. The freshman and junior varsity will play the same school, but at our school. Then when we play at home, they play away. It''s called timing and budgeting."

    "Why can''t we travel with the JV team then?" Kyle complained.

    "Why are you so opposed to traveling with the girls?" Noah asked. "Are you not interested in getting a girlfriend?"

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "A normal girlfriend preferably. The softball team is just filled with a bunch of brutes. I want someone more girly."

    "Are you just mad that they''re more fierce than you?" Noah asked, skeptical of his brother''s behavior.

    Dave burst out laughing. He shot Noah a thumbs up before Kyle could say anything. Kyle smacked Dave. "Don''t laugh. You''re not any better."

    "Okay, we''re here. Let''s go eat!" Mrs. Atkins declared once the car stopped. The conversation died as we focused on getting food.

 246 The Softball Team 1

    "We leave after lunch time so make sure you bring your backpacks and books to the car." Zeke instructed Monday morning after we arrived at the school parking lot. "We''ll change out our school bags for the baseball bags then meet at the bus by the softball field."

    "Why the softball field?" Noah asked.

    "Because why should the girls have to walk further?" Dave snorted.

    "If you''ve got a problem with it, then take your baseball bag to class with you." Zeke replied, leaving us behind.

    Even though the twins had something against the softball team, they left their baseball bags in the car and hurried to catch up to Zeke.

    Noah and I patiently waited for Mr. Miller by the field.

    I tightened my backpack straps, pulling my bag higher up on my back. "What''s with the softball team?"

    Noah shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? I only hang out with you?"

    "What about last year though? That would have been the twins first year of varsity and their first time sharing a bus with the softball team."

    "Jake...I was in middle school last year. I couldn''t go to their away games. I also had practice after school so they wouldn''t get me until they were already back." He thought for a minute. "Maybe something was said about the softball team before but I really don''t recall."

    Yea, it''s no use to ask the baseball maniac.

    "Do you know any of the girls that play softball?" I asked, finally seeing Mr. Miller driving his golf cart to us.

    Noah gave me a funny look, like I asked a dumb question or something. "Jake, we share most of the same classes. If you didn''t notice anyone then neither did I. Softball isn''t that interesting anyways."

    Mr. Miller arrived just in time to hear Noah''s last statement. "Have you even watched a softball game?"

    Noah scratched his eyebrow. "Well...no. But that''s because I don''t find it interesting." We got on the cart together.

    "You didn''t play softball in PE in middle school?" I asked, slightly confused.

    Noah shook his head. "In middle school, our PE classes were divided by gender. We played baseball. Soccer. Basketball. Volleyball. Track and field. Flag football."

    Oh. How old fashioned. My school didn''t separate us by gender. And we didn''t try every sport like he did.

    Mr. Miller let out a short laugh. "Don''t let anyone else hear you say that it''s not interesting. Most people would agree that softball is a bit better than baseball."

    "What?! Why?!" Noah leaned forward.

    "Because its a little more exciting in the action aspect. Smaller field, smaller base paths, and there''s even a shorter distance between the pitcher and hitter. Everything is tight. The fielders and batters alike have to react faster than they would in baseball."

    Noah pouted. "Hey, are you sure you''re a baseball coach and not a softball one?"

    Mr. Miller laughed just as parked at the front of the school building. "I also work on the softball field so I know them quite well. I also play in an adult softball league. It''s fun. Go learn something and stop talking smack on a sport you haven''t watched."

    We got off the cart and he drove back down the field. We turned away and headed to Noah''s locker that we shared.

    "I don''t see the appeal." Noah sighed, still hung up on softball. "Do you think we''ll have to watch?"

    "I don''t know. Maybe. If Zeke or Coach says so."

    "Did you bring your reaction ball? Maybe we can play with that instead!"

    I nodded. "It''s in my baseball bag."

    Just like that, Noah stopped complaining about softball and started to recap and discuss this past weekend. He stated that Zeke would still go to the draft instead of taking the full ride to college. Then the conversation moved to our classes, classwork, homework, and so on. At lunch, we happily ate the homemade lunch Mrs. Atkins had packed us. Noah had his cookie ban lifted and was happy to enjoy what was given. After lunch ended we hurried down the hill, running into a few of the other guys, who were also walking to their own cars.

    "Hey Jason!" Noah waved over Jason Morris. "How''s your foot? Good to go today?"

    Jason nodded, falling in step with us as we walked to Zeke''s car. "Yep! Got cleared for everything. Coach said he''ll put me in the starting lineup since Chris was suspended all week. He didn''t get to practice so he''ll have to sit the bench for this game too."

    I froze. Chris gets to come back? So soon? My good mood left, and my anxiety settled in.

    Noah smacked me on the back, sending me a few steps forward. "Chin up. Chris has learned his lesson. He''s probably only mad at himself now."

    "Yea." Jason agreed. "He''ll probably ignore you for good. He''s a senior and needs to treat this year seriously if he wants to get in a better college."

    "Where does he want to go?" Noah asked Jason, gripping my sleeve and dragging me along too. We arrived at the car before Zeke and the twins and had to wait for Zeke to unlock the doors.

    "Of course the dream is a D1 school. But he only got a few offers from D3 schools. He could probably be a walk-on at a D2 though." Jason replied.

    I relaxed a little knowing that Chris had something else to focus on. Soon we saw Zeke coming down with the twins right behind.

    Noah looked at Jason and tilted his head. "Do you know why the twins don''t like traveling with the softball team?"

    Jason gave us a funny look while raising an eyebrow. "The twins don''t like traveling with the girls on the softball team? I think they''re all pretty nice. They have a good team this year. I think they could be league champions like us."

    Noah sighed. "So you don''t know?"

    Jason shook his head. "I was on JV last year so we only traveled with the freshman. I think the twins were the only sophomores on the team besides Garret. Other than that, you''ll have to ask a senior."

    "Dang it." Noah huffed.

    "Okay, well I have to go grab my stuff too. I''ll see you kids on the bus." He left to go to his car as Noah''s brothers arrived.

    Zeke unlocked the car and we switched out our bags. Except Zeke, who kept both. Noah asked why, and he replied he had a lot of homework to finish. Noah and I hardly had anything due tomorrow so we didn''t bother. Who knows about the twins. We didn''t go to math today and that was the only class I shared with them so I at least knew that they didn''t have any math homework.

    We hiked back up the hill to the upper fields where the bus would meet us beside the softball field. Noah focused solely on the twins as we got closer to the yellow school bus. They didn''t act any different than normal which was odd since they were so against riding with the softball team.

    A couple of coaches stood by the entrance of the bus, clipboards in hands, marking off the students who got on the bus. I followed the Atkins in putting my baseball bag with theirs in the lower compartment of the bus, before walking to the coaches.

    Coach Wilcox greeted all of us, but then put his attention on Zeke to ask him about his college visit. Coach Luis was the one with a clipboard and checked off our names as we were loaded into the bus. Three strangers, one with their own clipboard, stood in the same area. They must be the Softball coaches.

    Two of the three were women, and one was an older man that looked to be a grandfather. Both women could be my mothers age. I shuffled a little closer to Noah, knocking into his back.

    Noah turned around. "You okay, Jake?" Worry covered his face.

    I glanced at the women. "Can we sit far away from them, please?" I whispered.

    Noah nodded, knowing my fears.

 247 The Softball Team 2

    As Zeke was held up by Coach, we left him behind and boarded the bus. We weren''t the first on, nor were we the last. About half the seats were taken. Dave and Kyle slid into a seat together somewhere in the middle of the bus. As we started to take the seat behind them, a high pitch voiced denied us.

    "Nope. Can''t sit there." A girl as tall as the twins squeezed through and flopped down on what could have been our seat.

    Noah frowned. "Rude. We were here first."

    She looked Noah up and down. "An Atkins brother? Another one? Does your parents only know how to procreate?"

    Uh. What.

    "Chill, Bailey." Dave turned around, putting his knees on the seat. "No need to be so bitchy. You''ll never find a boyfriend that way."

    Kyle took a similar pose, knees on the seat to turn and face us. "Yea, Bailey, do you take pleasure in bullying little freshmen?"

    Bailey crossed her arms over her chest and harrumphed. "You guys should have educated them about bus etiquette. Seniors get first choice. Freshmen and sophomores go to the back. Three to a seat for them. Then it goes by how many years you''ve been on varsity. A two year varsity junior like me would even have seniority over a first year varsity senior from your team."

    "Yo, you seem to care a little too much." Dave smirked. "Do you really want to sit behind us that bad?"

    Bailey turned red in the face, either from anger or embarrassment. Too soon to tell.

    I poked Noah and whispered in a low voice. "I''m okay to sit in the back. It''s not a big deal."

    Bailey overheard me and grinned at me, giving me the shivers. "Glad the freshmen knows better than you idiots."

    Kyle frowned. "Who are you calling an idiot? If Noah and Jake want to sit behind us, they can. Special rights of freshmen that make varsity."

    "Don''t be making up new rules." A heavy karate chop landed on top of Kyle''s head. Kyle turned to glare at the new girl, who had joined our group. My claustrophobia started to kick in being surrounded my so many people. The girl was definitely a senior, and could definitely be called a woman. She was just as tall as Bailey and wore her long dark hair in a high ponytail. She had sharp facial features like a pointed chin and high cheekbones. She could definitely be a model.

    Dave took one look at the woman, then quickly sat right, facing forward. I''ve never seen him quit an argument so quick.

    Kyle, on the other hand, had the opposite reaction. Instead of sitting his knees on the seat, he jumped up and stood tall so him and the new girl were eye to eye. "Last I checked, you''re not the captain of the baseball team, Marie. You''re not a coach or teacher either. So scram. Govern your own team."

    Marie stared Kyle down. "The rules were already agreed upon. It''s been like this for years." Her eyes drifted down to look at me and Noah for just a second. "Your brother and his friend is no exception."

    I flinched, tugging on Noah''s sleeve again.

    Kyle caught saw me react, then glared at the girl. "And that''s where you''re wrong. Jake is an exception. Back off already. Jake and Noah were here before Bailey."

    Marie looked to Bailey who already made herself comfortable. Then she pushed passed us and sat down next to Bailey. "Seniority rules." She glanced at Noah and me. "Get to the back. Find a third person to share with."

    "This is oppression." Noah frowned at her.

    "That''s life." She replied, nonchalant. She looked up to Kyle. "Maybe your words will matter to someone else. But until you get on my level, then who cares what you say or think." She flipped her ponytail back, giving off a superiority vibe.

    Kyle glared down at her. "What do you mean your level? We''re both on varsity as juniors. Are you saying that you''re better just because you made varsity as a freshman? Let me ask you, what''s the point of being a queen of trash? If there''s no competition, of course you''ll be on varsity so soon."

    She glared at him, and the rest of the students on the bus started to quiet down. She stood back up, looking ready to take him on. "That''s funny coming from a guy on a team with two starting freshmen. What does that say about your team? That they''re non recyclable trash?"

    Kyle didn''t back down. "Our freshmen are outstanding, playing on the same level as Zeke. Can you say the same?"

    Marie scoffed. "You always bring up Zeke to save your argument. Too bad he can''t boost your individual stats. What did you do last year again? Oh that''s right, an ERA of 4.24 and a WHIP of 1.8. The only reason you had as many wins as you did is because of your older brother''s batting."

    Kyle clenched his fists. "Oh yea? I bet my team could do better than yours even without Zeke?"

    She gave a look of doubt. "There''s no way your coach would let you guys play without your star."

    "We just won''t count his stats." Kyle declared. "His hits, RBIs, and runs won''t count."

    "Pitching stats?"

    "We don''t know who''s starting just yet." Kyle frowned.

    "If it''s you or Dave, then we''ll also compare your stats to mine. If not, we''ll leave it alone. Wouldn''t want to embarrass you all too much." She shot a look around to the baseball players on the bus, yet no one said anything.

    Noah, who had been standing in front of me like a guard, finally spoke up. "It''s on. We''ll take the challenge. No matter who is the pitcher. We''ll do full stats across the board except for Zeke''s." Marie raised an eyebrow at Noah, looking down at him with contempt. "But since we''ll be a player short, I say we get to count someone else''s numbers as double."

    "Greedy little brat, aren''t you? Every Atkins is a schemer." What did that mean?

    Noah feigned a look of innocence. "Just trying to keep it fair. But since you''re so worried, we''ll only double what Jake does." He jerked a thumb at me. "Jake''s a freshman like me."

    She let out a laugh. "You really want to go with the squirt?"

    Kyle caught on to Noah''s hustle, and nodded in agreement. "We''ll double Jake''s numbers."

    "Fine." She accepted. Then she calmly sat back down. She sent us a glance. "You still have to sit in the back. Three to a seat." She repeated.

    Noah opened his mouth, probably to object, but he didn''t get the chance.

    "What''s going on here? It''s almost time to go." Zeke arrived. He stood behind us, his head nearing the roof of the bus. "Why aren''t you guys in your seats yet?" He frowned, looking between Kyle and Marie. "Why are you two so close together? Didn''t we agree that you guys should stay a few rows away from one another?"

    "We sat down first." Kyle huffed, plopping down in his seat, next to the oddly silent Dave.

    "Bailey chose this seat, and she''s my seat mate." Marie wasn''t intimidated by Zeke. "This is where we''ll sit. If they have a problem with it, they can move." Her eyes drifted to Noah. "As for your youngest brother, he apparently doesn''t know the rules. Underclassmen and newbies get last choice and back of the bus. Three to a seat."

    Zeke looked to us two. I still stood slightly behind Noah, trying to make my presence as small as possible. Noah stood as tall as he could, but couldn''t compare to his brother. He looked defiant. "We won''t share with a third."

 248 The Softball Team 3

    "So much arrogance for a shrimp." Marie commented.

    Zeke ignored her, and kept his eyes on Noah. "You have two minutes to explain."

    Noah started from the beginning from when we going to sit behind the twins. He even went into detail about the challenge between both teams since Kyle and Marie couldn''t play nice. As for us sitting three to a seat, he ended his mini speech with, "We''ll agree to sitting in the back, but we refuse to sit with an extra person. Jake has a valid medical reason."

    I do?

    "He does?" Marie rolled her eyes. "Stop lying and go already. If we''re late to our game, we won''t have enough time to warm up properly."

    Zeke looked down at her, tilting his head. "It''s never been a rule that freshman have to triple up. If anything, the girls should since they''re smaller."

    "Of course you''re siding with your littlest brother." She glared at Noah directly. "Nepotism won''t get you far in life."

    Uh oh. Noah''s least favorite word.

    Noah was ready to attack, but Zeke held him back by resting a hand on top of his head. "Go sit."

    "But-" Noah wanted to protest, yet stopped with a single look from Zeke.

    Zeke turned back to Marie. "You should try acting more like a proper captain and less like a middle schooler. You''re not only the representative of your team, but also of the school. Don''t shame us with that ugly attitude." Zeke glanced at us two. "Didn''t I say to go sit?"

    We nodded and hurried to the back.

    "Zeke was too cool." Noah said, happily as we sat in the very last row. "Like ice cold. He shut down that Marie like it was nothing."

    I nodded. Then I peeked forward to see how she would reply to Zeke. At this point, most of the players for both teams were on the bus and finding seats. Even though it was a packed bus, no one spoke since all eyes were on the two captains of the two different teams.

    Marie stood up again, this time trying to face off with Zeke. But Zeke didn''t give her the chance. He merely turned his back to her and walked to the front of the bus and took a seat in one of the front rows, just behind the coaches. Marie stormed up the aisle, only a few seconds behind. She skipped over Zeke and went straight to the unknown coaches. She spoke with one of the women, who in turned got up to speak with Coach Wilcox. She must be the head coach.

    I nervously looked at Noah. "Do you think coach will get mad and force us to get a third person?"

    Noah shook his head. "No way. If Zeke won''t make you, then coach wouldn''t either. He knows everything, remember? Worse comes to worse, we''ll get off and call mom and dad for a ride."

    "They''re going even though it''s an away game?"

    Noah nodded. "Yep. I told you they go to all games as long as they don''t have something previously planned."

    The woman coach finished speaking with our head coach, and turned to Marie. We could see her lips move, but at the back of the bus we couldn''t hear a word. It didn''t matter though, because Marie stomping back to her seat said it all. Coach must have told the softball coach what was wrong with me.

    I slumped back in the seat, a sense of relief washed over me. How exhausting. Is my life always going to be like this? I looked into my hands and saw beads of sweat. My sense of anxiety hasn''t gotten much better. I thought I was doing well, speaking more, not flinching as much, but I''m still the same. I stood behind Noah and didn''t speak up. Strangers shouldn''t make me so afraid. I let out a sigh.

    Noah leaned forward, looking at my distraught face. "What''s wrong? Do you want the window seat instead? Would you be more comfortable with your back to everyone?"

    I shook my head violently. "N-n-no. Definitely not. I want to see everyone." I looked out the window behind Noah. Then looked at the aisle. "I''m good here." I didn''t want to feel even more trapped. Even though it was just Noah, I don''t think I could stand being boxed in.

    Noah shrugged and leaned back, trying to find a comfortable position on the very firm bench we shared. "This isn''t so bad. Whenever we went on field trips as kids, everyone wanted to sit in the back so it''ll be like reminiscing."

    I blinked. "Why did everyone want to sit in the back as kids, but not now?"

    Noah tilted his head. "Have you never been on a bus?"

    "I wasn''t allowed on field trips. You need a parents'' signature on a permission slip. And I couldn''t take a bus to school because that cost money..."

    Noah looked like he was fighting off a smile as he clapped my shoulder. "Looks like you''re in for a treat! You''re going to love this! Maybe..." His vague comments made me nervous.

    The bus finished filling up, and once it got moving, the players from both teams started to chat, laugh, and some even gossiped about what happened before. Three of our four sophomores, sat in the last row on the other side of the aisle. It was Theo, Bryce, and then Sean in the aisle so I wasn''t too uncomfortable. Both seats in front of us had the girls team and they also sat three to a seat. I felt a little self-conscious since Noah and I were only freshmen and didn''t have to squeeze on a tiny seat. But I was also happy with the fact.

    Sean smiled my way as the bus left the parking lot. "Rough encounter with surly Marie, huh?"

    I swallowed and worked up the courage to answer. "I can see why Kyle didn''t want to ride with the softball team." I whispered so the girls in front of us couldn''t hear.

    Sean laughed, attracting unwanted attention. "I''ve seen them go at it before at lunch. I''m not surprised it''s like this on the bus too. But I''m surprised Marie had so much animosity to you and Noah. She was very against the two of you getting your way."

    "Yea, no kidding. She must be on a power trip or something. Being a captain as a junior isn''t that big of a deal." Noah stated. "I''ll be able to do it too."

    "It''s because she received the same treatment as a freshman on the varsity team." The girl right in front of me, on the aisle seat, turned halfway so she could look at us in the back. "Marie really isn''t that bad. But her freshman year, some boys on the varsity team made her triple up with some of their sophomores under the pretense of that being the rule."

    "Just because you were once bullied doesn''t give you the right to bully others." Noah told her. "And my brother Zeke would have been an underclassmen when she was a freshman. So he probably sat with her. No biggie."

    The girl let out a condescending laugh. "Who would make Zeke do anything? He had his own seat even as a sophomore. It''s no wonder Marie has a grudge against you guys. Always bending the unspoken rules."

    I shifted uncomfortably. This was my fault.

    Noah narrowed his eyes. "How do you know? It''s not like you were here."

    She rolled her eyes. "I''m Kaylee. Her younger sister. Of course I heard all about the day she came home. And then every day that she had an away game. Last year she finally got even, by making your brothers move due to the seniority rule."

    Oh. Because she had one more year than the twins?

    "How petty. It''s not like Zeke decided she should sit like that. He wasn''t the captain then." Noah shot back. "Your sister needs an attitude adjustment."

    "Maybe you guys shouldn''t be so entitled all the time. Try joining the common folk." She eyed the empty space between me and Noah.

    "You don''t even know what you''re talking about. Just like your sister." Noah shook his head. "If you simply asked why Jake can''t sit three to a seat, we would kindly inform you that he''s claustrophobic."

    "And so am I." She scoffed, rolling her eyes, making her seat mates giggle.

    I turned red with embarrassment and looked down at my hands, wishing I could disappear.

    A familiar hand gripped my shoulder. "Don''t let yourself be ashamed of who you are, Jake." I looked up and saw him smile at me with confidence, making my nerves settle down. He faced Kaylee. "Shaming a fellow classmate on his valid medical condition is grounds for a suspension." His smile turned to a glare. "If you paid any attention to school news, you would know that Mrs. Golladay was dismissed from her position because she was also rude to Jake. If my mom can get her fired, I doubt she would have any trouble getting you and your sister suspended for bullying."

    Kaylee''s jaw dropped, stunned. I was too. I''ve never seen Noah threaten a girl without any mercy. But...even though he told me not to feel ashamed, I felt even more with him standing up for me. It''s like I can''t fight my own battles.

    "Okay, settle down." Sean waved his hands between Noah and Kaylee. "No one is getting suspended. Noah, you know Zeke would make you run endlessly for acting inappropriately. The girl was just defending her sister like you defend Jake. Let''s make peace?"

    "Fine." Noah leaned back like me and started to let the tension leave his body. I didn''t realize how tightly he was wound.

    Kaylee bit her bottom lip, like she wanted to say something, but just gave a nod before facing forward.

    After half an hour on the bus, I started to understand Noah''s meaning of liking the back row as a kid. The back of the school bus was definitely the bounciest. We were practically lifted for every speed bump or pothole. And sitting on the vinyl seats had us sliding left and right with every turn.

    One thing''s for sure, I didn''t love it like Noah said.

 249 The Softball Team 4

    At least the two hours flew by with Noah''s rambling. He talked to me about everything from pro baseball, to who will play well enough to pick dinner for tonight. I mostly sat, listened, nodded or shook my head, and spared a few words if needed. Noah could honestly carry a conversation by himself without any difficulty.

    We pulled up to a quaint high school up in the mountains, surrounded by a forest. As it was May, the trees had started to grow some green leaves again, making me feel refreshed with the clean air.

    The women''s coach that had spoke with Marie about my seating arrangements was the first to stand as we pulled into the parking lot. "Since we have the first game, I''ll have to ask that the boys remain in their seats and let the girls out first so we can get going." She looked around. "Girls. We''ll head straight to the locker room to get changed. Then meet at the field for warmups. Stay sharp, don''t fool around." When the bus parked next to what I presume is the gymnasium with the locker rooms, the girls all got up and followed their coach off the bus. The assistants followed behind and they started to unload their bags from the compartment underneath.

    Our coach stood up and clapped his hands once to get our attention. "We''ve been informed that we have the same umpires as the softball game. That means we''ll watch their game until the fourth or fifth inning." No one objected or interrupted. "After the girls get out of the way, we''ll grab our gear and change into our uniforms as well. Porterville High doesn''t have a club room by their baseball field so you''ll have to change in the locker room. Take your time. The softball team will still have to warmup before taking the field."

    We listened to the instructions and waited for the girls team to finish gathering their equipment. Afterwards, we grabbed our own and found the men''s locker room to change. Luckily there was a restroom just inside, allowing me to change privately in a stall. Noah gave me a look of concerned when I rejoined him outside the locker room, but nothing was said. We stood, fully dressed in our uniforms, waiting for the rest of the team.

    Our teammates trickled out one by one, two by two, and so on. Until we had everyone. Then as a team, we walked to the softball field with Zeke leading the way. We met the coaches by the visitor bleachers and spread out so we could relax in our own ways.

    Noah and I sat near the back of the bleacher, on one of the highest seats so we could have the best view. Both softball teams were finishing their warmups to prepare for their afternoon game time. On the home side, their bleacher was completely packed with parents and students, coming out to show some serious support. Meanwhile, our girls softball team only had us.

    "Are none of their parents going to come?" I asked Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "Regular adults work in the afternoon. And to drive two hours here and two hours back would be a waste of time." His words made sense, but it also made me realize how awesome his parents were to change their schedule just so they can watch their boys play.

    "Hey. Got a minute?" Chris climbed a few rows to get close enough to speak to us, but didn''t get too close to make me scared. Just slightly nervous. He did have to take a week off from baseball.

    "What do you want?" Noah asked, not even bothering to play nice or to appease the senior.

    Chris ignored him, looking up at me. "Just wanted to apologize about my actions last weekend. I shouldn''t have laid into you like that. It''s not my job." His expression remained bland like he was reading off a teleprompter.

    I gave a nod of acceptance.

    He turned mechanically like a robot and went down to the first row to join some other seniors.

    "I call bs." Noah huffed. "That was probably just an act to please Zeke and the coaches."

    I shrugged. "As long as he''s not mad anymore, then I don''t care."

    "Ah, you''re so naive." Noah rolled his eyes. "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure he doesn''t get too close ever again."

    I smiled. "Thanks Noah."

    He pushed me away. "Stop that. There''s no need for thanks between brothers." He looked around. "Speaking of brothers, where are the twins? I wanted to ask them more about Marie."

    "Wasn''t it weird that Dave just stopped arguing and sat down right away?" I blurted out, stating the scene that had bugged me the whole bus ride.

    Noah nodded. "Strange indeed. It was like Dave and Kyle had a role reversal today. Dave usually has more attitude and is more confident, yet it was Kyle picking the fight today. And he even challenged the whole softball team." He paused for a second. "You understand that you have to be super great today, right?"

    I pulled my eyebrows in. "Super? Is Porterville a good team?"

    Noah''s face twitched. "Well. I don''t know. But just to be on the safe side. We''ll only be able to record the softballs numbers up to the time coach tells us to go warmup. So we should aim high. High as this mountain. High as the sky." He looked at the softball field. "Mr. Miller was right though. Their field is small. Compared to Stanford''s stadium, this looks like a little league field."

    I nodded in agreement. I know he said that the base paths were smaller and that the mound was up close, but I didn''t expect the overall field to be smaller too. Their outfield field fence was labeled with a plain 200feet on the corners. Center field wasn''t listed, but it couldn''t be anymore than 250feet.

    An announcer through their broadcast system asked everyone to rise for the national anthem and to take off our hats. We did so. Afterwards, he started to announce the starting players for Porterville softball as they took the field. He then announced the lineup for our girls team. I heard all three names that I knew: Bailey, Marie, and Kaylee. It makes sense that the girls with the biggest attitude would have some skill to back it up.

    "Kyle! Come here for a second!" Noah hollered down to Kyle, who was in a mini huddle of Garret and Dave.

 250 The Softball Team 5

    All three of them climbed up to join us, not bothered by Noah''s demanding tone. They sat in the row below us and faced our way, creating a mini huddle of our own.

    "What are you guys talking to each other about?" Noah asked, curious as to why they all came even though he only summoned Kyle.

    "Pitching. Coach will definitely pick one of us as the starter." Kyle said.

    "He didn''t give any hints on Friday?" Noah asked.

    Garret sighed. "Practice was canceled, remember? He hasn''t even give any hints on the bus either. He just told all the pitchers to warm up properly. He''ll announce the bullpen after normal warmups."

    "A certain somebody just had to say any pitcher." Dave groaned, sending a glare at Noah. "At least if it was one of us three, I would feel more assured."

    Noah scrunched up his nose. Then rubbed it. "Well. It''s gotta be one of you, right? Garret had already done his three day rest, and both of you are set in the rotation. Plus, how good can she really be?"

    The three juniors went quiet.

    "Dude. You really don''t pay attention to school announcements, do you?"

    Noah shrugged. "Jake and I just talk. It''s the same thing all the time. Community service hours. Tutoring. Boring stuff."

    Kyle smacked Noah''s knee. "You dope. They announce sports stuff too like scores, tryouts, and most importantly personal achievements. They have even spoke about us the day after every game. They do the same for every sport. I swear...Mom would be so upset if she knew you two weren''t paying attention in class."

    I looked away, guilty. I vaguely remember some announcements, especially when the say something about the baseball team. But, that''s just embarrassing, to hear someone compliment you to the whole school.

    "What does this have to do with the softball team?" Noah asked, exasperated.

    "If you just listened to the announcements, you would know that the softball team is undefeated. They haven''t lost a game yet. Not even in their preseason tournaments." Garret explained. "Marie is not only their captain, ace pitcher, and cleanup hitter, she''s ranked third in our county. Basically a female Zeke, if you will."

    "Beating her in pitching stats will be damn near impossible." David sighed.

    "She doesn''t always pitch the full game though." Kyle said. "If her coach pulls her out after two or three innings and if we can last longer, there''s a chance. As for batting stats?" He looked to me. "Jake''s will be doubled. So I''m positive we can beat them in that aspect."

    A bat connected with a ball, sending a ringing sound around the field. The three juniors turned to look as we watched the softball team''s lead off hitter reach safely.

    "Please don''t tell me that Porterville''s softball team is one of the worst." Garret sighed.

    "More like our school is one of the best." Dave snorted. He clapped Kyle on the back. "If you''re starting, come out strong and try to picture another perfect game."

    Kyle shoved his hand away. "I don''t need you to tell me that."

    The three of them fully turned their bodies to watch the game. In the first inning alone, the girls scored three runs off five hits. No one spoke, but I could feel the depression spreading about.

    After they switched sides, Marie stood in their pitchers circle and started to warmup. Unlike in PE softball, the pitcher for a real competitive team did the full one and a half rotations to help blast the ball to the catcher. And with such a big ball, it was a lot more intimidating than a baseball pitcher if you ask me. They''re also so much closer.

    Marie was true to the juniors descriptions, a total beast. She overpowered the first three hitters, getting all three to pop out foul along the first baseline. That should be because they''re swinging too late.

    "Ahh. Why aren''t they swinging all the way through?" Noah complained as they were switching sides.

    "It''s too fast." Garret sighed.

    "What?!" Noah leaned forward. "Is that fast for girls softball? It looks slow from up here."

    "A 65mph softball pitch at 40 feet, gives the batter almost the same reaction time as a baseball pitcher throwing a 90mph pitch at you." Garret replied, watching on as the softball team continued their onslaught in the top of the second. "You can''t even hit a 90mph pitch. Heck, most of the team might struggle with that."

    "No way." Noah''s jaw dropped. And mine did too. I knew I wouldn''t like facing someone up so close, but it never occurred to me how that could be similar to a fast pitch from someone off a mound.

    "Don''t worry. I told you guys, she doesn''t always pitch the full game." Kyle stated, for once showing some real confidence. He waved his phone at us. "I just looked up their schedule. They have a home game on Wednesday. For Marie to pitch in that game, she''s only allowed 50 pitches."

    Dave looked to his twin, stunned. "You''re so dumb."

    "What? That''s a good assumption. Marie is their only good pitcher after all. If they want to stay undefeated, they would want to use her for almost every game right?"

    Garret smacked his forehead. "Kyle...high school softball doesn''t have pitching limits. At all. They aren''t like us. Their motion is more natural."

    "She could pitch every game without having to worry about rest days." Dave rolled his eyes at his brother''s stupidity. "The only thing that could stop her is if she gets tired or hurt. Or they score a ten run lead by the fifth inning. That''ll be a mercy rule."

    The atmosphere wasn''t upbeat at all.

    Noah was the only one who refused to be put down. "That''s fine. We can do it too. We''ll also mercy rule Porterville. It''ll have to come down to your guys pitching. Kyle, you did a whole game without giving up a run, walk, or hit. You can easily do it again. Garret, you''re the ace, so why are you looking down on yourself? Have some pride. Dave,"

    "I can do it too." Dave cut him off. "I don''t need some pipsqueak to tell me I can beat Marie. This would be a great opportunity to show off." He flexed his bicep.

    Noah and Garret laughed, yet Kyle''s eyes remained on the field. He watched the game intently, studying every pitch and play.

 251 Game: @ Porterville HS 1

    It was a one-sided beat down. Marie and her team didn''t even give Porterville a chance for a comeback. Just after the fourth inning, her team led 9-0. She only gave up two walks and one hit.

    We weren''t able to watch any more than that though. Coach called us down from the bleachers and declared we should start heading to the baseball field for warmups. Even he thought that the softball team would be able to get the mercy. We marched to the field in two perfect lines, bags on our back. As we reached the field and headed to the visitors dugout, we could already see Porterville''s baseball team doing infield and batting practice. Looks like they didn''t have a machine for batting practice.

    We put our bags down, changed our shoes for cleats, and then started our own warmup with Zeke leading us once again. This would be his first game back since his back bruise. As we jogged out with our gloves and hats on, there were familiar shouts of "Go boys!" and "Work hard out there!" With a peek, I could see Mr. and Mrs. Atkins finding seats in the bleachers, waving hi at us.

    The boys all waved before jogging for the line. Even Zeke. I raised my hand to chest level then quickly put it down just in case I wasn''t supposed to wave. But I wanted to. It''s nice to think that they''re here for me to.

    Warming up was the same as usual. Coach picked Dave as the starter and sent him and Kelvin to the bullpen immediately to get in sync. Coach was smart to have us start before the girls game ended because the umps showed up during batting practice for us and started beginning of game formalities like collecting the lineup from each team.

    After bp, we settled in the dugout, all eyes on coach as he announced the lineup to us:

    1 SS Noah

    2 2B Jake

    3 LF Mahki

    4 CF Zeke

    5 3B Jason

    6 1B Julian

    7 P Dave

    8 RF Tony

    9 C Kelvin

    As the visiting team, we got to bat first so the top of our lineup started to put on our helmets and grab our bats. Porterville High School had their announcer start the introduction for the field players as they got into position. Noah, who bats before me, stood a few feet away from the circle to take some practice swings.

    "Psst. Hey. You." A females voice called. I turned towards the bleachers and came face to face with Marie''s little sister, Kaylee. She was holding a folded piece of paper, trying to slide it through the fencing. "These are the stats from our game. Come take them."

    I glanced at Noah and saw that he was too busy focusing on the pitcher, trying to find the timing. I swallowed down some anxiety and shuffled over to the fence.

    She wiggled the paper through. "Finished it off in five innings. Think you could do the same?" She smirked.

    I took the piece of paper and shrugged. I don''t know. It''s too soon to say.

    "Who''s the pitcher for the game?" She asked, making me wonder why she hasn''t left yet.

    "Dave." I whispered.

    She laughed. "Make sure to give him the paper then. He''ll have to beat my sister''s stats which is impossible for him." She turned and walked away, joining some of her teammates in the bleachers.

    I went back to the dugout to hand the paper to Dave. "It''s from the softball team."

    He opened it, then a look of determination took over. "Five innings pitched, zero runs, two hits, and three walks. Struck out five."

    "Damn." Garret whistled. "What''s the box score for their offense?"

    "Fifteen hits. Ten runs scored. Ten RBIs. Shoot, did Porterville even show up?" Dave handed the paper over to Garret and looked back at me. "Get out there and kill it, Jake. Your stats are doubled so you need to score the runs and drive them in."

    "No pressure." Garret laughed.

    "What are you doing?" Zeke asked from behind, making me jump. "You''re supposed to be in the on deck circle. Noah''s already at the plate."

    I hustled out of there, trying to avoid Zeke''s ire. I don''t know if he was taking the bet seriously or if he just didn''t care since he wasn''t involved. Knowing Zeke, it''s hard to tell. On one side, he would say only winning matters. But on the other...I think he would like to have his brother''s back. His stats wouldn''t count though so there wasn''t much he could do.

    The pitcher for Porterville didn''t look as good as the other pitchers we''ve gone against. If anything, he looked to be the worst. He started Noah off with a walk.

    With my name called by the announcer, I stepped up to the lefty''s box accompanied by a few claps. I turned to see the Atkins'' parents putting their hands together for me, making me blush. I turned to focus on the pitcher. His pitches were still all over the place, but on what would be ball four, I swung and connected. For the boys to win the bet, we needed hits, not walks. And since I was always a fan of hitting anything close, I didn''t mind. It was a single to right-center field.

    I safely reached first base, as Noah legged it to third. I''m always impressed by his speed. If I had hit it to one of the corners, I wouldn''t be surprised if he tried to score off my single.

 252 Game: @ Porterville HS 2

    Mahki followed up with another single, allowing Noah to score and for me to advanced to second. Unlike Noah, I wasn''t daring enough to take a big lead off first base, and I wasn''t confident enough to leg it out to third. I''m not a gambler...but if I was, I definitely wouldn''t bet on myself. The one serious sliding practice I had just isn''t enough. Base running in general is still a little foreign.

    Zeke came up big with a double to the outfield fence, giving me enough time to round third and make it home safely to make the score 2-0. Good start. As the claps and cheers came for Zeke, a few of the guys patted my helmet and shoulder as I walked into the dugout.

    I took off my helmet and set it down next to my bat. I slapped on my baseball cap and rested my glove in my lap, still trying to catch my breath.

    Noah smiled. "Good run! With you scoring a run, that counts as two versus the girls. So as long as we win with ten runs scored too then we beat them in that category."

    I gave him a thumbs up.

    His smile started to dissipate. "You okay? You''re breathing really hard."

    I sucked in air. "It''s a little." Another breath of air. "Hard to breathe." Another gasp. "Here."

    "It''s because we''re in the mountains." Sean explained. He wasn''t in the starting lineup so he was one of our few bench players for the game. "Higher altitude. Thinner air."

    "But we''re not having issues? Is Jake getting sick?" Noah stood up, getting worried.

    "It''s because we''re use to it." Sean shrugged. "We live by the mountains. Most of us visit the mountains during breaks. We play teams in the area. Jake just isn''t use to it yet. He''s from Southern California, right? Probably at sea level. So of course he''s struggling." Sean looked down the dugout. "Hey, Coach, Jake is having trouble breathing."

    Coach stopped watching Jason''s at bat and came over to take a look. I was slowly regaining a normal breathing pattern. "Do you feel dizzy or lightheaded?"

    I shook my head. "No." I took a few more deeper breaths and felt my heart rate return to normal.

    "Then you should be okay. But don''t push it too much. If you feel sick, woozy, or anything out of the normal, then come to me. We''ll pull you and get you looked at." Coach declared. His words made Noah fidget around. "At high altitudes, the air pressure is lower, making it harder for you to pull in the air and pump oxygen throughout your body. Any trouble breathing, chest pain, or vomiting is a really bad sign, alright?"

    I nodded. "I''m okay. It was just a little troublesome from the run."

    He patted my shoulder and went back to his spot just in time to see Jason get walked, loading up the bases for Julian.

    "Jake. Don''t run so hard." Noah stressed. "Even if Zeke hits another double when you''re on second and someone else is on first. Just stop at third."

    "It''s fine. I''m okay. That wasn''t so bad." I told him.

    "Listen to Coach." Sean advised. "As soon as you feel sick, it can be life threatening. Don''t take that chance okay."

    His words spooked Noah immediately. Noah moved closer to Sean. "Can it really?"

    Sean looked surprised at his distress. "It''s called acute mountain sickness. Not getting enough oxygen is, of course, very dangerous. As soon as you feel those severe symptoms like coach mentioned, then they will want to rush you down to a lower altitude as fast as possible."

    "Jakeee." Noah looked me up and down as if he could see I wasn''t getting enough oxygen. "Maybe you should just sit out now."

    I tilted my head. "What about the bet?"

    "Is the bet worth your life?!" He exclaimed, gathering some attention.

    I laughed at his dramatics. "I feel okay though. I just ran too much, too fast. It''s not like I''ll do that the whole game. Mostly we just stand around. Or sit in the dugout."

    Noah squinted at me, trying to tell if I was lying.

    Which I wasn''t. It really wasn''t so bad. Almost like a panic attack but no panic. Plus, I didn''t want to let him and Kyle down. They put their trust in me to beat the girls statistics so I couldn''t just bail.

    Noah settled down and took a seat between me and Sean, but he didn''t give up his worries. He continued to ask Sean for descriptions of the serious symptoms and what to look out for.

    "If he pales or starts to turn blue, yell out for coach or a trainer." Sean commanded, taking Noah seriously.

    "I should probably tell my parents too." Noah added. "Just in case."

    "Seriously? I''m already fine." I nudged him. I didn''t want to make his parents worry too, even when I''m not afraid.

    Noah frowned, but didn''t say anything.

    Julian''s bat made a ''ping'' and diverted his attention. Julian had hit a hard grounder right to the second baseman. The second baseman charged the grounder, and just as I was wondering how he would flip the ball to the shortstop on second base, he barehanded the ball and threw to the catcher at home. The catcher tagged home plate before Mahki could reach, and threw right to first base, beating out Julian too. A 4-2-3 double play. My jaw dropped. I didn''t expect that at all.

    Mahki and Julian came back with downcast faces, one more so than the other. Zeke and Jason has both advanced to third and second respectively as Dave got in the batters box.

    "Don''t mind it boys." Coach told them when they got in the dugout. "That was good decision making on his part. I''ve said it before, and I''ll say it again, play the way you face. He was running towards the ball so it''s only reasonable that he would throw home to prevent a run being scored." He glanced my way. "Jake, I hope you were paying attention."

    I nodded and gave a thumbs up.

    Dave was the third and final out of our first inning offense. He hit a high fly to left field that didn''t even near the fence. Hopefully his pitching would be better than that quick out.

 253 Game: @ Porterville HS 3

    Dave was a bit behind getting on the mound since he was the last batter, but it wasn''t like we could play without him. The umpire still gave him adequate time to throw some pitches off the mound.

    Dave looked to be completely comfortable and not at all worried about Marie''s pitching stats. He came out strong, aiming at some good spots in the strike zone. The first Porterville batter up, went down swinging on three pitches. The next batter was also quick to swing, but it just meant quick to get out since all he did was hit a pop fly to Noah. The third batter up, saw the most pitches, getting to a 2-2 count, before grounding out right to Noah.

    When we got back to the dugout, the team clapped and congratulated Dave on a three up, three down inning. Noah and I moved to get our helmets on and bats ready. He would be up third, and if someone can get on base, I would get a chance to hit too.

    "If you do all the fielding, I won''t even break a sweat." I laughed to Noah, keeping my voice low.

    Noah cracked a smile. "Let''s just hope Dave can stay this efficient. That wasn''t even ten pitches." He turned to watch Tony step up to bat. "If we can also score two runs an inning while not giving up any, we can mercy rule them too. Be even with the girls."

    I smiled. It''s good to hear that he wasn''t too worried about me to forget about what he originally wanted to do. It felt kind of fun having something to compete for. Wait. "What do we even win if we win the bet?" I asked.

    "Bragging rights." Noah grinned. "What''s more important than that?"

    Uhhhh. Good question. What would we even want from the girls team? I studied the wooden bat in my hands. "We could also ask for homemade cookies." I suggested.

    Noah brightened up, eyes opening wide. "Yes! Great idea!"

    I looked up and smiled, glad he thought so too.

    Sadly, the inning didn''t go like the first. Tony grounded out to short. Kelvin struck out swinging. And Noah hit a slow roller right to the first baseman, who easily scooped it up and tagged the base before the speedster could even get there.

    Noah sighed as he joined me at our bags, putting our helmets away. "That was a little pathetic, but no worries. We can bounce back. Right?"

    I nodded. Then followed him onto the field.

    Dave continued to be effective on the mound in the bottom of the second inning too. Again, he didn''t have to use any more than ten pitches. Their supposed cleanup hitter, hit a high fly towards center field only for Zeke to come in to make the catch. The fifth batter hit a hard grounder to Noah, who cleanly fielded to Julian on first. The third out of the inning was a long fly ball to Tony in right field. He had to back up for it, but it barely made it to the warning track before the outfield fence. Still 2-0.

    This time no one congratulated Dave. They just let him be. He strolled into the dugout and everyone avoided him and gave him space to be alone.

    "He''s in the zone." Noah said, bouncing in his seat excitedly like a little kid. I slipped my helmet on and grabbed my bat. "Do him justice out there, Jake!"

    I let out a small laugh as I made my way out. The pitcher didn''t change, and had finished his warmup. I always wondered why coaches didn''t pull pitchers as soon as they started out shaky. Was it already the best they could send out? Did they feel like they could catch up to the 2-0 score? Did the second inning give me them assurance that he calmed down? I couldn''t be a coach. There were so many factors at play and decisions to be made. Heck, it was already hard for me just being a player.

    The only thing that wasn''t hard for me, was hitting. The pitcher gave me something good so I swung and sent it down the third baseline. I started sprinting. The line drive dropped between the third baseman and left fielder, then continued to roll. I rounded first and continued on. I didn''t even think about stopping. It was a good hit. I can make it.

    The left fielder grabbed the ball and threw his hardest to the shortstop. The shortstop had to back up and jump to catch the relay throw. He turned to throw to second, but I was already standing there. Safe.

    My breaths came out short and sporadic, but not as bad as my first run from second to home. I put my hands on top of my helmet to try and keep my airways open. Drew had me doing this every time I had trouble during endurance training so this should help. I think.

    The ball was thrown back to the pitcher, who had to face Mahki. Like me, Mahki had a single in the first inning. He swung on the first pitch, smacking a hard one towards the shortstop. The shortstop snatched it, looked to me to see if I was going, then threw to his first baseman to get Mahki out.

    Ha. I wasn''t even leading off just yet. I was too focused on catching my breath. I was starting to have flashbacks to last month when I was told to run laps for the first time.

    With one out, and me on second, Zeke stepped up to bat. He took a little practice swing and then fully drew his bat back, looking ready to send any pitch that came his way right on out of here. Zeke didn''t just have the look though, he committed to the actual to prove it, sending one of the first pitches to the outfield.

    I kept my eye on Mr. Miller, trusting him to tell me what to do. Almost right away he waved me on so I knew it was a hit. I took off for third and watched as he waved his arm in a windmill-like fashion, telling me to keep going. I rounded third, keeping it tight and sprinted towards home. Jason stood a bit back, holding Zeke''s bat.

    "No slide!" He called out to me.

    I didn''t slow up though. I sprinted on through to ensure that I scored the third run of the game. Then I stopped and started to cough. And cough. And cough some more. I was struggling to breathe.

    "In your nose, out your mouth. Hands on your head." Coach had come out of the dugout to fetch me. I did what I was told, putting my hands back on my head, and started to breathe air in through my nose and then slowly exhaled out my mouth. It didn''t stop me from letting out a few more coughs though.

    "Come on. Let''s get back to the dugout. I''ve already asked for the school''s athletic trainer to come on over." Coach guided me back to the dugout.

    My teammates all made space for me as I found my way back to my area, yet I didn''t sit down. I remained standing, trying to get oxygen in. Noah hovered, looking worried, but coach pushed him away so an older man could stand near us.

    "Hello, I''m Gregory, the athletic trainer. I''ve heard you''re having some trouble adjusting to the altitude." He squatted so we could look each other in the eye. "Have you ever been this high in elevation before?"

    I shook my head once. Nope. Never.

    He reached behind himself, where a silver tank on wheels was. He grabbed something clear and held it up. "This is an oxygen mask and tank. It''ll help deliver a higher volume of oxygen into your system. Try it for a minute and see if it helps."

    He took my helmet off as I put my arms down. Then he helped me get the mask on, which only covered my nose and mouth.

 254 Game: @ Porterville HS 4

    The trainer kept the mask on me while watching his watch. After, what I presume was 60 seconds, he took it off and looked at me. "How do you feel? Light headed? Dizzy?"

    "No." I took a deep breath, now calmed down. "I just feel like I can''t sprint. I''m also a little tired."

    Noah squeezed between the trainer and our coach. "Jake! Are you sure you''re okay? I told Mom and Dad, but they said the trainer should be able to care for you."

    "Oh, your parents made the drive here?" The trainer asked.

    I was about to say no, but Noah nodded and beat me to replying. "They''re in the stands. Should I go get them? Do you need them?"

    The trainer shook his head. "No, no. It''s all okay for now. I''ll stay in the dugout to monitor him in case he has trouble again. I just want to speak with them afterwards."

    "What? Why?" Noah asked the same two questions on my mind.

    "I would like to suggest they take Jake to the doctors afterwards."

    "Like after the game? I thought you said he''s fine?"

    "No, just in general. At least before his next visit to an elevation above 4000 feet. It would be good if a family practitioner could clear him for these kind of strenuous events. Maybe he can prescribe medication and a training program of some sort." The trainer explained.

    I sighed. I don''t like to hear the word ''training'' anymore.

    "Okay, I''ll tell them to wait after the game." Noah turned tail and ran to the fence where his dad was waiting on the other side.

    Jason connected on a fastball and sent a grounder between second and first. Zeke didn''t hesitate, and just bolted off from his good size lead. He tagged third and sprinted on to home plate. The throw came in from the right fielder, but it was over the cutoff man, yet too short for the catcher. The catcher had to go meet the ball but by that time, Zeke tagged home, making the score 4-0.

    I clapped and the team cheered, welcoming Zeke back in the dugout. He took off his helmet and walked straight to me. "You good?"

    I gave a nod. "I''m good."

    He stared at me for an extra second before walking off to his bag to switch out his gear. Julian stepped up to bat with Jason on first, only one out. Noah came back and sat next to me, on the opposite side of the athletic trainer. Noah looked as stressed as I normally felt, probably scared silly by Sean''s earlier remarks.

    Julian ended the inning with another double play. The typical 6-4-3. The grounder went to the shortstop''s right, but he was able to backhand it, transition it to his throwing hand, and get it to second base, where that player tagged the base, quickly maneuvered around Jason''s slide and threw Julian out at first.

    We hurried out to take the field and to start the bottom of the third, where Dave continued to dominate. This time he relied more on Julian''s playmaking than anyone else''s. The first batter up hit a hard line drive right to Julian at first base for the first out. Julian didn''t even seem fazed by it. Just a simple flick of his glove to catch the ball, then he threw it back to Dave on the mound. The second guy up was slightly worse, hitting a high fly in the infield. Julian rushed to get under it and held up his glove. The ball plopped right in for out number two.

    The third out of the inning, was more impressive since Dave caught him looking. He struck out their number nine batter with only three pitches. I know they say that the one who bats last is usually the worst, but still...he''s on the varsity team. Even in a powerhouse school like University Prep, they still had a number nine batter.

    We happily went back to the dugout, still giving Dave his space so he could keep up the same intensity. Dave mindlessly grabbed his bat and helmet and went outside of the dugout to take practice swings. Or so I thought. Instead, he just stood there, watching the Porterville pitcher warm up. Tony stood nearby in the on deck circle, and was swinging in rhythm of the practice pitches. Kelvin just finished taking off his catchers gear, and replaced it with his own bat and helmet, and then stood at the edge of the dugout, ready to go.

    In our seats, Noah and I were ready as well, hoping for the opportunity to expand our lead and give ourselves a real chance at scoring enough runs for a mercy rule.

    Dave was still in a daze when he stepped into the batter''s box. He didn''t swing with much effort, yet was able to connect on a slow curve. The ball dribbled to the second baseman, who easily threw Dave out at first. As Dave came back inside the dugout, no one said anything. Good or bad.

    As Tony stepped in, Kelvin moved out, and Noah and I headed to the entrance of the dugout, near coach and Zeke. Tony and Kelvin were able to hit back to back singles, yet they weren''t fast enough to advance any further. Noah followed up with a walk, loading up the bases for me. This could be big.

    I took a deep breath, in and out.

 255 Game: @ Porterville HS 5

    I got into the lefty''s box, dug my back foot in, and pulled my bat back. The score is only 4-0 at the top of the fourth. If we truly want that called game, then this would be the best opportunity out of any. Only one out with the bases loaded. As long as I don''t pop out or ground into a double play, at least one run will score.

    The pitcher was still wild, throwing me a couple of balls, pushing the count to 2-0. The third pitch didn''t come right over the plate, but still in a good spot where I could guarantee to hit the ball passed the infield. The connection made my hands ache as the ball flew high and far. I took off running, watching it go.

    I rounded first, as the bases started to clear, and was able to have a good look at my hit. It reached over the left fielder as he chased it down, and hit the edge of the top of the fence, bouncing back into the field. Home run? That''s a home run right? When it hits the yellow line at the top of the fence, it means it''s out of here!

    I slowed up as I reached second. The bases really did clear up before the left fielder got the ball back to the infield. I was about to jog to third, yet the ball was thrown to the second baseman who tried to tag me with his glove. I had slowed up due to the difficulty of breathing so luckily I was still on base.

    The ump extended his arms. "Safe!"

    Safe? Shouldn''t I be going home? I looked to my dugout for help.

    Coach and Noah were both beside the home plate umpire in seconds. Zeke pulled Noah back, said some words to him and sent him back inside the dugout.

    I stood still on second, unsure of what to do.

    Coach was having an intense conversation with the ump, and now the Porterville coach came out of his own dugout. I looked around to find someone to ask what was going on, but I was alone as a runner. The shortstop and second baseman joined the rest of the infield on their mound. Even the three outfielders had gathered to have their own conversation.

    I sighed, feeling a little depressed for some reason.

    After a couple of minutes, the umpire pointed at coach and at our dugout. I think that was the sign for a warning. Why did he just issue everyone a warning? Coach stormed back to the dugout and spoke with some of the players, who let out a few incoherent grumbles.

    Zeke jogged out to me, hopefully bringing answers. First thing he did was squat a little so he could be at my eye level. He patted my helmet and let his hand rest there. "You did well. That was a beautiful hit."

    I smiled at the compliment and felt my cheeks heat up.

    "Unfortunately the umpire didn''t see that it hit on top and bounced back so it wasn''t ruled a home run. Just a normal hit." He gave an extra pat. "Don''t think about it too much for now. Just know that we''re happy you were able to drive in three runs."

    I nodded.

    "Good. Pay attention here. Don''t get caught too far off the bag, but don''t just stand on it either." He stood tall. He nodded at me and jogged back to the dugout. He relayed some words to coach before going to the on deck circle with his bat.

    The position players had al gotten back in place as the pitcher prepared to face off with Mahki. Unexpectedly, the momentum had died with me and my non home run. Mahki popped out to the second baseman, not even giving me a chance to advance. Which was a mute point since Zeke''s high fly was caught at the wall by the right fielder for out number three.

    I was wondering how I could hit the ball out, yet Zeke wasn''t able to, but was soon distracted by the commotion in the dugout. As soon as I walked in, the team pounced on me. I was pushed, shoved, slapped, and flat out hit multiple times before Noah and Zeke saved me.

    "Hey! I know you''re all excited, me included, but Jake doesn''t like this remember?!" Noah had to raise his voice to be heard over the team''s excitement.

    "Stick to high fives." Zeke commanded, making the team calm down.

    The team listened. Kind of. As the field players started to take the field, they high-five''d the top of my head as they passed me by. Thankfully I still had my helmet on to help prevent a concussion. Zeke wasn''t an exception. He patted my helmet then jogged out as well.

    "You were robbed!" Noah sighed as I replaced my helmet with my cap. I grabbed my glove as we moved out to the field. "That was definitely a home run. I can''t believe the umpire screwed us over like that."

    I shrugged, not caring too much. Zeke had already said I did well and not to overthink it. "It''s okay. Everyone still scored. There''ll be other chances."

    Noah let out a laugh. "Right, right! There are a few more schools up in the mountains like this. You''ll get it next time. Heck, you still might have a chance this game too if you get another at bat."

    "What do the mountains have to do with anything?" I asked in confusion as we stopped by second base. Dave was warming up and Julian was rolling out grounders to Jason.

    "It''s the high altitude." Noah rolled his eyes. "You''re still a newbie when it comes to things like this. But in high altitudes, the ball will travel further thanks to the low atmospheric pressure. Just like you have trouble breathing in the thin air, the ball has less resistance."

    My eyes widen and my eyebrows shot up. "What? Really? I just thought I had a good connection with a fast swing."

    Noah laughed. "That helped too. What would have been best, was if there was replay like in the pros. Then we could have confirmed your home run for all to see."

    "Ten seconds." The umpire called out, letting us know that the balls used for warmups needed to be returned.

    I backed up to the proper spot for a second baseman, putting some distance between me and Noah as we got ready to face the first batter. Dave had shut down all nine batters in order and now we were back to the top of the lineup.

    I turned real quick to check the scoreboard to confirm our 7-0 lead. While looking, I could see Zeke in center field, ready for anything. The sight of him reminded me of his last at bat...a fly out. Normally that wouldn''t be a big deal.

    ...but after Noah talk about the ball being able to fly further in high altitude, I started to have second thoughts again. I hit the ball out of the park. Technically. Zeke...didn''t. His hit didn''t even make it to the fence like mine did. There was only a few feet difference, but still. He''s better. He''s taller. He''s stronger. He could hit balls out of a bigger park without any difficulty. So with the low altitude it should have gone even further..?

 256 Game: @ Porterville HS 6

    "Ding!"

    A metal bat connecting with a ball always made me flinch, especially when I''m not paying attention. I wasn''t able to see the ball come off the bat, but with Noah suddenly leaping to his right, with his left arm stretched out, I knew where it must have went.

    I watched on as Noah snatched the line drive before it could bounce or even sneak pass him. He landed on his side, keeping his gloved hand in the air, showing off the ball.

    The second base umpire pumped his fist. "Out!"

    Even though we were the away team, a few claps could be heard from our side of the stands. I looked over and saw Mr. and Mrs. Atkins applauding, but they weren''t the only ones. Some of the softball players had also clapped and I could hear a "Nice catch!" from somewhere.

    Noah got on his knees and threw the ball back to Dave on the mound. "Nice pitching!"

    Dave just grinned back at him. "Good one kiddo." He turned back to home plate to face the new batter.

    Noah jumped up and brushed some of the infield dirt off his uniform. He caught me looking and smiled at me too. "One out! Two to go!" He got loud. Some of the teammates repeated after him.

    For some reason, I started to smile too. That player had what should have been at least a single, but Noah just snatched it from the gap. Talk about being robbed...in my mind, that''s worse then a non home run. At least I made it on base and drove in some runs.

    With everyone back into position, Dave got back to work. The second batter hit a pitiful high fly to Mahki in left field. He got underneath with time to spare and caught the second out. The third out of the inning was a routine grounder to Noah, who easily fielded it to Julian. We jogged back to the dugout in high spirits.

    Dave stayed in his bubble and didn''t talk to anyone. It was a little strange not to hear his chatter throughout the course of the game. Even when he was in the bullpen, he would be jabbering away. The only words I really heard him say since warm ups was that compliment to Noah.

    We would start the inning with Jason, Julian and Dave. The good vibes seem to be flowing as we started strong. Jason singled and Julian walked. As a new pitcher came in for Porterville, I saw how zoned out Dave looked. Maybe zoned out wasn''t the right phrase. His eyes were focused on the mound, but not on the pitcher. It was like he couldn''t wait to get back out there and work his way to his own perfect game.

    "Is he going to be alright up there?" I asked Noah with a slight frown.

    Noah shook his head and sighed. "He''s not thinking about batting or offense at all. Chances are...he''ll strike out. At least that would be better than a double play."

    I guess. I just can''t see what''s so great about pitching. Hitting was more fun.

    True to Noah''s prediction, Dave struck out looking on three pitches. Not like he was looking at the pitches. He had something else on his mind.

    Tony moved to the batter''s box, Kelvin to the on deck circle, and Noah was in the hole. He had already put on his helmet and grabbed his bat. Now he was tightening his batting gloves as if they could be loose.

    I also put on my helmet and grabbed my bat. I ran my fingers over it a few times and decided it would need some care tonight. I could feel a few splinters that needed to be sanded down in case they caused problems later on.

    As I moved to stand beside Noah, he whispered to me. "Do you think Tony can get another hit? I really want to get an at bat with multiple runners on. Maybe I could push us to ten, and then Dave will shut them out. It would be a perfect mercy ruled game. Unique right?"

    "Can it be considered a perfect game if he doesn''t pitch all seven innings..?" I asked, not sure about the rules for classifications.

    Noah paused. Blinked. Blinked again. His mouth opened, yet nothing came out. I guess he didn''t know. Or at least, didn''t even think about it.

    Tony hit a big one to distract us from the question at hand. It went down the first baseline to the corner of the field, making the right fielder chase it down. Both Jason and Julian scored, making the score 9-0. Tony slid into second even though a throw didn''t come to try and get him out. He stood up and smiled at the dugout that cheered for him.

 257 Game: @ Porterville HS 7

    Kelvin followed up with a single, moving tony up to third base.

    Noah flexed his bicep at me as I came out to the on deck circle. "This is it! I''ll hit a big one and push us to ten!"

    "Good luck!" I told him sincerely as he moved to the batter''s box.

    Noah got in the righty''s side and got set. He looked steady and his hands had a firm grip on his bat. The new pitcher wasn''t that much better than the original, but he didn''t throw as many balls. It''s not like he had great control, yet he could get it over the plate with some speed. Noah was ready, and completely focused. He connected on a good pitch, after a few fouls, sending it towards center field.

    "Drop!"

    "It''ll drop, be ready to run!"

    "Drop! Drop! Drop!"

    The center fielder was sprinting forward, stretched out glove first, and dove for Noah''s hit. He slid and rolled in the grass, then he stood up, holding his glove high. Caught.

    "Awe."

    "Shoot. That would have been a good one."

    Noah''s face reflected the comments I overheard. He looked at the outfielder in disbelief, shook his head, and started to walk back to the dugout. He caught me looking at him and turned his expression around to smile at me. "Tough break." He shrugged. "I was robbed just like you now." He laughed at himself, but I don''t think it was out of humor. He rested his hand on my shoulder. "Help me out and drive in at least one run so I won''t feel so guilty please?"

    I nodded, holding up my bat. "I''ve got this."

    He laughed and let go of me. "It''s good to hear you sound so confident. It makes me feel at ease." He grabbed his bat and went inside the dugout as I headed for the batter''s box.

    Confident? I guess I did sound sure of myself. But I really felt that way too. These pitchers weren''t difficult to figure out. The only tricky part was trying to hit the ball in what I think is the best direction. I pulled my bat back, elbow up, ready to swing at this guys pitch.

    He came at me with a pitch on the inside that could have been a borderline ball, but I was intent on swinging at this first pitch, hoping to catch their team off guard. I pulled it and sent a line drive over first base and down the line. Everyone took off, including me, since it was obvious that the right fielder wasn''t going to be able to catch it before it bounced.

    After making sure that I could make it safely, I ran to second base without the need to slide. I turned on the base to watch the action at home plate. Tony had already scored and was watching Kelvin barrel on in. The second baseman received the throw from right field, spun all the way around and threw a bullet to his catcher, trying to get Kelvin. Too bad for them, Kelvin stepped on home plate just as the catcher caught the ball. 11-0. We did it! On the offense side at least. Now as long as Dave doesn''t give up more than one run, the game will be called due to the ten run lead.

    They returned to the dugout as the team celebrated and got loud. As I tried to regain my posture and proper breathing, I spotted Noah in the dugout beaming at me. I felt happy that I got some justice for him.

    Coach shared some words with Mahki, giving me some more time to calm my breathing down. I don''t know if they spoke about anything significant or not, but I was glad for the break. If Mahki hit the ball right after I ran to second base, I''m pretty sure my lungs would burst from the pressure. When he finally stepped up to bat, he continued to kill more time by taking all the pitches. The pitcher must have been rattled though, because he started to get more erratic and pitched away from Mahki. After four balls, Mahki jogged to first base on a walk.

    Two on, two out, for Zeke. A mini d��j�� vu moment flashed before my eyes as I remembered the last inning where I was on second base with two outs, with Zeke up to bat. Except we had a few differences now. A new pitcher. And Mahki at first base. Unfortunately the result was the same. Identical, in fact. He had hit another fly ball to right field.

    As he walked back to the dugout, I studied his movements to try and see what Noah was able to see last week when Zeke had thrown a ball in. However, I''m not Noah, so I couldn''t see any difference, good or bad. He just looked like normal Zeke to me.

    I jogged into the dugout and ditched my helmet for a hat and picked up my glove. Noah was already out on the field so I hurried to catch up. I wanted to express my concern more clearly this time before I forget.

    I held my hand up to Julian so he wouldn''t throw us grounders as I tried to talk to Noah. He raised an eyebrow, but didn''t say anything as he went to throwing only to Jason.

    "What''s up?" Noah asked. "Are you breathing okay?"

    I nodded. "I want to ask you to watch Zeke..."

    "Uh, why?" Noah glanced behind him where Zeke was playing catch with Mahki.

    "Do you think he could still be hurt?" I fiddled with my glove, kind of nervous mentioning this concern aloud. Noah had this thing about putting stuff out into the universe because it could become true or something.

    "What? How come you came up with that idea? We saw him practice with Stanford right? He looked just fine." He looked surprise.

    I kicked at the dirt. "True." I mumbled. "But just now he hit into a fly out for the second time to the same spot. I wasn''t too worried, but then you talked about the ball traveling further in higher altitudes. It just doesn''t feel right that I could hit a home run, but Zeke can''t. At least, not in these conditions."

    An odd, eerie silence filled the gap between us. The sounds of our teammates playing catch, the fans in the stands talking, and me kicking at the dirt all seemed like background music.

    "You''re right." Noah said behind clenched teeth. I looked up to find him in an unpleasant mood. "I''ll keep a look out. I''ll also say something to Dad."

    I gulped. From his tone of voice, I could tell Noah was upset and slightly leaning towards anger and disappointment. "I could be wrong." I played with my glove. "Maybe he just had a bad day. You said that happens. That''s how the averages get normalized. There''ll be good days and bad. Zeke went 2-4. That''s still good."

    Noah''s facial expression loosened up and relaxed into a light smile. "Yea, I said that. I don''t know. Doesn''t hurt to be on the lookout though."

    I nodded, glad to see him return to normal.

    "Hey! Get into position!" Dave hollered making me jump. I looked around and found that everyone was ready for the game to resume except for us.

    I sprinted to my spot and Noah backed up to his.

 258 Game: @ Porterville HS 8

    When Dave saw that we were ready, his frown turned to a grin. The kind where he looked happy beyond belief. The bottom of the fifth would start with Porterville''s cleanup hitter, who had hit a fly ball to center field in the second inning. Maybe he could do it again and Noah would be able to see Zeke in action. Not that I hoped anything was wrong with him...I just worry since Mr. Atkins is very against lying and hiding potential injuries. I don''t know if all parents were like that, but it wasn''t a bad trait to have in my eyes.

    I bent my knees a little and hit my hand into my glove a few times, not because I was ready for anything to come my way, but mostly just to imitate Noah so it looks like I know what I''m doing. Unfortunately, it acted like a summons. The cleanup hitter smacked a hard grounder towards my left side.

    I tried to dive at it similar to Noah''s earlier stop, but it bounced out of my glove. I scrambled for it and tried my best to throw it to Julian. Julian stretched out to the max and caught my sloppy throw just before the batter arrived at first.

    "Out!" The first base ump pumped his fist.

    I put a hand on my chest and let out a breath of air. Shoot. I almost messed that up. I dusted myself off and stood back up on my feet. That was the first time the ball came my way all game, and hopefully it would be the last.

    "Nice stop! Good work!" Noah clapped his glove. I glanced to my right and saw him smiling with pride, which only made me feel more embarrassed. He only thought it was a good stop for a newbie player like me.

    I turned my attention back to the mound, where Dave was already set on facing the next batter up. The fact that Dave didn''t compliment my play like he did Noah''s, spoke volumes. I wasn''t even close to being satisfactory just yet. Dave started to pitch harder against the batter. Not necessarily faster, but he found some good locations in the strike zone causing the batter to strike out. One more out to go.

    The third batter up this inning was sixth in the lineup. Not bad, but not the best. Supposedly. He had that fly out to right field in his one and only at bat. Is it too much to ask that he repeats? I didn''t dare to clap my glove in case it summoned another grounder my way.

    On a 2-2 count, Dave pitched a fastball to the outer edge of the strike zone and I prayed for a strike out to end the game so Dave would receive his perfect game. The batter didn''t listen to my prayers though. The edge of his bat grazed the ball and pulled it forward between Julian and me. Julian must have had more confidence in me than I did myself, because he didn''t hesitate to run to first base to cover the bag instead of going after the ball. I sprinted to my left and squatted so the ball could roll into my glove. I transitioned the ball from glove to my right hand so I could throw to Julian.

    As I started to throw, my planting foot slid in the dirt and my throw was off. Again. Julian athletically jumped to catch my badly thrown ball and instead of tagging the base, he tagged the player who was trying to make it there. The third out! The game''s over!

    The head umpire called it and our team started to celebrate. Of course, they all tackled Dave at the mound. Kyle was one of the first to run out of the bullpen and jumped on his twin''s back. The rest of the team was also crowding him.

    "I guess it really does count as a perfect game!" Noah slapped me on the shoulder, smiling ear to ear.

    "Of course it does." Tony snorted as he joined us from the outfield. "A perfect games is defined as a finished game without giving up a walk, hit, or run. As long as there aren''t any baserunners, then he got it." He patted us both before sprinting into the pack of teammates.

    His words made Noah excited and he sprinted towards the pile to jump in as well.

    As for me? My anxiety was amped up. Another perfect game for our team. Two in one season. By a pair of twins. And both games ended with me throwing out the last guy. I thought back to the conversation Mr. Atkins and I had on the bathroom floor after I threw up. The chances of this coming up again is minuscule. Almost nonexistent he claimed. Yet here we are.

    I looked into my glove. And I almost blew it this time. If I thought I got lucky the first time around, then this time can only be considered a blessing. I slipped because of my lack of focus. I need to practice more on my fielding. Both grounders this inning were sloppy in execution.

    Nepotism. The word flashed in my brain a few times. I knew the word well. Noah hated it and what it implied on a daily basis. For me, I thought it was fitting. At least to my situation. I received preferential treatment since I lived with the Atkins. My skill didn''t match their level of play, yet they allowed me on the team. Sure, my batting was great, but we just killed a team 11-0. They didn''t need me for that. With someone like Zeke in their lineup, why would they need me?

    "Kid? Kid, you alright?" A deep voice said from nearby, then my vision was suddenly filled with the trainer putting the oxygen mask on me. "It''s okay. Just breathe normally. Relax."

    My arms felt heavy and my knees felt weak. I wanted to throw up, but I couldn''t with the mask on. The trainer pulled me off my imaginary cliff in my head before I could lose myself to the ugly thoughts in my head. Worthless. Loveless. Useless.

    I started to sway before falling backwards. Arms caught me from behind, then slowly lowered me, helping me sit on my butt in the dirt.

    "Jake?" It was Zeke. He came out from behind me to look at my face, but I closed my eyes, trying to not let him see my shame. I heard him ask the trainer. "Will he be okay? Should I go get my parents?"

    "What''s happening over here?" Another masculine voice joined the encirclement. It was coach. "Is Jake still having trouble breathing?" Yes, but not because of the high altitude.

    "I want to suggest to his parents that he be taken to a hospital to get checked out." The trainer told the pair. "At the very least, get below 4000ft. elevation and schedule an appointment with his primary care physician before he takes another trip to the mountains. I don''t believe there''s anything significantly wrong, but it''s always good to check for a second opinion."

    More words were said, plans were made, yet I wasn''t focused. With my eyes closed and the oxygen mask over half my face, helping me breathe, I started to feel tired. Not a sleepy kind of tired, but more of an exhausted kind of tired. Mentally tired. Of myself. I sighed.

 259 Game: @ Porterville HS 9

    After a few minutes, I felt the surroundings get quieter and was almost lulled to sleep if it wasn''t for the fact that I felt someone was touching me. My eyes burst open and I started to struggle.

    "Woah! Calm down! Steady!" A warm voice tried to soothe me as his arms tightened around my shoulders and under my knees. It was then I realized that I was being carried. By Mr. Atkins. I looked around frantically, trying to figure where I was and what was going on. "Jake? Jake, it''s okay."

    I looked up at him, squinting. "Where are we?" We we''re no longer at the baseball field, or even at Porterville High School. We were in a long hallway, with a light brown on the walls. "Where''s my shoes? My hat?" I started to notice things that were missing. I didn''t fall asleep. Or...did I? I thought I didn''t, but nothing was familiar right now. Except for the man that was carrying me.

    "We''re at a doctors office." Mr. Atkins squatted and put me down on my feet, which were only covered by socks. "You fell asleep right after the game when the trainer was administering the oxygen. How are you feeling?"

    "I fell asleep..?" I mumbled, still not believing him. It didn''t feel like I slept at all. More like a blink. I merely rested my eyes.

    Mr. Atkins looked concerned. "Yep, dead to the world. Scared Noah, but we explained that you were probably exhausted from the intense activity at a high elevation. Come, let gets to the doctors office and get you checked in. Mary had called ahead."

    "Called ahead? When? Where is she? Where are the boys?" I looked around still in that empty hall but I was expecting them to show up any minute.

    Mr. Atkins gave me a strange look. "They''re already home, I believe. I took you straight to our family physician from the field. Noah packed up your cleats and hat for you, but I forgot about your regular shoes."

    "So...it''s been a few hours..?" I paused, trying to calculate the time it would take to drive all the way back to Watsonville.

    "Yes, it''s almost 9pm." He put his hand on my back and started to guide me towards this supposed doctors office. "We should mention this lost of time to Dr. Walker. He sees all the boys so don''t be too nervous."

    "Doctors don''t make me nervous." I replied, still trying to piece together the afternoon and evening that have now disappeared. "I spent almost half a year with them. Women doctors and nurses just give me the creeps though. It was weird to go from a woman, who would beat me for no reason, to then suddenly have a woman around my mom''s age to change my bandages."

    We arrived at an office door, and walked into a little lobby. An older woman was seated behind the glass. She looked up and smiled at the sight of us. Slightly creeping me out. "Hello, Wayne. We were just wondering when you would get here. You can head on back to examination room number one. I''ll let him know you both made it."

    Mr. Atkins returned her smile with one of his own. "Thanks Anna.As you can guess, this is Jake. Jake, this is Anna May. She''s the receptionist and nurse for Dr. Walker."

    I nodded at her.

    Mr. Atkins guided me through another door, and we came to a small hallway of multiple doors. We entered through one labeled ''Exam One'' and he sat down on a side chair, leaving me the exam table. I sighed and hopped up.

    We didn''t even wait a full minute before an older gentleman walked in with a white lab coat on. He shook Mr. Atkins hand immediately. "Hello, Wayne. Good to see you. How are the boys doing? Baseball going well?"

    Mr. Atkins smiled. "Yes, everything is great with the four. Here, this is Jake. Our foster son. He''s the one we called you about."

    "Right." He faced me and the wrinkles by his eyes multiples when he smiled at me. "Jake. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand for me to shake, so I did so. "I''m Dr. Darien Walker, a family physician. Wayne called my office earlier to ask of I could stay in late to see you. What brings you in tonight?"

    "We just came from a game in the mountains and I think he may have had altitude sickness. The game was up in Porterville. He had trouble breathing and right after the game, even with an oxygen mask it seems like he passed out. I say this because he just woke up in the hallways and had some mild confusion as if he didn''t know he fell asleep."

    Dr. Walker looked at Mr. Atkins. "Wayne. I know you like to be involved, but you should know that I like to hear it from my patients."

    Mr. Atkins'' smile started to look forced. "Well, Jake is a little bit special. I was able to have his medical records sent over before we arrived, but not his psyche records. He suffers from social anxiety and selective mutism."

    "Ah." He looked at me. "Do you mind answering my questions? If not, we can figure out something else to do to help you. But for a more accurate diagnosis, it''s always best to hear it from the patient and for the patient to be honest."

    I swallowed. "It''s okay. I''m okay with just us."

    He smiled. "Okay. Let''s start with when you started to feel unwell."

    "I didn''t feel sick at first. I was just having trouble breathing after running around the bases. It got easier after the athletic trainer brought an oxygen thingy to help me. And then after the game I started to feel sick to my stomach. Then I woke up here."

    "Okay." He pulled up to a computer and started to type, probably inputting my information. "Let''s talk about your medical history first."

    Ahhh. This is gonna take awhile then. I let out a dejected sigh.

 260 Medical History

    "I see you have a colorful past." He clicked on the mouse, looking at his computer. "Plenty of broken bones. Torn muscles here and there. Severe concussion. Boy, you took a beating."

    I noticed Mr. Atkins nervous glances.

    "I did. The doctors at that hospital saved my life." I spoke candidly. "Broken ribs. A punctured lung. My legs broke. A cracked skull. A lot of stitches and glue. But they took care of me. I had to stay there for therapy and rehabilitation. I''m okay now."

    "Hmmm." The doctor didn''t reply right away. He read more off the computer, trying to read everything they had treated me for last summer. When he finished, he stood up and walked to the door. "Come here and get on the scale for me. I want to take some new numbers for comparison and to update your profile."

    I obediently got up and moved his way. Back during my hospitalization, they would weigh me every week so I was used to this. I stepped on the scale and watched as the digital screen flashed a few minutes before coming up with a number. Four to be exact. 99.02lbs.

    "Only 99 pounds?!" Mr. Atkins no longer looked calm. He got up from his seat to get a better look at the scale to see if it would magically change.

    Dr. Walker didn''t say anything. He directed me to the wall to measure my height. "Five foot, one and a half of an inch." He went back to his computer to input the info. "Go ahead and take a seat again. Next I''ll do some manual work."

    I complied, trying to avoid looking at Mr. Atkins. He was still in shock over my height and weight, staring at me like I could vanish in thin air. Dr. Walker finished the typing and stood by the table I sat on. He first had me stretch out while lying down, then he started to touch me.

    I flinched away.

    "Sorry, Jake." He told me. "I want to get a feel for your muscles for bulk, strength, tenderness, and tone. Just want to make sure nothing is atrophied."

    I gave a single nod and tried not to move so much as he squeezed, poked, and flex different parts of my body. After a thorough examination he took a seat by his computer to input his thoughts. Then he faced me, looking me in the eye before he started to speak. "I''m going to schedule some lab work for you. What that means is you''ll come in and we''ll have a nurse available to withdraw some blood so we can run some tests. I''d like to address your malnutrition a little more seriously. I can see from your records that you''ve gain weight and even grew a little, however it''s not enough. Especially for a growing boy trying to play a sport at a high intensity level."

    He glanced to Mr. Atkins. "I''ll be sending in the request for the tests. And I''ll print out some suggestions and steps you can take to help him battle malnutrition. Focus on pasta, bread, veggies, and especially potatoes. Having a baked potato at least every other day will do more than you think. More frequent healthy snacks too. More milk and other dairy products. No bingeing on junk food."

    Mr. Atkins nodded, hands on his knees, looking as serious as Zeke usually looks.

    Dr. Walker backed up so he could give both of us his attention. "Altitude sickness is very serious, but as long as you don''t push yourself too hard when you''re there, you''ll get used to it. Subsequently, if you don''t, you can come back to talk about medication options. Mainly, I think your malnutrition can be the root of most of your problems. With malnutrition, you''re at risk for reduced muscle mass, which can lead to decreased mobility and stamina." He took a breath. "Other adverse effects can include: difficulty breathing, a slower immune response, and a hard time staying warm. Jake, are you cold often?"

    "I thought it was because it''s colder up north in winter." I blurted out, thinking about how I wear jackets over sweaters because it''s so cold.

    Dr. Walker laughed. "You''re not wrong. But your malnutrition could be causing you to be cold all the time. Fat helps with insulation and keeps you warm. You...have no fat. At all. So try to eat fruits and vegetables in your free time to help with the calorie count."

    I nodded, happy to hear that malnutrition could explain most of my problems. The only thing left to address is the black out I had. I thought I merely rested my eyes for a minute and then suddenly hours had passed by.

    "What about his confusion after waking up?" Mr. Atkins was already on it. "After an almost three hour nap, he woke up confused on where he was. It''s like he didn''t know he was waking up from a nap."

    "With his given history, and with the records I haven''t seen, I would suggest you have a visit with a psychologist. Do you guys have one yet? I can make a recommendation and draft up a referral, if you want?"

    Mr. Atkins replied for us. "It''s alright. We''re already set up with Dr. Moore just around the corner. Are you sure it doesn''t have anything with the altitude sickness though?"

    Dr. Walker nodded. "Good choice. And I won''t say I''m 100% certain, but without seeing any visible bumps on the head, it''s not a common complaint. Now, if it happens again, and you''re still worried, just come back in and we''ll order a MRI too. But first, ask your psychologist." He directed the last line at me.

    I figured as much.

 261 Balance

    After receiving a stack of papers printed out from his computer, Dr. Walker handed them over to Mr. Atkins and started reiterating the instructions. He provided examples of what I should eat and how often I should eat so I can get to the national weight average for boys my height.

    "If I can gain more weight, will I grow taller too?" I cut in, feeling more than a little self-conscious about how short I was.

    Dr. Walker gave me a friendly smile. "Nothing is guaranteed, but I''m positive you''ll grow at least a little. Don''t let it worry you too much. I''ve known some young men, who were completely healthy, and they didn''t have a growth spurt until after they graduated high school. I''ve also known some who peaked at 5''8" in elementary school. It''s all based on genetics and random luck."

    "Genetics?" I thought back to when Noah and I discussed how tall I could be. So there''s still hope. I won''t be this short forever.

    I happily got off the table and prepared to leave. Dr. Walker finished handing off papers and instructions for me to Mr. Atkins. I was to come back tomorrow for the lab work and to make an appointment with Dr. Moore. The thought of making an appointment with his made my smile disappear. It was like a new thing every week between him and I. Would I have to see him for the rest of my life?

    I shook my head at the thought. There''s no way. I''m sure there''s an end to this journey. One day, I''ll be completely okay, inside and out.

    After saying our goodbyes, Mr. Atkins led the way through the halls and we found our way out. It was almost ten at night as we got in the car and started to head to the house.

    "When do you think you would like to see Dr. Moore? I can call him tomorrow morning to see if he''s available in the afternoon or we can wait a day?" Me. Atkins asked as he kept his eyes on the road.

    I shrugged and looked out the window. "Whenever."

    He was quiet for a minute as we drove through the town, then he spoke up. "Were you not feeling well because of the perfect game? I remember during Kyle''s, you got sick afterwards because of the pressure. Was it the same feeling?"

    I gulped. "I don''t want to let anyone down."

    "You didn''t, Jake. You did great! Two of the outs were all thanks to you."

    "But I almost messed up..."

    "But you didn''t! You got it done. On the scorecard, they don''t state how ugly the play looks or how it was a close call. It states the facts. You threw out the runner by fielding a grounder."

    I guess. Just-I hate knowing it could have gone another way. It''s the same feeling when I look back on the time I spent with my mother. If I had spoke up to someone then, my life could have been different. Or what if she had killed me instead? Or maybe if my dad and brother stuck around, they could have gotten her to be a different person. I don''t like the feeling of the unknown.

    "And what about your batting?" Mr. Atkins changed the topic. "You were awesome at the plate. 4-4. You were responsible for half the runs. You can''t just look at the negatives in life. You have to balance it out with the positives so you can stay level-headed."

    Oh. That''s true I guess. If I balance out my batting talent with my crappy fielding that should make me mediocre. But is that good enough to be on varsity? "Do you think I belong on the team? Or that I''m just receiving special treatment?" I faced forward, but glanced over to Mr. Atkins.

    "I honestly believe that you belong on this varsity team." Mr. Atkins said with conviction.

    "But?"

    He tapped the steering wheel. "We live in a smaller town compared to other schools. It''s why we''re not a division one high school. There aren''t another players. Which means there''s also a lesser chance for talent. It''s still early so you haven''t seen much in baseball. University Prep was an eye opener right? Well there, you probably wouldn''t make their freshman team. They have a higher standard for quality. That''s not to say we don''t too. It''s just we have to make do with what we have."

    "So I shouldn''t be on the team?" I felt depressed even though I never really wanted to be on the team. I only wanted to play with Noah. Now I was having different thoughts.

    "That''s not what I said. It''s like this. You''re great at batting, but still learning the importance of fielding and positional play. In a big school, they have plenty of kids who can bat and field, so they wouldn''t need you. They would probably ask that you practice fielding on your own before trying out again. Meanwhile at Watsonville, your bat can make up for the lack of skill in fielding. The coach has less options to choose from so it''s better to take players who are great in one area and then just help them learn the other. Take the twins for example. Great pitchers. Sometimes. They can at least get the ball into the strike zone. But neither of them can hit to save their lives."

    I stifled a laugh.

    "It''s okay to laugh." He smiled. "That''s just the way it is. They understand it too and that''s why they try even harder at what they''re good at. But that doesn''t mean they stop practicing their hitting. That''s important too." He glanced at me. "Just let the coach do his job. If he wants you in, then he has a reason. He knows how to balance a team out."

    I nodded thoughtfully. Somehow I felt better with Mr. Atkins explanation and examples. Even though he practically said I wouldn''t be able to play in a big school with my nonexistent experience, he still thinks I belong with this team.

    Mr. Atkins parked in the driveway and we went inside the house. Surprisingly, all the lights were on and everyone was up even though it was late on a school night.

    "Jake!" Noah heard the door open and raced through the hallway to tackle me. Since I was still in just my socks, I couldn''t stand very steady on the tile. Noah didn''t help at all. With him weighing me down, I fell on my butt and he landed on me. "Oops. Sorry." He got up and started to pull me up to as everyone else filled up the foyer area.

    "Why didn''t you call or text? I was getting worried." Mrs. Atkins scolded her husband.

    "Ah, my phone must have died. Everything will be fine though. Come look at this." Mr. Atkins passed over the paperwork. "Jake doesn''t even weigh a hundred pounds."

    "Oh my lord." She looked over the papers. "I can''t believe he''s so underweight. We need him to eat more from now on."

    "More often too. He gave us some suggestions." Mr. Atkins started to point out the key points, leaving me with the boys.

    "You punk! You had us worried!" Dave grabbed me out from Noah''s hands and started to swing me around. "I turned to celebrate my perfect game with you and you were passed out!"

    "I''m okay. I just napped." I said plainly, kind of used to being treated like their toy.

    "Who would have thought that both perfect games would be ended by you!" Kyle joined in.

    "Hey! I was the one the make the stop in your game!" Noah argued.

    "Yea, but it was a double play, and Jake was the one to get that second out. Too amazing."

    They argued, Dave swung me around recapping the game as if I had amnesia, and Zeke just watched us from the side. Looking at him reminded me of his fly outs and how he didn''t do as much as me at the plate today.

    Maybe that''s just balance too. No one can be perfect at the plate. Noah has told me that multiple times. As long as you''re batting an average of .300 then that already means that you''re good. Zeke has multiple multi-hit games so I guess it''ll have to balance out eventually. He still had two hits so there''s nothing to worry about.

 262 Collecting the Winnings 1

    Monday morning, all of us were sluggish in our movements to get going for the day. None of us got to bed before midnight, which was more true for me than them. After staying up and talking about the game, and what to do about my lack of nutrition, I still had to do my homework and shower before sleeping.

    "Did you get to the math homework last night?" Dave whispered as we walked down the stairs for breakfast.

    I nodded and let out a yawn.

    "Okay, we''ll find you at lunch so we could see it." He sped up and beat me to the table.

    "See it?" Noah snorted from beside me. "More like to copy. One of these days, we''re gonna have to cash in on your hard work."

    If it was my hard work, then why is it a ''we'' cashing in? But I let it go. I wasn''t one to blackmail others. That was obviously Noah''s expertise. I''m pretty sure he could get a bigger reward than I ever could too.

    At breakfast, we usually picked what we wanted to eat out of the choices given. Today, however, was different. But only for me. At my usual spot, two plates were already there, piled up with waffles, pancakes, fruits, a bagel, bacon, and scrambled eggs. I looked around the table to see if it belonged to someone else.

    "It''s yours, Jake." Zeke confirmed, nodding at my spot. "Sit and eat. We can''t be late for school."

    I slowly sat down, and Noah plopped in his seat next to mine. Noah took his empty plate and filled it up with his favorites, yet it didn''t amount to half of what was in front of me.

    "Time to fatten you up!" Kyle laughed as I studied my plate, trying to figure out where to begin.

    I grabbed a piece of bacon and started to eat. Then the scrambled eggs. And then the waffle. After that, I looked to Noah for help. I was stuffed. There was no way I could eat anymore unless I wanted to throw up which would be counterproductive.

    Noah understood right away, and smiled at me before hollering for his mom. "Mom! Come here for a second!"

    Mrs. Atkins, who had been in the office all morning, came out and took a look at Noah. "What is it honey?"

    "Jake''s full. He doesn''t have to eat everything you put on his plate, does he?" Noah explained, gesturing to my leftover food.

    Mrs. Atkins let out a short laugh. "No, he doesn''t have to finish. I just want him to eat as much as possible." She moved to the kitchen and came back with Noah''s lunch bag and mine. "I packed more food too so don''t hold back. Noah, I want to ask you if you could make sure he eats a snack between classes?"

    Noah raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

    "Dr. Walker suggested he eat more frequently. So I packed a few easy to eat snacks for when you guys change classes. There''s almonds, a banana, a granola bar, some grapes. Plenty of items to choose from."

    "Uh, if he eats all that during the morning, will he even be hungry for lunch?" Noah asked.

    "Nope. I''ve looked over some of the information that was given and it''ll actually keep his metabolism going. I also picked snacks that aren''t too fulfilling so it should be fine." She looked at me with a smile. "If you have any favorites or dislikes in today''s food, just leave it in there so I know you won''t eat it in the future."

    I nodded and put the bag of food in my backpack.

    We followed the normal routine and Zeke rushing us to get in the car so we could get to school. Noah and I waited for Mr. Miller like usual, and caught a ride up to the school building. It wasn''t the only thing I caught though. I caught grief from Mr. Miller for making them worry and stress over my wellbeing. The whole ride up to the school he lectured me on taking care of myself and knowing when not to overdo it. It''s important to go all out and give your complete effort, but health and safety come first.

    Noah was quick to inform him of my diagnosis: malnutrition was holding me back. He quickly told him of his parents plan to combat this to help me get better.

    Mr. Miller nodded in agreement and told Noah to make sure I ate properly.

    I pouted. Why is everyone telling Noah to make sure I eat? We were the same age and it''s not like I''m more irresponsible than he is. I also didn''t have an eating disorder. I ate three meals a day, all with the Atkins so they should know I wasn''t skipping out.

    "Hey, why do you look so depressed? We aren''t even in class yet." Noah joked as we walked to his locker.

    I shrugged. "I just feel like everyone is treating you as my babysitter. We''re the same age."

    Noah laughed. "It''s not like I''m your babysitter. It''s because I''m with you 95% of the day. Mom will probably ask me what you liked most for a snack or something after practice. She doesn''t want to hover over you and make you uncomfortable so she''s using me to take notes." He thought for a minute. "As for Mr. Miller? He probably thinks you''ll forget or zone out like you do sometimes. Nothing too in-depth to look at there."

    "I don''t zone out." I replied.

    "You do. All the time." Noah laughed and hurried me from his locker to our class, after we had changed our books. "But that''s okay. I''m sure there''s a lot on your mind."

    "Hm." Maybe. Kind of. I guess. Crazy mom will do that I guess. I should bring this up to Dr. Moore when I see him this week.

    "Oh, right! Did I tell you that there''ll be a surprise at lunch?" Noah asked as we sat in our seats of our first class of the day. I shook my head. "We''ll be collecting our winnings!"

 263 Collecting the Winnings 2

    Collect our winnings? I didn''t understand. And Noah wouldn''t give me any hints after dropping that bomb. He just told me to be patient and wait for lunch time.

    Throughout the day, between every class, Noah was diligent in making sure I tried one of my snacks. Mrs. Atkins was very thoughtful and made sure they were small in size and quick to eat, so I was able to finish one every time we switched classes. There was nothing that I was unsatisfied with. It''s weird that they were concern that I might not like something, but I''m not a picky eater...I couldn''t be picky growing up. I ate what I could.

    My old elementary school had something called a ''share table'' during lunch, where kids would put their unwanted food for someone else to have. That was the only way I could have lunch so I took whatever was available. Now I have someone catering to me. It was such a turnaround that I couldn''t really accept it.

    At lunch, I started to get nervous as we walked to our usual bench outside. Today was cold, yet the sun was out making it nice and bright. We sat down and started to open up our lunches. We didn''t even start eating when his brothers showed up with part of the team.

    "Math?" Dave asked, sitting next to me.

    "At least let him eat first." Kyle rolled his eyes, sitting next to Noah on the other side of the bench.

    Zeke sat at the other table with the seniors, as more of the team started to show up.

    As I pulled out my math homework and handed it over to the twins, I raised an eyebrow at Noah. This is the surprise? But what does this have to do with collecting winnings? Is he planning to blackmail the twins so soon?

    Noah grinned. Then he lifted his head a little up, gesturing for me to look behind me. I slowly turned and a familiar group of girls were heading our way. I tensed up. The softball team. They didn''t look as intimidating as when they were in their uniforms, but they still carried the same aura of arrogance as they marched over.

    "Finally." Kyle spoke extra loud as soon as they got close enough. "I thought you girls were backing out."

    Marie glared at him. She walked straight up to our table and slammed down a plastic container in the center. I jumped, knocking a little into Dave.

    Dave frowned at his math sheet that he was trying to copy. He erased his wayward writing and fixed it to make sure it was right. Then he looked up at Marie. "Is there a reason to be so aggressive? You''re frightening Jake." I blinked in surprise. In yesterday''s confrontation with Marie, Dave stayed silent the whole time as if he had nothing to do with her.

    Marie flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Not my problem. Here''s the goods." She looked back to her team and waved them over. Soon, all of them were placing plastic containers on all the available table space. "That''s enough right?"

    "I don''t know, let''s ask the stars of yesterday''s game." Kyle looked to Dave and me. "Satisfied?"

    Dave opened the container Marie placed at the center. He reached in and pulled out a cookie. He waved it around. "Smells good." He acted as if he was going to take a bite and then handed it to Marie. "You first."

    Marie rolled her eyes. "What? You think I poisoned it?"

    "I wouldn''t put it pass you." Dave laughed. "But I''m more concerned about you adding laxatives or something else. At least this way, we''ll both be sick together."

    A laxative? Can you add that to cookies? I gave the container a wary look.

    Marie took an angry bite of the cookie, chewed, and swallowed. "Happy?"

    Dave grinned, and nodded. He took two more out of the container, handed me one and kept one for himself. "Thanks for your hard work."

    I mindlessly accepted the cookie and ate it without hesitation. It was weird for that Dave was telling me thanks when it was him, who did most of the work.

    "You all are welcomed to join us." Kyle said benevolently. "There''s plenty of room and cookies to go around."

    The girls started to sit down, but most went to the other table with our seniors. Some glared at Kyle, still upset about the ''trash'' comment from yesterday.

    Dave looked up to Marie. "You gonna just stand there and eat? Or do you want to sit down?" He wiggled closet to me, leaving her space on the end.I didn''t understand what was going on anymore. There was obviously hate going on, yet Dave was showing off an oddly nice side of himself.

    Marie snorted, and plopped down next to Dave. "I''m only sitting here to prove that you guys winning yesterday had no effect on me. We made cookies like you asked. Now let''s talk about the next game."

    The next one? They want to compete again?

    "Isn''t it better if we supported one another instead?" Dave suggested, sounding more and more not like himself.

    "Sure! Let''s do that!" A bag was flung down and someone squeezed next to me. "In the next game, the one with worded stats has to cheer the other team on as cheerleaders. In skirts and everything." Bailey had pushed in between me and Dave.

    "No way! I''m not cross dressing for any reason!" Kyle blurted out.

    "Oh, are you afraid?" Marie asked.

    Kyle looked to the other table. "Zeke. You said no more betting right? Or we would get in trouble with coach and the school?"

    Zeke looked over here. "No more means no more. We go to the same school. Stop trying to one up one another."

    "Always relying on Zeke to bail you out, huh?" Marie smirked.

    Kyle glared at her. "It''s not like that and you know it. Zeke is our captain too. What would you do if your team didn''t listen to you? Wouldn''t that undermine your authority as a captain?"

    The juniors all continued to bicker.

    I went back to eating my giant sized lunch while munching on cookies in between.

 264 Collecting the Winnings 3

    Having Bailey between me and Dave made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Not because she reminded me of my mom, but because she was loud and used her hands to speak. I was nervous that she would accidentally knock me on the head or something.

    Noah saw my anxiety leaking through. He scooted closer to Kyle and patted the empty seat next to him. "Come here, Jake."

    I obediently switched sides and pulled my food a little closer to me. It had looked like Mrs. Atkins had doubled my normal lunch so I had plenty to eat.

    "Scared you''ll get cooties?" Bailey laughed. "You just let someone call you over like a dog. Don''t you have any self-respect?"

    I blinked. "Self-respect? What''s that supposed to mean?"

    "Pride!" She straightened her back, sitting tall.

    "What good is that?" I mumbled as I started to eat my lunch.

    Bailey either didn''t hear me or didn''t care. She just put her attention on Noah and started to give him a hard time. "And you, you shouldn''t be bossing him around just because he''s timid. Weren''t you all into protecting him yesterday on the bus?"

    Noah rolled his eyes, annoyed. "I''m protecting him right now. You were flinging your arms everywhere and almost hit him. In my eyes, you''re the bully here."

    Bailey smacked the table and leaned forward. "What! I''m not a bully!"

    "Just super aggressive." Kyle muttered.

    Marie scoffed, "If anyone is a bully here, it''s you guys. Doubling up the stats of one of your best hitters..." She shook her head. "I still feel cheated."

    "Hey! We gave you a chance!" Noah smirked. "It''s not my fault that you thought a freshman wouldn''t do well. Weren''t you also a freshman on a varsity team at one point? Didn''t you have to have a high level of skill to beat out the seniors?"

    Marie''s lips thinned as she harrumphed. "If we look at his fielding, he''s definitely not at the varsity level. He almost lost the perfect game for Dave."

    "Correction: He was good enough to save my perfect game." Dave replied.

    "It''s okay." I mumbled. "I know I played sloppy."

    The table seemed to quiet down.

    "Don''t let that get you down." A boxed lunch landed on the table. I looked up to see the lunch and words belonged to Kaylee. "On the scorecard, it doesn''t state how the play looked. It only records the outs, hits, walks, errors and runs. No error means no problem."

    I was thrown off by Kaylee''s speech. Was this really the same girl from yesterday? The one that didn''t believe I was claustrophobic?

    She dropped her backpack to the ground with the rest of ours and then pointed at the space next to me. "Can I sit here?"

    I looked to Noah for help. Is there a nice way to say no thanks? Sit somewhere else?

    Noah opened his mouth to respond, but didn''t get the chance. Kaylee pushed me over into Noah''s side. "If you''re not going to reply to me, then I''ll make the decision by myself." She sat down in her newfound seat. "You can''t just let someone speak for you all the time. It''ll give the wrong impression. Do you want to be seen as a wimp for all of high school?"

    I shook my head vigorously. Not like I cared, but I didn''t want to upset Kaylee anymore than she seems to be. Her and Marie are very type A personality people and they''re just too aggressive.

    Kaylee nodded at me, satisfied with my answer. She pulled out a bag of cookies and handed them over. "Noah said the winner of the bet wanted some homemade cookies. Here''s mine. Made from scratch!"

    Marie let out a cough. "Ah, Kaylee, we said you didn''t have to give up yours remember? Besides, these guys already have mine so just keep them for yourself."

    Kaylee gave a look to the cookies her sister had placed on the table, then looked at her. "But, you didn''t even bake any cookies last night. Aren''t these just store bought?"

    Everyone turned to Marie. She started to get red in the face. Either from embarrassment or from anger. Too soon to tell.

    Kyle was the first to recover. He grabbed a cookie out of the box and started to eat it, with a smile. "So that''s why we weren''t poisoned. I really wouldn''t have been surprised if these were filled with laxatives. Good choice!" He gave Marie a thumbs up.

    She threw her bag of chips in his face, but Kyle didn''t seem to mind. He was content with her store-bought cookies. I didn''t really mind either. I thought they were good.

    I reached to take another, but Kaylee held out hers in front, blocking me. "You wanted homemade cookies and I delivered. You''ve got to at least try one."

    I hesitated a second, but then ultimately decided it was okay. It''s not like I was losing out. Plus, she was trying to be nice. I took one, then leaned back so she could see Noah beside me.

    She handed one over to Noah too. "Here ya go! Enjoy!"

    Noah, like me, didn''t care where the cookie came from, we were just content with the sweets. We simultaneously started eating at the same time. By coincidence I saw Marie in the corner of my eye, whispering to Dave next to her. His face went from disbelief to shock to a little laugh. His eyes focused on me and Noah, making me uneasy.

    "It''s..." Noah started between bites. "It''s a little...uh. Crunchy. Did you add peanuts?"

    "Nope." She gave a light smile. "Just plain chocolate chip cookies."

    "Let me try!" Kyle reached out. "Maybe they''re just a little over-cooked."

    ''Smack!'' A loud sound reverberated around the table as Marie had slapped Kyle''s hand away.

    "Ow!" Kyle yelped, pulled back his hand and rubbed it a little. "What was that for?"

    Marie shot a glance at Dave. Dave got her meaning. "Why are you so greedy, Kyle? Let the freshmen eat the freshman cookies. Plus you didn''t even play yesterday. Why should you get any rewards?"

    Kyle raised an eyebrow at his twin. They shared a look and oddly Kyle didn''t have a comeback. Strange. Too strange.

    I eyed the cookie in my hand, yet couldn''t see anything wrong with it. It didn''t taste bad, but not super great. I was okay with it. I nudged Noah with my knee, trying to communicate with him.

    Noah just shrugged, finished his cookie, and reached for another from Kaylee''s pile.

 265 Collecting the Winnings 4

    We finished lunch as a group of ball players. Softball and baseball had some significant differences, but at the core they were the same sport with the same goal. This made it a little bit easier for the two teams to make small talk during lunch. The twins, Marie, and Bailey even shared some classes as juniors so they could talk about homework and complain about their teachers together. That didn''t mean it was a peaceful discussion though. Oh no. The twins only agreed on things half the time, so it was even more divided with the girls included.

    As for the freshmen, a.k.a.: me, Noah, and Kaylee? We mostly talked about yesterday''s games since she didn''t share the same classes as us. We had most of the same teachers because it''s a small school, but as underclassmen, our classes weren''t really that hard so there wasn''t much to discuss.

    Lunch ended and everyone started to split up and head to their respective classes. I had already switched out my books so I was ready for math and ended up just following the twins. Between the overpacked lunch from Mrs. Atkins and all the cookies I ate, I was completely stuffed. When the three of us took our seats, I slumped a little, trying to fight off the drowsiness of eating too much.

    "You''re going to gain weight in no time." Kyle laughed, prodding my bloated stomach.

    Dave laughed. "That''s if the little sisters'' cookies don''t kill him first?"

    "Little sister? Oh, Marie''s little sister? Kaylee?" Kyle asked. "What was that about? Why couldn''t I try her cookies?"

    He wasn''t able to eat the cookies?

    Dave smirked, then look at me. "Jake, you didn''t find anything wrong with the way the cookies tasted?"

    I shook my head. "No. They were fine." I thought for a second then added, "They weren''t as good as Mrs. Atkins."

    Dave laughed. "Yea I wouldn''t think so." He moved his eyebrows up and down. "Marie told me a secret about her sister."

    "What?" Kyle leaned on the table to get a better look at Dave. "Did her sister poison her cookies? Did she sneak in a laxative? Will Noah and Jake be stuck on the toilet all day?"

    I tensed up.

    Dave laughed. "Oh no, nothing like that. She''s not evil minded like Marie and Bailey. Marie just told me that her sister really can''t cook so it just tastes bad."

    Kyle made a face. "That''s not very nice. I''m sure it wasn''t bad since Jake and Noah ate it."

    "Think about Kyle...Noah said the cookie was kind of crunchy. Isn''t that just a bit odd?" Dave fought off a laugh. "She probably dropped some small egg shell pieces. How''d the extra protein taste, Jake?"

    I shrugged, not bothered. "Fine."

    Kyle unexpectedly wasn''t laughing like Dave, instead he looked concerned. "That''s not good though, right? Egg shells are too dangerous to eat. What if it cut up their throats? That could have been dangerous."

    "They turned out fine. Not hurt at all. Right, Jake?" Dave patted my shoulder.

    I gave a nod. "I''m okay." The teacher started class and I pulled out my notebook and pen to take notes. The twins, who had copied my own homework beforehand, passed our work up together before the note-taking started.

    "I''m just saying, we shouldn''t have risked it." Kyle whispered now that class had started. "Mom and Dad would be crazy upset. Plus, the girl could have gotten in trouble."

    Dave sighed. "Fine, fine. I won''t let it happen again. I just thought it was funny that they were okay with eating those cookies."

    I think Kyle was worrying over nothing. Dave didn''t have bad intentions. Well...I guess he did want us to eat bad-tasting cookies, which is a little mean. But I also don''t think there''s such a thing. All cookies are good. In fact, all food was good. I wasn''t too picky after having such limited choices growing up.

    The day continued, classes were finished, and we all met up for baseball practice after school. The day went by with ease. None of the coaches said anything about my black out after yesterday''s game and Drew wasn''t too aggressive in my endurance training. He simply said I should visit the mountains more often to get accustomed to the air pressure.

    Wednesday followed the same pattern, more or less. I had another big breakfast, classes, lunch with just Noah, more classes, and practice. Throughout the day, I was constantly given snacks of fruits and nuts, and felt a little bit of an overeater. But by the time I was done with practice, I was always ready to eat again.

    Thursday morning, Mr. Atkins let me know that we would see Dr. Moore following our afternoon game. I was kind of looking forward to it so I could ask questions about my thoughts and feelings. I wanted to know if there was a way I could overcome this feeling of pressure and anxiety. At least when it comes to baseball. That would help.

    The game in the afternoon was a home game versus Shasta High School, a team that wasn''t in our league. Noah was amped the whole day, like he couldn''t wait. Unfortunately, he suffered a blow when Coach announced our lineup before warmups: he wasn''t in the starting lineup.

    Neither was I, for that matter, yet I didn''t take it as hard as Noah. He pouted, kicked the dirt, and mumbled out a curse word. Zeke narrowed his eyes at his youngest brother, but those sharp eyes moved on to Coach when his own name had been left off the list. Kyle was the only Atkins in the game as the decided starter. There were a few looks of surprised, yet no one argued with Coach and we headed off to warmup.

    Even though Zeke wasn''t starting, he still led us through the warmups as serious as always. I''m sure there were questions he wanted to ask Coach. Noah too. His look of dissatisfaction lasted until game time when we had to watch our teammates take the field and leave us behind. Without delay, he and Zeke cornered Coach. I joined in, but mostly to listened since I could guess why I was benched.

 266 Game: VS Shasta HS 1

    Noah was obviously the first one to voice his complaints. "Coach! Why? I didn''t play poorly earlier this week, I went hard in practice, and it''s not like we''re playing a doubleheader. Why do I have to sit?" His bottom lip jutted out as he pretended to cry.

    Coach stared down at him. "Who says those are the only reasons I would sit you? It''s a long season Noah. I need to give some time to the other guys as well?"

    The pout continued. "I thought we played to win. To be competitive. What happened to the best player plays?"

    Coach crossed his arms across his chest and gave Noah a look. A look that stated he was the boss and what he says, goes. "When it matters. A non-league game like this won''t affect our standing for the conference championship. It''s good to get the other players game time so they get some experience and don''t become paper players. It''s my job as a coach to keep rotating players to find who''s been hot, who needs more help, and what I can do to change up the lineup if we fall into a slump. God willing, none of you get hurt anymore, but that''s something we have to look out for as well."

    Noah''s shoulders fell as his body posture slumped. "I won''t get hurt." He mumbled, halfheartedly.

    "There are no certainties in life besides death." Coach replied, cold-hearted. "Even Zeke has already been injured this season. Your end goal shouldn''t be to play every game. It should be to help our team will league and advance to CIF. Are you selfish or a team player?"

    Noah hesitated. "Uhh...both?"

    Coach fought back a smile, shook his head, and pointed to the bench. "Sit. It''s almost game time."

    Noah sighed and moved to the bench.

    Coach looked between me and Zeke. "I don''t have to say anything to you two, do I?"

    I thought about my struggles in the last game and immediately turned to sit next to Noah on the bench. I didn''t need a reminder on how I was a weak link.

    Zeke was the last one left to face the coach. Despite Coach implying that Zeke should know why he was being sat, he didn''t back down as easily as me and Noah. "I don''t understand. Was my performance in the last game subpar? As a captain, I should be out there to lead the team."

    Coach''s eyes narrowed at his star player. "As a captain, you should know that, what I''m doing, is best for the team. We''ll never know what the future holds for us. You were just injured last week after a hit by pitch."

    "It won''t happen again." Zeke said promptly.

    "You can''t guarantee that for sure." Coach refuted. "Some things can just be out of your control, Zeke. Take a step back, rest your body, and focus on the team. They need your guidance too. Just as much as Noah and Jake."

    Rest your body? Did he suspect Zeke too?

    "If we stay tied for a little too long or if we happen to be down a few runs, I''ll think about using you three. For now, watch the game." Coach turned his back to us and faced the field.

    Zeke didn''t argue or fight to get back into the game. Instead, he came over to sit on the other side of Noah and watched the game with us. Which was fine...except, I wanted to quiz Noah on if he said anything to his dad about Zeke not being able to hit a home run even though I could. Technically.

    The three of us sat in silence as we watched Kyle take command of the mound and start his domination. He was able to get the first batter to ground out to John at second base, then the second batter hit a slow roller back to the mound, and the third batter smacked a line drive right to Garret in left field. The starters happily came back to the dugout, prepared to start our offense.

    The lineup posted went as follows:

    1 SS Daniel Myers

    2 1B Julian Wilson

    3 CF Mahki Holstrom

    4 LF Garret Knudsen

    5 3B Chris Ludwick

    6 P Kyle Atkins

    7 C Kelvin Bender

    8 RF Tony Perkola

    9 2B John Roberts

    Sadly our offense couldn''t get anything going. Daniel popped up to the third baseman. Julian hit a grounder to their second baseman. And Mahki hit and impressively high fly ball to right field, on the warming track. Close, but not close enough.

    Us bench players seem to let out a collective sigh with the exception of Zeke. Besides us three, there was also Sean and Jason nearby, then a few pitchers that weren''t asked to be on the bullpen. Dave was on the end, but he wasn''t as depressed as the rest of us. He had pitched five full innings on Monday and exceeded the pitch count, meaning that he had to rest for three days so no matter what, he wouldn''t get to have a chance to pitch today.

    "I don''t know what coach expects to see out of Daniel." Noah sighed again, still hurt that he was benched. "I think it''s a given that I field better and even my hitting is slightly better."

    Zeke glanced down at his youngest brother. "You heard coach, he wants to see what the team can do without us. There''s a chance any one of us can get hurt in the future. Or something can pop up to make us miss a game."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Yea, yea. I get it, okay. But you can''t tell me that you don''t mind not being out there either, Zeke. Just look in the stands. I can see quite a few men that look to be scouts of some sort. Either for a professional team or college. They''re going to be at every game. Isn''t it odd that you''re not playing for them?"

    "I was never playing for them in the first place." Zeke stated. "Coach is right, the focus should be on league champions. Then CIF. Everything else will come afterwards."

    "Lies. You still have visits to do." Noah snorted.

    "Midterms are coming up. I''ll go on a trip then while we don''t have games or practice."

    "You''re skipping midterms..?" Noah''s jaw dropped. Mine too. Can you just skip school for a college visit? That doesn''t sound right.

    "I''ll take them early. There''ll be ways around it. Even if I fail a midterm, I''ll still pass the classes. Most colleges won''t pay attention to senior year grades. The focus is more on sophomore and junior year. Plus, they''ll be looking at my baseball skill above all else."

    "Ridiculous." Noah shook his head, but I couldn''t tell what for. Either because Zeke was neglecting his studies or that he couldn''t do the same just yet.

 267 Game: VS Shasta HS 2

    The second inning followed the same pattern of three up, three down. The fourth batter had the best performance with a hard line drive right to Chris''s glove. It would have been a double down the line so I thought it was a nice grab. Batter five hit a grounder to Daniel at short, and batter six struck out.

    "He wastes too much movement." Noah grumbled as his eyes followed Daniel, tracking him back to the dugout.

    "He took his time." Zeke replied. At first it sounded like an agreement, but then he continued. "You should learn not to rush as well. Be more aware of the runner. Is he fast? Is he slow? How much effort is he putting in?"

    Noah made a face to show his displeasure. "Or, don''t worry about the runner and just focus on getting the ball to Julian for the out."

    "It''s more about accuracy than speed, Noah." Zeke lectured.

    "When have I ever made a bad throw?" Zeke opened his mouth to answer, but Noah cut him off. "This year! Have I made an error yet this year?"

    "It''s still early in the season." Zeke warned.

    Noah didn''t reply.

    The team had filled up the dugout again as it was the bottom of the second inning. If our pitching and defense could be described as hot, then our offense could only be described as ice cold. Garret grounded out to third. Chris grounded out to second. And Kyle was the third out of the inning with a fly ball to right field. Odd that it was so similar to the first inning, but maybe it was just easy to connect on this guys pitches. Kyle was the same way. He allowed a lot of contact, banking on the fielding of his team. One of the first things I learned about the game was that there was no defense against a walk.

    The third inning was surprising in the sense that Shasta''s hitters weren''t any good at the bottom of the lineup. Like, at all. The first up tried laying down a bunt, only to send it right to Kyle. Kyle easily threw him out without a stutter step. The last two were both strikeouts swinging.

    Sadly, our team didn''t perform any better. Kelvin hit a fly ball to right field, Tony was called out on strikes, and then John followed up with a swinging strikeout. The teams switched out. I sighed and Noah groaned.

    "This isn''t fun to watch at all." Noah glanced down towards Coach, who was talking to his assistants Miller and Luis. "Do you think if I got down on my knees and begged, he''ll let me go in?"

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "Stop being so dramatic. It''s one game."

    "Says the guy who also wanted to protest."

    Zeke''s lips twitched. He stood up suddenly and stretched a little bit. "I''m going to speak with Coach."

    "About playing?" Noah lit up.

    "No. Just about the game in general." Zeke looked back to the field where our team started another round of defense. "You can never stop learning about the game. Maybe Coach has some insights he can share with me."

    "Shouldn''t he share with everyone then?"

    "It''s different when you''re a captain. These are my peers. Some things that Coach may be unable to say to them, I can."

    "Like yelling at Kyle that he needs to try harder at the plate?" Noah joked.

    Zeke glanced at the mound. "He''s doing just fine. Baseball isn''t a one man show. The other eight will have to pick up the slack." He left us for Coach.

    "If Zeke was a pitcher, I bet he would make it a one man show." Noah told me.

    I nodded. Definitely. "Why doesn''t he pitch..?"

    Noah shrugged. "Not interested I guess. The twins were the ones to find it fun in little league. They would get a lot of attention and you know how much that means to them."

    "What about you?"

    "Me?" Noah laughed. "I don''t have the talent for it, but more importantly, shortstop is the most satisfying. It sees the most action and that''s where I like to be. Catching line drives. Making diving stops for a hard hit grounder. Turning over a double play. There''s just a lot going on and I like it that way."

    Hmm. That did fit his personality.

    The top of the fourth inning started, with the other teams lead off hitter starting the second round of Kyle facing the batting order. Number one smacked a hard line drive towards right field, but Tony was able to track it down and make the diving grab, rolling in the grass. He held it up with pride for the first out of the inning.

    Even though Tony protected Kyle''s perfect game bid, Kyle lost momentum. Facing the second batter, his speed fell, and his placement was bland. The guy was able to hit a single to left field without putting up a fight. Kyle looked shaken and not as confident as before. It was like his insecurities were starting to get louder inside his head. Something that I was familiar with too.

    The third batter knew Kyle wasn''t on guard so he laid down a bunt, what he didn''t know, was that Kelvin was expecting it. He popped out of his crouch position, grabbed the ball when moving forward and fired to Daniel, who stood on second. Daniel tagged the base and got the runner out, before throwing to Julian at first to get the batter out to end the inning.

    "Okay, so he doesn''t always waste his movements." Noah conceded as he watched Daniel jogged back in with the team.

    "I thought it looked clean." I added. "Kelvin predicted that well."

    "He didn''t just predict it. He baited the batter into it." Noah corrected me, sharing his thoughts. "Kelvin knows how Kyle can get like on the mound so I''m sure he asked for a not so good pitch. Perhaps even one that looked easy to bunt."

    "Wow. Can a catcher really do that?" I asked, seeing some future concern I might come across. I wouldn''t want someone to bait me into hitting one way or the other.

    Noah nodded. "A catcher controls the game with a pitcher''s help. They''re the backbone. Granted, that player could have easily gotten a hit if he had more self confidence in his own swing."

 268 Game: VS Shasta HS 3

    Noah told me a little more about the pitcher and catcher dynamics as the bottom of the fourth inning started. Just like Shasta, our offense continued to struggle to get anything going. Unlike them, we didn''t even get a hit this inning. Daniel struck out, looking, causing Noah to complain a bit more under his breath. "How is this helpful at all? Does coach just wanna see why he should leave us in? Ugh."

    I didn''t have any answers for him so I just shrugged.

    We watched on as Julian and Mahki both repeated their first inning at-bats. Julian hit another grounder to second and Mahki had another long fly ball to the right fielder.

    This time I sighed in unison with Noah. The game was moving awfully fast, but it wasn''t a good sign since we haven''t gotten a hit, let alone score a run.

    "Do you think we''ll lose?" I mumbled as the team took the field again.

    "Hey!" He slapped me on the arm. "What did I say about that negativity?"

    I rubbed my arm. "It was just a question..."

    "Jake, I know you''re a pessimist, but really, try and let that go. Simply change some of the words in your question. Instead of that, you should have asked if I think we''ll win."

    "Doesn''t that have the same meaning though?"

    "It''s about the wording! You make it sound like you''re expecting us to lose."

    "I just wanted to know your thoughts."

    Noah sighed. "Forget it. We''ll work on that later. As for the game, of course we''ll win."

    "Even though it''s looking pretty even?"

    Noah clenched his fists. "We can only trust our teammates to get it done. And if not, we can trust Coach to put in a pinch hitter like Zeke or you to help spark the offense."

    "But Coach made it sound like he didn''t care either way." I glanced to where Coach and Zeke stood, talking to one another.

    "He says that, and because it''s not a league game, he''s right. But something else to pay attention to is team morale. If losing this game puts the team into a funk, then we might struggle against actual important opponents." Noah nodded to himself. "Coach knows what he''s doing. He''s the best I ever had. I learned a lot from him last semester during the tryout season."

    "Oh." I didn''t have any disagreement there. I still remember day one when he taught me the three B''s: ball, base, and backup. Coach really knew how to get through to his players. From veterans like Zeke to newbies like me.

    Kyle was no longer shaken or on edge for the fifth inning. He was back to the three up, three down pattern and I had no complaints about that. Strikeout. Grounder to second. Then Julian caught a foul pop up for the third out. The team jogged back in almost as swiftly as they left.

    "There''s been a lot of grounders to second today." Noah commented.

    "Five total." I stated. "We''ve hit three and they had two."

    "Glad you''re paying attention." Noah patted me happily.

    "Zeke told us to. Plus I like seeing others play second too. How they move and react. How they approach the ball." I thought back to when Noah and Zeke were first teaching me how to play the position. "You guys had only shown me videos of professionals so it''s harder to relate compared to this."

    "That''s true, I guess." Noah glanced at our replacements as they came into the dugout. "You could probably ask John for tips, but it''s a little bit tricky since you took his starting spot. And you''re the underclassmen. Well, we can always practice on our own or even have Zeke supervise. He''s good at everything."

    I nodded.

    The sound of an aluminum bat hitting a ball grabbed our attention. We looked to the field just in time to see Garret''s hit fall right before the center fielder. A single! Our first hit for the team. The guys in the dugout, including us, clapped and yelled some encouragements for Garret. He gave us a fist pump then went back to focusing on the game.

    Chris was up next. He was one the guys who had grounded out to second base previously. This at-bat wasn''t any better. In fact, it was worst since he hit into a double play, forfeiting our only baserunner thus far.

    "He''s probably rusty since he was benched all last week." Noah whispered to me, wiggling his eyebrows.

    Does that make it my fault that he''s not doing well at the plate? Nonetheless, I avoided eye contact with Chris and purely paid attention to the game. Kyle earned a walk, only for Kelvin to hit into a force out. The shortstop fielded the grounder to his second baseman, getting Kyle out to end the inning. Still 0-0.

    Top of the sixth we go. Kyle was slow to take the mound since he was the last out, but that didn''t mean it affected his pitching. If anything, he looked as strong as he did in the third. He held Shasta at zero as he struck out the first guy up, got the next one to pop up to second, then finished it out with another strikeout.

    "This game is going by super quick." I told Noah. "Is this the first pitching duel we''ve had with another team?"

    "What do you expect?" Noah shrugged with a sigh. "You and Zeke are the core of the offense. This must be what Coach wanted us to see. We obviously need to work on our hitting as a team."

    As Noah was speaking, our offense was starting their attack again. Tony, John, and Daniel would lead us off. Tony was putting up a fight at the plate as Noah was just saying that we needed to work on our hitting. Just as he finished, Tony smashed a line drive down the left field line.

    Everyone seemed to jump up off the bench at the same time as we watched the ball. It soared over the third baseman''s head and even passed the left fielder, only to hit off the fence. A collective sigh could be heard, but it was quickly covered up with cheers for Tony, who made it to second base safely.

    John accepted a sign for a bunt from Mr. Miller, the third base coach. He laid one down the first baseline, catching the infield by surprise. The first baseman rushed for it, but so did the pitcher. They met at the ball before one took the lead and snatched the ball up, but it was too late for them. Tony knew the bunt was coming and had taken a lead off second base and had safely reached third. John was also safe at first since no one covered for the first baseman who went to get the ball.

    "If Julian has rushed up for the bunt, it would be your job to cover first." Noah told me. "The official scorekeeper will probably give John the bunt single, but that''s honestly a mental error for the whole Shasta infield."

    "I think we should practice this, if we get the chance." I thought for a second before elaborating. "This had never come up before. If this happened to us, we would probably have the same result."

    Noah nodded in agreement. "We should definitely look over more challenging situations like this so you can be prepared for anything."

    Daniel stepped up to the plate as Julian moved to the on deck circle. Daniel was given the sign to swing away, and runners were set to go on any kind of contact. Tony just had to watch for a fly ball. Daniel did his best to keep the ball on the ground, hitting a fast bouncer to the second baseman. The second baseman underhanded the ball to the shortstop at second base. He tagged the bag and threw to first. A 4-6-3 double play. Yet we were cheering because Tony scored. We gave up two outs but at least we finally had the lead.

    "What would you do if you were that second baseman?" Noah asked as we calmed down and reclaimed our seats.

    I shrugged. "The same thing? Get the two outs?"

    "Maybe for this game that would be okay, but for a league game or an elimination game like in a tournament, it would probably be best to defend the plate. Especially when it''s 0-0 like this."

    "Didn''t you get scolded before, for doing something like that? I''m pretty sure Zeke was adamant about getting the outs." I asked, unsure of what to believe.

    Noah waved that off. "And I''m adamant about winning. For a game like this, sure, get the double play. But for a close elimination game, I think it''s best to defend the run."

    I gave it some thought. Noah wasn''t wrong. Winning an elimination game would depend on where I would throw and what I would have to do. The only solution I could come up with for now, is to hope that it doesn''t come to me in a situation like that.

    "Ohhh!" A loud gasp reverberated around the dugout and stands. We turned to the field to find out what happened, only to see Julian hopping about.

    "Hit by pitch." Noah mumbled as we watched Coach jog out and meet with Miller to hover over Julian.

    Julian gestured at his foot and said something to the coaches. After a short talk, he leaned on the two of them as they walked him back to the dugout.

    "Noah. Get a helmet on." Coach commanded. "You''ll pitch run for Julian." Him and Miller set Julian on the bench.

    Noah quickly pulled out his helmet and sprinted to first base. Mr. Miller went back out and headed back to the third base coach box as Mahki stepped up to bat.

    Coach pulled out his phone as he stayed by Julian. It was obvious who he was calling. Drew. The athletic trainer. Some of the team tried to get close, but coach waved them off. "We still have an inning to go. Don''t lose focus."

    Mahki''s at-bat didn''t last long; he swung on the first pitch, sending a high fly ball down the right field line. Just as I was thinking it would be a foul, the right fielder sprinted over, chasing it down. He jumped up and caught the ball, landing on his shoulder. The third out to end the sixth.

    Noah came back to the dugout, and switched out his helmet for his glove. "What do you want me to do Coach? Take first? Or go to short and move Daniel to first?"

    Coach shook his head. He looked over Noah and spotted someone else. "Sean. You go cover first. Noah, sit back down." As the team started to move about and go to their positions, Drew snuck in and approached Julian and Coach. "Julian was hit on the foot by a pitch." He quickly explained to Drew before leaving the dugout to go tell the umpire of the player change.

    Noah slumped back into his seat beside me. "How lame. I didn''t get to do anything but wear a helmet for a few seconds."

    "At least you didn''t get hurt." I mumbled, keeping an eye on Drew as he conducted an exam on Julian. "Do you think he''ll have to sit a game or two?"

    "Nah. It just bounced off his foot. It might not even leave a bruise." Noah replied. "I just hope Kyle can close it out here, otherwise I''ll be a little upset losing a chance to keep playing in the game."

    We watched as Kyle got on the mound to start the seventh inning. If he could close them out here, we would get the win. It must be a lot of pressure, knowing he only has a one run lead. Unlike his usual insecure self, Kyle was poised to close it out. The first batter grounded out to Daniel at short. The next one struck out, swinging on three pitches.

    Kyle faced the third batter with a fierce expression. Just one out away from a complete game. And it would be a one hitter. Kyle started his motion, going on the offensive as he threw his hardest down the middle. The batter returned in kind, swinging his bat and connected with the pitch. The ball flew right back to Kyle. As he had just finished his whole movement, he was facing towards first and didn''t look ready to catch the line drive.

    To my surprise, and to the surprise of the batter I''m sure, Kyle stuck out his left hand and caught the ball while facing the wrong direction. Everyone paused for a second, then as the umpire announced the game''s final score of 1-0, everyone rushed to surround Kyle.

 269 Back to Dr. Moore 1

    "You look good, Jake." Dr. Moore smiled as I walked into his office with Mr. Atkins right behind me. "Wayne, how are you?"

    Mr. Atkins smiled back at him. "So far, so good. Taking it one day at a time. You know how boys can be."

    "I couldn''t imagine having that many sons." Dr. Moore chuckled. He looked to me as I sat in my loner chair. "I heard you have something you want to talk to me about?"

    I clasped my hands together, and after a reassuring nod from Mr. Atkins, I spoke up. "You know how a few weeks ago, I seemed to black out towards the end of a game?"

    He nodded. "You felt that no one would be there to cheer for you like how the Atkins cheer for their sons. Do you still feel bothered that your own family isn''t there for you?"

    I shook my head. "Not really. The Atkins cheer for me too. It''s a different feeling."

    "Why don''t you describe the situation in more clear detail? What was going on in the game? What were your thoughts? Your feelings?" Dr. Moore looked close to asking me to write an essay.

    I cleared my throat. "It would be the last inning. Tentatively. It was the bottom of the fifth and we were up by eleven. Dave was pitching. In fact, he was trying to go for a perfect game."

    "And what does that entail?" Dr. Moore made me pause.

    "Uh, no runs, no hits, no walks, and no errors."

    "No baserunners." Mr. Atkins shortened for me. Then he added. "If a high school team is up by ten or more runs by the end of the fifth, it would be a called game. A mercy rule."

    Dr. Moore nodded and made some scribbles on his yellow notepad. "So hypothetically this game was coming to a close? Dave was personally trying for the perfect game as the team was trying for the called game?"

    I frowned. "No, we were trying for the perfect game too. For Dave. Kyle already had one, so..."

    "So? So what?" Dr. Moore pushed me to continue.

    "So I wanted them to be even..?" I mumbled.

    "This is a little off track, but I''d like to expand a little more on it." Dr. Moore tapped his pad with his pen. "So Dave and Kyle are twin brothers. Who both pitch. And you want them to do equally as well as the other?"

    I nodded. I truly did. Wouldn''t that be fair?

    "Now what if one of the other brothers pitched too? Like Zeke or Noah? Would you want them to all be equal in talent and skill?" He asked.

    I nodded.

    "Even though they''re not identical? Zeke is older, and Noah is younger. If Noah was throwing a perfect game, he would garner more attention than any of them just because he''s still a freshman."

    I clenched my fists. "Oh, right."

    "Did you want them to be treated equally?"

    I nodded. Shouldn''t brothers be treated the same?

    "That''s not fair to them though." Dr. Moore caught me by surprise. He gave me a light smile. "We have someone here today that can easily answer why treating each kid differently can be beneficial." He turned to Mr. Atkins. "Wayne, would you say that you treat each son the same way?"

    Mr. Atkins shook his head. "Of course not. Each of them have their own personality. Zeke is very mature, but will sometimes need me to remind him who is the parent. Meanwhile the twins, although identical in looks, have their own quirks too. Kyle needs a confidence boost every now and then. Dave is a bit wild and needs to be reigned in when he crosses the line. Noah too. Noah is outgoing and seems very confident doesn''t he?"

    I nodded.

    "But sometimes he still needs us to reassure him that he''s doing well. Or if something goes wrong, he''ll still run to us." Mr. Atkins looked me in the eyes. "Just because we handle each of them differently, doesn''t mean we love one more than the other. We love them equally. It''s just, sometimes one needs a little extra guidance or one may need extra discipline."

    I froze. I wonder... Did my father really love both me and my brother equally? Did he just think I needed extra discipline from my mother? Or did he think that my brother wouldn''t survive and I would? But how would that make sense? He was older than me. What was his reasoning?

    After sitting in silence for a few minutes, I came to a conclusion. I looked at Dr. Moore. "I don''t think all parents love their children the same."

    This time it was his turn to look surprised. "Yes, well, there are some relationships like that. But in a normal, healthy family environment, it''s common for siblings to be loved the same, yet treated differently. That was the point I was trying to make, to emphasize that Dave didn''t need a perfect game. Sure, it''s a nice accomplishment, but it doesn''t make him any less of a pitcher than Kyle. Nor any less than a person. His parents will still love him the same. Not any more and not any less."

    "But...I didn''t want to be the one to let him down. To let everyone down." I spurred out.

    "Ah!" Dr. Moore raised his eyebrows. "Now we''re getting to the crux of the problem, right? Tell me how the inning went, and then what you felt afterwards."

    I sighed and started at the bottom of the fifth to give him a play-by-play.

 270 Back to Dr. Moore 2

    Bottom of the fifth inning with Dave pitching. They were batters four, five, and six. They had previously sent a fly ball to center field, a groundout to short, and a fly out to right field, respectively. It didn''t occur to me that any action could come my way since I didn''t do much all game.

    "But it did?" Dr. Moore asked.

    I nodded and continued. "The fourth batter hit a grounder to me. I had to dive for it, then I fumbled a little bit, and made a bad throw. Luckily our first baseman was more prepared. The fifth batter thankfully struck out. Then the sixth batter hit another grounder towards me. This time I was able to get the ball in my glove, but when I made the throw, I slipped."

    "You slipped...didn''t it have any effect on the outcome of the game?"

    "No, we still won."

    "And Dave still earned his perfect game?"

    I nodded.

    "Okay, what happened after that? You guys win the game, and then what?"

    "The team celebrated." I thought for a moment. "And then I felt overwhelmed. I was tired. It was hard to breathe in the mountains. They told me it was because the air was thinner."

    "Next?"

    "That''s it. I thought I only closed my eyes for a minute, but then suddenly Mr. Atkins was carrying me to a doctors office for a checkup."

    "Ok, why don''t we go back to being overwhelmed? This was after the game finished? Not during?"

    I glanced at Mr. Atkins, who sat there nonchalantly as he supervised our meeting. "Mr. Atkins told me after the first perfect game that the probability of this happening again was minuscule. I almost blew it."

    Mr. Atkins took on a guilty look. "It really IS highly improbable. But it all worked out! I also said not to stress about the what-ifs."

    "Let me interrupt here." Dr. Moore spoke up. He looked to me. "So in the first perfect game you participated in, you had the same feelings of being overwhelmed? Did it also end with a groundout to you?"

    "No, to Noah. But he had to dive for it and couldn''t make a good throw. So he tossed it up to me and I threw the runner out at first for the final out." I explained.

    "And then after the game..? The feelings had bubbled up?"

    I looked down into my hands. "I could have been the reason that either twin didn''t reach a perfect game. That''s a heavy burden. It''s like a giant boulder on my chest."

    "He had even thrown up after the first one." Mr. Atkins added. "This time was more like a blackout. I honestly can''t say which was worse."

    "Jake. I won''t tell you that your fears are irrational." Dr. Moore stated, causing me to look up. "What I want you to know is that this is your anxiety speaking. It may not be using words, nor is it a tangible object. It takes up space though. In your brain, does it not? You worry about letting others down?"

    I nodded.

    "Unfortunately there is no cure for this." He sighed, making me sigh too. "The only way you can address this is to face it head on. Letting others down isn''t a rare occurrence, but you can only try your hardest. Look at those two games. You tried your best, and then you succeeded. No one was mad or upset, in fact, it was a joyous occasion. Yet, you let the anxiety take over once your mind has nothing else to focus on."

    "But...there was a chance for failure..." I whispered.

    "There''s always a chance to fail." Dr. Moore laughed lightly. "Failures happen all the time in everything we do. I failed to make breakfast today but that doesn''t stop me from working today. I''ll just do better tomorrow."

    I frowned. "That''s not the same as letting someone down."

    "Just because you let someone down, doesn''t mean that they''ll abandon you immediately. Maybe if you did it often enough then they might lose trust in you." Dr. Moore said. "It''s okay not to be perfect. It''s about the effort you put in."

    I guess I could say that I tried to the best of my abilities, but I want to do more. I''m not Noah, I don''t like to gamble.

    "Can his anxiety cause physical symptoms like throwing up and blacking out?" Mr. Atkins asked while I came to terms of possibly letting others down.

    "Of course. It''s not uncommon at all for anxiety attacks to cause nausea, trembling, shortness of breath, and dizziness. As for the blackout, I would classify it as a psychogenic blackout. It''s not easy to diagnose, but including his symptoms of passing out, going blank, and even his inability to remember it, then it''s a high possibility. We just have to work on lowering Jake''s stress." He looked me in the eye. "Go have fun. Be a kid. Kids are known to make mistakes so no one will get mad."

    No one? What about my mom? She was always mad. At everything. All the time. It''s because of her, that I feel the need to walk on eggshells. She''s not here now though so what''s there to worry about. I nodded, mostly to myself for reassurance but also to Dr. Moore so he knows that I heard him. I stood up. "Thanks Dr. Moore. I feel better. Just a little lighter." I headed for the door.

    "Glad to hear it Jake. I''ll see you next week for a progress update." He hesitated. "Wayne? Can you stay back a minute? Jake, if you don''t mind?"

    I shrugged. I was left out of adult conversations more than I can count. I left the room, closing the door behind me.

    ***

    "What''s on your mind Doc?" Mr. Atkins asked in his normal friendly tone. He didn''t seem too concerned about the reason he was asked to stay behind.

    "It''s pertaining to Jake. I noticed some peculiar statements he had made that seems a little out of place." Dr. Moore tapped his notepad.

    Mr. Atkins lips thinned. "I''m not following. I didn''t notice anything odd about him today. In fact, I would say this has been one of his more outspoken sessions."

    "Yes, I agree on that. But it''s what he said that I''m focused on. For example, his want for brothers to be treated the same?"

    A frown appeared on Mr. Atkins face. "That''s not an unusual request."

    "It is when you consider that Jake is an only child. I also have reports that he wasn''t particularly close to anyone at all when he was living with his mom. He was distant from classmates and wasn''t very social. So how do you explain his attention on the twins and the rest of your sons?"

    "I don''t know. Maybe he wants brothers? Him and Noah have gotten close. He''s lonely. Isn''t it normal to reach out in situations like these?"

    "Every situation is unique. And so is Jake. The fact that he also got so attached to your youngest son makes me want to suspect that he would like a brother-brother relationship. Maybe in your eyes, that''s normal especially for an only kid like him. Surely, at one point, a kid will wonder what it''s like to have siblings. Jake doesn''t express too much curiosity in that aspect. For him, it''s more about the connections between the brothers and the parents."

    "I don''t understand. What are you trying to say?"

    "I''m not too sure about this myself." Dr. Moore sighed. "I''m just wondering if Jake has an older brother? Or had. I know from his file that the dad is out of the picture, so that doesn''t rule out the possibility."

    "I''ll call Doug." Mr. Atkins whipped out his phone. "They''re looking for the father right now. Maybe the fact that there might be another child involved can speed up the search."

    "No rush. I''ll call Doug myself to share my findings. It''s not like I''m 100% positive. Besides, I don''t think it would be another child. If anything, they would be older." Dr. Moore pusher his glasses up higher on his face. "Jake hasn''t shared much about his father. That could be something to do with his brother. Maybe he''s walking a fine line of blame and understanding. Blame because he was abandoned and his brother was saved. But maybe understanding since he knows what his mother is like."

    Mr. Atkins clenched his phone. "So what do we do? Ask him about it?"

    "No need to aggravate him. We don''t even know if there is a brother. Maybe it''s an older cousin. Maybe it was an older neighbor boy and he''s just misremembering since he was young. Let''s watch it play out for now. We''ll focus on addressing the anxiety attacks for now."

    Mr. Atkins loosened his grip on the phone, sliding it back into his pocket. "Right. One step at a time." He let out a heavy sigh. "If that''s all, I guess I should get going."

    "It won''t hurt to pay more attention to how he interacts with your sons." Dr. Moore added. "Just everyday things. Does he look up to them? Does he show any resentment? Sorrow? Longing? Noah and him have already established a friendship so it would be hard to tell from that perspective. Focus more on how he acts and reacts with the older three."

    Mr. Atkins nodded and headed for the door. "I will. I''ll have to share this with Mary too. Maybe us, you, and Doug could have a conference call tomorrow morning to talk about this some more."

    "I''ll open up my schedule." Dr. Moore nodded as Mr. Atkins left the private office to go to the lobby.

 271 Zeke’s Announcement 1

    After Mr. Atkins left Dr. Moore''s private office, I jumped out of the chair in the lobby area. He looked troubled by the talk, so I spoke up. "Is everything okay? Did I do something wrong?"

    Mr. Atkins expression softened as he looked down at me. He reached out and patted my head, similar to how you would pat a dog on the head. Normally I would be wary of the contact, but this was Mr. Atkins. I trusted him. And his family. "Nah. Nothing to do with you. Dr. Moore just had something adult related to speak to me about."

    I nodded. "Oh. Are we going home now?"

    He smiled, and led me out of the office. "Yep. Mary already has dinner ready, I''m sure. They must be waiting for us so we can eat together."

    I hummed in agreement as we got into his car. It was barely seven in the evening and the sun was setting. Usually, pretty sunsets like this made me nervous, as I would think about the last time I went home and almost didn''t survive. But today felt extraordinarily different. I no longer lived there with her. Instead I had the Atkins...in a pink two-story house.

    Normally, Mr. Atkins would try and have a conversation with me after a good session like that, yet he seemed preoccupied so I didn''t bug him. He just drove us home in silence. As for his prediction of them waiting for us to eat, it was on point. The table was completely covered with food, and was surrounded by four hungry teens.

    Mrs. Atkins came out of the kitchen with another dish filled with broccoli, just as we walked in through the garage door. "Glad you two made it. I was starting to wonder if I should call."

    I gave a light smile as I maneuvered around her to sit in my seat next to Noah.

    "Took you long enough." Kyle huffed. "I was starving here."

    Noah rolled his eyes and immediately came to my defense. "Mom said to eat an apple if you really felt that way."

    Kyle stuck his tongue out at Noah.

    "Kyle." His mom warned as she set the dish down. She took a seat at the head of the table and her husband sat at the other end. "Okay, Boys, dig in."

    With her command, we started to fill up our plates. I waited patiently for the serving spoons to become available, and filled my plate with a little bit of everything. There was broccoli, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, grilled chicken, and asparagus. Everything looked cooked and tasted great. With the way all five of us ate, it would hardly be believable that only one of us played in the game today.

    As the meal went on, you could hear the Atkins taking turns talking about their day. Of course, Noah was filled with complaints and Kyle was satisfied with his performance. Dave was quick to shut down the bragging by bragging about his own perfect game, which led into a heated discussion about the extra two innings Kyle did in his own perfect game.

    "Okay, okay, settle down." Mrs. Atkins shook her head at the twins. "Really, you two...let''s just be thankful that this season has gotten off to a really good start."

    "Last year, the twins weren''t anything special." Noah told me. "Especially in the beginning. They would get bombed more than the team would have liked."

    "It wasn''t that bad." Dave glared across the table.

    Noah shrugged. "Did you forget the time you gave up five runs in one inning?"

    Kyle burst out laughing. "I did! Oh gosh! That feels like forever ago! Weren''t you pulled before the end of the second inning in that game?"

    Dave turned his glare to his twin. "Shut it. I don''t want to hear that from you. You gave up seven before!"

    Kyle stopped laughing and frowned. "That was when we were freshmen though."

    Dave smirked. "You gave up that many against other freshmen. At least mine was against a good varsity team."

    Their bickering picked up once more.

    "Dad." A solid call for his father came from Zeke, who had been relatively quiet all evening. The twins stopped arguing and looked to their oldest brother who sat between them. "Dad?"

    Mr. Atkins has been out of it all evening finally came back to his senses. "What? I mean, yes? What is it, Zeke?"

    Zeke pushed his plate a little bit forward in order to place some folded letter paper on the table. "I want to ask for a favor."

    Mr. Atkins eyebrows raised. He peeked at his wife, but she looked just as surprised as everyone else. "Tell me the favor first and I''ll see what we can do."

    "I want to visit a few more colleges." Zeke declared. "And I have some picked out already."

    The twins blinked with astonishment, and the parents were in sync as well. Noah nudged my knee with his and we made eye contact. Zeke has talked about skipping midterms while we were on the bench. Was he really going to go through with it?

    "That''s great Zeke!" His Mom was the first to speak up. "Where do you want to go? Have you reached out to the coaches yet?"

    "To Southern California. I have three schools in mind: USC, UCLA, and Cal State Fullerton." Zeke answered his mom. "I haven''t reached out to the coaches yet, but I have their interest letters with their contact info right here." He patted the folded paper.

    "Wow..." His mom hesitated. "That''s a bit of a distance. You would need more than a weekend to visit all three schools right? Are you planning on making multiple trips? Or perhaps skipping a game?"

    "No. Just one trip. It''d be pointless to make so many trips when they''re not that far apart from one another." He tapped the papers. "I want to skip midterms and use this week to go. I''ll have the week between games. It''s a good amount of time."

    Mrs. Atkins jaw dropped and so did her fork.

    Mr. Atkins looked unprepared as well, nearly falling out of his chair. He straightened up and eyed his son. "Skip midterms?? Are you crazy?"

    "No, I''m not." Zeke replied, nonchalant. "In fact, I''ve thought this over all day."

    "A day?!" Mrs. Atkins raised her voice, making me twitched.

    Zeke nodded. "Yes. I figured I could ask my teachers if I could take the exams before I go. If they say yes, that''s fine. If they say no, that''s fine too. I''ll still pass my classes if I don''t take the midterms. It''s only worth about 25% of the final grade."

    "Do you hear yourself right now??" Mrs. Atkins stood up, getting red in the face. "Tomorrow is Friday, game Saturday, and you just want to take off on Sunday? No teacher will have their midterm ready a week in advance and be willing to let a student take it early. They''ll be afraid you''ll spread the questions. And with a total zero for the midterm, even if you got a full score in everything else including your final, that would still be a C." The more she spoke, the more upset she got. It was a strange sight to see.

    I started to shake, but Noah was quick to notice. He stood up, earning his mom''s attention. "Mom, I think this should be between you, Dad, and Zeke. If you don''t mind, Jake and I would like to be excused?"

    Mrs. Atkins sucked in a deep breath. "Yes, go ahead. Actually, leave the dishes. I''ll clean up later. You all need to go get homework done and prepare for bed. Your dad and I need to have a talk with Zeke."

 272 Zeke’s Announcement 2

    Even though Noah was the one to ask for permission to leave, I was the first to get going, rushing out of there and up the stairs. Noah was close behind and by the time we reached our room, I could hear the twins making their way up the stairs too.

    Noah looked at me with concern. "Jake? Are you okay? Mom is only mad...she''s not going to do anything to Zeke like your mom. She''s just angry that he''s not taking school seriously."

    I held my own shaky hands and bit my bottom lip. "She sounded really upset though. And your dad didn''t say anything either."

    Noah got close and patted my shoulder, comfortingly. "It''s all going to be okay one way or the other. Either he goes or he doesn''t. Nothing else will happen to him. Mom and Dad don''t believe in physical punishment. If you''re really worried about it, we can eavesdrop?"

    I hesitated. His parents might hear us if we sneak back down stairs. What if we see something that resembles to my own mom? That last thought made me pause. Wait. This would be a good opportunity to see how Mrs. Atkins when she''s really mad. I gave Noah a short nod. "Okay, but how?"

    He grinned and tugged my wrist, dragging me out of the room. "Follow me. I bet the twins are already listening in too." He led me to the boys room down the hall, and walked right in without bothering to knock.

    The room was eerily quiet. We moved around their beds, dressers, and clutter that made the room somewhat dirty. Noah led me to their connecting bathroom, where both twins were on the floor. They looked at us and lightly patted the tile. I followed Noah''s lead and sat down with the twins.

    Noah put a finger to his lips to request that I stayed silent. Then he pointed to the floor. More specifically, at a vent on the floor. It must be the bathrooms AC/heater vent. After a moment of silence we started to hear some familiar voices echoing through the vent and off the tile. We must be right above the dining table!

    My jaw dropped.

    "Zeke, I think you know how important your education is." Mr. Atkins was in the process of lecturing his eldest son. "You can''t just skip school to visit colleges. That just isn''t logical. I know we said we wanted you to visit schools, but that would be on weekends."

    "I have games most weekends." We heard Zeke calmly state as if that was excuse enough.

    "Skip a game then." Mrs. Atkins said, exasperated. "And don''t give me the excuse that they''re more important than school, mister."

    Zeke paused before saying, "I don''t know why you''re so against it. Didn''t you two push me towards looking at my options? You both want me to go to college, right?"

    "Yes! But not at the expense of your high school GPA!" Mrs. Atkins raised her voice once more.

    "That won''t matter once I''m in college. Even if I don''t make it in the big leagues, no one will be asking what my high school GPA was." Zeke rebuffed.

    "Colleges will ask! They''ll see that you took it easy senior year." Mrs. Atkins tried again.

    "The colleges will all take me on my baseball recommendations by the coaches. If you''re so against this, then maybe I should just stay and stick to the original plan of entering the draft."

    A long silence took over before we heard their mom ask, "Is that a threat Zeke? If so, I think it''s best that I remind you that you''re still a minor until July."

    "Now, now." Mr. Atkins intervened. "Let''s go about this rationally. No need for ambiguous remarks from either of you. Mary, like or not, Zeke will be 18 this year. We can''t just dictate him and -"

    "Dictate?!!" Mrs. Atkins got ramped up again. "This isn''t a democracy, Wayne! This is school, this is common sense. How are you going to explain to the school that we want to take Zeke out for the week? They''ll mark him truant and it''ll go on his permanent school record."

    "I''m sure they''ll understand that Zeke is visiting colleges. I''m sure they''ll find that acceptable."

    "And the midterms? They''re just gonna let him take them without any prior notice? Or better yet, take them late?"

    "The school has been very flexible, I''m sure we can work something out." Mr. Atkins said in a soothing tone.

    "What about the cost of flying there? The whole planning of this trip? What about the other boys? Who''s going to take them to and from school?"

    "The cost is not an issue." Mr. Atkins replied. "As for planning out an itinerary, we''ll have to see what Zeke comes up with. He''ll have to coordinate with the three colleges down there, plus he''ll be responsible on finding you a hotel near each school."

    "Me?" Mrs. Atkins asked in disbelief. "You want me to go down there? I''m not even condoning this trip!"

    "You need this vacation. Plus you can supervise Zeke by making sure he takes every school seriously. Go on all the tours, meet with the academic advisors, with the financial aid office. This is right up your alley. I''ll handle things around here."

    "You can handle all four boys on your own?"

    "Of course I can." Mr. Atkins said proudly. "They won''t even have practice this week thanks to testing so there won''t be much to worry about. It''ll be simple. I''ll take them to school, work, pick them up, then they''ll do their homework before dinner. It''ll be very relaxing."

    "What about cooking? Cleaning? Laundry? Packing lunches?" She sighed. "Really...if we really go through with letting Zeke go, then it''s best if I just stay here."

    "Are you saying you''re better than I am?" Mr. Atkins let out a laugh. "Come on, Mary. I''m an adult too. Plus, you could use the one-on-one time with Zeke to convince him that college is the way to go."

    Mary let out another sigh, sounding like she was deflating. "Okay. That isn''t an okay, we''re going. But an okay, we''ll find out what we can do. Zeke, I''ll go with you to school tomorrow to see what the options are. Wayne, you can look up flights that depart Sunday or Monday depending on what the school says. Base on their answer, you''ll be allowed to reach out to the coaches, Zeke."

    "Thanks Mom." Zeke sounded happy. "I''ll help you clean the table."

    A heavy sigh from the lone woman of the house answered. "You better. For the record, if any of your teachers want to give you a complete zero for the midterm, I''m not allowing this."

    "It''ll all work out." Zeke said in return. "Shouldn''t you or Dad check on Jake? He looked pretty anxious when you raised your voice, Mom."

    "And just who is the reason that I feel the need to raise my voice?!" Mrs. Atkins got loud again, but I was no longer shaking. I know it''s just because she cares about her son and not because she just didn''t want him to go. She had real reasons to get upset. Unlike my mother who got abusive from just looking at me.

    Noah jumped up and started to tug on my shirt, practically dragging me away from the vent, leaving the twins behind. I scrambled to my feet and followed him to our room, quietly as possible.

    It wasn''t even a minute before we heard a knock at our bedroom door. Noah opened it to find his mom waiting there. "Oh, hey Mom. What''s up?"

    She squinted down at him, then her eyes went to me, then back to him. "Why are neither of you in your pajamas yet?"

    Noah let out a hollow laugh. "Oh, you know what, time just flies by when I talk about baseball. Jake and I were talking about when the MLB will start. Just a few more days and all that."

    She shook her head, "Enough of that. You go get ready for bed first. I want a minute to talk to Jake."

    Noah turned to check with me, and I gave him a nod, then he left with his pajamas in his arms.

    "Jake, I-" Mrs. Atkins had concern written all over her face. No doubt concerned about my feelings.

    "It''s okay." I cut her off. "I understand. You don''t want Zeke to skip school."

    She blinked in surprise. Her mouth opened then closed. Kind of like a fish. Finally she let a small smile overcome her. "Okay, Good. Great. Umm, why don''t I let you finish your homework for the night? We''ll talk more as a family tomorrow." She turned away leaving me frozen.

    "As a family?" I mumbled to myself. She really sees me as one of her own? Or at least that I belong to them?

    By the time Noah came back, the broad smile on my face had yet to fade, causing him to raise a ruckus and bugged me about why I was so happy.

 273 Decision 1

    The next morning, all of the Atkins, plus me, were gathered around the kitchen table for breakfast. Mrs. Atkins had already loaded my plate like the first day she heard that I need to eat more. Even though she was upset with Zeke, she still catered to her sons, even a foster son like me. Noah was right, his mom wouldn''t be anything like mine even when she''s mad.

    "We''ll go to school a bit earlier today." Mrs. Atkins declared. She looked around. "I''ll be coming with you boys, in my own car to see if Zeke''s plan is even plausible."

    The twins glanced at one another, but didn''t say anything.

    "Thanks Mom." Zeke said out of nowhere, throwing us all off. He glanced up from his plate. "Thanks for trying."

    Mrs. Atkins seem to soften, losing the cold aura. "Zeke, we want the best for you. Going to college is a great experience and having a degree is a wonderful fallback plan if the pros don''t work out."

    "I''m sincerely thinking about it, Mom." Zeke replied, keeping a neutral expression. "After visiting Stanford, I realized there''s still some serious competition at that level."

    "A College World Series ring would be nice too." Noah piped up. "You''ve picked some schools that have been there a few times or even have a good chance to go back."

    Zeke''s lips twitched, fighting off a smile. "Exactly. Not many schools have more appearances than Stanford in California, but USC and Cal State Fullerton do."

    "Why''d you include UCLA then?" Kyle said between bites of a bagel. "They aren''t on the level with the other three."

    "They won a World Series in the past decade." Zeke answered. "It''s only a few blocks away from USC so it doesn''t hurt to check it out."

    "Wow. Visiting rival schools in the same week." Dave shook his head. "You have guts. I wouldn''t be surprised if they rescind their scholarship offers."

    "Offers are nice, but they aren''t necessary." Mr. Atkins spoke up. "I''m telling you boys now. As long as you want to go to college, you mom and I will help out. If that means getting a loan, we''re in. Selling a few more houses a year won''t be too hard on us. I won''t say it again, stop worrying about money."

    The table got quiet again.

    "Okay, that''s enough about baseball." Mrs. Atkins stood up with her empty plate. "You five need to hurry and finish breakfast so we can get going." She gave Zeke a pointed look. "If we go through with this trip, it won''t just be about baseball. I expect you to sit in a class for each visit and to sit down with the academic advisor to talk about degree options."

    Zeke nodded.

    She turned to the kitchen and started to wash off the dish. Breakfast finished soon after the conversation died.

    Zeke still drove all of us to school with our backpacks and baseball bags filling up the gaps. Mrs. Atkins followed along in her own car. Unlike us though, she parked in the top parking lot, close to the main building. Which made sense since she didn''t need to go to baseball practice after school. What would be the point of her walking up the big hill?

    Zeke and the twins took off, heading to the school while Noah and I stuck around the baseball field.

    "So early." Noah let out a sigh, looking around. "Mr. Miller won''t be here for half an hour. Let''s go sit in the bleachers and just wait here."

    I glanced up the hill. "It won''t bother me to just walk to the school."

    Noah laughed. "Yea, but what''s the difference from waiting up there and waiting down here?" He started to walk to the spectator bleachers. "Plus, I would hate for Mr. Miller to come and not see us. He would think that we''re unreliable."

    I shrugged and followed Noah. We both sat down, and set down our bags. I glanced out to the field. "The field looks really big from here."

    Noah gave me a funny look. "Most say it looks smaller from the stands. But I guess you just have a big presence on the field."

    I shook my head. "No way."

    "Okay, maybe just in the batter''s box." Noah smiled. "We should be back in the lineup for tomorrow''s game."

    "You think so?"

    "Of course!" Noah nodded confidently. "Coach won''t bench us forever. He was just trying out the others in a game situation. And honestly it wasn''t too impressive. You and I are way better than John and Daniel."

    "I don''t know about that." I mumbled.

    "Hey! You haven''t made an error yet! Don''t get so down on yourself! Even professionals make errors so why can''t we? Well, I know I won''t." He laughed. Noah has always been confident in his fielding. He noticed that I was still a little depressed and nudged my shoulder with his. "If it really bugs you, we can work on fielding all week. We won''t be having practice at all during midterms week, so we can just use all that free time, focusing on building your confidence."

    "Won''t your Mom want us to study?"

    "She won''t be here, remember? And Dad will be easygoing about it. We''re only freshmen so midterms won''t be that hard."

    I know they won''t be hard. Neither of us were having trouble in our classes so I''m pretty sure we''ll pass after a little revision. "Does this mean you think they''ll really go? The school will let Zeke skip midterms?"

    Noah grinned. "Of course. He''s Zeke. The best baseball player in the county. He''s already making this school famous. If he goes to some big school on scholarship, he''ll bring our high school a lot of prestige. I''m almost one hundred percent positive that they''ll work with him so he can go on this trip."

    Wow. "I didn''t know high schools would care about things like that."

    "Sure they do. It''s like if a smart student got into Harvard or Yale or any other Ivy League university. All high schools would claim these former students with pride. Kind of like, ''hey, we produced this amazing human, praise us too.''"

    I let out a laugh.

 274 Decision 2

    Noah and I spent the thirty minutes waiting for Mr Miller, just talking about what the week without Zeke will look like. He was convinced that we would finally have freedom, but I couldn''t really see a difference. It''s not like Zeke hovered over us, controlling every minute of our day. Normally we see him when he drove us to and from school, plus baseball. But we won''t even be playing baseball this upcoming week so would we really feel the difference?

    Mr. Miller eventually showed up and honked the golf carts horn, signaling for us to hurry up. We jumped off the bleachers with our backpacks and hurried along. As he drove us up, Noah gave him the rundown of everything that happened last night. Mr. Miller agreed with him that the school would probably help Zeke out since he''s a standout.

    He dropped us off and waved at us as he drove away. "See you boys at practice."

    Noah waved back, before turning to the school. "I wonder if it''s already been resolved or not." He thought for a minute. "It won''t hurt to stop by the office for a second before heading to class."

    I froze. "Do we have to?"

    Noah looked over at me. "Why? What''s wrong?" Then he realized why I didn''t want to. "Is this about that counselor lady? Golladay? Come on Jake, she''s not here anymore. What''s there to be afraid of?" He snatched my wrist and started to drag me.

    He walked right in the office, and pushed through some kids who had an actual reason for being there. As we moved around the crowd, my heart started to race. She''s not here, she''s not here, she''s not here.

    "Jake? Noah? What are you two doing here?" A familiar male voice asked. Super familiar. In fact, I heard this voice last night. We turned to face Dr. Moore. "Is something the matter?"

    I sighed with relief.

    "Ah, Dr. Moore." Noah greeted. "What are you doing here?"

    "I''ve been helping out a few students here when my schedule allows it." I recalled that Mrs. Atkins had once said something about that after Golladay got fired. Dr. Moore was truly a kind person. "Jake? Are you sure you''re okay? You looked like you were scared for a minute."

    "Nah, he''s fine." Noah answered for me. "He was unjustly worried that Mrs. Golladay would still be here. But really, we''re here to check on Zeke before going to class."

    Dr. Moore nodded, understanding what I was scared about. "It''s good to face these little fears head on, Jake. I''m glad you have a friend like Noah to help you."

    Help me? More like forced me. I let out a little sigh, but nodded. Noah''s pretty great all around.

    Dr. Moore looked between us for a second, then settled on Noah. "So you said something about coming here for Zeke?"

    Noah nodded. "He came in here with Mom to talk about taking his midterms early or late so he can go visit some colleges down south."

    "Oh? That sounds a little counterproductive."

    Noah shook his head. "There''s no baseball practice or games during midterms week, so to Zeke, this would be the perfect time to go. He wants to knock out three colleges when he goes."

    Dr. Moore smile. "Right. Baseball is everything to you boys these days."

    "These days? You mean, every day." Noah corrected. "Even after I cant play anymore, I''ll start training to be a coach. Baseball is my life."

    I shifted from foot to foot. I really can''t say the same.

    Dr. Moore laughed. "Okay, I get it." He looked passed us. "Looks like your mom and Zeke are done speaking with the principal and vice principal. Here they come."

    We both turned. Sure enough, there was Zeke with his mom coming out of the principal''s office. Mrs. Atkins shook hands with the two adults, then Zeke followed suit. They both came this way, coming to a halt after spotting us three.

    Mrs. Atkins looked surprised to see us with Dr. Moore. "Are you two here visiting Dr. Moore? Is something wrong?"

    Noah laughed at the repeated question. "Nah. We came to see what they told Zeke. We just happened to run into Dr. Moore."

    Dr. Moore nodded and smiled lightly. "Exactly. I was just on my way to the office. I had some free time this morning, so I figured I could see if any students needed some help."

    Mrs. Atkins returned his smile with one of her own. "That''s generous of you Dr. Moore." She glanced at Zeke. "Didn''t you make your decision? You can tell Noah the tentative plan."

    Zeke looked like his normal blank self, yet he seemed to have a slightly depressed vibe hovering over him. He glanced down at us. "I''ll be able to take all my midterms. Without any deductions."

    Noah''s jaw dropped. "Wow. Too amazing. I didn''t think the school would be so generous towards you."

    Zeke''s face twitched. "The exams will all take place tomorrow. All day."

    Noah looked even more shocked. "You have to miss the game??"

    Zeke gave a short nod. "It''s not a conference game so it''ll be fine. I''m going to call Coach now, and I''m sure we''ll talk more at practice." He glanced at his mom. "I''m going now. I''ll see you after practice."

    Mrs. Atkins nodded, looking pleased with the school''s decision. "Sure, honey. Go call Coach. I''ll see you at the house." Zeke left. She looked down at us. "Shouldn''t you two be going as well? Class should start soon."

    Noah nodded, still a little stunned by Zeke''s decision to skip a game, in order to take midterms, just so he could visit a few colleges. How complex. This time it was my turn to grab him and drag him out of there so we could still get to class on time.

    ***

    "Well, Dr. Moore, it''s nice to see you, but I should be going as well." Mrs. Atkins gave the psychologist a friendly smile and started to take her leave.

    "Wait. Mary." He held her back. "Did Wayne talk to you about last night''s conversation yet?"

    "Last night?" She looked confused. "You mean your appointment with Jake? No. At dinner we were caught unprepared with Zeke''s decision to visit schools in Southern California. It''s been pretty hectic. Why? Was something wrong?"

    "Wrong? Not really. It was a good session. It''s just...I have some suspicions." He pushed up his glasses. "Why don''t we go to my office here for more privacy? We can call Wayne as well and have a more open conversation."

    Mrs. Atkins started to look worried. "Okay. I''ll call him and get him on speaker."

    "No need to look so worried. It''s nothing bad." Dr. Moore tried to reassure her. "In fact, if one of you go with Zeke down south, this might be a good opportunity for Jake as well."

    "For Jake? Should I be taking him on this trip too?"

    "No. It might be detrimental if he goes back there. But if you or Wayne would go with Zeke, then there might be something for either of you to do." Dr. Moore waved her to an empty office. The room was plain and held no decorations but it gave them the privacy they would need for this conversation.

 275 Decision 3

    (Third person perspective)

    Mrs. Atkins had stepped into the office and took a seat. Dr. Moore sat behind the desk after closing the door. He began to explain his suspicions to her as Mr. Atkins was pulled up on speaker phone. To say she was shocked would be an understatement. She was overwhelmed.

    "Have either of you reached out to Doug yet?" She asked.

    Dr. Moore leaned back in his seat. "I have. Last night after Wayne and Jake left, I made a courtesy call to Doug to give an update on Jake and then to inform him of my suspicions. As I''ve told Wayne before, this might not be his actual brother. A cousin or older neighbor boy are possible options too."

    "What did Doug say?"

    "That he would look into it. He''s going to check some hospital records and see if the mom is listed on any other birth certificates, and if there''s a father listed for that child then maybe we''ll have a potential match."

    Mrs. Atkins took in a deep breath of air, then slowly let it out. "What would you want us to do on our trip then? I''m the one going with Zeke."

    Dr. Moore gave her a sympathetic look. "You don''t have to, if you''re too busy or if you just don''t want to. I was just going to suggest you stop by his old place of residence. Maybe you can peek into his old life and find a clue."

    "I thought Child Protective Services already did that?" Mr. Atkins asked over the phone.

    "Oh, I''m sure they gathered or at least went through everything at that house. I''ve gotten a list of items but nothing had seen pertinent. They weren''t very materialistic. Mostly because his mother had little to no money. Most looked to be spent on alcohol." Dr. Moore looked at Mrs. Atkins in the eye. "You know Jake on a more personal level than these strangers that were only looking for clues to who his father could be. Maybe you can ask around the neighborhood if anyone knew of another boy in the house? Maybe even stop by his elementary or middle school if you can?"

    Mrs. Atkins nodded. "I will. Can you or Doug send me the addresses? I''ll have some free time while Zeke is with each school. I''d also like to see how Jake lived before moving up here."

    Dr. Moore replied in the affirmative. "We''ll make a list of potential stops. I''ll send you an email tonight or tomorrow." He paused. "I want to remind you that this is all just speculation for now. Just because I feel this nagging suspicion doesn''t mean it''ll be true. There''s always a chance that Jake is just an only child and for all we know his dad could be dead by now." He let out a sigh. "That''s also something I think about when coming to terms that Doug still hasn''t found any clues about his identity. There can only be two possibilities: he''s dead or he doesn''t want to be found."

    "Why wouldn''t he want to be found?"

    Dr. Moore shrugged. "There could be many reasons from hiding from his ex and child support to him breaking the law. I just want you both to keep an open mind and try not to fixate on this too much."

    Mrs. Atkins nodded, wary of what was to come.

    "Would it be so bad if we didn''t find his dad?" Mr. Atkins asked through the phone, surprising the two in the office. "I mean, Jake is just getting better and he likes being with us..." He trailed off.

    Mrs. Atkins looked at Dr. Moore for help. She wanted to agree with her husband, but didn''t want to look like a selfish woman in front of her foster son''s psychologist.

    Dr. Moore sighed. "I can''t say for sure. Maybe he''s a wonderful man, a potential great father."

    "But he could be the opposite." Mr. Atkins countered.

    "I see where Noah gets it from." Dr. Moore looked at the phone as if trying to see Mr. Atkins. "This isn''t for us to decide. Even less so for me. I work with the state to help troubled children. I can''t overstepped my boundaries and declare you both to be his official guardians for the rest of his life. You would have to take that up with Doug. Even then, you would need Jake''s father to sign away his parental rights. His mother already had his forcibly removed so-"

    "Wait. Are we really talking about this?" Mrs. Atkins interrupted. "Wayne. Let''s talk more about this when I get home. We need to go at this rationally."

    Mr. Atkins hummed in agreement.

    ***

    (Jake''s POV)

    At practice, Coach and Zeke held a team meeting before warmups to announce his sudden trip to Southern California. The team was stunned into silence and listened on as Zeke explained that he would miss tomorrow''s game in order to take midterms.

    "Tomorrow''s game won''t have a true starter as well." Coach declared after Zeke''s speech. "We''ll be doing a bullpen game in preparation for next Saturday''s double header. That means each relief should do about an inning as long as they don''t give up any runs. We''ll start off with James, then Theo, Ryan, Tyler, and Matt will all join in. Bryce too if we can."

    "What about me?" Brian, a sophomore, stood up. "We hardly get any pitching opportunity with Garret and the twins around so..."

    Coach looked at him. "You''ll be in right field." He looked around. "Garret in left and Mahki in center. We have a lot to work around with." He nodded towards Julian in the back. "Wilson has a bruised foot from yesterday''s hit by pitch. He''ll rest tomorrow so Sean will be on first. Jason on third. Jake on second and Noah at short."

    The team started to get a little more life as tomorrow''s lineup was already announced.

    "Listen up." Coach raised his voice and the team quieted down. "Zeke''s trip won''t be a distraction. Tomorrow isn''t a league game, but I want us to treat as one. That means going hard, working at the plate, and diving for ground balls. Let''s take this practice as serious as if we were training for the championship."

 276 Game: @ Lassen Union HS 1

    Early Saturday morning, all three levels of baseball at our school loaded into the same bus. I was surprised to see so many players especially when it was just earlier this week they were telling me that we travel with the girls varsity team.

    I turned to Noah for an explanation, but as a freshman like me, he didn''t know either. That only left us with the twins. Zeke had already went straight to the school to start his testing.

    "Lassen Union is an all boys school." Kyle answered us. "So of course we wouldn''t need to travel with the girls. They probably have an off day or something. Normally they would play an all girls school on days like this, but I don''t see a bus for them."

    "Oh." Noah replied. "An all boys school? They must be pretty decent then right?"

    "Obviously." Dave snorted from his seat next to Kyle. They took up one seat on the bus, with me and Noah right behind them. "There''s a reason Coach said to take this seriously. Lassen Union is a private school that allows for special exemptions like athletes. Even though they''re not in our league, I would say they''re on par with us, maybe slightly worse since we have someone like Zeke."

    I swallowed a little harder than normal. "But...we don''t have Zeke for today''s game."

    The three of them got quiet. Only the sounds of the other players loading the bus and finding their seats surrounded us.

    I tried changing the topic after spotting some familiar classmates. I looked at a few that sat in the back of our morning classes. "Hey Noah, why don''t you converse with the other freshmen baseball players?" It''s strange now that I think about it. Noah was very popular and friendly...Shouldn''t he hang out with other ball players more often?

    Kyle frowned, and Dave rolled his eyes while replying, "Kids these days...nothing but a bunch of brats."

    I blinked, surprised that Dave had said something with so much venom in his tone. "I don''t get it."

    Noah sighed. "I''m not bothered by it anymore. They''ll realize how small-minded they are in a couple of years when they make varsity." He looked to me and gave a weak smile. "There''s some animosity since I was the only freshman to make varsity."

    "The rumors of nepotism came about after the teams were decided." Kyle told me. "Some can''t see why Noah made varsity while they have to start at the lowest levels. Some were even cut from the team even though we don''t really go to a big school."

    I looked at Noah sympathetically.

    Noah shoved me away. "I don''t need your pity, Jake. It''s over. That was all last semester stuff. This semester you made the team and that''s good enough to rub in their face.

    "But-they were your friends, weren''t they?" I asked. "You played little league unlike me. Plus you probably grew up with them."

    By Noah''s visible flinch, I knew I hit the mark. Dave and Kyle also conveniently turned and sat down properly in their seats. Noah glanced out the window, looking down on some players who have yet to board. There was a trio laughing at something the fourth had said.

    "It''s okay. Like I said, I''m over it. When they make varsity, they''ll realize the level they have to be to make the team. I got here with my own hard work. I know that." Noah looked back at me. "You''re the only friend I need."

    My heart warmed up and tears threatened to fall.

    Noah laughed at my plight and didn''t even off a tissue or napkin. "What a sap you are. Come on now that''s nothing new. Use your sleeves to wipe your eyes, silly. Really now. Stop being such a baby for little things like this."

    I pulled my sweatshirt sleeve over my fingers and dabbed the corner of my eyes. Noah always made me feel welcomed since day one, hour one. I was happy that he became my best friend, but I also feel bad that his friends had left him because he''s more outstanding.

    After clearing up my face, the bus had finally loaded up and we started to take off. This time with three teams aboard, a lot more players had to stack up to three a seat. This duty fell on the freshmen team and the JV team. At first I felt guilty, but then I remembered that Noah''s friends ditched him for rumors.

    The trip was a little less than an hour as we headed towards the coast and not the mountains, thankfully. As the bus driver took us to our destination, Coach stood up and announced that each team would play at the same time on their own respective fields. This drew a lot of attention to Lassen Union...they could afford just as much as a public school like ours. And we were on the nicer end from what I''ve seen so far.

    Coach then asked for the varsity players attention as he officially announced the lineup.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Hollander

    3 CF Mahki Holstrom

    4 LF Garret Knudsen

    5 RF Brian Swoope

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 1B Sean Isner

    8 C Kelvin Bender

    9 P James Lohr

    With this, only one-third of the starters were seniors: Mahki, Kelvin, and James. And James would be rotating with the other pitchers, who I knew weren''t all seniors. Without Julian and Zeke, the team had lost its mature vibe. Even Tony was benched after starting the last two games. It would be a new look.

    We arrived at the school and started to file off the bus, grabbing our bags from the lower department. Like at our school, Lassen Union had a clubhouse behind each dugout for changing and preparation. Only for the varsity field though. The lower levels still had to change in the locker rooms and then head to their own field.

 277 Game: @ Lassen Union HS 2

    As a unified team we walked together to our visiting club room to change. I already had my jersey on under my sweatshirt so I didn''t bother taking it off just yet. Mid-March is still cold, especially in Northern California. I focused on getting my cleats on as everyone else did their own thing to get pumped.

    Coach gave another speech about taking this seriously even with missing pieces like Zeke and Julian. He told the pitchers to all report to the bullpen after warmups so they can discuss a more detailed plan with the pitching coach.

    Mahki then led us out, taking over captain duties that belonged to Zeke. We warmed up like any time before, moving with all seriousness that coach expected us to have.

    After running, stretching, tossing the ball around, and getting warm, the pitchers and our two catchers headed to the bullpen. Noah explained that the first two up would probably get to start practicing their pitches with Kelvin and Jordan, the rest would have to wait until the game started.

    I followed the normal pregame routine and made sure to pay extra attention to my fielding. I wanted to set a personal goal for the game: no fumbling with the baseball. Clean fielding. I''m not just talking about errors either. I wanted to look as good as Noah when he fields. Even though he said we could do extra training during midterms week, I wanted to get a head start now. I''m already behind in terms of fielding.

    After the umpires showed up and asked for the lineups, everyone started to move to their respective dugouts. As our team arrived back in ours, Mr. Miller instructed the first few of us to get our bats and put on our helmets.

    The top of the order started with Noah, me, and Mahki. Garret and Brian also got ready with the belief that we wouldn''t get out.

    Coach came back to the dugout and clipped the lineup to the fence. "Okay, boys, listen up. They''ll be coming out with Ricky Cee." The dugout listened to Coach in silence, not showing one emotion more than the other. Leaving me guessing if they knew who that was or not. "Come out swinging and don''t get caught watching." He reached out and patted Noah on the helmet. "Lead us off kid."

    Noah left and I followed. We both stood by the on deck circle, with me watching him take practice swings. Noah glanced up, then used his eyes to direct my attention to the field.

    I looked up and saw the home team taking the field, throwing the ball around. I didn''t see anything worth watching of the field players, so I focused on the pitcher. Ricky Cee. He''s significant enough for Coach to give his name so he must be well known. On some level. Maybe Noah wanted me to watch his warmup?

    Ricky looked tall up on the mound, almost like a kid on stilts. He had a thin frame, with arms as thick as a noodle. He went into a windup, stretched out his left leg, planted, then his whole right side came following through. I blinked and his pitch had already made it to the catcher. Ahh. So he''s fast. That''s why Coach said to come out swinging. It''d be a waste if the guys just watched it go on by.

    The home plate umpire gave him a couple of minutes to throw off the mound before signaling the practice balls be tossed back, and for Noah to step up. Noah gave me a smile and walked off, leaving me on my own within the on deck circle.

    Ricky didn''t waste any time or pitch, and went straight down the middle against Noah. Noah held true to Coach''s instructions, and swung. Foul. Foul. He left one pass for a ball. On the 1-2 count, he swung at another fastball, sending it to the outfield. The center fielder sprinted in and easily caught it for the first out.

    "Nice contact!"

    "Good swing!"

    "Your turn, Jake!"

    The guys chatter from the dugout could easily be heard. The crowd here was very minimal. Besides a few parents of the home team, and Mr. Atkins for our team, there wasn''t a student in sight. Not many kids would wake up early on the weekend to watch their school''s baseball team after all.

    Noah gave me a high five as he walked back to the dugout, for encouragement. I walked up to the lefty''s box with my wood bat and got set, already anticipating Ricky''s pitch. I let the first one go high for a ball. I wanted to swing, but I preferred something within the zone.

    The second pitch came, drifting to the strike zone from the outside. With a swing, I connected, but just barely, sending the ball down the third baseline. I took off for first, but when I got close, I saw the first baseman extend his gloved hand and catch an incoming throw. The third baseman must have been abled to field my grounder. I sighed and slowed up to a jog. Crap.

 278 Game: @ Lassen Union HS 3

    I jogged back to my dropped bat, picked it up and hurried back to the dugout with my head down.

    "Don''t mind it." Mahki patted over my helmet as he strode to the batters box.

    Don''t mind? How can I not? Batting is the only time I feel like I belong.

    "Jake. Hold up." Coach greeted me as soon as I walked into the dugout. "Come here for a second."

    I shuffled over to him, still keeping my head down, a little afraid to make eye contact.

    I heard a sigh, then watched coach''s knees bend to bring him eye level with me. "Son, don''t get down on yourself. That was a good hit down the line. It''s just unlucky that the third baseman was playing closer to the line. Maybe if it was also faster, it could have gotten through. But no matter. The play is already done. All you can do now is look up and look forward to your next at bat."

    I tilted my head up, not too surprised that Coach knew what I was thinking.

    He smiled, and straightened up. "Glad you''re understanding the game a bit better." He thought for a moment. "You didn''t think I was speaking to you when I told the team to ''come out swinging'', did you?"

    I looked up, not clearly understanding what he was asking. He said to come out swinging, Noah showed me that the pitcher was fast, so I came to the conclusion to swing at the first pitch I liked.

    Coach let out a sigh with a little chuckle. "Jake, you have confidence in your own batting don''t you?"

    I nodded. "For the most part." If it was the cages, then I would be 100% confident.

    "Then you don''t really have to listen to my speeches when it comes to hitting."

    "But...you''re the coach." I frowned.

    "I know. And as your coach, there isn''t much I can teach you when it comes to hitting. You have a good eye, an almost mechanical swing, and you have the power to place the ball to where you like. The only thing I can suggest is to use your head up there a little more."

    "Oh." I thought to what I could have done better at the plate. "Maybe...wait for a better pitch? One that I liked?"

    Coach nodded. "Not bad. But, think about your team for a minute. They''re good players, but not many high schoolers can hit a 90mph pitch with as much ease as you."

    Ok...and? I stared blankly at him, not on the same wavelength.

    "Okay," He sighed. "Let''s go with this: you''re good at fouling a pitch right? Zeke had you do something similar in the beginning of the season."

    Oh! It clicked with me, finally. "I can ramp up his pitch count!"

    "Exactly." Coach nodded, patting me on the head. "Ramping up the pitch count will not only make him physically tired, but it can add mental stress on a pitcher. That may cause him to slip up and fall apart."

    "Out!" The home plate umpire''s voice made us turn in unison. We watched as Mahki shook his head in disappointment and headed back to the dugout.

    "Okay, kid, go grab your glove." Coach patted my helmet a few more times. "Lesson time is over. Go out there and give the pitchers some support today."

    I nodded and hurried back to my bag. Noah waited nearby as I changed out my gear, then we took the field together.

    "You good?" He asked, squinting at me. "Coach spoke with you for a bit."

    I nodded, slightly turning red from embarrassment. "He was just saying that I don''t use my head when I''m in the batter''s box."

    Noah laughed and we split to our positions. Sean, who was now playing first base, started to take turns to roll the ball out to each of us as we warmed up. James was on the mound, throwing to Kelvin, getting ready for his first start since our first tournament together. I never realized how much the twins and Garret monopolized the mound until Coach said he wanted to do a bullpen game.

    The ump called for the balls back, we complied and the first batter of the game stepped into the batter''s box. James took control of the mound, nodding at one of Kelvin''s pitch selections, then started to work.

    He got the first batter to strikeout, the second hit an easy grounder to me, and the third guy had hit a grounder to Jason at third. It was a good feeling to go three up, three down after a bad start on the offensive.

    We switched back to the offense with Garret, Brian, and Jason coming up. Garret was the replacement for Zeke as the cleanup hitter. On a blazing fastball, he swung and sent it right back up the middle, narrowly missing the pitcher. The center fielder was quick to field it back in, holding Garret at first base.

    Brian Swoope was brought up next, finding his footing in the righty''s box. I turned to Noah, trying to remember if we ever played with him in a game. "Is this Brian''s first game?"

    Noah looked surprised. Thought about it. Then nodded. "It must be. He''s a sophomore and it''s his first year on varsity. We haven''t seen him play in a game at all yet. Wow." Noah lowered his voice. "That makes me feel kind of bad."

    "It''s not like he plays shortstop though.."

    "True. Very true." Noah nodded. "During tryouts last semester, he was only trying out for pitching, but Coach made him do a few scrimmages in the outfield. He''s got a powerful arm. Like a cannon."

    I''ve seen it in practice. Just during warmups alone, it would make me wish that I could throw that far.

    "During a scrimmage, he had actually thrown out a runner trying to tag up off a fly ball and was able to get him out. It''s just amazing."

    "He should be a good pitcher too then, right?"

    Noah''s let out a laugh. "Uhhh, not exactly. I don''t know if he gets nervous up there or what, but he always gets wild. Coach and Zeke are firm believers in the phrase: there''s no defense against a walk. So it''ll be tough for him to ever make an appearance on the mound." Noah lowered his voice to a whisper again. "And it''s not just walking batters that''s the problem. He also has a tendency to hit them."

    My eyes widened. I could see how that would be more than a little problem. "How is he at batting then?"

    Noah shrugged. "Just the same as everyone else, I guess. You get some, you miss some."

    Well with Garret leading off first, I could only hope that he would get one right now, and not miss. Brian was put in a corner quick, missing two fastballs down the middle, and had earned himself an 0-2 count. He swung on the next pitch, making a connection. Unfortunately that connection sent the ball right to the second baseman, who fielded the ball, tossing it to the shortstop on second base. He tagged the base and threw to first. A 4-6-3 double play. Dang it. That''s worst than missing. Brian has just given up our only baserunner of the game so far.

    "Don''t look so sad." Noah laughed. "This is baseball. Sometimes you can go more than a few innings with no action."

    Right. We''ve seen it before.

    Jason didn''t do any better, flying out to right field for the third and final out of the top of the second inning. Ah, so quick.

    I grabbed my glove and headed back out to the field with Noah and the other starters.

 279 Game: @ Lassen Union HS 4

    Coach came out with us and walked straight up to the umpire, with Kelvin close behind. They shared a conversation and then Coach waved at the bullpen. Theo sprinted out like he was partaking in a track meet, even though this wasn''t a race. At all. Not even a little bit. It''s not like the other guys would take his turn at pitching...coach would surely send them back.

    He arrived at the mound, receiving a ball from Kelvin. Coach looked at him on the mound, took a step forward, then he must have changed his mind as he chose to go back to the dugout instead. I tried to watch Theo warmup, but Sean was keeping me occupied with our own warmups. Usually Julian goes at a more relaxed pace, yet Sean was the complete opposite. He made me feel like I was practicing fielding hard hit grounders. I''ve never been happier when the ump requested for the baseballs to return.

    Bottom of the second inning. Theo would have to take on the best part of the lineup: batters four, five, and six. Maybe it''s not right to call it the best part of the lineup, but in my mind, I always think of power hitters. I''ve never seen Theo in action, not even in practice. He did most of his work in the bullpen.

    Theo''s first opponent was the cleanup hitter. As a sophomore, this must be his first varsity appearance as well. The only sophomores that have played so far were Bryce and Sean. And Brian starting today.

    "Jake." Noah''s voice made me look his way. He waved me back, wanting me to stand on the edge of the dirt and outfield grass. I backed up, resting my heels on the grass.

    Theo was bent forward, looking at Kelvin''s signs. He nodded, then straightened up. Theo kicked up his front leg, then stretched it out front, planting his leg, then the rest of his body seem to follow his wrist as he threw his first official pitch. The pitch went right down the middle and then dropped as the batter swung, completely missing for strike one. A sinker? Theo repeated the same pitch two more times, getting the cleanup hitter to strike out swinging.

    Noah clapped his glove a few times. "Keep it up!"

    Theo faced the next batter with the same energy, but switched up the pitch. After three straight sinkers to the cleanup batter, he started the fifth batter off with a fastball. The batter appeared to be looking for that sinker, swinging low. He fouled the fastball back for strike one. The next pitch came, he still swung low, and caught the underside of the ball, sending a high but short fly ball to center field for out number two.

    Theo switched back and forth between the sinker and a fastball for the sixth batter, ultimately getting him to ground out to Noah at shortstop. Three up, three down. Noah was the first to run up to Theo, threw an arm around his shoulders, and started to talk his ear off.

    I laughed to myself as everyone headed to the dugout. It was only one inning, but Noah was complimenting him as if he had closed the game. He really knows how to build others up and make them feel good about themselves.

    Top of the third, Ricky continued to close us out, getting Sean to fly out to right and Kelvin to fly out to left. Coach put Tony in to pinch hit for the pitcher spot, removing Theo from the lineup. Tony could only produce a pop up to their second baseman. We''re sure hitting the bottom part of the ball more than normal. At least next inning I''ll get another chance. A chance to redeem myself.

    Bottom of the third, Coach came out and brought in Ryan, a senior that I''ve seen in action a time or two. Ryan faced the bottom of the lineup with ease. The seventh batter in the lineup hit a weak roller right back to him, in which he easily fielded it to Sean at first base for the first out. The eighth batter hit a grounder to Noah, who had no problem fielding the ball and throwing him out at first for the second out. The ninth batter was their pitcher, Ricky. His batting really couldn''t be compared to his pitching. On an 0-2 count, he hit a short fly to Brian in right field to end the inning.

    We jogged back to the dugout as a team, filled with energy thanks to our defense. Even though we haven''t scored yet, they haven''t either. Top of the fourth would start with the top of our lineup: Noah, me, and Mahki.

    I hurried to take my hat off and put my helmet on. I dropped the glove in my bag and rushed to the on deck circle.

 280 Game: @ Lassen Union HS 5

    Noah was already hanging outside the batter''s box, eager for redemption of his own fly out, earlier. The umpire gave a minute or two, to the field players to warmup, also giving us the opportunity to watch Ricky throw some more.

    I took a batting stance as if I was the one in the box. I watched his setup and motion, then he threw a fastball to his catcher. Just...it wasn''t as fast as what I saw when I was actually in the box. Either it looks slower from far away, or he''s not throwing his best since it''s just a warmup.

    The umpire called for the balls back, and waved Noah into the righty''s box. Noah got in, digging his back foot in. His back foot was practically on the back line, as if he was trying to be at the furthest distance from the pitcher as possible. I frowned at his decision. Standing that far back won''t make too much of a difference.

    Then he shifted in, facing the pitcher. I noticed his toes almost on the inner line of the box. So not only he was hanging back, but he wanted to stand on the inside? Is he trying to get hit by a pitch?

    I looked back to the dugout to see if they saw what he was doing, but no one seemed to noticed or they didn''t care. I worriedly watched Noah''s at bat, scared that he''ll get pegged by a fastball.

    Oddly enough, the pitcher threw pitches way outside, missing him and the strike zone altogether. On ball four, Noah tossed his bat to the dugout, smiling with pride as if he planned that. He shot me a thumbs up.

    I returned the gesture halfheartedly. I don''t know how he came up with that idea, but I thought it was dumb, he could have gotten hit by the ball. I sighed to myself and moved towards home. I got into the lefty''s box, and raised my bat back as I looked to the pitcher.

    The pitcher toed the mound, while glancing to Noah at first. Then he did a short kick up and pitched to me. It went wide. Ball one. The next pitch came in high but still in the zone. I let it pass for a called strike. 1-1. The next pitch was more or less the same, so I decided to foul it back. 1-2. He threw a curve, low and away for ball two. 2-2. Then he came back down the middle with his fastest pitch I''ve seen so far, but I was able to foul it down the third baseline, nearly hitting Mr. Miller. I was able to foul five more pitches before he threw a ball three. Once the at-bat got to a total of ten pitches, I started to look for one that I liked. I fouled two more grounders along the third baseline before seeing a fastball that came a little inside. I swung with determination, connecting, and pulling the ball towards right field. It dropped before the right fielder could get to it, allowing me to safely make it to first and for Noah to move to second.

    The team clapped and cheered in the dugout, excited about our improvement on the offense. Sadly, not much came out of it. Mahki popped up to the right fielder for the first out of the inning. Garret fought for a walk to load the bases, yet this is where we couldn''t even come up with a sacrifice fly to get Noah home. Brian struck out, looking, then Jason followed up with a swinging strikeout to end the inning. Darn it.

    The three of us on the bases jogged back to the dugout as our team started to take the field for warmups. Coach already came out to tell the umpire about another pitcher change.

    "What a waste." Noah sighed as we put our helmets away. "That was such a good opportunity to get at least a one run lead." He voiced my thoughts exactly.

    As we grabbed our gloves, I recalled his at bat and frowned. "You shouldn''t have done that. Zeke would have been mad."

    Noah shrugged. "Zeke''s not here so I can do what I want. You don''t hear Coach getting upset."

    I shook my head at him as we walked out of the dugout. "Coach didn''t even have a chance to say anything to you yet." I took a deep breath and let it out. "I just don''t think you should put yourself at risk like that. One bad hit by a pitch and you could be out for awhile."

    Noah took on a look of guilt. "Sorry. It all worked out in the end though."

    I rolled my eyes. "You know...if you get benched, I get benched. You do a lot of the work for me in the middle and I''m sure Daniel wouldn''t extend the same courtesy."

    He grimaced. "Oops." He paused. "I was only thinking about getting on base. I can''t promise that I won''t do it again, but I''ll promise I won''t do it in a non important game like this."

    I sighed. That''s probably the best I could get from him. I watched as he jogged towards his position. Noah had a one tracked mind: baseball. Anything and everything for baseball. I don''t think I would ever try to get hit on purpose to get on base. Even if I didn''t have my skills, I just couldn''t get past intentionally hurting yourself.

    Soon the bottom of the fourth inning started with Tyler taking the mound. I knew very little about him as well, besides the fact that he''s a junior like the twins and Garret. Nonetheless, he did his job on the mound, facing the top of the lineup. The first batter singled, but the next three all hit high fly balls. One to me for the first out, and the next two to Garret in center field to end the inning.

    The top of the fifth would start with our bottom three guys, but if just one could get on base, I would get another at bat this inning. Just one.

 281 Game: @ Lassen Union HS 6

    Technically not one. But two. But Noah still bats in front of me so I''m sure he could come up with something like he did before, even if it was a stupid idea. As the inning started, it turned out that I wouldn''t need to rely on him to get on base so much.

    Sean was walked, and then Kelvin belted a single to right field moving Sean all the way to third base. For the pitcher position in the lineup, Coach pulled Tyler and sent Chris in to pinch hit. He has a golden opportunity to score at least one run with Sean on third and no outs.

    Chris was able to send a high, but far, fly ball to left field. We watched as it went towards the left fielder, who lifted up his glove to catch the ball. In my mind I was just thinking that Sean would be able to tag up and score from that distance. But the crowd and dugouts gasped in unison as the ball bounced off his glove and rolled on the grass. Everyone started to run. What should have been a routine fly out just became an E7. An error.

    Sean easily scored. Kelvin hustled to third, sliding in on the bag as the ball came back to the infield. Even Chris made it all the way to second. Now we''re talking.

    I moved to the on deck circle and Noah moved up to the batter''s box. He looked to Mr. Miller along the third base side for instructions. I was hoping he would say go for a walk or try to get on base, but Mr. Miller gave him the sign to swing freely. He also signed for the runners to watch where the ball goes: on the ground, then run; If in the air, wait.

    Noah got set in the box and faced the pitcher, ready to swing at anything. And I mean anything. The first pitch was outside, yet he still swung. And missed. 0-1.

    "Eye on the ball!"

    "What was that!"

    "Are you even trying?"

    A few shouts and comments came from our own dugout, making Noah turn red with embarrassment. He shot the dugout a sheepish smile before stepping back up to the plate. He let the next pitch pass for a called strike, making him frown. On the third pitch, he connected, sending the ball down the right field line. The right fielder ran in and caught the fly ball for the first out of the inning. Kelvin tagged up on third and sprinted home as the right fielder threw the ball to his cut off man. 2-0. Chris didn''t tag up and stayed put at second, but that''s okay, since I could still drive him home.

    I held out my hand for a high five as Kelvin jogged back to the dugout, picking up Noah''s bat on his way. He smacked my hand then waited for Noah to come too. He smacked him on the helmet, beaming with happiness. We were up on the scoreboard with a two run lead.

    They went back and I stepped up to bat. One out with one on second. I just had to avoid the infield on the off chance that they''ll turn a double play. As I got in the batter''s box, I heard a shout from Coach: "Be patient!"

    Right. Gotta take my time. The pitcher was already looking tired and sweaty the more his pitch count went up. If I could make him work a little longer, there''s a chance that he''ll be taken out which would benefit the rest of my team.

    Like Coach advised, I let a couple more pitches pass and fouled more than a few off. After being at a full count for five extra pitches, the pitcher, Ricky, was tired and frustrated. He threw a pitch inside that would definitely be ball four, but that''s not what I would want. My front foot stepped forward and out, opening up my body to the pitch. My swing came in short and fast, connected with the fastball, and then I pulled it to right field. My body turned with the swing, sending me on my way to first. I was able to watch my hit dropped just over the right fielders hit, rolling to the outfield fence.

    Chris and I sprinted around the bases, one obviously faster than the other. In my defense, he was able to lead off of second while I had to sprint from home. He safely scored making it 3-0 and I safely made it to second base without having to slide. I put my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath, as the ball was returned to the pitcher.

    I could hear the dugout cheers as Chris was greeted back into the dugout. I looked over and smiled at their hollering.

    Not long after, Lassen Union''s Coach came out and went to the mound, telling the umpire that he''ll do a pitching change. Ricky handed over the ball and slowly walked off the field with his head hung low. I felt a mix of guilt and pride at the sight. Guilt because he was taken out of the game, yet pride for the same reason. I sighed.

    Lassen Union brought in a new pitcher that was just as tall as the twins, yet more well built. He had definition in his muscles unlike the twins. Kind of like a more muscular Garret. He came in with more power than speed. Pitches that landed in the catcher''s mitt and made a solid sound.

    He got Mahki to strike out swinging. Walked Garret after a long at-bat. But was still able to get Brian to strike out swinging as well to end our half of the inning. Even though I didn''t make it home to score a run, we were up by three and I was satisfied.

    I jogged back to the dugout, trailing behind Garret.

    He glanced back at me. "That was a nice line drive earlier. I feel like you always know where to hit the ball."

    I blushed and mumbled back. "I just try my best."

    He laughed as we made it back. The dugout was more lively now that we had the lead. Everyone was chatting about the plays we were able to make and how we even got their star starter to sit down in less than five innings.

    "Keep it steady, boys." Coach told us as we began to take the field. "Soft and easy plays." He came out with us to introduce our next pitcher, Matt.

    I knew even less about Matt than all the other pitchers. He was a quiet junior on the team that always seemed to be hanging around the outer edges of groups. He never talked back to any of the coaches, and was instead, a great listener. So...the opposite of the twins.

    He never begged to pitch, but he took the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning with pride and determination. He would have to start with batter''s five, six, and seven. He threw warmups with all seriousness and didn''t look nervous at all.

 282 Game: @ Lassen Union HS 7

    Batter number five was first up, hitting a hard grounder between me and Sean. Sean was quick to dive at it, making sure it didn''t reach the outfield grass. I paused not sure what to do since I expected that I would have to field the grounder.

    Sean glanced back at me with a look of surprise. I looked back at him, still confused.

    "Sean! Here!" Matt yelled out as he raced the batter to first base.

    Sean threw it to him underhanded. Matt caught it and tagged first just one step before the batter.

    "Out!" The first base ump pumped his fist.

    Sean got up on his feet and walked over to me. "Uh, Jake? I''m no pro at first base, but weren''t you supposed to cover if I got the ball?"

    "Was I?" I blinked, not sure.

    "It''s fine." Matt came over, towering over both of us. "I covered. On a grounder to the first baseman, either you or I can go cover the bag, depending on who''s closest."

    Oh. I was closest...

    "Don''t mind." Noah joined our little meeting, with Jason right behind him. "We''ll work on it this week with your fielding."

    "So I was at fault?" My face fell.

    Matt laughed and patted my shoulder. "Take it easy. I said it''s my responsibility too."

    "It probably doesn''t help that I only know the basics of playing first base too." Sean added.

    "Why are you all even hung up on it?" Jason asked. "We already got the out."

    "It''s called a learning experience." Matt said. "There''ll be plenty of practice for everyone. Let''s work together as a team." He glanced towards home plate. "Let''s get back to our positions. Kelvin and the umpire look like they''re done waiting on us." He moved to the mound in an unhurried motion.

    Jason and Sean jogged back to their spots as I moved towards mine.

    "Matt is very easygoing." Noah walked with me for a second. "For a pitcher, especially."

    "Is that bad?" I asked.

    He shrugged. "Not really. But maybe I like to see more competitive players. Or at least...I''m used to it. It''s not very often you meet such a relaxed dude." He glanced at Matt one more time before leaving me for his own position.

    Matt''s next opponent was batter number six, who had previously grounded out to Noah in the second inning. Matt agreed with every pitch Kelvin signed for, pushing the count to 2-2. The next pitch was smacked towards Brian in right field. Except, it went well over his head, and not long after went well over the put field fence. A home run. 3-1 now.

    I pulled my eyes away from right field to quickly check up on Matt at the mound as the batter ran around the bases. He was busy waiting for a new baseball from Kelvin, not looking too affected. Heck, I couldn''t tell if he had even watched it go over the fence. Maybe this is what Noah has against ''relaxed'' teammates? They don''t seem interested?

    But that''s not right. Matt was the one to run to first to cover the bag on the groundout. It''s not like he isn''t trying. After the home run, he faced batters seven and eight. Seven sent a high fly towards the left field fence, but Garret was able to track it down and catch it for the second out. Batter eight didn''t swing all the way through on his connection, just letting the ball bounced off the thin part of the bat. It slowly rolled to the mound. Matt was quick to get to the ball and made a smooth throw to Sean at first to get the last out of the fifth inning.

    "I just don''t like how he doesn''t seem interested in winning." Noah spoke up about Matt again as we took our seats in the dugout. Top of the sixth would start with Jason, Sean, and Kelvin so we needed them to get on base in order to bring us up to bat again this inning. "It''s like he doesn''t care."

    "I think he cares." I whispered back. "He covered first base on the first out and he fielded a grounder for the third. If he didn''t care, then why would he try so hard?"

    Noah''s lips thinned. "I don''t know. I just don''t like the lack of passion on the mound I guess."

    I cracked a smile. "You want all pitchers to be as loud as your brothers?"

    He laughed. "It''s what I''m used to okay."

    The sixth didn''t have much action for our team as Jason struck out swinging, Sean grounded out to short, and Kelvin hit a slow roller to second. Three up, three down.

    Luckily our defense produced the same result. Bryce, the sophomore, came in to deal for the bottom of the sixth. He''s one of the few pitchers I''ve seen in multiple games besides the usual starters; he had played against Durham and University Prep earlier this season. Both teams were in the Foothill Classic and had proven to be tough teams to play against. Especially University Prep. We still haven''t played another team at their caliber. But that didn''t mean Bryce wasn''t good. He came in and got Lassen Union to go three up, three down with a groundout to third, a fly out to left, and another groundout to short.

    As soon as the sixth ended, he raced back to the dugout and went straight to Coach. As I jogged back to the dugout with Noah, I watched as he had put his hands together like he was pleading and praying to Coach. Coach gave a slight nod and then he was off again. He raced to his bag, pulling out a helmet and bat. I guess it''s not hard to figure what he had asked Coach. He just wanted to bat. I understand the feeling.

    Noah laughed as Bryce bolted by as we headed to our own bags. "He''s so eager like Coach might take away his only chance to bat."

    I shrugged. "It kind of is though. For today. And also the other days he doesn''t pitch. If he was a starter, he might get more plate appearances though so I don''t know why he doesn''t try for that instead."

    "Because Garret and the twins hog the starter spot. They''re the best not just on the team, but in the county now too. It''s hard to compete with a left-handed ace, who is also good at batting AND a set of twins that have thrown a perfect game each." Noah put his helmet on and grabbed his bat. "I just thought it was funny the way he was running around. It''s not like the ump won''t let him bat. The defense gets like a minute and a half for warmups."

    I slid my helmet on and nodded. "So he''s the opposite of Matt. He has too much energy?"

    Noah let out a laugh. "I guess that''s where I''m getting at. One''s too relaxed and the other is too hyped up. What a pair." He gave me a nod before leaving the dugout and getting in the on deck circle while I patiently waited in the hole.

 283 Game: @ Lassen Union HS 8

    Bryce was an excellent batter. I mean, he has to be in order to make the varsity team as a sophomore. But also, I feel like he had proven himself against Durham Prep. As for his performance against University? I couldn''t hold it against him when I couldn''t do any better.

    Against the Lassen Union relief pitcher, he showed off more of his energy, swinging violently at anything close. On a 1-2 count, he connected and sent a hard grounder between third and short, safely making it to first base. The team clapped for him as it was our first hit against this pitcher.

    Noah was quick to follow up with a single of his own, pushing Bryce to second.

    I came up to the plate with two on and no outs. I should avoid grounders to avoid any double play balls. I need to get this ball to the outfield. I stepped into the batter''s box and faced the pitcher. He wasn''t as fast as Ricky, but he had more control over his pitches, aiming for difficult spots.

    As my at-bat progressed, I was slightly amazed that Bryce and Noah were both abled to get hits. Not that I think I''m completely superior to them, but I had more practice when it came to batting. I could hit every pitch in a batting cage.

    On a fastball down the middle, but came inside to the lefty''s box, I swung, struggling to get the timing right. My back shoulder dipped as I swung through, messing up my steady swing. I popped the ball up, high in the air. The shortstop came in, called for it, and caught it with ease, keeping the runners at first and second. Shoot.

    I dragged my bat and my feet back to the dugout, disappointed in, what could be, my last at-bat for the game.

    "Don''t get so down on yourself, Jake." Coach reminded me as I walked back in. "You already had two good hits today, you should hold your head up high."

    I nodded, and tried to comfort myself with my own thoughts as well. We still had the lead. I didn''t make any official errors. I was able to drive in one run.

    "Just think: it could be worse." Dave plopped down right next to me as I put my bat and helmet away.

    "Right!" Kyle snatched my hat and tried to put it on my head, but ended up covering my eyes.

    I fixed my hat and sat down properly. "I know."

    Mahki was quick to follow in my steps, sending a high pop up to the second baseman.

    "At least you''re doing better than Mahki." Dave shook his head in a way that let me know he was feeling sorry for him.

    "Yep." Kyle agreed. "This will be two games in a row that he hasn''t gotten a hit."

    I frowned. "But, that happens. Noah and Coach talked to me about this before. He''s just in a slump, right?"

    "It''s a bad time for him to be in a slump." Dave mumbled to me as Mahki came back in the dugout. He waited for him to pass by and go to his own spot before whispering, "He''s already signed a letter of intent with San Francisco University, but wanted to negotiate for a higher paying scholarship. Being on a winning team won''t be enough for him. He has to produce some astounding numbers. Like when Zeke homered a couple of times in one game. Attention-grabbing statistics like that."

    Oh. That''s tough. Yet...somehow...that made my worries even smaller. I didn''t have to impress a college for any reason. All I had to do was make sure that the Atkins, Coach, and the team were satisfied with my playing. Even then, Mr. Atkins said I wouldn''t let them down if I made one bad play or had a bad game. They would still accept me.

    "Out!" The home plate ump did the motion, signaling that Garret struck out. What a waste of baserunners again.

    The bottom of the seventh brought a new pitcher for our side as we took the field. Troy jogged to the mound to meet with Coach and Kelvin. They spent a few seconds in a discussion before breaking up so Troy could throw some pitches off the real mound.

    I saw Troy only pitch once so far this season, but it stuck with me. He was the curveball specialist. I only saw him face one batter and he threw nothing but curves. At the time, Noah told me that he wouldn''t throw more than 30 serious pitches a day in case of a shoulder injury. He was aggressive, but cautious. Noah just calls him picky.

    Troy was true to his style today, throwing three straight curves before allowing the first batter up to hit a single to left field. Garret was quick to get the ball back to the infield, ensuring that the runner couldn''t make it to second.

    Even after giving up the hit, he didn''t change, and stuck with the curveballs. I was slightly nervous, but Troy had good control and could move the placement of the curves around the strike zone.

    The following batter caught one with the edge of his bat as it hit the outer edge of the zone. He couldn''t get much power behind the swing and was stuck with a slow dribbler heading towards me. I ran up to greet the ball like I was taught, fielder it, then sent an under handed toss to Noah at second base. He tagged the base and threw to first just as the runner collided with him.

    "Out!" The second base umpire called out.

    "Out!" The first base umpire was quick to repeat.

    A double play.

    I ran to Noah at second base and helped him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

    Noah patted the dirt off his uniform and fixed his cap. "I''m fine! All good!"

    I looked him up and down and couldn''t see any reason to argue.

    He tapped my chest with his glove. "That was a good play. Way to be proactive and go to the ball instead of waiting. If you were just a second late, we would have lost the double play."

    I smiled at the compliment and headed back to my position as he did the same. We still had one more out to go. As Troy started to face off with his next batter, a sudden thought came to me. If I was a second late, we would have missed out on the double play. But...maybe if I was a second faster, there wouldn''t have been a collision between Noah and the runner? Maybe he would have had another second to get out of the way.

    These thoughts solidified my commitment to train harder this upcoming week. Coach did his best to teach me during official practices, but I felt most of my time was spent with Drew, just working on my endurance or strength. I needed more practical work to do.

    "Out! End of game!" The home plate called out after Troy got the guy to strike out.

    Our team rushed to gather at the mound to congratulate him and one another on a good game. Afterwards we met with the other team to shake their hands for a show of good sportsmanship. A 3-1 win against a private school had our team talking on the ride home about how we must be the favorites to win league.

    I zoned out, not very interested in the topic at hand. My first thought was if Zeke had finished his testing yet; followed up with wondering if he and his mom would leave tonight or tomorrow.

    "They only won 3-1, I don''t know how that gives them the confidence to win league." A quiet scoff reached my ears, drawing me out of my thoughts. A few rows back were the lower level teams having discussions of their own. One, apparently, about our team.

    I glanced to Noah to see if he heard, but he was too distracted talking to Jason one row over. I wanted to interrupt to ask how the other two levels did in their games, but I didn''t want to bring about a fight. And knowing Noah? He would fight. Which would be bad since we all go to the same school and it might create a rift between him and his old friends. I couldn''t understand what they were thinking and why they had phrased that comment like they did. Maybe it''s something I can ask Dr. Moore about since he understands weird situations like this.

 284 Saturday Night 1

    We arrived back at school and started to unload the bus. Mr. Atkins, who had been at the game, arrived in the parking lot near the same time, and stood outside his car, waiting for us, I suppose. We ambled over with the twins in the lead.

    "Is Zeke not done yet?" Dave frowned, glancing over to the car Zeke drove us in.

    "Nope." Mr. Atkins shook his head. "He''s still in the library, testing."

    "Ughhh, but I''m hungry." Kyle groaned as he held his stomach.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "You didn''t even play." He pouted at his dad. "But I did! I played super well too so it should be my turn to pick right?"

    Mr. Atkins laughed. "Yea, that sounds about right." He moved around the car to open up the trunk. "Let''s load up and go eat. Your mom and Zeke can eat on their own when he finishes."

    "Shouldn''t Jake be the one to pick lunch?" Kyle asked. "He got one more hit than you did today."

    Noah shook his head. "No way. Jake is just like Zeke. If we went by those stats, then we would never get to pick a meal again." He said dramatically.

    But it worked on the twins. Dave nodded in agreement right away. "He knows what he''s talking about. I don''t want to live in such an unjust world."

    "Okay, okay. Simmer down the dramatics. How about Noah and Jake come up with an idea together?" Mr. Atkins suggested.

    Noah looked at me after getting his bag in the trunk. "What do you think?"

    I shrugged. "I''m okay with whatever."

    Noah grinned and immediately turned to his dad. "Olive Garden. Let''s load up on carbs!"

    His dad frowned a little. "I don''t know...it''ll be kind of expensive for just a lunch."

    "Come on, Dad." Noah coaxed. "Jake needs to eat a lot more calories right? This will be fulfilling and they have a promotion going! Buy one, take one home! It can be dinner too!"

    Mr. Atkins brightened up at the last comment. "Oh! That''ll be great! I won''t have to worry about feeding you boys dinner tonight then."

    "Mom and Zeke are leaving that soon?" Dave asked. "I thought they would wait until tomorrow at least."

    "No time to waste. Besides, we don''t have to pay for Zeke''s flight since it''s an official visit." His dad explained. "I''ll take them to the airport this evening and won''t return until the middle of the night. I''m glad I won''t have to worry about ordering you all food or cooking before we go. You know your mom will be busy packing."

    "Middle of the night?" Kyle questioned. "What airport are they flying out of?"

    "San Francisco. That way it''ll be a direct flight to Los Angeles." He headed to the drivers door. "Finish loading up and let''s go. We won''t have much time if you guys dawdle."

    We quickly put all the bags in the back, closed the trunk, and piled in. The twins immediately pulled out their cell phones and started to text as their dad drove us to lunch.

    "So we''re on our own tonight?" Dave asked aloud as he continued to look at his phone.

    "Only for a few hours. Maybe three or four depending on traffic." Mr. Atkins checked his rear view mirror to look at us. "I don''t have to call a babysitter or chaperone do I?"

    Kyle snorted. "Dad. We''re not ten anymore. We can handle being alone for a couple of hours."

    Mr. Atkins rolled his eyes. "Could have fooled me. I don''t want any of you fighting while we''re away. If you do, then you won''t be considered reliable for the near future."

    "Sure, sure." Dave mumbled, eyes still glued to his phone.

    "Don''t worry, Dad." Noah comforted. "I''ll keep an eye on them. If they even bicker for a second, I''ll call you."

    Mr. Atkins sighed. "Alright."

    He drove us to the restaurant, where we loaded up on pasta. I ate mounds of lasagna, and made sure to order more for my take one home meal. Only after everyone had finished and received their to-go orders, did we head back home.

    Zeke and Mrs. Atkins were both running here, there, up and down the stairs, trying to gather anything and everything they might need. Zeke already had his baseball bag packed and waiting by the door, showing off his priorities.

    We placed our food in the fridge to heat up later and watched from the living room. Someone turned on the tv to watch the mlb preseason games, but everyone seemed to be more focused on the brother that was leaving.

    "He didn''t even ask how the game went. Or if we won." Noah grumbled from beside me, arms across his chest.

    "He''s busy planning for his future. Duh." Kyle scoffed. "Why care about some non league game that has no standing on your future? He''s got better things to do."

    Dave''s phone beeped with a text tone, showing one unread message. He quickly picked it up and read the message in seconds before breaking out in a smile.

    "We have better things to do, too."

 285 Saturday Night 2

    "Like what?" Noah tried to peek at his texts.

    Dave clicked his phone so the screen turned black. "You''ll know later."

    "When?"

    "I''ll tell you after dinner."

    "So it''s happening?" Kyle smiled at his twin.

    "Yep! I got the confirmation."

    They continued talking in code, not letting me and Noah in on what was happening. It continued all afternoon too, putting Noah on edge. By the time Mr. Atkins was prepared to leave with his wife and oldest son, Noah was fidgeting nonstop, eager for an answer. He obviously couldn''t handle suspense or surprises.

    Even after the three left for the airport in the evening, the twins continued to keep their secret until we reheated our take-home meals and sat down and ate.

    "We''re going out tonight!" Kyle said suddenly, just as we picked up our forks to eat.

    "Out?" I asked.

    "To where?" Noah was more specific.

    Dave smirked. "If you can guess correctly with three chances, you can come too. Otherwise, we''ll just leave you here."

    Noah didn''t fall for that. "No way. You go anywhere without us, we''ll just call Dad."

    Kyle sighed. "You''re no fun. Why can''t you just play along and guess."

    "Batting cages?" I asked, feeling a little hopeful.

    The twins were taken aback by my reply, then they started to beam.

    Kyle pointed happily at me. "See?! Jake knows how to play!"

    Play? I thought we were supposed to just guess? But seeing their smiles made me happy too.

    "Fine!" Noah sighed. "My guess will be the movies."

    "Eh." Dave smiled gleefully. "You''re both wrong!"

    He and Kyle laughed like there was a joke, but apparently we missed it. We ate in silence as they giggled to one another like preteen girls. When they finally calmed down, Dave was the first to speak up. "It''s a Saturday night. Without Zeke. Without the parents. Of course we''re going to a party!"

    I looked at Noah and he looked at me. If the twins were expecting us to be excited, they would have to be let down. Noah was baseball crazy. And I was just antisocial. Parties aren''t something we''ve ever talked about or expressed an interest in.

    "So we can''t go to the cages..?" I asked, poking at my food with my fork.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "The Cages wouldn''t even be open this late at night. Come on, parties are fun."

    "Are they?" I tilted my head and asked Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "I''ve never been to a high school party. The last party I went to was a pizza party to celebrate the end of a baseball season."

    "Guys...it''ll be fun. Trust us." Dave grinned. "I wish I had an older brother to take me to a party when I was a freshman. I''m letting you two live out my younger dreams!"

    Uhh. "You''re only two years older." Noah replied, uninterested in the party. "Besides, you do have an older brother."

    "But not one that would party, let alone take us to a party." Kyle said. "Stop being so lame. You should be honored to be going to a party with us."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Sure. Okay. We''ll give it a chance. Where''s it gonna be? Who all is going?"

    "Leslie''s house."

    "Who''s Leslie?" Noah asked as if he was reading my thoughts.

    "She''s on the softball team." Kyle briefly explained. "So it''ll be the girls team, some guys from the baseball team, and then other upperclassmen that know her from classes."

    "Are we really allowed to go..?" I asked, worried about the consequences. The consequences of going uninvited. The consequences of provoking the girls team again. The consequences of upsetting their parents and Zeke. There was a mountain of things I was worried about.

    "Of course not." Dave answered promptly. "But that''s the point! It''s called being a normal teenager and bending the rules."

    "Does the girls team even want us there?" Noah asked. "If this girl is on the softball team, then that Marie girl will be there, right? She''s not really filled with rainbows and butterflies." I nodded in agreement.

    Dave whipped out his phone, clicked on it, then set it on the table for us to see. "Look who sent the invite."

    From: Marie

    Our jaws dropped. She had sent a simple text to him, asking if he was free. Then sent him an address with the letters ''BYOD''.

    "What''s BYOD?" Noah asked.

    "Bring your own drink. Which translates into, we won''t be providing alcohol to you. If you want some, then bring your own." Kyle told him.

    "There''s going to be alcohol at this party?" Noah was stunned. But so was I. Maybe not for the same reasons though. "Mom and Dad will kill us if they find out that we went somewhere that was serving minors. Freakin Zeke wouldmake us run until we quit the team, I''m sure."

    Dave shrugged, nonchalant. "They won''t find out. It''s just us four. We won''t even stay for too long. We still have to beat Dad home."

    "I don''t drink." I stated firmly.

    Dave gave me a look that said ''no, duh.'' "Of course not. We''re all athletes in season. We have to prioritize baseball first. You can go to a party and not drink. No one will force you."

    I let out a breath of air.

 286 Saturday Night 3

    We finished dinner and changed into nicer clothes. We had showered earlier in the afternoon and were just wearing sweatpants which isn''t appropriate to wear to a party...supposedly. Noah helped me pick out the nicest clothes that Mrs. Atkins had bought for me when I was first sent here last month. Then we joined the twins back downstairs, where we found them fighting over the keys.

    "It''s my turn to drive." Dave rolled his eyes.

    Kyle frowned. "How can you be sure? We haven''t been allowed to drive since Christmas break."

    "Easy. You''re the reason Dad doesn''t let us take turns with Zeke anymore." Noah said. He looked to me. "We better start praying. It''ll be a long night. Just the idea of them driving makes me want to stay home."

    Dave snatched the keys. "Don''t be ridiculous. We can''t let you two stay at home alone. You''re just kids."

    Is he joking? He rather take us to a party than to leave us at home, alone? I glanced at Noah, feeling more and more nervous about this.

    Noah just patted me on the shoulder before following his older brothers to the car. The four of us got in and we were on our way.

    Kyle looked back at me from the front passenger seat. "Don''t look so terrified. Isn''t your therapist always telling you to be more outgoing and whatnot? It''s good that you speak to us and all, but you should try making other friends. If you don''t, you''ll never be able to get over your social anxiety."

    My lips twitched. "I don''t think he would want me to go to a party. He probably meant more normal gatherings like at school and with the team at first."

    Kyle grinned. "Most of the team will be there. This will be a good opportunity to speak to them outside of baseball."

    "What could we talk about besides baseball?" Noah asked. "We don''t share the same classes. It''d be awkward to talk about families. All we have in common is baseball."

    "Just be cool for two seconds." Kyle shook his head, tired of lecturing us. "We''ll only be there for a couple of hours. If you don''t embarrass us, we''ll pay for the cages tomorrow."

    I straightened up, happy to agree. Noah saw my actions and only sighed to himself before agreeing.

    Dave drove without speaking, and was awfully careful not to break any speed limits. It had me wondering why Noah was so against their driving. I thought he did well. We arrived in the suburbs near the school, and parked on a packed street. We piled out and started to walk together, with the twins leading the way.

    We weren''t the only ones on the sidewalk either. The closer we got to the destination, the more students we came across until the twins stopped before a two story house, just slightly bigger than their own. We walked up to the door, squeezing through the small crowd on the doorstep.

    "You guys made it!" A familiar voice called out. Garret greeted us as we just got through the door. Him and Jason were both there and joined our group of four. He looked at Dave. "I was really surprised when you forwarded me Marie''s text! Who knew you two were actually close!"

    Dave shot him a look, then glanced at Kyle. Then he quickly went back to Garret. "Yep. I was surprised too."

    "What was that look for?" Kyle squinted at his twin, clearly not blind of that awkward pause.

    "Nothing." Dave''s eyes started to wander. "Looks like plenty of others got the text too."

    "Most of the junior class is here." Jason added.

    We were stuck in the foyer area as there were plenty of teens around, broken off in their own groups.

    "Let''s head to the backyard." Dave said after a quick glance at his phone. He started to lead the way.

    Kyle didn''t let him get too far ahead and started to give him a strange look. Garret and Jason didn''t want to be left behind and were quick to tag along.

    Noah and I looked at one another, but neither of us could tell what was going on. We started to follow, but I suddenly felt a tug from the back of my shirt and stayed in place. Noah had the same reaction as me. We simultaneously turned and the perpetrator let go of our clothing.

    "Hey, guys. I was hoping you guys would come too." Kaylee smiled.

    "You knew we were coming?" Noah asked.

    "Yea, I was there when Marie sent Dave the text." She laughed. "You guys should have seen how nervous she was."

    "Nervous? Why?" Noah''s eyes widen. "Does she like Dave?!"

    My jaw dropped. Is that what was happening?

    She shook her head. "No. Gosh, why are guys so dumb?"

    Noah relaxed. "Oh. I thought there was something going on. It was weird how they were suddenly close at lunch and then he got a text from her to go to this party."

    "Yea, so she can get closer to Kyle." She laughed.

    Wait. What.

    "Wait. What?" Noah expresses my thoughts aloud.

    Kaylee looked at the both of us and giggled. "Don''t tell me, you guys didn''t know at all?"

    "Not even a little!" Noah was surprised. "When did this happen? How did this happen? I thought her and Dave were closer."

    Kaylee raised an eyebrow. "No way. Dave''s too afraid of Marie. He would just let her be. She only started to get closer to him this week so she could get to Kyle."

    "Does Dave know?" I asked, thinking about the weirdness that''s been happening.

    "Of course!" She grinned. "Didn''t he just go to the backyard?"

    Noah glanced back to where the twins were headed. "So this was planned?"

    "Extensively." Kaylee lowered her voice and stepped closer to us, making me slightly uncomfortable. "Leslie didn''t even know she was going to throw a party until this afternoon. Marie was texting Dave, and he said that Zeke would be leaving tonight so it''d be a good idea to try and set something up. If Zeke was around, then you guys would never show up to a party, right?"

    Noah was stunned. "Dave''s been in cahoots this whole time?" He glanced at me. "Let''s go to the backyard. I want to know what will happen next." He looked at Kaylee, who was still standing too close. "You seem to know a lot. Do you know what will happen in the backyard?"

    Kaylee''s smile never left her face. "Yep! Her and some of the girls were going over ideas all afternoon. Dave obviously knows too. He plays the most important role?"

    "The most important role?" I asked. "What''s that supposed to be?"

    "Wing man."

    "For who?" Noah laughed. "Kyle doesn''t even know he''s been set up.

    "A girl can have a wing man too." Kaylee pushed us gently through the crowd. "Come on. You won''t want to miss this."

    So Dave is Marie''s wing man? My head was spinning, not completely understanding how we got to this point. My head was filled with so many thoughts and guesses that I didn''t even feel bothered by the crowded atmosphere of the living room as we made our way to the back door.

 287 The Plan

    Kaylee showed us the way, going through an open sliding door, leading us to a giant backyard. The kind that had a pool, patio furniture, and still had enough room to spare. Most of the students surrounded a picnic table. Red plastic cups were set up in a triangle formation and yells could be heard every few seconds.

    "What''s going on over there?" Noah tried peeking through, but it was too dense.

    "Beer pong." Kaylee replied easily as if everyone should know what that is.

    Noah even nodded, implying that he did know. He caught me looking at him. "I''ll explain later. We won''t be playing so don''t worry about it."

    Of course I wouldn''t be playing. One, it had beer in it. Two, it would require me to interact with more people than I would like. Three, it was just way too crowded.

    "Look, over there." Kaylee pointed towards the patio furniture. The chairs and two seater were shifted into a circle, surrounding a coffee table. A few familiar faces occupied the seats including the twins, Garret, Jason, Marie, and Bailey. There were a few girls and guys that I didn''t recognized and just assumed they were classmates.

    On the table, besides a few drinks on the ends, there were more than a few spoons in the center. The group of them were holding cards and passing them around, then all of a sudden, they all fought to grab a spoon.

    My jaw dropped at the scene.

    Kaylee giggled while looking at my face. "What''s with that look? Have you never played spoons before?"

    I felt my face flush. "No."

    Noah cut in. "Don''t mind. I''ll teach you at home and then we''ll play with the family."

    "Why not just teach him now?" Kaylee asked, tilting her head to the group. "We can just join in. It''ll be fun!"

    Noah scrunched up his nose. "No thanks. Jake won''t like it. If the group is too big, he''ll clam up. Plus they look tightly squeezed together. Let''s just watch from here. Didn''t you say this was planned? Why don''t you tell us the plan?"

    Kaylee didn''t seem to mind my weird quirks anymore and just brushed them off. "Whatever." She pointed at the group. "Look how they''re playing for a second."

    After the spoons had all been grabbed, laughs spread like wildfire while one person groaned. Garret wasn''t able to get one.

    The guy who had first grabbed a spoon off the table, flashed his cards, revealing a four of a kind. "Truth or Dare, Garret?"

    Garret flopped back in his seat, slouching. "I''ll take truth." Some of the guys tried convincing him to change to dare, but he refused. "No way, I wouldn''t trust any of you."

    The boys and girls laughed. The guy grinned evilly. "Okay, you chose this." He raised an eyebrow. "Of the girls in this group, who would you rather sleep with?"

    The boys all laughed even harder at Garret''s awkwardness. Meanwhile, most of the girls all blushed.

    Garret scratched his head, uncertain of who to pick. He looked around and his eyes finally settled on a girl I vaguely recall seeing before. "I choose Leslie! With this big of a house, I bet she has a big enough bed to accommodate the both of us comfortably."

    "I meant sleep sleep with!" The guy argued as the group laughed at Garret''s answer.

    "Oh? You meant, who would I have sex with? You should have been more specific!" Garret mocked. "Too late now. Your question has been answered. Maybe next time!"

    Soon, the cards were reshuffled and the spoons were placed back into the center of the table.

    "So instead of kicking out the loser or spelling out spoons, the loser has to pick truth or dare?" Noah asked Kaylee as the game restarted.

    She nodded. "The first one with the four of a kind, will be the one in charge. As soon as you see Dave, or one of the Softball players win, that''s when the plan will officially start. The only problem is that Kyle has to be the loser."

    "And what exactly is the plan?"

    She grinned. "Don''t you like surprises? Just wait a little."

    It was more than just ''a little.'' We watched four more rounds until a softball player finally won as Kyle finally lost. The hard part really was getting Kyle to lose. His reflexes were quick. It wasn''t until Dave boxed him out, leaving him out to dry, did he finally lose. Unfortunately it looked like the softball player was a little shy.

    She started to stutter. "K-k-Kyle. T-t-truth o-or d-dare?"

    Dave immediately intervened. "Why even bother asking? Kyle is too much of a wimp to accept a dare."

    "What! Don''t lie!" Kyle bickered with Dave like normal, taking the bait. He turned to the shy girl and raised his head arrogantly. "I choose dare. Come at me with your worst, Becca."

    The girl looked around, seeming unsure.

    Her look made some of the guys shout out suggestions.

    "Make him jump in the pool!"

    "Make him give a lap dance!"

    "Have him flash the neighbors!"

    Kyle sneered. "Hey! Silence! It''s not any of you who won. Let Becca make the decision."

    Kaylee giggled for only us to hear. "Big mistake."

    Becca sat up straight, coming to a decision, she looked Kyle directly in the eye. "I dare you to kiss Marie."

    Silence fell upon the group and even the nearby teens who weren''t playing the game.

    Kyle was frozen.

    "Are you not going to accept the dare?" Dave taunted.

    Kyle stiffly turned to Marie, who sat nonchalantly, not showing any indication of being upset or even excited. "I mean. This involves a second party...it''s kind of impolite to force someone else to join me on my dare."

    The crowd mumbled in agreement.

    "I don''t mind." Marie stated clearly before someone made Becca change the dare. She stood up. "It''s just a game, so what''s there to worry about?"

    Kyle got flushed in the face, turning as red as a tomato.

 288 The Kiss

    "But..." Kyle continued to hesitate.

    "Stop being a wimp!" Jason called out and soon the nearby classmates started to egg him on.

    "Do it!"

    "You can''t back out!"

    "Even Marie is in!"

    Kyle turned red, yet he stood up and walked over to Marie. Every step brought more gossip and attention. Soon, the group around the beer pong table even turned to look and see what was going on. It didn''t take long for them to figure out what was going on too.

    "Isn''t this a little dishonest?" Noah frowned at the scene. "You guys are basically trapping him into this kiss. Plus, he might not even start a relationship with Marie? Won''t that hurt?"

    Kaylee could only shrug. "It wasn''t my idea. I only got to overhear the plan. Marie and Dave are the main culprits."

    "Does Dave think Kyle really likes her?" I asked Noah.

    He raised an eyebrow. "Like her? How? You saw how they were on the bus, attacking each other...that''s not how you treat someone you like. If anything, her and Dave looked close during lunch with us. Wouldn''t that be more normal?"

    I shook my head, not sure how to answer. I don''t know what''s a normal start in a relationship. My parents split when I was young and then my mom stayed single until they took her away. The closest I''ve come to seeing an actual relationship is Mr. and Mrs. Atkins. They were always nice to each other, but also to strangers.

    At this point, Kyle has reached Marie and they stood eye to eye, barely a few inches apart. Marie closed her eyes and looked at peace, ready and waiting. Kyle nervously wiped his hands on the sides of his shirt, before placing them on her shoulders. He tilted his head and leaned in. The inches between them became centimeters, their lips touched, and the whole backyard started hooting and hollering, attracting attention from those inside.

    "What''s happening?"

    "Is that Kyle and Marie!?"

    "It''s a dare. They both agreed too."

    "I didn''t even think they got along."

    "They fight in history all the time."

    "They must still be like elementary kids, picking on each other to show affection."

    "I would never kiss a guy that treated me like that."

    "Eh! She treats him the same way! Doesn''t that make them made for one another?"

    It got even more crowded, making me feel a little sick and nervous.

    "You okay, Jake?" Noah peered and my face, seeing my distress. He turned to Kaylee. "Is there anywhere we can go to get space? There''s too many people out here now."

    She pouted. "You don''t want to see what will happen next?"

    Noah glanced at his brother and Marie, who had now separated and were both turning red with embarrassment from all the attention they were gathering. "What else could happen? They either start dating or don''t? What can I do about it?"

    She rolled her eyes. "How can you be so uninterested? Isn''t he your brother? I''m curious as to what my sister would do now."

    Noah frowned. "Jake is my brother too. And he''s uncomfortable with the big crowd."

    Kaylee looked at me, then sighed. "Okay, fine. Follow me." She made a path for us to move through the crowd, leading us back to the house. Then led us through the living room area and took us upstairs, where there were less people.

    I visibly relaxed, losing the tension in my shoulders, as we were no longer boxed in.

    Noah looked up and down the hall, where most doors were closed. "Uh, Kaylee? Are we allowed up here?"

    "It''s Leslie''s place. Only the team is allowed up here, but you guys are with me." She opened one of the doors and flipped on the lights. "If anyone says anything, we can just blame your brothers for ignoring you two." We walked in the room, but she kept going, opening a sliding glass door, revealing a balcony. "Your whole family knows about Jake being claustrophobic so why would you guys take him to a party?"

    We followed her onto the balcony. The view was of the backyard, so we almost had a birds eye view of what was happening. And so far, nothing was happening. At least, nothing like them kissing like before. It was like someone had hit the rewind button, and the group was back to playing the game ''spoons.'' Except...Marie and Kyle were now sitting next to each other on the two seater. They were close, yet neither one was looking towards the other.

    "It''s the first time Jake and I are at a party." Noah finally answered. "I didn''t think it would be so crowded. As for the twins...they aren''t very thoughtful." We three leaned against the rail with Noah in the middle, me on his right, and Kaylee on his left. "Have you been to other parties?"

    Kaylee paused for a minute before answering. "Yea. They''re all the same. Drinking, games, and gossip."

    Noah sighed and glanced at me. "We should have just stayed home and played video games. Or watched some baseball videos on the tv."

    "I-I don''t mind the experience." I said, looking out on the crowd. The social interactions would help. Dr. Moore said so himself. I got to see some of the guys outside of baseball, and I even spoke with Kaylee. I actually couldn''t wait to see Dr. Moore and tell him about this big step I''ve taken.

    "Ya know, I thought I heard people say you were a mute." Kaylee leaned forward to look at me. "But I think you''re just shy."

    Noah cracked a smile. "Hey, don''t be so rude. Jake is just coming out of his shell."

    "You''re just like a big brother, always protecting him." She snorted.

    "Since day one." Noah stated proudly.

    I let out a small laugh. "The day I moved in, he declared he would be my big brother."

    Kaylee smiled. "How long have you been with the Atkins?"

    "About a month." I replied. "Sometimes it feels longer than that. Other times, I feel like I blinked."

 289 Busted 1

    Kaylee continued to ask the both of us little questions like that throughout the night. She didn''t dig too deep about why I was living with the Atkins. In some ways, she reminded me of Noah-always considerate of her friends. At least, I think we''re friends. The three of us. We got along besides the bumpy beginning on the bus. Plus, the fact that she didn''t leave us to hang out with friends of her own made me think she was like Noah even more. They both made varsity as freshmen, so I wonder if she had problems with her old friends like Noah did.

    As we were talking about the difference in our practices, Noah''s phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered.

    "Hello?"

    "We''re upstairs on the balcony."

    "Kaylee took us up here. It was too crowded for Jake."

    "Ok, we''ll head down. Meet you at the front door."

    He hung up and looked at me. "Time to go. Dave said he''ll meet us at the door." He turned to Kaylee. "Are you coming too?"

    "Yea! I want to go find my sister and find out the details." She pulled out her own phone. "What''s your number? I want to know if you find out anything from your brothers?"

    "It''s not enough that Dave is selling out Kyle?" Noah frowned. "You want me to do it as well?"

    "I won''t tell Marie. I''m just curious." She pouted.

    Noah sighed, and caved. He gave her his number and she sent him a text so he would have hers. Then the three of us went back downstairs where the party was in full swing even though it was close to midnight. The twins stood by the door with Jason and Marie, still talking.

    Dave spotted us coming down. "Where have you kids been all night? Did you even hang out and have fun?"

    I nodded sincerely. "I even spoke with Kaylee."

    Kyle came over and threw his arm around my shoulders. "My baby is growing up and making friends on his own!" He faked cry.

    "But I wasn''t alone? Noah was there too." I answered. And I''m not your baby?

    Noah pushed him off me. "Get off, you loser. Don''t you have a girlfriend you can hang off of now?"

    Kyle blushed, made eye contact with Marie, then got even redder. "Shut up, you stupid kid." He grabbed Noah''s shirt collar from the back and started to drag him out. "Let''s go. Dad should be home by 12:30 so we need to hurry back and get in bed beforehand."

    I followed them out after lifting a hand to wave at the familiar faces. Marie was red in the face as well, and Kaylee just waved back. Dave quickly followed us out, yelling ''goodbyes'' and ''see ya on Monday'' to the people he knew.

    Kyle didn''t slow down or let go of Noah''s shirt collar until we got back to the car.

    Noah rubbed his neck. "What if you choked me?!"

    "Don''t be so dramatic." Kyle got in the front passenger seat. Dave got in on the drivers side, while Noah and I got in the back.

    "You definitely stretched out the collar!" Noah huffed.

    "It''ll get fixed after washing." Kyle still didn''t care. "It''s not like it''s your favorite or anything. You''re overreacting."

    "You''re the one overreacting." Noah replied. "All I said was to get off of Jake."

    "And go hang off your girlfriend." I added.

    Kyle turned to glare at me. "You want a piece of me too?"

    "Uh. No?" I shrunk back into my seat, scared that he may want to hit me.

    "Don''t intimidate Jake." Noah reached out to shove Kyle''s shoulder. "I''ll tell Mom and Dad."

    "Stop being so childish, Kyle." Dave commanded, annoyed. He started the car and we headed back to the house. "It''s not like it isn''t true. Aren''t you going to date Marie now?"

    Kyle looked out the window, but I could still see his ears getting red. "Shut up. It''s not like we had time or space to talk about it."

    "But you kissed her." Noah said.

    "Just because you kiss someone doesn''t mean your automatically dating." Kyle grumbled.

    "Well, are you going to ask her out or not?" Dave asked. He was obviously fishing on the behalf of Marie.

    "I don''t know. It''s so awkward. What if she rejects me?" He turned to face his twin. "Wouldn''t I be the laughingstock of the softball team?"

    "She didn''t reject the kiss." Dave reasoned. "Heck, you didn''t even have to ask her. She volunteered. At a softball players house. She''s into you, dude."

    Kyle still hesitated. "What should I do then? Just text her and ask if we''re dating? Or wait for her to text me? Wait till I see her Monday? I''ve never had a girlfriend before."

    Dave made a face, looking unsure. "It''s not like I would know. I haven''t had a girlfriend either. And we can''t ask Zeke since he hasn''t either. Noah and Jake are out as well."

    "How am I out?" Noah leaned forward. "I would know what to do better than you idiots. Gosh, it''s like you guys don''t watch any movies."

    Kyle turned to face him. "What would you do then, Mr. smarty-pants?"

    "Obviously you have to start by asking her out on a date." Noah said confidently. "Dating can only happen if you go out on dates."

    The twins fell silent.

    Dave glanced at Kyle. "He isn''t wrong. Just take her to a dinner and a movie like Dad and Mom."

    "Alone?" He looked scared. "What would we see? What should we eat? Where do we go? What do we talk about? Should we meet there or should I pick her up?"

    Dave''s lips twitched. "That''s your problem. Don''t ask me to be your third wheel. I have more self-respect than that."

    Kyle looked at his twin, excited. "Good idea!"

    "What. No. Not a good idea."

    Before Kyle could explain why or what was the good idea, the car was filled with red and blue lights, and a loud siren came from behind us. I jumped in my seat, but so did the other three.

    "Shit." Dave yelled as he pulled to the curb. He looked at the three of us. "Be cool and let me do all the talking."

    I worriedly looked behind to see a police car parking behind ours. On no.

 290 Busted 2

    "You''ve got to be kidding." Noah mumbled. He was looking behind us too. "Dad''s going to kill us."

    "It''s okay. We''re only three minutes away from home." Dave said, trying to be reasonable, but he didn''t exactly sound calm. "We can still beat him. The worst the cop will do is give a ticket."

    "Wouldn''t that still be bad?" I asked, trying to keep my heart rate steady, but failing.

    "You weren''t speeding were you?" Kyle asked.

    Knock, knock. Before Dave could even think of answering, the police officer had reached the drivers window and was signaling for Dave to roll down his window.

    Dave complied. "Hi."

    "License and registration." The officer was straightforward and didn''t waste any pleasantries.

    "Uh...was I going too fast, officer?" Dave said in a meek voice.

    "Do you have your license and registration sir?" The officer didn''t answer.

    Dave turned to the center console and dug out the car registration papers, and then pulled his license out of his pocket before handing both items to the officer. The officer took them and went back to his vehicle.

    "We''re so dead." Noah moaned, dropping his head into his hands. "So, so, so dead. Dad will kill us when we get home. Mom will kill us when she gets back. Then Zeke will kill us by making us run to death. Therefore Coach will kill us for not being able to play."

    "Noah. You can''t die that many times." Kyle cut him off.

    "Oh no, they''ll just beat us half to death multiple times." Noah said sarcastically. "How is that any better?" He groaned. "I''ll never go to a party again. I promise!"

    "Shut up, dummy." Dave muttered. "He''s coming back."

    The officer handed back the papers, but continued to hold the license. He bent his knees a bit to get a better look in the car, and check the passenger seat. He was greeted with an identical face of the driver. He let out a sigh. "I don''t suppose you happen to be 18?"

    "No, sir. We''re both 17." Dave answered.

    He held Dave''s license out. "Are you boys aware that there''s a curfew for the city of Watsonville?"

    Dave slowly took his license back. "A curfew? Isn''t that something your parents set?"

    He raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me you''re allowed to be out past midnight?"

    Dave gulped. "We''re just coming back from a friends house. We live just two more blocks away."

    The man shook his head. "It''s not a matter of how close you are. Minors, those under the age of 18, aren''t allowed out after 10pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends. The only exceptions are if you have a family member of age with you, if you''re coming back from work, or if you''re on an errand set by your parents."

    Dave looked crestfallen. "We didn''t know, I swear! It''s only a few minutes after...can you let us go? We won''t do it again."

    The officer checked his watch, then looked at us. "The law is the law. Fortunately for you boys, the first offense is handed by simply making sure you go home. Second offense starts off with a citation and a fine."

    "We won''t do it again." Kyle echoed Dave''s previous statement.

    "You boys head home and I''ll follow behind. Just so you know, I''ll be sitting out on the street to make sure you''re not heading to some other destination afterwards." He patted the top of the car. "Go home." He left and headed back to his patrol car.

    Everyone in our car seem to let out a long breath in his absence.

    "Too close. Oh gosh, let''s head home quick." Noah groaned.

    "Idiot." Dave started the car up again, flipped the headlights on, and even put his signal on before driving again. "I have a cop following me home. I have to drive slow and safe."

    Dave was right. And he committed to it too. He obviously didn''t want to get pulled over for something dumb and avoidable, again. Luckily, as we pulled into the driveway, Mr. Atkins car was still missing. We made it home before him! Dave parked the car and we all hopped out.

    True to his word, the cop parked on the street and watched as we headed inside. He didn''t get out or anything which was a good sign to me.

    "Ok, hurry up now." Kyle closed the door after we all got inside. "Everyone pajamas then bed. Don''t turn on the lights just in case Dad pulls in soon."

    We rushed up the stairs and divided into the two rooms. I didn''t even bother changing since I''d have to take a chance and go to the bathroom to change. I quickly dove under the bedding and rested my head on my pillow, finally feeling relaxed since the cop showed up.

    Noah just changed in the room then hopped into his bed. "Dang, that was too much excitement for my heart. I don''t think I could handle that again."

    "Same here." I mumbled.

    "Tonight wasn''t all bad though." He commented. "Kaylee isn''t as bad as I thought. Plus we got to see Kyle''s first kiss." He laughed to himself. "We can make fun of him for the rest of his life. That whole scene was awkward and cringe worthy."

    "Cringe worthy?" I hummed. "It barely lasted a second. It looked like he didn''t know what to do."

    "Of course he didn''t." Noah replied. "That was his first! First!"

    "You weren''t this happy about it before." I remarked. "You actually seemed upset and concerned that he was being trapped and forced."

    "That''s only because I didn''t know if he liked her back. They really didn''t look like they would get along. It''s like a cat and a dog. One always hissing and the other is always barking. But now...he sounded like he wanted to date her for reals."

    That''s true, I guess. "Do you think Dave knew he secretly liked Marie?"

    "Maybe it was twin telepathy. Like he can read his thoughts. That would be cool." He yawned. "Okay, let''s sleep. They said cages tomorrow."

    I stayed quiet. I didn''t think it would be cool to read thoughts. What if Noah could read mine? Or if anyone could read mine? Would they be concerned by the darkness? Would they tell me that I can''t hate the woman that gave birth to me? Would they say I should be looking for my dad with more sincerity? Or even worse...what if they found out that I''ve been keeping my brother a secret?

 291 Busted 3

    I couldn''t remember how long it took for me to fall asleep. My mind just wouldn''t shut off as I was weighed down by my own thoughts and secrets. After what felt like a second, I woke up to Mr. Atkins knocking at our bedroom door.

    "Dad?" Noah asked, groggily, still half asleep like me. "What is it?"

    "It''s time to wake up." He stated. "Get dressed and come eat breakfast."

    "It''s too early. Let us sleep a little longer." I could hear Noah flip around in his bed.

    "Noah. I won''t repeat myself." He left and I could hear him knocking on the twins door and having a similar conversation.

    Noah and I both got up; him in his pajamas and me still in my clothes from last night.

    "Do you think he knows?" I asked, worried. Mr. Atkins used his ''strict'' voice and sounded like he was controlling his anger.

    Noah shrugged and started to pull out some clothes for the day. "Maybe. He sounded like he did. We should hurry."

    I grabbed some clean clothes and took them to the bathroom to change. By the time I made it to the kitchen table, the three boys and their dad were already there. Yet, they didn''t start eating yet.

    "Have a seat, Jake." Mr. Atkins pointed to my usual seat.

    I did what I was told and sat next to Noah. The twins, who sat across from us, weren''t exactly giving me looks of comfort. Instead, they looked as nervous as I felt.

    "Funny story. Last night, I pulled into the driveway and out of nowhere, a police officer greeted me." Mr. Atkins frowned. "Imagine my surprise in the middle of the night, being approached by a cop. And then, he asked me if I knew that my boys broke curfew. I was stunned. Not my boys. It couldn''t be. Then he kindly informed me that he followed them home, to this house, and even gave me a description of all four boys."

    A heavy silence fell upon us. I refused to look up from my plate and I''m sure the other boys were the same.

    "Well?" Mr. Atkins raised his voice a notch higher. "Is anyone going to tell me where you four went last night?"

    "A friends house." Dave offered up weakly.

    "Who''s it? Someone on the team?"

    "A girl on the softball team." Kyle softly replied, omitting Leslie''s name.

    "You went to a girls house? All four of you? For what reason?" Mr. Atkins didn''t even pause. "Ah, no need to answer. It was obviously a party, am I right?"

    He stood up from his spot at the head of the table. "I can''t believe that I leave you alone for one night, and you guys go out like that. Were you thinking about the consequences at all? Was there alcohol at this party?"

    "Yes, but we didn''t drink!" Dave said.

    "That doesn''t make it okay." Mr. Atkins sounded upset. "What if you boys got hit by a drunk driver in the middle of the night? Coming from a party is dangerous. There could have been a fight or an accident and I wouldn''t even know."

    Is he upset that we went or that we didn''t tell him? I peeked up and saw him looking at me with anxiety in his eyes. "Jake, did they force you to go?"

    "Dad!"

    "We wouldn''t do that!"

    The twins spoke up for a second but we were shut down with a single glare from their father.

    "I wasn''t forced." I said, meekly. "It was just suggested that this could help with my social anxiety."

    "And who suggested that?" Mr. Atkins tone became strict again.

    "Well-technically, Dr. Moore." I responded, trying to shield the twins and Noah. "He said I should reach out more and try talking to strangers." I looked at Noah. "At first, I didn''t like the crowd, but Noah helped me find a more spacious place to hang out." I looked back at Mr. Atkins. "We didn''t drink at all! And I promise that we were good!"

    Mr. Atkins saw my remorseful face and let out a heavy sigh as he sat back down. "Jake, I''m glad it wasn''t awful for you, but you boys should have known it was a bad idea to go. Especially without permission."

    "But if we asked for permission, you would have never let us gone." Dave pointed out.

    "Well we won''t know now, will we?"

    Dave sat up straight and looked his dad in the eye. "I know it. And you know it too. You and Mom would never let us go to a party, even if we didn''t drink, cause trouble, or stay out too late. Zeke may follow your rules blindly, but I won''t. You''re taking away our freedom."

    "Freedom?" Mr. Atkins faced his son with a cold expression. "We give you children plenty of freedom and choices. Until you''re 18 though, you will follow the rules of this house set by me and your mother."

    "He''s just saying that we feel a little trapped, Dad." Kyle defended. "All we do is school and baseball. Even our free time is taken up by baseball. Shouldn''t we be able to cut loose and have fun every once in awhile?"

    Mr. Atkins shifted his gaze to the other son. "Cut loose? Okay, you were able to go out and have fun last night. I hope you enjoyed it. From now on, all of you are grounded until Zeke''s graduation. That means no going out unless it''s to school or practice. Anything else will require me or your mother present."

    Oh? That''s it? I perked up, happy not to be physically punished.

    Noah caught sight of my happiness and shook his head. "That means we can''t go to the cages unless Mom or Dad isn''t busy. And so much for extra practice this week. We''ll be trapped here."

    Oh. I slouched. That doesn''t sound as good as I thought. I looked up at Mr. Atkins. "So we can''t go to the cages today?"

    Mr. Atkins shook his head no. "Absolutely not. You boys have broken my trust. I can''t be sure that is actually where you''ll be. I have a few open houses to show today, so you four will be staying here. And cleaning. And studying. Midterms are coming up this week. I better not see any C''s on anyone''s progress report."

    "But Dad-" Dave started.

    "There is no ''but dad.''" Mr. Atkins cut him off. "These are the consequences of your own actions. I haven''t even figured out how to tell you mom yet. You''re lucky that her flight was late and that she''s still sleeping. I''m sure she''ll want to speak with each of you about your decisions last night." He looked around, nodding at our depressed expressions. "Very good. Let''s eat now. I won''t be home for lunch, so you boys will be stuck with making your own. I''ll bring dinner home. My choice."

    We slowly started to load up our plates. None of us felt like eating, but our stomachs disagreed and needed food to produce energy.

    "Does this mean...that if Kyle wanted to go out on a date...he would have to take you or Mom?" Noah brought up.

    Mr. Atkins dropped his fork on his plate, surprised.

 292 Grounded

    We ate our breakfast slowly as Mr. Atkins hurried through his. He was in a rush for an 8am showing, yet still wanted to scold us so early in the morning. I felt guilty, Noah looked depressed, but the twins looked a little defiant and no longer apologetic.

    "I''ll be back with dinner." Mr. Atkins had taken his dishes to the sink and was getting his coat on. He grabbed his briefcase. "I will call your mom in just a few hours to explain what you boys did last night. When she calls you, you better pick up on the first ring and not a millisecond later. Understand?"

    "Yes." Noah mumbled.

    "Sure." The twins said simultaneously.

    Mr. Atkins looked like he wanted to say more to them, but he held back, shook his head, then left out the front door.

    "This is messed up." Dave clenched his fork, stabbing his scrambled eggs with aggression. "We just hung out with friends. It''s not like we were drinking, speeding, or vandalizing property. I feel like we deserve some respect and recognition."

    "For breaking the house rules?" Noah questioned, skeptical. "Be real. We''re lucky he didn''t whoop us to high heaven and bury us in the backyard. The disappointment was practically oozing out of him."

    I nodded in agreement. "My Mom would- well I don''t know what she would do since I wouldn''t dare step out so late." I looked down at my plate, and pushed some food around. "Somehow his disappointment hurts more than my moms fists. Bruises can heal, but isn''t it difficult to earn someone''s trust back?"

    The table got quiet. The four of us just slowly munched on the rest of the food.

    "Just because we''re in the wrong, doesn''t mean he''s in the right." Kyle muttered. "Dad is treating us like kids. Little kids. Middle schoolers have more freedom." He let out a sigh. "How can I ask Marie out on a date now? Take Mom or Dad with me? Wait till summer break begins? Or just forget about it?"

    "I''m pretty sure Marie will kill you if you forget about it." Noah replied with a grin. "Heck, if you don''t text her this morning, she might just come over herself to choke you."

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Ugh. Don''t even joke. I really don''t know what to do."

    "All we can do, for right now, is hang around." Noah shrugged. "Mom might call before lunch. That''s when we''ll know how bad it really is."

    The twins nodded in agreement.

    "We should super clean the house today." Kyle suggested, making us cringe. "Don''t be like that you guys. Just hear me out. Dad said to clean just because we''re on our own and grounded. I''m sure if he comes back to see us go above and beyond, he''ll be amazed and maybe a little more forgiving."

    "Will he start trusting us again?" I asked.

    "Ehh, it won''t be that fast. We''ll just have to be super good this week." Kyle said. "Today, we divide and conquer. I''ll do the kitchen: dishes, sweeping, mopping, and the such. Dave, you''ll do the living room and stairs. Vacuum and dust down everything. Noah and Jake, you two will do the yard."

    I looked over to Noah to see what he would say. I''ve never done yard work before.

    Noah frowned. "But it''s still cold out." He glanced towards me. "Yard work is the same as hard work. We''ll have to rake the leaves, pick the weeds, and mow."

    "It''s not that cold today. Plus, you only have to do the front yard. That''s what Dad will see first when he gets home. Just think of it as muscle building."

    Noah let out a sigh. "Okay. I guess that''s better than being trapped in the kitchen."

    We finished breakfast and got started on the chores that Kyle distributed. We worked out in the front yard all morning, starting with pulling out the weeds, raking them up with the leaves to put them in the waste bin, then I watched Noah mow the grass. I didn''t volunteer to help with that last part; Mostly because I didn''t know how to work it, but also because it looked heavy to push and pull.

    The chore kept us out of the house for the majority of the morning; only after a few hours did we go back in.

    "Did Mom call yet?" Noah asked Dave, who was scrubbing down the banister.

    Dave took a break. "No. She sent a text though." He sighed. "She doesn''t even want to speak with us. At least, not yet. She said ''just wait until I get back home on Friday.''"

    Noah let out a sigh too. "That''s not good, but I also feel relieved. I''m not ready for her to be mad. Maybe we can soften up Dad this week, and he''ll help us convince her that we already admitted our mistake."

    "Don''t hold your breath." Dave said. "Best case scenario, is that she''s already busy with Zeke''s trip. Worst case scenario, she''s so mad that she''s giving us the silent treatment."

    Noah let out another sigh. "I hope it''s the former." He looked at me. "Sorry we got you in trouble too Jake."

    Trouble? "I do feel uneasy letting them down, but to me, this isn''t any trouble." Trouble is fighting for your life against your own flesh and blood.

    Noah looked even more upset, yet was able to squeeze out a tight smile. "Okay. Why don''t we go watch some baseball? Preseason already started so there must be something on already." He led the way back to the living room and we settled in on the couch. "Or we can watch some how-to videos on playing second base?"

    "Is there something on how to cover first base if the first baseman is fielding the grounder?" I asked.

    Noah started a search on the web. "I''m sure we can find something. There''s nothing in baseball that hasn''t been talked about." He got to work, pulling up clips for us to go through so I could learn. It didn''t stop there either. Anything that was pertaining to second base was watched and analyzed. I even recognized some of the videos of ones I''ve seen before, when I first joined the team. They made even more sense after I gained just a few games worth of experience. Not bad for being grounded for the first time. In fact, I felt productive.

 293 The Trip

    *REMINDER: I''ll be writing this mini arc in third person point of view, omniscient. So we''ll have access to all thoughts and experiences. Focus will be on Mrs. Atkins. Also, I''ll be using her first name.*

    The plane ride was quick and easy, not even a few hours long. Mary and her eldest son, Zeke, didn''t hit any turbulence or had any delays. The only thing she didn''t like was how late the flight was and how much traffic there was in Los Angeles even though it was the middle of the night. They arrived at the hotel and promptly checked in. Mary reserved a two twin bedroom even though her son would only stay with her for the first night.

    Mid-morning, they both woke up, showered, went down for breakfast, and that''s when she got a call from her husband. Mary listened as he told her about last nights happenings and how he had decided to ground them.

    "They''re lucky I''m gone for the week." Mary growled. "I would make their week without baseball a living hell. Don''t go easy on them, Wayne. The twins are almost adults. They need to know what they did was wrong. You should have yelled at them until your voice ran hoarse."

    Wayne sighed. "Maybe I would have, but Jake...honey, you know how jumpy he gets. Plus the twins already think that I was unfair."

    She frowned to herself and clenched her phone a little tighter. "We can''t make too many exceptions for him all the time. We should treat all the boys the same."

    Wayne was quiet for a moment. "Okay, sure, I see where you''re coming from. I was maybe too lenient."

    "We can discuss their punishment again when I get back." Mary was firm in her declaration. "Their progress reports better be straight A''s if they want to have any fun over spring break."

    "They have a few games during the break so we can''t really plan anything."

    "So? I won''t be allowing tv and video games all break. Maybe we should buy some workbooks or have them work ahead in their classes." Mary wasn''t going to budge.

    "Okay, honey, it''s up to you." Wayne caved. "Are you about to take Zeke to UCLA?"

    "Mhmm." She nodded even though her husband couldn''t see her. "Since it''s a Sunday, I''ll just be dropping him off with a short meeting with the Coach and his host player. Tomorrow morning, I''ll be able to meet with the counselor and financial aid office with him and this coach."

    "Sooo." He drawled out. "What will you do the whole day?"

    Mrs. Atkins glanced around the lobby to make sure that Zeke wasn''t nearby. Luckily, he was still in the mini breakfast bar area, getting some food in before he went. "I thought I would drive out and see the house. Where Jake grew up. Maybe walk around the neighborhood and see if any of the neighbors have anything to say."

    "Zeke won''t be practicing with the team this afternoon?"

    "Zeke doesn''t need me to watch him tryout. It''s probably embarrassing for him." She looked on as her son ate without, not caring that he was alone. "He''s very independent, plus it wouldn''t be an official tryout today. I''ll stick around tomorrow to watch him interact with the team. We also have the tour, lunch, and maybe I''ll sit with him in a class to make sure he''s actually taking note of what to look for in a school."

    Wayne laughed. "We know what he''s looking for. A good team. Not a talented team, but one that is hardworking. All other criteria comes second."

    "Wayne." Mary let out as a sigh. "Do you really think he''ll pick a college or just join the draft?"

    "Don''t worry, even if he participates in the draft, he can still say no and go to college instead." Wayne explained. "Most high schoolers that get drafted are pitchers, I think. So maybe if he falls a few rounds, he''ll see that college will give him more opportunities."

    They spoke a bit more about their eldest son and what he might choose in the future. It wasn''t long before Wayne had to get back to work, and Mary had to head for the College with her son. She snatched a bagel and milk before getting in the car.

    Zeke already loaded his bag and baseball gear in. He looked at her as she started to drive them to their destination. "Is something the matter? You were on the phone for a long time."

    Mary smiled. "Just chatting with your father. I told him that I''d let you be on your own today."

    "What will you be doing then?" Zeke squinted at her, slightly suspicious. His mother wasn''t one to miss a chance to watch her kids play. Especially one that would be playing in college with college players.

    "Nothing special." She maneuvered through traffic. Thankfully there wasn''t much on a Sunday, and the hotel wasn''t too far from the athletics building. "Mostly sightseeing. Take a walk."

    Zeke could tell something was off, but didn''t push the issue. He was already satisfied with just being able to make this trip. The first school of the week would be UCLA, a school that had a well known baseball program. They had five appearances in the College World Series finals, with one win. A win that had been in the last decade with the Coach that was still present.

    Mary found somewhere to park and walked her son up to the athletics building where an older gentleman and a young man were waiting. After exchanging greetings and introductions, Mary left her son with them and headed out. She calculated the time it would take to travel to Jake''s old home and figured she would get there by lunch.

    "It''s a Sunday so I''m sure I can see someone out on the street." She mumbled to herself, getting back into the car. She turned on her gps and got on the highway. Jake''s previous place of residence was about 35 miles away; without traffic she could be there in less than an hour.

 294 Jake’s Childhood Home 1

    Mary pulled into the neighborhood in 45 minutes. She had a frown on her face as she looked left and right as she drove down the streets. The houses were all one-story and looked rundown like they could collapse any second if there was an earthquake. Mary had grown up in an affluent family and had never seen such a sketchy looking neighborhood.

    She parked on the street, near the supposed house that her foster son grew up. Before getting out, she decided to call Doug Duncan, their social worker liaison. "Doug...are you sure you sent me the right address?"

    "It''s not what you expected?" He asked, sounding slightly distracted. "Jake''s mother didn''t have a job. She lived off welfare and god knows how she was able to afford alcohol. With her money going to the house and the bills that came with it, it''s not surprising that she had starved Jake. No money, no food."

    Mary sighed. "Right. Well, I''m here. You said someone already bought the house right?"

    "Last I checked, it was off the market." The background noise on his end for louder all of a sudden. "Mary, we''ll have to chat later. My hands are kind of full at the moment."

    "Yes, of course, I understand." She hung up and gave him his freedom. She was slightly curious if all social workers had to go in on a Sunday or if some emergency had came up for Doug. Usually he was patient and could make time to hear about her concerns relating to Jake, but this was the first time he had brushed her off. Could he have found out anything regarding Jake''s family? Nahh, he would have said something. Maybe he just got a new case. Doug was a dedicated social worker with an emphasis on troubling cases like parents nearly killing their kids. It must be rough.

    She clenched her phone tightly as she mustered up the courage to step out of the car. She locked the doors and slowly made her way to the house number given to her. The house was an ugly shade of mustard yellow, that had faded and looked like it could use some power washing. The front yard was minuscule, yet looked to be properly manicured and taken care of.

    Mary stepped on the one stair it took to reach the front door. She took a deep breath and knocked three times with enough strength to make sure she was heard.

    It was only a second before the door swung open and revealed a short Mexican woman. "Yes, can I help you?" She was young and dressed in a uniform that implied she worked at the theme park nearby.

    Mary cleared her throat. "Hello, I''m Mary Atkins. You don''t know me, but I had something to ask of you if you can spare me a few minutes."

    The woman looked at her with suspicion and closed the door a little. "What is it?"

    Mary stepped back to give her space and to let her know that she wasn''t a threat. "It''s like this. My foster son grew up here with his birth mom. They had a rocky relationship and he was thankfully rescued from her. This happened last year around the summer, but he''s only been with us for a month. My husband and I were interested in knowing how and where he grew up, and if we could get any hints of his past by coming here and exploring."

    "And where is your husband?" The woman vigilantly looked up and down the street, looking for another suspicious character.

    "He with our kids at home. Just south of San Francisco." Mary gave a tight-lipped smile. "I just dropped off my eldest for a college visit so it''s just me."

    The woman stayed on guard. "You said a boy lived here? Was he young?"

    "He was forced to leave right before high school." Mary went into more detail. "He was badly beaten, then had to reside in a hospital for quite some time before moving up north with my family. He suffers from anxiety and doesn''t talk much so I was hoping to learn what his life was like by firsthand experience."

    The woman checked the time on her wristwatch. "I have a little more than an hour to spare before work. I can give you a quick tour, but if you''re hoping to find some personal items, I''m sorry, but this place was completely empty when I moved in." She opened her door wider for Mary.

    "Thank you, really, thank you very much." Mary walked into the house, finding the inside more appealing than the outside. The woman had decorated the small space very nicely and it looked to be fully furnished. "Lovely place."

    The short woman gave a nod of thanks. "I''m Camila Vega. I just moved in after the new year." She waved at the living room which was what the front door opened up to. "It''s very small, but I like it. Easy to clean. This is the living room, and the supposed dining room but I have no need for a kitchen table. I just eat at the kitchen counter." She waved at a small area right nearby. It was an all white kitchen barely ten feet wide, with most of the space taken over by the fridge and stove. "Kitchen. Right past that is the back door, not much of a yard, but it can also take you to the side street."

    The woman glanced at Mary''s face but couldn''t read her facial expressions so she moved on down the hall. "At the end is the master bedroom, it''s almost half the house. This is the only other room here." The woman stopped halfway down the hall and opened the door. "I wouldn''t call it a bedroom, just a more glorified closet." True to her word, the room could barely hold a twin size bed, but she just used it for her laundry with clothes thrown everywhere."

    Mary sighed at the sight. "Sure enough, this would have been his room. No wonder he didn''t think sharing a room with my youngest son would be cramped." She smiled at the woman. "Thanks. This was all I really needed." She started to move back to the front door.

    "All you needed?" Camila asked. "If this was all you needed, why didn''t you just check out the online listing. Although the house was bought by me, they keep the pictures listed." She tilted her head. "You wanted to know more about the boy you took in right?"

    Now it was Mary''s turn to look on with suspicion. "Did you know about the previous owner?"

    Camila shook her head no, making Mary hang her head, but then her words pulled her back in. "I didn''t know either of them personally. Just word of mouth. My grandfather lives across the street. He''s the one that told me that this house would be on the market soon after the incident. He knew she wouldn''t be coming back and that''s how I was able to prepare and gather enough money to make a down payment. I can introduce you to him. He may know more."

    Mary nodded as fast as she could. "Yes, please! That would be great! Even if he only knows a little, it wouldn''t hurt to have a smidge of insight."

 295 Jake’s Childhood Home 2

    With sudden hope, Mary followed Camila out of of the house, crossed the street, then went a few houses down. It had a similar structure, just a different color.

    Camila walked up to the front door and simply opened it and walked in. She glanced back at Mary. "Wait here. I''ll see if he''s awake. If he''s napping, then I''ll have to suggest you come at a different time."

    Mary was about to reply with an affirmative, but they heard a creaky voice holler out, "I''m not sleeping! Maldici��n! I''m coming!" In just a couple of minutes, an older male version of Camila appeared beside her, with a cane in hand. He knocked the cane on his granddaughter''s leg. "You trying to scare away my guest?"

    Camila waved at Mary. "Abuelo, this is Mary Atkins. You knew the boy that lived at my house before me, right? She''s taking care of him now."

    The old man leaned on his cane, looking Mary up and down. "You do look more stable than the other woman."

    "Other woman? You mean his mom?" Mary asked.

    "Mom?" He snorted. "What mom? That woman barely provided a roof over his head with the governments help. She didn''t feed or clothe him. He''d walk to school with bruises so bad that he looked like a blue and green alien. I just knew she would kill him."

    Mary looked torn like she wanted to cry. "Jake isn''t dead. He''s okay now. We''ve even enrolled him in high school."

    The old man''s face eased at her sincere worry. "Come. Let''s sit." He shuffled over to a recliner and plopped down. "Cami, bring us some tea."

    Camila moved to the kitchen and started to do what her grandfather asked.

    Mary closed the door behind her and sat on the sofa across from the old man. "Thank you for seeing me. I just wanted to know what you knew about Jake and his mother."

    "The boy was a quiet one." The old man mused, setting his cane down beside his chair. "I never heard him speak. Not to me. Not to anyone on the street. Most of what I know comes from that woman''s shouting and gossip from the neighbors."

    "Shouting?"

    "Maldici��n. The woman could curse up a storm. This is a small community and we''re packed in like sardines. No yelling could go undetected around here." The old man sighed. "We knew that woman was crazy and out of her mind, but what could we do. We watched on as the boy seemed to get smaller instead of bigger."

    Mary frowned and tried to control her anger. "Why didn''t you call the police? Why didn''t anyone on the block call the police?"

    The old man just shook his head. "Do you see where we live?"

    Camila brought in the tea, serving her grandfather first, then Mary. "The police are too busy busting gangs and solving murders and robberies. As for a woman who beats her son? They would just call it character building. As long as he had a roof over his head and clothes on his back, there wasn''t much they can do besides send a notice to child services."

    "His life was endangered though!" Mary raised her voice, losing her cool.

    Camila sat on the other side of the sofa. "In the projects, there are a lot of lives at risk. Honestly, what happened was probably for the best." Mary''s jaw dropped, thinking that this young lady must have something against her foster son. "He survives, got away from his mother, and moved out of this hell hole."

    "How could you say that?? He almost died!" Mary was clearly upset and not okay with them speaking ill of Jake. It''s like they were trying to curse him.

    "Listen to Cami." The grandfather drank his tea before setting it down. "Once you live in poverty, it''s hard to escape poverty. Look at us. I worked for sixty years and had to live paycheck to paycheck. Even now with social security, I''m living paycheck to paycheck. My granddaughter working almost seventy hours a week with two jobs just to live in this crappy neighborhood. She''s been taking classes at the local community college but that also requires more money and time. Do you think that boy will have the same struggles now that he''s with you?"

    Mary froze. She wouldn''t let him be worked to death like that, for poor living conditions. Even after he ages out of the system, she would hope to help him get into a good college and even help him with loans if she had to. She hung her head. "My apologies. It''s just...you don''t know how he was after the incident. So close to death. After meeting him, and getting to know him, it''s hard to think of his suffering."

    "I could only imagine." The elder sighed. "We heard bits and pieces from the news and knew she was arrested."

    Mary nodded. "Last I heard, her public defender is thinking of having her plead insane to get off with a lighter sentence."

    "I wouldn''t be surprised if that worked. She was never right in the head. All they have to do is ask around here, and everyone will let them know she was crazy. Day one of her moving in, she had let the little boy just sit in the yard until someone came to the door to remind her in the evening. What kind of woman would leave her child out at such a young age? The kind that would want him to be kidnapped of course!" The old man got agitated.

    "Wait-the day she moved in?" Mary asked. "She didn''t always live here?

    "No, no." The old man waved his hands. He closed his eyes trying to pull an old memory out of the cobwebs of his brain. "She moved in ten years ago? Eleven? Twelve? The boy was young. Just a toddler."

    "So there was no man in the picture? Or perhaps another son?" She sat on the edge. "Did anyone visit them throughout the years?"

    "Just them." He replied confidently. "It''s been awhile, but I remember that it was just them two. She hardly left the house unless it was a trip to the liquor store."

    Mary was quiet for a second, trying to think of any other questions she could ask. "Would you happen to know where they lived before?"

    "Impossible. We never outright spoke to them. Mostly just gossip around the neighbors." He tilted his head, thinking. "I can ask a few of the busybodies that stick their noses in everyone''s business. Usually they would have a little more background. Leave your number with Cami." He leaned back into the recliner. "If you don''t mind, all this excitement has worn me out. Cami will walk you out."

    "Thank you sir!" Mary said, graciously. She stood up and followed Camila out to the front porch, sparing one last glance at the old man, who already started to nap.

    "Grandfather is getting old. He needs plenty of rest." Camila explained as she closed the front door to give him quiet. She walked Mary to the street before exchanging phone numbers. "We''ll call if we can find out anything, but no promises. If we receive any info, it also might not be reliable."

    "That''s okay. I''m just-" Looking for someone who might not even exist. "I''m just looking for more information on his father. Child services haven''t been able to locate him."

    Camila looked down the street in the distance. "Single-parent families aren''t uncommon around here. My grandfather raised me by himself as well. I don''t remember the family that use to live in my home, sorry."

    "Oh, that''s alright. Your grandfather already shared more than I knew before. Finding out that he and his mother lived somewhere else as well really helped." Mary smiled. "This can be consider a lead. I''ll be in town for the week, visiting other places he''s been like his elementary and middle schools."

    Camila nodded. "I hope you find what you''re looking for." She turned and went back into her grandfather''s house without a goodbye. Maybe she felt some regret about not being saved as a child and having to grow up in such a shady neighborhood. Wouldn''t it have been nice if she was raised by a woman like Mary too?

    Mary slowly walked back to her rental car with thoughts of her own. Find what you''re looking for...to her, the words sounded ominous. Did she really want to find Jake''s family? Wasn''t she enough for him? She pulled out her cell phone and made a call.

    Wayne picked up on the first ring. "How''d it go?"

    Mary let out a sigh. "Okay. I met with the new home owner, who happened to have a grandfather across the street. He shed some light of Jake''s life at home and it was depressing. I''m upset and angry and want to just scream at this woman called his mom."

    Wayne chuckled at his wife''s frustration. "Don''t push yourself. Finding them may not even be a good idea. We''ve talked about this last night. Jake staying with us sounds like a good idea. He seems to like it here. We like him. It''s a good fit."

    "But...his father''s rights..."

    "He gave up his rights when he left. It''s not like we have to adopt Jake for him to stay with us. Things are fine as it is."

    "Right." Mary sounded better. "He hasn''t expressed any interest in finding his father either. Finding him could really upset Jake."

    "Mary, you''re just there to poke around and find out if he had an older brother or cousin, or some kind of friend or neighbor that was like a brother. Did you see any like that?"

    "Not in this neighborhood." She looked around and grimaced. "It''s not really a friendly looking place. Besides, the people I spoke with today told me that no one ever went over. At all. That woman had only left for alcohol runs."

    "No biggie. Maybe when you visit the school, you''ll find something like an older boy taking care of him during recess and lunch. It could be that simple."

    "That''s true, I guess. I''ll be busy with Zeke tomorrow, so I''ll have to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday to make another trip out here."

    "Good. Go back to the hotel and relax. Decompress. Everything is going to be alright."

    "You''re right." She started up her car. "Make sure those boys at home study hard. I better not see one C on their progress reports. In fact, after breaking the rules of the house, they better get nothing but A''s on their midterms too."

    "My thoughts exactly." Wayne laughed. "Love you, dear. Drive safe. Call or text when you get back to the hotel."

    Mary smiled. "I will. Love you too."

 296 Jake’s Old School 1

    Mary returned to the hotel after an hour drive. She made calls to her husband, Doug, and her eldest son. Wayne''s call was a quick one to tell him that she safely made it back to the hotel, and to not go easy on the boys when he gets home from showing houses. Her call to Doug went unanswered. He must still be busy...on a Sunday night too.

    Her call to Zeke didn''t last long with her asking the questions and him giving short replies. She couldn''t decipher what he thought about the school on the first day. They made plans to meet in the office tomorrow morning after breakfast.

    Monday morning arrived after a long nights sleep. Mary followed the itinerary that Zeke had planned out with the coaches, sitting with an academic counselor, a financial aid officer, then went through a full tour of the school before sitting in a class with Zeke. Afterwards she joined him and some of the baseball players and coaches for lunch in the cafeteria. She was thoroughly impressed with the whole ordeal, and even thought it was on par with Stanford University.

    The afternoon was spent at their practice field, watching her son trying out for the team. Zeke held his own, even though he didn''t look as buff as the college students. In the evening, Zeke sent her away so he could spend more quality time with just the team. Which makes sense because he won''t have his mom with him when he goes to college. Plus, the guys are probably more well behaved with adults around, so he wanted to see what they would be like unsupervised.

    Mary found herself alone for dinner and decided to eat at the hotel restaurant. There, she spent the night looking into prior information that Doug and Dr. Moore was able to pull up. Tomorrow she should have enough time to visit both of his prior schools, but if one has to be put off, she could make another trip the following day.

    Tuesday morning, Mary first made a stop at UCLA to pick up Zeke and transfer him to USC.

    "Well, what did you think?" She asked as they sat through Los Angeles traffic. "Did they impress you?"

    "Their offer was a little short of my expectations." Zeke replied honestly. "Apparently they''ve already dealt out most of their available scholarship money. They said they could give me partial for the first year, and as long as I prove myself, I could have a full ride starting sophomore year." He glanced out the car window. "So no...not really impressed."

    "Zeke, I shouldn''t have to keep telling you this, but money won''t be a problem."

    "It''s not just about money, Mom." Zeke looked at her. "The scholarship offer shows their sincerity. If they''re offering me a full ride, it''s like they''re telling me that they think I can change their whole program. UCLA only offered part, so that telling me that they think I''m good enough but not a game changer."

    "I thought you said they dealt all their monies out?" She asked. "You are visiting these schools at the last minute. There''s bound to be limited scholarships left."

    "Mom." He pulled out his cellphone and started to tap on it, pulling up an article related to a high school player committing to UCLA. "This is kid just signed this past weekend. Full ride. I''m sure a school this big and powerful could come up with the money to cover me, but they chose not to."

    Mary was stunned. Her son really thought things through and even did his research before speaking ill of the school. "So UCLA is a no go?"

    "Stanford is definitely ahead of them. They offered a full ride and are closer to home."

    Mary swelled with happiness and wanted to call her husband right away, but managed to hold herself back. "Well, there are two more schools to see on this trip. Keep an open mind."

    "I will."

    They arrived at USC, where Mary was able to meet the head coach and the host player taking Zeke in. They made plans to meet up tomorrow for the school meetings once again.

    Mary then set off, back to Jake''s old neighborhood.By the time she reached the elementary school, it was noon, so she decided to give Doug a call.

    "Yes?" He answered mindlessly like he didn''t even check to see who was calling. Talking could be heard in the background making it feel like he was in a crowd.

    "Hi Doug, it''s Mary." She told him why she was calling. "I''m at Jake''s old elementary school, about to go in. They aren''t going to give me a hard time for poking around, will they?"

    "I''ve called early this morning." Doug replied. "I even spoke with the principal personally. She''s got all the information on all his old teachers and what he was like in school. If you do come across any problems, just call me. I''ll have my phone on me all afternoon, but if I don''t pick up right away, just call again until I do."

    "Thank you so much Doug, I appreciate all that you do." Before hanging up she thought about Sunday''s trip to his house. "Did you guys know that Jake and his mom didn''t live in that house all his life? I spoke with a neighbor man, who told me that he remembered them moving in when Jake was a toddler."

    Doug sighed. "No, we don''t really look into places of residence too deeply. Especially when they lived there for ten years. I can have someone look into their old residence but it''ll take some time."

    "The neighbor told me he would ask around too."

    "Great. Hopefully something will come up for either of us." He rushed to say his goodbyes and quickly hung up.

    Mary shook her head, dismayed with Doug''s sudden hang up. It sounded like he was extremely busy all week. Maybe he was getting a new case like Jake''s? Her heart sunk at the thought of there being another kid having to fend for himself against his own parents.

    She tried to clear her head and dispel the thoughts. Her focus was Jake for right now.

    She had parked in the school''s small parking lot, and got out to take a better look. The school seemed to have the same rundown look as the houses that surrounded it. It looked bleak. She could never imagine sending her kids to such a depressing looking school. A learning environment should be clean and bright, not surrounded by trash and dead trees.

    She gathered her nerve and walked up the pathway to the front office. She was greeted with a single receptionist, who was texting away on her phone. "Excuse me?" The receptionist looked up. "Hi. I''m here to meet with Principal Lambert?"

    "Yea, just go on back. Her office is the only door open. Can''t miss it." The receptionist pointed down a hall that could certainly use a new paint job.

    Mary frowned at her attitude, but did her best to not get upset. She moved down the hall and found that the receptionist was accurate to say she couldn''t miss it. The principals office door was the only one wide open, while all the other offices were dark and closed off.

 297 Jake’s Old School 2

    Mary approached the office and found a woman near the same age, yet she looked exhausted with hair falling out of her tight bun. Mary knocked on the open door to get her attention. "Hello, I''m Mary Atkins. Are you Principal Lambert?"

    The haggard woman looked up from her stack of paperwork and tried to focus on Mary. "Mary Atkins? Oh. Right. The foster mom." Mary felt a sting in her chest, but brushed it off. "Just take a seat anywhere you like."

    Although the principal said ''anywhere'', there was only one available seat that didn''t have papers or any type of clutter on it. Mary chose the one clean seat and the principal started pushing papers aside so they could keep eye contact over the desk.

    "I''ll be frank with you, Mrs. Atkins." The Principal looked at her, exhibiting pure exhaustion. "I didn''t know Jake Hollander personally. The only reason I could recall the name is because we keep records of when, why, and for who we call child services for. I''ve spoken with his teachers and not one had a personal relationship with him. He''s just another student in the crowd of kids that attend this institution."

    Mary was stunned. "Excuse me? How can you say that about a former student?" Her anger was on the brink of flaring up and lashing out.

    "Easy." She gestured at the stacks of paper on her desk. "We''re overworked. Underpaid. Understaffed. The student to teacher ratio is a whopping 35 to 1, in a good year. Which is astoundingly bad for an elementary school, but what can I do? The state doesn''t give underperforming schools a whole lot of money to work with which makes our scores get even worse. We''re lucky if we can just move our students up to the middle school. I really hate seeing our dropout rate compared to the state and national average."

    Mary didn''t know what to say. On one hand, she was upset that a young Jake could just be referred to as another number but on the other, she could tell that this principal was at her wits end. "Have you thought about applying to grants for underprivileged schools?"

    She gestured at one particular stack of papers. "I spend most of my time filling them out and sending them off. If I could get an actual receptionist who cares for her job, that would lessen my load. But who wants to work with a failing school for little pay?" She sighed. "Sorry for ranting. I''m just tired." She turned to the desk behind her and grabbed a manila envelope. She turned back and handed it to Mary. "This is what I could gather and scrounge up for you."

    Mary took it, amazed that the disheveled woman had put something together even though she seemed to be drowning in work.

    "It''s not much so don''t get your hopes up." Principal Lambert spoke bluntly. "Most of it, is the report that had to be made when we called child services. The result listed that there was a home visit, but the findings stated that the child wasn''t at an imminent risk for death or serious injury."

    "What?!" Mary exploded out of her seat. "How did they come to that conclusion?? Do they know how wrong they were??"

    "Mrs. Atkins." Principal Lambert sighed. "I''m not the social worker assigned to the case. I just have the report that was made by the teacher and the answer child services gave to us. As for the rest of the information I included, I had his former teachers write out statements of what they remember of him. Fair warning, most have told me that he wasn''t very personable and shied away from making friends. None of them could name a specific friend or classmate that he was close to."

    Mary let out a heavy sigh. An empty avenue. Only more depressing details on his childhood. Right now she just wanted to go home and hold him in a bear hug, but that would never happen. He didn''t like to be touch, to be surrounded, or even women that were around his mother''s age. She should just be grateful that he was willing to speak a little more each day.

    She slowly stood up and forced a smile for pleasantries sake. "Thank you for your time, Principal Lambert. I really appreciate the effort you put in even though it wasn''t legally required of you." She glanced at the grant application stack. "If you ever need any help with a recommendation or personal statement for the applications, please reach out to me." She pulled out a business card and handed it over.

    Principal Lambert showed a sardonic smile at the card. "A real estate agent won''t be too valuable, but thanks for the offer."

    Mary stood tall. "I''m not just a real estate agent. I''m a mother. A foster mother. A concerned parent. Someone who believes that kids need opportunities to grow and learn. They need a clean and stable environment filled with safety." She headed for the door. "Just send an email and I''ll reply in a day or two. We have to do our best to ensure our kids have a happy future, right?"

    "Right..." Principal Lambert watched the woman walk out of her office. A foster parent who came hundreds of miles just to ask about the boys past. She wanted to do more to help, really, she did. She glanced around at her messy desk and office. She did all she could. There were too many students that needed her help. She sighed and got back to work.

    Mary walked to her car and checked the time. Still early afternoon. She could still make it to the middle school before they closed for the day.

    She placed the envelope of information on her passenger seat, intending to look it over back at the hotel. She was first upset with the principal''s attitude to Jake, but she understood where the lady was coming from. She had to worry about the masses first, and not one specific student. Jake probably wouldn''t be the only one there with an abusive parent. It''s just too bad that Jake has to almost die to get free. If only...if only he had someone to protect him earlier. She held back tears as she drove.

    The middle school was less than three miles away and she arrived just as they were getting out, unfortunately. It took her some time to find parking, make her way to the office, and then wait in a line of students and parents that also needed to speak with the front office.

    "Yes? How can I help you?" The receptionist here was a lot more welcoming than the one at the elementary school. She looked and acted like a professional.

    Mary let out a relieve smile. "Hi. I''m Mary Atkins. Here to see an advisor named Henry Conley? Is he still in?"

    The receptionist picked up the landline and dialed a couple of digits. "Hello, I have someone named Mary Atkins for Mr. Conley. Is he available?" A pause. "Great. I''ll send her back." She hung up and looked up at Mary. "He''s in. I''ll take you on back real quick." She stood up, rounded the desk and showed Mary the way.

    Unlike at the elementary school, the middle school''s front office wasn''t as empty or desolate. Every office was lit up, filled with employees working with students and parents alike. Mary nodded to herself in satisfaction. This is what a school should be like.

 298 Jake’s Old School 3

    The receptionist opened a hallway door, leading to another part of the front office. The school could definitely rival the size of her sons high school, it was almost frightening. Mary really wondered how Jake survived here.

    The population was more dense so it was a given that this school would be bigger since multiple elementary schools would join together for 7th and 8th grade.

    The receptionist waved her on to an open area where a couple of school employees were sitting at their respective desks. "This is Mary Atkins. She''s here to see Mr. Conley." And with that she turned around and left Mary standing there, feeling a little awkward in the quiet atmosphere.

    One of the younger ladies stood up and gestured to follow her. "I''ll take you to his office." She took Mary down a hallway with wooden doors all closed, nameplates hung beside each one. Finally one labeled: Henry Conley, Advisor for H-L. The lady knocked on the door before slowly opening it, revealing an older man behind a mahogany desk. "Mary Atkins is here to see you."

    The man got up, walked around the desk, and held out a hand for Mary to shake. "Yes, hello, Mr. Doug Duncan has called me quite a few times regarding Jake Hollander. Come in, have a seat." He welcomed Mary into his office, which was spotless compared to the previous school she had went to.

    The lady who showed her the way quietly left and he shut the door before going back to his chair behind the desk. "I''ve been told that you''re his current foster mother?"

    His only foster mother, Mary wanted to correct him, but settled for a polite nod. "Yes. I''m in town with my eldest son for college visits so it''s a good time for me to take a look into Jake''s past. His therapist has come to the conclusion that he may have had an older brother or maybe an older boy he looked up to. As you know, we''re looking for his birth father, so if he really had a brother, that could help us tremendously."

    Mr. Conley nodded before grabbing a folder out of a nearby filing cabinet. "Yes, Doug has called before, asking about boys with similar last names in the years before Jake came. Unfortunately, I couldn''t find anything like that."

    "Oh well. It was a long shot." She glanced at the folder. "Is that Jake''s file?"

    He tapped it. "It is. His school records. Just what classes he took, grades, teachers he had, disciplinary action taken against him, those kind of things."

    "Disciplinary actions?" Mary''s eyes widen. "He wouldn''t have that would he?"

    Mr. Conley gave a short nod. "He had excessive tardies and absences. Students receive detention to discourage students from ditching."

    "Even when it''s the parents fault?"

    He grimaced. "Most parents don''t want such things on their student''s permanent record."

    She frowned. "Then you can''t hold it against him."

    "That''s the way it is. Of course, we send this information to a truant officer who works in the field and speaks with the parents. He reported Jake''s mom to the police a few times, but they have bigger fish to fry(1). But if you want to know about his academic performance, I can tell you that he didn''t slack at all. He had straight A''s even after missing so many classes. He''s a very talented kid."

    Mary''s clenched fist relaxed at hearing how bright he is. "Yep! That''s the Jake I know! Very outstanding! He was allowed to skip a few math levels at his high school now."

    "That''s nice to hear." He smiled. "I''m sorry I couldn''t help, but I''m glad to know that he''s doing better."

    Mary felt kind of brushed off. She glanced back down at the folder, then looked him in the eyes. "Did his records state how many times you reported his mother to child services?"

    He hesitated. "We actually never made a report for him. Jake did well at school."

    What did that mean? She frowned. "I''m sure he was still receiving beatings. Bad beatings. I''ve had others tell me that he would bruised all over. Isn''t it weird that none of his teachers thought anything of it?"

    "Each teacher only gets 50 minutes a day with each class. With seven classes to teach, I''m sure it''s hard on them to pay attention to each kid."

    Mary stood up in frustration. "I''m not just talking about a bruise. I''m talking about multiple. As in, he was covered in them. As an advisor, you don''t meet with your students? Not once?"

    He looked up. "I''m an advisor for last names that start with H all the way to L. It''s a lot of ground to cover between both grades. Sometimes these things happen. Kids can just slip through the cracks. It''s not like he spoke up and came to tell us what was going on."

    "He was scared!" Mary raised her voice and pointed at the folder. "You even had the nerve to give him detention and still claim that you didn''t know what was going on?! You said so yourself that you had a truant officer make a visit, yet he didn''t mention a word about what the boy looked like? How starved he was?! Even now he''s still considered malnourished. I couldn''t imagine what he looked like when he went here." Before he could give her one more excuse, she turned away and decided to leave. She opened the door with gusto, then slammed it hard behind her, not caring about decorum.

    She went through the hallways and walked out by the nearest exit. As soon as she felt the warm SoCal sun on her face, she pulled out her phone to call her husband.

    "Hello?" His warm voice made her tears fall loose. She sniffled just a little, but he was able to hear it. "Mary? Did something happen? Are you okay?"

    She dabbed the corner of her eyes. "Yes, I''m fine. Just a little emotional. I didn''t realize how overlooked Jake was. No wonder he hates being the center of attention. He''s not used to it. Gosh Wayne, you wouldn''t believe what I was told today." She then proceeded to give him a rundown of her school visits.

    "My god." Wayne mumbled. "I thought I had it bad, but Jake...he was ignored for too long. We really need to speak to Doug about why Jake wasn''t pulled sooner. Someone has to take some responsibility somewhere."

    Hearing her husband wanting to get some justice for Jake made Mary feel lighter. "Right! Exactly. Doug sounds a busy right now, but he''s gonna have to make time for this. For us. For Jake." She sighed. "As for Jake''s brother or friend, there were no leads at either school. Everyone''s been telling me that he didn''t have any friends. That he was always alone." Her heart felt like it was breaking. "I guess I''ll check with the neighbor to see if he found out anything."

    "Wait. Are you still at the middle school?" Wayne said suddenly.

    "Yea, I haven''t even gone back to the car yet." Mary replied. "Why? Did you think of something?"

    "Sort of." He paused before coming out with it. "You should make a trip to the sports field. Wherever they have the batting cages."

    Mary felt enlightened, but then frowned to herself. "But he was never officially on the team. Noah told me that Jake wouldn''t have been able to get his mom to sign the release form that would allow him to play."

    "But the Coach still let him use the cages." Wayne pointed out. "That''s how he became so good. He must have had a decent relationship with the coach to get permission."

    Mary grew excited. "Oh, right! I''ve never heard Jake outright tell us about it so I forgot." She laughed to herself. "I forgot that he wasn''t just born this good. I''ll go check out the field to look for the batting cages. Hopefully a coach of some kind will be there."

    "They should. Baseball is in season. The only reason they wouldn''t be there, would be for a game."

    "Thanks honey! I''ll call you after!" Mary hung up and started to make her way towards the gym and fields.

    1-to have more important things to do (just in case you don''t understand American idioms.)

 299 A Decisive Decision

    Mary hurried to the sports field just beyond the gym. From afar she could see a softball field and a baseball field. It was easy to tell which was which, and she strode to the baseball field, happy to see they didn''t have an away game or something.

    But once she got to the field, she froze. She didn''t know who to reach out to or where to begin. It''d be rude to interrupt the practice, yet she felt impatient to try and get some answers. She concluded that she could just speak with all available coaches after practice. One of them should remember Jake.

    The middle school practice wasn''t as long as a high school''s practice, however by the time they were done, Mary felt hot and possibly sunburnt, but she persevered.

    The players started to pack up and leave, causing her to make her move. She approached the nearest looking Coach. "Hi, my name is Mary Atkins, and I was wondering if I could ask a few questions."

    The man raised an eyebrow. "Pertaining to what?"

    "A former student that attended this school last year. He was associated with your baseball team."

    "I''m sorry, we don''t give information out on our kids without permission from the school."

    "Oh! But I have permission!" Mary stood her ground. "I just spoke with an advisor named Henry Conley before making my way down here. You can call him up at the office."

    "What''s going on here?" An older gentleman walked over. He wore the school''s name on a T-shirt and a baseball hat with their school colors. He took off his sunglasses and set them on his hat. "Who''s this?"

    Mary quickly introduced herself again and why she was here.

    "I''ve already told her that we don''t give information out on the kids. She''ll have to go through the office."

    "But I did!" Mary told him firmly.

    The older man pulled out his phone and dialed a number. He briefly spoke to the other side, then hung up. He got closer to Mary. "So you''re associated to Jake?"

    Mary felt relieved for multiple reasons. One, the Coach knew Jake. Two, whoever he called vouched for her despite her storming out of the office earlier. "Yes. I''m his foster mom. He lives with me, my husband, and my other boys in a small town south of San Francisco and Oakland."

    The older man sent the other one away. "I''ve got this. Finish cleaning up here." He waved for Mary to come with him. "Tell me, what do you want to ask? I''ve already shared everything I knew with child services."

    Mary walked with him, simply following his lead. "I just want to know more about him. On a personal level. Was he close to anyone? A fellow student or player maybe? Was there someone he looked up to?"

    "Jake was a loner. Quiet. Shy. Never caused any trouble." He stopped before a small building, opening a heavy metal door. "Come inside, this is where he spent all his time." Mary followed him, a bit wary, but confident that this man didn''t have any bad intentions. The whole building only had room for one batting cage. A pitching machine, a fake home plate and batters box. The old man stopped behind the netting. "I would stand here and watch him practice for hours. I was amazed a kid so young could, and even would, practice the same thing over and over."

    "Yes, he''s very talented." Mary said with pride. "He joined the high school team too."

    The old man nodded, showing a small smile. "I''m not surprised. His talent in batting is rare. He could easily switch, and hit different speeds. He had a good eye, and a good sense of timing. He wasn''t officially a part of the school team here, but boy, I wish he was." His smile dropped off. "I regret introducing him to a high school coach though. Some social worker told me that his attack was because of some random call, asking about him playing baseball. It flipped a switch in his mom''s mind, and I heard about his injuries." He looked Mary in the eye. "Is he really alright now?"

    Mary shook her head, but then changed it to a nod. "Yes and no. Some days he''s like any other teen. Other days, it''s like he''s a war vet, unsteady and traumatized. Physically, he''s a bit small but we''re working on it. His rehab in the hospital worked well, but he still gets tired easy."

    The old man let out a heavy sigh before sitting on a bare bench against a wall. "I regret not taking him out of that house personally. But I can barely stay afloat myself. I thought calling my friend, who''s a high school coach could do more."

    "How so?" Mary took a seat beside him, eager to know more about Jake''s life before.

    "My friend works at a private high school. Once Jake got in, he would be qualified to live in the school dorms. He wouldn''t be hit so much and he would be adequately fed by the school. He would get to officially play baseball. It was a good deal. Too bad the coach didn''t have a clear understanding of Jake''s situation. What a tragedy." He sighed again.

    Mary was touched how much the man tried for Jake. He really cared. He reached out to find a solution but sadly, it backfired and almost got Jake killed. She put a hand on his shoulder. "It''s not your fault. You tried. That''s more than what I can say for a lot of people I''ve spoken to and heard from. Jake''s doing okay now. He and my youngest son are good friends and they both are able to play baseball together."

    The old man smiled, happy to hear that. "Jake will have a nice future in the sport if he keeps batting the way he practiced. It''s almost mechanical. Make sure no coaches mess with that swing until he gets to the varsity level."

    Mary laughed. "He''s already there. He loves hitting the most. The Coach is also satisfied with his offensive performance."

    The old man blinked with surprise. "He made the varsity team so soon? I mean, I knew he would eventually, but he never had the opportunity to really play the actual game so I''m stunned a coach would take a chance on him."

    "Well, my sons did, and still do, work with him on his fielding and other aspects of the game like base running." She let out a laugh, remembering the face of distress he would make in the first few games. "It might sound like I''m bragging, but he''s caught on really quick."

    "Do you mind giving me his school''s info so I can follow his progress as he grows?" The old man got excited. "For him to make varsity as a freshman without any experience is fantastic."

    Mary nodded. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen to write down the school athletics website. She handed it over. "Jake still uses the last name Hollander, but you can''t miss him as he''s the only Jake on the team. My four sons are also on the team: a senior, two juniors, and a freshman like Jake." Mary was in proud parent mode, happy that her kids were so outstanding at the sport they love.

    The old man took a picture of the note just in case he lost it. "Thanks. I can''t wait to brag about his accomplishments in the future. I''ll be the one to say that I suggested to him that he learn to switch hit."

    Mary stood up and shook his hand. "You did more than that. You gave him an outlet and space to express himself. I''m glad he had someone like you even if it was only briefly. He still loves going to the batting cages to this day. It''s like...that''s where he finds peace."

    The old man nodded, understanding. "He had the place to himself as the team was practicing. It''s probably where he feels his safest."

    Mary spared another second thought about the potential brother. "So he wasn''t close to anyone at all? Not a brother figure somewhere?"

    He shook his head. "I know he had an old glove. I told him it looked beat up, but it was a hand me down from a classmate or something. He couldn''t afford to get his own. Besides that, I can''t think of anything."

    Another no. Mary held back the sigh and forced a smile. "Well, thank you for your time. I''m happy to see someone who sincerely remembers Jake and actually cared."

    "I just wish I did more." He walked her out of the small building and spared her another glance before going back to the field. "Not to overstep my bounds as a stranger or anything, but don''t be like me and have regrets. If you feel like you should do something, don''t hold back. Go at it with everything you''ve got." He waved and walked away, leaving Mary alone.

    Mary didn''t think too much about it before pulling out her phone and calling her husband. Her heart started to pound and she briskly walked back to her car.

    "Hello, how''d it go?" Wayne''s warm voice came on the line.

    "Great. Fine. Uh, there wasn''t much to find out. But the coach did remember him and even asked for the website so he could watch his stats." She scrambled for words to say when she had something else on the tip of her tongue.

    Wayne sighed. "Oh well. We knew it was a long shot. Maybe Dr. Moore and I are looking too much into it. Jake isn''t used to siblings so-"

    "We should adopt him!" Mary spat out, cutting her husband off.

    "Uh. What. That''s not where I was going with this."

    "I know, I know." Mary laughed. "It''s just. I don''t want to have regrets about this. He can be taken from us at any time and I don''t want that. Noah wouldn''t want that."

    "I wouldn''t want that either." Wayne said defensively. "I like Jake too, but we talked about this. He still has a dad somewhere."

    "Let''s just start looking into the process. Officially." Mary declared.

    Wayne sighed. "Mary, we talked about this. There still has to be some time given to find his dad. Plus, what if he doesn''t want to live with us forever?"

    "Then, we ask!" Mary didn''t give in. She had made up her mind and wasn''t going to become like the old man, who missed his chance to save Jake. "Let''s talk to Doug. Let''s talk to Dr. Moore. I want to get this going. It''s a long process, you know."

    Wayne felt a little blindsided, but they have made small talk about this before. "Okay. I''ll call up Dr. Moore and Doug to see how we should go about this. I don''t want to scare Jake off." He thought for a minute. "We''ll also need to talk with the boys separately. What if they''re against this? It could make the house awkward."

    "I''ll speak with Zeke. Let''s not get Noah''s hopes up just yet. As for the twins, I doubt that they''ll care but we can tell them a little closer to when we get an answer from Doug."

    Wayne agreed. "I''m about to be home with the boys so maybe I''ll make the calls tomorrow."

    "I''ll at least call Doug this afternoon." Mary told him. "Just to see what will be required and what he can put together. Like a to do list of sorts."

    "Okay, that''ll be a good start." Wayne said. "But can I ask what brought on this decisive determination?"

    "I just think Jake has been wronged too many times. It''s about time he has someone like me to back him up. To stand up for him. He''s such a good kid, but the more I hear about his past, the more heartbroken I feel. I want to fix him."

    "You always want to fix others." Wayne mumbled.

    "Wayne."

    "It''s not a bad quality to have." Wayne fixed his tone. "I''m just saying that Jake won''t be as easy to fix as I was. He had a lot more going on with his mom, than I ever had with my own father."

    "You''re just scared. But that''s okay. I am too. It''s a big challenge but this will be good for the both of us."

    "You''re right, honey." Wayne sighed.

    "I''m always right." Mary smiled happily.

 300 Zeke’s Reaction

    After discussing a few more details, they ended the call so Mary could get back to her hotel in Los Angeles before calling Doug. The car ride to go thirty plus miles almost took her two hours with all the bad LA traffic, and drained all the previous energy she had, out of her. Once in the room, she kicked off her shoes and moved to the little desk, laying out the manila envelope she had received from Principal Lambert.

    She grabbed her phone, plugged it in to charge, dialed Doug''s number, and set it on speaker. As it rang, she got comfortable at the desk, making sure she had spare paper and a pen just in case she wanted to jot down some notes.

    "This is Doug." Doug answered the phone with a sigh, sounding exhausted from the day.

    "Hey Doug, it''s me." Mary pulled the phone a little closer even though she could hear just fine. "I know you''re busy right now, but I want to have a serious discussion with you for just a minute."

    "How serious? I don''t have much time today."

    "I want to adopt Jake. Well, me and Wayne want to adopt him. Officially. For keeps."

    Silence fell. If there wasn''t background noise from Doug''s end, she would think that he hung up or lost connection.

    "Doug?" She pressed. "Isn''t it doable? I mean, we''re already fostering him. Won''t it be easy to just sign him over to us?"

    "Easy?" Doug finally spoke, a higher pitch than normal, stressing the word as well. "Mary, I don''t know what to say. I know you guys like Jake, but you''ve only had him for a month."

    "We know. Can you give me a run down of what we''ll need to apply for the adoption? We are already qualified as foster parents so what more do we need?"

    "Mary. Mary." He repeated, trying to slow her down. "It''s-its not going to be easy. At all. Maybe if Jake was a low-risk kid in the system then there wouldn''t be too many problems or barriers, but this...I appreciate the thought, but maybe we should stick to how things are."

    "Mr. Duncan." She said sharply. "I''m telling you right now, I want to adopt Jake. Are you going to help me or not? Are you just going to let this boy feel unwanted his whole life?"

    Doug groaned. "Don''t put it like that. You know I''m not the bad guy here. I''m just trying to be honest with you. It''s a grueling, time-consuming, and heartbreaking process. Do you really want to put yourself through that? Jake is already 14. He''ll age out of the system in 4 years." She could hear him move papers around and clicking of a keyboard.

    "I''m not changing my mind unless you tell me, and prove to me, that it''s impossible."

    "An adoption isn''t so simple. At minimum it''ll take six months after placement."

    "We already have one month down." She responded, happy.

    "However, in most foster care cases, this can take at least 12-18 months from the time of placement, and can be longer if either parent files an appeal. We don''t even know where one parent is."

    "Shouldn''t that make things easier? His mom almost killed him so there''s no way she can take him back. The father is obviously a deadbeat. No contact for at least nine years of schooling. No one I spoke to even gave a hint of Jake being close to another boy. I think Dr. Moore''s assumption is wrong, in fact."

    Doug sighed. "Okay, if you and Wayne really want to go through with this, I''ll start gathering the paperwork. I''ll give you fair warning now, there''ll be a lot to do. Fostering is different than becoming solely responsible for him. You won''t receive financial aid from the state. You''ll assume all financial cost for him like clothes, food, and medical."

    "We can do that."

    "There''ll be a process of in-home visits, individual interviews with each member of the family, and you might even have to take an extra training class or two. We''ll see. I''ll start compiling a more detailed list and then we can start to cross off what you both have already covered." He paused. "Have you spoken to your boys about this first?"

    Mary felt a little guilty hearing the question, but brushed it off. "There won''t be any problems. They all like him. Noah especially."

    "Okay, fine. Wait for my email. Don''t go around telling everyone until it''s official. I hate seeing that most: when parents are convinced that the kid will become theirs, and then something happens like a parent coming to take them back. When we start doing court visits, it''ll be a little closer to getting finalized. At least, as long as his dad doesn''t show up and claim his parental rights."

    Mary clenched her fists. "I understand. Thanks Doug. For everything. The school visits were really enlightening and even though my presence wasn''t really welcomed, they were open with me."

    They spoke a little more before ending the call. Doug had even more work to do while Mary had to prepare for tomorrow.

    Wednesday morning she drove to USC and met up with her son and his potential new coach. They looked to be getting along and he even personally escorted them around to meet with the faculty and show them the school. He was definitely on par with the Stanford coach in terms of friendliness and attention. They enjoyed eating at the cafeteria for lunch, almost making Mary forget about the major decision she and Wayne made last night. She sneaked a glance at Zeke and his blank expression. She was confident that he wouldn''t be angered by their decision, but that didn''t mean he wouldn''t feel disappointed or caught by surprise.

    On the way to the field, Zeke noticed his mom becoming increasingly distracted as time went on. He told the coach that he would be down on the field for the tryout in just a few extra minutes. He wanted some alone time with his mother. The coach nodded understandingly and gave them space.

    Zeke sat on a bench by a fountain. "What''s on your mind, Mom? Do you not like the school?"

    Mary came out of her thoughts and noticed that it was just them. She felt oddly embarrassed being caught lost in her thoughts. "No, nothing like that. It''s a lovely school. The weather here is nice even in March. Not as cold as up north. The coach was also very attentive. I think he''s really interested in recruiting you." She rambled on.

    "Mom." Zeke cut her off. "Just say what''s on your mind then. Is something wrong back home?" He put his elbows on his knees, leaning forward. "You''re worrying me."

    "Oh honey, I don''t mean to." She sat beside him. "It''s me that''s the one worrying. Worrying about your thoughts and feelings on a decision that your father and I just made last night."

    Zeke tensed up. "Mom, I''m already visiting colleges. You should allow me to at least experience the draft. I could still say no and pick my college."

    She blinked. "What." Then she shook her head. "Oh no, this isn''t about you and your future. Well, maybe a little."

    "Mom." Zeke said, exasperated. "Please. What is it?" For the first time in awhile, Mary heard impatience in her son''s tone of voice.

    "How do you feel about another brother?"

    He glanced at her stomach. "You''re pregnant?"

    She smacked him on the shoulder. "No. You dummy. Your dad and I want to officially adopt Jake."

    This time it was Zeke''s turn to blink, blank expression back on. "Oh."

    "''Oh''?" She repeated. "Oh what? Is that a bad oh? A good oh? An excited oh?"

    "Oh, I''m not surprised." Zeke shrugged, expanding on his thoughts. "You and Dad already seemed pretty attached to Jake compared to other foster kids we had every now and then."

    "So you''re not upset?"

    "Not at all."

    "Are you happy then?"

    "Not particularly."

    She sighed, irritated by his indifference. "Some kind of emotion to describe what you''re feeling would help me out right now. Can''t you smile or frown? What happened to the exasperation? The worry you wouldn''t be allowed to the draft?"

    "I trust you and Dad. I''m not against it, but I won''t be upset if it doesn''t go through." Zeke stood up and stretched. "I need to go change and make sure I have all my gear. You can find the field on your own, right?"

    Mary gave a nod, then watched as he turned and walked away. Zeke really wasn''t concerned about anything unless it was baseball related. It made her heart ache. For Zeke or for Jake? She couldn''t tell.

 301 A Lead 1

    Mary sat there by herself for a few minutes before getting up and going to the field. Even though she was thrown off by Zeke''s lack of a reaction, she still had to go and support him. She arrived in the stands just in time to watch them finish warming up. Zeke was already out there, fitting in with a group of serious looking young men. She glanced to a separate group that were sharing a laugh and looked like they were having fun.

    She sighed to herself. She loves her sons all the same, but sometimes she wished they weren''t so baseball crazy. Just a mini side hobby would make her feel that they''re more balanced.

    A ding from her phone alerted her that she had a text.

    From Wayne: I found out why the boys went to a party on Saturday night=girls. Specifically, Kyle and a girl from the softball team. He''s trying to use this to get out of being grounded so he can go on a date. Lord help us.

    Mary brightened up. Just what she wanted. She sent her husband a reply.

    To Wayne: Let him! Finally! A normal teenage boy out chasing girls!

    From Wayne: So you just want me to let them all off the hook just like that?

    To Wayne: No, of course not. But I''ll allow him to go on a date. On the weekend. After midterms. But, he''ll have to take Noah and Jake as chaperones. Either them or Zeke. He can decide.

    From Wayne: Wow. Who knew you were such a cool mom? Shouldn''t we just make it a double date?

    To Wayne: Do you want our boys to be single all their lives??

    From Wayne: Just kidding. They''ll be fine. They''re only in high school. I didn''t get my first girlfriend until college.

    Mary didn''t reply to that. She remembered his so-called first girlfriend; twenty-five years later and it still ticks her off just thinking about it. She turned her attention to her son and watched as he practiced with the college team. Even though she wished he wasn''t so baseball crazy, she was proud of how great he was. He practiced super hard to get to this level and it''s good to see baseball opening doors for him. She sent out a mini prayer: please go to college.

    After watching the full practice/tryout, she made plans with Zeke to pick him up tomorrow morning to bring him to the third college, California State University Fullerton (CSUF). It was more inland and outside of Los Angeles so she would have to switch hotels as well. She gave Zeke the same old speech about being safe with these strangers before leaving him again. She wanted to be there for every step of the college picking process, but knew Zeke liked being on his own and had to find out by himself whether he liked the school or not.

    Just as she got back into her hotel room and started to get comfortable, her phone started to ring. Thinking it was her husband, she blindly answered. "Hello?"

    "Hello Mary, it''s Camila. You came to my house a couple days ago?"

    Mary almost dropped the phone out of shock. She fumbled it before pressing it firmly against her ear. "Yes, of course I remember you. I practically inconvenienced you and your grandfather and wasted some of your Sunday."

    "It wasn''t too much trouble. My grandfather could only talk about how relieved he was to know that the boy had found a new, good mom. It''s put him in a good mood."

    Mary beamed with happiness. "I''m glad he thinks so."

    "These past few days, he''s been talking to the neighbors to find some clues for you."

    "Oh, I hope he didn''t go to too much trouble." Mary said, no longer enthusiastic to find Jake''s missing father or his potential brother.

    "It''s actually good for him to get out every once in awhile. He enjoyed the little mystery and was more than happy to solve it." Camila sounded more friendly on the phone than in person. She was obviously pleased with her grandfathers happiness. "I have an address for you if you still need it."

    Mary froze. "An address? Of his former residence?"

    "Yes. It''s not too far, but definitely in a better neighborhood. Maybe it was before he was stuck with just his mom. It''s definitely a two person income housing area. I don''t know if this will help at all."

    Mary hesitated before going to the small desk and found some scrap paper. She grabbed a pen. "Okay, I''ll take the address."

    Camila shared it with her, then continued to talk. "I mean, I don''t know if the current owner will remember the former owner, but a neighbor might. After all, it was able to get to my grandfather''s ears so they must still remember to some extent."

    Mary relaxed her clenched jaw. "Right. Yea, alright thank you. I''ll definitely look into it. Thanks again for your effort and time. And please, thank your grandfather for me too. He didn''t have to go through so much trouble."

    "I''m happy he''s happy and he''s happy to help." Camila said. "I hope you find what you''re searching for." She hung up, leaving Mary to her own thoughts.

    Searching for? She already called off the search. She made up her mind just yesterday to adopt Jake. What if she found his father? A brother? Would he want to go back? Mary shook her head and reminded herself that Jake had an aversion to talking about his dad. Heck, he didn''t even mention a brother. They might not exist. No need to get so riled up.

    She calmed herself down and put the scrap paper in her purse. If the address was close to the old neighborhood, she''d be able to visit it tomorrow after moving Zeke to his next college to visit. Then she''ll check into her new hotel nearby before heading over. Yea. Good plan.

    She picked her phone back up and dialed her husband''s number to share the news. Not bad news, but not good news.

 302 A Lead 2

    Thursday morning, Mary packed up and checked out of the hotel, still feeling mentally worn out from thinking about this lead she got from Camila. She picked her son up from the university and they hit the road. They had a 40-45 mile drive in traffic so it would be a long one.

    "Are we going to the hotel first? Or are you dropping me off first?" Zeke asked as he replied to some texts on his phone. "I''m only asking so I know what time to tell the coach."

    "Oh, I''ll drop you off first and make sure you''re settled before checking in the hotel. I''ll only be a block away too." Mary said, a bit distracted. She tapped the wheel with a fast and steady tempo.

    "You''ve been acting weird all trip. Are you sure nothing is going on?" Zeke watched as she stopped tapping and stared straight ahead at the dead stop traffic. She didn''t know what to say or how to explain that they were looking into Jake''s past. He watched her struggle to come up with words and decided to interrupt. "Is this about what I said yesterday? About you adopting Jake?"

    "No, not at all." She replied. "Well, a little. It''s about Jake. And for the record, it''s we as a family, that is adopting him." She glanced at him. "If you''re against it, I really wish you would speak up and tell me."

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "I told you that I wasn''t against it. But if it can''t happen, I won''t be upset either."

    "What does that mean though?" She sighed, tired from all these roundabout sayings. "It sounds like you don''t care either way and that concerns me."

    "I don''t. I don''t care either way." Zeke shrugged. "I already treat him like a brother, will a piece of paper change that?"

    Mary was stunned"You...you treat him like a brother? Really?"

    "Him and Noah are joined at the hip. We''ve lived together for the last month. We play baseball together. Eat together. Wouldn''t it be weird if I was still treating him like a stranger?" He looked out the window. "I don''t want you to feel upset if the adoption doesn''t go through. It''s a long process and we know next to nothing about his family."

    Mary was too happy to hear that he treated Jake like a brother, to mind the negative comments that came at the end. "Aw, Zeke, I''m so happy to hear that. Do you think the twins feel the same way?"

    "Mm probably? It''s not like they have a lot of emotional depth. Just a pair of blockheads." Zeke''s lips twitched.

    "Hey! Don''t say that about your brothers!" She smirked. "Besides, one is already better than you in that aspect. Kyle is trying to get a girlfriend!"

    "Who?" He raised an eyebrow.

    "I''m not sure. Your dad didn''t go into detail. He was telling me how Kyle wants to go on a date so I said he would have to take you or Noah as a chaperone."

    Zeke frowned. "You want me to be a third wheel?"

    "Whatever it takes to make sure he doesn''t get into trouble." She sighed. "Actually, all four of them are in trouble right now. We didn''t want to bother you with it, but the four of them went to a party the night we left." She held up a fist. "Those brats. Just wait until I get home."

    "Oh."

    "''Oh''? You knew?" Her voice went a pitch higher.

    Zeke shook his phone. "I have social media accounts too. Just because I don''t post, doesn''t mean I won''t go on it to see what others were posting."

    "So you DID know! Were you going to tell me??"

    "I was just going to punish them on the field." He leaned his seat back. "It wouldn''t be beneficial to the team if you trapped them inside. They would probably get lazy." He shifted to his side. "I''m going to take a nap. Wake me when we get close please."

    Mary had an urge to shake her eldest son, but kept her hands on the steering wheel. Even though Zeke was going to punish them in his own way, it was still sweet of him to not sell out his brothers. It made her happy that he felt the need to protect them, but she also felt a little deceived. Mary wanted to talk a little more to Zeke about colleges, his brothers breaking curfew, and adopting Jake, but he was asleep in just a minute. Maybe he stayed up too late last night with the team? Ah! She didn''t even get to hear his thoughts on what he thought about for the last school!

    She took one last look and decided to let him be. He was still growing and sleep was essential. It''s not like she wouldn''t be able to bug him later.

    Her drive through rush hour traffic, trying to get out of LA took over an hour, but she was able to reach the third and final college of the visit before 10am; giving Zeke a day and a half before their Friday night flight.

    Zeke gave her instructions to return early Friday morning for the school tour and advisor meetings. She agreed and let him go after meeting the Coach of CSUF and the player that he would be bunking with. Afterwards, she sped to the hotel to check in and grab an early lunch before heading to the address given to her.

    Like Camila said on the phone, the address wasn''t too far from where he grew up, but it looked completely different. Just a couple miles away and suddenly it was all two-story houses, three-car garages, nicely trimmed lawns, and clean streets. Mary would even say it looked better than her own neighborhood. It just lacked originality. The houses all looked the same with few differences.

    Mary easily found parking on the street and got out to stretch her legs. With all her nerves bundled up, she gave her husband a call.

    "Let me guess: you''re getting cold feet?" He answered.

    "I am not! Rude!" She stomped her foot on the sidewalk. "I was just calling to ask for advice." She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I don''t know what to say. What if they think I''m a crazy lady?"

    "To who? The new homeowners?" Wayne asked. "What''s the worst they can do? Kick you off their property? Then move to the neighbors."

    "They could call the cops!"

    "Then I''ll bail you out." He assured her.

    "What if it isn''t new owners? What if his dad still lives here? With a new wife and kids that he loves unconditionally? I don''t think I could handle it. I don''t think Jake could." She started to hyperventilate.

    "You''re overthinking. If his dad was really still in the same area, and ignored him and the news about him almost dying, then that means it''ll be easier to get him to sign away his parental rights. Just calm down." Wayne stayed rational and became her voice of reason.

    "You''re right. Okay." She took a deep breath. "I can do this."

    "Do you want to keep me on speaker while you talk to them?"

    "Yes! Smart! I''ll just put you on speaker and then in my purse. Okay, I feel better. Let''s go." She put the call on speaker and slid it into the front pocket of her purse. "Can you still hear?"

    "Yea. Loud and clear." He replied.

    Mary and her racing heart faced the house. Time to confront this. Either if he''s there or not, everything will work out. She felt more confident with each step as she walked to the front door.

    The more she thought about, the more she actually wished for the father to be there. Then she could ask for him to formally give away his parental rights and then she''ll be able to easily adopt Jake after the six month waiting period. That would be perfect. Maybe she would tell him off too! How dare he just abandon his son with a legit psycho. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind.

    Unfortunately, wishing is just unreliable. She knocked on the door and rang the bell, but no one answered.

    "No one seems to be home." She mumbled, depressed after pumping herself up for so long.

    "It''s the middle of the day on a weekday. I''m not surprised." Wayne''s voice came from the phone.

    "Ughh! Why didn''t you say something sooner?"

    "Because, you would have used that as an excuse to not go to the door."

    She sighed. He was right again. "Guess I''ll come back after dinner."

    "Excuse me? Can I help you?" A woman''s voice from the sidewalk called out to Mary.

    Mary turned around and found a woman in a jogger outfit. "Hi. Um, do you live here?" She pointed at the front door behind her.

    "Yes. Is something wrong?" The jogger looked at Mary with suspicion.

    "No. I was just looking for the homeowner to ask some questions. If you have time?" Mary shifted from foot to foot.

    "For what? Let me tell you now, I''m not looking to buy anything. Magazine subscriptions, solar panels, or whatever else you people sell. I don''t have time to listen to a whole sell speech." She moved to the front door, pulling out a key.

    "Nothing like that! It''s actually...about the previous owners? Can I ask, when do you move in? Did you know the last owners?"

    The woman was able to unlock the door and get inside. She glanced back at Mary. "I moved here ten years ago. Everything was settled with a real estate agent so I never dealt with the previous owners. If that''s all, I need to get going."

    "Wait! One more!" She looked up and down the street. "Since you can''t help me, can you point me towards your oldest neighbor? The one who has lived here the longest? May even have an older boy in high school or something?"

    The jogger woman looked annoyed, but still pointed to the left. "Three doors down. They''ve been here longer than the home owners association so they don''t comply with the rules all the time. I believe they have a boy in college now. If he didn''t drop out yet."

    "Thank you so much!" Mary gave her a big smile and hurried to her next destination, not even worried if that woman thought she was suspicious or not. "Did you hear that, Wayne?" She said.

    "Barely. So there''s a neighbor with an older son?"

    She nodded even though he couldn''t see her actions. "Just a couple doors down. A family that lived there long enough to maybe remember Jake and his family. And they even have an older boy out of high school. This could be the older brother figure Jake has in his mind!"

 303 A Lead 3

    Mary walked briskly, a couple doors down and then she found the house the lady pointed at. It definitely stuck out in this neighborhood, but it was nothing bad. The mailbox differed from everyone else''s. Maybe the garage could use a fresh coat of paint. And the yard wasn''t as perfect as the others. Mary didn''t waste time on it. The outward appearance of your house doesn''t determine what kind of person you are. Take that jogger lady for example. Her house was in perfect condition, but she wasn''t very pleasant. She acted as if Mary was wasting her time.

    Mary walked up the mini porch and knocked on the door, hoping someone was home. Anyone. The kid in college. His parents. His siblings. She could always come back later when people usually get home from work, but she didn''t feel like waiting. She was close, she could feel it. She rang the doorbell as well just in case they couldn''t hear her knock.

    "I''m coming, I''m coming!" She heard a male holler from inside, followed by the sound of someone coming down the stairs. The door swung open, revealing a young man in his 20s with fair skin. Her heart thumped, only relaxing after getting a better look at his face. He couldn''t be Jake''s brother. Jake had a pale complexion, and was just barely getting a tan in these early spring months. This man on the other hand must have had some mixed heritage with his dark tan, almost like he went to a tanning salon. "Who are you?" His blunt words snapped Mary out of it.

    Mary turned a little red, caught staring at this man and examining him head to toe. "Sorry, I-I was just...Are your parents home?"

    He crossed his arms across his chest. "No, they''re at work. Are you from the homeowners association? Is Cheryl filing complaints again? You can just toss them and tell her to get a life." He rolled his eyes and started to close the door.

    "No!" Mary yelled out, making him flinch, but at least it got him to stop closing the door. "Sorry, no, I''m not from the homeowners association. I''m actually from a small town up north. I''m here, looking for some answers. My foster son used to live in the area. He spent most of his childhood a couple blocks away."

    "Okay. What does that have to do with me and my parents?" He raised an eyebrow.

    "Well, I''m trying to find some clues about his missing father."

    "You got a name?"

    "Oh, no. That''s why I''m trying to find someone who can help. At the childhood home, a neighbor remembered him moving in the house ten years ago with just his mom. Then he asked around and found out where he originally came from." She pointed at the house.

    "Oh. Cheryl''s. You''re in luck. I remember exactly when she moved in. We haven''t had any peace since." He squinted at the house. "I vaguely remember the family before them. I''m not sure if you have the right one though."

    "I''m not 100% sure either, but I''d like to hear about them just in case. Do you remember their names at all? Or why they moved? Was it a complete family of three?"

    The young man patted the back of his head, messing up his hair. "Names..? Uhh, it''s been too long. But I don''t think you have the right family. They were a family of four. Parents and two boys."

    Mary felt like the world stopped and time stood still. Parents and two boys. If Camila''s grandfather wasn''t wrong, and that''s really where Jake used to live, then there was a brother. There really was a brother.

    She looked at the young man, taking an earnest step forward. "Do you remember the boys ages? Two of them right?"

    The guy hesitated. "I can''t be completely sure with the younger brother because he was little. In diapers at least." That coordinated with Jake''s age of when he moved. "But the older brother was the same age as my older brother, 9 then they turned 10 the same year that the family moved. They shared a class or something maybe? Or a sports team? I can''t be completely sure. I was only 8 when they moved away, but from 6-8, I remember watching them play in the front yard." He made a face, looking slightly upset. "My brother wouldn''t let me play with him, saying it was his friend."

    "Can I talk to your brother? Your parents? Maybe they would know more?"

    His facial expression went from slightly upset to completely sad. "My brother passed away shortly after. He was...sick. Growing up. Cancer. That''s why he was very protective of his friends. He didn''t want them to become my friends while he was in the hospital for long periods of time."

    Mary''s heart fell. "Oh my gosh, I''m so sorry. I didn''t know."

    "It''s fine." The young man looked at the grass in the front yard. "He and his friend would play close to our house so my mom could keep an eye on him. They never roughhoused or got physical with one another. They would just calmly play catch with a baseball."

    Baseball. "I''m sorry to bother you like this, but is there any chance you remember that kids name? His full name?"

    He thought for a bit, tapping his finger on his arm. Suddenly he brightened up. "Hold on for a minute! I might have a picture! Let me go check an old photo album!" He turned on his heel and bolted up the stairs, leaving the front door wide open for Mary.

    Mary was dumbfounded. A picture? Isn''t this even better than a name? She could see if the boy looks similar to Jake. She could pass the info on to Doug and ask him if the state is allowed to look into who used to live at the house since she would have evidence of relation.

    "Stay levelheaded, Mary. This could just be a picture of some random boy with no relationship to Jake." Wayne''s voice came from her purse, reminding her that he was still on hold.

    She shifted foot to foot. "I don''t know, Wayne. This is too much of a coincidence. Dr. Moore says Jake has some kind of brother complex. And now I''m being told there was an older brother at a house where he may have lived before." She lowered her voice as she heard footsteps approaching the staircase. "Shh. He''s coming back!"

    The young man ran down the stairs with the same energy her own boys had. He beamed at her, filled with pride as he held out a small picture. It was four inches by five inches, just enough to fit two little boys standing side by side.

    Mary felt weak. "That''s him!" One of the boys looked skinny and was obviously related to the young man in front of her. But the other boy? The other boy looked like Jake! The Jake right now, looked like this ten year old boy! They shared the same light brown hair and light colored eyes that popped out. With Jake being short and underweight for his age, he could easily pass off as the ten year old boy in this picture. Stunning. Mary couldn''t find the words to say. She felt overwhelmed with all kinds of emotions from relief to anger to sadness.

    "Are you okay?" The young man looked worried. "Is this not who you''re looking for?"

    "This-this is good." Mary forced herself to say. "My foster son should be the baby in diapers you remember. This must be his older brother for sure. They look nearly identical." She looked the young man in the eyes. "Do you remember his name at all?"

    He reached out and turned the picture around in her hands. A messy scrawl of ''EJ and JJ'' were written on the back. "EJ was my older brother. Originally Edward, but he hated it. JJ was the one to teach him to put initials together to make a new name. Beyond this, I don''t know. I could ask my parents when they get home, but I don''t think they would remember old neighbors full names that had moved away so long ago."

    "I understand." Mary nodded sadly. "Can I keep this though?" She held up the photo.

    He nodded. "We have plenty of my brother. My parents knew...that he wasn''t going to live long so they took a lot of pictures." He glanced down at the photo. "I''ll look for more like that for you, if you want?"

    She held it tight. "If it''s not too much trouble." She dug out her business card and handed it over. "Just call or email if you find any more. Or if your parents remember the name of that family."

    He nodded and took the card. "Sure. It''s no problem. It''s nice to look back every now and then. To make sure that I don''t forget him." He gave a sad smile. "If you ever do find the boy, can you tell him about my brother? Just so one more person will think of him?"

    Mary nodded. "I will! I''m sure he would want to know too."

    They exchanged a few more niceties before parting ways. Mary went back to her car, and pulled her phone out of the pocket. "Wayne?"

    "I''m here."

    A pause settled between them. Neither knew where to start or what to do. They had a picture. A picture of a boy that looked like Jake.

    "What-What should we do first?" She stuttered, still holding onto the photograph.

    "Take a picture and send it to me. I''ll go see Dr. Moore. You call Doug and see what we should do about finding his dad. I don''t know if we should personally dig into this anymore. The whole goal was to find out if Jake had an older brother or someone he looked up to. And I think this should be it. An older brother."

    "He was only a toddler when he started to live with just his mom. Do you really think he remembers this brother?"

    "I don''t know. Maybe. We should let Dr. Moore tell us how to approach this first." He sighed. "Don''t get too upset. We still don''t know about his dad. He could be dead for all we know."

    "I know...it''s just...now, Jake has been abandoned by two people."

    "It''s not like his brother had a choice either. He was only a kid too."

    "But he''s not a kid now. He''s got to be at least 21. That''s old enough to vote and drink and to search for a little brother that you knew you had."

    Wayne just sighed again. There wasn''t much he can argue against. It''s hard to keep an open mind when you have a young 14-year-old relying on you after nearly coming back from the grave.

 304 Heading Back

    It took time for Mary to digest all this new information. A real life brother. An older brother. By at least seven years. There''s an adult out there with a face like Jake''s.

    Mary went back to the hotel and started to address this. She took a picture of the picture with her phone and sent it to Wayne, Doug, and Dr. Moore. Then she immediately called Doug to give him a rundown. Even though he sounded extremely busy this past week, he stayed on the line for over an hour with Mary, discussing the new information she had found.

    With this, he would have enough to ask the state about the real estate records for that house. It wouldn''t be long until they find the father.

    "Are you still wanting to go through with the adoption process?" Doug asked towards the end of the conversation.

    "Yes, absolutely." Mary replied. "Just because we have an identity, it won''t change the fact that we want what''s best for Jake. His father obviously thought otherwise when leaving him with that woman. Hell, he didn''t visit him since nor did he come to look for him after she went to jail."

    "Mary..." Doug hesitated. "Never mind. I''ll let you know more when I know more."

    "What?" Mary asked, not understanding.

    "Nothing is set in stone. You just worry about talking to all the boys, including Jake about the adoption and getting your paperwork in. Sooner rather than later."

    Mary focused on those two items of importance. "Do you think you''ll be able to expedite the process at all?"

    "It helps that you''re already fostering him and there''s been no behavioral warnings against him. You''ve done the training and sat through the classes, but I''m pretty sure you and Wayne will have to do one more all-day class."

    "That''s fine! We''ll do it!" Mary was excited that Doug was sticking with them and helping out. He sounded hesitant like there was something bothering him, but it got lost in the back of Mary''s mind.

    They wrapped up the conversation and ended the call. Mary and Wayne then had a phone conversation of their own. After a long afternoon, she got herself some dinner and prepared for tomorrow. For Friday, she would have to go to CSUF to go through some of the meetings with Zeke. Luckily, he had sent a text while she was visiting Jake''s old, old neighborhood, saying he already sat through a college class. One less thing she would have to do.

    Friday morning she packed up her bag and set it in the car. She wouldn''t have enough time to come back before check out time anyways. She arrived at the school by 9:30am, meeting up with her son and one of the assistant coaches. She eyed him, wondering what happened to the head coach, but didn''t say anything about it.

    They followed the same routine of meeting with the financial aid office to talk about the cost of going to school here and what the out of pocket expenses looked like. From there they moved on to meeting with an academic counselor to talk about his grades and what they look for in applicants even if they have a coach recommendation. Both meetings were just formalities...Mary never had to worry about Zeke''s grades, nor did she consider money a problem. Zeke was hell-bent on getting a full ride scholarship no matter how frequent she and Wayne told him that they would help with co-signing on loans.

    Mary sat through lunch with him and the assistant coach after being joined by a few of the players. Zeke was quiet, but she found it normal since he hardly spoke at home with his brothers too. After the smooth, little lunch, it was time for another tryout. Zeke continued to show off his skills, and in his Mom''s opinion, showed off why he deserved a full ride. She was proud of his hard work on the trip. Even though he got a week off from school, he had been working on his future plans instead.

    After the tryout and playing with the team, Zeke was allowed a shower before leaving with his mom. They had to fight through Los Angeles traffic once more in order to get to the airport and fly home.

    On the flight, Mary asked about what had happened to the head coach and why he wasn''t present today for the meetings or practice.

    Zeke stopped looking out the mini window and faced his mom. "He won''t be there in the fall. He''s moving on to a new university on the east coast."

    Mary was bewildered. "Then why did he meet with you yesterday? Was today''s assistant the new head coach?"

    "He''s contracted to the end of spring, but he mostly wanted me to take a visit to his new employer. I told him I wasn''t interested. The east coast is too far. The coach at lunch will be the interim head coach for the fall but they are looking for potential replacements in case he doesn''t do well."

    Mary frowned. "That doesn''t sound good. Any of it. A coach should have some more respect to his current job and not try to poach you. I''m glad you said no, but what do you mean by too far?"

    Zeke looked out the window and mumbled. "I don''t want to leave California."

    Mary smiled. She could guess that he didn''t want to be too far from home. A boy was still a boy.

    "So I guess you can strike that school of your list, huh?"

    "Not exactly." Zeke rebutted. "It''s a full ride offer. And serious potential to be a starter as freshman. No need to redshirt and waste a year." The corner of his lips turned up. "It''s in the running with Stanford. Neck and neck."

    Mary swelled with happiness. He''s seriously considering colleges. "But isn''t your goal the College World Series? Can a team without a real coach be a contender?"

    "CSUF has a long history with going to the Series. It''s not just coaching but team mentality. Besides, the Coach you met at lunch may be young, but I liked him. I spoke with him a lot last night at dinner about the team''s outlook." Zeke nodded to himself, satisfied. "It''s an option. I liked it more than the LA schools. They were too crowded and there was so much traffic so you have to walk everywhere."

    Thank goodness! Mary sighed with relief. She hated the traffic as well. CSUF had a high population too, but was in a more suburban neighborhood than an urban one.

 305 Midterms Week

    (Back to Jake''s POV)

    The week of midterms was less about the mid semester tests and more about getting back into Mr. Atkins good graces. We did chores all week with Noah and I focusing on the yard. After cleaning the front yard and making it almost magazine worthy, Mr. Atkins had barely nodded and suggested we do the same for the backyard. So even though Noah and I didn''t have any baseball practice this week, our shoulders ached from the hard labor. The front yard only took us most of the day Sunday, while the backyard had to be worked on in waves, so every few hours right after school we would go out there.

    We would get a break when Mr. Atkins came home with dinner, but after that came studying for the tests we would have. Even though it would be easy for me and Noah, the same couldn''t be said for the twins. The twins were both in their junior year which was pivotal and had a high level of importance for future college applications.

    We did yard work after school and they would study. After dinner, they would bug me to study with them which actually meant that they needed me to tutor them in math. After almost a month of me doing their homework for them, they had fallen behind. It wasn''t like they were dumb; they just liked to take the easy way out.

    It wasn''t hard to tutor them. After dinner, we would just go over old homework assignments that were returned to us and then some old notes of mine that contained the important formulas that would be on the midterm test. It was only time consuming.

    Afterwards, Noah and I would go to the living room to watch some YouTube videos on how to be a better infielder until his dad told us it was time for bed. At school, the teachers didn''t assign homework for the week in preparation for the big tests. All tests were held on Friday, but I didn''t mind it. In fact, I actually liked it since I didn''t have to worry about interacting with the class or making awkward eye contact with the teacher. It was a simple day of taking tests, turning them in, then waiting for the class to be over.

    If there really was a bad thing to say about this week, it would be that the boys never got a chance to talk to Mrs. Atkins. That made them worried, which in turn, made me worried. She might be even madder than Mr. Atkins. By Wednesday, Mr. Atkins explained that she was busy with Zeke and wasn''t that mad anymore. She just had a lot on her plate.

    "I don''t buy that excuse." Noah told me when we were getting ready for bed. "This whole trip is for Zeke. Everything is about Zeke. Zeke is the one that has to do everything and go everywhere. What could she possibly be doing for the rest of the time?"

    I shrugged. Clueless.

    If Noah couldn''t figure out why she didn''t want to speak with him and his brothers, then how could I? I don''t think I''ve ever spoken with my mom over any phone. There was no need to. Nor did I ever want to.

    Mr. Atkins did let Kyle know, though, that he could ask out Marie. On the condition that Noah and I would also have to attend the date to supervise. Us or Zeke. Kyle''s face went from annoyed to suddenly okay with our presence.

    "Saturday we have two games so it''ll be a Sunday date." Kyle told us Friday afternoon as we headed home from school. "I already asked Marie and she said that works for her. She''ll even bring Kaylee along to entertain you two."

    I nodded, only wondering to myself how he had asked her. Was it a simple, ''hey, let''s hang on Sunday?'' Or did he do something special in one of the classes they have together. I peeked at Dave in the front passenger seat but he didn''t give anything away.

    "Woah, wait a minute." Noah spoke up. "You didn''t ask if Sunday works for us."

    "What could you possibly doing on Sunday?" Kyle asked, glancing at him through the rear view mirror.

    "Batting cages. Duh. Right Jake?" Noah nudged me.

    I nodded. "Cages. We haven''t been all week. We didn''t get to go last Sunday either."

    Dave shifted so he could turn to look at us. "Do you really think Zeke would let you go to the cages on Sunday? It''s either we all hang out at home with him or chaperone Kyle''s date."

    An awful silence fell between me and Noah. That''s right. Zeke should know by the time he gets back that we went to a party. And broke curfew. With their parents showing open houses on the weekends, there''s a good chance he would be in charge. And would even make us spend the Sunday running.

    "I''ll go with you." I quickly volunteered.

    "Same." Noah sighed. "Zeke might be in a bad mood when he gets back. We need to win both games tomorrow and play well so he won''t have a reason to nitpick." He smirked. "Good thing Jake and I practiced infield positioning all week."

    "I''ll pitch well!" Dave declared, determination in his eyes.

    "That goes without saying." Kyle clutched the steering wheel a little tighter.

 306 Saturday: Doubleheader 1

    Friday night, Mr. Atkins didn''t dare to let us stay home alone again. Instead, we all piled into the suv and took the hour and a half trip to the airport to pick up Zeke and their mom. We waited by baggage claim for a bit until they were able to get off the plane and come on down.

    Noah was quick to rush his mom as soon as she got off the escalator. He mumbled into her shoulder, and whatever he had said made her smile. She messed up his hair and walked him back to us with an arm around his shoulders. The scene made my heart sting. I tried to tell myself that I don''t need that. I was already satisfied with not getting beat everyday.

    Zeke followed them back. As soon as the three rejoined our group, Mr. Atkins pulled Zeke into a bear hug. Mrs. Atkins let go of Noah''s shoulders in order to hug each twin and to leave a kiss on their forehead.

    To my surprise, she then moved onto me. I didn''t know what to do or how to respond so I stood frozen. Mrs. Atkins reached a hand out and patted my head, messing up my hair just like she did to Noah. I glanced up and thought I saw her eyes get watery, but it must have been my imagination.

    Because her sharp eyes narrowed and glanced around to the four of us who were left at home last time. "I won''t get into it tonight since your father has already scolded you and gave out his punishment, but there won''t be a next time."

    Dave frowned and opened his mouth to speak.

    "I''ve already heard the freedom speech." Mrs. Atkins cut him off. "We can discuss more later. You boys didn''t even try asking so how can we trust you with more freedom?"

    "Sorry, Mom." Noah spoke up first.

    "Sorry." The Twins muttered in unison.

    Mrs. Atkins looked down to me, raising an eyebrow.

    "S-s-sorry!" I hurried to say. It''s already been a little sad with Mr. Atkins giving us looks of disappointment all week. If she joined him, I might feel too ashamed to raise my head again.

    Mrs. Atkins smiled and nodded. "Better. Okay, let''s grab some dinner and head home. You boys have two games tomorrow."

    "And you haven''t practiced all week." Zeke added.

    "And that''s where you''re wrong." Noah said proudly. "Jake and I have done muscle training and mental training. We both worked on infield positioning as well."

    Zeke looked at the both of us. To Noah. To me. Back to looking at us together. Like his mom, he reached out and messed up our hair simultaneously. "Brats." He then abruptly turned and walked to the carousel to pick up his luggage. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins shared a laugh and followed him to help.

    I fixed my hair while looking back at Noah. "Does this mean we aren''t in trouble anymore?"

    Noah fixed his own hair. "As long as we win both games tomorrow, it shouldn''t be a problem."

    "Yea." Dave agreed. "But I definitely thought Mom would be more angry with us."

    "Maybe." Kyle said. "She looks tired. She''s probably too exhausted with Zeke''s stuff this past week to pay too much attention to us."

    Noah frowned. "That doesn''t sound like Mom."

    "You don''t know. College is a big deal. Life changing."

    "But-"

    "Boys! Hurry it up!" Mr. Atkins called out. The three of them already had bags by their feet, looking like they already got everything.

    The four of us hurried over to regroup with them so we could head to dinner. It was still prime traffic hours so the parents decided to treat us to a meal in the city.

    Noah dominated most of the conversation, telling his mom (and bragging to Zeke) about all that we did.

    "But doing the yard work was part of your punishment." Mr. Atkins stated after we were sat down at a big table inside a restaurant. "It''s not like you were purposely doing that for training."

    "Anything could be used as training, Dad." Noah shot back. "Sitting here, flexing my abs, can be considered training."

    "Yea, if you had abs." Dave laughed and Kyle joined in. Even Zeke cracked a smile.

    "Don''t be hating." Noah stood up and lifted his shirt a little to show off his abdomen muscles. "I have a solid four-pack."

    "Noah James! You sit down right this minute!" Mrs. Atkins hissed as we attracted attention from the surrounding tables.

    The twins laughed harder and stood up as well. They raised their shirts up to show a well defined six pack.

    "This is what it should really look like." Kyle bragged.

    Dave nodded in agreement, patting his ab muscles. "Abs of steel."

    "That''s not fair! You''re older." Noah said, sounding a mix of anger and depression.

    "All of you sit down right now!" Mrs. Atkins was red in the face with embarrassment.

    "Wait." Kyle laughed, tugging his shirt back down. "We might as well see Jake''s too to compare."

    "Yea! Just to see if it''s an age thing like Noah said!" Dave echoed.

    I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, not willing to show off my scars.

    "That''s enough." Mr. Atkins firm command calmed down the twins and made them sit down. "All of you should sit down and look at the menu properly."

    Everyone sat down and picked up the menus like they were told.

    I smiled gratefully at Mr. Atkins. He knew what I looked like and why I didn''t want to get involved.

    The table resumed talking, but about food this time. Even though Zeke didn''t talk much, the conversations were louder and the group more rambunctious. It felt good to have everyone back together again.

    Throughout the meal, I would catch Mrs. Atkins giving me weird, and slightly long, looks like she was trying to see inside my head. She must be worried that I wasn''t comfortable with the boys showing off their abs so I flashed her a light smile so she would know not to worry.

 307 Saturday: Doubleheader 2

    After dinner, we all got back in the car and Mr. Atkins started the long drive home, fighting a bit of traffic as we moved out of the city.

    The twins, who sat on either side of Zeke in the middle row, both leaned against the windows and started to fall asleep. Noah wasn''t too far behind them. Even Zeke leaned back, looked at the roof of the car for a minute, then closed his eyes. I guess they must be tired after such a fulfilling dinner.

    I leaned against the window too and felt refreshed by the cold pane of glass. March in Northern California was still cold but I didn''t mind it so much now. It rarely got this cold where I used to live.

    "Wayne, have you found an opportunity to talk with the twins?" I heard Mrs. Atkins asked in a low voice, almost whispering as if she was afraid we would wake up.

    "Not really. It''s hard to get them alone. I don''t want to speak with them together on the off chance that they have differing thoughts on the matter. How did Zeke take it? Has he been acting weird about our decision?" Mr. Atkins replied.

    "Zeke''s okay. No need to worry about him. Definitely no need to worry about Noah." A pause. "Tomorrow after the games, we should get an opportunity. Maybe Zeke can drive the younger two home, and we can each take a twin."

    "Isn''t that a little suspicious?"

    They were doing something suspicious? Something they don''t want us to know about? Wait. That''s not right. Zeke has been spoken to and they said he was okay. Maybe Noah too? I should ask him tomorrow. I kept my eyes closed, pretending to be asleep as the parents continued to talk.

    "I''ll just say I need to go to the grocery store and need a helper." Mrs. Atkins suggested. "You could do the same."

    "We both need to go to the grocery store?" He asked with skepticism.

    "No." She laughed. "You pick somewhere else. Like the hardware store. Or go to O''Conners for baseballs or something."

    "Hmmm, I''ve been looking at something we can put in our backyard for the boys. Going to O''Conners isn''t a bad idea."

    "Okay, but the goal is to speak with each twin separately so don''t get sidetracked."

    "What if they can''t keep silent about the matter before we''re ready and get clearance? Would Jake get upset?"

    Would I get upset? I resisted the urge to open my eyes, and tried to look as natural as possible in case they glance back at me. What could I get upset about? Only one thought came to mind: family. My family, specifically. Are they trying to make me see my mom or something? But that doesn''t sound right either.

    I fell asleep thinking about what I could get upset about. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn''t get to hear if Mrs. Atkins thought I would get upset. Actually, I didn''t get to hear anymore of the conversation. I had my worries to attend to. Like what if they want to do some kind of social gathering? Because, that''s also something I would get upset about.

    ***

    Saturday''s doubleheader was held at a neutral site, which meant it wasn''t at our high school or the opponents. It was held at a public park somewhere between our two schools.

    American Christian Academy was in our conference and counted as important league games, yet no one took it too seriously since they weren''t very good. ACA was a small, private school, that didn''t even have the funds for giving out athletic scholarships. They simply made do with what they had; and what they had, wasn''t a lot. They didn''t even have a JV or Freshmen team. It was just barely twenty boys. They had four freshmen on their team, but they didn''t really have the same skill set as me and Noah.

    The first game went smoothly, with Garret getting the start on the mound. He pitched a complete game, getting all 21 outs in 7 innings. He gave up two hits and a walk, but didn''t concede a run. He also averaged a strikeout an inning, working his stats up. More impressively, Zeke dominated with his return, going 4-4 with two home runs.

    I wasn''t far behind in terms of hits with three of my own, but I wasn''t able to drive in any runs like Zeke. Noah had struggled to get on base; he kept hitting grounders within the infield, not even earning a single.

    It didn''t matter to the team though. We won the first game 8-0, just shy of getting the called game.

    Both teams and umpires took a couple hours in between games to settle lunch and to rest. Especially for American Christian Academy who didn''t have as many players as us to rely on. I agreed wholeheartedly. I had done well at the plate going 3-3 and a walk. So even though I had experience playing two games in one day, it wasn''t the same. For the tournaments, Zeke mostly asked for me to get walked, while now I was trying my best to get on base by hitting the ball.

    The second game really tested my endurance as more grounders came my way. I don''t want to use that as a reason for going 2-3, but in the batting cages I wouldn''t have this problem. I wouldn''t have to worry about fielding, throwing, positioning, base running, and what type of pitch would come my way. The batting cages were a constant speed and pitch type.

    It was hard to feel bad about myself when Noah had a worst day. We had practiced fielding and positioning all week, and that might have had an effect on his batting. For the day he went 1-7, and that one was a bloop single over the first baseman''s head. It wasn''t pretty.

    The second game was a lot closer compared to the first, but we still won 5-1. Coach didn''t let Zeke play with the excuse that he did well in the first game despite having multiple tryouts this past week. Noah explained that he just didn''t want to waste Zeke against a crappy school like this.

    Of course that set the twins off. They started to give Noah a hard time, asking him why he was batting so poorly against a ''crappy'' team. Noah didn''t roll over and take their insults. He made sure to read off their pitching stats for the second game. Kyle started, going three innings, giving up four hits, zero walks, and a run. Dave pitched the next three, giving up three hits, two walks, and zero runs. This just made them pick on each other, talking about who had the better pitching performance, comparing strikeouts as well. Kyle has four and Dave had three.

    Bryce closed out the game, pitching the last inning, giving up two hits, without giving up a walk or run. He''s really looking good for a sophomore, in my opinion, but then again, I don''t know many sophomore pitchers besides him, Theo, and Brian. The latter two haven''t left much of an impression on me, but coach announced that Theo would start on Monday.

    "Spring break starts for the school, but not for you boys." Coach told us after the game as we put our stuff in our bags. "Monday''s game will be at 8am, and Theo will get the start. Dave and Kyle, you both did well to stay under the appropriate pitch count so be prepared in case we need you. Garret, you had a good first game. Rest well, you''ll be starting Thursday. As for everyone else, not bad for the day, but don''t get complacent. Monday we play OLU. Be mentally prepared."

    "Coach." Kyle interrupted. "Will we still have practice Monday afternoon even though we have a game?" That got everyone''s attention. The guys on the team looked at Coach with some excitement.

    Coach smiled, but not all the way. "Depends on how you play Monday. If I like what I see, we won''t have practice. If I don''t, be ready to run all evening. Don''t even bother bringing your bats and gloves."

    "We''ve got this." Dave flexed a bicep. "Just call on me if it gets close."

    "Who says we''ll even need you?" Theo snorted, making the guys laugh.

    "Theo has one clean inning against Lassen and suddenly thinks he''s a star." Dave rolled his eyes.

    "You guys just hog all the opportunities to pitch!" Theo didn''t laugh anymore, looking pretty serious.

    "Okay, that''s enough." Coach intervened. "I''ll see everyone in our clubhouse at 6:50am. Any later, and you''ll get penalty laps." He looked to Zeke. "Anything else to add, captain?"

    Zeke stood up, gaining everyone''s undivided attention. "Just because tomorrow is Sunday, don''t just laze about and slack off. Stay active. Some of you looked mentally slow out there." His eyes swept across the lot of us. "Let''s continue to win."

    "Yea!"

    "That''s a given!"

    "No problem!"

    The team got rambunctious with his words and it suddenly felt like the dugout had more energy even after playing two games. It took more time to put away our gear and make way to the parents.

    Mr. and Mrs. Atkins stood more off to the side, waving to get our attention. The five of us walked on over.

    "Great game, boys!" Mrs. Atkins said cheerfully.

    "Don''t lie, Mom. I was awful out there." Noah sighed, dropping his bag to the ground.

    "Yea you were!" Kyle laughed.

    "No worse than you." Dave snickered. "You didn''t get a hit and you gave up a run."

    "Let''s not get into it here." Mr. Atkins shook his head at the bickering. "All of you did just fine. Nothing to hang your head about. And you won." He looked at Dave. "Since you still have so much energy, you can help me get something from O''Conners."

    My eye twitched as I recalled their talk in the car last night. This is their plan. Expectantly, I glanced to Mrs. Atkins, who had her eyes trained on Kyle.

    Kyle was laughing at Dave''s plight. "Too bad. Guess you''re the real loser of the day."

    "Looks like you still have energy too." Mrs. Atkins smiled at Kyle. "You can come with me to the grocery store."

    "But Mom-"

    "No buts." She then smirked. "Plus, I want to hear more about this girl that you want to go out with."

    Kyle groaned.

    "Zeke, take Noah and Jake home." Mr. Atkins instructed. "Make sure they shower. I''ll bring some dinner home from Lucilles so the table better be cleared off."

    "Got it." Zeke nodded in the affirmative, sending the four of them off with a wave.

    Noah pouted, watching the twins walk away with their parents. "Why do I feel like we''re being ditched like children?"

    Because we are, I answered in my head. This was completely orchestrated last night on the ride home from dinner. I glanced to Noah, wanting to tell him about it, but Zeke was still nearby, waiting on us.

 308 Kyle’s Reaction

    (Third-person perspective: Mary)

    Kyle put his baseball bag in the trunk of his mom''s car before sliding in the front passenger seat. "What grocery store are we going to? Walmart? Or something small and quick like the Bargain Market?"

    Mary started the car and began to drive. "Just the Bargain Market for a few things."

    "I don''t know why you needed my help for this." He grumbled, looking out the window as his mom drove.

    "I don''t need it. I would just like to spend some alone time with you. I had some things to discuss with you and get your opinion on."

    Kyle immediately panicked. "Mom, I swear to god, if you try giving me the sex talk right now, I''ll jump out of this moving car." His hand gripped the door, ready to go through with it.

    Mary rolled her eyes and slapped him on the thigh. "Stop that. You know I wouldn''t do that. Besides being awkward, you have a dad to talk to. Or even the internet. But-you better not being getting your info from porn sites and the like. Ya know what, I should list some more educational sites for you to visit. Just in case. The best way not to knock some girl up is abstinence. No sex is safe sex. But there''s also STDs that can be passed without sexual intercourse in rare cases."

    "Mom!" Kyle raised his voice. "Quit it! Really! I''m good. I''m not having sex just yet. I literally didn''t ask her out until yesterday. Teens don''t just have sex right away. This isn''t a porno."

    Mary glanced at her son, skeptical of his words. "Don''t be afraid to ask me or your dad if you have any questions though. I don''t want you making a life-changing decision just because you were too embarrassed to ask."

    "Mom, please. Just stop already." Kyle groaned.

    Mary let up. "Okay, alright. Why don''t you tell me a little more about this girl?"

    "She plays softball." He looked back out the window, avoiding eye contact with her.

    "What else?"

    "She''s nice."

    "And?" Mary pressed.

    "And cute."

    "That''s it? Nice, cute, plays softball?" She shook her head. "We have to work on your vocabulary before college applications in the fall."

    "Mom." Kyle said, exasperated at this point. "Is this it? Is this what you want my opinion on? How to embarrass your son to death?"

    Mary pulled into the parking lot of the store and found somewhere to park her car. She then turned to Kyle and started to tap the wheel. "I-we-your father and I." She let out a sigh. Why was it, that whenever she tried having a serious conversation, the topic would change to something irrelevant. It just made it harder to say what she wanted to say. "We''re looking into adopting Jake." She spat out.

    "Okay, and?" Kyle didn''t even blink.

    "And...? And what are your thoughts on the matter?"

    Kyle shrugged. "Great? Good news? What do you want me to say? He''s a good kid. Have you asked him yet?"

    Mary shook her head. "We''re still settling the miscellaneous tasks assigned to us. We have to do some at home visits, classes, and an interview first. Then we''ll ask before starting the court procedures."

    "Sounds like a lot of work." He looked out the window. "Are we still going on the store? Or is that all you wanted me for?"

    Mary fought an urge to slap him upside the head. Why were all her sons so blas�� about this decision? It was a pretty big deal, was it not? She turned off the car and got out, prompting Kyle to do the same and follow her in.

    "If we get to the court process, you''ll probably have to write some kind of statement on your thoughts on the matter." Mary informed him.

    Kyle sighed. "Can''t that be Noah''s job? He''s probably the most excited." Which means he''ll be more motivated.

    "We''re telling him last, if at all. I don''t want to get his hopes up and then suddenly Jake''s family will take him away."

    Kyle paused, eyes widening. "They''ll take Jake away?"

    "His mom can''t, but his father still has his rights." She let out another sigh. "We''ll see. There''s a lot more to come before getting to the actual adoption."

 309 Dave’s Reaction

    (Third-person perspective: Wayne)

    "Why do we have to spend a Saturday night at O''Conners?" Dave sighed as they walked into the sports store. "We could have gone to the movies and out to dinner."

    "We''ll bring dinner home and have a movie night in the living room instead." Wayne told his son. They moved through the aisles of sports clothing and athletic wear. Wayne led him to the baseball equipment area and started to look around.

    "What is it that you''re looking for?" Dave couldn''t find a reason for why they had to be here tonight when they could have just came in the day time tomorrow.

    Wayne spotted what he was looking for, but didn''t make a move towards it just yet. Instead, he faced his son and looked down at him. Wayne could still remember when Mary said she was pregnant...Zeke wasn''t even a one-year-old yet. Wayne was still trying to get used to being a father to his oldest son even though he was terrified of becoming his father. He damn near had a heart attack when the doctor told them it would be twins. In less than two years, he went from father of none to father of three.

    "Dad?" Dave gave his father a funny look. "Why are you just looking at me? I don''t know what you came here for."

    Wayne couldn''t imagine his boys going through what he had to as a kid. What Jake had to go through. What most children in the system had to go through. Abuse, both physically and psychologically. Insecurity; not knowing if anyone would ever want you. Neglect; no one reaching out to save you in their time of need. What if someone had treated his boys like Jake was treated by his mom? Wayne would probably blow a fuse. He might just snap.

    "Daddddd?" Dave waved a hand in front of Wayne''s face. "Come on, I don''t want to be here all night."

    Wayne came back to reality. His boys were safe. He married a wonderful woman who became a super-mom. Jake would be safe with them. They could provide the same love and care as birth parents. Birth parents that were wired normally and didn''t try to kill their kids, that is.

    "We''re going to try and adopt Jake." Wayne looked his son in the eyes. "For good. To stay with our family, now and always."

    Dave blinked. "Uh...Okay."

    "Do you have any questions?"

    "Shouldn''t you have told us all together?"

    "Your mom and I decided to tell you one by one. That way we can answer any individual questions and concerns. If one of you aren''t okay with our decision, we-" Wayne abruptly stopped. What would they do? Just give up? That wouldn''t be right. But it also wouldn''t be good to force this on their kids.

    "Dad?" Dave looked up at him. "What would you do if I wasn''t okay with it? Don''t just stop halfway."

    Wayne felt the panic and anxiety grow. He took a deep breath and tried to look calm. "I would first ask why you feel that way to figure out how to address it."

    A silence fell between them. They looked at one another, waiting.

    "Well?" Wayne finally caved, and tried to figure out why Dave wouldn''t be okay with Jake joining the family.

    "Well what?" Dave asked in a plain tone.

    "Well what are your reasons for not being okay with him joining the family? Are you afraid we won''t have enough time for each of you individually? Is it his personality?"

    Dave fought to hide his smile. "Who said I wasn''t okay with it?"

    "Didn''t you just say it?" Wayne asked, exasperated with his son.

    "I just said ''what if''. It''s not like I know what the others were thinking. If they objected, I just wanted to know how you''d deal with it." Dave shrugged. "And now I know."

    Wayne''s face twitched. He fought the urge to hit Dave upside the head. "You brat." He shook his head before looking at him again. "So you''re really okay with it?"

    Dave nodded. "I don''t see why not. Jake already feels like he''s one of us, don''t you think? He used to be super quiet and awkward, but now he makes all these funny facial expressions. Especially when Zeke is around." Dave rambled on. "And who knows, Jake could end up following our footsteps in being a pro baseball player. He''s pretty great at the plate for a freshman."

    Wayne chuckled. "Follow your footsteps? You have to get there first." He glanced at the box he was looking to get.

    Dave threw a fake pitch at his dad. "Who are you questioning?? I threw a perfect game!"

    "You don''t want that to be your peak." Wayne walked over to the giant, heavy box. "Come help me carry this." He patted the box.

    Dave''s eyes widen with surprise and delight. "No way! You''re going to get us this?!"

    Wayne smiled at the look of pure happiness his son was showing. "I figured this can be an early birthday present. Something practical that can help you train and have fun."

    Dave moved quickly and started to pick up one side of the box. "Yes! Perfect!" He glanced at another box further down and cooled down. "Should we get that box instead?"

    The further box had a picture of a pitching machine. Something that could also be set up in the backyard.

    Wayne shook his head and kept the smile. "Nah. It''s better if Jake has somewhere to go instead. Get him out more. For you and Kyle, it''s better if we keep you wild animals in the backyard."

    "Dad! Rude!" Dave yelled out, but still couldn''t hold back a laugh.

    Wayne patted the box that they were going to get. It held pitching practice equipment. A nice screen netting with targets and even promoted that he had a self-installed radar gun. "This might help you guys throughout the season and in the long run. Maybe Noah and Jake can give it a try too."

    "Those shrimps? I think not." Dave lifted his side of the box and Wayne lifted the other. "Come on! Let''s get home. You''ll have to help me set it up before you go to work tomorrow."

 310 First Targe

    (Jake''s POV)

    Zeke drove Noah and I home, then sent us upstairs to get showers done before dinner. We took turns and gathered back downstairs where Zeke was already waiting. He was sitting in the living room, with the iPad in hand.

    "Whatcha doing?" Noah asked, flopping on the couch. I sat down on the other end.

    "Looking at search history to verify your story." Zeke replied, nonchalant.

    "It''s not a story!" Noah leaned over and started pointing on the screen. "Look! Here, here, and here. We watched quite a bit."

    Zeke looked at us. "And did you practice it?"

    "Theoretically." Noah stated proudly.

    Zeke''s eyes narrowed.

    Noah sat back, moving a little closer to me, kind of scared off by Zeke''s look. "Well, we were grounded so we didn''t dare to go out. We did go through the motions in the backyard, but I''m not exactly a pitcher or first baseman. We can ask coach to look it over on Tuesday, during practice."

    "Or we can go through it tomorrow." Zeke said. It was worded like a suggestion, yet sounded like a command.

    Noah froze for a second but quickly recovered. "No can do. We''re already booked for tomorrow. Kyle has a date that he wants to go on, and mom said he had to bring us."

    Zeke stared us down.

    Noah and I were both fidgeting under pressure. It wasn''t until Noah came up with something to say to distract Zeke from taking over. "So....OLU on Monday. Isn''t that the team that you guys lost to last year? Once or twice?"

    I blinked in surprise. They lost?

    "Just once." Zeke retracted his stare and went back to tapping on the iPad. "But it was an important lost. It held us back from winning league and going to CIF."

    "But they didn''t go to CIF." Noah frowned. "I thought Servite High did."

    Zeke nodded. "But because of the lost to OLU, Servite had a better record than us. It was near the end of the season too so there wasn''t much hope for Servite to lose to another school." He let out a little sigh, making me feel bad. It''s hard to believe that Zeke could ever lose a game. Our one lost this season came from University Prep, but Zeke didn''t even play so I didn''t count that against him.

    "Why''d you lose again?" Noah poked. "Was it bad pitching on our side? Or good pitching on their side?"

    Zeke looked over at Noah. "Garret had a poor outing. One of his few. We also weren''t sharp at the plate. Lots of mental errors." He glanced at me, making me shrink into the cushion. "Don''t be afraid to swing on Monday, but try and aim for good spots. Their infield had the fewest amount of errors last season."

    I nodded. "I can get it to the outfield." Probably. Depending on the pitch. And placement of the outfielders.

    Zeke nodded, apparently satisfied with my response. He looked back to his youngest brother. "You, on the other hand, need to hit the cages some more. Only a week off and you were swinging at pitches that weren''t even close."

    Noah jumped off the couch, looking slightly angry. "Stop nitpicking. I''m allowed to have an off day every now and then."

    Zeke looked like he was about to reply, but was interrupted by loud noises coming from the front door. He set the iPad down and got up. "What''s that?" I heard him ask.

    "It''s a radar pitching trainer!" I heard Dave''s excitement. "Look! It has the pitching speed display and can keep track of pitching statistics like strikes, balls, walks, and strikeouts. Help us set it up!"

    "Tomorrow." I heard Mr. Atkins say. "It''s too dark out. Plus, your mom and brother will be home for dinner soon. Let''s set the table."

    Noah hurried out of the living room, presumably heading to the front door to see what Dave was talking about. "Wow! Dad! You really got this for the twins??"

    "You can try it out too. Same goes for Zeke and Jake." I heard Mr. Atkins tell him. "It''s an early birthday gift. I figured all of you could use it during the season. Especially with league play starting up."

    "I can''t wait to try it!" Dave said.

    My curiosity got me wandering what all the excitement was about. I got off the couch and hurried over to join the others. All four of them surrounded a giant box, almost taller than me. The picture on it was of a teen pitching to a black screen with marking of a suggested strike zone. Like Dave said, it had a screen to display the speed up top and had room for the ball and strike count. It was pretty cool.

    "Isn''t it two months too early?" Noah asked, scanning his dad up and down. "This isn''t like you. Aren''t you the stickler for celebrating birthdays on the actual day of birth?"

    Mr. Atkins awkwardly moved away, slightly lifting some bags in his hands. "I''ll move the food to the kitchen. You boys can move the box off to the side for now. If you wake up early enough, I''ll help set it up." He swiftly moved to the kitchen and dining room area.

    "Suspicious." Noah watched as his dad made a getaway. He then quickly turned to Dave. "How the heck did you get Dad to buy this for you? I don''t buy the whole ''early birthday gift'' idea."

    Dave smirked. "It was all his idea. I didn''t even know why we were there until he pointed at the box." He pushed it over against a wall to make sure it was out of the way. "Dad just wants us to get better. Isn''t that great? This season we can win league and go to CIF. Maybe even win CIF."

    Noah was skeptical. "That''s it? Nothing else was said?"

    Dave spared a glance my way but didn''t say anything about me or to me. He just shrugged his shoulders at Noah. "What can I say? We''re a lucky family. Dad cares about us." He waved and moved to the kitchen. "Let''s hurry up and eat. Someone call Mom and see what''s taking her so long."

    Zeke pulled out his phone while walking into the dining room.

    "That''s weird." Noah said to himself while looking at the box.

    "It is." I agreed, getting his attention. He looked up at me. "Actually...I knew that this would happen."

    Noah''s eyes widen. "You knew? How? Why?"

    I stepped closer to him and started to whisper. "On the way home from the airport, while all of you were sleeping, your parents talked about this."

    "And? Why did they buy the twins a gift so early? I don''t believe it''s for the season. Mom and Dad support us and all, but baseball isn''t their top priority."

    I shook my head a little. "I''m not sure. I didn''t know about that. I just know that your parents talked about separating the twins in order to speak with them alone. Your mom also spoke to Zeke but they said they didn''t need to talk to you alone. It was really weird."

    Noah looked a bit surprised. "They just wanted to talk to the twins alone? That''s strange. Even stranger, they don''t feel the need to talk with me alone?" He thought to himself for a minute then became enlightened. "I know!" He looked around to make sure we were alone, then whispered back. "Mom and Dad probably wanted to give them the sex talk or something along the lines of having safe sex."

    My face scrunched up.

    Noah nodded. "Yep. Must have been awkward." He patted the box. "This must be a sympathy gift. Or maybe a plead to not have sex until college or marriage."

    I could see where Noah was going with this and it kind of made sense. Except... "I don''t think that''s it. Your parents said I might get upset about whatever it is they told the twins. And I can''t really see them talking about s-e-x with Zeke. That would be extremely awkward. Plus, why would I get upset over it?"

    Noah laughed to himself. "You don''t have to spell it. You can say it. It''s not like it''s a bad word."

    I frowned at him.

    "Okay, whatever." He laughed a little more before getting serious. "But, if what you heard is true, then you''re right. It can''t be that." He thought for a minute, tapping his finger on the box. "We should try and figure out what was talked about? Primarily, because it involves you somehow. Something you would get upset about." He looked me in the eye. "Do you think...that they found your dad?"

    I gulped, and my heart started to pound in my chest. "But...how? And why would they need to tell the twins before me?"

    Noah shook his head. "Right. We can cross that one out." He grinned. "But hey, that''s something we''ve got going for us so it can''t be that bad. We''ll just have to try and pester the twins for some information." He glanced at the box under his hand. "This is probably a gift to buy off their silence!"

    Before I could say anything to add, the front door opened letting cool air in with the sight of Mrs. Atkins and Kyle, both carrying in grocery bags.

    Kyle''s attention went to us briefly before spotting the box. His jaw dropped and so did the bag of groceries. "No way! How cool! Is this what Dad and Dave went to get??"

    "Stop right there young man." Mrs. Atkins commanded. "Come back and take the groceries to the kitchen first. You''ll have plenty of time to look at this after dinner." As Kyle went back for the bags that he dropped, Mrs. Atkins looked at me and Noah. "Are you two interested in pitching too?"

    I shook my head, no.

    Noah did the same. "Nah. We were just looking. Maybe we can also use it to practice aiming at a pretend first baseman. You know how Jake''s throws can be a little off."

    Mrs. Atkins nodded then walked to the kitchen with Kyle.

    I made a face at Noah. "My throws aren''t always off."

    "I didn''t say always. Just a little. Don''t worry about it. It''s just talk." Noah brushed me off. Then he lowered his voice. "It''s a bit strange that Kyle didn''t look at us or talk to us."

    "He was distracted by this?" I pointed at the gift.

    "Orrrr, maybe, he''s avoiding eye contact because he''s afraid of what he might accidentally say." Noah suggested, raising an eyebrow. "I think we have our first target to try and get some information out of."

 311 Movie Selection

    Dinner was filled with good food and the twins talking nonstop about pitching. They would get the chance to compare stats and see who can throw faster while aiming for specific spots. Safe to say that they couldn''t wait until tomorrow.

    "What about your date with Marie?" Noah asked Kyle between bites.

    "We won''t play it ALL day." Kyle brushed him off. "Just in the morning. Then maybe we''ll do lunch and movies at the mall." He thought for a minute. "Or we can just invite her over?"

    "I don''t think her parents would like her being in a house full of boys without supervision." Mr. Atkins frowned.

    "Kaylee would come too." Kyle quickly defended. "She''s her little sister, a freshman like the boys. They get along too." He looked to Noah and me. "You guys would be okay if she came over right?"

    "Sure." I said, keeping it simple.

    Noah didn''t. "I''m happy with it. The question is, would Marie be happy with you? Can inviting her over to look at the new equipment really be considered as a date?"

    "She''s a pitcher too." Kyle was still on the defensive.

    "No girls at the house while we''re away." Mrs. Atkins declared.

    "But mom-"

    "Nope." She cut him off. "You boys already broke curfew in order to go out and see this girl so I can''t imagine what other rules you would break while I''m away. If she still wants to come over when we''re home, she''s more than welcomed to."

    "Mommm, that''s embarrassing."

    "How so? Were you thinking about doing something you aren''t supposed?"

    "Of course not!" He sighed and shook his head. "Fine. I''ll call her later to rearrange plans." He started poking his food on the plate with his fork.

    The dinner conversation drifted away from Kyle''s potential girlfriend, to what kind of movies we would like to watch in the living room.

    "It should be ''Field of Dreams''!" Dave said.

    "''Rookie of the Year'' is funnier." Noah countered. "Or ''Little Big League''!"

    "But they''re kid movies." Kyle sighed.

    "About baseball though." Noah smiled brightly, before turning to me. "What about you Jake? What''s your favorite?"

    I tilted my head to look at him beside me. "I''ve never seen any of those." Or even heard about them for that matter.

    A silence shrouded the room, making it feel dim. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins shared a look between them, and the twins looked at me with pity. Noah frowned and patted my arm as if to comfort me.

    I don''t know why they had to feel depressed on my behalf. It''s just movies. There are worst things in life than not seeing a movie that others have seen. I wasn''t bugged by it. It''s not like I frequently watched movies anyway. It''s just fiction.

    "We can do a sports movie marathon." Zeke was the only one around the table that seemed unaffected by the atmosphere. "It''s not like the game is tomorrow morning. We can spend tonight and tomorrow showing Jake our favorite sports movies."

    "What are you going to pick?" Noah asked, agreeing with the idea.

    "''For the Love of the Game''." Zeke looked me in the eye. "It''s an oldie, but always relevant."

    "I''m picking ''Moneyball''!" Dave bounced in his seat. "Jake, that''s based off a true story! On our very own Oakland A''s!"

    "Good choices!" Noah nodded. "I''ll go with ''Angels in the Outfield''."

    "What happened to ''Rookie of the Year''?" Kyle asked.

    "I think Jake would relate more with ''Angels in the Outfield''." Noah stated, firm in his decision. He looked at me with a small smile. "The main character was in foster care too. He likes the Anaheim Angels even though they''re the worst team in baseball. I don''t want to spoil it for you but it''s pretty good for a kids movie. We watched it a lot growing up."

    I nodded. I was okay with whatever. But after a look around the table, not everyone was on the same page. The twins and their parents all had dissatisfaction written on their faces.

    "Let''s do Moneyball first." Dave said, glancing at his parents. "It''s newer and more relevant. Plus it''s about the A''s!"

    "Yea, let''s do that tonight and the others later." Kyle agreed.

    "Who put you two in charge?" Noah made a face at the twins before looking at his parents. "So? Shouldn''t we let Jake decide?"

    Am I supposed to pick his movie? I can''t really grasp these weird social interactions where something I can''t clearly see is happening before me.

    Mrs. Atkins made eye contact with her husband, and then he took over. "I think Dave''s suggestion sounds best. ''Moneyball'' is about your favorite team...wouldn''t it be nice to introduce Jake to some background on the A''s before we start going to games?"

    "We can watch it tomorrow though."

    "The same goes for ''Angels in the Outfield''." Mr. Atkins told Noah. "Since it''s family movie night, let''s watch something that will please everyone."

    Noah frowned, but didn''t continue to push for his movie suggestion. The table resumed its somewhat peaceful atmosphere as finished dinner and cleaned up.

    Afterwards, while Noah and I went to our room to collect pillows and blankets to bring to the living room, he let me know that he figured something out.

    "I think we''re onto something." Noah said in a low tone. "It was just a shot in the dark when I suggested ''Angels in the Outfield''. I didn''t think it would get such a strong reaction out of them."

    "Why would it?" I asked. "What made you suggest it?"

    Noah shrugged. "The fact that the kid was in foster care. Really. That''s it. That''s the only similarity you would have with the movie. I think. I don''t know. We''ll have to watch it tomorrow to gather more clues."

    "But you''ve already seen it? Shouldn''t you already have a clue?"

    Noah scoffed. "It''s an old movie that I used to watch a lot as a kid. It had baseball in it. It''s not like I''m a movie buff that remembers all the details. Particularly details that could be relevant to why everyone is acting a bit strange."

    "Oh." I thought for a second. "Zeke looked pretty normal. At least, he looked like his normal self."

    "But my mom said he''s fine with whatever they needed to speak to the twins about?"

    I nodded. "So he should know."

    Noah sighed. "He would be too tough to crack. We better stick with the twins. And the weaker of the two: Kyle. His mind is split between pitching and Marie. It''ll be easy to get him to slip up."

    I nodded again, trusting Noah on his assessment of his brothers.

    "Boys! You coming down or what?!" Mr. Atkins hollered from downstairs.

    "Coming!" Noah yelled back. He picked up his pillow and blanket and started to move it downstairs. I did the same and followed in his footsteps.

    Downstairs, they had moved the living room couch back to make room for us boys on the floor. Zeke and the twins already had their heads on their pillows, looking up at the TV. Noah places his down next to Kyle''s, and I placed mine next to his, staying on the edge.

    Mrs. Atkins came in with bowls of popcorn and started to distribute them as Mr. Atkins pushes play.

 312 Angels in the Outfield

    "Jake? Jake. Jake, wake up." An annoying buzz sounded too close to my ear. I tried brushing it off. "Jake! Come on, wake up! Mom and Dad already left for work."

    My eyes opened slowly as I tried to rub the sleep away. I found Noah by my bedside, already dressed and ready for the day. I blinked. "How did I get in bed?" The last thing I remember is the A''s trying to extend their win streak and GM Billy Beane going to the stadium to watch.

    "You fell asleep so Dad carried you to bed. You didn''t even move. You must have been tired after playing two full games." He smirked. "Zeke said your endurance is still lacking."

    "My endurance is always lacking." I groaned, rolling off the bed. I stood up and stretched. I was sore from yesterday''s playing. Taking a week off from practice probably wasn''t the best for me.

    Noah laughed as my face scrunched up with every step I took and move I made. "Come on. Mom prepared breakfast before she left. She instructed me to make sure you ate your fill. We can eat in the living room while watching the movie."

    "The movie?"

    "Yea, the ''Angels in the Outfield.'' Remember?"

    "Yea, yea I remember." Noah thought it was weird that his family didn''t want to watch it last night, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized we could be overthinking. They said it was an older movie so it makes sense that they would like something newer. And ''Moneyball'' was like an introduction to the A''s for me even though the players will be completely different.

    Noah told me to get dressed and to meet him in the living room before running out. I settled on sweats and a T-shirt before going down myself. As I came down the stairs, I heard the twins talking to one another near the back sliding door. I slowed down to take a listen.

    "Noah said he''s starting the movie, do you think we should go interrupt or something?" Kyle asked.

    "Nah. It''s fine." Dave replied. "I rather go play in the backyard. Dad and I already set it up and tried it out. It''s like live feedback for a strike zone. We don''t have to take turns playing catcher with it."

    "I know, I want to play with it too! But..." Kyle lowered his voice yet I could still hear. "Won''t the movie make Jake think about it? Mom told me not to say anything until they know more."

    "Bro, it''s just a movie. Don''t look too much in it." Dave brushed his worries off. "If you''re so worried, tell Zeke. He''ll know what to do."

    "Zeke just left for a run." Kyle sighed.

    "Then go watch it with them. Either way, I''m going to the backyard."

    "Alright, maybe I''ll just peek in on them to see if anything pops up."

    "Okay, worrywart." They parted ways. I could hear the sliding door open and then heard it close. Meanwhile Kyle''s footsteps were distinguishable as he was the only one moving downstairs.

    I waited a couple of minutes, still digesting what I had heard. Just a few minutes ago, I was thinking that I was overthinking and now I''m thinking that I''m not thinking enough. Noah knew what he was talking about. He knew his family best, after all. He noticed their weird looks and feelings about watching that movie, but I had brushed it off after a night of sleep. Now, I have to watch this movie closely. Like there would be a pop quiz afterwards.

    I hurried downstairs just in time to see Kyle leaving the living room. He smiled. "Morning. I just spoke with Noah, he had brought your breakfast so you can eat and watch the movie."

    But would eating distract me? I nodded and tried to return the smile. "Okay, thanks."

    "Maybe after you''re done with the movie, we can go to the cages. Noah looked horrible at the plate yesterday." He continued. "Or hey, we can even go to the park and play a game on the empty field."

    Now he was looking suspicious. I shrugged. "I''m okay with whatever." Only after I watch the movie. And dissect it with Noah.

    Kyle smiled brighter. "Great, I''ll be in the back with Dave. Let us know if you guys need anything." He walked across the room and headed for the back sliding door.

    Only after I heard it open, then shut, did I go into the living room. "Did you hear Kyle?"

    Noah sat on the ground in front of the couch with food spread out like a buffet. "I heard. He came in and told me something similar. I think we''re onto something."

    "We are!" I nodded and sat near him. "I heard him and Dave talking just a bit earlier. Kyle doesn''t want us to watch!" I quickly gave him a rundown of the brief conversation I heard.

    Noah''s eyes shined with enlightenment. "So we''re already on the right path. Let''s watch it." He grabbed the remote and was about to push play, but then stopped to look at me. "Aren''t you going to start eating?"

    I shook my head. "What if that distracts me?"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I''m here. We both have a pair of eyes. It''ll be fine. We''ll look like the suspicious ones if one of them comes and sees that you haven''t ate."

    True. I looked at the spread before and decided to start with a plate of scrambled eggs. I''d be upset if I had to eat them cold. Noah handed me a fork and I started to dig in, trying to keep my eyes on the screen while not losing the food I would scoop up.

    The movie ''Angels in the Outfield'' was about a boy in the foster care being able to see real angels helping the poor-performing California Angels with baseball plays. He and his friend, who was also in the system, would sneak into games and was eventually discovered as a ''good luck charm'' by the coach. What really stuck with me though, was his dad. His real dad. His dad would rarely visit only to give his son false hope. When he finally permanently gave up his parental rights, I didn''t feel sad for the kid. I felt happy for him. He wasn''t going to be held back or held in limbo. The real highlight of the movie came at the end when the Coach adopts him and his best friend for a happily ever after.

    I looked to Noah as the credits rolled. "Well? What are your first thoughts..?"

    "I see a lot of things that could make you upset so maybe let''s break it down?" Noah shrugged. "Like the dad giving up his parental right...would you be upset like Roger?"

    I scratched my head. "Honestly, I think I relate more with J.P. He''s quiet and shy, and there aren''t any parents for him. I don''t know if I''d be upset if my dad showed up or happy that he would sign his rights away."

    "I can see that."

    "See what?" A deep voice made us jump, scattering some of the breakfast. We looked to the doorway and saw a sweaty Zeke standing, looking down at us. "You guys better clean that up."

    "We know." Noah replied and already started to stack the empty plates. "We just finished watching the movie." He froze, then looked up to Zeke. "We were just wandering why you guys didn''t want Jake to watch it last night."

    Zeke''s facial expression didn''t change. "We already said ''Moneyball'' would make everyone happy."

    "But we''ve already seen it a dozen times. Shouldn''t we let Jake pick? He never watches movies."

    Zeke glanced down at me, then back to Noah. "Mom and Dad probably didn''t want him to see the scene where the dad signs his rights away forever. Wouldn''t that be a little heartless for Jake to see? Jake, who already doesn''t have a mom to count on."

    Noah stayed quiet for a second longer than I expected. I glanced at him, then looked up to Zeke. "I''m okay. I never knew him anyways. In the movie, the kid already knew who his dad was and already had bonds. I don''t. I can barely remember his face. Maybe."

    Zeke gave me time to add to my statement, but I thought that was enough. "Okay then. I''m going to shower. Do you guys want to go to the cages?"

    Noah looked at him with suspicion. Mine too. Everyone seemed keen to have us go to the cages. Is that because they want to? Want us to? Or want to distract us?

    "Some of the guys are going too. You either do or you don''t." Zeke waved and left the doorway. We could hear him jog up the stairs.

    I looked to Noah. "Are we going?"

    "Sure! Why not? It''s not like they know that we already know." Noah got up, holding dirty plates.

    "But we don''t know..?"

    "But we do know something is up." Noah looked where Zeke had stood. "Maybe it really is something about your dad. Maybe they found him and he doesn''t want you." Noah looked at me with concern. "Wait. That''s not what I meant."

    "No, it''s okay." I stood up, grabbing the leftover food. "My dad didn''t want me to begin with. He never came back as he left. No calls, no cards, no meetings. I was three when he left so it''s not like he was never in my life." And he took my brother. So it''s not like he didn''t want kids. He just...didn''t want me. "I came to terms with it."

    Noah sighed. He walked over and rested a hand on my shoulder. "That''s good then. We''ll bug Kyle about what he knows. I say our best bet is it''s about your dad. Since it''s something that may upset you. And it''s not something Mom and Dad would share with me since I would share it with you."

    I smiled. "Thanks." Noah always had my back. Even when it came to his family. And mine. I never thought I would want a brother after I realized mine wouldn''t ever come back.

    We spent the rest of the day at the cages and arcade, eating pizza with almost half the team. It wasn''t like we got distracted, but...we never got around to interviewing Kyle. There was just too many guys around, too much food, and too much fun. I don''t speak with the guys very much, but at the cages I felt like I belonged more than I ever did on the field. On the field...I felt like an imposter. Or a charity case.

 313 Game: VS OLU 1

    I yawned for the hundredth time after waking up an hour ago. Like Coach had demanded, the team was gathered in the clubhouse by 6:50am. Most of them looked wide awake like Noah, bouncing around, tying their cleats, and tucking in their jerseys. Very few were like me: slumped in a seated position, barely keeping eyes open.

    After a quick look around, I realized I was the only one like me.

    "C''mon Bambi! Rise and shine!" Garret squirted water from the bottle at me. It splashed my face, but I was too tired to wipe it off so I decided to let it air dry.

    "Leave him alone." Noah stuck up for me and stood in front of me to defend more water coming my way. "Jake isn''t a morning person."

    "Not even for baseball?" Garret questioned.

    "He''s still getting used to it. We''ve been waking early for games most of our lives. We can''t say the same for Jake." Noah explained rationally.

    I was touched. But...he wasn''t exactly right.

    "Jake is like this every morning on the way to school." Dave came over and stood beside Garret. "So it''s not just games. He''s not a morning person period." Ah, Dave might know me better than Noah. At least, in this aspect.

    I didn''t like waking up. Sleep was comforting. It was safe. Nothing existed there. Even nightmares could be forgotten most of the time.

    "He''ll wake up once we get going." Noah said.

    "He better." Zeke stood tall among the group. He made eye contact with me. "If I catch you slacking off for even a second, don''t think that I won''t make you run 25 laps." 25 laps? 5 laps equal 1 mile. So that would be 5 miles? That would be 5 miles!

    I quickly sat up straight and patted my baseball bag. "I''m ready!"

    The guys nearby all laughed at my eagerness. It wasn''t until Coach came in, did everyone quiet down. He looked around the room to see everyone already had their cleats on and most were already in their jerseys except for those who wore a sweatshirt because of the cold. Like me.

    "Good. Glad to see you boys up and ready to go. It won''t be easy today." Coach stated. "OLU puts together a solid team every year, and this year is no different. They haven''t lost a game yet this season."

    "That''s not fair...we only lost to a big school like University Prep." Noah rebuffed. "We''d be undefeated too if we only played crappy teams."

    "Then give them their first lost." Coach pumped his fist. "Give them a taste of the pain we''ve already felt and a little bit extra for last year''s loss."

    "YEA!" The team cheered together with the exception of me. Not because I didn''t want to join in, but because I didn''t know that was something they would do.

    "Good." Coach nodded while pulling out a sheet of paper from his back pocket. "I''ve got the lineup ready so listen up."

    The team went silent, eager to hear who''ll play.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Hollander

    3 LF Mahki Holstrom

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 1B Julian Wilson

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 RF Sean Isner

    8 C Kelvin Bender

    9 P Theo Hixson

    More or less the same in my opinion. Coach would switch it up occasionally, but I''ve been feeling that the first five have been pretty consistent.

    "Coach." Julian spoke up, moving closer to him with an obvious limp. "Actually, after the doubleheader on Saturday, my foot started to hurt more than it originally did. I think I''ll have to sit this one out." He glanced around. "Sorry guys."

    Some nearby teammates clapped him on the back and asked for more details on what hurt and how it got re-injured.

    Julian could only shake his head and shrug his shoulders. "I''m not sure myself. My parents already scheduled me an appointment this afternoon with a podiatrist."

    Another round of consoling only dampened the atmosphere.

    "Brian Swoope." Coach narrowed in on the sophomore, who has experience in pitching and playing in the outfield. "You''ll bat fifth and play first. Any questions?"

    Brian jumped up. "Okay!" Then he scratched his cheek. "But...I don''t have a first baseman''s glove."

    "You can use mine." Julian volunteered. He limped to his bag, dug around and pulled out his glove. He then handed it over to Brian.

    "I didn''t know first baseman''s had different gloves than everyone else." I whispered to Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "Not like it matters to you. Or me. Just throw to him when you get the ball. Who cares about his glove."

    "The person playing first would obviously care." Dave snorted. "You brats are as ignorant as always."

    "I am not!" Noah argued.

    Zeke was quick to step between them. "Stop fighting. It''s about time to go warmup." He raised his voice for Coach and the team to hear. "Let''s show OLU the future league champions!"

    "YEA!" The team hollered out in unison once more, regaining some of the earlier energy.

    We grabbed our bags and moved them to the dugout, prepping them for warmups and the game. After grabbing our gloves, we followed Zeke to the outfield to jog and stretch. On the other side, OLU was already in the process of warming up, showing that they were just as serious as we are this morning.

 314 Game: VS OLU 2

    Warmups led by Zeke was always filled with the same high intensity as a practice. I was sweating even after taking off my sweatshirt before we took the field. We still had someone announced our names and positions as we took the field, but there were less cheers than normal. The only people that would come to an early baseball game on a Monday were the few parents that had a flexible schedule like the Atkins.

    I ran out to my position at second after having my name called, Noah followed. Both of his parents cheered and clapped, but not just for us, but for the whole team. For every name called on our side, they made sure no one was left out.

    "And representing Watsonville High on the mound, Theo Hisxon!" The announcer wrapped it up. All parents present started to clap as the game began.

    Theo received the sign from Kelvin, nodded with acceptance, then threw his first pitch of the game. It was a fastball in the zone. The batter didn''t hesitate to swing, making contact and sending it just over the middle to the outfield. Zeke sprinted in but only got to it after it bounced. He quickly fielded the ball and threw it to Noah as I covered second. The runner rounded first but stopped after seeing the ball get back so fast.

    Shoot. A single right off the bat. Literally. One pitch and already one hit given up.

    "Don''t mind." Noah yelled out for Theo to hear as he threw the ball to him. "Let''s get the next one."

    Theo gave a tense nod before turning his back on us.

    I look at Noah for reassurance.

    "It''s still early." He patted my head as he moved to the shortstop position and I went back to my own spot.

    Theo looked shaken as he faced the second batter. His pitches started to drift away from the batter and the strike zone. Only when he made it a 3-0 count did he try and find the zone again. Unfortunately, that''s what the batter was looking for. He swung his bat, quickly sending the ball in the opposite direction. My direction.

    It was a hard grounder slightly to my left but definitely out of reach for Brian. I made the decision to dive at the ball, making the stop. I grabbed the ball out of my glove, turned to second to see the runner almost there. I threw it as fast as I could from the dirt. It was off. Big time.

    I didn''t throw the ball high enough, making Noah to try and dig it out of the dirt. There goes the double play. Then, as I watched the ball pass under Noah''s glove, it continued to roll into the outfield. Both runners on first and second tried to advance.

    I hurriedly got up and ran to cover second base as Noah turned to chase the ball down. By the time he got the ball and turned, it was too late...the runners had advanced safely.

    My face burned as I heard the OLU dugout and bullpen cheer for their players. This one was on me. A double play had turned into runners on second and third with no outs.

    "Don''t mind, Jake, don''t mind." Noah was quick to comfort, but how could I not mind? I messed up.

    "You''re just rusty!" Jason came in as we moved to the mound to give Theo the ball. "We all are. A week off and then a cheap doubleheader against a team that isn''t good." He looked to Theo. "We''ll get the next one, yea?"

    Theo was pale in the face, hand shaking as he held the baseball. "Maybe I should sit? I''m not doing very well. The two strikes I''ve thrown have been hit for singles."

    "Isn''t it just one? The second was an error on me." I offered.

    "It''s only been five pitches." Brian joined our meeting on the mound. "Do you really want Dave to take over so soon? Just look at the bullpen; he''s already warming up, that asshat."

    Sure enough, Dave has just finished stretching and started to throw a few pitches off the fake mound.

    "Ten seconds." The umpire came from home plate to break up the meeting.

    "Everyone needs to get back to their spot." Kelvin spoke with authority as the only senior in the infield at the moment. "Stay calm. It''s only the first inning. What are all of you worried for? We haven''t even got our turn to bat yet. Are you trying to tell me that you don''t think the best player in the county will score or drive in a run?"

    All of us turned to look at Zeke in the outfield. He stood tall; with his hands on both hips, he looked intimidating even though he was far away.

    Noah clapped his glove a few times as he backed up to his spot. "Let''s go!"

    The rest of us followed along and went back to our appropriate positions. Theo faced Kelvin and the batter, while the runners started to step off their bags.

    Kelvin gave out the signs. I blinked, then rubbed my eye as if I was unsure of what I had seen. Kelvin had signed for a check throw to second after a high fastball. I didn''t have to learn very many signs so it threw me off, seeing one that I had recognized. I desperately wanted to look over at Noah, but I was afraid I would give it away so I stayed steady.

    Theo did a quick set up and motion, then threw his fastest to Kelvin. Kelvin was already crouching up, caught the ball, then threw a bullet to Noah, who was waiting at second base. He caught the ball just in time as the runner reacted. The runner tried to slide back, head first, but Noah got the tag on him.

    "Out!" The second base umpire called.

    The play wasn''t dead yet. Noah immediately threw back to home plate where Kelvin was covering. The runner on third had tried to go, but was quick to retreat safely back to third in order to not get tagged out as well.

    This time it was our dugouts turn to holler out and get rowdy. So what if you got a hit? We could still get you out.

    After such an emotional, and thrilling tag out, it was a let down to see Theo end up walking the third batter. He was still all over the place except the strike zone. With the cleanup hitter inning to bat, I was getting nervous.

    "Let him hit it!" Noah yelled the opposite of what I was thinking. "Bring it on!"

    Theo sent a glance back to Noah, then focused back on the batter. His first two pitches were outside, but they were getting closer to where they needed to be. Even though Kelvin was signing for the pitch, I knew it couldn''t be perfect. Otherwise, every high school pitcher would be drafted right away. Theo could only get it as close as he could with the proper pitch type and speed demanded of him.

    The third pitch was a called strike, making Theo relax his shoulders a little. The fourth pitch would also be in the strike zone if it wasn''t sent to shallow right field. I tried tracking back for it, but was quickly called off by Sean. Sean caught the fly ball for the second out, then quickly threw the ball at Kelvin at home plate. The runner on third once again rushed back to his base, no longer trying to tag up on the fly.

    "Two outs! One to go!" Sean held up two fingers, walking back to his spot.

    I heard some of the other guys on the field repeat it as I jogged back to my spot.

    The fifth batter of the inning was apparently ''swing-happy'' after seeing some of his teammates making good contact on the ball. So he came out swinging at anything close...and not so close. His third and final strike was him swinging at a curve low and away, practically in the dirt.

    "Strike out!" The home plate ump announced and conducted the motion.

    Time for us to be on the offensive. As a team, we rushed back to the dugout, eager to get some runs on the board. I wanted to score to cover up my throwing error. Noah wanted to score to give some comfort to Theo while he''s on the mound. Zeke wanted to score so we could win.

 315 Game: VS OLU 3

    Noah and I rushed to get our helmets on, grabbed our bats, then stepped out of the dugout. Almost all before Zeke got in from the outfield. Noah was probably just excited to bat while I was nervous to face Zeke. It was only a few days ago, we were bragging about our theoretical practice and now here I am, getting an error in the first inning of an important game.

    The pitcher for OLU was average height and average looks. His warmup pitches didn''t have me concerned. Just gotta get it to the outfield.

    Noah led us off, but his hitting struggles continued. Apparently yesterday''s cages session couldn''t improve his real life, real situation hitting. He struck out swinging, and was staring at his bat as he went back to the dugout, as if there were imaginary holes in it that he couldn''t see.

    I stepped into the lefty''s box out of habit now. Bat back, elbow up, steady posture. My eyes were trained on the pitcher as he went through his motion. As the pitch came, it almost felt like it was in slow motion for me. Just barely in the 70''s. I swung, making a solid connection with the ball, shooting it right over the middle...and right to the center fielder for a line out. Halfway to first, I let out a sigh and turned back. I picked up my dropped bat and went back to the dugout as well.

    "You''re too impatient." Coach shook his head at me as soon as I entered. "I get it. You messed up the throw earlier and wanted to prove yourself at the plate with something that you''re good at."

    I gave a nod. That''s exactly what I wanted to do.

    "You let your emotions leak too much into your play." Coach looked me in the eyes. "You have to be rational out there. Don''t let outside forces influence what you''re meant to do. We''ve talked about this before, haven''t we?"

    I nodded, feeling a little bit guilty. "I''m good at making the pitcher work."

    Coach pointed to the guy on the mound. "With your one-pitch-at-bat, do you think that kid is sweating over it?"

    I hung my head with shame.

    A heavy hand patted my shoulder. "I''m not trying to make you feel bad. Just using this as a coaching moment. I don''t care that you got out. It happens to everyone. My job is to challenge you. And I want you to challenge yourself. How many pitches do you think you can make him throw? Five? Ten? Even more?"

    I looked up, feeling better but also a little worried. "I was told not to make them throw too many lest I get hit."

    "You can''t be afraid in the box. No matter what. It''ll only make you shy away from the game. If you''re worried about getting hurt, then your mind isn''t on winning."

    "Coach! Are you telling Jake to take one for the team?!" Noah appeared beside me, looking upset.

    "No. I''m telling him to be smart. Know when to press on, and when to try and get a hit. Take a walk if you want. Only using up one pitch to get out isn''t going to help the team any. Even if that was a hit, I''d be upset with you not making the pitcher work a little more."

    Sudden hollering from the dugout made us look to the field to see what had happened. The baseball was in the dirt near Mahki''s feet; he was rubbing his butt.

    Noah laughed. "Took a pitch to the butt? That''s the way to go!" He nudged me. "If you have to take a hit, definitely try and get it to hit the fattest part of you."

    I fought back a laugh. I don''t think it''s funny that he got hit...just funny where he got hit. Mahki jogged to first and shared some words with Coach Luis, probably saying that he was okay. Hopefully. He stayed on first and Zeke stepped up to bat.

    Coach sent us away and put his focus back on the game. I went back to my bag to put away my helmet and bat, and Noah followed.

    "Don''t listen to Coach, that was a good swing. It was just unlucky that it went straight to the center fielder." Noah tried to console me.

    I let out a smile and repeated what he had said. "Don''t listen to Coach?"

    Noah looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before replying. "If he gets mad, just say ''sorry, my bad.'' Coach isn''t as tough as you think. As long as we win in the end, will it matter how it happened?"

    I shrugged. I guess so.

    We both watched on as Zeke did what I should have done at the plate: make the pitcher work. His total pitch count had easily reached 20 in the first inning alone. It could have been more if I was thinking.

    Sadly, with one on and two outs, Zeke couldn''t get anything going. He sent a hard grounder between second and first, but the second baseman made an amazing grab and threw him out at first.

    "I should have done that." I mumbled.

    "Nah. You made the right decision to go for the double play." Noah patted my shoulder as we headed out. "Like Kelvin said, it''s still early."

    We parted ways and went to our respective positions in order to start the second inning. Theo faced off with the sixth batter in the lineup, conceding another single after a drawn out battle. The other at bats looked to go the same way, but Theo was able to get them out with a little help.

    Batter number seven hit a hard, long fly to center, but Zeke was able to track it down for the first out. The runner advanced to second on the tag, but couldn''t go any further after that. Batter eight had tried to bunt, yet it went right to Theo for the second out. Brian was good at keeping an eye on the runner just in case he needed to throw to third too. The pitcher, who bat ninth like most, was easily struck out by Theo, giving him something to smile at as we went back to the dugout.

    Bottom of the second, we had a hot start with a lead off walk by Brian, followed by a single from Jason. The momentum died with Sean hitting into a 4-6-3 double play. Seeing their second baseman make great plays in each inning so far made me want to practice a little harder. Just to be prepared like him. I wouldn''t be such an embarrassment to my team, Noah, and the Atkins.

    The inning ended with Kelvin striking out, leaving Brian stranded on third.

    As we started the third inning, Theo looked more comfortable on the mound. He faced the top of the lineup once again, but with a little more confidence. The leadoff batter hit a hard grounder to Noah at short, but Noah was smooth and efficient in the fielding, practically making me look like a little leaguer.

    Theo got the second batter to strikeout, looking. And the third batter went down swinging. Three up, three down. Theo was practically bouncing back to the dugout, happy with his performance.

 316 Game: VS OLU 4

    The bottom of the third would start off with Theo, Noah, and me. If I thought Theo''s good pitching in the top of the third would translate to good hitting in the bottom of the inning, then I was completely mistaken. Theo had an ugly swing, but it made sense now that I think about it. As a sophomore who made the varsity team as a pitcher, that''s probably where all of his attention and focus went to. He struck out swinging in three pitches.

    Noah was only slightly better by making contact and hitting a grounder into play. It went straight to the first baseman though, who only had to scoop it up and tag first go an unassisted play.

    Two outs, and I''m up with the bases empty. Like Coach had talked about, I needed to make the pitcher work. Only Zeke had made him throw more than seven pitches while everyone else did less. I stepped into the batter''s box with my mind made up.

    I worked myself up to a full count, and fouled the rest of them off. Even a call that would be ''ball four'' was fouled down the line. As the pitcher got to double digits just facing me alone, I could hear his team behind him. They shouted out words of encouragement, trying to keep him spirited.

    Unlike some aggressive pitcher, he never aimed for me and stuck with the strike zone. Finally he threw a ball that bounced before home plate, letting me earn that walk. I liked swinging and getting a hit, but it felt good to see the pitcher wipe away some sweat as I jogged to first.

    The pitcher must have been at least a little fatigued by now, and started to show some sloppiness in his form. Mahki was able to send one to the outfield, pushing me to second while he safely reached first. I thought about making a run to third, but I know my limits, I''m not as fast as Noah and some other guys on the team. Plus, Zeke was up.

    Zeke stepped up and looked comfortable in the righty''s box. Anything close and he would swing. That''s the pressure he gave off. The pitcher seemed to think so as well, starting off with a couple of balls to the outside, making the count 2-0. The pitcher tried one inside, but Zeke was apparently looking for it. He took a giant step forward and with the swing of his bat, he sent the ball flying.

    With two outs, I was instructed to run on any contact with the ball. So I didn''t bother to turn and look. I just took off sprinting, tagging third and going home. That''s where I saw the home plate umpire waving his finger in the air in a circular motion. It was a home run!

    I tagged home for the first run of the game and turned to wait for the other two. Mahki wasn''t far behind me. He tagged home plate then waited beside me after we shared a high five.

    As soon as Zeke tagged home, we pounced on him, slapping his shoulder and back. Zeke grinned down at me and patted my helmet. "You did well."

    "You too!" I smiled back at him.

    The three of us went back to the dugout together, where we were bombarded with cheers and slaps of happiness from our teammates. I maneuvered through everybody and got back to my bag.

    "He crushed that one!" Noah said excitedly as he came back from the crowd. "You probably didn''t see it as you ran, but it went well over the center field fence. That''s gotta be his furthest one yet!" I realized that Noah took pride in everything Zeke did. But if I had a brother like him, I would too.

    The inning quickly ended after that last spurt of action. Brian was the last out: sending a high, but short, fly ball to left field.

    Top of the fourth. Theo continued to stay on the mound. At first that didn''t look like a good idea to me after he allowed a double to the cleanup hitter. But after that, he had smooth sailing. Batter five hit a pop up just foul of the third base line, which was an easy catch for Jason, and an easy out for the team. Batter six hit a routine grounder to Noah at short, which was great since the runner didn''t dare to try and advance. Batter seven ended the inning with a groundout to Jason at third.

    Oddly, the bottom of the fourth went the same way. Jason led us off with a double, but then the rest of offense died. Sean struck out looking. Kelvin grounded out to second, also unable to advance our runner to third. But that didn''t matter because Chris, who pinched hit for Theo, had hit a fly ball right to the center fielder to end the fourth.

    Coach didn''t keep Chris in the game after that. He just used him for hitting before giving that position in the lineup to a new pitcher. Dave.

    Dave showed the meaning of a ''dominant performance'' in the top of the fifth. Batter eight and nine had both struck out looking. The top of the lineup wasn''t any better...he struck out looking. A clean inning for Dave! A perfect inning!

    Dave strutted back to the dugout with his head held high. No doubt he could hear his parents cheer from the stands. Then he was complimented while everyone got back to the dugout.

    "That was great!"

    "Crazy!"

    "When did you get so good?"

    "I was always this good." Dave snorted, and started to flex his pitching arm. "I just can''t hold myself back anymore."

    Garret laughed. "It was against the bottom of the lineup. I''m not impressed. I could do the same thing if I was brought in to pitch only one inning."

    Dave glared at him. "Who said I was only pitching one inning?"

    "I did." Coach slapped his left shoulder. "Good work. Cool down properly. I don''t want that arm to crumble before the end of the season."

    Dave pouted while rubbing his shoulder. "That Burt Coach. Both inside and out. Why can''t I continue? I thought I came in to finish it."

    "I''m giving the rest of the guys a chance to get some game experience." His eyes narrowed. "And I heard you and Kyle had pitched quite a lot yesterday."

    Dave expressed a look of guilt before shooting a glare at Zeke. "You snitched?"

    Zeke didn''t look bothered. "I told you guys to stop throwing so hard. You knew we had a game today."

    Coach clapped his hands before Dave could start to quarrel. "Enough. We''re still playing a game here. Noah, Jake, and Mahki, you three should already be prepared for your at-bats. Get helmets on and move. Everyone else needs to watch the game and stop the chitchatting."

    Everyone started to move, afraid of ticking off Coach. We still had to perform well enough to not have practice this afternoon.

    Noah was the quickest, grabbing his stuff and running out. I also exchanged my hat for a helmet and my glove for my bat. I moved to the on deck circle, watching Noah''s at-bat.

 317 Game: VS OLU 5

    Noah was extremely focused on the pitcher. I wouldn''t say that it was a good thing though. If it''s his sole focus, he won''t do well like how I didn''t do well just focusing on getting a hit. His stance looked tight like he was too wound up. It was almost similar to his last at bat, with him not adjusting his stance. I couldn''t find the words to say or figure out how to say them.

    I also lacked time. Noah swing haphazardly, easily earning two strikes. On the third pitch, he made a lucky connection, only to hit a line drive right to the first baseman. I had no words of comfort as he hung his head and shuffled his feet, going back to the dugout. He''s been in a slump, but besides going to the cages for practice, what else can I do?

    I sighed to myself and moved to the batter''s box. The pitcher by this point was drenched in sweat in the cool morning. Just looking at him made me feel tired. I know I should make him work, but...he already looks worn out. I let him push me to a full count before hitting a single to left field.

    As I stood on first, proud for showing some mercy to the kid on the mound, I made eye contact with Zeke in the on deck circle. He tilted his head and I quickly dropped the smile. Sometimes it was like Zeke was a psychic and knew what I was thinking. He''s like that with the twins and Noah too.

    As I led off first base, preparing for a run just in case, I heard Coach Luis yell, "Back!"

    Without thinking about it, I dove on first base, practically hugging the bag. Soon a pat on my back with the first baseman''s glove let me know it really was a check throw.

    "Safe." The umpire stated.

    I peeked up and saw the first baseman throw the ball back to the pitcher. Then I slowly got up and dusted the dirt off. I went easy on him and this is how he repays me? Making me dive in the dirt? Rude. My lead off first base became shorter just in case he wanted to throw back again.

    He didn''t. He put his focus on the batter, Mahki. Mahki let a couple pass by for balls before swinging and connecting. He ripped one right to the shortstop and I took off sprinting.

    The shortstop was smooth fielding the ball on a hop, then tossing it to his second baseman before I reached second. The second baseman then threw perfectly to the first baseman to complete the double play to end the fifth inning. Darn it.

    I should have fouled every pitch till they pulled him and put somebody else in. Granted, another pitcher could probably still get the same result.

    As we switched to defense, Coach came out and put Kyle in for the new pitcher. Kyle was just as efficient as Dave, but not nearly as impressive. The second batter in the lineup grounded out to Jason at third. The third batter hit a line drive to Mahki in left field. And the cleanup hitter smacked one to the outfield fence, but Zeke was able to catch it at the warning track.

    Bottom of the sixth started with batters four, five, and six. Zeke was first up and first out, after hitting a high fly to center field. He steals a home run from the other team and gets one stolen. Such is life. Brian has also hit a fly ball to center field but it didn''t have the distance. The center fielder sprinted in to catch the second out. Jason, who was 2-2 on the day and was looking sharp, ended the inning by striking out. Looking. The umpire was too generous to the pitcher if you ask me.

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    Top of the seventh brought about new pitching. Coach made Kyle sit just like he had with Dave, and then put James in. The junk thrower. Someone who didn''t rely on fastballs like the twins. He would start with batters five, six, and seven.

    The fifth batter was a righty, and stood and the very back of the box. I stand near the back too, but not on the line like him. It was like he wanted to be the furthest he could possibly get from James. I shared a questioning look with Noah but all he could do was shrug.

    We soon found out what the other guy was trying to do. James threw a pitch, the batter had a delayed swing and just as it was about to get past home plate with kelvin reaching with his glove, the bat grazed the glove and whiffed the pitch. The ump called the play dead and pointed at first. Before I could even realize what was going on, the batter dropped his bat and headed to first while Kelvin popped out of his squat to speak with the ump.

    Even Coach came out of the dugout to share some words.

    I glanced over to Noah again and saw that he was walking my way, so I met him by the second base bag.

    "What was that?" I asked, still feeling new to the game. I didn''t know all the rules, but could a batter hit Kelvin''s glove like that?

    "Catcher interference." Noah sighed and kicked the dirt. "Basically, an error on Kelvin. The umpire thinks he extended his glove too close over the plate."

    "Wasn''t it the batter''s fault though?" I glanced at first to see him beside Brian.

    Noah shook his head. "He was still in the box. It was a slow swing but still a valid swing. If Kelvin didn''t reach out so much, he probably wouldn''t have had the chance to make contact."

    "So he did it on purpose?" I frowned. "That doesn''t sound fair."

    Noah nodded his head to home plate where Coach and Kelvin were both still speaking with the ump. "They think so. I think so. It was odd as soon as he got in the batter''s box. He didn''t set up that way in his last at bat. But he took a gamble and it looks to have paid off. The ump believes him and that''s the only thing that matters."

    We both sighed in unison. Not a good start to the last inning of the game.

    Coach couldn''t change the umpire''s mind and had to go back to the dugout. Kelvin settled down as well and got back into position for the game to resume.

    Batter six stepped up, and James performed nicely, not letting Kelvin''s error get to him. He got the batter to strikeout swinging for the first out. It didn''t mean the end of his troubles though. Batter seven hit a bloop single over my head, allowing the runner from first advance to second safely.

    Runners on first and second with only one out. A double play would be nice. Sadly, you can''t always get what you want. Batter eight smacked a clean line drive just between Mahki and Zeke in the outfield. The runner on second was abled to score, but Zeke was great at getting the ball in and we were abled to hold the other runners at third and second. Score: 3-1.

    Batter nine, who has two strikeouts on the day stepped up. No repeat performance from him as he connected with a curve and sent a grounder to third. Unfortunately the runners had already planned to go on contact so Jason was unable to try for a double play. He took the safe route, getting the batter out at first and allowed another run to score. 3-2.

    The leadoff batter stepped up with the tying run on third. My heart started to pound, threatening to pop out of my chest. Meanwhile, James was unbothered with things that weren''t the batter. He continued to throw a mix of curves and sliders before getting the batter to hit a grounder towards Jason as well. Jason easily fielded it and got him out at first, not allowing the run to score.

    "Another win!" Noah threw his arms around my shoulder as the rest of our team joined us on the field for high fives and to shake hands with the other team.

    I nodded, but didn''t feel happy when I saw Coach''s facial expression. "Coach doesn''t look as happy as you...does that mean we''re going to have practice after lunch?"

    "Eh?" Noah looked to where I was looking. "No matter. It''s just some more baseball. I''m okay with it." He beamed.

    I wasn''t on the same page as him. Or he wasn''t on the same page with me. I like baseball too, but I prefer the cages. Practice time will ruin going to the cages or working on my own fielding. If anything, I''m scared that Zeke will make me run for that error at the beginning of the game. I couldn''t sigh enough times to release my depression so I kept them to myself.

 318 Weight Room

    After the game, Coach asked us to meet up in the clubhouse. We all sat around, taking cleats off when he walked in with a frown upon his face. "Not bad, boys. But also, not so good. I won''t force a practice this afternoon. Instead, we''ll hit the gym."

    Hit the what? What does that mean? I looked around and saw some of the guys looking relieved and others looked indifferent. Only Noah was upset.

    Coach gave instructions to meet in the gym at 3pm and to tell our parents we''ll be done by 5pm.

    Noah looked even more distressed.

    After Coach left, I poked him. "What did he mean by gym? The one where we have Health class?"

    Noah shook his head. "No, he means the weight room. We''ll be lifting and working out this afternoon." He looked up at me with a sad expression. "That means no more baseball today. By the time we go home, shower, eat lunch, there won''t be enough time to do anything before lifting. Then afterwards it''ll be showers again, dinner, and afterwards, there''s no way Mom and Dad will let us go to the cages or play at the park."

    I patted his shoulder. "We still have practice tomorrow." I was satisfied with weight lifting. It couldn''t be worse than running laps or something.

    "Don''t look so pleased." Noah laughed. "You weren''t with the team in the fall so you don''t know how bad it''s going to be. I''ll put you in my prayers."

    My jaw dropped. "What? Why! Is it hard?"

    "Have you met Zeke?" Noah joked, then patted my shoulder. "Good luck trying to swing a bat tomorrow. Or run. Or move. Or just exist."

    "...are you joking?" I asked, hoping that he was.

    Noah finished packing up his bag. "Let''s just say, I couldn''t even get out of bed after my first day in the weight room. And that was with all the baseball players, not just the varsity team so you know they went easy on me."

    The corner of my eye twitched. That doesn''t sound good.

    True to Noah''s prediction of the day, we went home and showered as Mrs. Atkins prepared an early lunch. We stuffed our faces...okay, I stuffed my face, then I took a nap. The twins went to the backyard and I''m not sure what Noah and Zeke did as I slept. But Noah was there to wake me to get ready for lifting.

    Once we got to school, Zeke threw me a curve by parking in the upper lot near the gymnasium. I followed the four brothers as they walked to a building off to the side and almost unnoticeable except for the fact that we were walking to it. Zeke opened the door and waved the rest of us in just as other guys from the team started to show up.

    Walking in, I was surprised to see the whole room to be fully furnished like a real weightlifting gym. They had all the stations to work on biceps, triceps, quads, hamstrings, and so on.

    I looked to Noah, about to ask him how and where do we start, but the words got caught in my mouth. Noah was shifting from foot to foot, looking like he was on edge. He raised his eyebrows up and down at me, like he was trying to send a signal. Unfortunately, I didn''t receive it. I just stared at him, bewildered at the faces he was making at me.

    "What are you two doing...?" Dave asked, with Kyle next to him.

    "It''s like this...Jake is too shy to ask for help. He''s embarrassed that he doesn''t know how to work any of these machines. And I don''t think it''s appropriate if I help him since we''re both freshmen." Noah explained. Yet...I was even more confused. What''s happening? "And since there''s going to be an odd number of players when pairing up, we want to be the group of three. That way we have an upperclassman to help us."

    The more he spoke, the more lost I felt.

    Dave grinned at us. "Say no more, I''ll guide you two."

    A flash of disproval crossed Noah''s face but it didn''t last. He pasted a smile on while focusing on Kyle. "Oh. Is Kyle not knowledgeable at lifting?"

    "What!" Kyle joined in. "Says who?" He elbowed Dave away. "I''m the one who actually took weightlifting as a class. You brats would be safer with me."

    Dave glared at his twin. "But-"

    "Cool! Thanks Kyle!" Noah cut Dave off. He pushed Kyle to one corner of the room. "Let''s start with arms."

    I still didn''t know what was going on, but I chose to follow Noah as he guided Kyle away from Dave. I didn''t dare glance back at Dave or speak up to Kyle. Obviously Noah has some kind of plan and I don''t want to screw it up.

    The coaches soon arrived and told us to come to them with any questions or concerns. They supervised from one end of the room, sharing a conversation among themselves.

    Kyle took the lead and started to instruct us on what to do and how to do it. I have to say, he was right, he knew a lot about lifting weights. That didn''t stop him from making fun of us though as we moved from machine to machine. He had a lot to say about how weak our muscles are and how he had to double the weight when it was his turn.

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    I could see Noah holding back, trying not to start a fight. After half the time had passed, we found ourselves in a corner, doing wall squats. Noah looked around and saw that we were a little secluded from others, then nodded.

    "So, Kyle...What was with Dad getting you guys such an early birthday gift? Do you think he''ll do the same for me?"

    "Nah, probably not." Kyle answered honestly.

    Noah''s eyes narrowed. "Why not?"

    "You-" Kyle stopped. "Uh, I don''t know actually. Maybe he will. Dave said he wants to give us the chance to improve our pitching during the season."

    "But I can''t improve my batting? Or get something to help my fielding?"

    Kyle stood up out of the squat. "Uh, I really don''t know. You can ask Dad when we get home or something."

    "I just think it''s funny that you and Dave convince us to go to a party and break the rules, yet you''re the ones to get a gift." Noah pointed out. I finally figured out that he was trying to find out what they were all hiding. "So? Is it because you blamed us or something? Or do you have blackmail on Mom and Dad?"

    Kyle frowned and his lips thinned into a grimace. "Neither, okay? If you want to know so bad, just ask them."

    "So there is something that you''re hiding!" Noah had an ''a-ha'' moment, like there was a crack in the case. Except, there wasn''t. We already knew they were hiding something. If anything, they know that we know that they''re hiding something.

    Kyle glanced at me. Then straighten up and started to look around. "Hey, why don''t I switch with Dave or Zeke. You two have probably have had enough of me. Laters." He briskly walked away.

    "Darn it." Noah watched his brother''s back. "We almost had him."

    I raised an eyebrow. "When? All you did was let him know that we were suspicious of something going on."

    Noah looked at me and snorted. "What do you know? What I did, was scare him."

    "Yea, scared him off." I cracked a smile, remembering how quick Kyle was to escape.

    Noah laughed too. "Yea, but now he''ll start to slip up more. At some point, he''ll want to tell Dave and Zeke that we know something''s up. Or maybe even tell Mom and Dad. So what we''ve gotta do now, is stick to him like glue. He''ll either crumble and tell us, or we''ll get to overhear him tell them. One or the other."

    "Doesn''t that mean we should be following him right now?" I asked, pointing at Kyle who was waiting while Zeke was doing a bench press.

    Noah nodded. "Let''s go. Even if he doesn''t want to lift with us, we''ll stick close to him." Noah swiftly cut across the room to stand near Kyle. I tagged along, also eager to see if Noah''s predictions would happen.

 319 Super Sore

    We stuck near Kyle throughout lifting, dinner, and so on. Even when it was time for showers, we took shifts waiting, keeping an eye on Zeke and Dave, making sure Kyle didn''t have the chance to talk to either of them alone.

    A problem came up as we got ready for bed...how were we supposed to follow him when we have our own room to sleep in? We tried keeping Kyle up in the living room, hoping that Dave and Zeke would fall asleep before us, but it was no use. Mrs. Atkins ordered everyone to get to bed before 11pm.

    "But it''s spring break!" Noah puffed out his lower lip to pout.

    "You still have practice tomorrow morning." She reminded him.

    "I''ll take a nap after lunch!" He argued.

    "Then you won''t be able to go to the cages in the afternoon." Mr. Atkins smiled. "Okay, that''s enough of you. Get to bed. Zeke said your practice is at 9am?"

    Noah nodded weakly and up we went, back to our own room to sleep. "Dang. I really thought this would be our chance."

    I yawned. "Yea, but now we get to go to the cages after lunch."

    "Do you think that was a trick to distract us? Do they know that we know that they''re hiding something?"

    I flipped in my bed, lying on my stomach. "Who knows. I''m too tired." I mumbled. We had a game and weightlifting today...my body was exhausted.

    The next morning, Noah woke me up and tried to pull me out of bed. I immediately started to cry. Not because I didn''t want to get out of bed, but because I couldn''t. Every part of my body was screaming at me to not move.

    "Jake??" Noah froze and just held me in place. "What''s wrong?"

    "Everything hurts." I groaned.

    "Oh." Noah resumes his tugging. "You''re fine. I hurt too after the first time I ever lifted. Come on. Get up. Let''s go. We need to make a move on Kyle."

    "Nooo." I pulled myself back into bed and curled into a ball. "I refuse."

    "You know...we still have practice."

    "Not going."

    "You can''t just skip practice."

    "Sick day." I mumbled, letting my eyes close and my muscles go back into a relaxed position.

    I heard Noah run out and soon came back with extra footsteps behind him. "Look! He''s dying!"

    "Stop joking like that." Mrs. Atkins scolded. She moved closer to the bed. "Jake? Honey? Are you okay?"

    "No." I gave a crystal clear reply, hoping they would all go away. My body hurts like it was stretched out, washed, then tossed in the dryer. It was similar to how I felt during rehab.

    "Should we go to a hospital? Take him to a doctor?" Mrs. Atkins sounded worried.

    "Hold on." Mr. Atkins said. "Jake? Is it painful or sore? You know what the difference is right? Does it hurt or is it an injury?"

    "Just...super sore." I grumbled. "Everything hurts. My neck, all the way down to my feet."

    "Okay, I''ll call your coach first to see what we should do. Maybe he''ll want you to stay at home and rest."

    Ah. That would be great.

    It sounded like he left the room to make the call. Mrs. Atkins was questioning Noah on what we did in the gym yesterday and why he had pushed me so hard.

    "I didn''t mom, I swear." Noah stated. "We even had Kyle with us to make sure he was learning properly. But, it was Jake''s first time. Maybe we went overboard, getting him to try everything."

    Maybe? Definitely. I didn''t even want to clench a fist because all my forearm muscles would hurt. This can''t be okay.

    Mr. Atkins soon came back. "Okay Jake, I spoke with Coach. He suggested I put you in an ice bath before you go to practice."

    "I don''t want to go anywhere." I forced out.

    "Don''t say that Jake! It''s baseball!" Noah exclaimed.

    "Trust me, the ice bath will help." Mr. Atkins explained. "Then, at practice, the coach said he would ask Drew to come by."

    I groaned some more. What part of not practicing did they not understand? Drew would just make things harder.

    "Don''t forget that Drew is an athletic trainer. He''ll know how to give you a massage and how to help with the soreness." Mr. Atkins started to pull the comforter off of me. "Let''s go. Noah, have your brothers bring up some bags of ice so we can fill the tub."

    "Okay!" Noah took off.

    Mr. Atkins lifted me up and let my feet dangle so I could stand on my own two feet. "I''ll leave you to change into something lightweight so you can wear it in the tub." He let go of me and then him and his wife left the room, closing the door behind them.

    At this point, I was wide awake and already forced to move. I couldn''t go on fighting with them so I did what was suggested and found some clothes to wear in the ice bath. Then I took extremely small steps towards the bathroom. I shuffled my feet all the way there, finding the whole household filling the little bit of space.

    "Make some room boys." Mr. Atkins told his kids.

    "Why don''t the rest of us go finish breakfast?" Mrs. Atkins suggested to the four boys. "We''ll give Jake some alone time to wake up and to feel refreshed." She smiled at me. "I''ll pack you a breakfast to-go." She then ushered all four of them out before they could protest or anything, leaving me alone with Mr. Atkins.

    Mr. Atkins finished filling up the tub with cold water, then started to fill it up with all the ice the boys brought up from the freezer. "That should do it. Go ahead and get in. I''ll time you."

    I nodded and took a deep breath before placing a foot in. Hsss. So cold. So freakin cold. I forced the other heavy leg in, then slowly lowered my whole body in.

    "There you go." Mr. Atkins smiled as the only part that remained dry was my head. "Keep like that for a few minutes and you''ll feel as good as new."

    My lips twitched. "I highly doubt it."

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    Mr. Atkins looked surprise before letting out a light laugh. "Yea? We''ll see. Coach won''t make you do anything too difficult today."

    "Will the team look down on me if I sit out?" I asked. "I don''t mean to be a baby, but my body really hurts."

    He waved his hand back and forth. "Some might be just as sore as you. Everyone, at one point or another, will need a day of rest for their body. That''s just as important as practicing."

    I shrugged my shoulders under the ice-cold water, but regretted the sting. Ohh. Stop moving, dummy.

    With such a rare moment alone with Mr. Atkins, I thought about the witch hunt Noah and I were conducting. He knew I would be upset about something and hid it away. He didn''t want the other boys to say anything either. Plus, they didn''t tell Noah.

    "Will we see Dr. Moore this week?" I asked, hoping that the answer was yes.

    "Do you want to? Do you need to?"

    I couldn''t tell the difference when it came to Dr. Moore. I just went. I gave a firm nod. "I feel better after seeing him."

    Mr. Atkins looked happy to hear that. "Great. Good. I''ll make sure we can get an appointment either tonight or tomorrow."

    "Tomorrow." I pushed it off. My body was already beat up. I didn''t want to beat up my brain just yet.

    "Sure, sure. Just me and you? Just you? Do you want to try going with Mary?" He asked eagerly.

    "Me, you, and Noah." I decided. If I was going to use Dr. Moore to get answers, then I might as well invite my partner in crime. And, Noah was better at deflecting than I could ever be.

    Mr. Atkins didn''t find it weird or suspicious that Noah would be joining in. He just nodded along, oddly excited. "I''ll make the call after you boys get going." A noise came from his cellphone. He checked it. "Time''s up! You should come out now." He pulled a towel off the rack and held it out for me as I forced myself up and out. He wrapped the towel around my shoulders as I shivered. "Dry off properly and change into some warm athletic clothes. You won''t have to play baseball, but you''ll be stretching and might still work up a sweat."

    I nodded at his instructions.

 320 Need to Know 1

    I dried off and got ready for practice. I did feel slightly better and more refreshed. It still hurt to move but livable. My movements were stiff and slow as I joined everyone downstairs.

    Mrs. Atkins handed me a plastic container filled with fruits, a bagel, scrambled eggs, and some slices of toast. "Eat in the car and be sure to finish it." She hurried all of us to the car and waved as Zeke pulled the car out of the driveway.

    I ate on the way to school and was still finishing as Zeke parked by the field. The twins were quick to grab their bags and head to the fields.

    Noah pulled his bag and mine out of the trunk, while watching them take off. "In a hurry? Suspicious."

    "It''s because we''re late." Zeke joined us by the trunk, grabbing his bag out too. "You best hurry as well. Who knows how many laps Coach will give you."

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    Noah''s eyes widen. He twisted his head to check the watch on Zeke''s wrist. "Oh, crud!" He looked at me. "We''ve gotta run too."

    I didn''t even have the strength to shake my head. "No thanks."

    "Jake." Noah gave me a stern look.

    I looked up at Zeke. "Will I have to do the laps today or can I make them up tomorrow when I feel better?"

    Zeke''s lips twitched to fight off a smile. "You can make them up tomorrow. No need to push yourself and actually get injured." He looked down at Noah. "But, you''re fine. So no making up for you."

    Noah pouted. "You''ll be okay, right?" He checked with me, while giving the side eye to his brother.

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "Of course he''ll be fine. Go. Now."

    "What about you?" Noah asked, squinting.

    Zeke lifted my bag. "I''ll carry Jake''s bag and drop him off with Drew. And, I''m the captain. I''m never late. By the time I get there, you better have your cleats on and be on that line with the team."

    Noah looked to me and I gave a nod to show that I was okay. It was just a short walk with Zeke. After a month of being around him and his stoic expression, I was used to him. Not completely comfortable, but not exactly uncomfortable. Noah turned on his heel and took off for the field.

    "He''s like a mother hen." Zeke said under his breath before tightening his grip on our bags and started to walk to the field as well. He kept a slow pace so we could walk side by side.

    "Noah''s not like a mom." I frowned. I would say Noah''s more like a protective older brother that I never had. Or maybe used to have.

    "I just meant that he takes care of you in a weird way like you''re a child. Even though he''s a child." Zeke explained.

    "Do most older brothers see their younger sibling as a child?" I asked.

    Zeke let a moment of silence go by as he thought about his answer. "Maybe. At least for now. And for me. Noah is only a freshman. He still has three years of high school to do before he catches up to me."

    I looked up even though my stiff neck made it difficult. "But he''ll never really catch up. By the time he''s a senior in high school like you, you would be in college."

    Zeke chuckled. "Perks of being older I guess." He glanced at me. "Another perk, is knowing more than you kids."

    Ok? I didn''t know what to say that. Was that a humble-brag? Or just a statement of fact?

    "So if there''s anything you want to ask, go ahead." He continued as if he suggested that I had something to ask him.

    It took me almost the whole walk down to the field to realize what he was saying. We stopped at the gate just a few yards from the dugout. I fumbled to find the way to phrase my question before settling on: "Did Kyle tell you?"

    "Did Kyle tell me what?" He raised an eyebrow.

    I swallowed a little harder than normal. "That Noah and I were bugging him?"

    "Not necessarily ''bugging'' him." Zeke answered. "But if there''s something you want to ask him, then why not ask me? I''m older. Perhaps I know more."

    I started to feel shy at the undivided attention. I kicked at the grass. "It''s just-Noah and I-we think-" Zeke waited patiently as I tried to find the words. "We heard that-um, are you guys hiding anything from us?" I held my breath.

    "Yes, quite a bit actually."

    My jaw dropped and I looked him in the eyes. "Why?"

    "Lots of reasons. ''You don''t need to know''. ''It doesn''t pertain to you''. ''It''s irrelevant.''"

    "But it does pertain to me..." I mumbled, holding eye contact. "You guys are worried that I''ll get upset."

    Zeke''s corner of his mouth lifted. "You? Upset? That could be a lot of things. Like Mother''s Day in May...we could be planning a few months early and there''s no reason to upset you with the action of honoring moms. Or, maybe it''s something we want to plan like a social gathering. You wouldn''t be okay with surprise parties, would you?"

    I shook my head. Definitely not. No surprises. And no parties. Too many people. I tilted my head at him. "Is that really it?"

    Zeke hesitated. Then he surprised me by taking a knee so he had to look up to me. I''ve never been so close to his face before. "Jake, there''s something that Mom did without telling you. Do you want to know?"

    Is this a trick question? "Do you think I should know?"

    Zeke nodded. He then glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then he looked me in the eyes. "Mom went looking for your father when we were in Southern California."

    I froze. I felt cold all over from my body to my brain. What. What? What did he say? They looked for my dad? Back home?

 321 Need to know 2

    Zeke, who was eye-level with me, stared at me, waiting for I don''t know what. I felt so many different feelings, but had no way to express them all. My face was paralyzed but my heart was racing. I swallowed down all the questions like, ''why would she do that?'', ''do you guys not want me around anymore?'', and ''was this planned or spontaneous?''

    I settled for one that I felt was most important. "Did you find him?"

    Zeke didn''t give away any hints. "Do you want them to find him?"

    I shook my head. No way. Not even a little. He didn''t come back for me once in the last ten years. "I don''t understand why you guys would look for him? Weren''t you supposed to be visiting colleges?"

    Zeke gave a crooked smile and patted my head. "It isn''t such a big deal like you think it is. I didn''t look at all. Mom even kept it from me for a few days. She only looked with her limited free time." He took his hand back. "She didn''t find him. In fact, I don''t think she has a big desire to either."

    I let out a sigh of relief. But..."Then why would she look for him?"

    "Maybe your social worker or therapist asked her to." He started to stand up. "Don''t feel so worried about the ''why''. It''s what adults do. It''s only natural for them to want to find your dad. Just because they find him, doesn''t mean he''ll suddenly get custody of you. There''s a process." He stretched his legs. "There''s also the possibility of him not wanting you either. Will you be able to handle that?"

    "I would prefer that." I stated honestly. He looked at me funny. I put my hands together and clenched one another. "He already made it obvious that he doesn''t want me. He''s been gone for ten years." And...he took my brother, but left me. "If he really wanted me, he wouldn''t have left me. Or maybe he would have at least come back." I looked out to the field where everyone had already started warmups. "I like being with you guys. You''re all nice in your own way. And your parents are something out of a movie."

    Zeke smiled with a warm expression. "Mom and Dad are pretty great." He looked down at me. "So you''d be okay to forsake your own family for mine?"

    Forsake? That''s a pretty strong word. Yet.. "Haven''t I already been forsaken?"

    Zeke''s smile became pretty weak. "Jake...I..." He stopped. For the first time since I''ve known the Atkins, Zeke was speechless. A flash of an emotion crossed his face, but quickly disappeared before I could figure out what it was. "Jake, I don''t know everything about how you grew up, but I want you to know, it won''t be the same with us."

    I laughed a little, feeling slightly awkward. "I know. I like it here. It''s a million times better than how it was."

    Zeke nodded, looking satisfied. He patted my shoulder and then nodded towards the field. "We''re late. Any other questions you want to ask?"

    I shook my head. What questions I had leftover could be saved for Dr. Moore and Mr. Atkins. Like why they want to find my dad? I''m obviously abandoned by this point. My mom has been locked up for more than half a year, and he never appeared. A decade of no communication...I think it''s safe to say he''s a lost cause. Or he thinks I''m the lost cause.

    "Let''s get going." Zeke pulled me from my thoughts. He waved me on and led me to the dugout, where Drew was waiting, talking with Coach. "Here''s Jake. I''m going to go join the guys." He set our bags down, grabbed his glove, and quickly changed into cleats. He joined the rest of the team in the outfield.

    "Jake, come." Drew patted the bench. "Take a seat and lets go over what''s going on with you right now."

    I sat down.

    "I''ll leave him with you then." Coach nodded. He faced me. "If you were hurting yesterday, you should have spoken up. Don''t keep it to yourself. I''ll be in charge of whether you should push through or not."

    "It didn''t hurt yesterday. Just closer to betime and then especially when I woke up." I spoke up.

    Coach looked to Drew.

    Drew nodded. "Delayed onset muscle soreness. Common for people making a drastic change in the gym or trying something completely new at a high intensity level. Easy to recover from." He eyed me. "Have you been slacking on keeping hydrated?"

    I gave a weak shrug.

    "Okay, I''ll leave you to it." Coach told Drew. He looked at me. "Make sure to listen. We still have a game in two days. An important one. Be ready for it." He exited the dugout leaving me alone with Drew.

    Drew stood by where I sat. "Lay down and let''s go over what''s sore and hurting. Then we''ll start stretches and light exercises to combat this. I''ll also give a massage and instructions for what you should do for the rest of the day."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.

    I nodded obediently. I would do anything to stop this pain.

 322 Questions for Dr. Moore 1

    I was eager to share the answers Zeke gave me with Noah, but it had to wait until after practice. Drew spent the whole two hours with me, helping me stretch and do some light drills before giving me a massage. At the end of practice, he suggested that I take another ice bath, drink lots of water, and keep stretching so I don''t stay stiff.

    "Just keep moving." Drew patted my shoulder as the Atkins came over to collect me after practice. "Stay hydrated. This will be good for you in the long run. You''re starting to build muscle, but you should put on a little at a time. Next time you guys go to weight lift, I''ll have your coach tell me so I can help you out."

    "Thanks Drew." I smiled a little. Drew may be like a drill sergeant sometimes, but he really considers what''s best for my body so it''s hard to truly hate him.

    Drew waved us off and we left for the car. In the car, I didn''t find it appropriate to tell Noah because the twins and Zeke were there, and although they already knew, it just didn''t seem right. Besides, I didn''t know if Zeke told the twins that he was going to tell me what they were hiding. I wonder if other families are this complicated when it comes to secrets. With just me and my mom, it wasn''t hard to keep a secret. I kept mine, and she kept hers.

    At home, we went our separate ways to shower and get the grime off. After lunch I got my chance to talk with Noah alone in our room.

    "So Zeke told you that Mom was looking for your father?" Noah look dismayed just like I''m sure I did.

    "Yea, but he said she didn''t really want to." I defended his mom so he wouldn''t get unnecessarily mad at her.

    "If she didn''t want to, then she shouldn''t have done it to begin with." Noah frowned. "What if she had really found him? Would you have to go back?"

    I shook my head. "Zeke said she didn''t find him. And he said it''s not like they''ll put me with him right away." I tilted my head. "Zeke said something like maybe it wasn''t her idea to look. I see Dr. Moore tomorrow and want to ask him if it was him. Or Mr. Duncan."

    Noah''s frown deepened. "They can''t just do that without telling you, can they?"

    I shrugged. "It''s their job? I told your dad that you can come tomorrow."

    Noah''s complexion turned for the better. "Great!" He paced around the room. "I''ve got quite a few questions for this so called therapist. What does he think he''s doing, trying to pull you away from us?"

    I felt like laughing to myself, as I watched Noah talk smack about Dr. Moore. Even though the threat of the adults finding my father was looming over me, I felt like everything would be okay with Noah around to help me.

    ***

    Wednesday, I participated in practice with the team instead of being alone with Drew. That didn''t stop him from helping me stretch and giving me a massage afterwards, and then lecturing me on staying hydrated again. Thursday we would play another league game in the evening at Quincy High School, which allowed Mr. Atkins to make an appointment with Dr. Moore after lunch.

    Walking into the office, I felt better than any other time before. After Zeke came clean with the hunt for my dad, I didn''t have to fear the unknown of what may upset me. Yea, I wasn''t too keen with their search, but thinking about it...it''s not like my father wanted me to begin with. He left without looking back. No visits. No calls. No cards.

    "Jake. Noah. Good to see you boys." Dr. Moore greeted us from behind his desk. "Take a seat anywhere you like." He looked to Mr. Atkins, who had entered last. "Good to see you as well, Wayne. How goes things?"

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    "Not so great doc." Noah answered for his dad, throwing everyone for loop, including me. I didn''t think he would go on the offensive right off the bat. "I have a bone to pick with you." He walked up to the desk, ignoring Dr. Moore''s suggestion of picking a seat.

    "Noah James." Mr. Atkins scolded. He closed the door behind him and walked up to his son.

    "Don''t start with me Dad." Noah glanced back at him. "You''re at the top of the list. What do you think you''re doing by hiding things from Jake and me? Are we not a family? Or is it because we''re the youngest, that we get left out?"

    Mr. Atkins was taken aback. "What? What are you talking about?"

    Dr. Moore pushed his glasses further upon his nose. "Seems like we already have a topic picked out today. Jake, I assume you know what Noah''s talking about already?"

    I nodded.

    "Okay then, why don''t we all take our seats and we can begin. Noah, you look like you have a lot on your mind so we''ll let you take the lead today."

    Mr. Atkins sat on the single chair, while I sat on the couch. Noah was the only one that remained standing, and he didn''t look like he would sit any time soon. Instead, he continued his attack, eyes on his father. "You told Zeke and the twins, but didn''t dare to tell us even though it concerns Jake?"

    "I''m not liking your tone, Noah. Sit down and we''ll have a proper conversation. You making accusations without explaining isn''t helping." Mr. Atkins warned him.

    "Oh? Now you want to have a proper conversation? What about when you guys decided to go look for Jake''s dad? You didn''t have a proper conversation with us then." Noah wasn''t calming down, but instead, he was getting louder and more aggressive. Even I was surprised how much anger he had, especially since I wasn''t this upset.

    I worriedly look at Dr. Moore for help. I didn''t want Noah to fight with his dad because of me.

    Dr. Moore caught my look of distress and intervened. "Noah, the way you''re responding to us now shows that you wouldn''t have been able to handle the decision. We know how close you and Jake are, and how you both don''t want to be separated by Jake''s dad. Can you try putting yourself into your parents shoes? Would you want to upset your kids for, what turned out to be, no reason? We didn''t find his dad. Jake isn''t going anywhere."

    Noah swing his head back to Dr. Moore. "How would you know how I would react? It''s too late to find out. You already made a decision without asking Jake, looked for his father, then my brothers found out before us. In my eyes, this feels like a conspiracy to get rid of Jake as quickly and quietly as possible. Why don''t you put yourself in my shoes?"

    My eyes widened. I didn''t think about that at all. Wouldn''t it be chaotic if they did find him and he did want me back? I''d be caught by surprise and there wouldn''t be too much time to react. Zeke tried comforting me by saying that he wouldn''t get custody of me immediately, but wouldn''t it be inevitable if he wanted me again. Would I have to move? Would Noah and I still get a chance to hang out and be friends and teammates?

    Dr. Moore nodded, as if understanding where Noah was coming from. "Good point. We didn''t consider your feelings in that way. I''m sorry. But attacking your father with the baseless allegations isn''t right either. It was my idea to ask your mom to take a look. She was going down south with Zeke already, so I figured it''d be a good idea if she had a look around to see where and how Jake grew up."

    "It wasn''t completely baseless." Noah mumbled, cooling off after finding out that Dr. Moore was the mastermind. "I''m still upset that the twins knew before us. It''d be okay if it was just Zeke since he was there. But why did the twins know?"

    Dr. Moore gestured to the couch. "Why don''t you sit down now with Jake and we can ask your father. Being angry won''t always find you answers, and being hostile doesn''t create a good environment to ask questions."

    Noah took a deep breath before sitting next to me on the couch. "Okay, Dad, the floor is yours. I want to know why the twins knew before us and why you even bribed them with the strike zone equipment."

 323 Questions for Dr. Moore 2

    Mr. Atkins looked at his son with a solem expression. Then to me. I straightened up. Mr. Atkins shook his head. "You boys..." He sighed. "If you wanted to talk about this, we could have talked about this at the dinner table with the whole family." He looked me in the eyes. "Is this why you wanted to see Dr. Moore?"

    I swallowed harder than normal. "A part of it. I like coming here because I feel better when I leave. But also because of this. We tried getting Kyle to spill on what was being hidden because I heard that it may upset me. But then on Tuesday, Zeke told me that it was just a search for my dad."

    "Is that all Zeke told you?" He asked.

    "Why? Is there something else?" Noah jumped in, eyes narrowed.

    Mr. Atkins and Dr. Moore shared a look.

    "Not just yet." Mr. Atkins conceded. "We''ll let you know when we know more."

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    Noah frowned. "That''s what I''m talking about, Dad."

    "Let''s address the anger you have towards him for telling the twins about the search, but not you." Dr. Moore redirected. "Wayne, why don''t you explain your thoughts on the matter?"

    Wayne looked at the both of us. "I''m sorry boys. I knew you would get upset over the search. But you know, it''s not like we''re trying to get rid of you, Jake. As foster parents, we have to do what''s right, even if it means that it''s something we don''t want to do." I nodded. I already understood that this wasn''t their idea. "As for the twins knowing before you two, that''s on me. I didn''t think too much about it besides the search upsetting you two. And the gift was just because I thought it was a cool idea."

    "I want a gift too then." Noah folded his arms across his chest. "And if you tell me it was part of an early birthday gift, then I don''t want to see them getting something just as big again."

    "Noah, aren''t you being a little bit petty?" Mr. Atkins looked helpless. "This wasn''t just a gift to the twins. You, Jake, and Zeke can use it as well. It''s just geared more to helping pitchers. I do what I can to help you boys in your quest to be better players. If you told me you needed a glove or bat, wouldn''t I get you one?"

    Noah uncrossed his arms and shrugged sheepishly. "The timing was just very suspicious, Dad. You tell them to keep a secret and then get them a gift."

    "Good." Dr. Moore nodded. "I''m glad you were able to convey your misgivings, Noah. On that note, I hope you don''t blame your parents too much when they''re trying their best. It would hurt their feelings. As I said, it was my idea for your mom to take a look." He looked to me. "Jake? How do you feel about this?"

    I blinked. "I''m okay."

    "With looking for your dad?"

    I felt a little shy as all eyes were on me. "Well, yea... I already talked to Zeke about it. Just because you find him, doesn''t mean that he''ll want me." I paused before saying, "I''ve come to terms with being left behind by him. He didn''t want me. So I don''t want him."

    "Oh, Jake, you can''t think that way." Mr. Atkins was quick to try and make me feel better. But I wasn''t down about it. It''s just the way things are.

    "Jake, you can''t be too sure that he didn''t want you. There could have been obstacles in his way. You were so young when he left." Dr. Moore explained.

    But I was sure. Because, where was he now? Why couldn''t he be found when I had spent months in the hospital and rehab? He never came back. Neither did my brother. He must have been satisfied with that one son and just gave me away to the devil.

    "Jake?" Dr. Moore dragged me out of my thoughts. "What is it? Say what''s on your mind."

    I rather not. It would just make me seem more pitiful. I shrugged instead. "It''s nothing. I like where I''m at right now."

    This time it was Dr. Moore''s turn to blink in surprise. "Where you''re at? Like physically with the Atkins? Or psychologically with your thoughts?"

    "Both, I guess." I shrugged again. "Everything feels fine right now. If I could, I would want to push pause. Nothing hurts me here, physically or mentally. I''m feeling okay. Even when there was the thought of the Atkins keeping a secret from me, I wasn''t too stressed. They must have their reasons."

    Dr. Moore nodded and made some notes. "I''m happy to hear that, Jake. You really have improved. Just looking back on the last month, where you hardly spoke at all to now, I''m impressed. I hope to keep helping you on your path until you feel like you don''t need me anymore."

    Don''t need? "It''s okay, I like it here." I told him. I wasn''t ready to give up seeing Dr. Moore. I still remember how he had my back when that mean counselor had verbally attacked me.

    Dr. Moore gave a smile and a nod. Then we moved on to talking about my grades and my social interactions with my teammates.

    "Try to reach out some more." He told me after hearing that I mostly interact with the Atkins. "You''re already feeling comfortable with the Atkins so keep pushing yourself out of the comfort zone. Being on a team is really advantageous and gives you a head start on making more friends and connections."

    "Teammates aren''t already friends..?" I asked, feeling a little down. I thought I was progressing leaps and bounds.

    "Not always." Noah was actually the one to respond. I tilted my head in order to look at my friend beside me. "Being teammates can bring you together, but it won''t always means that you''ll be friends when the season ends. A friend is someone that you can trust and will be there to help you up if you fall. Can you imagine Chris being there for you if baseball ended today?"

    I shook my head. No way. Not Chris. I''d be lucky if he didn''t glare at me.

    "Noah''s right." Dr. Moore added. "Slightly pessimistic, but he has the right idea. Being on the same team will help you work on your bonds and strengthening them. After the season, those bonds will be put to the test." He looked at Noah. "Has something like this happened to you?"

    Noah''s face darkened. "Kind of. I found out the hard way that being teammates doesn''t always mean being friends."

    I thought back to the fact that Noah didn''t talk or hang out with the other freshmen. This might have been a sensitive topic.

    "That''s nothing to feel ashamed or mad about." Dr. Moore tried to comfort him. "These things happen. People don''t stay friends forever except with few exceptions. Don''t stress over the little things."

    "No one said I was stressing." Noah stated firmly.

    An awkward silence fell upon the room.

    Dr. Moore cleared his throat and directed his attention back at me. "Just reach out more. Not just to get help, but to help. Kindness goes a long way in making friends."

    Somehow hearing that, while knowing what happened to Noah, didn''t really inspire me. Noah is a great friend and the nicest person I know, yet here he is, ostracized from the other baseball freshmen.

 324 Game: @ Quincy High School 1

    After the session, Mr. Atkins drove us home, where the other boys were already waiting. We quickly changed into our uniforms and headed for the door.

    "Wait a minute!" Mrs. Atkins came from downstairs as well, holding some clothing. She started to take a piece out of the pile and handed them out. I held a heavy sweatshirt in my arms. "It''s supposed to be colder in the mountains tonight. I know you all are wearing long sleeves underneath the jerseys but it won''t hurt to have something extra just in case." She looked at the twins. "Especially you two. Garret has the start tonight so it''s best if you keep warm in the bullpen."

    "Thanks Mom." The twins chimed in unison, putting the sweatshirts in their respective bags.

    Zeke did the same after nodding in agreement.

    Noah started to put the sweater on right away. "It gets cold on the bus too. Thanks Mom."

    I mimicked Noah''s actions and put it on.

    "Does it really?" She looked concerned. "Should I get some scarves and gloves too?"

    "Nah." Dave told her. "Noah''s just a baby."

    "It''s because he doesn''t have enough body fat to keep him warm." Kyle laughed, patting Noah''s head. "Little kids will always get cold easily."

    Noah brushed his hand off his head. "Mommm." He complained.

    "Okay, that''s enough." Mr. Atkins walked in. He pointed at his watch. "If you boys don''t get going, we''ll have to drive you ourselves. You know your coach likes you all traveling as a team."

    "Let''s go." Zeke hitched his bag higher on his shoulder and headed out the front door. The twins followed right behind him.

    I started to follow Noah out, but stopped for a second. I turned back to their parents. "Thanks." Then I rushed to catch up with the others. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.

    Today''s game would be at Quincy High School, up in the mountains again. Like before, we would be traveling with the JV and Freshmen teams instead of the Varsity girls softball team.

    We arrived at the school, parked, grabbed our bags and made our way to the bus. Mr. Atkins was saying that we were running late and I guess it was true since we were the last ones to board the bus from the three teams.

    No one on our team said anything besides the normal greetings, but I could see the glares coming from the back of the bus. I put my head down and sat on one of the empty benches with Noah on the window side.

    Noah tugged on his hood as the bus started to move. "I''m going to take a nap. Your therapy sessions are mentally tiring. Plus, it''s a two hour drive. Are you going to be okay with that?"

    I nodded and put my own hood on. "Yea, I''ll sleep too."

    But I didn''t, because I couldn''t. Noah was able to lean against the window and fall asleep in minutes while my eyes could only close. Just because I felt better, didn''t mean I was better. Being surrounded by strangers and even familiar faces didn''t make it any easier.

    Most of the guys on the bus had the same idea I guess, since the bus became quiet even though there were 60+ boys on it. The ride to the mountains took an hour and a half before we reached the school. It was beautifully hidden with the forest surrounding the whole area. Everyone started to wake up and make a move to get off the bus.

    "That was a good nap." Noah yawned as we stood up. Our team was the first to get off, but we were the two slowest. "I think after getting such a good rest, I''ll be able to do well this game."

    A loud snort came a few rows back. "I doubt it. Looking at your stats, it''s a wonder why you''re even on varsity at all."

    I was caught by surprise by the snide remark as we both turned to see where it came from.

    The boy was as tall as Noah, but seemed to have more muscle. He also wasn''t done. "Oh, wait. It''s because you''re an Atkins. Surprise, surprise." He scoffed.

    On instinct, I looked around, keeping my head on a swivel, trying to find one of his brothers or a coach to put an end to this.

    "Leave him alone, Austin." Another boy near him said. "If Noah really cared about the team and its performance, he would already see that he''s dragging them down."

    I tugged on Noah''s sleeve, anxious to get off the bus already.

    Noah''s eyes narrowed at the pair. "Thanks for your concern, but I don''t need it nearly as much as your team. Didn''t you guys just lose to the OLU freshmen team? It''s crazy how you can be concerned about me on a winning team while your own team is losing."

    Austin took a step forward, pushing some of the other boys out of the way. "What was that?! At least I''m not some pretender, riding on my brothers coattails." He smirked, glancing my way. "Your new handicapped brother bats better than you."

    Noah jumped at him, charging through the boys who were trying to get off the bus. I was shocked and slightly confused. Am I the handicapped brother? Luckily the other boys in between reacted quicker than I, and started to hold Noah back. Another group of them had to do the same for the Austin guy, since it seemed he was ready to fight back.

    "What the hell are you boys thinking?" A booming voice hollered from behind me, making me jump. I almost gave myself whiplash, turning my head so fast to see who it was.

    A big, burly man with a frizzy beard down to his chest, stood at the entrance of the bus. He was glaring at the back of the bus, where Noah and Austin had to be held back by two separate groups. "In case you haven''t realized, we have games to play and to win." His eyes scanned across everyone who was left. "Get off. Now."

    All the boys obeyed. They immediately cooled down and got off the bus in a single line. I stayed still until Noah reached back to where he left me, then I followed him off. We grabbed our bags from the compartment underneath the bus, but Noah kept glancing back, sending glares to the two that had tried to pick a fight.

    It wasnt until we got to the varsity field, that Noah finally relaxed. He sighed and looked at me. "Sorry about that Jake. Don''t mind those guys. They''re jerks."

    I blinked. "I didn''t mind them. It''s not like they really know me." And...I was kind of happy that he had called me Noah''s brother. "Who cares about being handicapped? That could mean a variety of things."

    Noah looked relieved to see that I wasn''t angry, upset, or anything. "Okay, good. That''s the way to be." He led the way to the clubhouse and we walked in.

    "Where have you two been?" Dave asked instantly. "The whole team has been waiting on you guys."

    Sure enough, all our teammates were seated around but already had their cleats and hats on, looking ready to go.

    "Just some trouble getting off the bus." Noah brushed him off and found us two seats so we could also get ready.

    Coach gave us a look before focusing on his paper. "Listen up. Now that everyone is here, I''ll announce the lineup."

 325 Game: @ Quincy High School 2

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Hollander

    3 P Garret Knudsen

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 C Jordan Sanders

    6 LF Mahki Holstrom

    7 1B Sean Isner

    8 3B Chris Ludwick

    9 RF Tony Perkola

    "Garret, I want you to focus on pitching even though I put you in the number three spot, okay?" Coach focused on the junior across the room. "Don''t take that to mean that it''s okay to strikeout, but work on transitioning."

    Garret nodded. "Yes, sir."

    Coach looked around. "I want everyone to warmup properly. Any slacking, and I won''t hesitate to replace you, understand?" The team nodded and so did I. I wouldn''t put it past Coach to bench anyone at the last second. He was always looking for ways to win regardless of who was playing. "Zeke, lead them out. Drop the bags off in the dugout and start with some easy jogging and throwing. I''ll divide you boys into two groups to take turns fielding and batting in just a bit. So make sure to stretch properly."

    Zeke stood up with his bag hanging off his shoulder. He motioned for the team to follow him out and they did. I was still tying my shoes when I noticed Coach standing nearby.

    Coach had walked over to me and Noah, looking like he had something to say. "Jake, it''s high altitude here again so if you feel sick, let me or the other coaches know."

    I nodded obediently.

    "Don''t worry, Coach." Noah patted his own chest. "I''ll keep an eye on him."

    The corner of Coach''s lips turned up. "I know, kid. I just don''t want Jake to feel like he has to fight through it." He looked me in the eye. "There are a lot of good players on this team so you''re not alone. Think long term. I don''t want to lose one of my best hitters for a month when he needed to just take one game off, get it?"

    "Got it." I nodded again.

    "Good." He smiled. "Now get going!"

    He scared the pair of us away. I chased after Noah as he ran on ahead. He dumped his bag by the visitor dugout, grabbed his glove, and took off for the outfield where our team was. I tried my best to keep up, but felt slowed down by the heavy sweatshirt. I didn''t take it off though; it was a very cool evening and the temperature was only going to drop from here on out.

    It wasnt until after the warmups, that I took off the sweatshirt and put it with my bag. The team cleaned up the dugout and got settled before game time. As visitors, we would get to bat first so there wasn''t a hope that I could stay warm for an extra few minutes.

    Noah and I stood by the on deck circle, watching the pitcher do his warmups pitches as an announcer called out the names of the starting players taking the field.

    "Now batting for Watsonville High, leadoff, shortstop, Noah Atkins." The announcer called out last. There were a few claps as he walked to the batter''s box, hinting that his parents had arrived, plus a few others. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.

    Noah dugged his back foot on and stared the pitcher down, ready for the first pitch. Or what looked to be ready. The pitcher blew three fast ones by him, getting him to swing and miss at the first two, and caught him looking for the third.

    Noah dragged his feet and bat back to the dugout only minutes after leaving the on deck circle. He was certainly no match for this pitcher.

    I tried to find the words to comfort him like he does me, but I wasn''t as quick-witted as Noah. He was already back at the dugout and my name was being announced to come up to bat. I got in the lefty''s box and eyed the righty on the mound. He was as tall as any other pitcher we''ve come across, and seemed a little more fit than the usual lanky kid we face.

    He completed his motion and threw a fast one by me for a called strike. Definitely nearing the high 80''s. I don''t know if Noah just couldn''t keep up or if he couldn''t see it well enough. Technically I should be able to help him hit, right...?

    The pitcher came at me with a low fastball and I let it pass for ball one. Like coach kept telling me, I should build up the pitch count. Especially when he only used three pitches to get Noah. So I made him work a bit in return. The count came up to 3-2 in no time and then I started to foul some down the third baseline. On the eleventh pitch, I noticed the third baseman cheating towards the third base bag, probably thinking he might save one that comes far. But by doing that, he left a nice big space between him and short for me to aim for.

    I tried my best, connecting on the next pitch and snuck a ground ball right between them even with the shortstop diving at it. I dropped the bat, and sprinted to first, rounding the base a bit. But then quickly headed back after seeing the left fielder already throwing the ball back in.

    "Good work." Coach Luis smacked the top of my helmet rather hard, making my head bobble. "Let''s score early." His statement sounded less like a suggestion and more like a command.

    I didn''t reply, and put my attention on Mr. Miller over by third. He gave out some signs to Garret, but I didn''t see any for me specifically. Which means I didn''t have to try and steal or anything. Just run on contact, yet watch for a flyout or lineout.

    Garret fouled off the first four pitches, before missing and coming up with a strikeout. I don''t think that''s what any of the coaches had in mind, but there wasn''t any redos in baseball. Zeke came up with two outs. Mr. Miller signed for him to swing and for me to run at any contact since there were already two outs.

    Zeke didn''t get the chance to follow through on the order though. The catcher had stood up and held his right hand out and away from Zeke, asking for an intentional ball. He repeated the process for all four balls giving Zeke the intentional walk, bringing Jordan up.

    Jordan didn''t look bothered by the fact that the other team thought he was an easier out than Zeke. I guess I wouldn''t be either. Zeke could smash homeruns. He had more by himself than the rest of our team combined.

    Mr. Miller dealt out the same signs, Jordan gets to swing as he pleased, and the runners would go on contact. Jordan didn''t take any pitches like I did, and came out swinging. The first one was a swing and miss, but he bounced back and hit a line drive to center field.

    My eyes stayed on Mr. Miller as I sprinted towards him at third. He was doing a windmill motion, waving on for me to go home. I tagged third and tried my best to speed up to go home. The catcher was standing in front of the plate, waving for the ball, and just behind him was Mahki, who was motioning for me to slide. "Down! Go down! Slide! You have to slide!"

    I grimaced and tried my best to avoid the catcher as I started my slide. I heard the sound of the ball hitting the catcher''s mitt and felt a heavy hit on my shoulder as I was sliding in. Soon, the heavy hit turned into heavy weight as the catcher had thrown his whole body at me.

    I coughed as the wind was really knocked out of me.

    "Safe! Safe!" The home plate ump motioned, extending his arms out.

    "Crap." I heard the catcher mumble as he pushed off me.

    "Jake! Nice!" Mahki was pulling me to my feet and shaking me excitedly.

    I kept coughing and tried to get the dirt off my face and away from my eyes. This was so much harder than sliding on cardboard with Drew. It didn''t take very long for Coach to come get me and help me back to the dugout as Mahki had to go up for his own at-bat.

    "You did great kid. That was a good run." He told me as he sat me on the bench. "Hang tough for a moment. Drew will be here soon."

    Drew came? Oh right...okay, good. I lifted my hands on my head and started to take some deep breaths.

    "Jake? How are you feeling?" Drew was beside me in less than two minutes.

    "I''m not bad." I told him, feeling better given some time to relax. "The catcher just hit me too hard and then landed on me."

    "Does it hurt?" He felt my chest, occasionally pushing down a little harder than normal. "Any trouble breathing?"

    I shook my head. "Not really. Just a little sore. I think I might have a bruise tomorrow."

    A laugh from nearby told me Noah was close. "It should be a big one by the size of that catcher. It looked like you were squashed and almost swallowed."

    I cracked a smile. "But I scored."

    Noah smiled right back and patted me on the shoulder. "You did! I''ve never seen such an ugly slide score a run before." He burst out laughing at my frown. "Don''t mind it too much. It worked and that''s the only thing that matters."

    "Noah''s right. The scorecard and scoreboard won''t state how bad the slide was so you can just forget it." Drew told me.

    My frown deepened and so did their laughs. It must have been the ugliest slide in existence. Great. I sighed.

 326 Game: @ Quincy High School 3

    Drew finished giving me a quick look over just as Mahki made the final out by flying out to right field. I went back to by bag to grab my glove and hat before going out onto the field to do a warmup.

    Garret was on the mound, a serious expression across his face as he threw a couple of pitches to Jordan. The umpire only gave us two minutes before asking for the game to resume.

    The first batter for Quincy stepped into the righty''s box and was set to swing. Garret started with his signature cutter, getting the guy to swing for strike one. The next pitch came inside and he held back from swinging getting a ball. I wasn''t worried at first since it was normal for pitchers to throw the occasional ball out of the zone, but by the 3-1 count, I wasn''t sure if Garret was doing this intentionally.

    "Ball. Ball four. Take your base!" The ump called out loudly. The batter dropped his bat and jogged to first.

    Garret got the ball back and toed the rubber a few times before turning to face the second batter, who was another righty. Right away he showed bunt. Garret pitched a fastball away for ball one. And two.

    Jordan stood up out of the crouching position and jogged to the mound. He waved all of us infielders in for a meeting. We ran up as well.

    "It''s just for show, Garret. What are you afraid of?" Chris covered his lips with his glove. "Just go at him from the start."

    "Easy for you to say." Garret scoffed.

    "We can field it." Noah declared. "Sean and Chris, you two can cover the lines to get the bunt. Throw to me at second. Then Jake can cover first. Double play."

    Chris looked skeptical. "You think it''s that easy? Chances are, it''s just a show bunt. He''ll swing for sure as soon as we run in. There''ll be too many gaps and the runner on first will score if he gets a good jump."

    "Shut up." Jordan commanded. "I''m the catcher right now. I''ll call the shots. Sean, Chris, stay stationary at your bases."

    "We''re not going to stay on guard for the bunt?" Noah asked.

    "We''ll leave it to Garret." Jordan stated, then looked at our pitcher. "Throw a fastball right down the middle. He won''t swing or bunt and he''ll take the called strike. With one strike against him, and seeing our corners far back, he''ll try his best to lay one down. It''ll be up to you to come off the mound on that second pitch and be ready to throw to second if you want two outs."

    Garret nodded. "Got it."

    "Are you even sure that''ll work?" Chris asked, still not completely on board.

    "Worst case scenario, two on, no outs." Jordan shrugged. "It''s the freakin first inning, why are you so worried?"

    The ump came over to break up the meeting on the mound.

    "It''s freakin Quincy, that''s why I''m worried." I heard Chris mutter as he went back to third.

    I worriedly looked to Noah. Noah smiled at me with reassurance. "Let''s just play. Nothing good can come from worrying."

    True. I nodded and went back to my position.

    Garret did as he instructed and threw a fastball right down the middle. I tried not to flinch, thinking that the batter would surely swing on such a good pitch. Instead he took back his bunt and let it pass for a called strike. Wow. Jordan was at least half right. The next pitch would be the deciding one then.

    Garret took a deep breath and got the ball back. He started his shorten motion again and threw another fastball right down the middle. The batter didn''t pull the bunt back, and instead did his best to lay one down in the grass down the third baseline, then took off for first.

    Garret didnt hesitate to come off the mound completely and chase the ball down. The runner was coming to second where Noah ran over to cover the base. I also sprinted over to back up the base in case it was overthrown or if Noah missed. Not that I think he would.

    Garret picked up the stalled ball from the grass, whipped around and threw a bullet to second. Noah caught it with his foot touching the bag, then quickly threw to first before the runner had reached.

    "Out!"

    "Out!"

    Excellent! I beamed, happy with how well that followed Jordan''s prediction.

    I saw Garret pump his fist as our dugout clapped for the well-turned double play.

    The players jogged back to their own dugout as the third batter came up to the plate. Garret was smiling as he got back on the mound and received a new ball to pitch. Sadly the smile didn''t last long. On the very first pitch, the third batter hit a single between Noah and Chris. Mahki came in and fielded the grounder, sending it to Noah so the runner didn''t have time to advance.

    That wasn''t the end of it either. Garret may have been flustered by the sudden hit, and unexpectedly walked the next batter. Two walks in one inning? That''s not like him.

    The fifth batter came up with two on, two out. Just like Jordan in our offense. And just like him, he hit a hard single. It was a grounder between me and Sean. But Sean was hanging close to first base to try and keep the runner at bay so it snuck by, passed my outstretched glove.

    All runners took off. Tony was sprinting in to grab the ball. I started to move to first to cover the bag since Sean had a stronger arm. But Sean had stayed where he was at, covering first. Ah. He doesn''t know that Julian does the cutoff throws. Crud.

    I sprinted to the outfield grass, just in time for Tony to throw the ball to me. I caught it and did my best to spin around, while transferring the ball to my throwing hand, and then threw to Jordan at home. The runner dove head and hands first to home plate, sneaking by Jordan. My bad throw didn''t help matters by falling just short of home plate.

    "Safe!"

    Jordan didn''t react to it too much. Instead, he grabbed the ball out of his glove and did a fake pump to make the runners go back to first and second.

    Quincy had tied the game at one. Their home crowd was full of parents, friends and classmates, cheering them on. They made lots of noise as soon as we lost the lead.

    Jordan walked up to the mound to hand the ball to Garret, also calling time, and effectively calling us to the mound. I dragged my feet there, hesitant to go. They''re probably mad at my throw.

    "Now that''s how you should slide!" Noah threw his arm around my shoulders. "Did you see the way he went head first? When doing close calls like that, it may be best since you have more control over your hands than your feet." Noah walked me up to the mound, distracting me with his talk.

    I shook my head, about to tell him that I couldn''t do it as well as that guy but then I realized where I was and who surrounded me. I gulped and hung my head. "Sorry. That wasn''t a good throw."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.

    "No, it was my bad." Sean jumped in immediately. "I forgot that Julian does cutoff throws. It doesn''t help that I hardly play first."

    Chris snorted but didn''t get a chance to say anything, because Jordan spoke up. "It''s fine. We all could have done better. Leave it alone." He gave the ball to Garret. "Focus on the batter and forget the runners. Two outs." He glanced down at me. "The throw wasn''t far off its mark. You''re improving so don''t hang your head. Look to the next one."

    I blinked. "I should do the next one too?" I looked up at Sean to see his opinion.

    Jordan didn''t care where I looked. "It''s best if you practice now to get the timing and placement right. Real games are even better than practice. You''ll notice more. Your arm isn''t as weak as you think it is. Not that I think you''ll need to throw home very often either."

    I nodded, then looked at Sean again. "I''ll take the cutoffs." It''s my job after all.

    Sean just smiled and patted my shirt.

    "Great." Chris said sarcastically. "Now that we''ve confirmed to give up runs every time a single is hit to right field, what are we going to do now?"

    Garret straightened up. "We play the game. I''ll pitch. You field. Get lost." He eyed Chris. "I''m getting real sick and tired of your snide remarks. This is my mound. Take your negativity elsewhere."

    The ump showed up to break us up. Thankfully before Garret and Chris got into it. Everyone went back to their positions, and we started again with two on, two out.

    Garret found the strike zone right away, cornering the sixth batter to an 0-2 count. He swung on the next pitch, sending a slow roller my way. I ran up to it and ignored the racing baserunners. I fielded the ball and threw to Sean at first for the final out of the inning. I felt a little bit better, getting that last out and felt some slight redemption.

    "Good work." Noah told me as we jogged back to the dugout. "That inning wasn''t as halfbad as Chris made it sound. We only gave up one run and it was a close one."

    I looked at my right hand. "Could I have actually thrown him out?"

    "Maybe." Noah shrugged. "Maybe not. There''s no definitive answer. Don''t stress about it. It was a good throw, especially for you."

    I frowned, but Noah didn''t see it. He had turned away from me to drink his water when we got to our bags.

 327 Game: @ Quincy High School 4

    The second inning started with Sean at the plate, Chris on deck, and Tony in the hole. As they moved around to grab their gear and go, I settled into my seat and put the sweatshirt across my lap for a little extra warmth. All the excitement of the inning distracted me from the cold, but after the adrenaline dies down and there''s not anything to do, the cold was creeping back in.

    "How ya feeling, Jake?" Drew stopped before me.

    "Not sick." I told him. Unlike last time, I wasn''t very dizzy or nauseous. "I think I''m doing okay."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.

    "More than okay!" Noah tacked on. "Didn''t you see my boy here score our only run, and be moving all over the field??"

    Drew chuckled. "Yes, he''s playing quite well today. Keep it up." He nodded towards the far end of the dugout. "I''ll be over with Julian, if you need me."

    "How is Julian?" Noah blurted, holding Drew in place.

    Drew lost the smile, but it wasn''t like he had a sour expression. He was just neutral. "He''s recovering. Maybe he''ll be ready to practice soon and be available for Tuesday''s game."

    "Not Saturday''s?" Noah asked. "I would have thought that he would heal faster since his injury wasn''t as bad as Jason''s."

    Drew''s lips thinned. "Everyone heals differently. Some slow. Some fast. Genetics is a funny thing." He nodded. "It''s no cause for concern. Better to be safe than sorry." He waved and walked away.

    Sean struck out, causing Noah to put on his helmet and move to the entrance of the dugout. He shared some words with his teammates along the way.

    I was still hung up on what Drew had said. ''Genetics is a funny thing.'' I wonder what he meant by that? Obviously it wasn''t a ha-ha funny...maybe he meant it was peculiar..? How much of genetics, decides who you really are? I thought about Biology and we learned the nature vs nurture theory. Was who I am already decided upon being born? Or was it how I was raised? I started to get lost in my thoughts, but a figure had stopped in front of me.

    "Are you thinking about the throw?" Zeke asked, looking down at me.

    I had to look up to make eye contact. "No."

    "You looked like you were concentrating hard on something." He pressed.

    I shook my head, not only to deny but to hopefully shake the thoughts loose. "It was nothing." I redirected. "Did you think my throw was bad?"

    Zeke stayed expressionless. "No. It was good, for you."

    There it was again. The ''for you.'' I frowned. "Noah said the same thing."

    Zeke sat beside me. "Does it bother you?"

    "A little. I think." I clicked my feet together, looking down. "It just sounds off. Like an insult masked as a compliment."

    "It depends who it comes from and how you feel about it." Zeke told me clearly. "With us, you can just treat it as a statement of fact. Maybe a half compliment. We know where you come from, and how you were hurt before. It''s understandable that the strength isn''t there yet. But, there''s been improvements."

    I looked up at him again. "You really think so?"

    "I know so." Zeke told me confidently without changing his facial expression. He looked cool and steady as if he only spoke the truth and nothing but the truth. "Just a month ago, you didn''t even know how to slide. Now you can slide and score a run. Not bad at all."

    I grimaced at the thought of my earlier slide. "Yea, but Noah and Drew said it was pretty ugly."

    He stood up. "You don''t score extra runs for style points. It only matters how it looks on the scoreboard." He nodded before walking over to Coach.

    Makes sense. Why care how it looks when it only matters that I scored. A run is still a run. It''s one to one, so it''s not like my ugly slide was worth any less than the perfect one by the other team.

    Chris grounded out to third base.

    I stood up and switched my hat for a helmet, then grabbed my bat and walked to the on hole spot. Noah moved to the on deck circle and Tony stepped up to bat. He also struck out, making it a quiet inning for us. I went back to my hat and glove, then we took the field for the bottom of the second inning.

    Garret and Jordan had a brief discussion at the mound before facing the bottom of the lineup. Batter seven grounded out to Noah at short; batter eight struck out, and batter nine had hit a grounder to me, which I was able to field cleanly. They got us to go three up, three down and we got to do so as well. It felt good, knowing that Garret wasn''t as wild or wasteful like before. Clearly he was focused on aiming for the strike zone a bit more.

    Top of the third brought the top of our lineup. Noah and I were eager to grab our helmets and bats. Noah, because he wanted to help win the game. And me, just because I like hitting more than anything. I could probably do without baseball as long as I could still go to the cages.

    Noah looked better at the plate compared to the first innings strikeout, but he still couldn''t get on base. He made connection and sent a ground ball right to their shortstop. I could hear him mutter a curse as he walked right by me to go back to the dugout. I really had to find a way to cheer him up, but I just didn''t know what. Maybe I could go to Mr. Atkins for help.

    I moved to the batter''s box on the left side. I took a practice swing before getting in and getting set. The pitcher was leaning forward on the mound to get a better view of the catcher''s sign. He nodded, got set as well, then started his motion.

    Ball. Ball. Strike. Foul. Ball. Foul. Foul. On the eighth pitch, a high fastball came down the center and looked too good to pass up. I swung and sent a line drive to center. Right to center. The center fielder hardly had to move to make the catch. I sighed and jogged back to the dugout with my bat.

    Garret wasn''t any better than us at the plate. He sent a high fly ball to left for the third out.

    We switched to defense, where Garret was back to dominating. He got the first batter to strikeout swinging on three pitches. And that was the leadoff!

    The second batter came up. He was the bunter in the first inning, which was understandable with runners on, but this time he showed bunt again. Right from the start.

    Jordan, who was squatting behind home plate, brushed his hand across his chest and patted his knee. Then he gave Garret some pitching signs.

    I froze. What was that? I peeked over at Noah for help, but he was solely focused on the batter as well. What to do, what to do. I looked to my left to see what Sean was doing. He looked normal too, just focused on the batter. Oh man. Maybe I''m just overthinking it.

 328 Game: @ Quincy High School 5

    I tried my best to focus on the batter too. If Jordan had signed for something, it would definitely be about the batter. Garret went through his motion and pitched an outside fastball. The batter didn''t pull the bunt back; he just extended his arms and used the end of his bat to tap the ball forward.

    Garret, as a left handed pitcher, had finished his whole motion and was facing the third baseline. The batter must have factored that in, because he placed the ball to come the opposite side of the mound. I hesitated, trying to remember if I should go get the ball or go cover first. With a glance to first, I saw that Sean had already covered the base, so I chose to sprint forward to get the ball that had died in the grass. The batter was almost to first by the time I picked up the ball, so in order to try and beat him, I threw my hardest. Ultimately, that led to bad aim. My throw went wide and Sean couldn''t reach it. The runner was safe. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.

    If anything, we got lucky with Tony coming in from right field to back up the throw, halting the runner from taking off to second. He threw the ball back to Garret before jogging back to his spot in the outfield.

    Jordan called ''time'' and came to the mound again, summoning the rest of us. Chris looked ready to chew me out, but Jordan beat him to it. "Goddamn it, Jake, pay attention. I signed for you to run in and for Sean to cover the bag."

    "Leave him alone." Noah jumped in between, shielding me. "You can''t just talk to your teammates like that."

    "The hell I can!" Jordan didn''t bother hiding his words behind a glove. "I''m the catcher. I call the shots. If I tell you to run in, run in!"

    "He probably didn''t know." Noah looked back at me. "Did you forget?"

    I nodded quickly.

    "See? It happens." Noah said.

    Jordan wasn''t appeased. "This is Varsity level. Not little league. There''s no excuse."

    "You need to chill." Garret told the senior, using his gloved hand to push Jordan on his chest protector. "I stand by what I said previously, this is my mound. Quit trying to take over." I tried shrinking away, hearing how serious Garret sounded. He was always easygoing, but today he sounded a little irritable. "Jake made a minor error. No biggie. We play on. Nothing you can do about the past, but remember it for the future." He looked at me, hiding behind Noah. "It''s okay kid. Let it go and get the next one."

    I nodded as fast as I could. Anything to reassure Garret that I won''t do it again.

    Jordan glared, but not at me surprisingly. It was sent directly at Garret. "This might be your mound for now, but don''t forget that I''m in charge. You''re just the figurehead."

    Garret sneered. "If that''s what you think, then go sit. I''m better off with a catcher that''s willing to work with me and not use me as a damn puppet."

    "Gentlemen, it''s time. Get back to your positions and let''s play ball." The umpire from home plate came up to our group.

    "No thanks. I''m going out." Jordan sent a glare at Garret, turned on his heel, and headed back to the dugout, leaving me stunned. But I wasn''t the only one. Sean and Noah had widened their eyes too. The crowd and our dugout was just as confused.

    "Now look what you''ve done." Chris said to me in a nasty tone, staring me down. "We just lost our star catcher."

    "Get back to third, before I ask Coach to replace you too." Garret told him. "Jordan hasn''t been acting like a team player at all. Selecting to just catch for me to preserve his knees. F him. He thinks too highly of himself."

    Chris sneered, but had no chance to reply once Coach showed up. Coach spoke with the ump while pointing at the bullpen. It didn''t take long for Kelvin to come running out in full catchers gear. He and Coach both joined all of us at the mound.

    "I don''t know what you all said to make Jordan walk off and I don''t care." Coach told us, catching me by surprise. "We''ll deal with that tomorrow. For now, focus on the game."

    "Won''t be a problem, Coach." Garret showed a smile, looking more like himself. "It''s probably for the best that he walked away. His ego was getting in the way of us winning." He glanced at Chris. "We can only hope that everyone can focus on playing now."

    Coach''s eyes narrowed. He faced Chris. "Is there a problem? I don''t mind making another sub."

    Chris swallowed down his previous complaints. "No, sir."

    "Good. Get playing!" He scared the rest of us back to our positions before going back to the dugout.

    Garret and Kelvin spent a few extra seconds together, sharing a few words behind their gloves. Supposedly it''s to stop others from reading your lips, but I don''t think that''s a common occurrence in high school. Or is it? I should ask Noah. I looked over to see what he was doing, only to find him smirking in the direction of our own dugout. I looked too, and saw Coach Luis giving Jordan an earful as he took off his gear. It must have been a lecture of a lifetime because the rest of the team was on the other side of the dugout, not even daring to go over.

    After the long pause, we finally resumed the game with Garret still on the mound and Kelvin behind home plate. Garret seemed more aggressive as he went after the number three batter. The batter connected on a 1-2 count, hitting a fast grounder to me.

    I focused on catching the ball, then I tossed it to Noah on second, who was waiting. He then threw to first just as the runners slid into second. Double play! Out of the inning. We jogged back, no doubt feeling relieved with how everything worked out this time.

    I stayed clear of Jordan in the corner and went right to my bag with Noah. The outfielders were the last to come in, and I saw Zeke go right to Coach, probably to ask what was going on. He didn''t get too much time to get the details before nodding, going to his bag to grab his helmet and bat, then left the dugout.

    Zeke didn''t let us down, and hit a single on the fifth pitch. He even stole a base during Kelvin''s at-bat. But our offensive strike ended with him. Kelvin struck out. Then Mahki struck out. Then Sean grounded out to the second baseman, leaving Zeke stranded on second base. Not exactly an exciting offense.

    "It''s alright." Noah tried to ease my distress. "You can''t score every inning otherwise we''d be unstoppable. Quincy has been scoreless for the last two innings too. Nothing to worry about." We grabbed our gloves and hit the dirt.

    I just don''t think Noah understands that I was born to be a worrier. At this point, I was stressing that we weren''t scoring and little fights kept popping up among us infielders. I glance to Zeke in the outfield. I bet this wouldn''t be a problem if he could join the mound meetings. He''d easily keep everyone in check.

 329 Game: @ Quincy High School 6

    Bottom of the fourth inning brought up Quincy''s core power hitters. Garret and Kelvin were able to handle them though. Batter number four lined out to Mahki in left field. Batter five hit a grounder to me, which I had no trouble fielding. Then batter six hit an easy fly that Noah was able to track down by just backing up a few feet in the outfield grass.

    Top of the fifth, we didn''t do much either. Couldn''t even get a baserunner. Chris struck out swinging. And Tony did the same. Noah moved to the batter''s box and I moved to the on deck circle. But Noah''s struggles continued, as he got into a groundout to the third baseman. It''s strange that he can connect sometimes, but it''s always to a fielder. It was like he couldn''t find any open space.

    Right before the bottom of the fifth, Coach pulled Garret aside. "This will be your last outing, then I''m pulling you."

    Garret frowned. "Why? I''m doing fine. I''ve only given up one run."

    "I can''t have you pitching complete games every time you start. We have to plan for the future." Coach explained. "Saturday is two days away, meaning only one day of rest. You won''t be able to pitch. But if you want to start again on Tuesday, then we have to make sure the other boys get some work in."

    Garret thought about it and gave a short nod. "Okay, If I have to, I will."

    Coach slapped him on the shoulder. "The end of the season tournament will have games closer together so we have to make sure we have the right pitchers with us. Go finish this inning with a bang. Prove to me why you''re number one."

    Garret grinned and sprinted out, leaving us behind. We ran out too and started our own warmup. Garret had Kelvin come to the mound for a second and then sent him back to home plate. I didn''t know what it was about, but soon it wasn''t too hard to guess.

    Garret went at batter seven with his cutter. Three consecutive times in the strike zone, getting him to strikeout, looking. And if that wasn''t enough, he got batter eight the same way. Batter nine at least tried swinging at the first two, but then was stunned by the third. Nine cutters. All for strikes. Three strikeouts.

    Garret and Kelvin were smiling as they walked back to the dugout. I followed Noah as he ran up to catch up to them.

    "Wow! That was so cool Garret!" Noah bounced around him excitedly. "How''s your arm? Does it hurt? Do you need ice?"

    Garret shoved Noah lightly on the head. "No way. I''m good." He flexed his left. "My arm is the strongest here. It can handle anything!"

    "Yea, right." Coach scoffed as soon as we got in the dugout, overhearing the conversation. "If there weren''t any consequences to throwing a cut fastball, then it would be more commonly seen. Go get some ice and have Drew get a look at ya!" He hollered.

    Garret didn''t argue. He obediently set his glove down and walked to where Drew sat by Julian.

    "Garret''s such a liar." Noah shook his head. "If it hurt, he should have just mixed in a few fastballs or something."

    "Why didn''t he?" I asked while we moved to our own bags. I took off my hat and placed my helmet on my head.

    Noah shrugged lightly. "He probably just wanted to show off. Especially since Coach already told him it was going to be his last inning."

    "Well...it was pretty cool." I said as I got my bat out.

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    "Oh, for sure!" Noah agreed. "I wish I could pitch just so I can strikeout the side!" His shoulders sagged. "But...I''m too short to be an effective pitcher. Maybe if I restarted and worked on the freshmen and JV teams like Kyle and David did. But they''ve been pitching since little league so I probably couldn''t reach that level."

    I fell silent, unsure of what to say. I thought pitchers were cool too, but not only did I not have the strength or skill for that position, I didn''t have the mentality. I''m not as confident or strong-willed like the guys on our team.

    "Jake! You''re up! What are you doing, dozing off?!" Coach yelled.

    I jolted, gripped my bat and ran. I hurried out of the dugout and straight to the batter''s box. I almost forgot that I would lead us off in the sixth inning. I didn''t bother with any practice swings since the pitcher looked like had already warmed up. I stepped into the lefty''s box.

    Mr. Miller gave out signs, but mostly just for show. I didn''t usually follow them unless Coach told me to specifically. Or Zeke.

    "Strike." The ump called.

    The pitcher had had thrown a fastball while I was distracted. No biggie. He threw another and I fouled it down the line. 0-2. Ball. Foul. Foul. Ball. Foul. Foul. Foul. Ball. At ten pitches, I finally got to the full count. Normally I would be eager to swing but my lineout to center field in the third inning was hanging over me. We only had two innings left before it was game over. I decided to pick the safest route: a walk.

    I fouled two more pitches before getting that ball four. I dropped the bat and jogged to first, while noticing the pitcher taking off his hat in order to wipe the sweat off his forehead. Yea...being a pitcher is hard work.

    Coach replaced Garret with a pinch hitter, bringing in Daniel. I didn''t have much of an impression of him and John since they didn''t play very many games, and in practice I felt a little isolated as I had to do extra drills with Drew. It didn''t help that they were older and might feel bitter about a pair of freshmen playing their positions. Just like how Chris felt bitter about me just being on the team. I let out a sigh.

    "Pay attention, kid." Coach Luis grumbled in a low tone. He always seemed to be mad or in a bad mood, but I''ve come to realize that winning is the most important to him. Just like the head coach.

 330 Game: @ Quincy High School 7

    Daniel didn''t do any better than what Garret had done at the plate. He struck out swinging on five pitches so at least he extended the guy''s pitch count.

    Zeke came up with me on, and only one out. Mr. Miller signed for him to swing as he pleased and for me to take off on contact.

    "Be wary if it''s in the air." Coach Luis said in a low tone as I started to take a lead off first. I nodded.

    Zeke worked the count, but not nearly as much as I did. He didn''t have to. The pitcher was already tired and started to look like he was slacking off. On a 2-2 count, Zeke smashed one to left field.

    I saw saw it go over the left fielder''s head and took off as fast as I could. I rounded second and looked to see that the ball had bounced off the outfield wall and the left fielder was already throwing it in. I hugged and tried my best to run a little harder.

    Mr. Miller held up both hands to signal a stop at third. Caught by surprise that they didn''t want me to run home, I tripped on third and fell on my knees. I scrambled to touch the bag just as the third baseman got the ball and tagged me.

    "Safe." The ump declared. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.

    I sighed with relief. I pushed myself up after the third baseman gave it back to his pitcher, then dusted myself off. I looked around and saw that Zeke had made it to second.

    "The outfielder got lucky from the bounce off the wall." Mr. Miller told me. "It bounced right back to him so I knew you weren''t going to make it. There''s only one out so there''ll be a chance for you to score on a long sac fly instead. You and Zeke could both score off a well hit single too."

    I nodded. I understood. It''d be better to have two on, one out instead of one on, two outs. He didn''t think I would be safe this time.

    After Zeke, Kelvin stepped up to the plate. He had previously struck out.

    "Take a lead." Mr. Miller said from behind me as the pitcher got set on the mound. I tensed but started to do so. Slowly. Inch by inch. "Kid, you can take a whole foot off the bag."

    I heard the third baseman stifle a laugh.

    The pitcher was right handed so it was easy for him to look my way. I scooted back to base and heard Mr. Miller sigh.

    The pitcher saw that I wasn''t going anywhere and turned back to Kelvin. He threw what looked to be a curve but...it didn''t break. Kelvin turned his back to hit to try and get out of the way, but the pitch hit into his elbow.

    "Shit!" I heard Kelvin yell, grasping his left elbow and bouncing around.

    Drew and Coach immediately came out of the dugout to check him out. That didn''t ease Kelvin''s pain. He was still moving back and forth like he wanted to run away from the pain. I knew the feeling.

    It didn''t take them long to decide that Kelvin had to go sit. Coach spoke with the umpire before having Bryce come out of the dugout with a helmet on. He ran to first base to be the pinch runner for Kelvin. Drew walked with Kelvin back to the dugout and probably would start some type of treatment process like ice and a painkiller.

    I looked up at Mr. Miller. "What will we do for catcher now?" With Kelvin being pulled out for injury, plus Jordan being unable to be put back in, we didn''t have any other catchers.

    Mr. Miller got close and leaned in towards my ear. "Shh. You''re not supposed to let the other team hear things like the fact that we don''t have another catcher. But don''t worry, we''ll figure out something. All these boys have played since they were little ones so someone''s bound to have played catcher before." He stood back up and went back to his coaches box. "Don''t forget to take a lead this time."

    Oh. I nodded, and started my slow inching off the bag. That makes sense though. This is the varsity level so it''s not like everyone only knows one position. That could be seen with Sean, who has played outfield and infield. Garret could play outfield and pitch. Bryce could too.

    I was probably the the only one stuck with one position. All due to my weak arm and lack of knowledge of the game. I was okay with it though. I like having Noah as a partner to help me with where to stand and turning double plays with him. The outfield sounds kind of lonely.

    The umpire called for the game to resume, with Mahki stepping up to the plate. Mahki had been hitless in a couple of games, but the last one where he broke that hitless streak, yet now it was looking like he was starting another one. He was 0-2 on the day with a flyout and a strikeout. A double right now could clear the bases, but really a single or walk to let us score one would be good enough to take the lead.

    The pitcher continued to be wild, throwing a few pitches in the dirt to give Mahki the 2-0 count. I peaked over my shoulder to see what Mr. Miller would sign for.

    Wait for a called strike.

    Yea, that''s smart. With this pitcher being all over the place and getting tired, there''s a good chance he''ll just crumble and walk Mahki.

    Too bad that''s not how it went. The pitcher corrected himself and went with a fastball in the strike zone. 2-1. Mr. Miller then had Mahki to swing at anything close. The pitcher threw a low fastball and got Mahki to swing and miss. 2-2. Mahki stepped out of the box as the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher. He took a few good practice swings and then did a deep breath in and out. He stepped back in the box.

    The pitcher wiped the sweat off just above his eyebrows. Got set. Checked the runners. Then started his motion. He chose a high fastball this time. Mahki started his swing and made a crack at the ball. A solid ''ding'' sound came from the bat as it launched the ball to the outfield.

    I turned and watched it, keeping a foot in third in case I needed to tag up. The crowd let out a gasps and our dugout started going crazy as everyone watched the ball soar over the left-center field wall.

    Home run! A grand slam in fact!

    I beamed as I ran to home plate. 2-1. Zeke wasn''t far behind me. 3-1. Then Bryce came next, practically skipping with happiness. 4-1. Mahki took his time jogging around the bases and looked happier than the rest of us. He touched home plate and the two others pounced on him, slapping his back and helmet. 5-1.

    I hesistated a second before sticking out my own hand. Mahki didn''t even think about it before giving my hand a hard slap. "Yea! Let''s get it!" He bounced back to the dugout, where more celebrations were waiting for him. We not only had the lead, but a good one now too.

 331 Game: @ Quincy High School 8

    All of us were back in the dugout which was filled with excitement as Sean was stepping up to bat.

    "That was just way too cool!" Noah joined me at our bags after going to congratulate Mahki. "I want to be able to do that some day!"

    I tilted my head. "Hit a home run or to be able to turn it into a grand slam?" I pulled out my glove and pushed my helmet away.

    "Both! Of course, it''ll take some time and training." He sat down beside me. "It''s not like Zeke was cranking out home runs all the time his freshmen year. Well...he could do it occasionally. But he was taller than I am at this age." He pouted. "Maybe a little more muscular too. I''ve gotta start lifting weights."

    That''ll be a no from me. I shook my head. I would never want to lift weights again. The first and only time was traumatic to the max. Plus... "Power isn''t the most important."

    Noah looked me in the eye. "Oh? Insight from the young batting prodigy himself? Please advise me!"

    I looked at his eager face, seeing that he was dead serious. "I''ve been thinking about it for awhile." At least I''ve been thinking about it since the confrontation on the bus. "I think the most important thing when it comes to batting is contact."

    His face fell. "Oh." He lost the pep he had before. Maybe because he''s been making contact half the time but still getting out.

    "The second most important thing should be placement. Contact doesn''t matter if it''s a pop out every time, right?"

    Noah perked back up. "Go on."

    "Another important trait for a hitter would be speed."

    "The speed of the bat? What? Why?"

    I shook my head. "No. Speed. Like how fast you run. Look at me... I can hit well, but I never go to second. Because I''m not fast enough. And I suck at sliding."

    "Yea, you really suck." He stuck his tongue out at me.

    I rolled my eyes. "Do you want to hear what I''m thinking or not?"

    "Please!" He switched back to his obedient look.

    "Well, you know how you''ve been working on hitting grounders instead of flying out or striking out?"

    "I try. Even though it hasn''t been working out."

    "And you''re fast. Almost the fastest on the team."

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    "Yea, I know." He bragged.

    I stopped and stared at him.

    "Oops, sorry, continue please." He folded his hands and put them in his lap, putting on an act of being well-behaved.

    I took a deep breath. "As I was saying, your fast, and even when you hit a grounder to an infielder, it''s always pretty close. So what if you could shave off a half, or maybe even full, second?"

    "I would be able to make it depending on the fielder and the throw, but how could I become a second faster?"

    "Hit from the left-handed box. That would put you closer to first. And, when you finish swinging, it''ll put you in a good position to sprint to first."

    There was a moment of silence between us. We were sound surrounded by groans as Sean had struck out swinging.

    "Your advice..." Noah started. "Is for me to become a lefty? Are you joking?"

    "Not a real lefty. Just bat lefty."

    "Jake...I''m not like you. I haven''t been hitting switch all of middle school. Heck, I don''t think I''ve ever even taken a fake stance to be a lefty. I don''t know where my hands would go, what my swing should look like, or anything like that."

    "Just be your own reflection." I told him.

    Noah shook his head. "You''re crazy. That''s horrible advice. Who knows how long I would have to practice for the swing to be even usable in a high level game like this. I''d probably be even worse."

    Oh. "Forget it then. It was just a thought." I mumbled. "I don''t really know how else to help you. Maybe Zeke can." After all, Zeke would know wat more than me.

    "Yea. I''ll have to have a talk with him and Coach about what I should do at the plate. Nothing''s working." He let out a sigh and slouched on the bench.

    I heard a ''ding'' and soon the dugout got loud as they cheered. I looked and saw Jason running the bases. Wait. Jason?

    I looked around and saw Chris sitting by himself with a gloomy expression. He must have been pulled and Jason was his pinch hitter.

    I looked back to the field where Jason was. He had stopped at second as the ball was returned to the pitcher. A standup double. I clapped along with the rest of the guys. In my opinion, I thought he was better than Chris. Not just because I like his attitude more, but also because he had a better batting average with the same level of fielding skill as Chris.

    Too bad Coach didn''t have a pinch hitter for Tony. He was never really good at the plate so it was hard for me to see why he was on the team. For his glove? Wouldn''t there be better outfielders on the lower levels? Or maybe we were stuck since Sean had to play first with Julian still being sat. I don''t know. It''s not like I could judge with my questionable fielding and decision making and sliding and running and...the list can probably go on.

    Tony grounded out to the second baseman ending our offensive. But we got some runs in so I didn''t see the need to worry. At least-not until I took the field with Noah and the other field player and realized that we didn''t have a pitcher or catcher come out.

    Coach came out and spoke with the umpire about the substitutions. Soon, Dave came out of the bullpen, and had jogged to the mound. That wasn''t as shocking as seeing a teammate run out of our dugout in full catcher''s gear to the mound. We had a third catcher? I squinted. Bryce. It was Bryce.

    I looked to Noah. Only to see him walking to the mound already. I soon realized that Sean and Jason were doing the same thing. Even Coach, who had finished talking to the ump, was going to the mound. I quickly jogged in as well so I wouldn''t be the only one left out.

    "I''m not going to lie to you guys, I haven''t played catcher since fourth grade." Bryce flat out stated while adjusting his chest protector. He fiddled with all the straps trying to get it all to fit together. "I don''t even know the signs. For pitching or fielding."

    "That''s on me." Coach arrived. "I didn''t think we would go through both catchers in one game." His frown seemed permanent. "We''ll have to make do with what we got for the next two innings. Bryce, you have good reaction speed and skill, I chose you because I know you won''t let a pitch pass by easily. You also have a strong enough arm to throw out a runner if needed."

    Dave held his glove up in front of his face to speak up. "It would have been better if Garret was still pitching. He had faced the lineup twice so he would know what to throw. I''m practically going in blind. Bryce doesn''t know anything either."

    Bryce shrugged, also helpless.

    "Also on me." Coach said firmly but still held his calm demeanor. "I took him out thinking of preserving him, but I didn''t think it would bite me back so soon. Between Jordan benching himself and Kelvin getting hurt, we''re in a tight spot. But we have breathing room. A four run lead. Dave, throw what you can. If you don''t know what to do, look to the dugout and I''ll give out some signs."

    Every one of us looked skeptical. Basically our game plan was: wing it.

    "Are you throwing some pitches for warmup or not? You have ten seconds." The umpire approached our cluster.

    "Look for me." Coach told us before going back to the dugout.

    Sean, me, Noah, and Jason all got off the mound and walked a few feet back to give Dave some room to throw a few pitches to Bryce.

    "Be on your toes." Noah told all of us. "Anything close, try your best to make a stab at it. I can already feel that this inning won''t be a good one."

    The three of us had nothing else to add. We were left without a senior to take control so it was up to Noah to command the infield. Jason was the oldest as a junior but he played even less than the three of us. Sean was a sophomore, yet this was also his first year on varsity. As for me, there''s nothing to say. I couldn''t compare to Noah when it came to fielding.

 332 Game: @ Quincy High School 9

    The bottom of the sixth would start from the very top of the lineup for Quincy. Dave finished his warmup with Bryce and the leadoff batter stepped up to the plate. He had a walk and a strikeout so far on the day, but who could say what would happen now with a new pitcher/catcher combo.

    Sure enough, Bryce didn''t give out any signs with his fingers after squatting behind the plate. He just stared intently at Dave, waiting to see what he would do and where he would throw. The pitch came, and Bryce adjusted his glove to where it would land, but it was pointless because the batter ripped it away. I tried to jump for the ball, but the line drive was just too high. With Sean at first, and Noah moving to cover second, I went out to the grass to be the cutoff. The line drive had dropped between Zeke and Tony and rolled to the fence. Zeke picked it up, spun, took a look to see the runner going for two. He took a skip and threw the ball straight to Noah at second, completely ignoring me. Understandable with an arm like that.

    The runner slid into second just as Noah caught his brother''s throw. He tagged the runner.

    "Safe!" The umpire declared.

    A leadoff double.

    Noah threw the ball back to Dave on the mound. Dave received it, but then looked down at his pitching hand. He had formed a fist and was looking at his fingers. He only gave it a second look before getting set again.

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    Batter two had hit into a double play in the first inning, and then reached on an error in the third. My error. He was the bunter. I looked to Coach in the dugout to see if he would have any instructions. None. I put my focus back on the batter. He wasn''t showing bunt, but I won''t rule that out completely.

    I started to creep in, staying on the dirt, but prepared to run on the grass. I didn''t want to repeat my last error again.

    Dave threw his pitch. Ball. He tried again. Ball.

    Bryce hesitated in his crouching position, but ultimately decided to stay where he was. Dave played with the ball in his hands before calming down. He faced the batter and threw a fastball in the strike zone. I heard a grunt but it was overshadowed by the ''ding'' of the aluminum bat. None of us infielders had a chance at it as it was a shot down the first baseline.

    Tony chased it to the corner. From that position, he didn''t try to throw the runner out at second directly, like Zeke did. Not only was he further than Zeke but his arm wasn''t as strong. So he threw to me, and I turned with the ball. The runner from second had scored and the batter had reached second. Crud.

    I walked the ball in, intending to throw it back to Dave on the mound, but he was bent over holding his hand. His pitching hand.

    "Noah!" I yelled. He was focused on the play too and didn''t see that his brother was bent over and looked to be in pain.

    "Ump, time." Noah told the nearby umpire before running to the mound. He wasn''t the only one. Bryce, Sean, and Jason started to jog in. Even Coach came out of the dugout.

    Before I even reached them, Noah was waving at the dugout and saying, "Drew!"

    That can''t be good.

    I reached shortly after Coach.

    "What''s happening?" Drew showed up, with the head umpire not too far behind him. "Is it your wrist? Arm? Elbow?"

    "It''s my freakin'' finger." Dave groaned. He was still grasping his hand, and shifting foot to foot.

    "Let me see." Drew commanded calmly, reaching out to him.

    I felt a tug on my jersey and saw Noah beside me, shaking his head. "Let''s step back. You don''t want to see this."

    It was too late of a warning, I already saw the damage to Dave''s finger. To be more precise, his fingernail. His middle fingernail was ripped in half and blood was leaking out.

    Dave let out a string of curses as Drew took a look.

    Noah dragged me away, and the other three teammates joined us off to the side.

    "Shoot." Bryce muttered. "I knew something was off. He wasn''t completely focused on pitching and kept looking at his hand like a bug was on it."

    "Is he going to be okay?" I asked.

    "It''s just a ripped nail." Noah patted my shoulder.

    "Just?" Bryce repeated. "For a pitcher, the middle fingernail is one of the most important tools for pitching."

    "Won''t he be fine after they rip it off and the bleeding stops?" Jason asked. "Yea, it''ll hurt but surely it won''t be that bad."

    "You don''t get it because you don''t pitch." Bryce shook his head. "The fingernails helps with control and spin rate. Dave is going to be done for not only this game, but at least a week. Maybe more depending on how messed up the nail bed is."

    Silence fell among the four of us.

    Besides incoherent chatter from the crowd, we could hear Dave cursing and Drew trying to soothe him. Coach patted Dave''s shoulder and walked him back to the dugout with Drew. He then came back out and signaled to the bullpen.

    James came running out and met us with Coach.

    Coach looked around at our group. "So far, not so good. I''m not going to lie, even with Dave it didn''t look good. Just because there''s no signs doesn''t mean you can''t play." He focused on James. "With Dave going out on injury, the umps will give you enough time to warm up properly so don''t rush. Just be calm and steady. One out at a time." He looked to Bryce. "James will undoubtably throw curves so try and not let too many pass you. Do the best you can."

    The group had a solem feel to it.

    "You guys still have a three run lead. Try not to give it up, but just know that if you do, you''ll have a chance to come back in the seventh to take it back. This isn''t the last inning, got it?"

    "Got it!" They answered. I just nodded. I believe in Coach; he hasn''t steered me wrong so I doubt he would do that to the team. If he believes that we can still win, then we can.

 333 Game: @ Quincy High School 10

    Coach went back to the dugout, as us fielders left James on the mound so he could warmup with Bryce. The umpire gave him a few minutes starting with regular throwing and then working his way up to pitching.

    Noah spoke with Jason about some MLB teams as the season was about to start this weekend, while my eyes wandered around. The fans in the stands were 90% parents and the rest looked to be friends or classmates. I wonder if that would have been me if Noah didn''t force me to tryout for the team. Would I still watch? I don''t think I would have been able to cut it on the freshmen or JV team. The Atkins had to take care of me so much, stand up for me, comfort me, so without them, I wouldn''t be playing again. Not like I played in the first place.

    I looked to the outfield. Zeke stood in position with his arms folded across his chest. Mahki and Tony had both went in to join him in center field, probably chatting like we do for the infield.

    I felt a heavy hand land on my shoulder, causing me to jump. I looked over my right shoulder to see Sean smiling down at me. "They''re ready to start. Let''s get back in place."

    I looked around and saw that Noah and Jason had already gotten back in position. With a glance to the outfield, I saw the two running back to their corners.

    "Okay." I moved as well. It was still the bottom of the sixth with no outs. It''s like we were standing still, yet worse because we gave up a run.

    The third batter stepped up and James started the showdown. Unlike Garret and Dave, James didn''t use a fastball. He started with a curve, and got the batter to chase it outside. Then threw one that the batter was able to foul back. The third pitch was smacked down the third baseline but went foul as well. This batter was ready to score a run. I watched as he launched the fourth pitch to left field. Mahki chased it to the wall, jumped, but came down empty-handed. A homerun. For them. The two runs scored made it 5-4.

    Noah was the first to react. With positivity, of course. He just clapped with his glove a few times. "Don''t mind it. Still ahead. Just think of starting this inning all over again." He raised his voice for everyone to hear. "No outs! Play is at first!"

    James, as a senior, didn''t look bothered at all. Not about giving up a run or two, and he didn''t bother with Noah''s talk. He just got a new ball from Bryce and focused on the next batter. The cleanup hitter had previously lineout to left field and had a walk. This time he hit a single to left field by squeezing a grounder down the line. Mahki was super fast with a sprint in, barehanded it, and threw immediately to Noah. Noah turned and saw me alone at second. The runner had stayed. I guess since they were only one run down, they didn''t want to take too many risks.

    I sighed and moved back to my position.

    James faced batter five. Someone who had singled and had a groundout. So 1-2. The runner on first took a pretty big lead even though Sean was on the bag, looking ready for a pickoff.

    I looked to the dugout, but Coach didn''t give any signs. Not even for a pickoff attempt.

    James didn''t even look. He was solely focused on his pitching actions and not concerned about the runner. He pitched a curve that looked to be coming at the batter but broke inside. The batter didn''t flinch as he swung through it, connecting with the ball before taking off to first. The grounder was hit between Jason and Noah. Jason missed, but Noah got to it before the ball could reach the outfield grass. I was already at second base, covering, but it was too late. The runner on first was already here after getting such a good jump.

    Noah reacted quickly and threw the ball to first to beat out the hitter for the first out. Thankfully.

    "One out!" Noah hollered.

    James didn''t mind it. He ended up wasting a couple of pitches on the next batter, who fought hard for a walk. We were back to two on, one out, and James pitch count was climbing. James just continued to challenge the next batter. Luckily, we caught a break with him hitting a grounder straight to Jason, who then threw the ball to Noah on second, and then Noah to Sean to get the batter out at first. A 5-6-3 double play. Not one we see often but good enough to get out of the inning.

    It felt like the whole team had let out a collective sigh once everyone was back to the dugout.

    Top of the seventh. We would start with Noah.

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    We both got our helmets on, grabbed our bats, and left the dugout. After a glance behind, we saw that James had also put on a helmet.

    "Looks like Coach wants him to finish the game." Noah remarked as Quincy warmed up.

    "Can he do it?" I asked in a low voice. "Not to sound mean, but he looked oddly calm even when giving up baserunners."

    Noah shrugged, just as clueless as me. "Every pitcher has their quirk. We''ve already made it this far. Why complicate things further with bringing in another pitcher. Heck, we don''t even have a proper catcher right now. I say, we should score some more and give ourselves some breathing room again."

    I nodded in agreement.

    The ump called for Noah to step up and he did so, leaving me alone in the on deck circle. Quincy had put in a new pitcher of their own, who started off with some bad pitches in the dirt. He walked Noah on all four balls.

    I stepped up, happy for my friend. Now if I can just get a good hit, I''m sure he''d be able to run all the way home. Sadly, things didn''t go to plan. I had let a couple of balls pass before deciding to swing on something close, hitting a grounder up the middle. The shortstop dove, getting a glove on it. He flipped it up to his second baseman, and he tagged the base before throwing to first. A 6-4-3 double play. Crap.

    I dragged my bat and myself back to the dugout. Noah wasn''t too far behind.

    James didn''t do any better by flying out to center field. We were stuck with our one run lead.

    We took the field for one last go at defense. James got on the mound, still looking the same. Bryce did his best to catch the curves, not letting his focus drop at all. And it paid off. James got the batter to strikeout swinging, but Bryce had dropped the ball so the batter was able to run for first. Bryce found the ball, then threw to Sean at first, ensuring the out.

    James curves seemed to be more effective on the bottom of the lineup. Batter nine could only hit a high but short fly to center for the second out.

    The leadoff batter was up once again. The crowd all stood up and started to clap for him, hoping for something to happen. Meanwhile, I was hoping for nothing. No action please. And James delivered; he was able to strike him out as well to end the game. The crowd let out groans of disappointment, while we went back to the dugout in better spirits. It really wasn''t looking good for a second there.

    "Listen up." Coach demanded our attention when we all got inside the dugout. "I won''t take too much of your time tonight. Pack up, get on the bus, and let''s get you all home. It''ll be late, so you all better go to bed once you get home. I don''t want to see any red eyes in the morning."

    "We''re having practice tomorrow morning?" Bryce asked, shrugging off all the catcher gear. "Shouldn''t we make it later? Like after lunch? It''s the last day of spring break."

    Coach''s eyes narrowed. "We barely escaped with that win. We have problems that need addressing before Saturday''s game. Be at the school field at 8am tomorrow. If you''re not there, then I''ll take that as your resignation from the team."

    A heavy silence followed. Some eyes were cast to Jordan at the end of the dugout, but no one spoke up.

 334 Changes 1

    Somber was the theme of the bus ride. We had barely escaped with a win against Quincy at the varsity level, while the two lower levels had suffered losses. All coaches at all levels wore unpleasant looks, but nothing was said. Even after getting back to the school, the coaches only said reminders to show up in the morning.

    "Do you think we''ll be in trouble?" I asked Noah as we walked back to the car with his brothers.

    "Why would you think that you''d be in trouble?" Kyle asked, raising an eyebrow.

    Uhhh, lots of reasons. The altercation on the bus. My error. Jordan walking off. Chris being benched. Barely getting by in the game.

    "Whatever it is, it won''t be too bad." Dave stated. His middle finger had been wrapped up and was told to get it looked at tomorrow by a specialist if he could. "We have a game on Saturday, so even if Coach wants to make us run, it won''t be the worst."

    I didn''t believe him for a second. Rightfully so.

    "Easy for you to say." Noah snorted. "You''ll probably miss in order to go to the doctor."

    "He won''t. You all heard Coach." Zeke spoke up. "If you''re not there, then you''re off the team."

    Dave waved his bandaged finger. "Injuries are inexcusable?!?"

    "Julian will be there." Zeke unlocked his car and we started to throw our bags in the trunk. "Do you really want a gimp showing you up? You only have a torn up nail."

    "What if that''s the only time I can see the doctor?" Dave grumbled.

    "It''s not like you can pitch any time soon." Zeke told him. "I''m sure Mom will get you in after practice."

    "Do you know what''s going to happen tomorrow?" I spoke up, looking at Zeke. He seemed very intent on making sure Dave will show up.

    Zeke looked down at me. "Sometimes things have to fall apart so something better can be put together." He got in the driver''s seat. "Get in. Let''s go home and get some sleep."

    We followed.

    I wanted to ask what he meant by that, but it didn''t seem appropriate. And when I wanted to ask Noah after my shower, he was already asleep. I guess the only way to find out, was to wait for tomorrow.

    ***

    I don''t really like mornings. It''s too cold, I''m too tired, and I''m too cranky. Being at the field early means waking up even earlier. After sleeping in for almost a week, it was hard to come to terms with it. Not like Zeke gave me a choice.

    He hurried us through the morning routine of waking up and eating breakfast, then got us to the field. But, we were turned away.

    Mr. Miller stood guard before the clubhouse. "We''re meeting at the track. Make sure you''re wearing your running shoes."

    I felt my heart drop.

    We trudged our gear to the track, which was supposedly used for football practice in the fall and for track runners in the spring. Too bad it was wide open for us to use now. Everyone started to trickle in and lace up their running shoes. And I mean everyone. All three teams started to appear and it was a sight to behold. Almost 70-80 teenage boys of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

    I nervously looked to some of the familiar faces from the bus confrontation. They looked to be with the freshmen group.

    "Line it up." Coach told Zeke before passing him by. Coach joined the group of coaches off to the side and started conducting a meeting of some sort.

    Zeke stepped forward on the grass, heading towards the center. He looked at the group of high schoolers and raised his voice. "Lineup on the sideline. We''ll conduct our regular warmup." Not everyone had quieted down as he spoke. His eyes narrowed, spotting the offenders. "Lynch! Bhullar! And Shaw! Two laps! Now."

    The three went quiet, but still took off around the track.

    "Follow my lead." Zeke came back to the sideline, but stayed centered. Everyone didn''t waste any time to get on the line and started following Zeke in the warmups of jogging and stretching. It went on for twenty minutes before we finished. Zeke motioned for us to stay before going to join the coaches.

    The whole lot of them then walked to center, just yards away from the sideline. Zeke stood at the end of the line of coaches, looking over every one of us.

    Coach stepped forward. "I''ve been hearing of many problems and issues this past week. I''ve listened to them all, from every level, and from every coach." His voice rang loud and clear in the early morning. "And I''ve got to say...I''m not happy that you''re not happy. Not because I care about making everyone happy, but because I care about winning. Learning. Teamwork. Effort." He looked up and down the line. "I''ll start with my own team. I have seniors who think they''re above all just because of their age. Seniors who think they can decide when they''ll play and when they won''t."

    I realized that I haven''t seen Jordan this morning. I tried peeking up and down the line, but it was too crowded to find one guy.

    "I''ve got news for you all, but I''m the Coach. Surprise." Coach continued. "That means I make the decisions. I decide who plays what, where, and when. Yesterday, we had a player who took exception to the rules and left on his own. You know what I say to that? Good. Leave. We have plenty of players that want to step up and play in a varsity game. You boys are at the age where the difference in skill is almost minuscule unless you''re a star." He jerked his thumb back at Zeke. "Tell you what...when anyone gets to Zeke''s level, they can start telling me how they want to play."

    The group remained silent. Obviously Coach was more than a little upset. I gripped my hands together, interlocking my fingers.

    "I don''t think you boys understand how cutthroat high school baseball is." Coach started to pace up and down the line of players. "This isn''t just a recreational team put together for fun and will get participation trophies. In order to get that trophy at the end, you have to win. In order to win, we have tryouts to pick players for the teams and start the training process." He spotted someone in the line and pointed at him. "Alex! Step forward." A tall guy with a wide build took a few steps out of line to stand apart. "Why don''t you tell everyone what happened your freshman year?"

    Alex looked a little sheepish as he turned to look at all of us. "As a freshman, I didn''t make the team. Any team. At all."

    "And here you are." Coach said. "Tell them, was it me who just gave you a spot out of the goodness in my heart?"

    Alex shook his head. "No. I had to work for it. I got my hands on a training schedule from a minor league team and used that as guidance to become a better player. My whole freshman year was spent on it."

    "And here you are." Coach nodded. "Alex did it right. We told him, he wasn''t good enough. Instead of complaining that he was better than so-and-so or just flat out quitting, he chose to work harder. All by himself." He nodded again to Alex. "Thanks for the effort you''ve put in. I''d like to invite you to tryout for the varsity team again. This afternoon."

    Alex widened his eyes and looked as surprised as the rest of us. "Really?"

    "Yes." Coach started his pacing again. "We had a player depart from the team last night. Jordan Sanders is no longer on the team. And if that wasn''t enough, Kelvin Bender got hurt midgame. Sanders put our record at risk for some ego b.s. that I can''t stand. If you got a problem, bring it up to a coach. Don''t take it out on your team."

    His eyes roamed towards the freshmen team at one end. "Even if it''s a different level. We all represent one school here. No one here should be putting down a fellow ball player. Of any sort." I tensed up. He definitely knows about the bus thing. The coach must have mentioned it.

    A hand was raised. I recognized it as Austin.

    Coach didn''t look bothered by someone interrupting his speech so maybe he isn''t that mad. "Yes?"

    "Coach Wilcox, I have a problem. A problem with your current varsity roster." Austin put out there. "I believe nepotism is taking place. That''s the only reason that can explain why Noah Atkins is still starting even with his horrendous batting average."

    "Freakin'' shithead." I heard Noah mutter under his breath.

    I nodded in agreement. What kind of teammate just calls out another one for being in a slump? Didn''t Coach just say not to put one another down?

    Coach didn''t refute him. He just nodded. "Alright." His eyes scanned the line. "If you and anyone else feels that way, they can attend this afternoon''s practice which will be held like a tryout. I''ll be accepting catchers, infielders, and outfielders. No need for pitchers. Any current varsity player who feels threatened by this tryout, may attend as well to solidify your spot on the team."

    Most of the teens started to talk amongst themselves, excited about what could be.

    "Shut it. This isn''t free time." Coach commanded, raising his voice. "I''m still mad about everyone''s attitude and lack of effort. This morning, we will be running. Running short and long distances. More than half of you look like you have too much energy..so much so, that you even think of putting others down." He looked to his line of coaches. "Start them with shuttle sprints."

    Coach then looked to that Austin guy. "As for you, since you think you have the same ability as Noah, why don''t you play a game of cat and mouse with him." He looked our way. "Noah!"

    "Yes!" Noah stepped up.

    "You and him will be running around the track. And I mean running." He emphasized. "You''ll be the mouse. He will be the cat, trying to catch you. You two won''t stop until the cat gets the mouse, or the mouse bites the back of the cat. Understand?"

    "Yes!" Noah took off on the spot. He got off the grass and onto the track and started his run. The run that I wouldn''t be able to keep up with.

    "You better get going, son." Coach told Austin. "If I see him catch you, then I don''t think you''re ready for varsity."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.

    Austin clenched his fist, turned on his heel, and started to run on the track as well.

    "Coach? Will I also be doing shuttle sprints?" Dave asked, raising his bandaged hand.

    Coach frowned as if having an internal debate before giving a nod. "Do the best you can. Until the throbbing becomes too much. Do you have an appointment set up yet?"

    Dave nodded. "Mom made it for after lunch." He looked guilty. "Am I going to be in trouble if I miss the afternoon practice?"

    Coach shook his head. "It''s completely voluntary. I prefer if the pitchers didn''t come anyways. Less people present means less work for me." He looked to his coaches. "Time them for the sprints!" He turned and walked off to the side, eyes following the two running laps on the track.

    I swallowed down as much anxiety as I could.

 335 Changes 2

    The morning practice was straight running. Run this way, run that way, speed up, slow down. We ran the short side of the inner field, and then the long ways. Everyone took part, from freshmen to Zeke, even Dave ran. Of course, he stayed beside me the whole time under the pretense of making sure I didn''t overwork myself, when in actuality he just wanted to look fast against a slow runner like me. I was only slightly offended.

    Our running wasn''t as bad as Noah''s though...or Austin''s, I guess. While we had short breaks in between each sprint, they had to run continuously. Noah was crazy fast and caught up to the Austin kid after a few laps, but Coach didn''t let it end there.

    "Again." He would say.

    Noah would pass up Austin, take a few more laps, catch up and Coach would say ''again'' over and over. It was getting to the point where I was confused if Coach was punishing Austin or punishing Noah.

    During a water break, I worked up the courage to walk to Zeke. I poked him in the arm and earned his unwavering attention. "Is Coach mad at Noah?"

    Zeke pulled his water bottle away from his lips. "Why would you think that?"

    l glanced at my best friend who was still running laps. "He''s been running for a long time."

    The corner of Zeke''s mouth upturned, as he also took a glance at his brother. "He''s got something to prove."

    Oh. I nodded and left him alone.

    The running practice continued until the sun rose a little higher.

    Coach finally called it quits and released us from the torture. But not without some parting words. "I expect better from all of you. No more division among us when we all represent the same team." He looked at our sweat-soaked bodies. "This afternoon, I will hold the mini-tryout. Catchers are especially welcomed. Everyone else should think twice. It won''t be easy to replace anyone else on the team that doesn''t voluntarily leave. You can''t just be on the same level, you have to be a step above."

    "As for the original members, you don''t have to show up, but if you feel threatened or insecure about your spot on the team, then you can come. Bring the very best you''ve got." He continued.

    "What if we feel secure in our spot?" Jason spoke up. "Mentally, I mean. But then you decide someone is better. Would we lose our spot and be sent to JV?"

    Coach grinned, but it definitely didn''t come off as good-natured. "Doesn''t sound like your confident." His eyes swept over the varsity players. "Like I said, this is optional. If you treat it that way, then me treating you as just another option is as expected." His eyes narrowed and smile disappeared. "2pm. If you''re late, don''t bother stepping onto the field." He turned his back on us and joined the coaches for a mini-meeting.

    "So, not optional at all." Kyle muttered under his breath. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.

    Zeke shot him a glance, but didn''t say anything. He just packed up and started to head for the parking lot.

    "What." Noah huffed a little, still out of breath from his hour and a half run. "Didn''t he say pitchers didn''t need to show up?"

    "Yea, pitchers for the tryouts." Kyle said, picking up his own bag and started to follow Zeke. We did the same. "But you heard him at the end, he wants the whole varsity team to show up this afternoon."

    "So...it''s not an option at all..?" I asked, trudging along.

    Dave laughed and slapped me on the back. "What are you scared of? You''re average is probably second best in the league let alone the team. Why worry? Just show up and flex your hitting skills."

    "I''m no good at confrontations." I gulped. I started to imagine all the players who want my spot, coming up to me to demand a showdown of some sort.

    Dave laughed some more and Kyle joined in.

    Noah patted my shoulder. "Jake, it''s just a tryout. Not a fight. We''ll just show up, do work, go home. Nothing will change."

    His statement already held an error. Something has already changed. Jordan was gone, and Kelvin was hurt. At the very least, two new players would join, depending how bad off Kelvin is.

    Kelvin? I frowned. "Where was Kelvin today? Julian showed up to sit on the sidelines." And a few others that I guess were injured. "Is he-"

    "He''s seeing an orthopedic surgeon." Zeke told us once we got to the car. "Coach said that the X-rays weren''t good late last night so they kept him at the hospital. Coach might know more by the afternoon practice."

    I gulped and I wasn''t the only one. All the boys looked depressed over the news that one of our starters might be on the injured list for the next few months, ruling him out for the season. Hopefully no worse than that. It''s his senior year after all.

    "Okay, that''s enough gossip." Zeke opened the driver''s door. "Let''s get home and washed up before an early lunch. Then we''ll come to the field together."

    We got into the car as well.

    "Do we really have to wash up if we''re just going to get dirty again?" Noah groaned. "I''m staying like this."

    "That''s not very hygienic of you." Kyle pointed out. "Plus, you might not get a choice if Mom or Dad is home."

    "Zeke, you''ll remind Coach that I have a doctor appointment this afternoon, right?" Dave ignored the other two and focused on his eldest brother. "Mom will take me after lunch, but who knows how long it''ll take or what that can even do about my nail."

    Zeke gave a nod and Dave sat back with relief.

    Kyle and Noah discussed hygiene all the way home, where we found out Kyle to be right. Their mom was already starting to make lunch when she came out of the kitchen and told us to take showers.

    "If you don''t, then I won''t let you watch the game while eating lunch." Mrs. Atkins threatened when she saw Noah about to argue.

    Noah clammed up, sprinted up the stairs, and was already in the shower by the time I got to the room. I guess Noah was really excited about the MLB season starting.

 336 Changes 3

    I showered after him and got dressed in some comfortable sweatpants and a t-shirt. By the time I got downstairs, most of the boys had gathered in the living room. In front of the couch, a folding table was propped up and was completely covered with food. The only one missing was Dave.

    Noah patted the end of the couch, where he had left an empty seat. "Here! I didn''t think you would want to sit in the middle."

    "Thanks." I went and sat down. "Where''s Dave?"

    "He''s still showering." Kyle told me as he filled his plate with some fruits. "He had to go last. Since he doesn''t have to go to the second practice."

    Okay, sure. I started to fill up a plate of my own. "Is your mom and dad not going to join us?"

    "Dad''s working in the office. Mom said she''s not hungry yet and will just let us be." Noah said between bites of his sandwich. "She doesn''t always let us watch tv while eating, ya know."

    I nodded. I kind of got that. His parents were really big on family meal times. They always ate together without the distraction of cellphones and other electronics. It was almost out of a sitcom, except it was real. The bickering, the jokes, the sincerity. I never had that before. With my mom, I was on my own for food. There was a place that would pass out some cans of soup, then I''d go home and have to warm it up on the stovetop. I never ate with my mom. Not that I can remember. It was just me, fighting off my hunger even though I had a parent that was supposed to provide. The absentee parent wasn''t any better. Can''t get food from someone you never see.

    I filled up my plate with the assortment of food that Mrs. Atkins had prepared and started to chow down. I halfheartedly listened to Noah as he talked about the opening outlook of all the MLB teams. He wasn''t just knowledgeable on his favorite teams, but on every team.

    I started to doze off when his attention shifted to the game that was on. The Oakland A''s were playing in Boston so he was focusing on whether the team could start the season off with a win.

    "Hey, if you want to nap, go to your bed." Zeke patted my shoulder, causing me to jump in my sleepy state. "You''ll get a stiff neck if you sleep on the couch. Rest properly."

    I nodded weakly as I forced myself up on my feet. I looked at the messy table and frowned, wondering if I should help clean.

    "Don''t worry about it." Noah waved me away. "You look beat. Just go lie down and we''ll wake you before practice."

    I smiled with relief and started to drag myself up the stairs.

    "Where ya going?" Dave asked at the top of the stairs with freshly wet hair.

    "Bed." I told him.

    "Ah, you need a nap? Was this morning too hard on you?" Dave asked.

    I shrugged. "Not too bad. Just normal tired." I sent a glance down the stairs. "I don''t know how Noah isn''t tired." He ran a longer distance at a faster pace. He looked more like a cross-country runner than a baseball player.

    Dave laughed. "Don''t worry about Noah. He has endless energy. I''m sure he''s even bouncing with excitement that there''s a second practice today."

    "Dave! Let''s get moving!" I heard Mrs. Atkins called from downstairs.

    "Well, that''s my cue. Hopefully I''ll be back in time for practice. If not, I''ll try and get Mom to drop me off there afterwards." He made a move to go down the stairs that I had just come up. "Laters." He lifted the injured hand to wave.

    "I hope it''s not too bad." I told him.

    Dave stopped and turned back to look at me. His smile was nice and big like he was going for ice cream and not to the doctors office. "It won''t be. It''s just a nail. I won''t be out for too long." He smirked. "Can''t let Kyle have all the limelight."

    "Don''t you mean Garret?" Wasn''t he the best pitcher.

    Dave just laughed as he turned away and ran down the stairs. "Rivalry between teammates is way different than between brothers. I''m okay to admit that Garret is better than me, but not Kyle. We have the same genes after all." He waved one last time before heading to the front door, where I''m sure that Mrs. Atkins was waiting.

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    I went to the room I shared with Noah, and laid on my bed. I wonder what Dave meant by the rivalry comment. Does he mean that his rivalry with Kyle is more important than the one with Garret just because they''re related? Like because they have the same genes, no one has more of an innate advantage over the older? Is it because they''re twins? But Noah and Zeke are also competitive too.

    It''s not like they had to compete for more love from their parents. From what I can tell, they loved all their kids equally and one wasn''t favored over the others. Even Zeke would get in trouble with his parents regardless of his skill in baseball.

    This line of thinking led me to another: why did my dad take my brother but not me? Was it because I was too young? Was it because my brother was old enough to make the decision to leave my mom too? I had a lot of unanswered questions regarding why I was left behind.

    This would be the only reason why I would want to find my father. My brother. To ask why. Why they left? Why they didn''t take me too? Why they never kept in touch or even came back?

    Will I be okay if I never get these answers? Maybe. As long as I didn''t come across them. I could just bury these thoughts along with the thoughts of why my mom wasn''t a normal mom.

    Between the morning sprints and my after lunch thoughts, my eyes started to close and my breathing became more even.

 337 Midseason Tryout 1

    "Wow. Did everyone come?" Noah gasped as we walked down to the field. The four of us headed to the varsity field and were surrounded by the same boys from the morning. It really did look like everyone came to this ''optional'' practice.

    "Of course." Kyle snorted. "If they didn''t show up, Coach would think they''re not serious about baseball. They might not all participate in the tryout though because they have self awareness."

    "Then what will they be doing?" I asked, stifling a yawn. I had a restless nap so I felt even more tired than before. It took Noah a lot of effort to get me out of bed in order to make this practice on time.

    "Spectating, most likely." Kyle shrugged. "That''s what I plan to be doing. But unlike these fools who have to sit in the stands, I''ll get to watch from the dugout. It''ll be a good view." He reached out for Noah''s head, and twisted his hat back and forth. "Good luck out there. Try not to disgrace yourself and my last name."

    Noah slapped his hand away and fixed his baseball hat. "Shut up. I don''t need you to tell me that."

    I started to worry. "What''s going to happen?"

    "Coach will probably hold it like a normal tryout." Kyle told me.

    "I-I-I haven''t had to attend a tryout before. In middle school, they only let me use the batting cages. And here, all I had to do was hit a few pitches." I stumbled.

    "It''s like that." Noah cut in before Kyle could say anything. "Coach will just ask us to field a few grounders, catch a few pop-ups, and hit a few balls in the cage. Just like practice."

    "Except you''re getting graded." Kyle added. "And you''re up against others. It''s a head to head competition. You versus every other second baseman that wants your spot." He laughed at my stricken expression. "I don''t think you''ll lose your spot. You have the second best batting average in the whole league so it''d be hard to knock someone like you out of the lineup."

    "But I''m not the best fielder out there." Heck, not even an average fielder. I probably make one or two mistakes a game.

    "Yea, but you can bat. Coach likes hitting more because that''s how you score and win games. I''m not saying that you can just tank in fielding. Just be calm and do what you normally do. Then be excellent in the batting test." Kyle looked to Noah with an evil grin. "It''s Noah we have to worry about. He hasn''t been any good at the plate lately and that''s why the other freshmen are getting restless."

    I looked to him, feeling more worried.

    Noah rolled his eyes at his brother. "Just sit back and watch me show them up. Again." He gave me a reassuring smile. "Jake, don''t panic so much. You have to know that I''ve beat them out for the spot the first time around in the fall." He flexed. "I''m even better now."

    "Yea, but they should be better too." Zeke spoke up suddenly. "They''re also working to a higher goal."

    Noah looked up at Zeke and raised an eyebrow. "Who says I''m not working to a higher goal too?"

    Zeke gave a light smile, patted Noah''s head, then walked ahead of us to go straight to the dugout where our team was.

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    "What''s the higher goal?" I asked.

    Noah grinned. "Zeke. Obviously. He''s the best in the county. Good at everything. I want to be able to do the same."

    "Well you''re off to a good start." Kyle told him. "You made varsity as a freshman when he didn''t." He moved his eyebrows up and down. "Hopefully you don''t lose your spot."

    Noah shoved him away. "Jerk. Get lost."

    Kyle laughed and moved to where some of the pitchers had gathered in the dugout.

    Noah and I went to our usual spot and started to change into our cleats.

    "Are you going to be okay?" Noah asked me as we got our gear to have it ready.

    I shrugged. "I mean, Kyle said I''d be okay, right?"

    Noah nodded. "Good. Just be crazy good in the cage and then treat the fielding like practice. It''s not your position that''s in jeopardy."

    I swallowed kind of hard. "Is your position in jeopardy?"

    He shook his head. "Nah, not too much. The batting cages isn''t like facing a real varsity level pitcher. So I shouldn''t struggle too much. As for fielding, that''ll be easy."

    My shoulders sagged in relief.

    "All players trying out for the varsity team should gather in the outfield." Coach spoke up, loud and clear for everyone to hear. "Zeke will lead warmups. Then I''ll divide you all into groups. Like in the Fall, all coaches will have clipboards to score you accordingly. There''ll be multiple coaches at each location to ensure equality." He looked at Zeke. "Take them away."

    Zeke, who was already geared up with cleats and glove, stood tall. "Let''s go." He jogged to the outfield.

    A big group of us followed after him. Besides the regular varsity players, at least twenty new faces joined us, making the outfield line feel a little crowded. That didn''t bother Zeke at all. He led us through our normal warmup, which must be conducted at every level because no one seemed surprised or anything.

    After warming up, Coach started to divide us into smaller groups.

    "Group One: Zeke, Tony, Mahki, Sean, Jason, Chris, Trevor, Austin, and Joseph." He announced. "Group Two: Daniel, John Roberts, Noah, Zach, Brett, Korrey, Sahid, and Mitch." Wait. I didn''t hear my name. "Group Three: Jake. Hank. Timothy. Evan. Kameron. Tanner. And Dillion."

    I stopped listening to the other groups. I poked Noah. "We''re not in the same group. What am I going to do?"

    Noah patted my shoulder. "Just do you. We talked about it already. We don''t have to be in the same group to keep our spots on the team. You''re going to be just fine."

 338 Midseason Tryout 2

    I don''t know how Noah can say I''ll be just fine, when I''m surrounded by strangers. I don''t do well with strangers.

    Coach assigned the groups to ''stations'' where two coaches were at each one. I was forced to right field where a coach would hit high, fly balls at us and mix in some line drives.

    It was a cool afternoon at 70 degrees (Fahrenheit) but I was sweating hardcore. My armpits felt soak and my face was burning. I was stiff as a board as I walked to right field.

    A quick glance at my group members told me I was right to be nervous and scared. My group had six other guys in it and I knew no one. At all. Not even an inkling. They all stood together and were chatting together, making me feel even more alone.

    "Hey-o!" A heavy slap hit my shoulder. "You look like you''re about to pee your pants." I looked up and found Garret smiling down at me.

    "What-what are you doing here?" I spat out, scared that he would attract unwanted attention from the other six guys.

    Garret grinned, holding up his glove. "I''m here for the tryout."

    "Pitchers don''t need to tryout." One of the guys walk to the two of us. He was watched by the other five. "What are you really doing over here?"

    "Ah, but you forget Kam, I''m also an outfielder." Garret smiled. "I don''t want Coach to think that I''m not serious about playing." He then threw his left arm around my shoulders. "Plus, I can''t let you guys bully my boy over here. We don''t have too many lefty''s on the team. We have to stick together."

    Kam snorted and went back to the group.

    With just me and Garret, I felt a little more comfortable. Not completely. But at least I know him and whatnot. "Garret...I''m not a lefty..."

    "But you bat left-handed so it''s the same thing." Garret let go of me.

    I dont think it is, but I let it be.

    "Gather around!" One of two coaches yelled out. All eight of us jogged in and formed a small circle. The same coach spoke up. "This will be really simple. Each of you will have to field ten balls back to us. I''ll be the one to hit them in your general direction. All you have to do is make the catch, then throw it back to Coach Jace. Back up to the baseline and form a line. I don''t care how you do it."

    They turned their backs and walked away, heading to a bucket of balls and a bat. Everything had been prearranged.

    "C''mon kid." Garret knocked me on the head and we jogged with the others to the baseline.

    I backed up even further, giving the others room.

    "Should we let the varisty level go first?" One of the six strangers asked. He didn''t sound bitter about it nor did he use a snide tone.

    "Do you guys want to go first?" Another stranger asked, looking at me and Garret in the back.

    Garret peered down at me, and I shook my head vigorously. No way do I want to go first. I don''t even want to go at all. "Nah, we''ll just go randomly. The coaches don''t care what order we go in so no need to think too hard about it. Dillion, you can go first if you want."

    "Okay!" The first stranger answered before leaving the group and heading to an open patch of grass. The coaches asked if he was ready before officially starting. He gave a thumbs up.

    "Do you really think Coach would want you to try out?" One of the guys ambled over. He smiled, looking the most friendly out of all of them. "You just pitched yesterday. A tough outing too, from what I heard."

    Garret gave a friendly smile back. "Yea, I didn''t really have it yesterday and then there was this thing with Jordan. But I''m good. I like the exercise."

    I looked at him, skeptical. This morning wasn''t enough exercise? Who is he kidding?

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    The guy just nodded. "Sure. And yea, I think everyone has heard about Jordan. What an ego. If he had said that to anyone else, he might have gotten away with it."

    Garret stood tall and proud. "What can I say? I rule the mound that I''m on."

    The guy laughed and glanced at me. "Don''t be taking notes from Garret. He''s got an ego of his own."

    I just stared at him.

    "Ah, Jake, I forget that you get shy around others." Shy? That''s putting it mildly, Garret. "This is Tanner. He''s a junior like me and the twins. We''ve all played together since the little league days." He leaned in and whispered. "He''s a good guy."

    Tanner heard that last part and grinned wholeheartedly. "Wow. Thanks Garret. I didn''t know you felt that way about me."

    Garret rolled his eyes. "You loser. I was just letting Jake know that you won''t kick his ass or anything like that. He''s just a kid. A very sensitive kid."

    Okay, that last part sounded a little patronizing.

    Tanner smiled down at me. "Right, you must have a rough go at things after joining the team? Not everyone welcomes a freshman to the varsity team."

    I was about to nod in agreement, but thinking about Noah''s situation where he lost his freshmen friends, I didn''t really have it that bad. "I''m okay." I shrugged lightly. "Only one or two give me a hard time." At least it wasn''t a whole grade level.

    Tanner nodded a little. "Yea, it shouldn''t be too bad with Zeke around."

    "He''s one of the guys that give me a hard time." I told him, thinking about the beginning where I had to run a whole lot. All the makeup scenarios at the park. The video lectures. Yep, Zeke gives me the hardest time. But that''s only because he wants me to be better.

    Tanner and Garret bust out laughing all of a sudden, attracting attention from the others.

    Garret rested his hand on my shoulder. "Hahah, Jake, you can''t talk about your captain like that."

    I didn''t really understand, so I just nodded.

    "Hey! One you three have to go up next." Kam said, frowning at our rowdiness. "Tanner? Garret? Or freshman?"

    Garret sobered up. "Hey, his name is Jake."

    "So what. You call him kid, I call him freshman." Kam didn''t look affected. "Which one will it be? Evan is almost done."

    Tanner put his glove on and waved it a little. "I''ll go. I don''t want to go after someone like Garret. Wouldn''t that be detrimental to my chances of making the team." He moved up and patiently waited for Evan to finish his bit.

    I looked up at Garret. Uhhh. "Should I go before you too, then?"

    Garret chuckled. "Don''t listen to Tanner. He''s just trying to be funny to diffuse the situation. Kam is uptight about baseball and he''s just worried about making the team, but that doesn''t excuse his behavior."

    "I''m not bothered by it." I told him honestly. There are worse things in life. "I really am a freshman so it''s not like that''s an insult."

    "You''re right." Garret smiled at me. "Good outlook. Kam is just jealous. He''s a junior too, but got stuck on JV because our team is pretty talented. Coach once said that my class was the most talented to come in." Looking at just him and the twins, I believe it. There was almost more juniors than seniors on the varsity team. "Our freshmen team during my freshmen year never lost a game. Then me and the twins jumped to varsity as sophomores, completely skipping JV."

    Wow. "I would hate to be in the same year as you three." I mumbled.

    "What are you saying??" Garret laughed while hitting my shoulder. "You one upped us by joining varsity as a freshmen. You''re just like us. Noah too."

    Oh. Does that mean I''m going to be surrounded by people like Chris, Austin, and Kam for the rest of my high school life? People who hate me for being better than them in hitting? Ugh. What a fight. I don''t know if I can handle that kind of pressure the whole time I play.

    "Next!" The coach called.

    Garret nudged me forward. "Your turn. Try your best!"

 339 Midseason Tryout 3

    With Garret''s nudge and the coaches urging, I jogged out to the open area where everyone else had started. The coach with the bat, raised the ball in his left hand. "Ready?"

    I gave a thumbs up. Albeit, a shaky one, but at least I wasn''t as nervous as before when I was alone. I''m really glad Garret joined my group. It really helped me relaxed.

    ''Ding!'' The coach had hit the ball high into the air. I watched as it came my way and judged that I only had to go forward a bit. Got one! It fell right into my glove boosting my self confidence. The next four were hit in a similar fashion, making me feel good that I hadn''t made a mistake yet.

    The sixth ball, the coach switched to something farther. I started to back up, keeping my eye on the ball. I had realized I won''t be able to catch it if I don''t run back normally instead of jogging backwards, so I twist my body, but that was a mistake. I kicked my own ankle and fell into the grass.

    That wasnt even the worst of it. Soon, a few laughs could be heard from my group and some from the stands. My face heated up as all the blood rushed to it from my embarrassment. I not only didn''t catch the ball, but I tripped for all three teams to see. I wish the grass would just swallow me up.

    "Okay, it''s okay! Next one!" I heard Garret yell out.

    Right. Four more to go. I got up and brush some grass stains but it wasn''t any use. I faced the coach, scared he''ll give me a talking to for missing the fly ball.

    "Ready?" He asked, looking unaffected.

    I nodded and got set.

    He smacked a line drive right at me. I got my glove up and in front of me, catching the ball before it hit my chest. "Umpf." My hand burned from the hit. I moved the ball to my throwing hand and lobbed it to the other coach. Of course my throws still couldn''t compare to others, but I wasn''t ashamed of that. I''ve been getting stronger and they look better from the start so it wouldn''t hurt for me to try and make these long throws myself.

    The coach picked up another ball, tossed it in the air, then swung the bat. This time it was a short line drive. I debated whether I should sprint in and dive for it or just get it after the bounce. At the thought of my earlier trip, I decided to stay on my feet. I caught the ball on the bounce and threw it back as quickly as I could.

    The last two hits were similar in being short, yet I didn''t dare to dive for it. I already embarrassed myself...no need to make it worse. After I threw the tenth ball back to the coaches, I turned to jog away but slowed down. Everyone in my group was looking at me.

    Garret left them once he saw me slow down. "C''mon get back. It''s my turn now. Watch while I steal the show!"

    I gulped and went back, clearly keeping a safe distance from the group. Despite some odd looks, none of them said anything mean about my fall.

    "Garret is such a showoff." Tanner came over to tell me, yet he didn''t get too close. "Just watch. You''ll see why I didn''t want to go after him."

    Garret was waving his gloved hand excitedly at the coaches. "Bring it on! Give me the highest ball you can hit! Or something far! Preferably to the right!"

    The coach with the bat didn''t reply. He just got a ball out of the bucket and tossed it up. With a swing of the bat, he sent the baseball to the left of Garret. Garret sprinted, reached his right arm across his body and dove at the ball. After making the diving grab, he rolled in the grass twice and then jumped up. He threw the ball back in. "Hey! I said to the right! My right! Not yours! Do you know how hard it is to reach across my body like that?" He started flexing while looking back at our group.

    The coach wasted no time getting a new ball and smacking to Garret''s right. His far right. Especially because he didn''t center himself. He sprinted across the grass, dove out with his right hand stretched out, caught the ball, slid in the grass, then he popped up. "Hahaha. You got nothing on me!"

    Tanner snorted. "He''s too much sometimes."

    I revealed a half-smile. "I think he''s pretty funny. And really good. I wish I could have been like that."

    Tanner laughed. "What are you saying? There''s still time."

    Time? I don''t know about that. I didn''t want to be kicked off the team. Or demoted.

    Tanner saw the worry on my face. "Hey, cheer up. It wasn''t that bad. Players trip all the time. Even the pros make errors, right?" Right. I''ve been told that before. "And look at Garret. With him attracting all this attention from our group and even the spectators, no one will remember you falling."

    I watched on as Garret demanded more difficult catches so he could fly around and make diving saves.

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    "Is he-" I paused.

    "Is he what?" Tanner asked.

    "Do you think he''s doing it on purpose?" I tilted my head while watching the show he put on. "Is he trying to make a memorable performance for himself so the others won''t remember me tripping?"

    Tanner smiled. "Maybe. Maybe not. Garret always liked to show off. He would do it without anyone asking, but since he pitched yesterday, I wouldn''t be surprised if someone had asked him."

    I didn''t have anymore time to discuss the thought with Tanner as Garret had came back and it was time to move to the next station: fielding grounders. In the infield, a pair of coaches had buckets of balls everywhere.

    "This is what we''re going to do: Garret to first, Kameron to second, Dillion to short, and Evan to third. We''ll be hitting grounders randomly to you. Not only will you field the ball, but also, you''ll make the throw to first." The coach explained. "Scenarios might be called out to make you boys turn a double play so keep your ears open. We''ll rotate clockwise with the exception of Garret."

    "Booo." Garret pouted.

    The coach didn''t look bothered by it. "You''re a lefty. The only lefty. You can''t play the other three positions so we might as well just use you as the first baseman."

    Garret sighed with defeat.

    "You four." The coach pointed at us, the ones not assigned a position. "Go stand by the third base Coach''s box. When I say switch, send someone in to play third. Third will move to short, short will move to second, then second will take a rest. The seven of you will get a chance to play all three spots and will definitely receive at least one ball at each position. So be sharp."

    I fiddled with my glove, standing slightly behind Tanner who moved to the coach''s box. A ball at each position? I''ve only ever played second base... Why can''t I just pick the position I want to do? I sighed to myself.

 340 Midseason Tryout 4

    I''m not really finding this fun.

    I let my eyes wander around the whole field, looking for Noah to see how he was doing. I couldn''t tell which group was what as everyone was moving everywhere.

    "Pay attention!" A coach hollered at my group.

    I straightened up and turned my eyes to the drill. Right. Can''t get distracted. A few of the guys in the group sent me looks, but I tried my best to ignore it. If the worst thing they can do is give me dirty looks, then I''ll survive. So far, no one has been outright mean or raised their hand at me. I just have to remember that, normally, people don''t attack others. And it helps knowing that my coach doesn''t allow us players to become physical with others without consequences.

    "Begin." The other coach said, gripping his clipboard.

    "Play''s at first!"

    He started to hit a few grounders to each of the infielders, then watched as they fielded the ball and threw to Garret. Occasionally they would have a few seconds of pause in between hits as the coaches discussed what to put on the clipboard.

    After a few, the coach that was doing the recording would yell, "Switch!" And the infielders would move over with the second baseman getting in the back of the line.

    Once I saw that it was that Kameron guy who would have to move to the end of the line, I shifted my body to cut in front of Tanner as stealthy as I could.

    Tanner caught me inching forward, and laughed. Luckily, he didn''t make a big deal out of it. He just took a bigger step back so it looked like he wanted me to go first. I can see why he and Garret got along. He was nice and understanding.

    The coach was quick to make us work through the station. It didn''t take long until it was my turn to take over third base. I took a deep breath and got set. No need to be too nervous. Just like fielding practice.

    The coach started to hit the grounders. "Play at first!" He hit to the shortstop, but he had no problem fielding it. Then it was at me towards the baseline. I was able to cleanly pick it out of the dirt, transfer it to my right hand, then threw to Garret at first.

    My throw bounced before it got to him, but he was able to get it out of the dirt, making me look okay. I felt my face get warm from embarrassment, but pushed on, with the reminder that I''m not a third baseman.

    The coaches discussed while one marked the clipboard. Ah, so embarrassing.

    Nothing was said before the next ball was hit. They didn''t rag on me for having the ball hop or for not having a strong arm. We just moved on and tried double plays at second then to first. Fielding grounders wasn''t as bad as the fly balls in the outfield, but it''s not like I stood out.

    If anything, I felt guilty. Owning a spot on the varsity team when it seemed like my whole group was better than me at fielding both grounders and fly balls.

    We completed the whole rotation, making sure everyone got to play each infield position besides first base. Then the coaches told us to go get our bats and helmets on before going to the cage.

    Garret and I split from the group as our bags were in the home team dugout. The others were using the visitors dugout.

    "Hey, not a bad start." Garret tried to cheer me up as he saw me looking downcast. "You didn''t make any errors."

    "Sure, but I wasn''t exactly outstanding. I bet all of them are wondering how the heck I got on the team. Or worse, they think that the Atkins are paying coach on the side." I frowned.

    "If money could get them on the team, their parents would fork it over. Trust me. Everyone knows that money can''t get you on the varsity team. Not with Coach Wilcox." Garret patted my head before going to his own bag to grab his gear.

    "That trip though..." Kyle''s laugh made me twitch. I glanced over and saw him coming over. "It was like slow motion. You realizing that you can''t just backpedal all the time. And then you just turn and fell." He laughed harder. "I''m only sad that Zeke and Noah didn''t see it."

    I took off my hat and put on my helmet. "Yea, but everyone else saw it."

    "Not everyone." He replied, still grinning. "Just every player that chose not to tryout because they don''t think they''re good enough. Oh. And your group. And those two coaches. And maybe any other wandering eyes from the other groups."

    "And our whole pitching staff!" Bryce came over to rub it in. "We were just talking about how we have to worry now any time a fly ball goes your way." He laughed. "Hopefully Noah will come over and steal it away from you."

    I had nothing to say to that. But...I looked at Bryce strangely. "You don''t have to tryout even though you play outfield?"

    Bryce gave me a funny look. "Why would I do that? I''m a pitcher first. I''m on the team as a pitcher. It''d be weird for me to compete when I don''t have to."

    I blinked. A few times. Then shot a glance down to where Garret was, talking to a few other pitchers. "Then why is Garret? He said he wanted to prove to Coach that he wanted to play in the outfield."

    Bryce looked lost.

    Kyle didn''t. He just leaned in and lowered his voice. "Zeke spoke with Garret before running out there. Zeke probably asked if he could watch over you since you would feel extra nervous without Noah to comfort you." He leaned back. "I knew something was up as soon as Garret ran out there. He didn''t even warm up. And it''s not like Zeke to let players not warm up. So it definitely had something to do with you."

    I felt extremely touched. The Atkins were the greatest family I''ve ever met. They always showed concern and consideration for my feelings and wellbeing.

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    "Too bad that couldn''t stop you from falling over." Kyle added while chuckling. "You just face planted in the grass. I couldn''t believe it."

    Okay, maybe they weren''t always concerned about my feelings. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my bat.

 341 Midseason Tryout 5

    "You know I''m just kidding!" Kyle patted my helmet, pushing it down to cover my eyes. "Keep rolling your eyes like that and I''ll start thinking that you''re Noah''s twin."

    I fixed my helmet so I could see again. "I''d be okay with that."

    "With what? Being Noah''s twin?" He made a face.

    I nodded. "Noah is cool. Nice. Friendly. Good at baseball. Generous. Happy."

    Kyle laughed. "Yea, but what does being his twin have to do with any of that?"

    With a tilt of my head, I looked up at Kyle. "Wouldn''t I be just like him then? Just like how you and Dave are alike."

    Kyle just shook his head. "You don''t have to be an identical twin to be like someone. They can simply just inspire you to change." A corner of his lips went up. "You''re already there anyways, aren''t you? You''re good at hitting while he is good at fielding. You''re not mean or unwelcoming. Just shy. And aren''t you happy? I remember your first week with us, you wouldn''t speak at all."

    I turned red. I was very unsure about living with the Atkins. Their pink house wasn''t exactly a good first impression.

    "Jake! Let''s go! Everyone has already gone to the cage!" Garret hollered for me.

    I gripped my bat tighter and ran away from Kyle. Garret waited patiently until I joined him, then we jogged together to the one batting cage we had by our field. We hardly got to use it since it wasn''t really a team activity and it would be unproductive to train one person in the cages at a time. It''d be better if we all went to The Arcade to use their cages.

    "Way to be late." Kameron glared at me and Garret. "The coaches already decided how to score us over here. You guys will have to go last now." He turned his back on us to look at the guy who was already conducting his turn.

    "Don''t mind him." Garret guided me towards Tanner. "We''ll just ask Tanner how we''ll get scored."

    Tanner overheard him and turned with a smile. "Superstar needs my help, huh?"

    "Yea to do administrative work." Garret shot back with a laugh. "But for real, is it like the fall tryout? Just twenty pitches at varying speeds?"

    "Nope. Coach Dan said we can pick our own speed for all twenty pitches. They''ll score us on mechanics, contact, and of course you''ll get extra points for how fast the pitch is. So a slight twist." Tanner explained.

    Garret''s lips twisted to show his displeasure. "So they''re baiting us. We have to pick our own? Can you pick a speed for each pitch?"

    Tanner nodded. "Yea. I''m planning to pick ten 70mph pitches, five at 80mph, and the last five to be 90mph."

    Garret nodded thoughtfully. "That''s probably what most will pick. You''re kind of obligated to pick the 90mph even if you can''t hit it."

    "Why?" I blurted out, then felt a little embarrassed at my interruption. But I really want to know why you have to pick a pitch you can''t hit.

    "You have to show courage." Tanner told me, not bothered at all. "You don''t want to look afraid of a super fastball. Otherwise, why would the coaches want you? A 90mph pitch is rare at this level, but not impossible to come across. What I plan to do is show my strength at hitting the 70''s, show some good hand-eye-coordination at the 80''s, then show my grit at the 90''s."

    "Grit?" Like dirt?

    "Yea, show my determination. My unwavering spirit."

    Garret laughed. "Unwavering? How about the time you screamed like a girl when a bee landed on your nose in the middle of a game? You sure showed a lot of ''spirit'' then. Everyone thought you were a cheerleader." He laughed even harder at the memory.

    Tanner''s cheeks became a little rosy. "We were 12 okay? Bee stings still hurt back then?" He glanced down at me. "Right?"

    I hesitated to reply.

    Garret just laughed harder. "Even Jake, the scaredy-cat, isn''t afraid of bees. Do you feel ashamed of yourself yet?"

    "You must have never been stung before." Tanner said, depressed at being laughed at.

    "No, I''ve been stung before." I corrected. I don''t know how much the twins and Zeke had told Garret about my past, but Tanner probably didn''t know a thing. "It''s just...my mother would have me catch them in sandwich bags so I''ve always been close to them."

    "That''s....a little unusual." Tanner looked taken aback. "Why did she want you to catch bees like that? Wouldn''t they die sooner or later without oxygen?"

    "I don''t think you should ask anymore." Garret jumped in after seeing my gloomy look. "Jake-Jake has a complicated past. You may have heard that he lives with the Atkins, right?" He stressed that last sentence, trying to get Tanner to understand a deeper meaning.

    Tanner froze. "Ah. Oh. Um. Sorry for prying." He panicked. He probably got the meaning...that I''m a foster kid without parents.

    Awkwardness hung between us, but I didn''t know how to correct it. It didn''t seem like a good idea to admit why my mother would have me do such a task. Can you tell people you hardly know, that your mom would have you catch a few bees, just so she can use their dead bodies to sting you? It''s sadistic. But part of my past. I was over it, yet I know strangers wouldn''t take it so well. They might even think that I''m the deranged one. Why would I gather my own tools to be tortured with? They wouldn''t be able to understand that an even worse fate would await me if I didn''t oblige. What''s a few bee stings compared to being punched and kicked repeatedly?

    "Uhhh-What do you plan on picking, Garret?" Tanner tried to shift the topic back to the tryout. "Same as me? Or harder difficulty?"

    Garret sighed. "Eh, I''m not sure yet. I''m thinking five at 70mph, ten at 80mph, then the five at 90mph. But those last five...do you think extra points would be deducted for missing? Or extra given for effort?" He rested a hand on my helmet and shook my head back and forth. "Wakey, wakey. No more depressing thoughts. Isn''t batting your forte? What do you think about it?"

    I blinked and thought about it more clearly once the shaking start. "Wouldn''t it be better if you pick what you can do? That would show confidence and knowledge of your own ability. Can''t this machine adjust to speeds by 5mph? So if you''re worried, pick 85mph and at the very least foul it off. I don''t think coaches would want players that are willing to strike out."

    "You gotta know when to hold ''em and when to fold ''em." Garret nodded like he agreed, but I didn''t understand. "It''s a poker term, you gotta know when to stay and battle and when to quit while you''re ahead."

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    "This isn''t gambling." Tanner just shook his head at his friend.

    "Isn''t it though? We''re taking a gamble on how we''ll be scored and how we''ll do when it comes to hitting the 90mph pitch. I think I''ll adjust my picks to six 75mph, six at 80mph, six at 85mph, and then the last two will be 90mph just in case I get lucky." Garret planned out.

    Tanner thought it over. "That''s not a bad idea... I might do it like that too."

    Garret wiggled his brows. "Want to go before or after me? I don''t want to make you look bad when you go after and don''t look as good as me."

    Tanner playfully shoved him. "Jerk. You better not go before me. You should be going last. Especially when you already have a spot on varsity."

    Garret laughed. "Just checking. Ah, but I won''t be going last. I''ll let Jake have the honors."

    Tanner gave a friendly smile. "I heard he''s a batting prodigy? There was an article in the paper back when the season started. He had done well in a tournament you guys won."

    My face heated up as the blood rushed to my face. Pretty sure I blacked out in that last game.

    Garret grinned. "You should keep up with league statistics."

    Tanner shook his head. "There''s no time. I have to focus on my own games, you know. Checking on varsity stats would just make me depress and jealous."

    Garret laid a heavy hand on my hand. "My boy here is second in batting average. In the whole league."

    Tanner''s jaw dropped and his eyebrows raised.

    ''My boy''?? "Who''s your boy?" I asked.

 342 Midseason Tryout 6

    "You! You''re my boy!" Garret shook me around some more. "It''s slang for friend. C''mon now! Keep up!"

    "Wow." Tanner snapped out of his daze. "You really are a batting prodigy."

    By this point, I think my face is permanently red from embarrassment. I don''t really like all this attention on me, good or bad.

    "I definitely won''t go after Jake." Garret shook his head. "I rather him go after me, that way, everyone will even forget what I had done. Versus everyone comparing me to him and his perfection."

    "Perfection?" Tanner asked. "Man, don''t put so much pressure on him."

    Garret just laughed. "You say that because you''ve never seen him in action. Jake would have a perfect batting average if we base it off just the machine."

    "Wow. Yea, for sure let me go before you fools." Tanner said.

    I just wanted to bury myself in the grass. Can they just stop already?

    Luckily, it didn''t take long to go through this station. It was pretty cut and clear. You pick your speeds, then the coaches will judge your performance. As we got to the last of us, Tanner made sure he went in before Garret.

    Tanner told the coaches behind the netting what he had decided on. They nodded and he went to the batter''s box. He was right-handed and the same went for his batting preference.

    I followed Garret as he moved closer to the gate in order to watch Tanner. We squeezed through some of the guys, who were discussing their results.

    Tanner got off to a good start, making solid connections with the 75mph pitches. Like Garret suggested, Tanner chose to do the 6/6/6/2 pattern. When it got pushed to the 80mph setting, he was able to connect with all six, yet one of them would have been a foul ball.

    "Not bad, right?" Garret said as we watched. "Tanner is one of the better hitters on junior varsity. He''s solid and consistent."

    "Why isn''t he on varsity then?" I asked.

    "Outfield is one of the most competitive positions. Especially when there''s over ten plus guys who can field all the same. So batting is what makes them different." Garret explained.

    "Is he better than what we have? Do you think he''ll make the team?" I asked some more inquisitive questions. I liked Tanner. He was easygoing and wasn''t aggressive like some other people I know.

    Garret thought about it. "Hard to say. Tony has been struggling at the plate, but he''s a solid outfielder with a good arm. Yet, if I''m playing left field, Mahki will go to right. And Mahki has been heating up again. He came in clutch with that grand slam yesterday so it''d be hard. Then again...I''m not a coach and it''s hard to know what they''re thinking."

    I nodded. I got it. There are plenty of players that do better in tryouts compared to real games and vice versa.

    Tanner struggled to catch up to the 85mph pitch; hitting three, fouling two, and completely missing one. The last two pitches at 90mph would be a good test. The first one he whiffed, too slow and not even close.

    I gripped my bat in my hands. "Try-try swinging your fastest with your normal swing." Tanner didn''t hear me as he got set for the next and last pitch.

    "Tanner! Swing your fastest!" Garret shouted.

    The machine whirred and the pitch came. Tanner must have heard Garret since he started his swing earlier and that bat moved even faster than before. He fouled tip the 90mph pitch back, making us jump as it hit the fence protecting us.

    Tanner grinned as he walked out of the cage. "Man, I was close to getting that last one."

    "Yea, thanks to us." Garret scoffed. "Jake was too quiet with his advice that I had to yell it for him. Now you have to watch as I embarrass your performance." He laughed as he walked into the cage and went to tell the coaches what he wanted.

    Tanner came over to stand by me, resting his bat against the fence. He took off his helmet and held it in his hands. "I didn''t need the advice...I could tell from my first try at it, that I wasn''t fast enough."

    "Oh." I said in a small voice. "Sorry."

    "I''m not saying you did anything wrong." Tanner laughed a little. "It''s nice to hear the encouragement. Particularly in a competitive tryout. You didn''t hear anyone else tell me something similar, did you?"

    Besides Garret, who had repeated after me? "No."

    "That''s how it is with good teams. Normally you want your teammates to do well and succeed, because that means the team will do well too. But as soon as it''s a competition within the team, it''s every man for himself."

    I could see that. Just in our group alone...only Kameron came off as aggressive, but it wasn''t like the others were welcoming either. Tanner really is a good person. I hope he could make the team. Ah, but that would be wishing someone in the outfield off the team.

    I turned my attention back to the batting cage, where Garret got set in the lefty''s box. Garret was more than ready for his set of twenty pitches. He crushed the 75mph pitches; I think they would have easily been homeruns if we were using the field instead of a cage. Even the six pitches at 80mph couldn''t slow Garret down. He smacked them back towards the machine with ease.

    "Get It Garret!" Tanner hollered through the fence, happy to see his friend do well.

    Garret shot an 85mph pitch back to the machine for a line drive that would normally be right up the middle. He was able to hit them all as well, they just happened to go all over the place. I couldn''t tell if that was intentional or if he just couldn''t control where the ball would go. As the coaches upped the speed for his last two chances, he turned to give us a cocky grin.

    "He''s going to hit both." Tanner clutched the fence. "You see that antagonizing grin?? He''s going to overshadow the hard work I just put in."

    I smiled at Tanner''s remarks. "I can do the same to him if you want?"

    Tanner casted a glance my way. "Let''s see what he does first."

    Garret was set. The first 90mph pitch came right down the middle. He swung, snapping his wrists, getting a piece of it, sending it forward. It''d be a grounder to the shortstop, I think. Garret did even better on the second 90mph pitch, hitting it up and over the machine. Could possibly be a homerun or a flyout. Again...hard to tell when you work in the cage.

    Garret came out of the cage, flexing his left bicep as he carried his bat in his right hand. "That''s right! I''m the champ! Which one of you hit all twenty pitches?"

    The group wasn''t amused. A few even sent glares at Garret, making me shiver. Maybe I should miss one.

    "Jake will!" Tanner spoke up. "He even said he''d put you in your place!"

    Ehhh? That''s a bit different than just overshadowing him!

    The group went quiet as all eyes fell on me.

    Kameron snorted. "He''s not that good. His batting average doesn''t reflect how many times he gets walked because of his small stature."

    Garret ignored the snide comment and smiled down at me. "How exactly do you plan to put me in my place?"

    I shrugged. I haven''t thought about it.

    Garret laughed and slapped my helmet. "Do your best! I can handle it!" He nudged me to the cage.

    I held my wooden bat tightly as I slowly walked to the coaches. They both sat near the pitching machine, behind the protective netting, clipboards in hand. I even recognized the bigger one as the coach from the bus just yesterday.

    His eyes flashed with recognition. "Jake Hollander, is it?"

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    "Do you know what speed you want to go with?" He asked.

    Well...Garret said to do my best. I tugged a little at my shirt. "I''ll go with the 90."

    I saw a small tug at his lips. "The 90mph pitch? For how many?"

    "All of them?" I shrugged.

    The coaches looked at one another. The one I was semi-familiar with spoke up. "All twenty at 90mph? Are you sure? You won''t get a break since we don''t have to adjust the speed."

    I nodded. And then shook my head after a second. "Maybe ten at 85mph, and the last ten at 90mph then?"

 343 Midseason Tryout 7

    The coaches shared another look, but they didn''t try and dissuade me anymore. The familiar coach just shook his head. "If you''re sure." He got up from his seat and went to set up the machine.

    I nodded, more to myself than to him. I went back to the batter''s box and got in the righty''s box. It''s been so long since I''ve hit from this side. I stretched a little. This is a good opportunity to practice my right and to make sure that I could still do it. Too bad I couldn''t pick 90mph for all twenty.

    "It''s ready!" The coach warned as he sat back down, clipboard in lap.

    I heard the machine start running and heard the familiar sound of it getting ready to shoot out the ball. I cocked my bat back, elbow up, eyes on the machine. As soon as I saw the ball, I started my swing by stepping forward with my left foot and my arms came soon after. My wrists followed through as my bat connected with the ball and sent it right back at the machine. Luckily the netting protected it from getting hit by a comebacker.

    I had to reset myself as the machine started to wind up again. Then I repeated the process, keeping everything the same for the next nine pitches. After the ten, the coach had to get up and adjust to the next speed. I took the opportunity to switch to the lefty''s batter box. I even had time for a practice swing to help me readjust.

    "Is he really going to try to switch hit?" I heard someone ask.

    "Obviously. But he probably picked a slower speed since he''s going to try lefty." Someone else had replied.

    I overheard a few other comments as well. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please clickfor visiting.

    "Ridiculous. He''s just trying to show off. I bet he picked something slow like the 70mph."

    "Just a waste of time."

    "The freshmen give Noah a hard time, but it''s this kid that''s stealing a spot from us."

    "Shut up." I heard Garret clearly as he raised his voice. "You all don''t even know what you''re talking about. Jake is second on the team for batting average. Just him hitting all ten pitches perfectly back at the machine should put you to shame. Never mind the fact that half of you can barely even hit 85mph. Don''t you feel ashame?"

    I forced the unnecessary noise out as the coach had sat back down, signaling the machine was ready to start. Bat back, hands ready, eyes unblinking. The first pitch came and I smacked it right back. I was back on repeat as I kept crushing each pitch back the way it came. There was something simple about the cages that made it soothing. There was no surprise or twist in what the speed or pitch type will be. I just went mindless as my body already knew the movements for this kind of speed. A part of me wishes that high schools would use machines instead of pitchers, that way I would look like a better player.

    My ten at 90mph were soon up, making me wish I could do a few more. Maybe I could convince Noah to ask his parents if we could go to the cages tonight? That''d be nice. I turned to walk out, but stopped when I saw that the whole group was staring at me. Maybe it''d be safer to stay where I''m at...

    "Wow! Even more amazing than I thought, Jake!" Garret came in the cage only to drag me out. "I definitely thought you would have done all 90mph though."

    I looked back at the coaches, who had gotten up and were looking over their clipboards. "I was going to...but they said I wouldn''t get a break in between so I wouldn''t be able to switch boxes."

    Tanner''s jaw dropped. "You only picked the 85mph balls just so could switch to being a lefty halfway through? What''s wrong with you??"

    Uhh. I frowned. "A lot of things..?"

    Garret tried to contain his laughter at Tanner''s shocked expression. "No, no, no Jake. He didn''t mean it in a serious way. He was just amazed with your batting."

    Ah. "I''ve been mainly hitting lefty for games so I really wanted to get some work in with my right."

    "See boys?! This is what a real batting prodigy looks like!" Garret pushed me in front of him and showed me off to our small group. "Any talk of him not belonging on varsity will require you to switch hit perfectly in the batting cage."

    The guys didn''t talk back, but they didn''t look happy with my performance. They were stunned when I finished, but I think now, it''s sinking in that I''m not completely useless in a game.

    "You guys need to put away the bats and head to the JV field." One of the coaches spoke up. "They''re going over sliding and stealing bases over there."

    The boys in the group nodded and started to jog back to the dugout. Tanner followed, leaving me and Garret to go to our own bags.

    "Man, when I said try your best, I didn''t think you were going to silence your haters like that." Garret told me as we jogged.

    "My haters?" I swallowed hard at the thought. "Do they all hate me?"

    "Nah, they''re just jealous. Heck, I am too. If I had known you''d be able to shut them all up on your own, I wouldn''t have bothered to join the group. You obviously had everything under control."

    I remembered what Kyle had told me previously. That Zeke may have asked him to join my group. "I don''t think I would have done the same thing without you here." Flashback to me tripping. "I probably would have ran away after falling in the grass if you weren''t here to keep an eye on me." Definitely would have ran. Super embarrassing. "The other guys would probably give me a hard time without you to supervise as well."

    Garret looked happy. "Thanks." For what? "Let''s not think of any more probabilities though. Would of, should of, and could of are irrelevant when you stand in the present." He slapped me on the back as we entered the dugout. "Let''s ditch the bats and get to the next station. Pretty sure I can recover my honor from there."

    Uh, yea? Easily. Without a doubt. I had hardly any experience or skill with baserunning. I especially hated sliding. Safe to say, this might be my weakest area.

 344 Tryout Results 1

    As expected, I sighed to myself as I walked back to the dugout. That station was my biggest weakness. We had just finished the baserunning and stealing at the JV field, and I definitely flunked. At most, maybe they would give me a D-. I did try after all. Effort has to count for something.

    Garret and Tanner were still snickering with each other at my expense. My slides were uncoordinated and ugly, and running wasn''t my strong suit. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    "Dang, it''s really a wonder how you made the varsity team to begin with." Garret laughed. "If you didn''t hit my own pitching, I''d want you off the team too. At least you provide comedic relief now."

    I started to fast walk, trying to distance myself from the pair.

    "Aw! No need to be embarrassed, Jakey!" Garret called out after me.

    "Leave the poor kid alone." Tanner said between laughs. "Can''t you see that he''s had a hard day."

    I hurried to the dugout and rushed to my bag.

    "You''re done, aren''t you? Why are you in such a mad rush?" Kyle asked as I put my gear away. "We still have to wait for Zeke and Noah."

    I faced him with my crestfallen face. "Garret keeps making fun of me."

    "Oh Kyle!" Speak of the devil. "You should have seen it! We just did the baserunning at the JV field." Garret started to laugh, unable to hold himself back. "Geez, it was hilarious. Kind of like a comedy show. I don''t think Coach Walter really believed that Jake was so bad. He kept hollering for him to ''straighten up and run properly''!" He started to laugh harder. "And that of course, just makes Jake even more nervous and he messes up even more and Walter is probably thinking he''s doing it on purpose."

    Kyle started to laugh too. "I could only imagine."

    Garret put his helmet down and backed up. And to add to my mortification, he started to re-enact what I looked like. "So he would take such small leads and when the coach would tell him to go, he immediately got flustered and would trip. He''d hardly get more than three feet away from the base." Garret picked himself off the floor as he had just fake fallen.

    Kyle was laughing so hard that his face turned red like he was struggling to breath. I guess it wasn''t hard for him to picture my performance.

    I pressed my lips together to hold back my anger. And to think I thought Garret was doing me a service by joining my group. He was just there to lead the teasing.

    "Jake, what''s wrong with them?" Noah got back to the dugout, putting his glove back in his bag. "They look like they had heard the funniest joke of the year."

    Great, I''m the funniest joke of the year now? I frowned at Noah.

    "What? What is it?" Noah worried over my displeasure.

    "They''re making fun of me." I told him clearly, knowing that Noah wouldn''t let this injustice go on.

    Like I knew he would, Noah turned to scold the pair. "Kyle! I''m going to tell Mom and Dad if you don''t quit it. Can''t you see that you''re hurting Jake''s feelings?"

    "Eh? That''s overrated." Kyle said, but slowed down the laughing to little giggles. "Besides, it was all in good fun."

    "I''m not having fun." I pouted.

    "What happened?" Noah asked the two juniors.

    Garret repeated the whole thing again, including my astounding trip, falling to the floor of the dugout. Him and Kyle cracked up laughing again.

    Noah patted my shoulder sympathetically. "It''s okay. You can''t be good at everything."

    I kept the pout going.

    Noah shrugged helplessly. "This is what having brothers is like. It''s all in good fun. If it really upsets you, you''ll just have to tell Mom later. She''ll straighten Kyle out."

    "Hey! Garret started it!" Kyle cut the laughing in order to defend himself. "I''m just an innocent bystander in all this."

    "Innocent in what?" Zeke''s deep voice made us all jump.

    I shot Garret a look. He better not blab to Zeke. He wouldn''t be sympathetic, instead, he''d probably make me practice baserunning with Drew again. But for multiple practices.

    Garret caught on real quick. "We''re just chatting. Is Coach ready to announce the new roster now?"

    Zeke looked each of us before letting the matter go. "Coach is personally looking over all the catchers in a separate group. He isn''t back yet, so safe to say they''re still talking it over. They still need to input all the data collected as well." He looked down at Noah. "Any problems?"

    Noah smirked, tilting his hat back. "Yea, right. I rocked it. I performed even better than in the fall."

    "But how''d the hitting go?" Kyle asked.

    "It''s not like I''ve been striking out in my at-bats, Kyle. I can hit. It just has a tendency to go straight to a player." Noah rubbed his nose a little. "I picked all 80mph and was able to put them all in play."

    "Wimp." Garret laughed. He put his elbow on my head, using me as an armrest. "The coaches probably wanted to see something more out of your comfort zone. You didn''t even try an 85mph? I did six. And two 90mph pitches. All in play. Never mind the slow stuff."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He looked to me. "How''d you do?"

    "Good." I shrugged.

    "Only in the cages though." Garret snickered. "He''s been tripping everywhere else."

    I knocked his arm off my head. "I was nervous, okay?"

    "It''d be weird if you weren''t." Garret smiled before pointing to the other side of the dugout. "I''m going to go talk to some of the pitchers for a minute. Let me know when Coach is ready to do the announcement."

    Zeke nodded and Garret left. Finally, some relief.

    I looked up at Zeke. "Did you ask him to look after me or to mock me at every station?"

    Zeke cracked a smile at my pitiful look. "Garret won''t do you wrong. He''s a jokester, but he knows his limits. He kept you from being too uptight, right?"

    I shrugged. "I didn''t throw up. Or run away." I cringed at the thought of all my tripping. "Still wasn''t pretty."

    "But you were able to show off your batting skills?"

    I nodded. "Ten at 85mph, and ten at 90mph."

    "Couldn''t you have done all at 90mph?" Kyle asked.

    Noah nodded in agreement. "I''ve seen you do it before."

    "The coach said I wouldn''t be able to have a break if I did it like that." I answered, honestly.

    "Why did you need a break?" Noah looked worried. "Were you getting tired? How are you feeling?"

    "I am tired." I sighed. "But no, I just needed a break to switch boxes."

    "Switch boxes?" Kyle asked.

    "Oh, so you wanted to hit on the right and left side!" Noah understood. He nodded at me. "Good, good. Way to show off."

    I cringed. "I wasn''t good in the other stations though."

    "No worries." Noah told me. "There are plenty of players in the MLB that make errors. You''re only a freshman with room for improvement. Your batting alone will keep you on the team."

    I peeked up at Zeke.

    Zeke gave a slight nod before turning to walk away.

    "See?" Noah lowered his voice to whisper. "Zeke can''t say it aloud, but you''re definitely safe."

    I let out a sigh of relief. I don''t know if I could play baseball without the Atkins. Especially Noah. I really rather stay where I''m at.

 345 Tryout Results 2

    After Zeke left us, the three of us sat on the bench and waited for the coaches to wrap it up. The afternoon practice was starting to run long, but something about it was bothering me. I didn''t realize what it was until Noah said something to Kyle.

    "No Dave yet?" Noah asked, looking around, examining the bleachers and other dugout. That''s when it hit me, that Dave didn''t show up. He said he might even be able to come home before we left for practice, yet he didn''t. And now he wasn''t present at all. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    Kyle''s lips thinned, and his eyebrows fell in. "Nope. I was worried about an hour ago, so I pulled out my phone to text Mom. She said that it''s just a long wait since the doctor was squeezing him in on short notice."

    "It''s just a broken nail...can''t he just tear it off and wait until it regrows?" Noah asked.

    Kyle gave a half shrug. "Probably don''t want to damage the nail bed. That could affect the growth." He smiled, albeit a little forced. "This just means I have time to cushion my numbers and stats while he sits the bench."

    "I feel bad for Marie." Noah said out of nowhere.

    "What do you mean?" Kyle''s eyes narrowed.

    "All you do is focus on baseball." Noah laughed. "I bet she dumps you before the end of April."

    "We haven''t even gone on a date yet." Kyle hissed in a low voice. "We''ve been grounded for so long. Baseball is all we got. Marie understands."

    Noah raised an eyebrow. "Does she?"

    Kyle frowned. "She plays softball. She should understand."

    "Okay." Noah shrugged.

    "Gather up!" Coach hollered from the mound, grabbing everyone''s attention. "Everyone who cares should be sitting on the grass in the next two minutes."

    "Shoot. What a trap!" Kyle said as he followed the pitchers.

    I looked at Noah. "Why''d you suddenly bring up Marie? Did Kaylee text you?"

    Noah nodded. "Got a text at lunch. She said her sister was worried that Kyle wasn''t interested anymore since he hasn''t really been in contact this week. Now I can text her back to say he still cares."

    "Oh."

    "C''mon, let''s go grab a spot before all the scrubs join us." Noah pulled my sleeve, dragging me out of the dugout. I didn''t know what he meant by scrubs until I saw those that had watched from the stands, come onto the field to join us. We were able to get spots on the soft grass while some of the unlucky ones had to sit in the dirt.

    "Boys, listen up." Coach raised his voice and everyone got silent. He looked around. "There have been some changes to the varsity roster. Some of you will be happy, but I won''t lie to you, a majority of you will be upset. That''s how it is in this sport. I can only tell you that in order to advance to the next level, you must put the work in and have results to show for it. As always, this roster is subjected to be changed at any time to my liking. Even if we perform well and never lose, that doesn''t mean I''ll stop looking for improvements. So stay focused regardless of your team level."

    He continued. "As stated before, the pitching won''t change. As of now it''s still: Garret Knudsen, Kyle Atkins, Dave Atkins, James Lohr, Theo Hixson, Bryce Finn, Brian Swoope, Troy Hardman, Tyler Larsen, Ryan Lewicki, and Matt Dalquist." He glanced down at his clipboard. "Now onto the outfield: Zeke Atkins, Mahki Holstrom, and Tanner Erickson."

    Tanner?! The Tanner I know? I looked around, but even when sitting down it was hard for me to see and spot him in the crowd. I''ll have to check with Garret after this.

    "Infield: Jason Morris, Sean Isner, Noah Atkins, Jake Hollander. Julian Wilson will stay on the roster as he''s recovering from his foot injury. Same with Kelvin Bender. As most of you know, he got hurt yesterday. We''ve received notice of his elbow injury, but I believe he''ll still contribute to the team from the bench. Catchers, Alex Farrell and Mitchell Torres will fill in the gaps left behind by Kelvin and Jordan."

    I was relieved to hear my name right after Noah''s. Everything worked out.

    "If I didn''t call your name, gather at the jv field for placement." Coach looked at the crowd. "Varsity stay with me so we can go over the plan for tomorrow''s game. Everyone else, go."

    Coach wasn''t to be messed with today. He was in no mood for bickering or for those that waste time. He sent everyone away in minutes, leaving us with our new varsity team. I was happy to see that it was the Tanner that I know. Good for him.

    "I know most of you are concerned about the game tomorrow given that we had two practices today and made some significant changes to the roster." Coach spoke. I lowered my head in guilt, I really didn''t give tomorrow much thought. "I have a lineup in mind so bear with me.

    1 3B Jason Morris

    2 LF Garret Knudsen

    3 2B Jake Hollander

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 RF Mahki Holstrom

    6 SS Noah Atkins

    7 1B Sean Isner

    8 C Alex Farrell

    9 P Kyle Atkins

    This isn''t set in stone." His eyes made contact with everyone. "With Dave out as well, our starters will change to keep Garret and Kyle with lower pitch counts. Relievers expect to get some work in this next few games."

    He focused on Garret. "Before you get all upset, think about our upcoming schedule. Not so bad now, but after three more games, we''ll have to face conference teams in a string of close games. We need these boys to get some work in to prepare themselves."

    Garret gave a meek nod.

    His eyes went to Sean next. "Sean, we''ll be working on you to learn every position in the infield. With John, Chris, and Daniel off the team, you''ll need to be our utility guy. If either freshmen gets hurt or needs a break, we''ll move you over and put Bryce at first. It''ll be smoother when Julian comes back, but I don''t want you to lose focus. You''ve been doing good on both offense and defense."

    Sean nodded with a smile. He would be a starter for tomorrow for sure, and then won''t have to be sat until Julian gets healthy again. Even then, he''ll be named the main utility player so he''s like the tenth man on the team.

    "Tanner Erickson." Coach focused on my group member. "You''ll be in right field on the days Garret isn''t in the outfield. I know it''s a hard pill to swallow, but I like your work ethic and know you won''t disappoint."

    "Thanks Coach." Tanner said, acting shy.

    He looked to Kyle. "Efficiency will be key tomorrow in determining how long you''ll be pitching. It''s not a league game so I''m restricting your count to 75. Not a ball more. If you don''t hit that number at all, great! You did a whole game. If you hit 75 pitches in the third inning, I''m pulling you. Understand?"

    Kyle nodded, not looking too bothered. 75 must be a good number for him.

    Coach turned to me. "And Jake." I sat up straight. "Good work in the cage today, but..." He shook his head in disappointment. "Monday, we''ll work on sliding again."

    I want to cry.

 346 Game: @ Etna H.S. 1

    The bus ride to Etna High School was the quietest one yet. Mostly in part to the fact that the JV and freshman team didn''t have to go. Etna only had a varsity team so we had the whole bus to ourselves. Meaning...everyone had their own seat! The quietness could also have something to do with it being another morning game and most of the team chose to nap on the hour long drive.

    I wish I could do the same, but even with a seat of my own, I just couldn''t fall asleep. It''s weird that I''d be okay with sharing a room with a stranger like Noah, yet everyone else puts me on edge. I just closed my eyes to rest as the bus rolled on.

    As soon as we arrived, my eyes were the first to open. Or so I thought until I heard Dave groaning. "This is insane. I can''t believe I didn''t even get a wink of sleep." Dave stood up. His left hand was grasping his right wrist as his face twisted in agony. "I''m so tired, I could probably sleep for a day straight."

    "Stop your whining." Kyle yawned. "It''s not like you''re playing today. Just sit in the bullpen and relax."

    "No way am I going to sit in the bullpen and be the only one that can''t pitch." Dave replied with disgust. He glared at his own hand in anger.

    After yesterday''s second practice, we came home before Dave and were able to clean up before he even got back. The first thing we noticed was the crazy amount of bandage on his finger. The second thing was his twisted facial expression.

    "The anesthetic must be wearing off." Mrs. Atkins told us while rubbing Dave''s back. "They numbed the finger in order to cut off the nail up to the nail bed. They said he''ll be okay to pitch once the nail grows over the nail bed again. So maybe a week. Or two."

    "Damn. How bad did you rip the nail?!" Noah got a closer look at the bulging finger, hiding under mounds of gauze and tape.

    "Language." Mrs. Atkins warned.

    Dave gently held his right hand in his left, almost cradling it. "It was split to the nail bed. One half was ripped off already and that''s where the blood was coming from. They just made it more even." He held his hand like it was a dying pet. "I never realized how important my nail could be."

    "Dude. It''s just a nail." Kyle scoffed. "Get over it. Kelvin got nailed in the elbow. Who knows when he''ll be able to play again."

    Dave sighed. "Could be worse I guess."

    Mrs. Atkins gave him a half hug around the shoulders. "Don''t worry dear, it''ll be okay. We just have to make sure to put neosporin on it every morning to fight off any infections."

    Dave went pale. "Mom, please don''t say things like that. It''s practically a curse."

    Mrs. Atkins laughed like it was funny, but the way Dave looked at his finger made me think it wasn''t a joke.

    ***

    Warmups went smoothly with Zeke in the lead. Kyle and Alex joined us in the dugout after doing their warmup in the bullpen.

    Kyle was rotating his shoulders. "Let''s get this game going! I''m ready to kick butt!"

    "To show off to your girlfriend?" Noah snickered.

    Kyle made a funny face at Noah. "What do you mean?"

    Noah lifted his hands with a shrug. "I was just asking if you were trying to show off since your girlfriend is here?"

    Kyle ran out of the dugout to check the stands.

    From the gate, I could easily spot Marie and Kaylee in the visitor stands, just a few rows back from Mr. and Mrs. Atkins. I looked back at Noah. "Did you know about this?"

    "Of course." He snorted. "Kaylee asked last night about the game like the time and location. I can''t wait to see how Kyle performs now." He laughed to himself.

    "Hey, hey! Did you set that up?" Dave asked, looking excited.

    Noah nodded proudly.

    "Excellent!" Dave held out his fist and Noah bumped it with his own. "I wonder if he has the jitters now."

    "He better not, or I know who to hold responsible." Zeke appeared out of nowhere, making the three of us jump.

    Dave immediately pointed at Noah. "It was all him. I knew nothing."

    Noah glared. "You dummy. Zeke was bluffing. How could he have known it was me?"

    "Welp. I gotta go talk to Kelvin, over there. Discuss our injuries, you know? Okay, good luck out there, bye." Dave hurried away from the perpetrator and the investigator. I guess I would be the bystander.

    Zeke stared Noah down, waiting for an explanation.

    "It was all in good fun." Noah shrugged. "They would have found out the time and location from someone else."

    "But how would they know that Kyle was pitching today?" Zeke raised an eyebrow.

    "They could have asked the other guys too." Noah claimed. "If Kaylee had asked Jake, he would have told them. C''mon, stop being such a party-pooper"

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "Use your head a little more, little brother." He turned away and walked over to Coach.

    "What does that mean?" Noah asked.

    "Noah! You little twat!" Kyle reappeared, and started to shake Noah by his shoulders. "Why would you do this to me? Are you trying to sabotage my love life?"

    "Sabotage?!" Noah gasped. "I''m trying to help it! You should be thanking me!"

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    "Bro, how!" Kyle used his hands to turn Noah to the visitor stands. "Look! Mom and Dad are here! Are you dumb enough to think they won''t start introducing themselves once they hear them cheer for me?? As soon as she tells them her name, Mom and Dad are going to know that this is the girl, I broke curfew for."

    Technically we broke curfew too, but right now didn''t seem like a good time to jump in.

    "Well, they would know eventually, right?" Noah defended himself.

    "Yea! After I tell them how good she is in school and softball. We went to a party! I still needed time for them to forget, forgive, and feed them details about how good of a person Marie is." Kyle looked like he was about to meltdown. Jitters may be the least of our worries.

    "You''re way too much." Garret came over and slapped Kyle on the back. "Parents don''t care too much about high school relationships. The odds are already in their favor...high school relationships last, on average, three months. They probably just think it''s puppy love."

    "Are you cursing me too?!" Kyle turned to glare at him.

    "No, idiot." Garret knocked him on the head. "There''s Nothing you can do about it now. Just let it be. Your parents aren''t rude enough to scare her off. I''m just saying, if they don''t like her, they''ll probably just let nature run its course. It''s up to you and Marie how it''ll work out in the end. Stop acting so dramatic."

    That seemed to settle Kyle down "Right. Right. Mom and Dad won''t be mean to her or anything. It''ll be okay...at least until I get home." He gulped.

 347 Game: @ Etna H.S. 2

    Shortly after, Garret had Alex, the new catcher, drag Kyle to the bench under the pretense of going over the game plan. It seemed to help Kyle get his mind focused on the task at hand.

    Noah let out a sigh of relief. "Did not expect that reaction. At all."

    I nodded in agreement. "What a crazy thing to get upset over. He must really like her if he cares what his parents think."

    "Guess so." He grinned. "I really wanna know how Mom''s taking it." He spotted the confusion on my face. "Mom''s are usually protective of their boys when it comes to girlfriends. Something like a momma bear watching over her cubs."

    Usually. Guess there''s room for error for moms like mine.

    Noah noticed my downcast attitude. "Oh, Jake! Don''t worry! I''m sure if you get a girlfriend, Mom would be overprotective of you too!" He laughed as he directed me to our bags. "A mom doesn''t have to be blood-related to be protective of you. Just look at me! I''m not related to you, but still protective, right?"

    I nodded. True.

    "Now get your helmet on, young man." He wagged his finger at me, and spoke like he was imitating his mom.

    I laughed, then got ready for my at-bat. I put my hat down, helmet on, then grabbed my bat. "It''s a little weird not hitting after you." I told him. "And batting third instead of second."

    "Yea." Noah sighed. "I''ve been demoted to sixth."

    "At least it''s not last..?" I offered.

    Noah nodded. "Right! Okay, let''s get going. You go to your spot and I''ll wait here."

    I nodded, gripped my bat in one hand, and moved to the dugout entrance. A few of the guys told me ''good luck'' and I nodded in response. I really like this new team atmosphere. Not as hostile.

    "Boys." Coach called out. "Two seconds. I just want you to know that although our bench is small today, I won''t hesitate to replace anyone not trying their best. Understand?"

    "Yes!" The team chorused together.

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    "Good." He nodded in satisfaction.

    It didn''t take long for the game to officially start. Unlike our school and others we had been to, Etna didn''t have an announcer. The players just took the field and the umpire waved Jason up to bat after their two minute warmup.

    Jason was jittery, either because he''s our new leadoff guy or because he became the starting third baseman for now. Coach had removed Chris from the team so there wasn''t much competition. Even Coach said that Sean would be the utility infielder for when we need him, so that lessened the competition for his position.

    The pitcher started wild, getting three balls before throwing a called strike. On a 3-1 count, Jason swung his bat, getting under the ball, he popped it up, nice and high. Just...not very far. The first baseman had to only take two steps back before making the catch.

    Garret moved to the batter''s box and I moved to the on deck circle.

    "Jake, come back for a second." Coach called out. i backtracked and stood before him and Zeke. "I forgot to tell you, you don''t have to worry about pitch count today. Just aim for hits on any first good pitch you see."

    I tilted my head. "So, I shouldn''t foul?"

    "Not unless you really have to." Zeke expanded. "Don''t force yourself to hit a bad pitch, but you don''t have to work so hard to make the pitcher tired."

    "Oh. Okay." I didn''t question their suggestions and they didn''t explain any further, so I went back to the on deck circle.

    Garret was on a 2-2 count, and just as I started to take a practice swing, he hit the next pitch to right field for a single.

    I moved to the plate and glanced back at Zeke, who had moved to the on deck circle. He gave me a single nod as if that was supposed to be encouragement. I guess for him, it could be. I stepped into the lefty''s box and moved my bat back, ready to swing. Today''s pitcher wasn''t overly impressive with his lack of speed and the lack of movement. If anything, it reminds me of batting practice. When a coach will just throw live balls at you to work on a swing.

    With the left field playing laying close to left center, I knew what I wanted to do. Hit to the opposite field so the ball can go down the third baseline. It just so happens that the first pitch given to me was hitable. Barely 75mph, I swear. I made my move and swung at the ball, connecting with it the way I wanted to. The third baseman tried to jump for it but it was perfect. It dropped in the grass and rolled to the outfield fence.

    I dropped the bat as soon as I saw it clear the third baseman, then sprinted. With the way the left fielder was playing towards center, I should have a chance for second base, so I rounded first base instead of running straight through. I wanted this double. The outfielder had it in hand and was making the throw to his shortstop. By the time he received it, I was panting, trying to catch my breath, while standing on second. Yes! A standup double. With no need to slide. I stood proudly on the bag with a small smile on my face.

    With a look, I spotted Garret on third...he didn''t make a run for home? Well, I guess with Zeke up, it''s better to play it safe. Zeke could easily drive us in.

    Zeke stepped up to bat, and got set after the pitcher was given the ball. He didn''t swing on the first pitch like me, but instead let two pass by for balls. On the 2-0 count, the pitcher threw a curve falling into the strike zone. Zeke swung, and pulled the ball between second and third. The shortstop made a diving grab at it, freezing me on second. He looked on as Garret ran straight to home plate, and then decided to get the for sure out at first base. 1-0, us.

    Mahki stepped up next, but couldn''t produce any more for our offense this inning. He grounded out to the second baseman, leaving me stranded.

    I jogged back to the dugout and started to change out my gear alongside Noah. He had his helmet on and bat in hand, but didn''t get a chance this inning. We switched to baseball hats and gloves before joining our teammates on the field.

    "You look oddly happy." Noah poked me.

    I smiled proudly. "I didn''t have to slide."

    Noah laughed. "That''s something weird to be happy about."

    I stuck my tongue out at him. That''s just because he doesn''t know what it''s like to suck like me.

    Bottom of the first inning, Kyle took the mound with our new catcher, Alex, behind the plate. Kyle came out fast and strong, but not wild. The first batter hit a grounder towards me that was easy to field. The second batter grounded out to Jason at third. Then Kyle got the third batter to strikeout, swinging. Effective and efficient. He must be taking his pitch count seriously. He didn''t throw one ball outside the strike zone.

 348 Game: @ Etna H.S. 3

    Top of the second inning, we were back in the dugout and back on offense. Noah was first up...and first out. He struck out swinging at a high ball. I shook my head, but didn''t know what to do to help. He didn''t like the idea of batting left handed and it''s not like that would have stopped the strikeout.

    Sean was slightly better in his at-bat, in which he connected with the ball, but it was a line drive right to the third baseman. I don''t know anything about Alex and how he hits so I turned to Noah to ask.

    Noah shrugged. "How can I know? We play different positions. Plus I only watched varsity games because of my brothers. When would I see him?"

    "I don''t know...in a scrimmage? My middle school would do something like that. Divide the players into teams for small scrimmages." I never joined, but I would occasionally watch. That''s where my limited baseball knowledge came from.

    "We don''t scrimmage within the program." Noah told me. "Coach says it''s detrimental to team building since you''re basically hoping your own teammates suck."

    We watched on as Alex struck out swinging.

    "He isn''t worse than me." Noah cracked a smile and a joke.

    I tried to fight back a smile as we grabbed our gloves and hit the dirt. Kyle dominated with even more power, getting the fourth batter, the supposed cleanup hitter, to strike out, swinging. Batter five put some fear in me as he ripped a line drive to right field, but Mahki ran back and caught with ease. Batter six was another strike out, but looking instead this time.

    "He''s only doing well to show off to Marie." Noah whispered to me at our bags. "Everyone should be thanking me for his performance right now."

    I smiled. "Sure, but do you really want them to blame you if things take a turn for the worst?"

    Noah wrinkled his nose. "You''re such a pessimist."

    I put on my helmet and held my bat in my lap as the top of the third inning started. Kyle led us off. On a 1-2 count, he sent a line drive right to the second baseman. Wow. I got up and moved to the spot by the dugout entrance just as he came back in.

    "Too bad." Garret told him on his way out.

    "Nice power behind it." Mahki told Kyle as he walked in.

    "Needs more lift." Zeke patted his shoulder. "Focus well on your pitching."

    Kyle didn''t bother with their input and just went back to his spot.

    I turned to see how Jason was doing. Except...the game was paused. The Etna Coach came out and spoke with the ump before going to the mound. He took the ball from his pitcher and sent him to the dugout. A new pitcher from their bullpen came in and was handed the ball. The ump gave him ten pitches off the mound for a practice as their coach went back.

    I turned back to look at Zeke. He was waiting near me as he would hit after me.

    Zeke saw me looking, but didn''t say anything.

    "Why did they switch pitchers?" I spoke up.

    Zeke cracked a smile like he was waiting for me to speak up. "It''s what they do. Each pitcher will get to go through a lineup once. They won''t let a pitcher face the same player twice."

    "But...why?"

    Zeke looked out onto the field. "To be a more well-rounded team? I''m not sure. We only face them once a year since they''re not in our conference. Just think of it as practice. They''re letting you face different pitchers and pitch types all in one game."

    I nodded. I can see why he wasn''t worried about me working the pitch count up. The most batters each pitcher would face is nine. Unless I did something mean like foul the ball off forty times, it really wouldn''t matter.

    The ump called for the game to resume and for Jason to step up. Unlike before where he had hit a fly ball, this time he struck out without even grazing the ball. The leadoff spot kind of gave me the feeling that it was cursed.

    Garret moved to the lefty''s box and I moved to the on deck circle. Garret was the only other lefty on the team, and the only one who threw left handed. He was also good at everything he tried to do. ''DING!'' The bat seemed to echo after he crushed the ball to center field. He leisurely dropped the bat and started to jog the bases, as the ball soared over the outfield fence. A solo shot, home run! 2-0.

    I wanted to go out to be the first one to greet him at the plate, but he had dropped his bat almost where he stood. I swallowed hard and stared at the aluminum bat. I should move it. It''s my job as the next batter to get it out of the way.

    A figure walked passed me. He reached for Garret''s bat and picked it up off the dirt. Then he waited for Garret to touch the plate before holding out his hand for a high five. Zeke acted like it was the plan all along as he followed Garret back to the dugout. I didn''t react in time to raise my hand for a high five and ended up just getting slapped on top of my helmet by Garret.

    Zeke walked by with Garret''s bat. I wanted to say thanks, but the umpire was calling for me to get in the box.

    I gripped the handle of my wooden bat. Right. Got a game to play. I got in the lefty''s box as Garret once did. But unlike Garret, I didn''t hit a homer. I hit a cheap shot just over the shortstop, getting away with a bloop single.

    Zeke stepped up next with one on, and two outs. Even with a new pitcher, he made the same movements and pulled the ball in the same direction. The shortstop was able to grab it again, throw the ball to the second baseman, who tagged second base before I could. Dang it.

    I jogged back. Noah handed me my hat and glove and I quickly switched. "Is there a reason Zeke keeps hitting to the shortstop?" I asked as we jogged out. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    Noah gave me a funny look. "What? It''s not like he''s doing it on purpose." He fought off a laugh. "You can''t believe everyone can do what you can do. You''re special. One of a kind. But so is Zeke. He''ll adjust. You''ll see it in his next at-bat."

    I nodded. Sure. Hopefully. I don''t want to see him go hitless this game.

    We ran to our positions and Sean threw us some easy grounders to warm up. The bottom of the third was a continuation of Kyle''s domination. If batter''s one thru six couldn''t do anything, it''d be weird if the bottom of the lineup could. Batter seven hit a fly ball just passed the dirt, but Noah tracked it down and made the catch. Batter eight fell victim to being strikeout number four for Kyle. And the ninth batter got out by Sean chasing his foul fly ball to the other teams dugout. Nine up, nine down. He was perfect. So far.

 349 Game: @ Etna H.S. 4

    Top of the fourth, Mahki was first up. Noah, who is right after, hurried to grab his stuff before going to the on deck circle. He tugged on batting gloves, pushed his helmet down on his head, and carried his bat on his shoulder. I felt a little sad as he left me alone on the bench. I missed being one and two. It was easy to talk to him without actually having to talk. Now I just sit alone to watch the game without Noah''s commentary.

    "You look like someone kidnapped your puppy." Dave laughed as he scooted over closer to me. "C''mon, is Noah really your only friend? The whole team is here with you."

    I think Dave was trying to comfort me, but I felt guilty instead for not considering the whole team as friends. Teammates? Yes. I just nodded and turned to watch the game.

    Dave got the hint and didn''t continue. He just sat quietly beside me.

    Mahki who had a groundout in the first inning was able to do better against this pitcher, earning a double by hitting a ball to the outfield.

    "Prettier than yours." Dave remarked as we clapped for Mahki.

    I glanced at him. "Why?"

    "Look, he isn''t huffing and puffing like he had just run a marathon. He''s calm and relaxed on the bag."

    "Well he doesn''t have to push himself to get a double."

    "Exactly." Dave laughed. "Better players have prettier plays. Just look at Zeke. When he dives and make plays in the outfield, they almost look effortless, right?"

    I nodded, then frowned. "Are you saying my double is uglier just because I had looked like I reached beyond my grasps? Rude."

    Dave laughed again. "I''m just teasing. On paper, it all looks the same doesn''t it?"

    "Yea...I guess so."

    He gave my hat a flick with his fingers. "I''m trying to cheer you up here. You look like a puppet just watching expressionlessly. Are you taking after Zeke?"

    I let out a small laugh. "No, no." I wanted to take after Noah. I want to be as bright and happy as him.

    A nice ''ding'' was made and we both looked to the field to see Noah taking off for first. I jumped up and clapped for him as he had gotten his first hit in quite some time. Mahki only made it to third though since it was just a short hop to left field.

    "That''s better." Dave nodded in satisfaction. "I''d be disappointed in him if he kept going hitless at the plate."

    I sat back down, giving Dave my own look of disapproval.

    "Don''t look at me like that. This is for his own good. Noah gets a lot of heat for being on the team, right? A lot of his classmates say it''s because of nepotism. Not only does that make him feel bad, but it makes us look like jerks."

    "You?"

    "And Kyle and Zeke." Dave nodded. "We get grief from our classmates as well. Noah is taking up a roster spot. A spot that could be taken by a hardworking senior who has done more for our baseball program than others."

    "Oh." That wouldn''t be good. "I''m sorry." I wonder if the other guys say the same thing about me.

    "For what? Being good at a young age?" Dave laughed. "No need to apologize. You or Noah. You''re both good in your own ways and make some of the greatest contributions to us winning games."

    My lips twisted as I fought off a smile. "Was this a roundabout way of saying that you''re happy that Noah broke out of his slump?"

    "Punk." Dave pushed down my cap over my eyes.

    I fixed it just in time to see Sean connect with a pitch and send it to left field. It was a line drive...right to the left fielder. He caught it with ease and quickly threw it in so Mahki didn''t have a chance to tag up and score.

    "Wow. Sean has sure been hitting it hard today." Dave commented as he came back to the dugout and Alex moved to the batter''s box. He waited until Sean returned and then spoke up for him to hear. "No worries Sean, you''re seeing the ball well."

    "Yea, I''m not worried about that." Sean sighed as he came over, putting his bat and helmet away. "The problem is that it keeps going to a position player."

    "Just a matter of time before you sneak one in for a hit. Just keep persevering. Small roadblocks like this is nothing. Be patient." Dave sounded wise giving the sophomore advice. I wondered why he didn''t say this to Noah when he was struggling. Instead he was giving him a hard time. Is that another brother thing? Or does he not like Noah as much as he likes Sean?

    "Thanks Dave." Sean day down. "How''s the finger?"

    Dave scrunched up his face as he held the injured hand. "I felt fine when they numbed it, but now that I have feeling again, it flat out sucks. They took off what was broken off though so the nail will grow without hindrance."

    Sean nodded. "Sounds rough. Any idea when you can pitch again?"

    Now it was Dave''s turn to sigh. "They couldn''t give me a definitive time frame since everyone''s nails grow at different speeds."

    "You should ask your parents to get biotin. Helps with nail growth." He offered.

    We both had clueless looks plastered on our faces.

    Sean blushed. "It''s a vitamin. My mom makes my dad take it because his nails would always crack and break off. Seems to help."

    "Thanks." Dave nodded. "I''ll check it out when we get home."

    Another ''ding'' made all eyes go to the field. I couldn''t even find where the ball went, until the first baseman made a noticeable run in the foul area, towards right field. He caught the foul pop up and hurried the ball back in to the field. Not like Mahki would run on that.

    Kyle went out next. Unlike his excellent pitching today, it just didn''t translate over to hitting. He struck out swinging and left Mahki and Noah stranded.

    Dave sighed. "Too bad. Two on second and third with no outs had so much potential."

    Sean nodded in agreement and headed on out to the field.

    I waited for Noah so I could congratulate him on getting a single.

    He smiled and thanked me. "It just would have been better if it went farther or even to a spot the outfield wasn''t defending, that way Mahki could have scored. I would have been happy with a RBI." Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    "And us bench players would have been happier with another run on the scoreboard." Dave sighed. "Too bad a certain freshman is lacking. He needs to hit the gym."

    Noah''s face twitched. "Let''s go Jake!"

    I followed him out to the field. "Was Dave just kidding?" Because he was all smiles when Noah had gotten the hit.

    Noah shrugged. "Who can know when it comes to him. Also, it''s not like he''s wrong. As freshmen, we can''t compare to some high school players who are fully grown. Just look at Zeke."

    I looked to the outfield and saw him throwing a ball back and forth with Mahki. He did look like a full size adult.

 350 Game: @ Etna H.S. 5

    Bottom of the fourth brought up Etna''s top of the lineup again. I wasn''t worried since Kyle seemed to be able to shut them down and close them out. Almost as proof, he got the first batter to groundout right to Sean. Sean merely scooped up the ball and touched first base before the runner even got close.

    Good start. Batter two stepped up and put up more of a fight, fouling off four straight pitches. Kyle got frustrated and threw a fastball right down the middle trying to get that third strike. It didn''t workout like planned. The batter connected and hit a hard grounder between me and Sean. I dove at it, but all I came up with was dirt in my glove, in my jersey, and in my face.

    Mahki came in from right field, picked up the ball, and threw it directly to Sean at first base since I was still lying in the dirt.

    With a sigh, I pushed myself up and dusted myself off. Afraid to make eye contact with Kyle, I focused on getting the dirt out of my glove and wiped my face as best as I could.

    "Take your time." Noah had come over, almost scaring me. "Is there dirt in your eye?"

    I shook my head. "I''m good. I''m fine."

    "You sure? We called time. We can get some water to flush the eye out." Kyle also came over, off his mound.

    I rubbed my my face in shame. "N-n-no. Really. Nothing got in my eyes." I couldn''t look at him, knowing that I just let the ball pass by, taking away his perfect game and no hitter in one go.

    Noah took my hat off, catching me by surprise. He started to shake it and let the dirt and dust fall off. "There. That''s better. This way the dirt won''t fall into your eyes later."

    I nodded my thanks after he placed it back on my head.

    "No need to be so down." Kyle gave me a reassuring smile. "It was a good hit."

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    "But you were..." I was going to mention his perfect game, but he cut me off.

    "It''s in the past." Kyle shrugged and headed to the mound. "It''s not like I can be perfect all the time."

    Noah rolled his eyes, then headed back to his own position, while letting the ump know that I was good to go.

    Kyle prepared to face the third batter. He nodded at the signs given by Alex, and then got set. He came at the batter with a fastball from the getgo. The batter swung and missed for strike one. The second pitch he fouled. On an 0-2 count, Kyle threw a pitch low and away, trying to get him to swing at the ball. He didn''t fall for it. 1-2. Kyle attempted to pick off the runner at first, but the guy was paying attention. He got back in time without needing to dive.

    Kyle turned his attention back to the batter. He accepted Alex''s sign, then did his set up. Left leg up, then stepped forward, and his right hand soon followed the body''s motion, using the momentum from it to throw the pitch.

    The batter swung as it got close, and blasted it down the left field foul line. All of us in the infield had to whip our heads around to watch the ball fly. Go foul, go foul, go foul. It banged off the foul pole in left field. The umpire waved his finger in a circular motion to signal home run. Our shoulders seemed to fall in unison. Just like that, we lost our lead. 2-2 after a two-run homerun.

    If I had just gotten that previous ground ball, it would have only been a solo homerun. I kicked the dirt in frustration. I then looked to the mound to see how Kyle was taking it. His shoulders weren''t sagging like mine. He just stood tall as Alex came up to the mound.

    I looked to Noah to see if we should go up as well. He shook his head so I stayed in position, just watching them exchange some words behind gloves. Kyle then patted the catcher on the shoulder and they separated.

    Alex squatted behind home plate and the cleanup batter stepped up. This time, Kyle took a different approach. He aimed all of his pitches to outside the strike zone, getting the batter to swing and miss three in a row! Nice comeback!

    "Keep it up!" Noah called out. "Two outs! One to go! Play at first!"

    I clapped my glove too.

    Batter number five didnt chase those outside pitches and let the first two pass by for balls and a favorable 2-0 count. Kyle did an inside pitch, still in the strike zone. He swung and fouled it down the third baseline. The following pitch was closer to center, and the batter made a better connection, sending a fly ball to center field. Zeke was there though and he had no trouble run in, making the catch, and then jogging straight in.

    I hurried to the dugout too.

    Surprisingly, the dugout wasn''t all ''gloom and doom.'' Everyone seemed to maintain positive attitudes as we got ready to go on offense.

    "We need some runs!" Kyle called out when he got in.

    "It helps that you''re not batting this inning." Dave laughed.

    "What''d you say?!" Kyle made out like he was going to slap him.

    But Zeke was faster. He slapped Kyle''s hand down as he made it in time. "Focus on the game. Unless you want to be pulled off that mound."

    Kyle pouted as he rubbed the slapped hand. "That''s not fair. He was making fun of me."

    Zeke stared him down. "How old are you? How can words like that hurt?" He paused. "Especially when they''re the truth." He walked away to his bag.

    Kyle''s jaw dropped. "The injustice! I''m pitching my heart and soul out there and you''re all mocking my batting??"

    Noah rolled his eyes as Kyle rambled on. "Ignore him. Such an ego, I swear."

    I laughed a little as I put my helmet on and sat down.

 351 Game: @ Etna H.S. 6

    I took a moment to calm myself down from the last half inning. Even though I felt better after knowing that Kyle wasn''t too upset, the anxiety and guilt were still hanging on. There was another feeling within me that I couldn''t describe. Something between guilt and wanting to have made that stop.

    I looked up and saw Etna switching pitchers again as Jason was up to bat, with Garret on deck. I had some time so I turned to Noah to ask a question that came to mind. "Would you have been able to stop that grounder?"

    Noah tilted his head as he looked at me. He had also sat down and was pulling on his batting gloves even though it would take some time to get to him in the lineup. "Why do you ask?"

    I stayed quiet. I know he''ll get upset if he knows I still feel guilty about it.

    "Are you asking for comparison? Or are you asking in order to improve yourself?" He asked once he knew I wasn''t going to answer the original question.

    I hesitated. "Both..?" That sounds about right. I wanted to compare to see how far behind I am and to see how much I''m lacking in fielding.

    "Ehh, wrong answer." Noah shook his head.

    My jaw dropped. I waited for him to explain, but his attention was on the field. The game had resumed.

    I poked him. "Are you going to tell me why it''s wrong? Or at least, what would have been the right answer?"

    Noah shrugged. "Maybe. Eventually. Who knows."

    "Jake!" Coach called out.

    I jumped up, dropping my bat from my lap to the floor. I fumbled to pick it up and then looked at the coach. "Yes?" I answered weakly.

    "You''re supposed to be on deck. Stop chatting and start focusing." He crossed his arms across his chest.

    I nodded and hurried pass him so I could step outside the dugout. Garret was already in the middle of his at-bat and Jason was standing on first base. He must have walked since I didn''t hear anything. Garret got one over the first baseman''s head and made it to first for a single, pushing Jason to second base.

    I swung my bat for a practice swing before walking up to the lefty''s box. My mind should have been on the new pitcher and examining his pitches, but I was still stuck on the grounder that I couldn''t stop. I wonder if I had stopped it, would Garret have been so aggressive with the next batter? Maybe it would have ended with the homerun hitter instead of us losing the lead.

    "Strike." Oh, I let one pass by for a called strike.

    "Don''t be distracted!" Someone called out from my team''s dugout. Was it Noah? One of the twins? Or someone else? Why can''t I remember whose voice that is? Was I not listening properly?

    "Strike two." The umpire let me know that another had passed by and into the strike zone no less.

    I pressed my lips together and opened my eyes a little wider as I stared down this new pitcher. Focus. Attention. Concentration. They''re all the same.

    The third pitch came inside but still within the zone. I swung, connected, and pulled the ball to right field. I dropped the bat and tried to take off. Emphasis on tried. My left leg had crossed to my right, and I stepped on my own foot, causing me to tumble to the dirt. On my hands and knees, I looked up to see the ball already being thrown in from right field. I scrambled to get up, only to hit the dirt again my cleat had gotten stuck in the laces. I could only watch as the first baseman got the ball and tagged first.

    "Out!"

    I could hear laughter from all around: my dugout, their dugout, the whole bleacher behind the fencing. My face heated up as I struggled to a sitting position, trying to get my cleat out of the laces.

    "Calm down. You''re already out. No need to rush." Zeke told me, taking a knee near me. "Let me help."

    I wanted to tell him ''no'' but it''s not like I was able to get it right. I just hung my head as he worked on it.

    "Are you hurt at all?" I heard Zeke asked.

    I shook my head, still refusing to make eye contact.

    "That''s good."

    What could possibly be good? I just tripped in front of everyone and they''re all laughing at me. I lifted the collar of my jersey so I could hide my face. Don''t cry. It''s pointless.

    "Jake?" I heard Noah''s voice. "You okay?"

    "He''s fine." Zeke answered. "Just embarrassed, most likely."

    I nodded, still hiding my face.

    I felt a pat on my leg. "Good to go. Head back to the dugout now. Make sure you didn''t scrape your hands or knees." Zeke told me.

    "Let''s go back, Jake." I could feel Noah tugging on my arm. "Come on. I''m here with you." I let him help me up and guide me back as I continued to hide my face.

    We walked slowly until Noah told me we were in the dugout. I sat down quietly, trying to calm myself on the inside before putting down the jersey.

    "Jake? It''s me." I heard Drew nearby. "Can you let me check you over? You had a nasty fall. Let''s make sure those hands aren''t torn up or anything."

    I shook my head. My hands didn''t hurt. But my pride did. I really didn''t want to show my face to anyone right now.

    "It wasn''t that bad!" Noah seemingly had enough of me hiding. "Let drew check you out already. If you don''t let him do it now, you''ll have to do it alone. I have to go to the on deck circle after Zeke''s at-bat."

    I don''t think I could face anyone alone. I put down the jersey and wiped my cheeks from the few tears that had escaped.

    "That''s better." Noah nodded approvingly. "Check him out doc."

    "I''m not a doctor." Drew corrected. He then pried my hands off my shirt. "Let''s check the hands." He pulled gauze out of his bag and wiped my hands. "Good. They''re fine. Nothing cut or bleeding. How about your knees?"

    I patted my knees lightly to show that they were fine.

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    "Of course he''s okay!" Dave ambled over. "He''s already so close to the ground so a trip or two won''t hurt him." He chuckled. "The only thing that should be hurting is your pride, right?"

    I bit my lip, yet gave him a nod in the affirmative.

    He laughed a little harder. "Poor Bambi. Were you scared by Zeke''s yell?"

    "Zeke yelled?" I mumbled. "I didn''t know."

    "He said not to be distracted." Dave raised an eyebrow. "You didn''t hear it? He was in the circle when he yelled at you."

    I felt the blood rush to my face. "Oh. No, I heard it then."

    Drew patted my head and gave me a sympathetic look. "Well, it''ll be forgotten soon. Tell me if anything starts to hurt." He walked over to Coach to presumably share the news of me being okay.

 352 Game: @ Etna H.S. 7

    "Zeke just walked, I gotta go." Noah got up and looked for his bat. After finding it, he turned back to me. "You''re okay. You''re fine. Just take some deep breaths and you''ll feel better." He walked away without waiting for confirmation. It''s like what he believed was the truth, and I had no reason not to feel better.

    Dave sat down in Noah''s seat. "No need to be embarrassed."

    "Don''t lie to him." Kyle laughed, walking over with Tanner. He looked down at me. "Are you making the same mistakes as yesterday?"

    "Technically it was different." Tanner told him. "Yesterday, he didn''t step on his own feet. Just normal tripping." He cracked a smile at me. "It was a good hit."

    "Yea." Kyle agreed. "I''ve never seen someone ground out to right field before." He laughed and I turned red as a tomato. "Oi, this is why we call you bambi. Always so nervous and scared."

    Dave reached out and put his arm around my shoulders. "Just blame it on bad luck. It''s not your fault."

    But...it is. I got distracted. I wasn''t focused on swinging, hitting, or running. All because I wanted to know if Noah could have fielded the grounder that I couldn''t get to. I looked up at the three juniors around me. "I need to know...do you think Noah could have fielded that ground ball?"

    "That ground ball? What ground ball?" Dave asked.

    "What? You''re hit just now?" Tanner questioned.

    I shook my head at the two of them. They wouldn''t know. My eyes drifted to Kyle''s; he would know.

    Kyle knocked me on the head. "You dummy. Is that where your mind was? I already said it wasn''t a big deal."

    "That''s not what I want to know." I pushed on, swallowing a lump. "I tried to ask him, but he avoided it too."

    Kyle lifted his hands and shrugged his shoulders up and down. "Who can say for sure? It all happened so quick. It''s not like we have it recorded. Were you flat footed? Were you in position? Did you react late?" He paused. "Or was it something to do with my pitching? Weak? Slow? Easy placement? What about the batter? Good eyes? Good swing? Saw a gap and tried his best? There''s a lot that goes into each and every play." He grinned. "Starting with me. I''m the pitcher. The ball has to leave my hand before it can go anywhere else. If I don''t feel bad about it, then why do you?"

    "But...you lost a perfect game..." I muttered, though the guilt lessened quite a bit after his speech.

    Kyle laughed. "I''ve lost a lot of ''perfect games''. Right from the start too!"

    Tanner joined in. "Yea, yea, you should have seen him his freshman year! Always gave up hits to the very first batter. It''s like that was his way of calming down."

    "Hey! Don''t tell him that!" Kyle nudged Tanner.

    "Why? It''s true! Aren''t we trying to make him feel better?" Tanner defended himself.

    Kyle''s eyes narrowed. "You know what will also make him feel better? The story of your first sliding attempt in little league."

    "No!"

    Kyle got closer. "So this guy here never practiced sliding. He didn''t like to get dirty. Our coach at the time would try anything and everything to get him to do it but it was no use. Finally during a game, he had to slide feet first because a throw was coming in or something like that. I just remember his pants hanging by his knees after his UNSUCCESSFUL slide." Kyle burst out laughing and Dave joined in. "And the best part...we were still kids so he was wearing Spider-Man underwear!"

    I started to laugh and my body loosened up.

    "Oh my gosh, I forgot about that." Dave gasped for air. "I think Mom still has a picture somewhere. We gotta find that soon."

    "La-la-la I can''t hear you." Tanner put his fingers in his ears and walked away.

    "What a baby." Kyle continued to giggle to himself. "Ah, I really need to ask Mom for that picture."

    "We could take it to school too. It''d be hilarious." Dave added.

    This pair of twins are ruthless. Yet...I felt relaxed with them.

    Soon, everyone''s attention was turned to the field thanks to the sound of a bat hitting a ball. We all watched as Jason jogged to home, and Garret came sprinting in off Mahki''s single to center field. The center field threw it to the shortstop, but it was final. Jason and Garret scored, Zeke was safe at second, and Mahki safe at first. We retook the lead, 4-2.

    Even the tension in my shoulders vanished.

    They came in and Noah moved to the batter''s box.

    "Now that''s what a base runner is supposed to look like." Garret came over with his helmet in his hands. "You should be taking notes from me, understand?"

    "With the way you laughed at him yesterday, I''m thinking that''s a no." Kyle practically read my mind. "Besides, why should he learn from you when we have Zeke at home. That''s a better option." For some reason, I couldn''t agree. Just on the basis that Zeke makes me run all the time.

    "Coach said we''ll work on it Monday." I spoke up, afraid of what other suggestions they would come up with. Last thing I want to do is to be do sprints and slides on a Sunday.

    "Uh-huh." Garret laughed. "Maybe Drew will be more strict with you." He walked away to his bag.

    I gulped. Okay, maybe Zeke didn''t sound so bad right now.

    Dave shook my shoulders as his arm was still around them. "If you could only see your face right now, you would call yourself Bambi too." He laughed.

    Kyle nodded in agreement.

    Ugh. I decided to watch Noah''s at-bat instead of these comedians. Noah was swinging at everything, apparently inspired by his previous hit. But it''s no good just to swing if you''re not making contact. He struck out and came back with a frown of his own as Sean stepped up to bat.

    Kyle left to get his batting equipment so he could be coming up this inning as well. He stood in the hole as Alex was on deck.

    "Swing happy?" Dave said something odd, making me look at him, but his eyes were on Noah.

    "I don''t need hitting advice from you." Noah stuck out his tongue at his brother. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    Dave took his arm off my shoulders. "And here I was, just being a good older brother."

    "A good older brother would pay for my time in the cages tomorrow." Noah wiggled his brows.

    "You''ve got two other older brothers to hit up." Dave snorted. He lifted his injured hand. "Why would I bother going to the cages? To make myself feel more miserable? No thanks. I''m staying home tomorrow. Since it''s a Sunday, there''ll be 10am games to watch and then I can just keep on watching all day."

    "You really think Mom and Dad are going to let you watch tv all day?" Noah shook his head.

    "They''ll be working. You guys will be playing. What else can I do?" Dave shrugged like he was helpless, but his face definitely gave it away that he was happy.

    "Useless." Noah rolled his eyes.

 353 Game: @ Etna H.S. 8

    Dave didn''t take it as an insult. He just glanced at his hand. "Yea..."

    He looked upset and I wanted to try and comfort him like he did for me, but I didn''t know what would work. Soon it became a lost thought, as Sean had also hit a single and we watched as Zeke sprinted around third to tag home. The ball came in through a relay throw but it was too late. We scored again! 5-2.

    Zeke clenched his fist and gave it a pump to Sean at first to signal ''good job.'' Zeke came back and Alex stepped to the plate with runners on first and second. He got the count to 2-2, but ended up flying out to center field. That''s okay though, we have the lead!

    I put on my hat and grabbed my glove. It wasn''t until I got to my position that I had remembered Dave''s look at being called ''useless''. I should have just said something to refute that...yet...it had come from Noah himself. I glanced at him as he fielded a ball that Sean rolled to him. He didn''t look any different. I''m sure he was just joking, but Dave looked upset.

    The umpire called for the game to start. Kyle stood on the mound with confidence. He worked his fastballs around the strike zone earning a 1-2 count, and then got the batter to swing on an outside pitch. The end of the bat knocked the ball my way. It was a slower roller so I sprinted forward and picked it up barehanded. I made sure to aim properly before throwing the ball to Sean. No error. One out.

    The following batter got jammed and the ball bounced down the first baseline. Surprisingly, it was Alex, who got out of the crouching position, ran to get the ball and then threw to Sean for our number two. I don''t think Jordan or Kelvin ever moved like that. Usually they relied on the pitchers and the infield for bunts and slow rollers.

    "Hey, Hey!" I heard Noah call out. I looked to him to find him looking at me. "Next time, back the play up. Three B''s!"

    Oops. That''s right. I guess I got caught watching. I nodded to show that I understood.

    Kyle got the next batter to hit a fly ball to Noah. Noah only had to back up to the grass to make the catch. After the ump called out, he rolled the ball to the mound and we jogged back in. Another three up, three down for Kyle. If only that stupid fourth inning just didn''t exist.

    I checked on Kyle to make sure he wasn''t upset, but he was too busy grabbing his bat and helmet to start the sixth inning. It''s like his mind wasn''t on pitching at all.

    Jason and Garret got their gear on as well and moved to the appropriate spots. Thinking of those before me, I decided to get my helmet on as well.

    "Were you surprised by Alex moving to get the ball?" Noah asked as he sat down. I nodded. "Alex is a catcher that likes to be in the action. I remember in the fall semester tryouts that he put his all to go for every bunt and foul ball that was popped in the air. He also likes asking pitchers to do check throws." He lowered his voice. "Something our team doesn''t like doing obviously."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    Yea...I didn''t see it often. I think I only remember a time or two they threw to Noah at second to try and catch a runner.

    "You just have to make a quicker decision. Are you closer to the ball? Or did the pitcher and catcher react in time to get it? Or maybe it was a bad bunt so Sean has to come forward to get it? You can''t just get caught in nowhere land. That time was a definite ''backup the play'' ball. Especially with a catcher throwing. It''s harder for them to throw to first because they have to avoid the runner."

    I nodded. "As soon as you said it, I knew I forgot about the three B''s. I was just...I had never seen a catcher go for the ball like that."

    "Just know for next time. Always improving, one game at a time." Noah smiled.

    Kyle popped out to short to start the inning off. With that, we were at the beginning of the lineup again so Etna High School brought in another pitcher.

    With even more time, I remembered Dave and his depression. I looked over and found him far away enough so I could ask Noah about it. I lowered my voice. "Hey, do you think Dave got a little sad about you calling him useless?"

    Noah was flabbergasted. "Dave? No way."

    "But-"

    "Jake, Dave is the toughest one here. Even tougher than Zeke. I''ve seen him break a leg as kids, and he didn''t even cry. When he gets bombed on the mound, he gets angry. Not scared like Kyle. Dave isn''t likely to get sad about some name calling. Especially since it was all in good fun." Noah told me. "Even when Kyle does better than him, he can laugh it off and talk some smack. Dave''s good. Don''t worry about him."

    I looked at Dave and saw him just chatting away with Brian and Bryce who were also pitchers. He did look fine. Now. But I swear he had looked depressed earlier. I guess tomorrow I''ll be able to tell a little better depending on what we do for the day. If we go to the cages, and he doesn''t go, would that make him depressed? Or does that mean he just doesn''t want to watch others hit the ball as he stuck on the outside?

    With Jason up to bat, and Garret on deck, I had to move to the entrance to get ready. Noah wished me luck and I left him there.

 354 Game: @ Etna H.S. 9

    "Keep your head in the game." Zeke told me as we lined up at the dugout entrance. He stood behind me with his own helmet on. He was tugging on his batting gloves when I turned around. "The only thing on your mind right now should be getting on base."

    I swallowed hard and gave a nod. Then I swirled around to have my eyes on the game. With Kyle''s pop out, I might not even have an at-bat this inning if Jason and Garret don''t pull through.

    The pitcher for Etna finished his warmup off the mound and the ump gave the signal for Jason to step up. The new pitcher started off strong, throwing Jason straight fastballs, blowing them right by him. He struck out swinging. Garret moved up and I stepped out of the dugout.

    I was happy to put some space between me and Zeke. I wanted to take his advice seriously, yet with him being too close, I couldn''t help but get distracted. It''s like someone telling you to look at the stars when the sun is right next to you.

    Garret didn''t struggle with the fast fastball pitcher; he thrived instead. He made a solid connection and got it to the outfield for a single.

    My turn. I got in the lefty''s box and moved the dirt around with my cleat. Something I didn''t like about Garret playing: he used the same batter''s box as me. He liked to dig in his back foot and practically make a ditch at the back of the box while I liked smooth, flat ground to stand on. I think that has something to do with me practicing in the cages. There''s no dirt to dig into. There''s only solid concrete to stand on.

    I let the first pitch pass for a called strike. He had good speed. Better than the other two. The second pitch looked like the one to hit so I started my swing, yet the ball seemed to break in, connecting with the thinner part of my bat. The ball rolled to the second baseman and I took off. One, two, one, two. Only thing I should be doing is sprinting to first.

    I heard a dugout groan and the other one cheer. I glanced over to see the ball rolling forward away from the second baseman. Wait. What. I made it to first safely, Garret was also safe at second base. What happened? Did my hit just defy the laws of physics? It should have been right to him. It could have even been a double play ball.

    I turned to Coach Luis for help. He wasn''t the friendliest of coaches, but he didn''t give me much of a hard time.

    "An error." Coach Luis lowered his voice as we watch the ball be picked up and given back to the pitcher. "Went off his glove, then off his thigh."

    Oh. That must suck. "Is he okay?" I stood on first base, watching him rub the spot above his knee.

    "Who cares? His coach isn''t worried so why are you." Coach Luis snapped at me. "Zeke is up now. Focus more on how you can score from here."

    Ah, yea. I checked Mr. Miller for signs but he only told Zeke to hit the best he can and for us to run on any grounder. Zeke is 0-2 today with two groundouts, a walk, a run, and a RBI. Not exactly his best day. Possibly his worst.

    Like I was taught, I started to take a lead of first base since the first baseman wasn''t strictly guarding the bag. I inched my way out, almost leaving the bag as far as him, but still made sure I was closer. I knew I wasn''t as fast as him so we couldn''t be the same distance out.

    The pitcher lined up on the rubber, checked on Garret at second, then me at first. Then he did his motion and threw to Zeke. Ball. Ball. On a 2-0 count, Zeke swung at the third pitch, a low fastball in the zone. He smashed it with the barrel of his bat and it soared like a bird. It was a goner, I know it. I started to run to second, and had the perfect view of the center fielder leaping at the outfield wall, but it was only for show. That blast easily cleared the fence for a home run. I hurried around the bases knowing that Zeke was pretty fast, even during a homerun trot. He didn''t waste time.

    As soon as I touched home plate, Garret slapped my back and we waited for Zeke. He held out his hand for high-fives yet his face was stoic and expressionless. Almost like the three-run homerun didn''t matter to him. With it though, we took an 8-2 lead over Etna. We went back to the dugout together as Mahki moved to the batter''s box.

    I went back to my bag alone as Garret and Zeke accepted high-fives from the team. Noah was already on deck so it was just me alone. I put away my helmet and made sure my bat was properly put away. After my at-bats, I know it''s always Noah who grabs it and puts it away for me. It''s important. It''s what allows me to play.

    Mahki ended our offense with a strikeout of his own, but going 2-4 so far was great. He was definitely out of his slump now.

    I grabbed my glove and hat and waited for Noah to come back.

    He sighed as he switched his own gear. "Man, I was hoping to get in on the action too."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    "You still have next inning?" I offered.

    He sighed. "Yea, I know. I just want to be able to score a run or better yet, drive in some runs. But hitting towards the bottom of the lineup doesn''t allow too much of an opportunity. Particularly if I lead off. Just look, Alex and Kyle are hitless today...do you want them hitting after you?"

    I laughed. "But they''re working hard on defense."

    "Yea, yea, I know. You don''t need to tell me that." Noah rolled his eyes and then led the way for us to jog out on the field. "It feels like forever since I got to touch home plate, okay? I''m just not contributing enough for my liking."

    I shrugged, not knowing what to say. We split to our own positions and did the warmup with Sean.

    Kyle came started hot in the bottom of the sixth inning, striking out the first batter up. Which was the ninth in the lineup so I can''t really say if that''s impressive.

    With that, the top of the order came up once more. This would be their third time. And it showed. The first batter in the lineup worked diligently, fouling off a few of Kyle''s pitches. It wasn''t until the tenth pitch overall, he hit a catchable fly ball to Mahki in right field.

    The second batter in the lineup was trying even harder. He would foul off obvious balls, probably because he was too tensed at the plate. It worked in our favor. He also hit a fly ball to Mahki in right.

 355 Game: @ Etna H.S. 10

    Top of the seventh inning would start with Noah so he sprinted with excitement back to the dugout. As I jogged in, he passed by me on his way out. He gave me a carefree smile and walked on out.

    "What''s the count?!" Kyle hollered, making his entrance known. "What am I at?"

    It took me a second to realize he was talking about his own pitch count and not Noah''s batter count.

    "Settle down, you''re done for the game." Coach told him, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "You did well."

    "No way, Coach, you said I get 75 pitches. Not one more. So you might as well not do one less. What am I at?"

    Coach looked to Kelvin, who held a clipboard in his wrapped up arm. "Tell him."

    "68." Kelvin gave Kyle a look of pity.

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    "You won''t be able to do a complete game." Coach told him, bluntly. "I''m not going to send you back out there just for one more batter. That batter might do a ten-pitch at-bat as well and put us in a bind."

    Kyle didn''t give in. "What if I say I don''t want to pitch on Tuesday? It should be Garret anyways. I''ll go Thursday."

    Coach''s eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me how to run my team?"

    Kyle took an unsteady step back. "No, no, I wouldn''t. I just want to finish this out."

    Coach sighed, not looking so angry anymore. "Listen, Kyle. We don''t have any starters like you, your brother, and Garret. With you three, I know I can get quality starts. I''m not afraid to use the others, but I like to keep my options open. This isn''t a league game. You already have a win in place. What are you after?"

    Kyle looked guilty. "I-I just want to pitch. I know I won''t blow the win but what if something happens?"

    "Are you not trusting your teammates? Are you not trusting me?" Coach asked, exasperated.

    "He just wants to show off, Coach, don''t mind him." Dave wrapped his brother''s shoulder with his healthy arm. "His girlfriend is here today so I''m sure he just wanted her to see how far he''s come since last year."

    Coach threw his hands up in the air. "Teenagers!" He pushed through them and put his focus at our offense.

    Kyle tried shoving Dave away. "You! That''s not what I was doing!"

    "Shut it!" Dave hissed. "Can''t you see that you were putting Coach in a bad mood. Do you really want to do another running practice?"

    Kyle dropped his arms in defeat. Dave guided him to the bench and sat down with him. "Like Coach said, it''s just one inning. You already have the win. And you padded up your stats quite nicely. Six strikeouts across six innings. As good as Garret."

    "I heard that!" Garret joined the pair and the three started to talk about their pitching stats.

    Seeing that the drama had died down, I sat down to relax.

    Noah had put up his own fight in the batter''s box, desperate to get a hit. There was a few fouls mixed in with balls and he was at the full count, 3-2. He hit a high bouncing grounder down the first baseline, but the first baseman was playing close to the bag. He easily got it and tagged the base before Noah. One out.

    Noah came back and sat down with a sigh as he put away the bat and helmet. "Stuck with one." He referenced how he only had one hit today. "Tuesday, I''ll get two!"

    I nodded to show my support, then told him all that went down with the twins and Coach.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Ridiculous. A bunch of ball hogs, I swear."

    "Dave calmed him down after though." I thought of him in a good light. He didn''t make fun of me nearly as much as Kyle, and I felt like he was always comforting someone.

    "Dave probably doesn''t want to fall too far behind." Noah explained. Okay, that could be true too.

    We watched as our teammates couldn''t produce any more hits this game after Sean grounded out to third and Alex struck out. We jogged out to hopefully close this game out with a win.

    Coach came in and waved to the bullpen, and Matt soon came running out. He smiled happily as Coach gave him the ball on the mound and then proceeded to throw some pitches at Alex.

    Matt would have to start with the other teams core, batters three, four, and five. Batter three was even the one that had hit a homerun off Kyle.

    Matt was a junior like the twins and Garret, but didn''t have the same skill as them. I''m not saying he''s bad, but there''s something lacking.

    Batter three stepped up to the plate and Matt got ready. He did a full windup and threw, what looked to be, his fastest pitch. But it didn''t phase the batter at all as he swung for the fences and almost gave all of us whiplash with how fast the ball left the field. It was already at the outfield fence when I was able to spot it. Garret could only helplessly watch the ball leave. A solo shot home run off the first pitch no less.

    Matt kicked the rubber a few times as the batter jogged around the bases. He didn''t look too down on himself. Just contemplating.

    The next batter was the cleanup hitter. Matt didn''t shy away from the strike zone just because of the homer. He just continued to do his best. The batter smacked a line drive between me and Noah and it headed to center field. Zeke came sprinting in, made a dive at it, and had to completely lay out for the ball. He made the grab just as he crashed into the grass. He rolled twice, and jumped up, throwing the ball to Noah. One out.

    Matt gave a friendly wave to thank Zeke. Zeke nodded and went back to position. After these two hard hits that Matt had given up, I wasn''t feeling too confident. Matt turned to face the fifth batter of the lineup. At least this time the count was worked up to a favorable 2-2, but it still had the same result: a hard hit ball. It was a line drive to Sean, right to his head. He caught it and smiled. "Two outs! Play''s at first."

    Matt smiled gratefully and got the ball back. He got set once more and prepared for the next batter. Number six had previously struck out looking and grounded out to me. I backed my heels to the grass to give myself space in case the ball came my way. It didn''t. On a 3-1 count, another hard hit ball was crushed to the corner in left field. Garret had to chase it down.

    I went to second base to prepare for the relay as I knew the runner would definitely try for second. Garret got the ball and threw it all the way to Noah with ease. Noah turned around, but I held up my arms in a cross. The batter was already here. Noah threw to Matt on the mound instead.

    My heart was pounding now. These pitches are being hit really well. If I was Kyle, I might be concerned about my win now. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and fixed my cap as we prepared for the next batter.

    At the ''ding'' of the bat, I could only watch the ball fly to left field. Garret sprinted to the baseline and thankfully made the catch, robbing the batter of a hit and a RBI. I let out a sigh of relief. We won. And although we only gave up one run this inning, I don''t think I''ll ever be comfortable with Matt on the mound again.

    Matt and Alex shared a high five and the team seemed to convene on the mound to celebrate. I watched from a relatively close distance, not too close, but not as far as I use to be.

    "Another win for the books!" Noah smiled at me as he came over. "Let''s keep this going for the rest of the season."

    I nodded, happy as well. I would also don''t want to lose any games for as long as I play with the Atkins. I watched as Zeke spoke with Coach to the side. It''d be hard to imagine to lose with such a player. The one lost we have had was without him. But like they say, not one player makes the team great.

 356 Unknown

    After the game, Coach told us to make sure we rest well tonight and tomorrow. We would have practice on Monday and it wouldn''t be light even though there was a game on Tuesday.

    "Games will be getting closer together, and although next week won''t be against teams in the conference, soon it''ll be nothing but conference games." Coach explained. "We have to use this time wisely to prepare and help put us in a good position."

    "We''re already 6-0 in conference." Noah said proudly. "First place is a good position."

    Coach frowned at the interruption. Or maybe just in general. "We aren''t the only ones still undefeated in league play. We also had it easy with getting two off American Christian Academy. Porterville also wasn''t difficult. Just look at our last two, one against Quincy and the OLU game. We barely squeaked by. I don''t like it. Not with Servite and Golden West still being undefeated as well." He looked to Zeke. "Anything to add?"

    Zeke stood up. "We''ll practice hard and do our best regardless the opponent." His words didn''t just sound like a command, but also a premonition. A good one.

    After the speech, we cleaned up the gear and headed for the bus. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins had already left so they could beat us home, I''m sure. Marie and Kaylee left after a quick chat with Kyle.

    The bus ride was a little rowdy as everyone talked about the win and seeing how the season was going, they were happy. Noah, who usually talked my ear off, was busy playing on his phone so I just closed my eyes to rest. I didn''t mind the chatter so much now since I was used to it always being loud with the Atkins around.

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    Back at school, Zeke chauffeured is back to the house where Mrs. Atkins had lunch waiting already.

    "You boys can just come and eat. You can shower afterwards." She told us with a smile. "You all did great today."

    "Except me." Dave muttered as he took a seat.

    "You''ll have your moment soon enough." Mr. Atkins told him as the rest of us sat down and started to fill our plates. "A week or two will fly by."

    Dave pursed his lips but didn''t talk back.

    "So Mom, are you guys working an open house this afternoon?" Kyle asked as he finished filling his plate with fruits and two turkey sandwiches.

    Mrs. Atkins gave him a funny look. "No...why?"

    "Just wondering." Kyle shrugged nonchalantly.

    "Yea, just wondering if he can go out with his girlfriend." Noah tacked on, grinning.

    "What?" Mrs. Atkins blinked.

    "How''d you know?" Kyle glared at Noah.

    Noah threw some grapes in his mouth. "Kaylee told me. She said you guys were going to a movie and wanted to know if I was going with Jake."

    Me?

    "You''re not going!" Kyle rolled his eyes. "A date is between two people. Not two plus a bunch of little kids."

    "Then you''re not going." Mr. Atkins spoke up. "If I recall, you''re all grounded until forever."

    "Only until Zeke graduates." Noah corrected, still focused on eating.

    "Excuse me?"

    Noah looked up. "The day after the party, you said we''re grounded until Zeke''s graduation."

    I fought back a smile. I don''t believe Mr. Atkins was saying ''excuse me'' for clarification.

    "It''s about to change until your graduation." Mr. Atkins gave his youngest son a stern look.

    Noah looked down at his plate. "I''m not the one hiding the date."

    "I wasn''t hiding it!" Kyle quickly defended. "I was just waiting for a better time to ask."

    "When would be a better time?" Mrs. Atkins asked. "When we were away for work? Or would you have let us known after you already went? Or better yet, only when you get caught?"

    Kyle quieted down and seemed to shrink in his chair. A silence fell over the table as we ate. No other topic could survive with this atmosphere.

    Mary set her fork down and cleared her throat. All of us stopped eating and turned to look at her. "If you really want to go on a date with this girl, I have a suggestion."

    "YES!" Kyle jumped out of his chair.

    "Sit down." Mr. Atkins ordered. "You haven''t heard the suggestion yet."

    "No matter what it is, I''ll say yes!" Kyle sat back down with a giant smile. Was going on a date such a big deal?

    "That''s good then." Mrs. Atkins nodded. "You can go ahead and call her. Invite her and her whole family to have dinner with us."

    "What. No." Kyle rejected in less than a second.

    Noah stifled a laugh. Dave was smiling, looking in better spirits than the start of lunch. Zeke just continued to eat like none of it mattered to him.

    "Kyle." Mr. Atkins addressed. "You went from yes to anything to a sudden no. This is why you have to hear what your mother says before jumping in excitement. I agree with her though. It would be good for both families to meet if you want to date this girl. I''m sure her parents will also feel better knowing who you are, and who we are."

    "Good? Good for me to be single for the rest of my life?!" Kyle slumped dramatically in his seat. "No girl wants to meet the family on a first date."

    "What are you saying?" Mrs. Atkins said. "We met and spoke at the field today. Nothing in great detail though. And doesn''t she already know your brothers? And vice versa?" She looked to me and Noah. "You both know Marie and her little sister Kaylee, right?"

    "Yep." Noah replied simply. "Slightly mean."

    "Mean?" Mrs. Atkins looked surprised.

    Thinking about our first meeting, I started to nod in agreement.

    "No, no, there was a misunderstanding!" Kyle jumped in. "They both like Marie now, Mom. She''s really nice."

    "Kaylee is the nice one." Noah stated.

    "Not at first." I shivered.

    Mrs. Atkins looked even more concerned. "Kyle, you either invite her and her family for dinner or the original ruling stands. Grounded."

    Kyle shot daggers with his eyes at Noah and I. This time it was my turn to shrink in my seat.

    Zeke slapped him on the back of the head as he stood up. "You''re just making things worse. Sit down."

    Kyle turned the glare on him but nonetheless, sat down.

    "I have a suggestion too. For both parties." Zeke said in a clear voice. "As a neutral party. Do you want to hear it?"

    "Go ahead, son." Mr. Atkins nodded.

    "As a teen, I know what Kyle is feeling. You both are putting a lot of pressure on him. I''m not saying that''s wrong, but why not give in a step or two? Let''s all do dinner together like you want, Mom. Then allow the two of them go on a movie date at the mall or something." Zeke picked up his plate. "Okay, I''m done." He walked to the kitchen and put his dish in the sink. As he walked through the dining room again, he lifted a hand in a small, lazy wave. "I''m going to shower now." He headed for the stairs.

    "I think that''s fair." Mr. Atkins looked at Kyle. "What do you say? Can you do a joint family dinner in exchange for a movie?"

    Kyle frowned, but didn''t immediately object. "Let me call Marie first. Her family might already have plans."

 357 Meet the Parents 3

    After some cajoling from Noah, I didn''t feel so guilty anymore. Like he told me, it''s not like we''re lying...Marie was pretty mean at first.

    We sat at the table and waited for everyone else to gather. At the sound of the doorbell, Kyle jumped and made a beeline for the front door.

    The rest of us got up and moved to the foyer to see, Zeke included.

    Kyle opened the door to reveal two familiar faces and two new faces. Kaylee and Marie both stood in front of their parent, who they resembled.

    "Hey. Hi. Um.." Kyle stuttered. "Uh, come on in please."

    "Hello, welcome to our home." Mrs. Atkins stepped up to help Kyle out. "I''m Mary, this is my husband Wayne." She patted Kyle on the shoulder. "This is Kyle."

    "Yes, hi, I''m Kyle." Kyle nodded.

    I cringed to myself. So awkward.

    Marie was the first to walk with her family following her in.

    "I''m Diana." Marie''s mom gave a friendly smile, holding out her hand to Mrs. Atkins. They shook hands. "This is my husband, Greg."

    Greg stepped forward to shake Mr. and Mrs. Atkins hands. "Hello. How do you do?"

    "Good. Very good." Mr. Atkins smiled. "Hope the house was easy to find?"Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    Diana laughed. "Oh yes, hard to miss such a pretty house. When Marie told us it was pink, I was quite surprised." She looked at the four of us in the background. "These must be your other boys."

    I flinched.

    Mrs. Atkins nodded. "Yes, this is Zeke, our oldest."

    "Heard a lot about you around town." Greg smiled.

    "Thank you, sir." Zeke reached out to shake both their hands. "Marie is talked about a lot too, I''m sure. Undefeated and a captain as a junior."

    Marie blushed, while her parents looked proud.

    "This is obviously Kyle''s twin, Dave. Also a junior." Marie hurried up the introductions. "Then Noah and Jake are freshmen."

    "Oh, are you two twins too?" Diana asked, looking at the two of us.

    I flinched. "Um, no." I whispered.

    "Something like that!" Noah raised his voice over mine to drown it out. He threw his arms around my shoulders. "Can''t you see the resemblance?"

    Greg and Diana exchanged a look, but didn''t argue with him. I clearly didn''t have the Atkins genes: tall, blonde, bright smiles.

    Mrs. Atkins ignored the whole exchange like it didn''t matter either way. "Let''s head to the dining room. I''ve already had the boys set the table." She led the way.

    I hurried after her to escape the weird looks Marie''s parents were giving us. Noah followed behind at a more leisurely pace with the others.

    The dining room had been rearranged to accommodate the guests. Zeke moved out all his college advertisements, and Mr. Atkins used a folding table to make more space. The twins found four extra chairs. I sat down at my seat, next to the head of the table where Mr. Atkins would sit. Then Noah beside me, Kaylee next to him, Dave, Zeke. Mrs. Atkins sat at the other end with Kyle, Marie, Diana, and Greg right across from me.

    The conversation turned to food as Mrs. Atkins revealed what she had cooked. There was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, cooked carrots, corn, and Salisbury steaks. We all took turns filling up our plates before us.

    As soon as Noah and I were done stacking the food, we had started eating immediately.

    "You all don''t say grace before you eat?" Greg asked, stopping us midchew.

    Mr. Atkins answered. "No, only my wife goes to church." He gave a kind smile. "Would you like some time for yourselves?"

    Greg turned to his wife. Diana looked disappointed, but didn''t say anything. "Oh no, we''re fine." Greg told Mr. Atkins. "When in Rome, right?"

    Mr. Atkins kept the smile on, but I saw a noticeable twitch at the corner of his eye. I peeked at Noah, yet he had already continued eating. If he wasn''t bothered, then it should be okay to start eating again.

    "I heard you pitched a good game today, Kyle." Greg said as the table ate. "Six out of the seven innings?"

    "Yes, sir." Kyle nodded, not touching his food. "I was on a limited pitch count so I didn''t get to finish out the game."

    "Too bad. It''s a shame that coaches are putting all these limits on you young men. It''ll only hold you back in the future." Greg said.

    Mrs. Atkins spoke up politely. "With all due respect Greg, I like how the coach at Watsonville High sets limits. It prevents injuries and forces my sons to make every pitch count."

    Kyle let out an awkward laugh while giving his mom the side eye. "Oh, it''s fine. I just do what I''m told."

    Greg frowned and was about to speak up, but Mr. Atkins intervened by asking him about his work. As they talked about one another''s careers, the whole table seemed to break out in small conversations. Right beside me I could hear Noah and Kaylee talking about classes starting up again on Monday and how midterms went.

    Kyle and Marie also had a smaller conversation with her mother next to her. It sounded like she was quizzing Kyle on his grades and what classes he took, plus what colleges he wanted to look at.

    "That''s a little far off for me right now." Kyle said shyly, turning pink in the face.

    "Far off? Why, it''s just around the corner!" Diana told him. "Marie has already narrowed down her offers and plans to commit to a college before the start of her senior year."

    "Well Zeke hasn''t picked one yet either so I''ve got time." Kyle replied.

    "You haven''t picked a college yet?" Diana looked across the table at Zeke.

    Zeke looked up from his plate of food. "Not yet."

    "But applications were due back at the beginning of February." She looked stunned. Her words gathered the attention of the table.

    "I have applied for quite a few schools." Zeke told her plainly. "I''ve received acceptances. I just haven''t picked one yet. Some colleges have also contacted me saying I''d be allowed special admission thanks to baseball. Plus, I might not even go."

    "Just a possibility!" Kyle jumped in to explain. "Zeke has visited quite a few big schools that want him to play baseball so he has a tough decision to make. We even went to Stanford as a family to check it out."

    Diana relaxed a little at that. "Oh? How was it? Did you like going there yourself? I keep telling Marie, she should go there. Not too close to home, but not too far. Such good academics."

    She prattled on about the school and everyone resumed eating. I halfheartedly listened as I ate, not giving any particular group more attention than the other. Even Noah and Kaylee''s conversation about the Oakland A''s didn''t appeal to me.

    "You''re letting your son enter the draft?" I heard Greg ask in a low tone to Mr. Atkins.

    "He''s 18. He can decide for himself." Mr. Atkins said normally like there was no reason to be ashamed. Such a contrast to the man that''s making Zeke visit these colleges in the first place. Maybe he didn''t like the tone Diana used when talking to Zeke about his future. It''s not like it''s her business anyways.

    I kept my head low, like I was only focused on eating. I didn''t feel comfortable with Marie''s parents right from the start, and now it just felt unbearably awkward. I just didn''t know how bad it would get.

 358 Meet the Parents 4

    It''s not like I hated Greg and Diana, but I definitely didn''t like them. The way they spoke and the way they acted just wasn''t what I had in mind. Yet, thinking back, Marie and Kaylee didn''t leave good first impressions either so maybe it just takes some time to warm up to them.

    I ate my food in silence, staying alert.

    "I just don''t think a free education can be passed up on." Greg kept his voice low when speaking to Mr. Atkins. "The only reason I train my girls so hard is for the free pass. I''d be upset if either of them pass up on such a wonderful opportunity."

    He trains them? In softball?

    "It''s different for boys." Mr. Atkins told him.

    "Why? Because they don''t need a good education?" I could hear Greg''s displeasure.

    Mr. Atkins looked thrown off. "No, nothing of the sort. I would prefer if my boys picked college too. But for boys, there''s the MLB. Girls don''t have the option to play professionally unless it''s for the national team."

    "Wrong." Greg raised his voice. "There''s the National Pro Fastpitch softball league. I just won''t let my daughters give it a try until they get their college degree. Why waste a free degree."

    Mr. Atkins looked calm, but I was feeling a little restless on the inside. This guy was practically saying that Mr. and Mrs. Atkins are throwing away money.

    "But it''s different for Zeke." Noah spoke up. Greg must have gotten his attention when he raised his voice. "If Zeke is picked in the first round, he''s almost guaranteed two million. That could easily cover the cost of college if he decides to even go back. But he''s so good, he might make the majors his first year, so he would even make more money."

    "Stop living in fantasyland, son." Greg told Noah. My eyes widened and Noah''s jaw dropped. "Only .5% of high school players will get the chance to become a pro." He looked to Zeke. "Do you really think you''re so lucky?"

    Zeke looked at the man, expressionless. He didn''t clench his fists in anger like Noah, or look stunned like his parents. He replied with a simple, "What''s it to you?" He looked to his mom. "I''m done eating, may I be excused?"

    Mrs. Atkins shook away her daze. "Sure, make sure to rinse your dish."

    Zeke lifted his plate when he stood, then walked to the kitchen.

    "Arrogance will be his downfall." Diana shook her head in pity.

    Noah opened his mouth, but I quickly distracted him with a nudge. "What do you think will be for dessert tonight?"

    Kyle was on the other side of the table, making unpleasant faces so I don''t think he liked how this dinner was turning out. It''s better if Noah doesn''t start an argument with the adults. It''s not our place. They would get mad, Kyle would get mad, and then his own parents would get mad.

    Noah could tell instantly that I was trying to distract him. He let out a breath of air. "Oh. I don''t know." He looked to his mom. "Mom, what''s for dessert?"

    Mrs. Atkins perked up at the subject change. "I made chocolate cream pie." She stood up. "I''ll go get it from the fridge." She went to the kitchen and returned in seconds with the pie. She set it on the table towards the center. "Here we go. Everyone help themselves as soon as you''re ready." She sat back down and returned to eating her dinner.

    Noah was the first to reach for it, using the cake knife to heap a slice of pie on the small serving plate. He handed it to me. "Here ya go, Jake. First one for you." He got himself one next before settling down.

    The feeling of someone looking at me, made me squirm in my seat, but I didn''t dare to look up. I swallowed the lump in my throat and just focused on the food. Food, food, food. Good food. Sweet food. Homemade food. I hurried to finish it all. This atmosphere was stifling.

    Once I was done, I stacked my plates and stood up.

    "You''re not going to ask to be excused?" Diana asked. I peeked at her and found her to be frowning at me.

    I looked to Mrs. Atkins. She gave me a reassuring smile. "It''s okay Jake. You''re good. If you''re done, make sure you rinse the dishes before setting them in the sink."

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    I scurried away, not even waiting to see if Noah would pick a fight or not. I rinsed my dishes and then snuck away, hoping not to see those people again. I went upstairs, intending to go to my room, but when I crossed by the twins and Zeke''s room, I heard some noise. I peeked in.

    Zeke was sitting on the floor against his bed, a laptop was projecting some kind of noise, but I couldn''t hear it very well. Zeke looked up and noticed me peeking in. "Come in." He waved.

    I took a few steps in.

    "Is dinner over with?" He asked.

    I shook my head. Then I realized I had no reason not to speak up. It''s just Zeke and me. "I finished. I didn''t like being there."

    Zeke nodded. "It''s not easy to get along with everyone." He patted the floor beside him. "I''m watching some baseball highlights from today''s game."

    I wasn''t too interested, but it wasn''t like I had anything else to do. I went over and sat down, leaving a foot between us. Zeke didn''t mind. He just set the laptop a few feet in front of us so we would both be able to see. He pushed play and a rundown of the MLB games today started to roll.

    After watching a few, I realized we didn''t see any from their favorite team, the Oakland A''s. "Did the A''s not play today?"

    Zeke glanced at me. "Almost all teams play every Sunday. Professional teams play a series of games: sometimes two, three, or four. But most of the time, if there''s a series that start Thursday or Friday, they''ll play their last game Sunday."

    I glanced at the laptop. "Is their highlights coming up soon?" It''d be cool if I could watch them and tell Noah about it. We would have something to talk about.

    "Are you starting to like the A''s?" He asked.

    "Well, Noah likes them." I looked at Zeke, confused.

    Zeke just shook his head, yet he didn''t explained. Instead he just told me, "They''re playing at home so the game probably just started at 7pm. East coast teams would be done because of the time difference."

    "Oh." Nodding, I figured out what he was saying. If the east coast played a game at 7pm, that would be 4pm our time. That''s why we could watch some highlights.

    "And on Sundays, games are usually played earlier. Most teams will have to start a new series tomorrow. That''s why we were able to watch some games after lunch."

    I continued to nod to show that I understood. "Why aren''t you watching the A''s game in the living room then? Do we not get the channel?"

    Zeke sighed. "Sometimes its best to avoid troublesome people." He patted my head. "We can watch after they leave."

 359 Meet the Parents 5

    I understood what Zeke was saying. Easily. Marie and Kaylee didn''t have parents that were like his. They sounded controlling and strict. They had no problems scolding children that weren''t theirs too.

    "I didn''t like them either."

    Zeke laughed at my comment, surprising me. "You don''t have to. You don''t have to like everyone you come across, but you have to respect them because they''re adults. That''s what Dad taught us growing up."

    "I don''t think I disrespected them...but the mom wasn''t happy when I didn''t excuse myself from the table like you did." I looked down at my hands in my lap. Is that disrespectful?

    "If Mom didn''t scold you, then you''re in the clear."

    A sense of relief washed over me, and my shoulders relaxed. I didn''t think I was so tense when leaving the dinner table, but I guess I was.

    "Jake? You''re in here?" Noah stopped in the doorway. He saw the two of us sitting together, chatting as the laptop was playing baseball highlights. "Oh. You''re all watching today''s highlight reel?"

    I patted the space between me and Zeke.

    Noah smiled and came over. He squeezed between us. "Thanks. Man, I couldn''t stand Marie''s parents. I know it''s rude to just leave Kaylee down there with them, but we aren''t that great of friends where I''m willing to put up with her parents."

    "Noah." Zeke slapped him upside the head.

    "Ow." He rubbed his head. "I asked her discreetly if she minded first. I didn''t flat out ditch her. Plus Mom and Dad, and the twins, are down there. And it''s her own family. She''s good."

    I didn''t even think about Kaylee when I left, does that make me a bad person?

    "I don''t know how she stands them." Noah sighed. "I''d probably run away from home."

    "It''s how she was raised." Zeke replied.

    Noah opened his mouth to say something, but held back after he glanced at me. He shut his mouth. He then reached to the laptop and turned it up. "Let''s watch. I like to hear the broadcasters too. They can be funny sometimes."

    "Zeke said the A''s are playing right now." I told Noah so he wouldn''t look for their highlights.

    "Yea, I know. I''ll turn that game on downstairs after they all leave." He focused on the little laptop screen.

    I zoned out as I stared at the screen blankly. I wonder what Noah had to say and why he held back. He was talking about Kaylee and her parents, so maybe it would have had something to do with me and my mom.

    Dave came out half an hour later, looking a little haggard. "You punks. You all left me down there to suffer with Kyle so you could watch some baseball?"

    Noah stood up and stretched his legs. "Hey, did they already leave?"

    Dave flopped on his bed, but with care so he wouldn''t jiggle his wrapped-up finger. "Yea, I said goodbye unlike you ingrates. Kyle and Marie were the first to leave so they could catch their movie. Kaylee and her parents should be saying goodbye to Mom and Dad now. Ughh, I need Advil for this headache."

    Zeke got up, went to the bathroom and came back with a pill bottle. He dropped it on Dave''s stomach. "We''re going downstairs to watch the game if you feel better."

    Dave grunted.

    Noah tugged my sleeve and I followed him out. We headed for the stairs, but about halfway down, Noah suddenly stopped. I bumped into him and started falling. Noah caught me by the arm and held a finger to his lips to shush me.

    I wasnt even making noise.

    "��just don''t think something is right with that boy." Diana was saying.

    "Oddly quiet." Greg added. "Only spoke to Noah."

    "Yes, Jake is a very quiet kid." Mr. Atkins said. "Nonetheless, we think nothing is wrong with him."

    "It''s not like he''s your son." Diana said.

    A heavy silence. I couldn''t breathe. Noah had sucked in air, but had yet to release it. We couldn''t see Mr. and Mrs. Atkins expressions, but the fact that they didn''t speak already spoke volumes.

    "No need to lie to us. We could see that he was different." Greg gave a short laugh. "All your kids look just like you two."

    "Noah saying he was his twin was quite unsettling. Not only was it a lie, but it creates a closeness between them that isn''t normal."

    "Isn''t normal?" Noah''s face was filled with fury. He moved like he was about to charge down there, but a heavy hand on his shoulder held him in place. "Zeke??"

    Zeke stood on the step above us, apparently listening in as well. He held up a finger.

    "Please leave." Mrs. Atkins was clear and concise. She didn''t raise her voice, nor did she sound mad. She just sounded cold.

    "Excuse me?" Diana sounded stunned.

    "My wife is right. We don''t welcome guests that judge our sons unjustly." Mr. Atkins spoke in a tight voice, like he was trying to hold back.

    "Wayne, he isn''t your son. And the way he hangs onto your youngest son doesn''t look good. Young men should have some dignity, respect, and pride." Greg lectured. "We''re just telling you that the boy might corrupt your son in some way. You don''t want that, do you?" He sounded like he was accusing Mr. Atkins of something, but I wasn''t following very well. I was feeling sick to my stomach and my head started to pound like it was my heartbeat.

    "Greg. Diana." Mr. Atkins sounded strained. "I''m asking you to please leave. Now. We don''t accept people like you into our homes. Your skewed vision of my boys will only leave bad impressions on us. Seeing as our kids are dating, I''ll let your rude comments slide this time."

    "People like us?!" Diana screeched, scaring me. I stumbled back, hitting the stair. Zeke grabbed my shoulder and held me in place like he did for Noah. He was stopping one of us from going forward and the other from falling back. I couldn''t see the reasons in his actions. "People like you are what''s wrong in society! That boy will corrupt your son and you''ll regret it! See if I don''t end this relationship between Marie and your boy by the end of tonight."

    "Fine by me." Mrs. Atkins was cold, not giving a care that the lady threatened to end her son''s first relationship. "Leave."

    A huff could be heard and footsteps could be heard leaving the foyer. Soon a heavy slam of the front door made me jump in place.

    Zeke let go of our shoulders and Noah took off. He sprinted down the stairs just as his parents were walking to the bottom of the stairs.

    Mr. and Mrs. Atkins looked surprised to see him, then horror covered their faces as they looked up at me, stopped in the middle of the staircase.

    "Mom! Dad!" Noah yelled. "What was that?! What''s wrong with those people! We-we-we need to do something!" Noah stuttered when he was unable to come up with a course of action.

    Mr. Atkins put an arm around his shoulder. "How much did you hear?"

    "Enough to know they''re scum!" Noah shouted.

    Mrs. Atkins was staring at me with worry in her eyes. Her face was pale and she looked to be frozen. After staring at her for so long, I wondered if she was my reflection. I hesitatingly took a step back to see if she would do the same. Instead, she took a step forward. "Jake?" Her voice cracked. "You-are you okay?"

    Am I? I looked down at my body. There were no wounds, no physical wounds, yet it hurt. The flat out rejection of strangers. I didn''t even know why. Was it really just because I was too quiet? What did they mean that I was too close to Noah?

    "Speak up." Zeke rest his arm around my shoulders like Mr. Atkins did for Noah. "Mom can''t hear you."

    Speak up? I haven''t said anything. "I-I don''t know...what to say." I sputtered.

    "Come down, get off the stairs." Mr. Atkins waved with his free arm.

    Zeke took a step down, but I felt as frozen as Mrs. Atkins. She didn''t look good and I didn''t feel good. Was she...regretting? Regretting having me here?

    "What did she mean by corrupt? That I''m corrupting Noah?" I asked, voice shaking almost as much as my body.

    Mrs. Atkins looked scared.

    "I''m not corrupted." Noah spoke up. "Just come down and I''ll tell you what they meant."

    Both his parents looked down at him.

    Noah shrugged. "I''m a teen. I know what they meant. What they implied." He looked up at me and tapped his foot impatiently. "Are you coming or not? Come on!"

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    Seeing Noah be his usual self helped ease my anxiety. I was scared. If I was corrupting Noah, would Mr. and Mrs. Atkins send me away? I took a step forward. Zeke did as well, not letting go of my shoulders. It was like he was guiding me off a cliff. The people at the bottom were all telling me to come down, and then there was him patiently walking me down like he would catch me if I fell.

    We reached the bottom of the stairs, and both his parents looked relieved.

    "They were implying that we were gay for each other." Noah said out of nowhere. My jaw dropped. "Exactly. Unbelievable." He rolled his eyes.

    "Noah...we could have phrased that a little better." Mr. Atkins told him, letting go of his shoulders. He looked down at me. "Jake, don''t mind those kind of people. Even if you were-"

    I shook my head vehemently. "I''m not! I''m-I''m not!"

    "No need to tell us either way." Mr. Atkins smiled. "We know-"

    "Know what?!" I screeched, feeling on edge. "I don''t! I don''t like boys!" I don''t even think I liked girls.

    "Jake." Zeke''s grip on my shoulder tightened. "We know that." He let out a laugh, almost making me jump out of my skin. Zeke, who hardly shows his emotions, is laughing right now?

    Noah was laughing too. He walked over to me and gave me a noogie on the head, messing up my hair. "I treat you like a brother. I assume you''re doing the same, aren''t you?"

    I am? I tilted my head to make him stop touching the top of my head. "I want a brother like you." I whispered.

    "And you have a brother like me!" Noah smiled. "I''m your brother. Zeke and the twins can be your brothers too."

    Can they?

    Mr. Atkins stepped closer. "I was trying to tell you Jake, we know how you feel. We''re a family aren''t we? We see you like a son. It''s only right for brothers to be close to one another. Just look at the twins. They''re even closer than you and Noah. Greg and Diana just have twisted minds with warped ideas."

    It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, yet Zeke''s arm was still there. "So...you''re not mad at me? You won''t kick me out?"

    "Oh, Jake!" Mrs. Atkins sniffled and wiped the corner of her eyes. "No, no, of course not. I was so scared that you would run away after hearing those morons. We wouldn''t leave you. We won''t leave you. Like Wayne said, you''re like a son to us."

    "Wow, Mommmm.." Noah stretched out. "I can''t believe you just called them morons. What would Jesus think?"

    "He would forgive me, of course." Mrs. Atkins smacked him on the head. "But not you. You''re just a kid. You shouldn''t say that at all. Even if you''re repeating after me."

    Noah laughed and I cracked a smile.

    Then I remembered what they said about Kyle and Marie. My smile fell away. "What about Kyle?"

    "Yea." Noah agreed, looking up at his parents. "Will they cut their date short? They aren''t going to attack Kyle or something right?"

    Mrs. Atkins looked worried again.

    The house phone started to ring, making all of us flinch as a group. Mr. Atkins went over to answer it.

    "Hello?"

    "Yes, something did happen. Come on home and we''ll have a talk."

    "No, we didn''t sabotage your date on purpose."

    "We had conflicting views on parenting. Just come home for a talk, okay?"

    "Drive safe."

    He hung up and looked at us. "That was Kyle. He''s coming home. Apparently Marie was called home by her parents." He sighed. "He probably won''t take this very well if her parents decide that they can''t date."

    Noah shrugged. "It''s not like she was a good person anyways."

    Both of his parents immediately stared him down.

    I kicked his foot and gave him a look, widening my eyes. Kyle didn''t want us to mention that.

    Noah noticed his error right away and started an awkward laugh. "Ha, ha, oh, I mean, she, they-uh..."

    "Marie comes off pretty strong like her parents." Zeke spoke up.

    "What? We let Kyle date someone like that?" Mrs. Atkins looked at me worriedly. "Did she also say something mean to you? Is that where her parents got those ideas?" He looked to Noah. "Is Kaylee like this as well? I don''t want to ban you all from hanging out without anyone, but I pray that you boys can tell right from wrong."

    I looked to Noah helplessly. Way to go. Now Kyle is really going to kill us.

 360 Kyle’s Anger

    Mr. and Mrs. Atkins rounded us up at the kitchen table. Zeke was sent back upstairs to get Dave from their room, and Mrs. Atkins hurried to clear off the leftovers from dinner.

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    "We''ll be holding a family meeting on this one boys." Mr. Atkins told us as he got rid of the folding table and spare chairs. "It seems like you boys are getting better at keeping secrets. And I''m sure Kyle will have something to say when he gets home as well."

    Noah and I sat back in our usual seats. Zeke returned with a bewildered Dave, Mr. Atkins finished moving the spare furniture, then Mrs. Atkins was the last to join us after clearing up all the dishes.

    "Why don''t you tell us more about Marie?" Mrs. Atkins stared Noah down.

    Noah glanced at me, then at Zeke and Dave on the other side of the table. "I don''t know anything about her. Really. Kaylee''s nice. We have some of the same teachers, but none of the same classes." Noah looked and sounded like he was hiding something.

    "Dave? Anything to add?" Mrs. Atkins asked.

    Dave still looked confused. "Uh, no? Did something happen?"

    "Marie''s parents pissed off Mom and Dad." Noah told him.

    "Noah." Mr. Atkins said in a warning tone.

    "Wow, that takes effort." Dave blinked.

    "They were really mean." Noah cracked a grin. "They accused Jake of corrupting me."

    Dave tilted his head. "What? Like to his face? What kind of corruption?"

    "Turning me gay." Noah replied simply before bursting out in laughter.

    Dave let his words sink in and then started to laugh too. He laughed even harder than Noah.

    "You guys have the nerve to be laughing right now!" Someone yelled from the front door. A heavy slam of the door, followed by stomping, revealed that Kyle was home. He was red in the face, fists clenched and reminded me of a volcano, ready to blow. I shrunk in my seat.

    Noah and Dave sobered up and quit their laughing.

    "We''re having a family meeting." Mr. Atkins repeated for Kyle.

    "Fantastic!" Kyle said, but not with joy. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the table. "I''d like to have a meeting to find out why my family keeps putting obstacles on my first date. First, it''s because I''m grounded. Fine. My bad. Second, you all want this family dinner to happen. Whatever. I survived. Now, Marie gets called home because her parents were disrespected here? It''s like you guys want me to be single for the rest of my life!"

    "So dramatic." Dave mumbled.

    "What?!" Kyle focused on his twin. "I''m being dramatic?? I didn''t even have time to buy movie tickets before the call."

    "You heard me." Dave stayed calm, not even concerned about his twin''s anger. "You''re attacking us unjustly. You didn''t even ask what happened. You just jumped into thinking that whatever it was, it was our fault. It''s not like you love Marie. Heck, you didn''t even like her until she kissed you at the party. If it wasn''t for me, you''d still be single."

    Mrs. Atkins rubbed her temples. "Okay, that''s enough of the yelling. Kyle, take a seat. Like Dave said, you don''t know what has happened."

    Kyle looked like he was about to argue, but after a glance from his father, he just stomped to his normal seat beside Zeke. "Okay, let''s hear it. What is so bad that you had to chase her parents away?"

    "We had disagreements in how we raise our children." Mrs. Atkins told him. "You know I''m a firm believer in being open-minded and including others. They didn''t have the same thoughts."

    "Is this going to be about Jake?" Kyle interrupted. He glanced at me with a dead expression. "Did they say something that upset you?"

    "Hey, are you saying it''s Jake''s fault?" Noah glared.

    "I just feel like it''s always about Jake." Kyle sighed. "Whenever something happens, it''s because Jake got upset. It''s not like I''m against him, but." He looked at me. "You''ve got to toughen up. Not everyone will like you and you don''t have to like everyone. I''m not saying this to be mean, but I''m tired. I just wanted to go on one lousy date, okay."

    I felt my eyes sting and fought off the urge to cry. I would just look even more fragile in Kyle''s eyes.

    "You''re a freakin dick." Dave stood up. "God damn it. I''ve had enough of your high and mighty attitude. All you do is complain. You got to pitch six innings, and then still complained. You even got the win. You get to go on a date even though we''re grounded? Sure it came with a stipulation, but you still got to go. It''s none of our faults that Marie''s parents are jerks. Yet you still dare to attack us? Your own family? Jesus Christ." He looked at his mom. "Sorry Mom, but I''ve had enough. I''m out of here." He turned away ready to go.

    "Sit. Back. Down." Mr. Atkins ordered. He stood up and towered over everyone. "No one just gets to bail when they want to." He looked at Dave. "Jake didn''t run away, so why are you?"

    "Dad, Kyle was basically saying that Jake gets special treatment!" Dave faced him. "There''s only one of us here that''s getting treated differently and he''s acting like the prince of the family."

    "What!" Kyle stood up as well. "I just want to live my life. Is that too much to ask? Everything I do or want to do, has to have you guys included??"

    "Mom! You want to know what we first thought of Marie?!" Noah jumped in. "A bully. On the school bus she bullied me and Jake to change seats. At least Kaylee made amends with us after accusing Jake of faking his claustrophobia. She never once apologized."

    "You brat!" Kyle got even louder. "I told you to keep it to yourself. Marie is a good person and you know it!"

    "No. I don''t." Noah stood firm. "She doesn''t talk to us. She never apologized. And now her parents made accusations against Jake that could affect his future. What if they told other parents that he''s gay, and they tell kids, and he gets bullied at school!? You''re not thinking of us at all!"

    "ENOUGH!" Mr. Atkins clapped his hands once, silencing the table. "Sit. Down. I won''t ask again."

    The three boys sat down obediently.

    "We won''t tell you who you can hang out with." Mr. Atkins looked at Kyle. "We just ask that you use good decision making. Jake and the boys weren''t around when we had the disagreement. They may have overheard quite a bit, but they weren''t present. This was something between adults. They made a suggestion and we refused. It''s on them if they wanted Marie to come home."

    "You guys could have just brushed it off." Kyle mumbled.

    "No one will tell me how to raise my boys." Mrs. Atkins stood firm.

    "They called us gay, Kyle." Noah huffed. "We aren''t. Could you imagine what I''m feeling? What Jake is feeling? If that isn''t enough, they implied it was something bad and to be ashamed of. What if I was really gay? Would you be okay with your girlfriend''s parents despising me for it?"

    "So her parents are a little judgmental. Big deal." Kyle huffed.

    Dave glared at his twin, but didn''t speak. Noah was in the same boat.

    "Um." I cleared my throat. "Can I say something?"

    All eyes went to me.

    "Go ahead Jake." Mrs. Atkins encouraged.

 361 Resolution

    I tried sitting up, and moved my hands from my lap to the table. "I''m not mad. It''s just a misunderstanding."

    "I''m happy to hear that Jake, but people like them won''t listen to reason. They see what they want to see. They hear what they want to hear. And that''s their prerogative." Mrs. Atkins told me. "Either way, I don''t want judgemental people like them in my house, ruining what I''m trying to instill you boys. Acceptance and communication is key."

    "Mom." Kyle groaned.

    "Enough out of you." Her gaze cut sharply to him. "We said you can hang with who you like. Be friends with who you want. Date who you want. But what I don''t want, is my kids feeling attacked in their own home." She glared. "Unless you''re telling me that this isn''t Jake''s home?"

    My legs started to shake as I waited for Kyle''s response.

    Kyle sighed. "I didn''t mean that. I just don''t want you guys so against my relationship with Marie because of her parents."

    "Kyle, from what I understand, Marie also has outspoken personality." Mr. Atkins said. "That''s not necessarily a bad thing. But is bad to make others feel terrible about themselves. Now, I don''t know what happened for Noah to say that she''s a bully, but I don''t believe my own son would lie to me to my face." He looked to Noah.

    Noah looked Kyle in the eyes. "I said I would play nice and I did. Her parents really could have hurt Jake with their words. You know he''s a runner. Just look at what happened to Mrs. Golladay, he ran away from school. What would you do if he ran away from home?" Some of Kyle''s anger subsided. "I don''t think Marie is a bully. I just said that because we had a bad first impression of her. But now, I think it''s something related to her parents."

    Kyle dragged a hand through his hair. "I know Marie comes off pretty strong. I do. Remember? I was the one that didn''t get along with her the most. I said some mean things to her too."

    "I don''t think she''s mean." I spoke up. All eyes moved to me. I swallowed. "I-I''m okay. The words, they didn''t hurt. I was just scared that you guys would agree that I was corrupting Noah. I wouldn''t want to do that."

    Dave was the first to laugh. "Corrupt Noah? Please! It''s probably the other way around."

    "I''m not a bad influence either!" Noah raised his voice over Dave''s laughter.

    "Back to the main subject." Mr. Atkins calmed the two wild ones down. "Kyle, we won''t stop you from dating Marie. We can''t say the same for her parents because our differing views. But, I will let you know that I''m concerned that Marie''s values aren''t aligned with ours. Nothing against her."

    Kyle opened his mouth, then closed it. He didn''t have anything to say to that.

    "But-" I felt depressed seeing Kyle get so angry and now looking deflated. His look of defeat made me feel guilty. It''s not his fault that Marie''s parents are a little mean. It''s not like they told me to my face either. They just wanted to show their concern for the Atkins. If I didn''t stick so close to Noah, or if I would just speak up a little more, maybe they wouldn''t have said anything. No fight or disagreements would have taken place.

    I looked to Mrs. Atkins for help.

    Mrs. Atkins noticed my gaze. "Do you have something to say Jake?"

    I nodded. "I don''t want...you guys to be mad..." My voice got smaller. "At Marie... She can''t decide who her parents are."

    Plus, if they judge her off her parents, does that mean they see me like my mom? A future alcoholic? A bum? An abuser?

    "We wouldn''t do that, Jake." Mrs. Atkins gave me a comforting smile. She nodded at Mr. Atkins.

    Mr. Atkins didn''t look as comfortable as his wife though. He caught me looking at him and stopped fidgeting. "You''re your own person, Jake. Your parents can help raise you, but ultimately you''ll make decisions in life that differ. I-." He stopped. With everyone looking at him, he coughed. "We''ll evaluate each person separately. Although I don''t like hearing that Marie was mean to the youngest two, I won''t hold it against her. Everyone makes mistakes." He looked to Kyle. "I don''t know how Marie''s parents are reacting. I don''t see how they can stop you from dating, but should there be a problem, I can meet with them one-on-one. I''ll explain where we were coming from and why we were offended." His gaze sharpened. "But Jake is one of us, and if they still have something mean or unsavory to say, then I''ll let them know that."

    Kyle nodded. "That''s fair. I''m going to call Marie and tell her..." He raised an eyebrow at Noah and me. "Tell her that my brothers aren''t gay?"

    Dave laughed.

    Noah frowned. "We aren''t. Nor do I have any inclination to be. Jake can hardly stand us, could you imagine him liking anyone?"

    Dave laughed harder and Kyle cracked a smile. The atmosphere lightened all around.

    But wait. "But I do like you guys." I told him. Then glanced around the table. "All of you. You''re all the nicest people I know."

    "Except Kyle." Dave stage whispered.

    Kyle glared at him.

    "Thanks Jake, we like you too." Mrs. Atkins smiled.

    I blushed and looked down.

    "Awe! So shy!" Dave hollered.

    "Alright, don''t give him a hard time." Mr. Atkins said. "Anyone else have anything to say?"

    Zeke stood up. "I''ve made a decision. I''m committing to Stanford."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    Silence only lasted for two seconds before the boys got rowdy:

    "What?! Why?!"

    "I bet Marie''s dad made him feel guilty!"

    "No way. Zeke never listens to others."

    "How else can you explain this?"

    Mrs. Atkins looked stunned. Mr. Atkins just shook his head, either at the decision or the noise everyone was making. Too soon to tell.

    Zeke coughed once. "Listen for a second will you?"

    The boys got quiet and all eyes were on Zeke.

    "I made this decision long before Greg''s criticism." Zeke stated. "This doesn''t mean I''m writing off playing in the pros or giving up on the draft. In fact, if I get drafted in the first round, I''ll definitely be giving up my spot on Stanford''s roster. I''ve spoken to their coach about this and told him what I would like to accomplish."

    "What if you fall to the second round?!" Noah blurted out.

    "I''ll take things as they come." Zeke said. "First round is highly unlikely since there are plenty of good college players available and there are better players all around the country that might play after high school. The farther I fall, the more likely I''ll stick with college. We''ll see how much is offered."

    "Is this about money again?" Mr. Atkins sighed.

    "No. It''s about opportunity. I know what I want to do." Zeke told him. "I want to go and be a pro. There''s risks, but the signing bonus can be my fallback to go to college if I get hurt or just don''t make it. If they don''t want me, I go to college for two years and build up my skill and try again. I just know I''ll get better by playing with better players." He looked his dad in the eyes. "Trust me."

    Mr. Atkins looked to his wife. She smiled with tears falling out of the corners of her eyes. She stood up and walked over to Zeke, pulling him into a hug. "We won''t hold you back. You can always come back to us either way."

    Zeke patted her back and smiled. "I know, Mom. Thanks."

    Mr. Atkins smiled as he stood. He patted his son on the back. "I''m proud of you son. No matter what. If baseball doesn''t work out, if you lose your scholarship, just know you can call us. Call home."

    "Does this mean that if he goes to Stanford, we can play a year of college ball with him?" Dave asked, excited.

    Kyle nodded. "You can only get drafted as a high school graduate, two years of college, or after junior and senior year."

    "Can you two even get into Stanford?" Noah snorted. "With your grades and mediocre skill, you''ll be lucky to play for any division one college." He folded his arms and looked away. He sounded..upset?

    "You''re just jealous." Dave stuck out his tongue. "You won''t be able to play with Zeke after this year unless he never chooses the draft."

    "You dummies." Noah rolled his eyes. "Zeke will definitely get picked early and go play in the pros." He got up. "Well, since we''re done here, I''m going to go watch the A''s." He left for the living room.

    "We have to announce your decision soon." Mr. Atkins told Zeke, ignoring the fact that Noah walked out. "Have you told your coaches?"

    "We should throw a party!" Mrs. Atkins smiled, pulling away from the hug. "Maybe you can make the announcement at school? Or just here in the kitchen and we''ll send it to the interested newspapers and sports websites?"

    The twins jumped in with ideas of their own on how Zeke should announce it.

    I got up and went to find Noah in the living room. He was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed under him, eyes trained on the tv. I couldn''t tell what he was feeling or why he was feeling that particular way, but I could tell he wasn''t in the mood to talk.

    I sat down beside him and watched the game, mindlessly, as well.

 362 Sunday

    The next morning, everyone gathered around the table once more, but for breakfast. It was Sunday, and that meant that Mrs. Atkins went all out, cooking almost a whole buffet. Of course...that might have to do with her being happy that Zeke was growing up. Last night, while Noah and I watched the game, the rest had apparently planned how Zeke should make his announcement.

    "You''re definitely inviting the whole team, right?" Dave asked, munching on a waffle. "You kind of have to."

    "The whole team? Where would they fit?" Kyle looked around the dining area. "With us, it''s already a party. Just invite the coaches and the media."

    "Here? Having it here?" Noah shook his head. "Just have it at the school. Their school. Stanford."

    "But he might not play there if the draft goes well." Dave shot that idea down. "Zeke said he wanted it here at home. Now it''s coming down to the invite list."

    "When will you do it?" Noah asked Zeke directly for more details.

    "Next weekend." Zeke sipped his orange juice. "We don''t have any games. I''ll invite all the coaches who got me here, plus a few selected teammates that I''m close to."

    "Won''t that hurt some of their feelings if they don''t get the invite?" Noah wrinkled his nose.

    Dave laughed. "Just how many people do you think Zeke is close to? It''ll probably just be Mahki and Julian."

    "David." Mr. Atkins scolded.

    "It''s the truth though.." Dave stopped laughing, but didn''t stop smiling.

    "It''s Zeke''s special day. He can decide who to invite and to leave out." Mrs. Atkins said, then looked at Zeke. "We can do the official signing on Saturday, and then throw a pizza party on Sunday so your other teammates and classmates won''t feel left out. Maybe some place that can hold the whole baseball program. And we''ll even take a group picture! It''ll be cute!"

    All the boys groaned, including Zeke.

    "Mom, that''s not ''cute'' at all...more like lame." Noah rolled his eyes.

    "You''re only saying that because you don''t want Mom and Dad to treat the other freshmen to pizza." Dave said. "I''m saying it''s lame because Zeke doesn''t even know half the guys in the program. If they aren''t on the varsity team, he probably won''t know their name."

    "Don''t be like that." Mrs. Atkins told them. "I''m sure Zeke remembers everyone''s name. He''s a smart and considerate young man."

    Zeke coughed. "I''ll be fine. Yet, Noah..." He looked to Noah. "Will you be okay with all the other freshmen there? No fighting. No making a scene." He squinted. "No gambling."

    Noah sighed. "It''s whatever. Not like they''ll bug me with Mom and Dad present."

    "Noah, are you still having trouble with your friends?" Mr. Atkins asked.

    "They aren''t my friends, Dad." Noah answered sharply. "They were just ex-teammates. Friends don''t treat you like crap." He stood up with his half finished plate. "I''m done." He left for the kitchen.

    I looked at him and his lonely back. I started to get up too.

    "Don''t you even think about it mister." Mrs. Atkins locked eyes with me. She lifted her finger. "You sit down and finish everything on that plate before you get up."

    "But Noah-" I started.

    "No buts." Mrs. Atkins cut me off. "You have to pay attention to your health first. If I just let you skip meals because someone else is skipping meals, then what am I doing as a parent? We have to make sure you eat properly."

    "Noah didn''t though..." I muttered and sat back down.

    "Noah is not underweight." She countered.

    I sighed in defeat and went back to eating.

    "Don''t worry about Noah." Dave told me. "He just needs a minute to cool down. He always blows up when we talk about his old friends. Ex-friends. Whatever he wants to call them now."

    "They aren''t making school difficult for him, are they?" Mr. Atkins asked, frowning at the thought.

    Kyle shook his head. "Just little run-ins here and there. Nothing too crazy. As far as I know, they just ignore him. And he ignores them."

    "Coach settled it just a few days ago." Zeke spoke up. "And, Noah''s got Jake." He looked at me. "If they say something that Noah can''t brush off, try and hold him back."

    I gulped. Hold Noah off? Like if a fight broke out?

    "Or find me." Zeke acquiesced with a sigh.

    I nodded. That sounds better.

    "Why not find me?" Dave asked.

    "Or me?!" Kyle echoed.

    "You two would just make things worse." Zeke''s lips twitched at the corners. "I wouldn''t be surprised if you two held the offending party down and let Noah get his justice."

    The twins laughed like it was a high possibility.

    Mr. Atkins sighed. He then looked down at me. "If you''re ever worried about a fight breaking out, please go find an adult. Even if you''re scared of getting in trouble, it''s always best to avoid injuries. To Noah or to you."

    I nodded obediently. Mr. Atkins knew best. He''s never steered me wrong before.

    I finished up my meal and was able to go find Noah after rinsing the dish. He was in our room, playing his video game.

    He glanced at me. "Did you finished all your breakfast?"

    "Yep." I gave a nod.

    "That''s good. I didn''t want Mom to get mad at you."

    I shrugged, feeling slightly guilty. She wasn''t exactly mad, but she did hold me back to finish all the food.

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    "Do you want to go to the cages today?" He asked.

    I started to nod, but quickly stopped myself. Noah didn''t look to be in a good mood. It would probably be better if we did something he liked. "Nah, we don''t have to. I got some hitting in these past few days. We can do whatever you want to do.."

    He took his eyes off the video game to look at me. I tried to hold a natural pose, but then started to fidget.

    "If you''re sure?" He asked. He got up and put the game down on the dresser. "Let''s just go play catch!"

    "Sure!" I was happy to see him still pick baseball over anything else.

    We went to the backyard with just our gloves and a ball. No cleats, no hats, no set rules. I was content with just tossing the ball back and forth, but it didn''t long before Noah started changing things up. He would request that I toss the ball as high as I could. Or try and make the ball bounce as many times as it could before it got to him. Or-and so on. He started to do the same to me without asking, making me dive for fake grounders or sprint back for a ''high fly'' ball. It turned into a game of who could field better and who could make the challenges even harder. Noah won both categories. When it came to fielding, I really believe that he can do it all. Like an impenetrable wall, he never let anything through.

 363 Back to School

    With that, spring break came to an end. It was the best I''ve ever had compared to what I had to deal with before. For the first time, I wasn''t looking forward to going back to school. Back with my mom, I always couldn''t wait for school since it was my main source for food. The most reliable source.

    Monday morning, Noah woke me up and we followed the old routine of getting ready for school. At breakfast, we were the first ones to sit down besides Mrs. Atkins.

    "Where is everyone?" Noah asked as we sat down.

    Mrs. Atkins shrugged. "Not sure. Maybe they''re running behind?" She got up and put a bowl in front of us. "Here. An egg to start off the day. Over-easy."

    "It''s strange that we''re first." Noah picked up his fork and started to dig in. He paused when he lifted his first bite. He squinted. Sniffed. "Mom. No!"

    "Happy April Fool''s!" She shouted.

    My eyes widened. What. I looked into the bowl. There was what looked to be an over-easy egg, but on closer inspection it was a cut up peach in plain yogurt. Is this...the joke? I looked at Noah, who was pouting at his mother.

    He lifted his watch and checked it suspiciously. "What time is it really?"

    "I only set it back an hour." She smiled happily as she sat back down.

    Noah groaned. "A whole hour?? I lost an hour worth of sleep? You''re a sadist."

    Mrs. Atkins laughed. "It''s all in good fun. It doesn''t hurt for you to be early once in a while."

    Noah rolled his eyes, then reached for the milk carton. "Let me guess, blue?" I didn''t understand what he was guessing until he poured some milk in his empty glass. Sure enough, the milk was blue.

    I scooted closer to get a look at it. "Wow. How do you turn milk blue?" I''ve never seen anything like it before.

    "Food coloring." Mrs. Atkins winked at me.

    Noah just shook his head and started to eat the yogurt and peaches. "Mom, we''re getting so old. Isn''t it kind of cheesy to do this jokes now?"

    Mrs. Atkins smiled at him. "You''re never to old for a little fun." She winked. "You should be lucky I took you two. Your dad chose the other three."

    On cue, we started to hear thumping and some yelling from above. Their room was just above us so even though we couldn''t hear exactly what was going on, we could hear a commotion.

    Noah looked a little less bitter. He raised an eyebrow at his mom. "Do you know what happened??"

    Mrs. Atkins laughed lightly. "Oh, I''m sure we''ll hear about it soon." She looked at my stunned face. "Have you never celebrated April Fool''s, Jake?"

    I shook my head. When and why would I ever celebrate it?

    "Really? Even at school?" Noah asked between bites of breakfast.

    I shrugged, helpless. "I was mostly by myself. I think I remember some teachers acknowledging it, but besides a fake pop quiz.." I shrugged again, not really wanting to expand. I don''t want to sound like a loser with no friends, especially with them knowing how I was raised by my mom.

    Noah gave me a pat on the shoulder. "It''s in the past. Trust me, Mom and Dad will make up for all of your missed April Fool''s. They''re extremely dorky though."

    "Noah James!" Mrs. Atkins scolded, yet she did it with a smile. "You boys should finish your breakfast."

    We both nodded and started to dig in. Besides blue milk, and an egg that turned into yogurt and fruit, Mrs. Atkins had prepared other surprises. Half the food I had grabbed to put on my plate were actually fake. They were similar to what she had made with the exception that they were plastic!

    I giggled to myself after grabbing a fake bagel and apple. She had mixed in quite a few.

    Soon the older trio came thumping downstairs with their backpacks on. They sat down at the table with a little grumbling and complaining.

    Noah held back his laugh. "What happened to you guys? Did you all take showers?" All three of them had wet hair, but dry clothes.

    Zeke ignored him and slowly selected food that wasn''t made of plastic. The twins were the ones that couldn''t hold back their complaints.

    "Dad woke us up with water balloons!" Kyle told us.

    "Right to the face." Dave added. "Multiple times!"

    Noah laughed and I joined.

    "It''s not funny." Kyle moaned. "Our beds are soaked." He glanced to his mom. "You''ll make dad wash the sheets right?"

    "Maybe." She hummed.

    "I''ll wash my own after school." Zeke declared suddenly.

    "Oh, too late!" Mr. Atkins said as he walked into the room. He sat at his usual spot. "I already took it down to the washer machine. I''ll have them dried and back on your bed in no time."

    Zeke sighed. Obviously Mr. Atkins had something planned for later as well.

    I grinned. This was pretty fun.

    "Blue again, Mom?!" Dave shook his head as he poured himself a glass of milk.

    Mrs. Atkins chuckled. Though her boys sounded tired of the same old pranks, she still got a kick out of them. I thought they were pretty creative and funny. I''ve never seen someone so into April Fool''s before. I wonder if they were like this for all holidays?

    After breakfast was done, we packed into the car and Zeke drove us to school. I was kind of excited, looking forward to what Mr. Miller would say or do, but he was his usual self. Noah and him talked about the upcoming games before we got dropped off at the school building.

    "Don''t look so down." Noah told me as we went to his locker and grabbed the needed books for our first glass. "Not everyone is into April Fool''s day as much as my parents. They''re just a couple of weirdos."

    I laughed. I thought they were cool. The coolest I''ve seen at least. We headed to class and Noah moved on to talking about the A''s. I followed along better now that I know a little more. But when he talked about specific players, I was still a little confused.

    We arrived at our first class of the day: English. Noah pushed the door open.

    ''BANG!'' Confetti fell onto our heads. Part of the class that were already seated, started to laugh their heads off while some had their phones pointed at us.

    "Very funny.." Noah shook the confetti out of his hair. He looked to me and saw me shaking. "Jake? You okay?"

    I put a hand on my chest and mumbled, "Okay. My heart is beating really fast."

    Noah turned and looked like he was about to scold our classmates, but I tapped his arm and shook my head. I didn''t want him to get mad over something so small. It''s not like they were beating us up or being mean. It''s just an April Fool''s joke.

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    "Hurry up and sit down!" One of the taller guys in our class ushered us away from the door. He pushed the confetti away with his foot and started to wire a new one up by the doorframe.

    "He''s been doing it to everyone that has walked in." A boy with glasses told us as we sat in our seats. He sat on Noah''s left. "So you can''t really get mad."

    "I can get mad at anything." Noah told him like it was a brag. He glanced at me and caught me giving him a disapproving look. "Oh, but I''m glad that he''s being fair and doing it to everyone."

    Glasses kid played with the corner of his glasses. "It''s rare to see someone so into pulling pranks on April Fool''s."

    "Not in my family." Noah snorted.

    We spent the rest of the morning watching the tall guy reset the party popper after it would go off. The fun came to an end when he got the teacher. She visibly jumped as the popper exploded when she came in.

    She glared at all of us. "Fantastic. Since you all have so much energy this morning, why don''t you get a piece of paper out and prepare for a pop quiz."

 364 Kaylee’s Apology

    Unfortunately the quiz wasn''t a joke like the rest of the morning. It was on a book that we were supposed to read over spring break. Noah and I had both read it earlier thanks to being grounded but from the way the class groaned, it was obvious that not everyone had done it.

    History was next and instead of a student playing a joke on everyone, it was the teacher. He had flipped all of our desks around to face the back of the class, and then began teaching like it was normal. Throughout the day, some of the teachers came up with little things like that to tease the students. Noah didn''t find it funny, but to me it was amusing.

    The jokes didn''t even stop for lunch. We both sat down at our table outside and opened our bags of food to reveal a bunch of eyes. Mrs. Atkins stuck a pair of googly eyes on everything from my sandwich bag, to my juice, to my chips, to the bag of cookies. She just did it all. I laughed at the creepiness.

    "She does the same things every year." Noah told me. He just ignored the eyes and began to eat. "Thankfully she''s not like Dad who tries to come up with new material every year."

    I wrinkled my nose. "Yea, I don''t think I could handle being woken up by water balloons." I''d probably die of a heart attack or maybe pee my pants from fright.

    Noah laughed. "I think they could have guessed that. Thankfully they left me out of it too." He grinned. "I guess you''re somewhat useful."

    "Ha." I said sarcastically.

    Halfway through lunch, Noah stopped talking about baseball. I looked up at him to see him staring pass me. I peeked and saw Kaylee headed our way.

    "Let me handle this." Noah told me, never taking his eyes off her. As she got closer, he spoke up for her to hear. "If you want to say anything mean, then I suggest you turn back around without a word. I won''t hit a girl, but that doesn''t mean I''ll let you be as rude as your parents."

    Kaylee stopped at the end of the picnic table. She was red in the face and had beads of sweat on the corner of her forehead even though it was nice and cool. "I just wanted to apologize."

    Why? It''s not like she did anything wrong.

    "Good. I accept the apology." Noah answered. I kicked his foot under the table. He looked at me, surprised I would do such a thing.

    Fine. If he wasn''t going to say it, I will. I cleared my throat and sat up a little straighter. "It''s not like you''re the one who said those things. Your parents aren''t your responsibility. You are their responsibility."

    Kaylee scratched her arm and avoided eye contact. "But still. Mom and Dad said some mean things. When they told me what they were thinking about you, I felt angry. I know you aren''t...''that''. Noah treats you like a little brother and I see that, but their..." She shifted from foot to foot, unsure of how to explain her parents thoughts and actions.

    "Just sit down already." Noah scooted over. "Seeing you move back and forth is making me lose my appetite. We''re not mad at you so you shouldn''t look so pitiful."

    "I can''t help but feel ashamed." She mumbled while sitting down.

    I gulped. "I-I know what it''s like. To have an embarrassment of a parent." I thought back to all the days I would have to walk home alone from school, or went to school with a myriad number of bruises covering my body, or the days I would cringe because my stomach was too loud from going days without food. "Your parents aren''t terrible people. They''re just inconsiderate." They still fed her, clothed her, and loved her. They just thought something was wrong with me.

    "Jake-" Kaylee started to say, but I got up.

    "I''m going to go to the bathroom before class." I looked at Noah. "I''ll see you in health." I bolted out of there. I wanted to make Kaylee feel better, I did. Yet...every time I compare anyone to my mom, I''m the one that feels worse. Maybe she feels better, maybe she doesn''t.

    I haven''t seen the woman in half a year, yet it was like she was still hovering over me. A ghost I couldn''t get rid of. I could go days without thinking about my father and brother, but she...the scar she left on me was too deep.

    I spent the rest of lunch, hiding in the bathroom stall, trying to calm my inner struggle. When it was time for math with the twins, I was back to normal. Or as normal as I could get. The twins were a good distraction as they liked to talk a lot. Kyle was excited from seeing Marie at lunch and happy that she agreed to be together even though their parents had conflict. Dave couldn''t care less about his twin''s dating life and instead was stressing over how long his finger was taking to heal.

    "Didn''t they say, a week or two?" I asked.

    Dave glared at his finger. He wasn''t even abled to hold a pencil, let alone pitch a ball. "I should heal faster though. I''m super healthy. And I''ve been taking those vitamins that Mom bought for me."

    "This week is two games against non-important schools so why even stress." Kyle shrugged before copying the notes from the board.

    "I don''t want to fall behind." Dave said in a low voice. "There''s got to be something I can do this week."

    "Ask Drew!" I told him. "Drew is a trainer. He helps with injuries. He probably can''t do anything for your finger, but maybe he can come up with some kind of training regimen for you." And if he''s busy with Julian, Kelvin, and Dave, that means he won''t have any time for me. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    Dave nodded thoughtfully. "You''re right. I''ll have to talk to him and Coach. I can''t just sit back and waste away over a stupid fingernail." He reached out and patted my head with his good hand. "Look at you, being more outspoken. If I didn''t know better, I would think that you''re trying to make Drew busy." My grin faltered and Dave laughed. "It''s still a good idea though. I don''t know if it''ll help you stay safe from running and sliding practice though."

    I sighed.

 365 Recap of the Games 1

    At practice, Dave immediately set out to talk to Coach before warmups. They had a thorough discussion before he came back, looking slightly better than before. He participated in warming up, at least until we started to throw the ball. Since he couldn''t currently throw, he joined Kelvin and Julian near the dugout. Drew was already there speaking with the two so I guess Dave was serious about getting training advice from him.

    Halfway through practice, just as we were about to start bp (batting practice), Coach pulled me aside. "Jake, you''re a great batter."

    I felt my face flush. "Ah, thanks." I stammered.

    "Since you''re so good, why don''t you use this time to practice something you aren''t good at?" Coach smiled but I didn''t feel comfortable. "You know what your weak points are, correct?"

    I gave a slow nod.

    "Your fielding can be worked on with Noah and Zeke at home. I can trust them to help you practice fielding and improve your arm strength." He continued. "Do you know what I''m getting at now?"

    I glanced to the area Drew had taken over. He was working with Julian on some drill I''ve never seen before. Kelvin was just beside them, putting his whole arm in an ice chest. Dave wasn''t visible, so he was probably sent on a run. I gulped as I looked back at Coach. "Do I have to?"

    "The question shouldn''t be ''have to''. It should be about want and need. You need to get better. Not because you''re already behind in skills, but because you can improve this team. All on your own. Think about it. Who gets on base the most?"

    "Zeke?"

    "Nope. It''s you!"

    "It''s me?!" I took an unsteady step back as I pointed at my face. "Me? Are you sure?"

    He grinned and pulled out his phone. After tapping it a few times, he showed me the screen. "This is the league statistics. After every game the scorekeeper will submit the stats for each player and it''ll get totaled up. I can select the stat and it''ll give me a list from best to worst. I can filter so it''s only our team. Tell me, who''s at the top?"

    I swallowed as I stared at the phone screen. "Me. But how! Zeke has more hits than I do! And he hits homeruns."

    Coach laughed. "This is strictly on base percentage, or obp. It''s how many times you reach safely and includes walks. That''s why you''re higher. If we look at slugging, then Zeke will be the team leader. Probably league leader as well."

    Oh. "So I get on base more than Zeke?"

    "Currently." He took back the phone. "Do you see where I''m going with this?"

    I knew where he was going with this from the beginning, okay. He just made a more convincing argument for why I need to work on my base running. "You want me to work with Drew to help me get better." I carelessly kicked the grass under my foot.

    "And?"

    "So I can get better at running the bases."

    "Trust me. This may seem like something small for now, but let me help you put this in perspective." He got on one knee and pulled out a pen and hand-sized notebook. He drew a little field and pointed at second base. "You''re on second base. Two outs. Bottom of the ninth. Zeke is up to bat. We''re down by one run. If Zeke can only hit a short single between the outfielders, you''ll have to sprint to try and tie up the game. It might even come down to a slide."

    "I''ve been able to score from second before." Especially off a hit from Zeke.

    "Yes, but it''s sloppy. Sloppy means you can make a mistake. I want to cut down on those mistakes. It''s my job to make you into a better player. You in?"

    I nodded obediently. This was for my own good. And for the good of the team. "I''ll get better."

    "Good." He patted my shoulder, reminding me a little of Mr. Atkins. "Go and see Drew. I''ve already told him what I want you to improve on."

    I nodded once more and started to jog to Drew. Dave had come back and was drenched in sweat. My body involuntarily tensed up, knowing that I would look like that too once Drew was done with me.

    Dave wiped his forehead sweat with the sleeve of his shirt and fixed his cap. He beamed at me as I made my way over to the group. "Coach convinced you?"

    I nodded. "Compelling argument on why I should get better at base running."

    "Oh? What was it?" Dave looked interested.

    "I get on base the most." I told him honestly.

    "Look at you, bragging to your seniors." Julian laughed. "You''re turning into Noah."

    "I didn''t mean to!" I waved my hands around. "Coach told me and showed me on his phone. I thought Zeke would be number one!"

    "So now you''re bragging about beating Zeke?!" Kelvin joined in the teasing.

    I looked to Drew for help. Drew laughed. "Okay, let''s not pick on Jake too much. He might run away from me." He started pointing at different stations. "Kelvin here. Julian here. Dave, if you''re finished with your five minute rest, go run laps for another thirty minutes. This time, keep count of how many laps you do."

    The three older players scattered to their respective workouts.

    "Now, you and I can have some fun." Drew smiled down at me even though he wasn''t that much taller. I really did want to run away at the sight of his creepy smile, but I stuck with it. There''s not much difference in running away and running the bases.

    I comforted myself by thinking of this week''s schedule. We have games Tuesday and Thursday so Drew could only train me on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

    Drew spent the afternoon with me, working on slides and speed training. He really focused on acceleration training, trying to get me to be fast in short distances. While I did the assigned drills, he would check in with the others and switch up their exercises.

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    It wasn''t until Coach signaled the end of practice did I finally get to collapse. We did a cool down before Coach rounded us up for a small team meeting. He announced the lineup for tomorrow''s game, giving Bryce the start on the mound. He was the only change compared to the last game''s lineup; everyone else stayed where they were at in the batting order and for positions.

 366 Recap of the Games 2

    Tuesday''s game was against Colussa High School. Because their school had strict rules regarding missed classes, they weren''t able to leave for our school until they finished. If you add in their three hour drive time and time needed for warmups, the school had no choice but to have a night game.

    After school, me and the Atkins went home and started on our homework. Mrs. Atkins prepared a healthy, yet light, dinner for us before we all went back to school.

    Dave couldn''t throw or play in the game, however he chose to warmup with the team and even spent the rest of the time running around the whole field. He looked like he was taking his training seriously. As the game started, he sat with Julian and Kelvin. Coach had chosen to put the three of them to work, handing them a clipboard to share. They were supposed to keep the pitching count for each of our players. Like he told Kyle on Saturday, Coach gave Bryce a similar talk and would only allow him 75 pitches.

    Bryce did his best, and was able to pitch for five innings before hitting his limit set by Coach. He only gave up two runs off five hits. It was hard to believe he was only a year older than me, yet he could be so dominant on the mound already. I guess Garret was the same way last year and now he''s our ace.

    Kyle made a relief appearance, finishing off the last two innings, allowing one run...a solo homer. He didn''t give up any other hits or walks either. Coach said he was going to work the other pitchers in, but it was hard to do when his first picks were doing so well.

    For our offense...we had a fun and easy time, winning 9-3. Colussa High didn''t have any good pitchers. Not in my eyes. And certainly not in Zeke''s. I went 2-3 with two runs, one RBI, and a walk. It was nowhere near as impressive as Zeke''s batting. He was intentionally walked twice after hitting home runs in his first and second at-bats. He batted in four runs, and scored twice. Noah was the only one to struggle, getting one hit in four at-bats. It was a single RBI, and he even ended up scoring so it was better than doing nothing. Like Mark Twain once said, ''comparison is the death of joy''.

    I didnt want Noah to feel down about his only hit so I tried to make him happy, talking about he can get a hitting streak going now.

    "Jake." He stared at me. "When it''s coming from you, it sounds a little patronizing. There''s only been one game where you didn''t get a hit besides the games where you were only walked." He thought for a minute. "And the couple of games where you didn''t play."

    I tried thinking back. "Which game did I not get a hit in again?"

    "The only game we lost..University Prep." Noah sighed at the memory. "Ugh. What a beatdown that was. I wish we could have a rematch."

    My face twisted at the thought. "You want to play that team again even though we lost?"

    "Yea! Of course! We have to redeem ourselves!" He shrugged. "Probably will have to wait until next year though."

    As the conversation shifted to talking about how good University Prep was, Noah forgot about comparing hitting streaks and I relaxed.

    Wednesday passed in a blur as it was just the same old classes followed by a tiring practice. Thursday was another home game for us against Elk Creek. They came from a further distance than Colussa, but they didn''t have restrictions regarding missed classes. They left their school at noon in order to play us at 4pm. Which made sense to me...I wouldn''t want to arrive back home past midnight, and then have to go to school the next morning. I wonder who comes up with the game schedule for each school.

    Coach had picked Garret to start on the mound, allowing Tanner to play in right field, and Mahki back to left field. Garret kept his number two batting position though, making Tanner be the ninth. Tanner didn''t seem mad about it; he was just happy to play in his first varsity game. He went 1-3 as did Noah.

    Zeke and I were the only ones to get two hits each. I earned two singles and a walk, while scoring a run and driving a run in. Zeke had smacked two doubles and received an intentional walk, while also scoring in a run, and driving me home for his RBI. The highlight of the game didn''t belong to us though despite being responsible for almost half the runs we scored.

    Instead, player of the game went to Garret. For his pitching. He also hit a solo home run, but it paled in comparison to what he was able to do on the mound. Like the previous starters, Garret was given the 75 pitch limit. It didn''t hinder him as much as it motivated him. Garret was able to complete all seven innings under the limit, and if that wasn''t impressive enough, he also struck out ten opposing batters while only giving up three hits. He wasn''t the ace for nothing.

    We won the game 5-0 against Elk Creek. Coach didn''t let us celebrate for too long as he reiterated the fact that these aren''t important games compared to league matches.

    After Friday''s practice, Coach let Zeke make his announcement of signing onto Stanford. He explained that it wasn''t final and that he was still looking forward to the draft, but he was set on this school as his backup plan. He also informed the team of the pizza party that his parents planned to throw on Sunday for lunch.

    Mrs. Atkins had decided that they would just hold it at the park down the street to accommodate the large crowd they plan to invite. It was Zeke''s job to get an estimate of how many kids would show up so he had to inform each team on his own. Of course our whole team raised their hands to show that they would be there. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

 367 Zeke’s Media Day 1

    After Friday''s practice, besides showering and eating dinner, Mrs. Atkins assigned us chores.

    "On a Friday night??" Dave groaned.

    "I should be going on a date...not cleaning." Kyle moped.

    "Can you even go on a date? Aren''t Marie''s parents still mad?" Noah pointed out.

    "That''s not the point." Kyle huffed. "I just don''t want to start the weekend off by cleaning."

    "I won''t let my boys look like slobs." Mrs. Atkins had her hands on her hips. "If you boys want to have some fun this weekend, I''ll need your help to make sure this house is presentable to all the guests for tomorrow."

    "Shouldn''t this be Zeke''s responsibility?" Dave asked, not giving up without a fight. "It''s his day."

    "Are you giving your mom a hard time?" Mr. Atkins asked as he walked out of his office with Zeke right behind him. "If she''s asking you to do something, you do it."

    "Yes, Dad." All three boys chorused reluctantly.

    "Everyone is responsible for their rooms." Mrs. Atkins started instructing us. "Make sure all dirty laundry is in baskets and clean laundry put away. Vacuum. Dust. Tomorrow morning, I shouldn''t have to remind you boys to make your beds. I''ll clean the kitchen and your dad will do the living and dining rooms, but one of you need to be responsible for vacuuming."

    "I call vacuuming!" Dave shouted.

    "No fair! That''s the easiest job!" Kyle glared.

    "I''m injured though. I don''t want to stunt the growth of my nail." Dave flaunted his wrapped up finger.

    "Dave has a point. He gets the vacuum." Mrs. Atkins said.

    "Awe Mom..." Kyle groaned.

    "You can do the room and I''ll do the bathroom." Zeke suggested.

    Kyle sighed. "Okay, fine."

    With the tasks officially assigned, we spent the evening cleaning.

    Saturday morning, Mr. Atkins woke us up early enough to have breakfast before sending us back up stairs to change into the planned outfits. Mrs. Atkins wanted us to wear the Stanford University Baseball shirts she had bought for all five of us. Her and Mr. Atkins coordinated as well, choosing to wear Stanford University shirts that they had ordered beforehand.

    We came downstairs in our matching shirts, and found Mrs. Atkins waiting for us with a comb in hand. She lifted a bottle hairspray. "Okay, lets make you all presentable now."

    "Mommm." The twins groaned.

    Zeke didnt fight it. He even bent his knees so his mom could reach his head. She smiled warmly, sprayed his hair, then started to brush it down. With a few complaints, she did all their hair the same way. They had blonde, straight hair so it was just a matter of brushing the hairspray across the bed head.

    She got to me. "Do you mind, Jake?"

    "Hey! You didn''t ask if I mind!" Kyle hollered.

    "It''s okay." I told her as I scooted forward a little, getting in arms distance. My hands started to shake so I grasped the end of my shirt as I leaned my head forward. It''s just Mrs. Atkins. She had never hurt me before, yet my body was struggling to understand that.

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    Mrs. Atkins sprayed my hair with the hairspray and I flinched. She didn''t say anything, and just lightly combed my hair. It was an odd feeling. I don''t think anyone has ever brushed my hair. Even if I went to school with a birds nest in my hair, I wouldn''t allow a teacher close enough to brush it.

    "Okay. All done!" She backed up, giving me my space.

    My shoulders relaxed as I stood properly.

    She smiled at me, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Thanks Jake." Then she quickly turned away and went to the kitchen. "I''m going to start preparing snacks. Zeke, make sure to greet each guest properly."

    She left us so suddenly that I wasn''t sure what happened. Did I do something wrong? Did she not like brushing my hair? I could have done it myself.

    "Wow, you made mom cry again." Dave pointed.

    My eyes widened.

    "Don''t say it like that." Noah scolded him before turning to me. "Mom was probably just overwhelmed with happiness. You''ve never let her get so close and be so intimate."

    Oh.

    "It doesn''t help that today is a very important day for Zeke." Kyle pointed out. "She''s probably just a step away from balling her eyes out. I bet she bursts into tears as soon as Zeke makes the announcement on camera. It''s going to be so embarrassing."

    "It''s just the local station right?" Dave asked. "I doubt his decision would make national news."

    Noah laughed. "Zeke is currently one of the best batter''s in the nation. It''ll definitely get picked up by ESPN."

    "Is there going to be a lot of people?" I asked, nervous of what was to come.

    "Twenty to thirty." Zeke spoke up. As if he could tell that I wanted to go hide in my room, he spoke again. "They won''t be coming all at once. They''ll start showing up one by one so it''ll be easy for you to get used to."

    I forced out a tight smile. "Alright..what do we do now though?"

    "It''s Saturday." Noah grabbed me shirt and started to drag me. "I can find a baseball game on tv to watch. It''s Zeke who has to greet the guests and make them comfortable."

    We went to the living room and got set up. The twins had followed along as well since there wasn''t much they could do either. Only Zeke didn''t come. The doorbell had rung and the first of the guests had started to arrive.

    Unsurprisingly, Mahki was the first guest to arrive. He was a senior like Zeke and they seemed to be pretty close. Garret wasn''t that far behind. Then Julian. Zeke had sent the three of them all to the living room to join us. Soon, the room had started to fill up with unfamiliar faces.

    Zeke started to walk the guests around and introducing all of us to one another. There was his little league coach, a different coach, our regular coach, some students I''ve never seen before, and then more adults that I couldn''t remember. There was just too many names and faces...I don''t think I remembered any of them. The more that showed up, the more I wanted to go hide.

 368 Zeke’s Media Day 2

    The closer we got to the scheduled time, the more crowded it was. It wasn''t long before a trio of men came in and requested to set up the camera in the dining room. Mr. Atkins helped them make space while Mrs. Atkins started laying out snack platters throughout the house.

    "What a circus." Mahki said as people came and went, and even chatted to one another.

    Noah nodded. "Mom should have made him do this at the school. I feel like the gym would have had more space than this."

    "Too bad none of the Stanford players came." Kyle sighed. "That would have been cool. I could get a rematch on that handstand competition."

    "Pshh." Dave scoffed. "Not like you''ve been training for it."

    The twins started to bicker, and Mahki watched on with amusement across his face.

    "You doing alright, Bambi?" Garret asked. Him and Julian were both near me, kind of like a pair of guards, making sure no one got too close.

    I nodded tentatively. "Yea, thanks." I looked at Julian, who was standing this whole time. "Do you want to sit?"

    Julian shook his head. "I''m good." He glanced down at his feet. "I''m all healed up now so no need to worry."

    "Do you think you''ll play on Wednesday?" Garret asked.

    "I''ll be ready. But, it''s up to Coach whether I''ll start or not." Julian shrugged helplessly. "Sean''s been doing okay this past week."

    Garret didn''t say anymore. It''s not his place to say who should and shouldn''t be sat. He wouldn''t want to make that decision and neither would I. "If it''s any consolation, I don''t think I''ll be getting the start. Redwood kicked my butt last time."

    Mahki laughed from his spot on the couch. "Yea, right. You may not get the start on the mound, but you''ll definitely be in the lineup. You crushed them at the plate. That was your multi-homerun game."

    "Eh, that was just luck." Garret laughed. "Though...it''d be nice if they gave out the same pitcher again."

    "I doubt that they would." Julian said. "Just like how you weren''t effective against them, their pitcher wasn''t effective against us. We''ll send out someone new and they will too."

    "Me! Me!" Kyle waved his arm and jumped up and down. He did a little dance. "I''ll be getting the start for sure."

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    The seniors laughed, yet Garret didn''t look amused. Neither did Dave. Dave merely glanced at his twin before looking down at his hand. His frustration was written all over his face.

    "Hey." A masculine voice grabbed our attention. Zeke had come back to our little group. "They want to get started with the video. Mom says the four of you should come and be inspected before they start rolling."

    "We''re fine. Good to go!" Kyle claimed.

    Noah pointed at his shirt. "Oh yea? You want to be seen with all those crumbs on your shirt?" He laughed and I cracked a smile.

    Kyle wiped the crumbs with a sheepish smile. "I was getting hungry."

    Zeke didn''t bother with him. He just turned away and started to maneuver through the crowd, heading to the dining room.

    "Come on." Noah tugged my sleeve, forcing me to get up and follow. He led the way, giving friendly smiles to those he made eye contact with. I kept my head down and focused on my feet. As long as I didn''t step on anyone''s toes, I''d be safe.

    I could hear the twins following as well, making a racket compared to us.

    "Make way! Make way!" Kyle yelled. "I''m the costar of today''s event, please let me through."

    "God, you''re so dumb." Dave didn''t even lower his voice. "If you weren''t my carbon copy, I wouldn''t believe that we are related."

    "Who''s the copy?? I''m older by two minutes."

    "No, you''re not. It''s me."

    "Liar."

    "Ugh."

    "David. Kyle." Mr. Atkins raised his voice to be heard.

    Noah had stopped and so had I. We had reached the dining room, where Zeke and their parents were waiting.

    Mr. Atkins had obviously heard the twins bickering and didn''t look happy as he looked at them behind me and Noah. "Best behavior right now."

    The two had let out simultaneous sighs.

    "Okay, let''s start off with some photos!" A man commanded the room''s attention. Looking at him, I found him somewhat familiar, but couldn''t place a name with the face. He started to move people out of the way before pointing at Zeke. "Why don''t you take a seat at the center. We''ll do solo shots first."

    "Sure." Zeke listened and went to sit at his normal spot at the table. Papers and a pen were placed in front of him.

    "Don''t sign anything just yet." The man instructed. "Just pretend for now and for future pictures. We''ll do a video recording of the actual signing to send to the news station."

    "Alright." Zeke picked up the pen and held it just above the paper.

    The man picked up his big camera hanging around his neck and started to take some pictures. First it was just Zeke. Then Zeke with his parents behind him. Then add Coach. Then take them away and it was just Zeke and the Stanford coach. It went on and on, like this, for awhile.

    After sending the others back to the living room and kitchen, the cameraman smiled at the four of us. I shifted slightly behind Noah. "Okay, come on. Your turn. Why don''t the four of you stand behind Zeke first?"

    I looked around, not really wanting to.

    "Jake?" Noah asked when he noticed I wasn''t moving. "What''s up?"

    I shrugged slowly, feeling unwilling to tell him the truth. This seemed like a family photo. Right. He wanted Zeke''s brothers to stand behind him like the parents did. But the thing is...I''m not his brother. I''m just some kid that was placed in this home since their parents take in foster children every once in awhile. Something I''ve started to notice, is that, there are no pictures of these kids. Noah had once told me that they don''t stay for long. Wouldn''t it be intrusive if I joined?

    "Jake?" Noah waved his hand back and forth in front of my face.

    "What are you two doing?" Zeke spoke up. "Just come over already. We don''t have all day."

    With Zeke''s command, Noah didn''t hesitate to grab me by my shoulders and lead me over to the spot the cameraman was suggesting. We both stood right behind the sitting Zeke, with each twin on either side of us.

    The guy with the camera started to snap away. After a few clicks, he made eye contact with me. "Jake, are you unhappy?"

    I was startled to find out the guy knew my name.

    "Jake! You gotta smile!" Noah shook me.

    "Here! I can help!" Kyle, who was next to me started to tickle me near the underarms.

    I fought off a laugh as I moved closer to Noah to get away from this evil twin.

    "That''s better!" The camera man started to click away again. "Hold that smile! Okay, now stand straight! All eyes on me." He clicked some more. "Okay, why don''t you stand up now, Zeke?" He paused to instruct. "Just stay in the center. Yea, squeeze between Noah and Jake. That''s good!"

    Zeke had done what he was told, getting up and pushing me and Noah apart. He rested each of his arms around our shoulders and looked into the camera. After a few more clicks, the camera guy asked Wayne and Mary to stand on each side, going for an extended shot. Then he asked for them to stand on each side of Zeke, with a twin on the outer edges. Noah and I were instructed to stand in front of them, since we were the shortest.

    My smile got weaker the more pictures he took. This was obviously the time for the family shots, yet here I was, crashing their pictures. Once I started to shift uncomfortably, the cameraman noticed.

    "Let''s take a break." He smiled. "I think I''ve got plenty of shots. I''ll get the guys in here to start the videotaping. Zeke, we can probably fit eight to ten people in the background. Do you know who you want to pick?"

    Zeke nodded. "Yes. I''ll go gather them." He left the rest of us in the dining room as he went to gather his background props.

 369 Zeke’s Media Day 3

    Seeing the opportunity to sneak away, I inched from the spot by the table and tried to head to the stairs. Noah caught me in the act immediately. "And where do you think you''re going?"

    I clasped my hands together as I faced him. "Oh, I was going to go rest now."

    "But we still have to do the video of him doing the actual signing." Noah tilt his head and started to squint. "Is that why you''re trying to leave? Do you have some fear of being on tv? It''s not like they''ll say anything about you. It''s just going to be on Zeke''s commitment to Stanford."

    "Zeke..might not want me to be one of the people behind him." I mumbled. Wasn''t it better to leave before being told to leave?

    "Jake..." Noah was thinking of something to say, but someone else had spoke up first.

    "It''s okay Noah." Mr. Atkins came over and put an arm around his son''s shoulders. "Let Jake go. If Zeke wants him in the background, he''ll have to fetch Jake himself." He looked at me with a grin. "Do you really want to make Zeke come get you?"

    I shook my head. That would be slightly scary if he got mad. But..."Do you think he really wants me here? It kind of feels like-" a family moment. I didn''t say it aloud though, in fear of Noah getting upset.

    Mr. Atkins got my meaning. His smile never left his face. "It''s your choice, Jake. Either stay here and find out or take a chance and go upstairs. I won''t stop you." He turned to take Noah back to the group.

    I stood still. Frozen. Undecided on what to do. A part of me really wanted to go hide in my room. Yet, another part felt like it''d be bad if Zeke had to come get me from my room. If he even wanted me. Which would be worse? Getting rejected outright? Or making Zeke angry? I gulped. Definitely option two. So I stayed where I was, close to the stairs, but not too far away to make Zeke upset in case he wanted me there. It also gave me the option of being able to run upstairs if he really didn''t want me there. It sounded melodramatic of me, but I was an indecisive individual.

    Zeke soon came back into the room with Coach, the Stanford coach, and someone I didn''t know. He looked to be the same age as Zeke, but I don''t think I''ve seen him at school before. Zeke looked around at his gathered group, stopping a second when he saw Noah.

    "Where did Jake go?" He asked.

    My knees felt weak.

    "He thinks you don''t want him here." Noah ratted me out, even going so far as to pointing at me. "He wanted to go hide in his room."

    Zeke turned and found me, as still as a statue. He let out a chuckle at the sight of me. "Okay, Bambi, no need to be frightened. I''m not mad. Just come here already."

    I made my way over. I glared at Noah for a second, but with his goofy smile, I could only stay mad for a second.

    Zeke sat down and prepared his pen and paper.

    "Okay, let''s squeeze in the best we can." The man instructed. Noah and Jake, stand just over Zeke''s right shoulder. Mary and Wayne, stand just behind them. Good!" Everyone shifted accordingly. "Twins in the center with your Coach. You other two can stand on the left. Now. No one look at the video camera. As Zeke is signing the letter of intent, I want all eyes on him and smiles, please. After he''s done signing, go ahead and clap, cheer, whatever you want to do."

    The man backed up and stood against the opposite wall. He signaled to the man running the big video camera and then gave us a thumbs up. "Rolling. All eyes on Zeke!"

    Standing on Zeke''s right, I could just barely see over his shoulder. He grasped the pen in his right hand and started to put the pen to the paper. His signature was smooth and perfect. Zeke Atkins.

    Noah was the first to start clapping excitedly. I followed just a second later, joining in with everyone else. Soon the whole house was cheering and clapping. It was almost as if Zeke had hit a home run. I guess it can be considered as a metaphor that he did. A scholarship to play baseball at a good school.

    Remembering what the boys had said earlier, I peeked over my shoulder to see Mrs. Atkins crying. Tears were falling down her cheeks like waterfalls. Zeke stood up and faced us. At the sight of his mom, he let out a small laugh before pulling her into a hug. She held on and cried some more, making the twins and Noah burst out laughing. After a couple of minutes, she let go. Zeke moved to his dad and grinned, holding out his hand. Mr. Atkins took it to shake, but then was able to pull Zeke into a hug as well.

    I started to laugh too. The sight of two big men hugging made for a funny sight. Lucky for Zeke, Mr. Atkins didn''t hold on for too long like his wife. He quickly released Zeke and shook his hand properly.

    Zeke grinned and shook his head at his dad. Then he looked down at me and Noah. He reached out with both hands and messed up our hair, making all of Mrs. Atkins hardwork go to waste. The twins weren''t let off either. He turned to them and pulled them both into headlocks while facing the camera, showing the biggest smile I''ve ever seen on his face.

    "Perfect!" The man clapped as well. "We''ll cut and edit this right away. It''ll be on the news tonight for sure."

    Zeke let go of the twins and smiled at the man. "Thanks Mr. Cameron. I appreciate this."

    "No, no. Thank you! This is big news! I''ll make sure to send the clip to espn. I''m positive it''ll make it there as well."

    Zeke nodded politely. "We''ll see. Why don''t you stay around for refreshments?"

    "Thanks!" He answered. "I''ll be impolite then as I impose on you. I want to ask some questions as well and maybe include it on the article if you don''t mind?"

    "Sure, sure." He waved and they both went off to the kitchen.

    Just like that, everyone started to gather in little groups to talk to one another.

    I turned to Noah to see what he was doing, only to find him watching Zeke walk away. He looked a little sad so I let him be, and patiently waited for him to notice me. It only took him a couple of seconds to feel me watching him. "What''s up, Jake?"

    "Zeke called him Mr. Cameron...was that the reporter from the tournament?" I asked.

    Noah nodded. "Yea, you couldn''t tell? He covers all local sports news. He writes the recaps on our games too."

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    "Really?" My eyes widened. "And it''s in the news?"

    "Well, it''s usually just online. You can find recaps for all high school games." Noah told me. "I''ve looked up a few, but it''s nothing interesting."

    Oh. I wonder if my name gets mentioned though. Would I be easier to find? Would my family know it''s me if they read it?

    "It doesn''t get too many views though." Noah continued, cutting off my imagination. "Watsonville isn''t a really big town. So unless a scout is looking at our statistics, there''s not many others who read it."

    "Why not?"

    Noah laughed. "Because those who are interested, can just come to our games. There''s no need to read about it."

    That makes sense.

 370 Zeke’s Friend: Rhys 1

    With everyone going back to smaller groups, and Zeke going with Mr. Cameron for an interview, Noah and I moved to the backyard to get some space. Oddly, we weren''t the only ones with that idea. A tall young man was standing on the back patio, staring at the twin''s pitching training equipment. I recognized him as the friend of Zeke. The one he wanted in the video that stood opposite of Noah and I.

    "Hey Rhys!" Noah greeted, closing the sliding door behind us. It was cool outside, but it was definitely getting warmer with summer around the corner.

    The young man turned and gave us a smile. "Hey, Noah. How are you?"

    "Not bad! Can''t complain." Noah sized him up, looking him up and down like he was a mannequin. "How about you? You look like you''re staying in shape."

    A corner of his mouth lifted to form a half-smile. "I do what I can." He looked at me. "You must be Jake? I''ve heard a lot about you." He held out his right hand.

    I glanced at Noah, but could only see a smile on his face. He wasn''t wary against him so neither should I. I slowly stuck out my right hand and gave his a quick shake. He didn''t grasp my hand tightly or force the handshake. It was like he was letting me be in control in deciding what kind of handshake I wanted. It was brief and light, before I took my hand back.

    "This is Rhys." Noah introduced. "He''s been friends with Zeke since I was born."

    I looked at Rhys, surprised. That meant he and Zeke were friends since they were toddlers?

    Rhys laughed. "Almost." He smiled at me, looking friendly like Noah. "Zeke and I played T-ball together. Our first year of baseball was spent together, and then we just happened to share quite a few teams as we grew up, playing little league."

    Wow. Real childhood friends. "Do you go to our school?" I asked, curious as to why I haven''t seen him before.

    "Oh, no." He answered, looking slightly surprised that I would speak. "I live a couple hours away. North of the Bay Area. Just before high school, my parents and I moved so I don''t get to see Zeke and the Atkins as much as I used to." He rubbed Noah''s head, messing up the already messy hair. "Look how tall you''re getting! Crazy how much you grew in the last few months."

    Noah pushed his hand away, and scoffed. "Yea, right. I''m nowhere near Zeke''s height when he was a freshman. I don''t know if I''ll ever get as tall as him and the twins."

    "Well, height doesn''t always matter in baseball." Rhys tried to console him.

    "But it would help!" Noah sighed.

    Rhys just laughed and gave Noah another pat on the head. "Why are you in such a hurry? There''s time. You''ll grow, get stronger, faster, and even better at baseball. Just one step at a time."

    Noah glanced up at Rhys. "You sound better." I didn''t understand. That''s a weird thing to say out of nowhere.

    "I feel better." Rhys answered, understanding right away what Noah was saying.

    Noah nodded more to himself than to Rhys.

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    I was confused as to what they were talking about but it seemed serious, and not something that I could just ask about.

    "Hey hey! What''s with this solemn atmosphere?!" Kyle had opened the back door and took a step outside. Dave, Zeke, and Mr. Cameron were just behind him.

    "It''s not solemn." Noah refuted. "Peaceful. It''s a peaceful atmosphere!"

    "I could tell." Dave snorted. "Rhys isn''t a wild child anymore. He''s been so calm and quiet today."

    Rhys laughed at the jab. "It''s Zeke''s day. You know I wouldn''t steal the show from him on a day like this."

    "Don''t be lying." Dave came over and stood beside him. "During Zeke''s interview, Mr. Cameron had asked about you! You just making an appearance can steal the show."

    "How can I steal the show?" He let out a sharp and short laugh, scaring me a little. "I don''t even play anymore."

    "But, you''re making a comeback." Zeke said calmly. He closed the backdoor after everyone stepped out, including Mr. Cameron. "I told Mr. Cameron and he wanted to ask a few questions about it."

    Rhys, who had just said he was feeling ''better'', had frowned at Zeke. "What''s there to say?"

    Mr. Cameron stepped up before Zeke could answer. "Sorry Rhys, seeing you here made my imagination run wild. I just wanted to ask a few questions to cure my curiosity. They won''t be for Zeke''s article, but maybe something I can put together later on."

    "Aren''t you feeling better?" Noah smiled, looking up at him. "He''s probably just asking about your recovery."

    "Ah, you got me." Rhys sighed. Then he looked at Mr. Cameron. "What do you want to know?"

    "Just the basics. How''s recovery? Have you started rehab? What are your goals for the future? Would you like to get back to baseball?" Mr. Cameron had pulled out his notepad and pen, ready to take notes.

    Rhys used his right hand to grab his left elbow. "It''s going a lot better now. After surgery, I had a rough start and just wasn''t in a good place for recovery. Mentally. There was a lot of ''what if''s'' that haunted me and made it hard to sleep."

    "And how did you cope with that?"

    Rhys looked around him at the Atkins boys, looking slightly embarrassed. His eyes locked on Zeke and it seemed to help him. "I broke down and went to see a therapist. Not a physical therapist, but a real one. To help clear my thoughts." He eyed the twins, unsure of their response.

    "That''s good!" Noah jumped in. "Jake and I go to his therapist once a week. I always feel better when leaving. Right Jake?" He looked to me.

    With all the attention directed to me, I felt uncomfortable. I shifted from foot to foot. "Yea..."

    "Jake, can I ask you some more questions about that?" Mr. Cameron asked. "Once I''m done with Rhys that is. I heard from Wayne that you were talking a little more and was hoping I could get a few snippets."

    I gulped. "Can it not...be about therapy..?"

    "It''s not something to be embarrassed about."

    That''s not...why. I''m not embarrassed. It''s just- I''m not going to therapy for baseball. I''m going because my mom almost killed me. "It''s not something I want to talk about just yet." I forced myself to speak up.

    "Okay, maybe another time. I''d still like to ask about how your season is going afterwards." Mr. Cameron let me off the hook.

    I gave a nod. I could do that. I think.

    He turned back to Rhys, who looked more relaxed knowing that the Atkins didn''t have anything to say about him going to therapy. He let go of his elbow and looked to be at ease.

    "So you decided to go see a therapist because you weren''t in a good spot, mentally." Mr. Cameron made his notes. "Were you scared that you weren''t able to throw a baseball again?"

    "Something like that. It was a mix of other things that followed as well. Like I''m too young. It''s going to be a long road of recovery. And my least favorite thought: could I have prevented this?" Rhys told him. He lifted his left arm, bending it at the elbow and showing us the inside. "The physical scar isn''t nearly half as bad as the mental one." On the inner side of his arm, Rhys had a red scar that was almost six inches long.

    I gulped. How did that happen? Did he also have a mom like mine? A crazy parent?

 371 Zeke’s Friend: Rhys 2

    "That''s a pretty good sized scar." Mr. Cameron remarked. "Do you mind if I take a picture?"

    "Go ahead." Rhys agreed. He held out his arm as Mr. Cameron took the pictures. Afterwards, he ran a finger along the line. "Just around Christmas time, this scar would make me sick just looking at it. Now, I see it as my hope to come back to baseball. If everything goes as planned, I''ll come back even stronger."

    Mr. Cameron nodded. "I heard your parents were able to reach out to Dr. Andrews to do your surgery. Does it comfort you, knowing that he had done Tommy John surgery on the pros?"

    Tommy John?

    Rhyd nodded. "I''m very thankful to my parents. My dad was able to use his connections to get me one of the best surgeons. And honestly, without my mom''s endless support when I was trapped in that sling, I''d probably die without her." He flexed his left forearm, opening and closing his left hand. "I''m a lefty, right? So being able to feed myself with my non-dominant hand wasn''t easy. My mom was very thoughtful in making foods that could be eaten with just one hand, like sandwiches."

    Wow. She sounds like a Mrs. Atkins. Are all moms like that? Am I the only one with a bad mom?

    "I''m happy to see you doing so well." Mr. Cameron commented as he took notes. "How has the physical rehab been going?"

    "Like I said, it was tough in the beginning. There wasn''t much I could do. There wasn''t much that I wanted to do." He let out a small sigh. "During Christmas break though, I started the process. I also made the decision to quit my high school team."

    I was shocked. But after a quick look around, it seemed like the Atkins already knew that. I''m always behind in these things I feel like, all thanks to me only being with them for one month. I was also still confused on the whole Tommy John thing...

    "Can I ask why? And how you felt about it? How''d your team feel about it?"

    "It was at therapy...I came to the realization that it''s best to focus on myself right now. I shouldn''t be putting the team on my back, more so now since I can no longer help them. I''m just about to throw again. Pitching will be out of the question until summer time. Maybe towards the end of summer." He paused. "As for my team, it''s not like we were super close. Baseball can bring some people together, but in most places, you''re just seen as competition. I can honestly say, after quitting, none of those teammates had reached out to me to change my mind. I was just useless to them."

    "Ouch." Mr. Cameron said sympathetically. "I bet that must have hurt even more than getting injured."

    "In some ways, but in some ways it helped me see who really cared." He grinned and pointed at Zeke. "This guy right here drove to see me every weekend after the surgery. It wasn''t until his season started that he stopped. He still calls me every week to nag and ask if I''ve been running and keeping in shape."

    Yep, sounds like Zeke.

    "And have you been?"

    "Yes. Thanks to Zeke''s persistence, I''ve been spending all my free time on recovery. Mental and physical recovery. I''ve learned that you have to take care of both equally." He grinned and gave a light shrug. "It helps that my dad can relate and has shared his experience with me too."

    "Your dad can relate?" I blurted out.

    Rhys wasn''t bothered by the interruption. He just smiled and nodded. "Yea, my dad had Tommy John surgery as well." He pointed at the long scar. "Just think of it as elbow surgery."

    "It''s a common baseball injury." Noah told me. "I forgot that you probably haven''t heard about it. Soon, when the MLB season gets going, a few players will go on the injured list for needing Tommy John surgery. Most of the time it''s pitchers, but now it pretty much affects everyone."

    "Oh." I looked up at Rhys. "So you''re a pitcher? And your dad is too?"

    Rhys nodded again. "Yes. I am. Or at least, I''m trying to be. We''ll see if I can get back at it. I might need to switch to a position player if things don''t go as planned."

    "You''ll be able to pitch again." Zeke stated.

    "What do you plan on doing after high school?" Mr. Cameron asked, getting back to the interview. "Have any colleges reached out to you? Last I heard, you were still undecided."

    "I''m actually going to a local community college. For a year." Rhys turned serious. "Best case scenario, I get my pitching back and make a splash at the jc (junior college: same thing as community college) scene. With that, I''ll enter the draft."

    "So you''re not interested in going to a big time school to try and win the College World Series?"

    "Not really." He looked at Zeke. "The majors is the main goal. Everything else is just extra."

    Zeke nodded in agreement.

    Mr. Cameron asked a few more questions about his recovery and chances of even coming back stronger than before, but I started to lose interest. Rhys was a nice guy, yet I started to feel some animosity towards him.

    I recognized it right away. He kept mentioning his parents, how thankful he was to have them, and how great they treat him. The jealousy within me was growing the longer he spoke. I couldn''t pinpoint why I had this feeling towards him, but not to the Atkins who also had nice parents.

    Their small interview wrapped up shortly and Mr. Cameron moved on to me. He smiled warmly, yet my insides felt ice cold. I no longer felt like talking or participating, but it''d be rude to back out now.

    "Jake! You''ve been doing great both on and off the field, I hear." Mr. Cameron started. "Wayne was happy to tell me that you were talking more and more lately. Does that have anything to do with baseball?"

    "Not really." I mumbled.

    "Oh." He deflated a little bit. "Well then, let''s talk about baseball. The season has officially started and you''re ranked very highly in a lot of offensive categories at the moment, how do you feel about that?"

    I shrugged. "It''s okay."

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    Mr. Cameron could tell that I was unwilling to talk anymore. I''ve lost interest and was going blank. "It''s a little soon to be talking about this anyway. How about I interview you at a later date?"

    I shrugged and turned away, heading for the door. Who knows how I''ll be feeling then? Better? Worse? I could hear the Atkins brothers all talking at once, but I just ignored it and went inside. I could use a nap right about now. I headed for the stairs and went on up.

    Once in the room that I shared with Noah, I flopped onto my bed and got comfortable. I hadn''t bothered closing the door, so when Mr. Atkins had walked passed, he saw me lying in bed. In the middle of the day.

    He stopped in the doorway. "Do you want to talk about it?"

    I flopped over and faced the wall. "Not particularly."

 372 Mr. Atkins 2 in 1

    "Jake." I heard him take a step into the room. "I won''t force you to talk, but your actions have me a little worried. When you close up like this, it feels like you''ll erupt like a volcano. Do you get what I''m saying?"

    I did. A little. We talked about it with Dr. Moore...how I hold it all in. I turned back over so he could see my face.

    "Jake, what happened? Are you still worried about being in Zeke''s video?" He took a step in the room, concern written all over his face. "I promise he''s good with it. You''re one of us after all."

    A tear fell.

    "Jake?" He got closer. "Are you not feeling well? What is it?"

    "I''m not one of you." I sniffled, holding back the tears. "I don''t have two parents that love me. That take care of me."

    "What? What brought this on?" Mr. Atkins looked at me, worried. His care just made me feel worse. Why didn''t I have a dad like him?

    "Rhys was talking about how thankful he is to his parents." My eyes stung. "Just why? Why did he get parents that go above and beyond when mine couldn''t even meet the minimum requirements? Do you think there was something wrong with me as a baby?"

    "No, not at all. It has nothing to do with you!" Mr. Atkins disagreed. "They are at fault and it''s the way they are. There''s nothing you can do to make them change." He saw that I wasn''t appeased. "Come on, get up. Let me take you for a drive and you''ll feel better."

    A drive? Would a drive really make me feel better? I sighed and got up. It''s not like I wanted to feel this way. The jealousy was burning a hole in my stomach and was making me feel sick.

    Mr. Atkins led the way downstairs. We didn''t run into the boys, but we saw Mrs. Atkins just by the front door, seeing a different guest out. She looked surprised to see the two of us together. "What''s wrong?" Of course she could see something wasn''t right with the two of us.

    "I''m going to take Jake for a drive." Mr. Atkins grabbed his keys off the hook, shaking them. "We''ll be back for dinner so eat lunch without us."

    "Alright." She said, eyebrows pulled together. The way she worried over every person and thing also struck a chord in me. This woman has shown more compassion towards strangers than my mom has ever shown me, her own son.

    I dragged my feet as I followed Mr. Atkins out to his car, then got in the front passenger seat as he got in the driver''s seat. I watched from the window as he drove through town. Then out of town. I wanted to ask where we were going exactly, but after a quick glance at him, I could see him frowning to himself. He looked like he was gearing up for a pep talk. Which isn''t bad, but wouldn''t it be better if it came from my own dad.

    After thirty minutes of silence, Mr. Atkins had parked on some busy street. It was packed with cars and people were walking up and down the street. After getting out of the car, I took a deep breath and realized we were near the ocean.

    "Come on. Let''s get some ice cream before finding some place to sit." Mr. Atkins locked the car doors and led me down the big sidewalk. We passed by plenty of shops from clothing to food. Everything was available.

    We made a short stop at an ice cream parlor, got a scoop on a cone and then hit the beach. From the way Mr. Atkins moved, I could tell that he knew this place well. He even found a bench overlooking the beach on a small hill.

    "Ya know...once upon a time, this used to be my home." He said then ate the ice cream in hand.

    I looked around, not seeing any houses, I felt slightly confused. "You grew up here?"

    "No. I grew up in Oakland." He licked his ice cream, almost halfway done. "When I say this was my home, this is it. This bench. I was homeless."

    I was shocked. "When?"

    "Oh. It''s been quite some time." He studied the ice cream like it would know. "Hmm. Halfway through high school is when I would claim to be officially homeless."

    "What does that mean?" I asked, confused.

    "Well, like you, I had a house to live in, growing up. I never considered it a home though. Homes were supposed to be warm and welcoming. Not some kind of recurring nightmare that you just can''t shake."

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    My jaw dropped and my ice cream dripped. This didn''t seem like the time to enjoy sweets. "Did you have..." I couldn''t figure out how to ask if he had a mom like mine. It didn''t seem appropriate. Can you just ask people if they had abusive parents?

    Mr. Atkins patted my head. "No need to be shy. You can ask what you want to ask."

    "Did you have..a mom...like mine?" I felt hopeful and worried at the same time. On one hand I wouldn''t feel so alone, but on another, I wouldn''t wish this upon anyone else.

    "No." He answered, and my shoulders dropped. "My mom died when I was five. That''s when my life started to spiral. My father shared some similar traits as your mom." He paused. "He was an alcoholic."

    Oh. So his dad was like my mom. I looked at him, eager to hear more.

    "From five to fifteen, my life revolved around his disease. I watched as it ate him up inside. Then his insides would leak to the outsides. I can''t tell you when exactly, but at some point I figured out that he hated me. Everything would set him off: too much noise, no noise, a clean house, a dirty house. Whatever my answer was, it was wrong." He sighed.

    "So you ran away?" I asked, trying to figure out how he would end up homeless at a beach.

    "No, I was kicked out shortly after my sixteenth birthday. He told me I was a grown man and I had to figure out how to take care of myself." Mr. Atkins looked me in the eyes. "I was ashamed. Of myself. Of my dad. Of my situation. Instead of reaching out to a friend or neighbor, I took a bus to the beach. And this was the beach where I ran out of money." He patted this bench. "This was one of my favorite sleeping arrangements. The air was cool and refreshing, plus the sound of the waves." He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "This is where I found peace."

    He continued, while looking out at the ocean. "It''s a long road. That''s life though. Full of twists and turns. Even a detour or two. I know you''re sad about the hand you were dealt, and so was I. Mary and I became foster parents to help those like me and you. We can''t help that your parents are your parents, but maybe we can help you feel safe, comfortable, and most importantly, loved."

    "I do." I answered honestly. "This is the best I''ve ever felt, but that''s why it''s also the worst."

    "You don''t have to keep looking back." He pulled his eyes away from the ocean. "It''s okay to occasionally take a glance in the rear view mirror to see how far you''ve come, but you can''t take your eyes completely off the road."

    I stifled a smile. I got what he was saying...it just feels like he''s also teaching me how to drive at the same time. I licked up my melting ice cream and cleaned up my hand. It took me some time to realize I had a question to ask. A burning question. One that could relate to me.

    I looked up at Mr. Atkins. "Did your dad ever come back for you?" I had to know. Was there hope? Would my dad come back? As this thought crossed my mind, I realized that I really cared about this. Maybe I did want him to find me.

    Mr. Atkins turned stiff. His movements were slow and awkward as he readjusted his sitting position. "He didn''t. It was me who went back. A mentor had found me as I struggled to find food. He got me back on my feet. Got me working part time and helped me become a functioning adult even though I didn''t graduate high school."

    "Oh." I sighed, disappointed.

    "I did go back." He sucked in some air. "I went back to that house where I grew up. He was gone. Completely. The house was sold and nothing of mine was there."

    "Did you look for him some more then? To find out where he went?" I tilted my head, trying to dig for information. Looking for my dad was an option for me. I don''t know what I would say or do just yet, but it''d be nice to just know. To know why he left. To know whether he wanted me. To know if he would give me up once more.

    "I didn''t." He looked a little angry on the surface. "I told myself and my mentor that I had done my part as a child. Time flew and a couple years later I got a call from the police department. My father had passed away."

    I gasped.

    "At first, I thought ''good riddance''. My next thought was how. Followed by why. When." He looked back at the ocean. "I was very apathetic to it at first. Like it didn''t affect me. After meeting Mary, I came to see that it actually became a big part of who I am. Everything my dad was, was everything I didn''t want to be. But first, I had to find out who he was and why he was that way."

    I wanted to ask him questions. The same questions Mr. Atkins had for the police, I wanted to ask as well, but he seemed to be holding back. Instead, I asked something that I felt was important to me. "Do you think my dad is dead too? Is that why he hasn''t come for me?"

    Mr. Atkins gave me a sad smile. The one that said he wouldn''t have the answers for my questions. "Maybe. Maybe not. I would hope not, that way you can find your own answers."

    "Did you not find your answers?" I frowned.

    He chuckled. "Not immediately. Dead men don''t talk. It was a giant puzzle filled with pieces that didn''t always fit together."

    "Do you think, my dad is still alive? In your opinion?"

    Mr. Atkins scratched his cheek. "I can''t be sure, but, in my opinion, it''s easier to find a dead man than one in hiding." He must be speaking from his own experience. His dad wasn''t found until he died and then the cops found Mr. Atkins.

    I nodded to myself.

    "Now let me ask you this, do you hope to find your dad?" Mr. Atkins redirected.

    I shrugged. "Sometimes. I have my questions. But other times, I''m happy with the way things are." I gave him a light smile. "It''d be pretty hard to live up to the example you set. I''m afraid I''ll be let down no matter what in the end."

    "Like I said, twists and turns." He patted my shoulder. "Whatever you decide, I''ll be here to support you. There''s no rush."

    There was something I wanted to ask now that it was just us. It was about the lack of pictures of the other foster children they cared for. I worked up the courage to tell him why I didn''t want to be in the video or the pictures. "Why aren''t there pictures of your other foster children? I didn''t want to overstep the boundaries you guys have set."

    Mr. Atkins blanked out for a second. Then he laughed. "That''s what made you scare to join in? Jake, before you, we only did short stays. A week. Two weeks. A month. You''re different."

    I''m different? Ah! I''m different! I wanted to bounce around to celebrate. They weren''t going to get rid of me anytime soon. But...this made matters difficult. Why find my dad when I''m staying with the Atkins? Maybe I can wait until I''m older like Mr. Atkins. He waited until his mentor had set him on a better path. I should do the same.

    Mr. Atkins and I finished the ice creams and sat around some more. Our talk shifted away from screwed up parents and towards baseball. Even though he went to every game, and would hear about every practice, he asked me for more details. Like how I felt with the team being arranged? If I was still suffering from anxiety? How my body was feeling now that my nutrition and health has improved?

    Talking with him was almost as easy as talking to Noah. Noah must really take after him.

    A thought flashed across the back of my mind...do I take after my father at all?

 373 Sunday

    A sense of warmth had overcome me after being told that I was different. I was long term. Someone they plan to keep for longer than a month or two. I didn''t realize how much it bothered me until Mr. Atkins had settled the matter. Now the only conflict within me was my dad. Do I try and find him? Will he find me? Maybe I should talk to Mr. Duncan...

    After spending some time at the beach, Mr. Atkins drove us back to the house. Only the boys and their mom were left.

    "Jake''s back!" Noah called out as soon as we came through the front door. He ran into the foyer first. Followed by the twins and then Mrs. Atkins. "Are you feeling better?"

    "Somewhat. Yea." I answered with a small smile. It was childish of me to get jealous over parents that care for their children. I should be happy for them. Happy that not every mom out there is like mine. Happy that some kids have dad that will raise them and support them just like Mr. Atkins.

    I glanced back at him as Noah and the twins started to pull me away. In a way...it''s good to hear that I won''t turn out like my parents.

    "Where''d you guys go?" Kyle asked as we walked into the living room. Zeke was sitting on the smaller couch by himself, watching a baseball game on the tv. "You guys were gone for hours."

    "We went to the beach. And talked." I sat down with Noah and the twins did the same. Even though this was the biggest house I''ve ever been in, the room felt cramped with the four boys. They really took up space.

    "Talked? About what?" Dave asked, lifting an eyebrow.

    I shrugged. "Parents. Baseball. Ice cream." I thought for a minute. "Driving?"

    "Driving..?" Noah echoed.

    "Yea."

    Him and the twins gave me weird looks, but it was the truth. I just didn''t know how to explain it to them. I also didn''t feel comfortable telling them that their grandfather was abusive to their father. It seemed personal and something that Mr. Atkins would want to share with them on his own.

    We spent the rest of Saturday lazing around in our matching shirts. After dinner, Mrs. Atkins had all of us watch the news in support of Zeke. It was slightly awkward to watch myself on tv. Luckily all the attention was on Zeke. The news broadcaster just talked about how a local high school star had finally made his commitment, yet they shared their own thoughts on if he''ll go pro.

    Sunday morning, we slowly got a move on with the day. Mrs. Atkins put us in charge of helping set up for the party at the park, while Mr. Atkins was in charge of getting all the pizza. They really prepared for such a big crowd, bringing multiple ice chests filled with drinks. There was also plenty of snacks laid out on the tables. Mrs. Atkins was organized in setting up. She made sure there were plenty of plates and napkins.

    After everything was set up, the first of the baseball players started to show up. Most of those that showed up first was the varsity teams players along with their parents. Then some of the rest trickled in.

    Mr. Atkins showed up just as everyone was arriving. He made multiple trips to his car and back, laying out the pizzas on the tables. Mrs. Atkins started suggesting everyone to help themselves.

    I followed Noah as we lined up, grabbed a plate, then loaded that plate with pizza and breadsticks. With so many teenagers and parents present, there wasn''t enough seats so Noah led me to the playground. He climbed up a bit and settled down in some open space.

    I joined him, holding my plate in my lap.

    "I can''t believe so many players came." I mumbled as we watched the 60+ players go and get pizza and drinks.

    "Why wouldn''t they?" Noah asked, munching on his pizza. "Zeke could potentially become a pro. Of course people would want to get close to him."

    "Oh." I ate my pizza and looked through the crowd, trying to spot Zeke. I found him near the snack table, surrounded by parents instead of players. "What''s he doing?"

    Noah made a face. "The parents must have surrounded him. Probably trying to ask him how he got so good and if their kids also have any hope."

    That...was oddly specific. "Do you know those parents?" I don''t think it''s normal for them to ask Zeke. Wouldn''t it be better if they spoke to Mr. and Mrs. Atkins?

    "They''re the freshmen parents." Noah gave them one last glance before going back to eating his pizza. "Also two-faced. Just like their kids. When Coach made the announcement that I would be on the varsity team, their kids weren''t the only ones mad. All those parents that are trying to get in Zeke''s good graces are the same parents that called the school and Coach a million times to try and get me kicked off the team." He paused. "Okay, maybe not kicked off, but demoted at least."

    "Like to JV?" I asked. "Are there some freshmen on junior varsity? Are they mad at you too?"

    Noah shrugged. "There''s three I think. Two pitchers and an outfielder, who is good at hitting. I wouldn''t say that they''re mad at me. Maybe a little jealous. But it''s not like we were super close so they''re not the type to stand up for me."

    "What do you think Zeke will tell them?" I asked before taking a bite of my pizza.

    "To work hard? Who knows?" Noah laughed. "Maybe he''ll tell that running is the most important training. Wouldn''t it be great if these parents started making their kids run every day?"

    My lips twitched. Somehow I wouldn''t be surprised if that''s what Zeke said.

    "It doesn''t matter anyways. Those parents are just looking for shortcuts." Noah said. "Like a baseball camp that will suddenly make their child a star. They thought my parents did something similar for us."

    "How did you guys get so good..?" I asked. The Atkins were great at baseball. All of them. It''s a little uncanny. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    "Practice. A lot. We played for fun. Zeke was the first to join T-ball and then it was just like follow the leader. The twins are like his subordinates, right? So Zeke would make them play. And by the time I became a toddler, they were good for their age group. What kind of kids are so dedicated to baseball at 5-years-old? Us."

    "Wow."

    "It''s not too surprising. Just look at yourself. You''re really good at batting, but tell me, how many hours and days did you spend in the cages? There''s a saying that 10,000 hours can make you an expert."

    I glanced at him, skeptical. "Is that true?"

    "Not sure." He laughed. "But it sounds good. The more you practice, the better you will be. Not factoring in talent of course."

    We talked some more about baseball and the games coming up. This week we had two league games scheduled. Wednesday would be an away game at Redwood HS and Saturday would be a home game against Porterville HS. It would be our second time against each school.

 374 Game: @ Redwood HS 1

    Redwood High School was definitely named after its surroundings. The school had giant trees towering over all the buildings. Noah was quick to tell me that these sequoia trees can grow hundreds of feet in the air. And after seeing a forest of them, I believe it.

    This time we shared the bus with the girls softball team. Unlike before, when we got to watch them, this time we wouldn''t. Both games had separate umpires and would start near the same time. Kyle was bummed that he couldn''t see Marie pitch, and that she wouldn''t get to see him pitch. Coach had given him the start with a limited pitch count again.

    Like Garret had predicted, he wouldn''t get the start after having a rough outing against them before. But because he did well at the plate normally, and because he destroyed them last month, Coach had put him back in the outfield.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Hollander

    3 LF Garret Knudsen

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 1B Julian Wilson

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 RF Mahki Holstrom

    8 C Alex Farrell

    9 P Kyle Atkins

    "You boys know what to do." Coach told us after warmups and before the game officially started. "I know we won before but I shouldn''t have to remind you of the score. We''re sending out a new pitcher, and I''m sure they will too. You also have to be diligent in defense." He looked at me. "What are the three B''s?"

    I gulped, slightly hating him for putting me on the spot. Seeing that the team was waiting for my answer, I cleared my throat. "Ball. Base. Backup."

    "Awe! Bambi is all grown up!" Dave practically tackled me, using his good hand to swing me around like he was showing me off to the team. The guys all laughed and even Coach cracked a smile.

    "Hey! Stop that!" Noah pulled me away to safety. "Coach, can''t we send Dave to the bullpen? He''s just a distraction here."

    "Nope." Coach answered. "He''s in charge of pitch count. Kelvin will be helping me deliver signs to Alex and Kyle for called pitches. Julian is back in the lineup. And for the rest of the bench-" He looked around to make eye contact. "I want all of them to be mentally ready to go in at anytime for any reason. Either for pinch-hitting, pinch-running, or for unexpected injuries."

    "Yes, Sir!" They responded.

    "Noah, Jake, and Garret, get your stuff on and watch the pitcher warmup." Coach told us. "He won''t throw his best, but at least you''ll get to look at his pitching mechanics for a little bit."

    "Yes!" Noah and Garret answered. I gave a nod.

    The three of us went to put on helmets and grab our bats. The two of them were pulling on their batting gloves as we all stood by the dugout entrance. The opposing team had yet to take the field.

    "Happy to be back in the number one position." Noah grinned.

    "Well you are doing better." Garret told him. "A hit a game. Keep it up." He patted Noah on his helmet.

    Noah looked at me. "You too! It''s been awhile since your last hitless game, so I''m sure you''re breaking records."

    I felt my face heat up.

    "He''s for sure breaking records." Garret stated firmly. "The reporter at your house on Saturday was talking about with Coach. He really wants to interview Jake. I think he was saying that you''re breaking most of the freshman records for the league."

    "That makes sense." Noah nodded. "Not many freshmen get picked for varsity and if they do, they''re usually pitchers or coming off the bench."

    "Or they''re like you." Garret smirked.

    "Hey! What''s that supposed to mean??" Noah looked disgruntled.

    They started to bicker, yet I could tell it was all a joke. Both of them started to insult one another with smiles on their faces. It''s weird to think that just over a month ago, I would be worried about this.

    "Are you guys paying attention or not?" A calm voice said from behind us, but it gave me goosebumps. Coach had finished talking to the rest of the team and now Zeke stood behind us with his own bat and helmet.

    "Of course!" Garret straightened his posture, and didn''t turn around. His eyes were trained on the mound, just waiting for the pitcher to get up there. "Solely focused on the pitcher coming up. Any second now."

    "What a liar." Noah snorted. He turned to tell Zeke. "He was busy taking shots at me, because Jake is batting better than me. Beat him up, Zeke."

    Zeke just shook his head. "Save these conversations for anywhere else but the dugout. How about you get out there and start swinging that bat?"

    "Yes!" Noah bolted out.

    Zeke glanced at me. "And where are you supposed to be?"

    I gripped my bat tighter and ran out as well.

    Noah and I stood a few feet apart, practicing our swings. It only had been a few seconds before the announcer started to introduce the home team. Like us, they had a nice broadcast system setup and they also had quite a few fans. It was after school so a few students, teachers, and parents were able to make it.

    On the visitors side, I saw a few parents, including Mrs. Atkins. They had told us this morning that only she would come as Mr. Atkins had work to do. The boys weren''t bothered by it so neither was I.

    "Jake." Noah hissed. "Pay attention. I don''t want Zeke to get mad at us again."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    I raised an eyebrow. Zeke was only mad at him and Garret. Not me. Guess I''ll let it slide. I moved my eyes to the pitcher on the mound. Like Coach predicted, it was a different pitcher. It was easy to tell...not that I remembered the last pitcher, but just because this guy was a lefty. We don''t face left-handed pitchers very often. I wonder if he''s as good as Garret..?

    The umpire for the game called for the two minute warmup to end and for Noah to step up. Noah left me alone at the circle as he made a move for the batter''s box. He stepped in the righty''s box, standing at the back and digging his back foot in. He was ready.

    The pitcher nodded at the catchers sign, stood up, and started his motion. It was slightly different than Garret''s. Not as quick or as smooth. But it still had some speed. He threw a fastball down the middle. Noah had swung his fastest, yet it was still a little slow. It was good enough. Noah was able to connect late, and the ball was lifted high in the air, going down the first baseline towards right field.

    Noah dropped his bat after contact and started to sprint. He wasn''t even looking to see if it was fair or foul or if it was even caught. He just sprinted.

    I nervously watched as the ball went to the corner corner of the field. It was going to be short, that''s for sure. No homerun. The right fielder sprinted over, chasing it down. He made a dive at it, but the ball snuck under his glove as it bounced.

    "Run!!"

    "Faster!"

    "Keep going!"

    Our dugout got rowdy after the outfielder missed. Noah had a hit!

    Noah had already rounded first and was almost at second. He didn''t look like he was slowing down. He tagged second base and was still sprinting.

    The rightfielder already got up and got the ball. He recovered quickly. He threw to his cutoff man, the second baseman, who had went out to the grass.

    "To third!" The pitcher yelled.

    The second baseman received the ball, turned and threw it across the diamond to the third baseman. What an arm!

    The third baseman caught the throw and moved to tag Noah. Noah was already hugging third base; he had started his slide just seconds before and was easily safe.

    "Safe!" The umpire confirmed, extending his arms to make the motion.

    "Yes!!"

    "That''s what I''m talking about!"

    "Do the same thing Jake!!"

    "Just get a hit!"

    Our teams dugout was going wild after Noah''s leadoff triple. I swallowed. I couldn''t follow up with another triple...I can''t run or slide like Noah.

    "It''s okay, be calm." Zeke spoke in a clear voice from the dugout. I glanced back at him. "Just bring him home. You don''t have to do anything special."

    With his calm demeanor, I felt more relaxed. Yea. There''s no need for me to try for a triple too. I just need to bring the runner home to give us the lead. No biggie.

 375 Game: @ Redwood HS 2

    "Be patient!" Mr. Miller said as he clapped his hands from the third base coaching box. It was a subtle reminder to make the pitcher work. I couldn''t be like Noah and just hit the first pitch. Or maybe it''s better to say that Noah couldn''t be like me and work up the pitcher''s count? That''s kind of mean.

    I stepped into the lefty''s box, and got set. The pitcher adjusted himself and threw a breaking ball away for his first pitch. 1-0. The next pitch came in, making me jump out of the box. 2-0. The following pitch was low, yet I fouled it back. 2-1. I let another pitch pass for a ball. 3-1. Foul. 3-2. Foul. Foul. Foul. Foul. I made sure my fouls went down each baseline and bounced so I wouldn''t accidentally hit a pop fly to somewhere that''s catchable.

    After a few more fouls, the pitcher was frowning. His next pitch was outside and could possibly be ball four. I didn''t want to risk it being a called strikeout so I swung and connected. The ball went down the third baseline while I sprinted down the first baseline. I couldn''t see the play, but it wasn''t hard to see the incoming throw that the first baseman caught while tagging the base. Out. I slowed down and sighed.

    Clapping came from the dugout and it grabbed my attention. I turn and found Noah grabbing my bat for me, off the dirt. He must have scored.

    "Good work!" He told me as we headed back to the dugout together.

    "That wasn''t bad, but it could have been better." Coach spoke up when we came in.

    I nodded and went back to my seat. I understood what he meant.

    "Coach is such a perfectionist." Noah mumbled as we put our helmets away. "Don''t bother about too much. You did great! An RBI groundout. We''re already winning."

    I shook my head. "Nah, it''s okay, I got what Coach meant. I could have fouled that ball instead, and waited for a better pitch." I sighed. "I was just too committed on hitting this one in play because the pitcher looked frustrated. I gave them a freebie."

    Noah laughed. "Wow. What a nice self-reflection."

    We watched the rest of the inning end in a couple of minutes. Garret hit a fly ball to center field, and Zeke also grounded out to third. We were putting the ball in play, but...what can I say?

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    We took the field with the rest of the team, with Kyle on the mound. He''s been having a great season, and had some good pitching stats among the league, according to Noah.

    Kyle started off shaky today though. He gave up a single to the first batter, then walked the following two to load the bases. It was only the first inning so no one came to the mound to talk to him. If Jordan was catching, he might have just because he likes things to go his way.

    With the bases loaded, Kyle didn''t crumble under pressure. It was like he wasn''t himself. Or maybe he just has more confidence lately. He was able to get their cleanup hitter to strikeout swinging. That was the best case scenario, because it helped keep the runners on their respective bases.

    As the fifth batter stepped up, I started to get a little nervous. I wiped my sweating hand on my jersey to try and dry it out. The ideal play right now would be a double play. The most likely double play in baseball, involves the middle infielders. Me and Noah. Noah and I. One of us will have to field, and the other will have to tag second and make the throw to first. I wiped my hand some more and took a deep breath.

    Kyle faced off with the fifth batter. On a 2-2 count, Kyle threw a pitch that came inside. The batter hesitated to swing or to get out of the way. The ball bounced off the thin part of the bat and came into play. Kyle sprinted off the mound to the ball, and all the runners started to move. Kyle barehanded the ball, and tossed it to Alex at the plate. He tagged the plate before the runner could slide, getting the first out. Then Alex stepped out of the base path, and threw a bullet to Julian at first. The batter had a late start so he was also out. A double play. A 1-2-3 double play. Wow.

    My jaw dropped. And here I was, thinking that I had to do something, when I didn''t do anything at all. I didn''t even remember to backup a throw. It just happened too quickly.

    "Hey, hey, whatcha thinking about?" Noah slapped my back. "It''s time to go back to the dugout."

    "I''ve never seen a double play like that before." I told him.

    "Yea, it''s an uncommon one." Noah explained as we got back in the dugout. "How many times will the bases be loaded, and the batter messes up his swing?" He laughed. "If he had just swung all the way through, it may have been difficult to defend our one run lead. A lot of that just worked out in our favor."

    I nodded.

    The top of the second inning was similar to the first, except we didn''t score a run. Julian got a single, his first hit since his injury. But Jason and Mahki followed it up with back to back strikeouts. Alex ended the inning by grounding out to the shortstop. Anticlimactic.

    The bottom of the second, Kyle got back on the mound. The sixth batter was up. Kyle started to pitch wild again, throwing two pitches way outside. The third pitch came in for a called strike. And the fourth pitch was fouled off. At 2-2, Kyle threw a fastball in the middle of the strike zone, yet slightly high.

    The batter swung and crushed it. I didn''t even need to turn around to know it would be a home run. The look on Kyle''s face said it all. He was kicking the dirt on the mound and had his head hung low. The batter jogged the bases and returned to his cheering dugout, happy to tie the game at one. So much for our lead.

    "Focus on the next batter!" Noah clapped his glove. "There''s still a lot of game left to play."

    I nodded in agreement. There was. It was only the second inning. We still have five more innings to take back the lead once more.

    Kyle lifted his head, glanced at Noah, then straightened up. He faced Alex and got a new ball from the umpire. He still had to get three outs.

    The seventh batter hit a grounder right to Noah. Noah had no trouble fielding it, getting the first out. The eighth batter smacked a grounder between Jason and Noah, but Noah was able to make a stab at it, and then from his knees, threw the guy out at first. Amazing. What an arm.

    As Noah dusted himself off, I couldn''t help but stare at him in awe. Not only did he stop the hit, but he got the out. I don''t think I could throw that fast and far from that position on the field, let alone from the knees. This is why Noah is on varsity. His fielding is next to none. I didn''t see Jason even having a shot at it.

    The ninth batter had only hit a short pop up to me. I didn''t get to make a spectacular play like Noah, but I was able to catch the ball for the third out of the inning. That''s good enough for me.

 376 Game: @ Redwood HS 3

    Top of the third started with the top of our lineup. Noah and I both got ready to bat and stood by the on deck circle, watching the pitcher throw a few pitches.

    Noah looked relaxed. His shoulders weren''t tense and his practice swing looked to be smooth. He paused to smile at me. "It feels good to already have a hit. Like I don''t have to worry about continuing a hit streak or working up my average."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    "Wouldn''t it be better if you did work up your average?" I asked.

    Noah scratched the tip of his nose. "Well...yes. But if I get one hit a game, that should put me close to .300 and that''d be awesome!"

    I raised an eyebrow. "But if you bat first, and only get one hit a game...that would put you closer to .250 if you get four at-bats a game. Plus...you struggled a few weeks ago so your average is already pretty low."

    Noah glared at me. "Are you trying to make me feel worse?"

    I shrugged, feeling a little guilty. "Sorry. I just didn''t think your math was right."

    "Now you''re putting me down for my math skills?" He cracked a smile and slapped my shoulder. "Alright, I''m just messing with ya. I know I need to do more. Just watch and wait." He turned on his heel and left for the batter''s box.

    I watched. I waited. But Noah just didn''t have a good at-bat. He struck out swinging. On three pitches. That''s the worse way to go. Or maybe looking is worse? I don''t know. I should ask.

    I gave Noah a sympathetic smile as he walked back to the dugout. He gave me a sheepish grin, looking slightly embarrassed. Something I can relate to.

    I got in the lefty''s box, prepared to face the pitcher. I wanted to make him work some more, but didn''t get the chance. He threw four straight pitches in the dirt against me. I don''t know if he lost control or if he thought he could get me swinging like he did to Noah. I lightly tossed my bat towards the dugout and jogged to first.

    Garret came up next. The pitcher threw him a strike in the zone, and Garret took advantage of that by smacking a single to right field, helping me advanced to second base.

    Two on, one out, Zeke up to bat. If Zeke hadn''t grounded out in the first inning, I would think that this is a recipe for some run scoring. I mean, it could still be one. I shouldn''t be so negative. I have to score.

    I looked to Mr. Miller as he gave out the signs. It never changed for Zeke: hit. For me and Garret, it was a run on contact. Just be wary of fly balls because I''d have to run back.

    The pitcher was still wild, and was quick to get in an unfavorable count against Zeke. 3-0. He threw one in the zone and Zeke let it pass for a called strike. The next pitch wasn''t as lucky. He ripped it to left field.

    I could tell the left fielder wasn''t going to be able to make the catch so I started to sprint. On my way to third, Mr. Miller was waving his whole arm in a windmill motion, telling me to go home. I tagged third and sped up again.

    Julian was by home plate, picking up Zeke''s bat and tossing it to the dugout. "No slide, Jake!"

    I tagged home, scoring our second run of the game, 2-1. I turned around to see that the ball was already thrown back to the infield, leaving Garret at third base and Zeke at second. A standup double. The team was clapping for Zeke, and on my way back to my seat, a few of them slapped the top of my helmet.

    "Good run."

    "Not bad, Bambi!"

    "Bet you''re happy that you didn''t have to slide."

    That last comment made me laugh. It came from Dave so he knows me best. He would see me practice sliding every practice, and could probably tell that I''m still not very proficient at it.

    "Man, I remember when you would get out of breath just running to one base." Noah laughed as I put the helmet away.

    I slapped on my hat. "I''m still winded." Who knows how I would fare if we were in the mountains.

    "That''s normal. I just wanted to point out that your speed and endurance has really improved." Noah told me, keeping his eyes on Julian at the plate. "You''ll definitely win ''Most Improved Player'' at the team awards at the end of the season."

    I blushed. "There are awards at the end of the season?"

    "Of course!" Noah glanced at me. "Team awards. League awards. And CIF awards. That''s how you get recognition. Bet you can''t guess all the awards Zeke has won."

    I shook my head. I probably couldn''t.

    "He keeps them in a box in the garage. We''ll pull it out sometime. He used to keep them on a shelf in the living room, but it became too much of a hassle. He won so many and they''re mostly repetitive so he doesn''t bother with them anymore." Noah told me.

    "Wow."

    Noah nodded. "It''s crazy."

    "Do you have awards?" I asked.

    Noah nodded again. "I have some team awards from winning a few tournaments and whatnot, but I packed those away when high school started. New page and all that. Put the past behind you, blah blah blah." His eyes went back to the field.

    I got the sense that he didn''t want to talk about it. Maybe he had won the awards with those other freshmen, who now hated him.

    ''Ding!''

    The ball being hit snapped me out of my speculations. I looked to the field, trying to find where the ball went.

    Noah jumped up and started to clap and cheer with the rest of the dugout.

    I couldn''t find the ball anymore, but the sound of our dugout mixed in with the sight of Julian jogging the bases led me to the conclusion of him hitting a home run. A 3-run home run. 5-1.

    Garret and Zeke both tagged home plate and waited for Julian. They high-fived, exchanged laughs and all came back to the dugout to celebrate some more.

 377 Game: @ Redwood HS 4

    With the bases clear, and only one out, the Redwood High School coach came out of his dugout, and signaled for a pitcher change. He went to the mound and was given the baseball from the exiting pitcher, only to give it to the new pitcher from their bullpen. It was a righty this time.

    The new pitcher threw a few pitches off the mound and was ready to go. He quickly shut down our offense, getting Jason to strikeout, and Mahki to pop out to third base. Granted, they didn''t do well in the second inning, so there wasn''t much of a difference.

    The bottom of the third also brought up the top of Redwood''s lineup. The first three would be the same three that Kyle had loaded the bases with in the first inning. He came out stronger than he did in the beginning.

    He spent six pitches on the first batter, before jamming him with an inside fastball. It was another grounder to Kyle, who was able to make the throw to Julian with ease for the first out. The second batter required eight pitches, but Kyle was able to get him to strikeout swinging.

    His pitch count was climbing by the batter. I tried to think about the first two innings and how many pitches each batter needed, but I couldn''t be sure. I''d have to check with Dave, who was keeping count in the dugout.

    The third batter was also putting in work. He fouled four straight pitches down the third baseline. They were all line drives. Garret attempted to catch one, but only ended up with a dirty jersey. Kyle''s pitching became a little erractic, throwing balls nowhere near the zone.

    A loud ''ding'' rang throughout the field, as the batter connected with one of Kyle''s pitches.

    "Crap!" I heard Kyle yell. His hands were on his knees and his head hung low. He wasn''t even turning to look where the ball went.

    I was concerned that he got hurt like Dave, but after watching the ball soar just over Garret''s outstretched glove at the outfield fence, it became clear that he knew he messed up. 5-2.

    The umpire threw him a new ball once he recollected himself. Kyle did his best to aim for the strike zone against the cleanup hitter. It''s like he was pitching mad. Besides one foul ball, they were all swing-and-misses. Strikeout to end the inning.

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    We jogged back to the dugout, some of us happy, others not. I thought it was pretty good that we only gave up one run, but from the look of Kyle''s face, I didn''t dare say so.

    "Two homeruns! Ugh!" He groaned and threw his glove against the bench. "What is wrong with me?!"

    "Take a breather." Coach told him.

    "Three innings and two homers?? What am I doing wrong?" He continued to complain about his own actions.

    "I''m here Coach!" Bryce showed up in the dugout with his bag. He came from the bullpen so maybe Coach called him back to go in the next half inning? Or maybe to bat?

    "Good. Grab your helmet and bat. You''re going in for Kyle. He''s supposed to be on deck." Coach told him.

    "What?!?" Kyle swung his body around to look at Coach. "You''re replacing me?? It''s only been three innings!"

    Coach folded his arms across his chest. "Do I need you to tell me how to do my job?"

    Kyle''s anger deflated a little bit. "No, sir. I''m just saying that I''m still good to go."

    "No." Coach declared flatly. "You''re too hotheaded right now. You''re not there mentally and that can cause injuries if you aren''t careful. Take a seat."

    "Crap!" Kyle cursed again and sat down with clenched fists. No one dared to say anything to him at the moment.

    Alex hurried out of the dugout after taking off all his catching gear. He was first up. Bryce was already on deck, excited to bat or scared of pissing off Kyle. Too soon to tell. Noah was putting on his helmet and grabbing his bat as well.

    "I didn''t think Kyle would get pulled so soon.." I mumbled for him to hear.

    "It''s expected." Noah replied, surprising me with that answer. "You heard Coach, he''s losing his cool out there. That last batter...he went at him with pure anger. That''s not the way to pitch. He could have strained a muscle or worse, tear something. You have to be consistent in your pitching or something bad can happen."

    "Oh."

    Noah shrugged helplessly, and left to go stand by the entrance of the dugout.

    I started to put my helmet on too. Someone would have to get on for me to get up, but it''s only proper that I be ready. Alex grounded out to the second baseman for the first out.

    I grabbed my bat and headed for the entrance now that Noah moved to the on deck circle and Bryce moved to the batter''s box. This new pitcher for Redwood was faster than the lefty, but his control was still lacking. He walked Bryce, giving me a chance to come up this inning.

    Sadly, Noah destroyed that chance by hitting into a double play. Short to second to first. I sighed with the rest of the team. Even up by three, our team still wanted more runs. Kyle was down and out and that seemed to affect the mood of the team.

    Well, all but a few of us. Zeke was never bothered. Noah already knew what it was like when Kyle gets mad. I felt fine after being reassured by Noah. And for Bryce, he just wanted to pitch. Seeing Kyle mad didn''t ruin his mood. It just couldn''t. He was smiling on the mound as he toed the rubber and kicked some dirt around.

    In my mind, it was creepy. Pitchers are of a different mind, I believe.

    Bryce did his part well though. He went three up, three down to shut out the fourth inning. All three outs were anxiety ridden in my eye though. It was a fly out to right field, then to center, and then Noah had to chase one back to no-man''s land. Balls being put into play just weren''t good for my weak heart.

 378 Game: @ Redwood HS 5

    Bryce''s pitching didn''t exactly inspire confidence in the chances of us winning, but it looked good on paper. Plus, he did well keeping his pitch count low. Under ten for the whole inning. He could wrap up this game for us if he kept up that pace.

    In the dugout, Kyle was still pouting and looked unapproachable. Bryce stuck with Alex, and they were both talking to Kelvin, probably to talk about pitching signs.

    "Hey, hurry it up." Noah nudged me. "You''re up."

    I nodded, exchanged my hat and glove for a helmet and bat. Out of habit I got into the lefty''s box. I couldn''t remember that last time I officially batted righty in a game. At least a month.

    The pitcher started me off with a fastball away. 1-0. Then one inside enough to make me back up out of the way. 2-0. I fouled the next two to even the count, 2-2. He threw one in the dirt. 3-2. I fouled another three before hitting one in fair territory. It was just a single but it livened up the dugout.

    Garret was given the sign to swing as he pleased. No special commands. He came up empty handed though, and struck out.

    Zeke was up next. He had me slightly worried since his groundout in the first, but like Noah said, no one can be perfect. Zeke is just really close. He was able to hit a single to center, but it wasn''t deep enough for me to get to third base.

    With one out, and two on, Julian came up. He had previously hit that homerun off the lefty, but couldn''t pull off a similar feat against the new pitcher. Instead, he pulled a grounder down the third baseline. The third baseman scooped it up, tagged third to get me out, then threw to first to convert the double play.

    I was about to sigh, but stopped it. It''s not good to keep my head down like that when we''re still winning. There''s no point. Just gotta be able to return the favor on defense. I sprinted back to the dugout and ditched the helmet for my hat and glove. Then I hurried to join the other starters on the field.

    Bryce still had a satisfied smirk on his face as he started the bottom of the fifth. He had good control of his pitches today as he moved the ball around the box. The first guy connected on one, but it was a weak pop up, just foul of the first baseline. Julian jogged over, got under it, and caught the ball for the first out. Bryce used five pitches on that batter, almost 50% of the last inning pitches.

    The next batter up was their number nine guy, so technically their weakest hitter. He swung on the very first pitch, a short hopper my way. I greeted the ball, and had a smooth transition from my glove to my hand, then a perfect throw to Julian at first. Out number two.

    "Nice one!" Noah told me as I jogged back to my spot.

    I smiled in response.

    Bryce wrapped up the inning with the help of Noah. The batter hit a fly ball over Jason''s head, but just short of Garret in left field. Noah tracked it down and made a diving catch near the third baseline.

    He jumped up with the ball and threw it back to Bryce on the mound. Bryce caught it, then dropped it on the mound as he jogged back to the dugout. Two straight clean innings for him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    "Way to get that." Jason told Noah as we sat on our bench. "I thought I messed up and that it would be a single." He was first up to start the sixth inning so he was tugging on his helmet and batting gloves in a hurry.

    "It''s easier to trace a pop up like that when coming at an angle." Noah shrugged, making it sound like it was nothing. "It''s easier to trip when you have to go straight backwards. Plus, I like making showy plays like that." He grinned.

    Jason grabbed his bat, knocking it against Noah''s feet. "Yea, yea. We all know you like showing off." He left us to go to the batter''s box.

    Jason led off the inning, but it was a rough start. A groundout to third. I guess it''s better than his previous strikeouts, but an out is an out.

    Jason came back and Mahki moved to the box. Jason put away his helmet and bat and sat by us. "Today is just not my day."

    "Everyone has days like that." Noah said sympathetically. "I just started finding my rhythm again. A hit a game, that''s what I''ll be aiming for."

    "Two hits." I corrected, thinking back to our previous conversation.

    "Ouch!" Noah grabbed a hold of his chest, clutching as if he was in pain. "That hurts, Jake. Not everyone can be like you, okay?"

    "Sorry." I said, feeling guilty.

    He patted my shoulder. "That''s okay, since it''s the only thing you''re good at, I won''t take offense."

    I felt relieved for a second before I realized what he meant. "Hey! Now I''m offended!"

    Noah and Jason laughed at my outrage.

    Then Noah started to put on his helmet after taking off his hat. Mahki has just walked, moving Alex to the box, Bryce to the on deck circle, and Noah to the hole. He stood up and grabbed his bat. "Ya know, I didn''t mean it. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses."

    "Unless you''re Zeke." Jason snorted.

    Noah laughed. "True." With a nod, he left.

    "Do you think Zeke ever struggled?" I asked Jason out of curiosity. This was his first year on varsity as well, but he''s a junior so he should know more than me.

    "Oh, sure." Jason nodded. "Slumps aren''t uncommon in baseball. I''ve watched a few games where Zeke went hitless. It''s not often, but it''s not impossible." He thought for a minute. "When he was a sophomore on varsity, I was on the freshmen team so I was able to see him bat in a few games. Not too many due to scheduling conflicts, but still. I distinctly remember him struggling against a left-handed pitcher on Servite. But that guy was a senior. He''s already graduated."

    "Oh. Was he super good?" I asked.

    "Who? The lefty at Servite?" Jason nodded. "Yea, I think he was drafted. Then again, most of the pitchers at Servite are pretty good. They have a real pitching coach. Someone who had even coached in the minors before. I think there was an article on him settling down because of a daughter or something."

    Alex had hit a single to left field, moving Mahki to second. Bryce walked up to the box next. I started to put on my helmet as Noah moved to the on deck circle.

    "Good luck!" Jason told me as I made a move.

    Unfortunately, I wouldn''t need it. My teammates needed it more. Bryce had hit into a fielder''s choice, shortstop to second base. He was fast enough to beat out the throw to first, but it didn''t matter. Noah had popped out right to the second baseman, ending the inning. Again.

    He caught sight of my aggrieved look as we switched out our gear. His cheeks had some color in them. "It''s not like I''m doing it intentionally!"

    I put my glove on, ignoring him.

    "It''s not my fault there''s always two outs when I go up." Noah grumbled as we took the field.

    "I know." I told him. I just wished he would stop being the third out.

 379 Game: @ Redwood HS 6

    Bottom of the sixth. Bryce started wild, throwing four straight balls outside of the zone, not even able to get the guy swinging. That batter jogged to first for his free base, while the player who had hit a solo shot off Kyle, came up.

    "Don''t be getting lazy out there!" A harsh comment came from our own dugout. Everyone who was in there was looking at Kyle, obviously. Crumbling under the harsh stares of the coaches, he tried a different approach. "Do your best!"

    Bryce just smiled lightly before focusing on Alex. Alex gave him the sign, yet Bryce shook his head. Alex gave a new one and he accepted. He straightened up and got set, then started his motion. He threw a fastball in the lower part of the strike zone, getting the batter to swing and miss. The next pitch had a similar location, but with a slower speed, the batter fouled it back. On the third pitch, Bryce aimed for the higher part of the zone with, what looked to be, his fastest pitch. The batter swung...and missed. Strikeout.

    After such a good performance, it was sad to see him give up back-to-back singles, and allowing the first runner to score. 5-3. Bryce kept fighting though. He didn''t yell. He didn''t hang his head. He just kept going at them.

    The sixth batter, who had the solo homerun in the first inning, smacked a grounder in the space between shortstop and third. On instinct, I ran to second base, just as Noah slid in the dirt for the grounder. From his butt, he threw me the ball, I caught it, and turned to get off the bag as the runner came sliding in. I was able to avoid him and throw to Julian before the batter. 6-4-3 double play. We got out of the inning with our lead still intact. Somewhat. Two runs isn''t bad.

    "Great job, you guys." Bryce smiled at me and Noah before sitting with Alex. "I was scared that was going to go through."

    "Don''t lie." Noah laughed. "You haven''t looked worried all game."

    "Well with a lineup like ours, what''s there to worry about?" Bryce laughed too.

    With a compliment like that, it was hard to feel bad about a two run lead.

    I got to start off the inning with a clean slate. No runners, no outs. I made the pitcher work, getting to a full count and then fouling off a few for good measure, before hitting a single line drive.

    Garret wasn''t as patient as me, and followed my single with a hard hit ball to the outfield on just the second pitch. I took off running. The ball went to the gap between right and center. With a glance at Mr. Miller to confirm that I should keep going, I ran to third.

    He lifted both hands to signal a stop as I got close. No need to slide, again. This must be my lucky day. I stood on third and turned to look for the ball. They had done a relay to second to try and get Garret out, but he must have been to fast. Sliding probably helped. By the time I looked, he was already dusting off the dirt on his jersey.

    "If only you could slide like that." Mr. Miller said while shaking his head, standing right beside me. "It was beautiful. A real slide. If you could do that, I probably would feel safe sending you home."

    I stifled a smile. "No thanks. Only when necessary please."

    Mr. Miller laughed and slapped my back before backing up to his coaches box.

    Zeke was up next. Just as he stepped up to the plate, the catcher stood up with his hand outstretched. The pitcher complied and delivered four balls out of Zeke''s reach in order to intentionally walk him.

    If that wasn''t enough, the Redwood Coach came out of his dugout to change the pitcher again. I looked to Mr. Miller as the new pitcher threw a few pitches off the mound.

    He caught me looking. "What is it?"

    "Is there some kind of strategy that says it''s okay to load the bases for the player who had previously hit a homerun?" I asked, feeling confused on why they wouldn''t just face Zeke.

    "Julian isn''t even batting .300." Mr. Miller told me. "Whereas Zeke...he''s making history. Highest average in county in the last decade. Hopefully he can keep that going."

    Oh.

    "Don''t worry. There''s nothing to complain about when given a free base like that. It''s up to the next batters to make them pay for it."

    Julian. Jason. Mahki.

    Regrettably, they couldn''t make Redwood ''pay for it.''

    Julian struck out swinging. Jason continued with his bad day at the plate, popping a foul ball straight up. The catcher only took three steps back to catch it for the second out. Mahki did slightly better than the two of them, as he had actually put the ball into play...right to first base. The first baseman had no trouble picking it up and tagging first for the final out.

    I sighed.

    "Disappointed, huh?" Mr. Miller slapped my back again. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    I shrugged. "Slightly." It was a good opportunity to tack on some more runs.

    "Have faith in your pitcher. Bryce can shut this down, easily." He pushed me forward in the direction of my bag.

    I changed out my gear and took the field.

    Bryce had thrown a couple of pitches for a warmup before the batters for Redwood were asked to step up. Bryce got lucky; this inning his first three opponents would be the last three batters of their lineup. And it showed. The seventh batter hit a grounder to Jason for an easy out. Then Bryce was able to close it out with back-to-back strikeouts, looking. He had exchanged control for speed and it paid off.

    We celebrated the win with simple high-fives. There was some clapping from the stands, but not much since it was an away game. We didn''t stick around too long before packing up and loading the bus. Another win for us.

 380 An Injury to a Star

    After the win at Redwood High School, we had two days of practice before our Saturday game with Porterville. Coach worked us into the ground, not letting us take it easy even though we had mercy-ruled this team before. He was a firm believer in not taking things for granted.

    Friday night, after a grueling practice, warm shower, and a tasty dinner, everyone seemed to split up. Dave wanted to go on a walk to ''work off the dinner calories'' so Mr. Atkins joined him. Zeke went upstairs to work on his homework in peace. Kyle and Noah both went to the living room to catch the end of the Oakland A''s game. Mrs. Atkins said she would bake some cookies for us to have tonight and throughout the weekend.

    As for me, I settled at the kitchen table to work on a history project. The dreaded family tree. I feel like this project happens every year in every grade. It''s disappointing to see it again.

    "What are you frowning over?" Mrs. Atkins came out of the kitchen to see me staring over the instructions paper. I showed her the paper. "Oh. Is this for history?"

    I nodded.

    Her eyes narrowed. "That means Noah should be doing it too." She raised her voice and called for him. "Noah James! Get in here!"

    A loud thump was heard and then the sound of him running. He paused in the doorway. "Yes, Mom?"

    She picked up my instructions sheet. "Where''s yours? Why aren''t you working on it as well?"

    Noah made a face of disgust at the paper. "It''s the weekend. I''ll just do it Sunday." He turned away, intending to go back to the living room. "If that''s all, then I''m going back."

    "Freeze." Mrs. Atkins commanded. Noah stopped. "Turn around." Noah slowly turned. "You shouldn''t procrastinate. Look at Jake...he''s getting homework done so he can enjoy the weekend. Isn''t Zeke doing the same? Do you really want to spend your Sunday on homework and projects?"

    Noah sighed and his shoulders dropped. "It''s just a family tree. I have dozens I can copy. I''m sure I can find the one I used last year."

    I stood up. "Yea, let''s just do it Sunday."

    "Jake?" Mrs. Atkins looked at me.

    I shrugged. "I don''t know what to write anyways."

    Mrs. Atkins sighed. "I''ll see if I can come up with an idea for you by Sunday then."

    "Does this mean I can go back to watching the game now?" Noah inched backwards to the doorway.

    Mrs. Atkins rolled her eyes. "Go." She shot me a glance, but I was eager to escape as well.

    I followed Noah out, leaving the project on the table. I might just take a zero on it. It wasn''t a core part of the grade and...it''d be embarrassing to just turn a piece of paper that only had my name and my mom''s. I knew nothing else. Dad? Brother? I didn''t know their names. I barely had a picture in mind. Maybe I wouldn''t be able to pick them out of a crowd.

    "NOOO!" Kyle''s yell made me jump.

    "What happened?! Did they blow it?!" Noah sprinted into the living room. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    Hearing him say that, I realized that Kyle was probably just yelling at the tv. I let out a sigh of relief.

    "He''s done for!" Kyle hollered loudly. I walked to the living room to see him on his knees before the tv. He looked heartbroken like someone had died.

    I looked at the tv and one of the players from the A''s was being carted off, a leg brace already on. Before getting a look at the face, the broadcasters switched to a replay of what happened.

    Noah took a seat on the couch. "Shut up! Let me watch!" He threw a couch pillow at Kyle.

    Kyle got hit and just fell to the carpet. He laid down and stayed down.

    I watched the tv to see what had happened. The Oakland A''s player was the baserunner heading to home plate after a hit to the outfield. The relay throw came in a timely manner, but they had a violent collision at the plate. His knee and the catchers knee had knocked against one another and the one with knee guards obviously won.

    "God damn it!" Noah yelled at the tv. "What was he doing?? He should have just stayed at third if he can''t slide! Oh geez. Just look at his knee."

    I rather not. The tv played the collision again and again. In slow motion. From different angles. It wasn''t pretty. The A''s player looked to be in a lot of pain.

    "What''s all the racket about in here?" Mrs. Atkins came in with a plate of cookies.

    "Mom! Maberry just got hurt! He''s definitely going to miss some time!" Noah explained. The game had resumed on tv but they were still showing a clip of the collision in a small box in the corner. "Look!"

    Mrs. Atkins made a face. "Well, that''s not good." She passed me the plate of cookies. "Hopefully it''s not as bad as it looks. I''ll be in the office if you boys need me." She turned and left.

    I sat down with the plate of cookies on my lap.

    Noah attacked first, grabbing two in one go. "She just doesn''t get it." He groaned. "Maberry is the core of our offense. The season has just begun...what are we going to do now?"

    Kyle crawled to the couch to snatch a few cookies too. "I don''t know. It''s not good. That''s for sure. Did you see the way his knee looked when they put the brace on? It got crushed." He sighed. "And we finally got good pitching during the offseason."

    "Hopefully, he''s only out for a month or two." Noah munched on his cookie. "That''s still doable. Other players like Jojo and Olz will have to pick up the slack. They looked good during preseason."

    As we ate the cookies and watched the rest of the game, Dave and Mr. Atkins showed up. Kyle was quick to jump up and give them a rundown of what happened. Mr. Atkins just nodded in understanding, but wasn''t nearly as upset as the twins. The twins were wailing like their playoff chances had vanished.

    "Is it really that big of a deal?" I whispered to Noah, trying not to attract the twins attention. I wouldn''t want to listen to them scold me as they sounded near hysterical. "He''s only one player."

    "He''s the star." Noah told me. "Think Zeke. If we lost Zeke for the whole season or even half, we would have to play a lot more closer games. We might even lose more than we liked to admit. Maberry is a gold-glove outfielder, all-star, and batting champion. The only player we can rely on." Noah made a sad face. "Best case scenario, he won''t need surgery. As long as he comes back by all-star break, we''ll still have a chance for the A''s to win their division."

    "They can still win without him." Zeke''s voice came from the hall. He had walked into the room. "A team isn''t made around one player. As long as they don''t lose morale, they can win. Maybe he''ll come back to a team in first with a sizable lead."

    "Did you see what happened? Did you see the collision?" Kyle jumped up and started to pester Zeke.

    Zeke nodded once. "I saw. Online. I just finished my essay so I wanted to check the score."

    "Just too...ugh. Nasty." Kyle shivered.

    We spent the rest of the night watching the end of the game and talking about the hurt player. And...eating cookies. Only Zeke could control himself and stop at two. Kyle and Noah were the worst, nearly eating the rest by themselves.

 381 Family Tree

    The injury to the A''s Maberry was a hot topic before Saturday''s game. Our whole team was talking about it through warmups until Zeke shut it down with a simple glare. The talks picked up again as we sat in our dugout and prepared to officially take the field. Coach had decided on Garret being the starter today, shifting Mahki back to left field, and putting Tanner in right.

    Garret was given a limit for pitch count, and really pushed it to the max. He covered six innings of no runs, and only two hits. If that wasn''t amazing enough, he struck out ten batters within the six innings.

    James closed it up in the seventh but not until he gave up a two-run homerun. Our team didn''t mind it though. We were already winning 9-0. We just couldn''t get that tenth run to end it.

    Everyone on the team got a hit so it was a great day. Lots of happy faces. Noah had two hits out of four appearances, and scored one run. I went 2-3, with a walk, and scored the three times I reached. Zeke overshadowed us though; going 4-4, with a homerun, five RBI''s and two runs scored.

    The rest of the day was spent lazing at home, until Mr. and Mrs. Atkins treated us to a dinner and movie at the mall. It brought back a lot of memories...from when I was first placed with the Atkins. I didn''t speak at all. Now, I was better. Not completely cured or fixed, but still, better than nothing.

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    Sunday, I spent the day with the boys at The Arcade. Only Zeke, Noah, and I, went to the cages while we were there. Zeke spent more time out there, while Noah and I broke up our time accordingly. We played some video games with the twins, practiced in the cages, and then challenged one another in mini golf. By the time we got home, I was wiped.

    "Have you two made any progress on your family tree projects?" Mrs. Atkins asked when she got home from showing an open house. Her and her husband were gone all day, working. They were so busy that they came home with takeout instead of actually cooking.

    Not that it''s a bad thing. Just different.

    "We''ll do it after dinner." Noah replied while he set the table.

    Mr. Atkins laid out the food, then looked up at his wife. "Let''s eat first. Then you can help them with their project."

    Mrs. Atkins looked like she wanted to say something, but held back after seeing us dig in.

    After eating dinner and making small talk, Mrs. Atkins asked for me and Noah to do our project at the kitchen table. We gathered our sheets and Noah grabbed an old one he had done in middle school. We both sat down and began.

    Noah just had to copy down the names from his previous project. I finished in two seconds after writing two names...mine and my mom''s.

    Noah frowned when he saw that I stopped so soon. He looked up and saw my mostly blank sheet. "Don''t worry, I''m sure that they can''t dock you for not knowing. It''s the hand you were dealt."

    Mrs. Atkins walked in just in time to hear Noah''s words of comfort. She was holding a piece of paper, that was longer than normal, in her hands. She looked nervous, but as soon as we made eye contact, she regained her composure. "Jake. I did some research for you." She showed me the longer paper in her hands.

    It was a family tree..? An odd looking tree. It was like two trees put together at the trunk.

    "It''s called a mirror family tree." Mrs. Atkins explained. Noah and I were both looking at it. "I was thinking you can put your birth family on one tree and then us on the other." She smiled, yet it felt sad. I felt sad. "We consider you as family, so it''s okay for you to consider us as your family."

    It became hard to swallow. Mrs. Atkins was a real mom. A true mom that really showed what kindness is. She didn''t just disregard my only birth parent, but included her. Two trees for two families. One before, and one after.

    "Thanks." I mumbled as I took the longer sheet of paper. I placed it on the table and began. I wrote my name, then my mother''s. Then I completely flipped it and started on the other tree, writing my name first.

    "Does that mean I can put Jake in my tree too?" Noah bounced around in his seat. "I mean, it would look weird if he turned his in with me on it, and then I didn''t do the same."

    I froze.

    "Of course, silly." Mrs. Atkins said lightly. "Make sure to use your nice handwriting. I don''t want your teacher to think that you still write like a first grader." She went back to stern-mom-mode. "After you write it in pencil, and make sure there are no errors, then go over it in pen."

    "Yea, sure." Noah said without looking up. He just started his own tree, using the old one as a reference. She walked away, leaving us to our work. Noah noticed that I still wasn''t writing and looked up. "What''s up? Are you unhappy with the extra work?"

    I shook my head. "Nope. Not at all. I''m��touched. Your mom is...really different than mine."

    He tapped my sheet. "She''s your mom too." Then he leaned over and pointed at the blank lines for siblings. "Don''t forget to arrange us by age. Oh and for grandparents, we write their names and then in parenthesis, write deceased."

    "Oh, okay." I started to write, using Noah''s old work as a base. When I got to Mr. Atkins parents, I felt slight anger on his behalf as I wrote down his dad''s name. He was mean and hurtful, yet still got to be in the tree? Mr. Atkins is too kind.

    I paused after that last thought, then glanced at the upside down tree. I...wrote down my mom''s name. I sighed to myself. I guess we''re the same. Just fools that still have a longing for the family that raised us. That gave life to us.

    I looked at the empty dad line. The empty siblings line. It..couldn''t hurt...to look for them. I guess. I don''t have to tell anyone. I frowned. But where do I start? If Mr. Duncan can''t find my father, then how can I? I sighed and shook my head. No time to think about it now. I have to finish this little project, then prepare for school. Tomorrow we would also have a game against a non-league opponent.

 382 Upcoming Games

    Monday''s game was against Tulelake High School at home. Kyle was named the starter and wasn''t given a pitch count.

    "We need to win this one, boys." Coach said before warmups. "Even though they aren''t in the league, they are ranked slightly higher than us in CIF division. And if that''s not enough, I want you all to know that Servite beat them." The team straightened up. "That means Servite is ranked higher than us as well. We need to play catch up."

    "But we''re undefeated in league too." Noah spoke up. "Aren''t we okay as long as we beat them?"

    "Hypothetically." Coach nodded. "As long as we stay undefeated and win league, then we punch our ticket to CIF. But-" His eyes cut across the group of us. "We''re not the only ones undefeated in league still. Servite and Golden West haven''t suffered a loss yet. They play each other this week so one will drop, but that''s only one loss. OLU only has two losses so they aren''t far behind either. This next month will be grueling, but you all will need to touch it out."

    Coach looked at Garret. "We also play Golden West this week. At home. On Wednesday. You''ll get the start so I need you in peak condition."

    Garret nodded. "I''ll throw a few pitches in the pen during the game."

    "Good." He looked around. "Next week is OLU and Servite. We''re going to play six games in a span of fourteen days. It''s not going to be easy." He made a face. "It''s not good to say this, but we got the easy teams out of the way. We''ve already played American Christian Academy, Redwood, and Porterville twice. No more easy wins left in league. We have one win from Quincy and one from OLU. I shouldn''t have to remind you boys how close they were."

    He didn''t have to remind me. Those were my worst games. Sort of. Against OLU, I went 1-2 with a walk and a run scored. It wasn''t a pretty game for me. If it wasn''t for Zeke''s three run homer, who knows what would have happened. As for Quincy...that''s a game I would like to forget. I went 1-3 with a walk, and two runs scored, but the embarrassment of the bad slide was still fresh in my mind.

    A glance at Dave told me he didn''t forget that game either. It''s when he messed up his nail, and had to be benched ever since. It''s been two and a half weeks, and his finger was looking somewhat better. No more blood or pus, it was making a comeback. He was able to start throwing again, yet wasn''t allowed to start pitching until the end of this week.

    "Okay, here''s the lineup for today," Coach continued.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Hollander

    3 LF Mahki Holstrom

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 1B Julian Wilson

    6 RF Tanner Erickson

    7 3B Jason Morris

    8 C Alex Farrell

    9 P Kyle Atkins

    Garret would be in the bullpen for today''s game in order to prepare for Wednesday''s big game; meaning, Tanner would get the start in right field again.

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    Like Coach suspected, this game wasn''t an easy one. We didn''t get to have a hit fest. Instead, pitching dominated the game. Kyle was able to pitch all seven innings while not losing his temper. He gave up two runs off five hits, and earned four strikeouts. He wasn''t as good as Garret in getting the strikeouts but their ERA was pretty close.

    Noah had a rough start, striking out in three straight plate appearances. He was depressed that he wouldn''t get a fourth at-bat, but after a few more hits and baserunners, he figured that he would come up last in the sixth inning. He really tried his best against the pitcher, fouling off a few balls along the way. It wasn''t pretty; his swing was horrendous and all over the place, but he persevered. He was able to knock a roller between first and second, earning a single, and continuing his hitting streak.

    I did slightly better, going 2-3 at the plate, with a walk and a run scored. Both of my hits were short singles, and the outfield was really good at getting the ball in quick. With my speed, there was no chance for me to try for second.

    In fact, I didn''t get to go far very often with Noah struggling before me, and Mahki struggling after me, there was only one opportunity where Zeke got to come up with me on, and that was his first at bat. Noah had struck out, I hit a single, and Mahki had popped out to the third baseman. Zeke came in and smashed a home run to right field, putting us up on the scoreboard early.

    We ended up winning the game 4-2 with a little help from the bottom of our lineup. Coach was satisfied with the win and didn''t keep us very long for a postgame talk.

    On Tuesday, my history teacher returned the family tree projects to us with the grades already recorded. He congratulated everyone for turning it in and hoped we would not forget where our roots come from.

    Looking at my 80%, I felt a little disappointed and frustrated. He had marked me down for missing spaces.

    "Don''t worry," Noah told me. "If you''re unhappy with it, Mom can get justice for you. Honestly, you should get extra credit for her innovative idea to use two trees. You did double the work."

    I shrugged and sighed. "It''s not a big deal. I can still get an A in the class. It''s just a stupid project anyways." I stuffed it in my backpack. "Do you think I''ll have to practice sliding today?"

    "No way." Noah stuffed his in his bag as well. "Coach wouldn''t risk you hurting yourself before a big game like Golden West."

    I nodded, feeling hopeful.

    We finished classes and went to practice. Coach actually took it easy on us and didn''t push us too hard. There wasn''t that much running and I didn''t have to practice sliding with Drew. It was a good day overall from that aspect alone; it even pushed the family tree out of my mind.

    After practice, I followed the Atkins through the routine of home, shower, dinner, and then homework. Noah and I were both working on an English essay in our room, when Kyle burst in, slamming the door against the wall.

    "Noah! You have to see this!" He yelled.

    "See what?" Noah rolled his eyes, annoyed at the racket he was making. "If you made a mark on the wall, I''m going to tell Mom it was you, ya know."

    "Yea, yea, whatever." He waved off the potential trouble he could be getting into. "Just look!" He thrusted his phone in front of Noah''s face.

    Noah''s annoyance amped up to anger, but it quickly disappeared when he got a good look on what was being shown. "No way!" He jumped up. "Is this for real??"

    "It has to be!" Kyle said excitedly. He bounced around happily before running out of the room. "Come on! Zeke and Dave are already checking ESPN! They have to be talking about it!"

    Noah was hot on his heels.

    Seeing all the excitement, I got up too.

 383 Breaking News

    I followed them downstairs at a more leisurely pace. I didn''t know what made them so excited, but safe to say, it has something to do with baseball. Especially since that sports channel was mentioned. I found all four brothers in the living room, eyes trained on the tv. I looked but only saw the broadcasters going through some highlights of the baseball games from earlier.

    "It''s gotta be coming on soon, right?" Dave asked nervously. He sat at the end of the couch, and at the edge of his seat. His elbows rested on his knees and his hands were grasped together like he was prepared to pray.

    "It has to!" Kyle shook his phone. "I showed you the tweet."

    "Just relax." Zeke told them. "It''ll be on soon."

    Noah spotted me just standing there by the doorway. "Jake! Come here! You''re about to witness MLB history." He scooted over and patted the seat beside him, just on the end.

    I sat down, feeling eager to know what was happening with all this excitement. "What''s happening? Is that A''s player okay?" That''s the only thing I could think of that could grab the attention of all four boys.

    "No." Noah shook his head, looking a little depressed at the mention of the injured A, but it didn''t drain his happiness. "But! He tweeted some exciting news! A big trade is in process!"

    "Oh." I nodded slowly, not really feeling excited anymore. What''s so good about a trade?

    Noah laughed at my lacklustered response. "Maberry tweeted on social media that he was going to be out until the all-star break, but that the team would have good news on a good replacement soon!" He grinned. "The hashtag was a big hint, ''here comes the kid''!" Noah bounced on the couch a little bit. "It can only mean one thing!"

    "Shhhh." Kyle hushed him.

    The tv volume was turned up to a blasting degree. Sportscenter had stopped the highlight reels from the earlier games. Two men sitting across from one another filled the screen as a big headline took over the lower half of the screen: Oakland acquires ROY (rookie of the year) from San Diego.

    "Sorry to interrupt, breaking news being reported to us now: the Oakland A''s have traded their two first round picks for next year, and another first round pick from the following year to the San Diego Padres in order to acquire Jeremy Patterson." The first broadcaster said. He took a deep breath and looked at his partner. "What are your thoughts on this?"

    The second man replied. "I''m shell shocked. Just like everyone else in the MLB. Who trades the former Rookie of the Year away?? Who trades three first round picks for a one year stud? This is insane. Both teams are crazy."

    "I''m with you on that. A trade like this just days after Jack Maberry has a bad collision at the plate." He tapped a pen on the desk. "I have to tell you though, the Oakland A''s are pretty decisive. Maberry had the collision on Friday so they used the weekend to examine his knee AND the market for good hitting outfielders. They came up big!"

    "A big trade like this just weeks after the opener is highly uncommon. I just want to know what San Diego was thinking. They have a shot at the playoffs, a shot at the series, and a shot for the championship. How can they just turn away a star like Patterson?"

    "For this, we have Brett Ryan on the line." The man announced as a little pop up box appeared on the side, containing another man who wasn''t at the studio. "Brett, can you tell us how this happened? Why the sudden trade? For both team perspectives?"

    Brett Ryan nodded. "Yes, I have some insights. First off, for Oakland, we all knew it wouldn''t be good news for Maberry. Worst case scenario, he''d be out for the whole season. It''s not surprising that Oakland would shop around for a replacement. What is surprising is that they picked someone for the long term." A picture of Maberry''s tweet overtook the screen. "Then we received this cryptic message. Maberry is forthright in his injury, it''s a broken kneecap. Not too bad. Not all that good. There''s a chance he can be back in just a few months, but there''s also a chance that they find something and he''s done for the season."

    "Yes, as long as there aren''t any torn ligaments or muscles, he should be good to go in just a few months." The second broadcaster added. "How does that affect this trade?"

    "Oakland holds the cards with this. No other team knows how Maberry is like them. This way they aren''t in a do-or-die situation. They either get a good replacement or they make do until Maberry comes back." He grinned. "Now from San Deigo''s side. They have last year''s ROY winner, and they don''t have to pay the big bucks. So why would they trade him away? Let me tell you, free agency."

    "Patterson won''t be a free agent until next year." The first broadcaster said. "Why are they so eager to get rid of him? Is it because they already know he wants too much?"

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    "No. It''s the location. Patterson has already expressed his dislike for the Southwest teams in the league when he was drafted a few years ago. In fact, he was raised in the Bay Area and preferred a Northwest team like Oakland or San Francisco. He''d even be okay with Seattle." He took a breath. "San Diego knew they wouldn''t be able to keep him once he turned into a free agent, so why not trade him away and get something out of having a good player. Now they''re sitting with three first round picks, two that even come next year. The only aspect they lost out on is not getting the picks this year, but Oakland was adamant that they wouldn''t cave on this."

    "Wow. It really worked out well for both teams when you put it that way. Oakland trying to win it all this year, and San Diego trying to win in the future."

    "San Diego will really get a good group of young guys starting next year. No doubt they''ll be something to keep your eye on."

    "Same with Oakland. Maberry is still young, and Patterson is up-and-coming. As soon as these two get together, the A''s lineup will be something to fear. And don''t forget about their excellent pitching staff already in place."

    "With Patterson still being under his rookie contract, that means the A''s still have plenty of money to make another move or two if they need to." Brett Ryan added.

    The three spoke some more more about the trade and the ramifications it would have for the other teams in the league.

    I started to lose interest until they played a few clips of Patterson playing. He was diving in the outfield, making long throws to home plate to throw out a runner, he was running around the bases in a fast sprint. They also showed a clip of him hitting a homerun and it made me freeze. And do a double take.

    I squinted on every face shot they showed, trying to get a good look at his features. He looked...like...my dad. Impossible, I know. But the memory was fuzzy, while this face seemed to make it clear. Could they have a relation? Like...being his son? My brother?

    I leaned forward to take a better look even though that can''t really help with my vision. I put all my focus on the tv. Watching the man move and play a familiar sport.

    "What''s his name again?" My voice cracked. I forced a cough to clear it. "How old is he?"

    "Jeremy Patterson!" Dave yelled out. He whooped and jumped up. "We''re going places now!" Kyle joined in the celebration.

    "He''s 20 or 21 I think." Noah told me. He looked at me with concern. "Are you okay, Jake?"

    I shook my head. No. Definitely not okay.

    "You look a little sick." He stood up. "Do you need some medicine? Want me to go get Mom or Dad?"

    "Uh, no." I stood up as well, shaking like a leaf. "I should just go to bed." I cleared my throat again, forcing myself to speak. "I''ll be okay if I just sleep it off." My arms and legs turned stiff as I tried walking away, going up the stairs.

    Noah sounded like he was following me, but then I heard Zeke call him back. Thankfully. I don''t think I could deal with Noah''s hovering right now. I might give something away.

    I found my way back to the room and got into bed. I closed my eyes, but my brain didn''t shut off like I wanted it to. My thoughts were running a mile a minute.

    Is that him? Really him? Could it be? Or maybe I''m just imagining things? I could be. I have to be. There''s no way I would have a professional baseball player as a brother. That doesn''t make sense. I mean, it wouldn''t make sense.

    You know what? Just because that man looks like my dad, doesn''t mean he''s my brother. Or even related to me. It could be a coincidence. A lot of people who aren''t related could look like each other. That''s a thing. Yea.

    Under the covers, I still felt cold. But I was also sweating. It just didn''t make sense. And because it didn''t make sense, it can''t be real.

 384 Sick 1

    I didn''t sleep well, mostly due to the fact that I didn''t sleep. I remember Noah coming in, turning off the lights before he went to sleep, and then I was surrounded by darkness. I was already keeping my eyes closed in hope that I was dreaming this whole thing, but I could still tell that lights were on. Now, there''s nothing.

    I shook under the sheets like it was still cold. I felt scared and helpless. Was that really my brother? Could he really be him? If it was...then why...why did he not come back for me? Baseball players had lots of money. Six figures at least. Was that not enough? Is he and Dad just having fun, being rich and forgetting about me?

    I shook my head. No. I must be projecting. Projecting my memories on this man who only reminded me of my father. It''s fake. It''s not real. He''s not my brother.

    The only way I could tell that I fell asleep was when Noah was shaking me awake. He was yelling for his Mom and Dad and it scared me into opening my eyes. But I could hardly see. The lights were still off and it was still dark outside.

    "Mom!! DAD! Come here!!" Noah went to our doorway to yell for them again. He flipped on the lights and it made me flinch.

    "What is it?" Mrs. Atkins was first to run into the room.

    Mr. Atkins was right behind her. "What happened? Are you two alright?"

    "What''s with all the racket?" Dave asked from the hall.

    "Mom, Dad, something''s wrong with Jake!" Noah pulled the two of them further in the room. "I could hear him tossing and turning when I was going to sleep, but I thought he just wasn''t feeling well. But then I woke up to hear him screaming and just-Look at him!" Noah spoke too fast for me to process what he was saying.

    Mrs. Atkins got close and leaned over me. "Oh my! You''re sweating, Jake. Come here, let''s take your temperature." She pulled my sheets back.

    I started to shake. She was too close. "Go away!" I yelled in a raspy voice, scared.

    Mrs. Atkins was stunned. She took a few steps back and covered her open mouth.

    "Mom? Is Jake scared of you?" I heard Noah ask.

    "Noah, how about you go back to sleep?" Mr. Atkins said in a soft tone. "We''ll take care of Jake. You still have school tomorrow. Go bunk with Zeke and the twins. One of them will make room for you."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    "No! I can''t leave Jake like this! Something''s wrong!" Noah argued, raising his voice. I flinched.

    "Dave, since you''re awake, take Noah to bed with you." Mr. Atkins spoke firmly in a calm tone. "Noah, don''t worry about Jake. He probably had a night terror due to the cold. I''ll help him. You just get some sleep."

    "But Dad-"

    "No buts." Mr. Atkins cut him off. "Bed. Now."

    I heard a heavy sigh, and then retreating steps.

    "Wayne?" Mrs. Atkins whispered. "What should we do? Call a doctor? Call Dr. Moore?"

    "I''m not sure." Mr. Atkins got closer to my bed. "He''s sweating a lot. Can you go get the thermometer and maybe some washcloths? One wet, one dry? I''ll wash him down and maybe he''ll feel better."

    "Okay!" She left as well.

    Mr. Atkins face came into view as he peered down at me. "Jake? Are you awake now? Do you know who I am?"

    I shivered and pulled my covers back on. "I feel sick."

    "Yes, you sound and look a little ill. Can I get you anything? Tylenol? Cold medicine? Water?"

    "I need a bucket."

    Mr. Atkins disappeared for a second before returning with the rooms small trashcan. He lifted it just in time for me to throw up and empty my stomach contents. My whole dinner came up.

    "Sorry." I mumbled and laid back down, exhausted.

    "No, it''s okay. Everything''s is going to be just fine." Mr. Atkins started to reassure me, but I tuned out. I was so tired. Really tired. My head hurts.

    ***

    I woke up intermittently, seeing and hearing the Atkins. None of it really stuck with me. They were just images, like pictures from a book. None of it made sense.

    I woke up, needing to pee. It must be late. I opened my eyes and found the room empty. The curtains were kept close to keep it somewhat dark, but everything was still visible. I pushed myself off the bed and forced my legs to work. Bathroom. I need to go pee. I slowly moved through the silent hall to the bathroom I share with Noah.

    After completing my business, I realized the house wasn''t as quiet as I thought. I exited the bathroom just in time to hear Mrs. Atkins yelling for Wayne. She came out of my room in a flurry and yelled for him again, then stopped as she saw me come out of the bathroom.

    "Oh Jake." She sighed with relief. "I was scared that you-" She stopped mid sentence. Then restarted. "How are you feeling?"

    "Mary? What is it?" Mr. Atkins came running up the stairs. He then spotted us both in the hall. "Jake. You''re awake."

    I nodded weakly.

    "Let me help you back to bed." Mr. Atkins got closer. He slowly approached in a careful manner.

    I looked at him funny.

    He noticed and his lips twitched as he straightened up. "I was scared that you were still jumpy. You had a night terror last night, probably brought on from you being sick. Let''s get you back to bed and Mary will bring you up some breakfast."

    I nodded obediently, and followed Mr. Atkins back to my room. Mrs. Atkins didn''t say a word, just quietly leaving us alone.

    Mr. Atkins helped me into bed, propping up my pillows so I could sit up. He then came at me with a thermometer. He held it on the temple of my head for thirty seconds until it beeped with a result.

 385 Sick 2

    He checked it. "100.5 (Fahrenheit)" He frowned. "Still high, but at least it''s coming down." He put it down on the desk, then took a good look at me. "How are you feeling?"

    I shrugged. "Sick."

    He cracked a smile. "I got that. Can you be more specific? Do you have a headache? A stomachache? Do you feel like you need to throw up? Is your throat itchy?"

    I shrugged again. Everything hurt, but nothing stood out. "I do have a headache." A headache from thinking too much.

    "That''s probably due to lack of sleep." He told me. "You didn''t sleep well." He leaned against the wall. "I know you might think I''m overreacting, but I''d like Dr. Moore to take a look at you."

    I squinted. "He''s not that kind of doctor though." He wouldn''t make me feel better.

    "Yes, I know." He ran a hand through his hair. "But, your night terror seemed really bad. You threw up a few times and I''m concerned if it''s just being sick. Or something psychological that''s making you feel sick. Do you understand what I''m saying?"

    Something psychologically that''s making me sick? I think I have a hunch. A man appeared looking like my father, yet he''s too young. That might make him my brother. He''s coming to Oakland. He''s coming to the Bay Area. Heck, he could already be here.

    "I brought some soup." Mrs. Atkins walked in with a small table tray. She lifted it a little higher, slowing down. "Are you okay with this on your lap?"

    I nodded.

    She watched me closely as she came close, and set it over my lap carefully like I would break. Then she quickly gave me space.

    "I made potato cheese soup." She told me. She then put a water bottle on the tray. "And here''s some water. To keep you hydrated. You had a rough night."

    I nodded. "Thanks." My voice was raspy and sore like it had been roughed up. I reached for the water first to clear my throat a little. Then I started to dig in. My stomach was growling at me for being empty.

    Mr. and Mrs. Atkins both stood nearby, yet not too close. It felt weird being watched as I ate, but I was too hungry to care. I was tired too.

    "So Jake, what do you think?" Mr. Atkins asked.

    I looked up, not sure what he meant.

    "About letting Dr. Moore come over? To take a look at you?"

    I frowned and paused my eating. "He''s going to make a house visit?"

    "We can get him to do that." Mr. Atkins told me.

    "I don''t need him." More like, I don''t want him. But, that would just translate into me needing him.

    "Jake..." Mrs Atkins looked concerned. "I think, that maybe, you should talk to him. It doesn''t have to be long. Just a few minutes."

    Looking at her face, I felt slightly guilty. They were just trying to help me feel better and I sound like a bad guy for refusing. "Okay." I put my attention back on the soup.

    "Great. I''ll go give him a call." Mr. Atkins left the room.

    Silence dominated the room with just me and Mrs. Atkins left. I ate the soup as fast as I could, and she just hovered between me and the door. It was like she was stuck in ''worry mode''.

    After I finished eating, she was quick to lift the tray out of my way and set it on the desk. "Are you still hungry? Do you need something more?"

    I shook my head no. Then I scratched my head and thought of something to fill the awkward silence. "Did Noah and them already go to school?"

    She nodded, looking slightly relieved. "Yes, it''s almost lunch time so they might be getting ready for the game soon." She clammed up, going back to looking worried.

    I stared at her, confused. I''ve never seen Mrs. Atkins act so weird.

    "Dr. Moore said he can come by shortly." Mr. Atkins walked back in the room, phone in hand. "Do you want to take a shower or some medicine? Anything in particular that will make you feel better?"

    "A shower sounds good." I flipped off my sheets.

    Mr. Atkins helped me out of bed since I still felt pretty weak and tired. I gathered some sweat pants and a T-shirt before going to the bathroom.

    Sure enough, when I was done, I felt more refreshed and relaxed. I was still feeling a little muddle headed regarding the man I saw on tv, but there wasn''t much I could do right now.

    I dumped my dirty clothes in a basket before I started to look for Mr. and Mrs. Atkins. Neither of them were upstairs so that could only mean one thing, gotta check downstairs. I moved slowly down the hall then down the stairs. I could hear them both, taking turns speaking. Then a third voice replying. Dr. Moore must be here.

    I shuffled my feet to the dining room, finding the trio already seated.

    "Hey Jake." Dr. Moore smiled at me. "I heard you''re a little under the weather today?"

    I shrugged. "I suppose so." I sat down.

    "Noah told Mary that you felt unwell going to bed last night?" He looked at me through his glasses, making it seem like he could see deeper within me.

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    I nodded slowly. "I felt sick so I went to bed."

    "And then?"

    "And then..." I repeated. Blinked. "And then I woke up feeling sick still..?"

    "So you don''t remember your dreams at all?" He asked. "Mr. Atkins was worried that you had a night terror and maybe that caused you to be sick. What do you think?"

    I scratched the corner of my forehead. "Well..I don''t know. I remember opening and closing my eyes a few times. Noah was being too loud." I shrugged.

    "Let''s backtrack, do you know when exactly you started to feel sick? Did you eat something? Smell something bad? Did you hear something? See something?" He was naming almost all five senses, trying to narrow down what had happened.

    "It wasn''t anything, really." I told him. "I was with everyone watching sports, and then I just got a headache with all the excitement." Not a lie. "So I went to bed."

    "Hmmm." He hummed, writing a few thoughts down. "And you don''t remember the night terror? Or what happened throughout the night?"

    "What happened throughout the night?" I asked.

    Dr. Moore pushed up his glasses, glancing at the two adults across from me. "Do you two want to talk to him about it?"

    Mr. Atkins nodded, keeping his eyes on me. "You threw up. You were really jumpy and scared. Kind of like when you first came to us. Anytime Mary got close to you..."

    I looked to Mrs. Atkins. So that''s why she was keeping her distance from me. She didn''t want me to get upset.

    Mrs. Atkins gave me a tight smile. "We weren''t scared of you. Just scared for you. Don''t be afraid to tell us what you need, even if it''s space."

    "I''m okay now." I forced out. "I feel better after the soup and shower." I felt a yawn coming on and let it out freely. "Still sleepy though. Can I go back to bed?" I was eager to get away from Dr. Moore and this heart-to-heart.

    I can''t just come out and say I saw a man that looked like my dad, yet is too young to be him. That he might be my brother. A brother I never mentioned having.

    "Do you mind if I stay over?" Dr. Moore asked me. "Just to see if you have a night terror again."

    "You want to watch me sleep..?" I asked, not feeling comfortable with that idea.

    He laughed. "No. Not exactly. I''m not specialized in sleep therapy. I''ll just do some work off my laptop here in the kitchen. Then, if we hear the sounds of you having a scary dream, I can come up, wake you and we can talk about what you remember then."

    "And if I don''t have a nightmare?" I asked.

    "Then nothing." He shrugged. "Honestly, I think the only reason you had a bad dream and experience, is because you were sick. When your body is ill, it''s not uncommon for patients like you to have dreams about the past. That''s all that I think happened here."

    I let out a sigh of relief. As long as he''s not suspicious, then that''s good.

    They excused me and allowed me to go back to bed. I snuggled in, getting comfortable. The more i thought about it, the more I think it was my imagination getting the best of me. I can just ask Noah a little more about this person and it can be settled. No need to panic.

 386 Bad Mood

    I had a much easier time falling asleep after comforting myself with those thoughts. It was peaceful and long. I didn''t wake up until I started to hear stirrings in the room. Someone was here. I slowly opened my eyes to see Noah. Or more precisely, his back. He left the room with clothes in hand. He must have just gotten back from the game.

    I closed my eyes and decided to rest my eyes until he came back.

    I must have dozed off, because it felt like seconds had only passed by until I heard him come back. I sat up and found him pulling out his homework from his backpack.

    He heard me moving and looked up. "Oh, did I wake you? Sorry." His eyes were slightly red like they''ve been rubbed or maybe even from crying.

    I squinted at him. "Are you okay?"

    He touched his eyes as if there were tears to wipe away. "Ah. This? I''m fine. Good."

    I lifted an eyebrow.

    "I...I didn''t play well today..." He mumbled, hanging his head in depression.

    "Oh. I''m sorry." I told him. "What was the score?"

    "3-2." He mumbled under his breath.

    "Oh. That''s a close one." I said, getting up.

    "Not close enough." He sighed. "It was 3-2. Them. They won. We lost at home. For the first time this season."

    Ohhhh. That explains the crying. I was up, out of bed, so I went over to pat his shoulder. "I''m sorry."

    "It''s okay. It''s not your fault." He wiped his eyes again.

    "Don''t be lying!" Kyle yelled, making us jump. He pointed at me. "How dare you take a sick day! And in the middle of the week?! Have some shame!"

    Shame? I tilted my head and thought about it. I guess it could be my fault then. I wasn''t there. I didn''t do anything to help...in fact I probably made things worse since I couldn''t warn Coach ahead of time that I wasn''t going to be there. I gulped.

    "Stop that." Dave hit Kyle from behind, smacking him on the head. "Mom and Dad will ground you for life if they heard you." He looked into our room. "Don''t listen to his crap, Jake. He''s just mad that he couldn''t do anything for the team either."

    Kyle rubbed his head. "You didn''t have to hit me. He knows I was just joking."

    "No way. Jake takes everything seriously."

    "What do you guys want?" Noah glared at them with his reddened eyes.

    "Mom said dinner is almost ready so I was sent up here to wake Jake." Kyle said. "Wake Jake?" He laughed. "Hah! That rhymes!"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Okay. He''s awake. Now get lost."

    "Wow. So testy." Kyle shook his head and walked away.

    Dave gave Noah a look. "It''s just a game, Noah. You don''t have to take that lost so hard."

    Noah looked on, angry. "You can say that because you didn''t play! You don''t know what it''s like to go hitless through four at-bats! I did nothing today. Do you understand?? I''m gonna have to go to school tomorrow and face the other freshmen, who think they''re better than me."

    Dave''s eyes narrowed on his little brother. "It''s not all about you, ya know. How do you think Sean will feel if he heard you? He also didn''t get a hit in four at-bats. He''s a first year varsity player as a sophomore. Do you think there aren''t any other sophomores on jv who think they can do better than him?"

    Noah looked at his feet. "I''m just��mad, okay?" He looked at me. "Not at you, Jake. Just at myself." He clenched his fist. "I need to get better."

    I didn''t know what to say. I didn''t know that they would lose. "What did Zeke do?"

    "He drove in both runs." Dave told me. "Zeke wasn''t happy either though. He went 2-4. But with a loss...it just puts everyone in a bad mood."

    I looked at him skeptically. "You don''t look like you''re in a bad mood..?"

    Dave laughed. "I''m still not allowed to pitch, of course I''m in a bad mood." He lifted his hand with the injured finger. "It''s looking good though. I''m going to ask Drew tomorrow if I can throw a light bullpen session. Just something to warmup the arm."

    "Boysss!" I heard Mrs. Atkins call from the bottom of the stairs.

    "We better get going." Noah said, wiping his face one more time. He walked out, then Dave and I followed. "Like Zeke said at the end of the game, we''ll get them next time."

    "Yea, but next time might even be harder." Dave sighed, putting his hands behind his head. "They didn''t even put Brady on the mound. That''s how confident they were."

    "Who''s Brady?" I asked as we made it downstairs.

    "He''s the best pitcher on Golden West." Noah told me without looking. "I think I told you before that they have someone who throws kind of funny. That''s him."

    Throws funny?

    "His style is rare. He throws submarine." Dave elaborated. Except...his elaboration wasn''t enough.

    "You guys are talking about Brady?" Kyle asked, already seated at the table. "They''re probably saving him."

    We sat down.

    "Saving who?" Mr. Atkins questioned as he took his seat as well. He looked at the empty seat between the twins. "Where''s Zeke?"

    "Here." Zeke walked in the dining room in a brisk manner. He took his seat, still dripping of sweat like he was working out.

    "Ugh." Dave held his nose. "You couldn''t take a shower first?"

    "No, I wanted to put some more work in." Zeke said, eyeing the food that was already laid out.

    Mrs. Atkins walked in the room with a bowl. Surprisingly, she brought it around to me, and set it down before me. "I made you some more soup just in case your stomach still felt pretty weak."

    "Thanks." I picked up the spoon, already blowing on my first scoop.

    She sat down and dinner commenced.

    "So who is being saved again?" Mr. Atkins repeated.

    "Oh, as I was saying, Golden West probably wants to save Brady for Servite. Coach said they play each other Saturday." Kyle said, loading up his plate with food.

    "Does that mean they think we''re weaker than Servite?" Noah asked.

    Dave nodded. "At the very least, means that we have weaker hitting."

    "Well with Brady pitching against them, it''s likely to be a pitcher''s duel. Almost like today." Kyle said. He stabbed his broccoli angrily. "If only Garret didn''t give up that homerun."

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    "You can''t say that." Dave said. "You''ve given up more homeruns than Garret throughout the season."

    "I''ve never suffered a loss though." Kyle rebutted.

    "Kyle." Mr. Atkins warned. "You''re on the same team. His loss is your loss too. The same would be said if you lost too."

    Kyle sighed. "Yea, I know."

    "You boys will get a second chance." Mrs. Atkins said cheerfully. "It''s only one loss. Won''t put you out of the race just yet. Golden West or Servite will have a loss by Saturday too. And, you''ll get to play Servite twice."

    "Mom." The twins groaned in unison.

    "What? What did I say?"

    "You said we play Servite twice." Dave shook his head. "That''s not a good thing."

    "They have a whole team of good pitchers." Kyle added.

    "You boys are good pitchers too." She told them.

    The twins blushed a little and focused on eating.

    Seeing that they had settled down, Mrs. Atkins turned to me. "Feeling better Jake?"

    I nodded, mouth full of soup.

    "Dr. Moore left after seeing you sleep so soundly." She told me, looking relieved. "I''m happy that you''re doing better. Do you think you''ll go to school tomorrow?"

    I nodded again. I don''t see why not. It was a one time thing. A panic attack turned into a nightmare from my own anxiety. He''s not my brother.

 387 Plan

    **Third Person Perspective**

    Wayne Atkins was tired. Beyond tired. He was running on almost no sleep for the past 36+ hours. After making sure all the boys were in their rooms and sleeping, he also wanted to go to his own bed. Yet...there was one more thing he had to do. Wayne went to his office where his wife was waiting. They shared a smile, but it felt forced.

    Wayne took a seat in his chair, his wife mimicking his actions. He grabbed the landline phone and dialed, putting it on speaker.

    "Hello, Wayne, Mary." A man answered right away, almost like he knew the call was coming.

    "What are your thoughts Dr. Moore?" Wayne asked, taking in a breath and holding it.

    Dr. Moore sighed over the line. "I can''t be sure...but, it''s safe to say that something happened. Something must have jogged his memory. That''s the only thing that can explain his sudden onset of nightmares and being physically ill. If it was a cold or the flu, it would have lasted longer than 24 hours. He wouldn''t just be ready to go back to school after one day off. And, you said he doesn''t have any symptoms right now?"

    "None. No coughing, sneezing, vomiting, or a headache. He napped until dinner. Ate his usual amount. Nothing was off." Mary told him. "I don''t think he would fake being sick, but I''ve never seen a boy turn healthy so quick."

    "I agree. I''m 90% sure it was psychological. He either heard something or saw something that reminded him of his past. He said that he was with the boys right before feeling sick."

    "Do you think it was something our boys said or did?" Wayne asked.

    "I''m not blaming them. Maybe something that''s totally subconscious to them, really stood out to Jake. We''ve practically confirmed that there''s a brother. It could just be related to that. Your sons are pretty close to one another so maybe it''ll upset him from time to time. Who knows."

    "What can we do for him then?" Mary asked, worried.

    "Just continue being there for him. One step at a time. You guys are doing great." Dr. Moore told them. "I''ve submitted my thoughts on you becoming his legal parents, and I had only good things to say. Have you heard from Doug on how the process is coming along?"

    "We''re in the six month waiting period for now." Wayne told him. "We have to wait until they exhaust all other options of finding his family and extended family. That will determine how smooth or bumpy this will be."

    The three adults spent the night discussing.

    ***

    Going back to school on a Thursday after taking the day off yesterday, made me feel like I was on a Monday. It didn''t help that the teachers were giving me the homework I missed yesterday and adding it to today''s work.

    I was going to start my plan of asking Noah about that Patterson guy, but he was still depressed from yesterday''s game. His focus was still on baseball, but only his baseball. How he could practice more, train harder and be better. He''s definitely a baseball fanatic.

    It wasn''t until practice started, that I realized, how much this loss affected the whole team. It was a stifling atmosphere like that loss took everything away.

    Before starting warmups, Coach gathered us in a circle.

    "Yesterday was close." He started out by looking around at us. "I know you boys. I know what you want to do. You want to find blame and either push it on yourself or onto somebody else. It''s how teenagers are." He looked to Zeke. "Well?"

    Zeke stood tall, arms crossed. "There''s no point looking at the past unless you want to learn from it."

    "Oh? And what did you learn?" Coach asked.

    "I would like to be stronger. To have the ability to launch the ball out of the park no matter what pitch it is."

    "And have you made a plan to get there?"

    "I have." Zeke nodded. "I''ve added some weightlifting for me to do at home after practice."

    Coach nodded. "That''s good." He looked at the rest of us. "You see boys, Zeke has made a goal. He wants to be able to hit more homers. A goal broken down in steps becomes a plan. His plan is to do some extra lifting on his own time. If he backs this plan with action, then I believe that he''ll reach his goal."

    I nodded, in sync with the rest of the team. Coach was right.

    "I''m not saying that you all have to do something similar, but if you feel bad about losing, then why don''t you do something about it?" Coach spoke. "I only get to make you practice three hours a day. Sometimes that can be fifteen hours a week or if it''s like this, when we have three games, then it''s only six hours. Do you think six hours of practice a week and a handful of games will make you better?"

    No. I shook my head. Most of the team felt the same way.

    "It''s up to you all on what you want to do with your free time after school, practice, homework, eating, and sleeping. You can use that time for extra studying. For playing video games. For watching tv. You get to decide. Not me."

    He took a step back. "Okay, let''s get moving. We have a game tomorrow to prepare for. I only have you for a few hours, but it''s how you use that time as well. If you half-ass it, then of course there won''t be any results. I need 100% effort at all times. For three hours every day." He clapped his hands. "Zeke, get them warmed up!"

    "Yes!" Zeke waved at the lot of us. "Let''s move."

    The speech from Coach really lifted the team''s spirit. Everyone was moving with purpose and had more energy than before. Tomorrow wasn''t a league game, but you couldn''t tell. It felt like we were about to play an elimination game.

    I was also feeling inspired. Instead of heading to batting practice, I sprinted to the man who was helping me become a better player. Drew only had Kelvin with him now. Julian was healed up and back to normal activities while Dave was working with the pitching coach in the bullpen.

    "Hey Jake, how are you feeling?" Drew smiled, looking slightly surprised that I sprinted over when I would normally take my time. "We missed you yesterday."

    "Yea, the lineup could have really used your help." Kelvin agreed. His elbow was still wrapped up, but that didn''t stop him from doing leg workouts.

    I forced my thoughts to not look back on why I missed. Why I got sick. Instead I looked up to Drew. "I have a goal, and I want to make a plan!"Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    Drew blinked. "Oh. Do you want to be more specific?"

    I turned red. "I-I-I need your help."

    "I''m here to help." He reassured me. "Tell me specifically what your goal is and I can help work out the kinks in your plan."

    "I want to be a better play. More specifically, I want my baserunning to be on par with my hitting. I want to be able to steal bases. To try for home and not be scared."

    Drew looked very surprised. "Well, that''s...what we''ve been doing."

    I shook my head. "I didn''t give my all like Coach said. I''ve only been squeaking by." I looked down at my cleats. "I want to help the team win, not hinder them."

    Drew smiled. "Let''s get to work then."

 388 An Idea

    Drew wasn''t mad that I admitted to not putting my all on the practice field. He was happy that I reached out to him and became more clear on what I needed help with. I expressed to him clearly that I didn''t like running in the beginning because I was out of shape. Now my fear lied in the fact that I have to willingly fall onto the ground and potentially get hurt when you collide with someone.

    Drew worked with me with the alloted time we had. I could only pass up on hitting and not fielding. When I did shift to fielding, I saw that Noah had lost his gloom and doom attitude. He was back to normal, pushing himself on every play. I knew if that Coach could inspire me, then he could definitely reach through Noah.

    As soon as we got home, no one showered right away. Everyone split up in different directions. Zeke stayed in the garage to work with weights, the twins went to the backyard to play with their mechanical backstop, while Noah and I went to our room.

    Noah whipped out one of his school notebooks and used a pen to start writing down his goal and plan. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    I copied his actions and wrote my own list. Remembering what Drew told me, I put down all aspects that needed improvement in order for me to become a better player. Drew wasn''t so narrow minded to only help me with running. He mentioned that what could help me the most, was working on my core muscles. It could help with balance overall and improve my hitting and fielding. Being more balanced would help me feel secure and maybe a little more confident.

    "Same!" Noah''s shout surprised me and made me jump.

    I found him looking over my shoulder, probably reading what I had been writing.

    "I only want to improve my core muscles." He patted his stomach. "Gotta build up some nice abs."

    I laughed.

    "I''m serious." Noah stated. "Coach suggested that it would make me a better batter. It would smooth out my swing and not make it so erratic."

    "How can we improve our core muscles though?" I asked. "Drew said running helps. Especially if I run and practice tightening my abs."

    "There''s plenty of exercises we can do!" Noah opened up his laptop and turned it on. "We''ll look up some and decide on a routine. We can do our ab workout after every practice and game, then shower. It won''t take too much time either."

    "Better than running." I nodded.

    I watched on as he searched through the web trying to find something we could use. We compared a few pre-planned sets that trainers had put out there, before finally deciding on one. We tried it out, completing three sets before collapsing on the floor.

    "This is good." Noah huffed. "This is what we need."

    I grunted in agreement. A weak agreement. But if I wanted to get better to catch up to Noah and his brothers, then this is what I''ll do.

    "You boys haven''t showered yet either?" Mrs. Atkins came into the room, finding us sprawled out. "What have you two been doing in here?"

    "Ab workout." Noah answered for the both of us. i was too busy trying to breathe without making my stomach hurt.

    Mrs. Atkins lightly smiled, and shook her head. "Okay, I''ll start making dinner a little later from now on. I don''t want a bunch of smelly boys at my kitchen table. Hurry up, and shower. You still have school and a game tomorrow." She left.

    "Ughhh." Noah groaned. "School. Crap. We haven''t even done our homework yet." He pushed himself up. "Do you want to shower first? Or me?"

    "You." I told him, forcing myself to get up as well. "I''ll start my math homework."

    "Are you still letting the twins copy?" He asked as he grabbed his pajamas.

    I shrugged. "I''m just helping."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Sure you are. Okay, I''ll go first." He left.

    I pulled my backpack closer to me, getting out the necessary materials. Book, notebook, pencil, and a calculator. I started on it, making it halfway through before looking away to rest my eyes and brain.

    I was still sitting on the floor, doing my homework, so when my eyes started to wander, they came across the laptop on Noah''s desk. I''ve never needed it so there wasn''t a reason to use it. Yet...right now...I could think of something that I wanted to look up. I never got a chance to ask Noah about that player, but now, I wouldn''t have to. I could do my own private research. He wouldn''t be suspicious and it would really calm my heart and brain if I could just reaffirm that the guy isn''t related to me.

    I stood up slowly, and moved to the desk. His computer was still on, showing the exercises we had just done. I hesitated. Just as I reached out, I heard noise from the hallway, making me jump away from the laptop.

    Noah was in the room within seconds, a towel around his shoulders. He was saying something to someone else in the hallway, but stopped when he came in the room. "Freakin Kyle. So annoying." He mumbled. He then noticed that I was just standing around. Awkwardly. In the middle of the room. "Uh, Jake? What''s up?"

    "Just....stretching." I lied. Then, to make it more believable, I started to really stretch.

    "Oh. Taking a break from your homework?" He glanced down at my stuff.

    I nodded. "Yep." Then I started to gather some clean clothes from the dresser. "I''m going to shower now."

    "Okay." He said. He moved to his desk and started to get his own homework out.

    I sighed with relief once I got to the bathroom. That was a close one. I''ll have to find another opportunity to look that player up when Noah isn''t around. It would probably be better to ask for Noah''s help, but what if...what if that''s really my brother? Wouldn''t Noah look at me with pity? A rich brother that never reached out...didn''t even send a card or write a letter.

    Then there''s the matter of telling Noah that I have a brother. Would he be mad that I didn''t tell him?

    This would be the right time to have a phone of my own. A smartphone. One that could help me use google.

    I tried distracting myself the rest of the night. After showering, everyone gathered in the kitchen for dinner. After dinner, it was time for homework. The extra homework that I had missed really helped to distract me.

    It was when I was finally in bed, my thoughts went back to the matter. Research. Research. Research. I''ll have to look him. It''s the only way to be at ease. Otherwise, I''ll just be thinking ''what if'' my whole entire life. With some more thinking, I came up with an idea: use the school library. They had computers in there for student use. I wouldn''t have to sneak around to use Noah''s laptop. The only other option besides those, would be to ask the Atkins for a phone. That seems a little needy though. The only person I would contact, already lives with me.

 389 Friday’s Game

    The library plan was a good one, up until Mrs. Atkins handed me a lunch bag.

    "Here ya go." She gave one to not only me, but to all her boys. "I made everyone''s favorites. I know you''ll be eating on the bus, so be careful not to spill or make a mess."

    "Eating on the bus?" I asked, feeling like my idea was already a dud. If we have to eat on the bus, then I can''t sneak to the library during lunch. The plan would have to be shelved until Monday.

    "Yea, Trinity High School is another three hour ride." Noah sighed. "We won''t get back until ten or eleven tonight."

    "Are we riding with the girls today?" Dave asked.

    "No." Kyle sulked. "It''s the three boy''s teams. It''s going to be crammed." He pouted towards his mom. "Please drive us home?"

    Mrs. Atkins laughed. "No way, young man. You''ll be sticking with your team." She paused. "Plus, we won''t be coming to today''s game."

    "What?!" Noah asked.

    "Why not?" Dave said at the same time.

    "Your father and I have some work to do this afternoon." She gave a tight smile.

    "Work is more important than us?" Kyle moaned.

    "Boys." Mr. Atkins said with a warning tone. "Are you giving your mother a hard time?" He walked in, sat at the head of the table, and picked up a slice of toast. "If you must know, we have to meet with Jake''s social worker in the San Francisco office."

    "Mr. Duncan?" I asked, feeling slightly nervous. "Why?" Did I do something wrong? Did they find my dad? Which is it?Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    "Just a normal check-in on our part." He explained. "You''ve been with us for about two months now. We just have to go in and answer some questions about you and about ourselves."

    "What-What about me?" I asked, my anxiety climbing.

    "Just normal questions about your behavior and everyday life."

    "Like a performance review?" Dave asked.

    Mr. Atkins laughed. "Yea, something like that. We''re normally an emergency foster family that takes in a kid that''s younger and that only stays for a few weeks at best. But with Jake, we might me long term." He smiled at me. "You''re okay with that right?"

    I nodded. Definitely.

    "This is just social services making sure that we''re taking care of you. That we know how you''re performing in school. They''ll also check-in with Dr. Moore."

    "There''ll be a home visit soon too." Mrs. Atkins added. "You boys have nothing to worry about so just play your game. Do well!"

    The boys calmed down with their explanations, and so did I. As long it''s just routine then there''s nothing to worry. I can just look the guy up on Monday. If I force it, and try and use Noah''s laptop or something, I''m more likely to get caught. If there''s a home visit coming soon, it''s best to pretend everything''s normal.

    With our lunches in our bags, and bags in the car, we headed for school. Like always, Mr. Miller gave me and Noah a ride up to the school. Unlike our normal routine, Noah took me around to turn in our homework for our later classes, health and math. I waited for him to dump his math homework at his class, then we went to mine that I shared with the twins.

    The old old man almost looked like he was dozing off when I walked in. I quietly sat it on his desk and made my escape.

    "Jake, a minute of your time please?" The old man ''woke up'' and froze me in my tracks.

    I turned around and gulped. "Yes?"

    "Come back, I won''t bite." He waved me over, slowly rising from his chair.

    I inched to his desk, not really willing. What if he found out that the twins copy my work? Am I going to get in trouble?

    "I know about the game today. Good luck out there. The team really missed you yesterday."

    Missed me? That''s not the first time I heard that. "You watch our games..?"

    "When I can." The old man heaved a sigh. "I''m not able to travel to the away games. And only if the home games are in the afternoon. But I keep an eye on the team with the league sports page online. You''re very impressive on the offense."

    I turned shy at the compliment. "Thanks." I whispered.

    "You''re also wonderful in math. You make me proud to be a teacher."

    I turned really shy and looked down at the floor. How embarrassing. "Thanks again."

    "I say this, not to embarrass you, but to reassure you." He continued. "I remember the memo the administration sent out when you came. It warned us that you wouldn''t speak and probably will be antisocial. But I knew better."

    I looked up at him, confused on why he was saying this.

    "I used to be in the system myself." He laughed-coughed. "A long time ago. But it still sits with me." He looked me in the eye. "Sometimes you need to hear how well you''re doing. How much you''ve improved."

    I know that I''ve come a long way. A few months ago I was locked in the hospital, just trying to live again. "Thank you." I told him sincerely. It was good for me to hear how well I''m doing from a near stranger. When you hear it from someone you know, it feels a little fake. Like they''re just trying to cheer you up.

    "Okay, it''s best if you get going. Class will start soon." He went back to his desk and sat down. "Good luck today."

    I waved and walked out, feeling pretty happy.

    "What took you so long?" Noah asked, exasperated. He was leaning against the building. "Are you in trouble? Did he bust you?"

    I shook my head. "We just talked." Okay, maybe he just talked and all I did was say ''thanks''.

    Noah looked at me with skepticism, but seeing that I wasn''t upset, he let it drop. We had to get to class.

    The game at Trinity was a blowout. We took them on with yesterday''s pep talk still fresh on our minds. We crushed them 13-0 in five innings. Kyle missed the perfect game by giving up a walk and a pair of hits, but he was happy with the shutout. Noah was also in a better mood after tacking on three hits.

    The only one that wasn''t satisfied was Dave. He wasn''t allowed to throw in the bullpen during the game so he was stuck just watching us have fun. It wasn''t until the end of the game, when Coach announced that he would get to start against OLU on Monday.

    He jumped up with excitement. "Yes! Thanks Coach! I won''t let you and the team down!" He clenched his fist, excited.

    "Don''t get ahead of yourself kid." Coach warned him. "This is your first game back. We''ll be monitoring you closely. AND, there''ll be a pitch count."

    Dave kept his smile. "No problem Coach! I won''t take it for granted! I''m just happy to play again! In a game! Against a real opponent!" He bounced around like the energizer bunny.

    Coach shook his head at Dave''s excitement. "As for the rest of you," He looked around. "I shouldn''t have to tell you how important Monday''s game is. I won''t be forcing practice tomorrow. You''re on your own this weekend. Do what you see fit."

 390 Scouting

    As predicted, we didn''t get home until late. That didn''t stop Noah from doing the ab workout though. As soon as we got in the room, he dropped to the floor and began. Seeing him still dedicated after a game made me copy his movements.

    "We have to stick with this every single day." Noah huffed between the different exercises.

    I had nothing to say back to him. Part of me agreed, especially with Coach''s speech still somewhat fresh in my mind. But mostly...because I was already struggling. I want to say I have some muscles, but not nearly enough. My frame was still thin, at the very least I wasn''t underweight anymore.

    After we took turns showering, we found the rest of the family already sitting down at the table for dinner.

    "Hey! You started without us!" Noah accused. He sat down and filled his plate with a couple of pizza slices. "Rude."

    "You two were taking too long." Mrs. Atkins replied. "No reason for us to eat cold takeout. It''s not like I would let them eat all the food without saving you some."

    "Sorry." I mumbled.

    "It''s not a problem. We''ll be adjusting the schedule." Mr. Atkins pointed at my seat. "Go ahead and sit down. Pizza is only good when it''s hot."

    I sat down and pulled a pepperoni slice onto my plate.

    "I like cold pizza." Dave commented, shrugging his shoulders. "No shame."

    Mr. Atkins gasped. "You''re not my son!"

    Noah and Kyle laughed; I cracked a smile.

    "Hey! Just because we don''t like the same things don''t make us unrelated." Dave huffed, munching on his pizza slice.

    "And just because we like the same things, don''t make us related." Kyle laughed.

    "Idiot. We''re identical twins. No matter what, we''re related." Dave retorted.

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    "Language." Mrs. Atkins warned.

    "I''m just saying, even if he dyed his hair blue, people will definitely see that we have the same facial structure." Dave concluded.

    I paused. Facial structure? If I looked like that player, wouldn''t someone have said something?

    "There are twins who look nothing alike." Noah pointed out. "It''s kind of crazy that you could have all recessive genes and not look like your family." He looked at me and smiled. "Next time anyone says that you don''t look like my brother, we can tell them that you got all the recessive genes."

    "Ha-ha." I forced out a weak laugh and turned my focus on my food.

    So even if me and Jeremy Patterson don''t look anything alike...we can still be related. For some reason, I wasn''t feeling too hungry anymore.

    "How''d the meeting go with Mr. Duncan?" Noah asked. It was like he was trying to kill my appetite.

    "It went well." Mrs. Atkins smiled.

    "Traffic was killer." Mr. Atkins said. "I let them know that I don''t like making the city drive on a Friday." He looked at the boys. "What will everyone be doing tomorrow? Your mom and I have a couple of showings around the neighborhood."

    "I''m going to the mall with Marie." Kyle said.

    "I''m getting together with Garret and Alex at the park for some extra pitching practice. Kelvin said he might come and watch depending on how physical therapy goes." Dave said.

    I looked to noah. What are we doing then if the twins are busy?

    "That leaves you Zeke." Mrs. Atkins said. "Are you taking the younger two anywhere or will you three stay at home?"

    "Mommm." Noah groaned. "We don''t need a babysitter. We''re 14."

    "It''s not necessarily babysitting." Mrs. Atkins argued. "It''s keeping an eye on you two. Since you''re the youngest."

    "It''s fine, Mom. They can stay home if they don''t want to be watched." Zeke said, nonchalant about the matter. "I didn''t really want to watch them anyways. No doubt, they''ll cause trouble."

    That caught Noah''s attention. "Hey! We don''t cause trouble!" He paused before asking, "Where are you going?"

    Zeke smirked. "Wouldn''t you like to know."

    "It''s Mom and Dad that want to know." Noah rolled his eyes. No one said anything. Both of his parents didn''t agree and just ate their pizza in silence. "Okay, fine, on the condition that you''re not going somewhere boring like the library or museum, we agree to go with."

    We? I looked at him. I''m not a fan of going anywhere when I don''t know the destination.

    Zeke gave him a sharp look.

    Noah frowned. "If you''re going somewhere boring, then I rather stay at home and watch baseball all day."

    "Oh. So you don''t want to watch a live baseball game? You rather watch one on tv." Zeke nodded to himself. "I see."

    "You''re going to a baseball game??" Noah leaned forward over the table. "Is it the A''s? No, it can''t be. They''re playing on the road right now. A Giants game? Hmm."

    "It''s just a high school game." Zeke ended his high-hope speculations. "Golden West at Servite."

    "I''ll go." Noah nodded. He glanced at me. "Jake too."

    I made a face. "Do I have to?" I really rather stay home.

    "It''s the pitching duel." Noah reminded me. "The funky Golden West guy and Servite. Servite has a good rotation. They''ve given up the least amount of runs. Less than us!"

    Well...when he puts it that way. "What time..?"

    "You can sleep in the car, you baby." Noah poked me.

    I turned red, with embarrassment across my face.

    Everyone else laughed.

    "It''s at 11am. Not too early, not too late." Zeke said. "We''ll probably have to eat lunch there."

    "I''ll give you some money." Mrs. Atkins said. "Remind me in the morning. I''ll also pack some snacks for you to bring. Just in case."

    "Cookies please!" Noah begged.

    Mrs. Atkins laughed. "We''ll see."

    After dinner, we prepared for bed. Not only did we have a game today, but it was also away so I felt drained. All the traveling, playing, and an after game workout? I filled my belly and went to sleep. It wasn''t as peaceful as I thought it would be, but I was still unsettled by the look of Jeremy Patterson. The talk at dinner didn''t help either. I woke up intermittently throughout the night, not getting a good night''s rest.

 391 Golden West @ Servite 1

    The crappy night of sleep put me in a bad mood Saturday morning when Noah forced me to wake up. Apparently I slept in and we had to hurry. I was sluggish in my movements as I changed and headed downstairs. Neither twin was in sight as I followed Noah out the door. Zeke was already waiting in the car.

    "Trouble sleeping?" Zeke asked, glancing back at me as I sat in the back seat. Noah jumped in the front passenger seat leaving the whole row to myself.

    I yawned. "It wasn''t terrible."

    "He''s lying." Noah remarked. "He tossed and turned all night. That''s why I was up so early."

    "You don''t have to go." Zeke expressed a little worry.

    I must not look so good. I rubbed my cheeks, then my eyes. "No, I''m good. I want to go too."

    Zeke waited an extra minute before deciding to believe me. Then we were off.

    Noah had a backpack in his lap and apparently it was full of food. He handed me a banana and an apple. "Mom said to have some before Zeke buys us hotdogs."

    "Thanks." I munched on the apple first.

    The drive was only about an hour. Much closer than some other schools. I guess I won''t have to worry about the road trip to Servite. It also wasn''t in the mountains like Porterville was. It also made Porterville look like a poorly made and financed school.

    "Wow." Noah''s jaw dropped as we entered the parking lot and Zeke tried finding a space. "It looks so modern. It must have been remodeled recently."

    "Last year." Zeke said, finding a spot in a sea of cars. "They have boosters to support their school and team."

    "Boosters?" I questioned.

    "It''s like a financial donor." Noah explained. "Mom and Dad are on the booster club for our school''s baseball team. Mom also helps out the cross country too if they''re selling houses like crazy."

    "Oh." I looked around at the magnificent, large, three story building. It was obviously their school building where the classrooms were.

    "Servite is a private school too." Zeke added, getting out of the car. "That means each student has to pay for tuition unlike our school." We all got out of the car and he locked the doors. "Unless they get an exemption of some sort. The school brings in a lot of money so they can pay for better facilities."

    Noah had the backpack on, and we followed Zeke obediently. "Does that mean they have a nice baseball field?"

    "I suppose." Zeke said. He glanced back at us. "There looks to be a lot of people here today so stick close."

    Noah sped up. "Yea, there are a lot of cars at a school on a Saturday. Do you think they all came for the baseball game?"

    "Their program is well known. Pitching is phenomenal. They''re also playing a good team." Zeke said.

    The three of us started to run into other people heading in the same direction. I kept close to Noah and Zeke, scared of getting lost. The crowd all gathered towards the baseball field, the stadium lights turned off for the day game.

    "$2 a person." An older man stated as each person tried to enter through the gates.

    "We have to pay?" Noah made a face. "They already have enough money."

    Zeke didn''t agree or disagree. He just pulled out his wallet and then a couple of ones. "Three students." He countered.

    "$3 total." The man held out his hand.

    Zeke passed over the money and we were allowed in. He looked to the stands that were filling up. Then at us. "Let''s get seats first. Then I''ll go get the food from the snack bar." He didn''t wait for our answer. He just started to walk to the bleacher that was in the center, behind home plate. It had a mixture of fans from both schools.

    We climbed up and sat in the last row in the center.

    "Not bad." Noah commented, setting the backpack down. "Zeke, hotdog with everything they have."

    Zeke nodded before facing me. "What do you get on your hotdog?"

    "Just ketchup." I said softly. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    Zeke moved Noah''s bag to save himself a seat. "If you don''t protect this seat, I''m not handing over the hotdogs."

    "Aye, aye captain." Noah saluted.

    Zeke left to join the line for food, leaving me and Noah in a sea of strangers. I tried not to panic, reassuring myself that I can''t be grabbed from behind, but I still felt trapped with all the people around us. There was a whole assortment of parents, grandparents, kids, students and so on.

    "Hey, Hey! Look at that!" Noah pointed out to the field. I followed his finger to the outfield where two people were playing catch. Super-long catch. "Wow. He must be an outfielder like Zeke. He''s a Servite player."

    "He''s actually the pitcher of today''s game." A voice said in front of us. A man with a hat turned around and partly lifted the hat. "What a surprise to see you boys here."

    ...

    "Who are you?" Noah asked, almost like he was reading my mind. I don''t think I recognize this man at all.

    "Hey, that''s not nice. We met at Stanford, remember? During Zeke''s tryout." The man pointed at the logo on his blue hat. "Hint, I work for the cubs as a scout..."

    "Oh! Yea! I remember you." Noah tapped his chin. "Willie..?"

    The man nodded. "Willie Ramsey. I saw you guys taking the last row so I jumped at the chance to sit near you boys."

    "Still after Zeke?" Noah grinned.

    "It''s my job." Willie shrugged. "I heard he committed to Stanford after his SoCal trip. Good school. Good chance of going to the College World Series this year."

    "It''s just a backup plan if the draft doesn''t go to plan." Noah commented. "I''m sure if he gets picked in the first or second round, he would go pro." Noah winked.

    Willie laughed. "Good to hear. Sadly I don''t get to make that decision. I just submit the info to my boss who submits his thoughts to the big boss."

    "Too bad." Noah pouted for a second before looking back out to the field. "So that''s the pitcher for Servite today? How much do you know?"

    Willie grinned and lifted his notepad. "Quite a bit." He cleared his throat before reading. "Alex Sanchez. Pitches left-handed, bats right. Top speed recorded: 95mph. Has good motion on curve and slider. Six foot three inches." He looked back at us. "Almost the same size as Zeke. Also, pretty okay at the plate."

    "Wow. He''s like Garret, but an improved version." Noah told me. It sounded like it too. "I hope we don''t have to play him specifically. Could you imagine someone like Zeke hurling fastballs at you?"

    I gulped.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please rise for the national anthem." Someone spoke using the speaker system. It got quiet as everyone stood and faced the flag in center field. Even the players had frozen on the field. They had a kid sing the anthem over the system, sounding almost like a real pro game. Wow.

    I followed along, standing and facing the flag. Then we sat down as the announcer started to go over fan conduct and how to report unruly fans.

    "This is crazy." Noah whispered. "I wonder if it''ll be like this when we play here."

    I gulped again, feeling butterflies in my stomach.

 392 Golden West @ Servite 2

    Zeke wasn''t surprised to see Willie sitting in front of us. He just sat on the other side of Noah and started to pass out the hotdogs. Noah pulled water bottles out of his bag and passed them out too.

    "So who do you think will win, Zeke?" Willie asked.

    "Both teams are sending out good pitchers today." Zeke said diplomatically. "It''s anyone''s game."

    "I didn''t expect you would care enough to come down and watch." Willie said. "Heard you suffered your first league loss this season on Wednesday to Golden West. Brady wasn''t pitching, so what happened?"

    Zeke shrugged. "Guess you should have been there."

    Willie laughed. "I can''t make it to all your games. I cover a wide area. Only big games like this can upend my schedule. Two excellent pitchers in one game. Can''t wait to see how each team handles the pressure."

    "It''s because we didn''t have Jake on Wednesday." Noah pointed out to the man. He patted my shoulder. "He was sick and I''ll be the first to admit that put a hole in our lineup."

    Willie looked my way and I quickly focused on my hotdog. It was an embarrassment that Noah is always complimenting my batting. I''m afraid that I''ll let him down like against University Prep. No hits.

    "Are you feeling better?" Willie asked, surprising me.

    I nodded.

    "That''s good." He added. "The most important thing to an athlete and to any person really, is their health."

    "He''s all good. We beat down Trinity yesterday so he''s back to normal." Noah told him. "Zeke smacked another home run and Kyle pitched all five innings of the called game. It was fun."

    "Oh? I''m glad you guys bounced back. Once a team loses, they sometimes crumble under the stress. But you know, losses are inevitable. There''s never been a MLB team that went undefeated." Willie told us.

    "Now introducing..." The broadcaster started to announce the starting lineups as Servite players took the field first.

    "So are you just focusing on the pitchers today?" Noah asked, leaning forward to get a glimpse at Willie''s notes. "Would you say that they''re better than Zeke?"

    "I''m watching them while knowing their backgrounds, but I keep an eye on everyone. You never know when you come across a future star." Willie explained. "I, personally, would say Zeke is one of the best players I''ve seen at the high school level. But my job is to be objective and fair so my employer doesn''t pick the wrong player."

    "You can''t go wrong with Zeke." Noah said confidently.

    "Okay, enough." Zeke bopped him on top of the head. "Eat your hotdog and watch the game. We came to scout out the competition."

    Noah rolled his eyes, but didn''t talk back. He just started working on his hotdog.

    I had already finished mine and watched as the first batter for Golden West stepped up to bat. Sanchez, on the mound, looked like a pro already. He even had a mustache.

    "Doesn''t he look a little too old to be a senior?" Noah asked aloud.

    "He''s a senior like me." Zeke said. He rubbed his chin. "I could also grow a beard...if I had darker hair."

    Noah snorted, almost choking on his hotdog.

    Sanchez got the first batter out by blowing three straight fastballs by him. He''s definitely the fastest pitcher I''ve ever seen. He''s a lefty too. Just as I was wondering if he could throw a perfect game, a ball was ripped down the third baseline. It stayed fair and the batter had already taken off.

    "He got a hit off Garret too." Noah mumbled to me as half the crowd was cheering. We watched as the batter made it to second base for the double just as the ball came back to the infield. Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    "He shouldn''t throw another fastball to him." Zeke spoke up. "Garret learned that the hard way as well. The batter was fast and can connect on a straight ball. As soon as Garret had thrown the cutter, he missed. Some batters are like that." He glanced at us. "That''s why it''s good to do some scouting beforehand."

    Noah nodded in agreement. "I''d like it if we could see all opponents beforehand. That way you don''t go in blind."

    We watched as Sanchez stranded the runner on second, getting the third batter to pop out to the second baseman and the cleanup hitter to groundout to the second baseman. No runs scored. That''s always a good start.

    The teams switched, and Golden West came out to defend, with their pitcher taking the mound. The submarine pitcher named Brady. I leaned forward to watch him warmup. After a quick stretch, he got set. Then it got weird.

    He stretched out his planting foot (left) and started his throw...except it almost looked underhanded. I looked to Noah for help.

    "That''s what it''s like for a submarine pitcher." Noah said. "It''s when they throw less than a ninety degree angle. It''s hard to hit."

    "It''s only hard because you''re not use to it." Zeke cut in. "Don''t spout the wrong information to Jake. It''s hard to hit because the spin angle is different, the spot of release is different, and the style can really throw you off."

    "Zeke''s correct." Willie added. "If you faced a submarine pitcher more often, you wouldn''t feel so cornered or surprised. It''s like facing off against a left handed pitcher. If it''s new to you, you would struggle to get the timing right."

    "Jake wouldn''t have trouble with that. He''s just too good at the plate." Noah shrugged.

    Zeke raised an eyebrow making me feel put on the spot. I poked Noah. "Don''t say that. I''ve never even seen a submarine pitcher before this. It looks difficult."

    Noah grinned and patted my shoulder. "I know that. I just trust that you''ll be able to figure something out before the game is over. I think you''re a better batter than Zeke and you''re only a freshman."

    I turned scarlet. Just being compared to Zeke is enough; he didn''t have to say that I was better. I don''t think I could measure up against the best player in the county. Top ten in the state.

    "He''s right." Zeke looked me in the eye. I sat up straighter. "You''re batting average and on base percentage are comparable to mine. The only thing batting statistics I beat you in is slugging, extra base hits, and home runs."

    I think the word ''only'' should be used if there''s one statistic. Not three. That''s not even including base running and fielding.

    "Jake''s got time." Noah nodded. "He''s three years younger than you. Three and a half if we want to get technical." Noah paused, then looked up at Zeke. "Are we doing anything for your birthday on Monday?"

    It''s going to be Zeke''s birthday? I looked up at him as well, waiting to see what he would say.

    "Yes, we''re going to beat OLU." Zeke said firmly like he didn''t even need to think about it.

    Typical Zeke answer.

    "That''s not..." Noah trailed off. "Fine. That''s a good gift too." He turned to the game.

    I was still looking at Zeke so I was able to see a smile flash across his face before he also turned to watch the game. He''s not as cold as Noah thinks. I could only wish to have a brother like him.

 393 Golden West @ Servite 3

    Brady almost copied Sanchez by starting off with a strikeout, followed by a baserunner. The only difference was that the baserunner reached on four balls and not a hit. Some of his pitches stayed too low for the umpire. He didn''t have perfect control but like they told me, it''s a different style; it can throw off the hitter. Batter three struck out looking. Servite''s cleanup hitter got a piece of the pitch, sending it up the middle. It was too slow though. The shortstop was able to field it smoothly to the second baseman to get the runner from first out to end the inning.

    Sanchez had a similar inning again. Strikeout. Walk. Strikeout. Flyout to center field. His speed was something to marvel at, but his style and form couldn''t be compared to the submarine pitcher. Brady was the first to throw a clean inning: groundout, pop out, strikeout.

    Sanchez didn''t give in just yet. In the top of the third he struck out the ninth batter and restarted at the top of the lineup. The leadoff hit a hard, fast line drive, but it went right to the shortstop. Then Sanchez finished it off with another strikeout using a slider on the player that had hit the double.

    Brady came out for the third time and looked a little shaken. The eighth batter had smacked a long fly ball to right field, making the outfielder dive for it to get the out. The ninth batter also made a good connection, making the second baseman dive in the dirt for the ball. He then made an excellent throw from his knees to first to get the second out.

    Brady was doing well with the help of his teammates, but it ended when he had to start at the top of the lineup again. The leadoff batter slugged the first pitch to a gap in left-center field, right between the two outfielders. He sprinted and was able to slide into second before the tag was made, earning himself a double.

    "Really pay attention now, Jake." Zeke spoke up, making me jump. He didn''t say anything about it though. He was focused on the pitcher. "As soon as Brady gives up a hit, he''ll start using the other pitches in his arsenal."

    Arsenal?

    "He knows breaking balls too?" Noah asked.

    So that''s what he meant.

    "Submarine pitchers can throw anything a regular pitcher can throw with maybe the exception of a knuckleball." Willie spoke up, also eyeing Brady. "All their pitches look different though since it''s almost like they''re throwing underhanded."

    Brady was set to face the next batter. The guy he had previously walked in the first inning. Like Zeke had predicted, it was a breaking ball. I just couldn''t tell what kind. Scared that Zeke might quiz me, I turned to ask Noah what he thought it was.

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    "Your guess is as good as mine..." Noah shrugged helplessly as we watched Brady use that same pitch a couple of more times in a row in order to strikeout the batter to end the inning.

    "That was his slider." Willie said. "It runs to the outside but it''s hard to get the timing right. There''s a lot of deception when batting against a submariner. He also has a sinker."

    Noah leaned forward. "Should you be telling us this? Isn''t it cheating? Like gaining an unfair advantage?"

    Willie laughed. "Just because I tell you what type of pitch it is, doesn''t mean you''ll be able to hit it. It depends on ability. And a little on luck." He glanced back at us. "Submarine pitchers are especially good against batters that go against them on the same side. Brady will be good against righty''s for example. Too bad Sanchez bats right and not left otherwise he would have a slight advantage."

    "I don''t know about that. Jake''s good no matter who is on the mound." Noah said thoughtfully. I judged him. "What? I''m just saying that you never really struggled against a pitcher Or pitch type. Speed wouldn''t work against you either."

    "You don''t know that." I said in a low voice. "I don''t think I could hit a breaking ball if it''s too fast...it''s not like I can practice those off a machine."

    Noah nodded. "I guess. And it''d be hard to find someone to practice off of. At least you''re good with timing pitches. I still think you could figure it out."

    "Don''t give up before you even try." Zeke''s firm voice let us know that he overheard us. He glanced at us. "Don''t be so negative all the time."

    Noah slugged me in the arm playfully. "Yea Jake, don''t be so negative."

    I rubbed my arm as we all started paying attention to the game again. Sanchez was starting the fourth, and he was getting rocked from the start. His center fielder had some work to do as he sprinted in to catch a line drive before it landed in the grass. The very next batter made that same center fielder run back to the warning track to stop a potential double from hitting the fence. That wasn''t the end though. Those were only two outs.

    The center fielder couldn''t prevent the grounder that snuck between the shortstop and third baseman for a single. All he could do for the next single that came right up the middle, was throw it in quickly to prevent the first runner going all the way to third.

    Two on, two out. One of the coaches came out to speak with Sanchez and the catcher on the mound.

    "It''s a little late for that now, isn''t it? Back to back singles..." Noah shook his head. "It''s not looking good for him or Servite."

    "Not necessarily." Willie countered. "Servite''s pitching coach is known for inspiring his pitchers and helping them push on. He''s a good coach. Too bad he doesn''t want to move to a higher level."

    "Why doesn''t he?" Noah asked, curious.

    "He has a daughter still in elementary school. Not every man can give up their children''s childhood for baseball. Maybe when she gets older, he''ll move onto college level or even the minors. Too soon to say if he could coach at the pro level. At least with coaching at the high school level, he still has time to take her to and from school, and be home for dinner. There''s not a whole lot of time commitment needed."

    I felt a little sick at Willie''s explanation. Not for any new reason...just the thought of my mother saying that my dad had chosen baseball over us. Supposedly my brother did too.

    I froze. Yea...she would say that...

    Does that mean...she...knew..? Could we really be related to Patterson? Wouldn''t that make sense on why she didn''t want me watching and playing baseball? Because he left? With Dad?

    My heart started to pound and I started to panic.

    "Jake?" Noah probed. He was right next to me, yet he sounded so far away. "Are you okay? Do you feel sick?"

    "Yea." I stood up immediately. "I do. I''m going to find a restroom." Without waiting for a reply, I hurried down the bleachers and followed the signs to the bathrooms.

    I heard some cheering and glanced in time to see the Golden West batter head back to the dugout with his head down. He must have struck out. That pitching coach helped Sanchez finish off the inning.

    A coach that cared for his daughter so much that he''s giving up the opportunity to coach at a higher level. To earn more money.

    I picked up my speed and rushed to the bathroom. There was a crowd, but I forced my way to a stall just as someone came out. I could hear some of the boys and men say something about me cutting, but it was soon drowned out by the sound of me throwing up.

 394 Golden West @ Servite 4

    I felt awful. Inside and out. The bathroom stunk and my knees hurt from being on concrete for five straight minutes as I emptied my stomach. So much for that hotdog. And my apple. And my banana.

    Knocking sounded on the stall door. "Jake?" A deep voice questioned. "It''s Zeke. Is this the stall you''re in?"

    I didn''t answer with words, just with actions. From my knees, I unlocked the door and went back to spitting in the toilet.

    "Want to talk about it?" He asked, towering above me.

    I shook my head.

    He squatted so we could see each other''s face. "You know, if you don''t talk about it, you''re not going to get better. You''ll just get sick like this all the time. Is that what you want? To throw up every week?" He pulled out a water bottle from his pocket. "Here. Rinse your mouth first and then you can tell me what upsets you so much that you have to waste my two dollar hotdog."

    I cracked a smile. The whole Atkins family had a weird sense of humor. Why bully me over two dollars? I''m sure his mom would reimburse him. Wait. I rinsed my mouth then looked up at him. "Mrs. Atkins said she would give you money last night...doesn''t that mean it wasn''t your two dollars?"

    Zeke smiled. "Feeling better already?"

    I shrugged, and patted my stomach. "There''s nothing left."

    "Want to talk in here or go get some fresh air?" He asked.

    I looked around. Servite may have a pretty school and an amazing field...but their bathrooms were absolute trash. "Outside."

    Zeke helped me up. We both exited the stall amidst some strange looks, but no one said anything with Zeke towering over everyone. We washed our hands and left. Zeke knew where he was going because it didn''t take him long to find an open grassy area with hardly anyone around.

    The game was still going on and fans were still cheering. It''s a weird transition from feeling like my world stopped but the outside world didn''t.

    "What was the trigger?" Zeke asked.

    "What?" I asked, not understanding.

    "What set you off? Willie was talking and then all of a sudden you were up and out." Zeke looked out to the field, where the game was still being played. "Was it the talk about the pitching coach?"

    "Sort of." I put my hands together and tapped my thumbs against each other. "My mom used to say that my dad picked baseball over us." Supposedly my brother did too. "Hearing that the pitching coach here, chose to stay with this job because of his daughter made me feel...jealous. Angry. Sad. Devastated. Then just sick to my stomach."

    "You don''t usually talk about your dad, but you''ve mentioned your mom before." Zeke glanced down at me. "Has it ever crossed your mind that she was lying?"

    I blinked.

    "Kids naturally believe what their parents say." Zeke shook his head. "You know your mom wasn''t a good person, yet you believe her words so easily. You don''t know the truth regarding your father. You may never know. Every family has their own issues. Some more defined than others."

    Yea...I knew that from my talk with Mr. Atkins.

    "For all you know, that pitching coach could be a single parent for some reason. Whether it''s because the child is adopted. The mother died. The mother divorced him and ran away. There''s a lot that could be speculated." He put his hand on my shoulder. "When I said you need to stop being so negative, I didn''t mean only in baseball. In life too."

    Right. I nodded.

    "Only your Mom may know about your dad." He continued. "You can do two things. One, ignore it and ignore her, and live your own life. Two, confront her. Ask her for the truth. Demand it."

    I shook my head. "No. No. No way." I tried to calm myself. "Besides...that won''t stop her from lying. Yea..how can I trust a lady''s word when she almost killed me herself? I must be crazy."

    Zeke chuckled and patted my head. "Not crazy. Just a kid. You''ll learn in time who to trust." He glanced at the bleachers. "We should get back to Noah. He''s worried."

    I nodded. Noah''s always worried about me. He''s another brother I would like to have. It''s nice to hear him consider me as one of his real brothers...but I want to know what my biological brother is like too.

    We went back to the bleacher and found Noah munching on cookies. Homemade cookies. From Mrs. Atkins.

    "Are you eating all the cookies?" Zeke squinted at him.

    Noah gulped. "I was stress eating. You were taking so long in bringing him back... I was close to calling Mom and Dad. You wouldn''t be allowed to babysit ever again."

    Zeke rolled his eyes and snatched away the bag of cookies. "Were you even watching the game?"

    Noah nodded. He wiped the crumbs off his lips. "Yes. Diligently. Bottom of the fourth: fly out to right, strikeout, strikeout. Top of the fifth: strikeout, fly out to right, standing double, flyout to center." He looked to me. "Are you okay? You just took off again."

    I felt my face heat up. I can''t even stop embarrassing myself. "I''m okay now. Just...just thinking what it would be like to have a dad that stayed."Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

    Noah didn''t look surprised, but his answer shocked me. "You have a dad that stays. My dad. He can be your dad too."

    I made a face that said I didn''t believe him.

    "He''s a father figure to you, right?"

    I nodded. Mr. Atkins is what I hope to be when I grow up. Strong. Steady. Un-afraid.

    "Then why can''t he be your dad too?"

    I frowned. "I can''t just call every father figure my dad. That''d be weird." I lowered my voice. "And what if...I get attached? It would hurt more to leave. It''s best to leave him as Mr. Atkins." And your mom is Mrs. Atkins.

    "You don''t have to worry about that." Noah waved away my worried. "They said you''re staying with us for long term. Wouldn''t the next stop be adoption? We can adopt you!"

    Zeke turned to us. "Are you two watching? Don''t think I paid for this just for fun. It''s to learn."

    Noah quieted down and our eyes went to the field. I caught Zeke glancing at us for a longer period of time, but was scared that it was a trap so I didn''t dare turn.

    My thoughts went back to what Noah said. Adoption. That''d be nice. I wonder what it takes to be adopted by your foster family? That could be something else to look up. Adoption process.

    That and Patterson. I need to start getting some answers. I wonder if it would be hard to look up a famous ball player''s family? It should be listed somewhere...like in a biography.

    Brady continued to shut out Servite. A swinging strikeout. Another well hit double to left-center. Then two more strikeouts. Crazy. He''s getting all of them to swing. He already had nine strikeouts in five innings. Sanchez wasn''t far behind with seven. Close game. Still tied at zero.

 395 Golden West @ Servite (5)

    Top of the sixth. Servite was letting Sanchez stay in the game even though he''s given up four hits and a walk. I guess as long as he doesn''t give up a run, it wouldn''t be right to take out a pitcher that''s doing well.

    He started with the third batter in the lineup. The batter connected, but it was a grounder to second. The second baseman smoothly fielded it for the first out.

    "Do you think there''ll be extra innings?" I asked Noah.

    "No way." Noah said. "Someone''s bound to give up at some point. They''re both good teams. And yea, both are good pitchers, but both have hitters."

    As if to prove his point, the cleanup hitter for Golden West connected on a fastball, sending it out to the field. To the outfield. To the outfield fence. And then...over it. Home run!

    Noah smirked at me as the Golden West fans cheered. "Called it."

    I rolled my eyes. "You got lucky."

    The cleanup hitter jogged the bases, pumping his fist almost like it was a walkoff. Too bad there''s still an inning and a half to be played.

    The pitching coach came out again to speak with Sanchez, but I wouldn''t say it helped much. The next two batters both connected and sent long, scary, fly balls to right field. Sanchez really relied on his outfielders today. They stopped a bunch of would-be runs and hits. The right fielder caught both fly balls at the warning track.

    "He''s getting tired." Willie spoke up.

    "Who? Sanchez?" Noah leaned forward. "Still looks like he has the speed though.."

    "Location and control are more important than speed right now. If he''s throwing pitches that are easy to read, then the result won''t be pretty." Willie was writing on his notepad as he explained. "It''s just something he has to work on."

    "Just take it as: he''s not unbeatable." Zeke told us.

    "Are you saying that Brady is?" Noah looked up at him.

    "Not really. There''s always a way to beat someone. Garret suffered a loss. Every pitcher can have a bad day." Zeke looked down at the field as Golden West took the field and a Servite batter stepped up.

    Brady was showing signs of fatigue as well. It didn''t help that he had to start with the top of the lineup. The first batter was the leadoff guy again...he had doubled at his last at-bat, proving that Brady isn''t perfect. He''s just good. The batter sent a high fly to right, but it was short. The right fielder jogged forward a few steps then made the catch.

    The second batter also made contact after getting pushed to an 0-2 count. He grounded out to the second baseman.

    Before the next batter stepped up, Servite''s head coach came out of the dugout and talked to the ump. The ump wrote something down on a tiny notepad before speaking with someone in the stands.

    "Pinch hitter." Zeke told me and Noah. "Look how he''s holding the bat." He pointed at the player that was prepared to step up to home plate.

    "He''s a lefty." I mumbled.

    "Like Willie said before, lefties have an advantage against a submarine pitcher. At the very least, they''re not at a disadvantage." Zeke told us.

    "Do you think they''ll tie it up?" Noah asked. "Will there really be extra innings?"

    "I doubt it will be a home run." Zeke said. "If this lefty was capable enough, he would have been in the starting lineup. I won''t say it''s impossible, but it''s highly unlikely."

    The Servite coach went back to his dugout, leaving his pinch hitter at the plate to do his job. And he did it well; the lefty was able to smack a single just out of reach of the second baseman. He rounded first, but the center fielder was able to get the ball in quick.

    Servite fans started to get rowdy, cheering for their home team.

    The Servite coach came out of the dugout again and repeated the whole process of putting a pinch hitter in, once more.

    "Another lefty?" Noah asked. "How many do they have?"

    "It''s normal for a good varsity team to have a few lefties, even if they''re on the bench. You have to prepare for all eventualities." Zeke explained.

    The second lefty proved that it was smart to put him in. He smacked a hard grounder in the wider gap between first and second. It was wider because the first baseman had to stay near first base to try and hold the runner.

    The Servite fans cheered even louder as they saw the player run from first, tagged second, and headed to third. With the throw coming from right field and with them already having two outs, the batter played it safe and stopped at first base.

    The throw came from right field to the second baseman, who made a somewhat long throw to third. It looked almost further than if I threw home.

    "Safe!" The ump declared.

    Servite fans were ecstatic.

    I turned to Noah. "Can we practice some relay throws tomorrow at the park? Like you can be the outfielder, and throw to me. Then I''ll practice throwing to third base or home plate."

    Noah looked surprised. "Sure, we can do that!"

    This time the Servite coach didn''t step out to put in another pinch hitter. He left the fifth batter to his own devices.

    "No more lefties?" Noah asked.

    "How many do you think there could be..?" Zeke raised an eyebrow. "How many do we have?"

    "Two." Noah mumbled, eyes on the pitcher.

    "And Jake isn''t even a real lefty." Zeke pointed out.

    We watched as the batter worked the count against Brady. 2-2, he connected. It was a fast grounder between first and second. The second baseman dived in the dirt, coming up with the ball, then threw to first. Out. Inning over.

    Noah sighed. "That''s too bad."

    I looked at him. "Were you cheering for Servite..?"

    Noah looked incredulously at me. "Of course! Remember?? I told you that Servite has to beat Golden West to even the standings. We lost to them, so we need them to lose now. And then we''ll beat them the second time around so they''ll have two losses. That would be best." He let out a sigh.

    "It''s fine." Zeke told me after glancing at us and the depression that radiated from Noah. "Even if they don''t lose today, they have to play Servite again. And play us again. As long as we don''t lose again, we''ll win league."

    "High hopes, huh?" Willie smiled back at us. "What I wouldn''t give to be your age again. So hopeful and optimistic."

    "Are you saying we can''t do it??" Noah glared at the man.

    "Of course I wouldn''t say that. It''s just, you boys give me the feeling of youth. Don''t quit. Keep working to your dream." He turned back to the field. "A pitcher change.." He started to take notes again.

    I looked to the field. Sure enough, the Servite coach was talking to his team on the mound, waiting for the pitcher to come from the bullpen. He arrived at the mound and received the ball.

    "One inning too late." Willie mumbled under his breath.

    "Why do you say that?" Noah asked.

    Willie pointed at a name on his notepad.

    "Ernest J. Williamson." Noah read aloud. His face scrunched up as a smile took over his face. "Ernest?" He busted out laughing. "What an old fashioned name."

    I started to laugh too, just not as loud and as noticeable as Noah. He was attracting attention from other fans.

    "Now on the mound for Servite, Ernest J. Williamson." The announcer said for everyone to hear.

    Noah laughed harder. Seeing that no one else was laughing besides a few Golden West fans, I tried to contain myself.

    Once Noah got a hold of himself, he poked Willie. "So? What''s so special about him? Would it have made a difference if they brought him in an inning earlier?"

    Willie grinned, not bothered by Noah''s laughter and disruption. "He''s currently the best relief pitcher in California. A bona fide closer."

    "That''s a little dramatic." Noah made a face. "How can you say he''s the best in the whole state?"

    "Because he hasn''t given up a run." Zeke spoke up. "Not even to me."

 396 Golden West @ Servite (6)

    Noah''s jaw dropped. Mine too. We looked at Zeke in a whole new light. There''s someone he hasn''t scored on? But then I remembered what was said before, Zeke had trouble against Servite. A slump. Because they had really good pitchers.

    "If he''s so good, why doesn''t he pitch the whole game?" Noah folded his arms across his chest.

    "He was a starter last year." Zeke said. "Now, as a senior, he wants to stick with being a closer. That''s what he has set his sights on. And it seems to be working."

    "But why?"

    Zeke shrugged. "Maybe he''s afraid of doing too much and injuring himself. Look at Rhys. He lost a years worth of baseball. Not everyone thinks that high school ball is important." Zeke looked to me. "Go down and get a better look. Try and get to stand right behind the fence."

    I stood up and started to do what he asked.

    Noah stood up as well. "I''ll go with. Just in case someone tries to yell at you."

    "Thanks." I smiled lightly.

    We went down the bleacher and got close to the fence. Noah found a spot for us to stand, just to the right of the umpire.

    "Let''s go E.J.!" From our spot, we could hear the Servite dugout clearly. "Shut them out and shut them down!"

    That''s exactly what he did. It was three up, three down for Golden West. Ernest only used nine pitches, all in the zone. It was like his pitch could avoid any swing and could move on its own.

    "Why the frown?" Noah nudged me. "Is he formidable in your eyes?"

    I looked at him. "Anyone that can make Zeke struggle, scares me. And.." I frowned. "Something about his pitching bugs me. Was it the ball movement? Or the way he threw?

    Noah patted my shoulder as we turned around to go back up the bleacher. "We play them Thursday. That''ll give you a few days to think it over."

    I don''t think that''s enough time. As soon as we got back to Zeke, he was looking at me expectantly. I was helpless though. "It was weird."

    "Yea, I think so too." He agreed so easily, surprising me. "What did you think?"

    I shrugged as I sat down. "I''m not too sure. I guess, nothing. It''s more of a feeling. A feeling that something isn''t right." His speed was high, but not high enough to make me worry.

    "Don''t think about it too much." Zeke knocked me on the head. "I just wanted you to get a feel for it before Thursday. It''s not like he''ll pitch the whole game. We''ll have to settle on getting an early lead and then holding it."

    I nodded in agreement. Ernest only faced the last three batters of Golden West''s lineup, but I felt like he could do it to any three.

    Brady came onto the mound for the bottom of the seventh. Just three outs away from winning the game. He stayed consistent and tight, not letting any wild pitches happen by mistake. Groundout to short. A swinging strikeout. Then a short fly out to center. They won. Golden West won the away game at Servite. They had also beaten us at home. They definitely had the advantage in the standings now.

    Zeke had us wait in our seats until the crowd started to disperse.

    Willie was also staying in his seat. Same with a few others.

    "Are they also scouts?" Noah asked Willie.

    He nodded. "Yep. Common for big games like this. Especially with well known players like Brady, Sanchez, and Williamson."

    "Are you staying to talk to any of them?" Noah questioned, wanting to know more.

    "Not me." Willie shook his head. "It''s enough that I got to watch them in person. I''ll send my report in to my boss, but all of today''s significant players were pitchers. We currently have good pitchers coming up in the system so it''s not our main focus." He eyes Zeke. "I''ll see you next week to see how you boys fair against Servite."

    "We''ll be crushing it." Noah boasted.

    Zeke just nodded in response.

    Willie laughed, then got up and headed out as well.

    We didn''t wait long after he left until we got up to leave as well. Just as we were exiting, we came across Golden West, who were preparing to get on their bus back to their school.

    Some of them looked our way. Probably thanks to Zeke. He was so tall and noticeable.

    Noah made a face of disgust when he saw they were looking. "I can''t wait for the rematch with them." He glanced at me. "You can''t get sick anymore, understand?"

    I nodded obediently.

    Zeke led us back to the car and drove us home. After spending most of the day at the field, I was kind of tired, but mostly hungry. Technically I had nothing in my stomach after throwing it all up.

    Coincidentally, Mr. and Mrs. Atkins arrived at home the same time we did in the late afternoon.

    "How was it?" Mr. Atkins asked.

    "It was alright." Noah replied before looking to his mom. "What''s for dinner? I''m starving."

    "How can you be starving when you ate the majority of the snacks?" Zeke rolled his eyes.

    "You didn''t share?" Mrs. Atkins raised an eyebrow at her youngest.

    Noah looked away, feeling guilty. "Well, Jake got sick. Then he and Zeke were gone for so long. I was stress-eating."

    Mrs. Atkins immediately approached me. "Jake, you were feeling sick again? Was it stomach issues?"

    "No." I spoke up honestly. "We were just talking about dads and I felt sick to my stomach. Then I threw up. Then Zeke made me feel better." I looked at them, and found that both parents were still waiting. "That''s it. The end."

    Mr. Atkins laughed lightly and patted my head. "Okay. Just checking. As long as you feel better."

    "Just hungry." I answered.

    "I''ll go make some snacks." Mrs. Atkins hurried to the kitchen.

    "I see how it is, Mom!" Noah called after her. He shook his head. "I get no respect around here."

    I laughed as Mr. Atkins and Zeke rolled their eyes at him. They both went to the office room after Zeke mentioned that Willie was at the game.

    "Let''s do our ab workout after dinner." Noah told me as we walked in our room. He sat at his desk and started his laptop. "I want to look up how adopting a foster kid works." He eyed me. "If that''s okay with you?"

    I nodded enthusiastically. "I want to know too."

    Noah grinned. "Good. We''ll figure out how to tell Mom and Dad once we do the research. They won''t need too much convincing."

    I shuffled my feet. "What if...I put them in an awkward spot? What if they don''t want to adopt me?"

    "Have you met my mom and dad?" Noah laughed. "They like you so why would they say no? Come here...let''s see what we got to get them to do." Noah started to tap on the laptop.

    "Boys." Mrs. Atkins''s voice could be heard outside our door. Noah immediately shut the laptop. "I have some snacks ready for you two on the dining table. If you don''t eat soon, you won''t be hungry for dinner."

    "Yes, Mom." Noah answered. He stood up and whispered to me. "Another time then."

    I nodded.

 397 Morning Surprise

    I was slightly disappointed that we never got to look up what it takes to adopt a kid in the foster system. After our snacks, the twins both came home with friends in tow. Kyle was dropped off by Marie, but met with Dave and company at the door. Dave brought Garret, Alex, and Kelvin home to show off the mechanical backstop in the backyard.

    Noah and I ended up watching them play with it in the backyard. Playing soon became a competition of who can throw the fastest.

    "Oh yea! Still amazing!" Garret flexed his biceps after the machine flashed a ''93'' after his fifth try.

    "Move away!" Kyle pushed him away. "Let me try again." Kyle kept repeating that, but couldn''t get faster than ''90''.

    Dave was competing as well, but he wasn''t trying to throw his hardest. I don''t know if he was scared he would hurt himself before Monday''s game or if he just knew he couldn''t compete with Garret and Kyle.

    "I wanna try!" Noah jumped up and tried to squeeze in.

    I sat on the side with Kelvin and Alex. They weren''t really interested in who could throw the fastest.

    "No way. You''re not even a pitcher." Kyle flicked Noah on the head.

    "Are you saying only pitchers can throw fast?" Noah rubbed his forehead. "Because, I bet, that Zeke can throw faster than any of you."

    "Yea? Where is Zeke?" Garret asked. "I want to see how fast he can throw."

    "I''ll go get him!" Noah ran inside to go find the oldest Atkins brother.

    "Do you want to give it a shot, Jake?" Kelvin asked.

    "Ha...ha..." I laughed weakly. "No...I''m good."

    "You''re the opposite of Noah." Garret laughed. "He was so eager to try and you...not so much."

    I scrunched up my nose. "I know I throw slow...I don''t need a machine to tell me so." There''s also a chance that if I tried to throw my hardest, I could completely miss the backstop. That would be even more embarrassing.

    "You''ve got to let loose sometimes, Jake." Dave said.

    "Found him!" Noah burst back outside with Zeke right behind him.

    Zeke was sweating and probably came from weightlifting. "Someone said only pitchers can throw fast?" He raised an eyebrow at Kyle.

    Kyle tossed him a baseball. "Prove me otherwise. Garret threw a ''93''."

    Zeke smiled and made his way to what would be the imaginary mound. The three pitchers got out of the way and Noah came back to me. Zeke didn''t do the whole set up and pitching motion. Instead, he threw it like normal. The ball hit the backstop with speed well over 90mph. The machine flashed a ''99''.

    "Whattt?! It must be broken." Kyle''s jaw dropped. "No way can you throw 99mph."

    Zeke smirked. "Alright. Now that you kiddos know that speed doesn''t decide position, I''m going back to work." With a short wave, he went back inside the house.

    "Too amazing." Garret said.

    "Freakin fast." Noah mumbled. "I didn''t think he would blow Garret out of the water like that."

    "He can definitely throw someone out at home." Kelvin spoke up as well.

    Kyle looked to Noah. "Want to follow that up?"

    Noah shook his head. "No thanks. I rather have some dignity left."

    The guys laughed at his now reluctant behavior. The guys stayed for dinner at Mrs. Atkins invitation, causing the dinner table to be extra loud and crowded.

    Yet...for once, I felt comfortable with it. I was squished between Dave and Noah with Garret on the other side of Noah. It wasn''t as awful as before, when I would feel uncomfortable and crippled by anxiety.

    Sunday was filled with the normal craziness of the Atkins family. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins both hurried out the door to work,to sell houses. Meanwhile, Noah convinced his brothers to spend the day at the park to help me work on relay throws. The twins only acquiesced after negotiations on what they can get out of it. Noah had to promise them that they could pitch against me, and Noah had to play catcher.

    Of course, with Noah being Noah, he told me to hit every pitch so he wouldn''t have to do anything behind the plate. I didn''t think it was a good idea, but Noah just can''t pass up a chance to put down his older brothers.

    Sure enough, the twins weren''t happy about it. It was funny to see Kyle chase Noah around the playground...up until he turned his attention on me.

    "You!" He pointed at me from a distance. "You don''t get to just sit back and smile. You definitely played the biggest part in this. How dare you drag down our self esteem? What kind of little brother are you?"

    My heart felt warm, as did my face. It last until I saw Kyle running at me. I quickly took off and followed Noah''s instructions, trying to lose him in the playground. Except, I wasn''t very adept at playing on a jungle gym like the Atkins were. Kyle easily trapped me and started his attack.

    I''ve never been tickled before, but I was always squeamish when it came to people touching me. Mostly out of fear, but I was getting better with the Atkins. They really showed that I could trust them..when it came to anything. Maybe when Noah helps me look up how to get adopted, I''ll tell him about my brother. My blood-related brother.

    Monday morning, I was shaken awake; which isn''t uncommon, but the fact that the lights were off really made it weird. At first I thought Noah was waking me up because I was having a nightmare, but instead, I saw the silhouette of a twin.

    It was hard to tell which one it was in the dark, but then I heard a hiss, "Noah, wake up. It''s time." That must be Kyle waking Noah and Dave must be in front of me.

    Noah was slow at first, but with Kyle''s urging, he hurried out of bed. The sun had yet to rise, but for some reason we were all awake?

    "Here." Dave put something in my hand. I found it to be a party popper. "We''re going to wake up Zeke with these."

    I could faintly see Kyle smiling, but not with kindness. "Payback is finally here." From what? I''m not too sure? But the twins and Noah were all excited.

    Kyle led the way out of our room. Then Dave. Noah. Me. We tiptoed to the big bonus room that the twins shared with Zeke. While they had shared a bunk bed, Zeke had his own twin bed on the other side. The twins lined up closest to Zeke''s head, Noah and I followed. Kyle held up three fingers, and then counted down. Three, two, one!

    The twins pulled their poppers, and a loud pop sounded throughout the quiet room. Zeke''s eyes opened wide and he sat up, just in time for Noah to pull his party popper and the streamers went into Zeke''s face. Zeke blinked. Rubbed his eyes and looked around, finding the four of us by his bedside.

    Noah looked to me. "Hey! You didn''t do it!"

    Of course not. I was still half-asleep. I pulled the string at his urging and more confetti exploded onto Zeke.

    Kyle nodded in satisfaction. "Happy birthday!"

    "Happy birthday!" Dave and Noah echoed.

    I mumbled something too, but was feeling too tired to be direct.

    Zeke shook the confetti out of his hair and let it spill onto his bed. "Heh. Seems like you guys have a lot of energy this morning."

    I shivered and so did Noah.

    Dave took action, pushing Zeke back down into his bed and pulling his covers back over his body. "Okay, we were just celebrating. You can go back to sleep now! Goodnight!" He basically tucked in Zeke to prevent Zeke from chasing him. He quickly exited the room and the three of us weren''t far behind.

    All four of us went back to the room I shared with Noah. The three of them were cracking up and stifling their giggles, and it seemed like only I was worried.

    "Did you see his face?" Kyle laughed.

    "He was like the someone possessed by the devil!" Dave joined in.

    With their excitement it was hard to feel anymore fear. Maybe Zeke was only half awake like me and will probably forget by breakfast time. I crawled back into bed as the three stooges continued to laugh.

 398 Payback

    It honestly felt like I had only blinked before having to wake up again.

    Mrs. Atkins was calling out to us from the doorway. I cracked an eye open and saw her shaking her head. "You boys..." I followed her line of sight and saw the twins sharing Noah''s comforter on the floor. They were, apparently, too scared to go back to their own beds after messing with Zeke. "If you all don''t get moving, you''re going to be late to school." She left.

    With that ominous prediction, everyone stirred.

    "You guys don''t think..." Kyle trailed off.

    Dave picked up right where he left off. "That Zeke would leave us? I wouldn''t be surprised." He jumped up. "Let''s move!" He ran out of the room with Kyle following right behind him.

    Noah also jumped out of bed and started to pull clothes out of his dresser. "Jake! Come on! Hurry up!" He pulled out clothes for me too before running to the bathroom with his clothes.

    Seeing the three of them worried, had me worried. Stressed, I got up and shut the door to get dressed privately. Then I hurried out with my backpack and joined the twins downstairs just in time to hear them complaining to their parents.

    "Why not?"

    "Are you really making us?"

    Just as they spotted me, I was brought up.

    "What about Jake?" Dave asked. "You''re really going to make him walk?"

    "Yea, Mom! Are you really going to be so cruel to Jake?" Kyle added.

    I don''t know what exactly was going on, but it didn''t sound good. I looked to Mrs. Atkins, scared of what she might tell me to do.

    Mrs. Atkins bit her lip, also showing some worry. She looked to her husband. "Wayne...maybe-"

    "No, Mary. No special treatment." Mr. Atkins said from his spot at the table. He looked at me just awkwardly standing in the doorway. "Jake, hurry up and sit down. You need to eat breakfast before you have to walk to school."

    I sat down obediently, not really understanding why I had to walk to school. But I didn''t want to be late so I should eat while I can.

    "What?! We''re really walking?!" Noah shouted as he joined us at the table. "Did Zeke leave?"

    Mr. Atkins lips twitched. "He left early this morning. Said he couldn''t fall back asleep thanks to some pests." He eyed all four of us. "Then, for a birthday wish, he asked us to deny you boys a ride to school."

    "That''s not fair Dad!" Noah pouted.

    Mr. Atkins chuckled. "I warn you boys all the time about pulling pranks...you have to be prepared to face the consequences."

    Dave pulled out his cellphone. "Fine. If you guys aren''t playing fair, then neither are we. I''ll call for a ride." He dialed and put the phone on speaker so he could still eat.

    "Hey.." Garret answered with an awkward tone.

    "Garret, can you give me and Kyle, Noah, and Jake a ride to school today?" Dave asked.

    "You know I usually would...but..." He paused. "Zeke sent out a mass text to the team this morning. No one is allowed to give you guys a ride."

    "Are you serious?" Dave asked, eyes wide, staring at his phone.

    "No one''s willing to risk punishment when Zeke is so set on making you guys walk. It''s only two or three miles right? No biggie."

    "I''m calling Marie." Kyle declared, pulling out his own phone.

    Dave picked up his phone and took Garret off speaker. "Garret, he''s just mad because we celebrated his birthday a little bit." He stood up and headed to the living room. "I need you to do me a favor since you''re not willing to help." He got out of earshot.

    "Hey Marie..." Kyle started to talk on the phone, obviously reaching Marie. "I know it''s early, but me and the boys are looking for a ride to school..?" A slight pause. "Well, Zeke left us. He''s just mad about a small prank. I''ll tell you about it when you get here." Another pause..just a bit longer. "We can fit. It''s only for a few miles. Zeke took our baseball bags so it''s just us and backpacks. We''ll put them in the trunk."

    This time there was a longer pause. "Jake might need the front seat, but me and the other two will be okay to squeeze in the back. And Kaylee will understand."

    Hearing my name, I was put on high alert. I eyed Kyle until he finished his phone call.

    He was smiling. "Good news, we have a ride."

    "Yes!" Dave came back into the kitchen just in time to overhear him.

    "Bad news, Marie drives a VW Bug." He looked me in the eyes. "It''s small. Four person car."

    It took me a second to do the math. Four person car...six people.

    "Marie''s going to talk to Kaylee about sitting in the back with us." Kyle hurried to tell me. "You can have the front passenger seat to yourself."

    Oh. I stabbed some fruit with my fork. "Thanks."

    "I don''t think that''s very smart or safe." Mrs. Atkins looked a little worried about Kyle''s plan.

    Kyle grinned. "Guess you''ll have to live with the consequences of not giving us a ride to school, Mom."

    "Kyle." Mr. Atkins said in a disapproving voice. "Don''t make me forbide you getting a ride. I can and will force you to walk if you take that tone with me or your mother again."

    Kyle fought back the urge to roll his eyes and put his focus on eating now that we don''t have to rush.

    "It''s only a couple of miles Mom." Dave tried to comfort her. "Don''t worry so much. It''s all suburbs too. Jake will be buckled in safely up front, and the rest of us in the back will make the seatbelts stretch."

    "Okay." She caved. "I want you boys to be on your best behavior then. Don''t distract Marie at all."

    The four of us ate in a more relaxed manner, knowing that we didn''t have to waste time walking to school. We even had some time to kill as we waited for Marie to show.

    Kyle''s phone dinged as a text came in. "Okay she''s outside. Bye mom!" He was the first one out.

    "Bye! See you at the game!" Dave waved.

    "Okay, see you boys later! Good luck today!" She walked me and Noah to the door. She glanced down at Noah. "Are you alright, Noah? You''ve been quiet for the most part and that''s unlike you." She reaches for his head.

    Noah lifted his backpack. "I''m good. Just a little tired. C''mon Jake. Bye Mom!" He tugged my sleeve and out we went.

    I have to agree with her though...Noah wasn''t as outspoken as he usually is. He just dragged me to the small car in the driveway. The twins had already put their bags in the trunk before squeezing in the back.

    Noah and I put our bags in the trunk too before closing it.

    Kaylee got out of the front passenger seat. She smiled at us. "Ready to get close and uncomfortable, Noah?"

    Noah laughed as he got in first. "I''ll let you sit by the window so the twins don''t breathe on you too much. Who knows if they brushed their teeth."

    Kaylee laughed and got in as well. They coordinated and cooperated to put on a seatbelt the best that they could.

    I looked at the front passenger seat, feeling a little scared.

    "Good morning, Jake." Marie greeted lightly. She didn''t rush me, and just chatted with Kyle by turning her head.

    After a minute of telling myself that it was only a five minute drive, I was able to get in and buckle up.

    "So, what''d you guys do to piss off Zeke to this extent?" Kaylee asked as Marie started to drive.

    Noah gave her the rundown of our early morning prank.

    "That''s not so bad." Kaylee shrugged.

    Noah laughed. "You don''t know what it''s like to wake up the beast from his beauty sleep. Jake was legit shaking."

    "Jake shakes all the time." She laughed. "No offense Jake."

    I shrugged. "None taken." Because it was true.

    "Do you think he''s over it now? Or will we be in more trouble for getting a ride?" Kyle asked his twin.

    Dave grinned, evilly I might add. He was up to no good again. "Doesn''t matter. He''ll be mad when he gets his next gift from me."

    "What''d you do?" Noah asked.

    "I enlisted Garret to help me grab some things from the store since he couldn''t give us a ride." Dave snickered. "Just wait until later. You''ll be able to notice Zeke in the crowd of students."

 399 Direction

    With Marie driving, we didn''t have to walk up to the school from the lower lot. She parked close to the building and hopped out, opening up her trunk for us. I also got out and then the four in the back squeezed out as well.

    We heard a couple of laughs not far away and spotted some of the softball girls.

    "It''s almost like a clown car." One laughed as the twins stretched out. Being six feet tall, they really were squished into such a small space in a small car.

    I felt guilty, glancing at the front seat.

    Marie shot them a look and the other girls scattered.

    We grabbed our bags and started to go our own ways.

    "Look out for Zeke today!" Dave grinned at me and Noah right before we split from them. "Maybe walk by his locker at lunch to get a laugh."

    Noah nodded and gave him a thumbs up. "Try not to die before the game." He laughed to himself and we walked towards our class.

    "We''re not really going to walk by his locker later, are we?" I asked. "What if Zeke thinks we had something to do with that too?"

    Noah shook his head. "We might as well sneak a peek. He''ll probably think we had some part in it anyways. This is how birthdays are in the house." He slung his arm around my shoulders. "Better get used to it."

    I sucked in a huge gulp of air. "You mean...you think I''ll still be with you guys for my birthday..?" My birthday was months away. Half a year. All the way in October. That means all of summer break and the start of the new school year with the Atkins.

    "Yea, I really think so!" Noah nodded. "I know we never got around to looking up adoption requirements this past weekend, but we can start today. Zeke''s locker is near the library. Just on the way. So we''ll take a look at what Dave put together for him and then go to a computer in the library."

    "Can we eat in the library?" I asked. I was also wondering if I could get a chance to look up Patterson. Maybe if Noah wants to go eat, I''ll have a chance.

    "We can just eat on the bus ride to OLU." Noah shrugged. "We leave right after anyways." He made a face. "I swear my math teacher hates me because we''ve been missing so many afternoons." He smiled at me. "But I can count on you to tutor me if I need help before finals right?"

    I nodded. "Sure. I don''t mind. Math is easy."

    Noah rolled his eyes.

    I laughed to myself. With him loving baseball so much, you''d think that he would see how much math was involved in the sport. But I guess Noah is more of an "all instinct player" than anything.

    We went to our classroom and sat down. We had a packed morning before we could make any progress with anything else. The closer we got to lunch, the more my stomach filled with butterflies.

    A lot of ''what ifs'' were making it hard to concentrate during class. What if foster parents can''t adopt? What if they don''t really want to adopt me? What if I have to wait until they find my dad? What if Noah gets into a fight with his parents if they say no?

    I was scared to find out, but anxious to find out at the same time.

    We dumped the books we wouldn''t need today for homework and then headed for the library. Noah led the way, making sure to pause by a tree in the center of the quad area.

    He pointed to some outdoor lockers. "Oh geez! Look what Dave did."

    I turned and was about to ask what, but it became obvious. Glaringly obvious. There was only one locker that had pink barbie wrapping paper plastered to it, with matching balloons all tied to it. A few girls were taking pictures and posing at the locker like it was part of a photo shoot.

    Noah shook his head. "I can only imagine what Zeke will do next." He chuckled. "I bet he''s too scared to go to his locker with all those girls surrounding it."

    I didn''t think so. Zeke wasn''t afraid of anything, let alone some girls that wanted to take pictures with all that pink.

    "Let''s get going before he catches us over here. It would be too suspicious." Noah turned.

    "Why would you be afraid to get caught if you weren''t afraid when you committed the crime?" A stern voice asked.

    I jumped back in surprise, bumping the tree and Noah flinched.

    "Zeke..." He squeaked out. "What are you doing here?"

    Zeke raised an eyebrow. "Just heading to my locker. I''m surprised you guys were able to put this together on such short notice."

    "It wasn''t me!" Noah straightened up right away. I mimicked him. "We''re just an innocent passerby." Then he went on the attack. "And you can''t be mad, because we''re mad at you for ditching us this morning. You were really going to make us walk! On a game day! What if we tripped and twisted an ankle or got hit by a car?! Uncool."

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "I knew Kyle would call Marie for a ride after the team told you no. Don''t be such a brat."

    "Sureeee, you say that now." Noah glanced at me and nodded towards the building. "Well, we have to get going. Some homework to do before we leave for the game. See ya on the bus." He turned away and hurried to the library.

    I followed closely, Not willing to be left behind with Zeke. Especially if he''s in a bad mood. I glanced back just in time to see him smiling lightly in the direction of his locker. Maybe he wasn''t that mad. A twinge in my heart gave me a clue...Zeke was probably happy that his brothers cared enough to even celebrate.

    No one has ever celebrated my birthday. I wouldn''t mind being pranked like this even if the embarrassment drowned me.

    "Jake? Where''s your head at?" Noah called out.

    I looked at him. "I''m here."

    "You''re here  but you''re not  here ." He said as he opened the door to the school library. He led me to the row of computers against the wall. "You do that often...just drifting away mentally."

    I shrugged. "We''re about to look up some sensitive information. What if it isn''t good news..?"

    Noah shot me a look of disdain. "Don''t be such a pessimist. Worst case scenario, we pray your dad doesn''t come. If he doesn''t come, you don''t have to leave." He sat in front of the computer and started to enter the school login info.

    I pulled up a chair so I could also see clearly. Noah''s words didn''t necessarily cheer me up. Ever since my talk with Mr. Atkins, I was torn whether I wanted my dad to come back or not. At the very least...I wanted answers.

    Noah went straight to Google and started to input the keywords: ''adoption in California while being a foster parent''.

    It''s funny to think that Mr. and Mrs. Atkins were technically already my set of ''parents''. They were my legal guardians.

    "A year long process!?" Noah mumbled angrily. I read along the lines of the article he clicked on. Adoption was really a long process, which makes sense I guess. You''re basically giving kids away. The government probably wants to make sure the parents aren''t murderers, molesters, and the sort.

    Adopting wasnt just a long process, it was also expensive and time consuming. I cringed at the estimated $2000.

    Noah comforted me. "Don''t worry about that. Mom and Dad do well as realtors. Especially when the market is good like this."

    "But the market isn''t always good." I whispered.

    Noah waved his hand as if he could wave away those concerns. "Never mind that. The hard part is getting Mom and Dad to take the extra classes. And then the boys also need to pass an interview with your social worker so we''ll start with them. Gotta make sure they''re okay splitting the inheritance one more slice."

    I cringed. "I don''t need inheritance. It''s not like I''m really their son. I''ll just be happy staying here for all of high school."

    Noah hummed, uncommitted. Then his whole body twitched with excitement. I looked at the screen to see what he was reading now. It was an article specific to parents giving up their parental rights. It even mentions that parents in prison automatically lose their rights, which means my mom can''t take me back. But I knew that part...she almost killed me after all. She won''t be leaving jail anytime soon.

    Noah looked up with a smile. "This is it. This can speed up the process. We find your dad and have him sign away his rights. Then my parents can outright adopt you and can do away with the waiting period." He tapped his chin. "We need to find some clue. A lead to point us in the right direction." He looked at me expectantly.

    "What?" I shifted away from him, scared of what he wanted.

    "I know you don''t like talking about him...but you must have some idea of who he is, right?" Noah looked hopeful. Almost like it would be easy to get a signature and then bam, we would be brothers.

    "I don''t know him. No name." I paused. "I vaguely remember his face." In fact, I thought Jeremy Patterson was him. But that player is too young. I bit my lip; this could be a good time to tell Noah about my brother. My blood related brother who might be a baseball player on his favorite team.

 400 Game @ OLU (1)

    I wasn''t able to tell him. The library was too quiet, yet there were plenty of ears. If I said anything, I''m sure Noah would flip out, either in excitement or anger and then others would find out. It''s not like I know anything for sure just yet. Maybe after the game, when we get back home. It''d be easier to look up this player and his past with Noah''s help. We could use his computer and he would know where to look to find his biography or something.

    ...do young players have a biography at this point?

    "What are you frowning over?" Noah asked. We were on the bus to OLU; our lunches on our laps.

    I shrugged. "Nothing." After a second. "I''ll tell you later."

    Noah eyed me, but didn''t say anything else. He just went back to eating.

    I did the same. The game against OLU was sure to be as tight and as close as last time. We''re two teams on the same level. No crushing defeat in sight. I only went 1-2 with a walk in the game against them. Today, I would try and do more. I''d have to. I still felt a little guilty for the team losing when I got sick.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 LF Garret Knudsen

    3 2B Jake Hollander

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 RF Mahki Holstrom

    6 1B Julian Wilson

    7 3B Jason Morris

    8 C Alex Farrell

    9 P Dave Atkins

    Coach announced the lineup formally as we prepared to take the field after warming up. OLU''s baseball field was similar to a mini-stadium. They had stadium seating instead of benches, and with the game starting just after their classes got out, it was filled with students. I couldn''t find Mr. and Mrs. Atkins at all.

    "It''s going to be the same pitcher as last time.." Noah said to me as we stood by the dugout entrance, helmets on, bats in hand.

    "He was effective and efficient against us." Garret patted Noah on the top of his helmet. "Come on. No need to discuss with Bambi. We have to start taking some practice swings before Coach catches you slacking."

    The two left me in the dugout as they went out to the on deck circle.

    I had trouble recalling the pitcher specifically...the most significant thing I remember about that game was that ugly error I made in the first inning, followed by a poor at-bat, which led to a scolding by Coach. Today would be different. I clenched my bat as Noah stepped up for his plate appearance.

    Noah let the first pitch pass by for a called strike. The crowd clapped and cheered like it was a strikeout. I warily looked around and found all the seats taken. There were kids that were even willing to stand around to watch.

    "Eye on the ball, Noah!" I heard Mr. Atkins booming voice.

    Noah stepped out of the box and took a deep breath and a practice swing, then stepped back in. The next pitch was another fastball headed for the strike zone. Noah swung all the way through, connecting with the ball, and watched as it flew towards right field. Noah didn''t take off running to first base though...it was a foul ball.

    The right fielder continued to sprint to the fence and caught the foul ball before bouncing off the fence. The crowd of students went wild, while our dugout groaned.

    Noah was almost glaring at his bat as he came to the dugout. Garret moved to the box and I moved to the on deck circle.

    Garret didn''t do any better than Noah. He struck out swinging at the fastballs, with the final pitch being in the dirt. Maybe he was a little to anxious too.

    We passed by each other and he patted me on the head. "Make him work."

    And I would. Coach told me before, the last time we played them, that I had something I was good at. I might as well put it to use. I let the noticeable balls pass and swung at anything close, making sure that my fouls were all grounders.

    Noah only used up two pitches and Garret used twice as much in his at-bat. They didn''t even reached double digits added together. I fouled so many pitches down the line, that my hands were starting to get numb. What really amazed me was the pitcher''s tenacity. He didn''t crumble, no ball in the dirt to give me a walk and no pitch aimed for my body. I guess it was still early so he had the energy to fight it out with me.

    When I felt my arms getting tired, I dug in and prepared to hit one to some open space. A quick scan of the field found me a spot up the middle. I smacked one down at the pitcher''s feet. He had just finished his motion so he wasn''t abled to get the fast grounder that was able to sneak by the middle infielders.

    I dropped the bat and ran to first base. I rounded the bag, but it was just for show. The center fielder came in and fielded the ball back quickly so I was stuck.

    "Way to go, Jake!"

    "Bring him home, Zeke!"

    Our dugout was happy to share in the excitement. Especially since it silenced the students of OLU.

    Zeke stepped up, and got set. The pitcher lifted his hat to wipe some forehead sweat and then pulled it back on. He started his motion, and threw his first pitch to Zeke. Zeke let it pass for a called strike.

    I squinted. Not because I couldn''t see, but because the pitcher threw a curve. It wouldn''t be so odd...if he had thrown one to me, Noah or Garret. Particularly since I had a really long at-bat against him.

    "Focus Jake." Coach Luis huffed.

    I snapped to attention. I was on first and needed to take a lead of the bag. Gotta try to distract the pitcher on the mound. I inched off and scooted slowly; only to realize the pitcher was right-handed so his back was to me. He just glanced over his shoulder, but that didn''t stop him from pitching to Zeke. Another curve. Zeke let it pass for a ball.

    The pitcher stuck to that curveball for Zeke''s whole at-bat. He would only glance over at me to make sure I wasn''t stealing before throwing to Zeke. Zeke swung on a full count, pulling it to the third baseline.

    The third baseman was playing close to the base and was able to field the grounder. I was sprinting to second as he threw to the second baseman. He was going for the forceout at second? I blanked.

    The throw and and the hall was faster than me. I was out at second and our offense was over. I turned back and went to the dugout to get ready for the bottom half of the inning.

    Dave was eager to be back on the mound. His first inning, officially back. He almost mirrored our own offense, getting the first batter to fly out to right field, but unlike Noah''s, it stayed fair. Whatever, an out is an out. The second batter struck out like Garret. Then the third batter got a hit like me, except it was a double to the left field corner. Dave cleaned it up though and got their cleanup hitter to strike out.

    0-0. End of the first.

 401 Game @ OLU (2)

    Top of the second started with Mahki. I sat beside Noah as we watched the bottom half of our lineup get ready.

    Seeing the opportunity to talk to Noah, I spoke up. "Hey...did you see that the pitcher only threw Zeke curveballs?"

    Noah nodded. "Yea, it''s probably a tactic or something."

    "What for?"

    Noah shrugged. "To try and get Zeke out? What other reason could there be?"

    "Does Zeke have trouble with the curve?"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "No way..."

    "But he just grounded out.."

    "That''s because you''re too slow!" Garret fake punched my shoulder, just knocking on me. "You need to stop being so scared out there, Bambi. You''ve been working on you''re running and sliding so why were you hanging so close to first base?"

    Oh, it''s because of me.. I slumped against the bench. "Sorry. I thought...Actually I don''t know what I was thinking. Maybe it''s a bad habit."

    "Don''t listen to him." Zeke said as he walked by. "I would have been out if he threw to first instead. Don''t worry about it. Move on." He didn''t stay long before going straight to Coach.

    "You must be his favorite." Garret laughed.

    Noah chuckled too, but before I could refute there was a loud ''ding'' coming from the field. We turned to watch as did the rest of our team.

    Mahki and hit a high fly to right field. The corner.

    "Go, go, go!" Garret jumped up and yelled, trying to direct the ball.

    The right fielder tried chasing it down but the ball dropped into the corner, bouncing off the outfield fence. He ran over, picked it up, and threw it back to the infield.

    Mahki, who had been sprinting this whole time was on his way to third. The cutoff man, their second baseman, received the ball, and turned to throw it to third.

    Mr. Miller was throwing his hands down to sign to Mahki that he needed to slide. Mahki dove head first at the base and used both arms to hug the base so he wouldn''t slide pass it.

    "Safe!" The umpire extended his arms.

    Our dugout made some noise, cheering for Mahki''s leadoff triple.

    Julian came up next.

    "Just get it to the outfield!" Noah cheered.

    Julian complied, hitting a fly ball to left field. As soon as the left fielder caught it, Mahki sprinted off third base and tagged home as the ball was thrown back to the infield. Julian had done a great job hitting the ball far enough so there wasn''t a play at the plate. 1-0.

    Our dugout welcomed those two back inside and gave out pats and high-fives, as Jason went up for his at-bat.

    The pitcher must have been tired or frustrated or both, because on the very first pitch, he nailed Jason with the ball. Luckily, Jason had turned away from the ball and it plunked him on the butt.

    Noah laughed and I tried not to join him. It shouldn''t be funny when a teammate gets hit.

    Jason rubbed his butt pitifully as he jogged to first. Alex moved to the batter''s box and Dave to the on deck circle.

    Noah reached for his helmet and put it on. He stood up and stretched with his bat in his hands. "Hopefully they''ll load the bases for me." He grinned.

    "Why?" Garret laughed. "So you could ground into a double play and end our half of the inning?"

    Noah shoved him on his way to Coach. "Jerk. Don''t jinx me." He went to stand in the hole.

    Alex smacked a line drive to center field on a 2-2 count, but the center fielder caught it with ease. Jason wasn''t abled to tag up on that at all. Just not enough time.

    Garret left me as well, with his bat and helmet to move in the hole, and Noah to the on deck circle.

    Dave wasn''t the best batter so I didn''t feel a need to get ready at all. I think I can count the number of times he has gotten a hit on one hand.

    On a 1-2 count, he was able to foul a few off, yet could only produce a grounder to the shortstop in the end.

    Everyone came back in order to switch to defense.

    "You couldn''t even get a walk?" Noah glared at Dave. "This was my chance to redeem myself for my first at-bat."

    Dave just smacked Noah''s helmet before going to his bag to switch out his gear.

    "Hit the cages young man!" Noah earned some laughs after shouting that towards Dave. He came back to me and quickly made the switch.

    "Should you really be giving him a hard time right now?" I asked as we took the field.

    "Why not?" Noah shrugged. "It''s not very often I can upstage my brothers. If you don''t do it, then I have to do it when I can. Otherwise they''ll grow giant egos and think they''re good or something."

    I chuckled. "It''s not like hitting is his forte."

    Noah grinned. "Not my problem. All I know, is that I''m batting better than two of my older brothers."

    I rolled my eyes as we split to go to our respective positions. Noah had a point, but not a really good one.

    Dave may suck in the batter''s box, but what he lacked in hitting, he made up for it in pitching. Not everyone could pitch. And it''s even harder to pitch well.

    In the bottom of the second, Dave came out strong, getting the first batter up to strikeout on three pitches. He was quick to push the next batter to an 0-2 count, but the batter connected on the next pitch.

    I tried to jump for it, but was too short. The ball bounced in the outfield between Zeke and Mahki. Zeke reached first and threw the ball back, straight to Noah at second to prevent the runner from moving forward.

    Dave didn''t let the hit get to him though, like Kyle would have. He just faced the next batter with the same aggressiveness as before. He struck out the next two batters on just six pitches. That means they were all in the zone and the batters just couldn''t do anything to him.

    "Okay Noah, better not let us down now." Dave smirked as we walked back to the dugout. "I did my job so you have to do yours."

    Noah''s lips twitched to fight off the smile. He ignored Dave and got his bat and helmet. He was first up.

    Garret and I also got ready and moved.

    Noah took his practice swings seriously as he kept an eye on the pitcher. Almost like he was trying to time his swing. Once he got in the batter''s box, his whole concentration was on the pitcher. He didn''t dig in the box so much and didn''t have wandering eyes.

    The pitcher started with a curve, but it was a ball. The next pitch was a fastball right down the middle...Noah didn''t swing. 1-1. Noah got set once more as the third pitch came. It was slightly high but still obviously within the zone. I clenched my own bat, praying that Noah would swing on such an easy pitch.

    ''Ding!''

    The ball soared over the first baseman''s head and dropped before the right fielder. Noah dropped his bat and sprinted to first, making it there safely.

    As Garret moved to the box, Noah stood on first base with pride, looking towards our dugout. He made eye contact with Dave and stuck out his tongue. I laughed and moved to the on deck circle.

 402 Game @ OLU (3)

    Garret was up next. He got in the lefty box and dug his back foot in. His actions made me cringe a little. I didn''t like it when the dirt in the batter''s box got soft; probably because I''m always on firm ground when hitting in the batting cages. I mean, it''s not as bad as the right-handed box, but now that Garret''s been batting almost every game, it''s getting on my nerves.

    I shook my head to get rid of those kind of thoughts. It''s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. I can just adjust where I stand in the box.

    The pitcher started Garret with a curve, getting him to swing and miss. Then again. On the 0-2 count, he switched to his fastball and blew it pass Garret. Garret didn''t even swing on that third pitch.

    "Out!" The ump pumped his fist, sending Garret back to the dugout.

    I could see the frustration in his eyes as we switched spots.

    Just as I was about to step in the batter''s box, the OLU coach came out of his dugout. I paused.

    The umpire met him halfway and I heard ''pitcher change'' before the coach went to the mound to take the ball from his starter.

    I backed up, knowing that the new pitcher would get to throw some pitches off the mound. Unsure of what to do or where to stand, I looked back to my own dugout.

    Zeke was near the on deck circle, holding his bat in one hand and waving me back with his other. I hurried over.

    "You look scared out there." He told me in a low tone so others couldn''t hear.

    I glanced at the new pitcher. "Not scared...just caught off guard." I straightened up. "I''ll make sure to make him work."

    Zeke gave me a small smile, and patted me on top of my helmet. "Good. Stay calm out there." He forcibly turned my head to the pitcher. "It''s best if you watch just to get an idea of his mechanics and motion."

    I obediently watched the new pitcher throw a few warmup pitches to his catcher. There was nothing that stood out to me. In fact, I thought he was slightly worse than the last pitcher. At the very least, not as fast.

    "Batter up." The ump waved for me to step up.

    I walked back to the lefty''s box and stepped in, finding a good spot that wasn''t effected by Garret''s digging in. Then I started my battle.

    The pitcher didnt throw very many balls, so I was pushed to a 1-2 count, before I started to foul the next few pitches. If the starter was still in, I probably wouldn''t push him so hard, but with a new pitcher, there''s a clean slate. I fouled ten in a row, earning quite a few cheers from my dugout.

    Yet the OLU crowd was cheering louder for their pitcher.

    Once I hit the 15th pitch, I started to look for a good spot to hit it to. I found the shortstop cheating towards second base like he was predicting that I would hit it up the middle. With that, I aimed for a grounder towards the gap between third and short.

    I made contact with the next pitch and sprinted for first, but to my surprise, the shortstop was able to stop my hit. From the dirt, he threw to second. The second baseman tagged the base before Noah could reach, and then threw me out at first.

    I was...stunned.

    I awkwardly stopped as OLU jogged off the field.

    "C''mon kid, lets get back to the dugout." Coach Luis patted my shoulder and steered me to our dugout.

    "Tough break."

    "It looked good."

    "Can''t do anything about that."

    My teammates passed on words of encouragement as they hurried to take the field.

    "I can''t believe you hit into a double play..." Dave shook his head. "And Noah got a hit. Is it Opposite Day?"

    "Leave him alone." Zeke flicked Dave on the ear, forcing him to move away. "Go take the mound."

    Dave grinned and jogged to his position.

    "Next time." Zeke told me as he left too.

    I went to my bag to grab my glove.

    Noah was there, switching his gear too. He looked at me. "Don''t worry, we still have the lead." Yea...a one run lead. "We need to work on some kind of sign so I know when you''re actually going to hit."

    I blinked. "What. Why?"

    Noah shrugged, looking helpless. "It would be nice not to have to sprint towards second base for every foul ball. By the time you actually hit, I''m going to be tired. Mentally and physically. And, if I knew you were swinging for reals, I would have taken a bigger lead."

    "Oh."

    Noah grabbed his glove. "We''ll talk about it later. Right now we have to take the field." He jogged out first.

    I switched my gear and followed behind.

    Dave started hot, getting the first batter up to strikeout looking. Granted, it was the ninth batter in the lineup so he shouldn''t have been too hard to handle. But then we moved to the top of lineup for the second go around. It proved to be a problem when Dave gave up back-to-back singles.

    With runners on first and second, the third batter caught us by surprise, laying down a bunt. It dribbled down the third baseline. Everyone started to move. Jason went for the ball, Noah raced to cover third, and I sprinted to beat the runner to second. Jason didn''t bother with the runners and directly went to throw to first after getting the ball.

    Julian didn''t relax after getting the batter out. He made sure the runner on third wasn''t going to try for home, before giving the ball back to Dave.

    Dave was frowning as he got the ball back, and then faced the next batter. He previously got this guy to strikeout to end the first inning. I wasn''t particularly surprised seeing Dave keep cool and shut down the batter to end this inning. He had been really excited to get back to pitching so it''d be weird to see him throw a fit and whatnot. I''m glad he''s happy.

 403 Game @ OLU (4)

    Top of the fourth started with our best batter and player, Zeke. He faced the same new pitcher as me.

    I sat with Noah and Garret.

    "I was thinking while we were on the field-" Noah started.

    But Garret cut him off. "You can think?"

    Noah threw his glove at Garret''s face, but Garret caught it with ease.

    "As I was saying," Noah shot a glare at Garret before facing me. "Instead of some secret signal, we should just follow Mr. Miller''s signs. I know he''s been giving out fake signs for you, but it would really help me or other baserunners if we knew when you''re actually going for a hit."

    "Not a bad thought, Noah." Garret turned serious and agreed.

    Noah was about to continue, but Zeke had smashed the ball to center field, grabbing everyone''s attention. Noah jumped up and started to chant, "Go! Go! Go!"

    The ball soared over the center fielder and then the fence. A home run! 2-0.

    Zeke slightly slowed down from his sprint and tagged home plate before coming back to the dugout. All the boys rushed him to give high-fives and to congratulate him. Noah was one of the most excited players and was jumping around his big brother.

    Zeke showed a rare, genuine smile and patted Noah''s head. They shared some words that couldn''t be heard in such a lively dugout. Noah didn''t return to his seat...or to me. He and Zeke were having an animated conversation, looking closer than ever.

    "Big brothers." Garret sighed. "They''re born to be role models for the little ones." He glanced at me. "You should join them."

    "No...it''s okay." I looked to the field to watch the game. It''d be weird if I went over now. I would look needy. The twins weren''t even going over to interrupt Zeke and Noah, so what right did I have?

    Garret leaned over to peer into my face, but whatever he saw, scared him away and kept him silent. We both watched on as Mahki grounded out to the shortstop.

    I was sensitive right now about ''big brothers.'' I don''t understand what Garret means when he says that they''re role models for younger brothers. I can see that with the Atkins because Zeke was cool, smart, and great at baseball. He is what his younger brothers want to be.

    But what about mine? He''s MIA (missing in action). How can you look up to someone that isn''t around? Maybe Garret doesn''t understand that every older brother isn''t exactly role model material. I''m sure there are people out there with older brothers who are criminals that would agree with me.

    Julian hit a fly ball to right field that was easily caught. Jason followed it up with a ground ball to second base.

    I put on my glove and jogged out with the others.

    "Hey, why didn''t you come over and congratulate Zeke?" Noah caught up with me while Dave went to the mound to warm up.

    I shrugged. "Too many people."

    Noah tilted his head and looked skeptical. "Most just gave him a pat on the back, ya know. Or just, ''way to go'' and ''do it again''." He glanced to the outfield where Zeke was playing catching with Mahki. "He just tied his season home run record. You could have said something."

    Oh. "I didn''t know." Then I looked at the twin closest to me: Dave on the mound. "The twins didn''t go say anything." Which makes it especially weird since it''s also Zeke''s birthday.

    Noah grinned. "I''m sure they have something planned for later."

    My eyebrows pulled together as I frowned. "Then I will join them."

    Noah laughed. "If you say so." He jogged back to his position.

    Dave started the bottom of fourth inning with the number five batter. It wasn''t a smooth start. He''s given up a hit every inning so far and this one wasn''t spared either.

    It started off with a double down the first baseline. Mahki chased it down to the corner while I ran out to the grass to be the cutoff man. Mahki threw his hardest towards me. I had to jump to make the catch and to make sure the batter wouldn''t have an opportunity for third. By the time I turned, he slid into second base.

    I threw the ball back to Dave on the mound. He kicked the rubber a time or two with a clenched jaw before facing the next batter up. The next batter made him work, and add in some check throws to Noah to keep the runner closer to the bag, and you get a tired pitcher.

    Dave''s fastball lacked location and just looked like slowpitch. The batter swung and the ball snuck under Noah''s dive. Noah jumped up to play cutoff man and I move to cover second. Garret came in, grabbed the ball off the grass with his barehand and overthrew Noah.

    When I saw that the ball was headed to Alex at the plate, I realized it wasn''t an overthrow on his part. Instead, he wanted to stop the runner from scoring on a single. The throw was fast but not as accurate as if he was pitching. Alex had to back up, and jump up to make the catch. That gave the runner some time and space to try and dive at home plate.

    The runner was close when he made his dive, and so was Alex. Alex had to make the tag on the player since it wasn''t a force out. He extended his gloved hand at the runner and they both met at home plate.

    All eyes were on the ump.

    "Safe! Safe!" The head umpire extended his arms to declare the OLU player safe, making us lose the shutout. 2-1.

    "To second!" I heard Noah yell.

    I glanced to my left and saw the batter coming from first. I faced Alex, hoping he would hurry up. This would be my first tag attempt. I don''t want it to be a close one. My anxiety skyrocketed.

    It wasn''t a close one. Mostly because there wasn''t a play. Alex was tangled up with the other runner in the dirt at home, so he was unable to get up in time to throw me the ball. He called time as he walked the ball up to Dave at the mound.

    Noah was the first to jog in, with Julian being a close second. Seeing them, Jason and I also jogged in to meet with Alex and Dave.

    "My bad." Alex put the ball into Dave''s glove.

    "It''s fine. We''ll get them to leave that guy on second." Noah patted Dave''s back with his glove. "Keep cool."

    "Cool as a cucumber." Dave rolled his shoulders back to stay loose.

    "Good." Julian spoke up. He looked to Alex. "Try and set up in better places for Dave to pitch to. It''s okay if they make contact. We''ll do better in fielding. We got gloves, let''s use them."

    With that, we broke up and went back to our positions. Dave did his best to keep his pitches in the zone, but OLU had a good read on him. The following batter connected, hitting a sharp line drive between short and third.

    Noah was quick to react, jumping to his right at a high angle, and coming down hard with the ball in his glove for the first out. He faked pump to throw to me to get the runner, but flinched. He moved his glove to his right side. He must have landed hard on his ribs. He lightly tossed the ball to Dave, who took a few steps off the mound.

    "You good?" I heard Dave ask.

    Coach and Drew were looking to come out of the dugout to check on Noah.

    Noah waved his right hand. "Good."

    Dave nodded and went back to the mound. The following batter hit a long fly to left field, but Garret was able to get under it and throw the ball back, not giving the runner on second a chance to tag up and advance to third. The third out came from the number nine batter; a short fly ball to right. Mahki caught it with ease and continued running in so he could go back to the dugout.

    Everyone seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief, knowing that we could have easily lost our lead this past inning.

 404 Game @ OLU (5)

    Alex hurried to take off his catcher''s gear in order to go bat. He would lead off with Dave and Noah right behind him.

    I glanced at Noah.

    Drew came over to check on him and Zeke was hovering close by. Garret and I watched on as Drew made Noah lift his arm, rotate it, rotate his upper torso, move this way, move that way.

    "I''m fine." Noah stressed, exasperated with all the attention. "It''s just going to bruise later."

    "We have to make sure." Drew said. "A broken or cracked rib is very serious since it can puncture your lung or cause internal bleeding."

    "I would know if anything broke." Noah huffed.

    I nodded in agreement. "You wouldn''t have this much energy if you broke a rib. Definitely wouldn''t be able to move so freely."

    All eyes landed on me.

    I shifted, uncomfortable with the attention. "I broke a rib before." Multiple ribs, multiple times. I watched as Alex left the dugout to start his at-bat.

    "I need to get ready too." Noah pushed Drew slightly to the side so he could reach his helmet, bat, and batting gloves.

    Drew sighed. "Okay. Tell me if it gets worse. I''ll report to your Coach."

    Noah nodded and started to tug on the batting gloves.

    Zeke stood by, arms folded across his chest, looking down at Noah.

    Noah, feeling the stare from above, looked up. "What? It''s not bad. I''ve had worse." Zeke waited. Noah sighed. "I swear I''m fine. I swear on the rest of this season."

    "Blasphemy!" Garret shouted. He was putting on his helmet when he heard Noah''s words. He pointed at him. "You best be good, otherwise I''ll beat you twice as hard."

    Zeke just shook his head and walked away.

    Noah glared at Garret. "I''m being honest." He looked to me. "You believe me right?"

    I nodded. After all, I''ve had broken ribs since I was young. I knew what to look for.

    Noah grabbed his bat, pushed his helmet down and walked to the entrance, ready to move to the on deck circle.

    Alex made contact and sent the ball to the outfield. He took off sprinting. The ball dropped in right-center field, rolling to the fence. Alex slid into second base as the ball came back. The tag wasn''t close. Safe! A lead off double.

    Garret grabbed his bat and everyone moved up.

    I took off my hat and put on my helmet, hoping for the best. At the very least, I''ll make it to the on deck circle so it doesn''t hurt to be prepared. I held my bat in my hands, running my fingers over it to check for splinters.

    Dave hit a short fly to right. Too short. Alex didn''t attempt to tag up.

    I got up and moved to the edge of the dugout, as Garret went out to the circle and Noah went to the batter''s box. Noah swung and missed the first pitch for strike one. Let the second pitch pass for a called strike two. The third pitch must have also been in the zone, because he tried swinging at it, but it just barely grazed the ball.

    The ball rolled forward to the pitcher and Noah took off for first. The pitcher scooped up the ball easily, made sure Alex wasn''t running to third, then threw Noah out at first.

    Garret vacated the on deck circle so I took over as Noah jogged back, grabbing his bat along the way. He was wincing just a smidge; it must be from the rough landing in the last half inning. Although he didn''t break anything, a bruised rib will still hurt.

    Garret, who already had a pair of strikeouts on the day, came through with a single to left field. It wasn''t far enough and Alex wasn''t fast enough to score on such a short hit.

    I started to walk up to the plate, but then the OLU coach came out of his dugout to request a pitcher change...again. I had a weird feeling of d��j�� vu.

    "Jake." I heard Zeke call out for me. I turned to see him already by the circle with a bat in hand.

    Seeing as I had some time before the new pitcher came out and throw some pitches off the mound, I went back to Zeke.

    "Do you know what''s going on?" Zeke asked in a low tone as I stood near him.

    I shrugged. "They''re changing pitchers."

    Zeke rolled his eyes, showing some dissatisfaction. "And why are they changing pitchers?"

    "Oh...I''m not sure." I turned to look at the new guy on the mound. "He doesn''t look any better than the previous two pitchers."

    "Now we''re getting somewhere." Zeke mumbled under his breath. "What''s the biggest difference between this pitcher and the last one?"

    The biggest difference? I turned to study the pitcher''s movements, the way he threw, how fast he threw and then moved on to his physical looks. Feeling Zeke''s frustration for my previous replies, I was hesitant to answer.

    "Let me put it this way, what is so special about you that warrants a pitcher change? It''s no longer a coincidence that they switched pitchers right before your at-bat." He added.

    I felt enlightened. "Because I have long at-bats!"

    Zeke nodded. "Exactly. You push pitchers until they get tired. You also own a high batting average and on-base percentage. You don''t lack in runs or RBI''s. I would go so far to say that you''re a core member of our offense. It only makes sense that they want to shut you down. The pitcher isn''t the only one to get tired during a long at-bat, right?"

    I nodded, recalling how heavy my arms felt when I finally decided to swing for a hit.

    "Do you know what to do now?"

    I nodded slowly. "Get a hit right away..?"

    Zeke nodded. He leaned in. "Two on, two out. What''s the point of tiring the guy out if he''s just going to be replaced when you come up again." The umpire called for me to step up. "Do what you want." He nudged me forward.

    I walked back to the batter''s box and stuck one foot in. I scanned the field to find an opening and saw a nice gap between the first and second baseman. The first baseman was stationary at the base, holding Garret there.

    On the first pitch, I swung trying to pull the ball to the same side I batted on. The ball bounced quickly to the gap, but just as I started running, the first baseman scooped up the ball with his glove, and tossed it to the second baseman who was running to cover first base. It became a foot race to first between me and the second baseman.

    I pumped my arms and legs, and tried my hardest, but not only was the second baseman closer to begin with, but he was also faster than me. I was out. The third out.

    I took off my helmet and had the urge to throw it to the ground in anger. That was good placement. Why didn''t the first baseman stay?

    "Don''t mind." Zeke told me as he picked up my bat for me. "That was a good play on their part."

    My face twitched with anger as I tried to calm down. "It had good placement though."

    "Opponents won''t always move the way you want them. You can''t be perfect all the time." He handed me my bat. "Just let it go and tell yourself to get the next one." He left me so he could put back his helmet and bat.

    I did the same, alone. Noah had already ran out onto the field, probably scared and unwilling to be switched out because of sore ribs.

    As I jogged out, I started to replay my at-bat. Maybe Zeke and I had the right idea to swing early, but that didn''t necessarily mean to do it on the first pitch. I also could have tried for a walk to load up the bases for Zeke. Ah, but if they knew I was swinging intentionally, they wouldn''t waste any balls. Yea..that''s right...my last at-bat didn''t even get to three balls on such a long at-bat.

    I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts. I could be overthinking for no reason. Like Zeke said, I have to let it go. There''s still a chance for me to get another at-bat before the end of the game. Small chance, but not impossible.

 405 Game @ OLU (6)

    Bottom of the fifth, Dave was still in control of the mound, but he no longer looked as happy as he did in the beginning. He looked tired, physically and mentally. Being a pitcher had added pressure, especially in a close game like this. Still 2-1 with us in the lead. Dave had to start with the top of the lineup once more.

    The first batter struck out looking, and I thought it was a good sign. But, Dave started to lose control, walking the second batter. Just as he tried to get back on track with throwing strikes, the third batter ripped a hard grounder to right field.

    The runner took off from first as I moved towards the grass. Mahki chased after the ball, picked it and threw to me. I turned around, thinking I just had to throw to Noah at second, but to my surprise, the runner from first was almost at third base.

    I was about to throw it when I heard Noah yell out, "Hold it!"

    So I held it. Both runners were safe at third and first and I was holding the baseball with nowhere to throw it to.

    "Jake." Dave showed me his open, empty glove, asking for the ball. I threw it back to him.

    Dave walked back to the top of the mound, but was joined by Alex and a pitching coach from our dugout.

    I was about to jog in, yet no other infielder was, so I paused. I looked over at Noah and caught him just squatting, brushing his glove against the dirt like he was contemplating. My lips twitched to fight off a smile. It probably isn''t appropriate to laugh when we have runners at the corners and only one out.

    I looked to my left to see what Julian was doing. He was actually talking to the runner on first...

    I didn''t know what to do so I just stayed in my position and waited it out.

    The umpire only gave them a few seconds before he walked up to the mound himself. He glanced at his watch before saying something. The pitching coach went back to our dugout and Alex walked back to home plate with the umpire.

    Dave bounced back after the mini-meeting. He struck out the cleanup hitter for the third time this game and then got the following batter to groundout to short. Noah fielded it cleanly, only looking like he was in a little pain after he finished the throw.

    We jogged back to the dugout to start the sixth inning.

    "I think I should take some aspirin or something like a painkiller." Noah mumbled as he sat down next to me.

    "Why not?" I asked.

    "I don''t want to give Coach, Drew, or Zeke a reason to pull me." Noah gave me a small smile. "It''s not too bad. Just the whole throwing motion has some pain."

    "It''ll be gone in no time." I reassured him. "Ice it when we get home."

    Noah nodded. "I''ll have to. We have to be ready for Thursday''s game versus Servite. The league winner is definitely going to come down to the last second."

    "We have to win this game first you dope." Dave slapped his glove on top of Noah''s head before taking a seat beside him.

    "Hey!" Noah rubbed his head. "Not cool. Shouldn''t you not be fooling around? Focus on your pitching! You slacked off a bit this last inning."

    My eyes widened. How could he say that while he''s in the game.

    Dave sighed and leaned back. "You guessed it. I''m out. They''ll put in Bryce next inning to close it out." He let out another sigh. "I''m being replaced by a sophomore."

    That''s what they were talking about on the mound?

    "You dummy." Noah lightly punched him in the arm. "You replaced juniors last year too. And never mind the fact that the seniors get less innings than you, Kyle and Garret. You''re a bunch of mound hogs."

    Mound hogs? Like a ball hog?

    Dave laughed. He then looked over his throwing hand, checking out his nails. "Well, as long as he don''t blow it."

    Noah just rolled his eyes.

    Top of the sixth inning started with a single from Zeke, but the excitement of having a runner didn''t even last but a few minutes. Mahki grounded into a double play. Then Julian ended the inning with a pop out to the second baseman.

    "Looks like the upperclassmen can''t be trusted." Noah left Dave with a snide remark before jogging out onto the field.

    "Bryce reminds me of Garret." I told Dave before leaving as well. That was the only way I could express how good I thought Bryce was. I believed in him.

    Bryce came from the bullpen, met with Alex on the mound before starting his warmup pitches. Bryce would get to start with the bottom half of the lineup, which isn''t necessarily good since that''s how they got their one run before.

    Bryce earned a swinging strikeout. Then gave up a double to left field. He wasn''t bothered at all. Bryce merely glanced at the runner on second a few times between pitches to the next batters. The following batter flew out to Garret in left field, and the runner didn''t dare advance on a tag. The ninth batter struck out swinging to end the sixth.

    "He did no worse than you." Noah smirked at Dave as soon as we got back to the dugout.

    Dave harrumphed. "He won''t have as many strikeouts as me though. I had nine in five innings." He flexed his pitching arm. "What can I say? I''m a beast!"

    Noah rolled his eyes before taking a seat. "Dummy. You pitched more than half the game. Bryce won''t get as many innings as you."

    Dave shrugged. "Not my fault that he isn''t good enough to start."

    "There''s no use talking to you when your head is blown up this big." Noah shook his head.

    Jason started this inning out and earned a walk on four straight balls. Seeing this, Noah started to put on his helmet and batting gloves. A chance for a fourth at-bat. My leg started to bounce up and down, feeling excited. It was the last inning, my last chance for today.

    The pitcher calmed down down after a short chat with his catcher and started to throw strikes. Alex popped out to the second baseman. That''s the second time with this pitcher.

    Noah left for the on deck circle as Bryce stepped up to bat.

    "Hey, you don''t really think Bryce is better than me, do you?" Dave whispered as we watch on.

    Feeling his anxiety, I tried to find the words that wouldn''t upset him. "Not necessarily better. I just said he reminds me of Garret. Fast. And," I glanced to the field as Bryce made contact. "He can hit."

    Bryce smacked a single to center field, moving Jason to second base. I stood up and switched my hat for a helmet. As long as Noah and Garret don''t hit into double plays, I can get another chance.

    "I can hit the ball too." I heard Dave grumble as I headed for the dugout entrance.

    I tried not to laugh at his competitiveness. Baseball and being the best at it was very important to the Atkins brothers.

    Noah popped a ball foul. The first baseman came in and caught it for the second out. He came back, I moved to the circle and Garret stepped up to bat. He was 1-3 today with a pair of strikeouts.

    Garret last longer than Noah, and even put the ball into play. Unfortunately it wasn''t a fast skipper so the third baseman picked it up with ease and beat Jason to third base for the third out. I was left stranded in the circle...again. Why do I feel that this happens more often than not?

    I sighed and went back for my hat and glove.

    I wasnt much use at the plate today, nor was I worked out during defense. No grounders came my way, and no pop ups were near me to catch.

    Bryce closed out the game with a fly out to Mahki in right field. Then a grounder to Julian, but Bryce himself covered first so I wasn''t much use there either. The last out was a fly out to Garret in left field. We won!

    Garret came sprinting in and attacked Bryce right away, in excitement. The rest of the team congratulated him in a more docile manner in consideration that this wasn''t our home field.

 406 Birthday Dinner

    The bus ride back to school was filled with happiness and excitement. We defeated another good team in a close battle.

    "Settle down." Coach commanded as we got closer to our school. He was standing up as the bus moved and gripped a seat to keep his balance. "It was a good win today, boys."

    The team got a little rowdy again. But with a glare from Coach, the team zipped it.

    "I shouldn''t have to tell you that the season is coming to the end. Only six games left and four are league. Most importantly, two are against Servite. We face them on Thursday." Coach continued.

    I reflected on the game I saw with Zeke and Noah. Golden West at Servite.

    "I definitely shouldn''t have to tell you that we can''t afford another loss." Coach went on. "Our record is second to Golden West. They beat Servite just a few days ago. So not only do we have to win the rest of our games, but we should also beat Golden West with multiple runs. We have to be sure that if we end up with tied records, we''ll beat them in run differential."

    I was slightly confused, but I got the gist of it. Win. That''s all he''s demanding from us. No more losses and there won''t be any problems.

    "Garret, we won''t be using you on the mound." Coach announced, drawing some protest from the team. "Listen. Garret is a lefty. Alex Sanchez is also a lefty. Sanchez has completed the mandated rest days for pitchers so there''s a good chance he''ll be used against us." He looked directly at Garret. "I would like you to throw batting practice this week. Two days. That''s all we have to get accustomed to a fast left-handed pitcher."

    Garret looked a little reluctant, but he conceded. "Okay, but it''s not like I throw exactly like him. I throw a cutter as a specialty, but he has a curve."

    "And a slider." Zeke added. He looked at Garret. "You don''t have to try hard to throw those pitches. Just show it a few times so we batter''s know what to expect."

    "Okay, I can show it. Just not as proficient as his." Garret nodded. Then his eyes narrowed. "Who''s going to pitch on Thursday then?"

    "Me!" Kyle jumped up.

    "Sit down!" Coach hollered.

    Kyle immediately sat down.

    Coach shook his head is exasperation. "How are you going to be pitching if you get hurt when standing in a moving bus." But you''re standing, Coach...

    Kyle grinned, focused on what he was saying. "So I''m pitching?"

    "You''ll get the start." Coach nodded, but then took a look around. "That doesn''t mean the rest of you have the day off. Be ready to go, no matter what."

    "Kelvin!" Dave called out. "What was my pitch count today? Can I play on Thursday??"

    "You twat." Kyle tried to push Dave off their seat.

    "Sorry, Dave." I heard Kelvin say. "You finished with 77 pitches today. Just enough to require a three day rest. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. You can''t pitch against Servite on Thursday."

    "Ah, man." Dave groaned and slouched in his seat.

    "Ok, enough fooling around." Coach commanded. "Tomorrow, after class, we''ll start the preparation for facing Servite. You''ll get in groups of four to face Garret. All pitchers will be working in the pen for the next two days." He glanced out the window. "Looks like we''re back. Go home, do your homework and get some rest."

    The bus pulled into our school parking lot and let us out near the field. I followed the Atkins to the car and we loaded it up. Zeke, surprisingly, wasn''t trying to make us walk home even though the twins had given him a hard time for his birthday.

    Noah explained why as we sat in the very backseat. "It''s because we''re going out for dinner. It''s his birthday so Mom and Dad will let him pick his favorite restaurant. There wouldn''t be enough time if we were forced to walk home."

    Sure enough, as soon as we got home, Mrs. Atkins rushed all of us to take showers and put on something nice that didn''t involve athletic wear. I grabbed jeans and a polo shirt before going to the bathroom.

    The other boys had the same idea with jeans and some kind of button up top.

    Once all of us were ready, we piled into the car and went to some fancy restaurant that passed out cloth napkins. The twins used this opportunity to order steak, but Mrs. Atkins was quick to make sure they also ordered a side of vegetables. When I ordered a bowl of soup, she did the same for me, except I was ordered to get a baked potato too.

    "You have to keep the calorie count up." Mrs. Atkins told me as the waitress left our table. "You''ve grown so much these past two months, but you''re still lacking behind."

    I scratched my cheek, feeling a little shy at her concern.

    "Yea, Jake. If you grow taller, I''m sure you can hit even more homeruns than Zeke." Noah told me happily as he munched on a breadstick.

    I glanced towards Zeke. I coughed. "Uh, I don''t know...Zeke is way taller than me. I don''t think I can grow that much even over a course of a few years."

    "Such a pessimist." Noah rolled his eyes. "I''m serious here. You have a good eye and a good swing. You''re not even using an aluminum bat which would help your power problem."

    I gulped.

    "I''m going to the restroom." Zeke stood up. "Noah."

    "What?" Noah asked.

    Zeke tilted his head.

    Noah sighed and stood up. "Guess I''ll go too."

    That''s weird, I thought to myself as they both left the table.

    "Jake." Dave whispered, leaning towards me. "Here. Take this."

    I held out my hand so Dave could hand me something. I looked down. Then immediately looked up at him. "We''re doing this again??" I was handed a party popper.

    "Yea, of course!" Dave nodded like it was a given. "After dinner, they''ll bring out ice cream and sing ''happy birthday'' to Zeke. As soon as they finish, we''ll catch him off guard."

    Feeling unsure, I looked to Mr. and Mrs. Atkins. "Is this really okay? What if we get in trouble? This is a pretty nice place to eat."

    Dave waved away my worries. "It''s fine. Dad will be recording the whole thing!"

    Oh. So he''s in on it?

    "Quick, put it away. Zeke and Noah are already back." Dave sat up straight and broke out into a random conversation with Kyle.

    I stuffed the party popper in my pocket before the two of them came back.

    With a full table, it reminded me of being at their house, just in a fancier setting. It didn''t stop the twins from bickering or Noah''s bragging. Mr. Atkins would scold them accordingly, but overall, dinner was still harmonious. My mother and I never sat down and celebrated my birthday, let alone eat out together like this.

    After the food came out, it calmed down until everyone finished eating. Then it came time for dessert.

    Mr. Atkins had us get up and surround Zeke as he stayed seated. Mrs. Atkins joined in as well as Mr. Atkins started to record using his phone. A couple of servers brought out the ice cream and laid out one with a candle right in front of Zeke. Then we sang.

    Zeke smiled and even laughed as the twins fought to be the loudest. Mrs. Atkins looked extremely embarrassed as the whole restaurant was looking our way. I was fidgeting with the attention, but being surrounded by the Atkins helped.

    As we got towards the end, Dave nudged me with his elbow. I stealthily pulled out the party popper that I was given earlier.

    Right at the end, with Dave''s signal, me and the twins lifted the poppers and pulled them. A loud bang followed by the fall of streamers made Mrs. Atkins jump back in surprise. Even Noah flinched.

    Noah looked at me and I looked at him. We were both equally stunned.

    "What just happened?" He asked.

    "You didn''t get one?" I slowly lifted my broken popper.

    Noah started to laugh, joining the twins who were congratulating Zeke on breaking his own homerun record on his birthday.

    "David and Kyle." Mrs. Atkins pulled an arm of each boy. "What were you two thinking?? We''re in public! Can''t you two behave yourself?"

    "Jake did it too, Mom." Dave sold me out.

    The broken popper in my hand felt like a twenty-pound brick.

    "You probably tricked him into it!" Noah defended me.

    "Hey, hey. Equal treatment." Kyle smirked. "You do the crime, you do the time."

    "I''m glad you know that." Mr. Atkins walked over. "Because you two are in so much trouble."

    Dave put his arm around my shoulders, pushing me forward. "Start with Jake."

    Mr. Atkins looked down at me, making me feel small. It''s always hard to remember that he''s taller than Zeke. It''s like facing off with a statue. "No cages this weekend." He looked to the twins. "You both are grounded and no tv for one week."

    "What!"

    "That''s not fair."

    "Why doesn''t Jake lose his tv privileges?"

    I shifted my weight back and forth, feeling guilty. Guilty for not being punished the same amount as the twins. It made me feel excluded like I wasn''t on their level.

    "Because you two are older and know better." Mr. Atkins said. "Plus you contributed to the delinquency of a minor. You''re teaching Jake bad habits."

    "Dad, it''s not that serious." Dave scoffed.

    "And it was pretty funny." Kyle added.

    "Rules are rules." Mr. Atkins shook his head. "Now sit down and eat before the ice cream melts." He glanced at Zeke. "Why can''t you boys be more like Zeke?"

    Zeke wasn''t paying any attention to us and was solely focused on eating his ice cream.

    Everyone went back to their seats and started to eat.

    "Who would want to be a robot?" Dave muttered.

    Kyle looked to his dad. "Can I see the video? I want to know if Zeke even flinched."

    "Same!" Noah nodded, stuffing his mouth with a scoop of ice cream.

 407 Coming Clean

    Mr. Atkins didn''t let us watch the replay. He simply told us, "I''m sure it''ll be funny soon, but not right now."

    "That means that Zeke jumped!" Kyle laughed.

    "Totally worth it!" Dave laughed too.

    Mr. and Mrs. Atkins frowned at the pair, but there wasn''t much that could be done about the past. We finished dessert, went home to do homework, and then get ready for bed.

    "I can''t believe you did that." Noah laughed as we got into our respective beds.

    "Dave told me that your dad would be recording. I thought that meant he was also in on it." I sighed.

    "Next time, check with me." Noah chuckled. "Mom''s face though...she flinched so hard too."

    I pulled the blanket higher to my chin. "I hope your parents aren''t too mad."

    "If you''re really worried, I can talk to them for you tomorrow?" Noah offered. "They know how the twins can be."

    I shook my head, but then realized that Noah couldn''t see me in the dark. "No, it''s okay. They already let me off with a light punishment compared to the twins."

    Noah hummed in agreement.

    After waiting a few minutes, I got up the courage to ask Noah a question that had been bothering me since dinner. "Noah? Are you still awake?"

    "Yep." He mumbled. He was definitely falling asleep. "What is it?"

    "Do you think...that your parents left me off easy because I''m not their kid? I mean, if you did this with the twins, wouldn''t you get a more severe punishment?"

    Noah was so quiet, I thought that he had fallen asleep. But I heard a thump as if he got out of bed and then the lights were flipped on. Soon, he was staring at me, face to face. "Jake. Why would you say that? Let alone think that?"

    I shrugged. It was kind of self explanatory. If Noah had joined the twins in surprising Zeke, his punishment would definitely be the same as the twins. "I just feel like they went easy on me, because I''m not theirs."

    Noah shook his head. "No, you dummy. They went easy on you because they know that it wasn''t your idea. They know it''s the twins that like to pull pranks. You should be happy that they know you well enough to know that this isn''t something you would do without some coercion."

    I guess. My eyes drifted away from Noah.

    "Come on, you know Mom and Dad like you." Noah said, poking me.

    "Yea, but they like everybody." I mumbled.

    Noah backed up, turned and sat at the desk. He opened up his laptop and turned it on.

    I peeked to see what he was doing.

    He glanced back and caught me looking. "Come on. Get up. We have to find your dad."

    I froze. "Why?"

    "To free you up. We get him to sign away his parental rights, then you''ll be up for grabs. Mom and Dad probably want to, but can''t. They might be afraid of hurting your feelings. Like you still have some attachment to your dad." He gave me a sad smile. "But I know you. ''Why want somebody who didn''t want you.'' Right?"

    For some reason, I felt guilty. That''s a common thought I have. Not just for my dad, but for my mom, my brother, and just in general.

    "Come on already, get up. Let''s try this out with everyone sleeping." Noah waved at me.

    I slowly got out of bed and stood by Noah as he pulled up ''Google search.'' He started with typing my full name and surprisingly we came across some baseball articles that reported high school sports. I turned red as Noah clicked through each one.

    "Mr. Cameron has a lot of good things to say about you." Noah said. "But this isn''t helping. What''s your mom''s name?"

    I tapped the desk with a finger. "That won''t help. The state has been looking for my father since the night I ended up in the hospital. If they can''t find him, I doubt a simple google search will."

    "We have to do something." Noah said adamantly. "You don''t want to end up in some sticky situation later on. Like, what if you become a baseball star and he suddenly wants to take you away?"

    I thought about Jeremy Patterson. "I-"

    "What?" Noah asked. "You have an idea?"

    I gulped. "I guess you can say that." I brought my hands together and started to tap my thumbs together. "I have-" Oh god, this is so hard to say out loud.

    Noah waited patiently, but that just made me feel more self-conscious. What if he gets mad that I haven''t said anything before? I''m pretty sure all the adults will get mad when they find out I''ve been keeping something from them. This means I''ve got to get Noah to be on my side first.

    "Noah. You can''t get mad okay..?" I said in a small voice, kind of scared of his reaction. Never mind the fact that I don''t want him to make a scene when we''re supposed to be sleeping. What if his parents wake up? "You also have to be quiet."

    Noah nodded eagerly.

    I took a deep breath. "I have a brother."

    Noah blinked. And blinked again. "What?"

    "I have a brother." I said more confidently, then I faltered. "He left the same time my dad did. When I was three."

    "Do you know his name?" Noah caught me by surprise by asking such a normal question.

    I shook my head.

    Noah slumped in his chair.

    "But...I saw someone who looks like my dad. Except younger. So I thought-I mean I think, he could be, possibly, my brother." I stuttered.

    "Good! We have a lead!" Noah looked excited.

    "Good?" I swallowed the lump in my throat. "You''re not mad that I didn''t tell you sooner?"

    Noah shrugged with a smile. "You told me now, didn''t ya? That''s good enough for me. It''s not like you were keeping some deep, dark secret. You just weren''t ready to talk about it." He continued. "You know how Zeke asked me to go to the bathroom at dinner?" I nodded. "He felt like I was being too pushy in getting you to use an aluminum bat. He''s the one that told me that I have to be more patient with you and just to be ready to lend an ear."

    I smiled. Zeke was an older brother. A true older brother. My eyes started to sting so I blinked a few times to avoid crying in front of Noah.

    "Now let''s get back to work. Where did you see the man that looks like your dad? Or brother? Are you sure it''s more likely to be your brother and not your dad?" Noah asked.

    "He''s definitely too young to be my dad. He''s the right age for my brother, I think."

    "Okay, but where did you see him? On tv? In person?"

    "Tv." My heart started to pound. "Jeremy Patterson."

    Noah paused. "You think...that...Jeremy Patterson is your brother?!" He jumped out of his seat and put his hands on my shoulders. "Why didn''t you tell me sooner??"

    I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Now Noah is upset? Well, I guess anything that''s related to baseball will excite him.

    "What are you boys doing?" Mrs. Atkins opened our bedroom door to find Noah shaking me. "Noah James! Get your hands off Jake!"

    The two of us froze. I was scared that Mrs. Atkins had heard Noah.

    "It''s way past your bedtime! You two have school tomorrow. Don''t think I''ll let you off the hook and sleep in." She said in a stern tone. "Get back in bed and go to sleep. Now!"

    We scrambled into bed and tucked ourselves in.

    She flipped off the lights. "Goodnight!" She turned and left, yet she didn''t close the door behind her. Noah must have been as scared as me, because neither of us tried to talk about the topic of Jeremy Patterson being my brother.

 408 The Search

    I had a restless night of sleep. I was constantly thinking about Mrs. Atkins and if she heard us talk about my brother.

    Noah was on the same boat, but on a different deck. He kept staring at me and making eye contact. He was still hung up on the fact that a professional baseball player on his favorite team could possibly be related to me by blood.

    Mrs. Atkins shook her head at the pair of us, watching us eat breakfast. "You two better not fall asleep during class. I won''t bail you out if you get detention."

    "You guys stayed up late last night?" Kyle asked.

    "No-" Noah was about to deny, but with Mrs. Atkins as a witness that wasn''t possible. "Not exactly. We forgot to do some work for a project and time just got away from us."

    "You better not do that a night before the game." Dave warned. "Lack of sleep can affect your performance on the field."

    We withstood the nagging and lectures from the rest of Noah''s family. Even Zeke joined in on the way to school, not giving us a second of peace. Kyle even tatted us out to Mr. Miller, making the short ride to the school building, feel like a long one.

    "Finally. Just the two of us." Noah sighed as we walked to his locker.

    I pointedly looked around. We were surrounded by other teens. Everywhere.

    "You know what I meant." Noah said. "No other family to butt in. If I ask you questions out here, no one is going to jump in our business."

    "Questions?"

    "Yea, like how much, percentage wise, do you think that Jeremy Patterson is your brother?"

    "Shhh." I gripped his arm, looking around to make sure no one overheard. After seeing that no one was suspiciously looking at us, I lowered my voice. "Don''t say his name, okay? I''m not even sure if he''s him. It''s just a thought I had when I saw him on the news."

    "The night you got sick! It was an anxiety attack, wasn''t it?" Noah asked.

    I hiked my backpack up on my shoulders. "Yea, it sparked some memories I guess."

    "Then it must be a high percentage." Noah whispered as we walked into the classroom. "Enough to jog your memories and upset you to that degree? I think we''re on the right path here." He looked around at our classmates. "We''ll do some investigating at lunch again. Eat in the library as we look up his bio."

    "He has a biography?" I asked, unsure. "Aren''t those usually for old people?"

    "No way. All athletes have some kind of bio online that lists their childhood, where they went to college, if they got married, those kinds of things."

    "Married?" My eyes widened. "Is he?"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "How would I know? I''m a baseball player, not a dating expert. And," He stressed. "He wasn''t on the A''s until recently. Sometimes during games, they''ll introduce little tidbits of their personal life''s, but I haven''t been paying too close attention."

    The school bell rang.

    We both fell silent as the teacher came into class.

    Throughout the morning, Noah and I would ask each other questions during breaks. Which was pointless since neither of us knew the answers. I had an image in my head and Noah only knew baseball statistics.

    It wasn''t until lunch that Noah remembered something from the night he was traded to the A''s. "I think I remember the broadcast saying he was raised in the Bay Area and that''s why he was unhappy with San Diego."

    The blow took some air out of me. My shoulders drooped. "You''re thinking it''s not him?"

    "No! No!" Noah said as we walked into the library. "I''m thinking that makes him your brother."

    I raised an eyebrow, not understanding his thinking at all.

    "Listen. If your mom was crazy when he was around too, then it makes sense why he doesn''t like the southwest. That was said too! San Diego knew he wouldn''t stay next year when he becomes a free agent. He rather go anywhere else. Because." Noah rubbed his hands together. "He didn''t want to be near your mom."

    Wow. What a deduction. For some reason, it made me happy to know that Noah was on my side. He believed me when I told him that a famous ball player could be my brother. I wouldn''t have been surprised if he just laughed me off, but he''s taking this seriously.

    We went to a computer in the corner and Noah started to login. He didn''t have to ask what he should do. He simply clicked the Google search button and started to type. ''Jeremy Patterson biography.''

    The first two articles were just statistics from his time with San Diego. Both majors and minors.

    Noah scrolled all the way through just to be sure. But the only personal information we got was his height and weight. Hometown: San Mateo.

    I poked Noah. "Where''s that?"

    "Part of the Bay Area." Noah mumbled. "But don''t read too much into it. Maybe he doesn''t want to admit being from the south."

    Noah went to the third article. "Third time''s the charm." He scrolled to an insert that mentions Jeremy Patterson growing up in the Bay Area with his uncle. Uncle? Uncle...

    I shook my head. "Maybe I was projecting too much on this guy. He grew up with an uncle. I don''t have any." I was wrong. I was just trying to see something when there wasn''t anything to see.

    Noah frowned, but didn''t say anything. He just continued reading. Finally he backed out of that webpage and went back to the search bar. "Let''s find out why he grew up with his uncle then." He added the word uncle and pushed ''search'' again.

    New article choices popped up.

    Noah clicked on one from San Mateo. It was a special on Jeremy Patterson right before he was drafted.

    [Jeremy Patterson, the future of baseball. He hits, he fields, and he can throw you out at home plate. The kid does it all and is preparing for the next step in his journey to become a professional baseball player: the MLB draft.]

    Noah skimmed the article, scrolling until an interview portion.

    [CC: You''re not just a baseball star at school, correct?

    JP: I participated in football as well. Just as a wide receiver.

    CC: So you have no interest in pursuing a professional career in that sport?

    JP: Nope. Baseball is it for me. It''s in my blood.

    CC: I''ve heard that not only your uncle played in the minors, but your dad as well?"

    JP: Yes, they actually played together and were on the same team until my dad passed away.

    CC: I''m sorry for your loss.

    JP: It''s okay. I think of my dad frequently when I''m on the field. We would play catch and he taught me a lot before his time was up. I''m happy with the time I got.

    CC: That''s a very positive outlook.]

    It went on, but I loss interest. I sat back and slouched in my seat.

    Noah noticed and pulled his eyes away from the screen. "What is it?"

    "It''s not him. He''s not my brother." I couldn''t tell if that made me happy or not.

    "You don''t know that yet." Noah pointed at the part where they talked about the dad passing away. "Look. Here."

    "What? His dad passing away? How does that relate to me?"

    "Jake." Noah stressed. "Think about it. What would be a good reason for the state being unable to find your father? Death! You can''t find someone who is dead unless you know where to look."

    I sat up a little, but was still skeptical. "Wouldn''t he be slightly easier to find? Since he wouldn''t be on the run or anything?"

    "They don''t have a last name, but we do." Noah tapped ''Patterson''.

    "We don''t have a first name though...Patterson is a common last name. I''m sure a lot of Patterson''s die every day."

    Noah grinned. "Yea, but how many played in the minors until they passed away?" Noah went back to Google search. He then typed, ''baseball minor leaguer Patterson death''.

    The very first link was from the SoCal Register.

    "Drunk Driver Kills Minor League Star"

    As soon as the article opened, a picture of the victim appeared at the top. He looked more like my dad than Jeremy Patterson did. He...he''s definitely the man I remember.

    My eyes stung and my vision blurred, making it impossible for me to read the article. The picture and headline told me everything I needed to know anyways. My dad is dead.

    "It happened about eleven years ago." Noah said in a low voice. "That''s when you were three. You said before, the last time you saw him, you were little. Real little."

    The tears started to fall. I didn''t know what to do. I buried my face in my sweatshirt and cried. Cried for the things I couldn''t have. Cried for being so angry at a dead man. Cried for myself and the painful childhood I had to survive without him.

 409 Truth Comes Out

    "Jake. Jake." Noah shook me a little. "Come on. It''s okay. Everything''s going to be okay."

    "How?" I asked, not lifting my head out of my sweatshirt. "How could everything possibly be okay?" My dad was dead. Is dead. "He''s gone, Noah. I''ve spent a decade hating this man for abandoning me, and now, and now I don''t get answers." The tears wouldn''t stop.

    I''m just like Mr. Atkins. This is what he meant when he wished his dad was still around. Not to curse at him, but for closure. I''m sure he had so many unanswered questions and now I''m the same.

    "Jake, I can''t say I know how you feel." Noah patted my shoulder. "And it feels a little wrong to say this, but, on the bright side, Mom and Dad can adopt you freely now. You''re free. Your Mom is locked up and your dad isn''t around. Isn''t this what you wanted?"

    What I wanted? This? "I. Didn''t. Want. Him. Dead." I cried harder, trying to spit out these words. I wanted justice for myself. I wanted him to show and tell me he was wrong to leave me behind.

    "Jake. Jake!" Noah was pestering me.

    I just wanted to be left alone.

    "Hold on, Jake! Stay right here!" I heard Noah get up. "I''ll be right back." He left me. He left me like everyone else.

    I cried into my jacket, uncontrollably. I heard the bell ring, but who cares about math when you find out you lost your father.

    "Jake?" A warm voice was near. A familiar voice. It had to be Dr. Moore. I forgot that he worked here since the Golladay incident. "Noah? What exactly happened?"

    I heard Noah sigh. "Short version: we found his dad...and he''s gone. For good." A new round of tears fell. "Is Jake going to be okay? Should I call Mom and Dad? Zeke?"

    "Noah. Relax." Dr. Moore said calmly. "What you need to do, is go to class. You''re going to be late."

    "I can''t just leave him here! He''s my best friend!" Noah shouted.

    "Noah, I know it''s hard, but this is the most you can do for now. You have to attend your classes. I''ll call your parents and have them come for Jake." Dr. Moore told him.

    "But-"

    "I''m sorry, Noah." Dr. Moore cut him off. "You''re a student-athlete. Student comes first in order for you to participate in athletics. I''ll write you a late-pass for your teacher. The sooner you go, the sooner I can help Jake."

    Noah sighed in defeat. "Fine. Call Dad first. Jake is okay with Mom, but he prefers Dad."

    I wanted to laugh at Noah''s instruction, but it was right on the money. I don''t feel comfortable crying and breaking down with Mrs. Atkins watching. She''s not my mom, and that''s not a bad thing, but because my mom was never the type to comfort others, it was hard to see it from another mom. At least I don''t have anyone to compare Mr. Atkins to.

    "I''m calling right now. Here''s a pass, get going." Dr Moore commanded.

    "Let me talk to Jake for a second." I heard footsteps coming closer. "Jake, he''s sending me away. I''m sorry that you''re hurting, but Dr. Moore was the only person I could think of that could help you through this. Be strong. I''m here for you." He patted my shoulder one more time before leaving.

    Here for me? How can he say that as he walks away? My eyes started to dry out and I yawned. Who knew why crying always made me so tired. I slumped a little in the seat, hearing Dr. Moore talk on the phone some distance away.

    ***

    (Third-person perspective)

    Classes had finished for the day and students hurried out, trying to escape sooner than one another. Noah Atkins looked to be slow-moving compared to the rest as he studied his phone on his way down to the baseball field.

    He was so absorbed into the phone, that he was startled when he was suddenly pulled from behind. He found his twin brothers giving him a pair of identical smiles.

    Kyle noticed Noah''s lost expression first. "Something happened with Jake again?"

    Noah nodded slowly.

    "We didn''t see him in math, so we sent you a text." Dave said as the three of them walked to the lower lot. "Why didn''t you reply?"

    Noah''s shoulders sagged as if he was carrying 100 pounds worth of baggage. "Jake had a moment at lunch. Dr. Moore and Dad are handling it." He glanced down at his phone. "He''s sleeping right now, Dad says."

    "What happened?" Dave asked. "Were you bugging him about using an aluminum bat again? You gotta take it easy on the kid, ya know. He isn''t like us."

    "We found his Dad." Noah blurted our.

    The twins stopped walking and jaws dropped.

    Noah, feeling slightly better seeing the twins stunned into silence, continued. "We found him, and he''s dead. If that isn''t enough, Jake has a brother." He looked around to make sure their were no eavesdroppers. "And to make it even more mind-blowing, Jake''s brother is Jeremy Patterson."

    The twins we''re frozen in time, unable to process what they just heard.

    "Are you joking?" Kyle frowned, coming back to reality first.

    "Why would I joke?" Noah glared. "We did our research." He pursed his lips. "We found out that in order to be adopted, Jake needs his dad to sign away his parental rights. Jake didn''t know who his dad was, but he saw someone that looked like his dad. Remember the night we found out Jeremy Patterson got traded to the A''s?"

    "He got sick!" Dave had an ''a-ha'' moment.

    Noah nodded. "So we looked up Patterson''s dad. He died in a car crash over a decade ago. Around the same time Jake was abandoned."

    Kyle furrowed his brows. "But..." He hesitated.

    "But what?" Noah asked.

    "There''s something that''s bothering me after hearing all this..." Kyle said sheepishly. "Just, why didn''t Jeremy Patterson stay with their mom like Jake?"

    "An even better question," Dave joined in. "Is, why didn''t Patterson look for Jake after hitting the big time? It''s not like he''s lacking money. Did he not know his mom was crazy?"

    "Impossible." Noah frowned. "If he didn''t think she was crazy, he would definitely go back..."

    "There''s still too many unanswered questions." A deeper voice input his opinion. All three boys jumped and found Zeke leaning against their car.

    "How long have you been there?" Noah asked, squinting at his eldest brother.

    Zeke pushed himself off the car. "Long enough. Let''s grab our bags and hit the field."

    "You''ve got nothing else to say?" Noah''s frown deepened. "Jake-"

    Zeke opened the trunk. "Noah, you''re gonna have to trust that he can bounce back."

    "Do you even care about him? Really? Because if you did, you wouldn''t be this cold." Noah mumbled angrily, getting his baseball bag out of the car. Seeing Jake''s bag left in the trunk made him more upset. He swung around to face Zeke, prepared to vent some more anger. But the words got stuck in his throat at the sight of Zeke.

    The 6''4" teen was glaring down at Noah. The mountain figure spoke up. "If anything, I care more. What were you thinking, when searching for his dad? The man had been missing for a decade plus and couldn''t be easily found. What good could come from finding someone like that? Did you think he was some man just hiding in the mountains, keeping to himself?"

    Noah turned red, from embarrassment and indignation. "Well, to be adopted..his dad would have to sign away his parental rights. I just wanted-" His voice got smaller. "I just wanted Jake to be apart of our family."

    "He was already apart of the family." Zeke''s glare seemed to penetrate Noah to the core. The twins took a few steps back, subconsciously. "But you, you were greedy. You just couldn''t wait. You couldn''t be satisfied with what we had going."

    Noah jutted his chin out and tried to make a stand. "Jake wanted to be one of us too! He wants to be a brother to us, and a son to Mom and Dad. What''s so wrong with that?!"

    "Heh." Zeke let out a short cold laugh. "And a piece of paper would make that happen? You don''t need a piece of paper to say you''re family to treat someone like family. It''s a feeling." Zeke shook his head with disappointment and turned away. "Get to the field. Ten laps if you''re late." He walked away to the clubhouse.

    "What''s his problem??" Noah grumbled angrily as he hiked his baseball bag onto his shoulder.

    "If you guys were more patient..." Kyle sighed. "If you just trusted Dad and Mom a little more and waited for them, you wouldn''t have gone on this ghost hunt." He grabbed his bag and followed in Zeke''s footsteps.

    "What does that mean?" Noah asked Dave, the last one left.

    Dave hesitated for a second, but ultimately came clean. "Mom and Dad were already looking into adopting Jake. You don''t necessarily need a parent to sign away their rights. If a court finds them unsuitable to be a parent, Jake would have been free."

    Noah''s face filled up with disbelief. "Why didn''t you guys say anything??"

    "It''s a long process, Mom said. She didn''t want to get yours and Jake''s hopes up just to say ''never mind''." Dave shrugged.

    "What''s going to happen now?" Noah asked in a whisper, mostly to himself, but his eyes were on Dave.

    Dave gave a sad smile, and lifted his hands helplessly. "I don''t know. I don''t know if the courts will offer Jake to his brother and uncle, or what. All we can do is play baseball. Then we''ll go home and hopefully have a few more answers than before." Dave reached out and grabbed Noah by the shoulders, and started to guide him to the clubhouse. "C''mon. Let''s get moving. You don''t want to run extra laps today."

 410 All Out In The Open Now

    (Jake)

    I found myself back in my own bed and more than slightly disoriented. It took me some time before I realized I wasn''t dreaming and that really happened. My brother is a professional baseball player. My dad is dead. I have an uncle.

    I wonder if there''s an aunt? A cousin or two? And...why did none of them come for me? Good news, my dad didn''t not want me. Bad news, more people exist that didn''t want me. I was struggling with how to feel.

    I got out of bed and checked the time: 4pm. The boys should still be at practice. I hope Coach doesn''t get too mad that I skipped...again. I have to have the poorest attendance out of all the varsity players.

    I went to the bathroom to wash my face and clear the gunk out of my eyes. Then I headed downstairs. I found Mr. Atkins sitting in the living room, watching some kind of tv show on home improvement.

    "Jake." He stood up once he noticed me. "How are you feeling now?"

    I shrugged, then looked around. "You''re alone?"

    Mr. Atkins gave a tight smile. "Mary and Dr. Moore had to go meet with Doug Duncan. We''re mandated to report anything about you and your family to social services."

    I gave a nod. I wasn''t surprised.

    Mr. Atkins looked at me for a second longer than normal. "Hey, we''ve got some time before dinner. Let''s go get some ice cream." He waved me to follow him, not caring if I really wanted to go or not.

    Like before, he drove me to the coast, we grabbed some ice cream and sat on his favorite bench.

    "It''s getting a little warmer now." Mr. Atkins said between licks. "Soon, you won''t have to bundle up so much."

    I ate my ice cream slowly as I looked out towards the ocean, watching the waves roll in and the sun started to get lower.

    "Jake? Why don''t you tell me what you''re thinking right now?" Mr. Atkins probed.

    "I have a brother." The words came out like I declared the grass is green or that the sky was blue. It was a fact. No opinion of it.

    I thought Mr. Atkins would be surprised, but he just nodded. "I know."

    I frowned. "Did Dr. Moore tell you?"

    Mr. Atkins dug something out of his pocket, and handed it over to me. It was...

    "Dr. Moore suspected awhile ago that you had a brother. Mary poked around and found this when she went on that trip with Zeke." Mr. Atkins explained where the photo came from. A neighbor from the first house I lived in, but the boy beside my brother had passed away so they didn''t know anything besides the initials on the back. "We thought J.J. would be his first and last name, but now I suppose it''s his first and middle initial."

    I stared at the boy in the picture. He was bigger than I was at that age. He looked happy. What am I saying? He IS happy. "He''s a professional baseball player." I told Mr. Atkins.

    "Yes, I looked him up a little more closely now that we know he''s your family." Mr. Atkins answered plainly.

    "My family?" I felt a little sick to my stomach after hearing those words. The more I thought about it, the more angry I felt. "If he thought we were family, would I still be alone in this world?" I put my ice cream down, scared I might throw it in anger.

    "Jake, you''re not alone." Mr. Atkins scooted closer to me. "I''m here for you. So is Mary. The boys. Dr. Moore. Your coaches. Your teammates. Classmates. Family isn''t limited by blood relations."

    I looked up at him, eyes stinging. "Is this how you felt? When you found out that your dad was gone?"

    Mr. Atkins frowned. "Slightly similar, but there are some differences."

    "I''m..really angry." I sighed. And tired. I was really tired of this. "At him. Them. My mother."

    "Don''t keep it bottled in. You can talk to me and Mary about anything. Same with Dr. Moore and Mr. Duncan." Mr. Atkins put an arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to keep me warm from the cool evening air. "I''m sorry we went behind your back when Mary took the trip to your old home."

    I was confused on where he was going with that, but then I realized he wanted an apology too. We all kept secrets from each other. "I''m sorry I didn''t tell you guys about my brother."

    "It''s okay. We all make mistakes." Mr. Atkins smiled at me.

    Feeling shy, I looked out to the ocean. We sat in silence for a few minutes. "What happens now? Are...they going...to take me away?"

    "Not necessarily." Mr. Atkins answered. "The first step is to tell Mr. Duncan everything. Then he''ll have to confirm your relationship with them." I heard him swallow rather loudly. "After that..."

    I looked up at him. "You''ll have to give me up?"

    "No. Errr." He hesitated. He scooted away so he could look me in the eyes. "Actually. What I''m trying to say is that...we''ve been hiding something else."

    My heart started to pound in nervousness. "What..?"

    "Jake, we were looking for your dad too. We want to officially adopt you into our family." Mr. Atkins watched me wearily.

    For the first time today, I filled up with warmth. "Okay."

    "Okay?" Mr. Atkins repeated. "You...aren''t mad at me, are you?"

    I laughed a little. "No. The reason Noah and I were looking for my dad...is to get him to sign away his parental rights. I want to stay with you guys all the time. You guys are amazing, kind, loving, and just...just what I think a family should be like."

    Mr. Atkins beamed with happiness.

    I looked away and rubbed my eyes. "You...do you think that makes me a bad person?" I paused. "Because I want a new family?"

    "No way, kiddo. You were dealt a bad hand; nothing you can change about your parents." He patted my head. "It''s just another detour for you."

    I glanced at him, remembering the first time we came here. So he could tell me about his past and his dad. "You said you didn''t get your answers immediately...how long did it take?"

    Mr. Atkins smiled crookedly. "It was different for me. I was kicked out. As for you?" He shrugged a little. "We don''t know what came first. Did he ever leave you or did he die? That''s what Mr. Duncan will find out."

    I looked to the sun setting on the ocean. "So...do you think...he loved me?" I took a deep breath. "Like a normal parent?"

    Mr. Atkins took some time to respond. "I want to tell you yes. Just because, how could he not? You''re a wonderful kid."

    "But?" I asked, knowing one was coming.

    "But I won''t lie to you. I don''t know this man. Heck, I hardly know your mom besides what I read. You can''t judge someone based on a feeling. I know what your mom did to you, and that makes her a bad person. For your dad, we don''t know anything just yet." He rested his hand on top of my head. "Let''s wait and see, and reserve judgement for when we know the facts."

    I nodded slowly. That''s the best I could do for now.

 411 All Right

    We left shortly after that, both feeling at ease with our reflections. We went home and found the table full with: the boys, Mrs. Atkins, Dr. Moore, and Mr. Duncan. Noah saved me a spot between him and Mr. Atkins chair at the head of the table. The two of us sat down, joining everyone else.

    There was an awkward silence as all eyes were trained on me. Their faces looked just as scared as how I felt. And that made me happy. They cared that much.

    I gave a small smile. "I''m okay you guys." For now.

    The twins and Noah seemed to let out sighs of relief at the same time. Dr. Moore and Mr. Duncan watched me closely from the other side of the table, but didn''t say anything.

    Mrs. Atkins looked the most nervous as she looked at her husband. "Did you tell Jake? Should I tell him now? Or should we do it as a family?"

    "Mom and Dad are going to try to adopt you!" Noah blurted out, not giving Mr. Atkins a chance to reply to his wife. The silence surrounded us again as they waited for me to reply.

    "I know." I glanced at Mr. Atkins. "We talked." I gave them my best smile. "Thank you."

    "Let''s eat, everyone." Mr. Atkins said. He reached out and started to load up his plate. His actions sparked movement from the twins and soon, everyone started to fill up their plate to eat.

    I followed along, happy for such a warm atmosphere. Zeke didn''t even say anything about me skipping practice, nor did he look angry. Maybe today isn''t so bad after all.

    After eating, Dr. Moore asked me to make an appointment on Friday, after school, to talk this out. He said he would give me time to digest the news and come up with questions or topics that I wanted to talk about. Then he left.

    Mr. Duncan didn''t leave as quick as him. Instead, he addressed the whole table. "For now, I''d like to keep this matter under wraps."

    "What do you mean?" Noah asked. "We can''t tell anyone that we''re adopting Jake?"

    Mr. Duncan lips thinned. "Maybe not just yet. It''s going to take some time to get through to Mr. Patterson and his uncle. They have agents and lawyers so it''ll take some time to figure this all out."

    "Will they try and take Jake away?" Dave asked.

    "No way!" Kyle''s jaw dropped.

    "They already had their chance." Noah pouted.

    "Most likely, they won''t interfere." Mr. Duncan gave me a tight smile. I could tell that he felt sorry for me, knowing I had family and yet they didn''t care about me. "As you boys know, Jeremy Patterson is a big name in baseball. If we deal with this improperly, news stations will catch wind of this."

    "So he can''t even tell others that Patterson is his brother?" Noah frowned. His anger was evident in the way his fists gripped the table.

    "Let''s just give Mr. Duncan some time to do his job." Mrs. Atkins spoke up. "Besides, you know how much Jake abhors attention from the masses. Think about him, okay?"

    Noah glanced at me and relaxed a little, seeing that I wasn''t as upset as him. I honestly felt numb to it now. You can''t choose your blood relationships, but I already had a family here that I wanted.

    Mr. Duncan instructed us not to spread the news just yet as he didn''t want anyone to look like the ''bad guy''.

    "Yea, well, it''s not like he''s a good guy." Noah snorted as his parents walked Mr. Duncan to the door. He looked me in the eyes. "Are you sure you''re okay with this?"

    I shrugged. "I''m okay for now. Don''t you guys want me?"

    "Of course!" Dave nodded.

    "Yea, we need someone more gullible than Noah." Kyle snickered.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Come on. Let''s get our homework done before Mom gets upset." Noah got up and I followed him upstairs to our room. Once inside, he started up again. "I just want to be sure that you''ll be okay with this?"

    I raised an eyebrow. "Why does it sound like you don''t want me to join your family...?"

    Noah sighed and sat down at his desk. "I''m just scared that you''ll be okay for now, but when it comes to the finalization of your adoption, you''ll get mad again. Sad again. Your uncle and your brother..." He clenched his fists. "Does it bother you?"

    I nodded slowly. "It does. It bothers me that they didn''t want me. The fact that they never checked up on me after all these years makes it even worse." I sighed. "But your Dad and I had a talk. This is just a detour. After thinking it through...why worry about one brother when I have you four? As long as you four like me...and don''t abandon me...then that''s good enough for me."

    Noah grinned. "We would let you know if we didn''t like you. The twins don''t play nice after all."

    I laughed. True. The Atkins family are pretty open about their feelings.

    With things slowly going back to normal, we completed our homework and got ready for bed.

    *

    The Atkins and Dr. Moore must have spoken with Coach because he didn''t give me a hard time on Wednesday. He just sent me to batting practice with the other infielders. Garret was throwing on the mound with a protective screen in front of him. There was netting behind home plate so he wouldn''t need a catcher, letting Alex and Kyle prepare in the bullpen for tomorrow''s game.

    The group was only me, Noah, Jason, and Julian. Noah volunteered to go first, doing his best to keep up with Garret. He really wasn''t on this level yet.

    After twenty or so pitches, he came back to switch with one of us on the side.

    "It''s just too fast and the angle is too awkward." Noah sighed. He looked at me. "How are you going to combat the breaking balls? Sanchez throws curves and sliders which are disadvantageous to lefty''s."

    I fought off a smile as I walked to the batter''s box. Unlike my usual stance, I got in the right-hander''s box.

    "Cheater!" Noah hollered from the side.

    Garret threw some curveballs and sliders, but I could tell that they couldn''t match up with the Servite pitcher. Luckily Zeke had taken us to see him in person or I might just struggle tomorrow.

    Garret threw another pitch. Faster than normal. Not the curve or slider. It was...a cut-fastball. His specialty. I let it pass.

    "That would have been a called strike!" Garret jumped around the mound. He laughed and pointed at me. "I''ve been waiting for a chance to do that!"

    I rolled my eyes and left the batter''s box so Jason could have some practice.

    "Are you really going to bat as a righty tomorrow?" Julian asked as I rejoined him and Noah.

    I nodded. "He''s already fast. No need for me to fight the breaking balls when I can just be a righty."

    "You''re saying, his speed won''t stop you?" Noah asked.

    I shrugged. Games and at-bats didn''t always go as planned, but I felt pretty confident. "He wasn''t so strange. Not as much as that submarine pitcher."

    "Would you struggle against Brady?" Noah asked, frowning. "He might be the starter when we play Golden West again."

    "I think it''ll depend on who Golden West plays that week that they play us. They obviously think we''re less of a threat than Servite."

    The two of them started to talk about tomorrow as I halfheartedly listened.

 412 Game VS Servite (1)

    1 LF Garret Knudsen

    2 2B Jake Hollander

    3 CF Zeke Atkins

    4 1B Julian Wilson

    5 RF Mahki Holstrom

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 SS Noah Atkins

    8 C Alex Farrell

    9 P Kyle Atkins

    Coach told us the lineup before the game and...it was different. Never mind the fact that Noah wasn''t batting early in the lineup, but also, Zeke was no longer the cleanup hitter.

    "I constructed this lineup this way for a reason. Sanchez is a good pitcher and has great endurance." Coach told us. "I want our best hitters to get the most at-bats so don''t think too much."

    "But, Garret''s a lefty...he''s at a disadvantage, yet you put him first." Noah said.

    Coach nodded. "But he has the next best average and on base percentage after Zeke and Jake. It would be a waste to make Jake hit first and then Zeke second. I''m not saying it''ll work out, but this is what I''m hoping for: an early lead. We get up on that scoreboard, and then pitching and defense will hold them down."

    Kyle looked nervous. "How about we score lots of runs?" Some of the guys snickered. Kyle clung to my arm out of nowhere. "Please! Jake! You have to do your best!"

    Noah pulled him off me. "Stop that. You know Jake doesn''t like that."

    "Get a grip, dude." Dave slapped Kyle''s arm. "If you can''t find the courage then just sit down. There are others who want to pitch too."

    "You''re not even allowed to pitch today." Kyle glared at his twin.

    Dave sighed and put his hands on top of his head. "I wasn''t talking about me. Just go hard. There are plenty of pitchers in the pen."

    "I don''t need you to tell me that." He huffed and headed for the bullpen to warmup before the game. Other pitchers and both catchers went as well. Everyone started to warmup properly now that the nerves had settled.

    The game started at 3pm so it wasn''t surprising that students started to fill up the stands as we were warming up. What was surprising was how many Servite students showed up. Especially since they''re an all-boys school.

    "This will be the biggest crowd we''ve played in front of." Noah told me after warmups. We were waiting in the dugout to take the field. "Even bigger than any tournament game."

    I glanced at him. "How can you say that?"

    He grinned and looked out in the stands that were completely packed. "Because this time, everyone here is here to see us play. There aren''t any random spectators. Everyone is here to cheer for us or for Servite."

    I shivered, not liking the fact that Noah was making this a big deal.

    "Look! There''s Willie." Noah pointed at the scout in the center, behind home plate. He was sitting with other men that didn''t look affiliated with either high school. "I guess there are some spectators who won''t be cheering." Noah corrected himself.

    "Are they scouts?" I asked

    "Should be." Noah nodded. "I see Mr. Cameron too." He pointed at the reporter. "Really makes you feel how important this game is." Noah grinned, excited to play.

    The whole dugout seemed to share in his excitement as well. It felt like a championship game was about to take place. A winner take all.

    I took a deep breath to relax.

    "I don''t want to see any freebies out there, Kyle." Coach instructed when he came back to the dugout. "Zeke, take it from here."

    "Freebies?" I whispered to Noah as Zeke stood up.

    "Walks." Noah told me.

    "Let''s give it our best today." Zeke said as the team gathered around him. "I don''t care if you trip and fall. If you miss a fly ball or a grounder. If you make an error or three. As long as you get back up and continue to keep trying." He looked around to make eye contact with all of us. "We have a great team this year. The best I''ve been on. We''ll go farther than any other team." His eyes narrowed. "We slipped up against Golden West. That won''t happen again."

    "Yea!" The guys chorused.

    I nodded. I slipped up too. Just by not going. They could have used me that day, I know it. No one wants to blame me outright, but I know it''s on their minds.

    "Let''s win this!" Zeke exclaimed with a light in his eyes.

    "Win!" The team yelled together before the starters took the field.

    I jogged out with Noah and the other infielders. Julian rolled us fake grounders and we threw them back to him to prepare ourselves. Kyle was throwing warmup pitches to Alex, and the outfielders were throwing long passes. Everyone looked ready.

    The umpire only gave us a minute or two before calling up the first batter. Kyle got set on the mound as the batter got in the righty''s box.

    Kyle''s first pitch was a called strike on the inside. His next pitch looked to be outside, but the batter swung and sent it out of the infield.

    "Ahh!" The crowd let out gasps as the ball traveled to the outfield.

    Mahki tracked it down until he got to the outfield fence. He put his right hand on the fence, then jumped for the ball as it got close. He was able to snatch it and prevent the home run.

    The crowd clapped and cheered for Mahki''s catch. I looked to Kyle on the mound, slightly worried how he would feel starting off with an almost home run.

    "We''ve got your back." Noah clapped with his glove, letting Kyle know that he shouldn''t get down on himself so soon.

    Kyle nodded and took a deep breath before getting ready for the next batter. Even though he looked calm, he started off with two balls before getting the batter to swing at something high. On a 2-1 count, he connected, putting the ball into fair play. It was a pop up that looked like it could be a bloop single to right field. I immediately ran to cover second base.

    Jason started to back up for it, but Noah called him off. "I''ve got it!" Noah tracked it down to the grass and made the catch for the second out. He smiled as the crowd clapped for him. He then threw the ball back to Kyle on the mound. "Two outs."

    "Two outs!" A few of the players repeated.

    The third batter stepped up after everyone got into position. He fouled off Kyle''s first pitch to him. And then again. And again. I kicked the dirt, trying to remember what this batter had done in the Golden West game. It''s hard to recall when I know that Servite didn''t score any runs. Golden West had won 1-0.

    "Nice pitch!" Noah told Kyle. "Keep it up."

    Kyle threw the fourth pitch outside for a ball. Then the fifth was in the zone, but slightly high. The batter swung and the ball soared up high. But...it was just that: high. I backed up, heels to the grass, got under it, and caught it. Three outs. I rolled the ball to the mound as we all jogged back to the dugout.

 413 Game VS Servite (2)

    "Honestly thought you were going to trip." Kyle told me as I passed by him.

    "Did I look that unsteady?" I stopped to ask.

    Kyle laughed. "Whenever the ball goes to you, you look unsteady."

    I felt my face warm up and quickly left him for my bag.

    "Don''t listen to Kyle. He''s just as nervous as you, if not more." Noah told me as I took off my hat.

    I put on my helmet and grabbed my bat. "What if I really do trip next time? It''s like he''s jinxing me!"

    Noah laughed. "Now you''re a believer?" He waved me away. "If you fall, just roll with it and laugh it off. The only thing that matters is the score in the end." His eyes narrowed. "But if you drop the ball, we''re going to have some problems."

    My shoulders stiffened.

    "Jake! Get out there!" Dave called for me. He was in the dugout since he wouldn''t be able to pitch today.

    "I''m just messing with ya." Noah laughed at my face. "Go. I''ve got some time before my at-bat."

    I moved to the on deck circle. Garret was already in the batter''s box, working the count against the pitcher. I thought it was interesting that Coach put Garret in the leadoff spot when he''s a lefty going up against a lefty that has multiple breaking balls. The pitcher threw a curve just as I was thinking that, only for Garret to connect and send a hard line drive to center. He took off running.

    Just as it looked like the ball would hit the grass, the center fielder made a diving catch, getting the first out.

    "Awe man."

    "That was well hit."

    "Yea, Garret''s one of the best players on the team."

    "Not as good as Zeke though."

    I could hear some murmurs from the crowd and it made me feel tense. So many people today.

    "Relax." Zeke came out of the dugout to stand in the circle. "Block it out. It''s just chatter." He patted my shoulder and pushed me lightly towards the box.

    I made my move, holding a hand up to signal for timeout as I put my back foot in the righty''s box. It was soft, as expected. Three of the Servite batter''s had already made the box a sandpit. After getting comfortable footing, I put my hands on my bat and pulled it back.

    Sanchez came out faster than other pitchers we''ve been facing. It almost felt like the guy from University Prep. Except, his placement and location seemed to be lacking. The curve had good movement...I probably could still hit it from the lefty''s box. The slider might be too much though.

    I fouled the first three pitches that were in or near the zone. Then Sanchez moved his location further out for back-to-back balls. I let them pass. 2-2. The next pitch was close enough for me to foul. Then another ball. Then another. He walked me.

    I tossed my bat lightly to the dugout and jogged to first. Coach Luis has raised eyebrows, probably wondering why I didn''t drag it out. After Monday''s game against OLU, I decided to pay more attention to my own body''s condition. If my arms felt heavy, I should accept the walk. Why force myself out? Especially with Zeke right behind me.

    Zeke stepped up amidst cheers from our homestand. Everyone was pumped, like something was going to happen.

    I took a lead off first base, but kept it relatively short since it was Zeke up to bat. Plus, Sanchez as a lefty, was facing me. It was kind of intimidating to be stared at when being on first.

    Sanchez was a little wild when starting his face off with Zeke. On a 2-0 count, Zeke connected on the curve and hit it to right field. It went high, but feeling that it would be short, I didn''t run to second just yet. I inched further from the bag, facing right field. Like I suspected, it was short and the right fielder caught it with ease to make the second out. I went back to first base.

    Everyone that was previously excited, seemed to let out a collective sigh. It was a depressing atmosphere. I felt stifled by the crowd''s disappointment. I couldn''t imagine how Zeke was feeling. I glanced as he went back to the dugout and received pats from our teammates. He didn''t look bothered.

    Julian, who was now batting fourth, aka the cleanup hitter, grounded out to the third baseman to end the inning. So much for scoring early.

    I jogged back to the dugout just in time to hear Coach. "Don''t get down on yourselves after just one inning. Six more to go. I don''t believe they can shut us out for the whole game."

    I grabbed my gear and hit the field with the rest of the starters. Coach was right. One inning won''t decide the outcome of the game. I''m guaranteed at least two more at-bats and so is Zeke.

    Kyle got on the mound and warmed up. To start off the second inning, he would begin with Servite''s cleanup hitter. Kyle came out strong, throwing a fastball just outside. The batter swung, connected, and sent the ball just foul of the right field pole. Dang. Kyle threw a pitch in the dirt. 1-1. A pitch inside for a ball. 2-1. Another pitch was ripped foul. 2-2.

    The Servite dugout was hyped up thanks to those foul balls and started to yell for their teammate. Kyle didn''t look good.

    The very next pitch. Kyle threw a fastball high in the zone, but it was lacking power and speed behind it. The batter ate it right up and spit it out towards right field. Mahki didn''t run back for this one; it was that obvious. A solo shot. They now have a one run lead.

    The batter jogged the bases as Alex went to the mound to talk to Kyle.

    I looked to Noah and saw him coming my way, so I met him halfway.

    "Kyle''s not looking so good today. Almost zero confidence." Noah sighed into his glove.

    I lifted mine and spoke into it. "He''s given up a lot of fly balls. Maybe he doesn''t have great control today."

    Noah nodded and looked to the bullpen. "Coach doesn''t have anyone warming up just yet."

    My lips twitched. "It''s only the second inning. And we''re only down by one." It''d be strange if someone was already warming up.

    "I''m just saying." Noah shrugged. "Be ready to chase down any fly balls that you think the outfield can''t reach. Keep your heels on the grass, okay?"

    I nodded.

    The umpire broke up the meeting on the mound, making everyone return to play. Whatever Alex said to Kyle, must have helped because he bounced back and got the next batter to strikeout.

    The sixth batter in the lineup hit a high fly to left field. Garret came in and Noah went back to track it down, but Garret called him off and made the catch. Two outs.

    Servite''s batters really were getting under these pitches to be able to hit all these fly balls. There hasn''t been one groundout yet.

    Kyle faced the seventh batter and quickly pushed him to a 1-2 count, only for him to get under a pitch as well, popping the ball up.

    I tried imitating Noah by following the ball in the grass and realized I could make the catch. I waved Mahki off, but somehow my feet got crossed up and I started to fall. I reached out and caught the ball before falling flat on my frontside. With my hands being busy, trying to keep the ball in the glove, I landed directly on my face and stomach in the grass. I groaned.

    Freakin'' Kyle.

 414 Game VS Servite (3)

    Before I could help myself up, I felt two different hands pulling me up by my arms. Julian and Mahki were also tracking the fly ball so they were close by. They reached me first and pulled me to my feet.

    "You okay, kid?" Julian asked.

    I opened my glove to make sure the ball was still safely in there. "Yea, I''m good."

    Mahki laughed. "You just wanted to make the catch more dramatic, huh?"

    I blushed. Then I remembered Noah''s advice to just laugh it off. So I tried smiling as I threw the ball to the mound. "I made the catch."

    "That, you did!" Julian hit the bill of my cap down so it covered my eyes.

    I fixed it and followed everyone back to the dugout. Some of the guys laughed and made jokes as I passed them by.

    I tried to see the humor in embarrassing myself like that, but the most I could do was share a smile. At least, up to the point where I ran into Kyle.

    Kyle slapped my arm with a grin. "You really had me going, Jake! I was scared that you were going to drop it intentionally."

    I pouted. "I wouldn''t even be worried about falling if it wasn''t for you."

    "Meh." He shrugged it off. "You did well."

    "Yea, unlike you." Noah told him. "One hit, one run. Aren''t you a little too efficient for the other team?"

    Kyle scratched his cheek, looking embarrassed. That made me feel better in a twisted way. "I don''t know what''s wrong with me. The ball just isn''t going where I want it to go."

    "Better get your act together before you get pulled from the mound." Noah stuck his tongue out and went to stand near Coach and Zeke. He''d be the third batter up this inning.

    "Don''t mind." I told Kyle before going to my seat.

    Kyle stood there, lost in his thoughts. I wasn''t knowledgeable in pitching and the mentality it takes so I just watched him from the corner of my eye. Maybe Dave will talk to him. Or Zeke.

    Bottom of the second, we went three up and three down. No one reached. Mahki struck out looking. Jason smacked a line drive right to the shortstop. And then Noah ended it with a foul pop out to the third baseman.

    Top of the third, we took the field again, but this time, with a more focused Kyle. He shut Servite down with back-to-back strikeouts followed by a pop fly to Noah. It could have just been a bit easier thanks to the bottom of the lineup.

    Unfortunately, Kyle''s good pitching doesn''t translate to good hitting. Not that he''s a good hitter to begin with. Alex hit a fly ball to right. Kyle struck out swinging. Then, from the on deck circle, I watched Garret hit a long fly ball to dead center. It didn''t have the height to go all the way and was caught for the third out of the third inning.

    Top of the fourth, Coach told Kyle to not worry about his pitch count and to finish strong. By the look of Kyle''s crestfallen face, I guess that was a hint that he was coming out soon. Kyle nodded solemnly and got back on the mound.

    "I could never be a pitcher." Noah whispered to me as we headed towards second base. "Not being able to play every game would kill me."

    I looked out to Garret in left field. "But...Garret plays almost every game. And he''s a pitcher. I think it just depends on what kind of pitcher you are..."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Jake...I can''t hit like Garret. There''s no way Coach would let a pitcher play shortstop on the days they weren''t pitching. Too much of a chance for an injury. You saw Dave, a ripped nail kept him out for almost two weeks. My nails crack all the time from diving in the dirt and making awkward plays."

    Ok, so we shouldn''t compare ourselves to Garret. He''s an exception.

    We both went to our spots as Kyle finished his warmup pitches. Kyle really worked hard, knowing that he probably wasn''t going to come back. His pitch count soared as he battled the beginning of Servite''s lineup again. The number two batter hit a grounder right to me and I easily made the play to first base for the first out.

    After another high pitch count against the number three batter, he bounced a grounder between Jason and Noah. Noah made the dive and the grab, then followed it up with a long throw to first base from his knees. The home crowd went wild for the amazing play as soon as the ump called the batter out. Jason helped Noah up and clapped him on the back. Even Kyle lifted his hat to him.

    "Great play, Noah!"

    Two outs, no one on, top of the fourth and Kyle''s nemesis was back at the plate. It was the player who had hit the homerun in the second inning. Kyle started off with a fastball right down the middle for a called strike. I shivered. What a risky pitch. 0-1. Kyle placed a pitch inside, backing the batter off the plate. 1-1.

    On the third pitch, Kyle got him to swing and miss on an outside pitch. 1-2. Next, Kyle aimed fast and high, but the batter didn''t let it pass for a ball. He took a big step forward and used his bat to smash it to left field. I moved to cover second as I watched Garret chase down the fly ball.

    As a team, we were helpless and had to watch the ball become out of reach for our outfielders. Another solo shot. Down by two.

    I glanced at Kyle and noticed his fist were clenched.

    "Next one, next one!" Alex hollered, throwing Kyle a new baseball as the batter went around touching all the bases.

    Kyle reset himself on the mound physically, but he was losing the mental battle. His pitches became sloppy and the fifth batter was able to connect on a fastball. He hit a line drive towards right field. Mahki sprinted in and had to lay himself out to make the diving catch.

    The got the crowd a little excited, but it was still a little quiet since the second homerun. Everyone ran back to the dugout, eager to get off defense.

    "You pitched well." Noah told Kyle as we entered the dugout together.

    "No, I didn''t." Kyle sighed, studying his right hand like it would have the answers for him.

    "Giving up only two runs isn''t so bad." Dave said. "We still have a chance. It''s not like you were bombed."

    "It''s a 4.5 ERA for this game." Kyle sighed and slouched on the bench.

    I wanted to stick around to listen, but I would lead off this inning so I had to switch out my gear and then leave the dugout. Zeke was already out on the circle, carelessly swinging his bat. Looking at his relaxed attitude made me feel like we were the ones winning by two.

    Zeke nodded at me. "Get on. We''ve got work to do."

    Ah, but still as serious as ever. I nodded and took some practice swings while I watched Sanchez throw some practice pitches off the mound.

 415 Game VS Servite (4)

    "Batter up." The umpire waved for me to step up.

    Out of habit, I almost walked to the lefty''s box, but quickly corrected myself. The righty box was soft and the dirt was uneven. I took the time to kick the dirt away and find firm ground before officially stepping in.

    Sanchez started me off with a fastball down the middle. I let it pass for a called strike. 0-1. The next was a curve that started outside, but it had the movement to come in. I swung and fouled it back, hitting the catcher in the mask.

    "Dang it!" The catcher cursed as he readjusted his mask.

    My heart pounded almost out of my chest. I took a breath to calm myself, before speaking out. "Sorry." I whispered.

    The catcher looked down at me in surprise. He gave a short nod. "It''s all good." The umpire gave the baseball to him to give to the pitcher and we resumed my at-bat.

    So awkward. I tried to calm myself down before getting set in the box again. I haven''t fouled a ball back since my first tournament. It''s easier to foul it back than purposely down the line, but I really don''t like the idea of hitting the catcher. Mostly because, what if he gets mad and hits me?

    I shivered. The next pitch was a fastball outside. 1-2. Sanchez threw a slider next. From a lefty to a righty, it came inside. Too much inside. I jumped back to avoid being hit. 2-2.

    "Hey!"

    "Watch it!"

    "He''s aiming for our guy ump!"

    My team was getting riled up in the dugout even though the ball didn''t hit me. Their yelling encouraged the crowd to join in and get mad at the pitcher for the close call. The umpire shot them a look and they quieted down.

    I got back in the box. I was feeling a little nervous from the attention and just in general. Maybe I shouldn''t foul any extra pitches and go for a hit right away? It''s not like Sanchez has poor endurance anyway and maybe I''m feeling a little anxious with us being down by two runs.

    Okay, if it''s in the zone and looks good, I''m going to go for it. I made my decision.

    Sanchez nodded at his catcher and got set, completed his motion, and then threw a pitch my way. It was a fastball. I started my swing and watched closely, hoping to connect with the thickest part of my bat. The speed of my swing and the speed of the ball caused it to fly off the bat. It shot over the jumping second baseman. I sprinted to first and watched as the center fielder sprint to try and make the play. He hesitated for too long and the line drive dropped for a bounce a few feet in front of him. He threw the ball back in to the second baseman as I stayed on first.

    "Way to go, Jake!"

    Claps and cheers surrounded me. It was odd to hear so much just for a single so I looked to Coach Luis for help.

    He caught me staring at him and stepped closer. He lowered his voice. "You just broke up the no hitter the pitcher had going."

    Oh. I nodded slowly. I guess that was true. He had only given up a walk and that was to me in the first inning.

    "Pay attention." He patted my helmet before stepping away. "Sanchez is a lefty." He warned.

    I nodded. He is. So he would be facing me when he prepares to pitch to Zeke. I faced him as I started to inch off the mound. I didn''t dare to go too far. Not only is Sanchez a left-handed pitcher, but he''s fast.

    Sanchez looked directly at me, making me want to go back immediately, but I know that''s not how you should play so I stayed firm. Seeing that I wasn''t going anywhere at the moment, he turned to Zeke, who had stepped in the batter''s box.

    Zeke stood tall. He was even taller than the umpire, and looked even taller when the umpire and catcher would squat into position. A strange thought crossed my mind: is my brother that tall? Didn''t he look like a giant in high school like Zeke? Will I grow up to be that tall by my senior year?

    Zeke fouled the first pitch down the third baseline. The second pitch was put into play, finding the gap between first base and the second baseman. With the first baseman playing stationary on the line, the low line drive easily pass between the two. I took off.

    I glanced to my right to see the ball going to the gap between center and right field, so I tagged second base and continued to third after making sure that Mr. Miller was waving me on. As I got closer to third, he lowered his hands and started pointing at the base aggressively. He wanted me to slide, more on the right.

    I swallowed my fear and once I got close, I made the dive, head first. Then I felt a heavy pat on the back of my shoulder. I looked up at the nearby umpire. He extended his arms. "Safe!"

    "To second!" Someone yelled.

    The third baseman quickly made the throw after noticing Zeke was already halfway there. Zeke slid into second base feet first and popped up before the shortstop could make the tag. Safe again!

    Now the crowd really had something to celebrate. Two on and in scoring position with no outs.

    Julian stepped up to bat next as I got up and dusted myself off. Sanchez glanced over his shoulder to look at me, but I wasn''t worried. The third baseman was more than a few feet away from the base. They obviously weren''t worried about giving up one run. Or they think that Julian will hit another grounder to third.

    Either way, it let me take a good lead off the base and head a little closer to home.

 416 Game VS Servite (5)

    Sanchez cornered Julian to an 0-2 count, then threw a third strike right down the middle and caught him looking. One out.

    Mahki sauntered to the box next, not looking nervous in the slightest. Which was good, because I think I''m nervous enough for the whole team combined. I was shifting back and forth, trying to loosen up. I don''t want to accidentally fall during such a crucial turning point in the game.

    Mahki got set in the box, and Sanchez was set on the mound. Mahki fouled off the first pitch. Then the next. 0-2. My hands started to shake. Come on, Mahki. Just put it in play so I can get us on the scoreboard.

    The third pitch was in the zone. Foul. Foul. Ball. Ball. 2-2. It was becoming a long at-bat. I wonder if this is how the team feels when watching me battle it out with the pitcher..?

    ''Ding!'' The seventh pitch was blasted to the outfield.

    I went back to third and kept my foot on the bag, eyes on home plate.

    "Go!" Mr. Miller had let me know when to take off.

    I sprinted to home. Jason, who was picking up Mahki''s bat, yelled, "No slide."

    I tagged home plate as the catcher stood out of the way. As I turned to look, the ball just arrived to the pitcher. Zeke had also safely tagged up and made it to third base without sliding. Two outs, only down by one now.

    "Nice!" Jason patted me on the head as he moved to the batter''s box.

    Mahki and I went back to the dugout together. He stole most of the attention as he started to complain about his at-bat. "It really could have been a two RBI hit if that outfielder was just a second slower." He grumbled.

    "Don''t mind!"

    "Only one away from a tie, and two away from a win."

    "That''s only if we don''t give up anymore runs."

    The conversation quickly turned to who would pitch this next inning. We could see movement in the bullpen and knew that Kyle was coming out, but Coach didn''t say anything else.

    I went to my bag to switch out my gear. Noah was on deck, set to hit after Jason, so I had no one to talk to. But it didn''t matter. Jason struck out swinging on three pitches. It was time to start the fifth.

    As we took the field, Coach came out of the dugout to speak with the umpire. He waved at the bullpen and soon Bryce came out sprinting like he was in a race. Coach and Alex met him at the mound, shared some words behind their gloves, then they left him up there. Coach returned to the dugout and Alex to his position.

    Bryce looked as excited as always. He reminds me of an eager puppy, happy to show off its new tricks. He came out fast and strong against Servite''s number six batter, getting him to strike out swinging.

    The following batter proved to be more difficult to handle. The at-bat lasted twelve pitches before the batter smacked a single to left field. Garret fielded the ball the best he could, making sure the runner didn''t go to second.

    We made up for it on the next batter. He hit a grounder right at me. I made sure to catch the ball before throwing to Noah at second base. Then Noah completed the double play by throwing to Julian at first base before the batter reached.

    "Smooth as silk." Noah nodded at me as we jogged to our dugout. "You''re looking way more confident when fielding grounders."

    I smiled. "That''s because I know I can count on you to make that throw to first in time. You throw way faster than me. If you''re the one that fielded the grounder, I''m sure I would fumble somewhere."

    Noah just shook his head. "Don''t be so pessimistic. You''ve come a long way." He switched out his hat and glove for a helmet and bat. He tugged on his batting gloves as he walked away.

    Noah was right. In two months, my life has completely turned around. I was living as a mute in a hospital with no family and now...now everything has changed. I felt a sense of calm as the feeling washed over me. I am in a better place.

    I watched as my team struggled to get anything going on the offense. Noah hit a fly ball to left, and Alex hit a short fly to right. With two outs, Bryce came out in Kyle''s spot, but came back empty-handed as well. He struck out, swinging for the fences.

    Top of the sixth. Everyone jogged out to the field as Servite went to their own dugout. Bryce took some extra time since he was the last out. He warmed up properly, showing some excitement. For some reason, just looking at him, I felt inspired. And pumped up. It was just a feeling of confidence and happy to be playing.

    Bryce started with the number nine batter, and it didn''t take long for him to hit a slow grounder to Noah. Noah sprinted forward, grabbed the ball with his right and made the throw to Julian.

    "Out!" The first base umpire declared, pumping his fist.

    Bryce now has to deal with the top of the lineup. The first guy went down swinging, but missed thankfully. The second batter made Bryce worked to the seventh pitch before hitting a hard grounder up the middle. It just barely missed Bryce on the mound.

    I sprinted over, but Noah was coming in too. Since he had the better angle, he called me off and made the play to get the third out.

    Bottom of the sixth brought up the top of our lineup as well. Garret was first up, and I hurried to change gear to be in the on deck circle. This could be my last at-bat. I held my bat tightly as I stepped back out of the dugout.

 417 Game VS Servite (6)

    Garret stepped up after Sanchez finished his practice pitches. Lefty versus lefty. So far, Sanchez was winning, making Garret line out and fly out to center field. But at least Garret is connecting. Maybe I should bat lefty...I''m kind of accustomed to it now.

    Nah. Don''t change what''s been working. I have a walk and a single for the day so it''s best not to jinx it.  I haven''t even attempted to hit breaking balls as fast as Sanchez can pitch. I might get in a jam.

    ''Ding!''

    I watched the ball fly off Garret''s bat and soar to center field. The center fielder had to chase it to the fence, but was still able to make the catch without jumping. One out.

    "Good luck." Garret mumbled as he passed me. He was 0-3 on the day, so it wasn''t a good game for him. He also didn''t get to pitch.

    I walked up to the plate, stepped into the box, but quickly stepped out. I had to kick the dirt around to make it even. I really want to go back to batting lefty. After fixing it to my liking, I got in and faced Sanchez.

    He had sweat rolling down the side of his face. He nodded at the catcher''s sign then straightened up. His first pitch bounced in the dirt for a ball. It had the speed, but lacked location. He was definitely getting tired. I let the next pitch pass for a called strike. 1-1. Foul. Foul. And then another ball in the dirt. 2-2. His next pitch looked slower than normal like it was a change-up. I waited an extra second before swinging at it, sending it down the first baseline. It got passed the first baseman and that made safely reach first for another single.

    "Good one, Jake!"

    "Don''t be afraid to steal Bambi!"

    My eyes cut to the dugout trying to find the owner. Dave was up against the fence, cheering the loudest. Before he could see my glare, he was already cheering on Zeke.

    "Bring him home, Zeke!"

    "Captain!"

    The Servite pitching coach stepped out of his dugout to have a word with his pitcher. The pitcher was nodding energetically at whatever he had to say. I wonder if it''s a motivational speech or an attack plan to take on Zeke.

    The umpire went to the mound to break it up, making the coach return to his dugout. It''s funny to think that the last time I saw him, he made me feel angry at my dad for not sticking around. He''s the one who picked a high school coaching job to stick with his family.

    Sanchez was prepared to face Zeke. Kind of. He started with a ball outside. 1-0. Then again. 2-0. Then again. 3-0. Is he going to walk him? Zeke fouled off what would have been ball four. To the outside again. Only Zeke and I have been able to handle Sanchez so it makes sense that he wouldn''t want to face him head on. It''s just...if you want to walk him, why not do the intentional walk?

    The following pitch was another outside fastball. Just as I thought it would be ball four, the pitch curved in. It didn''t fool Zeke though. He swung with power and blasted the ball high up. I watched as it soared to the outfield. Just go!

    I was cringing a little bit as I saw the center fielder chase it down. Please don''t catch it.

    The ball went the distance and disappeared over the outfield fence. Home run!

    I happily ran the bases, beaming as the crowd went wild. It almost felt like a walkoff win...except we still had another inning to go.

    I tagged home plate and turned in time to see Zeke tag it too. Julian was the first to give us high fives. Then Mahki. Once in the dugout, everyone pounced on Zeke. We took the lead, 3-2.

    I put away my helmet and sat down. Noah was one of the guys jumping all around Zeke, happy with this lead. And it put a dent in Sanchez mentally. This is his second blown game in less than a week. He walked Julian, but got back on track with Mahki, making him hit into a double play to end the sixth.

    Sanchez walked back to the dugout with his head down.

    "Don''t bother feeling bad for him." Kyle told me, taking a seat nearby. "He made his choice."

    "His choice?" I asked.

    "To pitch to Zeke. He knew what kind of hitter Zeke is. And just look at the scorecard; only you and him have hits against Sanchez. It''s not like it was a secret. He could have walked him."

    "Why didn''t he?" I thought about it. If I was a pitcher, I would have walked Zeke right away.

    "Pride. He wanted to get the best player in the county out." Kyle shrugged. "All pitchers have that kind of mentality."

    I glanced at Kyle out of the corner of my eye. Pride? I guess Kyle has that, but once he''s on the mound he lacks the confidence to back it up. Yet his skill keeps him in it.

    "What? Is there something on my face?" Kyle caught me looking.

    I shook my head. "No. I just got distracted." I stood up with my glove and waved at him before jogging out.

    As I took the field, I noticed some changes. The main one being: no Bryce. Garret was on the mound talking to Alex and Coach. I guess he was going to close it out. I scanned the outfield. Mahki was moved to left field and Tanner was in right.

    Garret was allowed a few extra warmup pitches since he didnt properly warm up for pitching. I was nervous that it wasn''t going to be enough, but I forgot how much frustration Garret had pent up. He came out blazing fast, getting the first guy to strike out swinging. Their cleanup hitter bounced a grounder to Julian, who ran it to first base himself. The fifth batter hit a hard grounder to Noah, but he easily handled it and threw him out to end the game.

    We won, 3-2! Cutting it close but we had half an inning to spare. We high-fived one another and celebrated the win.

    "Three league games left, boys." Coach told us after we calmed down and gathered for a postgame talk. "Quincy. Golden West. And then Servite again. All three can go either way. We really need more of you to pitch in on offense. We can''t keep relying on Jake and Zeke. Sanchez is a good pitcher, but that doesn''t mean he''s unhittable. Saturday we play out of conference against Modoc. I''ll be switching things up so don''t be too surprised."

    "Will I still get to pitch?" Dave asked.

    "It''s my turn." Garret frowned.

    "You pitched today."

    "For one inning."

    "That''s more than I got."

    "Whoever pitches Saturday, won''t be able to pitch against Quincy on Monday." Coach declared.

    "Dave already called Saturday so I''ll take Monday." Garret changed the narrative.

    "No, no. You insisted for Saturday." Dave said.

    "I can pitch Monday!" Kyle volunteered.

    "What was my pitch count today?" Bryce asked. "Can I pitch Saturday?"

    Coach groaned. "Listen up." The chatter among pitchers stopped. "I''ll be looking over the potential matchups and statistics tonight and tomorrow. I''ll make a decision Saturday so everyone should be preparing like they''ll pitch this weekend. Understand?" The pitchers all nodded. "Okay, you all look beat. Get home and rest properly. Tomorrow''s practice will be light. Don''t be late." He dismissed us.

 418 Be Strong

    Coach followed through on his word and made Friday''s practice light. It was more of a walk through and he even tried us at different positions. To say outfield isn''t the place for me is an understatement. There''s just too much ground to cover and I was clumsy and my anxiety would always skyrocket when the ball was high in the air.

    Noah, on the other hand, was just a mini Zeke, making diving grabs look easy. He also had a strong enough arm to throw to the pitcher''s mound. Before I let myself get drowned by the raging jealousy I felt, I reminded myself that we all have a skill that we excell in. Mine was batting...and Noah''s was everything else.

    On Saturday, the team traveled to Modoc High School, over an hour away. Coach told us the lineup before warm ups...and he definitely changed things up. I was set to be on the bench. Along with Zeke, the twins, Garret, and the injured Kelvin.

    Sean would get to play second in my stead, while the whole outfield was switched up with the absence of Garret and Zeke. Mahki, as the most experienced player, was moved to center field. Tanner was in right field, and Coach had placed Bryce in left field since he had the stronger arm.

    Theo was named the starting pitcher, but Coach was quick to let us know that he would be using multiple pitchers today.

    "I want to keep Garret and the twins fresh for next week. Quincy on Monday. Liberty Christian High on Tuesday. Golden West on Thursday." Coach said. "And with Servite waiting the following Monday, we have to tread carefully. No mistakes." He looked at the players that would get to start today. "I don''t want you taking it easy just because it''s not a league game. The race for first is still tight, and if it''s tied in the end, the overall record will play a big factor in who gets to go to CIF."

    Everyone nodded.

    Coach wasn''t switching up the lineup to ''fool around'' but to give everyone a chance to get some real practice in before our last three league games. Especially because they were three good teams. We had only beaten Quincy and Servite by one. Golden West was a loss.

    I thought it would be lonely being in the dugout alone when Noah was out on the field, but the twins kept me company. They played as commentators for the games and made funny comments as Coach changed pitchers throughout the game.

    Our team ended up blowing them away 10-0 in five innings to complete the called game. Coach was only abled to use Theo, Troy, Tyler, and Matt on the mound.

    "The three T''s!" Dave laughed after Tyler was put in, but it was ruined the following inning after Matt was put in.

    "It would have been better if Matt''s name was Wyatt or something with a W." Kyle said after Matt was put in. "Then we could have said that it takes three T''s to get the W."

    Dave laughed, but I didn''t get it.

    "To get the W, is also to get the win." Garret had to clarify.

    I nodded slowly, still not finding it funny. The twins were like that all game though so it kept me entertained.

    After the game, we loaded up the bus and headed back to school. Coach used this time to talk a little more about the upcoming week.

    "That was the kind of game I want to see more often." He told us. "You all played well. Especially the sophomores. You guys proved to me that you have been polishing your skills regardless of games played in." During the game, Coach had put Brian in at first base for Julian and then later on out Mitchell behind the plate for Alex. No one had any errors even with everyone switching positions.

    "Monday is Quincy." Coach continued. "We''ll start with Dave on the mound, but Kyle and Garret also might make an appearance." He looked for the three juniors. "So no messing around tomorrow. Throw a little to stay relaxed, but I don''t want to hear that you threw your arm out just 24 hours before game time. Understand?"

    "Yes!" They answered.

    "We have no problem scoring five runs off Quincy so I''m not too worried about our offense. It''ll be up to you boys to shut them down." Coach spoke a little longer until we reached school again.

    Everyone went their own way and I followed the Atkins home.

    "Should we have a movie night after dinner?" Mrs. Atkins asked when she saw that all of us had showered and come downstairs. No one was in the mood to spend their Saturday on homework.

    "Can we go out for dinner?" Noah asked.

    Mrs. Atkins raised an eyebrow. "Why? Are you sick of my cooking already?"

    Noah shook his head vehemently. "No, no, I love it!" He grinned slyly. "But I don''t want to overwork you Mom. You''re always making breakfast, lunch, and most of the time dinner. Don''t you want a break?"

    Mrs. Atkins laughed at his antics. She then looked to the rest of us. "Well? What do you guys want to do tonight? Go to a movie?"

    "How about we go to The Arcade?" Dave suggested. "We can play a round of mini golf and play some video games."

    "Yes!" Noah immediately agreed. "Let''s get out of the house for a little."

    "We''re always out of the house." Kyle countered. "School and baseball. We only come home to shower, eat, and do homework. I vote movie night." He glanced at his mom. "And you don''t have to cook. We can order in pizza!"

    Mrs. Atkins looked at me specifically. "Well? What do you want to do?"

    "Me?" I asked, surprised. "I''m okay with whatever."

    "Jake is so easygoing." Noah looked at Zeke. "Zeke''s the only problem here."

    Zeke glanced at him before looking at his mom. "I think Dave and Noah have too much energy. It''s probably best to let them burn it off so they don''t stay up late."

    Mrs. Atkins laughed. "Zeke, you don''t have to worry so much. You don''t have to-" She stopped as her eyes looked pass us. "Wayne? What is it?"

    All of us turned around to see Mr. Atkins coming out of his office. He was tall, yet right now he looked sick with how pale he was. He was gripping his cell phone in his left hand. "Mr. Duncan called."

    The silence felt thick as we waited for him to continue.

    "They-He-I." He stuttered, trying to find out where to start. His frown thickened. "News got out."

    "What news?" Noah asked.

    "He said Mr. Duncan, so it must be related to Jake." Kyle looked at me, putting all attention on me.

    Except...I didn''t really understand what was being said either. "News about me..?"

    "Yes. No. Uh." Mr. Atkins struggled again. "Let''s go sit down for a minute. In the kitchen." He led the way, not caring if we agree or not.

    "This doesn''t sound like good news." Dave stated, looking worried like the rest of us. He glanced down at me. "Be strong. No matter what it is."

    I gave a silent nod.

    The five us, plus their mom, moved to the dining room table.

 419 It Ain’t Me

    After everyone was seated, Mr. Atkins took a deep breath and started from the beginning, sounding more clear than before. "Mr. Duncan called me to say the news knows that CPS is looking to get in touch with him. He believes there was a leak. Someone probably sold the info to a news station to make some money."

    "Why would they do that?" Dave questioned.

    "What does this mean exactly?" Kyle asked.

    "Well, for starters, someone probably heard a famous person was involved and wanted to make a quick buck for whatever reason why. Mr. Duncan has assured me that they''re looking for the leak and that person will immediately be fired." Mr. Atkins continued. "As for what it means...we can''t be too sure just yet."

    "Is Jake going to become famous?" Noah asked, frowning.

    "No, he''s still a minor so the news won''t be able to release his name to the public." Mr. Atkins looked me in the eye. "But they''ll be rehashing the story of you and your mom."

    I gulped. "Soo. My brother will be asked about our mom?"

    Mr. Atkins nodded. "This isn''t the worst thing that could happen if we try and look at it in a better light. The state was having trouble reaching him in order to confirm his relationship with you. Right now they''re trying to find some DNA sample to confirm your relationship with him and your father." He took a deep breath. "Maybe with the reporters asking the questions in public, he''ll take the initiative to reach Mr. Duncan."

    "This doesn''t sound so bad." Noah spoke up and I agreed with him.

    Mr. Atkins lips thinned. "Just because the news can''t legally publish Jake''s name, doesn''t mean there aren''t other ways. There are blogs, anonymous commenters, and even Jeremy himself can announce Jake''s name." He gave me a sad smile. "I can''t guarantee your privacy."

    "Does this have any effect on us adopting Jake?" Mrs. Atkins spoke up for the first time.

    Mr. Atkins shook his head. "Hopefully not. Best case scenario, we confirm his relatives, they agree not to fight for custody, then we go through the courts."

    "Yay!" Noah jumped up. "This doesn''t sound like bad news to me."

    I nodded in agreement and so did the twins. With the news out in the open, I felt a little more free. Jeremy is going to know. He''s going to know I made it to safety.

    In the end, with Noah''s excitement and urging, everyone agreed on The Arcade for dinner and some fun. We didn''t know of the storm that was heading our way.

    ***

    Sunday mornings were the most relaxed. No games. No mandatory practices. Mrs. Atkins would have breakfast ready before she and her husband would leave to show some houses to clients.

    Sadly, it''s not how this Sunday started.

    "Jake!" Noah yelled, waking me up.

    I turned over to look his way. Seeing that he looked upset and angry, I sat up with urgency. "What is it? What''s wrong?"

    Noah started to tug at me, getting me to hurry out of bed. "Come look at this! You have to see this!"

    I fumbled out of bed and let Noah drag me to his laptop. A video was paused on the familiar face of Jeremy Patterson.

    "This is the post-game conference. Some reporter asked about your mom!" Noah hit play.

    ["Jeremy, have you heard that your estranged mother is in prison?" A reporter asked.

    His eyes widened for a second, then relaxed to a neutral expression. "No, we aren''t in contact. That''s the meaning of estranged. But I can''t say I''m surprised."

    "So you don''t know why she''s in prison?"

    He furrowed his eyebrows. "I obviously don''t. Is this really relevant to the game?"

    "She is being brought up on attempted murder charges. Attempted murder on your teenage brother." The reporter ignored the question about the game. His statement caused for camera flashes to go off as everyone wanted a pic of Jeremy''s expression.

    Jeremy Patterson stood up abruptly. "We''re done here."

    "Do you really not care about your brother?" The reporter continued to press the topic. "You haven''t even asked when this happened. Last year. Have you really not called to check on him?"

    Jeremy lifted the microphone and spoke into it. "I feel for the kid that almost died, but he isn''t my brother. I don''t have a brother. The closest I have to siblings are the cousins I was raised with. My birth mother gave my uncle custody of me right after my father''s death." He dropped the mic and walked out of the cameras view.]

    Noah hit stop. "What the heck did he mean by that?! He didn''t grow up with you so you aren''t his brother? How dumb can he be??"

    I slumped in the chair. "Maybe we really aren''t related." I felt numb.

    Noah though, he felt angry. It was evident in his yelling. "That can''t be! At the very least, he admitted that your mom is his mom. That means you''re half-siblings at the minimum."

    "Maybe his estranged mother is some different woman?" I mumbled.

    "What!? How could there be that many crazy women in the state? You saw his reaction. He wasn''t surprised to hear what your mother had done. Yet, as soon as they mention brother, he gets up and gets mad."

    "What''s with all the yelling?" Dave asked, walking in without knocking. "Are you trying to wake the whole house?"

    Noah pulled Dave by his arm and restarted the video. I had to hear the same words again. ''He isn''t my brother.''

    Dave sucked in a gulp of air at the end. Noah stopped the video again "What the F?!"

    "That''s what I''m saying!" Noah yelled, exasperated.

    "How can he just write off his brother like that? Even if it''s not Jake, if that guy''s mom had another boy, that would still be his half-brother." Dave shook his head.

    "That''s what I''m saying!!" Noah repeated again.

    "What is going on in here?" Mr. Atkins asked from the doorway.

    Noah pulled his dad over, but this time I stood up as fast as I could.

    "Jake?" Mr. Atkins asked.

    "I. I don''t need to hear it again." And again. Who knows if Noah would repeat this action for everyone in this house.

    Dave eyed me. "Yea, let''s go have breakfast." He put his arm around my shoulders and walked me out of there. As we slowly walked down the stairs, he gripped me tighter. "He was probably just caught off guard and said something without thinking."

    I didn''t reply.

    "He probably holds some resentment towards your mother too." Dave tried to defend him.

    But it was too late. Said something without thinking? Who would lie and immediately deny having any brother or siblings? Holds resentment? Get in line. I spent more years with that woman than he did. And I did it alone without him. Without a dad.

    "You heard him." I told Dave. "It ain''t me. I''m not his brother. He only has cousins. That''s fine. I don''t want a brother like him anyways." I answered coldly.

    We reached the bottom of the stairs and Dave pulled me into a hug. "You already have four brothers. You don''t need another one anyways."

    I felt uncomfortable being trapped in someone''s arms, but there wasn''t any anxiety. It was sadness that filled me. No one related to me, wanted me. Only a random family of strangers. A family that had known me for two months.

 420 April’s Showers

    I started to tear up. I wanted to wipe my eyes, but then Dave would know that I was crying.

    "What are you doing to Jake?" Mrs. Atkins asked.

    Dave loosened his grip and answered. "Jeremy Patterson isn''t a good person, Mom. Noah found a not so good video of him. He''s showing Dad right now."

    Mrs. Atkins didn''t need to question what was said. Just one look at me and she could tell that I was hurting. "Oh, honey. It''s...well, let me go see what has happened." She nodded towards the dining room. "Why don''t you go eat breakfast with the others?" She jogged up the stairs.

    Dave steered me to the kitchen and guided me to my seat before going to his own. Zeke and Kyle were talking about plans for the day, but quieted down after one look at me.

    "Don''t ask." Dave told them. "If you really want to know, go upstairs and Noah will show you. Jake doesn''t want to keep hearing about it." He started to load his plate.

    Zeke got up first, not hesitating like Kyle. He immediately left the kitchen, and Kyle quickly followed after a glance my way.

    "They have to know." Dave told me.

    "I know." I slowly reached for a bagel and started to pick at it. It''s not like it''s a big secret. It''s all over the news. Jeremy Patterson doesn''t claim having a brother.

    As I slowly ate my bagel, the Atkins started to come down in the order they went up. Mr. Atkins. Mrs. Atkins. The three boys.

    "What should we do now?" Kyle asked their dad, looking unsure of what to do.

    Mr. Atkins sighed. "There''s nothing for us to do. Everything else is between Jeremy and the state." He looked at me. "Let me know if you want to visit Dr. Moore at any time, okay?"

    I nodded. "I''m okay. He can live his life and I''ll live mine."

    Mr. Atkins shared a frown with Mrs. Atkins, but they didn''t say anything else about the topic. My wave of sadness passed as I thought it through. Jeremy and I don''t have any real connection. I was three the last time I saw him...a ten-year-old him. That''s it.

    Mr. and Mrs. Atkins took a longer time to go to work, but after making sure that I would be just fine with their sons, they left.

    "Let''s go to the cages?" Kyle offered, looking at me.

    I shrugged, stabbing the cut up fruit on my plate. "I don''t really feel like it."

    "Don''t be lying." Noah nudged me. "You know it''ll make you feel better. Get your mind off things."

    Get my mind off the fact that my brother didn''t even ask about me after finding out that our mom almost killed me? I doubt it. I sighed. "Okay, sure."

    Noah smiled with relief.

    So after breakfast, we packed up and left the house together. We were just at The Arcade last night so the employees were a little surprised that we would come two days in a row.

    Zeke bought the tokens for all of us without Noah''s nagging so he must be pitying me too. Just a boy that only strangers want. I sighed to myself for the millionth time this morning.

    We seemed to stick together as we moved to the cage with a good speed. Or more like, they stuck with me. They were probably still worried about me exploding or running or just-just being sad. It made me feel worse that these acquaintances could care more than my blood relatives. Just stop. Stop thinking about it.

    I shook my head trying to clear these thoughts.

    The boys let me go first, but that was a mistake. I was still muddle-headed and made a few mistakes in the cages. I even swung and missed on such an easy pitch. With another sigh, I left the cage.

    "Jake-" Noah started.

    Zeke cut him off. "Noah, you go next." He glanced at the twins. "Shouldn''t you two start somewhere else?"

    The twins got the hint and left us alone. Noah waited an extra beat, but with Zeke staring him down, he caved. Zeke sat down on the bench between cages. "Come on. Sit down and relax. It''s a nice day for late April. We usually get more rain."

    The corner of my lips tugged into a mocking smile. "It''s so cloudy here all the time. I''ve never seen so many cloudy days in my life."

    Zeke chuckled as I sat down. "It''s called the marine layer. Just clouds rolling in from the coast. But you know, there''s a saying that Mom used to tell us when we complained about the rain."

    "What..?" Not really understanding where he was going with this. Did he think talking about the weather would get my mind off my family situation?

    "''April showers bring May flowers.''" He quoted. Then after a silent pause. "''Every dark cloud has a silver lining.''" He glanced down at me. "Are you understanding what I''m trying to say?"

    I laughed, feeling a little lighter. "I''m in ninth grade, I know what an idiom is."

    "So you know this thing that''s troubling you will pass." He stated. "If you know that, then why are you dwelling so much on it?"

    "Well..." I thought about it. "He''s my brother..."

    Zeke shrugged. "Your brother? Or a stranger? What do you know about this man that you haven''t read about or seen in the news?"

    That''s right. He''s a stranger to me. Just like I am to him. He won''t claim me, so I don''t have to claim him.

    "I know someone who thinks of you as a brother." Zeke told me in a soft tone.

    Immediately my eyes looked to Noah, batting. "He thought of me as a brother from day one. I didn''t even talk to him and he called me his little brother." My eyes stung. "Is something wrong with me?"

    Zeke patted the top of my head lightly. "No. If there was, we wouldn''t all take a liking to you and let our parents adopt you."

    I looked at him.

    "Mom and Dad checked with me and the twins before starting the adoption process." He smiled. "Remember the night that the twins got their pitching backstop? Mom and Dad asked them separately about their thoughts so you know, all of us like you."

    I warmed at the thought.

    "Honestly, you don''t need to be officially adopted to feel like a part of the family." Zeke told me. "You''re already a brother to us. A son to Mom and Dad. You were one of us from day one."

    And that was thanks to Noah and Mrs. Atkins. They pulled me in and didn''t let go.

    "Thanks Zeke." I told him, feeling a sense of relief. "For the record, you''re what I wanted my big brother to be like."

    Zeke looked surprised for a second, then laughed.

    "Jake! Want to try again?" Noah asked, coming out of the cage.

    I lifted my bat. "Yea." I went back in there, put in the token, and then started to swing. Every ball was sent back the way it came. It was a good feeling. No negativity was hanging around like a heavy fog. Instead, it was sunny. Bright. Warm.

 421 Game VS Quincy HS (1)

    Mr. and Mrs. Atkins were surprised to see all of us relaxing in the living room late into the afternoon. We were exhausted from playing in the cages and Zeke even let us use his money for video games and to get some pizza for lunch. After a fun-filled day, there wasn''t any time or space for me to be upset. Because Zeke is right. Why get mad at someone you don''t know? Pointless.

    Our good mood spread to their parents and led to enjoyable dinner. It really was like flowers after the rain. No one brought up the man that disowned my existence in front of the nation. Instead, we talked about tomorrow''s games, finished our weekend homework, and prepared for the school week.

    It gave me a sense of security, knowing that I didn''t need Jeremy. That didn''t mean I was prepared for school on Monday morning. Jeremy Patterson''s mom being in prison was big news. It felt like the whole school was talking about it.

    Okay...maybe not the WHOLE school, but all baseball fans at the least. If they weren''t fans of the A''s, they were making fun of him for having a killer mom. If they were A''s fans, then they were mostly on the defensive, trying to protect their team''s player.

    "Noah! Did you hear about Patterson?" A classmate asked after we both sat down.

    Noah''s face darkened. "Yea. I don''t want to talk about it." He glanced at me.

    I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

    "It''s crazy, right?" The kid continued to ask. "It''s not everyday you hear about a player''s personal drama. I bet it''s just the tip of the iceberg." He lowered his voice. "Wasn''t it weird how he wrote off the younger brother that almost died?"

    My heart started to pound out of my chest.

    "Weird?" Noah echoed, not lowering his voice. "If anything, it was wrong. Rude. Mean. He didn''t even ask how the brother is doing or where he''s at."

    "Well we don''t know all the facts just yet." A girl said from the side. "I don''t think Patterson is an evil person because his mom almost killed someone. Your parents don''t define who you are."

    Noah''s eyes narrowed at the girl. "You''re right. It''s not your parents actions that define you, but your own. After finding out that his mom almost killed someone, what did he say? That he doesn''t have any siblings. He didn''t even ask how the victim was." The class got quiet, listening to Noah''s rant. "As an A''s fan, it''s hard for me to talk bad about one of my own players, but this is different. This is about being a good person. A person with morals. That guy didn''t care how the victim was recovering, even if he''s not related to him, he didn''t show sympathy to someone who almost lost their life."

    No one spoke up. The only thing I could hear was my heart in my chest.

    "Take your seats." The teacher walked in. Then paused at how quiet it was. "You all must have had a tiring weekend. Okay, let''s get started by turning in your homework." Everyone sat in their assigned seats and started to pull out what was due.

    Noah glanced at me as we both went through our backpacks. He whispered. "Just because you''re strangers, still doesn''t make it right. I don''t like him and I''m not afraid to say it."

    I stifled a laugh. Noah is never afraid to say anything. Ever.

    Even though it''s a topic I want to ignore, Noah standing up for me made me feel better. I wasn''t the one in the wrong so why should I feel bad?

    The rest of the day followed a similar pattern of us hearing about Patterson and then Noah standing up to let our classmates know that he wasn''t a fan of him anymore. He just let everyone know his opinion on the matter and it seemed to quiet the talk around us. Unfortunately it picked back up in the clubhouse this afternoon before the game.

    Of course a baseball team would have something to say about a baseball player in the news. Noah must have figured that it would happen, because he spoke up as soon as he walked in and made his stance clear.

    A few of the guys looked surprised. Some didn''t care. And the others who looked like they would have a different opinion were quickly shut down by Zeke walking in.

    "The only conversation I want to hear is concerning our game today." Zeke declared after walking in, just a few steps behind. "Everyone''s focus should be on winning today. 100%." He looked at me. "What should we be thinking about?"

    "..." Seeing that he was waiting for an answer, I spoke up. "On how I can help the team win today..?"

    Zeke nodded, then looked to Garret. "What are you thinking about?"

    Garret flexed. "That I should be ready to pitch today just in case we need a strong closer."

    "Hey!" Dave shouted. "Don''t be jinxing me." He looked to Zeke. "I''m thinking about striking every batter out!"

    "I want to get a hit today!" Jason yelled out.

    Soon the whole team was calling out what they wanted to accomplish today. Zeke pumped everyone up by putting our focus on a team goal: win today''s game.

    Coach didn''t need to say any words of encouragement throughout warmups. We were all geared up to go.

    1 2B Jake Hollander

    2 LF Garret Knudsen

    3 RF Mahki Holstrom

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 1B Julian Wilson

    6 SS Noah Atkins

    7 3B Jason Morris

    8 C Alex Farrell

    9 P Dave Atkins

    The lineup was given and we took the field to start off the game. Dave completed his warmup with a smile and not a shred of nervousness could be seen. He was a different kind of calm compared to Bryce, who is always eager to pitch. Dave just has the composure of a good pitcher. And he really showed it against the first three batters of Quincy High School.

    Dave struck out the side with nine pitches! That''s three in a row, three times. He pumped his fist as he walked back to the dugout, wearing a giant grin. It''s a stark contrast compared to last time he pitched against Quincy: two doubles and a ripped nail that took him off the mound for a couple of weeks.

    His energy and excitement could be felt in the dugout. I grabbed my bat and helmet to start our offense.

 422 Game VS Quincy HS (2)

    "Great, now Dave is going to be a brat if I don''t get a hit." Garret mumbled, joining me by the on deck circle. He glanced towards the dugout, where we could hear Dave giving a breakdown of his first inning pitching. All nine pitches.

    "At least if I get on base, I won''t have to hear him bragging." Garret continued. He looked down at me. "It''ll be better if you get on and let me get a RBI off my hit." He put his hand on top of my helmet. "Do your best to score."

    I nodded earnestly. I will get on base. I will score. We will win.

    With Quincy ready, and the umpire waiting, I made a move to the batter''s box. There was a second of hesitation before choosing where to stand, but seeing the fresh clean lefty''s box, I made my choice. Today, only Garret and I would stand in this box.

    I stepped in the box and feeling the firm ground underneath, I was satisfied. This is the best. I faced the Quincy pitcher. He stood up, and started his motion. Very ordinary. I let the first pitch pass for a called strike. Fastball speed slightly below average...especially compared to Sanchez. The team won''t struggle like we did against Servite.

    I made him work only a little bit. I didn''t want to scare him away so soon. If he gets too tired from just one batter, then they might replace him rather quickly. After reaching a full count, I aimed a hit for the space in right field, then dropped my bat to run. I safely reached first base on a single. Everything went smoothly.

    Garret followed up with a double to left field, confirming my speculation that this pitcher isn''t even close to Sanchez''s level. As I stood on third, my eyes were glancing over the field, but then stopped on Garret. He was standing at second base with his hands on his hips, glaring at me. It was then that I remembered that he wanted a RBI.

    Oops. I shifted my eyes away from him, feeling slightly guilty. In my defense, Mr. Miller held his hands up for me to stop at third. If he told me to run home, I would have!

    Mahki walked up to the plate next. Our first righty in the lineup. He also made contact, a high fly to center field. But it was caught at the warning track. I easily tagged up and scored the first run of the game. Mahki and I were greeted with cheers and excitement in the dugout. The atmosphere hadn''t dwindled at all, even though we had one out against us. Especially with Zeke up next.

    Zeke didn''t struggle at all against this pitcher either, blasting a line drive right into the center field fence. Garret scored without a problem, making it 2-0. Zeke legged it out and reached second base without needing to slide. A standup double!

    A decent crowd had formed in the stands thanks to the game being held just an hour after school got out. Quincy wasn''t as well-known as Servite, but with Zeke on the team, he could attract many people by himself. A good amount of scouts were still coming to games, not paying any mind to Zeke''s ''commitment'' to Stanford.

    While the crowd and our own dugout got loud to celebrate the early lead, Quincy sent a coach to the mound to have a talk with the pitcher and catcher. The umpire gave them their allotted time and then had to walk up to break it up. The coach went back to his dugout while the catcher followed the umpire back to home plate.

    Oddly, the catcher didn''t squat as Julian stepped up to bat. He stayed standing. Then with Julian in the box, he stretched out his right hand and asked for an intentional ball. They were going to walk him.

    I got up from my seat and stood up against the fence with some of the guys. I wanted to know why they were doing this.

    "It''s because Noah is up next." Garret scratched his cheek. "Noah is an inexperienced freshmen with a lower batting average than the senior Julian." He explained.

    "So they think Noah''s more likely to hit into a double play?" I asked.

    Garret nodded.

    The intentional walk took some excitement away from our dugout. The fans were still happy. I could hear Mr. and Mrs. Atkins cheer loudly after Julian was walked and Noah stepped up next.

    I wanted to yell out too. ''Go!'' or maybe, ''Get a hit!'' But I just gulped it down. Speaking one on one and yelling out were two different things. I wasn''t ready to express myself so openly.

    "Make them pay!" Garret hollered.

    The guys on the team yelled something similar, all in support of Noah. Mr. Miller dealt out the hand signs and Noah stepped in the box to face the pitcher. Noah had let two pitches pass for called strikes, making the dugout quiet down.

    Noah took a practice swing before the third pitch, checking with Mr. Miller. He stepped back in. The third pitch passed for a ball. It was on the fourth pitch that Noah had swung. And connected. Zeke and Julian were already running on contact.

    The ball was hit down the third baseline. The third baseman had to dive at it, just barely making the stop. Seeing that he couldn''t beat Zeke to third because no one was covering just yet, he made the throw to second base. The second baseman stretched out to make the catch to at least get the forceout and maybe even turn a double play, but the ball bounced out of his glove and rolled in the dirt. He scrambled to pick it back up, but it was too late. Everyone was safe. Zeke on third, Julian at second, and Noah at first. One out.

    The dugout woke up with that lucky break.

    "Good run!"

    "Nice hustle!"

    "Clear the bases, Jason!"

    The good vibes came back and Jason made his way to the plate. Alex was in the on deck circle and Dave was already holding a bat just inside the dugout. We could go through the whole lineup in just the first inning.

    I wanted to go get my bat and put my helmet on too, but with already one out and bases loaded, there was a good chance of a double play still.

    "They''re having someone warm up." Garret mumbled, looking out further along the foul line on the other side of the field.

    "Makes sense." Mahki said from nearby. "This pitcher has been struggling. He''s got no velocity."

    "Yet, he got you out." Garret snickered, making some of the guys laugh.

    "I was going for a long hit." Mahki said defensively. "We score one run at a time. It wouldn''t be good if I hit an infield grounder that doesn''t even score a run."

    I turned red at the remark. If someone faster was on third for Mahki''s at-bat, then a grounder probably wouldn''t have mattered.

 423 Game VS Quincy HS (3)

    "Yea, yea." Garret brushed him off. "Excuses, excuses."

    Mahki shot him a glare, but didn''t continue to talk about it. Instead, all of our attention was on Jason now. With bases loaded, what will he be able to do?

    Jason fouled off a couple of pitches and let the out-of-reach ones pass for balls. On a 3-2 count, he made contact, and the ball shot off his bat, bouncing in the infield grass and finding the gap between the first and second basemen.

    Everyone sprinted to the corresponding bases as the right fielder came in to field the ball and made a spectacular throw to home plate, just after Zeke tagged home plate. Julian quickly retreated to third, Noah stayed at second and Jason was safe at first. A single RBI. 3-0.

    Alex moved to the batter''s box and Dave to the on deck circle. I went back to my seat to put my helmet back on. I was technically ''in-the-hole'' but I really felt like I would jinx this inning if I got up. Anytime there was an opportunity for me to show off, I feel like it ends just before I get the chance. Especially if I make it to the on deck circle.

    Alex did one better than Jason, by hitting a two-run single to left field, pushing the score to 5-0. Jason stopped at second thanks to Mr. Miller''s command. Yet Mr. Miller let Noah sprint from second to home to be the fifth run since he''s one of the fastest guys on the team despite being a freshman.

    I clenched my bat, hesitant to move.

    Garret, who was putting on his helmet looked my way. "Jake? You''re on deck. Get going."

    Being called out like that caused most of the team to look my way.

    I forced myself to stand up and move. I slowly headed for the opening.

    "Are you scared or something?" Noah asked me, taking off his helmet. He shook his messy hair. "We have a solid lead so who cares if you get out."

    "No, I''m afraid if I go to the circle, Dave will hit into a double play and ruin my chance to bat two times in one inning." I replied honestly.

    A lot of the guys laughed and Noah joined in.

    "There won''t be a double play." Coach said, exasperated with me dragging my feet. "Dave was already assigned a job. Either if he succeeds or not, there''ll only be two outs. Now get your butt out there before I pull you from this game."

    I scrambled out of the dugout, in a hurry. By the time I got to the circle, Dave was on a 2-1 count. He nodded his head at Mr. Miller''s sign, but I didn''t catch it in time. It had to be something about batting since Coach could almost guarantee me that I''ll get to go up.

    The pitcher completed his windup, and threw the ball to his catcher. Suddenly Dave went into a bunting position and dropped the ball down the third baseline and both runners took off.

    The third baseman was caught flat-footed and struggled to get to the ball. With the runners early jump and his late play, he could only throw the ball to first to get Dave out. It was a successful bunt, advancing the runners to second and third base.

    "Don''t waste my hard work, kid." Dave told me, patting me on the head before he went back to the dugout.

    I wouldn''t let him down! I happily moved to the batter''s box, but was held up. The Quincy coach had seen enough. He came out to announce a pitcher change and talk to his team on the mound. It was a long pause in the game, but I didn''t mind. I wasn''t afraid of any particular pitcher.

    After giving them time for the change and for the new pitcher to throw off the mound, the ump finally allowed me to step into the box. I picked to be a lefty again. I let some pitches pass for called strikes and a few balls, then fouled off some until I felt ready. There was a nice spot in left-center that was wide open. I just had to get the ball up and over the pitcher and shortstop.

    Lucky for me, the pitcher chose a fastball in the zone. Slightly high. I swung and was able to get it to the outfield. Both the left fielder and center fielder were sprinting towards one another to make the catch. It fell through and everyone was running.

    I saw the center fielder make the throw as I rounded first base, so I chose to retreat. No sense in trying for an extra base when up by so many runs.

    The same couldn''t be said for my teammates. Jason scored easily from third, but Alex was hustling from second base to try and make it home. The ball came from the relay and it was a close call at the plate. He slid and the tag came down.

    "Safe!" The umpire declared, making it 7-0.

    "Great job!" Coach Luis slapped my back a little hard without meaning it.

    I stumbled in place, refusing to step off the base. Garret was up next and who knows if this inning will ever end.

    Not even five minutes later...it ended. Garret hit a perfect line drive. Right to the shortstop. It was a hard hit and the shortstop had to take a couple steps back after the catch, but it was still an out. The third out. Of only the first inning!

    I cheerfully went back to the dugout, taking my helmet off, and was soon caught into a headlock. I struggled to get out of Dave''s arm.

    "You thought I would hit into a double play?! You brat!!" He rubbed the top of my head ferociously.

    "Mercy!" I tried tapping out.

    Dave was relentless until Coach shot a glare our way. "Just because we have a comfortable lead, doesn''t mean you can relax and do as you please. Take the field!"

    The starters laughed as they took the field, and Dave finally let me go. I hurried to switch out my gear and join the others on the field.

    Top of the second, and Quincy High came out swinging. They looked desperate to get something going, but it looked sloppy and nothing was working in their favor. The cleanup hitter struck out, swinging. The fifth batter hit a line drive right to Julian, but it''s not like it had a whole lot of power to it like Garret''s did. The following batter also struck out, pushing Dave''s ''K'' count to five. In two innings.

    That meant more bragging from the boy himself as we got back into the dugout.

    "Who cares if I had to take two weeks off." He gloated. "I can still catch up to Garret and Kyle at this rate."

    Garret rolled his eyes. "You''re lucky Kyle''s in the ''pen'' otherwise he''d be coming at ya."

    Dave flexed the bicep. "Yea? I''d like to see him try."

    "If your head gets any bigger, how will it affect your balance on the mound?" Noah laughed.

    I was about to join in, but remembering what happened at the end of the first inning, I stayed quiet.

    Dave started to reach out for Noah, but was slapped away by Zeke, who was heading for the on deck circle. "Behave. The game has just begun."

    Dave straightened up and saluted him. "Yes, Captain. Anything you say, Captain."

    Zeke just rolled his eyes and walked out of the dugout.

 424 Game VS Quincy HS (4)

    The bottom of the second didn''t go as smoothly as the first. My team was still making contact, but not to open spaces. Mahki hit a line drive to the third baseman, who had no trouble handling the ball. Zeke was able to launch the ball to left field, yet it fell short of the fence. The left fielder caught the fly ball on the warning track. Julian hit a grounder, but it wasn''t fast enough to get by the third baseman. He scooped it up and threw it to first before Julian could get there.

    We were still winning 7-0, but that half inning definitely took some wind out of our sail. The crowd wasn''t as rowdy as we took the field to start the third inning.

    Dave was still throwing with power and speed. He was working on the bottom of the lineup, getting batter number seven to strikeout. Batter eight hit a bloop single to left field, but Dave bounced back with another strikeout from batter nine.

    The leadoff batter didn''t swing in a hurry with his second at-bat. He was patient and made Dave work to throw strikes that weren''t hittable. Dave slipped up and ended up walking him. With runners on first and second, I was starting to feel my anxiety go up a notch, but I reminded myself that there were two outs and we had a good, solid lead.

    The next batter got jammed with an inside pitch, barely putting the ball into play. It bounced just in front of Alex and home plate. The ump called it fair. Alex got out of his squat, scrambled for the ball, then threw it to Julian at first base, finishing off Quincy''s offense.

    We went back to our dugout.

    "Ah, my perfect game disappeared so soon." Dave grumbled, slumping on the bench.

    A couple of guys rolled their eyes, including Noah, who was putting on his batting gloves.

    "You''re doing fine." Coach told Dave. "Keep it up."

    "Does that mean you''ll let me compete the whole game??" Dave asked, excited.

    "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves." Coach told him. "There''s plenty of innings left to play."

    A pitcher change was announced as Quincy took over the field again.

    "Quincy won''t be rolling over just because we have a good lead." Coach said for everyone to hear. "They''ll be putting in even more effort because they''re desperate. The season is coming to an end. Every game matters. Every inning, whether it''s offense or defense. It matters." He gave us a small speech as the new pitcher warmed up, then he sent our first three up. "Noah. Jason. Alex. Stay calm, but be wary."

    The trio nodded and got ready. Dave also started to put on his helmet, making me want to do the same, but I held myself back. It didn''t lower the disappointment I felt though, when my team went three up, three down.

    Like before, my teammates were making contact on these pitches, but it just wasn''t going anywhere. Noah hit a clean line drive...right to the third baseman. Everyone seemed to sigh at the same time, but Noah''s was the loudest. He came back to the dugout with his head down, glaring at his bat like it could be blamed.

    Jason and Alex weren''t any better. Jason hit a foul pop-up that the catcher caught, and then Alex hit a slow grounder to the pitcher.

    I wasn''t seeing the abundance of effort that Quincy was trying to show, but for some reason it felt like the momentum shifted away from us.

    Dave came out strong in the top of the fourth, proving that we still had a spark. He earned back to back strikeouts against the number three and four batters. It was looking good until the fifth batter smacked a solo shot way over the outfield fence. 7-1. Dave grimaced to himself. No one was a better critic of himself than himself. He corrected himself and earned a third strikeout of the inning to end the inning. It was his tenth already!

    Dave wasn''t celebrating though. He entered the dugout and pulled one of the coaches aside. It was a pitching coach that I''ve never spoken to, but he''s the one that usually talks to the players on the mound.

    "Do you think he''s okay?" I asked Noah, putting on my helmet.

    "No way." Noah shook his head, looking slightly depressed. "If he was okay, he''d be grabbing his bat. He''s supposed to be the first one up."

    We watched as Coach approached the two. They talked for a little while, but the umpire had already given the Quincy pitcher time to throw some pitches off the mound.

    Coach turned away from the pair and went to the umpire to explain the situation. Dave was coming out of the game. He turned to look in our dugout.

    "Brian." He spotted. "Come hit for Dave. Don''t think too much out there. You won''t have to pitch afterwards."

    Brian jumped up and grabbed his gear.

    Coach went back to Dave and the pitching coach, probably to talk about whatever''s wrong with him or maybe who will be coming out of the bullpen. Zeke joined them after sharing a few words with Brian.

    "Did he rip his nail again?"

    "Nah, I didn''t see any blood."

    "Maybe the homerun scared him?"

    "No way." Noah shut down the murmuring. "Dave wouldn''t give up the mound so easily."

    A lot of the guys nodded in agreement. After all, pitchers are quite selfish on the mound, wanting to do everything themselves. At least, that''s what it looks like to me.

    "Get on deck, Jake." Garret patted my shoulder, slightly pushing me along. He already had his helmet on and bat in hand. We would be following up after Brian.

    I left the dugout, glancing at the small circle of Coach, Zeke, Dave, and the pitching coach. They were still talking and now, I could see Drew making his way to them. Dave must be hurt or something. I definitely agreed with Noah, he would never willingly give up the mound. He likes to show off a lot. Especially on a day like today, having all those strikeouts.

    I barely took one practice swing in the circle before Brian finished striking out. All those words of ''stay calm'' and ''relax'' didn''t work on him very well.

    I moved on up. I worked the count, making the guy throw a total of eleven pitches to me, and then I took my shot. I pulled the ball to right field, getting it over the tall first baseman. I was running to first so I was able to see the right fielder sprinting in. Oh no.

    My jaw dropped as I watch the outfielder race to the falling ball, lay out, and dive for it. He rolled in the grass and pop back up, holding his glove high. He caught it. Crud. I wanted to facepalm myself, but right now isn''t the time. I turned back and grabbed my bat on the way back to the dugout.

    Garret had done better than me by getting on base, earning a walk. It didn''t matter though, since Mahki ended the inning with a foul pop-up to the first baseman.

 425 Game VS Quincy HS (5)

    There wasn''t any time to speak with Dave to find out what happened with him. Drew took him to a corner for some space, while Coach went to the ump to name our new pitcher. Tyler jogged out of the bullpen, looking uncomfortable. He had limited experience this season and it seemed to show all over his face. He wasn''t okay with the sudden summons.

    As he warmed up on the mound, Noah and I met by second base.

    "He doesn''t look so good." I mumbled, kicking the base with my head down.

    "You''re right." Noah spoke into his glove. "He looks like you."

    My head snapped up so I could glare at him.

    "Kidding." Noah chuckled. "You no longer have that ''deer in the headlights'' look." He glanced at Tyler. "This is the problem with letting Garret and the twins hog the mound. The rest of the pitchers might lose confidence."

    "I would have felt better with Bryce." I whispered into my own glove, scared to be overheard. "He''s always happy to take the mound."

    "Nah, this is fine." Noah told me, patting my shoulder. "Coach is probably testing the bullpen. We have a good lead. I''m sure if things go south, he''ll correct it."

    After reassuring me, we both went back to our positions as Tyler was done with his warmup pitches. He would get to start from batter number seven so I tried telling myself that everything would be okay.

    The fifth inning got off to a rough start, Tyler threw four straight balls and walked the first batter he faced. Against the next batter, his pitches got closer to the zone, but it lacked any movement or rhythm. Batter number eight hit a solid single to center field. Zeke tried his best to throw out the runner at second, with Noah catching his throw and touching the base.

    "Safe!" The umpire extended his arms. Batter were safe at first and second. No outs.

    "Don''t mind!" Noah told Tyler as he threw him the baseball. "Let''s turn a double play!" He yelled for everyone to hear.

    I stiffened. So did Tyler. Maybe for the same reason too: the pressure. Noah, unknowingly had put pressure on us. For me, it''s because I had a fear of making an error and not being able to get the double play, and letting the team down. For Tyler, it meant that he had to throw something that the batter would swing at and hit to an infielder. Or he would also be letting the team down.

    I couldn''t tell all of Tyler''s thoughts, but I knew for sure that he was affected by Noah''s ''encouragement''. His pitches were all over the place and he ended up walking the number nine batter. The bases were loaded as the top of the batter order came up for their third go around.

    The pitching coach called time and went to the mound to talk with Tyler and Alex.

    "Jake." Julian beckoned for me to walk closer to him. Surprised, I met him halfway since he was walking my way too. "With the bases loaded, and no outs, were going to stand a little different, okay?"

    "Umm, okay?" I felt unsure.

    Julian cracked a smile. "It''s nothing too difficult. I just won''t be holding the runner at first base anymore so go ahead and shift over a little to protect more up the middle. And stand back more on the grass. Your job is to try and not let anything through. So if I miss a grounder to my right, you should be able to cut it off at the grass."

    I nodded.

    "Remember, play is at home plate since every base is a force out. A double play would also be good even if we have to let a run score. Don''t even stress if you can only get one out, okay?"

    I nodded again.

    "Good. Go back to the grass and shift more towards second. I''ll direct you." He told me.

    I jogged back to where I thought I should stand. My heels touched the grass and I was further more center than before. I looked to Julian for confirmation. He waved me further away. I took inches at a time until he gave me a thumbs up.

    It was almost like I was aligned with Tyler and Alex. Noah noticed my positioning, nodded and adjusted himself to stand back as well, and more towards Jason. The runner on second peeked back at me, and chose to stay closer to the bag. I guess he thought I was responsible for the tagging if Tyler or Alex did a check throw.

    The pitching coach went back to our dugout and Alex back to his position. Tyler''s pitching calmed down a little as he faced the leadoff batter in the lineup. He didn''t throw so many wild balls, and he was working it to a favorable count. The batter connected and all the runners took off right away. They were definitely told to go on any contact.

    It was a fast grounder that snuck under Julian''s glove, but with him pushing me back, I was able to stop it before it hit the grass. Instead of forcing a close play at second with an awkward throw, I played the way I faced, throwing the ball to Tyler, who sprinted to first base to cover.

    The runner from third had already scored, and both runners advanced to second and third safely, but at least we got one out. Tyler got back on the mound, the lead getting one run shorter, 7-2.

    The second batter didn''t even bother to have a battle with Tyler. He swung on the first pitch that was just on the out edge of the strike zone, blasting the ball down the left field line. Everyone was running. The baserunners, the batter, Mahki, and me. Mahki chase the ball to the corner of the field, picked it up and threw the ball to me. I ran out to the grass to be a proper cutoff man. I received the ball and spun to my left to throw to Noah at second base. He made the tag as the batter slid into him.

    "Safe!" The umpire exclaimed.

    Crud. Again?! A sense of frustration was growing inside me.

    Both runners scored, pushing the score to 7-4. The lead was shrinking. Three run difference was comfortable but now it felt like it could disappear in a blink.

    Coach came out, spoke with the ump behind home plate, then waved at our bullpen when he headed to the mound. Coach took the ball from Tyler and sent him back to the dugout, as James was jogging from the bullpen. He upgraded from a junior to a senior. Let''s hope we can get better results.

    James accepted the baseball with determination in his eyes. He nodded at Coach''s words. Then Coach and Alex went to their spots. The umpire gave James ten pitches to throw off the mound. James weakly threw some normal pitches, not showing too much effort in his warmup. But I was used to it. I had a better grasp on what kind of pitcher he was.

    James only threw curveballs. And because of it, he didn''t pitch for long stretches. It was enough to close out the inning though. He earned back to back strikeouts from the third and fourth batters. Against the cleanup hitter, Alex had dropped the ball after the batter swung and missed. The batter took off for first and my heart jumped out of my chest. Alex calmly picked the ball up out of the dirt and threw the ball to Julian to confirm the out.

    I really had an urge to cry with relief, but I knew it wasn''t appropriate since Tyler was now in the dugout. When we all jogged back in, a lot of the guys slapped James on the back for a job well done and for getting us out of the long, dreadful half inning.

 426 Game VS Quincy HS (6)

    "Good work out there, James." Coach told him. "Take a seat. Kyle will close it out."

    "Thanks, Coach." James sat down and grabbed a water bottle and downed it. He took off his hat and revealed a forehead drenched in sweat. I guess pitching for even part of an inning can be tough.

    The bottom of the fifth started with Zeke, Julian, and Noah. Since Noah was tugging on his batting gloves and busy getting ready for his at-bat, I decided to follow Garret and some of the guys that were checking on Dave.

    Dave was at the far end of the dugout, seemingly trying to stay out of the way. He forced a grin when he saw us coming. "I''m not dying so don''t look at me with so much pity, okay?"

    Garret laughed, sliding on the bench to sit next to him. "We''re just making sure that you''re alright. Your season isn''t dying, is it?"

    Dave shook his head. He held out his right hand, palm up. On his middle finger, a blister was taking over. "The friction caused a blister."

    I blinked. Friction?

    Garret shook his head, looking sympathetically. "You were going hard out there. Those strikeouts came with a price, huh?"

    Dave looked a little sheepish as he shrugged. "Drew said the moisture from my sweat, plus me throwing harder than normal, caused the friction. He said he''ll give me ways to prevent it in the future, but now I have to wait for it to heal." He slumped a little in his seat. "Another week on the bench for me."

    Silence fell upon us. No one spoke. I tried doing the math in my head. We had three games left. Tomorrow was against a non-conference opponent. Thursday was at Golden West. Then next Monday was at Servite. That''s all we have left. If Dave has to sit for a week....he won''t be able to play for the rest of the season.

    A ''ding'' sound came from the field, making us all turn to look. Zeke had hit a nice line drive to center field. The center fielder sprinted forward and snatched it before it hit the ground. It felt like everyone sighed in the dugout.

    "Why are you all so depressed??" Dave spoke up. "We''re still winning." He caught me looking at his finger. "C''mon Jake, it''s just a blister. In the grand scheme of things, do you really think it''s that bad?"

    I shifted. "But...you might not be able to play anymore this season."

    Dave laughed. "You dork. If we win the remaining games and win our conference, we''ll go to the CIF tournament. That means, there''ll be more games to play."

    I perked up. That''ll be good!

    "Yea, but Golden West hasn''t suffered a loss yet." Mahki spoke up. "So even if we beat them, we have to make sure we beat them in run differential." He looked at me. "That means we have to beat them by two because they had beaten us by one." He put his hands behind his head. "We also have to beat Servite. Another tough game." He smacked Dave''s knee. "Heal up quick."

    Mahki and the others walked away, Garret included. Just leaving me and Dave by ourselves.

    "Are you still worried?" Dave asked, watching me closely.

    I stood tall. "No." Yes. "We''ll go to CIF." Hopefully.

    A heavy hand fell on my shoulder. I jumped, but the hand held me in place. I looked to see that it belonged to Zeke. He was back.

    "Don''t feel so stressed." Zeke said. "Golden West and Servite also have to play a second time. And we''ll have you back for the second Golden West game. Do you think I won''t be able to drive you home a few times?"

    That''s right. As long as I get on base, I''ll be able to score a few times with someone like Zeke hitting behind me. And Garret. Mahki. Julian. The upperclassmen won''t just roll over and take a second loss. They''re good.

    "What a show off." Dave snorted at Zeke. "I could have cheered up Jake on my own."

    Zeke rolled his eyes. He looked at me. "Go watch the game."

    I nodded and went back to my seat. I snuck glances at the two of them as I watched Julian''s at-bat. Zeke has sat down next to Dave and they were talking to one another in low tones. No one else went over to them so it didn''t feel right for me to go eavesdrop either.

    Julian hit a fly ball to right field for the second out, then Noah followed up with a strike out. It wasn''t until we switched to defense, that Zeke finally left Dave. Whatever they talked about must have been serious.

    Like Coach told James, Kyle came out to close up the game. He jogged to the mound from the bullpen as Coach spoke with the head umpire. Alex gave Kyle the ball so he could get some pitches in.

    Kyle''s pitching was a little lackluster compared to Dave''s. But unlike Tyler, he got the job done. He got his first batter to hit a foul fly ball that Julian caught with ease. The next batter struck out, swinging. The third out came from a line drive that Noah caught after diving in the dirt. It was a clean inning, yet...

    Comparisons just weren''t good for anybody.

    The bottom of the sixth brought up the bottom three of our lineup. I sat down next to Noah near our bags, and put on my helmet.

    "Dave has a blister." I told him. He was staring at the end of the dugout where Kyle went to go talk to Dave.

    "Yea, I heard..." He pulled his eyes away from the twins to watch our teams offense. "Dave has had blisters before. Kyle too. Common pitching injury."

    "What do you think they''re talking about?" I glanced at the twins as they separated. Kyle was up after Alex so he had to get ready to bat too.

    Noah shrugged. "Probably about the blister? About Dave''s pitching? Anything really." Noah was brushing me off, but I couldn''t tell why. I also didn''t want to put him in a bad mood so I let it die.

    We watched as Jason hit a long ball to center field, but the outfielder caught it for the first out. I grabbed my bat. Alex struck out so I walked to the on deck circle slowly, hoping for Kyle to do something. Unfortunately the curse was still alive. As I stood in the circle, I watched Kyle strike out to end the inning.

    Now if Kyle closes out the seventh inning with us in the lead, we won''t have to bat in the bottom of the seventh. It''s not a bad thing, but I would have liked to have another at-bat...I pouted as I put my bat and helmet away.

    "There''s a game tomorrow." Noah tried to cheer me up.

    I nodded, but wasn''t feeling it. I grabbed my hat and glove, and hit the field. I would have liked to score more to cheer up the team.

    Kyle didn''t falter and closed it out cleanly. Pop up to left field. Strikeout. Fly out to right. No one sprinted to celebrate like before, but there were smiles of relief.

    Coach gathered us for a postgame speech and to talk about tomorrow''s game. "Good win, boys. It may not feel like it, but you played great. We got on the scoreboard early and our pitching held up. Tomorrow, we''ll let Bryce get the start. Garret and Kyle will be reserved for Thursday against Golden West. As for Monday, everyone will be ready because of the three days off. We''re going to be okay. Everyone should be focusing on doing their best for every game." He looked at Bryce. "Even against non-conference opponents. It''s a tight race to first right now. Everything counts. Wins. Runs scored. Runs given up."

    "So don''t let up." Zeke added, standing tall. "Dave is okay. He''ll be good to go for CIF." Dave nodded to show his agreement. "So don''t let him heal up for no reason. Prove to him, that we''ll need him back for playoffs."

    "Yea!"

    "Of course we''ll need him back!"

    "You better not slack off, Dave!"

    That last comment came from Garret and earned a few laughs.

    "Alright, get going." Coach waved us away. "Go home. Finish your homework, eat a big meal and get some rest. Tomorrow''s game is at 4pm so we''ll warmup after classes. No skipping!" He dismissed us.

 427 Game VS Liberty Christian High School

    Monday night was a rush of showers, homework, a fulfilling dinner, and then more homework before going to bed. It wasn''t so bad to be busy. It kept my mind off the fact that my brother couldn''t even admit my existence. I caught Noah looking up more information on Jeremy Patterson, but seeing as he didn''t say anything, it must mean that he didn''t find anything important to me.

    Tuesday, classes were back to normal. All our classmates knew of Noah''s stand on Patterson so it wasn''t brought up. It''s not like they could argue it was okay for him to brush off a victim of attempted murder.

    After classes, we went to the field and prepared for the game. Kelvin helped Dave with some treatment that Drew suggested. He was dipping his hand in some kind of salve that would help harden the skin. Drew told him to keep away from ointments and lotions that would soften the skin, otherwise it was more likely that he would keep having blisters.

    "Dave''s a bit unlucky this year." Garret said as we were conducting batting practice before the game. He and Mahki were standing by me in line as Zeke warmed up. "Last year, he never had these kind of problems."

    "He must be trying something new, subtly." Mahki glanced at Dave and Kelvin. "You''re a pitcher. You should know. If he''s changing the way he throws, even if it''s minuscule, it''ll have an effect on his fingers. He''s throwing harder and not thinking about the consequences."

    Garret shook his head lightly and sighed. "That''s a gamble to try in the middle of the season. I mean, it''s working. He''s doing a lot better. But...he really needs to take care of his fingertips."

    I stood by and listened. I had no opinion on the matter since I knew nothing about pitching, but I was worried for Dave. He started the season down on himself because of Kyle''s success, yet now he''s been hurt twice.

    "He needs to talk with the coaching staff before changing anything." Garret continued. "He could hurt something more serious like his elbow or shoulder at this pace."

    "Nah." Mahki disagreed. "Dave wouldn''t do something dumb like that. Zeke is friends with Rhys Johnson, who had surgery recently. I''m sure Dave knows clearly what could happen if he messes up."

    Garret shrugged.

    I remember Rhys. He was at Zeke''s announcement party. He had Tommy John surgery.

    I glanced worriedly after Dave. It''s probably best that he sits out with a blister injury. That''s not as bad as elbow surgery.

    Zeke was done with his batting warmup and switched places with Mahki. The conversation about Dave stopped and we focused more on the upcoming game.

    Liberty Christian was a small private school nearby so they had families and friends come to cheer them on. The stands were filling up for a non-conference game. The Atkins were already in the stands, talking with some parents that sat near them. It was reassuring seeing the pair here. It''s funny to think that two months ago, their presence made me nervous and almost sick to my stomach. I was also jealous. Jealous that the boys had a pair of parents to cheer for them. Yet, now I''m the same. They cheered for me just as loud as they do for their own sons.

    The game went smoothly for us.

    Bryce took the mound with the same energy he always has. He went for five innings, giving up three hits, one walk, but held them at zero runs. He also racked up four strikeouts, showing that he had some skill in placement. Coach replaced him in the sixth to give some of the other guys an opportunity. Troy came in and did the sixth inning. One hit given up, zero runs and zero walks, with one strikeout. Ryan was almost the same. He completed the seventh inning, no hits or runs, but one walk, and two strikeouts. Our pitching today was solid.

    Our offense didn''t slack too far behind. Zeke went 3-3 at the plate with a homerun, three RBI''s, and two runs scored. Noah went 1-3...only a single. I was somewhere between the two, going 2-4 at the plate. It was only a .500 percentage, but both hits were doubles that I didn''t need to slide for. I was getting stronger and faster. Doing the ab workout with Noah everyday seemed to be helping with everything overall.

    We won 8-0, nearly crushing Liberty Christian.

    "Good work." Coach told us afterwards. "You all put in max effort and we earned good results. I''m going to give everyone tomorrow off."

    "But we have Golden West on Thursday!" Kyle blurted out. "Shouldn''t we have some kind of practice?"

    Coach smiled. "Yes, it''s important to practice, but it''s also beneficial to rest. You guys played two games in a row. Rest up."

    "Not everyone got to play two games in two days." Sean mumbled.

    "I trust those that haven''t played much, will practice on their own." Coach spoke a tad bit louder, answering Sean indirectly. "Everyone is a high schooler. You''re approaching adulthood. If you want to continue baseball after the high school level, whether that''s college ball or going pro, you have to have accountability. You''re getting to the level that organized practices isn''t enough. I can only keep you boys for so many hours a week."

    Sean turned red with embarrassment.

    Coach looked at Zeke. "Anything else to add?"

    Zeke nodded. "I want to tell everyone to not do anything stupid. Yes, coach said to practice on your own if you feel like you need it. But don''t do it mindlessly. We have an important game on Thursday. Keep it light. We don''t know who will start, who will get to pinch hit, or who will pitch relief."

    "Do we know who will start?" Garret asked, clenching his fist.

    Coach looked at him, staring for a second longer than normal. "I''ll let you start. But, be smart out there. Don''t lose your cool like before."

    Garret nodded, looking serious.

    Coach looked at Kyle. "You might go in if Garret needs a relief. I won''t hesitate to use the whole bullpen since we have three days before we face Servite."

    Kyle nodded, keeping a neutral expression.

    "Okay, head home boys." Coach clapped his hands. "Get some rest, hydrate, do your homework, and eat some carbs. I want everyone ready for Thursday. Like Zeke said, I won''t know who will need to come in." He glanced at Bryce. "You won''t be able to pitch, but your bat is still an option. Get some practice swings in tomorrow just in case."

    Bryce nodded.

    Coach waved as he walked away with the other coaches. Zeke led us in a team chant before everyone headed their own way.

 428 No Relation

    Wednesday after class, Zeke took us home to an empty house. Their parents were both out, working with some clients to get a house sold. Even though Mr. and Mrs. Atkins seemed to be free to watch our games and they always came home for dinner, they were actually really busy with work. Noah told me before that when it gets to be summer time, more people move so his parents would get even busier.

    Without practice, we easily beat them home.

    Everyone went their own way to get homework done before dinner. Noah and I weren''t assigned much in the middle of the week, but I helped him with his math before doing my own. Noah then played his video game as I did my own math homework.

    "Jake, you done yet?" Kyle asked, coming into our room.

    "Can''t you do it yourself?" Noah looked at his older brother with disgust. "Stop using Jake."

    "It''s okay." I told Noah as I passed my math homework to Kyle. "I''m done. Make sure you follow it step by step. We have a test on Friday."

    "Thanks kiddo." Kyle patted me on the head and left without responding to Noah.

    "Why do you keep letting them copy your work?" Noah asked me, putting down his game.

    I shrugged. "Isn''t this what brothers do?"

    Noah raised an eyebrow. "Did they tell you that?"

    I shook my head. "No, but-"

    "Then quit it. You can get in trouble. Not just with Mom and Dad, but with the school too." Noah lectured, sounding more like Zeke and less like himself. Old Noah would talk about blackmailing them for benefits.

    Noah had been in a weird mood since yesterday. I wanted to ask him about it, but he turned his attention back to his video game.

    "I''m going to go swing my bat a few times in the backyard." I told him, hoping he would join me.

    "Yea, go." He brushed me off.

    I started to go, but then stopped myself. If I was acting like he was, he would definitely make me talk about it. Or worse, tattle on me to his parents. I need to either speak up now or go tell his parents.

    But...they weren''t home. That left me with only one option.

    I cleared my throat. "Noah?"

    "Yea?" He didn''t even look at me.

    "Is there...something wrong? You don''t-you aren''t sounding like you''re happy."

    "I''m not happy." He shrugged. "It''ll pass."

    I frowned. "That doesn''t sound right."

    He groaned and put down the game. He looked at me. "I''m just frustrated. That''s it. There''s nothing you can do about it."

    "Oh." I mumbled. "I guess I''ll go play alone." I dragged my feet down the stairs, reluctant to leave, but wasn''t sure what else I could say or do.

    "Wait!" I heard Noah yell. He came jogging out of our room and easily caught up with me on the staircase. He put his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants. "I shouldn''t play video games so much. Some extra bat swings wouldn''t hurt."

    I smiled, relieved. Baseball is still on his mind.

    We walked down the stairs, and to the back sliding door. Through the glass we could see Dave and Zeke sitting on the back porch, talking.

    Noah''s face darkened. "Let''s not disturb them. We can watch baseball on tv. A few games should be playing." He didn''t wait for my answer. He just turned away and went to the living room.

    I followed him, sending one last glance to Dave and Zeke. I really wish they saw us. Maybe they would come and ask us to join them. That would probably put Noah in a better mood.

    In the living room, Noah turned on the tv and was flipping through the channels. He passed by a few different games, but I guess they weren''t interesting enough to him. Just as I was trying to think of something to say, a familiar face flashed on the screen.

    "Wait! Go back!!" I demanded.

    Noah, startled, dropped the remote. He hurried to pick it up. "What?"

    "Go. Go back." I gulped.

    He flipped back a channel.

    "Keep going."

    He went back another channel.

    "One more." I instructed, feeling my thumping heart.

    Noah clicked one more time.

    A familiar face... It was a picture of my dad. Him and a younger Jeremy. Close to what I remembered them as. "Turn it up."

    Noah dialed up the volume.

    [The voiceover said. "Pictured is a younger Jeremy with his now deceased father, Jeffrey. Jeffrey was a minor leaguer who passed away a little over a decade ago. It has recently come to light, that Jeremy''s mother is in jail for attempted murder. Safe to say, that Jeremy did not take it well."

    The picture disappeared and was replaced with the postgame conference, where Jeremy found out about our mom. And where he practically disowned me.

    The clip finished and the announcer came on the screen. "There has been severe backlash from baseball fans and non-fans across the country. His lack of concern for the victim really brought out anger in the people. Granted, what his mother did shouldn''t be held against him. Yet, he showed no interest in the safety of the young victim. Yes, young. We have confirmed that the victim was just 13-years-old at the time of the attack."

    The screen split in half to show another broadcaster in a different location.

    "Out of the bay, we go to Ron Schars with the latest update."

    The new guy started to talk. "Thank you, Stuart." He looked right in the camera. "For the past few days, it''s been all talk on how Patterson handled the reporter with the breaking news. I''ve spoken with his uncle, former minor leaguer, Jack Patterson. Jack was astounded to see the negative attention his nephew had gathered."

    He continued. "He had told me personally, that Jeremy was just caught off guard by the sudden topic change. One second they''re talking about the game, and then the next, they ask about his estranged mother."

    Stuart cut back in. "And what did he have to say about the incident itself?"

    Ron answered. "Jack was quick to tell me that they feel sorry for the victim and hope they''re doing alright. As for the relation between the victim and his nephew, Jeremy, he claims there is none."]

    "WHAT?!?" Noah jumped out of his seat. He was shaking the remote at the tv. "That little liar! Mother trucker, freakin piece of poop!" Noah ranted, yelling curses at the tv, drowning out the broadcasters.

    I stared blankly, not sure how to feel. I looked up at Noah. "Do you think...maybe we''re really not related..?"

    Noah threw the remote on the couch. "No! Don''t listen to that crap!" He started moving his hands, getting more energized. "Think about it. There''s no question that your mom is your mom. They had to do the dna test when looking for your family. As for him, he didn''t deny that that woman is his mother. At the very least, you share the same mother. You have to be half-siblings." He turned to glare at the tv. "I don''t know why they''re doing this, denying your existence, but they''re going to regret it."

    Noah clicked off the tv and pulled me out of my seat. "Come on. Let''s go back to the room." He dragged me away.

 429 Panicking

    Noah seemed more bothered by this than I was. I had just become numb to it. My brother didn''t want me...I wasn''t surprised that my uncle was the same. He dragged me to our room and plopped down at his desk, flipping open his laptop.

    "What are you doing..?" I asked, standing by his side.

    "Getting even." He opened the google search engine and started to type. "They want to claim no relation? I''d like to see them try." He was clicking on a link to a blog and then clicked the ''contact'' tab.

    "I don''t know if this is a good idea." I said hesitantly. "Shouldn''t we talk with your parents before doing anything rash? Mr. Duncan said that they''re still trying to contact them to do a dna test. It''s probably best if we just wait."

    "Right!" He lit up. "They''re not responding to child services. I should mention that!" He was typing a mile a minute.

    Seeing that he couldn''t be reasoned with, I just tried to keep up with what he was writing.

    "From Anonymous: I have insider information that the state of California has been trying to reach the Patterson''s to confirm the relationship between them and the victim. They''ve been dodging their obligation to their own blood. I don''t know how anyone can think that they''re in the right when there''s a teenager all alone."

    "But I''m not alone anymore." I interrupted.

    "But you were." He pointed out. "How long did you spend in the hospital alone?"

    "Hmm, six or seven months." I tried thinking back. "It''s blurry one the beginning. I cracked my skull and had a severe concussion."

    Noah finally paused. He swiveled to look at me. "You-you never talked about how bad it was before."

    Feeling embarrassed, I backed up. I scratched my neck while tilting my head. "It''s not...something...I like to talk about." I whispered. "Or think about."

    "Jake." Noah stood up.

    "I''m okay now, Noah." I gave him a tight smile. "I have you and your family. You all are the best people I''ve ever met. I''ve never felt so...wanted."

    Noah sighed, glancing at the computer. "Maybe you''re right; I shouldn''t kick the hornets nest." He looked back at me. "I just don''t like them getting away with treating you as a nonexistent entity. You''re real. You have feelings."

    I shrugged. "I don''t feel much for them anymore. Maybe, if I didn''t have you and your family, I would want to get to know them." I felt some pain in my chest. "I would have liked to know my dad. To know if he wanted me. To know if he''s the same as them or as my mother or if he was completely different."

    Noah snorted. "''The apple doesn''t fall far from the tree.'' Maybe Jeremy is just like him."

    I shook my head. "I can''t just say that. Not everyone is like their parents. Your dad isn''t like his dad. Nor am I like my mom."

    He frowned. "You know about Grampa?"

    I was taken aback. "Uh...do you?"

    Noah shook his head. "He''s dead. Dad doesn''t talk about it."

    We stood in silence with our thoughts.

    "What are you two doing?" Dave broke up the silence, while scaring us. We both jumped and Noah''s hand hit his keyboard.

    Noah''s eyes widened as he looked at the screen. ''Congratulations on your submission.''

    "No. No. Oh no. This can''t be happening." Noah tried hitting the back button, but it was no use. His rant had been successfully submitted to the blog.

    "What happened? What were you two doing?" Dave stepped closer, coming further into the room.

    Noah immediately started pushing him away. "Nothing! What are you doing in here?? Weren''t you talking with Zeke? Shouldn''t you be copying Jake''s math homework? Kyle already has it! Go!"

    "Why are you acting so suspicious?" Dave raised an eyebrow.

    "You guys are copying Jake''s math homework?" A deeper voice asked from the hallway. Zeke appeared in the doorway. His eyes narrowed, looking at the three of us.

    Dave flushed. "Nooo."

    I looked away, feeling guilty.

    "I''ll just have to see what Kyle is doing then." Zeke turned and started walking away. Dave hurried to follow.

    Noah smacked his own forehead. "Dang it! Why is nothing going right?!" He glanced at me. "C''mon, let''s stop this first!" He ran after his brothers.

    I was a little unwilling, but I know if they get caught with my work, I''ll definitely get in trouble too.

    "Noah was just kidding!" Dave tugged Zeke''s shoulder. "We wouldn''t cheat. Not in math anyways."

    Zeke glanced down at him.

    "Kidding! I''m kidding!" Dave rushed for say. "I know that cheating is wrong. And that we''d be in really big trouble with you, Mom and Dad, and the school, and Coach and whoever else!" Dave was practically shouting.

    "Then you have nothing to hide." Zeke said, going into their giant room. "Hey, Kyle."

    We three followed right behind him.

    Kyle, who was sitting at a desk in their room, slowly turned to face us. He gulped, coughing a little bit like he was choking. "Yes?"

    Zeke frowned. "Are you okay?"

    Kyle nodded. He coughed and gasped for air a few more times. "Yea, just-" More coughing. "��swallowed some gum by accident. All your yelling scared me." He shot a glare at the three of us, focusing on Dave.

    Dave scratched his head. "Ha. Ha." He forced out. "Zeke has the impression that we''re cheating because of Noah''s joke."

    "We wouldn''t cheat!" Kyle adamantly denied. "And Jake''s only a freshman. How could he know more than us?" He lifted a paper notebook. "Look, I''m just finishing my math homework right now."

    Zeke was still suspicious so he made his move to the desk. He picked up the notebook and looked it over. "You really showed your work. How...unlike you." His eyes narrowed. "You wouldn''t be hiding Jake''s homework somewhere would you?"

    "Nope." Kyle got up. "Take a look! I''m gonna go downstairs for some water."

    "Yea, me too." Dave added, following his twin to the hallway.

    "It''s almost dinner time after all." Noah said, tugging on my arm. "We should go downstairs and set the table before Mom and Dad get home."

    All four of us gathered in the kitchen.

    "That was a close one." Dave whispered. He glared at Noah. "You almost got all of killed up there. What''s your problem?"

    Noah shifted nervously. "I panicked, okay? I just made a mistake on the computer and didn''t want you to see."

    "What did you do?" Kyle asked, chugging some water.

    Noah looked at me. I shrugged.

    "Well, it shouldn''t be a big deal. I just...sent a mean message about Patterson to a blog. But it was done anonymously!" Noah told them.

    "Why would you do that?" Dave asked, surprised. "And why wouldn''t you want me to see?"

    Noah shrugged. "I felt guilty. I wasn''t going to send it after talking it out with Jake, but you startled me. Now it''s out there." He folded his arms and put on a mean face. "Jake''s uncle also denied any relationship between Jake and Jeremy. It was messed up. I was angry."

    "Well, it was sent anonymously, right?" Kyle asked. "So it probably won''t gather too much attention. They probably get a few hundred messages a day." He patted Noah''s shoulder. "Don''t worry about it."

    Noah nodded. Then he lowered his voice. "How could you let Zeke look for Jake''s work? Are you hiding it in your pocket?"

    Kyle turned red. "No way, I was scared he would ask me to empty my pockets. Zeke can be strict. So...as soon as I heard Dave''s loud warning from the hall, I..." He blushed even harder. "I panicked."

    "Hey! Don''t copy me!" Noah said. "Really, where''s Jake''s homework?"

    "..." Kyle kept quiet.

    Dave''s eyes widened, looking like two perfect circles. "You didn''t!" He accused.

    Kyle slowly nodded.

    "I didn''t get to copy it yet!" Dave rolled his eyes.

    Kyle shrugged. "I finished copying. You can just look at mine at lunch time."

    "But...where''s mine?" I spoke up.

    Kyle patted me on the head. "You can copy mine at lunch too."

    "What?" I asked, confused.

    "Why?" Noah pestered. "What did you do?"

    Dave laughed as Kyle''s face got even redder. He looked to make sure that Zeke wasn''t downstairs yet. Then whispered. "Kyle wasn''t choking on gum. He was choking on paper."

    Noah''s jaw dropped. "You ate his homework?"

    What! "You ate my homework??" I looked incredulously at Kyle.

    Kyle''s face was the same shade as a tomato. "You know what, you''re welcome. If it wasn''t for my quick thinking, we would have been in trouble. All of us." He looked at Noah. "You too! Don''t think you would be let off easy. You obviously knew about it the whole time."

    Noah started to laugh. He got louder and louder. "I''ve heard of kids using the excuse that their dog ate their homework, but now-" He chuckled. "Jake can say that his brother ate his homework."

    "Shhh." Kyle held a hand over Noah''s mouth. "Shut it. Don''t blow this a second time!"

    I looked worriedly at Kyle. "Can you eat paper? Is that safe?"

    Kyle shrugged helplessly. "No one ever died from eating one piece of paper. I''ll be fine."

    "Boys!!" A woman''s voice called out. It was Mrs. Atkins. "We''re home!"

    All of us quickly ran to greet her at the door. Sometimes Mrs. Atkins was safer than Zeke.

 430 Unknown

    During dinner, Zeke shot suspicious glances at all of us throughout the meal.

    "Is something wrong, son?" Mr. Atkins raised an eyebrow at Zeke.

    Zeke squinted at Dave. "I hope not. I don''t want anything to jeopardize my last season in high school."

    Mr. Atkins looked at Dave. "Why is he looking at you?"

    Dave shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? I''ve been nothing but a model student." He looked at Noah meaningfully. "I think Noah has something to tell you guys though."

    I stifled a laugh at how quick Dave was to throw Noah under the bus.

    Under everyone''s gazes, Noah rubbed his nose. "Well, Jeremy''s uncle spoke to the news and denied that Jake was related to them."

    Mrs. Atkins gasped and Mr. Atkins eyes narrowed. Zeke was also surprised since he didn''t hear it earlier.

    "Soooo, I went to a blog and said some mean things...Anonymously!" Noah added before he could get scolded. "And Kyle said it was unlikely to gain any attention. They receive a lot of anonymous comments every day."

    "Noah James." Mrs. Atkins scolded.

    "Noah, you should know better than to let your anger get the better of you." Mr. Atkins told him with a stern expression.

    "I know, I know." Noah bowed his head. "Jake and I already talked about it."

    "Oh?" Mrs. Atkins looked surprised. She looked at me. "And what were your thoughts on the matter?"

    I shrugged, sinking a little more in my seat, feeling shy with the attention. "It''s nonsensical."

    "What?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "It''s meaningless." I answered the twins. "They don''t want me and I don''t want them. Why bother?" I blushed. "I like being here."

    "And we love having you here, Jake." Mrs. Atkins smiled at me warmly.

    Mr. Atkins frowned, but didn''t say anything about it. At least, not until after dinner. After the table was cleared and everyone started to go their own ways, he pulled me back.

    "Jake, let''s take a second to talk." He called for me.

    Noah had already run off to take his shower so I didn''t have an excuse not to.

    I walked over. "Yes?"

    He waved me over, heading for the back sliding door. "Let''s sit on the back porch for a few minutes while there''s some sun left."

    I swallowed hard and followed. We both went out and sat down, looking out to the backyard, with the sun setting in the west.

    "I just wanted to talk to you a little more about your brother. And your uncle, I guess." He looked at me. "I don''t want you to feel that you have to give them up to stay with us."

    It was my turn to frown. "I''m not doing that. They''re the ones that don''t want me."

    Mr. Atkins gave me a sad smile. "I''m sure they''re just confused right now. When it gets all straightened out, then who knows...maybe they''ll want to get to know you?"

    My frown deepened. "They had a decade. A whole decade. It''s not like I was born after they left or after my dad died. Jeremy is seven years older than me. He knew me. He knew I existed. He probably saw me everyday for three years."

    Mr. Atkins reached out and pulled me into a side hug. "We don''t know the circumstances just yet. When we get all the facts, then I''ll let you make a clear-cut decision. For now, let the pieces just fall. I don''t want you to miss out on a relationship with your own blood relatives."

    I looked up at Mr. Atkins. He looked slightly upset, probably thinking of his own family. "It''s not me that''s shutting them out." I told him. "It''s the other way around. I''m just��I''m just trying to make it hurt less." I looked down at my hands. "If I tell myself it''s meaningless, then it won''t hurt if they keep rejecting me."

    He squeezed my shoulder. "Okay, kiddo. Just keep an open mind. If you ever want to talk more about it. Them. Or of anything at all, then we can make a trip to Dr. Moore."

    I nodded.

    He let me go back inside as he chose to sit outside for a few more minutes.

    I went straight to the room I shared with Noah and pulled out my math book.

    "You''re not going to copy Kyle''s?" Noah asked in a low tone, after figuring out what I was doing.

    I shook my head. "I already did it once. It''ll be even easier and faster this time around." I whispered. "I don''t want Zeke or your parents to get mad."

    "They wouldn''t be too mad." He shrugged. "Just disappointed. Like when I admitted to sending a message to a blog. You saw. I wasn''t even grounded."

    I shrugged. "I just don''t want to let them down."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Whatever. It''s your life. Do what you want."

    It really only took me half an hour to redo my work. Afterwards, I took a shower and then got in bed.

    ***

    "Today''s game will be tough." Coach told us after we got off the bus at Golden West. We were dressed and ready to start warmups after getting instructions from Coach. "Warm up properly and don''t slack off, or I''ll replace you. Here''s the lineup:

    1 2B Jake Hollander

    2 1B Julian Wilson

    3 LF Mahki Holstrom

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 RF Tanner Erickson

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 SS Noah Atkins

    8 C Alex Farrell

    9 P Garret Knudsen

    "Garret, focus on pitching. Let the others handle offense." Coach advised. "I made you last so you can relax. If I see you struggle for two batters in a row, I''ll bench you and put Kyle in."

    Kyle grinned. "I can handle it Coach!"

    Coach glanced his way. "Same goes to you. If you get to go in, I won''t hesitate to bench you if I see any signs of a struggle. Today''s game is super important in determining where we rank in the standings. Winning should be on the forefront of everyone''s mind." He turned to Zeke and nodded.

    "Let''s go!" Zeke raised his voice and jogged to the outfield with his glove.

    The team followed him diligently, not slacking off in the least. Everyone had realized how important this game was. It could be a turning point for us. If we won, we would be tied for first with Golden West. If we lose, we could drop to third behind them and Servite. Servite and them would play Saturday, and we played Servite on Monday. Things were getting messy. I wish I had paid more attention to Noah when he explained how the league thing works.

    Well. As long as we win, it won''t be a problem. I won''t have to calculate anything.

 431 Game @ Golden West (1)

    We finished warmups before the official start time. It was an evening game so plenty of parents and students and filled up their stands. And who could forget the scouts? By now, I could easily spot them. It helped that I knew Willie and spotted him sitting with a few older men. Almost a whole section was dedicated to scouts.

    "They''re definitely excited to see Zeke and Brady face one another." Noah told me as I put on my helmet.

    As the visiting team, we would bat first. I grabbed my bat. "Do you think Zeke will do better than last time?"

    "We didn''t face Brady last time so it''s hard to say." Noah shrugged.

    I grimaced. We probably could have won if I didn''t skip that game.

    "Hey, hey. Don''t mind it." Noah patted my back, pushing me forward. "Just focus on today''s game. We''ll kick butt, okay?"

    I nodded. I then joined Julian out by the on deck circle. He would be batting right after me.

    "Have you seen a submarine pitcher before?" Julian asked in a low tone as Brady took the mound and started to do some warmup pitches.

    I scrunched up my nose. "Yes, but no. Zeke took me to the game where he pitched against Servite, but I''ve never tried to hit off one before."

    Julian nodded. "Don''t get caught up in his motion and release. Watch the ball."

    I can do that. I lightly swung my bat back and forth to loosen up. I was still deciding which box to use for my first at-bat when the umpire told me to step up to the plate.

    I went for the right-handed box. It''s not every game that I get to bat from that side when it''s so fresh. No one has even touched the dirt and the lines are so precise. I felt so happy that I didn''t even notice Zeke and Coach frowning at me from the dugout until I let the first pitch pass for a called strike. I was taking a step back for a practice swing when I caught them almost glaring at me. I shivered.

    I couldn''t even guess what I did wrong. I should just make sure I get on base so they won''t be angry. And most importantly, so I don''t have to go back to the dugout.

    Brady''s style was definitely unique. Ball. His knuckles were almost grazing by the dirt on the ground. Called strike. There was an awkward pause in his motion too. I fouled off the fourth pitch down the line, but barely. Kind of risky on my part. The timing was just a little too different. Ball. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Like Julian said, I should just watch the ball''s movement and not his. I hit a foul line drive into the fence. Ugh. Definitely harder than normal. Ball. I let out a sigh of relief. That one was pretty close.

    Supposedly, Brady''s pitch selection was a fastball, slider and a sinker. I barely understood the normal movement for those breaking balls, let alone a submarine style for them. I couldn''t tell what was what when the spin was too strange. I just did my best to foul two more before earning my fourth ball to get the walk. I let out another sigh as I tossed my bat towards my dugout, then headed to first.

    Surprisingly, some of the parents and people in the stands were clapping as I jogged to my base. It was almost the same as getting a hit. I felt a little more relaxed knowing that the fans were happy with me. Coach and Zeke shouldn''t be too mad now that I got on base.

    Julian came up next, only lasting three pitches. He struck out swinging, not even grazing a pitch. Even with the good advice he shared with me, he couldn''t do anything at the plate. Mahki went down in a similar fashion, but at least fouled off two of the pitches before striking out. I gulped. This Brady guy was better than I thought and I was already filled with praises for his style and skill.

    Zeke stepped up and I took a slightly bigger lead. Slightly. Like two steps more. I trusted Zeke, but I didn''t want to accidentally get thrown out when we already have two outs. Zeke worked the count like I did, getting Brady to up his pitch count to over twenty total pitches this inning. Then he smacked a hard grounder right back at the mound. Brady dodged and I was sprinting to second base.

    The shortstop covered the center at the grass, snatching up the ball before it could sneak by him. He then threw to the second baseman, beating me by three feet.

    "Out!"

    The home crowd cheered for their team as Golden West went back to their dugout.

    Dang it. I took off my helmet and went back to my own dugout.

    "Nice hustle." Zeke joined me just as I walked into the dugout. The starters rushed to take the field. "Why did you choose to bat righty today?"

    My eyebrows jumped at the sudden question. "Uh, because...it was...clean." My voice got smaller as Zeke''s expression darkened. "Was that not a good idea..?"

    Zeke''s lips thinned. "It worked out in the end. You earned a walk and got on. It''s just, Brady has the advantage against righty''s."

    I nodded. "I could tell. My fouls weren''t going where I wanted them to."

    Zeke raised an eyebrow. "Not everyone can place their foul balls. Don''t get hung up on it. You did well." He left me to exchange his gear.

    I went to my bag and did the same before taking the field. I hurried to my position and fielded a few rollers Julian sent my way.

    The umpire called for the game to resume and the extra baseballs went back to the dugouts. Golden West sent out their leadoff hitter.

    Garret stared him down, looking high and mighty on the mound today. I didn''t know all the details on how he performed last time against them, but I heard it was a close one. Hopefully he was still effective against them.

    The first batter went down swinging on three straight pitches. The second batter proved to be the real test as Garret struggled to find the zone against him. The reason being...he was left-handed. Garret''s cut-fastball wasn''t very effective against lefty''s and he ended up walking him. So far, Garret was tied with Brady in statistics: one walk, one strikeout.

    In the middle of his pitching during the third player''s at-bat, the runner on first took off. I froze, not sure what to do, so I could only watch as Alex popped up after making the catch and then throwing to Noah who covered second base. The runner slid into the bag and into Noah.

    "Safe!" The umpire declared, drawing some cheers from the locals.

    I scratched my cheek, trying to think what I should have done.

    "Focus on the batter!" Noah yelled out, throwing the ball back to Garret on the mound. He glanced my way. "One out, one on."

    I nodded. More to myself than to him. We were in the middle of a game. I shouldn''t get distracted so easily.

    Garret turned his back to us, eyes on the batter. He nodded at Alex''s sign and threw a cutter inside, getting the batter to swing and miss for strike three. Another strikeout. He was tied with Brady. All he has to do is get the cleanup hitter out like Brady did to Zeke.

    Garret did one better. Or maybe it was the batter''s fault for not being on the same level as Zeke. Their cleanup hitter didn''t even touch Garret''s pitching. The placement and speed were perfect, plus an occasional cutter, got the cleanup hitter to strikeout. End of the first inning. 0-0.

 432 Game @ Golden West (2)

    "I''m feeling good today!" Garret roared as he came back in the dugout.

    "Simmer down!" Dave rolled his eyes. "You already lost a perfect game with that walk."

    Garret puffed out his chest. "How many strikeouts did you have last time? I think I can beat that!

    Dave glared. "I had ten. In four innings."

    "Meh." Garret shrugged. "I could get ten today!"

    "In four innings?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

    "Just in this outing alone." Garret smirked in Dave''s direction. "It''s not my fault you had to leave due to injury. It''s your own fault for not taking care of yourself."

    The pair continued to bicker as everyone else moved away. Tanner and Jason moved out of the dugout, getting prepared to start the second inning. I sat by my bag, where Noah was getting ready to bat as well.

    "They''re so rowdy." I mumbled. "It''s like Garret isn''t scared of Golden West at all."

    "Why should he be?" Noah asked. "He''s one of the best pitchers in the league. On par with Brady and Sanchez. I guess the twins are right behind them." He glanced down at them. "It''s definitely more lively in the dugout with Dave in here."

    "It''s probably because he gets anxious with being unable to play." Mahki told us, passing by. He stopped. "It''s not bad to have somebody loud and outgoing in the dugout. Especially if they aren''t playing. They''ll always keep their head up."

    "True." Noah nodded. "Keeps the morale up too. No one likes a silent dugout."

    Tanner grounded out to the shortstop so Noah had to leave to go stand in the circle. Jason followed it up with a grounder to second. Then Noah ended it with a swinging strikeout. Three up, three down...and not in a good way.

    We switched to defense.

    "I''ll get ten for sure!" Garret told Dave before running out onto the field.

    "In your dreams." Dave huffed.

    Zeke smacked him on the knee with his glove. "Be more supportive."

    Dave rolled his eyes. Then yelled out to Garret. "I hope you get nine."

    Some of the guys laughed as we took the field. Zeke just shook his head at Dave''s antics, but didn''t have the time to scold him.

    Garret continued to pitch well, getting the fifth batter to hit a grounder right to Jason at third. Jason fielded the ball smoothly, getting the first out without a hiccup. The next batter hit a hard one down the first baseline. Julian dove at it, making the stop. Seeing that the runner would beat me and Garret, Julian scrambled for first himself, diving at the bag.

    "Out!" The umpire declared.

    I sighed with relief, watching the batter head back to his dugout. That was a close one.

    Julian threw the ball to Garret and then patted the dirt off his uniform.

    Garret ended the inning by strikeout. His fourth of the game.

    Back in the dugout, Dave was quick to rub it it. "One strikeout an inning isn''t going to cut it. Especially if you get pulled off the mound."

    Garret was at his bag, switching his gear in order to go bat. "Don''t worry about me. I''ll catch up and I definitely won''t need a relief. I''m feeling it today." He grinned before leaving the dugout.

    "What a cocky-" Dave let his comment trailed off after a glare from Zeke. "I mean, I''m only worried because I believe he can do it."

    I laughed with some of the guys while putting on my own helmet.

    Noah was watching Alex''s at-bat, but he was also sharing in the laughs. "Who knew Dave would be so useful when being injured? He''s definitely keeping Garret in check."

    I nodded. "He hasn''t given up a hit yet."

    "Shh." Noah told me, raising a finger to his lips. "Don''t say that out loud. Just let him worry about catching up to Dave in strikeouts. It''s working."

    I nodded.

    Alex struck out on three straight pitches.

    "Brady hasn''t given up a hit either." Noah mumbled. He rested his chin in his hands as he leaned forward. He glanced up at me. "Do your best."

    I swallowed hard and made a move to the on deck circle.

    Garret had already moved up to the batter''s box, showing the same kind of energy he had on the mound. Since he was a lefty, I thought it''d be good to watch and see what kind of advantage he had against a right-handed submarine pitcher. So instead of taking practice swings, I took a knee and watched from the circle.

    Garret didn''t give me much to work with. He swung and connected on the first pitch, pulling it to right field. The ball soared up high and didn''t come down in the field. It cleared the fence. A home run!

    I jumped up in my excitement as I watched Garret jog around the bases. He picked up his own bat after tagging home plate, knowing that I wouldn''t touch it. He held up his hand and I smacked it. 1-0!

    The first thing I heard him say in the dugout was, "Are you prepared Dave? Today looks to be my day!"

    I laughed to myself as I went to the batter''s box. I stepped into the lefty''s box like Garret did, but found some solid ground to stand on. Him and I weren''t the only left-handed batters today so the box wasn''t as clean as it used to be.

    From the very first pitch, I noticed some differences in batting from the lefty box. I felt like I could see the pitch better, for one. For another, his motion wasn''t too intimidating from this angle. With this I made him run up his pitch count a little easier. For him to pitch inside to me now, he had to throw it like he would for an outside pitch to a righty. I know Julian said to not pay attention to his movement, but fouling off the pitches weren''t so hard now that I know what to look for.

    After the tenth pitch, I started to look for something to hit. I wish I was like Garret or Zeke and just hit a homerun as I please. The pitch came and I swung all the way through, pulling it to the right like Garret had done before. But I''m not Garret. My hit wasn''t high enough, nor did it have the power behind it.

    The first baseman jumped straight up and snatched my line drive out of the air. He was tall. I felt like hitting myself on the head. The first baseman was tall...why didn''t I try for a grounder or maybe hitting towards the opposite side?

    I picked up my bat and dragged my feet back to the dugout.

    "Good swing, Jake!"

    "Way to battle it out!"

    "That should have been a hit!"

    "Next time, Bambi!"

    My teammates tried cheering me up as I headed for my bag. I nodded my thanks and forced out a small smile.

    "Don''t dwell on it too much." Noah told me as I put my bat and helmet away. "Brady is one of the best pitchers in the county. It would be crazy if you could make him look bad the first time you played him." He nodded towards Garret who was sitting with Alex. "Garret has played him multiple times so he knows what to look for."

    "I know what to look for too." I told him, sitting down. "I just...didn''t factor in that the first baseman was tall. And he could jump really high." I sighed. "It''s not the pitching that I struggle with." I could earn a walk every time if I wanted to. "It''s the fielders. I don''t know how good they are, how they move, what they can do; there''s just too much to look out for."

    Noah rolled his eyes and flicked me in the arm. "I don''t want to hear complaints from one of the best batters in the whole league. Batting wise, you''re almost on par with Zeke. Besides RBIs. At the least, your averages are close to being the same. You don''t see him complaining, do ya?"

    I shook my head. Zeke doesn''t complain. He works it out. If he thinks he''s doing poorly, he fixes it. Whether that be during the game, or after, or even during practice. Zeke was always working on improving himself.

    Julian grounded out to shortstop to end our offense, leaving Zeke in the hole.

 433 Game @ Golden West (3)

    Bottom of the third. Garret''s domination didn''t end or stutter. Batter eight struck out. Batter nine was Brady and he smacked a grounder between third and short, but Noah reached it in time and threw him out at first. I had an urge to clap for the great play, but it didn''t feel appropriate with the seriousness of this game.

    Starting back at the top of the lineup, Garret got the batter to strikeout for the second time of the game, moving his ''K'' count up to six. He smirked at Dave as soon as we got back to the dugout. "Just four more to go. One an inning."

    "That''s only if you pitch the whole game." Dave snorted, still unwilling to recognize Garret for his efforts.

    I took a seat next to Noah as our teammates got ready to tack on some more runs. Hopefully.

    I really wanted to talk to Noah about how well Garret was doing on the mound, but he must have read my mind because he shot me a glare, stopping the words from leaving my mouth.

    "This is called tacit understanding." Noah grinned at me, patting my shoulder. "I know what you want to say, but it''s best not to say anything at all."

    I nodded. Right. Noah doesn''t want to jinx him.

    Mahki grounded out to the third baseman, who made an amazing throw to first to get Mahki out by mere inches. The umpire said ''out'' and there was no replay or take-backs in high school baseball so Mahki came back to the dugout.

    Zeke stepped up to bat next. He was already 0-1 for the day so it was safe to say that everyone in our dugout was hoping for something to happen. Preferably a homerun. Zeke made Brady work, letting the pitch count climb and climb. He definitely won''t be able to pitch against Servite on Saturday.

    On a full count, Zeke successfully connected and blasted the ball to the outfield. Noah and I both jumped up to watch it fly. The right fielder was chasing it down to the outfield fence, then timed his jump, trying for the ball. It happened so quick that I wasn''t sure if he caught it or not.

    The way the crowd cheered gave me a hint. I sadly watched as the right fielder pulled the ball out of his glove and throw it back to the infield.

    "What a steal!" Noah sighed, flopping back down. He pulled his helmet out and set it on his lap. "That really could have been a homerun if that outfielder wasn''t playing so far back."

    I sighed too, showing my agreement. Zeke was now 0-2 on the day. I watched him closely as he came back to the dugout and Tanner moved to the batter''s box. Zeke was stoned face, not showing any particular expression. It looked like he was thinking it over.

    "Will the scouts look down at him now?" I swiveled my head to Noah to ask.

    Noah laughed. "Nah. Some might say he has trouble with submarine pitchers, but those kind of pitchers are super rare in the majors." He looked at Brady on the mound. "Brady might get drafted because he can get someone of Zeke''s caliber out."

    Tanner struck out.

    Noah put his helmet down and nudged me. "C''mon. Let''s defend our one run. Zeke doesn''t need our worry."

    Right. Zeke is the best. I should worry about my own performance. I didn''t want to mess this up for Garret and the team.

    We took the field to start the bottom of the fourth. The lefty who had a walk previously was up first. He was fast too. I couldn''t forget that stolen base in the first inning. It was too much of a surprise.

    Garret couldn''t use his cutter against the lefty so he went at him with his fastball. On a 2-2 count, the batter swung and pulled a grounder between first and second. I sprinted over before making a diving stop. From my knees, I threw the ball to Julian. I didn''t want to give the batter the chance to get on base.

    "Out!" The umpire said. We got him by a few feet.

    I smiled to myself as I got up and brush the dirt away.

    "Good play!" Julian grinned at me.

    "Nice one, Jake!" Noah told me from the other side of second.

    I turned red with the compliments directed my way. Those two weren''t the only ones to say nice words too. I heard some comments from our dugout and the stands. It just made the blood rush to my face even quicker. I did my best to block it out as Garret worked on the next batter.

    Batter three had a strikeout in the first and followed it with another strikeout in the fourth. Garret grinned towards our own dugout before facing the cleanup hitter. He had also struck out in the first, but this time he got a piece of Garret''s pitch. Just a piece. A small piece. He popped it up to Jason at third to end the inning.

    "Three more to go." Garret taunted Dave right as we got in the dugout.

    "Oh, shut it." Dave threw an empty water bottle at Garret.

    I shook my head. "How does Garret have so much energy?" I asked Noah as he put on his helmet and batting gloves.

    "Pitchers are just different." Noah shrugged. He grabbed his bat and headed for the on deck circle.

    Jason was up first. He was sent back to the dugout after three straight strikes. Brady wasn''t wasting balls anymore. He looked a little tired and it was only the fifth. He had a ways to go to finish out the game.

    Noah struggled against him as he upped his speed and directness. The only advantage he had was that Brady was throwing all pitches into the zone now. He got lucky and made contact, popping the ball up.

    I stood up and watched as it headed towards center field. It was a good spot. The center fielder was too far back and the middle infielders weren''t back enough. But Golden West wasn''t just known for having Brady. They had a good team with good players too. The center fielder sprinted forward and slid in the grass to make the catch.

    "Wow!"

    "Nice catch!"

    "Woo-hoo!"

    The stands were clapping loudly. Their team had made outstanding plays in back-to-back innings. Against both Atkins boys too. How unlucky.

    Noah was groaning as he slumped in his seat. "Ugh. That would have been awesome if I got the hit. Just unbelievable."

    I nodded in agreement. "It would helped give me a chance to bat this inning."

    "Jerk." Noah playfully punched me in the arm, barely using any strength. "I would have had a hit against Brady! Before Zeke, too. Ughhh." He groaned some more.

    Alex ended our offense by grounding out to short on just the second pitch. Brady made quick work of the inning again.

    I picked up my glove and took the field with my team. Next time I''ll have to make him really work. Try his best to get me out. I''ll make his pitch count soar so they''ll want to sit him down. He''s been too dominant against everyone on my team except for Garret.

    I looked at Garret on the mound. He was warming up with the same seriousness he had in the first inning. Even though he was giving Dave a hard time in the dugout, once he was on the mound he was completely focused.

 434 Game @ Golden West (4)

    Bottom of the fifth.

    Garret was still going strong, looking unstoppable. He started with batter five, getting him to hit a short fly to right field. Tanner caught it with ease and threw it back in while yelling, "One out!"

    Some of the other guys on the field echoed him, with Noah being the loudest. He even tacked on, "Two to go!"

    Garret didn''t need our support for the following two batters. He struck the both of them out, pushing his ''K'' count to nine. Only one behind Dave''s high.

    He smirked at Dave as he swaggered back into the dugout. "What do you think? Two innings to get just one more strikeout to tie you. Two to beat you."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "I did ten in four innings. You technically only had seven. I''m not fighting you over this."

    Garret laughed as he switched out his hat for a helmet and pulled on some batting gloves. "You''re just a big baby. You''re lucky it''s not Kyle doing this to you otherwise you would never hear the end of it." He grabbed his bat and left the dugout.

    "Ughh." Dave groaned.

    I was getting prepared for my at-bat as well since I would be after Garret. As I made my move to go stand in the on deck circle, Dave caught me by my shoulder, making me jump a few inches off the ground.

    He grimaced. "Sorry, Jake. I forgot."

    I nodded, trying to calm my pounding heart.

    "Listen, you have to do me a favor." He pleaded. I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he wanted. "You need to smack the ball out of the park and get a homerun to rub into Garret''s face."

    Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. I shrugged him off and left the dugout. Dave was just grasping at straws. My stature and bat choice really held me back from having the power to blast one out of here. If I could do it, I would. I wanted to.

    The only time I got close is when we had that game in the mountains. Higher elevation would be a nice little boost. But...I''d be scared to get sick again.

    I hit my bat against my cleats to knock some dirt off as I watched Garret get into the batter''s box. Nothing could bring his energy down. His good pitching, his homerun, more excellent pitching...it only made sense that good things kept going his way. He belted out a line drive single to center field.

    I walked up to the batter''s box, took some time to spread the dirt evenly and found a good spot to stand. I looked up at Brady on the mound. He looked a little tired. He had only given up two hits, both to Garret now, but his pitch count had to be nearing the 90s.

    I let the first pitch pass for a called strike as I looked out to the field. Garret was on first so the first baseman was staying on the bag, trying to prevent him from taking a good lead. The second baseman played more over towards first, and the shortstop was cheating towards second base. They were looking for a double play. Lefties are, statistically, more likely to hit a grounder between first and second.

    I let another pitch pass for strike two. I really want to aim one in the gap that the shortstop left. It just has to be hit hard enough to squeak by. Brady got set and started his motion. His long legs stretched out and his hand was coming from behind, nearly scraping the dirt on the mound. The spin was still strange to me, but the speed was falling off. I can do this!

    I took a step forward, and started my swing. The ball was going low, but that would still be okay. The bottom part of my bat hit the ball right to the direction I wanted. The shortstop and third baseman both tried to make a play at it, but the ground ball slipped through and went to the outfield.

    Garret sprinted to second and I made it to first base as the left fielder came in and fielded the ball back to the infield.

    "Good hit!"

    "Nice one!"

    "Bring ''em home, Jules!"

    Our dugout got a little bit louder now that we have two runners on base, with no outs. Julian stepped up and the fielders shifted back towards more normal positioning. Julian has a strikeout and a groundout to short, so my guess is that they''re looking for the double play still. Which makes sense. I would try and get three outs before Zeke comes up too. Even if he''s not having his best day, Zeke is a threat at the plate with runners in scoring position.

    Julian had a nice fight at the plate, getting to a 2-2 count by fouling a few pitches. Our dugout cheered him on and I took a good lead off the bag. Julian got jammed with an inside pitch, grounding the ball towards short. Everyone took off.

    I sprinted to second base, but the ground ball didn''t have any speed or strength to it. The shortstop scooped it up easily, tagged second before I could get there and then threw to first.

    "Out!"

    "Out!"

    Julian and I were definitely out. Before I could sigh or turn back to the dugout, I heard yelling.

    "To home!"

    I turned in time to watch the first baseman throw to his catcher at home plate as Garret was sprinting in. What. Why would he do that?? Did Mr. Miller tell him to go?

    I held my breath as the catcher caught the ball and made the tag the same time that Garret came sliding in. They collided and both were laying in the dirt. The home plate umpire stood over them, pumped a fist, and declared. "Out!"

    A triple play.

    The home crowd went wild.

    Our dugout on the other hand, went silent. The three of us went back with our heads hung low. A good opportunity died as quickly as it came. A few of the guys gave us sympathy pats on the back.

    I wanted to ask Noah what had happened, but him and the other field players had already rushed out. We still had to defend two more innings.

 435 Game @ Golden West (5)

    The crowd was still making noise for their team as we switched to defense. When Garret took his practice pitches, I could tell that he was still distracted by his run to home in the last half inning. So could Coach. He came out after the practice pitches, and went to the mound, waving for us all to join him.

    "What''s up Coach?" Garret asked, gripping the baseball. Probably scared that he might be pulled.

    The rest of us fielders surrounded them, Coach versus Garret.

    Coach stared him down. "Are you sure you want the ball?"

    "Yes." Garret hid it in his glove. "I can do this."

    "Are you sure? Because to me, it looks like your head is somewhere else. On the last play, perhaps?"

    Garret shrugged, looking guilty.

    Coach laid his heavy hand on Garret''s shoulder. "I''m telling you now, if you give up one hit, I''ll pull you. I don''t care how well you have done so far. If you''re not here mentally, you can easily lose us this game."

    "Wow, Coach." Garret grimaced. "No pressure, huh?"

    Coach wasn''t bothered. "Yes. There is pressure. Lots of it, too. If you can''t perform well this inning, you could cost us this game. If you cost us this game, you might put us out of the race for first place in the league. This is all on you. I''m asking you now, can you handle it?"

    Garret straightened up. "We''ll win. We''ll win it all!"

    "That''s what I want to hear!" Coach patted his shoulder and let go. He looked around at all of us. "Forget the last play. You can''t go back and change it. There are no replays or redos. You can only focus on the present and look forward to the future."

    "Yes, Coach!" The other infielders agreed. I nodded to show I understood.

    "Time." The umpire walked up to us. "You all need to break it up."

    "We''ve got your back, Garret!" Noah smacked Garret''s back with his gloved hand. Julian and Jason did the same as we all headed back to our positions and Coach went back to the dugout.

    Garret got lucky that he would begin with the bottom part of their lineup first. So even if he was shaken by his failed slide, he doesn''t need his best stuff just yet. He started with batter number eight. He wasn''t much of a challenge. He got jammed and popped the ball up. Noah came in to the inner grass just behind the mound and made the catch.

    "One out, two to go!" He tossed the ball to Garret.

    Garret tipped his cap and grinned.

    Batter number nine was Brady. With him batting this inning, it looks like they''ll be keeping him in. They want him to finish out the game I guess. Not like he''s been doing poorly. He only gave up three hits over six innings. Only one run.

    As Garret faced him, I realized...Garret still has the no-hitter going! My heart started to pound. Noah kept telling me not to talk about it so it slipped my mind, but, yea...the only baserunner was the walk from the first inning to that lefty that bats second.

    ''Ding!'' The ball soared off Brady''s bat. Noah jumped, but it was too high.

    Did I just jinx Garret?

    No!

    Zeke was sprinting in from center field. He dove at the hit from an angle, then rolled in the grass. He popped up, back on his feet, holding up his glove triumphantly. The crowd clapped for the amazing play regardless of what team they were cheering for. Zeke threw the ball back in to Noah, who threw it to Garret.

    Garret raised a hand up in Zeke''s direction. Zeke raised two fingers in response. Two outs.

    The lead off batter was up again. He had struck out twice now. While Garret couldn''t make him swing and miss a third time, he still got the batter out by getting him to hit a ground ball right to Jason. Jason fielded the ball smoothly and threw him out at first to end the inning.

    We jogged back to the dugout with smiles. Just one more inning to go.

    "No ten strikeouts for you." Dave scoffed at Garret once he sat down to rest. "Not only did I do it in less innings, but you couldn''t do it at all."

    Garret glared at him. "One more inning to go. I could still pass you."

    Dave raised an eyebrow. "You think you''ll get to finish out the game? You were looking pretty tired up there."

    Garret flexed an arm. "I still got it."

    "..." Dave''s eyebrow twitched. "That''s your right arm...I''d be more inclined to believe you if you flexed your pitching arm."

    A couple of the guys laughed.

    Even I giggled a little as I sat by Noah and our bags.

    Noah was holding his helmet in his lap, drumming his fingers to a beat in his head. "Do you think I''ve got a chance?"

    "To bat?" I nodded. Mahki, Zeke and Tanner would lead us off. "There''s a chance." The three of them are a combined 0-6 at the plate today, but there''s still a chance. I would never count Zeke out.

    We watched Brady get back on the mound and throw his practice pitches. Against Mahki, he continued to throw in good spots, only slowing down just a little. Mahki got a piece of one, pulling it down the third baseline. It bounced once before the third baseman got it, and then proceeded to make an amazing throw to first to get him out.

    Noah pouted.

    Zeke was up next. He came out swinging, pulling the first one foul of the third baseline. The next pitch was also sent foul, going high before hitting the fence. The third was sliced, going right of the first baseline, almost hitting Coach Luis. The fourth pitch, Zeke got ahold of, sending it dead center. It flew to the fence in the outfield and Zeke was sprinting. The center fielder tracked it down to the warning track, before making the jump and robbing Zeke of a homerun. Zeke turned back and came back to the dugout.

    Noah groaned.

    I patted his shoulder sympathetically. "You''re in the hole spot now. You can put on the helmet at least."

    Noah shot me a glare out of the corner of his eyes.

    I moved a few inches away.

    Tanner didn''t even graze a pitch like Mahki and Zeke. He went down swinging, and missing, striking out for the second time today.

    Noah grunted, throwing his helmet back in his bag. He picked up his glove and sprinted out to the field, being the first one. I guess he has some energy to burn off.

    I mean, I understand the feeling. I can''t believe how many times I was left standing in the on deck circle, unable to get my own chance to help our team.

    Garret was pulled aside by Coach before he headed out. Their talk was brief, but Garret didn''t look angry so I don''t think Coach will pull him. We were three outs away from a win and a no-hitter after all.

    Garret came out and did his practice pitches with Alex before facing his first opponent of the seventh inning. He had to start with the number two batter. Who had a walk in the first and had hit that grounder to me in the fourth inning.

    I backed up, putting my heels on the outfield grass. I wanted to give myself enough space to cut off any grounders coming this way. After all, a lefty is more likely to hit my way than Noah''s.

    Garret''s cut-fastball wasn''t useful so he tried shutting him down with just his fastball. The lefty connected with his pitch, a loud resounding ''ding'' made my ears ring. I jumped my highest to try and swat down the line drive, but it was no use. I was too short. It made it to right field, bouncing right before Tanner. A hit. Garret''s given up his first hit of the game.

    The crowd started to clap and cheer. For both Garret and the batter. Garret lost the no-hitter and the batter was the home team who stopped it.

    Tanner threw the ball back in to me and I threw it to Garret on the mound, trying to not look as upset as I felt. My eyes stung. I was just a few inches away from stopping the hit. If I was taller...if I could jump higher...if I had better reflexes. I sighed and shook my head, trying to straighten myself out before Garret took on the next batter.

    Garret didn''t look bothered by the hit, nor did Coach. I guess they must have thought something like this would happen and that''s what they could have been talking about. Garret closed out the next batter with a swinging strikeout. His tenth of the game. He sent a smirk towards our own dugout. No doubt it was intended for Dave.

    With one out, one on, a double play would be ideal. Noah discreetly waved for me to scoot over closer to second base. The cleanup hitter was a righty so I shouldn''t be too scared of him hitting a grounder in the gap between me and Julian. He had a history of a strikeout and a fly out to Jason.

    Garret did his best to corner him with a 1-2 count, getting the batter to pull the ball towards his left, towards Noah and Jason. Noah made a spectacular grab and threw the ball to me from his knees. I was already on second base when I caught the ball. I was transitioning from catch to throw as the first base runner came sliding into second. My throw to first turned sloppy as I fell into the dirt, tangled up with the runner.

    Julian stretched out to a near split, digging my bad throw out of the dirt as it bounced near him.

    "Out!"

    "Out!"

 436 Golden West Postgame

    My body was hurting. My foot. My ankle. My knees. My hip. My hands. My elbows. The only body part that was really safe was my head and face. Which wasn''t too bad.

    "Hey!" Noah was next to me in a blink of an eye. He took a knee to look at me. "Are you okay, Jake? Are you hurt anywhere?"

    "Amateur." I heard a scoff from an unfamiliar voice.

    "Go away, you loser." Noah brush away the runner. "Hope you guys choke against Servite."

    The guy glared before walking away.

    Noah was trying to pull me to my feet, but a hand stretched out to stop him.

    Garret arrived. "Wait. If anything hurts, Drew might want him to stay on the ground."

    I waved them both away. "I''m okay. Nothing but a few bumps or bruises." I stood up on my own and picked up my hat that had fallen off my head in the collision.

    "Wait! How can you be so sure?" Noah asked, frantically moving about, drawing more attention to us.

    I stared at him. He was really worried. Panicking about something so small. Thinking back, Noah has been like this all the time. Treating me like a glass figurine. I''ll be the first to admit that my emotions can get the best of me and my inner demons are still present, but-

    I laid my hand on Noah''s shoulder. "Noah. I''m good. I know when I''m hurt and when I''m injured. This is nothing."

    Noah''s eyes widened, then he settled down.

    "Look at Bambi! Flipping the script!" Garret laughed as the team started to join us by second base. The outfielders came in, the bullpen and dugout came out to celebrate, and yet...Noah was worried about me.

    I tried giving him a reassuring smile. "Noah, even professionals have the occasional collision. You told me that. Now...don''t be jinxing me!"

    Noah finally cracked a smile, looking relieved.

    "Hey, hey, what''s going on here?" Dave hollered, with some of the coaches right behind him.

    Garret turned around, smirking. "What''s going on?" He repeated. "I''ll tell ya. You''re not the only one with ten strikeouts in one game anymore!!"

    Dave pushes him away. "You had to use all seven innings. It doesn''t count!"

    "Want to compare season strikeouts then??" Garret kept grinning.

    "No way! I was injured for two weeks! You had like two more starts than me." Dave refused, folding his arms across his chest.

    "Okay, okay, settle down boys." Coach raised his voice over them two and the rest of the team, who were celebrating a little quieter. "We still have to pack up and take the bus back. A quick word first." He looked around. "I''m proud of you. It may look like Garret did all the work on the mound and at the plate, but it''s still a team effort. None of you gave up on a play, nor made any mistakes. This, this is what I want to see on Monday."

    Zeke went over to stand next to Coach. "Can I also have a word, Coach?"

    "Of course." Coach took a step back.

    Zeke was holding his glove as he started to speak up. "I hope I didn''t let you all down too much today." He started off with an apology. A surprise apology.

    "No way!"

    "You can''t be perfect all the time!"

    "You''re the backbone of this team. It''s okay for you to have a rest day."

    "With you sucking, it just made me shine some more." Garret bragged, making the guys on the team laugh.

    Zeke showed a hint of a smile. "I''m happy as long as we win." I saw Noah frown out of the corner of my eye. "What I wanted to talk to you guys about though, is this weekend. Tomorrow is Friday, we''ll practice the same as always. Saturday, I''ll be going to the Servite game. I''m not telling anyone that they have to go, but if you need a ride, text me."

    "It''s not mandatory?" Matt asked.

    "Not at all." Zeke answered. He held up a hand to prevent Matt from speaking up again. "You guys don''t have to give me any excuse or reason why you can''t or don''t want to go. Just let me know if you need a ride. Whoever shows up on their own, can let me know so we can sit together as a team." He looked around. "I can understand if you already have plans. Or maybe you want to get some extra practice in during their game time. It''s alright. I will ask you to start mentally preparing yourselves on Sunday though." He put his hands on his hips, looking like an authority figure. "No junk food. No slouching on the couch. Get up, go for a jog, do some light lifting, do yoga for all I care. Everyone should be game-ready on Monday."

    The team stayed silent, but there were some that were nodding along.

    "Coach." Zeke turned it back to Coach, taking a step back.

    Coach nodded. "Zeke said all I wanted to say. Friday, we''ll practice hard. Saturday, rest. Sunday, get some type of movement in. Monday, we''ll take down Servite and league." He tilted his head to the dugout. "Change out of your cleats and pack up. Let''s get on the bus."

    We listened to Coach''s instructions and went back to the dugout.

    "Boys." A deep voice greeted us on our jog back. Just beside the dugout, behind the fence, stood Mr. Atkins and his wife. He made eye contact with me. "Jake, we wanted to be sure that you''re okay before we take off."

    I felt warm and my face flushed with embarrassment. The whole team was smiling and laughing, adding to the embarrassment. "I''m okay." I mumbled.

    "Good. We''ll meet you kids at home." Mr. Atkins looked pointedly at Zeke.

    Zeke nodded. "Sure, Dad. I''ll text you when we get back to school."

    They said their goodbyes and we went inside the dugout.

    Noah groaned as we packed our bags with our cleats. "Mom and Dad are so embarrassing. They still treat us like we''re seven or something."

    I laughed outright.

    Noah flinched away from me, surprised by my outburst. "Jake? What''s so funny?"

    I grinned at him. "You''re the same way! Always hovering. You''re a perfect mix of your mom and dad."

    "I was worried about you!"

    "And they worry too." I replied back. I couldn''t say I knew everything there is to know about the Atkins, but I knew enough to see how much they genuinely care. They care for their family, for me, for their community, just...anyone who needs it, they show their concern.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "They''re going to have such a hard time when Zeke goes off to play for some minor league team out in the middle of nowhere."

    "You really don''t believe he''ll go to college?" I asked.

    Noah frowned. "No way. Who would pass up on the chance to play in the big leagues? Maybe if he wanted to get picked in a higher position? I don''t know how much Zeke cares about that." He hummed. "We''ll know soon enough though."

    I nodded. The draft was a month away, in early June. Noah has it circled on the small calendar in our room. If you ask me, I think Noah is more excited than Zeke. I peeked over at Zeke.

    He was staring our way, making me jump. "Noah, Jake, hurry it up."

 437 The Weekend

    With the game taking up most of the afternoon and early evening, there wasn''t much time for anything else besides homework and dinner after getting back to the house.

    Friday, most of our classes had tests or quizzes so it we weren''t assigned very much homework which made us a pair of happy freshmen. At least...until practice.

    Coach wasn''t kidding when he said we would have a rough practice before the weekend. He made us work on every aspect of a game before calling it a night. He kept us as long as he could before getting close to the maximum hours practice time. We were diving in the dirt and rolling in the grass. Coach was adamant about making sure we were trying our best to be prepared for Monday''s game against Servite.

    After practice he gathered around for one of his famous mini-speeches on being the best player we could be, even in our off time. This only inspired Noah to lead us in a more intensive ab workout once we got home since "we won''t practice tomorrow!" ...I just followed along. It helped knowing that a stronger core would lead to balance and more power.

    Saturday morning, Mrs. Atkins prepared a giant breakfast selection before heading off to work with her husband.

    "Here''s some snack and drink money." Mr. Atkins handed a couple of bills to Zeke. "You''re taking all of them?"

    Zeke looked to the twins for confirmation.

    Dave was the first to nod.

    Kyle, on the other hand, hesitated. "Well...it''s only optional, right?"

    Zeke''s eyes narrowed.

    Kyle looked to his dad for help.

    Mr. Atkins laid a hand down on Zeke''s shoulder. "If it''s optional, then you don''t have to go. What else do you have planned?" He looked at Kyle with a friendly expression.

    Kyle, feeling more comfortable with his dad holding Zeke back, brightened up. "Well..Marie also has the day off from practices and whatnot, so I was going to spend the day with her. If you want to spare some money for us, I won''t object!"

    Mr. Atkins laughed, let go of Zeke and pulled out his wallet. He handed Kyle a $20 dollar bill. "Be good. Stay safe. Since Zeke will be taking the car, is she coming to get you?"

    Kyle pocketed the money and nodded. "Yep! I''ll text her when you all leave."

    Mr. Atkins paused for a second. Then he looked him in the eyes. "She''s not allowed in the house alone with you, understand?" He said, sternly.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Yes, Dad. I know the rules."

    "That hasn''t stopped you from breaking them before." Mr. Atkins laughed. He said his final goodbyes to us and followed his wife out the door for work.

    With their parents gone, an awkward silence fell over the table. Well, maybe only awkward for me and Kyle, because the other three seemed to be giving him the silent treatment purposely.

    Zeke was the first to speak up as we neared the end of breakfast. "Let''s hit the road. Bryce and Brian said they needed rides."

    "Oh, we''re giving the sophomores a ride?" Dave asked, interested. They both got up and dumped their dishes in the sink and rinsed them, leaving me and Noah with Kyle.

    Kyle looked slightly stressed once he heard that we were picking up the two sophomore pitchers. He looked towards us. "How mad do you think Zeke and Dave are?"

    Noah suddenly got up and headed for the kitchen with his dirty dishes.

    Kyle looked even more guilty. He turned to me next. "Jake?"

    I glanced to the kitchen, but unlike the other three, I didn''t have the guts or attitude to ignore Kyle and give him the silent treatment. I also wasn''t as upset as his brothers so it didn''t make sense for me to shun him as well. "Yea?" I answered in a low voice.

    He sighed with relief. "I''m glad you aren''t mad too. They''re just being childish." He scolded, looking upset.

    I poked some of the scrambled eggs on my plate. I didn''t think his brothers were being childish. "I think they''re just serious about baseball." Baseball was number one in their thoughts after all.

    "Yea, but there''s more to life than high school baseball." Kyle said seriously. I couldn''t tell if he was trying to convince me or himself.

    The only thing I could do, was shrug. I didn''t know what else to do beside watch some baseball with Noah. Currently, that is my life and I like it. It definitely beat out what I used to do on the weekends. Maybe because Kyle had a girlfriend, he had different thoughts on the matter.

    "Jake! Hurry up!" Noah called for me.

    I gave Kyle a tight smile before taking my dirty dishes to the kitchen.

    The four of us were soon packed into the car, driving away from Kyle.

    It was quiet for a little while, but soon, with Brian and Bryce joining us, the conversation picked up. Luckily the two could tell not to bring up the missing twin. They just played dumb and the topic was quickly set on the game we were going to watch.

    "We need Servite to win right?" Brian asked, leaning forward to make sure Zeke heard him.

    Zeke gave a slight nod.

    "It''s because we couldn''t score more against Golden West." Noah sighed. "Even though we have a tie record with them, we would lose the run differential. But if they lose to Servite today, that puts us in a favorable position for Monday''s game."

    "Yea but if Servite wins by a lot, they''ll be in a favorable position too." Dave sighed. "We only beat Servite by one as well. Same goes for Golden West. So if they win today by two, they''ll only need to beat us by two."

    My head started to hurt. "But if they beat Golden West, and then we beat them, we''ll win league?"

    "Exactly!" Bryce bounced in his seat happily. "Everything else is just so extra. Don''t bother thinking too hard about it. Just think of this as another opportunity to scout Servite."

    "Will Sanchez pitch today?" Noah asked.

    "Possibly." Zeke answered. "Maybe they''ll keep him on a limited pitch count this time though. Brady won''t be able to pitch today since he did so on Thursday."

    "But if Sanchez stays under 50 pitches, he''ll only need to rest on Sunday." Dave sighed. "We could possibly see him on Monday."

    I let out a small smile.

    "Hey!" Noah shoved me a little. "I saw that! You don''t find him to be a problem at all, do you?"

    "Neither does Zeke!" I quickly defended myself.

    The car started to fill with laughter, lightening the atmosphere.

 438 Servite @ Golden West

    The rest of the car ride to Golden West was more relaxed. It felt a little weird with Kyle missing, but slowly that void was filled by the sophomores. It wasn''t until we got to the game and ran into some of our other teammates: Garret, Alex, and Tanner.

    Garret glanced around us, searching for the missing brother. "Where did Kyle go? Snackbar already?"

    Dave rolled his eyes. "No. He''s too busy dating."

    Garret laughed, but the other two looked unsure of what to do. Garret tilted his head to the center bleacher that was filling up as the two teams were still warming up. "Should we grab some seats? Who knows who else will show?"

    Zeke nodded. "Let''s just sit at the top. Good view. Some of the guys told me that they were going to come so save some seats." He looked down at me and Noah. "Snacks and drinks?"

    Noah scrunched up his nose. "Can''t we get them later? We just had breakfast."

    Zeke lifted an eyebrow. "It was a yes or no question. I don''t want to play vendor in the middle of the game. Nor can I trust you two to do it on your own without causing some kind of problem."

    "We''re not kids, Zeke." Noah rebutted. "We''ve never caused trouble before."

    Zeke''s lips twitched, unable to reply. Or maybe just refusing to.

    "Let''s go sit, Jake!" Noah put his hands behind his head leisurely and headed for the bleachers. Noah led me and the others to the center bleacher and climbed up to the top.

    Zeke pulled out his phone and spent some time on it as Dave told the three about Kyle choosing to hang out with a girlfriend instead. The sophomores talked to each other about their shared classes, leaving Noah and I with one another.

    "I see Sanchez in the bullpen." Noah mumbled to me, eyes on the field. He checked out the two teams as seriously as Zeke would. Or will. I glanced over at him to find him still playing with his phone. Okay, so maybe he''s not interested in their warmups. "Can''t tell who that is for Golden West though."

    "It''s the guy we played the first time?" Bryce joined in, halting his conversation with Brian. "I thought for sure, with Brady being unavailable, they would use the pitcher that was able to hold us down."

    Noah shrugged. "I don''t pay too much attention to the stats. Do you guys know if Golden West have other strong starters?"

    Brian pulled out his phone. "I''ll just look him up. What''s the number on his jersey?"

    Noah squinted. "90...they must get to pick their own numbers. So unfair."

    Brian was able to pull up his bio from the sports page on their athletics website. "He''s a righty. Sophomore. First year on varsity. So far this season he has five starts, but only a 1-1 record. ERA is a respectable 2.18, WHIP is 1.21. Wow. Pretty good. Not too many strikeouts though. He doesn''t have a whole lot of innings...he must be their spare wheel." He nudged Bryce. "Like you."

    "Rude!" Bryce shoved him away. "At least I get more work in than you."

    Brian snorted, but couldn''t refute that statement. After Garret and the twins, Bryce got the most innings.

    As we got closer to game time, more and more of the team started to show up. Mahki, Julian, and Kelvin showed up together, and were the last of the seniors to show. The three senior pitchers we had on our roster didn''t come. No one said why and it seemed rude to ask.

    Jason showed up with Sean, Theo, and Matt, bringing you the total count to sixteen. Considering we only had twenty-two players on the roster and that this was an optional showing, I would say that this was a good turnout. Yet the look that Zeke gave after doing a head count, suggested otherwise.

    "Do you think those that didn''t show, will get in trouble?" I whispered to Noah.

    He shook his head. "No way. It''s just an optional event. Coach and him would like everyone to show, but that''s life. Others have different priorities." He smirked. "Kyle though...might catch some grief. He lives with us after all."

    I nodded. I could tell from this morning''s silent treatment that tonight and tomorrow might be a little uncomfortable for him. "Are you mad too?"

    Noah shrugged. "A little. Maybe, maybe more disappointed than anything. He could be potentially pitching on Monday so it would have been better if he could have came too."

    I scratched my head a little, trying to find the words to say. In the end, I repeated what Kyle had said to me. "There''s more to life than baseball..?"

    Noah frowned. He stared at me. "I''m not saying there isn''t. Just..you''re only given so much time for baseball. All athletes retire at some point. After high school. College. Even pros retire. Wouldn''t you want to take advantage of the time you have left?"

    I nodded, understanding where he''s coming from.

    Shortly thereafter, the game started, claiming most of our attention. Sanchez started out hot, getting some early strikeouts to start off the game. The pitcher for Golden West was also getting the outs, but only thanks to his teammates fielding. The game held even until the fourth, when Sanchez was pulled after his 50th pitch. No doubt, they were saving him for us.

    Noah, right beside me, started cursing them the best he could, hoping that they had jinxed themselves by pulling out such a good pitcher. Unfortunately Servite had a good relief staff that was on par with Golden West. The pitcher for Golden West start to crumble afterwards. He gave up a three-run homer before finally getting pulled.

    Golden West tried for a comeback in the seventh, but could only tack on one run. So not only did Servite get the win, but Sanchez will be able to pitch too.

    I sighed to myself. Lucky, but unlucky, at the same time. I''ll be okay against Sanchez, but everyone else... I glanced at Noah.

    Noah caught me looking. He rolled his eyes and slapped my shoulder. "Don''t look at me with so much pity. I''m good. Tomorrow, we should try and get Garret to give us some batting practice."

    "No way." Garret overheard him and answered curtly. "I might pitch Monday. I don''t want to risk injury or waste energy on trying to help you hit against a lefty. Just go to the cages. Do some imagery training."

    "Tsk. Stingy." Noah grumbled.

 439 Undecided

    Zeke didn''t keep everyone around after the game for a talk or anything. I found it odd for a second, just to say goodbye and leave, but Noah explained his thoughts on the matter.

    "He probably wants everyone to come up with their own ideas on how to be prepared." Noah told me as we walked back to the car, following the others. "For me...I have an idea already." He grinned.

    "What is it?" I asked, blinking. I didn''t realize we were supposed to come up with tactics on our own. I know next to nothing about baseball strategies.

    Noah smirked and lifted a brow. "Secret."

    I frowned. I looked to the others for help, but it looked like Bryce and Brian were already talking to Dave about pitching. They weren''t top picks for the upcoming game, but even they had came up with an idea.

    What could I do better? I tilted my head and thought some more until we loaded up the car and headed back.

    Noah poked me. "You have an answer yet?"

    I scratched my forehead, unsure. "I keep coming back to the same idea...for me, my biggest weakness is fielding. And, decision making."

    "Fielding is so generic." Noah rolled his eyes and leaned back.

    "Why don''t you tell me your idea then?" I asked.

    "You won''t be able to pull it off." Noah said.

    I pouted.

    "Working on your fielding isn''t a bad idea." Zeke said from the drivers seat. I could see him glancing back at me, using the rear view mirror. "Servite has more lefties than other teams."

    I nodded. "I thought so too. Last time we played them, the ball came to me more than normal." I thought about some more before coming to a decision. "I won''t go to the cages tomorrow. I rather work on my fielding some more."

    Noah''s jaw dropped. "But you love going to the cages."

    I shrugged, helpless in the matter. "But that isn''t what I need to do. It''s what I want to do. Since it looks like Sanchez will be pitching, then I feel pretty comfortable in that aspect."

    Noah folded his arms across his chest. "I don''t want to go alone."

    "Don''t go." I told him. "Help me with fielding. We could practice turning double plays too, so I don''t get hurt." I reminded him of the end of the Golden West game.

    That worked. "Okay." Noah agreed easily.

    We weren''t the only ones making plans. When dropping off the two sophomores, Dave waved and said, "See you two tomorrow at the house, okay?"

    They agreed and went their own ways as we headed home.

    "Are they going to come over to play in the backyard?" Noah asked.

    Dave nodded. "Yea, why not, ya know?"

    I didn''t. I didn''t know. Pitching is a lost cause on me. I don''t see the appeal.

    We came home to an empty house. Kyle must still be out with Marie.

    Dave rolled his eyes in annoyance and went to the kitchen to find the liquid that his parents had bought that helped with blisters. He had been using it every day religiously, trying to return to pitching. He wasn''t allowed to even throw normally just in case. The liquid in the blister had gone away and now he was just waiting on his skin hardening so it wouldn''t be so vulnerable.

    Zeke went to the garage to lift some weights, while Noah and I sat down in the living room to relax. He had turned on the tv and found the A''s were playing, but he quickly changed it.

    "Hey.." I stared at him.

    "What?" He asked.

    "You don''t want to watch the A''s game..?" I asked.

    "You do??" He asked incredously.

    I shrugged. "I told you...I''m not bothered. Besides, they''ll be talking about the game and not so much him." I looked him in the eyes. "I''m good Noah. He''s just a person."

    Noah stared at me for an extra minute, but he was finally convinced that I would be okay. It''s funny to see him more worried about this than I am. He turned the channel back to the A''s game.

    Like I predicted, the announcers were focused on the game overall and only went into details and fun facts when a certain player was up.

    I felt very...indifferent on the matter. I had the Atkins now. The Atkins wanted me to be a part of their family so why do I need some random person to notice me. Sure, I still held some resentment on why he never came back for me or why he didn''t check up on me; but that''s not his responsibility. In the end, he was just a kid himself.

    "Patterson up to bat." One of the announcers caught my attention. "He''s been having a game out there today."

    "This young man is showing the focus no one knew he had." The other guy replied. I leaned forward to get a better look at the ''young man'' at the plate. He''s a righty. Tall, big, and strong. He looked full grown; only young in the face and maybe in the heart. "I''ll tell you, Vince, him showing up today and putting up these numbers...it''s hard to believe he''s having some off the field drama."

    Vince chuckled. "Maybe it''s like his uncle said, they''re so unrelated to that side of the family that they can''t possibly be held responsible for not knowing what had happened."

    "It''s a sad story." The man said. "I hope the injured party has had a quick recovery and I''m glad that he''s somewhere safe."

    I nodded subconsciously. I''m glad that I''m somewhere safe too.

    "How annoying." Noah grunted. "Times like this make me wish you could step forward and set the record straight. Tell him, them, and everyone how long it has taken you to recover. I don''t like how they think it''s a simple hospital visit and then you''re okay again."

    "It''s okay." I told him, trying to pacify his anger. "I''ve come to terms with this. He can live his life. And I''ll live mine."

    "Yea?" He kicked his feet up on the couch. "What about this uncle you have? The one that only chose to take away Jeremy and not you? I don''t like his vibe. Him taking Jeremy already kind of shows that he knew something was wrong with your mom. They had an estranged relationship even though she''s the birth mom of the kid he took."

    I sighed. "I don''t know. I don''t know him. And I don''t want to know him. Out of sight, out of mind."

    Noah scrunched up his nose. "I''d feel a lot better if Mom and Dad can adopt you sooner. I don''t like the idea of your uncle being around and I''m not a fan of his attitude."

    I laughed a little. "Noah, you saw it too. To him, I''m unrelated."

    "True." He nodded, lightening up a little bit. He frowned as Jeremy''s at-bat continued and finally relaxed when he popped out to the shortstop stop. "Serves him right."

    My lips tugged are the corners. It didn''t seem appropriate to remind Noah that Jeremy was already having a spectacular game so that out was insignificant. We watched as the game wrapped up with the A''s winning.

    Surprisingly the star of the offense, Jeremy, didn''t participate in the postgame interview. Instead they chose the closer who earned a save with a clean sheet. Maybe they didn''t want any repeat issues until the topic of me, died down.

 440 Game @ Servite (pregame)

    Sunday, Noah convinced Zeke to join us at the park to help with our fielding. After taking turns fielding the ball that Zeke would hit our way, Noah told me we should try some barehanded plays.

    "Think about it, Jake." Noah explained. "If the runner has a good lead off first base, we''ll have to be even faster. Take the glove out of the equation and that''ll save us some time."

    I glanced at Zeke, unconvinced.

    Zeke scrunched up his nose for a quick second. "It''s not a bad idea, but it''s a little too late. We can''t risk any injury so close to game time." He looked down at Noah. "You know how easy it is to sprain or jam a finger on those kind of plays. Especially if we do it repetitively. Keep it simple. There''s no need to push it for double plays." He shifted his gaze to me. "If you''re scared that there''ll be a collision, just get the first out and then move out of the way."

    We both nodded at Zeke''s instructions.

    "I know you think tomorrow''s game is important." Zeke said towards Noah. "But, there''s an even bigger picture."

    Noah perked up. "CIF playoffs?!?"

    Zeke shared a small smile and a slight nod.

    The rest of the afternoon, Noah moved around like an energetic bunny. Nothing could calm him down. Anything that Zeke would hit his way, Noah would chase down. Even if it was overshot, Noah chased the ball down to the outfield and would make a dive at it.

    I tried to share in his excitement....really. It''s just, I don''t think I shared the same amount of love Noah had for baseball. Less love equals less excitement.

    I didn''t let that get me down though. I had to work just as hard, if not harder, to keep up with Noah. Even if I didn''t find baseball ''fun'', I still didn''t want to let the team down. Let the Atkins down. Let Noah down. Like Coach said before, ask what you can do for the team. What can I do? I can practice my fielding. I can show off my batting skills in the game.

    ***

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Hollander

    3 LF Garret Knudsen

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 1B Julian Wilson

    6 RF Mahki Holstrom

    7 3B Jason Morris

    8 C Alex Farrell

    9 P Kyle Atkins

    Coach announced the lineup on our way to Servite High School. He stared at us for a minute, looking around the silent bus. "This is it boys. Last game of the regular season. If you want to play more, you have to win. That''s all there is to it."

    The atmosphere was solemn.

    Coach grinned. "No need to be so scared. You boys have had an amazing season. You all have improved and come this far. So why not push it further?"

    "Let''s win!" Noah hollered, standing up.

    "Yea!"

    "Of course!"

    "We don''t need you to tell us that!"

    "Yea! Sit down freshmeat!"

    "So rude." Noah huffed, sitting back in his seat.

    Coach nodded. "That''s the kind of enthusiasm I want to see out there today. Don''t worry about anything else but this game." He looked around. "I''ll be using the bullpen as much as I have to. The next game won''t exist unless we win this one."

    "I can do this!" Kyle flexed his arm from his seat. "You guys can rely on me!"

    "We can''t even rely on you to watch a game." Garret snorted.

    "Much less play one." Dave agreed.

    "Watch from the bench." Kyle smirked.

    "I''ll be playing in left." Garret remarked. "Best not to let any balls come my way..."

    "Don''t even joke." Kyle glared at him.

    "Ok, enough." Coach cut them off. He looked towards Zeke. "Do you have anything to say before we get to the school?"

    Zeke stood up on the moving bus. He faced us. The rowdiness and noise all seemed to halt as his eyes scanned each and every one of us. "We''ve come a long way. 32 games. This will be the 33rd, but it won''t be our last."

    Everyone straightened up.

    "I don''t need to add anymore pressure to you all." Zeke continued. "All that I ask, is that you leave it all out on the field today. No regrets. No, ''I could have done this or that or whatever.'' Make a play for every ball near you. Swing at the plate. Don''t let yourself be struck out by looking at something go by. Go down swinging, fighting." He swallowed noticeably. "Seniors. This is it. The last of the regular season games. You won''t be playing Servite ever again. Leave a lasting impression."

    The seniors clapped and the rest of the team joined in.

    Zeke nodded and then sat down.

    Coach took control once more. "We beat them once. Let''s beat them again!"

    "Yes!" The bus chorused.

    The ride slowly came to a stop as we arrived at our destination. Servite. The private all boys school. As we walked down to the clubhouse beside the field, we could see the stands starting to fill up.

    "It''s going to be packed." Noah said, excited. He looked around, then lowered his voice. "So many scouts!"

    His whisper carried to Garret. Garret looked over and grinned. "The season is almost over. This is their last chance to see some of the guys before the draft. Only a month to go. They won''t be able to see some of them play another game."

    I gulped.

    Garret laughed at my expression. "Don''t worry. They''ll get to see Zeke a few more times. We''re going to be champions!"

    "Heck yes!" Dave agreed.

    "David, hang back." Coach called out. "The rest of you, go change."

    With one last glance back at Dave, we continued our march to our dugout.

    ***

    (Third-person perspective)

    "Yes, Coach?" Dave approached his Coach, eyeing Drew, the athletic trainer that stood nearby.

    Coach tilted his head towards Drew. "He tells me that your blister is looking good. Tell me, how''s it feeling?"

    Dave perked up, happy with what he heard. "I feel great! Good to go!"

    Coach chuckled, laying a hand down on his player''s shoulder. "Relax. I''m not asking you to go out today."

    Dave frown, his shoulders slumping like a deflated balloon. "But I could..."

    "Don''t give me that." Coach lectured. "You haven''t thrown a bullpen session in more than a few days." He leaned in. "Sit in the bullpen today. Throw occasionally and lightly. Hopefully we won''t call on you today. Trust your team." He grinned. "I want you to be ready for CIF. The playoffs start May 9th. That''s this Thursday. There''s not a whole lot of time to prepare, but do what you can."

    "Yes, Coach!" Dave almost yelled out in excitement. "I''m ready! I can do this!"

    Coach nodded. "I''ll be sending Kelvin to the bullpen too. He''s feeling better, but go easy. If your fingers start causing you problems, sit and rest. Be wary."

    Dave nodded in understanding. "I won''t get hurt before Thursday. I''ll be good! Practice, but not wear myself out. I''ll talk it over with Kelvin. Maybe throw 10-15 pitches an inning while our team is up to bat so I don''t distract Kyle."

    "Good." Coach patted Dave''s shoulder a few times. "Now go get dressed. You still have to warm up with the team."

    ��

 441 Game @ Servite (1)

    Early May and it was still pretty chilly in the Bay Area. Noah has told me yesterday that summer was here, but I''m not feeling it. The high was still in the mid 60''s, not daring to approach the 70''s. I rubbed my hands together to warm them up before picking up my bat.

    Warmups were over and the game was about to begin. As visitors we would get the chance to attack first. Noah and I were both standing near the on deck circle, listening to the man over the speaker announcing the home team at each position.

    "Hey, Jake." Noah mumbled.

    I leaned in to try and hear better. The speakers wasn''t the only thing loud around us. The stands were completely full of spectators of all types and you could certainly hear the home field advantage.

    "Don''t start fouling the ball off until you get cornered, okay?" Noah whispered into my ear.

    I raised an eyebrow.

    "I''m going to get on base." He told me confidently, while straightening up. "Give me some time to shine."

    I grinned. "Okay." I don''t know if he''ll really get on like he predicts, but it won''t kill me to wait to foul some pitches off.

    "And now batting for Watsonville High School, freshman and shortstop, Noah Atkins." The man announced over the speaker.

    "Woo! Go Noah!" Mrs. Atkins high pitched voice was easily heard as the Servite fans quieted down.

    Noah gave me smirk before heading to the plate. Like we predicted, Sanchez was back up on the mound. He''s a very effective and experienced pitcher and player. Last time, only Zeke and I were able to get hits off of him. That didn''t scare me though. We were able to win with that.

    "Strike!" Noah let the first pitch pass by for a called strike.

    The surrounding claps and cheers felt a little deafening from the circle. I shifted from foot to foot, feeling uncomfortable.

    "Strike!" Noah swung and missed. 0-2. He steadied himself and reset his feet before drawing his bat back. The next pitch was a fastball, but this time, Noah got a piece of it. A tiny piece. The ball deflected back, just over the umpire for a foul.

    The catcher, who had jumped up to attempt to catch it, muttered under his breath and threw a new ball to his pitcher. He then kneeled down and gave some new signs; Sanchez nodded. The next pitch came and right away, I could tell it was a breaking ball. A curve. It started away from Noah and then came in. Too much in.

    The pitch nailed Noah just above the knee, making him fall over.

    "Oh!"

    "Ouch!"

    The crowd made sounds of distress, but their sounds couldn''t surmount how much distress I was feeling. I hurried over to Noah.

    Drew was right behind me. We both helped Noah to his feet.

    "Slowly." Drew instructed. "Let''s try standing first. Put some weight on it. A little at a time. That''s it." Noah carefully placed all his weight on the leg that was hit. "Now slowly bend in a squat. Kick your leg out. Try leaning to your right. Then your left."

    As Drew ran through the stretches with Noah, I backed up to give them space. Coach and Zeke were both standing just a few feet away so I went over to join them.

    Zeke raised an eyebrow.

    I gave him a thumbs up. Noah was a-okay. No flinching in pain or grumbling. Plus, I could tell that the pitch was more focused on movement than speed. It shouldn''t have left a big bump or anything.

    Zeke nodded and spoke to Coach in a low tone. I couldn''t even hear so I awkwardly stood around and waited for the game to resume. Drew finished with Noah and watched as he jogged to first base. He picked up his bat for him and headed back to us.

    "He''s fine." Drew told Coach.

    Coach glanced down the line, but only saw Noah chatting merrily with Coach Luis, the first base coach. He and Zeke then headed back to the dugout with Drew, leaving me alone with the Servite catcher and the umpire behind him.

    "Batter ready?" The umpire asked, looking down at me.

    I nodded, and then stepped over, heading for the lefty box out of habit. I paused. Then retreated back to the righty''s side. Sanchez had a curveball and slider that I needed to be wary of. It''s best to hit the opposite side in a situation like this.

    "Now batting for Watsonville, freshman and second baseman, Jake Hollander." The speaker blasted my name, making me flinch.

    "Go for it, Jake!" I heard Mrs. Atkins yell from behind our dugout.

    I felt my face flush, but I wasn''t bothered by her cheers. It felt good on the inside.

    Sanchez started me with a curveball right away, not shying away from the pitch that was just responsible for their first baserunner. I had an urge to swing and fouled it down the line, but pulled the bat back. It grazed the inside corner.

    "Strike."

    My eye twitched.

    The catcher threw the ball back to the mound and got set once more. He reset and started his motion once more. As soon as the ball left his fingers, I could see Noah take off for second base.

    Feeling movement from behind me, I made a decision. I swung my bat too early, completely missing the ball, but also throwing the catcher off. The catcher messed up and didn''t catch the ball properly, watching as it bounced off his glove. By the time he picked the ball up, Noah was safely standing on second base and our dugout was cheering for him.

    The catcher grunted and threw the ball back to Sanchez. Sanchez didn''t pay any attention to Noah getting another free pass, but my mind was swirling. Noah was able to steal a base on one of the fastest pitchers in the league and that pitcher is a lefty. Statistically, that''s a very unlikely scenario.

    I wasn''t given much time to dwell on it as Sanchez was already starting his motion once more. It was another curve. His fourth in a row. I easily fouled it down the line. Only for him to throw another. I repeatedly smacked the next four down the line, stuck with my 0-2 count. Sanchez wasn''t budging. He must know not to waste any ball counts on me. After his tenth curve and my eighth foul, he threw his eleventh pitch to me.

    Thinking it was another curve, my timing was thrown off by the slight difference in trajectory. With the barrel of my bat, I smacked the ball to the opposite field of me. The right fielder sprinted and dove at the line drive, making a spectacular grab for their first out. Off of me. I was their first out.

    Stunned, all I could do was hang my head and go back to the dugout. Garret, on deck, patted my back and didn''t say a word. He didn''t have to. Zeke was right behind him.

    "You got complacent." Zeke told me as soon as I came back into the dugout. "You anticipated the curve, and got trapped."

    I nodded slowly. I could tell that it was a trap now that it''s in the past. Hindsight really is 20/20. I felt a little foolish.

    "Shake it off." Zeke sighed and patted the top of my helmet. "It''s only your first at-bat. I believe you can get him next time."

 442 Game @ Servite (2)

    I put my helmet and bat away near my baseball bag before sitting down. Just as I was sitting, it felt like everyone around me jumped up in excitement.

    Feeling their energy, I jumped up as well, then used my eyes to try and find what was worth cheering for. It''s not like I heard the familiar sound of a bat hitting a baseball, add in the yells for ''Noah!'' and I immediately looked for my friend.

    Noah was halfway to third base! I quickly scanned the rest of the infield. Sanchez had already thrown a pitch to his catcher. Garret couldn''t even attempt to swing to distract the catcher like I had done. The pitch was way outside, almost in the right-handers box. That pretty much set up the catcher to throw to third with so much space.

    The pitch came, the catcher was already in a half squat while receiving the baseball. He transferred the ball to his right hand and threw his hardest to the third baseman as Noah slid in. The third baseman received the ball and made the tag a

 443 Game @ Servite (3)

    Kyle finished his short warmup on the mound and then the first batter was announced. Kyle accepted the signs that Alex gave and started his setup and motion. The first pitch was thrown...then put into play just as quickly. It was popped up.

    I squinted, trying to track the high fly with my eyes.

    The ball should fall somewhere in the shallow outfield. I moved to cover second base as Noah ran over behind Jason, trying to track down the ball with not just his eyes. He was going for it. Just like we practiced with Zeke yesterday.

    Noah and Garret were both converging at the drop point, but it was Noah who called Garret off and made the catch. He smirked and said something to Garret, but I was too far to hear. He lightly tossed the ball to Garret, who caught it with his left. Garret then threw the ball to Kyle on the mound as Noah jogged back to his position.

    Noah was still smiling to himself even after getting back, making me curious on what was said. There was no opportunity to ask in the middle of an inning though.

    Kyle faired better against the second batter, getting him to strike out swinging on three pitches. The third batter was more patient, fouling off a few pitches before finding one that he liked. He ripped it down the first baseline; unfortunately Julian wasn''t playing too close to the line. The ball went to right field, where Mahki had to chase it to the corner before grabbing it. He then threw the ball to me, the cutoff man.

    I turned fast, but I knew I wasn''t going to be abled to make a play. And I was right. The batter had safely made it to second without even needing to slide. I threw the ball back to Kyle on the mound.

    Kyle looked like he was clenching his teeth, but it was hard to tell when I only had a couple of seconds to look at him, face to face, before he turned to look at Alex. Kyle was almost always abled to bounce back from little setbacks like that. This time was no different. He tried his best, throwing some of his fastest pitches I''ve seen from him, getting their cleanup hitter to strikeout. An impressive feat considering that that was the same kid who hit two homeruns off him the last time we faced Servite. Kyle pumped his fist excitedly as we headed back to the dugout.

    "That was a close one." Noah whistled as we jogged in as well.

    I glanced at him. "Feeling guilty?"

    Noah rolled his eyes, slumping in his seat, looking relaxed. "Don''t know what you''re talking about. My words have no influence on the way Kyle pitches or the way Servite hits."

    I snorted, taking a seat next to him. Ignoring that, I addressed the words he shared with Garret on that first out. "What did you say to Garret after you made that catch? Why did you give him the ball to throw in?"

    Noah cracked a grin. "I was just telling him that he was deadweight and I gave him the ball to throw in since that''s the only time he''ll be able to touch it."

    "Punk!" A yell accompanied by a water bottle hitting Noah came from across the dugout.

    Noah laughed and picked up the water bottle.

    I glanced down at Garret, but he had already turned to chat with Julian. "I don''t get it..."

    "You don''t have to." Noah shrugged. "I''m just having some fun with him."

    "But...you can''t stop fly balls being hit towards left field..." I looked at him, confused.

    "I was just implying to Garret that I''ll be able to steal all the fly balls hit his way." Noah told me. "There''s no other meaning behind it. I was just telling him that we don''t need him."

    "That''s not very nice." I scratched the back of my neck.

    "It''s just a joke." Noah shook his head. "Lighten up, Jakey. We''re here to win. And to have some fun."

    I slowly nodded. Noah was always like this so I really should be used to his sharp tongue by now. I''m just afraid that it''ll catch up with him one of these days and get him in trouble.

    Top of the second didn''t have any excitement on our part. Mahki struck out swinging, Jason popped up to the third baseman, and Alex hit a short fly that the shortstop was able to catch in the outfield grass. Three up, three down. Bummer. At least I was guaranteed an at-bat in the next inning; I consoled myself as we jogged out to defend the second inning.

    Bottom of the second. Kyle didn''t achieve any strikeouts, but he was abled to get Servite to go three up and three down as well. Batter five got jammed and hit a short grounder to Jason, who easily fielded the ball for the first out. Batter six made better contact, blasting the ball to right field. Mahki caught it at the warning track, just a few feet short of a homerun. Batter seven had the best shot of getting a hit in my opinion. He smacked a grounder right down the third baseline. Luckily for us, Jason was closer than normal to the line. He made the stop and then made the nice long throw to Julian at first. A throw I know I couldn''t make. Not yet anyways. It helped that the runner wasn''t the fastest on his team; if Noah had hit something like that, he could probably make it to first safely depending on their third baseman''s arm.

    We all jogged back to the dugout, happy to hold onto our 1-0 lead after two full innings.

    "Nice play, Jason!" Kyle clapped him on the back.

    "I didn''t even see you creeping towards the line." Garret remarked.

    Kyle put on his helmet. "I thought for sure that would sneak by ya."

    Jason turned a little red in the face. "It was just a hunch. Plus, I knew that Noah could cover more ground than me with him hanging back. He had a good angle to cut of anything that came our way."

    Noah smirked and wiggled his eyebrows at the pair of juniors that were complimenting Jason. "Guess you guys can thank me and my awesomeness as well."

    "Go get ready for your at-bat." Garret gave Noah a light shove.

    Kyle merely rolled his eyes and left with his bat in hand. He would start us off for the top of the third inning. Then Noah and me. Then hopefully a few more of our guys.

    "Such haters." Noah mumbled as we moved to our bags to get ready. He set his glove down and took off his hat.

    I laughed a little. "It''s because you''re bragging so much today." I changed my hat for a helmet and my glove for my bat.

    "It''s because I''m feeling good." Noah grinned. "Today''s already off to a great start. Two stolen bases and a run scored." His grin widened. "So many scouts are here and they all witnessed me stealing two bases off of Sanchez. Off. Of. Sanchez." He emphasized.

    He wasn''t wrong. That''s already a good start on such a tough opponent. "Let''s tack on a few more runs though for insurance."

    He nodded. Noah had put on his batting gloves and was finally ready to bat. "This time I need to get a hit. That way I can honestly say that I owned Sanchez in today''s game." He led the way to the dugout exit.

    I could only shake my head at his cockiness and follow him.

 444 Game @ Servite (4)

    Top of the third, with a 1-0 lead, Kyle started us off. But in reality, he stood no chance against Sanchez. He struck out on three pitches and didn''t even have the decency to look ashame as he walked back to the dugout.

    Noah rolled his eyes for me to see as I came out to stand in the circle and he moved for the batter''s box. He was no longer wishing that Kyle did poorly, but I was starting to see how he can get annoyed with Kyle so easily. It''s funny to think that Noah used to call him the ''nice'' twin. I mean, he''s not as physical and aggressive as Dave...but there''s a small feeling, in my mind, that Dave cares more.

    Noah didn''t live up to his bragging during his second at-bat. Sanchez threw every pitch in the zone and with speed. He definitely didn''t want to give Noah a free pass to get on base again. Noah went down swinging; our second out of the inning already.

    With a sigh, I moved to the batter''s box. I stayed with batting from the right, taking some extra time to even out the dirt. I think I may be a little ocd about this. I wonder if Dr. Moore could help me in this aspect. It''s not like we have to talk about my family anymore. Soon enough, my family will be the Atkins family.

    Feeling high from that thought, I swung and connected on the first pitch Sanchez delivered, sending it to right field. I dropped my bat and sprinted to first base, making it safely as the right fielder threw the ball in.

    "That was quick." Coach Luis remarked.

    Embarrassed, I rubbed my nose and avoided eye contact. Coach Luis knew the routine: foul off pitches to tire out the pitcher. Luckily for me, he didn''t pick at my sudden hit. He just clapped a few times for Garret, who was next up to bat.

    I took a small lead off the base, mostly just for show since I had no confidence to run against a left-handed pitcher. Sanchez was able to stare me down before peeking at his catcher for a sign, then glared in my direction before going through with his pitch. I shivered and scooted an inch or two or three back to the base. I''m not Noah. I can''t steal bases. Best to play it safe.

    Garret got cornered into a 1-2 count, and made contact, putting the ball into play. At the sound of the bat connecting, I took off for second base. Unfortunately, Garret had hit a grounder to the shortstop. All the shortstop had to do was flip the ball to the second baseman for the easy out at second.

    I slowed up and eventually came to a complete stop. I sighed and headed back to the dugout. Noah passed me on his way out of the dugout and waved with his glove. I nodded.

    I switched out my gear and tried to catch up with my teammates that were already warming up again.

    "Jake. A moment." Coach held me back.

    I paused beside him at the dugout entrance/exit. "Yes?"

    Coach looked down at me so we could make eye contact. "I won''t pick on your batting. You do great almost every time you''re up and I can''t complain about your hit. I just want to take a second and ask about what happened afterwards."

    I furrowed my eyebrows. What happened afterwards?

    "About how much you stepped off the bag for your lead. Or your lack thereof." Coach crossed his arms over his chest. "You should take a minimum lead off the base of, at least, three feet." He untangled his arms to hold up three fingers to emphasize his point. "Do any less and I''ll pull you."

    I gulped. "I was...playing it safe..." I stuttered out.

    Coach shook his head. "No, you were playing scared." He sighed. "I let you get away with these little things, but they add up, Jake."

    I fiddled with my glove. "Garret got to the shortstop anyways. No matter what, I''d be out and the inning would be over."

    Coach narrowed his eyes. "That kind of thinking is dangerous, son." He opened his mouth to say more, but was cut off by a surprise appearance from James. James came jogging in from the bullpen, drawing attention from Coach, pushing me out of the danger zone. "Jake, go play." He patted my shoulder.

    I tugged on my baseball cap, thankful that''s James saved me from a scolding. Coach seemed upset. It wouldn''t be good if he pulled me so early. Especially for something so small. I jogged to my position before peeking back at our dugout. Coach and James were in a deep conversation, and then I saw Coach motion for Coach Luis and Mr. Miller to join them. Something must be going on.

    "Jake?" Noah called out, making me jump.

    I looked around and saw that the whole infield was looking at me, including Kyle up on the mound. I waved my hand a little to signal that I was ready before putting my attention on the batter. Inside, I was cursing myself for getting distracted so soon after a scolding. I don''t need to invite anymore trouble my way.

    Kyle''s pitching didn''t look as sharp as it did in the first inning. Not that he was doing poorly; he was getting the pitches to land in the strike zone. The problem is that they were also being put into play. The first batter up was eighth in the order, and he hit a nice long fly to right field. It was high though so Mahki had the time to get under it and make the catch for the first out.

    Batter nine was Sanchez. The last time Kyle pitched against Servite, it was only the cleanup hitter that was abled to get a hit off of him. Not today though. Batter three had a double, and now, so did Sanchez. He rocketed one to the left field fence and reached second base quickly. That brought us back to the top of the lineup.

    Kyle got the first batter to groundout to Jason at third, which helped keep Sanchez at second. With two outs, the second batter in the lineup order sent one of the pitches back up the middle, catching Kyle off guard. I was scooted over though, playing closer to second base in order to keep Sanchez closer to the bag as well. I fielded the ball and threw to Julian at first to end the inning.

    "Good work!" Noah was the first to congratulate me as we jogged to our dugout. The rest of the guys sang similar tunes, but I wasn''t feeling too proud. Coach''s scolding was still fresh.

    I looked over to see what Coach and James was doing now, only to find that James was running back to the bullpen. Whatever he had said, apparently didn''t need him to stay with us in the dugout. My curiosity was growing. I looked to see what Coach was doing and found that he had walked over to Zeke, who was preparing to lead us off this inning.

 445 Game @ Servite (5)

    "Hey, what''s going on with you?" Noah waved a hand in front of my face. "Why are you staring down Coach and Zeke?"

    I shrugged sheepishly. "Well, James came from the bullpen to speak with Coach."

    "Yea, I saw that." Noah nodded, glancing at his oldest brother, who was now leaving Coach and the dugout. He was about to begin his at-bat. "Do you think he said something that Coach has to repeat to Zeke?"

    "Kind of." I shrugged again. "I''m just curious, that''s all."

    Noah''s gaze sharpened as he looked around from Zeke, to Coach, to the bullpen and back to Zeke. "Hmm. There''ll be an opportunity to ask at some point. For now, let''s just see what Zeke does at the plate."

    I nodded and we both for comfortable. There wouldn''t be much of a chance for either of us to bat this inning unless we score a few runs.

    As for watching Zeke? We did so with intensity and interest...yet, it just led to disappointment. Zeke made some amazing hits, but they all went foul of the pole. When he finally straightened one out, it went too straight. A line drive right to their center fielder.

    Our dugout was filled with a two second groan, but it was cut short thanks in part to Coach, who sent an angry glare down the line. Everyone felt stifled and tried to hold back the depression.

    "It''s still early." Noah clenched a fist. "Still have at least one at-bat left."

    I nodded in agreement. It''s not like we''re losing. With a 1-0 lead, you would think our team wouldn''t feel bothered by a scoreless inning. But after back to back groundouts by the seniors, Mahki and Julian, there was some pressure as we took the field in the bottom of the fourth.

    It was clear to see in Kyle''s pitching that he was feeling the invisible pressure. His pitches were wild, putting him in an unfavorable 3-0 count. He forced himself to throw one down the middle, which the batter let pass for a called strike. 3-1. Kyle wasn''t so fortunate on the next pitch. The batter, number three in the lineup, wasn''t going to let such an easy pitch pass twice. He connected and pulled it to right field.

    Everyone started to move: the batter took off running as Garret chased the ball to the fence. Noah moved out to the grass and I moved to cover second base. The ball hit the outfield fence and rolled back to Garret; he picked it up, spun around, and threw the ball back with some speed. Noah had to go out a little more to make the catch, then he did his best to relay the ball to me at second while the runner was coming in.

    I caught the ball and swung my gloved hand down to make the tag as he slid into the bag..and me. I toppled over him, but it didn''t hurt as other collisions so I quickly popped up, looking at the umpire. Waiting.

    The ump extended his arms. "Safe."

    Shoot. I made a face, trying to hold in my displeasure. I really thought we had him beat. I threw the ball back to Kyle on the mound, who looked annoyed. I couldn''t tell if that was directed at me, the batter, or even himself so I turned away to break eye contact and spent a few extra seconds wiping the dirt off my uniform.

    By the time I turned around and backed up to proper positioning, Kyle was studying his next opponent: the cleanup hitter. He had previously struck him out in the first inning, but Kyle didn''t have the same kind of energy anymore. He was...slumping.

    Kyle threw a few balls out of the zone before coming inside, making him foul one off. Back at the dreaded 3-1 count, Kyle shook his head a few times at Alex before settling on one that he liked. Apparently, the batter liked it too. He swung and sent the ball to the outfield. From the trajectory, I could tell it wasn''t going to be good for us.

    Zeke could tell as well. Same with the crowd. They roared with excitement as Zeke stopped at the warning track and watched the ball go over, not even able to make an attempt at stopping it. It was gone. A two run homerun. We lost the lead.

    Alex brought up a new baseball to Kyle on the mound, and the pitching coach came out. He waved for all of us to join him. Surprised, I hurried with the others and we gathered on the mound.

    "Kyle, I''ll give it to you straight, you just don''t have it today." He stated clearly. "That''s nothing to be ashamed of." He said as Kyle hung his head. "Power through. Keep attacking." He glanced at Noah. "Run to Garret and tell him to start stretching. We''ll switch to him if Kyle''s struggles continue."

    Noah nodded and sprinted to the outfield where the three gathered for their own mini meeting.

    The pitching coach shared more strategy and advice with Kyle and Alex, up until the umpire broke us up. The coach went back to the dugout and we all went back to our positions just in time for Noah to be coming back from the outfield. A tense energy seemed to surround us. A mixture of pressure and expectation.

    Kyle tried shaking his arm out and taking a few deep breaths. It didn''t calm his pitches at all. He continued to look wild, and scared. He was folding. He gave up a single to batter number five and started to focus on the next batter. But with his pitches lacking speed, strength, or accuracy, it was almost like batting practice for Servite. The batter swung at everything, getting a piece of a high fastball. He pulled it down the left field line.

    Garret tracked the ball to the corner, but the speed of the hit surpassed him. Not like it mattered in the end. It had the height and easily cleared the fence. A two run homerun. Almost like d��j�� vu, we watched as the runners jogged the bases amidst the yelling and cheering of the crowd. We''re now down 1-4.

    Coach came out of the dugout as we moved to the mound. We all knew that Kyle blew it. It was only a one run lead, but now we''re down by three. An uphill climb. Heck, we don''t even have one out to this disastrous inning.

    After speaking with the umpire, Coach came to join us on the mound. He waved at Garret in left to call him in. He held his hand out at Kyle. "It was a tough fight."

    Kyle wordlessly handed the ball over and left. He walked back to the dugout, almost as if he was in a trance.

 446 Game @ Servite (6)

    "Garret." Coach nodded at the new arrival. He handed over the baseball, putting it in Garret''s hands. "You''re down in the hole, but don''t pay too much attention to that. We''ll put some runs on the board in time."

    "I''m not properly warmed up, Coach." Garret scrunched up his nose. "Give me some leeway."

    Coach nodded, understanding. "If they put a lefty in, I won''t hold it against you. But." He looked him in the eyes. "Two runs. That''s all I can allow."

    Garret nodded, holding the ball tight.

    Coach looked around at us infielders. "Keep your heads up. We won''t be held down for long."

    "Yea!" We echoed.

    Coach went back to the dugout and we all stepped off the mound to give Garret his space. The umpire gave him ten pitches with Alex before getting the game to resume. As the four of us circled up behind him, we could see Tanner running to the outfield with his glove. He spoke with Zeke and Mahki before going towards right, pushing Mahki to left field.

    "Jake." Noah''s voice was clear, reaching and pulling me to the present. "You''re not scared are you?"

    Scared? I wanted to laugh, but settled for a simple shake of the head. "I''m not scared." I looked on as Garret warmed up. "Do you think he can hold them down?"

    "Garret can end this inning." Julian spoke up. He sounded sure of his statement, yet it made the other remaining innings look questionable. "We''re only down by three."

    "Have we ever been down by three?" Jason asked.

    "University Prep." Noah mumbled.

    "Correction, first time we played Redwood." Julian pointed out. We were beating them before they took the lead, but guess what? We got them back." Julian patted me on the head. "We have Jake. And Zeke. And the team as a whole. We hold them here and then worry about the comeback, okay?"

    "Right." Noah nodded. "Ok, let''s do this!"

    We went back to our own positions. Although Noah said ''let''s'', us infielders weren''t any help to Garret. He struck out his first opponent all on his own. We clapped for him and our dugout made some noise, but it didn''t last.

    Batter number eight was replaced with a lefty. Garret''s cutter was seen through easily, and put into play over my head. Tanner sprinted in and caught the hit off a bounce, and then threw it directly to Julian at first. The batter was safe for a single though.

    As if we were stuck on a downhill slide, batter number nine in their lineup, was Sanchez. He bats right, but it didn''t matter because he was still a good player overall. He pulled a single to left field, the ball bouncing before Mahki could get it. Mahki picked the ball up and threw to Noah. Noah turned, yet both Servite players were safe at first and second. Back to back singles.

    My jaw clenched, teeth grinding. Why won''t this inning end already? It''s like we have to go through their whole lineup just to get three outs.

    The leadoff batter was replaced with another lefty. I had forgotten how many lefties they had on standby. Noah nodded at me when we made eye contact, signaling for me that he would cover second. I shifted back, heels on the grass, ready for anything to come my way. Left-handed batter''s statistically hit this way, so this was the best we could come up with to try and get an out.

    Pointless. He was able to lift the ball and shot it above my glove, even with me jumping. The only saving grace was that the hit went to center field. So even though it bounced in the grass, Zeke was able to return the ball with speed, keeping it to a single and keeping the runners from scoring. The bad news is...the bases are loaded.

    The Servite fans cheered on their team, surrounding us with discouraging words. I gulped.

    "Stay steady!" Noah yelled out, raising his voice to be heard.

    Garret glanced at him, the corner of his lips upturning. Seeing him looking calm, helped me calm myself. Noah was good. Garret was good. Looking at Julian, who didn''t even look angry with this outcome, helped as well. Everyone got into position.

    "One out! Play is at home!" Noah announced for even outfielders to hear.

    Servite finally ran out of lefty batters to put in against Garret. Or maybe they thought this batter could get the job done, not needing a replacement. Garret faced him with speed, using his fastball consecutively, until jamming him with a cutter. The ball soared up, the runners ran back to their bases, holding a foot on the bag, looking ready to take off once it was caught.

    The ball went high into the air, but didn''t leave the range of the infield. Noah backed up, tracking the ball as Jason and I moved to cover third and second base respectively. Noah caught the ball, then quickly checked to see if the runner on third was daring enough. Since the runners all stayed, he threw the ball back to Garret on the mound.

    "Nice pitch!" Noah looked around at the rest of us. "Two outs!"

    "Two outs!" A lot of them repeated.

    Batter number three stepped up. The same batter who had started this inning. The batter who was already 2 for 2 on the day, with both hits being doubles. He''s definitely looking like the mvp of the game.

    Garret didn''t hesitate to use his cut-fastball against him right from the start. The batter fouled two in a row, getting cornered with an 0-2 count. Garret wasted a pitch outside, trying to get him to swing, which he did. He connected though, pulling a line drive to left field.

    It could be foul. Or it could bounce on the line and score in a few runs. I watched on as Mahki came sprinting in, diving and making a play for the hit. He made the grab and rolled in the grass before jumping up, holding his glove high.

    "Out!"

    Mahki scooped up his hat, putting it back on his head before throwing the ball back in. We all jogged back to the dugout amidst the loud clapping and cheering for the home team.

    "Keep the heads up, boys." Coach said as we settled in the dugout. "We have three innings to make something out of this game. Don''t give in." He looked to Zeke.

    Zeke stood beside him, standing in front of the whole team. "This is it. You each have to individually put in something to get something out of this game. What we all want, is a win. Get hits. Make those plays." He looked specifically at Garret. "Pitch. Don''t worry about getting hit. Just make sure it''s over the plate."

    "Like I need you to tell me that." Garret scoffed. He had put on a jacket to keep his pitching arm warm. "I can finish this. I''m just going to rely on you and the kid to get us out of this jam." He glanced at me.

    He wasn''t the only one. All eyes fell on me. I shifted around in my seat, unsure if I was supposed to say anything or not.

    "Hey! I''ll get a hit too! I''ll contribute!" Noah spoke up, jumping out of his sitting position. "It''s not like Zeke and Jake are the only ones that know how to swing a bat."

    "Right!"

    "Yea, me too!"

    "Give me a shot as well!"

    The dugouts atmosphere picked up, showing some liveliness.

    "Give it your all!" Coach said before walking to his spot.

 447 Game @ Servite (7)

    Top of the fifth started with our bottom three: Jason, Alex, and now Tanner. Jason didn''t start us off on the right foot by striking out, but Alex crushed one into the outfield fence for a double to liven up the dugout. Tanner moved to the batter''s box as Noah took over the on deck circle.

    I stood by the entrance, helmet on, bat in hands, eager for another at-bat.

    "Do you think they''ll keep Sanchez in since they have a lead?" I heard Garret asked. I turned around to see who he was talking to, only to find him looking down at me.

    I shrugged. "I don''t know."

    "Just tell me what you think." Garret said with a smile.

    I blinked. My brain went empty as my thoughts were nonexistent. "I don''t really think about the opposing team''s pitching tactics."

    Garret laughed, patting my shoulder. "Typical of a batting prodigy."

    I blushed.

    "No need to be shy." He laughed some more.

    I looked down, studying my cleats. "I don''t think that has anything to do with it. I''m sure other good batters have thoughts on this kind of thing. I''m just...too new to baseball. It''s good enough for me if the pitcher can get it over the plate for me to hit."

    Garret stopped laughing. "Sometimes I forget that you haven''t played on a team before. Sorry."

    I shook my head. "It''s okay. It doesn''t hurt."

    Garret patted the top of my helmet. "You''re a very peculiar kid."

    I was going to ask what he meant by that, but a collective sigh from the dugout had me turning back to the field. Tanner popped out to the third baseman, Alex couldn''t advance a base either. Noah moved to the batter''s box and I stepped out to the on deck circle.

    I lightly swung my bat back and forth, anxious for Noah to get a hit. Or a walk. A walk would do. I just want a chance after last inning.

    Noah was patient for once, letting the first pitch pass for a ball. It was an outside fastball. The next one came inside. Way inside. Noah jumped back to avoid ball two.

    I squatted in place, holding my bat between my legs. He was halfway to an earning a walk. Just as I was hoping for a walk, Sanchez threw a breaking ball into the zone, getting Noah to swing and miss. I gripped my bat extra tight. The fourth pitch was fouled back by Noah.

    "Way to get a piece of it Noah!" Garret cheered the loudest from the dugout. "Stay calm! You''ve got this!"

    That woke me up. I need to be more like Garret. I need to cheer for Noah to get a hit. I cleared my throat, trying to find the words to yell out, but came up empty handed.

    Noah, on the other hand, succeeded. Sanchez tried beating him with just speed, but Noah started his swing earlier than normal, making a solid connection. It was a line drive down the first baseline.

    Drop. Drop. Drop.

    The right fielder made a dive at it, but the ball snuck through, rolling to the outfield fence. Noah, who was already running, easily made it to second. The question was whether Alex could make it to home before the tag. The throw came in as he had rounded third base. The second baseman received and then made the turn to throw to his catcher as Alex came sliding in.

    The dirt was kicked up, obscuring most of the play. It was a close one. All eyes immediately went to the umpire for the call.

    "Safe!" He yelled out, nice and clear for the crowd to hear as well.

    Alex popped out of the dirt, jumping with his excitement. He picked up Noah''s bat on his way back and pumped his fists as the majority of the crowd groaned in frustration.

    Alex held up his hand for me to high five and I obliged. He deserves it. Alex made the team after Kelvin''s injury and Jordan''s quitting; so it was really impressive that he could keep up with their playing level and learning all the catcher stuff that goes with it.

    "Bring him home, Jake!"

    "Get a hit!"

    "Make a connection!"

    Our dugout was riding the high of Noah''s hit and was cheering for me to do well. I flushed red in the face with all the attention. Just as I made my move to step in the box though, a coach for Servite came out to talk to the pitcher on the mound. I recognized him as the pitching coach.

    I drifted back towards my own dugout, unsure if the pitching coach was thinking about pulling Sanchez.

    "He''s probably talking strategy." Garret said to me in a low voice once I was close enough to him. "Just stay calm."

    "I''m calm." I told him, holding my bat on my shoulder. In fact, I was eager. With us down by two, I wanted to drive in Noah and make it an even closer game. If I could pull a Zeke and launch a home run, that would even be better. That could tie up the game! I shifted from foot to foot, excited for the chance.

    The Servite coach finished talking to his pitcher and catcher on the mound and went back to his dugout. The catcher got back behind the plate and the ump signaled for me to step up.

    I took long strides, arriving in the righty''s box. My feet were shoulder length apart and my elbow was up and back, just ready to take on Sanchez. The only one that didn''t look ready was the catcher behind me. He stayed standing. I glanced back just in time to see him holding his right hand out over the lefty''s box. He was calling for a ball.

    In disbelief, I looked to Sanchez. He played along though, doing his motion and then delivering a ball way out of reach. They were going to walk me. Intentionally walk me. A good pitcher like Sanchez was just going to put me on base...for free. My face dropped as each ball was delivered out of the zone.

    Is this what their pitching coach told them? To skip over me?

    After ball four, I lightly tossed my bat back towards my dugout and made eye contact with Garret. He was frowning too. He walked firmly to the batter''s box, but I could see the nervousness in a flash of his eyes. He was as confident as he normally is.

    I jogged to first and received a clap on the back from Coach Luis. "Don''t look too sad about it, kid. They''re just afraid of you." He intentionally raised his voice like he wanted the nearby first baseman to overhear.

    The first baseman glanced our way but didn''t speak up.

    Garret''s at-bat was a struggle. Sanchez threw only breaking balls, alternating between his curveball and slider. Garret did his best to foul a few off before launching one to center field. It was high. Too high. The center fielder got under it easily and made the catch for the final out.

    "Alex owns him. Why face you when we can just get the easier out?" A deep voice chuckled near me. I caught the first baseman laughing to himself as he jogged back to his dugout.

    I swallowed the cold air. It was true that Garret struggles against Sanchez. Lefty/lefty matchups didn''t really work in his favor. At the plate or on the mound.

    "Don''t mind him." Coach Luis patted my shoulder. "Get back and change. There are two innings left for batting. You might still get another shot."

    I nodded and took off.

 448 Game @ Servite (8)

    Bottom of the fifth. The air was getting colder as it got later. The long fourth inning really pushed us to have a longer game than normal. It didn''t help that our excitement from Noah''s run, died down.

    Garret was the last one out of the dugout, having spent time putting away his bat and helmet. He looked a little down on himself-something that was so unlike him.

    "Time to switch gears!" Noah clapped his glove, directing his words to Garret.

    Garret lifted a hand in his direction as if to wave, but he didn''t look back. He warmed up with a couple of pitches before the Servite batter stepped up. Batters four, five, and six. All three contributed to Kyle''s beating last inning. Two of which had homered.

    Garret completed his windup and motion, sending a cut fastball inside. The batter fouled it down the third baseline. 0-1. Garret followed up with a fastball outside for a ball. 1-1. The third pitch started to look like it would also miss the zone, but it cut in. It didn''t fool the batter though. He swung, hitting the ball with the far end of his bat.

    The ball was sent my way with speed, skipping across the infield grass. I got in front of it, using my glove to make the stop, then from there, I threw to Julian at first.

    "Out!"

    Julian threw the baseball to the stoic Garret on the mound. "One out, two to go."

    Garret lifted two fingers; the only sign that he was listening. He faced the next batter with even more aggressive pitches, aiming for hard spots. It worked out: he was able to strikeout the two batters that had given Kyle a hard time. The fifth inning was over with, and we were down by two.

    Fortunately, Zeke would lead us off for the sixth. With the two other seniors following right behind. It''s another good opportunity to catch up.

    "Do you think Garret is acting funny?" I asked Noah as we sat right beside one another. "He was rather quiet and emotionless up on the mound."

    Noah''s lips thinned as an expression of displeasure passed by on his face. "He''s okay. He was like this against Golden West the first time. When we lost. He doesn''t usually become like this."

    Great. So the only other time he behaved like this, was the game we lost? That''s fantastic. I rolled my eyes to myself.

    But, Noah caught me. He let out a small laugh. "What are you so worried for? We didn''t have you in that game. We won''t lose with you around."

    "..." I stared him down. "We lost against University Prep. Badly."

    "Okay, okay, so we won''t lose when you and Zeke play in the same game." He patted my shoulder. "Does that make you feel better?"

    I was about to reply, but the actions on the field caught my attention. Servite was changing pitchers. This could either be really bad or really good, depending on who was coming in.

    "Hey Noah...do you remember that one relief pitcher that we saw for Servite?" I swallowed hard. "The one that closed out Golden West? The one that has beaten Zeke before...do you think we''ll see him today?" My anxiety was rising.

    Noah fell silent.

    Ernest J. Williamson is "supposedly" the best relief pitcher around. I still remember him striking out the side against Golden West. His pitching had weird movement. I wasn''t confident facing something so new...luckily he didn''t appear the first time we played Servite. Which, is strange, now that I think about it.

    "That''s not him." Noah spoke up, looking at the mound. "I know that''s not him at least."

    I let out a sigh of relief. Zeke has a chance then.

    "Williamson isn''t here." Coach came over. He spoke up for everyone to hear, yet was walking right to me and Noah. "We don''t know why, and we shouldn''t dwell too much on it. Focus on the game please." He stopped near me and Noah. "You two looked like you had seen a ghost. Did you think Sanchez would pitch the whole time?"

    I shrugged, guilty. "Well, he wasn''t doing terrible."

    Coach gave a small grin, not looking too kind. "He pitches just two days ago. Even if he kept under the account, he was serious in his actions. He would be at least a little bit tired today. If you look up the stats, Sanchez has pitched the most innings in the league. Servite relies on him too much."

    "No Sanchez. No Williamson." Noah straightened up. "Are you saying that we''ll get another at-bat??"

    Coach lifted an eyebrow. "We''ll need hits for that to happen. We also need hits to score runs in order to win. Were you planning on not winning today?"

    "No! Wait, yes!" Noah looked confused. "Um, I mean, I want to win!"

    "That''s the spirit." Coach nodded in satisfaction before walking away.

    Noah gripped my arms, eyes shining. "It''s going to happen! We''re going to win! We''re going to win league!"

    I tried not to laugh at his childish expression. I forgot how important this was to Noah. This would be the only time he got to play a whole season with his brothers.

    ''Ding!''

    All heads snapped towards the field, as all eyes tried tracking the well hit ball by Zeke. It went right between the center and left fielder, nailing the fence.

    "Wow! Do you think he dented the fence with that line drive?" Noah asked in his excitement.

    I didn''t bother answering. My eyes were on the running Zeke. He rounded first and didn''t hesitate to go to second. The ball came back to the infield, but Zeke was already standing proudly on second amidst the cheers of our few fans.

    "Yes, Zeke! Way to go!" Noah hollered, making my ears ring.

    Julian stepped up to bat next. The cheering was just dying down, yet Julian made connection on the very first pitch delivered to him, getting everyone to jump up. The hit got through the infield and Zeke was legging it. He rounded third base as the center fielder came in to get the ball and made a throw to his catcher. The throw was short, bouncing before it could reach the catcher, and allowing Zeke to squeeze by without needing to slide.

    Our smaller amount of fans got loud. It wasn''t long before they started to chant the schools initials.

    "W. H. S."

    Zeke waved his hand towards them, looking up right at his parents before coming inside the dugout. The team assaulted him with claps and slaps on the back; Happy that he closed the gap by one.

    Even I joined in...kind of. The best I could. I stood on the outer edges of the grouping, careful to not get sucked in.

    "Alright, alright. Cool it guys." Zeke said helplessly. "We''re still on the losing side. We can celebrate more when we steal this win back."

    "Yea!" We chorused. Everyone backed up and gave him room.

    As we got lost in the celebration, Mahki''s at-bat had just started. He was struggling more than Zeke and Julian did, already cornered into a 1-2 count. He fouled off two more pitches, before actually putting the ball into play. It looked like a normal play for the shortstop, but when the ball took a weird hop and made it over his glove, going into the outfield grass. The shortstop scrambled for the ball, but by the time he turned around, the damage was done. Julian was on second and Mahki was on first.

    "Does that count as a hit?" I asked Noah, my own personal baseball rule book.

    Noah nodded. "If it had bounced off his glove, it would have been an error. Most scorekeepers would call that an infield hit, but sometimes there''ll be an occasional jerk."

    I hummed in agreement.

    The team was ecstatic with three consecutive hits. Servite was not. Their coach came out before Jason got to step up to the plate. He signaled for another pitcher change, delaying the game for more than a few minutes.

    It ended up working in their favor. No matter if it was the pitching that got better or the fact that the delay caused our momentum to tamper off, we failed to capitalize on the two baserunners and no outs. Jason hit into a double play and Alex struck out swinging. It was a quick turnaround.

 449 Game @ Servite (9)

    Bottom of the sixth. Coach stood with Garret for an extra second before sending him out. Garret had the same vacant look upon his face, but at least he would get to start with the bottom of their lineup. Maybe we could get another inning out of him and best case scenario, he finishes out the game.

    Garret got off to a good start, getting batter seven to hit a routine grounder to me for the first out.

    Batter eight proved to be more difficult to deal with. It was a left-handed batter that already got a single off Garret in the fourth inning. Garret''s struggles with lefty''s continued to show as clear as day. The lefty took advantage of his struggles, hitting a double down the left field line. He safely reached second.

    A sense of dread washed over me.

    "Next one, next one!" Noah yelled.

    I fixed my posture. Yea, there wasn''t much that could be done about the past. Noah was facing forward, so should I.

    Batter nine was the new pitcher; I guess they wanted him to pitch the next inning. The...last inning. Our last chance. I shook my head trying to stay in the present.

    Garret was able to get this righty to strike out swinging, looking almost like his normal self. It was just an illusion though. As the leadoff batter came up for his fourth at-bat, Garret''s pitches kept missing the strike zone. He walked him on four straight pitches. Thinking back, this guy had also gotten a hit off Garret so maybe he got nervous.

    With runners on first and second, with two outs, the second batter stepped up. He had a strikeout, groundout, and a fly out. Very diverse. I wanted to laugh to myself, but couldn''t. That player chose that moment to hit a single right up the middle. Neither Noah or I could get to it, leaving it up to Zeke in center field as the Servite players took off.

    Zeke came sprinting in, not wasting any extra movements, he scooped up the ball and threw it above our heads. He was going home. I whipped my head around to look at home plate. The runner or the ball...which would arrive first?

    The ball landed in Alex''s mitt and he swung around to make the tag play as the runner came barreling in. I held my breath as they collided. Alex and the Servite player rolled in the dirt.

    "Safe!" The umpire pointed at the baseball in the dirt before extending his arms; he sent the crowd in a frenzy with his declaration.

    Garret quickly picked up the ball and threw the ball to Jason at third as the runner from first had advanced. Didn''t matter. He was safe as well. The batter didn''t move from first, satisfied with his RBI single.

    "Time, ump." Garret said before bending down to help Alex up.

    "Time!" The umpire lifted his arms in motion for everyone to see.

    Soon, Coach came out and joined Garret and Alex by home plate. The two helped Alex move around, but it was obvious for everyone to see: he was hurting. It wasn''t long before Drew joined the trio. They escorted him to the dugout before there was movement in the bullpen. Coach had made the call for a catcher to come down.

    I heard Kelvin was getting back to good so I was surprised when Mitchell came out instead. We didn''t interact much or at all; I only knew he was a sophomore and was previously on the JV team with Alex. He could possibly be next year''s starting catcher since Kelvin and Alex would be graduating.

    Garret and Mitchell met on the mound for a few seconds before the umpire came up to break it up. Garret asked him for a few pitches with the new catcher and his request was granted. Garret was abled to use this time to calm down while Mitchell warmed up. It was a good combo. The third batter came up, only just to hit a short fly to Mahki in left field to end the inning. 3-5, down by two, what to do?

    Everyone sprinted to the dugout. This would be the last inning. We''re on the edge.

    Noah and I hurried to put on our helmets. He was tugging on his batting gloves as Zeke came into the dugout.

    "Listen up." Zeke commanded the dugout, grabbing everyone''s attention. Tanner stopped in his tracks from leaving. He was supposed to leadoff, but how could he leave when Zeke was talking. "This is it, team." Zeke made eye contact with everyone. "We either make it a comeback or the season ends here. Let''s give it one last push. Get on base, advance the runners, do your best."

    Zeke lifted a clench fist. "Win!"

    "Win!" The team repeated.

    Zeke let the team resumed their actions, but stopped by me and Noah. He looked at Noah. "You have to get on, understand?"

    "Understood, Captain!" Noah gave a mock salute.

    Zeke looked at me. "Don''t bother wasting pitches. Take your chance. Whatever feels right." I nodded and he left us alone.

    We both moved to the entrance of the dugout. I studied the boy beside me, seeing his tense shoulders, I tried patting one. "Don''t let him pressure you. Just try your best like he told the rest of the team."

    Noah shook his head stubbornly. "No. No way. I have to get on." He looked me in the eye. "If I don''t get on, they might intentionally walk you again. We need your help the most."

    I blinked in surprise. I really...hadn''t thought of that...

    Noah left me so he could go stand in the on deck circle. He was studying the pitcher on the mound while taking practice swings. He didn''t get much to work with for timing because the pitcher on the mound actually walked Tanner with four straight balls.

    He was nervous. I could tell. The pitcher was feeling the pressure like Kyle and Garret. Not every pitcher had a strong mentality like Sanchez and Dave. This could end up helping Noah and me. With a baserunner on base already, I doubt they would still walk me if Noah gets out. It''d still be best if Noah got on, because then they would have to intentionally load the bases or face me. C''mon Noah! I gripped my bat nervously in the on deck circle as he moved to the batter''s box.

    Noah dug his back foot in before getting completely set in the box. The pitcher started him off with a fastball down the middle. Noah fouled it back off the catcher. 0-1. The next pitch bounced in the dirt. 1-1. The third pitch was fast, but had no movement. It was down the middle! My knuckles turned white from my grip on my bat as Noah swung. He connected!

    Both Noah and Tanner took off running as the ball dribbled to the gap between third and short. The shortstop made a dive, picking up the ball in his glove. My heart pounded as I watch him make the throw to second base. They were going to convert a double play; my heart sunk.

    Unbelievably, the throw went high. High above the second baseman, who tried to jump at the toss. The ball rolled in the right field grass. Tanner slid into second and Noah stopped at first. They were safe. They were safe!

    The home crowd was groaning while ours cheered at the mis-throw by the shortstop. I knocked my bat against my cleats before making a move. With this pitcher being right handed, I was able to get into the lefty''s box. Feels like it''s been forever. With a more firm ground below me, my confidence soared.

    I eyed the pitcher. His complexion looked even worse after his shortstop''s error. He''ll want to start with a strike. I''m sure of it.

    I tried to calm down my racing heart. Be calm. Be still. Be ready. I tried my best to look as normal as possible. I didn''t want to give any hint, that I would swing on the first pitch, away. The pitcher checked the runners before starting his motion. The ball left his hands. This was it!

    The pitch was a fastball, the far side of the strike zone, but reachable. I stepped forward with my right foot and started my swing. I used my whole body to carry the bat as I made contact. I pulled it to the right, blasting it above the infield. The ball was heading for a nice spot between right and center field, but it had some height to it.

    I sucked in a deep breath, watching it go. The hit had the height, did it have the distance?

    "Run, Jake!"

    "Run!!"

    Yelling from the dugout brought me out of my stupor. I started to run seriously seeing as Tanner and Noah both were sprinting as well. They knew an outfielder wouldn''t reach my hit in time.

    Just as I rounded first and headed for second, I saw the ball hit the fence near the top before falling in the dirt of the warning track. Shoot. I sped up and stopped at second base as the ball was relayed back in with incredible speed.

    It didn''t matter. Noah was the runner on first. He''s one of the fastest on the team. He beat out the throw to home with ease, pumping his fists in excitement. He turned to me, giving me two thumbs-up and smiling with his whole face. His goofiness made me laugh as I caught my breath. The game was now tied at 5. The excitement of the crowd was deafening. Servite fans couldn''t believe their team blew a lead and our fans were excited to be back in it.

 450 Game @ Servite (END)

    Garret was up next. He wasn''t spectacular today like other times where he would shine the brightest. Instead, he was scraping by on the mound and struggling at the plate. Even with the change in pitchers, he ended up flying out to center field. I was confident enough to tag up and advance a base like some of the faster players would have done.

    With one out, and me on second, I was excited to see Zeke up next. This is it! This is where we take the lead! Zeke stepped into the batter''s box, yet the catcher stood up. Then to my dismay, he stretched out his hand away from Zeke...calling for an intentional ball.

    I started to stress. What to do? I looked towards Mr. Miller for help or assistance, but all he could do was stand there and watch. It''s not like he could tell the pitcher to face Zeke head on.

    After four pitches, Zeke was granted a walk. He tossed his bat to our dugout and jogged down the line to first base as Julian stepped up. He looked down the third baseline to check with Mr. Miller.

    Seeing him do that, I looked as well. Mr. Miller only faced Julian as he did some hand motions: a tap on the chest, on the head, sliding a hand down his arm, tapping his hip. It took me a minute to decipher, then my heart started to pound in my chest.

    Keep calm, keep calm; don''t give anything anyway.

    I watched as Julian acknowledged the signs by tipping his helmet to Mr. Miller, then he got ready in the batter''s box. The pitcher nodded at his catcher''s signs before checking on me and Zeke.

    Once I saw him face Julian again, I started to inch off the bag. I tried my best to channel my ''inner-Noah'' but the fear of baserunning still had me scared stiff. Especially, with Mr. Miller calling for a hit-and-run on the first pitch.

    My hands were drenched with sweat. I peeked at the second baseman and the shortstop, trying to measure out the best lead I could get. As soon as the pitcher releases the ball, I''ll have to take off.

    The pitcher glanced back at me again. I froze. He turned back to Julian and started his motion, skipping a complete windup. As soon as I saw him release the ball, I took off. I pumped my arms and dig my feet in with every step. Then I heard a solid ''ding!'' Please don''t be a double play ball. I lifted my head to look at Mr. Miller for help. He was waving me on aggressively, using his arm to make a windmill motion. He wants me to go home!

    As I tagged third, the crowd was roaring. It felt like everyone was yelling: players, coaches, fans, and families. I pushed myself a little harder.

    "Down!"

    "Go down!"

    "Slide!"

    "Jake!"

    Everyone was screaming all at once.

    My eyes focused on the catcher blocking the plate. Mahki was just a few feet to the side. "It''s going over! Go inside! Slide inside!" As he yelled, the catcher was jumping up for the ball. Seeing the opening, I slid in, hands and head first, for home plate. My hands scraped across the dirt before sliding over the plate. I definitely beat the tag!

    I only felt a half second of relief before the catcher came crashing down on me. "Ah!" I let out a yelp when I felt a sharp pain in my forearm.

    Gasps and grunts could be heard, mixed in the cheers.

    I tried my best to roll away from the catcher, struggling to catch my breath from all that running.

    "Jake!"

    "Jake!"

    "Jake!"

    So many people were yelling my name. But it wasn''t the homecoming I was looking for. I was surrounded my worried, familiar faces. Noah was there first. Then Mahki, Coach, Drew, Mr. Miller and an umpire.

    I gave a small smile. "I''m okay, we''re in the lead again."

    Craziness ensued as Coach turned to the umpire and started yelling. "That was a dangerous play by the catcher! What did he think would happen by jumping on my player?! Is he purposely trying to take him out of the game?!"

    All I felt was confusion. What? What''s happening?

    "Jake." Drew called out to me calmly, holding out a small towel. "Give me your arm." He stretched out and covered my right arm, but the blood started to seep through, turning the towel red. "Let''s go sit down so I can examine you."

    Numb by all the red, I gave a nod. Drew walked beside me, leading me back to our dugout very slowly. Noah hovered on my other side, not speaking a word. Mahki stayed near Coach as he ripped into the umpire.

    "Jake! Are you okay??" Garret jumped up to ask when we got back.

    "Why is there so much blood? Did he tear an artery?? Geez!" Kyle exclaimed.

    All their excitement started to make me dizzy.

    "Back up. All of you!" Drew commanded. The team listened and gave us space. Drew had me sit down near his medical bag. "Jake? You said you were okay. Are you in any pain?"

    I shook my head. "I felt some pain when he came down, but now it just aches."

    "Should I go get my parents?" Noah asked from the side in a small voice.

    "Yes." Drew nodded. "This will definitely require a hospital visit." Noah bolted out of here like he was stealing a base. Drew looked at me. "Can you move your wrist? In a circular motion?" I complied. "Does that hurt?"

    I shrugged. "Kind of. But it''s not broken. I think I just lost a chunk of skin."

    Drew frowned. "We can''t be sure if it''s broken or not. You''ll need x-rays. But first, let''s stop the bleeding." Drew went to work on my right arm.

    I looked around. I wasn''t worried about my arm. I''ve had worse. As for it being broken...I know what a broken bone feels like, especially a broken arm. This was just a cut. The team was glancing at me with obvious worry so I tried giving them a smile and a nod. Some of them relaxed.

    Coach came back from yelling at the umpire just as Noah arrived with Mr. Atkins. "Wayne."

    Mr. Atkins nodded at him before coming to sit beside me. "Jake, are you okay?"

    I nodded. "It''s a cut."

    "He''ll need stitches." Drew said solemnly. He finished cleaning the wound, wrapping it up with bandages, before wrapping the whole arm. "X-rays to be sure of no fractures."

    "Yes. Right." Mr. Atkins nodded. "Let''s get moving."

    I frowned. "But the game''s not over yet."

    Mr. Atkins looked like he was the one in pain. "It doesn''t matter. You need to go see the doctor. Probably the emergency room so they can see you quicker."

    I looked around to see everyone''s concern faces. I felt my eyes sting. It didn''t hurt enough to make me cry, but seeing how much these people cared for me, made me feel touched beyond belief. I didn''t it was a big deal. "It''s almost over. Let''s go after."

    Mr. Atkins looked to Drew. Drew shared a look with Coach before sighing. "Okay, but right after the game you have to go. I don''t feel comfortable letting you stay for too long when I know you need medical attention."

    The team let out a collective groan. Mahki grounded into a double play, ending our offense.

    "There''s only half an inning left." I looked to Noah, who hasn''t said much. "We win, and I''ll go."

    Noah swallowed visibly before nodded. He sprinted to our bags and pulled out his glove. He then sprinted to the field.

    Coach sighed. "You''ll go no matter what, after this inning. That''s all I can comprise to."

    I nodded.

    Coach looked down the dugout. "Sean! Take second base." He glanced at Garret. "You stay and rest. Bryce will finish this." He walked out to tell the umpire the player changes.

    The dugout was full of movement, a lot of the team leaving to take their position for the bottom half of the inning. It''s been a long time since I had to stay in the dugout when I''m supposed to be on the field.

    "Are you okay?" Zeke stopped by before leaving again. I nodded. Zeke nodded back, then left for center field.

    "I''ll start packing up your stuff for you." Mr. Atkins got up and walked towards my spot. Kyle joined him on the other end, talking.

    Coach came back and stood at the gate with the other coaches, watching the game with intensity. This was a deciding game after all. Winner would be league champions. The winner would get to go to CIF.

    Bryce was paired with Mitchell. Two sophomores. They had some kind of chemistry, not looking like complete strangers. Bryce started with batter four, cleanup. He crushed the ball down the right field line, but it was going foul. That didn''t stop Tanner from racing to it and making the catch for the first out.

    Batter''s five and six, both, hit grounders towards Sean at second. Somewhere I would have been... Sean fielded them with ease, not looking like a reserve player at all.

    After the final out was called, the game ended: 6-5, Watsonville. Us. We did it! The team all raced to the mound to celebrate with Bryce. All but one. Noah raced to me.

    His eyes shined bright. "Jake! We did it! We won!"

    I nodded, happy to see him happy. To see the whole team happy. I was about to jump up to celebrate, but Mr. Atkins was quick to prevent me from doing so.

    "Don''t hop around. Let''s get you checked at the doctors first." Mr. Atkins helped me get up.

    "Take me too!" Noah said.

    Mr. Atkins shook his head. "No. Stay with your brothers and your team. When you guys get back to the school, text me and then we''ll decide if you guys can come join us or just meet at the house."

    "Ughhh." Noah''s happiness disappeared and turned into annoyance.

    Using my left hand, I patted his shoulder. "I''m okay. Really." I looked at our team, still bouncing around the mound. The players from our bullpen had joined in too. "Go celebrate for the both of us. You played great today, Noah."

    Noah turned red. "Fine. You better remind dad to text us updates."

    I nodded.

    Mr. Atkins picked up my bag and started to lead me away.

 451 Stitches

    Mr. Atkins hurried me to his car, where Mrs. Atkins was waiting. Seeing that both of their attention and concern were focused on me, I started to feel guilty. They had four other boys to care about. Boys that were their blood-related sons.

    "I don''t think you both should leave..." I told them, worried that I might get in trouble for speaking up. "The boys would really want you guys to be there to celebrate. We just won league after all."

    "Oh, honey," Mrs. Atkins laid a hand on my left shoulder. She bent her knees so we could be eye to eye, making me feel uncomfortable. "We know it''s a big win for you boys, but you''re hurt. Your health comes first."

    "I''m okay, it doesn''t hurt." I told her.

    Mrs. Atkins looked slightly stressed. "Jake. We need to make sure you''re okay. Not that we don''t believe you, but if we mess up now, that could lead to more trouble down the road."

    "I just feel like you guys are worried over nothing and I don''t want to pull you away from the boys." I really don''t want the boys to get mad at me for taking their parents away too.

    "Son." Mr. Atkins put an arm around his wife, helping her stand tall once more. "We''re not treating you any differently than we would treat the boys. If any of them were in need of going to the hospital, that would be the priority." It was like he could read my mind. "Now get in. At this rate, the boys might beat us there."

    His words comforted me and my anxiety on the matter. Mr. Atkins could relate to a certain extent about my insecurities. Although our circumstances were different, the impact that it had on us were nearly the same. I want to be like him though, more open and forgiving. Mr. Atkins is my role model for what I want to be like when I grow up. Looking at him, you wouldn''t be able to tell that he had a rough patch in his teens. Heck, Noah didn''t even know what his grandfather had done to his father.

    ***

    The ER visit was surprisingly slow-going. The only ever time I''ve been to the ER was for my near death experience and I wasn''t awake for the most of it. It was bam, boom, and I woke up in a private room. Now that I''m not dying, it was just a long wait.

    Mrs. Atkins was responsible for checking me in, while Mr. Atkins called the boys. They were still on their way back to the school, so Mr. Atkins instructed that they go home and take a shower first before checking in on us.

    It took time before I was called back, and then it took longer before a doctor walked in. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins didn''t push me for conversation and instead settled on talking about their work and what needed to be done this week before the weekend, when they do open houses.

    "Jake Hollander." An older woman in a white lab coat walked in. She looked at the Atkins. "Are you two the parents?"

    An awkward pause settled before Mr. Atkins stood up and shook her hand. "I''m Wayne and this is my wife, Mary. We''re the legal guardians of Jake."

    The doctor understood his introduction. They weren''t my parents. She came over to the bed I was sitting on. "An open wound on the upper forearm...can I take look?"

    I held out my bandage arm.

    She slowly unwrapped to reveal a nice size gash that went short way on my arm. She started her examination, having me move my fingers, hand, wrist, bend the elbow; does this hurt and does that make you feel any pain. We went through it all.

    "Let''s do an X-ray to be on the safe side." She glanced at the Atkins. They both nodded in agreement. She looked at me. "After we get the ''okay'' from radiology, I''ll send in a physician assistant to close up the wound."

    I reluctantly nodded. My stay was becoming longer and longer. By the time I went for the x-ray, got the results, and the PA came in, I was dead tired.

    I yawned as the PA explained that the X-ray came back clear and that I would be free to go after the stitches. She then brought in the supplies and started to work.

    Mrs. Atkins hovered behind. "Be careful, please."

    "Yes, ma''am." The PA said, her eyes not leaving my arm. She was solely focused on stitching up my split skin. "Jake, have you had stitches before?"

    I gave a single nod. My near death experience.

    "Good, do you have experience on taking care of them." She said.

    Uhh. I shrugged.

    "Don''t move please." She gripped my arm a little tighter. "I''ll send you all home with some instructions on keeping the area clean. Washing it with some antibacterial soap, or using a cream like Neosporin to prevent infection is strongly recommended. Keep it out of water. A shower should be okay but don''t soak it in a bath or pool. Don''t pick at it. Try not to do any strenuous activities for the next couple of days." She finished the last stitch and backed up to examine her work. "Twelve. Twelve stitches. Not too bad. Make sure to make an appointment with your family doctor to have them removed in ten to fourteen days."

    "Jake plays baseball." Mr. Atkins spoke up from his seat. "Will he have to stop for that duration of time?"

    I froze. I didn''t think of that. "I''m okay. I can still play." We''re going to the playoffs after all. I can''t just..not play. That wouldn''t be good.

    The woman looked at me with an expression of sympathy and pity. "I would say one week off. At the minimum. Or else, you risk opening the stitches and wound, and that can lead to scarring." She packed up her stuff and headed for the door. "I''ll send a nurse in with written instructions on cleaning the wound and how to prevent opening it up." She left.

    "I don''t care about scarring." I stated firmly for the Atkins to hear. I have plenty after all. What''s one more on this body?

    Mrs. Atkins looked worried. "Jake, you heard her. You shouldn''t risk it. It''ll be painful if they rip open and then you''ll have to get them fixed again. There''s also a risk of infection."

    "I''ll be careful." I said stubbornly. "I don''t throw much in games so it won''t be too strenuous."

    "What about hitting?" Mr. Atkins asked. Unlike his wife, he wasn''t quick to shut this down. He gave me a chance.

    I got up and pretended to swing. From both sides. I frowned. If I''m holding a bat...it might be a little tough to swing a whole bunch. I thought about it. "Allow me one swing each at-bat. I''ll minimize the pressure."

    "You don''t have to push yourself so much, Jake. Just take a break." Mrs. Atkins pleaded lightly. "I don''t want to see you hurting yourself."

    "Mary." Mr. Atkins said, making her stop. He looked down at me. "Jake, no one''s going to be mad that you can''t play. Take a game off."

    I was quiet for a minute before speaking up. "I want to play. I''ll be mad at myself. I don''t want to give up." I swallowed audibly. "Besides...I can''t take a game off. What if it''s the last game? I don''t want to miss it. Let me play, please."

    Mr. Atkins sighed. He ran his hand through his hair. "We''ll think about it. We''ll have to discuss it with Coach and your athletic trainer too. They might not want you to play." My face fell in disappointment. "Not because they don''t want you to play, but because it can be a liability for them and the school. For now, let''s get home. We need to bring the boys something to eat."

    I nodded at his compromise. He didn''t tell me ''no'' outright. It''s more of a ''wait and see.'' Acceptable.

 452 Mr. Cameron’s News

    By the time we got back to their house, the sun had set and the stars were out. It was super late. On our way back, we stopped at the pizza place to bring some home for the boys. They were all gathered in the living room, watching sports highlights on the tv.

    "Please tell me you boys did your homework." Mrs. Atkins groaned at the sight of them.

    "Mom!" Noah jumped up. He immediately came up to me. "Jake, how is it? I see no cast!"

    I gave a small smile. "Just a couple of stitches."

    "Did it hurt?" Kyle asked. He shifted his eyes to Noah. "Noah needed four stitches in the chin before and he cried like a baby."

    "Hey! I was a baby!" Noah shouted back.

    "No way, you were already six-years-old." He refuted.

    "It''s good to be home." Mr. Atkins mumbled, then he raised his voice. "Okay, that''s enough. Pizza is on the table. Let''s eat, then go straight to bed."

    "But I still have to finish my homework." Dave groaned.

    "You should have been doing that to begin with." Zeke told him, moving to the kitchen.

    "I got distracted." Dave grumbled.

    "Hopefully you don''t get distracted on Thursday." Kyle rolled his eyes.

    "At least I know I''ll do better than you." Dave huffed.

    "BOYS." Mr. Atkins raised his voice. "Come sit down and eat."

    Everyone went to the table and sat down in our normal seats as Mrs. Atkins went to get plates and started to pass them out.

    "So you''ll be okay to play?" Noah asked.

    I nodded, but then stopped to look at Mr. Atkins. "Well, maybe."

    Mr. Atkins nodded in agreement. "We''ll see. Your mother and I will have to have a talk with Coach, Drew, and the school. But I can guarantee that he won''t be practicing."

    I''m okay with that.

    "Coach might not play you if you don''t practice." Kyle pointed out, not letting me be happy for two seconds.

    "Who knows." Dave snorted. "He still let you pitch today even though you didn''t watch Saturday''s game. It''s a miracle you didn''t lose us this game."

    "It was an optional outing!" Kyle frowned at his twin.

    "Yea, and we almost lost because of it." Dave told him flatly.

    "David." Mrs. Atkins scolded. "You do not speak to anyone like that. Say you''re sorry."

    "I''m not five anymore Mom." Dave rolled his eyes. "Why apologize when I won''t mean it? Kyle knows he did poorly. All because he rather go on a date with Marie. How dumb."

    "It''s not dumb! It''s called having a life outside of baseball." Kyle argued. He had once said that before...with more conviction. Something he was lacking right now. "I''m done." Kyle suddenly got up and left the table, hurrying up the stairs.

    "David, I''m very disappointed in your behavior." Mrs. Atkins stood up. "You''re grounded for two weeks." She went upstairs as well, no doubt to talk to Kyle.

    "Whatttt." Dave groaned. "Why! That''s not fair!"

    "If you have to ask why, then I can extend the punishment." Mr. Atkins said sharply.

    Dave dropped his head and focused on his food.

    Mr. Atkins sighed and shook his head. "You should know better than to tear someone down like that. What happened to, if you have nothing nice to say, don''t say anything at all? Take it to heart. You should respect others and their choices, even if you choose not to agree."

    "What if their choice is to be a selfish jerk?" Dave mumbled, not daring to look up.

    "Is it hurting anybody?" Mr. Atkins asked.

    "It almost hurt the team today!" Dave finally looked up.

    "Is it physically putting someone in harm''s way?" Mr. Atkins rephrased.

    "Not physically, but mentally!" Dave argued.

    Mr. Atkins shot him a look, narrowing his eyes at him. "Don''t you feel ashamed?"

    Dave hung his head once more. "It''s important to me. It''s not like I''m only mad at him. I''m mad at Coach too. Why start someone like Kyle?"

    "It was optional." Zeke spoke up. "That''s all there is to it. Coach couldn''t make him go and couldn''t hold it against him. Same with the others. No need to beat him down when he''s already feeling bad for his performance."

    Mr. Atkins nodded in approval. "Isn''t it enough that Kyle feels bad and that you guys won. Don''t be so caught up in the past, that you''re unable to focus on the present."

    "Get in the right frame of mind if you want to pitch Thursday." Zeke added.

    "Dave''s pitching on Thursday?" I spoke up, trying to change the conversation.

    "Yea, Coach told us on the way home." Noah nodded, speaking between bites of food.

    "Do we already know who we''re playing against?" I asked.

    "We should be finding out soon." Noah looked to Zeke.

    Zeke checked his phone. "Not yet."

    "What are you waiting on?" Mr. Atkins asked.

    "Mr. Cameron said he would call Zeke when he finds out the CIF playoff schedule since he''ll know first." Noah said.

    "You spoke with Mr. Cameron?" Mr. Atkins asked Zeke. "Was a coach present to supervise?"

    Zeke nodded. "Yes, Coach was right next to me as we both were interviewed. Even if he wasn''t, I''d still be okay. I''m 18 now Dad, an adult."

    Mr. Atkins slowly nodded. "Right. Okay. Mr. Cameron is a good man; he didn''t give you a hard time..did he?"

    "Not at all. Very straightforward." Zeke answered. "He only talked about the game. Asked how Jake was. Wanted to talk to Noah-"

    "But he declined!" Noah rolled his eyes. "This was a chance for me to be famous."

    Mr. Atkins chuckled and I smiled.

    "He even said he would help me get some information on our next opponent once they set the playoff schedule." Zeke continued as if Noah''s interruption didn''t happen.

    "That''s nice of him. Make sure you thank him properly." Mr. Atkins told him.

    "I will."

    We went back to eating and eventually Mrs. Atkins came back down. She didn''t say anything about Kyle, but you could tell she was still upset with Dave by the disapproving looks she would give him.

    "Be careful in the shower." Mrs. Atkins told me after dinner as we cleaned up. "Don''t soak the stitches and make sure to pat them dry."

    I nodded.

    "Dave, homework. Noah, bed."

    "But Mom-" Noah groaned. "It''s only 10pm. One more hour."

    "No. Go to bed and get some rest. It''s not the weekend." She lectured. "A healthy mind leads to a healthy body. You did so well in the game today, don''t ruin it."

    Noah pouted. "I did so well and yet, didn''t get to pick dinner."

    "You can pick tomorrow night." She said warmly. "Now go to bed."

    ''Knock, knock.''

    All eyes shifted towards the front door, one suspicious gaze at a time. Only Noah was carefree, hurrying to open the door. Mr. Atkins was right behind him, wondering who could be knocking at this time of night.

    "Mr. Cameron?" Noah asked after opening the door, revealing the high school sports reporter. "I thought you were going to call Zeke? Or message him. You didn''t have to come over."

    Mr. Cameron was flushed in the face, a mix of red in his normally pale face. "I wanted to see you guys in person." He looked right at Mr. Atkins. "It''s important."

    Mr. Atkins opened the door a little wider. "Come on in. We were just getting ready for bed. Can I offer you some coffee?"

    "Maybe later." Mr. Cameron gave a tight smile, walking in and closing the door behind him. "You might kick me out soon enough, after you hear what I came to say."

    "It''s not about the playoffs?" Zeke asked.

    "No, well yes, I do have some info for you, but this is bigger." He answered.

    "What is it?" Mrs. Atkins asked. "What could be so important that you have to make a late night visit?"

    Mr. Cameron gave her a slight glance before facing me. He looked me in the eyes with a knowing look. My stomach dropped and I started to feel nauseous. This can''t be happening.

    "Jake, you know I haven''t pried too much in your life. I don''t ask too many questions and just report the facts on your baseball skill." He started, inching closer. "You can probably guess why I''m here, right?"

    "You know?" I asked, scared of what was coming.

    "I do." Mr. Cameron nodded. "You''re Jeremy Patterson''s little brother."

 453 Hmm

    No one spoke. It was like time stood still.

    "Hey! Was someone at the door.." Kyle came down the stairs and noticed the standoff we were having in the foyer. "What''s happening right now?"

    That snapped Mr. and Mrs. Atkins out of it and put them into action.

    "I''ll bring some snacks out." Mrs. Atkins said. "Why don''t you all take Mr. Cameron to the table? We can talk this out." She glanced at her husband. "I''ll also make a call to Mr. Duncan."

    Mr. Atkins nodded and led us back to the freshly cleaned table. Everyone took their normal seats with the exception of Mr. Cameron. Mr. Atkins offered him his chair, and then went to get the spare. He squeezed in between me and Mr. Cameron.

    "How did you find out...?" Noah asked, looking guilty. I thought about his anonymous post. "Do a lot of people know?"

    "They don''t." Mr. Cameron shook his head. "I put it together on my own. But that''s a problem too. If I could solve it, so can a few others who know of your situation, Jake."

    "My situation..?" I questioned, unsure of what he meant.

    "Staying with a foster family. Playing baseball. Has trauma." Mr. Cameron lips thinned. "There''s a leak in the foster system."

    The twins and Zeke looked at Noah. There was a leak in the house too.

    "Hey! I only said something about doing a DNA test and just scolded the man." Noah huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

    "Settle down." Mr. Atkins scolded him, then looked back to Mr. Cameron. "We know of the leak in the system. That''s how this story got to Jeremy to begin with. Technically it should all be under wraps with Jake being a minor."

    "Wayne, they''re digging. All the news stations." Mr. Cameron said with concern. "I was one of them. I heard about it. The only thing sealed is Jake''s name, but that''s not very safe either since he shares the same last name as his mother." He took a deep breath and brought out a small notepad, revealing some notes. "First, I started with the incident. If someone is accused of murder, it''s bound to make the news. Of some sort. Even if they don''t attach Jeremy''s name to it. All I had to look up was ''teen almost murdered by mom''."

    I shivered.

    Mr. Atkins put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. "I''ll have to ask you to keep some of the details to yourself."

    Mr. Cameron nodded, looking at me with sympathy. He knew. He read what my mother had done. I cringed away. "From there, the pieces fell into place. I had a woman who-who committed a crime, that happens to have the same last name of a star high schooler that I know of. With the same last name."

    "We should change Jake''s last name." Noah declared.

    "Yea!" Kyle nodded in agreement.

    "Why haven''t we done that yet?" Dave asked his dad. "We''re still adopting him, aren''t we?"

    "Of course we are." Mrs. Atkins walked in from the kitchen, bringing a plate of cookies and a few water bottles. She set them out for everyone to help themselves before sitting down on her end seat. "It just takes time."

    "You guys are adopting Jake?" Mr. Cameron asked.

    "Yes." Mrs. Atkins didn''t hesitate, smiling my way, making me feel lighter. "We started the process last month before we found out about his deceased father. Now, we''re waiting on paternity results. After we confirm his father''s death, we can adopt him with only a few hurdles to jump."

    "Extended family." Mr. Cameron nodded. "Well, from what I hear, you''ll be good on that end too."

    Wow. With this, I realized that everyone would know how my brother and uncle didn''t want me. A pang hit me in my chest, almost taking my breath away. How painful. Eventually, everyone''s going to know who my brother is. They''re going to know that I wasn''t wanted at all. From the very beginning.

    "Thank riddance." Noah huffed, reaching for a cookie. "Who would want a selfish family like them anyways?"

    That''s right. I didn''t want them either. I nodded.

    "So, is that all you came here to say?" Dave glared. "Are you hoping for an inside scoop?"

    "David." Mr. Atkins warned. "It''s already nice of him to warn us that this is coming. Once it get out, it''ll take some time to die down. I''m sure there''ll be a few reporters with questions for Jake."

    "I don''t have to talk to them, do I?" I asked, looking up at him.

    "No, of course not." He patted my head. "With this heads up, we can make a few calls to have something planned for when it blows. All you have to worry about is school and baseball."

    "Speaking of baseball." Mr. Cameron cleared his throat. He took a small piece of paper off his notepad and slid it towards Zeke. "Your first opponent. Thursday night, neutral site, against Northwood High."

    "Are they home or visitor?" Zeke asked, picking up the paper with the name.

    "Home. They have a better record."

    "We only have one lost." Kyle frowned.

    "And they don''t have one at all. Undefeated." Mr. Cameron looked at me. "How''s your arm?"

    I lifted my arm and set it on the table to show off my stitches. "I have to wait and see."

    Mrs. Atkins nodded and continued. "We have to check with the concerning parties on how they feel about playing with stitches. At worst, he could play the next game after they get taken out."

    Mr. Cameron sighed. "I''ll hope for the best for you all."

    "That sounds ominous." Zeke narrowed his eyes at him.

    "Look up Northwood." He shook his head. "Good pitching team. No offense to you guys, but you rely too much on yourself and Jake. Earlier today you had a run and a RBI, Jake had 2 RBI''s and a run scored too. Involvement on five of the six runs scored."

    "I''ll do more." Noah flexed, grinning. "Today''s win was my effort after all. I''ll do even better on Thursday."

    The twins rolled their eyes simultaneously.

    "I''ll hold you to it." Zeke told him.

    Noah dropped the cocky act. "Okay, dont take blind promises at face value. We''ll be counting on you, Zeke."

    Mrs. Atkins shook her head as the boys started to talk back and forth. "Alright, time for bed. Mr. Cameron has shared plenty of information with us today. What do you all say?"

    "Thanks."

    "Thank you."

    "Try not to spill the beans to any other reporters."

    "Noah James!" Mrs. Atkins scolded him for saying something out of line.

    "No, no, it''s fine. I understand." He stood up. "Thanks for allowing me in your home to explain." He gave a sad smile. "I''m sure it''ll come out tomorrow. I''m not the only reporter that was at today''s game. Others will start digging and connecting the dots."

    "We''ll make ample preparations." Mr. Atkins stood up as well, and reached out to shake his hand. "I''ll walk you out. Thanks for making the drive over."

    "It''s not a problem. You and Zeke really helped me enough by letting me announce his decision. Invite me on draft day to make it even." He laughed as they both moved towards the door.

    "What now, Mom?" Noah asked, munching on his fourth cookie. Me and the twins reached for our second. Zeke had more self control than the rest of us.

    "Now?" She smiled. "Now we go to bed. Get some rest. The world doesn''t stop for drama. And missing school because of lack of sleep, isn''t a valid excuse. Get moving."

    He groaned.

 454 Morning Disturbance

    With Mrs. Atkins in charge, we were all sent upstairs to get ready for bed. I still had to shower, making sure to take care of my stitches. I didn''t want to give the adults any reason to bench me.

    Back in the room, I was hoping to talk with Noah a little more on what could happen with people knowing who my brother is, but he had fallen asleep by the time I was done. He had a long day after all.

    He definitely had one of his best games against one of the best teams in our league. He deserved a good rest, so I let him sleep and climbed into my own bed.

    Honestly, I don''t feel like it was too important. Who would really care that I was related to a professional baseball player?

    ...I soon found out...that a lot of people cared.

    Living with the Atkins and sharing a room with Noah, I''ve become accustomed to waking up with some kind of noise. Very rarely it would be so quiet.

    I slowly got out of bed and looked for Noah. He wasn''t in the room...maybe he was in the bathroom already..? Seeing as I had the room to myself, I made sure the door was shut and quickly changed. Out in the hall, I heard nothing. Not even the twins bickering or Zeke''s scolding or Mrs. Atkins yelling that breakfast was ready. Odd.

    The bathroom in the hall that I shared with Noah was empty. I took care of my usual morning needs, making sure I was ready for school. Then I grabbed my backpack from our room after being sure that Noah''s bag was missing. I went downstairs, still trying to figure out where everyone was.

    "They''re demanding an answer. An explanation." Some man said. It took me a second to realize that it was Mr. Duncan. He was here. And it didn''t sound like he was here for breakfast. "I don''t like it anymore than you guys, but it''s out of my hands now. This whole thing is out of control."

    "But this was your fault you begin with." I heard Dave say, sounding grumpy. "You guys had the leak. We were just playing baseball."

    Mr. Duncan sighed.

    I stepped in the doorway to the dining room.

    Everyone was seated around the table. And I mean, everyone. Mr. Duncan. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins. All four boys. Dr. Moore. Coach. And someone that looked familiar...when he looked me in the eyes, I realized he was the lawyer, Mr. George Pickens. The last time I saw him was during the Golladay problem.

    I gulped. This doesn''t look good.

    "Jake." Mrs. Atkins said. "Good morning."

    "What''s so good about it?" Noah scoffed, looking angry. He glared at the adults around the table. "Who''s going to tell him?"

    All of the adults shifted in their seats and eyes were darting across the table, as if an unspoken conversation was going on.

    "Let me get you something to eat first." Mrs. Atkins got up and went to the kitchen, dabbing the corner of her eyes. She looked upset too.

    "Jake, put your bag down and come have a seat." Mr. Atkins patted the empty spot between him and Noah. "Did you have a good rest? You slept very soundly and we were about to wake you."

    Slept soundly? I looked around. "Did I sleep in?" Is that why so many people were here?

    Mr. Atkins cleared his throat. "We let you. You and the boys...we didn''t think...that the news would come out so soon after Mr. Cameron''s warning."

    "Oh." I plopped down in my seat. "So...everyone knows?"

    "The whole country!" Kyle answered. "We watched a few of the news channels and sportscenter...everyone is covering the story. You''re famous."

    "I don''t want to be." I felt stifled.

    "We know." Kyle looked sheepish. "I was just trying to lighten things up. Make a joke."

    "I''m not laughing." Noah said, sounding more irritable than ever. He caught me looking at him. "You should have just stayed in bed today and refused to come out."

    "Noah James." Mrs. Atkins came back with a plate of food. She placed it in front of me. "Eat something first and then we''ll talk."

    The atmosphere was awkward and uncomfortable. No one looked me directly in the eye and more than half looked upset. Mrs. Atkins and Noah were the most emotional with glistening eyes.

    My stomach turned. "You know what...I''m not feeling very hungry." I pushed the plate of food away.

    "Jake." Mr. Atkins sighed. "Please."

    I shook my head in defiance. Who could possibly eat with so many looks of pity focused on them?

    I looked to Noah, someone I trusted blindly. Someone who was always there for me despite the circumstances. "What''s going on?"

    Noah glanced around. "If you guys don''t say it, then I will. And I''ll be more blunt about it."

    "How about I take over?" Dr. Moore asked, pushing his glasses up. The other adults nodded in agreement. Dr. Moore sat across from me. I haven''t seen him in awhile. With him here, there was some comfort, but it was dissipating fast. "Jake, I''m going to give you an outline of what is happening right now, okay?" I nodded. "There''ll be some stuff you don''t want to hear, but you have to be strong and stay focused."

    I swallowed hard, not feeling any better. "Alright."

    "A few of the news stations have obtained the news that you''re related to Jeremy Patterson." He started. "We thought, with his stance already known, that this wouldn''t be a huge deal and we would be able to handle it."

    I could feel a ''but'' coming.

    "But, it hasn''t worked out that way." Dr. Moore stated. "Early this morning, some of the reporters reached out to Jeremy, informing him of what they know and asking for exclusives. He denied."

    Okayyyy..?

    "Unexpectedly, he reached out to social services and was put in touch with Mr. Duncan." Dr. Moore glanced at Mr. Duncan, indicating that he should take over.

    Mr. Duncan cleared his throat, not expecting for the buck to be passed so quickly. "Yes. Him and his attorney. Your uncle was also in on the conference call with my boss and a couple of colleagues. They..." He frowned. "They believe that we released this information in attempt to getting some money out of them. Which is not our intention at all!" He quickly defended. "We explained what had happened with the leak and how we''re still looking, but they aren''t exactly open-minded right now."

    "..." I didn''t know what to say.

    "That''s not everything." Noah expanded, sending a glare in Mr. Duncan''s direction. "Is it, Mr. Duncan?"

    "Noah, please, he''s just doing his job." Mr. Atkins sounded exasperated.

    Mr. Duncan gave a grim smile. "It''s okay, I get this kind of hostility a lot." He took a deep breath and looked me in the eye. "I have to remove you from the Atkins home."

    Silence. So thick. It could almost blur my vision. Or maybe that was the tears in my eyes.

    "Why?" I croaked out, my voice sounding strange.

    "It''s complicated." Mr. Duncan answered. "The Atkins are trying to adopt you so they can no longer be objective in your case. Your uncle and brother have requested a formal meeting with us and you. From there, we''ll know our next step, whatever it may be."

    "Whatever it may be??!" Noah banged the table with his hands, standing up. "He didn''t even want him! They refuse to acknowledge him, yet they get to take him as they pleased?! How is this fair?"

    "Noah." Mr. Atkins scolded him. "If you can''t control your temper, you can go sit in your room. This is hard enough as it is." He looked to Mr. Duncan. "But my son is right, this isn''t fair."

    Mr. Duncan shrugged, looking helpless.

 Chapter 455 - Fight It Out

    There were grumpy looks all around for the Atkins family and me...the other adults only held pity and sympathy.

    "I have a suggestion." Mr. Perkins spoke up. "A legal suggestion." He glanced at Mr. Duncan. "It may be troublesome to you, Doug. I hope you don''t mind."

    "What kind of suggestion?" Mrs. Atkins asked, looking hopeful.

    "We can file an injunction to stop the removal." He threw out. "It''s a lot of paperwork and a costly fee, but it would put a pause on this for now. And at the very least, it would take us to a judge to decide if Jake has to leave or not."

    Mr. Duncan stood up abruptly. "I''m not here. I didn''t hear about this. I know nothing. I''m just going to get back to work." He headed for the door.

    "I''ll walk you out." Mr. Atkins stood up and went with him. "Thanks for coming, Doug. You do everything you can and we appreciate it." They left for the door.

    "Why is he leaving so suddenly?" Kyle asked.

    "Yea, shouldn''t he be helping us come up with a plan?" Dave asked.

    Mrs. Atkins gave a tight smile. "Don''t blame him, he has a job to do.

    "It''s not wise to have him present." Mr. Perkins said. "He has a job with the state so he has to act on their decisions."

    Mr. Atkins came back in the room. "So Mr. Duncan knows that the injunction is our best bet?"

    "Precisely." Mr. Perkins nodded. "I don''t see any reason for the state to take him out of your care when this is an environment that he''s thriving in." He looked at Dr. Moore. "You would say that he''s thriving, correct?"

    Dr. Moore nodded in all seriousness. "Jake has shown tremendous improvement. In fact, I could make the argument that it''s detrimental for him to be taken away when they don''t even have a set plan laid out for Jake to see."

    "Great." Mr. Perkins lifted his briefcase from the ground and put it on the table. He grabbed a notepad and started to write some things down. "I''m assuming you''re all good with this arrangement?"

    "Yes! Of course!" Mrs. Atkins nodded.

    "The sooner, the better." Mr. Atkins stressed. "There isn''t a set plan just yet on when they want to take him. They haven''t found a new home to put him in."

    A new home? I would be placed with a new family?

    "Even better!" Mr. Perkins exclaimed. "This would work in our favor if we file this injunction before they have it figured out." He took some notes.

    "I don''t really understand why they want to take him anyways..." Noah huffed. "It''s not like we''re bad people."

    "They think we have bad intentions." Zeke spoke up. "Conflict of interest. We''re adopting him so we''re biased." He glanced at Coach. "It''s why Coach came."

    "What?" I blurted out. I just thought he was here for moral support.

    Coach ran a hand through his hair. "Some of the CIF participants reached out to the committee. We might play with an ineligible player after all."

    "How?!" Noah asked.

    "Jake has been with us all season!" Dave said.

    Coach sighed. "But everyone knows about him and his brother. If his brother, or even his uncle, get custody of him, he would no longer be in our district. He would be transferring schools."

    "They don''t want me though." I said, feeling the sting. "I don''t get why all of this is happening at all. I want to stay here. I want to play baseball."

    "We want you too, Jake." Noah clung onto me.

    "One step at a time, Jake." Mr. Atkins said. "For now, we''ll let Mr. Perkins take the lead."

    "What should we do then?" Kyle asked. "Just sit here and wait? What about school?"

    "The school knows what is going on." Coach injected.

    Mr. Atkins nodded in agreement. "Today, you all can stay home, and stay out of the limelight. No reporters have come knocking just yet, but I know some have visited the school already. Your teachers will put together your class work and homework, and bring it over by lunch time."

    "Ah, man!"

    "Noooo."

    "Why, Dad, why?"

    "Alright, settle down." Mrs. Atkins told the unruly boys. "You boys knew you weren''t just going to skip school today. That''ll put you in jeopardy to miss Thursday''s game."

    "Can we go in the backyard and play for a bit then?" Noah asked. "At least until the school work comes?"

    Mrs. Atkins looked to her husband. He nodded. "Okay, but after lunch, it''s time to focus on school."

    Noah got up first. "Yea, sure, okay. C''mon Jake."

    "Eh! No ''Jake''." Mrs. Atkins wagged her finger, making us freeze. "He has stitches. He shouldn''t be doing anything strenuous for now." She looked at me. "Jake, how about I put a movie on for you?"

    Noah hung his head. "Oh, right....never mind then. I''ll watch movies with Jake. I can set it up." He pulled my sleeve. "Let''s go Jake."

    I looked to Mrs. Atkins for assurance.

    "Go ahead Jake, we''ll take of things. You just relax and watch a movie. Everything will sort itself out."

    I sighed. There wasn''t anything I could do anyway. I''m just a teen. I followed Noah out, and we both headed for the living room.

    "This is crazy." Noah mumbled to me. "I can''t believe this is happening. I don''t get what they want from you."

    I frowned. "Apparently they think I want money..."

    Noah shook his head. "Impossible. We never even asked. Heck, we didn''t even know who he was until this past month. This isn''t making any sense." He put a dvd in and pushed play, letting a movie start.

    "Stop stressing over it." Zeke came in.

    "What are you doing here?" Noah asked, surprised by our new addition.

    "The twins are pitching outside. Nothing for me to do." Zeke said, making himself comfortable on the couch. "Why not just relax with you two?"

    "Relax?" Noah repeated. "How can we relax with all of ''this'' happening?? They want to take Jake!"

    "Even if they did, we''ll get him back." Zeke said plainly. He looked at me. "Don''t get me wrong, we want you here. But think of the bigger picture. The long run. I don''t want Mom and Dad to force the issue so much that we can''t even adopt him after this blows over."

    That made me and Noah straighten up. Zeke was right. It''s not like the state was going to take me away for good.

    "Just let Mr. Perkins do his job." Zeke focused on the tv. "Watch the movie."

    With his final command, Noah and I got comfortable and started to watch the sports movie he put on. We spent the mid-morning watching the movie, and it helped. It calmed me somehow. With Noah and Zeke there, I didn''t think too much about what was to come.

    Mr. Perkins left at some point. As did Dr. Moore and Coach. It''s not like they could stay with us all day.

    As Mrs. Atkins prepared lunch, the smell made my stomach growl. It was then that I realized that I had skipped breakfast. Idiot. During lunch, our school stuff came in thick piles, hinting that the real world didn''t care if you were having a bad day or not.

 Chapter 456 - Court (1)

    As we did our homework, Coach called Zeke to let us know that he was canceling practice due to some disturbances around the school. Meaning, the reporters had shown up and were looking for me. I don''t get why though. Did they just want to take my picture? It''s not like I knew anything about Jeremy.

    With no practice planned, Mrs. Atkins was adamant about the school work being done by dinner time. She watched over us diligently, keeping a close eye on the twins and their antics. Only when we were done did she let them go to the backyard to play catch while she started to cook dinner.

    I sat on the back porch and watched the four of them do a few drills. Kyle spent most of his time pitching again, while Dave took a break. When I asked why, he said he didn''t want to get hurt before the big game on Thursday. That made me look at the cut on my arm. I could possibly miss Thursday''s game. Either because of my arm or because of this whole drama. With a groan, I leaned back and stared up at the sky, watching the clouds. The sky was slowly getting darker and darker. What to do, what to do...

    I tried relaxing, just listening to the boys play, but it made me feel sad. What if this was the last time I would get to hear this? Or see them? Would the state really be able to take me away? Technically they could...they placed me with the Atkins to begin with.

    "Jake." Mr. Atkins leaned over me, casting a shadow on my face. His expression looked a little happy so I sat up. "Mr. Pickens called. The injunction went through. You won''t be going anywhere just yet."

    I let out a puff of air. "That''s good. Great." I laughed a little nervously. I got up and brushed the dust off my clothes.

    Mr. Atkins patted my head. "Tomorrow morning a judge will look it over. He might call us in, but don''t worry. Mr. Pickens said those are just formalities. They don''t have any reason to take you."

    "We get to keep Jake?!" Noah hollered. He ran up from behind and started to swing me around. The twins weren''t too far behind, ready to join in.

    Mr. Atkins chuckled. "It''s not over yet, but it''s a step in the right direction. We''ll get to put our two cents in before they make any decision." He waved his hand. "Let''s go inside. Your mom is probably ready with dinner."

    The three crazy ones pushed and pulled me along, celebrating like I was officially adopted. Like I was already one of them. But I heard Mr. Atkins...it was just a step.

    ***

    Wednesday morning, the call came. We were due in court at 9am. And by ''we'', it only meant me, and the adults. Mrs. Atkins told the boys that they couldn''t miss school for two days in a row.

    "Don''t forget to turn in your work and Jake''s too." Mrs. Atkins instructed Noah as they prepared to leave. "And if anyone asks you guys about Jake, just tell them it''s a personal matter." Her eyes narrowed on Noah. "Don''t you dare get into any fights."

    Zeke stood next to Noah. "Don''t worry, Mom. I''ll make sure to keep an eye on him." He looked down at me. "Don''t move your arm so much. Tomorrow we''ll play."

    Yeah, maybe. I gave a small nod to show that I understood. Coach hadn''t called about what the league or CIF committee has said about my participation yet so it wasn''t up to me to decide.

    The boys left for school.

    My anxiety grew as it got closer to our court time. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins had stuff to do before we left so it gave me plenty of time to overthink. What would be said? Would the judge change his mind? Who all will be there?

    By the time we got to the courthouse, I was on edge. We met up with Mr. Pickens in front of the building before walking in.

    "You three will sit at the table with me." Mr. Pickens instructed as we walked down a hall towards our designated room. "This will be a simple matter before the judge so it won''t last too long. Be quiet and let me do all the talking unless the judge speaks to you directly."

    "Okay." We three nodded. We followed him into a courtroom that had only a handful of people in the seats. Some I recognized: Dr. Moore and Mr. Duncan.

    "Mr. Duncan won''t be representing the state?" Mr. Atkins whispered as we went up front and sat at a table on the right.

    "No. He''s not a lawyer." Mr. Pickens placed his briefcase before him. Mr. Atkins sat beside him, then me, and Mrs. Atkins. "He''s only Jake''s caseworker. He acts on behalf of the state for Jake''s best interest, but with the state being his employer, it''s a conflict of interest to have him speak."

    My leg started to bounce as we waited. A few more strangers sat in the spectator seats. The lawyer representing the state, who want to remove me from the Atkins home, showed up with an assistant and sat at the other table.

    Finally, a police officer came out from a side door. "All rise for Judge Richard Hill." Everyone stood up so I hurried to do the same. We watched as an old man walked up to the bench and sat behind it.

    He squinted at all present. "You may be seated." Everyone complied. The police officer stood to the side and a lady sat near him, typing. "I believe we all know why we''re here, but for the record and for my court reporter, I''ll go over the docket at hand." He lifted a piece of paper and cleared his throat. "The state of California has suggested the removal of Jake Hollander, ward of the state, from the residence of the Atkins family. Primary caregivers: Wayne and Mary Atkins." He flipped to a new sheet. "The Atkins have elected to file an injunction to stop the removal on the grounds of the detrimental impact it would have on Jake Hollander."

    The lawyer for the state stood up. "Your Honor, we have Jake''s best interest at heart. It is our job to make sure he''s well protected."

    Mr. Pickens snorted from his seat. "Then you have failed. Not only have you released his private information to the public and put him under public scrutiny, you also want to remove him from his first stable home in his life."

    "Silence." The judge banged his gravel making me flinch. He looked down at the lawyer for the state. "Mr. Roberts, please explain why the state wants to remove this boy from a stable home?"

    Mr. Roberts stayed standing. "We have been in contact with his extended family, and they have expressed their concern about having him stay with a family that may be looking for monetary gain."

    I blinked. Stunned.

    "They have no evidence to suggest that my clients have asked for money or have even reached out to the boys family." Mr. Pickens stood up as well.

    The judge looked back at Mr. Roberts. "Well?"

    Mr. Roberts grimaced. "Just because we haven''t found evidence doesn''t mean that it hasn''t happened."

    "No evidence, no go." The judge glared down at him. "Are you really a lawyer for the state? Or are you working for the extended family? Whose best interest do you have in mind?"

    "The state''s, of course." Mr. Pickens spoke up. "The extended family has expressed displeasure in the fact that they''re now in the headlines thanks to a leak in the Child Protective Services. In fact, the extended family has already shown that they have no interest in Jake Hollander and don''t plan to take part in his adoption, so I see no reason to pull this boy from a loving, protective home. A home that the state found suitable to begin with."

    The judge nodded slowly in agreement. "I haven''t had a third party reach out to me regarding today''s matter." He glanced at Mr. Roberts. "If the extended family wants to make a case out of this, tell them to take it to family court. For now, Jake Hollander will stay with Wayne and Mary Atkins." He banged his gravel.

    Mr. Atkins whispered something to Mr. Pickens as he sat back down. Mr. Pickens stood back up. "Your honor, can we request a private meeting in your chambers?"

    "For what?" Mr. Roberts asked, frowning.

    "Private, slightly related matter." Mr. Pickens looked straight at the judge.

    "Request granted." He got up and started to move.

    "Your honor, the state requests to be present during this meeting to ensure transparency." Mr. Roberts rushed out to say.

    The judge looked to our table.

    "No objections." Mr. Pickens said.

    "Alright. Follow me." The judge headed for the way we came.

 Chapter 457 - Court (2)

    In a single file line, we followed the judge back to his chambers, which was his own private office. He closed the door and went to sit behind his desk as we stayed standing. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins both stayed on either side of me, while both lawyers stood more in the front.

    "What is it?" The judge asked.

    "My clients have a more personal concern regarding Jake." Mr. Pickens took the lead. "You see, we''ve been informed that Jake may be unable to participate in his school''s baseball tournament since the state is threatening to remove him from the Atkins'' household."

    "Threatening?" Mr. Roberts snarled. "We aren''t threatening. We''re doing our jobs."

    "And your job is to take away a fun pastime that Jake likes to partake in?" Mr. Pickens rebuked.

    "Do the Atkins only want Jake so he can play baseball with their sons and help them win games?" Mr. Roberts asked. Without letting anyone answer, he turned to the judge. "Your honor, Jake is an outstanding baseball player and it''s not unbelievable that the Atkins only want him to stay for the duration of the baseball tournament."

    "Yes, that''s why they''ve already started the formal adoption process." Mr. Pickens said sarcastically.

    Mr. Roberts shrugged innocently. "Maybe they plan to make a profit off of Jake and his skills in the sport. Their application hasn''t been approved. There''s a strict process and it''s barely begun."

    "Okay, enough." The judge declared. He looked behind Mr. Pickens and made eye contact with me. "Let''s ask the boy himself. Jake, step forward."

    I gulped and looked up at Mr. Atkins for help. He just gave me a small smile.

    He looked confident so I should as well. I looked at the judge and took a small step forward. "Y-y-y-yes?"

    "Do you like playing baseball, Jake?" The judge asked.

    I bit my bottom lip and gave it a thought. "Not by itself." I decided to be honest. "I like the batting cages. Being alone. But, I like playing with the Atkins. There''s four of them." I smiled to myself. "Noah likes it when I play with all of them too." I swallowed. "I want to keep playing with them. Tomorrow we have a game and the coach said I might not get to play."

    Judge Hill smiled at me, looking like a grandpa. "Then go ahead and play. As long as you''re with the Atkins and reside in the school district, I see no reason why you can''t." He looked up to Mr. Pickens. "I''ll write a formal letter for you to take to the concerning parties. As long as Jake isn''t being forced against his will, I don''t see why he can''t play."

    "How about for safety concerns?" Mr. Roberts suggested. "Jake is in the headlines now. Many reporters are trying to reach him to ask about his brother and their relationship."

    "And why exactly is he in the headlines?" Mr. Pickens asked. "You, the state, weren''t able to protect his information. You have a history of letting Jake down. Let the Atkins have a chance to care for him." He looked at the judge. "The only reason we''re here today is because the state wants to lay blame with someone else. I''m here to state that the Atkins sincerely have Jake''s best interest at heart. They love him. Them and their sons. I brought plenty of statements from his therapist, teachers, and caseworker on how much he''s improved since moving in with the Atkins."

    "Alright, alright. This isn''t a custody battle in here." Judge Hill waved his hand. He looked at Mr. Roberts. "The state has done a disservice to this young man. Don''t try pointing fingers in my chambers. I suggest you tell your department to stay in line." He squinted. "And I don''t want this to appear on their adoption application, that you tried to remove him from the home. Especially because it was groundless. Understand?"

    "Understood." Mr. Roberts looked defeated.

    "Good." He looked at me. "Jake, I wish you all the best." He looked at Mr. Pickens. "I''ll have my clerk type something for you to give, just stick around until lunch."

    "Yes, sir." Mr. Pickens nodded.

    With that, we were dismissed. We went back through the courtroom and then the hallway that led us there.

    I sighed with relief.

    "See? That wasn''t so bad." Mr. Atkins patted the top of my head.

    I tried to crack a smile. I still remember him saying that this was an informal hearing. I can''t imagine what a formal one would feel like. I hope to never experience one.

    "Wayne, Mary, George." Mr. Roberts called out from behind us. I shied away from the man. "Sorry about that Jake."

    I froze. I looked up at him, but still kept a distance.

    "I think you''ve done enough so your bosses will see that you tried." Mr. Pickens surprisingly said in a kind tone. He almost sounded like he was friends with the man. "Try to convince them that Jake is good with the Atkins. I can assure you that this is the best option for him."

    Mr. Roberts sighed. "I''ll do what I can. This worked in your favor though. Hopefully, I won''t have to see you four any time soon." He nodded and waved before walking away.

    "Roberts is a good man." Mr. Pickens said, noticing my confusion. "In the courtroom, he does his job well. Outside of it, he''s an even better person. He''s not intentionally picking on you. Just doing his job."

    I gave another weak smile. Sure. Everyone had just been ''doing their job''. But why does it feel like their job is to attack my sense of security?

    "Jake!" Dr. Moore joined us in the hallway. "How was it? How are you feeling?"

    I shrugged. "Fine. Okay. I get to keep playing baseball."

    "Only if Coach and Drew give you the green light." Mrs. Atkins rushed to say. "Your arm is still healing."

    I glanced down at my covered arm. "So I won''t practice today?"

    "You can watch." She checked her watch. "You can still make it to half of your classes and then go to practice with the boys afterwards."

    Go to class? It made me feel uneasy. "Do I...do I have to go to class?"

    She raised an eyebrow. "Do you not want to?" She wasn''t the only one looking down at me. Her husband and Dr. Moore were also focused on my response.

    I shifted from foot to foot. "It''s not the class that I''m avoiding...but the kids. My classmates. The whole school. Everyone knows that Jeremy''s related to me."

    Mr. Atkins nodded. "Yes, but it''ll be okay. Just tell them that it''s a private matter. Most of them will get the hint to leave it alone. If they don''t, you can go find a teacher or Zeke."

    "I just don''t want them staring at me..." Knowing. Knowing that my brother didn''t want me. Wouldn''t I be a laughingstock? Who gets disowned by a brother? But then again...who almost gets killed by their own mother?

    "Sometimes you have to face your fears and discomforts head on." Dr. Moore stated. "You don''t get nervous when you play baseball, right? The stands are usually full. What do you do with all their eyes on you?"

    "I still get nervous." I blinked. "But then, I forget. I forget that they''re there. Unless they get really loud."

    "Do that." Dr. Moore told me. "Tune them out. What they say is irrelevant. Their stares can''t hurt you. Just distract yourself like when baseball distracts you from the fans. Focus on your class work. Focus on eating a snack or your lunch. Focus on your conversation with Noah or something else."

    I nodded obediently.

 Chapter 458 - Gossip

    ''Focus on something else.''

    Yea, okay, easier said than done Dr. Moore. I cursed him internally as I walked to my seat in class.

    After the small hearing in court, Mrs. Atkins really made me go to school. They signed me in, excusing my tardiness, then made me go to my class. It was the middle of Biology so as soon as I walked through the doors, all eyes were on me. And when they realized who I was, the whispers started.

    "Settle down, class is still in session." Our teacher said, taking my tardy note. "Take a seat, Jake. Noah had already turned in your homework for you. Right now we''ve started chapter 24."

    I nodded and scurried to my seat, keeping my head down. Ignore, ignore, ignore.

    "Hey, how''d it go?" Noah asked.

    I gave him a thumbs up, causing him to grin.

    We didn''t say anything more about it as the teacher restarted the lesson.

    After class I wanted to share the good news with Noah about playing baseball together and being able to stay in his parents house, but oddly, our classmates started to crowd us after the bell.

    "Jake! Is Jeremy Patterson really your brother?"

    "Is that why you''re so good at baseball?"

    "Have you heard from him yet?"

    "No way, I heard he doesn''t want anything to do with Jake. That''s why it''s all in the news to begin with."

    "Do you think you can get us an autograph at least?"

    "HEY!" Noah screamed. Everyone quieted down. "Leave Jake alone you guys. He''s staying with me and my family. I''m his brother. Kyle, Dave, and Zeke are his brothers." He grinned. "I can sign autographs if you want! You''ll have to hold onto them for a few years though."

    "Psh. Show off." Someone rebutted. A lot of the students around us started to laugh.

    More students filled up the classroom, trying to get to their seats for the next lesson. Noah grabbed me by my backpack and started to push me through the crowd, hurrying to our next class. A similar commotion happened once we arrived. They saw me and started to whisper.

    "If I can have your attention please!" Noah hollered after we got to our seats. He stood up on his chair. "Listen up. Yes, Jake is here. No, he won''t be answering your questions."

    "Why not?" Someone called out.

    "Because he almost died!" Noah said dramatically. Yet...it worked. The class got quiet and some even averted their gazes from me. "Have some respect and give him space, alright?" Some mumbled and whispered to one another, but at least they weren''t hounding me anymore.

    "Nicely said, Mr. Atkins." The Spanish teacher clapped his hands at the front of the room. "Now if you don''t mind, please show some respect to the class belongings and step off the chair. I know your parents will be extremely upset if the school sends them a bill for a broken chair."

    Noah jumped off it and sat properly. "Sorry, Mr. Juell. I was just making a class announcement."

    "If you can say it again, but in Spanish this time, I won''t hand out punishment." He raised an eyebrow.

    Noah blinked. Blinked again. His cheeks got some color in them as he scratched his nose. "Well...I''ve already forgotten what I''ve said. Sorry?"

    Our teacher shook his head. "I hope you put more effort in learning the language, Noah." His eyes shifted around the room. "As for the rest of you, this is class time now. If I hear something unrelated to what I''m teaching, then I''ll start handing out detention slips. Save the gossip for your lunch break. Now, let''s begin."

    Between the teacher and Noah, the class almost felt normal. I felt the occasional side glances, but like Dr. Moore said, ignore it. Treat it like a game. They''re just watching my performance.

    For lunch, Noah decided it''d be best to hide out in the library and avoid the other students. We didn''t even sit out in the open where the computers were or at an empty table. He took me down a row of books, stopped in the middle of the aisle, and sat down on the carpet. I crossed my legs and sat opposite of him.

    "So what happened?" Noah asked. "Give me a run down." He started to poke around his bag, opening up his lunch and pulling out the bag of cookies.

    I frowned. "Are we allowed to eat in here?"

    He shrugged. "Probably not. I don''t think anyone will check though." He took a bite of the cookie and swallowed it in seconds. "Sooo? I reckon it''s good news since you came to school and everything. I was a bit nervous."

    I leaned back against the bookshelf. "It wasn''t so bad. Mr. Pickens did most of the talking. I''m allowed to stay with you all, and he''s getting me a note to show others, saying I can play ball."

    "That''s great!" He exclaimed.

    I looked around to make sure his yelling wouldn''t attract attention. "I don''t think you should be so loud in the library."

    "So are you going to practice today?" Noah asked, ignoring my quiet comment.

    I nodded. "I''ll go, but your mom said not to play." I held out my injured arm. "It''s getting itchy so it must be healing. I''ll tell Drew and Coach, then play in the game tomorrow."

    "That''s a relief." Noah sighed. "This game is a do or die, ya know. Just like those tournaments in the beginning of the season. If we lose, we''re out."

    I gulped.

    "C''mon Jake, backbone remember?" He laughed, eating his second cookie.

    "It''s kind of hard after Mr. Cameron said that we''re facing a team that hasn''t lost." I muttered.

    "We only have one." He shrugged.

    "Two." I corrected.

    "Tournaments don''t count." Noah countered. "As long as Dave pitches well, we''ll be on even ground."

    "If you say so." I pulled out the baby carrot sticks out of my own lunch bag and started to eat.

 Chapter 459 - Team

    One thing I didn''t account for or thought would be a problem was my team. It just slipped my mind, or maybe I thought Zeke would handle it. But, as soon as I walked into the club room with Noah, the place got quiet. Most of the guys were there, yet no one spoke.

    Noah narrowed his eyes and pushed me along to our own spot. He glared at them. "If any of you dare to ask for an autograph, I won''t hesitate to beat you up."

    "You and what army, squirt?" Garret laughed, making a few others chuckle as well.

    "I''m serious, Garret." Noah stood in front of me, completely protective. "It''s been a long day of being surrounded and being asked the same dumb questions. If Jake could really get his autograph, why would that douchebag publicly deny having a brother? He''s just a piece of trash."

    "A piece of trash that will take the A''s to the World Series." Jason added, getting some more laughs, loosening up the atmosphere. He smiled at me. "We''re just curious. If it bugs you, we won''t say anything. Our focus should be on winning CIF after all."

    "Precisely." Zeke made his presence known as he walked into the room, with the twins and the rest of the guys. Everyone moved to their spot and started to get ready for practice.

    Before anyone got to leave though, Coach came in with all of the other coaches, plus Drew. "Okay guys, let''s have a quick talk before taking the field." Everyone settled, taking seats.

    "There''s been a lot of talk about Jake and his situation." Coach stood in the center, looking around. "I know that it''s a bit distracting and you''re all curious. Don''t shake your heads, I know how teenagers work." The guys laughed. "It''s alright. That''s human nature. But, like everything else in life, there are priorities. School is first. You all better be doing your homework and passing your classes. Weren''t you all wondering why Williamson wasn''t there for the Servite game? I inquired about it and found out that he was put on academic probation." Everyone straightened up.

    "What a loser." Dave scoffed. "If you just do your homework and show up, you should at least get a C."

    "Coming from someone who doesn''t even do their own homework." Noah laughed.

    Coach swiveled to stare down Dave. "You aren''t doing your homework?"

    Dave stood at attention. "Of course I am! Coach, you know my mom! She wouldn''t accept anything under a B!" The guys all laughed and there were shouts of ''mama''s boy!''"Stop, you guys are such hypocrites! You all listen to your mom too."

    I shivered. Noah noticed. "You okay?" His worry caught the attention of everyone else.

    "Sorry, Jake." Dave mumbled. "I-well-and then-it''s just-" He sat down. "I''ll shut up now."

    Seeing everyone''s worried glances and Dave''s discomfort about his mom comment, I decided to speak up. "It''s okay." I stood up and walked towards Coach in the center of the room. "Can I speak for a few minutes, Coach? Just so everyone''s questions can be answered and they can put baseball first?"

    Coach nodded and stepped back. "The floor is yours."

    I swallowed hard, but kept my determination. I faced the group and glanced over their attentive eyes. "I''m Jake."

    A few of the guys laughed outright.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Noo, I thought you were Noah!"

    "Is this a self-introduction?"

    I nodded and pointed at Julian, who said that last line. "Yes. An introduction. I''ve never introduced myself. I''ve been relying on Noah for all my talking." I smiled at Noah. "Thanks."

    "Anything for you!" Noah gave me two thumbs up. "Keep going!"

    Brushing off the embarrassment, I continued. "I''m from down south. I never played on a team before. I like going to the batting cages." The guys chuckled at the crude and simple intro. Stuff they all knew. So I got serious. "And, my mom almost killed me." Everyone got quiet and it became slightly awkward, but I pushed through it. "Don''t worry, I survived." A few friendly smiles and nods. "It''s no secret I was placed with the Atkins. They''re a foster family and I''m a foster kid. My mom lost custody since she''s in jail now. I never knew my father. I had vague memories of a brother. We weren''t close."

    "So you haven''t spoken with Jeremy before?" Sean blurted out.

    I squinted, thinking back. My nose scrunched up. "Not that I recall. I was 3." I shrugged.

    "Don''t you want to see him again? Talk to him?" Mahki asked.

    I shrugged. "There isn''t much to say anymore. I like being here. Staying with the Atkins and playing baseball with you guys is all I really want to do for now."

    "Awe!" Bryce bounced around. "Bambi is so sweet!" That earned another round of laughter from the guys.

    "Wait." James frowned, stepping forward. "You mean you wouldn''t be able to play baseball with us if you weren''t staying with the Atkins?"

    "No." Coach answered. "Because he would be moved out of our district."

    "Even though he played all season with us?" Theo asked.

    Coach nodded. "Even then. But it''s not a thought for now so don''t let your little teenage minds wander again. Jake is here to stay and to play." The guys cheered. "With the exception of tomorrow." Everyone stopped.

    "What is going on??" Garret asked. "Why can''t he play tomorrow?!"

    Coach looked down at me.

    I rolled up my sweatshirt sleeve, revealing a nice line of stitching. "I had to get some stitches. But it doesn''t hurt anymore." I looked at Coach and Drew. "I really can''t play with stitches? Mrs. Atkins said not to practice."

    Coach looked my arm over, then glanced over to Drew. "It''s your call." He then looked back at the team. "For now, we''ll practice like Jake isn''t playing. Sean, you''ll take over in the walkthrough. Now, get your cleats on and hit the field."

    With the gossip about me being settled, the whole team got moving. I moved with them to the dugout, but was left like a piece of equipment as they ran out to warmup.

    "Can I take a look?" Drew sat down next to me. "At your stitches." He clarified.

    I rolled the sleeve up again and showed it off.

    "Looks good. No sign of infection. Probably won''t leave much of a scar." Drew commented. "Have you done any activity or actions with your right arm?"

    "Just the usual." I shrugged. "Writing notes and doing homework didn''t bug me. No aches. Kind of itchy."

    "It''s healing quite nicely." He remarked. He thought for a minute. "Let''s not try anything today. We''ll go to the game tomorrow and make the decision there. Maybe have you throw a few simulated plays and swing the bat from both sides. Try and figure out what can and can not work."

    I nodded obediently. "Okay."

    He paused for a few seconds before speaking up again. "I''m sorry to hear about what had happened to you. I remember reading the story online when it first happened last summer. I work with teens so it really stuck with me. I''m glad you''re alright."

    "Thank you." I replied, feeling a little shy.

    He looked like he wanted to say more, but didn''t. We just sat and watched practice together. Like Coach said, Sean took over at second base when they completed the drills. In the bullpen, only Dave and Kelvin were speaking with the pitching coach, probably going over a tentative game plan for tomorrow.

    "Kelvin is better?" I asked Drew.

    He nodded. "Yes, no more pain. He''s completed the rehab with me and the rehab he did with a physical therapist. Neither of us see why he can''t play tomorrow."

    "Oh." I hummed. I looked for Alex, finding him with Mitchell and some of the relief pitchers together. It was kind of sad to see him go to a backup roll since we relied on him so heavily in the second half of the season. I glanced at Sean in my spot working with Noah, feeling slightly unwilling to give it up.

 Chapter 460 - CIF Quarterfinal Northwood HS (1)

    Because the game was at a neutral location between two schools, who weren''t too close to one another, we only had to stay at school for a half day. We packed up the bus and left at lunch time with instructions to eat on the bus...there would be plenty of time. It was a two hour drive to the neutral site.

    With it being a CIF game, only the varsity team would get to travel, so we had the bus to ourselves. We each got our own row to spread out and get comfortable for a long drive.

    "Will your parents still come to the game?" I asked Noah as I looked over the homemade meal Mrs. Atkins had packed for me.

    "Yep! Of course! It''s the playoffs!" Noah started eating from his own seat across the aisle.

    "Don''t say it like that." Julian leaned over his seat in front of Noah''s. He reached over to flick him on the ear, making Noah flinch away. "Not everyone''s parents can make the trip regardless what kind of game it is."

    "You know my parents..they don''t miss a game, especially if it''s playoffs." Noah rubbed his ear, looking defensive. "I didn''t mean to imply anything else."

    "Just because you didn''t mean it, doesn''t mean it didn''t hurt any less." Julian lectured.

    "Is-is your parents not coming..?" I asked, scared her might get mad at me.

    "No, too long of a drive." Julian replied. "They said if we make it to the finals, they would take a day off from work."

    "Wow." Noah said. "They must really believe in us."

    Julian cracked a smile. "Kind of. In their eyes, we''ve only lost once so what''s the chances of us losing again?"

    Noah''s face twitched. "Oh."

    Julian laughed. "Don''t look so sorry for me. They let me play and that''s good enough. If they can make it for my last game, that would be special enough."

    "Are you playing college ball?" Noah asked. "What schools have you gotten into again? Have you committed?"

    Julian grinned. "I''m not going anywhere just yet. Local community college for two years first."

    "What? Why!" Noah looked surprised.

    "Money." Julian shrugged. "It''s cheaper to go to a community college for the first two years. I don''t want to drown in loans."

    "What about getting a baseball scholarship?"

    Julian shook his head. "Not everyone is like Zeke, earning a full ride to wherever he wants. Even if I earned a 50% ride, I would still have to take out loans, plus room and board, it adds up."

    "Don''t listen to him." Mahki called out, a few seats in front of us. "Julian is just a baby and doesn''t want to take chances."

    Julian glanced at him, not feeling shy under all the looks coming his way. "There''s nothing wrong with a community college."

    "A big school would be cool to go to though!" Bryce chimed in. "I want to go to a SEC [1] school!"

    "You''d have to be a star just to make the cut." James snorted. "Those big schools don''t care about your future. They only use you to make a profit."

    "Well, can''t we use them instead?" Brian asked. "Like get a small piece of baseball scholarship, a partial academic scholarship and then some private scholarships to cover the rest. Then use their state of the art facilities to train and become a better player to have a chance at the pros."

    "You can lose your scholarship if you don''t listen and follow their demands though." Troy spoke up. "Better to be a big fish in a small pond, than a small fish lost in the ocean."

    "Would Zeke be considered a shark in a puddle then?" Garret joked, making the guys laugh. "No, seriously. Zeke could have gone to a top ten school and picked a somewhat local big school instead."

    Some of the guys turned their heads to the front of the bus where Zeke sat. He glanced back, then actually joined in the conversation. "I picked what was best for me. Where I can see myself succeeding. My dad told me this before, don''t make a life decision based off of money. Good or bad. Education or jobwise. There''s plenty of time in the future to make sacrifices; do what you want now."

    The guys broke off in pairs to discuss their futures. I looked to Julian and saw him thinking to himself. He didn''t look back to me and Noah anymore and instead, pulled out his phone. I was curious if Zeke had inspired him to do something different, but was still a little shy to ask. Noah was too preoccupied with his lunch, no longer interested in the college talk.

    I followed his actions and started to eat my own lunch. I didn''t know if I was playing yet, and I don''t want to be hungry even if I''m on the bench. Food is fuel.

    After the long drive, the bus finally pulled into a somewhat empty lot. There was another bus already present with a big group of boys getting out with baseball bags on their backs. They must be Northwood.

    "Listen up." Coach stood up after we parked. "As the home team, Northwood has already requested the third base dugout. Take your gear towards the entrance near first base, put your cleats on and follow Zeke''s lead." His eyes found me. "Jake, you work with Drew. We''ll make the decision ten minutes before game time so Sean, keep your focus."

    Sean nodded. He looked my way for a second, but I couldn''t tell what he was thinking or feeling.

    "Okay, get moving."

    With his command, all of us got off the bus with our bags and headed for our dugout of the game. The stands were still empty for the most part since it was an hour before game time, but a few strangers were spread out, watching.

    Everyone got ready and headed out of the dugout, almost quicker than when we came in. I could only watch from afar as they left me behind.

    "Jake? Let''s check the wound." Drew approached me with his medical bag.

    I rolled the sweatshirt up and showed him.

    "No pain?" He asked, looking it over.

    "No pain." I nodded.

    "Grab your bat and glove. We won''t do anything too strenuous. Just a few throws and a few swings." He got up. "Follow me."

    I quickly grabbed my stuff and followed him to a secluded side near the empty bullpen in right field, just passed where the team was warming up.

    "Swing from both sides and see if either way hurts. Or one more than the other." Drew instructed, dropping his bag off to the side. "Let''s just start with five swings from each side first."

    I dropped my glove and held my bat as a lefty first. Five swings. Switch. Five swings as a righty.

    "Did either hurt?" He asked, scrutinizing me.

    I knocked my bat against my cleats. "I felt some pulling when I extended my arms, but I can''t say that one side hurt more than the other."

    "Let''s see you throw a little." Drew pulled out a glove and a ball.

    Surprised, I could only blink. I dropped my bat for a glove and backed up a few yards.

    "Don''t try to throw too hard. Just play catch." Drew threw me the ball.

    I caught it, then used my right to throw. I frowned. We continued for five minutes and then he jogged to me.

    "How was it?" He reached for my hand.

    I held it up and show him the injured arm again. "It hurts more to throw than to swing, but nothing too awful. I think-" I stopped.

    "Be honest with me Jake." Drew saw my hesitation. "I know you want to play. And I want you to play too, but your safety comes first."

    I swallowed. "As long as I don''t have to throw too hard or do a double play, I really think I''ll be okay."

    Seeing me come clean, Drew nodded. He took hold of my hand and turned it this way and that. "Alright. I don''t see any cause for concern about straining muscles or ligaments. Your stitches are healing nicely too, but it''s probably best to wrap them and keep them covered." He dragged me over to his medical bag. "I don''t want you to roll in the dirt and accidentally rip them open. And maybe, by keeping it compact, there''ll be less risk of them opening."

 Chapter 461 - CIF Quarterfinal Northwood HS (2)

    Drew was very strict in what I could and couldn''t do, but I wasn''t in a position to argue. He lectured me the whole time as he covered my arm with gauze, some padding, and then wrapped it. "This will help only a little. Try not to foul off a million pitches like normal. Pick one to swing at. Ideally, if you could walk at every at-bat, then we could prevent you from swinging and aggravating the cut."

    "I only earn walks by fouling off the balls in the zone." I pointed out.

    His face twitched. "Okay. No. I''ll talk to Coach for you. I don''t know if he''ll allow you to play with this restriction, but for now, go jog some."

    Drew spoke with Coach as I jogged around, but Coach seemed okay with what he had to say since I was still in the lineup when he announced it before game time.

    1 1B Julian Wilson

    2 2B Jake Hollander

    3 LF Garret Knudsen

    4 CF Zeke Atkins

    5 RF Mahki Holstrom

    6 C Kelvin Bender

    7 3B Jason Morris

    8 SS Noah Atkins

    9 P Dave Atkins

    "This is it boys." Coach said in a calm voice. "This is what we worked for. CIF. You''re here. Today, you''ll have to put in 110% effort to match up with these kids. They''re just like you, league champs and they''re working for the same goal: CIF champs. You''ll have to prove that you want it more."

    "This is just a stepping stone." Noah smirked. "Quarterfinalist doesn''t sound as good as champs, Coach."

    Coach nodded in agreement. He glanced at Zeke.

    Zeke looked at all of us. "I don''t want the season to end just yet."

    "Yeah!!" The team echoed. That''s all Zeke had to say to get the excitement going in the dugout.

    Coach turned in our lineup slip to the umpires and Zeke went out to shake hands with the opposing captain. The stands had started to fill up, but not with kids. It was mostly adults, probably parents and grandparents, and then scouts. A lot of those men in the stands had notepads in their laps and pens in hands.

    "You still have a chance to get noticed, Jules!" Noah nudged the senior that was putting on his helmet. "Community college is such a waste."

    Julian shook his head at Noah''s statement. "Everyone has their own path. A four-year college isn''t always the best idea. Especially without scholarship offers." He grabbed his bat and left the dugout.

    "Is he really so worried about money?" Noah said to himself. "He could always get student loans."

    "Don''t be so nosey." Garret slapped Noah on the head. "Everyone''s got their own set of problems, ya know."

    "I know, I know." Noah pushed Garret away. He glanced to me. "Are you ready, Jake?"

    I lifted my bat and rest it upon my shoulder. "Ready."

    He pat the helmet on my head. "Good. Go get them."

    I smiled, trying not to laugh. Sometimes it felt like Noah was trying to be a mini Zeke. Very serious. Very encouraging. I moved to stand outside of the dugout just as Northwood ran out to take the field.

    The stadium here had a broadcasting system and somehow we still had an announcer to call out the names of the starting members. I thought it would be a somewhat quiet game since this was a neutral location, but I guess not.

    Coach and Zeke went back inside the dugout and started to talk to one another.

    "I heard their pitching is really good." Julian said to me in a low voice, stepping closer.

    I nodded. I heard that too. Mr. Cameron said so. "Undefeated."

    Julian''s lips thinned out as he made a face. "Don''t get hung up on records. They don''t show everything after all. For all we know, their wins could have been a difference of one run." He glanced at the pitcher. "Just play like you normally do. I''m sure you''ll be great."

    I stiffened up. "I can''t."

    Julian swung his head back my way. "What?!"

    I leaned in, trying to get closer to him so I could whisper. "I can''t foul any pitches. One swing. Drew said so."

    Julian looked surprised.

    "Now batting for Watsonville High, first baseman, Julian Wilson." The announcer said over the broadcasting system. With it, Julian had to step up to bat. There wasn''t anything he could say to me anyways. It''s not like he could tell me to not listen to Drew.

    Julian''s at-bat was important to him, to the team, and to me. Being unable to foul off any pitches was really limiting on how I could face a pitcher. So I could only study the at-bat before mine for now. Unfortunately, I didn''t say anything to Julian about studying the pitcher during his at-bat. I couldn''t blame him for swinging on the first pitch, which looked to be down the middle. He connected and sent a hard grounder to short.

    The shortstop got in front of the ball, and fielded it like it was a routine play for him. The throw beat Julian easily.

    "Now batting, second baseman, Jake Hollander."

    "Go, Jake!"

    "Bambi, don''t be afraid!"

    "Get on base, Jake!"

    A few shouts came from my dugout, making me turn red as I approached the batter''s box. I tried to tune them out as I picked the lefty''s box. Out of habit, I almost did a practice swing, but I caught myself in time. Be calm. Be cool. I took a deep breath and pulled my bat back as I got into position.

    The pitcher on the mound looked at the catcher''s signs, nodded, then completed his windup and motion, throwing the first pitch. It was inside the zone. I let it pass for a called strike. 0-1. The next pitch went outside for a ball. 1-1. The third pitch followed the same path, but came in the zone for another called strike. 1-2.

    With my back against the wall already, the only thing I can do now, is protect the plate. Anything close and I''ll swing. The fourth pitch was a curve, starting outside, but came on in. I happily swung, hitting to the opposite field, sneaking the ball right past the third baseman.

    I sprinted, rounding first, but the left fielder got the ball back before I could make a run for second base. I stayed where I was, happy with the hit. I felt a stretch in my injured arm, but hardly any pain. With Garret and Zeke up next, I just had to focus on advancing.

 Chapter 462 - CIF Quarterfinal Northwood HS (3)

    Nothing works according to plan though. Garret came out swinging...and missing. With an 0-2 count, he decided to let the third pitch pass, thinking it would be a ball. The pitcher had other plans though. He chose a fastball down the middle, getting Garret to strike out, looking.

    I could hear Garret groan as he lifted his head to look up at the sky, dragging his feet back to the dugout.

    Zeke was more patient, studying the pitcher like I wanted to. He even fouled off a few pitches, making the pitcher work, and allowing me to see more of his pitches. On the ninth pitch, he made a solid connection, and I took off. But the second baseman made a diving grab at the line drive, snatching it from the air, for the third out.

    I slowed up and sighed. If he had missed, I probably could have made it to third. I turned around and jogged back to the dugout.

    "Don''t mind." Coach clapped his hands as we put on our gloves. "You guys did well, making contact. He''s not unhittable. All we have to do is find those defensive gaps like Jake did."

    "And try not to miss like Garret did." Dave laughed, sprinting for the mound.

    "I was thinking too hard!" Garret defended himself, putting his glove on.

    "You know how to think?" Noah asked.

    "Come here!" Garret chased him out of the dugout, in the direction of their positions.

    I laughed to myself, happy to know they weren''t feeling depressed about the first inning. I put on my hat and followed them out.

    Zeke was right behind me. "What did you think of the pitcher?" He asked in a low tone, hiding his mouth with his glove.

    I shrugged. "Nothing too impressive."

    He nodded and spoke into his glove. "They''re not known for having a ''wow'' factor. They''re good at placement, endurance, and persistence." He upped his speed and ran to center field to play catch with Mahki.

    As I got to my spot, I thought about what Zeke said. A ''wow'' factor. I wonder if he meant that the pitcher didn''t have a specialty pitch to rely on, like how Garret has a cut-fastball. It''s not like the twins have any special breaking balls to rely on. They''re straight fastball pitchers, more focused on getting batters out by contact.

    The umpire called for the game to resume and the first Northwood batter was announced. Dave looked excited on the mound, eager to be back pitching against an opposing team. Kelvin wasn''t any different. This was his first game back in over a month. Their smiles looked out of place and slightly creepy for such an important game.

    Dave started with a low fastball, getting the batter to swing and miss. 0-1. The next pitch went outside and low, the batter missed again. 0-2. Dave threw the third pitch high, slightly out of the zone, but the batter still swung. The top of his bat got under the ball, and he popped it straight up.

    He dropped his bat and ran for first as the ball went high up. Kelvin stood up and tossed his face mask away and watched as the ball came down. He backed up a few feet and made the catch for the first out.

    "Woo!" Noah yelled out. "Welcome back, Kelvin!"

    Kelvin rolled his eyes and threw the ball back to Dave on the mound. Dave glanced back at Noah. "Where''s my welcome back?"

    Noah pretended not to hear as he called out, "One out! Two to go!"

    The second batter was announced so Dave had to face Kelvin again. He gave one last glance back at Noah, but was ignored. He came out even faster against the second batter, eventually earning a strikeout. This time he grinned while looking back at Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "Not bad. Can you do it again?"

    Dave, feeling provoked, didn''t let up at all against the third batter. He didn''t even waste a pitch away for a ball. Unfortunately, the batter got a piece of one, and hit it down the first baseline. Julian scooped it up and tagged the bag simultaneously, ending the inning.

    "Hey jerk, why didn''t you cheer me on?" Dave poked Noah as we jogged back to the dugout.

    Noah laughed. "It''s only the first inning, what''s there to cheer about?"

    "I didn''t give up a hit!"

    "But you will eventually..." Noah mumbled.

    Dave shoved him into the dugout. "You brat. Don''t curse me."

    Noah laughed as he moved to his seat, pulling out his helmet and bat.

    I sat down next to him. "Should you really be laughing at Dave? What if you cause him to do poorly?"

    Noah laughed. "Nah. Nothing I say will affect his play. For Dave, it''s a battle against himself. I''ll cheer for him when he''s doing bad, otherwise it''ll just go to his head."

    I glanced down towards Dave on the other side of the dugout. He was laughing with Kelvin as they spoke to the pitching coach. They were obviously happy with how the first inning played out, defensively. Kelvin soon left them to take off his catcher gear and get ready for his at-bat.

    Top of the second, Mahki led us off. He fouled off two pitches before missing the curve and striking out. He let his bat hit the dirt and dragged it back.

    "Eye contact!" Coach hollered for Kelvin to hear as he moved from the circle to the batter''s box. "Watch the ball clearly before making a decision."

    Mahki hung his head as he walked into the dugout, feeling the sting of Coach''s words.

    Coach patted his shoulder. "Next time, Mahki. I don''t want you to just stare at it like Garret did, but don''t waste a swing too. If you feel like you can''t hold back, try your best to foul and reset, okay?"

    "Okay!" He nodded.

    "Coach!" Garret complained. "Don''t use me as a bad example. I don''t always get caught looking..."

    "But you did today." Coach looked up and down the dugout. "This is for all of you. You don''t know which at-bat will be your last. I rather have all of you swing and miss, instead of just standing there. Understand??"

    "Yes, Coach!" The guys chorused.

    Kelvin had a fight at the plate, but it ended with a fly out to right field. He came back as Jason stepped up, and Noah hurried to the circle. Noah didn''t get his chance this inning though. Jason also made contact, but it was a slow dribbler right to the first baseman.

    Noah came back, looking sadder than Jason who ended the offensive half inning.

    "You''ll lead off next inning." I patted his shoulder as he changed out his gear.

    He pouted. "Yea, but now I have less of a chance to hit for a third time at this pace."

    "Winning is more important than how many at-bats you have." Zeke snuck up on us, making us both jump in surprise.

    Noah recovered first. "Yea, I know." He grabbed his glove and sprinted out, leaving me behind.

    I hurried after him.

    "Don''t let Noah influence you too much." Zeke said from behind me. "He''s a little selfish when it comes to stats. The only stat that matters to the team is the scoreboard." He passed me up, going to center field.

    "Easy for him to say." Noah told me when I joined him near second base. He had overheard Zeke apparently. "Zeke has never bat in the bottom of the lineup."

    Neither have I, but it didn''t seem like a good time to bring that up.

 Chapter 463 - CIF Quarterfinal Northwood HS (4)

    Dave was on the mound, Kelvin behind home plate, and everyone else was in position. It was time for Dave to face the power hitters of the lineup, starting with the cleanup hitter. He completed his windup and started his motion. It was a fastball outside, but in milliseconds it became a ball in play. The batter had swung, connected, and pulled it to the gap between third and short.

    Amazingly, Noah dove at it, almost going completely horizontal, and snatched it before it reached the outfield. He landed in the dirt on his ribs, but that didn''t slow him down from jumping up to his feet and showing off the ball in his glove. The crowd responded nicely, clapping and cheering for such a great play.

    Noah threw the ball back to Dave on the mound, showing off a smirk. Dave rolled his eyes and turned to face the next batter.

    I was still stunned over Noah''s reflexes. I definitely would have missed that. I backed up a bit, putting my heels on the grass, giving myself more room to cut off any ball that gets hit my way.

    ''Ding!''

    Suprised again, I could only blink and watch the ball soar to left field. The fifth batter connected on the first pitch as well, and even pulled it like the cleanup hitter. I watched as Garret sprinted back and made the catch before bouncing off the outfield fence. Garret was tough though, he just threw the ball back in to Noah and got back into position.

    Dave didn''t look as tough as Garret and Noah, who both made some good plays. Instead, he looked shaken. Both batters swung on the first pitch. He toed the rubber on the mound, kicking at some dirt before calming down. He looked up and saw that the sixth batter was waiting.

    Dave got set. Nodded at Kelvin''s sign, then started his motion once more. And once again, the batter swung on the first pitch. But this time, it was a swing and miss. Dave had thrown the pitch high, out of the zone. Dave, feeling more assured, aimed for the second pitch to go into the zone, inside corner. The batter still swung, not at all thrown off by the first pitch. He pulled it to left, hitting a line drive over Jason''s glove. The ball bounced in play and rolled to the left field corner and the batter took off running.

    I moved to cover second base as Garret chase the ball down. He grabbed it, spun around, and launched the ball to Noah. Noah caught and turn in one smooth motion, but sadly the batter had already slid into second base. The first hit Dave gives up, turns out to be a double.

    Noah gave the ball back to Dave on the mound as the crowd clapped and cheered for the hit. Dave didn''t bounce back right away, and struggled against the seventh batter, walking him.

    "Hey!" Noah yelled out, making me and Dave flinch. "Two outs! One to go! Focus on the batter." He clapped his hand with his glove and the other guys on the field and in our dugout started to get loud as well.

    "Come on Dave!"

    "Do your best!"

    "It''s only the second inning!"

    Kyle''s disguised insult was easy to pick out. He was in our dugout instead of the bullpen thanks to his pitching on Monday. He needed the full three day rest before playing in another game so he had been oddly quiet through warmups.

    Dave glared in the direction of our dugout before focusing on the next batter. This time, he really calmed down and aimed for good locations in the strike zone, pitching to the corners. The eighth batter got a piece of one, hitting a grounder right to Noah.

    Everyone went into motion. The runners took off and I raced to second base, just in time for Noah to flip the ball underhanded to me. I caught it with a foot on the base and quickly moved as the runner slid into the base.

    "Out!" The nearby umpire declared, ending the second inning. We jogged off the field and went to our dugout.

    Dave immediately headed for the pitching coach, but was turned away. "Go bat. Focus on offense for now."

    Dave frowned. He didn''t fight the command though and went for his bag to grab a bat and helmet.

    I wanted to ask Noah what was going on, but he was supposed to bat before Dave. He hurried with his gear and rushed out of the dugout before I could even get a word in.

    "You look like a lost puppy." Garret laughed as he walked past me to get to his bag. He sat down and took his glove off. "Come on, ask away. I have all the answers."

    "Yea, all the wrong answers." Kyle scoffed.

    "Remind me again, who is the ace on this team?"

    "That''s only because you''re left-handed."

    "I can''t help that I''m dominant."

    Not willing to get involved with their bickering, I put my helmet on and focused on our offense. I didn''t really care what Dave had to say to the pitching coach anyways. As long as he wasn''t hurt, that is.

    Noah was eager to get a hit so he came out swinging against this pitcher. It wasn''t a bad plan, he just lacked the placement. He fouled off three in a row before hitting a fly ball to right field. The right fielder jogged in and made the catch with ease, sending Noah back to the dugout. With his depressed face, I couldn''t find the words to cheer him up.

    I also didn''t get enough time. Dave struck out looking, completely unfocused on batting despite the pitching coach''s words. He came back, still distracted, and was welcomed back by a scolding from his pitching coach.

    "What did I just tell you?" He followed Dave to his seat. "You didn''t transition to offense at all. You don''t get a free pass just because you have more work to do as a pitcher. If anything, you should be batting better than the rest of the team since you can analyze the pitcher better than them."

    I wanted to listen a little longer, but had to go out to the on deck circle as Julian stepped up to bat. With two outs, this inning was going by too quick.

 Chapter 464 - CIF Quarterfinal Northwood HS (5)

    I was now feeling what Noah was feeling last inning. If Julian gets out here and now, I won''t be able to bat until the fourth inning. With being unable to take practice swings, I squatted in the on deck circle and watched Julian''s at-bat with all seriousness. Mr. Miller gave him the ''go-ahead'' sign to swing as he pleased. There wasn''t anyone on base to work with or anything.

    Julian looked please with being on his own. Being in a good mood also helped with his at-bat, enabling him to focus just on the ball coming out of the pitcher''s hands. Zeke said this pitcher was able to persevere and had the endurance; he really needed it against Julian. Julian had a long at-bat, fouling off more than a few pitches. He let the balls out of the zone to pass, not chasing any, and not willing to strike out. On the eleventh pitch, he blasted one down the left field line, but pulled it too much, and could only watch it go foul of the outfield pole.

    "C''mon Jules!"

    "Keep fighting!"

    "Straighten it out!"

    "You''ve got this!"

    Our team was getting rowdy, excited to see such a fight from Julian.

    Julian was too focused to pay any attention to us. Which was good. I really wanted him to get on base so I could hopefully drive him home. But it turned out, that he didn''t need me. Julian swung on the twelfth pitch, connected, and took off sprinting as the ball flew to the outfield. It continued to fly even after it soared over the fence. The outfielders didn''t even have a chance at it.

    Julian slowed to a jog and pumped his fist happily after rounding third base. He tagged home, scoring the first run of the game, then tapped me on the head on his way back to the dugout, where he was greeted with an excited team.

    Garret grabbed his bat and put in the dugout before getting in the on deck circle as I moved for the batter''s box. I still had an aversion to aluminum bats and the team probably had an idea why now.

    I got set in the lefty''s box. The pitcher was still looking down at the rubber by his feet. He took his time, probably getting his mind right. The catcher didn''t urge him and the umpire didn''t have anything to say as long as he didn''t delay the game for too long.

    I wasn''t in a hurry either. I let the first pitch pass for a ball. It was too high. The same goes for the second pitch. And then the third. I gripped my bat, eager to swing, but the pitcher threw another pitch too high, walking me.

    I tossed my bat towards the dugout and jogged to first. I was tempted to foul the ball, but-I glanced down at my right arm. No need to force myself. We''re up by one and there''s still a lot of game left to play. Besides, with Garret and Zeke following me, there was still hope.

    The pitcher was still tensed up after the solo shot from Julian and even more so after giving up a walk to me on four straight balls. He didn''t show any perseverance like before. Instead, he remained wild and walked Garret on four pitches, pushing me to second.

    Just as the stands started to clap and Mrs. Atkins yelled, "Go, Zeke!" The other side sent out their coach. He spoke with the ump for a second then went to the mound. A pitcher change.

    I glanced towards their designated bullpen and saw someone already running in. He was tall, but not lanky like a lot of pitchers I''ve seen. He was well-built and carried a lot of muscle. When the coach handed him the baseball, it seemed to disappear in his hand. My eyes widened, watching this giant among his teammates make all of them look like freshmen. I''d probably look like a grade schooler.

    The umpire let him throw some warmup pitches off the mound before calling the game to resume. Zeke stepped up to the plate. With Mr. Miller''s sign, I started to inch off the bag, keeping my eye on the shortstop behind me and glancing at the second baseman to my left.

    The new pitcher barely spared me a glance before focusing on Zeke. He threw fast. Definitely faster than Garret. Zeke got jammed on the third pitch, connecting on the thinner part of the bat, but was still able to carry it to the outfield.

    I ran, yet knew it''d be pointless. Unless the center fielder dropped it and made an error...I glanced back to watch him make the catch. With that, I took a detour back to the dugout.

    "Not bad, not bad." Coach clapped as we all came back from running the bases. He told everyone, "We have the lead. It''s defense time. Three B''s: base, ball, backup. No errors."

    "Let''s go!" Dave roared, taking the lead, running out of the dugout. Kelvin was right behind him. Whatever the pitching coach had said to him, must have helped.

    I hurried to my bag and switched out my gear, then joined the rest of the starters out on the field.

    Dave started with the number nine pitcher for Northwood, and unsurprisingly, it was the spot for their pitcher. Except, it was the new, giant, strong-looking guy. I gulped. Following Noah''s lead, I backed up to the grass. If it''s a grounder, we''ll be able to make a stab at it.

    Dave did his best, not looking scared or intimidated, but that doesn''t matter against a good player. The batter made a solid connection and smacked a line drive right up the center, out of reach for Noah and I.

    I turned in time to watch Zeke sprint forward and dive at the hard hit ball, making the catch before it touched the grass. He rolled with his momentum before popping up and throwing the ball back in.

    "Yes!" Dave pumped his fist in the direction of center field. He wasn''t the only one clapping for the great fielding, the crowd was too regardless who they came to cheer for.

    Dave wrapped up the inning by getting the lead off batter to ground out to Noah at short, and then the second batter hit a fly ball to Zeke in the outfield. Three up, three down, and the third inning was over. We kept the one run lead for at least an inning.

 Chapter 465 - CIF Quarterfinal Northwood HS (6)

    Top of the fourth. Mahki struck out swinging; he just couldn''t keep up with the pitchers speed. Kelvin got lucky, connecting on a pitch way outside. It was a bloop single over the first baseman but like Noah says, the stats sheet doesn''t care how it looks. Jason popped out to the second baseman, keeping Kelvin on first. Then Noah ended it by grounding out to the third baseman.

    I waited by our bags for Noah to come back as the rest of the team hurried to take the field. He placed his helmet down and put on his hat.

    "I''m fine, I don''t need any words of encouragement." He told me plainly, then led the way to take the field. "I know my limits. This pitcher is out of my league."

    I was glad he didn''t need any words, especially since I didn''t have any. I felt like everyone I ran into these past few months always had something to say to cheer me up. I wanted to reciprocate, but...I lacked in the conversation department.

    We both got into position and Dave finished his small warmup on the mound. I spared a glance in Noah''s direction and saw him sincerely not upset over his last at-bat. It was worrying that he was admitting defeat, but I''m sure it wasn''t the same as giving up.

    Dave started from the third batter in Northwood''s lineup. He got him to fly out to center field, then earned a strikeout from the cleanup hitter. With two outs, he gave up a single, yet he didn''t stutter. He held his ground and bounced back with another strikeout. He pumped his fist at Kelvin as they walked towards the dugout together.

    "Looking good out there." Coach smacked Dave on the shoulder, holding him in place. "How are you feeling though?"

    "I can definitely close this out!" Dave declared confidently.

    Coach released him and gave him a pat. "Good. Get your helmet on. Do a little more at the plate, will ya?"

    "Got it, Coach!" Dave gave a grin and sauntered to his bag to grab his bat and helmet.

    "When has Dave ever been able to do anything at the plate?" Noah scoffed.

    "I heard that, you brat!!" Dave yelled, making the guys in the dugout laugh as everyone got settled.

    "When''s the last time you even got a hit?" Noah smirked.

    "That''s not fair. I''ve been injured." Dave pulled the helmet on and left the dugout. "Just sit and watch, alright?"

    "You shouldn''t antagonize him so much." Garret told Noah as I started to put on my own batting gear. "You''re really picking on him today."

    Noah shrugged, carefree. "Dave can handle it. He''s competitive like that. I wouldn''t do it to Kyle so much."

    "As long as you know your limits." Garret sat down and put his own helmet on.

    With my bat in hand, I moved to the dugout entrance. I would be third, after Dave and Julian. Julian was already in the on deck circle, swinging freely, probably thinking about his homerun during his last at-bat.

    "Jake." Coach stood beside me as the inning started. "How''s the arm feeling?"

    I lifted my injured arm for him to see. "It''s okay. I haven''t needed to throw or field the ball so I''m doing fine."

    "How is it when you swing?"

    "I''ve only swung once and it was just a pulling sensation. Nothing bad."

    "Good, good." He patted me on top of my helmet and lowered his voice. "Stay vigilant though. I don''t want you to feel forced and accidentally make things worse. Even though it''s a do-or-die situation today, we still have to be somewhat prepared for the next game."

    I nodded, understanding what he was saying. "I''ll be careful." After watching some Dave groundout to short, I looked up at Coach. "So we''re saving Garret for the next game?"

    Coach nodded. "Preferably. We have plenty of relief pitchers to rely on today, but it''s a small lead. Kyle will also be fresh for the next game so don''t feel pressured, alright?"

    "Alright." I moved to the on deck circle as Dave came back and Julian moved to the batter''s box.

    "I knew you wouldn''t get a hit!" I heard Noah call out, drawing a few laughs from our teammates.

    "I''ll take care of things on the mound!" Dave hollered, somewhat heroically. "I''m a pitcher after all! I''m known for pitching, not hitting."

    "Garret is also a pitcher! What do you have to say for yourself??" Someone questioned.

    "Garret''s a unicorn!" Dave shot back, causing the whole dugout to roar with laughter.

    From my spot nearby, I didn''t dare to laugh, but couldn''t help but smile. Garret''s probably going to get back at Dave tomorrow or even after the game. Such a rowdy team. It''s hard to believe I''m one of them.

    Julian followed in Dave''s footsteps, grounding out to short. He shot me a grin as we walked by one another. It''s good to see that he''s not feeling down. In fact, the whole team has had a pretty good atmosphere today. Even if we stumble, it''s only for a second.

    I stepped up to bat. I got set and did my best to study the pitcher now that I''m a little closer. He started off with a fastball on the border of the outer strike zone, but the ump gave it to him, putting me down 0-1 to begin with. It would have been an easy pitch to foul down the line. On the next pitch, he came inside, make me scoot back to avoid getting brushed by the ball. 1-1. Another pitch inside, but this time in the zone. 1-2.

    I stepped back for a breather and for a good look around. Everyone on their team was extremely focused on me and didn''t show any signs of giving up. They''re only down by one after all. I stepped back in. The best place to hit would be right up the middle.

    I watched closely as the pitcher went through his motion and came at me with a pitch on the lower outside corner. Really good placement. I can''t foul, and I definitely can''t risk the umpire calling it in my favor. In a split second, I rushed my swing, leaning forward. I connected and whipped the ball back the way it came.

    Before I could take two steps, the pitcher who had completed his whole pitching motion, extended his glove hand and got my line drive as he spun around. Insane movement and reflexes.

    His team and dugout cheered and the crowd joined in. It was an amazing play. Even better than Zeke''s dive earlier in the game. All I could do was go back to the dugout, feeling a little dejected.

    "Don''t mind!"

    "You made a good connection!"

    "That was a crazy good play, nothing more you could do."

    My team gave small sentences of condolences as I went to my bag.

    Noah handed me my hat. "It''s not everyday you see a play like that. Too bad. Well, shake it off. We''ve got some defense to do."

    I nodded in agreement and switched my gear, following Noah out to second base.

 Chapter 466 - CIF Quarterfinal Northwood HS (7)

    Bottom of the fifth. Dave on the mound and Kelvin behind the plate. They agreed on a pitch selection then began. The batter came out swinging, connecting on the very first pitch. He blasted it over my outstretched glove, sending the ball between the gap of Zeke and Mahki.

    The runner took off as our outfield chased down the ball. I ran out to play the role of cutoff man. Zeke was the first to the ball. He picked it up and threw the ball in. But not within my reach. Instead, it went straight to Noah at second base as the batter came sliding in. The throw was on point, but the runner was too fast; Noah didn''t even get the chance to make the tag. A lead off double. Not a good feeling.

    Noah threw the ball back to Dave on the mound. He opened his mouth to say something, but Dave immediately turned his back on him and faced home plate. Apparently, he didn''t want to hear Noah''s words of encouragement. Hopefully it was because he didn''t need them.

    The eighth batter in the lineup had previously hit a grounder to Noah so he backed up to give himself more room. I stuck a little closer to second base to prevent the runner from taking too big of a lead. Dave checked back on the runner before facing the next batter.

    He threw pitches outside, trying to get the batter to swing and miss. On a 2-2 count, he suddenly threw inside, jamming the batter who couldn''t stop his wife swing. The ball bounced off the small part of the bat near his hands, and rolled forward. Dave charged off the mound, barehanded the ball, and threw straight to Julian at first.

    Julian caught the ball with a foot on the base for the out, but he didn''t forget to watch the runner at second. Seeing no opportunity to get to third, the runner stayed. Julian threw the ball back to Dave as he got back on the mound.

    Dave kicked the dirt lightly before getting set to face the ninth batter. The pitcher. Who had a line out to right field. Dave straightened himself out and got set. He glanced back at the runner, then put his attention on the batter.

    Dave worked to get the pitches in good spots, but the batter kept fouling them off. Almost like I would if I wasn''t hurt. Dave wiped his sweat and got reset. On a full count, he pitched away, and it looked like it was going to be ball four, but the batter swung, connected, and carried the ball to right field.

    Mahki sprinted back to the fence, tracking the ball down. Standing on the warning track, with a hand against the fence, he jumped up and caught the ball before it left the park. Without missing a beat, the runner on second tagged up. Mahki took a few steps and threw his best to me. I caught it and turned around to see the runner making it to third. Unwilling to risk an error, I threw the ball back to Dave on the mound. Dave was frowning.

    "Two outs! One to go!" Noah clapped his glove a few times.

    "Two outs!" Most of the team echoed.

    Dave gripped the ball and got back on the rubber. Jason became stationary at third, trying to prevent the runner from trying anything like a stolen base. Noah shifted over to cover more ground and I backed up, heels on the grass.

    Dave ended up not needing us to end this. He struck out the lead off man on three straight fastballs. He didn''t waver for a second. It was almost like he was daring the batter to try and get a hit. At the end of the fight, he roared and pumped his fist as he walked up to Kelvin. We all jogged back to the dugout, patting him on the back as we passed him up.

    "I think my heart almost stopped." Garret claimed as we all got settled in the dugout. He started to put on his helmet and batting gloves. "If it wasn''t for Mahki, we might have been down a run with only two innings left."

    "Hey!" Dave yelled. "It was still catchable!!"

    Mahki snorted.

    "Zip it." Zeke spoke up, putting his own helmet on. "We still have a game to finish."

    "I don''t want to hear that from someone who is 0-2 at the plate today!" Dave continued to be loud. "I''m doing all this work on the mound and can''t even get an inch of breathing room."

    Zeke looked down at his younger brother. Dave stood defiantly. For two seconds before looking away. Zeke then walked out to go stand in the on deck circle.

    Garret hurried up and ran out as well since he would bat before Zeke.

    "Wow, you have guts Dave." Noah snickered as Dave sat down near us.

    "I didn''t say anything wrong!" Dave defended himself. "He''s the one not carrying that MVP title today. So far, it''s me. I have a shut out going."

    "Dave. You''re done. Go get checked over by Drew." Coach came over to tell him.

    "What?!" Dave hollered. He was a one man show. He jumped over and sprinted to Coach. "I''m good though! I can keep going and complete this game!"

    "There''s no need to force it." Coach told him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You did well. Now take a break. You''ve been susceptible to quite a few injuries this season. Go get stretched by Drew." His eyes narrowed. "I won''t tell you again."

    Dave hung his head and went to the corner where Drew was waiting.

    "Kelvin." Coach found him on the bench. "Take off the gear. You''ll bat if you get up, but you won''t be going back in. Alex will be going in with Brian."

    Kelvin didn''t argue like Dave. He just took off his gear and watched as our team started another round of offense.

    Garret was first up. And...first out. He hit a hard grounder; too bad it went right to the third baseman or it could have easily been a hit.

    Zeke was up next. On paper, it did look like he was having a bad game since he didn''t have a hit yet, but both of his at-bats were lineouts. He''s making good contact...it''s just in reach of the fielders. The pitcher definitely put in more effort and speed when facing Zeke. He started with low and away for a ball. 1-0. Then high and inside for ball two. 2-0. Low and inside for a called strike. 2-1. He had amazing placement. The fourth pitch looked like a breaking ball, but it was too hard to tell after Zeke batted it away.

    Everyone in our dugout jumped up and watched as the ball soared over the outfield and then the fence.

    "Yes!!"

    "Woo-hoo!"

    "Dave had awaken the beast!!"

    Zeke ran the bases at a steady pace and came back to the dugout greeted by the cheers and claps of our team. The crowd was buzzing just behind us as they added another point to the scoreboard. 2-0.

    We didn''t tack on anymore runs this inning. Mahki hit a slow grounder between first and second. The first baseman sprinted to the ball, then flipped it to the pitcher who beat Mahki to first. Kelvin ended our offense with a grounder to short.

 Chapter 467 - CIF Quarterfinal Northwood HS (8)

    Bottom of the sixth, we took the field. Alex and Brian came jogging in from the bullpen as Coach spoke with the umpire about the player changes.

    "How''s the arm holding up?" Julian asked me, as us four infielders stood in a group behind the mound, watching Brian throw some practice pitches.

    I glanced down at my wrapped up arm. "It''s okay. Doesn''t hurt. Slightly itchy."

    "Itchy means it''s healing." He nodded.

    "Or that there''s an infection!" Noah exclaimed dramatically in a joking manner.

    Julian whacked him on the head with his gloved hand. "Don''t fool around. There are still two innings left."

    "I know." He pouted, rubbing his head. "I was just trying to be funny."

    "It''s not the time to be funny." Julian lectured. "This is the time to be serious." He glanced to the outfield, looking at the scoreboard. "If things go wrong or if we mess this up, this could be my last game. The seniors last high school game." He swung his head back to Noah to glare at him. "So stay focused."

    "Yes, sir." Noah saluted him. Then quickly jogged back to his position to avoid getting whacked again.

    Julian sighed and shook his head. "He''s like the energizer bunny. He just keeps going and going and going. It''s like he doesn''t have an off switch."

    "He wouldn''t be Noah otherwise." Jason laughed.

    They both jogged back to their positions and I backed up to mine. Brian only had a few pitches left so it was time to get ready.

    I glanced to Noah on my right and he gave me a thumbs up with the biggest grin on his face. I cracked a smile and got set as the umpire called the batter up.

    Brian had to start from the second batter. The batter was 0-2 for the game, but that didn''t mean anything against a new pitcher. Especially when Brian delivers a nice, easy pitch for him to smack to the outfield. The hit bounced once before Garret could get to it. Garret was quick to return the ball back to the infield, keeping the batter to a single. A lead off single.

    "Don''t mind!" Noah told Brian, relaying the baseball to him on the mound.

    Brian gave a short nod before facing the third batter. This guy was also 0-2 for the game, but again, that was only against Dave. Brian seemed to put in more effort, aiming his pitches to hard spots, but his speed was lacking. The batter got cornered into a 1-2 count, and ended up striking out on a pitch outside of the zone. One out.

    With the cleanup batter next, Noah and I backed up to the edge of the infield. I shifted more left to cover the ground that Julian couldn''t since he was holding the runner to first. It was all for naught; the batter hit a nice line drive above my head, to right field. Mahki got the ball in as fast as he could, but the runner from first still made it to third on the batter''s single. He got up from the slide into third and dusted himself off as the crowd cheered. They were one base away from scoring.

    Julian called time out and walked to the mound, waving to us infielders to join in too. Alex came running up from behind home plate.

    "Sorry, guys." Brian was looking slightly pale. "This is all my fault. I can''t get the ball to do what I want to."

    "I''m not here to scold you or to blame you." Julian knocked him on the shoulder. "This is how it goes sometimes. I need you to calm down and straightened yourself out."

    Brian nodded solemnly.

    "Bro, they haven''t even scored yet." Noah slapped him on the back. "One out. Two to go. We can flip a double play still."

    "If not," Jason spoke up. "So what? We can afford to give up a run. Just stay levelheaded."

    "Coach trusted us to come in and take over." Alex said. "Let''s get it done!"

    "Yeah!" Brian perked up a little bit, gaining some color in his cheeks.

    "Alright. Play is at second and first. Those are priority. We''ll try for the double if doable." Julian clapped twice and we all went back to our spots.

    Brian stretched, rotating his shoulders, before stepping on the rubber. He checked both baserunners on first and third. Alex signaled for the pitch and Brian delivered a fastball outside. Swing and a miss. 0-1. Brian repeated the process, making sure the runners didn''t go too far. Another fastball outside, but this time the bat connected. The hitter didn''t get a good handle on it and it ended up being a grounder down the first baseline.

    The runners took off and everyone went into motion. Brian was in an awkward spot with just finishing his motion so Julian went out to get the ball as I moved to cover first base.

    "Go home!"

    "Safe!"

    "Hustle!"

    "Move it!"

    Shouts came from all around; so much so that I couldn''t recognize who was saying what. Julian spun around, ball in hand, tossing it my way to get the batter out. I made sure to have my foot on the base to ensure the out. I then transferred the ball to my throwing hand as I watched the runner on third sprint for home.

    I stuttered step, by accident. Realizing I would be too late to throw home, my shoulders started to sag.

    "TO THIRD!!" I heard Noah''s voice cut through the background noise.

    Without thinking too much or taking a close look, I followed his command and threw the ball to Jason on third the best I could. Only after did I realize that the runner from first had rounded second and tried for third. Jason caught the ball and started to chase him back to second base. Then he threw the ball to Noah, and Noah proceeded to chase the runner to third. It was a pickle!

    A pickle! I haven''t done this before. I turned to look to Julian for help, only to see him moving to cover second. Noah threw the ball to Brian who was covering third after Jason had moved to second base after his throw. Like this, they took turns chasing the runner between the bases and throwing the ball to one another. I could only stand there awkwardly, trying to decide whether I should jump in or not.

    Finally the runner slipped up and Julian laid down the tag.

    "Out!"

    We got him! A double play to end the inning. I clenched my fist as I watched the guys walked back to the dugout, looking a little tired from the short sprints.

    "Nice throw, Bambi!" Mahki clapped me on the shoulder, surprising me. I flinched a little as he led me to the dugout. "That was smart thinking out there. We didn''t give up a run for nothing!"

    I frowned. "We wouldn''t have given up the run if I was just a bit faster." Or maybe more agile. Or not so hesitant. I had an urge to bury my head in my shirt to hide my embarrassment.

 Chapter 468 - CIF Quarterfinal Northwood HS (9)

    "You can''t think like that!" Noah slapped me on the back. "We''re still winning! One more inning to go!"

    "Yea!"

    "Let''s get them!"

    "Start us off strong, Jason!"

    The guys in the dugout were hyped as the game was in the final stretch. Noah and I went to sit in our normal spot so he could start putting on his helmet and stuff.

    "We''re almost there." Noah grinned, tugging his batting gloves on before getting back up.

    "Do you think Brian is going to pitch the last inning?" I snuck a glance to the entrance of the dugout where Coach stood. Brian and Alex were chatting with him, but it was too hard to hear in our rowdy dugout.

    "Nope." Noah said with confidence. "Brian only gave up a run, but he gave up two hard hits. Coach won''t risk that in the bottom of the inning. He''ll bring someone in."

    "Garret?" I asked, looking for him.

    Noah shook his head. "No way. If it was Garret, Coach would be telling him to get his butt to the bullpen right now."

    True. I nodded.

    "Alright." He picked up his bat. "Wish me luck."

    "Good luck." I told him sincerely as he left for the on deck circle. He would need some after all...this pitcher was a tough one.

    Just as I had that thought, Jason connected on the very first pitch given to him, sending it to center field. The ball bounced before the outfielder could reach, allowing Jason to reach first base safely. The rowdy dugout brought it up another level, clapping and cheering for Jason''s hit. Noah moved to the batter''s box and Sean went to the on deck circle.

    Sean? Oh. He must be pinch hitting for Brian in the ninth spot. I looked around and found Brian sitting with the twins; no doubt talking about his pitching. I wonder who Coach will decide on to put on the mound in the last inning.

    Noah''s batting didn''t miraculously improve, nor did the pitcher slip up. It was a one-sided beatdown, watching Noah swing and miss at the fastballs. On an 0-2 count, the pitcher threw a breaking ball that worked in Noah''s favor. The breaking ball was much slower and Noah''s timing matched. He grounded the ball to the second baseman, who was able to turn the double play with his shortstop and first baseman.

    The cheering stopped and an audible sigh could be heard throughout the dugout.

    "Hey!" Garret yelled sharply. "Heads up!"

    The sighs stopped and the depression didn''t reach the surface of everyone. It was instead overshadowed by the fact that we were winning. Winning an important playoff game in a do-or-die situation.

    Noah came back with Jason. Both put their gear away and brought out gloves and baseball caps. "If only I could get a little more air under the ball. Could have easily turned into a line drive." Noah muttered as he slumped in his seat.

    My lips twitched. "You can''t think like that." I told him, repeating his earlier words with ease. It felt pretty good to throw that back into his face so soon.

    Noah laughed and relaxed his tensed posture. "Yea, you''re right, therefore I''m right." He watched Sean''s at-bat. "In fact, I should feel good about a groundout. I could have easily struck out with the way he was blowing that speed ball by me."

    "Dude." Garret threw a water bottle at him. "You grounded into a double play. That''s nothing to be proud of. You got two outs with one swing instead of one out. You brat."

    The guys nearby all laughed. The dugout was in pretty good spirits. Even when Sean grounded out to end our half of the inning, most of the players took the field with a smile.

    "Defense!" Noah hollered as we got into position. Julian threw the ball in the dirt at us to help warm up and keep sharp. Coach walked up to the umpire to announce a pitcher change as James came jogging in from the bullpen.

    Like always, James kept his warmup light and easy. Him and Alex had a quick meeting at the mound before the umpire called for the game to resume and for the batter to step up. James got to start with the lower end of the lineup, with batter number six up first.

    James pitching had always intrigued me since he stuck with straight curves for the most part, unlike other high school pitchers who rely heavy on their fastballs. James got the first man up to swing and miss three times in a row for the strikeout.

    James wasn''t a one at-bat star. He took down the whole side with his curveballs and ended the seventh inning in nine pitches. Noah was the first to throw up his glove after the umpire called game and declared us as the winners. Noah then sprinted to the mound and hopped onto James, making him stumble. The rest of the team wasn''t far behind.

    I smiled and laughed a little as I picked up Noah''s glove from the ground for him. I watched from a safe distance as the team bounced around and pushed one another in excitement.

    "We''re moving on!!" Garret sprinted from left field and squeezed his way in the pile of players. The bullpen players weren''t too far behind.

    I glanced over my shoulder to right field and saw Mahki jogging in with Zeke.

    "Felling happy, Bambi?" Mahki grinned down at me as they slowed up when they reached me at second base.

    I nodded. "We get to play again, don''t we?"

    "We do!" He pushed my cap down over my eyes before running into the pile on the mound.

    I fixed my hat and peeked up at Zeke. "Are you going to join them?"

    Zeke smiled gently as he watched his team act like a bunch of little kids. "No. I''ll save the celebration for when we win it all." His grin didn''t fade as he looked at me. "Are you really happy? Sincerely?"

    I blinked. Mahki had just asked if I was happy and I nodded. Did he not see? Looking back at his meaningful expression, I suddenly understood. I nodded again. "Yes! This is one of the happiest moments of my life!"

    His expression faltered before settling on a smile. "Don''t worry, there''s more to come." He put his arm around my shoulders and walked me over to the team to celebrate in their peripheral.

 Chapter 469 - First Encounter (1)

    The excitement lasted until we loaded up the bus, then everyone started to fall asleep or doze off, one by one. Some shared whispers, but it stayed relatively quiet.

    The game wasn''t super long, but it definitely took a lot of energy out of us. I didn''t sleep. I couldn''t. A lot has been going on this week from Monday''s game, getting hurt, making the playoffs, the court visit, and today''s game.

    I was extremely happy that the Atkins wanted me. This was it. They gave me the feeling of safety and I liked not being on edge all the time. I''m curious as to what the next step would be though...after all, cps (child protective services) wanted me back.

    I nervously tapped my index finger on my knee as I thought of the future. What would happen? What should I do? What will they do? So many decisions.

    "Jake?" Noah whispered from across the seat aisle. I stopped the tapping and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "You look like you''re thinking too much."

    Feeling guilty and caught, I shook my head. "No. No I''m not."

    "You''re not thinking?" He looked at me skeptically.

    "Err." I frowned. "Well..."

    "Aren''t you guys tired?" Dave groaned from the seat in front of Noah. "Take a nap. We still have dinner and homework to do when we get back."

    "I don''t have homework." Noah said proudly. "I didn''t want to be distracted."

    "Don''t you have any tests for tomorrow? It''s a Friday!" Dave glared.

    Noah smirked. "Nothing I can''t handle."

    Dave turned his glare to me. "You! I know you have a math test tomorrow. Shouldn''t you rest so you can study after dinner?"

    My lips twitched.

    "You really think Jake needs to studying?" Noah rolled his eyes. "It''s you that has been copying his homework; not the other way around."

    "Shhhh." Dave hushed. "You brat, keep your mouth shut."

    "Sounds like some of you still have energy and didn''t give it your all today." Coach raised his voice from the front of the bus.

    The bus collectively got silent; including the whispers from the back. Coach stood in the aisle up front, looking at all of us. "I''m kidding. You boys did great today; it was a good win. Very thorough. I hope we can bring the same intensity to Monday''s game."

    "Are we still practicing tomorrow, Coach?" Sean asked.

    He nodded. "Yes. There''s no reason to take tomorrow off when you guys have Saturday and Sunday to recuperate."

    Noah glanced at me, wiggling his eyebrows. "That doesn''t sound pleasant. Recuperate? What do we need to recuperate from?"

    "Great question Noah!" Coach''s voice boomed, making me shiver. "Tomorrow, we''re going to do stations around the field. Sprinting, fielding, hitting, throwing, positioning...let''s give it one more hard push before the weekend. As for Saturday and Sunday, you''ll be on your own so I''ll have to trust you all to make some good decisions."

    The team chatter picked up as they talked to one another about tomorrow.

    Coach came down the aisle and stopped between me and Noah. He looked down at me. "How''s the arm feeling?"

    "Fine." I answered.

    "That doesn''t sound reassuring." His eyes narrowed.

    I shrugged. "It doesn''t hurt."

    "We''ll have Drew look at it tomorrow. Take the bandage off and give it some air. Still bring your gear tomorrow, but also include your running shoes in case Drew wants you to stick with only footwork." He walked back up the aisle.

    I groaned as Noah laughed. We''ve come full circle this season. I started it out running for endurance and now here I am, running in one of the last practices we''ll have.

    The bus ride got a little louder as we got closer to the school. By the time we parked and unloaded the gear, everyone was sharing in the excitement again of moving on to the semifinals.

    Zeke hurried us home, where Mrs. Atkins has dinner waiting on the table. My mouth watered as we took our seats and started to chow down.

    "You guys did great!" Mrs. Atkins commented as we noisily ate. "I can''t wait for Monday. Have they decided when and where yet?"

    "Monday, 5pm." Zeke answered. "I think they''re having it at some community college near the beach."

    "Do you know your opponent yet?" Mr. Atkins asked.

    He shook his head. "We''ll find out tomorrow night. The other quarterfinal game is in the late afternoon."

    "Did you want to go watch it?" Mr. Atkins asked.

    "No can do, Dad." Dave shook his head. "We have practice."

    "I''m sure Coach will have one of the assistants watching or even recording." Zeke added.

    "Good. Focus on your practicing." Mr. Atkins said before looking to me. "How did the arm feel throughout the game?"

    "Not bad." I told him. "Coach said to let it breathe and then we''ll decide what to do tomorrow."

    "Be sure to listen to him and Drew." Mrs. Atkins told me. "I don''t want you reinjuring yourself." She looked to Dave. "You be careful too. You''ve been a little injury-prone these last couple of months and that worries me."

    "Got it, Mom." Dave nodded.

    Soon the conversation shifted to shower times and what homework needed to be done before bed. The night closed out quickly with morning appearing after a good sleep.

    Getting out of bed, my arm felt itchy and I fought off the urge to give in and scratch.

    "Man, today feels like a Saturday." Noah yawned as we made our way through the halls of school after rushing through the morning routine.

    I nodded in agreement.

    Luckily, there were more test to take than actual learning to be done. It made the day fly by.

    At practice, Drew examined my arm and came to the conclusion that I shouldn''t push it. It really was going to be a running practice for me. I could only watch from the outer edges as the team put in work for the last practice before the weekend and the next game.

    Afterwards, Coach gave a short speech on what to expect on Monday and how Kyle would get the start on the mound. He also shared that we would get an email about our next opponents so to be sure to check it out over the weekend.

    "That was brutal." Noah groaned as the five of us left the field with our bags. His three brothers followed behind, talking about some pitching practice for tomorrow.

    "At least you didn''t have to run the whole time." I patted my quads. "I wonder if I should take an ice bath tonight or tomorrow."

    "Ew." Noah cringed. "You''re such a weirdo."

    "But it feels so good." I argued.

    "You''re a weirdo." Dave echoed Noah from behind us.

    I rolled my eyes, but in doing so, I saw something in the corner of my eyes. Or, to be more precise, someone. My feet stopped.

    "Jake?" Noah asked.

    I slowly turned my head away from him and looked to the man standing beside the bleachers. I could recognize him easily and that''s what made me feel more unsure. What was he doing here..?

    "Is that..?" Noah stepped up beside me.

    I nodded.

    The man was watching me. Seeing that I paused, his feet started to move and my breathing picked up. He was coming towards me.

    "Hey. He''s coming." Noah whispered. "What do we do?"

    "Let''s see what he wants." Zeke said in a low voice, reminding me that he and the twins were right there.

    The man stopped five feet away, and glanced down at me. Jeremy Patterson. He was here. At my school. At my baseball field. Right in front of me.

    My heart started to pound and my breathing became more shallow. "Hi." I blurted out. Because...what else could I say?

 Chapter 470 - First Encounter (2)

    "You''re him?" The man looked down at me, arms folded across his chest. He had sunglasses on, making him seem cold and distant. The words added even more distance.

    My anxiety jumped a level higher and I subconsciously took a step back. This isn''t what I expected.

    Noah frowned. "What''s with that tone? Are you here to see Jake? Why don''t you sound happy to see him?"

    "This isn''t your business kid." The man spoke. I couldn''t even tell if he looked Noah''s way when his glasses were that reflective. All I could see was my own pale complexion. "Well? Do you have anything to say?"

    Anything to say? Who? Me? I backed up a little more and shifted a little behind Noah. Noah would know what to do. He always had a plan and was never short on words.

    Sure enough, Noah folded his own arms across his chest and stood a few inches taller than me. He looked up at the man. "Why would he have anything to say to you?! Especially when you come at him with an attitude like that? What are you here for?"

    "Who are you? His lackey?" The man finally gave his attention to Noah. "I''m here for Jake."

    "Yea, well, I''m his brother." Noah claimed boldly. "More of a brother than you are at least."

    "I never claimed to be." The man said, his expression looking as cold as ice. "I wanted to see the boy who''s trying to drown my career in drama and controversy. We cut ties." He tilted his head. "What is it that you want now?"

    Before I could back up anymore, a firm hand landed on my shoulder making me jump. The hand squeezed my shoulder with assurance. The owner of that hand spoke. "Sir. With all due respect, this isn''t the time or place for a discussion. In the future, please go through Jake''s case worker, Doug Duncan, before reaching out to Jake." Zeke gently used some force to turn me around in the direction of his car. "Let''s go you guys. Mom and Dad are waiting."

    My heart rate finally started to calm down as we walked away from that man.

    "Wait." The man''s voice seemed to echo across the field and parking lot. "I want you to know that we''ll be doing the DNA test."

    "So what?" Dave scoffed. "That won''t mean anything to us."

    "But it''ll mean something to the public. Once they know that you''re only related to that woman then they''ll stop vilifying me for being cold hearted." The man said to my back.

    "That''s where you''re wrong." Kyle stated. "We know how cold you are to your own little brother. Regardless if you share the same dad or not, you''re still a dick."

    "Yea, what a loser." I could hear Noah''s hurried footsteps before he appeared on my empty side. "Let''s get home."

    "I guess it''s true that pros have such inflated egos." I heard Dave say from behind us.

    "No kidding." Kyle agreed. "We can only hope that Zeke wouldn''t be like that in the near future."

    "What did he even come here for?"

    "To show off what a jerk he is?" Kyle offered up.

    "HEY!" No one could react in time for what happened next. I didn''t know what Jeremy wanted to accomplish by stopping us, but I was startled as a big hand clamped around my arm, swinging me around to face him. "Don''t just walk away!"

    All I could do was wince and try to cower back, but his grip was too tight. I started to tear up.

    "What are you doing?!"

    "Let go of him!"

    "Are you crazy?!"

    Noah and the twins were the first ones to attack and try and pull him away.

    "What the hell is going on here?!?" A deep voice yelled out, grabbing everyone''s attention. Coach was ten feet away, holding a bat in on hand and pointing at Jeremy with his other. "I suggest you let go of my player, young man. You''re walking a very thin line here."

    "Tsk." Jeremy swung my arm down and took a few steps away, distancing himself from us. "I''ll be in contact."

    "That''s your prerogative." Coach said. "For now, I''ll be asking you to leave these minors alone. In the future, if you find you have something to say, I suggest you use your words and not your hands."

    Jeremy glanced at me and noticed me holding my injured arm, the same arm that he had just grabbed. For a second I thought I saw a grimace, but I must have been mistaken. It was impossible to see any expression behind the sunglasses he wore. Without another word, the man known as my brother turned away and walked into the sunset towards the parking lot.

    "Jake?! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Noah moved in front of me and looked me over starting with my arm and then looking into my eyes. "You''re crying? You''re crying! I''m going to go give him a piece of my mind!"

    "Hold it." Zeke laid his hand on Noah''s head to keep him in place. "No need to chase him for a fight." He glanced down at my arm. "I''m sure Mom will have plenty to say."

    "I''ll give her a call." Coach said as he walked closer to us.

    "That was good timing Coach!" Dave said in awe. "I was worried that we were gonna have to fight that guy."

    "Garret called me from his car saying he saw a stranger approaching you guys. He thought it might be a reporter, but-" Coach sighed looking at me cradle my arm. "Does it hurt?"

    I shook my head as I bit my lip.

    "Come on, Jake." Kyle chuckled. "You can''t say it doesn''t hurt when you''re crying like that."

    "Can we sue him?" Noah asked. "Can he just grab Jake like that?"

    "I''m sure Mom and Dad will know." Dave said. "Shouldn''t we hurry home and go tell them what happened?"

    "No." Coach said firmly. "We don''t know who else might be waiting in the parking lot or if that man wants to approach you guys again. Wait here with me as I call your parents. I don''t want you boys out of my sight until I see you with your parents."

    "Coach, we aren''t toddlers, we can make it home." Dave said.

    "No." Zeke surprised them. "We''ll do as Coach says and wait for Mom and Dad. We don''t know what to do in these kind of situations after all." He lowered his voice. "We should probably tell them to call Mr. Duncan and Dr. Moore as well."

    I could feel their eyes fall on me.

    I didn''t have any words though. I could only sniffle and make sure that my snot doesn''t run down my face like my tears. I was hurt. I was hurting. Inside and out. The physical pain was nothing compared to the turmoil within. I couldn''t comprehend what had just happened? Why was I treated like the enemy? This isn''t what brotherhood is supposed to be like.

    Why is our relationship so different compared to the Atkins brothers? Is it because he thinks we''re only half-siblings? Why was he mad at me? Shouldn''t I be the one to be mad at him?

 Chapter 471 - Encounter (3)

    Coach made the call and soon, the adults I trusted most started to appear.

    Dr. Moore arrived first, he had stayed late on the school campus for meetings with other teens in need. He approached me slowly and knelt down so we could be eye level. "Hey Jake, it''s me. I need to know how bad your arm hurts on a scale of 1 to 10."

    I looked at him through blurry eyes.

    "Jake? I need to know if you''re okay." Dr. Moore said with concern.

    "Jake?" Noah stood right beside me. "C''mon Jake. It''s okay. We''re right here. You can talk to us remember?"

    Remember? What do I remember?

    Memories of my mom flashed in my mind as Jeremy gripped my arm. He was just like her. He was mad at me like she was always mad at me. What did I do wrong? I don''t understand.

    My vision got blurrier as fresh tears blocked them out. I was in pain. I felt ashamed. Embarrassed.

    "Jake! Jake!" I heard a woman''s voice drawing near and the sound of hurried footsteps. "Is Jake alright??" Mrs. Atkins has arrived.

    "Mom." Noah sounded scared. "Jake isn''t talking to us. I think Jeremy scared him. He was mean and he grabbed Jake by the arm, and Jake''s been crying. Where''s Dad? Dad can usually make Jake feel better?"

    "He''s coming from across town." She said. "I''m sure he''ll be here soon. Same with Mr. Duncan." I could feel her get closer so I looked up. She reached out and used her thumbs to wipe away the tears on my cheeks. "Oh, Jake. Jake. What did he do?"

    "He''s been holding his injured arm since I''ve arrived." Dr. Moore told her as I let her wipe my tears away. Dr. Moore handed her a napkin and she started to clean my face and I started to calm down.

    She held my face in her hands gingerly like I was a fragile vase. "Jake? Does your arm hurt? You don''t have to say anything; just nod or shake your head no."

    I didn''t do either. Instead I used my good hand to lift my injured arm. I showed them the red fingerprints that covered my stitched up cut.

    "What the actual f*ck?" Dave blurted out.

    "I didn''t realized he grabbed Jake so hard." Kyle mumbled.

    "It''ll bruise." Dr. Moore told Mrs. Atkins and Coach. "Doesn''t look like the stitches were pulled at all though so that''ll save you a trip to the hospital." Dr. Moore looked me in the eyes. "He must have used quite some force."

    I gave a curt nod.

    Dr. Moore got a little closer. "Is that it? He used too much force? Did it-" He frowned. "Did it remind you of your mother?"

    I nodded and my eyes watered again. I was practically a water fountain at this point. I hung my head in shame.

    "Oh, Jake." Mrs. Atkins arms surrounded me and pulled me close. Into a hug. A hug. With Mrs. Atkins. I didn''t know where to put my arms so I continued to hold the injured arm as she hugged me and rubbed my back in a comforting manner.

    I thought I was doing okay by not panicking or having an anxiety attack from this close proximity, but another urge to cry took over. Feeling her love and concern just made me feel more awful and hurt. A stranger that I''ve known for only a few months has shown me more love than any blood relative I have.

    "Mary. Jake. Boys." I heard Mr. Atkins sighed in relief.

    Mrs. Atkins didn''t let him live in a relaxed state for long. She pulled away from me and pointed angrily at my arm. "Wayne. We need to do something."

    "What happened exactly?" Mr. Atkins furrowed his brows.

    Zeke stepped forward to give everyone present a complete recap of what had happened. The twins and Noah made sure to chime in their thoughts and feelings up until Coach showed up to scare Jeremy away.

    "What can we do?" Mr. Atkins turned to Dr. Moore for help. "Do you have a way we can prevent this from happening again?"

    Dr. Moore adjusted his glasses. "I suggest getting in contact with your lawyer and to make sure that Doug writes a report. Submit it to the courts and try to get a temporary restraining order until this matter is resolved. I can write a letter and make a professional statement on how this affects Jake."

    "I''ll make the calls." Mr. Atkins said firmly.

    Dr. Moore sighed. "Not much will be accomplished this evening since it''s the weekend now. You''ll have to wait for Monday morning to get a hearing with a judge again." He looked at me. "Do you want to talk about it Jake? I can come over to the house for a one on one session. Or whatever you want to do."

    I don''t know what I want.

    "He probably doesn''t know what he wants right now." Mr. Atkins said, surprising me by putting my thoughts into words. He gave me a light smile seeing that I was shocked. "You''re easy to read sometimes, Jake. How about this: we go home, take some warm showers, then sit down for a hot dinner? You can take this time to digest your thoughts and feelings. Tomorrow, Dr. Moore can come over for lunch and we can just have a normal session in the comfort of our own home?"

    Mr. Atkins plan didn''t sound half bad. I wasn''t ready to talk just yet. I nodded.

    "Great." Dr. Moore fixed his glasses again. "I''ll see you guys tomorrow." He looked down at me. "Go home and get some rest. Try not to worry or stress over what happened this evening. It''s an isolated event."

    "It won''t happen again." Mrs. Atkins told me. "Anyone who lays a hand on you like that deserves a good beating. Even if I can''t do it physically, I''ll make sure Mr. Duncan knows my thoughts on this matter." She checked her watch. "He''s still not here." She looked to her husband. "Have him meet us at the house for dinner. I''ll call Mr. Pickens. I''m sure he doesn''t mind the overtime."

    "Thanks for being here Coach." Noah told our coach, who was standing off to the side and giving us space. "We probably would have had a fight with him if you didn''t show up in time."

    "Don''t tell me that or I''ll have to suspend you from the team." Coach said with all seriousness, making Noah straighten up. He glanced at me. "I know Dr. Moore here said that you don''t need a hospital visit, but if the arm still hurts by Sunday, get it looked at."

    "Is Jake going to have to sit out on Monday?" Noah asked, eyes wide.

    "Only if he feels the need to do so." Coach stated. He looked at Mr. and Mrs. Atkins. "Keep me in the loop. I don''t want to compromise Jake''s health or well-being for a game."

    "Yea, of course." Mrs. Atkins nodded. "I''ll give you an update tomorrow."

    "Please do." He nodded and walked back towards the club room with the bat in his hands. "Zeke, make sure to check your email tonight. Don''t forget because of all this excitement."

    "Yes, sir." Zeke answered.

    "Alright, I''ll get going too." Dr. Moore backed up. "I''ll see you all tomorrow. Wayne, just text me the time, okay?"

    "I will. Thanks for meeting us here." Mr. Atkins waved and Dr. Moore left. "Let''s go home too."

 Chapter 472 - Options

    Once home, we took showers as Mrs. Atkins made dinner and Mr. Atkins went inside his office downstairs.

    "Jake, you feeling a little better?" Noah asked when I came back to the room, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt.

    l tugged the towel on my wet hair and forced a nod. I was feeling better than before. I stopped crying and my arm didn''t hurt so much. On the inside though, I was feeling numb. I imagined my first meeting with my brother a couple different ways but that wasn''t one. In my imagination, I would be the one that was mad. I would scream and yell at him. Or maybe I would give him the cold shoulder and pretend he never existed.

    "Jake, it''s going to be okay." Noah got up from his desk and patted my shoulder. "Are you ready to go down for dinner?"

    I hung my towel up on a hook and followed him out of our room. We walked side by side down the hall and down the stairs, with Noah stealing glances at me the whole time. I could feel his concern, but it just made me more nervous.

    "We have to do something, Wayne." I heard Mrs. Atkins stress. "We can''t just let this go unpunished."

    "And I''m not saying we will." Mr. Atkins said in a much more calm manner.

    Noah shot me a look, raising an eyebrow, before racing down the rest of the stairs and into the dining room. "What''s happening?"

    I didn''t sprint like him, but continued my walk.

    "Oh, Noah. Is Jake with you?" I heard Mr. Atkins asked. I walked in just a few seconds later and found them sitting at the table with Mr. Pickens. "Jake. Hey. Come, have a seat."

    Noah was the fastest to react like always. He sat down and pulled out a chair for me. "Dad, Mom, what were you guys saying before?"

    Mrs. Atkins lips thinned as she frowned, shooting her husband with a displeased look. "Your father and I are having a disagreement on what to do next. I want to file a report with the police."

    "Yes!" Noah shouted.

    "It''s not that simple." Mr. Atkins sighed. He looked at me. "Jake, we would like your input. Mary wants to file a police report, assault on a minor. At the very least, harassment. There are benefits to this, I agree, but I think the cons outweigh those benefits."

    "What are the cons?" Noah asked.

    "The attention it will gather." His dad answered. "The media would be all over this."

    "Who cares if they paint him in a bad light, Wayne." Mary argued. "He''s not a good person! Look at Jake''s arm! I don''t want him thinking he can just go around grabbing Jake anytime he likes."

    Mr. Atkins sighed again. "Mary, the media would put the spotlight on Jake too. I''m not saying ''do nothing.''" He looked to Mr. Pickens. "I want Mr. Patterson to feel some sort of consequence, but I don''t want his future to be ruined by something like this. We shouldn''t just doom his future over a small mistake."

    "It wouldn''t be the end of his career." Mary shot back.

    "But there could be negative consequences from the league offices."

    "Are you saying he could get suspended?" Noah asked in a small voice.

    "Potentially." Mr. Pickens jumped in to answer. "MLB has very strict rules regarding domestic disputes." He looked at me. "What are your thoughts?"

    Thoughts? I blinked.

    "We''ll support you either way, Jake." Mr. Atkins gave me a reassuring smile. "We can pursue this to the highest degree, or just let it slide."

    I tapped my index fingers together in my lap.

    Sensing my unwillingness to contribute, Mr. Atkins cleared his throat. "How about I write down some options for you to choose from? We''ll let you pick, no questions asked."

    I nodded. That sounded better.

    The three adults gathered on one side of the table to discuss what they should write down with Mr. Pickens being the most vocal. Soon, the other three brothers came down and Noah gave them a brief description of what has transpired.

    They stood behind us in silence as five pieces of paper were placed in front of me. They weren''t the only ones...everyone stayed silent including me as I looked over my choices. The first thing I did was give away the two extremes: ''do nothing'' and ''call the police immediately without regard to media.''

    Neither of those would be fair. To me, that is. Both would put me in an unfavorable position and I''d be unhappy. I didn''t like how he grabbed me, but I didn''t want the media attention to start up again. I also didn''t want him to get away scotch-free like my mother did most of my life.

    The remaining three options were varying degrees and mixes of either submitting this to the courts and filing a restraining order. It made me hesitate. I don''t think I want a restraining order against the remaining member of my blood-related family. I started to get a headache from looking over my choices and trying to find one that fit me and my wants.

    "We can be flexible." Mr. Atkins seemed to understand my struggles more clearly than I did myself, as he slid me a pen. The same pen they used to write up the ideas.

    Understanding what he meant, I picked up the pen and started to circle some parts of each option.

    -''take pictures and document occurrence.''

    -''have George send cease and desist letter to Patterson lawyer.''

    -''Dr. Moore write an evaluation of impact on Jake''s state of mind and discourages Jake being alone with Patterson again.''

    Feeling a sense of relief and satisfaction, I sat back and let the three adults look it over.

    "Are you sure, Jake?" Mrs. Atkins was the first to look up. "I promise you won''t get in trouble if we take it up with the law."

    "Mary." Mr. Atkins warned.

    I gave a firm nod. Getting the police involved would make things hectic and I didn''t want to do that to the Atkins family. Or...or even Jeremy. I don''t know why he acted like that, but I thought I saw a flash of remorse or regret, and that is more than I can say for my mother.

    With a plan in hand, the Atkins and Mr. Pickens got to work. We took pictures of my arm, which was definitely going to bruise; and then the other boys recounted what happened, minute by minute. After all that, Mr. Pickens left and then Mrs. Atkins started to serve dinner.

 Chapter 473 - Input

    "So after sleeping on it, do you still feel like you made the right decision?" Dr. Moore asked me. "No regrets? You don''t want to call the police yourself and tell them what Jeremy had done?"

    What he had done? What did he do? He just grabbed me by the arm to get me to stop walking away. Harder than necessary, but still, people grab others all the time and no one else calls the cops.

    It was Saturday and as promised, Dr. Moore came by for lunch. No one brought up yesterday''s events and instead, the twins led the discussion with Monday''s opponents. They''re a powerhouse with a great lineup overall, according to the email Coach had sent out. I didn''t bother looking, but with the twins spending all lunch talking about it, I no longer saw a need to.

    With that information in hand, the twins both decided to practice some pitching in the backyard. Zeke stated he would supervise so they wouldn''t injure themselves; then Noah was roped into being a ball boy. He looked at me with such concern that I felt awkward and embarrassed like he thought I needed watching. It was only after Mr. Atkins assured him that he would be with me and Dr. Moore in the living room, that he decided to join his brothers in the backyard.

    "Jake?" Dr. Moore questioned patiently as Mr. Atkins watched from the corner of the room.

    I pursed my lips. "I don''t think he''s like my mother."

    Dr. Moore made a note in the pad he was holding. "That''s what influenced your decision?" I nodded. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

    I glanced down at the arm that now had some bruising around my stitches. "He, he didn''t...um." I paused, trying to find the words. Why wasn''t he like my mother? Oh, yea.. "My mom would talk a lot when she hurt me."

    Dr. Moore fixed his glasses upon the bridge of his nose. "What would she say that he didn''t?"

    I studied my nails. "She would say things that made me feel like I deserve it. Like it was my fault. I don''t think Jeremy came to physically hurt me."

    "First off, let me remind you that it wasn''t your fault, Jake." Dr. Moore told me. "No kid should ever go through what you''ve been through. It''s highly abnormal and flat out wrong. There''s a reason why she''s in prison."

    "Yea, I know that." Now.

    "Let''s get back to what you said about your brother. You don''t think he came to physically hurt you. What about what he said? Did that hurt?"

    "Yea..."

    A moment of silence passed. "It''s okay to be mad at him, Jake. Just because he sounds mad, doesn''t mean he gets to be the only one that is mad. It''s not something you can call ''dibs'' on."

    "...I just don''t understand." I looked up helplessly at Dr. Moore. "This wasn''t what I imagined. I thought I would get to be the mad one. The one that yelled or gave him the cold shoulder."

    "Well. Why didn''t you?"

    "What?" I frowned.

    "This was your chance. You saw him in person. You could have yelled at him." Dr. Moore studied me. "Why didn''t you yell? Why didn''t you just ignore him right away? Why did you stop to begin with?"

    "Why did I stop?" I mumbled, thinking back. "Because he was there. Right there in front of me. In person."

    "This was your chance to get everything off your chest. Tell him that you hated him for not being there, or that you were mad that he never came back, or maybe even blow him off like he didn''t matter." Dr. Moore pushed on. "So why did you stop? What made you freeze?"

    "I...I was caught off guard." I worked out. "He came to see me in person. He came to look for me. And I just thought-" I stopped. "I hoped. I had hope."

    "What did you hope for?" He asked.

    I looked up at Mr. Atkins, feeling slightly guilty. He gave a small smile, one that was understanding. He knew the feeling. He wanted a relationship with his dad, and never got it. "I was hoping that he was looking for me. To apologize. He wasn''t supposed to be mad. He was supposed to apologize and say-" I stopped again.

    Dr. Moore waited patiently, not moving an inch. He was patient, but wasn''t I the same? He''ll get rewarded for being patient, but I wasn''t. I cleared my throat. "To say everything that I wanted to hear. ''Sorry.''''I didn''t know.''''I''m your brother.''" I looked at the bruise again. "Instead, I got greeted like my mother would greet me. He was a lot like her in that aspect. Accusatory like I had done something wrong."

    "You didn''t do anything wrong." Mr. Atkins left his corner and came to sit next to me on the couch. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we sat side by side. "You probably still have hope, don''t you?" I stiffened. "It''s okay, if you do. Like we said yesterday, we support you no matter what. We''ll always be here for you."

    "He wants to do a blood test." I repeated what the boys had said yesterday.

    "He probably feels some kind of guilt." Dr. Moore said. "If you''re only half-siblings, then he could convince himself that you''re only his mom''s child. Lessen the blow to himself." He raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to do the blood test?"

    I shrugged. A part of me, and a part of me didnt.

    "Mr. Pickens already told us that he''ll most likely have to go through with the blood test." Mr. Atkins said. "It''ll probably be brought up on Monday when we go to court outselves."

    "What about the game?" I asked.

    "You don''t have to go to court on Monday, Jake. Just me and George will do. We''ll file the proper paperwork and hope to get a hearing in the coming week." Mr. Atkins patted me on the head. "You just go play with the boys, alright?"

    I nodded.

 474 Sunday Fun-day

    "Are you sure you''re okay?" Noah asked me during breakfast on Sunday. It was just us at the table full of food. His brothers had already ate and were upstairs in their room going over Coach''s email while his parents were working, showing open houses to potential clients. ;

    I shrugged. "I feel better. Just stop poking me."

    He waved his hands freely for me to see. "No poking! See? I''m just worried about you. Him. It. This."

    I frowned and stabbed my scrambled eggs. "I''ll feel better if you quit asking about it. I already talked to Dr. Moore yesterday. I''m all talked out." I spent most of Saturday afternoon talking about my abstract feelings for Jeremy and the more I thought about, the more annoyed I got. ;

    "Jake." Noah sounded sad, making me look up. He looked upset. ;

    "What..?" I asked, worried about what he was going to say. ;

    "You''re not going to leave us for him, are you?" He pouted. ;

    "No!" I blurted out. My eyes opened wide, I stared at him in disbelief. Did he want me to leave? ;

    "Thank goodness." Noah sighed in relief and slumped in his chair. "I''ve been wanting to ask you since Dr. Moore left yesterday, but you didn''t seem ready to talk about it. And now I just had to know."

    "I like it here." I mumbled, looking away. ;

    "Yea, but I didn''t know if you''d like him more. He''s your real brother after all." Noah said in a gloomy tone. "I eavesdrop on your talk with Dad and Dr. Moore yesterday. With you not wanting to completely distance yourself from him like you did in the beginning...it made me worry that you were going to leave."

    "I don''t want to leave." I sucked up the courage to say. "I like you. I like your family. This is what I want. It''s just...I''m just curious as to what he''s like."

    Noah frowned in anger. "He''s obviously a jerk."

    "It''d be nice to clear the air though." I tapped my thumbs together as I repeated some of Dr. Moore''s words. "I want to know why. I think that''s the most important thing to me right now." ;

    "I think you care too much, Jake." Noah stated. "He''s not a good person. Can''t you see that?"

    "I''m not saying he is. But I want to know." I took a deep breath. "What if he treats me better once he believes we share the same dad? I''m not saying all is forgiven, but I want to know him. What about my uncle? Him and his family? I just want to know what it feels like, okay?"

    "Just because things could have been different, doesn''t mean that they would have been better." Noah sat up straight and stared me down. ;

    "I know." I sighed. "I just don''t want to leave a bunch of ''what-ifs'' out there." Like his dad. But I couldn''t say that. If Mr. Atkins hasn''t told Noah all the details then it''s not my place to either. "I want to clear the air." I reiterated. ;

    "Fine." Noah stood up abruptly and took his plate to the kitchen to put in the sink. ;

    Feeling a sense of loss, I could only just sit there. ;

    "Hey, guys-" Dave walked in talking, but stopped short. "What''s with this atmosphere? Are you two having a fight?"

    I shook my head. ;

    "Agree to disagree." Noah said as he stood by the table. ;

    Dave lifted an eyebrow. "You know you can''t fight with a mute right?"

    "Hey!" Noah shouted, moving over to Dave. He punched him in the arm. "Jake isn''t a mute."

    "Oh? So you''re still defending him?" Dave shrugged. "Can''t be that big of a fight then."

    I let a breath of air go. ;

    "What do you want?" Noah said, sounding exasperated. Almost as annoyed as I felt earlier. ;

    "You two didn''t look at the email right?" Dave sat down across from me. ;

    I shook my head while Noah shrugged. ;

    "C''mon you guys. This is important stuff." Dave rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Coach sent us some information on our next opponent, Anderson High School. Really good batters. Pitching is on par with us."

    "Which ''us''?" Noah asked. "You? Or Garret?"

    "Ha. Ha. Very funny." Dave reached over to slap Noah but missed. "Fine. I won''t tell you guys."

    "It''s cool." Noah grinned. "We''ll just look at it ourselves."

    "Don''t bother." Kyle came in with Zeke right behind him. "There''s not much there for the two of you to read."

    "Why not?" Noah asked. ;

    "You can''t miraculously become a pitcher overnight, nor can you become a better hitter in a day. Meanwhile, Jake has nothing to worry about." Kyle smirked. ;

    Zeke slapped Kyle on the back of the head before Noah could react. "Stop acting stupid." He looked to Noah. "Don''t listen to his nonsense. Do you and Jake want to go to the cages? The twins are going to Kelvin''s with Garret."

    "Yes!" Noah bolted out of the room in a flash. Probably to go change. ;

    I stood up to do the same. ;

    "Jake, something you should know first." Zeke stopped me. ;

    I froze; thinking it would be about Jeremy, my heart started to pound. ;

    "Tomorrow, Anderson might pitch around you." Zeke told me. "Do you know what that means?"

    Feeling relieved that it wasn''t another talk about Jeremy, I just shrugged. "I don''t have to swing?"

    Zeke''s eyes narrowed and focused on my injured arm. "Is it hurting?"

    "What?" I lifted it. "Not so bad, no. Just tight. Don''t touch it."

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "I don''t think we''re on the same page. If they pitch around you, you have to try and hit whatever is close. Don''t let them walk you if you can."

    Ohhhh. I turned red. Feeling embarrassed, I hurried to take my dishes to the sink and then hurried upstairs just as Noah was coming down. ;

    "Hey, what''s wrong?" Noah paused, making me stop too. "Why are you so red? Were they picking on you while I was gone?"

    "No." I hurried back up the stairs. ;

    It was nice knowing that Noah had my back even when it came to his brothers. I didn''t feel so bad when he painted Jeremy in a terrible light. ;

    ��

 475 CIF Semifinal: Anderson HS 1

    "We''ll start with Kyle on the mound today." Coach told the team as the bus drove towards the sunset, heading for the coast. Coach looked at Kyle. "Work hard, try your best, and don''t lose your cool. Anderson has a great lineup. It rivals ours, if not better."

    "I can handle it." Kyle''s voice broke midway through his sentence causing the whole bus to laugh and for him to turn red.

    "I''m not asking you to." Coach said with a small smile. "You throw what you can. Garret will come in once you get tired. Dave and the rest will be in the bullpen just in case." He turned serious. "This is the farthest our program has ever come in CIF. We win, we go to the finals. We lose, and there won''t be another game."

    The team stopped laughing and sobered up.

    "I don''t want to sound like a broken record boys." Coach told us. "I''m not the one that can go out there and do all the work for you. You have to give it your absolute best. If you don''t, you won''t just be letting yourselves down. But your teammates too. The ones who didn''t get to play. The ones who didn''t make varsity and for the ones that were sent down. You have to give the underclassmen something to look up to and strive for."

    "Striving to be like Zeke isn''t enough?" Noah joked.

    Coach''s face twitched. "That''s not a team goal."

    "It should be." Noah said excitedly. "Could you imagine a whole team of Zekes? We would crush every game."

    "You realize that Zeke doesn''t pitch, yea?" Garret asked.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Who needs pitching when you got a team full of Zekes?"

    "I think a team full of Jakes wouldn''t be so bad." Dave laughed. "Could you imagine how they would all jump in unison every time a ball is hit? It''d be hilarious."

    Some of the guys laughed and I bowed my head.

    "That just means he''s always ready for the ball to come his way." Noah shot back.

    "Okay, that''s enough." Zeke stood up at his seat in the front and turned to face everyone. "You all know the drill. Seven straight innings of hustle to get to another game."

    "Killjoy." Noah mumbled.

    "Lineup." Coach announced. "Mahki, Julian, Jake, and Zeke. We''re visitors for this game too-" Some of the guys groaned. "There''s no helping it. This is the consequence for not going undefeated in league. Not much we can do about it now. Back to the matter at hand, you four need to get on and score early. Let''s try and give Kyle some breathing room." He made eye contact with the few of us. "Garret, Kyle, Noah, Kelvin, and Jason will be the bottom half. That doesn''t mean you five can slack off. If anything, you have more time to study the pitcher."

    "I would have practice my batting a little more yesterday if I had known." Kyle groaned, resting his head on the seat in front of him.

    "Like that would have helped." Dave scoffed, making more of the guys laughed.

    For it being a semifinal, I thought there would be more tension, but with all the jokes and laughing, it made me feel at ease. The team was pretty relaxed overall. That didn''t stop Zeke from demanding our best during warmups and being serious about the upcoming game.

    With Anderson being the home team, they had first pick for dugout. They chose the third base side, leaving us the first base side. Not that it matters too much in an evening game when the sun sets so early, but I personally like having my team near third so when I reached there, it feels easier to score.

    By the time we got settled, changed, and all warmed up, the sun had gone down and the lights were shining down on the field. Families had shown up and filled up the stands, with students joining in too. I was surprised by how many kids from our school made the drive.

    "It is a big deal." Noah emphasized. "For high school at least." He looked over the spectators in the stands. "A lot of the JV and freshmen level players are here."

    "They don''t have any games?" I asked, putting my helmet on since we just finished the national anthem. We were up to bat first and I would go third behind Mahki and Julian.

    Noah shot me a funny look. "No. CIF is only for the varsity level. Not that their games don''t matter. I heard JV won league for their level, but the freshmen team didn''t." He smirked. "Serves them right."

    "Those levels are just so players can hone their skills." Garret said from his spot on the bench. He was tugging on batting gloves, eager for the game to start. "Not all freshmen play on the freshmen team, and it''s not like we pay attention who moves up to JV. Me and the twins started out on JV, but I was called up to varsity a time or two."

    "It''s not like you''re that much more impressive than us." Kyle walked over, smacking Garret with his glove. "Noah started out on Varsity. So did Jake. It''s just based on demand. Besides, you only pitched a few innings."

    "Still more than you."

    "Remind me again, who''s starting today?"

    "Yea, that''s only because Coach trusts me more to close it out."

    "We won''t need you at all." Kyle declared confidently.

    "That''s not what the coaches think." Garret got serious. "Do your best. Quality over quantity."

    Kyle cracked a smile and bumped fists with him. "Yea, yea I know."

    The game was called to start, with Anderson High taking the field and Mahki stepping up to bat first. Julian was taking practice swings diligently in the circle and I got up to stretch.

    "The bandage feels alright?" Drew came over to ask.

    "Not awful." I told him, giving my wrapped up arm a glance.

    "Any problems, then let me know." Drew patted me on the helmet and left for the other end of the dugout.

 476 CIF Semifinal: Anderson HS 2

    Coach and an assistant stood huddled over a notepad, writing down some words I couldn''t see.

    "Attack early, alright?" Zeke popped up next to me, also ready to bat.

    I nodded, swallowing a little harder than normal. The fun atmosphere was fading into a game atmosphere. Less fooling around and more attention was paid to the pitcher on the mound.

    The ''ding'' sound from a bat hitting a ball claimed our attention. I looked just in time to see the catcher jump up, throw his mask away, and move under the ball to make the catch. Out. The first out was a foul ball to the catcher.

    Mahki came back with a frown, Julian moved up to the batter''s box, and I stepped out to go to the on deck circle.

    It was hard to say if Julian did worse or better than Mahki. He also came out swinging. And missing. He struck out on three pitches, compared to Mahki fouling out on the second pitch.

    My shoulders tensed up as I moved to the batter''s box. Julian patted me on the head as he headed back to our dugout. I gulped and slowed up. I took my time stepping in the lefty''s box and getting set.

    The pitcher was tall and well built. He nodded at the catchers sign as soon as I was set and straightened up. As he started his motion, I remembered Zeke''s words yesterday on how they might pitch around me. I chose to watch the first pitch closely. I wanted to catch them off guard by getting a hit on the first pitch. Seeing that the pitch was outside, but within reach, I made my move. The end of my bat made contact, hitting a line drive down the third baseline.

    It felt like the whole stadium gasped, only to groan a second later as the third baseman made a diving grab. It felt almost simultaneous as I dropped my bat to sprint to first. I froze, my teammates sighed in defeat, and Anderson ran off the field with high spirits.

    The tension in my shoulders dispersed as I went back to grab my bat. I took off my helmet and headed back for the dugout as some of my teammates started to jog out.

    Kyle and Kelvin were the first ones out, immediately heading for the mound to do some warmup. Garret and Mahki were also quick to sprint to the outfield. Jason, Noah, and Julian came out as well.

    I hurried to my bag to dump this gear. I tugged my hat on and grabbed my glove.

    "Hey." Zeke jogged up next to me, leaving the dugout at the same time. "Don''t take it to heart. That was my bad."

    I shook my head.

    "No. Really." He told me, stopping me from taking the field. "I put too much pressure on you. I think Coach realizes he did the same. To the team as well. We''re all kind of high strung and we have to find a way to tackle it." He glanced at Kyle on the mound. "Just forget about the last at-bat, and focus on defense."

    Ugh. I shook my head to try and clear my thoughts.

    Kyle was on the mound and the spare balls were thrown back to the dugout. It was defense time. Kyle came out hot, throwing a fastball right down the middle, that was soon hit back our direction. It was a fly ball right to Garret on left field. He caught it for the first out then threw it back in.

    "One out!" Garret hollered.

    "One out!" Some of the other guys echoed.

    Kyle''s expression looked annoyed, but quickly smoothed over as he faced batter number two. He worked his pitches on the edges of the strike zone, earning him a swinging strikeout. He did the same with the third batter, closing out the inning cleanly just as Anderson High did to us.

    We left the field with a little more pep in our step compared to when we came out.

    I took my glove off as I sat down near my bag, while Noah got read to bat this inning. I raised an eyebrow as I watched him tug on his batting gloves.

    "What?" He asked. "Zeke goes up first. I''ll definitely get my chance this inning."

    I smiled at his confidence.

    He was right though. Zeke was first up after Anderson completed their warmups. They made a move that surprised us though. The catcher didn''t squat, he stayed standing with his arm outstretched, asking for an intentional ball.

    My smile disappeared as we watched the other team intentionally walk our best player. That''s how you really pitch around someone, I decided to myself. They didn''t give him anything hittable. Technically it''s considered a gift, a free base. Except...we couldn''t capitalize on it.

    Garret did his best to work the count, earning himself a hard grounder down the third baseline. There was a sense of excitement, but for me, I felt dread. I knew the third baseman had some higher skill than normal infielders. He stopped my line drive easily after all. This time was no different. He fielded the ball smoothly, making the throw to second before Zeke could get there. The only saving grace was the second baseman couldn''t turn the double play in time to get Garret out.

    Zeke came back, Kyle went up, and Noah moved to the on deck circle. Kyle may have had a good showing on the mound, but he was practically a ghost in the batter''s box. He seemed to hesitate on every pitch given before striking out, looking. He couldn''t swing once. He came back and knocked himself on the head out of frustration.

 477 CIF Semifinal: Anderson HS 3

    Bottom of the second.

    Kyle took the mound with confidence and a slight attitude. The first pitch was a fastball right down the middle for a called strike. The batter stepped back for a practice swing. As the cleanup, he was definitely a senior: tall, well-built, and almost looked like adult with a full beard. This was the first time I felt like we were playing against men and not boys. This would be the disadvantage in playing varsity as a freshman.

    ''DING!''

    Kyle''s second pitch was returned with force and power. The cleanup hitter smashed the ball to left field. We could only watch as it soared over Garret and then the outfield fence. A homerun. A solo shot.

    Anderson High and their fans cheered for the batter as he jogged the bases with ease.

    I looked to Noah, but he was just as stunned as I was. That was too sudden. We''re losing by one with a swing of the bat. If we''re this shock, I can''t imagine what Kyle is feeling. I slowly turned to Kyle, feeling more nervous than I did when I was at bat.

    Kyle was still facing left field. Disbelief was written all over his face. It was a good pitch. Speed. Placement. Movement.

    "Next one!" Garret yelled from left field with some aggression.

    That snapped Kyle out of his daze. He turned himself around to face Kelvin, who was waiting to give him a new ball. Noah and I exchanged worried glances, but since he didn''t make a move towards the mound, I didn''t either.

    Kyle was obviously affected by the solo shot to left, and it showed in his next battle with batter number five. His pitches were off-mark and the ones that were close to the zone, were fouled off. It didn''t take long for another ball to be launched towards the outfield.

    I moved to cover second base, and Noah moved towards the grass to be the cutoff man. The ball was high as it traveled to center field. Zeke tracked it down with his eyes, his feet gliding across the grass as he sprinted towards the fence. He paused for a brief second before jumping, raising his glove high while using his free hand for balance against the fence. He snatched the ball before coming down hard.

    He straightened up and immediately threw the ball in to Noah. "One out!"

    Noah grinned, turned and threw the ball to Kyle. "One out!" He echoed.

    Kyle nodded after catching the ball, then faced home plate. The sixth batter stepped up. Kyle had lost his focus after those two well hit balls. It wasn''t a lie to say that the first out would have been another homerun if it wasn''t for Zeke''s great defensive play.

    Kyle''s pitching lacked the power from before, but that wasn''t as concerning as his lack of placement. He walked the sixth batter on four straight balls. The batter jogged to first and Kelvin stood up to jog to the mound.

    I looked to Noah and saw him jogging to me instead of to the mound so I met him halfway.

    "''What''s up''...?" I repeated. Then glanced to the mound where Kelvin and Kyle were. "Should we go too?" Doesn''t he normally go to the mound when the pitcher is struggling? Kind of like for moral support?

    Noah shrugged, looked down and kicked some dirt. "I''m not sure what to do either. I don''t want to make things worse. Kyle isn''t like Dave. Plus, it''s the playoffs." He stressed the last word. "I''m sure Kelvin knows what to say and do. He''s a senior."

    Noah was actually just as nervous as me. And Kyle. Probably the whole team was feeling it now. A sense of dread. I tried to smile. "It''s only the second inning."

    "Right!" Noah nodded enthusiastically. He then tilted his head to the mound. "It''ll all work out, I''m sure." He started to jog backwards to his position after noticing that Kelvin was jogging back to home plate.

    Kelvin''s words must have had some affect on Kyle. He livened up and out in some serious effort to strike out the seventh batter.

    "Two outs!" An echo rang through our dugout and players on the field.

    Kyle looked fine and so did his pitching. We were back on track. Or so I thought.

    On a 1-2 count, the eighth batter swung with speed and power, making contact, and blasting the ball to left field. Again, Garret could only chase it to the fence and watch it go by. Another home run. With an added RBI. We were now down by three.

    My heart was pounding. I couldn''t imagine how Kyle was feeling.

    "Time." Coach called out while coming out of the dugout. He approached the home plate umpire and had a brief conversation before heading to the mound. Kelvin followed. The rest of the infielders went towards the mound as well, so I hurried to join in.

    "Sorry, guys..." Kyle muttered once he was surrounded.

    "Don''t think too much about it." Coach patted himself on the back. "It''s not uncommon to get banged around by such a good team. Today just isn''t your day." He held out his hand.

    Kyle put the ball in his hand then left the mound, going back to the dugout.

    Coach looked to left field and waved at Garret. Garret immediately came running in, joining our crowded mound. "Garret. One out. That''s all we need right now."

    Garret nodded and accepted the ball from Coach. "Got it."

    Coach looked at the rest of us. "Get your heads out of the clouds and focus on the game. It''s only the second inning. Who cares if we''re down by three?" He didn''t wait for an answer and just left, going back to the dugout.

    "Put away the depressing faces." Garret commanded. "We''re not out of this just yet." He then sent us off the mound so he could throw some practice pitches with Kelvin.

    While he warmed up, Sean came running out of the dugout. He ran to Mahki and Zeke in the outfield, taking over for Garret.

 478 CIF Semifinal: Anderson HS 4

    After Garret''s practice pitches, he easily shut down the ninth batter, getting him to strike out to end the second inning. We jogged back to the dugout.

    "That was brutal."

    "Not a good start."

    "Already in the hole."

    I heard depressing mumbles as I followed Noah to our bags.

    "Heads up!" Zeke''s command made me jump. He stood at the dugout entrance, just coming back from the outfield. "I don''t want to hear anyone giving up. There''s still some baseball left to play."

    "Just gotta bounce back." Noah added, bouncing in place.

    "Kelvin. Jason. Mahki." Coach called out. "You three must be feeling pressured to getting on base, correct?"

    Kelvin, who just took off his catchers gear, nodded.

    "I want you to use that pressure." Coach told them, then looked around at all of us. "Use this pressure to push yourselves. Prove to me, to them, to everyone, that you want this more. You have to want to win more than they do, but you also have to prove it."

    Kelvin grabbed his bat and headed out first. "I want this the most. I sat on the bench for too long to pass this opportunity up." He went straight to the batter''s box, taking a few big practice swings.

    "Great." Coach nodded in satisfaction. "Jason, Mahki, you two get ready as well. We''re cutting that lead down now."

    They quickly got ready to bat and moved to their spots.

    "Wow. Coach is really serious." Noah remarked, putting his glove down between us.

    "Coach is always serious." I replied, trading my hat for my helmet.

    Noah shook his head. "But it''s reallyyy serious now. Almost like, if we don''t score now, the fight will be even harder later on."

    I shrugged. "Could be."

    Noah watched Kelvin''s at-bat intently. "This could be good or bad. Morale wise. Coach is really gambling on us right now. If we don''t score, the morale might take another dive."

    I held my bat in my lap, unsure of what to say. I wasn''t a leader. I don''t know what morale is or how bad it would be if we didn''t have any. Just hearing everyone else around me though, I could take a guess.

    I peeked to the end of the dugout where Kyle was. Alone. In the corner. His elbows were on his knees and he was hunched over, contemplative. He looked down. A little sad, a little angry, a little frustrated. No one approached him.

    ''Ding!''

    My head whipped back as I looked for the ball. Seeing the left and center outfielders running, I finally spotted the ball just in time to see it hit the fence.

    "Go! Go! Go!" Noah jumped up and yelled.

    He wasn''t the only one. The whole team was urging for Kelvin to run his fastest. He slid into second as the ball was returned to the infield. A double!

    I made a move to the on deck circle as Julian stepped up to bat, but Zeke held me back. "Jake. A minute."

    I stopped beside him and Coach.

    "I know we pressured you early on in your first at-bat." Coach started off by saying. "But now it''s going to be heavier." His eyes shifted to the field, almost as if to hint to something.

    I watched the field closely. The pitcher started his motion and Mahki took off. It was a steal! Mahki sprinted to second, the pitcher hurried up his throwing, the catcher popped up immediately and threw to second.

    "Safe!" The ump declared.

    "Runners on second and third, one out." Coach stated. "Miller will give Julian the sign to swing as he pleases. Hopefully he can drive in a run or two. Whatever''s left will be on you. If he gets out, then that leaves you an even smaller room for opportunity with two outs."

    I nodded slowly, not sure where he was going with this.

    "Take your time." Zeke spoke up. "We don''t want you to panic or think too much. Treat it like the batting cages. We need runs, not outs. Not walks."

    I blinked. "Okay." With that, they gave me a pat and sent me to the circle for some practice swings. It''s crazy to think I started the season with nothing but a bunch of walks, and now I was to aim for hits. Good hits. RBI hits.

    Julian did his best in the box, but got caught looking at a curve. He hit his bat against home plate before coming back. He gave me a curt nod as we traded places.

    I chose the lefty''s box again, with my back to my dugout. I could hear the shouts of ''come on'' and ''let''s get this''. And lots of clapping. The fans were also clapping. Almost like I had already gotten the hit.

    Mr. Miller gave me a couple of fake signs, then clapped his hands together. Hit freely.

    As the pitcher nodded at his catcher, accepting the pitch choice, I was searching. Searching for a spot to aim for, without being too obvious. The ball needed to clear the infield and not be caught by the outfield.

    "Strike." The umpire said.

    I looked down and saw that the first pitch came and went. Okay, no biggie.

    "Stay calm!" Kelvin''s voice and clapping grabbed my attention. He stood on third with the third baseman right next to him.

    Then it hit me. The third baseman was stationary, preventing Kelvin from taking a big lead. With him like that, the rest of the infield was shifted. The shortstop had more ground to cover, the second baseman was almost directly behind his base, while the first baseman covered the gap between first and second. They were leaving the first baseline wide open.

    I gripped my bat a little tighter, focusing on the pitcher. I didn''t want to look and give it away. I just had to be calm and treat it like batting practice. Down the line. Down the line. Down the line.

    The pitch came, a fast curve. I didn''t hesitate to swing, using force to pull the ball down the first baseline. The first baseman dove for it but it was out of his reach.

    "Fair!" An umpire yelled out as the ball skipped across the outfield grass, before rolling over the line.

    Everyone was running. I sprinted to first, Kelvin and Mahki weren''t in my line of sight, but I could see the right fielder sprinting for the ball. I reached first, the right fielder grabbed the ball out of the grass and threw it well over my head. I whipped my head around just in time to see Mahki sprinting home and the ball coming in. The catcher caught the incoming baseball, then did his best to make the tag and block Mahki''s slide.

    All eyes were at home. The umpire extended his arms. "Safe!"

    Yeah! I pumped my fist and stood at first base properly. 2-3, only down by one now.

    Kelvin and Mahki were excited as well and hurried back to the dugout amidst cheers from the spectators.

    I spotted Mr. and Mrs. Atkins in the center bleacher, higher up, waving and clapping. I felt the blood rush to my face.

    "Great job, kid." Coach Luis slapped my shoulder, making me take a step forward.

    Zeke walked up to the batter''s box for his at-bat, making a few others get more wild. Zeke could easily get us the lead with a homerun.

    Unfortunately, the other team decided to pitch around him once more, intentionally walking him. I jogged to second as he took over first. Garret was up next. Garret seemed to copy some of my movements, pulling a curveball to the right, but with Zeke on first, the first baseman was more stationary and holding the line. He easily caught Garret''s line drive and ended our rally.

    "I knew you could do it!" Noah jumped around me as I switched my helmet for any hat and glove. "That was awesome. Now we''re one step closer to being out of the hole. I knew you could help us climb out."

 479 CIF Semifinal: Anderson HS 5

    Garret dealt with the top of the lineup for Anderson just as easily as Kyle had done in the first inning. He closed them out with a line out to left field, a groundout to first, then a strikeout looking. Three up, three down.

    Only down by one, the dugout was more boisterous as we got ready for another turn to bat. Sean replaced Kyle in the lineup, so he was the one to lead us off first to start the fourth inning.

    I sat down to watch, taking off my glove.

    Noah was hurrying to switch his gear just to wait for his turn at-bat in the circle. He was staring down the pitcher so hard, it was like he was trying to melt him with just his eyes.

    Sean fouled off a couple of pitches down the right field line, looking like he was holding his own against this pitcher. On the fifth pitch he surprised us by launching the ball to left field. It was a high one. Everyone jumped off the bench, including me. We held onto the dugout fence and watched as the ball cleared the outfield and flew over the fence.

    Homerun! A solo shot to tie the game!

    It wasn''t proper to go out and celebrate in the middle of the game, but as soon as Sean returned from his victory lap, the team started to pounce on him, pushing and pulling. He laughed until he was red in the face, probably feeling a sense of accomplishment.

    I smiled as I sat back down, happy that we were no longer losing. The game was tied at three. I like being on even ground instead of that hole.

    Anderson''s coach apparently had seen enough from this pitcher that had given up three runs. He pulled him and replaced with another just like we had to do.

    I peeked over at Kyle. He was sitting with Garret, talking and looking somewhat less depressed. That''s good. I sighed with relief. I didn''t want to see him down on himself.

    Noah had to face the new pitcher first. He did his best, getting a piece of the ball, and hitting a grounder to the third baseman. The third baseman was good though. He fielded the ball with ease and his throw was on point, getting Noah out.

    Kelvin and Jason weren''t any better. Kelvin struck out looking, then Jason followed that up with a pop up foul ball to the catcher to end the offense. It brought our team down from the high of hitting a homerun to tie the game, but you could still feel the determination as we took the field for defense.

    That determination wavered after the first pitch was sent straight into the outfield fence. The cleanup hitter who had a homerun in the second inning, had returned, earning himself a stand up double against Garret on the very first pitch.

    The ball was thrown in to Noah, who gave it to Garret. They both looked shocked, and neither had anything to say. It was like a sense of disbelief. How did he get on base so fast? Was the pitch too easy?

    Garret didn''t look bothered by the change in hitters. Yet, on the very next pitch, his cutter didn''t break like it normally did, and instead, hit into the batter''s thigh.

    The crowd let out a gasp.

    Hit by pitch. Garret actually hit a batter.

    The batter got checked over for a second before jogging to first. Meanwhile, the other infielders and I went to the mound to check on Garret.

    This had never happened before. A double, then a hit by pitch? Garret doesn''t do this. On two pitches too!

    Unsure of what to say, I looked to Noah. He was looking at Kelvin though. "Hey, what''s happening?"

    Kelvin looked as unsure as I felt. He shrugged and looked at Garret. "Did you lose your grip on that? Are your hands sweaty?"

    "Of course they''re sweaty!" Garret lifted his glove to hide his lips and lowered his voice. "I was shaken by the cleanup hitter. I almost gave up a homerun...on the very first pitch of the inning. What should I do?"

    "Don''t panic." Julian spoke behind his glove too. "Panicking will just make things worse. Just recollect yourself and regain your footing."

    "Easier said than done." Garret whispered. "My hands are shaking like a leaf in a tornado." He smacked his pitching hand into his glove a couple of times. "I think they must have done research on us or something."

    "Of course they did, goofball." Julian rolled his eyes. "It''s the playoffs. They probably had substantial information on you and the twins."

    "Should we tell Coach?" Noah asked.

    "He would know." Julian glanced back to our dugout and saw Coach talking to one of the pitching coaches. "Dave''s probably warming up as we speak. Do you want to be replaced by Dave, Garret?"

    "Of course not!" He blurted out. His shoulders slumped. "I can''t help it though. I''ve only thrown two pitches this inning, and it''s been a disaster. My mental state isn''t at it''s prime. I''m shaken."

    "Hang in there!" Julian patted his shoulder.

    "Ten seconds." The umpire warned us and we broke up, everyone going back to their respective positions.

    Garret was right to say he was shaken. Even though he knew it and tried his best, something was lacking. It showed too. The sixth batter who previously had a walk, was able to sneak a line drive out of my reach, right up the middle. He drove in one run, and then made it to second when Zeke chose to throw the ball to Jason at third to get the other runner. Jason caught the ball and made the tag, but the runner was still declared safe, sneaking under that tag.

    As if that wasn''t enough, the next batter hit a single to right field. Sean chased the ball down, threw it in my direction, but wasn''t as accurate as the others. I had to move over, did an awkward turn, then threw my best to Kelvin at home. All for naught. Those runners on second and third made it home. Not only did we hold the tie, we were three runs back in the hole.

    I angrily kicked the dirt, frustrated with my own movements. If I was just a little bit quicker and more flexible, I could have had a chance to get that second runner at home.

    "C''mon, it''s not that bad." Noah appeared next to me. I looked up and saw that Coach had come out of the dugout to speak to the umpire. And then to Garret. He took the ball out of his hands. "Dave''s coming in." Noah whispered.

    Dave came running in from the bullpen as Garret was sent back to left field, pushing Mahki back to right, ultimately pulling Sean from the game.

    "Dang, that''s rough." Noah mumbled as we watched Sean jogging back to the dugout. "He hits a homer and then gets pulled, not even a full inning later."

    "All part of the game." Julian joined us, as we watched Dave throw some practice pitches. "He did his part."

    "I know." Noah frowned. "I just said that it''s rough. But I understand. I wouldn''t be surprised if Coach put a pinch hitter in for me either."

    Julian sighed. "I''m not doing any better than you are, kid."

    We stood in silence until Dave was ready to go, then slowly went back to our spots. This game was going downhill once more, and we needed to hold them here, otherwise it was just going to get harder.

    Dave didn''t shy away from pitching inside even though Garret had just hit a batter. He went high and inside, jamming the batter who came out swinging. The bat pushed the ball forward, but it was just a slow dribbler to the mound. Dave didn''t waste any time coming off the mound; then he surprised me by turning all the way around to throw the runner out at second. Noah, who was covering, stepped on second with the ball in his glove, then smoothly transitioned to throw to first as the runner came sliding in, knocking him down after his throw.

    "Out!"

    "Out!"

    A double play!

    I hurried to Noah, helping him to his feet. "Are you hurt?"

    "Just a scrape." He stood up on his feet, brushing some of the dirt off his uniform. He grinned as he looked up at the mound. "Cutting it close, Davey."

 480 CIF Semifinal: Anderson HS 6

    Down by three, it wasn''t hard to imagine why the dugout was as quiet as a mouse. Top of the fifth, starting with the top of our lineup. If we didn''t get something going now, it''ll be a questionable ending for us.

    "Make something happen, Jake." Noah whispered to me.

    I gave him a tight smile, trying to be upbeat. "Sure. I''ll get on."

    "That''s not enough!" He blurted out. "We need runs this inning or this might actually be your last at-bat."

    "Hey, hey." Mahki overheard us on his way out of the dugout. "Just relax guys. We can do anything the other team can do. We both made it to the semifinals." He gave Noah a reassuring grin, looking more confident than I felt. "Rely on your seniors a little. We''ll carry you to victory." He left us and the dugout.

    "I rather rely on you, Jake." Noah rested his chin in his hands, elbows on the knees. Him being hunched over like that, made him look smaller than he really was. He must be feeling insecure.

    "Hey, if Mahki said he''ll get on, then I could get a run." I grabbed my bat and pushed on my helmet.

    "We''ll need more than one." He sighed.

    I couldn''t think of anything else to say to cheer him up, plus, I didn''t have the time. I moved to the dugout entrance and waited near Coach.

    Zeke showed up beside me, tugging on his batting gloves. He didn''t say a word, but the atmosphere seemed a little colder near him. He must be upset too. He couldn''t do much on defense, and he was completely taken out of the action on offense.

    ''Ding.''

    I whipped my head back to the field. Mahki has snuck a ground ball between the first and second basemen for a single.

    "Good hit!"

    "Nice, Mahki!"

    "Let''s go Jules!"

    The dugout livened up with that leadoff hit. I moved to the on deck circle as Julian went up to bat. Julian had it easy thanks to Mahki''s hit. It must have shaken up the pitcher a little because he started to miss the strike zone. He was all over the place and ended up walking Julian, pushing Mahki to second base.

    I stepped up with two on, no outs. I could hear my teams dugout getting rowdy. Even the crowd seemed to get a little amped up like they knew something would happen. I glanced back to the dugout to see Noah standing up against the fence, telling me to get a hit. Just outside the gated dugout was Zeke, standing calmly in the on deck circle.

    Zeke. It dawned on me then. Zeke would have to bat if I got on base. In fact, Anderson would have to pitch to him if the bases were loaded. There was no way they could just intentionally walk him and purposely give up a run with no outs. Garret was still behind him too.

    The pitcher officially walked me, loading up the bases. He groaned loud enough for me to hear on my way to first. When I got to the base, I turned to see the Anderson coach coming out. They were replacing the pitcher.

    My heart started to pound. Please don''t have a super pitcher waiting to come close us out.

    The new pitcher came from the bullpen and took some practice pitches on the mound. He was...was nothing special. I sighed with relief. I looked to Zeke with hope.

    Zeke caught me looking, then flashed me a grin. I blinked in surprise. Was he...confident? Did he know what I was aiming for?

    "Zeke! Zeke! Zeke!" A chant started as Zeke stepped up to bat. I couldn''t tell who started it first, our dugout or the fans in the stands, but soon it was all I could hear.

    The pitcher checked us runners before staring down Zeke. He took a deep breath and nodded at the catcher''s sign. Then he started his motion. The pitch was fast, high��then it took a dive. What good movement! It was a breaking ball, but before I could even try and think what type of pitch it was, Zeke had swung and connected, sending the ball high into the sky.

    My jaw dropped. I watched as the ball seemed to fly with the wind, clearing the outfield fence like it didn''t belong here. Just like that, Zeke pushed us to take the lead. With one swing!

    I couldn''t help but to smile as I ran the bases, happy that I made the right bet. Mahki and Julian were waiting by home plate, with matching grins. We high-fived then waited for Zeke. As soon as Zeke touched home, the two other seniors pounced on him, practically carrying him back to the dugout.

    I couldn''t hear anything with everyone yelling from both dugouts, the crowd, and the players on the field. I just followed my seniors back to the dugout where everyone was waiting to celebrate with Zeke.

    "Listen up!" Zeke commanded in the middle of the dugout, surrounded by the majority of the team. "We''re not done yet. We play to the end!"

    "Yeah!" The team agreed.

    I put my helmet away and sat down just as Noah was putting on his batting gloves.

    "You didn''t get any RBIs." Noah said.

    Unsure what he meant by that, I stayed silent.

    "I would have. If I were you, I would have totally shown off my batting skill." Noah went on.

    "Zeke was the better choice." I smiled at him. "You would have chosen Zeke too." I looked out to watch Garret''s at-bat. "Maybe if Julian didn''t get walked, I would have tried for something different. It all worked out in the end."

    Noah grinned. "It always does."

    I would like to think so. But I know that isn''t always the case. After today, someone will be going to the finals while the other won''t have another game to play. It''s not going to work out for one of us.

    There was the sound of the bat connecting with the baseball and the crowd was rowdy again. I watched as Garret legged it out to second base as the ball rolled in the outfield to the fence. He reached second without needing to slide, earning himself a double and a round of cheers.

 481 CIF Semifinal: Anderson HS 7

    Bottom of the fifth. We took the field with renewed energy, happy to have the lead back, 7-6. Dave had to start with the top of the lineup, which wasn''t so bad when you look back and see that they haven''t been able to do much.

    At least, back then, but they turned up for the second half of the game. Starting with a hit, the leadoff batter skipped a fast ground ball right by me, even when I laid out in the dirt for it. The batter tagged first and rounded the base, going straight for second without hesitation.

    Mahki, who was back in right field with Garret back in left, came sprinting in. He lowered his body to snatched the ball off the grass and continued his movement, throwing the ball almost immediately. I was still in the dirt, caught out of position. I started to push myself up.

    "Down!" Noah''s voice raises above everyone else''s.

    I stayed where I was at, trusting him. I turned my head to see him catch the ball that Mahki had thrown, and then swung down the gloved-hand at the runner, who was sliding into second.

    "Out!" The umpire pumped his fist.

    "Oh yea!" Noah pointed at Mahki right field, then gave him a thumbs up. The runner could only get up and jog back to his dugout with his head hung low. Noah threw the ball back to Dave on the mound. "One out!"

    "One out!" Some of the guys echoed.

    Dave wasn''t as happy as the rest of us. He groaned in frustration and it affected his pitching to the next batter. He gave up another single, but this time the runner didn''t go to second and get thrown out. Instead, he waited until the following at-bat, then stole second right under our noses. I froze when he took off, unsure of what to do. Luckily, Noah covered second when Kelvin made the throw after the pitch or maybe the runner would have been able to go to third.

    "Keep cool." Noah told Dave when throwing the ball back to him on the mound.

    Dave clenched his jaw and gave a tight nod before turning back to the batter. He centered himself and focused on the batter instead of the runner. He worked out: the batter popped the ball up right to me. I barely moved a step before making the catch, getting the second out. Dave finished the inning off on a strikeout, letting us keep the lead.

    "You had me worried there for a second." Noah jogged to catch up to Dave.

    Dave scrunched up his face in dissatisfaction. "They''re good. I definitely felt pressured. Kyle and Garret didn''t have it easy, that''s for sure."

    Noah patted his shoulder. "Don''t worry, you''ve got this." He told him as we entered the dugout.

    "Dave, take a rest." Coach said as soon as he saw Dave.

    "Or not..." Noah said. "Whoops." He mumbled before sneaking away. I slowly followed him.

    "I''m okay, Coach." Dave pleaded his case. "I didn''t give up any runs."

    Dave knew he couldn''t win so he sighed and walked to the end of the dugout to join his twin.

    "That''s gotta hurt." Noah said when he knew Dave couldn''t hear him.

    I put on my helmet before nodding in agreement.

    "Coach has a point though." Noah added on. "Plus we''re about to go up against the core of their lineup that has scored and driven in most of the runs. Ryan will have to come into a tough situation."

    I gulped. "I could never be a pitcher."

    "It''s not for the faint of heart, that''s for sure." Noah agreed with me.

    Top of the sixth. I was prepared to bat, in hoping for a few more insurance runs, but I only got as far as the on deck circle. Jason hit a fly ball to center, Mahki struck out swinging, and Julian popped the ball up, right to the pitcher. Three up, three down. At least I was guaranteed to bat one more time before the game ended.

    Top of the sixth, Coach came out as we took the field for warmups, and told the umpire about the pitching change. Ryan came jogging in from the bullpen and shared a conversation with Coach and Kelvin on the mound before taking some practice pitches.

    Ryan started with the fifth batter in the Anderson High lineup. He had a fly out and was hit by a pitch so far, while scoring one run. Not as scary as the cleanup hitter.

    Ryan cornered him, getting to a 1-2 count, making him swing at some pitch on the outside. The batter grazed the pitch with the end of his bat, sending a surprise fast grounder my way.

    Startled, I got caught flat footed, and needed to dive at the ball. I did so, only to knock the ball with the side of my glove, pushing it further away from me. I scrambled for the ball on my knees. I threw the ball once I got ahold of it. The throw was late though. The batter was already safe.

    I hung my head as I dusted myself off, not willing to look at Ryan on the mound or my other teammates who were yelling that ''it''s okay'' or that it ''was a nice stop.'' What a bunch of liars. I''m not completely new to the game anymore. That was an error. On me. I groaned, frustrated with myself.

    "Next batter, next batter." I heard Noah a few feet away, clapping with his glove. At least he wasn''t lying to me.

    My error must have thrown Ryan off his game. He walked the next batter, and just as he was getting into the rhythm with the following batter, a hard hit single went to the corner of right field. The first runner scored, tying up the game at 7. The other runner made it to third thanks to my indecision after receiving Mahki''s throw. Runners at first and third, no outs, the game was tied...can it get any worse, I asked myself.

    The answer came from the next batter: yes. He sent a long fly to left field. Garret was able to make the catch for the first out, but his throw wasn''t in time to stop the runner on third from tagging up and scoring, taking back the lead.

    Coach came out of the dugout, called ''time'', and went straight to the mound. The other infielders went too, so I hurried to join even though I was scared that he was going to yell at me. This inning did start with my error after all.

    "Sorry, Coach." Ryan was the first time speak.

    "No time for apologies, Lewicki." Coach waved him off. "It''s in the past. We now don''t have the lead, you know what that means?"

    Ryan shook his head, the rest of us looked as confused as him.

    "It means that you don''t have to feel nervous anymore." Coach gave a small smile and reached out to pat his shoulder. "We still get another inning to bat, with some of our best guys coming up. You just get them there, alright?"

    Ryan nodded obediently, looking more like a freshman than a senior.

    Coach looked to me next, causing me to shiver. "As for you? Stop overthinking! The error is already in the books, nothing you can do about it now." He clapped his hands a couple of times. "Two outs to go." He left for the dugout.

    "Two outs!" Noah hollered before running back to his position.

    As long as Noah still saw hope, then I would follow his lead. "Two outs!" I repeated, jogging to my own position. Julian and Jason were the same.

    Ryan closed down the sixth inning, getting the last batter in the lineup to strikeout swinging, and then the leadoff to hit a pop up, just foul of Julian. Julian caught it with ease and we all ran to the dugout.

    A chant  began as we jogged off.

    "A-H-S. A-H-S." The crowd made us feel like we really were the away team even though this was a neutral site. They got louder as Anderson High took the field.

 482 CIF Semifinal: Anderson HS 8

    My helmet felt too tight when I put it on and my bat felt too heavy in my hands. I could feel the guys in the dugout all glancing my way.

    "Do your best!" Coach told me on my way out.

    I stiffly moved to the batter''s box. The catcher had just gotten back from the mound after a short talk with the pitcher and one of their coaches.

    "Batter up." The umpire''s voice was oddly clear, even with the crowds cheering.

    I stepped in the box, but the catcher didn''t squat back down. He stayed standing, his left hand with the glove on was outstretched, far beyond my reach. They were going to walk me?

    The pitcher threw the ball nice and slow, way out of the zone.

    "Ball." The ump said and the catcher threw it back.

    I glanced back at my dugout, but no signs came. Zeke stood on the circle, lightly swinging his bat back and forth.

    If they weren''t going to pitch to me, are they going to pitch to him instead?

    I kind of felt relieved. I accepted their intentional walk and jogged to first base after four balls.

    "Stay on your toes, kid." Coach Luis leaned down and whispered in my ear once I reached. "Be ready for anything."

    I nodded and got set.

    Except, the pitcher didn''t even bother to look my way. The catcher was still standing as Zeke stepped up to bat. He outstretched his right hand this time, to be out of reach for Zeke. They were walking him too. Unbelievable.

    I nervously looked at Garret on deck. They were practically counting on him to get out or even hit into a double play. Garret was crouched in the circle with his bat leaning against him, frowning at the scene.

    Zeke was officially walked, pushing me to second base. I jogged there and looked to Mr. Miller by third. I wanted to know what the plan would be.

    Mr. Miller looked at Garret while giving the signs, even though one was specifically for me. To run. To run home. As soon as the ball was hit. I gulped. I shook my hands nervously as I took small lead, watching Garret stepping up to bat. He was a true lefty unlike me. Unlike like his last at-bat, Anderson didn''t put a left-handed pitcher in again. Whether that''s because he earned a double off of him or they just didn''t have another one, I don''t know.

    The catcher finally went into a squat and gave the pitcher some hand signs. The pitcher nodded, looked at me, looked at Zeke, looked back at me, then started his motion. I took a few steps off, getting ready to sprint if needed.

    Garret swung, connected, and pulled the pitch way foul along the first baseline. The crowd gasped as the ball left the field. Our dugout could only sigh; too bad it wasn''t fair.

    I got off the bag and started my lead. The pitch to Garret was a fastball away. Garret swung, and the ball went to the opposite field, dropping between left and center field. I took off.

    Mr. Miller waved me on like crazy on my way to third, so I only slowed down long enough to make the turn and head home.

    "Down!"

    "Slide!"

    "Ball, ball, ball!"

    "Runner!"

    Yells came from all around, none of them were really distinguishable.

    The catcher got into position in front of home plate as I came running in. His eyes weren''t on me, but in the direction of where the ball went. It must be coming in. I really dug in and just as the catcher moved in anticipation to catch the ball, I dove at home plate at his feet.

    The catcher''s knee came down on the back of my leg.

    "Safe!"

    The crowd roared.

    I hopped up and happily limped back to my dugout, meeting Coach halfway. Drew wasn''t far behind him, also rushing out of the dugout.

    "Jake, are you alright?" Coach asked first.

    I smiled. "We''re tied."

    Coach fought off a smile. "Not bad."

    "How bad is it?" Drew asked, kneeling down by my injured leg.

    I waved him away. "It''s fine! I''m fine!" We were tied at 8! "It''s just going to bruise."

    Drew didn''t accept my rejection. He put his arm under mine and helped me back to the dugout.

    Noah was the first player to come up to me. "Jake!"

    I smiled at him and he immediately relaxed.

    "What are you doing here?!" Coach shooed him away. "Get on deck. Take some practice swings."

    Noah saluted him like a soldier and jogged our with his bat.

    "Does this hurt?" Drew flexed my foot back and forth.

    "Not much. It''s just a bruise Drew." I said, feeling exasperated.

    "You said your arm wasn''t much either." Drew narrowed his eyes at me. He continued to work on my leg, forcing it to bend this way and that.

    I could only sit back on the bench and let him do his job. My teammates didn''t crowd around me, knowing that I liked my space. They gave me a few smiles and shouted some feel good words of encouragement before focusing back on the game.

    Anderson had done another pitcher change to go up against our pinch hitter, Tanner. Ryan wasn''t needed for the last inning with James coming in.

    "What do you think, Drew?" Coach asked, eyeing the game.

    Drew rubbed the back of my calf, right where it hurt the most. "It''s a good size knot. He''ll have to simple home treatments like RICE." (Rest. Ice. Compress. Elevate.) "He''s going to be sore for a couple of days."

    "Can he go back in?" Coach asked, drawing my attention to him.

    Drew shrugged. "It won''t be too much of a hindrance, but I would suggest immediate rest to not make it worse."

    "Hmm." Coach hummed as he watched the game. Tanner just popped out to the third baseman, keeping Zeke and Garret at second and third respectively. He glanced down at me. "What do you think?"

    "I''m fine!" I told him.

    Coach let out a short laugh and watched on as Noah got up to bat next. "Let''s play it by ear. If we can grab the lead, I''ll feel confident enough to let James close it out. If we''re still tied, you''ll go back out since we can''t afford to lose you on offense right now." He walked a few steps away, watching the game with all of his attention now.

    Drew continued to massage my leg.

    Noah was struggling against the new pitcher, unable to keep up with his speed. He was quickly cornered into a 1-2 count. The pitcher threw a wild curve, Noah didn''t swing as the pitch hit the plate and bounced passed the catcher.

    "Go!"

    "To third!"

    "Go, go!"

    Everyone seemed to be yelling at the same time. We watched as Zeke sprinted to third as the catcher scrambled for the ball. The catcher picked the ball up, spun around and threw to third as Zeke came sliding into the base.

    "Safe!"

    The third baseman didn''t stop for a moment before throwing to second base. Garret has taken off too, but he had even more time to reach safely.

    "Safe!"

    Runners at second and third. One out. 2-2 count. I clenched my fist as Noah got back in the box. This was good. He can''t hit into a double play now.

    The pitcher went at Noah with a high fastball. Foul. Still 2-2. Then a low fastball. He got a piece of it, yet still foul. 2-2. The team chanted Noah''s name as they watched him from the dugout. I could even hear Mrs. Atkins out in the stands, yelling for Noah to do his best.

    ''Ding.''

    He connected! Stay fair! The ball popped off Noah''s bat and floated over the infield. It landed softly between the first baseman and the right fielder. The right fielder picked the ball up and threw to home right away just as Zeke tagged the plate with ease; Garret stayed at third. Noah got us the lead back! 9-8.

    The team shook the dugout fencing and made some noise. Noah stood proudly on first base, grinning like he won the lottery.

    Coach glanced back at me. "You''re out." I nodded, understanding. He looked down the dugout. "Hey!" It quieted down. "Tanner, you''ll go play second for Jake so get your glove out."

    "Is Jake hurt?" Zeke asked, coming back in time to hear Coach''s words.

    "It''s just a precaution." Coach answered.

    Zeke came to me anyways. He spoke with Drew and was finally satisfied with his answer that I''ll just have a good size bruise tomorrow.

    Zeke shook his head at me. "What are we going to do with you if you keep getting hurt?"

    I shrugged, feeling a little guilty.

    "Let me put your helmet away." Zeke gently pulled my helmet off my head and went to my bag, packing it up.

    Sadly, two runs was all we could get out of this inning. Kelvin hit into a 6-4-3 double play. But we still had the lead, a one run lead.

    "Jake! Did you see that?!" Noah exclaimed as he came back to the dugout. I nodded. "I hit that! I got a RBI single! To take the lead back! This is amazing!"

    "Alright, that''s enough." Mr. Miller came in and pushed him along. "You have to get back out there and play defense still."

    Noah looked back at me, losing some of his excitement. "Jake, are you not coming? Is your leg hurting?"

    "I''m fine." I gave him a thumbs up.

    Noah sighed with relief then hurried to his bag to switch out his gear to take the field with the others. Coach came back from talking with the umpire about the pitching change.

    Bottom of the seventh. James continued to show his dominance at closing games. He struck out the side, batters two, three, and four. They couldn''t even foul off his curve. Our team rushed to the mound to celebrate.

    "That was a tough one." Drew sighed. "So hard to watch."

    "But it was worth it." Coach smiled as he came over. He held out his hand, waiting. I hesitantly reached out so he could shake my hand. "Jake, congratulations, you''re going to the finals."

    A smile took over my face. "Thanks, Coach. You too."

 483 The Baseball Star

    "Jake! Jake! Come on! Get up!" Noah''s voice dragged me out of my sleep, causing me to groan. He laughed. "Get up! Time for school!"

    I groaned again and flopped over, pulling my pillow over my head.

    He started to shake my whole bed. "Come on! Let''s go already!"

    With a huff, I rolled out of bed and faced the wide-awake Noah. "Why are you so excited?"

    Noah just bounced around happily. He pointed at the shirt he laid on my bed. "Don''t forget time wear your shirt! The whole team is going to so you don''t want to miss out." He headed for the door. "I''ll be in the kitchen. Hurry up already."

    I squinted at him until he left, closing the door behind him. I lifted the shirt off the bed, taking a minute to get a better look at it.

    After yesterday''s game, an assistant coach passed them out with instructions to wear them to school the next day.

    ''CIF Finalists Northern Section Division 3''

    A random field was in the background, adding some color to the light grey t-shirt.

    I slipped it on with a pair of shorts, then hurried to put on my socks and shoes. I didn''t want Noah to go crazy on me anymore this morning. It was just too early. I glanced at the clock, we still had an hour before school started. Way too early. I sighed and grabbed my backpack, heading down to the kitchen.

    "Good morning." Mrs. Atkins greeted me with a smile  as she sat down at the table with the rest of her family.

    I sat down in my spot between Noah and his dad. "Morning."

    "Are you excited for school today?" She asked.

    I looked at her, feeling confused. "Not really."

    Dave laughed. "Typical Jake."

    I frowned. What did he mean by that?

    "It''s going to be a good day, Jake." Noah told me excitedly. "The whole school will know that we''re going to CIF finals next week. The school will definitely announce the highlights of yesterday''s game and I''ll shine as bright as a star."

    "Yea, right." Kyle scoffed.

    "Hey!" Noah straightened up. "Who had the game winning RBI?"

    "Thanks to Zeke''s baserunning." Kyle shot back.

    "You''re just mad that everyone''s going to know about your terrible pitching." Noah stuck out his tongue.

    "Noah James." Mrs. Atkins scolded. "Your brother tried his best."

    "He won''t let me have this moment, Mom." Noah complained.

    She shot a look at Kyle.

    Kyle sighed. "I was just joking. You know that."

    Noah beamed. "I know."

    "Noah." Mrs. Atkins warned. "Don''t you have something to say as well?"

    Noah thought for a second, then shrugged. "At least Garret sucked too so you''re not alone."

    Dave cracked up, laughing. Kyle rolled his eyes and I fought back a laugh myself.

    "Noah James." Mrs. Atkins said, exasperated. "I don''t want to hear you putting down others anymore. Your old enough to know better."

    Mrs. Atkins shot him a warning look before getting up and answering her phone in the living room. The rest of us went back to eating peacefully under Mr. Atkins watchful eyes.

    I was just thinking how identical the twins look when they wore matching t-shirts when Mrs. Atkins came back in the room.

    "It was George." She stood by Mr. Atkins, putting a hand on his shoulder while looking at me. "We''re going to court again. Tomorrow afternoon."

    Mr. Atkins frowned and looked up at his wife, patting her hand. "We knew this was coming. No need to stress." He looked at me. "Are you mentally prepared?"

    I shrugged. "I guess." Jeremy said he wanted a blood test...he can have it. I''ve come to terms that it won''t change my opinion of him in any way.

    Breakfast felt a little stifled after that. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins shot worried glances at one another, but there wasn''t much that could be done. We''ll just go tomorrow.

    After breakfast, Zeke drove us to school like normal and parked near the field. Him and the twins went up the hill first while Noah and I waited for Mr. Miller.

    Noah, who had been on his phone this whole time, put it down and looked at me. "He won''t be there tomorrow."

    "What?" I asked, not sure what he was saying.

    "I looked up the team''s schedule. They''re on the road so that man won''t be in court tomorrow with you. You don''t have to do any overthinking like you usually do." Noah told me.

    "Thanks, Noah." I smiled at him. Noah was the most reliable person I know. He didn''t want me to worry, and actually looked up the schedule, which I didn''t even think of. "That''s actually kind of reassuring."

    Noah tilted his head to the left, where Mr. Miller was coming from in his handy golf cart. "I know you don''t want to write him off just yet, but I don''t like him. I rather you just stay with us and forget about him."

    Mr. Miller stopped by and let us on. "Excited for today Noah?"

    Noah turned back to his friendly, happy self. "You know it! This is the moment I''ve been waiting for!"

    I didn''t understand what the big deal was about today. At least, not until Mr. Miller dropped us off and we headed for class.

    "Congrats!"

    "Great game!"

    "Can''t wait for next week!"

    "You can do it!"

    "Is it true that you won the game in the last inning, Noah?"

    Noah answered all the remarks with smiles and waves, but for the guy that asked about winning the game, he paused. "No way, it was a team effort!" Then he kept moving along until we got to class.

 484 Missed Tryouts

    The whole day followed a similar pattern of compliments, questions, and well-wishes. I was impressed with myself for not shying away like normal. It''s not like I started speaking and socializing, but I stayed with Noah as he talked to everyone.

    When it was time for lunch, Noah had an odd request. "Let''s go by the inner courtyard." He told me as we went the long way to our usual table.

    Knowing Noah, I knew he was up to something so I kept my eyes open as I followed him obediently. The inner courtyard was another place to have lunch, but it was only benches and trees with no tables. Very shady, but I rather be out in the sun. I was learning that even in May, Northern California was warmer than the South.

    "It''s nice to be still playing baseball." Noah said suddenly, speaking slightly louder than normal. I furrowed my brows, not understanding why he would speak like that. "Just one more game and if we win, we''ll be CIF champions. We''ll get a trophy for the school and receive rings. Wouldn''t that be cool."

    I guess..?

    He glanced at me, raising an eyebrow.

    I cleared my throat. "I''m just happy to be still playing with everyone."

    Noah grinned. He opened his mouth to speak but was suddenly jostled from behind as someone brushed up against him. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the familiar face. Austin. "Watch where you''re going."

    "Or what?" Austin mocked. He was a little taller than Noah now and slimmed down a little. He must have had a growth spurt in the last month.

    "Or Coach might be wondering who hurt his starting shortstop before the big game." Noah shot back, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

    Austin glared down at Noah, clenching his fists by his side. "Do you really think you''re that important to the team? You''re just filling the gaps. Your brothers practically carried you to the CIF championship. You''re easily replaceable. Just like on the travel team."

    Noah blinked in surprise.

    Austin noticed. "Oh?" He sneered. "Guess you didn''t hear. Tryouts for summer ball happened last weekend. You missed out. I''m not surprised no one told you or even let you know. That just shows how little you mean to the club." He turned on his heel and left us, dumbfounded.

    For two different reasons. I didn''t know what was going on while Noah just looked stunned over what he was just told.

    He glanced at me, looking less surprised and more upset. "Come on! We have to go find Zeke!" He hurried through the courtyard and headed to the area where the varsity team usually hung out at.

    I tried my best to keep up, just trailing a few feet behind. I had never seen Noah looked so panicked before. Which was saying something since we''ve been in multiple troubling situations.

    Noah found Zeke near some of the seniors, who he ignored. He approached Zeke directly. "Zeke. There''s a problem!"

    "The travel team had their tryouts already! I missed them!" He moaned. "What am I going to do? Do they allow late additions? When do they start practices?"

    Zeke frowned. "They already did the summer tryouts? How do you know?"

    Noah looked a little guilty. "We ran into Austin in the courtyard and he told me. Do you think I won''t be allowed to play??"

    "I bet you went looking for trouble." Dave came over, joining us. Zeke''s eyes narrowed. "But it''s strange. Usually summer tryouts would be held at the end of May. It''s only the 14th."

    "Are you talking about Watsonville Baseball Club team for ages 14 and under?" Julian asked from nearby. He was originally a part of the group Zeke was talking with before Noah''s interruption.

    "Yes!" Noah looked to him. "I played last year after 8th grade. I should still have another year left." He looked my way. "Jake should be able to play too."

    Julian nodded slowly. "My brother is in 8th grade now; he just tried out this past weekend. They told him they''ll have the results posted in a week. So Saturday or Sunday at the latest."

    "Is your brother coming here in the fall?" Dave asked.

    Julian nodded. "Of course."

    "Hey, who cares about that!" Noah groaned. "Do you know why they had tryouts so early?"

    Julian shook his head and gave a small shrug. "I didn''t even know he went for tryouts. I was training this past weekend for yesterday''s game. We aren''t super close. I just found out Sunday night when he asked our parents at dinner if they could afford to let him play travel ball if he makes the team."

    "And will they?" Dave asked, curious.

    Julian made a face of displeasure. "Doubt it. They couldn''t afford for me to play travel ball. Who knows? They were a little more attentive when I received some calls these last few weeks from schools with scholarship offers." He shrugged.

    "Wow! Congrats!" Dave nodded at him. I nodded in agreement.

    "Yea, I''m interested in what Fresno State has to offer so I''m going to visit them this weekend."

    "Excuse me!" Noah cut back in. "That''s great for you and all, Julian, but I want to know more about the tryouts for WBC." He shifted from foot to foot, looking an even mix of impatient and nervous.

    Julian could only shrug again, helpless. "I really don''t know much. I''ll ask my brother when I get home after practice if he knows anything about it being moved up. But, wouldn''t it be easier to ask one of the other freshman that go here? Don''t some of them play travel ball?"

    Noah fell silent, as did the group. His lips thinned and his brows furrowed. "No one said anything to me. Austin did, just to rub it in that I missed the tryouts. I think...they don''t want me on the team anymore."

    Julian didn''t know what to say and looked at Zeke. Zeke patted Noah on the head. "Don''t worry. We can just tell Mom and Dad at dinner. I''m sure they have a way of getting in touch with the club and maybe arrange a late tryout. For you and Jake."

    Noah hummed in agreement, but didn''t lift his head just yet. He just looked down at his feet with Zeke''s hand on his head. He never looked so small to me before, but under Zeke''s hand, he looked like a lost child.

    "Don''t be so depressed!" Dave slapped Noah''s back, making him jump. "You''re a CIF finalist and future champion. The club will be begging for you to return."

    That cheered him up a little.

    But if you ask me, it still weighed on his mind. We chose to stay with the team and eat our lunches with them. It was like he needed this sense of comfort, being surrounded by the team. Noah had lost his morning spark and it was like the team was the only thing that could keep him lit up. The early excitement of going to the finals was lost as his attention was focused on this summer ball club.

    "I don''t know what the big deal is." Dave told me after lunch on our way to Math.

    I glanced up at him. "You don''t play summer ball?"

    Dave laughed. "No way. It''s a lot of money. Our parents are pretty fair so they let us, me and Kyle, use that same amount of money for pitching clinics instead. Summer ball is a waste of time in my opinion. Since we decided to focus on pitching, it''s just a better deal for us to go to camps."

    "What this about camps?" Kyle showed up out of nowhere as we walked into the classroom.

    Dave gave him a rundown of what had happened, how Noah had missed summer ball tryouts.

    "That''s strange." Kyle frowned. "They''re usually held at the end of May."

    "That''s what I said!" Dave laughed.

    Kyle didn''t laugh, instead his frown deepened. "We should tell Dad."

    "Yea, yea, I''m sure Noah''s already sending a text or two to him." Dave relaxed in his seat. "I''m sure it isn''t a big deal."

    Kyle looked worried. "It''s kind of a big deal. They don''t do makeup tryouts." He lowered his voice. "And I know that two freshmen have dads on the board for WBC. They own part of the baseball club."

    "So what?" Dave shrugged.

    "So Noah''s in trouble." Kyle hissed. "None of the freshmen on the baseball team like him right now."

    That got Dave''s attention. He sat straight up. "But Noah is good! Good enough to make varsity!"

    "That has no bearing on club ball." Kyle sighed.

    The conversation died as the class started. I couldn''t stop thinking about it though. What if this was a big conspiracy to not let Noah on the team? Isn''t that a bit too petty? I recalled Austin''s smug face. He did seem the type.

    I wrote Kyle a note on some scratch paper.

    ''What are the names of the freshmen?''

    Kyle glanced down, frowned, then wrote something back.

 485 Summer Plans

    With that information, I wanted to talk to Jason at practice, but I didn''t want to do it with Noah around. He had apparently sent some texts to his Dad during class and said his dad would handle it before we even got back from practice. Seeing him all calmed down, I didn''t want to be a negative Nancy and share what Kyle said to me during math.

    When we got home after practice, Noah went looking for his dad right away. I was going to go upstairs to shower before dinner, but Noah grabbed my sleeve and dragged me along. "Come on, this involves you too, Jake."

    Errr, I guess.

    We walked into the office downstairs where Mr. Atkins did a lot of his work.

    "Dad!" Noah greeted. "What''d they say? When is our tryout?"

    Mr. Atkins paused, then turned in his chair to face us. I could tell from the look on his face that he didn''t have good news. I fidgeted. "Noah, Jake, how was practice?"

    "Dad." Noah narrowed his eyes. "That wasn''t a very good deflection."

    Mr. Atkins showed a sad smile. "I''m sorry Noah. I made a few calls, but they seem pretty set on their roster already. Not everyone can make exceptions for you."

    Noah looked crestfallen. "But, but I was on the team last year! Shouldn''t that count for something?"

    "We can find something else for you to do this summer instead." He offered. "There are camps and clinics of all sorts nearby. We can look into some-"

    "That''s not what I want though." Noah cut him off. "I wanted to play baseball this summer! Practicing and playing games. Real games! Not just training. Why pay hundreds to a camp that will teach me the same drills and skills that I already know?" He groaned, turned away and left. I could hear him stomping up the stairs in frustration.

    Mr. Atkins sighed. He looked at me. "Are you upset as well, Jake?"

    I shook my head. "I haven''t really thought about baseball after this. It''s just-" I lowered my voice. "I think, the other freshmen didn''t want Noah to tryout."

    Mr. Atkins gave me a sad smile. "I''ve heard. Kyle sent me a text and I asked some of the other parents."

    I blinked in surprise. "What do we do now?"

    "Forget about it." Mr. Atkins stood up. "I''ll talk to Zeke and see if he can convince Noah he''s better off without them. They would only hold him back and he wouldn''t be in the right state of mind if the whole team doesn''t want him there." He came near me and patted me on the head. "Do you understand what I''m saying?"

    "I do." I nodded. I just don''t know if Noah will bow out like this. He''s the type that fights for what he wants.

    "Now let''s talk about you." He looked down at me. "Are you ready for tomorrow? Will you be okay going to school tomorrow morning beforehand? Or do you think you''ll need to mentally prepare yourself?"

    "Ah, good thinking on his part." He smiled. "I''m glad Noah looks out for you. Takes a lot off my plate sometimes."

    Yea...he does look out for me...

    "I''m gonna go now, bye!" I rushed out of his office and up the stairs. I tried calming myself down before getting to the room I shared with Noah. Walking in, I saw him at his desk, pulling out his homework. I cleared my throat. "You''re not going to shower first?"

    "I figured you would want to." Noah glanced up at me. "What took you so long? Did you and Dad talk about the court thingy tomorrow or something?"

    "That..." I took a deep breath. "And about this summer ball team you want to join."

    Noah brightened up. "Don''t worry, I''ll think of something! If we pester Dad and Mom long enough, I''m sure they''ll do something or other to get us a tryout."

    "I don''t want to tryout." I rushed the words out of my mouth, scared of how this was going to play out.

    Noah''s excitement died down. "You...you don''t?"

    Not liking the expression he was giving me, I looked down at my feet. "No...I don''t think I want to play with them." Even with them not telling Noah about the changed tryout date, they just... "It won''t be like the team we''re on now, will it?"

    "Well, no, but-"

    "And the Coach won''t be the same." I told him. "What if I can''t make the team? Fielding wise, I''m really average." If that.

    "But you''re batting is really good!" Noah got up from his chair.

    I looked up at him. "Yea, but it''s just not the same." I decided it was time to bring out my trump card: his concern for my feelings. "Plus, the other freshmen don''t seem to like me. If they also make this summer ball team, won''t that mean I have to play with them almost every day?"

    "If they dare to pick on you, then I''ll fight them." Noah said defiantly.

    "That''s not how a team is supposed to be though. You saw how Chris was demoted, what if we get kicked off for being the reason for fights."

    Noah went silent.

    Seeing another opening, I spoke up again. "Plus, I want to experience summer break. In the past, I-" I swallowed audibly. "I didn''t get to do a whole lot of normal summer things."

    "Like what?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t know. Go to the beach? Swimming? Go to a baseball game. Without school, I had to spend more time at home with my mother."

    "Oh, right." He came over and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Don''t worry, we can do all that and then some more."

    I smiled with relief.

    After that talk, Noah lost a lot of his anger as we went on with our night. We took turns showering and then got to work on our homework. Even at dinner, he told his parents not to worry anymore and that he would settle on something else to do for the summer. They smiled and told him to take his time to look into some baseball camps.

    "You too, Jake." Mrs. Atkins added. "If you think of anything you want to do or a camp to sign up for, let us know and we can talk it over."

 486 DNA Tes

    Wednesday morning, I went to school like normal with a reminder that Mr. and Mrs. Atkins would pick me up at lunch time. Noah and I went through our classes, and I noticed he was still acting distracted so that summer ball idea didn''t completely die down. I''ll have to ask Zeke what he''s doing this summer and if he had any suggestions to help Noah get over this.

    At lunch, Noah walked me up to the office where his parents were waiting.

    "I don''t see why I can''t come too." Noah pouted. "I would only miss math and health."

    Mr. Atkins smiled down and patted his shoulder. "We don''t know how long we''ll be. Jake might miss some practice time. You shouldn''t. You have a very important game to prepare for."

    "Right!" Noah straightened up and clenched his fist. He looked at me. "Good luck today! Make sure you still come to practice even if you''re late!"

    I let out a light laugh. "Okay."

    Mrs. Atkins handed Noah a grocery bag. "I brought some snacks for you and the boys. Make sure you share with the team if they''re around."

    Noah accepted the bag. "Thanks, Mom!" He peeked inside and made a face. "Watermelon and cantaloupe? Why didn''t you bring cookies and brownies??"

    Mrs. Atkins laughed. "I''ll save that for after your game on Monday. You shouldn''t eat so many sweets anyways."

    "Yea, yea, I know." Noah looked me in the eyes. "Go. Don''t let them scare you. Mom and Dad won''t let anything bad happen to you."

    With that, we parted ways. He went to go find his brothers as I left with his parents. We agreed to eat lunch after the hearing so we went straight to the courthouse and met with Mr. Pickens.

    "George." Mr. Atkins greeted him with a handshake.

    Mr. Pickens held his briefcase in the other hand and shook it a little. "We''ll be with the same judge as before, Judge Richard Hill. That''s beneficial for us."

    "Did you request him?" Mrs. Atkins asked; we all had a favorable impression of this judge who really helped me out just two weeks ago.

    "No, it''s pretty much random since this is a completely separate case from last time. We just got lucky that it''s a small county." He looked down at me. "Jake, you understand that this will be different right?"

    I nodded slowly.

    "Okay, let''s head in." He checked his watch then led us through the building, finding the room we were to be in. Like last time, we sat at one of the tables in front of the seating area. Mr. Pickens sat on the inside, then Mrs. and Mr. Atkins, then me on the far side.

    Shortly after our entrance, the doors opened again, drawing our attention. Two men walked in. The old man was in a three-piece suit and carried a briefcase. He must be Jeremy''s lawyer.

    Something heavy landed on my shoulder making me flinch. "It''s okay, Jake. We''re here for you." Mr. Atkins gave my shoulder a squeeze.

    With both parties present, it wasn''t long before the judge showed up after being announced.

    "You may be seated." Judge Hill told us as he sat down. He held a file and placed it in front of him before looking right at me. "Jake. How are you?"

    How was I supposed to respond? I just stared at him blankly, feeling more nervous, especially after seeing my uncle.

    Judge Hill wasn''t offended. "You''re a baseball player, correct? How did that game go?"

    Mr. Atkins was quick to realize that I was regressing, so he spoke up. "They ended up winning. He will now be participating in the finals on Monday." He glanced to the other table. "Excuse his lack of response, I believe he is surprised by the unexpected appearance of his uncle."

    The judge looked to their table.

    "Not unexpected at all, your honor." The lawyer stood up. "I represent the whole Patterson family, especially so, in this case."

    "Yes, let''s get to the matter at hand." The judge opened the file in front of him and took a look. "A paternity suit, is it?"

    "Yes sir." The lawyer stayed standing. "There has been a lot of speculation on who Jake Hollander''s father is and my clients would like to settle these disputes."

    Judge Hill looked to Mr. Pickens. "And you''re here to object?"

    "On the contrary." It was Mr. Pickens turn to stand up as the other lawyer sat back down. "The Atkins and Jake agree to the blood test, but would like to request that it has no bearing on their future custody case as they file for Jake''s adoption."

    "Objection." The opposing lawyer stood up as well. "I have yet to speak to my clients about the next step pending the results."

    Judge Hill frowned. "Denied. It''s not the courts responsibility to see how far you plan ahead." He looked to us. "I won''t promise that this will have no absolute bearing on any future custody battles, but I will promise that the results won''t stop your adoption."

    I sighed with relief, letting out a small smile.

    Judge Hill continued. "If the paternity test can disprove the relation between Jeff Patterson and suspected son, Jake Hollander, then this matter ends here. If it can''t rule Jeff Patterson out as his biological father, then it''ll be up to both parties to figure out the next step, including but not limited to: custody and claims against the deceased estate." He looked down and wrote something down. "I will have the test assigned to a court-appointed facility. I will grant both parties two weeks to get it done. Court dismissed." He banged his gavel, stood up with his papers and left through a back door where his office was.

    Everyone present stood up afterwards. I was looking up at Mr. Atkins, but caught him frowning at the other table. I peeked over and saw my uncle leaving with his lawyer. He didn''t even spare a glance my way while walking out in a leisurely manner.

    "Will you guys have any plans to sue?" Mr. Pickens asked us in a low voice as we prepared to leave.

    "Sue? For what?" Mrs. Atkins was flabbergasted.

    "If he''s proven to be his son, then he''s entitled to a part of his estate."

    "No." Mrs. Atkins answered firmly. "We don''t need it. Nor does Jake. We can provide for our own kids."

    I blushed. She called me one of her own.

    "Let''s not write it off so fast." Mr. Pickens said calmly. "It''s not easy to raise another teen. There are a lot more costs besides food and clothes. There are unexpected doctor visits, school trips and supplies, baseball gear, and even college to think about."

    Mrs. Atkins looked upset, but Mr. Atkins quickly intercepted. "We''re not interested, George. I get that you want to plan ahead, but we can provide for Jake just fine. We''ll just be happy to get through the adoption. I don''t want to entangle ourselves anymore with the court system than we have to."

 487 DNA Test 2

    Mr. Pickens left us to go find the paperwork while we headed for the exit. Just outside, two familiar faces were standing around, talking. Jack Patterson and his lawyer. The sound of the doors opening and closing got their attention.

    Mrs. Atkins shot them a glare before leading me and her husband to a shady spot under the tree. The closer we got to summer, the warmer it got.

    "Excuse me." A deep masculine voice said. We all turned to see Jack walking our way.

    Mrs. Atkins reacted, taking a step towards him, but by doing so, she was also blocking me. "What is it?"

    "I just wanted to come over and introduce myself properly." I heard him say. "I''m Jack Patterson. Uncle to Jeremy."

    "And to Jake. You''re an uncle to Jake too." Mrs. Atkins stated.

    "We can''t be too sure just yet." He replied. My heartbeat got loud. "We''ll have the DNA tested today so I would like to ask if you could have Jake tested today as well."

    "We already plan on doing so." Mrs. Atkins said with some attitude. "I suggest you and your family start working on your apology."

    "What?"

    She took a step closer to him. They were eye-to-eye; he may have been tall compared to me, but Mrs. Atkins was tall too. The whole Atkins family were known for being tall. "You abandoned Jake. With some terribly sick woman. And then you have the nerve to claim that you aren''t related?? There''s no free pass here. No matter what, to me, Jeremy is the loser here. Even if they don''t share a dad, they share a mom. They''re blood. Don''t try and feed us some sap story. You two knew what kind of woman she was and that''s why you took Jeremy, isn''t it?"

    I couldn''t see the man with Mrs. Atkins in front of me, and there wasn''t much to hear because nothing was said.

    "That''s what I thought." Mrs. Atkins backed away. "You''re a sorry excuse for a human. Only God knows what to do with you." She turned on her heel, pulled me to her side and walked me back to the car. "Wayne. Get the papers from George. We''ll be in the car."

    "Sure, honey." Mr. Atkins could only say to our backs.

    Mrs. Atkins didn''t let me go until we got to the car. "Sorry about that, Jake. I know he''s your uncle but..."

    "I''m okay." I looked up at her. "Are you okay?"

    She gave me a gentle smile, looking more like herself. "I needed to get that off my chest. I just-thinking back, I." She paused to stop the stuttering. "I just want them to know what you went through. And that they could have made a difference if they chose to do so. Instead they chose to ignore, and it was wrong." She looked a little sad. "Don''t you wish things could be different sometimes?"

    "Not so much anymore." I told her honestly. Mr. Atkins and I talked about this before. "Overall, I like where I am now. Physically and mentally."

    My eyes stung. I nodded and patted her back with one hand. I was still scared. Still claustrophobic. Still traumatized. But now, I was also loved. Mrs. Atkins cared so much from day one.

    "Hey, hey, who is comforting who here?" Mr. Atkins walked up and joined us by the car, waving some papers. We broke apart. "Are you a hugger now, Jake?"

    I blushed. "Only sometimes." If the moment calls for it.

    "Is that the form?" Mrs. Atkins eyes narrowed at the papers in his hands.

    "Yes. It''s a half hour drive so I figured we can get lunch first then go." He moved to the driver''s side and got in the car; we also got in. "After that''s all done, we should be back in time for Jake to go to practice. Maybe just a few minutes late."

    They both talked about and decided on a local restaurant for lunch. The conversation stayed on soft topics, with no mentioning of the upcoming blood test or what was to happen afterwards.

    After lunch, we made the drive to the facility and walked in with our papers. The receptionist checked us in and then soon led us to a private room down the hall.

    A nurse came in and started to check my veins. "Any problems with needles or pain?"

    I shook my head.

    "Good." She got out her equipment and got to work. "We''ll only be taking a couple of vials, but be sure to hydrate afterwards. Have a juice and a banana." She poked me and withdrew the blood. "I personally won''t be doing the test, but I can tell you that the results will only take a few days after both samples are sent in."

    "So if the other group brings in their sample today, we can have the results before the weekend?" Mrs. Atkins asked.

    "Most likely. But if they bring it a day late, you may have to wait until Monday." The nurse told her. "Depends how busy the lab is too so don''t pin your hopes on having the results by Friday."

    "Alright, thank you." Mrs. Atkins gave a friendly smile.

    The nurse finished with me and put a bandaid. "Have a nice day!" She left, leaving the door open for us.

    Just like that, we were free to go. My blood was taken and I would have the results soon enough. No later than a week. The gravity of it all started to sink in as we walked out, leaving the building, going back to the car.

    "Are you worried, Jake?" Mr. Atkins asked, glancing down at me. "It''s okay to be stressed out in a time like this."

    "I''m a little scared of what will happen next." I said with complete honesty. "If it''s a match, if it''s not. If I see Jeremy again, or not."

    "What would you like to happen?"

    I shrugged. I wasn''t so sure myself. "I don''t know yet."

    "Well, don''t worry too much about it." Mrs. Atkins told me. "Just focus on the here and now. Go to practice. Then come home and do your homework." She thought for a minute. "Shouldn''t finals be coming up soon? I should check on all of your grades and make sure you prepare."

    My lips twitched. What happened to the here and now? "Finals are in the second week of June. Noah and I won''t have any problems."

    "It''s not you two that I''m worried about." She sighed as we loaded back into the car.

    "All the boys should be in safe territory." Mr. Atkins reassured her. "They administration has to check their current grades to let them play in the CIF."

 488 Scars

    With everything done, it was time for me to go back to school. It was the start of practice by the time they dropped me off, so they took me straight to the field.

    "Noah sent a text saying he put your baseball bag in the clubhouse." Mrs. Atkins told me as I got out of the car. "We''ll take your backpack home."

    "Thanks." I gave a smile then hurried down to the field. If I didn''t hurry, I might have to warm up with Drew instead of just joining in late with the team. I could see them just coming out of the dugout so I could still make it.

    In the clubhouse, I spotted my bag out in the open where Noah and I usually put our cleats on. I went to it and pulled out my baseball pants and an old t-shirt. Neither of these items were appropriate court-wear so I had to just pack them. I looked around; seeing that I had the room to myself, I started to change here instead of running to the bathroom to do so.

    I quickly got out of the khakis I was wearing and pulled my baseball pants on. Then I put on my socks and cleats, keeping them untied for the moment. I unbuttoned the dress shirt I was wearing and reached for the t-shirt on top of my bag.

    "Jake!" Noah hollered.

    "What''s taking so long Jake?" Dave asked.

    Two familiar voices came in the room. I hurried to turn away and tried my best to get my shirt on before they could see me. After getting my shirt on, I realized it was quiet. Too quiet. Did Noah and Dave leave? I spun back around, finding the pair standing side by side, looking at me.

    I felt the blood rush to my face in embarrassment. "Did you see?"

    Dave shifted his eyes away, uncomfortable. He definitely saw some of my scars. I was scared to face Noah, but he gave me no choice as he took long strides across the room to me.

    "Jake. Was that..?" He asked, worry and a hint of fear in his voice.

    "Just some old scars. They don''t hurt." I reassured him.

    He reached for my shirt, about to lift it.

    I quickly slapped his hands away. "Don''t!"

    Noah looked down at his hands that I just smacked. "You. You just hit me." I turned really red in the face, feeling uneasy.

    "Come on, Noah, back up." Dave jumped in, pulling Noah back a few feet. "You know how shy Jake is. Just leave him alone."

    Noah recollected himself and looked me in the eye. "Is this why you change in the bathroom all the time? How bad is it? Does Mom and Dad know? Are they all from that woman?"

    "Noah." Dave shook Noah''s shoulders. "Relax. Why are you asking questions you already know the answer to?"

    "I just want him to talk with me." Noah glanced up at Dave. "We''re friends. Practically brothers. Isn''t it weird that he hasn''t shared this? Isn''t it-"

    "Embarrassing." I blurted out. They went silent and watched me. "I''m embarrassed, alright?"

    "Jake, there''s no reason to be." Dave stressed.

    "Okay, Jake." Dave said softly. "I won''t say anything to anybody. You''re still you, regardless of how you look." He reached out to me and I flinched, scared he was going to pull my shirt. He let his hand drop. "Let''s get back to the field before someone else comes looking for us."

    "You go out first." Noah told him, eyes on me.

    "Noah.." Dave said.

    Noah glanced at him. "We''ll only be a second."

    Dave studied his face for an extra second before nodding and jogging out.

    "I''m sorry Jake." Noah told me immediately. "I didn''t-I don''t- I won''t." He shook his head. "Ugh. What am I trying to say?!"

    Seeing him like this, I relaxed a little. "It''s okay. I understand."

    "You do?"

    I nodded. "You feel bad for me. I get it. But, I get enough pity, so-"

    "It''s not just pity!" Noah said, looking me in the eyes. "I''m angry at you for not telling me. I''m also angry that this has happened to you. I only saw part of your back. I can''t imagine what the rest of your torso looks like."

    "Worse." I grimaced.

    "Yea, I figured." He sighed. "I don''t want you to feel scared or nervous to tell me something from now on.  You''re my best friend. You should be able to come to me with anything."

    I gave him a sad smile. "I''m just not ready yet."

    Noah sighed. "Okay. I won''t bug you about it anymore for now. Let''s hurry up before Zeke gives us extra laps for being late."

    I nodded and bent to tie my shoes.

    "You know, you shouldn''t be ashamed of those scars." Noah told me as I finished getting ready. "Just like the scar on your arm from sliding into home, they''re kind of like battle scars. You survived. They made you who you are. And I like who you are."

    I wasn''t there yet. I didn''t like myself enough. There was still hate, doubt, and insecurity. But I told Noah, "Sure." Then we jogged out to the dugout and dropped off my bag.

    The team had finished their warmups and were on to splitting up in groups for different drills.

 489 Preparing for the Big Game

    Practice was anything but easy. With Drew personally watching us warmup, there was no way we could slack off. Then came the laps for being late. As I jogged behind Noah, I felt some resentment. If he and Dave didn''t come in the locker room, we wouldn''t have been late.

    "Why did you guys even come to get me? I was coming." I huffed, trailing behind.

    Noah slowed up, eyeing me. "You were taking so long. I was worried that things didn''t go well in court today."

    Oh. I looked away feeling guilty. "It was fine. Just what we expected. I gave my blood." I paused before saying, "My uncle was there."

    Noah slowed up even more so he could be right next to me. "Did he say anything to you?"

    "To me?" I shook my head and gave a depreciating laugh. "No, not really. He said things about me though. Your mom told him off though. It wasn''t as bad as I thought it would be though."

    "That''s not saying much, Jake." Noah rolled his eyes. "You think as long as no one hits you, it''s a good thing."

    "Not necessarily good. I just said it wasn''t bad." I corrected.

    Noah just shook his head at me. "If they don''t want to treat you nicely, then you don''t have to treat them nicely. This isn''t a ''kill them with kindness'' moment."

    I shrugged. "I didn''t treat them with kindness. More like indifference. They don''t affect me anymore. Your parents asked that the blood test have no influence on future custody cases."

    Noah narrowed his eyes. "What does that mean?"

    I shrugged again. "Just that, if I''m really one of them, they can''t just use that to take me away. And it won''t work against your parents favor as they try to adopt me."

    "Good." Noah nodded.

    "Pick up the pace!!" Zeke''s voice echoed across the field, making us both jump.

    Noah gave me a tight smile before speeding up. "Sorry, Jake. I don''t want to piss him off before Monday. I don''t want to give them a reason to bench me." He really started to run, showing off his speed.

    I didn''t mind. I knew how important this game was to him, and to the rest of the team. Slowly baseball became a part of me too. Being on a team and having others rely on you, and being able to rely on them. It helped. It helped me come out of my shell. All thanks to Noah. If he didn''t drag me to the cages or to the tryout, who knows what I would have become.

    We practiced all week with intensity. Zeke didn''t let anyone slack off and Coach was even more fierce. He made all the pitchers put in work without giving out any hints on who would start. At least, not until after Friday''s practice.

    Garret stood up. "Yes, sir!"

    He focused in on him. "Don''t stress and overwork yourself this weekend. Throw a little so you don''t get stiff, but don''t try so hard that you blow your shoulder out before game time."

    Garret nodded earnestly. "I''ll do my best."

    "I know you will." Coach looked at the twins. "You two. Don''t get down of yourselves. I''m not picking on either of you. Garret has an advantage by being left-handed and by having a breaking ball. You two will still need to be ready to go in, especially if we have another game like this past Monday." He looked at the other pitchers. "That goes for all of you. Preparedness is key." He looked to Zeke.

    Zeke stood up, standing right near Coach. "Coach isn''t allowed to hold practice this weekend, but you guys should already know what to do by now. I''ll be going to the cages for lunch, so if anyone wants to join, just show up as you please. If you need a ride, let me know." He showed a small smile. "Monday will be the end of my high school baseball career. It''s already going to be memorable no matter what, but I''d like to ask you guys to make it memorable for the right reasons."

    "What a sap!" Kyle hollered, throwing his glove at Zeke.

    Zeke caught it, his smile growing as some of the guys laughed. "But for real, this season has been great. The best I''ve ever had."

    "Such a girl.." Dave muttered, claiming a few more laughs.

    "Save your farewell speech for the banquet!" Garret told him.

    "Yea!" Some of the guys agreed.

    Zeke chuckled. "Got it."

    "Alright, before I let you all go, let me give you some instructions for Monday." Coach spoke up. "The game will be held at Stanford in the evening. We''ll leave right after school."

    "Are we going to be the home team this time??" Kyle asked.

    "No." Coach said flatly.

    "Oh man."

    "Wow, so dumb."

    "We can''t catch a break."

    "Just one loss and we can''t even be the home team?"

    Coach listened to the teams complaints and cracked a smile. "Boys. It was a coin toss this time. They also had a loss. So they''re not unbeatable."

    "Even if they were, so what?" Noah scoffed. "We''ve beaten undefeated teams before." Then he frowned and wagged his finger at Coach. "As for you, what kind of luck do you have to lose a coin toss?"

    "It was the athletic director''s responsibility." Coach coughed lightly into his hand. "Alright, that''s enough out of you all. Go home and get some dinner in ya." Coach waved us away and continued talking. "Rest well, don''t get stiff, eat healthy, don''t overthink.." He went on with a list of do''s and do not''s.

    With practice done, everyone started to go their own ways after packing up. We were the last to leave since Zeke was a dedicated captain, who continued a longer chat with Coach.

    We left the field together, and as we headed for the car, I caught the sight of a familiar figure. Again. It was like dej�� v��. He was standing by the bleachers, waiting.

    I froze. And so did the Atkins.

    "Hey, it''s a Friday...shouldn''t there be a game?" Dave mumbled.

    Noah nodded slowly. "There''s definitely a game tonight. I wanted to watch during dinner."

    "Oh shit, what should we do?" Kyle blurted out as the man made his way towards us again.

 490 Something to Say

    Something to say? Who? Me? Me to him? I had a lot to say, but his sudden appearance made me blank out. Add the fact that the boys already said he should be at a game right now just made me even more confused.

    "What are you doing here?" Zeke spoke up and stepped up. He took the lead, standing in front of the four of us.

    "I''m here to see him." Jeremy tilted his head at me before looking at Zeke.

    "Like we said before, if you have something to say or want to meet Jake, please go through his caseworker. Or our parents." Zeke told him, standing almost eye to eye. He wasn''t as built as Jeremy, but he wasn''t a pushover either.

    "There''s no need." Jeremy told him. "The results are in. He''s my brother." He paused, almost like it was a dramatic scene from a movie.

    But... "We already knew that." Noah stepped up beside Zeke. "We''re the ones that told you. That doesn''t give you the right to just show up unannounced."

    "Isn''t that what you did?" Jeremy said to me, looking down at me. "You just showed up out of the blue after I get traded up here. Was it really a coincidence?"

    "Jake had no say in that!" Kyle yelled. "Heck, it wasn''t until you got traded that he recognized you."

    "How?" Jeremy folded his arms across his chest. "The last time we saw one another, you were a toddler. How could you possibly recognize me?"

    Seeing the Atkins face off with my real brother made my chest and head hurt. With the question in mind, I answered honestly. "You looked like Dad. I didn''t think I would recognize you, but I knew his face."

    Jeremy''s arms dropped, his jaw slightly dropped. "You-"

    "Mr. Patterson." Coach''s voice rang out. He joined our group. "As nice as it is to have such a great player here at my field, you''re not welcomed here to harass my players." He glanced at Zeke. "Why don''t you boys head home while I have a short chat with this young man on what''s appropriate school behavior."

    Zeke nodded, then looked at the rest of us with a raised eyebrow. "Did you guys not practice enough?"

    "I wonder what''s for dinner." Kyle was the first to turn away, heading for the car.

    "Mom might cook lasagna." Dave hummed, following his twin.

    Noah glanced at Jeremy. "Jerk. C''mon Jake, let''s go home." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me back to the car, with Zeke following right behind. "I hope Coach lectures him to death."

    I let out a small laugh.

    Noah smiled. "You okay, Jake?"

    I nodded. "I''m fine."

    "That didn''t bug you?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t really know why he came by. Or what he wanted me to say."

    "He was probably feeling guilty as hell. The results are out." Noah deepened his voice. "Jake, he is your brother."

    I stared at him, blankly. Okay?

    Noah poked me in the ribs. "Kind of like ''Luke, I am your father'' type of deal."

    "Who''s Luke?"

    "It''ll have to wait." Dave said as we joined him and Kyle at the car. "We still have one more baseball game to focus on."

    "I don''t need you to tell me that!" Noah stuck his tongue out and we loaded our stuff up in the car.

    "Hey..." Kyle looked around at us as Zeke started the car and headed home. "Since Jeremy got the results, shouldn''t Mom and Dad have it too?"

    "It probably came out today." Dave replied. "They might bring it up at dinner."

    "Would Jeremy come over for dinner?"

    "Why would he?" Noah snorted.

    Kyle looked at me. "Well...he looked like he wanted to talk. Kind of. He wasn''t as aggressive as before, but that could be because he got into trouble last time. I just think it''s weird he took the night off from baseball." His eyes widened. "We should look up why! See what he told the team!"

    "On it!" Dave whipped out his phone and started typing. "Hmmm. The team only stated that he took the night off for personal reasons. This reporter suggests it''s because his girlfriend is having pregnancy troubles."

    "Does he even have a girlfriend?" Kyle asked.

    "How am I supposed to know?"

    "Look it up."

    "That''s enough." Zeke cut in. He looked in his rearview mirror to make eye contact with me. "You can''t believe everything you read online. If you really want to know him, you should ask him."

    "Who? Me?" I blurted out. "I wasn''t-"

    "If you don''t want to know, that''s fine too." Zeke cut me off. "I just don''t want you to be misguided by these idiots."

    "Hey!!" The twins exclaimed in unison.

    "We''re home." Zeke parked the car.

    As soon as we got in the house, Mr. Atkins greeted us by the door. We could hear Mrs. Atkins in the next room over; she must be on the phone.

    "We know." Zeke told his dad plainly before heading for the stairs. "I''m going to go shower before dinner."

    "You know? You all know?" He looked skeptical.

    "Jeremy Patterson was at the field again, Dad." Dave said, passing him by as well. "Kind of ruined the surprise."

    "Again?" Mr. Atkins looked concerned. "He didn''t do anything he shouldn''t, did he?"

    "No, not really." Kyle followed after Dave and Zeke. "Coach showed up real quick and had a talk with him so we could leave. Did you know? He''s supposed to be playing a game tonight, but isn''t. According to this one guy, his girlfriend is having pregnancy probs."

    "What??" Mr. Atkins looked extra confused. His eyes swung back to me and Noah, still in the foyer. "What''s going on now?"

    "Jeremy got the news that him and Jake are completely related. Came to talk. Didn''t talk. Coach talked to him instead. We came home. The other stuff is just gossip." Noah waved his hand back and forth as if to wave it away. He looked at me. "Anything to add?"

    I shook my head.

    "Well then..." Mr. Atkins took a deep breath. "As long as nothing happened. We''ll have to talk to George and Doug about this again. He can''t just show up as he pleases."

 491 Supervised Visi

    Mrs. Atkins has caught her husband off guard, but Noah and I kind of felt it coming. Jeremy had skipped his game to show up and say a few words to me after my practice? With Coach cutting him off, I''m sure he still had more to say.

    They both went into a discussion as Noah and I snuck away. As soon as we got to our room, he turned to me. "You didn''t want to stay? And have a say in whether you see him or not?"

    "I trust your mom and dad." I replied simply. I put my backpack in the corner. "They wouldn''t do anything to hurt me. At all. So if they think I shouldn''t see him, then I won''t." I smiled at him. "You guys are more family to me than he is anyways."

    Noah smiled proudly. "Yea, they are great, aren''t they?"

    We completed our routine of taking turns in the shower and getting dressed for dinner. Once everyone was gathered around the table with food on every plate, Mr. Atkins cleared his throat.

    "I know you boys have a big game coming up on Monday, so I would like your input on something." He looked at me. "Especially you Jake. Your opinion matters the most."

    "WOW." Kyle said obnoxiously. "I see how it is."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "It''s obviously pertaining to his biological family."

    "Right." Mr. Atkins nodded at Noah. "Jeremy wants to meet with Jake. I''ve called Doug to get a grasp on the situation. As this is last minute, we''re allowed to turn him down and make him go through the proper channels."

    "Let''s do that." Dave munched noisily on his asparagus. "He doesn''t give off a friendly vibe. I don''t want Jake to get all mental before the finals." He glanced at me. "No offense."

    "None taken." I shrugged, eating my mashed potatoes.

    "The problem with this, is his occupation." Mr. Atkins frowned. "His season has just started. Doug told me that he''s already taken this weekend off purposely after getting the results."

    "What does that mean exactly?" Noah asked.

    "He wants to see Jake." Kyle answered, looking at me. "He took some days off work when he got the news. That''s surprising. If he didn''t care, wouldn''t he keep working?"

    I paused, no longer feeling the need to eat. Does he really care? I glanced at Mr. Atkins.

    Mr. Atkins looked helpless. "Who can say for sure? What I do know, is that we can either arrange a meeting this weekend, or tell him that it won''t work. That''s the first step."

    Slowly everyone stopped eating as well. All their eyes were on me as I thought it over in my head. "I guess...I would like to just get it out of the way." I sighed. "Instead of it just hanging over me like a rain cloud." I glanced at Zeke. "Can we still go to the cages tomorrow though?"

    Zeke cracked a smile.

    Mr. Atkins nodded.

    "Should we invite George too?" Mrs. Atkins asked. "Normally, we wouldn''t, but..." She glanced my way.

    "No, I think we''ll be fine." Mr. Atkins told her. "Doug will have to be here. Plus, it might make Jeremy uncomfortable if we have a lawyer around but he doesn''t."

    Noah snorted. "Who cares whether he''s comfortable." Then he hurriedly looked at me. "Right?"

    I nodded. "As long as you all are comfortable."

    "Will you boys want to stick around? Or should-" Mr. Atkins tried asking his other sons.

    But Dave was quick to cut him off. "Heck yes, I''ll be here!" He banged the table with his fist causing his mother to send him a dirty look. "Sorry." He mumbled.

    "Me too!" Kyle shifted like crazy in his seat. "I definitely have to be here. Jeremy Patterson is a star baseball player after all. I can''t just not be here when he''s in my own home."

    "I have no plans for Sunday." Zeke said, much calmer than the twins. "I''ll be able to keep an eye on Noah too, while you both focus on Jake."

    "Hey!" Noah hollered. "What do you mean by that?"

    "He''s saying you''re a loose cannon." Dave smirked.

    "More like a rabid dog." Kyle corrected. "You bite anyone who gets too close to your only friend."

    "That''s called being protective." Noah said proudly.

    "It''s probably best you keep him on a tight leash." Mr. Atkins said plainly to Zeke, causing the twins to crack up and for Noah to throw a fit.

    Being surrounded by their craziness made this seem a little too surreal. I was going to properly sit down with Jeremy. What should I say? What should we talk about? Feeling a little flustered with these thoughts, I looked up to Mr. Atkins next to me. "Do you think Dr. Moore has some time to see me tomorrow afternoon? Or maybe Sunday morning before I see Jeremy?"

    The table quieted down, sensing my uneasiness.

    "I''m sure we can work something out." Mr. Atkins smiled and told me, giving me some reassurance.

    "Maybe Sunday morning is better?" Mrs. Atkins suggested. "That way he can stick around for the meeting." She gave me a weak smile. "I''m not saying you''ll need him, but it would make me feel more secure in having him around. Just in case."

    I nodded, understanding what she was saying. The first time I saw Jeremy, I had a breakdown. Who knows what will happen this time.

    With a tentative plan set, Mr. Atkins made the calls after dinner while his wife cleaned up. The rest of us moved to the living room to watch the A''s play without their relatively new star player. The broadcasters even mentioned his absence last night, but didn''t seem to speculate why he would be gone. They just briefly mentioned that he took the weekend off for personal reasons and is expected back on Monday.

    Hearing them talk about him on the TV made me feel even more nervous about the upcoming gathering. What if things go south? Is every sports news channel going to announce it? What if they find out he did a blood test and that I''m really his brother? Are they going to make things difficult for him since he told them we weren''t related?

    I shared some of my worried with Noah before bed, but he just laughed it off. "That isn''t for you to worry about. All of those things are Jeremy''s problem. He''s an adult, he can take care of himself by now."

 492 A Sit Down

    Sunday morning, Mrs. Atkins cooked her usual big breakfast selection. It was hard to enjoy with the lump in my throat so I mostly just poked and prodded until Dr. Moore showed up. With his help, I came up with a list of things I wanted to ask and get off my chest. I nervously stared at my list until the doorbell rang at 10am.

    "I''ll get it." Mr. Atkins stood up. He glanced at me. "Do you want to do this in the living room or the kitchen?"

    "Here." I patted the table. I would like to keep a distance between us and I really think the table will help with that.

    The already crowded room was a tight fit as Mr. Atkins returned with Mr. Duncan and Jeremy Patterson.

    Mrs. Atkins frowned at Jeremy as he awkwardly stood in the doorway. "Jeremy. I''m Mary, Wayne''s wife."

    Jeremy nodded slowly, looking less intimidating without his sunglasses. He looked unsure of himself.

    Seeing that he couldn''t come up with anything to say, Mrs. Atkins gestured to Mr. Duncan. "Why don''t we go to the living room?" She glanced at the twins who stood in the corner. "You two come as well."

    "Aw, Mom." Dave groaned.

    "So unlucky." Kyle sighed.

    The four left, making some room. Seeing me and Noah refusing to get up from our seats, Mr. Atkins sat down in his seat as well and gestured for Jeremy to sit across from me. "Have a seat Jeremy."

    "Thank you." He took a seat. He looked at me briefly before looking at Dr. Moore in Mrs. Atkins seat. "And who are you?"

    "Elijah Moore. A child psychologist. I''ve been working with Jake and the Atkins family for a couple of months now." He said, sounding very professional.

    Jeremy frowned. "And why are you here right now?"

    "For moral support." Noah huffed.

    Zeke, who sat between Noah and Dr. Moore, gave him a disapproving look. "Lose the attitude. No need to be hostile." He glanced at Jeremy. "For either of you."

    Jeremy sat up straight, eyes narrowing in on Zeke. Zeke continued. "I''m Zeke. This is Noah. The twins are David and Kyle." Zeke said politely. "It''s nice to properly meet you."

    Jeremy''s shoulders tensed and he looked as stiff as a statue. He made eye contact with me and had the decency to look a little embarrassed. "The first time, I-I didn''t mean to grab you like that."

    "Oh?" Noah sneered. "Were you planning to do worse? Normal people don''t just grab others. It''s even worse for Jake since he has a fear of being touched."

    "Noah." Mr. Atkins chided. "If you have nothing nice to say, then don''t say anything at all."

    "Guess I''ll have to be silent for his whole visit, huh?"

    I poked him in the ribs.

    "Fine, fine." Noah relaxed in his seat. "So what do you have to say for yourself?"

    I glanced down at my list of questions. Finding an appropriate one that fit, I spoke up. "How can you be surprised? Didn''t you know...that I would be around? I wouldn''t just vanish."

    His jaw clenched. "Uncle took me away after Dad''s death. Him and that woman came to an agreement that he would take me and she would take you. She never listed Dad''s name on your birth certificate so we thought..." He trailed off.

    What? Did they think she cheated on him? And just left me without looking back..?

    "You guys share the same mom! How can you just not think of Jake?" Noah blurted out. He looked at me, scared I''d be mad, but I gave him an appreciative nod.

    "You don''t understand." Jeremy gave a sharp glare at Noah before looking at me. "You know how she is. I didn''t want to be a part of that anymore. Just thinking about the past-" He shook his head. "I refused to go back to that life."

    Noah looked like he was about to explode again, but Zeke rested a hand on his shoulder. "Let Jake speak."

    "I understand." I felt my eyes sting. "I understand why you didn''t want to come back. But you still...didn''t admit that I was your brother. On the news. In person. Is it that hard for you to say that we''re brothers?" I crumpled the list of questions in my fist.

    "It is." He admitted. "It''s very hard. To think about how you grew up with her as a mom. To think that I have another connection with her besides my own blood." He frowned. "I''m just in the beginning of my career. I wish you and her would stay buried like Dad. Just somewhere in the past."

    I couldn''t swallow the lump in my throat. Was he wishing me dead? That''s what he means, right?

    "But here you are. We are. We have the same set of parents. We''re brothers." He said stiffly, like it was hard to pronounce.

    Noah scoffed.

    His words didn''t make me feel any better. Just more depressed. It took an official piece of paper for him to admit that we''re related. What''s the point? Really. What''s the point of all this?

    "Jake?" Dr. Moore said softly. "Do you want to continue?"

    I looked at him, feeling empty. "Why? What else is there to say?" I stood up slowly. "I think we''re done here."

    "No, I wanted-" Jeremy stood up as well.

    "Who cares what you want!" Noah cut him off.

    "Noah James." Mr. Atkins looked at him. "You need to stay calm or I''ll ask you to leave the room." He looked at me. "Jake? Do you want to hear him out for a second?"

    "I don''t think I can afford to." I felt tired to the bone even though it hasn''t been more than twenty minutes. I could use a nap right about now. I glanced at Jeremy. "I don''t need you. I have a new family now. One that wants me. Let''s cut relations here." With that, I turned away and headed for the stairs, not even bothering to look back.

    This whole thing was pointless. Finding him and my dad. I should have stopped when I saw that my dad was dead. Jeremy had years to reach out. Even more recently, he had known for weeks that I was no longer in Mom''s custody. Why am I fighting this hard? I shouldn''t have spoken about him at all. Not to Noah, the Atkins, or Dr. Moore.

 493 Another Drive

    Once I reached my room, I expected Noah to follow or maybe even Mr. Atkins, but it was Dr. Moore that can by first. I had sat down on the bed, so to be more eye level with me, he had sat at the desk, facing me.

    "You panicked." He stated calmly.

    I felt the blood rush to my face, no doubt turning me red.

    "Do you have any guesses as to why?"

    I avoided eye contact.

    "I like helping my patients come to their own conclusions, but I can sense that you already have an idea as to why you got upset and stormed out of there." Dr. Moore waited. "So, I''ll say it first: you want to reject him before he rejects you."

    "No!" I denied. "He already said we weren''t brothers. I just now decided that it was okay not to be. I don''t need him."

    "I''m not saying you do." Dr. Moore said calmly.

    My jaw clenched.

    "Let me put this in perspective for you: you''re mad that he never came back to check on you and didn''t want a relationship with you. Now that he''s making an effort to come be here, you run at the first sign. Are you just trying to get back at him? Make him see what it''s like to get rejected?"

    "He rejected me first so it''s not like I''m the bad guy here." I frowned.

    "I''m not saying that you are."

    I groaned, frustrated. "What are you saying then??"

    Dr. Moore looked me in the eye. "In all seriousness, do you really want to write him off so quickly? Weren''t you willing to give this a shot just yesterday? Do you just want to cut ties?" He paused for a second. "There''s no right or wrong answer. I just don''t want you to pass up the chance to mend some of your hurt."

    "Didn''t you hear me down there?"

    Dr. Moore studied me for a minute. I didn''t back down or look away this time. Seeing my seriousness, he sighed. "Alright, Jake. If that''s the way you feel, that''s fine. There''s nothing wrong with that. I''m just thinking about your best interests."

    A knock at the door sounded, pausing our conversation. Mr. Atkins peeked in. "Jake?" Seeing the stalemate between me and Dr. Moore, he straightened up and gestured for me to follow. "Come on, Jake, let''s go for a drive."

    I couldn''t find a reason to refuse so I got up and followed him. Going down the stairs I felt my chest tightened, thinking I might run into Jeremy again. Instead, it was just Mrs. Atkins with Mr. Duncan.

    She gave me a light smile and waved. I lifted my hand back at her and continued to follow Mr. Atkins to his car. We got settled in and he started to drive.

    After fifteen minutes of silence, I thought of something to say. "Where did Noah go?"

    "I had Zeke take him to the park. They''re probably playing catch or running some plays." He chuckled to himself. "Dave went to see Garret and Kyle went to hang out with Marie. It''s not very often they''re so obedient. I think they know that you needed some alone time."

    He grinned. "You do. I''m here for you. Always."

    We left town, heading to somewhere I''ve been once before. We arrived at the beach, got some ice cream, and sat at the bench looking out to the ocean.

    "It''s been awhile." Mr. Atkins noted as he licked his ice cream. "So much has changed, huh?"

    I nodded and ate my ice cream, feeling a sense of peace. Mr. Atkins had taken me here before, after Zeke''s commitment to Stanford. It''s where we talked about our dads and what I wanted from my own missing father. I paused. Glancing up at him, I felt suspicious.

    Mr. Atkins laughed as he caught my look. "Oh. You figured me out so quickly. I didn''t even say much yet."

    I had an urge to throw my ice cream at his face.

    "Now, now, don''t get any ideas. We''re just here to talk." He tried calming me down. "Eat your ice cream and stay cool. Doesn''t that breeze feel nice?"

    With the breeze, I caught the smell of the ocean.

    "Do you remember what we talked about last time we were here?" He asked. "You were jealous of Rhys. But you were also curious. What would it be like to see your dad again."

    "He''s dead." I said stiffly. "Just like you, I won''t get any closure."

    "Jake." He said, his tone getting a notch higher. "I wasn''t completely honest with you." He looked at my confused expression. "I didn''t exactly lie, but I didn''t tell you everything about my dad. It wasn''t really proper to talk about it when we didn''t know anything about your own father. We may be the same in saying that we have dead fathers, but the cause of death....is different."

    "I don''t understand. Dead is dead." I mumbled, kicking my legs out, swinging them back and forth.

    "Hmm." Mr. Atkins paused for a second. "You''re at the age you should know...some die without even seeing it coming. Others...others plan their deaths."

    I suddenly had trouble swallowing. "You mean...suicide..?" With that one word, a memory of Mr. Atkins talking to me on the Golden Gate Bridge flashed through my mind. He had previously told me that he knew someone who committed suicide, but he didn''t sound like he missed them.

    Mr. Atkins gave me a small smile and a slight nod. "Yes. That call that I got about my fathers death; it was a suicide case. I didn''t get any answers. Did he run out of money for the alcohol? Did he have any regrets? Did he just get too tired? I won''t ever know."

    I let some tears fall out of the corner of my eyes. "I''m sorry."

    "It took some time for me to come to peace." He looked out to the ocean. "Sometimes I have to remind myself that he was a monster during my childhood when I feel like blaming myself for not looking harder and getting him some help. We all have an inner demon we must face. Some darker than others." He glanced at me. "You. And Jeremy. Two different people with two different inner demons."

    "What''s his?" I asked.

    "You''re asking the wrong person." Mr. Atkins shrugged lightly. "For all I know, he could have a small one, or a big one, or even multiple demons that haunt him when it''s time to go to sleep." He finished off his ice cream. "You know what yours are, right?"

    I can take a guess. I nodded.

    "To take them on and to make them shrink, you''ve got to address them. Acknowledge them, and then acknowledge what you can do about them." He tilted his head at me. "Didn''t you have a lot of questions about your dad? If he wanted you? If he cared? Or just, what was he like?"

    I nodded vigorously.

    "There''s a person or two that can answer those kind of questions." Mr. Atkins told me.

    Ah. He caught me. I shifted in my seat, looking down at my ice cream. "Jeremy."

    "Or Jack. Maybe you even have grandparents. More aunts and uncles. I remember him saying that he has cousins...that means you have cousins. You could find out so much more with their help." He said. "So?"

    "So." I repeated. I knocked my feet against each other.

    "Do you want to know more about your dad? Yes or no?"

    "I do." I had to know. What he was like. If things would have been different if he was around. "Do I have to apologize to Jeremy?"

    Mr. Atkins smiled and patted my shoulder. "Only if you feel like you need to."

    "I think I need some more time to calm down and digest before I see him again." I told him truthfully.

 494 Memories of Dad

    We took some more time to watch the waves come in and crash into the shore before finally going back. Coming home the house was empty, even missing Mrs. Atkins.

    "Maybe you can find Noah and Zeke at the park?" Mr. Atkins told me as I looked a little lost on what to do.

    I shook my head. "No, I rather not." I paused. "Do you think you can get Jeremy''s phone number?"

    Mr. Atkins face softened. "Yea. I can do that." He went into his office, made a call to Mr. Duncan and then came back out. We sat at the kitchen table, just the two of us, and his phone. "I''ll be right here. Just be upfront with what you want to talk about, okay?"

    I nodded.

    Mr. Atkins dialed the number he was given and put the phone on speaker.

    "Hello?" He answered.

    "Hello, Jeremy. This is Wayne Atkins." He told him. "I got your number from Doug, I hope you don''t mind."

    After a pause, he spoke up. "No, no, not at all. It''s fine. It''s good to hear from you so soon. Is Jake...? Does Jake..?" He couldn''t form a question, making him sound just as lost as I felt.

    "Jake is right here. You''re on speaker." Mr. Atkins told him in a light tone. "He just had some questions for you so I thought we''d give a call since we know you have today off."

    "No, I mean yes. That''s fine." He paused again. "Jake?"

    "Do you think Dad loved me?" I blurted out.

    "Yes." He answered without hesitation, surprising me.

    I looked up at Mr. Atkins and he just nodded at me, encouraging me to go on.

    "How can you be so sure?" Knowing him, shouldn''t he have said otherwise? How could he easily say that our dad loved me?

    "Because Dad loved you before you were born." He sighed over the line. "When that woman was pregnant, they fought all the time and she had said...that you weren''t his. I didn''t understand what that meant until I got older. But looking back, Dad wasn''t bothered by those words. He tried to coax that woman all the time during her pregnancy. And then when you were brought home, he always had his eyes on you." Jeremy cleared his throat. "I used to be jealous of you. Dad would constantly be holding you every time he was home. Sometimes he would even throw me a ball with one hand, even while holding you in the other."

    My vision blurred as my eyes got watery.

    "As we got older, I understood more and more that the woman in that house wasn''t like a normal mom at all. She said hurtful words to anyone and everyone. To Dad. And then to us when he was away. After he passed away, Uncle Jack came around and he was like my saving grace. He pulled me away and we started a new life."

    "I don''t want to hear about you." I told him boldly. "I only want to hear about Dad."

    It was almost like watching a movie. I couldn''t help but cry as I imagined a man swinging a baby around, walking the baby up and down the street to get the crying to stop, and just thinking how attached he was to the baby me. Maybe it was more like a dream.

    "Do you have a picture of him?" I asked after Jeremy couldn''t come up with anymore memories.

    "Uncle Jack has pictures of them growing up. Some pictures of him playing baseball can be found online." He took a deep breath and slowly let it go. "There isn''t any of us together. Him and me. Him and you. If anything, she would have it."

    "She doesn''t." I mumbled, before yawning. All the emotional digesting had made me tired. I slowly got up and looked at Mr. Atkins.

    He smiled warmly. "Go ahead and take a nap, Jake, if you''re feeling tired. I''m sure Noah will wake you up when he gets home."

    I nodded and left the phone with him, not even bothering to say goodbye to Jeremy. I felt a need to thank him, but I held back. It was polite to thank him for his time, but Jeremy didn''t deserve my politeness. I trudged up to the room I shared with Noah, collapsed on my bed, and knocked out.

    It wasn''t until dinner time that Noah woke me, studying every micromovement I made as I got up. I rubbed the gunk out of my eyes. "You''re back? How was practice with Zeke?"

    "It was good." He blinked. "Made me happy. Then slightly sad. Tomorrow will be our last game with him, ya know?"

    Oh. I patted his shoulder. "You can''t say that for sure just yet. There might be a chance at the higher levels."

    Noah laughed, brushing my hand off him. "Yea, I know." He lowered his voice. "I just want to cherish this just in case it''s our last. I want to go out as winners."

    "We will." I assured him.

    "Well, look at you!" He examined me, up and down. "I thought I was going to wake up and console a depressed kid that needed some coddling. Are we doing role reversal right now?"

    I cracked a smile. "Only if you need it. I''m okay, really. Your dad and I had a good talk. I got some answers about my own dad too."

    "From Jeremy? Did he come back or something?"

    I shook my head. "We just spoke over the phone."

    "Oh." He looked unsure. "Just about your dad?"

    "That''s all I wanted to know. For now." I shrugged. "I won''t write him completely off just yet. Maybe keep my distance. I don''t know what he wants from this. I didn''t ask."

    Noah grinned, threw an arm around my shoulders, and proceeded to drag me out of the room, down the hall, then down the stairs. "You''ve come a long way, Jake. Three months ago, you wouldn''t say a peep and didn''t know a dimes worth about baseball." He laughed. "Now we''re about to be starters on a championship team and you talk up a storm. Things are looking up!"

    I chuckled.

 495 Butterflies

    Even though I had a nap in the middle of the day yesterday, I was still able to sleep well at night, and woke up feeling great Monday morning. The same couldn''t be said for some others.

    At the table for breakfast, the twins were both nibbling on bagels like zombies, not even blinking. Noah was resting his head on the table, trying to get an extra few minutes of sleep. Meanwhile, Zeke had his eyes glued to his phone like he was having trouble memorizing an imaginary game plan.

    Or maybe there was an actual game plan? I paused my eating to ask. "Is there a game plan for tonight?"

    The table got quiet. Scary quiet. The twins stopped nibbling and Zeke looked at me directly.

    "Just do your best." Mr. Atkins said, coming in from the office. "All of you. Stop stressing. Be more like Noah." He gestured at the sleeping boy beside me.

    Dave scoffed. "He can only sleep now because he couldn''t sleep a wink last night!"

    "Pre-game jitters is normal, Dad." Kyle pointed out.

    Mr. Atkins laughed. "I know. But as a parent, it''s my job to comfort you all and tell you it''s gonna be okay."

    "It sounds like you''re saying it''s okay to lose." Dave accused.

    Mr. Atkins lifted his hands, helpless. "I''m saying it won''t be the end of the world. Look, Jake isn''t nervous either."

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Jake is also the same boy that threw up after my perfect game because he ''could have'' messed up. I''ll wait until we get there and then see him scared."

    My eyes widened.

    Zeke slapped Kyle upside the head. "What''s wrong with you?"

    "Yea!" Dave agreed and slapped him on the arm. "Can''t you see that Jake was in an optimal state of mind? Can you afford to replace him after making him a nervous wreck?"

    Kyle shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry."

    Zeke looked down at me. "Don''t listen to him. Just play like normal."

    "Yea," Noah yawned and stretched, finally looking half-awake. "Because we normally win." He gave me a crooked smile. "Tonight will be fun!"

    ***

    (Third-person perspective)

    Wayne and Mary Atkins waved to their kids as they headed off to school. With the kids out of sight, they both went to the office they shared and had a seat.

    "So?" Wayne asked, probing his wife for a reaction.

    "So..." Mary drawled out.

    "Have you given anymore thought to what I suggested last night?" Her husband asked.

    Mary scrunched up her nose and organized some paperwork on her desk. "I did. I''m not necessarily a fan. But, I''m not completely set against it. I just don''t want to upset Jake."

    "He won''t even know. I''m not sure it''ll all work out on his end, anyways. He could be busy. The A''s only said he took the weekend off."

    "He probably has a game of his own then. Forget about it." Mary waved her hand back and forth as if she could wave away this thought of her husband''s.

    Mary looked up and narrowed her eyes at Wayne. "What about Jake? Say, if Jeremy goes and Jake spots him in the stands and it ruins his momentum. What then? How will you answer our other boys? I don''t like it."

    "Mary, honey, Jake''s getting better. He''s growing up, mentally. He can handle this, that is, if Jeremy even goes and he can spot him. There''s a lot of what ifs. I trust Jake, and more importantly I trust our boys to help him get through any speed bumps he may run into. Noah always keeps a close eye on him. And there''s Zeke. He wouldn''t let anything happen to the younger ones."

    Mary sighed. "Okay, okay, alright. Fine. Go ahead. Give him a call." She pursed her lips together. "I won''t be sitting next to him though. You can''t make me."

    Wayne chuckled as he scrolled the contacts in his phone. He pressed the number and the phone started to ring.

    "Hello?"

    "Hello, Jeremy. It''s Wayne Atkins. I don''t really know how much you want to be there for Jake and it''s not my business to pry how close you want to be with him. I just wanted to let you know that him and the boys have their CIF Final tonight at Stanford University at 7pm."

    "..."

    ***

    (Jake''s POV)

    School seemed to fly by. It felt like every teacher and student would come up and tell Noah that they were rooting for us and couldn''t wait for us to bring the trophy back. I stayed behind Noah for the most part, unsure of how to react, but on some of the instances, their words were directed at me.

    "Go get''em Jake!"

    "Bambi, don''t get caught in the headlights!"

    "Score a few runs!"

    "Do your best, Jake!"

    "You have to win!"

    By lunch time, it became hard to swallow.

    "You better get used to it, Jake." Noah told me as he nonchalantly ate his sandwich. "Most of the kids that spoke to us are freshmen. We''re gonna be here for the next few years with them. Plus, I heard the school is going to supply a couple of buses so some students can watch the game tonight! They''ll all be behind you every time you go up to bat. Just accept it!"

    I stopped eating completely and packed up my lunch.

    "Hey, what''s wrong? You''ve gotta eat!"

    I cleared my throat. "I''m just saving it for the bus ride there."

    "True. The game is like right at dinner time." He moaned. Then after a second he whipped out his phone. "I''ll just have to text mom to drop off some snacks before we hit the road."

    Butterflies kept my stomach occupied until after math, when the old man, Mr. Petrus pulled me back for a second. The twins looked scared, probably worried about themselves, but I gave them a wave. I had a hint as to what Mr. Petrus wanted to say.

    "Good luck, Jake." He told me. "I''ll be able to watch in person tonight."

    "Thank you." I told him, sincerely.

    He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you''d be more nervous."

    I held my stomach. "I wasn''t, but..." I lowered my voice. "I''m starting to feel scared to let others down. I might not be able to hold a bat by tonight."

    He laughed and knocked on the desk. "You can let anyone down, but yourself. It doesn''t matter what everyone else thinks. Try your best. I wish you success."

 496 A Surprise

    After school, we switched our backpacks for our baseball bags and met with the others by the baseball field. Everyone was rather quiet, with most of the team listening to music with their headphones on. Coach didn''t rush us to load up the bus until the school parking lot was mostly empty.

    Just as we got on, I saw Mrs. Atkins car pulled right up next to the bus. She brought bags and bags of food onto the bus, which helped to liven up the atmosphere.

    Noah grinned proudly as he ate a bowl of fruit. We were finally heading to the stadium, crawling along with the freeway traffic. "This was a good idea. I probably would have been dead of starvation if you hadn''t said anything."

    I gave a small nod, munching on my leftover lunch. After Mr. Petrus small talk, I felt less jittery and more relaxed. The food helped too. It helped the whole team, who were now chatting with one another merrily. It started to feel like any other normal game. Up until we arrived at Stanford.

    The bus pulled into the parking lot just by the stadium.

    Coach stood up. "Well boys, we''re here." He looked around the bus. "We have half an hour to kill before they open the clubhouses. Even though West Valley is the home team, they requested the first base dugout, so we''ll be using Stanford''s home dugout along third base. Be respectful."

    "Especially since it''s Zeke''s future home!" Noah hollered and some of the guys chuckled.

    Coach narrowed his eyes at Noah. "Alright, go burn your silliness away before warmups. If you guys want to walk around, go ahead, me and some of the coaches will be here to watch the gear. If any of you want to rest for the next thirty minutes, that''s okay too."

    The team started to divide, with about half leaving the bus, including me and Noah.

    "Ugh, I would not want to spend another minute trapped in that bus." Noah said as he stretched. I nodded in agreement.

    "You never could sit still." A familiar voice said a few feet away.

    Noah whipped his head around and raced to the guy. "Rhys!!" He jumped up at him.

    Rhys caught him with ease and laughed. "Aren''t you ashamed to act like a kid still? You''re 14 now. Come on, grow up."

    Noah pouted as Rhys set him back down on his own feet. "You''re sounding more and more like Zeke."

    "That''s not so bad." Rhys flicked Noah''s hat off his head.

    Noah bent down and picked it up, putting it back on his head after dusting it off. "Hey man, be careful. This is about to be a hat of a California state champion."

    Rhys laughed. Then he noticed me joining them. "Hey, kid, how''s it going?"

    I looked away, feeling shy. The last time I saw Rhys, I was jealous about how much his parents cared for him. It''s embarrassing, looking back. I''m even more childish than Noah.

    "You remember Rhys, right Jake?" Noah asked.

    "That''s right." Rhys laughed, waving his left arm around. "I''m doing great though!"

    Yea...me too. I thought to myself, feeling happy for the both of us.

    "Rhys." Zeke joined the group too. He slapped hands with Rhys, and pulled him into a half hug. "You made it."

    "Yea, I couldn''t miss this." Rhys said, smiling. "The closest I''ll ever be to a state championship."

    Zeke looked him in the eyes. "We could be National champions together." He lifted an eyebrow and tilted his head to the stadium. "Community college is a waste of your talent."

    Rhys took a look around, slowly but he took it all in. "You know...it''s not a bad idea. Do you think they accept last minute walk-on''s?"

    "Wow!" Noah exclaimed. "Seriously?! It would be so cool to see you two play together on the same team!"

    Zeke pulled his phone out of his pocket. "If you''re serious, I can have someone come talk to you about it? The process of signing with a school isn''t much."

    Rhys threw his head back and laughed. "Look at you, acting like the boss here already! You can''t make decisions like that just yet."

    "I can though." A loud voice announced, making us jump. Okay, only I jumped, but the others did turn to look. We saw a big-bellied man in a maroon colored hoodie.

    "Coach Leroy." Zeke stepped up to greet him, shaking his hand. "Good to see you. I didn''t think you''d be free to see the game."

    "Caught us on an off day. I can''t pass up the chance to see my future star play a game at my own home." The man laughed really loud. He was the Stanford coach! He looked to me and Noah. "Good to see you two as well."

    I nodded.

    Noah was quick to react, pulling Rhys by his arm. "Coach! This is Rhys! He''s a friend. He used to play with Zeke. He''s a really good left-handed pitcher."

    Rhys turned a light shade of pink, caught by surprise. "Uh yea, what he said."

    Noah really pushed him now, getting Rhys as close to Zeke as possible. "Don''t be shy! This is your chance! Come on, you don''t really want to pass this up without trying, do you?"

    Rhys glanced at Zeke, but Zeke didn''t say anything. Seeing that, Rhys stood up straighter when facing the Stanford coach. "Hello sir. As Noah said, my name is Rhys. Rhys Anderson. I''m a senior, but currently not on a baseball team. I''m recovering from Tommy John surgery so I haven''t tried out for any colleges." He smiled at Zeke. "But I would like to try out for yours for a chance to play with this guy."

    Coach Leroy scratched his his cheek, smiling. "I''ve heard of you. I wouldn''t mind setting up a weekend for you to come on down and talk about playing ball here. How are your grades? We don''t have any more athletic scholarships available, but we can work something with an academic counselor."

    "Money isn''t a problem." Rhys grinned. "My grades are good, but my SAT score is a little lacking. If you like the way I throw the ball, then I''ll need your help pleading for leniency."

 497 CIF Finals: West Valley Prep 1

    With the keys in hand, Zeke turned away, heading back to the bus to tell our coach.

    Noah smiled at the other two. "Have a good talk! Don''t forget to cheer for us when the game starts."

    "Have fun out there." Rhys grinned and waved for him to go.

    I followed Noah back to the bus, where our team started to unload. Those that had wandered off were called back. When everyone was ready, Zeke led the way to the club room. It was clean and cleared for us to use. Similar to ours, but bigger. Way bigger.

    The team spread out and started to change into their pregame gear. I was already dressed under my sweatshirt so I just had to get my cleats on. When everyone was ready, Zeke led us to the dugout so we could put our bags down and organize our gear. Noah and I picked the end of the dugout and were the first ones to step out.

    "Wow. This. Is. Amazing." Noah breathed, taking a look around at the empty stands. "In an hour, the stands will start to fill up. I hope it fills up to the brim."

    I gulped and looked around. "Do you think that''ll really happen?"

    Noah nodded confidently. "Besides our school, their school, and all the families; there''ll also be scouts, college coaches, and other baseball players that will want to watch. This. Is. A. Big. Deal." He glanced at me and saw me shiver. He laughed and threw an arm around my shoulders. "Don''t be so scared. This is a once in a lifetime experience. No matter what, it''ll be fun."

    I loosened up.

    He tilted his head. "You know...I think you got a little taller!"

    "Really?" I looked up to him and tried to see if the difference between us was shrinking.

    Noah grinned. "Would I lie to you?"

    I grinned.

    ***

    Zeke led us through warmups, then we split up into groups with pitchers going to the bullpen, outfielders to batting practice, and infielders to drills. Then the infielder and outfielders switched. As we got closer to game time, I watched as the stands started to fill up.

    Ten minutes until game time, both teams went back to their respective dugouts as the ground crew reset the infield and prepared the mound.

    After Garret and Kelvin came jogging in from the bullpen, Coach spoke up. "I''m proud of you boys. It''s been an incredible season. We fought through injuries. We had to hold midseason tryouts." He looked at me and Noah. "And for the first time ever, I allowed two freshmen on the team." He smiled. "You boys really stood up and took charge. Now, I just want to know, can you do it for one more game?"

    "Yes!!" Noah yelled.

    Coach looked at all of us. "Why am I only hearing Noah?"

    "Yes, Coach!" The team said in unison.

    He nodded. "Good. Glad to hear it. Now, for the lineup:

    1 1B Julian Wilson

    2 CF Zeke Atkins

    3 2B Jake Hollander

    4 LF Mahki Holstrom

    5 RF Sean Isner

    7 SS Noah Atkins

    8 C Kelvin Bender

    9 P Garret Knudsen

    The team was stunned into silence.

    "Coach...I''m cleanup?" Mahki was the first to speak up.

    Coach nodded. Then shook his head. "Yes, but no. You are in the number four spot, but I''m hoping that it won''t be up to you. Try not to stress about it. It''s just a batting number." He looked around at the rest of us. "I made some changes."

    "No kidding."

    "Zeke is batting second?"

    "More concerning, Jake is behind him?"

    "Yes." Coach clapped his hands to get the team''s attention. "Last game, we were almost cornered when they chose to intentionally walk Zeke. I can''t say for sure that it won''t happen again. Here." He looked around. "Why can''t Jake hit after Zeke? He has a higher batting average. Don''t forget, we don''t know if they''ll pitch to Zeke. If we get a free man on base, I want us to be able to punish them for it. If Jake can place the ball well into the outfield, Zeke can leg it home." He smiled. "After all, this is a bigger field than what we''re used to."

    "So there''s going to be a lot of pressure on the pitcher to not give up any hits." Noah grinned back at Garret. "Try and keep it in the infield."

    Garret laughed. "I think you scared Bambi more than you meant to."

    Noah whipped his head to me. I tried shaking my hands to stop the tremors.

    "Way to go, Noah."

    "Are you trying to jinx us?"

    "I feel sick."

    "Me too."

    "Okay, that''s enough." Zeke spoke up. He rested his hand on Noah''s head. "Try to stop talking smack for one whole game please. We need everyone to do their best." He looked around. "It''s not just one person''s job to win games. It''s a team effort. Let''s go out there, and give every ounce of effort you can squeeze out. I want to return to school with the trophy."

    "Yeah!!" The guys all yelled and cheered.

    "Get ready." Zeke ordered.

    We had to bat first as the visiting team, so the top of the lineup had to get their batting gear on. Including me. I went to my bag and put on my helmet.

    "Jake?" Noah asked as I got my bat out. "You good?"

    I nodded. "Sure. Like Zeke said, it''s a team effort." I smiled at him. "So if the ball comes right up the middle, I''m counting on you to make that play."

    Noah laughed. "Of course!"

    The announcer over the speaker system turned on. "Welcome to Klein Filed at Sunken Diamond. Today''s CIF Finals of the Northern Section Division Three, will be Watsonville High School against West Valley Preparatory." He went on to announce the West Valley players as they took the field.

    With my bat in hand, I moved to the dugout entrance closest to home plate. Julian and Zeke were already out of the dugout, preparing for their at-bats.

    "Now batting for Watsonville, Senior, first baseman, Julian Wilson." The announcer introduced.

    Julian went us amidst some cheers from our side of the stands. The pitcher on the mound made short work of him, getting Julian to swing and miss on all three pitches.

    I swallowed a lump in my throat. That''s right. This is the finals. There wouldn''t be a ''bad'' pitcher. Everyone would be on a higher level. I made a move to go to the on deck circle.

    "Stay calm, Jake." Julian told me as he jogged back. "You can handle him."

    I nodded, happy with the reassurance.

    "Batting second, Senior, playing in center field, Zeke Atkins." The crowd was much louder for him than for Julian. But, as Coach predicted, the other team had no intention to pitch to him. The catcher stood up and caught the four balls way outside the zone. Zeke tossed his bat back towards the dugout and jogged to first base.

    "Batting third, freshman, second baseman, Jake Hollander."

    I flinched at the announcement and could hear some laughs from the stands. The claps and cheers from those behind me, helped me get to the batter''s box. I tried getting myself to relax, but it became hard to do as I saw the catcher out stretching his hand away from me.

    I looked the pitcher. He got set and threw a lob way outside. They...they were going to walk me? Just like Zeke? Was this planned? What do I do now? I looked to the dugout for help.

 498 CIF Finals: West Valley Prep 2

    With no instructions, or any other ideas for that matter, I could only stand there and accept the intentional walk. The crowd clapped for us, excited to have two free passes, but only our team could feel the pressure.

    "Batting fourth, Senior, playing left field, Mahki Holstrom."

    Mahki stepped up to bat, pausing to take a glance at Mr. Miller''s signs from the third base coaches box. He was told to watch the ball closely, and to swing if he knows he can hit. The pitcher may not have good aim after intentionally walking two batters. Mr. Miller gave out signs for me and Zeke as well: run at any sign of contact to avoid the double play.

    Mahki was quickly cornered into a 0-2 count, disproving that the pitcher was shaken. He didn''t look bothered at all. Mr. Miller gave a new sign: hit and run. No matter what, Mahki was going to try and put the ball into play.

    I acknowledged the sign, as did Zeke. Then we both started to take a lead. I had to keep an eye on the first baseman, who stood behind me. I don''t want to get picked off so soon.

    The pitcher delivered a fastball, inside. Mahki made contact, but it was weak. It also went right to the shortstop. The shortstop flipped it to the second baseman, getting me out; and then he threw to first, beating Mahki. Our worst case scenario, a double play.

    Among the happy West Valley fans, I could still hear ours groaning. I didn''t dare to look up at them as I jogged back to the dugout.

    "Okay, listen up guys." Coach gathered the team as we came back inside the dugout. "I know that it was an unprecedented surprise, but don''t worry about it. Zeke and Jake aren''t the only ones that can get hits. Switch gears to defense." He looked at Garret and Kelvin. "Don''t save anything. You have a strong group waiting in the bullpen. Understand?"

    Garret flexed his left arm as he grinned confidently. "Unlike them, I don''t need to pitch around anyone."

    Some of the guys laughed as Coach sent the team out to take the field. I had to hurry to switch my helmet for my hat and then grabbed my glove.

    Garret really backed up his tough guy act, shutting the top of their lineup down with a looking strikeout, a swinging strikeout, and then a groundout to Noah.

    Top of the second, I sat by my bag as Noah prepared for his at-bat. It moved quickly as the West Valley pitcher was able to strikeout the side. Sean, Jason, and Noah didn''t stand a chance.

    "It''s fine, don''t mind." Coach told us as we went back to defense. "We''ll figure something out. It''ll click. Stay steady."

    Bottom of the second, Garret had to start with the cleanup hitter. It had been mentioned throughout the week how accomplished this guy was. He was comparable to me or Zeke. He was a senior looking like he was already in his 30''s. He even had a scruffy beard. He could have easily been mistaken for a coach instead of a player.

    Garret kept the game scoreless, getting the fifth batter to fly out to Mahki in left field, and then the next to ground out to Jason at third.

    "Excellent grab, Noah!" Mr. Miller commented as we went in the dugout and he was going out.

    Noah grinned. "I wouldn''t mind if a few more like that came my way."

    "I prefer strikeouts." Garret said as he put on his helmet. "It''s just more reassuring."

    Noah stuck out his tongue. "You''re just salty."

    "Alright boys, listen up." Coach walked to the center of the dugout so we all could hear him. "Let''s try and get something going here. Kelvin, Garret, and Julian lead off; this can be great. If we can get some other people on base in front of Zeke and Jake, then they might face them head on."

    "I doubt it." Garret replied honestly. "We all have to get on base for something to happen. They even took a chance and walked Jake after Zeke, even with one out and our core lineup coming up. They definitely don''t see us as a challenge without Jake and Zeke."

    "Then make them pay for it!" Coach demanded, showing some intensity.

    "Yea!" The team chanted.

    It sounded good in theory, but in reality we didn''t get off to a good start as Kelvin went down swinging.

    "It''s okay, there''s still Garret and Julian." Noah mumbled from our seat on the bench. The rest of the team seemed to have a similar thought, because there was a gasp as Garret connected on his third pitch.

    It quickly turned to a groan as the shortstop fielded the ball nicely, his throw beating out Garret to first. Garret took his helmet off on his way back to the dugout, covering his face with it.

    "Toughen up!"

    "You''ll pay him back on the mound!"

    "Head up!"

    Some cheers from our own bullpen, prompted Garret to uncover his face. He waved at them and came back into the dugout. "Sorry, guys..." He sighed.

    "It wasn''t bad." Zeke told him as he went to the on deck circle.

    "Yea, at least you made contact." Jason said.

    "Right! This pitcher is one of the best in the state after all." Kelvin got up and patted his shoulder. "Do you want us to apologize to you every time we don''t get a hit?"

    Garret but his helmet and bat away. "No, I just-" He clenched his fist. "I want this. I want to win."

    "Me too!" Noah jumped up. "We all do, Garret. If Jake isn''t anxious, then why are you?"

    I tilted my head at him.

    Noah laughed and patted me on the head. "Come on, don''t look at me like that. You haven''t panicked at all. You''re like a calm lake."

    "Yea, because the ball hasn''t gone my way." I told him. I looked at Garret. "You give us confidence on the mound. Zeke said not one person does it all."

 499 CIF Finals: West Valley Prep 3

    Our offense ended with Julian grounding out to third. He came back with his head down as well.

    "Next person to put his head down or groan or even say something negative, will be benched." Coach declared. "You''re all acting like we''re losing and I''m not liking it. This isn''t us. We never back down. We can be down by ten runs and I''ll still believe that we can turn it around. Understand?!"

    "Yes, Coach!"

    We ran out and took our positions for the bottom of the third inning.

    Garret used his anger and anxiety in his pitching, throwing fast and hard. His arm was like a whip; I don''t think I would be able to hit against him, let alone the opposing team. He struck out the side, three up, three down. It was an magnificent display of power pitching and the crowd showed appreciation for it, clapping and chanting Garret''s name as he came off the mound.

    Garret pumped his fist in excitement.

    "Showoff." Noah snickered as we passed Garret by, going into the dugout.

    "It''s a pitcher''s best trait." Garret shot back as everyone got inside our dugout.

    "I think a pitcher''s best trait would be being humble." Kelvin said.

    "Hey! Whose side are you on?" Garret asked.

    Kelvin shrugged. "I called for the pitches and got no credit. Whose side are you on?"

    Garret laughed and threw his arm around Kelvin''s shoulders. "You know I couldn''t do this without you!"

    "Yea, yea, let me go." Kelvin pushed him away.

    I hurried to grab my helmet and bat, meeting Zeke and Mahki by Coach.

    Coach looked at the three of us. "Okay boys, if they try and do something similar to the first inning, then we have to try and change things up a bit. Mahki, it''ll be up to you to try and get it through the infield. Don''t be afraid to strikeout. Zeke, if you see an opening to steal third, take the risk. Jake, as soon as that ball is in play, sprint to second and try to break up the double play. You know what I mean?"

    I gave a sad smile and shrugged. "I''m not Noah. My base running is the worse on the team. I think that''s why they know it''s okay to walk me."

    Mahki patted me on top of my helmet. "Don''t worry about that, kid. They probably planned this out. I''ll try to go opposite field this time or maybe pop it up so you guys can tag up and advance."

    "Good idea." Coach nodded. "Try and get under the pitch. A long fly to the outfield wouldn''t be so bad."

    Zeke went out first and I moved to the on deck circle as his name was called. He swung the bat back and forth a few times before getting into the batter''s box. I could only watch as the catcher stayed standing and signaled for an intentional ball. After four balls, Zeke tossed his bat back towards the dugout and jogged to first.

    After four straight balls out of reach, I copied Zeke''s movements, jogging to first as he jogged to second. Mahki came up to bat, earning a lot of cheers from our side of the bleachers. He clenched his bat as the catcher squatted behind home plate. The first pitch was a ball that missed outside. Then a ball inside. A called strike. Mahki fouled one back. On a 2-2 count, he swung his bat lower than normal, but he was unable to get under the pitch since it was a breaking ball. He made solid contact. Right to the shortstop. It was like the first inning was on repeat. The shortstop fielded the ball to the second baseman to get me out and then he threw it to first base to get Mahki out. A double play. Again.

    The only difference was that Zeke made it to third, and with two outs, Sean was up to bat.

    Mahki and I went back to the rather quiet dugout. Sean struck out before I could even sit down after switching my gear. The whole team took the field with a sense of dread. It was easy to say don''t get down on yourselves, but it was harder to live it.

    Garret had to start with the top of the lineup once more to begin the bottom of the fourth inning. He continued to pitch fast and hard like he was punishing them on behalf of me and Zeke. He struck out the first batter in three pitches, earning some applause. It was his sixth strikeout of the game.

    As the second batter stepped up to the plate, I noticed Garret doing something odd: shaking out his pitching arm. I felt taken aback. Garret never wasted movement when he was on the mound. Feeling off about his movements, I watched closer as he faced the second batter. He kept up the pace, and nothing looked different in the moment, but after striking him out, he did it again: shake his arm out. Was it a new superstition? Or was his arm bothering him?

    The third batter was up, but I was getting distracted. I continued to watch Garret pitch closely. So closely, that I was caught unprepared with the batter hit a fast one my way. I did a last minute dive, but I was caught flat-footed and let it slip pass. As West Valley fans clapped and cheered, it came to my attention that...it was...the first hit of the game. For either team.

    Sean came in from right field and threw tha ball in, keeping the batter to a single. I felt the blood rush to my face as I stood up and got back into position.

    "Don''t mind!" I heard Noah say.

    I didn''t dare look his way. I kept my head lowered and tried to just focus on the next batter. It was the cleanup hitter with the beard. I gulped. Please don''t hit my way. I could still remember the line drive that Noah had snatched. It was like a bullet.

    Just like any bad premonition, it was a hundred times worse in reality. The cleanup batter was able to have a solid connection, but the ball wasn''t in my reach. It was blasted to right field, flying like a bird. Sean chased it all the way back to the warning track before watching it fly over. A home run. A two-run home run.

    The crowd''s cheers for West Valley took over the stadium and it was all we could hear as the players ran the bases.

    I looked to Garret, feeling bad for letting that previous batter get to first. I could have prevented at least one run. However, when I looked at Garret on the mound, I caught him shaking out his pitching arm again. This really wasn''t normal.

    Unsure of what to do, I glanced at Noah to see if he noticed.

    "Next batter! Next batter! Two outs!" Noah was too absorbed into the game to catch my look.

 500 CIF Finals: West Valley Prep 4

    The fifth batter also made contact, making my heart skip a beat. Luckily, it was in Noah''s range of play. He fielded the ball, then threw it to Julian at first, beating the runner for the third out of the inning. The nine of us jogged back to the dugout, listening to the majority of the crowd clapping for West Valley. It definitely made me feel worse, knowing that one run was my fault.

    Top of the fifth. I had hoped to talk to Noah, but he was set to be batting second this inning. He quickly changed out his gear and hurried to the on deck circle without even a word.

    I sat on the bench, wondering who I should speak to when someone said, "Hey Bambi, don''t take it so hard. That was my fault." I looked up and saw Garret right in front of me.

    I blinked. He thought I was upset about the passed ball. Which I am. But more importantly... "What''s wrong?"

    Garret was taken aback. "What? What do you mean?"

    I glanced at his left arm. "You''re being weird."

    "It was just two good hits." Garret told me. He lifted his right arm and gripped his left. It was a familiar action that I''ve seen before. With Rhys! He always would hold his injured arm when he was thinking about it.

    I took a deep breath. "Garret." I looked him in the eyes. "If you don''t go tell Coach and Drew, I''ll go do it."

    Garret was surprised. "Are you...tattling on me?"

    I swallowed. "I-I-I-"

    "Alright, Jakey." Garret reached out to me with his right and patted my shoulder. "I get it. You don''t want to, but you''re obligated, huh?"

    I looked away, feeling shy. "I just don''t want to see you make it worse. Zeke''s friend had elbow surgery and missed out on his senior year. I don''t want that to happen to you."

    "It won''t." He answered promptly. "I know my limit. I was...going to push it a little more. But you''re right. I shouldn''t risk it all. I''ll tell Coach I need a pitching replacement and then have Drew take a look. But it''s not bad, I promise." He gave me a final pat and then made his move, walking to the other end of the dugout.

    As he walked, he grabbed the attention of every player on the bench. Everyone watched as he spoke to Coach, lifting his left arm before shaking it. Coach called for Drew. From my seat, I couldn''t see how he was examining Garret''s arm, I just knew that he wasn''t going back on the mound.

    Jason struck out. Noah popped up a short fly to the first baseman. And Kelvin grounded out to short.

    By the time we were through with our offense, Coach and Drew and finished talking with Garret. They spoke with Zeke and the pitching coach before addressing the team.

    "Sean. I know this is hard for you, but take a seat." Coach told him just as he was heading out. "Mahki to right, Garret will stay in the game as the left fielder. Dave will be coming in to take over the mound."

    The rest of the team looked at Garret.

    Garret waved his arm. "I''m fine. It''s fine. Just some tightness. I''m still able to bat, but we don''t think I should continue pitching."

    "Alright, get out there and play some defense." Coach told the rather silent dugout. "Backup Dave the best you can." He looked to Kelvin. "He didn''t get to warm up much so try to slow down the pace." He clapped his hands and we headed out.

    I eyed Garret as he ran out to left field, feeling that he was playing down whatever was wrong with him.

    "Don''t waste your time on him." Noah told me as we headed for second base. Dave came sprinting in from the bullpen and started to do some practice pitches off the mound. "If Garret says he''s fine, then he''s fine."

    But..."He only said something to Coach, because I threatened him that I would." I whispered.

    Noah dropped the grin, and glanced to left field where Garret was playing catch with Zeke. "It''s an important game; I can see why he doesn''t want to go out. I just hope it''s nothing serious." He shrugged. "Maybe it doesn''t bother him when he''s batting. He is one of the best batters we have after you and Zeke so it''d be a shame to bench him."

    Noah saw that I wasn''t convinced. "Okay, stop stressing. There''s nothing we can do about it now. We aren''t the coach, nor are we his parents. You saw how depressed Sean looked when he was benched right? Do you want Garret looking at you like that?"

    I shook my head. No way.

    Noah shrugged. "Let''s just focus on what we can do for now."

    The umpire called for the game to resume and the West Valley player was announced. The bottom of the fifth started with the sixth batter.

    Kelvin called for a ball just outside the zone, and Dave complied. The batter swung on the first pitch, reaching all the way over, popping the ball over my head. I chased it to the outfield grass, picked the ball up and threw to Julian, however the batter was already safe. Dave starts off with a bloop single on a pitch that was obviously meant to be a ball. Dang it.

    It got worse for the next batter, who smashed a line drive to the corner of right field. The runner on first made it home on his double, making it to the plate before a tag play could even be attempted. This field being big was not our advantage right now.

    Down by three. Dave got serious, not willing to waste any more pitches. He shook off a few signs from Kelvin before agreeing on one. He threw it to the inside corner for strike one. Then strike two. And strike three. Got him swinging. The first out.

    Dave wasn''t done in just yet. The ninth batter got cornered into a 0-2 count, before Dave went outside, making him chase. He hit a slow roller right up the first base line. Julian picked it up and tagged first for the second out, as the runner from second made it to third. Julian had an urge to throw to third, but Dave demanded the ball back.

    Julian threw it back to Dave on the mound, leaving the runner alone. Dave merely glanced at him before focusing on the new batter. Dave aimed for good spots, controlling his speed well. The leadoff batter hit a grounder my way. With two outs, I shouldn''t worry about the runner on third. I did my best to field the grounder and then made a solid throw to Julian to end the inning.

    We jogged back to our dugout.

    "Down by three...I feel like we''re sinking." Jason muttered.

    "More like stinking." Noah replied, looking at Dave. "One inning, two hits, and one run. It''s like you''re not even trying."

    Dave looked surprised at the sudden insult. "Dude, I just came in. On short notice. We''re lucky it wasn''t more than one. Why don''t you go attack Garret for waiting until the last minute to get off the mound?"

 501 CIF Finals: West Valley Prep 5

    With Zeke''s sharp words, everyone started to move. Garret and Julian left the dugout with their bats and helmets, while the rest of us remained standing at the fence.

    I got my own helmet in anticipation that we could make something happen. Plus, if the walk Zeke again, I will automatically go up to bat. I stood beside Zeke, who was in the hole spot. He was watching Garret''s at-bat with intensity like it should be him instead.

    Garret let the first pitch pass for a ball. Then fouled the second down the right field line. Ball. Ball. On the fourth pitch, he drove it right up the middle, forcing the pitcher to duck. Both middle infielders missed, and we cheered as the ball bounced before the center fielder could get to it. A single. A solid single. Our team''s first hit.

    "Nice!"

    "Good hit!"

    "Let''s get something going!"

    Zeke moved out of the dugout as Julian went to the plate. With a clear view I could see Coach give out a sign. Mr. Miller repeated it for Julian to see. I felt a shiver up my spine. This is a clear sign that we''re in a desperate situation. Coach never calls for a sacrifice bunt. Especially when we only have a runner on first. He must be trying to avoid the double play.

    Knowing what was supposed to happen, I kept my eyes glued on Julian. He didn''t look bothered in the slightest. If I hadn''t learn the signs, I would be clueless as to what he was going to attempt.

    Garret started to take a lead, bigger than I ever would. He inches out further and further, and as soon as the opposing pitcher released the ball, he took off sprinting.

    The pitch was clearly inside, going to be a ball, but Julian still tried to laid down the ball in fair territory. It echoed off his bat and rolled to the pitcher, who came sprinting off the mound. He picked the ball up, intending to throw to second, but Garret''s outstanding lead helped him secure the base. The pitcher could only throw the ball to first base to get Julian out.

    Claps started to rain down as he jogged back to the dugout. It didn''t last long though. By the time Julian got back, the West Valley coach came out to talk to his pitcher and catcher on the mound.

    "He''s going to replace him." Coach said to himself under his breath. Then he caught me by the arm before I stepped out of the dugout. "Jake."

    I slipped my arm out of his grip.

    "Sorry." He quickly realized his mistake. "My bad. Sorry. I just think...they might take him out. If they do, there''s only one pitcher they would put in to replace him to close out this game. And that might mean that we have a chance to tack on some runs. Understand?"

    I nodded, then hesitated. "How do you know they''ll pitch to me?"

    "Coach''s intuition." He smirked, glancing at their bullpen. "If they replace this guy on the mound with someone else, look to me for instructions, okay?"

    Coach lifted a finger as if telling me to wait a minute.

    "Now pitching for West Valley Preparatory, Cameron Winslow." The announcer called out as a young man came jogging in from the opposing bullpen. The other pitcher went back to his dugout, while the fans gave him some obligatory applause.

    Besides that though, there was a hum in the air. It was like everyone was talking about this relief pitcher. This must be the guy that Coach was talking about, right? I glanced back again.

    Coach gave the sign to hit, but then lifted two fingers at the end of it. I frown. What did he mean?

    "Eye on the ball, Jake." I heard Coach call out, clapping a little bit.

    Eye on the ball? Was that a hint? I thought it over.

    ''Plop!''

    The sounds of the ball hitting the catcher''s mitt was loud and clear. My frown stayed as I turned to watch the pitcher complete his warmups. He had tremendous speed. Easily hitting the high 90''s.

    Coach thinks that they''ll pitch to me. He even gave the sign to hit. But added two fingers... it clicked: wait for the second pitch. That should be it! He wants me to make sure that they''re actually going to pitch to me. Plus it''ll let me time my swing.

    I nodded to myself slowly. Yea...I can do this. It''s our best shot. Now, where should I aim? The pitching was very fast; it''ll be hard to control. I could do what I usually do in the cages, and hit up the middle, but the center fielder might be able to make that play. I have to aim for a corner. Opposite field or pull it to my right?

    "Batter up!" The umpire called for my attention.

    Seeing that everyone was waiting for me, I blushed and stepped up to bat. I watched as the pitcher checked the runners, then eyed me. He started his motion, then bam! The ball was already in the catcher''s mitt. Definitely a different feeling than the cages.

    I stepped out of the box, trying to hear my thoughts over the crowd that seemed to be getting louder. I could no longer distinguish if they were cheering for me or for him. I glanced at Zeke on first, he was taking a risky lead even though the first baseman was playing stationary. Behind him, I noticed that the right fielder was shifted more in and to the center. They don''t think I can place my hit. Good.

    I stepped back in the box. The pitcher checked the runners again, then started his motion. I gripped my bat a little tighter. The pitch came in a blink of an eye. I could only rely on muscle memory to swing my fastest and then open up my body, trying to carry the ball to right field.

    ''CRACK!''

    There was a collective gasp from the crowd.

 502 CIF Finals: West Valley Prep 6

    The right fielder got the ball and threw it back in. The second baseman wasn''t even concerned about me, and turned all the way around to throw to home plate where Zeke was diving in. His outreached left hand hooked the catcher''s ankle while his right hand tagged the plate, while the catcher''s tag completely missed him. We got two!

    I was about to lift my arms...but something caught my eye in the grass. A familiar piece of wood. I held my breath and looked closely, spotting my bat in the area before third base. Did I throw my bat there? Did I throw my bat at all? I looked down at my hands to see my left was still clutching onto wood. I dropped to my knees.

    "Time!" Someone yelled.

    My eyes were glued onto the handle of the bat in my left hand. Some of the wood had cut into my hand along the index finger causing some bleeding. I wasn''t worried about that though. I felt like my heart was being clenched as I stared at my broken bat. The first bat I owned since my near-death experience. The bat that Mrs. Atkins bought for me after Noah and I caused some trouble at The Cages. It broke just like the first one in The Cages. Just pieces, everywhere.

    "Jake. Jake, talk to me." Drew crouched in front of me, holding his trainer''s bag and a towel.

    I showed him my left hand. "It broke." I started to tear up.

    "It''s going to be okay. Tell me, does your hand hurt? Do you think you have some splinters stuck in your hand?" Drew was solely focused on the bleeding.

    "How is it? Can he go on?" Coach stood over us.

    Drew glanced up at him. "It''ll take some time to clean up his hand, but physically he can keep playing in my opinion."

    "Physically?"

    Drew sighed.

    "Coach? Can your player continue?" An umpire joined our small meeting.

    "He can." Coach said firmly. "We need some time to make sure he doesn''t have any splinters and then bandage the small cut. We would like to make a request to put in a courtesy runner."

    "Granted. You can take him back to the dugout and send out a runner. We''re going to clean up the grass and make sure there isn''t any pieces left lying around. Don''t want it to cause any other injuries."

    Drew gripped my elbow and helped me to my feet, and then guided me back to the dugout. I weakly held what was left of my bat as I silently cried. I couldn''t see my teammates through my blurry eyes, but I knew they were giving me space.

    "I''m going to take this out of your hands now, Jake. Okay?" Drew told me after sitting me down on the bench. He gingerly took the handle of the bat out of my hand and placed it beside me on the bench.

    Drew carefully cleaned up my hand, then pulled out a pair of tweezers. "This may hurt a little, Jake, but it''ll be over soon."

    At this point, I was starting to feel numb. My tears dried on my face as I sat there like a statue.

    "Noah." Zeke came over and patted his younger brother on the head. "I''ll keep Jake company. You go and try and get Mom or Dad''s attention. Jake''s going to need a new bat if we plan to win this game."

    "You''re not going to let him try to use Noah''s?" Tanner asked. "Jake can probably do even better with an aluminum bat anyways."

    I started to shake, making it impossible for Drew to get the splinters out.

    "Jake won''t touch a bat like that." Zeke said plainly. He glanced at Noah, hinting at him to go. Noah looked at me before sneaking off to the back fence to try and find his parents in the crowd.

    "Jake, I can''t get these splinters out with you moving so much." Drew said in frustration.

    "No one is going to make you pick up an aluminum bat, Jake." Coach came over. "If we cant find you a wooden bat, we''ll get you a pinch hitter. It''s going to be okay. We still have to tie up the game if we want you to get another chance to bat anyways. Calm down, Jake."

    They''ll take me out of the game?

    "You did good enough, Jake." Zeke told me. "You got us into the game. We have to do our parts too. Just relax. Don''t think so far ahead."

    I started to calm down, giving Drew the chance to clean out my hand. I looked at Coach. "Sorry."

    Coach looked surprised. "There''s no need to apologize to me. In fact, you did great! You drove in two runs and made it to second. The pitcher was so shaken up, he walked Mahki." He gestured to the field.

    Sure enough Mahki was on first. Brian was on second. Where I should be.

    "Will I be able to go back in?"

    "Yes." Coach nodded. "We''re using Brian as a courtesy runner. It''s something you can only do in little league and high school for an injured baserunner. But, if you don''t get back out there for defense then that''s it for you. So, what do you say? Do you want to play this out?"

    I swallowed a lump. "I''ll do my best."

    Drew bandaged my hand and taped it down. "You''re good to go."

    I moved my hand around.

    "How does it feel?" He asked. "Too loose? Too tight?"

    I shrugged. "It''s fine."

    "Mom is going to ask the Stanford guys!" Noah came back, smiling. "She said she''ll definitely get a wood bat before Jake gets up again."

    My shoulders sagged, letting tension, I didn''t even know I had, go. What a relief.

 503 CIF Finals: West Valley Prep 7

    Yea...two on, one out...it didn''t last long. The pitcher found his groove and a gear clicked. He cleaned up and sped up, blowing three fastballs right by Dave. Then a repeat performance for Jason to end the inning.

    "Don''t get down on yourselves, boys." Coach addressed the whole team when everyone was back in the dugout. "We''re only a run behind, with some good hitters up in the seventh. Just hold them here and I guarantee that we''ll catch them."

    "Wow! That''s a big promise, Coach!" Noah snickered. "Better not let us down!"

    "And you better not make me a liar!" Coach shot back.

    The guys laughed as they started to take the field.

    I looked at the pieces of my bat, feeling like I was looking at the pieces of my life.

    "Go on, son." Coach shooed me away. "We''ll pack it up and make sure to put it in your bag. You need to get out there and go play defense."

    "Okay..." I grabbed my glove and ran out to my position. I was still in a daze as I got into position, thinking about my bat. It stayed with me all season. I wonder if Mrs. Atkins will be mad that I broke another bat? Is she going to yell at me? Weren''t bats expensive? I started to stress.

    I was only going through the motions while my mind wandered off, thinking about the future.

    ''Ding!''

    My head snapped to the right to follow the line drive that bolted off the second player''s bat, just in time to see Noah jumping almost laterally to grab the ball. He slid in the dirt, kicking up some dust, but was quick to jump up and show off the ball.

    "Out!" The umpire declared.

    Noah threw the ball back to Dave on the mound and lifted one finger. "One out!"

    "One out!" The team echoed.

    I shook my head trying to stop all the thinking. If that came my way, I would have been screwed. Even more concerning, it could have hit me in the face and then I''ll really be in trouble. I shook my arms and legs, trying to get rid of the jitters.

    Dave faced the third batter in the lineup. He had that single that snuck by me last time. He could easily hit it my way again. On a 1-2 count, he popped one up to short left field. Looking at where Garret was coming from, it was going to be a bloop single. Ugh. I moved to cover second base.

    "I got it!" Noah ran back to left field, with his back to the infield. He extended his glove, catching the ball over his shoulder and then tripped over his own feet, rolling in the grass.

    Our fans clapped wildly for the back-to-back good plays from Noah as Garret helped him up. He grinned as he threw the ball back to Dave. "Two outs!"

    "Two outs!" The echo was even louder.

    The man swung on Dave''s first pitch, whipping it with the end of his bat. Julian caught the line drive before it hit his chest. He held it up for the ump to see.

    "Out! Switch!"

    Three up, three down. We all headed back for the dugout.

    "Did you see those catches, Jake?" Noah bragged almost immediately.

    I nodded. "They were great!" I definitely wouldn''t be able to pull off either of those.

    "Now if only you can do just as well at the plate." Garret joked, coming in from behind us.

    "Of course I will!" Noah shot back. "They said that good fielding will lead to good hitting." He hurried to his bag and got out his batting gloves and helmet.

    "No one says that." Garret told me, smiling. He paused before going to his own bag to get ready for his own at-bat. "I''m sorry about your bat. I know...I know enough to know that it really mattered to you." He patted me on the head. "Hopefully they find you a bat soon. You''re going to need it." He grinned with confidence, leaving me standing there.

    "Doing okay?" Zeke asked, watching me.

    I glanced at Garret. He had so much confidence. He could still smile even after getting pulled off the mound. I wonder if his elbow was still bothering him. I was heartbroken over a bat, a physical item that could eventually be replaced. Yet, Garret still comforted me. I was the one to threaten him to tell Coach about his pitching arm.

    With these thoughts trying to make sense of what to feel, I was enlightened. I looked up at Zeke. "I''m better. It''s just a bat. It can be replaced."

    "Jake! Special delivery!" Jason hollered as he came into the dugout, holding a wooden bat. He hurried to me, pushing it into my hands. "Here! Swing it around!"

    "Thanks." I told him. I looked up at Zeke again. "Do you think we can still win?"

    "I never doubted it for a second." Zeke smiled at me before going to his own bag.

    I made a move to go to the end of the dugout, where I could find some space to swing this new bat around.

    "Hey! You got a bat!" Noah exclaimed happily as he passed me by. "Let''s make something happen!" He left the dugout in a hurry.

    With a new wood bat in hand, and hearing such confident words from Garret, Noah, and Zeke, I started to feel a little lighter. Like a big load was taken off my back. It felt good to be surrounded by such people. Teammates. Friends.

    I glanced at my bandaged left hand. I''ll have to hit from the right side.

 504 CIF Finals: West Valley Prep 8

    It was the top of the seventh inning. If we don''t make something happen here, it really will be game over.

    I took my practice swings seriously, trying to focus on keeping speed with the pitcher on the mound. It''s been some time since I had to concentrate this hard on batting right. Good thing I still practiced every time we were at The Cages.

    I paused to watch Noah''s at-bat, hoping he would get on base. He swung and missed on the first two pitches, unable to keep up with the fastball. The pitcher threw a curve, breaking away from Noah''s swing, but the edge of his bat made contact. The ball dribbled down the first baseline as Noah took off sprinting. The first baseman scooped the slow grounder up and tagged the base before Noah could get there.

    The West Valley fans got loud as they were one out closer to being crowned the champions.

    Noah came back and Kelvin stepped up. I watched as Noah took his glove out of his bag as he sat down, like he knew we were going to be able to take the field one more time.

    I gripped the new bat in my hands a little tighter and took a few more serious swings. I stayed focused until I heard the sound of a bat hitting the ball. I whipped my head to the field and saw that he was able to hit a grounder as well. But to the shortstop, who fielded it easily. Two outs.

    The fans were stomping, clapping, and yelling as Garret stepped up to the plate.

    I swallowed a lump in my throat and stood against the dugout fence with the rest of my teammates.

    "Come on, Garret!"

    "You can do it!"

    Garret was in the lefty''s box, facing us. He grinned just before getting into the box. He pulled his bat back in a slow manner like it weighed a few extra pounds.

    The pitcher squinted at his catcher''s signs. Nodded. Got set. Started his motion.

    "Strike!" The umpire yelled.

    Garret didn''t even swing. He just watched it go by. The crowd got louder. Only two strikes away.

    The catcher gave the ball back to his pitcher. The pitcher got set once more, nodded at the pitch selection, then started his delivery.

    Garret took a step forward almost at the same time. He timed his swing well making a solid connection as that fastball came in. The ball came off the bat, going down the left field line.

    "Get up!"

    "Stay fair!"

    "Go! Go!"

    My teammates started to yell and jump up and down as we watched the ball soar. It barely cleared the wall. But it still made it! Home run! Tie game!

    There was a roar through the crowd as Garret ran the bases, practically skipping. He tagged home plate and ripped his helmet off. "Let''s gooo!"

    The crowd responded with chants of his name, drowning out the West Valley fans.

    Zeke was there to remind us that we had not. "It''s not over yet! Let''s make that homerun worth it!"

    "YEAH!" The echo resounded throughout the dugout.

    With the bat in hand, I moved to the hole spot just beside the dugout entrance.

    Garret tapped the top of my helmet. "What did I tell ya??!"

    I grinned, the excitement felt contagious.

    Garret got pulled away by the guys on the team, still celebrating.

    No one lost their excitement. Even when Julian grounded out to third to end our offense.

    I hurried back to my bag to change out my gear.

    Before taking the field, Zeke held us back for a minute. "I know we''re all riding high from tying the game, but it''s not over yet. Don''t get carried away. We have to hold them here." He looked directly at Dave. "No walks. Don''t be afraid to let the ball fly."

    Dave nodded. "Kelvin and I talked it over." He smiled. "Better not let them drop."

    With that, we took the field, getting into position.

    Dave started with batter number five. I could tell Dave was doing his best to switch up the speed and aim for good corner spots in the strike zone. On a 2-2 count, the batter launched the ball up. It flew to center field, falling into the glove of Zeke who only had to jog a few feet forward. This is probably what he meant by letting the ball fly.

    Grounders could sneak through spots of the infield and turn into singles and doubles. With the ball in the air, it wasn''t hard for players to get under them and make the catch. The only thing I worry about it though, is that I don''t want them to fly over the outfield fence. That would mean game over.

    My fear came too soon from batter six, he crushed the ball to dead center. I could only watch as Zeke chased it down, jumped, and slam into the outfield wall.

    "Oo." The crowd gasped.

    The hit didn''t faze Zeke for a second. He had to do it to make the catch. He got the ball out of his glove and threw it in to Noah. "Two outs!"

    "Two outs!!" Noah said energetically, giving the ball to Dave on the mound.

    Dave smiled before facing the next batter. This was the batter who had smacked a double off of him when Dave first came into the game. Dave couldn''t get the ball pass him, watching a few foul balls go down the line. On the fifth pitch, the seventh batter got a good hold of it, hitting it in my direction.

    But it was a high line drive. I jumped with all my might, but came up empty handed. I quickly turned around, just in time to see Mahki sprinting in and laying flat out to make a diving grab. He fell onto the grass and slid forward, before hopping up and showing off the ball in his glove.

    "Out!"

    We did it! We defended the tie and now get another chance to bat in extra innings!

 505 CIF Finals: West Valley Prep 9

    "Jake, wait a minute." Coach told me, halting me from going to the on deck circle.

    We were about to start the top of the eighth inning and Zeke was already out there taking practice swings. I had rushed to grab my helmet and bat as well, feeling the need to get some practice swings too.

    "Yes, Coach?" I felt nervous looking up at him, scared that he might bench me or something.

    "This is going to sound a little too demanding, but hear me out. We need a homerun." Coach stated.

    "I''ve never hit one before..." I was confused as to what he was trying to say. "Are you putting in a pinch hitter for me?"

    "No!" His shout got the attention of some of my teammates so he lowered his voice and then lowered himself so we were eye level. "No way. I want you to do it. You''re the best batter on this team. I know you think you don''t have a lot of power, but you''ve been training all season. Have you ever really tried for a homerun?"

    I shook my head. "I usually aim for gaps."

    "And that works." He told me. "But this is clutch time. Do you know what that means?"

    I shook my head again.

    "This is the time you have to go up against all odds and change the outcome of this game." He said quietly. He glanced to the field where the game had restarted and Zeke was in the batter''s box. "Look. They''re going to walk him again. You know why? Because Zeke is a clutch player. He''s not just good, but he''s excellent under pressure." He looked me in the eye. "I don''t believe that they''ll walk you."

    "Even though I''ve already gotten a hit off this guy?"

    "They don''t believe you can change the outcome of this game. At most, they think you can hit a double again, and maybe they''ll try to throw Zeke out at home. They don''t believe anyone else will get a hit and that''s why they''ve been pitching to the rest of the team. To them, Garret''s homerun was probably a fluke. An ill-decided pitch with bad location." He saw that Zeke was given his fourth intentional ball. "Go out there and aim for the fences, okay?? Put all you have into one swing and aim high." He patted me on the back, sending me out of the dugout.

    I stepped out of the dugout and slowly walked to the batter''s box. Out of habit I went around the catcher and ump to go to the left side, but quickly backtracked. I heard a few laughs and blushed; I couldn''t tell if they were laughing at me or with me. Nonetheless, I was embarrassed.

    The catcher stayed in a squat position behind the plate, clearly not going to intentionally walk me. Like Coach said, they don''t think I''m a threat. I got set and faced the pitcher as he nodded at the catcher''s signs.

    I tried to calm my breathing. I had to hit the ball perfectly. Coach said I was stronger, and I feel it, I really do, but...would it be enough?

    The crowd gasped.

    I dropped the bat and sprinted to first, keeping an eye on Zeke''s take off. I rounded first and was able to watch my own ball just barely sneak over the wall. It''s definitely the minimum distance required for a homerun, but hey! A homerun is a homerun! I jumped up on my way to second base, slowing down just a little. Excitement ran through my veins like a drug, making my heart pound out of my chest.

    I rounded second, slapped Mr. Miller''s hand as I rounded third, and then tagged home plate. 5-3! For the first time this game, we have the lead!

    Zeke threw his arm around my shoulders and guided me back to the dugout where our teammates were ready to pounce on us. That sobered me up quick. I didn''t want to be pushed around or held onto or stuck in the middle of the lot of them. I tried slowing down, but Zeke wasn''t having it.

    He pushed me into the dugout. "Guys! It''s too soon to celebrate. Keep calm and play on."

    Noah didn''t stop like the rest. He tackled me, knocking me into Zeke. "You did it! You''re amazing! On the very first pitch too! Crazy!" He bounced around like a pinball, not listening to Zeke at all.

    I didn''t care though. He made me laugh and feel more relaxed as all eyes were on me. "Yea, we have the lead now."

    "Dave." Coach called him back from the on deck circle. "Come back and take a seat. With us having the lead, James will go in to close it out. Tanner. Go bat for Dave."

    Tanner rushed for his bag to grab his helmet and stuff before rushing out.

    "Jake, good work." Coach smiled down at me. Then he looked up at the rest of the team. "Like Zeke said, it''s not over yet. Also, don''t pounce on Jake. He doesn''t like it."

    "How about high-fives all around?" Jason asked.

    Coach looked at me.

    "I can do that."  I tried to say with confidence.

    The team got into position, lining up along the bench, creating a pathway back to my bag. All of them had a hand outstretched. Noah led the way, slapping all of their hands. With him as an example, I followed through, beaming.

    I got back to my bag and the team went back to focusing on the game. Mahki popped out to short, not giving Tanner a whole lot of time to take some practice swings. I took off my helmet and put on my hat, while Noah did the opposite. It was all for naught though; Tanner struck out, and Jason grounded out to first, leaving Noah in the circle.

    He came back, still smiling. "For once, I''m not upset about not getting a chance to bat. Nope! Not at all! My best friend will be known as the freshman who hit the winning two-run homer in the CIF Finals. That''s good enough for me."

    I laughed. "You did your part on the field."

    "Dang right I did!" Noah hollered. He switched his gear and I followed him out.

    Coach spoke with the umpire to notify him of the pitcher change. James came running in at a leisurely pace.

    James, who had been unstoppable this past month, didn''t show any sign of weakness. Him and his curveball cruised through the end of the lineup for West Valley. Even pinch hitters couldn''t throw him off his game. He went three up, three down, all strikeouts to end the eighth.

    Everyone sprinted for the mound. Infielders, outfielders, the bench, the bullpen, and even the coaches. We are winners. We are the champions.

    I watched from my spot just a few feet away, taking in the joy and happiness that I felt. I never would have gotten the chance to be here if it wasn''t for Noah forcing me to tryout.

    "JAKE! WE DID IT!!" Noah came running out of the mob of our teammates, and jumped at me before I realized what was happening. We tumbled into the dirt and both started to laugh like crazy.

 506 Champions

    The celebration paused in order for us to shake hands with the other team. After that, the officials took over announcing West Valley Preparatory as runner-ups and then us as champions. I stood between Noah and Julian as we faced the crowd. Both sides clapped and there were some shouts.

    I scanned the stands for the Atkins, then was taken aback by the two men beside them. Jeremy and Jack.

    Noah noticed my reaction right away. "What? What is it?"

    "Jeremy''s here..." I mumbled. "And..Jack. Uncle Jack?"

    Noah relaxed. "Oh. Yea. They are."

    I swung my head to him. "You knew?"

    Noah nodded and put his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner. "When you broke your bat. I went to talk to Mom. Jeremy was nearby like he followed her down from the stands." He paused. "I didn''t think he would be here for you. That''s cool of him to miss another game of his to come to yours. I know we don''t like him right now, but...there are worst people in the world."

    "Yea...there are." I said, glancing to the spot in the stands where the two stood. They both had hats on, trying to blend in like they were afraid of getting spotted. I couldn''t imagine my mother being here. She would have never let me played; heck she didn''t like me owning anything related to baseball. My mom was abusive while these two were absent. I guess they can''t really be compared.

    The officials passed out a trophy half my size and then requests for pictures distracted me from the fact that they were here.

    Noah put his hat on backwards, threw his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in close for all the pictures. Occasionally he lifted a finger and yelled out. "We''re number one!"

    A lot of the guys on the team repeated after him as we posed for the camera.

    After half an hour of this, Coach started to usher us to the dugout. "Alright, alright. We can celebrate some more tomorrow and over the weekend. We still have the banquet too. For now, we all need to get home and get some rest. You all still have school tomorrow."

    "Ah, man!"

    "Lameeee."

    "I can''t imagine going to school tomorrow."

    "I don''t think I''ll be able to sleep a wink."

    "Jake." Coach stopped me. He jerked his thumb at some of the men that stood around. "They''ve got some questions for you. Are you up to answer them?"

    "Who are they..?" I asked, hesitating.

    "Reporters." He answered.

    I started to shake my head, but then spotted a familiar face. "Can I...only speak to one?"

    "Sure." He nodded and smiled. "You''re a minor after all. They can''t push you around. Which one?"

    "Mr. Cameron." I pointed at the only reporter I really knew. Someone who had been there at the start of my baseball career. Someone who knew my past and didn''t think anything of it. He wasn''t pushy.

    "Hey, Jake!" He smiled, showing clear happiness. "Wonderful game. Amazing hits! I don''t think there has ever been a freshman like you."

    A rather loud cough came from a few feet away. We both turned to see Noah. He joined us. "Oh, don''t mind me. Just another lousy freshman on the same championship team."

    I relaxed know that Noah was nearby. Not that Mr. Cameron scared me...I just felt more at ease with Noah here.

    Mr. Cameron laughed at Noah''s overdramatic display. "Noah, you know I mean no offense to you. You shine in your own way. Your defensive plays in the sixth inning made you look like a veteran upperclassman. You didn''t look nervous at all. You''re only going to get better from here on out."

    Noah beamed, happy with the compliment. "I always knew you had good eyes Mr. Cameron. What did you want to ask Jake?"

    Mr. Cameron waved his phone that was recording. "I need some snippets to put in the article. I figured I would start with the mvp." He smiled at me. "Well, Jake, how are you feeling?"

    "I''m not the mvp." I quickly refuted. There were better players than me on the team. Zeke being one of them, Garret another.

    "Not officially." Mr. Cameron conceded. "But what you''ve done for your team and school is undeniable. You were responsible for four RBI''s out of your teams five runs. No doubt, you''re the star of the show today."

    I felt the blood rush to my face.

    "You might want to stay away from complimenting him too much." Noah laughed. "You''ll just scare Jake away."

    "Oh! Okay!" Mr. Cameron nodded easily. "How about this: what were you feeling in that last at-bat?"

    "Nervous." I answered honestly.

    "Were you trying for a homerun or were you just trying to hit it to a gap?"

    "Coach suggested I try my best to hit a homerun."

    "Oh? Why would he say that?"

    I shrugged. "He thinks that West Valley would underestimate what I can do."

    "Did it feel good to prove them wrong?"

    I thought for a second. Then shook my head. "More like...it felt good to prove Coach right." I paused, glancing at Noah before continuing. "I don''t think you know this, but I didn''t have a normal tryout like other players in school."

    "Oh? Do you mind telling me about it?"

    "We had tryouts in the fall. Our school let''s offseason baseball count as a P.E. so it gives the coaches a chance to see everyone in action and make up the teams." Noah jumped in and explained. "Jake transferred in February..when the teams were already set."

    Mr. Cameron was enlightened. "So they held a special tryout just for Jake?"

    "Kind of." Noah turned to me. "Do you want to tell him?"

    I nodded slowly, facing Mr. Cameron with a little bit of shame. "It''s no secret that I''m in the foster system. My mom didn''t like me playing baseball. She-she-she." I paused and took a deep breath to make the stuttering stop. "The point is...I didn''t have any desire to play. By the time I moved to the Atkins, I hadn''t touched a bat in so long. Noah took me to the cages. He saw something in me and decided I was going to play. He spoke with Zeke, and in turn with Coach. So what I mean to say...is that, I''m happy to not let them down." I smiled at Noah. "Playing with the Atkins brothers, under such a great Coaching staff and trainer, and with teammates that were understanding...it was more than I could ever expect."

    "Wow." Mr. Cameron looked at me in awe. "Excuse me, Jake, it''s just, I''ve never heard you say so much. It was only a few months ago that you wouldn''t say a word. You''ve come a long way."

    I smiled and nodded. "I have." I nodded at Noah. "It''s thanks to him and his family. I don''t know where I would be without them."

 507 Interview

    "Jeremy Patterson..." Mr. Cameron mumbled. He looked down at me. "Are you guys now on good terms? I haven''t heard of any developments in a few weeks."

    I shrugged, not sure myself. "We had a talk. We aren''t close."

    "But, he''s here. You didn''t invite him?" He lit up. "Wait. He has a game himself tonight. He skipped work to be here."

    Noah laughed. "You sound a little too excited, Mr. Cameron."

    Mr. Cameron blushed. "Well...it''s news. Related to a pro baseball player. And I''m a sports reporter."

    "Come on, Jake, let''s go introduce him to Jeremy." Noah wiggled his eyebrows. "Maybe let Mr. Cameron give him a few tough questions."

    "Can I?" Mr. Cameron perked up like a toddler in a candy store. He looked at me, trying to tone down his excitement. "It''s up to you Jake. I don''t want to say anything that will make you uncomfortable."

    "The only one that should feel uncomfortable is Jeremy. Jake, come on." He grabbed my arm, taking me outside the dugout where his parents were. And...where the Patterson''s stood nearby.

    I took solace in the fact that they looked as awkward as I felt. Somehow...it made me want to laugh.

    "Mom! Dad! We won!" Noah said excitedly. "Jake is just a monster at the plate! I can''t wait until-" He stopped mid sentence. Then looked up at his dad. "Do you think they''ll let us play summer ball now..?"

    "Let''s save that conversation for another day." Mr. Atkins patted his son head. "Congrats on your big win. We''re so proud of you." He looked at me. "Both of you. All my boys became state champions on the same day. Not too many parents can say that." He smiled proudly.

    "Mr. Cameron." Mrs. Atkins greeted politely. "I hope we didn''t interrupt. You went easy on Jake, right?"

    "Of course." Mr. Cameron nodded. "I''ve never heard him speak so much. I got enough to write my review of the game. It''s been great following your boys all season long. There''s no other team I like watching more."

    Mr. and Mrs. Atkins laughed. "I never knew you were a suck-up."

    "I''m still trying to get that invite for Zeke''s draft day party." He joked.

    "Of course you''ll be invited!" Mrs. Atkins agreed. "You''ve done a lot for us over the years. I''m sure Zeke will agree to even let you interview him afterwards. You''ll be the first to know if he decides to go pro or not."

    "He won''t." Noah spoke up. "You don''t know, but before the game, he got Rhys to talk to that Stanford coach. I think if Rhys decides to go here, Zeke will put the pros off for a chance to play in the College World Series."

    Both parents blinked in surprise. Mr. Cameron was just as shocked as he looked down at his phone, still recording. "Do you guys mind if I go interview Zeke right now?"

    "By all means.." Mr. Atkins gave him permission.

    Jeremy and Jack noticed the looks coming their way. We made eye contact. I guess they took that as an invite to come over.

    "Hey." Jeremy said in a gruff voice.

    I nodded at him, staying distant.

    "It was a great game, Jake." Jack spoke up. "You did well. You definitely have the Patterson blood in you."

    "Sure, you say that now." Noah snorted. "After the blood test."

    "Noah." Mr. Atkins said in a warning tone. "Let''s try to be more civil."

    Noah nodded slowly. "Sure. Sure. Whatever you say, Dad." He looked at Mr. Cameron. "This is Jeremy and Jack Patterson, Mr. Cameron. Confirmed blood relatives of Jake."

    Jack looked at Mr. Cameron wearily. "You''re a reporter?"

    Mr. Cameron nodded excitedly. "I mostly cover high school sports, but specifically baseball."

    Jeremy looked uncomfortable. "Do you mind giving us some space?"

    "Oh." Mr. Cameron''s excitement deflated. "Okay. Sure." He looked at the Atkins. "I guess I''ll go look for Zeke."

    I glanced at Noah. Was he just going to let them scare Mr. Cameron away like that?

    Noah caught my look and understood. He held up his hand to stop Mr. Cameron. "You don''t have to listen to him. If you have anymore questions for me and Jake, we''ll happily answer them."

    Mr. Cameron looked surprised. He held back. "Well, just a few more, of you don''t mind." He looked at me and I nodded. He lifted his phone. "Can you recap what happened when your bat broke in the sixth inning? How did you feel? I ask because I know you specifically use a wooden bat in all games and practices."

    "I don''t actually know what happened." I shrugged, feeling depressed. "I was so focused on getting a hit, that I didn''t even realize it was broken until I was standing on second, looking at the broken piece in my hand. As to what I was feeling...I think I was on the edge of having a breakdown." I gulped. "I can''t play with an aluminum bat."

    "Do you mind if I mention why in my article?" Mr. Cameron asked.

    "We would prefer that you didn''t." Mr. Atkins interjected. "I don''t want anyone poking at Jake''s weakness until he feels more comfortable with it."

    "Understandable." Mr. Cameron nodded, then faced me again. "So you were scared that you couldn''t play in the game anymore. At that point, did you think you were going to have another chance to bat?"

    "The whole team knew that if we wanted a chance to win, it would most likely come down to Jake." Zeke said, joining the group. "So I sent Noah to find our parents to try and get a new bat."

    "No spares?" Mr. Cameron asked.

    "We didn''t think Jake would need one." Mrs. Atkins answered. "He broke one before, but we thought it might be do to misuse. So when we bought him one to use, Noah looked up how to care for the bat. We never had a problem since. I''m just happy that-" She looked at Jeremy, stunning us.

    Jeremy shrugged, putting his hands in his sweatshirt. "I had an old bat in the car. Once I saw that his broke, I went to go get it."

 508 Jeremy’s Ba

    I couldn''t believe it. Not only was Jeremy here, with his, I mean our, uncle. But, it was actually his bat that I used for my first official homerun. In a championship game. This was something out of a movie.

    "How''d you know he was going to need another wood bat?" Noah asked suspiciously.

    Jeremy looked a little uncomfortable. "I read...what had happened to him. And knowing...how it could be. I figured it out pretty quick."

    "Wow. Congratulations." Noah said sarcastically. "You deserve a prize for actually caring about what happened to your own blood brother." He rolled his eyes.

    "Noah." Mrs. Atkins sighed. "Just give him a chance."

    "I rather not." Noah shrugged. "Wouldn''t want to be as hurt as Jake."

    "Noah James." Mrs. Atkins said, exasperated.

    "No, it''s okay." Jeremy stopped the scolding Noah was bound to receive. "I get it. I made a lot of mistakes." He looked at me and gave a weak smile. "Baby steps. Right?"

    I blinked, not sure what to say.

    "As soon as you broke your bat, Jeremy went jogging to the car." Jack spoke up for the first time since our court meeting. "We may have turned a blind eye to how you were raised, but we''ll make up for it. Slowly, but surely."

    "You have to be clear when speaking to children." Noah stated, squinting at the pair. "Do you want a relationship with Jake or not?"

    Jeremy lips thinned as he looked straight into my eyes. "We don''t have to be strangers. Dad wouldn''t have wanted that." He glanced at Noah. "Dad also wouldn''t have liked the way I had left you behind. That''s my bad. That''s all on me. I can''t even blame that woman that gave birth to us." He took a deep breath in. "I''ve made a lot of mistakes, but it''s never too late to make up for it. It just takes a lot of effort. And I''m willing."

    I swallowed the lump in my throat, glancing to Mr. Atkins. He smiled at me and nodded. This is something he didn''t get.

    "Okay." I said in a whisper.

    Jeremy let out the breath he was holding and smiled in relief. But it still looked like he was in pain.

    "Alright, not bad." Noah nodded and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "An improvement, I would say." He glanced at Jack. "And who are you supposed to be?"

    Jack shifted uncomfortably. "I''m Jack Patterson. Their uncle."

    "I know who you are." Noah rolled his eyes. "But who are you to Jake? If you''re an uncle, then it''s only by blood and not by actions. You take one brother, but not the other. Real great adulting there."

    "Alright. That''s enough out of you." Mrs. Atkins shook her head and pointed to the dugout. "Why don''t you and Jake go get changed and get your bags. You still have to take the bus back after all."

    Noah shrugged. "Okay. Come on, Jake." He tugged on my arm, and we left them behind. He lowered his voice. "Don''t look back. That''ll make them think you care."

    Noah grinned as we made our way to our stuff. "It''s no biggie. This is what friends do. Besides, didn''t you see how Dad and Zeke just let me say what I want? That means they aren''t too convinced about that pair either. Mom probably sent us away so Mr. Cameron wouldn''t think she doesn''t discipline me."

    I stopped in front of our bags and looked up at him. "Really, Noah. Thanks. You''re so good at sarcastic replies and...I don''t think I could get my point across without losing my cool." I lifted the bat I had used to hit the homerun. Jeremy''s bat. "I''m still a little surprised that he thought of me."

    "Like I said," Noah packed his bag. "There are worst people in the world. Those two may be neglectful and have an entirely different set of issues than you, but at most, they''re just jerks."

    I packed my own bag up, leaving the bat out, before slinging it onto my shoulder. "So, do you think it''s a good or bad idea if I accept his apology?"

    Noah looked be in the eyes. "Do whatever makes you happy. It''s a gut feeling. I fight with my brothers all the time, but I couldn''t imagine not talking to them for the rest of my life. Then again...my brother didn''t leave me for dead." Noah frowned.

    "He didn''t purposely leave me for dead. How was he to know that she would try to kill me?" I rolled my eyes. "I''m just mad that he didn''t even think to come back. To look for me. A simple, ''hey, how''s it going''?"

    Noah grinned. "Looks like you already had an answer. Those Dr. Moore visits are paying off." He mused. "Do you think I should become a therapist?"

    "Maybe go see a therapist." Dave joked, joining us. "You guys ready to go? Everyone is heading for the bus."

    "Yea, we''re coming." He glanced to the group still out there. "We''re going to get Zeke first."

    "We are?" I asked.

    "Don''t you intend to return the bat?" Noah asked.

    I turned red.

    "I''ll come too!" Dave said. "Last time, me and Kyle didn''t get to really interact with him. I want to see what he''s really like."

    "You can''t make judgements off a ten second interaction." Noah rolled his eyes, leading the way.

    "Yea you can! That''s why they say first impressions count." Dave argued.

    I dragged my feet behind them, a little unwilling to return to the group.

    We joined just as Mr. Cameron was saying his goodbyes. "I''ll catch you all later. It was a great game." He waved. "Bye!" He walked away, phone in hand.

    Noah nudged me, looking at the bat I was holding.

    Knowing what I must do, I held it out to Jeremy. "Thanks for lending me this bat. It meant a lot. To me and the team." It allowed me to go up for another at-bat.

    Jeremy didn''t take his hands out of his pockets. "Go ahead and keep it. Yours is broken anyhow." He showed a small smile.

    I gripped the bat. "Really?"

    Jeremy''s smiled became more pronounced. "Really. You hit a homerun with that bat. Your first, from what I heard. Hopefully it''ll bring you more luck in the future."

    Relieved, I hurried to put the bat away. Then I looked up at him. "Thank you."

    "It''s not a problem."

    "Why don''t I get a picture of you two together?" Mrs. Atkins asked, raising her phone. "Do you mind, Jake?"

    I shrugged.

    She raised her phone and opened the camera app. Then with her directions, Jeremy and I stood side by side. She snapped a few pictures before nodding in satisfaction. "Not bad."

    "Hey, Mom! Can I get some with Jake too?" Noah asked, happy to join in. "We should have gotten some with the trophy. That would have been amazing."

    Mrs. Atkins laughed. "We can do some at the banquet. But, I have plenty of pics of you two together."

    Jack cleared his throat, interrupting the moment. "It''s getting late. We should head on out." He looked at me. "Good game, Jake."

    I nodded.

    Jeremy nodded too. "It was cool to see you play." He looked at the Atkins boys. "All of you did well." He nodded again. "I have a couple of away games coming up, but if you need anything, you have my number." He turned away slowly, walking with Jack off the field.

    "That was sooo awkward!" Dave burst out laughing.

    Noah joined in. Mr. Atkins and Zeke almost rolled their eyes simultaneously at the pair of laughing. Meanwhile, Mrs. Atkins was watching Jeremy and Jack walking away. She was frowning and it kind of scared me.

    "Let''s get to the bus." Zeke suggested firmly. He looked at his parents. "We''ll see you guys at home."

    That snapped Mrs. Atkins out of her trance. "Yes. Yes, we''ll see you boys at home. Drive safe, okay? And no pit stops. You still have school tomorrow."

 509 Short Dinner

    The bus ride was eerily quiet compared to the craziness after the game. The endorphins had worn off and almost everybody had passed out to go to sleep. Not me though. Some things can change, but some still stay the same.

    Across the aisle I could see Noah knocked out, laying down on the small bench with his feet against the window. I really can''t see how that was a comfortable position to sleep in.

    Dave, Garret, Julian, Mahki, Jason, and a lot of the other guys were also snoring away.

    Even Zeke up front had his eyes closed, head against the window.

    The only one, that I could say with confidence, that was still awake, was Kyle. He sat in the row in front of me and his phone was lit up for most of the way home. I was able to see his reflection in the window, just typing away in his phone. I could only guess that he was texting someone, but it would be impolite and rude to read so I didn''t say anything to him.

    Once we made it back to school, it was real late. Almost midnight.

    "Finals should be on weekends." Noah complained as he held his stomach. Him, his brothers, and me were all heading to the car to load it up and head home. "I''m so hungry, I might pass out."

    Dave''s stomach growled. "Please don''t talk about food until we''re home. I really hope Mom put something together before we go to bed."

    "Did you all complete your homework for tomorrow?" Zeke asked, completely ignoring their complaints.

    "Easily." Noah grinned.

    I nodded in agreement.

    Dave rubbed his nose. "I''ll have to do some math during lunch." He glanced at me.

    I gave him a subtle nod so he knew that I already completed the assignment.

    "What about you, Kyle?" Dave asked.

    "Hmm?" Kyle kept playing with his phone, not minding the conversation at all.

    We had loaded up the car and were finally a few minutes away from the house. Kyle sat in the back without fighting Dave for the front like he usually did, but it wasn''t too noticeable. Until now.

    Noah, who sat in the middle, peeked over to look at what he was doing. Kyle quickly shielded the phone.

    "Can I help you?" He tone was a little harsh as he looked down at Noah.

    Noah leaned back, showing some unhappiness. "We were just asking if you got all your homework done? Why are you so defensive? What are you hiding on your phone?"

    "None of your business." His timing was perfect, saying that to Noah just as we arrived home. He was abled to hop out of the car, got his bags out then hurried inside.

    "Do you think he was looking at porn?" Dave asked.

    Noah busted out laughing and I turned red with embarrassment.

    Dave rolled his eyes and got out of the car. "That''s the way it is sometimes. How do you think the other guys in the pen feel for not going in? Heck, some of them didn''t pitch an inning all season." He got his bags out and left for the house.

    "Why is Dave all mad now?" Noah was bewildered. I was right there with him. If he couldn''t understand his brothers, how could I?

    Zeke sighed. "Don''t bother them. Let''s get inside and eat something. School is going to be a headache tomorrow." He got out and so did we.

    "Are we still having practice tomorrow?" I asked.

    "No." Zeke replied as we walked I to the house. "No more practices. It isn''t permitted. Today was it." He gave a sad smile. "No more high school baseball for me."

    Noah grinned. "Don''t be so sad. You went out on top."

    Zeke chuckled, pushed Noah''s hat down before going into the dining room.

    Mrs. Atkins had prepared some grilled cheese with tomato soup and already had it laid out. She smiled when she saw the last of us come in to sit down. "Congratulations! Again." She laughed for herself.

    "We don''t even get steak for being champions?" Noah pouted, swirling his soup with a spoon.

    "Another night, Noah." She told him. "Steak is way too heavy to have so late at night and right before bed. We''ll let each of you pick a place to eat this week in order to celebrate."

    "Oldest to youngest!" Dave shouted.

    "No way! That''s unfair." Noah pouted.

    They started to bicker with a few interjections from their mom, while Zeke and his dad talked about Rhys potentially going to the same college. Only Kyle and I were silent.

    I was happily dipping my grilled cheese into the tomato soup so I had a reason for being so quiet: I was stuffing my face. Kyle, on the other hand, was not. He only ate half a grilled cheese before picking up his phone, scrolling.

    Zeke, who sat in between the twins, glanced over, yet didn''t say anything about it. It was hard to tell if he was worried about it or not.

    "So, are we letting Jeremy come around more often now?" Dave asked. "There was some extreme awkwardness with him and that other man around."

    "That other man is Jake''s uncle." Mrs. Atkins informed him. "He..." Mrs. Atkins looked at me.

    I blinked, unsure of what she wanted.

    "We''ll just play things by ear for now." Mrs. Atkins sighed.

    "Are we still adopting Jake?" Noah blurted out, freezing the room. Even Kyle looked up from his phone.

    "Why wouldn''t we?" Dave frowned. He looked to his parents. "Did something happen?"

    "Nothing happened." Mr. Atkins cleared his voice. He looked me in the eyes, noticing some fear in my eyes. "We still have every intention to go through with the adoption regardless of your relationship or lack thereof with your blood relatives." He paused. "That is...unless, you want to try to be a family with them. We will always respect your choices, Jake."

    "I want to stay here." I blurted out as quickly as possible.

    "Whew! What a relief." Noah grinned.

    "But if things ever change-" Mr. Atkins hesitated.

    I frowned. "Nothing can change my mind. I like it here." I looked around the table. "With all of you. I don''t want to be anywhere else."

    All of them smiled with true happiness, proving that my choice wasn''t wrong. Zeke wasn''t big on emotions, but he didn''t hide his grin. Kyle was going through some kind of distress, but he still didn''t shun me away. Dave and Noah were the easiest to read.

    "Does that mean we can change Jake''s last name to Atkins?" Noah asked, practically bouncing in his seat.

    "Is that something you would be interested in, Jake?" Mr. Atkins asked.

    Mrs. Atkins beamed with happiness. "We''ll get right on it. If we can, we''ll time it with the official adoption. Until then, just know, that you''re already apart of this family."

 510 The Day After

    Tuesday morning everyone was sluggish, running on minimum sleep. Zeke drove us to school quietly with all of us resting our eyes until we got to the school parking lot.

    "Wow." I muttered at the sight as we pulled in.

    "What is it..?" Noah mumbled, not willing to open his eyes.

    "You''ve got to see it, to believe it." I told him.

    Noah struggled to open his eyes. By the time we parked, he saw what I was talking about. He hurried to get out of the car.

    "CONGRATULATIONS!"

    "Woo-hoo!!"

    "Atkins! Atkins! Atkins!"

    There was a good size crowd right next to our baseball fields. They were all students chanting as we got out of the car. The kids in the front held a paper banner with the phrase ''State Champs'' on it. Some held smaller signs with more personalized messages like: ''Way to pitch, Garret!'' and ''Zeke the Freak''.

    Noah laughed excitedly, running to the group. He was no longer the least bit drowsy. He whipped out his phone and started to take pictures to his hearts content. He got a group shot, a selfie, and even found a personalized poster that had his name on it. Some of our classmates happily took the picture for him as he held the poster up with pride.

    Zeke and the twins also went over, greeting the friends that they knew along the way.

    I slowly made my way over, still wary of such a large group.

    "Jake! Hurry up!" Noah called out. "Look! This one has your name on it!" He waved a bright, neon-colored, poster that said ''Jake is MVP''.

    I blushed and put my head down, focusing on my steps.

    "Jake! Jake! Jake!" The crowd started to chant again at Noah''s encouragement. I could hear him lead, being the loudest out there. My face couldn''t possibly get any more red.

    I reached the edge of the crowd and Noah was quick to tug me a bit closer. "Alisha, take some more pictures for me!" He handed his phone to a girl I recognized from some of our classes.

    "Sure! Come on, Jake, you gotta look up." She told me.

    I did as I was told and she started to click. Noah had us take all kinds of pictures. Some of just us. Some with the handmade signs with our names on it. Some more with our classmates.

    This went on as the other guys from the team showed up. As soon as the crowd saw one, they started to chant their name. No matter if they played a little or a lot, or even not at all. Noah dragged me around as he went, getting Alisha to act like our personal photographer.

    Finally the warning bell rang, making all of us trudge up the hill to get to class on time. I was surprised that Mr. Miller didn''t come to give me and Noah a ride up, but Noah didn''t mind at all. He and Alisha talked the entire time, going to class, about which pictures looked good and which had to be deleted.

    "Hello, students of Watsonville High, this is your principal, Dr. Bodon. We have a very special announcement today. The boys varsity baseball team had won their CIF Championship last night in an exciting extra innings game. If you see any of these young men, let them know the honor that they have brought to our school."

    The classroom abruptly started to clap, drowning out the rest of the announcement. Our teacher gave the class five minutes before cutting them off. "Okay, okay, that''s enough. You all have plenty of time to congratulate them during your breaks. For now, let''s discuss Romeo & Juliet. I''m going to want an essay, due Friday, on why they''re star-cross lovers and what that means." The class that was clapping and cheering one minute, quickly turned into a collective groan. "Alright, no complaints. Only 500 words."

    Class was back to normal. Up until we got dismissed and headed for our shared locker to switch books. Along the way, classmates and other students started to reach out and congratulated us. Luckily I had Noah, who responded graciously to every person that we came across. Even to the kids who directed their comments my way, Noah would answer for me.

    I felt a bit overwhelmed, but with Noah taking charge, I could almost imagine it was just a normal day. Except...right as every class began, there would be nonstop clapping. By the third class, Noah started to bow as the clapping went on. I just turned red.

    I thought I would get a break during lunch, but nope. Impossible. We sat at our usual bench, but classmates would stop by and ask questions about the game and what it was like to be the only freshmen on the varsity team. Noah was practically born for this, treating them like reporters and answered with ease.

    It was until some guy asked me directly about my experience.

    I scratched my cheek, feeling a little insecure. I thought about what I had said to Mr. Cameron. "Well, I don''t know anything different so all I can say is that it was fun playing with them."

    The guy was confused, along with the ten others surrounding us. "What does that mean? Have you never played on a team before?"

    I shook my head, embarrassed.

    "Wow!"

    "Amazing!"

    "Maybe I should try out for the team next year too."

    "Impossible." Some guy in the back raised his voice. "Isn''t your brother Jeremy Patterson? How can you never play on a team before?"

    "That''s right!"

    "His brother is Jeremy Patterson??"

    "Why don''t they have the same last name?"

    "I think I remember hearing something about that before! Last month it was in the news."

    Noah noticed the group getting rowdy. He stood up on the bench, becoming taller than all of them. "That''s enough. Jake is my brother! Don''t be so nosey!" He shooed them away, waving his hands. "Let us eat. Go. Scram."

    He successfully sent them away; however I could still hear them talking about me.

    I swallowed a lump in my throat, feeling a little sick.

    "Don''t mind them." Noah sat back down. "They just like to gossip. Especially now that we''re big news. It''ll blow over soon like before."

 511 No More Practices

    After lunch was math. Dave returned my homework just in time to turn it in.

    As I sat between the twins, I could feel some tension between the two. It became even more noticeable when Kyle spoke up.

    \"I''ll be going home with Marie after school, so you guys don''t wait up.\"

    Dave frowned. \"Text Zeke yourself.\"

    \"Fine.\" He said stiffly. He pulled out his phone and sent the text.

    I shifted, feeling uncomfortable.

    The pair that normally spent the class time bickering, joking, or just chatting had turned completely silent. It was extremely awkward sitting between them; almost worse than all the attention we got during the day.

    In my next class, I told Noah about it, but he had no answers either. He just shrugged. \"Maybe Kyle just wants to spend some more time with his girlfriend now that we aren''t in season and the softball team isn''t in season. The twins fight all the time, I wouldn''t worry too much.\"

    Zeke had the same attitude towards Kyle. He didn''t say much when the four of us got in the car. He just drove us home quietly. It was a strange feeling being back at the house in the early afternoon. It was like something was missing. Duh. The practices.

    I finished my homework within the first hour of being home. Looking at the clock, it was still a couple more hours until dinner. I sighed and went to look for Noah. I found him in the kitchen, sneaking cookies out of the pantry.

    \"Noah.\"

    He jumped, hiding the cookie bag behind his back instinctively. \"What! Oh. It''s you, Jake.\" He pulled the bag out from behind. \"Want one?\"

    I gladly took two.

    \"Did you already finish your math homework?\" He asked.

    I nodded. \"Everything is done. What do we do now?\"

    Noah laughed. \"Are you at a lost now that we don''t have anymore practices?\"

    I nodded. We''ve never had so much free time after school before.

    Noah laughed. \"Come.\" He gestured, holding the bag of cookies the whole time. He walked to the living room with me following behind. He plopped down on the couch, turning the tv on with the remote. \"If we can''t play, we might as well watch.\"

    He switched through the channels. And paused at the game between the Oakland A''s and the Tampa Bay Rays. He peeked at me. \"Will you be okay to watch? Even though Jeremy is playing? We can boo him if you want.\"

    I chuckled. \"I''m okay. It''s your favorite team still.\"

    Noah relaxed and put down the remote. He was obviously happy that he could watch this game. I felt a little bad that he had to be so considerate of me all the time.

    It was a night game in Tampa, but you couldn''t tell since they played in an indoor stadium. They had just started and were only in the second inning, with Oakland winning 2-0. That made Noah even happier as he munched on a cookie.

    \"Some interesting drama has followed Patterson with his move to the AL West.\" One of the broadcasters started to talk about the awkward postgame interview, where he was asked about his mom and brother. \"Now, I don''t know how much of that is true, but it was reported that Patterson took the weekend off for personal reasons. He was due to be here in Tampa last night, but only showed up early this morning.\"

    \"Yea, Chad, it was a strange...occurrence.\" The other broadcaster joined in. \"He did get approval from the club to skip another game, but there have been reports about where he was last night. Instead of playing here in Tampa, he went to a high school state championship game at Stanford.\"

    \"Just goes to show how much Oakland wants to keep him next year when he becomes a free agent. Not many teams are willing to let their players skip so many games without a good reason. He definitely has the support of his club.\"

    I looked at Noah. \"He didn''t get in trouble?\"

    Noah shook his head. \"Not at all. I don''t know how he has such a good relationship with the team when he''s still so new. Maybe they really do want to keep him for next season.\" He thought for a bit. \"That would be better for you, if you want to see him in the future.\"

    \"What do you mean?\"

    Noah shrugged, helpless. \"Well, when he''s a free agent, he''ll probably be scouted out by the top paying teams.\" He gestured to the tv. \"He could decide to go to Tampa, New York, St. Louis, Boston, pretty much anywhere in the country. The season starts late March and can run all the way into October. You wouldn''t be able to see him much if he leaves.\"

    \"Oh.\" I nodded slowly, watching the tv. An A''s player struck out, bringing Jeremy up to bat. \"It''s not too big of a deal.\"

    Noah took his eyes off the tv. \"But...I thought you were going to try and have a relationship with him?\"

    I shrugged. \"Didn''t he say he was going to make it up to me? I don''t really know what his plan is so it''s better to be content with what I have. And you guys are the best. I don''t need him.\"

    \"Aww!\" Noah tackled me and started to squish me. \"I''ve never had such a cute little brother before!\"

    \"Get off!\" I laughed.

    \"What the heck is wrong with you two?\"

    We both tilted our head up and saw Dave, standing at the entrance of the living room. He was smiling, almost laughing to himself.

    \"Just watching the game.\" Noah got off me, trying to sneakily hide the bag of cookies.

    \"I saw that!\" Dave rushed his little brother, snatching away the bag. He took three and plopped down on the couch with us. \"What game? Oh? The A''s?\" He looked at me. \"Looks like we''ll make a fan out of you soon!\"

    I laughed, watching the two of them fight for the cookies.

    \"Oh, Patterson is up to bat? Are we booing him?\" Dave said almost the same thing as Noah, making me laugh some more.

    \"We''re still in neutral territory.\" Noah answered.

    Jeremy got a hit and we three watched in silence.

    \"He''s sooo good.\" Dave sighed. \"I really hope he can take the A''s to the playoffs this year. It''ll be even better if Maberry comes back sooner than later.\"

    \"Still have to wait for the all-star break.\" Noah said.

    We spent the next couple of hours watching the game, with commentary every now and then, plus a fight for the cookie bag almost every commercial. The A''s won 7-3.

    Just as Noah switched it to another game, we heard the front door open and close. In less than a minute, Kyle came walking in. Dave started to glare.

    Noah nodded to him. \"Hey Kyle, the A''s just won.\"

    \"Great.\" He nodded. Then kept nodding. Almost looking like a chicken pecking food. \"I just broke up with Marie.\"

    \"What.\" Noah sat up.

    I tilted my head, not sure what I just heard.

    Even Dave lost his glare, blinking at his twin like he couldn''t recognize him.

 512 Single

    \"What? What did you just say?\" Dave got up from the couch in a hurry.

    Kyle shrugged, nonchalant about the matter. \"Marie and I broke up.\" His lips thinned as he sucked them in. \"Well, technically, I broke up with her.\"

    Dave reached for his twin, putting his hands on his shoulders. \"I can hear what you''re saying, but I''m not understanding.\" He started to shake his twin. \"Why did you dump her? What is wrong with you? I thought you were taking some time to hang out with her?\"

    Kyle shrugged again. \"Well, you thought wrong.\" He shook Dave off and came to the couch, sitting down on the other side of Noah, grabbing what was left in the cookie bag. \"Wow. Mom''s going to be mad that you guys ate all the cookies.\"

    \"I don''t get why you broke up with Marie either.\" Noah voiced out. \"Is she mad? Like really mad?\"

    \"Who cares.\" Kyle pulled out a cookie and started to eat. \"There are more important things in life.\"

    \"Like what??\" Dave stood in front of Kyle. \"I really don''t get what''s going on with you. You''ve been weird since the game. Today you decide to go hang with Marie. And now you come home single? You can''t possibly be my brother.\"

    \"If I''m not your brother, then who am I?\" Kyle snorted. \"Who else would look exactly like you?\"

    Dave threw up his hands in distressed. \"A clone. A cyborg. An imposter! Kyle, you aren''t a heartbreaker, so why are you acting like one now?\"

    \"You seem more upset about this than I am.\" Kyle finished off a cookie and pulled out another one.

    \"Shouldn''t you be upset?\" Noah asked, and I nodded. This doesn''t seem like Kyle at all.

    Kyle patted Noah on the head like a puppy. \"You''ll understand when you get older. For now, just know, I''m the one that broke it off. Obviously since I did it, I won''t be the one that''s upset.\"

    \"Marie is upset?\"

    Kyle looked a little guilty but was quick to brush it off. \"Yea, but she''ll get over it. Just a minor setback.\"

    Dave was bewildered. \"Are you sure about this?\"

    \"I thought it through.\" Kyle said confidently. \"There will always be time for girls later on. But for high school baseball, I only get four years. Only one left. I don''t want my senior year be like this one, where I sat in the pen for the championship game.\"

    \"Is that why you broke up with her? Because your mad that you didn''t play in the game yesterday?\" Dave started to raise his voice.

    Kyle frowned. \"Weren''t you the one that told me that I needed to know where my priorities lie?\"

    Dave''s eyes widened. \"Now you listen to me? After the season is over?? Are you crazy?\"

    Dave was even more flabbergasted. \"Who the hell are you??\"

    \"LANGUAGE!\" Mrs. Atkins voice carried, coming from the garage door. She soon arrived to the tense situation between the twins. She glanced at me and Noah and saw that we were innocent bystanders. \"What''s going on? Dave, are you being mean to Kyle again?? We talked about this. There''s more to life than baseball and it''s okay to have other interests. Give him a break.\"

    \"Mom! He broke up with Marie!\" Dave continued to yell.

    \"Oh.\" She blinked, surprised. \"That''s unexpected.\" She looked at Kyle. \"Are you okay?\"

    Kyle nodded, finished another cookie. \"I''m good. Just realizing I want to put more attention to baseball. Do you think I can do some college visits this summer? I don''t want to wait until the last minute like Zeke.\"

    Mrs. Atkins was even more surprised. \"Sure. We can start planning out everyone''s summer activities this weekend.\"

    \"Cool.\" He got up and showed her his phone. \"I''m also interested in going to this week-long camp. I''d it possible?\"

    \"$1500?!?\" She gasped. \"Kyle...there''s just-\"

    \"Don''t say no just yet, Mom.\" Kyle cut her off. \"This is an investment in my future so let''s think about it.\"

    She shook her head slowly. \"I''m sorry, Kyle. There''s just limited funds.\"

    \"How? Noah can''t even play travel ball this summer. And Zeke won''t be doing his usual camps. He''ll probably be training with his college team soon enough if he doesn''t decide to go pro.\"

    She looked unsure. \"Well, let me talk it over with your dad first. I''m sure Noah and Jake will want to do camps too. They can''t spend their whole summer in the house. We''ll try to come up with a satisfactory amount for everyone.\"

    \"Is that the sound of my wallet vanishing?\" Mr. Atkins asked, coming through the garage door.

    \"Dad!\" Kyle rushed over and gave him the same spiel about this pitching camp.

    Mr. Atkins slowly nodded. \"I''m sure we''ll be able to work something out.\"

    \"Wayne.\" Mary warned. \"We can''t just say yes to every expenditure the boys come up with. We know nothing about this camp. Who runs it? Where? For how long? What''s the itinerary like? I just told Kyle, we''ll talk about it over the weekend. Let''s find out how much we can afford.\"

    Mr. Atkins nodded.

    \"Is anyone else concerned that Kyle dumped his girlfriend?\" Dave asked, exasperated.

    Mr. Atkins was caught by surprise. \"You broke up with Marie? Why?\"

    Kyle waved his hand. \"It''s no big deal. It''s a normal occurrence in high school.\"

    Mr. Atkins looked unsure. \"Okay, but I''d like to hear more over dinner. Go get Zeke and tell him to make his pick.\"

    \"Sure!\" Kyle took off.

    \"Did you boys finish the bag of cookies??\" Mrs. Atkins finally noticed the empty bag on the couch. She picked it up and gave Noah a look.

    \"Mom, you saw Kyle eating them. Why do you have to look at me like that?\" Noah said, turning away.

    \"Because I know my boys.\" She said.

    Dave snorted. \"If you know so much, then why are you letting Kyle run wild?\"

    Mrs. Atkins gave a small, somewhat sad, smile. \"It''s part of growing up. Some lessons you have to learn in person. I can''t dictate you boys too much. If he doesn''t want to date, then that''s fine.\" She looked at Noah. \"What I can control is how many cookies you''ll be getting for lunch. Which is now, none.\" She left the room, taking the empty bag to the trash in the kitchen.

    \"Aw, Mom.\" Noah went out to follow, and to put in his complaints.

 513 Dinner

    Zeke picked a local restaurant for dinner. The drive there, Dave was staring at Kyle like he couldn''t recognize him. Meanwhile, the news didn''t even faze Zeke.

    After getting a table and putting our order in, Mr. Atkins started to question Kyle. Kyle gave the same old answer, that he wanted to focus on baseball.

    Dave snorted. \"You didn''t feel that way after Servite''s game when you weren''t your best. I think you''re just salty on missing out in yesterday''s game. You can''t handle not being the center of attention.\"

    \"Dave-\" Mrs. Atkins started.

    But was quickly cut off by Kyle. \"You''re right. I didn''t think it was a big deal. I liked having other things to worry about besides baseball. I liked hanging out with Marie. But you know what, I don''t love those things. Or her. I love baseball. I want to continue baseball. Being left out yesterday was a rude awakening. You couldn''t earn a strikeout to save your life, but Coach still stuck with you. That blew my mind.\"

    I swallowed, feeling a bit uneasy with this confrontation.

    Good thing Mr. Atkins was quick to interfere. \"That doesn''t mean you have to make such decisive choices, Kyle.\"

    \"Dad.\" He looked his father in the eye. \"It''s just a teen relationship. Most of the time they don''t work out anyways. This is my choice. Why waste her time and mine?\"

    \"As long as you''re okay with it, so are we.\" Mr. Atkins gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

    \"I''m not!\" Dave protested. \"I''m the one that set them up. What if Marie comes to look for me to settle the score? Are you okay with me getting my butt kicked? Or are you expecting me to fight off a girl?\"

    Noah giggled. I also started to smile, realizing what Dave was freaking out about this whole time. Marie did have a bad reputation after all so it only makes sense.

    Kyle shrugged. \"Sounds like a you problem, not a me problem.\"

    \"Daddddd.\" Dave groaned, making his complaints known.

    Mr. Atkins gave Kyle a warning look. \"I hope you made it clear to her that this was your choice. It''s not nice to take a girl''s feelings for granted. If she comes looking for your brother, we all will have to listen to him complain. And if I have to listen to his moaning and groaning, then we''ll both pay Marie a visit. Understand?\"

    Kyle lowered his head. \"Don''t worry so much. I made it clear. We had a long, thorough talk.\" He looked up at Dave, showing a crooked smile. \"I promise she won''t come looking for you. I know what I''m doing, okay? Let''s stop talking about that and start talking about the summer.\"

    \"Mm.\" Mrs. Atkins hummed. \"Stop right there. Your father and I will talk about how much we''re willing to spend first. You and Dave can come up with a list of schools you want to visit. If it''s an official visit, and they''re paying, note it down. Unofficial visits will need more planning.\"

    Kyle glanced at Dave. \"It depends.\"

    Dave raised an eyebrow. \"We''ll see if there are any similarities between the coaches talking to us. I don''t want to go somewhere that decides that we''re a buy one, get one free deal.\"

    \"Wouldn''t it be better if you guys follow Zeke to Stanford?\"Noah asked.

    \"And be stuck behind Rhys?\" Kyle rolled his eyes. Dave snorted in agreement. \"We''ve played with Zeke for years, it wouldn''t be so bad to find a school that plays against him.\"

    \"Agreed.\" Dave commented.

    Zeke cracked a smile. \"You guys really think you can take on me and Rhys?\"

    \"What a show off.\"

    \"So conceited.\"

    Finally some of the tension left the table as they started to talk about baseball.

    \"So, you''ve decided to play college ball for sure?\" Mrs. Atkins asked, smiling happily.

    \"For at least two years.\" Zeke nodded. \"Rhys says he''s going.\" He looked at his mom. \"I''m still going to watch the draft though. A signing bonus in the first round is millions of dollars. The boys could go to any camps they want. It would take a load off you two.\"

    \"No. Absolutely not.\" Mrs. Atkins refused. \"We won''t take a dime from you. If you want to go pro, it shouldn''t have anything to do with our finances. You boys should continue to be boys. Let us be the adults.\"

    \"But you did say my camp was too expensive.\" Kyle pointed out.

    \"Even if we had the money ready, we wouldn''t indulge your wishes so easily or you guys won''t have any concept of money.\" She lectured. \"We''ll come up with a budget. You guys select the camps you want to attend. Along with schools.\" She looked towards me and Noah. \"You two as well.\"

    Noah sighed. \"It''d be better if I could just play summer ball. Jake would be a good addition to the team too. We''d be amazing. Just crushing other teams and winning.\"

    Mrs. Atkins looked to her husband. Mr. Atkins cleared his throat. \"New experiences are good Noah.\"

    Noah scrunched up his face in displeasure. \"Yea, yea, I know. I''m just sad that some things changed. I also prefer being on a team versus participating in camps.\"

    \"Well, maybe Zeke can help you look for something like that.\" Mr. Atkins suggested and Zeke nodded. \"And Jake, if there''s anything you want to do this summer, don''t forget to tell us too.\"

    I nodded.

    The food arrived and dinner officially began. We ate, mostly talking about baseball. How the team will change without Zeke and the other seniors. How the College World Series would start right after Zeke''s graduation day. How the A''s were looking so far. It was nothing but baseball.

    Mr. Atkins received a call near the end, excusing himself and stepping outside to answer the phone. Mrs. Atkins paid for the meal and we all went out together to join Mr. Atkins. He hung up and saw us coming out.

    \"Who was it?\" Mrs. Atkins asked, frowning.

    Mr. Atkins looked at me, making me shiver. \"It was Jeremy. He was looking for you, Jake.\"

    \"For me?\" I asked.

    \"What did he want?\" Noah asked, narrowing his eyes.

    Mr. Atkins started to tap his phone subconsciously. \"He has an off day on Thursday as they prepare to play a home series this weekend. He wanted to know if he can take Jake for the afternoon and maybe even dinner.\"

    I shifted foot to foot, unsure of what to say or do.

    \"You don''t have to if you don''t want to, Jake.\" Mrs. Atkins comforted me.

    \"Do I have to go alone..?\" I asked.

    Mr. Atkins smiled. \"No, not at all. Jeremy didn''t have anything planned so he''s leaving it up to you to decide.\"

    \"You''re really going to go see him?\" Kyle asked.

    I shrugged weakly. \"I said, I would try. If he tries.\" I looked at Noah. \"Do you mind going with me?\"

    Noah folded his arms across his chest. \"Don''t worry. With me there, he won''t have a chance to annoy you. Or upset you.\"

    \"What an obedient, little, bodyguard you are!\" Dave laughed, messing up Noah''s hair with his hand. He smiled at me. \"We''re here too if you need us.\"

    I relaxed, smiling at all the care and concern that surrounded me. Nothing feels better than this.

 514 Jeremy’s Visit 1

    Noah and I decided that we should go to The Cages with Jeremy. It was something we all could do, it wasn''t too far from home, and if I was feeling awkward, I could just play it off and go for a round in the cages. Noah really thought it through and I was happy with the plan.

    \"Are you sure you don''t need the rest of us there?\" Dave asked the next morning during breakfast.

    I nodded. \"I don''t want it to look like that I''m hiding behind you guys. Noah is plenty scary enough.\"

    Dave chuckled. \"As long as you thought it through.\" He lifted his eyebrows. \"But, if you change your mind, have Noah text us.\"

    Kyle nodded in agreement. \"We don''t even know if we can trust this guy after all. Good player doesn''t always equal good person.\"

    I smiled. This is what real big brothers are like. Protective. Nosey. Slightly annoying. I didn''t mind one bit.

    \"Not to worry.\" Noah proclaimed. \"I''ll be there to run interference.\" He glanced my way. \"Are you not going to invite your uncle?\"

    My face darkened as I shook my head in silence.

    No one said anything to dissuade me. Or convince me that I should. The Atkins understood, probably more so than me.

    Wednesday and Thursday classes were still somewhat embarrassing to go amidst all the attention, but Noah handled it well. He made sure everyone kept their distance and if anyone brought up anything that might upset me, he quickly shooed them away.

    Thursday afternoon, the five of us got home from school and found Jeremy waiting in the kitchen. He seemed to be having a talk with Mr. Atkins, but it didn''t look strained at all. Of course Mr. Atkins is the easiest person to get along with so it makes sense. He wouldn''t intentionally make Jeremy uncomfortable like a certain somebody.

    \"Hmmm. Not bad.\" Noah squinted as he walked around to examine Jeremy. \"Not only are you on time, but you''re early. Guess I can''t deduct any points just yet.\"

    Jeremy stood up with a wry smile. \"Happy I passed.\"

    \"Too soon to say.\" Noah stopped and pointed at him. \"Quiz time! What''s everyone''s name?\"

    Jeremy looked at the rest of us, unsure of Noah was being for real. But after seeing the rest of us waiting, he straightened up and started pointing. \"Zeke.\" He looked at Noah. \"Noah.\" He paused at the identical twins. \"Err, one is Dave and the other is Kyle.\"

    \"Not good enough.\" Noah rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

    Jeremy looked to me. For help it looked like. I gave a small smile. \"Dave is the louder one.\"

    \"Hey!!\" Dave yelled as Kyle started to laugh.

    Jeremy studied the twins for a minute until they got shy and shuffled out of the room.

    Zeke and him exchanged nods as Zeke left to go upstairs.

    \"Do you have your bags?\" Mr. Atkins asked.

    \"Okay. Have a fun time.\" Mr. Atkins made eye contact with me, and tried to give a reassuring smile.

    We waved and walked out with Jeremy leading the way. Jeremy drove a back, shiny suv. He got in the driver''s seat while Noah and I got in the back.

    He glanced back at me. \"You can sit up front if you want?\"

    \"Jake likes keeping a safe distance from others.\" Noah replied for me. \"The only time he''ll sit in the front is with our dad.\"

    \"What do you mean by safe?\" He frowned as he started the car.

    \"He has a lot of fears. Fear of being touched. Fear of violence. Claustrophobia, I guess.\" Noah looked at me. \"Those are the main ones right?\"

    I nodded. Noah knew more about me than even Dr. Moore.

    \"Oh. I didn''t, I mean, I don''t-\" Jeremy coughed a little.

    \"It''s fine.\" I tried telling him.

    Noah expanded on that. \"Yea, it''s fine. For now. This can be your learning period. If you forget...then maybe you don''t care as much as you think.\" Noah was pretty cutthroat.

    We arrived at the arcade and walked directly to the back where the cages were. Noah took charge, pointing here and there. \"That''s where we usually eat lunch on Sundays. Or we''ll get snacks. Zeke usually pays. Over there is where we''ll play games with the twins. Jake was horrendous in the beginning. Still not that good.\" He shrugged. \"But what can you expect from someone who had never played any games before.\"

    Jeremy took it all in. Looking left, looking right, then occasional looks my way.

    Noah explained how the cages worked, convincing Jeremy that we needed $60 worth of tokens. Jeremy didn''t hesitate, paying for the giant bucket of tokens without blinking.

    \"Are you going to be using Jake''s bat since it was yours?\" Noah asked after we realized that only us two brought our bags. Jeremy didn''t bring anything but himself and his wallet.

    Jeremy stuffed his hands in his pockets. \"I figured I would just watch today. If you guys want, I can give some pointers.\" He looked so awkward and shy...this made me feel like we really are related. This is how I must look like all the time.

    Noah looked like he was about to say something, but after seeing me shake my head, he backed off. \"Okay. Whatever. Not like you need it. You did well these last two games.\"

    \"You watched?\" He asked.

    Noah nodded. \"We both did. We''re all A''s fans.\" He shot him a glare. \"Before you even became a pro so don''t think we like them because of you.\"

    \"No, no, I understand.\" He glanced at me. \"Did you watch too?\"

    I nodded.

    \"We''re making Jake into an A''s fan as well.\" Noah answered. \"He doesn''t know much about baseball, but it''s fun being able to teach him. Being the youngest, I was always the one being taught so it feels good to be a big brother now.\"

    I watched as Jeremy''s face twitched. I wondered if he caught that insult.

    \"I''ll go first!\" Noah called out, putting on his gear and rushing to one of the slower machines. The 60mph.

 515 Jeremy’s Visit 2

    As soon as Noah left to go inside one of the batting cages, Jeremy turned to me. \"Do you ever fear that Noah and the Atkins might be exploiting you to get to me?\"

    Faced with the sudden accusation, I paused. Then let out a short laugh.

    Jeremy was taken aback by my sudden reaction.

    \"No...I don''t have that fear.\" I told him. \"The Atkins took me in before we knew who you were.\"

    \"But, what about now?\" He pressed. \"They know now. I know we aren''t close, but if I want that to change, I have to know what they''re like.\"

    Noah''s turn was coming to an end.

    \"I''m not worried that they''re using me.\" I glanced up at him. \"You''re the only one being used here.\" I grabbed a token from the cup. \"Who needs so many tokens for the two of us? We couldn''t possibly spend all of these in one afternoon. And there''s no refunds.\"

    \"I''ll just let you keep them for another time.\"

    I let out a smile as Noah came out of the cage. \"Yea, I think he already planned that.\"

    Jeremy looked surprised.

    I went in the cage with a helmet on and my new bat in hand. I decided to work on my right side since that was the way I had hit the homerun. It would be nice to give it some more practice. I was meticulous in my movements, concentrating on lifting the ball with a purpose.

    I came out when my pitches were done. I found a smiling Noah and an uncomfortable looking Jeremy. Yea...I wasn''t scared of being exploited at all. Noah and the Atkins always put me first. Even at the cost of themselves.

    Noah moved up to the 70''s and waved after getting a token out.

    \"Did he give you a hard time?\" I asked Jeremy, wanting to know what Noah said to make him look so uncomfortable.

    \"He''s very protective of you.\" Jeremy said, looking a little sad.

    \"Yea...\" I nodded and watched as Noah hit a few pitches. \"He''s my best friend. My first friend really.\" I looked up at Jeremy. \"He''ll make sure that you''re on the losing end every time we interact. Is that going to be a problem.\"

    Jeremy cracked a smile. \"I can''t imagine that it''ll cost me much.\" He continued. \"He kind of reminds me of my, I mean, our cousin. Uncle Jack has a son and two daughters. Did you know that?\"

    I frowned and looked away from him. \"Yea. I heard you say it.\" How could I forget? He didn''t even want to admit to having a brother like me. He said his cousins were his only siblings.

    \"Jake-\" He reached out for me, but I shied away.

    \"Don''t touch Jake!\" Noah was back. \"Didn''t you listen to me at all?? He doesn''t like to be touched. Especially by strangers.\" Noah looked me over. \"What''d he do? What''d he say?\"

    Noah''s overreaction made me realize how much he babies me. My lips twitched. \"We were talking about Jack and his kids.\"

    \"Uncle Jack.\" Jeremy corrected.

    \"You don''t understand how things were back then.\" Jeremy stood a little taller, taking on the defensive side for ''Uncle'' Jack.

    \"Oh? Please explain. I''ll wait.\" Noah sat on one of the empty benches in a relaxed pose. He patted the seat next to him. \"Jake. Come sit. Jeremy will have our undivided attention.\"

    I obediently sat down, not really sure where Noah was going with this.

    Jeremy looked uncomfortable standing before us. \"I''ve already explained...we didn''t know you were really Dad''s son.\" I nodded. Noah waited. \"Well, she was never super abusive to you before. Uncle Jack planned for her to have Dad''s complete estate offering she agreed to give up custody of me. You have to understand, we thought she was going to treat you right.\"

    \"You didn''t even come back to check.\" Noah said coldly. \"Don''t even have a shred of consciousness? No matter what, he was your half brother according to you.\"

    \"I wanted nothing to do with that woman. You have no idea what I went through in my childhood.\" Jeremy was losing his temper, glaring at Noah.

    Noah was calm though. \"You''re right. I don''t.\" He tilted his head at me. \"Jake does though. He put in more time than you ever did with that woman. And he did it alone. He had no dad or uncle to rely on. You need to stop your ''woe is me'' nonsense, because he had it worse. Your sob story will never measure up.\"

    There was an awkward pause between the three of us, with only the sound of bats hitting baseballs as background noise.

    \"It''s not a competition.\" I finally spoke up, relieving Jeremy of some of his stress. \"I''m sorry that you had to live with her too. It must have been tough. But also, you had an uncle to rely on. Cousins. They probably made you feel safe, right?\"

    Jeremy nodded.

    \"That''s the Atkins family for me.\" I stood up. \"I don''t want to say anything mean to your uncle and cousins. I just want you to understand that I don''t see them the way you do. To me, they''re strangers. And to be honest, I do still have some animosity towards Jack. He was rude to Mrs. Atkins when we got out of the courthouse. He only has your best interests at heart. Not mine.\"

    Jeremy seemed to lose his energy all at once. He looked up at the sky above us. Then let out a small groan. \"I''m messing up, aren''t I?\" He shook his head. \"I just don''t know what I''m doing.\"

    Noah snorted. \"I''ll say.\"

    Seeing Jeremy stressing made me think...this must be what I look like in Dr. Moore''s office all the time. Trying to tackle problems and issues without any sense of direction. I took pity on him. \"Have you ever seen a psychologist before?\"

    Jeremy shook his head almost adamantly. \"No. There''s no need.\" He took a deep breath and slowly let it go. \"Let''s start again. This time I won''t bring up Uncle Jack. We''ll save it for another time. Right now, we should focus on me and you. You and me.\"

    Noah nodded in approval. \"Alright. And to make it fair, we won''t bring up how you denied Jake''s existence on national television.\"

    Jeremy scratched his nose, looking guilty. \"I was scared. Confused. Frustrated.\" He looked at me. \"It won''t happen again. If it makes you feel better, I can make a public statement.\"

    I thought about the kids in school and shook my head. \"No thanks. My life is complicated enough. Maybe after school gets out. I don''t want anymore attention.\"

    \"Just be more relaxed about it.\" Noah suggested. \"If it comes up, admit it. If it doesn''t, don''t force it. Jake, don''t worry about those kids. I''ve got your back. If they say anything unpleasant, I''ll give them a one-two.\" He threw some fake punches.

    I laughed. Noah...the number one bodyguard.

 516 Jeremy’s Visit 3

    \"Do you...get picked on? At school?\" Jeremy asked.

    \"Not with me around.\" Noah puffed out his chest.

    \"It''s just normal school stuff.\" I told him. With a few exceptions. \"It''s not because of you.\"

    \"Then why?\" He stood up. \"You''re quiet and a good ball player. There shouldn''t be any problems.\"

    I blushed.

    \"He''s a freshman on the varsity team.\" Noah rolled his eyes. \"There''s bound to be a player or two that disagrees.\"

    \"But, he''s so good.\" Jeremy complimented me further, making my face feel like it was on fire. \"I saw Monday''s game. Jake, I was impressed. You can hit from both side with such fluid motions. I really wanted to ask, how?\"

    \"Practice.\" I muttered, looking away.

    \"Jake hasn''t played on any teams, just in batting cages.\" Noah explained what he knew. \"So in the beginning, a lot of players were mad that he sucked at everything else. His batting was his only redeeming quality.\" I poked him, feeling angry. \"What?? I said ''was''. Now you can field and turn double plays without getting scared.\"

    \"You can go for another round.\" I pushed Noah to the cages.

    \"Okayyy.\" Noah slowly left after grabbing a few tokens.

    It was just me and Jeremy. I sat down and so did he. \"Mom didn''t like me playing baseball. Watching baseball. Thinking about baseball.\" I explained. \"I knew it reminded her of you guys.\"

    \"Then...how?\" Jeremy asked.

    \"I felt closer to you and Dad. I remembered little things here and there. There was a bat I would use at the middle school. A coach there would let me play in the batting cages even though I couldn''t get a parent''s permission to play on the team. He was very nice.\" I reminisced a little.

    \"The reason she....did what she did, with a bat...was it because..?\" Jeremy gulped.

    \"She found the bat I was using. It just set her off.\" I squinted in the distance, trying to stop the stinging in my eyes. \"I remember being in pain. A lot of strangers. And...an empty feeling.\"

    \"Jake.\" Jeremy said my name with such pain, it made me look his way. \"Just do you know...if I could go back and change things, I would. No matter how tough it would have been.\"

    I looked away, feeling shy. \"It''s okay. This life isn''t so bad. I like where I ended up.\"

    \"I heard you spent a lot of time at the hospital after-ya know-last year.\"

    I tensed up. \"I don''t remember much of that either to be honest. I didn''t like it there. I felt alone, yet there were so many people coming in and out.\" I shivered.

    \"Sorry.\" He said. \"There''s not much I can do now. But. If you are getting picked on at school, let me know. I''ll make a visit. I know what it''s like to be bullied.\"

    \"You do..?\" I asked, surprised. Then realized. \"You mean...by Mom?\"

    I nodded. I got that. There would be the occasional kid that picked on me for having no parents around in elementary school.

    \"I had to stand up for myself to make it stop.\" He looked me in the eyes. \"I can see how you feel protected with Noah around, but he won''t always be there for you. If you''re being picked on, don''t be afraid to fight back.\"

    A loud snort signaled Noah''s return. \"What an adult you are. Practically telling kids it''s okay to fight. You know nothing. I''ll always be around to defend Jake.\" He glanced at me. \"Plus. Jake would never fight. Ever. He doesn''t even like it when I slide hard into second base or home plate. Whenever there''s a chance for contact, that''s a no-go for him.\" He pointed at Jeremy. \"What did I say in the beginning?\"

    \"Fear. Of. Violence.\" Noah repeated himself, stating each word firmly.

    Jeremy glanced at me, but my expression didn''t change. Noah was right. I''m not one for confrontation. Especially if it''s physical. Jeremy sighed. \"I guess it''s not for everybody.\" He stood up. \"You want to go hit a few?\"

    I nodded.

    After clearing the air a little bit, it became easier to get along. Noah was still prickly around Jeremy, however Jeremy didn''t make things worse and accepted Noah for who he is. Jeremy let Noah and I bat until our arms were sore and it got dark.

    \"Are you staying for dinner?\" Noah asked as we piled into the backseat of his car.

    \"No, I gotta get back to Oakland.\" Jeremy glanced at us, using the rearview mirror. He started the car and drove us in the direction of the Atkins house. \"I have to be at the stadium early tomorrow morning and it''s probably going to be a long drive back with the traffic.\"

    I looked out the window, trying not to feel guilty.

    \"Why do you have to be at the stadium so early? The game tomorrow is until 7pm.\" Noah asked.

    \"Just want to put in a little extra work. Plus I have some meetings with the front office guys.\"

    \"About skipping so many games?\" Noah asked bluntly. I also turned to look at Jeremy''s reaction. \"During one of the games we watched this week, the guys said it was surprising you didn''t get a fine or penalty of some sort.\"

    Jeremy looked a little awkward. \"Well. It''s complicated. You guys don''t have to worry about me. It''ll work itself out. The A''s organization has done a lot for me. They just want to expect the same effort in return.\"

    \"So you''ll only get in trouble if you don''t make the playoffs?\" Noah asked.

    \"It''s too soon to say if we''ll make it or not. It''s a long season.\" Jeremy said, arriving at the house. \"Anything can happen.\" He watched as we unbuckled ourselves and prepared to get out. Then he followed us. \"I''ll walk you guys to the door.\"

    \"Smart thinking.\" Noah told him. \"It would make a better impression on my mom. Show a little more sincerity.\"

    Jeremy and I both blushed.

    Noah looked at me before going on ahead. \"I''ll head inside first.\" He grabbed both of our bags and left me behind. With Jeremy.

    \"Jake. Thanks for meeting with me today.\" Jeremy shoved his hands in his pockets. \"Are you- Did you-\" He toed the cement driveway. \"What I mean to say is-\"

    \"I had fun. Today.\" I told him, trying to stop the stuttering. I could see some of me in him. Confused on what to feel. How to feel. How to process the change.

    \"Good. I''m glad.\" He looked relieved. \"I mean, me too.\" He walked me to the front door where Mr. Atkins was waiting. Noah and Mrs. Atkins was in the background, talking. \"I''ll see you tomorrow, okay?\"

    I froze. \"Tomorrow?\" Did he say something about tomorrow?

    Jeremy smiled down at me. \"Yep. It''s a surprise.\" He nodded at Mr. Atkins.

    Mr. Atkins smiled back at him. \"Have a safe drive home, Jeremy.\"

    Jeremy waved and went back to his car.

    \"What''s happening tomorrow?\" Noah asked, pestering his dad. \"Is he taking Jake somewhere? Impossible. It''s a game day. And he said he had to go in early.\" His eyes widened. \"Is he taking Jake to the game?\"

    \"Nope. We are.\" Mr. Atkins patted Noah on the head. \"Jeremy gave all of us tickets to tomorrow''s game.\"

    \"Woo-hoo!\" Noah jumped up and down, excited.

 517 First A’s Game 1

    Friday''s classes seemed to drag on and on. Everyone couldn''t wait for the weekend start as we were getting closer to the end of the school year. Noah was the most impatient, legs bouncing, pen clicking, and constantly checking the time.

    I was relieved to get a break from him after lunch, during math. The twins were also excited, but nowhere near Noah''s level. They were only interested in how good tonight''s seats were going to be.

    \"It has to be the family and friends section, near their dugout.\" Kyle suggested.

    \"No way. There''s too many of us.\" Dave refuted. \"Shouldn''t he give us a suite? Food, drinks, good tickets.\"

    \"He would still have to pay for that out of his pocket...\" Kyle sighed. \"He''s still in his rookie contract from the Padres so his pay isn''t high. I guess we''ll be stuck in the outfield.\"

    Dave shrugged. \"Good enough. I''m just happy we were included.\"

    \"I wouldn''t have gone without you guys.\" I spoke up.

    Dave and Kyle both looked down at me. They shared identical faces, but the way they smiled was really different sometimes. \"We know.\" They said simultaneously.

    \"You''re still the same big, old baby.\" Dave reached out to give me a noogie, messing up my hair and making my head hurt.

    \"You''ve graduated from Noah''s puppy to his loyal dog.\" Kyle mused.

    I frowned at him, not liking his comment.

    Kyle lifted up his hands as if to defend himself. \"I mean, you''re one of us now.\"

    I calmed down.

    After math, was health with Noah and he was still bouncing around like a pinball. It only got worse when we got to the car after school. As soon as we got home, he rushed out.

    \"It''s his first game of the season.\" Dave told me as I stared after him. \"You thought he was a baseball maniac when watching the games on tv. Just wait until we''re there in person.\"

    \"Don''t forget to bring a jacket or sweatshirt.\" Mrs. Atkins told us as we came into the house. \"We''ll leave in thirty minutes to beat the traffic. Tonight''s low will be cold.\" She glanced at me. \"Tell Noah to find you a beanie and some gloves. You get cold the easiest.\"

    I nodded then followed the older boys upstairs.

    \"Which jersey are you going to wear?\" Kyle asked.

    Dave replied with a name as they went back and forth, trying to decide what to wear. The three of them turned into their room and I went to the one I shared with Noah.

    He was already dressed and ready. He had jeans with a green A''s shirt on, and then a white A''s jersey over that, but unbuttoned. He held another jersey in his hand. The one we got for me when we went to Stanford for Zeke''s college visit. \"Here! Hurry up! There''s no time to waste.\" He tossed it to me.

    I held back a laugh. \"Your mom says it''s going to be cold tonight. And since I''m always cold, I should probably bring gloves. And a beanie?\"

    I did what Noah said, sliding the jersey over my long sleeve. It didn''t match as well as Noah''s since my long sleeve wasn''t the same colors, but I didn''t mind. Noah found a pair of gloves and stuffed them into a clear backpack. Then two sweatshirts that had the A''s logo. Noah picked one of his hats off the desk, putting it on, then handed another one to me. \"Come on! Let''s go!\"

    His excitement was contagious. I hurried after him as he ran downstairs, making a racket. We were the first two down, meeting his parents in the foyer.

    Mrs. Atkins lips twitched. \"I see that Noah took charge on what to wear.\" I nodded and she sighed.

    \"Hey! What''s that supposed to mean?\" Noah pouted.

    \"Nothing. Since you''re bringing a bag, go pack some waters for everyone.\" She instructed.

    \"Ughhh. But that''ll make my bag so heavy, Mom.\" He groaned.

    \"And to think that I made a big batch of cookies for us to bring.\" She sighed. \"Guess that''s too heavy for you too.\"

    \"I''m going!\" Noah rushed to the kitchen.

    \"I swear...\" Mrs. Atkins shook her head in dismay. \"This boy...\"

    I stifled a laugh.

    Soon, the other three came down, all decked out in green and white and some splashes of yellow. Everyone had some kind of A''s logo on them. It started to feel more real. I was actually going to a game. A professional baseball game.

    Noah came out of the kitchen, his bag now completely packed.

    Dave started to laugh as he looked from me to Noah and back again. \"I can see that Noah had a hand in picking out what you should wear.\"

    Kyle started to laugh too. \"I really feel like Jake is looking more and more like Noah every day. But this takes the cake.\"

    Noah stood proud. \"So what if we look alike.\" He looked at his dad. \"Can we go now? I want to be able to see their batting practice. And maybe get a ball.\"

    Mr. Atkins smiled at him. \"Alright. Let''s load up. Everyone get in the car.\"

    We did so. Me and Noah squeezed into the last row, with the three older boys sitting in the middle row. Mr. Atkins drove and his wife was in the passenger seat. We were able to leave the house on time, and only had to fight a little bit of traffic as we got closer to the stadium.

    \"I think we left too early...\" Kyle said, looking around the near empty parking lot. \"The game isn''t until seven; we still have over two hours to go.\"

    \"Do they even let people into the stadium this early..?\" Dave asked as Mr. Atkins drove through the parking lot, getting a good spot close to the stadium itself.

    \"They do.\" Mr. Atkins stated. \"They open the gates two hours before game time so we''re right on time.\"

 518 First A’s Game 2

    We all got out of the car, and after making sure we had everything, we headed for the giant stadium.

    \"Dad, can I see the tickets?\" Dave asked, peeking over his dad''s shoulder.

    \"Why?\" He asked.

    \"I just want to know where we''ll be sitting.\" Dave shrugged.

    \"Shouldn''t it be the outfield?\" Kyle asked.

    \"Why would Dad park over here then?\" Dave asked. \"Dad would have parked near the gate for the outfield seating if we had those tickets.\"

    Kyle brightened like a bulb. \"Dad! We aren''t sitting in the outfield?\"

    Noah groaned. \"There goes my chance to catch a homerun ball.\"

    The twins didn''t pay any attention to Noah and instead, kept hounding their dad about the tickets.

    \"I don''t have them.\" Mr. Atkins said simply, holding out two empty hands.

    The twins immediately went to their mom and started pestering her.

    \"Wayne, stop amping them up.\" She sighed. \"The tickets were left at the will call window so that''s where we''ll go. I don''t know anything else.\"

    The twins backed off and waited until we approached one of the ticket windows near the main entrance. Mr. Atkins spoke to them quietly and was soon handed a stack of tickets. He straightened up and smiled at us. \"Alright, let''s head on in.\" He passed the tickets out, giving everyone two each.

    I didn''t think anything of it, until Noah started to do that bouncing thing again. He wasn''t the only one. The twins were also hopping about. Even Zeke looked surprised.

    I looked to their parents for help.

    \"One ticket is for your seat.\" Mr. Atkins started to explain. \"The other ticket is for on-field access before the game. Jeremy thought it would make your first time more memorable.\"

    Oh.

    \"If he''s trying to buy his way to our good graces...I can only welcome him with arms wide open.\" Dave proclaimed while looking at his tickets.

    That comment made Noah calm down real quick. His smile disappeared and a frown took over. He looked up at his dad. \"And you accepted this? Is it really okay for him to try and win Jake''s acceptance this way?\"

    Mr. Atkins patted Noah on top of his head, pushing his hat down. \"When accepting gifts, you can''t be so picky. He wanted to do something special for Jake so how could I say no and deny Jake this opportunity? Plus, he knew Jake wouldn''t go without everyone so he planned it well. I don''t think of this as ''buying forgiveness''. But more like trying to put in some effort and care to show his sincerity.\"

    Noah looked at me. \"You''re okay with this?\"

    I shrugged. \"I think it''s nice.\" Besides, seeing them happy makes me happy.

    \"Let go already!\" Dave waved, pointing at the security line.

    We followed his lead, going through the metal detectors and letting the security guards check Noah''s bag.

    There we saw a team in gray taking batting practice.

    \"Houston Astros.\" Noah told me, whispering. \"They''re division opponents.\"

    We all had to stand back near the netting, roped off, but still only ten feet away from the pros. The twins were the fastest to whip out their phones and started to take pictures. Mrs. Atkins was a close third, taking out her phone and started to take pictures of us.

    Noah posed willingly, pulling me into every shot.

    \"Patterson!\"

    \"Jeremy! Over here!\"

    \"Patterson! Patterson!\"

    All the screaming for a familiar name made us look to the left, towards the A''s dugout along third. Jeremy Patterson was stepping out and some nearby fans were going crazy for his attention. He took some time to sign a few autographs for those behind the rope before reaching us on the end.

    \"Glad to see you all could make it.\" He smiled, looking awkward. He was decked out in his complete uniform, including cleats and his A''s hat. He put his hands in his back pockets. \"Was the drive okay?\"

    \"Not bad at all.\" Mr. Atkins replied. He nudged his twins. \"Don''t you all have something to say to Jeremy?\"

    \"Thank you!\" The twins chorused.

    \"Thanks.\" Zeke nodded politely.

    Noah looked up at Jeremy. \"Do we not to get to see you guys do some batting practice?\"

    I looked up at him too.

    Jeremy shook his head. \"Only on certain game days. Friday''s aren''t one of them.\" He glanced at me. \"How do you like it?\"

    I shrugged. \"It''s cool.\"

    Jeremy shifted back and forth, glancing at the cage covering the batter at home plate. \"Kind of feels like the place you guys took me to, right? Someone''s batting, the rest are chatting.\"

    I nodded. \"It''s very laid back. Nothing like when we prepared for games.\"

    Jeremy laughed along with the Atkins.

    \"That''s because we have to do this 162 times.\" Jeremy said. \"It''s better to use this time to strengthen and stretch, prepare for the long season. You don''t want to be too serious and accidentally pull a muscle during bp, and then you''ll be out a few games. That''s no good.\"

    \"Oh.\" I felt my face warm up.

    There was a stall in the conversation as no one knew what to say.

    \"Why don''t I get a picture of you two together?\" Mrs. Atkins lifted her phone. \"It''ll be a nice memory to have. Your first mlb game experience includes being on the field with the pros. Very cool.\"

    The boys gave us some space. Jeremy got closer to the rope and I stepped back to fit in the shot. He towered over me, almost a foot taller. I could hear Mrs. Atkins saying, \"Look over here.\" So I did. And did my best to smile.

    After a few, Jeremy waved at Noah and the boys. \"Let''s do some with everybody.\"

    Noah got in first, squeezing between me and Jeremy. The twins stood on the other side of Jeremy and Zeke stood on my side. Mrs. Atkins beamed as she pushed the button repeatedly.

    \"What a good looking group of young men.\" Mrs. Atkins said happily. My smile became more relaxed, surrounded by the Atkins. \"I''ll send some to you Jeremy, if you want?\"

    \"Please do.\" He answered.

    \"Do you think you''ll win today?\" Dave asked.

    Jeremy glanced at the Astros players just a few feet behind him. \"Every game is a toss up.\" Then he grinned my way. \"But I''ll do my best to make sure we win. Don''t want your first time to be tainted with a loss.\"

    \"Good.\" Noah crossed his arms over his chest. \"I''m expecting multiple hits. A homerun would help. You''ve got to make up for Maberry not playing too.\"

    Jeremy looked helpless. \"He was injured before I got here. It''s not my fault Jake can''t see him in action.\"

    Noah squinted. \"Are you wimping out?\"

    Jeremy took his hands out of his pockets. \"I always do my best.\" He glanced down at our clothing. \"Are you all wearing Maberry jerseys?\"

    \"Me and Jake are!\" Noah said proudly.

    The twins and Zeke had on other players names on their backs.

    \"PATTERSON!\" A very loud voice came from his dugout.

    Jeremy lifted a finger to the other party and signaled for needing one minute. He looked down at me. \"I won''t be able to see you after the game, but thanks for coming.\" He looked around at the Atkins. \"And thanks for being here as well. I appreciate it.\" He waved and headed for the voice that called for him from his team''s dugout.

 519 First A’s Game 3

    \"He''s so awkward.\" Kyle snorted as we watch him leave.

    \"He really is Jake''s brother after all.\" Dave laughed.

    \"Boys, give him a break.\" Mrs. Atkins sighed. \"He just doesn''t know what to do or say. I''m sure he''s trying. You should be nicer considering what he''s done for us today.\"

    \"I think they''re fine.\" Noah said. \"They''re only speaking the truth.\" He nudged me. \"I do see some similarities between the two of you. I wonder if it''s the way you genetically are or if your mother had the same effect on the both of you.\" He said thoughtfully.

    Everyone seemed to quiet down at the mention of my birth mom.

    Noah looked apologetic.

    I shrugged. \"Who knows.\" I looked around. \"Are we going to stay here a little longer?\" It felt weird being the only ones not yelling for an autograph from the players.

    \"There are only Astro''s nearby.\" Noah rolled his eyes. \"Let''s go see where our seats are.\" He looked at his Dad. \"Can we go up?\"

    Mr. Atkins furrowed his brows. \"Well...\"

    \"I''ll go with them.\" Zeke volunteered. \"You and Mom can stay with the twins and make sure they don''t go running out onto the field.\"

    \"Hey!\"

    \"We know better than to do that!\"

    \"Alright. Make sure they don''t go to the bathrooms alone.\" Mrs. Atkins advised. \"Stay in groups. Be wary.\" She looked at Noah. \"You better listen to Zeke, young man.\"

    \"Yea, I will, Mom.\" Noah headed back the way we came, tickets in hand. He waved for me to follow him. \"C''mon Jake. I want to show you the team store before we go to our seats.\"

    I hurried to catch up.

    Zeke stayed a stride behind as Noah took me around the team store on the first level. It was filled to the brim with A''s gear...which made sense considering it was an A''s game. I was shocked though with how many items they could put their logo on. It was more than just shirts, jerseys, sweatshirts, and baseball gear. There was pajamas, dresses, cups, and plates. Flags, pens, a flower pot, and pet collars. The list was endless. I was amazed as Noah showed me even more absurd items.

    After successfully looking at every available item, we decided to go find our seats. The stadium was filling up and becoming more crowded. Zeke took charge, leading the way. He glanced back occasionally to make sure we were still following him.

    We went up to the second level, had our tickets checked and then the man in uniform gave us directions. Zeke led us along, passing food stands that made my mouth water.

    \"Man, I''m getting hungry.\" Noah groaned. \"Zeke, did Mom and Dad give you any money for hot dogs?\"

    Zeke glanced back at the two of us and saw that we both were holding our stomachs pathetically. \"Let''s find our seats first and then I''ll go get some hot dogs.\"

    I nodded in agreement.

    Zeke found our section, and paused.

    We stepped up next to him. And, just, wow. What a view. Our section may have been on the second level, but it was right behind home plate. We had an outstanding view of the whole field. The biggest baseball field I''ve ever seen. It was hard to take it all in when we were on the actual field since there were so many of us crowded in a small space. But now...I could only let my jaw drop and be overwhelmed.

    \"Hello. Are you lost?\" Another person in a uniform approached us. He was older, wearing a bright pink polo. He held out his hand. \"Tickets?\"

    I wordlessly handed mine over. Noah and Zeke followed suit. The man accepted the tickets and looked them over. \"Alright. Follow me.\" He took us down the steps to the very first row of the section, bringing us even closer to the field. \"Here we are.\" He gestured to the three seats.

    We obediently sat down.

    \"This section does have in-seat service, meaning those in a bright polo like mine are also waiters.\" He tugged at his polo. \"Can I get you young men any drinks or snacks?\"

    \"I want a hotdog with ketchup! Oh and a coke! And peanuts!\" Noah said, happily. I tugged his sleeve and gestured. \"Oh and he''ll want the same thing.\"

    \"No problem.\" The man looked to Zeke. \"And for you?\"

    Zeke hesitated with a frown, but then also put his order in. \"Just make it three of everything please.\"

    \"No problem.\" The man left the way we came, climbing back up the stairs.

    \"These seats are amazing.\" Noah said, eyes on the field.

    I also looked out and watched as pro players were in the outfield, playing catch, jogging, or stretching. It had a completely different feel than the high school games I played in. The grounds crew came out and started to clean up and do work.

    \"Hi there.\" A soft, and slightly pleasant, voice said from the end of the aisle. A short Asian girl sauntered down our row, lifting a hand in greeting. She was decked out in khakis and a black polo with the A''s logo on it. \"I''m Rose Shimizu. Are you three part of the Atkins family?\" Before we replied, she narrowed in on me. \"You must be Jake!\" She held out her hand.

    I just stared.

    \"Oops. I forgot. Jeremy said you were a little shy.\" She looked to Zeke. \"I work in the public relations department for the A''s.\" She lifted the lanyard on her neck that had a badge on it, looking like an id.

    \"I''m Zeke. This is Noah. And you were right to guess that this is Jake.\" Zeke answered politely. \"Did Jeremy send you to check on us?\"

    \"Yes!\" She said enthusiastically. \"He had me help him arrange this so I just wanted to come down and introduce myself. And just to make sure you all were comfortable. If you have any questions, just tell any usher my name and I''ll do my best to help.\"

    The man in the bright polo came down with a helper, both of them carrying food and drinks. The two quickly passed it out and Zeke pulled out his wallet to prepare to pay the man.

    \"Oh! Don''t worry about food costs.\" The woman, Rose, waved at Zeke. \"Jeremy already said he would settle the bill at the end of the night.\" She shot a look to the men and they smiled and left. \"So please take advantage of the wait service.\" She looked around. \"Are the rest of your party going to show soon?\"

    \"They stayed a bit longer on the field.\" Noah answered, unwrapping his hotdog. \"They should be here soon.\"

    \"Okay! Fantastic.\" She was the happiest woman I had ever seen. \"Do you mind if I wait for them here?\"

    \"If you want.\" Zeke said, slightly confused. He wasn''t the only one. Me and Noah were also surprised with this woman''s presence. It definitely didn''t feel like the normal baseball experience.

    As the three of us ate the hotdogs and slurped our drinks, she waited patiently for the rest of the Atkins to show up. When they finally did, she explained herself again talking about her job and how Jeremy was settling the food bill.

    Mr. Atkins tried to persuade her otherwise, but she wasn''t having any of it. She motioned for that one usher to come back down and as he started to take the twins orders, the woman left.

    \"Jeremy is definitely trying.\" Dave mumbled. \"I''ve never been waited on at a baseball game before.\"

    \"It''s a first for me as well.\" Mr. Atkins scratched his cheek. \"Maybe all pros are like this?\"

    No one had an answer for him.

 520 Closer

    The rest of the food came for the others and soon the game had started. The announcement of the starting lineups. There was the national anthem. And then the home team was announced again as they took the field amidst the cheers of the crowd. A little boy yelled, \"Play ball!\" And the visiting team had their first batter step up to the plate.

    Watching a game in person wasn''t comparable to watching it on tv. For one, in person, I could constantly hear the crowd. Little side conversations going on behind me and both sides of me. Some chatter wasn''t even decipherable. Next, there wasn''t any commercials in between the switching of offense and defense. We were able to watch them jog in and the other team jog out.

    \"Isn''t this exciting?\" Noah asked as we went into the bottom of the first. The A''s were able to have a clean first inning.

    \"It is.\" I agreed on different reasons though. Noah was mostly excited about the baseball game itself. Me? I was blown away with how much my life had changed in less than four months. I was at an actual baseball stadium.

    \"Are we going to cheer for Jeremy when he comes up?\" Noah asked.

    I noticed that the twins leaned in to hear my answer as well. No matter how much Jeremy did for them or how much he gave, these boys always took my feelings into account first. I laughed. \"Aren''t we here to cheer for the A''s? If he''s an A, then we don''t have a choice, right?\"

    \"As a fan, you can always hate a player or two on the team.\" Dave said. Kyle nodded. \"You don''t have to like all the players. You just can''t let others hate on them too.\"

    \"Don''t make things so difficult for Jake.\" Zeke slapped Dave on the back of his head. \"He said it''s to cheer. Don''t pick at it.\"

    \"Sorry.\" Dave mumbled.

    I smiled at Zeke.

    The A''s were able to get a person on, letting Jeremy, who was batging fourth, come up with two outs. Noah, who had been wildly clapping for every player, slowed up a little but he didn''t make a big deal about it. In fact, the whole Atkins family seems to be taking my feelings into account, and only gave some polite claps. They must not want me to feel pressure.

    Jeremy struck out to end the inning.

    Noah rolled his eyes and slouched back. \"Figures.\"

    I let out a laugh.

    \"He can''t be perfect. It''s the MLB.\" Kyle commented.

    Noah snorted, noncommittal.

    The game went on. We ate to our hearts content as we watched the A''s stack on some runs. Thanks, in part, to Jeremy. He crushed a three-run homer and the crowd stood up in unison as they chanted his name. It was surreal.

    By the seventh inning, it got unreasonably cold. I took off the jersey in order to put on my sweatshirt. In the process, Rose Shimizu reappeared with a bag in hand. \"Hey all! I''m back with some gifts that Jeremy asked me to give.\"

    \"It''s no problem at all!\" She said cheerfully. She started to pull out smaller plastic bags and passed them out. \"Jeremy wanted to make sure you all had his jersey the next time you visit. It took me some time to get his message so I''m sorry I got back so late. Let me know if the sizes are okay.\"

    \"We can no longer ignore that Jake''s brother is a star.\" Dave mumbled holding the jersey out. \"This is the best game I''ve ever been to.\"

    \"I wonder if we can adopt him along with Jake.\" Kyle whispered.

    Noah still heard. \"Don''t cave in so easily.\" He looked at me. \"What do you think? Should we keep them?\"

    Looking at the twins pleading looks, it was kind of hard to refuse. Even Mr. and Mrs. Atkins looked unsure of what to do.

    \"It''s just a gift.\" Zeke spoke up. \"There aren''t any strings attached or hidden conditions if you accept it.\" He looked at Rose. \"Thank you.\"

    \"Thanks!\" The twins said simultaneously, happy that they could keep such a jersey.

    Noah still wasn''t convinced.

    \"Wouldn''t you wear my jersey if I gave you one when I go pro?\" Zeke asked.

    Noah nodded immediately. \"Of course! But this is different...\"

    \"And if we were fighting, would you still accept?\"

    Noah nodded a lot slower this time. \"But Jeremy isn''t you.\"

    \"Okay, let me go one step further. I''m a pro. You''re my brother. You come to my game with really close friends and I give you and your friends jerseys even though we''re fighting. Are you going to deny your friends that happiness?\"

    Noah shook his head.

    \"Then why are you asking Jake to?\" Zeke sighed. \"Sometimes you can be so dense. Too protective that you can''t see the bigger picture.\"

    Noah looked to me.

    \"It would just make things worse if I refused.\" I smiled lightly and handed him my jersey. \"Can you put this in your backpack for me?\"

    Noah nodded and put mine and his away. Soon the rest of the family made him do the same with theirs.

    The game wrapped up around 10:30pm, with the home team winning 10-2. Jeremy had a great game, living up to his moniker of being a star.

    We left with the crowd, happy with the win. We got to the car and piled in with Mr. Atkins driving us back. It didn''t take long for the twins to both pass out against their respective doors, and Noah closely followed. Even Mrs. Atkins started to doze off up front.

    The quiet lasted all the way home. The twins and Noah almost slept walk to their rooms as soon as we got home. I slowly followed.

    \"Jake. A minute if you''re not too tired.\" Mr. Atkins held me back. Him and Mrs. Atkins stayed downstairs with me. He held out his cellphone. \"Jeremy was busy after the game with his work, but he asked that you called him as soon as we got home. What do you think?\"

    I glanced at Noah''s bag that was resting on the hallway floor with all those jerseys. \"Yea. I can do that.\"

    Mr. Atkins handed the phone over with Jeremy''s contact information already open. \"You go ahead. Mary and I will be in the office if you need us, okay?\"

    I nodded, then pushed the call button. The pair left me alone, giving me space as the phone rang.

    \"Hello.\" Jeremy answered after three rings.

    \"We made it home.\" I told him.

    Jeremy cleared his voice. \"Jake. Hi. How was the drive?\"

    \"Not bad. Quiet.\"

    \"You didn''t sleep on the way home?\" He asked, sounding curious.

    I couldn''t explain myself so I kept it simple. \"No.\"

    \"Oh.\" He paused. \"How did you like the game? We won.\"

    \"I know. I saw. It was a good game. You played well.\" I tried conversing calmly, but for some reason my heart started to pound.

    \"Did you like the seats?\"

    \"It was an awesome view.\"

    An awkward silence filled the gaps of our conversation.

    Finally I came up with something to say. \"Thanks for the jerseys.\"

    \"You''re welcome.\" He coughed. \"I thought it was only fair that my own brother had a jersey with my name on it.\"

    \"And the Atkins?\" I asked.

    \"Uh. I didn''t want them to judge me for only getting you something. Plus, I feel like you wouldn''t accept it if you were the only one that got it.\"

    \"Hmm.\" I agreed with a hum. \"You know...\"

    He waited patiently.

    I worked up the nerve to tell him what''s been on my mind all night. \"You know, you don''t have to spend all this money. I don''t want to guilt you into spending money to get into my good graces. I''m not that mad anymore.\"

    \"You''re not mad?\"

    \"It''s too tiresome to be mad all the time.\" I sighed.

    I heard a short chuckle. \"Jake. I''m not doing this to ''buy'' your forgiveness. I just wanted you to have a good night. A perfect first time experience.\"

    \"It was good.\" I assured him.

    He paused. This time it was my turn to wait.

    \"I want to replace some of your bad memories with happier ones.\" He declared. \"I can''t do much about the past, except feel guilty. It''s not about forgiveness from you.\" He sighed. \"I just...when I think about my childhood and how much I feared that woman; I can''t imagine you going through the same. What makes it worse, is that I had Dad. He may not have been around all the time because of his time in the minors, but you-\"

    \"The past is the past.\" I told him. \"I honestly rather forget. I''m happy now.\" Happy where I am physically and mentally. \"I don''t really understand you and Jack. I''m still confused. A little hurt. But no longer angry.\"

    \"Jake-\"

    \"I know someone who didn''t get the closure they wanted when dealing with their family issues.\" I told him. \"We aren''t super close and that''s okay. We aren''t too distant either.\"

    \"Do you think I can close the gap?\" He said suddenly.

    I frowned. \"The gap?\"

    \"To be closer. We can work on it.\" He said confidently. Then he started to rush. \"Alright. It was good to see you. And to have you here. You better get to bed. Goodnight.\" Then nothing. He hung up.

    I looked at the phone. I guess...he didn''t want to give me a chance to say no. That felt...kind of good to know.

    \"Are you done?\" Mr. Atkins asked, coming out of the office.

    \"Yea.\" I handed him his phone back, still looking at the piece of technology as if it was Jeremy.

    \"What do you think about getting a phone of your own, Jake?\" Mr. Atkins asked.

    Startled, I looked up at his face.

    Mr. Atkins patted me on the head. \"We can talk about it tomorrow. It''s late. Why don''t you go get some sleep. We have a busy Saturday too.\"

    I did what he suggested, passing out as soon as I laid down on my bed.

 521 Mall Visi

    Saturday morning I woke up still dressed in the clothes from the night before. I rolled out of bed, grabbed some clean clothes, and hit the showers, completely ignoring the snores coming from Noah. He went to bed slightly before me and even slept on the ride home; he should be waking up soon.

    When I came downstairs, only Zeke and Mr. Atkins were at the kitchen table.

    \"Mom went to a clients house.\" Zeke told me when he caught me looking at the slim pickings for breakfast. The only choices were bagels or cereal.

    I took a seat and poured myself a bowl of cereal with milk.

    \"We''ll have lunch a little sooner today, so don''t eat too much.\" Mr. Atkins explained.

    I raised an eyebrow.

    \"Today''s the baseball banquet.\"

    I stared at him blankly before focusing on my food. I vaguely remember a few mentions of the word banquet but I didn''t know what it entailed.

    It was a relatively quiet breakfast until the twins and Noah came racing down. They stuffed their faces like they hadn''t ate in days, completely making a mess of the kitchen table.

    \"Make sure you boys clean up properly.\" Mr. Atkins frowned at the sight of spilled cereal everywhere.

    \"Not it!\"

    \"Not it!\"

    \"Not it!\"

    Dave and Noah smirked towards Kyle who was the last to yell.

    \"Zeke and Jake didn''t say anything.\" Kyle argued.

    \"They didn''t make a mess.\" Mr. Atkins intervened. \"Do all of you have clean suits for tonight? Have you tried them on?\"

    I was clueless as the others focused on eating, not daring to make eye contact with their dad. Even Zeke cleared his throat and paid more attention to his phone.

    Mr. Atkins sighed. \"Try your suits on. If they''re dirty, we need to get them washed. If something doesn''t fit, we''ll have to make a trip to the mall. We''re already going to the mall to get Jake a new phone so let''s do just one trip.\"

    \"Jake''s going to get a phone?\" Noah asked.

    \"That''s weird. He doesn''t need one.\" Kyle frowned.

    \"Yea, he''s always with Noah. How hard can it be to find him?\" Dave added.

    \"We treat you all the same.\" Mr. Atkins told them. \"Jake might not have too many contacts, but we won''t deny him a phone because of it. If Jake wants to do something on his own, it''s best if he already has a phone and doesn''t have to borrow one of yours.\"

    \"What would he do on his own?\" Noah asked, bewildered.

    \"Is this coming out of our baseball camp money?\" Kyle grumbled.

    \"I have my list!\" Kyle said excitedly. \"As soon as you give me the green light, I''ll start finalizing the plans and visits and camps. It''s going to be the busiest summer.\"

    \"You have to be prepared to cut some camps out if you get too out of hand.\" Mr. Atkins frowned. \"Your mom and I are firm on this budget.\"

    \"Yet you''re ready to spend a few hundred on a phone for Jake?\" Kyle rolled his eyes.

    \"Why are you still on that?\" Dave looked annoyed. \"We all have phones. Why can''t Jake have one?\"

    \"We have someone to talk to.\" Kyle said. \"No offense to Jake, but we''re his only friends. Who would he talk to on the phone if not us? And where would he be without us? Let''s be real, it''s a waste of money.\" Kyle sounded upset.

    \"Hey!\" Noah yelled at him.

    Zeke and Dave were also astounded by the outburst.

    \"Kyle.\" Mr. Atkins voice was a bit deeper. \"You apologize this minute or prepare to spend the whole summer in your room.\"

    Kyle''s face had a hint of guilt, but he folded his arms across his chest. \"Dad. You can''t blame me. Mom says I can''t do this pitching camp in Texas, but you guys can suddenly afford a new phone for Jake? This isn''t fair.\"

    \"Go to your room.\" Mr. Atkins said firmly, making me shake in my seat. I wasn''t the only one. \"NOW.\"

    Kyle''s lips thinned as he stood up, and walked out, barely having any breakfast.

    \"I don''t really need a phone...\" I mumbled.

    \"You do.\" Zeke said.

    \"Yea, why not?\" Noah chipped in. \"Kyle''s just being a jerk. You can''t be a normal teen without a phone.\"

    \"Kyle didn''t mean it.\" Dave told me. \"He''s just been going through something. You know how weird he''s been.\"

    I nodded slowly, accepting Dave''s excuse for Kyle. He really had been ''off''.

    I looked up at Mr. Atkins. \"I don''t have any summer camps in mind, so you can give that money to Kyle so he can do his pitching camp. The one that he really wants to do.\"

    \"What are we going to do then?\" Noah asked.

    \"You don''t have to do that Jake.\" Mr. Atkins told me. \"A budget is there for a reason. We can''t just let everyone go and do what they want without knowing the consequences.\"

    I shrugged. \"I''m just saying...I don''t mind.\"

    Mr. Atkins sighed. \"We''ll have to talk more about this tomorrow. For now, hurry up and finish eating. Check your suits and then we''ll hit the mall.\"

    \"Do we really have to wear suits?\" Noah asked. \"Is a dress shirt good?\"

    Mr. Atkins shook his head. \"You five will all wear suits. Formal wear. I''m talking slacks, belt, tie and jacket. The whole nine yards.\"

    I gulped. I didn''t have anything that formal. The best I did was wear Noah''s hand-me-downs.

    \"I probably have something for you.\" Noah told me, noticing my discomfort.

    \"And I have something for you, Noah.\" Dave nodded. \"I was only a little taller than you my freshman year. Not as scrawny though.\"

    And just like that, our Saturday morning was filled with closet digging, clothes searching, and constantly trying on what could fit. It took us hours to put something together with clothes constantly being passed around. Shortly before lunch we came up with a list of who still needed what.

    Me-shoes

    Noah-shoes

    Kyle-shoes and belt

    Zeke-shoes and jacket

    Dave was the only one who had a full outfit with no problems. Meanwhile the rest of us didn''t have the right shoes that Mr. Atkins requested. Zeke was able to give Dave his old ones, but the twins shoes were too big for me and Noah.

    We piled up into the car and headed for the mall. It was rather quiet with Mr. Atkins still being upset with Kyle.

    When we arrived at the mall, Kyle couldn''t keep up the silent treatment. He sighed very loudly and looked down at me as we got out of the car. \"Jake. I know what I said was mean and uncalled for.\"

    \"It''s okay.\" I told him quickly, ready to ease the atmosphere.

    \"No, it''s not.\" Mr. Atkins came around from the driver''s side. \"Kyle, what you said wasn''t only wrong, but hurtful. I didn''t raise you boys to be like that. I want to see more love, care, and compassion out of you. Understand?\"

    \"Yes, sir.\" Kyle hung his head in shame.

    \"You should ask for reparations.\" Noah whispered, just loud enough for the others to hear.

    Zeke''s face twitched and he cracked a smile.

    Mr. Atkins sighed again. \"Noah, how do you even know what that is? Aren''t you too young to be learning about these court terms?\"

    \"You''re never too young to know the law.\" Noah proclaimed proudly.

    Mr. Atkins just shook his head.

    \"What are reparations?\" Kyle asked, confused.

    Dave rubber his two fingers against his thumb, the universal sign for money. \"Better hide that wallet.\"

    Kyle looked offended. \"You would scam your own brother??\" He asked Noah.

    Noah shrugged, looking harmless. \"It''s not a scam. It''s the most common way to make amends after you offend someone.\"

    \"No one is paying anybody.\" Mr. Atkins waved his hands to break them up. \"This isn''t a court of law. I''m the judge, jury, and prosecutor. Let''s get a move on.\"

 522 New Phone

    I want to say that things were smooth-sailing after Kyle''s apology, but that''d make me a liar. I didn''t have a problem with Kyle being upset with me, but it felt like his brothers did. They may have defended him when he wasn''t present at the kitchen table, but it was still a relatively cold atmosphere while shopping.

    Noah and I paired together like always, while Dave had bugged Zeke about baseball stuff. I felt uncomfortable pushing Kyle out of his own family, and was afraid that he would think the same. Luckily, Mr. Atkins was there to talk to him. Though, most of it sounded like a lecture on his attitude.

    We had a somewhat early lunch before heading home. Mrs. Atkins came out of the office room once she heard us making a racket as we came in the house.

    \"Looks like you all had a successful trip.\" She smiled happily at the bags in our hands. \"Jake, did you get a phone?\"

    I nodded.

    \"He did!\" Noah replied for me. \"He got the same kind as mine so I can help him work it. On the ride home, I already put in all of our contact information. I listed dad as his emergency contact.\" He looked a little sheepish as he shrugged. \"You''re number two though.\"

    \"That''s fine.\" She smiled warmly. \"As long as it''s properly set.\" She held out her hand. \"Let me add a few more contacts for you, Jake.\"

    I obediently handed over my new phone. She took out hers and started transferring some information over without saying anything. The rest of the boys went to put away their purchases after Mr. Atkins commanded them to do so.

    Mrs. Atkins handed me the phone back with a light smile. \"You should also put your shoes up. Make sure to hang up the clothes you''re going to wear tonight. Make sure Noah and the others do the same.\"

    I nodded and jogged up the stairs, phone in one hand and a box of shoes in the other. I stopped in the doorway of the big room that Zeke shared with the twins. I found them already hanging up their clothes for tonight.

    \"It''s not our first time going to the banquet.\" Dave smirked when he caught me staring. \"It isn''t just for varsity players. All three levels are invited to the banquet so we have experience getting ready for it.\" He grinned. \"Do you think you''ll get an award tonight?\"

    \"For what?\" I asked, clueless.

    \"The banquet is like an award assembly. But for baseball.\" He explained. He nodded towards Zeke. \"Zeke will probably rake in the most, but I''m sure you''ll be a close second.\"

    Kyle sighed. \"It must be nice to be a hitter. You get all the glory.\"

    I stiffened up.

    \"Stop making him so anxious.\" Zeke told the pair. He glanced at me. \"You''ll be with Noah and us the whole time. What are you so afraid of?\"

    I gave a small nod and went to the room I shared with Noah, thinking his question over. What was I so afraid of?

    I looked down at the phone. \"I didn''t check. She said we should hang up the clothes we''re going to wear tonight.\"

    \"Yea, yea, sure.\" He got up from the seat at the desk and came over to take the phone out of my hands. He opened the contacts app and looked over the limited names. I peeked over his shoulder to see too. \"Dr. Moore. That makes sense. Wait. Jeremy? Jeremy Patterson?\" He was stunned.

    So was I.

    He looked up from the phone and made eye contact with me. \"Are you going to call him? Maybe send a text?\"

    \"Like what?\" I asked, unsure.

    \"Like an intro text. To let him know that this is your number.\" Noah said. \"You should probably do the same to Dr. Moore. Just a simple, ''this is Jake, here''s my number'' kind of thing.\" He handed me my phone back.

    \"Do you really think I should?\" I asked.

    Noah shrugged. \"Mom gave you those numbers for a reason. You should definitely text Dr. Moore. Maybe even give him a call. As for Jeremy...it''d be weird if he finds out that you got a phone and didn''t send a text, right?\"

    \"If he knows I have a phone, shouldn''t he be the one to text me?\"

    Noah made a face. \"No. That would be so awkward. Just to randomly text a new number and be like, ''hey, heard this is your new number.'' Who would do that?\"

    Almost as if, on cue, my phone buzzed. It was a simple vibration to let me know that I have a text. I glanced at it. \"Jeremy.\"

    Noah started to laugh. \"Oh my gosh, really?? Let me see!!\" He grabbed the phone and opened the text, reading it out loud. \"Hey Jake, it''s Jeremy. Mary and Wayne told me you got a new phone today so I thought I would send you a short message so you have my number. Don''t feel the need to respond if you don''t want to. Bye.\" He laughed even louder. \"How is that short? He practically wrote a paragraph.\"

    Seeing Noah lose it, made me loosen up. I started to laugh a little too. Then we got louder. Loud enough to draw attention from his brothers. The twins showed up in our doorway, peering in, gawking at the two of us stuck in a laughing fit.

    \"Hey...you guys should really hang up your clothes. What if they get wrinkled?\" Dave said.

    \"Mom will get mad if you make her break out the ironing board. You know how much she hates to do that, Noah.\" Kyle added.

    We stopped laughing and calmed down.

    \"So what are you going to reply with?\" Noah asked, wiping the corner of his eye.

    I shrugged. \"He said I didn''t have to.\"

    \"Who?\" Dave asked.

    \"What?\" Kyle said at the same time.

    Noah picked my phone up and showed them Jeremy''s text.

    Kyle blinked in surprise. Maybe shocked that I had someone other than them to talk to.

    Dave was more calm. \"You should at least say okay or something. Let him know you got it.\" He nudged Kyle. \"Let''s go see if there are any games on tv. We''ve got a few hours.\"

    Kyle followed him out silently.

    Noah handed me my phone. \"Here.\"

    I accepted the phone. \"Are you okay with this? I thought you didn''t like him?\"

    Noah rested his hands on the back of his head. \"I''m okay if you''re okay.\" He walked to the door. \"I''ll be downstairs.\" He left me alone in the room.

    I looked down at the phone. Things were still awkward between me and Jeremy, but that didn''t mean I should be rude. I replied. ''Okay.'' And then set the phone down.

    I took a glance around the room and realized Noah forgot to hang up his clothes for tonight. I did it for him and then did the same for mine. The suits were super nice and clean. I don''t think I''ve ever worn something so expensive. Even if it was a hand-me-down.

    After making sure they were hung up, I hurried to join the others downstairs.

 523 Prep

    Sure enough the twins had found a baseball game to put on and all five of us watched until Mrs. Atkins came in and demanded that we all take showers.

    \"Again? I took one this morning.\" I said.

    \"No helping it.\" Noah shrugged as we walked up the stairs to our room. \"She wants us to look our best.\"

    I couldn''t argue. Not with all the others going upstairs obediently.

    Noah let me shower first, which also meant I had to get dressed first. I did my best to get ready before Noah got back, putting on the buttoned up shirt, the pants, socks and shoes. Noah came back as I struggled with the belt.

    \"You have to tuck your shirt in first.\" He told me. \"Like when we wear our uniforms.\"

    Oh. With that hint in mind, I was able to look somewhat decent.

    A knock came at the door as Noah was getting dressed. He opened it to reveal a very dressed-up Zeke. In a full blown suit, Zeke didn''t look like a high school student at all. He looked like a young man going to work.

    \"Mom said you two might have trouble doing your ties.\" Zeke came into the room.

    Noah finished buttoning up his shirt. \"Yea. Help Jake first; I''ll be ready in a second.\"

    Zeke looked down at me. \"Where''s your tie?\"

    I grabbed it off the bed and went to Zeke. He still stood over a foot taller than me. He took a seat on the chair at our desk, almost eye level with me now. Then took the tie.

    \"Pay attention.\" He said, wrapping the tie around my neck, behind the collar. He made the thicker end longer on one side. \"You want the wide end to be roughly this much longer than the thin. You wrap it around the thin end like this.\" He explained slowly while demonstrating. \"Up and through. Then pull here to tighten.\" He adjusted the tie to fit around my neck, and got my collar fixed. \"There. Done.\"

    I backed up and checked the mirror. Then smiled. \"Thanks Zeke.\"

    \"My turn!\" Noah tossed Zeke his tie and stepped up.

    The corner of Zeke''s mouth turned up, forming a weak crooked smile. \"Why haven''t you learned this yet?\"

    \"Why should I?\" Noah shot back, standing proudly. \"I have you. You can do it for me for the rest of my life.\"

    Zeke rolled his eyes.

    \"That''s What big brothers are for.\" Noah added. He glanced at me. \"Tell him, Jake. Did you learn when he was showing you?\"

    I turned red in the face. \"I forgot.\"

    Noah laughed as Zeke sighed and shook his head.

    \"You two are...\" Zeke sighed again, then focused on helping Noah with his tie. \"Pay attention this time. Really. Who''s going to help you next year when I''m not around?\"

    \"Dad.\" Noah answered with ease.

    \"Where are you going to be?\" I asked, frowning.

    \"College.\" Noah and Zeke said at the same time. He finished helping Noah with his tie and slowly stood up.

    Zeke smiled. \"You already knew that, didn''t you?\" He patted Noah on the head and left the room. \"Don''t forget to brush your hair.\"

    Noah''s eyes followed his older brother until he left. He looked at me and sighed. \"Rhys must have decided to go to Stanford. That''s the only way Zeke would answer with college so easily.\"

    \"Are you upset about it?\" I know that Noah really wanted to see Zeke go pro. It was all he could talk about.

    Noah shrugged. \"It is what it is. Zeke and Rhys, plus the seniors left on Stanford. I think this time next year, they''ll be preparing for the College World Series.\" His eyes started to shine as he got excited. \"It would be crazy cool if they made it that far. We''ll be able to watch their playoff games after our season.\"

    \"Did Stanford make it this year?\" I asked.

    Noah shrugged. \"Too soon to say. They still have to do their conference tournament. The College World Series doesn''t start until June 15th, after Zeke''s graduation so we''ll see then.\"

    I nodded, getting the hang of it. College baseball season started around the same time as high school baseball, but ran longer. Makes sense. They are older.

    \"Since Zeke is planning on college for sure, doesn''t that mean he has to stay for at least two years?\" I asked, remembering some of the details from before.

    Noah grinned. \"Yep. Gives us a little time to catch up.\"

    \"We''ll still be in high school...\" I reminded him.

    Noah shrugged. \"Who knows. Maybe he''ll want to complete his degree before going pro. Things change, Jake. Plans, people, and feelings.\"

    I nodded, completely agreeing. I''ve changed my mind about my own brother more than a few times. I wanted to find him. Then I didn''t. Then I did. He didn''t sound like a good person so I changed my mind about wanting to get to know him. Now that he''s trying, I feel little guilty for not reciprocating.

    I went to my bed and picked up my phone. I only had a few texting conversations started. Letting Dr. Moore that I had a new phone and him replying that I could reach out to him anytime. And then Jeremy letting me know that he had my number. I only said ''okay.''

    \"Did you want to text Jeremy?\" Noah practically read my mind.

    \"Things change.\" I repeated what he had said. \"People too.\" I looked up at Noah. \"What do you think I should say?\"

    Noah shrugged. \"If Zeke wasn''t around, I''d probably text him about the baseball banquet.\" His eyebrows lifted as he thought of something. \"Wait until you get an award. Then you can send him a picture or something!\"

    I nodded and put my phone down. \"Yea, that''s a good idea.\"

    \"Noah! Jake!\" We beard Dave''s yell from faraway. \"Time to go!\"

    \"Oh shoot!\" Noah cursed and started running around the room, trying to find his socks and shoes.

    I picked up the comb and ran it through my hair. It was getting longer and somewhat tangled at the ends. I handed the comb to Noah and then bent down to tie my own shoes. It took us an extra couple of minutes to finish getting ready before running down the stairs.

    Mrs. Atkins was the only one left waiting, the others must have gotten in the car. She held up a can of hairspray and a brush. \"I knew you two wouldn''t be prepared.\"

    Noah laughed and stepped up first. \"I did brush my hair though.\"

    \"Right into your eyes.\" She retorted, brushing his blonde hair back and using the hairspray to keep it in place. After a minute she looked to me. \"Your turn, Jake.\"

    Noah switched spots with me. I clenched my jaw a little, prepared for Mrs. Atkins to get close. She didn''t waste any time brushing my hair and using the spray.

    She stepped back to look at the two of us. \"Awe! What fine young men you two have become! Looking good!\"

    This time I wasn''t the only one to blush.

    \"Mommmm!\" Noah groaned. He nodded to the door. \"Let''s go, Jake. Hurry up Mom, or we''re going to be late.\" I followed him out the door.

    \"It''s you two that were late coming down!\" Mrs. Atkins called out after us, soon following us out to the car where the rest were waiting.

 524 Banquet 1

    We had loaded up and hit the road. Only driving fifteen minutes before pulling into a country club, surrounded by a golf course. There were tall palm trees all along the winding driveway that took us down to a relatively large parking lot. Mr. Atkins parked and we all got out.

    \"Looks like we''re late.\" Mrs. Atkins sighed.

    \"Fashionably late.\" Dave corrected while buttoning his jacket buttons. He glanced down at me and caught my questionable look. \"Button your jacket. It''s only supposed to be unbutton when you sit down.\"

    I quickly button the jacket together.

    Noah rolled his eyes. \"Just do what makes you comfortable.\" He put his hands in his pockets, leaving the jacket undone. \"I think I look good just like this.\"

    \"Twerp.\" Kyle gave Noah a shove behind, making him stumble.

    \"Mom!\" Noah complained.

    \"Kyle, please behave and stop picking on your brother.\" She held a hand to her head. \"All of you be on your best behavior.\"

    Dave elbowed Zeke. \"You hear that, Zeke?? Best behavior from you.\"

    Noah laughed. \"What would that even be like from Zeke? It''s not like he has a bad behavior.\"

    \"It means he has to smile more.\" Dave answered.

    \"It wouldn''t hurt.\" Mrs. Atkins sighed.

    Zeke''s lips twitched.

    \"I''m kidding.\" Mrs. Atkins told him, laughing. \"Just try not to break anything. I feel like whenever we leave the house, one of you will cause some kind of trouble.\"

    \"It''s a celebration, Mom.\" Noah said. \"What trouble could we get in?\"

    We reaches the building. Familiar faces were walking in, and I recognized some of them from the lower-leveled teams. They came with a parent or two, some even brought their grandparents.

    \"Hey, kiddos!\" Garret threw his arms around each twin, pulling them in tight. \"Ready to see who won ''king of the hill''??\"

    \"It''s me this year. For sure.\" Dave threw Garret''s arm off.

    \"You? You had two different injuries this year.\" Kyle snorted, getting rid of Garret''s arm too.

    \"Guess that leaves me as the winner again.\" Garret beamed. He noticed the rest of us. \"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Atkins.\"

    \"Hello, Garret.\" Mrs. Atkins smiled at him. \"Is your parents already inside?\"

    \"Yes ma''am. I already told them to save two seats for you two.\" He jerked his thumb to the biggest room in the building.

    \"Thank you.\" Mr. Atkins nodded and walked with his wife to the banquet room. \"You boys be good. And come in when they say to come in.\"

    \"Yea, Dad.\"

    \"Sure, Dad.\"

    \"Whatever you say, Dad.\"

    Mr. Atkins could only shake his head. Him and Mrs. Atkins left us alone with Garret. Though we weren''t the only ones to stay in the long entryway. Other baseball players had gathered and were in smaller groups, chatting.

    Dave looked to me, unsure how much to say.

    \"Jake''s brother invited us.\" Noah spoke up. \"It was fun.\"

    Garret''s eyes widened. He looked down at me. \"No joke?\"

    \"Uh, no joke...\" I said in a low voice. It wasn''t like I was hiding from the fact that Jeremy was my brother. And Garret was a friend. To all of us. He was nice enough to even do the midseason tryout with me to keep me company. It wouldn''t be nice to lie to him. \"It was a surprise.\"

    Garret''s jaw dropped. \"Wow. I can''t believe I know someone who knows someone in the big leagues. And on my favorite team, no less.\" He sighed. \"You have to take me next time, okay?\"

    None of the Atkins spoke up this time around. They all waited for me to answer him. I cleared my throat. \"Sure. Maybe. I''ll have to talk to him.\"

    \"Don''t feel pressured on my behalf.\" Garret waved his arms. \"Just if there''s an opportunity next time, it''d be cool.\"

    I nodded slowly.

    The conversation shifted to how the A''s won last night and how good they were looking overall despite the loss of Maberry to injury. I listened, learning more about Jeremy and his team in the process.

    Guys from our team came and went, greeting us along the way. Once a coach determined that 99% of the players were present, they started to usher us into the banquet room. There were 20+ circular tables, filling up the room and making it hard to move around. All the back tables were filled with adults and parents and other family members.

    \"We''re over here.\" Dave led the way, squeezing to a front and center table. On a centerpiece, there was a laminated card that stated, ''VARSITY''.

    Feeling more than a few pairs of eyes on me, I quickly sat down, trying to not draw attention to myself. Each table sat down, so ours filled up quick with me, Garret and all the Atkins. Julian, Mahki, Kelvin and Alex filled up the empty seats in a blink.

    It took time for everyone to get seated at their proper tables, with all the teams being divided up. As everyone got settled, Coach stood up from the coaches table and walked to the podium, front and center, just feet away from our table.

    Everyone quieted down as they saw the head coach of the baseball program waiting. When it got silent enough, Coach spoke into the small microphone attached the podium. \"Welcome everybody. I''m happy that most of the players and their family could make it tonight. This evening we will be honoring all three levels of our baseball program and recognize the select few, who made astounding contributions to their teams.\"

    A lot of the parents clapped energetically.

    \"Why are you so embarrassed?\" Noah whispered. \"They haven''t even called your name yet.\"

    \"There''s so many.\" I gulped. \"So many people in here.\"

    Noah looked worried. \"If you need a break, let me know. We can go walk in the hall and even step outside for some fresh air.\"

    \"I''m fine.\" For now.

    \"First, I''m going to let the friendly staff bring out the food to fill you up.\" Coach continued to speak to everyone. \"I will ask that everyone stay seated for the dinner and for the ceremony. There will be plenty of time afterwards for everyone else to get together.\" He directed this to us at the players tables. \"After everyone finished dinner, we''ll have Coach Ryan from the freshman team come forward to honor his players. Followed by Coach Holman from the JV team. I''ll wrap it up with our varsity boys and then the formal part of the evening will be over. Thank you.\" He walked back to his seat amid polite clapping from the parents.

    With that, the waiters along the way stepped up and started to fill the glasses at the table with water.

    Noah made a face. \"Is water our only option?\"

    \"Deal with it.\" Zeke told him before sipping from his glass.

    \"We don''t go to a fancy private school.\" Dave chuckled. \"This is the best we can afford out of our team budget. I think the parents even have to chip in a little more to help cover the costs.\"

    Kyle frowned.

    Noah sighed. \"Oh well. It''s fine.\"

    After five minutes, the waiters starting coming in with plates of food, serving the adults in the back first.

 525 Banquet 2

    Dinner turned out to be grilled salmon over rice with a side of cooked asparagus and mashed potatoes. At least, that''s what me and the Atkins brothers got. Alex was the only special one at the table, eating grilled chicken instead.

    He looked up when he noticed my staring. \"I don''t like fish.\" He told me with a shrug. Then he started to cut up his chicken.

    \"Mom must have selected the meal for us without asking.\" Noah''s nose scrunched up.

    \"Fish is good for you.\" Zeke said, slicing his salmon like a pro.

    Noah made a face as he poked his salmon with his fork.

    I tried my best to mimick Zeke''s movements, cutting my own salmon up. Then I tried a piece. \"It''s fine.\"

    \"If you say so..\" Noah cut out a small piece and tried it. Pure disgust covered his face.

    I laughed, getting the tables attention. Soon everyone was making fun of Noah for being a baby. Everyone except me and Alex.

    Alex scratched his cheek. \"Don''t worry, Noah, I get it. Do you want some of my chicken?\"

    Noah nodded. He got up with his plate and went around the table to get to Alex. Alex slid half his chicken onto Noah''s plate.

    \"If you''re not eating your salmon, can I have some of it?\" Kelvin asked

    Noah obliged and soon started dealing out his unwanted salmon.

    I laughed to myself at how Noah suddenly became a waiter, giving some salmon to Kelvin, Garret and Kyle. We were definitely the loudest table, but Zeke didn''t seem to mind. He just let the others mess around for a few minutes before signaling to Noah that he should sit back down.

    As most of us finished eating, myself included, a tall burly man got up from the coaches table and stepped up to the podium. He tapped the mic to get everyone''s attention. \"Hello ladies and gentlemen. As some of you know, I''m Coach Ryan.\"

    Polite applause. I clapped as well, at least until Noah gave me a look.

    \"Thank you, thank you.\" He spoke with a deep voice. \"This season has been very successful with the team going 19-5. We had the second best record in the league and I couldn''t be more proud of the progress these boys have made.\"

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Noah smirk. Oh...right...this is the ''freshmen'' team. This whole team used to play with Noah when they were growing up. And...he used to be friends with them. With that in mind, I knew where Noah stood on this matter.

    \"I''m going to take this time to call up my team and recognize them for a season well done.\" Coach Ryan announced. He started to call the names, one by one, and each player would go up and stand in a line, facing the room.

    \"This is our team.\" Coach Ryan stated after calling up his whole team. The crowd clapped one more time. One of his assistant coaches brought up a box and set it down on the floor. Coach Ryan nodded after him, and the other man gave him a stack of papers. \"We have a great tradition here at Watsonville. Not only do we celebrate the team as a whole, we also take a moment to recognize select individuals for their contributions to the team, on and off the field. I''m proud to say that this is the first year, the whole freshmen team made it to the honor roll. They completed the season, maintaining a 3.5 gpa the whole semester.\" The parents all clapped, proud of their kids.

    Coach Ryan took his time to pass out the awards to every athlete on his team.

    \"We''ll get one too.\" Noah whispered.

    I nodded. Noah and I had straight A''s this whole entire time. It wasn''t like freshman year was difficult. I glanced at the twins; I couldn''t say the same for them after all.

    \"Next are the individual awards.\" He glanced at the boys. \"This is a team sport but there are a select few who made this team the way it is. Starting with our defensive mvp, Aaron Fipps.\" Everyone started clapping again as the kid walked up to his coach and accepted the plaque that was handed to him. \"Aaron had never player first base before until this season. He embraced the change and worked hard at becoming the best, and has shown us that he has the drive to succeed.\" More clapping.

    \"Thank you Aaron.\" Coach Ryan sent him back to his position in line. He received another plaque from his assistant. \"If you have a defensive mvp, there is bound to be an offensive mvp. Nolan Pham.\"

    \"Whoop! Whoop!\"

    \"NOLLLLAAAANNN.\"

    The freshmen team got a bit louder for this guy as he went up to accept the plaque from his coach.

    \"Nolan is not only a powerhouse hitter, but he had a very low strikeout percentage, even surprising me and my staff. Our offense was so destructive thanks to this young man.\" Coach Ryan said a few more words before sending Nolan back. \"Most improved. Now, I''ve got to say, I was shocked when this young man made my team. I didn''t pick him, Head Coach Wilcox did and assigned him to my team. He obviously saw something that we couldn''t. This young man worked tremendously hard to become a starter and we couldn''t be more proud. Dalton Nelson.\"

    Dalton received his plaque and waved at the room who was clapping. \"I just want to say thanks. Thanks to all the coaches for giving me a shot.\" He went back.

    \"As for best sportsmanship, there were a lot of good candidates on the team, but the best was Marshel Butler. His character is something every baseball player should strive to have.\" I could hear Noah snort from beside me. He must now this guy too. \"He has respect for his team, his coaches, and his opponents. He won games with class, and lost them with dignity.\" A boy received the plaque and I recognized him from the bus incident. Someone that was friends with that Austin guy.

    Ugh. What a faker. I rolled my eyes, channeling my inner Noah. Noah must be feeling even worse than me since he was actually friends with these guys.

    \"For our last award, we have the whole team take a vote on their choice for team mvp. This would be someone that not only plays well, but the whole team looks up to and treats like a team leader. Unsurprisingly, the team voted for one of our captains, Austin Goetz.\"

    The clapping was loud and the cheers from the freshmen team was fierce.

    I was stunned. Eyes wide, jaw dropped, stunned. I looked to Noah as Austin, the same jerk that''s been giving Noah a hard time all season, walked up to accept his plaque. This guy was really the team''s mvp? Someone that the other boys looked up to?

    Noah sat there like a statue, looking calm and collected, but his clenched fists gave him away. Before I could say or do anything, Zeke wrapped an arm around Noah''s shoulder and pulled him close to whisper in his ear. Noah nodded and slowly, the tension left his body, his hands unclenching, but still leaving nail markings in the palms of his hands.

    Zeke caught me looking and gave me a reassuring nod. He must have told Noah to relax or gave him a reason to. This was beyond messed up though.

    I glanced up at the kid at the podium. This was the same guy that called me handicap and shut Noah out of his summer baseball team. Who knows what else he has done and if we''re the only ones to have a problem with him.

    I felt sick to my stomach as I watched him accept the award amid the clapping and cheers. This must be what injustice feels like. A bad guy wins the awards for being the best? Noah was a hero to me. He has done so much for me, for this program, yet-

    \"Simmer down there, kiddo.\" Dave rested a hand on my shoulder. I was sitting between him and Noah, with Zeke beside Noah. \"You look like you''re going to hop out of your seat and start a fight. I think you''ve been hanging out with Noah too much.\"

    \"But this-\" I tried to explain my feelings.

    Dave shook his head. \"It''s just a freshmen team award. What are you getting so worked up for? There are bigger and better awards waiting for us.\"

    I sighed. \"If you think so.\"

    He winked. \"I know so.\"

 526 Banquet 3

    Coach Ryan wrapped it up and the room gave the freshmen team a final applause. With the exception of me and the Atkins. Garret clapped slowly, making it look like it was too much effort. I guess it would be really impolite if no one on the varsity clapped for them. Jerks.

    Coach Holman was up next, with his assistant that I recognized from the midseason tryouts. \"Congratulations to the freshmen on a successful season. We did just as well, earning a winning record of 22-3. I''m happy to say we won league on the JV level, and that the future of our program is bright.\" Clapping. \"Thank you. Now I''ll use this time to call up the members of the JV squad.\"

    As he called out the names, the clapping continued, but on a lower volume level. I even remembered two of the players...Daniel and John. Feeling guilty about them losing their spots on the varsity team, I strictly avoided eye contact. When Tony''s name was called, I made sure to clap. He was nice to me when I first came to the team. Noticeable missing names were Chris Ludwick and Jordan Sanders. They must have quit the program completely. As seniors...it''s understandable. They both had attitude too.

    I was thankful Chris wasn''t here tonight. There was a sense of relief flowing through me.

    \"These fine young men have worked hard this past year.\" Coach Holman told the room. \"On a team filled with a variety of high school boys from freshmen to seniors, we had a special one. He got along with everyone and was sure to give respect no matter if you deserved it. Our best sportsmanship award goes to Michael Tye.\" A tall, slender guy came out of the line and accepted his plaque from the assistant coach. \"Michael was also team captain and really pulled the team together even when we had a rearrangement in the middle of the season. Never once did he get down on himself or put his teammates down.\" He looked Michael in the eye. \"I''m proud of you.\"

    Michael grinned and waved to the room as he stepped back in line.

    \"Defensively, we have a lot of great candidates. It was a tough selection, but all the coaches agreed that Jesse Shipman was our defensive mvp.\" Everyone clapped as another guy stepped forward to accept the plaque. Jesse was originally our center fielder, abled to cover a large area with ease, but we needed a third baseman more than anything. We needed someone solid who could defend the line and still make the throw to first. Jesse filled our need and didn''t let us down in the slightest.\" Jesse went back to the line.

    \"Like I said, this team is made up of all grade levels. It''s also constantly changing. Guys move up to the varsity level, they come down from the varsity level. But this year, we had a special kid come up from the freshmen team. Our most improved, is Logan Porter.\" Logan stepped up to receive his award.

    \"Logan''s work ethic and his drive to compete has pushed him so far in just one season. I can''t wait to see what the future holds for you.\" Coach Holman shook Logan''s hand and he went back to the next award. \"For our offense mvp, us coaches had no trouble making the pick. Korrey Alvarrez. Throughout the season, Korrey has been our rock in the lineup. He was consistent and even had a hitting streak of fifteen games. I have no doubt that he''ll make varsity next year as a junior and help the program succeed.\"

    Korrey Alvarez accepted their plaque gracefully and took long strides to go back to his spot in line.

    \"Team mvp. As Coach Ryan said earlier, it''s an award that the players choose to give out. It''s someone they look to as a leader on and off the field. On a team that''s ever-changing, there can be a struggle to find a sense of unity. This year we had someone on the mound that could bring us together. Joey Henderson.\" Joey got out of line and went up to accept his award. Coach Holman held him in place in front of the podium. \"This young man did it all on our team. He pitched complete games, closed out very close ones, would be able to pinch hit and fill in any gaps we had.\" He continued talking, but I started to zone out.

    Garret was just the same way. Except better. On a higher level. I was starting to understand what Dave said. These are just lower level awards. If any of us played on these two teams, we also would had been contenders, if not winners of these awards. I even felt bad for some of them. If they weren''t good enough, they wouldn''t be able to make the varsity team, even as seniors.

    Joey was sent back to the line of player and Coach Holman started to wrap it up. \"Unlike the freshmen team, not everyone on JV earned the scholar athlete awards. Which is understandable given the different grades and level of difficulty. Although, I am happy to report that every player has kept a ''B'' average throughout the season.\" He started to call out names and passed out paper awards.

    \"At least I''m guaranteed to be a scholar athlete.\" Alex said in a low voice to our table.

    The guys around the table laughed a little.

    \"Don''t be so hard on yourself.\" Dave told him. \"There''s a chance for most improved. You did come up from the JV squad midseason.\" He pointed out.

    Alex looked a little sheepish. \"I didn''t play much though. I''m just a background member after all.\"

    Kyle sighed. \"You''re better off than me and Dave. There''s only one pitching award that Coach gives out and we have to compete with Garret for it.\"

    Garret smirked, looking proud. \"You don''t have a chance.\"

    \"This is favortism.\" Kyle sighed again. \"I''m the one that threw a perfect game.\"

    \"I threw a perfect game too.\" Dave added.

    \"Superficial.\" Garret told them. \"I led the team in strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP.\"

    \"I didn''t hear the other teams give out any pitching awards.\" I pointed out.

    \"Coach doesn''t follow their award system. It''s different for us.\" Dave explained. We watched as the JV team was dismissed and sent back to their seats. Dave clapped lightly while leaning my way to whisper. \"Their awards help their self esteem and are used to encourage the others. Ours will be put down on paper so when, and if, college coaches start looking at us, we have noted accomplishments.\" He grinned. \"Another difference between the levels is that varsity players have a chance for league awards. Coaches in the league will get together and vote on those. Plus, we''re also league champions.\"

    \"Heck, we''re CIF champions.\" Garret butted in. \"No award can beat that.\" His grin was infectious, making the whole table smile. Noah and Zeke included.

    Our coach stood up and switched places with the JV coaches. Mr. Miller and Coach Luis joined him at the front of the room, holding two big cardboard boxes.

 527 Banquet 4

    Coach tapped the podium and the room quieted down. \"As some of you already know from past banquets or just from gossip. I like to start off by recognizing the seniors. Not just those on my varsity team, but all of those within the program.\" He nodded at someone in the back of the room, who dimmed the lights. A projection screen came down from the ceiling, turning on. A list of names appeared first. \"I personally contacted every senior''s parents and asked for three pictures. A baby picture, them as a child playing baseball, and then one picture of them playing high school baseball. Of course, none of the parents listened and sent me about ten pictures each.\" The room filled with laughter. \"Nonetheless I had someone put it all together as a tribute for the young men that spent the majority of their high school experience on baseball.\"

    With that, music started to play as the projection started to go through the pictures. Zeke''s full name popped up first, followed by his baby picture. I knew it because it was one from the hallway that I see every day. His parents were definitely the kind of parents that Coach just made fun of. There were five pictures of Zeke''s childhood with guest appearances from his brothers. Freshman year on the JV team. Then first year on varsity as a sophomore. Junior year. Senior year. A picture of all five us from a tournament win earlier in the season. Then a final one of him, smiling clearly at the camera, wearing his Stanford baseball shirt. That must have been the day he signed the letter of intent.

    I peeked at Zeke, only to find him watching the slideshow with attention. He didn''t even flinch with embarrassment. Soon the song changed and another senior popped up: Kelvin Bender. They must be going by alphabetical order of the last name.

    I watched on as the show continued, going through every senior I knew and two I didn''t. Seeing John''s pictures, another wave of guilt washed over me, just knowing that I ruined his senior year by coming here. He could have been a senior on varsity, celebrating with his classmates, but instead, it was given to me.

    After the show, the lights came on and the projection screen went back up. I looked around and saw some parents with tears in their eyes.

    \"Now,\" Coach spoke from the podium. \"I would like to introduce your league champions, your CIF northern section champions, your sons.\" Coach started with the seniors and worked his way down to me and Noah, putting me at the end of the line. Not so much in the center of the room. It gave me a sense of relief. \"These boys have turned into young men over the course of the season. They persevered through long hours of practice and didn''t get complacent for a second. They tackled every new challenge that came their way and faced it head on. I couldn''t be more proud.\"

    The room was filled with applause and cheers.

    From the corner of my eye, I could see Noah staring down the freshmen tables without fear. It was almost like Coach''s words were for them.

    \"For defensive mvp, I like to call the award the golden glove. Just like in the pros, our golden glove represents superior individual fielding performances. Unlike the MLB, I won''t be giving out one per position. I will be giving it to the player who had done more than what was asked of them at their position. Noah Atkins.\"

    I clapped wildly at the name of my best friend and watched as he approached Coach. Our whole team was louder than any other part of the room.

    Coach handed Noah a plaque and held him in place. \"Noah Atkins, as a freshman, has shown me some of the best defensive plays I''ve ever seen as a coach. He''s a future pillar of our program and I''m glad that I''ll have another three years to coach this young man.\"

    Noah beamed at the clapping crowd, looking like he was born for this. He raised the plaque with one hand and slapped all our teammates hands on his way back to the end of the line.

    Some of the parents laughed. Coach cleared his throat as he spoke into the mic. \"As you can see, Noah is also one of our liveliest boys on the team.\"

    Noah looked back at Coach and raised his voice. \"How dare you demote me from young man back to boy!\" He faked astonishment.

    Coach rolled his eyes. \"Maybe I should start another award, for team clown.\"

    The parents laughed.

    Noah pouted playfully, but settled down when he got back to his spot between me and Sean. Noah showed us his award. \"Look! The start of my high school career accolades.\"

    \"Congratulations!\" Sean smiled at him.

    I repeated after him. \"Congratulations.\"

    \"Like our defensive mvp award, our offensive mvp is named after the silver slugger in the mlb. The best offensive player at his position. I wish I could give this to every player at every position, but to make it special, I will only give it out once.\" Coach announced. \"And just like our golden glove, our silver slugger is another freshman: Jake Hollander.\"

    I froze as the parents clapped and all eyes went to me.

    \"Jake was a surprise addition to the team right before the season started.\" Coach spoke, disregarding the fact that I wasn''t moving. \"I don''t like giving anyone special treatment, so for his tryout, I made him bat against my three best pitchers.\" He chuckled. \"Imagine my shock when he crushed them like it was nothing. I thought I found a star. A future hall of famer. Of course, that thought left as swiftly as it came when I was informed that Jake had never played on a team before. He hardly knew where to stand, let alone how to field. And for that, Jake is also our most improved.\"

    Noah nudged me. \"Go. If you keep standing here, Coach will keep talking about you.\"

    My face was on fire as I moved in front of my teammates, trying to reach Coach without tripping or embarrassing myself anymore. Coach smiled down at me as he handed me two heavy plaques.

    \"Like Noah, Jake will be a pillar of our program''s future and I''m happy to have him here.\" Coach spoke for everyone to hear as I shuffled my feet back to my spot, keeping my head down. \"To be on this team, Jake had to partake in extra practices and training just to improve his fielding and stamina to the minimum level required. I can''t express how much this young man has done for our team this year.\"

    Another round of applause started again with Noah leading the way, whistling long and loud.

 528 Banquet End

    Coach let the clapping and cheers die out on their own before speaking again. \"Before we move on to pitching, I want to recognize another underclassman. For most versatile, Sean Isner.\" Sean blinked in surprise before going to Coach. \"Sean is only a sophomore and a first year varsity player. That didn''t stop us from relying on him throughout the season. Pinch hitting, running, infield and outfield, Sean has done it all except pitch. I''m sure if we gave him the chance, he wouldn''t back down from the challenge.\" Some laughs as Sean took his award and headed back.

    \"Speaking of pitching, it''s a hard thing to master. I''m not saying any of these boys are on the edge to being the best out there, but as our record shows, they''re pretty darn close.\" Coach pulled out another award. \"Closer champion, without question belongs to James Lohr.\" Applause rained down on the Senior who only threw curves. \"James was never afraid when I put him on the mound. He could handle the pressure no matter how small the lead or how great the other team was. His game mentality is one of the best to have for a closer.\" James collected the award, calm and cool.

    \"Now this was the hardest selection. King of the hill. We give it to the best pitcher on the mound, but this year we had a trio of guys who put in a lot of work to keep this team competitive. I spoke with my pitching staff about who should get the award, and although it was divided, Garret Knudsen stood out the most. His speed, his accuracy, his attitude on and off the mound. This is what we look for in an ace and I''m happy to reward him with this plaque.\"

    Garret flexed, bowed and made everyone laugh with his antics as he went up to Coach.

    \"Garret would also give Noah a run for his money for the team clown award.\" Coach sighed, making the room fill with laughter. He gave Garret the plaque and sent him back to the line.

    \"Now.\" Coach took a deep breath as the room settled into silence. \"MVP. Unlike the lower levels, we don''t call it team mvp, and we don''t vote on it. Not that there isn''t anything wrong with that approach, but this isn''t a popularity contest. We aren''t voting all-stars, we''re picking a player that is most valuable to the team. Now for us, this was an easy pick. Zeke Atkins without question, is the best ball player I''ve seen come through my program. He blazed on through leaving his mark on the game on behalf of the school.\"

    Zeke was already right next to him so all he had to do was take the plaque and shake Coach''s hand.

    Coach cleared his throat. \"For the second time in the history of this baseball program, we have a student that earned Rookie of the Year from the league. It''s customary to give it out to any player in his first varsity season that shows overwhelming skill and I''m not surprised it went to our very own: Jake Hollander.\"

    I was completely caught by surprise. I didn''t even know this was a thing.

    Mr. Miller came to me with a small trophy of a baseball player on it. He grinned at me as the applause continued. \"Congrats kid, you deserve it.\" He shoved the small trophy into my hands, even though I was already holding two plaques.

    \"You''ve got your hands full!\" Noah told me happily. He helped me adjust the awards into a more comfortable position. \"You''re too awesome.\"

    \"Alright, alright. That isn''t the biggest award of the night.\" Coach smiled. \"I''m sure you all noticed that a certain someone didn''t make the first team honors. That only happens when they get a better award like Jake just did. Your league MVP is none other than Zeke Atkins!\"

    The room busted out in the loudest applause of the night. Some of the guys on the lower leveled teams stood up and cheered for Zeke as he accepted a trophy from Mr. Miller as well. Zeke lifted the trophy with pride.

    \"And if that wasn''t enough, CIF northern section division three has also awarded Jake rookie of the year honors, and crowned Zeke as their MVP.\" Coach continued with a smile, stunning the room.

    Coach Luis came around this time, stuffing another trophy in my hands and doing the same to Zeke.

    \"This group right here...\" Coach smiled, looking down the line at all of us as the room was still filled with chatter. \"This is the best team I''ve ever coached. It''s going to be real difficult to surpass these champions and all their honors. Thank you.\"

    My eyes stung as I tried not to cry. I don''t want to play with any other team. I could understand Coach''s feelings. This was a special team. It was spectacular.

    The guys soon surrounded Coach and pulled him into a bear hug. I awkwardly stood beside the group, with my arms filled with awards. I wanted to join, but then again, I didn''t want to ruin the moment.

    \"Jake! You''re amazing!\" Dave came to me first, pulling me into a headlock and messed up my hair. \"Look at all this hardware you got! You''re going to give Zeke a run for his money!\"

    \"Jake will surpass his awards with ease.\" Noah bragged on my behalf. \"He did all of this in his freshman year. Zeke wasn''t even on varsity until he was a sophomore.\"

    \"It''s not a competition you psychos.\" Kyle joined our little group.

    It seemed like the announcements were over and now everyone could get up and move where they liked. Parents went to find their sons and players went to go find their parents. It seemed like everyone wanted to join in on the celebration.

    \"I see Mom and Dad over there.\" Zeke joined us, and as the tallest was able to spot his parents with ease. \"Let''s go over. I''m sure Mom wants to take pictures.\"

    \"Yea! I would want this one to be shown on our senior slideshow.\" Noah said enthusiastically, waving his certificate and plaque. \"This is the best season of baseball I''ve ever played.\"

    We moved as a group to their parents and sure enough Mrs. Atkins started snapping away. She had us pose individually then as a group. She even roped another parent to take a group shot of all seven of us.

    \"You boys did great! I''m so proud of you!\" She wiped a few small tears away.

    \"Are you really crying, Mom?\" Kyle laughed.

    \"This is the only time you all will have played together.\" She dabbed the corner of her eyes with a napkin. \"Why does time just seem to fly?!\"

    Mr. Atkins pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back.

    \"So embarrassing.\" Dave muttered. He turned away from his parents, but then caught sight of me. \"Jake..? Are you crying too?\"

    Soon, six pairs of eyes were casted upon me, studying the wetness on my face.

    \"I can''t wipe them away with all this stuff in my hands.\" I told them, feeling even more embarrassed.

    The twins and Noah laughed without mercy. Zeke chuckled, yet was the only one to help me put the awards down on the floor with his. He handed me a napkin and I wiped my face.

    \"It''s okay, Jake. I won''t let these boys bully you.\" Mrs. Atkins told me, wiping her own face. \"Anymore laughing at us crying and I''ll ground you boys for the summer.\"

    \"Mommmm.\" The trio groaned in unison.

    Mr. Atkins was trying to play referee between the three wild boys and their mother.

    Zeke patted me on the head. \"I had fun too. It was a great season.\" He glanced down at me. \"There''s no reason to be so sad though. We''re still here. Still together. There may not be anymore games for the five of us to play together, but we can still play baseball with one another. Understand?\"

    \"Yea...\" I nodded, wiping my face again. \"I''m glad I ended up here. With you guys.\"

    \"We''re happy too!\" Noah tackled me with a hug, overhearing me and Zeke.

    The twins couldn''t resist the temptation to play dog pile and soon joined me and Noah in a tighter hug.

    For once, my claustrophobia was too overwhelmed with happiness to be worried about the dangers of being in an enclosed space. The only thing I could do was laugh.

 529 V2 ch1

    The banquet last long into the night, filled with laughter and pictures. Mrs. Atkins wanted senior shots with Zeke and the others. Then everyone together. The juniors together with the twins. Just me and Noah. It became like a photo shoot that only came to a halt because it was closing time.

    When we got home, Mrs. Atkins took everyone''s awards to the living room. Mine included. She started to reorganize the wall even though it was nearing midnight.

    Eveyone started to go their own way, with my way being bed. I grabbed my pajamas and changed in the bathroom. I came back to the room and saw that Noah was already dressed in his pajamas.

    "So..." Noah looked at me with raised eyebrows.

    "So what?" I asked, frowning. I piled my dirty clothes in our basket and crawled into bed.

    Noah picked up my new cellphone. "Are you going to text him?"

    "Who-oh." I sat up. "I mean...I forgot to take a picture with it all..." It was too late to go downstairs and do it now. I didn''t want to ruin Mrs. Atkins work or arranging the awards.

    "I have some that you can send to him." Noah pulled out his phone and started to send some pictures that were taken. He proceeded to show me how to save all the pictures to my phone album so I could keep them too. Then he picked out one that had me holding all my awards, smiling, but looking slightly awkward. "This is a good one. You can clearly see what each award is for."

    I followed his instructions on how to send the photo. After it sent, something came to mind. "What if he doesn''t reply?"

    "Then he''s still a jerk." Noah said solemnly.

    My phone buzzed with a notification.

    "Looks like he''s still trying not to be a jerk." Noah showed me his reply. "''Congratulations! I''m happy for you.''"

    I smiled.

    Noah handed me my phone and I put it on the charger near the bed. "Tonight was amazing."

    "Yea..." I agreed. I felt like we''ve been riding high on the playoff wins for weeks now. All the way until championship. And now the awards.

    "You know what this means for next season?" Noah asked. He got into his own bed after turning out the lights.

    "No. What?"

    "It means we''ll be the returning champs. Not just league champions, but CIF champions. All the schools will want to beat us."

    "Isn''t it normal to want to beat any opponent?" I yawned.

    "Just wait. You''ll see. You''ll feel the difference next year." Noah told me.

    He wanted to talk more about baseball and what was to come, but I was too exhausted. I passed out within seconds of getting comfortable under my blanket.

    ***

    Mr. Atkins and Zeke were already at the table when Noah and I came down, still in our pajamas. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins were dressed nicely so they must have some work to do outside of the house. Zeke was only in workout clothes, hinting at what he might be doing today.

    "Are you going to The Cages today?" Noah asked Zeke, piling food on his plate while standing up.

    I sat down and grabbed what was closest to me, including the scrambled eggs and a bagel.

    "I was planning on going for a jog and then lifting some weights." Zeke answered. "Why? Did you guys want to go there?"

    Noah nodded. "We always want to go there." He finally sat down with a large plate of food. "We can''t wait until your done with your workout, if you want us to."

    "Alright. I''ll take you guys this afternoon." Zeke nodded.

    "Me too!" Dave made his entrance, snatching some bacon off Noah''s plate on his way to his own seat.

    "Hey!!" Noah objected. "You didn''t have to take my food. You can grab your own."

    "Yea, but you always grab the crispiest bacon." Dave smirked, munching on said bacon. He plopped down on his seat and started to fill his own plate.

    "Dave." Mr. Atkins sighed. "There''s plenty of food. You don''t have to steal from Noah."

    Dave nodded. "Yea, I know." He lowered his voice. "Kyle''s on his way down with a planner. I hope you and Mom are ready for this."

    Mr. Atkins was surprised. "A planner? Have you guys planned out your summer already? Should I get my card to start booking the flights and hotels?"

    "Just wait and see." Dave lifted his brows. "Kyle put some serious effort into this."

    "I''ll go get your mom." Mr. Atkins got up from the table and went to the office. Mrs. Atkins must have went straight to work after cooking for us.

    It made me feel kind of guilty and sad at the same time. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

    "You okay, Jake?" Dave asked from across the table.

    I dabbed the corner of my eyes with a napkin. "Yea. Just a little tired still."

    "There''s no time to be tired!" Kyle said loudly, making me jump, as he walked into the dining room. He waved a book around. "Where''s Mom and Dad?! I''ve got something to show them! Mommmm! Dadddd! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

    "Stop making such a racket." Zeke started him down. "Mom and Dad are in the office. They''ll be out soon enough."

    "Oh." Kyle collapsed into his chair, losing some of his excitement. "I didn''t think they would work today."

    "It''s practically summer." Noah said between bites. "They''re going to start getting really busy soon." He glanced at me. "Everyone buys houses during the summertime. Makes it easier to move when they have kids in school and whatnot."

    I nodded, pretending I understood. I watched as Kyle tapped the book he was holding. He waited for his parents to show, not even reaching for some food.

    "Dude." Dave spoke up. "Just relax and eat something. You''re getting on my nerves."

    "How can you eat at a time like this?" Kyle lifted the book and waved it at Dave. "This pertains to our future!"

    Zeke glared at Kyle. "Stop waving it in my face. I''m trying to eat."

    Noah laughed as Kyle had to put down his book. "You''re so hyped. What are you going to do when Mom and Dad cut down your summer plans?"

    "Cry until they give in!" Kyle said proudly.

    Noah and Dave really laughed. Zeke even cracked a smile.

    "You all are so lively this morning!" Mrs. Atkins greeted, walking in with her husband behind her.

    "Mom! Finally!" Kyle jumped out of his seat. He guided her to her seat next to Noah; then grabbed his dad''s seat from next to me, and dragged it all the way to the other end with his mom''s seat. "Dad, come! Take a seat!"

    Mr. Atkins raised an eyebrow. "I feel like I''m about to sit down for a presentation of sorts."

    "You can think of it that way!" Kyle answered. "The presentation of my summer plans!"

 530 V2 ch2

    His parents calmly sat down in their chairs and let Kyle continue. Kyle opened his book and placed it on the table for them to see. Noah and I both took a peek, unable to read the writing, but could tell it was a calendar with notes on it.

    Kyle started to flip the pages. "For the month of June, Dave and I want to visit these two colleges which will still be in session and their baseball team might even still be playing in the College World Series. That would be best case scenario. If not, we''ll still be abled to do tryouts with their teams." He flipped the page again. "July will be about the camps. We''ll go to the same two as we always do, but I''m adding the Texas one. Dave doesn''t want to."

    All eyes went to Dave. He swallowed what was in his mouth before speaking up. "What? I already said I don''t see the need to go."

    "He rather go to this camp instead." Kyle pointed at his planner. It must have had all the information written down, because his parents were studying it closely. "Slightly cheaper which can balance out my more expensive camp. Then in August, we''ll meet up for another college visit which is also an ID camp for notable prospects. Mid-August is the high school camp so we''ll come back for that. The last couple of weeks will be spent here preparing for senior year."

    Mr. and Mrs. Atkins didn''t say anything right away. They looked over the planner, flipping back and forth between the pages.

    Mrs. Atkins was the first to sigh. "You wrote out a budget, and I''m happy about that, but you can obviously tell that you and Dave are going over your given amount for the summer. Even if we add extra for your college visits...this is a bit too much."

    "I''ve thought about that." Kyle glanced at me and Noah. "Noah isn''t going to be allowed on the travel team. So that should save a little more money."

    "So you''re dipping into my summer money?" Noah asked, bewildered.

    "Technically it''s not yours. It''s Mom''s and Dad''s." Kyle shot back. He beamed at his parents. "So what do you think?"

    "I think it would be perfect if you sacrifice this Texas camp." Mr. Atkins tapped the book. "That''s what making you go over the budget we had set. Do you really need this particular camp? You and Dave like the other one last year."

    "I need something different, Dad!" Kyle said, exasperated.

    He sounded desperate. I cleared my throat. "I don''t really need summer camp money, do I?"

    "You don''t want to go to any baseball camps with Noah?" Mrs. Atkins asked.

    I glanced at Noah. "I...I actually don''t want to leave. Or go anywhere too far."

    Noah sighed. "I guess we''ll stay home for the summer, Mom. Jake probably isn''t ready for any sleepaway camp. But! We''re definitely going to do the high school camp! Coach will definitely get mad at us if we don''t go."

    Kyle was excited. "See?! Consent! They can share a their budget money."

    "Why not?" Kyle asked. "Zeke will be here. He doesn''t have to report to college until early September. He''s practically a live-in babysitter. Which will allow you two to come to these colleges with us."

    "I don''t mind." Zeke surprised the room by speaking up. He looked at me and Noah. "Stanford is having a summer camp for high schoolers if you guys want to do that. It''s the last week of July."

    "During my birthday..?" Noah didn''t look excited about baseball for once.

    "What else would you do for your birthday?" Dave asked. "Your only friend right now is Jake."

    "I have other friends." He pouted. He looked at me. "Do you want to go?"

    "Will you be there?" I asked.

    Noah sighed. "Of course we''ll go together!" He looked back at Zeke. "What kind of camp is this? Are we going to stay at the dorms in school? Will you be going too?"

    "Yes, you''ll have to stay in dorms, but I can tell Coach Leroy that you two need to be in the same room." Zeke gave a small smile. "I''ll actually be one of the counselors. Some of the local guys on the team help the coaches run it. Counts as community service."

    "How much is this going to cost?" Kyle asked. "Will I still be able to do my trips?"

    Zeke lost his smile. "I can talk to Coach Leroy. Maybe get it discounted. Maybe free. Not sure yet."

    "Can you call him today?"

    "On a Sunday?" Zeke frowned. "You''ll have to wait until tomorrow."

    Kyle was about to object, but Mr. Atkins cut him off. "Okay then. So most of your summer is planned out. We can start booking the flights and paying for the other camps besides the Texas one." Kyle opened his mouth. "We''re not saying no. Let Zeke speak to his new coach tomorrow."

    Mrs. Atkins looked at me and Noah again. "Are you two sure you don''t want to do anything else? There might be some local camps we can do."

    Noah glanced at me before replying. "I think the Stanford camp is good enough for us for now. Maybe next year, we''ll do more."

    "You can''t just laze around all summer." Mr. Atkins frowned.

    "We won''t! We''ll play baseball with Zeke. Go to The Cages. Maybe get some of the guys from the team to play too. We can do beach days! We can..." He trailed off, unable to name another summer activity.

    "Maybe we should sign you two up for some summer classes?" Mrs. Atkins suggested.

    "Nooo." Noah wailed. The twins started to laugh. "That''s not fair. Dave and Kyle get to travel all over the country all summer while you want us to do extra schooling? The injustice!"

    "It''s just an idea." Mrs. Atkins laughed. "So far all you two have is a summer camp at the end of July and then your high school camp right before school starts. Your whole first month is empty. Either find something to do or I''ll find something for you."

    Noah pouted.

    I was fine with it though. I never liked breaks from school to begin with. Spring break was the first time I had any fun. Before....

    I looked at Mrs. Atkins. "I don''t mind taking a summer class."

    The boys stopped their jeering and laughing. Mrs. Atkins was surprised, but still smiled. "Oh? Do you have anything in mind?"

    I shrugged. "I''m good with whatever."

    "Don''t pick math!" The twins said simultaneously.

    Mrs. Atkins was thrown off by their yelling. "Why can''t he take a math?"

    "Because..." Kyle frowned.

    "He''ll get too far ahead!" Dave exclaimed. "We won''t be in the same class next year, and instead he''ll have to try some college math at the local community college. It would really mess up everything."

    "Yea...mess up their cheating..." Noah said under his breath.

    I held back a smile as I watched the twins convinced Mrs. Atkins that no matter what, I shouldn''t get too far ahead in math. Mr. Atkins got up and returned his chair to his spot while Zeke stood up from the table, done with brunch.

 531 V2 ch3

    After Zeke''s departure for his run, Mr. Atkins dragged the twins to the office to start paying for their summer activities. Mrs. Atkins started to clear off the table as Noah and I went back upstairs to change out of our pajamas.

    "Are you sure you don''t want to do any camps?" I asked Noah. "You don''t have to miss out because of me."

    Noah sighed as we reached our room. "It''s fine. It''s not because of you. I don''t usually do camps. I''ve always done summer ball. Last year, I only did the high school summer camp." He put his head in the closet to look for clothes.

    "But you can do something new...?" I suggested.

    He pulled out sweatpants and a clean shirt. "I am! Zeke said we can go to the Stanford camp with him. That''s new! Kind of cool too." He headed for the door. "I''ll go get dressed in the bathroom. You can change here." He left.

    Noah seemed fine with the lack of summer plans now, but I knew he really wanted to play travel ball. I don''t know how his friendships with the other freshmen fell apart, but it sure wasn''t pretty. Even now, they were still holding a grudge.

    I changed into sweats and a t-shirt and started to get socks and shoes on when Noah came back to the room.

    "Ya know...we could do a summer class like Mom said." Noah spoke up while getting his socks and shoes on. "I wouldn''t mind getting ahead in Spanish. Or science."

    That didn''t sound like Noah. I made eye contact with him.

    "I don''t want you to feel bored around the house." Noah told me when he caught my look. "I can take a summer class with you if you really want to."

    I shook my head. "It''s not like I want to. I don''t have any interest in doing so." Besides...the only subject I like is math and the twins didn''t want me to get ahead of them. "I wouldn''t mind going to The Cages everyday. And you can help me with my fielding and running." I agreed with him when he told his parents that''s what we would do.

    "Hmmm." He thought about it, but there really wasn''t much we could come up with. Since I''ve lived with them in February, their whole family revolved around baseball.

    If Noah didn''t have a falling out with his friends, we would probably be on the travel team for the summer and would have a packed schedule. I wish there was a way that I could help him.

    While waiting for Zeke''s return, we watched some Sunday baseball on tv in the living room. Mrs. Atkins had already left to go show her clients some houses. Meanwhile, Mr. Atkins was stuck with the twins in the office, going over their summer plans and paying for what they could for now. They were still at it when Zeke got home from his jog.

    Zeke stopped by the living room to check on us. "You two ready?"

    Noah nodded without taking his eyes off the tv. "Yea."

    "Go get your bags in the car, I''ll be down in a minute." Zeke left to go up the stairs.

    I followed silently. We put our bags in the car and got in. Him in the front and me in the back.

    "This feels a little depressing." Noah muttered. "No games for the foreseeable future. That''s so long. I don''t know how the twins can do it. What''s so great about camps anyways?"

    I shrugged. "Why don''t you ask Zeke? Did he do some?"

    Noah nodded.

    Zeke returned with his keys, got in, and started the car.

    "Zeke, what do the twins see in baseball camps?" Noah asked. "I feel like playing in games is better. Real experience."

    Zeke glanced at him before focusing on driving. "Experience is important, but so is training. You have to work on your skills. For pitching, there''s a lot that goes into it besides speed and accuracy." He paused. "For us, it''s slightly different. Depending on the camp you go to. You know how Coach did the camp last year: drills and then scrimmages. He''s focused on putting together a team. While these other camps are just focused on evaluating you and helping you improve. You''ll feel the difference when you do the Stanford camp. It won''t be like a tryout."

    Noah turned back to look at me. "Are you sure you don''t want to go find one to do? I''m sure we''ll still be roommates."

    "I feel safer being home." I told him. Honestly, the main reason I was comfortable going to the Stanford camp was because I''ve been there before. The coach was nice. The players too. And Zeke would be there. That was a trifecta.

    "Alright." Noah shrugged. He looked up at Zeke. "Hey, can we have ice cream before we bat? It''s gotten so warm."

    Zeke lifted an eyebrow. "Do you have the money?"

    Noah made a sad face. "You wouldn''t buy your baby brothers some ice cream on this warm, beautiful Sunday?"

    "So not only do I buy the tokens, but I have to buy the sweets too?"

    "Yes!"

    "No."

    "But, Zeke..."

    "It''s one or the other." He glanced at Noah. "And, you eat enough junk food as it is."

    "But I always work it off!" Noah protested.

    "I''m not buying you guys ice cream." Zeke refused.

    We arrived at our destination, grabbing our bags as we got out of the car. Noah stared at the cafe as we walked by on our way to the back, where The Cages were.

    Zeke paid for the tokens and carried them to the cages outside, sticking with us. We three took turns in each cage going at a leisurely pace.

    "How''s the new bat?" Zeke asked me when it was Noah''s turn to bat. We had gone through every cage by now, and I was hesitant to do another round.

    I held the wooden bat in both hands. I slightly lifted it. Jeremy''s bat was well loved, but was marked up from being used. "I like it." I paused for a second before adding, "I''m kind of scared that I''ll break it." My track record wasn''t good. I''ve broken two bats in a span of just a few months."

    "We can take a look at the others inside." Zeke told me. "Check out how much a used one is versus a new one."

    I frowned at the thought of spending money on something I already have.

    "It doesn''t hurt to look." Noah said, rejoining us. He must have overheard. "Besides, we''re technically saving Mom and Dad some money by not going anywhere this summer. They might be willing to pitch in for some new gear." He held out his hands to show off his batting gloves. "I could use a new pair too. We should definitely look around." He glanced up at Zeke. "With ice cream, right?"

    Zeke sighed and rolled his eyes. "It''s not even that hot." It was actually a very cool and pleasant day in May.

    "Ice cream can be enjoyed in any weather." Noah said.

    "We can''t look at the gear while eating ice cream." Zeke refused.

    "Ice cream after then!" Noah said, taking off his gloves. "You said so! No take backs!" He packed his bag the fastest before heading inside without us.

    Zeke just shook his head. "Noah..." He looked down at me. "At least with you around, he''s been more responsible. C''mon, let''s go look at the bats." We packed our bags up, putting away the bats and helmets in them, before heading inside too.

 532 V2 ch4

    I thought it would take a minute to find Noah since he likes to wander, but he approached us as soon as we entered. He waved a piece of paper in my face, excited out of nowhere. I couldn''t see what was written with him moving so much. Luckily Zeke snatched it from him and held it up to read. That didn''t stop Noah from bouncing in place.

    "What is it..?" I asked, confused on why he was so excited all of a sudden.

    "It''s summer ball!" Noah finally spat out. "We can play some games this month!"

    I blinked in surprise. From my understanding Watsonville wasn''t a big city and only had one travel time.

    "Noah...this is a flyer for an adult softball league." Zeke spoke up after reading the paper.

    "Yea! So?" Noah grinned.

    "One, you''re not an adult. Two, you don''t know how to play softball. Three, you don''t have a team." Zeke ticked off each reason by raising a finger until he got to three. He handed the paper back to Noah. "Sorry kiddo."

    Noah frowned, gripping the flyer. He walked up to the counter where the lady was working the cash register. "Excuse me? Can anyone enter in the adult softball league? Or does it strictly mean 18 and over? That''s kind of ageist, don''t you think?"

    The lady was completely stunned by his approach. "Uh, I''m not sure. It''s something the owner runs. I think there has been teens on the teams over the years, but that''s with their parents." She glanced to me and Zeke. "Are all three of you interested?"

    "Yes!" Noah answered for us without asking. "Is the owner in today? Can we ask him about joining?"

    "I''ll ask if he''s free. Just a moment." She got up and headed for his office. She returned in two minutes, nodding at Noah. "You boys can go on in. He''ll hear you out."

    Noah left us behind, heading for the office. I heard Zeke sigh as he followed along. I was last, just going with them since there wasn''t a reason not to.

    "Well if it isn''t the Atkins boys." Mr. Williams chuckled from behind his desk as we filed into his office. "I heard you boys won a big game. Congratulations."

    "Thanks." Noah placed the flyer on his desk, standing right up front. "Can anyone join this softball league? Or is there age requirements?"

    Mr. Williams glanced at the paper. "It''s an adult league. We don''t usually include minors because they usually have their own league or sorts. Plus, it''s a hassle for parents to sign a release form."

    "I don''t have a team to play on this summer." Noah told him. "The league is only six weeks long so it''s perfect for me to play this summer. My parents won''t care."

    Noah''s smile got bigger the more Mr. Williams laid down the rules. He turned to Zeke. "Can we? Can we please??"

    Zeke looked pensive. "You''ll have to talk to Mom and Dad. This starts during finals week. We''ll miss that Thursday because of my graduation. There''s a lot of thought that needs to go in this. We don''t even have ten players."

    Noah wasn''t put down at all. "So we''ll forfeit one game! That''s not a big deal. It''s something to do for the month so Mom will be happy." He looked at Mr. Williams. "When is the money due? The roster?"

    The old man pulled out a sheet of paper from his desk drawer. "This is a roster list. Needs to be filled out completely. Minimum is ten players, max at fifteen." He rummaged through another drawer and grabbed a short stack of papers. "These are the release forms. Everyone under the age of 18 will need to have their parents fill it out and sign. Those over 18 will fill out their own."

    Noah accepted all the papers without complaint. "And the due date?"

    "I like to make the schedules a week before and get them out to the teams, so no latter than June 4th." He stared intently at Noah. "No exceptions."

    "We''ll bring it by next Sunday!" Noah stated confidently.

    He smiled. "Good to hear. If that''s all...you can see yourselves out. If you have any questions, you know where to call."

    Noah nodded and headed for the door.

    "Quick question." Zeke spoke up.

    Noah paused. Mr. Williams raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

    "It''s a softball league so that means softball style pitching, correct?" Zeke asked.

    "Yes. For the most part. As long as it''s underhanded." Mr. Williams nodded.

    "Can the teams be coed?"

    "Most are."

    "If I play and can''t claim the first place prize, can my team?"

    "No. The most I can do is donate the prize money to a charity in your team''s name. I don''t want to get college players in trouble and have them lose their eligibility."

    Zeke nodded slowly. "Alright. Thank you."

    "Anymore questions?"

    Zeke and Noah shook their heads, but I had thought of one. I slightly raised my hand.

    "Yes?" He looked at me directly.

    "Can I use a wooden bat?" I asked, feeling nervous. I didn''t mind if Noah roped me into playing softball, but I would definitely mind if wood bats aren''t allowed.

    "Yes." Mr. Williams nodded. "You''re probably the only one with a good bat to use." He looked at Noah. "You do know you can''t play softball with a baseball bat right?"

    Noah looked a little embarrassed. "I didn''t know. Is there, like, a handbook you can give us? For the rules?"

    Mr. Williams got up from behind his desk and went to a filing cabinet. There he pulled out a stapled packet of a few sheets of paper. He handed it over to Zeke. "Seeing as your the oldest, you should have a look first."

    Zeke held it securely. "Thanks for your time and patience."

    He waved us out. "I hope to see you boys next week. If not for the league, then just to play in the cages."

    "We''ll definitely be back!" Noah left happily.

    Zeke and I followed behind after saying our goodbyes.

    Noah headed straight for the exit with his stack of papers in his hands and his bag on his back.

    "We''re not going to look at bats..?" I asked Zeke.

    Zeke shook his head and sighed as we followed Noah from a distance. "Not today. Noah is too excited. The only thing he has on his mind is this adventure. We can look another time."

    I nodded. With my eyes on Noah, I saw him pass the cafe without even glancing at the ice cream. He was too focused on going home and planning this thing out.

    I looked up at Zeke again. "Are you going to play?"

    Zeke cracked a smile. "Doesn''t seem like there''s too much of a choice for me." He was smiling at Noah''s back and I understood immediately. He didn''t want to let Noah down.

    I was the same way. If Noah wanted me to play, I''ll play. It was the least I could do for him.

 533 V2 ch5

    The ride home was nonstop chatter from Noah. "This is going to be so cool. We''ll get to play games three times a week all the way up until the Stanford camp. I wonder who we can get to join. There''s already the three of us so we''re already one-third of the way there." He looked to Zeke. "Do you think the seniors will want to play? We do need people over the age of 18."

    Zeke shook his head. "Most will be preparing for college ball. Or traveling and vacations. Plus...it''s softball."

    "You''re right! We should try the softball team. Too bad Kyle and Marie broke up. We would dominate with her pitching."

    "Should we ask Kaylee?" I asked from the back. Kaylee was Marie''s little sister, plus a freshman on the varsity softball team. I think she would make a great pick.

    "Definitely." Noah nodded resolutely. "Hopefully Marie doesn''t interfere. I feel like Kaylee would like this. And maybe, she can get some of her friends to join too!"

    So the main problem would to be find people over the age of 18...

    "Let''s make sure Mom and Dad are okay with this first." Zeke said as he pulled into the driveway.

    "On it!" Noah bolted out of the car completely neglecting his bag.

    I grabbed it for him, along with mine, and followed Zeke into the house. Just from the front door we could hear Noah''s excitement as he recapped what he wanted to do for the next month. We found him in the office, where both parents happened to be working well into the evening.

    "I don''t see why not." Mrs. Atkins smiled after Noah finally stopped to take a breath. "It''ll be good for you to try something new."

    "Will you be abled to sponsor our team?" Noah''s eyes sparkled.

    Mrs. Atkins nodded slowly. "Yes, that''ll fit in our budget. I had planned on you boys spending more on camps, but if it''s just this, the Stanford camp, and your high school camp, then it''s alright. It would even lighten our load."

    Noah pumped his fist.

    "Now, wait a minute." Mr. Atkins spoke in a relaxed manner. "You have a lot to get done in a short amount of time. Finding a team, getting the release forms and money in, and reading the rule book. An adult softball isn''t a walk in the park. You''ll be going up against a wide variety of people. Most will be obviously older than you. Are you sure you want to do this? Even if you lose every single game?"

    Noah was taken aback. "We won''t lose every game. We have Zeke."

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zeke give Noah''s back a look of helplessness.

    "I just don''t want you going in with these high hopes of winning every game." Mr. Atkins gave Noah a small indulgent smile. "You''re champions at the high school level, but a lot of these adults might be ex-college players. This won''t be as easy as you think, okay?"

    Their parents looked pleased with his answer and gave us their blessing to play, even promising to take care of the team fees. Zeke excused himself, raising the rule book, silently telling us that he was going to look it over. Meanwhile, Noah and I went to our room to put our bags away.

    I pulled out my bat and started to clean it as Noah came up with a list of people to ask to join our team.

    "We should start with the seniors. Most of them are already 18. That''s the problem we need to solve first." Noah wrote down their names. "Oh! And there''s Rhys! We can ask him."

    "I thought he didn''t live near here..? Wouldn''t that be an annoying drive for him?" I pitched in.

    "True." Noah sighed. "Plus, he''s a pitcher. He might have some kind of training planned out like the twins. Ugh. If we had him and the twins, we would only need five more players."

    "Oh well." I focused on the bat in my hands. The bat that Jeremy gave me.

    "You''re not being very helpful." Noah complained, slumping in his seat.

    I shrugged, helpless. "You know more people than I do."

    Noah sighed. "We''ll start with Kaylee. We need someone who can softball pitch. Then we can focus on finding adults. She might even be able to help us find more softball players." He thought to himself for a second. "Yea, that''s what we''ll do. We''ll rope in Kaylee and get her to help with the recruiting."

    I held back a laugh. "But, what if she''s busy too? Aren''t there softball camps?"

    Noah crumpled up the piece of paper he was writing on and threw it at me. "So annoying."

    I laughed.

    "Hey, kiddos!" Dave came in our room without knocking, making Noah frown. Dave grinned. "No need to glare. I''m here on official orders. Zeke got a text from Coach. He wants everyone to gather at the field after school tomorrow."

    "For practice?" Noah asked.

    Dave laughed. "No, dum dum. He probably just wants to give us some parting words on how to spend the summer or something." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Zeke also said that you guys are planning on playing softball. How desperate can you be?"

    "Very desperate." Noah answered flatly.

    I just shrugged.

    Seeing that his joke didn''t have any affect on us, Dave could only laugh alone. "It''d be great if you guys can get Marie on the team. Kyle would lose it."

    "Zeke already said that she might be busy." Noah sighed.

    "You seriously considered asking her?" Dave''s jaw dropped.

    "We need a pitcher. For softball." Noah told him. "She''s the best I know. Wouldn''t it make sense to ask her?"

    Dave shook his head. "You''re fearless. She just got dump by your older brother, but you want her to play on your team? I think you forgot how mean this girl can be. She''s probably going to be even worse after getting dumped."

    Noah scrunched up his face. "Oh. Well. I didn''t ask so." He shrugged.

    "Dodged a bullet." Dave told him. He started to leave the room. "Dinner should be soon; I''m going downstairs."

    Noah nodded and watched him leave. Then he looked at me. "Looks like we might be able to put a team together tomorrow."

    "How so?" I asked, confused.

    "The team is meeting with Coach after school. We''ll be able to ask them all together." Noah''s eyes were lit up with excitement again, happy with the way things are turning out. "So we''ll find Kaylee at lunch and then talk to the guys after school. We''ll fill up roster spots easily."

    "I don''t know..." I looked up at him, concerned. "It''s kind of last minute. They might already have plans and whatnot. What are we going to do then?"

    "Stop being so pessimistic!" Noah found some more trash to throw at me.

    I laughed, seeing Noah get so riled up. I didn''t really doubt his ability to get a team together. I just didn''t think it would be as easy as he was thinking.

 534 V2 ch6

    Our first hurdle came sooner than I thought.

    Noah had sent Kaylee a text to meet up for lunch at school on Monday, but she didn''t reply. I had a bad feeling, but Noah the optimist still suggested we try to find her at lunch.

    So instead of eating at our table like normal, we started to wander the quad and looked for her. Noah asked someone he knew if they had seen her around today, and we were pointed in the right direction. A bench under a shady tree.

    There, a group of girl''s sat at a bench, talking and laughing. I recognized some from our classes, but not all. Kaylee was the only one I really knew.

    "Kaylee!" Noah waved.

    The girls went quiet and looked at us. Feeling shy, and just a little intimidated, I took a step behind Noah.

    Kaylee frowned at the sight of us, making me uncomfortable. She stepped away from the group of girls and came over. "What do you want?"

    I shrunk back.

    Noah blinked in surprise. "Didn''t you get my text? I wanted to talk to you about something."

    Kaylee folded her arms across her chest. "I thought that you would get the hint when I didn''t reply. I don''t want to talk to you."

    "What? Why not?"

    "Dude. Your brother dumped my sister. Without warning. Did you think we could still be cool?" She rolled her eyes.

    "But he is him and I am me." Noah argued. "We can still be friends."

    Kaylee looked at us in disbelief. "And have my sister be mad at me too? I don''t think you realize what it means to be dumped. How it feels. My sister still cries every day."

    I tugged are Noah''s shirt, trying to signal to him that we should leave.

    Noah didn''t budge. "That''s not my fault though. Kyle isn''t exactly in our good books either. He''s been weird for the last few weeks. A complete psycho. He''s super adamant about going to some expensive pitchers camp in Texas."

    "Good for him." She said sarcastically. She turned her back on us. "Anyways, I have nothing to say to you. Get lost." She went back to her group.

    Noah clenched his fists and looked like he was going to follow her, but I grabbed his arm. He looked at me.

    I shook my head. "She doesn''t want to talk to us. Come on." I gave a tug. We headed to our table and sat down, pulling out our lunches.

    "I can''t believe she would just push us away like that." Noah huffed, opening his bag of cookies first.

    "I can." I shrugged.

    "What do you mean?" Noah said between bites.

    I pulled out a sandwich. "Well, your brother hurt her sister''s feelings. Wouldn''t you be mad at someone who hurt Kyle''s feelings?"

    "No." Noah answered.

    I gave him a look of disbelief.

    "Okay, fine." Noah conceded. "I might be upset on his behalf too." He sighed. "Dang it. Stupid Kyle. Guess we''ll skip to step two, asking the team."

    I nodded as I ate my sandwich.

    ***

    Noah''s frowned was prominent. And unwavering. "Shut up."

    "Ohhh. He''s in a really bad mood." Kyle added, standing beside Dave. Only half the team was in the dugout so we were still waiting for the rest.

    "All because of you." Noah''s frown turned into a glare at Kyle. He kept his eyes on his older brother who had unknowingly sabotaged our plans for getting a softball pitcher.

    "What did I do?" Kyle asked, confused.

    "You broke up with Marie." Noah groaned.

    Kyle stiffened up. "What does that have to do with you? She''s not giving you a hard time, is she?"

    "No. I just want Kaylee to join my softball team, but now it''s impossible. She won''t even hear me out." Noah sighed.

    "Wait. You''re playing on a softball team..?" Sean, who just entered, paused by us.

    "Yes!" Noah jumped up. "It''s a six-week long adult softball league. Do you want to join? Are you interested?"

    Sean laughed. "No way. I''m going to Arizona to visit my grandparents. I''m just surprised that you''re going to play softball. That doesn''t sound like you."

    Noah lost some of his zeal. "Well...I missed tryouts for the Watsonville Baseball Club."

    It was Sean''s turn to be surprised. "That shouldn''t be a big deal, right? You, and Jake, could probably join whenever you want. You''re both so good. And you''re on varsity. Wouldn''t they..." He trailed off as he saw Noah''s face darken.

    Dave patted Sean''s shoulder. "It''s politics. Noah found this softball league to join though. Him, Jake, and Zeke are going to make a team. Noah''s going to ask the team if anyone''s free to join when everyone gets here."

    Sean looked apologetic. "I would join, but I already have plans. My grandparents are expecting me."

    "It''s okay." Noah told him, flashing a weak smile. "If you know any potential players, let me know. We''re really looking for players over the age of 18. We need three. Well, we have Zeke, so really the number is two."

    "Ten players to make the team whole." I reminded him.

    "Yea, yea." Noah sighed.

    The twins went off with Sean as more players walked into the dugout, filling it up. I felt a little nostalgic seeing everyone in here again. Things would be different next year and it made me a little sick to my stomach.

    Seeing that everyone had arrived, except the coaches, Noah jumped up and moved to stand in the center. "Hey! Guys! Can I have a second?"

    The nonsensical chatter slowed and came to a stop when the guys realized that Noah looked serious.

    Noah nodded his thanks. "Since we''re all here, I wanted to see if anyone was free for the next month to join an adult softball team with me, Jake, and Zeke?"

    "That team sounds stacked already." Bryce laughed.

    Brian shook his head. "Maybe to us. But Noah said, adult. They''re going to go up against a wide variety of adults. There could be work teams, retired old people teams, or even ex-college friends that just like to dominate on the small scale."

    Brian stole everyone''s attention with that statement. All at once the team started to talk about the adult softball league, but not specifically about the team we were trying to put together.

    "Aren''t you boys a little too rowdy for a Monday?" Mr. Miller showed up first. The other coaches were right behind him. Their appearance made the team straighten up and quiet down.

    Noah used this opportunity to speak up again. "So if anyone is free for the next six weeks and want to play, let me or Zeke know. We need to get ten players by Sunday." He came back to me and sat down.

    Mr. Miller looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but didn''t say anything.

    Coach Wilcox took the lead. "I bet you all are wondering why I called you down today."

    There were some nods.

    "First off, I want to remind my returning varsity players that they should take the summer seriously and not to slack off in their training. Just because you were on varsity this year, doesn''t mean you get a free pass next season. I have no problem moving players up and down as I please."

    The dugout became more solemn.

    Coach cracked a smile. "Now That has been said, let me move on to the next announcement. On a much lighter note, I''ve been contacted by the CIF organizers. With our win, we have also been granted the privilege of going to an Oakland A''s game. For free." The team got loud as everyone started to talk at once. "AND." Coach raised his voice, making everyone pause. "And, we''ll be able to go on the field for a short ceremony before the game starts."

    "So cool!"

    "Yes!!"

    "Awe man, I wanted to go to a Giants game instead."

    "Will we get to meet any of the players?"

    The last question made me nervous as a few pair of eyes drifted my way.

    Noah nudged me. "Do you think your brother knows? Will he come and meet us on the field?"

    Seeing as Noah didn''t speak in a low voice, almost everyone heard him. I swallowed hard, feeling uncomfortable with the looks.

    "I can ask..?" I volunteered.

    The team went even crazier talking about a chance to meet Jeremy Patterson, a star in the MLB. It was surreal to hear everyone say his name and talk about him with awe in their voices. Jeremy is a great player. It makes sense that everyone wants to meet him.

 535 V2 ch7

    "You don''t have to if you don''t want to." Noah whispered this time around.

    I shrugged. "It''s fine...it''s just a little weird." I scratched my cheek. "I don''t want him to think that I''m using him."

    "It''s not like you''re accepting money for a meet and greet." Noah comforted me. "Just text him tonight and say that you''re coming to a game. With your team."

    "Okay, listen up." Coach spoke over our side conversations. "The game we''ll be going to has already been decided. The school won''t be providing rides so get together and talk if you need to carpool. Make sure to talk to your parents, because it''ll be a school night. Thursday. Game is at 7:05pm." Coach went into the details.

    After he answered everyone''s questions, we broke up and headed for our own ways. I glanced back at the field, feeling a little sad again. I wouldn''t play with this group of guys again.

    "Are you really going to ask Jeremy to meet the team when we go on Thursday night?" Dave asked when we were all in the car, heading home.

    I shrugged. "It couldn''t hurt."

    "What are you going to say?" Kyle asked.

    "I''ll just tell him that we''re coming Thursday night, first." I repeated Noah''s suggestion. "Then ask if he wants to meet the team."

    "Do you think he''ll get us the same tickets as last time?" Dave asked, grinning.

    "No way." Kyle sighed. "Coach already got the tickets from the organization. There''s no way we would get another set of tickets."

    "Plus, it''ll be the whole team this time." Noah pointed out. "We''d take up that whole section."

    "Where do you think we''ll sit then?" Dave asked.

    "Probably the outfield or nosebleed seats." Kyle snorted.

    "Nosebleed..?" I paled.

    "It''s just a saying for seats that are high up." Noah explained.

    Oh.

    The twins and Noah spent the rest of the ride home talking about where we would sit and if their parents would give money for snacks besides a hotdog.

    Once we were home, everyone went their own ways. Their parents must be working since neither was home. Without baseball, our focus had to be on homework and upcoming finals. Noah and I had it easy as freshmen though.

    In our room, I pulled out my phone and stared at the conversation I had with Jeremy a few days ago. I didn''t even say thanks to his last text. I frowned.

    "Don''t wimp out now." Noah laughed, pulling out his homework and spreading it out on the floor.

    I sat on my bed to get out of his way. "I''m not wimping out. I just...I''m thinking, okay?"

    I saw Noah smile and look away.

    Embarrassed, I hurried up and sent a message.

    Me: I''m coming to your game on Thursday night with my team. To celebrate our CIF championship.

    I threw my pillow from my bed at Noah, messing up his papers that he laid out.

    Noah laughed. "What? It''s not my fault you don''t follow what the A''s are doing."

    "But you knew!" I accused. "You knew I was going to text him. Why didn''t you say anything?"

    "Just to see what you would look like when he didn''t reply right away." Noah grinned. "You were like an eager puppy. If you cared that much, you shouldn''t have waited for a reason to message him. Just do it everyday."

    I shook my head. "I don''t want to bug him."

    "I bug my brothers all the time. It''s normal."

    "We''re not normal brothers." I pointed out. I put my phone down and started on my own homework. "Plus, you grew up with your brothers. This is different. We''re just strangers that share the same blood."

    Noah didn''t say anything to that. He knew better than anyone, where I was coming from. We stopped messing around and focused on getting our homework done. We had projects to complete and books to read for an essay due Friday.

    Mrs. Atkins was first to come home with pizzas. The smell summoned all five of us. We sat down as she passed out the plates.

    "Mom! We get to go to another A''s game this week!" Noah announced happily.

    She glanced to me. "Did you guys reach out to Jeremy?"

    "Yea, but he hasn''t replied." Noah told her.

    "I think, she thinks, that we asked Jeremy for the tickets, you dope." Dave laughed. "No, Mom, the whole team gets to go. For winning the championship. Thursday night. We get to go on the field and everything."

    "Thursday?" She frowned.

    "Is that a problem?" Kyle noticed.

    She sat down in her seat with her slice of pizza. "Your father and I have some late meetings that afternoon."

    "We can go without you." Noah told her. "We definitely can''t show up late or we won''t get to go on the field."

    She looked unsure. "I don''t know...it''s a long drive." She looked at Zeke. "Do you feel comfortable driving through all that traffic?"

    Zeke answered. "I can do it."

    "Zeke''s an adult, Mom." Noah told her. "Come on! If you''re not going to let Zeke take us, then one of you have to miss work."

    Mrs. Atkins gave a sad smile. "I would love to go and see my kids out on the field, but these are very important meetings. A developer is looking for local real estate agents to sell his condos that will be ready in the next month. It''s a very good opportunity for us." She looked at Zeke. "Are you sure you can handle it? You''ll have to drive late at night afterwards too."

    Zeke looked her in her eyes. "Yes, Mom."

    She relaxed after the reassurance. Then tensed up at the sight of us. "You four. Or should I say three. Noah, Dave, and Kyle." She stared deeply at them. "I don''t want you guys distracting Zeke during the drive there or the drive back. Do you understand?"

    "We''ll do our homework on the way there." Kyle volunteered.

    "And sleep on the way back." Dave continued.

    "We won''t bother Zeke at all." Noah added. "You can trust us, Mom."

    She cracked a smile. "Can I? Can I really?" She shook her head. "I''ll talk with your dad when he gets home. As long as he thinks Zeke can handle the drive and you guys can handle being good, then we''ll allow it."

    "Yes!"

    Everyone ate their pizza in a good mood. Near the end, a buzzing sound could be heard. Zeke pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the caller ID.

    "I''m going to go answer this." He got up from his seat and went to the backyard to take the call.

    "Who do you think that was?" Dave asked the table.

    "Maybe it was Rhys." Noah finished off his pizza.

    "No, it was Julian." Kyle said. "I got a look at his phone."

    "Why would he call?" Noah asked.

    Dave shrugged. "Maybe he needs a ride on Thursday? Or help with an assignment?"

    Before anymore speculation could happen, Zeke returned. He looked straight at Noah. "Make sure to bring two release forms to school tomorrow. Julian and his brother will join the team."

    "Yes!" Noah jumped up and pumped his fists. "Now we''re half way there."

    "I thought his brother tried out for the club team..?" I asked, vaguely remembering that he was there when we found out that Noah had missed the tryouts.

    "He didn''t make it?" Dave asked.

    Zeke''s lips thinned. "Their parents didn''t want to pay for it. They don''t mind them playing baseball, but..." He trailed off.

    "I thought Julian changed their mind since he got a partial scholarship to go to Fresno State?" Dave asked.

    "Julian didn''t play club ball to get there." Kyle pointed out. "He only played high school ball. His parents probably think that''s good enough." He looked to his mom, looking a little guilty. "Thanks, Mom. For letting me go to all these camps."

    She smiled warmly.

    "Yea, thanks Mom!" Dave echoed.

    "Parents do the best they can-" She stopped. "I mean, everyone has different circumstances. I''m happy to do the best I can for you boys." She looked at me and smiled. "For all of you. I want all five of you to be happy."

    "I''m happy!" Noah chirped. "We''ve got our first teammates. Just need five more names and we''ve got an official team." He grinned with excitement. Hard to believe he was down and out, earlier in the day with Kaylee''s rejection.

 536 V2 ch8

    Tuesday morning, Noah was filled with energy again. All he could talk about was how Julian and his brother was going to join our softball team. Zeke drove us to school and parked closer to the building. We no longer had baseball practice, so he no longer parked by the fields.

    "I kind of miss Mr. Miller giving us rides." I told Noah as we walked to the main building.

    "It''s only until school ends." Noah told me. "In the fall, we''ll still have practices after school, so we''ll go back to parking down there." He shivered. "The twins will be driving us."

    I let out a small laugh.

    "Jake! Noah!" A female called out. We turned and saw Alisha jogging up to us. We shared some classes with her and I remember her being there to help Noah take a bunch of pictures last week. She reached us in a few seconds, then bent over trying to catch her breath.

    "Hey...you didn''t have to run." Noah''s lips twitched, trying not to laugh at her pathetic state.

    She stood up straight and grinned. "I had to. I''m in a hurry!" She pulled out two envelopes and handed us one each.

    I blinked in surprise. The pink envelope had my name written out in cursive.

    "I''m having an end of the year pool party in a couple of weeks. Just for our grade. Hope you guys can make it." She smiled.

    Noah grinned. "This isn''t a trick to get us to come to your birthday party is it?"

    She laughed. "It just so happened to be the same week as my birthday. You don''t have to bring gifts though. I just thought it would be fun to have a huge party to celebrate the end of freshman year."

    "Are you inviting all the freshmen?" I asked, eyes wide. This school wasn''t huge, but it definitely had a few hundred kids at each grade level.

    Alisha laughed. "I''ll invite all that I know. Everyone else will just have to decide if they want to come or not."

    "That''s nice of you." Noah nodded. "We''ll come."

    "Great!" She grinned and waved as she walked away. "Don''t forget your swimming trunks." She found someone else she knew and started to look through her bag of envelopes.

    I looked down at the envelope again. A pool party. I looked up at Noah. "I don''t actually have to go in the pool do I?"

    Noah understood my worries. "Nah. It''ll probably be full anyways. We''ll just wear trunks and shirts to fit the theme. But then just relax wherever the food may be."

    I sighed with relief. I couldn''t imagine being in a bathing suit in front of my classmates. All their stares. Their gossip. I shivered. I wouldn''t be able to show my face at school ever again.

    "C''mon, let''s go." Noah nudged me. "You don''t have to stress so soon. It''s just a party. You''ve been to a party before."

    That''s true. I have been.

    We put our invitations away and went to class. Throughout the day, we saw Alisha pass out the invites in our shared classes. She really was inviting everyone she knew, even the quiet kids in our classes.

    At lunch time, Noah was eager to head to where the seniors hung out by the trees.

    I held back. "I need to stop by the library real quick. You go on ahead."

    Noah gave me a funny look. "For what? We-"

    "Math. It''s for math." I told him. "Just need to print a worksheet before class."

    "Oh." He blinked. "I can wait for you."

    "It''s okay. I can go alone." I shot him a look. "You don''t have to baby me all the time."

    Noah laughed, looking a little guilty. "Sorry." He raises the release forms he brought. "I''ll go give these to Julian. Meet you back at our table?"

    "Yea." I nodded.

    He hurried off as I hung back.

    I had someone I wanted to talk to. I swallowed a lump in my throat as I made my way to where we saw Kaylee yesterday. Surprisingly, Alisha was there passing out invitations to the group of girls.

    A few of them looked my way, noticing me just standing there.

    "Jake? You okay?" Alisha came over to ask. "Where''s Noah?"

    I swallowed another lump, trying to keep relaxed. "He went to talk to a senior. I wanted to talk to Kaylee."

    She smiled. She turned back to the group of girls. "Kaylee! Jake wants to talk to you."

    Kaylee frowned at me, making me even more nervous. She still came over though, which was a good sign. "What is it? Noah trying to guilt me now by sending you?"

    I shook my head. "I didn''t tell him. That I was coming here. To talk. To you." I paused a few times, trying not to stutter.

    "What do you want to talk to Kaylee about? Without Noah?" Alisha widened her eyes. "Are you going to ask her out?!"

    The group of girls started to whisper.

    I blushed. "No. It''s just...Kaylee won''t hear Noah out. So I thought, you might listen if you didn''t get mad at the sight of him."

    Alisha looked at Kaylee. "What did Noah do to piss you off?"

    "His brother dumped my sister." Kaylee''s frown didn''t lighten in the slightest.

    Alisha made a face. "That''s not Noah''s fault. Cut him some slack. He''s a good person." She nodded at me. "Jake too. He''s so quiet. How can you keep glaring at him like that?"

    Kaylee rolled her eyes. "Don''t you have invitations to pass out?"

    "I do, but I don''t want to risk leaving and letting you beat up Jake." She laughed.

    I froze like a statue. Terrified.

    Kaylee sighed and shook her head. "She''s joking, Jake. I won''t hit you. No matter how mad I am." She saw my lack of movement. "What is it that you guys want? Just spit it out."

    I put my hands together, nervous. "Well. We''re going to play in an adult softball league. Noah wanted to invite you. Since you play softball...you know?"

    Her lips twitched. "Yes. I didn''t forget that I play softball. Unfortunately, I''m not interested. I have to consider my sister''s feelings."

    "Kyle isn''t playing with us!" I hurried to tell her. "So far its just me, Noah and Zeke. Maybe Julian and his little brother." She didn''t look impressed. I shrugged. "Dave and Kyle are going to be gone all summer. Maybe you can talk to your sister..? See what she thinks?" I looked up at her, she was nearly the same height as Noah. "Noah really wanted you to join."

    Kaylee wavered. "Hmm. We''ll see." She turned away from me and walked back to her friend group.

    "That''s not a no!" Alisha smiled and patted my shoulder. "Good for you!"

    I let out a breath of air, happy to be away from Kaylee''s hostility. "Thanks, Alisha."

    "No problem." She grinned. "Ya know, if you guys end up being a player short or something, let me know. I don''t mind being an honorary member."

    "Really?" I asked, surprised. "Do you play softball?"

    She scoffed. "No. No way. That''s why I said ''honorary''." She patted her bag. "Well, I have some more invitations to give out. Good luck to you and Noah!" She left me with a smile and a small wave.

    I returned the smile with one of my own.

 537 V2 ch9

    "Where''d you go?" Noah asked as soon as I got to the table. "And don''t lie to me again. I asked the twins about your supposed math worksheet and they said they already have your homework to copy."

    Embarrassed, I sat down and avoided eye contact. "I wanted to talk to Kaylee for you."

    Noah relaxed. "You didn''t have to lie about that. She didn''t give you a hard time, did she?"

    I shook my head. "She said she would think about it." I added. "Alisha was there so she helped me. She said if we can''t come up with ten players, she wouldn''t mind being an honorary member."

    "Awesome!" Noah shouted.

    We ate our lunch in a much happier mood.

    "Did Jeremy ever text you back?" Noah asked, while munching on chips.

    I frowned. I didn''t get a reply last night or this morning. I sighed and pulled out my phone, checking for messages. I froze. I had one. From him! "He did."

    "What did he say?" Noah asked, leaning over the table.

    I placed the phone down so we could read it together.

    Jeremy: Got your message, Jake. Can''t wait to see you and meet your teammates. Let me know if you and the Atkins want to show up early again to watch batting practice.

    "Wow." Noah blinked. "I''ll never get over the fact that your brother is Jeremy Patterson."

    I looked up at him, not understanding.

    "Don''t get me wrong. I''m Team Jake, all the way." He grinned. "But it''s just so surreal to see you texting a professional baseball player like it''s nothing."

    I didn''t know what to say. Not to Noah and not to Jeremy. I stared at my phone. "Should I tell him it''ll be just us?"

    "Yea, why not?" Noah said. "We have to show up early before traffic so it''ll be cool if we can wait inside the ballpark instead of sitting in the car."

    True. I started to type.

    Me: Mr. and Mrs. Atkins are busy. Zeke is going to drive us after school so we''ll be early again.

    I pushed send.

    A reply was sent back to me in a minute.

    Jeremy: Just go to the Will Call window when you show up. Someone from PR will get you guys to the field. Will any of your teammates show up early? It''s okay if you want to invite them all.

    I showed Noah his reply. "Should we ask the team..?"

    "Of course!" He whipped out his own phone. "I''ll tell Zeke to send out a mass text to the team to find out how many will be there early with us." He started to type.

    I replied to Jeremy.

    Me: I''ll ask. Thanks.

    Jeremy: No problem. Just send me a text with how many will be there.

    Jeremy: Will you wear the jersey I got you?

    Jeremy: You don''t have to if you don''t want to.

    Me: I will.

    "What were you texting?" Noah asked, looking right at me.

    "Nothing." I put my phone away.

    "It can''t be nothing if it made you smile."

    "And?"

    "I will." I repeated to Noah what I had sent to Jeremy.

    Noah looked at me thoughtfully. "Looks like it''s going well."

    I shrugged. "It''s not like we''re close. It''s very...bland."

    The bell rung signaling the end of lunch. We packed up our bags and got up from the table. We went our own ways for math.

    I walked in and noticed the twins already seated for class it was unusual. I made my way over, sitting at the table we shared.

    "I heard you got caught lying to Noah?" Kyle grinned.

    "You didn''t hear." Dave corrected. "You''re the one who sold him out." He mock-whispered to me. "Don''t lend him your homework anymore. He didn''t hesitate to sell you out."

    Kyle looked a little guilty as he shrugged. "How was I to know?" He looked at me. "So why did you lie? Did Noah confront you? Is he mad at you?"

    "Noah''s not mad. I told him the truth." I answered. "I just wanted to talk to Kaylee for him."

    "On your own?" Dave asked, surprised.

    I rubbed my nose, feeling awkward. "Yea."

    "Awe! Jakey is growing up!" Kyle pounced on me, pulling me into an awkward side hug.

    "Let go of him, idiot." Dave slapped Kyle''s head, forcing him to move away. Then he looked at me. "Did she yell at you? What did she say about playing in an adult softball league?"

    I shook my head. "She said she would talk to Marie." Kyle stiffened up next to me. "Another classmate of ours also offered to be a member if we really need it."

    "Good. Sounds like it''s going better than yesterday." Dave smiled.

    The bell rung again and class was set to begin. I heard a faint buzz, then watched as the twins discreetly pulled out their phones. They checked it simultaneously and then looked down at me with giant grins.

    I slumped in my chair a little bit. They must have gotten Zeke''s text.

    "Jeremy is turning out to be a nice guy." Kyle whispered.

    Dave nodded. "Yea. This is too cool. I never thought I would get a second opportunity to be on the A''s field within a week."

    A glance from the teacher made the two go quiet.

    I felt embarrassed from the attention. It was true that Jeremy did nice things for us in the last couple of weeks, and I was trying really hard to appreciate it, but it just felt weird. Like I''m being bought off. Kind of. I don''t know. If Zeke became a pro, I think he would do the same for his brothers so maybe I''m just overthinking this.

    Math ended and I left the twins to go to Health Class. I met up with Noah in the gymnasium where it was held.

    He bounced around excitedly as I reached him. "Guess what?!"

    "You found another teammate?" I guessed.

    His excitement died a little bit. "Okay, so I was too obvious. But can you guess who?"

    I shook my head.

    "Mr. Miller!!"

    "Does he know that you''re signing him up?" I asked. Knowing Noah, he would just make the decision without consent, and then just expect everyone to go with his idea.

    Noah stuck his tongue out at me. "Yes! I remember him talking to us about adult softball before. So I sent him a text during class-"

    I made a face. "How did you not get in trouble?"

    "I did." He laughed. "Mr. Miller wants me to run laps for not paying attention in class. But as I was saying, I asked him if he was already on a team and he said no. So now we have our third official member over the age of 18."

    Yea...really over the age of 18.

    "With me, you, Zeke, Julian and his brother, and now Mr. Miller, we have six! Kaylee and Alisha would make eight! We really only need two more."

    I held back a laugh. "Uhh, Alisha said only if we don''t get ten. We shouldn''t just count her in right away, should we?"

    Noah waved my worries away. "She won''t mind. What''s more important is finding two more players for our roster list due on Sunday." His face twisted as he tried to think. "This is going to be a little more difficult."

    I agreed silently as the class began. Noah was already counting players that haven''t even filled out release forms. This will be more than just difficult. It''s going to be problematic.

 538 V2 ch10

    By dinner time, Zeke had an answer from everyone on the team: hell yes, they''ll show up early. He gave me a list of players and parents and told me to take a picture and send it to Jeremy. I complied and sent it. This time I knew there wouldn''t be a reply, because we were watching him play on the tv.

    "I''m happy to hear that he''ll be looking out for you boys." Mr. Atkins told us at dinner when he knew that Jeremy had texted me back during school. "It''s a long drive even without traffic. Make sure all your phones are charged."

    "I''ll have to prepare some snacks tomorrow night." Mrs. Atkins smiled at all of us. "Any special requests?"

    "We probably won''t have ''all-you-can-eat'' seats again so dedicate a whole bag of cookies." Noah suggested.

    "Can we have money for hot dogs and drinks though?" Kyle asked.

    "Peanuts too?" Dave wanted to know.

    Mrs. Atkins nodded. "Yes, we''ll be giving Zeke money on his debit card to cover one soda, one hotdog, and one bag of peanuts per a person. Anything else you boys want, you''ll have to buy on your own." She looked at Noah. "I''ll bake the cookies, but I''m putting Zeke in charge. You can only have them after your dinner."

    Noah gave Zeke a look out of the corner of his eye. "Just do you know, you''re almost a college athlete so you shouldn''t eat too much sugar."

    Zeke rolled his eyes. Noah was abnormally defensive when it came to sweets.

    Wednesday morning, Noah packed some more release forms with determination in his eyes. As we walked to our class, he stopped a few kids that he knew and asked them their summer plans. A lot of them were going on vacation and the conversation died there. Others, who didn''t have plans, quickly refused to play in an adult softball league saying that''s not how they wanted to spend their summer.

    Noah didn''t give up though. He approached everyone with the same kind of excitement that you would expect when making summer plans. In class with Alisha, he gave her a release form and explained that her parents needed to fill it out and sign it. And that he needed it back by Friday.

    "..." She smiled wryly. "You guys are really struggling, huh? I don''t even own a glove. Or a bat. Or cleats."

    "Don''t worry about all that!" Noah told her. "You can just wear running shoes and borrow the gear we have on hand. There''s nothing wrong with sharing. Come on! It''ll be fun!"

    She glanced at me. "Didn''t I tell you I would be a ''honorary member''? Why is Noah thinking that I''ll actually be playing?"

    I shuffled my feet, avoiding eye contact. "We don''t have enough players..."

    She sighed. "Okay. I understand." She accepted the release form. "I''ll give it back to you guys tomorrow. What''s your mom''s phone number in case my mom wants to talk to her?"

    Noah gave her the number and she wrote it down. "Thanks! It''s going to be fun, I promise!"

    We went our separate ways for lunch, with Noah and I heading to our usual table and Alisha going off alone. Before we reached our table, a familiar figure could be seen, sitting there, looking impatient.

    "Kaylee!" Noah greeted her first, speeding up to reach the table.

    Kaylee looked up at us and frowned. "You guys are late."

    Noah wasn''t bothered by her attitude. He sat down and pulled out a release form. "We were recruiting! This is the release form that your parents have to fill out and sign. Games will be every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Are you any good at pitching?"

    Kaylee''s frown only became more prominent the more Noah spoke. I quietly sat down beside Noah and pulled out my lunch.

    "I didn''t say I would play. Yet." Kaylee looked down at the release form without touching it. "And no, I don''t pitch. You guys don''t even have a pitcher?"

    I stared at my sandwich.

    "Well, maybe Mr. Miller knows how." Noah said. "He said he has played before."

    "Wait. You got Mr. Miller to join you?" Kaylee asked.

    "Yep! So far now, it''s me, Jake, Zeke, Julian, his younger brother, Mr. Miller, Alisha, and you." Noah grinned.

    "Stop including me without my permission!" She raised her voice.

    "But I thought you were here to agree...otherwise wouldn''t you just ignore us again?" Noah asked, surprisingly calm.

    Kaylee''s eyes narrowed. "Depends on if you can agree to my conditions."

    "What are the conditions?" Noah raised an eyebrow.

    "I want a picture of Kyle''s summer schedule. When and where he''ll be."

    Noah nodded with ease. "I can do that. He already wrote it all out. I can take a picture tonight."

    "I also want to be invited over whenever Kyle is home. At least once a week."

    Noah scratched his cheek. "You''ll have to compromise on this. Dave and Kyle have a very packed summer schedule. Going one place to the next. Colleges and camps. I can promise to invite you over when it''s convenient and he''s present."

    She nodded. "Acceptable."

    "Your sister still really likes Kyle?" Noah asked.

    Kaylee sighed. "She...yea, she still likes him. He dumped her out of nowhere. She''s mad, but she still cares. It''s so dumb, isn''t it?"

    Noah shrugged. "We thought it was out of nowhere too. He didn''t tell anyone what he was going to do until it was done. Dave thought he was giving up on baseball, but he pulled a complete reversal."

    "Thanks, I''m going to tell Marie that." She looked a little better.

    "Sure." Noah pushed the form closer to her. "So..?"

    "How much does this cost..?" She tapped the table.

    "Free! Mom and Dad said they would cover the team fee!" Noah smiled. "We just need the players. Oh, and I guess I''ll have to get some softballs and a bat for softball that we can share."

    "Give me another." She double tapped the form. "If it''s free, then I know someone that might also be interested. She''s a sophomore on the JV team. More importantly, she can pitch."

    Noah didn''t need to be told twice. He pulled out another form from his backpack and gave it to Kaylee. "Let me know if you need more! The minimum roster is ten players and we have to have it in by Sunday."

    Kaylee looked helpless. "Most girls have camps to go to. Or play on a summer team. We''re not that much different than baseball players."

    "You don''t have any camps to go to?" I asked, speaking up for the first time.

    Kaylee shook her head, but didn''t say anything. She got up. "I''ll text you later, Noah. See you guys." She waved and left.

    Noah finally pulled out his lunch and started to stuff his face in a hurry. There were only a few minutes left of lunch so he didn''t have a choice.

    "Who else can we ask..?" Noah mumbled with his mouth full. "If Kaylee can get her friend to join, that would be nine. Just one more."

    "Why don''t you ask Mr. Miller?" I suggested. "If he has played before, then wouldn''t he know some other people that play?"

    "Good idea!" Noah whipped out his phone and started to type furiously. He must be in a hurry to send the text before it''s actual class time to avoid getting in trouble with Mr. Miller again. Noah supposedly owed him laps, but I don''t know how, or if, it''ll be enforced. It makes sense not to make it worse.

 539 V2 ch11

    Dinner on Wednesday night was rather silent. The twins had to go to a classmate''s house for a group project due Friday. And since they were busy after school tomorrow, they only had today. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins were working on their proposal for their work meeting tomorrow so they had taken their dinner to their shared office.

    It was just Noah, Zeke, and me at the table. Zeke was always silent so that was nothing new. Noah''s silence on the other hand, was unusual. He peacefully ate his food, but his eyes were glued on his phone. Not even looking at an article or an ongoing game, but was waiting for a text back.

    As we finished eating, his phone beeped.

    Noah held his breath as he opened the text message. Then he jumped up and shouted, making me flinch. "He found someone! He found someone!" He beamed proudly at Zeke. "Ten people! We have ten!"

    Zeke smiled. "I''ll fill out the roster on Friday when we have everyone''s release form."

    I was about to ask about the girls, when Mrs. Atkins came out holding her cell phone. "Noah...I just got a call from Alisha''s mom?"

    Noah ran over to her. "Did she say yes??"

    "What are you doing exactly? I thought you were putting together a team of players..?" She frowned. "Her mom told me that she hasn''t played since she was little. Is this what you want to do?"

    "Don''t worry, Mom." Noah straightened up. "We''re playing for fun. Alisha knew I was struggling finding players so she said she would join. She''s not the only girl either. Kaylee said she and her friend would join."

    "Might join." I corrected.

    Noah shot me a look. I picked up my plate and took it to the kitchen sink as Noah talked with his mom. By the time I came back, she was already back on the phone with Alisha''s mom and headed back for the office.

    Noah grinned. "Alisha is in." He picked his phone up again. "I have to check in with Kaylee. She hasn''t sent anything yet."

    "How about making sure you do your homework?" Zeke suggested.

    "Already done." Noah didn''t look up.

    Zeke looked skeptical.

    "We do it all right when we get home." I spoke up for Noah. We practically did our homework as soon as we got home out of habit. Because it used to be practice, dinner, homework then bed. Now it''s homework and dinner. Then Noah will usually watch a baseball game and I follow along.

    "You know, you guys can join me on my runs and workouts." Zeke said.

    That made Noah put down his phone. "Look at the time. The A''s should be playing. Let''s go, Jake." He made his exit and I was right behind him.

    We went to the living room and turned on the tv. Noah put on the A''s game and we watched in silence. Zeke joined us after cleaning up.

    "Jeremy has been doing well with the A''s." Noah commented, glancing my way.

    I shrugged. "If you say so."

    I shrugged again.

    "Give up, Noah. It doesn''t matter to Jake, how well Jeremy does." Zeke spoke up, his eyes remaining on the tv screen.

    "I wouldn''t say that." I told them. They both looked at me in surprise. "I wouldn''t want him to do bad. I just feel...a little disconnected from it. He''s a pro. But, he''s also someone who had left me behind. It just feels fake." I found the words to describe what I was feeling. With that, I got an idea. I pulled out my phone. One that was hardly used.

    "Are you going to text Jeremy that? Right now?" Noah was stunned. "The day before we have to see him?"

    I rolled my eyes. "No. Of course not. What I''m feeling...isn''t completely his fault. I''m texting Dr. Moore to find out if he''ll be at school tomorrow."

    Dr. Moore replied in a timely manner, informing me that he wouldn''t be at school until Friday and if that would work for me. I replied that it would. I wasn''t in a hurry.

    Noah sighed with relief. "I thought you were going to make it super awkward tomorrow."

    "It''s already awkward between us." I said.

    "No kidding."

    "Maybe you should talk to him about this feeling that you have." Zeke interjected.

    Noah and I both looked at him, confused.

    Zeke sat up and looked at me directly. "Talking with Dr. Moore isn''t a bad thing. But it would be better if you can talk it out with the other party. You feeling disconnected, probably isn''t one-sided."

    "Do you really think so?" Noah asked. "Jeremy has apologized a few times and it seems like he''s trying to make up for the past. Why would he feel disconnected?"

    "Guilt." Zeke answered. "No matter how many times you apologize for something, it does nothing to ease the guilt. So you try to do it materially. Try to replace the things you broke or took. You trying to make the other half happy, won''t make you happy. You''ll just feel more guilty. Especially if they don''t loosen up." Zeke stared me right in the eyes. "You need to talk with him more."

    "But...it''s hard." I said in a small voice.

    "Why?" Zeke questioned. "Why is it hard?"

    "..." I shrugged weakly.

    "You just need to clear the air more frequently." Zeke suggested. "Try having a more in-depth talk with him a little more often. Think about it this way, what do you know about him?"

    I blinked.

    "Besides all his baseball accomplishments that are frequently talked about." Zeke added. "I''m not saying you have to ask about his family, but what about his interests? Did he go to college? Did he join the pros right out of high school? How was his time in the minor leagues? Sure, you can look this stuff up, but how will Jeremy feel?"

    "Why do you care how much Jeremy feels, anyways?" Noah snorted.

    Zeke cracked a smile as he stood up. "It''s an older brother thing." He headed for the kitchen. "I''m going to make some hot chocolate."

    "Make us some too!" Noah called out after him. Then he looked at me. "Don''t let Zeke get to you. He''s still on your side."

    "No. It''s okay. I get what he was saying."

    I really didn''t contribute much to the relationship between me and Jeremy. And what I did contribute was anger, dissatisfaction, and skepticism. Even when I did text him, I always expect to be ignored. And what I do know about him, I heard from Noah or the tv. And the time he tried to talk to me about our mom? I brushed him off, with the belief that since she hurt me more, his hurt didn''t matter.

    I thought about how he asked if I would wear the jersey with his name on it. He was just as insecure as I am. Unsure of what to say or what to do. Unlike him though, I have a therapist. I also have the Atkins who can help shift my perspective.

    "Jake?" Noah looked worried.

    I looked up at him and smiled. "I''m okay."

    "If you don''t want to be nice to Jeremy, you don''t have to be. Team Jake, remember?"

    I laughed. "I know."

 540 V2 ch12

    Thursday, we followed a strict schedule set by Zeke and their parents. Before school we had to prepare what we would wear for the game. After school, Zeke took us home, where we switched into our A''s gear and grabbed a well packed bag of snacks from Mrs. Atkins.

    "Keep the music low. Make sure to double check your blind spots before changing lanes. Defensive driving." Mr. Atkins lectured Zeke, before turning to us. "Absolutely no fighting in the car. Preferably not at the stadium either, but I know you boys."

    "We''ll be good!" Noah announced, getting into the car. "We all brought our homework and will do it in the car."

    "Dad, we know what to do." Kyle got in the front passenger seat. "I''ll text you updates and be in charge of navigation. Just relax."

    "We''re even separating ourselves." Dave squeezed into the very back. "I''ll be taking this last row so I can quietly study and prepare for finals."

    Mr. Atkins looked at the packed car, then down at me. "They''re growing up, aren''t they?"

    I laughed.

    I wouldn''t say that they were growing up. They just know when to prioritize being on their best behavior in order to go to the ball game.

    I was the last to get in, sitting in the middle row with Noah. He already had his math book out and started to work on it.

    Mr. Atkins walked to the drivers window Zeke had rolled down. "Watch out for them. I''ll keep my phone on in the meeting just in case an emergency happens. I loaded your debit card with some money besides for dinner just in case something happens."

    Zeke looked at his dad. "Mom isn''t even this worried. I''ll text you when we meet up with the team." He put the car in reverse.

    Mr. Atkins stepped away and joined his wife. They watched as we pulled out of the driveway and down the street.

    True to their word, the Atkins brothers all stayed relatively silent. Zeke drove as the radio played in the background. The rest of us did our homework, only making noise when we flipped the pages or scribbled down an answer. After an hour and a half drive, they started to show signs of restlessness. It only got worse as the stadium came into sight.

    "Finally!" Dave yelled from the back after Zeke paid for parking and drove through a mostly empty lot. It was still over two hours before game time so we got a good spot again.

    "I see Garret, Tyler, and Matt!" Kyle announced from the front, naming a few other junior pitchers. "They must have came together." He frowned. "We should have came with them. It would have been the junior pitchers car."

    Dave laughed. "How lame. I definitely wouldn''t have gotten all my homework done if we did that."

    "You''re the one who sounds lame." Kyle shot back.

    Zeke parked and turned off the car. He glanced back at us. "Stay seated a minute while I text Dad." He pulled his phone out and started to text.

    It wasn''t just Garret and a few other pitchers, but a lot of the coaches were there too. Mr. Miller peeled away from the group and approached us.

    The twins waved, but kept moving on to their classmates. Zeke stopped with Noah and I, just standing feet away from the big group.

    "It''s an honor to play with you boys this summer." Mr. Miller smiled. He glanced at Zeke. "Especially you before you head off to college. Remember us little folks too, okay?" He chuckled.

    Zeke''s lips upturned. "Of course. I''ll have to have an inside man to make sure my brothers stay out of trouble."

    "He''s talking about the twins." Noah elaborated.

    "Sure he is." Mr. Miller flicked Noah''s hat downwards. "C''mon, I know you, Noah. You can find trouble by just existing." He grinned at me. "Ain''t that right, Jake?"

    I cracked a smiled, but didn''t answer.

    Noah nudged me. "Hey. You''re supposed to deny it."

    I looked at him. "It''s not good to lie."

    Mr. Miller laughed at Noah''s offended expression.

    "Glad you boys made it safely." Coach joined our small group. He shook Zeke''s hand. "Good to see you, son. Looks like you''ve been keeping up with your workouts."

    Zeke nodded. "Yes, sir." He glanced to Noah and I. "I''ve tried to get these two to join me, but you know how kids are."

    Coach laughed. "Yes, I have a good idea of what''s on Noah''s mind."

    Noah gave Zeke a shove. "We''re teenagers just like you. Don''t act like an old man just because you''re preparing for college. You haven''t even graduated high school yet."

    "Just a few more weeks to go." Coach smiled. "We''re proud of you Zeke. You have done this program justice and really made it shine."

    "Hey!" Noah complained. "Shouldn''t you be saying that to me and Jake? We won CIF too. It''s not like he did it without us. He was practically useless in the championship game."

    Coach chuckled. "Zeke put in four years of work to get here. He molded you and the twins, making you three competitive before you got to high school. Really, I should thank your parents for living in our school district. And thank our lucky stars that Jake came to us."

    "That one you have to thank me for." Noah stated. "Jake wouldn''t have even played if it wasn''t for me."

    Coach grinned. "Seems like someone is feeling under-appreciated."

    Noah nodded. "Now you can tell me."

    Coach gave Noah a pat on the head. "You have three more years before I thank you." He turned his focus on me. "But, I''ll give thanks to Jake right now."

    "What?! Why? So unfair!" Noah groaned.

    Coach looked me in the eyes. "I know your relationship with Jeremy is complicated. It probably weighs on your mind more than any normal teen your age. I appreciate you giving the team a chance at this special opportunity. It probably matters more than you know." He slowly patted my shoulder.

    I just stood there, awkward as always, unable to say anything in return. Honestly, I didn''t understand what he was saying. At least...not until Zeke got the special admission tickets from the Will Call window and started to pass them out. The whole team was filled with a special kind of energy as we went through security.

    It only amplified when we were escorted to the special entrance to get to the field.

    "I can''t believe this!"

    "Amazing!"

    "The grass is so perfect!"

    "Do you think we can get some autographs?"

    There was over thirty of us between players and parents taking up the space behind home plate where the opposing team were doing their batting practice. Some of the A''s players were taking pictures with other fans behind the rope and signing autographs on miscellaneous items.

    "Jake!" A friendly voice called out.

 541 V2 ch13

    Immediately all eyes went on me as someone from the players side of the rope approached our giant group. My teammates near me, gave me space and a spot up front like it was an unspoken decision to begin with. It made it easy for Rose, the short Asian girl to find me in the crowd.

    She was in her uniform of khakis and an A''s polo shirt. A lanyard was hanging from her neck, designating her as staff.

    Rose grinned as she reached us. "It''s good to see you boys so soon." She looked around. "Are these your teammates? Jeremy told me that you guys were invited for the CIF Champions announcement."

    "Hi." I said politely.

    She looked among the group. "Which one is your head coach?"

    Coach stepped forward. "I am. How can I help you?"

    She stuck out her hand and introduced herself. "I''m Rose Shimizu, I work in the public relations department for the A''s. I''m actually going to act as your team''s guide until you guys walk out on the field."

    "Oh! Yes! We''ve spoken on the phone." Coach nodded. "Thanks for looking out for us."

    "It''s my job." She smiled kindly. "You all can hang out here until an hour before game time and then the grounds crew will come and prepare the field for game time. That''s when I can show you guys around and we''ll head for the outfield entrance with the other teams."

    "The other teams?" Noah asked.

    Rose nodded. "Yea, we invite all surrounding CIF winners from the spring sports."

    "So cool." Dave mumbled.

    "So there''s going to be a lot of teams here tonight?" Kyle asked.

    "No, we don''t invite them all at once. We space it out. We honored a few teams last night and we''ll do the same for the next couple of days." Rose explained. She glanced back at the dugout. "I can answer more questions when we have to leave. Why don''t you let me go get Jeremy so he knows you guys are here."

    "Go ahead!"

    "Sorry to hold you up!"

    "Will more players than just Patterson come out?"

    Rose looked to the adult who asked that last question. "I''ll see who''s available. Most of the guys will be receiving pregame treatment or reviewing for the game." She turned and hurried to the dugout, going through, heading to their clubhouse.

    "How greedy." Noah mumbled for only me to hear. "Can''t he see that some A''s players are already out signing autographs? They obviously want the more famous players to come out."

    "So?" I shrugged. "Maybe he just wants his favorite player to come out."

    "He''s just taking advantage of the situation." Noah rolled his eyes.

    "You take advantage of situations all the time." I pointed out.

    Noah pouted. "I''m different."

    Sure he is. I cracked a smile.

    "Patterson!"

    "Jeremy Patterson!"

    "Over here, over here!"

    "Jeremy, please sign this ball!"

    "Patterson, can I have a photo?"

    I stiffened up, almost doing my best impression of a statue.

    Zeke rested a hand on my shoulder. "You''ve got this."

    That''s right. I''ve got to clear the air. Be more open. Be more willing to reconnect. I tried my best to smile as Jeremy reached our group. The guys around me got quiet, stunned by his presence.

    "Good to see you, Jake." Jeremy awkwardly lifted his hands, put them down, then decided to stick them in his back pockets.

    My lips twitched and formed a real smile. "Yea. Thanks for letting us come in early." I tilted my body and showed him my team. "These are my teammates." I looked at my team. "Guys, this is Jeremy."

    Jeremy nodded at everyone. "Hello. I watched your championship game. You all did great! It really made me miss being in high school."

    "You were there?" Bryce''s jaw dropped. A few of the other guys had similar reactions.

    Jeremy smiled. "Yea." He glanced down at me. "I didn''t want to miss it."

    I looked away.

    "Why don''t you introduce him to your teammates, Jake?" Rose suggested, putting me on the spot.

    I looked around. "Well...you know the Atkins."

    "I do." Jeremy stepped a little closer. "Noah and Zeke." He took his hand out of his pocket and pointed at each twin. "Dave and Kyle."

    "Wow!" Dave exclaimed.

    "Not bad." Kyle nodded.

    I gestured at my Coach. "And this is Coach Wilcox, the head coach. You''ve...met."

    Jeremy''s jaw clenched. "We have."

    "No hard feelings." Coach lifted his hand for Jeremy to shake. "I protect my players first and foremost."

    "Good to hear." Jeremy shook his hand and we moved down the line.

    I wasn''t close to a lot of the guys, but I was still able to name them, their position, and what grade they were in. When we got to Julian though, I mentioned that he would be playing softball with Noah and I this summer.

    Jeremy was caught off guard. "Softball? You don''t have a travel team to play on?"

    I pulled on the jersey I was wearing. "It''s complicated. We put together a team for an adult softball league though. It''s only a month long." I moved along the line and introduced someone else.

    Afterwards, he started to signed some of their gear as we worked our way back to the Atkins. It was strange for me to see him in action. He smiled and spoke with my teammates and their families, not showing an inkling of awkwardness. Was I the only one he felt awkward around?

    Since there were so many of us, it took him quite some time to sign the autographs and take selfies. He grinned with ease and acted like he really enjoyed speaking with everyone. He didn''t look like this when speaking with me.

    Our hour was almost up and Rose was speaking with Coach on where we should go now as a group.

    I felt an itch from within. Something I needed to get off my chest. I looked up at Jeremy, still separated by the rope. "Can...we talk for a minute?"

    Jeremy looked around and saw that players were heading inside their respective clubhouses. "Yea, we''ve got some time." He looked up at Rose. "You can take the team away. I''ll have someone else bring Jake to rejoin you guys."

    Rose nodded.

    "Jake?" Noah looked at me. "Do you want me to stay?"

    I hesitated. A part of me wanted to keep Noah near. He was my protector and my best friend. He was always nearby. But maybe, that''s the problem. I don''t have to open up with Noah, it comes naturally between us. With Jeremy though, I need to work. Not that it''s a bad thing, it''s just hard to reconnect something that''s been disconnected for so long.

    "It''s fine." I looked him in the eyes. I wanted some alone time with Jeremy. With Noah around, he would be ''Team Jake'' the whole time and would just play the blame game with him. I don''t want to guilt trip Jeremy, I want to get to know him. More importantly, I want him to get to know me. Have a reciprocal relationship with me.

    I could see Jeremy''s surprise as I sent away the Atkins with Coach and the team.

 542 V2 ch14

    "Is something wrong?" Jeremy asked after everyone left us alone. He lifted the rope so I could go under it and be on the same side as him. "Are you fighting with the Atkins?"

    I shook my head. "No, I just wanted to talk to you alone."

    "How unusual." He looked at me, showing concern. "Not that I don''t want to talk to you. It''s just-" He frowned.

    "We''re disconnected." I told him.

    He looked down at me, then away, then back at me. "Yea...something like that. I feel like whatever I say, sounds fake. And insincere. I don''t want to fake my emotions with you like I do with the fans."

    "You fake being happy with the fans?" I was confused. He genuinely looked happy to me.

    He shrugged. "Sort of. Their just strangers. I appreciate their support and in a way they''re the reason I can make money doing what I love. But, we aren''t friends. They don''t really know me. They just know my statistics."

    His words were similar to Zeke''s. Zeke really had good intuition. He could probably be a therapist too.

    "I want to get to know you." I told him. "I mean, if you don''t mind."

    Before I could look away or change my mind, Jeremy smiled down at me. "I would like that. I''ve been feeling tension between us like we don''t know how to approach one another or speak to one another." He lifted his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. "I''m not going to lie to you, I feel stressed when we''re together or when I think about you. I''ve messed up and I don''t really know how to fix it. We''ve talked about trying to have a relationship with one another, but what kind? Brothers? Are there brothers who worry this much?"

    I shrugged, not sure myself. "We said we would try. And I noticed that, I haven''t been. As much as I should. It''s superficial." I looked down at my feet, kicking the grass.

    "It doesn''t help that I''m in season." He sighed. "If we had more time, we could, I don''t know, try to hang out?"

    I didn''t say anything. Not because I didn''t agree, but because what could I say to that? Stop playing baseball? That''s selfish. And dumb.

    "Hey! I know!" His excitement got my attention, making me look up at him. "You''re going to be on summer break soon, right?"

    I nodded.

    "Why don''t you and the Atkins come to a few more games this summer? On me, of course. I can provide the tickets. Maybe you can come during the day to hang out before I have to come here for work."

    "I''ll have to ask." I told him.

    "Yea, you do that." He gave a weak smile. "If you don''t want to do that, we can try some other arrangements. With school being out, I could visit in the mornings when we have home games. Maybe take you and Noah to those batting cages. You like that, right?"

    I nodded. "Yea. I like the batting cages."

    I blushed.

    "I''m amazed. You had so many. I''m happy for you. And proud of you." He scratched the stubble on his cheek. "I wasn''t like you at all during my freshman year. You''re definitely growing into a better player than I was in high school."

    "What were you like in high school?" I asked.

    He stopped scratching. "I, uhh, I, I was-hmm." He tried for find the words. "I lacked motivation and commitment. I was a bit arrogant." He caught my look of disbelief and misinterpreted it. "Okay, really arrogant. I thought I was the best player out there."

    "But you''re a great player now. Noah said so."

    He chuckled. "It took a lot of work. I wasn''t a team player. My attitude was...I was..." He rubbed his nose. "It''s probably better to save this conversation for when we have more time."

    "Oh. Okay."

    He faced his dugout and waved to someone, calling them over. "Hey, Chuck!"

    A young man jogged over, wearing a similar outfit as Rose. "Yes?"

    Jeremy tapped me on top of my hat, on my head. "This is Jake, my brother. He''s with the team that Rose just took to the outfield entrance for the pregame announcements. Can you help him rejoin his friends? I''m not sure if he can get there on his own."

    "Sure thing!" Chuck answered promptly.

    Jeremy looked down at me, making eye contact. "Text me later, okay? We''ll figure something out."

    I nodded.

    He left me with Chuck, jogging back to his dugout.

    "Let''s go, Jake. I''ll get you back to your team in no time." Chuck guided me to the exit, leading the way. After a couple seconds of silence, he spoke up again. "So you''re Jeremy''s brother. Must be kind of cool to have a brother who''s a pro in the big leagues."

    I shrugged.

    He took my lack of response as nonchalance. "Maybe because you''re young, you don''t understand what a big deal it is. A very small percentage of players will ever get this far. Let alone be as successful as Jeremy."

    I was thankful when we got to the main concourse, filled with fans. It became too loud for Chuck to hold a conversation with me and he just focused on finding my team. We walked along the concourse from behind home plate to the outfield seating. He took me down a level and led me through an ''employees only'' pathway.

    With the noise volume back down, he spoke up again. "I heard a rumor that Jeremy and Rose are dating. Can you confirm that for me?"

    I shook my head. This is the first time I''m hearing of it.

    "Oh. I heard that they were really close." Chuck continued, mistaking my shaking head as a ''no, they aren''t dating'' kind of answer.

    I was too embarrassed to speak up and say that I didn''t know. That I couldn''t possibly know. Jeremy and I were still trying to find some solid ground to build our brotherhood on. How would I know anything about his dating life?

    "Jake! Over here!" Noah waved excitedly as soon as he spotted me. We had a true mutual camaraderie where we understood one another clearly and could talk about anything. There wasn''t any guessing or awkwardness between us.

    I joined him and the group without saying goodbye to Chuck. I glanced to Rose, who was speaking with the coaches, not sure what I was looking for. It''s not like a neon sign would suddenly pop out and state that she was dating Jeremy.

    "Jake? You okay?" Noah asked. "How''d it go?"

    I shrugged. "Not much could be said. I''ll try texting him more often, I guess."

    Noah made a face. "That''s it?"

    I was still staring at Rose as I told him. "He offered to let us come to some more games over the summer. Without school, there are more options to meet up."

    "That would be pretty awesome." Dave sighed. "Too bad I won''t be around to join in the fun. I''ll be too busy traveling around the states, working on my craft."

    "As you should." Kyle snorted.

    "I don''t want to hear that from you." Dave huffed.

    Zeke glared at the two, stopping the fight early.

    I didn''t know much about dating and relationships so I turned to the one guy I knew who does. Or at least, did. "Kyle, how can you tell if someone''s in a relationship?"

    The twins and Noah all got quiet, freezing in time.

 543 V2 ch15

    "Whattt..?" Dave asked, surprised.

    He wasn''t the only one.

    Kyle stuttered. "What, wh-what do y-y-you mean..?"

    Noah got in my face, filling my vision with only him. "Jake! Do you like someone?? Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

    I pushed him away. "What? No." I turned red.

    "Then why are you talking about relationships?" Dave asked.

    I glanced back to where Chuck was, but he had left. "I don''t know. Chuck said something about Jeremy, maybe dating Rose..?"

    Three new sets of eyes looked at Rose. She felt the stares and looked our way. She grinned and waved. She said something to the coaches before coming over to us.

    "Oh no." Kyle muttered. "Does she know that we know?"

    "What do we even know?" Dave asked.

    "Can''t we just ask her outright?" Noah whispered as Rose got closer.

    "Of course not, you dummy." Kyle slapped him on the shoulder.

    "Hey Jake, you''re back." Rose smiled.

    I nodded. That''s true. I am back.

    She kept her smile while looking at me, Noah, and the twins. "What''s going on? Why are you guys looking at me like this? Do I have something on my face?" She wiped her cheeks and touched her face.

    "No." Kyle shook his head, taking the lead. "We were, uh, curious about, umm, the other teams. That are coming?" He looked around. "Are they going to join us soon?"

    "Oh!" She nodded. "Yes, they''ll start showing up in groups. In a bit, we''ll send the parents and non-team members to their seats in the stands. The only people allowed on the field will be the players and coaches." She explained. "What will happen, you see, is that after all the teams are here and ready, we''ll take all the groups out. Your championship will be announced and then we come back here. It really only lasts a few minutes."

    "That''s okay!" Dave chirped. "It''s already pretty cool that we could hang out during batting practice. Was it a hassle for you and Jeremy to get all those passes?"

    She laughed. "No. No trouble at all. Like I said before, the A''s organization want to keep Jeremy happy so he''ll stick around. We''ve paid a heavy price to get him here after all."

    "So true." Noah sighed. He looked at me. "We definitely have to ask him about his plans on sticking around."

    I nodded slowly. Not that I cared if he stuck with the A''s, but what if he left? I should ask what his plans are.

    "Put in a good word for us then, Jake." Rose grinned, tucking her loose hair behind her ear. "Alright, I''ve got to start getting the parents to go to their seats. The other teams will arrive soon. See you guys in a bit." She left to go do her job.

    "She doesn''t seem like she''s in a relationship with Jeremy..?" Dave shrugged.

    "But she asked Jake to put in a good word for her." Noah pointed out.

    "True." Dave nodded. "They could be keeping their relationship under wraps because of the media attention or something."

    "Do you think he has to? It''s not like he''s a celebrity?" Noah asked.

    "He''s a sports celebrity. A lot of things can happen in relationships. No one wants to announce all that stuff to the public because what happens if they break up?"

    "They pretend like they never dated at all?" Noah gave Kyle a look.

    Kyle smacked him on the shoulder again.

    "Kyle! Stop hitting me." Noah raised his voice. On purpose.

    Zeke immediately joined our little group. "I think it''s time you guys split up." His eyes narrowed at Kyle.

    Kyle was as stiff as a pillar. "Yep! Agreed! Bye!" He shuffled his feet away from Zeke, thoroughly scared off.

    Zeke faced Dave next. "And you?"

    "I didn''t hit Noah though..." Dave said.

    Zeke tilted his head. "How about you go mingle with your pitcher friends. I can''t trust you all together. You''ll cause trouble before we even get onto the field."

    Dave shrugged. "Fine. I''ll go." He strolled to a different group than Kyle, understanding that Zeke didn''t want them together either.

    Zeke looked down at me and Noah next.

    Noah wrapped his arms around me, leaning down to cling onto me. "Noooo. You can''t separate us! Jake can''t handle it."

    "I think he would especially like to get away from you right now." Zeke remarked, watching me struggle to get out of Noah''s grip. He sighed. "I won''t separate you two, but try to stay out of trouble for the next couple of hours."

    Noah finally let go of me. "Sure thing! We''ll be good!"

    Zeke''s lips thinned. "Don''t stray too far from my sight."

    "What if I need to go to the bathroom?"

    "Then go."

    "I don''t. I was just asking."

    Zeke looked up at the ceiling for a second before looking back at Noah. "Noah."

    Noah shied away. "I was just having some fun. I''ll be good now."

    Zeke gave a nod and then went to the coaches.

    "Man, Zeke is really wound tight tonight." Noah muttered.

    "Well...your parents aren''t around. Isn''t it normal for him to replace them? He doesn''t want us to cause trouble or get hurt on his watch." I told Noah my thoughts.

    "Yea, I guess." Noah watched Zeke as he spoke with the coaches. "It''s weird to think that he''ll be leaving for college in just a few months. Who''s going to get the twins to stop picking on us without him around."

    "We''re doomed." I conceded.

    Noah laughed.

    We heard some chatter and turned to see some the space starting to fill up with more high school students and coaches.

    The first group was a bunch of girls.

    "Softball players." Noah whispered.

    The next group was all boys.

    "Golf."

    "Golf?"

    He nodded. "Yea. It''s a spring sport. At our school, it''s boys golf, boys tennis, boys volleyball, and baseball. For the girls, it''s just softball. Both genders for swimming and track."

    "Oh. When do the girls play those sports then?"

    "Mostly in the fall." He shrugged.

    As the groups came in, Noah named each sport they belonged too. It helped that some groups wore their uniform or some kind of shirt that designated their school name. Meanwhile our team was mostly decked out in A''s gear. Only the coaches wore some Watsonville shirts.

    There were duplicate teams since CIF had so many divisions. There were four boys golf teams, all champions of their own division. It was easy to tell them apart by their attitudes.

    Noah was interested in watching the tension among all four of them. "Do you think another baseball team will come tonight?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t know how they decide what teams come what days." I really don''t wish to see another baseball team. We were only division three so there would be a greater chance to see the division one or two champ versus something under us, right? "How many divisions are there again?"

    "There''s probably seven, I think?" Noah answered.

    I sighed with relief. Okay, so we''re higher up. If any of the lower division winners come, then there won''t be any animosity on our part. I just fear that if division one or two came, it would become a little tense.

    "No way." Noah''s jaw dropped. His eyes narrowed at the entrance where the teams were coming in from.

    I gulped and turned to see some familiar faces. Like Murphy''s Law states, whatever can go wrong will go wrong.

 544 V2 ch16

    My fear of seeing a division one or two champion came true. To make it worse, it was a team we knew. University Prep.

    Noah and I weren''t the only ones to notice their entrance. Our whole team got a lot quieter as more of our teammates realized who else was here.

    "I didn''t know that they won their championship too." I whispered to Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "Why would we care? We''re in different divisions." He folded his arms across his chest. "Who cares anyways. We''re champions too. They aren''t better than us just because they''re in a higher division. Just means their school is bigger."

    Uh, the fact that they destroyed us a couple months ago says otherwise. I kept the comment to myself.

    Our Coach went up to greet theirs. As they talked to one another, our team got closer together and started to gossip.

    "This is crazy." Brian said in a low tone. "I can''t believe they won their division."

    "I can." Bryce looked pale. "The way they destroyed us. I''m actually glad that they won their championship. Makes me look a bit better, right?"

    "No way, kid." Dave rubbed his head. "Who likes saying that they like to get beaten by a champion? That''s not the kind of attitude to have."

    "Really?" Sean asked. "Then what kind of attitude are we supposed to have? They mercy ruled us in five innings. We-"

    "We didn''t have the whole team." Kyle cut him off.

    Garret nodded in agreement. "I couldn''t pitch. Neither could Kyle. Dave wasn''t even allowed on the bench thanks to that ejection."

    "Hey!" Dave said. "I wouldn''t have been abled to pitch without the ejection anyways. Why you gotta bring it up?"

    Garret shrugged innocently. "Because it''s funny?"

    Dave rolled his eyes. "Zeke didn''t play either. And Jake..." He looked at me. "Sorry."

    "It''s okay." I shuffled my feet, looking down. "I wasn''t good that game. I know."

    "That''s because you didn''t sleep well." Noah remembered.

    "Zeke." A deep, unfamiliar voice called out, breaking up our teams chatter. We looked and saw that one of the University Prep players came over.

    Zeke excused himself from the coaches he was talking to and greeted the guy that called out to him. "Seth." They shook hands. "Congrats on winning your championship game."

    "You too." Seth grinned. I recognized him as the pitcher that went up against us. "I read in the news that the other team tried holding you down to intentional walks. That''s insane."

    Zeke shrugged. "It happens." He glanced at me. "Luckily my team carried me to the win. It''s a good way to end senior year."

    "No kidding." Seth answered. He glanced down at me, catching Zeke''s look. "Is this the freshman that had the game-winning home run?"

    Zeke nodded. "This is Jake. You played against him a few months ago. In the Foothill Classic."

    "It''s okay." I mumbled, moving closer to Noah.

    Something clicked from within when he saw us so close together. "Wait! You two are the middle infielders. I remember now. You''re both freshman so I think we talked about it during the game."

    "In a good way or a bad way?" Noah asked, arms still crossed.

    Seth''s smile faltered. "Well, I can''t recall the whole conversation. Either way, it doesn''t matter. Talk is talk. But you guys walked the walk. CIF champions is a good title."

    Noah didn''t like that answer at all, frowning.

    "Say Zeke, I heard you''re really not entering the draft next week." Seth quickly changed topic and ignored us in favor of talking to Zeke. Not that I blame him. We''re just kids to someone like him.

    "I''ve committed to Stanford." Zeke stated.

    "College is such a waste." Seth remarked. "You''re just losing out on time that you could be in the big leagues."

    Zeke''s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Just like college isn''t for everybody, playing years in the minor league system isn''t for me. I rather develop my game while getting an education."

    He chuckled. "Yea? Well, I hope you don''t regret it when you fall behind us." He jerked a thumb to his team. "Hayden is set to go in the first round. I''m hoping for the same, but the second round wouldn''t bother me."

    Zeke nodded. "I wish you guys all the best in that regard." He tilt his head away from Seth, giving him a look out of the corner of his eye. "Now, if you don''t mind, I need to get back to my coaches. We were having an important discussion."

    "Sure, sure! I just wanted to come over and say hello. We should catch up a bit after all of this. I think all these teams will be seated near each other so it won''t be too hard."

    Zeke gave a nod. "Alright." He glanced down at me and Noah. "You two should follow me." He went back to the coaches without saying goodbye to Seth.

    Noah and I promptly followed him back to where the coaches were chatting, wondering what could be so important for him to include us.

    "What was all that about?" Mr. Miller asked.

    "Just flexing." Zeke told him.

    "Flexing?" Mr. Miller questioned. "What?"

    I didn''t understand either.

    "He was bragging and showing off." Noah explained. "Throwing some shade too. What a loser."

    "Ohh." Mr. Miller understood. "Stay calm, Noah. I don''t want you to rile up the other guys."

    "I hope he doesn''t get drafted at all." Noah laughed. "Wouldn''t that be great?"

    "Very unlikely." Zeke said. "Highly improbable. If we''re lucky though, he''ll drop to the third round."

    Noah relaxed as Zeke joined in on cursing that guy. "I kind of wish you would go pro just so you can overtake him in the draft. Maybe even push him down a few spots."

    Zeke shook his head. "That''s not how the draft works. It''s all about supply and demand."

    "I know." Noah pouted.

    Zeke patted Noah on the shoulder. "Don''t worry. It''s not like he''ll go pro right away. He''ll have to do some time in the minor leagues. There''s no guarantee in this world. Just because he entered the system before me doesn''t mean he''ll automatically become a pro before me."

    Noah nodded. "Yea, I know. And it''s not about when you become a pro, but how long you can last." He glanced back to where University Prep was standing. "As a pitcher, his career is already in jeopardy."

    "Who knows." Zeke said.

    "Hello everyone!" Rose was back. She stood in the center of everyone. "As the coaches know, I''m Rose and I''m with public relations. I''ll be giving out the instructions on when we''ll be going out onto the field. But first, some rules. One, stay with your team. Don''t wander off and get stuck with the wrong team. I don''t want to see any of you running around on the grass. Next, when the camera man points at you to put your team up on the jumbotron, no inappropriate signs of any kind. If you have to ask what''s inappropriate, then don''t do it. I won''t hesitate to have you and your team removed from the stadium for offensive behavior. Third, be on your best behavior. You''re a representative of your school, of your district, and are all stellar athletes. So act like it."

    Rose got her coworkers to help line everyone up, thankfully keeping University Prep. away from us. I wouldn''t put it past Noah to start a fight of some kind. Especially after being disrespected by that Seth guy.

    I was more curious than upset by what he had said. If they talked about us during that beat down game, I wonder what was said, if it was bad. I wasn''t myself at all that game and it was the absolute worst. I wonder if they just thought I was in over my head.

    I was thankful for the championship game allowing me a chance to shine. And for giving my team a chance to show their pride.

 545 V2 ch17

    I didn''t know what I was expecting when they say they would honor our win on the field before game time, but it exceeded all of my expectations.

    Rose and her coworkers organized everyone and when it was time to head out, she lead the pack. Our team was somewhere in the middle, which turned out to be a great spot to be in. The line of teams walked from the outfield entrance all the way to the infield. Without stepping on the dirt, the line bent around, staying in our team clumps.

    "This is crazy!" Noah said with awe when we stopped just about in the center, right behind second base. The jumbotron was showing all the teams at once and the crowd was applauding.

    The rest of the team was just like Noah, unable to believe that we were on a professional baseball field.

    For me...I was more overwhelmed by the fans. They didn''t even know us, yet they were still applauding as the announcer introduced each team over the loudspeaker and made comments on our CIF Championships.

    Rose walked backed along the line with a cameraman, who was doing up close shots of the teams when they were called out. Just as I was thinking about hiding towards the back, Noah threw his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close, waving at the camera.

    "C''mon, Jake, smile and wave!" Noah yelled.

    I lifted a hand and tried my best to smile naturally.

    Rose gave us two thumbs up behind the cameraman and they moved onto the next team.

    "That wasn''t so bad." Noah let go of me. He turned to the team. "If anyone''s parents were able to get pictures of us, send me some! I want to show my Mom and Dad."

    "I''m sure my Mom was able to take a thousand shots." Brian laughed. "She''s attached to her camera."

    "Awesome." Noah grinned.

    "You''ll have to wait a couple days though." Brian explained. "It''s a real camera so she''ll have to download the pictures to our computer and then I can get it to you."

    "I don''t mind!" Noah chatted happily.

    The whole team was excited, taking selfies and waving at the crowd in the stands. It made me happy to see everyone so happy. It was a long season and I even joined in late. I couldn''t imagine how they felt, putting in all that work all year and got to this moment. The seniors especially.

    "Jake! Smile!" Noah pointed his phone at me and took some pictures, resembling his mom. He was quick to change it to selfies, including me in the background.

    Dave joined in, disregarding Zeke''s earlier command about keeping his distance. Kyle was right behind, trying to fit in the background. It wasn''t just them either. Slowly, more and more of our teammates tried to fit in.

    Noah complained. "My arms aren''t long enough!"

    "How about I take the picture for you guys?" Jeremy volunteered. He apparently came jogging over while our focus was on taking pictures.

    This time everyone, including Zeke and the coaches, got in and smiled as Jeremy snapped the pictures with Noah''s phone. He even took a selfie from further away so he could include himself in our group shot. He came back to the group and handed Noah his phone. "I took as many as I could. You might have to delete the blurry shots."

    "That''s not a problem." Noah said. "Thanks."

    Jeremy smiled. "No biggie. I have to make sure Jake doesn''t forget such a special experience."

    Noah stiffened. "We''ll be here again."

    Jeremy looked unsure of what to say. "It''s hard to duplicate. Especially in a sport like baseball."

    Noah narrowed his eyes. "Same can be said about the MLB, but teams can make it to the World Series in back to back seasons, with different players."

    Jeremy laughed. "Alright. It''s not impossible. I''ll be hoping to see you guys here next year then."

    Noah''s eyes widened. "Does that mean.."

    I thought about Jeremy''s contract and what Rose has said about keeping him near. "Will you stay with the A''s?" I asked.

    Jeremy gave a small nod after making sure my other teammates weren''t eavesdropping. "The contract negotiations have been going on, but nothing official yet."

    "Why?" Noah raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to get more money out of it?"

    Jeremy shook his head. "Money isn''t a deal breaker to me. I have sponsors and advertisement money. What I''m looking for is long term and hopefully a no trade clause." He got silent as he saw Rose coming back this way. "Looks like your time on the field is up."

    I thought about the dating question, but decided now wasn''t the time to ask. Instead, I had another question. "When''s your next off day?"

    Jeremy was surprised. "Next Thursday, but it''s during a road trip in New York. So I won''t have an off day here for a couple more weeks."

    "Oh." Then when exactly would we get together..?

    "No need to get sad." Jeremy rushed to say. "Sunday is a day game so if you don''t mind, I can come by for a late dinner."

    "I''ll have to ask." I thought about it. Sunday night was still a school night and it was the week before finals.

    "Mom and Dad should be okay with it." Noah shrugged.

    "Great. Just let me know, okay?" Jeremy said, looking right at me.

    I nodded. "Okay."

    Rose finally reached us and directed our team to follow the other teams back the way we came. "C''mon boys, time to go." She grinned when she saw me and Jeremy together. "Jake, are you already asking Jeremy to stick around?"

    "It''d be cool if he did." I glanced back at Jeremy. "Good luck."

    "Try to put on a show for us!" Noah waved as we followed our team out. As we got further from them, Noah spoke up again. "I think he''s loosening up a bit."

    "Yea?"

    "Yea. Just last week, he was super awkward, but now it''s tolerable." Noah nudged me. "And he wants to stick around. That''s a good sign. Not just because I like the A''s, but this way you have a better chance at having a somewhat normal brother relationship."

    Normal? I laughed. "There''s nothing normal about this. You''re the only one who would think this is normal."

    Noah grinned. "Hey, it could be worse."

    "Yea..." I agreed. "It really could be." I grinned at Noah. "I''m glad I got placed with your family. This is probably the closest I''ll get to normal."

    "Soon you''ll be one of us too!" Noah threw his arm around me like normal and we followed our team as someone led the way to our seats in the stands. "Do you think you''ll change your last name to ours?"

    Stunned, I stopped moving, forcing Noah to stop too.

    He looked worried. "What? Do you not want to?"

    "I do." My voice cracked so I cleared my throat. "Do you really think you''re parents will let me change my last name to Atkins?"

    "I don''t see why not..." Noah smiled. "It''d be weird if my brother had a different last name than me."

    I relaxed, happy that Noah sounded positive that his parents would tell me I could take their last name. It didn''t even occur to me, until much later, that I would still have a different last name than my brother. No matter which way I chose to go.

 546 V2 ch18

    Our seats with the team was not as good as last week, but it was a different kind of experience. I was surrounded by my teammates on my left, on my right, in front of me, and behind me. And for once, my claustrophobia felt under control. It helped that my only choices was to be surrounded by my teammates or by complete strangers. Plus, it was a week night and not a weekend so the stadium wasn''t really that full. Far from being sold out.

    Zeke was in full adult mode, playing babysitter to me and Noah. He got the food and drinks, sitting right behind us to watch over us. He had separated the twins into two different sides of the seating section to discourage any bickering. He still made sure to enjoy himself by sitting with the other seniors though, and I overheard them talking about graduation plans.

    Noah kept me entertained throughout the game, talking about every player that came up. What position they played and whether they were good. It was funny to hear him talk about Jeremy with reverence and respect in regards to his playing. Jeremy didn''t let us down at all during the game. He made some excellent catches in the outfield and was just as good at the plate, hitting two doubles for a couple of RBIs.

    After the game we parted ways with the team as everyone went back to their own car. A few of the guys stopped to tell me thanks, even though I didn''t do anything besides speaking with Jeremy. It didn''t feel right for me to say ''you''re welcome'' so I kept silent and just nodded.

    "I call shotgun!" Dave raced to the front passenger door of the car.

    "No way!" Kyle argued.

    "You had it on the way here." Dave pointed out.

    "So what?" Kyle scoffed. "That means nothing."

    Noah frowned. "What''s your problem Kyle? Dave called shotgun first, and you already sat in the front."

    Kyle rolled his eyes.

    "Sit in the back." Zeke told Kyle, completely stern and in control.

    Kyle groaned as he climbed in the back of the car as the rest of us shared a similar expression of confusion. Kyle had been just fine during the game, but back with us, he was kind of being a jerk.

    Noah scrunched up his nose and looked like he was about to go on a rage.

    Zeke held up a hand to stop him. "Let''s just get home. It''s a long drive and we have school tomorrow. It''s probably best if you four go to sleep." He lowered his voice. "Don''t antagonize Kyle right now."

    "Us?! Don''t antagonize him??" Dave rolled his eyes, then got in the front seat without saying more.

    Noah nodded in agreement and whispered to Zeke. "Kyle has been hot and cold for weeks now. It made sense for him to be mad about the finals, but isn''t this a little too weird?"

    "Yea? When?" Noah didn''t wait for a reply and got in the car next.

    Zeke looked at me. "You okay?"

    I nodded. "It''s not like I was going to sit in the front."

    He cracked a smile. "I meant, with Kyle?"

    I shrugged. "It doesn''t bother me." I''ve been through worse. And who was I to butt in with his problems when I can''t even solve my own. I thought about something Mr. Atkins had told me once before and repeated it. "We''re all a work in progress."

    Zeke reached out and tweaked the hat on my head. "If he gets to be too annoying, come and talk to me first."

    I nodded and got in the car.

    Zeke was last in, getting settled in the driver''s seat. He turned on the navigation system and made sure we were buckled in before he started to drive.

    There was a weird tension in the car, mostly coming from Kyle in the very back. Just because I didn''t mind his erratic attitude, didn''t mean I didn''t notice it. Like Noah said, he''s been weird all month. Whether that was coming from baseball or somewhere else, who knows?

    I couldn''t sleep in the car like Zeke said, but Noah and Dave passed out soon enough. I closed my eyes and leaned against the window, thinking of what Sunday night dinner would be like with Jeremy around.

    "Zeke?" Kyle called putting from the back, raising his voice just enough for Zeke to hear.

    Zeke turned down the radio to silent. "Yea?"

    "Do you think I could be as good as Seth?" Kyle asked. He caught me by surprise since I was expecting him to apologize for being rude.

    "If you set your mind to it, you can." Zeke answered.

    "That''s not true though." I could hear Kyle moving around and leaning forward. "It''s not always about effort. You need a perfect mix of effort, talent, and luck."

    "But there''s only one you can work on."

    "Effort." He sighed. "Do you think I tried any less than Dave? He got to pitch in the finals over me. Is there something I''m lacking?"

    "It''s not about what you''re lacking. It''s about what coaches are looking for. You and Dave are not the same. You may have a lot of similarities, but at the core, you''re you and he is him."

    "Wow, so deep." He snorted. I heard him lean back.

    "If you''re mad at yourself, you shouldn''t take it out on others." Zeke spoke up. "I understand that you feel pressured, but it''s not a race of how fast you get there. It''s a marathon on how long you can last."

    "Don''t act like you didn''t want to go pro right after high school." Kyle let out a short laugh. "You didn''t even put colleges in your eyes until these last few months."

    "And I changed my mind." He paused. "I shouldn''t have written it off so soon. Mom was right to push me this way. Without college, could I guarantee myself another chance to play with Rhys? I looked up the average age of rookies that made their MLB debut. It''s 24. 24. I would already be done with my four years of college at 22."

    "So? That''s just the average. There are a lot of players that debuted young. Look at Jeremy. He''s only 21. Last year, he won rookie of the year. Don''t you want to be like that?"

    "Not everyone travels the same path." Was all Zeke said.

    "So you''re really going to stay at college for all four years?"

    "I''m leaning that way."

    "Dumb." Kyle muttered. Probably too low for Zeke to hear. He went quiet and Zeke said nothing more, leading to a quiet hour ride home in the dark.

    If I knew what to say, I would say it just so they would know that I didn''t intend to eavesdrop. I just couldn''t sleep. It really sounded like Kyle was going through some kind of indecision and turmoil. I wonder if Dave knew that Kyle was leaning towards going pro? Better yet, I wonder if his parents knew? I guess there''s always the chance that he might change his mind like Zeke did. I don''t know what it would take for that to happen though.

 547 V2 ch19

    Once we got home, Mr. and Mrs. Atkins met us in the garage and hurried us inside, sending us straight to our rooms for bed. It was past midnight and we would have to wake up in a few hours for school.

    "Mom, I have some pictures for you!" Noah handed his phone over, half asleep. We went upstairs together with his mom right behind us.

    She swiped through the phone with a smile. "Looks like you kids had a fun night."

    "Yea." Noah yawned and climbed into bed.

    Mrs. Atkins said. "Oh? Jeremy even took some of these for you? How nice of him." She glanced at me. "Are you two doing okay? He''s not picking on you or being rude?"

    I almost laughed. Jeremy was worried I was being bullied by them. "No. It''s fine. He''s fine." I got into bed. "Can he come over for dinner on Sunday night?"

    "He doesn''t have a game?" She frowned.

    "It''s a day game." Noah explained. "He said he can come over afterwards, but it might be a late dinner."

    She put Noah''s phone on the charger. "I''ll speak with Dad about it." She smiled at me. "Go ahead and let him know in the morning that we would welcome him." She headed for our bedroom door.

    "Mom?" Noah sat up in bed, a little more awake.

    "Yes?"

    "Jake and I were talking..." I sat up too, knowing what was coming. I suddenly felt sick and scared. Noah shouldn''t do this right now. What if I never get to sleep afterwards? "After we officially adopt Jake, can he change his last name to ours?"

    Mrs. Atkins froze then turned to me. "Is that what you want Jake?"

    I nodded stiffly.

    "You don''t have to if you don''t want to." She took a step back into the room. "If Noah''s suggestion isn''t something you want to do-"

    "I do!" I spoke up. Feeling shy, I gripped my comforter in both hands. "I mean...if it''s not too much trouble."

    Mrs. Atkins smiled. "Okay. I see. I''ll call George and let him know that we also want to submit a filing for name change. Jake Atkins. Sounds good." She headed back for the door. "Goodnight boys."

    "Night, Mom." Noah said back, still sitting up. He then turned to me. "Jake Atkins! You''re going to be an Atkins boy too!" He was grinning.

    I grinned back at him, relieved. "Yea." I laid back down and so did he. We should be asleep, but all I could think about was shedding the last name ''Hollander''. It was my mom''s maiden name. I didn''t have a problem with the way it sounded, but more with the memories it brought. It was almost as if, I could leave my mom behind if I got rid of this name. One less piece of her to tie me down.

    Mrs. Atkins approval and support for my name change gave me a renewed sense of happiness. I even woke up happy with the few hours of sleep I got.

    Noah was groggy with the lack of sleep, but once he saw my smile, he caught on. He grinned. "Ready for school, Jake Atkins?"

    "You two look so energetic this morning..." Dave noted, mumbling and looking like he was ready to go back to bed.

    Noah grinned. "It''s the weekend! And..." He paused for dramatic effect, which only worked on the twins. He only continued after Dave threw a crumpled napkin at him. "Mom said Jake can change his last name to be the same as ours."

    He waved a hand my way and I smiled proudly.

    "Nice!" Dave seemed to wake up a little bit. He raised his hand. "Five Atkins boys. That has a good ring to it."

    "It''s not like four sounded bad." Kyle pointed out, putting a damper on our excitement.

    "What''s your problem?" Noah got up from the table.

    Kyle glanced up from his plate. "Nothing. I''m just saying." He shrugged and went back to eating.

    Noah clenched his fists like he wanted to literally fight Kyle.

    "Take a seat, Noah." Mr. Atkins instructed. He then turned to Kyle. "Kyle, I hope you can see how your words sounded to Noah, Jake, and the rest of us. Do you have something else to add?"

    Kyle looked up again, making eye contact with me. I saw a flash of guilt. "I didn''t mean it in a bad way. I was just saying, we-" He completely stopped under the glare of his dad. "Jake, I''m happy that you want our last name."

    His new sentence didn''t make me feel any better. I ate my food in silence, trying to digest what he meant by that.

    When it was time to leave for school, all of us headed for the car.

    "Kyle." Mr. Atkins got up from the table. "Hang back. I''ll drive you to school a bit later."

    Kyle froze.

    Dave and Noah got in the car without looking back at him. I couldn''t though. I glanced back, worried that he might be in trouble because of me.

    Zeke rested his hand on my shoulder and shook his head. "Let''s go, Jake."

    "But-"

    "It''s not your problem." Zeke told me. "Leave Kyle to Dad. He''s never let you down before right?"

    That''s right. I nodded and got in the car. Mr. Atkins wasn''t going to hit Kyle or anything like that. He was wise and kind. He would know how to get through to Kyle without any extreme actions. I wonder if he would take him to the beach.

    "Man, Kyle needs an attitude check." Noah huffed as Zeke drove us to school. "He''s been too much to handle lately. If Dad doesn''t smack him upside the head, then I might have to take it into my own hands." He lift his two fists like he was preparing for a fight.

    I reached out and placed my hand on his fists. "Violence never solved anything. It just creates more problems."

    Noah looked a bit sheepish as he put his hands down. "I''m just kidding."

    "You''re not wrong though." Dave said from the front. He caught me looking at him. "Not wrong that Kyle needs an attitude readjustment, I mean. That part. It''s good that Dad''s going to talk to him. Hopefully we don''t have a moodier Kyle this weekend or my birthday is going to be ruined."

    Birthday?

    "Kyle and Dave''s birthday is June 3rd, Monday." Noah told me. He leaned forward. "Do you want to celebrate without him? We can just leave him at home and go do whatever you want."

    Dave shook his head. "Sometimes I think like that, but Kyle is just going through a phase. I don''t want to look back and see how petty I was to not spend our 17th birthday together."

    Zeke nodded. "Smart."

    Dave grinned. "This doesn''t mean that I won''t be accepting better gifts than Kyle. If you guys want to show that you appreciate me more than Kyle, that is."

    "I can give you a better gift." Zeke smiled lightly as he pulled into the school''s parking lot.

    Dave''s grin fell off his face as he stiffened. "Kidding. I don''t need any gifts this year. Please." He begged.

    "I didn''t need my locker decorated either." Zeke parked. "I think you''re a more purple guy than pink." He got out of the car.

    I remembered how Dave had Garret decorate Zeke''s locker for his birthday. I smiled as Noah laughed at Dave.

    "Your birthday is on a school day this year, Dave." Noah told him. "You should have been more careful with your pranks. Let''s go, Jake, we have some planning to do."

    I grabbed my backpack and followed Zeke and Noah to the school. "Are we pranking the twins on Monday?"

    "That''s a given." Noah told me. "It''s tradition, remember? It''s especially fun for the twins because we get to team up with Zeke."

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "I think you mean it''s more fun for you."

    Noah shrugged. "Same difference."

    I laughed. It''s not, but okay. "What did you guys do last year?"

    Noah shook his head. "Just some fun stuff at home. Their birthday was on a Sunday last year. So this Monday, we''ve got to do something special." He looked up at Zeke. "You''ll have to teach us your ways before you go off to college."

    Zeke smiled. "We have the weekend to plan it out."

 548 V2 ch20

    Zeke didn''t hint to us whether he had a plan already set or if we would come up with something together this weekend. He left us to go to his own class and we went to ours.

    "Is it just me, or are we being stared at..?" Noah noticed immediately that the few classmates that were already in the room, didn''t take their eyes off us when we walked in.

    "Noah!"

    "Noah, Jake, come here!"

    "Why didn''t you guys tell us?"

    "Tell you what?" Noah asked after dropping his backpack off at his desk.

    I did the same.

    "That Jake was on good terms with Jeremy Patterson now!"

    I froze.

    Noah looked around. "How do you guys know?"

    "It''s going around." Alisha was the one to speak up and show us her phone. "Someone posted on a blog about him coming to the CIF game and had pictures to back it up. And then added some pictures of the game last night. Where Jeremy was taking pictures of the team and talking to Jake."

    "What a creep!" Noah exclaimed. "Who the heck does this?" He grabbed the phone and started to scroll.

    Alisha shrugged. "It''s just a blogger from the area trying to be a reporter. He doesn''t have a whole lot of followers, but somehow it got around the school since your whole team was at the game last night. Someone was bound to know one of you guys and then it just got around." She looked at me. "So? Is it true? That you''re his brother?"

    The class got quiet. Even Noah. He looked at me like I would be making the decision to talk about Jeremy. "Uh...well, he is. My biological brother." The class started to ask questions all at once and it was hard to hear anything specific.

    "Shut up!" Noah hollered, giving Alisha her phone back. "If you guys want to gossip before class starts, then I suggest you let Jake tell you what''s going on." The class was silent once more. Noah nodded at me. "Just tell them what you want to tell them."

    I don''t really want to tell them anything though..?

    I sighed. "We aren''t exactly close. We haven''t spoken in years. He''s..." I shrugged. "He''s a professional baseball player."

    "Do you think you can get us an autograph?" Someone asked.

    I turned red, embarrassed. "I don''t know. Maybe?" I looked around. "Does everyone want one..?"

    "I do!"

    "Me too!"

    "I mean, if you''re offering?"

    "Yea!"

    "Definitely!"

    "Okay, okay." Noah waved his hands around. "Settle down. We''ll see what we can do. Jake will ask, but if he gets told no, then that''s final." Noah sounded more like his parents as he calmed down our classmates.

    "Would he really tell you no?" Alisha whispered to me as Noah placated the others.

    I shrugged. "We aren''t close." I felt like a broken record, repeating myself over and over again. "I-" I stopped and realized I didn''t even text him this morning about coming over on Sunday. "Hold on."

    Me: You can come over Sunday for dinner.

    A reply came back almost immediately.

    Jeremy: I''ll be there.

    So quick. I looked up at Alisha, feeling her curious eyes locked on me. "I...We''re not as distant as before."

    She nodded like she understood. "That''s good."

    She looked on as Noah talked to more and more classmates as it got closer to the start of class. "It''s not like you''re missing out on what a brother is supposed to be like. Noah does a great job protecting you."

    I nodded in agreement.

    She glanced at me. "Hey, can I ask you for a favor?"

    My first thought was that she also wanted something from Jeremy.

    But she threw me for a curve when she got closer and whispered so only I could hear. "I know I said I didn''t need a birthday gift, but can you make sure Noah gets me one?"

    My eyebrows raised with confusion.

    "Please? It doesn''t have to be anything big." She pleaded.

    I nodded willingly. Alisha was nice and she deserved a birthday gift. She invited us to her party and was okay with joining our softball team so it''s only right we do something for her.

    "Thanks, Jake." She grinned and hurried to her seat since the bell rang.

    All the other students got back to their seats too, knowing that we would get detention if we didn''t. Noah and I did the same.

    He leaned backwards and tried to relax. "Ugh. What a morning." He glanced at me. "Do you think it''ll be like this all day?"

    I shrugged. I hope not.

    Unfortunately, it was just the beginning. Every class was just like the first, with curious classmates. It didn''t bother me as much as the first time around, but one question got to me.

    "Is he why you''re so good at baseball?"

    I felt frozen in time for two reasons. One, it''s a compliment that I feel I don''t deserve. I''m good at hitting, not at baseball. Two, Jeremy had never played baseball with me before. I vague memory of him and my dad playing catch made me want to play too. Just to feel closer to them than the person I called ''mom''.

    Noah was able to tell that kid off first, before I came back from the shock. "What are you saying? Don''t you know that Jeremy didn''t even want to claim him as a brother? How could he be the reason that he''s good? Jake is good thanks to his own hard work. Are you good at biology because your parents are doctors or because you study?"

    "Dang, no need to be so defensive." The kid muttered before walking away.

    "Don''t mind them." Noah patted me on the shoulder. "Didn''t you want to see Dr. Moore today? Let''s hide out in his office for lunch."

    I nodded in agreement.

    At lunch time, we were able to make our escape from the curious gazes, sneaking through the office to Dr. Moore''s temporary office. He really embraced being the school counselor even though he wasn''t getting paid. This was the definition of being a good person.

    He smiled as he watched the two of us creep in his office, closing the door behind us so no one else would come. "Happy Friday, guys. Looks like you''ve heard the rumors?"

    "All day!" Noah groaned, slumping in one of the chairs across Dr. Moore''s desk. "You''ve heard too?"

    "Not only did I hear, I saw it on tv." Dr. Moore looked at me. "Before the game, they showed how close Jeremy was to your team, even helping with pictures. He didn''t do that for any of the other high school teams so it garnered some attention."

    That''s probably why the blogger started digging around.

    I sighed and sat in the empty chair next to Noah.

    "How are you holding up, Jake?" Dr. Moore asked.

    I shrugged. "I''m not as scared as last time. Or as mad. I''m just confused on what to say."

    "What to say?" He asked. "What do you mean by that?"

    I shook my head. "I don''t have the answers. Am I close to Jeremy? I don''t know. Will he come to anymore of my games? I don''t know. Will he visit my school? I don''t know. Can I get everyone an autograph? I. Really. Don''t. Know." I sighed again.

 549 V2 ch21

    "It''s not wrong of you to tell them that you don''t know." Dr. Moore pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "An alternative to ''I don''t know'' is a ''we''ll see''. It groups you and the questioning party together and put you on the same side."

    "I guess." I sighed.

    Noah started to pull his lunch out, placing it on the desk. "You don''t mind if we eat here, do you?"

    Dr. Moore laughed. "No problem." He pulled a drawer open and pulled out a brown-sacked lunch. "I eat in here too."

    "You don''t eat with the other teachers and stuff?" Noah asked.

    He shook his head, opening his lunch. "I like to stay in my office when you kiddos have your breaks. You never know who might come by unannounced."

    "Do a lot of students come by?" I asked, wanting to know.

    He raised an eyebrow. "Define ''a lot''?"

    I shrugged. I just wanted to know if there were more kids like me, struggling, and needed the help of a therapist.

    He sighed. "It''s not a big number compared to other schools, but the number is higher than I like. In a perfect world, no child or teenager would need a therapist." He looked at me. "Does it make you feel better knowing that others need to see me too?"

    Embarrassed, I turned to my lunch, trying to avoid eye contact.

    Dr. Moore laughed. "It''s okay if you feel that way. Nothing wrong with it. No one wants to feel alone." He opened his banana. "So what did you want to talk about before?"

    I shrunk. "More Jeremy stuff. I talked it out though, I think."

    "Oh?"

    "With Zeke." Noah said between bites of his sandwich.

    "Interesting. Why don''t you tell me what''s going on and how you''re handling it?" Dr. Moore relaxed into his seat and ate his food.

    I swallowed. "Well...I just feel disconnected from Jeremy. We''ve spoken a few times. A few texts. But, it doesn''t feel like a normal brother-brother relationship."

    He nodded, silently telling me to continue.

    "I, I, I mentioned it with Noah and Zeke. Zeke said I should have a more in-depth conversation with him. Since I don''t know anything about him and he doesn''t know anything about me." I told him all about the conversation we had in the living room.

    Dr. Moore didn''t interrupt and waited patiently for me to finish. After I told him what we talked about the game, he got his notepad out and started to take notes. "Good. Good. That''s great. To improve relationships of any kind, it requires communication between both parties."

    "He''s coming by for dinner on Sunday night." I added.

    "How do you feel about it?"

    "A little awkward. A stranger coming over for dinner." I told him.

    "If I may suggest...have some alone time with him." Dr. Moore said. "Only if you want to, that is. Both of you might be more willing to open up without an audience."

    "Anything you want." He smiled. "Try to make a list of everything you want to know about him. You can add to it as you think of more questions. And then on the reverse side, you can add what you want to tell him. What you want him to know about you."

    Noah''s phone vibrated, cutting our talk short. "It''s Kaylee! She has her and her friend''s release form. We have a team!" He jumped up and packed his lunch. Then stopped. He looked at me. "Do you mind if we go?"

    I smiled and packed up what was left of my lunch. "Yea, I just wanted to catch Dr. Moore up on what''s happening."

    "I''ll be here for lunch, Monday through Friday." Dr. Moore told me. "You have my number if any emergency crops up. Enjoy the rest of your lunch."

    "Sure! Thanks!" Noah opened up the door and walked out first.

    I waved before leaving. "Thanks for listening."

    "That''s what I''m here for." He smiled.

    I hurried after Noah, following him to the quad. We spotted Kaylee with her friends from before. Noah waved and shouted her name, drawing attention to us. Normally, the other teens would just glance our way and then go back to doing their own thing. But not today. Today, everyone knew who I was and who I was related to. Their eyes stayed on us, making me shift uncomfortably.

    Kaylee came over, passing the papers to Noah. "Here ya go." She glanced at me. "Everyone''s been talking about you today."

    I looked away.

    "It''s just talk." Noah patted my shoulder. "Jake and Jeremy are brothers, but it''s complicated."

    "Life is complicated." Kaylee agreed. "Are we going to practice at all for this softball league?"

    Noah shrugged. "I''m not sure. We can have a team meeting after I get the game schedule. I''ll pass it out and then we can take a vote then. We can also talk about positioning and Zeke will pass out the rules. He said some of them really differ from normal softball."

    "Duh. It''s for adults. And for a coed team." She rolled her eyes. "I just hope the games aren''t too far otherwise we''ll be bumming rides of you guys."

    "We?"

    "Me and KJ. Neither of us can drive."

    Noah blinked. "What about your parents?"

    She glanced away. "They''ll be busy with Marie stuff all summer. They''re only letting me do this because it''s free and they don''t have to give rides. KJ only has a mom, who works two jobs so it''s also difficult for her."

    "Oh." Noah scratched his face. "I''m sure Zeke will be okay with it. There''s also Alisha. She won''t be able to drive. We''ll coordinate during the team meeting."

    "Okay, let us know when and where."

    "The old man said the schedule will be made on Tuesday so it won''t be until Wednesday, maybe after. Like the weekend?"

    "Next weekend." She nodded. "Okay. I''ll let KJ know."

    The school bell rung, signaling it was the end of lunch and time to go to our next class. Kaylee went back to her group to get her backpack while Noah was busy stuffing the papers in his bag.

    "Hey..." Noah stood up straight after putting the forms away. "If Kyle gives you a hard time in class or says something out of line, let me know."

    I hesitated. "It''s fine." Kyle wasn''t being outright mean to me. It feels kind of childish to tattle on him to his younger brother. "I''ll just sit on the other side of Dave."

    Noah scrunched up his nose. "Okay, I''ll see you in Health." He hurried to his class and I went to mine.

    It turned out that I didn''t need to force Dave to sit between me and Kyle. Because there was no Kyle.

    "He didn''t come to any classes today." Dave told me with raised eyebrows. "I sent Dad a text to ask about it, but apparently it was Dad''s idea to keep him out for the day. I wonder what they''re doing?"

    "Probably talking?" I thought of the bench by the beach. It would be a nice day to watch the waves roll in.

    "I wish I could skip school for a talk with Dad." Dave sighed.

    I grinned, thinking of something funny. "Maybe you should try? On Monday?"

    Dave scooted closer to me. "Do you know something?" I laughed. "You do know something! Tell me! What are they''re going to try and pull on Monday?"

    I shook my head. "I really don''t know. Noah and I have nothing planned."

    "But Zeke does?" He collapsed on the desk. "Oh man. I don''t think I''ll be able to sleep all weekend."

 550 V2 ch22

    Dave spent most of math trying to get something out of me. But I really didn''t know, so all I could do was shake my head. In my next class with Noah, I told him how Kyle didn''t come to school today and how Dave was already on edge for his birthday.

    Noah grinned. "Dave''s on edge?" He laughed. "It''s going to be a tough weekend on him."

    "Are we going to do something this weekend?" I asked.

    "To him? Nah. We''ve got to wait for his actual birthday." Noah told me. "It''s not special if you just do it any day. I really wonder what Zeke has come up with."

    "Should we come up with something by ourselves?"

    "We could." He thought about it. "It''d be wrong to make Zeke do all the work. What should we do..?" Noah spent most of the class brainstorming, not paying attention at all.

    After school ended, Noah had a giant evil grin on his face. He thought of something. He refused to say since we were heading to the car to go home, and didn''t want to accidentally give it away if Dave snuck up on us.

    Zeke was already waiting in the car as we got in the back with our backpacks.

    "Zeke, can we go to the mall tonight?" Noah asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

    "Why do you need to go to the mall?" Dave asked from behind us, crawling out of the very back row, scaring the crap out of us.

    I put my hand to my chest, feeling like my heart my break out of my chest.

    "God! What is wrong with you!?" Noah smacked him as Dave climbed his way to the front passenger seat.

    Dave laughed. "I caught you red handed. You think you can go to the mall without me? I''ll be sticking to you guys like glue all weekend."

    "I wasn''t going to the mall because of you." Noah rolled his eyes.

    "Really? Then why do you need to go to the mall? You almost never go there. You spend your days watching baseball, thinking about baseball, and playing baseball at the cages." Dave squinted at home. "And it just so happens that you want to go to the mall right before my birthday? Ha. I''m not dumb."

    I laughed a little, finding Dave funny with his accusations.

    "You!" He pointed star me. "Don''t think you''re off the hook. Let me remind you, that you can expect the same treatment on your birthday."

    "We have another reason to go to the mall, okay?" Noah said.

    "Oh yea? What for?" Dave asked, smirking.

    Noah pursed his lips, probably thinking of a lie.

    It was at this time that I remembered Alisha''s request. She wanted a birthday gift. I pulled up my bag and opened it, looking for the invitation. Then I passed it to Dave. "We were invited to Alisha''s birthday party. We have to get a gift."

    Dave blinked in surprise. After all, we didn''t mention the party before so he can''t possibly know that we were invited a few days ago. "Who''s Alisha?"

    "Hmm." Dave looked it over. "The party isn''t until after school ends. You can get a gift next week weekend."

    Helpless, I kept quiet.

    "Next weekend we have to prepare for softball." Zeke spoke up for the first time. "Now...can you buckle up so I can drive us home? I don''t want to spend my Friday evening in the school parking lot listening to your paranoia."

    Dave twisted around, facing forward. He buckled up and so did we. With everyone settled, Zeke started the car and we headed home.

    Dave tossed my invitation back. "I still don''t trust you guys. I''ll be coming to the mall too."

    "You''re free to do so." Noah told him. "We should just make a night out of it and go to the movies. Do you think Kyle will be in a better mood?"

    Dave looked out the window. "Probably. He got to miss school, didn''t he?"

    "Isn''t that a bad thing?" I asked. "Your parents only let me skip school on really bad days..." Heck, they made me go back to school after a court session.

    The car got quiet.

    "We''ll find out soon enough." Zeke pulled into the driveway and parked the car.

    We all got out and walked into the house, unsure of what to expect. So far, there was no sight of Kyle downstairs. Not in the kitchen, living room, or the backyard.

    "Mom?" Noah went to the office and knocked at the door.

    Mrs. Atkins came out and saw the four of us just standing around. "What are you boys looking so solemn for..?"

    "Where''s Kyle?" Dave asked.

    "Oh. He and your dad went on a camping trip." She headed for the kitchen. "I prepared some cookies for an afternoon snack. Do any of you have homework to do this weekend?"

    Noah followed her obediently. "Just some small projects due later in the week. I''ll do it tomorrow."

    "Wait! Camping?" Dave realized. "For how long? Why?"

    Mrs. Atkins met us in the dining room, placing the cookies down. "For the weekend." She gave a sad smile. "You dad thought it would be a good idea to give him some one-on-one attention. They''ll be back in time for dinner on Sunday." She looked at Zeke. "With your dad gone, I''ll be working a lot this weekend to cover both of our open houses so I''ll need you to watch over Noah and Jake when I''m not around."

    Zeke nodded. "Alright."

    "Are you busy tonight, Mom?" Noah asked, already on cookie number two.

    She nodded, fixing up her hair. "I have to work on some proposals, so I thought we could order pizza for dinner?"

    "We want to go to the mall instead." Noah was the only one speaking. Zeke didn''t see the need to speak up and Dave looked lost in his thoughts. "Can we?"

    "As long as you all go together." She looked around. "What are you planning to do there?"

    "Alisha is throwing a party so we need to get her a gift." Noah explained, not mentioning that it was a cover story. "But since you''re busy, we could stay there for dinner too. Maybe a movie?"

    Her lips thinned. "Alright. It''ll be good to get you all out of the house. Maybe I''ll get a majority of my work done while the house is empty. How much do you think you need for a gift?"

    Noah blinked. Blinked again. He turned to me. "What do you think..?"

    I was just as clueless as him. "I don''t know. I''ve never given a gift before."

    "Oh gosh." Mrs. Atkins sighed. She looked at Zeke. "I''ll transfer money to your card. Dinner and movie. Enough for these two to get the girl a gift. Do you think you can help them?"

    Zeke started to nod, but Dave broke out in laughs. "Zeke? Help them? He''s never bought a girl a gift before. It''s like the blind leading the blind."

    "Not like you''re any better." Noah mumbled.

    Mrs. Atkins sighed. "Just don''t pick anything inappropriate. A gift card as a last resort."

 551 V2 ch23

    We spent the afternoon munching on cookies and listening to Mrs. Atkins lecture on what not to buy for a girl. I had to nudge Noah a few times to make sure he was listening. Dave was the only one to make an escape with the excuse that he had to reply to some emails from college coaches before we head to the mall. Zeke listened patiently to his mom, but it was hard to tell if he cared at all.

    Eventually, Mrs. Atkins had to get back to work. She pointed at Noah before leaving us in the kitchen. "Listen to Zeke. He has money on his card so you shouldn''t be wandering far from him."

    Noah nodded obediently while stuffing his face.

    Mrs. Atkins looked at me. "You too. Stay close."

    I nodded.

    She left for her office.

    Zeke pulled the plate of cookies away from Noah. "That''s enough for you. If you keep eating like this, you''re going to get out of shape. You know Coach doesn''t have any problems with moving varsity players down if they don''t perform well."

    Noah looked guilty. "I''ll make up for it tomorrow. I''ll train with you. That should burn all the calories." He reached for the plate.

    Zeke stood up with the plate of cookies. "Moderation, Noah." He went to the kitchen and came back empty handed. "We better head for the mall. It''s a Friday. The parking will be a hassle."

    Noah got up. "Okay, okay. Jake, lets go put our bags away."

    I followed him upstairs, then we both put our backpacks down in the corner. As soon as we came out of the room, Dave was right there waiting.

    He leaned against the wall with a smirk. "You guys ready?"

    Noah and I both nodded. We three went downstairs and met back up with Zeke. He grabbed his keys and wallet and headed for the car.

    "Wait." Dave stopped us before we got in. "Can I drive?"

    "Why?" Noah asked, taken aback. "Do you want to kill us before your birthday or something?"

    "I''m not that bad of a driver." Dave said. He looked at me. "Jake, speak up for me."

    I shrugged. "You did get pulled over by the cop before." I got in the back seat before Dave could grab me.

    "It wasn''t my fault!" Dave turned to Zeke. "C''mon. Please? Kyle gets to go camping with Dad all weekend and I only get you guys. I bet Kyle gets to practice his driving with Dad."

    Zeke handed the keys over. "Fine." He went around to the front passenger seat.

    With Zeke''s permission, Noah and I could only buckle up and stay silent to let Dave concentrate. Dave got in the driver''s seat with the biggest smile as he started to readjust the seat and mirrors.

    "To the mall!" He put the car in reverse and pulled out of the driveway.

    "Should we check the movie times first?" Noah bounced a little as the four of us walked to the huge building. "What should we even watch? It''s been so long, I don''t even know what''s playing anymore."

    "Whatever''s funny." Dave suggested. "I definitely won''t watch a romance." He shivered.

    "Yea, lets keep it lighthearted." Noah said after glancing at me.

    Once inside the mall, we headed straight for the movie theater at the other end. There, they discussed which time was best as I hung back. Even Zeke got involved, reminding them that they should think about dinner too. Do we want to eat before the movie?

    "Hell yes!" Noah shouted. "Food has to be before the movie or I''ll just be hearing my growling stomach."

    "Fatty." Dave poked him on the cheek.

    "We''ll go with the 7:30pm show then." Zeke made the executive decision. "We''ll eat at the food court around 6pm and then come here afterwards." He stepped up. "I''ll buy the tickets now just in case they sell out." He went to the ticket window.

    Dave nodded in satisfaction, then looked at me and Noah. "And just where do you two plan on getting that girl''s gift from?"

    Noah scratched his cheek. "We''ll probably just look around. You and Zeke can do your own thing."

    Dave chuckled. "No way, kiddo. I''ll be watching all of you. Mom said to stick together."

    Noah frowned. "Okay. If that''s what you want to do."

    Zeke came back with the purchased tickets. He put them in his wallet and looked at us. "Where to first?"

    Noah shrugged. "I guess we should just look around? Walk in the girl shops?"

    Zeke nodded. "Alright."

    Noah led the way, going in one girl like store to the next. I felt kind of embarrassed by the looks we were getting, however I wasn''t alone. Dave was also shifting around uncomfortable with all the attention we were getting. Every time we entered a new store, a worker would approached us and ask who we were shopping for.

    When Zeke suggested we take a break, Dave agreed immediately.

    He collapsed on a bench near an indoor fountain. "This is so exhausting. Can''t you just pick something already?"

    "No one asked you to come in every store." Noah grumbled. "It''s not like I know what to get a girl. Have you ever bought a girl a birthday present?"

    Dave sighed. "I say you should just get a gift card."

    "That''s so impersonal." Noah thought for a minute. He spotted a store nearby. "I''ve got an idea. I want to go in there and take a look. Are you guys staying here or coming with?"

    Zeke handed his wallet over. "Jake and I will wait here."

    I smiled, thankful that Zeke didn''t make me go. I really needed some time to decompress. I relaxed in my chair, happy to know it''s break time.

    Dave glanced at us, then at the store Noah was talking about. He waved his hand around lazily. "Go ahead. I''ll wait here with Zeke and Jake."

    Noah grinned. He winked at me, out of Dave''s view. "I''ll be back." He turned and walked away.

    "I can''t believe you guys are actually going to a party." Dave told me. "Are you guys going to hide out like last time?"

    I shrugged. I was in a better place than last time. Plus... "Alisha is nice. And she said it''s only people in our grade." I frowned. "It''s a pool party though. So I''m kind of scared."

    Zeke knew of my scars, whereas Dave had actually seen them.

    Dave say up on the bench. "You don''t have to go swimming just because it''s a pool party. Just chill near the food."

    I nodded. "That''s what Noah said."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "I bet he said that more for himself than for you. That foodie...I bet he stuffs his face with sweets the whole time. Cake, cupcakes, cookies, anything with sugar and he''ll probably scarf it down." He shook his head. "I hope this softball thing gets him to burn all these calories."

    "No worries there." Zeke spoke up. "I''ll practice with Noah and Jake this summer until the Stanford camp."

    I audibly gulped. Can''t wait.

 552 V2 ch24

    Zeke saw my look of fear and cracked a smile. "It won''t be anything you two can''t handle. Just training to keep you guys in shape. Maybe work a little more on your stamina and strength."

    "Yea! It''d be cool if you could start cranking out homeruns all the time like Zeke!" Dave got excited. "It would be like he never left."

    I looked at Zeke.

    Zeke tilted his head. "Jake would have to do some more growing."

    I sat up straighter than ever. "I''ve been growing."

    "True." Dave nodded. "You''re no longer the bean sprout you were just a few months ago. I hope you grow as tall as Jeremy."

    I thought about seriously. "Do you think I can?"

    "Sure!" Dave was quick to tell me. "You and him look a lot alike. I feel like your height should be similar in the end."

    My eyes widened. "You think I look like him?" I only ever saw him in a way that he resembled our dad.

    "Yea, you both have these brown curls." Dave reached over to pull my hair. "Which you definitely need to cut. It''s annoying to have such long hair in the summer."

    "That''s it..?" I asked. Just the hair..?

    "Just take a look at the pictures of you two together." Dave told me. "You see it in the face. Like the same nose and same lips. The only major difference is the way you''re built. You-" He frowned. "You''re a little thin. From...being malnourished. Your cheeks aren''t as pinchable as his."

    "Pinchable?" I asked, cracking a smile.

    "Yea! Like this-" Dave reached for Zeke, but was scared away with a simple glare. At this moment, Noah came back with a bag in hand. Dave got ahold of him before Noah could figure out what was going on. "Like this!!" He pulled at both sides of Noah''s cheek, stretching his face out.

    Noah smacked his hands away and pushed him. "What the heck!?"

    Dave laughed. "I was just making a demonstration for Jake." His eyes zeroed in on the bag. "So? What did you get this girl friend of yours?"

    Noah frowned, rubbing his cheek with one hand. "She''s not my girlfriend. She''s just a friend that''s a girl."

    "Yea, yea. Sureee." He grabbed the bag out of Noah''s hands. "Let''s see..." He pulled out a couple of headbands. Each one had a different design and looked very pretty. Definitely something Alisha would wear. "Wow. You have good tastes. Do you know if she even likes to wear headbands though?"

    Noah got red in the face. "She wears one occasionally. I thought she would like some more choices." He grabbed the bag back. Then looked at Zeke. "Can I go take this to the car? I don''t want to carry it the whole time. We still have to eat and go to the movie so I know I''ll lose it."

    Zeke got up like he was going to go with him. "Dave, stay with Jake."

    "Did you want to get Alisha anything else?" Zeke asked. "Or are you good with headbands as a gift?"

    I shrugged. "She asked that Noah give her a gift. So that''s fine."

    Zeke looked at me, showing some surprise.

    "Originally Noah wanted time go to the mall, because he thought of a good way to prank the twins." I explained. "Alisha told me she only wanted a gift from Noah so I thought that would be a good cover for him."

    He raised an eyebrow. "Have you told Noah that?"

    I shrugged. "No. There hasn''t been time."

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "Alright. Don''t bother. He wouldn''t understand anyways."

    I scratched my head, not sure if I understood.

    I looked to make sure Dave and Noah were out of sight. Then turned back to Zeke. "Are you here to get stuff for the twins birthday too?"

    Zeke grinned. "Nope. I''m ready."

    I blinked. "What are you going to do?"

    Zeke sat back down. "The first step to pulling off any prank is keeping it a surprise."

    "Oh." I guess that makes sense. The twins didn''t tell Noah and I about what they were doing to Zeke. "Are you going to need our help?"

    Zeke shook his head. "Nope. Just watch and laugh. That''ll be good enough."

    "Okay." With nothing else to say, I started to look around. As it Friday afternoon transition to Friday night, the mall was becoming even busier and the crowds were more tightly compact.

    I started to feel a little nervous with so many people around.

    "Jake." Zeke said, getting my attention.

    I looked at him. "Yea?"

    "Don''t focus on them. Focus on yourself. Focus on me." He looked me in the eyes. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

    I felt awkward being called out before an anxiety attack kicked in, but I was also thankful. I put my hands together and shrugged. "I don''t know what to talk about..."

    "How do you feel about Kyle?" He asked.

    I sat up a little straighter. "I''m not mad at him."

    He gave a light smile. "You''re never truly mad. I didn''t ask how you didn''t feel though, I asked how you felt."

    I shrugged. "I feel a little guilty. He sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable..."

    Zeke nodded.

    I looked around to make sure Dave and Noah wasn''t back yet before speaking up. "I heard him talk to you on the ride home from the game last night. I kind of understand his anxiousness."

    "He doesn''t hate you." Zeke told me out of the blue.

    "I know." I answered with a smile. "I know what hate feels like. Plus, Kyle is a nice guy. He...he''s just going through some uncertainty..?" I offered up.

    Zeke replied. "Yea, that''s a good way to put it. He''s unsure of himself and is lashing out. That kid..." He shook his head, dismayed. "Even though him and Dave are twins, they''re the opposite when it comes to how they handle their emotions."

    I nodded in agreement. When Dave was going through his injuries, he internalized everything. He became serious and focused, almost like a robot.

    "They''re back." Zeke looked past me and stood up again.

    I followed suit.

    Dave and Noah were walking back, both laughing at something one of them had said.

    Dave was the first to speak when they reached us. "Hear me out guys...why don''t we four prank Kyle together? There are no rules that say I can''t prank him even though it''s my birthday too."

    "He wants to be our inside man." Noah explained.

    "What do you have in mind?" Zeke didn''t turn him down.

    Dave threw out a bunch of random ideas, some of which were really childish while others sounded kind of mean. We spent more time throwing around ideas as we headed to the crowded food court for dinner. Dave didn''t slow down in the slightest, very intent on pranking his own twin. Maybe he was hoping that if he shifted our attention to Kyle, he might be left off the hook. Unfortunately for him, both Zeke and Noah already had something planned.

 553 V2 ch25

    Spending Friday evening at the busy mall was far from what I had imagined for myself just over a year ago. We ate to our heart''s content and then watched a movie in a packed theater. I was able to laugh with everyone else and felt one step closer to being a normal teenager like Noah and them.

    Zeke allowed Dave to drive us home and even gave him some pointers for driving out at night. A relaxed atmosphere like this made me forget what we had gone to the mall for in the first place.

    As soon as Noah and I went to our room to get ready for bed though, he pulled out the bag that held Alisha''s present. He pulled out a white bottle and tossed it at me, grinning. "I hid this in my pocket when leaving the store. I was so scared he was going to see me slip it in the bag when I got to the car. Luckily I distracted him by talking about Kyle''s camping trip."

    I read the bottle. "Instant color?" I kept reading. "Pink? Semi-permanent?" I looked up at Noah. "You want to dye their hair??"

    Noah grinned and leaned against the door. "It''s a good idea, isn''t it?"

    Uhhh. "Are your parents going to get mad?"

    "No way. If they don''t like it, they can just get hair cuts. It''s not like it''ll be super pink." He explained. "Their hair isn''t bleached and because we aren''t doing it the ''right'' way, it should be more like a tinge if pink."

    "Oh." I relaxed. "Okay, but how are we going to do this?"

    "Zeke and them share the shower, right? They also share the soaps and stuf. Zeke just has to shower before them, empty out a bottle and then fill it up with this one."

    "Wow. Sounds like it''ll work." I gave him the bottle back. Then glanced at the bag of headbands. "Are you going to wrap those for Alisha''s party?"

    "Yea." He walked to his desk, placing them in a drawer, hiding the bottle as well. "I''ll put them in a bag closer to the party day. I might lose it or forget it if I do it now." He looked at me. "Good thinking with that, by the way. Definitely threw Dave for a loop! He would have never known it was a cover."

    I scratched my nose, wondering if I should tell Noah that it wasn''t just a cover. Alisha really wanted a gift from him.

    "Jake?" Noah asked. "What are you thinking about?"

    I shook my head and went to grab my pjs. "Just about the party."

    "It''ll be fun!" He grabbed his pjs too. "You know...that would be a good time to pass out Jeremy''s autograph to everyone. Kind of like a party favor."

    "Party favor?" I questioned, not understanding.

    "Yea. It''s a small return gift for party guests. Kind of like a thanks for coming present?" He explained. "It was fun when we were kids. Now it''d be cool to see you pass them out."

    "Even though it''s not my party?" I asked.

    Ah. I went to my backpack and pulled out a notebook. I turned to an empty page and started to make a list like Dr. Moore suggested. "I''ll ask him on Sunday." I wrote it down. Then wrote a few more things I wanted to ask or talk about.

    Noah looked over my shoulder. "Don''t forget to ask about Rose. You could have a sister-in-law soon if they''re dating." I added it to the list.

    We stayed up later in the night coming up with things I could and probably should talk to Jeremy about. Nothing hardcore or brought up bad memories. Just maybe everything you should know about your brother. Like his birthday? Why he went pro instead of going to college? His high school baseball experience. The list went on.

    When we stopped to take a break and change into our pajamas, we realized that the house was silent. Everyone was already asleep. We moved like mice in the night, trying to keep it down as we really prepared for bed this time.

    "Goodnight, Jake." Noah yawned, turning the light off.

    "Night." I mumbled, passing out in seconds.

    It felt like I merely blinked before incessant knocking at the door made me opened my eyes. Light was leaking into the room, telling me that I really did sleep.

    "What??" Noah groaned from his bed.

    We were both sitting up now, our blurry eyes looking at Zeke, who was still knocking.

    "Rise and shine." Zeke''s greeting sounded like a demand, making me shiver.

    "What are you doing..?" Noah squinted at his eldest brother. It''s like 7am. Is there an emergency or something?"

    Zeke kept up the knocking. "I can stand here all day. Get up, get some workout clothes on and don''t forget your running shoes."

    I did what I was told, getting out of bed. I took my clothes to the bathroom to change in private. When I came back, Noah was still in bed, arguing with Zeke.

    "It''s the weekend!" Noah complained. "We can start training when summer starts."

    Zeke looked down at this troublesome brother of his, stopping with the knocking. He folded his arms across his chest. "Do you think if you keep being rebellious like this, that I would just go away? It''s either my way, or the highway."

    Noah flopped over in his bed. "I''m going back to sleep."

    "Fine. You''re just proving to Mom that you won''t be able to listen to me over summer break." Zeke replied. "She won''t be able to trust you to be here with me so you''ll have to go with her to the twins school stuff. Not only that, I might as well not play softball with you."

    Noah sat back up. "What? Why are you going this far? I just want to sleep in on a Saturday."

    "It''s called discipline." Zeke shot back. "I don''t want to watch a disobedient brother all summer. If you don''t want to do this, just say so. I can go somewhere else to train for the summer."

    "I''m moving! I''m moving!" Noah rolled out of bed. "I''m having breakfast first though!" He hopped around, trying to find some clothes to wear.

    I put on my running shoes in silence, kind of scared of Zeke right now. He has always been strict, but he usually didn''t threaten. I glanced at him and caught him slightly smiling at the fumbling Noah.

    He caught me looking and dropped the smile. "Two bananas for first breakfast. Then we''ll run. After weights, you can have a second breakfast."

    "We''re not even playing baseball..?" Noah was distressed as he changed and got his running shoes on.

    "Just playing baseball isn''t enough." Zeke lectured. "You need strength, endurance, and a tough mentality. Do you want your spot stolen when the fall comes around? Do you think a softball league can really keep you in shape?"

    "A little rest never hurt anyone." Noah mumbled.

    "We''ll train today and tomorrow. Then next weekend. As soon as summer break starts, it''ll be Monday to Friday, rest on Saturday and Sunday. There''s plenty of time to rest."

    For some reason, I don''t think the summer will be as fun and as easygoing as I first thought.

 554 V2 ch26

    "Would a camp be like this..?" I asked Noah, staring at the ceiling of their garage. We were both splayed out like starfishes, huffing.

    "I don''t know." He answered, also staring at the ceiling. "One thing I do know...We''re going to be in the best shape of our lives after this summer."

    "I doubt it." Dave said from the garage door, looking down at the two of us. "You''re still growing. You better hope you don''t peak your sophomore year." He laughed.

    "Why didn''t you work out with us this morning?" Noah asked, glaring at him.

    "I can''t risk getting injured before the summer." Dave answered. "There are no refunds for all the camps that Mom and Dad have paid for. Not including the flights. And, I would look so unreliable to all the coaches we''ve set up meetings with."

    Noah lifted his hand and waved it. "Go away. I get it."

    "Okay, fine." Dave shrugged. "Guess you don''t want to know why I came out here for." He headed back inside.

    "Wait! What?" Noah called out after him.

    Dave paused and glanced back. "Two things. One, Zeke said you only have thirty minutes left if you guys want to eat breakfast."

    Noah jumped up. "You should have said so sooner!" He moved like he wasn''t tired at all.

    I, on the other hand, got up much slower.

    "Two, if you want to go to the A''s game this evening, you better hurry and shower." Dave added.

    "Wait! Wait! What?!" Noah backtracked, completely forgetting about second breakfast. "We can go to the A''s game today??" He looked at me like I had something to do with it.

    I shook my head. "Not because of me."

    "Rhys got tickets from his dad and invited Zeke last night. He had enough tickets for all of us." He grinned. "Too bad for Kyle. He''s missing out."

    "What time are we leaving?" Noah asked.

    "After you guys shower, we''ll go meet up with Rhys at his house. He said he wanted to hang out for a bit before we go to the game. His mom would order pizza for lunch. It''ll be fun."

    "Does Mrs. Atkins know..?" I asked. Just two days ago their parents didn''t like the idea of Zeke driving us to and from the game. And now we''re going to do it so soon?

    "Zeke already got the green light from her before she went to work." Dave gave me two thumbs up. "You guys better hurry. I wouldn''t be surprised if Zeke left you two kiddos here if you take too long."

    Noah looked at me. "You shower first while I get something to eat!"

    Dave laughed. "So selfish."

    "Jake can eat while I shower!" Noah yelled as he ran to the kitchen.

    I didn''t mind. I don''t think I could eat anything at the moment. I tried to smile at Dave as I passed by him.

    "Hey, what''s up?" Dave saw right through me, stopping me from going inside.

    I shrugged. "Nothing."

    "Cmon Jake, you''re too easy to read. What''s wrong? Do you not like Rhys?"

    Dave was stunned. It seemed like he thought back from the first day I came to live with them. I didn''t have any other friends besides them. "It''ll be fun!" He told me. "You like Rhys so why wouldn''t you like his home? He''s an only child so there''s nothing to be afraid of."

    "His parents..?" I hesitated. "Are they nice to strangers?"

    "Of course!" Dave nodded. "His mom is awesome! She''s a stay-at-home-mom so they''re really close. His dad was a pro player, but now he''s a pitching coach with the Giants. They''re down to earth. I promise! Nothing weird or crazy!"

    Feeling a little more reassured, I nodded and hurried upstairs. I wasted quite a bit of time and I don''t want to be the reason Noah gets left behind. After my shower, I felt a little more refreshed and went downstairs to wait for Noah to be done.

    I was in the middle of eating an apple when Dave and Zeke came downstairs decked out in their A''s gear.

    "You have to change, Jake!" Dave yelled one a joking manner, pointing at the normal clothes I had put on. "We''ve got to support our favorite team in full gear. Go, go, go!"

    I dropped the apple and hurried upstairs again. Thinking that Noah was still in the shower, I started to change.

    When I heard the door open, I froze, still holding my shirt to my chest. I glanced back at Noah.

    Noah looked just as surprised. Then he noticed what I was holding. "Oh? You didn''t have your A''s shirt on?" He moved to his side of the dresser and started to get his A''s stuff out too. "You don''t have to be so scared about changing in front of me now, you know. I''ve seen it before. The scars."

    I swallowed a lump in my throat and turned away from him, slipping my shirt on in a hurry. "I''m not scared...I''m embarrassed."

    "Don''t be." Noah commanded. "I wouldn''t judge you for the way you look. It''s just a part of you. If you''re that insecure, we can talk to Mom and Dad about scar treatments. There are some creams and gels you can try."

    I looked at him, hopeful. "Really?"

    He finished getting dressed. "Yea. But you know, you don''t have to. Anyone who judges you based on your looks, is superficial."

    I held the hem of my shirt. "I just don''t like the memories that come with it. I''m not superficial."

    Noah put his hands on his hips. "Then say so. Tell Mom. I''m sure she can find something to help."

    "Will she want to see them then..?" I worried.

    Noah shrugged. "Probably? You don''t want her to see?"

    "I don''t want to upset her." Mrs. Atkins got sad real easily.

    "She''s a mom." Noah rolled his eyes. "They''re always emotional. I bet you she cries when Zeke graduates." He looked at me. "Just be direct and unemotional about it and she should be okay."

    I nodded.

    Noah picked up our hats and put one on my head before putting on his own. "Let''s get going. Saturday games have fireworks afterwards! It''s really cool!"

    I grabbed the jersey that had Jeremy''s last name on it and followed him down. Dave and Zeke were waiting in the car. Zeke took back driving duties since he had experience driving further distances. Apparently Rhys and his family live just North of the Bay Area in a suburban community. When we pulled into the driveway, I wanted to laugh at the me, who had thought the Atkins house was big.

    Rhys lived in a mansion.

    "He''s an only child..?" I whispered to Dave as we walked up the path to his front door. "Why would they live in such a big house like this?"

    Dave shrugged. "Because they''re rich? They like their space and privacy? I told you his dad was a professional. He made bank when we were kids. He retired like ten years ago."

    "So he was good? At baseball?" I asked.

    Noah laughed, nudging me. "Real good. He could probably still strike you out even though he got old."

    "Noah James! Who are you calling old?!" A deep voice came from the man on the front porch. He was wearing sweatpants and a shirt, looking a little younger than Mr. Atkins, but was still past middle age.

 555 V2 ch27

    Noah laughed awkwardly after being caught. "Not you, Mr. Johnson. Someone else..." He kept up the awkward laugh as we made it to the porch. "How are you doing, sir?" He straightened up. "I thought you would be at the stadium already?"

    "Oh, so you can make fun of my age behind my back instead? I see." He nodded.

    Noah shook his head vehemently. "It was a compliment! A compliment, I swear!" He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me forward. "Jake is a hitting genius. Rarely strikes out. And I mean, almost never."

    The man looked me up and down, judging my physique. "A compact hitter?"

    I stared blankly at him.

    "You would have to see him in action." Dave laughed. "His swing isn''t always compact. He''s constantly changing and adjusting to where he wants to hit the ball. It''s scary."

    The man looked surprised. "I''d love to see it some time. Unfortunately, I''ve got to get to the stadium." He lifted his car keys and jingled them. "I''ll see you boys there."

    "Bye, Mr. Johnson!" Noah called out as he went down the path we came up. Once he was out of sight, Noah sighed with relief. "Man, I thought I was going to be in trouble for a second."

    "In trouble? You are trouble." Rhys said from the doorway, leaning against the frame. "Are you guys just going to hangout on my doorstep all day or what?"

    Zeke was the first to moved towards him. He held out his fist to Rhys, who responded in kind. They bumped fists. "Thanks for the invite."

    Dave went next, bumping his fist against Rhys''s. "Yea! It''s been so long since we could hang out like this."

    "Yea, I thought it would be cool to go to a game with you guys too. Especially since your birthday is coming up. Too bad Kyle couldn''t be here." Rhys said.

    "It''s probably a good thing that he isn''t." Noah went up and bumped fists too. "He''s been kind of moody lately. Dad took him on a solo camping trip."

    "I''ve heard." Rhys said, then turned to me. "You coming, kid?"

    I hurried after Noah. I followed their lead to fist bump Rhys.

    He waited patiently, grinning. "You look good. Zeke told me how you raked in some awards after that championship game. Believe it or not, you''re better than he was at your age."

    I blushed and hurried in.

    Rhys closed the front door and led us to the kitchen. "Mom! They''re here!"

    A tiny woman came out of the kitchen, holding a bunch of water bottles to her body. She grinned at us. "Zeke, Dave, Noah, so glad to see you boys. Pizza is already here. I set it up on the back porch so you all can eat outside and get some fresh air." She zeroed in on me. "You must be Jake. Nice to meet you."

    I nodded, sticking close to Noah.

    Rhys grabbed the waters from her and passed them out to us. "I''ll take them out, thanks Mom."

    She nodded. "Oh, sure. I''ll be inside if you boys need anything."

    She smiled at us, watching us leave. So friendly and kind. She...she''s like a mini-Mrs. Atkins.

    "You good?" Dave whispered to me as we followed Rhys to his backyard.

    I nodded. Just...feeling a little down. My eyes stung so I quickly blinked a few times. It''s wrong to wish that more people had a mom like mine. It''s messed up and unfair. I have Mrs. Atkins now; I shouldn''t be this upset.

    The back porch was a wooden deck, slightly overlooking his actual backyard. There was a grill, hose, a table and chairs. It would be normal if he also didn''t have a pool and a pitcher''s bullpen taking up space beyond the deck.

    I looked on in amazement. So spacious. It definitely put the twins fake backstop to shame.

    "Sit down, Jake." Noah instructed, already getting comfortable at the table.

    Looking around, I was the last one standing. I found a seat between Noah and Dave. Zeke and Rhys were on the other side, helping themselves to the food that was already laid out.

    I waited patiently to grab myself a slice of pizza, but Zeke was quick to add another slice. "You need extra calories." He told me.

    I nodded obediently.

    "Why is it that when I eat too much, I''m a fatty, but when Jake does it, it''s a necessity?" Noah complained.

    Zeke gave him a look. "You eat way more cookies than Jake."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "It''s not like pizza calories are healthier than cookie calories."

    "Jake is underweight. You are not." Zeke told him.

    Dave laughed, almost choking on his food. "Ouch!"

    "I''m a growing young man!" Noah declared proudly.

    Rhys laughed. "You better hope you grow a little faster. I think I stopped getting taller at 16. You''ve only got a year left."

    "A year and two months!" Noah corrected.

    I stopped eating. "We stop growing at 16..?" I started to worry. I was barely 5''4" now and nowhere near Jeremy''s height.

    "It depends and varies." Zeke answered. "I still grew a little this past year. Some kids stop at 14, and some may grow until they reach their 20''s. You''re a somewhat special case since you were..." He trailed off. "Just eat more. Drink more milk. Exercise. Stay healthy."

    I didn''t grow because I was starved most of my life. Those unspoken words hung over the table like a lightbulb in the middle of the night.

    Rhys cleared his throat. "Like Zeke said, everyone''s different. Don''t worry about it. It''s pretty normal for some middle infielders to be short. Jos�� Altuve. Dustin Pedroia. David Eckstein. Joe Morgan."

    "Three of those four were second basemen!" Noah pointed out. "Does that mean I''m going to be in trouble?"

    "With your sweet tooth, you''re already in trouble." Dave told him.

    Noah threw his half-drank water bottle at his brother. "I''m working out with Zeke this summer. I''m sure I''ll burn off all sweets that I eat. It certainly felt that way this morning." He sighed.

    Rhys chuckled. "You worked out with Zeke this morning?"

    "Jake too." Dave added while laughing. "You should have seen them. A couple days without baseball and now they get winded by some jogging and weightlifting."

    "Zeke does not jog." Noah corrected. "It was a run! A real run! Poor Jake was trailing behind the whole time. Zeke has no mercy."

    "It''s called training." Zeke''s lips twitched, fighting off a smile.

    I listened as they debated, feeling more relaxed. I ate my pizza, both slices, and laughed whenever Dave and Noah started to bicker. The fear and anxiety I had earlier about coming seemed to vanish into air, almost like an illusion.

    Rhys was a great host, getting more water and napkins whenever we needed it. His mom stayed out of sight and maybe that helped more than I would liked to admit. I wonder if he mentioned something about me being skittish or if Zeke had just told Rhys everything about me, and he relayed it to his mom. The more I thought about it, the more I leaned to the latter. After all, we were eating lunch outside, in the open. Compared to a kitchen or dining room I''ve never been in.

    I glanced at Zeke while he was talking to Rhys about Stanford and how he was going to take us to the summer camp. Zeke was definitely the type to prepare and would make sure I felt comfortable. Tough on the outside, but soft on the inside. An apt description for Zeke, the eldest brother.

 556 V2 ch28

    "Hey Jake, want to go see his bullpen?" Noah asked me. We had finished eating for awhile and were just sitting around, soaking up some vitamin D from the sun.

    I glanced at Rhys.

    He overheard Noah. He smiled. "I''ll show him. You guys want to tag along? It''s been awhile since you''ve seen it all." He laughed a little in a self-depreciating manner. "Dad had just redone it all so I could start throwing again. It looks way better than before." He stood up.

    "I definitely want to see!" Dave jumped up in excitement.

    Zeke got up as well. Everyone followed Rhys as he showed me the backyard. The pool was a rectangular shape and didn''t have any toys nearby. Instead it had styrofoam weights which Rhys explained, was for his rehab. He was building up his strength again and the pool was where he liked to do most of his workouts.

    We reached the makeshift bullpen. It was a caged area like what a singular batting cage would look like. Except, there was no machine. There was a fake mound and a fake home plate.

    Dave got on the fake mound as soon as we walked in. He started to pretend pitch. "Wow! This isn''t bad at all." The fake mound looked to be like a wood plank, but it was sturdy and didn''t creak. "We''ve got to get one of these for our backyard. How much was it, Rhys?"

    "This one was over a grand." Rhys told him.

    Dave immediately jumped off and put his hand to his chest. "Oh geez! Why didn''t you say something before I got on? What if I broke it?"

    Rhys laughed. "If it broke that easy, then I''m sure my dad would demand a replacement from the company. You can get the cheaper kind for a couple hundred, but it won''t be as durable as this one." He got on and threw a pretend pitch, not putting in his full effort obviously. "It helps my imagery training."

    "How''s it going?" Dave asked. "Do you think you''re back to where you were, yet?"

    Rhys grinned. "I''m almost there. I think by the end of summer, I''ll be even slightly better." He looked at Zeke. "Got to make a case for myself on why I should start as a freshman after all."

    "You''ll definitely get a few starts!" Noah said, smiling. "You''re too awesome to be sitting in the bullpen."

    "Are you sure you want to be a starter still?" Dave asked, not as excited. "Wouldn''t it be better to aim for being a closer? Since you had surgery..."

    Rhys stepped off the fake mound and patted Dave''s shoulder. "C''mon, Dave, you know what it''s like for us. Being a star on the mound is what we all want." He flexed.

    "Isn''t it riskier for you to get reinjured now?" Dave wasn''t convinced.

    His happiness was contagious. Everyone spent the afternoon in a good mood as well. Even when we moved to inside the house to watch some Saturday day games in his living room, I stayed comfortable. He was just like the Atkins: kind and likable.

    We didn''t spend a whole lot of time watching tv since we were going to a game ourselves. As it got closer to the time we should leave, Rhys excused himself to go change.

    "Ten bucks says he''s going to wear his Giants nonsense." Noah snorted.

    Dave shrugged. "He kind of has to. His dad is the pitching coach there. It''d be weird if he didn''t."

    "He''s cheering for the other team..?" I asked.

    Noah nodded. "He invited us to the A''s game tonight because it''s against his dad''s team." He grinned. "Tonight''s going to be crazy. We play the Giants. So basically it''s a rivalry game. It''ll be an almost even mix of A''s and Giants fans. And it''s a Saturday night so it''s going to be packed."

    "These are the best kind of games to go to." Rhys said, appearing in a black jersey with orange writing. Giants. He wore a plain shirt underneath and a pair of jeans. He put on a black baseball cap with a SF on it.

    Noah groaned at the sight. "You disgust me."

    Rhys laughed. "How dare you say that when I convinced my dad to get some of the best seats in the house." He took out the tickets and waved them around. "I guess Noah can just listen to the game from the car."

    Noah huffed. "I''ve been in good seats. Jake''s brother got us all-you-can-eat seats and I''ve been on the field for batting practice. Twice." He held up two fingers to emphasize it.

    It was no longer a secret that Jeremy was my brother. It seemed like the world knew, but with Rhys, he didn''t make a big deal out of it. His dad used to be a pro as well, and even now he was a coach for a professional team.

    "Oh so you don''t want to sit behind the dugout??" Rhys grinned, knowing that he had Noah.

    Sure enough, Noah dropped the haughty attitude and cozied up to Rhys. "I was just joking! Ha. Hah. No matter what jersey you wear, I love you like a brother."

    Rhys laughed and gave his head a pat. "I know. Now, lets get going. These seats might not be all-you-can-eat, but my dad said he''d give us some vouchers for the food."

    "Behind the visitors dugout?" Dave wanted to clarify.

    Rhys nodded. "Yea, so there''ll be quite a few Giants fans." He looked at Noah. "You better not get us in trouble with that mouth of yours."

    Noah pretended to zip his lips and throw away the key.

    I smiled, knowing that it wouldn''t be possible for him to keep silent. Especially if the A''s does something good.

    Dave looked to me. "Did you tell Jeremy you were coming to the game tonight?"

    I shook my head.

    "Why not?"

    I shrugged. "I forgot my phone."

    The guys laughed, but it was true. I wasn''t used to carrying a phone around so it slipped my mind when Dave sent me to change into my A''s gear.

    "We''ll be close enough to the field so maybe we can get his attention that way." Rhys suggested. "He would have to be doing autographs or warming up though. Otherwise he might be staying in the clubhouse or something."

    I nodded. Jeremy has known beforehand when I was coming so he was always prepared. This time it was left up to chance.

    With everyone ready, we got in the car and hit the road. Rhys took the front passenger seat to help Zeke with navigation, pushing Dave to the way back, behind me and Noah. The ride wasn''t long, but getting into the stadium parking lot took up more time than normal. Zeke found a spot to park and we piled out.

    There was a different kind of buzz in the air compared to the other games we went to. This time there was a lot of away team jerseys. It was almost an even mix...like the Giants could equally be the home team. Which made sense. Noah had informed me that the Giants stadium was only 11 miles away.

    We got in with the tickets that Rhys had passed out. Unlike the two previous times, we didn''t go to the field. Instead we walked to our seats behind the visitors dugout along the first baseline. Our tickets were constantly checked by the ushers to make sure we were allowed to be here.

    Rhys led the way down the steps and then in the first row behind the dugout, he turned down the row and stopped after the fifth seat. He looked back at us. "Okay, this is it. These five seats."

    Noah was the first to yell. "This is amazing! We get to sit here all game??"

    They were impressive seats. You could see the players expressions in the infield. The foul territory was big, but that didn''t mean anything to me. This was like standing on the grassy area, watching batting practice.

    Speaking of that reminded me to look for Jeremy. As my eyes scanned the home dugout, I felt a tug on my shirt. I looked at Noah with a raised eyebrow, wondering why he was tugging on my clothes.

    He pointed towards the left field foul line, where some players were warming up. I spotted the familiar back of Jeremy. I squinted. He was talking to some people in the stands right next to the field. They seemed pretty chummy.

    "Isn''t that Jack..?" Noah whispered.

    I froze. One of the people did look like Jack. Uncle Jack. There was four other people with him. Probably his family. Wife, two daughters, and one son. Jeremy''s family too. The one he spent most of his life with.

    I watched closely, examining their interactions. The girls looked to be young teens, while the boy was definitely in high school, maybe even college. No, wait, I don''t think he''s in college yet. The group all laughed at something that was said. Even Jeremy. I don''t know if it was because I was so far away, but he looked happy. Not awkward at all. Carefree.

 557 V2 ch29

    "That''s them." I stated.

    "What?" Dave bent over, trying to look where I''m looking. "What are you two talking about? Is this something only short people can see?"

    I didn''t know how to describe them so I just pointed like Noah did. Soon, Dave spotted what we were seeing. He straightened up, looking awkward. "Should...uh...what do we do?" He asked.

    I shrugged. I was even more unsure than him.

    "Don''t do anything." Zeke spoke up, overhearing our conversation. "Unless you feel the need to do so." He looked directly at me.

    "What would I even do..?" I asked. Was there anything to do? It was weird to see Jeremy laughing and being happy with his family, but that''s his right. "I have you guys. Aren''t we the same way without him?"

    Zeke cracked a smile while Noah laughed.

    Dave put his arm around my shoulders. "That''s right. We have a good time without him too. No need to be selfish." He smiled.

    I didn''t feel selfish. I mean, I don''t. What I feel...is more like a sense of loss. They were supposedly blood related to me too, yet they only took Jeremy.

    "Let''s go get food before the game starts." Noah suggested. He looked up at Zeke. "Can we get a scorecard too? I''ll teach Jake how to keep score and whatnot. It''ll be a cool souvenir."

    Zeke looked around. "You guys are already hungry again?"

    I shook my head. I definitely didn''t have an appetite at the moment.

    Dave rubbed his stomach, pushing it out. "I''m definitely not ready. I think I ate half the pizza all by myself."

    Rhys laughed. "You did. You really did. Let''s wait awhile until we actually feel hungry again, Noah."

    "When you feel hungry, it''s already too late." Noah claimed. "To keep your metabolism going, we should eat every four or five hours."

    "Is that why you''re so skinny??" Dave asked.

    "That''s only if you eat balanced meals." Zeke told him. He pulled out a wallet and handed him the debit card. "You can get a bag of peanuts for now. And the scorecard if you want."

    Noah accepted the card. "Okay! Jake, come with me." He scooted back the way we came and I followed.

    "If you''re not back in ten minutes, you''ll do extra running tomorrow." Zeke told us, watching us go.

    Noah waved his hand. "Sure, sure!" He tugged my jersey with his other hand. "Hurry up, Jake!"

    He rushed to the snackbar, and got in line with a grin. The line was short since it was still early. We were up in just seconds.

    "A bag of peanuts and a cotton candy please!" Noah greeted the cashier.

    My jaw dropped. This kid is helpless. I shook my head. "Zeke is going to be so mad."

    My lips twitched. "No thanks." It wasn''t appetizing to me and I didn''t want to take any from the desperate Noah. He might tempt fate and get another bag if he doesn''t eat this one all by himself.

    Noah plucked the cotton candy as we walked along the tunnel, trying to find a scorecard. We checked out the team shop and found one in a team magazine. In line, Noah finished his snack and went to throw away the trash, leaving me alone.

    I stood in line with the peanuts, magazine, and debit card. In my mind, I could only wish that Noah would hurry back before I got to the cash register.

    He came back in time, but a familiar face was following him back.

    "Look who I ran into!" Noah gestured at Rose.

    "Hey, Jake." Rose greeted in her work uniform. "I didn''t know you guys would be here at tonight''s game. Did you try to get ahold of Jeremy?"

    "Hi." I said back, more focused on handing the magazine and debit card back to Noah.

    "We came with a friend today." Noah told her, accepting the items. "His dad is the Giants pitching coach. Jake was going to tell Jeremy we were coming, but he forget his phone." He paused to say, "Excuse me, let me go buy this real quick." He left to the empty register, leaving me with Rose.

    "Where are you guys sitting? I''ll take you back." Rose offered.

    "We already found our seats. We just came for a scorecard." I told her. Then I realized what I was holding. "And peanuts."

    "No hotdogs or drinks?" She smiled, giving off friendly vibes.

    I shook my head. "We had a big lunch. Zeke said we''ll eat later. Their friend has food vouchers."

    "Good. I don''t want you to miss out on the experience. Nothing beats a hotdog and coke at the ball field." She sighed.

    "Amen!" Noah rejoined our small group. "That''s the only way to watch baseball games in the ballpark."

    We followed him out of the busy store and found somewhere to stand without being in the way of other fans.

    "Do you want me to let Jeremy know that you boys are here? Where are you sitting? I''ll point it out to him." Rose asked again.

    "Right behind the visitors dugout." Noah told her, then he glanced at me. "Do you want him to know that you''re here?"

    I shrugged. "It''s fine."

    Rose looked between us, noticing the weird atmosphere. "Did you already see him on the field?"

    "Yea. Talking with his family." Noah told her the truth.

    She looked a little surprised. A little part of me was happy that she didn''t go meet them or help them out like she did for us. "His family?" She looked to me. "Not your family?"

    "It''s complicated." Noah told her, waving his hand like there was smoke in his face. "I don''t know how much you know about Jeremy, but his uncle raised him. Without Jake."

    "Uh, I knew he hadn''t seen Jake for a very long time." She blinked, looking confused.

    The urge to ask her about her relationship with Jeremy overcame me. "Are you and Jeremy dating?"

    She was startled and pulled her head back like it was in the way of a guillotine. "What? What makes you say that?"

    I shrugged. "Chuck said something to me as he took me back to the group the other night." Her exaggerated reaction really stood out. "So you are?"

    She blushed. "Well, not really. We''re just seeing one another right now. It''s very early. Too soon to call it dating."

    Now it was my turn to be confused.

    "So you haven''t met his family before?" Noah asked.

    "Oh, no! Way too early for that." She looked embarrassed. "He hasn''t met mine yet either."

    "Are you going to go look for him now? To tell him that we''re here?" Noah asked more questions, putting her on the spot.

    She rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, now that I know that his family is here, it''s not really appropriate. It would look like I''m being nosy. If he told me beforehand, it would have been different."

    Noah nodded slowly. "I understand. You don''t have to worry. You don''t have to bother him for us. We don''t care. Right, Jake?"

    I nodded too. "Yea..." It would just be awkward now. "I''ll see him tomorrow."

    Rose looked relieved. "Thanks. How about I give you my number so we can plan your trips a little better. Jeremy told me that you guys might be coming more often when school lets out."

    Noah''s jaw dropped. "Really?"

    "He didn''t mention it?" She asked.

    "He did." I spoke up. "I forgot to tell Noah. I was supposed to ask the Atkins first."

    "Yes! Yes! Most definitely yes!" Noah pumped his fists in the air in excitement. "This summer keeps getting better and better." He hurried to pull out his cellphone. "I''ll put your number in. I''m better at having my phone on me after all."

    She rattled off some digits and Noah put them in. The atmosphere was less awkward with everything out in the open. She offered to walk us back to our seats, but Zeke arrived.

    "No need. I''ll take them back." Zeke stared down at us with a hint of anger. "Ten minutes came and went."

    Noah smiled like it was nothing. "Yea, but we ran into Rose."

    "We''ll run double before the cages tomorrow morning." Zeke stated. He greeted Rose and told her that he was taking us back.

    Rose waved as we left her behind.

 558 V2 ch30

    "You''re just joking about the running right..?" Noah asked as we got back to our seats. He sat down next to Zeke, then me, then Dave. Rhys was on the other side of Zeke. "We still have to turn in all the release forms for softball after all."

    "No." Zeke answered flatly, glancing down. "I told you ten minutes."

    "That''s not my fault though!" He objected. "Why didn''t you just call me?"

    "I''ll return that question to you; why didn''t you call or send a text?" Zeke frowned. "You''re about to turn 15, why can''t you show some more maturity and responsibility?" He glanced at me, making me shrink in my seat. "Don''t think you''re off the hook either. You forgot your phone. You should at least have reminded Noah to send me a message. What if something happened to you two?"

    "Sorry." I mumbled.

    Noah glared at Zeke. "Are you happy now? Making Jake feel bad?"

    Zeke didn''t waver. "That''s not my intention. I just want you guys to learn from this."

    "And we will!" Noah answered.

    "But maybe some physical punishment will reinforce it." Zeke looked over at me. "Any objections?"

    I shook my head.

    "I absolutely object!" Noah raised his hand.

    Zeke pulled out his phone and showed it to Noah. "Let me remind you that I know how much peanuts cost. You can''t fool me."

    Noah immediately became docile. "What-What do you mean? They must have overcharged us."

    Zeke smirked. "Too young, too naive. Double running tomorrow. You keep fighting it and it''ll be nothing but running. We have until Tuesday to turn in our roster and paperwork."

    Noah straightened up.

    "So what did you guys say to Rose? Is she going to tell Jeremy that you''re here?" Dave asked, wanting to know what had happened while we were out.

    Noah leaned over, getting closer to me so he could gossip with Dave. I felt a little awkward at first, but I cracked a smile and laughed a little as Noah recapped on what we learned.

    It was even more dramatic with Dave as the listening party. He would occasionally gasp or laugh or his eyes would go wide as if he couldn''t believe it.

    "Oh geez! So awkward. For everyone." Dave laughed at the end. "Rose knows that you''re here and that his family is here. You know that his family is here and that Rose knows. While Jeremy and his family know nothing and are living in bliss." He laughed some more. "I wonder how Rose will act around him later. Or will we see him before her when he comes over tomorrow?"

    "I''m surprised you don''t watch reality tv." Rhys laughed at Dave''s exaggerated reactions. "You seem really into this."

    "This is something out of daytime soap operas, not reality tv." Dave corrected. "Too bad Kyle is missing all this."

    Noah scoffed. "He got to go camping with Dad, by himself. I''d say it''s about even."

    "Do you think...that Kyle will...be better?" Dave asked, turning unsure.

    "I do." I spoke up before Noah could start ranting about Kyle some more. "Your dad knows how to make me feel better. I don''t see why he won''t be able to get through to Kyle."

    Dave sighed with relief.

    Noah snorted. I get that he was defensive on my behalf, but Kyle isn''t purposely being mean. I thought about that conversation he had with Zeke on the ride home. He''s probably stressed. It''s been a lot of little things piling up, and he''s now bowing down to the pressure.

    The game soon got everyone''s attention off Kyle as it began. The starting lineups were announced and Noah wrote the players names down along with their positions. We stood for the national anthem and then got comfortable as the game got going. Noah spent most of the time teaching me how to fill in the scorecard as we went down the lineups and switched innings.

    Halfway through, Rhys and Zeke went to get food and drinks using the vouchers. It was a fun evening, just hanging out and watching baseball. For a minute, I even almost forget that I was related to a player on the field. At least, until the seventh inning stretch.

    The crowd was standing up together and singing "Take me out to the ballgame" and a cameraman was flashing different groups. Surprisingly, our section made it to the big screen and Noah went crazy. He threw his arm around me and waved the other.

    After it ended, I noticed that Jeremy was on deck, looking our way. As we made eye contact, he lifted his bat and rested it on his shoulder, using the other hand to touch the edge of his helmet.

    "He''s saying ''hi''." Noah told me.

    I lamely lifted a hand for a small wave. Then quickly put it back down.

    Bottom of the seventh, the batter before Jeremy got walked. As Jeremy went up to the batter''s box, he glanced at me one more time before focusing. The pitcher was only so-so, according to Noah. He was a relief pitcher just put in to get through this inning as the score was tied at two.

    He didn''t stand a chance against Jeremy. Jeremy took a couple of pitches before launching one out to left field. We were so close that we could see him smile as he started to run the bases. He knew it was long gone. Home run. 4-2.

    As he rounded third, his eyes found mine. He touched the tip of his helmet again as a greeting. It was hard not to smile at him.

    Noah happily filled in the scorecard and explained what a homerun looked like on paper.

    The game ended with the score of 4-2 and some of the crowd started to leave. Just a few though; most were staying for the firework show. Including us. We had great seats to see the fireworks come out from behind center field. I had never seen anything like it. Music blared as bright colors filled the night sky. It was like a celebration that summer was here. A new season for growth.

 559 V2 ch31

    After the firework show, Rhys parted ways with us, saying that he would get a ride home with his dad. He didn''t want us to make the extra trip just to drop him off when he can just wait until his dad is ready to go.

    It was an easygoing ride home with Zeke driving, and Dave and Noah sleeping. I just gazed out the window, watching as we passed by other cars. I wonder what kind of life they lead? Are they happy? Sad? Going to work? Going home? A vacation? Especially when it''s so late in the night like this.

    "Are you sad about seeing Jeremy with his family?" Zeke asked, looking at me through the rear view mirror.

    I shook my head. "Not really. He has his family, and it wouldn''t be right to be jealous."

    "It''s okay to be jealous, as long as you don''t act on that jealousy and say something you might regret." Zeke tried to comfort me.

    But I didn''t need it. "Really, I''m good. I don''t want anything to do with them."

    Zeke looked at me with the help of the mirror, but didn''t say anything more.

    I really wasn''t sad. Or mad. It was a little weird seeing him laughing with them, but that''s mostly because we''re so awkward with one another. If anything, I prefer to have nothing to do with his family. I already have a new one I''m satisfied with. Why change something when it''s working.

    We made it home in the middle of the night. Mrs. Atkins was there to welcome us back and send us off to bed with a smile. The kind of smile I wished to see everyday if I could. It made me wonder what the status on my adoption was. Were we even close?

    Dave and Noah didn''t make much noise as they went up the stairs half-asleep. Zeke and I followed quietly, not the ones who usually make noise. Him and Dave went to their room, while Noah and I went to ours.

    Noah climbed to his bed and knocked out, not even bothering to change into pajamas. I took the time to change and brush my teeth before getting into bed. My hand brushed against my phone so I pulled it out. Surprisingly I had a few missed texts.

    Jeremy: I saw you in the stands. Why didn''t you tell me you were coming?

    Jeremy: Did Rose know? Did she help you guys?

    Jeremy: You must have fallen asleep already. I''ll see you after Sunday''s game. Goodnight.

    I chose to reply after seeing how much he had sent.

    Me: It was a little last minute. A friend had tickets. I had forgotten my phone at home. See you later.

    With that off my chest, I went to bed.

    The next morning, Zeke stuck to his word and woke us up early again for training. We had a small breakfast of fruit before going on a run. This time he made it longer, thanks to last night''s mistake. Noah trailed behind him, red in the face and sweating, but was only a couple of steps behind.

    Back at the house, we lifted weights in the garage under Zeke''s supervision. He went easy on me while making Noah lift even more. In my mind, it was only fair. Noah got more sleep than me so he should be in better shape. I was still tired and was thinking about napping during our second breakfast.

    Ultimately, I didn''t get much of a choice. After taking showers, Noah pleaded with Zeke to take us to the cages to turn in our paperwork. He agreed and drove us there with our bags.

    Noah took the lead, going straight to Mr. Williams office and knocking at the door.

    The old man opened up and let us on in. "Did you guys come up with a team?"

    "Yes!" Noah laid out the paperwork on his desk with the roster list on top. "Our mom wrote a check too." He placed it above the list. "Ten players, the release forms, and the money. It''s all there."

    "Very well organized." The old man nodded, sitting behind the desk and glancing over everything. "Did you come up with a team name? And the color of your uniforms?"

    "..." Complete silence.

    Noah looked back at me and Zeke. He cough. "Zeke, you didn''t come up with a name?"

    Zeke shrugged. "It''s not like I''ve done this before. Just put down any name."

    Noah turned back to the old man. "What kind of names do the teams normally pick?"

    Mr. Williams scratched his face. "Most use their sponsors as names or if they''re a team from work, then the company''s name. Free advertising."

    "Sponsor?" Noah asked.

    "Yea, someone to pay the fee or pay for the t-shirts that the team wears." His eyes narrowed. "You do know that you have to have matching shirts, right?"

    Noah groaned. "How would I know?? Why didn''t you mention it before?"

    "Must have slipped my mind." He shrugged. "I''m old. It happens."

    Noah turned back to Zeke. "Help?"

    Zeke stepped up. "Mr. Williams, we don''t have shirts, sponsors, or a team name yet. Can we get back to you on that?"

    "Before Tuesday." He answered. "I make the schedule then. Better to have a team name by then. I would prefer to know the color of your shirts, but as long as there is nothing offensive written on it, it should be fine."

    Zeke nodded, then he glanced down at Noah. "We can ask Mom and Dad about sponsoring us for the shirts. Maybe they can use it as a tax write-off." He looked back at the old man. "What do you think?"

    Mr. Williams nodded. "Most companies do it for the write-off." He lifted the check that Mrs. Atkins wrote out. "If you put their company name in this memo line, I can give you the slip for the write-off."

    Zeke took the check back and wrote down their real estate business name. Mr. Williams gave him a piece of paper in return for him to give to his parents. After that we went to the cages for some fun. Zeke even paid for everything, including lunch from the snackbar. He explained that their parents will be happy to know about the write-off and will probably help with getting everyone matching shirts to wear. He put Noah in charge of contacting everyone to get their t-shirt size. While putting me in charge of coming up with some team names.

    I wanted to cry. My job was definitely more difficult.

 560 V2 ch32

    I drew a blank on the way home, unable to come up with any ideas for a team name.

    Noah had finished sending out the texts to everyone on our small team and saw my look of distress. He looked at Zeke, who was now driving us home after lunch. "Zeke, why don''t you help us? We don''t know what the team name should be."

    "I don''t know either." Zeke said with honesty. "That''s why I delegated that job to Jake."

    "Must be nice to ''delegate''." Noah grumbled.

    "Perks of being the oldest." Zeke had a small smile as he drove us home. It was rare of him to make a joke.

    Noah pursed his lips to stop himself from smiling. "I''ll just look up some ideas online." He typed away on his phone.

    When we got home in the afternoon, we spotted Mr. Atkins car out on the street. They were back.

    "Which Kyle do you think we''ll see today?" Noah asked, sounding a little mean.

    "Which...?" I repeated after him, a little confused. "The one related to you..?" I guessed.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I meant his attitude."

    "Oh." I looked out the window as Zeke parked the car in the driveway. "I think...he''ll be in a good mood."

    "Why do you think that?" Noah asked.

    I glanced at him and gave a small shrug. "I''m usually in a good mood after spending some time with your dad."

    Noah scrunched up his nose. "Yea, I think it''s slightly different. If I''m alone with Dad, I think he would just lecture me the whole time."

    I raised an eyebrow. "You don''t think he doesn''t lecture me?"

    We got out of the car and followed Zeke to the door.

    "I think he takes it easy on you." Noah told me.

    I shook my head. "He doesn''t raise his voice at me, but I feel like he treats me the same. He makes me think about my actions and stuff."

    "Dad doesn''t give any preferential treatment." Zeke spoke up as we got to the door. "It''s what you take from the talks that differentiate you from Jake, and Jake from me, and so on." He glanced at Noah. "If Kyle hasn''t realized his mistakes, then that says more about him than Dad."

    Noah sighed. "Okay, lets go see."

    Zeke opened the door and we walked in. It was quiet...

    "Anyone home??" Noah raised his voice and moved towards the office. "Mom? Dad?"

    The office door opened and their parents came out with the twins. Everyone was now present.

    "What were you guys doing in there?" Noah asked, suspicious of them.

    "Ironing out their summer plans. Buying a lot of plane tickets." Mrs. Atkins sighed, but was smiling. She looked to Zeke. "We''ll go over the dates with you so you know which dates you''re watching Noah and Jake."

    Zeke gave a simple nod. Then pulled out the tax write-off and handed it over. "Apparently if you put your business name down, the team fee can be considered a write-off. So I wrote on the check. Mr. Williams said to give this to you."

    But Noah stopped her. "Wait! We need some more help."

    She paused and faced us. "What is it?"

    "Team shirts...?" Noah spoke up after realizing that Zeke was leaving it up to him. "We need to have matching team shirts. Mr. Williams said if a company sponsored us, it can also count as a write-off or whatever. Soooo, can you?"

    She hummed, looking to get husband.

    Mr. Atkins slowly nodded. "If it''s just normal t-shirts, I think we can make it happen. I know someone who will help out. What do you want on the front of the shirts? Maybe names on the back? With a number? Or keep it plain?"

    Noah shrugged, helpless. "Uhh, not sure yet. We haven''t even come up with a team name yet."

    The twins laughed at the same time, drawing our attention to themselves. Kyle and Dave looked nearly identical besides their clothes. It was even harder to tell them apart when they act the same.

    Noah narrowed his eyes and huffed. "It''s not funny. I was too busy coming up with a roster and didn''t think about team names. Why don''t you two help? All you''ve done is make fun of us even though we''re saving Mom and Dad money."

    Dave and Kyle stopped laughing, and looked a little guilty. Especially Kyle. He scratched his head trying to come up with one. "Bats and balls?"

    "No." Noah shot down.

    "Bat-itude..?" Dave suggested.

    "Mhmm. Not bad. Next." He looked at Kyle.

    "Benchwarmers? Like the movie!" Kyle got excited.

    "Denied." Noah shot him down again.

    "Misfits." Dave thought aloud. "Since you all are a bunch of misfits when put together?"

    Noah shook his head. "I''m not liking it."

    "One-hit wonders..?" Kyle was more unsure when facing Noah.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "We got Zeke on the team...that doesn''t really flow well."

    "Prodigies then?" Kyle continued before Dave could say another one.

    Noah shook his head again. "I don''t want to make our teammates feel bad. Alisha doesn''t even play softball. And we''re going up against adults."

    Kyle snapped his fingers. "I''ve got it!" He grinned at Noah. "You can''t possibly say no to this one."

    Noah raised his eyebrow. "Well? Let''s hear it."

    "Hustlers!" Kyle said excitedly.

    I saw Noah''s face softened as he thought about it. "Hmm. Not bad..."

    Dave snorted. "Of course you think it''s not bad. You''ve been hustling others since you were like three. There''s no way Zeke is going to play under that team name."

    "Zeke delegated this job to me and Jake." Noah said. He turned to me. "What do you think?"

    "I think it fits..." I said in agreement.

    "Is this appropriate..?" Mrs. Atkins looked unsure. She looked to her husband.

    Mr. Atkins smiled. "As long as the boys are happy, I don''t see anything wrong with it." The phone in the office started to ring so Mr. Atkins immediately left the conversation.

    Mrs. Atkins sighed. "Alright, then. Noah, ask your teammates what number and name they want on the back of their shirts. I''m going to go to the grocery store to get some stuff for dinner. Any special requests?"

    "Cookies!" Noah hollered.

    Mrs. Atkins gave him a pat on the head as she headed for the door. "We''ll see." She grabbed her keys and purse off the hook and left.

    "Hey Jake, why did you agree to Hustlers? Doesn''t Bat-itude sound better?" Dave poked me.

    My lips twitched. "I just think it fits..." After all, when we play against adults, they might think we suck or something. Little do they know that Zeke was on our team. The twins might think that Hustlers fit Noah, but I think it could define are team nicely.

    "I''ll go call Mr. Williams with our team name." Zeke headed for the stairs. "Noah, start texting."

    "I will, I will!" He whipped out his phone and started to contact everyone again.

    "I''m going to go watch the A''s game." Dave stated. He grabbed Noah by his sleeve. "You can text and watch at the same time. Come on."

    Noah didn''t fall for the distraction. He swatted Dave''s hand away and looked back at me. "Jake, you coming?"

    I glanced at Kyle. Seeing him hang back in silence, I figured he might have something to say. "I''ll be there in a bit. Go ahead."

    Noah frowned. "Are you sure?"

    I nodded.

    Noah glanced to Kyle. After staring at him for a bit, he grabbed onto Dave and started to drag him to the living room. "Let''s go watch the A''s."

    Dave shook his head, helpless. How did it turn into him getting taken away when he was the one in charge of taking Noah away?

    I let out a small laugh. It didn''t last long as the silence in the open area felt a little overwhelming. I looked up at Kyle. "Did...did you have fun, camping..?"

    Kyle nodded slowly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I did. It was cool to get out. A small vacation of sorts. It''s not often I get alone time with Dad." He glanced to the living room then looked back at me. "Can we talk outside for a minute? Just us?"

    I nodded.

 561 V2 ch33

    We both moved to the back patio area, closing the sliding door behind us.

    Kyle distanced himself and my hands subconsciously relaxed. I wasn''t afraid of Kyle, but out of habit I was wary whenever I was alone.

    Kyle seemed to notice. He took an extra step back, looking guilty. "Jake..."

    "Sorry..." I told him, wiping the sweat from my hands onto my shirt, trying to be discreet. "I''m not scared of you."

    Embarrasment and guilt were clearly visble on his face. "I wouldn''t be surprised if you were scared of me. I haven''t been myself this past month."

    I nodded slowly. "I know."

    He grimaced. "It must be terribly obvious if even you noticed."

    I cracked a smile at the joke. Feeling awkward about standing, I pointed to the steps. "Do you want to sit down?"

    "Yea, that''ll be better." He sat down first.

    I sat down on the other end, just keeping some space.

    He spent some time just staring at their fake backstop that can tell how fast they throw. I waited patiently.

    "I want to be the best pitcher out there." Kyle stated suddenly. "I want to be better than Dave. Better than Garret. The best in the county and in state."

    Unsure of what that had to do with me, I continued to sit in silence.

    "I''ve been mad this past month. With my performance. With Coach not choosing me in the finals. It hurt, it really hurt." He grimaced. "And I lashed out. Not just on you, but on Dave too. I shouldn''t be so jealous of my twin, I should support him too. I''m his brother before being his competitor." He glanced at me. "Same with us."

    I blinked, confused. "I''m not a pitcher..."

    "But you''re great. Amazing. Your talent exceeds everyone on the team. Even Zeke. So even though you aren''t a pitcher, I was jealous and angry. Jealous of what I didn''t have. And then angry because it seemed like everyone around me had some kind of talent that exceeded mine. That''s why I''m so intent on getting to that pitching camp this summer. I need to distanced myself from everyone else. Stand out in the crowd."

    "You know..." I cleared my throat. "You''re not alone. In that feeling that you''re behind."

    "It''s different for you, Jake. You never played any games before yet we''re on the same team. We''ve had different starting points, yet you''re already on my level." He shook his head. "No, you''re above me. You crushed me during your tryout and made me feel inferior. I feel...since then I''ve been kind of on edge. But then, I had that perfect game and it helped my self confidence."

    He sighed. "That just makes me feel worse. Your problems are so much more than mine. You''ve dealt with abuse and I''m crying over not pitching in the finals." He covered his eyes. "I''m such a baby."

    I frowned. "That doesn''t make your problems invalid. You can''t compare our struggles." I thought about it. "When I said everyone feels behind, I wasn''t being vague. Noah...he feels like he needs to catch up to you guys a lot. The way he looks up to you guys and sees you three as his goal, it makes me a little sad. For him. He can''t see how close he is. And then there''s Dave. When he was injured, he struggled too."

    Kyle uncovered his eyes and looked at me. "Wow. You''re more perceptive than I thought." He cracked a smile. "I had a talk with Dave when I first got back. He''s been my best friend since birth, but I haven''t been acting like it lately. He told me his difficulties on encountering multiple injuries this year. I''m a real jerk, aren''t I?"

    I laughed a little. "Not even close." I have seen some real jerks in my short life...Kyle didn''t make it to the top five. Plus...he''s an Atkins. He''s good at heart.

    "I don''t think I''ve ever heard you talk this much. I really thought I''d be doing most of the talking. Apologizing." He looked me in the eyes. "I really am sorry."

    I shrugged, a little uncomfortable with the attention. "It''s okay."

    "It''s not." He corrected me. "You shouldn''t be okay with being treated like a spare wheel."

    I shrugged again. "Sometimes I feel like a spare wheel."

    He was taken aback. "What?! How could you feel like that?? You''re one of us, really!" He got off the steps and went down before facing me and looking me in the eye. "Have I made you feel like you don''t belong? Is this all my fault?" He looked up at the sky. "Are you punishing me for being selfish, God?!"

    My lips twitched. So dramatic. "It''s not you, it''s me."

    He stopped looking at the sky and blankly stared at me. "That''s exactly the phrase I used to breakup with Marie. Are you trying to break up with me now??"

    I sighed and got up, slightly taller than him thanks to the steps. "You guys make me feel exhausted sometimes." I turned away and headed for the house.

    "Wait! What do you mean by that?" Kyle chased after me, yelling.

    Noah was waiting at the sliding door, opening it when he saw me coming back. "Hey, how''d it go?"

    I smiled. "I think he''s back to normal."

    "Jakeeee! Tell me what you mean!" Kyle complained from behind me.

    Noah raised an eyebrow.

    "He''s trying to dump me! Like the way I broke up with Marie!" Kyle turned his complains to Noah as we collectively moved to the living room. "And he says I exhaust him! What does that mean by that??"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Obviously that Jake doesn''t have the emotional capacity to deal with you. You know how he was before. He''ll just shut down when he reached his limit. Now leave him alone." He gave Kyle a small push. "Just because Dave has forgiven you, doesn''t mean you''re okay with me yet. I hope Dad talked your ear off all weekend."

    The last sentence made Kyle stop fooling around. "More so on the ride home. He gave me the silent treatment at first." He shivered. "Just sitting quietly in the car. Then made me set up the tent by myself. When we went to hike up the mountain, he didn''t say a word."

    Noah scoffed. "That can''t be that bad. Whatever. I''m going to watch the game. Jeremy is coming over for dinner afterwards."

    I sat on the couch with Noah. Kyle joined Dave on the floor, spread out. Zeke ended up joining us later, when the game was halfway through. Seeing the somewhat peaceful atmosphere, he gave a small smile, patted Kyle on the head, and sat down on the couch. A missing piece was put back in place.

 562 V2 ch34

    The tension within Kyle and surrounding him, seemed to have healed. I knew it would. I trust Mr. Atkins. If he could help me, then I know he could easily help his own kids. They weren''t a train wreck like me and him. Him and me. I felt a connection with Mr. Atkins. He''s what I want to become. There''s quite a bit of work until I get there, but I was sincerely feeling better.

    We watched the A''s win another game, putting everyone in a good mood. Mr. Atkins worked in the office as Mrs. Atkins started to cook dinner. The rest of us went our own way. The twins went to the backyard to play some catch and Zeke went to his room.

    Noah and I also went to our room and got started on our homework. I was breezing through my math, while Noah was just seating a few feet away, tapping his pencil.

    Finally, I couldn''t take it any longer and I looked up at him. "What''s wrong?"

    Noah stopped the tapping. "Nothing''s wrong."

    I raised an eyebrow.

    "It''s just...do you really want to forgive Kyle so easily? He''s been an ass for so long. I feel like we''re letting him off too easy." Noah frowned.

    "What has he done that is so unforgivable?" I asked.

    That made Noah freeze. We stared at one another until he caved. "Alright, I get it. It''s not so complicated like your family, but-" He stopped mid sentence and started to tap his pencil against his book again.

    "Why don''t you just prank him a little more than you do Dave? For tomorrow?" I offered, knowing that Noah wouldn''t feel better without getting his revenge. He could easily hold this grudge for months if it doesn''t get settled.

    "Hmmm, but what to do..?" Noah got up and checked his drawer. "Let''s go give this bottle to Zeke while the twins are outside. Come on. Hurry up." He left the room without even waiting for me.

    I sighed and set my homework to the side. I chased after him, careful not to make too much noise in case it attracts attention.

    When I walked into the big room that Zeke shared with the twins, Noah had already handed over the bottle and was explaining to Zeke that he had to shower before the twins and then add this to their shampoo bottle.

    Zeke accepted the bottle and nodded. "I understand." He glanced at me. "Do you have any other ideas..?"

    I shook my head.

    "Can you tell us what you''ve planned out yet?" Noah asked in a low tone.

    Zeke shook his head with a small smile. "It''s not much."

    "Do you have any more ideas just for Kyle?" Noah pressed. "Just some extra payback for being mean."

    Zeke thought about it. "I do have an idea, but it would require you guys to do it while he''s asleep."

    "We can do it!"

    "You can paint his nails. Go talk to Mom and see if she''ll lend you a nail polish." He told us.

    Noah grinned. "Thanks, Zeke!" He pulled on my sleeve. "Let''s go, Jake. You need to be my lookout while I talk with Mom."

    Mrs. Atkins winked at me. "I have something even better. You keep an eye on the kitchen, Jake."

    Noah followed his mom with a smile, eager to see this prank develop even more. I patiently waited for the pair to return after they went upstairs together. The mother and son returned, both snickering.

    Noah grinned at me. "You''ll see tonight."

    I nodded.

    "Hey, what are you guys doing in the kitchen?" Dave asked, wiping his sweat off his forehead. Kyle was right behind him, looking at us curiously.

    Coincidentally, the doorbell rang barely a second later.

    Noah started to drag me away. "Jeremy''s here. We''ll go get him."

    We made our escape.

    At the front door, sure enough, was Jeremy. He greeted us. "Hello. I mean, hey. How are you guys doing?" He shifted from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable.

    Noah opened the door a little wider to let him in. "Come on in. Dinner is almost ready."

    "Thanks." He cleared his throat and lifted his right hand, holding a grocery bag. "I, uh, brought some dessert for after dinner."

    Noah''s eyes widened in delight. He snatched the bag. "I''ll take it!" He ran away without another look, leaving me alone with Jeremy.

    "Soo, uh, how''s it going?" He asked again.

    I nodded slowly. "It''s going."

    He put his hands in the back pockets of his jeans and looked down at me. "If I had known you were at the game, I would have made some time for you. You had good seats, you could have yelled out my name or something."

    I looked away, feeling that the awkwardness between us had hit a high point. "Well...we saw you early on. With...your family. Didn''t want to bug you." I glanced up at him.

    His expression was unreadable. "You saw them?"

    I nodded.

    "They would have been okay with seeing you. It''s not like you''re my illegitimate child or anything. You''re my brother. You''re their cousin. Their nephew. We''re all related."

    I frowned. "No thanks." I turned my back to him. "Let''s go eat. I''m hungry." I led him to the dining room, where the seats started to fill up.

    The twins were staring at Jeremy, but Noah was the one that saw my face. He looked between us. "Everything okay, Jake?"

    I nodded slowly. "It''s fine." I glanced back at Jeremy. "Remember everyone?"

    He nodded. "Yes. Hello. Dave. Kyle. Noah." His eyes shifted to the entryway. "Wayne." He reached a hand out and shook hands with Mr. Atkins. "Good to see you, hope all is well."

    Mr. Atkins smiled gently. "Yes, thank you. I''ve heard how well you''re doing on the team."

    Jeremy stood straight. "Yes, the whole team is very welcoming and made my transition as easy as possible."

    "Good to hear. Well, take a seat and get comfortable. Noah, go get Zeke from upstairs. Dave and Kyle, go help your mother bring out the food." He gave out instructions to everyone, breaking up the group.

    Everyone listened.

    Mr. Atkins sat at his usual spot and so did I. Jeremy sat on the other side of Mr. Atkins, facing new.

    Noticing the silence between me and Jeremy, Mr. Atkins coughed and looked at me. "Do you know if Noah got replies from your teammates?"

    I shrugged. Noah didn''t say.

    "Teammates?" Jeremy asked, looking at me. "Is this for the softball team you were talking about?"

    I was surprised he remembered. I only briefly mentioned the softball team to him when I introduced him to Julian on Thursday. "Yea, we''re creating our t-shirts so when the games start next week, we match."

    He frowned a little. "Are you sure you don''t want to play baseball instead?"

    "I''m fine." I brushed him off.

    Jeremy looked like he wanted to say more, but Mr. Atkins cut him off. "No need to push the matter, Jeremy. We''ve talked about this at length, with our kids. Jake, Noah, and Zeke will be participating together. It''s about six weeks long. As long as they''re happy and out of the house, I think it''ll be good for him."

    Jeremy nodded stiffly.

 563 V2 ch35

    Everyone started to come into the dining room at once. Dave and Kyle carried in dishes full with food and laid them out, while Noah and Zeke came from downstairs. Mrs. Atkins sat down at the other end of the table and directed the twins on where to set down the dishes. Noah sat beside me, while Dave squeezed on the end next to Mrs. Atkins. Zeke quietly sat down next to Jeremy and Kyle took the last empty seat.

    Everyone filled up their plate and started to eat.

    "The A''s are looking really good so far." Dave said. "I really think we''ll be making the playoffs this year."

    "Without a doubt!" Noah agreed easily. "Maberry will be back in action after the all-star break too." He looked at Jeremy. "Do you know how he''s doing?"

    Jeremy nodded. "He comes to every home game. I heard he''ll be starting some rehab with our athletic training staff."

    "Would he bat before you or after you?" Noah asked.

    Jeremy shrugged. "That''s a decision for the manager."

    "But, what would you prefer?" Noah pressed.

    "Whatever helps the team win." Jeremy answered.

    Noah nodded. "Good, happy to hear it."

    Jeremy seemed to relax a little thanks to Noah''s talking. He tried to start a conversation. "So tell me a little more about this softball team..? How many games a week?"

    Noah lit up, smiling. "We just picked out a team name: Hustlers. The league is only six weeks long, but the old man in charge said three games a week, starting next week. Tuesday and Thursday nights. And Saturday mornings." Once Jeremy got Noah going, there was no stopping him. He rambled on about how we completed the roster with the help of some baseball and softball friends. How his parents covered the fee and will be paying for the shirts.

    "If you need help with that, I can cover it." Jeremy offered.

    "No need." Mr. Atkins told him in a friendly manner. "We know someone that can help, and would appreciate our business. I''ll put in the order for the shirts tonight when Noah has answers from his friends."

    "Oh. Okay." He glanced around. Focusing on the twins at the end, he asked, "Are you two not participating on the softball team?"

    "Pshh, no."

    "Most definitely not."

    Dave and Kyle told him.

    Kyle explained. "We''re pitchers. Playing in a softball league sounds fun, but we''re also preparing for college visits and focusing on our training."

    "We''ll be busy most of the summer, going to a few select camps too." Dave added.

    Jeremy turned to me. "You don''t want to go to any camps instead? I can help you find a few to participate in this summer. It would help you more than a softball league would."

    An awkward silence fell upon us.

    "No thanks." I told him. "I rather stay home."

    Jeremy frowned.

    "We are going to Stanford for a week for their baseball camp." Noah spoke up.

    "Zeke will be there." Noah explained. "That''s the school he committed to so we''ve met some of their players. Plus, we have our high school camp in August. We have quite a packed summer when you put it together."

    Jeremy nodded, realization covering his face. He started to understand the summer plans a bit. "Well, like I told Jake, if you guys have free time, you can come to some more A''s games."

    I could feel the stares of excitement from a couple of boys at the table.

    Noah poked me. "You didn''t tell everyone this!"

    I scratched my nose. "Ah, I forgot. I was going to ask first to make sure it was okay." I glanced at Mr. Atkins and then to Mrs. Atkins. "Is it okay?"

    Mrs. Atkins looked at me. "We have a bit of work and travel to do this summer. If you want to go to some games, I''m okay with it, but we have to know beforehand."

    "And you''ll need to make sure you plan it well with Jeremy and Zeke." Mr. Atkins added. "After all, Zeke would be in charge of driving you boys. A lot of coordination has to go into this, understand?"

    I nodded obediently.

    "It''s okay, Rose gave me her number yesterday so we can contact her any time we visit now." Noah spoke up.

    Jeremy froze.

    Mrs. Atkins nodded. "That''s good. She was a nice girl. If she''s watching out for you boys during the games, I can relax a little more."

    "When did you get her number?" Kyle asked.

    Noah smirked. "At last night''s game! You really missed out this time. Rhys''s dad gave us tickets behind the dugout. The best seats I''ve ever gotten to sit in! You could see the sweat coming off the players; that''s how close we were!" Noah started to tell him all about yesterday: going to see Rhys, look at his new bullpen, going to the game, and even watching the fireworks.

    I noticed Jeremy''s strange expression throughout. He looked like he wanted to interrupt, but never got a chance with Noah in charge of the conversation. Most of the dinner conversation was dominated by Noah, but you couldn''t tell by the look of his plate. He was still able to eat two servings of everything before excusing himself.

    The twins did the same, taking their dishes to the kitchen sink before going upstairs to do their homework. It didn''t take long for the rest of the Atkins to leave the table, making sure it was just me and Jeremy.

    I was about to get up so I could get my notebook full of questions, but Jeremy stopped me by repeating an earlier question. "You saw Rose yesterday?"

    I sat back down and got comfortable. I nodded. "For a little bit."

    "What did you guys talk about?" He asked.

    "Hmm. Baseball. You. She gave Noah her number." I shrugged. "She''s nice."

    "She is." He was quiet for awhile.

    Seeing the opening, I spoke up calmly. "So you guys are dating..?"

    "What?!" He blurted out. The calmed down. "What makes you say that?"

    Noah came in the room, flat out laughing. "You and Rose had the same exact reaction. That''s pretty cool. Are you both so worried about people finding out?" Noah handed me my notebook. "Hey, I thought you might need this. But it looks like you already have something to talk about." He turned to go.

    "Wait." Jeremy held him back. "What did you mean by same reaction? In a good way? Bad way? Was she offended when you asked?"

    Noah grinned and laid a hand on my shoulder. "I didn''t ask. Jake did. Just caught her by surprise."

    Jeremy focused back on me, looking me in the eyes. "You asked? How did you know?"

    I shrugged and told him the same thing I told Rose. "Chuck asked me about it. I think a lot of people that work with you two, might know."

    Jeremy looked a little shy. "So...what did she tell you about us?"

    I looked up at Noah for help.

    He gladly took over. "That you''re not really dating yet, more like just seeing one another. Casually." Jeremy frowned, and Noah continued. "And that you''re not at the stage of meeting families. That''s kind of why she didn''t tell you about our presence. We had mentioned that we saw you with your family so she didn''t want to go over."

    Jeremy''s jaw dropped.

 564 V2 ch36

    "Why would you tell her that I''m with my family..?" Jeremy asked, straightening up. "Be more clear."

    Noah took a seat next to me, tired of standing around. "I ran into her near the team store. Brought her to Jake. In our short conversation, we mentioned that we saw you with your family." He raised an eyebrow. "I think it''s more interesting that she doesn''t know your whole family situation. It''s pretty weird."

    Jeremy shook his head. "You don''t understand. You''re not an adult."

    "I don''t have to be an adult to understand." Noah stated firmly. "How does it not come up that your brother and you aren''t raised by the same family. You need to sit down and be more clear with her."

    "We aren''t really at that stage yet." Jeremy defended himself.

    Thinking how he interacted with his family, compared to the way he is with me and the Atkins, I wonder which side Rose sees. Is he also awkward with her...or was he... "Are you scared?" I asked him, seemingly out of nowhere.

    Even Noah was surprised by my question.

    Jeremy looked uncomfortable. "I''m not scared. There''s just a lot going on in my life." He looked at me, worried. "I''m not afraid admitting that you''re my brother if that''s what you''re asking. I said I wouldn''t hide you."

    "It''s not about me." I shook my head. "I''m asking if you, if you''re scared. About telling her about yourself?"

    He paused.

    So I continued. "I was scared. Of Mr. Duncan. Of the Atkins. Of Dr. Moore. I''m still scared of strangers. Of them getting to know me. Because, what if, they think I''m like my mom? Or what if they know that I''m damaged goods?" I glanced at Noah. "It''s hard to let people in. Even if you know that they won''t hurt you. Even if they like you for you."

    Jermey might not have the physical scars like me, but on the inside we were raised by the same evil woman. He might have gotten out early, but it was obvious to me that he wasn''t really okay on the inside. He wasn''t at Mr. Atkins level of inner peace.

    Noah nodded along with my statements. "Jake still clams up around strangers. Getting him to talk to our classmates is still a challenge. Just recently, he-" Noah stopped. He was about to mention how I just started to get changed in front of Noah, but he didn''t want to mention my scars to Jeremy. "The point we''re trying to make, is that it''s better to be upfront and honest with her. We caught her by surprise, telling her a little. I''m sure she''s confused right now."

    Jeremy looked unconvinced. "I don''t think we''re at the point in our relationship though."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I don''t get why you''re making it so complicated. Do you want to date her or not?"

    He hesitated. "Yes, but-"

    "No." Noah cut him off. "It''s not going to work if you don''t tell her what''s going on. She''s probably thinking about ending things with you already, to be honest."

    "She doesn''t have to be mad to dump you. She probably doesn''t feel important enough." Noah told him. "It''s weird that you wouldn''t just tell her that your family came to see you."

    "Noah, what makes you think you can give dating advice?" Dave asked, coming in. "Jeremy, don''t listen to these kids. Just live your own life."

    "Yea, single and alone." Noah retorted.

    "What do you know about relationships?" Dave asked.

    Noah sat up proudly. "I have the best example living with me. Mom and Dad. Do you think they hide things from one another?"

    Dave and Noah started to bicker back and forth. Jeremy watched it all, like it was a professional debate. It was interesting that even though he was older than Zeke, I think Zeke is more mature. Zeke wouldn''t entertain his brother''s thoughts on his dating life and would make his own decisions. That''s why I think Jeremy is lacking in some ways. Emotionally, maybe?

    "What is going on in here?" Mr. Atkins had come out of his office to make an appearance. "I can hear you two fight even with the door closed."

    "Dad!" Noah exclaimed. "Perfect timing! Let me ask you something." He explained the whole situation, from us seeing Jeremy with his family, to running into Rose, and then concluded how Jeremy doesn''t know whether it''s time to introduce Rose to his family or not.

    Mr. Atkins listened patiently, taking a seat like before. "Well, it depends." He said thoughtfully.

    Jeremy nodded along. That''s what he had been saying.

    "Depends on what?" Noah asked.

    Mr. Atkins looked at Jeremy. "It depends on what kind of relationship he wants to have with this woman. I don''t know Jeremy well enough to know what he''s thinking. Is he simply dating this woman, or is he dating with an intention to marry?"

    Jeremy looked lost. "It''s too soon to tell."

    Mr. Atkins smiled gently. "I''m not judging you either way. If you believe she is the one, then it''s best to have no misunderstandings. But if you aren''t sure, then there''s no hurry to say everything at once. It''s okay to guard your heart. Just make sure she knows that you aren''t ready to tell her everything." He looked to me. "Same goes for you."

    "I don''t have a girlfriend." I told him, taken aback.

    He chuckled. "I know. For future reference though. If you guard your heart, don''t forget to keep an open mind." He focused on Dave. "Have you completed your homework?"

    Dave looked guilty. "Most of it."

    Mr. Atkins knocked on the table. "Get moving. Tomorrow might be a long day for you. Better to go to bed earlier." He stood up.

    Dave grimaced. He got up and followed his dad out of the room.

    "Is something going on tomorrow?" Jeremy asked.

    "It''s Dave and Kyle''s birthday." I told him.

    Noah grinned and rubbed his hands together. "We''ve prepared a few surprises for them."

    "Oh?" Jeremy looked interested. "I''ll send a gift over. This week we go on the road so maybe-"

    "Let me stop you right there." Noah cut him off. "We don''t give gifts. Well, maybe, the gift of laughter and memories. We prank one another on our birthdays." He explained before smiling again. "But if you want to give gifts, let me remind you that my birthday is July 26th. Jake''s birthday isn''t until October."

    Noah looked at me, giving me a look.

    I opened up my notebook. "When''s your birthday..?"

    Jeremy looked surprised. "I turned 22 just a few months ago in March." He peeked over at my notebook. "What''s this?"

    I scribbled down his answer by my question. "It''s a list of things I want to know about you. Or if I need a conversation starter."

    Jeremy laughed. "Not a bad idea. Maybe I''ll come up with one of my own."

    I looked at the dating question. Then looked up at him. "So, are you dating Rose? Should I put yes or no?"

    Jeremy went back to being awkward real quick. "Put down ''yes''. Subject to change."

    "That''s mean." Noah remarked. "Are you thinking about breaking up with her already?"

    "Subject to change can mean that, yes, but it can also change to fianc�� or even wife." Jeremy elaborated. I wrote it down.

    "So you''re going to talk to her?" Noah asked. "About your family?"

    Jeremy nodded slowly. "I''ll explain the basics, but I probably won''t go into depth about everything. It''s way too soon to spring all that on her. Maybe the next time, introduce her properly to my family. I like her."

    I nodded. "I like her too. She''s nice."

    Noah laughed. "Nooo, Jake. He like-likes her. The feeling before love. You just like her as a person. There''s a difference."

    ...I knew that. I looked at Noah. "Do you like-like someone, Noah?"

    Noah started to laugh again. "No way. Who would I possibly like right now?"

    True...all he really focused on was baseball. I don''t think he has ever really talked about any girl if it didn''t involve baseball, or softball now, I guess.

    "What about you, Jake?" Noah poked me. "You can talk with Kaylee and Alisha all on your own now. Are you interested in one of them?"

    I shook my head. "Not like that."

    "Who''s Kaylee and Alisha?" Jeremy butted in.

 565 V2 ch37

    "Classmates." Noah told him. "They''re helping us with our softball team. Alisha doesn''t play, but Kaylee was on the varsity team." He started to give Jeremy a brief overview of each girl, even explaining how Kyle dated Kaylee''s sister and randomly broke up with her to focus on baseball. "And Alisha is throwing an end-of-the-school-year party slash birthday party next week."

    Watching Noah talking to Jeremy so easily made me jealous. Not that I thought that they were close, it''s just, Noah was able to get along with everyone all the time. He was a talker. And he was outgoing. I want to be more outgoing.

    I cleared my throat to chime in. "Do you think you could sign some autographs so I can take to the party?"

    Jeremy was surprised. "Why would you want to do that?"

    "Because a lot of kids at school asked him for one." Noah answered. "Mostly everyone now knows that he''s your brother. There was some kind of blog post that brought it up again and included pictures of you two talking."

    Jeremy frowned. "Do you know which blog?"

    Noah shook his head.

    Jeremy looked at me. "Are you sure you want to give them out? That''s not going to make the other kids jealous of you, right?"

    I shrugged and looked at Noah.

    Noah thought for a moment. "I mean, some are already jealous. Jake is a baseball star as a freshman. But no one dares to pick on him. Me and my brothers are there to back him up."

    "Okay then, if you''re sure. I''ll send you a stack of signed baseball cards. It''ll take me awhile though." Jeremy told us.

    "You''ve got almost two weeks." Noah replied.

    He nodded. "Okay. I''ll work on it as I''m on the road. I come back next week for a couple of home games so maybe you and the Atkins family can make a trip to watch a game and pick up the autographs?"

    My lips twisted. "I''m not sure. Softball starts next week." I glanced to Noah.

    Noah nodded. "Tuesday is our first game. Thursday we''ll actually be missing because of Zeke''s graduation. Friday is Alisha''s party. And since it''s finals week, I doubt Mom would let us go."

    "Oh..." Jeremy hesitated. "We''ll figure something out next week when I get back then. Are you, uh, prepared for your finals?"

    I nodded.

    "It won''t be difficult for us." Noah claimed with ease.

    "That''s good." Jeremy looked relieved. "At least you''re don''t have my bad study habits."

    "You were bad at school?" I asked.

    He made a face of indecisiveness. "Kind of. I was bad in school, but I wasn''t dumb. I just did dumb things. Does that make sense?"

    I tilted my head. "Not really. But is that why you didn''t go to college?" I grabbed the pen again and prepared to write down his answer.

    I waited patiently, wanting to know more.

    Jeremy coughed and cleared his throat. "He never made it to the majors. I wanted to do that for him. To honor his memory. I wanted to succeed what he couldn''t accomplish."

    "What did your uncle think of that?" Noah asked with no emotion.

    "Uncle Jack was very supportive of my dreams. I owe a lot to him for what I''m abled to do today. He trained me, coached me, and did all in his power to make me a better player." He stumbled a bit at the sight of my unmoved expression. "Sorry, I-"

    "It''s fine." I told him.

    The conversation stalled in awkwardness.

    "Really, Jeremy." I spoke up. "I''m glad you have them."

    Jeremy looked a little torn. "Thanks, me too. And I''m glad you have the Atkins. They seem like nice people."

    "Of course we''re nice." Noah grinned.

    The conversation turned a little lighter as I started to ask him about his time in the minors and even a little about his high school baseball team. We spoke for an hour, Mrs. Atkins brought out the dessert Jeremy had given, and the conversation finally ended when Mr. Atkins told us it was about time we went to bed.

    Noah went upstairs to get ready for bed as I walked Jeremy to the door.

    "Jake?" He asked after I opened the door for him.

    I looked up at him.

    "I know you aren''t too keen on Uncle Jack, but I wanted to ask if you...are okay with meeting his kids...our cousins?" The Jeremy in front of me wasn''t the pro baseball player that everyone saw at the A''s game. Instead, I had the awkward and uncomfortable Jeremy, who struggled to even look me in the eye.

    I shrugged, noncommittal. "Maybe. We''ll see."

    Jeremy looked relieved. "Cool. Cool. Cool."

    My lips twitched. "Drive safe."

    "Yea, thanks." He grinned and walked out the door, giving me a head pat on the way out. He froze and turned back to face me. "Sorry!"

    "It''s fine." I said for the millionth time that night.

    This time his relief had a hint of happiness. "I''ll text you later. You...feel free to text or call me too."

    "Okay."

    He left for real this time, waving and getting into his car. I watched his car leave the block before closing the door.

    I went upstairs and found Noah already in bed. He looked at me as I came in the room. "Was it awkward?"

    I nodded. "Yea. He also asked if I would mind meeting Jack''s kids...our cousins."

    He sat up. "And what did you say?"

    I shrugged again. "I said maybe."

    "Interesting."

    "What..?"

    "Nothing."

    "What?" I looked at him.

    "Nothing." He repeated.

    I frowned and got my pajamas out. I glanced at him.

    Noah laid back down. "You can change in here. It''s not like I''ll stare."

    After making sure he wasn''t pay attention to me, I hurried up and got changed. Since he was already in bed, I turned off the light for the room.

    "We''ll wake up at 3." Noah whispered.

    I nodded obediently, but realized he couldn''t see me in the dark. "Okay." Noah passed out easily, but I struggled. In my bed, I could only think about my cousins. The ones that Jeremy claimed as siblings. The way they all laughed together at the game yesterday. I was definitely an outsider, but Jeremy asking me if I wanted to meet them lowered my guard. Did he ask because he wanted me to meet them? Or because Jack wanted me to get to know them? Or do those cousins actually want to know about me? A lot of possibilities.

    I must have fallen sleep at some point, because the next thing I knew, Noah was shaking me awake. He put his finger to his lips in the light glow of a small flashlight. We snuck out of our room and into the big room.

    At Kyle''s bedside, Noah took out a sheet of...fake nails..? I watched in fascination as he put a dab of glue on one and then pressed it to Kyle''s nail, holding it for a minute. At first I was nervous that Kyle would wake up, but his snores rang out the whole entire time. Noah did all ten fingers as I held the flashlight down and did my best not to breathe so hard.

    As we were leaving, Noah got close to check Kyle''s hair. Pink. And not just light pink.

    Noah''s eyes widened and he put a hand over his own mouth, stopping himself from making any noise. We got out of there, closing the door behind us, and got back to our own room.

    "Oh my god, did you see his hair!?!" Noah grabbed me. "His hair is pink! Pink pink!" He giggled, trying to keep it down. "He must have let it sit in his hair for a bit! This is way better than I expected. He''s going to freak out in the morning!"

    I nodded. His hair wasn''t a neon pink, but it would definitely stand out tomorrow. Him and Dave must have went to bed as soon as they finished their showers.

 566 V2 ch38

    We didn''t go back to sleep in fear of the twins waking up before us. Noah played video games as I reviewed my essay for English. At 5:30am, Zeke made a surprise appearance, opening our door slowly, and scaring us half to death.

    Noah sighed in relief at the sight of his big brother. "Oh, it''s just you."

    Zeke showed a small smile. "You guys are already done?"

    We nodded.

    Noah grinned. "Did you see their hair?"

    Zeke nodded. "Kyle''s is pink. Dave is just a light pastel pink. Kyle must have left his in longer. Did you paint Kyle''s nails then?"

    "Even better, I applied those fake nails. Mom had some for me to use so technically it was with her consent." Noah turned off his video game and stood up. "Do you need help with your prank?"

    Zeke shook his head. "I just finished. I wanted us to leave early before they wake up. You guys get dressed and meet me in the car."

    "What about Mom and Dad? ...and breakfast?" Noah asked.

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "I''ll treat you to breakfast. Hurry up. We can''t be here when they wake." He left, hardly making noise even though he had shoes on.

    We didn''t need any more encouragement from Zeke. We both got moving, tiptoeing around the room, and slowly closing drawers so they wouldn''t make noise. After getting dressed, we grabbed our backpacks and went to join Zeke at the car.

    "How are they going to get to school if we take the car..?" I asked from the backseat while Noah sat up front with Zeke.

    Zeke put the car in reverse and started to drive. "Pobably Mom or Dad. They won''t leave them in a lurch. Nor will they let them skip school."

    "Err...do you think Mom is going to flip at the sight of their hair..?" Noah asked.

    Zeke shrugged. "It''s not like it''s permanent. Plus, it''ll fade away after a few days."

    Noah was relieved. He glanced back at me to say something, but stopped. "What''s that?"

    I looked at the boxes next to me and shrugged. The whole backseat had boxes too. The trunk had to be filled too.

    "Part of my prank." Zeke answered.

    "What are you going to do..?" Noah asked.

    "It''s already done." Zeke smirked.

    I looked in one of the boxes on the floor. "Clothes..?"

    "I took all their clothes and mine." Zeke explained. "They''ll either wear their pajamas to school or try to fit in Noah''s clothes."

    Thinking about how the twins were a few inches taller and were more muscular than Noah, I really couldn''t see them squeezing in his clothes. Mine were even more unlikely.

    Noah laughed. "That goes well with their pink hair." He stopped. "Oh. Unless Dad lets them borrow his clothes."

    Zeke grinned. "Choices, choices, choices. Will they ask for clothes that fit or will they ask for a ride to school?"

    "If they wake up in time." Zeke nodded. "But we won''t be there. And I turned off their alarms."

    "Dangggg." Noah stared around Zeke in amazement. "You''re getting mean."

    "Mom won''t let them be late." Zeke told us. He drove us in a familiar direction...to the beach. For a few minutes I thought we were going to Mr. Atkins''s bench, but he drove right by the ice cream shop and the hill where the bench was. He found an open diner and parked. "Breakfast. My treat."

    We three got out and went into the diner.

    A waitress gave us a skeptical look. "It''s a bit early for you kids, ain''t it?"

    I shrunk behind Zeke and Noah.

    "Have to be at school early this morning." Zeke stated simply. "Thought I would treat them to breakfast."

    She grabbed some menus, took us to a booth, and placed the menus down. "What can I get you three to drink?"

    "Water." Zeke sat on one side.

    "Chocolate milk." Noah sat across from him.

    I sat down next to Noah. "I''ll also take a chocolate milk."

    "I''ll be back." She left.

    "Do you have anymore pranks planned for the twins?" Noah asked Zeke.

    "You''ll see." He replied.

    So vague.

    The waitress came back with our drinks and took our food order. Under pressure, I ordered the same as Noah. Big mistake. He had ordered chocolate chip pancakes and had it drizzled with chocolate syrup. It was too sweet. I''ve never had so much chocolate for breakfast.

    I was only abled to eat half, but Noah had no problem taking over and eating my other half after he had finished his. Zeke could only shake his head at the black hole. By the time we were done, the sun was up. Zeke made a pit stop at some kind of party store. He ran in and came out with wrapping paper and balloons.

    We went to school with a fully loaded car. We followed Zeke to the twins lockers and watched as he was able to unlock them and started to wrap the doors. He then tied the balloons through the vent. We thought he was done, but then Mahki showed up with a bucket.

    He set it down, revealing a bunch of small balloons filled with water. He helped Zeke lay out a towel on top of the books in the first locker and then they started to pile up the water balloons until the locker was filled. They skillfully closed that locker and moved onto the next.

    "This is going to be good." Noah grinned evilly. He found a good spot for us to sit, with a view of the lockers. Zeke and Mahki left, not bothering to stick around.

    Slowly students started to arrive on campus and it got a little crowded in the quad. The closer we moved to the start of school, the more anxious Noah became. He whipped out his phone and hit the camera button. "I definitely will have to record this."

    A weird murmur came over the students in the area as they all began whispering. Soon, two familiar faces made their appearance. Dave and Kyle were in ill-fitting clothes that showed off their pecs and abs. And their ankles. I laughed outright. They must have put on Noah''s sweats and shirts like Zeke had hoped. To top off their look for the day, they were also wearing the baseball hats we wore to represent the school. It honestly covered most of the pink in Dave''s hair, but Kyle''s color was just too bright.

    "Looking good!" Noah laughed, hitting the record button. He zoomed in on his brothers. "A very special happy birthday to Dave and Kyle. To celebrate turning 17, they had dressed up in my clothing and are now sporting a very colorful pink hairstyle."

    The twins got to their lockers and frowned at the styling. They opened their lockers near the same time, with Kyle just being a second faster. Water balloons started to spill out and splash at his feet, no doubt soaking his socks and shoes. Dave saw what had happened next to him and jumped back to avoid the water balloons. More fell out of his locker causing a puddle at their feet.

    Noah laughed wholeheartedly while recording. We weren''t the only ones. Nearby students and classmates all laughed and started to holler.

 567 V2 ch39

    Noah stayed long enough to make the video, but as soon as the twins started to look around. We made our escape, heading to class. Noah replayed the video for our classmates as soon as we took our seats in the room.

    "You''re crazy! I could never dye my brother''s hair!"

    "You should have made one purple."

    "Is your mom going to be mad?"

    "I can''t see Zeke helping you."

    At the mention of Zeke, Noah started to brag that most of these pranks were his ideas. Water balloons. Taking their clothes. Even the nail polish was his idea, but it was changed by Mrs. Atkins.

    "Your own mother helped you out?!" One of the guys scoffed. "Dang! What an evil little family!"

    Noah grinned and nodded. "Yep. I''m lucky that my birthday is over the summer. I''ll be pranked, but at least it won''t be public." He paused. "Oh, but I might actually be gone during my birthday this year...so maybe I won''t be pranked at all." He grinned.

    "Where are you going this summer?" Someone asked.

    "Zeke invited me and Jake to participate in the Stanford camp. He and the other Stanford players and coaches will be acting as counselors so it''ll be a fun experience."

    "Wow."

    "That''s pretty cool."

    "I wish I had a brother like Zeke."

    Some of them glanced my way, but didn''t say anything. At least, not until, this one guy asked, "Jake, did you ask your brother about autographs yet?"

    Surprised, I just stared at him.

    The guy made a face. "Did he really tell you no? Or do you not want to ask him?"

    "He did ask him. Last night after dinner." Noah responded, defending me. He looked at me. "Do you want to tell them or should I?"

    I shrugged again, not really interested in joining the group.

    "Jeremy said he would work on signing some baseball cards for Jake to take to Alisha''s party. We''ll pass them out there." Noah explained fully.

    Alisha, who had just walked in as the first bell rung, was surprised. "You''re doing what at my party?"

    "Passing our Jeremy''s autographed cards." Noah grinned good-naturedly. "Don''t worry, I''ll bring you a separate gift entirely."

    Alisha was really shocked now. "You will?"

    Noah nodded. "Yep! Already got you something!"

    Alisha glanced my way for a brief second before smiling at Noah. "Cool. Thanks."

    "Should we bring gifts for you, Alisha?" A girl asked. "I thought you said not to."

    "It''s okay if you all don''t." Alisha addressed the class. "I just want everyone to come and have a good time. Celebrate the end of our freshman year and my 15th birthday. That''s all I really want." She beamed, seemingly in a great mood.

    Even after class, I couldn''t talk to Noah about it. One, what if I''m wrong? I don''t want to embarrass her. Two, what if I''m right? I don''t want to embarrass her. I had a strong urge to go talk to Alisha about this, but that''s kind of embarrassing too. Maybe I can ask Zeke for advice on what to do.

    In every class, a couple of kids would approach Noah and ask him about his brothers pink hair. He told everyone he could and even explained that Kyle must have left the soap in his hair longer than Dave. With their hair being two shades of pink, everyone could now tell the difference between the twins.

    At lunch, on our way to our usual table, Kaylee stopped us and handed over a small, wrapped, box. "For Kyle." She explained.

    Noah looked confused. "From Marie..?"

    Kaylee nodded.

    "Is there a dead cockroach in here?" Noah light shook the box.

    She shook her head. "It''s a real gift. My sister worked on it all weekend. It''s a keychain made from the cover of a baseball."

    Noah looked a little sad as he put the box away in his backpack. "You know...he was gone all weekend with my dad. He''s been a jerk lately so they went for some alone time. He says he didn''t like it. But tell Marie...he seems almost back to normal."

    Kaylee nodded slowly. "Alright. I''ll pass it along." She waved and went to her friends.

    We walked to our table in silence, both feeling a little bad for Marie. Dumped out of the blue, and she still made him a birthday gift.

    "If Kyle doesn''t get back with Marie, then he must still be a jerk." Noah mumbled. "We''ll have to ask him later."

    I nodded along, wondering if I should mention the Alisha thing. Then I decided not to. I''ll just wait for my opportunity with Zeke.

    We ate at our bench under the warm sun. Summer was here and we were finally starting to feel it.

    I thought life was going smoothly for me...until I saw the twins in math. I forgot that I had to sit with them.

    "Jake." Dave greeted warmly, with a gentle smile.

    "Come Jake, lets have a chat!" Kyle patted my seat with the same eager smile.

    My fight-or-flight response was sending me signals that it was time to run. But at the sound of the bell, all I could do was take a seat between the twins.

    Kyle tapped his nails against the desk, in a slightly disturbing way. Maybe because I''ve never seen such long fake nails on a guy before. It could also be the creepy smile.

    "Oh? I see you''ve noticed my nails." Kyle grinned. "Do you like them?"

    I gulped. Was there a right or wrong answer? I stuck with silence.

    "Very, very creative ''gifts'' today, Jake." Dave said from my other side, taking off his cap and revealing his pale pink hair. "Why don''t you tell us how it was done?"

    I shook my head slowly.

    Kyle tilted his head, resting his elbow on the table. It made his arm flex, and in a shirt that was a size too small, it made him look even more buff. "C''mon Jake. You''ve got to know...you were gone when we woke up after all."

    "No, no, no hablo espa?ol." I stuttered. I cast my eyes down and focused on my math book.

    The twins laughed together, and in a non-creepy way.

    I peeked at Dave.

    He grinned, patting my head. "Not bad, Jake."

    "I think we''ll be able to trust you to pull a prank on Noah while we''re gone." Kyle stated.

    I shook my head. "No way!"

    Kyle rested his hand on my shoulder. "It''s the rules, Jake. You think Noah is going to let you off on your birthday?"

    Uhhh. "He wouldn''t...would he?"

    "Think it over, Jake." Dave told me. "You''ve got time."

    "But...we''ll be at the Stanford camp. I don''t think I can do anything." I told them.

    "Zeke will be there." Kyle pointed out. "No matter what, he''ll get him somehow."

    "Oh.." I hesitated. "I guess...then..."

    "It''s all in good fun." Dave laughed, sounding less scary.

    Kyle nodded in agreement. Then he leaned forward. "But really...please tell me this isn''t permanent. I don''t want to go bald."

    I nodded. "It''s supposed to wash out." He looked relieved, but I still had to tell him. "Yours might take longer though..."

    Kyle made a face, looking distressed.

    "You''ve got three weeks before we leave on our first trip." Dave waved away his worries.

    "But what about Zeke''s graduation photos..?" Kyle ran a hand through his hair. "I have to dye it back if it''s not blonde again by next Thursday. There''s no way I want to be remembered like this when Mom makes us take a million pictures next week."

    "Yea, you could do that." Dave agreed.

    They spent the class talking about next week, hair dye, and whether there''s a way to safely pull off Kyle''s fake nails. They used their phones to look up at that last problem. I was left alone to take notes from the whiteboard since this week was mostly review for the final next week. I didn''t mind. Hearing them talk like this made it really seem like Kyle was over missing the finals. He didn''t hold a grudge against Dave and neither did Dave. They were back to being equals.

 568 V2 ch40

    At the end of class though, they made sure I knew that they were counting on Zeke giving them a ride home. They couldn''t waste time after school. It was strange for them to be so adamant about it, but maybe they thought Zeke would continue prancing them. I just nodded. We usually arrived at the car at the same time, so I couldn''t imagine Zeke leaving all of us.

    I went to my last class of the day, rejoining Noah. I told him about the way the twins scared me. I didn''t dare mention that they wanted me to prank him next month on his birthday.

    After school, I thought we would have to convince Zeke to wait for the twins. In a surprising twist...we should have convinced him to wait for us.

    Noah looked just as distressed as me as we stared at his empty parking spot. "He left without us??"

    I looked around, watching students heading to their own cars.

    "Hey...where''s Zeke?" Dave asked, showing up with Kyle. They both looked a little funny in their small clothes and pink hair hiding under hats.

    To avoid laughing at them, I had to turn away and not look.

    "This is where we parked in the morning." Noah gestured at the empty spot. Then sighed. "Guess we''ll have to call Mom."

    Honk, honk!

    Two very loud honks grabbed our attention and we spotted a familiar car. Mr. Atkins car to be exact. We maneuvered through the parking lot as a group and loaded up in his car. Dave took the front passenger seat while Noah squeezed between me and Kyle in the middle row.

    "What are you doing here, Dad?" Noah asked.

    "Was Zeke trying to pull another prank?" Kyle didn''t wait for an answer. "I bet he just loved making us looked like idiots today."

    Mr. Atkins smiled. "No. As far as I know, that''s all he had planned."

    "Then where did he go..?" Dave asked.

    Mr. Atkins drove, getting in the line of cars trying to leave the school parking lot. "We had some surprised guests today at the house. We called the school to let Zeke come home early."

    "What!"

    "Who could it be?"

    "Was the school even okay with that?"

    All the boys asked at once.

    Mr. Atkins tapped the steering wheel as we sat in traffic. "Should I tell you boys..? It''s not like you guys not to know what''s going on today?"

    Noah nudged me and gave me a look. I think he wanted me to say something.

    Oh. I cleared my throat. "I don''t know either..."

    Mr. Atkins glanced back at me, using the rear view mirror. "Whoops. Sorry, Jake. Let me give you guys a hint: something to do with baseball."

    "So vague." Dave muttered.

    "Dad, that hint wasn''t helpful at all." Kyle retorted.

    Noah thought for a second before leaning forward, sticking his head between his dad and Dave. "Baseball and Zeke? Real baseball?? MLB kind of baseball???"

    Mr. Atkins laughed. "Yes. See, boys? Noah got it."

    "What is it?"

    "It''s the draft! Today is draft day!" Noah exclaimed, sitting back, proud of himself for figuring it out first.

    "Wait. Does that mean Zeke is at home, preparing for the draft?" Dave asked, jaw dropped. "What about Stanford?"

    "It doesn''t hurt to watch." Kyle pointed out. "Just because he gets drafted doesn''t mean he has to go. This is going to be so cool." He whipped out his phone. "I wonder what time it starts."

    "7pm eastern time, so 4pm here." Mr. Atkins answered before Kyle could look it up. "Zeke had a few personal calls and house visits so we thought it would be best to call him home early. This is his future and he needs to be the one to make the decisions."

    "Do you think he would bail on Stanford at the last minute..?" Dave asked. "Even though Rhys was going to go? And it would be such an amazing team too with the returning players like Bradley Thompson."

    "No way Zeke would bail." Noah proclaim. "He''s not the type to do so." He said so confidently. They may all be brothers, but the twins didn''t look up to Zeke like Noah does. I don''t know if it''s because of the different age gaps, but Noah had always set Zeke as his role model.

    "Alright, calm down." Mr. Atkins told us as he drove through the school traffic. "We''re all in the same car; no need to yell. You guys will find out soon enough when we get home."

    "I just think, if he gets picked in the first round, it''ll be too hard to pass up on that." Kyle said.

    "He was always a potential top pick." Dave pointed out. "And he still chose to commit to Stanford. I think I''ll stand with Noah on this one. He''ll stay. Especially after convincing Rhys to go."

    "Such a waste." Kyle muttered.

    "Zeke isn''t the type to waste time either." Noah stuck his tongue out.

    "Wow." Dave exclaimed, staring out the window. The whole street was full of parked cars. "Are they all here for Zeke?"

    Mr. Atkins nodded. "Some are from the teams. Some are scouts. Some are from the media."

    "The media?" Noah asked.

    "Just local stuff." Mr. Atkins dismissed. "Mr. Cameron is here too, working on the story. So try to be nice to one another today."

    "It''s too late for that!" Kyle sighed, depressed. "Do you see what I''m wearing?? I have to walk in the house like this with a bunch of relative baseball people around?"

    "And we have pink hair!" Dave added, slumping in his seat, no longer excited. "I don''t want to go home, Dad."

    Mr. Atkins laughed. "Don''t worry. All the attention will be on Zeke. You''ll just be background characters today."

    "Hey!" Both of them yelled simultaneously, offended.

    Mr. Atkins parked in the driveway and turned off the car. "No one will notice, I promise. Your hats do a good job covering up. Just keep them on and let Zeke be the center of attention." He got out of the car first.

    I followed his lead. Noah was right behind me. The twins were last going up the walkway. Mr. Atkins opened the door to reveal a full house. It would honestly look like a party if it wasn''t so quiet. A few of them glanced our way after we walked in.

    I could hear murmurs from around.

    "...Brothers..."

    "...Twins will be seniors next year..."

    "...Jake..."

    I tensed up at the sound of my name and started to look around to see which one was talking about me. But there was no clear way to tell in such a crowded house.

    "...pink hair..."

    Kyle rested his hand on Noah''s shoulder and leaned over. "You''ll pay for this, you jerk."

    Noah grinned without a care. "Sure, sure. I''m going to go look for Zeke. C''mon, Jake." He grabbed my backpack strap and started to drag me away from the twins.

    "Best behavior, Noah." Mr. Atkins warned. Yet he still waved us towards the dining room. "He''s over here." He led the way, walking into the dining room first, then Noah, then me.

    I gulped.

 569 V2 ch41

    The dining table was surrounded by a group of men, none of which were sitting down. Only Zeke was seated, looking over some papers in front of him. Mrs. Atkins came out of the kitchen with a tray of snacks. Spotting us, she brought it over and handed it to Noah.

    "What''s Zeke doing?" Noah asked in a low voice, noticing the somewhat quiet atmosphere.

    "He''s looking over some tentative contracts..." Mrs. Atkins sighed. "I''ve already called George to see if he can clear up some of the lawyer language."

    "It''s too soon for contracts." Mr. Atkins frowned.

    "They''re letting him see what he would get if they pick him early. In exchange, he has to be upfront about his future plans." Mrs. Atkins explained. "No one wants to draft a player that won''t play for them so they''re all testing the waters."

    Zeke stood up, causing the room to grow even more quiet. "Thank you to everyone taking the time to reach out and contact me. I appreciate it. But, my decision has already been made." He glanced our way. "I''m going to Stanford to grow more as a player and as a person. I believe after my time at the college level, I''ll be ready for the majors."

    "Are you really not thinking about going pro?" Some man asked. "Is there any specific team that you''re willing to play for? Are you just threatening to use the college route to scare the rest of us away?"

    Zeke shook his head. "I''m not into mind games or anything of the sort. I made a commitment to Coach Leroy, and I plan on honoring that commitment. Now if you''ll excuse me, my family is home and would appreciate some privacy."

    Some of the men left without saying goodbye, while others chose to express their feelings to Zeke. It was a sight to see...all these men from the major league teams coming by just to see what Zeke''s plans are. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins went to the front door to see the group of men off as Noah and I stood around watching Zeke talk to anyone left over. It was mostly him repeating himself that he really plans on attending college and that no team would change his mind.

    Noah ate the snacks on the plate and watched the show with great interest. "I hope it''s like this for me, during my senior year."

    "You''re on your way." Someone said from behind us, making me flinch. When I saw the familiar face of Mr. Cameron, I relaxed. He looked apologetically at me. "Sorry. Didn''t mean to scare you."

    Noah waved his free hand. "Don''t mind. Jake jumps all the time. It''s not you specifically. Now go back to what you first said. That I''m on my way..?"

    Mr. Cameron nodded. "You''re already on the varsity level. Jake, you too. As soon as you''re on the varsity level, you''re bound to get more attention. Especially with a CIF championship under your belt." He raised an eyebrow. "Have any college coaches reached out to you guys yet?"

    I shook my head. I haven''t talked to any strangers lately.

    Mr. Cameron explained. "They can''t speak to you directly, but I wouldn''t be surprised if a few brochures showed up in the mail in the coming weeks. For coaches, it''s never too soon to start recruiting. You won''t be getting offers or anything just yet, but it''s not a bad idea to think about what you want."

    Noah shrugged. "I don''t see why. Zeke made his decision not even two months ago."

    "Yea, very unexpected as you can tell." Mr. Cameron took a glance around the room at the lingering representatives. "Zeke had planned to enter in the draft over a year ago. Then he visited some colleges, made a commitment, and now is sticking to it. This last few months, he probably messed up a few mock drafts. Add in the fact that he won a championship his senior year, and these scouts don''t know what to make of him."

    Noah snorted. "He didn''t even do anything in the championship game. Jake did more than him. Heck, it was me in the semifinals that had the game-winning RBI. What does Zeke even do?"

    "If I recall correctly, I had a grand slam in the semifinals." Zeke said.

    It was Noah''s turn to jump in surprise as he craned his head to the left to see his oldest brother. "Oh, hey Zeke, I was just joking."

    Zeke squinted at him. "Sure." He glanced down at the near empty plate of snacks. "Those were for Mr. Cameron and his crew."

    "Mom didn''t say that." Noah shrugged. He looked to Mr. Cameron. "Do you guys really need snacks?"

    Mr. Cameron laughed. "No, we''re good. We won''t be staying for too long."

    Noah nodded, satisfied. "Are you interviewing Zeke again?"

    Mr. Cameron nodded with a happy smile. "Yes. A snippet for the news and the rest will be an article on his reasons for picking college ball." He looked at Zeke. "Do you want to start before or after the draft?"

    Zeke looked around at the near empty dining room. "You can set up here and we''ll start when you''re ready. There''s no reason to watch the draft."

    Mr. Cameron pulled out his phone and started recording. "Why do say that? There''s no reason to watch the draft?"

    Zeke answered without hesitation. "Because I was clear with the team scouts and representatives. I''ll be going to college. Even if chosen, I can only apologize and continue down my own path."

    Mr. Cameron paused the recording. "Good. I like that. Well, I''ll go get my guys and start setting up." He hurried away.

    "You''re really doing this?" Kyle asked after him and Dave made their appearance. They must feel better now that the crowd has dwindled. "You''re obviously already a top pick. Are you trying to be number one?"

    "I already made my decision." Zeke stated firmly.

    "Yea, well we thought you made a decision last summer too." Kyle pointed out. "Why did you change your mind then, but won''t change it back again?"

    Zeke looked at him thoughtfully. "I didn''t realize you wanted to be a reporter when you grow up."

    Noah and Dave started to laugh. I smiled.

    Kyle looked away and crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine. Whatever. It''s your life. Don''t feel bad when I go pro next summer and overtake you."

    Dave stopped laughing and looked at Kyle. "You want to go pro after graduation? No college?"

    Kyle shrugged. "You never know. I''m not like Zeke here that will turn down a round one pick. What''s wrong with that?"

    Dave frowned. "But, we''re still looking at colleges?"

    Kyle nodded. "Have to keep our options open. We can''t just follow Zeke around."

    Dave scratched his head under his cap. "Hmmm."

    Kyle looked at him. "Are you saying that if you get picked in the first or second round next year, you won''t go pro?"

    Dave shook his head. "It''s not that. I''m not even close to that kind of level or talent yet. You''re asking me what I would do if I was a top 100 player out of high school and college players..? If I was that good, I wouldn''t be looking at colleges in the first place."

    "Things change." Kyle said confidently. "We''ll get better."

    "Here!" Mr. Cameron showed up again with two people following. They all carried luggage and started to unload in order to set up.

 570 V2 ch42

    As his guys set up the camera and sound equipment, Mr. and Mrs. Atkins came back after sending everyone off. Even the stragglers were sent away with the explanation that Zeke is firm in his decision and that Stanford is his pick.

    George Pickens still showed up even though Zeke wasn''t looking at those contracts anymore. Mr. Atkins went to the living room with him and they turned on the draft so they could watch. The twins followed them, while Noah and I stayed with his mom to watch Zeke''s interview with Mr. Cameron.

    Once everything was set, Mr. Cameron sat at angle from Zeke and the camera began to roll. He grinned at the camera and did his introduction before facing Zeke. "First off, Zeke, I would like to congratulate you on such an exciting season of high school baseball. You finished your high school career with a championship under your belt. How does that make you feel?"

    Zeke smiled. "It was a dream come true. What made it even more special though, is that I was able to accomplish this with the help of all four of my brothers."

    Noah nudged me.

    "Yes, your brothers have been showing some success on the field as well. Does that drive you to do better?" Mr. Cameron asked.

    Zeke nodded. "It does. There is no better competition than your own family. I know them and they know me. We push one another to keep striving for new heights."

    "Do you think they can repeat another CIF championship after you leave?"

    "Without a doubt." Zeke nodded confidently. "Not just because I have faith in my brothers, but also in the teammates I leave behind. There are juniors who are ready to step up and take over. The sophomores are also wanting their chance to shine."

    "That''s reassuring to your coach, I''m sure." Mr. Cameron said. "But I''m also positive that the hole you leave behind will be significant. Your legacy at Watsonville High has been incredible to follow. Let''s talk about this next step you plan to take."

    "Stanford University." Zeke said with pride.

    "Yes, we covered the signing ceremony when you had made your commitment. However, it''s not uncommon for college-bound players to change their mind if they get drafted early. We saw earlier some team representatives asking you about your future and your willingness to go pro. Can you tell us a little more about your decision?"

    Zeke slowly nodded. "I was impressed and surprised by how many people came to see me today. If I had this kind of attention last year, I probably stuck with my original plan to go pro after high school. As for why I''m choosing to stick with Stanford, there are a lot of reasons that come with that."

    "Such as?"

    "Well, first off, I''m not about the money. There might have been a time, just a few months ago, where being a pick in the first or second round would be life changing for me."

    "And why is that?"

    "At what point did you change your mind?"

    Zeke smiled. "It was gradual, not very sudden. First, my parents. They really pushed for me to visit some colleges. Even though the season had started and we were nearing to graduation, I didn''t think I would change my mind. My first visit was to Stanford and it was eye-opening. There are players not even that much older than me, yet they can hit the ball yards further."

    "And that scared you?"

    Zeke shook his head. "No. It inspired me. This would be my future. Even if I was drafted, I''d be on some minor league team learning how to improve my play there instead of at a college. Why not use that time at college to improve my play and get an education? Two birds with one stone."

    "You don''t think you''ll have to spend too much time in the minors even after college?"

    Zeke''s friendly smile turned into a cocky grin. "It won''t be a long stay."

    Mr. Cameron laughed. "By the sight of how many people came by to talk to you today, I believe it. My next question for you is: are you planning on staying at Stanford for all four years?"

    "No. I''ll be done before then." Zeke told him.

    "Done? Done with what?" Even Mr. Cameron was confused along with me and Noah. Mrs. Atkins just kept smiling at her son.

    "Done with my degree." Zeke replied. "I''ve spoken with my academic counselor there and have already planned out an accelerated program."

    "Wow. Does Coach Leroy know about your plans?"

    He nodded. "Yes. We have had a conversation of what he expects out of me, and what I expect out of the program. I''m very thankful for this opportunity. I plan to show my appreciation by bringing home a College World Series ring."

    Mr. Cameron was now more than surprised. He paused for a second before finding the words. "I''m impressed with your goals that you have set for yourself. With Coach Leroy, Bradley Thompson, and the returning seniors, I''m sure you guys will have a good shot at the championship. I''ll be rooting for ya."

    "Thank you." Zeke simply nodded after making such a claim.

    Mr. Cameron turned to the camera directly. "There you have it folks. Zeke Atkins won''t be going pro this year, but don''t rule him out two years from now. Until then, be sure to catch him in action at Stanford University."

    The camera turned off and the guy behind it gave the thumbs up.

    Mr. Cameron sighed with relief. "Man, you really threw me for a curve there, Zeke. I didn''t know you had your academic life already planned out. Does that mean you''re taking some summer classes?"

    "Just a few easy ones online." Zeke answered. "Have to get a head start if I want to be done in two years." He looked to his mom. "Maybe Noah and Jake can do a summer class too, like you suggested before."

    Mrs. Atkins beamed. "I''ve been looking into it." She glanced down at us. "Do you boys want to rethink about taking a summer class?"

    I looked at Noah.

    Noah thought about it. "I mean...it can''t be math since we aren''t on the same level. I told Jake before that getting ahead in Spanish wouldn''t be such a bad idea. Is that allowed?"

    Mrs. Atkins nodded. "I''m sure it''ll count if we find the right class in the school district. I''ll try get you two in. It probably won''t be online though, like Zeke''s."

    Noah was hesitant. "Well...we still have softball, Mom."

    "Softball..?" Mr. Cameron interrupted.

    Noah nodded. "Yea. Jake and I ''missed'' travel ball tryouts. So we''re going to play in an adult softball league. Zeke''s joining too."

    Mr. Cameron''s eyes widened. "What..?" He stared around Zeke in disbelief. "You''re going to prepare for college ball by playing in a softball league? Are you taking some time off to give your body a rest?"

    Zeke opened his mouth to answer him, but was cut off by loud screaming in the next room over. Apparently the twins were excited. It wasn''t long before they started chanting, "Zeke! Zeke! Zeke! Zeke! Zeke! Zeke!"

    Mr. Cameron laughed. "I''m guessing you were selected early."

 571 V2 ch43

    "Wayne?" Mrs. Atkins called out, heading to the living room.

    "What happened?!" Noah sprinted past his mom to see what was going on.

    I stared after them, then glanced back at Zeke and Mr. Cameron.

    Mr. Cameron looked to Zeke as well. "You''re not interested in what had happened?"

    Zeke shook his head. "It won''t change anything. I''m going to Stanford." He repeated.

    Mr. Cameron chuckled. "You''re a crazy kid. It''s still early in the draft, so you are definitely a round one pick. Aren''t you scared of the consequences of not going?"

    Zeke stood up slowly. "No. I believe in myself." He glanced at me, noticing that I wasn''t following everyone else. "What do you think, Jake?"

    I shrugged. "I''m not thinking anything." I really wasn''t. I felt like I was watching a reality tv show in real time.

    "Come on, lets go see what all the excitement is about." Zeke led the way to the living room.

    I followed behind.

    In the living room, Mr. Atkins was talking with his wife, with Mr. Pickens near them. The twins and Noah were standing right in front of the tv.

    Noah turned once we made our presence clear. "Zeke! The Minnesota Twins want you! As their thirteenth pick!" He stared at Zeke in amazement.

    Zeke glanced at the tv where the analysts were discussing the latest pick and kept saying Zeke''s name. "I told them not to. What a waste." He moved to where his parents were.

    They stopped talking and looked at him. There was a mixture of pride, nervousness, worry, and happiness all over their face. It was like they couldn''t decide what was best for Zeke anymore.

    "I''m still going to Stanford." Zeke told them directly. Looking at them, he smiled. "Not to make you guys proud or anything. This is what I want to do. So don''t stress over my future anymore, okay?"

    Mrs. Atkins pulled him into a hug. "Oh, honey, I will always stress over your future. Every step of the way. I''ll support you either way. I know I pushed you to look at these colleges, but if you want to give it up, then don''t look to me for approval. Look from within."

    Zeke didn''t back away from the hug. He just rubbed his mom''s back. "Really, Mom, Stanford is where I want to go. I don''t want to waste time at the minors, when I can get the same training and coaching from Leroy while getting a free education. This isn''t about money anymore."

    "Mary, Zeke has made his choice without coercion." Mr. Atkins said. "We showed him his options, we didn''t force him to pick college."

    Mrs. Atkins let go of Zeke, tears in her eyes. "I''m proud of you. No matter what. If you want to change your mind tomorrow, next week, or next month, then it doesn''t matter to us. You worked hard for this honor."

    Zeke grinned. "The honor of being a first round pick won''t go away. I''ll just be among the minority that won''t sign. Two years from now, I''ll be even better."

    Zeke frowned. "What is it?"

    Noah pursed his lips. "Have you heard of Matt Harrington?"

    Zeke understood immediately even though I didn''t. "Oh. Him. Are they comparing me to him?"

    Dave nodded and walked away from the tv. He flopped on the couch and pulled out his phone. "I don''t know if they''re making a good comparison."

    Kyle snorted. "They''re just creating drama. Zeke already told everyone that he wasn''t going to sign. It''s Minnesota''s fault for wasting that pick. At least they''ll get a compensatory pick next year." He also walked away and joined Dave on the couch.

    "Wasn''t Harrington the kid who wanted a lot of money..?" Noah asked, looking at Zeke.

    Zeke nodded.

    "Then why are they comparing you and him?" Noah looked distressed.

    Zeke smiled and went over to Noah, patting his head. "I don''t have an agent or anyone to speak up for me. Don''t worry, once Mr. Cameron posts the interview, all the nonsense talk will stop." He paused, then pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. He frowned. "I''m going to take this outside." He left the room without mentioning who it was.

    "It''s Minnesota." Kyle said, knowing. "You always call the pick. He''s probably going to tell them it''s not happening."

    Mr. Cameron looked awkward with his crew members just standing to the side. "Well, I''m going to go and get this all in. For him and for me. It''ll be good exposure for me, and it''ll clear the air for Zeke. It''ll be ready in an hour or so!"

    "I''ll walk you out." Mrs. Atkins wiped her eyes and went back to being a responsible host.

    Mr. Atkins followed. "Thank you for all the work. It''s good to have someone we can trust to do the kid''s interviews."

    Mr. Cameron laughed as they left the room. "They keep being breaking news and soon you''ll have bigger name reporters knocking on your door." All the adults left.

    I looked to Noah, who was no longer happy and excited about the draft. I cleared my throat. "Who is Matt?"

    "Matt Harrington was a pitcher." Kyle told me. "Back in 2000, he was a first round draft pick. He wanted a lot of money, and the Rockies said no. He waited a year out, got drafted in the second round the next year. Said no to that money too. As the years passed, the offers became cheaper and his skill declined. I think a few years back, someone reported that he was working at a tire store."

    "That''s not like Zeke at all though." I said. Zeke was going to college. He wasn''t going to be eligible for the draft again until two years from now.

    "But it''s true that first round picks that decline to sign, ending up dropping to later rounds in the future." Dave mumbled, looking up from his phone. "It''d be different if Zeke was picked in the later rounds, because it''d be more likely for him to move up."

    Looking at how depressed the three boys were, I wonder if it''s because I still don''t understand baseball that I didn''t feel the same way. "But...Zeke said he''ll be even better. Do you guys...not believe...in him..?"

    Noah clapped his hands together. "Yes! Right! That''s what Zeke said! And he''s never lied to us before!" Noah came over to me and threw his arm around my shoulders. "Jake is right! Why are we feeling sad for Zeke when Zeke isn''t even sad? He''s sure of himself. He''s going to win the College World Series before moving on to the MLB. He said so himself."

    "What?" Dave sat up straight. "When did Zeke say that?"

    "During his interview." Noah replied. He grinned. "He''s going to be a high school champion and a college champion. I can see it already." Noah turned back to his optimistic self real quick as he recalled everything Zeke had said. "Worst comes to worst, we get a chance to catch up to him while he flounders around. Why are we feeling so sorry for him?"

    Dave and Kyle shared a laugh. There was some truth to what Noah had said. Zeke being a first round pick was slightly unexpected yet still expected. He was the greatest player among us. He wouldn''t fade out. He would just get better.

 572 V2 ch44

    A few minutes later Zeke came back to a much more lively atmosphere. The twins started to look up more of the draft picks and made fun of their stats because they couldn''t even compare to a high schooler, aka Zeke. It wasn''t rare for high school players to be drafted, but it was uncommon for them to be a higher pick than college players. That is...unless they have more talent and skill.

    Another high schooler was picked even higher than Zeke, as the third pick. He was a pitcher from Southern California. Later on, more high schoolers popped up. From Georgia, Florida, Texas, and New York. The first round ended and Mrs. Atkins brought in two pizza boxes. "Thought you boys could use some food."

    "Thanks, Mom!" Noah was the first to jump up and take the boxes. He set them in the middle of the floor and opened one. He took a pizza out and ate freely without caring about a plate or napkin.

    For once Mrs. Atkins didn''t seem to care. She just smiled. "I''ll get some waters and a few napkins."

    "Thanks."

    "Thanks, Mom."

    "Okay."

    The boys all spoke at once, slightly distracted by the pizza in front of them. All five of us sat on the floor with the tv on and with pizza in hand. It felt like it''s been awhile since all of us were together and relaxed like this. So much had been going on, even today with the pranks and the draft, but now it was a feeling of normalcy.

    "By the way, Zeke, how did you take all our clothes without us noticing?" Dave asked during a commercial break.

    Zeke shrugged, nonchalant. "I started with the clothes you hardly wore. Then when you slept, I packed the rest. I packed mine even earlier, because I know you two wouldn''t have any problem taking my clothes without asking."

    Kyle frowned. "Says the guy who legitimately took allllll of our clothes. I didn''t realize how small Noah was until I tried on some of his sweats." He shook his head. "You need to drink more milk, boy." He aimed at Noah.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I drink milk all the time. I''ll catch up to you guys in a few years. It''s not like you were six feet tall as a freshman either." He looked at me. "Jake''s the one that should be drinking more milk." He stuck his tongue out at me.

    "Jake has an excuse." Dave told him.

    I stuck my tongue out back at Noah.

    "Jake, you have to put on more weight to build up muscle mass." Kyle remarked. "Otherwise, who else would be hitting homers for us now that Zeke is graduating?"

    "Garret hits homeruns and he''s a pitcher." Noah pointed out.

    "Not everyone can be dual-talented, okay." Dave scoffed. He aggressively bit into his pizza. "It''s okay for high school, but it''s a waste to practice. In the majors, only the National League has their pitchers bat. And they''re always at the bottom of the order."

    "Garret just likes to be good at everything." Kyle said. "Such a show off."

    "If you boys are done watching the draft, then I suggest you go make sure your homework gets done." Mr. Atkins said from the doorway.

    "Ah, man!" Dave mumbled, throwing his head back. In the process, his hat came off and his pink hair was plain to see.

    Noah laughed outright.

    Dave caught on quick. "You think this is funny?" He picked up his hat and threw it at Noah. "You punk. Let''s see if I don''t get you back."

    "You won''t be around!" Noah gloated.

    Mr. Atkins chuckled. "If you want the color to fade, hurry up and shower. Make sure to get rid of contaminated shampoo though. Get a new one out of the cabinet. You''re lucky all the attention was on Zeke today. I don''t know what the scouts would have thought of you with pink hair."

    "That he''s a rebel?" Noah suggested.

    Zeke stood up. "I''ll shower first."

    "No you won''t!" Dave took off. "Like I would trust you to shower before me again!" We heard him yell up the stairs.

    Everyone laughed, watching him go.

    Zeke sat back down and shrugged. "Such a scaredy-cat."

    "What if he leaves the contaminated bottle for us to use?" Kyle stressed, pulling on a strand of bright pink hair.

    "What difference would it make to you?" Noah laughed. "You''ll be pink no matter what."

    Kyle looked to his dad. "Can I go to a salon to get it dyed back to blonde?"

    Mr. Atkins raised an eyebrow. "You have the spare money to do that?"

    "Dad, I can''t just go to school with pink hair for the last two weeks!" Kyle cried out.

    "Why did you leave the soap in your hair for so long anyways?" Noah asked. "It would have been similar to Dave''s."

    Kyle glared at him. "I put the shampoo in my hair first and then wash my body. Rinse my body. Then I brush my teeth in the shower. And then I rinse my hair."

    Noah snorted. "What a weirdo."

    "If it really bugs you, try a $5 box of store bought dye." Mrs. Atkins joined her husband, looking down at us. "It won''t be the blonde you had before, but it''s the best I can offer. That, or just shave it all off."

    Kyle pointed at Noah. "You owe me."

    Noah pointed at Zeke. "Settle scores with him. He did the hard part. I just bought it, okay."

    "It''s just $5." Zeke rolled his eyes. "I''ll pick one up tomorrow or something."

    Kyle looked relieved. "Thank goodness. I really don''t want to spend my summer looking like that one girl from the movie, ''Grease''."

    Mrs. Atkins laughed. "Alright, now that it''s settled, and you guys have ate, start cleaning up. Homework, shower, and bed. You still have finals to worry about." She looked to me and Noah. "I''ll call the school district tomorrow to see what I can find. Is Spanish the only class you''re willing to take? No backup plans?"

    Noah shrugged. "I think after Biology, we take Chemistry our sophomore year. That might be okay."

    "You''re taking summer classes?" Kyle was surprised.

    Noah and I nodded.

    Kyle looked a little ashamed. "Sorry."

    Noah waved his hand. "It''s fine. Zeke is taking online classes, so maybe if we do a summer class, he''ll be able to do his work in silence. It all works out. I''m just excited for softball next week." He looked to his parents. "Did you guys order the shirts yet?"

    Mr. Atkins nodded. "I saw the paper on my desk. Very organized. I submitted it to my friend. He said it''ll be ready by Saturday."

    "Noah, text everyone to gather on Sunday for lunch." Zeke commanded. "We''ll pass out the shirts and I''ll go over some of the rules. And we should be able to pass out the schedule then too."

    Noah nodded. "Will do!"

    "What color are the shirts going to be?" Kyle asked, curious.

    "A bright blue." Noah explained. "My idea. Hustlers will be written in cursive, in black, on the front. Names and numbers on the back."

    I looked to him. "But...I didn''t give you my name or number."

    Noah laughed. "I just put ''Jake'' down for you. It''s not like we call you anything else. As for the number, I picked the same one from the team, zero. I did Zeke''s too."

    I glanced at Zeke. If he didn''t have a problem with it...then I guess it''s fine.

 573 V2 ch45

    Monday night ended pretty normally compared to the way it started. Noah sent out the text to everyone on our softball team and got replies that everyone was free. It would be our first team meeting.

    Besides that though, we followed the pattern of getting our homework done and taking showers before bed. Tuesday morning, the twins had slightly less pink hair, but still quite bright for Kyle. Dave wasn''t interested in using a box of dye to correct his hair. He said he didn''t mind waiting it out.

    "Dave secretly loves it." Noah whispered to me as we got in the car, prepared for school.

    I smiled and gave a small nod. I could tell. For one, he wasn''t wearing his hat today like Kyle was. Two, he kept checking his reflection. Everywhere. When we arrived at school and got out of the car, I caught him looking at his reflection in the window, slowly smiling.

    I stifled another laugh.

    As we walked up to the school from our new, closer parking spot, a lot of seniors stopped Zeke and asked him about the draft.

    Noah and I kept walking, parting ways with him and the twins. We already knew what Zeke''s response was. So did the MLB. Mr. Cameron had edited his interview and sent a snippet to the major news stations. It was a hit. A top first round pick, choosing college over going to the majors? Everyone wanted to talk about it.

    "When do you think this will die down..?" I asked Noah as we headed to class.

    Noah shrugged. "As early as tomorrow or it could go on for years until he enters the draft for real. Sometimes a big story will last a week, die down, and then come back up later."

    "Do you think that''s what will happen with Zeke?"

    He nodded. "Of course. Every time he plays in a college game, it''ll be mentioned that he was a first round pick." He stopped. Then corrected himself. "He IS a first round pick."

    We sat down in our seats in the classroom, and a few classmates came up to Noah to ask him about Zeke. Noah was patient with them and explained that there was no changing Zeke''s mind. He was set on Stanford.

    "It''s funny that some people see that as a bad thing." Alisha pointed out. She was leaning against one of the nearby desks. "Most people emphasize college and education over money. Yet, when it comes to sports, they tell you to take the money."

    "Well, if he doesn''t take the money now, he can get injured during his college season." Some guy said. "Then how will he get paid?"

    "He''ll get a job like the rest of us." Another girl spoke up.

    "That''s so lame. I definitely wouldn''t pass up on the chance to play in the MLB. Very few players make it that far. Why the heck would he turn it down?" The guy said.

    A few of the guys laughed, while others rolled their eyes. Noah was always talking big, even proclaiming that he could support Zeke after going pro. I didn''t laugh or roll my eyes at him though. I knew how determined he was. It''s what he wanted. And somehow, Noah always got what he wanted.

    Throughout the day we heard talk of Zeke and how he was the first player from our school to get drafted. Ever. It was big news.

    During class, my phone buzzed with a text message and I checked it at lunch.

    Jeremy: Hey! How did the twins pranks go? I heard about Zeke getting drafted. Tell him congrats. Tell him not to let the media get to him. I''m actually in Minnesota now so it''s been surreal to hear his name.

    I showed Noah as we pulled out our lunches at the table.

    Noah laughed. "That''s pretty cool. Tell him about the twins!" He mused. "Man...if Zeke had chose to go pro right away, he could be playing your brother in a year or two. Which one would you cheer for?"

    "Zeke." I didn''t hesitate.

    Noah blinked. "It was a rhetorical question. You didn''t have to answer."

    I shrugged. "I would cheer for Zeke. He''s more like a big brother to me than Jeremy is."

    Noah grinned. "Yea. It''d still be a cool scene though."

    I replied to Jeremy''s text explaining all the pranks we pulled on the twins.

    Jeremy: Man, I''m glad my birthday has already passed. Happy that you''re happy. Watch the game tonight if you can.

    Me: I''ll watch. Noah too.

    "Of course we''ll watch." Noah snorted. "That''s all we can do these days sadly. Man, I miss baseball."

    I nodded. I missed it too. Maybe not as much as Noah, but it still made me sad to think that I won''t play with the seniors anymore.

    Noah finished his lunch first like always, then talked the whole time as I ate mine. He stopped midway, and started to wave his hand. "Hey! Coach! Over here!"

    I turned and saw Coach Wilcox walking across campus. He stopped at Noah''s call and changed directions to come to us. Coach stopped at the end and looked down at us. "Hey, how are you two doing?"

    Noah smiled. "Good. Very good. Are you looking for Zeke? To congratulate him on getting drafted?"

    Coach shook his head. "No. I spoke on the phone with him last night. That kid will go far. Going to college is just a stepping stone for him."

    "Yea, he''s too good to not get drafted again." Noah agreed. "Coach, has any colleges reached out to you for me and Jake? Mr. Cameron said that they could start sending brochures, but how will they even get my address?"

    Coach chuckled. "So eager to leave me and the high school scene?"

    Noah laughed. "I''m just thinking about my future! I want to know if anyone''s interested."

    Coach looked between us. "Well, if you really want to know, I''ve fielded a lot of calls for Jake." I blinked in surprise. Noah nodded. "But of course, I can''t give his address or contact information without the state''s consent."

    "But, what about me?" Noah asked.

    Coach reached out and gave Noah''s shoulder a pat. "Your skill set is much more subtle than Jake''s batting."

    Noah looked a little sad. "So no one...?"

    "Not yet. Wait for the college baseball season to end and I''m sure some interest will start to show." Coach tried to reassure him. "You can''t let this get you down, son. Just think, you have a step on Zeke. He didn''t make the varsity level until his sophomore year. His first brochure came after that season. Just give it some time."

    Noah nodded, a little deflated. "Okay, you''re right."

    Coach gave him a final pat before backing up. "I have to get to the office. You boys be good. Don''t slack off this summer."

    "We won''t!" Noah declared in all seriousness.

 574 V2 ch46

    "Sorry..." I told Noah. Somehow I felt guilty that I got some interest from coaches, but Noah didn''t. It wasn''t fair. Noah worked hard and was a great player overall.

    Noah was taken aback. "What are you sorry for? For being a great hitter? Don''t be!" He laughed, looking a little bit better. "Only you would feel sorry for doing well. It''s a good thing that colleges are already interested in you! If you say sorry, then that actually makes me feel worse."

    "Sorry." I said again.

    Noah started to wag his finger at me. "Don''t keep saying ''sorry'' all the time. This is life. Sure, I''m upset, but it isn''t your fault. Hitting isn''t my strong suit, but it''s what coaches look at first. I''ll just work extra hard this summer to change that."

    I nodded this time, not saying anything.

    "Really, Jake, I''m not mad at you. In fact, I''m happy for you. Once you''re officially adopted, we''ll probably get tons of mail for you just like Zeke. It''d be even cooler if you got more than he did."

    I gulped. College was a bit far in the future. I rather not think about leaving and being on my own. Maybe I could just follow Noah? Like how the twins are looking at colleges together. "Are you thinking about going to college first? Or go pro..?"

    Noah grinned. "The dream is to get drafted right away. I can''t just follow Zeke''s footsteps, I have to make my own way to the pros."

    The school bell rung. Lunch was over and it was time to get back to class. We packed our school bags and got up.

    "What about you?" Noah asked. "Do you think you''ll go to college or go pro?"

    I shrugged, a little unwilling to tell him that I just wanted to follow him.

    Noah smiled. "Don''t worry about it then. We still got time. We''ll get to go to Stanford again this summer and you''ll see what a college is really about. We''ll stay in the dorms and get to be on campus for the whole week. Pretty cool, right?"

    I nodded. "I liked it there."

    We parted ways for math. Sitting between the pink-haired twins, I felt like we got more looks. It could be because Dave was no longer ashamed of his hair and just owned it like he was actually happy with how it looked.

    Kyle was a different story. He kept his hat on class, but luckily Mr. Petrus was a teacher that didn''t mind the little things. After school, Kyle demanded that we stop by some kind of store to get the dye.

    "I''ll take everyone home first." Zeke said. "We shouldn''t make them wait in the car when they could be studying for finals."

    "Actually, Jeremy asked if Jake and I would be watching the game tonight." Noah said. "Guess who they''re playing?!"

    "Minnesota." Dave said, flicking Noah on the head. "We know. We check the scores and schedule too, dummy."

    Noah rubbed his head. "Rude."

    "See? They can just wait in the car." Kyle pointed out.

    "I''m also going to stop by The Cages to get the schedule." Zeke told us. "You guys don''t cause any trouble while we''re gone. You don''t want our parents thinking you can''t be trusted."

    Noah nodded and waved him away. "We''re fine here.  We''ll do our homework during commercials. Easy peasy."

    He left, leaving us alone.

    The first thing Noah did was sprint to the kitchen and then came back with a package of cookies. I started to laugh. Noah definitely can''t be trusted.

    "Hey!" He said, offended. "Do you want some or not?" He sat back down, placing the package between us.

    I nodded and grabbed two. "Thanks." I turned to my homework and started with my math. Finals were coming and I was slightly worried. Not for myself, but for the twins. They copied my homework all the time in math so I was nervous that they might not do so well on the test. So I started to show all my work and write down every step for every problem. Hopefully it''ll help the twins next week.

    Noah occasionally asked me questions for his math homework, which I easily answered and then rewarded myself with a cookie for being so helpful. Noah just ate cookies freely without a worry.

    "And we''re back!" The analyst on the tv said cheerfully. "We have a special guest with us today, Jeremy Patterson, the kid himself."

    Jeremy overtook the screen, sitting on a stool in the grass as batting practice was taking place for the Twins. He gave a small laugh at the announcement. "I don''t know if I qualify as a kid, but thanks."

    Noah and I both watched in silence, no longer paying attention to our homework.

    The analyst laughed. "I''m sure to some of these men, you qualify as a kid. You''re even younger than the average age of 24 for the MLB debut. You showed some crazy impressive numbers last year, and even took home the Rookie of the Year award."

    Jeremy looked a little self conscious as he laughed and put his hands together. "It''s called an average age for a reason. I''m definitely not the youngest to make his debut."

    "Very true." The analyst agreed. "Speaking of young stars, the draft had started last night and completed the first two rounds. Do you have any advice for these young men following behind you?"

    Jeremy grinned. "For the college grads, I can only congratulate them. Good work on getting that degree and working hard. You''ve made it."

    "Interesting you would say that given that you skipped over college yourself." The man said. "Do you regret not going?"

    "Of course not." Jeremy smiled. "I was a horrible student. Everyone has their different path to the MLB. I even personally know a draftee that will be going to college even after being a first round selection. I applaud those who can balance athletics and education. You keep doing you."

    "Are you possibly talking about Zeke Atkins, the thirteenth pick for the Minnesota Twins? I know that he''s from the Bay Area, but I''m surprised you know him personally. Can you shed some light for us on his decision? I don''t know how he can shrug off a first round pick like this. I heard he didn''t even check the Twins offer."

    Jeremy laughed. "It''s a bit complicated, but he''s a brother of my brother." Noah poked me. "I can''t claim to know him the best, but I''ve seen him practice and I''ve shared a meal a couple times at their house. I saw his interview this morning and knew that he wasn''t going to change his mind. Zeke is a very serious kid."

    "Wow. What a lost for the Twins. Are you going to be rubbing it in tonight?"

    He grinned. "Every chance I get. Gotta do my part to throw them off their game."

    The analyst laughed. "Just your presence alone is good enough for that. You''ve been on a quite a hot streak lately. Heard you have an early lead on the all-star voting?"

    The conversation shifted back to Jeremy.

 575 V2 ch47

    "That was...mind blowing!" Noah jumped up after the interview ended. "I just saw Jeremy Patterson talking about my brother. On national television!" He bounced around. "I gotta go tell Dave!" He sprinted out of the room.

    Meanwhile, I was stunned. Brother of my brother. It sounded awkward and sketchy, and a little bit weird, but none of that mattered. He claimed that I was his brother. And that Zeke was my brother. It warmed me on the inside.

    Zeke and Kyle came home shortly afterwards and found me alone in the living room. Zeke held papers while Kyle held a box.

    "Where did Noah go?" Zeke was immediately suspicious. He spotted the cookies and frowned.

    He opened his mouth to say more, but I cut him off. "Jeremy talked about you. In an interview."

    Zeke blinked in surprise.

    Kyle was even more shocked. "What?! Why?!" He whipped out his phone. "Do you think I can find it online?"

    "Noah went upstairs to tell Dave so they might be looking it up." I explained.

    Kyle put away his phone. "This, I gotta see." He waved before hurrying towards the stairs.

    Zeke stayed behind. He sat on the smaller couch. "So? What was said?"

    I glanced at him, then glanced away, then back at him. "You can go upstairs and watch. Nothing bad."

    "So something good?" Zeke asked.

    I nodded. "He complimented you."

    Zeke looked me in the eyes. "What else?"

    I felt embarrassed. "Nothing much..." I scratched my cheek. "If you want to know more, then go join the others upstairs."

    "Did he mention you?" Zeke asked, ignoring my suggestion.

    I nodded slowly. "Kind of." I glanced at Zeke, feeling a little shy. "He said you were his brother''s brother."

    Zeke nodded. "Very accurate."

    I beamed with happiness, feeling more secured with his approval. All though the Atkins talked about accepting me and how I was like a brother to them, Zeke usually isn''t this forward.

    Zeke''s eyes shifted to the entryway of the living room. "I saw you, Noah. Come in here and explain this package of cookies."

    Noah slowly came in the room, looking sheepish. "It was just a snack. To hold us over until dinner."

    "Why can''t you pick healthier snacks?" Zeke asked. "Fruit is a hundred times better than this junk. Next time, eat an apple or two. Throw in a banana and an orange."

    Noah picked up the bag of cookies. "Yea, but they aren''t as sweet. I''ll go put them back." He rushed out and returned just as fast, trying to prove that he wasn''t an addict.

    Zeke shook his head. "If you want to get to the next level, you''re really gonna have to show some self-control." He looked at me. "You too. Less junk. More fruits and vegetables."

    I nodded obediently.

    Noah sat beside me, picking up his homework again. "It''s not like we get to binge on cookies everyday."

    "Uh-huh." Zeke was unconvinced.

    "With this win, we now have a five game lead in first place." Noah told me after the game ended and the channel was switched to a new game. "This is really one of the best seasons we''ve had."

    "So far." Zeke pointed out. "It''s too soon to tell if they can hold onto first."

    "But it''s still a good feeling." He grinned.

    I nodded. It was definitely a good feeling to see everyone so happy.

    "Boys!" Mr. Atkins could be heard yelling as the front door opened. "We''re home. We brought takeout!"

    Noah jumped up and hurried to the kitchen. Not just for food, but to tell his parents about this afternoon. Zeke and I came in and sat down as Noah told his parents what Jeremy had said.

    Mrs. Atkins passed out the separate containers to each place setting. "Noah, will you go get the twins?"

    Noah paused his story. "Sure, Mom!" He got up and ran again. Just looking at him made me tired.

    "Jake, I want to ask you something..." Mrs. Atkins hesitated.

    I tensed up. "What..?"

    Her tone and expression didn''t make me think it was going to be something good. She looked nervous and uncertain. "About Jeremy..."

    "What about him?" I asked, confused.

    "Do you have any thoughts, about a more-" She stopped. Then started again. "Do you think you''ll want to be even closer to him in the future? Like...him...being your guardian..?"

    I froze. "Do you guys n-n-not want me?" I stuttered, scared, anxiety on high.

    "Of course we do." Mr. Atkins rested his hand on my shoulder. "We just want to make sure it''s mutual. We don''t want to take away your opportunity to-"

    "I want to stay here." I cut him off, looking up at him in the eyes. "I don''t want to....leave."

    "Oh honey, we don''t want you to leave either." Mrs. Atkins came around and rested her hand upon her husband''s, adding weight to my shoulder. "We want what''s best for you. If you wanted to reconnect with Jeremy, we wouldn''t be mad at you."

    "I have reconnected." I frowned. "That doesn''t mean I want to live with him. I want to stay here. I feel safe with you guys." I scrunched up my nose as my eyes stung. How can I tell them that I want to be adopted without sounding needy and clingy? I don''t want to leave this family for something that''s so risky.

    "We have good news for you then." Mr. Atkins smiled.

    His wife''s smile was just as big. "Our petition to adopt has been processed."

    I blinked, not understanding clearly.

    "Congratulations." Zeke said, breaking me out of my shock. "You''re one step closer to being an Atkins."

    I got up from my seat, startling Mr. and Mrs. Atkins into letting me go. I stared at them. "Really?"

    Mrs. Atkins started to cry. "Really."

    Without thinking, my body moved by itself, and I flung my arms around Mrs. Atkins waist, hugging her. All on my own.

    "What''s going on..?"

    "What did I just walk into?"

    "Are they having a moment? Should we leave?"

    Noah had arrived with the twins. They came in together, finding me in Mrs. Atkins warm embrace, watching as we both cried.

    "They''re so happy, that they''re crying." Zeke explained. "Jake''s papers have been processed. As long as we aren''t secretly serial killers, then Jake should be officially one of us."

    "What!"

    "No way!"

    "Really?!"

    Mr. Atkins laughed at the trio. "Yes, that''s the gist of it. We''ll have to schedule some at-home visits with Mr. Duncan and probably other social workers. As long as you boys don''t go breaking the law or anything to put us in a bad light, we should get the all-clear from the state."

    All the boys started to ask questions, wanting to know about the visits. Should they dress up? Can they plan it for when we''re studying for finals? What do they have to do, to make this happen?

    I felt like I was riding on a cloud. This was the highest I''ve ever felt. Not even winning the CIF championship could compare to this family wanting me to stick around. For good.

    "Not to be a downer, but what about his uncle?" Kyle stopped to ask. "He''s not going to stop this from happening is he...?"

    The excitement died down with those simple, yet somehow complicated, questions.

    I looked up at Mrs. Atkins, worried.

    She brushed my hair back with her fingers. "We''ll talk to him. As long as he has no objections, it should be smooth sailing."

    Should? I bit my lip, not liking the verb.

 576 V2 ch48

    "Maybe Jake can say something to Jeremy about it?" Noah suggested. "Jeremy is close to Jack so maybe that''ll help make the process faster."

    Mr. Atkins noticed my discomfort. "No, there''s no need. As of right now, nothing can really make the process ''faster''. We still have to follow the steps and their protocols. For everything else, it would just make it easier." He patted the top of my head. "This just makes it official. Just know, you''re already a part of this family."

    I smiled.

    Everyone started to go back to their seats and began to open up the food. The atmosphere turned for the best as everyone seemed to be happy. Almost everything was going well. The twins had their summer planned out. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins notes that their big project was going well. Zeke''s graduation was next week. My adoption papers are in the system.

    "Do you boys want to do a birthday dinner out of the house this weekend?" Mrs. Atkins asked the twins.

    "Most definitely!" Dave said.

    "Steak!!!" Kyle cheered.

    Mrs. Atkins laughed. "Okay, I''ll make some reservations." She turned to me and Noah. "I spoke with someone from the school district. They have a summer school program in place. It''s mostly for those who didn''t pass the course originally, but they said it can also replaced future classes. The only thing is, because it fits a whole lot of school work in a span of a month, the classes are longer. So one class. Still want Spanish II so you don''t have to take it your sophomore year?"

    "Yep!" Noah answered easily. "A month in exchange for a year of no foreign languages? I''m in! Jake?"

    I nodded in agreement. High school only required two years of a foreign language. That means that we''ll be done sooner rather than later. "What do you think we will take next year then?"

    "Probably an elective course." Dave interjected. "That''s what our classmates did instead of taking their second language."

    Kyle laughed. "It''s good that you guys are getting the hard stuff out of the way now. I know so many guys having to take a language in their last two years of high school because they picked the easy stuff first."

    "We took cooking last semester." Dave pointed out. "That was pretty cool. We would get to cook something almost every other day and then get to eat it."

    Noah looked to me, excited.

    I laughed. I can already see us taking cooking in the fall just to satisfy Noah''s sweet tooth.

    "You have time to look it over and make a decision in August on registration day." Zeke spoke up. "Don''t forget you still have to take an art at some point."

    "Take digital art with me!" Dave said.

    "No, we''re doing Art I for beginners." Kyle corrected.

    Dave scrunched up his face. "No thanks. I don''t want to play with paints and crayons. I rather do it on the computer."

    "But this would be more fun." Kyle said.

    "That''s enough." Mr. Atkins cut into the argument. "You guys don''t always have to take the same classes. It''s okay to pick what you actually want to do." He glanced towards me and Noah. "You guys as well. Pick your own interests."

    "Cooking." Noah declared.

    I looked at him and nodded. I was okay with cooking.

    Mr. Atkins sighed, but didn''t say anymore on the subject.

    The conversation drifted to how Kyle was going to try to fix his hair tonight. Apparently he also bought a color corrector that should help him, but we''ll see.

    After dinner, everyone helped with cleaning up before we all split up again. Noah and I went to our room to prepare for showers after making sure all our homework was done. Zeke went on a run. And the twins were going to fix Kyle''s hair. Even their parents had work to do before getting ready for bed.

    I pulled out my phone and sent Jeremy a text, stating that I watched his game with Noah and Zeke. He did well. Congrats on the win.

    I paused. I wanted to tell him about my adoption, but...it was a little awkward to bring up. Especially over text. Especially when Minnesota was three hours ahead so he should already be asleep. I sighed, shook my head to clear my thoughts, and pressed send on what I had originally planned to say.

    As expected, I didn''t get an immediate reply. I put my phone on the charger and left it alone.

    "Did you just text Jeremy?" Noah asked, pulling his pajamas out.

    I nodded. "Yea."

    "What''d you say?"

    I shrugged. "Nothing special. Just ''good job'' on the game." I looked at Noah. "I wanted to tell him about the adoption, but..." I shrugged again. "I think it can wait."

    "Yea." Noah agreed. "It''s not really his business anyways. Plus, he should already know. He called Zeke your brother."

    Right. That made me feel better. "I''ll just tell him the next time I see him in person."

    Noah nodded and went to take his shower. After twenty minutes he came back, and I went to take my own. I came back to the room with my pajamas on and found the twins inside, showing off Kyle''s hair. It was...

    "It''s still pink!" Noah laughed with glee, pointing at the pale pink hair on Kyle''s head.

    Kyle ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I''m going to get you back Noah. Somehow, some way."

    Dave laughed along with Noah. "Just accept it Kyle. Like me! We can pull off pink hair. And at least it''s a pale pink now. Much more cool, and less weird. A few more washes and it''ll come out for good."

    Kyle groaned.

    I put my dirty clothes in the hamper and sat up on my bed. "I think it''s okay."

    Noah laughed. "It has Jake''s stamp of approval. Just live with it. It''ll definitely be gone by the time you guys leave for your first camp."

    "If it isn''t, I''ll have to shave it off." Kyle declared. "I don''t want coaches noticing me for pink hair and not for my pure skill."

    "I think it can work in our favor." Dave shrugged, easygoing. "I wouldn''t mind keeping it."

    Kyle rolled his eyes and stormed out of the room. "Psycho!"

    Dave laughed and followed him out.

 577 V2 ch49

    The rest of the week flew by with the focus on reviewing for finals. Oh, and with Kyle''s complaints of still having colored hair. He was scared that his natural blonde was lost and had resigned himself to shaving his hair off before the summer camps.

    Jeremy and I sent a few texts throughout the week, mostly talking about his games or how I was doing in school. He would be back in the area next week, but I would be busy with finals and our first softball game.

    Friday after school, there was a sense of relief that there would be no more homework...kind of. The summer Spanish class was bound to have something for us to do after our classes. A class that would be from 9am to noon, Monday thru Thursday. It would start the week after finals, and go until our Stanford camp. It perfectly lined up with our softball schedule and made Mrs. Atkins feel relieved that we wouldn''t be doing nothing this summer.

    Friday night we celebrated the twins birthday at a steakhouse. I wanted to stick with soup, but was bullied into getting the steak. The kid''s steak. It was okay, but not something I was interested in. Saturday morning, Zeke woke me and Noah up for our usual run and weight training before eating brunch.

    Instead of going to The Cages, Zeke took us to the local park to run some fielding drills, claiming that we couldn''t just focus on batting all the time. I think his statement was more for me than Noah. Same with the punishment run that came after every error made. Sunday morning followed the same routine, but after taking showers, we went to the pizza place nearby to meet with our teammates.

    Zeke loaded up the shirts that had been delivered, and brought a stack of papers which were just a copy of the schedule and rules. We three showed up early, taking over one of the biggest tables in the corner. Zeke ordered some pizza and breadsticks, expecting that everyone would be okay with simple pepperoni.

    The first to show up was Alisha...and her mom?

    Alisha greeted us like normal before pointing at Zeke. "Mom, this is Zeke. You know, that boy who got drafted right out of high school, but is going to college instead. He''s kind of like the captain coach for this."

    Alisha''s mom reached out to shake Zeke''s hand. "Nice to meet you. I spoke with your mom about this fun team that you boys put together. I just wanted to meet you personally before I trust you with my daughter."

    "Mooommm." Alisha rolled her eyes.

    "Well, I''ll make myself scarce." She smiled politely. "Text me when you''re ready for pickup Alisha." She waved.

    Alisha waved and sent her off. "She''s just nosey. Don''t mind her."

    Noah shrugged. "I thought she was fine. If it was my mom, she''d be having a full blown conversation."

    Alisha laughed and looked more settled after Noah''s small reassurance.

    It was Mr. Miller''s familiar frame! Walking with another older man. Mr. Miller grinned as he greeted us and then introduced his friend. "This is Stuart Hastings. He and I have played on a few softball teams together."

    Mr. Hastings nodded and gave a friendly smile. "Hello, hello. You kids can call me Stu."

    Zeke shook his hand and introduced the rest of us. They sat together closer to Zeke and started to discuss what the rules were like and if it was similar to what they''ve seen before.

    Julian was the next one to show up with his brother. He was definitely his brother, they shared similar features with the only difference being their age and maybe a few inches. They even had the same quiet personality. Julian patted him on the shoulder. "Introduce yourself."

    "I''m Andy." He nodded before sitting down.

    Julian sighed, then went over to Zeke and the two men.

    Noah grinned at Andy. "Hey, man, I heard you''re going to be a freshman next year."

    "Yes." Andy answered, monotonously.

    "Cool, cool. My name is Noah. This is Jake, and this is Alisha. We''re going to be sophomores next year so if you need anything like help with classes, let us know." Noah wasn''t discouraged by his silence. He had practice with me after all.

    Andy just glanced at us then pulled out his phone. I guess he wasn''t interested in conversation. That''s okay. I understood. I pulled on Noah''s sleeve to distract him.

    The last two members showed up together too. I could see them exiting a familiar Volkswagen. Kaylee and her friend...

    I turned to Noah. "What was Kaylee''s friends name again?"

    "KJ..?" Noah shrugged. "I just know that she''s the only pitcher we really have."

    Kaylee led her friend to our table. "Hey guys. What''s up?"

    Noah gestured to the empty seats. "Just waiting for the food. Take a seat. Zeke ordered enough for everyone. We''ll pass out the shirts afterwards." He peeked at the girl next to Kaylee. She was slightly taller than Noah, which made her the tallest girl. She was very thin though, but not in a pretty way. More sickly looking. "Are you KJ? Pitcher?"

    I glanced down at my own thin arms. Then at hers. I don''t know who I felt worse for. Myself or her?

    KJ gave a small nod and sat down with Kaylee. "Thanks for letting me play."

    "No problem!" Noah said. "We found out that if my parents sponsor us, they get a tax deduction or whatever. They don''t mind." He started to point everyone out, giving very short introductions.

    The table got quiet as everyone tried to remember everyone else. After the short introductions, the food we ordered was brought out. It seemed to loosen everyone up as we passed around plates and napkins. Then everyone started to help themselves with the food in the center of the table. It was very civil, but mostly because everyone was talking into smaller groups. Kaylee and KJ. Mr. Miller and Stu. Alisha, Noah, and me. Zeke and Julian. Andy was the most quiet, just browsing his phone while slowly eating his pizza.

    I lowered my head and whispered to Noah. "Is this...normal?" Everyone was so quiet. This wasn''t anything like our baseball team where everyone knew each other and could hold a conversation.

    Noah smiled in a relaxed manner. "Yep. Don''t worry about it. Zeke has it handled. He has experience with this."

    "With what?" I tilted my head.

    "With getting the team to bond and get to know one another. Most teams have phases like this. Especially in little league when you have to play with kids you never met before." Noah explained. "Zeke will probably start after everyone eats and gets a little more comfortable."

    I nodded, trusting them.

 578 V2 ch50

    After most of the food was gone, Zeke stood up and commanded everyone''s attention. He grabbed the stack of papers and started to pass them out to everyone, but Noah and I. "The paper on top is our schedule. Time, location, and opponent. I know some of you will be needing rides so we''ll have to coordinate accordingly."

    "KJ and I will need rides to almost every game." Kaylee told him plainly. "Marie won''t be able to give me rides all the time. Noah said you''ll be able to give us rides?"

    Zeke nodded.

    "I''d like a ride too!" Alisha spoke up. "My parents work a lot so they probably won''t get to pitch in a whole lot."

    Zeke nodded again. "Anyone else?"

    Julian shook his head. "I''ll be able to drive me and my brother." He glanced at the schedule. "Very close parks so it won''t be too troublesome."

    Mr. Miller and his friend, Stu, didn''t need to say anything. They were adults with their own cars.

    "Shouldn''t we be more worried about picking out positions?" Andy asked, speaking to the group for the first time. He didn''t bother looking up from his phone though.

    Julian looked embarrassed, but Zeke didn''t mind the interruption. "Yes, we''ll go over that too. Why don''t you start? What can you play?"

    Andy looked up for once, making eye contact with Zeke. "Anywhere."

    "Even pitcher?" Kaylee tried to hide a smile.

    Andy glanced at her. "It''s adult softball. I can throw the ball underhanded. It''s not difficult."

    KJ blushed.

    Kaylee lost the smile. "Excuse you?"

    "He doesn''t mean competitively." Julian intervene. "He''s not saying that he''ll be good at every position. Just very versatile." He looked at Zeke. "Me too. I''m not picky."

    Mr. Miller laughed. "Unlike you kiddos, I''m very picky. Don''t be thinking I can run around all over in the outfield. Catcher is also out of the question. I don''t want to hurt my knees."

    "You''re really like an old man." Noah laughed. "So only first base for you?"

    Mr. Miller laughed. "That or the bench. I''m not too picky."

    "You don''t want to play..?" Noah asked.

    "I like batting. That''s good enough for me."

    Noah was confused. "Can you bat without playing defense? Like just a pinch hit appearance?"

    Andy sighed. "Doesn''t look like you know much about adult softball." He looked down at his phone. "All players in attendance get to bat. They don''t have to play defense."

    Wow. So he knows?

    "Correct." Zeke said. "Minimum of players we need at all time is eight. Everyone will have to bat. So let''s learn a little more about positioning." He looked at Stu. "What do you think?"

    Stu grinned. "I''m good with being in the outfield. Or first base. I''m a little more flexible than this man, but don''t blame for an error or two."

    "I can do anything, but pitch." Kaylee stated.

    Zeke moved on from them to me. "What about you? Want to try out other positions?"

    I shrugged weakly. "Second base is all I know." I recalled the tripping in the outfield during midseason tryouts. "Preferably not the outfield."

    Zeke nodded and faced KJ. "I understand that you''re a pitcher? Do you want to try out any other positions?"

    KJ shook her head lightly. "I''m not really interested, but I can play in the outfield. I really just want to work on my pitching this summer. It''d be good training for me."

    "Awesome!" Noah gave her two thumbs up, making her blush. "We''ll be counting on you."

    Zeke looked at our last teammate, Alisha. "Well?"

    She looked embarrassed. "Uh, well I don''t have experience playing. I told Noah I''d be okay with sitting on the bench. That, or the outfield. Preferably somewhere that isn''t important?"

    "Every position is important." Andy didn''t look up as he pointed out the flaw in her statement.

    "We can practice a bit to see what you like." Noah offered, ignoring Andy. "This is just for fun anyways. Just a way to stay fit."

    Alisha looked grateful and smiled. "Yea, sure."

    "When?" Andy asked. "First game is Tuesday."

    "Don''t worry about it." Noah shot back.

    "Moving on..." Zeke steered the conversation. "The other two papers stapled together are the basic rules. Nothing too confusing. Everyone gets to bat, and we have to stick to the batting order. Three outs and change. Seven innings. Still tied, we go to extra innings." He paused. "Something to note though...only one of us will be allowed to hit homeruns."

    I looked around and felt better that I wasn''t the only one who didn''t understand. Even Kaylee and KJ who played softball, didn''t understand.

    Mr. Miller was different though. He laughed. "Count me out. These old bones can''t carry a ball that far."

    Stu laughed. "Same here. I''m good at hitting grounders."

    "I don''t understand. What do you mean by that?" Kaylee asked.

    "It''s slow-pitch. Almost a lot of players can hit a homerun." Andy spoke up. "That''d be gameover real quick. So they make it harder. Anyone who isn''t the designated homerun hitter, hits one over the fence, gate or whatever, will count as an out." He looked at Zeke. "That''s too boring. No thanks."

    Zeke nodded. "Exactly. We can change it up every game, but I want to know who can or will participate?"

    "There''s no way I can do that." Alisha said.

    "Why not let Jake do it?" Noah patted me on the shoulder. "He''s so good. I''m sure every at-bat will be a homer."

    Zeke shook his head. "You, maybe. No to Jake. He''s one of the few that we can count on to get on base."

    "I don''t think I can hit a homerun at will." Kaylee made a face. "Can you put me under maybe? Like maybe after a few games when we get the hang of it, I can volunteer later?"

    "Sure." Zeke looked at Julian.

    Julian grinned. "I don''t mind practicing my power hitting. Even if it''s for softball. Count me in."

    Zeke nodded, writing down the two names. He looked back at Noah. "Well?"

    "I''ll give it a go." He flexed his arms. "Have to make it challenging somehow."

    "That''s not challenging at all." Andy said. "It''s more challenging to get a hit in such a small field."

    Noah frowned and looked like he was going to say something to Julian''s brother. But Zeke''s glare made Noah turn away, unwilling to face the kid that kept talking back.

    "I don''t mind trying..." KJ said, surprising me. She didn''t look like the type that could hit a homer. She looked up at Zeke. "But, wouldn''t it be better if we just had you to hit homeruns all the time instead?"

    Zeke shook his head. "Like Jake, I''ll be working on getting hits. I know I have power. I would like to work more on my placement."

    "If we don''t run into any good pitchers, it would be pointless." Andy told him.

    Zeke nodded. "There might be a team or two that does this for fun. Their pitching will be easy and might even be a simple underhand throw. But like us, some teams might have a real pitcher." He looked at Mr. Miller. "Want to share some?"

    Mr. Miller chuckled. "You kids might be imagining just a bunch of old fogies just playing around, but some teams are really competitive and will even invite ex-college athletes to play with them. Or maybe they bond at work over their old college days and decide to put a team together. I''ve seen it all. You''ll never know what to expect."

    Andy wasn''t bothering with his phone after that. He was focused on Mr. Miller and actually looked...eager. This kid wasn''t so simple. He knew the rules, doesn''t want to be a homerun hitter, and can play anywhere? I wonder...if he researched this beforehand...?

 579 V2 ch51

    Mr. Miller shared some stories about the pitchers he has seen in the adult league. A part of me couldn''t imagine an 80-year-old gramma playing pitcher. How could anyone hit the ball without worrying about hitting her? As for the tougher pitchers...I wasn''t worried.

    Zeke started to pass out the shirts, showing off the front and back. Only Mr. Miller and his friend Stu chose to go with nicknames. Funny nicknames. Mr. Miller''s said ''Miller Lite'' over his number while Stu had ''Beef Stu'' on his. It made most of us laugh and it was a good way to end the lunch meeting.

    Julian left with Andy trailing behind him. Mr. Miller and Stu left at the same time, while the girls texted for their rides.

    "I''ll see you guys tomorrow!" Alisha waved and headed for the door as her mom''s car showed up in the parking lot.

    "She''s nice." KJ said, watching her go.

    "She''s a freshman like me." Kaylee told her. "We share some classes."

    "Us too." Noah pitched in. He examined KJ. "So you pitch for the JV team?"

    KJ answered. "Yes..."

    "She''s good!" Kaylee told us. "She''s definitely going to help us win CIF next year. With Marie and her, no one will be able to outscore us ever again."

    A slightly awkward silence fell. Noah and I didn''t really pay attention to softball. I don''t know how far they went, but it sounds like they loss.

    Noah patted Kaylee''s shoulder. "There''s always next year."

    "Not for the seniors though..." KJ said. "It''s a hard way to end your high school career. Especially if they don''t play college ball afterwards."

    That''s the most the sophomore softball player has said all afternoon. She must really care about how they lost. That''s tough.

    "Do you plan to play after high school?" Noah asked.

    KJ nodded. "Hopefully."

    "Where do you want to play?" He asked, interested.

    "Anywhere that makes college cheap." She replied.

    Noah froze. I think he finally realized that this was the girl that had money problems. Her mom worked two jobs and she couldn''t afford the extras to play in the summer. That''s why she was abled to join our team.

    "Have you started reaching out to some schools yet?" Zeke asked.

    KJ was surprised by Zeke''s question. Then embarrassed. She lowered her head. "No. I''ve only played for the JV team. It''s too soon."

    "It''s never too soon." Zeke told her, very straightforward. "Not every college is interested if you''re on varsity or not. Some kids in the smaller schools will play four years on varsity and still won''t make it on any college team. If you''re looking strictly at scholarships, start putting together a highlight reel and send it to some division two schools."

    "Is that really okay..?" KJ asked, very interested in what Zeke had to say. "I heard division two doesn''t usually give out full rides though. They usually do partials?"

    KJ nodded energetically. "Wow. Okay! Thank you so much." She looked like she wanted to know more, but Marie showed up in the parking lot. KJ and Kaylee both got up and said their goodbyes.

    With everyone gone, we packed up and got into the car.

    "You were so nice to KJ." Noah lifted his eyebrows up and down.

    "I''m nice to everyone." Zeke said.

    Noah busted up laughing. "Don''t be lying."

    "I think Zeke is nice to everyone." I spoke up. "You and him are the same." Kind of. For the most part. Noah does have more of a temper though.

    Noah shrugged. "Fine. If you say so. I''m just surprised how much you told her about the process of looking at colleges. You haven''t even said that much to me and Jake."

    Zeke glanced at Noah. "I don''t need to worry about you guys. You both will attract attention and don''t need the extra help." He focused on the road. "I think more athletes should be educated on what to expect and how to work the system."

    "I guess that is nice of you." Noah gave in. Then scrunched up his nose. "You think the coaches would help out a bit."

    "Some do." Zeke said. "But not all can. Not all coaches get paid the same so others will have a second job. Where can they find the time to promote their athletes. Especially athletes that aren''t on top."

    "Does our coach help..?" I asked.

    Zeke nodded. "All of our coaches are very helpful in regards to this. From the freshman level on up. Julian didn''t start entertaining the idea of playing at the next level until midway through the season. He now has a partial scholarship to Fresno State. Coach really did his part to call up the college coach there and spoke to him at length about Julian."

    "That probably makes his parents a little bit happy." Noah remarked. He looked up at Zeke. "I thought Julian said his brother tried out for travel ball and that his parents would probably let him play. What happened with that?"

    Zeke shrugged. "Everyone''s family situation is different. Shouldn''t you be happy that he came to play with us?"

    Noah scratched his nose. "I don''t know. He doesn''t really give off the vibe that he wants to be here."

    "I think you''re wrong." I told Noah.

    Noah was surprised. "Really? Don''t you think he was kind of standoffish? And a little rude? Especially when we talked about positioning and pitching?"

    I shook my head. "I think he knew a lot. Without even looking at the rules. I think he must have looked them up before we got together today."

    "I had the same impression." Zeke agreed.

    "You too?" Noah swiveled his head back and forth. He paused and thought about it. "Maybe...in hindsight...he did seem to know a lot. You guys really think he''s excited about this?"

    "If his parents didn''t let him play travel ball, I can see how he''d be happy to play." Zeke said. "I don''t know how close Julian and him are, but I can ask about his attitude and temper tomorrow at school."

    "Good. I don''t want to be stuck playing with a jerk all summer." Noah sighed. "I wonder if it''s too late to find another player just in case."

    "You can." Zeke shrugged. "No penalties for last minute additions. We just have to make sure the release form is in and the roster is updated. But, I suggest you wait a week or two. He doesn''t seem like a bad kid to me. Right, Jake?"

    I nodded. "I didn''t think he was outright mean. Just..." I frowned, looking for the right word. "He is...I think he''s just trying to hide his excitement..? Like his feelings? He was even willing to pitch. I think he really wants to play."

    Noah conceded. "Okay, okay. I''ll stop being picky. If Jake says he''s okay, then I trust him. Jake is the pickiest after all." He smirked.

    I rolled my eyes. My standards aren''t high. As long as they aren''t trying to beat me up, I don''t really have a problem with others. Okay...that might not be true. I still worry with those ladies around my mom''s age. I gulped. I couldn''t imagine being alone with them.

 580 V2 ch52

    We got home and split up from Zeke after he gave us our shirts. We took them upstairs to our room and hung them up.

    "First game is Tuesday." Noah grinned at the bright blue shirt. He gave himself number one, with ''Noah'' written above it. He really liked being number one. "We should practice throwing a softball around. It''s lighter but bigger so it''s better to get used to it before Tuesday."

    "Want to practice after school tomorrow?" I asked.

    Noah nodded. "Just for a little bit. I don''t want Mom and Dad thinking that we aren''t studying for finals."

    "Should we invite Alisha?" I suggested. She doesn''t have experience and...I think she would like to be around Noah.

    Noah pulled out his phone. "Yea! I''ll invite her and Kaylee. Kaylee can ask KJ to come too if she wants." He started to type away.

    Okay, not what I expected. "Should we also ask Julian and his brother too then?"

    Noah was more hesitant. "Meh. I''ll tell Zeke, but I don''t think Andy is the type to participate in such an informal practice."

    "I think he would come." I shrugged.

    Noah paused to look at me. "Really? Want to bet on it?"

    Errrr. It was my turn to hesitate.

    "If you''re not willing, then that just means you aren''t confident in your opinion of him." Noah said.

    "Well...it''s not that I doubt him." I told him. "I''m actually more concerned on what you want to bet."

    "It wouldn''t matter if you don''t doubt him." Noah grinned, knowing that he cornered me.

    I scratched my cheek. "Okay. What do I get if I win then?"

    "What do you want?"

    I shrugged. There wasn''t anything I was lacking.

    "What about a bat?" Noah asked. "We never got to look at used ones at The Cages. How about I use my own money to buy you a spare bat? And in exchange, if Andy doesn''t show up, you buy me new batting gloves?"

    I liked how it sounded, but... "I don''t even have money though..."

    Noah grinned. "Guess you''ll have to ask for an allowance."

    I raised an eyebrow. "I don''t think that qualifies as my own money..."

    "What does it matter if you believe in this kid so much?" Noah asked.

    "I guess..." I looked up at him. "Alright. You''re on. You better tell Zeke. I don''t want to find out that you didn''t even send an invite."

    "I''ll text Julian myself." Noah came closer to show me as he sent the text to everyone on the team, even Mr. Miller.

    Satisfied we went back to studying for our finals for this week. There would be finals for periods one and four on Monday. Two and five on Tuesday. And three and six on Wednesday. Thursday was no school, just clean out lockers and then the seniors graduation at the football stadium that night.

    Kyle started to regret as soon as he saw Marie''s car in the parking lot. He looked to Noah, accusingly. "What is she doing here?"

    Noah, who had just finished tying his cleats looked up. "Oh. Probably just dropping off Kaylee. Maybe KJ too."

    Kyle shifted around uncomfortably until he saw two girls get out of the car, and then the car left. Marie really came just to drop off the girls. Kyle was more relaxed knowing that Marie wasn''t sticking around, but it didn''t last.

    "Oh wow." Kaylee was close enough to be heard. "It''s the jerk douchebag who dumped my sister for no reason." She turned to KJ. "Be wary around him. He''s a selfish, egotistical prick."

    KJ chuckled lightly, probably already knowing the drama.

    "Hey Kaylee!" Noah greeted. "KJ, you know of the twins right?"

    "Who doesn''t?" She put her bag down and started to put on some old cleats that had visible holes in them.

    Noah noticed and frowned, but a simple glare from Kaylee kept him from saying anything. He looked to the parking lot and saw a few more familiar faces. "Damn."

    "What? What is it?" Dave asked.

    Noah made a face. "Nothing. Just surprised that everyone could make it today on such short notice.

    "That didn''t sound like a happy ''damn.''" Dave pointed out. He looked at me and caught me smiling. "And why are you grinning like that?"

    "New bat." I said, staring at Noah.

    Julian was here with Andy. Alisha was right behind them, talking to Mr. Miller and Stu. All ten of us were here. Plus the twins.

    Noah sighed in defeat. "Okay, maybe I was quick to judge."

    "Judge what?" Dave asked, poking Noah. "Why are you guys talking like this? No one can understand what you''re saying."

    "Let''s warmup." Noah ignored him completely and spoke to me. I nodded and jogged with him. Then stretched.

    This was just for fun so everyone had their own way to warmup. Noah and I followed routine though to prevent injuries. Zeke took it a step further and was doing the full warmup from the baseball season. The one that used to make me tired. I had a bad feeling that we would be doing it all summer too.

    After everyone did some type of warmup, Zeke led us through some basic drills, just getting us baseball players accustomed to catching and throwing a softball. It wasn''t a big deal now, but something like this would have been a stumbling block for me. Now, I fit right in, only a little less accurate than Kaylee.

    Alisha had the most trouble, but that was just due to her lack of experience. Mr. Miller and his friend, Stu, helped her out though, giving her more advice and attention.

    "Hey, KJ." Andy spoke up during a water break. "Do you want to try pitching against us? So we get a feel of real, up close pitching? And you can get some practice in before tomorrow?"

    Noah frowned at him. "Do you really want to use our pitcher for batting practice?"

    Andy shrugged. "Yea. So what?"

    "I don''t mind!" KJ said. "I''m actually very interested in how my skills hold up against others." She glanced over at Zeke.

    Zeke nodded. "Alright, then whoever wants to face KJ, grab a bat and take some practice swings. And if you don''t, then help me shag balls."

    "You don''t want to practice?" Andy asked, losing some of his indifference.

    Zeke shook his head. "I''m good." He looked over at me. "Jake, you''ll help me collect the balls okay?"

    I nodded obediently.

    "I''ll shag balls in the outfield too." Julian smiled at KJ. "Maybe another time we can have a face off."

    KJ was a little less enthusiastic with the seniors bowing out.

    "I''ll definitely take you on!" Kaylee claimed. She then threw her glove at Noah. "Him too. Noah might be the weakest on the varsity team, but he still counts as a varsity player. It''d be great if you make him miss a few times."

    "Hey!" Noah was immediately offended. "I''m not the weakest! I just excel more in fielding than I do batting."

 581 V2 ch53

    Kaylee ignored Noah''s protest and turned to Alisha. "Want to give it a go?"

    Alisha blushed. "I don''t think so. I''m not that good. I just know the basics. I doubt I could get a hit off someone who really plays softball."

    "I''ll go easy on you." KJ offered.

    "Like other teams would?" Andy scoffed. He put on his batting gloves. "Let''s go. The others can decide later if they want to bat or not." He grabbed his bat and helmet and headed for home plate.

    "Don''t mind him." Julian said. "He''s very...inarticulate. He doesn''t mean any harm."

    "I understand." Alisha put her head down in embarrassment.

    Noah rested his hand on her shoulder. "Who cares what he says? KJ said she wouldn''t mind going easy so it''s not like you''re hurting anyone. Use this opportunity to practice swinging. Some teams might be good, but some should just be underhanded pitching. Besides, this is for fun remember?"

    Alisha perked up. She grinned at Noah. "You''re right. I''m not here to become a star player. I''m here to have fun."

    I scrunched up my nose. I don''t know how truthful that is...I thought she was more here for Noah than anything.

    "You can pitch a bucket of balls to everyone that wants to hit." Zeke told KJ. "It''s up to your discretion on what kind of pitching to throw." He looked at me and then tilted his head to the outfield. "Let''s go, Jake."

    I grabbed my glove and went to follow. Julian also came along.

    "Wait for me!" Noah called out.

    I glanced back in time to see Alisha holding him back. "Just pick up your bat instead."

    I laughed to myself and jogged to catch up to Julian and Zeke. Mr. Miller and Stu chose to practice batting too, and probably had the idea to help Alisha with the mechanics.

    "I thought you would be more upset not getting to hit." Julian laughed as I joined them.

    I shrugged. "It''s not a big deal. Zeke let''s us play at The Cages a lot." So I''m not really missing out.

    Julian looked at Zeke with a thoughtful expression. "Do you think Andy would listen to me more if I took him to there a few times?"

    Zeke replied. "I can let you know when we go so you can join us."

    "Yea, please do." Julian nodded. "Our relationship was fine before, but now that we''re spending more time together, I''m unsure of what to do or say."

    "I know the feeling." I spoke up.

    Julian looked at me in surprise. "What?"

    Feeling a little shy, I looked towards home plate as the others got ready to bat. "Jeremy and I. We aren''t close. Now that we''re trying to get along, it''s a little awkward at times." I just didn''t think Julian and his brother would be the same way. "Why aren''t you two close?" I looked at him, curious.

    I looked to Zeke. "But...Zeke and Noah aren''t like that?" And they have just one year less.

    Zeke cut in. "It''s different when you come from a bigger family. The twins shorten the gap. Even then, we all have our moments of feeling distant from our siblings. It''s part of growing up." He looked to Julian. "You can become close if you want to." He looked down at me. "Same with you and Jeremy."

    I nodded obediently. I knew that. And, we were trying. Texting most days. An occasional call. I was working on my notebook full of questions. Jeremy was also trying to stay involved, asking about my classes and my plans for the summer.

    "It''s a two-way street." Julian sighed.

    The others started to bat, breaking up our short chat about brothers. Julian went to cover left, Zeke took over center, and that left me in right field.

    Andy was first up, with a small net behind him in place of a catcher. KJ was doing her complete motion and looked like she was trying her best. At least, that''s what I assumed from the way Andy whiffed a few times. It didn''t last though. He started to foul off a few, scaring the others to stand in the dugout to prevent getting hit from one of the wayward foul balls. Towards the end of the bucket of balls, he really got good, connecting with a few. After the bucket emptied, he had to collect most of the balls since more than half didn''t give very far. He shared a few words with KJ after filling up the bucket and then went back to the bags to drop off his batting stuff.

    Kaylee was up next. She did even better, showing off her skills in her favorite sport. She showed KJ the difference between their level, sending most of the balls to the outfield.

    I caught a few that came my way, and didn''t trip, slip, or stumble. After my fifth catch, my confidence started to go up. I glanced to Zeke in center field, wondering if he knew that I needed this more than practicing batting.

    Noah went next after Kaylee said something to him. They were talking to one another, but I was too far to hear. I did hear Noah say to KJ, "Give it your best!" He didn''t miss a pitch. He fouled what was close and launched the rest to the outfield. I was impressed. Noah outshone Kaylee even though he had to use a different bat, and the just everything was different. He must be getting better at timing his swing thanks to the constant trips to the batting cages.

    Alisha went next, and KJ visibly slowed down her pitching for her. She didn''t do too poorly, but of course if we run into a serious pitcher, she won''t stand a chance. I could hear Noah yelling advice at her between the pitches, taking on a coach-like role.

    Mr. Miller and Stu would occasionally give some advice too, but they weren''t as enthusiastic as Noah. They both chose to take some swings after Alisha, asking KJ for simple lobs. To my surprise, they crushed them all over the outfield, making me get a full workout in.

    I changed my mind. Zeke pulled me out here to work on my sprinting, not my confidence in catching fly balls. I started to miss a few as my legs got tired, but I didn''t dare give up knowing that Zeke was watching.

    After everyone was satisfied, we packed up. It was then that I noticed that the twins had pulled a disappearing act.

    "Kyle probably doesn''t want to see Marie." Noah told me as we changed out of our cleats.

    "What a wimp." Kaylee scoffed. "Has the guts to dump her, but can''t even stand seeing her car? Loser." She glanced up at Zeke. "No offense."

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "None taken."

    Andy didn''t say anything to us, packing up in silence. Him and Julian left together after Julian said, "See ya later." The group started to break up until Noah, Zeke, and me, were left.

 582 V2 ch54

    Tuesday''s finals were the easiest: History and Math. Seeing the twins focusing on their papers and their pencils moving steadily really eased my apprehension on how they would do. After school, we studied for a few hours before getting ready to leave at 5pm for our game. Noah has already passed out the address of the girls to Zeke so he could look up a route before we go.

    I chose to sit in the very back, while Noah sat beside Zeke up front, leaving the middle row empty for the girls. We picked up Kaylee first since she was the closest.

    "Are you comfortable back there, Jake?" She asked, glancing back at me.

    I nodded. It beats being squished in the middle row.

    "Hey, wasn''t that your sister''s car in the driveway?" Noah asked, turning to face us. "Why didn''t she just take you and KJ today?"

    Kaylee shook her head. "It''s better to get used to you guys taking us. Marie will be busy most of the summer."

    "It''s no problem." Zeke spoke up.

    The next stop was Alisha''s house. It was huge. I remember Noah talking about how she was better off than his family and I could tell by the house. Never mind the fact that she also has a pool and wanted to throw a party for the whole grade on Friday.

    She gave a friendly smile as she got in the car. "Hey guys, Kaylee. Thanks for the ride Zeke."

    "It''s no problem." Zeke repeated.

    "Your house is so amazing." Kaylee sighed.

    Alisha gave a small smile. "It''s kind of a waste for just the three of us though. It doesn''t bug me unless I''m home alone and then I start to think that I''m staring in a scary movie."

    Kaylee laughed. "Well, you can invite me over anytime. I''m free all summer so we can just laze around together in your big house."

    "You don''t have softball practice or anything?" Alisha asked.

    Kaylee started to explain how she was mostly going to be on her own this summer too.

    We picked up KJ last, pulling up to an older looking apartment complex. She looked slightly embarrassed as she got in the car, pushing Kaylee to the middle seat. "Sorry for the trouble."

    "It''s no problem." Zeke repeated once more.

    My lips twitched. It seemed like that''s all he knew how to respond to girls.

    The trip to the field was full of chatter from the girls as they talked about finals, summer plans, and clothes. It was very strange to listen in when I didn''t have a choice. It was like an inner-look on what girl friendships look like.

    Not much different than Noah and I. Or talks from the baseball team. They all talk about school too. And baseball obviously. But occasionally the guys would talk about clothes too, especially if it was baseball clothes.

    It was weird for me to just slowly jog around, throw the ball with Noah, and then return to the dugout before the game officially started. There was no batting or fielding practice. It was very informal.

    Zeke posted our lineup:

    1 P KJ

    2 C Andy

    3 3B Kaylee

    4 CF Zeke

    5 2B Jake

    6 LF Julian*

    7 1B Mr. Miller

    8 RF Stu

    9 SS Noah

    10 Alisha (bench)

    "We can change it up as we go." Zeke told us. "If you guys want a break or anything, we just have to let the umpire know that there''s a change. He won''t be keeping track strictly."

    "What''s the asterisk for?" Noah asked.

    "Designates the homerun hitter." Zeke explained. "Today, it''ll be up to Julian to hit the homeruns. If anyone else hits over the small fence, it''s an out."

    "Why do I have to bat near the bottom?" Noah pouted. "Doesn''t that mean less at-bats for me?"

    "We''ll change it every game." Mr. Miller patted Noah on the head.

    "I''m just happy that you''re not making me play right away." Alisha laughed. "If the other team isn''t too competitive, I don''t mind going in later."

    "Look at those old geezers." Stu commanded, making our eyes drift to the other dugout. He wasn''t wrong to call them old. The youngest one there was easily in his 50s. "Today will be a walk in the park." He looked at KJ. "Don''t bother throwing it so hard. I can tell with a glance that this is a ''just-for-fun'' team."

    KJ looked disappointed. "Okay."

    Mr. Miller laughed. "Don''t be so sad. There aren''t so many teams like this. After all, first place has prize money. Let''s just have some fun tonight!"

    "Don''t bring up prize money that we can''t even have." Noah glanced at Zeke. "It''s all your fault. Stupid rules."

    Zeke laughed before leaving the dugout to meet with the umpire. He shook hands with the other team''s representative and then with the ump. They exchanged batting orders and flipped a coin for who would get to bat first.

    Zeke came back. "We bat in the bottom half of the inning. The ump did say that if there''s a ten run difference by the end of the fifth inning, he''ll call game."

    "Boooo. What a downer." Noah jeered.

    "He''s so lazy." Andy agreed.

    Julian shook his head. "It''s just the rules. The umps get paid a flat rate for something recreational like this. They don''t get paid by the hour so why would they want to stay for longer?"

    "True." Kaylee nodded. She put her glove on. "Well, today looks easy so let them hit, KJ!"

    KJ sighed. "Okay..."

    "It''s good practice." Andy told her, putting on the catcher''s gear. "It doesn''t mean anything if you can strikeout a bunch of Grampas."

    Everyone agreed with that statement. Andy might come off a little blunt and rude, but it wasn''t with mean intentions.

    Plus, this old persons team really wasn''t a match for us. Even with KJ letting them put the ball in play, we destroyed them 26-4. I would have felt guilty, but the other team didn''t seem to mind the score at all. They just laughed together and at one another as the game went on. Whenever Julian would hit a homerun they would give their pitcher a hard time. Whenever they made an error, they laughed it off. It was a very encouraging sight to see and made the game more entertaining.

    We went with their rhythm too, laughing at little blunders. Including when it was my turn in the outfield and I tripped over thin air. It didn''t make me feel so embarrassed since it was all in good fun. Even Alisha could laugh at herself when she shied away from a high fly, or if she whiffed, letting the ball go under her glove. By the end of the fifth inning, most of us were in stitches, getting an ab workout in from laughing so much.

 583 V2 ch55

    "Last night was fun!" Alisha greeted us cheerfully Wednesday morning. "It''s too bad we can''t play tomorrow."

    Thursday evening was Zeke''s graduation after all.

    "There''ll be plenty of games these next few weeks." Noah responded with a smile. "Plus, we can practice any time you want."

    "In the afternoon." I added.

    Noah nodded. "Right. In the afternoon."

    Alisha raised an eyebrow. "Why in the afternoon? You guys plan sleeping in all summer?"

    Noah chuckled. "I wish. Nah, we''re going to take a Spanish class over the summer. Zeke is taking online classes too."

    Alisha blinked in surprise. "Wow. I didn''t know you liked school so much."

    "I don''t mind it." Noah shrugged. He looked to me. "Right, Jake?"

    I nodded. It could be worse.

    Noah grinned up at Alisha. "Do you want to join? It starts Monday."

    Alisha hesitated, looking indecisive. In the end, she said, "No thanks. I like hanging out with you guys, but I''m not going to force myself to take summer classes."

    Noah laughed. "Didn''t think you would. It''s not fun hanging out in class anyways. We can just hangout together afterwards. Weren''t you and Kaylee talking about lazing around together? Invite me and Jake too!"

    "Sure thing!" Alisha grinned, happy once again.

    ...somehow...I felt like...extra luggage...

    The teacher came in and class started. Since we already took our finals for English, she gave us free time to study for our other finals today. Noah and I had to take Biology and Health. One more difficult than the other. Biology just had a lot of information and memorization. Health was just some multiple choice questions off some reading. Easy.

    The final school bell rung and kids started to spill in the hallways, rushing for their cars, the bus, or however they get home. School is out.

    "Summer vacation!" Noah grinned as we joined the twins near the car.

    "Freedom!!" Dave cheered. "Man, I don''t even know what I''m going to do with all this free time now."

    "Train." Kyle said.

    Dave shoved him lightly. "I know that. I just mean in our free time."

    "Go to a few A''s games..?" I offered, remembering Jeremy''s offer.

    Dave pointed at me. "Yes! Jake has the right idea!"

    Noah grinned, throwing an arm around me. "We''ll be sure to send you pictures of us having fun."

    Dave lost his smile. "What?! You guys would go without us??"

    "Yea, we''ll go without you." Noah grinned, ruthless.

    "We can try and do some when you guys are back." Zeke offered, showing up in time to stop a would-be fight between Noah and Dave.

    I nodded in agreement. "Jeremy said whenever is convenient. So if there''s a home game and you guys are here, we can tell him."

    "Thanks Jake!" Dave pulled me out of Noah''s grasp. "I knew I liked you more than Noah since day one."

    "Are you guys getting in or not?" Zeke asked, rolling down the windows.

    With his prompting, we all got in. Kyle took the front passenger seat, while Noah sat in the middle seat between me and Dave. Zeke put the car in drive and started to navigate through the school parking lot.

    "Are you feeling sad yet, Zeke?" Dave asked, leaning forward.

    "No." Zeke answered. "It''s just another step."

    "You''re not going to miss this at all?" Dave pestered. "This will be the last time you drive us home together. How are you not sad?"

    "Because I''ve been driving you guys since day one of getting a permit to drive." Zeke cracked a smile. "Plus, I doubt I''ll stop anytime soon. It''s just the destination that has changed."

    "Speaking of destination..." Kyle looked out the window. "Why aren''t we going home?"

    Zeke kept his eyes on the road. "I thought I would treat my little brothers to some ice cream for our last day of school together."

    "YES!!" Noah pumped his fists.

    "Awe, so you are going to miss us." Dave poked Zeke repeatedly.

    "Where are we going?" Kyle asked.

    "Yogurtland." Zeke told him while swatting Dave''s fingers away from him.

    "Why not Baskins-Robbins??" Noah asked. "Yogurtland isn''t real ice cream."

    "It''s cheaper. Somewhat healthier. And it''s closer." Zeke replied.

    "You can pick all the toppings you want." Dave nudged Noah. "Stop being so picky."

    "I''m going to get the biggest cup!" Noah declared.

    Zeke flashed a small smile. "Whatever you guys want. It''s a celebration."

    Yogurtland was in a small shopping center where Mrs. Atkins usually went for groceries. We all piled out of the car and went into the building. It was packed with students our age and younger, plus some parents here and there. The twins knew the most, talking with them and trading pleasantries.

    Noah didn''t pay any mind to those around us. He just got in line and started to explain to me how we have to fill up our own cups with frozen yogurt and then toppings.

    Noah didn''t hold back at all, grabbing the biggest cup available and filling it up to a giant tower of sugar. He mixed the flavored yogurt and grabbed a little of every candy available, turning his nose up at the fruit options. "This is a treat, Jake! Don''t waste it on the healthy stuff that Mom buys normally. C''mon. When will Zeke let us eat so much junk food again?"

    He had a point. I went with chocolate, adding in some chocolate candy on top. Dave did the same, but almost twice as much. Kyle was more organized, picking a little of each. Zeke was boring, picking plain vanilla with strawberries on top. He paid for all five cups and then led us outside to eat.

    Dave and Noah challenged each other on who would finish first, while Kyle was talking to Zeke about the plan for tomorrow''s graduation. It was comforting to see them all like this. These boys wouldn''t change just because Zeke was going elsewhere. There''s no doubt in my mind that they would still act like this next year.

    "Hey, hey, who do you think will be captain next year, Zeke?" Dave asked, interrupting them.

    Kyle snorted. "Me, of course."

    "Why you?" Noah asked, making a face. "You would be the worst with all those mood swings you have. I think I could do a better job."

    "It''s up to Coach." Zeke said.

    "He''ll probably pick Garret." Noah said. Dave nodded in agreement. Even Kyle wasn''t upset about the choice.

    "Who knows?" Zeke replied. "Garret already has a lot on his shoulders between batting and pitching. It''s not about picking the best player as captain. What you need is someone who is mentally tough."

    "You''re out." Noah laughed at Kyle.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Whatever. My goal is to be the best pitcher. Not a captain."

    "I actually don''t think any pitcher should be a captain." Dave said, shrugging. "We''re selfish by nature. Plus if we do poorly on the mound, who''s going to calm us down?"

    "Me!" Noah claimed. "I don''t mind telling you guys how bad you''re doing."

    "Brat!" Dave threw a wadded up napkin at him.

    "Coach will probably decide in the fall after seeing who takes charge." Zeke said. "There are a lot of qualities to look for in a captain. And, every captain is different. It''s a matter of what fits the team at the moment." He flashed a smirk. "I was a perfect fit because only I could handle you kids and keep you in line."

    "Bully!" Noah pointed at Zeke and laughed.

    "What will we do next year without you, then..?" I asked.

    The boys got quiet.

    Zeke smiled. "You grow up."

 584 V2 ch56

    Not much more was said about the Captain situation. Instead, we talked about weekend plans now that school was out.

    Noah rubbed his bulging stomach as we got back in the car. "I can''t wait to sleep in tomorrow. No school, no workouts, no plans."

    "Who said that you get to sleep in tomorrow?" Zeke asked.

    Noah paused, holding his belly. "..."

    "Better go to bed early, kid." Dave laughed.

    "I thought it would be good if all of us went on a jog together." Zeke said, glancing back at Dave before focusing on the road. "We should run every morning we can."

    "..." The whole car was silent.

    "We don''t leave soon enough!" Dave cried dramatically.

    "Is this happening all summer??" Noah asked. "What about our summer class?"

    "Sunrise is at 5:45am in the summer. We can hit the pavement at 6 and be back in time for you to shower before class." Zeke said.

    "Is it too late to regret staying home for the summer?" Noah despaired.

    I was also in mourning.

    "The price you gotta pay." Kyle laughed. "At least you guys will be in great shape."

    "I don''t remember signing up for the cross country team." Noah complained. "You can''t force me to go running every day. It was bad enough on the weekends."

    "No running equals no cages." Zeke said. "Also means I won''t be buying any extra sweets when Mom and Dad have to leave. I can''t trust you to burn off the calories."

    "Fine! Fine!" Noah shouted. "Running it is."

    We arrived at the house and took our bags inside. Dave and Kyle changed into workout clothes and went to the backyard to practice some pitching. Zeke also changed, but went to the garage to lift some weights. Noah and I took the lazy option: watching baseball on tv.

    After an hour or so, my phone started to ring. Jeremy. I answered, "Hello?" Noah looked over at me curiously. I mouthed his name and he nodded in understanding.

    "Hey, Jake. Congrats on your last day of school." Jeremy said. There was some background noise making him speak up a little louder.

    I cleared my throat. "Thanks."

    "Are you guys going to celebrate? Zeke''s graduating, right?" He asked.

    "Zeke treated us to some ice cream after school." I told him. "I''m sure their parents will do something tonight or tomorrow or something. Tomorrow night is his graduation day."

    "And Friday you and Noah will go to a party?" He remembered..?

    I nodded, forgetting that he couldn''t see me. "Uh, yea. Alisha''s. A classmate and she plays softball with us."

    "Softball is Tuesday and Thursday nights and Saturday mornings." He said softly. "Well, how about you and the Atkins come to Saturday night''s game? It might be a little tight depending on how long your softball game, but it''s Saturday night fireworks."

    "I''ll have to ask." I answered.

    Jeremy laughed. "Noah was easy to convinced."

    "They like the A''s." I said helplessly.

    "Shouldn''t he be getting ready for tonight''s game?" Noah asked, getting closer so he could hear.

    I switched it to speaker. "Yea..?"

    Jeremy sighed. "I''m in the clubhouse getting a massage so I thought I had the time to call. School is out so that''s a little special too."

    "A massage?" Noah questioned. "What''s wrong? Are you hurt?"

    I became a statue, frozen. "You''re hurt..?"

    Jeremy chuckled. "Don''t sound so worried. It''s normal fatigue. The long road trip was hard on the body. Tomorrow we have an off day so I''ll be ready by the weekend."

    "Thank goodness." Noah relaxed into the couch.

    "You''re off tomorrow?" I asked. "What are you going to do?" I''ve had a look at the MLB schedule, and sometimes they go weeks without an off day. I wonder how Jeremy is going to spend it.

    Jeremy started to cough. He said something to someone nearby and then in a low voice he told us. "I''m going to spend the day with Rose."

    "And introduce her to your family?" Noah asked, interested.

    "Yes. At dinner." He spoke in a low voice again. "Okay, I''ve got to go. Later." He hung up.

    I looked at my phone, confused.

    "He''s probably embarrassed." Noah told me. "Don''t mind it. I bet he was whispering because the team doesn''t really know. So secretive."

    I shrugged.

    We watched some of the game before Mrs. and Mr. Atkins came home. They told us we would be going out for dinner so we had to change into nicer clothes. The other boys had to shower too so we got to watch a little longer. It was rough. Jeremy didn''t get had two strikeouts by the time we left the house, and the A''s were losing.

    At the restaurant, Noah told the table about Jeremy''s suggestion to come to Saturday''s game. Like before, Mr. and Mrs. Atkins explained that they had a lot of work on the weekends. That''s when they held open houses and met with clients. It wasn''t easy on them, but they said we could all go together.

    "Summer..." Dave grinned. "This is how it starts."

    "Technically, Jake and I will start with a party." Noah grinned.

    Dave rolled his eyes. "Whatever. It''s a kid party, only freshmen. We''ll just do something with Zeke without you."

    "We''re no longer freshmen." I pointed out.

    "And I''ll also be gone on Friday." Zeke said.

    "What?!" Dave and Kyle said simultaneously.

    Zeke wiped his mouth with a napkin. "It''s grad nite. I''ll be with all the other seniors for a farewell party on the beach."

    "Does that mean Mom has to pick me and Jake up?" Noah asked.

    "I''ll probably send one of the twins since they don''t have any plans." Mrs. Atkins laughed.

    Dave looked offended. "What plans do you have Mom??"

    Mrs. Atkins raised an eyebrow. "If you must know, your grandparents are coming in town tomorrow for the graduation ceremony. They fly back Friday afternoon so your father and I will stay in the city for a dinner with some old friends."

    "This is messed up." Kyle claimed. "Why does everyone suddenly have plans?" He looked at me. "Do you really want to go to a party, Jake? Why don''t you stay home with us instead?"

    I held back a laugh at his pleading. "Alisha is nice. It''s also her birthday celebration."

    "Yea!" Noah agreed. "And it''s good for Jake to get out more. Don''t hold him back because you guys don''t have friends."

    "We''ll hold a party of our own!" Dave declared.

    "No." Mr. Atkins said flatly.

    "What? Why not?" Dave was crestfallen after being denied so ruthlessly.

    "Because no one is there to supervise." Mr. Atkins said. "Alisha''s parents will still be at her house to watch out for any problems. Plus, one of you have to pick them up afterwards and take care of dinner. I don''t want to hear about you two messing around and dodging responsibilities."

    Kyle made a face. "So we have to play chauffeur and cook?"

    "It''s what Zeke will be doing most of the summer." Mrs. Atkins pointed out. "You two should show kindness to your brothers for allowing you to travel most of the summer. And, Jake even invited you all to see an A''s game on Saturday. Why can''t you give him a ride home?"

    Kyle put his head down. "Okay. I''ll get them."

    "Can we at least get money for pizza?" Dave asked, no longer groaning.

    "Sure." Mr. Atkins agreed. "Maybe a little extra for games at the arcade?"

    "Yess!!" Dave and Noah yelled.

    I smiled. The parents really know how to handle these boys.

 585 V2 ch57

    Thursday morning, a knock on the bedroom door brought a sense of dread as Noah and I got up.

    Surprisingly, it was Mr. Atkins. He raised an eyebrow at our half-dead expressions. "Did you boys not sleep well?"

    Noah curled back under his covers. "Dad, I thought you were Zeke! How dare you trick us!"

    I flopped back in bed in agreement.

    Mr. Atkins laughed. "Well good morning to you too." He stood in the doorway, letting even more light in the room. "I just wanted to say that your mom and I are going to hit the road. We''ll bring Gramma and Grampa home before lunch so try not to stuff your faces before then."

    "Dad, let us go back to sleep before Zeke comes, okay?" Noah mumbled from under his covers.

    "Too late." Mr. Atkins chuckled.

    I took a peek and sure enough, Zeke was right behind Mr. Atkins. "Let''s kit the pavement kiddos."

    Noah threw his comforter off him. "This isn''t fair."

    "How so?" Zeke asked. "I''m running with you."

    "I''ve lost out on three minutes of sleep." Noah groaned.

    I continued to stay in bed, also unwilling to get up.

    "You boys have fun, I need to hit the road." Mr. Atkins started to back out of the room. "Remember, no snacking. Shower and dress up in nice clothes. We''ll be going out for lunch. Then Zeke''s graduation. And then another nice dinner." He left.

    Zeke clapped twice. "Up and at ''em. We leave in ten minutes. Eat a banana and drink some water."

    "I rather sleep." Noah complained, but still got out of bed.

    I sighed and started to move too. There''s no point in trying to go back to sleep. A waste of effort.

    Seeing that we were moving, Zeke left us alone to get dressed.

    Noah had started getting changed, but abruptly laughed, making me jump. I turned to see him shirtless and looking down at his running shorts. He looked up and me and grinned. "Notice anything different?"

    I shrugged. "You''re starting to show some ab muscles?"

    "Am I really??" He went to the mirror and started to admire his thin frame. He ran his fingers over his abdominal muscles. "They''re starting to take shape! Awesome!"

    I put a hand on my stomach over my shirt. I was more firm than when I first came to Watsonville, but I don''t have muscles like Noah.

    Noah noticed that I went quiet. He faced me and gave a small laugh. "Ha...that wasn''t what I was talking about, but thanks for the compliment. I wanted you to look at my shorts."

    I looked at it and shrugged. "What about them?"

    Noah used his fingers to show the gap between his knee and the bottom of his shorts. "There''s more space! I''m really growing! Like right now! I finally feel like I''ll reach six feet like Zeke and the twins."

    "Lucky you." I pouted.

    I obediently went over. He pushed me against the door and I stood up straight. Then he marked my height. I stepped away and watched him write my name and today''s date on the door. Then he did the same for himself. "There! We can measure again next month before we go to the Stanford camp."

    "Noah!!" A shout came from outside our room. "Jake!! Time to go!"

    We both made a face.

    "Crap!" Noah scrambled to get his shoes on.

    I did the same, beating him. I sprinted downstairs and grabbed a banana, opening and eating it in record time.

    Dave laughed. "If you were hungry, you should have hurried down to begin with. What were you guys doing up there?"

    "I bet they went back to sleep." Kyle yawned from his spot at the table.

    "No." Noah made it to the table and also reached for a banana. "I got taller again. Plus, I have some real ab muscles now!" He lifted his shirt. "Look! Actually visible!"

    "Nice!" Dave nodded.

    "Mine look better." Kyle stood up and showed off his ab muscles.

    "Why bother competing when you two can''t measure up to Zeke?" Dave asked.

    "You''re just jealous." Kyle told him.

    "You guys ready yet?" Zeke came in the room, making the conversation stall.

    I finished my banana and threw the peel away. Noah did the same. We both stood in front of Zeke obediently, prepared for the torture run.

    Zeke nodded at us. "Alright. Let''s go. Dave, Kyle, if you two slack off, don''t cry to me when you get out of shape."

    All of us were ready, and followed Zeke out front. He started at a leisurely pace, but I wasn''t fooled. Him and Noah leave me behind when we get to the hill around the corner. The twins, on the other hand, were talking smack about how easy the run is. I could only shake my head at their talk and focused on keeping even breaths.

    Sure enough at the hill, Zeke and Noah left me behind, upping their speed. Kyle and Dave stayed with me, jaws dropped.

    "Do they leave you behind like this every time?" Kyle asked, breathing a little harder.

    I nodded, unable to explain.

    "Jerks." Dave gasped.

    We powered up the hill with the occasional curses from the twins. Having them with me boosted my self-confidence. Once upon a time, they would have left me in the dust. Now we''re keeping the same pace. It''s probably a mix of me getting in better shape and them getting out of shape. They haven''t run nearly the same amount as me and Noah since baseball season ended. All they did was play in the backyard with their pitching.

    We reached home last, finding the garage open. Zeke was showing Noah some new ab exercises. He saw us coming up the driveway, trying to catch our breath. He frowned. "Did you guys run with Jake the whole way?"

    Dave nodded, unashamed. "Have to. Keep. An eye. On him." He put his hands on top of his head.

    Zeke stood up. "It''s very important for pitchers to have great endurance. Do you guys want to pitch the whole seven innings or not? Do you really think that these college coaches can''t tell that you''re not in shape." He eyed Kyle. "You need to start running everyday."

    Kyle nodded. "Yea...I think so too." He looked down at me. "You''re getting stronger though. Hard to believe you couldn''t do a lap around the baseball field without collapsing."

    I waved him away like an annoying fly. "Tell me something I don''t know."

    Dave busted up laughing. Noah joined in too.

    Kyle rolled his eyes and went to grab the dumbbells. "You hang out with Noah too much."

    Zeke directed me to a different exercise while Dave started with pushups and planks. Their garage and driveway became a makeshift gym on a Thursday morning. The cool air made it bearable. I feel like this will be the new normal starting today.

 586 V2 ch58

    After we finished, we alternated between showers and a real breakfast. Afterward we gathered in the living room, wearing nicer clothes. There were no early baseball games on a Thursday so they picked a sports talk show as it went through some of the big headlines. Surprisingly, Zeke was mentioned. A lot of people on the tv talked about how he was making a mistake and it was because he was greedy for a bigger payday. Jeremy''s short pregame interview was mentioned, proving that he knew Zeke and knew that he settled on college.

    "It''s weird to hear them talk about people we know." Dave said.

    Kyle nodded in agreement. "Just imagine, we could be talked about too, this time next year."

    "I bet they''ll still be talking about Zeke." Noah laughed. "He''ll be fighting for the College World Series. That starts this weekend, you know."

    "Did Stanford make it?" Kyle asked, pulling out his phone.

    Noah nodded. "Yep. Won Regionals this week. Easy bracket."

    "That''s good. Number one seed?" Dave asked.

    Noah shrugged. "Probably. At least near the top. They have a good record."

    "We''ll probably get to see them on tv too." Dave remarked.

    "I wonder if the broadcasters will talk about Zeke then too?" Kyle wondered.

    "Most likely." Noah nodded. "They talk about him all the time. He''s Zeke. Someone who takes their own path and doesn''t give two craps about it."

    "Language." Zeke warned. "Gramma and Grampa will be here soon. Try to be good."

    I looked to Noah. "Are your grandparents like your mom?"

    Noah hesitated. "Kind of, but not really."

    I frowned.

    "They''re super old." Dave added.

    "They''re nice though." Kyle included, looking me in the eye, making me feel slightly better.

    "Ohhh." Noah said. "That''s what you wanted to know? Then yea, you''ll like them. I thought you wanted to know if they had the same personality as Mom."

    "You guys never talk about them..." I mentioned.

    "They''re so far away." Noah sighed. "And there isn''t much to talk about. I know Mom calls them every other week or so."

    "Every week." Zeke corrected. "I think she wants them to move back down here, but..."

    "They''re super old." Dave repeated.

    "David." Zeke glared at him.

    Dave shrugged. "What? It''s true." Dave looked at me. "It''s hard to communicate with them sometimes. The generation gap is too big. They''re nice though. We get birthday cards with money every year."

    "I don''t remember you guys getting any..?" I pointed out. Wouldn''t they have mentioned it?

    Dave laughed. "That''s because it doesn''t come on our birthday. They forget to mail them and it usually comes with a Christmas card or if they''re physically here for Christmas. It''s really funny. I remember when Noah was little, he tried returning it because he knew it was no longer his birthday."

    "Hey!" Noah yelled. "I was five, okay?"

    "What happened to that cute kid?" Kyle sighed.

    "I grew up with you jerks." Noah said.

    Two couch pillows were thrown at him.

    With their comments, I was less anxious. Up until the front door opened and I heard Mrs. Atkins calling for us. "Boys!"

    We all got up and went to the foyer. Their gramma was noticeable for no other feature except that she was small. Like a whole foot shorter than her daughter. She was eye level with me, holding onto a cane. She had short gray hair and thick glasses on. She was...really old.

    "Hi Grams!" Kyle raised his voice and went up to hug her first. The other boys followed suit.

    "No need to yell. We have these things called hearing aids." The old man said flatly. He was scary thin, and taller than Mrs. Atkins, looking like a skeleton with skin.

    His comment surprised not only me, but the boys too.

    Zeke was the first to recover, going up to the old man and shaking his hand. "How are you Grampa?"

    "Fine. Just fine. Another day in the life." He waved a thin, wrinkled hand in the air. "I heard you said no to going pro."

    Zeke blinked, glancing at his parents. They both shrugged helplessly. "Who told you that?"

    "The tv, boy!" His voice cracked, causing him to start coughing.

    "We hear your name on the tv all the time." Their gramma nodded. "You''re famous."

    "Not in a good way." Dave laughed.

    "It''s honorable to pick college." Their gramma said. "I''m proud of you." She squinted. "No one is picking on you, are they?"

    "Who would dare?" Kyle laughed. "Zeke is too scary."

    Their grampa finally caught his breath. "Good. Good. I''m glad. No grandson of mine should be called any names. You stick to your guns." He pulled out a few envelopes. "Now...let''s see...Zeke..." He handed Zeke a blue envelope. "College ain''t cheap. Better save this for when you go."

    Zeke look like he wanted to laugh, but settled on a friendly smile. "You didn''t have to get me anything, Grampa. I''ve got a scholarship. Almost everything is covered."

    "Taking pretty girls out on dates is being covered by the fancy school? Don''t kid me, boy." Their grampa said.

    The twins and Noah busted up laughing. I grinned at the Zeke''s dumbfounded look. This isn''t how they described their grandparents at all.

    Their gramma grabbed the stack of envelopes out of the old man''s hands. She picked two out and gave them to the twins. "Happy belated birthday."

    Noah was stunned.

    The twins happily accepted the envelopes.

    The old man stared down at me. "And you."

    I straightened up, dropping the smile.

    "You must be Jake." He said. "We hear about you every week for the last three or four months."

    I didn''t know what to say so I glanced at Mrs. Atkins.

    "No need to look like a deer in the headlights. We ain''t gonna eat you." He took the last envelope out of his wife''s hands. "This is for you. Fourteen missed birthdays. Don''t be spending it all in one place and don''t let anyone take it away." He handed me a heavy envelope. "Now let me hear you say Grampa."

    I held the envelope in amazement. My first birthday gift. And it wasn''t even my birthday.

    Noah nudged me. "They''re waiting."

    Waiting? I looked up at the very tall, thin man. "You...want me to call you Grampa..?"

    "Of course!" He nodded. "What else would you call me? Mr. President? I think not. All my grandsons call me Grampa."

    I gulped. This means...he accepts me right? "G-G-G-Grampa..."

    He nodded again. "Not bad." He tilt his head in silence as no one else spoke. He looked to Mrs. Atkins. "What is it, Mary?"

    Mrs. Atkins wiped her eyes. "Nothing. I''m just surprised."

    "He called you ''Grampa'' so quick." Dave eyed me. "Yet, you haven''t even called Mom and Dad by ''Mom'' and ''Dad''."

    I blushed.

    "I have no time to waste." The old man spoke up. "I''m nearing the end of the road. I can''t wait forever for this kid to call me ''Grampa''." He nudged his wife forward. "Your turn."

    The little old lady was a funny sight next to her husband, but I didn''t dare laugh. Especially with us being the same size. She squinted at me with a big old smile, with a look of expectation. "I''m Gramma."

    ...

    "G-G-Gramma..?" I stuttered.

    "See! He''s getting better at it." The old man said proudly. He patted Mrs. Atkins on the shoulder. "Do you want to hear him call for you too? This is a good moment. He''s very obedient."

 587 V2 ch59

    I looked at her and she looked at me. She was definitely crying now. No matter how many times she wiped her eyes, tears kept coming out.

    I started to worry. "Do..."

    "Don''t. You don''t have to if you don''t want to." She cried.

    Mr. Atkins wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He looked me in the eyes. "Don''t let Grampa bully you."

    "Bully?!" Grampa raised his voice while turning to face Mr. Atkins. "Are you taking this kid in or not? Isn''t the whole point of adoption is to become his family?!" He started to cough again, turning red in the face.

    Noah went up to the old man and rubbed his back, trying to comfort him. "We think Jake as family. He''s just shy."

    "Have you asked him?" Gramma asked. A few pair of eyes drifted to the little old lady. She looked up at her daughter. "Have you guys asked Jake what he wants? In my experience, kids are looking for acceptance in all kinds of ways." She looked at me through her thick glasses. "What do you want to do, Jake?"

    I swallowed a lump in my throat and looked up at Mr. and Mrs. Atkins. "Do you...mind?"

    Mrs. Atkins let out a sob and ripped away from her husband. She pulled me into a bear hug. Our second in the past week. She squeezed me tight, but I wasn''t afraid. "It would be an honor to hear you call me, ''Mom''."

    "M-M-Mom." I croaked out. A few tears escaped the corners of my eyes. This woman deserved that title. She helped me since day one. Even when I was scared to be alone with her, she wasn''t mad at me, she was mad for me. The word mom isn''t just a person who gives birth to you, but someone who takes on the role. Mom is caring and kind. She''s hardworking and nurturing. She is generous, not with her money, but with her time and emotions. She protected me and has been reliable every step of the way.

    I''ve decided. The woman who gave birth to me is no longer ''Mom''. I''ll strip that title away from her and give it to someone who is more deserving. Mrs. Atkins. The mom I want and the one I need.

    "Poor Dad..." Dave laughed. "You''re last."

    Kyle joined him. "How does it feel, Dad? Grampa, Gramma, and Mom all got to hear Jake, but you''re left out."

    Startled, I pulled away and looked up at Mr. Atkins, scared he would be mad or sad or disappointed.

    He smiled down at me. "It''s different."

    "What? How?" Dave asked, not understanding.

    I smiled, wiping my face. "Mr. Atkins is the only dad I''ve ever known."

    The twins went silent.

    Mr. Atkins reached out and patted me on the head. "You never have to ask to call me dad. I already treat you like a son. A name doesn''t define our relationship."

    "Dad." I said clearly and confidently. I didn''t stutter. There was no stress. No inner demon to fight. Dad may not be related to me by blood, but he knew where I was coming from. He knew my demons and didn''t mind being my support every step of the way.

    "Yes, Grampa." I looked up at him, thankful. He''s only seen me for a minute before accepting me. He integrated me with this family without a care.

    "Again!"

    "Grampa." I repeated.

    "Again!"

    "Grampa."

    "I can''t hear you! Again!"

    "Grampa!" I raised my voice.

    The boys started to laugh and the other adults smiled at the scene.

    Noah looked up at Grampa with a grin. "You''re so lively today, Gramps."

    "I''m old." He claimed. "No time to waste." He said again. "It''s a day of celebration. Who knows if I''ll ever see you guys again after this trip."

    The atmosphere turned somber.

    "Dad..." Mom went up to Grampa and hugged him. "Don''t say things like that. It''s just going to make me more forceful in getting you two to moved here. It would really help make my worries go away."

    "Yea, Gramps!" Dave smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "And you could see our games if you were closer. You missed an exciting season of us dominating the area."

    "You know we don''t care for sports." Grampa frowned at him. "It''s good enough if you kids are having fun and living well. For now..."

    "We can think it over some more." Gramma interrupted.

    Mom looked to her with genuine happiness. "Really, Mom?? You mean it?"

    Gramma nodded. "It''d be nice to see you more before we go."

    All this talk about death and dying made me sad. I''ve never seen old people talk about it so nonchalantly. It sounds a bit ominous.

    "Mom, Dad, can you please stop with the pessimism? You both are so healthy, you''ll live for a couple more decades." Mom put a hand to her head and started to stress.

    "If I live any long, I''m going to start resembling Jack Skellington." Grampa muttered.

    The twins and Noah laughed outright.

    Dad also laughed. "Okay, okay, let''s save this conversation for after lunch. Maybe talk more about it then. For now, let''s go for lunch before it becomes time for Zeke to graduate. I''ve got some reservations for us already." He looked at Zeke. "Take your grandparents bags to the office. I''ve already set up the roll away bed for them to make it a guest room."

    Zeke nodded and grabbed both bags with ease. He took them to the office and came back immediately.

    "Zeke, you''ll take the twins and your grandparents." Dad said. "I''ll take your mom, Noah, and Jake. We''ll meet at Sanderlings."

    We divided up into the two cars with Zeke driving one group and Dad driving the other.

    "Man, I didn''t expect Grampa to be so lively today." Noah said aloud. He glanced at me. "He usually just a quiet old man." He leaned forward between his parents. "Do you guys think he''s really dying?"

    Mom looked sad while Dad sighed.

    Noah blinked, thrown off by the response. "Really? Is he really dying? That can''t be true right?"

    "Noah...we just don''t know." Dad said. "Just...cherish the time you have left with them."

    Mom started to cry. This time it was tears of sadness.

    Noah sat back, stunned.

    Dad glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "You okay, Jake?"

    I slowly nodded. I can''t imagine getting grandparents and now I''m already losing them?

    We arrived at a nice, upscale restaurant a town over, closer to the ocean. We met up with the other half of the family and went in together. Dad spoke with the hostess and we were soon directed to a table that had a good view of the sea.

    "How lovely!" Gramma gushed.

    "You can see views like this if you move closer to us." Noah quickly pointed out.

    Later on in the meal when Grampa complimented the meal, Noah was quick to tell him, "You can eat here more often if you live here."

    Mom and Dad caught on to what Noah was doing, but didn''t stop him. Soon the twins picked up what he was doing and saying, and joined him on the quest of convincing the old pair to stay.

 588 V2 ch60

    They kept it up throughout the meal, on the way home, and at home. When it got closer to graduation, Zeke had to leave earlier than us to meet up with his classmates in order to prepare. He dressed up in his suit that he wore to the banquet and held his cap and gown in hand.

    "So grown up." Gramma dabbed the corner of her eyes as we watched Zeke leave the house.

    "We would grow up slower if you saw us more often." Noah hadn''t given up.

    "Boy, if you don''t quit it..." Grampa warned.

    Noah grinned. "What? What are you going to do?"

    "Don''t think you''re too big for me to bend over my knee." Grampa wagged his finger at Noah, but didn''t make a move.

    Normally I''d be frightened with the threat of violence, but coming from Grampa, it was just funny. He wasn''t scary or mean. He was a friendly giant.

    After a bit of sitting around, Mom called for us. "Boys! Come and let me fix your hair before we go!"

    The four of us went and lined up. She started with the twins. "Your hair barely has any pink left. Pictures will come out good today."

    "I think I might add some pink before our college visits and camps." Dave remarked. "Help them differentiate me from Kyle."

    "Thank goodness." Kyle rolled his eyes. "I don''t want to be mistaken for you and I definitely don''t want pink hair. Not even a hint of pink. This still makes me cringe."

    She put gel in their hair and brushed it to the side, styling their hair fashionably. "Do you really want to Dave? Won''t schools and scouts look down on you for being different?"

    "Then they aren''t the place for me." Dave replied confidently.

    "Did you keep the contaminated bottle?" Noah asked.

    Dave nodded, his hair styled. "Yep. I''ll probably do it before the first camp next week."

    "You''re crazy." Kyle told him, also stepping away now that his hair was styled.

    Mom moved on to Noah. "Well, if that''s what you want..." She fixed his hair real quick. "You''re going to need a haircut soon, Noah."

    Noah shrugged. "I''ve got all summer."

    Mom stepped up in front of me, and slightly hesitated.

    Noah laughed. "You''ve already hugged him today, Mom. I think Jake can handle getting his hair brushed."

    I nodded. "You can brush my hair...Mom..."

    She put a little bit of gel in my hair and styled it differently from the others because of the difference in texture and length. "You need a haircut as well, Jake."

    "All summer." I echoed Noah''s words to her.

    She laughed and shook her head. "Don''t be copying Noah all the time."

    "Hey! What''s wrong with Jake being like me?" Noah exclaimed from beside us.

    "You gamble too much." Dave was quick to say.

    "You talk back all the time." Kyle added.

    "You have a knack for finding trouble." Dave continued.

    "You-"

    "Good idea." Mom agreed.

    We got to the car and soon, the majority of us realized that we came across a problem. Seating. Without taking an extra car, it''s going to be cramped.

    "Maybe I should take Mom''s car?" Dave offered.

    "No, that''s a waste." Mom shook her head.

    "You just don''t trust me." Dave argued.

    "Noah, Dave, and Kyle will sit in the very back." Mom ignored his complaints. "I''ll sit in the middle row with Gramma and Grampa. And Jake can sit in the front."

    Everyone complied and we filled up the car. I felt guilty looking back at them squished together, but Mom and Noah both gave me reassuring smiles. Neither of the twins complained and it didn''t look like the grandparents cared. My grandparents. I smiled.

    "What''s making you so happy?" Grampa asked, catching sight of me smiling at them.

    I blushed. "I was just thinking."

    "Thinking? About what? Share the happy thought!" He instructed.

    My face felt like it was on fire. "I just...never had grandparents before." That I know of.

    He was stumped. He looked at his daughter.

    Mom gave a small laugh. "Well, you have a full family now. Brothers, parents, grandparents. I can find a second cousin twice removed if you want."

    I shook my head as the boys laughed in the back. "No, no. I''m happy. I''m happy with you guys."

    They laughed and the conversation shifted to where we should park as we neared the stadium. The graduation was held at the football and track stadium, so the parents and family members would be able to sit in the stands instead of being squished in the basketball gym.

    In the end, the parking was so packed that Dad decided to drop all of us off at front because of Gramma and Grampa''s slow movements. We got in line with the other families and slowly moved along. Dad was able to join us before we even found a spot in the stands.

    The twins and Noah seemed to know a few faces here and there, exchanging greetings with friends and classmates. Even their parents greeted other parents. The whole family was popular.

    We found a spot not too high up, scared to make it difficult for Gramma. I don''t know what I thought a graduation would be like...but this wasn''t it.

    "Soooo boring." Noah grumbled.

    I nodded in agreement. We had already listened to four speeches and I really regret not bringing any snacks.

    A surprise announcement caught our attention after half an hour though. "Next to the podium is Mr. Zeke Atkins, recipient of the Male Athlete of the Year award. Mr. Atkins is a three year varsity member from the newly crowned baseball CIF championship team. He has also won All-League MVP and is the captain of said team."

    All students and parents clapped, but our group was too stunned. From the looks of it, no one knew Zeke was giving a speech tonight.

    A familiar figure got up on the small platform, front and center. He got to the podium and adjusted the microphone. "Good evening, as stated before, my name is Zeke Atkins. I''m supposed to talk about the trials, tribulations, and success of my championship team, but sadly there wouldn''t be enough time." He stood tall, looking out in the stands of parents. "Some of you may be wondering why I''m giving a speech at all compared to more of the academically successful students. I can''t answer that."

    There was a murmur along the crowd.

    "What are you going to talk about then?!" One of the seniors yelled, his voice loud enough for us in the stands to hear.

    Zeke grinned, nodding at the student. "Thanks, Kelvin. What I want to talk about is perseverance. Not giving up. The battle to fight through in order to succeed. My team did that. We won it all." He chuckled. "But there''s another kind of perseverance. The kind where you work on yourself, improving your quality of life. Whether that''s with your physical traits, your education, or your mental health. The last one being the most important. I want everyone here: seniors, parents, siblings, and teachers. Everyone to persevere on keeping mentally healthy. Don''t be ashamed to reach out for help. From your friends, family, even a therapist."

    Zeke searched the crowd, stopping at the sight of us. "Keep working. Be a better you. Reach out to help others and reach out to get help. Even if you think about giving up, persevere. You''ll get through this. Some of us thought we wouldn''t make it through high school, but here we are. Keep it up. Go to college. Even a community college or trade school, just continue your education. Go on walks. Every day. Yoga, lift weights, golf, whatever you want to do, get outside and enjoy the sunshine." He took a deep breath. "I guess all I really wanted to say was that I wish you all happiness. Persevere to find your happiness. Thank you!"

    The seniors all stood and clapped the loudest. They cheered for Zeke as he went back to his seat.

    "I don''t get it." Noah told me while clapping.

    I smiled. Noah was too happy to get it. "That''s because happiness comes easy for you."

    Noah tilted his head to get a better look at me.

    But my eyes were on Zeke. I clapped with the crowd, understanding him clearly. Persevere. Things will get better if you persevere. It worked for me at least. I didn''t choose to persevere though. The people around me did. The whole Atkins family. Dr. Moore. Coach. Drew. Mr. Miller. The baseball team. Kaylee and Alisha. The people around me helped show me a future I couldn''t have dreamed of before.

    Almost a year ago today, I was near-death. And I was okay with that. Anything to escape the pain. I didn''t have perseverance. I didn''t have anything to rely on. I didn''t reach out to anyone, but...they started to reach out to me. The paramedics who brought me back. The doctors and surgeons who put me physically back together. Mr. Duncan bringing me away. The Atkins family welcoming me with open arms.

    Noah nudged me. "Are you okay..?"

    I smiled at him. "I''ve never been better."

    Noah looked skeptical.

    "Thanks for always being around to help me, Noah." I told him out of nowhere.

    Noah looked surprised but unbothered. "Of course! We''re brothers."

 589 V2 ch61

    The ceremony continued with a couple of more speeches and then finally they started to call the names. Zeke was up near the top thanks to his last name starting with the letter ''a''. It seemed like all parents were adamant about taking pictures of their kids receiving their diplomas even though there was a professional photographer doing so already.

    Zeke wasn''t the only name I knew though. There were players from the team that were also graduating. Kelvin Bender. Alex Farrell. Troy Hardman. Mahki Holstrom. Ryan Lewiki. James Lohr. Even players who didn''t finish the season with us: Chris Ludwick. John Roberts. Jordan Sanders. Those three names shook me to the core. It was a long season. Chris getting kicked from the team. Jordan quitting the team. And John...he lost his position thanks to me. I felt a sense of guilt. All three had some kind of connection to me. I probably ruined their senior year.

    "Hey, what''s got you feeling so down?" Noah asked me as the names continued to get called.

    I shrugged and leaned back.

    Noah eyed me, but didn''t say anything.

    Julian Wilson was the last name I recognized. I leaned towards Noah. "You think Andy is here?"

    Noah nodded. "I don''t see why not? I''m sure we''ll run into him as Mom takes a million pictures of Zeke with all his friends."

    I nodded in understanding. Mom brought a real camera with her today and hasn''t set it down once. She probably took a picture of every step Zeke took during his walk to grab his diploma and the walk back to his seat.

    At the end of the ceremony, the seniors stood up and threw the caps into the air. It felt something out of a movie. What movies don''t show though, is the seniors trying to find the caps they threw up in the air. I laughed with Noah, as did some of the crowd.

    The stands started to clear as families went to go find their graduate. We weren''t any different. We moved a little slower for the sake of Grampa and Gramma. Zeke found us rather quickly and was pulled into a bear hug by his mom.

    He didn''t mind one bit and return the hug graciously. He then moved on to his Gramma. Then shook hands with his grandfather and dad. Then came the twins. They simply gave him a clap on the shoulder, before tackling him. Noah was quick to join.

    Their mom took pictures generously.

    "C''mon Jake!" Noah yelled for me. "Jump up! We can take him down!"

    I laughed, but shook my head.

    Zeke managed to shake them off and fixed his gown. He put on his cap and smiled. "You guys never change."

    "Let''s start getting some formal shots before you guys start fighting." Mom lifted her camera. "Zeke, stand with your grandparents."

    Zeke followed her instructions, standing between his gramma and grampa, all three smiling for the camera. Then she had us join in. Then just us boys. She recruited another mom to take family pictures of all of us.

    "Thank you." Mom said politely before coming back to our group.

    "You hear that Jake?" Dave laughed. "You look like us."

    Kyle laughed too. "We must be rubbing off on him. I can''t believe that lady thinks you have all recessive genes. That''s a bit much."

    "I don''t think it was a big deal." Noah shrugged. "Jake''s one of us. Who cares about looks?"

    "It''s just a funny thing to say." Dave explained. "Normal people don''t make remarks about the children that stand out. It''s normal to say your children look like you, but it''s weird to tell someone that one has all recessive genes."

    "Right." Kyle laughed some more. "What if Jake was an illegitimate child? It''s just a weird thing to say to strangers."

    "Okay, boys, she didn''t mean any harm by it. Let it go." Mom instructed. "Zeke, why don''t you find some of your friends so I can get a few more shots?"

    Zeke nodded. He pulled a few nearby graduates and they obediently smiled for the pictures. It made for a bigger crowd as the parents of those kids wanted to take pictures too.

    Noah and I backed up out of the way, while the twins went to congratulate some of the seniors they knew. Especially the senior pitchers since they were a tight knit group in the bullpen.

    "Man, three more years and this will be us." Noah commented as he looked around. We were surrounded by laughing graduates, proud parents, and just overall happiness. "I wonder if I''ll get to do a speech too like Zeke."

    I shrugged. "Probably."

    Noah looked at me. "You really think so?"

    I nodded. "You''re a lot like Zeke. Except...friendlier?"

    Noah laughed. "Oh my! I''m going to tell Zeke you said that!"

    I shook my head, but in motion I spotted a familiar face. Andy. "Hey, look." I pointed for Noah.

    Noah spotted Andy too. "Let''s go over." He led the way to Andy, who was looking down at his phone, standing by himself. "Hey Andy! Where''s Julian?

    Andy glanced up from his phone. Seeing us, he put his phone away; an improvement from our first meeting. He pointed at a bigger crowd. "Taking pics with friends. Mom and Dad went with."

    Noah nodded. "Same. We did family pictures first and then were told to scram."

    I made a face at him. "We weren''t told to scram."

    Noah laughed. "I''m just joking." He looked at Andy. "Too bad we couldn''t play softball tonight. Tuesday was really fun."

    "Yea." He agreed.

    The conversation stalled, but Noah wasn''t one to give up. "I heard from Julian that you tried out for WBC."

    "Julian talks about me?" Andy tilted his head, looking at us with an undetermined expression.

    Noah shrugged. "I mean...he doesn''t avoid talking about you?" He laughed. "We mostly talk about baseball, but when I was talking about missing the WBC tryouts, he brought you up. He said you asked your parents if they could afford it."

    Andy made a face, displeased. "Yea...they said no if you couldn''t tell."

    Noah grinned. "Yea, but I''m happy to hear that. You wouldn''t be able to play with us if they had said yes."

    Andy looked at Noah in disbelief, showing more emotion in this short conversation than the last few times we''ve met. "You do realize that isn''t a good thing, right?"

    Noah waved his hand around. "Don''t worry about it. You don''t want to play with those snobs anyways. Playing softball may be for fun, but now you have free time to train with us. Tell me...what sounds like a better group to practice with: four to six varsity players or a group of guys that barely made the freshman team?"

    Andy''s lips twitched. "I''m guess you don''t get along with them."

    "Understatement." I commented.

    "It''s a non-issue now. All in the past." Noah remarked. "But if you''re interested in knowing what practicing with varsity players feel like, you and Julian can come over tomorrow morning."

    "What will we be doing?" He asked, curious.

    "Endurance training and weight lifting." Noah said with an odd smile. "It''ll be fun."

    I made a face at him. What a liar.

    "What time?" Andy asked.

    "Hmm. Best if you come bright and early. Like 6am."

    His jaw dropped. "Why so early?"

    "Early bird gets the worm." Noah grinned.

    I shook my head at him, but neither of them paid any attention to me.

 590 V2 ch62

    "Do you have a grudge against Andy?" I asked Noah later that night. After all the picture taking and farewells, we went out to dinner as a family and celebrated some more. Now we were showered and prepared for bed. I couldn''t help but remember the way Noah swindled the kid into joining our workout tomorrow morning.

    "Heck yea, I do." Noah told me, putting his hands on his hips, standing by his desk. "That boy cost me a bat!"

    I laughed. "You can''t call him boy...he''s only a year younger." Noah was picking up on his Grampa''s habits after half a day. "And he didn''t cost you a bat...you did that on your own. I even told you I didn''t want to bet with you." I tucked myself under the comforter.

    Noah turned out the lights and got into his own bed. "Semantics. And just because Zeke''s training is tough, doesn''t mean it isn''t beneficial. I''m doing this for his own good."

    I snorted.

    "I''m serious, Jake. I can tell that he has some skill. Maybe with Zeke''s help, we can help him make varsity as a freshman too. That''ll show those jerks."

    Knowing that ''those jerks'' were the kids in our own grade, I couldn''t help but feel sorry for Noah. His friends are now enemies. He probably wants to pay them back for excluding him and me from tryouts. What better way to do that then have someone younger than them do better in tryouts.

    "You might scare him away tomorrow." I warned him.

    "Then he isn''t as serious about baseball as we thought." Noah replied.

    "Guess we''ll find out tomorrow." I yawned and turned over to get more comfortable.

    "Hey...Jake?" Noah spoke up just as I was about to fall asleep.

    "Hmm?"

    "Are you really okay with calling my parents, ''Mom'' and ''Dad''?"

    "Yea..." I thought about what he was asking. "I''m okay. I''m in a better place. Your mom and dad are great."

    "Our mom and dad." He corrected.

    I smiled in the dark. "Yea. Our mom and dad."

    "I wonder where they''re at in the adoption process?" He mumbled. "Not like we need a paper to say you''re one of us, but Kyle''s talk about your uncle has me worried."

    "I''m not worried." I told him.

    "Really?" He asked.

    "What right does he have to take me away? He had his chance."

    "Right! Right!" Noah got excited. "So true. I''d like to see him try."

    Ha...I rather he didn''t try.

    We both fell asleep, tired from the day.

    "Hey, you guys told me to be here at 6am, but you''re still sleeping."

    "Huh??" I heard Noah mutter.

    I turned away from the noise, unwilling to leave dreamland.

    "Looks like you guys forgot to mention you invited Andy and Julian over." Zeke''s voice jolted me out of sleep for good.

    I looked over and saw him standing with a fully dressed Andy. Julian stood behind them in the hallway, looking half asleep.

    "It''s 6:10am." Andy got closer to Noah. "Come on, get up."

    "Whattt." Noah was bewildered. He looked to Zeke. "You let us sleep in..?"

    Zeke smirked. "I was going to let you all sleep in today, but I was surprised to find some familiar faces before I hit the road. So I thought I can''t let you guys miss out."

    I groaned. The injustice.

    "We leave in ten. Get moving!" Zeke told us, leaving the room with the Wilson brothers.

    Noah and I got moving, finding some workout clothes and put on our shoes. Downstairs Zeke, Julian and Andy were all waiting. So were the twins. The pair glared at us as we joined them.

    Dave was the first to pull Noah in a headlock. "It''s all your fault. We could have been sleeping in today!"

    "How was I to know?" Noah struggled.

    "Let him go." Zeke commanded.

    Dave complied, dropping Noah.

    Zeke looked to Julian and Andy. "We usually run for a good two miles. Don''t worry about keeping up. We all go at our own pace."

    "If we get to choose our own pace, doesn''t that mean we can just slack off?" Andy asked.

    Zeke stared him down. "If you slack off, you''re only hurting yourself. You have to hold yourself accountable."

    Andy straightened up. "Yes!"

    "Let''s go." Zeke led the way.

    Once outside the house and the front door closed, we jogged together as a group. The twins stayed on either side of me, trying to keep their breath even. Zeke and Noah led the pack with Julian and Andy right behind them.

    Andy made a move to go around Noah and Zeke, but he did it right before the hill so the move was useless. Zeke and Noah picked up the pace, leaving us behind. Andy was surprised, but hurried to catch up. Julian also picked up his pace, but didn''t go as fast as the other three.

    The twins decided to leave me behind and catch up with Julian, trying to stay with him. It didn''t last long. At the top of the hill Julian left them behind. Our group was now scattered throughout the streets, and I soon lost sight of everybody.

    I was the last one to arrive at the house, finding everybody spread in the driveway, doing different exercises or lifting weights.

    Andy glanced at me and gave me a head nod.

    I started to feel embarrassed. Andy beat me and he''s younger than me.

    "Pushups, sit-ups, and jump rope before you start lifting." Zeke instructed.

    I moved over to Noah since he seemed to be doing the same set of exercises. He smiled at me as he finished with the jump rope. "Here. You can have it."

    There was no longer any time to feel bad about my fitness compared to others when doing a workout. Zeke was always quick to point me to the next station or give me a new ab exercise, keeping my mind solely focused on surviving. When he finally called it quits, I collapsed beside Noah, exhausted.

    "Are you boys done out there?" Mom came out on the front porch. "Breakfast is ready. I made enough for Julian and his brother too!"

    "We''ll be right in, Mom!" Noah pushed himself up, finding new energy in her words. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. "Let''s go!"

    The twins moved way faster, bolting for the door.

    "You guys might want to hurry before the twins eat all the good stuff." Noah told Julian and Andy. They followed us, leaving Zeke alone to finish pushing everything back in the garage.

    "What about Zeke?" Julian asked.

    "What about him?" Noah shrugged. "It''s not like anyone dares to steal his share."

    Breakfast was like a buffet feast. Mom directed us to grab a plate, fill it, then eat outside since there wasn''t enough seats with all the guests. Julian and Andy were polite at first, only taking one serving of eggs, bacon and a bagel. But once they saw us pile our plates and go for seconds, they soon caught on that there was enough for everyone.

    "Hey, do you want to go to the park after this?" Noah asked Andy.

    Andy blinked. "Can we?"

    "Why not? It''s not like we have school or anything. Do you need to ask your parents?"

    "No. They''re at work." He turned to Julian. "Can we play at the park?"

    Julian smiled. "Sure. I think our baseball bags are still in the car so maybe we can play a mini-game of sorts."

    "I''m in!" Noah grinned. He turned to the twins. "Want to play ''over the line'' at the park?"

    Dave looked at him in disbelief. "You want to exercise even more..?"

    "I''m in!" Kyle said.

    Dave turned to look at him. "Really?"

    Kyle smirked. "You afraid?"

    Dave rolled his eyes. "Not even a little bit. I''m in too."

    "I call Zeke!" Kyle yelled.

    "Then I get Jake!" Dave shot back.

    "I call Julian!" Kyle continued.

    "Well then I should get both Noah and Andy." Dave claimed.

    "What?? That''s not fair." Kyle argued. "Why do you get the extra player?"

    "Because you picked first. Plus, are you scared that me and the kids will beat you and your college bound team?" Dave wiggled his eyebrows.

    Kyle narrowed his eyes. "Fine. It''s on!"

    I had no clue what they were talking about, but from the look of the Wilson brothers, neither did they.

 591 V2 ch63

    "Woah, hold on just a minute." Mom came out with a plate of fresh fruit, overhearing their talk about going to the park to play. "Jake and Noah still have Alisha''s party in a couple of hours. Will you be done by then?"

    "Or course!" Noah said confidently.

    She looked at him, skeptical.

    "Zeke is there too. He''ll keep an eye on the time. It''ll be fine." Noah assured her.

    She looked to Zeke for confirmation.

    Zeke gave a nod. "I''ll make sure they''re back in time even if the game isn''t over."

    "Make sure they wear decent clothes." Mom told him. "And make sure they brush their hair. And warn them about underage drinking. And be on their best behavior. And-"

    "And we''re right here, Mom." Noah cut her off. "Stop treating us like babies."

    Mom looked at him. Looked at me. Then looked at Zeke. "Zeke?"

    "I''ll remind them." Zeke told her.

    She nodded. "Okay, well say goodbye to your grandparents before you kids go." She looked at Noah directly. "Try to say a few more words to get them to move here."

    "Sure thing, Mom!" Noah told her. "You can count on me."

    "We''ll say something too." Kyle said.

    "Don''t bother." Noah told him. "I already have a plan." He turned to smile at me.

    "I''ll go make sure they''re packed up and ready to go. Come inside in about five minutes." Mom left us teens in the backyard, going inside alone.

    "What''s the plan?" Dave asked.

    Noah pointed at me. "Jake is the plan."

    My eyes widened. "Me? But...I hardly know them."

    "Yea, how does this make sense?" Kyle prodded.

    "Think about it." Noah told us. "Gramps wanted him to call him ''Grampa'' right away. He welcomed him into the family immediately. Plus, he was more lively on this trip than others. Who knows if that''s because he''s nearing death or maybe he has a soft spot for Jake."

    "So what should I do?" I asked.

    "Just talk more about having them as grandparents like you did in the car yesterday." Noah told me. "You''ve never had grandparents so they might feel sorry for you. We have to use the sympathy card."

    "Good thinking." Dave gave two thumbs up.

    "You guys better get moving." Zeke spoke up. He turned to Julian. "We''ll be back. You guys help yourself to all the food you want."

    Noah frowned. "Not alllll the food though."

    Julian smiled. "We won''t. Go say your goodbyes. We''ll wait."

    Noah nodded and grabbed me by the shirt. "Let''s go Jake. We''re counting on you. Mom''s counting on you." He dragged me inside, but then paused. He looked around. "Coast is clear. Sorry in advance."

    What? Sorry?

    "Ow!" I exclaimed after a sharp and painful pinch from Noah. I rubbed my arm and glared at him as my eyes started to water.

    "Good. Now you look more sincere." Noah grinned.

    "Keep those tears in your eyes." Noah whispered as we moved as a group to the living room. "Cry in front of them if you can. I can help by pinching you again in secret."

    I glared at him, moving away from him and closer to Zeke.

    As we walked into the living room, Gramma stuttered step over to give hugs to the twins.

    "What''s with the sad face, boy?" Grampa caught a good look at the tears in my eyes.

    I rubbed my eyes.

    "He''s just a crybaby." Kyle told him.

    Gramma sighed and pulled me into a weak and frail hug. "It''s okay to cry. Don''t listen to Kyle."

    "I bet you boys were picking on him." Grampa glared at Kyle. "Let me tell you, I better not hear that you stole his birthday money."

    "We don''t pick on Jake!" Dave defended. "He really is a crybaby, Grampa. You saw him yesterday, he cried a little then too. He gets sad really easily over family stuff."

    Noah sighed. "In fact Grampa, it''s all your fault. Gramma''s too I guess. You guys come here, welcome him with open arms, and then ditch him the next day. Got no one to blame but yourselves."

    Gramma didn''t let go of me, trying to soothe me as Noah fed them a story about how much I longed for grandparents. I mean, he isn''t wrong, but he''s going a bit overboard.

    "Don''t think I don''t know what you''re doing, boy." Grampa narrowed his eyes at Noah.

    "Why are you so against it?" Noah asked, switching tactics. "Do you not want to see us now that we''re older?"

    "It''s hard to give up a home we''ve been living in for such a long time." Gramma let me go, but rested a hand on top of my shoulder. "You''re in good hands here."

    "We''ll come down for Christmas." Grampa told us. They weren''t going to change their minds. They were really leaving and didn''t even enertain the thought of moving nearby.

    All I could think about was, Mom is going to be sad.

    We said our goodbyes, and shared a few small laughs, but the atmosphere had shifted to something less than fun. We walked them outside to where Mom and Dad were waiting near the car. They put their bags in the trunk and watched them get in the car. They gave a final wave as Dad started to pull away.

    "That sucked." Noah stated once the car was out of sight. He sighed and kicked the step of the front porch.

    "Nothing more we can do right now." Zeke rested a hand on Noah''s head. "Do you want to sulk about it or go play at the park with Julian and Andy?"

    "Play! Play! Of course I choose to play!" Noah ran back inside. "Let''s go!"

    "So simple-minded." Kyle muttered.

    Dave put his hands behind his head and took a deep breath. "We can try again at Christmas."

    They both went inside the house, leaving me alone with Zeke.

    I looked up at Zeke. "Are you sad too?"

    Zeke smiled. "A little, but not much. I''m just happy that they seemed in better spirits this trip. As long as they''re happy, there isn''t enough to be sad about."

    I nodded. "I''m happy too. Happy that they were nice."

    Zeke gave my head a pat before going inside.

    I followed behind.

    The twins got all our baseball bags packed in the family car while Noah had pulled the Wilson brothers back inside the house. He was also back to eating again.

    Zeke made a face. "Let''s pick up a bit before we go. Mom and Dad aren''t going to be back until late." He took charge, clearing the table of its dirty, empty dishes while instructing Noah to put away the leftovers in the fridge. Noah didn''t forget to take some extra bites of everything that he had to put away. Some extra pieces of fruit. Another bagel. He flat out finished the bacon with the excuse that they were gonna have to go in the trash anyways.

    "He''s like a bottomless pit." Julian laughed at Noah''s antics. "How is he still so skinny?"

    I shrugged. I didn''t know either. I''ve been eating more since moving in to the Atkins house and I was gaining weight. In my opinion, Noah should look more like a beach ball and less like a beanpole. But given the way his grandfather looked, I guess it must be in the genes.

 592 V2 ch64 Over the Line Game

    After cleanup and getting to the park, we stretched as the twins started to properly warmup their pitching arms.

    Noah was in charge of explaining the rules to me, Julian, and Andy. "Over the line is very simple so don''t stress. First off, we split into teams, something the twins already decided on. When we were younger, Dad would be the pitcher to make the teams two versus two, but now that there''s a group of us, this is how we''ll play: Kyle and Dave alternate pitching just like innings. The rest of us are fielders, and we only have to defend The left side."

    "I''m not getting it." Andy stated, looking unimpressed.

    "Hold on, I''m not done yet." Noah gestured time the space between second and third base. "Only one infielder and outfielder are allowed. The infielder can''t touch the grass and the outfielder can''t touch the dirt. To make it fair, the fielder must switch. So say in the first inning, Zeke is in the outfield and Julian is in the infield. In the next inning, they have to switch: Zeke to the infield and Julian to the outfield." He looked at me and Andy. "We''ll rotate with the bench. So I''ll start in the infield, Andy in the outfield, Jake on the bench. Second inning, I''ll move to the outfield, Jake to the infield, and Andy to the bench and then so on."

    "Okay, you''ve got the positioning down, but what about the point of the game?" Julian asked. "What happens if we hit to the right field?"

    "It''s treated like a foul ball." Noah explained. "We bat in a lineup. If it''s a grounder to the infielder it''s an out. We don''t run in this game."

    What a relief.

    "Popouts and fly outs are still normal. Three outs per side." Noah continued. "Grounder to the grass is a single. If it rolls past the outfielder it''s a double, but if it goes over the outfielder''s head, it''s a triple. The only way it can be a homerun is if you get it all the way to those bushes." He pointed to bushes that were beyond a normal homerun.

    "I''m starting to understand." Andy nodded. "What about walks and strikeouts?"

    "No walks, but there are strikeouts." Noah said. "We have a rule that if the twins don''t aim for the strike zone, then they have to run full field sprints for every single bad pitch."

    "That defeats the purpose of pitchers though..." Andy frowned. "Sometimes pitchers go outside the zone to get a swing and miss."

    "The game is called ''over the line'' not who is the better pitcher." Noah pointed to the grass. "That''s the line. It all evens out. Otherwise I would want to run and push for a double every time the ball hits the grass."

    "Does it matter who bats first?" I asked.

    "Naturally we''ll bat first." Noah declared. "We only have an hour or two to play before we have to go home and take showers." He glanced at Zeke. "Anything else?"

    Zeke shook his head. "Any questions and we can just call timeout. It''s just a game."

    It also became obvious that just using half the field and two players to defend was super difficult. Anytime I had to play the infield position, Julian and Zeke took advantage. What am I saying? Anytime I took the field they would aim for me. In the outfield I had to chase long fly balls or dive at sharp line drives. I was the reason Dave gave up so many bases and runs, but my batting was also the reason we could stay in the game.

    Andy''s fielding was better than mine, but his infielding couldn''t compare to Noah. He just wasn''t as daring. His reach and willingness to try diving and sliding also wasn''t on the same level as Noah. His batting was on the weak side going up against Kyle, but that isn''t something we could fault him for. He wasn''t even in high school yet while Kyle has a couple years of playing at a higher level under his belt.

    Noah''s batting showed a big improvement though. Or maybe it''s because he has faced the twins all his life. He was able to get a few good hits with our imaginary runners on base. It was kind of cool to see him stand up against Kyle and get some hits off him. I''m sure it helped with his confidence.

    It didn''t help us win though. Zeke called the game after who knows how many innings we played. It was time to get home and prepare for Alisha''s party.

    "Ugh." Andy grunted as he switched from cleats to shoes.

    Noah noticed his somewhat depressed mood. "Hey, you didn''t do so bad. Show some pride. You''ve got a few hits off Kyle."

    Andy glanced up at Noah, face frozen over with attitude. "I''m not as good as you guys."

    Noah was stunned for a second before laughing. "It''d be scary if you were. Don''t stress over something small like this. You have all summer. You can join us whenever we go to the cages or practice fielding here. Zeke makes us run most mornings now, but probably not tomorrow since we have that softball game."

    Andy gave a small nod.

    "I feel like I''m not good enough too." I spoke up, feeling the blood rush to my face. "My running, my fielding, my throwing..."

    Noah looked surprised. So did Andy.

    "But were you better than before?" Zeke asked out of nowhere making me jump.

    I looked up at him.

    Zeke smiled. "Are you better at running, throwing, and fielding than last month?"

    I gave a weak nod. "I think so..."

    "That''s good. Keep taking steps towards improving your game." Zeke told me. Then he jerked his thumb to Kyle. "Do you think it''s easy on Kyle to give up a hit to you every time you step up to the plate?"

    "Hey!" Kyle looked up. "You''re not supposed to put others down to help others feel better."

    Noah, Julian, and Dave laughed.

    Andy looked up at Julian. "Can we join them on their runs and workouts?"

    Julian stopped laughing. He looked a little embarrassed. "How about we run on our own? I don''t think I want to wake up this early all summer." He saw how Andy''s facial expression glazed over. "We won''t work any less than them. We''ll just get better sleep."

    "Shut up." Noah gave Julian a playful shrug. "I want to sleep in too." He looked to Andy. "If it wasn''t for the fact that we''re taking a summer class, I''m sure we wouldn''t work out so early."

    That''s a lie. Zeke had us working out early since baseball season ended.

    Andy seemed to be appeased. "Okay. That makes sense. Julian, we should still run in the mornings before lunch. That way we still have the afternoon to play and practice."

    Julian nodded and gave a smile. "Sure." He looked to Zeke. "We can probably arrange a few days together or something. We aren''t going anywhere all summer."

    "We aren''t either...for the most part." Noah said. "Only the twins. They''ll be coming and going, but when they''re here, we can try and get them to pitch to us."

    Kyle stood up and puffed out his chest. "Definitely. I''ll come back from each camp even stronger than before. My goal by the end of the summer is to strike Jake out."

    I was taken aback. "Me?"

    "Of course you!" Kyle nodded. "You''re going to be the best batter now that Zeke''s gone. If I can strike you out, then I can strike anyone out."

    "I bet you won''t be able to." Noah smirked.

    Kyle threw his glove at him.

 593 V2 ch65

    The Wilson brothers went back to their own house as we did the same. Once we got home, Noah and I both had to rush to take showers.

    I saw him pick out a pair of navy blue swim trunks to wear, matching it with a white polo shirt. "Very preppy."

    He threw a pillow at me. "Shut up. It matches, okay?! That''s what''s important."

    I caught the pillow and threw it back onto his bed. "Do you think it''s okay if I don''t wear swim trunks?" I glanced down at the khaki shorts I had put on, matching it with a short-sleeve button up.

    "Yea, it''s fine!" Noah told me, moving to his desk. "Not everyone is going to swim. In fact, I know a few kids who don''t even know how to swim, so you won''t stand out." He pulled out Alisha''s present. "Can''t forget this."

    My lips twitched. It''s not very often I knew something that Noah didn''t. He was going to make Alisha''s day by bringing her this present.

    Noah pointed at the small box on the desk. It came in the mail two days ago. Jeremy had signed enough baseball cards for me to pass out to my classmates. "Don''t forget that."

    I obediently picked up the small box with one hand, and put my phone in my pocket with my free hand. I was ready to go.

    Noah put his phone in his pocket as well and led the way out of the room. "I can''t believe Jeremy signed so many cards for you. If we have extra, we should sell them online."

    I made a face. "If we have extra we should just hold onto it in case someone doesn''t come to the party."

    "You''re too nice." Noah laughed.

    Downstairs we met with Zeke, who had also showered, but wasn''t ready for his own party. But he had more time than us. Zeke pulled out a comb. "Come."

    Noah leaned forward and Zeke brushed the tangles out of his hair. Then he did the same for me. Zeke then surprised us by pulling out his phone and taking some pictures. "For Mom."

    Noah didn''t need any prompting. He grinned, made funny faces, and started to pose. I just stood there awkwardly, portraying a statue.

    Zeke finished and put his phone away. "Okay, let''s get going."

    "The twins aren''t coming?" I asked as we followed him out to the car.

    "I''m only going to drop you two off." Zeke said while getting in the driver''s seat. Noah got in the front passenger seat and I sat behind him. "I''ll give them the address to pick you guys up from." He glanced at Noah. "But you''ll have to decide what time to get picked up at."

    Noah looked surprised. "I get to decide? The twins will actually be waiting around for my text? Is this a scam?"

    Zeke started to drive us to Alisha''s. "Yes, you get to decide, but don''t be surprised if they text you the whole time wondering when it''s time to pick you up."

    "Probably late afternoon." Noah shrugged. "It''s not like a real party. Her parents will be there."

    "I''m allergic." Noah said flatly.

    "You are?" I asked.

    Noah laughed. "No, but it''s a good way to get out of trying something without sounding like a loser."

    I looked to Zeke for confirmation.

    "It doesn''t matter if you look like a loser or not." Zeke said. "If they make fun of you for saying no, then they aren''t your friends. If they aren''t your friends, then they don''t matter."

    Noah looked up at him. "Have you ever had any alcohol?"

    Zeke shook his head. "No."

    Noah wasn''t convinced. "Why not? Have you never been to any parties? That can''t be right..."

    "I''m a student-athlete." Zeke stated. "Students have rules they have to follow. Athletes follow an even more strict set of rules. I won''t judge others for drinking illegally, but I won''t do the same harm to my body. To be on top, you shouldn''t do anything detrimental to your body. Especially in the growing stages." He shrugged. "There''s plenty of time for me to drink alcohol after my career."

    "Such a goody-two-shoes." Noah joked. He looked back at me. "We won''t drink either, right Jake?"

    I nodded. I didn''t have any urge to try alcohol. I saw what it did to my birth mom, how it took over her life and how she became so dependent on it. And...how it changed her behavior. I shivered.

    "Are you cold?" Noah asked.

    I shook my head. "No. Just...a bad memory."

    Noah''s face darkened. "Forget that woman. You have a new mom. A new family."

    I nodded. Yea...Mom and Dad.

    Zeke pulled onto Alisha''s street and we saw it packed with cars parked on the curb. I wonder if they''re all going to her party too. Zeke stopped in the street in front of her driveway. He looked at us. "Be good. Be smart. Be safe. Have fun."

    Noah and I both got out of the car. Noah pointed at Zeke. "You too! Laters!" He closed his door.

    "Bye, Zeke." I closed my door as well and followed Noah to the sidewalk.

    Noah held the gift for Alisha and I held the small box of baseball cards. As we walked up the path to her front door, we saw some classmates.

    "You guys brought gifts?" Shaun, from Health, asked, looking slightly embarrassed. "Didn''t she say no gifts..?"

    Noah nudged me.

    Oh. I cleared my throat and showed Shaun a glimpse of what was inside the box I was holding. "S-some classmates asked...for Jeremy Patterson''s autograph."

    Shaun''s eyes widened as he got a look at the stack of baseball cards. "Wow! He signed all of these?! How nice of him!" He sighed with relief. "You had me scared! I thought I was going to be the only one not to bring a gift."

    "I''m sure her close friends gave her gifts." Noah remarked. "I wouldn''t worry about it though. She invited so many of us over, it would be insane if we all brought gifts."

    I noted how Noah didn''t mention that he was carrying a gift.

    Shaun looked relieved after Noah''s reassurance though. We three made it to the door just behind some others. Alisha''s mom was there, greeting everyone.

    "Hello! Hello!" She smiled at us. "Party is in the backyard. Just go on right through to the glass doors. Alisha''s dad is on the grill, and some of the food is already done. Help yourselves. Drinks are in the coolers. We have all kinds of soda. We have water and juice."

    "Hey! Noah!" Alisha yelled, coming down the stairs. She waved excitedly. "You guys made it!"

    Noah nodded. "We wouldn''t miss it." He glanced at Shaun. "Hey, we''re going to talk about softball stuff for a bit. You can go on ahead."

    Shaun grinned. "Sure thing." He looked at Alisha. "Happy birthday! And thanks for inviting me!" He waved.

    "Thanks for coming! We''ll catch up later!" She told him. She then pulled on Noah''s sleeve, dragging him to the stairs.

    I slowly followed.

 594 V2 ch66

    "What do you want to talk about softball for?" Alisha asked, smiling. She glanced down at what Noah was holding. "Is it a softball?"

    Noah laughed, looking a little awkward. It made me grin. "No...uh, I actually brought you a gift." He handed it to her. "It''s nothing much. I was getting something else, and-"

    "Thanks!" Alisha smiled and accepted the present, not willing to hear Noah''s excuses. I figured she wanted to believe the gift was more genuine. It would suck if she knew it was just a cover for him to get pink dye for the twins. Alisha looked at me. "Is that box for me too?"

    I shrugged. "You can have one. Jeremy signed baseball cards for everyone."

    "Oh! Cool!" Alisha gripped the gift from Noah. "I''m going to go put this in my room real quick. Then I can show you were to put that box."

    "Okay, we''ll wait." Noah told her.

    Alisha sprinted back up the stairs, then immediately came back down within a minute. It was obvious she didn''t open up Noah''s gift when she went up. Interesting.

    "Follow me!" Alisha took the small box out of my hands and took the lead. We followed her to the backyard where our classmates had gathered. It was already packed with forty plus kids. It was good that she had such a big house and yard, but with this many people, it felt small.

    Alisha lifted the box in the air. "Hey! Listen up!"

    The other teens actually listened, getting quiet and looking our way. I shifted more behind Alisha and Noah.

    "Most of you guys know Jake." Alisha tilted her head at me. I turned red. "Well, as promised, he asked Jeremy Patterson for his autograph. So in this box is autographed baseball cards. Take only one to make sure everyone can get one."

    "Really?!"

    "WOW!"

    "I want one!"

    The ones closest to us started to approach.

    Alisha placed the box on a side table next to a speaker. "I''ll leave it here! There''s enough for everyone so don''t rush or make a mess." She then led us away as most of the kids started to line up to get a baseball card.

    We went towards the grill area and started to make a plate of food. Noah was somehow hungry even though we had a big breakfast this morning. He filled his plate with a hotdog and a cheeseburger, grabbing two bags of chips. Alisha and I took half that amount.

    Alisha took us to a smaller table in the corner of the yard. "Here. This way Jake won''t feel so nervous."

    I smiled, thankful for such a considerate friend. We sat down and started to eat.

    "Looks like those cards are a hit." Alisha said between bites, eyeing the teens lining up to get one. "How long did it take him to sign so many?"

    I shrugged. "He said he did it on a flight so not long, I guess."

    "It''s not like he had to do thousands." Noah pointed out. "We maybe have a few hundred kids in our grade." He looked at Alisha. "Did you invite everyone?"

    A hundred? I coughed. "That''s a lot."

    Alisha laughed. "More than that came to your championship game. You''re going to be okay. Plus, you know some of them. I didn''t invite anyone in a different grade."

    "That''s too bad." Noah said. "It would have been nice to invite Andy and KJ. We played some baseball with Andy today and it was weird to tell him that we were going to your party. And he''s not invited."

    Alisha laughed. "Well, maybe I can host some softball team parties. I''m sure my parents wouldn''t mind. It''d be weird with Mr. Miller and Stu though."

    "They can just hang out with your parents." Noah pointed out.

    Their conversation flowed easily, with the occasional laugh. Noah told her all about this morning; going on a run with the Wilson brothers, playing ''over the line'', and how Zeke was going to a grad nite party at the beach with the other seniors.

    "Wouldn''t it be cool if we crashed it..?" Alisha smiled deviously.

    Noah grinned. "I like the way you''re thinking. The twins would definitely be in too."

    "I don''t think we should..." I interjected. "Zeke would be mad. I don''t want to start the summer off by getting in trouble."

    "True." Noah sighed. "What a good missed opportunity."

    "Hey Alisha!" A girl called out from the pool area. "Are you going to get in the pool with us?"

    Alisha got up and right before our very eyes, took off the sundress she was wearing, revealing a two-piece yellow bathing suit.

    I blushed and looked away.

    "You guys want to come too? You can just sit on the edge and put your feet in." Alisha spoke to us.

    "I would, but I promised Jake we wouldn''t go near the water." Noah said plainly. He was also looking slightly embarrassed.

    "Alisha!!" The girl called again.

    "Coming!" She yelled back. She placed the dress on the seat. "Watch this for me." Then she took off sprinting. We watched as she ran to the pool, jumped, and cannon balled into the water, making everyone in the vicinity wet.

    "Cannon ball!" A guy sprinting in too and followed her jump. He wasn''t the only one. A couple of guys and girls all started to jump in the pool, spraying water everywhere.

    "I didn''t think Alisha was wearing a bathing suit underneath her dress." Noah said, eyes on the pool. "I almost had a heart attack. Like why was she undressing?"

    I let out a small laugh.

    Noah turned to me and gave a small shove. "Shut up. I saw you turn red like a tomato."

    "Jake gets red in the face for almost any reason." Kaylee said arriving at the small table. She smirked at Noah. "Having trouble controlling your hormones?"

    Noah turned red.

    "See? You guys turn red at anything." Kaylee grinned and sat down with a plate of food.

    I laughed.

    Kaylee continued. "I''m bum I didn''t catch Alisha before she went off to the pool. I wanted to wish her a happy birthday. Life of a social butterfly."

    "She''ll come back." I told her somewhat confidently. Noah was still over here so of course I had reason to believe that she would come back.

    Kaylee shrugged. "Who knows. There are a lot of people here. She''ll probably try to talk to every single one." She glanced at Noah. "Kind of like someone else I know."

    Noah shook his head. "I''m not a social butterfly. I only hang out with Jake."

    Kaylee looked my way. "Jake? Anything you want to say?"

    I scratched my nose. "I don''t know. I feel like Noah knows everyone. Does that count as being social?"

    "No!" Noah said.

    "Yes." Kaylee said at the same time.

    "Knowing names doesn''t mean that I''m a social butterfly. It''s called being polite." Noah refuted.

    "Are you calling Jake impolite then?" Kaylee asked.

    Noah looked like he was in trouble. "It''s different."

    "Is it though?" Kaylee laughed.

    "Noah!" One of the kids from our Spanish class jogged up to us, only in swim trunks, soaking wet from the pool. "Want to join in a game of pool volleyball?"

    "Social butterfly." Kaylee whispered.

    Noah shook his head. "No thanks. I''m good over here."

    "Okay! Join us when you want." He ran back to the pool and jumped in.

    "Are you babysitting Jake?" Kaylee asked. "Why didn''t you go play?"

    Noah glanced at me then at Kaylee. "Because I don''t want to."

    Kaylee raised an eyebrow.

 595 V2 ch67

    "It looks like you just want to babysit Jake." Kaylee said again.

    Noah frowned. "No. I''m hanging out with my friend. That''s completely normal."

    "I don''t think it''s normal how close you are." Kaylee shrugged. She ate a chip. "It definitely feels like babysitting."

    "It''s called being a friend." Noah was getting defensive. "Don''t act like Jake is-" He abruptly stopped.

    Kaylee smirked. "Normal? Were you about to say that Jake isn''t normal?"

    Noah looked to me. But I was feeling a little clueless on what was happening at the moment. Alisha left and Kaylee came. Alisha was nice, but Kaylee sounded like she was trying to pick a fight with Noah.

    Noah huffed. "You''re so annoying."

    Kaylee grinned like it was a compliment. "I know. All I''m saying is that you don''t have to babysit Jake. He''s a big kid. He can take care of himself."

    Uhhh, I don''t know about that. I looked at her, confused.

    Kaylee noticed. "C''mon Jake. Didn''t you approach me on your own when you wanted me to join the softball team?"

    That''s true, but Alisha was the one to show up and call her away from her friend group for me. I have a hesitant nod.

    "See? Jake is fine with being with me. I can babysit while you go play." Kaylee said.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Like I''d let you babysit with that attitude." He glanced at me. "That''s not what I meant."

    "You guys...I''m okay on my own." I told them, finally speaking up for myself. "It''s when I''m in a big crowd that I get...uncomfortable." I looked around as our classmates were all in smaller groups eating, talking, and playing. "I have a good view."

    Noah rubbed his nose. "Would you really be okay with just Kaylee though? She''s kind of mean and you don''t really stand up for yourself."

    "Hey! I won''t pick on him!" Kaylee objected.

    "Your track history says otherwise." Noah referred to the time she was mean to us on the bus.

    Kaylee looked at me directly. "Jake, do you trust me?"

    "Uhh.." I hated to be put on the spot. "In what way?"

    "That you can handle Noah not being by your side for a couple of minutes?" Kaylee was really pushing this. I wonder if there was a motive behind this whole argument.

    I looked to Noah. "If you want to go play volleyball in the pool with others, then go. I''m fine. Really. Kaylee is...Kaylee."

    "That''s what worries me." Noah sighed. He got up. "Fine, I''m going to prove to you that I don''t have a need to ''babysit'' Jake. I just like hanging out with my best friend. So don''t be surprised when I come back and accuse me of babysitting."

    "Sure, sure. Have fun!" Kaylee waved him away.

    Noah took off his shirt, leaving it on the chair. Then kicked off his sandals and waved. "Yell for me if you need me, Jake."

    "Sure." I told him.

    "You don''t think I''m mean, do you?" Kaylee asked.

    I blinked in surprise and studied her expression. She looked nonchalant, but the way her lips thinned in distress gave her away. "I don''t think so." I shook my head. She was just a little rough around the edges. Very defensive of her sister, just like how Noah is with me and his brothers. Our brothers. I started to grin.

    "What''s making you so happy?" Kaylee pulled me back to the present.

    I blushed. "Well...I''m getting adopted."

    "Congratulations!" She told me sincerely.

    I felt my face get really warm.

    "Does Jeremy know?" She asked.

    I shrugged and nodded at the same time. "Kind of. Sort of. Like a little bit. I''ll see him tomorrow night so I''ll mention it to him then."

    "That''s a little strange. Is it something you can''t say over the phone?"

    My leg started to shake. "Well..." I started to feel uncertain because this wasn''t something I haven''t you talked to Noah about yet. "I..."

    Kaylee waited patiently, no longer acting like a porcupine with Noah being gone.

    "I want to tell him in person that...I''ve started to call Mr. and Mrs. Atkins, ''Mom'' and ''Dad''." I looked at her. "That''s new. I just started doing that yesterday."

    Kaylee wasn''t surprised. "Oh. Yea. That''s a bit awkward. Not you calling them ''Mom'' and ''Dad'', but telling your brother. Does he call your uncle ''Dad''?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t know." I guess I''ll have to ask.

    She sighed. "Families are so complicated sometimes."

    I looked at her.

    She gave a weak smile. "It''s the same in the Atkins house isn''t it? There''s always something going on. Whether it''s you." I slouched in my chair. "Or it''s Kyle. Dave too. In my house, even though it''s only me and Marie, we also have issues."

    "Do you?" I asked, surprised. "You and Marie don''t get along?"

    "We do. Just not all the time." She explained. "Wasn''t Noah just mad at Kyle? And now I don''t hear any complaints. It''s the same for every family."

    "Are you mad at Marie right now..?" I asked, wondering if she wanted to talk about it.

    "A little. More jealous than anything." She looked a little depressed. "I can only play softball with you guys because I''m not allowed to play for the travel this summer."

    "Oh..?"

    "My parents think it''s better if they invest that money into Marie''s summer to visit schools since she''s trying to get a full ride." She sighed again. "Marie is so good. Already one of the top ten in the state, yet needs to still visit schools? What a joke."

    "Oh." I said again; this time understanding her frustrations. The twins also had some money problems. If it wasn''t because I was too scared to leave, then...I don''t know what would have happened? A fight? "I''m sorry."

    She laughed. "It''s okay, I''m just ranting. It''s not a big deal in the grand scheme of life, but it sucks not being able to play with the same girls as last year. Instead..." She trailed off, but I had a pretty clear idea of what she was going to say. Instead she was playing meaningless softball with us.

    "You know," I spoke up. "Noah feels the same way. Sad about not playing baseball." And it was a little worse for him.

    "Of course." Kaylee agreed. "Noah is a baseball maniac. Only he would want to play with a bunch of tools that shunned him for making the varsity team." She looked to the pool where he was playing with the others, including Alisha. "I didn''t mean to be rude with you guys. I just wanted him to go and have fun. Not that he doesn''t have fun with you, but-"

    "I get it." I cut her off. I was too reliant on Noah. He has other friends and interests. And, this was a good opportunity for him and Alisha to be closer, I guess. Maybe Kaylee knew of Alisha''s feelings. I was scared to ask because what if she doesn''t know? That would be awkward.

 596 V2 ch68

    Kaylee stayed with me the whole time, until Noah came back. With him back, she went to talk and hang out with some of her own friends. Noah was more relaxed with her gone, and dried by just sitting in the sun. We spent the afternoon talking to the occasional classmate that came by. Alisha played hostess well, going around and talking to everyone. Eventually it was time for cake.

    Noah and I stayed on the outer edges of the group, and sung ''happy birthday'' with everyone else. Okay...I didn''t sing, but Noah sang loud enough for the both of us.

    Alisha''s parents went around taking pictures and then helped with the cake cutting. Those who didn''t want cake had choices like cookies, cupcakes, or even fruit. They really threw a great party. Noah was more than satisfied by all the sweets we were able to eat.

    As the party started to wind down, some classmates even came up to me to thank me for Jeremy''s autograph. It was...surreal. Being at a party full of people, including strangers, and talking to more than just Noah...I didn''t feel like me at all.

    Noah sent the twins a text to pick us up and we moved to the front of the house to wait for them with some other kids waiting for a ride. Alisha was busy saying goodbye to everyone so she only shared a smile with us before saying, "See you guys tomorrow."

    Dave was the one to pick us up in Mom''s car, grinning like he won the lotto. "This is too cool." He told us as we got in the car. "I hope Zeke takes the family car to college so I can drive this car to school everyday."

    Noah scoffed. "Do you really think Kyle would let you drive to school everyday?"

    "We''ll take turns." Dave said as he drove us home. "I''ll do mornings and he can do after school. Or vice versa."

    Noah let out a small laugh. "This is MOM''S car. There''s no way she''s giving this up for us to take to school. It won''t even be abled to hold all of our baseball bags."

    Dave frowned. "Yea...that would be a problem."

    They talked all the way home. Once there, we joined Kyle in the living room watching a baseball game. We spent the rest of the late afternoon watching and talking baseball. Once the A''s game was about to come on, we headed out to the pizza parlor. It was crowded on a Friday night, but Dave was able to get us a table close to the tv while Kyle ordered the pizza.

    The night was surprisingly relaxed without Zeke. The twins didn''t bicker much and Noah didn''t try to start any fights. Even when we went to the arcade to play games, no arguments broke out. It was like a silent agreement that without anyone to referee them there was no point to start any fights.

    We got home late, yet Zeke still wasn''t home. Mom and Dad were though. They sent us to bed immediately.

    In bed, in the dark, I wondered aloud for Noah to hear. "Is this what life will be like when Zeke is at college?"

    "I''m going to miss him." I whispered.

    "How can you miss someone that''s always here?" Noah laughed. "We''ve got all summer with him. Prepare to be in the best shape of your life."

    I have a small laugh. That''s true. I just don''t like the idea of him no longer being around. I think Noah felt the same way, but wanted to show the tough kid act.

    We both fell asleep, not knowing when Zeke would come back from the beach farewell party.

    The next morning, I decided I couldn''t wait for him to leave for college. He may have come back late, but that didn''t stop him from waking us up early for a jog and some light weights. I was jealous that the twins got to go take a nap after breakfast whereas we had to go to our softball game.

    Luckily, it was another old people team. We got to have a fun, relaxing game with our team. Alisha was horrified after finding out that we worked out before the game while Andy looked a little jealous. KJ and Kaylee spent a lot of the time talking about softball pitching and it sounded like Kaylee wanted to learn from KJ. Slightly strange since her sister is such a phenomenal pitcher.

    After easily beating the old folks, we separated from the team to hurry home. We rushed to take showers and put on our A''s gear. The twins waited impatiently by the door, itching to hit the road.

    "I wonder where we''ll sit in tonight''s game." Dave mused when we finally packed up the car and Zeke started to drive to the highway. "Hopefully it''s all you can eat seats again."

    "I can just text Rose so we get free food." Noah volunteered. That''s right...he had her number.

    "What? Why do you have her number?" Kyle asked, confused.

    Since he was gone on a camping trip, Noah had to give a small recap on how everything went down.

    "I wonder if she''ll end up being Jake''s sister-in-law?" Kyle mused. "Would that make her our sister-in-law? How does it work with adopted siblings? Do I just call Jeremy my brother''s brother?"

    Noah shrugged. "That''s what Jeremy did. He called Zeke his brother''s brother. It works."

    "Ah! It''s such a strange feeling to know a real pro." Dave stated. "I wonder if we can meet some of the other players today since we''re going to arrive early."

    "On the field passes." I told him.

    "Jake, your brother has really opened my eyes." He sighed.

    I turned red, unsure of what to say.

    At the stadium, it was already late afternoon, two hours before game time. We followed the same pattern of going to the will-call window and got the tickets. As soon as we entered, Rose was there to greet us.

 597 V2 ch69

    "Hey! Good to see you boys!" Rose greeted us, wearing the same uniform that we''ve seen her in. Khakis, an A''s polo, and a lanyard around her neck with her work ID.

    "Hey!" Noah replied with the same enthusiasm. "How was your dinner date on Thursday?"

    The twins looked confused while Rose got a little red in the face. Zeke didn''t seem to care while I found it gutsy of Noah to bring up their date. Is that normal?

    "It was...pleasant." She turned her back to us and started to walk. "I''ll take you boys to the field."

    Noah lifted his brows at me, then whispered, "Did you hear her hesitate? I bet it didn''t go so well. Ask Jeremy about it."

    "I don''t know if we should get involved..." I told him.

    Noah gave me a look. "Don''t you like Rose? Are you team her or team uncle?"

    I frowned. "Okay, I''ll ask, but I won''t get involved."

    We followed her through the walkway and the path to the field.  We didn''t have to wait like before for Jeremy to show, because he was already there signing autographs. He grinned at the sight of us.

    "Oh cool! Some of the other players are here!" Dave started to go through the bag on Noah''s back. "Let me get a pen and some paper. I''m going to get some autographs."

    "Me too." Kyle wanted to join.

    The two ran off before Jeremy even made it over. Rose also separated from us with work as an excuse. Noah had his phone out, taking pictures of the players warming up, the players signing autographs, and even took a few selfies with me and Zeke in the background.

    "Hey." Jeremy finally got to us. "Glad you guys could make it." He reached his hand out to Zeke. "Congrats on getting drafted. Even if you chose Stanford over the MLB."

    Zeke shook his hand firmly. "The goal is still the same. I''m just taking a small detour."

    "To grab a College World Series ring?" Jeremy asked. "I saw that Stanford is in the playoffs still. You think you''ll help them make it again next year?"

    Zeke gave a small nod. "As long as the return players have the same energy and put in the same effort then I have high hopes."

    "Our friend, Rhys, is going to Stanford too." Noah interjected. "He''s a really good pitcher."

    Jeremy laughed. "Baseball isn''t a one or two player game. Takes a whole team to win a championship. Especially on the college level."

    "They''ll have Bradley Thompson too." Noah pointed out. "That''s three. Plus, I''m sure a lot of players will want to return after knowing Zeke is committed to Stanford."

    "I guess we''ll see." Jeremy grinned. He looked at me. "How are you doing? We haven''t really talked since Wednesday. Did the baseball card go over well at the party yesterday?"

    I nodded. "Everyone liked them. I have some left over, but I''ll save it for the kids who didn''t get to go to the party."

    "That''s nice of you." Jeremy told me.

    Noah nodded. "Sure. Zeke, come take pictures of me with the players!" He handed over his phone to Zeke and walked a few feet away.

    Jeremy lifted the rope that separated us. "Here. We can go talk as I stretch. That will be a little more private." He led the way, high-fiving and head-nodding at his teammates and people he knew. Just beyond third base, we had a little more privacy, and it was a little quieter away from the fans calling his name. "What did you want to talk about?"

    I shifted my weight foot to foot. "You know...that the Atkins are...adopting me, right?"

    Jeremy''s eyes widened a little, but he gave a small nod. "Yes. They''ve been pretty clear about that. Is it already done?"

    I shook my head. "Not yet. They just got all the paperwork in. I think there''s a few more steps? I''m not sure."

    "Ok..?" Jeremy looked confused. "What''s wrong? Do you guys need my help or something?"

    I shook my head again. "No. I just wanted to tell you that, I''m going to call them, ''Mom'' and ''Dad''. In fact, I started to do so on Thursday." I watched his face closely as I told him my decision.

    "Oh." He looked stunned.

    He didn''t say anything else so I asked, "Do you call Uncle Jack your dad?"

    "What? No." He was thrown off by my question. "I-" He stopped, then started again. "He''s my uncle. Not my dad. He may be a father figure, but he can''t replace Dad." He looked me in the eyes, a little dispirited. "Our dad will forever be ''Dad'' to me. I know you don''t remember him, but it''s different for me. Dad taught me how to ride a bike, tie my shoes, swing a bat, and throw a ball. I-I-I couldn''t call someone else ''Dad''."

    I felt like I didn''t have his approval. Not that I needed it, but...it would have been nice to know that I can claim the Atkins as my parents.

    Jeremy was quick to notice my crestfallen expression. "Hey, hey, don''t get depressed. I didn''t mean that you can''t call the Atkins ''Mom'' and ''Dad''. I''m just explaining why I don''t call Uncle Jack like that. You...you can call them that. It must be a good feeling for you right?"

    I nodded. "I really like them." I really want to fit in.

    "That''s good then. I know they like you too." He said, patting my shoulder. "Is it weird for you?"

    I shrugged. "A little. But, in a surreal feeling way. Like...I feel scared that it''s a dream and I''ll wake up."

    Jeremy gave my shoulder a squeeze. "It''s real. I''m happy that you told me. I would have been a little offended if you didn''t."

    I looked up at him.

    "Doesn''t it feel like we''re a little closer now?" He asked, smiling. "We share our thoughts and feelings. I''m happy that you''re happy. I''m happy that you''re considerate of my feelings. I''m happy that you don''t hate me. I''m happy."

    I let out a breath I had been holding. "Yea...I feel like...we''re moving on." I glanced into the crowd for a second. "Do you think Uncle Jack will cause the Atkins trouble with the adoption stuff?"

    "No." Jeremy stated firmly. "Is that something you worry about?"

    I nodded.

    "I''ll talk to him. He''s not that hard to get along with. I know you have some negative connotations about him, but he''s someone I can rely on."

    "What did Rose think of him at dinner on Thursday?" I asked, remembering her weird look when Noah asked.

    Jeremy looked taken aback. "Why would you ask about that?"

    "Curiosity." Rose is a nice person.

    "Dinner went well. I introduced her to all of them. Uncle Jack, Aunt Ilene, their kids. Our cousins." He smiled. "You said you would meet our cousins right?"

    I shrugged, kind of remembering a small detail like that, but all I could think about was how he thought they were more his siblings than I was.

    "We can plan something this summer." Jeremy started to come up with some suggestions. "Either you all come to a game or maybe on one of my off days we''ll have lunch or dinner."

    "I''m taking a summer class." I reminded him. "Monday to Thursday, 9am to noon."

    "Ah, right! I''ll keep that in mind."

 598 V2 ch70

    Jeremy and I spent a couple more minutes alone, with him mostly thinking of what kind of ''first meeting'' with our cousins we should have. He was really set on us meeting, which made me feel anxious, but I understood. These cousins, are like the Atkins. It would be rude of me to refuse when Jeremy has made so much effort to get to know the Atkins. It''s only fair to return the favor.

    After a bit, we walked back to the crowd behind home plate. He made sure I was back with the Atkins before heading back to the dugout.

    "Hey, you kids ready to go to your seats?" Rose asked, appearing out of nowhere.

    "You just missed Jeremy." Noah pointed out. "He just went to the dugout."

    Rose gave a tight smile that looked forced. "I''ll see him later. Right now, my job is you guys." She brushed Noah off and started to lead us away from the field.

    Noah wiggled his brows at me, but I could only shrug. According to Jeremy, things went well.

    "I took some pictures of you and Jeremy." Noah showed me his phone. "Some of them were super awkward, but I got a few where it looked like you guys were having a moment."

    "You''re such a creep." Kyle snorted.

    Noah shrugged. "Jake doesn''t have too many pictures. It''s good memories to have." He glanced at me. "I''ll send them to your phone."

    Soon enough, my phone buzzed with a text. Remembering how Noah showed me to save pictures from texts, I did so as we were taken to our seats. They were the same seats from when Jeremy first invited me and the Atkins family to a game.

    And just like before, some kind of usher or worker came down as we started to sit down, asking what we wanted to eat and drink. Noah didn''t need to be asked twice. He ordered hot dogs, cotton candy, peanuts, soda, and then went the extra mile to order for me as well. The twins followed suit. Zeke went last, pulling out some money and handing it to the man for a tip.

    "You don''t have to tip." Rose said. "An automatic tip will be charged to Jeremy''s account."

    "Noah is a lot to handle." Zeke told her. "I feel better doing something to take away some of the guilt."

    Rose grinned. "You take good care of your brothers." She glanced at me, then said her goodbyes before going back up the stairs.

    "I think she''s mad at your brother." Noah told me, watching her go.

    I shrugged. "So?"

    "So aren''t you going to help him?"

    "How?" I asked.

    Noah shrugged. "I don''t know."

    "It''s better if you don''t butt in." Kyle leaned over to tell us. "You guys don''t know how relationships work. And what if she isn''t mad? That''ll just make things awkward."

    "I don''t think we should take advice from someone who dumps a girl out of the blue." Noah remarked, narrowing his eyes at him.

    Kyle looked offended. He tapped Zeke. "Tell them to keep out of it."

    "Fine." Noah shrugged. "It''s not like it''s a big deal to me."

    The food came and we started to eat our fill. Mom and Dad were working today so we were on our own for lunch. With the short amount of time we had after the softball game, all we ate were sandwiches. Hot dogs and all these snacks were a great relief. I finished my soda before the game even started and asked for a new one when the guy came around again.

    "This is so nice." Noah said as the game began.

    "Yea." Dave said. He nudged Zeke. "You better treat us like this too when you make it to the big leagues."

    "Technically we can make it to the pros before him." Kyle pointed out. "If we don''t go to college, and get drafted."

    Dave made a face. "We would only have a year to beat him there. I think Zeke would make it to the big leagues even if we had a head start."

    "It''s not a race." Zeke spoke up. "You guys do what''s best for you. If you want to go pro right after high school, then go."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "Easy for you to say. You were a first round pick. The chances of us being picked in the first round is near impossible."

    "Who cares what round it is." Kyle said. "The pay might be less, but most will start in the minors no matter what. I think it''s a plausible idea."

    "Are you going rogue?" Dave squinted at him. "We just signed up for so many college camps and visits."

    Kyle shrugged. "Have to take a look at all my options. I want to commit to a school this fall. And then if I get picked in the draft, I''ll revisit my options again."

    All this talk about the future made me depressed. Zeke was leaving after this summer. The twins were talking about what would happen after next year. What about when Noah and I graduate high school? Where would we go? What should we do?"

    "I want to start looking at colleges too!" Noah declared. "I have to get my name out there. I don''t want to be left behind." He glanced at me and smiled. "You have such a big head start."

    "There''s time you guys." Zeke told us, calming down the talks about the future. "Look at me, I changed my mind just over a month ago. You don''t need to be so stressed."

    "But I''m not as good as you." Kyle sighed. "If I want a scholarship lined up, I need to commit early. Or I''ll be stuck at a no name school in the middle of nowhere."

    "Talk about it again at the end of summer." Zeke told him, more stern. "For now, let''s enjoy the game we get to watch."

    With Zeke''s words, our attention turned to the game. The A''s lost on Wednesday with Jeremy not doing so well, but today was a different story. We got to watch a hit-fest, with both teams just taking in the runs. Jeremy contributed two homeruns, and put the A''s on top. We won the game which made the fireworks that much nicer to watch.

    Getting home late that night didn''t stop Zeke from waking us up early on Sunday morning. We ran, we trained, we ate a big breakfast to celebrate. By now I was completely used to waking early and working out.

    Sunday activities included watching the 1pm game of the A''s and hear complaints from Noah and the twins as they struggled against the other team''s pitcher. They ended up losing. Noah was depressed for a second, but then had the idea we should go play at the park with Julian and Andy. Zeke and the twins agreed to come as well and another game of ''over the line'' started once more. It was competitive, but it was fun. I didn''t feel so embarrassed when I missed a grounder or when I tripped in the outfield. It was just a good time with a bunch of laughs.

 599 V2 ch71

    Monday brought some change to our usual routine. After the early morning run and workout session, Noah and I had to take turns eating breakfast and showering. Summer school would start today. Unlike most kids who enjoyed summer break, I liked having a class to attend. It''s a sense of comfort even when I''m uncomfortable around strangers.

    The twins got to go back to bed while Zeke drove us to the high school. He dropped us off at the front of the school. "I''ll be back at noon. If you get out a little earlier, just text me."

    "Sure! Thanks!" Noah told him before closing the car door. He waved as Zeke drove away, leaving us alone at a rather quiet school.

    "This is kind of creepy." I tugged on my backpack straps as we looked at the near empty school. A random student here and there were barely making it look a little more normal.

    "What do you expect?" Noah shrugged. "Not a whole lot of kids sign up for summer school unless they flunk a class." He started to walk. "Come on. I know where our class is."

    I followed obediently. "Does that mean our class will be small?"

    "Maybe. This is my first time taking a summer class too. I''m just guessing here." Noah led the way to one of the classrooms on the far right of the school.

    A girl in front of us opened the door and held it open for us too. Noah hurried up to grab the door from her and smiled. "Hey, thanks."

    She smiled back at him. "Sure. No problem." She went in the classroom.

    We followed her.

    The class only had about ten students so far, only filling up one-third of the room.

    "Looks like we get to pick our seats." Noah nudged me. "Pick the seat you feel safe in, and I''ll choose the one next to you. Or in front of you. Or behind you. Or-"

    "Here." I simply sat down in the row closest to the door.

    Noah day behind me. "Not a good view of the board, but who know if the teacher will even use it."

    Noah and I definitely had different priorities.

    A few more kids trickled in as it got closer to 9am. I vaguely recognized some faces just from walking through the halls, but there was no one I knew. Noah was the same way. At least, until a face we did know walked in with two minutes to spare.

    "Mitchell?" Noah called out as the teen got into the room.

    He turned and looked our way. "Ah, hi..." He took a step our way.

    "Sit here." Noah patted the desk beside him, and diagonally behind him.

    Mitchell climbed over an empty seat and got to the desk Noah pointed out. "Thanks. I didn''t expect to see you guys here."

    "Amd we didn''t expect to see someone we know." Noah gave a friendly smile.

    Mitchell looked embarrassed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Yea. It''s kind of embarrassing, but I failed Spanish II so I have to take this summer class." He looked at us, a little skeptical. "Wait. Why are you guys here?"

    "Getting this class out of the way." Noah told him. "Better to take it in a span of a month versus taking it for a whole year."

    Mitchell laughed. "I don''t know about that. I took it for a whole year and didn''t get it. I''m just hoping for a C this time around."

    "Buenos d��as estudiantes." An older woman with dark, wavy hair walked through the door, greeting the class. "I am Mrs. Lorenz and this is Spanish II." She wrote her name on the board, and then faced the class. "Somehow we''re going to cram 180 days of class into a month. Three hours a day won''t be enough to pass the final so make sure you''re studying at home."

    "There''s no homework?" Some guy across the room asked.

    She shook her head. "You don''t want to do homework, and nor do I want to grade it. This class will focus on oral and written conversation in Spanish. Listening and reading will be a close second. Lastly, we''ll do a few presentation or speeches in Spanish."

    There were a few soft groans.

    "Don''t give me that." She wagged her finger at the class. "I''m not a perfectionist. As long as you guys put in the effort, this should be a breeze. While there''ll be no homework, I still have to make sure you all are understanding what I''m teaching. Therefore, tests will be handed out the last hour of every Thursday."

    "Will you provide study guides?" The girl that had held the door open for us, spoke up to ask.

    Mrs. Lorenz smiled. "Everything you need will be in the book. A book that we will go pick up from the library. So let''s get moving. To the library and back. Try not to wander off." She moved back to the door, propping it open.

    Noah and I were the first to exit since we were so close to the door. Mitchell joined us on our walk to the library. We lined up and the librarian started to check the books out to us, using our student ID number. We three were the first ones back in the class.

    "She sounds like a pretty chill teacher." Noah commented.

    I nodded in agreement.

    "She''s easygoing. Just don''t get caught cheating." Mitchell told us. "I know someone who cheated and she gave him an automatic zero on his final."

    "That''s rough." Noah cringed. "But also a good lesson to never cheat. Do you know what she meant by presenting? What''s that about?"

    Mitchell looked stress. "It''s about giving a small presentation in Spanish. The whole time. So hard."

    Noah shrugged. "Sounds like it''s just memorization to me." He looked at me. "Think you could do it, Jake?"

    I gulped before whispering, "Maybe..?"

    "Memorizing a speech in another language is easy to you?" Mitchell looked distressed, facing Noah.

    Noah gave him a look. "You have experience doing so if you think about it."

    "What?" Mitchell was confused.

    "In baseball, as a catcher, you have to learn all those signs. And some signs will differ for each pitcher. That''s kind of like another language, yet you communicate with it all the time. Just memorization right?"

    His eyes widened, understanding what Noah was saying. "True. That''s certainly a good perspective. Now if only my tongue will work properly during the presentation. Speaking Spanish isn''t my strong suit either."

    Noah shrugged. "It''s not mine either." He gave me a pat on the head. "Jake isn''t so good at it either. He barely speaks English."

    "Hey..." I glared at him. I was doing better now.

    Noah laughed. "Kidding, kidding."

    Mrs. Lorenz came back with more than half the class and soon the class was resumed. She took attendance and had us write down a short introduction is Spanish for her to collect.

 600 V2 ch72

    "Three hours of just Spanish is harder than I thought." Noah sighed as we walked to the spot Zeke had dropped us off at.

    Mitchell joined us on the short walk. "How do you think I feel? I already took this class. This is round two for me."

    Noah laughed. "Shouldn''t it be easier on you then?"

    Mitchell shrugged. "For right now. I remember a lot of the vocabulary so I have a head start." He sighed. "I wish I didn''t fail it the first time though."

    "How did you get to play baseball all spring if you weren''t doing well?" Noah asked.

    "I had a C for most of the semester. Then bombed the final. Did awful on a presentation after the championship game and I sunk to a D- which is just as good as a fail to my parents. Thankfully got A''s in everything else so they didn''t kill me."

    Noah laughed. "That''s rough." We stopped by the loading zone, waiting for our rides. "Are you playing baseball this summer?"

    "Not real baseball." Mitchell explained. "I do some specialized catcher training three times a week in Santa Cruz."

    "Oh! Fancy!" Noah exclaimed.

    Mitchell chuckled. "It kind of is. My dad found it and after talking with the people that run the place, we think it''s a better for me than going to some kind of baseball camps."

    "Because they focus solely on catchers?" Noah asked.

    "Yep." He nodded. "Last year I went to a few camps and most of the time, got stuck doing bullpen work. So basically my parents paid money for me to sit under the blazing sun to catch baseballs."

    Noah and I both made faces of disgust.

    "Exactly!" He laughed. "It was the worst experience. But at this facility, I have a trainer and coach that come up with specialized training just for me. It''s very individualized."

    "Sounds like you''re going to be improving even more this summer!" Noah told him, happy for him.

    "I hope so." He made a face. "Don''t get me wrong, I''m happy I made the varsity team for the second half of the season, but...it was really boring. At least on JV, I got to play every game. Catching and hitting."

    Noah nodded, understanding. "Well, at least things look good with Kelvin and Alex graduating."

    "I think so too." He told us, smiling. "How about you guys? I remember you asking the team to join your adult softball team. Did you get enough players?"

    Noah nodded. "We did! Started games last week. Won on Tuesday night. Had to forfeit on Thursday because of Zeke''s graduation. And then won Saturday morning. It''s very fun."

    Noah grinned. "You know Zeke...that''s not all he''s doing. He''s already started training us since the season ended. There are no off days with him."

    Mitchell was surprised. "No joke?"

    I nodded. "Every morning we run and lift weights."

    Noah rubbed his stomach. "I have abs already."

    Mitchell laughed. "Damn. That''s rough. He must really want you guys to replace him next year. It''s kind of reassuring knowing that he still wants this team to do well. Once a captain, always a captain."

    Zeke''s car pulled into the school''s lot.

    "Speak of the devil." Noah said.

    Zeke pulled up to the curb and we got in the car. Noah waved to Mitchell. "See you tomorrow! Bye!"

    Mitchell waved back and we left to go home. Noah talked the whole way, telling Zeke all about the class, how there''s no homework, tests every Thursday, and then about Mitchell and his summer plans. Noah gladly repeated himself to the twins over lunch.

    "Mitchell is around for the summer?" Kyle was interested. "Maybe we can throw a few sessions with him."

    Noah made a face. "He purposely didn''t go to any camps so he wouldn''t have to throw any bullpen sessions."

    "It''s different." Kyle explained. "We''re on the same team, plus, he''s not paying me."

    Dave laughed. "We should reach out to him and do a live session before we leave on Wednesday."

    "First trip is Wednesday?" I asked, trying to think back to their elaborate summer trip.

    "Yesss." Dave grinned. "The first camp is somewhere we''ve been before and it''s awesome. The training, the coaches, the dorms, even the food. We''ve been going since we were 12."

    "There''s no reason to bug Mitchell then." Noah told him. "You guys leave in two days. You should be more focused on packing and endurance training. Won''t it be shameful if you show up to the camp and get tired after just one day?"

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "No. That''s completely normal."

    They started to bicker about inviting Mitchell to practice or not. Noah finally told them that he would ask Mitchell his opinion tomorrow during class.

    "But then we only have that afternoon to play." Kyle sighed.

    "This is something you should have thought of beforehand." Zeke spoke up. "Don''t be dragging Mitchell around at the last minute. That''s annoying. And if you were paying attention, you would know he has his own training to do. You guys have to get better at planning things."

    "Noah gets to do things on a whim all the time." Dave pointed out.

    "Noah is the youngest." Zeke replied. "You two are going to be in charge of Noah and Jake when school starts again. You better start shaping up."

    "You hear that, Noah?" Kyle grinned evilly. "We get to be in charge."

    "Ugh. Don''t remind me." Noah groaned. He looked over at Zeke. "I think Mom will be putting me in charge the way these two behave."

    Zeke cracked a smile. "I wouldn''t be surprised if she paid for a referee to watch you all. A bunch of crazies." He was soon pelted my wadded-up napkins. He picked up all their trash and took it to the kitchen. He came back and looked at the twins. "If you guys want some real training, I can catch for you."

    "Really?" They asked simultaneously in disbelief.

    Zeke nodded. "As long as Noah and Jake get to go up against you both."

    Dave made a face of disgust. "That''s no longer a bullpen session, but a batting practice session." He pointed at me. "You have to bat blindfolded."

    "That''s impossible!" Noah rolled his eyes. "Stop being such a baby."

    "It would be good practice..." Kyle mused. "Noah has gotten better and Jake is the best. I don''t mind." He glanced at Dave. "Who''s the scaredy-cat now?"

    "I was merely joking." Dave defended himself. "I will obviously face them both with all seriousness."

    "We''ll go in an hour." Zeke declared. He looked at Noah and me. "You two go review some of your notes before changing into workout clothes. It''s good to read your notes after a class. Help solidify those new knowledge points."

    Noah frowned. "Why don''t you go do it for your classes?"

    "I already did." Zeke told him.

    There''s no winning against Zeke. We both sulked as we walked up the stairs after lunch, with the twins laughing as background noise. It soon came to a halt wait Zeke''s next command. "You two don''t have lessons so you can clean up and do the dishes. Make sure to sweep up too."

    Noah''s frown turned into a more pleasant smile. Zeke really was fair.

 601 V2 ch73

    Going up against the twins'' pitching was fun. For me; not so much for them. Zeke pulled out some old catchers gear and really caught for them though. Noah explained to me that he used to play as their catcher when they were younger, that''s where the gear came from. As we rotated to form different matchups, Zeke would occasionally give pointers to us. All of us. For me, it was about my feet positioning and using more of my core muscles. For Noah, it was about being more confident in his swing and trying not to pause or redirect. Zeke even helped the twins, pointing out flaws in their motion or helping them with their aim.

    Zeke was amazing. He could be a coach. He knew everything. I was curious though...how could he help us so much? Who taught him all about baseball? When I pointed this out to Noah, he just shrugged. He didn''t know either. It seemed like Zeke always knew what to do.

    We spent the whole afternoon at the park, playing. Just another day I wish I could save in my memory bank. When we got home, Mom already had dinner on the table. We took our assigned seats and started to fill up our plates.

    "Thanks, Mom!" Noah said first.

    "Thank you, Mom." Dave followed.

    "Yea, thanks." Kyle said.

    "Thanks for dinner." Zeke gave his mom a smile.

    Feeling like I belonged somewhere now, I swallowed a small lump in my throat and added, "Thank you for dinner, Mom."

    Mom''s smile was big and bright. "You''re welcome. All of my boys." She focused on me and Noah. "How was class today?"

    "It''s okay." I told her.

    Noah on the other hand, gave her a minute by minute description about who are teacher is, what we learned, how Mitchell was in our class, and so on. Not only did I live through this, it was now my third time hearing about it. I was thankful Dad was here to listen too, otherwise I might hear about it again.

    After dinner was another round of showers. Noah originally wanted to go downstairs to watch tv with the twins and maybe see a few highlights, but when we walked past their room, we saw Zeke at his desk. He was completely focused on the book in front of him, taking his summer classes as serious as possible. On the first day too.

    Noah backed up the way we came and I followed him to our room. He sat on his bed with our new Spanish textbook. "I''m just going to review some of the vocabulary before going to bed. We still have to wake up early tomorrow for the morning workout."

    After showers, breakfast, and a small amount of bickering with the twins, Zeke took us to school. This time he was showered too, and had even brought his backpack. It held books and his laptop, making it clear that he was going to do some studying at the high school.

    After Noah asked him about it, Zeke explained to us: "I waste time driving you here and back, and then coming to pick you up and go back. This will allow me to dedicate more time for my classes. It''s not like the twins need babysitting."

    "Are you sure about that?" Noah scoffed.

    Zeke cracked a smile as he parked the car. "They''re not as unreliable as you think. Growing up isn''t sudden, it''s a process. Didn''t they behave last Friday when hanging out with you two?"

    "I guess." Noah slowly nodded.

    We got out of the car with our backpacks and walked up to the school. Zeke split from us, going to the library as we went to our class.

    Mitchell was already seated at the same table as yesterday, so we also sat in the same seats.

    Noah told him about the twins wanting to use him for a bullpen session yesterday. "But I told them no for you."

    "Why would you do that?!" Mitchell looked distressed and worried. "Do you hate me??"

    Noah froze. "I thought you didn''t like catching bullpen sessions? That''s why you chose to do specialized training instead..?"

    Mitchell sat at the edge of his chair, getting close to Noah. "That''s because those camps didn''t have any benefits. Just losses. Catching for your brothers is completely different. It''s an opportunity!"

    Noah made a face and looked to me. "Is it just me, or do you understand what he''s saying?"

    I shrugged. "Maybe he likes the practice?"

    "Yes!" Mitchell pointed at me. "Practice! Just because I''m doing my own training doesn''t mean I can just skip catching! Jake gets it!"

    "I don''t..." I told him honestly. "Can''t anyone throw to you?"

    Mitchell rolled his eyes. "Jake, would you rather hit off a tee or face a real pitcher?"

    "Real pitcher." I answered.

    "Exactly! And not just any pitcher, but varsity-leveled pitchers!" Mitchell was getting excited. "You guys probably can''t see it because you''re too close. Try to see from my perspective. A catcher trying to solidify his varsity position turns down an opportunity to catch for two of the best pitchers on the team."

    "They''re not that great..." Noah was skeptical.

    Mitchell looked like he was on the verge of crying. "Noah, stop pretending. Our starting rotation is them and Garret for the majority of the time. If I can get in their good books and get some kind of relationship going, I have a good chance to be the starting catcher for next season."

    I looked to Noah. "I get it now."

    Noah sighed. "Yea, me too." He looked at Mitchell. "Okay, I''ll tell them that you''re interested. But you know...they''re going to be gone most of the summer."

    "That''s okay! Just a few bullpen sessions so I can get a better understanding of what kind of pitchers they are. Kelvin and Alex got to work with them most of the time so I only really worked with the relievers to help them warm up."

    "They aren''t that good. Tell him, Jake." Noah repeated.

    I nodded then shook my head. "They''re good. At least, they''re better than a few months ago?"

    "I just don''t see it." Noah sighed again.

    "That''s because you get to play against them all the time!" Mitchell grabbed Noah''s shoulder and started to shake him. "You''re probably accustomed to their pitching and quirks. They were first-team all-league! Even the coaches in the league think they''re good!"

    Noah laughed and brushed him off. "Okay, okay. I''ll give you their cellphone numbers and you can just contact them anytime you want. And they can tell you when they''re back in town and whatnot."

    Mitchell pulled his cellphone out in a hurry.

    Unfortunately, Mrs. Lorenz came into the classroom and started to teach us the next lesson, forcing Mitchell to put his cellphone away. As soon as class was over though, he started to pester Noah for their numbers. Noah complied.

 602 V2 ch74

    Mitchell really treated his cellphone like precious cargo after getting the phone numbers. He held his phone with both hands like he needed to secure its safety. After finding out that we were going to meet Zeke by the library, he went his own way to wait for pickup.

    We arrived at the library just as Zeke was packing up. He listened as Noah told him about Mitchell really wanting to catch for the twins. "I just don''t see the appeal." Noah finished as we got to the car.

    We got in, buckled up, and Zeke started to drive. He also answered Noah''s criticism. "You don''t get it because you''re not a catcher. There has to be some type of synergy between a pitcher and a catcher. Like a mutual understanding. It''s not just about giving signs and the pitcher throwing the according pitch. The catcher has to know more about their personality types."

    "Ha. I could have told him about their personalities." Noah stated.

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "Their personality on the mound. Say, if there''s a full count, runners on first and second. The catcher has to know what kind of pitch to call for." He paused. "Sometimes, a pitcher''s personality will have a different demand for the pitch. Take Dave, for example. He likes to face batters head-on and would like to challenge the batter to try and get a hit off him. Kyle would rather aim for the corners for a strikeout or some kind of double play."

    "Which would be better?" I asked, curious as to what way would dominate the other.

    Zeke shrugged. "There''s no way to tell. It''s all about preferences and the different factors that are in play in baseball. You have to know what kind of batter you''re facing too. Catchers have the most important job on the team." He grinned. "Keeping the pitcher calm."

    Noah laughed. "Hey! I do that too!"

    "Yea, but you''re more effective on Garret and the others than your own brothers." Zeke pointed out. "You have a habit of getting under the twins'' skin, always riling them up."

    Noah didn''t disagree. "Sometimes they need it. They can be such babies on the mound. I expect better."

    Zeke smiled. "Pitchers are fragile. Treat them with care."

    We got to the house and went to the kitchen. This time lunch wasn''t prepared or even close to being ready.

    "I lost track of the time!" Kyle called from the stairs, jogging into the kitchen. "I''ll make the sandwiches!"

    "I''ll cut up some fruit!" Dave came running in too, looking half-asleep.

    Zeke frowned as the pair got to work. "You two went back to bed?"

    "It''s summer break." Dave said, looking guilty. "We just needed some more sleep after such a hard morning workout."

    Zeke put his bag down on the table. "Then you should have gone to bed earlier. You two have one responsibility: lunch."

    "Growing up is a process." Noah told Zeke, repeating his own words back to him. "I told you they can''t be trusted."

    "We''re only a little bit late." Dave came in and laid out some snacks on the table. "Here you go, your highness. Food. Bon app��tit!" He went back to help Kyle with the sandwiches.

    Noah and I helped ourselves to a bag of chips as the twins finished preparing lunch. They soon filled the table with a few different kind of sandwiches, and bowls of cut up fruit.

    "See! Not bad!" Kyle took a seat next to Zeke.

    Zeke glanced at him. "You both share one job. If you can''t handle one responsibility then I don''t know how you''ll handle your senior season."

    Dave made a face. "How can you compare a barely late lunch to our senior season?"

    "Laziness." Zeke replied.

    I felt some tension in the air and looked at Noah, worried.

    Noah looked at the twins. "Zeke''s right. We have to spend most of our summer here. Mom only told you guys to make lunch the days you''re here. Very mediocre. She and dad are going to be so disappointed."

    Kyle frowned. "We''re sorry, okay??"

    "Ah! Better! An actual apology." Noah grinned and bit into his sandwich.

    "Seriously? We''re only fifteen minutes late." Dave pointed out. "Sorry we didn''t have lunch ready when you got home. Big whoop."

    Zeke glanced at him. "It''s called respect. Noah and Jake made a small sacrifice for you two, yet you two can''t do the same? What a disappointment." He stood up, grabbed his plate and went out back to eat.

    "Wow. Way to go." Noah looked at the twins, not even mad in the slightest. "You two look like a pair of jerks for the day. Luckily, you get to leave tomorrow, otherwise I''m sure it would be hell week for you."

    Dave looked guilty.

    Kyle scratched his cheek. "We didn''t mean it."

    "I know. Jake knows. Zeke knows too." Noah told them. "But you know Zeke; it''s all about attitude. Recognize. Respect. Respond. You failed to recognize the issue. You failed to show respect. And you failed to respond in a redeemable manner." He smiled. "Hey another ''R''! Redeem!"

    "Well...what do we do now?" Dave asked. "You and Jake don''t look upset about it. We already apologized. Zeke is the only one upset."

    Noah shrugged. "Just do better next time?"

    Kyle looked distressed. "We leave tomorrow morning for the airport. ''Next time'' won''t be until next week."

    Noah shrugged again. "Show him that you''ve changed. It''s not that it''s a big deal. It''s really just about respect. Zeke does so much for us. If he asks to have lunch ready at a certain time, is it really that hard to cooperate? He''s not even a picky eater." He glanced to the back door where Zeke had gone through. "You know, this will be Zeke''s last easy day. He''ll have to be responsible for lunch now. He just wanted-"

    "Respect." The twins said simultaneously. Then they both sighed.

    "We''ll do better." Dave declared.

    "We''ll make great lunches on the days we''re here." Kyle added.

    Showing some resolve and repentance, they both went out back to talk to Zeke.

    "Zeke really can''t stop parenting them." Noah chuckled.

    I poked him. "That was a well planned out speech. Also sounds like parenting."

    Noah faked a sigh. "What can I say? It''s hard to raise a pair of knuckleheads."

    I cracked a smile. The family dynamics for the Atkins always shifted, between who needed to be taught a lesson and who was the teacher. One thing that never changed, was Noah''s humor.

    The twins came back inside with Zeke after half an hour and started to do the dishes and take out the trash without complaints or side comments. Noah and I watched as the two cleaned up downstairs too.

    "Mom''s going to be happy." Noah said.

    I nodded in agreement. We moved to the living room to watch some baseball movie while we had the time. We had a softball game tonight so we couldn''t go out to play at the park or at The Cages.

    All afternoon the twins focused on cleaning, up until Zeke called for us to leave for the game. We had changed into our uniformed shirts and hurried to the car.

    Noah looked up at Zeke as he started to drive us to the field. "Are you really mad at the twins?"

    "Hmm." Zeke hummed, but didn''t respond.

    "I bet you just wanted them to clean the room and bathroom before they leave tomorrow." Noah laughed.

    Zeke shrugged. "Just a small benefit."

 603 V2 ch75

    Zeke was back to his usual self, and was in a better mood after having some fun at the softball field. We got back to the house for dinner, just in time to hear Mom exclaimed how nice the house look. She had nothing but praises for the Twins hard work all afternoon.

    "It was the least we could do." Dave shrugged, not willing to look at Zeke.

    Dad smiled and gave a nod. "Good work. It''s always a nice feeling to come home to a clean house."

    "Sure." Kyle replied simply. He looked at Noah. "How was the game?"

    "Fun!" Noah started to tell everyone about the softball game and how fast he was able to run around the bases thanks to the shorter distances.

    It was our last dinner with the twins before they would leave for their camp so Mom had prepared some cookies for everyone. Dinner had a different tone than lunch did. It was for the better. Mom and Dad decided they would both take the twins to the airport in the morning and stay to have lunch with their friends in the city. They would be home for dinner.

    Wednesday morning came, but this time the twins didn''t participate in our endurance training and weightlifting. They were doing some last minute packing, making sure they had enough clothes and that they remembered all their baseball stuff, including hats and belts.

    "Later gator." Dave pulled Noah into a weak chokehold and gave his head a fierce rubbing. Then let go and patted me on the head.

    "See you guys next week!" Kyle flexed his dominate arm. "I''ll come back a changed man."

    Noah snorted.

    We watched as the twins loaded up the car and soon their parents got in the front, with Dad being the driver. I lifted a hand to wave, but put it down when I realized Noah and Zeke weren''t waving. We watched Dad''s car disappear before loading up into the family car to head to school.

    Zeke went to the library and we went to our Spanish class. We found a depressed Mitchell laying his head on the table.

    Noah''s lips twitched. "What''s wrong with you? It''s only the third day of summer school."

    He turned his head to glare at him. "The twins won''t be back until next week..."

    Noah shrugged. "I told you that they''ll be gone a lot of the summer. Nothing I can do about it."

    Mitchell was clearly depressed. "I missed out on catching their pitches."

    "There''s always next week." Noah patted him on the shoulder after sitting at his desk.

    I sat at mine.

    Mrs. Lorenz came in and started class right on time.

    After three hours of another language, we were finally out. Mitchell came out of his depressed state of mind after reassurance from Noah that the twins couldn''t wait to use him. Surprisingly, he was more than satisfied with that. He went to his pickup spot and we went to the library. Zeke came out with perfect timing, not letting us wait for even a second.

    "A week of peace and quiet." Noah mumbled, not sounding as happy as usual.

    "I''ll heat up some leftovers for lunch. You two take some time to study." Zeke instructed. "Don''t you have tests every Thursday?"

    "Yea..." Noah and I both sat down. We pulled out our books and started to review what we had learned so far.

    Zeke prepared lunch and set it on the table for us. We pushed our books aside and started to eat. In silence.

    "What''d you do in Spanish today?" Zeke asked. That''s when I realized that Noah didn''t talk a mile a minute today about everything that had happened.

    Noah shrugged. "Just learned some Spanish. Mrs. Lorenz is nice and easygoing. She''ll probably hold a small review tomorrow before the test."

    Zeke looked to me.

    I nodded in agreement. "What he said."

    "You guys didn''t talk to Mitchell today?"

    Noah nodded. "We did. But all he talked about was the twins and pitching. So boring. If he''s so desperate, he should call up Garret or something."

    "Isn''t Garret doing camps too?" I pointed out.

    Zeke nodded. "Plus it''s a two for one deal if Mitchell reaches out to the twins instead. Well, they''ll be back next week." He finished his lunch and went to put his dirty dishes in the sink. He came back to us. "Do you two want to go to the cages today? We don''t have anything planned."

    Noah started to nod. "Yes! Let''s go! I''ll ask Andy if him and Julian want to come. That''ll make it more livelier."

    My lips thinned. I couldn''t see how. Julian and Andy were both very mellow and low key. Neither of them fought or got loud. Even when we were having fun in the softball games. They laughed along, but couldn''t compare to Noah.

    We finished eating as well and put our dishes away. Noah sent Andy a text before going upstairs to change. I followed along. The more comfortable I was with Noah, the less self-conscious I felt about my scars. I honestly wouldn''t have realized I had changed in the same room as him if it wasn''t for the fact that he was staring at me when I pulled the shirt over my head.

    "I forgot to ask Mom about some scar-healing cream or something." Noah mumbled, eyes on me.

    "Oh..." I looked down at my clothed body.

    "Not because you''re ugly." Noah quickly reassured me. "I just want you to be more comfortable. Like changing in the locker room next season without stressing."

    "Oh." I nodded, feeling better. "I would like that."

    "I''ll ask Mom at dinner."

    "Thanks." I paused. "Maybe I should do it myself?"

    Noah clapped me on the shoulder. "Good for you! But, if you get nervous, just looked to me and I''ll take over. I promise Mom and Dad will be more than happy to help. You''re one of us now."

    ''One of us.'' I really hope so. I smiled happily as we moved downstairs to join Zeke. He drove us to the cages with our baseball bags. He was going to buy us coins, but Noah pulled out a bag full of them from when Jeremy took us a few weeks ago.

    "I don''t want Julian and Andy to feel like they need to buy some tokens." Noah said, considerate of the fact that the Wilson brothers weren''t given a whole lot of money. "I figured if they know these are from Jeremy, they''ll be more than willing to accept."

    I nodded. "Okay with me."

    Zeke''s eyes narrowed. "Why aren''t you this considerate to my wallet?"

    Noah turned sheepish. "Well...this is more like an emergency stash for when you''re not around or if you''re mad at us."

    Julian and Andy showed up in time so Noah was saved from an interrogation from Zeke. Sure enough, they were relieved we had so many coins from Jeremy. Andy even asked a few questions about being related to Jeremy, but there wasn''t much I could tell him unless he wanted to know about my messed up childhood.

 604 V2 ch76

    Andy seemed to understand the weird relationship between me and Jeremy. To ease the conversation, I offered to bring an autograph baseball card for him and Julian tomorrow. Andy nodded, more enthusiastic than his usual plain expression. He must be an A''s fan.

    We spent the afternoon together as a group, trying out the different speeds of the cages, with Noah trying to start some kind of competition. Too bad for him there was nothing to bet on. Especially because he still owed me a spare bat. A bat that we looked for after having some fun outside.

    "I think it''s a good idea to get another bat, but why is Noah paying for it?" Julian asked as we looked around the few items that the old man had for sale.

    "I lost a bet." Noah rolled his eyes.

    "You did!?" Julian was surprised.

    Noah glared for a second at Andy''s back as he was browsing a different section. "Yea...sometimes I can''t judge people as well as Jake here."

    Julian gave him a pat on the head. "Poor kiddo. Jake has survival instincts. He''s probably the best judge of character."

    I turned away, feeling shy. I wasn''t exactly the best judge. I''m very wary of strangers. And maybe a little more observant than most. I looked at the bats available, focusing more on the ''used'' options because they were cheaper. I didn''t want Noah to spend all his money.

    "Well if isn''t the ''Hustlers''?" The old man came out of his office and saw us in the merchandise area. "You boys need help finding anything?"

    "Just looking at bats." Noah told him, walking his way. "Hey, when do we get to play against a better softball team? I feel like we keep getting the oldies."

    The old man frowned at him. "Hey, show some respect. Some of these teams are just so they can get out an have fun." He pulled out his phone and checked it. "I believe the game you had to forfeit was against one of the better teams. Oh!" He paused.

    "What? What is it?!" Noah tried to peek at his phone.

    The old man put it away. "Tomorrow''s game should be good. I''ll even come to watch."

    "Why? Who do we get to play?" Noah was beyond curious now. He was excited.

    The old man laughed at his eager expression. "Tomorrow''s game won''t be just for fun. This a team that likes to compete for first." He turned to me. "Do you need any help finding a bat?"

    I nodded. "I want to get another used bat, that''s just like the one I have now." I pulled out and showed him Jeremy''s old bat. The one I''ve been using since the championship game.

    "Hmm." He took the bat and moved behind the counter where his employee was working. He used the computer as we waited patiently. He looked up. "I don''t have any used bats in inventory that''s the exact same, but I have a couple with the same weight and dimensions. The brands and prices vary though, but I''ll pull them out to show you." He handed me my bat back and went around, picking up other bats.

    "You have a really good swing, young man." The old man told me, watching as I took the time to swing each used bat. "Want to hear some advice about how to not break bats?"

    I paused and nodded.

    He lifted one of the bats and pointed to the thinner part of the barrel. "Avoid getting jammed in a swing. The thinner the barrel is, the easier it is to snap." He moved to the thicker parts of the barrel. "Don''t be hitting the same spot all the time in the cages. You''ll weaken it."

    I nodded, understanding. Noah and I had read up on bat care before.

    "A bat is easier to break in colder weather." He told me. "The wood becomes more brittle. Make sure you aren''t leaving it in damp places like the garage either."

    I nodded.

    "Did you pick one yet?" Noah came over.

    I lifted the one that I felt comfortable with. "Yea."

    Noah checked the price tag and sighed with relief. "Not too bad." He looked to the old man. "Well, this is the one he wants. Any discounts for frequent customers?"

    The old man scoffed. "Brat." He moved back to behind the counter and rung up our order.

    Noah pulled out his wallet and paid with a few twenty-dollar bills. "Worst customer service ever."

    The old man laughed. "I''ll see you brats tomorrow. Better bring your A-game."

    "We''ll win." Noah told him. He picked up the bat and gave it to me. "Let''s go. Maybe Zeke will buy us ice cream before going home?"

    I doubt it.

    We joined the other three and sure enough, Zeke said no to ice cream with the excuse that it was almost dinner time. We split from Julian and Andy in the parking lot and headed home.

    Mom was in the kitchen, cooking and Dad was in the office, on a call. Seeing them separated...I decided to approach Dad about my scars. I know I told Noah I would ask at dinner, but it was more difficult for me to talk about it in front of everyone.

    I gave Noah my baseball bag. "Can you take this to the room? I''m going to go talk to Dad for a minute."

    "Sure." Noah smiled. He followed Zeke up the stairs, leaving me on my own.

    I moved to stand in the doorway of the office. It was messier than normal with papers scatters over every inch of the desk. Dad was still on the phone, but getting a look at me waiting, he quickly finished his call.

    He smiled. "Hey, Jake. Did you boys just get back?"

    I nodded, feeling a little anxious.

    Dad picked up on my mood. "Is something wrong? Come in and sit down." He pulled the other office chair so it was facing him.

    I went over and sat down. "I had a question."

    "Ask me anything." He smiled with ease.

    I put my hands together in my lap, trying not to look so desperate. "Can I...get rid of my scars..?"

    Dad blinked. "You want to try and hide your scars?"

    "Make them less visible and noticeable." I corrected, not liking the word ''hide''. I was already ''hiding'' them. I didn''t dare change in front of anyone in the baseball club room because I know how much attention it would get. "Noah said, that we could possibly get some kind of cream that heals scars..?"

    "That''s an option." Dad agreed. "But, given how you got those scars, I''d prefer if we went to a specialist."

    "A specialist?" I asked, not understanding.

    Dad nodded. "Yes, like a dermatologist. Your scars aren''t just from a simple fall and cream might not do enough."

    Oh. "Is it...hard...to see a dermatologist?" I asked, scared that it would cost too much or be too difficult.

    Dad laughed. "It''s not hard. Just a couple of phone calls and we can find one to make an appointment with. Don''t worry about it."

    I sighed with relief.

    "Does the appearance of your scars bug you? Do you want to make an appointment with Dr. Moore? You haven''t seen him in a while." He asked, concerned.

    I shook my head. "I''m fine. I just want to change." Become less of the boy from that broken home and that broken woman. "I want to be more normal."

    He laughed and reached over to pat me on the head. "There''s no such thing as normal. Everyone is unique in their own way." He stood up. "I think dinner is almost ready. It''s starting to smell pretty good."

    I stood up too and took in a deep breath of air. "Yea." It did smell good. I felt less anxious. "Can you tell Mom for me?"

    "Sure thing, kiddo." Dad smiled as we walked towards the kitchen.

 605 V2 ch77

    Dinner was a weird kind of quiet without the twins. Noah told his parents what we did all day. He also made a few hints that I wanted to ask them something, but I didn''t speak up. I already told Dad, and I could only tell Noah that after dinner.

    "You''re too shy." Noah told me as we prepared for bed. "It''s not like any of us would have made a big deal out of it. The twins aren''t even here."

    I shrugged. "I felt more comfortable asking one-on-one than at the table." Dad makes me feel more comfortable and I rather not make Mom cry again.

    "What''d he say?"

    "That he would find a dermatologist for me." I explained to him how Dad thought that a simple cream wouldn''t be enough.

    "Yea, leave it to the professionals" Noah agreed. He yawned. "Man, I hope tomorrow''s game is a good one."

    I smirked in the dark. "You don''t like playing for fun?"

    "It''s fun to play, period. But, I want some competition. It''s more satisfying to beat a good team than a team that''s playing just for fun. What about you? Don''t you like facing better pitchers?"

    I shrugged. "It''s all the same to me."

    "So you wouldn''t want a rematch against that pitcher from University Prep?"

    "Never thought of it." I told him.

    "Do you even have a competitive bone in your body?"

    "I like to hit the ball. That''s good enough for me."

    Noah sighed. "Fine. You''re completely disinterested. Goodnight. See ya in the morning."

    "Night." I replied. Noah wanted to be the best all the time, while I just wanted to hit the ball. We weren''t the same. Baseball is fun with the Atkins, but I don''t know if I would ever play without them.

    The next morning, we woke up at dawn and hit the streets. I chased after Noah and Zeke through the neighborhood, losing them halfway. At home, I joined the pair in the garage and started on the exercises Zeke had assigned. Workout, shower, breakfast, school. Mitchell wasn''t too depressed today about not catching for the twins; it sounded like he had planned something with them when they return. Our Thursday test wasn''t too hard as Mrs. Lorenz really reviewed with us beforehand.

    After school, Zeke took us home for lunch, preparing spaghetti as we watched some baseball in the living room. He even let us eat in the living room as we watched the game, not nitpicking about making a mess.

    After such a relaxing afternoon, I felt kind of lazy as we showed up to the softball field. Noah was eager to throw the ball around and warm up, so I sat down and watched as he and Zeke started to move. KJ and Kaylee, who both rode with us also started to warm up after Noah informed them that today''s opponents might actually be good.

    Alisha stayed with me, sitting by the bags in the grass as we waited for the others to show.

    I pulled my knees to my chest. "Do we have to play in the pool?"

    She looked at me. "Do you not like the pool?"

    I shook my head. It''s mostly the idea of being half-naked.

    She pouted. "Noah won''t come if you don''t come."

    So straightforward. I scratched the tip of my nose. "Do you like-like Noah?"

    She nodded without hesitation.

    Oh...really straightforward now. "Why don''t you just tell him?"

    "How about you ask him what he thinks of me, and then you tell me?" She shot back.

    I made a face. "What if he doesn''t like you like that?"

    She laughed. "Then that''s my problem. You don''t have to feel bad. I know that Noah is obsessed with baseball. He was like this when we were in elementary school."

    I don''t know. I don''t want to be too involved. Alisha is really nice. I don''t want Noah to hurt her feelings. "How about we go to the arcade and cages this weekend instead? You can spend time with him there. He would agree in a heartbeat."

    She nodded thoughtfully. "I can say it''s to work on my batting!"

    I don''t really think she needs an excuse to convince Noah.

    "You want to work on your batting?" Andy asked, joining us with Julian right behind him.

    Alisha glanced at me, before replying. "Yes. I mean, I was going to ask Noah and Jake if they wanted to go to the cages this weekend. Maybe play some arcade games too."

    Andy looked expectant. "I''ll come too." He put his bag down and got his glove out. "Do you want to play catch for a little bit? Today''s opponent might be good!"

    Alisha unwillingly got up with her glove in hand. "I don''t think you should expect too much from me."

    "It''s fine. Practice makes perfect." Andy took off, jogging in the outfield.

    "Another baseball-nut." Alisha mumbled before slowly following.

    Julian laughed as he watched the two go. "Let me guess, Alisha didn''t want to work on her batting?"

    I grinned.

    Julian laughed some more and started to stretch. "I''m really starting to see some similarities between Andy and Noah. Andy is just a little more withdrawn."

    I looked at him, not understanding why he was telling me this.

    "Just an update on how we''re getting along." Julian understood my unspoken words. "How are you and Jeremy?"

    I shrugged. "We send a few texts, but he''s been busy."

    Julian nodded. "I know. He''s practically carrying the A''s to the playoffs. Luckily an All-Star break is coming up, otherwise he might get burned out or fall into a slump."

    "All-Star break..?" I thought about it. "Should I be voting for him?"

    Julian laughed. "You should. If you want. I mean, I have been. He''s the best player on the A''s right now. He has a lot of votes right now though so it''s fine if you don''t."

    "He''s going to be an All-Star?" I asked. "Doesn''t that mean he won''t be getting a break?"

    Julian took a minute to explain how the All-Star break looks like for the players that get picked and then told me about the voting. Right now is the primary and it''s almost a sure thing that Jeremy will be picked. After the primary, comes the election that picks the starters. It''s a relatively big deal for the players.

    Eventually, Mr. Miller and Stu showed up, completing our small team. With everyone present, we all started to warm up, knowing that game time was almost here.

    A glance across the field to the opposing team, showed a much younger demographic than we have been playing against. Instead of people old enough to be grandparents, I spotted young adults. Men and women looking younger than Mom and Dad.

    "I bet some of them played college ball!" Noah told me as we moved our stuff into the dugout, peeking at the other team. "They look fit."

    I nodded. They were in better shape than any of the previous teams. I hope we can still win. "Do you think their pitcher will throw like KJ?"

    "I hope so!" Noah said, excited more than any of us.

    Andy was a close second, tapping his bat against his cleats.

 606 V2 ch78

    Update: they had a girl pitcher who threw faster than KJ. She crushed half our team with ease, earning plenty of strikeouts. Only Zeke, Julian, and I could even connect with her pitches. It definitely opened my eyes to how good softball pitchers could be. KJ tried her best, but we couldn''t really compete when only me and the seniors were the only ones getting hits.

    "That was brutal." Alisha sighed as we started to pack up after the game. We lost. "I don''t know how you guys can play with such intensity." She slumped in her seat on the bench. "I''m wiped out."

    "Do you still want to go to the cages this weekend?" Andy asked.

    "What?! You guys are going to the cages??" Noah started to jump around. "Me too! I want to go!"

    Alisha laughed. "I was going to invite everyone."

    Sure...I looked away, my eyes drifting to Kaylee and KJ. KJ was bent over, resting her face in her hands as Kaylee was trying to talk to her. She must be feeling down on herself. I wanted to say something, but we weren''t really close. If Kaylee couldn''t cheer her up, then I doubt I could do any better.

    I looked to Noah, thinking he would have an idea on what to do, but he was too absorbed talking to Alisha and Andy. My vision shifted to Mr. Miller. He was also a good option as a coach. Yet, he and Stu were engaged in a conversation, not minding the rest of us. Okay...Julian and Zeke then...my eyes wandered, trying to find the pair.

    They were both talking to some members of the other team. The pitcher and another girl. Before I could point it out to the others, all four of them made their way back to our dugout.

    I lightly kicked Noah''s foot to get his attention. He paused to glance at me. I nodded to the four that were coming over. Andy and Alisha weren''t oblivious to our unspoken conversation, they also looked to the four that were coming by.

    Zeke stopped right in front of KJ, motioning for Kaylee to back up. She complied, making KJ look up in confusion. She found Zeke in front of her. "W-W-What?"

    Ah. I wasn''t the only one to stutter when anxious.

    Zeke gestured to the opposing team''s pitcher that followed him. "This is Cassie. She played college softball. Want to talk to her for a few minutes? We''ll wait."

    KJ nodded and stood up. "Yes!" She looked at Cassie. "Do you mind?"

    Cassie shook her head. "I don''t mind. I noticed that your pitching style is similar to how mine used to be. I wish I had someone give me advice when I was in high school too. Why don''t you grab your glove and I''ll show you some techniques that you can easily pick up."

    "Yes!" KJ fumbled for her glove, and quickly followed the two girls out of the dugout.

    Kaylee also chose to go out with them, but without her glove. She just went to listen and watch.

    Julian looked at Andy. "Ready to head home?"

    Andy frowned. "We aren''t staying?"

    Julian''s lips twitched. "Why would we stay? To learn the mechanics of pitching a softball? Come on, it''s dinner time and I''m hungry." He packed up his bag and motioned for Andy to follow.

    Andy pursed his lips and grabbed his bag. He looked at Noah. "Let me know what time this weekend."

    "Sure thing!" Noah grinned and waved as the pair left. He turned to Alisha. "Do you have to text your mom that we''re running a little late?"

    Alisha shook her head. "Nah, there''s no definite time when these games end so there''s no need." She looked up to Zeke. "Did you know those girls from the other team?"

    Zeke glanced at her and gave a small shake of his head. "No."

    "Then why did you ask her to talk to KJ? Actually, how did you convince her to talk to KJ? Are strangers so nice?" Noah asked, poking his brother.

    Zeke swatted him away. "I just asked for her opinion. You could tell how good she was, right? Same here. So I simply went up to ask if she could give KJ some advice."

    "Since when were you so kind?" Noah squinted at Zeke, almost as if he couldn''t recognize him.

    Zeke rolled his eyes.

    We stayed for an extra 30 minutes, watching KJ talk to Cassie about pitching. For the most part though, Alisha and Noah spent the time making plans for the weekend. Noah was considerate of Zeke''s online classes and told Alisha we couldn''t do tomorrow. So Sunday we would meet her at the cages. Noah also sent a text message to Andy and Julian.

    "Can I also get a ride on Sunday?" Alisha asked, peeking up at Zeke.

    Zeke gave a nod.

    Noah nodded more enthusiastically. "Sure! It''s better to show up together."

    KJ and Kaylee came back to the dugout to tell us that they were done. We all packed up and put the bags in the car. I sat in the very last row, the girls sat in the middle row, and Noah sat up front with Zeke.

    "Zeke? Thanks." KJ said after hopping out of the car. She got her bag out of the trunk and ran up to her apartment building.

    "Kaylee, don''t forget to remind her about Sunday." Alisha said as we drove to the next stop.

    Kaylee shook her head. "We won''t be free on Sunday. My sister will be in town so we''re going to do something together after church."

    "Oh okay." Alisha was unaffected. She''d probably be happy if all of us didn''t come except Noah.

    "When do the twins get back?" Kaylee asked, looking at Noah.

    Noah looked back at her. "Don''t you mean Kyle?"

    Kaylee laughed. "Yea, I do. So?"

    Noah shrugged and looked up at Zeke.

    "Late Wednesday night." Zeke answered.

    Kaylee looked to Noah. "Try to schedule something for next Friday."

    Alisha laughed. "Are you trying to set your sister up with Kyle again?"

    Kaylee sighed. "It''s not my idea. She''s still in love with him. So set something up then and I can invite Marie."

    "What if I throw a pool party next Friday?" Alisha offered. "The twins can bring Noah and Jake. Then there''s me, you, KJ, and Marie. Four and four."

    "I think Andy will want to join too though." Noah pointed out.

    "Hmm. Who else can we invite then?" Alisha tapped her leg.

    "Can I be uninvited?" I asked. That would make the numbers still even.

    All three looked back to me.

    "Party pooper."

    "You don''t have to go in the pool."

    "Come on, it''ll still be fun."

    They all spoke at the same time.

    I looked to Zeke for help.

    "Kaylee, we''re here." Zeke said in a timely manner, pulling into her driveway.

    Kaylee glanced back at me. "Don''t be such a wimp. We won''t eat you. This is a smaller party. You''ll know everyone this time."

    I shrugged, uncommitted.

    Kaylee got out, grabbed her bag, and waved as she walked up to her front door.

    "Don''t listen to her." Noah told me. "You aren''t a party pooper. If you don''t want to go, you don''t have to. Maybe we can do something else."

    Alisha''s smile started to waver.

    "Or," I cleared my throat. "I can stay home with Zeke. You don''t have to bring me everywhere you go."

    "We can talk about it more when the twins get home. They might not want to go either." Zeke pointed out. He drove a couple streets over and dropped off Alisha. "We''ve got a whole week until then."

    "Right." Alisha nodded. She gathered her stuff and got out of the car. "Thanks for the ride. Bye!" She walked up her driveway.

    "Jake has his own interests, Noah." Zeke said. "He obviously doesn''t feel comfortable around pools. You shouldn''t be pushing him."

    "Hey! Kaylee was more pushy than I was!" Noah frowned.

    "I didn''t say she wasn''t." Zeke told him. "I''m just saying, put yourself in Jake''s shoes for a second. He''s self-conscious as it is."

    "I also can''t swim." I pointed out, reminding them that my scars aren''t the only reason I don''t want to be near the water.

    "Oh." Noah looked apologetic. "Sorry...I just never known someone who can''t swim. Well, maybe it''ll happen, maybe it won''t."

 607 V2 ch79

    Once we got home, we joined Mom and Dad at the table for dinner. Noah was quick to air his complaints about the loss we suffered. He gave them a rundown on the beating we took.

    Dad looked to Zeke. "Do you know which college she played for?"

    Zeke shook his head. "I didn''t ask. Had to be a good school. She threw almost 60mph."

    "It felt faster than that." Noah frowned.

    "60mph in softball is almost equivalent to high 80s in baseball." Zeke explained. "I would say she could have been better than Marie in her prime."

    "How do you know?" Noah looked as confused as I felt.

    "She looked to be in her late 20''s. And it''s not like she plays as serious as a competitive team."

    "Looked pretty competitive to me." Noah snorted.

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "There aren''t any pro softball leagues. After college, she has even fewer choices. If she''s playing in a rec league like this, then it means she couldn''t make the national team."

    "What?!" Noah exclaimed. "That''s crazy! I couldn''t imagine a better softball pitcher except maybe Marie."

    "Is Marie a candidate for the national team?" Mom asked, surprised with where this conversation is going.

    Zeke shrugged. "How would I know?"

    "You seem pretty knowledgeable about softball to me." Noah told him.

    Zeke sighed. "I know the minimum. I could tell when I was batting that Cassie was good. The end."

    "Her name is Cassie, huh?" Mom lifted an eyebrow.

    "Yea, she even spent some time teaching KJ about pitching." Noah missed the suggestive look his mom was trying to give to Zeke, and explained how we waited for KJ to learn a little from her.

    "That was nice of you." Dad told Zeke.

    "I wonder what it takes to make the national team..." Noah mumured. He looked to Zeke.

    Zeke shrugged. "I wouldn''t know."

    "How can you not be invited?" Noah asked.

    "You have to put yourself out there." Zeke told him. "I didn''t sign up to do anything with them. I have my own goals. If you''re interested, take some time to look it up. Too bad you missed the 15U team."

    Noah blinked. "I did?"

    Zeke nodded. "This would have been the summer for you, and Jake, to participate on the 15U team. You have to be 15 and under. Next summer you''ll be 16."

    "There''s no 16U team?" Noah asked.

    Zeke shook his head. "It''s 12U, 15U, 18U, Collegiate, and then pros. I think they started a 16U and 17U development program that feeds players to the 18U team. If you want to participate, you might want to do your research."

    "I will!" Noah hurried through dinner. "I''m done! Can I be excused?"

    Mom sighed. "Okay, but shower first before playing online."

    "It''s not playing! It''s research!" Noah yelled as he ran up the stairs.

    Zeke shrugged. "Again, it''s about putting yourself out there. Go to their skill-development sessions and compete in intrasquad games to show off his skills. He might make it. He might not." He looked to me. "Interested?"

    I shook my head. I rather play in the cages.

    Zeke''s eyes narrowed, making me shiver.

    I subconsciously turned to Dad.

    "I was able to make a doctor appointment for you, Jake." Dad told me when he caught me looking his way. "Next Friday you don''t have school so I''ll take you."

    "Next Friday?" I perked up, happy to hear that I have plans for that day. "What time?"

    He blinked, surprised by how eager I was. "Mid morning. I figured we can have lunch afterwards."

    "Noah wanted to do a pool party with the twins at Alisha''s next Friday." Zeke explained to his parents about why I was so happy. He didn''t even asked what kind of doctor appointment I had.

    "Well, the appointment is in Santa Cruz so we weren''t coming back for lunch anyways." Dad said. "They can have fun at the pool, but you''ll be on your own."

    "We can have lunch together." Mom spoke up, talking to Zeke. "It''ll be nice to have some one-on-one time together before you go off to college."

    "Okay." Zeke smiled.

    I looked to Mom, feeling a little guilty. "I''m sorry, I-"

    "It''s okay, Jake." She cut me off. "Wayne explained to me. You''ll be more comfortable with him there than me. That''s nothing to be ashamed of." She stood up and walked by me to rub my head gently. "I want you to be comfortable and happy." She went into the kitchen and started to do the dishes.

    "Guess we have most of the week planned out." Dad said. "Are you kids doing anything this weekend?"

    I looked to Zeke.

    Zeke told him what we had planned out so far: nothing Friday, game Saturday, cages and arcade on Sunday.

    "That''s good." He nodded. "I''m glad you''re keeping the boys busy." He looked to me. "Any plans with Jeremy lately?"

    I shook my head. It was hard to make plans when he plays almost every day, while I have my own stuff to do. I had class Monday-Thursday, and softball games almost every other day. Jeremy also had to travel for away games so it wasn''t possible for me to see him every weekend.

    Dad understood. "It''s a little difficult right now, but I''m sure you''ll see him more in the offseason."

    I shrugged. Maybe.

    I finished my dinner and took my empty plate to Mom in the kitchen. I handed them over and told her thanks for dinner before going upstairs. There, I found a freshly showered Noah hunched over his computer. He didn''t pay any attention to me as I grabbed my pjs.

    When I came back, he had completely changed positions. He was no longer interested in his computer and was in bed, reading his Spanish textbook.

    "Did you already find out what you have to do?" I asked. That was quick...

    "Yea, I figured out why Zeke wasn''t picked." Noah told me as I got ready for bed. "Their primary identification event is the USA Baseball National Team Championship. So you have to be on a team. And our team..."

    Oh. I shrugged. "Well, Zeke didn''t do it so it can''t be that interesting, right?"

    "That''s true." Noah thought about it. "I should focus more on improving myself than playing for the national team. It can''t be that good if they didn''t even invite Zeke. And you! They didn''t send anything to you. So dumb."

    I laughed.

    "Maybe I''ll aim for the collegiate national team when I get to college." Noah mused.

    "I thought you would want to enter the MLB right away?" I asked, getting into bed with my own book.

    Noah shrugged. "It depends. We''ll see how everything goes. It''s good to have multiple plans in case something or other doesn''t work out. What would you want to do after high school?"

    "I don''t know..."

    "Well, we''ve got time." Noah said, unbothered. "We can watch what the twins decide too. I''d like it if college coaches were scouting me first though."

    "Maybe next season."

    "Yea..."

 608 V2 ch80

    We kept up the workout routine Friday morning. It''s just this time we didn''t have to rush anywhere afterwards. We ate breakfast with Zeke and then he went upstairs to work on his online classes while we decided to play catch in the backyard.

    "Man, if the twins were here, we could at least play ''over-the-line'' while Zeke does school stuff." Noah complained as we tossed the ball back and forth.

    I shrugged, not sure what to say to that. Alisha wanted to hang out today, but Noah was the one to decide that we shouldn''t go anywhere. Now he wishes we could go somewhere? Or is he just missing the twins?

    Eventually I got tired of throwing the ball and Noah took pity on me. We went to the living room and he put on a baseball movie, ''Major League''. An old comedy about how a bunch of misfits were trying to help this major league team make it to the playoffs. Noah had told me that he watches this movie almost every month, but from the way he laughed, you would think that it was his first time seeing it. I laughed as well, but more at Noah''s expressions than at the movie itself.

    The morning passed by and it was almost time for lunch. I looked to Noah. "Should we try to make lunch? For ourselves and for Zeke?"

    Noah jumped up. "Yea! Great idea!" He left the living room and I followed.

    Zeke was coming down the stairs as we headed for the kitchen. "You guys getting hungry?"

    "Jake said we should try and make lunch." Noah told him. He cracked his knuckles. "Time to put my cooking skills to the test."

    "I thought we would go out for lunch instead." Zeke said, making Noah pause. Seeing that he had our attention, he grinned and lifted his phone. "Rhys has tickets to tonight''s Giants game. We can eat a quick lunch and then hit the road."

    Noah''s eyes widened. "Wow! Awesome! Did you already ask Mom and Dad?"

    Zeke nodded. "Yep. Have money for gas and food too." He headed for the front door. "Let''s go eat. Then we''ll come back to the house to change and grab some stuff."

    Noah and I followed obediently. There wasn''t too many fast food options near our house, but Zeke treated us to chicken tacos before taking us back to the house. Since tonight was a Giant''s game instead of A''s, I didn''t know what to wear. Noah didn''t hesitate to put on his A''s gear though.

    I raised an eyebrow. "The A''s are playing in Houston this weekend though..."

    Noah shrugged. "So? They''re the only team I''ll cheer for." He shivered. "You won''t ever catch me in a Giant''s jersey."

    I laughed. "Even if you have to play for them in the future?"

    "Don''t jinx me!" Noah threw a sweatshirt at my face. He mumbled. "I would beg for a trade or sign for less somewhere else."

    "You''re such a liar." I grabbed the sweatshirt and pocketed my phone. "You would play for anyone if given the chance."

    I shook my head. "I don''t think so. He probably didn''t like it, but it''s not like he lived super close to us." It was at least a two hour drive. I pursued my lips. Two hours to come see how I was doing. Two hours just to check up on me.

    "Jake?" Noah asked, bringing me out of my thoughts. "You good?"

    I nodded, clenching the sweatshirt I was holding. "Yea...just thinking." I headed for the door. "You ready?"

    "Yep!" Noah was decked out in green, yellow, and white, representing his favorite team with pride. We went downstairs and found Zeke waiting for us. We packed up some snacks and left.

    We met Rhys at the Giant''s stadium; a stadium I''ve only seen from the freeway. He was all smiles and didn''t even mind Noah''s choice in clothing. He gave us a tour, mainly for my benefit before taking us to a spot behind center field that was already cooking up burgers. Rhys and Zeke paid for burgers and drinks, then Rhys led us to a table that overlooked the field. The home team had already finished their batting practice, leaving the field to the visitors.

    Noah happily took pictures of us eating, or the field, of himself, and anything else that caught his interest. "Kyle is going to be so mad. This is the second time he has missed a game." Noah laughed, not feeling sorry for his brother at all.

    Rhys chuckled. "There''ll be more opportunities throughout the summer."

    "Do you want to go to A''s games with us too?" Noah asked. "Jeremy invites Jake every so often."

    Rhys looked to me.

    I nodded. "Yea, whenever our schedule lines up. He doesn''t care how many people I bring, I think."

    "Sure!" Rhys smiled. "I would never say no to baseball."

    "Are you preparing for your college career?" Noah asked, changing topics.

    Rhys nodded. "I''m feeling pretty good with how things are looking. My dad has found a good trainer that works with the team occasionally. Benefits of being a team employee family member, I guess." He showed off his arms. "You can''t even tell the difference between the two now."

    "Isn''t your pitching arm supposed to be bigger and stronger?" Noah was skeptical.

    Rhys waved his fist. "Youre about to feel how strong it is."

    The two goofed off, cracking jokes. Noah really acts like his little brother, a mix of the twins and Zeke put together. After eating, Rhys took us around the stadium again, telling us we had seats behind the home team dugout. It was a lot of walking, but I''m no longer the weakling from a couple months ago. This was nothing.

    We had fun watching the game even though it wasn''t the A''s. Zeke bought snacks generously, not even giving Noah a hard time for eating a second cotton candy. I even had an ice cream sandwich, matching the summer theme. It was another good memory made with Noah, Zeke, and Rhys.

    If we thought Zeke was nice Friday night, he turned into satan the next morning, making us keep the workout routine even though we had a softball game right after. With all the junk food from last night, little sleep, and an intense workout at dawn, it wasn''t any wonder why we weren''t in the best shape for the softball game. We were still able to pull out a win, but it wasn''t thanks to me or Noah.

    Julian carried the team by launching a homerun at every at-bat. As our designated homerun hitter, it was perfect.

    Even Mr. Miller was in a good mood. He invited all of us to go out for pizza and paid for it. The fun may have been on hold during our morning workouts, but it came back as the day went on. Mom and Dad came home earlier than normal and took us three out for dinner and a movie. Sunday morning''s workout was tough, but it was followed with some fun at the cages and the arcade. I was starting to get used to this pattern. This was the life I wanted to live from here on out.

 609 V2 ch81

    Alisha did her best to get close to Noah on Sunday, but with us being in a group, it just wasn''t ideal. Julian and Zeke hung back, acting more like supervisors than teens, but it was Andy acting like the third wheel. Or maybe...Alisha was the third wheel. Because Noah and Andy were more together than the rest of us, challenging each other in the cages and then pairing up for arcade games.

    "I wish Kaylee and KJ could have come." Alisha sighed. "Being the only girl is intimidating with Zeke and Julian hovering around us."

    I glanced back to where Zeke and Julian were sitting, holding a conversation that had each other''s attention. "That doesn''t look like hovering to me." And I knew hovering.

    "Okay, so I''m just annoyed that Andy is stealing away alone time I could be having with Noah." She sighed again.

    My lips twitched. Andy and Noah were both playing a game that only allowed for two players. I wasn''t any good and Alisha didn''t know how to play.

    "Invite him to do a game you''re good at." I told her. Noah has a competitive streak and would accept any challenge.

    "Hmm." She looked around. Then her eyes widened. I glanced to the spot she was looking at. ''DDR''. Dance Dance Revolution.

    This time I couldn''t help but laugh. "You want Noah to dance?"

    "Hey! It''s a game! With a clear winner and loser." She stated. She waited for her chance, grabbing Noah as soon as he was done with that game. She dragged him over to DDR, leaving Andy behind.

    Andy walked over to me, watching them. "Was she getting bored?"

    "Something like that." I shrugged.

    We watched in silence as the pair danced to the game music, trying to get all the steps. The trip ended with Zeke buying ice cream for everyone and then heading home.

    We didn''t slack one day for the morning workouts, running steadily, lifting weights, and doing ab exercises. The more we did, the closer I felt to Zeke and Noah. I used to struggle running up the hill, but now I could see their backs when I run downhill. I''m catching up.

    Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we went to our Spanish class with Mitchell. He had been in contact with the twins in a group chat, and had even planned to play with them on Thursday.

    Knowing that, Noah was quick to offer him a ride on Thursday, saying he could join us for lunch.

    Mitchell was grinning with excitement.

    Tuesday night was another softball game and another win. I could see some change in KJ''s pitching and knew she had been practicing all weekend. With her and Marie pitching, I think all opposing teams will have minimal chance at getting any hits.

    Wednesday night, Mom and Dad left after dinner to pick up the twins, leaving us on our own. We studied for Thursday''s test and went to bed without a reminder from Zeke.

    Zeke handed each of us a banana. "Eat up and we''ll go."

    "What about Dave and Kyle?" Noah asked. "They''re not coming?"

    Zeke held back a smile. "No. They didn''t get to bed until just a couple hours ago. They just came back from an intensive pitching camp, they deserve a day off. Maybe they''ll be awake before you go to class."

    They weren''t. Even after eating a bigger breakfast and taking showers, they didn''t stir at all. We left for school and they continued to sleep.

    Zeke went to the library as we walked on towards our class. Halfway there, we ran into Mitchell, who was lugging his baseball bag full of catchers gear.

    Noah laughed. "Shouldn''t you be able to carry that more comfortably? You wear it all the time, don''t you?"

    Mitchell looked helpless. "No, I''ve got an extra set in here."

    "Why?"

    He shrugged. "One is more new, but they''re both still in good condition. I don''t usually decide which to wear until right before."

    "So weird." Noah laughed.

    Mitchell carried the bag to the classroom and then pushed it into a corner so it wouldn''t be in the way. It wasn''t long before Mrs. Lorenz came in and started class, giving a helpful review, then passed out tests to take.

    Once the three of us were done, we headed for the library and met up with Zeke.

    "Thanks for the ride Zeke." Mitchell said politely when he got into the car.

    "Sure." Zeke replied.

    Mitchell sat stiffly in the car as if he wanted to be a statue.

    At the house, Zeke got out the fastest and went inside first, while Noah and I waited for Mitchell to carry in his baseball bag.

    "Are you afraid of Zeke?" Noah asked.

    "Not afraid." Mitchell answered, but he wasn''t very convincing.

    Noah shrugged and led the way.

    We walked into the house and were greeted with a very fragrant smell.

    "Lunch must be ready!!" Noah bolted and rushed to the dining room.

    My mouth watered as I wondered what the twins had prepared. I walked into the dining room and found that the table was already set, with lunch spread out. It was a pasta bar of sorts, offering different sauces with noodles. And then a mountain of garlic cheese bread.

    I was only in class for three hours, but it suddenly felt like days.

    "Jake! Did you miss us?!" Dave came out of the kitchen and threw an arm around my shoulders, guiding me to my seat.

    I nodded.

    Dave laughed as I sat down. Noah and Zeke were both already seated. Dave glanced around Mitchell, who had stopped. "Mitch! Come and sit down! Kyle and I cooked dinner. You don''t have anything planned for this afternoon, right? We''ll do some pitching after lunch."

    Mitchell put his bag down and sat in Mom''s seat. "Wow. Thanks. I didn''t expect you guys to cook so much."

    "It''s the least we can do." Kyle answered, coming into the room, holding some water bottles. He passed them out.

    "Wow, this is some A+ cooking!" Noah remarked as he started to load up his plate. "You guys sure know how to apologize."

    Dave glanced at Zeke.

    Zeke nodded. "Looks good." He started to serve himself as well.

    Seeing the eagerness of Noah and Zeke''s acceptance, the twins sat down in their own seats and also started to pile the pasta on their plates.

    Mitchell was the only one sitting politely and waited patiently for the us to grab our food first. Then he helped himself.

    "Don''t be stiff." Kyle told him. "We''re all teammates here. Friends."

    Mitchell nodded, still stiff.

    Noah laughed at him. "Come on, you weren''t this awkward in class. I know you want to work with the twins, but just treat them like Kelvin does."

    Mitchell made a face. "Kelvin was their senior."

    "Seniority doesn''t matter on the field." Zeke spoke up. "All that matters, is skill. And respect. If you want to be their catcher, then you have to be able to control them. You aren''t going to be able to control them if you''re scared of them."

    "You''re scared of us?" Dave looked eager and happy, like he was proud of himself for making someone scared.

    Mitchell shook his head. "Not scared. Just...slightly nervous. You guys are good. No. You all are great."

 610 V2 ch82

    Mitchell was practically feeding into the twins ego. They were put into an extra good mood, laughing merrily at Mitchell''s expense.

    Noah couldn''t see whatever Mitchell saw in the twins, so he changed the topic, asking the twins about their camp. The twins had no problem telling us all about their trip, happy with how it went. Apparently scouts were present at the camp, and although they didn''t speak to any, some of the staff said they could expect a call or email in the future.

    "What kind of scouts?" Noah asked. "College scouts? Or MLB scouts?"

    "MLB." Dave grinned. "Pitchers are always in high demand."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I bet you don''t get a call."

    "I''d be fine with an email." Kyle shrugged, unbothered. "The fact that they saw us workout and pitch simulated games really blows my mind." He glanced at Zeke. "Also makes me want to workout even harder in the mornings."

    "Yea, because you weren''t as good as me in the simulated game." Dave laughed.

    Kyle frowned at him. "I only gave up one more run than you did."

    "Booo!" Noah cheered. "You suck. You can''t even beat Dave."

    Dave looked at Noah. "Punk, don''t think I won''t tickle you until you pee your pants."

    Noah scrunched up his nose. "Can''t you grow up? Stop treating me like I''m five."

    "Stop acting like you''re five and then we''ll talk." Dave joked.

    With this lighthearted atmosphere, Mitchell got more comfortable at the table. He helped himself to seconds and even shared a few words about his catchers training that he was doing. Dave and Kyle were more interested in what he had to say, probably because they understood the terminology. Noah didn''t care and I didn''t have a clue what any of the drills were so it was rather boring for us.

    After lunch, we cleaned up as the twins and Mitchell went to the back yard. By the time we finished doing the dishes and taking out the trash, Mitchell was deck out in his gear and the twins were arguing over who got to pitch first.

    "Just flip a coin." Noah suggested, sitting on the step of the back porch, stretching his legs out to the grass. He looked over at me as I sat down. "You think they would stop fighting over such trivial things by now."

    I grinned. "Like you would give up the chance to go first."

    Noah revealed a crooked grin. "I''d still flip a coin. It might be a double-sided coin though."

    I laughed. Noah didn''t even like losing coin flips.

    It was eventually decided that Kyle would go first, then Dave. Dave recruited Noah for some simple throwing go warmup so he could get more out of his time with Mitchell. Kyle frowned at him.

    "Stop looking at me. You''re wasting your time." Dave chuckled.

    Noah had jumped up and ran inside, then back to us outside in record time. He wasn''t one to lose and he wasn''t one to pass up a chance to throw the baseball around.

    Ha glanced at me.

    I gave a small smile.

    He nodded then went back to work on his laptop.

    We sat peacefully together as the others played. After Noah helped Dave to warm up, they stood side-by-side and heckled Kyle as he started to get serious. Kyle was in the zone though, and didn''t pay them any attention. He was completely focused on his movements and throwing perfectly to Mitchell''s glove.

    After fifty serious pitches, him and Dave switched. Kyle and Noah both came back to us, also sitting at the table.

    "Those were some good pitches." Kyle complimented himself. "I feel like I could pitch complete games from here on out. The only thing that will be able to pull me from the mound is the rain."

    Noah scoffed. "And Coach. And you know...the rules for pitching limits. You''ll have to share time with Dave and Garret so don''t get too attached to the mound."

    "I know." Kyle said simply. "I''m just saying." He sighed as he watched Dave pitch. "I don''t want to have any regrets my senior season. Not like this past month. Losing out on the chance to pitch in the finals."

    "You have some pretty tough competition." Zeke said without looking up. "Never mind the fact that you guys might not make it to the finals next year. It''s hard to do back-to-back repeats."

    "We''ll do it!" Noah declared, excited. "We still have the twins and Garret pitching."

    "What about relief?" Zeke looked up. "James won''t be there to close out the games. Plus, you''ll lose some senior starters: me, Mahki, Kelvin, and Julian. There''s going to be some fierce competition in the fall."

    "I''m more worried about offense." Kyle sighed. "Without you, who will be our big hitter? Jake? He has only hit one official homerun. We need someone to bring the runners home."

    "There''s Garret." Noah said.

    Kyle shook his head. "We can''t keep relying on him for everything. He''ll get burned out."

    "It''ll be up too you guys to lighten the load for him." Zeke told him. "Maybe you should take your batting more seriously."

    Kyle twisted his lips. "Ehhh, I was thinking doing more on the mound."

    Zeke didn''t reply and focused on the work in front of him. Kyle and Noah continued to talk about good options to replace our teammates that had graduated. Noah was really adamant at getting Andy to be a top pick, talking about how proficient he was in baseball.

    Kyle has seen Andy in action so he knew a little about what Noah was telling him. "I understand why you want him on the team with you, but it''s really rare for freshmen to make the varsity team. You were the first one to do it in forever and that''s because of your skill at fielding. Then Jake followed that up with superior batting. Being proficient isn''t good enough. Look at Zeke. He was great his freshman year and couldn''t cut it either."

    Noah slumped in his seat. "True..."

    "There''s always a chance though." Zeke said. "Coach isn''t shy about using younger players. He''s just got to beat a hundred other players for the right to make it to the team."

    The conversation went on until Dave''s turn was up and the twins switched spots. We watched for a couple of hours until Mitchell got tired.

    He massaged his knees while sitting on his butt, stretched out, looking like he just ran half a marathon. Tired, yet completely satisfied. "This was great! Maybe next time we can have a simulated game at the park? When''s the next time you guys can play again?"

    Kyle scratched his head. "Well...we leave again in two days so unless you can play tomorrow?"

    "No! We have a pool party to go to tomorrow!" Noah interjected. He grinned at Mitchell. "You don''t have to push yourself to catch for these two bozos. Look at how swollen your knees are. Between your own training and catching for the twins, you can''t tell me that you aren''t sore."

    Mitchell laughed, feeling a little self-conscious. "Okay, I''ll wait until they get back again."

    "But-" Dave was hesitant.

    "Give him a break." Noah told him.

 611 V2 ch83

    After denying Mitchell the chance to catch for the twins tomorrow, he contacted his dad to arrange a pick up. We gave him some water to hydrate and hung out a little longer until his dad showed up in the driveway. We waved and watched him go.

    "You know..." Dave looked at Noah, a little suspicious. "If we don''t play with Mitch tomorrow, he won''t be able to catch for us again for another week and a half?"

    Noah shrugged. "So? You''re here most of August." He nonchalantly headed for the stairs. "I''ve got to go change into my softball shirt. Jake, come on."

    I obediently followed.

    "Hold it." Dave''s demand made me stop. Noah too. "Shouldn''t you be explaining this pool party to me? I just passed out on pitching to a great workout partner."

    Noah shrugged. "Alisha invited the team for a pool party on Friday. Zeke still has to focus on his online class so I thought it would be nice of us to get out of the house. Julian and Andy might go too."

    "Oh, okay..." Dave nodded.

    "Wait! Not okay." Kyle said, frowning. "Doesn''t that mean Kaylee and KJ would go?"

    "Yea, of course." Noah nodded. "It''d be weird if Alisha was the only girl."

    Kyle shook his head. "Kaylee might be mad at me because of the thing with Marie. You should just have Dave take you guys."

    "I''m not going." I spoke up. The twins were surprised. "I have a doctor appointment in Santa Cruz. Dad is going to take me. We won''t be home for lunch."

    "Just come to the pool with us." Noah told Kyle. "I promise Kaylee won''t be mean to you. I can''t believe you''re so scared of her."

    I looked at Noah. This liar. Kaylee is very scary. And...he may have promised that Kaylee won''t be mean, but he''s omitting the fact that Marie will be invited too. He''s playing with fire.

    Kyle hesitated. "Well, maybe then."

    Noah motioned for me to follow him. We jogged up the stairs and went to the safety of our room. Noah started to change shirts and I did the same.

    "Kyle is going to be so mad at you tomorrow." I mumbled, tugging the bright blue shirt over my head.

    "Or he''ll be excited to reconnect. You never know." Noah grinned. "Kyle seems to be in a better place, mentally. Maybe he''ll want to start dating Marie again after seeing her."

    "Or she and Kaylee gang up on him and kill him." I shivered. "I can''t believe you said Kaylee wasn''t mean."

    "I didn''t say that." Noah chuckled. "I said I can''t believe he''s scared of her. Especially when the one he should be scared of is Marie. And I''ll talk to her tonight about being nice to Kyle. It''ll work out."

    "If you think so..."

    We finished getting ready and met up with Zeke downstairs. He was already dressed and typing away on his phone.

    "Who are you texting?" Noah tried to peek.

    Noah split away to go grab some bottles from the kitchen while we headed for the car. We put the baseball bags in the trunk, but right before getting in the car, Zeke held me back.

    "W-What is it?" I asked, kind of nervous.

    Zeke gave a small smile. "Nothing to be worry about. I just wanted to know more about your thoughts on the Stanford came at the end of July."

    "What about it?" I asked, confused.

    "You''re uncomfortable in strange places and I know you''re only going to this camp for Noah''s sake. If you don''t want to go, you don''t have to." He told me. "I''m working with Coach Leroy on signing you two up so I want to know if you''re sure. Do you want to go?"

    I shrugged. "I''ll go. It''s not really a ''want'' though. But, I feel safe knowing that I''ll room with Noah. And you''ll be there."

    Zeke looked me in the eyes. "Do you like playing baseball?"

    I froze.

    "I''ve got the water!" Noah came jogging out towards us.

    "Let me know." Zeke said before getting into the driver''s seat.

    Noah reached the car and put his bag and the water in the trunk. "Hey, what were you guys talking about?"

    "Stanford camp. If I''ll be okay." I told him half of it.

    Noah nodded, understanding. "It''ll be fun! I promise. We''ll get a taste of what it''ll be like to be in college." He got in the front seat.

    I climbed into the back.

    Noah held a one-sided conversation until our first stop, at Alisha''s. Then the conversation shifted about plans for tomorrow, with Alisha telling him that his parents promised to order pizza for lunch. Kaylee and KJ were picked up along the way, with the pool party being at the forefront of the conversation. Noah explained to Kaylee that she couldn''t be mean to Kyle and she snorted in reply. Eventually agreeing after Noah explained Kyle''s hesitation in joining them tomorrow.

    At the field, Noah invited Andy and Julian to tomorrow''s party.

    Andy looked back to Julian.

    Julian looked apologetic. "I have to make a trip to Fresno State to meet up with my new coach."

    Noah looked to Andy. "And you''re going with him? Or just staying at home? Don''t your parents work?"

    Andy shrugged. "I''ll just go with him. Small road trip."

    "Just hang out with us!" Noah told him, excited. "Jake has stuff to do too. We''re both being ditched by our brothers! Two peas in a pod."

    I tried not to laugh. "You invited the twins..." Not just invited, but practically forcing them to go.

    Noah waved his hand. "They''ll be busy. Or at least, Kyle will be." He looked to Andy. "Come on, more the merrier."

    Andy glanced at Julian.

    Julian smiled warmly. "Go. Have fun. Being stuck in the car for a few hours or hanging out at the pool. You shouldn''t even hesitate on what to pick."

    "Yea! And we''re ordering pizza for lunch!" Alisha added.

    Julian turned to Zeke. "I''ll drop Andy off at your house before I go in the morning? Then either pick him up from your house or Alisha''s?"

    "Yea." Zeke nodded.

    Plans were made and the game was about to begin. It was another older team so it was a fun filled night. We switched up the positions and even Mr. Miller got to pitch a few innings. Andy really wanted to try it out but Mr. Miller didn''t give him the chance. He was too busy having fun throwing up high lob balls to the other team, giving them a chance to hit.

    After the game, Zeke drove the girls to their homes and then took us home. On the table for dinner, instead of a home cooked meal, it was full of Chinese takeout. Apparently the twins used up all of Mom''s pasta, and that''s what she had planned to cook for dinner. It worked out though. I''ve never tried Chinese food so it was a new experience.

 612 V2 ch84

    Friday morning was the same old routine. After a slightly bigger breakfast, Dad and I left the house, leaving the boys on their own. Noah waved as Dad drove away from the house. I watched him until we turned the corner and he was out of sight.

    "Are you sad that you can''t go to the small get-together at Alisha''s?" Dad asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

    "No." I shook my head. I''m actually happy not going. I don''t want to take my shirt off. I can''t swim. And...there might be some drama today. "I was just thinking that Noah might get beaten up today."

    Dad glanced at me. "What?!"

    "Kaylee invited Marie. Noah didn''t tell Kyle." I quickly explained, not intending to distract him from driving.

    He chuckled. "Teenagers and young love. It''s a hit or miss, but most don''t work out."

    "Do you think it''ll work out between Kyle and Marie?" I asked, wanting to know an adults opinion on the matter.

    "I''m not sure." He replied honestly. "They''re both at a crossroad in their lives. They''re both excellent athletes and have bright futures. Teens are messy though. They might think they want something one second, and then change their mind. Just look at Zeke. He was set on going pro, but changed his mind. It''s even more complicated when girls and live are involved."

    "Alisha likes Noah." I told him.

    "Oh? How does Noah feel about that?" He asked, not sounding surprised.

    I shrugged. "I don''t think he knows."

    "You didn''t tell him?" Dad was surprised about that.

    I shrugged again. "In the beginning I didn''t know. Zeke said don''t bother saying anything about it, but Alisha is trying a little harder." Last weekend we went to the arcade and cages, and now this weekend she invited him over for a pool party. "Do you think I should tell him?"

    "Nah." He waved his hand carelessly. "Noah will either get the hint, or Alisha will be more straightforward. Let it happen naturally. Didn''t you guys help Marie get with Kyle? That didn''t turn out so well, now did it?"

    I shook my head. "Relationships are so complicated."

    He laughed. "That doesn''t change the older you get." He glanced at me. "Do you have anyone you like?"

    I shook my head.

    "That''s perfectly fine too."

    "Is it..?"

    He let out a small laugh. "Yea. Look at Zeke and Dave. No girls around them either. And, if you really want to know...I didn''t have a girlfriend in high school either."

    I stayed silent for a minute. "...because of your dad and being homeless?"

    "Okay." I answered.

    "Okay." He repeated. "Alright, we''re here. Let''s go inside. We''re a little bit early, but we still have to fill out some paperwork." He turned off the car and got out.

    I followed.

    The medical office building had a list of names right at the entryway, and listed the correct floor and room number. Dad found the name, the floor, and the room number. I trailed after him, getting on the elevator and going up to the fourth floor. He went to the door and slowly opened it to reveal a small waiting room.

    "Hello! Welcome!" The receptionist greeted us in a friendly manner. "How can I help you today?"

    "Hi, we have a 9:30am appointment with Dr. Griffiths." Dad went up to the counter to check me in.

    She replied. "For Jake, correct?" He nodded. "Great. Just sign here. Fill out this and hand it over to me when you''re done." She handed him a clipboard and a pen.

    Dad accepted the items and sat down. I sat with him. He smoothly filled out all my information from birthdate, reason for coming in, insurance information, and my medical history. I would claim that he knows more about me than I know about me. I stared in amazement.

    Dad caught me looking when he finished. He gave me a smile before taking the paperwork back to the receptionist.

    "Great, thanks." She accepted the clipboard. "Now for the first consultation, there is a $150 fee that doesn''t go through the insurance. Are you prepared to pay for that today or would you like to set up a payment plan?"

    $150! I gulped, suddenly feeling like I had swallowed a rock.

    "I''m ready." Dad pulled out his wallet and then handed her a debit card. He didn''t even hesitate or stress about the amount.

    She ran the card, he signed the receipt, and she gave him a copy of the receipt.

    "Thanks." She repeated. "Go ahead and take a seat. The nurse will come to get you two in a few minutes."

    "Thanks." Dad told her before coming back to his seat next to me. He sat down and glanced at me. "What''s wrong?"

    "I didn''t know...that this would cost so much..." I mumbled, feeling guilty.

    "Hey, don''t be like that." Dad reached over to rub the top of my head. "We''re family. I would never not spend money on my boys. Especially on something so small like a doctor''s appointment." He smiled.

    I didn''t feel any better. "$150 is a lot though..." It''s like a brand new bat. A couple of set of clothing. A lot of food.

    His smile didn''t falter. "No way, it''s peanuts compared to the plane tickets we''ve been buying for the twins. Never mind the camps that they attend. You think it''s a lot because of your perception when it''s not even 10% of what we''ve spent on the twins. All of you kids have different needs. A doctors appointment for you. Camps and flights for the twins. Zeke needed help paying for some textbooks."

    "What about Noah?" I asked. I don''t want Noah to be left out. Am I spending his allotted money?

    "It''s not like everyone has to spend the same amount." Dad explained. "Right now, Noah doesn''t need anything. But maybe in a few months he''ll need, I don''t know...some money for the arcade. We try to be fair all around. Necessities like textbooks and doctor appointments don''t have a limit. Maybe Noah will need braces, that''ll cost a lot too, but it''s not something to feel bad about."

    "Oh..." I guess that makes sense.

    He gave me another pat on the head. "You don''t have to worry about our finances. Just be a kid."

    "What about the camp that Kyle wants to go to?" I asked. They worried about paying for that.

    He sighed. "That was different. We weren''t talking about hundreds of dollars. We were talking about thousands. That''s when we have to decide if it''s a necessity, if not then we have to check the numbers to see if we can afford it. You, Noah, and Zeke staying home for the summer definitely made it a little better."

    I nodded, starting to understand.

    "Jake Hollander?" A young woman opened a door and called for me.

    I stood up. As did Dad.

    She smiled at the two of us. "Ready to go back?"

    Dad nodded. He took the lead and I followed.

 613 V2 ch85

    She led us to a small room and gave the medical table a pat. "Take a seat, Jake. Jake''s dad, you can sit over there." She pointed towards a regular chair in the corner.

    I got up on the table and started to get nervous.

    The nurse started to go through the basics, taking my vitals like temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. She typed the numbers on a computer at the desk, sitting in a small rolling chair. She glanced at me when she was done. "And what is the main reason for your visit today?"

    I looked to Dad. He gave me a nod. I took a deep breath and told the nurse. "I want...to get some scars removed."

    "Can I take a look?" She asked, scooting closer to me.

    I froze, gripping the edges of my shirt.

    "Jake''s a little shy." Dad spoke up. "We''ll wait for Dr. Griffiths to take a look first."

    "Alrighty then." She stood up. "He''ll be in with you shortly." She left the room, closing the door behind her.

    I sighed with relief.

    "I think it would be good if you saw Dr. Moore again. Maybe start going back once a week." Dad suggested.

    I looked to him, surprised. "But, I''m better."

    He gave a small smile, looking a little sad. "I know you are, kiddo. But, he can still help you. You''re making progress. Significant progress. I just want what''s best for you." His smile drop from his face. "The nurse is a professional, yet you were still scared and insecure to show her what''s wrong. You''re not letting others do their job. It''s not a big deal, but I''m afraid for what that will look like in the future. Will you be afraid of all women nurses and doctors? Will you refuse treatment even though it could be a dangerous situation. I''m worried about you."

    "Okay." I swallowed the lump in my throat.

    We waited a couple of minutes in silence before there was a knock at the door. Then an older gentleman came in, wearing glasses and a friendly smile. "Good morning everyone. I''m Dr. Griffiths. I understand that Jake is here for scar removal?" He closed the door and sat on the small chair that the nurse vacated. He rolled closed to the examination table and looked me in the eyes.

    I nodded.

    "Alright. I''ll need to take a look." He said calmly.

    I took off my shirt and showed him the worst of it.

    His expression didn''t change in the slightest. He just nodded a little, squinted, and got up to look at my backside. He made eye contact with me. "Do you mind if I touch a few of them?"

    "Okay." I sat up and tried to stay calm.

    He ran his fingers across a few of the bigger ones, especially around my rib cage. "Do any of them hurt?"

    I shook my head. "Not really. Sometimes I''ll think that it''s hurting, but then I''ll remember that it''s all healed."

    He nodded. "That might be something psychological. Do any of them itch?"

    I nodded once. "Some of them, but not all the time."

    Dad was surprised. "Treatments? As in, more than one?"

    Dr. Griffiths nodded. "Correct. Laser treatment isn''t just a one-and-done procedure. You''ll be able to see some improvement in the scars appearance after one treatment, but for the best results, I always suggest multiple treatments. Especially for a case like Jake''s. It''s also important to note that the scars won''t disappear. They''ll always be there, but won''t stand out as much. Laser treatment have also been known to reduce pain and itch even though that''s not one of your main reasons for removal."

    "Is it only a minuscule improvement?" Dad asked, frowning.

    Dr. Griffiths shook his head. "It varies. The type of scar and the skin play a role in the treatment." He looked at me. "The redness will go down on those few scars. We''ll be able to smooth out the more bumpy ones. Nothing is a 100% guarantee, but if it''s just the appearance you''re concerned about, I can definitely help you."

    "That''s great to hear." Dad answered for me. "Jake is insecure about his scars so any improvement at all should help. What''s the next step?"

    "Schedule a laser treatment with our nurse. We can start as soon as next month. It''s nothing too painful, but I would recommend having some Tylenol on hand for the next few days. And then every other month we can revisit and do our best to help the scars fade and heal."

    "Sounds like a plan." Dad agreed.

    Dr. Griffiths stood up. "Great. I''ll send in the nurse to schedule your next appointment." He went over to shake Dad''s hand and then came over to me. I gave my hand and he gave it a single shake before heading for the door. "I''ll see you next month."

    He left, leaving me alone with Dad. I turned to him. "So...it''ll get better? Even though it won''t disappear?"

    Dad nodded. "Yes."

    The nurse came in, cutting off any other questions I had. "Hi, I heard we''re scheduling a first-time laser treatment in here?"

    We nodded.

    "Alright, here''s some information to have before you show up for that appointment." She started handing Dad some sheets of paper, explaining what each one is. Then with his instructions, she schedule me an appointment for the middle of July. We spent more time with her than the doctor, but Dad didn''t seem upset by that fact.

    We finished up with the nurse and were out of the office by 11am. We walked to the car and got in. Dad already had a spot picked out for lunch, and I didn''t mind. It was a cafe on the beach, so we ate lunch with a view.

    I liked spending time with Dad. He didn''t force a conversation, yet was still easy to get along with. Kind of like a mix of Zeke and Noah.

    At one point, I brought up the fact that Jeremy doesn''t call Uncle Jack dad. I explained his reasoning and how I felt a little sad about it on his behalf.

    He nodded. "Makes sense. He loved his dad and probably grew up idolizing him. I was the same way. Even though my dad failed to live up to expectations, no one has ever replaced him. I''ve had father figures that I looked up to, but I couldn''t call someone ''dad''."

    This made me more uncomfortable. "So I shouldn''t call Mom ''mom'' anymore?"

    "Do what makes you happy." Dad told me. "I couldn''t be happy with a dad. I know ''mom'' is a sensitive topic for you, but the way you are with Mary, I think you''ll be happy with it."

    I nodded. "I am happy. I like your family."

    "Our family." He smiled.

    I nodded again. "Right. Our family."

 614 V2 ch86 Zeke talks to Jake

    We arrived back at the house in the early afternoon. The only one home was Zeke, who was working at the kitchen table with his books spread out around him. He looked up at us as we walked in. "How''d it go?"

    "Fine." Dad told him. "Next month we''ll try the laser treatment. He said we would see some improvement right away, but for better results, Jake will have to do it multiple times."

    Zeke frowned. "Is it painful?"

    Dad shook his head. "Not too bad. He might be sore for a day or two after, but nothing that aspirin can''t solve."

    Zeke looked to me. "Are you sure you want to do this? It shouldn''t matter how you look."

    "It''s about how he feels." Dad defended me. "Jake would feel more comfortable with the scars being less visible."

    Zeke shrugged. "Okay." He went back to his schoolwork.

    Dad looked around. "Still no boys?"

    "Nope." Zeke replied.

    "Your mom is already at work?"

    "Yep."

    Dad looked to me. "Well, I''ll go join her. Do you want to stay here with Zeke or be dropped off at Alisha''s?"

    "I''ll stay." I told him.

    I watched Dad go to his office, grabbed some papers, then left minutes after getting home. Feeling a little lonely, I looked to Zeke.

    Zeke felt me staring at him. He looked up from his work. "What do you want to do?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t know." Most of my time was spent with Noah. He would usually decide that we should watch some baseball games and I would just follow along.

    "Think about it and then let me know." Zeke told me before looking down at his schoolwork again.

    "Am I...supposed to just pick?" I asked, unsure of what he was saying.

    "Yea. Just tell me what you want to do and we''ll go do it." He didn''t look up.

    I thought it over. I don''t want to study Spanish on a Friday. I don''t really want to train or throw the ball around, but- "Can we go to the cages?"

    "Is that all you want to do?"

    "Yea..."

    "Okay, go grab your bag." Zeke closed his laptop and started to stack his books.

    I hurried to get my bag and came downstairs to see that Zeke had set his school stuff aside and was holding his own bag. We walked outside and it occurred to me...we didn''t have the car. I looked up at Zeke.

    "Let''s just walk." He said, walking in the direction of the place.

    I made a face, but still followed. The Arcade was only a couple miles away and took us an hour to get there. A part of me didn''t feel like hitting the ball anymore after such a long walk. I drank from the water fountain for a solid two minutes before straightening up.

    Zeke showed some of the coins used for the cages. "Still want to play?"

    We paused for a break after I ran out of coins, going inside for another drink from the water fountain. Zeke and I awkwardly stood around, waiting for I don''t know what.

    He looked down at me, expectant. "What next?"

    I shrugged. "Whatever."

    Zeke sighed. "Let''s go get ice cream." I couldn''t understand why he sounded so defeated as I followed him to the snackbar area. We went through the line, both getting a single scoop on a cone. Then I followed him to an empty table.

    I sat down across from him, licking my ice cream in peace.

    "Jake." Zeke said.

    I looked up at him. "Yea?"

    "Have you thought about my question from yesterday?"

    I frowned. "What question?"

    "Do you like playing baseball?"

    I froze. "Oh. That one."

    He waited.

    I shrugged. "I guess so."

    "What do you like about it?"

    I was taken aback by the follow-up question. "Umm, hitting. Uh, I like playing with you guys. And...winning..?"

    Zeke''s expression didn''t change. "Is that it?"

    "..." I nodded.

    "You know Jake, you don''t have to play on the team if you don''t want to." Zeke said out of nowhere. My jaw dropped. "You said you like hitting, but you seem like you have more fun at the cages. And you can still play with us at home. As for winning...don''t try to fool me. I know you only like winning because it makes the rest of us happy."

    I froze. "You want to kick me off the team?"

    Zeke gave a small smile and shook his head. "No, I want you to be happy."

    I frowned. "But, I''m happy on the team."

    "Happy on the team or happy to play with Noah?" Zeke questioned. "I can''t tell if you actually like playing baseball. It doesn''t matter too much, but if you have other interests then I want you to go find it. I don''t want you to feel forced to play baseball anymore. I know I make you run in the mornings for endurance training, but do you genuinely want to improve your playing? Or are you just blindly listening to me?"

    I scratched my head, feeling a headache coming on. "I want to play with Noah. And the twins and you. I''m getting better at running. I like feeling stronger than before." I rubbed my temples.

    "Let me put it this way, would you play baseball without us?"

    "Do I have to?" I cringed.

    "Jake, do you want to? Do you want to keep playing baseball even if we can''t play with you on the same team?" Zeke pressed. "I''m at college. Soon the twins will leave high school too. You''ll still have Noah, but no one knows what will happen after high school."

    "If no one knows, then why are you asking me?!" I snapped, raising my voice. The ice cream had crumbled in my fist, making a mess. I looked up at Zeke. "I want to play for right now; isn''t that good enough? I like playing now. I like Coach, Mr. Miller, Garret, Julian, Jason, and the others. It''s not just you guys."

    Zeke got up and grabbed some napkins and wet wipes so I could clean my hands. He started to clean the table. "I don''t know if you like anything else." He said lightly. "I don''t want you to feel obligated to follow us all the time. You didn''t want to go to the party so that was step one. I won''t stop you from trying anything new or if you have something you want to do. Like, if you want to try out for football in the fall, I''ll be on your side."

    I made a face. "I don''t want to play football."

    "Golf. Tennis. Cross country. There are also non sport options. Painting. Reading. Writing."

    I shrugged. "I like hitting the ball with a bat. Isn''t that good enough for now? It''s good enough for me." It''s what made me relax when I lived with the devil. I don''t have any plans to change.

    Zeke stared at me for a minute, before saying, "Okay. You''re right. If you ever want to change something or try something new, don''t hesitate to tell us."

    I nodded.

 615 V2 ch87

    Zeke stopped pestering me and I regained my inner peace. Instead of walking home, he called Dave to see if they were home yet and if one of them could pick us up. Apparently he said yes, because Zeke told me we would wait out front.

    "I didn''t mean to be pushy." Zeke told me after a minute of silence. "I didn''t know what I wanted to do after my freshman year in high school either, so I did what I was good at."

    "You''re doing what you want to do now though, right?" I asked. He had picked college over the MLB.

    He nodded. "I am. Doesn''t mean that there won''t be challenges. I just want you to know sooner than I did, that there are options."

    I smirked. "Dad says that too. You just don''t listen."

    Zeke let out an abrupt laugh. "Yea...I wasn''t a very good listener, but I''m trying to change that."

    "So you''ll listen when I say I don''t like waking up early?" I asked.

    He lifted an eyebrow. "You don''t want to become a better baseball player?"

    I looked out to the parking lot, feeling something stirring within me. "Okay. I do think I''m getting stronger and faster thanks to your early morning workouts."

    Zeke smiled. "Even if you were to quit baseball, I would still take you running. It''s good for your mental and physical health."

    I rolled my eyes. Typical.

    Dave showed up after a couple of minutes. The other two weren''t inside the car so Zeke sat in the front passenger seat and I sat behind him.

    "You left Kyle and Noah at home?" Zeke asked.

    Dave nodded. "It would have been too much of a hassle." He started to drive us home. "Did you guys know that Marie was going to be there today?"

    Zeke and I didn''t speak.

    Dave glanced at Zeke. "You could have at least told me. She''s not my ex!"

    "It didn''t go well?" Zeke asked, unbothered.

    Dave laughed. "Oh. You don''t even know! Wait until we get home." Dave refused to tell us anymore, and continued to laugh to himself until we got to the house. We three went inside the house together, and it was completely silent.

    "Did they kill each other?" Dave was surprised. "It was world war three when I left." He took a look in the kitchen and then in the living room. "I don''t see them. Should we be scared?"

    "Probably in their own rooms." Zeke said, hitting the stairs.

    I followed. I had to put my bag in my room anyways. I was going to do some cleaning and maintenance of my bats.

    Dave was right behind me, probably still looking for the other two.

    As soon as Zeke hit the top step, he paused. I stopped as well and saw Kyle. Dave was the first to laugh, earning a glare from his twin as he walked down the hall. We three moved to the side to let Kyle pass as he wanted to go downstairs.

    Zeke glanced at Dave once Kyle was all the way downstairs, headed for the kitchen. "Did Noah do that?"

    "Marie?" Zeke was surprised.

    "Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner." Dave moved past us to head for his room. "Wait until you hear the story."

    Zeke followed after him.

    I glanced down the hall to see my bedroom door was shut so I went with Dave and Zeke to hear the ''story'' behind Kyle''s swollen eye.

    "So we show up to Alisha''s with Andy, everything go well until the girls showed up. Marie brought KJ and Kaylee, throwing me and Kyle for a loop." Dave started to explain. "At first things were awkward, but the pizza arrived so it really cooled down. I thought, hey this isn''t so bad. Eventually we move to the pool and start having some fun, just swimming and tossing a ball around."

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "Get to the part where Kyle gets a black eye."

    "Fine, fine." Dave said. "At some point Marie and Kyle separate from us, talking on their own, off to the side. Noah thought it would be funny if he threw the volleyball at them. And it was. Marie saw it first and lifted her hands to catch it, but then Kyle reacted. A collision of the two, with Marie ending up on top. Her elbow landed perfectly on his face, right below the eye."

    "So Kyle isn''t mad about Noah inciting Marie? He''s mad at him for throwing the ball?" I asked.

    Dave pointed at me. "Yep!"

    Zeke rolled his eyes and went to the bathroom.

    I guess as long as no one intentionally hurt Kyle, then it''s okay. I shrugged and headed for my room. I opened the door and found Noah sitting at the desk, playing a video game. My lips twitched at the sight.

    Noah turned, hearing me. "Oh, hey Jake. Like my new haircut?"

    "Haircut..?" There was no hair left. Noah had a complete buzz cut!

    Noah chuckled as he patted his head. "I got into some trouble today."

    "I''ve heard." I put my bag down and got a closer look. "Did Kyle do this?"

    "No. Marie did. At Alisha''s." Noah gave me the full version of what had happened, not too upset about his lack of hair. From the way he told it, you would think he wanted the haircut.

    But at dinner time, he grabbed one of his A''s hats and put it on before going downstairs. Mom and Dad were flabbergasted at the sight of Kyle''s black eye and Noah''s haircut.

    Mom put a hand to her head. "Is this what I''ll have to expect when Zeke goes off to college? How did this happen? Why did this happen? What about tomorrow?" She looked to Kyle, worried.

    Kyle finished chewing a bite of his dinner. "It''ll be fine. This weekend is the college visit. We''ll only show some skills, with the focus being on seeing the school. The swelling should go down by the next camp."

    "I''ve got a son with pink hair and another son with a black eye." Mom sighed. "You two are going to be the death of me."

    "Hey!" Dave was offended. "My hair is only a tinge of pink. I can wear a hat next week, when you and Dad join us for the 4th of July."

    Mom looked to Dad. "I think we made a mistake. We should have stayed with the younger boys. These two are a lost hope."

    Dad laughed. "C''mon Mary, it''s not that bad. It''ll be fun for us to get away for a couple of days and spend it with the twins. Maybe instill some responsibility on the pair." He looked to Zeke. "Have you planned anything for the holiday?"

    Zeke shrugged. "Rhys said we can come over for a bbq, but the giants are playing an away game." He looked to me. "We''ll be in the Bay Area on Thursday next week. Want to see if Jeremy will let us come to the game? It might be tough since it''s a popular game to go to."

    "I''ll ask." I answered. Rhys has taken us to games so it''d be nice if I could return the favor.

    "That''s a relief, knowing that you boys will be at Rhys'' for the 4th." Mom smiled. "I''ll give you a few extra dollar to do the small fireworks in the street."

    "Sparklers too!" Noah told her. "We have to give Jake the full experience."

    Mom looked at him. "Okay. But first, let me see your hair to make sure it''s even."

    Noah frowned but abided, lifting his hat.

    Mom laughed. "Not bad. At least I don''t have to pay for your haircut before school starts." She looked to me. "Jake, you''ll need a haircut soon too. Gotta get the hair out of your eyes." She started to make plans, suggesting a place that she could take me to this weekend.

 616 V2 ch88

    Saturday morning, the twins were packed up once more and at the door, after I returned from my run. Zeke and Noah were saying their goodbyes even though they were still sweating. I was the last to join the group.

    Dave have the top of my head a pat. "See you in a couple of weeks, Bambi."

    I brushed his hand away. "Have a safe trip." I glanced at Kyle and then back at Dave. "Play well."

    Kyle reached for me and pulled me into a playful headlock. "Why do you make it sound like we don''t usually play well?!?"

    "Because to Jake, you''re trash!" Noah laughed.

    Kyle let go of me and turned his attention to Noah, but Noah saw it coming and took off sprinting.

    Dave looked down at me. "You don''t really think that we''re trash, do you?"

    I shook my head. "I think you guys are good. All of you."

    "Suck up!" Noah hollered at me while being chased.

    "Have fun." Zeke gave Dave a pat on the shoulder before going in the house.

    Mom and Dad both came out at the same time. They had decided to take the day off to drive the twins to the airport and then would spend some time in the city before coming back for dinner. Mom got Kyle to stop chasing Noah, and they started to pack the car with the suitcases and baseball bags. Dave and Kyle got into the backseat and waved. Noah and I waved back. Dad got into the driver''s seat and started the car. Mom got in and off they went.

    "This trip is going to be even longer." Noah sighed, kicking the step of the front porch. "Plus, Mom and Dad will leave us for a few days to join them. So boring."

    "We get to go see Rhys." I tried to comfort him. "And maybe an A''s game on the same day?"

    He looked to me, a little happier. "Have you asked Jeremy yet?"

    I shook my head. "Day game today in the Midwest. I''ll call him after our game. Maybe after lunch."

    Noah nodded, understanding that Jeremy has a busy schedule. We both went in the house and started to get ready for the game; not even bothering to shower since we''ll just get sweaty again.

    We picked up the girls on the way, with Alisha and Kaylee making fun of Noah''s haircut the whole way to the field. KJ and I just laughed. The happy atmosphere followed us to the game and continued on as we had fun playing softball with an older team again. Afterwards, Zeke treated everyone to pizza, including Stu and Mr. Miller. It was a little sad when it was over and we had to take the girls home.

    "Did you notice that Kaylee was in such a good mood today?" Noah asked me when we were back in our room, freshly showered.

    I nodded. "I thought she was nicer today." There were no snide remarks or comments about us.

    "I think it''s because Kyle and Marie had a good time yesterday despite the black eye incident." He rubbed the stubble left on his head. "They bonded over shaving my head with the others help. Small price to pay."

    "I''m willing to set up Kyle and Marie again to keep Kaylee in a good mood." Noah corrected.

    I shrugged. "We should just stay out of it. Let them be. Kyle has been on an emotional rollercoaster lately." Highs and lows. He''s been in a better mood lately and I rather keep that going.

    Noah sighed. "So true. There are only a few more weeks of softball so I could handle it if Kaylee got all mean again. She''s pretty moody and emotional too. Nothing like Alisha, who is always happy. Why can''t more girls be like her?"

    My lips twitched. "I''m going to call Jeremy now."

    "Sure!" He left the room to give me some privacy.

    I pulled out my cellphone and pressed on his contact. It rung a few times before he answered.

    "Hey, Jake, how''s it going?" Jeremy asked.

    "Good." Everything was good. There wasn''t any real complaints in my life. "I heard you got picked as a starter for All-Stars. Congratulations."

    "Yea! Yea, it''s been a wild ride this year." He paused. "Do you want to go..? It''s in Cleveland. In a couple of weeks."

    I blinked, surprised at the sudden invite.

    "If you don''t want to...then that''s fine..." He mumbled.

    "No! I mean, yes. I mean..." I took a deep breath. "I would like to, but I still have my class to go to. And there''ll be softball games."

    "Oh. I get it. Sure." He paused again.

    Seeing my opportunity, I cleared my throat to speak up. "Actually, I was calling today to see your plans for the 4th of July? Thursday? I know you have a game..."

    "Want to come?" He asked, a little more lively again. "I can get a hold of some tickets for you and the Atkins."

    "It actually won''t be all of us." I told him. "The twins will be visiting a college this weekend, and then Mom and Dad will fly out to them to spend the holiday together, then the twins will go to another camp."

    "So you''ll be alone with just Zeke and Noah?" He asked.

    I shook my head, but then realized he couldn''t see me. "We''re going to Zeke''s friends house in the Bay Area. Rhys. His dad is the pitching coach for the Giants. He''s taken us to a few games so I was hoping you would let me...invite him too?" I got quiet as I waited for Jeremy''s reply.

    "Oh, sure. It''s no problem. Just you four then?" He asked.

    "Yea."

    "It''s a night game, so you''re just going to do fireworks during the day?" He asked.

    I shrugged. "Probably, I guess. I''ve never lit fireworks before."

    "It can be dangerous so maybe you should let Zeke do it, if he''s experienced. I don''t want to hear that you got burned or blew off a finger or something" He sounded worried. "I don''t want you to miss out on some fun, but be safe."

    "Okay. I will." I promised.

    He sighed. "I think I sound more like a parent than a brother sometimes."

    I grinned. "Nah. Zeke and you are similar."

    "Well...we are closer in age." Jeremy laughed a little. "Anything new with you?"

    I hesitated, wondering if I should mention my scar removal treatment. Then decided against it. I didn''t want to bring up the past, nor did I want him to feel guilty anymore. We were in a good spot and I wanted us to stay this way. "I''m going to get a haircut tomorrow." I told him, then explained what had happened with Kyle and Noah.

    He chuckled at the end of it all. "Sounds like the usual teen drama. I can''t say I miss those days just yet."

    We talked a little longer about how my classes were going and how his baseball season was looking like. Apparently the centerfielder that he had replaced was looking good in rehab. They think he could be ready as soon as next week, but want to hold off until after the All-Star break before putting him back into the lineup. The A''s are going to be even better.

    After the call ended, I went to find Noah to share the happy news.

 617 V2 ch89

    On Sunday, Mom took me and Noah to a barbershop to get a haircut. She looked slightly unsure as we walked into the small building.

    "Why didn''t we just go to your salon like before?" Noah asked, confused. He took a look around, making it obvious that he had never been here before.

    "Jake isn''t comfortable around middle-aged women so we should obviously go to a place that is mostly male." She looked around and made eye contact with one of the men coming out of their restroom in the back. "Hello."

    The man walked up to us. "Welcome! How can I help you all out today?"

    Mom rested a hand on my shoulder. "My son just needs a trim to get the hair out of his eyes. Maybe a little off the sides too. Or maybe-" She glanced down at me. "Do you want to just tell him yourself? Just pick whatever makes you comfortable. You can even get it shaved like Noah''s."

    I glanced at Noah, stifling a laugh. He was wearing a baseball hat over his fresh cut. "I just want it out of my eyes." I said, repeating after Mom.

    Noah''s attention was focused on a binder at the receptionist desk. It had a few pictures of designs shaved onto people''s heads. He tapped the binder. "Hey, Mom? You think I can get one done?"

    Mom made a face.

    "It''ll only be for the summer!" Noah pleaded. "I''ll get my hair shaved evenly before school starts if it looks bad."

    "What were you thinking?" Mom peered at the binder.

    "A baseball on one side. And maybe the A''s logo on the other?" He asked.

    Mom looked to the man who was patiently waiting on us. "Is that something you can do?"

    "Sure thing!" He smiled. "Who wants to go first?"

    Noah looked to me. "You or me?"

    "You." I told him.

    Noah followed the man to a chair and sat down. The man got to work, covering Noah with a tarp thingy and then evened out what little hair he had left. He changed tools and started to communicate with Noah on how big he wanted each item to be.

    Mom sighed. "This kid..." She shook her head and caught me looking at her. She smiled. "No matter where we go or what we do, Noah likes to be the center of attention. I think it''s the symptom of having too many older brothers. Or...we spoil him too much."

    "I think it''s a mix of both." I told her, smiling a little bit. They spoiled all their children when they could. Even me. Just like Dad said, if it was in their power, they don''t mind spending a little extra to make us happy.

    The man worked on each side of Noah''s head, doing a great job with the designs.

    "I love it!" Noah exclaimed as he checked out the finished product. He jumped up and checked himself out in the mirror. Then he ran over to show me and Mom. "Cool, right?"

    "Very unique." Mom told him.

    I gave him a thumbs up.

    My turn now.

    I still looked like me. The hair just wasn''t in my face anymore, nor was it sticking to my neck. "I like it." I told him honestly.

    He gave me a friendly smile and helped me out of the chair. Mom paid him at the small desk and thanked him for his services. She looked down at the both of us as we headed back for the car. "You two are looking good. I have the most handsome kids in the world."

    "Mommmm." Noah groaned. "We aren''t kids. We''re teens."

    She laughed.

    "I''ll be taking driving lessons right after Christmas." Noah grinned, excited.

    We got into the car.

    "Actually, I think it would be better if you waited until Jake is eligible for lessons too. So you can do it together." Mom told him as she started the car. "it''s only an extra few months."

    Noah twisted his lips, thinking about it. "I guess. It''s not like the twins would let me drive anyways. I just want to be ready for our junior year."

    Mom chuckled. "You''re always trying to grow up. Enjoy being a kid a little longer."

    "Teen." Noah stressed the word.

    They kept the conversation going until we got home and went our own ways. Mom still had some house showings to go to, while we wanted to relax and watch some baseball on tv.

    Without the twins, Noah was the sole commander of the remote. Zeke was spending his time on his online classes, while I didn''t care what Noah picked time watch. I was okay with anything.

    The week started with the same old morning routine, but this week I made progress in keeping Noah and Zeke in my sights the whole run. I was catching up. I went to class in a great mood even though my legs were twitching. My happiness clashed with Mitchell''s depression and lost out real quick.

    He looked at us with puppy dog eyes. "I can''t catch for the twins for almost two weeks!?"

    Noah scratched his head, probably forgetting how he sent Mitchell home the other day. "Yea...but that''s nothing to be sad about."

    Mitchell sighed, obviously sad.

    "There''ll be plenty of time to catch for them!" Noah tried to cheer him up. "Middle of July and then they won''t travel much in August. You can come over everyday if you like."

    "Everyday that they''re there." Mitchell emphasized.

    "Sure! They would love that!" Noah told him.

    Class started before Mitchell could get anymore guarantees out of Noah.

    The 4th of July fell on a Thursday, so Mrs. Lorenz moved our weekly test to Wednesday since we won''t be in class on Thursday. It also meant no softball game on Thursday, so the old man had scheduled it for Wednesday night. Back to back nights of fun games, leaving us in a good mood.

    It didn''t last though, because Mom and Dad had left Wednesday night before we got back from the game. We had already said our goodbyes and wished them a safe trip, but it was the first time I would spend the night without either of them there.

    Noah convinced Zeke to let us watch movies in the living room and stuff our faces with popcorn and homemade cookies that Mom had left. We both crashed out on the couch in the middle of the night, yet woke up in our own beds the next morning.

    Most importantly, we didn''t wake up at dawn. It was still early, but late for us. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. When I came out, I saw Zeke in the hallway.

    "No running today?" I asked, yawning.

    Zeke flashed me a smile. "It''s good to take a day off every now and then. Wake up Noah and get dressed. I''ll take you guys out for breakfast today."

 618 V2 ch90

    Noah was just as surprised as I was about not having to run or workout this morning. He hurried to get dress and ran downstairs before I was ready. I hurried to get changed too and joined the pair downstairs.

    Zeke headed for the door once he saw that we were both ready. We got into his car and he took us to the same diner we went to the morning of the twins birthday. Noah picked the same things as last time, getting chocolate on chocolate, yet Zeke didn''t say anything about it.

    I went a different route, choosing some of the sides like bacon, toast, and hasbrowns. Pancakes were just too heavy for me and I really didn''t have the same metabolism as Noah.

    We enjoyed a peaceful morning, chatting about the A''s and how their odds to make the World Series have improved with Maberry''s expected return.

    "Talking about World Series, who won the College World Series?" Noah asked Zeke. "I stopped paying attention after Stanford lost."

    "Vanderbilt." Zeke answered.

    Noah made a face. "That''s too bad."

    "Where''s that school?" I asked, curious.

    Zeke looked to me, looking somewhat surprised by my interest. "It''s a private school in Nashville, Tennessee. They also had an impressive outfielder like Stanford does. He actually got drafted fourth overall."

    "So he''s better than you?" I asked.

    Noah scoffed. "No way. I bet this guy wasn''t a first round pick coming out of high school."

    "He certainly wasn''t." Zeke told us. "I''m fact, his freshman year, he only had a .250 average and his fielding wasn''t too great. He turned it around his sophomore year and earned a .360 batting average even with an injury. Has stayed over .300 since."

    "Tch." Noah shook his head. "I bet you''ll be more impressive. You and Rhys will carry Stanford to the championship game next year." He grinned. "With a little help from Bradley Thompson of course."

    Zeke chuckled. "Well, I hope I don''t let you down."

    "You won''t." Noah said with confidence. "I''m honestly more worried about Rhys. Will he be back to full power and speed when spring rolls around?"

    Zeke nodded. "I would believe so. He has finished rehab completely and moved on to training." He glanced at me. "You guys could bring your bags and maybe try to get a few hits off him, if you can."

    Noah looked hopeful. "Yea! I want to see if I''ve gotten any better! Or...if Rhys got worse."

    Zeke nudged him. "I''ll mention that to him. See if you have any hope touching his pitches."

    Noah made a face. "Don''t do that! Give me a chance!"

    I laughed at how quick Noah changed his tune.

    "You don''t understand, Jake." Noah complained. "Rhys is crazy good. Better than the twins. Better than Garret. Better than that university prep pitcher. He can strike out Zeke."

    I looked to Zeke, shocked. "Really?"

    Noah scoffed. "Why don''t I tell Rhys what YOU said?"

    Zeke pushed Noah out of the booth and went to pay the bill. We headed back to the house and packed up a few items including our baseball bags and some A''s gear to wear to the game tonight. After some thought, Zeke told us we should pack our pajamas and some clothes for tomorrow. We would spend the night with Rhys.

    Zeke looked at me. "That''s okay, right?"

    I nodded. Rhys was safe. I didn''t know much about his parents, but they treated him very well so I didn''t feel suspicious of them. Plus, his dad was doing an away game so I doubt he would be back tonight.

    "Okay, I''ll call to make sure Rhys is okay with that too." Zeke pulled out his phone and called. After a very brief conversation, we got the thumbs up and went upstairs to pack.

    "It''s like a small getaway vacation." Noah grinned as we went to our room. He pulled out a small suitcase and we packed both of our clothes in it. He paused at one point and looked at me. "Do you think...we need to pack workout clothes..?"

    I made a face.

    "Good idea! Do it!" Zeke hollered from down the hall.

    I glared at Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "It''s not my fault he has supersonic hearing." He sighed and packed some more.

    I added running shorts and a plain t-shirt.

    We finished packing up the car and hit the road while it was still early. There was some traffic along the main highways, but Zeke was a very calm driver. Just as we finally got off the freeway, he made a quick stop at a grocery store parking lot. A firework stand had been set up.

    Noah started to bounce around and pick out some fireworks that we should get.

    "Don''t get too crazy. The limit is $100." Zeke told him.

    My jaw dropped, while Noah looked depressed. Apparently he was used to them spending more. With a smaller budget, Noah picked out one big firework, and then a bunch of little ones.

    Zeke paid for it and Noah carried the bag of fireworks to the car. Zeke finished the drive to the house and we piled out of the car.

    Rhys came out right away, so he must have been waiting for us. "Hey! How was the drive?"

    "Boring." Noah handed him the fireworks. "Here. You hold these while we get our stuff out."

    "Yes sir!" Rhys laughed.

    We got all our stuff out and carried it into the house where his mom greeted us. She smiled warmly. "Glad you boys could spend the day with us. My brother and his family will come over in just a little bit. He will be the one responsible for the barbecue, but I''ll start setting up the snacks soon enough."

    I blinked, surprised that others were coming over.

    "My cousins are little." Rhys told me. "And my uncle and aunt are pretty cool. They''ll probably ask you a few questions, but I''ve already told them a little about you."

    "Oh." I said, unsure if there was a better response.

    "Drop off your baseball bags here and we''ll take the other bags upstairs." Rhys instructed. He also set the fireworks aside before leading the way. He told Zeke to drop off his bag in his room, and then took Noah and I to the guest room.

    It almost resembled a hotel room with its ability to fit two full size beds. It also had its own bathroom and was decorated very nicely.

    "I think I''m moving in." Noah sighed, pushing our bag to the empty closet. "It''s so much bigger than our room at home."

    Rhys shrugged. "You''re welcomed to stay over whenever. I know it''s tough with your summer school schedule, but maybe we can work something out."

    Noah laughed. "It''s fine. I like my small city better, with my small room and my small bed." He glanced at me. "And my small brother."

    I straightened up. "I''m growing!"

    Rhys looked me over and nodded. "I see it. You''re also putting on some muscle." He chuckled. "Is that from playing softball or training with Zeke?"

    "Do you even have to ask?" Noah rolled his eyes. Then lifted his shirt. "Look at my abs! They''re visible!"

    Rhys laughed. "Nowhere as good as mine." He lifted his shirt and showed off a well-defined six-pack.

    "Not fair!" Noah claimed.

    Rhys put his shirt down. "How is it not fair?! I had surgery and was so out of shape. This was hard work, okay?"

    Noah squinted. "So you''re up for some competition?"

    "You''re not competition, squirt!" Rhys patted him on the head.

    "That''s funny. Zeke said that about you!" Noah sold Zeke out.

    Rhys turned to the quiet Zeke and narrowed his eyes. "You don''t think I can take you?"

    "I believe you won''t be able to strike me out." Zeke didn''t back down.

 619 V2 ch91

    "Oh?" Rhys put on a smile, but it didn''t look like he was happy. "You think after a year off, I''m too weak? Too slow? Have no control?"

    Zeke showed a crooked grin. "You might be a little out of practice after a year off. Meanwhile, I''ve become one of the best batters in the game. Even the MLB wants me."

    My jaw dropped. I''ve never seen Zeke so...arrogant.

    Rhys cracked his knuckles. "I guess I need to show you how well I''ve recovered. Not just mentally, but physically too. I''m better than I was before I tore up my arm. I''m at a higher level."

    "That doesn''t mean much when you''re just doing bullpen sessions." Zeke told him. "Have you even practice against live hitters?"

    "Let''s go ''practice'' right now." Rhys left the room.

    Zeke followed.

    "I want to play too!" Noah chased after them.

    I hurried to keep up.

    "Mom! We''ll be in the backyard!" Rhys told his mom as we marched through the back door, picking up our baseball bags on the way.

    "Sure! I''ll bring the snacks out in a bit!" She reminded him.

    "Thanks!"

    Outside, we stopped on the back deck and started to pull our stuff out.

    Rhys had to get his own cleats and glove from the shelf nearby and started to change shoes. "I''ll need some time to warmup."

    "Sure. I''ll help." Zeke said generously, tying his cleats. "It''s been awhile since we played catch."

    "Jake and I will pair up too!" Noah said.

    Rhys looked at us and laughed. "You guys aren''t pitching...why do you need to warmup?"

    "It''s boring to just wait for you guys." Noah told him.

    With throwing partners decided, we finished tying our cleats and put our gloves on. Rhys grabbed two baseballs and gave Noah one before we spread out on the grass. I stood with Zeke, while the other two took the far end. Then we started to throw.

    It was light and easy until Rhys started to back up. If that wasn''t enough, he started to throw a little harder. Noah, who made everything a competition, started to copy his movements: backing up and throwing harder. I swallowed nervously, watching Noah get further and further away from me.

    "Keep calm." Zeke said beside me. "Just throw while aiming at Noah. You''ve got this."

    I nodded, caught the ball, and then did my best to throw it to Noah. He caught it and I sighed with relief. I was no longer the weakling from four and a half months ago. I was stronger. I did pushups and lifted weights. My core muscles weren''t visible, but they were firm.

    "Don''t try to compare yourself to me and Rhys." Zeke told me as we continued to throw to our respective partners. "I''m an outfielder. I have to throw long and sometimes, fast. As a pitcher, Rhys also has to have good arm strength. It''s a good way to warmup, throwing long. It loosens the surrounding muscles."

    Zeke smiled. "Yes. Shortstops are known for having good arms and good reflexes. As a second baseman, don''t worry so much. The fact that you can do cutoff throws is already good. Plus, with your batting, you shouldn''t worry so much."

    "I just don''t like feeling behind." I told him with all honesty.

    "You think Noah likes being worse than you at batting?" He threw the ball to Rhys and made eye contact with me. "He supports you, but he still wants to be the best. You might be a little more competitive than I thought."

    I blinked. I''m competitive?

    After a few more throws, Rhys waved at Zeke and headed for the bullpen. Zeke jogged and followed him in. Apparently he was going to play catcher to help Rhys finish a proper warmup.

    Seeing them go, Noah jogged to me and grinned. "That was fun. We should throw like this more often."

    I cracked a smile. "Sure."

    "Wow. Really?" Noah poked me. "Don''t you usually hate everything that isn''t batting?"

    I rubbed my nose. "I don''t hate it. I just don''t like it as much."

    "I''ve laid some snacks out for you boys!" Mrs. Johnson called out from the back door and waved. When she caught our attention, she pointed at the big table on the back porch. Then she went back inside.

    Noah didn''t have to be told twice. Snacks was his love language. I wondered if I should tell that to Alisha as I watched Noah sprint to the table of food. Nah. I should just let it be. If she couldn''t figure out that Noah liked food, then it''s probably best that they don''t end up together.

    I joined him at the table and found that every inch was covered. Chips and dip. Tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole. Sliced veggies with ranch. Cookies. Cupcakes. Cheese and crackers.

    "Are these snacks or lunch?" I asked.

    "Who cares?!" Noah took two cookies and started to eat.

    I also helped myself to some chips and dip, thinking it was very much a summertime snack. We ate and I laughed as Noah resembled a chipmunk, saving food for later.

    Eventually Zeke came over to grab his bat. He looked at us. "Why don''t you guys come too. Didn''t you want to face off with Rhys, Noah?"

    We grabbed our bats, and Noah grabbed a few more cookies, then we headed to the bullpen. They had set up a screen to protect Rhys from any hits headed his way and put a bucket of balls near him so there wasn''t any need for a catcher.

    "Oh? Jake and Noah want a piece of me too?" Rhys grinned, tossing the baseball up and catching it repeatedly.

    Noah wasn''t able to say anything with his mouth stuffed.

    I just shrugged.

    Zeke walked in first. "Let''s settle our dispute first. I get three at bats. If you don''t strike me out, then it proves that I''m a better batter than you are a pitcher."

    "Tch. Strikeouts aren''t everything." Rhys rebutted.

    "But that''s what we were talking about." Zeke said, taking a few practice swings. He stepped up to bat. "Ready."

    Rhys pursed his lips, but got set on his mound. As a tall lefty, he really did resemble Garret. But after he threw his first pitch to Zeke, I had changed my mind. Rhys was fast. The fastest I''ve seen up close like this.

    Zeke had fouled the ball back.

    "Do you think that was in the 90''s?" Noah asked.

    I nodded. "Easily." I tried to watch closely as Rhys prepared to throw another pitch. He stood tall, picked up his front leg, then kicked it out a few feet in front of him. Then his delivery came, but there was something off about it. I just couldn''t put my finger on it.

    It zoomed by Zeke as he didn''t swing. He called out. "Ball."

    "No way!" Rhys argued. He looked to us, standing behind the fence behind Zeke. "Wasn''t that in the zone?"

    Noah shrugged. "I blinked."

    I hesitated. "It was in." Just barely though.

    Rhys grinned, triumphantly. "See? Let Jake be the umpire. He has good eyes."

    Zeke glanced at me. "Fine."

 620 V2 ch92

    Rhys got set again and Zeke was prepared. Zeke was able to foul off two more pitches, then let one pass for a ball.

    "Jake?!" Rhys hollered.

    I made eye contact with him and shook my head. "Ball."

    "Damn it!" He cursed and grabbed a new ball.

    I was slowly getting accustomed to his pitching. What was throwing me off wasn''t so much the speed, but how he pitched. His left hand didn''t reveal the ball until the last second. This gives batters less time to react when deciding to swing; his speed just made it that much more difficult.

    Rhys threw another fastball in the zone, but this time Zeke got a piece of it, hitting a line drive into the netting.

    "One at-bat completed." Zeke told Rhys. "You have to start from scratch again."

    "I know." Rhys was solemn. He took his time, grabbing a new ball and relaxing his shoulders.

    "Eh? Rhys looks like he''s getting comfortable." Noah stated. He raised his voice for Zeke to hear. "Better watch out, Zeke!"

    Zeke glanced back at us, but then turned his focus on Rhys. Rhys was prepared to start again. They both showed no expression, but you could feel the determination of the pair. Rhys started with a fastball inside and Zeke swung and missed.

    "Strike one." Noah said.

    I glanced at him. What a daredevil. I only called balls and strikes if Zeke didn''t swing. I don''t really want to get on anyone''s bad side here.

    The pair didn''t pay attention to Noah and both got back into their beginning positions. I noticed that Zeke inched closer to the back of the batter''s box. Rhys grabbed a ball and stepped on the rubber, he stood tall, eyed Zeke, then began his motion. He took a giant stepped forward and in a blink the ball was coming.

    Zeke fouled it back just barely.

    "Hey..."Noah whispered. "Wasn''t that even faster than before? Or am I imagining things?"

    I nodded. "Slightly faster." I hesitated before saying. "It had a lot of movement too."

    "Was it a breaking ball?" He asked, surprised.

    I shrugged, helpless. "I''m not sure." I knew the bare basics of pitch-types. "It''s not something I''ve seen before. I think...he''s trying to throw a certain pitch, but it''s not working out. Or he''s doing it intentionally to throw off Zeke''s timing?"

    "Good analysis." Noah told me.

    We got quiet as Rhys prepared to pitch again. This time he threw a fastball just on the edge of the strike zone. Zeke didn''t let it pass, swinging and fouling it with the tip of his bat.

    "Strike two." Noah mumbled, a little more quiet now. He glanced at me. "Do you get the feeling that Zeke is on the defensive?"

    I nodded and thought about something Zeke had once told me. "He has to defend the plate. Anything but a strikeout and he wins."

    "But isn''t Rhys in a favorable position now with two strikes?" Noah asked.

    Rhys got set and threw another pitch. I squinted and tried to watch the ball come out of his hands as closely as possible. Zeke started his swing as the pitch came, but was soon caught in a bind. He swung too early. Rhys, who had been throwing heat this whole time, had switched it up on him. And if that wasn''t enough, the movement of the ball was falling. Clearly.

    "A sinker!" Noah yelped as Zeke tried lowering his bat at the last millisecond. It was no use. He couldn''t reach it and missed. "Strikeout!"

    Zeke''s finishing stance was disorderly so he stood up straight and faced Rhys on the mound.

    Rhys grinned and blew a little on his fingers. "Got you."

    "You learned a new trick, huh?" Zeke didn''t look upset about striking out. Instead, he was interested. He glanced back at me and Noah. "You guys think you can hit that?"

    Noah shook his head, looking a little sad. "Rhys throws so fast. I don''t know if I can even touch his fastball." He looked at Rhys. "How did your speed come back so fast? And when did your control get so good?"

    Rhys laughed. "Fast? It felt like eternity to get back to this level. Rehab five days a week isn''t like practice. It felt like a prison. It does feel good to show off now though." He came off the mound and walked up to Zeke. He put his hand on Zeke''s shoulder. "Thanks for being there for me this past year. I couldn''t have made a comeback like this without you."

    Zeke chuckled. "You didn''t seem very thankful when you embarrassed me in front of my little brothers like that. I think you''re very spiteful."

    Rhys continued to laugh. "Hey! It''s not an embarrassment to be struck out by me. It''s an honor. I''ll be in the big leagues showing off this same pitching in just a couple of years."

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "It won''t happen again, against me." He looked to us. "How about you guys also get three at-bats? Rhys is in good shape."

    "Okay!" Noah nodded. "Are you going to do your third at-bat before us though?"

    Zeke glanced at Rhys.

    Rhys shook his head. "Let''s keep it at a tie. Zeke with one hit, and me with one strikeout."

    "Scaredy-cat." Noah said. To both of them.

    "It''s called friendship." Rhys corrected. "Why don''t you come in first, Noah? I''ll go easy on ya."

    Noah made a face. "I don''t like how you made that sound."

    Rhys lifted an eyebrow. "Want me to try my best then?"

    Noah frowned. Knowing him, he''s probably trying not to compete with Rhys since he knows he can''t win. But he also can''t stand being talked down to.

    "Just stick to fastballs." Zeke told Rhys. "Keep them in the zone too. Noah still struggles in the cages so it won''t be fun to pick on the kid."

    Noah''s frown deepened. He turned to me. "I hope you crush Rhys. Knock him off that high horse."

    Rhys scoffed before I could reply. "You think Jake could do just as well as Zeke?"

    "I think you won''t be able to strike him out." Noah claimed. "Jake is good at fouling off pitches. His vision is better than Zeke''s. Tell him Zeke."

    Zeke headed for the exit. "I don''t have to tell him anything. He can just see it for himself when it''s Jake''s turn. Noah, grab your bat."

    Noah picked his bat up and jogged to the entrance, switching places with Zeke. Rhys grabbed a bucket and picked up the baseballs from Zeke''s turn, and carried it back to the fake mound.

    "This reminds me of playing on a turf field." Noah remarked as he got set in the batter''s box.

    Zeke stood next to me after resting his bat against the fence, taking Noah''s spot. He glanced down at me. "What''d you think?"

    "Rhys is great." I said honestly.

 621 V2 ch93

    "Tell me your thoughts." Zeke said.

    I tapped my leg. "His style really throws off my timing. His speed makes it worse. Not including the breaking balls he threw, I think I would have struck out if I didn''t see you face him first." I told Zeke.

    Zeke lifted an eyebrow. "So you don''t think he can strike you out now?"

    I shrugged. "Unless he''s hiding another breaking ball, but even then...I think I have good control over my swing."

    "That''s only if you''re goal is to foul the pitch off, correct?" Zeke questioned.

    I nodded. "If I''m aiming for a hit, it''d be more difficult. Probably couldn''t aim where to hit the ball either."

    Zeke and I watched Noah swing and miss on three consecutive fastballs from Rhys. Noah really didn''t stand a chance.

    "I want to get a hit off him." I told Zeke.

    Zeke looked down at me.

    I looked up. "Do you think I can?"

    He smiled. "I think you can do anything you set your mind to. Even if you can''t do it today, I''m sure you''ll be able to do it soon."

    I looked away. If I can''t do it today? I had thought Zeke had some confidence in me like Noah did, but maybe...he didn''t. I frowned and watched Rhys strike Noah out on another three straight pitches. Rough. He did it again to send Noah out.

    Noah pouted as he came out. "What a waste. I''d be better off just swinging my bat around out here." He looked at me with hope in his eyes. "You''ve got to redeem me, Jake!"

    I glanced up at Zeke then back to Noah. "Do you really think I can get a hit off him?"

    "The goal is to not strikeout." Noah reminded me. "But-" He grinned. "I believe you can get three hits off him. There''s no fielders. It''s just like being in the cages except there''s some variations in the pitches and location."

    That''s right. I just have to put the ball in play. I can do that. If Noah believes in me, then it''s possible.

    I picked my spare wooden bat up and headed for the entrance.

    Rhys had finished collecting the balls from Noah''s turn and stood on the mound with a wide smile. "Ready to face off?"

    I nodded, but then hesitated as I got to the plate. Should I bat from the left side or the right side? I looked to Noah and Zeke.

    "I''m umpire and Noah''s a spectator." Zeke spoke up. "You''ve got to decide for yourself on what to do."

    I decisively got in the left-handed side and faced Rhys.

    Rhys laughed. "Don''t you know it''s better to bat opposite of the pitcher?"

    Rhys grabbed his first ball and got set. He completed his motion and I saw the first pitch. Surprised, I still completed my swing and sent the ball back to him. He caught it.

    "Are you going easy on Jake?" Noah hollered from behind me.

    I looked at Rhys, waiting for an answer. I didn''t want to play if he wasn''t going to be as serious as he was against Zeke.

    "Hey!" Rhys yelled back. "That was serious! That was my fastest pitch, okay?!!" His eyes focused on me. "Do you want to switch to the righty''s box now?"

    I shook my head, not feeling it. "Why switch when I''m not having any trouble yet?"

    "Little brat..." He got set once more, eyes on me.

    I hurried to get set. His mood had change. Did he want me to bat from the right side? His first pitch came...it was fast, but had movement. I held back from swinging, let the pitch go by.

    "Ball." Zeke decided.

    Rhys threw his slider, but I didn''t commit to swing, and his pitch missed the zone. He got a new baseball and got set again. He upped the speed, but the throw was the same. A slider. I held back.

    "Strike." Zeke stated. I guess it made it to the corner of the strike zone.

    I pursued my lips. 1-1 count. Would he throw another slider?

    Rhys grabbed a new ball and was set. He completed his motion and whipped his arm forward, revealing the ball in his hand. I started my swing, following through when the ball arrived at the plate. My hands shook as I completed the swing, sending the ball forward.

    "Way to go, Jake!" Noah hollered. "Rhys, you can''t even beat Jake. How will you survive in college?"

    Rhys looked genuinely confused as he stared at me. He glanced at his glove then back at me. Then, instead of grabbing another ball to start my third at-bat, he walked over to me.

    I swallowed a lump, feeling slightly nervous at the sight of his face.

    Rhys didn''t look so good. "Hey...am I tipping my pitches?"

    ??

    I stared blankly at him.

    "Don''t be making excuses." Noah told Rhys. "Jake beat you fair and square."

    "I''m serious." Rhys looked distressed. "I know that Jake is good. I don''t doubt that. But...it feels like he knows what I''m throwing." He looked at me. "Can you tell when I''m going to throw a slider or fastball?"

    I nodded.

    "What?!" He looked alarmed. "How?? Is it something with my glove or is it the way I move?"

    "It''s your fingertips." I told him.

    Rhys looked stunned. "Am I showing you the ball when I draw my arm back?"

    "No. It''s when you throw the pitch." I told him.

    "Explain." Zeke demanded.

    I turned so everyone can see me. I put my right hand forward. "When Rhys throws a fastball, I see two fingertips. When I don''t see it, I just assume it''s a slider." I scratched my head. "I don''t know if I can hit the slider so I decided to wait for the fastball."

    "So what would happen if I threw nothing but sliders?" Rhys asked.

    I shrugged. "If I had two strikes against me, I would do my best to foul them off until you showed a fastball."

    Rhys looked even more distressed. "Are you even human? There''s no way you''re 14. You should be closer to Noah''s level, not the pro level."

    I felt embarrassed. "It''s not a perfect system, but I tried to think of the different ways you moved when facing Zeke. Nothing but the fingers changed." I shrugged. "In a way...I feel like I''m cheating. I know I can hit the fastball, so that''s what I hit."

    "That''s not cheating!" Rhys told me. He put his hand on my hand and messed up my hair. "You''re a real prodigy. Did you just think of this??"

    I nodded. "You pitch faster than anyone I''ve seen." I glanced up at him. "And I felt like you really wanted me to bat righty. Like Zeke. But I don''t know if I could still see your fingers clearly from the other side and time my swing." I looked to Zeke. "Is it easier to hit a slider from the left or right side?"

    Zeke grinned. "It doesn''t matter if you can find the fastball instead."

 622 V2 ch94

    "Let me try to throw you nothing but sliders!" Rhys demanded. "I want to know what the outcome would be!"

    I hesitated. "Can I...try from both sides..? I want to know what would be better..."

    "Sure!" Rhys hurried back to the cage and collected the very few balls he had thrown to me. He was back on the mound in no time.

    I followed along, eager to try my best to hit his slider. I got set in the lefty''s batter''s box first and looked to Rhys.

    Rhys looked beyond me towards Zeke and Noah. "Hey Zeke, you''re in charge of the balls and strikes calls. This way it''s fair. I have to get it in the strike zone and Jake has to use some of his judgement to swing or not."

    "Alright." Zeke agreed.

    Rhys calmed down and prepared to pitch.

    Knowing that it was going to be a slider, I tried to watch more closely. I needed to get a better grip on the trajectory of this pitch. I gripped my bat, but held back as the pitch came.

    "Ball." Zeke confirmed my guess.

    Rhys rubbed his nose as he stood on the mound. "Troublesome."

    I couldn''t tell if he was talking about me or his own pitch.

    He grabbed another baseball and got set. He repeated his motion and the ball cane my way. I really couldn''t see any difference between this pitch and the last one, so I held back.

    "Strike." Zeke stated.

    I glanced back at him. "Wasn''t it the same?"

    Noah looked unsure, glancing at Zeke too.

    Zeke shook his head.

    "1-1!" Rhys hollered.

    "Tsk." Noah snorted. "Jake, don''t mind him. You''ve got this!"

    I thought so too, but that''s when hitting the fastball was an option. Now I''m working with a difficult pitch that still had a lot of speed. I haven''t even attempted to swing yet.

    Rhys got set again and threw the ball.

    I tried reaching it with my bat, but lost my balance and completely whiffed.

    "Strike two!" Rhys flexed.

    I fixed my posture and looked back to Zeke. "Would it have been in or out if I didn''t swing?"

    "In." Zeke told me. "But just barely. Umpires would have judged it differently, depending on their strike zone."

    I sighed. It''s my turn to say, troublesome. I got set in the batter''s box again.

    Rhys was already set. With me in position, he started his motion again. Slider. It''s been low and away every time, so there shouldn''t be so much difficulty. I know the speed, I know the location. I frowned and started my swing as soon as he released the ball. I timed it perfectly, but still whiffed.

    "Strikeout!" Rhys grinned down at me.

    "Right side." I told him, moving to the other side of the plate. This might be easier. Even though Zeke missed, it was because he was unprepared. I know the speed, location, and pitch type. What isn''t working?

    Rhys grabbed a new ball and got set.

    Rhys began his motion and the pitch came. I kept my hands together and swung my bat lower, knowing the general location of the pitch. I got a piece of it...and it got a piece of me.

    I yelped after the ball came off my bat and smacked into my left leg. I fell to the ground, clutching the inside of my leg calf.

    "Jake!" Noah yelled.

    "Shoot! Are you okay?" Rhys reached me first, kneeling down next to my leg.

    I clenched my teeth and held my leg. I took a couple of deep breaths, slowly letting the air out. "I''m fine."

    "Let me see." Zeke demanded, crouching down next to Rhys. He pulled my wrists, taking my hands off my leg, revealing a swelling lump. "Noah, go tell Mrs. Johnson that we need a bag of ice. I''ll take him to the table."

    "Okay!" Noah took off.

    "How bad does it hurt on a scale of one to ten?" Rhys asked.

    "Eight." I said between clenched teeth. My pain level was high, but this was definitely the worst I felt since my near-death experience.

    "I don''t think we should let him try walking on it just yet." Rhys told Zeke. "My aunt is a nurse and should be here soon so let''s just ice it until she can take a look."

    I gulped. "Do you think I''ll need to go to the hospital? What about the A''s game?"

    Zeke shook his head. "Let''s see what his aunt says and then decide. We have plenty of opportunities to go to more A''s games." He looked me in the eye. "I''m going to pick you up and take you to the table, okay?"

    I nodded. I held my leg at the knee, scared to jostle my leg. Zeke scooped me up, putting his arms under my knees and back. Then he stood up and carried me out of the bullpen towards the table. By the time he sat me down, Noah and Mrs. Johnson came outside with bags of ice.

    "Oh no. Honey, are you okay?" Mrs. Johnson helped move a chair to be across from me so I could rest my leg on it. "Ouch! That looks like it hurts."

    "It does." I gripped my knee a little tighter, wishing the throbbing and pain would go away.

    "Let go of your leg." Zeke pulled on my wrists again, moving them away from my left leg. He started to cover my leg with the ice bags.

    I hissed as my leg started to freeze.

    "Should we take him to a hospital?" Mrs. Johnson asked, sounding worried. "I should call Mary."

    "I was going to let Aunt Linda look him over first." Rhys spoke up. "Then decide what we should do. It''s the Fourth of July so you know how packed the hospitals can be."

    Mrs. Johnson didn''t look convinced. "I''ll call Mary to see what she says first. I don''t care how packed the hospitals are." She went inside, presumably to call Mom.

    Noah sat down next to me and pushed some snacks closer so I could reach. "Here. Eat something."

    "Should we take off his cleats?" Rhys asked.

    "I''ll do it." Zeke sat down in a chair by my feet and started to untie both of my cleats. He lightly put my injured leg on the seat cushion and then got up to put my cleats away in my bag. He came back and looked at me. "How are you feeling now?"

    "It''s getting a little numb under the ice, but still throbbing." I told him, gripping the arms of the chair since I can''t hold my leg.

    "Wow. This can''t be good." Noah sighed. "You weren''t in this much pain when that clear cut your arm. Do you think you broke your leg?"

    "I hope not..." I mumbled.

    "Me neither." Noah said. "We still have softball to play, training to do, and a camp to go to. Our summer can''t just end here."

    "Your summer isn''t going to end." Zeke told him, flicking his ear.

    "Ow!" Noah covered his ear.

    "Let''s not jump to any conclusions." Rhys stayed calm. Batters foul pitches off their front leg a lot in the majors. Not all of them break their own leg."

 623 V2 ch95

    Rhys and Noah started to discuss the few players that have broken their own leg by fouling off a pitch into themselves. Surprisingly, the number was low. Maybe once or twice a season, it''ll happen to an unlucky batter. The only question I had now was, am I lucky? I wouldn''t say so before, but lately I''ve been feeling good about my life.

    I frowned as I replayed what had happened. I swung my bat low, but the pitch was definitely going to be a ball. I only reached it because I brought my hands straight down. That, plus the spin of the ball, is what probably led to me getting hurt. I swallowed a lump in my throat and looked at Noah. "Can you...go get my bat?" I had a bad hunch that something bad happened.

    Noah was surprised by my request, but still got up. "Yea! Sure! I''ll be right back!" He took off running to the bullpen.

    Rhys and Zeke exchanged looks, but didn''t say anything. They just waited near me in silence. Noah came jogging back, not looking very good. I gulped.

    Noah placed the bat on the table. "At least it was the bat I bought."

    The thin part of the barrel, close to the handle, was smashed in. I broke my third bat. I felt the urge to cry.

    "Hey, hey! It''s okay!" Rhys patted me on the head. "I''ll replace it. I can get you a new bat just like this one. It''s my fault after all."

    I shook my head. "It''s not your fault. I knew I shouldn''t use the thin part of the bat." Mr. Williams reminded me when we had gotten this bat. I sighed and held back the tears. Noah was right, at least it wasn''t the bat Jeremy gave me.

    "No, really. Some of the fault is on me too." Rhys told me. "My dad has some friends so he can probably get us a few bats for free. It''s gotta be tough to use a wood bat, worry about breaking it, and then worry about money to get a new one."

    I looked up at him, hopeful.

    Zeke shook his head. "We''ll have to be careful about that. Jake could ruin his eligibility if that counts as a ''gift''."

    Rhys looked down at me, apologetic. "Let me talk to my dad. He''ll know what to do."

    I''m starting to get the feeling that Rhys was ''too'' easygoing. He let the adults around him decide what should happen or what should be done. He wasn''t as decisive as Zeke or as independent.

    "Jake! I''ve got Mary on the phone!" Mrs. Johnson came back outside and placed her cellphone on the table, pushing some of the snacks away. "Okay Mary, I have you on speaker. All the boys are here."

    "Jake?" Mom called out from the phone.

    "Yea?" I answered.

    "How you feeling, kiddo?" Dad asked. They must be on speaker too.

    I glanced at the ice piled onto my leg. "There''s a little of ice on my leg so it''s not as bad as it was."

    "He fouled off a 90mph slider into his own leg." Noah told them. "I''m pretty sure it''s already swollen. Do you think we should take him to the hospital?"

    "Not yet, Mrs. Atkins!" Rhys told her.

    "I''ll go call her on the landline." Mrs. Johnson left us again, heading back inside.

    "Zeke?" Dad asked. "How does it look? Is there bruising?"

    Zeke lifted some of the bags of ice and took a look. "It''s starting to bruise. It''s swollen too. I''m not a doctor, but I think if you guys were here, you would take him to the hospital."

    "What about the A''s game?" Noah asked.

    "I guess I''ll have to tell Jeremy that I can''t make it." I sighed.

    "I''m sorry, Jake." Mom said. "I wish we-"

    "I''m here!" A woman called out, rushing out the backdoor, cutting off what Mom was going to say. She hurried over. "You must be the patient, Jake."

    "Aunt Linda." Rhys greeted. He gave her a small side hug and gave her some room to look at my leg. "He fouled a pitch off and it hit him in the leg. We''re trying to decide if we need to make an emergency room visit."

    The woman nodded. "I''ve heard. Your mom is inside with the kids." She looked down at me. "What''s your pain level right now?"

    I shrugged. "It was bad, but I''m not feeling much with the ice."

    "Good. Good. Let''s take the ice off so I can do a preliminary exam." She took the bags of ice off and pushed them to the side. My leg was swollen like Zeke said, growing a bump to the side. "Now, Jake, I''m not going to touch where it hurts, but I''m going to ask you to do some movements. Tell me if and where it hurts." She started to instruct me. Point my toes down. Up. Left. Right.

    "The only pain is where I was hit." I told her, feeling sweat on my head. The pain was coming back with every move I made.

    "That''s a good sign." She told me. "Let''s see you stand and walk."

    Zeke went behind me and put his hands under my armpits to help me stand up as I gingerly put my legs down.

    I hissed. "I can''t put pressure on it. Definitely makes it worse."

    "I think you should go for x-rays." Nurse Linda stated. "I don''t think it''s a break, but it''s better to be sure. The good news is that it''s the inside leg bone is the tibia and it takes a major force to fracture it. You probably just have a really bad bone bruise and it''ll be difficult to walk for the next few days."

    I sighed with relief. No break.

    Mom sighed too. "Thank goodness. Linda, do you know any nearby hospitals that''ll take consent over the phone?"

    Linda and her started to discuss what kind of hospitals are in the area.

    "You should probably call Jeremy before he has to start warming up." Noah told me, looking at me with sympathy. "I''ll go get your phone for you." He went to my bag and pulled out my phone. He came back and handed it to me.

    I found his name in contacts and started to call. Linda saw that I was making a more private call so she picked up Mrs. Johnson''s cellphone and went inside.

    "Jake?" Jeremy picked up after two rings.

    "Hey..." I cleared my throat. "Uh, I just wanted to tell you that, we might not make it to the game tonight."

    "What? Why?" Jeremy asked. "Is everything okay? Mary and Wayne are out of town, right? Is Zeke and Noah okay?"

    Noah overheard Jeremy and looked surprised. As was I. Jeremy genuinely sounded concern for me and the Atkins.

    "It''s not anything too crazy. We were playing a little bit and I fouled a pitch into my own leg." I explained. "We''re going to a hospital to make sure I didn''t break it. I don''t know how long it''s going to take. Or what will happen if it is broken." I gulped. I really didn''t want to be put into a cast. That would really suck.

    "Oh! Wow." He sounded relieved, but still upset. "Do you know where you''re going yet?"

    I shook my head. "No. Rhys has an aunt that''s a nurse. She looked at it and is talking with Mom on the phone. They haven''t picked a hospital yet."

    "How about you go see a doctor I know?" Jeremy suggested. "It''s a private place and there wouldn''t be any wait. The doctor can do your x-rays right then and there. And give you the result in minutes."

 624 V2 ch96

    I was stunned. I didn''t know what to say. I looked up at Zeke.

    He felt my eyes on him and looked down. "What''s up?"

    I pointed at the phone. "Jeremy says he knows a doctor that can see me right away."

    Zeke held out his hand.

    "I''m going to let you talk to Zeke." I told Jeremy.

    "Yea, good idea." Jeremy told me.

    I gave the phone to Zeke and he started to talk with Jeremy, while heading inside where the adults were.

    "That''d be nice if we don''t have to go to the ER." Noah said. "Such a long wait time. Hey, do you think this means that we can still go to the game?"

    "Is that all you''re worried about?" Rhys asked, sitting down.

    Noah shrugged. "Nothing I can do about Jake''s leg. It''s either broke and needs a cast or it doesn''t and he''s fine. Either way, we could still go to the game." Noah turned to me. "Don''t you want to go?"

    I nodded. "I do." Really.

    "Rhys!"

    "Rhysss!"

    Two little kids came running outside, followed by a tall, slender middle aged man. It must be the cousins and uncle.

    "I heard you kids are causing trouble so early!" The man chuckled.

    "Uncle Mike!" Rhys got back up and half-hugged his uncle and then picked up both of the little kids. One girl and one boy. "Jess and Mikey, these are my friends Noah and Jake. Can you say ''hi''?"

    "Hi!" The boy chirped

    "Hi..." The little girl was more reserved when talking to us.

    The uncle grinned at him. "Well, you watch these two troublemakers and I''ll get started on the grill."

    "Do you think we can still eat before going to the hospital or doctor or whatever?" Noah asked, looking like an eager puppy.

    "Sure! I heard them trying to plan it out and sounds like it''ll take some time." His uncle told us. "I figured I''d get started on the grill and try to get you boys fed before you have to go." He headed for the house. "Rhys, you''re in charge!" He left as quickly as he came.

    "He just wanted to dump these brats on me!" Rhys accused.

    "I''m not a brat!" Mikey said confidently. "I''m a human!"

    "..." Rhys looked down at his little cousin, at a lost on what to say to that.

    Noah laughed. "Hey Mikey, do you know how to play catch yet?"

    "Of course!" He declared. He started to wiggle, and Rhys put him back down. "I''m eight! I can throw really far now!"

    Noah got up. "Let''s go play then!" He took Mikey to the grassy area, giving him his glove and then rolled the ball to him.

    "I can catch!" The kid emphasized again.

    Rhys laughed. "Don''t go too easy on him, Noah. You''ll just make him mad." He sat down with Jess on his lap. "I bet Noah sends Mikey back crying."

    "No!" Jess surprised us by yelling. "No crying! Crying is for babies!"

    "Who told you that?" Rhys asked.

    "Rachel!"

    I blinked. Should Rhys really be saying this to a little girl? I think it''s a bit beyond her understanding. But...I feel like a baby when I cry too.

    Jess glanced at me and pointed at me. "Is he hurting?"

    "Yea." Rhys helped move the ice bags back onto my leg. "Jake got hurt playing with me."

    "Ouch." She said. And that summed up what I felt.

    The uncle came out first, holding a plate of meat. He started up the grill and began to cook some hamburgers, occasionally talking with Rhys about his summer and plans for college. His uncle even asked me about my summer and what I was doing. He was just a very nice man, who even showed his daughter how to flip a hamburger ''with style''.

    His wife, Mrs. Johnson, and Zeke all came out as a group and explained that we were going to see the doctor that Jeremy knows, in the afternoon. Mom and Dad sent me a few texts to check up on me and make sure that I was okay.

    "So we are going to the game?" Rhys asked.

    Zeke looked to me. "Are you feel up to it?"

    I nodded. It''s only my leg that hurts. Plus, I''m pretty positive that they want to go to the game too.

    Uncle Mike finished up with the grill and the women started to set out plates and napkins. Mrs. Johnson brought out plates full of sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and onions. Zeke helped me put my cheeseburger together and then placed it before me. The table started to fill up as Noah and Mikey came back. Sure enough, Mikey was teary-eyed like Rhys predicted.

    "Are you hurting?" His little sister asked.

    "No." He shook his head and denied vehemently.

    "The ball got him a few times on the arm." Noah explained to the adults.

    Everyone started to get their burgers put together and lunch was served. A full time of different families put together and I never felt like an outsider. Rhys was really lucky that his family was so perfect. At least now, I have the same thing. A perfect family including brothers, parents, and grandparents.

    After lunch, Noah wanted to show off the fireworks we bought so the whole group moved to the front yard. Mrs. Johnson set up a few foldable chairs and Zeke carried me to one.

    "Too bad Rhys only has tall crutches." Mrs. Johnson sighed. "At least Jake would be able to move around a little easier."

    "The doctor''s office will probably have some." Zeke assured her.

    The little kids were also seated along with their mom. Mrs. Johnson also took a seat next to me while Zeke sat on the ground in front of us. He left the fireworks to Rhys and his uncle. Noah was only allowed to hand them the fireworks and not light them. That didn''t curb his enthusiasm though. He lined up all the fireworks we got, plus the ones Rhys had. He ordered them and declared that we were going to see a show.

    It was a good show. Even though we did it in the daylight, I''ve never seen such small fireworks so up close and personal. Rhys and his uncle took turns lighting them. Some were loud, some had flashes of colors, and some were done in a second. It was fun though. The little kids were amazed by every single one they saw.

    We got to laugh and enjoy a small show.

    At the end, Rhys decided to hold back on the sparklers. "We can do them when we get home. It''ll be cooler in the dark."

    No one had any objections. The women took the kids inside while Rhys and his uncle started to clean up. Zeke carried me into the house and up the stairs so I could get dressed for tonight''s game. Noah threw me an A''s shirt and then a ''Patterson'' jersey. He also changed into the same clothes so we almost matched.

    Zeke went to the room he shared with Rhys and also changed. He carried me back down while Noah and Rhys followed.

    "Text me when you get to the doctor''s office and when you leave." Mrs. Johnson told Rhys. "Then again when you get to the stadium."

    "Okay, Mom." He smiled and waved as we loaded up into Zeke''s car. He listened as she listed a few more instructions.

    "I wonder if Zeke will carry you during his run tomorrow." Noah laughed at me as Zeke slid me into the seat behind him. "That would be hell mode."

    "How about you pull him in a wagon on your run?" Zeke suggested to Noah, making him clam up. "That''s what I thought."

    With the car packed and everyone ready, we headed to our first stop: the doctor''s office.

 625 V2 ch97

    Zeke had Rhys put in the address that Jeremy had given him to the doctor''s office. According to Rhys who had the gps on his phone, the place was actually very close to the stadium.

    "Do you think it''s the team doctor?" Rhys asked.

    "Wouldn''t he already be at the stadium for the game?" Noah asked, unsure.

    "Who knows? Maybe Jeremy asked him for a favor?" Rhys suggested.

    It was likely...Jeremy did go above and beyond a lot to make up for his earlier blunder.

    "We''ll know when we get there." Zeke said, eyes on the road. Rhys lived rather close to the stadium so it wasn''t long before we reached the doctor''s office.

    Everyone got out of the car smoothly but me. Zeke opened my door and scooped me up like I was nothing. So embarrassing. I really hope nothing is wrong with my leg.

    Rhys and Noah led the way while Zeke trailed behind them. We went into the office building and took the elevator to the seventh floor.

    "This has to be where the team doctor works." Rhys was more convinced. "It''s so close to the stadium and it''s so nice. Pros definitely go here."

    "Well of course." Noah snorted. "This was Jeremy''s recommendation and he is a pro." We had reached the office of Dr. Shanfield. Noah opened the door and came face-to-face with a giant that blocked the doorway.

    The man looked down at Noah in surprise. Then glanced at the rest of us. "Here to see Dr. Shanfield?"

    "Yes." Rhys told the man while grabbing Noah''s shoulder. "Are you...?"

    The big man chuckled. "Ah! So I''ve been recognized without the uniform?"

    "JACK MABERRY?!?" Noah finally blurted out, but was still overwhelmed by his presence. "You''re Jack Maberry!!"

    He laughed again. "Yes, I am. No need to yell. This is a doctor''s office after all." He moved out of the way. "Come on in. I didn''t even know Dr. Shanfield was seeing anyone else today."

    Rhys went in first, then Noah. Noah stared up at Maberry the whole time like he couldn''t believe what he was seeing. Zeke carried me through, nodding politely at the man.

    Maberry let go of the door and walked up to the receptionist counter. "Hey Francine, you''ve got some kids in here."

    "Ah! Must be Jake!" An old lady appeared in scrubs. She came out from behind the desk to stand in front of Zeke and I. "I''ll take you two back to the examination room. You''re friends can stay in the waiting room."

    "I''m his brother." Noah corrected.

    Francine looked between us, back and forth. "Oh. My bad." She waved at Zeke. "Come back here and I''ll inform Dr. Shanfield that you''re here."

    Zeke glanced back at Noah. "Be good. Don''t wander."

    "I''ve got him!" Rhys reassured Zeke.

    "I''ll stick around to keep the boys company." Maberry said suddenly, throwing everyone off. He grinned. "I''ve got some time to spare for a few fans decked out in A''s gear."

    Francine must have messaged Dr. Shanfield somehow or he must have figured out that she was missing, because he suddenly showed up just as she had finished.

    "Hello, Jake. Dr. Shanfield." He was in his 60''s, but still shook my hand as a formal greeting. "Jeremy has told me that you fouled a ball off into your own leg? Why don''t you give me your own account of what had happened?"

    I swallowed a lump in my throat and repeated what I had done while the old man looked at my leg. He repeated some of Linda''s instructions on moving my leg and then added a few new ones.

    "Well, I have some good news." He smiled kindly. "I''m very familiar with foul ball injuries. I work with the A''s so I can say with almost 99% certainty that you won''t need a cast."

    I sighed with relief.

    "But," He continued. "We''ll go ahead with the x-rays. Not just to confirm that there''s no break, but to see if anything else can be wrong." He looked to Francine. "Can you get him x-rays?"

    "Sure thing!" She looked to me. "Do you want your brother to carry you? Or would you like some crutches?"

    "Go ahead and get him a set of crutches." Dr. Shanfield stood up and instructed. "Jake will probably need a set no matter what the result is." He looked at me. "Nothing permanent. Just a precaution and it''ll help you move around on your own."

    I nodded obediently.

    Dr. Shanfield left as Francine opened up a closet cabinet to check for crutches. She found one, unwrapped the pair, and the set the height accordingly. She handed them to me. "Try them out. We can move it up or down an inch."

    I slowly got up, careful of my left leg, and then slipped the crutches under my armpits. I have some experience using them from my time in the hospital so it wasn''t hard for me to get used to it. I followed Francine to the room for x-rays, leaving Zeke behind. We returned after ten minutes. Francine informed us that she and the doctor will be back when the x-rays are ready.

    "Feeling better?" Zeke asked.

    I nodded slowly. "A little. Still hurts, but I don''t think I''m crippled."

    Zeke cracked a smile. "You can''t be crippled. Even if you were severely damaged, we would be able to fix you. No matter what."

    I smiled back at him. The Atkins really would do their best to fix me. Whatever to make me feel better on the inside and out. When I needed stitches, they didn''t hesitate. When I want to heal my scars, they found someone to help. People who care would never let you suffer.

    A knock at the door stopped us from saying anymore. Dr. Shanfield came in with Francine. He went to the computer and pulled up the pictures of my x-rays while she held something in her arms.

    "Everything is looking good." Dr. Shanfield declared. "No breaks, cracks, or chips. You just have a very bad bruise. And, as you can tell, it''s going to hurt and take some time to recover." He took the item out of Francine''s hands and showed me some kind of boot. "For precaution, we''ve got a boot you can wear."

    "A boot?" I asked, looking at this gray plastic thing with straps.

    "A walking boot." He elaborated. "It''s most commonly used for foot or ankle injuries, but really anything on the lower leg. I suggest you wear it for a week or two to help with recovery. This is better than crutches and it''ll help take the weight off your toes so you won''t flex your calf muscles so much. It promotes recovery and stability."

    "What about the crutches?" I asked. Didn''t he just say he would give me a set?

    He glanced at the crutches. "I thought it would be fine for you to use them, but I''ve come to the conclusion that using the boot will be better. It''s a safer precaution and it''ll be a nice reminder for you to go easy on yourself."

    "Can you show us how to put the boot on?" Zeke asked.

    "Of course!"

 626 V2 ch98

    Dr. Shanfield removed my shoe for me and demonstrated how the boot goes on. He carefully strapped my leg in and then helped me to my feet. "Now, this doesn''t mean you can stop icing your leg and just pretend everything is fine. This is to prevent future problems from arising. Wear it when you go out for at least the next week. If you have time, come see me next week." He looked to Zeke. "Make sure he puts ice on at least twenty minutes every couple of hours. Rest is important and elevate the leg whenever he''s sleeping or watching TV."

    "I understand." Zeke nodded. He looked at me. "Try to walk with the boot."

    I obeyed and tried to move around the room with my leg bundled up. It was like a removable cast. But...doable. My leg still hurt and was super sore. I gave Zeke a thumbs up sign.

    "When can he return to baseball activities?" Zeke asked.

    Dr. Shanfield shrugged. "Everyone heals differently. Especially a severe bruise like this. Like I said, try to visit me next week. And in this upcoming week, try not to do anything strenuous. If going upstairs make your leg hurt, then sleep on the couch. A kid like you is still growing, so take care of yourself."

    "Thank you. I understand." Zeke told him. "I appreciate you seeing us on such short notice."

    "It''s no problem. The A''s are excited to have Jeremy join the team. We''ve got to keep the star happy." The doctor laughed. "If there''s anything else, this is my card. You can call any time if you have questions or concerns or if your condition changes dramatically."

    Zeke accepted the business card. He grabbed my shoe and we followed Francine out.

    I waved back to the doctor. "Thanks." I felt overwhelming relief that nothing was seriously wrong. At least I can still go to the Stanford camp with Noah and Zeke. Rhys might even go. I can probably even practice against his slider again.

    "You kids be safe." Francine opened the door to the waiting room and sent us off with a smile.

    "Jake!" Noah hurried to me and checked me out. He saw the boot. "Oh no! Did you break something?!? What are we going to do??"

    Zeke gave him a small smack on the head. "It''s just for precaution. Nothing broken. And we aren''t going to do anything but let him rest."

    Noah bent his knee and started to hop around. "Ow! Oh gosh! My leg! I need to rest too!"

    "You''re not getting out of training that easily." Zeke threw my shoe at Noah, hitting him in the back.

    "I''m glad everything is okay. Good for you." Jack Maberry was still present. He came over and held out his hand. "I heard from Rhys and Noah, that you''re Jeremy''s little brother. It''s good to finally meet you."

    I let him shake my hand and quickly let go.

    The man looked me up and down. "You look a lot like him."

    I didn''t know what to say to that.

    "So what?" Noah stopped fooling around and got serious.

    Rhys nodded. "Yea, will probably meet up with Jeremy on the field."

    "You guys want to give me a ride?" Maberry grinned. "I was just going to jog over, but I''ve wasted some time sitting in this waiting room."

    "As long as you don''t mind sitting in the back." Noah smirked.

    "Do you not want my autograph anymore?" Maberry feigned being offended.

    "Noah..." Zeke said in a warning tone.

    "It''s fine. I don''t mind." Maberry told Zeke. "I''m actually used to sitting in the backseat when getting an Uber or Lyft."

    Zeke looked down at me. "Ready?"

    I nodded. Then proceeded to wobble out of the doctor''s office. The rest of them followed me, but after a few steps of them just staying right behind me, I paused. I glanced back at the four of them. "Can...you guys...walk in front of me?" I asked. I was starting to get anxious with them behind me.

    Rhys laughed. "Sure. Zeke, you have the keys, lead the way." Rhys and Zeke went first. Then Maberry.

    "I''ll just walk beside you." Noah told me. "You don''t look so steady with that boot thing on. I''m scared you''ll fall."

    I nodded. "Thanks."

    At the car, Rhys and Zeke got in the front, while Noah and I had to squish in the back with Maberry. Well...Noah had to squish. He was the only one of us that could fit in the middle of the middle seat. He didn''t mind though. He pulled out his phone and started to snap selfies with Maberry and even got Rhys to do a group shot from the very front.

    Maberry was surprisingly mellow for a professional athlete. He answered all of Noah''s questions about his injury and return. He also didn''t mind the pictures and autographed a few of Noah''s gear.

    We arrived at the stadium, still early and got a good parking spot. Zeke helped me out of the car and we gathered outside of the car.

    "I''ll take you guys to the player''s entrance." Maberry smiled. "Maybe even get a glimpse of the club room. It''s cooler than watching the other team warm up."

    Noah looked at me. As did Zeke and Rhys.

    "Sure." I nodded. I glanced at Noah. "Should we let Rose know?"

    "I''ll text her." Noah pulled out his phone.

    Maberry took the lead, taking us to the ticket window to still pick up our tickets and field passes before taking us to a much more conspicuous entrance. Instead of the tall gate, it was a door with its own private security guard. Maberry slowly moved through the hallways that held offices with closed doors.

    Noah''s eyes lit up. "These must be for the general manger, scouts, and executives. So cool."

    Maberry laughed up front. "Yea, normally they would be in their offices because it''s game day, but now it''s also July 4th. They like to celebrate with their families too." He took us down an elevator to below ground level.

    I wiped the sweat from the corner of my head.

    Zeke noticed. "Feeling tired?"

    I nodded, bending over to itch inside the boot. "It feels heavier than it looks." The boot probably only weighed three pounds, but it felt like twenty after walking through the parking lot.

    "How does the bruise feel though?" He asked.

    I shrugged. "The same. Just throbbing. Pain."

    Zeke frowned. "Maybe we shouldn''t have come."

    "It''s fine." I replied. "I just...want to sit down."

    Maberry led us out of the elevator and down a walkway. "No worries. You can rest in the club room. It''s very comfortable." He stopped outside a set of double doors. "Let me go inside first to make sure it''s alright with the guys who are still in here." He disappeared.

    Noah nudged me. "This is pretty crazy, right?"

    I shrugged. This wasn''t ''crazy'' to me anymore. It started to feel like the norm. Constantly going to mlb games and meeting big stars.

    The double doors burst open. "Jake?!" Jeremy showed up, decked out in his uniform. He looked down at my leg. "Are you alright??"

    His yelling was slightly annoying, but it still warmed me on the inside. He cared just as much as Zeke or Noah. He was my brother too.

    I showed him a small smile. "Just a bruise."

 627 V2 ch99

    Zeke explained to Jeremy everything that Dr. Shanfield told us.

    After knowing that everything was really okay, Jeremy sighed with relief. "Thank goodness. If you had fractured your leg, who knows what would have happened to your baseball career."

    Maberry chuckled. "Breaks are easy to deal with." He grinned. "I could go out there tonight and hit a few bombs to prove how good I''m feeling."

    "Who cares about you?" Jeremy rolled his eyes. "You''re an adult. Jake is still a kid that just started playing baseball. I don''t want him to have any setbacks so soon."

    I looked up at Jeremy, amazed that he cared so much about my wellbeing.

    Jeremy gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Come on. Let me show you guys the club room." He motioned for Noah to follow.

    "You''re just bitter because you won''t be playing center field anymore after the all-star break." Maberry followed us through the doors.

    Zeke and Rhys came in last.

    The club room was nothing like ours. Their lockers were huge, filled with clothes, gear, and miscellaneous items.

    "Ignore him." Jeremy told me and Noah. "Maberry is just eager to play, but the manager said no." He smirked and looked back at the man. "Because we''re doing just fine without him."

    "Ugh." Maberry split away from our group. "So childish. I''m going to talk to the adults. You stick with the children." He went over to a group of men in uniform.

    Jeremy shook his head. "He''s just as childish, if not more." He stopped in front of a locker and patted the  black leather, rolling chair. "Jake, take a seat. Rest your leg."

    I happily sat down, eager to give my leg a rest. It''s been a busy day.

    Jeremy made some small talk with the other three, getting to know Rhys, asking Zeke about his classes, and listened to Noah talk about the softball team.

    Noah looked at me with a sad expression. "I guess this is the end of your softball days now."

    "I should be fine in a week." I told him. "We have three weeks left."

    Zeke shook his head. "Dr. Shanfield said to visit him next week, not that you can play next week." He thought about it. "You could probably play in the last week. We''ll make you the designated homerun hitter so you don''t have to run around."

    "Are you abled to hit homeruns?" Jeremy asked me. He knew my one and only, official homerun came in the championship game.

    "The softball field is smaller." I told him. Then stretched out my arms. "And...I''m stronger now."

    "Jake and I have been working out everyday!" Noah chimed in. "Zeke is helping us prepare for a season without him."

    Jeremy''s smile looked a little off. "Oh. That''s good. I''m sure you''ll have another successful season."

    Noah squinted at him. Then started to look around the club room. There were a few players scattered around, talking to one another, preparing for the game, or just relaxing.

    Zeke put a hand on Noah''s head, pushing his hat down. "This is a relaxed atmosphere. That''s fine. You are relaxed before games too."

    Noah fixed his hat. "Yea, but you don''t let me play with my phone before a game."

    Rhys laughed. "That''s because you''re just a kid. These are professionals. This is their livelihood. If they don''t do well, they can lose their pay."

    Noah hummer and pulled out his phone so he could start taking some pictures. He did a few selfies, even roping in Jeremy to pose with us. Then he took off his hat and looked where Maberry had signed. "Hey Jeremy, can I go around and ask for some autographs. If I can get everyone to sign this hat, I''ll have to retire it."

    Jeremy hesitated. "You can ask, but if they don''t want to, don''t make a scene." He looked at Zeke and Rhys. "You two can go too. Help yourself to any of the refreshments."

    "Awesome!" Noah looked at me. "Want me to grab you some snacks?"

    I shrugged. "Not too much."

    "Okay!" Noah started to bounce away, holding his hat out to some nearby players.

    Rhys glanced at Jeremy then went to follow Noah. "I''ll make sure he stays out of trouble." He probably had some experience being in a club room with professional players.

    Zeke looked at me directly. "You good?"

    I tapped my knee. "Yea. Just resting."

    Zeke nodded and went to follow the other two.

    "You know...it hurts that they have to double check with you before leaving me alone with you." Jeremy mumbled. "It''s like I can''t be trusted."

    I was surprised by his complaint, then shrugged helplessly. "They''re like that with others too. Not just you. And...not just for me. Zeke protects the others too, just not so much verbally." I thought back to when Kyle was having some problems. "They''re just...protective of one another."

    Jeremy sighed. "That''s good I guess. Doesn''t make it hurt any less though. I feel like a failure as a big brother."

    "You''re not a failure." I hurried to say. "You...came to your senses." I flashed him a small smile. "You''re trying now. Better late than never."

    Jeremy seemed to be comforted by those words. He grabbed another nearby chair so he could sit down and be eye level with me. "I don''t think my guilt will ever go away. I feel paranoid with every look that the Atkins give me. Or anytime they''re checking on you. Like I can''t be trusted alone with you. I don''t want to be treated like...our birth mom." He grimaced. "I would never hurt you like that."

    Jeremy could be intimidating sometimes, but he had never raised a hand to hurt me. His ''crime'' would be ignoring me, but things are different now. "I think you should come to a session with me and Dr. Moore."

    He was taken aback. "The psychologist?? I''m fine!"

    This wasn''t the first time Jeremy showed extreme aversion to seeing a therapist. I don''t know what it is that makes him uncomfortable, but- "Not for you. For me. He can help you see that it''s me. I''m the problem. I have a lot of issues. Trust. Claustrophobia. Pain. Violence. When I first started seeing Dr. Moore...I didn''t even talk." I gulped. "They called it selective mutism. From my trauma." I glanced at Zeke and Noah. "When I first came to the Atkins, I hardly spoke. For over a month. Two months. They know how insecure I am."

    Jeremy sighed. "Are you sure this isn''t going to make my guilt worse?"

    I blinked. "I always feel better after seeing Dr. Moore." There''s never been a time where he hurt me. I would rank him in the top five adults I knew. Right after Dad and Mom.

    "I have Thursday off next week." He told me. "We can do lunch or dinner. With the Atkins too."

    I smiled. "Okay. I''ll tell them."

    He glanced down at my leg. "Maybe I can you back with me Thursday night. Then Friday take you to see the doctor. You can hang out with me for a day and come to the game Friday night." He started to make plans for next week.

    I gulped. Stay the night? With him? Stay calm.

 628 V2 ch100

    I did my best to keep a neutral expression. I didn''t want him to feel even worse after coming forward with his guilt, but I wasn''t sure if I was ready to spend some alone time with him. Maybe I could convince Noah to come along.

    I listened to Jeremy suggest a few ideas and nodded along. "I''ll be sure to ask Mom and Dad." I told him, wanting him to know that it wasn''t up to just me.

    Jeremy smiled. "Yea. I''ll call them too. When do they get back?"

    I shrugged. "I''m not completely sure. They''re spending time with the twins while they''re visiting schools and preparing for another camp."

    "Speaking of camps, are you excited for the Stanford camp?" He asked.

    I shrugged. "I guess I''m a little more interested than before. Plus, Zeke, Noah and Rhys will all be there so I won''t be alone." I looked down at my leg. "I hope to get a rematch against Rhys then."

    "I should be the one to say that!" Rhys laughed, coming back with Noah and Zeke. "You''re too amazing. It''s hard to believe you still have three years of high school left."

    I blushed.

    "Hey, Patterson! Your girlfriend is here!" Someone called out.

    Jeremy turned immediately to the door and saw Rose. He stared at her as she came in and joined our small group, saying ''hello'' to the players she knew. Jeremy stood up and smiled at her, but it wasn''t a normal smile. He kind of look like he was choking or grimacing. It wasn''t a good look.

    "Hey, boys." Rose greeted, friendly as always. She caught a look at my leg. "Oh no! Jake! What happened?"

    "We had a showdown." Rhys gave her a brief rundown of what had happened.

    "Let me contact someone to bring a wheelchair." Rose suggested, pulling out her phone. "It''ll tire you out if we make you walk." She stepped away to make a call.

    Jeremy''s eyes stayed on his girlfriend, not even caring if others knew he was staring.

    Noah got closer to me and leaned down to whisper. "I''m guessing they''re fighting right now. Did you see how she ignored him and only greeted us? And her eyes never drifted his way."

    "Shh." I whispered back, scared that Jeremy could still hear him.

    My fear became real as Jeremy glanced back at us. Noah straightened up. Jeremy gave a small, yet sad, smile. "Just adult things. We''re fine." He looked at Zeke. "I''ll let Rose take you all to your seats. After the game, she''ll bring you guys down to the field. We can watch the fireworks together."

    Zeke nodded. "Sure. Thanks."

    Jeremy looked at me. "But if your leg is bothering you, just let me know. You guys don''t have to stick around for fireworks if you''re in pain. I don''t want you to be uncomfortable."

    I smiled. "I like fireworks. I think I''ll be okay as long as no one kicks me."

    "Who would dare?!" Noah took a fighting stance and threw some fake punches. "I''ll take them on."

    Rhys and Zeke started to follow her. Noah waited for me to get up.

    Once I was standing, I smiled one more time at Jeremy. "Good luck. Later!"

    "Yea, later." He waved as we walked out of there.

    Rose took us back through the halls, to the elevator, where a wheelchair was conveniently waiting. I sat down and relaxed, while Noah took control of the handles behind me. "I''ll push him!"

    We went up in the elevator and reached the appropriate level. Usually we took a ramp or escalator to our seats so this was a new experience. Noah steered me through the packed crowds, heading to our normal seats. He zoomed left, right, sped up, and suddenly stopped. I was starting to think that this is how others get motion sickness.

    I was happy to reach the stairs that took us down to our seats.

    "I''ll come get you guys after the game." Rose have a friendly smile and left with the empty wheelchair.

    Going down to our seats, Zeke walked in front of me, keeping close in case I fell forward. Rhys and Noah patiently walked behind me, talking about what food and snacks we should order. When we got to our seats, I was abled to prop my injured leg up on the rail in front of us. Elevation.

    I was surprised how packed the stadium was on a holiday. It was the most people I''ve ever seen here. There was a festive air hovering over everyone as the game started. The A''s came out strong, getting an early lead. It only got worse for the other team as the game went on. Jeremy was able to hit two home runs, bringing in so many runs.

    Noah spent most of the game standing and clapping. He was in energizer-bunny-mode, bouncing and yelling nonstop. It really added to the atmosphere, making my heart pound every time he gasped. Of course, by spending so much energy, he had to refuel. Zeke didn''t stop him from ordering extra peanuts and cotton candy, and didn''t even glare when he asked for refills on his soda.

    As the game neared its end, Rose appeared and asked if we wanted to get started on heading down to the field. Noah was reluctant at first, but when Rhys gave him grief about not trusting his favorite team, Noah got moving.

    By the time we reached the field, the game was over and some of the fans started to leave.

    "They''ll probably watch the fireworks from the car. Beat the traffic and whatnot." Noah explained to me.

    Rose let us sit in the grassy area between the A''s dugout and the third baseline. She looked like she was about to leave us there alone, but stopped when Jeremy came jogging out of the dugout. He must have taken a quick shower because he was in jeans and a shirt, not looking like the baseball player he was.

    "Stay." Jeremy told her, taking her hand in his and interlocking their fingers.

    Rose was hesitant. She glanced at me.

    Feeling awkward, I showed her a smile.

    "Okay, but I''m still mad at you." She conceded.

    Jeremy was relieved. "I know." He revealed a jacket and laid it down so she can seat on it.

    "You didn''t bring anything for us?" Noah joked.

    "You''re baseball players." Jeremy told him. "You guys shouldn''t mind sitting in the grass."

    Noah rolled his eyes, but plopped down and sat freely in the grass. "So biased."

    I carefully sat down next to him, stretching out the boot.

    Rhys and Zeke sat down as well, without complaints.

    We faced the outfield and eventually the lights started to dim until most of them turned off. The music started, then the fireworks. It was a show. A professional show. It didn''t even compare with the Saturday night fireworks show. I can see why Jeremy said we could watch it from the field. I could lay flat and just watch the bright colors cover the dark sky. What a contrast.

    "This is too cool." Noah mumbled under his breath.

    I nodded in agreement even though he wasn''t necessarily talking to me. This was another great day to be saved in the memory bank.

 629 V2 ch101

    After the show, Jeremy and Rose walked us through a secret exit, getting us to the parking lot. They wanted to walk us to the car so I could sit in the wheelchair longer, but Zeke had refused. It made sense. Jeremy was easily recognizable amid the A''s fan base so walking around would just hinder us from getting back to the house.

    Zeke helped me into the backseat and we left.

    Rhys''s mom was waiting up for us even though it was nearing midnight. The extended family had already left so it was just her, alone. It made me feel bad knowing that she didn''t have anyone until we got home. But she didn''t look bothered at all.

    She brought out the sparklers and a lighter. We sat on the curb, holding the lit sparklers over the street. Zeke didn''t seem too interested while the other two were trying to make shapes appear by swinging theirs around.

    Fireworks continued to go off all night, making the dogs bark and car alarms go off. We all went to bed and fell asleep despite the noise.

    As instructed, I took the boot off and put a couple of pillows underneath my leg to keep it elevated throughout the night. Noah offered to sleep on the floor or the couch downstairs, but that was too much. We''ve shared a bed before so I know he won''t be kicking me in his sleep or anything.

    The pain woke me up early as the sun was rising. I gasped and held onto my knee, trying not to make any noise.

    Noah still woke up though. His bleary eyes looked me over, trying to figure out what was happening. "What''s wrong? Your leg..?"

    I nodded.

    He immediately got up, more awake. "I''ll go get some ice!" He ran out before I could say a word.

    Noah came back five minutes later with Mrs. Johnson following close behind. She gave a warm smile. "Good morning, Jake. I heard from Noah that your leg is hurting?"

    I nodded, feeling a little shy.

    She stood beside the bed and started to place some items on the nightstand. "I''ve brought you some pain killers and water. And a granola bar because you shouldn''t take pills on an empty stomach."

    I sat up and took the pills with a sip of water. Then I ate the granola bar in three bites. Feeling tired, I laid back down and got comfortable in bed.

    Noah revealed my left leg and put a towel on it before putting on a bag of ice. Him and Mrs. Johnson helped me get comfortable and then I fell back asleep.

    I woke up with more clarity the next time around, and noticed that someone had gotten the bag of ice off me. I hopped around on one leg and changed clothes before strapping the boot on. Then I went downstairs.

    Mrs. Johnson was in the living room, watching tv. She got up and smiled. "Good morning, Jake. Are you hungry?"

    I nodded. Then cleared my throat. "Where is everyone?"

    I shook my head. "That''s good." I awkwardly waited for the bagel to be done while Mrs. Johnson asked about my leg. "It felt bad the first time I woke up, but now it''s okay."

    "It''ll probably be like that the next few days." She handed me a bowl of fruit and the bagel. "They''re in the bullpen."

    "Thanks." I grinned and went out. Mrs. Johnson was really nice. On par with Mom. I hobbled over to the bullpen, munching on my bagel.

    Zeke was standing behind the fence, watching Noah and Rhys face off. "Noah told me you woke up in pain?"

    "I''m okay now." I told him.

    "That''s good." His eyes went back to Noah, who was struggling against the fastball.

    "Why didn''t you guys wake me?" I asked.

    "The injured needs their rest. Noah wanted to run around once he was up so we three jogged through the neighborhood. Came here afterwards." He told me about their morning. "Noah still can''t catch up to Rhys''s speed."

    "He''s getting closer." I told him between bites. "Slightly better than yesterday."

    Zeke looked down at me, squinting.

    I shrugged.

    We watched them play a little longer, until Noah''s arms got tired from swinging. He didn''t get a single hit off Rhys, but still came out with a smile. It brightened when it saw me. "Hey! Doing better?"

    I nodded.

    We headed back inside so the three of them could shower for the day. We ended up staying for lunch, and Rhys even invited us to the Giants game tonight, but Zeke said no. We had an early softball game tomorrow after all. Or at least...they did. I guess I was spectator #1 now.

    We went home after lunch so Zeke could do his school work. He set up his laptop and books in the kitchen while Noah and I got comfortable in the living room. He sacrificed the bigger couch to me so I could lay down and prop the injured leg up. I took off the boot and he fetched a bag of ice.

    Noah came back with the ice, a bag of cookies, and a giant grin. "Look what I found!" He put the ice on my leg and sat on the floor in front of me, resting his back against the couch.

    "Did Zeke see you?" I asked.

    "He did. Said we could have half the bag." He greedily opened the bag and took out three cookies, then held the bag out to me.

    Seeing that they were Mom''s homemade cookies, I also took three. If I didn''t, who knows if I''ll be able to have anymore. Noah didn''t have any self-control.

    Sure enough, Zeke came to us half an hour later and looked at the near-empty bag of cookies. "I said half."

    Noah nodded. "Yea, I get half and Jake gets the other half."

    I laughed outright.

    Zeke shook his head and snatched the bag away from Noah, going back to the kitchen. "You still have to run before tomorrow''s game."

    "I don''t mind!" Noah licked some chocolate off his fingers.

    "We''re running double the distance since Jake isn''t participating." Zeke said from the other room.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "He''s such a liar. There''s no way he would leave you home alone."

    "You guys ran this morning." I pointed out.

    "That''s because I was already awake." Noah said. "Plus, Mrs. Johnson was there for you in case you woke up while we''re gone. Zeke takes his babysitting job seriously. Responsibility." Noah laughed. "So yea, I don''t think we''ll do any running actually."

    That''s true. Zeke wouldn''t just leave me on my own, but- "What if he does the wagon idea?"

    Noah stopped laughing. He had a look of terror on his face. "Wagon...double the distance..." He jumped up. "Zeke! No! Don''t do this!"

    I laughed as he ran out of the room to plead his case to Zeke. He came back in less than a minute, sent away by Zeke so he could do his school work in peace.

 630 V2 ch102

    Noah didn''t have to pull me in a wagon on Saturday morning. Instead, we were both woken up at dawn and told to load up the car.

    "Are we going to the park already..?" Noah yawned.

    "Yes." Zeke answered.

    "What about the girls?" Noah got in the front.

    I got in the back and propped my leg up.

    Zeke had put a grocery bag beside me and got in the driver''s seat. "Julian said he would do it for me this morning. But in exchange, we''re going to pick up Andy." He started to drive.

    We made our first stop at Julian''s to pick up Andy. He showed his usual serious face as he took in the look of my leg. "Will you be fine?"

    I nodded. "Just a bruise."

    He nodded. "Good. When do you think you can play again?"

    I shrugged. "A week or two."

    "He probably take two weeks off." Zeke told him. "Just to be sure. Rushing back to play softball is a foolish decision."

    "Agreed." Andy nodded again. He glanced at me. "My brother told me that the high school baseball camp is considered the first tryout. If you don''t perform well, you can''t even join the program. If you can''t join the program, you can''t make it on any team."

    "..." I looked at him blankly. Am I still asleep?

    "There are exceptions to every rule." Noah mumbled from the front. "The camp is mostly for the incoming freshmen. Jake came in right before the season started and was abled to get a tryout with the varsity team immediately. Don''t be so uptight."

    Andy considered what he said as we arrived at the field. "I see."

    Zeke parked and we started to get out of the car. We  went to a grassy area of the park, where some lines for a small soccer field were set up. Zeke laid a blanket out and gestured for me to sit. He then opened up the grocery bag and started to pass out apples, oranges, and bananas. "Eat a bit, and then we''ll begin."

    Noah didn''t need to be told twice. He ate two bananas and an apple in the time it took me to peel and orange. Andy also ate a banana and apple before looking to Zeke for further instructions.

    Zeke finished eating as well. "Let''s start with a jog. Jake, do some ab exercises."

    I looked up at him. "I don''t get to sit around?"

    Zeke grinned. "You are sitting."

    I wanted to cry.

    My only solace was that Noah and Andy were working harder. Instead of the usual long distance run, Zeke had them doing sprints after a short warmup. It definitely made my ab workout pale in comparison. We kept it up until Julian arrived with the girls, along with some more food.

    Noah and Andy stuffed their faces as the girls asked about my leg injury.

    "You hit a foul ball into your own leg?" Kaylee asked, squatting next to me. "You?! But...how?"

    I felt embarrassed as I shrugged. "An accident."

    "I feel like you never miss though." Kaylee poked my boot. "Is it heavy?"

    "Thankfully it didn''t go off your foot." Julian said. "You would have been more likely to break a bone then. And foot injuries are the worst."

    I nodded. It definitely could have been worse.

    "You''re also lucky it didn''t happen near the start of the season." Mr. Miller said. "Coach Wilcox would have given you an earful." He nudged Stu. "Guess we old folk have to play the whole time now."

    "Me too?!?" Alisha questioned, in distress.

    "We only have one sub." Noah shrugged. "It''ll be fine. You can play in the outfield."

    "I''m not good..." She sighed. "There''s no position that''s suitable for me."

    "Catcher." Zeke spoke up.

    Everyone looked up at him.

    "There''s no stealing allowed so it''s not like she has to throw much. Just back to KJ." Zeke pointed out. "It''ll work against the older teams at least."

    It was decided. Alisha had to put on the heavy catcher''s gear. Mr. Miller would cover first, Stu on third, Noah at short, and Kaylee at second. Julian, Andy, and Zeke would cover the outfield. I watched from the bench, leg propped up. They pulled off another win and we went out for an early lunch to celebrate. It was more like brunch since it was a pancake house. Everyone had a good time as we talked about nothing and everything.

    The days started to go by, just like that.

    Mom and Dad came back from visiting with the twins, worried at first about my leg, but were assured that I was fine once they could see for themselves. They had heard from Jeremy about him coming over on Thursday and potentially taking me to his place for the night. Friday I could see the doctor and go to another A''s game.

    Noah invited himself along which made it easier on me. I called Jeremy and told him the plan, Thursday we would go see Dr. Moore together, then go to the softball game, dinner, then leave for his place. Jeremy easily accepted the itinerary, not saying anything bad about Noah coming along either.

    Mom and Dad said they would meet us at the A''s game with Zeke and the twins. It would be a family outing. I don''t think they realize how much I appreciate them coming. It was reassuring to have them come after spending a night somewhere I haven''t been before.

    With the plans set, the week began. Zeke would take Noah on a jog every morning and then I would join them for a small ab workout before it was time for school. Noah and I went to Spanish, talked to Mitchell about baseball, and then had lunch with Zeke.

    Tuesday, there was a small change in our routine. When going to the softball game, Noah handed me his phone. "The all-star game will start halfway through our game. I set it up so you can watch Jeremy."

    "Oh." I had forgotten. I held his phone, careful not to click anything. I didn''t want it to change.

    As they played their softball game, I sat at the end of the bench, eyes on Noah''s small phone screen. Somehow, he had pulled the real game''s broadcast so I was able to hear and see everything. Including a shot of Jeremy...talking with his family.

    They were all there. Uncle Jack and wife. Their kids. Jeremy''s family. Mine too, but not in a way that mattered. I wonder if they were invited before or after I was invited. Were they the backup plan for when I said I couldn''t go? Or were they coming the whole time and Jeremy was going to spring that on me?

    The announcers didn''t say much about Jeremy and his family, just that he was looking at a big pay day with the A''s. "He has a bright future ahead of him." They claimed. "So young, with so much talent."

    An uncomfortable feeling took over my chest. I clicked the phone so the screen would go dark. I no longer wanted to watch.

    Noah could tell something was off when we had dinner after the game, but I ignored his questions. I don''t what to say. I''m jealous? Even though I already consider the Atkins my family? I thought I was fine with this.

 631 V2 ch103

    Wednesday came and went, but my bad mood was here to stay. Thursday we took another Spanish quiz and then headed home for lunch. Surprisingly, Jeremy was already there. He sat at the kitchen table with Mom and Dad, talking about the twins.

    "Hey, Jake." He greeted smiling. "I came early. Figured we could do a group lunch, and then I''ll be responsible for dinner. I know a good spot we can go to after the softball game."

    "Okay..." I shrugged. "I''m going to go put my backpack away."

    "Same!" Noah said and we both headed for the stairs.

    In our room, I let out a sigh.

    "What''s going on with you?" Noah poked me. "You''ve been moody since Tuesday night. I thought it was about you not being able to play, but I''m starting to think it has something to do with Jeremy."

    I shrugged. "Kind of. It''s just..." I paused. "I''ll just bring it up to Dr. Moore. Don''t worry about it."

    Noah crosses his arms in front of his chest. "I won''t worry about ''it'', but I am worried about you. Did Jeremy do something?" He stood up a little straighter.

    My lips twitched. This is what made Jeremy upset last week. How protective the Atkins are of me. "Nah. It''s not something he did, per se. It''s just me...being me."

    Noah put his hand on my shoulder. "There''s nothing wrong with you being you. Come on, let''s go. I''m getting hungry."

    We went downstairs together and joined everyone. Mom had picked out a restaurant to eat at near the beach. Jeremy was going to drive separately, but Mom convinced him to just ride with us.

    It was a little awkward at first due to me being weird, but that came to a stop as we reached the restaurant. It''s hard to be in a bad mood when everyone else was being cheerful. We laughed as Mom told us about the twins temper on their college visit. Apparently there were a lot of looks and comments on Dave''s slightly pink hair. It wasn''t so noticeable with a hat on, but still visible.

    Lunch lasted for over an hour, but it felt quick. I was worried about acting weird with Jeremy, but my thoughts took a backseat as everyone was having a good time. It wasn''t until we got home that I started thinking about Jeremy and his family. Noah spoke the most so I don''t think anyone could tell that something was going through my head.

    That changed when it was time for my appointment with Dr. Moore. Jeremy and I left the house together and drove in silence to his office.

    I glanced at him and noticed that he didn''t look so good. I opened my mouth to say something, but couldn''t find the words. I closed my mouth and looked out the window until he parked.

    I hobbled out of the car while Jeremy got out smoothly. He wiped his hands on his pants before we headed inside. I saw him repeat the movement as we waited in the lobby.

    I took a seat on the couch, propping up the boot leg. "It''s going good. The best I''ve ever had."

    "Good to hear." He looked at Jeremy. "Good to see you again, Mr. Patterson. I was surprised when Jake called to make an appointment with you."

    "We''re not going to talk about me." Jeremy said stiffly as he sat down on the other end of the couch.

    Dr. Moore wasn''t surprised by his attitude. Or at least, he didn''t show it. He kept a neutral smile on his face as he looked back to me. "Is there a set goal you have in mind for today''s session? Or do you just want to talk?"

    I shrugged. "Sort of, but not really. Jeremy was..." I looked at him for help.

    Jeremy pursed his lips. "We were going to talk about Jake. Lately, I''ve been uncomfortable with the looks that the Atkins family gives me whenever we have alone time. It''s like I can''t be trusted."

    "Ah." Dr. Moore pushed his glasses up. "This isn''t just for you. I''m sure Jake has explained a little?"

    Jeremy gave a nod. "He has issues. I get that. I get it better than any of them so why..."

    "You can''t ask them to stop worrying about Jake." Dr. Moore explained. "You care too, don''t you?"

    "Of course." Jeremy looked slightly offended.

    "Then you can understand where they''re coming from. You all want what is best for Jake." Dr. Moore looked at him directly. "I think what you should be addressing, is your guilt."

    The room went stall and time felt like it had stopped.

    Jeremy clenched his fists as they rest on his knees. "Excuse me?" He squeezed out. "Guilt?! I am not guilty."

    "It''s not what you are, it''s what you''re feeling." Dr. Moore corrected.

    Jeremy glared at him, looking mad. Like the first time he came to see me at the baseball field. Anger. Frustration. His attitude was no longer like the one I''ve been seeing lately. He was reverting back.

    Jeremy''s eyes glanced my way and all of a sudden, his body let out a breath of air. Like a heavy sigh. His hands relaxed and he started to shake his head. "No, no, this isn''t me."

    "What isn''t you?" Dr. Moore asked, almost pretending that Jeremy wasn''t acting a bit weird and out of control.

    "This." Jeremy kicked his legs out and stretched them. "I''m not-" He glanced at me. "I don''t mean to scare you."

    That''s when I notice my own hands...shaking.

    Jeremy sighed again, sadder than I''ve seen before. He rubbed his temples. "I do feel guilty. Every time I see Jake. Think of him. I wish...I could change the past."

    The room went silent.

    "Good." Dr. Moore started to scribble on his notebook.

    "Good?" Jeremy echoed. "How is this good?" He stood up, towering over us. "How is any of this good? I was beaten and escaped hell. I''ve convinced myself for years that I could never return. Only to have the past come to me." He put his hands on the desk and leaned forward to get in Dr. Moore''s face. "Please tell me how any of this is good?"

    "Let me ask you this..." Dr. Moore didn''t even lean back. He just stared Jeremy in his eyes. "Do you wish that you never knew about Jake? You each live your separate lives?"

    "What?!" Jeremy took a step back like he heard something so unpleasant, he might be sick. "No! I wish I knew sooner!"

    "See? That''s good." Dr. Moore told him. "Addressing your guilt. This kind of guilt is appropriate. It helps you; gives you a purpose. Doesn''t it?"

    Jeremy was stunned. "Gives me a purpose?"

    "Doesn''t the guilt drive you to change your behavior?" He glanced at me. "Like reaching out to Jake? Being there for him?"

    Jeremy looked at me.

    I tried to show him a smile.

    "It''s good to recognize this guilt. Let it change you for the better. That''s the next step. Change. Taking action to fix the problem. An apology is good, but sometimes it isn''t enough. We have to use our actions to show that we have changed in order to repair the broken relationship."

 632 V2 ch104

    Jeremy gulped, looking back at Dr. Moore with an expression I couldn''t read. "I''m trying to change, so why do I still feel this way? Am I going to be like this for the rest of my life? Every time I look at Jake, I-I-I.." He stuttered. He glanced at me shook and his head. "This is why I don''t like seeing therapists. It''s better to keep these skeletons in the closet."

    Dr. Moore''s smile didn''t falter. "Mr. Patterson. Jeremy. You don''t really think that''s the best way to treat any problem, do you? Just sweep it under the rug and pretend it''s not there?" Dr. Moore shook his head. "It''s better to accept that what you did, what you feel guilty for, was wrong. And then...let it go."

    "Let it go??" Jeremy repeated.

    "Yes. Move on." Dr. Moore told him. "Recognize your mistakes, and take steps to fix it. But also, let yourself off the hook. No one is perfect. Not you. Not me. Not Jake. We have made mistakes. And will continue to do so. It''s part of human nature. It''s what you do afterwards that defines your character."

    Jeremy looked to me.

    "I like you more than before." I told him.

    That seemed to take all the hot air and anger out of him. He slumped in his seat, looking defeated.

    "I think you''re doing well." Dr. Moore said. "It''s okay to be scared, worried, and stressed. Don''t keep it bottled up though." He tapped his notebook. "It seems there are other things on your mind. Otherwise, why would you feel so pressured by this guilt?"

    Jeremy sighed. "Everyone knows."

    "Who is everyone and what do they know?"

    "EVERYONE." He emphasized. "My friends, my teammates, my girlfriend, my fans, everyone knows that I...I didn''t want to accept Jake." He looked at me again. "Sorry."

    I shrugged, not expecting this at all. "It''s okay. We''re moving on, aren''t we?"

    "I feel like that too." Jeremy agreed. "But everyone else...they don''t see it. They don''t see me trying to make amends so I look like a bad guy. I feel like one too."

    "Have you had conversations with your friends and girlfriend? A personal conversation about your mistakes and how you''re trying to change?" Dr. Moore asked.

    Jeremy nodded, then started to waver. "Well, some of them. The ones who know. My girlfriend, Rose, she was kept out of the loop, but then I brought her to meet my family. And...I just feel like things haven''t been right since."

    "Ah. Rose is important to you?"

    "Of course!"

    "So the way she perceives you now, makes you feel even more guilty. We''re making progress."

    "Just tell me what to do to fix all of this." Jeremy demanded, sounding short-tempered again. "Isn''t that what therapists do?"

    "I can''t tell you what to do. I can help you clarify your feelings and thoughts, but you''re the one who has to turn that into action." Dr. Moore smiled. "Are you still with this girlfriend? Are you still on speaking terms with those friends?"

    Wow.

    "Then you''re better off than you thought. They''re still around, they still have some semblance of trust in you. Sit down with them again. Explain yourself more clearly. The hurt you''re feeling from their rejection as you try to become a better you."

    "I thought you couldn''t tell me what to do?" Jeremy looked skeptical.

    "It''s just a suggestion. May work, may not. No guarantees." Dr. Moore showed his hands and looked indifferent. "This advice can only go so far. You''re still the one that has to make the decisions here."

    "I''m just tired of explaining myself." Jeremy let out his hundredth sigh of the afternoon.

    "As a public sports figure, you can try to use the media to your advantage." Dr. Moore pointed out. "Have an interview with the hard questions. It can help you, and maybe help Jake too."

    "Me?" I was stunned. How was I suddenly pulled into this?

    "I don''t think Jake likes the limelight." Jeremy frowned.

    Dr. Moore looked to me. "Aren''t you also tired of explaining your situation to your classmates? Instead of just saying ''it''s complicated'', you uncomplicate it."

    Jeremy looked at me, worried. "Do your classmates say bad things to you?"

    I shook my head. "They aren''t bad. Just confused. Noah usually just tells them to mind their own business."

    Jeremy scratched his face. "Hmm. I''ll talk to my agent. See what options are out there." He made eye contact with me. "You would have to discuss this with Wayne and Mary too. They are your guardians, plus it might also affect their own sons."

    I shrugged. "I''m not in a rush."

    "It''s just an option for the future." Dr. Moore said. "Keep it in mind. Just in case you''re still worried about how the public sees you. Until then, reach out to your close friends." He paused for a second. "Does your family know how you feel?"

    Jeremy pursed his lips. "Well, sort of. They know I''m trying to be a brother to Jake. They know I have a sense of guilt for not being there. But they...they have their own opinions about the matter."

    "Oh." Dr. Moore looked to me. "Have you thought about them at all?"

    I gave a single nod. "You could say that. I saw them at the all-star game on Tuesday." I glanced at Jeremy. "With you." I paused for a minute. "If I had gone when you invited me...would I have to see them? Or did you invite them after I said no?"

    Jeremy looked ashamed. "I thought it would be good to get together. You could meet them and they could see you. Get to know one another over the all-star break while in a different setting, over a fun-filled week. There was a lot we could have done there and then you would be able to sit with them when I played in the game."

    "I don''t like surprises." I told him, kind of hurt that he would have sprung that on me if I had went.

    "I know I should have consulted you first, but you also said no so quickly so it doesn''t matter now."

    "It still matters." Dr. Moore jumped in. He looked at Jeremy. "How do you think Jake would feel, if he had said yes, and then you told him that your family was going to be there too. It would have been awkward for him. You would have put him in a difficult spot. He would either try to back out, and potentially hurt your feelings. Or he would go and try to face down some of his demons without preparation."

    "My family aren''t demons." Jeremy was astounded.

    "Not to you. Not literally either." Dr. Moore looked to me. "Want to explain? Or want me to explain?"

    I shook my head. "Jeremy...I don''t think I''m ready to see Uncle Jack anytime soon. Maybe ever. He''s different from you. He was an adult this whole entire time and didn''t bother to check in on me or anything. You had your excuses: you were young, you were also abused, and you regret what you''ve done." I gulped. "What''s his excuse?"

    Jeremy was stunned into silence.

 633 V2 ch105

    Jeremy was speechless.

    I took a deep breath. "Seeing you guys together like that, happy, it makes me a little jealous. I want the same thing."

    "I thought you were okay with it. You have the Atkins." He said.

    I nodded. "I do have the Atkins. Now. I thought I could brush it off, but you got so many years with them." I looked him in the eye. "I''m jealous that they took you away. You didn''t have to worry where your next meal was going to come from. Or worry if today was going to be a bad day, just because that woman was slightly sober. You had people you could talk to. A family after dad''s death. Me? I legitimately almost died."

    "So what am I supposed to do?" Jeremy was distressed. "Just let you guys keep ignoring one another?"

    I looked to Dr. Moore. He would know better than me.

    "Let''s just wait this one out." Dr. Moore suggested. "Jake isn''t ready and from the sound of it, your uncle''s family might not be ready either. Maybe you can start slowly. Like your cousins." Dr. Moore looked at me. "You have nothing against them, right?"

    I shrugged. "I have no opinion."

    Dr. Moore gave me a look. "There''s no way you don''t have any opinion."

    I sighed. "Can I claim that it''s a mostly neutral opinion?"

    "What does that mean?" Jeremy asked, worried.

    I hesitated. "I don''t know them. They could be super nice and great to you, but maybe they resent me. They don''t know me either. I''m just not good with strangers, okay?"

    "Of course that''s okay." Jeremy told me. "But...they''re not strangers. They''re our family."

    I stayed silent, unsure of what to say. I didn''t want to make him upset, but I didn''t consider them my family.

    "Just give it time." Dr. Moore stated again. "You feel guilty and uncomfortable around the Atkins. Jake probably feels awkward and uncomfortable around your cousins. You got to grow up with them, and them with you. It''s hard to enter in any kind of situation where you know you''re the odd one out."

    Jeremy started to nod. "Oh. Okay. Like being a new student in school or like when I was traded to the A''s."

    "Yes, right." Dr. Moore answered. "How did you feel being traded to the A''s?"

    "I was relieved." He smiled. "My family is up here. A lot of my friends. I spent the majority of my life in this area. It was like coming home. But walking into that new dugout for the first time, I was nervous."

    "You?" I asked, not believing it.

    He nodded. "I knew some of the guys since we play against one another occasionally, but it was already a team that was put together." He smiled. "When you joined your high school team, you already knew the Atkins, but not the rest, right?"

    I nodded.

    "But you guys can play together. Noah talks about it all the time." I frowned.

    He showed a sad smile. "We could, but that means someone else will lose their spot on the roster."

    "Oh."

    "It''s all part of the game." Jeremy shrugged.

    "Sounds like you two don''t need me anymore." Dr. Moore let out a laugh. "I know some baseball, but I don''t think I can sort out all the complexities that surround it."

    I stood as did Jeremy. It sounded like Dr. Moore was dismissing us. "Thanks, Dr. Moore."

    "No problem." He got up from behind his desk and walked us to his door, opening it so we could leave.

    We walked out and I waved goodbye. "See ya."

    He smiled and waved back. "Have some fun. Come see me whenever you want."

    We walked through the waiting room and out the door. Got into Jeremy''s car.

    I glanced at him. "You okay?"

    "Yea." He started the car. "I am. It felt good to get all of that off my chest. Kind of like a mental cleanse."

    My lips twitched. "Yea, something like that. I like Dr. Moore. He always makes me feel better by the time I leave his office."

    "He seems pretty decent." Jeremy drove through the neighborhood, heading to the park that Zeke told him about during lunch.

    When we arrived, it looked like the game had just started. Jeremy put on some sunglasses and followed me to an open bench area. We sat together and I started to introduce everyone I knew. Noah and Zeke were easy. Julian and his little brother, Andy. Mr. Miller and Stu. Then the girls: Alisha, Kaylee, and KJ.

    "And Alisha is the one that likes Noah." I finished explaining what I knew about everyone.

    "Wow. Is it weird between them?" He asked.

    I shook my head. "No. Noah doesn''t know so it''s pretty much the same."

    "You haven''t told him yet?"

    "Nah. It''s not something that needs my input." I told him what Dad had said to me before. "It''s better if I just leave it to them. But I doubt anything will happen even if he knew. He likes baseball too much."

    We spent some more time talking about Noah. Then about Zeke. And it just kept going. The conversation was smooth and wasn''t as emotional as when we were at Dr. Moore''s. In fact, I think getting all that turmoil out beforehand made Jeremy easier to talk to. I knew a little more about him, and he knew a little more about me.

    After the game, Noah sprinted over, pulling Andy along. "Andy, this is Jeremy Patterson. Cool, right?"

    "Hello." Jeremy greeted him.

    Andy blinked. "Wow." He couldn''t say anything else.

    Lucky for him, the rest of the team came over to see too.

    "This is Jeremy." I told everyone.

    "You guys really do look alike." Alisha said, drawing a chorus of agreements from everyone else.

    "Do you know if Maberry will play tomorrow?" Julian asked. "I need to know for my fantasy team."

    Jeremy laughed. "Well, I''m not the manager, but I believe so. He''s been ready for quite awhile now."

    "The A''s are about to dominate the second half of this season." Noah declared.

    "As long as they make the playoffs and win there. That''s what matters." Mr. Miller added on.

 634 V2 ch106

    We spent at least half an hour talking about the A''s and what the playoff picture might look like. But with half of a season left to play, it was too soon to tell. Jeremy treated all of them nicely and it felt almost normal. Almost. Andy couldn''t speak up at all, seemingly star-struck. Which was weird since he seemed pretty chill when I gave him an autographed baseball card by Jeremy.

    As it got later, it was time for everyone to go. Zeke took the girls home, Julian and Andy left together, and Mr. Miller and Stu went their own ways as well.

    We had already put a bag of clothes in the car before Jeremy and I went to see Dr. Moore, so we were ready to hit the road. Noah had Zeke take his baseball bag back so there wasn''t anything extra to carry.

    "You know what can''t happen tomorrow?" Noah told me, excited. We both sat in the backseat together, leaving Jeremy alone up front in the driver''s seat.

    "Hm?" I raised an eyebrow.

    "Zeke can''t make me run!" Noah laughed.

    I laughed with him. That seemed to be the theme of the summer: trying to get out of running. With Mom and Dad back, Zeke could leave me in the mornings and make Noah go on longer, and probably faster, runs.

    "Ah." Jeremy made some noise up front. He glanced back using his rearview mirror. "Would this be a bad time to tell you guys that Zeke asked me if I could show Noah some of my endurance training?"

    Noah''s jaw dropped. "You didn''t agree, did you??"

    Jeremy grinned.

    Noah was in despair. "I can''t escape!"

    I laughed some more.

    Noah glared at me, but I could tell he wasn''t serious. "I wouldn''t laugh if I were you! Who knows...Zeke might make you do extra running and workouts when you get healthy again." He smirked. "You''ll be running before school, after school, and in the evenings."

    It was my turn to be distressed. That sounds like something Zeke would do. Off days were scarce. "Are there anymore holidays coming up?"

    Noah laughed. "My birthday, but I doubt Zeke would give us that day off. If anything, we should be extra prepared for his pranks. At least the twins won''t be there."

    I reached out and gave his shoulder a few pats. "Correction: you should be prepared. It''s not my birthday."

    Noah feigned being hurt. "Jake...I thought we were in this together??"

    "The twins promised to go easy on me for my birthday." I said, apologetic.

    Noah sighed. "I guess that''s only fair. At least this year, it''s only me versus Zeke."

    "My condolences." I tried not to laugh.

    Noah slapped me on the arm. "Jerk."

    "Okay, okay, let''s talk more about what''s going to be for dinner." Jeremy intervened. "I know you two aren''t that picky, so how do you feel about eating at a steakhouse near the water?"

    As we walked down the pier, we came across others who were either going to the restaurant or coming from there. And they all had something in common...they were dressed nicely. Like suit and tie kind of place.

    I wasn''t the only one to notice. Noah looked at them, then at himself. "Uh...Jeremy? Do you think they''ll still let me in like this..?" Noah was still in athletic shorts and his bright blue softball shirt.

    "Sure they will." Jeremy wasn''t bothered.

    Noah and I exchanged looks.

    "Don''t worry about it guys. I know the owner." Jeremy reassured us.

    We reached the end of the pier and walked into the restaurant. Jeremy greeted the hostess, speaking quietly. She grinned, grabbed some menus, and then told us to follow her. She led the way towards the back wall, almost to where the kitchen was. But instead she opened up a door that revealed a stairway. She started to climb it. We continued to follow.

    I couldn''t tell from outside that there was a second floor, but here it was. A single room, like it may have been an attic converted for private dining. A table for four was set by the window, well lit by the setting sun over the ocean.

    "Wow! What a view!" Noah sprinted to the floor-to-ceiling window. He pulled out his phone and started to take some pictures. "Jake! Come here! You''ve got to see this!"

    I joined him by the window. It was the coolest view I''ve ever seen. The sun hovering over the ocean.

    Noah took a few selfies of us with the view as a backdrop, but the pictures couldn''t do the sight any justice. When we were done messing around, we joined Jeremy at the table, both sitting across from him.

    We looked over the menus that the hostess had placed before us.

    "Thirty dollars for a steak!?!" Noah''s jaw dropped.

    I was also scared off by the prices that were shown on the menu. "This...isn''t this too expensive?"

    "Nah. It''s on the house." Jeremy grinned. "The owner will foot the bill so don''t worry about the cost. Just order whatever you want."

    "Do you know the owner that well?" Noah asked.

    Jeremy grinned. "I know him as well as I know myself."

    Noah was immediately suspicious. "Wait...are you actually the owner?"

    Jeremy laughed. "You caught me." He looked at me. "I wanted to tell you a little more about myself. I invested in this restaurant right after I got drafted. Everyone thought I was crazy to spend a million dollars at 18 when I didn''t even know the outcome of my baseball career. But me...I saw it as an investment. Now, four years later, it brings in more money than I''ve put in." He looked out the window. "I made it, right?"

    "Of course you''ve made it!" Noah told him. "You''re a millionaire. And you''re about to sign an even better contract with the A''s. You''re a multimillionaire!"

    Jeremy laughed. "Yea...that''s true. I''ll never have to worry about money again."

    "Do you really play baseball for the money..?" I asked. Dad was adamant that Zeke didn''t choose to go pro because of the money. He had to pick because it was what he wanted to do.

    Jeremy looked surprised by my question. He tapped the table slowly. "Yes and no. It''s a loaded question. With an even longer answer."

    Noah senses the shift in the atmosphere. "Can''t you simplify it for us?"

    He chuckled lightly. "It''s not that easy. Maybe when you guys get older, you''ll understand."

    Noah scoffed. "Playing the age card. Annoying."

    I nodded in agreement.

    Jeremy grinned. "I''ll get to play it all my life against you two. When you two try to make the Majors, I''ll already be a long-time veteran."

    Noah frowned and started to count on his fingers. "If I enter the draft out of high school and only spend one year in the minors, I''ll be 19. You''ll be 26. And..."

    "And it would potentially be my sixth season in the MLB." Jeremy finished for him. "If I last that long."

    "You should! You''re the greatest, youngest player right now!" Noah told him. He looked at me. "Wouldn''t it be cool to face Jeremy in the big leagues? We could beat him and rub it in his face forever and ever."

    I laughed.

    "Hey!" Jeremy laughed too. "That''s not nice. You guys are only in high school. It''ll be quite some time until you can catch up to me."

 635 V2 ch107

    I thought about what Jeremy had said throughout the night.

    He finished the drive to his place and we were surprised again. I had some kind of thought that his house would be similar to Rhys''s, but surprisingly he pulled into a gated condominium complex.

    "You live in a condo..?" Noah asked as he pulled into a two-car garage.

    Jeremy nodded. "Yep. It''s only for now. I don''t exactly have time to house shop during the season. Plus..." He paused. "I don''t want to move until Rose is ready."

    "Wow." Noah''s eyes went wide. "Talking about living with your girlfriend so soon! Is that normal?"

    Jeremy shrugged. "I''m sure it''s different for everyone. But, I know...that I''m serious about Rose." He looked back at us. "You guys better not say anything to her. I don''t want to scare her off."

    Noah snorted.

    "Sure." I told him.

    Jeremy got out of the car and came to the back to help me. Noah got out and carried our bag full of clothes.

    "Has Rose stayed the night before?" Noah asked.

    Jeremy didn''t answer him and just led the way to the garage door. We followed, just a little more slowly thanks to my boot. His garage door open to a small staircase, going straight to the second floor. The stairs took us right to his living room, which only had a big, black leather couch, a recliner, and a giant screen tv. The kitchen-slash-dining-area was right next to it. He had two barstools by the kitchen counter. No tables or other chairs.

    "This is what you call a bachelor pad." Noah told me. "No furniture but the basics. If that." He looked at Jeremy. "You just eat at the kitchen counter?"

    Jeremy laughed self-consciously. "Uhh, sometimes. I do a lot of my eating at the stadium or at nearby restaurants. If I do eat at home...I''ll usually eat it in front of the tv." He waved. "Come on, I''ll show you boys the guest room."

    "Is there even a bed?" Noah asked.

    Jeremy rolled his eyes and started to walk down the hall. "Yes, there''s a bed. Big enough for you two to share." He pointed at a closet. "My washer and dryer are in there." He pointed to a door on the left. "That''s a bedroom full of boxes. I haven''t unpacked everything yet."

    "Bachelor." Noah faked cough.

    I laughed.

    We came to a split in the hallway. He pointed to the right. "That''s the master bedroom, where I''ll be sleeping." He took us to the left and opened the door to reveal a king-sized bed taking up most of the floor space. "This is the guest room. Just completed. Fresh sheets. New towels in the bathroom. It has shampoo, soap, and anything else you might need."

    "Looks good." I told him.

    Noah put our bag down inside the empty closet. "Did you do it yourself or have help?"

    "Are we going to see Rose tomorrow?" I asked.

    He nodded. "At lunch. I figured you guys wouldn''t mind. Then after lunch, we''ll visit Dr. Shanfield. Then go straight to the field so I can do my batting practice."

    "What about the morning? Didn''t you say endurance training?" Noah asked.

    Jeremy laughed. "We''ll just go to the gym in the complex. Run on the treadmill and lift a few weights. I still have a game to play."

    Noah sighed with relief.

    The next morning, watching him run against Jeremy, I doubt he was still thankful. Jeremy and him were running on treadmills next to each other, and every time Jeremy upped his speed, he egged Noah on to do the same. What was supposed to be a run looked like a flat out sprint. Noah had to call it quits and got off, huffing and puffing.

    I laughed. "That''s how I felt when I first started running with you."

    Noah could only glare at me as he tried to steady his breathing.

    Jeremy got off thirty minutes later and found Noah already moving on to his pushups and crunches. "Hey man, let''s move on to the bench press, I''ll spot you."

    Noah hesitated for only a second. "Sure. I only get to bench press at the gym at school. We only have a few free weights at home."

    "What do you want to start with? Just the bar?" Jeremy grinned as they moved to the bench.

    I watched comfortably from my chair, drinking a protein shake that Jeremy had made for us in the morning.

    "I can do more than just the bar." Noah declared. He put 25lbs on each end. He laid down under the bar and got started.

    Jeremy stood behind him, hands ready in case Noah needed help. He watched Noah perform his set, then helped guide the bar back to it''s place.

    Noah sat up with a smile, almost looking proud of what he had just done.

    Jeremy looked at him and sighed. "Do you guys have a weight-lifting coach at your school? How many times do you go to the gym?"

    "Uhhh, no specific lifting coach." Noah answered. "Just the baseball coaches to supervise us. We use it more in the fall, during tryouts, than in season."

    Jeremy shook his head in a disapproving manner. "That''s not good enough. I know you guys are only in division three, but if you want to be more competitive than the bigger and better schools, you''ll really have to hit the gym."

    "We lift at home with Zeke." I offered up.

    Jeremy shook his head at me too. "That''s the bare minimum. It may help those like you, who don''t normally lift, but if you want some real power in your swing, then you should consult a trainer of sorts." He thought about it. "Maybe I can reach out to your coach and school. Make a donation for the gym and provide some funding to hire a proper trainer."

    "Can you do that..?" Noah looked unsure.

    Jeremy nodded. "I did it for my cousin''s school. My alma mater. A few schools down south."

    "Your cousin doesn''t go to the same school you went to?" Noah asked.

    "No. I had to go to a public school my first two years, and then went to the school he''s at now for my other two years." Sounded complicated. "That''s not the point though."

    "What is the point? I don''t think lifting is that big of a deal." Noah shrugged. "I lift more than other kids in my grade."

    "Want to know what I was benching my sophomore year?" Jeremy asked.

    "The bar is 45lbs, 25lbs each side is 95lbs total. If you think that isn''t enough, then I''m guessing you did 120lbs?"

    He shook his head. "185lbs. I started hitting bombs and that''s what took me to the next level. After my sophomore year, I was recruited to a private school with a scholarship offer. Better school, better prospects."

    I gulped. 185lbs? I don''t even think I could do what Noah did. Crazy.

    "Zeke hasn''t said anything though." Noah was still unconvinced. "Zeke was drafted in the first round too, okay. Just because he chose to go to college instead doesn''t mean he''s any less good than you at baseball."

    Jeremy grinned. "But, Zeke can see it. That''s why he''s been making you guys run and lift all summer. Don''t worry, I''ll see what I can arrange with your coach and school."

    Noah and I both made faces. I didn''t want to lift and Noah didn''t like to lose baseball time. I guess there''s going to be some changes when school starts.

 636 V2 ch108

    Both of them took showers before we left to meet up with Rose for lunch. It was another nice restaurant for lunch, but this time it was much smaller and there was no private room. This led to quite a few people approaching our table to ask Jeremy for autographs.

    Rose sighed and told us. "This happens whenever we go out."

    "I think it''s kind of cool." Noah said, watching Jeremy talking with his fans and taking pictures. "I can''t wait to get to this moment in life. People wanting my autograph?" He pursed his lips. "I think I need to work on my signature."

    "Does it bother you?" I asked Rose, noticing that she wasn''t exactly having a good time. Since we''ve met up with her, she had rarely smiled.

    Rose gave me a sad smile. "Does it matter if it does? Jeremy can''t help it."

    I kicked Noah''s foot under the table, discreetly telling him to say something. Especially because I had nothing to say to that.

    Noah got the hint. "Maybe start asking the manager for some quiet time and tell the diners that Jeremy can sign some autographs after he eats? If that doesn''t work, just stop going there. I feel like managers of restaurants should be thankful for Jeremy''s presence. They could claim that he''s a patron of their establishment."

    "That''s a great idea." Jeremy had just sat back down at the table beside Rose. "I really hate turning the fans away, but..." He let it trailed off, looking at Rose. "When I''m with you, I don''t want our time to be interrupted."

    Rose blushed.

    Noah fake gagged. "We can leave and give your two your alone time."

    "No, no, he doesn''t mean you guys." Rose quickly defended him.

    "Meh." Noah shrugged. "Let him answer for himself."

    We all looked at Jeremy.

    "Well...if I have to choose, then I would pick Rose over everyone." Jeremy grinned at her. "You''re the number one person I want to spend time with."

    Her face turned a deeper shade of red. "Oh, shut up. Stop teasing me. Let''s just eat."

    Lunch was served and the amount of autographs that Jeremy had to sign went down. I guess most people were still polite and wouldn''t interrupt him as he was eating. After lunch though, we had to wait around as he took a few pictures with his fans and signed a couple more autographs.

    "Is it always like this?" Noah asked Rose.

    Rose shook her head. "Very rarely is he as busy as this. Normally it''s just a few autographs. I think it''s because he''s in the running for MVP. Plus, he did well in the all-star game. And now the A''s have a comfortable lead in their division. Unless they go on a long losing streak, they should be playoff-bound." She smiled. "How do you guys feel, knowing a baseball star like Jeremy?"

    Noah laughed. "It''s a little unbelievable at times."

    She looked at me.

    Rose nodded. "That''s understandable." She looked a little sad. "Jake...I just want you to know, I''m sorry."

    I was taken aback. "What? Why?"

    "Jeremy told me about your past. No kid should have such a horrible parent." She looked like she was about to cry. "It''s-"

    "It''s okay now." I finished for her, trying to comfort her with a smile. "I''m okay now. The past is the past. It''s what led me to the Atkins."

    "But, Jeremy-" She still looked upset.

    "Jeremy is trying his best to be a good brother now." I cut her off again. I glanced at Jeremy who was surrounded. "I don''t know if he told you, but yesterday, he actually accompanied me to my therapist''s appointment."

    She blinked. "He doesn''t like therapy. He doesn''t believe in it."

    I laughed. "Yea...but he still went. Still listened. He even talked about his own problems." I got serious. "I didn''t realize how much the guilt was eating at him now that we''re having a better relationship. Yea, he messed up, but there''s no going back to the past."

    "You don''t know how much I appreciate hearing that." She sighed. "I love Jeremy, but the idea of him not going back to check on you when he knew his mother was crazy...it has been on my mind nonstop. Every time I saw you, I kind of wanted to ask how you felt about Jeremy. Like if you felt like he was just buying your forgiveness by going to all these games?"

    I shook my head. "I think it''s just him. Baseball is a part of him. It''s something my dad did too. One of my earliest memories is watching them play catch." I smiled, trying to recall my dad''s face but it was blurring with Jeremy''s.

    "I wish Jeremy would try to pay us off." Noah sighed. "I would wait until he signed his big deal with the A''s first. Get more money."

    I shoved him playfully. Noah always had money on his mind.

    "I''m just joking." Noah laughed. "Just hanging out with Jeremy is pretty cool. He doesn''t treat me any differently even though I was mean to him in the beginning. Let bygones be bygones."

    Rose smiled, looking relieved.

    "Hey, you guys ready to go?" Jeremy jogged over, finished with the fans. He looked around at the three of us. "Did I interrupt?"

    "Nope." Rose grabbed his hand. "I have to get to the stadium so I''ll see you later?"

    Jeremy nodded. "Sure." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I''ll text you when we get there."

    Rose gave his hand a squeeze, then let go. She waved as she walked to her own car.

    "What were you guys talking about?" Jeremy asked as we headed back to his car.

    "You, obviously." Noah replied honestly.

    Jeremy stopped. "What about me?"

    "Just that you''re so popular." Noah kept walking.

    Jeremy glanced to me, not entirely believing Noah.

    "She said she loves you." I told him a little more.

    Jeremy was shocked. "Did she say love? Or was it like?"

    "Love." I confirmed.

    Jeremy clenched his fists. "Don''t tell her that you told me."

    "What? Why?" Noah asked, turning around.

    "She hasn''t told me yet. I''m the only one to say it aloud so far." Jeremy sounded sad, yet hopeful. "Just, don''t embarrass her, okay. I don''t want it to be something awkward."

    Noah laughed. "You''re the second most awkward guy I know. Good luck."

    "Who''s first?" Jeremy asked, not offended.

    Noah pointed at me. "Jake. For sure."

    I nodded in agreement.

    Jeremy patted me on the head. "It''s okay. Noah might be biased. I''m sure to others, you''re normal." Jeremy gave me a few more words of comfort until we got to the car. We piled in and drove us straight to the doctor''s office.

    This time we didn''t run into Maberry. Jeremy told us it was because he was completely cleared last time and was given the green light to play like before. In fact, we would actually get to see him in the lineup for the first time since his injury.

    "I hope he hits a home run at every at-bat!" Noah grinned and pumped his fist excitedly.

    Nurse Francine had taken us to the same room as last time, letting both Jeremy and Noah accompany me. She took my vitals and then helped me take the boot off. "That''s a good looking bruise." She said, impressed by the blue, green, and yellow colors on my leg.

 637 V2 ch109

    I''ve had bruises like this before though so it didn''t mean much to me. "It doesn''t hurt so much now."

    She pushed the boot off to the side and got a better look at my bruise, carefully turning my leg. "Are you sure? It looks like it definitely hurts."

    "Jake has a high pain threshold." Noah told her. "One time he got his arm cut by a cleat when sliding into home, and brushed it off like it was nothing. Needed stitches too."

    She frowned. "Well, let''s see what the doctor says." She headed for the door. "I''ll be back." She left.

    "I didn''t realize how bad this looked." Jeremy hovered nearby, looking at my leg with worry. "It doesn''t hurt to walk?"

    I shrugged. "I wear the boot, it''s a little bothersome, but it''s not too bad."

    "Okay, just don''t move until Dr. Shanfield can look at it." Jeremy''s eyes didn''t stray from the bruise on my leg.

    It was bigger than the shape of a baseball, and it looked like it was spreading down the leg.

    Dr. Shanfield came into the room with nurse Francince right behind him. He sat in the small chair and rolled over, smiling. "Hello Jake, how''s the leg?"

    "It''s okay." I told him.

    "Looks like a textbook hematoma." He chuckled. "Fancy word for a more serious bruise. But to be safe, let me ask you a few questions. Has your leg or foot become numb?"

    I shook my head. "Not really."

    "And do you think the pain has gotten worse, better, or still the same?"

    I shrugged. "I would say better." Last week I was scared that I broke my leg.

    "That''s good." He then had me move my leg, bending the knee and ankle, rotating my ankle, and any other movements he could think of. After that, he sent me back for x-rays again to confirm that nothing was wrong structurally.

    "Alright, so everything checks out." Dr. Shanfield told us after examining the x-rays. "Continue to ice and elevate. Use the boot for at least the weekend. I''ll send you home with a few instructions for strengthening exercises. You''ll do three sets of each for a week. If that goes well, you can start running and playing next week." He glanced at Jeremy. "But if there are any changes, notify me immediately."

    "What kind of changes?" Jeremy asked.

    "Changes in pain level." Dr. Shanfield explained. "Changes in how the hematoma feels. Especially during the exercises. It should be sore at first, but it shouldn''t be painful. I see some green which means it''s healing and breaking down, but if becomes more blue or purple, call me."

    "Sure! I''ll watch out for him." Noah declared.

    "I''ll inform his parents as well." Jeremy said. He and Dr. Shanfield both stood up and they shook hands. "I appreciate you taking the time to look after Jake."

    "It''s no problem at all." Dr. Shanfield replied. They exchanged a few more words before we left.

    I hobbled out with the boot on.

    Noah glanced at the suitcase we shared. "I don''t think I can take this in with us? What are we going to do?"

    "I''ll visit you guys in Watsonville next week." Jeremy stated. "Wednesday we have an early game and don''t have to fly out until Thursday morning so I can squeeze in a dinner."

    Noah nodded. "Okay. It''s just clothes anyways."

    Jeremy glanced at me. "It''s a long walk to the clubhouse. I''m going to go ask security if they can drive us there in a golf cart instead." He walked away without waiting for my reply.

    "I bet he''s still worrying about your leg." Noah chuckled. "Could you imagine if he saw your scars? Probably would freak out."

    "He might have scars of his own." I reminded Noah.

    Noah stopped laughing and sighed. "That''s true. Ugh, what a life." He glanced at me. "But you know...I''m happy that it brought you to me too."

    It took me a second to realize he was thinking back to lunch, how I told Rose that I was happy to be with the Atkins. "Things really do work out in the end."

    Noah grinned. "This is nowhere near the end, but it''s a good break. This summer isn''t one that I''m used to, but I''m glad you''re here to spend it with me. Following me in training and in softball. Going to A''s and Giants games. Pizza and pool parties. I can''t wait for the baseball camps though. That''s what I really want to do."

    That''s something he could have been doing all summer if I wasn''t so afraid of being on my own. I swallowed a lump in my throat. My leg had to get better before softball ended and before we went to the Stanford camp. I have to prove to him and mostly to myself, that I''m growing. Mentally. Emotionally. I didn''t need him by my side all the time.

    Beep. Beep.

    Jeremy showed up in a golf cart driven by a security member. "Hop on!"

    Noah and I both got on the back, bringing back some memories of the baseball season, when Mr. Miller would take us up to the school from the lower parking lot. I had an urge to get back to that. But, there''s no going back. Only forward. Next spring, it''ll be the twins driving us to and from school. Who knows if they''ll make us walk from the lower lot like Zeke did.

    The security guard drove us through a concrete hallway, going all the way around to where the clubhouse was. He dropped us off and went back the way we came.

    Jeremy led the way, going straight to his locker. He pushed his chair to me and motioned for me to sit.

    Noah had to grab his own chair from an unoccupied locker. "I can''t believe how early it is, and we aren''t even the first ones here." He swiveled his chair to look at all the players and staff around the giant room. Some were eating, playing video games, looking over info sheets, and so on. It was like everyone had something to do.

    Jeremy had quickly changed into athletic shorts and an A''s shirt while we were looking around the room. His clothes had matched the others, indicating it was a uniform. He tied on some running shoes and grabbed an A''s hat out of his locker, putting it on.

    "Running late, Patterson?" Maberry came by and greeted. He looked at my leg. "You boys make a stop at Shanfield''s office?"

    Jeremy nodded. "Just a checkup. Jake will be able to run by next week."

    "I figured there had to be reason you weren''t here after lunch." Maberry laughed. "I''ll see you out on the field. Lynn said I could take some extra swings. Later!" He left as quick as he came, heading for the exit.

    "You come earlier than this?" Noah was shocked.

    Jeremy nodded. "I like to catch up on some of the video, check the scouting report on the opposing pitcher. Sometimes I''ll go to the trainer to get a massage if my body''s feeling out of whack. Or like Maberry, take some extra swings in batting practice. There''s a lot to do when you become a pro. It was a big change for me going from high school ball to the minors. I was also surprised by how much time off the field I spent at the stadium."

    Noah looked up at him. "Do you think...I can get a massage?"

    Jeremy laughed.

 638 V2 ch110

    Jeremy''s laugh didn''t mean ''no''. He really took us to the official training room of the A''s and we saw some of the players getting worked on. He found someone that was free and Noah got a massage.

    "He must be feeling sore from the lifting." Jeremy laughed and told me in a low voice so Noah couldn''t hear him.

    "I''ve only seen him in the weight room once and..." My lips twitched. "Let''s just say his focus wasn''t in lifting." It was to get information out of Kyle way back when. Ha.

    "Do you have your coach''s number?" Jeremy asked. "I really do want to help you guys."

    "I don''t have it, but it''s not a big deal."

    "No, it is. I like to help out schools when I can. I wish I could give every kid a chance by supplying good equipment and quality coaching. Your coach is good at baseball, but it would help to have some in the weight room."

    I shrugged. "I''m sure Noah has his number."

    When Noah was done with his massage, he joined us, and gave Coach''s number when Jeremy asked. Jeremy saved it to his phone and then we moved on. Jeremy gave us a more in-depth tour than last time since we were so early. We got to peek at the coaches chatting with players about scouting reports and were able to grab some snacks off the catering table.

    Then it was time for Jeremy to hit the field. We got to go out with him, walking through the dugout, but had to stop at the edges of the grass like normal. He had to go warmup so Rose showed up and took over. She had even brought me a small stool to sit on as we watch Jeremy shag balls from others batting practice, and then watch him take his own turn batting.

    Eventually it was the other team''s turn to take the field for batting practice, plus Jeremy had to go change in his uniform. He said a few words to us before hurrying back with his team. Halfway through the other team''s warmup, fans started to appear. Including the Atkins.

    Mom, Dad, Zeke, and the twins. Everyone was here.

    "Jake! How dare you get hurt!" Kyle started to scold me as we joined them behind the rope. "Don''t you know how important you are to my career?"

    I stared up at him blankly.

    Dave laughed. "We were talking to some of the other guys at this camp and they were surprised how few losses we have under our belt. As a team we only had two losses during the season and one was from a tournament so it doesn''t really count."

    "It was against a great school. It counts." Zeke told him.

    Dave made a face. "Anyways. Only one season loss and one tournament loss. And it wasn''t just thanks to our excellent pitching. But with the help of your hitting."

    Kyle grabbed onto me and pretended to cry. "And if you were hurt, we would have an even more difficult time scoring runs. You have to stay healthy!"

    "Can you not touch me?" I asked politely.

    "Oops." Kyle let go and took a step back.

    I nodded. It was fine by me. I don''t plan to go to the pool anytime soon. Or undress in front of others.

    "Make it for after the baseball camp, but before school starts." Noah suggested. "I don''t want him to be all stiff during the camp. I don''t think Coach would take his spot off the team that easily, but I don''t want others talking about Jake in a negative way."

    Dave laughed. "Who would dare? Jake is the Freshman of the Year in our whole division in CIF. That means he''s the best freshman."

    Noah looked me right in the eye. "Next year, I''m going to be the best sophomore in our division."

    I smiled and nodded.

    Yet the twins laughed.

    "No way." Kyle told him. "Besides Jake as your competition, there''ll be more sophomores on varsity teams than freshmen."

    Dave nodded in agreement. "It would be hard to compete against Jake though. His near perfect batting average. I don''t know how you can top that."

    "An excellent pitcher could!" Kyle said.

    "True." Dave agreed.

    We talked more about baseball and took a few more pictures while waiting for Jeremy to come back out. He was dressed in his uniform when he came jogging out. Fans screamed his name to try and get his attention. He gave a wave, but came straight to us.

    He greeted Mom and Dad first, updating them on what Dr. Shanfield had told him. "Oh, I left the papers in the car. I''ll scan them and email them to you later tonight."

    "No rush." Mom told him. "Sounds like Jake needs to focus more on resting these next few days." She glanced at me. "Tomorrow we''ll ice for twenty minutes every hour. I''ll stay home with you."

    "We could do that, Mom." Dave told her. "We invited Mitchell over to play in the backyard so we''ll be home the entire time."

    "Noah and I will be back for lunch." Zeke told Mom. "You don''t have to stay home from work. Aren''t Saturdays for open houses?"

    "I can take a day off when I''m needed." Mom turned them all down. "Your father can go and I''ll do some work from home."

    "So Jake isn''t coming to the softball field with us?" Noah asked.

    Mom shook her head. "No, not tomorrow. I think it''s best if he stays home. He''s been moving around too much and that''s probably why he isn''t healing as fast." She looked at Zeke. "You''ve been going too hard on him."

    Zeke gave a small smile and shrugged helplessly. "He really hasn''t been walking all that much."

    "He walks around the house, back and forth at school, and don''t think that I don''t know you''ve been making him do some kind of ab workout." Mom stressed.

    "What do you want him to do then? Just sit on the couch all day?" Dave asked.

    Mom nodded. "That''s a great idea. A few complete days off. Just laying on the couch, icing his leg."

    "And elevating." Jeremy reminded her.

    She nodded. "And elevating it. Healing is a number one priority. For any of you." She looked around.

    "Well, I''ll send you the exercises by the end of the weekend then." Jeremy told her. "I also have their suitcase in my car, but I told them I would just bring it by on Wednesday if you guys don''t mind me stopping by for dinner."

    "That''s fine with us." Dad told him. "Another plate at the table is never a problem with us. It must be hard on you to make the constant trips to our place during the season."

    Jeremy shook his head. "Not at all. We have an early flight the next morning so it''ll be fine. I like to see Jake when I can." He smiled down at me. "We missed out on a lot of time, huh?"

    I shrugged, feeling a little shy. "It''s no biggie. There''ll be more opportunities in the future."

    Jeremy reached out and rested his hand on my shoulder. "It''s a big deal to me."

 639 V2 ch111

    "I guess it wasn''t that big of a deal." Noah grumbled Wednesday evening over dinner.

    "Noah, he said he had something else to attend to." Dad reminded him.

    It was five days after watching the Friday night game. Five days since I''ve seen Jeremy. He and the whole A''s team had put on a show Friday night, hitting home run after home run. For a total of eight! Two came from Maberry and one came from Jeremy. It was a great game to finish off a great day.

    Saturday, Mom stuck true to her idea, keeping me isolated on the couch. I only got up to go to the restroom. Everything else was taken care of by her. Whenever I was hungry, she brought me food. Every hour she would bring a bag of ice for me to use for twenty minutes. She even got my textbook from my room after I told her I was bored of watching tv. I had never been looked after so attentively. Not even during my stay at the hospital.

    All the boys would come and go, checking in on me occasionally. Mitchell came in to say a few words before joining the twins outside. Zeke and Noah came back right before lunch. Noah plopped down beside the couch and told me all about the game that I missed.

    Sunday followed a similar pattern of me laying on the couch while everyone else got to play. Mitchell came over again to spend a few hours catching for the twins while Noah and Zeke left for the park to meet up with Julian and Andy. However, I didn''t feel left out. I woke up from a short nap to find all of them crowded into the living room, watching the A''s game while eating lunch. Seeing that I was awake, Noah ran to get me my plate of food and returned promptly. I did feel a little guilty taking up a full couch while most of them were spread out on the floor, but no one seemed to care.

    A couple of days off my foot really did help my leg heal. The bruise was less blue and more green with a tinge of yellow. Wednesday after lunch, Noah and I walked around our neighborhood just so I could get used to the boot being off. It''s when we got home that afternoon that we found out Jeremy wasn''t abled to come over.

    He had tried calling me after his game apparently, but I didn''t have my phone on me when we were outside, so he ended up leaving a message with Dad. Something had come up after his game and he wouldn''t be coming over for dinner.

    "I''m just saying...he''s about to go on a ten day road trip." Noah pointed out. "Don''t say something is important to you and then bail for almost two weeks."

    "Noah." Dad warned.

    "He''s not entirely wrong." Mom pointed out. "It''s important to keep the promises and commitments you make."

    "Mary." Dad said, exasperated.

    "Do you think something may have happened to his family?" Dad frowned.

    I shrugged. "Maybe. That, or his girlfriend, Rose."

    Noah sighed. "You''re right." Dinner became a little more peaceful with Noah being settled.

    After taking another Spanish quiz Thursday morning, we met up with Zeke to head home. My cellphone rang just as I had set the volume back on. I was slightly worried about Jeremy because I haven''t heard from him, but now he''s calling me.

    "Hello." I answered just as we got in the car.

    Noah glanced at me. I mouthed ''Jeremy'' and he nodded, getting in the front with Zeke.

    "Hey...Jake..." Jeremy sounded exhausted.

    "You sound tired." I told him blatantly.

    "I didn''t get much sleep before it was time to catch my flight." He yawned.

    "Oh. So you caught your flight. Was your emergency handled?"

    He let out a heavy sigh. "It won''t be solved overnight, but it''s not your problem so don''t worry about it. I just wanted to make sure you weren''t mad at me for bailing on dinner."

    "It''s okay, I understand. Life happens." I reassured him. "We can get dinner when you get back or something. You have it tough with the season going on." I paused for a second before asking. "Are you going to play in tonight''s game? You sound tired."

    He yawned again. "Ahh, I''ll probably decide after taking a nap for a couple of hours. See how I feel then. The manager might want to rest me too so it depends."

    "I''ll let you go. Have a good rest." I told him.

    "Thanks." He said softly, sounding like he was drifting off to sleep already.

    I could only hope that he was in his hotel room and not some public space when I hung up.

    "What''d he say?" Noah asked.

    "He was just checking on me. He made his flight, but doesn''t sound like he got any sleep. Don''t know if he''ll play tonight." I gave Noah and Zeke the rundown.

    Zeke had just reached the house and put the car in park. "It''s better if he just takes a rest day. We don''t want the A''s to overuse him so soon."

    "Yea!" Noah agreed. He looked back at me. "Text him that he should just take the night off to rest."

    I tapped the message out on my phone and pressed send. Hopefully the text won''t wake him.

    We exited the car and went inside the house. Dad was the only one home with Mom meeting with clients for lunch. "I ordered takeout for lunch. Should be here in a few." He told us.

    With some spare time, the three of us went upstairs to drop off our backpacks. I also got started on the exercises that Dr. Shanfield wanted me to do. I didn''t have any extra pain than before so it was safe to say that my leg was healing. I would watch tonight''s softball game, but Saturday I would get to play again. Even if it was just to be the designated home run hitter.

    Because we had the softball game in the evening, we weren''t in the position to watch the A''s game. Noah looked up the stats afterwards though and confirmed that Jeremy didn''t play in their game tonight. He didn''t text me back until Friday morning and it was just a simple, ''I''m feeling better'' text. Which was good, I guess. Nevertheless, I was worried about why he was losing sleep.

    Jeremy didn''t say, so I didn''t ask.

    He was back in the lineup Friday night so I guess it wasn''t a huge deal. Or...maybe it was? He did say it was a problem that couldn''t be solved overnight.

    I could only sit back and watch him play his games over the next few days.

 640 V2 ch112

    Saturday I got my opportunity to play, and succeeded at hitting a home run every time I came up to bat.

    "Wow, Jake." Julian told me at one point while we were both on the bench. "You took two weeks off, but you look stronger than ever."

    I turned a shade of red from his compliment. "I''ve been feeling stronger...than before, at least."

    Julian patted me on the head. "You''re going to be even better next year. Too bad I won''t get to be a part of it." He glanced to his younger brother, who was up to bat. "Andy might though."

    "I think Andy will make his own mark on the team." Zeke spoke up. "He doesn''t need to be a prop for Jake. Or Noah. He''s got his own skills and talents."

    Julian laughed. "You think Coach will just start letting freshmen on the team after Noah and Jake? Those are big shoes to fill."

    "I think his willingness to play any position and hustle for every play, will grab Coach''s attention." Zeke analyzed. "He does need to work on his batting, just like Noah does. They have a few more months to improve and show off their skill set."

    "Don''t let Andy hear you." Julian sighed. "I don''t want him to get his hopes up."

    We finished the game and the weekend passed in a blink of any eye. I spent most of my time studying and doing my exercises to get better. This was going to be a busy week. Softball and our summer class both ended on a Thursday. Then Friday is Noah''s 15th birthday. Sunday night we would leave for Stanford.

    Spanish wasn''t that hard since Mrs. Lorenz was very accommodating and helped the class go over the main points of our last test. Even Mitchell was feeling pretty confident as we left the classroom.

    "I feel like that was easier than the actual class." He sighed with relief. "Maybe I should take more summer classes before my senior year."

    Noah laughed. "Or it felt easier because you had already learned the subject once before."

    "Hey!" Mitchell pretended to be offended.

    "I''m just glad it''s over." Noah said. "Now we have more time for baseball."

    "You guys still going to that camp next week?" Mitchell asked. He knew some of our plans since Noah was so excited to share.

    "Yep! We leave Sunday night with Zeke, and then it''ll start Monday morning." Noah bounced his way to the library. "Softball was fun, but it''s just not the same. I think next year, we''ll go to a lot of camps like the twins did. Right, Jake?" He looked to me, hope in his eyes.

    Feeling like I was holding him back, I quickly nodded. Next summer, I''ll be better. I have to be.

    "Man, I can''t wait for the twins to come back." Mitchell grinned. "Get a few more extra bullpen sessions in before our high school camp. I''ll definitely be a standout."

    Mitchell raised an eyebrow. "I think it''ll be like that for all returning varsity members. Except for the twins and Garret. Their positions are solid. The other pitchers just have to fight for scraps."

    "I''ll be ready." Noah declared.

    "I''ll see you guys around after you get back from the Stanford camp." Mitchell waved and left us once he saw Zeke coming out of the library.

    Zeke was in a good mood as well, treating us to frozen yogurt on our way home. We didn''t even have lunch yet, plus he didn''t care how many toppings Noah had put on his ice cream. It was a perfect summer day: no more class for the next month, the weather was finally something I was used to, and there were no hurdles on the horizon.

    Even when we lost in softball that night to Cassie and her team, and ultimately losing first place in the league to them, no one was upset about it. It was a fun month of playing with friends and feeling like a normal teen.

    "We should do an end of the year party." Noah suggested to everyone as we packed up. He looked to Alisha. "Would you like to offer up your pool and backyard to the team?"

    Alisha laughed. "Yea, I can do that."

    "It can''t be tomorrow though." Noah said. "It''s my birthday."

    Oddly enough...no one looked surprised. Not even Alisha. Some of them exchanged glances and small smiles, but Noah didn''t catch any of it. He was just rambling to Alisha, telling her to ask her parents if we can do a party on Saturday or Sunday.

    "Sure." Alisha smiled warmly. "I''ll ask them and let you know."

    "Great! Thanks!" Noah said.

    I was immediately suspicious. Tomorrow is Noah''s birthday so wouldn''t Alisha be fighting for a chance to spend it with him?

    A heavy hand landed on my shoulder, making me jump. I looked to and found that the hand belonged to Zeke.

    "Tomorrow''s going to be fun, Jake." Zeke said in a low voice. "Just follow along, okay?"

    It didn''t feel like I had a choice. I nodded obediently.

    Throughout the night I wanted to remind Noah to be careful about his birthday, but apparently with the twins being gone, he wasn''t feeling that scared. Even when we went to bed, he claimed that Zeke couldn''t do much to mess with him. There was no school to go to. There wasn''t going to be anyone to see him embarrassed from some home pranks. He felt safe. I could only sigh and thought to myself that he was naive. Didn''t he know Zeke better than me?

    When I woke up from a gentle shake, I knew that Noah was still going to be pranked. What I didn''t expect though, is that Mom and Dad were a part of it too. Dad was the one shaking me, holding a finger to his lips.

    I also didn''t expect to be out of my bed already. Somehow, someone had carried me downstairs as I slept. Now I was in the barely lit living room, laying on the couch. Dad pointed at some clothes folded up, hinting that I should get dressed.

    I got up and grabbed the clothes, heading for the downstairs bathroom. I glanced upstairs and saw Mom and Zeke, but couldn''t tell what they were doing. I quickly changed and came back out, noticing that Mom and Zeke were almost down the stairs now.

    Dad tapped on my shoulder and motioned for me to follow him. He led me to the front yard in the dark. Sunrise was about to come, giving me a hint at what time it was. We both got into his car.

    "I didn''t know you guys would outright participate in Noah''s birthday pranks." I immediately stated, knowing that it was safe to speak all the way out here.

    Dad grinned. "Now that the boys are older, we usually let them be. Without the twins around though, we felt like Noah might be feeling a little too safe. Zeke came to us with a suggestion, knowing that you wouldn''t feel comfortable participating."

    I made a face. "Aren''t you guys making me participate right now?"

    Dad laughed. "No. We just saved you from the danger zone. You''re welcome."

 641 V2 ch113

    We waited in the car for Mom and Zeke to come out. Once they were in the car, we took off. At the break of dawn, there weren''t too many places we could go to beside the diner that Zeke has taken me to a couple of times now.

    "Did everything turn out okay?" Dad asked his two accomplices.

    Mom nodded. "Cutting the tape beforehand really helped."

    "Tape?" I asked. What did they need tape for? And why did it need to be prepared beforehand?

    ***

    Noah woke up as sunlight started to leak into his room. As he slowly blinked, getting used to the light, he suddenly realized it was morning! Late morning! His run with Zeke! He fought off his sheets and jumped out of bed.

    He changed in a rush and hurried out, but ran into resistance. When he opened his bedroom door and tried to go out, he ran right into an invisible wall. On closer inspection, he realized it was clear duct tape. Covering his whole doorway.

    "Ha. Ha. Very funny, Zeke." Noah muttered. He sighed and looked at Jake''s bed to complain, yet realized he wasn''t there. "Dang it! He even got Jake on this?"

    That was one possibility. Another was Jake just playing along.

    "Mom?! Dad?!" Noah called out, yet there wasn''t any other sounds. "Did they all leave? Or are they waiting out there to embarrass me?" He went to his phone charger to see if he could call his parents for help. That led to problem number three: no phone. "No Jake. No phone. No way to pull off this tape." He muttered and moved to his desk, going through his messy drawer, looking for something sharp.

    Noah found some scissors tucked near the back of the drawer. "Ha!" He went to the doorway and stabbed a hole through the tape. With a good size hole, he started to cut the tape downwards so he could get out.

    First stop was the bathroom. If there''s no Zeke, then there''s no run. Noah opened the bathroom door and a loud, ''Bang!'' went off and confetti started to rain down. Noah looked up and found a few confetti poppers taped to the door. "Okay...so maybe Zeke is taking this a little too seriously."

    Noah took care of his business and started to be more wary as he moved throughout the house. Sure enough he came across a couple of water balloons that were set to fall on him if he tripped or stepped on this piece of string. How elaborate!

    It didn''t stop there. At the stairs, each step was covered by plastic cups. Completely covered! Noah looked a little closer and noticed that a lot of them had some water in it for weight. And to make a mess. He groaned and got to work.

    ***

    After breakfast, Dad suggested we go on a walk by the beach. Originally they thought about hiking, but thought it would be better for my leg if we didn''t do too much.

    "Are we just going to leave Noah at home, alone? All day?" I asked Zeke as we trailed behind Mom and Dad.

    Aha. I knew it. "Will the whole team be there?" I asked.

    Zeke smiled and nodded. "It''s a birthday celebration and one last team party. I invited some of the guys from the team too, if they were in town. Alisha said she would invite some of your classmates too."

    Oh. A real party. "Sounds like a lot of people..."

    Zeke patted me on the head lightly. "I know you don''t really like it, but Noah likes being the center of attention. This is his first birthday since his old friends...shunned him."

    "Oh." I didn''t think about that. "I don''t know how...they could treat Noah so harshly."

    "Because they were never real friends to begin with." Zeke explained. "Some people can''t fathom how your birth mom treated you either. Some people just aren''t raised with compassion or general kindness."

    "Didn''t one of them win a baseball award for sportsmanship? That still bugs me. It doesn''t make sense." I started to rant. "How can he have good sportsmanship and supposedly a good character?" I sighed.

    "He''s just good at deception." Zeke told me. "You have to be wary of those kind of friends. The ones that are good at faking it." He glanced at the ocean. "Rhys had a similar problem."

    I vaguely remembered Rhys saying something about his teammates not being friends. It was a couple of months ago when I first met him. "Will Rhys come over today too?"

    Zeke nodded. "Of course. He''s like an honorary brother. Just because he''s a pitcher doesn''t mean that he''s closer to the twins than Noah. When we were kids, Rhys really liked Noah following us. He didn''t have a little brother so he wasn''t admired as much as us. Noah would copy everything he did."

    I laughed. "I bet he copied everything you did too. He still does."

    Zeke let out a small laugh. He was especially happy this morning. I don''t know if it''s because he lightened up with college coming or if he just liked reminiscing, but it was nice. He told me a few funny stories about Noah growing up as we walked.

    Around 10, we headed to Alisha''s to help with the setting up. Apparently Mom had already brought over most of the groceries yesterday in preparation for today. Her and all the other adults got started with cooking and decorating.

    Zeke pitched in, leaving me alone with Alisha. We were in charge of the door and sending guests to the backyard.

    "Jake, will it be weird if I tell Noah I like him?" Alisha asked out of the blue.

    I paused, not sure what to say.

    "C''mon, Jake. Aren''t we friends too?" Alisha pleaded.

    I guess I''m not really intervening if I just tell her my opinion, right? "I think...he''ll think, that it''s a prank."

    Alisha was confused. I quickly explained how the Atkins celebrate birthdays. She sighed. "I guess I''ll just stick with giving him a gift for today. Maybe near the end of summer, I''ll tell him." She looked me in the eyes, hopeful. "Has he said anything about me?"

    I shook my head. "Noah only really talks about baseball."

    Alisha lost the sparkle in her eyes, but wasn''t depressed. "But he doesn''t talk about any other girls either, right?"

    I shrugged. "He hasn''t mentioned any. We talk about how scary Kaylee and Marie are. On and off the field."

    Alisha laughed, looking a little more relaxed. "Is now a bad time to tell you that I invited them?"

    They were the first two to show up, with KJ. I waved and they nodded, heading towards the backyard. Alisha really took over door duties by herself, greeting everyone while I just stood off to the side. It wasn''t long before the birthday boy himself showed up.

    "Jake!" Noah ran to me as soon as the door opened, completely ignoring Alisha. "Please tell me you had nothing to do with the traps this morning or we can no longer be friends!"

    "Traps?" I was unsure. I just knew that they used a lot of tape.

    Noah sighed with relief. "Thank goodness. I knew my best friend wouldn''t treat me so awfully."

    Alisha laughed, getting closer, not offended how Noah had bypassed her. "C''mon. It couldn''t have been that bad."

    Noah put both hands on her shoulders and lightly shook her. "They took the cream out of the Oreos and replaced it with toothpaste! It was hell!"

 642 V2 ch114

    Noah told us all about his adventure this morning. Zeke and his parents hadn''t done anything too big, but there were a lot of little pranks that added up. The cookie prank was his undoing though. He went to the backyard to complain to Zeke and his parents, yet was held up by all his friends, teammates, and classmates.

    Noah was soon lost to the crowd. Occasionally, he would glance my way, but I made sure to smile every time so he wouldn''t worry. It wasn''t too forced on my part. I hung out with Alisha, Julian, and Andy. Not just them either; I said a couple sentences to classmates I had recognized and even talked to Kaylee on my own.

    Kaylee wasn''t as prickly as she normally was. I think with her sister around, her antagonistic behavior was set on the lowest level.

    Alisha''s parents had put in the same effort for Noah''s birthday that they did for their daughter''s. They were nice people. A twinge of jealousy ran through me, but I tried not to let it affect me. I have good parents now too. And I''ve come to terms that not everyone has great parents or even good relationships with their parents. Julian and Andy''s parents don''t beat them, but they aren''t exactly close. I also wouldn''t want parents like Kaylee''s. I shivered.

    "Dude, are you cold?" My classmate asked, noticing my small movement.

    I shook my head. "No. Just a little tired."

    He nodded, knowing that I had to wake up early so Noah could suffer alone with his pranks. He had told everyone about his suffering. "You can go jump in the pool. That would help you stay awake."

    I swallowed a lump in my throat.

    "Jake can''t swim." Noah had came back and sat down on the other side of me.

    The classmate was a little surprised. "That''s too bad. Don''t be embarrassed about it though. I know quite a few people that don''t know how to swim."

    "I think the statistic is one in five Americans can''t swim." Someone else chimed in. I recognized her as a friend of Kaylee''s. She looked directly at me. "It''s never to late to get lessons. I''m sure Alisha would let you borrow her pool if you wanted."

    "Thanks." I told them, relieved that no one was making fun of me.

    The party lasted until the afternoon. Noah had said goodbye to everyone who came to celebrate. Then we helped Alisha and her family clean up. At one point, I noticed that Alisha and Noah had disappeared.

    I was about to look for them, but remembering what Alisha had said before, I held back. I turned to help Zeke instead. Zeke grinned, yet didn''t say anything.

    Just as we got ready to leave, the pair showed up together, both extremely red in the face. I glanced at them, suspicious, yet neither of them made eye contact with me. We said our goodbyes and left.

    Noah was rather quiet on the drive home, but with no one else saying anything about it, I also didn''t speak up.

    His parents shared a look then the door was opened.  If he hadn''t said anything, I would have thought someone had ransacked the house!

    My jaw dropped at the mess of confetti and toilet paper.

    Dad rested his hand on Zeke''s shoulder. "I have some work to do. Make sure to have it cleaned by dinner time."

    Zeke rolled his eyes.

    "Jake and I have to go pack!" Noah pulled my arm and we hurried away from the danger zone.

    Up the stairs, I noticed more confetti on the floor and a lot of tape sticking to our doorframe. Noah ushered me into the room and closed our bedroom door.

    He sighed. "Zeke is not going to be in a good mood tomorrow."

    "At least we''re leaving Sunday." I replied, sitting on my bed. "Doesn''t that mean he can''t do much?"

    "Have you learned nothing about Zeke these last few months?" Noah rolled his eyes. "Tomorrow will be tough. Sunday, I''m sure he''ll let us recover. He wouldn''t want us to embarrass him on Monday when the camp starts."

    Noah pulled two duffle bags out of the closet we shared. He tossed one to me and opened the other. "It''s kind of cool to be going to the same camp as Zeke. I haven''t done this before." He opened up one of his drawers and started to pull out baseball pants and athletic shorts. "We should bring extras just in case. We''ll be there for the whole week and will probably get to play baseball all day. I don''t want to smell so might as well." He moved on to shirts and started to squeeze as many as he could into his bag.

    I watched leisurely from my bed, not moving to pack my bag yet. "Where did you and Alisha go?"

    Noah froze. He didn''t even look up at me. "What..? When..?"

    "During cleanup." I told him. I was curious if Alisha said something to him or not.

    Noah sighed, not reacting how I expected. "She got me a gift and tried giving it to me in private."

    "What was it?" I asked.

    "An autographed baseball." He sighed again. "I wanted it so badly, but I know how much it costs. She spent way more than I did on her gift."

    "So you gave it back? Then what?" I asked.

    Noah narrowed his eyes at me. "You seem very inquisitive today, Jake. Is there something that you know that I don''t know?"

    It was my turn to stay silent.

    Noah laughed. "You should see your face. Jake, don''t worry, I''m not mad. I could tell what was happening. I''m not dumb."

    "So she told you?" I asked, surprised. How long did Noah know?

    Noah blushed. "She did. After kissing me."

    I was shocked. Alisha kissed him!?

    Noah waved his hand around like he was waving away the thought. "Don''t overthink it. We aren''t dating."

    "You aren''t?" I scratched my head, feeling more confused. They kissed, yet they aren''t dating?

    Noah shook his head. "No way. High school romances don''t last. My focus needs to be on baseball."

    Ah. I knew it. A baseball fanatic like Noah can only think about baseball. "Was she upset?"

    Noah thought about it. "Not really. She just said to tell her if I change my mind. I did promise to take her to homecoming when school starts." He grinned. "Just as friends though."

    I felt a little sad for Alisha. But knowing her, I''m sure she really did expect a reaction like this.

    Noah pointed at my bag. "You should really start packing now, or you''ll hate yourself tomorrow."

    I sighed and got off my bed, taking his advice. I started to pack any and all baseball clothes I had, which wasn''t much. I had a few new clothes that Mom had bought for me and then some hand-me-downs from Noah and even the twins. I included my Stanford shirt that we all had, thinking that Zeke and Noah would do the same.

 643 V2 ch115

    Mom and Dad took us out for dinner that night, going to one of Noah''s favorite restaurants to keep on celebrating his birthday. There, they gave him a birthday card with a check.

    Noah''s jaw dropped. "No way."

    "It''s not just spending money." Mom instructed. "Half of it is going to your savings account."

    "But Mom-"

    "No buts." She waved him off. "You know we don''t usually like giving you kids just cash for your birthdays, but you''re getting old enough to make your own gift choices. That doesn''t mean you can just be irresponsible and spend it all on video games. I want half to go to your savings for future big purchases you might want to make."

    Noah thought about it for a second and gave a small nod. "Okay...that makes sense. I promise to put half into savings."

    Dad smiled, proud. "Good boy. I''m sure it''ll come in handy down the road."

    Dinner went well, and without the twins, there were no arguments or bickering. That was nice, but I''m sure Noah would have been happier to have them around. When we got home and prepared for bed, Noah mentioned that they had called him before the party to wish him a happy birthday.

    "I''m going to make sure they buy us a round at the cages and the arcade when they get back." Noah yawned as he crawled into bed.

    I was already under my covers, holding my cellphone. I didn''t have many apps or people to contact, so Noah could tell immediately what I was thinking about.

    "Jeremy still being weird?" He asked.

    I shrugged, putting the phone down. "A little. He still texts me back, but we haven''t talked over the phone in awhile. He hasn''t said anything was wrong, but I think..." I trailed off.

    "You think it has something to do with his family?" Noah continued for me.

    I nodded. "That...or maybe even Rose?" At least I knew it wasn''t me. I''m fine.

    "We could try calling Rose tomorrow. I still have her phone number." Noah offered.

    I shook my head. "That''s too intrusive. I''m going to give it some more time. If he''s still being a little...weird...then we can ask her about it."

    "You''re right. It''d be a little weird just to call her up and ask her about her life." Noah agreed. "Maybe the next time we''re able to go to one of his games, we can ask her in-person."

    We settled on that before going to sleep. The next morning, Zeke was back at it, waking us up at the crack of dawn. You couldn''t even see the sun yet. Noah was right, he was very vengeful. The run became longer and faster. Back at the house, the lifting reps were doubled, yet Noah didn''t quit. Seeing him going, I couldn''t give up either. I just did my pushups much slower.

    "This was too unfair." Noah complained during a water break. "Whoever has Jake on their team just gets to win. It''s not even a competition." He looked at Zeke. "Can''t you try throwing some breaking balls at him?"

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "No. That''s not fair. Plus, I don''t want to injure him before tomorrow."

    "Maybe next time, invite Garret to pitch?" Julian suggested.

    Zeke nodded. "Sure. If there''s a next time."

    "Can we play just one more time when the twins get back?" Andy asked, almost sounding like he was pleading.

    Noah nodded. "We should! And Mitchell can come catch! It''ll be like a mini game."

    Julian grinned. "It can be you three versus me and Zeke."

    "We can invite Mahki too to make it three versus three." Zeke corrected.

    Noah threw an arm around my shoulders. "Bring it on. With Jake on our team, I''d say the odds are in our favor."

    "Oh? So you don''t care who your pitcher is?" Zeke smiled.

    "We obviously get to pick because we''re younger." Noah hurried to tell him. "And we pick Kyle. Gotta see if that camp made any difference after all. It would be more effective on you guys than us."

    "How so?" Andy asked.

    Noah looked at him. "You weren''t able to hit off him before. If you still can''t, how would you be able to tell?"

    I laughed as Andy rolled his eyes.

    As a group we went out for lunch and continued planning this big showdown for next Saturday after our Stanford camp and right before the high school camp.

    As Noah had predicted, Zeke didn''t wake us on Sunday or force us to do anything. Which was good because everything hurt. Even my forearm muscles hurt. Noah and I lazed around all day, watching baseball games on tv while complaining about our aches and pains.

    In the late afternoon, Mom and Dad came back from work and found us still on the couch.

    Dad laughed. "Maybe you boys should have done some ice baths this morning. I don''t want you to be sore for the camp. It''s going to be hard all on its own."

    "I''ll take my chances." Noah rolled off the couch and stood up. "Are we going to have dinner before Zeke takes us?"

    Mom nodded. "I thought it''d be good for you to carb up before the week starts." She glanced at me. "These camps can be tough. I''m worried you''ll lose the weight you''ve been putting on."

    "Zeke''s going to be there to watch over us. Especially over Jake." Noah told them. "What could you worry about with him around? Plus, it''s only five days. We''ll be fine."

    His words comforted them a little, but it didn''t stop them from instructing Zeke over dinner.

    "Make sure Noah doesn''t get into any big trouble."

    "Make sure Jake eats every meal. Lots of calories."

    Zeke accepted their directives with ease, nodding along. They even reminded him again as we got our luggage and baseball bags in the car.

    "Make sure to charge your cellphones and call every night." Mom repeated one more time as we got into the car. "It doesn''t hurt to send me a few texts too. Just on how you all are doing."

    "We will." Zeke closed his door and rolled down the window. "I''ll give you updates every chance I can."

    "I''ll send some pictures too!" Noah added.

    Mom looked to me.

    I felt embarrassed and mumbled. "I''ll call."

    She sighed. "Okay, I''ll let you boys go. Text me when you get there and then again when you''re settled."

    "Sure." Zeke nodded. He lifted a hand for a short wave, then started the car. He reversed out of the driveway and off we went.

    "I bet Mom''s crying already." Noah laughed and then turned to me. "Jake?! Why are you crying!?"

    I wiped the wetness off my face. "I''m not crying."

    "Yea? Your eyes are just leaking?" Noah laughed.

    I knew he was just trying to cheer me up and make me laugh, but he couldn''t understand what I was feeling. Mom wasn''t like the woman that gave birth to me. She really cares.

 644 V2 ch116

    It only took us a little over an hour to get to Stanford. There wasn''t any traffic on a Sunday night. As soon as we pulled up to the school, Noah sent a text to Mom saying that we had arrived.

    The school wasn''t as busy as the last time we were here, but it also wasn''t as dead as I thought it would be. There were students walking across the campus on a Sunday night; most probably going back to their homes or something.

    Zeke found a parking spot and we got out in time to see the sun setting over the campus. Noah was quick to snap a picture with his phone. Then we grabbed our bags and Zeke took the lead. We came across other teens, either alone or with their parents, all heading to the same dorm building.

    The line was rather long, leaving us outside.

    Zeke glanced down at us. "You guys stay here and follow the line. I''ll go in and see if I can meet with Coach Leroy." He held both of his bags in on hand, over his shoulder, and headed for the door.

    His movements grabbed the attention of those in line. He made it to the door, but was held up by those standing in the doorway.

    "I think they''re accusing him of cutting the line." Noah told me as we watched from afar.

    "Because he is." The guy in front of us remarked. He spared a glance back us before snorting. "Too good to stand in line? How naive."

    I immediately took a step back.

    Noah did the opposite, taking a step forward. "You know what? You''re right. He is too good to stand in line. After all, he''s already one of the players for Stanford." Just as Noah had finished, we could see someone come out of the building and shook hands with Zeke. Then they went into the building together.

    "He''s one of the counselors for the camp?" The teen asked, sounding surprised. He turned back to give Noah his full attention.

    Noah nodded. "All current and former players of Stanford''s baseball team act as camp counselors and coaches."

    "You guys showed up together? He''s your brother?"

    Noah nodded.

    "So you got in through the backdoor?" The teen smirked.

    Before Noah could lose his cool, someone commented from behind us. "College camps are opened to anyone and everyone." It was Rhys! He stood beside us and continued speaking. "College camps are about getting exposure. There is no ''backdoor''."

    The teen in front of us snorted and faced forward.

    "Don''t mind him." Rhys told us. He wrapped an arm around Noah''s shoulders and pulled him back closer to me. "How''s the leg, Jake?"

    "Good." I did a few calf raises to prove it. "No pain."

    "That''s good." He reaches out with his free hand to pat me on the head. "I was worried you weren''t going to be healthy in time for the camp."

    "Don''t worry about him." Noah told Rhys. "Zeke made us run, workout, and play baseball yesterday. We are still sore."

    I nodded in agreement.

    "That''s not true!" Noah quickly explained what had happened during his birthday.

    Rhys laughed the whole time as Noah recalled all the pranks he had to go through. "Wow. I always miss all the excitement with you guys. Sorry I couldn''t make it to the party, by the way. I had to come here a couple days early to meet up with the pitching coach."

    "Was it your first meeting? Did you show him what you''ve got?" Noah asked.

    Rhys nodded. "It was the first time meeting, but with Coach Leroy standing behind me, there wasn''t much he could say. He didn''t have any disagreements after I showed him what I could do, too."

    "Are you going to be a camp counselor for the week?" I asked.

    Rhys nodded. "A lot of the localish players will be helping out. That''s not all though. There''ll be some other coaches and their assistants from some of the smaller schools helping out."

    "Are they getting paid?" Noah asked.

    Rhys shook his head. "Not really. They use this more as a recruiting tool to help their own schools."

    "But doesn''t everyone that come here, want to go to Stanford?" Noah asked.

    "Maybe. Maybe not. The thing is though, Stanford can''t accept everyone." Rhys explained. "Thats where the smaller schools come in. At the end of the week, they can exchange contact information with the players that might fit their program. Especially community colleges. They can only have a player for two years. Maybe they''ll convince the players that if they come to their school and help their program, then they can transfer to a bigger school like Stanford after improving their game." Rhys knew a lot about how college camps work. There was a lot of give and take between the host school and the other coaches. And even between the players that come here. "Not necessarily all players here want to go to Stanford. Coaches aren''t the only ones looking at prospects. So are professional scouts."

    "Scouts!?" Noah''s eyes got wide. The MLB is his dream. He wasn''t interested in going to college like the twins were.

    "Not all players get to be on good teams or go to good high schools. They come to their biggest local college and try to showcase their skill in hopes of getting their name out there." Rhys explained. He glanced at me. "I''m sure your name will be at the top of everyone''s lists by the end of tomorrow."

    I looked away, feeling unsettled.

    "Hey! What about me?!" Noah demanded, pretending to be offended.

    Rhys laughed. "You''re gonna have to work a little harder. Jake has a special skill. Your special skill is your work ethic."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I have fast reflexes too, okay?"

    "Not fast enough at the plate." Rhys joked.

    Noah pushed him away. "Jerk. I''ll show you. By the end of this camp, I''ll have a few college coaches showing interest in me. Maybe even a scout or two will take note."

    "Who knows." Rhys answered.

    As we were talking, the line was creeping forward towards the dorm building. It wasn''t long before we walked inside, entering the common room. There were a couple of ping pong tables, a pool table, and a lounge area with a few rows of couches pointed at a tv.

    Dead center of the room was a long table with some old and young men behind it. Teens and their parents would go to an open spot in front of one of them and get a packet of papers and a small envelope.

    As soon as it was our turn, Zeke came out from behind the table and gave us our packets. He handed Rhys the envelope. "Take them to their room for me. It looks like we''re going to be busy even after lights out."

    Rhys accepted the envelope and nodded. "Sure. I''ll come back to help once they''re settled."

    Zeke looked down at me and Noah. "Go to bed early. Tomorrow morning starts with evaluations." He turned away without explaining, helping other teens get their papers.

 645 V2 ch117

    "What did he mean by evaluations?" Noah asked Rhys as he took us up two flights of stairs to the third floor.

    Rhys took a key out of the envelope and opened the door to our room. He handed Noah that key and then handed me the envelope with the other key. "Don''t lose these ot you''ll get in trouble."

    I nodded obediently while Noah just stuff his in his pocket.

    "As for the evaluations, it''s pretty standard among elite camps. Especially as you get older." Rhys explained. "So what will happen tomorrow is that they''ll grade you on your skills. That will give them a starting point of where you stand. Usually from there, you''ll be divided up on your skill level so when we do drills, you''ll be with those on the same level. It''ll also help even the teams for scrimmages. At the end of camps, they usually will give you your evaluations and what you need to work on. Kind of like a report card."

    "So cool." Noah sounded excited. "Will all the coaches and scouts have access to it?"

    "Yea. Of course." Rhys grinned. "They''ll be the ones to help the grading." He waved and headed for the door. "I better get back and help them. I''ll see you kiddos tomorrow. Make sure to go to bed early."

    "Yea, yea, whatever. Later!" Noah waved him away, closing the door after him. He looked back at me. "Wanna call Mom while I start unpacking?"

    I pulled out my phone and dialed.

    "Hey, Jake, how was the ride? Are you boys settled yet?" Mom picked up right away.

    "Yea." I answered. "Noah''s unpacking right now."

    "And Zeke?" She asked.

    "He had to help out with check-in." I told her. "But Rhys stood with us in line and took us to the room."

    She sighed with relief. "Good, I''m glad. Do you guys know what you''re doing tomorrow? Like what the schedule is?"

    "Zeke said we''re doing evaluations."

    "Oh, ok. Well, stay calm and just play your game, alright?" She told me.

    I nodded even though she couldn''t see me. "Okay."

    "Are you guys going to bed soon?" She asked.

    "Zeke said we should. Rhys too."

    "Good. Sleep tight and call me tomorrow. Now let me speak to Noah?"

    "Sure." I held my phone out to Noah.

    Noah paused what he was doing and accepted the phone. "Hey Mom." He paused. "Yea, we''re good here." Another pause. "Okay, love you too, bye." He hung up and tossed the phone back to me. "I''m surprised she didn''t want to talk our ear off."

    I nodded. It was a rather short call. With it out of the way, I moved to my luggage bag and unpacked it too. The dorm room was small with only two twin beds, a closet with drawers, and a shared desk. It was kind of like our room at home though so it didn''t make me feel uncomfortable. After putting our clothes out, we pushed the empty bags under the desk.

    I reached for my pajamas.

    I hesitated. It was getting late and I think Zeke wanted us to go to sleep right away. "Are we allowed?"

    Noah tapped the top sheet of the packet we were given. "Lights out isn''t until 11pm. And it''s not like I''m suggesting we leave the building. Just explore a little. Look at what the shared bathroom will look like and see if there''s a vending machine somewhere. That''s all. I promise."

    "Okay..." I gave in. Neither of those tasks sounded like making trouble.

    We left our room, locking the door with the key. First we strolled half way down the hall and came across the bathroom. As soon as you entered, it split to the left and right. One went to the sinks and stalls while the other way was the showers.

    I gulped. There were two curtains for each shower stall, but it was still a shared shower in my opinion. I glanced at Noah, worried.

    Noah frowned. "Don''t worry. We can figure something out. Maybe shower after everyone else? We''ll see what the situation looks like tomorrow."

    I nodded slowly.

    On our way out, we came across a few other guys, but didn''t say anything to one another. Noah just nodded and they nodded back.

    We continued down the hall, pass an elevator and reached the other end of the hall where another stairwell was.

    Noah glanced at me. "Should we go up or down?"

    "I think a vending machine would be in the common area." I told him. "Would they put them anywhere else?"

    Noah frowned. "Yea, I think so too, but I don''t want to run into Zeke."

    I gave him a look.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Don''t look at me like that. Of course Zeke wouldn''t be happy to see us downstairs. But don''t worry, I have an idea." He led the way down the stairs, passing by other kids trying to find their rooms.

    On the first floor, hiding in the stairwell, Noah waited. For what? I don''t know. I just stood with him.

    The door to the stairs opened and a couple of teens came in with their bags.

    "Hello! Welcome!" Noah greeted friendly. "Can I interest any of you in a candy bar or a small bag of chips?"

    Half the kids ignored him and went up the stairs. A few hung back.

    "How much?" One of the bigger guys asked, suspicious.

    "It''s free!" Noah pulled out his wallet. "I supply the money, but you have to get the food."

    "Why can''t you get the food?" He wasn''t convinced.

    "It''s probably because he doesn''t want to look bad in front of the coaches and counselors." Someone else said.

    The bigger kid was enlightened. "That''s true. No one wants to make a bad first impression." He waved and headed for the stairs. "Sorry dude, but I can''t risk my future for something dumb like that."

    Noah sighed as we watched the rest of the group go.

    "I can help you boys out." A tall and thin young man came down the last flight of stairs. "I heard you offering free food?"

    Noah happily handed over a few dollars. "Anything chocolate for us. The rest will be yours."

    The guy laughed at how quick Noah was with his money. "You must be desperate. Just trusting a stranger like me to get you a snack? I could just pocket your money or even do something to your food."

    Noah looked him in the eye. "As long as my older brother doesn''t know, then I''ll take my chances."

    He laughed some more. He left the stairwell and returned a couple of minutes later with a handful of candies. "I bought what I could."

    Noah took two, handing one over to me. "The rest is for you. I really appreciate it, man. My name''s Noah. And this is Jake."

    The tall guy put the rest in his pockets. "I''m Landon. I''ll be a senior in the fall. Are you guys also local?"

    Noah opened up his bag of candy and started to climb the stairs with us behind him. "We''ll be sophomores. And kind of. Only an hour away for us."

    "Same." He stated. "What floor are you guys on? It''ll be nice to know a few people before tomorrow. Maybe have someone to sit with at meals and hang out with during free time."

    "Three." Noah told him our room number. "You can head back with us, if you want. I just don''t want to be caught by my brother with candy in my hand."

    He chuckled. "You really fear your brother, huh? I''m assuming he''s a coach or counselor from the way you''re acting."

    "A counselor." Noah told him. "And I''m not afraid of him. I''m just afraid of what will happen if I get caught."

 646 V2 ch118

    We made it safely back to our room with Landon in tow. Noah made sure to lock the door behind us and then sat on one of the beds. I sat on the other.

    Landon awkwardly stood in the center of the room, unsure of where to sit.

    Noah gestured to the end of his bed. "Go ahead and sit on mine. Jake doesn''t like being too close to strangers." Landon sat down at his appointed spot. Noah kept the conversation from stalling. "Has your roommate showed up yet?"

    He shook his head. "Not yet, that''s why I was just roaming. Looking for some approachable people. It''d be kind of weird if I just went to bed before the other guy showed up."

    Noah waved his candy. "I appreciate nice people like you. You really have no idea what you saved us from."

    I nodded in agreement.

    The guy laughed. "I''m starting to think your brother is a killjoy."

    "He is." Noah deadpanned. "The guy doesn''t know what fun is."

    I made a face at Noah. "That''s not true. He had fun pranking you on Friday."

    "Correction then. He has fun torturing others. Beware." Noah said.

    I couldn''t argue against that.

    Landon laughed. "What''s his name? That way I know which counselor to avoid."

    "Zeke." Noah told him. "He''s going to be a freshman in the fall."

    Landon''s jaw dropped. "Zeke? As in, Zeke Atkins? The dude that turned down the Minnesota Twins? That''s your brother??" The guy looked stunned.

    Noah grinned, looking slightly proud. "Yep. That''s our brother."

    I sat up straighter. That''s right, Zeke''s my brother too.

    Landon looked back and forth between us. "Do you guys even realize how famous your brother is among baseball players?"

    I shrugged.

    Noah chuckled. "I reckon a few people might know his name after he chose college over the MLB."

    "A few? No." He corrected. "Almost all high school players know his name. Heck, a few of the guys that chose to come here for this camp, came for Zeke. Zeke Atkins and Bradley Thompson at the same college. Just amazing. I think a lot of players want to see what Stanford has to offer to be able to steal such great players from the Majors."

    "A good education." Noah answered.

    "No duh." He rolled his eyes. "But what else? Are they paying him on the side? If it was just education, then he would have been able to afford that himself after signing with the Twins as a first round pick."

    "For the experience then." Noah shrugged. "Zeke isn''t one to follow the norm. He probably wants to win a championship at the college level too."

    "He plans to stay for only two years." I added. "He took some summer classes already."

    Landon looked at me. "Two years. Wow. He''s insane. What happens if he flops for both years. He''ll drop in the draft, if he even gets drafted again. What a gamble."

    "Meh." Noah wasn''t worried. "I''d bet on him. Zeke isn''t normal."

    Someone tried opening the door, but couldn''t get in because it was locked. A knock came at the door. "Noah, Jake, I know you''re awake. The light is on."

    It was Zeke!

    I pushed my candy under my pillow while Noah stuffed his trash in his pocket. Noah got up and opened the door, revealing Zeke. "Hey Zeke, we were just about to go to bed. I swear. We were just getting to know one of the guys we ran into."

    Zeke nodded at Landon as he walked into the room. He glanced at the small trash can by the desk. Then he looked at me. I quickly looked away.

    Zeke took a step towards me and held his hand out.

    I sighed, caving in immediately. I lifted my pillow and gave him my half-eaten candy.

    Zeke turned to Noah next.

    Noah pulled his trash out of his pocket and handed it over without an argument.

    Zeke glanced at Landon. "It''s almost time for lights out. You should get back to your own room and prepare for bed. Day one is always the hardest."

    Landon was only a year younger than Zeke, yet he gave him the same respect you would give any coach. He got up and headed for the door. "See you guys at breakfast. Bye." He left.

    Zeke looked at us, folding his arms across his chest. "Do I have to babysit you two every minute we''re here?"

    "It was just a snack." Noah shrugged. "Technically the camp hasn''t even started yet."

    "It started the moment you checked in." Zeke told him. "And it''s not just a snack. I also told you to go to bed early."

    "So we''re allowed snacks?" Noah squinted.

    Zeke paused. Waited. Then caved in. "One candy a day. That''s it. If I find out you broke that rule, then don''t be surprised if I tell Mom that you wasted your money on junk food."

    Noah pumped his fist. "Deal!"

    Zeke shook his head. "Alright. Get to bed now. Just because lights out isn''t until 11pm, doesn''t mean you should wait until then to go to bed. This camp is a good opportunity to exercise your self-control. Good sleep is necessary. Don''t you want to show off tomorrow?"

    Noah grinned. "Yes! Scouts and coaches!"

    Zeke headed for the door. "Don''t forget time set your alarms. If you''re late, they won''t allow you on the field."

    "Harsh." Noah mumbled.

    "Goodnight." Zeke closed the door behind him.

    Noah and I prepared for bed and got tucked in after turning off the light. We had both put our phones on the chargers and set a few alarms. Even with sugar before bed, Noah didn''t struggle to fall asleep. He knocked out in mere minutes.

    I couldn''t do the same. I stared up at the ceiling and felt myself getting tired. I yawned continuously, trying to get to sleep. I thought I wouldn''t have this much trouble since I fell asleep at Jeremy''s so easily. Plus, Noah is here. Still in the same room.

    I got up and checked my phone. Past midnight. I sighed. So much for getting a good sleep. Moving quietly, I left the room and headed for the bathroom. The lights stayed on in the hallway and bathroom so I didn''t have to worry about being in the dark in a new place.

    As I entered the bathroom, I could hear sniffling and some soft sobs. Someone was crying? In the boys bathroom? And it wasn''t me.

    Whoever it was must have heard my footsteps because the room got quiet as I approached the sink. I turned the sink on as loud as possible. I splashed my face and wiped it dry with a paper towel. Then I turned off the water and headed for the exit.

    I glanced towards the stalls and hesitated. Someone was clearly upset. If I was the one crying, what would Noah say to me? I paused before leaving and cleared my throat. "Hey...are you okay in there?"

    The person started to cough. "Uh, yea...I just-"

    I waited patiently.

    "I''m just a little homesick." He sighed. "Don''t tell anyone. I''m fine. I''ll go back to bed in a little bit."

    "Okay." I gave him my room number. "You can come to this room if you need help. My brother and I...are nice."

    He let out a laugh. "Thanks."

    "Bye." I left, turning red from embarrassment. Nice? Who tells people that they''re nice? So lame. I despaired the whole way back to my room. I crawled back into bed and thought a lot about that small interaction. It felt like I had only blinked before the alarms were going off.

 647 V2 ch119

    "Jake?" Noah questioned as we were getting dressed.

    "Huh?" I asked, swiveling to face him.

    "You''ve got your shirt on backwards..." He told me.

    I looked down and noticed that he was right. I sighed and pulled my arms in the shirt to twist the shirt around.

    "Are you okay? You look like you didn''t sleep at all." Noah leaned in to get a look at my face.

    I shrugged. "It didn''t feel like I slept at all."

    "Maybe you''re just homesick." Noah suggested.

    That made me recall last night. That kid was homesick too, but he cried. So maybe I was, but didn''t feel like crying? How weird. I also wonder how he''s doing now. I mindlessly followed Noah as we left our room and then the dorm, heading for the cafeteria just one building over.

    The cafeteria wasn''t anything like I expected. First we grabbed a tray and then it was almost like a big buffet. We went around the room grabbing eggs, bagels, and fruit. Noah added pancakes, bacon, and hash browns. We then went to an empty table with four chairs and started to eat.

    "Hey guys!" Landon was right behind us, grabbing the open chair next to Noah. "I was worried you wouldn''t be up yet."

    "And miss out on all this food?? Heck no." Noah stuffed his face. "Where''s your roommate?"

    Landon rolled his eyes. "He says he doesn''t eat breakfast. People like that are real weirdos."

    I was slightly relieved that there wouldn''t be anyone else coming to sit with us. Hopefully the seat next to me stays empty.

    "Agreed." Noah nodded, mouth full. "I don''t know how he''s going to function all morning. Lunch isn''t for another five hours from now."

    Landon started to eat his own food. "He''s a pitcher so maybe he''s superstitious."

    "Ah, pitchers are real weirdos." Noah nodded again. "Our other brothers are pitchers and they do weird stuff all the time. But, they don''t pass up on food like your roommate."

    "More brothers? How many brothers are there?" Landon was flabbergasted.

    "There''s five of us." Noah explained. "Zeke. Then Dave and Kyle are twins. Me. Then Jake."

    He looked at us. "Are you two twins too?"

    Noah laughed and I cracked a smile.

    "I guess you could say that." Noah said while laughing.

    "You really can''t." I shook my head before looking at Landon. "I''m adopted. No blood relation."

    "Crazy." He replied. "Your house must be packed."

    "It''s okay." I told him. Way better than where I used to live.

    Noah gave him the rundown on who was who in the family and what positions everyone played. He made sure to mention that we were all on our varsity and had even won the state championship in our division. Landon listened to all of it and was amazed by each accomplishment that Noah mentioned.

    "Position?" The one with a clipboard asked.

    "Shortstop." Noah grinned.

    "Name?"

    "Noah Atkins."

    The other guy pulled off two stickers and put one each on either side of Noah''s shirt while the guy marked the papers on his clipboard.

    "Position?" The guy repeated, looking at me.

    I swallowed a small lump in my throat. "Second baseman."

    "Name?"

    "Jake...Hollander."

    He marked it and the other guy gave me two stickers the same color as Noah, but mine was one digit higher. The guys moved onto Landon.

    "Position?"

    "Anywhere, but I prefer the outfield." Landon told them.

    "Name?"

    After giving his name, he was given a different set of sticker colors and his number wasn''t near ours. The two guys moved on and continued collecting names and positions while passing out the stickers.

    I looked down at the colored sticker on my chest. "What''s it for?"

    "It''s so the coaches and evaluators can mark down your scores with ease." Landon explained. "They''re probably going to divide us up into smaller groups, separate us, and then we''ll rotate throughout the stations they set up."

    Noah started to bounce. "I can''t wait."

    Landon laughed. "Is this your first camp ever? I''m surprised."

    Noah nodded. "Normally I play on a travel team all summer. And Jake...this is his first too."

    "Just keep in mind, not to think too much about the others around you." He advised. "The hardest part about evaluations is keeping an upbeat mentality."

    Ugh. Noah was going to be just fine. I sighed.

    "Don''t worry, Jake." Noah patted my shoulder, probably guessing what I was thinking. "It''s going to be fun. You just bat like normal and everything will be fine. Plus, I think we''ll be grouped together because of our stickers." He pointed.

    That''s true.

    At 8am, all players and coaches were on the field. Coach Leroy had a megaphone with him and made a short introduction with it, also explaining how we were going to be divided. Noah''s guess was right: by sticker color and then number. We were going to be together.

    I couldn''t keep track of how many groups there were, but each group would have a counselor as a group leader. They would direct us through warmups and then make sure that we showed up to every station while including the occasional water breaks.

    I noticed that Rhys was assigned to a pitchers group and Zeke had gotten an outfielders group so there was a good chance that our leader would be an infielder like us. It was a little chaotic as everyone tried to find their appropriate group and group leader.

    With Noah in my group, I had nothing to worry about. I simply followed him through the crowd of players.

    Our group had about fifteen teens when the counselor finally spoke to all of us. "Hello everyone, my name is Chandler Jacobsen and I play on the Stanford team. I won''t bother wasting time learning everyone''s names because this group won''t be permanent. All of you here are middle infielders or want to be middle infielders. Which means when we make teams for scrimmages later on, you all won''t be on the same team."

    Everyone shared looks, but didn''t say anything.

    "Great. A compliant group. My favorite." The counselor smiled. "Let''s warmup and then I''ll take you to the first station. Lucky for you guys, we''ll start with baserunning and get it out of the way. So make sure you warmup seriously."

    Baserunning? I made a face of disgust.

    Chandler didn''t wait for comments or questions. He took us towards a more secluded spot to group our bags together. Then took us through a very thorough warmup. For a ''warmup'', I found it way more difficult than the one we normally did. If it wasn''t for Zeke training us all summer, I might have dropped out already.

    Noah handed me a water bottle after we were done. "Good work, Jake. You''re looking fit."

    I looked at him with disbelief.

    He lowered his voice and leaned a little closer. "I think it was a test. Look at the others in our group. They aren''t doing any better than you or me."

    A simple glance revealed that he was telling the truth. Some of the guys may have been older or younger, it was hard to tell, but none of them looked completely fine. In fact, Noah looked the most relaxed.

 648 V2 ch120

    Chandler only gave us a couple of minutes before waving us on. "Come. Leave your gear. We''ll come back in-between the stations. The first couple won''t require a bat or glove." He didn''t wait for any replies and started to walk.

    Noah dropped his water bottle on top of his bag and hurried after him. I did the same, not willing to be left behind. The other guys in our group reacted the same way.

    Chandler led us to a grassy area, where four bases were set up like a normal baseball field, each 90 feet apart. Three men of varying ages sat in foldable chairs. Chandler faced us. "We''ll start off with simple baserunning. You guys will sprint to first base and we''ll take down the times. After a few sprints from everyone, we''ll have you run the bases like you''re trying to score an inside-the-park homerun. After that, we''ll grade your sliding skills. We specifically chose to set up on the grass so I don''t want to see any fear when sliding."

    I frowned.

    "Don''t care about whether he sees your fear or not." Noah whispered. "This isn''t your strong suit anyways."

    I nodded.

    "Lineup!" Chandler ordered. We got into a relatively straight line. He pulled out a stopwatch and would command ''go'', timing us on the sprints. Occasionally the other men would ask him what number each player was wearing if they weren''t clear. Chandler was very professional in announcing times and sticker numbers. He never complimented or made fun of anyone''s numbers.

    That helped me stay calm when it came to my turn. I sprinted at the sound of ''go'' and tagged first base in what I think was my fastest time ever. I paid attention to the other times announced, and realized I wasn''t last. It was a sense of relief just knowing that I wasn''t the worst. Not like when I first worked out with the high school team.

    Noah was the fastest in the group and he even ran faster the second time around. He led every timed sprint that Chandler conducted. The coaches that were recording the times took note, and all seemed to watch Noah every time he was up. Noah thrived with the attention, pushing himself even faster.

    I was feeling comfortable for the most part until a mishap took place when we were being timed for going all the way around the bases. It was my turn and I had tripped after rounding second base, landing on my hands and knees. I felt the blood rush to my face as I hurried to get up and finish my run.

    I didn''t dare to make eye contact with the counselor or coaches, and headed for Noah, keeping my head down.

    "Don''t mind!" Noah slapped my shoulder. "You completed the sprint at full speed still."

    I tugged my baseball cap, lowering it.

    "Yea, nice recovery." One of the other guys in the group came over. "You hustled your best."

    And he did. I focused on the ground as I ran, making sure not to slip in the grass.

    Chandler never said anything to me or about me aloud, but it was still an awkward feeling to be the only one that had tripped up. Chandler took us back for a short water break and instructed us to bring our gloves to the next station.

    Along the way, Noah chatted with the other guys and became friends with them as they got to know one another. He introduced me to them as well and stated, "Jake''s a little shy and gets embarrassed easily. Thanks for trying to cheer him up. I tell him all the time to brush those errors off, but it still gets to him."

    I gave him a small shove.

    Travis, the one who told me that I had recovered nicely, laughed. "Ah, don''t worry, I understand. I used to be shy too when I was in elementary school. But baseball really helped me make friends. It''s like, having something in common with others really helps connecting you with like-minded people."

    Noah''s grin faltered for a second but it was only noticeable to me. He had lost friends because of baseball. "Yea, I agree. You make a lot of friends when you''re on a team."

    "Unless you suck." Adam, another guy in our group, stated. He sighed. "It''s tough being the weakest link." I then recalled that he was one of the slower guys in our group.

    "There''s no such thing in baseball." Noah said. "It''s all about strong suits and weaknesses. You might be weak at running, but strong at hitting. I''m weak at hitting, but good at everything else."

    His boast made the others laugh as we reached the next station. It was another grassy area, with two coaches in chairs and one coach holding a bat.

    Chandler nodded at the group of men, then faced us. "This group consists of middle infielders, but that doesn''t mean you all don''t have to catch fly balls. Coach Jason here, will be hitting either short or long balls. It''ll be up to your own judgement; no hints will be given. Five balls per person." He checked his watch. "If we all finish in the given amount of time, I''ll allow a second round for those not satisfied with their first performance."

    With that reassurance, a lot of the guys relaxed and formed a line. With a chance for a do-over, a lot of the guys made some risky dives in the grass to try and catch the ball. Noah made the most outstanding grabs: diving forward and chasing the baseball back, showing off some speed again. The ball had no chance of touching the ground with his speed.

    After he came back, the other guys in the group congratulated him for making some great grabs. He was like a walking highlight reel. I started to regret getting in line behind him.

    Coach Jason gave me time to run out to the open area, but didn''t give any hints to how far or close I should stand. I could only stop randomly and faced him.

    He tossed the ball up to himself and then swung his bat. The ball went almost straight up! I sprinted forward, and made a diving catch.

    "Nice, Jake!" I heard Noah cheering for me.

    I tossed the ball back towards Chandler, who was next to the ball bucket. Then I hurried back to the general spot and waited for the next ball. The second ball was hit towards my left, but still in front of me, so it was a routine catch. The third pitch went to my right, and ended up hitting my glove wrong, rolling away from me. I gulped. I guess I won''t be getting a perfect score.

    "Don''t mind!" A chorus of voices came from my group.

    I smiled. We had only known each other for an hour yet they''re already cheering for me. I''m glad I didn''t get stuck in an overly competitive group.

    I got set again for the fourth hit. It was another routine fly. I got under it and caught it with ease. Hit number five was the hardest, going over my head. I chased it back, but couldn''t catch up. I could only pick the ball up off the grass and bring it back to the group.

 649 V2 ch121

    "Hey! Not bad." Noah told me as I rejoined him and the group.

    I sighed. "I only got three out of five. It''s certainly not good."

    "That last one was tough." Noah comforted me. "If this was a real game, with other players, then you wouldn''t even track back that far. Zeke would have called you off a long time ago."

    "Not everyone is Zeke." I pointed out.

    "So pessimistic!" Noah exclaimed. He threw his arm around my shoulders. "Stop stressing. It''s just preliminary grading. Plus, you might have a second chance if we can get done in time. Don''t even worry about it. Hitting is more your thing than catching fly balls."

    I frowned. "Yea...but catching fly balls is required in almost all games."

    Noah spoke more words of comfort, but...they weren''t comforting me anymore. I don''t know what it is, but I don''t feel like my hitting can keep compensating for my fielding. I''m not as bad as I was in the beginning, but...

    I sighed. I have a lot of ''buts''.

    The group finished in good time like Chandler said we would. He asked the group who wanted to try again. I raised my hand, however so did Noah. I glanced at him. I wasn''t the only one.

    "What?" Noah grinned. "No one said I couldn''t do it again even if I was satisfied." He looked at Chandler. "I want to do it again."

    "Alright." He noted down Noah''s number. And mine. And then three others who also had mediocre performances like me. "The rest of you step aside."

    This time I made sure to get in front of Noah. He gave me a look like I was being weird, but I consider this as strategy. There was only one guy before me and he had also gotten a three out of five. He did his second round and improved to four out of five. Good. I can do that too.

    Coach Jason started to hit high fly balls to me again. This time it wasn''t a wide variety in location. Three were straight and in front of me. Easy. The fourth one was over my right shoulder again. I turned to run and kept my head over my shoulder, trying to track the ball the best I could. At the last second, I knew I wasn''t going to make it, so I dove. I could feel the ball in my glove, yet saw it bounced out when I hit the ground. Ugh. I clenched my teeth, picked the ball up, and threw it back.

    Ball five went high into the air, and looked like it was going over me. I jogged backwards, got under it, and made the catch. Four out of five. It''s an improvement too. I went back to the group as Noah came running out.

    After two good catches, he caught a hard-to-reach fly ball over his shoulder, earning some claps from the coaches.

    "Is he trying to show off to get a better score?" One of the guys mumbled.

    I swallowed a nervous lump in my throat, yet stood up for my best friend. "Noah just likes to play..."

    Some of the other guys agreed and I sighed with relief. I didn''t want them to see Noah in a bad light. He just likes playing around.

    Noah came back after making the last catch, grinning like he was in a good mood. "Man, I wish we can just play instead of doing this evaluation thingy. It''s not as fun as I thought it would be."

    Adam chuckled. "It''s not supposed to be fun. It''s like a test. You get graded and maybe they''ll help you improve."

    "Have you been to camps before?" Noah asked.

    "Of course." He nodded. "I''m going to be a senior in the fall so I''ve been going to a few camps this summer. If I''m lucky, I can sneak into a D1 program. If not, I''ll accept a scholarship to a D2 school near my home."

    "Very cool." Noah nodded. "This is mine and Jake''s first college camp."

    "Oh are you going to be freshmen in the fall?" Travis asked.

    "No, we''ll be sophomores." Noah said.

    "Back to the bags!" Chandler commanded. Everyone  who had wanted to, had done their second round. We obediently followed him back and got a sip of water. "Bring your batting gear. Whatever you would normally wear during an at-bat. We''re going to be doing two different stations that involves hitting so don''t forget a batting glove or an elbow guard."

    He gave us a second to grab our gear. Noah had pulled his hat off and put his helmet on so I copied him. He grabbed the same aluminum bat he''s been using since I''ve known him, and then a pair of batting gloves.

    I simply held the wooden bat that Jeremy had given me. Rhys hadn''t said anything yet, about helping me get some cheaper wooden bats for practice so I was stuck using the only one I had left after that showdown with Rhys. I sighed at the thought of another broken bat.

    Noah knew what I was sighing about with just a glance. "Ah, I forgot. Well, maybe Rhys did too. We can ask him at lunch."

    I nodded.

    "Ready?" Chandler glanced at us. "Alright, lets go. First stop, the batting cages."

    A weight had been taken off my shoulders. The cages. My happy place.

    Noah laughed at my face. "Looks like your confidence will be restored soon."

    "I think everyone feels that way." Travis pointed out. "I don''t know one baseball player that doesn''t like hitting practice or playing in the batting cages." He laughed. "Maybe a few pitchers but even they like to practice hitting."

    "You don''t understand." Noah explained. "Jake didn''t get to play baseball as a kid. He only got to play in the cages."

    "That''s too bad." Adam joined in. "Games are the best. Winning them is an even better feeling."

    Noah smirked. "We win all the time." A few of the guys looked his way. "We were state champions in our division."

    "No way! That''s awesome." Travis said. "I could only dream about being a state champion. My school isn''t that good so it''s usually a long shot to even be league champions."

    "My team is bad." Adam said. "But our school was just pushed into division three so it''s been different this past year."

    "We play in division three of the northern section. You?" Noah looked at Adam, excited to see a potential rival.

    "Same!" He smiled. "What league are you in?"

    "Bay Counties League!" Noah deflated after he said that. "But there''s no new team in our league."

    Adam nodded. "Yea, I didn''t think so. I would remember if any of the schools we played against became state champions." He laughed. "You two must have made varsity to claim to be champions. Did you get any playing time as freshmen?"

    Noah smirked. "We''re starters. I play short and Jake plays second." That caught the attention of others who weren''t interested in the beginning.

    "Lineup by numerical order of your sticker." Chandler broke up the conversation as we reached the batting cages by the main field. The cages that I''ve been in before.

 650 V2 ch122

    With it being numerical order, I was stuck behind Noah again. This time, there was no worry or pressure.

    "It''s weird to see it so packed and busy." Noah commented as we waited for our turn.

    I nodded in agreement. Last time we were here, only one station was open and there were tarps to keep it more private. Now, the tarps are all gone and all three cages are going. Our group was in the middle, while two other groups were on either side of us. Each cage had two people running it: one with a clipboard and one controlling the machine. Chandler was in charge of calling out our number and sending us in.

    I started to count the pitches that each player got. It wasn''t any set amount, and instead it varied from 25-35 pitches.

    I wasn''t the only one to notice. The guy in front of Noah asked Chandler how many pitches each person would get.

    Chandler shrugged. "Until the judges are satisfied."

    "Is it all one speed?" Noah asked. "Last time we were here, they had a machine that could randomized the speeds."

    Chandler squinted at him. "You''ve been here before?"

    Noah nodded. "During my brother''s recruitment visit. Some of the guys, Shawn and Nick, had taken us to the cages for some fun."

    Chandler looked surprised. "Oh." He put on a much more relaxed expression. "There''s only one machine like that so we aren''t using it to save on time. Plus, after this station, we''ll go to the field so we can see you guys hit against a real pitcher."

    "So it''s all one speed?" Travis asked from behind me.

    I shook my head and answered before Chandler could. "No. They''ve been starting it around 75mph, but have been upping the speed slowly. Usually at 85mph they''ve been stopping."

    "You can tell?" Travis was astounded.

    "You can''t?" I tried stepping to the side so he could have a better view.

    "I''m glad you said something before I went up." Noah frowned as we watched someone else''s turn. "I don''t think I would have realized with the slow increases."

    I made a face. How could he not realize? I glanced at Chandler and found him staring at us. I hurriedly looked away.

    "Did your brother end up committing to go here or somewhere else?" Chandler asked.

    "Here!" Noah grinned. "He''s actually one of the counselors like you. Zeke Atkins."

    Chandler gave a nod and didn''t say anything else about it.

    Noah''s turn came and he went in the cage with a smile, full of confidence. I stood behind with Chandler nearby. Chandler called out Noah''s number and the pitching machine came to life. Noah was steady in the beginning, hitting with power. Doing those core exercises have really stabilized his balance. As he got more pitches, the speed began to increase. I clenched the handle of my bat.

    "Do you need any batting gloves?" I heard Chandler ask.

    "You don''t get blisters?" He frowned.

    I shrugged. "If I do, it doesn''t bother me. I like holding my bat with my bare hands."

    "And risk injury?"

    It was my turn to frown. I didn''t reply.

    "Are you accustomed to using a wooden bat?" Chandler asked.

    I nodded.

    "How long have you been hitting with it?"

    "A few months now." I held my bat tight.

    Luckily, he didn''t say anything else about my bat. There was no way I was going back to an aluminum bat. Not now, not ever. No one could push me on this matter.

    Noah was given 32 pitches before being told that he was done. He came out with a smile. "It definitely helped knowing that the speed was increasing. Helped me time my swing."

    Chandler pursed his lips. He looked at my sticker and then announced it to those behind the machine.

    I stepped in, then paused. I glanced back at Chandler. "Do I get to hit twice as much as a switch hitter?"

    Chandler shook his head. "Just pick one side."

    Boo. I sighed and picked the lefty''s box. It was what I practice most lately. I got set and then machine whirred. First pitch came, I smacked a line drive back the way it came. 75mph wasn''t even close to being a challenge. Not from a machine. Like I saw for the others, they slowly raised the speed after a couple of pitches. I returned every pitch as a line drive, hitting the netting just above the machine.

    After twenty pitches, I was resigned to the fact that my time was coming up. Only a few more left. I hit thirty pitches, yet...it continued. No one said anything to me about stopping and I wasn''t going to remind them. As I got more into the zone, sounds started to fade. Eventually, I couldn''t even hear the sound coming from the other cages on either side of me.

    Wait. That can''t be right. I took a quick glance between pitches and realized that they had stopped. Maybe they were done and a new group was coming in? But on both sides? That''s a little too coincidental...

    I glanced again and spotted those in the left cage were standing at the fence, watching me swing. Both the players and coaches.

    I hit 60 pitches by now and the speed was up to 90mph. Well...if they''re going to let me hit, then I''ll continue hitting until someone says stop. I was given another ten pitches, hitting a total of 70. Then I hit 80. 90. 100. The speed of the ball didn''t affect me at all. I just kept stepping and swinging, sending the ball back with precision. This is what I like most. No head games or breaking balls. Just a ball that kept coming.

    "I think that''s enough." A familiar voice said from behind me and saw that it was Coach Leroy. This was the guy that let Noah and I come on a discount because he was Zeke''s future coach.

    I took a step back and let the ball hit the padding. It was then that I realized that everyone was watching me. My group. The groups on either side of us. And there was a fourth group waiting a few yards back. I turned red from embarrassment.

    Coach Leroy opened the gate so I could exit. He glanced at the coaches behind the machine. "We''re on a time limit here. If you were waiting for something different to happen, then we''d be here all morning."

    My face was now on fire. I hung my head and exited the cage, allowing Travis a turn. "Sorry." I mumbled.

    Coach Leroy gave me a pat on the helmet. "Nothing to apologize for. You followed the rules: hit until they told you to stop." He grinned as I looked up at him. "You did well. Full marks."

    He took me to the back of the line where Noah was. "If Zeke didn''t warn me beforehand, I''m afraid you would hog the machine until your arms fell off."

    I shook my arms. "They feel kind of tired now. The last half were nothing but 90+."

    Coach Leroy replied. "I think it''s best if I follow your group to the next station." He laughed. "Otherwise you''ll hit until you get tired or injured. One or the other."

 651 V2 ch123

    "I''ll probably bat from the right side to even it out." I told him honestly.

    His lips twitched. "You won''t be getting a hundred pitches this time."

    Oh. I looked at my feet.

    Noah put his hand on my shoulder. "Don''t worry. I''m sure we''ll get a lot of batting in this week so it''ll be fine."

    Coach Leroy stuck to his word and accompanied our group after everyone finished their turn in the cages. Chandler looked our way, but didn''t say anything. He just waved at the group to follow him to the field. The real field. The stadium.

    Chandler took us through an open side gate, near the right field foul line. I didn''t know what to expect, but I sure didn''t expect to see a bunch of players already inside the stadium. Chandler took us to a spot in front of the visitors dugout, near first base. He faced us, glanced at his coach, then spoke up. "This is the next batting station. Live pitching. The pitchers you go up against will be random. Each pitcher is going up against three batters like a normal inning."

    "Are we not running the bases at all?" Someone asked.

    "There aren''t any fielders..." Chandler deadpanned. "Why would you run? You either strikeout or get a hit. It''s like any normal at-bat, but no running. Kind of like a simulation game for the pitchers."

    "So you''re testing us and them at the same time." Noah said, understanding the situation.

    "Exactly." He nodded. "Get in numerical order again and I''ll let you guys know when it''s your turn." He walked away from our group and headed towards another counselor at the group in front of us. He was probably checking how long it would be.

    "I''ll go check in with the other staff members and see how it''s going." Coach Leroy stepped away from Noah and I. He glanced at me. "Try not to hit any line drives at the pitchers."

    I shook my head immediately. "I would never."

    "Good boy." He gave a nod and left, heading for the coaches by the mound.

    "You guys know Coach Leroy personally??" Travis whispered, leaning in. Some of the other guys also looked at us.

    Noah shrugged. "Kind of. Our oldest brother is going to be a freshman in the fall."

    "Zeke Atkins..." One of the guys mumbled. "He''s the guy that turned down the MLB even though he''s a first-round pick."

    "Crazy dude."

    "I wonder why he picked college. Like what did Stanford really offer him?"

    "Probably blackmailed him."

    Noah stepped out of line and faced everyone. "Listen up, guys. Zeke made his decision based on reason and not some under-the-table deal. Would you say the same things about Bradley Thompson?"

    That seemed to settled the group down. There was already a star playing at Stanford so what''s the big deal about getting another one to come to the school?

    "I wish I could play with both of them." Adam sighed.

    "Same."

    "Me too."

    "Agreed."

    "With ease."

    "I don''t know...Villanova has some good prospects. Stanford doesn''t rank too highly in the pitching categories."

    "They''ll win for sure!" Noah spoke up again.

    The conversation about college teams and playoff odds continued until Chandler came back. Noah stepped back in line and everyone simultaneously straightened up in his presence.

    "We''ll be up next. The pitcher''s get to rotate every three, but you guys will get three at-bats each. You''ll go up, announce your number, and step up to bat. After your at-bat, get in the back of the line. You''ll be guaranteed three different pitchers so don''t worry too much about the outcomes of your first at-bat."

    "Just worry if you get struck out two times in a row." Noah speculated. "Got it."

    Chandler cracked a smile. "Remember that the pitchers that come here are on the same skill level, if not better. My advice: don''t do too much and treat it like you''re a pinch hitter." He looked at the first guy in line. "Go up."

    The guy left the line and went up as a pitcher stood on the mound.

    "Hey, do you think the catcher hates doing bullpen work like Mitchell?" Noah asked me quietly.

    I shrugged and whispered back. "This isn''t really bullpen work though. It''s like...a game. Two versus one. The catcher still has to frame the ball after a successful catch."

    "I wonder if the catchers are changing too." Noah said. "And did they come up with some kind of signs? Otherwise, how do they know which pitch is coming?"

    I shrugged again. This was beyond me.

    "The catchers and pitchers are probably using the basic signals." Travis overheard us and told us his guess.

    "What are the basic signals..?" I asked.

    "Not like you need to know." Noah laughed. He looked over at Travis. "Do you think that means we can peek down to get a hint as to what is coming?"

    He shook his head. "I wouldn''t think so. They might not say anything, but I''m sure they''ll note it down."

    Noah shrugged. "It''s part of the game though."

    "Breaking unwritten rules is not a good way to get stand out to coaches." He advised. "You can try it if you want, but I won''t."

    Noah sighed. "Nah. I was told to behave. And this is just a test so I don''t feel like cheating. Maybe in a real game, I might change my mind." He laughed. "But they wouldn''t use basic signals in games so it''s a moot point."

    I nodded. "Zeke would get mad if you cheated."

    The line moved up as players in our group took turns batting. Some got a hit, some struck out, one person even got walked.

    "I wonder how they''re grading these at-bats." Travis hummed as the person who got walked, came back and stood last in line. "Obviously max points would be a homerun. But without fielders, it''s not like we know if it''s a real hit or not."

    "Strikeouts, slow grounders, and shallow pop ups are probably worthless." Noah surmised. "Walks are meh. They might be looking for line drives. You know...solid hits." He looked at me. "What are you going to do?"

    I shrugged and looked around. I didn''t want to hit any players or coaches. "Probably a line drive down the left field baseline?" That''s open.

    "You should try for a homerun." Noah suggested. "You''ve done it once before."

    I looked to the outfield. It was empty, but...the fence was slightly further away than I''m used to. "I don''t know..." Last time could have been a fluke.

    "I think you could do it with the right kind of matchup." Travis said, surprising me by his optimism. "In the cages, you showed off some real power. You have one of the nicest swings and movements I''ve seen. Heck, I''ve never seen someone hit a ball so consistently before. Never mind the fact that the speed was being raised to max. That was some real crazy shit."

    I blushed, looking away.

    "I think you could do it too." Noah told me. "We''ve been working out like crazy for the last month." He thought about it. "If you''re unsure, then aim for the corner again. That''s the shortest distance for homeruns."

    I gripped my bat. "I guess I could give it a go..."

 652 V2 ch124

    "You''ll succeed!" Noah assured me. "Remember the championship game?"

    I thought about it. I''ve been feeling good with my strength, speed, and endurance. It''s not like there are any outfielders playing against me either. Just me, the pitcher, and a catcher. Almost like batting practice. "Okay." I said, more sure of myself. "I think I can do it too."

    "That''s the spirit!" Noah slapped my shoulder.

    "You really think you can hit a homerun just because you''re good in the cages?" Someone asked. The guy was near the back of the line, having come back from his first at-bat. "This is nowhere near the same."

    "Mind your own business." Noah huffed as I shied away. "Him saying he''ll hit a homerun has no bearing on your score."

    The guy turned away to talk to the person behind him.

    "Don''t mind him." Noah told me. "He''s just jealous."

    "I''m jealous too." Travis laughed. "Jake, I can see why you''re on a varsity-level team. Seeing you in the cages was like watching someone on replay. Your swing and hit were all identical."

    "It''s like he''s a machine, right?" Noah grinned.

    He nodded. "Precisely!" He glanced at me. "I know the cages isn''t the same as a game, but I also don''t know anyone else who can do what you did. Over a hundred pitches, increasing speed, and you didn''t even look tired."

    I shook my arms. "I''m kind of tired." My muscles definitely got some work in today. "It''s harder to control where a fast pitch goes."

    "Are you going to do it from the right side?" Travis asked. "I heard you tell Chandler that you''re a switch hitter. And then your conversation with Coach Leroy...you said you would even it out by batting right."

    I shrugged. "Yea, might as well."

    "He has hit a homerun here before." Noah elaborated. "During our championship game over a month ago. He had to do it from the right side then too so maybe it''s a sign."

    I rolled my eyes. Noah and his superstitions.

    Noah slapped my shoulder again. "Man, you''re even in better shape than back then. As long as you don''t get an unfavorable matchup, I think you''ll be perfect." Noah couldn''t say more, heading to the batter''s box for his turn.

    "Hey...do you mind if I ask what your batting average was during the season?" Travis asked.

    I shrugged. "I don''t know it."

    Someone snorted.

    "How was your batting average against Zeke?" Someone else asked.

    "Oh. Better than his, but he had more homeruns." I told them honestly.

    The group got silent so I figured they didn''t have anymore questions. I faced forward to watch Noah''s at-bat. He was up against a pitcher who had given up a walk and a grounder.

    "Jake!" Coach Leroy called for me, going off script. I should have just gone straight to the batter''s box, but now I had to go to him.

    I took my bat and went around the catcher and home plate. I joined Coach Leroy, who was standing with the men holding clipboards. I stopped a couple feet in front of them.

    Coach Leroy gave me a friendly smile. "Jake, these are the men in charge of grading the hitting for this station."

    Okay? I continued to look at him.

    "I''ve told them about your accomplishments. At least, the few that I know of." He said. "Going off my word alone, they''re willing to give you a good score."

    I deflated. "So I don''t get to hit?" After all that talk with Noah and Travis, it would be kind of a let down.

    He grinned. "There''ll be plenty of hitting to be done later today and throughout the week. But, if you really want to, you can do one at-bat. Show these men that I know what I''m talking about."

    I nodded immediately. Yes, I wanted to show my group too, that I had some good qualities. "One is good enough. I''m going to hit a homerun."

    A couple of the men chuckled. Coach Leroy gave me a pat on the shoulder. "I believe you." He pointed at the box. "Go on."

    I hurried to the batter''s box before he could change his mind. Not that it sounded like he would. Those men next to him laughed when I said I would hit a homerun. Coach Leroy didnt. I can see why Zeke wanted to play on his team. He reminded me of our coach back home.

    The pitcher on the mound had changed to someone else. He was another righty. Perfect. It''ll be easier for me to pull the ball down the left field line. In the box, I recalled what Chandler had said before: don''t do too much.

    It made sense. Every pitcher only faced three batters at a time. There''s no point in fouling the pitches to make them tired.

    The pitcher nodded at the catcher, got set, and started his motion. He was starting off with a fastball. Good speed. Nice location, coming inside, but still in the strike zone. I had a stab of sympathy for him as I swung and connected. It was correct of Coach Leroy to tell me I didn''t have to do this station.

    I watched as the ball soared to left field and cleared the fence. Probably the stadiums shortest homerun, but I could do it. I could probably even do more.

    I watched as the pitcher hung his head. It wasn''t really fair of me to do that too him. Now he''s going to get a lower score in the evaluations. Coach Leroy already knew I could hit and I got a perfect in the cages. I should have just sat back instead of making this guy look bad.

    I hurried to the back of the line, trying to make eye contact with anyone.

    "Hey! What''s wrong?" Noah asked as I stood beside him. "You don''t look like someone who just blasted a homerun like he said he would."

    I peeked at the pitcher, who was trying to reset as Travis prepared for his at-bat. "I feel...guilty. Like I shouldn''t have done that."

    "Nah, it''s all part of the game." Noah tried to reassure me. "There''s always going to be a winner and a loser. There aren''t any ties in baseball."

    "Yea, but..." I was already a winner. I was offered full marks for this station and still chose to hit. "You don''t get it." I explained to him what Coach Leroy told me before my at-bat.

    "Wow." Noah said, shocked. "You''re incredible. Already getting free passes on the first morning of camp." He patted me on the shoulder. "Don''t think too much about it. Just don''t go for your other two at-bats. I''m sure the pitcher will bounce back against a different group."

    I hope so.

 653 V2 ch125

    The pitcher didn''t perform well against Travis or the guy after him. Both had gotten off solid hits and it was hard to tell if fielders would have been able to help get them out or not. The pitcher was changed out for a new one.

    I sighed with relief. Now he has some time to rest and get his head on straight. A part of me was itching to apologize, but Noah was right, it''s part of the game.

    I watched as our group moved through another round. After Noah went up, I went to the back of the line and no one said anything about it. They probably overheard me when I told Noah what Coach Leroy said. Noah came to the end of the line and cut back in front of me. Travis went after him and then lined up behind me.

    We repeated our actions one more time as everyone got to bat for the third time. Everyone but me.

    Chandler took us back to our bags for a water break and a change in gear. We spent the rest of the morning doing fielding drills. They even had us pair up to show us turning double plays from both sides of second base. I naturally had Noah as a partner the first time around. The second time, I was stuck with someone I didn''t know. The difference between knowing your partner and not knowing showed. With Noah, almost everything was instinctual. With the other guy, we had a lot of miscommunication.

    Noah didn''t have that problem with his second partner. They fielded each ball with ease, making the rest of us look bad.

    "This is the same resentment we felt when you were in the cages." Travis told me after seeing me frown at Noah. He laughed.

    I shrugged, helpless. "Hitting is all I''ve got."

    The rest of the morning had similar fielding drills tailored to middle infielders, including second basemen covering first during bunts. There was also drills trying to catch a runner in a pickle. Another weak point of mine. By lunch time, I no longer felt guilty for my homer. I needed it. Otherwise I wouldn''t even feel like I belonged here.

    We took our bags with us to the cafeteria this time, placing them against the wall, near the doors. Some of us from the group stayed together after piling food on a tray, so Noah took the lead and grabbed a long table that could fit everyone.

    It kind of gave me school vibes as everyone ate together and talked about their baseball teams. Halfway through, Landon and a few other guys walked by our table.

    "Hey, lets sit here!" He told his buddies, gesturing to our table. "I met these two guys yesterday." Landon sat across from Noah and I. "Guys, this is Cody, Dylan, and Ansar. They were in my group this morning for evaluations. All outfielders obviously."

    Noah gave them a warm smile and introduced the guys around us. How he remembers everyone''s names is beyond me. "How did your evaluations go?"

    "Our counselor is a player too, but he was rather detached." Noah commented. The guys from our group nodded in agreement. "He didn''t even let us do introductions. We went by our numbers."

    Landon made a face. "Wow. That sucks."

    "Meh. It wasn''t that awful." Noah said. "It took a lot pressure off of me in the beginning."

    "Same." I echoed.

    Noah laughed. "As long as Zeke isn''t in charge of me, I feel rather safe."

    "Zeke Atkins?" One of the outfielders asked. "My roommate was in his group and he said that the guy was ruthless, even during warmups. They went from station to station and barely took any breaks. One of the first groups to finish."

    Landon laughed. "I should probably warn you that these two are related to Zeke. Brothers."

    The guy flushed, turning as red as a tomato. "Oh. Sorry, I-"

    "No worries." Noah waved his hand back and forth. "I completely understand. Zeke doesn''t believe in breaks. Or mercy. Heck, that group is lucky he didn''t participate with them. Only those with a good frame of mind, or great skill, can keep up with him."

    Cody sighed and shook his head. "One reason I don''t like coming to such high-profile camps is seeing all these players that are better than me. I heard there was a player in the cages that was able to hit over one hundred pitches, all back to the machine. What a monster."

    I froze as a few pairs of eyes shifted to me. Everyone from my group knew it was me. I blushed.

    "That was Jake." Noah said simply between bites of food. "Don''t worry. He''s not a monster. His fielding needs work and don''t even talk about his baserunning."

    "Hey..." I said, offended.

    "What? It''s true." Noah patted me on the shoulder. "We all have our weaknesses."

    "What''s Zeke''s?" Landon asked.

    "All humans have weaknesses." Noah corrected, making the table laugh.

    "Are you talking smack about your brother again?" Rhys came up from behind us, catching Noah in the act.

    Noah stood and pointed at Rhys. "Everyone, this is Rhys! He''s going to be a freshman pitch for Stanford. He''s going to be the reason why the team wins the World Series. Not any of those dumb hitters."

    Rhys laughed, yet didn''t deny it. He put his hand on Noah''s head. "You''re a smart kid." He looked at me. "And I heard a few good things about you."

    I blushed again. Why is the conversation always shifted to me?

    "He''s going to get full marks, right?" Noah asked. "Coach Leroy told him so during the live batting station."

    "Of course!" Rhys said. "He''s actually not the only one to get full marks in hitting."

    "What?"

    "Really?"

    "Ugh. That''s demoralizing."

    Rhys laughed. "There were other players who got full marks in other categories too. Don''t worry, no one got a perfect score."

    "Why do you seem to know all the scores..?" I asked, suspicious. Wasn''t the grading and evaluations for us players? I could understand the coaches needing to know our strengths and deficiencies, but Rhys knew a lot for a counselor. A freshman counselor.

    Rhys grinned. "You really wanna know?"

    "Are you helping with the grading too?" Noah asked.

    "Nope." He shook his head. "I''m helping them put teams together."

    "Teams??" Everyone seemed to say it at the same time.

    "Yea. We have to balance out the teams to make it fair." Rhys told our table. "You didn''t think you would be doing skills and practice all week, did you?"

    "I figured there would be some scrimmages." Landon said. "But I''ve never heard any camps making teams. How many? Who will be the coaches?"

    Rhys chuckled. "Don''t bother asking me. I''m just going to be an assistant. Teams will probably be announced at dinner or after dinner."

    "What are we going to do this afternoon then?" Noah asked.

    "Endurance training." Rhys said. Everyone went quiet.

    "Seriously?" Noah''s smile dropped and his excitement died.

    "Yep. Half will go on a run, while the other half gets to use the school gym. Pitchers and catchers are exempt." Rhys told us plainly, killing all earlier enthusiasm.

 654 V2 ch126

    Rhys wasn''t lying...sadly. As we finished eating, a coach made the announcement that we would get an hour rest and then gather outside of the dorms by 2pm. Everyone sporadically left the cafeteria after eating their fill. We headed back with a few other guys and then split off to head to our own rooms.

    A little while later there was a knock at our door, but before either of us could answer, Zeke walked in. Noah flopped back on his bed. "Oh, it''s just you."

    Zeke rolled his eyes. "Who else would it be?"

    Noah shrugged and picked up his phone. "Any of the other guys at this camp. We''ve made a few friends."

    Zeke looked to me. "Have you?"

    If Landon counts, then yes...I nodded.

    Zeke leaned against the doorframe. "That''s good. I wanted to make sure you''ll be okay with Noah not being on the same team as you."

    Wait. What? I sat up straight. Zeke had my full attention. Noah too. He hopped out of bed and stood up.

    "You''re going to separate us?" Noah asked in disbelief.

    Zeke gave a short nod.

    "Why would you do that?" Noah frowned. "You know how Jake is."

    How I am? I glanced at Noah.

    "No offense." He quickly told me.

    I looked at Zeke. "Why do we have to split up?"

    Zeke stared at me for a second, then sighed. He came into the room all the way, closing the door behind him. He sat on my bed, eye level with me. "For training purposes."

    I thought back to how much I sucked when I paired up with a different shortstop. "But..."

    "Do you want to become a better player?" Zeke asked abruptly.

    I nodded without thinking. "I do."

    "You rely on Noah a lot when it comes to turning double plays." Zeke started to explain. "You''re either taking too long to field the ball or late to throw it to him. It''s fine for the most part, but you might eventually put him at risk for a collision."

    "I''m fine!" Noah told Zeke.

    "That''s not the only reason." Zeke ignored him, eyes still on me. "What if there''s a time that Noah misses a game? What about after high school? Noah won''t always be your shortstop. It''s time you try to play with others. No Noah. No me. No twins. Do you think you can do it?"

    "You''re just going to let Jake be on his own?" Noah frowned. He reached for his phone. "I''m going to tell dad."

    Zeke spared him a glance. "He wouldn''t be on his own completely." He looked back at me. "Rhys would be the assistant for your team. If that isn''t enough, I can be the assistant for your team. What do you think? Do you want to try to play without Noah?"

    I shook my head. "I don''t want to." Noah smiled with relief while Zeke looked slightly disappointed. "But, I know I have to. I have to become a better player."

    Noah looked stunned.

    Zeke stood up and rested his hand on my shoulder. "You''re improving every day." I don''t think he was talking about baseball though, so I tilted my head to look up at him. "Don''t worry. Rhys will be there. Noah and I won''t be too far either. In the morning, you''ll still be practicing and going through stations with Noah. Afternoons and evenings will be team things like games and situationals, but you''ll see him at meals and back here in the room."

    I nodded.

    Zeke headed for the door. "I''m going to let Coach Leroy know. Be ready for your run, drink some water." He left, closing the door behind him.

    "Jake, do you really want to do this?" Noah sat back down on his bed, looking grumpy. "You could have just told Zeke ''no''."

    I shrugged. "I want to be a better player." I paused. "Don''t you want me to become a better player too?"

    "Of course!" He quickly replied. "I just thought...we would be doing this camp together."

    "We are." I nodded. "We spend most of the day together. The only time I''ll be gone is when we do a couple hours for team stuff. Then I''ll be with Rhys." I glanced at him. "You know...if there are teams, there are games. Now that we''re on different teams, we''ll be playing against each other."

    Noah stopped feeling down almost immediately. "Playing against you would be fun! And with full teams, it''ll probably be more fair. You''re great at hitting, so I think you''ll be put with a team that is better at fielding." He brightened up. "That must be what they''re doing to even the teams! I''m sure there''ll be players who lack in certain aspects of the game and some will just be average throughout, but the best way to improve a team is having them work together."

    I looked at him. I understood what he was saying, but...I''m good at hitting and Noah''s good at fielding. We would have balanced each other out already. Zeke just wants me to become more independent. I see it. I want to try it. But, that doesn''t mean I''m not scared or nervous about being with a group of strangers.

    I picked up my water bottle and started to hydrate as Noah made guesses as to what the teams will be like and if we''ll start scrimmaging tonight or tomorrow. We headed down together when it was almost time for the run.

    "Pitchers and catchers, this way!" One of the coaches waved his arms. "Gather around me over here!"

    "I bet they don''t have to do a run." Noah mumbled.

    "Of course not." Landon joined us with one of his outfielder buddies. "This is a skills camp. They get to show off their skills."

    "Then why are we running?" I asked, perplexed.

    "This will probably be the only long distance run." He lowered his voice. "A lot of college coaches are here to check for recruits after all. Running long distances is a good way to see if they have endurance, yes, but more importantly, if they have the mentality to keep going even when they''re tired."

    Noah grinned. "That''s easy. We run almost every morning. As long as Zeke isn''t leading us, then I could probably run for miles."

    "And if I am leading you?" Zeke said from behind him, making us both jump.

    Noah smiled sheepishly. "Then I will diligently follow you, step by step?" His comment sounded more like a question.

    Zeke grinned, but not in a happy way. His grin made me shiver. "Good. You and Jake have experience following me, so why don''t you join my group." He looked to Landon and his friend. "You two can also join."

    There was no room for argument or disagreement. We were stuck with him, for better or for worse.

    Zeke went around, picking out a few more players from the crowd, forming a smaller group. He wasn''t the only counselor to do so. A handful of counselors started to put together smaller groups. It made sense. It''s not like hundreds of us could just run together as one big group.

 655 V2 ch127

    Zeke stopped grabbing the campers when our small group reached twelve. He separated us from the bigger group and started to record our sticker numbers on a small piece of paper. He went to give it to Coach Leroy and then came back to us.

    "How long are we running for?" One of the guys asked Zeke.

    Zeke glanced at him. "Does it matter?"

    The guy frowned. "Doesn''t it?"

    Zeke looked down at Noah. "Does it matter how long we''re going to run for?"

    Noah shook his head. "No! I''ll run until you tell me to stop."

    Zeke glanced at me. "Will it comfort you if you know how long the run is?"

    I''m going to hate the run no matter what, so I shook my head.

    Zeke checked his watch. "Dinner is at 6pm. It''s a little after 2pm right now, so I''m going to declare that the run will be less than four hours. Any objections?"

    A different guy raised his hand. "Not an objection, but what about using the gym for weightlifting? Didn''t the coaches say we would be switching?"

    "That''s up to the counselors discretion." He looked around at the group. "I don''t feel like being closed up in a gym on such a nice day. Don''t worry, I''ll let you guys have a change of pace at some point." He turned his back to us. "Keep up. If you can''t, come back here on your own and report to Coach Leroy." He pushed a button on his watch and started to jog.

    Noah and I automatically took after him, almost out of habit. Noah almost sped up to join him, side-by-side like a race, but remembered that Zeke''s in charge of others right now. It wasn''t a race. It was going to be a long run.

    "Hey." Landon joined us. "Do you really think Zeke would leave us behind?"

    I nodded. He leaves me all the time in his race with Noah.

    "For sure." Noah said under his breath, trying not to get Zeke''s attention. "You heard him, if you get left behind, come back on your own and report it to the head coach. Doesn''t that sound like a taunt?"

    I took a look back and saw that our whole group was keeping the same pace.

    "It makes sense." Landon''s friend said. "Zeke is the best. Who wouldn''t follow him? Try to beat him? It feels like Zeke is challenging us. If we can''t even see his shadow, we have to go back and report that back to the head coach? That''s just cruel."

    That''s the Zeke I know.

    The group followed Zeke throughout the campus, throughout the neighboring stores, and along the streets that made up this town. An hour and a half later, I could see water beyond the street, right next to a park. It was the bay. Zeke waited for us at the last intersection before pressing the button.

    The team all bunched up at the street corner, trying to catch their breath. I was no exception. I had fallen back to one of the last runners, but I could still see Zeke and that meant a lot to me.

    I put my hands on my head, trying to ignore the side ache.

    Some of the guys immediately took off, sprinting and racing to get some water. Noah was among them.

    I stayed behind. I was more tired than thirsty.

    Everyone gave Zeke space so I felt comfortable approaching him on my own.

    He glanced down at me and smiled. "Tired?"

    I nodded.

    "You did good. It was exactly six miles. The run back will be even harder, try not to fall behind." He told me.

    I knew it was going to be harder. My legs were already exhausted and energy was gone. I''m going to be dragging myself back.

    Zeke wiped the sweat off his face and then pulled off his shirt. He wiped more of his sweat off before tucking some of the shirt into the waistband of his shorts.

    My shirt was soaked in sweat too, but there''s no way I could take my shirt off. Not in public.

    Zeke caught me staring. "It''s not a big deal if you want to take your shirt off too."

    I shook my head and refused. He could get me to play on a new team, but there was no way I would willingly walk around with my scars showing to everyone. That''s too much out of my comfort zone. That was beyond it.

    Zeke sighed. "Don''t worry. You''ll be able to see that doctor after the high school camp. I know dad rescheduled your appointment to be right before school." He paused before saying, "I won''t be there for it. I''ll have to go to school."

    I nodded, feeling a little sad. The idea that Zeke wouldn''t be around was surreal.

    "I''ll be a phone call away." He said suddenly. "If you''re feeling sad, scared, or whatever. You can call me any time, any day." He glanced to Noah, who was jogging over to us with a smile. "You''ll have to make sure Noah doesn''t get in too much trouble. I can''t trust the twins with him."

    I laughed.

    "What''s funny?" Noah asked, stopping before us.

    I shook my head.

    Zeke sighed. "I was telling Jake that we can''t race back, because I know if I leave you behind, you''ll get lost."

    "Not true!" Noah exclaimed. "You wouldn''t be able to leave me behind."

    I laughed again. "So you would get lost?"

    Noah stuck out his bottom lip and put on a sad look before me. "Jake...why do I feel like you''re not my best friend anymore? You don''t want to play on the same team and now you''re cracking jokes about me with Zeke."

    "You left me on the run." I pointed out.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "It''s not my fault you''re so slow. I''ll run back with you, okay?"

    I smiled.

    Zeke looked at the pair of us. "Try not to fall too far behind."

    Noah stuck his tongue out at Zeke.

    The jog back to the school was long and took more time, but that was only because everyone slowed down considerably. Back in front of the dorms, Zeke dismissed us, letting us shower and have some free time before dinner.

    I was dead on my feet, dragging them up the stairs, using the handrail. "I don''t know how I can play tomorrow."

    "Tomorrow?" Landon scoffed. "I''m scared for tonight."

    "What''s tonight?" Noah asked.

    "We find out our teams." Landon said. "Do you think they''re really going to give us the whole night off? Our parents pay hundreds of dollars for the best training this camp can provide. They wouldn''t let us waste any time becoming a better player."

    "What''s the point of showering then?" I groaned, not liking the idea of showering twice in the same evening.

    "Because you smell bad." Landon said. "Who''s going to be able to eat with you stinking up the place?"

    Noah laughed and I sighed. He was right. I reeked.

 656 V2 ch128

    Dinner in the cafeteria was the loudest meal so far. Everyone was lining up for food and piling their plates before finding somewhere to sit. By now, we''ve kind of had a set group to sit with: Landon, Travis, Adam, Cody, Dylan, Ansar, and a couple other familiar faces.

    "We ran twelve miles!" Landon told the other guys. "It was hell!"

    Cody, who was with us on the run, shook his head. "It wasn''t that bad. There were breaks between street lights and it''s better than sprints. I heard some groups had to do shuttle sprints before and after lifting weights."

    "My legs feel like jello." Landon continued to complain. "Twelve miles! That''s not normal. Even soccer players only run like seven miles in a game. Cross country teams don''t run this much in a race either."

    "They run this much and more in practice." Ansar spoke up. "Our school is number one in our conference and they put in some serious mileage during practice and especially during their summer camp."

    "I''m not a cross country runner." Landon sighed. "I''m gonna be feeling it tomorrow."

    I nodded in agreement as I stuffed some pasta into my mouth. I''ll probably wake up stiff as a board. I can''t imagine a full week of this.

    "Well boys, the hard part is over." Travis laughed. "Day one is always the toughest. You have to show off everything you got to the coaches and scouts." He lifted an eyebrow. "I think those of you that got to run with Zeke will get extra attention. You ran with someone that''s a first-round pick." He sighed. "It''s crazy how close we are getting to the pros. I never thought I would see some right before my very eyes."

    I blinked.

    "I just hope Zeke isn''t the assistant coach for my team." Noah said. "I need a break from him." He glanced at me. "Why don''t you tell him to be an assistant on your team so I have a chance to be with Rhys?"

    I stuck my tongue out at him.

    "C''mon, he would go easy on you." Noah pleaded.

    I shook my head. "Easier than Rhys? No way." Rhys was really nice and easygoing.

    "You guys already know what teams you''re on?" Ansar asked.

    Noah shook his head. "Nah. But Zeke did tell us that Jake would be on the same team as Rhys."

    "Why?" Cody was confused.

    Noah glanced at me and noticed that I had tensed up. "Probably because Jake is his favorite brother."

    "Big families are like that!" Adam declared. "Everyone has their favorite. Parents too. And it''s always the youngest." He squinted at me. "Are you the youngest?"

    Noah burst out laughing. "He is! And he''s for sure everyone''s favorite!" Noah threw his arm around my shoulders and continued to laugh. "But, at least I know, I''m his favorite. So I''m the favorite''s favorite!"

    "Good evening, everyone." He started to speak and everyone simultaneously got quiet. "I know it''s been a busy morning and afternoon, but we''re not quite done yet. For the week, we''ll be playing scrimmages against one another. So with the scoring from this morning, we''ve made balanced teams. Teams will not change throughout the week, including pitchers and catchers." Whispers and murmurs started to get a little louder.

    Coach Leroy grinned. "I know you''re all excited to meet your coach and teammates for the week, but let me finish." Everyone got quiet again. "In the mornings, after breakfast, pitchers and catchers will go their own way with our pitching staff. The rest of you will do drills throughout stations, similar to this morning, but with more focus on actual training and not testing. The afternoon and evenings will be a mix of games or practicing with your selected team. We have a schedule made."

    "Do we get anything for winning?" Someone yelled out, making a few guys laugh, but most had their eyes trained on the head coach.

    Coach Leroy grinned. "We''ll be keeping score and keep track of the wins and losses. The team with the most wins, will have a small prize to take home, but I won''t be disclosing what it is." He waved his hand around. "Finish eating and wait in your respective rooms. The staff will be handing out two sheets of paper. One will be your roster. The other will be your personalized schedule for the week. It''ll include when and where you need to be. After the papers have been passed out, come back downstairs to find your coach and teammates, by using the schedule sheet."

    A lot of the guys got up and started to head for the door.

    Noah laughed at the sight. "I don''t know why they''re in a hurry. They probably won''t pass out the papers until everyone''s done in the cafeteria."

    Cody and Landon, who both had gotten up, awkwardly sat back down. Landon chuckled. "You''re right. I should focus on fueling up first." He started to eat again.

    Noah glanced at me with a sly grin. "Want to grab an ice cream before we go back to the room?"

    My eyes widened and I started to look around. I didn''t remember seeing any ice cream, nor did I see anyone with ice cream.

    "Not here." Noah elaborated and lowered his voice. "The bookstore. I heard someone say that it''s open. Want to go and take it to the room?"

    "Won''t everyone see us?" I asked, worried. I couldn''t handle any punishment exercises tonight.

    Noah sighed. "Fine. Maybe we''ll try tomorrow during some free time."

    I nodded, much more satisfied.

    After our group finished eating, we left the cafeteria together and went back to the dorms.

    "Let''s meet in the common area when it''s time to go to our teams." Noah told everyone as we climbed the stairs. "That way we can find out if anyone got on the same team. And then go to the field together."

    "Yea."

    "Sure."

    "Sounds good to me."

    "I hope I get Jake."

    I looked at Travis, who said that.

    Travis grinned. "Jake''s a batting prodigy. I want to be on a winning team. I like winning. I like prizes. Especially surprise prizes."

    "I want Jake too!" Cody called out.

    Noah laughed. "You guys realize that you can''t just win games by having one great hitter right? Pitching and fielding still matters. The other team can always out score you."

    "But," Ansar raised his voice. "It''s also important to score at least one run for a chance to win." He smiled at me. "Please be on my team."

    The guys laughed and all claimed that they wanted to be on my team. It was a special feeling...to be wanted. It made me go back to the room with a big smile on my face. I wasn''t nervous anymore with their reassurance that I would be wanted and welcomed on any of their teams.

 657 V2 ch129

    I thought someone would knock or just open our door to give us our papers, but instead it was slide under our door on the floor. Noah raced to pick them up, handing me mine and looking over his. He then looked up at me blankly. "I don''t know if these are the same people we know or not."

    I laughed. Noah was so excited, but without knowing everyone''s last names, how could we be sure they were on our team or not? I glanced at my bag. "Do you think we should bring our bags?"

    Noah pointed at his paper. "My team is meeting in the cafeteria tonight so I won''t bother. Where is yours meeting?"

    I looked. "At the...stadium." The main field.

    "Bring your bag just in case." Noah told me. "It''s better to be prepared. It''s not like it''s too bothersome."

    I nodded and picked my bag up.

    Noah held his papers and we left the room. Others on our floor were also going downstairs or preparing to go down so we went the flow, only stopping in the common area to meet up with who we knew.

    We all showed our papers, trying to find one another. Noah had both Cody and Ansar on his team, while Travis and Adam were with Landon. Dylan and I were on separate teams alone.

    Dylan sighed. "Guess I''ll have to learn a few more names and faces."

    "You''re easy to get along with. You''ll be fine." Noah told him. He then looked to me and lowered his voice. "Want me to walk you to your team first?"

    I hesitated. I wanted to stand on my own and get better, but...it was scary knowing that I was going to be on my own. A whole new team. I gulped. "Can you..?"

    "Sure! It''s no problem!" Noah patted me on the shoulder. "It''s just a few extra steps. Come on, let''s get going." He looked to Ansar and Cody. "Save me a seat; I''ll be back!"

    They nodded, but still looked a little confused.

    I felt the blood rush to my face. So embarrassing.

    "Jake?! Jake! There you guys are!" Rhys jogged up to our group. "I was waiting outside for you, but you weren''t showing up. I was about to go to your room." He paused to greet the other guys around us.

    They returned his greeting and started to walk away to their own groups.

    "Do we still need to save you a seat, Noah?" Ansar asked.

    Noah looked at me, then at Rhys, then back at me. He decisively shook his head. "Nah. I''ll go with you guys." He gave me a pat on the shoulder. "You''ll be okay, Jake. I''ll see you back in the room."

    I nodded.

    Noah left with his teammates, and it slowly became just me and Rhys.

    Rhys gave my bag a light slap. "Glad you brought this down."

    I looked up at him. "So we''re playing tonight?"

    Rhys nodded. "We have the first scrimmage of the week."

    My eyes widen. "We''re playing a game?" I felt like I had swallowed a rock.

    "I just thought..." I would have more time to prepare..? Like mentally. I know no one on my team and we''re playing a game. This isn''t a good start.

    "Don''t think so much." Rhys told me. "Just play."

    I always think this much...especially while I''m playing.

    Rhys spoke the whole way to the stadium, but I wasn''t paying attention. I was too focused on walking, wondering if it was too late to tell Zeke that I didn''t want to be on my own. The least he could have done was put a familiar face on the team for me. Rhys doesn''t really count. He''s a Stanford player. A camp counselor. An assistant coach. We weren''t on the same level.

    Rhys led me through the side gate of the stadium, bypassing some counselors who were helping others find their team. He took me straight to the first base dugout, where some players were already talking to one another. "This is our team. Our dugout for the game. Visitors so we bat first."

    Bat? That jogged my memory about wanting to talk to Rhys. I looked up at him. "Are you still able to find me some spare bats? Since I broke the one Noah gave me, I only have Jeremy''s left and-" I stopped abruptly.

    Rhys understood. I didn''t want to break that bat. It held some meaning to me. "I talked to my dad about it. Like Zeke said, we don''t want you to lose your eligibility or anything like that. But my dad knows a few guys that sell worn, old, and used bats. We can get a bundle discount. How many do you think you need?"

    I started to recall the bats I''ve broken:

    1. The first time I ever went to the batting cages with Noah.

    2. The championship game.

    3. My at-bat versus Rhys.

    I''ve broken three bats since I''ve moved in with the Atkins back in February. Five months ago. How many should I get..? I looked up to Rhys. "How many can I get?"

    Rhys chuckled. "Thinking about stocking up on bats?"

    I shrugged. "I''ve broken three in the last five months...and only the first one was really my fault."

    "I''ll call my dad. Maybe he can get it together before the end of the camp so you guys can take it home with you and spare the extra trip." He told me with a smile.

    "Thanks." I felt a sense of relief go through me, relaxing my shoulders a bit.

    Rhys gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Set your bag down and get your cleats on. I have to help the coach, make sure all of you show up and whatnot."

    I nodded. Rhys couldn''t be with me the whole time, he still had stuff to do for the team. He left to find the coach while I went to the furthest end of the dugout. I set my bag down and got my cleats out. As I was tying them on, the dugout started to fill up and a team was formed.

    "Hello, hello, hello!" A man raised his voice in front of the dugout. He and Rhys stood side by side so my guess is that, he''s the coach...? Maybe... He look rather young to be a coach. Maybe in his early thirties? Younger? He had a thick black beard, plus a baseball hat on, so it was difficult to guess.

    Those of us in the dugout got quiet.

    "Hello." He said again, standing a little straighter. "I''d like to introduce myself, your coach for the next week. My name is Nathaniel Thomas. You all may call me Coach Nate. My credentials include being a grad assistant here at Stanford for three years. From there, I took a head coach position at City College of San Francisco. It''ll be my fourth season there in the spring."

    I noticed a few of the guys lose interest in what Coach Nate had to say.

    Coach Nate noticed it too. "Just because I''m a coach at a community college doesn''t mean that I don''t know how to Coach. For the last two years, my college has been league champions, going to the tournament. We''ve also produced seven draftees."

    That got some attention. This coach has been with players who got drafted? I didn''t have to be convinced. Anyone called coach would know way more about baseball than me.

 658 V2 ch130

    Coach Nate gestured to Rhys. "This is Rhys Johnson, an incoming freshman for the Stanford team. He''s a pitcher, but his knowledge of the game isn''t anything to scoff at. He''ll be my assistant for the week, following my instructions on how to help you boys improve. You will show him some respect, call him either Coach, Coach Rhys, or Coach Johnson."

    "He''s only a year or two older than most of us." Someone pointed out. "And I doubt he''s ever coached before. So why should we call him coach?"

    "If you disrespect him, then you''re disrespecting me." Coach Nate eyes were focused on the teen. "If you''re disrespecting me, then you''re off the team. Good luck finding another team that would take in someone like you. You''ll lose the opportunity to become a better player and you''ll lose the chance to show off your skill in front of scouts." He looked around the dugout. "That goes for the rest of you. This is a team that respects everyone. Any disagreements can be brought to my attention. Got it?"

    "Yes." Mostly everyone said at once.

    "Pitchers and catchers step out. I''ll let you all warmup with Rhys. He''ll supervise and then decide who gets to go on the mound first." He waved his hand. "Don''t take the rotation too seriously. It''s a week long camp. No one is going to be doing 100 pitches in a game. An inning at least, probably up to three or four, depending on the pitch count."

    The pitchers and catchers left with Rhys, taking their bags with them. They headed towards the bullpen.

    Coach Nate looked at the rest of us. "Let''s do a light warmup. Jog, stretch, throw the ball. No batting practice. There isn''t enough time."

    I sighed. Figures. The one thing I want to do, I can''t do. I grabbed my glove and slowly followed the guys out onto the field. There was no synchronization or leadership as everyone just started to warmup. Gloves were dropped into the grass on the foul line, then as a mob we jog to a random spot near center field and back.

    I started to stretch on my own after coming back while a few others jogged again. They must be the ones that didn''t have to run much this afternoon. My legs were already heavy. It would be better if I stretched. I didn''t know much when I first started to play ball, but now I could do a mix of static and dynamic stretches to make sure I wouldn''t get hurt.

    I kept an eye towards the bullpen area, watching Rhys who was talking to one of the pitchers.

    "Hey..." Someone tapped me on the shoulder, making me jump. I turned around and saw a chest. I looked up to find the face. It was one of my teammates. "Sorry, sorry. I was just looking for someone to throw the ball with."

    I looked around and noticed that most of the team had already moved on to throwing. I gave a short nod, kind of thankful someone came to find me as a partner. I don''t think I could be the one to approach someone else.

    I made a face. I wanted to tell him not too far, but he had already taken off for the far end. Fortunately stopping at an acceptable distance for me. We threw the ball back and forth, both silent, until Coach Nate called everyone in.

    We waited for Rhys and his group to join us too. Rhys handed Coach Nate a sheet of paper, and he clipped it to the clipboard he was holding. "Alright. I have a lineup ready, based on your intial evaluations. Don''t panic if you''re not in the starting lineup. I want to see everyone get a chance to hit and play in the field." He looked to the pitchers. "Your case will be different as we discussed." He checked his papers. "Nicolas will start on the mound, batting ninth. Jimmy behind the plate, batting eighth. The rest of you wait in the bullpen. Rhys and I will call the bullpen coach for further instructions."

    The rest of the pitchers and backup catchers left, going back to their bags and taking them in the bullpen. The starting pitcher and catcher went back to grab their bags and took them to the dugout, not caring about the rest of the starting lineup.

    "Batting first and playing third base: Marc." Coach Nate continued on, ignoring the whispers and sighs. "Batting second and playing center field: Kenny." The guy I played catch with gave a nod. "Batting third and playing at second: Jake." Coach Nate looked right at me.

    I gulped and nodded obediently.

    Coach Nate went through the rest of the lineup before letting us go back to the dugout to prepare. As visitors, we got to bat first so I put on my helmet and pulled out Jeremy''s old bat.

    "First three batters, come here for a second." Coach Nate instructed, wanting us to join him at the dugout entrance closest to home plate.

    I held my bat tight in my hands and moved through the dugout. The eyes that were focused on me made my skin crawl as I tried not to panic. Rhys gave me a reassuring smile as I joined him and Coach Nate. Marc and Kenny made a small circle with us.

    Coach Nate looked at the three of us. "I know that it''s a sudden scrimmage and there isn''t much synergy within the team, but that doesn''t mean we can afford to lose the game. Understand?"

    "Yes sir." Marc stood tall, flexing his arm muscles.

    Kenny and I merely nodded.

    "You three had the best batting scores." He looked right at me. "You''re the best here."

    I stared back at him, not understanding if I had to agree or not.

    He glanced at Marc and Kenny. "Do your best to get on base. By walk or hit. Don''t do too much. Jake will be able to bring you home." He looked at me. "I won''t demand a homerun, but I understand from Rhys, that you can direct your hits?"

    I nodded. That''s something I can do. The majority of the time.

    He looked at the other two. "First pitch, be ready to take off. You two want to impress me? Make it home."

    "Yes!" Marc didn''t question his instructions.

    Kenny glanced down at me, unsure. "Sh-should I wait..? T-to make sure it''s going to be a hit?"

    Rhys grinned and took over for Coach Nate. "Jake will get the hit." He looked at me. "Try for open gaps if they move in on ya. If they play normally, aim for a corner."

    I nodded.

    The umpire, which was just a different coach, called for the home team to take the field. Nine guys got into position and did a short warmup before the umpire called out, "Balls in!"

    Marc and Kenny had left the dugout and were swinging their bats to the timing of the pitcher warming up. With the game about to begin, Marc moved to the batter''s box while Kenny stood in the on-deck circle.

    I stood beside Rhys, just inside the dugout. Coach Nate had gone to give instructions to the rest of the lineup.

    "Play ball!"

 659 V2 ch131

    Marc got in the righty''s box, digging his back foot in. His bat moved, twirling in his hands, only pausing as the pitcher got set and started his motion. The first pitch passed for a called strike down the middle.

    I gripped my bat a little tighter. That was a good pitch. Why didn''t he swing? I watched on: called strike, ball in the dirt, ball outside, foul ball, and then finally a solid connection.

    Marc took off sprinting as the ball dropped in front of the left field. He rounded first like he was going to make it a double, but then came back after a glance.

    "Good decision making." I heard Coach Nate say.

    I glanced back at him and saw that he was standing right behind me. His attention was on the game, but that didn''t stop him from sharing his insights with the team.

    "Wouldn''t it be better if he got into scoring position on second?" Someone asked.

    "My instructions for Marc and Kenny were to get on base. Jake will bring them home." I straightened up when he mentioned my name. "Playing against a new team with unknown strengths, who can say for sure that the left fielder wouldn''t have thrown him out?"

    "But now Kenny could hit into a double play..." Someone else commented, making the dugout go silent.

    Coach Nate looked at me. "Why aren''t you on deck yet?"

    He caught me by surprise, making me jump. I hurried out of the dugout and got in the on deck circle. I swung my bat around lightly, but could no longer hear Coach Nate. Which was a bummer. I wanted to know what I should do if he really does hit into a double play. He said I should drive in runs, but if no one is on base, the only run I can drive in is my own. By a homerun.

    I focused on Kenny''s at-bat. Coach Nate said the three of us were the best hitters on the team so I don''t actually believe that he''ll hit into a double play. He has to be better than that. If I was him, to try to avoid a double play, I would put the ball in the air. Have to get it to the outfield. Worst case scenario, he''ll hit a fly out.

    Watching his at-bat, I could see that he had the same thoughts. He had fouled the ball back four times now, meaning that he was getting under the ball. Just...no solid contact yet.

    Kenny was tall, but very thin, almost as skinny as me. It can''t be healthy since he''s already so tall. I thought about the awkwardness he showed when he asked me to throw the ball with him and when he had asked Coach Nate a question. We were very similar in that aspect: nervous around strangers. Yet, when he was in the batter''s box, he didn''t look nervous at all. Comfortable, focused, and balanced. Every swing was a swing with purpose.

    I spared the bat a glance, but didn''t move to pick it up. Instead, I pretended not to see it and move to the batter''s box. I''ve been batting lefty all day so I saw no reason to change anymore. It''s just tomorrow, I''ll bat right to feel more at ease.

    As I got set, I took a look at the outfield. They weren''t drawn in, but were slightly shifted like they expect me to hit it towards the opposite field. The left fielder was almost playing the line. I think someone from my group may have told them about my homerun earlier. Or a coach. Like Coach Nate said, we don''t know their strengths and they shouldn''t know ours. So why the shift?

    They obviously don''t know me well enough though. With this kind of shift, the right field corner was wide open. Too easy.

    On the very first pitch, I swung and made contact, pulling it to right field. The first baseman jumped for it, but was a step too late. He came down empty-handed and everyone was in motion. The right fielder had to sprint to the ball rolling to the outfield wall. Marc and Kenny both had good jumps, running around the bases without hesitation.

    I had made it to first and sprinted to second, stumbling on my way. My legs were tired from the afternoon run and couldn''t do what I wanted them to do. I was simply lucky that the ball rolled to a good spot so the right fielder was unable to throw me out.

    On the relay throw, they tried to get the tag on Kenny at the plate, but it wasn''t in time either. Two runs scored and I was at second. Success. I looked to the dugout and saw a few of the guys clapping and high-fiving those who had returned. Rhys gave me two thumbs up.

    I sighed with relief.

    Sadly our offense died after my hit. Pop out. Strikeout. Groundout. The pitcher practically stomped off the mound, clearly unsatisfied with his first inning.

    I jogged back to the dugout and was immediately greeted by Rhys. He held out my glove and hat. I handed him my helmet and took the two other items. "Thanks."

    "No problem. You did well under pressure." He told me.

    "No pressure." I shrugged.

    Rhys lifted an eyebrow. "I felt like we were a bit demanding. A hit to drive in runs."

    I shrugged again. "I prefer instructions." I turned red. "Zeke used to tell me what to do when we first started playing, but now I have to figure it out on my own." I looked up at him. "I don''t usually know what to do."

    Rhys laughed. "Well, not everyone has your gift in hitting. Just do what you can today."

    I nodded, then turned to jog out to the field.

    After a short warmup, the bottom of the inning started. It was getting late now and the sun was setting, forcing us to rely on the stadium lights. It was an odd feeling, being in a big empty stadium.

    I glanced at the players and coaches in the stands. Well, it wasn''t completely empty. They weren''t cheering one way or the other though. It looked like they were studying the game instead. I squinted and tried to find a familiar face in the crowd...like Noah or Zeke. But nope. I did recognize a couple from the evaluations, but couldn''t recall their names.

    Our pitcher had a better start, going three up, three down, in order. Groundout, groundout, strikeout. Nicolas grinned on our way back to the dugout as a few of the guys complimented him.

    "Well done, Nic." Coach Nate told him inside the dugout. "You''re done for tonight so take a seat." He looked at Rhys. "Tell the next pitcher to be ready to start the second."

    Rhys nodded and picked up the dugout phone, directly calling the bullpen.

    Nic''s smile weakened and he sat down close to the end of the dugout. Close to me that is.

    "Ryan, you''ll pinch hit for Nic." Coach Nate started to instruct again. "Depending on the situation, you''ll either take the field afterwards or sit for the rest of the game." He turned his attention to someone else.

    Nic sighed and slumped in his seat.

    I awkwardly sat a few feet away, unsure if I should say anything or not. In the end, I chose not to say anything unless he spoke to me first. Which, he didn''t. Thank goodness.

 660 V2 ch132

    Coach Nate seemed to follow the pattern of taking the pitcher out after every inning. Regardless of how good or bad he was doing. The other team looked like they were doing something similar, alternating their pitchers so no one did too much.

    In the third inning, I got up to bat again. With a player on second and two outs, I found a gap in the outfield. I didn''t try for second, knowing that my legs were shaking and would definitely give out. It''s okay though, I was satisfied with an RBI single. I thought with two hits and three RBI''s, I would get swapped out, but it never came.

    Coach Nate would use a pinch hitter for the pitcher every time it came up in the batting order. Then when it came to going back on the field, he would choose to either keep the player out or put him in for a position player. I thought he was basing it off if they got a hit at their at-bat or not, but that didn''t seem to be the case. One kid got a hit, but wasn''t put into play, while another also got a hit yet was given a chance to be on the field.

    After my third hit of the game, I expected to be pulled in order to give someone else a chance, but it never came. It didn''t come after the fourth hit either. I even had a throwing error on what should have been a groundout, but Coach Nate didn''t say anything.

    The game was the standard seven innings of high school ball, and I played all seven. The only player to do it on the team. I only knew this because one of my teammates had kept track. He mentioned it to the others and I had overheard.

    Coach Nate kept us for a few minutes after the game. "Not bad. I''m happy to start off with a win." He nodded in my direction. "Jake led the team in hits and RBI''s tonight."

    "Yea, but he also got the most at-bats." Someone whispered, but had the intention to be heard.

    I hung my head, feeling awkward. It''s not like I wanted to play the full game either. My legs were tired and now I''m hungry again.

    "He got the most at-bats because he was given a perfect score in the hitting categories." Coach Nate looked at the outspoken player. "If you have a problem with the way I run this team, then leave. I''ve done enough time to not be questioned by high school brats."

    The team was silent.

    "Sorry..." The same kid mumbled.

    Coach Nate nodded. "I won''t keep you boys long. Tonight, I got some much needed insight on how you boys play. It''s not much, but it''s better than the evaluation scores given to me. A piece of paper can''t show your attitude to the game, or if you have the hustle and heart."

    ??

    I didn''t understand what he was looking for. But after a glance, I could see most of the team nodding and straightening their posture. I hurried to do the same.

    He dismissed us.

    I pretended to look for something in my bag, letting the others leave before me. I wasn''t getting the vibe that the other guys liked me. I actually felt a little alienated. No one really spoke to me except for Kenny.

    "Hey kid, didn''t you hear the coach?" Rhys came over and asked me. "He said to get back and get some rest. What are you doing just hanging around here?"

    I blushed and got up. I zipped up my bag and put the straps on my shoulders. "I''m done. Just..." My voice lowered. "Waiting."

    Rhys reached over and tipped my hat up. "Hey, don''t be sad. What''s wrong?"

    I glanced at the team that was leaving the field together. I shrugged. "I just thought...they would be happy with winning..?"

    Rhys chuckled as we started our walk back to the dorms. "This camp isn''t about winning. There''s a bonus for winning, but it''s about showing off your skills to these college coaches and scouts. Another biggie is: improving your own game."

    I nodded. "I know." I''ve only been told like a hundred times. It doesn''t make me feel better though.

    "Don''t worry about the guys." Rhys told me, putting his arm around my shoulders. "As long as they don''t hurt you, they''re just faces that will fade after the week."

    True. I don''t have to get along with these guys. They don''t go to my school.

    "Don''t let their attitude and words get to you, Jake." Rhys talked the whole way back. "Focus on showing off your batting skills and improving on the other aspects of the game. It''s better to see their attitude towards you now, rather than later. Understand?"

    I glanced up at him. I knew exactly what he was saying. Him and Noah went through similar experiences: losing friends during baseball. Noah was shunned after making varsity while Rhys was forgotten after his injury.

    "I think Kenny is nice." I slowly shifted the conversation. Kenny reached out to me even though he also had a quiet personality.

    "He''s rather shy." Rhys tried to remember which one was Kenny. "A bit too skinny."

    We talked about Kenny and the game until reaching the dorms. Rhys had to meet up with the other coaching staff in the cafeteria to prepare for tomorrow so he left me on my own.

    I hurried up the stair to the dorm I shared with Noah. I couldn''t wait to see a face that was not just familiar, but also very welcoming.

    I opened the door.

    Noah sat up on his bed. "You''re back!" He grinned. "How was it? Did you guys practice in the stadium?"

    "We played a game!" I told him, dropping my bag in the corner of the room.

    "What?! Really?" He sighed. "You''re lucky. I had to do yoga in the cafeteria."

    I gave him a funny look. "Yoga..?"

    He laughed. "It''s exactly what you''re thinking! It was also rather hard. I''m not as flexible as I thought. But after taking a shower, I feel a lot better. Probably won''t be so sore in the morning. How was the game?  Did you win?"

    Only Noah would be satisfied with doing yoga at a baseball camp. I held back a laugh. "We won."

    "Great! How''d you do?"

    I shrugged. "Four for four, a few RBI''s."

    Noah laughed, leaning against his headboard. "I''m sure your team was happy with your performance. Probably carried them to the win."

    "Ha..." I tried to laugh, not letting him see that anything was wrong. "I''m going to shower..." It was getting late now.

    "Okay, don''t forget to take your pajamas with you." Noah reminded me.

    I nodded, grabbing pjs and underwear.

 661 V2 ch133

    I made sure to pick a stall that was between two other empty stalls. I didn''t want to be close to others while being naked. I turned the water on, got undressed and hurried through my shower. The shower stalls all had dispensable body wash and shampoo so it made things simple. I wasn''t picky and was simply in a rush. I dried off in the stall after turning the water off. Then hurried to put on my pajamas.

    I came out of the stall, hair still dripping. I put my towel on my shoulders and headed out. I coincidentally ran into Kenny, who was on his way in.

    He gave me a weak smile. "H-hey, good job out there today."

    "Thanks." The tension in my shoulders dispersed. I knew Kenny wouldn''t be the same as the others. I gripped my towel. "And...thanks for asking me to warmup with you."

    Kenny smiled. "Sure. Let''s partner up again tomorrow." He walked into the showers.

    Relief washed over me. Tomorrow, I''ll have someone on the team to warmup with. Great. I went back to my room with a smile of my own.

    Noah was already dozing off, so I turned off the lights and used the light of my phone to get to bed. It was already 11pm. I yawned and got comfy under the covers.

    The next morning, I was as stiff as a statue. Everything hurt. My legs. My arms. My abs.

    Noah laughed at the way I was moving on our way to the cafeteria for breakfast. "Don''t worry. Once we start playing again and warming up, your muscles won''t be so tight."

    "I don''t think so." I groaned, shifting my baseball bag on my shoulders. "I can''t even imagine playing this morning, let alone all day." I really just want to go back to bed.

    "Practice in the morning might be the hard part. Games won''t be so bad. It''s not like all the ground balls will come at you. And you only bat like three or four times a game."

    "There''s also team practice..." I pointed out.

    "Oh." Noah hummed.

    We entered the cafeteria, dropped our bags off against the wall, and went to find some food.

    "Well, Rhys is there to watch out for you. Plus, the coach can''t say much if you want a break." Noah told me. "So just do your best until you can''t do anymore." Noah started to pile his plate with eggs, bacon, and hash browns.

    I stared at his back. Play until I can''t play anymore? What kind of advice is that? I''m not like him, an energizer bunny with unlimited vitality. I followed behind him, loading up my own plate with food.

    We both sat at a table with some of the guys we knew. There were a few new faces, but no introductions were made. Everyone was focused on eating.

    "Hey, Jake, great game last night!" Dylan spoke to me directly as he sat down at our table. It drew attention from the guys around us.

    "Were you in the stands..?" I asked, trying to be polite. I know for sure he wasn''t on the other team at least.

    I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. "Thanks."

    "What did Jake do?" Travis asked, sitting down with Landon. "Hit a homerun or two?" He chuckled, probably remembering my evaluation.

    "He got a hit in every at-bat." Dylan told everyone who was listening. "He drove in most of the runs. Practically carried his team to a win."

    I shook my head. "That-"

    "Don''t be shy!" Someone else said. "You faces four different pitchers and you didn''t struggle for a second."

    A few of the guys who watched the game started to share with the ones who didn''t get to see it.

    I looked down at my food and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. The guys around me were acquaintances now, but I couldn''t tell them that my team was upset with my given playing time.

    Noah nudged me. "C''mon. This isn''t something to be embarrassed about. You''re great, own up to it."

    I gave him a weak smile. Sure. Easy for him to say.

    The conversation shifted from me and the game to the upcoming games for today. This morning we were to split up, going by positions, and get some regular practice in so they couldn''t wait to play until their own games.

    "You''re going to be well-known, Jake." Travis told me as he, Adam, Noah, and myself, all went to the practice field together. "I bet all the coaches have their eyes on you. I know you said you''re only going to be a sophomore this year, but do you know what you''re going to do yet? Like college or pros?"

    I shrugged.

    "Pros. For sure." Adam said. "Jake is already this good at batting. I don''t see how he can waste time in college."

    I looked at him. Waste time..? "Zeke chose college."

    Adam was surprised by my comment. "Yea, but isn''t your bat better? Heck, you''re already using a wood bat. Imagine the damage you can do with an aluminum."

    Damage? I shivered at the thought. I know exactly what an aluminum bat can do.

    Noah threw his arm around my shoulders casually. "Jake has years to decide. There''s no rush. Zeke changed his mind a few times during his senior year. Who''s to say that Jake won''t do the same."

    "True." The other two echoed together.

    "I''ll be entering the draft my senior year though." Noah declared. "So if you guys want my autograph, better ask for it now."

    "You''re so cocky." Travis gave him a light push, tripping us both up.

    We both got steady and Noah took his arm back. Noah smirked. "Just wait. I''ll be the best shortstop since Derek Jeter."

    "You''ll have to get a better swing." Adam laughed.

    "I''m working on it." Noah stated. "Three more years of watching and learning from Jake...do you really doubt me?"

    Travis and Adam laughed.

    We reached the spot we had gathered for evaluations. Chandler was waiting for us as the familiar faces joined our group.

    Chandler waited until we were all present. "Day two. There will be no scoring, but there will still be plenty of judgement from the coaches. Today, we''ll practice fielding. Not just routine pop ups and ground balls, but also, turning double plays, fielding bunts and how to cover other bases. We''ll even practice rundowns, tagging runners, and tagging runners that slide, trying to steal second."

    Noah grinned, looking forward to practice. He nudged me and winked.

    I smiled back, but it was fake. I wasn''t looking forward to this. I''m tired and sore. I''m not in a good place mentally. This morning is just a recipe for disaster.

    "We''re going to warmup first." Chandler waved his hands around. "Drop your bags here. Grab your gloves and hats. Let''s move and use this time wisely."

    Our group followed obediently, not wasting any time. Chandler led a brisk warmup, but a lot of us were accustomed to it now. There was no slacking off in a warmup. It''s a necessity to prepare your body for intense activity. And like Noah said, my joints and muscles started to loosen up after some movement. I was still tired and sore, but I wasn''t a statue.

    Chandler took us to an open area after we were deemed ready, placing two cones about ninety feet apart. The same distance between first and second base. "We''ll practice routine grounders first. I''ll mix in quite a few backhands so be mindful of your legs. Get low for a better chance to field it cleanly and make a crisp throw." He brought a bucket of balls to one cone and motioned for a player to step up. "You roll me a ball like a grounder so I can demonstrate." He jogged to the other cone and stood a few feet away from it.

    The player picked up a baseball and gave it a fast roll. Chandler moved to his right, stretched out his gloved hand to catch the ball, then neatly made the transition to his right hand to throw the ball back.

 662 V2 ch134

    Safe to say, I wasn''t as smooth as Chandler. After he showed us what he expected from us, we lined up across from him and his bucket of balls. I wanted to be in the back of the line so I could see everyone else go, but Noah wouldn''t allow that. He was eager to start practicing even though I didn''t think he needed it. He got in line first and dragged me along to be second.

    I glanced at Travis behind me. "Want to cut?"

    Travis laughed. "And go after Noah? I think not."

    Ah, I''m going to look even worse? I sighed.

    Travis gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Don''t worry. It''s practice. No grading, right?"

    "You embarrassed us in the hitting stations yesterday." Adam spoke up behind Travis. "It''s our turn to feel better about ourselves."

    I sighed.

    Chandler started the drill with Noah going first. The ball was rolled, Noah almost copied Chandler''s example perfectly. Backhand, transition, and throw. He jogged to the back of the line and then it was my turn.

    I hardly ever had to use my backhands in games and it wasn''t on the top of my list of things to practice. I just have to take it slow and try not to get tripped up. Unfortunately, thinking about tripping made me trip. Chandler had rolled the ball and I tried my best to get low, snatch the ball, and then the trouble started. My legs got crossed up, and my throw was terrible as I lost my balance. I landed in the grass and my throw didn''t make it to Chandler.

    I felt my face heat up as I heard a few laughs from the line. I was terrified to face Chandler so I hurried to get up and rushed to the end of the line.

    "Hold up." Chandler called out. "Jake, come back."

    I gulped. I guess the embarrassment isn''t over just yet. I turned back to face him, but didn''t make direct eye contact.

    "Travis, go over to the bucket of balls." Chandler instructed, walking over to me.

    "Yes!" Travis hustled to the other cone and grabbed a baseball.

    "Jake, eyes on me." Chandler commanded.

    I swallowed a lump in my throat and looked at him.

    Chandler waved his glove. "There are two types of backhand. Short and long. It''s based on your positioning and throwing. As a second baseman, it''s probably rare for you to do a long throw, but it''s still important to practice. Watch." He bent his left knee to the grass and put out his glove, mimicking a backhanded catch. "Left knee down for short backhands or if you''re more skilled in transitioning the ball from glove to throwing hand." He switched and bent his right knee to the grass. "From the right knee, you''ll have to take an extra step to make your throw, but it means you''ll have more time to make the throw."

    Chandler motioned at Travis. "Roll me one!"

    Travis did so.

    Travis nodded. He rolled one a further and faster.

    Chandler got there, and got down to backhand the ball. "Left knee bent, right knee down, almost like you''re doing a lunge." He held his positioning so everyone could see. "As you come up, make sure hips are facing your target, your right leg is back, then make an accurate throw." He threw the ball back to Travis. "Thanks Travis. Get back in line."

    Travis nodded and jogged to the front of the line, looking eager to try out Chandler''s demonstration now.

    Chandler looked at me. "This is the time for learning and growth. It''s okay to get flustered and make errors as long as you take away a learning experience from it." He looked at the rest of the group. "That goes for everyone. Don''t be afraid to try something new and mess up. Come to me if you have questions. This is the time to do so."

    Chandler went back to his bucket of balls and called for Travis to go.

    I went to the back of the line, less embarrassed and more inspired.

    Noah grinned. "Hey, Chandler isn''t so bad after all. Even though he''s only a player, he''s actually coaching too. I didn''t think he would be the type."

    I shook my head. Me neither. Chandler didn''t even waste time in warmups so I didn''t expect him to take the time to be more thorough in his demonstration. I started to practice lunging.

    Noah looked at me. "What are you doing..?"

    "Stretching. My legs are tired." I explained. "I want to be able to do this well. I don''t want to trip up again." I pretended to field a ball and made an imaginary throw. All my muscles screamed in protest.

    Noah laughed at my distressed face. "I''ll show you some of the yoga exercises I did last night. It might help. Also, stretching in the shower. Maybe you can get an ice bath if you talk to Zeke."

    I nodded. I would do anything and everything to help my body feel better.

    "Wow, who knew Chandler would actually do some coaching?" Travis had joined the back of the line with us after completing his turn. "I thought for sure that his first example would have been his only demonstration."

    "Right!" Noah nodded in agreement.

    Travis gave me a pat on the shoulder again. "I guess it''s all thanks to you. Thanks for making an error." He laughed.

    I pushed his hand away and frowned.

    "Be careful about poking the hornets nest." Noah laughed at him. "Jake can still embarrass you in the cages and anything to do with a bat."

    Travis stopped laughing. "Sorry, Jake. Just joking." I gave him a nod and he sighed with relief.

    The line moved along quickly and it was soon round two. Noah was still as smooth as his first throw, no hiccups or stutter steps.

    I tried not to think too much about it. I had to stay focused on myself. Chandler rolled the ball away from me. I got low, doing a complete lunge, and fielded the ball. Transition to throwing hand while getting my body to face Chandler. I made an awkward throw, but it got to him.

    "Better." Chandler nodded after catching my throw.

    I smiled and headed to the back of the line.

    Noah held out his hand for a high five. "So much better. Like Chandler said, it''s not about how it looks. As long as you get the runner out, then who cares? It''s not a beauty pageant."

    I made a face. "I don''t want to hear that from you."

    The guys in front of Noah heard me and started to laugh.

    "So true."

    "If there were points for style, Noah would be leading."

    "The freshmen at my school is nowhere near as good. It''s abnormal."

    "Hey!" Noah cut them off. "I''m no longer a freshman." He stood proudly. "I''m an incoming sophomore."

    I nodded. Me too. We''re no longer scrubs.

 663 V2 ch135

    Chandler let us run through this drill a couple of times and then moved onto the next: practicing rundowns.

    "Everyone will take turns being the runner." Chandler told us. "Tips to keep in mind for fielders: use the fewest number of throws as possible and don''t let the runner advance."

    I frowned, unsure of what he meant. Aren''t we supposed to just get the runner out? I nudged Noah.

    Noah raised his hand. "Can you elaborate for us?"

    Chandler glanced at him, then at me, then moved his eyes throughout the group. "The goal is to use the fewest throws as possible. Preferably two. You have to cut down the chances for an errant throw. The key to doing this is to run hard at the baserunner, forcing him to commit, before making the throw to your partner." He continued. "Making sure the runner doesn''t advance is self-explanatory. Always try to make the runner go in the direction of a smaller base. For example, if you have him caught between second and third, run him towards second."

    Oh. I nodded. It makes sense.

    Chandler looked like he was going to let us begin, but he paused for a second. He glanced around at everyone. "How many of you practice rundowns with your teams?"

    Only half raised their hands.

    Chandler nodded, yet was frowning. He glanced at me and Noah. "Weren''t you two on a championship team?"

    Noah shrugged. "So?"

    "So you haven''t practiced rundowns?" He asked.

    Noah shrugged. "Maybe once or twice. Not too often. It''s kind of expected that we know what to do before we make varsity."

    Chandler nodded in agreement. "Okay, good. So you two can go up first."

    I coughed.

    "Well." Noah spoke up, understanding my unspoken signal. "Jake...he made the team for his batting skills. Everything else...is rather new to him."

    Chandler looked suspicious.

    "He''s never been on a team before." Noah explained. "Just batting cages. So, we''ve just been teaching him everything else as we go."

    There was a moment of silence from everyone, including Chandler. I shifted from foot to foot, uncomfortable with the looks. They know...that I only have one skill. Gotta own up to it. I''ve come a long way. I straightened up and made brief eye contact with Chandler.

    Chandler pointed at a few of the guys. "You''ll run. And you, you, and you will be the fielders." The four got into place to try to practice a rundown, but Chandler started another explanation. "First step of all rundowns, is getting the ball. Whether that''s from the pitcher or catcher or whoever. You catch the ball and then transfer it to your throwing hand. This way, you''ll be able to either tag the runner or throw to your teammate."

    I paid attention to Chandler''s speech. He was a good coach, covering every step of how to do a rundown.

    He motioned for the first group to begin.

    Chandler was in complete coaching mode all morning. For any mistakes made, he didn''t make fun of anyone or give them disapproving looks. All he did was correct them on what they should have done and made sure that our whole group knew what to do as well.

    By lunch time, I was completely dead on my feet, but I felt like I had never learn so much. The Atkins taught me a lot about baseball, but it was always the basics. I finally feel like a real baseball player now.

    "Chandler was in a good mood today." Travis said as we headed to the cafeteria together.

    Most of the group members nodded in agreement.

    "I really see him more as a coach than as a player." Adam spoke up. "It''s crazy to think he''s only a few years older than us."

    Oh yea..

    "Do you think he''s any good?" Someone asked in a low voice.

    "Check his numbers online."

    "I''ll do it!" Noah volunteered, pulling his phone out. "Hmm. Looks like he''s a starter. His batting average this year was .270, that''s pretty good. Only one error all season at second base. He didn''t hit a whole lot of homeruns, but his on base percentage indicates that he gets walked a lot."

    "Players like him are a dime a dozen." Someone scoffed. I recognized him from yesterday. He wasn''t a good person it seemed. "Like the saying goes: those who can''t do, teach. He''s not going to succeed, so he''ll be stuck coaching all his life. Won''t even get a glimpse of going pro." The guy took the lead and walked ahead of us with a couple of others following him.

    "What a sour grape." Noah rolled his eyes. "I think Chandler is good. You don''t become a great coach by being a crappy player. We don''t know him, only his numbers."

    "I think he''s good too."

    "Really helpful today."

    "Better than any of my high school coaches."

    Most of the guys from our group agreed that Chandler was good. But...no one spoke up about him making it in the pros.

    I mentioned this to Noah as we stood in line for food inside the cafeteria.

    Noah shrugged. "Nothing is for sure. He might. He might not. He might make it in the minor league system and then die out. Heck, maybe he doesn''t want to be a pro. The future is uncertain." He made a face. "That''s why a lot of people say Zeke might not make it back to the draft. He can be a bust in college."

    I was surprised that Noah would say that.

    "I don''t believe it though." Noah laughed. "We know Zeke. Nothing would stop him from making it." He clenched his fist. "And I''ll be right behind him."

    I smiled. Noah had unwavering faith in himself and his family.

    We joined the familiar faces at a long table and started to eat. Everyone talked about their morning practices with a few complaints squeezed in.

    Our middle infielders group had the least amount complaints, as in, almost none.

    Meanwhile, Landon could only cry about his arms. "We went straight to the gym. No baseball at all. Just weightlifting and conditioning." He laid his face on the table. "Why is this happening to me? Yesterday was the long run and now this morning was nothing but lifting and sprints. Isn''t this a baseball camp?!"

    Adam chuckled. "We have a game this afternoon. Are you going to make it?"

    He sat up. "Of course! My first chance to show off on the field! How can I pass that up?"

    Ansar looked to Noah. "We have a game this afternoon too. Do you think they''ll be our opponents?"

    Noah grinned. "I can only hope so. What field are you guys on this afternoon?"

    "The practice field." Adam answered.

    "Same!" Cody grinned. "Guess we''ll have to face one another immediately. Sorry to tell you that we''ll be one step closer to winning the bonus prize."

    Travis threw a wadded up napkin at him. "How do you know? It''s too soon to say!"

 664 V2 ch136

    With a showdown set for the afternoon, there was a lot of smack talk going on. Noah, Ansar, and Cody were going to face Landon, Travis, and Adam.

    Noah nudged me. "Hey, what was playing in a game like?" The other guys leaned in too, eager to hear about my experience.

    "Uh...pretty much the same as always..?" I offered. "Seven innings. We warmed up, then played." Oh wait. "Pitchers only got to do an inning at a time." I told them.

    "That''s kind of nice, but also not so nice." Landon sighed.

    "Why?" Dylan asked.

    "It''s nice when you''re facing a pitcher that''s kicking your butt, because you''ll get to see someone new on the mound. But then, you''re facing someone completely new. No info on him at all. So stressful." Landon complained.

    "Jake has no trouble at all." Dylan laughed. "He beat up every pitcher he faced. The pitchers that didn''t face him, had fared better."

    "Jake is too good at the plate." Noah sighed helplessly. "All we can do is out-hustle him." Then he revealed a sly grin. "And tell our pitchers and coaches not to let him hit."

    I pouted as everyone laughed and nodded in agreement.

    "I''m kidding." Noah told me. "They probably won''t do intentional walks here. It''s a skills camp after all." He gave me a pat full of consolation. "But, the best pitchers will probably want to face you. So it may be a little tougher on you."

    I shrugged. "That''s better than being walked. So boring."

    "What a showoff."

    "My jealously is at an all-time high."

    "I wish my bat was so good, so young."

    "You''re only a year older than him."

    The table laughed harmoniously as they talked about my batting. It was a good feeling, it also felt like there was a rock in the pit of my stomach. Would they still be this cheerful if they were on the same team as me? Only one person has really talked to me on the team and the rest seemed upset about my playing time. Maybe I can have Rhys talk to Coach Nate for me.

    After lunch, we had about an hour of free time. Some of the guys decided to come to our room to hangout and just relax.

    I took my bat out of my bag and started to clean it, checking it for cracks or splinters. It was my only bat at the moment so I had to take care of it. I mean, I would still take care of it even if I had more bats, but it was especially important to me right now.

    "I can''t believe you use a wood bat." Travis said from the floor. He was lying down but had his legs up on the wall. "It just makes you even more impressive. Like dang. I''ve used a wood bat for a tournament before and it was crazy."

    "Crazy how?" I asked.

    "Crazy bad." He laughed. "Only like three people got a hit. Good day for the pitchers though. Not a whole lot of high schoolers will use a wood bat. Takes a lot of power away from you."

    I shook my head. "No way...that...that was-" I paused. "I felt like I had something to prove."

    "I think an outfielder could have robbed it." Noah pointed out. "Jake isn''t that strong, but he''s been working out all summer under Zeke''s supervision. Don''t be surprised if you hear his name in the news soon enough."

    "Ah, I''ve heard it." Adam said nonchalantly.

    "You have?" Noah asked, surprised.

    Adam glanced at me before answering. "Yea, I looked up your championship win. You can find Jake online. A lot of his information actually..."

    A weird silence fell over the room.

    "Would this be a bad time to look him up?" Travis joked.

    Noah glanced at me. Seeing my blank face, he shrugged. "You can if you want. It''s not really a big deal. Just...if you annoy Jake, I will hit you."

    "Wow. So violent." Travis laughed as he whipped out his phone.

    I noticed Landon and Dylan doing the same. They had been quiet but curious.

    "Your brother is Jeremy Patterson??!!" Landon''s jaw dropped. He looked at me like I was actually Jeremy. "Can I get an autograph?"

    "Hey, hey, if you ask for an autograph, you''re putting him in an awkward spot." Adam said. "If you get one, then he''ll have to give everyone an autograph."

    Landon blushed. "Sorry. It''s just...I''m a huge A''s fan. This is just mind blowing. Do you like, go to games all the time?"

    I shrugged. "Occasionally."

    "Have you met the whole team?" He asked.

    I shrugged again. "Kind of. The only one that ever really spoke to us is Maberry."

    "Jack Maberry?!?" Dylan yelped. "You''ve ''only'' spoken to him. Plus, your brother is Jeremy Patterson. You''re living every baseball player''s dream!"

    Am I? I looked to Noah for help.

    "Every player''s dream is to make it to the big leagues." Noah corrected. "Being related has its perks. But really, I''ll be there soon enough too."

    "That''s true, but that''s a much harder path than being related." Dylan said. He looked at me. "How many games have you been to?"

    "A handful." I shrugged. It''s not like I was keeping track.

    "What I don''t get is-" Landon stopped mid sentence.

    "How Jake is my brother?" Noah offered.

    Landon was still red in the face, but he nodded.

    "It''s a long story. Some of it can probably be found online." Noah told him. "Basically Jake''s birth mom wasn''t a good person. He got placed with my family and now we''re in the process of adopting him."

    That seemed to kill some of the excitement in the room, but it didn''t stop them from asking questions. I answered the best I could, but it''s not like I have a long relationship with Jeremy. And he''s only been on the A''s for a few months. I couldn''t believe how popular he was already.

    "He didn''t do so well in the game last night." Dylan brought up at one point. "Actually, he''s been struggling for the last few games."

    I thought back to the emergency he had last Wednesday. He was now on a ten day road trip with the team so it probably wasn''t a good time to be stressing.

    "It''s probably just a small slump." Noah spoke up for Jeremy. "He''s been carrying this team for awhile so it''s good to make the others work. Like Maberry. Getting hurt so early like that almost killed the season."

    Landon laughed. "Hey, he came back in good shape. No issues with batting or running. I really hope they can hold on to their divisional lead. Could you imagine?"

    "We would have to get better pitching." Adam pointed out.

    The conversation had shifted to playoff odds and what other teams were looking good, but my mind was still on Jeremy. I wonder how he was doing. Maybe I should give him a call tonight or tomorrow. I checked the schedule and saw that he was playing in Boston tonight. By the time he gets done with the game, I''ll be practicing, and by the time I get done tonight, he will be sleeping. Tomorrow, I''ll try calling in the morning.

    When it was time for the afternoon practices and games, we headed down together, coming across other players. Dylan saw a teammate and split off first.

    "Do you know where you''re going?" Noah asked me.

    "Batting cages next to the stadium." I reported.

    We walked outside of the dorm building and I saw a familiar face waiting for me. Rhys was here to pick me up. He and the Atkins really deserved one another.

    Noah grinned and greeted him. "Hey Rhys! Here to take Jake!"

    Rhys grinned back and gave Noah a pat on the head. "Of course. Zeke put me in charge of him. I''ve got to make sure to do my job." He topped the bill of my cap. "You look half-dead. Are you going to be able to hold a bat today?"

    I fixed my hat. "Yea, but I''ll probably just bat righty today." My muscles were all sore from yesterday, but it felt unbalanced.

    Rhys chuckled. "Well, it''s practice so it''s not a big deal how you do it, but don''t expect to be hogging the cage to yourself."

    "I know." I sighed. Then glanced to Noah. "Wouldn''t it be nice if we had our own batting cage like Rhys?"

    "Hey! I have a bullpen." Rhys corrected me. "That''s different from a batting cage. Machines aren''t cheap so you''ll have to save up your allowance."

    I stared at him. "I don''t get an allowance..."

    The guys that heard me, all started to laugh. I guess it was funny...but it was true. My birth mom never gave me a dime. Meanwhile, the Atkins have provided me with everything since the day I came. Food, clothes, and basically anything that involved money, wasn''t a problem for me. Even at The Cages, one of the boys would always pay. Noah really took care of me like a big brother. So I looked to him.

    Noah grinned. "We should ask Mom and Dad when we get back." I knew I could count on him to support me.

 665 V2 ch137

    Rhys and I split from the bigger group and walked towards the stadium, while the rest went to the practice field.

    "Just to prepare you, Jake." Rhys started to say. "I won''t be watching over you today in today''s practice."

    I looked up at him in disbelief. This dude just said he would do the job Zeke gave him and watch over me. And now he''s not?

    "It''s the batting cages." Rhys shrugged. "I think you''ll be in your comfort zone all on your own. I''m a pitcher, and pitchers don''t really hit. Coach Nate wants me to work with the pitchers on our team to do something more productive like running and lifting. Would you rather do that?"

    I made a face and shook my head. I ran enough yesterday.

    "Don''t worry so much, kiddo." Rhys told me. "Zeke had a talk with Coach Nate, explaining that you...are a little shy. Coach Nate won''t put you in an uncomfortable position. Plus, in the cages, it''s just you hitting. The only difference now is that a few people will be watching you. That''s not too bad, right?"

    "..." I looked up at Rhys. Did he not hear the team yesterday? None of them really liked me. Only Kenny was nice to me, but he''s just as shy as me. This isn''t what Zeke told me when he convinced me to be away from Noah. "I guess I''ll run with you and the pitchers..." Even if it was something I really didn''t want to do.

    Rhys picked up on my discomfort. "Hey, c''mon now. It''s the batting cages. You like this the most, don''t you?"

    "Yea...but I don''t want to be alone..."

    Rhys looked at me for a second longer than normal. "Okay. I''ll talk with Coach Nate. Maybe he''ll let the pitchers participate for a little bit. You''ll get in some hitting time too. And then we''ll split off. How does that sound?"

    "Would Coach Nate really allow that?" I asked.

    "Yea, I don''t see why not." Rhys gave me a reassuring smile. We reached the batting cages and saw the team gathered, putting on their cleats. "Go get ready and I''ll go speak with Coach."

    I nodded and watched him go before finding an open area to get my cleats on. Some of the guys were already chatting with one another while others were stretching.

    I also chose to stretch, staying near my bag on the outer edges of the group. A few looks were spared my way, but I avoided direct eye contact.

    "Hey, can I put my bag here?" Kenny asked quietly as he stood nearby, pointing at an open spot near me.

    I nodded.

    "Thanks." He set his bag down next to mine and got his cleats out. "Batting cages, huh?"

    I nodded, then realized he couldn''t see me as he tied his cleats. I cleared my throat. "Yea..."

    We awkwardly waited for everyone to show up and then Coach Nate called for everyone to gather.

    "So pitchers still get to practice hitting?" One of the pitchers asked, looking excited.

    Coach Nate nodded. "Originally we were going to have the pitchers split off and do their own workout with Coach Rhys, but after some discussion we''re going to let everyone get a chance in the cages. Not all pitchers are bad at the plate."

    "Im not great, but I still like to workout in the cages. It''s relaxing." Someone commented.

    "Same."

    "Pshh. I bat cleanup for my high school and club team."

    The team started to talk over one another, expressing their opinions on pitchers that could bat.

    Coach Nate clapped his hands a couple of times to get everyone''s attention. The players quieted down. "Coach Rhys will lead you boys into a light warmup. It''s important to be stretched and loose for batting practice so focus." He looked to Rhys. "You can use the outfield in the stadium, then come back for a stretch."

    Rhys nodded. We followed him to the entrance to the stadium and started to jog along the warning track in the outfield. We saw two other teams warming up, probably preparing for a game. A few of the guys mentioned names of players that they knew and who might be good or not.

    I solely focused on following Rhys, not caring about the game. None of the guys I knew were playing at the stadium.

    The warmup was short but still covered the necessary movements to prevent getting injured. Coach Nate had us gathered outside the three cages before letting us get to work.

    "I want to spend a minute talking about the three types of hitters I see at the college level." Coach Nate walked back and forth, making me think of my English teacher. It was lesson time. "Can anyone guess how batter''s are divided besides by their batting average?"

    "If they''re clutch or not?"

    "RBI''s and runs scored?"

    "It''s gotta be whether they get better or worse."

    "No, that''s dumb. Everyone goes through a slump at some point."

    "It''s about your mentality and adjustments." Coach Nate spoke up, putting an end to the guessing. "Average hitters, only think about getting at least one hit in a game. They don''t change anything in their swing or posture until they see the results at the end of the game. These kind of hitters probably only bat .250 all season with limited change."

    He continued. "Then we have the great hitters. Ones who think about having a quality at-bat every time they''re at the plate. If they don''t succeed at their first at-bat, they''ll try to make adjustments before the next one. These kind of hitters will finish the season batting .300 and above."

    Everyone was quiet, paying attention to Coach Nate like what he was saying was valuable. Honestly, it didn''t mean anything to me.

    "Then..." His eyes locked on me. "There''s the third kind of batter. Jake, come here for a second."

    I froze. Me..?

    Coach Nate waved me over. "Come. You''re the perfect example for my third kind of batter."

    I stiffly moved to stand up front, next to him, facing the team. I swallowed a lump in my throat, trying not to hyperventilate.

    "Jake, share with everyone, what goes through your mind when you''re batting." Coach Nate instructed.

    I shrugged. "I don''t know..."

    Half the team laughed.

    Coach Nate cracked a smile. "Okay, I know I''m putting you on the spot here, but play along. You''re in the box, a pitcher is on the mound. What''s on your checklist?"

    "Well..." I swallowed another lump. "I usually have an idea of the pitcher''s speed and skill from watching the batter before me, so-"

    "Freeze." Coach Nate cut me off. He looked at the team. "Did you guys hear what he just said? He watched the previous at-bat. Your time in the on-deck circle isn''t just limited to stretching. It''s about studying the timing of the pitcher. See what his pitch selection is. Does he shake off his catcher? What did he throw after shaking a sign? Your time being on the offense isn''t limited to your time in the batter''s box." He looked at me and nodded. "Go on."

    "Uhh..." I hesitated. "As I step in the batter''s box, I like to look at the field?" I paused to see if he was going to cut me off again, but he just nodded. "I like to look at the field to see where everyone is standing. Zeke, uh, my brother, told me that I should find some open space to aim for."

    Coach Nate nodded. "Great hitters do that too. If the defense is going to leave an opening, it''s always good to try and take advantage of it." He looked me in the eyes. "Then what do you do?"

    I shrugged again. "I hit the ball."

    "If you swing and miss, what do you do?" He asked.

    "Try to hit the next pitch..?" I was unsure of myself.

    "How?"

    "How?" I repeated after him. Then shrugged again. "If I missed because it''s a breaking ball, then I''ll change my swing."

    "You make adjustments." He stated, smiling. He looked to his team. "Jake makes adjustments between each pitch. He doesn''t wait until his next game or next at-bat. If he swings and misses, he''s already adjusted his mentality and swing to be ready for the next pitch. Batters like him see each new pitch as a new opportunity or battle. Their averages will stand out on any team."

    Oh. I see.

    "You all heard him mention Zeke, right?" Coach Nate asked. A few of the guys nodded. "His brother, Zeke Atkins was a first round pick in the most recent draft. He turned down the chance to go to the minors and picked Stanford to continue his career. I''m sure most of you know what kind of numbers and what level of skill you have to have to be selected in the first round. Well, Jake here, has a better batting average than Zeke."

    The team was dead silent. All eyes on me.

 666 V2 ch138

    I felt like a deer in the headlights as everyone stared me down.

    "Jake, why don''t you bat first?" Coach Nate asked me. "Show us what you do in the cages."

    I hurried to my bag to grab my bat and helmet. Anything to get away from these stares. I went back to Coach Nate, who held the gate open for me to enter the middle batting cage.

    Rhys was behind the pitching machine, prepping.

    I looked back at Coach Nate. "Do I...just do my own thing? Or did you want to see something specific?"

    Coach Nate grinned and his eyes squinted. "Do what you did yesterday. You can hit until Rhys runs out of baseballs."

    I cheered up. This was great. A dream come true. I stepped into the righty''s box, happy that I''m getting the chance to even out my swings. I got a lot of work in yesterday from the left side, making my muscles feel the burn. I still felt the soreness when swinging from the right side, but it was different. Not as painful. So I''m still using the same muscles; it just differed which muscles got more work in.

    "Didn''t he bat lefty?" Someone asked.

    "He did." He received an answer rather quickly. "I thought it was strange that he would bat left, yet throw right. I guessed that he might be a switch hitter, but he never switched in yesterday''s game."

    "I wish I could bat switch."

    "Why? It''s pointless."

    "No way. It''s gotta be worth something otherwise why do MLB players do it?"

    "It''s dying now though."

    "Switch hitting is a good skill to have." Coach Nate spoke up. "It makes you more versatile, but it takes a lot of work. You have to spend twice as much time working on hitting than others who only bat from one side of the box."

    No one spoke up after his commentary.

    "Rhys, Jake, begin." Coach Nate instructed.

    I got set in the box, drawing my bat back. Elbow up. Eyes on the machine. The machine got louder and the first pitch came. A fastball nearing 90mph. I took a step forward, and swung. The connection was made and the ball was sent back in the form of a line drive, just a foot above the machine.

    I could hear some talk from the team, but it became background noise. My focus was on the pitching machine, feeding me pitch after pitch. The speed never changed so it was almost rhythmic. I would get set, swing my bat, then get set again. It was a great feeling. I almost forgot that I was in a baseball camp at a college.

    The machine died down after the balls ran out.

    My body relaxed. I took my helmet off and wiped the sweat that had accumulated.

    "Great work." Coach Nate opened the gate and walked in. He grinned. "Hope you won''t be too tired for tonight''s game."

    I''ve been tired since yesterday. I didn''t dare to tell him that though.

    "They already have their eyes on him." Coach Nate said. "I''ve had a few come up and ask for our specific game schedule after hearing about his accomplishments." He looked down at me and smiled. "You''ve got a bright future in front of you."

    "Thanks..." I mumbled.

    "Let''s free this cage up for the others." Rhys put a hand on my shoulder and guided me out with Coach Nate following us. As soon as the three of us exit, a pair of guys went in to replace us.

    "When the pitchers are done, I''ll send them your way." Coach Nate told Rhys. He nodded at me. "See you tonight, kid." He went back to the bigger group. It wasn''t long before we heard him giving advice to those inside the batting cages.

    "Pack your stuff up and we can get to the next workout." Rhys told me.

    I went to my bag and put my helmet and bat away. I put my straps on my shoulders and we went to a small group of four, just hanging out.

    "Coach Rhys." They all greeted when we approached them.

    One of them was Nic, the first pitcher of yesterday''s game. He made eye contact with me, then looked up at Rhys. "He''s coming with us too?"

    Rhys laughed as he gave my head a pat. "Yea, why not? It''s not like he needs to work on his batting."

    The four of them all laughed and made sounds of agreement.

    I blushed.

    Rhys started to walk us out, heading for a small exit that led to outside of the stadium. "I told Coach Nate we would go to the gym for some weightlifting. Do you guys want to do something as a group? Or just go off individually?"

    "Group."

    "Group."

    "Group!"

    "Group."

    The four all said, then put their eyes on me.

    Nic gave me a meaningful look.

    "Group..?" I echoed.

    Rhys let out another small laugh. "Okay. Let''s workout as a group. I''m warning you guys now; if you lift more than me, don''t expect me to spot for ya."

    "Do you not lift?" One of them asked.

    Rhys gave a small shrug. "I do, but nothing too crazy."

    I glanced at him. Rhys probably hasn''t been able to lift a whole lot since he spent a lot of time recovering from his Tommy John surgery.

    "How much do you lift, Jake?" Another pitcher asked me.

    I scratched my cheek. "I don''t know...not a whole lot."

    "What?!" He grabbed my arm suddenly and gave it a squeeze. Before I could panic, he let go and chuckled. "I didn''t expect you to have such noodle arms."

    I grabbed my own arm and gave it a small squeeze like he did. I could feel some muscles. It wasn''t as thin as before. I had put on weight and muscle. This is probably the healthiest and fittest I''ve been in my whole life.

    Nic laughed at my actions. "Don''t listen to him. You''re still going through puberty. You''ll get bigger and taller as you get older."

    I straightened up. "I''m growing. I used to be much smaller."

    "And you still made the varsity team?" The tallest pitcher asked, while shaking his head. "Crazy. You''re like ninety pounds soaking wet. I don''t understand how you can hit anything, especially with a wood bat. If this was a video game, I would report you as a glitch."

    I looked up at Rhys, unsure if this guy was making fun of me.

    Rhys smiled. "They''re just cracking jokes. Size doesn''t mean everything."

    "Yea, but it helps." The tall guy flexed his biceps. "How else would I be so astounding on the mound?"

    "My club team faced a pitcher just last month who was only 5''7" and maybe 150lbs." One of the other pitchers brought up. "He was crazy small, but he could still throw a mean curve. I heard that he was on the varsity team for his high school too."

    "Just goes to show that skills matter more than physical appearance."

    The tall guy shrugged. "And I''m saying, my pitching got better with size. Imagine if that shorty you played against, got taller and put on a few more pounds. He''d be a beast."

    The guys all nodded together.

    Nic looked at me. "How tall are your parents?"

    I shrugged. "Taller than me."

    "How much taller?"

    I shrugged again. One is in jail and the other is dead. As far as I remembered, they''re both taller than me. By a lot? I thought for a second. "My birth brother is tall."

    "Over six foot." Rhys added. "Maybe an inch taller than me."

    I looked up at Rhys. "Yea, but I think he''s shorter than Zeke."

    Rhys shrugged. "That''s not the point. He''s over six foot so you''ll probably be that tall too. God willing."

    "Does he play baseball?" One of the guys asked.

    I nodded. "He does."

    "Any good?"

    I nodded again. Everyone says so, after all.

    "Better than Zeke?"

    Before I could answer, Nic stopped, causing one of the guys to trip.

    "Yo, what''s wrong?"

    Nic looked at me. "Your brother..."

    Ah. I know that look. I''ve already seen it a few times today. Everyone seems star-struck by Jeremy. I should have brought the leftover baseball cards with his autograph on them.

    "What''s up?" The tall one asked. "You know his brother?"

    "You do too!" Nic exclaimed. "Did you see that interview that Jeremy Patterson did after the draft? He was in Minnesota, talking about Zeke Atkins! His brother''s brother." Nic looked at me. "You''re their mutual brother?!"

    I let out a small laugh. "Mutual brother?" I''ve never heard that before.

    We stopped in front of the gym.

    Rhys looked around at the four stunned faces. "Okay, okay, I''ll let Jake answer a couple of questions before we go in. But once we''re inside, all focus should be on your performance. Understand?"

    "Yes!" They answered together.

 667 V2 ch139

    No one spoke even though Rhys gave them the chance. I awkwardly stood beside him, waiting to be besieged with questions about Jeremy, but no one asked anything.

    "Guys..." Rhys let out a small chuckle. "Either ask something or we''ll go inside. We can''t just spend the afternoon out here."

    "Okay, okay." Nic spoke up first. He looked down at me. "Did Jeremy teach you how to bat?"

    I shook my head. "No."

    "Then how did you get to be so good?"

    I shrugged. "Practice?" Seeing their disbelieving looks, I elaborated. "I spent a lot of time in batting cages. I was...unable to play with my middle school team. But they had cages. I''d go every day."

    "So you weren''t this good when you were playing in little league?" The tall guy asked.

    I glanced away, slightly embarrassed. "I didn''t play in little league."

    "Wait." One of them stepped forward. "Let me get this straight. You didn''t play little league or in middle school? When was the first time you played with a team?"

    "This last spring." Rhys answered for me. "So forgive him for any errors he may commit when you''re on the mound. Jake is just a rookie."

    I turned red from embarrassment. I can''t believe Rhys would say that. Now they''re going to hate me playing behind them.

    "Who cares about that?"

    "I wouldn''t mind having a crappy infielder as long as he could hit bombs."

    "He''s not the worst infielder I''ve ever seen."

    ...were these supposed to be words of comfort?

    Rhys laughed and gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Pitchers are easy to get along with when you can score runs, Jake."

    Nic shrugged. "For camps like these, it''s better to get strikeouts. I couldn''t care less about your fielding percentage. That''s going to be all on you." He paused. "That being said, if I ever go up against you, please show mercy."

    The guys all started to laugh.

    I nodded with some seriousness.

    "But seriously," Someone said. "What''s it like having a brother like Jeremy? Does it inspire you to see him in the majors already?"

    I tugged on my ear. What''s it like? I don''t know. Awkward? Stiff? Sometimes warm? But it stings too. I frowned. "I guess..." I looked around. "We''re not super close, but I don''t hate him."

    "Could you possibly hate the former Rookie of the Year?!" One of them exclaimed.

    "Stars always get a lot of hate." One of them replied.

    Rhys clapped his hands. "Alright. Let''s head in and get a workout done. You''ll be able to see Jake for the next few days if you have anymore questions."

    "Wait. One more question!" A pitcher raised his hand. "Are we supposed to keep this a secret or can we tell others?"

    Rhys looked to me.

    I shrugged. "It''s whatever. You guys aren''t the first to find out." And probably won''t be the last. It''s not like I can silence everyone, or stop others from looking it up.

    Throughout our time in the gym, more pitchers from the team showed up and Rhys would leave us on our own to go get them started. We spent the rest of the afternoon there, and Rhys had told us that we didn''t need to go back to the cages.

    When we were excused to go to dinner, I stuck with Rhys like normal, but this time we had a few extras tagging along. The other pitchers. I''ve gotten to know them all by name now: Nic, Gavin, Derek, and Zedrick. There were a few more pitchers that followed along, but they had joined us late so I didn''t get their names.

    "So you guys knew each other before the camp?" Derek commented, looking at me and Rhys. "I just thought Coach Rhys was playing favorites!"

    "Of course I am!" Rhys laughed. "Jake is my favorite. Without question. I''ve only known him for a few months, but I''ve been friends with the Atkins since way back."

    "Who would win between you and Zeke Atkins then?" Gavin asked.

    Rhys grinned. "Me, obviously. I''ve struck him out before."

    "Yea, after giving up a hit." I laughed.

    Rhys pulled me into a loose headlock. "Why you! I think you''ve been spending too much time with Noah lately! I even said you were my favorite."

    We reached the cafeteria and came across some other players.

    One of which, was Noah himself. Noah sprinted over in mere seconds. "Rhys! Let go! I''m going to tell Zeke that you''re picking on Jake!"

    Rhys let me go and straightened up. "He was picking on me first!"

    I laughed and moved to the other side of Noah so Rhys couldn''t get me. "You lied and said you could beat Zeke."

    "It''s a tie!" Noah hollered for everyone to hear. "One hit versus one strikeout." He smirked. "Want to do a tiebreaker for everyone to see?"

    Rhys rolled his eyes. "I''m busy." He took the lead and went inside the cafeteria first. "I''ll settle the score with you two later."

    Noah looked me over and smiled. "Guess what?! We won our first game!"

    I smiled, happy for him. "Wow. Great." Against a few of the guys we know. I paused. "Are the others upset?"

    "Not in the way that you''re thinking." Noah grinned. He glanced at the taller guys hanging around us still. "Are these your teammates?"

    I nodded and gave them all a brief introduction, mentioning that they were all pitchers.

    Noah gave me a strange look as we split from my teammates and lined up for food. "Why are you with the pitchers? Weren''t you going to the cages? Did Rhys not let you bat?" He was slowly getting upset all on his own.

    I shook my head and explained what had happened during my afternoon practice. How Rhys thought about leaving me on my own, but ended up changing his original plans in order to be there for me. Then how Coach Nate let me bat until I ran out of balls.

    Noah sighed with relief. "Alright. Not bad." He glanced at me. "Is anyone being mean to you?"

    I shook my head. No one was outright mean to me. I just felt a little shunned from the others. But spending time with the pitchers assured me that not everyone was jealous of my playing time. Pitchers only cared about their own numbers.

    Sitting down at a long table, it started to fill up with the usuals: Ansar, Cody, Landon, Dylan, Travis, and Adam. With six of them just having played a game against one another, there were three winners and three losers. Noah told me that he and his team won, but it was only when the others joined that I found out they had won off an outfielder error. Brutal.

    All of them at least got a hit though, and were mostly satisfied about showing off their skill. Apparently quite a few scouts were watching this afternoon even though they weren''t playing in the stadium.

    Noah nudged me at one point. "They''ll probably watch your night game. Be sure to showoff."

    "They probably don''t even watch Jake specifically anymore." Ansar said between bites of his dinner. "They probably watch all the pitchers that go up against him to see if there''s one that can strike him out."

    "Nearly impossible." Noah waved his hand. "Jake rarely strikes out unless-" He abruptly stopped and pursed his lips together.

    "Unless what?" Cody asked.

    Noah revealed a small grin. "I can''t tell you. What if you all tell everyone? Besides, it''s not something you see every day. He still hits into groundouts and fly outs so it''s not like it''s impossible to get him out. Just very unlikely to see a strikeout."

    I thought back to my strikeouts, trying to recall anything specific. Then I had an urge to laugh and cry and the same time. The only strikeouts I could remember were due to my own stupidity and insecurities. None of which were official. Noah was right to say that I''m more likely to get out from putting the ball into play.

    We spent the rest of dinner fueling up for the evening practices and games, and then used our hour of downtime relaxing in Cody''s dorm room. Occasionally someone would ask something about Jeremy or the A''s, but Noah answered more than I did. Not to protect me or whatever, but because they were asking questions about the game itself.

 668 V2 ch140

    After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms with their bags. Some wanted to nap, rest, stretch, wash up, or just relax. We have been working out and playing baseball more than normal. Our bodies were stiff and worn out. I couldn''t imagine how I would feel by the end of the week.

    After putting our bags down in our room, Noah looked at me with an ear-to-ear grin. His excitement automatically made me nervous.

    "Let''s get some ice cream from the bookstore!" He exclaimed. He found his wallet and put it into his back pocket of his baseball pants. "C''mon, we''ll have plenty of time before our next practice."

    "Okay..." I agreed. "As long as Zeke doesn''t catch us."

    We left the room and headed downstairs. In the common area, there was a tv playing a movie and a few guys playing on the ping pong table.

    "We should try out ping pong tomorrow." Noah decided on his own.

    "But I''ve never played before." I told him.

    He rolled his eyes. "It''s for fun. You don''t have to be good at it."

    I scoffed. I bet Noah will try to win every game even if it''s just for fun.

    We made our way to the bookstore that we had been to during Zeke''s visit a few months back. It was rather dead besides a student or two, but that was a good thing for us. We each picked out an ice cream, Noah paid, then we headed back outside.

    Noah got his ice cream opened first and tossed the wrapper in a nearby trash can. "This is the life. Baseball all day. I can''t wait to graduate."

    "Do you think college is like this?" I asked, putting my trash in the trash can too.

    "No way!" Noah shook his head. "You still have classes in college. You would have to worry about homework, quizzes, tests, and all that other school stuff. That''s why I want to go pro immediately. Give me nothing but days of baseball."

    "I don''t think Mom would like that very much." I told him.

    Noah laughed. "Well, she already convinced Zeke to try the college route. And it looks like the twins are thinking college too. Somebody has to ge different so why not me?" He looked at me. "What do you think?"

    I shrugged. "I''m not sure."

    Noah didn''t push me. He just nodded. "Yea...graduation is a bit far from now. Three more years." He sighed. "Only one more year left playing with the twins. Sometimes I wish I could go back to the beginning of this season and soak it all up again."

    "I''m happy that I got to join you guys." I told him. It was the first and probably only time Noah would get to play on the same team with his three big brothers. I was lucky to join them this year.

    "Do you ever think about playing with Jeremy?" Noah asked.

    I shook my head. "Not at all." Hasn''t even crossed my mind.

    For the evening, we split up. Noah found his teammates to head to practice with, while Rhys picked me up in front of the dormitory.

    Our game was at the practice field tonight so it didn''t have the same energy as last night. It actually felt laidback as we gathered in the dugout.

    The group of pitchers had their bags outside the dugout, ready to head to the bullpen.

    "Hey, Jake!"

    "Jake, come here for a second!"

    "Jake!"

    The pitchers called out for me.

    I glanced up at Rhys, unsure of what was happening.

    Rhys nodded towards them. "Go. I''m going to go speak with Coach Nate for a minute. You''ll be fine with them, right?"

    I shrugged. "I guess so." The ones from this afternoon were nice. After setting my bag down, I went over to the group, all on my own. "What''s up?" I shifted from foot to foot, uncomfortable with all their eyes on me.

    "I was telling the guys how you only played one season of baseball." Nic explained. "None of them believe me!"

    I scratched my cheek. "Well...it''s true."

    "Crazy!" Some of them yelled out.

    "I believe it." Someone laughed. "No other batter would look so bad at baserunning besides one without any experience."

    They laughed as I pouted.

    "I went on a long run yesterday." I complained.

    "Me too! I was there too!" One of the guys jumped up. He pointed at me. "I really thought Zeke was trying to kill us on the run. And there was that one kid that was following him so closely on the way to that park. A bunch of crazies."

    I cracked a smile. "Noah Atkins. He''s another baseball freak."

    The guys laughed and talked about their own hellish experiences during this camp so far. After awhile, Coach Nate instructed us to warm up. I ran and stretched near the pitchers, feeling more welcomed with them with the others. But when it came time to start throwing, the pitchers had to leave me behind.

    "Ready..?" Kenny surprised me by remembering that he said he would warm up with me.

    I sighed with relief and gave him a smile. "Yea. Thanks."

    He grabbed a baseball and headed to the far side. We started to throw back and forth. It was nice to feel included, and I was feeling thankful for the pitchers and Kenny. They took my mind off those who complained about my playing time.

    However, I was quickly reminded that my presence wasn''t exactly welcomed when Coach Nate announced the starting lineup. I was set to start at second base again, but this time batting second after Kenny.

    Coach Nate looked me in the eyes. "Hit as you please. Make sure to pay attention to your fielding."

    I nodded, trying to ignore the looks from the other guys.

    When I was fielding or hitting, I didn''t feel excluded, but sitting in the dugout alone was a little familiar. I was on my own. At least, until, I wasn''t.

    Kenny came over to sit with me. "Hey, can I sit here?"

    I looked down the dugout at the other guys. "Are you sure?" I didn''t want him to be excluded like me.

    Kenny nodded and slouched, stretching out his long legs. "Yea." He paused for a second, before lowering his voice. "Don''t mind them. They''re just jealous and bitter."

    I grimaced. Yea, I could feel it.

    "It''s not like you''ll see them again." Kenny reminded me.

    I nodded. Then glanced up at him. "Thanks."

    He nodded. I kind of thought he was more like me, shy and awkward. Okay...he kind of is. But he also gave me the feeling that he wasn''t someone who can be pushed around. He reminded me of Noah: good and upright.

    The game went well with our team winning by a landslide. Kenny was good about getting on base, while I tried my hardest to send him home. I went 3-4 at the plate, getting my first out; a fly out at the warning track.

    Rhys was about to walk me back to the dorms, but I waved him off, motioning to Kenny. "It''s okay. I''ll go back with him."

    Rhys gave me a pat on the head. "See you tomorrow, kid."

    I nodded and left with Kenny. We made small talk up until the third floor of the dorms. My room came up first and I stopped at the door.

    Kenny stared at my door, looking at the room number. He then grinned down at me. "I knew I had a good feeling about you!" He waved and left.

    ??

    I watched him go down the hall, not understanding what he meant. I glanced at the room number, but didn''t see anything special.

    Inside the room, Noah was laying on the floor with his feet on the wall. "Hey, Jake!"

    I smiled. "Hey, how was practice?"

    Noah slapped his thighs. "Brutal. We did sprints for most of the night. I''m so glad that tomorrow I have two games. I want to play play."

    I laughed. Noah would play games all day if he could. I put my bag down and sat on my bed for a minute, pulling out my phone.

    I had a few texts from Mom and Dad, but nobody else. I tapped on my phone, moving to the baseball app that Noah had downloaded for me.

    "Whatcha doing?" Noah asked from the floor.

    "Looking to see what Jeremy did today." I mumbled.

    "Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero." Noah told me. He sighed. "It was another brutal game for him. 0-4 with three strikeouts." I put my phone down as he went on. "His batting average has dropped so much this last week. Luckily the A''s are still winning without his contributions. Otherwise I would call him myself to see what the heck is going on."

    "I''m going to call him tomorrow morning." I told Noah.

    Noah flipped around and sat up. "Really? Can I listen in?"

    I nodded. "I''ll probably do it before breakfast."

 669 V2 ch141

    The next morning, Noah stood over my phone at the desk, eager for me to call. He got up early and was already dressed for the day. He bounced in place as I got dressed for another day of baseball.

    After putting on my hat, I sat down and clicked Jeremy''s name on my contact list. I clicked speakerphone so Noah could hear as the phone started to ring. And ring. And ring. Just when I thought it was going to voicemail, he answered.

    "Uh, hey Jake." Jeremy didn''t sound right over the phone. "What''s up?"

    I looked at Noah, not sure what I''m supposed to say anymore. Noah pointed at the phone and mouthed, ''slump''.

    "Jake? You there?" Jeremy sounded worried.

    I cleared my throat. "Yea, yea, I''m here."

    He sighed with relief. "What''s up?" He repeated.

    "Nothing much. Just playing baseball at the camp." I leaned forward over the phone. "Anything new with you?"

    Another sigh, but this time it sounded heavy. "Uh, not really new. Just the same: playing baseball."

    "You don''t sound the same." I pointed out. "Are you sure everything is okay? Some of the guys told me that you''re in a slump."

    Jeremy let out a weak laugh. "Well, they aren''t wrong. This is definitely what you call a slump, but you don''t have to worry."

    "I''m not worried about your slump." I frowned. "I''m worried about you. Noah said it''s not like you to go this long without a hit. And you haven''t gotten a hit since you had something crop up last week. So...what happened?"

    He sighed again. "Nothing you have to worry about. I''m fine, everything is fine. I''m just stuck in my head a little bit right now."

    "Really?"

    "Really. It''s actually not a real problem. Slight inconvenience, honestly."

    "You don''t get a hit for almost a week over a slight inconvenience?" Noah scoffed.

    "Oh, hi Noah." Jeremy said, ignoring his comment. "How''s the camp? Are you guys liking it?"

    My lips thinned. "I do like it. Same with Noah." I paused. "Are you really not going to tell me what''s going on? Is everything okay with your family? With Rose?"

    Jeremy let out another small laugh. "Really, Jake, don''t worry. There''s nothing you can do so just leave it to me. I can handle my own problems. You should just relax and enjoy your camp. Have some fun. Learn something."

    I looked at Noah, feeling a little helpless.

    Noah leaned in to speak. "If you want Jake to stop worrying, then you have to snap out of it. If you don''t do better, then we''re going to think something is really wrong. What could possibly be taking all your attention away from baseball? Do I need to call Rose to find out?"

    Jeremy outright laughed. "Okay, okay. Tonight will be different. I''ll take some extra batting practice and will try to get back on track. Don''t be calling my girlfriend. Get one of your own."

    I cracked a smile. "Want me to tell Alisha that?"

    Noah gave me a light shove. "Shut up. You know I don''t believe in dating in high school. That crap doesn''t last."

    "That''s not always true." Jeremy spoke up. "I know a  few guys on the team who married their high school sweethearts."

    Noah got quiet.

    "Hey, isn''t it still early on the west coast?" Jeremy asked. "Did you guys just wake up?"

    "Yea, got dressed too." I told him.

    "We wanted to tell you to get your life together. It''s so embarrassing to tell others that Jake is related to you." Noah laughed. "All Jake heard yesterday was that you were in a slump. That''s why he''s so worried."

    "You told them about me?" Jeremy sounded surprised.

    "Jake kind of stands out." Noah explained. "It didn''t take long for someone to look him up and then find the connection to you."

    "The pitchers on my team found out from the interview you did in Minnesota, talking about Zeke." I added.

    "I''m sure it''s spread around too." Noah said. "Not everyone is related to a pro, ya know."

    Jeremy laughed. "Okay, I''ll make sure to stop sucking. Can''t have other kids making fun of me in front of you. Have you boys had breakfast yet? What''s the plan for today?"

    "Haven''t has breakfast yet." I told him.

    "Then it''s practice with other infielders. Lunch. Some free time. Then we practice with these teams we were put in. Dinner. More free time. Then back with our teams." Noah told him our whole schedule. "With our teams, we get to play games so it''s pretty cool."

    Jeremy chuckled. "I bet you guys are dominating."

    "We''re not on the same team." Noah complained. "Zeke thought it would be better if Jake played with others. Get him to be more flexible and outgoing."

    "How''s that going?" He asked.

    "I made a friend." I thought about it. "And the pitchers seem to like me. But, I think that''s because of Rhys. He''s an assistant coach for my team and he''s also a pitcher."

    "Rhys is the one whose dad is with the Giants?"

    "Yep!" Noah nodded.

    We spent a few more minutes chatting with Jeremy until it got close to the end of breakfast. He hung up after promising to do better tonight. He sounded a lot better than when he first answered the phone so I felt more relieved. Whatever is going on in his life must be important to him, yet he wasn''t willing to share.

    "It has to be because of his family." Noah said as we ate our breakfast. With us going down so late, there wasn''t many kids left in the cafeteria. We sat together and discussed what could be happening to Jeremy. "That''s why he''s uncomfortable telling you."

    I nodded in agreement. It also didn''t sound like he had any problems going on with Rose. "Do you think he''ll be okay?"

    "Of course." Noah nodded. "He said it''s a minor inconvenience. Let him be." He paused. "But, if he goes without a hit for another five games, then we have to have an intervention. We''ll call Rose and start digging."

    I nodded. Noah always knew what to do. "Do you think he''ll really get a hit tonight?"

    "Without a doubt." Noah laughed and waved his hand freely. "That''s why they pay him the big bucks. I''m sure he would get back to being good again even without your call. However, I''m sure your call helped clear his mind."

    I hoped so.

    Jeremy was on my mind throughout the day.

    Noah and I practiced with our group and Chandler in the morning. Chandler went over turning double plays again, then went over how and when to cover first. I struggled to keep up with the others, but reminded myself that I was here to learn. To get better.

    At lunch, I checked my phone a few times in case Jeremy would send a text or something. By the end of lunch, I had decided to send him a ''good luck'' text message. Noah used his time more wisely and found out that we could watch part of the game in the common area of the dorms during and after dinner. It would be the last half of the game, but it was better than nothing.

    In the afternoon, most of us had games. I found out I was playing against Dylan''s team, so we made plans to meet up after free time and head to the stadium together. He mostly kept to himself with Rhys watching over me. I don''t know if he was naturally shy or if it was because Rhys is considered to be a coach.

    I was impatient for the game to end, eager to go watch Jeremy''s game on tv. I really wanted to know how he would do. My impatience led to several mistakes in my batting and fielding.

    Coach Nate held me back after the game to talk about it. "Is everything okay, kid? You didn''t play like yourself today. Your batting was sloppy and your throws were off."

    I shifted from foot to foot. "I''ll do better tomorrow."

    "Tonight." He corrected. "We might not have a game tonight, but I still want your full attention during practice. I know it''s rough, playing three times a day, but it''s only for the week. Use this time wisely."

    I gulped and nodded. He let me go.

    "Are you hungry or something?" Rhys asked, keeping stride with me as we headed for the cafeteria.

    "Noah found out we can watch Jeremy''s game on the tv in the common area." I told him. "So I can catch the second half of the game if I hurry."

    Rhys put his hand to his head, almost as if to hold it. "Jake...you''ve got to be kidding. You-" He stopped suddenly when I looked up at him. He sighed. "Never mind."

 670 V2 ch142

    Noah and I didn''t fill up our plates like we have been doing. Instead, we fixed up two sandwiches, grabbed a bag of chips and some fruit, then headed back for the door.

    "Where are you guys going?" Landon was coming in as we were going out.

    "Going to watch the game in the common area." Noah answered.

    Landon furrowed his brows. "Game? What game?"

    "The A''s game, duh." Noah grinned. "I asked and it turns out that we don''t have to eat in the cafeteria. But, if we leave, we can''t go back for seconds." He lifted the food he was carrying. "So stock up."

    "I want to watch too!" Landon looked at us. "Save me a seat if it gets crowded."

    "I doubt that it would." Noah shrugged. "But sure."

    Landon went in to get his food while we headed for the dorms in the next building. Inside the common area, their were a few guys going in and out, probably dropping off their bags in their rooms.

    In front of the tv, there were small chairs and couches making up for four rows. Noah and I took two seats in the front row, and placed our food on the small table between us. Noah searched for the remote, but couldn''t find it so he went up to the receiver and searched for the channel manually. His movements and my presence got some attention from the guys who were coming and going.

    Noah found the channel and sat down. The A''s were up 12-2 in the top of the 7th inning. Coincidentally, Jeremy was up to bat.

    "He''s been in a slump." Some guys who were heading outside made a detour to us. They made some remarks about Jeremy''s slump and how his batting average is taking a nosedive.

    "Shhh." Noah hushed them.

    ["Wow. What a night it has been for Patterson. This young man has definitely shown that the slump he was in, is over."]

    Noah shot me a grin.

    A few of the guys took a seat in the vicinity, interested in the game.

    Jeremy had a 3-0 count, then took ball four for a walk. We watched him jog to first.

    ["I wouldn''t necessarily say the slump is over just yet, but he is looking like his old self tonight."

    "Two homeruns and a standup double. Now a walk. You can''t get much better than that."]

    "Two homers!?" Noah exclaimed after biting into his sandwich. "Dang! He''s really bouncing back!"

    "Who knows if it''ll last though." One of the guys commented. "I think his average will come down to more modest numbers."

    I glanced at the guy as I ate my sandwich.

    "You must not be an A''s fan." Noah looked at the guy.

    The guy shrugged. "I''m not a ''fan'' of any team. I like baseball and I know that if I make the pros, I won''t necessarily make it on the team I prefer. No point in playing favorites. It''s unprofessional."

    Noah rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth for a comeback, but was interrupted by the tv.

    "I don''t think it''s right to steal a base with such a big lead though. Very unsportsmanlike. I wouldn''t be surprised if a pitch comes at him in his next at-bat."

    "I respectfully disagree. You can steal at any point in a game. It''s not like pitchers go easy on a batter who has struck out three times in one game. This is no longer little league."]

    The pair of broadcasters started to talk about the unspoken rules of baseball as the game went on. Noah and I watched in relative silence as we ate our sandwiches. Other guys came in from outside, holding food from the cafeteria. I recognized Landon and a few others as they started to find empty seats of their own. It became a watching party for the last bit of the A''s game.

    The A''s continued to dominate all the way through, winning 17-2. I didn''t get to find out if the pitcher would try to hit Jeremy or not in his next at-bat, because the manager of the A''s had pulled him out. Noah had let me know that it was common to pull the stars in a blowout win like this.

    After the game ended, it went to a postgame interview between a woman and Jeremy by the dugout.

    [Her: "First off, excellent game Jeremy. You played fantastic on the field and did even better at the plate. If anyone didn''t know, they wouldn''t be able to tell that you were in a slump. You just broke through like it was nothing. What''s your secret?"

    Jeremy laughed a little. "Tonight''s win was a team effort. Seeing these guys compete and push themselves to the limit really makes me feel pressured. I have to do my part too." He grinned. "I also had some boys give me a call this morning, worried about my bat. I have a lot of making up to do."

    "Can we asked who called?"

    He nodded. "My brother and his brother. The two are currently at a baseball camp. It has come to my attention that it can be embarrassing for him when I''m failing in the box."

    She laughed. "I wouldn''t call any of your stats an embarrassment. A short stumble doesn''t mean much in such a long season that covers months. Even after a bad week, you''re leading in batting average and RBI''s for your team and division. You''re accomplishing some major milestones for only being 22."

    He laughed and looked right at the camera. "You hear that, Noah?! I''m actually doing pretty good. Maybe you should be calling up Maberry and threaten to call his wife."

    The lady kept her smile, but looked slightly confused. "Is Noah one of the boys that called this morning..?"

    "Yes. He-"]

    The conversation was cut short by one of his teammates joining the interview, practically tackling Jeremy.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Your brother..." He shook his head. "So annoying."

    I laughed.

    Landon came over. "You guys called him! Without me present??"

    Noah shrugged. "It was before breakfast. Plus, we didn''t say much. Just talked about the camp and asked if he would stop sucking."

    "Patterson doesn''t suck!" Cody joined our group. "Once in a generation kind of player!"

    "It''s only his second year being in the majors." Someone pointed out.

    I listened as everyone present started to talk about Jeremy. Whether it was good or bad, everyone had something to say. After goofing off for a bit, Noah and I went to our room to relax until it was time for evening practice.

    I went off with Rhys as arranged while he followed his teammates.

    I paused at one point and pointed to the practice fields. "Aren''t we going to the practice fields? Did our schedule change to a game?"

    Rhys shook his head. "Nope. We''re just going to do something different."

    "We?" I asked.

    "Yep. A different kind of practice for you." He said.

    I obediently followed him until we reached the parking lot. He pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the doors of a midsized suv. "Get in."

    I glanced back at the school. "Are we...allowed to just leave like this? Don''t you have to coach?"

    "Yep. I''ve got permission from Zeke, Coach Leroy, and even your parents." Rhys got in the driver''s seat.

    I hesitated for a minute, but Rhys patiently waited. Finally, I opened the door to the backseat and sat behind the empty front passenger seat, shoving my bag to be behind Rhys. It''s not that I didn''t trust Rhys...I was just...wary. I don''t like surprises, yet Rhys doesn''t show any signs of telling me where we were going.

    Rhys didn''t comment on my seating choice and just started the car, driving through town. He played a baseball game on the radio, listening for almost thirty minutes. I occasionally squeezed my knees to stay awake, watching the scenery pass by, wondering why we were going so far from the school. Would Mom really allow this?

    After the thirty minute mark, Rhys turned right down a street and a stadium came into view. I straightened up in my seat as he pulled into a nearby parking lot.

    "Are we watching a game..?" I asked, not understanding what was happening. The stadium lights were on, but the parking lot only had a couple of cars present.

    "Nope. Grab your bag." He turned the car off and got out first, coming around the car to open my door for me. "Hurry up. We don''t have a whole lot of time. I''ve still gotta get you back before curfew."

    I got out with my bag, putting the straps on my shoulders. I followed Rhys to the stadium, still trying to come up with a reason on why we would come here.

    Rhys took us through a side entrance of sorts, greeting the security guard and showing some ID. The guard nodded and let us through, not saying a word. Apparently he knew we were coming. Rhys also knew where he was going, leading me through hallways and then eventually going through a tunnel, leading to a dugout.

    We climbed out of the dugout, standing on the grass of the stadium. I still don''t get it...

 671 V2 ch143

    Rhys pulled out a phone and made a call, leaving me just standing there, wondering.

    I looked out on the field. The grass was well taken care of and the stadium gave me a feeling that it was more than a high school field. College? The pros? Behind home plate, an orange ''SJ'' was colored one the grass with some kind of paint. SJ? That could possible stand for San Jose? I think that''s where we are.

    "Rhys! Hey!" A few men came out of the other dugout. They had on practice shirts with ''SJ'' on them. Definitely apart of some kind of team.

    Rhys greeted them with handshakes, smiles, and half hugs.

    "How''s the arm holding up?" One of them asked.

    Rhys swung his left arm around freely. "Feeling great. Can''t wait to play some serious baseball with Stanford. I''m confident that I''ll be able to find a spot in the starting rotation."

    "Great!"

    "That''s awesome!"

    "Good for you kid."

    They complimented Rhys and seemed to know him well. I shuffled my feet to stand a little behind Rhys, trying to get a better look at the guys. The group wasn''t young, definitely above high school, but at least two of them looked like men. Grown men.

    Rhys noticed my interest, and stepped back to stand beside me. He put his hand on my head and smiled at the guys. "This is Jake, you guys. The kid I was telling you about." I gulped. "Jake, this is Bryan, Blake, Ian, and Danny."

    I stared at them silently.

    Bryan, the tallest one there and also looked the youngest, gave a giant grin. "Hey kid, I heard you''re one heck of a batter."

    I looked up at Rhys, wondering what he told these men and why would he tell them about me.

    Rhys pointed at Bryan, Blake, and Ian. "Him, him, and him. They''re all pitchers I know. They play here, for the San Jose Giants, the single A team for the real Giants."

    Minor leaguers. My eyes widened as I studied them again. It makes sense that half look fresh out of high school while the other half look older than Jeremy.

    Rhys gave me a reassuring nod. "I brought you here for a different type of batting practice. I thought it would be good for you to have more of a challenge."

    I frowned. "Are they on the same level as you?"

    "Hey! Don''t put this loser on the same level as us!" Ian complained. He came closer and bent over to look me in the eyes. "Let me ask you this: why would Rhys bring you to face a bunch of dopes that aren''t as good as him? He might as well pitch to you himself."

    I nodded slowly. Makes sense. Plus...these guys were in the minors.

    "Pshhh." Rhys scoffed at Ian. "Don''t get ahead of yourself. I''m on the same level as you guys; we just have a different kind of skill set, speed, and style. Overall, I would be on this level if not higher if I didn''t choose to go to college."

    Ian rolled his eyes. "I would be even better if my dad was a pitching coach."

    "Excuses." Bryan laughed. "Nah, I''m just joking." He looked at me. "Tell me, how are you against Rhys? Is it 50/50?"

    I shrugged, not understanding the stat. "We only faced off once. I was able to hit his fastball." I glanced at Rhys, not sure if I should mention his slider.

    Rhys laughed at my uncertainty. "My slider isn''t a secret. Not with these guys. My dad occasionally comes down to this team when he has time since they''re so close to the bay. He brought me down a few times so I could get some practice in too. He would coach me with a few others or just had me help out. Now I spend some time here on my own."

    "So annoying." Bryan told me. "He just hangs out here like he''s the owner. Now he calls us on our day off to pitch you batting practice. I feel used."

    "It''s a different kind of batting practice." Rhys repeated. "You guys will do your best to strike Jake out. Show no mercy." Rhys looked down at me. "Why don''t you go jog, stretch, whatever that you want to prepare yourself to hit? I''ll help get these guys warmed up for the small showdown."

    "Okay..." I walked a little ways back to the dugout we came out of and dropped my bag. I changed into my cleats and glanced at the group. They had gone back to the other dugout and I could see Danny, the quiet man that looked older than Jeremy, put on some catchers gear.

    I didn''t usually do a full warmup before hitting practice, but tonight was a little bit different. I was going to go up against semi-pros. Guys trying to make the majors. On the same level as Rhys. The last time, against Rhys, I had a small advantage of watching him pitch beforehand. Up close and personal. Even then, I struggled against the slider and attacked his fastball instead.

    I ran to the outfield and started to go through some dynamic stretches, working myself up to be completely flexible. My reflexes have to be quick, but my muscles must also be abled to keep up. Going back to my bag, I got my bat out first and started to take some light swings.

    "Alright, kid, get the helmet on." Rhys walked over, hands in the pocket of his hoodie. At night the temp was dropping to the high 60''s, making it a bit cool if you aren''t moving.

    I grabbed my helmet and pulled it on my head, ditching the hat. I looked up at Rhys. "You don''t want to pitch against me tonight?"

    Rhys laughed. "There''s no need. We can have a matchup any time you want. These guys are a bit special. They''re in season and don''t get too many off days."

    "Oh." I looked over to see Bryan on the mound, throwing to Danny. "Are they going to be upset if...I get a hit..?" I didn''t want his friends to get mad at him.

    Rhys pulled a hand out and rubbed the stubble on his chin. "They won''t. I guarantee it. What I don''t guarantee is you getting a hit."

    I was taken aback. "You don''t think I can get a hit?" Batting practice was different than playing in a game. I didn''t have to worry about fielders or their positioning. All I have to do is put the ball in play.

    Rhys pointed at Danny for a second. He was in full gear, catching Bryan''s warmup. "The pitchers I''ve pulled to throw to you are good. Without a doubt. But, you''re biggest challenge is the guy behind the plate. Danny is excellent at calling games."

    I nodded, however it was perfunctory. A good catcher didn''t mean much to me.

    Rhys motioned for me to wait and went into the dugout near us. He came out holding an umpire mask and chest protector. "Alright. Let''s go."

    I followed him to home plate.

    Danny threw the ball back to Bryan on the mound, then squatted into his position. "We''re ready."

    Rhys got behind Danny and lifted the chest protector properly. "Alright Jake, pick a side to bat from."

    I went for the left. Just recently I''ve decided to switch between left and right, depending on the days. It''s gotten a little difficult to keep it balanced during this camp. It''s not like I know what kind of pitches he throws too so there''s not much I can base my decision on.

    Tall Bryan looked even taller on the mound. He also looked more serious. The smile was gone and his eyes were focused on his catcher. He was a righty. He nodded at the sign, straightened up, and got set. His windup was different...he was holding the ball in his glove and had put his hands in the air behind his head, back down, and the left leg was taking a giant step to home. As his right hand came behind his ear, I closely watched, trying to get the timing of his pitching right. I decided not to swing and see what he does.

    A fastball right down the middle. Great speed. 90s for sure.

    Danny threw the ball back to Bryan and everyone got set again without saying anything. Bryan did his complete windup again, taking his time.

    The pitch came and I took a small step forward and started my swing. The spin was different, it''s a breaking ball. Started high and outside, then broke down and in. A curveball. Still fast though. I brought my hands down and fouled the ball off.

    Blake from the side threw Bryan a new ball so we wouldn''t have to chase my foul ball. He got set and so did I. Fastball and curve. Both had great speed and the curve had good movement. Way better than most high school pitchers I''ve faced. This was the next level.

 672 V2 ch144

    On an 0-2 count, my only thought was to defend the plate. Bryan''s windup seemed to go slow in sharp contrast to his pitching speed. It would help if I got to see more of his pitches like I did with Rhys. Iif I could distinguish his fastball from his breaking balls, then I could take advantage.

    Committed to at least fouling off the next pitch, I started my swing as soon as Bryan released his next pitch. What I didn''t count on was a low ball in the dirt. I completely whiffed and lost my balance, ending up in an ugly posture.

    "Strike three. You''re out." Rhys stated calmly.

    I groaned.

    "Hey, hey! Are you sure this kid is a batter? That was only three pitches. I expected something more dramatic." Bryan hollered from the mound with a wide grin.

    My lips twisted with disgust and disbelief. Something more dramatic? Than me striking out? I bit the inside of my cheek to calm myself down. This guy was in the minor league. He''s trying to be a pro. It''s only reasonable for him to get me out.

    "Again?" I looked back at Rhys to ask.

    Rhys shrugged. "Go ahead."

    Danny threw the ball back to Bryan on the mound and everyone got set again.

    This time around, I wasn''t going to let the ball get by. I will foul off what I can''t hit. Bryan started with a fastball high, but still in the zone. I fouled it back. Tchh. That could have been a hit if I used the middle of my bat. It''s a game of millimeters.

    The second pitch was low and outside. I didn''t think I could reach and took my chances on it being a ball.

    "Strike." Rhys said.

    I glanced back at him. That was a borderline call. If Rhys had called it a ball, the catcher wouldn''t be able to complain. Yet, I''m the one getting burned. Was he doing this intentionally?

    The third pitch came high. Almost at eye-level. No way he can call that one a strike.

    "Ball. 1-2." Rhys said.

    Pitch four and five were outside, but I was abled to foul them offf. Just in case. Six went in the dirt and I held up on my swing. Seven came inside; I got a good piece of it, hitting a line drive just foul of the first baseline. Come on, Jake, you can do this. You''ve faced good pitchers before.

    Bryan threw another pitch. A fastball. Blazing fast. I swung, felt it touch, but then heard the ''plop'' sound of it hitting the catcher''s mitt.

    "Foul-tip strikeout." Rhys sounded apologetic.

    I sighed and took a step back.

    "Can I have a turn now??" Ian called out.

    "I''ve only gotten two outs." Bryan told him. "Let me get one more to complete an inning."

    Ian scoffed. "Is it fun to bully a kid?"

    "It is." Bryan nodded like he didn''t hear anything wrong.

    "Just sit down and wait your turn." Blake spoke up for the first time. "Or do you want me to go before you?"

    Ian obediently got quiet and sat on the bench of their dugout.

    "Ready?" Rhys asked.

    I turned back to them and nodded, stepping back into the batter''s box.

    Bryan grinned and started to do his windup again. This time I tried not to panic. I followed the ball''s trajectory all the way through. From what I can tell, Bryan used the four-seamer and two-seamer interchangeably, without any hint of difference until it came out of his hand. He also had a curve with big movement, yet there were some variables.

    I worked to a full count and continued to foul off every pitch after. It''s not that I didn''t want to put it in play, but Bryan was good at picking tough locations for me to make contact. I don''t think I ever faced anyone with such good control.

    By the tenth pitch in this at-bat, Bryan had lost his smile and excitement. He was now in the zone, not giving any facial expressions away. He got set, skipped the windup for the first time, and pitched from the stretch.

    Completely thrown off, I swung a bit late and missed. Dang it. I bit my bottom lip and looked at Bryan who came off the mound.

    Bryan laughed at my aggrieved expression. "Don''t be so down, kiddo. I had to do what I can to get you out. It''s still within the rules."

    I sighed.

    "That last battle was tough! You''ve got a great swing." He complimented me, but I didn''t feel good about it. I didn''t get a hit in three at-bats.

    I ignored him and watched as Ian came jogging out of the dugout. He got on the mound and waved his arms. "Ball!"

    Danny, who was now standing, glanced at me. "Let him throw a few warmup pitches."

    I nodded and stepped away. Rhys and Bryan followed me off to the side.

    "How are you feeling?" Rhys asked me.

    I pursed my lips. "I don''t know."

    He raised an eyebrow.

    I looked towards Ian on the mound, watching him throw. I want to study his windup to make sure it wasn''t as dramatic as Bryan''s. Ian was rather low key; he would take a small step back, get set, small leg lift, then threw to home. Very basic. What I''m used to. I didn''t relax though.

    When he was ready, I got back in the lefty''s box, Rhys stood behind Danny, and Bryan went back to the dugout. I had a more ''successful'' first at-bat with Ian than I did with Bryan. I didn''t strikeout on three pitches. I still struck out though. It was a 2-2 count, then I missed a breaking ball. I couldn''t tell what it was.

    I had a sinking feeling that it was his go-to strikeout pitch. In the next at-bat, my gut was right. On a full count, he threw the same pitch and I missed again. I looked up at the night sky and sighed. I can''t foul off a bunch of pitches like I did with Bryan because as soon as there are two strikes, he''ll throw a pitch I haven''t seen before. I''ve never felt this distressed when batting. Is this what others feel like?

    I tried to think back to Noah''s slump when he went games without getting a hit. I could kind of relate now. Five straight strikeouts. What to do, what to do.

    The first two strikes were key. I couldn''t get into a hole, because I wouldn''t be able to dig myself out. Feeling pressured, I swung at the first pitch and got under it. Too bad it went straight up.

    Danny jumped up and took his mask off. He tracked the ball to the foul area in front of the dugout and made the catch. It wasn''t a strikeout, but it was only a one pitch at-bat so I would even say that it''s a bit worse.

    Ian could tell I wasn''t in the mood for a chat and went back to the dugout. Blake came out and went to the mound. I stepped away so he could get some warmup pitches in. I took my helmet off, placed it on the ground and used it as a small stool. I watched Blake pitch, trying to get a feel for his movements.

    It was no use. Inside the box, he destroyed me with simple speed and location. Should I not be swinging and fouling pitches? What''s going on? Is this the difference between high school and the minors? That can''t be right.

    I hit better than Zeke, yet I couldn''t see him doing this poorly. Especially as a first round pick. So the problem must lay within me. Something was wrong with my approach. Or maybe my lack of knowledge? I couldn''t tell what Ian''s breaking pitch was. But also, my bat swing couldn''t keep up with Blake. It was harder than playing in the batting cages thanks to the location of his pitches. Crazy good. If these three can get me out, I can''t imagine what the majors is like.

    I feel bad blaming Jeremy for going into a slump now. I was finding reasons why his head wasn''t in the game, but it''s obviously not that simple. Jeremy is only seven years older than me. Yet, he was already an all-star in his second year in the big leagues.

    How? How does he do it?

 673 V2 ch145

    The car ride back to the school was quiet. Extremely silent. Rhys didn''t play the radio, nor did we talk. It was only the sound of the road. It was dark and street lights would flash into the car.

    I stared out the window with a heavy heart.

    I had done another round against all three pitchers, doing another three at-bats for each one. It wasn''t pretty. I fouled a lot more and got at least a dribbler to the pitcher for one at-bat, but overall...I sucked.

    Rhys drove the thirty minutes back to the school and parked his car. We got out and started the walk back to the dorm building.

    "Jake." Rhys stopped suddenly.

    I paused and looked back at him. "Yea?"

    "Are you okay? You''re real quiet right now." He sighed. "I didn''t mean for all that to happen. I thought...you would..."

    "That I would what?" I asked, frowning.

    "That you would like...I don''t know." He sighed. "I thought you would like it. Going up against better pitchers."

    I let out a laugh, surprising Rhys. "You thought I would like to strikeout? Twenty plus times?" I laughed again, relaxing my shoulders. "I''m not a masochist, but...I did find it stimulating."

    "Stimulating?" Rhys looked hopeful.

    I nodded and held out my hands. They were completely torn up with blisters. "I don''t think I''ve ever tried so hard before. It was different from batting in the cages. Way harder than high school baseball too." I looked up at him. "I''m sorry if I embarrassed you."

    "What?! No! You didn''t embarrass me at all." Rhys stepped closer and put his hand on my shoulder. "I thought you needed more of a challenge. In the game today, you didn''t look interested. So I called the guys and saw that they were available. With permission from everyone, I thought you would like it. I''m sorry if it made you feel miserable. That wasn''t my intention."

    "I''m definitely miserable." I gave him a small smile. One filled with depression and pain. "I didn''t think I would be this bad. Ever."

    "You weren''t bad! I mean, you aren''t." Rhys squatted so we could be eye level. "You''re an excellent hitter. The best I''ve seen. Your mechanics, timing, and vision...you have it all. Just look at what you''ve done at this camp. Impressing coaches, scouts, and other players."

    "Then why couldn''t I get a hit tonight?" I felt my eyes sting.

    Rhys gave my shoulder a pat. "You''re still young and inexperienced. Those guys are even older than me. Not by much, but they''ve spent a couple years at the minor league level now. Some longer than others. They''ve all taken turns going up and down the levels. They''re at single A now, but it''s only temporary. They''ll be on their way after this week."

    "So I can''t play against them again?" I frowned.

    Rhys laughed. "No. You''re here at camp. Tonight was just an exception. To show you that there is something to look forward to. So don''t be slacking off."

    Rhys nodded. "And you will. A different pitcher every at-bat. There are a few that will give you a hard time. Just be patient. What made today harder, believe it or not, is Danny. I told you he was good."

    "Doesn''t he just call for the pitch?"

    "Catchers do the most work. Studying the batter and finding out what he should ask for. They also have to keep the pitcher happy and in a good frame of mind." With his hand still on my shoulder, Rhys started to guide me back to the dorm. "We can talk more about it tomorrow. Or you can ask your brothers. Ask a coach. Not one single person will have all the answers. You get bits and pieces from here and there."

    We arrived back at the dorm. A few guys were hanging out in the common area, but no one I recognized. Rhys led me to the stairs and then had to go back out. He still had to report to Coach Nate and Coach Leroy.

    I quietly entered the room just in case Noah was asleep, but it was pointless. He pounced at me as soon as I made it into the room. "Jake?! Where have you been?!"

    "With Rhys." I replied.

    "But where?? I''ve been looking all over for you when you didn''t come back in time. I even asked your team, but they didn''t know either. So then I had to go to Zeke and he would only tell me that you were with Rhys." He rambled on.

    "He took me on a short trip." I yawned. "Can I tell you about it tomorrow? I''m actually kind of tired right now."

    "Go shower! You''ll feel more refreshed." Noah said.

    I nodded. Sounds good. I grabbed my towel and pajamas and went on my way. By the time I came back, Noah had fallen asleep with the lights on. I flipped them off and used my phone to see my way to bed.

    I gave my phone a glance and noticed a few missed notifications. Texts and missed calls from Noah obviously. A couple of texts from Mom and Dad, asking about the camp. Dave sent me a picture of Kyle doing a handstand. Jeremy asked me if I had seen his comeback. And then Zeke...telling me not to dwell on tonight''s results.

    I wasn''t going to...at least not too much. However, I couldn''t help it. I haven''t struck out this much. Ever. All because of a catcher that knew what pitches to call for? That can''t be it. The pitchers were just as important. Their control was precise and their speed didn''t suffer from it. These guys were at the low end of the minor league system too. The majors have to be even tougher.

    Rhys blamed my underperformance on age and lack of experience, but that wasn''t a good excuse for me. Jeremy made his MLB debut at 20, did his rookie year as a 21-year-old, and now he has just turned 22 in his official second year in the majors. Only seven years between me and him, but now I''m a little over five years away from being 20 myself. I didn''t have an exact plan of my future, yet I know I don''t want to get left behind.

    I stayed up all night thinking. Thinking about those pitches that I''ve missed, thinking about how to do better, and thinking about where I''m going with this. It felt like I had only blinked before Noah was shaking me awake.

    "Jake! C''mon. We''re going to be late." Noah hurried me.

    We rushed to get dressed and ready, bringing our bags to the cafeteria. After loading our plates and finding an empty table, Noah started to give me some very strange looks.

    "Wellllll? Are you going to tell me?" Noah asked. "Where you went last night?"

    "It was extra batting practice." I explained. "Rhys took me to the single A affiliate of the Giants. It''s in San Jose. I got to face a few pitchers."

    "Wow! So cool!" Noah''s eyes shined. "How did it go? Did you shock them with your batting?"

    I stopped eating. Then shook my head slowly. "If I did shock them, it was only because how bad I was." I told him how I was thoroughly crushed.

    Noah stopped smiling and had a look of seriousness about him. "Well. It makes sense. If you could get a bunch of hits off them, then you could go pro right now."

    I shrugged. "I don''t get it. I want to do some research during our next break. Think it over." I paused for a second. "I can''t imagine Zeke struggling like I did."

    "Zeke might struggle. Everyone has to work their way up from the bottom." Noah told me. "If he wasn''t going to college, he''d be in the minors too, preparing for the show." He grinned. "Now it looks like you''re preparing too."

    Hmm. That''s right. Everyone has to go through adjustments.

    "What do you want to look up later?" Noah asked, finishing his bacon.

    "Breaking balls." I stated firmly. "There was one I completely missed last night. Twice. I couldn''t tell what it was."

    "What was the movement?" Noah asked.

    "He was a righty." I started with. Then on the table I drew the pitch''s trajectory. "Kind of like this?"

    Noah rapped the table. "That could be a few different pitches. Depends on how the pitcher throws." He grinned. "But if you know his name, we can just look him up directly. Find videos and some information about his pitches."

    I brightened up. Great! Noah really knew how to think outside the box. I was just going to identify his pitch based off my memory of only seeing it twice. I didn''t think of looking Ian up online to see what everyone else called it.

 674 V2 ch146

    After breakfast, we left the cafeteria, heading for our designated practice field. I did my best to stay completely focused on learning from Chandler. He was patient with our whole group, explaining what we should be taking away from each drill. He didn''t seem as intimidating as he was on day one.

    "It''s hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of camp." Travis sighed as we dragged our feet to the cafeteria for lunch. Just because Chandler was more approachable, didn''t mean the practices became any easier. "I''m excited and sad at the same time."

    Noah nodded. "Yea, same. It''s been fun playing all day, every day. Our high school has a camp next week for all levels including incoming freshmen, but it just won''t be the same."

    "You guys are so depressing." Adam rolled his eyes. "There will always be more camps. Winter ID camps are becoming more popular for warmer climate areas. Sign up for one of those."

    "Is that what you''re doing?" Travis asked.

    Adam nodded. "I''m interested in going to Arizona State University. They''re having one specifically for juniors and seniors so they''re looking at recruits that are preparing for graduation."

    "I''m not really interested in college ID camps." Noah shrugged. "Maybe a skills camp. That would be fun." He looked to me. "What do you think?"

    "Okay." I nodded.

    Noah was taken aback for a second, but then he grinned. "That''s what I''m talking about! Showing some enthusiasm to become the best player."

    "Was that considered enthusiasm..?" I heard Travis whisper to Adam.

    "Noah. Jake." Zeke called for us as we got closer to the cafeteria. He was standing just outside the doors with his arms crossed over his chest. Adam and Travis subconsciously straightened up at the sight of him. "Come here for a minute."

    Noah looked at the other two. "Go in without us. We''ll find you at the tables."

    "Sure." Travis nodded. He and Adam held their curiousity back and went inside the cafeteria without us.

    Zeke, Noah, and I moved off to the side to stay out of the way of the players coming for lunch.

    Zeke looked me over. "How did you feel about last night?"

    "Horrible." I answered honestly.

    Noah narrowed his eyes. "Are you purposely picking on Jake?"

    Zeke shook his head. "This wasn''t my idea. Rhys came up with it on his own. He thought it might inspire you."

    My lips twitched. "Yea. Inspired."

    Zeke raised an eyebrow. "How''d it go?"

    "Rhys didn''t tell you?" I asked, tilting my head.

    He shook his head. "Haven''t seen him yet. It''s been a hectic morning."

    I sighed. "I feel like I lost the only thing I was good at."

    "What do you think I will struggle with?" Noah asked, interested.

    Zeke''s grin got bigger. "Aren''t you already struggling with your batting? And that''s only at the high school level."

    "Ughh." Noah groaned, distressed. "Maybe I should go to some kind of batting clinic during winter break if I keep struggling like this. I don''t want to lose my varsity spot."

    "You won''t lose it." I assured him.

    Zeke let us go after talking for a little bit longer. During lunch, I used my free time to look up the San Jose Giants minor league team, trying to find their roster. From there I used their first names and positions to get their last names. With their full names, I looked up more in-depth news and analyses. Unfortunately, with them being minor leaguers, there wasn''t a lot I could read. Just their prospect ranking and stat numbers.

    "Jake, where''s your game at this afternoon?" Landon asked.

    I looked up from my phone. "Both of my games are in the stadium."

    "Damn. So lucky." Landon sighed. "I want to play in the stadium all the time. It really gives you the feeling that you''ve made it. You got that next level."

    Ansar smirked. "You must have a small stadium at your high school."

    "It can''t even be called a stadium." Landon told him. "It only has one set of bleachers for each team''s fans. My parents bring their own chairs and watch from the outfield."

    Ansar laughed. "That''s depressing. Do you even have lights for night games?"

    "Yea, the mobile lighting that''s only brought in after daylight savings. For the most part, we just practice in the afternoon." He told him.

    Their conversation continued as we finished eating. I occasionally pitched in whenever someone had a question for me. Overall, these guys were very friendly and easy to get along with. It might have something to do with the fact that we only get to see each other for a week.

    Rhys looked nervous when he met me outside the dorms when it was time for our game. We walked to the stadium in silence again.

    I glanced up at him, noticing his discomfort. "Are you worried about me?"

    Rhys chuckled and gave a small nod. "Just a little."

    I gave him a half-smile. "It''s okay. I''m okay. Last night was an eye opener. But, given a second chance, I think I could do a bit better."

    "Really?" Rhys asked, stunned.

    I nodded. "I spent my free time reading up on your friends. It''s mostly theoretical knowledge, but I think it could make a little difference." I at least knew what kind of pitches they could throw and what range of speed they tend to hang out in.

    Rhys looked relieved. "Too bad we can''t do this again. At least, not any time soon." He looked around as we entered the stadium. "If you want, I can go up to the opposing coaches and ask them to put their best pitchers in when you''re up."

    I started to nod, but then shook my head. "Nah. Don''t do that. I rather it be random. I don''t want my teammates that bat at the same time, blame me for wanting a challenge. What if it makes them look bad?"

    Rhys gave my head a pat. "You''re so considerate."

    "I do want to talk to Coach Nate about something else though. Relating to my at-bats for today." I looked up at him. "Will you stay with me?"

    "Sure thing, kiddo." Rhys smiled.

    We reached the dugout and split apart for a minute. I went to drop my bag off in the end of the dugout while Rhys went to ask if Coach Nate could talk to me for a second.

    "Tell me what''s on your mind." Coach Nate commanded as the three of us stood a good distance away from the rest of the team.

    I pinched my fingers together to contain my nerves as I looked him in the eye. "I want to try to hit nothing but homeruns."

    Coach Nate was shocked. He looked at me in disbelief. "You what?"

    I shifted from foot to foot, scared for what he might say. "It''s something I don''t do often. I''m always playing it safe, aiming for gaps. I want to get better at it, and the only way is practice. I''ve done a lot of prepping: lifting, core stabilization, and my talent is already incomparable."

    Rhys let out a short laugh. "Don''t mind me."

    "I think this is a good time for me to practice." I continued. "I would get to try it out against every new pitcher I see which is three or four a game."

    Coach Nate looked me in the eyes. "Well kid, I can''t stop you." My heart started to pound. "But if your results from today''s two games are unsatisfactory, don''t be surprised if I bench you tomorrow. I don''t care if it''s the last day of camp. This is about showcasing your skills so as long as you can do it, I''ll be happy for you."

    I smiled, relieved that he''s not upset by my special request. "Thanks, Coach Nate. I won''t come up empty-handed."

    Coach Nate sent me back to the dugout to get ready for warmups. A few of the field players spared glances my way, but we weren''t exactly on good terms.

    "Jake!"

    "Jake, we missed you last night!"

    "Yea! Rhys too!"

    "Where did you guys go?"

    The group of pitchers for my team greeted me with smiles, all of them curious about where Rhys and I went last night.

    "Private lesson." I told them.

    "With Rhys? A pitcher?"

    "Are you trying to learn how to pitch now too??"

    I laughed and shook my head immediately. "No way. It was just batting practice against some really good pitchers."

    "Better than me?" Nic asked.

    I shrugged. "Yea."

    Nic pretended to be offended. "How could you say that? Aren''t we friends? We haven''t even faced one another yet."

    "Yet?" Gavin repeated. "You mean, you want to have a face-off with Jake? The kid who has been dominating every pitcher?"

    The others started to laugh at Nic, not giving him any face at all.

 675 V2 ch147

    We warmed up and threw the ball around. I paired up with Kenny, who was quiet but easy to get along with. He didn''t mind the looks I would get from our ''teammates'' and didn''t think it was weird that I only spoke with the pitchers.

    Coach Nate put us in the starting lineup again. He would go up first and I would follow at second. As the home team for the game, we had to take the field first. Gavin was the starting pitcher today and performed well. He went three up, three down, with one strikeout.

    "Man, after an inning like that, I really don''t want to come out!" He sighed as we went back into the dugout.

    "Who said you were coming out?" Coach Nate asked.

    Gavin''s jaw dropped. "What?! Aren''t we only doing an inning each? Do you mean, I can keep going??"

    Coach Nate nodded. "Yes. There are two games today. No point in making pitchers do both. Half will go this game. The other half will pitch tonight." He looked at the rest of us in the dugout. "Never assume you know what coaches are planning and thinking. Just because one thing may seem like a given, doesn''t mean it can''t change."

    "So maybe we can expect Jake to sit an inning?" An outfielder mumbled under his breath, but it was still heard throughout the dugout.

    It got real quiet.

    "You guys playing or what?" The umpire came over to ask.

    "Kenny, Jake, Ricky. Get ready for your at-bats." Coach Nate said plainly. Almost as if he wasn''t staring down the player who had spoken up.

    I didn''t need to be told twice. I hurried back to my bag, switched out my gear, then hurried out, completely avoiding eye contact with everyone.

    Kenny came out after me with a sad smile. "Don''t listen to him. It''s not your fault that Coach wants you to play every inning." He walked to the batter''s box, leaving me alone in the on deck circle.

    I knew that Kenny was right, I have no control over who plays or doesn''t, but I still feel bad for taking up a spot. It''s not like I had anything to prove. I didn''t come to this camp to impress anyone. I just came so Noah can get to have some fun.

    Kenny was able to hit the ball to short right field, making it to first.

    I stepped up to bat, getting in the righty''s box. This has lined up perfectly. I''ve gotten a homerun batting right, and now that I''m aiming for homeruns, I feel more comfortable batting from this side. There was a lot to consider when trying to hit a homerun. My swinging speed. The speed of the pitch. Have to hit the right part of the bat and have a good launching angle.

    Unfortunately, the ball didn''t carry over the fence like I had hoped for. It hit the wall as I rounded first base. The left fielder played it off the wall and got the ball back into the infield just as Kenny was sprinting home. Seeing that they were going to do a relay throw back to home, I didn''t bother sliding into second.

    Kenny and the ball both arrived at the plate near the same time. The tag came down as he slid hands first into home.

    "Out!" The umpire declared.

    Crap. I sighed, disappointed.

    Kenny hung his head and headed back to the dugout.

    The next two batters after me, both hit fly balls, ending the inning.

    I jogged back to the dugout.

    "Jake. You''re moving to right field." Coach Nate said. "TJ will be taking over at second."

    I froze and slowly turned to face him. "Right...field...?"

    Coach Nate narrowed his eyes at me. "Did I stutter?"

    I shook my head and hurried to my bag. Put my helmet away, put my hat back on, then grabbed my glove. I ran to the general position of right field and blankly looked at the center fielder. He ignored me and played pass with Kenny, who was playing left field today.

    What the heck?

    "Jake! Over here!" Someone in foul territory waved at me. Once he had my attention, he threw me a baseball. We played catch too until the game resumed.

    I stood out in the field completely lost in open space. How and why did I come to play right field? I tried to think back to the original right fielder. Was he going to be pissed that I took over?

    I had no answers to these questions and just had to patiently wait to return to the dugout. Thank god Gavin was doing well on the mound. Two groundouts and one strikeout to send us to the bottom of the second inning.

    I sprinted back to the dugout, wanting answers, but didn''t know who to ask. I swallowed a lump in my throat, looking for Rhys. He was busy speaking with Coach Nate, leaving me on my own.

    "Jake." Kenny waved at me, standing at the end of the dugout, where I usually sat.

    I went over and sat down near him. "Hey...what''s going on?"

    "I think Coach Nate got upset from Ben''s comment." He noticed my blank look. "The comment about you playing. See, he was starting in right field. And now, he''s not even in the dugout. When I got back after getting out, he was already gone."

    I slumped in my seat. "Why does that mean I have to play right field? Aren''t there other outfielders?"

    Kenny shrugged. "I don''t know. Maybe he feels the need to give other players a chance at second, but doesn''t want you to give up your at-bats?"

    That''s a good point. If Coach Nate took me out, I wouldn''t get to practice hitting homers. It''s either tough it out in the outfield or give up hitting for the game and just watch. I don''t want to watch. I want to play.

    I glanced at Kenny. "Do you...know the center fielder?"

    Kenny nodded slowly, looking a little awkward. "Kind of. We''ve been taking turns in center field after all."

    "Are you not on good terms?" I asked in a whisper.

    Kenny glanced down the dugout. "It''s not like we''re best buds. What do you want him for?"

    "I don''t know where to stand..." I sighed.

    Kenny''s lips twitched. "That''s it?"

    I felt despair. "That''s it? Isn''t that a lot?" I remember when I didn''t know where to stand when I first started to play second base. Noah used to help me back then so I was hoping for the same help now.

    Kenny looked relaxed. "Don''t worry. It''s not a big deal. You can base your positioning off mine. If I shift to the right, you should too. Same with the left. Or if I back up or go in. Just be my mirror. Playing in the outfield is actually the easiest position. You''ve just gotta have a strong arm."

    I put a hand to my forehead, feeling more depressed. A strong arm..? It''s not looking so good.

    Kenny noted my depression. "Well...how''s your catching?"

    I sighed. "I think...I''m going to embarrass myself in this game."

    "You''re joking." He furrowed his brows.

    "If only." I sighed again. "My fielding is the complete opposite of my hitting. I don''t think there wasn''t one time I didn''t trip when practicing long fly balls."

    Kenny reaches out and gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Maybe you''ll be lucky and no balls will come your way?"

    "Really?" I looked up at him.

    He looked away, looking guilty. "Yea, it can happen."

    ...he was lying. Definitely lying.

    The bottom of the second inning, our team got on a rally, scoring a few runs. It got to the point where Kenny and I both got to put on our batting gear. He made it to the on deck circle and I was sitting in the hole. With two outs, the ninth batter in the lineup struck out, sending us back to our bags.

    "Just remember to look at me at the beginning of every at-bat for positioning." Kenny told me as we left the dugout together. He glanced down at me. "You know how to back up plays, right?"

    "..." I stared at him, slowing my jog. I''m sure I''ve seen outfielders back up plays, but I know I haven''t been taught. When would it ever come up? I hardly know how to play second most days.

 676 V2 ch148

    Kenny gave me a light pat on the shoulder. "Okay, don''t stress. I understand."

    "You understand that I don''t know what you mean?" I clarified.

    Kenny cracked a smile. "It''s okay. It''s not anything huge. You just have to backup the play, alright? Similar to the infield, you''ve got to move every time the ball is put into play." We stopped briefly in the outfield. "As a right fielder you should back up the first baseman whenever he''s receiving throws from the catcher or pitcher. It''s not common but be aware in case they try any bunts. You also backup the second baseman when he''s receiving throws from the shortstop or third baseman."

    "When you say backup the play...like how?" I squinted up at him.

    Kenny blinked. "Just jog in casually for now. If the ball gets by either of those position players, then it''s an error on the infield so don''t panic. Just get the ball back into the infield."

    I nodded. Right. Okay. I can do that.

    Kenny gave me another pat on the shoulder before jogging to his position in left.

    I started to run to right. The player in foul territory threw me the ball as I was jogging, catching me by surprise. I made the catch and looked at the ball in my glove. That could be considered as a line drive or even a short fly ball. I threw the ball back to him. We played catch until it was time for the game to resume.

    Coach Nate had replaced Gavin with Derek. That was only because he had subbed a pinch hitter for him when it was his turn to bat in the last half inning. So I don''t think he''ll be allowing any of the pitchers to hit.

    The top of the third, Derek on the mound. I looked towards Kenny and the center fielder, estimating where I should stand too. The first batter up smack a solid line drive to left field. Kenny played it on the hop and threw the ball back in quickly, keeping the runner to a single.

    I let out a breath of air I didn''t know I was holding. Wow. Okay. That''s right...when the ball gets to the outfield, it can be a hit. There''s no need to panic. Just get the ball back into the infield as soon as possible. I could do this.

    The next batter struck out, opening up a possibility of a double play to end the inning. That would be best. Because it would have to be an infield hit for that to happen. That''s not too much to ask right?

    The third batter worked the count, earning a walk. He went to first and pushed the other runner to second. The fourth batter swung and connected on the first pitch, sending it straight to center. I watched as the center fielder sprinted to the warning track, made the catch, and then hurried to send the ball back. The runner on second was able to tag up and make it to third. The runner on first stayed.

    Kenny wasn''t able to get on like before. He hit a grounder to the shortstop who fielded the ball cleanly. I came up with no runners on and one out. Plus, it was a new pitcher.

    This pitcher wasn''t as tall as normal pitchers. In fact, I think he was the same height as Noah, probably a few inches under six feet. He threw a curve that landed outside the zone for ball one. Then another curve that landed in the zone to even up the count. It was curve after curve. He didn''t stop. My lips twitched as I fought off a smile.

    He was too scared to throw me a fastball. Guess I''ll have to improvise if I still want to hit a homerun. All of his curves are landing low and away. So I tried to delay my swing just a little bit, before making contact. With the very end of my bat, I blasted the ball to right field, heading for the wall.

    I took off running, watching as the right fielder tracked it back. He put a hand on the wall, paused, then jumped with his glove hand in the air. He came down holding the baseball, robbing me of a homerun.

    I slowed up to a stop. Sighed. Then headed back, picking up my bat on the way.

    "Tough break." Kenny said as I sat down.

    I put my helmet away and checked my bat for any cracks or chips. Seeing that it was still okay, I put it away as well. "It''s okay. It was my first time trying to hit an opposite field homerun."

    "First time? You were actually aiming for that?" Kenny asked, amazed.

    I gave a nod. Then shrugged. "I''m good at placing my hits." I paused for a second. "At least...most of the time."

    Kenny hummed. "I could tell. You''re different from the rest of us."

    I looked up at him, worried. "Different?"

    Kenny gave a nod. "Your confidence at the plate is unparalleled. It''s almost like it''s not a question whether you''ll get a hit, but where and what kind of hit."

    "I didn''t get a hit just now..." I mumbled.

    "Didn''t you just say that it was your first try?" Kenny laughed at me. "If you succeed every time you try something new, then how do you feel a sense of accomplishment?"

    "Oh, I get it." I nodded. "Like how I feel when I''m fielding and learn something new after practicing."

    Kenny laughed. "How did you become such a lopsided player? Extremely great at hitting, but then a noob at fielding? Does your league for high school allow for designated hitters?"

    I shook my head. "No...I wish..." I spared a minute to dream about it. I would get to hit in the games, yet not have the stress of giving up hits or runs to the opposing team. "I only got to play in the batting cages growing up." I quickly gave him a rundown of my baseball experience, finishing it just as the inning ended.

    Kenny grabbed his glove. "Well, fielding has its merits too. I think it''s fun. The feeling you get after chasing a short fly ball and making a diving catch." We walked out onto the field together. "Robbing homers is pretty cool too."

    "Diving in the dirt is not my definition of fun." I rolled my eyes.

    "The outfield is 99% grass." Kenny said to me. "Why don''t you make the switch to be an outfielder?" He parted away, heading to left field.

    I slowly jogged to right field, looking at the spot where my homerun was robbed from me. I could see that guy''s cleat markings in the dirt of the warning track. I bet it must have been a great feeling for him. I checked the wall. Way taller than me. I''d be too short to steal a homerun.

    But...I thought Kenny''s suggestion was interesting. Make the switch to the outfield from the infield. It''s not like I''m particularly great at one or the other. Just barely getting by, relying on my offensive power to keep me in the lineup. My lips twisted as I thought it over.

    It''s not like playing in the dirt of the infield was a dealbreaker for me. I just don''t like the idea of intentionally falling anywhere. Grass would hardly be considered better. I also like playing with Noah right by my side. Someone I can look to for help and can rely on when I make a mistake.

    I looked at the ground I would have to cover in the outfield and it makes my anxiety skyrocket.

    I had another lucky inning of not having a ball come my way. I did follow Kenny''s suggestion about backing up plays though and jogged in whenever I had to.

    When it was our turn to bat again, Kenny and I sat together, talking about playing outfield after I told him how I felt lucky for no hits coming my way.

    "Most batters pull to the side they''re hitting on." Kenny explained. "It''s a general rule of thumb that right handed batters will pull the ball to left field. That''s why left field has to be good at fielding, while right field can be a little lacking." He turned red. "Not that I think you''re bad."

    I shrugged. "It is what it is."

    He continued. "But! Right fielders are known for having strong arms. That way they can make the throw to third in case you need to throw out a runner."

    I paled. "I have to throw to third??"

 677 V2 ch149

    "Very rarely." Kenny shrugged, helpless. "It probably won''t happen. Really, just remind yourself that this is a showcase. If it''s any consolation, if the ball is hit to you, then someone else on the other team is shining. Getting some attention from the coaches."

    I sighed with relief and nodded. That''s something. For the other players. I could tell how important it was to the majority that were here, to get some attention from coaches and scouts. I wasn''t interested in this though.

    "Do you think...about whether you want to play in college or go pro after high school?" Kenny asked, nervous.

    I shrugged. "Not really." His nervousness didn''t ease. I raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"

    He nodded. "Of course. I didn''t think that there would be any baseball players that don''t think about going pro. Most athletes in all sports have it on their mind. Even for a second." He glanced at me.

    "Well, what do you want to do?" I asked, avoiding talking about my future.

    "The majors is a pipe dream for me. A good college is important, but it depends on scholarships." He seemed depressed. "I''ll go wherever the most money is. Even if that means going somewhere small if it''s free."

    "I think you''re good." I told him. "You can get on base."

    He gave a depreciating smile. "I''m an outfielder who can''t hit homeruns. I''m definitely not on the top of anyone''s list for recruits."

    "Who says you can''t hit homeruns?" I frowned.

    He lifted his two thin arms. "There''s no power here."

    I stuck out my arm to put it with his. Just about the same. "It''s not about having big muscles." I think. "Even if it was, you can work out to get them. Zeke makes me run and do a workout most days, back home. I''ve gotten a lot stronger over time." I looked away, avoiding eye contact. "In the beginning I could barely do anything. Now," I made a fist. "Now, I''m trying to hit homeruns for the rest of this camp."

    Kenny blinked. "You''re crazy. But, crazy good." He showed a small smile. "I wish I had your confidence at the plate."

    Confidence?

    I nodded. That''s true. There''s no longer any fear when I bat. Instead, I''m calm and anxious all at the same time. I''m calm, knowing I can bat well and most likely put the ball into play, yet anxious not to let my team down.

    I looked over at the field, where my team just got a third out. It was time to play defense again. I grabbed my glove and jogged out with Kenny.

    After getting a groundout, the new pitcher on the mound allowed a fly ball to right field. My heart almost stopped. I kept my eye on the ball as it came falling down, raising my glove to make the catch. I used my other hand to make sure the ball stayed in the glove.

    I just made my first official catch in the outfield. Wow. That wasn''t so bad. I threw the ball back to the infield and walked back to where I should be standing according to Kenny''s hints.

    "I have a feeling that you''re going to be making some big splashes by the time next season rolls around." Rhys told me on our way to the cafeteria.

    Kenny had just split away from us, seeing a few guys he knew from elsewhere, leaving just me and Rhys.

    I scratched my cheek, feeling a little shy. "We''ll see."

    "No, I''m positive. I believe in you." Rhys said. "Even if it''s like today, one in three at-bats is a homerun, then no one is going to want to face you."

    I hesitated and asked, "Like in the championship game?"

    Rhys went blank for a second, then recalled the CIF championship game he watched us play in. I had been intentionally walked twice. Even worse, Zeke was intentionally walked for all four of his at-bats. "I, uh, actually, I''m not sure."

    My shoulders dropped, my excitement lost.

    Rhys gave me a pat on the shoulder. "You can''t possibly be walked every at-bat for the whole entire season. Even Zeke got to bat up until the championship game, right?"

    "I don''t know...he got a lot of intentional walks before that too." I pointed out. "Like in the semifinals."

    "Yes..." Rhys thought for a minute. "But you know, when Zeke was a sophomore on the varsity team, he never got walked."

    "Did he not hit well?" I asked, curious.

    Rhys laughed. "He was a hitter for sure."

    "Then why..?"

    "Why didn''t he get walked?" Rhys finished for me. I nodded. "I think it has something to do with age. No senior likes taking the mound and then being told to walk an underclassmen. Pitchers have superiority complexes. They have to be the best out there."

    "Then what about the times we did get walked?" I wrinkled my nose, not understanding.

    "Well, the playoff games are easy. They are the ''playoff'' games. You can''t be selfish on the mound. You have to follow the coach''s instructions and follow the game plan, even if that means intentionally walking the other team''s best batters." He explained. "Then there are other situations that walking a batter is a better option. You have to take into account the score of the game, how much the game matter''s, and then the matchup of pitcher and batter."

    "Ah." I was slowly starting to understand. "So you think I won''t get walked all the time?"

    "Probably not." He grinned. "But if you smash a homer every game, then it might be a different story."

    "Jake!" I heard Noah''s yell.

    I looked up and saw him running towards us with a big grin on his face. We met him at the entrance of the cafeteria.

    "Guess what?!!" Noah looked between us.

    "I''m guessing you had a good game?" Rhys threw out his guess.

    "A great game!" Noah corrected. "I went 3-3 at the plate! All doubles!" He spoke quickly like we might interrupt his train of thought. "I probably could have legged one out to be a triple, but it was too close to tell and I didn''t want to risk it. So instead, I stole third base!"

    "You were abled to steal third?" Rhys was shocked. "That''s impressive! Congrats."

    Noah grinned. "They made a throwing error when trying to catch me too, so I was abled to make it home all on my own. It was exhilarating. I hope to steal more bases in the future. Use speed to cover up my lack of power."

    "Spoken like a true shortstop." Rhys laughed.

    "Coach Rhys?" A young player called out from a few feet away. "Do you have a minute?"

    "Sure." Rhys gave him a friendly smile. He glanced at us. "You guys go ahead. I''ll see you after dinner."

    "Okay." I replied.

    Rhys left us to go see what the player needed.

    "Rhys is a good person to be a counselor." Noah stated. "He''s kind, smart, and approachable. He doesn''t look down on others even before his surgery." He sighed. "It''s crazy to think his high school team didn''t want him anymore."

    "Is it?" I raised an eyebrow at Noah.

    Noah caught my meaningful look. "It''s different for Rhys. He was the captain of his team as a junior like Zeke. He was a leader, on and off the field. Helped everyone with everything. If you need a tutor for a class, he would take the time to explain the material. If you were struggling with your swing and needed some extra batting practice, he didn''t mind throwing some more pitches." Noah rambled on. "For him to give up baseball his senior year, it killed him to see that they didn''t care. For me, I''m just mad." He backtracked. "I WAS mad. Now, I''m okay."

    "Are you?" I asked, knowing that the high school camp was next week. Noah sure wasn''t okay when he found out that we couldn''t play for his old travel team anymore. And that was barely two months ago.

    Noah smirked. "I''ll definitely be okay after showing them up next week. I''ll crush them completely in every drill and every scrimmage. I won''t give them any chance to say that I made the team because of Zeke."

    My lips twitched. It didn''t really sound like Noah was over it. More like, he was plotting revenge. Except, there wasn''t much we can do when baseball is a team sport. "What can I do to help?"

    Noah grinned. "I''ll point out the pitchers that need your special attention."

 678 V2 ch150

    I nodded. I could help him embarrass the pitchers he knew. But...

    "I don''t know if Coach would even let me face them..?" I shrugged, helpless. "They can''t compare to the twins and Garret..."

    Noah replied. "There will be a few opportunities. We do something like scrimmages too. At least, we did so last year. Especially in the fall semester. We had a baseball class. Counts toward your P.E. credit. Last class of the day so we just play until the scrimmage is over then go home. Coach might have some changes in mind though, so we''ll see."

    "Scrimmages every day?" My jaw dropped. "How do the pitchers handle that?"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Not everyone plays in the scrimmage. We only have three fields; plus Mr. Miller won''t let us use the varsity field when we aren''t in season. He likes to keep it fresh and well taken care of."

    Sounds like him.

    "So...do we watch when we aren''t playing?" I asked.

    He nodded. "Yea, sometimes. Or just do some conditioning and then watch. It varies." He lifted his eyebrows. "We might have a real weight room if Jeremy follows through on contacting Coach."

    "I can''t tell if that''s a good thing or not." I sighed.

    Noah laughed and patted my back. "What are you scared of? We survived a summer of Zeke''s training."

    That''s true. As long as I don''t have to run anymore long distances, I''ll be satisfied.

    We went in the cafeteria for dinner and sat with the same group of guys. Everyone talked about their games from the afternoon with Noah taking the lead.

    "I bet Jake still performed better than you." Landon claimed. He must be getting tired of Noah''s bragging.

    Noah wasn''t bothered. "Yea? I''m okay with that. Jake is the best."

    Landon looked to me. "Well? How''d you do?"

    "2-3." I answered in between bites. "I hit a homerun."

    "What was the out?" Ansar asked.

    "Fly ball to right field." I told them.

    "This is my first time meeting a batting prodigy." Travis sighed. "Have you ever gone a game without a hit?"

    I nodded. One particular game came to mind. The loss to University Prep in the Foothill Classic Tournament. I''ve been thinking back to it lately. That pitcher, Seth something...was ranked fifth in state.

    "It''s nice to know that you''re human." Adam joked, making the guys laugh. He looked around. "Anyone playing at the stadium tonight?"

    Everyone shook their head.

    "Guess none of our teams have to play Jake. Thank goodness. Wouldn''t that be embarrassing?" Cody chuckled.

    "There''s still tomorrow morning. We aren''t doing drills. Just one last scrimmage. Then lunch before we end the camp." Adam pointed out. He looked at me. "What field?"

    I shrugged. "Didn''t look."

    "That would be a rough game to end camp with. Getting beaten up by Jake."

    "It''s not like he''s a one-man team." Someone pointed out.

    "Ugh. Too much pressure."

    "Yea, I want to shine in my last scrimmage. Not be overshadowed."

    "Imagine if you were a pitcher that struck him out in the last scrimmage though."

    "You would have the attention of all the coaches."

    Ansar laughed. "Be real. Pitchers that face Jake tomorrow are probably going to look like little leaguers."

    "True."

    "I can see it already."

    "It would be a sad car ride home."

    "I can''t believe the camp is ending already." Landon sighed, interrupting them. "One more night. I feel like the week has flown by."

    "We should exchange social media information so we can follow everyone''s progress in the future. Who knows, maybe we''ll become teammates at the college level?"

    "Yea!"

    "Let''s do it!"

    The whole table pulled out their phones and started the exchange. They would go from one person to another, following each other on all social media platforms.

    "Jake! Hurry up!" Someone called out.

    I turned red. "I...don''t have...one."

    "What?!"

    "Why not?"

    "That''s a bit strange."

    "Nah, I know a few kids like him that aren''t into it."

    "I...never needed one." I mumbled.

    "I''ll help you set one up!" Noah grabbed my phone from my clenched hands, ignoring my discomfort. "I can even tag you in the pictures I''ve posted from before so you won''t be a blank slate." He typed away, downloading an app and inputting the information. Once the account was created, he added himself first. Then his brothers. He slowly explained to me how to add others.

    It wasn''t long before I had a following from those around me. Even the twins followed me back. Zeke too. As I was following others, I got notifications from familiar names and faces. The guys from the team: Julian, Mahki, Jason, Garret. A few classmates followed me as well, including Alisha.

    "Wow. They''re so fast." I mumbled.

    "Of course!" Noah answered. "It''s dinner time. Summer break. A lot of people will casually browse during this time and find you under suggested follows." He lifted his phone and shook it. "It also helps that I announced your new profile on my page. Can''t let you be a loner. Cuz, you''re not." He grinned.

    With Noah''s help and with the following frenzy of the guys at our table, my followers and following numbers grew. I stared at it in amazement. I had...friends. People I could follow and interact with. They couldn''t compare to Noah, but still, I''ve never felt so...popular.

    "You should follow Jeremy!" Landon suggested to me. "I don''t know if he manages his own account though."

    "Follow. Then send him a text." Noah added.

    I searched up Jeremy and followed his page. I carefully scrolled through his posts and pictures, noticing that most of it was just him playing baseball. An occasional ad. A charity event. Nothing too personal. Recently, anyways.

    "Text him." Noah reminded me. "Tell him to follow me too!"

    I switched the app to my texts and pulled up Jeremy. I sent him a brief message, telling him that I followed him on the social media site, adding that Noah was hoping to be followed back. A simple thumbs up emoji was sent back.

    Barely ten seconds later, Noah jumped up and ran around with his phone, showing it to everyone who was within ten yards. "Look! Look! I''m being followed by Jeremy Patterson! Is that amazing!"

    My lips twitched. This was the same kid that would give Jeremy a hard time whenever I looked just a little bit upset. Now he''s bragging about him.

    This went on well into the free time. It felt like a party. No one wanted to get up and leave to rest in their dorm. We didn''t have much time left together before the end of camp after all.

    That night, Coach Nate returned me back to my regular position at second base. I couldn''t understand what was going on, but I felt a sense of comfort being back in the one position I knew. Right field wasn''t so bad, but that''s because I didn''t have to do much.

    My position in the batting lineup stayed at the number two spot, right behind Kenny. I performed within my expectations, going 2-3 at the plate for this game as well. With a slight difference: I hit two homeruns. My only out was a fly ball to right field again, but that''s okay. I''m still working on it.

    Surprisingly, Kenny had his worst night, not getting a hit at all.

    I didn''t know what to tell him after the game, however after a glance at my phone, I had an idea. I opened the social media app and checked my new notifications, following everyone back. I showed Kenny. "I just made an account at dinner. Do you have one? Can I follow you?"

    Kenny snapped out of his daze, focusing on my phone. "Oh. Yea. Sure." He pulled his phone out and we followed each other. He reverted back to his quiet self, not intending to speak anymore.

    I glanced at Rhys for help.

    Rhys just gave his head the smallest of shakes, not saying anything.

    Once we reached the dormitory, Kenny went ahead of me. I hung back with Rhys. "Why didn''t you say anything to cheer him up or something?" I asked once Kenny was out of earshot.

    Rhys gave me a small smile. "Not everyone is the same. Kenny wasn''t upset like you think he was. Instead, he''s just processing his playing tonight and working through how he could have done better. He''s an internalizer."

    I frowned. "So he''ll be fine by tomorrow''s game?"

    Rhys nodded. "Kenny is very capable. I don''t know if you recall your first scrimmage, but Coach Nate stated that Kenny was one of the highly rated batters on our team. He''s not just good at the plate, but he also has the mentality of a great batter. I noticed him making slight adjustments for every pitch he saw. It didn''t work out, but that doesn''t mean he''s down and out."

    I sighed with relief. Good. I didn''t want Kenny to flop in his last scrimmage tomorrow. Especially when he wants to get a few looks from the college coaches.

 679 V2 ch151

    Friday morning, the table in the cafeteria was packed with excited faces. Everyone was comparing schedules and saw that no certain field was written. At first, one or two of the guys said that they had noticed earlier, but just thought it was forgotten. But after asking their coaches last night, it turned out that something else was planned.

    Sure enough, Coach Leroy got on a platform near the end of breakfast. The cafeteria got quiet, eager to hear what was going on this morning.

    "It''s been a very successful week for everyone, and overall I''m proud of this batch of young men that came over to show off their skill set." Coach Leroy started. "I know I said there would be a prize for the team with the best record, but after some consideration and talking with the staff, we decided to reward everyone."

    A murmur went through the crowd of players.

    "All of you will be sent home with a goodie bag of sorts. We partnered with the school to send everyone home with a Stanford University shirt and lanyard." He continued. "It''ll be put in a Stanford University drawstring bag. Our sponsors and partners have also provided a few gifts including discounted gear, sportswear, and food."

    Wow. My eyes widened, impressed with their generosity. There were so many players here at camp. It couldn''t have been easy to put it together.

    "These bags will be handed out after lunch when we pass out your evaluations sheets. In the evaluation sheet, we include your original scores and suggested areas in need for improvement." Coach Leroy explained how the evaluations were graded and how it wouldn''t include any of the improvements we''ve made this week. "Also, after lunch, while these are being passed out and parents are showing up to take you back, our staff will be available to answer any questions you might have. Whether it''s in regards to recruiting or scouts or anything else under the baseball spectrum, they will do their best to answer these questions."

    The players could no longer hold their excitement, drowning out Coach Leroy with their talking to one another. Coach Leroy gave everyone a minute to settle down and before continuing. "The coaches and scouts present all have access to your contact information. If they''re interested, they''ll either call or send something in the mail. However, don''t panic if you receive nothing. It just means that they aren''t the right fit for you. There are plenty of colleges in need of recruits. It''s all about finding the right match. Continue to work hard and play hard."

    Landon grinned at me and flashed me two thumbs up.

    I relaxed almost immediately. I knew someone on the team this time. Although, it''s too bad I don''t get to play with Kenny anymore.

    Team two would be the visiting team at the stadium and on it was Ansar and Adam. We were going to play against each other.

    Coach Leroy carried on, placing everyone on a team and stating where they would play at. After announcing the last team, he looked up around the room. "I know some of you may be depressed by your team number, but don''t let that get to you. This is an elite camp. Everyone here is the future of baseball. Now go out there and do your best." He stepped down.

    "Team one." Landon grinned. He stood up and stood tall. "That has to be the best team. I''m with the best players." He looked at me. "Jake is living proof of that." He laughed.

    Noah, who was placed on team five, rolled his eyes. "It just means you had a good week. Don''t put yourself on the same level as Jake."

    "I can''t believe after all that talk yesterday, I''m facing Jake today." Adam sighed. "So thankful I''m not a pitcher."

    Ansar stood up. "Jake is good, but there are also good pitchers at this camp. It might not be as one-sided as you think."

    Cody laughed. "Looks like you''re in game mode already. I wish I could skip my game to watch Jake play in person."

    "Maybe if your game ends early." Noah shrugged. "I''ll check after my game too. It depends."

    "Yea." Dylan nodded. "Not every game is the same. One of us might get lucky and be able to watch."

    With that, breakfast had come to a close and it was time to head to our games. Everyone split up, leaving me with Landon, Ansar, and Adam. Even though they were considered an acquaintances, I still kept my eyes open for Rhys or Zeke. One of them had to be a coach for my team this morning. Zeke wouldn''t possibly leave me on my own.

    "I can''t get over this stadium." Landon sighed as we walked in through an open side gate. "This place is just too cool. I''m sure the club room is state of the art. I really can''t wait for college."

    "If you''re only interested in stadiums then you should contact Creighton in Omaha." Ansar said. "They get to use the same stadium that''s used for the College World Series. That has to be insane."

    Landon nodded in agreement. "The stadiums in the south are also pretty good."

    Adam looked to me. "Are you particular about where you play, Jake?"

    I shrugged. Nothing really jumped out. I guess..."I like it here." I told them. After all, I''ve played in this stadium quite a few times now. I was accustomed to it.

    Landon and I split from Adam and Ansar. We went to the home team dugout and they went to the visitors. Out of habit, I went to the end of the dugout to put down my bag.

    Landon casually followed, greeting our temporary teammates. He sat down with his bag and got his cleats out.

    I copied his actions and put on my own cleats as we waited for coaches. I kept my eyes open, looking for Zeke. I eventually saw him entering the field with a group of men. Some would be the coaches while the other half had to be the umpires.

    Just as I stood up, getting ready for Zeke to enter the dugout, he changed directions and went with another man to the visitors dugout. I frowned. What''s this?

    "Good morning!" Coach Leroy greeted as he walked into our dugout with Chandler right beside him. "I will be the coach for team one. Hopefully you all know my name. If you don''t, then you aren''t very observant. I am Coach Leroy, the head coach of Stanford''s baseball team, and the director of this camp."

    The dugout gave him their undivided attention.

    "Before we start with warmups, I have something to say about this team: Don''t lose." Coach Leroy said. "This is team one. You all are the best performers of this year''s camp. You are expected to win."

    Some of the guys stood up straighter while others looked nervous. It was obvious which category I fell into.

    "You have to relish in the pressure of being the favorites. Everyone will get a chance to play in this game. Whether it''s for just one pitch or for the entire game, that will be based on your performances." He told everyone. "Pitchers and catchers will head for the bullpen after warmup. Chandler will lead the group in the outfield for warmup and game preparation."

    Chandler stepped up. "I''m Chandler. A player under Coach Leroy." He headed for the exit of the dugout. "Let''s warmup mindfully." He left.

    Players hurried to follow him.

    Landon gave me a nudge. "Let''s move. Come on. What are you looking at?"

    My eyes were on the other dugout, watching Zeke with another coach doing a similar introduction.

    "Go ahead, I have something to say to Jake." Unexpectedly Coach Leroy kept me back for a private chat.

    Landon wasn''t bothered and left with the rest of the team.

    "Zeke said you might be distraught or at least, distracted by him being in the other dugout." Coach Leroy said, following my gaze to the other dugout. "Are you going to be able to play for me? Or do you want to switch to the other team?" He asked.

    My eyes widened as I looked at him. "I can pick?"

    He gave a short nod. "Zeke has explained some of your circumstances. I won''t force you to be here, but Zeke said I could remind you that he was still within your sight. You can see him and he can see you. If anything goes wrong, he will be here in a blink." He gave a small smile. "But, I''m also here. No unsavory situations could happen before me. If I see anyone with unsportsmanlike conduct, I''ll send them off immediately. Ultimately, this is my stadium and I won''t tolerate that kind of attitude."

    Oh.

 680 V2 ch152

    I glanced at the other dugout again. "...can I go talk to him first..?"

    Coach Leroy nodded. "Don''t spend too much time on it though. You need to warm up properly no matter which team you''re on."

    I nodded, understanding. Then I hurried to the dugout entrance and headed for the other dugout, hoping Zeke would see me.

    He did. Almost like he knew I was going to panic. He exited his dugout and met me behind home plate.

    He looked down at me. "Scared?"

    "Nervous." My hands drifted to my stomach, holding it. "You won''t leave?"

    "Why would I?" He asked.

    My eyes narrowed. "I thought you or Rhys would be in my dugout..."

    Zeke flashed me a small smile. "I''m still here, watching your every move. And, you know Coach Leroy. He''s a great coach and a good man. He won''t let anything happen to you."

    I slowly nodded. "I know...I just..."

    "Needed some reassurance?" Zeke asked. I blushed and looked at my feet. "Hey, that''s nothing to be ashamed of. If you want, you can come to my team."

    "Coach Leroy said that too." I peeked up at him. "You don''t want me to do that though, right?"

    Zeke chuckled. "You don''t have to, if you don''t want to. You''ve already done very well this week, with expanding your comfort zone."

    I scratched my cheek and took a look back at the dugout. Coach Leroy stood just outside the dugout, waiting patiently for my decision. I looked back at Zeke. "It''s okay. I''m okay. I just...freaked out for a second. But you''re here. It''s okay." I repeated again, trying to comfort myself.

    Zeke reached out and gave me a pat on the head, pushing my hat down. "Don''t beat us up too much."

    I grinned and took a step back. "Noah won''t be happy if I don''t beat you."

    Zeke laughed. "Alright. We''ll see. Go and warm up."

    We parted ways, heading back to our respective dugouts.

    I stopped in front of Coach Leroy, feeling a little embarrassed. "I''ll play for you."

    Coach Leroy gave a hearty laugh. "Happy to hear it. Head to the outfield and follow Chandler through warmups."

    I followed his instructions and joined the others in the outfield, sticking relatively close to Landon. When it came time to pair up to play catch, I didn''t even have to ask Landon. He just assumed we would partner up and it cut my anxiety in half.

    After warmups and just before game time, Coach Leroy announced the starting lineup. I was the first name called, batting first and playing second base. Landon was also in the starting lineup, but playing left field and batting seventh.

    As the home team, we took the field first. The umpires and coaches allowed us some extra time to throw the ball around and let the pitchers throw a few extra balls off the mound. Coach Leroy stated that the pitchers would be changed throughout the game as he was trying to give all of them exposure.

    In the dugout, in the middle of the inning, I switched into a helmet and grabbed my bat.

    "You don''t use batting gloves?" Landon asked before I headed out.

    I glanced down at my hands before shaking my head. "No."

    "Do you want to borrow mine?" He offered.

    "No thank you. I''m fine." I told him before leaving.

    It''s better not to change anything right now in a game that Coach Leroy expects us to win. I have to do my part. I stepped up to the plate, getting into the righty''s box, choosing that side simply because I only used my left yesterday. I couldn''t tell if this was effective training, but it made me feel at ease, knowing that I was practicing from both sides of the plate.

    The starting pitcher for team two, came out wild. He was all over the place, throwing me four straight balls that weren''t anywhere close to the zone. I couldn''t foul the ball without looking like an idiot so I accepted the walk, dropping my bat after ball four, and jogged to first base.

    The pitcher threw his first strike of the game, only for it to be hit for a single to left field. I stood on second base as the ball was thrown back.

    The third batter didn''t let up either, swinging at the first strike he saw, making solid contact with the pitch. He ripped it to left field. The left fielder sprint in and made a diving grab for the first out. I went back to second base. It was too late to tag up...not like I would have been abled to make it. The line drive was too shallow and I''m just not that fast.

    Zeke came out for a short mound visit, probably only saying a sentence or two. Whatever he said to him gave the pitcher the strength to strike out the next two batters to end the inning.

    Top of the second, our starting pitcher was sent back out to deal with the cleanup hitters. Batter number four hit a high fly ball for the first out. The fifth batter struck out for the second out.

    Batter number six worked the count before making good contact, smacking a hard grounder between me and the first baseman. We had both tried our best, diving in the dirt, but came up empty-handed. It didn''t matter too much because the next batter flew out to center field for the third out.

    Back in the dugout.

    This time it was me watching Landon get ready for his at-bat. The first thing he reached for was his batting gloves. He looked at me while putting them on. "Most important tool as a batter. Have to prevent blisters so you can focus on hitting."

    My lips twitched as I showed him my hands. No blisters, but rough callouses to protect my hands.

    Landon studied my hands for a second before sighing. "I guess batting prodigies are allowed to be different. It wouldn''t make sense if they just followed everyone else." He glanced at my bat. "A wood bat. No gloves. Switch hit. You''re pretty strange." He left to go stand in then on deck circle.

    Strange? I sighed. It''s not like I was doing it intentionally. Kind of. The bat will never change. I refuse to touch an aluminum bat, never mind would I swing one. I don''t want to be like my mom. Even though I knew it wasn''t the same thing, I just felt physically ill at the thought. As for batting gloves? I''ll just wait until there''s a need for it. Right now wasn''t it.

    The bottom of the second inning started with our sixth batter who grounded out to third, bringing Landon up. His stance was steady and his swing was very compact. He didn''t go chasing the balls out of the zone so he had a good eye. On a 3-1 count, he hit the ball to the gap between left and center field. As the outfielders sprinted to get the ball rolling between them to the wall, Landon took off. He didn''t hesitate to round first base and go for two. The center fielder reached the ball first, picked it up, and made an excellent throw straight to second base, skipping over the shortstop. Landon went sliding in feet first as the second baseman caught the ball.

    "Safe."

    Landon had the first double of the game. We officially have a man in scoring position in the second inning of the game.

    Batter eight hit a long line drive to center field, making the outfielder go back to the warning track. He made the catch, and Landon decided to tag up to get to third. He came sliding in under the throw once more, safely reaching third. Our dugout made some noise for him, excited about his aggressive baserunning.

    There were no first or third base coach so Landon had to make these decisions on his own. It really made him shine.

    With the ninth batter going up to the plate, I had put on my helmet once more to stand in the on deck circle. Just as I was praying for him to get on base, the pitcher threw a wild pitch, hitting him. The ninth batter calmly took first base.

    I stepped up to the plate. Two on, two out. I really wanted to try for a homerun like I was doing yesterday. But...Coach Leroy said we must win. It''s expected of us. The best thing to do right now would be to drive Landon home for an early lead. With my decision made, I swung at the first pitch, a fastball high but still inside the zone.

    The ball just got over the infield and bounced before the incoming right fielder. Landon sprinted home, and the ninth batter made it to second, while I stood at first.

    1-0 lead.

 681 V2 ch153

    The batter behind me came out swinging, making contact, hitting the ball to the third baseman. He threw him out at first for the third and final out of the inning.  I jogged back to the dugout and received some smiles and congratulations on my RBI single.

    I thought Coach Leroy would be happy with what I was abled to do, but on my way out to take the field, he made eye contact with me. "Let''s talk when you get back."

    I gulped. My movements became sluggish as I head to my position. Talk? Talk about what? Did I do something wrong?

    With a pitching change, our warmup was slightly longer than usual, giving me extra time to overthink.

    From the bottom of the lineup, batter number eight led off. He struck out swinging, bringing up the ninth. I was still stuck in my head but a ''ding'' of the bat got my attention. The ball soared to the corner of left field, landing fair. Landon chased it and picked it up, throwing the ball to the shortstop as I covered second. The batter easily reached without having to slide.

    Dang it. That''s right. The pitcher would be replaced with a pinch hitter. This isn''t the time to have wandering thoughts.

    We came back to the top of the lineup. The new pitcher was just as shaken as I was by the double. He threw a wild pitch, hitting the leadoff batter near the knee. The batter went down, in pain. The coaches from his team, including Zeke, came out to check on him.

    The pitcher took off his hat and looked at the player apologetically. The first baseman made a move to the mound, signaling for the rest of us infielders to follow.

    The catcher also came, speaking up first. "Hey, don''t panic. You''ll just make things worse for yourself."

    "Don''t say that." The first baseman scolded him before looking at the pitcher. "Stay calm. Take a few extra breaths. You only get to face so many batters so make the most of it."

    The pitcher nodded and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. We stayed with him as the coaches checked out the injured batter. He was soon escorted off the field towards an athletic trainer. Team two replaced him with a pinch runner. He must be hurting pretty bad.

    With the change made, everyone went back to their positions and batter two stepped up. He missed the first two pitches, getting stuck in an 0-2 count. He held back from swinging at a ball just outside the zone, 1-2. He got under the next pitch, popping it up to the first baseman. Infield fly rule, automatic out, the runners stayed on first and second.

    (AN: reminder: the rule exists to prevent the defense from executing a double or triple play by deliberately failing to catch a ball that an infielder could catch with ordinary effort.)

    "Jake." Coach Leroy greeted, making me freeze in place. "Come here for a second." He waved for me to follow him.

    I dragged my feet amidst the stares from my teammates.

    Coach Leroy took me to the little hallway that led to the club room of Stanford''s baseball team. The area had been marked as off-limits but with the head coach here, it''s not like I could get in trouble. We stopped in the middle of the tunnel. "Let''s talk about your at-bat."

    I gulped. "W-w-what about it..?" My voice cracked, making me blush with embarrassment.

    "You''re not in trouble, Jake." Coach Leroy assured me. "I just want to talk about it. Get your thoughts on why you did what you did."

    "Why I did what I did..?" I repeated, confused. "...I hit the ball...and drove in a run..?"

    He chuckled. "I know what you did. But why? I heard from Coach Nate and Rhys yesterday, that you were interested in trying to hit homeruns?"

    I nodded.

    "Then why not go for it?"

    "I thought about it." I admitted. "But, there was two outs, a runner on third. You said that we should win this game. I didn''t want to mess up and hit a fly out or something, so I played it safe. Get a hit to score the run." I pinched my fingers together, nervous.

    Coach Leroy nodded, thoughtfully. "I see. Your thinking isn''t wrong, but it''s not exactly right either. If we were losing by one, that might make sense. However, it''s a tie game. Most importantly, it''s early. It''s better to take chances early on in a game. Especially for someone as good as yourself."

    Oh. I started to nod.

    "And a friendly reminder, this is a showcase game, show off your skills. Yes, I said we should win, but I said that mostly to see how you boys would react." He grinned. "And now I see that you took my words to heart. Putting the score in front of your personal goals makes you a team player. Thank you."

    I blushed, not understanding why he was thanking me. "Okay...so next time...I can try to hit a homerun?"

    He grinned. "Of course. I would like to see you in action. I still remember your first homerun in this very stadium. Then your second during the evaluations. You haven''t let me down once. I believe you can succeed if you put in your full effort."

    "Thanks." I cracked a smile, relieved.

    "Coach!" Chandler called from where the dugout was. "The inning is over. Fly out to center. Pop up foul to the catcher. Strikeout. They''re taking the field. Are you sending Jake back out there or replacing him?"

    "He''s coming." Coach Leroy told him. He grinned down at me. "You might only have one at-bat left if they keep that pace."

    My grip on my glove tightened. "I''ll be abled to do it." I nodded once more before hurrying my way back to the dugout. I passed by Chandler and took the field. I jogged behind the pitcher to get to my spot.

    Top of the fourth. The pitcher stayed the same. He made quick work of the first two guys up, earning another strikeout and getting a groundout to short.

    That brought up the sixth batter for the second time. Recalling how he snuck a hit between me and the first baseman, I shifted over a little more, hoping for a repeat. But this time, I would be able to make the play.

    Of course, that would only work if he had hit into the same gap as before. He didn''t. He blasted the ball into the air. The right fielder chased the ball back to the warning track, and then could only watch as it soared over the fence for a homerun. 1-1. Lost our lead in a blink of an eye.

    I could only think that if I had hit a homerun in the second inning, we would have scored three runs. We would have still been winning. Ugh. Dang it. I should have consulted Coach Leroy about my hitting before the game.

    Batter number seven for the opposing team was a pinch hitter, yet he still made the last out of the inning just like the guy he replaced. Except it was a groundout to third this time instead of a fly out.

    Back inside the dugout, preparing for our offensive, Landon put on his helmet and batting gloves.

    "What did Coach Leroy want from you?" He asked me in a low whisper.

    "He was just making some suggestions." I said. "Coaching me in better decision making."

    He sighed. "I wish I could be coached too."

    "Make a mistake?" I offered up.

    He laughed and headed for the on deck circle.

    He probably thought I was kidding, but I wasn''t. Coach Leroy was dedicated to making everyone a better player. Even now, he was speaking with the pitcher who just finished the inning. I''m sure it''s just as informative as the speech I had received.

    Bottom of the fourth, starting with the sixth batter. Everyone was caught by surprise as the batter crushed the very first pitch to center field. It cleared the wall and flew into the trees for a solo shot. The batter pumped his fists as he jogged the bases. He high fived Landon after tagging home, making the score 2-1.

    Most of the team congratulated him once he came back in the dugout.

    "Nice swing." He even got a compliment out of Chandler.

    Landon stepped up to bat next. If he got on, I might have a chance to come up to bat this inning. I got my helmet out and set it down beside me. Landon had previously gotten a double so I had some faith in him.

 682 V2 ch154

    Landon didn''t let me down. He hit a single to right field and stayed on first base with a smile. I can understand his happiness. He already has two hits in front of a few scouts and was performing well.

    Batter eight came up again. He had previously hit a line drive to center so it showed that the order of the lineup didn''t matter much. Any of these guys could hit. Our team is full of players that performed the best this past weekend.

    The pitcher for team two led with two balls outside, then tried for something inside. He threw a curve that didn''t break and ended up hitting the batter in the butt. Batter eight was fine, and jogged to first base without any problems. Landon moved to second base.

    A coach for the other team came out and called for a pitching change. Rather rare in this camp because the coaches have been fair to let the pitchers complete their inning regardless of the score.

    Coach Leroy also made a change, putting in a pinch hitter for the pitcher in the nine spot. We both went out of the dugout together to take practice swings. Though his were more aggressive. Almost like he wanted to win this game right now.

    My lips twitched as I watched from the corner of my eye. This guy had the same idea as me, hitting a homerun, but his swing screamed that he won''t be able to do it.

    And I was right. During his at-bat, he was over swinging. Too focused on the speed of his bat over making solid contact. He did get a piece of a pitch, hitting a grounder between the first and second baseman. The first baseman got to it first, fielded the ball, and threw to the shortstop at second. The shortstop threw to the pitcher covering first, but it wasn''t in time.

    Landon made it to third and now the ninth batter was on first, while the eighth batter was sent back to the dugout.

    I walked up to the plate. Two on. One out.

    The pitcher got set and threw his first pitch. Normally I would like to study a pitcher and his movements, nitpicking at his motion, but he threw a fastball right down the middle. Too good to pass up. I swung and pulled it to left field. The ball carried as I started to jog. It cleared the fence for a three run homerun. Landon scored. The ninth batter scored. I tagged home plate, greeted by the pair.

    We now had a 5-1 lead.

    Coach Leroy had a giant smile on his face as I came back into the dugout with the other two. "Knew you could do it kid."

    "I got lucky." I stayed humble, knowing that a big part of my homerun came from the easy pitch I got. I glanced back to the field and saw that the other coach came out again, but just for a short chat on the mound.

    Whatever was said, had calmed down the pitcher. He got the second batter to fly out to center field and then struck out the third batter to end the inning.

    Team two sent out their eighth batter who pulled off a homerun shot of his own to make the score 5-2. The ninth batter also did some damage, hitting a double to the corner of right field. Back to the top of the lineup, the batter got under the ball but it was just a short pop up to me.

    I made the catch and threw the ball back to the pitcher on the mound. "One out." I stated, trying to sound upbeat.

    "One out!"

    "One out, keep it going!"

    "One out, two to go!"

    The team started to echo, bringing some energy to the defense.

    Team two came out with a pinch hitter...a familiar face...Adam. I guess he''s finally getting his chance in the game. I felt some guilt that I would be playing longer on a better team while he couldn''t even though he was better at fielding than me. It made me want to cheer for him during his at-bat.

    Adam worked hard during his at-bat, fouling off four straight pitches in the beginning. He held back from swinging at the obvious balls and then fouled some more pitches that were too close to tell. By the thirteenth pitch, you could visibly see the distress and annoyance on the pitcher''s face. He decided to challenge Adam by throwing a fastball in the middle low zone. Big mistake.

    Adam swung with ease, taking advantage of the easy pitch, making perfect contact. The ball flew off his bat to left field. Landon chased it to the fence, timed his jump, but couldn''t come down with the ball. A two run shot to make the score 5-4.

    I resisted the urge to smile at Adam as he rounded the bases. He wasn''t on my team after all.

    Chandler came out to speak with our pitcher, probably giving him some words of comfort. The pitcher didn''t bounce back as well as team two did. He gave up another single to the following batter. The next batter also put the ball into play, but we turned a double play to end the offensive.

    Bottom of the fifth. Adam stayed in the game as shortstop. He saw action right away after our cleanup hitter hit a hard grounder right at him. Surprisingly, he bobbled the transition and dropped the ball, letting our hitter reach on an error.

    "That sucks." Landon sighed as he put his helmet on. "He''s probably beating himself up over that error." He grabbed his bat and went towards the entrance.

    I looked at Adam closely, but couldn''t see any anger on his face. If he''s beating himself up over that, then he''s pretty good at hiding his emotions. At least he hit a homerun to cover for that error. Maybe that kind of thought is helping him stay cool.

    The pitcher didn''t seem to care either. He just focused on the batter, trying to move on. He made a nice comeback with three straight strikeouts to end the inning. One of which was Landon.

    "Man, what a letdown." He moaned as he switched his gear. "I was really hoping to be perfect at the plate today. It would be a great way to end the camp." We both headed for the field. "Even a groundout or fly out would have been better." He sighed.

    I laughed. "And if you had either of those, you would have still wanted a hit."

    "What can I say? Baseball players are greedy when it comes to their batting average." He laughed too.

    We jogged to our respective positions as the sixth inning began. Our pitcher had changed once more, but at least there wasn''t any homeruns this time. The fifth batter did hit a powerful line drive, but the center fielder made a diving grab to get the out. The sixth batter followed with a fly out to right field.

    Team two did another pinch hitter, putting in Ansar in the seventh spot. I wanted to cheer for him too, however I was feeling a little superstitious right now. I mentally cheered for Adam and he hit a homerun; I didn''t want the same thing to happen again so I held back.

    Ansar worked the count in a similar way, but didn''t get a hit. Instead he earned a walk. It didn''t mean much though, because the batter after him hit a fly out to right field to end their sixth inning.

    Bottom of the sixth, I would get another chance to bat. If the scores stayed the same, this would be my team''s last chance at scoring runs. It wasn''t a good start with the two before me hitting into groundouts. The first to short and the second to third. Unfortunately I came up with two outs and nobody on.

    With nobody on, it wasn''t hard for me to decide to try for a homerun again. The  pitcher was different once again, and wasn''t as silly to throw me anything down the middle. This time, I had to watch as I tried to find something good to hit. He threw a lot of breaking balls low in the zone. I fouled off a few until I tried to hit one to the right field fence again. The right fielder paused on the warning track, came in about a yard and made the catch to end the sixth inning.

 683 V2 ch155

    I hung my head as I went back to the dugout.

    "Don''t be too upset about it." Coach Leroy said as soon as I stepped in the dugout. "That would have been a homerun on a high school field. Unless an outfielder climbed the fence."

    I looked up at him. "Really?"

    "Of course. I know my field dimensions." He grinned. "You put on more weight and gain some more muscle, you won''t have to think so hard. You''ll be able to hit quite a few homeruns this season. I''m sure of it." He put his hand on my shoulder and lowered his voice. "Take your time, Jake. You''re already ahead of the curve for your age."

    I nodded and went to my bag to grab my glove and hat. I understood that Coach''s words were meant to cheer me up and assure me that I was doing well. It''s just...after facing those minor league pitchers...I felt like I was lacking. I know age is a factor, but also, Jeremy...he''s the same age as the guys I faced and he''s playing at an even higher level.

    Hmm. I had the same feeling with Zeke. The urge to catch up. Is this...how Noah feels? Constantly trying to catch up to his brothers despite the age gap.

    I clenched my right hand and hit it into my glove a few times as we started the top of the seventh inning. It didn''t relieve my frustration.

    Our pitcher came out a little wild, walking the ninth batter. With a runner on first, the infield shifted as the first baseman had to stay on first base. Hopefully we could turn a double play.

    The pitcher tried to pickoff the runner at first, but was unsuccessful on two attempts. The batter at the top of the lineup hit a high, but short, fly to right field. I tracked back to make the catch.

    "I got it!" The right fielder came in sprinting. He dove for the ball and made the catch just a few feet away from me. He popped back up on his feet and threw the ball back to the infield as I awkwardly stood there. He glanced at me and then went back to his position further out.

    Okay. That was weird. I walked back to my own position. With one out and one on, the double play was still an option. I didn''t have the time to dwell on it with Adam stepping in the batter''s box. He had previously hit a homerun of his own.

    Adam was very steady in the batter''s box. No extra movements like waving his bat around or kicking the dirt. He was solely focused on the pitcher. He made solid contact, hitting a line drive to center field. It bounced before the outfielder could get there. He played it on the hop and threw the ball at me, covering second. The runner from first easily made it before I caught the ball. Runners on first and second. Still one out.

    I threw the ball back to the pitcher.

    The pitcher didn''t really settle after that. He gave up a long fly ball to center field. The runner from second base tagged up and moved to third. That brought up the cleanup hitter. Luckily, he got jammed and popped the ball up to me.

    Game over. We won 5-4.

    Those of us on the field went to the mound to congratulate the pitcher on closing the game, even if it got a bit sketchy. The rest of our team came out of the dugout, including the coaches.

    Coach Leroy asked for the other team to come out of their dugout and waited for the pitchers from the bullpens to join us too. Then he addressed the whole group. "Well done, boys. It was a good game to watch. It could have gone either way the whole time. I''m proud of the effort I saw today. Even though the game doesn''t mean much, you all tried your best." He glanced back to the stands. "The scouts and recruiters watching don''t matter as much as you think they do. It''s your own skill and effort that will carry you to where you want to go." He grinned. "Alright, I won''t keep you. Go watch the other games. Shower. Talk with one of the staff. Do whatever you want to do until lunchtime."

    One of the guys from our team raised his hand.

    "Yes?" Coach Leroy noticed him right away.

    I recognized him as the third batter...that played right field. He stood up and stepped forward. "Can I have a minute with you? To talk about what I could have done better. How I could be better?"

    Coach Leroy kept his smile. "Sure." He looked around. "If anyone else has any questions for me, I''ll be happy to answer them to the best of my abilities. Just meet me in the cafeteria. I''ll have a table organized so it can be a little more private."

    A lot of the guys looked excited.

    The group started to disperse, everyone going their own way. I went to my bag in the dugout and started to change out of my cleats.

    "What are you going to do, Jake?" Landon asked, packing up his own bag.

    I shrugged. "I''m not sure..." What should I do? I frowned.

    Landon opened his mouth, then closed it. I raised an eyebrow and realized he wasn''t looking at me. I turned around and spotted Zeke coming into the dugout and heading my way.

    Zeke nodded in Landon''s direction. "Good game."

    "Thanks." Landon said in a low voice.

    Zeke looked at me. "I''m going to go watch Noah''s game. Want to go over together?"

    "He''s still playing?" I asked. "Will he still be playing by the time we get there?"

    Zeke nodded, revealing a hint of a smile. "Rhys is already over there. He sent me a text. They''re barely halfway through."

    My eyes widened. "Wow. Really?" He gave another nod and I started to rush, packing up my baseball bag and stood up. I looked at Landon. "Want to come?"

    Landon shook his head. "No. I''m going to go back and shower. Meet up with Coach Leroy and see who else I can talk to. Get my name out there."

    "You got some nice hits today." I told him.

    Landon laughed. "Thanks. I''ll see you at lunch." He waved as I left with Zeke.

    I walked next to Zeke to one of the practice fields slightly further away. I haven''t been to this field before. "Why is his game taking so long?" I asked mainly to make conversation, but also I was curious how we could finish so far ahead of them.

    "Why do you think?" Zeke asked.

    I looked down at my feet, taking step by step. Then I looked up at him. "Are they in a high scoring game? Getting lots of hits?"

    Zeke smiled. "They are."

    That makes sense. It would take the game longer to finish if they''re getting hits and not outs. But to only be halfway done after we finished...how many hits could there be?

 684 V2 ch156

    The field only had bleachers behind home plate and it was rather full. Especially for a game between two teams ranked five and six. As the higher ranked team, Noah would be the home team. I looked for him as soon as we got close enough.

    "Zeke! Jake! Over here!" I heard Rhys calling for us. I scanned the bleachers and found him near the front, towards the home dugout side.

    Zeke led the way, sitting next to Rhys and leaving me a spot on the end. "What inning is it?"

    "Top of the fourth, two outs." Rhys answered.

    I dropped my bag on the ground and sat beside Zeke, feeling a little uneasy with being in the crowded stand. They were a mix of players and coaches. Maybe a few scouts. I couldn''t tell.

    "How was your game, Jake?" Rhys peeked over to ask.

    "Fine." I shrugged. Then frowned. "Well...I could have done better."

    Rhys grinned. Before he could say anything else, we heard the ''ding'' of a bat making contact with a pitch. Instinctively, we turned to the field just in time to see Noah making a diving grab to snatch a line drive out of the air.

    "Wow!" Rhys clapped. "What a catch!"

    Zeke clapped too, but didn''t say anything about it.

    I clapped too, copying their movements.

    A few of those around us could be heard complimenting Noah''s grab, and mourning the stolen hit from the batter.

    "What''s the score now?" Zeke asked.

    I leaned in, wanting to know as well.

    Rhys chuckled. "14-6, Noah''s team is winning. It''s been brutal on the pitchers. None have lasted an inning. The coaches have been rotating through them because of how hot the bats have been." He pointed at the field and sure enough, a new pitcher came jogging from a makeshift bullpen beyond the outfield. "Noah should be second up this inning as long as he doesn''t get pulled."

    "Why would he get pulled?" I asked.

    Rhys fixed the baseball hat he was wearing. "He has already bat three times. Got a hit all three times. It''s only fair to give other players a chance to show their stuff. In a blowout game like this, that doesn''t even matter, there probably isn''t any point for him to keep going."

    "Oh." I replied, thinking back to Coach Nate who never took me out this week. I guess not all coaches would be the same.

    "I see him." Zeke spoke up. "He''s going to bat."

    Noah was in the on deck circle, swinging his bat around.

    "He''s a homerun away from hitting for the cycle." Rhys lowered his voice. "He got a triple first. Then singled and doubled. Knowing Noah, he''ll definitely want to aim for the homerun to get a cycle."

    "Do you think he can do it?" I asked, hopeful and happy for Noah. Yesterday''s good batting has carried over. I bet he''s excited.

    I sighed.

    "This is also a new pitcher." Rhys reminded me. "With this big of a lead, he should really be working on getting a solid hit."

    "You were the one that thought he would try for a homerun." I accused.

    Rhys shrugged. "That''s really what I think. Noah is just that kind of kid."

    The first batter hit into a groundout to short. One out and Noah was up. He took one more practice swing before stepping into the batter''s box. The pitcher started off with a ball low and away; Noah didn''t swing. Another pitch low, but a little more in the strike zone for strike one.

    On the 1-1 count, the pitcher threw high and inside. Noah started to swing and I started to cringe. Unexpectedly, Noah changed his swing to make perfect contact, sending the ball between center and right field. Then he bolted.

    The ball bounced in the gap and rolled to the fence before the outfielders could get to it. The center fielder was the one to pick it up and turned to make the throw to the cutoff man. Noah didn''t stop at second and was sprinting to third. I clenched my fists, anxious. The cutoff man caught the ball, turned all the way around to throw to the third baseman. Just as Noah was sliding into third, the third baseman brought down the tag.

    "Safe!" A coach acting as an umpire declared.

    Rhys stood up and clapped like crazy. Seeing him show support to Noah made me jump up and do the same.

    "Yea, Noah! Great hit!" Rhys hollered.

    I clapped in unison.

    The two of us garnered attention from those around us. Most of the players and coaches here were impartial and didn''t cheer for one team over the other. Just as I was feeling self-conscious and had an urge to sit back down, Zeke stood up and clapped as well.

    The three of us making noise caused Noah to look over at us. Recognizing us, he started to wave from third base, completely ignoring the fact that he was in the middle of a game.

    We three sat back down as the next batter stepped up to the plate.

    "Wow. Noah has really matured." Rhys commented. "I really thought he was going to try for the homerun."

    "He swung at a ball not in the zone." Zeke''s lips twitched. "I wouldn''t call that mature. But, it does look like he''s using his head more. If he hits like this next week, then I''m sure Coach will be excited." He glanced down at me. "Especially if he pairs it with your newfound power."

    I blushed.

    Noah ended up scoring on a sacrifice fly. Sadly, that was it for him in the game. Top of the fifth, his coach had pulled him out completely, letting someone new play shortstop. We watched the last couple of innings and waited for the coaches to speak with the players after the game.

    Noah hurried over to us once he was done. "Hey! Guys! How long have you been watching?? Did you get to see all of my hits?" He paused. "Oh wait. You couldn''t have." He looked sad for only a second before a grin covered most of his face. "Let me tell you about it! So-"

    Rhys waved his hand in front of Noah''s face. "Cool it, kid. I was here. I told them all about it. I really thought you were going for the cycle."

    Noah sighed, looking a little distressed. "I wish! That would have been an awesome way to end this camp. I rather have a perfect stat sheet today instead so I was aiming for open space." He looked at me. "What did you think?"

    "What did I think?" I repeated back at him.

    Noah nodded. "Yea, what did you think of my swing?"

    "You swung at a pitch above the strike zone." I said, unsure of what he wanted to hear.

    "Yea. I did that intentionally." Noah nodded, smiling. He pulled out his phone and showed us a video of a major league game. The batter also swung at a pitch high above the zone. It fell in right field. "I''ve been watching batting videos in my free time to see if I could find something that would help me."

 685 V2 ch157

    We listened as he showed us another video of the same player hitting another pitch that''s high. "See!? That''s what I''m aiming for!"

    Zeke frowned and spoke up first. "It''s an option, but don''t go chasing it."

    "I know." Noah nodded. "This player doesn''t do it all the time. It''s only when he''s been thrown a lot of low pitches and is expecting the next pitch to be high."

    "I think it''s fine." Rhys said. "You executed very well today and showed that your decision-making is maturing. With your speed, almost anything to the outfield could be a double."

    Noah grinned. "Thanks, Rhys." He looked at me. "How was your game, Jake?"

    "It was okay. Walk, single, homerun, then a fly out to left field." I answered. "We won 5-4."

    "How many RBI''s??"

    I thought about it. "Four."

    "Amazing! You did practically all the work." He grinned. "Did you leave anything for Landon?"

    "Landon got two hits and two runs." I told him.

    We talked about our games until we got back to the dormitory. Rhys and Zeke left us to help the other coaches and staff in the cafeteria. We cleaned up and packed up everything before going to the cafeteria for lunch.

    A few players came down with their bags, saying their goodbyes as they headed to the cafeteria.

    "You guys didn''t bring your bags down?" Travis asked.

    "Nah, we have to wait for Zeke and everything so we''ll wait." Noah told him. He looked at his bags. "Are you leaving right away?"

    Travis gave a small nod. "Right after lunch. Have to hit the road and beat the Friday rush hour traffic."

    Inside the cafeteria, players and staff were either standing up or taking up table space. Someone had reserved a few tables for pizza and drinks. A bigger table had some of the staff passing out the goodie bags with the evaluation results.

    I thought for sure Noah would want to get his evaluation sheet, but instead he said, "Let''s go get some pizza first."

    I looked at him.

    He shrugged. "That evaluation doesn''t mean much to me. I''m not the same player I was on Monday."

    My lips twitched. "It''s only been five days..."

    "Yep!" He grinned. "And I feel like I''ve learned a lot. I can see why the twins like going to camps like these." He looked me in the eyes. "Don''t you feel like you''re a better player than on Monday?"

    I hesitated.

    "Come on." Noah nudged me. "Your fielding looked way smoother yesterday than during the evaluations. Chandler really demonstrated all kinds of drills for us, and you''re going to say you''re not a better player?"

    "Well...I do think his drills helped." I admitted. "I feel a little more confident in fielding. And I know what to work on. It''s just..."

    "Thinking about your time with those minor leaguers?" Noah read my mind.

    I nodded.

    "I feel challenged." I clenched my fists, and unclenched them. "You weren''t there, but it was completely one-sided. I couldn''t do anything. I felt like..."

    "Like you suck?" Noah offered up.

    I glared at him, but reluctantly nodded.

    Noah laughed. "Don''t dwell on it too much. There''s an adjustment for every level. It doesn''t help that you''re playing at a lower level right now. It''s what you''re accustomed too. And before you talk about the cages, there''s no variety in it besides speed."

    I sighed.

    Noah put an arm around my shoulders and guided me to the line for food. "I believe in you. You just need more experience against better batteries. Pitchers that are not only good, but can throw what the catcher wants. Then it becomes a mind game."

    Noah and I talked about pitchers and catchers until it was our turn to grab food. We each got a plate full of pizza and paired it with a water bottle. We found a table in the corner, out of the way of all the hustle and bustle.

    A few of the guys we knew came by for a few minutes at a time, saying their goodbyes and telling us to keep in touch over social media.

    Adam was the only one to take the time to sit with us as he ate his own food. When Noah asked why he wasn''t going to speak with any of the staff, he replied that he already did.

    "I was one of the first to meet with Coach Leroy while you were still playing." He explained.

    "What did he say?" Noah asked.

    Adam shrugged, but revealed a small smile. "Nothing about recruiting, but he did say I had an excellent game. I might not get any interest from big time schools like this one, but..." He took a paper out of his small Stanford bag. "My evaluation wasn''t half bad. Need to work on my speed, of course, but overall-" He grinned. "He said I could expect a few phone calls or emails these next few days."

    "Impressive!" Noah commented, taking a look at his evaluation. "Don''t write off the big schools just yet. You did play on team two today and if you did as good as you say, maybe by the time your season rolls around, a few division one schools might reach out."

    Adam put his papers away. "I hope so. I''m not too picky about getting a scholarship, but playing for a D1 school is my dream." He took a bite out of his pizza. "I know you want to go pro after high school, Noah, but what about you, Jake?"

    I shrugged. "Undecided."

    Adam glanced around. "Any scouts approach you yet?"

    I shook my head. "I haven''t talked to anyone."

    He blinked, surprised. "Really? That''s odd. I thought everyone would want to speak with you."

    "We are only sophomores." Noah pointed out. "You''ll be a senior when school starts, right?"

    Adam nodded. "One year to find a D1 program to accept me. Otherwise I''ll find a D2 school with the best scholarship offer, close to home." He repeated what he had told us the first time we met him. "After this camp, I feel like I can do it. Just gotta improve speed."

    "There''s plenty of time to do it." Noah assured him. "Stop stressing. My brothers haven''t picked a college yet. Heck, Zeke didn''t make a decision until almost the last second. He was still visiting schools during our season."

    Adam shook his head. "I''m not Zeke though." He started to laugh to himself. "I''m glad I never had to play against you guys. Especially in our first year of being in division three. You guys would probably walk all over us."

    Noah laughed. "We still would. You better pray you don''t run into us at a tournament or something. We still have Jake. Plus, my brothers that pitch are really good too. Your school wouldn''t stand a chance against us, state champs."

    Adam rolled his eyes. "Hey, show us some respect. We were too good for division four and that''s why we could move up. I''m not the best player on my team, okay."

    "Yea, but do you have a set of twins that have thrown perfect games?" Noah smirked.

    "Can I swear?" Adam asked.

    "And they aren''t even our best pitcher." Noah added.

    "Thankful you aren''t in the same league." Adam sighed.

 686 V2 ch158

    Adam spent some more time with us, until his ride home had arrived. He gathered up all his stuff, waved, then left.

    I felt a little sad seeing all of them go, one after another. It felt like our team banquet, where all the seniors were saying goodbye. We probably weren''t going to play with one another again.

    With players leaving and clearing out the cafeteria, Zeke and Rhys were finally freed from their obligations and joined us at the table.

    Rhys brought two Stanford bags over and placed over before each of us. "Hey, I grabbed these for you guys. Your evaluation papers are inside."

    "Cool, thanks." Noah opened his bag first and started to pull out his papers. He then set them aside and looked at the other stuff in his bag. "What did we all get?" He pulled out a shirt, a hydro flask, a lanyard, some granola bars, fruit snacks, wrist sweatbands, and batting gloves. "Wow! They really went all out. These are Nike batting gloves."

    I opened my bag and pulled out the batting gloves. I handed them over to Noah. "Here. You can have mine."

    Noah was surprised for a second, then let out a short laugh. "No thanks. You should keep them. Protect those hands of yours."

    I frowned. "I''m not really a fan. I like to hold my bat."

    "Batting gloves help with grip though." Rhys said. "Just give it a try. How will you know if you don''t like it if you don''t try it out?"

    I shrugged and put it back in my bag.

    "You guys aren''t interested in talking with any of the coaches?" Rhys asked.

    Noah continued to check out the free stuff he was given. "Nah. I think it''s cool, but in such a big camp like this, it''s not like they would remember me. Maybe Jake." He looked up at me. "Hey, why didn''t anyone come talk to you to advertise their school?"

    I shrugged again. "I don''t know."

    "I spoke with Coach Leroy." Zeke said, surprising all of us. He gave me a small smile. "I figured Jake wouldn''t be comfortable with strangers surrounding him so he let the college coaches and scouts know that Jake is only going to be a sophomore." He looked directly at me. "Don''t be surprised if they start sending some mail to you."

    "Do I...have to do anything..?" I asked, unsure.

    "Not if you don''t want to." Zeke told me. "Maybe next year you can visit a few of the colleges."

    I looked at Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "I rather go to camps. This week was fun. Meeting other players, practicing, and playing games all week."

    "You''ll do the same next week at your school." Rhys pointed out.

    Noah pouted. "That''s not the same. I know everyone at school."

    Rhys laughed and reached over to flip Noah''s hat off his head.

    "Hey!" Noah had to bend over to pick his hat up. When he sat back up, he made eye contact with someone to his left.

    Noah nodded immediately. "I was just saying how fun it was. I would like to go to more camps like this in the future."

    He laughed. "Well, you''re welcomed to come every year." He looked at Rhys and Zeke. "I wanted to thank you guys for helping out. There''s no pay, and it''s really only showing me face, but I appreciate it. Maybe next year will be even bigger if we win that championship."

    "We''ll do it." Rhys declared.

    Coach Leroy grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. "That''s what I like to hear." He looked at Noah. "Work hard this upcoming year. I hope to hear your name a little more often." He looked at me. "And you keep aiming for those fences."

    "Yes, sir." Noah saluted.

    I also nodded.

    "Drive safe on your way home." He told all of us. Then focused on the older two again. "I''ll see you two in a couple of weeks. Make sure to be in shape. I don''t want you to embarrass yourselves." He laughed as he left our table.

    "You hear that, Zeke?" Rhys grinned and nudged him. "Don''t embarrass yourself as a first-round pick."

    Zeke squinted at him. "You''re the one that would most likely embarrass us. You haven''t pitched a game in a year. Coach Leroy wouldn''t even be looking at you if it wasn''t for me."

    "You mean if it wasn''t for me." Noah spoke up. "I''m the one to introduce him."

    "I would have figured it out on my own, okay?" Rhys rolled his eyes.

    "Says the guy that was looking at community colleges." Noah scoffed.

    "There''s nothing wrong with going to a community college." Rhys frowned at him. "It''s affordable and still competitive. Helps you get your life together for a year or two."

    Noah continued to give Rhys a hard time while Rhys continued to refute him. They bickered and joked, but I understood that Rhys was thankful for the Atkins. He said so in that interview to Mr. Cameron the first time I met him. They were there for him. Just like they''re there for me.

    A cellphone went off and Rhys pulled it out of his pocket. He motioned for Noah to be quiet as he answered. "Hello? You''re here? Okay, just look for Zeke''s car and we''ll meet you there! Thanks!" He hung up and grinned at me, kind of creeping me out. "Jake! I have a surprise for you!"

    "What is it??" Noah was more interested than I was.

    Rhys stood up. "Come on. Let''s go to your car. I promise you''re going to love it, Jake!"

    A possibility dawned on me. "Is it...bats??"

    Rhys faked a pout. "Booo. You already guessed?" He smiled. "That was my dad on the phone. Come, let''s go."

    I hurried to get up. Noah and Zeke also came along.

    In the parking lot, right next to Zeke''s car, was Mr. Johnson. I had only seen him once up close and a few times at the games, but he seemed nice. Rhys and him seemed close.

    He nodded at us. "Hello." He popped open his trunk and looked down at me. "I heard from Zeke that you use wood bats? And have a tendency to break them?"

    I turned red, embarrassed that he knows.

    "It''s not Jake''s fault." Noah defended me. "Jake takes really good care of his bats, but he''s been unlucky a couple of times." He gave Rhys a push. "Did you tell your dad that he broke a bat on your pitching?"

    Rhys laughed and gave Noah a pat on the head. "Of course I did."

    Mr. Johnson spoke up. "I''m not angry or upset. It''s actually not uncommon for bats to break. There are a lot of possibilities ranging from age, misuse, or just the way the pitcher throws." He stepped aside to reveal more than a few bats in his trunk. "These bats aren''t in great shape, but they''re still usable. I asked the team if they had any bats they wanted to throw away, and told them I was going to give this trash to an aspiring batter still in high school. Naturally, a lot of them were surprised that a high schooler was using wood bats already."

    I gulped. Trash? Not in great shape? I took a step closer. These bats still looked good to me! I looked up at Mr. Johnson and swallowed a lump in my throat. "Can I really keep these..?"

    He nodded and showed a hint of a smile. "What else would I do with this trash?"

    Happiness exploded within me.

 687 V2 ch159

    Zeke unlocked his car so we could move the bats to his trunk.

    "Thank you!" I raised my voice at Mr. Johnson, trying my best to show my gratitude.

    Mr. Johnson nodded. "Sure thing." He looked at Rhys. "I''m going to head to the stadium. Text me when you make it home."

    "Alright." Rhys grinned at his dad. "Thanks for making the trip, Dad."

    He gave his son a pat on the shoulder. "It''s no problem. I''ll see you after the game." He said his goodbyes and got back into his car. We watched him go, waving.

    Noah grinned at me. "Man, all those bats...where are we going to put them??"

    "The garage should be fine." Rhys suggested.

    My jaw dropped.

    Noah started to wag his finger at Rhys. "Typical. Pitchers just don''t understand how important bats are. Jake and I read up on how to take care of wood bats and it''s important not to have them stored in a damp area. With the fall coming, it''s better to keep them in our room."

    Rhys shrugged. "Store them in your closet?"

    I rolled my eyes. Like that''s any better.

    Noah just shook his head. "Ignore him." He told me. "Maybe Mom or Dad will have an idea." His eyes widened when an idea came to mind. "You know how there''s a cubby in the batting cages to hold spare bats? We should try to find something like that!"

    I nodded. That sounded like a good idea. It would make it easier for me to take care of these bats.

    "Let''s go grab our bags and pack up the car." Zeke said, heading back to the dorms. "Mom is expecting us to make it back for an early dinner."

    We obediently followed, only to split up once we enter the dorms. Noah and I went back to our room and grabbed our bags, leaving the room keys out on the desk. Supposedly one of the athletes would go around to collect all of them and make sure none of the rooms are torn up.

    With everything gathered, we went back downstairs and met up again with Zeke and Rhys. We walked out to the parking lot and said goodbye to Rhys as he walked to his own car. I felt a little sad watching him go.

    At least until Noah reminded me that we''ll see him again. "Don''t be upset." He told me as we packed up our car. "We can see Rhys almost anytime. Maybe after the high school camp though."

    I relaxed my shoulders, satisfied. "Right."

    "If you miss him that much, I can ask him to come visit us during the week." Zeke offered. "It''s not like he has a lot going on now that the camp is done. Plus, I''m sure the twins will want to see him too. Show off the skills they''ve learned this summer."

    "Are they already home??" Noah asked. "They haven''t sent me any texts yet."

    "Dave''s home." Zeke answered as we got into the car. He started the engine and pulled out of the parking space. "Dad picked Dave up early this morning. He''ll pick up Kyle late tonight. That''s why Mom wants to have an early dinner."

    "Who knows." Zeke shrugged. "I''ve never been to that camp nor do I know of its accuracy of their camp statement."

    They spent the next hour talking about what it took to break into the realm of 90mph pitching. Zeke mentioned a few professional players that suddenly realized they were throwing faster, while other players consciously worked at it. Rhys was lucky to have a pitching coach as his dad so he had someone watching his mechanics since day one.

    "A lot good that did him." Noah snorted. "He still needed Tommy John surgery. Does that make his dad a bad dad or a bad coach?"

    Zeke shook his head. "Some things are out of the coach''s and parent''s hands. Rhys should have known better than to push it. He didn''t have any self-control. He now knows what to do and more importantly, what not to do."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "You act like you''ve never pushed it beyond your limits either. Playing after getting hurt is what almost every athlete does."

    Zeke sighed. "Do as I say, not as I do."

    "Are you really quoting dad right now?" Noah laughed.

    I joined in too, laughing at the familiar saying.

    Zeke smiled, but continued to talk about the consequences of playing when something doesn''t feel ''right''. Noah made him swear not to get hurt at Stanford, and he surprisingly agreed.

    It was almost like Zeke was trying to impart advice and lectures as he got ready to leave us behind. Noah accepted all the advice on the condition that Zeke did the same while he was in college. Zeke really did have his own set of rules for himself so I thought Noah was right to push back. I didn''t want Zeke to get hurt while playing in college. That would just be bad for him, all the way around. I especially didn''t want to hear others talking crap about him for picking college over the majors.

    When we arrived back home, both Mom and Dad''s cars were sitting in the driveway. Zeke parked out on the street and we got out and stretched.

    "Let''s go inside first and come back for the bags!" Noah said as he headed for the front door.

    I nodded and followed along.

    Zeke was only a step behind me.

    "Mom! Dad! We''re home!" Noah yelled out as he pushed open the front door.

    The first to appear was Dave, coming out of the living room. He grinned as we all met in the walkway. "What a sight for sore eyes!"

    Noah grinned and lightly punched Dave in the stomach. "I''ll make you sore!"

    "Elder abuse!" Dave laughed as he stepped back. He glanced at me. "Hey Jake! Are you getting taller again?"

    I straightened up with pride.

    "Must be sucking up to Jake because you want something." Noah was immediately suspicious.

    Dave laughed. "You caught me." He looked down at me. "Want to see how my pitching has improved over the last few weeks?"

    I nodded, then paused. "Yes, but...do you really think I''ve grown..?"

    "Of course you''ve grown!" Mom assured me as she came down the stairs, obviously overhearing our conversation. "Dave, you don''t need to challenge Jake right when they get back. Let them come in all the way and get settled. I''m sure it''s been a tiring week." She pulled me and Noah into a simultaneous hug.

    "Awe, Mom! C''mon, let go. We were only gone for a week." Noah complained about the hug, but I didn''t see him fight to get away from it. He was even hugging her back.

    Mom let go of us and moved on to Zeke. "How was the drive? Was there traffic? Did you thank Coach Leroy for us? Come in, come in. Let''s move to the kitchen. I''ve baked some cookies for everyone." She gave Zeke no time to respond as she pulled him to the kitchen.

    The three of us didn''t wait around either. Not when cookies were being offered.

 688 V2 ch160

    Dad showed up after we got settled in our seats around the kitchen table.

    "Cookies before dinner?!" He said in mocked surprise. "Are you really their mother?"

    Mom, who was holding a cookie herself looked a little guilty. "It''s been a quiet week with all of them gone. Dessert before dinner is fun every once in awhile."

    "We should have dessert as an appetizer every day!" Noah grinned as he bit into his second cookie already.

    Mom glared at him.

    "Ha. Ha. Just kidding..." Noah looked down at his cookie and mumbled.

    Dad looked at me. "How was it? Did you boys have fun?"

    I nodded.

    "Did you show off your batting skills?" Dave asked.

    I nodded again.

    He laughed. "I bet they all hated you."

    "That''s not true!" Noah exclaimed. He looked at me and assured me that they didn''t hate me. "Don''t listen to him. The guys didn''t hate you."

    I hesitated. "Well...I think some of the guys on my team hated me."

    "And Rhys didn''t help you?" Noah frowned.

    I shrugged. "There wasn''t much he could do. They were mostly just jealous of my playing time." I sighed. "I even had to play in the outfield for part of a game because someone was mad that I got to play second base the whole time."

    Dave laughed. "Oh man, I''m sad I couldn''t see that. Did you trip at all?"

    My lips twitched. "Not during the game."

    "But during drills?" He laughed again.

    I blushed.

    "You''re so annoying." Noah told Dave while reaching for another cookie. "I can''t wait until Kyle gets back. How do you think it''ll feel to be the crappy twin?"

    "Noah James." Mom scolded. "Don''t let me hear you say something like that again."

    Noah shrugged. "What? There''s bound to be a twin which isn''t as good as the other."

    "Each person, twin or not, have their own set of skills." Dad spoke up. "We don''t compare you to your brothers so you shouldn''t compare them either. Everyone is their own person."

    "Yea, yea, I was just joking." Noah mumbled.

    The conversation mellowed out for a few minutes after Noah was scolded by Mom and Dad, but it soon picked up as Noah told them all about our week with more detail. When he got to the part where Rhys took me out to play against some minor leaguers, Dave was shocked.

    "You got to play against the pros??!" His jaw hung open.

    I nodded.

    "How''d you do?!" He leaned forward, eager to hear about my experience.

    "Crushed. Defeated. Thrashed." I used the first three adjectives that came to mind.

    "What! No way! You?!" Dave couldn''t believe it.

    "Three different pitchers and I couldn''t get one good hit." I elaborated.

    Dave couldn''t wrap his head around what we were saying. "Isn''t San Jose Giants a single A team?? How could you not just beat them up?"

    "Experience." Zeke said. He glanced at Dave. "If you were paired with an outstanding catcher, you could probably strike Jake out too."

    "I can do that now!" Dave declared. He grinned like a Cheshire cat. "I put my summer to good use."

    "Yea...right..." Noah rolled his eyes.

    Dave pointed at me. "What do you say, Jake? Want to face the new and improved me?"

    I cracked a smile. Dave and Noah were a lot alike.

    "You kids can play tomorrow." Dad said. He looked at Zeke. "Didn''t you already plan to go to the park tomorrow and then invite everyone over for dinner?"

    Noah dropped his cookie and looked at Zeke, excited. "You''ve already scheduled the game?"

    "Game?" Dave asked. "What game?"

    Zeke nodded at Noah. "I sent a text to a few of the guys to see if any of them were free and wanted to play. Quite a few replied so it won''t be as small as we thought."

    "What game? Are we playing over-the-line?" Dave interjected again.

    "We were going to play when you guys got back." Noah told him. "Me, Jake, and Andy on Kyle''s team. While you were with Zeke, Julian, and maybe Mahki. But now..." He looked to Zeke. "How many people are coming?"

    "Enough to play a real game." Zeke answered.

    Noah pumped his fists. "Yes!"

    I looked up at Dad. "They''re coming over after?"

    Dad smiled and nodded. "Zeke told us he would invite them over for dinner. We plan on just ordering pizza and setting it out before going out ourselves."

    I frowned. "Where are you going to go?"

    "Probably on a date." Noah laughed as my face turned red. "Mom and Dad used to go out on dates all the time before you came."

    Oh. I was taken aback by that statement.

    "It has nothing to do with you specifically." Mom told me, looking a little apologetic. "We just go on less outings when we have a foster kid with us because we like to make sure they''re comfortable with their surroundings. Seeing you go off with Noah and Zeke to the camp made us realize that you''re growing up. You don''t need us to accompany you all the time."

    I relaxed. "Oh, okay." I looked at Noah. "It''s like I''m one of you guys now."

    Noah grinned. "You were always one of us." He looked to his mom. "Did we officially adopt Jake yet?"

    I looked to her too, eager.

    Mom looked at us, then to her husband. "Wayne..."

    Dad laughed. "Go ahead and tell them."

    Mom looked excited as she looked around the table. "We were going to wait until you were all back, but, we have a court date!"

    "When?" Zeke asked.

    "Really??" Dave asked.

    "What does that mean?" Noah questioned.

    "It''s to finalize the adoption process." Mom grinned. "As you boys know, we had to submit our paperwork to the agency and attend some classes. Mr. Duncan and Dr. Moore did a lot to help us out and move along the process. It helped that-" She abruptly stopped.

    "What helped?" Noah poked her.

    She looked to Dad for help.

    Dad reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. "It helped that Jake''s biological mom lost her parental rights and his dad has passed away. The foster system likes to reunite families over adoption."

    "Why? That would be awful!" Noah was stunned.

    "Sometimes...parents just need a little help. It''s not always the best decision. But, in our case, it won''t matter much." Dad explained. "We also got a statement from Jeremy, to present to the court. Our path is free of anymore obstacles."

    "A statement?" I asked. "What did it say?"

    Dad gave my shoulder a squeeze. "He requested that it be read aloud during our hearing. He doesn''t want you to see it just yet."

    "It''s not...bad, is it?" I asked.

    "How could it be bad?" Noah laughed. "Dad just said no obstacles. Jeremy probably wrote something very helpful."

    The tension left my shoulders as I smiled, relieved.

    "When is it?" Zeke repeated.

    "Friday, August 23rd." Mom replied. "So three weeks from now, Jake can change his last name to Atkins."

    "Jake Atkins!" Noah laughed. "That has a good sound to it."

    "Atkins goes with almost every name." Dave pointed out.

    "You''re so annoying." Noah rolled his eyes.

    I smiled as I watched them bicker. Three weeks from now, this will be permanent. No one will be able to take this away from me.

 689 V2 ch161

    Dinner felt like a party after hearing the progress of my adoption. With eating cookies beforehand, it felt like everyone was on a sugar high. Dave kept trying to challenge me while Noah kept calling me ''Jake Atkins''. Dad and Zeke talked about his classes and when Zeke announced that he passed his summer classes, it caused even more excitement. Zeke was moving up already before he even really started his freshman year. Mom started to cry every now and then, but would stop when Noah pointed it out.

    With such a rambunctious atmosphere, it didn''t feel like Kyle was missing. None of us brought him up until Dad and Mom started to gather their keys and wallets.

    "You''re going now?" Noah asked, glancing at the messy table. Dinner was done, but no one had made a move to do the dishes yet.

    Mom nodded with a smile. "Yep. Traffic on a Friday night will be tough. Your dad will need a carpool partner on the way there. Are you boys going to stay up until we get back?"

    "Yea, probably." Dave answered. "We don''t have to wake up early tomorrow. Zeke made the game for after lunch so why not?"

    "Good. So you''ll have no problem doing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen." She smiled and waved before exiting the house. Dad followed her out, closing the door behind them.

    "1, 2, 3, not it!" Dave hollered.

    "Not it!" Noah echoed.

    "Not...it...?" I copied Noah.

    Noah grinned as he looked at Zeke. "Guess you''re doing dishes."

    Zeke shrugged. "Fine. Then you guys have to unload the car and get started on our laundry."

    "I lied! We''ll do the dishes." Noah jumped up and started to clear the empty dishes. "Jake, come on. Grab what you can."

    Confused, I grabbed my empty plate and followed him to the sink. "Didn''t we just get out of doing the dishes..? Why are we doing them now..?"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Dishes are easier than laundry. Trust me. Laundry sounds easy because you just have to start it, but think about how many people live in this house."

    "Seven." I told him.

    "Five of which have just returned from camps. There''ll be so many loads of laundry...it won''t ever end. Plus, you know the twins will just add their clothes to the pile so might as well pick the job that will end the fastest."

    I shrugged.

    Noah opened the dishwasher and cheered. "It''s empty! We made the right decision." He laughed and started to load the dishwasher with the rinsed off dishes. I went back to the table and started to grab more plates and dishes, taking them to the sink.

    Zeke and Dave disappeared, presumably going to unload the car.

    With the two of us working on the dishes, we were almost done in no time. As we were finishing up, Dave stepped in. "Hey Jake, where do you want all these bats? Zeke said to take them to your room, but like...where should I put them?"

    I nodded.

    "Alright." He left.

    After we finished cleaning the kitchen and loading up the dishwasher, Noah and I both went upstairs. Our room was just as we left it besides the baseball bags on the floor and the bats leaning against the desk. Noah hung our bags up on hooks on the wall then turned to look at the bats. "Guess we should wait until Dad comes home."

    "I''m going to start cleaning them." I went to a drawer and pulled out the rubbing alcohol and cloth that I had been using for my bats. "Also, going to check them for dents or anything."

    "Oh, okay." Noah hopped up on his bed and pulled out his phone. "Let me know if you need help."

    "No thanks." I told him. I prefer looking the bats over myself. Just to be sure. Not that Noah wouldn''t do a good job, but he isn''t the one using the bats so he won''t be as detailed as myself.

    "Clothes are all in the laundry room." Dave came in our room to drop off our two, now empty, bags. He looked at the bats. "Zeke said you got these from Mr. Johnson?"

    "They belonged for pros." Noah smirked. "Mr. Johnson called them trash so we won''t get in trouble or anything."

    "That''s smart of him." Dave nodded. "Well, I''m going to watch some tv downstairs, if you guys want to come. Probably just chill and casually check on the laundry until Kyle comes home."

    "I''m going to clean the bats." I glanced at him as I started to rub down the first bat. "I''ll come down when I''m done."

    "I''ll keep him company." Noah said.

    Dave left us on our own.

    I steadily worked on cleaning the bats and making sure none of them were on the verge of breaking. Each bat was similar with minimal differences. Bats that the pros used. I was slightly distracted and didn''t notice what Noah was doing until he cleared his throat. I looked up at him. "What?"

    He had a small frown on his face as he glanced at his phone. "Do you think...it would be weird if I invited Alisha to tomorrow''s game?"

    "Why would you invite her?" I asked, confused. "Does she want to play with us?"

    "No, she just wants to hang out." He sighed. "We used to be friends and now everything I do or say feels weird. I don''t want her to think I''m leading her on, nor do I want to lose her as a friend."

    I squinted at him. "So you''re asking me...?"

    He shrugged, helpless. "Who else am I supposed to ask? Dave would just make fun of me. Who knows if Zeke would give me a clear answer?" He sighed again. "I wish she just kept it to herself."

    "Don''t invite her to the game." I suggested.

    "Why not? Wouldn''t that be mean?" He asked.

    I shrugged. "You said you don''t want it to be weird, right? Well, it''d be weird if she was the only spectator."

    "True. True." He mumbled. "Maybe we should hangout like normal on Sunday. Either at the arcade or the mall or the movies. Ugh...what sound least like a date?"

    "The arcade isn''t used for dates, is it?" I asked.

    "Anything and everything can be a date." He frowned and thought about it some more.

    I went back to working on my bats.

    "Oh!" Noah exclaimed. I glanced at him and saw he was looking at his phone. "She suggested we come over on Sunday for a small get together. Bathing suits optional. The twins and Zeke can come too. She''s going to invite Kaylee and Marie. Maybe a few others that live close by."

    "Andy and Julian?" I asked. We all played on the same softball team after all.

    "Yea, I''ll suggest them to her too." He started to text her back.

    After I finished with the bats, I stood up and told Noah I was going downstairs to wait with Dave. He came along, bringing his phone with him. We went downstairs to the living room and found Dave with Zeke, talking about some baseball highlights that was playing on the tv. We found some seats and relaxed until Kyle came home with Mom and Dad.

 690 V2 ch162

    "I''m home!" Kyle could be heard yelling from the garage door.

    All of us got up and hurried to the hallway.

    "Jake, have you gotten taller?" Kyle squinted at me.

    It was almost a repeat of what Dave had said.

    I stood tall and grinned, happy that both of them thought I''ve grown.

    "Hey! I''m growing too!" Noah cozied up to Kyle, getting as close as possible to show his newfound height.

    Kyle pushed him away, laughing. "You''re like a weed, always growing. Both Mom and Dad are tall so it''s only natural that you be tall. Jake has it tough, fighting against malnutrition and genetics."

    "Jeremy''s tall enough." Noah pointed out.

    "He was fed as a kid." He flicked Noah on the ear. Then looked a little apologetic. "Sorry, Jake."

    I shrugged. "I''m fine." I couldn''t but help but smile. "I won''t have that problem anymore. You guys feed me all the time."

    "We sure do." Mom claimed with pride. "Though it needs to be less cookies and more fruit." She gave rested her hand on my head after messing up my hair. "We should do haircuts for everyone before we go to court."

    "Go to court?" Kyle asked, blinking a few times.

    "Awe, Mom..." Noah started to complain.

    "Especially you Noah." She pointed around Noah''s head. The Oakland A''s logo had started to grow out and no longer looked as clean-cut as before. "I want to be able to take some very nice pictures."

    "Nice pictures for what?? Hello?!" Kyle asked.

    Dave pulled me away from Mom and made me face Kyle. "May we present to you the future, Mr. Jake Atkins?"

    Kyle''s jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. "No way! Is it official?!"

    "It''s about to be!" Noah exclaimed. "Three more weeks and we go."

    Kyle reached out and pulled me from Dave''s grasp. He put me in a loose headlock and started to give me a noogie. "Another little brother to pick on."

    Noah rolled his eyes.

    We slowly moved back to the living room and spent some time hearing about Kyle''s camp.

    He smirked as he sat down on the middle seat of the couch. "It was everything I hoped it to be." He looked at Dave. "You should have been there."

    Dave grinned. "Nah. I''m good. Better than before. Tomorrow we''ll find out whose camp was more effective."

    "What''s going on tomorrow?" He asked.

    Noah explained.

    "How many people are going to show??" Kyle''s eyes twinkled.

    "Enough to make up two teams." Zeke answered. "Might be a few pitchers though so don''t expect to pitch the whole time."

    "Is Garret coming?"

    Zeke nodded.

    "Can he not be on my team?" Kyle asked. "I don''t want to split pitching time with him."

    "I''ll take him!" Dave waved his hand. "I''ll keep him off the mound and he can hit as he please."

    "Then I get Jake and Zeke." Kyle stated.

    "How is that fair?" Dave rolled his eyes.

    "Who gets to pick first?" They both asked at the same time.

    "We''ll do a coin flip when we get there." Zeke''s lips twitched, fighting off a smile.

    Mom and Dad soon went to bed with the excuse that they had work in the morning. Even though it was the middle of the night, the rest of us didn''t head to bed just yet. Not even Zeke who usually stuck to his strict schedule. It was fun to have everyone together again.

    We stayed up until almost 2am, then Zeke called it a night, forcing us to go to bed.

    Noah laughed at the bats still taking up space against the desk. "We forgot to tell Dad again."

    "Tomorrow." I yawned and got under the covers.

    "Yea, there''s always tomorrow." He yawned too and got into his own bed.

    We were out almost immediately. Next thing we knew, the sun was shining in our room and Dave was knocking on the door as he stood in the doorway. "Rise and shine, kiddos. Zeke''s about to finish making lunch so you better get dressed and get downstairs." He left.

    We changed into shorts and t-shirts, not bothering with shoes and socks just yet. Downstairs, the twins were setting the table and Zeke was just putting a pot of pasta on the table. We sat on our side of the table and the twins sat on their side. Zeke brought out the last of the dishes.

    "What time for you guys wake up?" Noah asked, letting out a yawn.

    "Just about an hour ago." Dave shrugged. "Had to finish moving our laundry around so Kyle could start his."

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Yea, I woke up thanks to him. Can''t believe you''re so unwilling to start my laundry."

    "I had to make sure we have the same amount of rest before today''s showdown." Dave said, nonchalant.

    Zeke finished loading his plate with pasta and passed the utensils to Dave. "Eat while you can."

    Dave shut his mouth and started to load his plate.

    We ate a fulfilling lunch thanks to Zeke. Unfortunately, Noah and I got stuck with doing the dishes again since we didn''t cook or help. It didn''t matter too much and actually helped me feel less bloated. After loading up the dishwasher, we moved throughout the house, grabbing our clean clothes and putting them away.

    Before leaving the house, I packed two of the new bats that were given to me. I no longer had to worry about breaking Jeremy''s bat during a casual practice.

    "Where''d you get those?" Kyle peaked at the bats sticking out of my baseball bag. We were all loaded up in the car and Zeke started to drive us to the park.

    "Secret." Dave grinned.

    "Mr. Johnson helped Jake get some spares." Noah didn''t keep the secret like Dave intended, making Dave glare at him. He shrugged. "What? How can it be a secret? Zeke would say something soon enough."

    "Wow! Mr. Johnson gave you two bats? Did Rhys ask him to?" Kyle was surprised.

    "Yep. They''re technically ''trash'' from the players." Noah said happily.

    "Bats that the pros used?! Let me hold one!" Kyle reached over.

    Dave slapped his hand away. "What would you do with a wood bat anyways? You can hardly swing an aluminum bat as it is."

    "I don''t want to hear that from you. You''re just as bad, if not worse, at the plate." Kyle claimed.

    "Quit it." Zeke spoke up, making the car go silent. He glanced at us using the rear view mirror. "Don''t talk about the bats from Mr. Johnson in front of the guys."

    "Why?"

    "Do you think they would tattle on us?"

    "Can we get in trouble..?"

    "Just to prevent unnecessary trouble." Zeke answered. "It''s not that I don''t trust the guys, I just don''t want it to slip. It should be fine since Mr. Johnson called the bats trash, but who knows. If it makes a big enough stink, it might disqualify Jake from playing college ball."

    "He''d be fine going straight into the majors anyways." Kyle mumbled.

    "Kyle." Zeke said sternly.

    "I know, I know." Kyle held up both hands to defend himself. "There''s not much to say anyways. A bat is a bat. Who goes around questioning kids where they get their bats?"

    Dave laughed. "I can imagine someone doing that!"

 691 V2 ch163

    We arrived at the park and unloaded our bags.

    "Hey, guys!" Bryce greeted us as he approached with his bag on his shoulders. "Looks like I''m right on time."

    "Bryce!" Noah smiled. Then noticed his arms. "Woah! Look at you! Have you been lifting all summer??" He got closer to pinch his biceps. "Crazy! Dave, Kyle, come here! Let''s compare!"

    Kyle looked away. "No need to compare. Bigger muscles doesn''t make him better than me."

    "But it''s pretty cool to look at." Dave admired, coming closer to look. "Has it messed up your pitching? You''re not just lifting to get bigger, right?"

    Bryce flexed his big arms. "Of course I''ve spent the summer pitching. I worked with this training facility in the Bay Area. Thankfully I got my license just in time. So I went on my own almost every day."

    "Your parents let you drive to the city on your own?" Noah asked, amazed.

    "They can check my location through my phone at all times. I also text them when I leave and when I arrive anywhere. It''s a little annoying, but a small price to pay to have this kind of freedom before Junior year starts." Bryce explained.

    Noah has stars in his eyes as he looked at me. "Let''s start taking driving lessons."

    "Jake isn''t 15 yet." Kyle pointed out. "Plus, you have to be 15.5 to get your permit first."

    Noah sighed in defeat.

    Zeke nodded at Bryce, then headed for the park. The five of us followed him to the baseball field.

    "It''s a little rough." Noah sighed, looking at the beat up field. "We should have brought real bases at least."

    The baseball field was for public use so it didn''t have all the usual amenities. The mound looked to be in okay shape, but the batter''s box was a little worse for wear.

    "Don''t worry, I called for backup." Zeke set his bag down.

    "Backup?" Noah asked.

    "Gotta be Mr. Miller then." Dave smiled. "He''s the only one I know that can help fix this mess."

    Kyle was skeptical. "You called Mr. Miller to come help clean up the field? And he agreed?"

    Zeke nodded. "He''s also going to be the umpire of the game."

    Coincidently, Mr. Miller showed up next. With a familiar face: Stu. The pair brought over rakes and other stuff I couldn''t recognize. They greeted us briefly and got to work on fixing up the field.

    It wasn''t long before the rest of the guys started to show up: Julian and Andy, Garret, Mahki, Sean, Brian, Mitchell, etc. They were all guys I knew, even if I didn''t know them well, especially the pitchers like Theo. With the majority of the guys present, Zeke led us through some old warmups before letting us pair off to throw the ball. After that, he let us practice catching fly balls and fielding grounders as Mr. Miller and his friend finished working on the infield.

    "Let''s hurry and make the teams so I can start warming up properly." Kyle complained to Zeke.

    Everyone started to congregate around Zeke, expecting him to already have it decided.

    Zeke pointed at the twins. "They''ll pick. Old school style. One for one." He looked at the twins. "Start with catchers first to make it fair."

    Dave looked around. "We have three catchers here...Mitchell, Alex, and Kelvin. Are we just going to leave one out? That''s not really fair."

    Kelvin raised his hand. "That would be me. I already told Zeke I wouldn''t be catching today. It''s good to give my knees a break."

    "Then what position do you plan to play?" Kyle asked.

    He shrugged. "Wherever. It''s not like everyone can be picky. A few pitchers will have to play on the field too if you guys plan on hogging the mound all afternoon."

    Kyle rubbed his chin. "It''s going to be tricky then."

    "Who gets to pick first?" Dave asked Zeke.

    Zeke pulled out a coin from his back pocket. "Kyle is heads, Dave is tails. I''ll toss it up and let it land on the grass, that way it''s as fair as possible." He didn''t wait for the twins to disagree or bicker and tossed the coin up, high into the air. It came down tails up.

    Dave pumped his fists. "Yes!"

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Since he gets first pick, can I have first choice in catcher?"

    Zeke nodded, agreeing to the terms.

    "I''ll take Alex then." Kyle pointed.

    Dave shrugged. "I''ll throw to Mitchell." Then he grinned. "And of course I''ll take Zeke!"

    "Well, I get Jake." Kyle smirked.

    "Julian!" Dave shot back.

    "Garret!" Kyle countered.

    "Noah."

    "Mahki."

    It went on until all eighteen players were divided up on two teams. The twins and their catchers went off to warm up and set the signs, while the rest of us moved the bags to the appropriate dugouts. Dave was the home team in the third base dugout, while Kyle''s team was stuck in the first base dugout.

    "Settle on positioning." Zeke told Garret before going to his own team.

    Noah waved to me when he caught me staring from afar.

    I sighed.

    Garret looked at all of us. "Well, what should we do?"

    Mahki gestured to Kyle and Alex. "Two positions down, seven to go." He looked around. "Jake should play second base, since that''s what he''s used to. Jason can play third. I''ll play out in center field. Garret, you''ll do alright at shortstop, right?"

    Garret nodded. "I used to play there all the time." He grinned at me. "You don''t mind pairing up with me, don''t ya?"

    "I don''t mind." I replied, feeling more at ease knowing that I got to stick with my original position.

    Garret looked around. "Bryce, James, and Kelvin...what do you guys think? There''s right and left field or first base."

    "I should play first." Kelvin laughed. "There''s no way I can play in the outfield and chase after all those fly balls."

    James frowned. "It''s not like I''m any faster than you are. And, you have a better arm than I do."

    "We can take turns." Kelvin conceded.

    "I don''t mind playing in the outfield!" Bryce said. "I''ll take right."

    James sighed. "I''ll start in left field for the first inning."

    Kelvin patted his chest. "I''ll play left field for the even-numbered innings."

    "What about batting order?" Bryce asked.

    "I''ve got this!" Garret claimed. He started to point. "Me. Jake. Mahki. Bryce. Jason. James. Kelvin. Alex. Kyle."

    We all stared at him.

    James rolled his eyes. "You''re so lazy."

    I stifled a laugh. Garret''s decision was based on the circle we were standing in, starting with himself and going counter-clockwise, then ending with our catcher and pitcher.

    Garret shrugged. "What? It''s not like we have to be picky. Jake and I should obviously be near the top of the lineup since we get more hits. The rest of you are pretty much equal."

    "Hey, I take offense to that." Jason pouted. "You think I bat the same as Bryce and James??"

    Garret shrugged. "No need to think about it too hard. We can''t just line up our worst hitters together for easy innings."

    We discussed the lineup a little more, but no one was upset over it. The game was just for fun, after all.

    Mr. Miller took charge eventually, calling for the game to start. He had brought his own umpiring gear and gave the atmosphere a more official vibe. It helped that he had chalked the foul lines and batter''s box. It wasn''t the best looking field, but it would do. Better than where it started as.

    The twins came back with their catchers.

    As the visitors, we got to bat first so I started to put on my helmet and grabbed one of the new bats I had gotten from Mr. Johnson.

    "You guys already created a lineup?" Kyle asked, watching us move throughout the dugout.

    "Yea, you''re last." Garret told him. "Alex will bat second to last."

    Kyle looked to me. "Are you batting cleanup?"

    I shook my head. "Second."

    Bryce gasped. "I''m batting cleanup?!"

    "Bryce is batting fourth??" Kyle looked skeptical.

    Garret waved his hands around. "Settle down. It''s just numbers. They don''t mean much."

    Bryce looked down at his hands. "I don''t think I''ve swung a bat all summer. I was solely focused on pitching."

    "You''re all muscled up now." Mahki gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Don''t stress. Just make contact. I''m sure you can power the ball out of here."

    "What if I don''t make contact?" Bryce looked like a beaten puppy.

    "Dude, it''s just for fun." Garret cracked a smile. "So if you don''t make contact, we''ll just make fun of you. Having all those muscles just to show off."

    Bryce was heartbroken. He grabbed onto Kyle. "Please let me pitch an inning!"

    Kyle pushed him off. "No way!"

    "So selfish!" Bryce sighed.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "If I let you do an inning, then Garret will want to do an inning. James too."

    James spoke up. "No thanks. I don''t want to pitch. My confidence is at an all-time high. What if I run into Zeke? Do you guys want to crush me before I go off to college?"

    Bryce shivered. "So true."

    "I don''t mind!" Garret started to bounce. "It''d be nice to face him one more time before he goes off to school."

 692 V2 ch164

    "You can do that another time." Kyle told him. "Today, I want to see what I can do. Especially against Dave."

    Everyone conceded to Kyle.

    I probably understood the best on our team. I watched Kyle go from camp to camp, and even begged to go to this expensive camp. He needed some assurance that it was worth it.

    The top of the first inning, Garret headed for the batter''s box, stretching on his way there. I stood outside the dugout to take some practice swings even though there weren''t any circles to stand in.

    Dave finished his warmup pitches off the mound and waved for Garret to step up. "Come on! Let''s see how rusty you''ve gotten this summer!"

    Garret''s lips pursed as he got into the lefty''s box.

    Dave got set, as did everyone else. Mr. Miller squatted behind Mitchell. Dave started his motion and started Garret off with a fastball right down the middle. I furrowed my brows as Garret grinned and swung his bat, making contact. The contact hit the bottom part of the barrel, and bounced to Noah at short. Noah fielded the ball in time, beating out Garret''s run.

    "One pitch, one out!" Noah hollered. "Oops. I meant, one out, two to go!"

    Garret picked up his dropped bat before coming back to the dugout, frowning.

    I moved up to the batter''s box, getting in the right-handed side.

    Dave whistled. "Feeling nervous, Jake? I just got Garret out." Dave was really having some fun out here today, talking smack to us batters.

    I shook my head as a smile creeped to my lips. "Name a time you''ve gotten me out. I''ll wait."

    My comment made a lot of the guys laugh. From both my team in the dugout and Dave''s team on the field.

    "He''s got you there." Noah laughed the hardest.

    "You little punk." Dave squinted at me as he got set.

    I fixed my footing and scanned the field. I had to get the ball to the outfield, but nowhere near the center where Zeke was. Left field was Brian, while Sean played in right field. Sean has experience playing everywhere. Brian has experience playing in left field too, but it was rare. Dave was a little smarter than Kyle, picking pitchers that have some fielding experience. Who else does he have?

    I thought a little bit more as Dave threw his pitches. I let the count become 2-2, fouling off a couple of pitches. I didn''t want to aim for a homerun just yet, especially when Dave showed some pitching changes. He had improved.

    Theo, playing third, caught my eye. He wasn''t guarding the line very well, almost in Noah''s territory. Seeing the opening, I made a decision. On the next pitch...just kidding, he threw inside for ball three. Okay, the next pitch. I was set. Dave went through his motion and threw the ball, low and outside.

    Noah tagged me with his glove, but wasn''t even close to getting me out. He grinned. "Nice hit."

    I smiled back at him.

    "Hey! Don''t compliment him!" Dave scolded Noah from the mound.

    Noah shrugged and threw the ball back at him. "It''s not my fault he got the hit."

    Dave turned his back to us, facing home plate as Mahki stepped up. Dave got him swinging and missing the first pitch, but Mahki made solid contact, hitting a line drive to the corner of left field.

    Seeing that Brian wasn''t going to be abled to make the catch, I took off. I wanted to score. This was a well hit ball, and I''m faster than I used to be. I can do this. I tagged third and headed home. Bryce was picking up Mahki''s bat out of the way and gestured for me to slide.

    I clenched my teeth and dove for home plate, stretching out my hands. I felt the dirt scratch up my hands, the smoothness of home plate, and then a heavy pat on my arms.

    "Safe!" Mr. Miller declared.

    Bryce pulled me up and dusted me off. "Way to get it, Bambi!" He gave me a slap on the back and I went stumbling back to my dugout.

    Jason nodded at me as I passed him by in the on deck circle. "Good to see that you didn''t slack off this summer."

    I grinned. He doesn''t even know that I''ve been practicing for homeruns yet. I wonder if they''ll be surprised.

    Inside the dugout, I was greeted by high-fives, fist bumps, and compliments. This was my team. Nothing like being in that camp where everyone was looking out for themselves.

    Dave cut the smack talk after giving up the run, and put some more effort in his pitches, aiming for the corners of the strike zone. He got both Bryce and Jason to strikeout looking, to end the inning. His team went to their dugout as we came out of ours.

    Kyle got on the mound and stretched before doing some warmup pitches with Alex. I let out a small gasp as I watched. Kyle...had changed his motion. Not just a few tweaks like Dave...but, completely changed. Him and Dave...won''t be the same anymore.

    I wasn''t the only one to notice. I could hear a few murmurs and mumbles from around, but no one outright said anything or asked Kyle what he was doing. If this was the path he was going to take...he had to do it on his own. None of us were pitching coaches.

    Brian was surprisingly their lead off man. I''ve seen him hit before, but not very often. At least, not enough to cheat a certain way or another. It didn''t matter, because Brian connected on the first pitch, hitting it above my reach towards center field. Mahki came sprinting in, picked up the ball, and threw it to me before Brian could make a try for second base.

    I threw the ball back to Kyle on the mound.

    "Tsk." I heard him let out before he faced his next batter, Noah.

    Everyone got set.

    Kyle checked on Brian at first before starting his motion and throwing a fastball towards Noah. Literally. He threw the ball at Noah''s feet. Noah was quick enough to hop out of the way, but Alex couldn''t get in front of the wild pitch. The ball hit the backstop and Brian was already halfway to second. Garret covered second base, but by the time Alex got the ball and turned to us, there was no chance for a play.

    Alex called for ''time'' and walked the ball back to the mound, where Kyle was. Garret also made a move for the mound, getting the rest of us infielders to follow.

    "Dude, what''s happening?" Garret slapped Kyle on the back in a relaxed manner.

    Kyle rolled his eyes and stepped away from Garret. He accepted the ball from Alex. "Still adjusting throwing to actual players okay."

    Garrets eyebrows raised. "This new?"

    "Just got back last night." Kyle answered. He shrugged his shoulders up and down, then shook out his arms. "It''s hard to change my motion in a week, okay? Plus, we didn''t have a whole lot of batters to pitch against. I''m good in the pen, but I just feel like I''m going to hit the batter with my new form."

    "Hit them." Alex shrugged. "For the most part, they''ll be abled to dodge like Noah. Just relax and focus on every movement for now. Coach can probably help guide you when the camp starts."

    Kyle nodded.

 693 V2 ch165

    "Wrap it up, boys." Mr. Miller told us, breaking up our meeting on the mound.

    Kyle waved us away. "Get lost. I don''t need your sympathy or pity. I''m still a great pitcher. Even better than before. I just need to get my control back."

    Garret smirked. "Let me know if you don''t think you can pitch anymore." He dodged Kyle''s gloved hand and jogged back to his spot.

    Kelvin patted Kyle on the shoulder. "Just get the ball across the plate. Don''t be afraid of giving up hits. We''ll play defense." He grinned. "Besides, it''s just for fun."

    Kyle waved again. "Okay, okay. Get back already."

    The rest of us left him alone on the mound, going back to our respective positions.

    Kyle faced down Noah again. He bounced back from his wild pitch, throwing two fastballs right by Noah to earn a couple of strikes. On the next pitch, Noah got a piece of it, hitting a weak grounder to Garret. Garret charged the ball, used his barehand to pick the ball up and throw to Kelvin at first. He barely beat out Noah''s run, but who cares, one out.

    Garret grinned at me as he got back into position. "One out."

    "One out!" The boys echoed.

    Brian, who was still on second base sighed. "Man, it''s just not fair how you''re good at everything. Can''t you just stick to pitching only?"

    Garret let out a laugh. "You''re a pitcher too. One that likes to hit."

    Brian let out another sigh. "It''s not the same."

    He was right. It really wasn''t the same. Garret was beyond good at everything. When he wasn''t pitching, he was still allowed in the lineup to hit. Brian only occasionally got to pinch hit or maybe if there was an injury.

    Getting that out seemed to help Kyle. His pitches weren''t on point, but the speed was picking up and he could get it over the plate. After fouling off two pitches, Julian got caught looking at strike three, blazing down the middle.

    Kyle didn''t have time to celebrate with Zeke stepping up to bat next. His face became determined and his first pitch was a challenge: fastball inside. Zeke let it pass for a called strike. Kyle didn''t show any hint of satisfaction as he got the ball back and got set again.

    Brian''s lead off second grew.

    My hand twitched. I really wanted Kyle to look back and throw him out, but his focus was solely on Zeke. He started his motion and Brian took off. Zeke swung at the pitch, sending it back up the middle. Kyle dodged. Garret and I both dived at the ball, but it go through. Mahki came sprinting in, fielding the ball and threw it back in. He didn''t both with us, throwing straight to Alex at home plate as Brian came sliding in.

    The tag came down.

    "Safe!" Mr. Miller declared.

    Alex didn''t pause, throwing the ball to Garret, covering second. Zeke, who had rounded first base, jogged back to first base after Alex threw the ball.

    Darn it. Tied already.

    We headed back to the dugout.

    "Hey! You''re looking pretty confident out there." Garret threw his arm around my shoulders and leaned on me. "I feel like you didn''t hesitate for a second. You''ve been practicing all summer?"

    I nodded as we got inside the dugout. "I play with Noah all the time, but last week we went to a camp. The counselor in charge of my group really took the time to show me, I mean us, how to practice correctly."

    "Was he better than Noah and Zeke?" Garret asked, separating from me as we sat on the bench.

    I shrugged. "I don''t know. I''ve never seen him play."

    Garret laughed. "I meant, is he a better coach than them?"

    Oh. I shrugged again. "I guess. He was showing me step by step. With Noah and Zeke...it''s like...do it until you get it right...?"

    Garret, and the guys that heard me, laughed.

    I blushed.

    Garret slapped me on the leg. "It''s okay. We understand. It''s always good to get a fresh pair of eyes to check you out. See what you''re doing. Give you some insight on how to improve. I''m sure Coach will be able to personalize his coaching more this fall since we won''t be rushing to prepare for games."

    I nodded, understanding. Coach had to rely on Zeke to help me with the basics. He couldn''t give me all his attention. Especially not when we had two or three games a week.

    The top of the second inning started with James, Kelvin, and Alex.

    "Do you even remember how to hold a bat?!" Bryce hollered from our own dugout.

    James simply flipped him off before stepping in the batter''s box.

    Bryce chuckled. He continued to heckle James after the first pitch passed by for a called strike. "Yo! You gotta swing to put the ball in play!"

    Garret laughed. "Who''s team are you on, Bryce?"

    Bryce cracked his knuckles. "Hey, you don''t know how much James has bullied me in the bullpen. A few words never hurt anyone." He turned back to the field. "You have a $200 bat in your hands! Use it!"

    James swung and missed for strike two.

    Bryce''s grin got bigger. "Whew! What a nice breeze that was!"

    James rolled his eyes.

    I cracked a smile. I''ve never heard this kind of stuff before. It was almost like Bryce was a comedian.

    Garret laughed along with a few others as Bryce egged James on. "Bryce, what are you gonna do if he gets a hit?"

    Bryce scoffed. "I''ll make fun of Dave for the rest of the year! James hasn''t held a bat in who knows how long. If Dave can''t get him out, doesn''t that mean we''ll have a troublesome pitcher on the mound for the spring?"

    James made contact with the next pitch, hitting a grounder to short. Noah fielded it cleanly for the first out.

    Bryce leaned against the fencing again. "Woowww! Dave can''t even get a PO to strike out! Maybe I''ll have a chance for the starting lineup!"

    PO? I turned to Garret. "What''s a PO?"

    "Pitcher only." Garret answered. "Means they don''t practice batting at all. Would hardly ever come to the plate in a game too."

    James came back to the dugout as Kelvin moved to the batter''s box.

    "Not so easy, is it?" Bryce smirked at James.

    James shrugged. "At least I made contact." He smirked. "Mr. Strikeout."

    The two started to jab at one another.

    I don''t know if Dave was affected by Bryce''s smack talk, but he walked Kelvin on four straight pitches. Then gave up a single to Alex right after. Maybe he''s a little rusty?

    I grabbed my helmet and bat, preparing to get ready. Kyle was up to bat, and Garret had already gone to the on deck circle.

    Kyle has undoubtedly not practiced hitting at all this summer besides the very occasional trip to the cages. He struck out looking, practically giving Dave a free out. Garret moved to the lefty''s batting box and I moved to the circle. I still have a chance to bat.

 694 V2 ch166

    Garret took advantage of Dave''s sloppiness on the mound, pushing a single to left-center field. Kelvin hustled home and made it safely after another close call at the plate. Up 2-1.

    I stepped up. Right side. I think now is an appropriate time to show the others what I''ve been working on. There''s already two outs and this game is just for fun. So why not try for that homerun? I took a deep breath and tried to relax my shoulders. Dave''s pitching doesn''t have a dramatic change like Kyle, but I want to get this ball out of here, I''ll need the right pitch and hit it perfectly.

    Dave got set, checked on Garret at first, then started his motion. Knowing Dave...he would want to try to get ahead of the count after such a bad inning. I started my swing. Dave threw a fastball high, but still in the zone. I connected and blasted it back the way it came.

    I heard a few gasps as I ran to first. I watched the ball fly to the outfield. Zeke chased it back and back, and all the way back to the short outfield fence that was recently put in. Zeke leaned on it as he reached his hand out and caught the ball.

    "No way!"

    "Wow!"

    Tch. I stopped running and turned back to my dugout.

    "Jake''s starting to get some real power!" Dave said as he got off the mound. He glanced at me, grinning. "Too bad. I still got you out."

    I rolled my eyes.

    "Don''t listen to him!" Garret joined me in the dugout as we switched out our gear. "That was well hit! If you didn''t hit to center field, it would have been a homerun for sure! The short fence helped too. And Zeke is pretty great at defense so probably wasn''t smart to hit anywhere near him."

    I sighed. There was a lot that went into hitting a homerun. Especially if you don''t have the power to just blast it out of the park like Zeke. "I''ll get it next time."

    Garret grinned. "I hope so. I''ll get on base again so we can make Dave''s heart hurt." He cheered me up as we took the field once more.

    Kyle made short work of the batters in the second inning. Theo struck out swinging. Both Andy and Mitchell hit grounders on either side of me. I dealt with it in a calm manner and showed off my newfound confidence in fielding.

    Dave''s struggles continued. Mahki hit a fly ball to right field for the first out. Bryce got walked as Dave''s pitches became erratic. Then to add pressure, Bryce stole second during Jason''s at bat. Mitchell was completely caught off guard like he didn''t expect anyone to steal bases during this scrimmage.

    Jason smacked a short single to right field, pushing Bryce to third. James came up next.

    "Better not let us down!" Bryce hollered at James, not stopping his heckling even though he was on base.

    Runners on second and third with a 1-1 count. James did his best to connect with the next pitch, getting under the ball. It flew to Brian in left field. He made the catch, Bryce tagged up and sprinted home. Brian skipped the cutoff man and threw straight to Mitchell at home.

    "Safe!" Mr. Miller stated.

    Bryce jumped up and hurried to join James on their way back to the dugout. He grinned as he elbowed him. "I just made you look good. You''re welcome."

    James pushed him away. "You''re so annoying."

    Dave walked Kelvin, his second this inning. Alex flew out to Brian in left field for the third out of the inning, getting Dave out of this mess he made with his walks.

    He didn''t get anytime to rest though since he was first to bat in the bottom of the third. Kyle took the mound against Dave, and blew three fastballs right by him to earn his third strikeout of the game. Dave went back to his dugout with a sigh. I could only presume that this game was no longer fun for him. I no longer looked forward to try to hit a homerun off him. Not when he looks like a sick dog.

    Kyle on the other hand was getting the hang of his newfound style. He struck out Brian and Noah to end the inning, looking in control.

    As we headed for our dugout, we noticed that the guys in the other dugout weren''t coming out to take the field. They were all grouped together like they were having a discussion. We waited outside our own dugout, trying to see what was going on.

    Zeke came out first, approaching Mr. Miller and us. "Brian is going to take over on the mound. Give him some time to warmup with Mitchell."

    "Is Dave wimping out?" Kyle folded his arms across his chest.

    "I just don''t have my stuff today." Dave came over to admit, looking unashamed, but still a little depressed. He shrugged. "I shouldn''t force it. I have to know when to stop so I don''t make things worse. If I keep pushing it, maybe I''ll get a blister or hurt my shoulder. This is supposed to be just for fun. Maybe this upcoming week, I''ll look better."

    Instead of making fun of him, Kyle slowly nodded. "Alright. Yea...take it easy. We don''t need you to get hurt before the camp even begins." I was surprised. I thought that Kyle would continue to egg him on, showing off in their twin rivalry. However, he chose to take a step back. Kyle looked to Bryce. "Since Brian is pitching in the fourth, do you also want to pitch in the fourth?"

    Bryce nearly jumped in excitement. "Yes, yes, yes! Most definitely yes!"

    "You''re going to take a step back too?" Dave asked, surprised. That seemed to be the consensus among everyone who heard him.

    Kyle shrugged. "Yea, I''ll end on a good note." He smirked. "This way, I don''t have to face Zeke again either."

    "Who cares??" Bryce grinned. "I get to pitch!!" He hopped over to Alex. "Let''s start warming up!"

    Garret let out a laugh. "Now? You still have to bat this inning."

    "That''s only if two of you get on." Bryce shrugged.

    Garret threw his arm around me and leaned down so we were both facing Bryce. "Trust me...you''ll come up this inning."

    Bryce sighed. "Okay...I guess I can just take a little longer to warm up on the actual mound like Brian is doing right now."

    While we were talking, Brian and Mitchell had started to warmup, getting Brian to throw some practice pitches off the mound. The guys from the other team all took the field slowly, talking to one another. Zeke and Dave went to join them after our own small chat.

    Meanwhile, my team moved to inside the dugout and we prepared to bat.

 695 V2 ch167

    Top of the fourth inning started with Kyle, Garret, and myself. We all got our helmets on and grabbed our bats. Brian finished his warmup and Kyle went up.

    "Bet he strikes out again." Bryce announced.

    "Shut up."

    "So annoying."

    "Are you jealous?"

    Bryce shrugged. "What? I''m telling the truth. It''s a given that the twins suck at batting. It''s crazy how often Coach lets them hit even in clutch situations."

    "He''ll make contact." I spoke up.

    Bryce grinned and leaned on the fence next to me. "You really think so?"

    I nodded. The twins aren''t horrible at batting...it''s better to say that they don''t attach any importance to it. Especially when facing against one another. "I think if they try, they can make contact."

    "But not get a hit." Bryce finished.

    James smacked him on the head with his glove. "Dude, you don''t even have a hit yourself. You talk a lot for someone with a strikeout and a walk."

    Bryce pouted. "I''ve scored a run! And stolen a base too!"

    Kyle really did make contact like I thought he would. But Bryce was also correct to say that he wouldn''t get a hit. All he did was hit a pop fly to Julian playing first base. This started another round of mocking from Bryce.

    I was happy to leave the dugout and move to the on deck circle. Bryce was looking for a fight and I don''t want to get in the middle of it.

    Garret, at the plate, followed through on his statement, getting on base again by hitting his second single of the game. He grinned at me from first as I came up to the batter''s box.

    I guess since it''s no longer Dave on the mound, I could try to hit a homerun. Brian isn''t family. Plus, he doesn''t seem as sensitive as the twins. This can be a learning experience for him.

    I just have to aim for the corners. Sean in right and Dave in left. Yep...definitely going to aim for left field. Brian got set and went through his motion, but he just couldn''t compare against the seniors. I easily pulled the ball to left field and took off. The ball soared over Dave''s head and cleared the short fence for a homerun. Redemption.

    I smiled as I rounded the bases behind Garret. Bryce could be heard heckling Brian. The guys were all making comments and shouting out compliments as I tagged home plate.

    Garret slapped my back. "That''s the way to do it!"

    "Zeke''s replacement is here!" Bryce bowed when I entered the dugout.

    I laughed nervously, feeling self-conscious with all this attention. "I''m no Zeke..."

    "You''re right!" Bryce had his helmet on and bat in hand. "You''re Jake, batting prodigy. You''re better than Zeke." He headed for the on deck circle.

    "Hey, don''t think so much." Garret nudged me. "Ignore Bryce. He''s just having some fun today. You should too. There''s plenty of time to daydream when school starts again."

    My lips twitched. "You shouldn''t daydream during school."

    Garret laughed.

    Mahki hit another fly ball to Sean in right field for the second out of the inning while Bryce struck out for the second time today to end it for us.

    "Booo!" Everyone seemed to shower Bryce with insults as we switched sides.

    It didn''t get to Bryce though. He just grabbed his glove and sprinted for the mound. "Don''t worry guys! I''ll do better where I belong!"

    "Against Julian and Zeke?" James snorted as he headed to left field. "Sure, okay. Maybe after this, Miller can take you to the doctor to treat your delusions disorder."

    Bryce stuck his tongue out at James.

    James was onto something though. He clearly understood that Bryce wasn''t good enough to take on the graduates. Bryce walked Julian then gave up a homerun to Zeke. Gave up the two runs that we had just earned. Brutal. Bryce cringed, but straightened himself out to continue on.

    Sean hit a single to the outfield, but after him it was the weakest part of the lineup. Theo hit a grounder to Garret at short. Garret snatched the ball and threw to me, covering second base. I caught the ball then got out of the way of Sean''s slide and threw to Kelvin at first to complete the double play.

    It was just the kind of big play that Bryce needed. With two outs and no runners on, he could focus on the batter. Andy didn''t stand a chance. Not because of age and experience, but just because Bryce needed to release some of his pent up frustration.

    "Looking a little rusty out there, kid." James gave Bryce a small pat on the head when he got back to the dugout. "Do you need me to take over?"

    Bryce slapped his hand away. "I''m fine! Just getting warmed up."

    Brian was in need of getting warmed up too. He had a rough fourth inning thanks to me and Garret, but he got a little sharper in the top of the fifth. He got Jason to groundout to first base then hit a snag, giving up a pair of singles to James and Kelvin. He bounced back, striking out Alex and then got Kyle to fly out to right field.

    James came back to the dugout with a smirk. "A hit for me, yet none for you." He told Bryce.

    Bryce rolled his eyes as he headed out of the dugout, eager to take the mound again.

    "You shouldn''t pick on him so much." Kyle chuckled.

    James shrugged. "There aren''t many opportunities left for me to do so."

    Mahki nodded in agreement. "Get your jabs in now. Maybe we can follow the stats in the spring."

    James shook his head. "Not possible. Do you remember our seniors keeping track and looking back? No. They were busy with their own season."

    "At least we have social media." Mahki sighed. "It''s kind of sad to go off and lose all you guys like this. We''ll have to make new friends and new teammates."

    "That''s life." James stated. "We''ll have to do it all over again in college. If you continue with baseball in the pros, it''s also a constant change in teammates and making new friends while losing touch with old friends. Even in a regular job, you''ll lose and gain new coworkers. Maybe even change employers yourself."

    "You''re bumming me out." Mahki left the dugout with a heavy sigh.

    "There will always be reunions." Garret told James, heading out as well. "It''s not like this is some final goodbye. We''ll come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas."

    My shoulders lost some tension that I didn''t know was building up. Garret was right. Everyone may be going their separate ways, but it''s not like we won''t see them ever again.

 696 V2 ch168

    Bryce started with the number eight batter in the bottom of the fifth. Mitchell. Bryce started a little wild, missing the strike zone and ended up with a 3-0 count. With the need of a strike, he threw too good of a pitch. Meaning it was too good for Mitchell to pass up on. He swung and connected, sending a line drive to the right field fence. It hopped once then went over. A ground-rule double.

    Bryce pursed his lips into a thin line, but didn''t give up. He aimed his pitches a little bit better, catching the corners. Dave hit a slow roller just between first base and the mound. Kelvin raced to the ball as Bryce sprinted to first base. Kelvin made the play, getting the first out. Mitchell was abled to sprint to third base during such a slow infield play.

    Bryce kept an eye on him while he faced down the top of the lineup: Brian. One hit and one strikeout. Brian is only one of four players that have gotten hits so far for the other team. He faced Bryce in all seriousness, hitting a grounder to Jason at third. Jason ignored Mitchell running home and simply threw to Kelvin at first to get the second out. The score was pushed to 5-4, us.

    Noah came up next. He was 0-2 on the day, and after hitting another groundout to Garret at short, he was now 0-3. He went back to the dugout with a thoughtful look so I wasn''t worried about him. He just started to change his swing yesterday so it''ll be a while until he gets the hang of it.

    Top of the sixth started with the top of our lineup. Garret and I put helmets on and left the dugout together with bats in hands.

    Garret stood by me in the on deck circle, watching Brian warmup. "I think this might be our last at-bat unless we go on a crazy hit spree."

    I nodded in agreement.

    "I''m going to try for a homerun." He swung his bat around loosely. "Getting hits is fun, but I want to try for a big one like you."

    I nodded again. "I''m going to try for a homerun too."

    Garret laughed. "I like this new you. You''re going to take over for Zeke, it looks like. Be responsible for driving in the runs so we can win games."

    I looked up at him. "You hit very well too."

    "It''s hard to do when I have to pitch. I''m not that good at multitasking."

    "You''ve done it before." I pointed out.

    "Okay, okay, you can still rely on me to drive in some runs too." He chuckled as he walked to the lefty''s box.

    Garret and Brian faced off. Brian tried to keep his pitches low, but dug himself into a 3-1 hole. Unwilling to walk him, Brian threw it just a little higher. Garret took advantage and blasted the ball to the opposite field. Dave in left field chased the ball to the fence. He jumped, made the catch, then flipped over the fence. He got back on his feet and waved his glove, showing that he still had the ball.

    "Damn." Garret mumbled as he jogged back to the dugout. "I thought that was long gone."

    Brian hesitated on the mound before speaking up. "Should I just walk Jake..?"

    "No way!" Noah spoke up immediately. He jogged to the mound to have a more private conversation with Brian.

    Mitchell got up. "Just a second." He went to speak with them on the mound too.

    "You''re scaring your own teammates, kid." Mr. Miller laughed.

    I turned at him, feeling embarrassed. "Do you think I should go easier on them?"

    "Hell no. The only way they''re going to get better is if they face you with confidence. They can''t just walk every good batter they come across in the future." He nodded at the mound. "Looks like Noah talked some sense into him."

    I turned back to see Mitchell coming back and Noah going back to his position.

    Mitchell stepped behind home plate and squatted. "Don''t mind him, Jake. Aim for the fences."

    My lips twitched. "Whose team are you on?"

    Mitchell laughed. "We''re all one team here. So don''t go easy on him."

    I nodded obediently.

    Brian threw his first pitch. A fastball just a little outside. Or so I thought until I heard Mr. Miller call, "Strike."

    I glanced back at him.

    He shrugged with a grin. "Don''t look at me like that. Umpires aren''t perfect."

    I rolled my eyes. Mr. Miller is obviously messing with me. I shouldn''t let any pitches pass unless it''s for sure a ball. I fouled off anything that was close and waited for the right pitch. Something I could pull to left field. Brian wasn''t perfect, throwing two balls in the dirt. Finally, he threw something I liked. I made contact with the barrel of my bat and pulled a line drive to left field.

    Dave raced to the fence, and caught my line drive without having to flip over like he did for Garret''s. He lifted his gloved hand proudly. "Two for two!" He yelled.

    I went back to the dugout as Mahki stepped up to bat.

    "Dang it, we''ll probably hear him brag all afternoon now." Garret groaned as I put my stuff away. "I wish I went for just a hit instead now."

    I laughed lightly. "It''s not so bad. You can just remind him how you got a hit off him when he pitched. That should keep him settled."

    "True, true."

    Mahki singled, but didn''t amount to much with Bryce hitting into a forceout at second to end the inning.

    "Not hits for you today." James smirked when Bryce came back with Mahki right behind him. "Maybe you''ll end up as a pitcher-only player."

    Bryce switched his gear. "It doesn''t mean much today. I''ll get better before the next season starts." He grabbed his glove and jogged out to the mound with speed.

    James just shook his head and followed him out, jogging out to left field.

    Bottom of the sixth. Bryce had better rhythm and control but still gave up a couple of hits. Julian hit a fly out to Kyle in right field. Zeke singled. Sean struck out looking. Theo singled, pushing Zeke all the way to third.

    "Maybe I should tell Coach to let me have some at-bats too!" Theo exclaimed happily from first base.

    Bryce glared at him for a hot second, but turned to his attention to Andy in the batter''s box. Andy has a groundout and a strikeout for the game so far, similar to Noah''s stat line. Bryce didn''t go easy on him even though he hasn''t entered high school yet. He threw his best stuff, and Andy dealt with it the best he could. The count was full and Andy was fouling off pitches left and right. When he finally put one into play, it was just a routine grounder for Garret.

    I sighed, feeling bad for him and Noah. They weren''t the only ones to be hitless so far, but they were the ones I was closest to. The ones who had something to prove.

 697 V2 ch169

    "You depressed about something?" Garret had heard my sigh. We jogged back to the dugout and sat by our bags. "Or was that a sigh of relief? Are you worried that Julian''s little brother might take your spot in the infield?"

    I shook my head. "No, I''m fine."

    "Oh, ho, you''re that confident?" He laughed.

    I mindlessly scratched my face. "I mean, yea I think I''m okay. I''m better at fielding and my batting is still as good as before so I don''t think I''ll lose my spot. But what I sighed over was..." I lowered my voice. "I wanted Noah and Andy to do a little better. Get a hit. Show off their skills."

    Garret laughed even harder. He reached over to pinch my cheek. "Bambi, you''re so cute."

    I slapped his hand away and rubbed my now sore cheek.

    "But seriously, stop thinking so much and worrying over the little things." Garret told me. "There will be plenty of time for them to show off their skills and whatnot. This is just a game between friends. We''ll have the high school camp this week, and then all of fall to impress the coaches. If those kids can''t show their talents in all that time available, then they just aren''t cut out for it."

    I frowned.

    He nudged me. "Do you really think Noah needs your concern? He made it to varsity on his own as a freshman. I''m sure he''ll be able to keep his position as long as his hitting improves."

    "He''s working on it." I spoke up, trying to defend him.

    "I''m sure he is. Noah isn''t one to quit. And he doesn''t like to fall behind." Garret smiled. "As for Andy, I don''t know him very well, but for an incoming freshman, he looks steady. Not something stunning like you, but possibly JV material."

    I sighed.

    "That''s just from my first impressions, kid." Garret laughed. "You act like I''m the coach, making decisions on who gets to stay or not. You don''t know what the future might hold."

    "Oh." I glanced up at him, and thought of a previous conversation I had with the Atkins. About who would be captain with Zeke leaving. "I think you would make a good captain, Garret." I told him.

    Garret was stunned into silence. Then his lips twitched. "Jake, you might not know this, but pitchers make horrible captains. We''re too selfish."

    I nodded. "I know. The twins said something similar."

    He let out a short laugh. "Well, as long as you know."

    "But I still think you would make a great captain." I stood firm.

    Garret looked away from me, turning his attention to the field. I think he was embarrassed by my comment, but I couldn''t understand why.

    Bryce took the mound one more time in the bottom of the seventh. He looked good, striking out Mitchell, but got lazy when facing Dave, walking him.  Bryce struck out Brian next, bringing up Noah who had done nothing today.

    Noah looked like he was aiming for the low pitches, fouling them off anyway he could. Alex called for a high pitch and I immediately knew what was coming. Bryce threw a fastball just above the strike zone, but Noah swung freely, getting the exact pitch he wanted.

    I jumped as high as I could, but the ball just wasnt within reach. It bounced into right field towards Kyle. Kyle came running in, scooped up the ball and threw it back to the infield. I caught the ball and saw that Noah was already at first, while Dave had reached second base. I smiled, happy that he got a hit.

    "Not the time to be smiling, Jake!" Bryce complained from the mound.

    I tried to hide my smile as I threw him the ball.

    "Punk." He muttered as he turned to face Julian.

    Julian singled on the third pitch to Kyle in right field. Dave sprinted around third and went on home. Kyle fielded the ball and threw directly to Alex at home plate. Dave had already slid in before a tag could be made. Alex didn''t dwell on it and threw the ball to Jason at third, where Noah was trying to slide in.

    Jason came down with the tag.

    "Out." Stu declared.

    "Noooo!" Noah flopped over onto his back in the dirt. "I swear I was safe."

    Stu laughed. "Sorry. The call is final." He looked up to Mr. Miller. "Now that the score is tied, do we let the game end or play in extra innings?"

    Mr. Miller walked over to Stu. "Better if it just ends here with a tie. Otherwise these boys will want to keep going until the day is done."

    Zeke and his team all came out of the dugout as my team came in from their positions. Once everyone was close enough, Mr. Miller announced the end of the game.

    Dave squatted near Noah and lightly punched him on the forehead. "You dummy. Zeke was up next. We could have had a walk-off win."

    Noah held the spot that was hit. "I was safe! It''s not my fault that Stu got it wrong."

    "There''s no replays in high school ball." Stu shrugged, not caring about Noah''s complaints. He looked to Mr. Miller. "Do we have to clean up here? Or can we leave it to the kids?"

    "Leave it to us." Zeke stepped forward. "I appreciate you guys coming out here for the afternoon." He looked down at Noah.

    Noah quickly got up. "Yea! Thanks! We appreciate it!"

    "Thanks!"

    "Thank you!"

    "It was fun to have you guys be the umpires. Felt more real."

    Everyone started to show their appreciation to the men that spent their Saturday afternoon watching us play just for fun.

    Mr. Miller waved his hands to cut us off. "Alright, okay, we get it." He looked around. "It was a nice little reunion and I''m happy to be apart of it. I''ll miss those of you that have graduated. Make sure you come to visit in the future if you have the chance. As for everyone else, I''ll see you boys on Monday."

    Mr. Miller and Stu said their goodbyes, gathered their stuff and left us at the field.

    "Monday!" Noah clenched his fists. "I can''t wait!"

    "You just came from a camp." Andy pointed out.

    "So what?" Noah shrugged. "It''s not the same. The high school camp is like a long tryout. A prequel for the future season."

    Andy looked to me.

    I shrugged. I wouldn''t know. I wasn''t here last summer or fall. I barely came in just before the season started. My tryout was strictly facing the twins and Garret''s pitching.

    "Let''s clean up the field and make sure it looks better than when we arrived." Zeke spoke loud and clear, and started to hand out directions for everyone to pitch in.

 698 V2 ch170

    "I''m going to go home and shower real quick." Garret said after sniffing himself.

    "Same." Mitchell agreed.

    About half of the guys echoed similar sentiments.

    "Go home and shower if you want." Zeke said. "If you can''t or don''t want to go home, then just come straight to our house."

    Everyone got in their cars and we left the park.

    "Man, I''m exhausted." Dave slumped in the front passenger seat. "Chasing those long fly balls in the sixth inning was killer." He rubbed his right shoulder with his left hand.

    "Did you hurt yourself when you flipped over the fence?" Kyle frowned, clearly concerned. His concern made the rest of us concerned as we looked at Dave.

    Dave shook his head. "Nothing serious. Just going to be sore tomorrow."

    "Make sure to ice when we get home." Zeke told him. Then he glanced back at Kyle. "You too. You both have to do better in taking care of yourselves. Offer Bryce and Brian ice too when they show up." Zeke pulled into the driveway.

    "I don''t think I should ice when I''m not in pain." Kyle brushed Zeke''s suggestion off. "I''ll just take a warm shower and do some stretches."

    Zeke turned the car off. "Okay. As long as you know what you''re doing."

    We all got out of the car, bringing our bags with us. A few of the guys that chose to come straight to our house walked up the driveway and followed us into the house.

    Zeke went to the living room to turn on a baseball game. Dave went to the kitchen to get a bag of ice, offering one to Bryce, who was one of the few to follow us straight home. Kyle went to his room to shower, while Noah and I went to our own room.

    "Do you want to shower first? Or want me to shower first?" Noah asked me as he put his baseball bag down.

    I set my bag down next to all my spare bats that were still leaning against the desk. "Up to you." I pulled my phone off the charger and found that I had a missed call from Jeremy. "Hey, what time do the A''s play today?" I asked.

    "Probably right about now." Noah said after checking the time. "It''s 7pm in Boston. Why? Did Jeremy text you?"

    I shook my head. "No. Just a missed call. I''ll text him back instead of calling back." I started to type, sending Jeremy a message that I was out playing baseball when I missed his call and that he could call back after his game when he was free.

    "You go shower first." Noah laid down in the middle of our room and started to do some pushups. "I want to add in a little more work."

    "Okay..." I let him be.

    "Hungry?" Zeke came up from behind me and asked. He was holding two giant plastic bowls. One was filled with pretzels and the other had chips.

    I shook my head. "Nah. I''ll wait for the pizza."

    "Mom said it should be here soon." Zeke passed the bowls to Mahki and they started to move throughout the room with each guy taking a handful. "Go find a seat and watch the game."

    I glanced at the packed room.

    "Want to help me set up instead?" Zeke offered.

    "Jake!" Bryce yelled my name while pointing at the TV. "Look! It''s Jeremy."

    I glanced at the screen that was zoomed in on Jeremy''s face as he stepped up to bat.

    "I''ll stay here." I told Zeke. Then made my way through the living room, finding an open spot just in front of the couch near Bryce and Dave.

    "You know, I was worried about Patterson when he fell into that slump this past week." Bryce started to talk a mile a minute as soon as I sat down. "I was wondering if it would be weird to call you guys to ask about it. But then I saw that game a couple days ago where he mentioned you and Noah!" He laughed. "It''s surreal to hear your name out of his mouth."

    "What''s this now?" Dave leaned forward. "Jeremy talked about Noah and Jake?"

    "You didn''t know?" Bryce asked.

    Dave was bewildered. "I don''t even know what you''re talking about."

    "You didn''t even see the game?" Bryce asked.

    "What game? I''ve been at a pitching camp all week." Dave looked at me. "What''s he talking about?"

    "Noah and I called Jeremy to ask about his slump." I explained. "Noah threatened to call Rose if he didn''t get better. And then he did. In the postgame interview he mentioned us."

    "You got to see the game at camp?" Dave asked.

    I nodded. "We had a tv in the common area."

    "So everyone knew...that Jeremy''s your brother..?" Dave asked, unsure. I nodded. "And you were okay with that?"

    I shrugged. "It''s not like I can hide it. Everyone at school knows and Jeremy has a tendency to talk about us on camera. He mentioned Zeke after the draft, right? So a few of the players figured it out on their own."

    Dave smiled and reached over to mess up my hair. "You''ve gotten so mature."

    "Jake has always been mature!" Bryce claimed. "So serious all the time." He pulled me into a tight hug. "He needs to continue to be this little so he can be Bambi forever."

    I shoved him away, unwilling to be in such an enclosed space.

    "Hey! Leave Jake alone!" Noah practically jumped on Bryce as he joined us.

    Bryce pushed him out of his lap. "Get off. You''re so heavy and your hair is wet."

    Noah shook his head back and forth, getting us wet with little water droplets from his hair.

    "He''s like a dog." Bryce wiped his face. "I never understood how Jake can like Noah so much since they''re so different. But now I see. Noah must resemble a therapy dog for Jake."

    Noah tackled Bryce and started to playfully hit him.

    "I''m kidding! I''m kidding!" Bryce hollered. "Get off of me!"

    "You kids are so rowdy." Garret walked into the living room, speaking over everyone else.

    "It''s just Noah and Bryce." Mahki spike up. "The rest of us have been watching the game."

    "What''s the score?" Garret squeezed into a tight spot on the big couch.

    The room filled up with the guys. It only got more chaotic after the pizza arrived. Everyone stacked their plates with pizza and grabbed a water bottle that Zeke had set out. It was a fun evening: watching the game, eating more than we should, and talking about our summer break. It felt like no time had passed between the championship game and now.

 699 V2 ch171

    I nodded along in agreement. I checked my phone one more time before sighing and getting into bed.

    "What is it? Did Jeremy never call you back?" Noah asked, picking up on my restlessness.

    "He didn''t even text back." I answered, getting under the covers. "It probably wasn''t anything important to begin with, but I-" I stopped.

    "But you worry." Noah finished for me. "I understand. There''s obviously something going on in his life, but he doesn''t want to share." Noah sighed. "All adults are like this. It''s so frustrating. It''s like they think we''re useless."

    Noah rambled on while turning the light off and getting into his own bed. He was getting off topic, mostly talking about how adults treat us like children even though we would be able to drive soon. I hummed in agreement whenever he asked something, but my mind was still on Jeremy. Something has been going on with him for weeks now, and it gave me an ominous feeling.

    I had trouble falling asleep even after Noah had quit talking. My night was filled with a lot of tossing and turning. By the time the sun had risen, I felt like I didn''t sleep at all. Just a simple blink and Noah was suddenly asking me if I wanted to go to the cages before we had lunch at Alisha''s.

    I agreed.

    I had assumed we all would be going together, but at the breakfast table, the twins told us differently.

    "We''re going to Mitchell''s." Dave informed us between bites of his waffle.

    "How are you going to get there?" Noah asked. "Zeke already said he would take us to the cages so we''ll have the car."

    Kyle looked to Mom. "Mom, you and Dad can ride to work together, right?"

    Mom squinted. "We could, but do I trust you with my car? No."

    "You trust Zeke. Loan him your car and we''ll take the family car." Dave suggested. He saw her wavering and continued on. "Please?? Kyle and I want to work on our pitching with Mitchell. Especially now that we aren''t throwing the same. We have to prepare him before the camp starts."

    Mom looked to Zeke. "And you''re just taking the younger two to the cages? For how long?"

    "Until lunch." Noah spoke up for Zeke. "Then we''re going to Alisha''s." He looked to the twins. "You guys can come too. Mitchell as well if he has time."

    Kyle laughed. "Why would we go to Alisha''s? Wouldn''t that be awkward for her? Surrounded by a bunch of dudes?"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Obviously she invited some girls too." He smirked. "Like Marie and Kaylee."

    Kyle rubbed his nose. "Well, it would be rude to turn down your invite. We''ll meet you there after we get some work in with Mitchell. Is there any particular time we have to be there by?"

    Noah shrugged. "She said her dad was gonna grill some hotdogs and burgers at noon."

    Noah shrugged again. "How am I supposed to know?"

    Mom looked at Zeke. "Before going over, stop at the store and take some fruit platters with you." She looked at Noah next. "Make sure to ask her if they need any extra meat when you get to the store."

    "Sure thing." Noah answered.

    "You okay, Jake?" Dad asked me.

    I poked at my scrambled eggs. "I''m okay."

    "He''s just worried that Jeremy isn''t okay." Noah added.

    "What''s going on with Jeremy?" Mom asked before Dad could. She looked as worried as I felt.

    "We don''t know." Noah answered. "That''s what''s making him worried. Jeremy called yesterday, but we were playing baseball. Jake sent a text saying he had his phone on him, but Jeremy never called back. He''s been a little off since he canceled dinner on us. He went into a slump for a week, but he seemed better these last few days."

    "Have you tried calling him?" Dad asked me.

    I shook my head. "I don''t want to bother him."

    "A phone works both ways. To receive calls and to call." Dad said. "You can''t just expect Jeremy to call you all the time. If you want this relationship to be on even ground, you have to do half the work. Why don''t you give him a call after today''s game?"

    "What do I say?" I asked.

    "What would you say to Noah if you haven''t seen him for a week?" He asked back. "A simple ''how are you'' can open up the conversation."

    I nodded slowly. "Okay. I''ll call him a little bit after his game. I think they''re coming home after being on the road for so long." I looked to Noah to be sure.

    Noah nodded. "Yep. Almost two weeks worth of away games! Now they''re going to be on a home game stretch. I know they have tomorrow off."

    Not long after breakfast, we all started to go our own ways. Mom and Dad had an open house to show. The twins went to Mitchell''s house. While Zeke took Noah and I to the cages.

    We had some fun blowing off steam in the cages. Noah worked on changing his stance and swing, occasionally asking me and Zeke for suggestions. Zeke and I worked on aiming our hits a little better, discussing how much hip power you need when trying for homeruns.

    As we got closer to lunch, we packed up the car and stopped at a grocery store on our way to Alisha''s. Zeke loaded the cart with a couple of fruit platters like Mom had instructed, but then also added some bags of chips.

    "Better to have more food than less. You have to figure that the twins will bring Mitchell along. Who knows how many other people will come." Zeke explained.

    Noah looked up from his phone. "Alisha said the head count is already over twenty. Apparently Marie and Kaylee invited some of the softball girls."

    Zeke frowned. "Alisha and her parents are okay with this many people coming? Sounds like a party."

    Noah shrugged. "I guess so. She said some of her parent''s friends came and brought their kids too. She said to bring Mom and Dad, but I already told her that they have work."

    "Do we need to get any meat? Anymore food?" Zeke asked.

    "Let me double check." Noah started to type. After a minute, his phone dinged. "She said no more meat needed. I guess they''ll have enough. She did say to grab a few more bags of chips."

    We backtracked to the chip aisle again and threw a few more bags into the cart. Heading to checkout, we had passed by the bakery section and Noah convinced Zeke to grab a few containers of mini brownie bites.

    "You better not hog them." Zeke warned. "Camp starts tomorrow. Try to take better care of yourself."

    "I promise." Noah grinned, eyeing the cart.

    Zeke sighed and shook his head. He looked at me. "Jake, it''s going to be up to you to keep Noah in check. Stay away from the sweets. Fruits have natural sugars and are way better for you."

    Noah laughed. "Don''t preach what you can''t practice."

    "If I give up sweets, will you?" Zeke raised an eyebrow.

    Noah pursed his lips. "What''s in it for me?"

    "Increased energy and mood. Mental clarity. Weight management." Zeke listed the benefits of giving up sugar.

    "But what will YOU give me?" Noah asked.

    Zeke squinted. "What do you want?"

    He shrugged. "Nothing off the top of my head."

 700 V2 ch172

    "She said we could park in the driveway since we brought some food." Noah told Zeke as we got close.

    Zeke glanced at him. "Are you sure it has nothing to do with her crush on you?"

    Noah''s cheeks gained some color. "Shut up. You don''t know what you''re talking about."

    Zeke revealed a small smile. We arrived on her block and saw the street parking was mostly occupied. Thanks to Noah we could park in the driveway. Noah sent Alisha a text that we were here and then we started to unload the car. All three of us had our hands full as we headed for the door.

    Alisha opened the door before we could knock. "Hey, Noah!" She smiled. "Jake. Zeke. You guys have perfect timing. The adults just finished grilling the first set of burgers. Do you need help carrying in anything?"

    "No, we''ve got it." Noah answered, smiling.

    Alisha led us through the house to her backyard. There seem to be a clear divide between the adults and the teenagers. All the adults sat or stood near the grill while most of the teens crowded the food table.

    We found an open spot and started to set the fruit, brownies, and chips down. Then we all grabbed a plate of our own and started to fill it up. When Noah reaches for the brownies, Zeke stated at him.

    "What?" Noah said defensively. "I didn''t say I was going to quit sugar today." He took his pile of food away to avoid Zeke''s gaze.

    I hurried after him with my own plate of food; also sneaking a few brownies.

    "Wait for me!" Alisha followed us.

    Noah paused for a second, waiting for the two of us to catch up. We decided to sit at one of the small tables by the pool.

    "I''m surprised there aren''t more people in the pool." Noah told Alisha as we started to eat.

    "I''m sure there''ll be some after we finish eating." She said. She looked at me. "Want to learn how to swim today?"

    I swallowed a lump of food that sat heavy in my stomach. "No thanks. No swim trunks."

    Alisha grinned. "You can borrow my dads."

    "Stop messing with him. Jake isn''t ready yet." Noah told her.

    Alisha laughed. "Sorry, Jake. I was just teasing you. I''m not going to swim today either."

    "Don''t you like being in the pool?" I asked. Every time we come over, she usually goes in.

    She shrugged lightly, smiling. "I live here. I can go in the pool every day if I wanted. But I thought I would hang out with you guys this afternoon. You''ve been gone for so long!"

    "We''ve only been gone a week." Noah licked the ketchup off his fingers. "And even though we''re back, we''re going to be busy with baseball this week too."

    "Yea, same." Alisha nodded in an understanding manner.

    "What do you mean by ''same''?" He squinted, putting his burger back down on his plate.

    Alisha grinned. "I meant what I said: same."

    "Are you going to take part in the softball camp?" Noah asked.

    Alisha shook her head. "How is that the same as baseball? I''m going to the baseball camp."

    I paused. Uhhhh. I immediately looked to Noah.

    Noah looked surprised and then a little troubled. "Alisha...not to hurt your feelings, but...I don''t think baseball is for you."

    My lips twitched. That''s an understatement. Softball isn''t for her either. She spent the summer acting more like a cheerleader. Well, if she likes it enough, I''m sure she can practice and get better. It''s not like I was any good at fielding, yet I was abled to improve. She can too.

    Alisha laughed. "You guys should see your faces." She munched on a chip, happy. "I''m not talking about playing baseball. I want to help the team by being a manager or something. A ball girl? I don''t know. I''m going to the fields tomorrow to meet with Mr. Miller and he''s going to introduce me to your head coach."

    Noah looked relieved. "Oh, thank goodness. I was scared that you were delusional or something. Not that I wouldn''t support you, but being realistic..."

    Alisha smiled and leaned back in her chair, holding her plate of chips. "Don''t worry, I understand. If I wanted to play-play, then I would have tried out for the softball team."

    "Why not??" Kaylee overheard Alisha on her way to our table. "C''mon, it''d be fun!" With only three chairs to sit in, she sat on Alisha''s lap.

    Alisha laughed. "You know I''m not any good. I loved playing with you guys, but there''s no way I can play competitively."

    Kaylee smirked. "So why don''t you be our manager? Why do you want to do it for the baseball team? Hmm??"

    Alisha blushed, glancing at Noah for a second.

    Feeling awkward, I put my head down and focused on eating.

    "Because she likes me more." Noah grinned.

    "Shameless." Kaylee rolled her eyes. She stole one of Alisha''s chips and threw it at Noah. Noah swatted it away. "Aren''t you embarrassed?"

    Alisha nudged her, giving her a look. "This was my decision. I like baseball. I watched the games during the season so why not participate in any way I can?"

    "As long as you''re not there to chase after Noah." Kaylee said with raised eyebrows, getting off Alisha.

    A weird silence fell over us.

    Alisha got up suddenly. "I''m going to the bathroom." She walked back towards the house.

    "Way to go, Kaylee." Noah rolled his eyes and stood up. "Can you not be so unpleasant? For one day? You know Alisha isn''t like that." He didn''t wait for a reply and went after Alisha, leaving me alone with Kaylee.

    Kaylee looked down at me. "Do you think I''m unpleasant?"

    I shook my head quickly.

    Kaylee grinned. "But, you think I''m scary right?"

    I hesitated. Is this the time to lie? I bit my bottom lip as I thought about what to say. "I''m scared of everyone so that''s-"

    "You''re not scared of Noah or Alisha." She cut me off. She sat down in Alisha''s chair and looked at me directly.

    ...what should I say? I gulped. "Well..."

    "Do you hate me?"

    I immediately shook my head. "No. Of course not." I knew Kaylee was a good person at heart. She''s just a little prickly. The first time we met, she was very defensive of her sister, but I won''t forget the fact that she did make us cookies. She also played softball with us all summer. "I think...we''re friends."

    "You think?" She raised an eyebrow.

    "Do you not want to be?" I asked, feeling a little down.

    "How can you be scared of your friends?" She asked.

    I shrugged. "I''m scared of the twins. And Zeke. And technically, we''re family."

    "Good answer." She nodded.

    I waited. Then swallowed my anxiety before asking, "So? Are we friends?"

    She laughed. "Yea, of course. I was just messing around."

    I sighed with relief. This girl...really stresses me out.

 701 V2 ch173

    "You know I wasn''t trying to embarrass Alisha, right?" She asked.

    I shrugged. "I don''t think she was embarrassed. Maybe a little ashamed? For being called out like that." I looked around to make sure no one was near us. "She really likes Noah."

    Kaylee laughed. "Everyone knows, Jake."

    I frowned. "Then why would you say anything?"

    Kaylee pointed behind me. "To make sure she doesn''t end up like that idiot."

    I turned around and tried to point out the ''idiot''. There was a small gathering of teens, most who looked familiar and two who were extremely familiar. Kyle and Marie. My lips twitched as I fought off the smile. "Which one is the idiot..?"

    "I would say Marie." She leaned forward on the table, resting her chin in her hand. "She''s going to follow Kyle to whichever college he goes to."

    "Does Kyle know that..?" I scratched my cheek. He hasn''t said anything to us. I knew that Marie was interested in what colleges he was visiting, but to blindly follow..?

    "Who knows. If he does, that makes him an idiot. If he doesn''t, that also makes him an idiot. Two idiots put together. What a match made in heaven." She sighed. "Dating in high school is a terrible idea. It''s so emotionally exhausting. Ups and downs. Crushes, breakups, and getting back together." She sighed.

    "Are they officially back together?" I asked.

    "They''ve been talking a lot lately." She told me. "They take turns calling one another almost every night."

    "Oh." We had been at separate camps so I didn''t know. Kaylee really seemed down and out on her sister and Kyle. I can see how it made her lash out on Alisha. "My brother told me that sometimes dating in high school works out." I told her.

    She looked surprised. "Which brother?"

    "Jeremy." I explained how I called him while at camp. "Him and Noah were talking about girlfriends. Noah doesn''t think dating in high school lasts either. But Jeremy said he knows a few guys that married their high school girlfriends."

    She smiled and shook her head. "It''s highly unlikely, but I guess it does happen." She glanced at her sister. Then looked back at me. "So, talking with Jeremy more?"

    I shrugged. "Occasionally."

    "Is it weird?"

    I laughed. "Always."

    She paused. "Do you ever miss your mom?"

    My smile fell. "No." I thought how Kaylee didn''t know much about my past and decided to expand. "She wasn''t a good person, let alone a good mother. She''s in jail where she belongs."

    Kaylee winced. "Sorry. I didn''t mean to pry. I just wonder how it feels. To get a completely new family."

    "I can''t speak for everyone, but-" I smiled. "It''s the best thing to ever happen to me."

    "He''s nice to them and they''re nice to him." I thought about it. "Things were a little difficult in the beginning, but it''s gotten a lot better."

    "That''s good. I''m glad you''re doing better." She laughed. "Though it''s strange to hear you talk so much."

    Am I talking too much? I clamped my mouth shut.

    "It''s a good thing." She laughed again. "Don''t be so scared all the time."

    Easier said than done. I shot her a look.

    "C''mon, you cant be scared anymore." She told me, relaxing in her chair again. "Noah is like your own personal guard dog. Plus, you have the twins and don''t even get me started on Zeke." She cocked a grin. "You have me too."

    I relaxed a bit. "Thanks." I looked around. "Didn''t Alisha invite KJ too?"

    "She should be here somewhere." She told me. "Why? Are you trying to get rid of me?"

    I shook my head. "Just wondering."

    "I figured. I''m just messing with you." Kaylee said.

    I nodded. I was getting used to Kaylee.

    "What electives are you and Noah going to pick for sophomore year?" She asked.

    I shrugged. "Not sure."

    We talked about school and what classes were going to be available for us in our sophomore year. She reminded me that with it being a new semester, all the classes would be changed and we could possibly have a same class or two.

    "Do you think you''ll share every class with Noah again?" Kaylee asked. "That has to be specially requested, doesn''t it?"

    "I don''t know." My lips thinned. "I don''t think they''ll want me to rely on him so much. Maybe share a few classes, but lately they''ve been pushing me to stand on my own."

    "Who''s ''they''?" She asked.

    "The Atkins. My therapist, Dr. Moore. Zeke made me play on a different team than Noah when we went to the Stanford camp." I told her about that experience. I did have Rhys there for support instead, and everything turned out okay.

    "All''s well, that ends well." Kaylee told me. "You survive that so I''m sure you''ll do find without Noah in every class too. It''s good to gain some independence. Noah needs it too."

    "You think so?"

    She nodded. "Yea, definitely. He''s always guarding you and babysitting you. Doesn''t it make you feel suffocated?"

    I shook my head. "Makes me feel safe."

    "Okay, but he can''t always be there for you. After high school is college and adulthood. There''s a lot of change that comes after graduation. Heck, look around right now. He ran off after Alisha."

    I nodded slowly. "Yea, I do need to be a little more independent. But, isn''t it nice to be in the same class as your friends?"

    "Of course! But not every set of friends get to share every class."

    "For the record, we didn''t have the same math."

    She laughed. "But you were with the twins. Doesnt count."

    "Does too!" I claimed. "They scared me in the beginning. Especially Dave."

    "Whatcha kids talking about?" A heavy hand landed on my shoulder, making me jump in my seat. I looked up at Dave''s smiling face and suddenly felt a chill.

    "None of your business." Kaylee rolled her eyes at him.

    "Are you sure?" Dave squinted, looking between us. "Because I thought I heard my name. Which makes it my business."

    "You misheard us." She shot back.

    Dave laughed and took his hand off my shoulder. "Okay, fine. Keep your secrets. Have you guys seen Noah? I wanted to show him this baseball video that Mitchell showed us today."

    "He and Alisha left." I told him.

    "What video?" Kaylee leaned forward. "Why not show us?"

    "Okay!" Dave sat down at the empty chair and pulled out his phone. "It''s just a clip of funny errors in the Majors. I know Noah would laugh, but you guys might like it too." He started to play the video and we squeezed in closer to watch.

    Kaylee laughed freely at the compilation of errors while I cringed from secondhand embarrassment. It was encouraging to see that pros could make embarrassing errors themselves, but I also had a fear that it would be me in the future.

 702 V2 ch174

    Dave looked confused. "What happened?"

    Alisha looked at Kaylee. "No. It''s alright. I should actually expect people to ask me if I''m just doing this for Noah. But I''m not. I''m doing this for me. I want to be part of the baseball team."

    "Wait. What?!" Dave looked even more confused.

    "She wants to help the team." I whispered.

    "Oh. Like a manager of sorts?" Dave nodded. "When I was a freshman, the Varsity team had one. You can ask Zeke about it."

    "I already have plans to meet with Coach Wilcox tomorrow." Alisha told him. "Mr. Miller is helping me."

    Dave laughed. "You know...some of it is going to be hard work. Mr. Miller will probably ask you to help him with the field and everything."

    She nodded. "I''m prepared for it."

    With Kaylee''s apology and Alisha''s determination, all happiness seemed to be restored. Dave went ahead and showed the other two the funny video before moving on to other groups. We spent most of the afternoon at Alisha''s and even helped with cleanup after most of the people started to leave.

    Kaylee left with Marie while we left with Zeke. The twins drove the other car back earlier, probably trying to get out of cleanup.

    After we got home, Noah and I went up to our room and started to prepare our baseball bags for tomorrow. I took out my phone and checked it. No news from Jeremy.

    "Are you going to call him?" Noah asked.

    I nodded. "Yea. His game is over. I just want to make sure...nothing is wrong." I went to his contact information and pushed the call button. Noah stopped what he was doing and sat beside me on the floor, so I turned on the speaker phone so he could hear.

    It rang and rang. Then went to his voicemail.

    I shrugged. "Maybe he''s already on the flight back."

    "No, because then the call would have gone straight to voicemail." Noah pointed out. "Try calling again."

    I did so.

    This time I got different results.

    "Hello? Jake?" Jeremy''s voice came on the line. "Is something wrong?"

    "No. I was just trying to return your call from yesterday." I replied. "And just to ask, how are you?"

    "Oh. My call. That was just-" He stopped mid-sentence and let out a heavy sigh.

    "Is everything alright?" I asked, more firmed.

    "I''m tired." He said. "Being on the road, game after game. Other things are going on my life that don''t necessarily concern you. I don''t want you to worry and be stressed like I am. My problems aren''t your problems. But soon things should be settled. I just can''t seem to catch a break."

    "I''m here for you." I said.

    He let out a short laugh. "There''s nothing you can do. Just enjoy being a teenager for the both of us, okay?"

    There was a pause. Nearly silent. If it wasn''t for the background noises, I would think he hung up on me.

    "Why don''t you give me his number?" Jeremy said, lowering his voice. "I have off days tomorrow and Thursday so maybe if he''s free, I can go and then have dinner or lunch with you. Make a trip out of it."

    "Okay! I''ll text you his contact information!" I smiled, relieved.

    "You really trust this guy, huh?"

    I nodded. "Dr. Moore is pretty awesome. He doesn''t treat me like...I''m crazy. Even when I didn''t talk much, he could still listen. When our school counselor...resigned...he took over and started to help other students that needed it. For free. He''s just a good person overall."

    He chuckled. "A five-star review from you? I guess I''ll give him the benefit of the doubt. I don''t really like therapists and how they get in your head. But, he did seem okay last time we met with him." He paused. "If I come tomorrow or Thursday, will you do a private dinner with me?"

    I frowned. "Just us..?" I glanced at Noah, who was still listening in.

    "Yea. If you''re uncomfortable, we can invite Noah or I can just eat with your whole family." He said.

    Noah pointed at me and gestured with one finger.

    "I-I can eat alone with you." I said, stuttering only for a second. Noah said it was okay after all.

    "Great! Don''t get me wrong, I like your family. I just wanted to get some one-on-one time with you. Be a little more personable." He sounded much better. "We have some home games coming up if you and them want to come?"

    I looked at Noah. Noah nodded enthusiastically.

    "Sounds cool." I told him. Then thought about what tomorrow would be like. "But, this week we have our high school camp so it''s probably better to wait for the weekend."

    "Sure, I understand. It''s a bit of a drive and you should be well rested this week. Show off your skills for your high school coaches!" He cheered, making me smile. "Tell Noah good luck too. And the twins. I''ll be asking them how it went when I go to dinner with you."

    "I don''t need luck." Noah snorted, making his presence known.

    Jeremy laughed. "Okay kid, if you say so. Hey, does this camp have any standing on what team you''re on this year? Or do you have a separate tryout?"

    "It''s like an ongoing tryout until thanksgiving break." Noah answered. "This week is more important for incoming freshmen, but it''s a good way to get noticed before school starts. Jake and I have trained all summer so I think we''ll be turning even more heads than ever before."

    "Ah. Makes sense. I wish you boys the best. I have to board soon, but I''ll text you when I land, Jake. Maybe give Dr. Moore a call tomorrow to set up appointment for Thursday if that works for him."

    "Okay. Bye." I hung up.

    "Jeremy and you are a lot alike." Noah said out of nowhere. "Like really. So similar even though you didn''t grow up together. It''s strange."

    "What do you mean?"

    He shrugged and got up. "If you don''t see it, then don''t worry about it. I''m going downstairs to see if Mom''s home yet. You coming?"

    I glanced at my bats. "Nah. I want to clean them real quick before dinner and pick out two or three for tomorrow."

    "Okay. I''ll let you know when dinner is ready." He walked out.

    I sat there and took care of my bats, still thinking about what Noah said. Jeremy and I were a lot alike. Even though we didn''t grow up together. I think Noah forgot that Jeremy still spent a handful of years with my mom. Not nearly as much as me, but still enough to shape him.

    I finished with my bats and started to put them away when Noah came back. Dinner was ready. It was a rather quiet meal up until I mentioned Jeremy coming by on Thursday to take me to dinner. No one seemed to mind, except for Mom who wanted to know where we would be going. I didn''t know.

    Then the twins got excited to hear about a chance to go to a game this weekend. We discussed which days worked best, picking a Saturday so we could see a firework show. Mom and Dad would stay at home for work, but we decided to ask Rhys to go since he lives nearby.

 703 V2 ch175

    "Are you going to drive us to camp in your pajamas..?" Noah asked, really surprised.

    I ate my eggs in silence.

    "Why would he take us?" Dave asked.

    "Yea, we can drive." Kyle added.

    Noah made a face of disgust before looking at Zeke. "You aren''t going to come? Play a little? Maybe coach like you did for the Stanford camp?"

    Zeke shook his head.

    Noah squinted. "Then...what are you going to do?"

    Zeke shrugged. "Enjoy my last few days of summer break. Pick out my fall classes. Get a jump on my school reading. Might go on a jog to the beach."

    Noah kept blinking like he couldn''t recognize his brother anymore.

    "Hurry up and eat." Kyle told Noah. "Otherwise you''ll be running to practice."

    "Kyle." Mom warned.

    Breakfast was finished and we started to pack up the car minus one bag and minus one brother. Zeke watched as we loaded everything.

    "Oh wait. I wanted to bring my new batting gloves." Noah hurried back into the house.

    I glanced at Zeke. He caught me looking and waved me over. Seeing the twins arguing about who was going to drive us to practice, I went over to Zeke silently.

    Zeke put his hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. "Make sure Noah stays out of trouble. No fights."

    I frowned. "You think he would fight?"

    Zeke glanced at the door Noah went through. "I think a few of the guys know how to get under Noah''s skin."

    "Then why aren''t you coming with us?" My frown deepened. "I''m sure Coach would like having you to help out. Plus, you''re the captain."

    Zeke shook his head. A small smile played on his lips. "I''m no longer your captain. It''s a new season. I need to let the other guys have a chance to stand out and take on the leadership roles. I won''t be around to keep Noah in check during the regular season. If he loses his cool against those guys, then try to keep him at bay. You don''t want him to lose his varsity spot over a temper tantrum."

    "Can we still beat them during scrimmages?" I asked. "That''s what Noah said we should do. I don''t want him to get in trouble though."

    Zeke grinned. "That''s just playing the game. Go ahead. Show them your best." He turned serious. "As long as Noah can play seriously and doesn''t fool around, I think he has a considerable chance at being a captain in the future. He can''t do that if he''s fighting his future teammates."

    "He won''t fight. Physically." I said resolutely. "Noah wouldn''t do that."

    Zeke squeezed my shoulder. "Be careful on the field too. There are other ways to hurt players besides hitting them."

    I nodded.

    "Okay." I went back to the car where the twins just agreed that Kyle would get to drive us to the camp while Dave would be driving us home. I told them about Zeke wanting to have lunch with us and they started talking about where to eat during our hour break.

    A few minutes later Noah came running out of the house. He didn''t even glance at Zeke as he got into the car.

    "You have everything?" Dave asked, glancing back at us.

    Noah held out his empty hands. "I must have put it in my bag already."

    Kyle put the car in drive and we were on our way to school.

    I glanced at Noah, suspicious. What took him so long inside if he didn''t need to grab his batting gloves?

    Noah didn''t pay any attention to my staring and looked out the window, giving off a lonely vibe.

    Kyle pulled into the school parking lot, which surprisingly had a lot of cars considering it was still summer break. We got out and grabbed our bags. I had the intention to head down to our field, but I was told otherwise.

    "We do drills practice on the freshman field." Dave explained. "It has more space because the outfield is a soccer field. Plus, why would we let amateurs ruin our varsity field? It belongs to state champions. Not to some chumps who can''t even make the freshman team."

    Kyle pulled away from the three of us. "I''m going to stop at the softball field for a second. You guys go on ahead of me." He diverted from the straight path, waving as he left.

    "He''s got a problem." Dave sighed dramatically. "In love, out of love. Just pick one and stick with it. Geez." He glanced at the unusually quiet Noah. "You okay?"

    Noah gave a nod. "Yea."

    Dave lifted his eyebrows. He gave me a look then looked around the field that we had entered. To the right was the baseball field, and to the left was the outfield/soccer field. Players were scattered about from the dugouts, all along the fence.

    Dave spotted Garret and a few other pitchers. "I''m going over there with them. You guys coming or not?"

    I was about to nod and follow, but Noah grabbed my arm. "No. You guys will probably be doing different drills. We''ll put our bags elsewhere."

    Dave shrugged. "Alright. Point Kyle to our way of you see him." He turned and headed for the pitchers.

    I looked at Noah. "You don''t want to stay with Garret and them? It''s not just pitchers over there." It was made up of returning varsity players too.

    Noah looked me in the eye. "I heard what Zeke told you."

    I felt an odd sense of guilt before I realized that I didn''t do anything wrong. I slowly nodded. "He was worried you might fight, but I told him you didn''t plan on it."

    Noah pulled me further down the foul line to an open spot. "I understand why he didn''t want to come. He thinks I would rely on him to solve my problems. But, I wouldn''t. I do hold some resentment to those trash guys, but I wouldn''t put my baseball career at stake."

    I nodded along, not sure where he was going with this.

    We put our bags down, then sat down ourselves so we could put on our cleats.

    Noah was quicker than me by a second. "Jake?"

    I looked up as I tied my cleats.

    "Do you think I can really be a captain? Like Zeke said?" He asked, seriousness written all over his face.

    I nodded almost immediately. "Of course!" Noah was the most supportive person I knew. On and off the field. He also didn''t believe in giving up. He cares the most and works the hardest. He was similar to Zeke, but had his own style.

    Noah leaned forward and lowered his voice. "But do you think I can be captain this year?"

    I blinked, remembering when the boys talked about who could be a possible captain this year. Noah wasn''t really on that list. He would only be a sophomore.

 704 V2 ch176

    I swallowed, a little uncomfortable. I scooted even closer and whispered back. "It''s not me you have to worry about, Noah. I think you would make a great captain. You have to impress the others. Zeke said he didn''t come so he could let others take over the leadership roles. So...be a leader?"

    He nodded in agreement. "Right. I need to show the coaches I can be a leader despite being an underclassmen still. I also have to ignore those jerks while still getting some revenge." He patted my shoulder. "I''ll be counting on you."

    I scratched my cheek. "I won''t even know who to aim for."

    "If you don''t know them from Varsity, then hit a bomb off them." Noah instructed. "If you see Austin in the outfield, then make him run after a hit to the corner or something."

    I nodded. If I see Austin anywhere else, I would probably turn away from him because he gives off ''bully vibes''. But if he''s on the field...I can try to make his life a little more difficult.

    "What are you guys doing off to the side like this?" Kyle''s voice caught us by surprise and made us knock heads.

    Noah stood up and faced him. "Nothing in particular. We just thought it would be weird for us to stay with you guys. You''ll be with the pitchers and catchers while Jake and I will be with infielders."

    Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Why would it be weird? We''re brothers."

    I looked up at him in awe.

    "I''m trying to establish an identity apart from being an Atkins brother." Noah said. He tapped my knee with his foot.

    I slowly got up at the hint.

    "How are guys going to approach Jake and I if we just hang out with the Varsity team?" Noah questioned. "Don''t you want Jake to make more friends? Gain acquaintances? Be social in general?"

    I made a face at him as Kyle looked his way. Why is he using me as his scapegoat??

    Kyle shrugged. "Well, okay. If that''s what you want to do." He started to walked towards Dave and the others. "Good luck being ''approachable''."

    My lips twitched. I looked to Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "What? It''s not like I can tell him I want to be captain."

    "Why not?" I asked. "They would help you."

    "Exactly." Noah said. "I don''t want their help. I want to be a leader on my own." His eyes drifted to the entrance of the field. "Andy! Hey Andy!"

    I looked over and saw Andy entering with another player. He looked at us, then hesitated for a second before coming over.

    "What? Are you suddenly embarrassed of us?" Noah asked him when he got closer.

    Andy put his bag on the ground. "No. I just didn''t know if you were with the other guys." He glanced at his friend. "Rami, this is Noah and that''s Jake. Sophomores this year. Guys, this is Rami, a freshman like me. We went to the same middle school."

    Noah stuck out his hand. "Hey, how''s it going?"

    Noah laughed. "I''m starting it today. Feels a little formal though."

    Rami stuck his hand out at me. "Want to shake too?"

    Andy reached out and pushed his hand down. "We''re only a year apart. Don''t shake hands. It''s weird."

    Rami laughed. "I was just going with the flow." He put his bag down. "I''m going to get my cleats on."

    Andy sat down too.

    "Why didn''t you come to Alisha''s get-together yesterday?" Noah squatted near Andy and poked him on the back.

    Andy got his cleats out. "I was busy."

    "With what?" Noah asked.

    "Who''s Alisha?" Rami asked.

    I spotted the familiar girl just outside the field, standing with Mr. Miller and Coach. I nudged Noah with my foot.

    He followed my line of vision and stood up. "Alisha is a sophomore like me. She''s actually over there right now, talking to the coaches."

    Rami looked over as he tugged his cleats on. "Why is she doing that?"

    "She wants to be a manager for the team. Help out and stuff." Noah answered. He glanced down. "Coach is almost here. You guys better get ready."

    "Is it the head coach?" Rami stood up after tying his cleats.

    "It is. But the other coaches are arriving too." Noah said, pointing out the men coming to the field. He started to name all of them, giving a short introduction for what kind of coach they are and for what team.

    "How do you know all this?" Rami was amazed.

    Noah shrugged. "You''ll learn too. We spend most of fall semester playing together while the coaches decide the teams."

    Coach entered the field with Alisha trailing his every step. Mr. Miller wasn''t too far behind. Other coaches joined him out near center field.

    "Should we head over?" Andy asked, looking to Noah.

    Noah nodded. "Leave your gloves. After an introduction, we''ll probably do a warmup before throwing." He looked to me. "Ready?"

    I glanced around, trying to add up all the players present. Over a hundred easy. I only knew a few faces, but at least I wasn''t alone. I gave Noah a nod and he started to lead the way.

    We weren''t the only ones that decided to head over. It seemed like everyone got the feeling that we should get going. It was almost start time at 9am after all. As everyone got closer together, I tried to keep to the edges.

    Coach stepped forward from the coaches and gestured downward with his hands. "Take a knee, boys. A few announcements before we start this camp officially."

    All of us took a knee or even flat out sat down.

    Coach looked around, watching us get settled. He didn''t speak again until everyone was down and were silent. "Seems like most players are present. We''ll take roll in just a second. For now, I would like to introduce my staff. We have a few coaches at each level, but they all have the same input on how the rosters are decided. I do have the final say, but I want you boys to know that I take their words into serious consideration with few exceptions."

    I understood what Coach was trying to get across. He didn''t want any of the players to disrespect or look down on the lower leveled coaches, even if they''re at the bottom of the totem pole.

    Coach started to introduce each coach, starting with those on the Varsity level. Then JV. Then freshman. He pointed at Alisha in the end. "This is Alisha. She''ll be the manager and statistician for the Varsity team this upcoming season. In the meantime, she''ll be helping me keep track of what players have caught my eye. Treat her with the same respect you would have for a coach."

    Alisha stepped forward and gave a small wave. "Hello."

    I felt stressed for her. I don''t think I could face such a giant group like she did. I glanced at Noah and he was unbothered. If given the chance, he would probably introduce himself to this whole group of guys, completely fearless.

 705 V2 ch177

    "I would like to take the time to introduce our returning varsity members." He said, making me tense. "There are no guarantees that these guys will be on the varsity team again, but at least you will know what standard I''m looking at. Seniors, please stand up."

    Seven of the guys stood up, including the twins.

    "I''ll start with our pitchers." Coach waved for the guys to come over. "Garret Knudsen. He was our ace on the mound last season, winning King of the Hill." He moved on to the identical twins. "That''s not to say that he''s without competition. Kyle and David Atkins. They''re both instrumental to our team, earning starting spots in the rotation. These three pitched on a state champion team. That means if you want a spot, you''ll have to be better than a state champion." He went on to introduce Tyler and Matt, who were both pitchers. Tanner and Jason were up next. "Jason Morris is a returning starter at third base. Solid defense and steady at the plate. Tanner Erickson didn''t start on the Varsity level at the beginning of last season, but after a midseason shuffle he joined the roster and earned some starts in the outfield."

    Coach looked around at those of us sitting down. "This is a small reminder that you have to continue working hard and improving your game no matter what level you start at. Juniors, please join us."

    Bryce, Brian, Theo, Sean, and Mitchell all got a short introduction. Sean stood out the most with Coach talking about his versatility and how he won the award just a few months ago. Then it came down to the last of us...Noah and I. Coach grinned. "Now very rarely do I have a freshman on the Varsity, but it''s not impossible. Noah. Jake. Please stand up."

    Noah got up on his feet quickly and took a few strides to stand by Coach. Seeing his confidence, I tried to copy his movements, only to end up stumbling over my own feet.

    Laughter broke out and only got louder as I straightened up and felt the blood rush to my face.

    Even Coach let out a small chuckle. He put his hand on my shoulder and held me steady. "Jake might seem a little clumsy, but he''s the best hitter in our program. As a freshman he won the silver slugger award from the team, and Rookie of the Year award from the league, and was also Rookie of the Year for our whole division." Coach grinned. "If any pitcher wants a free pass to join the Varsity team, then strike out Jake."

    A wave of whispers and mumbles went through the players, from incoming freshmen to returning players on the lower-leveled teams. Coach let go of me and I tried to move calmly to my teammates.

    Dave pulled me into a headlock. "Look at you! Coach put a target on your back already! Better not slack off."

    I let out a heavy sigh. As long as the staring stops.

    He let us sit back down, then let the JV coach take over to introduce his players. Noah and I stuck with our team as we took a knee. I tried to sit behind the twins, avoiding the looks from the bigger group.

    Dave laughed at me, but didn''t make it difficult for me to hide.

    Coach Holman introducted his JV team, leaving out the graduated seniors who left in the spring. His team had a few juniors-turned-seniors including Daniel. Daniel was the backup to Noah in the first half of the season. I don''t really know him on a personal level, but I could still recall how mean Chris was about me and Noah taking up starting spots as freshmen. Thankfully, he''s gone now.

    Daniel wasn''t the only one I recognized. Tony was demoted to JV during the season too for his failing bat, but he was always nice to me. Then came some of the award winners from the banquet: Michael Tye, Jesse Shipman, Korrey Alvarrez, Joey Henderson, and finally...a former acquaintance of Noah, Logan Porter. Logan had moved from the freshman team to the JV team and had won the award for ''most improved''.

    Noah didn''t seem to be bothered. He caught me looking at him. "What?" He whispered.

    I shrugged.

    Noah leaned over and whispered. "Take note of the sophomore pitchers. I''ll be counting on you to crush them in the scrimmages."

    I nodded, then obediently watched Coach Ryan introduce the former freshmen team. I paid attention whenever he said the player was a pitcher, but also took note of a few unfriendly faces from the spring. Austin being number one. He was a jerk through and through. He was a borderline bully, and even kept Noah from trying out for his usual club team.

    After all the returning players had been introduced, Coach let the incoming freshmen state their name, position, and if they had played club ball. A lot of them had played in a club, naming Watsonville Baseball Club as their team. An exception was Andy.

    "My name is Andy Wilson." Andy stood straight as he reported. "I can play any position except pitcher. I''m especially good at the infield positions. I didn''t play on a club team this past summer, but I did continue to practice and work on my game."

    "How? By playing old people softball?" One of the freshman scoffed, cutting a joke at Andy''s expense.

    Quite a lot of guys laughed, but Andy didn''t waver. He glanced towards the player who took a jab at him. "I played with my brother, a former varsity player and second-team all league player. I also played with Noah and Jake, returning varsity members. I also had the chance to play with the best player in the division last year, Zeke Atkins. A former first round draft pick and now current college player at a division one school."

    A weird silence came about after he finished.

    Coach coughed. "You may sit down now, Andy." He looked at the freshmen. "Just because I''m asking whether you played club ball or not, doesn''t mean that it''ll give you an edge over anyone else. The teams are put together based on skill. I won''t say this again. A friendly reminder to everyone here...Jake had never played in a baseball game until he joined our team. That should be all you need to know on what I think of experience."

    Coach nodded at the next freshman to continue on. After getting everyone''s info down, he sent us away to jog the circumference of the field for a warmup. With so many of us here, it was hard to do the normal warmup so we jogged twice around the field and stretched on our own.

 706 V2 ch178

    When it came to me, he put his sunglasses up on his hat. "Well, Jake, what do you think?"

    I paused after catching Noah''s throw. "What do I think about what?"

    "Your group?" He looked down at me. "Do you need to be in the same group as Noah? You did okay during the midseason tryout, but this time there won''t be Garret to keep you company."

    "Will there be someone else from the team? Someone I at least know?" I asked.

    Coach nodded. "I can set that up. Anyone will do? Sean, Jason, or Tanner? Maybe even Tony?"

    I nodded slowly. "Or even Andy. I know him pretty well."

    Coach nodded. "Okay. I can do that." He spared me another glance. "Don''t be afraid to tell me if something isn''t right. It''s just camp. No need to be high-strung."

    Some tension left my shoulders. "Yea. Okay."

    He left and I threw the ball back to Noah.

    After everyone had a grouped number, Coach let us go for a quick water break. At our bags, we talked about our group numbers and luckily Coach had listened to me, putting me with Andy. We were both assigned to Mr. Miller''s group with about ten others. Some familiar and some not.

    Mr. Miller looked around. "Hello, hello. Nice to see everyone looking eager to play this morning. If you don''t know, I''m Coach Miller, or Mr. Miller, or just Coach, or Sir. I''m the groundskeeper for the baseball fields and an assistant for the Varsity team. I do anything and everything to help this program. I might not have all the answers, but I can make time for any questions you might have."

    A freshman raised his hand.

    "Yes?" Mr. Miller looked at him directly.

    "I wanted to know if there was any rhyme or reason for the group we were put in..?" He asked, glancing at me.

    "Mostly random for today." Mr. Miller answered. "To provide you boys with more personal coaching we broke the program down into smaller groups. No particular selection. If anything, tried to make it more balanced age-wised. Make sure each of you have someone you can relate to."

    I looked around and didn''t spot any other sophomores. Maybe Andy is the one I can relate to?

    "We have a player from each grade level and from each team." Mr. Miller continued. "As all of you know, Jake here is from the Varsity level. Now a sophomore."

    I held perfectly still as the guys took a look my way.

    "Then we have a few guys from the JV team, a mix of juniors and seniors: Korrey, Brett, Matt, Chase, and Cole. Jonah is our other sophomore from the freshmen team. Then the rest of you are incoming freshmen."

    "After lunch, you''ll be divided into teams for scrimmages." Mr. Miller said. "Tomorrow morning, you''ll be put into more selective groups like by position. But for now, we''ll try to get to know one another and try to shake off some rust. We''re going to start with the Three Cone Footwork Drill." He left us to a corner of the grass where three cones were set up in some kind of triangle. "This will help you boys on creating momentum towards first base to allow a stronger throw. I know not everyone is an infielder, but that doesn''t mean you won''t change positions in the future."

    Mr. Miller went on to explain the drill. "A lot of young players like yourselves don''t know how to properly charge a baseball. You''ll run, then stop your feet. The goal here is to keep constant motion, working towards first base or your target. You see how that can apply to the outfielders as well? Or maybe you need to throw home?" He pointed at the far cone. "You''re going to line up a few feet behind the cones, with the first person setting up behind the back cone. The player will work around the three cones in a circular motion, making sure that when you cross the cone, you field the ground ball inside your left foot, with two hands." Mr. Miller surprised me by actually demonstrating what he wanted us to do. Obviously it was in slow motion, but usually he didn''t get so involved like this. "Now as you can tell, we don''t have a first base, so instead we''ll all have one of you boys playing over there as pretend first baseman."

    "I''ll do it." Korrey stepped forward.

    Mr. Miller nodded. "Halfway through, we''ll switch." He looked at the rest of us. "Go line up."

    We moved back behind the cones; I stuck with Andy, trying to diminish my presence. Unfortunately, Andy is a lot like Noah when it comes to baseball. He was first in line, eager to start playing. I stood behind him, hesitant and nervous, but a little excited too.

    I had trained all summer after all. Not just softball practice, but trained with Noah and went to the Stanford camp. I''m definitely a better player now.

    Andy went first, perfectly executing the drill to Mr. Miller''s instructions. I followed after him, moving swiftly around the cones and fielding the ball without stopping. This was something that Chandler helped me with just last week. He didn''t have cones, but it was similar in the movements, especially transferring the ball to my throwing hand.

    "Very good." Mr. Miller complimented me as I jogged to the back of the line.

    "Smooth." Andy nodded at me.

    I smiled. "You looked good too."

    Andy merely shrugged. "The basics. It''s not enough to prove that I deserve to make the team." He glanced around. "I''m aiming for JV as a freshman. I want to get a good start to my high school career."

    I gave him two thumbs up. "I think you can do it. You''re good."

    "Everyone here is ''good''." The guy that went after me joined us at the back of the line. He was a senior from the JV team, Brett. He looked at Andy. "It''s good to have goals."

    I frowned. What''s that supposed to mean?

    "Thank you." Andy said politely.

    Brett looked at me. "Your fielding has improved, Jake."

    "Uh...thanks." I mumbled. It sounded like a compliment, but a little...more like a backhanded compliment. Like my fielding sucked before. Which it did. But he didn''t need to say that.

    "I''m Andy. Freshman." Andy introduced himself to Brett.

    "Brett. Senior. Outfielder." He nodded.

    I swallowed a lump in my throat. I turned my focus back on the drill to see how the other guys were doing.

 707 V2 ch179

    Mr. Miller changed him out too, letting everyone get some time to show off their skills, and practice. He had us switch to backhand, practicing that as well. I could see how effective this drill was to see where everyone''s standard was while practicing at the same time.

    We did a few more fielding drills before taking a quick water break. We came back to Mr. Miller who was getting some help setting up a batting practice net. That was somewhat normal. I''ve seen them being used before, but I was confused on why he was setting up two batting tees, placing a baseball on both.

    "Should we go get our bats?" Chase, a senior, asked.

    Mr. Miller nodded, still setting up. "Get your complete batting gear. Helmets. Bat. Batting gloves. Shin guard if you wear one."

    We went back to the bags and grabbed everything, leaving our gloves and hats behind.

    Mr. Miller looked at us when he was done setting up. "This drill may be familiar to some of you, but I''ll go over it so everyone knows what my expectations are." He gestured for me to hand over my bat. I complied. He lined up like he was batting right-handed. "This is the inside, outside drill. Basically you''ll be practicing your reflexes, trying to hit whichever tee I call out."

    Mr. Miller started to demonstrate. "As soon as you start you stride like so." He lifted his left leg and held it for a second. "This is when I''ll call ''in'' or ''out''. Should be self-explanatory on which ball you should hit." He straightened up and pointed at the ''in'' tee. "This is set lower so it shouldn''t get in your way for the ''out'' pitch. When hitting an inside pitch, keep your hands close to your body. Make sure the bat head is in front of your hands on contact. If not, you''ll be late, and will probably just foul the ball off."

    Mr. Miller explanation was spot on and I felt like this was something I already knew. Almost instinctively. I had practice batting so much that I knew where my hands had to be and how my swing should be.

    He went on to talk about how to hit an outside pitch. "Use the same stride; don''t be striding at the pitch. Keep your bat leveled, don''t drop the bat head towards the ground." He spoke a little more about where your feet should be pointed before going on to say: "This drill is a little advanced so don''t be surprised if you don''t get it right away. Just focus on your swing."

    "Should Jake go first?" Brett asked.

    I froze as all eyes drifted to me.

    Mr. Miller handed me my bat back. "How about we save Jake for last? Everyone should at least get a turn and then we can compare it to Jake."

    "Do you think his batting is better than Korrey''s?" Brett asked plainly.

    Before Mr. Miller could say anything, Korrey stepped up. "Of course. Jake is on a different level than those of us coming from JV. My awards mean nothing in front of him." He looked at Mr. Miller. "How about I go first?"

    Mr. Miller nodded and stood off to the side of the net. "Sure. Ten swings per person. We''ll go a couple of rounds through. Try to improve on each set."

    Everyone shuffled around to lineup. I headed to the back of the line.

    Surprisingly, Andy followed, standing in the second to last spot. He looked back at me as Korrey began his turn. "You okay?"

    I nodded. "Yea. Why?"

    He got closer and lowered his voice. "You can''t mess up now."

    "Huh?" I was thoroughly confused. I mean...I didn''t plan to mess up, but why can''t I now?

    He nodded in the direction of the drill. Korrey was successfully showing off why he won offensive mvp for the JV team last season. "He might have sounded like he was defending you against Brett by saying you were the best, but it was just a ploy." He got closer again, making me slightly anxious. "Look at him now. Hitting each ball perfectly off the tee. Now if you go up and miss, it''s almost like he''s better than you. Get it?"

    I slowly nodded. "I understand." Then stepped away for some space and gave him a smile. "But you don''t have to worry about me. This is my kind of drill. I won''t mess up."

    Andy stared at me for a second longer before giving a short nod. We both watched Korrey performed, clearly showing that he was a good hitter. Purely based on his reflexes and swing.

    I wasn''t worried after watching him. He was good, but I was definitely better. He held his leg in the air a little bit longer, showing that he needed extra time to make his decision. It wasn''t too noticeable, but maybe Mr. Miller will be able to tell the difference when it''s my turn.

    After Korrey, there was Brett. Also decent, but not as good as Korrey and definitely not as good as me.

    Korrey came behind me to lineup again. "Hey, don''t mind Brett. He doesn''t think before he speaks. He just says what''s on his mind, uncaring about how it may be perceived."

    I nodded and focused on the drill.

    "This drill was a lot tougher than I thought." Korrey kept speaking even though I had my back to him. "Timing and moving your hands accordingly makes it difficult to make it seem natural."

    I glanced back at him. "You think so?"

    He frowned. "Have you done this drill before?"

    I shook my head. "No."

    "Then you''ll see when it''s your turn."

    By now, Brett was done and lined up behind Korrey. Seeing the two of them together, facing me, I was uncomfortable. I really regret not being in the same group as Noah. Then again...Noah might have start a fight or something.

    We moved though the line, everyone''s skills varied on this drill. From Korrey''s excellent showing to the freshmen''s making mistakes. There was a clear distinction between where everyone''s level was.

 708 V2 ch180

    When I came up, I lined up as a righty as Mr. Miller got the baseballs ready. He put a ball on both tees before smiling at me. "Ready?"

    I pulled my bat back and made sure my feet were set. "Ready."

    "I''ll call it when you lift your left leg." His eyes were down on my legs.

    I leaned on my back leg and lifted my front leg, starting my motion.

    "In-"

    I adjusted my hands and swing, hitting the ball on the inside tee. Perfect line drive into the netting.

    A new baseball was put on the inside tee and I got set again. I started moving.

    "In-"

    I didn''t let Mr. Miller finish before connecting on the inside baseball again. Another line drive into the netting. I kept up with Mr. Miller, not letting him say the complete word ''inside'' or ''outside''. Just ''in'' or ''out'' was good enough for me. Mr. Miller didn''t let me do any extra swings though. When I was done, I was done.

    I looked at him, kind of sad. "Can I do my left side too?"

    He chuckled. "Maybe in a minute. I want to ask you some questions for the other boys to hear. Maybe give them some guidance on how to improve at this drill, and therefore improve their in-game decisions."

    I nodded, trying not to shiver from the stares. I kept my eyes on Mr. Miller.

    He looked around at our small group. "Jake is, without a doubt, the best batter in our program and within our league. I would even claim that he''s the best in the division. He has the best reaction speed and knows how to put the ball in play. He maybe struck only two or three times."

    "Wow."

    "Is that even real?"

    "In how many at-bats?"

    "Has to be a lot since he was a starter."

    "Just crazy."

    There were a lot of mumbles and whispers as the players within the group gossiped about me. I took a glance and realized that the ones speaking were mostly the incoming freshmen. The returning upperclassmen didn''t seem impressed. That''s okay. As long as they weren''t mean to me.

    "Jake," Mr. Miller faced me. "Why don''t you talk a little about your process? How do you approach this drill to be more precise?"

    I awkwardly moved to where I was standing when I was doing the drill. I cleared my throat to ease my anxiety. "Well, I do my normal swing. Since it''s a drill where I have to choose at the last second, I really only move my wrists to change the way I attack the ball." I showed them the two different movements, aiming for inside and outside pitches.

    "What else?" Mr. Miller asked.

    I blinked as I looked up at him. "What else..?" I repeated.

    "Bat speed?"

    "He does swing really fast."

    "So did one of the other guys, but he wasn''t as perfect as Jake."

    I thought about the difference between me and everyone else and came to a conclusion. A conclusion with a few answers. I looked at Mr. Miller, wondering if I was supposed to speak up.

    He caught me looking and nodded towards me. "Go ahead, Jake." The group got quiet.

    "I think..." I cleared my throat again. "The others...they hesitate."

    "I don''t." Someone claimed.

    "I don''t think I do either."

    "Well, maybe a little, but that''s just because I''m new to this kind of drill."

    "It''s not-" I tried to stop them, but they were too busy talking amongst themselves. A lot of them were starting to compare their swings, swinging their bats dangerously close to other players. I gulped.

    "Don''t mind them, Jake." Andy stepped forward, making eye contact with me. "I want to hear what you have to say."

    I smiled lightly. "Okay." I noticed two other freshmen stepping a little closer to show that they were listening, so I tried to raise my voice above the chatter. "When I say you guys are hesitating, I mean, you''re trying to change your whole swing just after he tells you where the pitch is going to be."

    "Is that wrong?" One of the freshman asked.

    "Well for this drill specifically, yes." I said. The three of them looked confused. "But it''s extremely helpful to real games. You''re never going to know for sure what the pitch will throw. Usually we look for a specific pitch to hit. Ideally something down the middle. Not every pitcher will throw what we want though. This drill, I think, can help batters fouling off pitches they aren''t aiming for."

    I took a deep breath and continued on. "But back to hesitating. Instead of changing your whole swing, move your wrists." I stepped back to the baseball tees and showed them again. "So step and swing, move wrists accordingly." I straightened up and faced them. "You really only need to hear in, move wrists down, tuck back elbow in. Out, you extend back elbow." I tried to show them again, slowly. "Really if you keep practicing, you won''t even have to think about it during this drill. It''s much harder in the game."

    "Harder in the game..?" A freshman looked a little depressed.

    I shrugged. "Well, yea. In this drill, the ball is completely stationary. It''s not moving at all so you could do this blindfolded."

    "Did you hear what Jake just said?" Someone who wasn''t originally listening, overheard my last comment and drew attention to me.

    "There''s no way."

    "He''s gotta be lying."

    "I want to see him try."

    "Okay, that''s enough discussion." Mr. Miller cut in. "Let''s do another round, starting with Korrey again. Everyone will get twenty swings this time." He glanced at me. "Thanks for sharing, Jake. Those that heard you may have gained some enlightenment. You can go back now."

    I nodded and went to the back of the line with Andy following me. The other two freshmen also followed but I don''t think they were originally in the back like me and Andy.

    Andy greeted them with a head nod. He glanced at me. "This is Davin and this is Andre. Both are freshmen like me." He pointed at me. "Jake."

    Andre nodded and his smile stretched across his face. "Nice to meet you, man. I followed your stats online and definitely didn''t imagine you to be so small."

    I tried not to frown as I looked at him. "You''re only a couple of inches taller." Maybe about the same height as Noah.

    He laughed. "I didn''t mean in reference to me. Your batting average is so impressive. If I had to guess, I would imagine someone like Zeke Atkins."

 709 V2 ch181

    "Everyone knows Zeke." Andy cut in to tell me. "He''s the best player to come from Watsonville ever. In any kind of sport. We talked about him all the time in middle school."

    I held back a laugh. "Didn''t you find it weird to play with him this summer then?"

    Andy shook his head. "I was a little awestruck at first. But Zeke is very normal for being as good as he is."

    I really let out a laugh. "You think he''s normal?"

    Andy nodded. "Yea. He''s focused on training no matter what he''s doing. Even if it''s just softball."

    "I still can''t believe you played softball all summer, dude." Andre lightly punched Andy in the arm.

    Andy pushed him away. "I didn''t just play softball. I trained harder than you guys did with that club team."

    "Ehh, we''ll see." Andre was skeptical. "I know you said you trained with Jake, and your brother, and god knows who else. But can it really compare to playing on a team and practicing for the actual sport you play?" He looked at me. "Why didn''t you play for the local club team?"

    I thought about it. "Because I missed the tryout?" Which was true. Just not really the main reason I didn''t play for the club team.

    Jonah glanced back at us after hearing me. He was the only other sophomore in our group, and had played with the freshmen team in the spring. Once he made eye contact with me, he immediately looked away even faster than me.

    Weird. I''m usually the most anxious person around.

    The line moved a little faster with everyone knowing what to do for the drill. Korrey and Brett finished their turns and came to the back of the line. This time, neither of them tried to start a conversation with me.

    I felt that Korrey was a little strange. Not exactly a bad person, but not really good either. I trust Andy and his opinion of Korrey setting me up. Plus, with how close he and Brett were...I''m not interested in being their friend.

    With my second time up, Mr. Miller let me switch the baseball tee''s around so I could practice from my left side. I completed it perfectly and went to the back of the line, feeling the stares.

    "The bar for being on varsity feels incredibly high." Davin''s stare made me feel unsettled.

    "Jake isn''t the minimum requirements though." Andy assured him. "Just remind yourself that Jake is the best freshman in the league and division." He lifted his brows. "But he could be the role model to follow if you want to be a pro."

    They stared at me in awe.

    I kicked the grass, feeling self-conscious. "I''m not there yet. No way. My fielding is subpar and my baseball sense is almost nonexistent. Batting is all I''ve got." I scratched my nose as I thought back to my showdown with those minor leaguers. "Even that isn''t good enough yet."

    Andre laughed. "Sounding like a real overachiever."

    "It has to be amazing to be on the varsity team as a freshman." Davin sighed.

    "It helped that he''s part of the Atkins'' family." A senior scoffed.

    I nodded in agreement. It definitely helped. Zeke''s training. Noah''s encouragement. The twins competitiveness.

    Andy lightly tapped my foot with his own and shook his head lightly. "Don''t agree with that. You got to varsity with your own skill."

    I shrugged. "He''s not wrong. The Atkins family helped me a lot. Buy me equipment. Helped me train. Taught me the basics of baseball."

    "You''re too nice." Andy sighed softly.

    The drill continued and changed as the group became more comfortable in their swings.

    Mr. Miller had us circle up as he wrapped up the last of the exercises. "Okay boys, that''s it for this morning. Make sure to eat a fulfilling lunch and drink plenty of water. Be sure to be back, and completely ready for scrimmages, at 1pm. If you didn''t pack a lunch, you can go to the cafeteria and get one from there at no cost." He waved us away and walked with another assistant coach.

    I started to head back to my baseball bag with Andy. I looked around to see other groups finishing up too, but couldn''t spot Noah.

    "What are you doing for lunch?" Andy asked me as we changed out of our cleats.

    I shrugged. "Follow Noah and the twins. Will probably meet up with Zeke somewhere." I looked at him. "What about you? Want to join us?"

    Andy shook his head. "No. I''ll be going to the cafeteria with Rami. We already agreed beforehand."

    "Oh. Okay." I nodded.

    Rami came back soon after and also changed out of his cleats and packed up his bag. Him and Andy left to go get some lunch, leaving me alone with my and Noah''s bags.

    "Jake!" I spotted Alisha waving her arm from a distance before she came over. "How was your first practice session?"

    "It was fine." I answered. "What did you do?"

    "I followed Coach Wilcox around with a clipboard." She told me. "He was having me keep track of his comments on the new players and some returning players. He says he likes to keep notes so he can tell if anyone has had significant progress that may have gone unnoticed."

    "Wow."

    "Wow what?" Dave asked, carrying his bag over.

    Kyle was right behind him, texting.

    "Just telling Jake what Coach had me doing." Alisha said. She looked around. "Noah isn''t back yet?"

    "His group is coming from the track on the lower field." Kyle replied without looking up. "I heard from one of the coaches that a few groups focused on conditioning."

    I made a face. "Will everyone have to do that?"

    Dave laughed. "How can you be scared after spending the summer running with Zeke and Noah?"

    I rolled my eyes. "Just because I''m better at it doesn''t mean that I like it."

    "I''m sure Coach will want all players to at least do it once. Even pitchers." Dave explained. "It''ll be worse when the fall semester starts. We ran at least twice a week. Either long distance or sprints."

    "I''m here!" Noah hollered as he came running up the hill, gasping for air. He didn''t slow up until he got to his bag. He picked it up, without needing to change his shoes. He looked at Alisha. "Hey, how was your first day of baseball?"

    "Good." A tinge if pink spread across her cheeks.

    Noah didn''t notice. He looked at me. "You okay? No one caused you any trouble with you, right?"

    Meh. "It was fine. Andy was in my group so I had someone to talk to."

    "Let''s head to the car." Kyle took the lead, still looking at his phone. "Zeke said he would treat us to tacos."

    Noah looked to Alisha. "You good with tacos?"

    She was surprised. "I can come too?"

    Noah nodded. "Of course. C''mon. There''s plenty of space in the car."

    "Not too much space." Kyle said. "I told Marie, her and Kaylee can ride with us to lunch so it''ll be a tight fit."

 710 V2 ch182

    The rest of us looked around.

    Noah turned to me. "You want to sit in the very back?"

    I nodded.

    "I''ll sit in the very back with him." Kaylee started to climb into the car. "I don''t want to squeeze in the middle."

    Noah looked to me.

    I shrugged and followed Kaylee to the very backseat.

    That left Dave, Noah, and Alisha in the middle row.

    Dave knocked knees with Noah. "I think Alisha should have sat in the middle of us. You''re getting too tall and crowding my space." He poked Kyle. "I get to drive us back."

    Kyle started to drive. "Meh. We''ll see."

    "No. Dude. There is no ''we''ll see''." Dave argued. "You drove us to practice this morning and now you get to drive to lunch. It''s my turn to drive us back from lunch and from practice."

    Kyle shrugged. "Well, I''m holding the keys soo."

    The two started to bicker.

    Kaylee looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

    I shrugged. "It''s fine."

    "You don''t mind sitting back here with me?" She asked.

    I looked how close the three in the middle were and nodded. "Yea. This isn''t so bad."

    She laughed.

    Kyle drove us to lunch in a relatively loud car. As soon as he parked, we all piled out, thankful that it was a short ride. We walked into the place and spotted Zeke sitting at a long table, all by himself.

    He didn''t seem surprised by the girls joining us. He just scooted over so we all could fit. I sat across with him, with Noah next to me. Then Alisha and Kaylee. Dave, Kyle, and Marie, all sat on his side.

    "I already put the order in for tacos and waters." Zeke told us. "No chips and salsa. I don''t want you guys just to snack on that before going back to camp."

    "Boo." Dave complained. "You''re no fun. I don''t even get to pitch the whole game anyways. Chips and salsa won''t cause any harm."

    Zeke glanced at him. "Who says you won''t pitch a whole game? Do you expect to perform poorly?"

    Kyle leaned on the table. "Do you know something, Zeke?"

    Zeke looked at me. "How was camp this morning? You were without Noah, right?"

    Surprised by the topic change, I slowly nodded.

    "He had Andy with him." Dave said. "He was fine. Let''s talk about pitching!" He nudged Zeke with his shoulder.

    Zeke glanced down at him, scaring Dave away with just a look.

    A server came by with a tray of drinks. He placed them down in front of us. "The tacos will come in just a few minutes."

    "Sure. Thanks." Zeke nodded at him.

    The server left.

    Zeke looked at me. "So everything went okay?"

    I shrugged. "Probably."

    I shrugged. "Nothing bad happened."

    "Who was in your group besides Andy?" Zeke asked.

    Feeling all the attention on me, I tried not to panic. "Mostly JV players and incoming freshmen. I only had one other sophomore in the group." I shrugged. "I can''t remember everyone''s names."

    "No one gave you a hard time, right? Like the seniors or juniors?" Dave asked.

    I shook my head. "Not really."

    "That''s not exactly a ''no''." Kaylee pointed out from the other end of the table.

    "It really wasn''t bad." I tried to explain. "Andy said I may have been ''set up'' on a drill, but it wasn''t anything. I did well."

    "Why don''t you tell us in detail what happened, and we''ll decide if it''s ''anything''." Zeke said.

    I sighed and gave them a short recap on the hitting drill.

    "Korrey is a nice guy, isn''t he?" Kyle asked, frowning.

    Marie elbowed him in the ribs. "No way. He''s a fraud. Two-faced."

    Kyle rubbed the spot she hit. "He seemed pretty chill to me."

    The server came back with baskets of tacos. "Here''s beef, chicken, and this one is steak." He then passed out smaller plates for us to put our tacos on. After refilling our waters, he left.

    I grabbed two chicken tacos, and everyone else started to grab tacos from the baskets.

    "Be careful around Korrey." Marie looked at me after filling her plate. "He seems kind, but that''s just a facade. He plays with girls feelings all the time. Someone like that can''t be trusted."

    Dave laughed. "I don''t know if that''s quite right."

    "It definitely is." Marie shot a glare at him. "Any womanizer is fundamentally not a good person. Those kind of guys only think of themselves." She looked at Zeke. "What do you think of the guy?"

    Zeke frowned. He glanced at me. "Be aware. If he makes you feel uncomfortable or picks on you, don''t keep it to yourself."

    I nodded and started to eat my taco.

    Zeke looked to Noah. "Were you grouped with a lot of sophomores?"

    Noah shrugged. "Yea, but nothing needs to be said. We spent a lot of the time just running sprints."

    I glanced at him as I ate. I didn''t know he was grouped up with his former friends and teammates. "Were you with Austin or..?"

    Noah shook his head. "Nah. A few of the guys were on the quiet side. It''s more awkward for them than it is for me. I kind of hope the whole week goes like this."

    "Yea, it''s best to put the past behind you." Kyle said. "I''m not saying you should be friends with those idiots. Just be chill. Don''t lose your temper."

    "I don''t have a temper." Noah squinted at Kyle.

    We spent lunch talking about our morning, even finding out how the girls practiced. There weren''t as many players for their teams so they were divided up by positions. They would also get a chance to scrimmage this afternoon.

    We couldn''t spend a whole lot of time chatting, and had to get ready to go back. The twins fought over the keys, but Zeke broke it up with a single look.

    Kyle handed over the keys unwilling. "Fine. Marie and I call very back then."

    "What about Jake?" Noah asked.

    Kyle looked at me. "You can sit in the front with Dave?"

    I guess I could. I nodded.

    We reached the car and said our goodbyes to Zeke.

    "Did you run here?" Noah asked.

    Zeke nodded. "Yep. Might keep running. Go see the beach. Will probably reach home by the time you guys are done with camp this afternoon."

    Wow. My eyebrows lifted. That''s a few hours from now.

    "Be safe." Dave said, starting the car.

    Zeke nodded. He watched as we completely loaded up the car and took off. In the front passenger seat, I could see him fading in the side view mirror.

    "It''s weird to practice without him." Noah commented from the middle row. He sat behind me, with Alisha in between him and Kaylee. "It feels...less serious."

    "He was definitely a motivator for the team." Dave nodded in agreement, eyes on the road. "The team will have to find someone new to look up to. That dominates just as much." He glanced at me.

    "Don''t hold back in the box today." Noah reminded me. He started to laugh. "Especially if it''s the twins or Garret. That would be funny to see them struggle on day one."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "You''re so annoying." He glanced at me. "Please have mercy."

    The car was full of laughter as we drove back to the high school.

 711 V2 ch183

    Unexpectedly, Kaylee stopped beside me for a second. "You''re the type to not say anything when you''re in trouble. If you have to run, run to the softball fields. I''ve got your back." She slapped me on the shoulder and followed her sister and Kyle.

    I lightly smiled. Kaylee had a tough-guy persona, but I knew she cared for others. You could see it in the way she defended her sister and now in the way she backed me up.

    "But really, just come to me first." Noah said.

    "Why you?" Dave asked. "I''m older. Come to me if any of the seniors or juniors give you any trouble."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Let''s go."

    We gathered at the upper baseball field, keeping our bags close. No one knew where they were going just yet. More players showed up after us and eventually the group of coaches.

    Coach Wilcox took the lead as head varsity coach. "Hopefully everyone had a fulfilling lunch. This afternoon, we''re going to do a set of scrimmages. We''ve debated whether to do two different games or three. In line with trying to see everyone play, we decided to go with three."

    "That''s good for the pitchers." Kyle grinned. He had rejoined us after walking his girlfriend back to the softball field. "More opportunities to shine."

    "With us splitting the program into six different teams, we''re going to be a little short on coaching staff." Coach explained. "We''ll do one or two per team. And one per bullpen. That means the players will have to take turns being the first and third base coaches during their offenses. Bullpen coaches will coordinate with the dugout coaches on pitching, but I hope to have starting pitchers go at least five innings. Those left in bullpens can opt to play on the field as position players or just get some work in with the other guys in the bullpen. Warning, there won''t be enough catchers for every bullpen to have one."

    "Will we get graded on our fielding then?" A pitcher asked. "Like will I get docked points for missing a catch? I don''t want to lose a chance to play on the baseball team just because I''m not good in the outfield."

    Coach chuckled as the pitchers murmured in agreement. "Don''t worry. Pitchers will only be graded on their pitching. And their fielding on the mound. Unless they want to play in the field like Garret Knudsen. We have a couple of juniors from varsity pitching that can also be used in a pinch-hit situation or if we need them on the field. It''s good to be versatile."

    "That''s how Brian and Bryce made the team as sophomores." Noah mumbled to me. "Their pitching isn''t necessarily better than the JV team''s pitchers, but they could do more."

    I was thankfully put with Noah, and surprisingly Garret. We were sent to the JV field as team number four, given the home team designation and the third base dugout. Mr. Miller would be our only coach besides the pitching coach in the bullpen.

    As our team filled up the dugout, I realized I didn''t know very many of the guys. There were some from the lower-leveled teams, but at least half our team were incoming freshmen. Some of which I recognized from my morning group.

    Mr. Miller and the pitching coach approached Garret beside us. "How are you, Garret?"

    Garret grinned and flexed his left arm. "Feeling good, looking good."

    The pitching coach chuckled. "We wanted to see if you wanted the mound today."

    Garret was surprised. "The whole game?? Or what?" He squinted at him. "What''s the catch?"

    "No catch." He shrugged. "If anything, you have good support with your own hitting and Jake''s hitting."

    Garret looked around the dugout, observing the freshmen. "Okay, so I get a scrub team in return. Who is on the other team?" He looked to the other dugout. "Hey...did they even get one freshman on their team?"

    Noah and I both looked over. Right off the bat, I spotted Korrey, the offensive mvp for the JV team. There were also two other guys who had won awards. Michael Tye and Joey Henderson. Michael was the JV captain and Joey was the team mvp. Joey stuck out to me because he was a pitcher and hitter like Garret. If that wasn''t enough, I spotted Sean, Jason, Tanner, and Mitchell.

    "I really don''t see a freshman." Noah mumbled. He looked at Mr. Miller. "Is Coach setting us up?"

    Mr. Miller laughed. "Of course not. We''re just trying to get a feel for everyone''s skill level. See if the returning players have improved or regressed." He looked to Garret. "You can choose not to pitch. We''ll put you in the outfield."

    Garret scoffed. "No way. I''ll take the mound. In fact, it''s better if you send the other pitchers to the other teams so they can get a chance."

    The pitching coach shook his head. "No can do." He looked to Mr. Miller. "I''ll ask around to find out who wants to come to the bullpen and who wants to stay to play on the field." He left.

    Mr. Miller looked between me and Garret. "Who wants to bat in front of who?"

    Garret looked at me. "I think you should go after me. You''re better and more consistent. If I get on base, I''m confident you can drive me home."

    "Of course he can!" Noah answered for me. He threw his arm around my shoulders. "Jake will be hitting homeruns."

    Feeling the stares, I nodded confidently. I''ve never seen Joey pitched, but he couldn''t be better than Garret and the twins. "As long as I aim for the right pitch." I gave it some more thought. "Maybe I''ll foul off a few pitches in my first at-bat to see what he''s like."

    "Sure, kid." Mr. Miller nodded. "You do you." He looked to Noah. "I''ll let you lead off. Then Garret. Then Jake." He took a glance at the rest of the players in our dugout. "I won''t pick positions just yet. I''ve got to find out where everyone can play first."

    He left us.

    Garret looked around our dugout too. "Coach plays unfair. Giving Mitchell to those guys? Who the heck am I supposed to throw to?"

    Noah frowned as well. "We weren''t given any returning catchers? Dang. Brutal."

    "Does that mean I get a freshman?" Garret groaned.

    Noah got up on the bench and raised his voice. "Any catchers present? If so, please report to Garret here."

    The dugout got quiet as everyone looked around, trying to spot the would-be catcher. Mr. Miller also looked around, but no one stood out.

    Noah''s frown deepened. "Okay, so no players that are normally catchers. How about someone who can play catcher or has played before? No need for perfectionists."

    If possible, the dugout got more quiet.

    Mr. Miller looked to the pitching coach.

    The pitching coach headed for the exit. "I''ll go ask the other guys if they have a spare catcher. We can''t just have Garret throwing to a complete novice."

    "Try to steal Mitchell!" Garret told him.

 712 V2 ch184

    The pitching coach shrugged. "Hey, at least he has some experience." He slapped Garret on the shoulder. "Settle on the signs yourselves. After the initial warmup, you two can come to the bullpen." He left the sophomore with us and headed for Mr. Miller. "Hey Miller, we have to send someone over there to even out the numbers."

    Noah scoffed as the coaches talked it over. "It''s not like they need it. Better send them a freshman." He looked at the sophomore and nodded coldly. "Ethan."

    Ethan nodded back at Noah, looking a little awkward. "Hey, Noah." He looked up at Garret. "Do you want to go with the basic signs? I don''t think they would do some sign-stealing or anything like that."

    Noah snorted. "I wouldn''t put it past them."

    Garret placed his hand on Noah''s shoulder. "I know. I understand exactly the kind of people they are." He chuckled. "Because you''re the same kind of player. Taking advantages where you can."

    Noah stuck his tongue out at Garret.

    Garret looked at Ethan. "Come on. Let''s talk." He squeezed Noah''s shoulder and left with Ethan to the other end of the dugout.

    I looked at Noah. "You know him?"

    He nodded. "Former friend, current acquaintance." He sighed. "I need to loosen up if I''m going to play with these guys again." He sat down on the bench and started to switch out his shoes for cleats.

    I copied him, opening up my bag to get my cleats out. "You don''t have to be nice to them in order to be captain." Zeke wasn''t necessarily nice during his tenure. He was trustworthy and honest, and on the field he was consistently good.

    "I can''t hold on to the bitterness though." Noah sighed. He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I have to focus on my play. Batting and fielding. I have to show my improvements."

    As Noah tried to get his head straight, Mr. Miller had put together a lineup. As we lined up in the outfield, preparing to warm up, he addressed us. "The starting nine has been decided. Don''t think too much about my decision making. It''s only day one and I don''t have much to go on." He looked around at everyone. "I''ll do my best to make sure everyone gets a chance to play. No guarantee that it''s the position you want to play. As stated before, the pitchers will have a chance to play on the field or get some work in the bullpen. With scrimmages all week, most starting pitchers should get a chance to go the distance. Relief pitchers should be ready to go whenever."

    Mr. Miller talked a little more about the pitchers and what would be happening for them. When he announced that Garret would be starting and tentatively pitching the whole game, a lot of the pitchers chose to stay in the dugout for a chance to play on the field or to bat. Mr. Miller finally gave out the lineup:

    1 SS Noah

    2 P Garret

    4 CF Ollie

    5 3B Andre

    6 1B Luke

    7 LF Davin

    8 RF Connor

    9 C Ethan

    Garret led us in warmups, teaching the freshmen what we do in our baseball program. All three levels followed the same basic warmup with static and dynamic stretching. As soon as we started to throw the ball around though, Garret and Ethan took their bags to the bullpen where the pitching coach was waiting.

    Eventually Mr. Miller let a few other pitchers go to the bullpen too. They wouldn''t get to play in the game this afternoon so the best they can do is play there in the bullpen. Of course, some unlucky soul would have to play catcher.

    We didn''t do the full-blown pregame warmup with batting practice and everything. Just enough to get loose and be ready to play some baseball. Some of the guys took practice swings off a tee into some netting that was set up, but that didn''t interest me so I went to the dugout with Noah.

    Noah got some water from the cooler as I looked over my two wood bats, trying to decide which one to go with.

    "They''re the same, aren''t they?" Noah asked, squinting.

    I shook my head. "Slightly different." I held the bats out to him. "Feel."

    He put his water down and lifted my bats, one in each hand. Rotated his wrists then looked at me. "I think you''re just picky. They weigh the same and look the same."

    "Jake can afford to be picky." Mr. Miller had come into the dugout just in time to hear Noah''s remarks. He stopped near us for a second. "Go with the bat that gives you a good feeling. The one you feel most comfortable with will always turn out good results."

    I nodded in agreement. I took the bats back and decided on which one to put away.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Don''t get superstitious on me now."

    My lips twitched. "You''re way more superstitious than I am. You have all these rules that you follow, including which cleats you put on first."

    Noah cracked a smile. "Guess we''re just two peas in a pod."

    Mr. Miller left us to go stand closer to the home plate entrance. Players started to come back to the dugout and prepared to take the field. We waited for Garret and Ethan before running out to our starting positions.

    After allowing Garret a few pitches off the mound, the other team had their first batter step up to the plate: Sean. From my team.

    Behind Ethan was an umpire that Coach was able to bring in from...somewhere. I didn''t know what kind of network he had to get an umpire to show up for a camp, but the man was fully decked out in the umpire uniform. Sadly, one was all we had. Close plays could go either way.

    Garret got set on the mound and stared at Sean. Ethan signaled for a pitch, but Garret shook him off. Then shook him off again. On the third set of signals, Garret was finally satisfied and nodded his consent. He started his motion, throwing his fastball low and inside for a called strike.

    Sean took a step out of the box and took a practice swing. Looks like he wasn''t scared by the speed.

    Garret had to shake off a few more signs from Ethan before agreeing. He threw the same pitch, low and inside; but he got even faster. Garret didn''t waste his summer.

    My fingers itched. I kind of wished I could play against Garret again.

    For the third pitch, Garret threw away, outside of the zone, but Sean was already committed to swinging.

    "Strike. Out." The umpire declared.

    Garret''s grin was covering his whole face as he caught the ball Ethan threw back to him. He gave Sean a small wave.

    Sean rolled his eyes, heading back to his dugout.

    Garret''s confidence didn''t waver in the face of Korrey, the second batter in the lineup. Korrey stepped into the righty''s box. This would be the first time I would get to see him really bat against a pitcher.

 713 V2 ch185

    Garret agreed on the fourth set of signs, got set, and started his motion. He threw his fastball right down the middle, getting Korrey to swing and miss.

    Garret caught the ball thrown by Ethan, then before Ethan could squat back down, Garret waved for him to join him on the mound. Ethan was surprised, but went to the mound.

    I straightened up and looked to Noah to see if we should be going too. Noah was already one step ahead, moving to the mound. I hurried to follow. The first baseman, Luke, and our third baseman, Andre, also joined us on the mound.

    "What''s going on?" Luke asked. He was a senior from the JV team and was probably on good terms with Garret.

    Garret stretched his neck, rolling his head around. "Nothing much. I''m just getting a crick in the neck from shaking my head so much."

    Noah let out a laugh.

    "Sorry." Ethan mumbled.

    Garret covered his mouth with his glove. "Just stop being so afraid. I know we''ve never paired up before, but don''t you know my personality at all? I like to be direct. Corner them, then throw the cutter. If they''re good right away, then start throwing the cutter."

    Ethan''s grip on his mask tightened. "I just didn''t think I would ever pair up with you."

    I felt a pang of sympathy. It''s got to be tough to be a catcher, and then even tougher to catch for the best pitcher in our program. Maybe even the best in the league.

    "Okay, we''ll talk about in the dugout." Noah offered. "For now, put away Korrey." He looked to their circle. "Jason is up next, and I know Garret can strike him out purely on fastballs."

    Garret looked to Ethan. "For Korrey, I''ll throw another fastball on the outside border. Strike or ball doesn''t matter. After that, we''ll go to cutters. And like Noah said, straight fastballs for Jason. You just choose inside or outside."

    Ethan nodded and put his mask back on. He headed back to home plate while the rest of us went back to our own positions. After squatting behind the plate, Ethan merely touched the inside of his right thigh to confirm that Garret wanted to throw away. Garret nodded and got set. He completed his motion and threw his fastball outside.

    Korrey did swing, but with him extending his arms to the fullest, he was abled to get a piece of it. He pulled the ball to his left. It was a low line drive, but with Noah''s grasp. Noah dove into the dirt, making the catch, and jumped up to show off the ball.

    Korrey was sent back to the dugout.

    Noah threw the ball back to Garret. "Two out, one to go."

    Garret grinned. "Happy to see you still have those reflexes."

    Jason was up next. Like Noah said, Garret could handle him with just his fastball. Jason went down swinging at all three pitches, unable to keep up. Garret held them at zero for the first inning.

    We jogged back to the dugout and prepared for our own at-bats.

    Garret looked at Ethan as he switched his equipment. "Are you getting the hang of it yet? I don''t mind shaking you off, but it''s going to be annoying if I have to do that for every pitch."

    Ethan nodded.

    "If you have any questions, just ask." Noah frowned. "Garret is one of the easier pitchers to get along with. The twins might not even be half as patient."

    Ethan swallowed uncomfortably. He looked back to Garret. "I''m actually not that confident. I don''t really know how good you are with your control. Your likes and dislikes."

    "Fast and inside." Garret told him. "You can''t go wrong with that. It''s hard to hit something that''s coming at you." He glanced at me. "Unless you''re Jake."

    Hearing my name, I looked up. "What?"

    Garret put his hand on the helmet I was wearing. "You''ll hit anything within reach, right? Even if it''s inside."

    I nodded. "Yea. Probably." I turned to watch Joey throw some pitches off the mound. "I might be a little more picky though. I can''t just hit any pitch out of the park."

    Garret laughed. "That''s what I''m talking about!" He gave me a slap on the shoulder, making me take two steps forward. He looked at Noah. "You have to do your best to get on."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I don''t need you to tell me that." He put on his batting gloves and headed for the exit with his bat in his hands.

    Garret grabbed his bat and followed him out.

    I moved for the exit too but a sudden hand held me in place. I looked back at Ethan, who grabbed onto my wrist. I forcefully pulled my hand back and he willingly let go. "Please don''t touch me."

    He looked embarrassed. "I just wanted to ask you something."

    "That''s not a reason to grab me." I took a step further away. "I have to go get ready for my at-bat." I hurried to the entrance of the dugout and stood there waiting for my turn.

    "You okay, Jake?" Mr. Miller asked me in a low voice, standing right beside me.

    "Did you see?" I asked back.

    He gave a nod. "You handled that well. I''m proud of you."

    I sighed with relief. "He said he had a question, but I didn''t listen. My heart feels like it''s beating out of my chest." I placed my hand over my chest. I just have to remind myself that he wasn''t going to hurt me. I think. "I had to get away."

    "It''s okay. I understand." He told me, eyes on the field, watching Noah step up to the batter''s box. "Just forget about it. I''ll have a word with him and remind him that he shouldn''t...reach out to you like that. You focus on your batting."

    "You don''t think I''m overreacting?" I asked.

    He gave a small shake of his head. "You don''t know him very well. You don''t know his intentions." He laid his hand on my shoulder. "Look. You don''t jump when I touch you. Why do you think that is?"

    "Because I trust you." I answered.

    He smiled. "Exactly. Trust is key in any kind of relationship. Whether that''s between friends or acquaintances. I don''t blame you for being weary around those you don''t know well. You want to protect yourself. And that''s completely okay."

    With Mr. Miller''s words of comfort, I felt more relaxed and less anxious. He was right, I''m not in the wrong for walking away. Ethan and I weren''t close enough to where he can just grab me. I just met him today; there wasn''t much we could talk about anyways.

    I watched Noah''s at-bat closely, trying to learn a little about Joey''s pitching.

 714 V2 ch186

    The first pitch went high, almost eye-level with Noah, for ball one. The second pitch was a little bit closer, but still another ball. I could tell that Noah wanted to swing, but he was holding back. Joey currently had no control. Joey''s third pitch got closer to the strike zone again, but Noah held up and let it pass for ball three. The fourth pitch was a borderline call...a call that went Noah''s way for ball four. He earned a walk. Noah turned and tossed his bat back towards the dugout and jogged to first.

    Garret left the on deck circle and went to the lefty''s box.

    I moved from the dugout entrance to the circle. I took a few light swings, still mostly focused on Joey.

    Mitchell had stayed standing for an extra beat before  squatting behind home plate. He gave the sign and Joey nodded. He got set, then went through his motion, throwing a rocket right down the middle. Garret let it pass for a called strike. Mitchell threw the ball back to Joey, who looked satisfied with that pitch.

    Garret took a step out the box and took a practice swing. With Joey now being abled to get the ball over the strike zone, he had to be ready to swing. Joey had a lot of similarities with Garret, but he didn''t have a cutter. At least, I don''t think so. I''ve only seen fastballs so far.

    The second pitch was high, but still within the zone. Garret didn''t hesitate to swing and connect, putting the ball into play. The ball got over the infield and rolled to Tanner in right field for a single.

    I moved to the batter''s box and made a last minute decision to bat right-handed against Joey. There wasn''t any particular reason why I chose that side, but I figured I might want a better view of the ball coming out of his hands.

    "A minute." Mitchell stood up and went to the mound.

    I barely had any time to think about what he was going to talk to Joey about, because Joey sent Mitchell back. He didn''t want to hear what Mitchell had to say apparently. Wow. So arrogant.

    Mitchell came back with pursed lips and got back into position.

    I got set and watched Joey with a better view now. He was tall. Six foot, by my guess. Slightly shorter than the twins, but looked bigger. Thicker. I guess he had more weight and more muscle. That could be why it looks like he throws super hard.

    His first pitch to me was a fastball inside. Really inside. I jumped back to avoid being hit. Ball one. I eyed him as he got the ball back from Mitchell. It didn''t seem intentional, but it didn''t look he was sorry about almost hitting me either. I got set again.

    He threw a fastball down the middle for a called strike. 1-1.

    Joey didn''t have a breaking ball specialty pitch. What he did was switch between a two-seamer and a four-seam fastball. The four-seam was the generic fastball, whereas the two-seamer had some downward movement coming inside on my swing.

    After pushing him to the double digits in pitches, I settled on aiming for the normal fastball. That would be more likely to leave the field for a homerun than a ball with movement.

    It seemed like Joey had the same thought of bringing this at-bat to an end. He threw his fastest pitch right down the middle. I don''t know how he thought he could beat me so straightforwardly, but I wasn''t going to complain about such a perfect pitch to knock out. I took a step forward with my left and hurried my swing to meet the pitch. With perfect contact, I used all my power to hit the ball. It went right, flying over the infield, then over Tanner, and then finally over the fence.

    I ran the bases with ease and a small smile. I was no Zeke, but it was a good feeling to know that I could aim for homers now. I was stronger and this was just the beginning.

    "Jakeee." Sean complained as I rounded second. "Have mercy on us." He laughed, clearly joking.

    "What a blast!" Jason commented from third.

    I ran home and touched the plate. 3-0 lead.

    Garret and Noah had waited for me before going back to the dugout. One was patting my head while the other slapped my shoulder. These were my friends. The guys I could trust to be near me.

    I glanced at Ethan as we got back to our bags.

    He glanced at me. "Good hit." Them he quickly looked away.

    Mr. Miller must have had a talk with him like he said he would.

    "Here''s your bat." Davin, a freshman from my morning group held out my wood bat.

    "Thanks." I put it away with my helmet. After putting my hat back on and turning back, I noticed that Davin was still around. "Uh...Yea?"

    "I was just curious as to why you use a wood bat?" He asked. "I wanted to ask earlier in the group, but I figured it might be for training purposes."

    I froze, unsure of what to tell him. I couldn''t even touch an aluminum bat, let alone swing one. Wood is the only option.

    "To prepare for The Show." Noah jumped in to answer for me. "If you want to play in the big leagues, we can only use wood so might as well get a jump on it. But only if you bat as well as Jake does."

    Davin nodded in an understanding manner. He said a few more words before heading back to his own bag. He bats seventh so he has a chance to come up to bat this inning.

    Noah put his elbow on my shoulder and leaned down a little. "Just use that as an excuse from now on. Not too many people will doubt it. You have the skill to use a wood bat so why worry."

    I knocked him off my shoulder. "I know. I just didn''t expect someone to ask me outright."

    "I should probably start using a wood bat too." Noah said thoughtfully. "After high school, I''m going straight to the minors and we can''t use aluminum bats there anyways."

    "You can''t just write off college so soon." I told him.

    He gave me a look. "Okay, ''Mom''."

    I rolled my eyes. "Nothing wrong with playing in college. Zeke is doing it. The twins are going to do it."

    Noah shook his head. "I''m not them. They aren''t me. I have my own dreams, and my own path to get there." He looked at me. "Are you considering college?"

    I shrugged and nodded at the same time. "Yea, probably."

    "Where would you go?" He frowned.

    I shrugged again. "I don''t know."

 715 V2 ch187

    Garret nodded. "I''m going to name my commitment on National Signing Day. November 11th. But if my draft number is good, I''m going pro."

    "No matter what team picks you?" Noah asked.

    Garret shrugged. "Just because a team drafts me, doesn''t mean I''ll get a chance to play for them. I could just be a chess piece in one of their trades."

    "Have you been in contact with any scouts?"

    "A few have shown interest but nothing definitive. I need to have another great season." He then asked. "What about the twins? They went to see a bunch of schools this summer, right? Did they decide on any particular one?"

    Noah shook his head. "Nope. They might not even pick before signing day. Zeke waited for the last minute to decide. They might do the same."

    Garret shook his head back at us. "Zeke could afford to make a last minute decision. Any school would be willing to have him and might save a scholarship just for players like him. The twins aren''t nearly as good. If they want to earn an athletic scholarship, the schools might be asking them to make a decision a little sooner."

    We talked a little more about colleges and making commitments until our half of offense ended. After my three-run homer, there wasn''t any other hits. Ollie, a junior from JV and our current center fielder, grounded out to Michael at short. Andre grounded out to Sean at second. Then Luke struck out swinging.

    "Looks like Joey had settled down." Noah commented as we started to take the field.

    "You scared?" Garret grinned.

    Noah scoffed. "No way. I''m not one to be scared. That''s Jake''s."

    They looked to me.

    "Scared of him as a pitcher? No." I told them. "Scared of him as a person? Yes."

    "Typical Jake." Garret laughed as he got on the mound and started to throw some warmup pitches with Ethan.

    Garret must have gotten through to Ethan, because there was a lot less head shaking and a lot more fluidity. Garret shut down their clean up hitter, Michael Tye. The former captain of the JV team and winner of the Best Sportmanship for that team, struck out swinging, unabled to keep up with the cutter.

    Joey came up next. He got jammed on a fastball, popping it up in my vicinity. I got under the ball and made the catch without any difficulties. Garret ended the inning by striking out Tanner. He was coasting! Really showing off why he was and is our number one pitcher.

    "Looking good!" Noah complimented Garret when we got back in the dugout. "Four strikeouts over two innings! I can already hear the twins groaning and grinding their teeth."

    Garret laughed. "I don''t know about that. You can almost make a case that the best hitters are on these two teams here."

    Noah looked around our dugout, skeptical.

    Noah grinned at the thought. "They better not give up any hits then."

    I nodded in agreement. Garret has a point. "I feel bad for the freshmen then."

    "Eh, I''m sure Andy will be fine." Noah shrugged.

    I sincerely doubt that. Andy couldn''t do much against them all summer. Even during Saturday''s showdown, he went 0-3 against Kyle.

    "Their heads are going to swell. I can already guess." Garret said.

    Noah slapped me on the shoulder. "No worries! Jake will keep them leveled."

    Garret looked at me. "You know...we haven''t had a showdown in awhile. Want to stay after this ends?"

    I scratched my cheek. "Are you sure..?" I didn''t want to be cocky, but I really don''t think Garret stands a chance against me. I could even get a hit off Rhys.

    "I''m sure." He said confidently. "We could ask Mr. Miller to stick around to be an umpire." He glanced at Ethan who was moving to the on deck circle after Davin grounded out to short. "I won''t have that kid being the catcher though. I need someone better. More...professional. I''ll have to ask Mitchell."

    "He would love that!" Noah nodded. "Mitchell''s been working hard all summer."

    "I''ve heard." Garret said. He looked at me. "Will you wait around so we could talk about signs to make sure we''re on the same page?"

    I shrugged. "I guess. I don''t think the twins would mind." I thought for a second. "Haven''t you paired up with Mitchell a few times already?"

    Garret nodded. "Yea, but this time we''re facing you."

    Oh. Okay.

    After Davin''s groundout, both Connor, a freshman, and Ethan struck out swinging.

    Joey won''t be the same pitcher we faced in the first inning. He had settled and gained more control of his pitches. That''s good. I would like for more of a challenge. Noah shared my same sentiments. He was working on his swing after all.

    Garret started off strong in the third inning, cornering the seventh batter on an 0-2 count before getting him to ground out to Noah. The eighth batter copied the same sequence, grounding out to Noah. I knew neither of them so it meant nothing to me. However, the next batter was Mitchell.

    We were just talking about him working hard on his catching this past summer, but it wasn''t the only thing he practiced. He sent Garret''s first pitch to left field for a single, taking away Garret''s perfect game and no-hitter with one swing.

    The left fielder, Davin, threw the ball back in to Noah. Noah gave the ball back to Garret. "Don''t mind. Two outs. One on." He looked around. "Play''s at first or second."

    The top of the lineup started with Sean again. He looked a little more serious, strictly focused on Garret. He also took advantage of the first pitch fastball, hitting a fly out to left field.

    It looked catchable to me, but for some reason the ball fell out of Davin''s glove, rolling in the grass.

    I felt my chest tightened as Mitchell and Sean started running like crazy. Unsure of what I should be doing, I automatically moved to cover second base.

    Noah went to the grass to act as the cutoff man, urging Davin to get the ball back to the infield. It was almost like he had frozen after dropping the ball. He bent over to pick the ball up and threw it back to Noah. With the ball in his glove, Noah immediately turned around to check second and third, but there was no play to make. Mitchell was clearly safe at third, while Sean had just slid into second.

    Noah walked the ball to Garret on the mound, speaking to him in a low voice that I couldn''t even hear.

    "Woo. That was lucky." Sean laughed as he dust himself off.

    I stayed nearby just in case. Plus, Sean was easy to get along with. "Lucky for you. And an error for Davin."

    "Freshman?" Sean asked.

    I nodded. "Yep."

    He sighed. "Unfortunate. I hope he doesn''t dwell on it too much." He looked at me. "Make sure you comfort him."

    I scratched under my hat. "I think I''ll leave that to Noah."

    Sean chuckled. "Yea, he''s good at that kind of stuff."

 716 V2 ch188

    Garret was given a new ball and got set again. He threw the same pitch, slightly faster. Korrey had swung again, fouling the ball down the third baseline this time. 0-2. Garret had to shake his head a few more times at Ethan before getting set for the third pitch. This time he threw a fastball outside. A pitch that Korrey read very well. He swung and made contact with the barrel of his bat, blasting the ball to right-center field.

    The runners took off and I moved to the grass to be the cutoff man. Ollie and Connor both sprinted to the fence to get the ball, which was now rolling in the grass. Ollie called Connor off, fielded the ball, and threw his hardest to me. A little too hard. I had to backup a few steps and jump to get the ball. As soon as I came down, I checked the bases. Mitchell and Sean had scored, while Korrey stood proudly on second base. Dang.

    I relaxed and threw the ball back to Garret on the mound. His teeth were clenched as he toed the rubber on the mound.

    "Don''t mind!" Noah clapped with his glove. "Focus on the batter."

    Garret gave a nod, showing that he heard him. Then he shook out his arms and got set once more. His next opponent was Michael Tye. He came out swinging on Garret''s first pitch, like the others. He hit an inside fastball towards Andre at third. Andre stayed leveled, fielding the ball and threw him out at first.

    Our lead fell to 3-2.

    At least those weren''t earned runs for Garret. But he did lose the shutout. Unlucky.

    "Sorry." I overheard Davin muttered to Garret as I got ready for my at-bat.

    "Don''t worry about it." Garret brushed him off, putting his helmet on.

    "Put it behind you." Noah told him as he put his batting gloves. The three of us would lead off the third inning. "Don''t dwell on it too much. Just practice and do better next time. That''s all you can do. Unless you have a time machine." He joked.

    The rest of the dugout shared the same sentiments, giving Davin sympathetic looks. Davin looked embarrassed, but he did get a little more color in his face, not looking as pale as before. I don''t know if he thought Garret was going to bite his head off or what. Garret''s not that uptight. Now if it was the twins...it''d be a different story.

    Noah left the dugout first and started to take practice swings during Joey''s warmup.

    "Did you notice something weird about their offense during that last half inning?" Garret asked me in a low voice as we stood by the dugout entrance.

    Garret nodded. "Yea, I felt it was strange too. The coach over there probably asked them too. It''s not a big deal, but it''s slightly annoying with Ethan behind the plate."

    "Yea, I get that feeling too. Like a constant disruption." I said. "I also think it helps the other team narrow down what to expect from you."

    Garret sighed. "The struggles of having an inexperienced catcher."

    "Is there nothing you can do to help him?" I asked, worried for Garret.

    "The only thing I can do is throw better pitches." He answered. "You aren''t very experienced, but when there''s a catcher that doesn''t know how to call games, it becomes a one versus one situation instead of two versus one."

    I thought back to my time with the minor leaguers. How I was completely crushed even though I thought I could hit off those pitchers. "No, no, I understand. Catchers are vital in the battery. Especially if they can read a batter and know what pitches to call for."

    Garret snapped his fingers. "Exactly. This is why I want to pair up with Mitchell to go against you. He has experience catching for me and the twins. Although he''s not like Jordan or Alex, I think he has a pretty good feel for the game."

    I nodded. "Like Noah said. He has been working with the twins when he can."

    Garret gripped his bat a little tighter. "I want a turn too." He left the dugout to go to the on deck circle after Noah stepped up to the batter''s box.

    I casually looked around for Mr. Miller and saw that he was speaking with a couple of freshmen. Probably coaching them on what they should be focusing on during a scrimmage like this.

    A nice little ''ding'' grabbed my attention. I looked back at the field in time to see Noah running for first as the baseball dropped right before the right fielder. He got a single off Joey. I held back the urge to clap as I moved to the on deck circle.

    Garret hit his cleats with his bat before getting into the lefty''s box. He came out swinging, taking out his frustration on Joey''s pitches. They were fouled left, right, back, and just all over the place. We got to the point where the umpire had to stop the game so we could collect the balls.

    "Okay, Jake junior, knock it off." Mr. Miller jokingly said to Garret. "Either put the ball in play or strikeout, okay?"

    "Wowww. Some coach you are." Garret laughed. "I''m just working on my swing. Can''t you be a little more supportive?"

    "I can only keep you boys until 4pm, so no. Get it done." Mr. Miller went back inside the dugout.

    Everyone got back into place and Joey got set to throw his next pitch. Almost right down the middle, just a little high. Garret swung, and pulled it down the first baseline.

    The guy I didn''t know, covering first, snatched the line drive out of the air and made the tag on Noah who was diving back at the bag.

    "Out! Out!" The umpire declared.

    Noah got up and slapped the first baseman on the back. "Nice play! Really fast reflexes!" He jogged back to the dugout, hurrying to catch up with Garret. I could hear him say: "You couldn''t hit anywhere else?"

    "I''m not really Jake!"

    I smiled as I got ready in the batter''s box. Noah could always me laugh. Intentionally or not. The way he could compliment the opposing team and then scold his own teammate...it''s pretty funny.

    I chose to bat from the left side this time, but still going to try for a homerun. Have to aim for the four-seamer and not the one with movement.

    Joey''s first two pitches missed outside. I thought about fouling a few pitches off to make him more tired but decided against it after thinking of what Mr. Miller said. We had limited time. The third pitch was the normal fastball, slightly high. Could possibly be a ball, but I chose to swing and make contact.

 717 V2 ch189

    "Booo." Sean said playfully when I passed him.

    "Jake becoming the next Zeke!" Jason hollered as I rounded third.

    I felt my face warm up. I tagged home plate, making the score 4-2 and headed for the dugout.

    Ollie, who bats after me, met me halfway, holding my bat out to myself. "Great hit!"

    "Thanks." I accepted my bat and went inside the dugout.

    "Looking good." Mr. Miller complimented me. "You keep that up and the scouts will be hanging out in your living room soon enough."

    I nodded and went back to my bag. On the way back, a few of the guys clapped me on the back even though we hardly knew one another. Noah rescued me by pulling me through and pushing me to sit down.

    "Jake doesn''t like the attention guys!" He told everyone. "He''s super shy. Don''t ruin his game mentality, yea?"

    Some of them laughed and others nodded. Whether they thought Noah was joking or not, I didn''t care. I was getting better at not caring about what others thought of my problems.

    "I think he needs a specialty pitch." Garret mused as we watched Joey pitch to Ollie. "At least, if he wants to get to the next level."

    "The twins don''t have a specialty pitch." Noah pointed out.

    Garret shrugged. "Not everyone needs one. But," He glanced at us. "Don''t you see them trying to change?"

    I nodded.

    Noah shrugged. "Doesn''t Kyle just want to throw faster?"

    "That''s a part of it. He''s completely changed his whole motion." Garret commented. "Risky, but Kyle has that determination. Even Dave has changed. He''s trying to just tweak his motion and delivery. They also have really good control. Or, at least, they did. Probably will take some time to get that back after making adjustments."

    "I think Joey could be better if he listened to his catcher." I thought about the few times he shook Mitchell off. Even when Mitchell had something to say to him on the mound, Joey didn''t let him go up there. "I think Mitchell has valuable input that Joey isn''t willing to listen to."

    "Agreed." Garret looked back just in time to see Joey strike out Ollie to end the inning. "He''s good. I''m just saying, he could be better. His mentality really holds him back. That''s why I think a specialty pitch could do him wonders. Something he can fall back on." He stood up and grabbed his glove. He was one of the first to leave the dugout with Ethan.

    "I don''t know why Garret cares so much." Noah commented in a low voice as we grabbed our gloves too. "With him and the twins, it''s not like we need anymore starters."

    I shrugged. "I think he''s just casually commenting. It''s good to have insights on other players. A way to improve. If you see someone else making a mistake, you can apply it to yourself."

    I blushed.

    Noah laughed. "Kidding. I understand. When you put it that way, I guess I do the same when I watch the pros. I just don''t think about learning and analyzing those on the same level as us. Well, besides Zeke."

    We headed for the field, getting into position to do a few warmup throws with Luke at first.

    As Garret started the fourth inning with the fourth batter, I thought a little more about what he had said. It made sense. You can''t just improve physically at the game, your mentality has to grow with you. I was always good at batting, the only reason I got better at the game though was my ability to learn. An error would make me want to have a complete breakdown; now it just makes me cringe.

    The fourth batter for the other team was Michael. Garret got him to strike out the last time he was up, but this time he made contact. Nothing great. Just a routine grounder to Noah. Noah handled it with ease to get the first out.

    I kind of expected more out of the former JV captain. Something closer to Zeke I guess. So far, Garret has shut him out and it didn''t seem like he was particularly good. I guess you don''t necessarily need to be the best player on the team to be the captain. It''s just...wouldn''t that be more reassuring?

    I glanced at Noah. I can see why he wanted to improve his hitting so much. To be a better player, yes, but also to be more reliable. Thinking back to how much he helped me practice my fielding, I think I should return the favor. Help him with hitting drills. I didn''t know any, but I recently participated in one today. That would help Noah a little bit. I just don''t know if we have that kind of equipment.

    The fifth batter, Joey, hit a long fly ball to center field. Ollie got underneath and made the catch for the second out. Tanner came up next and was shut down by three straight fastballs. He struck out swinging for the second time this game.

    We jogged back to our dugout.

    "You''re starting to get the hang of it." I overheard Garret tell Ethan.

    It was only then that I realized Garret didn''t have to shake him off so much this half inning.

    "Just kind of keep the flow we have going." Garret instructed. "They want to swing on the first pitch? Fine. We let them. We just have to choose good spots to throw to like the corners. It''s okay if I miss the zone, because they''ve been swinging anyways."

    Ethan obediently nodded, taking in everything Garret had to say. Garret continued to teach him a little about what he wanted out of him as our five, six, and seven batters went up. All three came back the way they came. Strikeout, groundout to first, strikeout. Joey still had some talent even if he wasn''t very effective against me.

    With one-third of our team being freshmen, Joey held an advantage. Against us in the top three, his only out was Garret''s line drive to first base for that double play.

    Garret switched things up in the top of the fifth, using his cutter a little more, working it around the plate. Batters seven and eight both struck out, looking. Only Mitchell was able to get a piece of it. He hit a soft grounder my way. I ran to the ball and bare-handed it, making the throw to Luke at first. Third out to end their offense.

    Bottom of the fifth, Joey continued to pitch. He struck out the freshman, Connor, and then the sophomore, Ethan. If he hadn''t given up hits to Garret, Noah, and myself, I really might consider him to be varsity material. I guess it depends on what Coach thinks he can get out of him.

    Noah moved to the batter''s box and Garret went out to the on deck circle. I stood in the hole, watching Noah to see if there was something I could note down for him.

 718 V2 ch190

    Joey''s next pitch came right down the middle. Noah swung and made perfect contact with the barrel of his bat. A solid ''pang'' echoed. The ball went right back the way it came. Joey somehow managed to catch the line drive, landing on his butt, and rolling off the mound.

    "Out." The umpire declared the end of the inning.

    Bummer.

    "You alright?" Noah called out to Joey, as Sean helped the guy to his feet.

    Joey brushed off Sean, and didn''t say a word to Noah. He just stormed back to his own dugout. The rest of their team followed.

    Mitchell said a few words to Noah, then Noah came back.

    "What was that all about?" Garret frowned, glancing back to the other dugout.

    Noah shrugged. "Mitchell said that Joey was probably frustrated with the way things were going."

    "That was a nice swing." Garret complimented him as we went back to our bags and switched out our gear. "Would have definitely been a double up the middle with your speed."

    "Meh." Noah muttered. "I''m just lucky it didn''t hurt the guy. That would be bad. Come backers like that are super dangerous."

    "True." Garret put his hat on. "But it worked out for him. No injury and it was an out. He got lucky." With his glove on he headed out.

    "Not so fast." Mr. Miller put a stop to the little movement in our dugout. Everyone froze. This was the first time he addressed the team since the beginning of the game. "I''m making some changes. Garret, I know I said you could pitch the whole game if you wanted, but-"

    Garret waved his hand. "It''s fine. I feel pretty good about my performance. Has someone been warming up in the bullpen though? We didn''t have any catcher there to work with them."

    Mr. Miller nodded. "They pitched to each other. I''ll go out and signal for one to come. Garret, you can play center. Ollie, move to left. Davin, take a rest." He left the dugout to signal to the bullpen.

    The rest of us took the field, leaving the freshman, Davin behind. The way he slouched on the bench, you could tell it was eating at him. Is he being sat for making that error in the third inning?

    "You don''t have to worry about him." Noah told me as we stood by second base. Garret had jogged out to center field and started to play catch with the other outfielders. "Mr. Miller will talk to the freshman. An error or two isn''t a big deal."

    "I just feel bad for him." I shrugged. Because I could relate to what he was feeling.

    I nodded, turning my attention to the new pitcher on the mound. "Do you know this guy?" It was someone I wasn''t familiar with.

    Noah took a look. "Nope. Must be a freshman."

    A freshman to face the top of the lineup? I grimaced.

    The guy warmed up with Ethan, then had a small talk at the mound before we started the inning. Sean was first up and came out swinging. He connected on the first pitch, sending the ball just over Luke''s glove. The ball bounced to Connor and he threw it back in to me as Sean rounded first.

    I faked a throw to Luke, forcing Sean to stay at first. Then I threw the ball back to the freshman on the mound. He didn''t hold eye contact with me and quickly faced the next batter before I could come up with anything to say.

    Korrey followed the same tactic as Sean, swinging on the first pitch. Even though it would have been a high ball. He hit up the center. Garret came sprinting in, fielding the ball and getting it back to Noah in record time.

    Runners were safe on second and first.

    "Time." Noah called out, ball in hand. He didn''t throw it back to the pitcher, choosing to walk it there instead. He waved the rest of us infielders to join him.

    The freshman on the mound was frowning as he looked away. He glanced at Ethan, dissatisfied. This led to Ethan frowning as well.

    "Hey, I''m Noah." Noah greeted the pitcher, putting the baseball into the guy''s glove.

    "Max." He nodded. He looked around at the rest of us. "You guys trying to take me off the mound?"

    "No, of course not." Noah answered lightly. "Just wanted to give you some advice for the next batter."

    "Why? You don''t trust the catcher either?" He asked, sounding very prickly.

    Noah covered his mouth with his glove. "Dude. Just shut up and listen. You don''t hear Ethan complaining about me giving advice." He had lost the nice guy act, and focused on baseball. "Jason was on varsity last year. I know him well. He hits a lot of grounders. Keep the ball low and hopefully the rest of us will turn a double play. If you want to keep giving up singles, then be my guest. It''s not my ERA that''s taking a dump."

    With that, Noah turned away and headed back to his position.

    I hurried after him and whispered. "Is that okay to say?" It doesn''t sound like something a captain would tell a young, struggling pitcher.

    Noah nodded. "It''s fine. Sometimes pitchers need tough love. If he doesn''t listen, then that''s a reflection of him. And Ethan. I did my part. Now I''ve got to play defense." He glanced at Sean at second before lowering his voice. "You stay closer to the base and I''ll back up for more area to cover. Jason has a tendency to hit it this side of second base."

    I nodded in agreement.

    Everyone was back into position and Max was getting set on the mound. His first pitch was low like Noah instructed, but too low. It bounced before home plate, forcing Ethan to make a stop so the runners don''t advance on a wild pitch. His second pitch was much better, just a little below the strike zone.

    Jason still swung, proving that the other team was still swinging on anything close early on. He pulled it to the left side of second base like Noah predicted. Noah was in perfect position to field the ball and throw to me at second base.

    I transitioned the ball from glove to throwing hand as I was tagging the base and then threw to Luke at first, beating out Jason. 6-4-3 double play.

    I gave a small fist bump in the direction of Noah. It was almost like he scripted the game.

    Michael came up next with Sean standing at third.

    Max and Ethan changed things up, going with a high outside pitch. Bad choice. I cringe before Michael even made contact, knowing that such a meat ball was too easy.

    Michael crushed the ball, sending it straight to center field. Garret went back up against the fence, waited a beat before making his jump. He came down with the ball, surprising the rest of us. I let out a breath I didn''t know I was holding.

 719 V2 ch191

    Inside the dugout, the other freshmen were congratulating Max on getting out of the jam against the upperclassmen. It rubbed me the wrong way that he accepted their congratulations with a grin; not even bothering to give Noah a word of ''thanks''.

    "Freshmen." Noah scoffed under his breath as I put on my helmet.

    "Don''t bother with someone like that." Garret said softly as he also got ready to bat.

    Noah shook his head. "I definitely won''t. His kind of attitude and lack of skill can only get him so far. I''m fine. I just feel bad for the others who look up to him or think he''s good. I even feel bad for Ethan." He rolled his eyes. "I just need to forget about it. One more inning to go."

    Garret slapped him on the shoulder. "Good to see you maturing. Once upon a time, you would have made your snide remarks heard."

    Noah smirked. "I let my attitude out on the mound. That was enough."

    Garret looked to me. "Ready?"

    I nodded.

    We took our bats and headed for the exit.  Joey was still up on the mound, warming up.

    I glanced at Garret. "Are you jealous?"

    Garret chuckled. "Of not pitching more than him? Nah. Not a big deal. It would have been fun, but it''s also good not to over do it. I''m not like the twins, who have some work to do on their motions. Just getting along with the catchers is good enough for me."

    Garret was very relaxed.

    "I also like playing on the field too." He explained as he started to stretch. "Really, as long as I get to play, it''s good. I''m grateful not to get benched." He lightly swung his bat around. "I''ll already have to give it up when I get to the next level. Gotta appreciate every inning I get."

    I stepped away to give him more room to work on his swing. Garret loves baseball as much as Noah does. Just being on the field excites them. Practice, scrimmage, or a game. They''ll bring the same intensity and enthusiasm to it all.

    I used to think they were crazy, but now I was slowly getting the feel of it. I''m still not excited about running or practicing, but I do like seeing myself improve.

    Joey finished warming up and the umpire waved at Garret to step up. Garret went around and got in the lefty''s box. Joey was getting tired and showing some fatigue, throwing a few pitches out of the zone. On a 3-0 count, he tried going with a fastball down the middle. Garret didn''t waste it, swung and made contact.

    The ball flew to left-center field, dropping in the grass and rolling to the fence. Garret sprinted out of the box, rounded first, and made it to second base without needing to slide.

    I sighed. Guess I should just be happy to be with Noah and Garret.

    Joey was set. He started his motion after agreeing on a pitch. I watched it closely. Two-seamer. Inside. Real inside.

    I realized a little too late that the ball was breaking towards me. I did my best to turn inside and took a hit to my left hamstring. I hissed in pain. Joey lost control, but he didn''t lose much speed. That hurt.

    "You alright, kid?" The umpire was the first one to reach out to me, helping me steady on my right leg as I grasped my left thigh.

    "Jake, I''ve got you!" Noah had reached me next, putting my arm around his shoulders and supporting most of my weight.

    I let go of the umpire. "It hurts. Not the worst I''ve ever had."

    "You always say that." Noah started to guide me back to the dugout. "I think you''re done for the game."

    "Agreed." Mr. Miller had came out of the dugout. "Take your cleats off and I''ll text Drew to come down and check you out."

    I grimaced. "Drew''s around?"

    He chuckled. "He''s always around. Have to keep you boys healthy. I''ll remind him to bring you some ice." He glanced back at the dugout. "Alex, why don''t you come out and pinch run for Jake? You''ll also take over at second."

    Noah started to help me back through the dugout, taking me to our spot. "How is it?"

    I had propped my leg up on the bench and bent it so I could rub my hamstring. "Like I said, not the worst I''ve had. Not even top fifty. Just going to be a bruise." A nice solid, uncomfortable knot.

    Noah looked at the field and huffed. "They better be taking him out."

    I also glanced at the field and saw Mr. Miller speaking together with the opposing coach. They had both gone up to the mound to talk to Joey.

    Out of nowhere, Joey raised his voice and could be heard all around. "Why should I get off the mound?! I''m not done yet! Two more innings. I can do it."

    Surprisingly, it was the calm Mr. Miller who spoke up loud enough to be heard. "You''re losing control. You''ve already hit a batter. That''s enough. Go take a seat." He glanced at the other coach.

    The other coach put his hand on Joey''s shoulder and tried to guide him back to their dugout.

    "You''re targeting me because you favor him!" Joey swatted the hand off his shoulder and flared up at Mr. Miller. "It was an accident! If I had hit anyone else, would I still be benched?!"

    "Yes." Mr. Miller answered coldly, arms across his chest. "You could hit the worst player in this program, and I would still choose to sit you. This is a camp. I won''t sit back and watch you risk hitting another batter. You can injure anyone with your pitches. Heck, even if it was Garret that hit someone, I would choose to bench him." He looked at the other coach. "Take him away. He needs to go cool off."

    The other coach spoke in a low tone to Joey and guided him away. Mr. Miller signaled to the other bullpen to send someone out.

    "Mr. Miller is a little bit strict." Someone mumbled from our own dugout.

    Noah heard him and stood up, looking at the guys. "Do you want to be hit with a fastball?"

    "No one wants to get hit." One of the guys replied. "But it happens."

    Noah shook his head. "You can only say that because it didn''t happen to you. A pitch to any part of the body can break your bones. End your season. Even end your baseball career. Mr. Miller was right to request him to leave. If it happened once, it can happen again. What if he hits you next and break the bone in your hand?"

    "That''s unlikely though." The guy didn''t back down.

    "But it happens." Noah repeated his own words. "You''re forgetting that this is just practice. Not a game that decides a champion. All of us will have time to show off to the coaches. All week. Even when school starts. If you can''t see that Joey was putting us in danger, then you need to get your eyes checked."

 720 V2 ch192

    A junior, Jared, took over on the mound and got warmed up.

    "Drew''s here." Noah spotted a golf cart parking near the field.

    The familiar athletic trainer got off and came through the gate. He went to our dugout and revealed a giant smile. "Jake! I missed you!"

    I laughed, feeling a little uneasy. "I''m okay. Just a bag of ice will do."

    He grinned, getting closer. "I''ll give you ice for now. You''ll have to be responsible and not overdo it for the rest of the day. Wear shorts tomorrow so I can examine it a little better." He motioned for me to get up. "If you can stand, it''ll be easier to wrap the ice to your leg."

    With Noah''s help, I got up, putting most of my weight on the non-hit leg. Drew held a bag of ice against my hamstring and then used plastic wrap to keep it attached to my leg. After a few go-arounds, he ripped the plastic wrap and let me sit down again.

    I hissed from the coldness.

    "In pain?" He asked.

    "Just super cold." I answered.

    "Guess you won''t be having that showdown with Garret later." Noah told me.

    "Definitely postpone that." Drew instructed.

    I sighed. "Okay."

    Drew left me with some more instructions, telling me to meet him in his office before the camp starts in the morning. If it was just a small bruise then he would let me play; if it wasn''t that simple than we would do some other exercises.

    "I really think it''s just a bruise." I reassured him.

    "Probably. You do have a lot of fat, muscle, and tissue that can cushion the hit for you." He nodded. "Doesn''t hurt you double check."

    "Fat is not something I would use to describe Jake." Noah laughed.

    I rolled my eyes.

    Drew pat me on the leg. "Jake is looking good. Much better than six months ago. Wouldn''t hurt to add a few more calories to your meals though. Good calories. Healthy snacks." He glanced at Noah. "Do I want to know how unhealthy you''ve been eating this summer? You look like you''ve put on weight."

    "It''s all muscle!" Noah argued. He untucked his shirt to show off his abs. "Feel! I''m in shape!"

    "Zeke doesn''t let us snack very much." I added.

    Drew shook his head with a small smile on his face. "I can only imagine how bad you''ll start eating when Zeke heads off to college. Hey, tell him to stop by one of these days before he goes."

    "Sure." Noah said.

    Andre came up next, swinging (and missing) at anything close. He went down after three pitches. Two outs.

    Luke, the only other senior on our team, was able to hit a single in the corner of right field. Garret easily scored, while Alex had to sprint and then dive under the catcher''s tag. Luke considered going to second but with two outs, he decided to stay where he was. The score was now 6-2 so an extra base didn''t mean too much.

    Max, our pitcher should have been up next, but Mr. Miller went with a pinch hitter. Another freshman, Ryan. Jared didn''t show an ounce of struggle as he struck him out to end the inning.

    Noah and Garret left me to take the field one last time. Mr. Miller put in another new pitcher I didn''t recognize. He started off weak, giving up a solo shot to a pinch hitter for Jared, making the score 6-3. Tanner followed it up with a single.

    Batter number seven grounded into a double play to give my team a sense of relief. Then the pitcher struck out the next guy for the last out. We won the scrimmage, but no one seemed particularly happy. There were a few exceptions though. Like Noah and Garret.

    The pair smiled and joked as they packed up their bags. Noah helped me with mine, making sure everything was in before putting it on his shoulder with his own bag.

    "We''ll have to move the showdown between you and Jake." Noah told Garret as we hung out in the dugout, watching the others pack up and leave.

    Garret grinned. "I don''t mind. Gives me more time to work with Mitchell. Speaking of which..." He glanced over to the other dugout where they were also packing up and getting ready to leave. "I should go catch him before he leaves."

    "Yea, go." Noah nodded. "I thought it was weird they pulled him from behind the plate. Find out if it was anything."

    I was surprised. "Isn''t it normal to give other players a chance? We did a few pinch hitters. Even Garret was taken off the mound."

    Noah glanced at me. "It''s weird because why would they replace the catcher and not the pitcher? Unless the pitcher requested it..."

    Oh. Joey. I snorted. "Lot good that did him."

    Garret laughed and patted me on top of my head, pushing my hat down. "Look at you showing some attitude." He let go. "I''ll text you later if it was anything." He waved and left our dugout.

    Noah looked me over. "How you feeling? Think you''ll make it back to the car? Or should I get a twin here to carry you back?"

    That would be embarrassing. I grimaced. "I can walk back. Let''s just go slow."

    "Sure." He stood beside me as I got up and moved at a snails pace. "Good thing Jeremy is coming over on Thursday and not today. It wouldn''t be very fun for you."

    I shrugged. "It''s all the same. Limp or no limp."

    "Have you picked out where to go to dinner on Thursday night?" He asked.

    I shook my head. "I''ll just let him pick." I looked at Noah. "Will you...keep your phone on you? Just in case?"

    Noah laughed. "Yea. Of course. Just in case."

    Players passed us on the left and right, most going to the parking lot to get a ride home. Everyone must have ended near the same time. It wasn''t long before Dave caught up to us.

    "Yo! What happened to you, Jake?" He asked, giving my leg a glance.

    I sighed. "Hit by pitch. Just going to bruise. I''m fine."

    "Wow. Bummer. Who got a piece of you?" He asked.

    "Joey Henderson." Noah told him.

    Dave straightened up. "Was it intentional?"

    I shook my head, but Noah only shrugged. "Hard to tell. He was getting tired and it was late in the game."

    Dave frowned.

 721 V2 ch193

    Noah was helping me unwrap the ice and take it off as I relaxed on the couch. He went to go dump the iced water and throw away the trash. He came back and found that Zeke and the twins were still in the living room with me.

    "Sooo?" Noah looked around. "Are we going to do something about this or just let it be?"

    The twins simultaneously looked to Zeke.

    Zeke frowned. "We let Coach handle it. With him and Mr. Miller, I believe they can prevent anymore accidents from happening to Jake. If not..." His eyes narrowed. "We''ll find another way to address this."

    Noah plopped down on the other side of the couch, turning the tv on.

    "I thought you would be more mad." Kyle said, glancing down at him. "You''re usually the first one up in arms to defend Jake and to start a fight."

    "Jake''s okay." Noah shrugged, then smirked. "Besides, I take solace in the fact that Jake got the best of him beforehand. Not just one homerun, but two." He lifted his hand and showed two fingers.

    "Dang! You''re crushing it!" Dave held out his fist.

    I bumped his fist with my own.

    "I feel like I need to go lift some more weights." Kyle joked. "But for real, good for you, Jake. I''m happy that you''re on my team."

    Noah grinned. "I can''t wait for him to face you in a scrimmage." He nodded at me. "No mercy."

    I laughed and nodded along.

    "How''d you guys do today?" Zeke asked, turning the conversation to the twins.

    Dave shrugged. "Five innings pitched, six strikeouts, no walks, two hits, no runs."

    "WOW." Noah''s eyes widened. "That''s really mood mercy." He laughed. "But Garret had seven strikeouts over five innings."

    "Yea, but he gave up two hits." I pointed out.

    "He did?" Dave asked, interested.

    "Against Mitchell and Korrey though." Noah argued.

    "It''s not a competition." Zeke cut in. "Yet." He looked at Dave. "As long as you felt good on the mound, then your numbers don''t matter. No one is keeping track."

    "Lies." Noah coughed.

    Zeke squinted at Noah. "I think you need to go shower first."

    Noah slouched. "Nooo. I''m too comfortable."

    "Get going." Zeke jerked his thumb at the doorway.

    Noah sighed and slowly got up. "Fine. But I''m getting into pajamas." He left the room and headed for the stairs.

    "The coaches are definitely keeping track." Kyle said to Zeke. "It might not be strict, but they''re still doing it."

    Zeke nodded once. "I''ll give you that. They''re probably taking note of how things look, but I think they''ll take more notes in bullpen sessions and drills than in the scrimmages. Unless you''re going up against someone like Jake, almost half the batter''s are underclassmen and under-qualified to go up against you."

    "David." Zeke''s voice lowered.

    "At least give me two strikes." Dave didn''t give in.

    I pushed his hand away. "I think if you were paired with a good catcher, it might be possible. I did strikeout against some minor leaguers with Rhys so it''s not impossible."

    "Just highly unlikely." Kyle squinted. "Hmm." He headed for the doorway. "I''m going to shower too. Later."

    "Tell me when you''re done!" Dave called out after him. He got comfortable on the couch, across from me. "For the record, I did feel good when pitching. There was some miscommunication with the catcher I got, but overall, my control was on point. Probably won''t get to pitch tomorrow, but I was satisfied with today''s work."

    Zeke stayed standing. "How did Kyle do?"

    I shrugged and looked to Dave. Kyle didn''t say anything on the ride home, nor did he say anything just now.

    Dave also looked unsure. "Don''t know. He didn''t say. I didn''t hear anything either. I met up with Noah and Jake right after my scrimmage."

    Zeke twisted his lips in thought, but didn''t say anything more about Kyle. He sat down on the smaller couch and turned the tv on. The A''s weren''t playing today so we were stuck with watching the Giants. Occasionally Rhys''s dad would be shown, but it was hard to spot him in the dugout.

    "It''s crazy to think that you''re using their bats." Dave said to me after watching someone on the Giants hit a homerun. "It has to be over a thousand dollars worth of bats. We have to give Rhys and his family a great Christmas gift this year."

    Zeke hummed in agreement.

    We watched the game in a relaxed manner. Eventually Noah came down and joined us, in his pjs. Then Kyle came down and let Dave know that their shower was free. Kyle didn''t stick around, letting Zeke know he was going to go meet up with Marie until it was time for dinner.

    Zeke nodded, not pressing him about his performance. If Kyle didn''t want to share, then it was okay not to. I don''t think Noah even noticed.

    Mom and Dad came home with dinner, choosing to go with takeout over cooking for the night. They were concerned about me getting hit, but after my reassurance that Drew would look at it tomorrow, they felt better.

    After dinner, before going to take my own shower, Dad held me back. We went to sit down on the back porch, watching the sun head for the west coast. "I wanted to remind you that your dermatologist appointment is going to be next Tuesday."

    I blinked in surprise. I had forgotten that my appointment had been moved to just after my baseball camps. The appointment would be for a laser treatment for my scars. I looked up at Dad. "I forgot."

    He chuckled. "I just wanted to be sure that you still want to go through with it. There''s some pain associated with it and it would probably be best if you rested a couple days after."

    I thought about to all the pool parties Alisha has held and will probably continue to hold. "I would like to do it." I paused. "If it''s okay with you guys?" I remembered that it was going to be pricey.

    "Of course!" He pulled me into a weak side hug as we watched the sunset. "Whatever it takes to make you kids feel better, we''ll do our best to provide. I just think you''ve had a lot more self confidence as of late. And if you wanted to pass up on the laser treatment, then I would stand behind you on that decision too."

    "Thanks." I told him, leaning into his body. I wasn''t completely comfortable, but it felt warm being so close to someone. We sat there until the sun was gone.

    He helped me to my feet. "I know you said you were okay, but I''m still going to give your coach a call. I don''t want this to be a daily experience for you."

    "Okay." I smiled lightly, feeling cared for. Mr. Atkins was my dad. It was right of him to be concerned that I got hurt on the first day of camp. I knew he would be like this for any of his boys if they got hurt. I was one of them.

 722 V2 ch194

    Zeke walked us out to the car, making sure we packed our bags and had remembered to grab some water bottles. "I''ll bring lunch to you guys."

    "What will it be?" Dave asked.

    Zeke shrugged. "Haven''t decided yet. Might make something with Mom''s help. Or I might buy something."

    "Whatever you do, bring enough for Marie. And probably Kaylee too." Kyle said.

    "Alisha too!" Noah shouted from his seat. With all eyes on him, he shrugged helplessly. "What? She''s our friend too."

    "Your special friend?" Dave lifted an eyebrow.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "You don''t have to be so weird about it. She''s a friend of Jake''s too."

    "I''ll bring enough food for ten, just in case." Zeke cut the fight short. He tapped the car. "Get going. Jake still needs to get checked out before camp starts."

    Kyle in the driver''s seat gave a mock salute and started to reverse out of the driveway. He took us to the school, parking near the top of the parking lot, close to the gym.

    "Noah, you taking Jake?" Kyle asked.

    Noah nodded as he unbuckled his seat belt. "Of course. You guys just going to hang out at the field?"

    Kyle got out of the car. "Nah. I''m going to the softball for a second. Hopefully get to see Marie before I have to be at the field."

    "Ugh. So annoying." Dave said as we all bunched up near the trunk. He opened it and started to pull out the bags. "I can''t believe you sometimes. You get together, breakup, now you''re following her like a fly."

    Kyle shrugged. "You wouldn''t understand. You don''t have someone you like." He picked up his bag and tossed the keys to Dave. "Here, you can hold them." He left us for the softball field.

    "You shouldn''t give him a hard time about it." Noah told Dave as he put his bag on his shoulder. "Jeremy told us that sometimes, high school relationships work out."

    "You would like to think so." Dave smirked at Noah. He put his bag on his shoulder, closed the trunk, and locked the doors. "Later losers." He waved and left us too, heading in the direction of the fields.

    Noah twisted his lips, but didn''t say anything about Dave''s comment. He just pulled me in the direction of the gym and school building "Come on. Let''s go see Drew."

    Drew''s office was actually the size of a classroom, but with no desks and chairs. Instead, held a few athletic training tables including a massage bed. There were cabinets all around holding his equipment and even an ice machine in the corner.

    "Noah! Jake!" Kaylee waved from one of the tables.

    Noah took the lead and went over. I followed behind.

    "You''re a little late to the party." She said, making room on her table. "Come up. You guys can sit."

    Noah sat in the middle and I sat on the open end.

    Noah looked around. "I didn''t expect Drew to be so busy in the mornings."

    She scoffed. "This isn''t even that busy. These are just the usual suspects. Most of us here either need an ankle taped up or maybe a short massage to help get the body going."

    "What are you here for?" I asked, peering around Noah. I couldn''t see anything visibly wrong with Kaylee.

    She lifted her right leg and showed a swollen ankle. "Rolled my ankle sliding into third base yesterday. Happens more than I would like. I usually get my ankle taped up to prevent myself from getting hurt but I was too cocky."

    "You need to do some strengthening exercises like I told you to last year." Drew came over with a handful of stuff. He motioned for Noah to get out of the way. "Non-patients have to stand."

    Noah rolled his eyes but still got up for him.

    Drew sat down and had Kaylee stick her leg straight out. "Doesn''t look like you iced it when you got home like you said you would."

    She shrugged. "I was busy."

    Drew started to tape her ankle, practically locking it up in place.

    "You can run with your ankle like that?" I asked, curious.

    She nodded. "Yep. It actually feels good. More stable."

    "That''s not good." Drew continued to scold her. "You need to strengthen your ankle and the muscles around it or you''ll be a frequent guest in my office. I don''t like repeats."

    She stuck her tongue out at him.

    Drew sighed and finished the taping. He stood up and looked at me. "Turn over and let me see your hamstring."

    "What happened to your hamstring?" Kaylee asked as she got up, giving me the whole table.

    "He took a fastball to the back of his leg." Noah told her. Noah explained yesterday''s accident as I laid out on the table on my stomach.

    Drew grabbed my ankle and bent my leg at the knee. "Just want to make sure it''s just a bruise." He tested my leg, stretching it a few different ways. After confirming that I was just sore, he went and got a heating pad, wrapping it in a small towel. He placed it on my hamstring. "Just fifteen minutes with it on. Make sure you stretch properly when you get back to the field." He moved on to the next athlete.

    I rested my head on my arms, turning to Noah and Kaylee, who were talking about the drama after I got hit.

    Kaylee grinned when she caught me looking. She got closer and lowered her voice. "If you hit two homers off of me, I''d probably hit you too. All part of the game." She laughed at my look of despair. "I''m joking. I''d probably just walk you."

    I relaxed. "How''s your camp going?"

    "It''s alright. Nothing too exciting." She shrugged and leaned against the wall. "No one is going to jump to varsity anytime soon. I''m actually thinking about pitching like my sister."

    "Why?" Noah asked, leaning against the table I was on. "Isn''t your sister the best in the league?"

    "Best in the state." She corrected. "But, you have to think two steps ahead. Or in this case, what happens after she graduates? We don''t have any super amazing pitchers like her. I don''t want to be on a losing team my junior and senior years."

    "Hmm." Noah thought about it. "That''s smart. You can probably do it. Get some tips and tricks from her. Start practicing now and be ready for next year."

    They talked a little more about the camps and teams until my fifteen minutes were up. I got up and put the heating pad back and the towel into the dirty basket. We left Drew''s together. Near the softball field, we had to split from Kaylee.

    "See ya at lunch." Noah waved.

    She nodded. "Sure. Do you know where we''re going today?"

    "Zeke''s going to bring food to us today!" Noah answered cheerfully.

    She was surprised. "Alright. I''m sure Kyle will text Marie on where to meet." She waved and split away from us.

 723 V2 ch195

    "Shorts are more convenient." I lifted them a little and showed off my bruise.

    "Dangggg." Garret squatted down to get a better look. "That''s almost the shape of a real baseball. You''re just missing the stitching."

    I let my shorts fall and turned to face him. "You don''t think I''ll really have to slide today, do you?"

    "Nah." Garret straightened up. "I was just messing with you. Besides, you''re not the only one in shorts. Take a look around. A lot of guys find baseball pants uncomfortable when practicing."

    I glanced at his baseball pants. "I don''t think I''ve ever seen you practice in shorts."

    He laughed. "Well, I like to make sure I practice the way I expect to play. Not bashing on those who do practice with shorts instead, but I don''t like to change the way I pitch." He grinned down at me. "Speaking of pitching, I think we need to schedule our showdown for Friday afternoon. I got some work in with Mitchell and I think I can strike you out."

    I squinted up at him. "Just a couple days is all you need?"

    "I''ve been training all summer." He reminded me.

    "What''s this about a showdown??" Bryce came over, bringing more attention to us. "I want in!"

    "Me too!" Brian crowded us.

    Bryce pushed him back. "You had your chance. You and Dave. Let the rest of us try."

    Brian was distressed. "That''s not fair. I want a redo!"

    Noah laughed. "There''s plenty of time." He nudged me. "You want me to be your secretary? I''ll start scheduling showdowns for you."

    "Won''t I see some of them during the scrimmages this week?" I pointed out. "If anyone doesn''t get their chance, then they can stay late on Friday like Garret."

    "You don''t think you''ll face Garret in a scrimmage?" Bryce asked.

    I shrugged. "Don''t know. But I think he specifically wants to be paired up with Mitchell when he does face me."

    "Smart." Bryce nodded at Garret. He looked around suspiciously before leaning in. "Did you guys hear about what Kyle did yesterday?"

    Everyone in hearing distance started to look around for Kyle. He must still be near the softball field. Only half of us looked confused while the other half looked eager to gossip.

    Seeing that Noah and I were part of the confused group, Bryce looked even more eager. He came over and put his beefy arms around the both of us. "You kids have a good big brother."

    I nodded in agreement, but Noah was skeptical. "You say that like you think Kyle is the good big brother. I would rank Zeke first no matter what Kyle did."

    I was stunned. Something similar happened in our game yesterday, but it was the pitcher who went ballistic instead of me.

    "Who did he hit?" Noah asked.

    Bryce shrugged. He looked to Brian.

    "Austin Goetz. I think he won one of those freshman team awards." Brian answered.

    My eyes widened.

    Noah was shocked speechless.

    A coach blew a whistle and raised his voice. "Cleats should be on. You boys have two minutes."

    We broke apart and started to get ready. Eventually Kyle came sprinting in, dropping his bag and putting his own cleats on. I watched him closely and didn''t find anything odd about the way he was acting. Not to say that he was hiding it well, but wow. He had a good reason not to talk about his pitching yesterday to us. Zeke might be upset.

    There was a chance he didn''t do it on purpose too. I didn''t think Joey hit me on purpose. He was just frustrated and tired.

    "Bring it in." Coach Wilcox demanded. Alisha stood right beside him, clipboard in hand. The other coaches stood a few feet behind him, all eyes on us. "I want to be clear about a few things before we start today." Coach sounded a little angry, making me nervous.

    I scooted a little closer to Noah. He noticed and gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

    "If any of you disrespect any coach, it comes back to me. If any of you disrespect another player, it comes back to me. I don''t tolerate that kind of behavior on my team, nor in my program." Coach raised his voice to be heard above everyone else. "If I have to start kicking you kids out to get my point across, I will. First up, every coach here is on the same level. One does not outrank the other. You do what they say. If what they say doesn''t sound like something you want to listen to, come find me after. We''ll have a civilized conversation."

    Coach looked around. "Next up, hit batters. As a program, we work towards improving your skills and limiting injuries. Any pitcher that hits a batter will be asked to sit. We don''t care if you''re on top or on the bottom. If you have the tendency to be wild, then you better work on your control. If you don''t want to work on your control, then what are you doing on my team?"

    No one answered.

    He glanced in my direction. "Jake. Joey. Kyle. Austin. You four come here." He looked beside me. "Garret. Noah. Lead the boys around the field. Five times."

    "Yes!" Garret and Noah answered.

    I gulped as I watched everyone start their run.

    "It''s fine." Kyle stepped up beside me and gave me a small push towards Coach. "Coach isn''t mad at you."

    I glanced up at him and whispered. "Is he mad at you?"

    Kyle''s lips thinned, saying nothing.

    We moved up, closer to Coach. Joey stood on the left of Kyle and Austin stood on the other side of him. I was relieved neither of them stood beside me.

    Alisha gave me a smile, proving that I wasn''t in trouble.

    "Do you all know why I held you four back?" Coach asked.

    "Because all four of us were involved with some kind of hit by pitch." Kyle answered, standing tall. He didn''t look nervous or scared.

    "Some kind of hit by pitch?" Coach asked, squinting at him.

    "Well, I can''t speak for the other pair, but I had accidentally hit Austin here with a wild pitch." Kyle said.

    "Accidentally!?" Austin repeated.

    "What are you trying to say, Kyle?" Joey glared at him. "That mine wasn''t an accident??"

    "I think the three of you need to cool down." Coach looked at Alisha. "You take them down to the track and watch them run laps."

    "For how long?" Alisha asked.

    "Until I feel like their attitude has changed." Coach said.

    "What about Jake?" Austin asked, looking directly at me.

    "I''ve never had a problem with Jake''s attitude." Coach''s eyes narrowed at Austin. "Are you questioning my decision?"

    Austin had his jaw clenched, but shook his head no.

    Coach wasn''t satisfied. He looked at Alisha. "Every other lap needs to be under two minutes. No slacking. Do you need a stopwatch?"

    She pulled out her phone. "I can use this. Should I keep track of the times."

    "Yes. Do that." His eyes roamed back to Kyle. He looked at him like he had something to say, then chose to just shake his head. "Go. I don''t want to see any of you right now."

 724 V2 ch196

    I glanced up at Coach, unsure of what I should be doing.

    Coach let out a heavy sigh. "How''s the leg, Jake?"

    I twisted my leg around to show him the bruise on my backside. "Just a bruise. Looks worse than it feels. Drew gave me a heating pad so it doesn''t feel so tight right now."

    He nodded. "Okay, good. If anything starts to feel off, tell me or any other coach and take a break. Can''t afford you getting hurt. Not even this early before season starts. I know you''ve been working out and really pushing yourself so I don''t want you to have to start over."

    "I''m okay. I promise." I scratched my cheek. "And...for the record. I don''t think Joey had the intention to hit me. Not outright anyways. His pitch count was high and-"

    "You don''t need to make excuses for him, Jake." Coach cut me off. "He''s not only in the hot seat because he hit you. Wild pitches happen. How you react afterwards though is another story. The way he spoke to both Miller and Olson is unacceptable. He''s not allowed to lose his cool like that ever. That kind of unsportsmanlike conduct would get him thrown from a game. We have to set an example for those around us."

    "Oh." Okay. That was definitely on him, but... "Then Kyle..?"

    He squinted at me. "Do you boys think I''m dumb?"

    "Uh, no?" I answered, unsure of why he would ask.

    He peered down at me. "Did you boys know what Kyle was going to do?"

    I was confused. "We didn''t even know what he did until this morning..?"

    Coach relaxed. "Good. I would hate to think that you all were in on this."

    "In on what?" I asked.

    Coach reached out and gave my shoulder a heavy pat. "It''s nothing. Just stay being innocent."

    It started to click within me. He''s convinced that Kyle did it on purpose and he even guessed that we might have known that it was going to happen? I cleared my throat. "I don''t think Kyle did it on purpose. He changed his motion and has been wild. When we played a small game on Saturday, he couldn''t get it to Alex. Everyone can vouch for him."

    Coach just shook his head. "Jake. I know these boys." He pointed at the giant group jogging around the field. "Go join them. Be careful with your leg."

    I hesitated. Coach didn''t believe me? I swallowed anything else I had to say and jogged to the group. Noah and Garret were up front in the lead, but I didn''t have the courage to join them up there. I just hung out in the back amid some familiar freshmen like Andre. I would have been more comfortable around Andy, but he was also near the front.

    After the run, everyone spread out to stretch. There were just too many players here to do something specific so everyone was on their own. I chose this time to get closer to Noah and the guys that I knew.

    "What did Coach want?" Noah asked.

    "Are you guys in trouble or something?" Brian leaned in to ask.

    "Why did Alisha go with them and not you?" Bryce joined in.

    Being bombarded, I didn''t know what to say at first.

    "Give him a minute." Dave pulled the two juniors, Bryce and Brian, away. He looked down at me. "Did Kyle do something wrong?"

    I wanted to shake my head, but froze. "I think Coach thinks he hit Austin on purpose. He sent the three of them to run laps. Alisha has to monitor them and record their times. Austin and Joey were sent because of their attitudes towards the coaches."

    Noah frowned. "Kyle is such an idiot. I don''t need him to get my revenge." He glanced at me. "I have Jake."

    "What did you plan to do?" Brian asked, surprised.

    "Nothing out of place in the game of baseball. Jake was just going to hit bombs. Maybe make Austin run around chasing baseballs." Noah shrugged.

    "You''re so unoriginal." Bryce snorted. "I''d be hoping for a collision at the plate or over a base or something. Like maybe when you''re tagging at him on second, come down on him and break his leg."

    We all stared at Bryce, saying nothing.

    Garret knocked him on the head with his knuckles. "So dangerous. Only an idiot would do that."

    Noah laughed at Bryce rubbing his head. "I have to play baseball with these guys for the next three years. I can''t do anything crazy. Plus, it''s better to show some maturity and just ignore them."

    "You''re way more calm than you used to be." Dave said, smiling. "Good for you. We have to make sure Kyle knows where you stand before he makes anymore mistakes."

    We talked a little more while stretching. Eventually Coach came over with the other coaches. He sent the pitchers and catchers away before breaking us up in groups again.

    I was with Mr. Miller like yesterday, but the guys around me had changed. More upperclassmen and only one other freshman. I stuck to Jason and Sean like glue, happy to have someone I know in my group. Mr. Miller used some of the same drills from yesterday, but mixed in a few different ones. A big difference was the use of the batting cages we had near the varsity field.

    Sticking with Jason and Sean, I gave them advice on their hitting and let them have some of my allotted time in the cages. It was a different kind of satisfaction watching them improve within a couple of pitches. There were no guarantees on whether they would keep with the changes, but if they could just improve a little bit each time, then they could become better batters.

    Mr. Miller released us afterwards for lunch. I had started to walk back up the hill to where my bag was, but spotted Kyle sitting near the track all by himself. I told the guys to go on without me and walked over to him.

    "Hey." I made my presence known as I got closer.

    Kyle looked up at me and smiled. "Hey, kid." He was breathing hard, no doubt tired from his morning run.

    "Did you have to run this whole time?" I asked, frowning. I didn''t see Joey, Austin, or Alisha around so it was odd.

    He nodded. "Coach came down and excused the other two."

    "What about you?" I asked, worried that he was still in trouble.

    "I acted in the heat of the moment and now I have to pay for that mistake." He stood up and stretched, still trying to control his breathing. "It doesn''t matter too much. There aren''t enough catchers to work with every pitcher. I can get some work in during the scrimmages this afternoon."

    "Did you...really hit Austin on purpose?" I gulped.

    He nodded, unashamed. "Yes."

    I sighed. "Noah''s going to be upset if you get in trouble while defending him."

    "He wasn''t the only one I was defending." Kyle gave me a pat on the head and we started to walk up the hill on our own.

    Not the only one? I glanced up at Kyle. "Was...it...about me?"

    Kyle took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "You don''t have to worry about it. Everything is okay now. Coach and I talked about it. He now knows what was said and why I lost control. He doesn''t blame me, but that doesn''t excuse my actions. Running is a small punishment."

 725 V2 ch197

    Kyle laughed when he noticed. "Hey, hey, be calm. Don''t be like me. It''s fine. It''s over with. I made a mistake and made up for it."

    "I''m sorry." I said.

    He laughed again. "Nothing you have to apologize for. If anything, it''s Austin that owes you an apology."

    "I don''t even know what he said." I looked up at him, waiting.

    Kyle pushed my hat down over my eyes. "You don''t need to know. Jerks like him don''t need your attention. Just keep doing you."

    I fixed my hat. I couldn''t understand Kyle. Saying things like I shouldn''t care or pay attention, but he was the one who lost his cool. If he can get mad on my behalf, why can''t I also be mad?

    "Coach spoke to him." Kyle added out of nowhere. "If he even looks at you the wrong way, let me know. Go straight to coach. Just stay away from a douchebag like him."

    I nodded obediently.

    He stopped just as we got to the top of the hill. "Jake?"

    I paused and looked back at him.

    "I''m sorry if you ever felt unwanted due to my attitude. You are wanted. You are loved. By me. By us. You belong to our family." He said, catching me by surprise.

    "I know, Kyle." I smiled. I had already accepted his apology a few months ago; I didn''t need another one. "In a couple of weeks, you''ll be stuck with me for good." I referred to my court date.

    He laughed, letting go of a lot of tension from within. "Like Zeke said before, we don''t need a paper to make it official. I will always treat you like a brother. Whether you like it or not." He caught up to me in two steps and pulled me into a playful headlock. With his arm around me, he practically dragged me to where the bags and water were.

    Dave and Noah were taking off their cleats when we showed up.

    "Hey! Hurry up!" Dave told us. "Zeke sent a text that he was already here. He''s near the cafeteria, waiting."

    We separated and started to change out of our cleats as well.

    "Were you running the whole time?" Noah asked Kyle, frowning.

    "Running is very important to pitchers. Working on my endurance, okay?" Kyle finished the switch and hurried to put his bag on his shoulder. "I''m going to go get Marie and Kaylee. We''ll find you guys near the caf." He left.

    Noah shook his head as we watched him go. "Ridiculous. I wanted to tell him that I don''t need him fighting my fights for me. Now I''m going to tell Zeke."

    "No, don''t do that." I told him.

    Noah looked to me. "You walked up here with him. Do you know why he did it?"

    Dave straightened up. "What did he say?"

    I shrugged. "He wouldn''t say." The three of us started to walk from the field, almost the last to leave besides a couple of players and coaches. "I think it must have gotten under his skin though, because he started to apologize to me again."

    "He must feel guilty." Noah nodded.

    Dave frowned. "Did he tell Coach what Austin said at least? I don''t think it''s fair that he''s getting away with this when he''s partly at fault."

    "You can''t just hit anyone who says something mean." Noah said. "You have to be less obvious."

    My lips twitched. "Please don''t retaliate. Kyle spoke to Coach. And Coach spoke to Austin. So that should be enough."

    "Tskk." Noah wasn''t satisfied. "It''s never enough. We had problems with him last semester. This summer we didn''t get to play club ball because of his dad. Now this upcoming semester we have to be wary around him? Coach should have done more."

    "Coach has to be impartial." Dave pointed out, sounding reasonable.

    We passed the gym and ran into Alisha coming out of the girl''s locker room.

    "Hey! Just in time for lunch!" Noah called out to her and waved.

    She joined us on our walk towards the cafeteria. "You sure Zeke doesn''t mind me showing up again?"

    Noah laughed. "You know how relaxed he is...when it comes to extra people showing up. Anything else and he''s a pain to deal with. I bet he didn''t bring any sweets for us to go along with lunch."

    We spotted Zeke, Kyle, Marie, and Kaylee at one of the bigger tables, and made our way over. We threw our bags onto the other''s bags that were off to the side.

    Noah crowded Zeke. "So?? What''d you bring?"

    Kyle and Zeke were spreading out the food, taking over the whole table. My mouth watered at the sight of the fruit he had brought. Strawberries, bananas, cantaloupe, and watermelon. The way they were cut up had me guessing if Mom did that.

    Zeke unwrapped two tin containers, revealing two different types of noodles: penne and fettuccine.

    "Where''s the sauce..?" Noah asked, poking around. "Ah-ha!" He started to pull out different jars of sauce. "Too bad you couldn''t warm it up before coming."

    With the food all laid out, everyone started to sit down. Noah completely took over and started to pass out the paper plates and plastic forks. We all started to make our own food, choosing different combinations

    When we were all settled and started stuffing our faces, Zeke passed out the water bottles. "Make sure to hydrate."

    "Thanks, Zeke." Marie said first, accepting the water. "Thanks for bringing lunch too. This is much more fulfilling than what the cafeteria is offering."

    "Yea, thanks." Kaylee echoed.

    The rest of us also said our thanks.

    "Tell Mom thanks too." Noah said while stabbing his cut up fruit. "I know she did this, for sure."

    Zeke sat down and started to eat with us. "Just text her." He looked at me. "Leg okay?"

    I nodded. "Drew gave me a heating pad before practice and that helped with the tightness."

    "Good. Remember to get ice after your scrimmage. You have to take good care of yourself." He instructed.

    "Ugh, this afternoon is going to be so boring." Dave complained. "I pitched yesterday so there''s no hope for today. Working out in the bullpen just isn''t as appealing."

    "And who knows if you''ll have a catcher in the bullpen with you." Noah pointed out. "Yesterday we didn''t even get a catcher. Miller had to get one from the other team and ugh, it did not go so well. Thankful that Garret has more patience than you guys."

    "Hey! Rude!" Dave shouted at him.

    "Anyone can play catcher in the bullpen." Kaylee pointed out. "Just make sure you have the gear for it. The gate around the bullpen is also very convenient to use. Just a little loud and annoying, but who cares."

    "It''s just not the same feeling as pitching in a game." Dave sighed. He looked to Kyle. "What do you think you''ll do?"

    "Stretching." Kyle answered. "Maybe a few ab exercises and whatnot. It''s not like I got to do much this morning."

    "Why didn''t you do much this morning?" Zeke asked.

    Everyone either looked down at their food or at Kyle.

    Kyle shrugged. "I got some running in. Practicing my endurance." He looked to Marie. "How was your practice? Any of the freshmen look good?"

 726 V2 ch198

    Noah looked to Kaylee. "Become a power hitter."

    Before Kaylee said anything, Marie scoffed. "With her small frame? I don''t think it''s possible."

    Noah frowned. "Jake has a small frame, even shorter than her. Nothing is impossible."

    Kaylee looked to Noah. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

    The conversation had successfully shifted away from Kyle, making him relieved. But I could tell Zeke wasn''t fooled. His eyes had narrowed at Kyle and only shifted to Marie out of politeness. He had definitely noticed something weird among us.

    Feeling like the weakest link, I kept my eyes and focus on my food. When lunch came to an end, I was worried that Zeke might pull me aside, but nothing happened. He packed up the stuff that had to go home with him and left.

    The rest of us went down to the fields. Kaylee and Marie split off first. Surprisingly Kyle didn''t spend a few extra minutes with Marie and chose to come to the field with us.

    "What do you get to do during the scrimmages?" I heard Noah ask Alisha. Me and the twins turned to her to see what she would say.

    She grinned. "Wouldn''t you like to know?"

    "Ah! Come on!" Noah said, getting closer.

    She blushed before shrugging. "All I do is take notes for Coach Wilcox. Nothing special. Occasionally he''ll tell me what to look for when watching a game, but it''s not like I understand everything."

    "Have you taken any notes on us?" Dave asked.

    She glanced at Kyle. "Just Kyle. Quite a few notes on Kyle. Especially this morning''s lap times."

    Kyle frowned. "That''s not anything relevant to my pitching."

    Alisha laughed. "Not all notes I take are relevant to baseball. Sometimes Coach just has me write random numbers and letters, or phrases."

    "Phrases? Like what?" Noah asked, curious.

    She shrugged again. "Nothing really stands out. Plus, I don''t know if Coach wants to keep this a secret from you guys or not. I just rather not say."

    We reached the field and found six posters tied to the fence. Names of players and coaches filled them, hinting that these would be the teams for the afternoon. Noah immediately went over, leaving the rest of us behind.

    Dave put his bag down and sat beside it. "He''ll probably find out what team we''re on and tell us what field to go to."

    Kyle sat down with him.

    I looked at the crowd of players trying to see their names on the posters, then chose to sit down too.

    "Guess I''ll go over to Coach." Alisha said. She waved. "See ya guys."

    "Yep."

    "Yea."

    "Bye." I lifted my hand.

    Noah came back with a small frown.

    "What''s up?" Dave asked, looking up at him.

    Noah pouted. "You three are on the same team."

    "The freshmen field." Noah smirked. "At least I get to play on the varsity field."

    Dave leaned against his bag, not impressed or even slightly happy. "Lame. Stuck on the freshman field with a small dugout and even smaller bullpen. The injustice."

    "You''ve got Jake on your team." Noah pointed out.

    Dave sighed. "That doesn''t mean much when we don''t get to pitch." He looked to Kyle. "We can workout in the bullpen together. I''ll catch your pitches if you catch mine?"

    Kyle nodded. "Yea, sounds good."

    I looked up to Noah. "Who''s the coach?"

    "Miller."

    I sighed with relief.

    "Don''t worry, Coach is still looking out for you." Noah gave me a reassuring nod. "He put a few familiar guys on your team like Andy and Sean. You don''t have Austin on your team. Neither do I."

    "Pshh." Dave scoffed, standing up too. "I can''t imagine Coach ever putting that a-hole on our teams. He probably wants to try to keep us separated so we don''t get into any fights."

    Made sense. Things have been tense between Noah and Austin since before I moved in with the Atkins. It feels like the tension only keeps building. Coach is probably expecting one of them to explode like a volcano. At least he could count on me to not get into a fight.

    I got up and asked Noah, "Are either of our teams facing him?"

    Noah shook his head. "Nope. Completely staying away from us. Tomorrow might be different, so it''s something to keep an eye on." He gripped his bag a little tighter. "I''ve got to head down to the varsity field so I''ll meet you guys at the car afterwards."

    "Later." Dave waved.

    "Good luck." I told him.

    "Don''t suck." Kyle smirked.

    Noah rolled his eyes, leaving with the crowd of players that were also heading down to the lower fields.

    The three of us didn''t have to go far since we were already next to the freshmen field. We just went closer to the dugouts to try and figure out which one was ours.

    Mr. Miller was standing in front of the dugout on the first base side.

    "I want to bat before Jake!" Sean raised his hand in front of Mr. Miller.

    Mr. Miller laughed. "Who says you''re going to start? Or that Jake will even start?"

    I was stunned. "I don''t get to play today?"

    Mr. Miller replied. "You do. I was joking. Probably not the whole game today so we can get some more looks at the others, but I''ll let you have a couple of at-bats."

    "Please let me go before him!" Sean begged.

    "You just want to stack your runs scored stat." Kyle pushed him towards the dugout. "Stop being so desperate and go get ready."

    Sean acted like a kicked puppy, going back to the dugout with a pout.

    Kyle looked to Mr. Miller. "Dave and I were going to pitch to one another in the bullpen. Unless you want us on the mound?"

    Mr. Miller shook his head. "Nope, no need. You can go play in the bullpen after warmups. Give the guys a sense of unity even if you''re not playing in the game."

    "Sure." Dave nodded. Him and Kyle dropped their bags in front of the dugout and started to change into their cleats. Dave saw me wavering. "What''s up, Jake?"

    I glanced to the dugout where a lot of strangers were. "Should I put my bag in there or just wait out here?"

    "Just leave it here for now. You can take it in after warmups." Kyle said. "Andy should be here soon."

    I put my bag down and changed my shoes to cleats.

    "Be careful not to slide in the game." Dave reminded me of my bare legs. "Not just when you''re running the bases, but when you field too. You don''t want an abrasion or anything. Those hurt like no other. Especially if the dirt gets embedded inside your skin."

    I grimaced.

    "Don''t make him nervous." Kyle tossed his glove into Dave''s face.

    "I was just warning him." Dave threw the glove back.

    Hearing them bicker calmed some of the anxiety I felt being with another set of players. Andy would be here and Sean was okay too. I honestly wouldn''t feel so uncomfortable if it weren''t for the looks I was getting from the other sophomores. This team may not have Austin on it, but it definitely had his friends. And any friend of Austin was automatically not a friend of mine.

 727 V2 ch199

    I was preoccupied most of warmups with the thought that something could go wrong. Andy had to constantly get my attention and remind me that we were preparing to play in a game.

    After Mr. Miller gave out the starting line up, the twins moved to the bullpen with one other pitcher. I took my bag to the dugout and placed it near Andy''s.

    "You okay?" Sean asked me, peering into my eyes. "You look unbelievably nervous for someone facing a freshman pitcher."

    I shrugged, glancing around at my teammates for this afternoon. "I don''t do well around strangers."

    "Oh, yea, I know." Sean laughed. "Hard to forget given that your nickname is Bambi."

    I rolled my eyes.

    "Come on." He told me. "Grab your bat and put your helmet on. That''ll make you feel better."

    As the ''visiting'' team, we got to bat first. Mr. Miller put Sean second and me third, so we would both get to bat in the first inning. I followed Sean''s advice and got ready for my at-bat.

    Playing on the freshmen field was a different experience. For one, they didn''t have an outfield fence. Their field was connected to the soccer field so it was wide open.

    "If you want a homerun, you have to hit it hard and be fast." Sean told me as we hung out by the dugout entrance. He practically read my mind as we looked out onto the field, watching the opposing team warm up. "Even I can get lucky and get a homerun. Technically. With enough speed that is. This is definitely a hitter''s field."

    "Sucks for pitchers." I whispered. If they faced any decent batter, it''s almost an automatic double.

    "Yea, you really need good outfielders for back up." Sean commented. "With a good arm, you might be able to catch a few players bad at baserunning." He glanced down at me.

    I pursed my lips. "I don''t need a homerun. A triple is good. Being safe is good."

    "Better to keep the ball low then. Line drives." He pointed to the opposing coach, Coach Luis. "He knows you well, so the outfielders might play far out. If you give the ball too much air time, they''ll have plenty of time and room to catch it."

    Oh right. I nodded along. What he said made sense.

    "Don''t get tricked into advancing an extra base too." Sean said.

    We talked some more until the game started and he had to move to the on deck circle. Today was a complete change from yesterday. Instead of starting an established pitcher, we faced a freshman. I felt bad watching him give up back to back hits before even facing me.

    Both runners scored and I made it to second without sliding. An early 2-0 lead.

    Something I started noticing yesterday was that the teams didn''t cheer so much when getting hits, scoring, or even winning. I didn''t mind it though. I kind of appreciated the lack of attention and liked that none of these guys were trying to crowd me. It had the same atmosphere of the Stanford camp, but less intensity.

    The game was...definitely a batter''s game. Miller and Luis both used freshmen until halfway through, only to replace them with sophomores that weren''t that good. I was thinking this was my first chance to face off against another sophomore and maybe get revenge for Noah.

    Mr. Miller wasn''t on the same page as me though. He pulled me at the same time, resting me on the bench. "Don''t look so depressed." He laughed as our team started to take the field for the bottom of the fourth inning. "You did well. Two for two, four RBI''s. If I let you stay in the game, it''s borderline bullying."

    I rubbed my nose, feeling guilty because I kind of did want to bully the sophomore pitcher. I guess that''s not a nice thought to have, but the way they abandoned Noah just because he made varsity without them, rubs me the wrong way. I don''t think a good friend like him should be treated this way.

    Sitting on the bench with me was Sean so at least I wasn''t alone. He was talkative enough for the both of us, getting along with everyone that was close to us. He would pester Andy whenever he sat with us, wanting to know more about Julian going off to college. Apparently Julian was moving into his dorm this weekend.

    "What about Zeke?" Sean asked me. "When does he go?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t know." I knew it was coming up, but I don''t think he ever said a specific day and time. I deflated at the thought of him going away. Depressing.

    "I hope they both do well!" Sean said to us. "I hope to start visiting colleges too." He went on to talk about how he was emailing college coaches, trying to get his name out there. He didn''t have much hope for a big division one school, but he was looking for a scholarship to some smaller school.

    After the game, the twins came to the dugout, both sweating like they had pitched a game.

    I blinked. "What did you guys do..?"

    "We worked out of course." Dave grinned, wiping the sweat coming down his cheek. "Did some handstands like that guy from Stanford. Shawn."

    "I wonder how he''s doing." Kyle hummed.

    The two talked about that old Stanford visit from a few months ago while we walked to the car. We loaded up our bags and waited a bit for Noah. We talked about the game to pass the time.

    "There''s no standout players in the incoming freshmen class." Dave noted, leaning against the back of the car.

    Kyle nodded. "At least no one among the pitchers. Even the sophomore class looks kind of weak."

    Dave looked to me, sympathetic. "It''s going to be tough after we graduate."

    I held back a sigh. It seemed like everyone was talking about the future. But what about the now? "We have you guys and Garret for the spring. Then Bryce and Brian will be seniors next year."

    "But what about your senior year?" Dave asked.

    I shrugged. "That''s too far away. A lot can happen between now and then."

    "I think Noah could try to pitch. He''s got a strong arm." Kyle said.

    "Nah. He doesn''t have that kind of stuff that makes a pitcher." Dave waved his hand around, shaking off Kyle''s suggestion.

    "What stuff makes up a pitcher?" I asked.

    "If you know, you know." Kyle shrugged.

    I squinted at them.

    Dave nodded, still in thought.

    I rolled my eyes and wondered how Noah grew up with the twins. He probably suffered a lot.

 728 V2 ch200

    Kyle nodded. "Yea, let''s just drive the car down to the lower lot. See what''s going on."

    We got in the car and Dave drove us down to the lower lot. We could see a few players hanging out up top, looking down at the field.

    "They''re still playing." Kyle confirmed.

    We three got out of the car and walked over to the field, heading down towards the bleachers. We weren''t the only ones to sit down to watch. Players and coaches sat around, spectating. I spotted Alisha sitting beside Coach Wilcox on the highest row.

    The twins found an open spot and started to get comfortable, taking up two or three rows when they stretched out. I quietly sat on the other side of Dave, looking at the field for Noah. He wasn''t hard to find. At first glance I found him playing shortstop.

    On the mound was Bryce, pitching to a batter I didn''t know. He got him to strikeout and then the field players headed for the first base dugout.

    "Was that game?" Kyle asked, squinting at the field, trying to figure out where they were at in the game.

    "No. They just brought in Bryce so it couldn''t be." Someone said on the other side of Kyle.

    Kyle nodded at what he was saying. "Must have been a brutal hit-fest."

    The guy nodded. "Yea, I only got here when they put Bryce in." He pointed at the home team bullpen. "They had Brian warming up so I think he should be coming out soon."

    Just as he finished telling us what had happened, Brian came jogging out of the bullpen.

    "Do you know what inning it is?" Dave asked the guy.

    The guy shook his head. "Visitors are up so all I know is that it''s the ''top'' of an inning. Hoping it''s the seventh already, but it wouldn''t make sense to bring in Bryce and Brian to close out just one inning."

    Kyle got up. "I''ll just go ask someone in the dugout." He went down the stands and tried to find someone to ask. He couldn''t reach the dugout very well without going on to the field. But luckily for him, Noah came out of the dugout with his helmet on and bat in hand. He must be coming up this inning.

    Kyle called out to him through the fence and Noah came over. They shared a few words before Kyle came back up. He had a weird expression of disbelief on his face.

    "Well?" Dave asked, prompting his twin to tell us what he knows.

    Even the guy on the other end of the row was looking our way.

    "It''s only the top of the fourth inning." Kyle said. "They''re barely halfway through."

    "No way." Dave frowned.

    "That''s unbelievable." The guy said. "Did you find out the score?"

    Kyle''s lips twitched. "Noah said they are winning 17-15."

    My jaw dropped. I''ve never seen so many runs scored in a game before. It makes sense now why they''re only in the fourth.

    "None really stood out in the morning practices." The guy added. That gave me the hint that he was also a pitcher like the twins. I took another glance at him, trying to figure out what grade he was in.

    "That''s not saying much." Kyle shrugged. "You don''t stand out either."

    Dave nudged Kyle and gave him a look.

    Kyle grinned. "What? It''s true. Robbie isn''t very impressive during bullpen sessions. Very bland." He glanced at the guy, still grinning.

    Robbie shrugged, not looking bothered.

    Kyle reached over Dave to poke me. "Be careful when facing this guy. He hides himself well."

    I nodded obediently.

    Brian had finished warming up and got the first out already, bringing Noah up next.

    Dave stood up and started yelling. "If you get out, you''re walking home!"

    Kyle laughed and got up too. "Don''t dishonor the family name!"

    Noah didn''t even look back. His complete focus was on Brian. Brian started him off with a fastball away. Then a fastball in the dirt. 2-0 count.

    The twins switched from antagonizing Noah to jeering Brian.

    "Boo! You suck!"

    "Find the strike zone!"

    "We want a pitcher, not a belly itcher."

    "I''ve seen more heat in a toaster!"

    I started to laugh as the twins went on heckling Brian. I wasn''t alone. Anyone in the stands were laughing or even joining in.

    Brian''s third pitch was a little high, but it was exactly what Noah has been practicing on hitting. He smacked the ball just over the first baseman''s head and sprinted to first as the ball dropped in front of the right fielder. Noah stayed at first as the ball was thrown back in.

    The twins sat back down, done with yelling at poor Brian.

    "You''re not going to keep going?" I asked, curious as to why they stopped. They were close enough to Brian so I know he wouldn''t be offended.

    Kyle shrugged. "It''s okay to do when we know both of the guys, but it feels wrong when he''s facing someone else."

    "Yea, we still want Brian to do well." Dave added. "He''s a good all-rounder to have on varsity."

    Brian was now facing a sophomore that I kind of knew from Noah. He wasn''t a bully like Austin, but out of default I didn''t like him from the way he ignored Noah. Brian got him to swing and miss early on, earning an 0-2 count. The third pitch was a curveball outside. The batter swung and missed again for a strikeout, but more importantly, Noah took off sprinting!

    The catcher was Ethan. I watched as he struggled to get up and get the ball to second base. Noah slid into the bag before the tag came down. Safe.

    "Ethan isn''t good against steals." Dave mumbled. "Good of Noah to utilize that and show off his sprinting speed."

    I looked at him. "You know Ethan?"

    Dave laughed. "Yea. Of course. Pitchers and catchers know one another. In the mornings, we workout together and do some drills that need one another. Plus, we''ll sometimes pair up for pitching practice so we''ll get to know one another. We don''t get to pick our catchers very often. When the teams are decided, that''s when we''ll get to work with a catcher that''s on our level."

    "Is there anyone besides Mitchell that will make varsity?" I asked, curious.

    "There''s a freshman that''s pretty good." He mused. "Very quiet. Has the basics down."

    "His name is Oscar." Robbie overheard us. "I''ve paired up with him the most I think if you count the drills we do."

    Kyle snapped his fingers. "Yea. I think that kid is pretty good too. Definitely above freshman team material."

    "Good shot at JV." Dave nodded. "Small chance of making varsity, depending on his batting. I haven''t seen him in any of my scrimmages yet."

    "I saw him in mine." Kyle grinned. "Struck him out."

    "Once out of two at-bats." Robbie tacked on.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Okay, and a groundout. Big whoop. Just saying that I can get him out so his batting isn''t the best. Unlike Jake here." He looked at me with a smile.

 729 V2 ch201

    Bryce didn''t have it easy either, facing Joey and Michael from the JV team. He only gave up one run though so he could still feel accomplished in my mind. His lifting this past summer really put some power behind his pitches. I kind of wanted a chance to face him if I could find the time.

    But by the time the game ended, it was already five in the evening. We had to get home and shower before dinner. In the car, on the way home, Noah gave us a better idea of what had happened in the game earlier. The coaches had went with the younger pitchers, but none of them had done well. Even after a couple of pitching changes, it didn''t calm down until Bryce and Brian took over.

    "It doesn''t look good for the freshmen team this year." Noah sighed. "They have to get some power hitters to keep up with all the runs they''re going to give up."

    "They have Andy." I pointed out.

    "Hmm. I think Andy could make the JV team." Noah said.

    "Freshmen on the JV team is just a waste." Kyle said. "You take up space when you can just be on the freshmen team."

    "You were on the JV team as a freshman." Noah pointed out.

    "That''s why I have some reasoning." Kyle shot back. "Just think. Two freshmen like us were on the JV team. For what reason? To face better opponents? You get the same opportunity to practice your pitching against other freshmen. All you''re doing is taking away two game day spots on a roster. That''s a spot that could be used for a senior who didn''t make the varsity team."

    Kyle was on some kind of rant and I couldn''t tell why he felt so strongly about this. It''s not like he''s going to be cut. Plus...I cleared my throat to speak up. "Coach said...during the midseason tryouts, that high school baseball is cutthroat. Not everyone gets to make it."

    Kyle got quiet.

    "Yea, you''re not the coach, Kyle." Noah spoke up, continuing on for me. "If Coach thinks that some freshmen should make the JV team, then that''s up to him. He has to think about the future of the program at all times."

    Kyle sighed. "I guess I get it. I just feel bad for the guys who might be cut because there aren''t enough roster spots."

    "That''s on them." Dave said. He parked in the driveway of our home. "They have to give Coach a reason not to cut them. Coach is fair. Just look at Alex. He was cut as a freshman. A freshman! Coach still gave him a chance the following year. You have to work hard for what you want."

    I nodded. I may be lacking in my defensive plays, but there''s no denying that I didn''t work hard in my hitting. I went to the batting cages every day for years.

    The conversation died as we walked into the house with our bags.

    Mom came out of the office and greeted us with a smile. "You boys are late today. How was camp?"

    "Noah''s game took soooo long." Dave complained. "As for camp, I didn''t get to pitch in the game at all. So boring. I want the season to start."

    Kyle shrugged. "I don''t mind the extra practice. I''m still trying to get used to my new style. Hey Mom, you think I have enough time to throw some more pitches in the backyard?"

    "Only if Dave showers before you." She said. "I ordered Chinese for dinner. Should be here within the hour."

    "Score!" Kyle patted Dave on the back. "Let me know when you''re done."

    "Sure." Dave answered.

    Kyle took his bag to the backyard, closing the door behind him.

    Dave headed for the stairs. "I''ll go shower."

    "Where''s Zeke?" Noah asked his mom.

    "He and your dad went to do some shopping." She said with a sad smile.

    "Shopping?" Noah questioned, confused. "For what?"

    "For some college dorm items." She answered. Her being sad made more sense. Her oldest son was getting ready to leave.

    "When is he going to leave..?" I asked, thinking about Sean asking me earlier.

    Mom replied. "I''m not sure anymore. We had a date planned out, but Zeke has the final say."

    "Maybe he''s trying to go at the same time as Rhys?" Noah offered. "They''re rooming together after all."

    "Yea, they''ll have to talk it over." Mom said with a frown. "It''d be nice if they did it on a Sunday. There would be no traffic."

    "Or we could just stay the night in a hotel." Noah suggested. He started bouncing. "We don''t have school next week, so if they move in then, we could go help and stay, maybe even go to an A''s game."

    "Aren''t you already going to an A''s game on Saturday?" She asked, frowning. "I don''t want you guys taking advantage of Jeremy so much. This is him at work."

    "He doesn''t seem to mind." Noah shrugged then looked to me.

    I shrugged too.

    "Let''s wait for Zeke to come up with a plan first. Then see where we stand." She sighed. "Well, make sure you shower before dinner. I don''t want to smell either of you at the table."

    "Sure."

    "Okay."

    We headed upstairs and dropped our bags in the room.

    "I''ll go first." Noah said, getting some clean clothes out of his dresser.

    I nodded. I pulled out my phone and checked it for messages. I surprisingly had one. From Jeremy. It was a simple message letting me know that he had made an appointment with Dr. Moore and would be able to pick me up straight from camp.

    I replied hesitantly, unsure if picking me up from school was such a good idea. The players would recognize him. Plus, shouldn''t I shower before dinner?

    I waited for a reply that didn''t come.

    Noah came back after his shower, still dripping with water. Once I told him about Jeremy coming, he shared my same worries that he would be recognized. He also let me know that Jeremy probably wouldn''t be able to reply until after his game.

    I felt kind of dumb that I had forgotten to check his schedule. How thoughtless of me.

    "Here." Noah took my phone away and then added a baseball app. "Whenever you click this, it will show you the latest news about the A''s. Including Jeremy. And when games are going on, it will show a mini scoreboard like this." He set it all up and showed me the basics.

 730 V2 ch202

    "He wants to talk with Coach?" Noah was surprised, looking at my phone as we ate at the table.

    I nodded. "So I guess I''ll just see him there tomorrow."

    "I wonder what he wants to say?" Noah was confused just like me.

    I shrugged.

    We talked it over breakfast while the twins talked over their chances to pitch today. They did have a day''s worth of rest.

    "One of us might get to face Jake today." Dave mused.

    "Garret might get that opportunity first though?" Kyle suggested.

    "Nah. He would have faced him day one." Dave said. "Plus, I think Coach has heard that Garret would do a showdown with Jake on Friday afternoon."

    Kyle was convinced. He nodded. "Yea, with Mitchell." He looked to me. "You nervous yet?"

    "About batting? No." I ate in peace.

    "Spoken like a true prodigy." Noah grinned.

    "I want a rematch now that it''s been six months." Dave looked at me. "You should let all the pitchers who don''t have a chance to face you in scrimmages this week, also do a showdown on Friday."

    "Yea! Make a big thing about it!" Kyle nodded in agreement. "That would be cool to see."

    Noah ate his banana thoughtfully. "I wonder if Coach was telling the truth when he said that whoever strikes Jake out, makes the varsity team."

    "Coach doesn''t lie." Zeke came into the dining room just in time to hear us talking. He sat down and helped himself to some eggs.

    Mom and Dad had already left for their office, having scheduled some morning meetings.

    "What took you so long to get out of bed this morning?" Kyle asked Zeke. Usually he was the first one down, never the last.

    "I was on the phone with Coach Leroy. From Stanford." He answered plainly.

    "Why was he calling so early?" Dave asked, surprised.

    "It''s not that early. It''s after 8am." Kyle pointed out. Then looked to Zeke. "But really, what was it for?"

    He replied simply. "I was letting him know when I would show up to move into the dorms. Mom wanted a plan so I made a plan."

    Kyle raised an eyebrow. "You told him? Not him telling you? Don''t athletes get to move in early? Even if they aren''t in season?"

    "I volunteered for his camp. He knows where I''m at." Zeke said. "I''m also considered a local so there''s no reason for me to rush to school. I told him I wasn''t going to move in until Sunday August 25th."

    Noah grinned, catching on quicker than the rest of us. "Ah! I see."

    Zeke looked at him. "You do?"

    Noah smirked. "Jake''s court date is Friday August 23rd. You don''t want to leave until then?"

    I looked at Zeke, surprised.

    Zeke shrugged. "It''s not a big deal. I talked it over with Rhys and he wanted to spend some extra time with his dad, working on his pitches."

    "What''s wrong with baseball?" Noah asked, slightly offended.

    "Nothing much. It''s just been a while since we''ve done something else." Dave said. "Like we haven''t even played in the arcade for a long time. How is Jake ever going to get good if he doesn''t practice?"

    I rolled my eyes.

    "Jake is not interested." Noah said for me. "We all know Jake would like to be in the batting cages instead anyways."

    I nodded.

    "But what about the beach?? We haven''t been to the beach all summer?" Dave pushed. "I want to go in the ocean before it gets too cold."

    "It''d be cool to do a beach day." Kyle nodded. "I would invite Marie though."

    I started to nervously tap my own leg, trying to think of a reason to say no. I just had to be honest. "I don''t...want to." I spoke up.

    "Yea, that''s not really Jake''s thing." Noah defended me. "He can''t swim yet and it''s not like he can sunbathe."

    "We can put him under an umbrella." Dave pointed out. "Come on. Please?"

    "If Jake gets a laser treatment done, he can''t really go outside for too long. His skin will be too sensitive." Zeke said, drawing attention to himself. "I heard Dad say his appointment is Tuesday."

    The twins looked a little sad after being shot down.

    "You guys can go without me?" I offered. I really wasn''t interested in the beach, but I didn''t want to hold them back.

    "I''ll stay here with Jake." Noah said. "I can catch him up on a few more sports movies."

    "It''s not the same if we all don''t go." Dave shrugged. "We''ll just have to go when Jake gets better."

    I scratched my cheek, unsure if I should tell him that it would take a few treatments before I was ''ready''.

    "If we have to be home all next week, I wonder if Mitchell will be available to come over and catch for us." Kyle mused.

    "I''ll catch for you guys." Zeke offered.

    Their jaws dropped.

    "Really?"

    He nodded.

    "Really, really??"

    He let out a small chuckle. "I said I would. Pitch limit at a hundred. For each of you."

    Noah pouted. "What about me?"

    "What about you?" Dave laughed.

    "You don''t pitch." Kyle also laughed.

    "I''ll do one last thing with each of you." Zeke spoke up. "Whatever you want it to be. Your choice. Me playing catcher, or going on a run. You kids have me for the next two weeks."

    "Kids??" The twins said in unison, disgusted.

    "You''re barely a year older." Kyle got up first. "Be careful if I don''t join you at Stanford next year." He took his dishes to the kitchen sink.

    "I wouldn''t mind." Zeke said confidently. "You''ll have to compete against Rhys for starts."

    "I''ll be on his level soon enough." Kyle said with determination. "Maybe I should consider a league rival? Like Cal?"

    "Something you haven''t considered," Noah interjected. "Is that your grades suck. You''re not smart enough for Stanford or Cal." He jumped up and out of Kyle''s reach.

    Kyle caught up to him in two strides. "What was that, you punk??" He started to aggressively rub his head.

    "Stop!" Noah struggled. "You''re going to make me go bald."

    "Would you rather be tickled?!" Kyle held him up in the air and carried him to Dave. "Get him!"

    Dave didn''t hold back and mercilessly attacked Noah''s armpits.

    I laughed at the commotion they were making so early in the morning.

    Zeke sighed. "You guys haven''t matured at all. I''m scared to find out what will happen when I go to college." He checked his watch. "If you guys don''t leave soon, you''ll be late."

    That got the twins to stop what they were doing and hurried to the front door.

    "Can''t be late today!"

    "We have a chance to pitch!"

    They ran out.

    "You two better go as well before they leave you." Zeke told Noah and me. "I''ll clean up here. Remind them that we''re meeting at the deli for lunch." He waved us off.

 731 V2 ch203

    Playing on the freshmen field again, I didn''t get any homeruns. The outfield was way too open, and the other team would always be able to back up. Even one of my long fly balls were caught, ending my hot streak.

    "He''s human!" Garret claimed from the opposing dugout as I jogged back to my own dugout. Garret wasn''t pitching today, but wasn''t playing on the field either. They let him bat twice before benching him.

    When I got back to the dugout, bat in hand, Mr. Miller benched me as well. "That was still a very nice swing. If it''s any consolation, that would have been a homerun on our home field."

    I nodded, understanding. On the Varsity level, there were clear boundaries of where the outfield ends. It won''t be like this during the season.

    Coach was very considerate, keeping me with Mr. Miller throughout the week. He would change the players around me though, making me feel like I was just like anyone else.

    If I had it easy, I can only say that Noah was paying for it. Walking by one of his drills on Wednesday morning, I saw that his group was full of familiar faces. A bunch of sophomores. Most importantly, he had to play with Austin. If that wasn''t enough, his team for the scrimmage had Austin too. Noah had a lot to complain about on the way home.

    "He was provoking me the whole time, I tell ya." Noah grumbled at the dinner table that night. "Every good play he did, he would smirk in my direction. Every trip up that happened to me would be met with snide remarks and laughter."

    "Maybe they were laughing with you, honey?" Mom gave a small smile, trying to cheer Noah up.

    Noah snorted. He wasn''t the only one. Kyle was also skeptical.

    "Austin is a grade-A prick." Kyle told Mom. He made a face of disgust. "I would quit baseball if he was put on Varsity. That''s the exact kind of player I would never want to play with."

    "Kyle. Language." Dad warned him. "I know it''s not easy to get along with everyone, but sometimes life gives you no choice. Are you just going to quit your job because of unfriendly coworker in the future?"

    Kyle didn''t hesitate. "I might. There are so many jobs to choose from. Why pick one where your coworker is an absolute jerk?"

    "I would report them for harassment." Dave nodded and pointed with his fork. "I wouldn''t quit. I would try and get him fired."

    "That''s a good idea." Kyle agreed with Dave.

    Mom sighed. "Okay, okay, I understand. This boy isn''t a good person."

    "Far from it." Noah snorted again.

    Kyle sat up straight and started stuffing his face with food.

    I think Dad was hinting that he knew what Kyle had done. Kyle really got off lucky not to get in trouble with his parents. I wonder if they knew what Austin had said to piss Kyle off enough to get thrown at.

    Later that night, I was cleaning the two bats I had used during the day, when Noah suddenly said aloud: "I don''t think I can be captain."

    I looked up from my spot on our bedroom floor. "What?"

    Noah sat at our desk, tapping his fingers with rhythm. "I''m not mature enough. Zeke talks about maturity all the time. I still...I still have anger and hate towards some of the guys. I didn''t think I did. But, playing with them today...I just felt so out of sync."

    I held a bat in my lap, unsure of what to say.

    "There were a few times where I really wanted to snap." He sighed. "I had an error during the scrimmage and I just...really wanted to throw the ball at one of their faces."

    "Mm. Like Kyle." I said.

    Noah laughed. "Yea, yea I guess so. Maybe we really are related."

    "But you didn''t do that." I pointed out.

    "No, of course not. The game had to go on." He said.

    I looked at him. "So...doesn''t that show some maturity?"

    "Hmm." He stopped tapping and sat back in his seat.

    "When are captains picked?" I asked.

    "I''m not sure." He answered. "Zeke was captain his junior year, so it just carried on as I was an incoming freshmen. For the JV and Freshmen teams, they don''t pick until the roster is settled."

    "Which is when?" I asked.

    "Near the end of the fall semester. Like right after Thanksgiving." He thought about it. "I guess Coach would wait until we have a roster finalized too."

    "So you have time." I smiled at him. "You''ve got this. I believe in you."

    "Yea..." He got up. "You know what? I feel like going on a run." He moved to his dresser and started to go through his clothes.

    I stared at him...already in his pjs. "Noah, it''s a bit late. Why don''t you go in the morning or something?"

    "Good point." He frowned. He checked the time on his phone and then started to climb into his bed. "If I go to bed now, I''ll be able to wake up and get going even earlier. I''ll be back in time for a big breakfast." He got under the covers.

    Feeling a little self-conscious, I put my bats away and got two other spares out. I placed them in my bag and turned off the light before getting into bed too.

    "Do you want to go running with me in the morning?" Noah sounded excited, drawing his own ideas from me turning off the light.

    "Uh, no thanks." I told him. "I just didn''t want you to have to sleep with the lights on. I don''t mind going to bed early, but...please let me sleep in."

    I was scared he was going to be upset, but that''s just not Noah.

    "Sure. I''ll see you at breakfast." He said. "Goodnight."

    "Night."

    It didn''t take me long to fall asleep. Playing baseball a few hours a day really helped with my sleep. I wanted to do nothing, but sleep. When I mentioned this to Mom, she said it was due to me growing.

    I was growing. That thought would help me go to bed even faster. Another reason I didn''t mind going to bed early so Noah could get up early. I was trying to grow. I didn''t necessarily wanted to be as tall as the Atkins, but if I could be as tall as Jeremy, then I''d be set.

 732 V2 ch204

    I left my room and ran into Zeke, who was sweating like it was already a hundred degrees outside. He nodded at me before going into his own room, presumably to take a shower. I guess I did know someone just as dedicated and practice-crazy as Noah. His older brother, Zeke. Well, technically, our older brother.

    With that in mind, I happily went through my morning routine.

    "What''s got you so happy?" Dave asked as I ate my breakfast.

    "Probably happy that Jeremy is coming to practice today?" Kyle wondered.

    I shook my head. "I''m just happy that you guys are my brothers too."

    Dave was taken aback. "Ah! Thanks Jake!"

    "We''re in the same boat as Jeremy Patterson." Kyle said in awe. "Wow."

    I blushed and busied myself with getting my breakfast. Halfway through, Noah walked in, dripping of sweat like Zeke was.

    "Did you...workout this morning?" Kyle asked him, completely surprised.

    Noah nodded as he sat down. He piled his plate with everything he could get his hands on from fruits and bagels to scrambled eggs and bacon. "Zeke and I went on a run. Didnt he already make it back?"

    I nodded. "Yea, I saw him going into his room."

    Noah started to stuff his face, kind of grossing me out. I turned my focus to my own food and ate with a peace of mind. It was clear to me that Zeke and Noah must have raced towards the end of their run, and Zeke clearly won. That''s rough, but as expected.

    "Did he wake you to run?" Dave asked. "Or were you just already up?"

    "Already up. I was going to run with or without him." He said between bites.

    "You''re crazy." Dave laughed.

    "Aren''t you going to be tired during practice now?" Kyle asked, concerned.

    "No way." Noah shook their comments off. "I ran almost every morning this summer with Zeke. This is the same."

    "If you say so..."

    "Still think you''re crazy..."

    Noah didn''t mind them and just ate his breakfast in a hurry. He then ran upstairs to change into baseball pants.

    Zeke came down after he went up. He had showered and changed into a clean set of workout clothes.

    "That''s unusual." Dave squinted at Zeke.

    "What?" Zeke asked, peeling a banana.

    "You showered already?" Dave gave a small head tilt. "Don''t you keep working out until almost lunch time?"

    "Do you have something planned today?" Kyle asked. "Are we not getting lunch with you? Do we have to eat in the cafeteria?"

    "Ugh. I rather we go out to eat than eat inside there." Dave said to Kyle.

    "But it''s free." Kyle said.

    "You would make Marie eat that shit?"

    "Good point."

    Wait? Does Marie have more standing than us?

    "Pasta again?" Dave asked.

    "No. I''m thinking about making burgers." He said.

    "Isn''t that a bit of a hassle?" Kyle asked. "Why not just meet at a burger place?"

    "I''ve got the time." Zeke said.

    "You''re getting soft in your old age!" Dave poked him in the ribs.

    Zeke grabbed his finger and gave it a squeeze. "Fine. I''ll just bring takeout. A salad just for you."

    "Kidding! I was kidding!" Dave took his finger back and scooted away from Zeke. "Man. What a bully."

    "As long as it''s burgers, then I don''t care." Kyle said. "Mixing in a salad wouldn''t be that bad. Good to get some greens in."

    "No! I want meat!" Dave hollered.

    "I want meat too!" Noah walked in, ready for practice. "Protein is essential to athletes."

    "There are other ways to get protein." Zeke pointed out. "Nonetheless, I''ll bring lunch. You guys better go."

    With that, it became a rush to get our gear into the car and hurry off to school. Kyle split off from us to go see Marie before camp started.

    The morning drills session went well, mostly because my group did a lot of batting drills. Again. It seemed to be a pattern. I had my suspicions confirmed when Mr. Miller held me back.

    After we were left alone, he gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks for your hard work this past week."

    I stared up at him, confused. "What?"

    He grinned. "It was no coincidence that we were paired up throughout the week."

    "I thought Coach was just keeping an eye on me?"

    He chuckled. "That''s a small part. It was to mostly use you as an example in these hitting drills. Inspire the others, but also coach them in what an excellent batter looks like. Your batting is something beyond what I can coach. I can still help guide the others using drills, but you''re beyond my pay grade."

    Oh. I looked up at Mr. Miller. "I still need help with fielding."

    He nodded. "Yes, but you''re on pace to get caught up to any other infielder on the varsity level. Practicing everyday with Noah and the other boys have done wonders for you. You''re a real natural. I can''t imagine how good you would be if you had started when you were even younger."

    "I don''t think I would be the same." I told him honestly. I had spent hours in the cages because I couldn''t play in the games. That''s what really drove me in perfecting my swing. My mother holding me back and restricting me also pushed me in a different kind of way. My past made me who I am today.

    I was lost in my thoughts as we headed back to the field so I didn''t really think too much when we passed by a giant group of players.

    "Hey, kid. You forget what I look like?"

    That voice. I stopped in my tracks and turned to see Jeremy surrounded by the guys, signing autographs.

    Mr. Miller gave my shoulder a squeeze. "See ya in the afternoon." He left me behind.

    Jeremy waved at the guys surrounding him. "Sorry, boys. I see my brother. Time for me to join him for lunch. But you know, I''ll be around for the scrimmages and a little bit after. So if I didn''t give you an autograph, we''ll have time later." He maneuvered around them and joined me. "Hey, you ready?"

    I stared up at him. "You''re here early."

    He grinned. "Yea. Dr. Moore could only see me in the morning so I thought I would surprise you." He waited a second. "Surprise!"

    I cracked a smile. "Yea, surprise." I looked to the freshmen field. "I still need to change out of my cleats and grab my bag."

    "No problem. I''ll follow you." He said.

    And he did. He trailed after me as I went to my bag and stood off to the side as I changed out of my cleats. After I packed everything up, I was about to sling my bag onto my shoulder, but Jeremy stopped me.

    "Let me get that." Jeremy took the bag out of my hands and put it on one shoulder of his. "Noah said you know where to find them for lunch?"

    "You already saw Noah?" I asked.

    He laughed. "Yea, he was the first to spot me and then approached me. With his appearance, everyone started to come up to me too."

 733 V2 ch205

    He chuckled. "I''m not going anywhere."

    I turned red. "I know. It''s just surreal to see you here."

    He nodded. "I thought it would be cool to get a better look at your school. See where you spend most of your time. Last time I was here, I-" He stopped abruptly.

    Last time was more of a confrontation between us. He thought I was after him and his money. He wanted a DNA test. He...wasn''t himself. Now, I know him better. And the same should go for him.

    He scratched the back of his head, looking a little anxious. "I made a mistake in the beginning. A lot of mistakes."

    "Water under a bridge." I said generously.

    "Soo..." He looked around and spotted the Atkins at a big table with the usual suspects. "That''s quite a group."

    I nodded. "Kyle''s girlfriend is Marie. She''s a senior on the varsity softball team. Really great pitcher. Her little sister is Kaylee. She might come off a little...mean, but she''s nice. And then the one not in uniform is Alisha, she''s going to be the manager of our baseball team."

    "Oh." He smiled. "Yes, I remember the name Alisha. How does Noah feel about that?"

    I shrugged. "Seems cool with it. Nothing has changed."

    "Ah." He nodded in understanding.

    We reached the table and sat on the ends of each bench, facing one another. Zeke had really brought homemade burgers and all kinds of toppings. He passed out plates with buns before walking around with a container of burgers. He used tongs to place one on everyone''s plate and then let everyone help themselves to lettuce, tomato, onions, and condiments.

    "It''s weird." Kaylee stated. She was right next to me, with Alisha on the other side of her. Then Noah and Dave. The other side was Jeremy in front of me, Zeke, Kyle, then Marie.

    "What? Sitting with Jeremy Patterson?" Kyle asked. "Because I feel pretty used to it now."

    Kaylee shook her head, then squinted at Jeremy. "No. He just looks so much like Jake."

    "Well they are blood-related." Dave let out a small laugh.

    "Meh." She glanced at me. "I don''t like it."

    "Oh." I shrugged, unsure of what to say.

    "You guys should focus on eating." Zeke reminded us. "You don''t even have an hour to eat. Then digest." He opened another bag full of fruit. "Mom sent me with a bag of mixed fruit. Make sure to eat a banana at least."

    I obediently took a banana and ate it before getting to work on my hamburger. With Zeke''s reminder, no one wasted any time. We cleaned off all the food on our plates. Dave and Noah both asked for seconds.

    "You''re staying for the scrimmages?" Dave asked Jeremy, drawing attention to him again.

    Jeremy nodded. "Yes. Today is our off day so I thought I would just take this opportunity to see as much as I can."

    "Wow. Good for you." Jeremy told me with a smile. "I remember the bomb you hit in the championship game. Keep that up and you''ll be joining me in the majors right after high school."

    "I haven''t faced any of the varsity pitchers yet." I said quietly.

    "Joey almost counts." Noah spoke up from the end of the bench. "He''s the best from JV. Good possibility of making the varsity team."

    I wasn''t convinced. "He''s nowhere near the twins or Garret." I thought about it. "Even Brian looked better than him." I had faced Brian in that fun scrimmage last weekend and I would definitely put him before Joey.

    "Are you going to stick around too?" Noah looked at Zeke.

    Zeke nodded. "Yes. Probably sit in the stands with Jeremy just in case he attracts too much attention."

    "You think anyone would come to see him?" Kaylee asked.

    "Probably." Noah was the one to answer. "He is a star player. On a playoff-bound team. Anyone in shouting distance would come. Either for an autograph, picture, or something."

    As it neared time to go back to the fields, we cleaned up and got moving.

    Zeke lifted the empty containers and the bags of remaining food. "I''ll take these to the car then meet you at the fields."

    Marie and Kyle split off next. "I''m going to take Marie to her field first."

    Kaylee started to follow after them. She suddenly stopped at looked directly at me. "You got a second, Jake?"

    I was stunned. "Me?"

    She rolled her eyes.

    "I''ll take your bag for you." Jeremy took my bag off my shoulder again. "Noah, you want to lead the way? How do you guys know which field you''ll be playing on?"

    Noah glanced at me. Then at Kaylee. Then back to me. "Don''t take too long." He started to walk to the baseball fields. "Lately Coach has been listing the teams on posters so it''s faster for everyone to get to their field. The teams are always being changed." Him, Alisha, Dave, and Jeremy all left.

    Just me and Kaylee.

    "Soooo..." I stretched out, trying to prompt her to say what she wanted to say.

    "I don''t like him." She said, looking me right in the eyes.

    "Uh, what?" I fiddled with my hat. "Who?"

    "Your ''brother''." She said with sarcasm. "Jeremy."

    "Oh." I didn''t know what to say to that so I just stood there.

    She put her hands on her hips. "Don''t you have anything to say?"

    "Uh..." I searched my brain for something. "I''m sorry you feel that way?"

    Her lips twitched. "You''re so easygoing. You''re not mad at me for not liking him? Does that mean you also don''t like him?"

    I shrugged. "I think he''s okay." I waited a second. "I like him now."

    "I just can''t stand seeing his face." Her face twisted in disgust. "He looks so much like you. You would have looked like that if you didn''t have such a crappy mom."

    Ah. We''re getting somewhere. I know this feeling. A sense of injustice. "It''s okay now, Kaylee." I smiled lightly. "Stuff like that doesn''t bother me much anymore. I used to feel...jealous. But, now I have the Atkins. Without my original beginning, I wouldn''t be here."

    "Hm." She thought about it. "I guess that''s true." Her eyes narrowed. "You better start eating more so you can catch up. You should be able to get as big as him."

    "I hope so." I nodded.

    "I still don''t like him." She repeated.

    I shrugged. "I''m not sure if Noah likes him either. You don''t have to like someone to be cordial."

    "Cordial?" She laughed. "Are you studying vocabulary?" She waved me away before I could reply. "You better go or you might be late."

    "Bye!" I told her before jogging to the freshmen baseball field.

    I found Jeremy with ease, surrounded by players again. Off to the side was Noah and Alisha. I joined them.

    "We''re on the same team!" Noah grinned. "On the varsity field!"

    "Nice." I nodded.

    "What did Kaylee want?" Alisha asked, curious.

    I shrugged. "Nothing much."

    Noah grinned. "I bet I know."

    "You know?" Alisha turned to Noah.

    Noah nodded. "Of course. Kaylee is easy to read. I hate to say it, but we''re a little similar."

    I laughed. "Yea. I think so too."

    "Is someone going to tell me or not?" Alisha stamped her foot.

    I opened my mouth to speak but Noah cut me off. "Nah. It''s time to go to the field. Maybe later!" He grabbed my sleeve and started to pull me along, heading to the lower field.

    "But my bag..." I said, looking back towards Jeremy.

    Noah paused for a second, also looking at Jeremy. Then without warning, he yelled, "Hey! Bag boy! Let''s move! Time for warmups!"

    That got Jeremy''s attention. He said something to the guys and then headed in our direction with my bag still on his shoulder. He caught up with a couple of strides.

    "It''s almost like I''m a caddy." Jeremy chuckled as we walked down to the varsity field.

    "I can take my bag back." I told him.

    "It''s okay. Let me carry it to your dugout." He said.

    I shrugged, not understanding why he suddenly wanted to carry my gear around.

 734 V2 ch206

    Noah snorted. "Luck is for losers. I''ll win on pure skill, thanks."

    Jeremy chuckled as he walked away.

    "He seems like he''s in a good mood." Noah commented as we got our cleats on.

    "I thought so too." I nodded. Jeremy had been down for the past few weeks due to an unsaid family emergency, so it was nice to see him being more relaxed. I glanced at Noah. "I saw some other sophomores getting his autograph. Does that bother you that he signed it for them?"

    Noah scoffed. "No way. They can have as many autographs they want. I''m not so petty where I would prevent Jeremy from doing his duty to the fans."

    I gave him a look, skeptical. Noah is always petty.

    "Okay, okay." He chuckled. "I''ve been reminding myself that I get to see Jeremy more often than them. Plus, I can bully him. Can they say that?"

    I laughed. "When have you bullied him?"

    "Okay, so I can make fun of him." Noah conceded again.

    We stopped talking about Jeremy as we went through warmups, but the same couldn''t be said about the others. The freshmen were especially excited, constantly talking about Jeremy''s presence.  When we got inside the dugout, I could feel the majority looking in my direction.

    "Yes, yes." Noah raised his voice and his hands. "I know a lot of you are very curious. If you didn''t know, Jeremy is Jake''s brother. Please don''t ask Jake insensitive questions or even ask him to get you autographs. When Jeremy is present, you can ask him yourself. As you can see, Jeremy is very compliant."

    "Okay, now that that is out of the way." Mr. Miller chuckled. "I want you boys to go out there and show off what you got. Bryce is a great pitcher so don''t get down on yourselves if you happen to strike out."

    Noah and I got ready for our at-bats, knowing we were up first.

    "What do you think the first pitch will be?" Noah whispered to me as we stepped outside the dugout for practice swings.

    I glanced at Bryce on the mound, warming up quite seriously. "You''re going to attack the very first pitch?"

    He shrugged. "Maybe. I feel like Bryce knows I''ve been aiming for high pitches. I''ve seen him quite a lot this week. Either on my team or against me."

    "He''ll go low then, right?" I scratched my neck, not totally sure of myself.

    "I think so too." He said. "I was just seeing if we had the same thought. So I''m going to go ahead and commit to a low fastball. Just need to get a piece of it and then I can count on you to bring me home."

    I glanced at him.

    "What? You could hit a homer off Brian."

    He thought for a second. "Can you bat left against Bryce?"

    I shrugged. "I guess. Why?"

    He leaned in close to my ear. "If I make it on base, it''s likely just a single. If you stand in the lefty''s box, you can obstruct the catcher from throwing to second, giving me an extra millisecond to steal. With me on second, I can score as long as you get it rolling."

    I wanted to try for homeruns, but Noah had a good idea in mind. Bryce isn''t always steady when he first comes out. This would be a good time to show our attack plan to the coaches and establish that we don''t just rely on power. I nodded. I''ll just try for a homer in my second at-bat.

    Noah was soon called up to the batter''s box, setting up as usual. As he stepped in, I noted that the catcher was Ethan. The sophomore from the first scrimmage. Noah used to play with him and knew him best. That''s probably why he said he could steal second if I stand in the lefty''s box.

    Noah worries a lot about being a future captain as of late, saying that he might not be mature enough. But with how much thought he puts into the game and into his own actions, I really think he''s a good candidate. I might be a little biased though.

    Bryce shook his head at Ethan a few times, reminding me the trouble Ethan had with Garret. He just doesn''t have the talent to be a catcher. Never on the same page. Bryce finally nodded at a pitch, and unsurprisingly Noah was right: a low fastball. Noah had already started his swing early and perfectly met the pitch, looping it over the first baseman''s head. Noah made it to first base with ease as the right fielder threw the ball back in.

    I was up next. I nodded ''hello'' to Ethan and the umpire before stepping up into the lefty''s box. I glanced at Noah down the first baseline and saw him staying pretty close to the base. He must not be running right away.

    I decided to be patient, holding my pose, not swinging at any of Bryce''s pitches. On a 2-1 count, I took a fastball inside for a called strike two, but it was worth it as I saw Noah sprinting for second. Ethan was stuck in an awkward spot, catching an inside pitch against a lefty, then getting up and throwing to second, all without hitting me.

    Noah slid into second way before the tag came down. Safe. Runner on second with a 2-2 count. Some might feel cornered, but I had a good eye, great swing, and a little intuition telling me where the next pitch was going to be.

    Ethan wasn''t a good catcher. His pitch selection wasn''t in tune with his pitchers. This helped my process of elimination. With a mediocre catcher, Bryce is going to want to pitch away, try to get me to chase. It might be a borderline pitch though, so I have to commit. With outside pitches, it''s easier for me to just hit to the opposite field.

    Sure enough, Bryce shook his head at Ethan''s first signal. My guess is that he wanted something right down the middle. Bryce nodded, straightened up, checked on Noah at second, then threw his pitch. He went with his fastest pitch. It could be a ball, but I didn''t take the chance. I swung. Connected. Dropped my bat. Then took off sprinting.

    As I ran, I watched my hit go straight down the left field line, fall in, then roll to the fence. Noah had rounded third as the left fielder got the ball and threw it in. The shortstop relayed the throw to home just as Noah came sliding in. I reached second safely and turned to see the result of the play.

    "Safe!" The umpire extended his arms.

    Noah jumped up and pointed at me. I waved. He picked up my bat on his way back into the dugout, high-fiving those who wanted to celebrate.

    Subconsciously, I glanced to the stands and found that Jeremy and Zeke were sitting together, clapping. I smiled.

 735 V2 ch207

    I had scored long ago and was sitting beside Noah, watching this horror show. Just as we were thinking that we could possibly have another at-bat in the first inning, the other team pulled off a double play to end it.

    "Brutal." Noah commented as we grabbed our gloves and hit the field.

    "Yea." I agreed. "I''m surprised how well he took it."

    "Bryce has a good temperament." Noah said. "He doesn''t know how to speak to his catchers though, because he''s always been the underclassmen to the seniors. Now that he''s a junior, he has to tell the younger catchers what to do and what to expect."

    I nodded along. Bryce had to be like Garret and really guide Ethan. Or it''s going to be a long game.

    We had a sophomore pitcher, Marshel Butler. The only reason I remembered him was that he won an award for best sportsmanship during the banquet right before summer. I didn''t know how accurate the award was, but I was skeptical since I remember him being close to Austin. Any friend of Austin deserves to have their integrity and morals questioned.

    I couldn''t question his pitching though. He held his own well, getting the batter''s to hit into routine plays. We went three up, three down.

    Back in our own dugout, Noah and I got ready for our second at-bats this game. He would go second and I would go third.

    Mr. Miller greeted us at the dugout entrance. "Hey. A minute?"

    "What''s up?" Noah lowered his voice.

    "I wanted to know if you boys had anything planned like you did for the first inning?" He asked.

    Noah shook his head. "Nah. I don''t know if I''ll be able to get a hit this time around. And I think Jake still wants to practice hitting homeruns."

    I nodded.

    Mr. Miller hummed. "I want to see something in particular if possible. Don''t know if you boys will be able to pull it off or not."

    "Oh! A challenge?" Noah started to rock back and forth. "What is it?"

    "Its going to rely mostly on you." He said to Noah. "You need to get to third base. During Jake''s at-bat."

    Noah frowned. "You want me to hit a triple?"

    "Not necessarily." He said. "Just pull off something like last time. A single, then steal a base. And now, another base. I don''t care what combination you use. Hit a double, steal third. Get walked, somehow get to third. While Jake is still up to bat."

    "That''s crazy." Noah said what I was thinking. "But I like the challenge." He thought about it. "Obviously getting on base is going to be the most difficult step. Bryce isn''t going to give me a free pitch like last time."

    As he was musing, I asked the most important question. "Why does he need to be on third?"

    I just stared at him. "But...I can just hit into some open space. A single if you want." It''s been months since I''ve tried bunting.

    "This isn''t for us." Mr. Miller told me. He gestured to the field. "It''s for them. I want to see them in action. We all belong to the same high school. Seeing you hit homers is great fun. I love it. But, we also have to think about the future of the team."

    Oh. Right. This is a camp for high school. I don''t have to show off every time I come up. "I don''t think anyone''s going to believe that I''ll bunt." I pointed out.

    "You''ll have to show it a few times." Mr. Miller told me. "If they don''t go for it, then that''s something us coaches will have to note down." He jerked his thumb. "Wilcox is out there talking with your brothers so I know he''ll want to see this too."

    "It''s for the future of the team." Noah whispered to me, a grin covering his face.

    I rolled my eyes. He can say that because he gets to see the most action. All I get to do is bunt.

    "You have to make sure you get to third before Jake has two strikes." Mr. Miller told Noah. "You can''t steal if he has to swing. This is the ideal situation anyways so if it''s not working out, just play your game."

    "Got it!" Noah gave a thumbs up and went to stand in the on deck circle.

    Mr. Miller gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Next at-bat, you can try for your homerun."

    I shrugged. "It''s not really the same. Who knows if Bryce will still be in the game? And if he is, he might be tired."

    "Or he might get in the groove." He offered up. "Maybe a new, better pitcher will come in. Ya never know." He left me to go talk to the batters behind me in the lineup.

    You never know? I felt like I kind of knew. This program only had so many players...so many pitchers. I already knew the returning varsity players. There couldn''t be any surprises from the lower levels, right?

    The ninth batter spot, Marshel, struck out swinging. He returned to the dugout with a scowl, while I moved out to the on deck circle. Noah got in the batter''s box. I guess if he got out, I could just try for my homerun immediately.

    I shook my head, trying to lose that thought. I wanted Noah to do well, not to get out. Especially with so many eyes on him right now. I glanced up to the stands and found Jeremy and Zeke. Sure enough, Coach was there with them now. Alisha was also hanging out nearby, clipboard in hand.

    Bryce was starting to throw faster, with more confidence. The only thing holding him back was Ethan. Constantly interrupting his rhythm, seemed to cause Bryce miss the spots he was trying for. Noah did his best to foul off the close pitches and easily earned a walk thanks to Bryce''s loss of accuracy. Noah winked at me as he tossed his bat towards our dugout.

    I controlled my face to not give anything away. I walked up to the plate and got into the lefty''s box again. It seemed like it didn''t matter which side I batted from. Or so I thought.

    A sharp whistle from my dugout made me pause. I glanced back and saw Mr. Miller up on the steps looking directly at me. He waved for me to come over.

    "Time?" I asked the ump.

    He nodded.

    I jogged over to Mr. Miller. "Yea?"

    "Son, what are you doing in the lefty''s box?" He asked.

    I shrugged. "Getting ready to bat..?"

    "If Noah gets to third, were you planning on bunting down the third baseline?" He asked.

    I shrugged again. "I''m not sure."

    He chuckled. "Alright. I know you''re talented, but I''d like for you to bat on the right side for now."

    "Oh. Okay." I glanced at Noah. "Will Noah still be able to steal without me obstructing the catcher?"

    "That''s up to Noah and his legs." He said. "You just show your bunt and don''t make contact. Noah has to show his talents off now to get the ball rolling."

    I''m not sure if I understood, but I nodded along.

 736 V2 ch208

    Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Noah taking off. I could also tell that Ethan was moving. Moving too early. I pulled my bat back as the ball crossed the plate.

    "Oof." I heard Ethan gasped shortly after a thud. I looked and saw that the baseball bounced off of him, then into the dirt.

    Noah slid into second before Ethan even had a chance. Noah got up on his feet and faked going to third. Ethan rushed his throw to Bryce. Bryce stood on the mound, looking back at Noah. Noah went back to second base obediently.

    I glanced back to the umpire.

    "That was a strike." He said.

    Tsk. What a liar.

    "Don''t make that face." He told me.

    Embarrassed, I looked back to Bryce to see if he was ready for the next pitch. Bryce was waving for Ethan to join him on the mound. Ethan got up and jogged up to the mound. The infielders went too

    I took a step out of the batter''s box and took some practice swings to kill time. It was weird to be waiting on a meeting at the mound. Well, more awkward I guess, because I don''t know what to do. I didn''t know the guy batting behind me very well so it wasn''t like I could go over and talk to him.

    I glanced at Noah on second base. He was coincidentally looking at me. He touched the brim of his helmet. He was going to go on the next pitch. I could tell. I nervously hit my bat against my cleats, knocking the dirt off.

    The umpire went out to the mound to tell them to play ball. Even though this was a scrimmage and there was a lot of leeway, you still had to treat this like a real game.

    Everyone went back to their positions and the game resumed. I stepped back into the batter''s box, while Noah started to lead off second base. In less than a second, Bryce had whipped around and threw the ball to the second baseman, who was covering second. Noah had dived back at the base as the tag was brought down.

    "Safe." The umpire behind me had called out.

    "He was out!" Ethan stood up and confronted the ump.

    I took a step back.

    The umpire shook his head. "Tie goes to runner."

    Before Ethan could come up with a rebuttal, a coach from his dugout yelled out. "Play on!"

    Ethan gritted his teeth and got back into position, crouching behind home plate. Bryce had the ball back in his hands, looking at Ethan. He nodded at the sign. They must have discussed a more thorough plan out on the mound. Bryce checked on Noah at second base. Noah was hanging closer to the bag than before, looking stationary. It was all for show.

    "Strike." I heard the ump say.

    The throw was high. The third baseman had to jump to snatch it out of the air. By the time he came down, Noah was safe after his slide. The third baseman threw the ball back to Bryce.

    Bryce was really calm for someone who just gave up two free bases on the last two pitches. He looked at me and called out. "Two strikes."

    I bit the inside of my cheek. Normally, I never worry when I have two strikes on me. It means nothing. But...this was an exception. You can''t bunt foul when you have two strikes or you''ll be out. I learned that in my first tournament.

    Just has to be fair.

    I showed bunt early as Bryce just started his motion. I thought it would throw him off, and maybe make him throw a ball outside or something, but nope. He threw a fastball right down the middle. Almost daring me to swing. But I had promised Mr. Miller a bunt.

    I positioned my bat and bunted the ball down into the dirt. Noah had long ago taken off while my focus was on the pitch. I dropped my bat and headed to first, unable to watch what was going on.

    All I could hear was "Out!"

    In disbelief, I turned around and saw a mess. Noah was laying on home plate with Ethan on top of him. Bryce was also laying on the ground, probably from fielding my bunt. But...what went wrong?

    There was no one to answer my question. Noah went back to the dugout while the pitcher-catcher duo got back to their positions. Bryce finished off the next batter with a strikeout, ending the inning.

    I hurried to my bag to not only change my gear, but to find out what had happened.

    "Bryce had it read." Noah told me as we put our gloves on. "It was all him. The first and third baseman never even moved so he either told them to play normally or they chose to do that on their own. I just can''t believe he beat me. Ugh!"

    I couldn''t believe it either. I glanced at Mr. Miller on our way out of the dugout.

    "Don''t mind." He told me when he caught me looking. "You boys did your best. I''m happy with what I saw from not only you two, but also from Bryce." He winked. "Next at-bat is all yours."

    I smiled, relieved.

    The game went on. Marshel didn''t look half bad, getting a lot of routine ground balls and fly outs. Only Bryce was able to get a double off of him.

    Bryce also had calmed down, completely shutting down my team until I came up again in the fifth inning. Just me versus him. Noah had hit into a ground out right before so there was one out, nobody on. Bryce brought his best pitches, surprising me with his speed and control. He didn''t just put on muscle this summer. He became a better pitcher.

    I had to foul off a few of the more difficult pitches, until he threw a low fastball. I adjusted my swing and made perfect contact with the sweet spot on my bat. There was a loud snapping sound as the ball flew down the left field line and finally soared over the fence.

    A solo homerun!

    I ran around the bases, pleased with myself. I even waved to the stands as Jeremy and Zeke clapped.

    I picked up my bat and it suddenly broke into a few pieces. Oh. The snapping sound. I broke another bat.

    "Oh my god!" Bryce rushed off the mound. "Jake! I''m so sorry!" He started to apologize like crazy. It took me a moment to realize that he didn''t know I had extra bats so he thought I was going to panic.

    "It''s okay." I started to pick up the pieces. "This is just a spare."

    Bryce helped me pick up the pieces. "That was crazy. Your swing is so freakin'' powerful. I really thought I could get you to fly out instead." He laughed, sounding a little sad. "Guess I have more work to do."

    I nodded. "Yea, but you''re better than last year. Isn''t that nice?"

    He paused. "Really? You think so?"

    I nodded again and collected the broken pieces of wood from him. "Yea." I glanced at Ethan standing nearby and chose to say nothing more. "Well, thanks." I headed back to the dugout.

    Both Mr. Miller and Noah were waiting for me.

    "You okay, kid?" Mr. Miller looked at me.

    "Yea, I''m okay." I glanced at the broken bat in my hands. "The bat is done for, but I have an extra this time."

    "Why don''t you just call it a game?" Mr. Miller sounded like he was asking, but I knew it was rhetorical. He was benching me.

    "Okay." I sighed.

    "You too, Noah." Mr. Miller said to him before going around, naming our replacements.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "How annoying. You break your bat, and now I''m benched?"

    I shrugged. "Have to let others get more time on the field too." Especially going up against Bryce.

 737 V2 ch209

    Noah glanced at my bag. "You''re going to keep the pieces of that bat?"

    I shrugged. "I''ve kept the others."

    "But those held some significance to you."

    "I think they all do." I told him. I didn''t want to throw any of them away. I can never go back to an aluminum bat. No amount of healing can make me forget how I almost died. The wood bats saved this sport for me. It just feels wrong to throw them away.

    "Well, I guess you could start marking how and when each one broke." He suggested. "That would be pretty cool. I don''t know if I have that many empty shoeboxes though."

    "I''d like that." I grinned, and looked towards Bryce who just got another strikeout to end the inning. "Bet Bryce would not."

    "Nah, he totally would." Noah laughed. "He''d probably take pride in that. Let''s ask him after the game."

    We sat on the bench and watched the game without being involved. Bryce really did well if you excluded the first inning and the homer he gave up to me. As for Marshel? He was replaced once he started to give up hits in the late innings of the game. He was sent to the bench as someone new was brought in.

    "You pitched well today." Noah said to Marshel as he passed us to go sit on the bench.

    Marshel glanced our way, but didn''t say anything back. He just continued on to his bag and sat down.

    "Why''d you compliment him?" I asked, feeling a little annoyed.

    Noah smirked. "It wasn''t a complete compliment. If he had pitched really well, he wouldn''t have been benched. But besides that, I''m a nice person. A good team player."

    I raised an eyebrow. Noah hadn''t lowered his voice and I''m sure Marshel would be able to hear him. I didn''t blame Noah though. I could remember Marshel from the bus incident a few months back. He had once accused Noah of dragging the team down when Noah was struggling at the plate.

    Mr. Miller came back to the rather quiet dugout. He looked around, but didn''t see anything out of place. The game wrapped up soon after the switch. Bryce did the whole seven innings for his team, only losing by one. Not that the score mattered.

    Since Noah and I were on the bench, we had already changed out of our cleats and had packed our bags. After a simple goodbye to Mr. Miller, we left the dugout.

    "Hold on a second." Noah told me, heading for the other dugout. I slowly followed after him. "Hey! Bryce!"

    Bryce came up against the fence, sweating and a little bit dirty. "Yea? What''s up?" He looked at me. "You sure you''re okay, Jake?"

    I nodded.

    Bryce laughed, not offended in the slightest. "That''s fine. Next time I break his bat, it''s going to be an out. Better mark that down correctly then too."

    "In your dreams!" Noah scoffed. He took a step back. "Anyways, good game today. I can''t believe you fielded Jake''s bunt by yourself."

    Bryce shrugged. "No one believed me when I said he was going to bunt. After all, Jake has been hitting bombs. Why would someone like him bunt?"

    "Then how did you know?" I asked, curious.

    He grinned. "As soon as I saw you talking to Mr. Miller, I knew you weren''t going to do your usual thing at the plate. You showing bunt was a dead giveaway."

    I pouted.

    He laughed. "Don''t get down on yourself. I know you well. I also know Mr. Miller." He glanced at Noah. "I really wanted to throw Noah out at second though. That would have been best to be able to catch him off guard like that."

    Noah laughed. "I''m too fast for ya!"

    Bryce smirked. "Not fast enough or you would have scored."

    Noah stopped laughing. "Whatever. Bye loser." He walked back to me and pulled me along. "Let''s go."

    I held back a laugh.

    We left the field together, and headed for the bleachers. I guess a different game must have ended before ours, because there was now a line going up the bleachers towards where Jeremy was.

    "He''ll be a minute." Zeke approached us with Coach and Alisha trailing behind him. "You guys played well."

    "Someone has definitely improved in the speed department." Coach looked at Noah. "Protect those legs of yours. I think you could break the school record for stolen bases if you really tried." He looked to me. "And I think you could make a run for the homerun record. Which is held by Zeke here." He slapped Zeke on the shoulder. "Watch your back. They''re coming for you."

    Zeke smiled. "I don''t mind. Records are meant to be broken. As long as they can win league back-to-back, that''ll put them ahead of me."

    Coach looked to me again. "Tell Jeremy thanks on behalf of the school. I''ll be in contact with him over the weekend."

    I stared blankly at him.

    He nodded at Alisha. "Let''s go see how the other game is going." He waved at us. "See you boys later." He and Alisha hurried up the hill to the game that was still going on.

    "Thanks?" Noah asked. Then his eyes widened. "Guess the school really is going to get a better weight room!"

    Oh. I remember Jeremy mentioning how important it was to a school to have a good weight room. It could really help a team gain some extra muscle.

    "They had a good talk. Jeremy knows his stuff." Zeke told us.

    "You know stuff too." Noah pointed out.

    Zeke gave a small shake of his head. "I don''t know anything about donations to a school. There''s a lot that goes into it. Like permission from the school board, principal, athletic director and so forth. How fast another building could be built and for what use. Jeremy has almost everything done besides a good start date. He really put a lot of effort into this."

    "Wow." Noah grinned. "Guess he wasn''t all talk." He nudged me. "He''s really turning the corner."

    "I think so too." I nodded. Then looked up at Jeremy still signing autographs and taking selfies with the players. "Do we just sit here and wait for him?"

    "Yea. We will." Zeke said. "I''ve already messaged the twins that they could head home whenever. I''ll take Noah home after Jeremy is done. We''ll wait with you."

    I smiled at him. "Thanks."

    We found an open spot on a different bleacher and sat down.

    "You got your phone on you, right?" Zeke asked me.

    I nodded, then started to search my bag for it. I pulled it out and showed him.

    "I was just making sure." He looked at the broken wood pieces in my bag, just hanging out loosely. "You didn''t throw it away?"

    Noah cut in and explained what we were going to do.

    Zeke nodded, understanding. "I''ll talk to Dad about what we can do. Especially if you want to make some kind of cubby to hold all of your bats now. I know we can''t store them in the garage, but they take up a lot of space in your room, right?"

    Noah shrugged. "It''s not bad. Just the bottom part of our closet. I can probably make more space if I clean up my room and get rid of stuff I don''t need anymore."

    They started to talk it over. I had no ideas or suggestions so I listened and nodded along.

 738 V2 ch210 Catch w/ Jeremy

    He came over to us. "Hey. Sorry about that. Thanks for waiting with Jake."

    "We don''t mind." Zeke got up first and held out his hand. Jeremy shook it. "See ya around."

    "Yea." Jeremy looked to Noah. "Nice running out there today. You''re looking like Ricky Henderson out there."

    "Thanks. I hope I can play for the A''s too." Noah grinned.

    "Well, maybe we''ll be teammates then." Jeremy grinned. "If you get lucky."

    Noah started to get restless. "Did you finally sign your long-term contract with the A''s?? For how long? For how much?"

    "Noah." Zeke said with warning.

    Jeremy laughed. "It''s fine. He can ask. It''ll be public tomorrow morning anyways." He grinned. "The bay is my home. I''ll be staying for as long as I can. The new contract is for 8 years."

    "For how much??" Noah pressed him.

    "200 million." He said with pride.

    Noah''s jaw dropped. He wasn''t the only one. I was also stunned.

    "They really think you''re worth that much??" Noah asked. "You''re only in your second season!"

    "Hey, I''m in the running for MVP this year." Jeremy told him. He grinned. "It feels like I''ve finally made it. Of course, that pay doesn''t start until next season, but it''s nice to look forward to."

    "You look more relaxed." I noted.

    "I am." He told me. He looked at Noah. "Hey, you think I can borrow your glove?"

    Noah was thrown off. "What? Why?"

    Jeremy glanced at me. "I want to play catch with Jake for a few minutes..?"

    I blinked. "Okay."

    Noah looked between us then up at Zeke. Zeke nodded at him. Noah opened up his bag and gave his glove to Jeremy with an old baseball inside. "Don''t forget to put it in Jake''s bag."

    "I won''t." Jeremy looked at me. "Let''s see if we can throw the ball in the outfield here?"

    "Okay..." I waved at Noah and Zeke as we started to move away from them. "I''ll see you guys at home."

    "Yep!" Noah waved back. "I''ll have my phone on me too in case of emergencies. Later!"

    Zeke also lifted a hand to wave.

    Jeremy and I walked to the entrance of the varsity field. No one was around so we had the field to ourselves.

    "Mr. Miller will probably come back to take care of the field." I told Jeremy as I put my bag down. "So we don''t have very long."

    "That''s fine." He tossed the baseball up and caught it, repeating the action. "I just wanted a few minutes with you on the field."

    "I''ll go out." I started to jog towards center field, choosing a comfortable distance. I can''t throw very far to begin with, plus Jeremy was in jeans and a t-shirt.

    I quickly jogged back to my bag and to Jeremy as Mr. Miller came over. I put my glove away, along with Noah''s. We exchanged a few words with Mr. Miller before leaving the field. By now everyone had left the fields, either going home or waiting for a ride.

    "That was nice." Jeremy said to me as we walked to his car. He glanced down at me. "What did you think?"

    Of playing catch..? I shrugged. "It was nice, I guess. Just like playing with Noah."

    He sighed and chuckled. "I was hoping we could play catch a little more often. But if you don''t want to, then you don''t have to force yourself."

    I shook my head. "I don''t mind." I glanced up at him. "I just thought it was strange that you suddenly wanted to play catch."

    We reached his car. He put my bag in his trunk and we both got in. He started the car. "When I went to see Dr. Moore today, we talked about...a lot of things. One of which, is my guilt."

    I frowned. "I said it was fine." I thought we had gotten pass this.

    "No, not that kind of guilt. Which I mean, I still have." He ran his fingers through his hair. "It''s a different kind of guilt. You...didn''t know Dad. You didn''t get to play catch with him. He didn''t get to teach you anything about baseball. You guys...just missed out on a lot. And I know how that feels." He held the steering wheel with both hands. "I still think about Dad. The things he has missed and will miss. He didn''t see me play in high school, graduate high school, the draft, or my rookie season. He won''t see me play in the majors, get married, or have kids."

    I hesitated before reaching out. I patted Jeremy on the arm. "I''m okay. I think...it''s very different for us. You knew him. I have...a very small memory. Mr. Atkins is my Dad now. He didn''t see all my ''firsts'' either, but he also got to see a lot. I''m sorry you missed out."

    He chuckled-sighed again. "Dr. Moore said we would have two different perspectives, but I just wanted to get the chance to do the things I did with Dad, with you. If that makes sense?"

    I cracked a smile. "You don''t have to be my dad, Jeremy. You''re my brother. And I liked playing catch with you. A little strange and out of the blue, but I still appreciate it. Just like how I enjoy playing catch with Noah or any of the Atkins. I didn''t get to play catch a whole lot when I lived with...her."

    The car was absolutely silent as we both thought of the woman who gave birth to us.

    Jeremy started to shake his head. "Let''s not dwell on her too much. She''s out of our lives for good. We both have to move on."

    I thought about it. At one point Mr. Duncan had told me that she was trying to get out of her charges by pleading insane or something. I wonder what happened. Not that I cared...I just-

    I tapped my finger on my leg. "Do you know...if she''s really out of our lives for good?" I asked Jeremy.

    Jeremy was surprised. "You don''t know?"

    I shook my head. "At one point...my social worker kept me in the loop."

    Jeremy reached over and patted me on the head. "Jake, you don''t have to worry ever again. You have the Atkins and you have me. That woman is locked up for the foreseeable future. If something were to change, I would be the first to know. I have my own lawyer, watching over her just in case."

    I sighed with relief. "Thanks."

    "I do this for me as much as I do it for you." He said.

 739 V2 ch211

    "Where are we going?" I asked.

    "Dinner." He answered simply, not giving any hints.

    I looked down at my dirty practice clothes. I was still in baseball pants and probably didn''t smell that great. "It''s not going to be somewhere nice, is it?"

    He let out a laugh. "Even if it is, it''s not like anyone would turn us away."

    No, but I would feel very self-conscious.

    "Don''t stress, we''re just grabbing food and taking it to-go." He explained. To prove it, we went through a drive-thru and he ordered half the menu, including a plethora of drinks.

    "Um..." I stared up at him as I held the bags of food.

    "Don''t worry, you don''t have to hold the drinks." Jeremy told me as he put the drink holder on the center console and then filled the cup holders around us.

    I was thoroughly impressed with how organized he was. Like he had done this before. But, that''s not what I was worried about. "Are we going to be able to finish all of this?"

    He shrugged. "It doesn''t matter if we don''t. I just don''t want to regret not getting enough. It''s always good to have too much, than not enough."

    Ah. I understood what he was saying. "Was there not a lot of food around when you were little?" Didn''t our birth father provide enough?

    He revealed a sad smile as he drove. "I''m sure it doesn''t compare what you''ve been through, but I did have some food insecurity when we all still live together. Mom wasn''t working and Dad didn''t earn much playing in the minors. We were living paycheck to paycheck. It wasn''t like I was starving, but the days of having a cheese sandwich for lunch really stuck with me." He laughed. "Dad used to tell me it was a cold grilled cheese."

    I didn''t know if it was appropriate to laugh at someone struggling to provide food so I stayed silent until I thought of a question. "Was it better when you moved in with your uncle?"

    "Our uncle." He automatically corrected. Then grimaced. "Sorry." He glanced at me. "You don''t have to call him uncle, it''s just a blood relation thing. I didn''t mean it-"

    "I understand." I cut him off to stop him from rambling.

    He chuckled. "Sorry. Again. Uhh, but yea, my food situation did get better. I was surprised to have so much when I first moved in with them. I would stuff my face the first couple of weeks and started to put on weight a little too fast."

    I grinned. "Did you get fat?"

    "Of course not." He denied. "I was a very active kid, running everywhere, playing any sport available."

    We reached the coast, driving almost along the beach. He turned into one of the parking lots and parked in the first row but backwards. I watched him in action, opening the trunk of the suv and moving my bag to the backseat. Then he motioned for me to sit in the trunk.

    He handed me a salad and grabbed one for himself. "Veggies first. Need dressing?"

    I nodded. "Ranch."

    He found some in the bag and tossed it to me.

    I put the ranch in my salad before mixing it up. I started to eat, then realized that Jeremy didn''t put any dressing in his salad. Weird.

    We ate in silence for the most part, watching the sunset over the ocean in between bites. It was very picturesque. I''m sure we were close to the spot Dad took me to a few times. The bench that he once slept on.

    "Jake, there''s something I want to tell you." Jeremy spoke up after finishing his food. We actually didn''t have much left over besides some extra drinks. He really could eat.

    His sentence made me lose my appetite. I put the fries down. "What is it?"

    He could see the anxiety in my eyes. "It''s nothing to do with you. Or about you. I just wanted to give you a heads up before it''s put in the news."

    I tilt my head, confused. "Are you okay?"

    "I will be." He nodded. He looked out at the beach. "You remember that emergency I had a few weeks ago?"

    I nodded.

    "Well. It was Uncle Jack. He got into some financial trouble and needed to be bailed out." He spoke without looking at me. "Nothing bad like gambling or something like that. He just made some terrible business decisions and on top of that, got an unfavorable loan that didn''t pan out."

    Okay... "What did that have to do with you?" I asked. And why would that be in the news?

    He let out a heavy sigh. "I had to bail him out. I...didn''t have all that money in cash so I had to move a lot around. My investment portfolio had to be cashed out and that just takes time. I have to pay a penalty fee on that and the taxes will be a nightmare next year."

    "Are you going to be okay?" I asked. I didn''t understand a whole lot, but it sounded like Jeremy wasn''t going to have any money. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

    He laughed suddenly. "Yea. Didn''t you hear me earlier? I signed a big deal with the A''s. Everything worked out. It was such a long process of hashing out the contract and handling Uncle Jack''s problems. For awhile, I felt like I was drowning."

    I thought back to a couple days ago during our call. He was tired. "What can I do to help?" I asked.

    Jeremy was surprised for a second before laughing again. He reached over and flicked my hat off my head. "You just focus on school and baseball. These problems belong to me and Uncle Jack."

    I picked my hat up and put it back on. "You really think this will make the news?"

    The laughing stopped and the smile wasn''t the same. "Yea, unfortunately. I lost all my rookie contract money, then signed a new big contract midseason. It should make headlines. You don''t have to worry though. It''ll blow over in a little bit. I just wanted to warn you in case some kids try to ask you about it."

    I shrugged. "I''ll be okay. Tomorrow is our last day of camp and then it''s a little over two more weeks until school starts."

    He looked relieved. "Good. That''s great." He showed me a real smile. "What are you going to do these next couple of weeks? I know you''re coming to the A''s game on Saturday, but maybe you can come to a few more. You and Noah can come stay a couple days again or something."

    I pulled my legs closer to my body. "Actually, on Tuesday, I''m...going to the doctor."

    "Doctor? For what?" He frowned.

    "A laser treatment for my scars. To help heal them and make them slightly less visible." I answered.

    Jeremy didn''t speak.

    "It won''t take long to heal. Just a couple of days of rest and staying inside because I''ll be sensitive to the sun." I continued to explain.

    He sucked in his cheeks. "How bad is it?"

    I shook my head, not wanting to get into it.

    "Can the Atkins afford the treatment? Do they need some help?" He asked.

    "It should be okay." I answered. I had similar worries, but Dad said it was fine.

    He frowned. "I''ll talk to them."

 740 V2 ch212

    He pulled up to the house, parking in the driveway. I thought he was just going to drop me off, but instead he helped me grabbed my bag from the trunk and walked me to the front door.

    Noah opened the door from the other side. "You''re back! Finally! Mom said we couldn''t touch the cookies until you got home."

    I grinned. "Were you watching the driveway the whole time?"

    "Of course not." He snorted.

    "No." Dave showed up behind him. "He was just casually checking every ten minutes." He looked at Jeremy. "Hey, did you want to come in?"

    "Yea, just for a minute." Jeremy walked through the doorway. He glanced at me. "Where does your bag go?"

    "Oh. Upstairs." I told him. "I can take it up though."

    "It''s fine. I don''t mind. I''d like to see your room too." He gestured for me to take the lead.

    "I''ll go let Mom know that you''re back." Dave excused himself and headed to the downstairs office.

    I went up the stairs first with Jeremy and Noah following me. The room wasn''t anything too special. Just a couple of beds, a desk and dresser. A closet that was now used to hold all my bats.

    Jeremy was shocked to see how many I now had. He looked them over and nodded. "Looks used, but you''re taking really good care of them."

    "I rotate between them so no particular one is used more than the other." I told him.

    "What about the bat I gave you?" He asked.

    I turned a little red, feeling embarrassed. "I don''t want to break it. Especially now that I have all these other bats."

    He smiled and patted me on the head. "It''s okay if you do break it. I''d get you a new one." He looked it over. "But I guess you don''t need any for quite awhile."

    "Jake can never have too many." Noah spoke up. "You saw him today. An almost perfect swing, but the bat still broke. It''s a rough life for someone using a wood bat. Don''t you understand, as a pro?"

    Jeremy laughed. "Okay, I know. I have a few laying around my place, I''m sure."

    "With all that money you''re getting, are you going to buy a house?" Noah asked.

    Jeremy looked a little sheepish. "Well. Maybe."

    "What are you waiting for?" Noah asked.

    I looked up at him too.

    Jeremy pretended to be offended. "Where I live now is just fine."

    "He''s probably waiting for Rose." Noah told me, grinning. "Thinking about proposing any time soon?"

    "Oh." Noah shrugged. "That makes sense. You don''t want to be one of those athletes that are still broke after a long career."

    Jeremy froze for a second, then nodded along. "Yea. One of my first paychecks is going to a financial advisor this time."

    "This time? What happened last time?" Noah asked.

    Jeremy pursed his lips.

    "Don''t ask." I mumbled, poking Noah.

    "No, it''s fine." Jeremy sighed. He looked at Noah. "I made the mistake of giving a big portion of my rookie contract to my uncle. He had made some not-so-smart decisions. It might actually make the news these next couple of days."

    "Oh." Noah was stunned, completely caught off guard like I was. "That sucks. I''m sorry." He looked a little embarrassed. "Does this mean we have to start paying for our own A''s tickets? I don''t want to leech off of you to the point where you''re living on the streets."

    Good point. The A''s tickets weren''t necessarily free. Jeremy just always footed the bill because he was the player and got a good discount. I looked up at him, worried.

    Jeremy laughed. "You''re thinking too much. I''m okay now. Got a new contract that''s going to pay me a whole lot more. I can still afford a few game tickets." He grinned. "In fact, on Saturday, why don''t you invite your little girlfriend? I sat with her during the scrimmage. She seems nice."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "She''s not my girlfriend." Then he grinned, with a hint of evil in his eyes. "But since you say you''re okay, I''ll invite quite a few people. Alisha is just one extra. I''m sure Kyle will want to invite Marie. And if we take Marie, then we have to bring Kaylee. There''s also Rhys."

    Jeremy shook his head, but was still smiling. "Okay, sounds like you guys will have quite the group on Saturday. Make sure to send me a headcount tomorrow so I know how many tickets to leave with Rose."

    "Sure, sure." Noah nodded. "I''ll ask tomorrow who all can come, and then text Rose myself."

    Jeremy rolled his eyes and turned to exit our room. "Jake, don''t let him do that. You text me, okay?"

    I felt a little torn between the two.

    Noah laughed. "I was just kidding."

    I sighed with relief.

    The three of us went back downstairs, where Mom and Dad were both waiting just at the bottom. They exchanged greetings with Jeremy then excused me and Noah to go eat cookies in the kitchen.

    Jeremy put his hand on my shoulder as he looked me in the eye. "I''ll see you Saturday. Text me later, okay?"

    I nodded. "I will."

    "Come on." Noah dragged me away, making a beeline for the kitchen.

    The twins were already at the table with the cookies. They even had prepared milk for themselves. Noah hurried to get us cups too, filling both with milk. I could only eat a few after such a big dinner. I left the three of them there, rinsed my cup, and headed for the hallway.

    Oddly, the front door was open. I went to it and could overhear Dad talking. He must have walked Jeremy back to his car. I started to close the door, but then heard my name. I knew it was wrong, but I decided to listen in. After all, my name was said. It was about me. This shouldn''t count as eavesdropping.

    "Don''t worry about the cost, Jeremy." I could hear Dad say. "This responsibility falls on us."

    "I can afford it." Jeremy said.

    "It''s not a matter of whether you could afford it." Dad said. "You already do more than your share, letting Jake and the boys go to games as much as they want. But financially, and medically, we''re responsible for Jake. We''ve got this."

    "But-"

    "No buts." Dad cut him off. "This is what parents do. We have Jake covered. I appreciate the thought and concerns you have, but really, this is our duty."

    "Well, let me know if you guys ever need help." Jeremy sighed.

 741 V2 ch213

    "Did you overhear me in Jake and Noah''s room?"

    "I did. Not much, but enough to know that you''re being used."

    I heard a small gasp from behind me. I turned to see the twins and Noah all right behind me, also eavesdropping. Noah put his finger to his lips to signal for silence.

    "It''s not like that." Jeremy sounded defensive. "This is family. You help family when they''re in need."

    "Jeremy," Dad sighed. "We both know that''s not true."

    "You don''t understand. That''s my uncle. He took me in after my dad died. I''m not just going to leave him out there to dry." We heard a grunt, a car door slam, then the engine starting. Jeremy had pulled out of the driveway and left, his taillights shining bright in the dark.

    "Shoot!" Dave was the first to rush away.

    "Let''s go before Dad catches us!" Kyle ran away after him.

    I glanced at Noah. He stood right behind me, waiting.

    "Boys." Dad said.

    I turned to look out the door and saw Dad heading for us.

    "Do you really think his uncle is using him?" Noah blurted out.

    Dad sighed. "I do. No parent would willingly take their kid''s money. Not so much. All at once. There''s a lot of wrong going on."

    "He''s not his parent though." I whispered.

    Dad looked at me with a sad smile. "I know. That''s what makes it even more concerning. But, Jeremy is an adult. He has to make his own decisions. You don''t have to worry about this, okay?"

    I nodded slowly.

    Dad came inside and closed the door behind him. He guided Noah and I to the stairs. "One of you need to go shower and the other needs to start on laundry. Can you guys guess which is which?"

    Noah wrinkled his nose. "I might need a shower after dealing with our dirty clothes. Nothing but dirt and sweat."

    "Take a second shower if you must." Dad laughed.

    Noah frowned. "I was just kidding." He went up the stairs first.

    I hesitated for a second. Then looked to Dad. "Do you blame Jeremy? For giving his money to Uncle Jack?"

    Dad shook his head. "I don''t blame him. He''s an adult and his own person. I wish he thought more for himself."

    "I understand where he''s coming from." I told him suddenly. Dad looked surprised. I looked down at my hands. "If I got rich and you guys needed help, I would give it all to you as well."

    Dad reached out and held onto my shoulder. "And we would turn it down. Your money is yours to keep." He gave me an extra squeeze before letting go. "Hurry up and shower. You guys still have one more day of camp to go."

    I nodded, then hurried up the stairs.

    "Thanks." I told him. I went to the bathroom with pjs in hand and showered.

    When I came back, it was Dad and Zeke in the room instead of Noah. That wasn''t the only surprise. The whole closet was emptied out of our clothes and stuff. That was now the only clean spot in the room as the bats were on my bed and the clothes were on Noah''s.

    "I''ve got an idea!" Dad grinned at me when he noticed my return. "We''re going to convert the closet into a cubby. Like in the dugout. So you''ll have an organized area for your bats. And then instead of helmets, you can put shoeboxes holding the broken bats."

    "Noah will be able to use this too." Zeke added.

    My jaw dropped. "Wow." What an idea. But... "Are you going to do it right now? What about bedtime?"

    "You can sleep on the couch for a night." Dad waved his hand. "Noah is already downstairs." He looked to Zeke. "You go find the tape measure. We can get the measurements all done tonight and then get the wood tomorrow. This will be a fun project to do for the both of us." He sounded excited. "Maybe we can do another one for you and the twins."

    "I''m going to college." Zeke reminded him. "Plus, the twins don''t have this many bats so they wouldn''t care for something like this."

    "Oh." Dad lost some enthusiasm. "Well, let''s focus on this first." He chuckled. "It''s been so long since we''ve done something like this."

    Zeke had a smile on his face too. "I''ll go find the tools." He left.

    I made sure my phone was on the charger before going downstairs. Noah was on the long couch, spread out, watching tv. He pointed at the two-seater. "Brought you a pillow and blanket too. Looks like we''ll be crashing down here for the night." He held back a laugh. "Hopefully it''s just one night."

    I got comfy on the smaller couch, pulling the blanket up to my chin. "What happened to Dad for him to just take over our room like that?"

    Noah shrugged as he flipped through the channels. "I just asked him to help us organize your bats and he just jumped into it with Zeke. I think it''s finally hitting him that Zeke won''t be around to help him with all these side projects that he does occasionally. I wouldn''t be surprised if he took the day off tomorrow to get it done with Zeke''s help."

    I laughed a little. "I think he''s already planning on it. He and Zeke had emptied the closet and was taking measurements."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "For someone who always tells us to be patient, he''s very impatient."

    "I think he just likes to have these kind of bonding moments with you guys." I replied.

    "With you too." Noah added. "You guys disappear on us occasionally."

    I turned to look at him. "Does that bother you?"

    Noah shook his head. "Nah. I''m used to it. It comes with the territory of having too many brothers." He stopped touching the remote, settling on the sports channel. It was just playing a recap of the games that took place earlier today. "I wonder if they''ll talk about Jeremy tonight?"

    "Probably not. It''s not like there was an A''s game today." I got comfortable again, trying to relax.

    "But if the news gets out about his uncle or his contract, it could be on tonight."

    "Hmm."

    We watched until we fell asleep, never seeing any news about Jeremy or Uncle Jack.

    The next morning, I woke up thanks to Dave poking my face. I swatted his hand out of the way, turning over.

    Dave laughed. "Wakey-wakey, Jake-y. Come on. Time to get dressed."

    I pushed myself up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I checked the other couch for Noah, but he wasn''t there.

    "Noah should be coming back soon." Dave noticed what I was looking for. "He went on a run with Zeke again. Crazy."

    Oh. That''s right. He said he was going to keep up with that.

 742 V2 ch214

    "Where are you going?" Noah asked his dad, surprised that he was leaving with Mom.

    Dad was equally surprised. "Well, the office. To get some work done. Did you need me for something?"

    Noah glanced at Zeke, then back at Dad. "I just thought you''d be working on our closet today?"

    "We will." Dad nodded. "Later though." He grinned. "I heard Zeke has some plans for today so it''ll have to be an evening project."

    Noah looked at Zeke with a frown. "What plans would you have?"

    Dave laughed as he chimed in. "It''s not like you have friends to hang out with."

    "Burn." Kyle laughed too.

    "Coach asked if I could come to the fields today." Zeke paid no attention to the insult. "So I''ll be driving us today."

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Why do you get to drive? Just sit in the passenger seat and relax."

    "Why does Coach want you to come?" Noah asked.

    "I just like how you aren''t denying the fact you don''t have friends." Dave kept grinning.

    Dad and Mom left the kitchen, leaving us on our own.

    Zeke looked around at all of us. "I think you guys should hurry up and eat breakfast before we''re late." He got up with his empty plate, taking it to the sink. He passed by us again on his way to the stairs. "I''m going to change and grab my bag." Up he went.

    "Grab his bag? Does that mean he expects to play?" Noah asked.

    "Why else would Coach ask him to come?" Kyle replied. "Do you think they really need an extra coach?"

    Dave looked at Noah. "You''re the only one who hasn''t had much to eat. You should really hurry."

    The question of why Zeke was coming only got more muddled when we showed up to the freshmen field. The four of us were left behind as Zeke went to join a few familiar faces: Mahki, Julian, James, and Kelvin. A group of players who had graduated in June.

    "What is going on?" Kyle mumbled. For once, he didn''t go see Marie beforehand.

    "It''s gotta be a game!" Noah started to bounce in place.

    "But how?" Dave scratched his chin. "And with who? Are they playing together? Or being spread out like as captains?"

    There was a lot of speculation as we got our cleats on, but no one could really answer our questions besides Coach. Yet, when he showed up, he merely said a few words to Zeke, then Zeke took over.

    Zeke didn''t have a whistle like the other coaches. He just raised his voice. "Time to warm up! Follow me!" He took off, starting to jog around the circumference of the field.

    As we stretched, Coach started to address the whole camp. "As everyone can see, I invited some special guests for today. These graduates helped carry the team to the championship last year." He introduced each one personally to those who didn''t know.

    "Today, they''re going to be the opposition." Coach went on to explain. "Instead of drills this morning, we''re going to start with scrimmages. And those going up against our graduates will be my first attempt at putting together the new varsity team."

    The whole group started whispering to one another, making Coach raise his voice. "Now, now. This isn''t anything official. This is still just a scrimmage and no roster is being set. We have a few more months of practicing but for now, this is the home team''s starting lineup: Noah Atkins at short, Jake Atkins at second, Garret Knudsen on the mound, Sean Isner at first, Korrey Alvarrez in center field, Andy Wilson in left, Logan Porter in right, Jason Morris at third, and Mitchell is catcher. There are a few others designated for the bench..."

    Coach went on, but I was stunned. For multiple reasons, but most importantly he called me Jake Atkins. I turned to look at Noah. "Did you hear?"

    Noah grinned and patted me on the shoulder. "Get used to it. In a couple of weeks, it''ll be official."

    "Jake Atkins has a nice ring to it!" Dave told me.

    I looked at him, worried. "I didn''t hear your name. Or Kyle''s."

    Dave waved his hand around, not worried. "Probably bullpen work."

    He got swatted on the shoulder by Mr. Miller. "If you were listening, you would know that Garret may have the first three innings, but you''ll have the next three. Then Kyle will have the last three."

    "Nine innings! A full game!" Noah started to bounce around, excited.

    Mr. Miller hit him next. "Shut up and listen."

    Everyone near us quieted down in time to hear Coach announce the other starting lineup, "Julian Wilson at first, Mahki Holstrom in left, Zeke Atkins in center, Kelvin Bender catching, Michael Tye at short, Jesse Shipman at third, Dalton Nelson at second, Tanner Erikson in right, and James Lohr will start on the mound."

    More surprises. Especially Dalton. He had won most improved from the freshmen team. He was someone the freshmen coach didn''t want, but Coach Wilcox let him join the team anyways. He played the same position as me.

    As Coach started to announce more bench players and pitchers for the bullpen, Noah took off. He went to talk to almost everyone on our team: Garret, Sean, Jason, and Andy. Andy was the only freshman named to be a starter for either team.

    I went over to him as well. "Congrats."

    Andy nodded, not showing any excitement. "Thanks."

    "Come on! Aren''t you a little bit happy?!" Noah poked him.

    Andy shook his head. "Like Coach said, nothing is final. It''s a good starting point, but I still have a lot to prove." He turned away. "I''m going to get my bag and head down. See you guys there." He walked away briskly.

    "He''s pumped up." Noah noted with a grin. "He''s got that whole serious vibe going on. Hopefully he''s not to uptight to play for a little bit."

    "Little?" I asked.

    Noah shrugged. "Well, yea. Andy''s the low guy on our team. When Garret gets picked off the mound for Dave''s turn, then it''s probably Andy heading for the bench and Garret heading to the outfield."

    I nodded. That makes sense. Garret is batting third. Coach obviously doesn''t expect him to leave the lineup. It''d be way too strange to put either twin there in the order.

 743 V2 ch215

    "Almost feels like a real game!" Noah exclaimed as he pulled out his glove. He hit me lightly with his glove. "Let''s go play catch!"

    I got my own glove out and followed him out of the dugout. We had already jogged and stretched so it made sense to start tossing the ball. We were the first ones out there, but Garret and Mitchell were a close second. Seeing us already throwing, the rest of our team followed even though we didn''t have a coach to instruct us. Coach still had to name the other teams on the lower levels so it would take him some time to get down here.

    I could already see Mr. Miller on the visitors side, watching his team warming up as well. He didn''t need to do much with Zeke taking the lead.

    When Noah saw their team take the field for a more in-depth warmup, like normal pregame, he motioned for us to go back to the dugout. "Grab your bats and helmets for some bp. Pitchers can go to the bullpen. Garret-" He paused.

    Garret grinned. "As much as I would like to get some batting practice in, I have to focus on warming up. Mitchell and I will follow gameday routine."

    Noah nodded. "Sounds good." He looked around at the rest of us. "What are you guys waiting for? Can''t you see the other team already preparing for the game? If we want to prove that we''re the new varsity team, we have to beat these old guys. Or you''ll lose your spot to those stuck on that team with the graduates." He jogged to the dugout.

    I hurried after him, not needing to think about it too much. We grabbed our gear and went to the batting cages beside the field. The rest of our team followed. I could feel some resistance from those who weren''t on varsity last year, but as long as they didn''t talk back to Noah, that was fine by me.

    After a little bp, we switched to the field and got accustomed to our positions, fielding the ball, having someone from the bench throw it around like it was hit. I knew everyone in the infield so I was feeling comfortable. This scrimmage might be the toughest this week, but I felt pretty good with our team.

    Coach eventually made it to the dugout. With Alisha. The two of them sat on the end of the bench, closest to home plate. He stood up and addressed us as a team before we got ready to officially take the field. "I understand the pressure some of you may be under. Don''t think too much out there and play your game. If there''s one piece of advice I want to give out, it''s a small reminder not to be called out on strikes. If it''s close, swing. You have two strikes? I want to see you defending that plate." He looked at Garret. "You ready?"

    Garret grinned. "Heck yes."

    "Get out there!" Coach slapped Garret on the back, sending him to the exit with an extra push. The rest of us starters followed him out, jogging to our positions.

    "Out." The umpire confirmed.

    Sean jumped up and threw the ball back to Garret.

    Garret nodded at him before getting set on the mound again.

    Mahki was up next. He was a little more patient than Julian, watching a cutter come inside for a ball and then another for a strike. A fastball inside for another ball. He fouled off a cutter for strike two. Fouled the inside fastball. Count still 2-2. Garret changed it up with his fastest pitch down the middle. Mahki saw it clearly and swung. The ball came right back at Garret, making him dodge. Behind Garret, Noah was there to snatch the line drive out of the air, preventing the ball from going to the outfield.

    "Out." The umpire declared.

    "Nice grab!" Garret clapped with his glove.

    Noah got up with a grin. He threw the ball back to Garret. "Nice dodge. Mahki was trying to take your head off."

    Garret nodded in agreement. He turned to see Zeke stepping up the plate. "Got a tough one here. Make sure the outfielders are back."

    Noah turned to the outfield and motioned for them to backup.

    Garret got set. Nodded at Mitchell''s pitch selection. He started off with his cutter again, but got burned. Zeke had opened up his stance and pulled the ball down the left field line. All of us could only watch it go over the left field fence. Andy had no chance at it. A kill shot to put us down by one.

    "Don''t mind." Noah called out to Garret. "That''s as expected."

    Garret glared at him for a second before facing Kelvin. Kelvin wasn''t too tough to handle, but he still got a piece of the ball. A routine grounder for Noah to field with ease to end their first inning.

    We jogged back to our own dugout. Unexpectedly, no one was down about losing that one run.

    A lot of the returners just laughed it off, giving Garret a little grief.

    "Just wait for the next inning." Garret said as he put his helmet on. "I''ll shut them down with some strikeouts."

    "How about you go get that run back first?" Jason joked.

    "Nah, that''s Jake''s job." Garret laughed when he caught me looking at him. "What? It''s the truth. You''re on a hot streak and you can handle James without a hassle."

    "Garret''s trying to ditch some responsibility, Coach!" Noah said as he left the dugout with his helmet on and bat in hand.

    Coach rolled his eyes. "Can you guys act with a little more decency? We''re losing here." He looked to me as I headed out for the on deck circle. "Don''t hold back, Jake. No matter if Noah gets on or not, try your best to aim for the fences."

    I nodded obediently and stepped out.

    James is a curveball specialist. He was our closer for most of the season, shutting out guys with his killer curve. It had a lot of movement. But with him on the mound, I could guess what was coming.

    Noah could too. He swung at the first pitch, fouling the ball back for strike one. He fouled another down the line. Noah made solid contact on the third curve, hitting a line drive. Right. Into. Julian''s. Glove.

    Dang.

    "Lucky!" Noah spat out as he came back to the dugout.

    "You don''t get to write ''lucky'' down in the scorecard." Coach said.

 744 V2 ch216

    James started with his biggest curve, so much movement, but I held in, kept my weight low and swung. I pulled the ball to right field, and was able to watch it fly over Tanner and then the outfield fence, as I started my run. We bounced back from our one run deficit like Garret said we would.

    I rounded the bases, tagged home plate, then high-fived Garret on my way back to the dugout.

    He also pumped his fists. "Knew you could do it."

    I grinned.

    "Nice swing and timing." Coach nodded at me. He pointed at Alisha''s clipboard. "Write HR for homerun."

    Alisha nodded and wrote it down.

    Curious, I took a peek. It looked like a scorecard, but not with so much going on. Next to Noah''s name was L3. Line out to the number three position, which is the first baseman. Ah, he''s really keeping track of what we''re doing today.

    "Jake! You just crushed the closer of the year! How do you feel?" Noah asked, holding his fist near my face like he had a mic in hand.

    I cracked a smile. "I feel good."

    The guys near us laughed. A few slapped me on the backside as I headed back for my seat. Sitting down, I checked my bat over for any cracks then put it back in my bag. When I looked back to the game, Garret had just connected with a pitch, pulling it to right field as well. His was only a single though.

    "Dang." Noah muttered. "If my hit had gone through, all three of us would have hits to right field."

    "You''ll have another chance." I reminded him.

    He nodded. "Yea. I just have a little bit of regret."

    "It was a good try." I told him. He had hit a line drive. It was just unfortunate that Julian was there to get it.

    After Garret''s hit, James looked a little annoyed. He ended up walking Sean out of frustration, pushing Garret to second. Korrey was up next. He also was abled to make contact, hitting a grounder to short. Unfortunately, Michael and Dalton was abled to turn the double play to end the inning.

    "Alright boys. Tied game." Coach addressed us before we took the field. "So far, I like what I''m seeing. A lot of swings and a lot of solid contact." He looked to Garret, who was taking his helmet off. "I want to see a little more speed out of you these next two innings. You can handle the rest of their lineup so don''t you dare give up a walk."

    Garret saluted him. "Yes, sir." He grabbed his glove and ran out.

    The rest of us followed him out and got in position. After a short warmup, Garret started with the fifth batter in the lineup: Michael Tye. Former captain of the JV team. Shortstop. Best sportsmanship. Similar to Noah in quite a few ways.

    Michael was able to connect with a fastball from Garret, slapping a line drive to left field, just out of reach for the infield. I thought for sure it was going to be a hit, but Andy shocked everyone with a spectacular diving grab, making the catch, and getting the out. He rolled a few times in the grass, but never let the ball go, showing some real athleticism.

    "Nice catch!" Noah exclaimed.

    Andy threw the ball back in to Noah. "One out!"

    "One out!" Noah repeated, throwing the ball to Garret on the mound.

    Garret had a clenched jaw, obviously not liking that close call. He kicked it to another gear, striking out the next two batters: Jesse and Dalton. I didn''t know whether they struggled because they weren''t good at batting or if it was just because it was hard to get a hit off of Garret.

    We went back to the dugout feeling good about Garret''s clean inning. Three up, three down.

    "That was such a good play!" Noah slapped Andy on the back.

    Andy stumbled on his way back to his bag. "Thanks." He switched his gear and left the dugout. He would be first up this inning.

    "The kid is fast." Garret noted as he sat near us. "I for sure thought that was going to be a hit. I thought he only played infield positions like Julian?"

    "Andy can play anywhere." I told him. I''ve seen Andy play almost every position this summer during softball. He was proficient at it all.

    "Very versatile." Noah said in agreement. "Like Sean. He could also play catcher. The only problem would be his batting."

    Garret chuckled. "I don''t want to hear that from you."

    Noah pursed his lips.

    "Andy doesn''t have any power." I spoke up.

    Just in time to Andy hitting a grounder to Michael at short.

    "Needs to hit the gym." Garret nodded. He looked at me. "Hey, I heard a rumor that Jeremy is going to pay for a newer weight room??"

    I shrugged. "I guess. He had mentioned it before." But I don''t know how that would affect his finances. I frowned. How much is he stretching himself out?

    "That''s correct." Coach overheard us as he was passing by. He looked around to anyone who was listening. "We will be getting a new weight room. With very few exceptions. We''ll have priority to pick the days and times, but we still have to share with the other teams. I plan to implement a lot of weightlifting in our preparation for the spring season."

    "Yay! We can all get ripped like Bryce did over the summer." Garret laughed.

    Coach grinned. "It''s not about getting big muscles, but about getting stronger. Hopefully it''ll be ready in time for school." He walked back to where Alisha was, taking notes.

    Logan struck out, missing the curves terribly.

    Noah snorted. "So much for most improved."

    Logan Porter had started on the freshmen team, then was bumped up to JV during midseason tryouts. He had won most improved during the spring banquet.

    "You struggle with breaking balls too." I whispered.

    "I''m working on it." Noah answered. "Just let me be happy that he struck out and I didn''t."

    "Okay." Whatever made him happy. It couldn''t be easy playing with guys that shunned him just last year.

    Jason surprised us by hitting a double off the outfield fence. He wasn''t usually a great batter, just good enough. For him to get a double off of James, that shows some significant improvement.

    Noah put on his helmet and gloves, grabbed his bat and moved to the on deck circle. Mitchell was at the plate. Feeling like there might be a chance, I put my helmet on too.

    My hope died when Mitchell hit a grounder right to Jesse at third base. Jesse may not be able to get a hit off of Garret, but he could definitely field. He was the JV defensive mvp after all. He threw Mitchell out at first to end the second inning.

    I took my helmet off and set it down. Next inning it''ll be starting from the top. That''s not a bad thing.

 745 V2 ch217 +Announcemen

    Back in our own dugout, the top of the order got ready for our turns at the plate.

    "Dave''s coming in next?" Garret wanted to confirm with Coach.

    Coach nodded. "He''s already warming up."

    "Who is he going in for?" Garret asked, holding his bat.

    Coach looked at him with raised eyebrows. "It depends on who''s the last out."

    "Ha!" Noah exclaimed. "I''m safe!" He jogged out, first up to bat.

    I gave Garret a sympathetic look.

    Garret pulled me back. "Hey, you better not get out."

    I held back a laugh and shrugged. "I can''t help it. If Noah gets out, I get on, then you hit into a double play, is it really my fault if I get out?"

    Garret squinted at me. "You little doomsayer."

    "Okay, that''s enough." Coach pulled Garret''s hand off of me. "Let him go get some swings in. It''s up to your own power not to be the last out."

    Garret sighed. "I know, I know." He moved his shoulders up and down, trying to get loose. "Joey isn''t a big opponent. We''ve dealt with him before."

    "Show some respect." I heard Coach say as I went out to the on deck circle.

    Before I could even take my first practice swing, there was the sound of a ball being hit. I looked on as the ball went right up the middle and bounced in front of Zeke. Noah had sprinted out of the box, and rounded first base, eager to try for second, but Zeke''s fast throw to the infield put a stop to that. Noah hurried back to first and stayed. You can''t run on Zeke. His arm and accuracy is a bit too much. Even for Noah''s quick speed.

    I stepped up next. I stuck with being a lefty, unsure if Noah wanted to try to steal a base against Kelvin.

    Kelvin got up and surprisingly held his glove out over the righty''s box. He was calling for an intentional walk. Against me. Even more surprising, Joey complied, completely skirting around facing me. I was sent to first after four balls, pushing Noah to second.

    I just couldn''t believe it. It''s a scrimmage, isn''t it? Why walk me?

    I stood on first, only inching off when Joey was prepared to face Garret. At least Garret wouldn''t be the third out of the inning. Unless some freaky triple play happens. He must be happy.

    Noah made it home, I stopped at third, while Garret slid into second base, making it a RBI double. And making the score 2-1. Heh. Got the lead.

    I dusted myself off as Kelvin got up and went to the mound to talk to Joey. It wasn''t a long conversation, just a few words then Kelvin went back. Sean was up next.

    Sean didn''t waste time, swinging at the very first pitch, launching it to left-center field. Knowing that neither outfielder was going to make the catch, I ran home. Garret came in at a much faster speed. Zeke was the one to throw the ball back in, and Michael snatched it out of the air. Michael threw home to Kelvin just as Garret came sliding in under the tag.

    "Safe!"

    Garret jumped up and pumped his fists. We went back to the dugout together, leaving Sean at second base. The score was now 4-1.

    "What a great feeling." Noah grinned as I put my stuff away. "We''re beating Zeke."

    I nodded.

    "Garret got lucky that Michael messed up the relay throw." Noah noted. "His transition was ugly. I don''t know whether he got nervous or what, but it wasn''t pretty."

    I stared at him blankly. "I thought it was okay."

    Noah laughed. "Of course you did."

    I scratched my head under my hat. Maybe it''s something only experienced ball players can judge. I probably look even worse.

    The game continued with Korrey. He also made contact, sending a long fly ball to center field. Zeke made the catch for the first out of the inning. But he wasn''t done yet. He threw a bullet to third, catching Sean who was trying to tag up on second and advance to third. Jesse got the tag down before Sean could reach.

    "Out!" The umpire decided.

    Two outs. Technically a double play. By Zeke.

    Andy came up next. He struck out, swinging. He was the third out of the inning. I could only watch with sympathy as Coach benched him.

    "Take a rest, Andy." Coach said once he got back. "Korrey move to left field. Garret, you''re in center."

    Leaving Andy behind, the rest of us took to the field. Dave had already came in from the bullpen and he met up with Mitchell on the mound. They talked for a second to get on the same page, then Dave threw some practice pitches off the mound.

    Dave had a tough start, facing Mahki and Zeke first. Mahki hit a single to left field, then Zeke added a double on top of that. Mahki didn''t try for home, knowing that Garret could make the throw from center field without a cutoff man. Just as I was starting to think about what to say to Dave, he got Kelvin to hit a pop up to Noah. No difficulties.

    Then he really bounced back, striking out Michael and Jesse to end their attack. Michael had swung and missed while Jesse was caught looking. Dave was feeling himself on the way back to the dugout, grinning like he won.

    Dave walked right up to Garret.

    Garret looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What are you so happy about?"

    "I''m going to have more strikeouts than you." Dave declared before sitting down.

    Garret was stunned. He shook his head to snap out of his daze. "Excuse me?"

    "That''s my goal for today." Dave grinned as he explained. "We each get three innings, right? I''ve already given up more hits than you, but I could still beat you in strikeouts. You only had four. I''m already at two."

    Garret pursed his lips. "That''s lame."

    "Maybe." Dave shrugged. "But it''s going to happen." He was smiling like a fool.

    While the pair talked about their pitching stats, our offense was on the decline. Joey wasn''t in good shape, but we couldn''t get any hits. Both Logan and Jason flew out to Zeke in center field. Mitchell also hit a fly ball, but Mahki made a nice grab at the wall.

    (END OF CHAPTER)

    ***

    Just wanted to leave a slightly longer note here for you guys. Some information on the story I''ll be posting in patreon, which will be ready tomorrow night.

    Title: The Last Curve

    Synopsis: Rhys has it all: family, friends, good grades, and most importantly, he''s good at baseball. Not just good, but great. He has learned pitching from his father since he was young. Whether it was talking about pitching or practicing pitching, it''s his whole life. When the unexpected happens, his life seems to crumble right before his very eyes. It''s going to take a lot for him to recover all that he has lost.

 746 V2 ch218

    Bryce had taken some time to get to the batter''s box, having come from the bullpen. Clearly he had been warming up so he was definitely going to take over the mound later. Just because he had warmed up for pitching didn''t mean he was prepared to bat. Dave struck him out to end the inning.

    "Five." Dave said with pride, grinning. He did strike out the side so he had the right to be prideful.

    Garret put his helmet on and ignored him.

    Dave didn''t let him off. "Remind me how many strikeouts you had this game?"

    Garret scoffed. "Fine. How many hits have you given up? How many hits have you gotten at the play? If you want to compare, let''s compare across the board?"

    Dave grinned, unaffected. "Who cares? I beat you in strikeouts." He found a spot on the bench and sat comfortably.

    Noah left the dugout first. "Garret, you seem like you''re in a bad mood today. Maybe drink some iced water and cool off."

    "You''re in a bad mood." Garret huffed.

    I headed for the on deck circle. "I think you''re playing well."

    Garret smiled. "That''s more like it. Thanks, Jake. You''re playing well too."

    I let out a small laugh as I stood in the circle. Garret was so easy to please. He just needed a compliment. He wasn''t truly mad at Dave for having more strikeouts; he''s the type to be mad at himself because he knows he can play better. But he really did pitch well. One hit, one run. To Zeke. That''s not anything to be mad about.

    Bryce was on the mound as expected, going into the bottom of the fifth. The other team ran by Mr. Miller clearly had a different plan for their pitchers. They would get to face everyone in our lineup once. The twins and Garret had it good compared to them, getting three clear innings.

    Noah and Bryce had a good battle. Noah was able to foul off a few pitches, while Bryce was doing his best to keep his pitches in the zone. It came to an end when Noah smacked a line drive towards Dalton. Dalton made the catch for the first out.

    "Dang it." Noah muttered on his way back to the dugout. "Just a bit more."

    I went up to the batter''s box next, choosing to bat from the right side. Before I was even set, Kelvin was standing up and holding his arm out. Another intentional walk?

    I looked back at Kelvin in disbelief.

    Kelvin chuckled. "Don''t look at me like that, Jake. This is just how the game goes."

    Bryce threw the first ball way outside.

    "Don''t think I don''t know about all these homeruns you''ve been hitting this past week." Kelvin laughed. "You already have one off of Bryce from what I heard." He caught the second ball and threw it back.

    "What if I promise not to hit a homerun?" I tried to bargain.

    Kelvin just laughed again. "The fact that you can promise that is scary enough. Sorry. We''re still trying to win here."

    Balls three and four came and went. I put my bat down, depressed. Then jogged to first base.

    Julian was also smiling. "How does it feel to be a recognized power hitter?"

    I frowned. "Not so good."

    He nodded. "Better get use to it. I''m sure not too many teams and pitchers will want to go up against you."

    "Really?" My shoulders slumped as I started to feel down.

    "I''m sure there''ll be exceptions." Julian comforted me. "Like no one on base. Maybe if they''re winning. There''s a lot of scenarios to think of. For example, we have an empty base for you to go to. And it works out that we have one out. Ideally, Garret will hit into a double play."

    I turned my attention to Garret who was facing Bryce. They won''t pitch to me, but will pitch to Garret? That''s not really fair.

    I took a small lead off first, praying that Garret can hit a homerun and make them pay for walking me. Instead, Garret hit the top part of the ball, sending a grounder between third and second base. I sprinted to second the fastest I could, but my jump was late. Michael was able to field the ball and make the throw to Dalton just as I started my slide. Dalton threw to Julian at first.

    "Out and out!" The umpire called it.

    Ugh. Like Noah said earlier, dang it.

    Garret had taken his helmet off on the way back to the dugout and was running his fingers through his hair. "Sorry, Jake. Got too excited and wasn''t clear-headed."

    I shrugged. "We can blame Dave."

    "Hey!" Dave was coming out of the dugout with Mitchell.

    Garret smiled and laughed as he threw his arm around my shoulders. "Jake knows what''s up. Stop messing with our rhythm."

    Dave let us go without getting mad at me.

    I sighed with relief when he headed for the mound.

    "He wasn''t really mad." Garret said.

    "I know." I nodded. "I just felt guilty for a second."

    Garret laughed. "You''re good kid." He left to go find his glove.

    I also changed my helmet for a hat, then grabbed my glove and hit the field.

    Top of the sixth, Dave was greeted with the top of the lineup. Julian hit a single just out of my reach to right field to lead it off. Mahki followed with a fast grounder towards left field. I thought it was going to go through, but Noah made a diving stop.

    I was already in place, covering second, when Noah flipped the ball to me from his knees. Feeling a sense of urgency, I caught the ball with my right hand, foot on the base, then threw straight to Sean at first.

    "Out and out!" The umpire declared.

    "Yes!"

    Julian got up from the dirt after trying to slide into second safely, then patted me on the shoulder. "That was an awesome play. Keep it up."

    "Thanks!" My smile overtook my whole face, making my cheeks hurt. He went back to his dugout.

    "That was so amazing!" Noah hit me with his gloved hand. "We killed that play!"

    I nodded like a woodpecker. "I can''t believe it. I''m in shock. I didn''t think I would make it in time."

    "All your hard work is paying off!" He clapped me on the shoulder and jogged back to his position. "Two outs! One to go!"

    Some of the players echoed him.

    ***

    Link to patreon: www.patreon.com/half_empty

 747 V2 ch219

    "It''s your call, Dave." Mitchell said, not bothering to cover his mouth as he spoke. "You can face him or we can walk him and face Kelvin, who is 0-2 for today."

    Dave grinned and squinted. "I''ll take him on. I''m not one to back down from a fight."

    "That''s how it should be." Noah nodded in agreement.

    Sean shrugged. "At most, he can only score one run. We''ll still have the lead."

    Jason let out a small laugh. "Yo. Don''t jinx him like that."

    Dave wasn''t bothered. "I didn''t get to pitch against him last week. Might as well see if I improved at all." He waved us off the mound, sending us back to our positions.

    Dave looked rather relaxed on the mound despite his opponent. He got set and faced Zeke head on. He started with a fastball, low and inside. Zeke let it pass for a called strike. The second pitch was high, slightly still outside. Zeke didn''t take the bait. Ball one. The third pitch came inside again, but a bit higher. Zeke fouled it down the line for strike two. Dave stared him down before the fourth pitch. He was going to face him. I could tell.

    My stomach sank. If I could tell, then Zeke could definitely tell. I really wanted to yell out to Dave, but I froze as Dave started his motion. He threw a pitch with a little movement like it was dropping, but it didn''t fool Zeke. He made perfect contact and sent the ball flying. Straight center. I turned to watch. Garret chased it to the fence, but it was just for show. He didn''t have a chance at it.

    Zeke ran the bases with a quick jog, tagging home plate after one last glance at Dave. On the mound, Dave was weirdly pretending to throw a ball, like he was trying to get the arm movement right.

    "Dave!" Mitchell called for his attention before throwing him a new baseball.

    Dave caught it and got set again. He wasn''t upset about Zeke''s homerun at all. Not even a frown. He bounced back well, getting Kelvin to strike out to end the inning.

    We went back to the dugout.

    "Not a bad outing, Dave." Coach greeted. "You''re done for the game." His eyes roamed the dugout. "Luke, you pinch hit for the number six spot. Stretch while you''re in the hole and make sure to take some quality practice swings in the circle."

    Luke nodded and started to prepare. He would be the third up this inning behind Sean and Korrey.

    I went to sit with Noah. Both of us were watching Dave and Garret at the end of the dugout. There was no bickering or joking, just a quality discussion in low tones with Dave occasionally fake pitching. They looked at their fingers a lot, and eventually picked up a baseball.

    "I think Dave is trying out a breaking ball." Noah said.

    Noah hummed. "Guess he thinks he can''t just rely on speed and accuracy."

    "Is that bad?" I asked.

    "Depends on what he''s trying to throw." Noah told me. "Some breaking balls can really mess you up if you''re halfhearted. Or if you don''t take care of yourself. There''s a lot that goes into breaking balls. The way you hold the ball, the way you throw, those are just the basics."

    I nodded. I knew a little by now. We''ve seen Rhys in action. When he was trying out his slider, there was a lot that went into it. Even after practicing for a such a long time, he didn''t have perfect control of it. "Pitching is tough."

    "No kidding." Noah sighed. "Though, I wonder what Dave is trying out?"

    "Should be a sinker?" I wrinkled my nose. "Rhys throws a slider right? And that has some movement vertically and horizontally. Dave looked like he was trying to get it to drop."

    "Maybe a forkball." Noah said thoughtfully. "Or he could be trying to put more emphasis on his two-seamer. There''s also a split-finger fastball. Those are all considered types of sinkers. Tricky stuff: pitching." He laughed. "Maybe catchers have a better idea of this compared to us."

    I nodded. I didn''t know the name of pitches very well. I just knew I could control my swing and I could see the pitch clearly.

    Bottom of the sixth. Sean grounded out to third base. Korrey smacked a hard grounder to short, but was still out. Luke made the most out of his at-bat, earning a single off of Bryce. Nothing came of it though when Logan hit into a fielder''s choice, Luke out at second. End of the inning.

    Luke was pulled just as quickly as he was put in. Coach used that same spot for Kyle as he came jogging in from the bullpen.

    Kyle was getting more comfortable in his new windup and it showed. Only Michael got a touch on his pitches, hitting a short grounder my way for the first out. Then it was back to back looking strikeouts for Kyle. Jesse and Dalton didn''t stand a chance. But I guess that''s why they''re playing with the graduates.

    "Looks good, feels good." Kyle proclaimed as he strolled into the dugout. He headed straight for Dave. "Hey! Saw that your breaking ball didn''t have good results. Do you want to go for speed like me?"

    "Nah." Dave waved him away. "Zeke would own you just as easily as me and Garret. Fastball won''t cut it."

    Kyle grinned. "Who says I would face him with a fastball?" He turned to look for Mitchell. "Where''s my catcher?"

    Mitchell, who just put his helmet on after taking off all that catcher gear, looked at Kyle. "Uh...I''m getting ready to bat."

    "It can wait." Kyle plopped down on the bench near Alisha. "Let me see the stats for Dave and Garret."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Pitchers."

    I chuckled.

    Jason got his second hit of the game: a single to right field. It didn''t amount to anything when Mitchell hit into a double play though. With one out to go, the other team still made a pitching change since we got back to the top of the lineup. Noah and I both stood by the on deck circle, watching Brian warm up.

    "I wonder why they have a different setup for their pitchers." Noah mumbled.

    I shrugged. "To give them a chance to face everyone in the lineup at least once?"

    Noah wasn''t convinced. "Nah. It has to be something else."

    "Coach might have known that the twins and Garret would be restless if they didn''t get a fair share of the game?" I suggested. "Everyone gets a chance to face Zeke, but also get more into the rhythm of the game?"

    "Wouldn''t it be funny if Kyle gave up a homerun to Zeke too?" Noah said with a smile.

    "Kyle says he has a plan though." I reminded him.

    "Yea? Like Dave''s plan worked so well?" Noah snorted.

 748 V2 ch220

    Noah fouled off the first couple of pitches, putting himself in a disadvantageous 0-2 count. Brian threw a fastball low and away. Noah swung late, just barely getting a piece of it. The ball dribbled down the first baseline, right into the glove of Julian. All he had to do was pick the ball up and kick first base for the final out.

    Noah came back to me with a scrunched up nose. "Ugh. I''m 1-4 on the day. Not pretty for the stat sheet."

    "You made contact during every at-bat." I tried to comfort him as we went back inside the dugout to grab our gloves. "You had a couple of line drives that just couldn''t leave the infield. Just a bit unlucky today."

    "If it makes you feel any better, Jake also only had one hit." Garret was able to say before running off to the outfield. I guess that dig was payback from what I said earlier.

    "It''s different." Noah wasn''t pacified.

    I shrugged, helpless. "I wish they would pitch to me. It takes a lot of fun out of the game for me."

    Noah nodded. "It''s a free base, but it really brings down the mood. If anything, you have to make them pay for it."

    We went out to the field and headed for our positions.

    "It worked once with Garret getting a double, but then he hit into a double play. 50% success rate?" I said, mostly talking to myself.

    "No, I''m saying you personally have to make them pay. Like steal second every time they walk you." Noah laughed at the look I was giving him. "Come on now. It''s not impossible."

    "No. Just highly unlikely." I rolled my eyes and got into position.

    "We''ll talk about it in the dugout." Noah said as Kyle was now prepared to pitch.

    Kyle shut them down in the eighth. Tanner struck out, looking. Brian hit a grounder to Noah, who handled it with ease. Julian was the only one to make solid contact, hitting a line drive towards center field. Garret came sprinting forward, dove for it, and made the catch to end the inning. Three up, three down.

    Kyle and Mitchell went off to the side to talk about his plan for Zeke who would be coming up in the ninth. Meanwhile I got ready for my own at-bat.

    "I''m just saying...if Brian walks you this time, maybe try stealing a base." Noah suggested again. "It''s a scrimmage, right? This is when we test new things."

    Before I could remind him that I suck at baserunning, a heavy hand landed on my shoulder.

    "Great idea." Coach had appeared, giving my shoulder a pat. "Give it a go, Jake."

    "Do I have to..?" I looked up at him.

    He nodded. "It''s a very real possibility that you''ll be intentionally walked in the future. Maybe not in the beginning, but if you keep hitting bombs, then no one is going to want to face you."

    Kelvin laughed. "Sorry kid."

    Brian threw four intentional balls way out of reach. I sadly tossed my bat back to the dugout and jogged to first.

    Julian greeted me with a smile as we both had a foot on the base. "Cheer up. The game is almost over."

    That didn''t make me feel any better. I frowned. Presumably, Coach had let Garret know that I''m going to attempt a steal. It would suck if there was some miscommunication. With Brian set, I took a few steps off the bag, slowly inching out.

    "Are you trying to steal?" Julian asked.

    I hurried back to first base, eyeing him suspiciously.

    Julian laughed. "You''re a bit too obvious. You never lead out that far."

    I was in despair. "What do I do now?"

    Julian shook his head. "I can''t tell you that."

    I sighed and slowly took a small lead again. Brian checked on me, went through his motion, throwing a fastball down the middle for Garret. Garret held back and I didn''t move.

    "Strike."

    Garret looked my way, and I shook my head. Steal was off. I know Coach wanted me to try, but Julian could see it a mile away. Pointless to try.

    Garret nodded, understanding my shake of head. On Brian''s next pitch, he crushed it to left field, and I took off. Being able to see where the ball landed between Mahki and Zeke, I made a crazy decision to go for third. If I can''t steal a base on my own then I''ll just try for more.

    I could see Jesse preparing to catch the ball coming in. I''ll have to slide. I dove head first and slid over the base as the tag came down on my backside. Unfortunately I kept sliding and couldn''t get a grip.

    "Out." The umpire was pointing at me.

    I sighed, pushing myself up out of the dirt. I turned to see that Garret didn''t try for two, he stayed at first, frowning. Guess I wasn''t the only one unhappy about the play.

    "That was a decent slide." Coach told me when I got back in the dugout. "When you''re going too fast like that, it''s good for you to learn how to use your body to slow down."

    I glanced down at my hands, full of tiny cuts.

    Coach glanced down too, then frowned. "Go get it cleaned. We have to do better to take care of your hands. I know you don''t like wearing gloves, but it might be time to rethink that."

    I sighed again, heading back to my bag.

    "You tried." It was Noah''s turn to comfort me.

    I put my helmet away and put my hat back on. Then used some water to clean my hands.

    "Maybe try sliding feet first?" Noah suggested.

    I shook my head. "Head first is easier for me."

    "Yea, because you''re already looking like you''re falling forward." Kyle came over and looked at my hands. "Just wear batting gloves. It''s good for your hands on all accounts."

    I just don''t like too. I held back another sigh.

    The inning ended with Sean hitting into a double play. We really haven''t been able to get much done, scoring wise, since the third inning.

    Kyle hit the webbing of his glove a couple of times. "Alright. Let''s close this out!" He took the mound, completely energized by his two clean innings. Haven''t even given up a hit yet.

    Mahki broke that on the very first pitch, hitting a line drive to the left corner of the field for a stand up double.

    Zeke walked up to the plate next. Kyle grinned. Mitchell stood up and stepped away from him. Then Kyle threw an intentional ball. His plan was to intentionally walk Zeke? It felt anti-climatic from all his talk, but a part of me thought it was great. Yea. Give them a taste of the same medicine they''ve been feeding me.

    With runners on first and second, the game could easily be tied. But with Kelvin having a hard time getting the ball to the outfield, it was still in our favor. Kyle kept his pitches low, but still in the zone. Mitchell probably knew what to ask for when facing Kelvin. Kevin pulled a grounder to the right of Jason. Jason charged the ball, scooped it up, tagged third, then threw to Julian at first for a hard-earned double play. Only Zeke was safe at second.

    Kyle pointed at Jason with his glove. Jason waved with a grin. It was an awesome play. He was fast and accurate. Just what we needed. Kyle did the rest of the work to close out the game, getting Michael to strike out...looking.

 749 V2 ch221

    "Was that always your plan for Zeke?" Dave asked Kyle as he gathered up his gear into his bag.

    Kyle did a mix of nodding and shrugging. "Yea. Why?"

    Dave laughed. "You talked so much smack and that''s all you could come up with?"

    Kyle grinned, unbothered. "How many runs did I give up compared to you and compared to Garret?"

    Garret could be heard groaning as he took off his cleats. "Why are you guys always dragging me into your comparisons? It''s like I''m your unofficial triplet."

    "You normally love comparing yourself to us." Dave grinned. "You feel like you''re in danger for not being the best anymore?"

    Garret straightened up. "I''d love to see you guys try to catch me. I''ve led this trio the last two years and the weight is pretty heavy."

    Kyle patted him on the head. "We''ll take it from you, old man."

    Garret slapped Kyle''s hand away. "Shut up. You''re older than me."

    I looked at them worried. "Is Garret in a bad mood?"

    Noah zipped up his bag, putting it on his back. "Nah. I think it''s just hitting him that he doesn''t lead the twins anymore. It''ll be tough to be the best pitcher on our team this spring. They all improved in their own way." He grinned. "We''re going to dominate this year. I really can''t wait."

    I smiled too and nodded. I grabbed my bag and we left the dugout together.

    Mr. Miller and Coach were talking to one another near the mound, with Alisha just standing by with her clipboard.

    Noah tilted his head towards them. "I''m going to see if Alisha is joining us for lunch today."

    I nodded. "Okay."

    He left me near home plate.

    I looked around, admiring the field. I loved the varsity field. I played here the most and it''s what I know. Compared to the sketchy JV field and the no-outfield freshmen field, this was best.

    "Jake." Zeke said with a sense of urgency.

    I looked at him, confused. "Yea?"

    He took long, quick strides, reaching me quickly. He put his arm over my shoulders and immediately started guiding me to the exit of the field. "We''re leaving!" He raised his voice. "Noah! Kyle! David!"

    I had no clue what was going on. Whatever it was, it couldn''t be good. Zeke called Dave by his full name. He never does that. I could hear movement behind us as the three rushed to catch up.

    "Zeke?" Noah asked.

    "What''s going on?" Dave huffed, jogging to catch up.

    I looked up at Zeke and saw that his lips had thinned out. He glanced down at me. "Have-"

    "Hello, are you Jake Hollander?" Someone called out just as we left the field.

    "That''s him!" Someone else confirmed.

    I shrunk into Zeke''s side; my anxiety was climbing.

    "Keep your head down." Zeke gave my head a pat.

    I looked at my feet as we walked to the car. Unfortunately we had parked near the freshmen field so it wasn''t a short trip to the car.

    "Jake! Jake!" Some guy got in front of us. "What is your reaction to-"

    "Sorry you can''t interview him without his guardians present." Zeke raised his voice and said firmly.

    "He''s in high school." The guy said, just as firm. He was walking backwards in front of us. "I can ask and he can answer. As-"

    "We''re on school property." Zeke shut him down. "Do you have permission from the school to be here?"

    "Its a public school-"

    We reached the car. Zeke had completely lifted me and put me in the front passenger seat. He closed the door for me and I watched as he turned to say something to the man.

    "What the hell is this.." Kyle muttered as the three hit in the middle row together. All of us had kept our bags in our lap. I also had Zeke''s in my lap, feeling lost and flustered.

    Zeke rounded the car, getting into the driver''s seat. We had reporters on either side of us, trying to take photos and was shouting out my name. Zeke started the car and carefully navigated through the crowd of people. It wasn''t huge, just over ten people. But still...one is too many. This is school.

    "I guess we aren''t going back to practice this afternoon?" Kyle said, getting his phone out. "I''m just going to let Marie know that we had to go. I didn''t even get to see her this morning."

    Noah squeezed forward, leaning on the center console. "Zeke, what''s going on?"

    Zeke glanced at me.

    "It''s Jeremy, isn''t it?" I guessed.

    Zeke nodded. "Him and his uncle."

    "Oh." Noah relaxed. "Just him bailing out his uncle and getting his new contract? I didn''t think they would bug Jake about that though. It''s not like Jake even talks to his uncle." He paused to think. Then he pulled out his phone.

    "Don''t look." Zeke commanded, sounding stern again.

    The air in the car felt stale as we all froze, eyes were on Zeke.

    Zeke sighed. "I don''t want any of you guys to look. Let''s just get home. Meet up with Mom and Dad. I-they-we-" Zeke was having a hard time talking all of a sudden. He sighed again. "I don''t know what to do."

    "It''s bad?" Dave asked.

    Zeke clenched his jaw. "Let''s wait until we get home."

    The drive home was rather silent. Somehow the silence made the drive seem longer. Once we got home, we could see Dad talking to a couple of strangers on the front porch. He noticed us and pointed towards the open garage.

    Zeke pulled into the garage and put the car in park. No one got out until Dad came in and pushed the clicker to close the garage. Then we all piled out.

    I was a little slow with having two bags in my hands, but soon Dad had come to grab both from me. He set them down on the floor and pulled me into a tight hug.

    Being hugged by such a giant man, I was unprepared. I could only stand there until he let go.

    "Dad." Zeke said. "He doesn''t know. I didn''t let them check their phones."

    "What''s going on Dad?" Noah asked.

    Dad brought himself down on one knee, eye-level with me. "Jake. Don''t freak out. Just breathe and listen."

    I nodded.

    "There''s evidence...that your uncle...was paying your mother. To keep you."

    I was dumbfounded. "What?" That can''t be right.

    Dad slowly nodded. "The financial mistakes he had made? He was stealing from his own business and eventually from Jeremy to pay off your mother."

    I shook my head. "No. We didn''t have money in that house."

    He gave me a sympathetic look. "Jake. Your mother. She kept it for herself. The house payments were never late, yet your mom didn''t have a job. Someone found out that she was receiving a sum of money every month like clockwork. Even after your incident."

    Dad said to breathe, but I think I forgot how to.

 750 V2 ch222 Jeremy POV

    "Who found out?"

    "Why would he do that?"

    "This isn''t right!"

    "No shit, but what can we do?"

    "I say we go beat him up."

    "Did Jeremy know?" Noah''s voice thawed me out of my frozen state. I turned to him slowly. He was right beside me, looking at his father with intensity. "Dad. Did. He. Know."

    Dad shook his head. "Noah...I don''t know what Jeremy knows. But, I think on some level, we have to trust that he didn''t."

    Naoh and I both let out a breath of air.

    "There''s a lot of unknown right now." Dad said. "Let''s get inside. I''ll order some pizza and we''ll wait for your mom to get home."

    "Where''s Mom?" Dave asked, frowning.

    "She was showing a house near the beach. She''ll be home any minute." Dad ushered us to the house. "Let''s go in. Get cleaned up. You all smell like sweat and that can really kill an appetite."

    "I call shower first!" Dave sprinted for the stairs.

    "I''m going to call Marie just to tell her...what''s going on." Kyle went upstairs slower.

    "Noah, you should shower before Jake." Zeke grabbed Noah and pulled him towards the stairs, leaving me alone with Dad.

    Dad guided me to the kitchen, placing me at my usual seat. He sat in his own next to me at the head of the table. He pulled out his phone and started to tap on it. "I''m just putting our order in for some delivery. Any special requests?"

    I shook my head. I wasn''t feeling very hungry.

    Dad finished putting the order and set his phone aside. "Done. Plenty of pizza and breadsticks to hold you boys over. Don''t tell Noah, but I even got the giant cookie for you guys to share."

    I cracked a smile. "He would be ecstatic."

    Dad also smiled, but then turned serious. "Should I call Dr. Moore?"

    I hesitated before shaking my head again, almost feeling dizzy. "Not yet. I-I-I don''t know what to say. What I''m feeling. I just...feel...hollow." I looked up at Dad. "Why? I''m not understanding."

    "Oh, Jake. Kiddo." Dad got up and moved his chair closer to mine and sat closer together. "I can''t say for certain, but I know we all have the feeling that it wasn''t for a good reason."

    We sat there in silence until the front door was opened. The familiar sound of Mom''s heels clacking on the wood made me feel better already. She came directly into the kitchen, spotting us together. She dropped her purse and papers on the table, then sat in Noah''s seat on the other side of me. She also got close, before pulling me into a hug.

    It was a little awkward, but again, I was thankful. Thankful to have them in my life. For them to want me in their future. I was tremendously lucky.

    Unknowingly, I started to cry. Just water leaking from my eyes.

    I liked how she referred my uncle as Jeremy''s. Like he didn''t belong to me. Which is good. I didn''t want to belong with him. I don''t know his reasoning for giving that woman money, but it just made me hate him more.

    ***

    \u003cJeremy POV\u003e

    "God damn it!" I hit my steering wheel with aggression, trying to release a lot of my pent up anger. "What the hell is this?!"

    "It''s breaking news." My agent told me over the bluetooth speaker in my car. "We went from minor scandal on the sports page, to headliner. Everyone loves reality shows with family drama. You have had quite a few months of being in the news thanks to your family. You need to find out from your uncle what the freak he was doing sending money to your birth mother."

    I groaned. I was already at the stadium, parked in the player''s lot. "I need to get ready for the game. I don''t have time for this."

    "Jeremy, it''s not pretty." He told me. "My phone has been ringing with calls for a statement. Do we stick with the original version and ignore the breaking news of your uncle''s choices in sending payments to his ex-sister-in-law?"

    I sighed. "Wait a moment, okay? Let me call him. This can just be something harmless like wanting to take care of his brother''s widow."

    "And your brother?"

    I fell silent as I clenched my fists. Jake''s going to be stunned. "I need to call him too. Tell him that...I didn''t know. This is all so messy." I sighed.

    "Organize yourself. Make a checklist." He instructed. "Call your uncle and find out the backstory, because it honestly doesn''t look good. Not with the way he denied your brother''s existence with you earlier this season. And not with the way he had to steal to pay this woman. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and swims like a duck, then it''s probably a duck. Do you understand what I''m trying to tell you?"

    I nodded to myself. "I''ll call you back after."

    "Good. In the meantime, answer no questions. Not from your manager, not from the GM, not from your teammates, and especially not the press. Not a word. We have to protect your image here."

    I don''t see a lot of endorsements coming my way after this season of family drama. I didn''t tell my agent that though. I just let him give me a few more things to be careful of then hung up.

    I played with my phone for a second, ignoring a multitude of missed calls and unanswered texts. I found Jake in my phone and sent him a text.

    Me: I didn''t know, but I will find out. I''ll call you later.

    No reply came back. Not after a minute. Not after two. After ten minutes, I couldn''t put it off any longer. I had to call Uncle Jack. Why the heck would he send that woman any money? Why would he steal to do so?

    I had a sinking feeling that I wasn''t going to like the answers waiting for me. I want to believe in him. He raised me after my dad died. He''s like a second father to me.

    But...a lot of wrong was going on. It has been a couple of tense weeks since I''ve found out that Uncle Jack has blown through all his money avenues. My whole rookie contract is gone now. Just poof. I''m running on fumes and this big contract was just what I needed to fix all these problems. However, some problems can''t be fixed with money.

    Wayne Atkins had told me last night that I was being used. I didn''t want to hear it nor did I want to fight him about it. As Jake''s guardian and father, I didn''t want any bad blood between us. I thought walking away was smart. Now I''m scared that a big ''I told you so'' is waiting for me.

    My hands shook as I held my phone. Clicked on Uncle Jack''s number to make the call. I have to know.

 751 V2 ch223

    I had just come back from my shower, feeling slightly better and more refreshed. My eyes were still a little swollen, but I wasn''t crying anymore. Little wins. I went to the desk. "Did you look?"

    "I did." Noah nodded.

    It was from Jeremy: I didn''t know, but I will find out. I''ll call you later.

    There was no missed call. "Should I reply?"

    "If you want."

    I thought about it for a second before typing back ''okay.''

    "Pizza is here, you ready?" Noah asked.

    I nodded. "Yea." I put my phone in my pocket.

    "I don''t think you''ll need that." Noah told me. "He has a game tonight still and probably has to deal with a lot. When he said later, he probably meant tonight."

    "Oh." I took my phone back out and put it back on the desk. I didn''t really need it after all. Everyone I talk to mostly lived with me.

    Noah left the room first and I followed. Downstairs in the kitchen, they had the food all set out. We filled our empty plates with a little bit of everything.

    "This kind of sucks." Dave said between bites. "What a way for camp to end. I wonder if they''re going to continue with those reporters hanging around. And if they do, what will they get to do since we scrimmaged already?"

    "Mahki sent me a text." Zeke said. "Coach had called the school security to escort the reporters off school grounds. They can''t see them anymore."

    "So they''re playing this afternoon?" Kyle asked.

    "I''ll ask Alisha." Noah got his phone out and started to text.

    "What are we going to do all afternoon?" Dave asked, frowning.

    "You could get started on your college applications." Mom suggested with a smile.

    "Aww, Mom." Dave groaned. "That''s so boring. It''s Friday."

    Mom shrugged. "I''m sorry, honey. There''s nothing I can do. Mr. Pickens will come over to address the reporters this afternoon and we''ll have to wait this out."

    "Sorry." I mumbled, feeling guilty.

    "It''s not your fault." Dave laughed. "I''m just feeling dramatic." He looked to Kyle. "We could practice our pitching in the backyard. I''ll catch for you, if you catch for me?"

    Kyle nodded. "Yea. That''s a good idea."

    "We don''t have catcher''s gear, do we?" Dad asked, sounding concerned.

    "Well...I''m sure we''ll be fine." Kyle shrugged.

    Dad shook his head. "No way. That''s too dangerous. You boys both know what level you''re at. Let me go to O''Conners and pick up a face mask and chest protector. At least."

    Dave scratched his cheek. "Okay. That''d be great. Thanks, Dad."

    "You don''t have to pick out anything high-end." Kyle reminded him. "We''re just using it for practice."

    "Can I go with you?" Noah asked Dad.

    Dad glanced at me before looking at him. "You don''t want to stay at home with Jake?"

    Noah put his pizza down. "Now that you put it that way, I have to explain." He rolled his eyes. "I figured since you were getting something for the twins, you can get something for us."

    I smiled. Noah was still Noah. I could always count on him. I looked to Dad.

    "Sure." He nodded. He looked at me. "Sorry, Jake, you should probably stay inside."

    "Yea." I ate my food, feeling a little more relaxed.

    "We''ll stay inside too." Dave told me. "Even when Dad gets back with the catching stuff. I just showered and don''t feel like getting dirty again."

    "How dare you get my hopes up!" Kyle threw a pepperoni at Dave, but it hit Zeke in the face instead.

    Zeke narrowed his eyes at Kyle. "We can work out together instead. Lift the free weights I have in the garage. Do some ab workouts."

    Kyle laughed, sounding strange. "You know what, I already pitched today and showered. We can throw together in the morning."

    "Yea, I don''t think we''ll be going to the A''s game tomorrow night." Noah started eating again. "This can''t blow over soon enough. The poor A''s only have a three game lead over the Astros."

    "I''ll invite Rhys over tomorrow instead." Zeke said. "He would probably like to work out with the twins tomorrow, and show off."

    "Man, too bad we don''t have a cage like him." Noah said wistfully.

    "If you boys don''t need it immediately, then I''m going to help your mom with some work first." Dad stated. He looked at Noah. "We''ll go before dinner and try to bring home dinner too."

    Noah nodded. "Yea! Sounds good!"

    After lunch, Zeke excused himself to call Rhys. Then Mom and Dad went to their office to finish their work for today.

    "Should we just watch baseball or movies?" Dave asked as the four of us moved to the living room.

    "Movies." Kyle chose. "The baseball games will probably be talking about Jeremy drama. Let''s stay away from that until we hear it from him." He glanced at me. "Sound good?"

    I nodded. "Yea, sure."

    We spread out in the room, getting comfortable. The twins worked through the list of sports movies I''ve seen and haven''t seen. After much debate, they went with the ''Rocky'' series since there was no telling when we''ll have this kind of time to have a movie marathon again. Zeke joined us halfway through the first movie, bringing water for all of us.

    The movie about boxing had me cringing the whole time. I think it was supposed to be an inspirational story of a small-time boxer getting the chance to face a champion, but the constant fighting was tough to watch. The second movie was flat out the same two guys training to fight one another again.

    A phone ringing cut into the start of the third movie. Kyle paused it to find out who was being called. "Not me."

    "It''s me?!" Noah was surprised, staring at his phone in confusion.

    "What is it?" Dave asked. "A scam call? Unknown number? Just hang up and let''s get back to the movie."

    Noah shook his head. "It''s Rose. Jeremy''s girlfriend." He looked at me.

    "Answer it." Zeke commanded.

    Noah clicked on answer. He put the phone on speaker. "Rose?"

    "Noah! Thank goodness!" She sounded out of breath. "I almost forgot I had your number!"

    "..." Noah didn''t know what to say. He looked around at us, but we didn''t speak up either. He coughed and cleared his throat. "Is something the matter? Did you want to talk to Jake?"

    "Yes! Yes!" She replied in succession. "Is he with you??"

    "Right next to me." Noah told her. "You''re on speaker."

    Rose took a deep breath. "Jake. Do you know where your mom is?"

    "In her office..?" My answer sounded like a question. Was she actually looking for Mom instead?

    "No, no, sorry. Your birth mother? Like what prison she''s in?" She rushed to correct herself.

    I drew a blank. What?

    "Jake? Jake?" She prompted me.

    "Uh, Rose?" Noah took over. "That''s not something we would know. Why do you even want to know?"

    "I''m worried about Jeremy." She sighed. "I know a lot of crazy is happening right now, but he suddenly called in to say that he wasn''t going to be able to play tonight. Then he told me personally that he was going on a trip to see his birth mother."

    "Why?" Noah was stunned.

    The rest of us were no exception.

    This didn''t sound like something Jeremy would do. Not at all.

 752 V2 ch224

    "And that''s all he told you?" Zeke took the phone from Noah''s hands.

    "He told me that he had to go see his mother and that he wouldn''t be back until tomorrow, but that I shouldn''t worry." She let out a stressed laugh. "But now I''m very worried. That woman isn''t good news and Jeremy seems very fragile right now."

    "He didn''t like what he heard from his uncle." Zeke squinted into nothingness. "I''ll speak with my parents and try to help. Noah will text you if we find out anything."

    "Please do." She sounded desperate. "It''s not like him to just turn off his phone after calling me. I can''t help but worry and-"

    "I understand." Zeke stopped her from rambling. "Just take a deep breath and relax. We''ll be in contact."

    "Okay. Yea. Thanks." She let out a long breath of air. "I''ll have my phone on me."

    "Bye, Rose." Zeke hung up. He gave Noah the phone back. "I''m going to Mom and Dad." He left the room swiftly.

    "Why would he go find her?" Kyle asked, sounding confused.

    "He didn''t like what he heard from his uncle?" Noah suggested. He looked at me. "You okay, Jake?"

    I shook my head, trying to clear my head. "This doesn''t make sense. He really...doesn''t like her. Just like me, he-" I stopped for a second, trying to find the words. "He hates anything and everything about her. That''s why he didn''t even like me, at first."

    "Right." Noah nodded. "And it''s so weird how Uncle Jack was denying your identity this whole time too. He obviously knew you existed. Add in this money thing, and I''m afraid we have a conspiracy on our hands."

    "Jake? Jake?" Mom rushed to the living room, calling out my name. She got close and looked down at me, worried. "Are you okay?"

    I slowly nodded. I wasn''t even surprised anymore. "I don''t think Jeremy''s okay though."

    Mom frowned. "Dad is calling Mr. Duncan now to get the info for Rose. I can''t believe Jeremy is skipping his game to go..." She didn''t finish her sentence.

    "It doesn''t sound like him." I agreed. I realized I left my phone upstairs. "I think I should go check my phone. To see if he sent me another message." I hurried to leave the living room and up the stairs.

    My phone was where I left it on the desk. I nervously clicked it to see if I had any notifications. A missed call and voicemail, from Jeremy.

    I clicked on the voicemail and listened.

    "Needed to know what..?" I mumbled to myself.

    "What did he say?" Noah asked, making me jump. "Sorry, Jake. I was curious."

    "It''s okay, I just didn''t hear you come in." I handed him my phone. "You can listen too."

    Noah listened to the message with a completely serious face. When it ended, he handed the phone back to me. "Take it to Mom and Dad. Jeremy doesn''t sound like himself."

    "I thought so too." I gulped. "Do you think...he''ll really go see her?"

    Noah gave a small nod. "He sounded desperate for answers. I don''t know what happened between him and his uncle, but it was obviously bad enough for him to want to go see that woman."

    I gulped again. Jeremy had once said that Uncle Jack was like a father figure to him. I don''t understand how we got to this point where he would want to see our mother.

    Noah and I went downstairs to the kitchen where everyone had seemed to congregate. I handed my phone over to Mom. "Jeremy had left me a voicemail."

    She blinked. "Do you want me to listen?"

    "He doesn''t sound right, Mom." Noah said.

    She nodded. "Okay, I''ll put it on speaker for everyone then?" It was like she was asking me for permission.

    I nodded.

    She looked around to make sure everyone was quiet and ready. Then it began again. Hearing it a second time around, make me feel sick to my stomach. My anxiety was climbing. Seeing our mother doesn''t sound like a good idea. Not for any reason.

    Dad frowned as the message ended. "I found out from Mr. Duncan where he''s headed. He''s not going to be able to see her tonight so I don''t know what he''s planning to do." He looked at me. "Have you tried calling him back?"

    I shook my head. "No, but I can." I took my phone back and tried calling. No ringing. Straight to voicemail. "His phone is off."

    Noah grabbed his phone. "Where''s he going, Dad? I need to let Rose know."

    Dad sighed. "Central California Women''s Facility. It''s almost two hours away from us. Probably further for Jeremy since he would be coming from the Bay Area."

    Noah sent Rose a text.

    "So?" Dave asked. "What now?"

    "Yea." Kyle agreed. "What should we do?"

    "What can we do?" Noah replied with a question of his own. "We can''t just chase him down and stop him. Jake won''t go anywhere near that place."

    I looked at Noah, surprised. He''s usually the type that likes to be close to the action. Close to the drama. It''s not like him to sit and wait at home.

    "What?" Noah asked me, unsettled by my gaze. "That woman almost killed you. I''m not going to let you get anywhere close to that prison. Jeremy is an adult. The prison will probably just send him away, anyways. Dad said so."

    Dad nodded in agreement. "I think it''s best if you stay here, Jake. You boys continue your movie night. Try to relax, stay away from the news, and just go back to being kids. Your mother might even make some cookies for comfort."

    Mom frowned. "Why does it sound like you aren''t staying?"

    "Someone has to go check on him, Mary." Dad said.

    "I''ll go with you." Zeke stood up. "Let me get my shoes on." He left before even getting an answer from Dad.

    "Wayne..." Mom''s frown didn''t go away until she glanced at me. Then she sighed. "Okay. Go. Make sure he''s alright. Zeke better keep us in the loop. Have him call Jeremy every ten minutes so you don''t travel two hours for nothing."

    "It''s not for nothing." Dad got up. "I''ll grab my keys and wallet."

 753 V2 ch225

    I hugged Mom on my own initiative. "Thanks." I could tell she was hesitant about sending her husband to go find Jeremy. She gave in for me.

    Mom squeezed me closer. "It''s not just for you. Wayne, your father, has a tendency to want to help young men like Jeremy."

    "I know." I swallowed a lump in my throat. "Dad likes to save people."

    She let out a small laugh. "Yea. He does. He likes to claim that he''s not any good at it, but he tries his best anyway. Don''t worry about Jeremy. I know your dad will reach him and talk some sense into him." She released me to wipe her eyes.

    "Are you crying..?" Dave asked.

    Mom glared at him. "Why can''t I? Jake just hugged me."

    Dave held up his hands in mocked defense. "I see who the favorite is."

    She chuckled. "You''ll see when I finish baking the cookies."

    "We just had a cookie after lunch. Can''t we start planning dinner?" Kyle held his stomach. "I''m not Noah. I can''t live off of sweets."

    Noah gave him a small push. "You couldn''t complain until after we had the cookies in our hands?"

    Mom laughed. "Okay, how about I order Chinese for dinner?"

    "As long as you don''t forget to ask for fortune cookies." Noah said.

    "Fried rice this time!" Dave added.

    "Don''t get anything spicy." Kyle patted his stomach again. "I don''t think I could handle it."

    "You boys are so picky." Mom patted me on the head. "Jake, you have any special requests?"

    I shook my head. "Anything is fine."

    "This is why Jake is my favorite!" Mom told Dave, laughing. "I''m just kidding. As parents, we love you all equally. I''ll go put our order in." She left us to find her phone.

    "Do we just go back to watching the movie?" Dave asked.

    "I''m going to call Marie and give her another update?" Kyle said, glancing my way.

    I shrugged. "Okay?"

    Kyle grinned. "I''m just checking with you."

    I shrugged again. "I''m okay. Confused, hurt, but...I''m not whatever Jeremy is." There''s nothing in the world that would make me want to go see my birth mother. Not even if that was to save my life.

    "I knew your Uncle wasn''t any good." Noah snorted. "What kind of grown man leaves a baby with a psycho?? He can claim that taking Jeremy was hard enough, but at the very least he should have reported your mother."

    "Exactly!" Mom exclaimed, coming back with her phone in hand. "That man rubbed me the wrong way since day one. The more we got to know Jeremy, the more confused I was in why his uncle was such a tool."

    "I wonder if he''s going to jail at all for stealing money?" Dave asked. "Or did Jeremy''s money already buy him freedom?"

    "Who knows?" Noah shrugged.

    ***

    (Jeremy POV)

    I sighed. It was already 8pm. My game had already started and now I was in the middle of nowhere. I looked at the security guard. "Know any decent hotels nearby?"

    He nodded. "The highway you took in? Go back. Near the small airport and across from the golf course, you can find a Holiday Inn."

    "Thanks." I sighed again, heading for the exit.

    "Sir." He made me pause in my steps. "Tomorrow, you won''t be able to wear a hat when visiting an inmate."

    I glanced at him.

    His lips twitched. "You''ll be recognizable."

    I let out a small laugh. "You can already recognize me with a hat on. Guess I''ll be another headliner." I turned to go, but stopped again "Did you want an autograph?"

    He shook his head. "I''m on duty."

    That wasn''t a no. "I''ll be back at 9am. Will you be off by then?"

    "I will." He nodded.

    "I''ll sign then." I waved and left for real this time. Leaving through a wide hallway, it was hard to believe that I was so close to that woman right now. It''s been over a decade since I last saw her. Would she even recognize me?

    I exited the facility and froze. My car wasn''t the only one there when I showed up, but it was alone in the corner. Now, another familiar car had parked beside me. Two men, one in his 40''s and one in his teens were leaning against my car, like they were guarding it.

    I hurried over after snapping out of it.

    Seeing Wayne and Zeke Atkins, my heart started to really pound. "Is Jake here?"

    Wayne pushed himself off my car, shaking his head. "Jake is at home. Waiting for you to call him back. He''s worried about you, Jeremy. We all are."

    I put my hands in my jacket pockets. "How''d you know I''d still be here?"

    "We live a little bit closer." Wayne told me. "Considering the time you called Rose, and left Jake a voicemail, I figured I could catch you. Only took me a minute to ask Jake''s caseworker where his birth mom is. I didn''t realize she would be this close."

    "There''s only three major women prisons in California." I told him. "I had someone keeping an eye on where she would be, but I didn''t want to know. Not until today." My hands clenched into fists.

    Wayne reached out, holding his palm up. "Keys."

    "What?" I asked, not understanding.

    "Give me your keys. You look tired. Let''s go get some dinner. I bet you''re hungry." Wayne kept his hand out.

    I was too exhausted to argue, and handed my keys over.

    Wayne looked at Zeke. "Follow me back to the main highway. We''ll pull off at the next main exit."

    Zeke nodded and got into their car.

    Wayne walked me back to my car, opening the passenger door for me. I got in and closed the door. He rounded the car and got into the driver''s seat. Since he was a giant and taller than me, it took him a couple of seconds to adjust the seat.

    "I wasn''t able to see her." I blurted out.

    He started the engine. "I know."

    "You know?"

    He smiled as he started to drive. "Jake''s caseworker knows the hours. He told me it would be close. Heck, it was closed before I even left the house."

    "Then...why did you come?" I asked, frowning.

    "We''re worried about you." Wayne glanced at me. "Jake is especially worried about you. He wanted to come, but..." He glanced out the window at the prison. "It''s just not possible."

    Yea, that''s right. Jake wouldn''t be able to come. He couldn''t face this woman again. She almost killed him. A minute away from death.

    Resting my elbows on my knees, I put my head into my hands. "How''s Jake doing?"

    "Jake''s okay." Wayne told me. "A little surprised and confused, but he was happy to know that you didn''t have any part with your uncle paying your birth mother." I could feel his eyes on me. "What did he say, Jeremy?"

    I had trouble swallowing.

 754 V2 ch226

    The only sound was the car, speeding down the highway.

    "It''s okay if you don''t want to talk about it." Wayne finally said something. "But Jake deserves to know too. Turn your phone on and give him a call."

    I couldn''t lift my head. "I can''t."

    "You can''t?"

    I gulped. "I have to wait until I know. I have to see that woman first." I tilted my head to look at him. "I''m staying the night here. Visiting hours start at 9am."

    "We''ll stay with you." He said, surprising me. "But you really need to turn on your phone and let the people who care about you, know that you''re okay." He made brief eye contact. "You''re going to be okay."

    I sighed. I really should send a text to Jake and Rose. Just so they know I won''t be back tonight. I didn''t accomplish anything today.

    Wayne drove back the way we came, pulling into a small 24hr diner. We waited for Zeke to park beside us before getting out. I followed them in the diner, where a waitress sat us at a table for four. When we placed our order, I just picked something randomly, not feeling like eating. The waitress left soon after.

    I could feel Wayne''s stare. "What?"

    "Your phone?" He said. "Just send a couple texts out. I''m sure your agent, Coach, and GM all need to know where you''re at too."

    I let out a heavy sigh and pulled my phone out. Turning it on, it started to buzz with my missed notifications. They were just piling up now. I went to Jake''s name first and thought about what to send.

    Me: Couldn''t see her tonight. I''ll know more tomorrow.

    Surprisingly, Jake messaged back almost immediately.

    Jake: Do you really have to see her? I know you don''t want to.

    I bit my bottom lip, unsure of what to say. That I was suspicious of my Uncle''s claims? I didn''t know what to believe anymore? I wasn''t even sure that she would tell me the truth, but sitting in jail, she didn''t have much reason to lie.

    Me: I have to.

    Jake: Don''t go. Come back. Things will go back to normal eventually.

    I gulped. I''m not sure if I can stand it if things went back to ''normal''. What was normal? A lifelong lie? I put my phone down, unwilling to reply.

    "Zeke, do you want to stay the night with us or drive the car back?" Wayne asked his eldest son.

    I looked at him, confused. "You''re staying?"

    Wayne nodded. "If you are, then so am I. I can''t just leave you here alone. I wouldn''t let Jake face that woman, and honestly, I don''t think it''s a good idea for you to see her either."

    "I have to." I repeated what I had sent in my text. There was an undeniable need to see her for answers. Uncle Jack... I shook my head. "I''ll be fine on my own."

    "I''ll stay." Zeke spoke up. "Should I call and let Mom know?"

    Wayne nodded. "Yes. Tell her I''ll call her after we eat and check into a hotel for the night."

    "I really don''t need you here." I told Wayne directly. "You-"

    "I know what it''s like to face dysfunctional parents." Wayne cut me off. "Dysfunctional. Crazy. Inadequate. Nonexistent. I always wished I had someone there when I need it the most. Eventually someone did come and help me get back on my feet. I hope to do that for more youth. Pass on the favor."

    "Is that why you like Jake?" I asked, eyes narrowed. "Just because he''s someone you can fix?"

    He shook his head. "I don''t want to be the fixer. I just want to be the wall he can lean on." He looked me in the eye. "The wall that you can lean on."

    I looked away, feeling uncomfortable. I had just snapped at this man again. I don''t know what''s going on, but there''s no need for me to take it out on Wayne. He''s done wonders for Jake. I should be thanking him every chance I get, not attacking him.

    "Did you know that we''ve fostered kids before Jake?" Wayne asked suddenly. I glanced at him. "Usually emergency foster or short-term fostering. Nothing more than a couple months at a time. I''ve always wanted to give back. And maybe give those kids a look at what stability feels like."

    He continued. "Jake is also the oldest kid we''ve ever taken in. Normally we take little ones in so it doesn''t affect our kids, nor do our kids affect them. If that makes sense?"

    I slowly nodded. "You don''t want to throw a teen in with your teens. It might feel hostile."

    "It also might make them feel excluded." He added. "With the little ones, they know they''re different than our boys. So it''s okay to treat them differently. When Mary heard Jake''s story, it was a first for us. An older boy, who recently almost lost his life, and that didn''t want to talk. Man, we didn''t know what we were getting ourselves into." He chuckled to himself.

    "Was it hard?" I asked. Jake doesn''t talk much now. I can''t imagine him being completely silent.

    "At times." He nodded lightly. "But our boys accepted him so quickly. Really, all the credit goes to Noah. Making him comfortable, pushing him to try new things, while also defending him from anything that he didn''t like. Jake became one of us so quickly. I think we always knew that we couldn''t give him up, but when Mary went down south to see his old school...there was no going back."

    "Why did she do that?" I frowned.

    He scratched his cheek. "Jake didn''t mention you or his father. It was a suspicion that we had, that he craved being a part of a brotherhood. We figured we could do some investigating of our own as Zeke was visiting a few colleges."

    "I bet he hated me." I groaned, putting my head in my hands. "What''s wrong with me? I should have just gone back. Just once."

    "Everyone makes mistakes." Wayne reached over to pat me on the back. "Jake forgave you. He worries about you visiting this woman. He couldn''t be here for you so I''ll be here for you." He smiled. "You''re alive. Life isn''t all that bad. This is just a rough patch."

    I returned a stiff smile. "It''s a really rough patch right now. Like a giant sinkhole."

    "Sinkholes aren''t irreparable." Wayne told me.

    I snorted. "I bet...you wouldn''t think that if you knew what I knew."

    The waitress had impeccable timing, coming back with our food just as I wanted to tell Wayne all my problems. Zeke came back too, sitting down on the other side of his dad.

    "I''m not saying that things won''t change." Wayne said after the waitress left us. "It''s how you handle the change. Don''t go in thinking that everything will go back to the way it was. That way was obviously not as steady as you thought."

    "I think I''m about to lose the family I''ve been with for the last decade." I told him. "My uncle. My aunt. My cousins. If..."

    "The future is unpredictable." Wayne told me. "No ''ifs'' for now. Let''s just get through tonight. Gather your thoughts and put together a list of what you want to ask tomorrow."

    "Okay." He was right. I was jumping ahead of myself.

 755 V2 ch227

    The manager called me as soon as he saw my text. Never mind that it was late and he should be going to sleep. "What''s going on Patterson? Are you coming back tomorrow or not?"

    I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "I might need another day. I don''t know. I should be done by noon and back by two, so theoretically I should make it to the game tomorrow, but I''ll be honest Coach. I''m not in a good place."

    "Take care of yourself, Patterson." He told me right away. "Family first. Then baseball. I want you in your best mental state. You coming back to us and not having your head in the game will kill us and your chances at mvp. Just keep me in the know."

    "I will." I felt a little better knowing that the manager was on my side.

    After his call, I decided to call Rose. She wasn''t someone I can just brush away with a text.

    "Jeremy!" She answered with a yelp.

    "It''s me." I confirmed.

    "What the heck?" She raised her voice again. "Why would you just leave me hanging like that!? I was so worried about you! Going off the deep end." She got quiet before asking. "Are you at the prison?"

    "I won''t see her until tomorrow morning." I answered with a sigh.

    "You don''t have to do this. Come back." She told me lightly.

    "I do, Rose. I couldn''t face Jake without knowing for certain." I swallowed a lump in my throat. "Jake...might be the only one I have left."

    "That''s not true." She whispered. "You have me. And no matter what your uncle did, you can''t blame your cousins."

    "He was paying her off, Rose." I blurted out for the first time. "He took me and was paying her! When I got drafted, the payments went up! He had to know about Jake. I was-I was just some tool for him to make money. He saw me as his big payday since I was a child. I had picked him over Jake and this-this-this-"

    "Take a deep breath, Jeremy." Rose said calmly. "You didn''t have any part in this. Jake will understand."

    She shared a few more words of comfort before convincing me that it was time to go to bed. I wasn''t soothed that easily. I spent the rest of the night staring up at the ceiling. I was replaying my childhood. Growing up with Mom and Dad as Mom was going crazy. Dad''s death. My uncle saving me from my mother and raised me like one of his own. The signs were there. The way he would push me to practice baseball. The way he would remind me that it was my dad''s dream to make the majors. My life was planned out. Thoroughly.

    Knocking at the door pulled me back to reality. I glanced at the clock. 7am. I rolled out of bed and opened the door to Wayne towering over me.

    "You didn''t sleep." He stated instead of asking.

    "How could I?" I rubbed my face to get some of the sleep out of my system. "Are we leaving early?" They said they didn''t open for visitors until 9am.

    "You need to eat something for breakfast." Wayne told me. "I thought we should go back to the diner, eat on our own time, then we can go."

    "Yea...okay. Give me a minute." I went to the bathroom and washed my face, brushed my hair, and brushed my teeth. With it being an unexpected stay, I was thankful for the complimentary toiletries from the hotel. Too bad I didn''t have enough time to iron the wrinkles out of my shirt.

    I was numb as we went to breakfast. Wayne and Zeke carried most of the conversation talking about Zeke''s preparation for college. His fall classes had been picked out and he was about to move into the dorm with his friend in just a couple of weeks.

    It reminds me when I was a senior in high school and colleges were reaching out to me. But...Uncle Jack had cut them all off and told me their offers wouldn''t compare to going pro. Maybe he was right, maybe he wasn''t. I''ll never know now. I wasn''t exactly good at school, but I''d still find a way to get by.

    "You ready?" Wayne asked me as we parked in the lot of the facility. He had driven me in my car while Zeke drove his.

    I stretched as we got out of the car. I was starting to feel restless. "Let''s go." I glanced at Zeke staying in the car and nodded at him. Kind of like a small thank you for coming.

    Wayne and I walked to the building and noticed a long line coming out.

    Before we could ask if it was the line for visitors, a man in uniform approached us. I recognized him from last night. "Hello."

    He gave a polite smile. "I let my superiors know last night about your visit today. They have a plan for a more private visit. Normally the visitation takes place in a giant room with others present."

    A load was taken off my shoulders. "Thank you. I didn''t know."

    He gave a small nod. "Follow me." He led us to the front of the line and had us cut in front to go through security checks. Then a multitude of hallways until I lost my way. He opened the door to a small room with a table and four chairs.

    "She''ll be here in twenty minutes or so." He explained. "She has to go through a similar process of security checks. A guard will be in the room at all times for protection."

    I nodded. "Thanks. Really. I appreciate it." I recalled him wanting an autograph. "Do you have some paper? And a pen?"

    He hesitated for a second.

    "I''ll sign a few copies. For you and whoever else put this together." I told him. "To show some appreciation."

    He handed over a small notepad and a pen. I spent a few minutes, signing each page until my hand cramped up.

    "That should be good. Thank you." He hurried to leave.

    Wayne and I sat on the same side of the table. The room definitely belonged to the prison. No windows, no visible vents, and just one solid steel door.

    I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets, feeling more nervous. This was surreal. I haven''t seen this woman in over a decade. God knows how fast my heart was beating and I haven''t even seen her yet. Time passed by slowly as we waited.

    "Any minute now." Wayne said after the twenty minute mark passed by.

    The door opened and a woman was guided in. She wore the standard prison uniform, but in blood red. It gave me an eerie feeling. The guard locked her handcuffs to the table, then stepped back to stand behind her.

 756 V2 ch228

    She let out a cackle, grinning with an attitude. "I always knew I would see you again."

    I clenched my fists.

    "You look exactly like your father." She paused. "It''s sickening." She glanced at Wayne. "Who''s this? Your lawyer? No. He''s not wearing a suit."

    "My name is Wayne Atkins." Wayne told her. He glanced at me and realized I wasn''t speaking up, so he pushed on. "We had some questions for you. On why Jack Patterson has been sending you money?"

    She moved her head, still staring at Wayne. "You''re not a cop. I can spot those a mile away."

    "Not a cop. Not a lawyer." Wayne answered.

    She looked to me. "Well? Do you have something to say? Or is the puppet going to be doing all the talking?" Her handcuffs made noise as she moved her frizzy hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

    It''s funny that such a small woman could be the star of my nightmares. She''s almost a foot shorter than me. I tried to focus on the matter at hand. "Why was Uncle Jack paying you?"

    "Oh! You speak with such anger." Her grin didn''t fade. "You must already know, right?" She didn''t wait for my answer. "Let me guess: you''re hoping it''s not true? That maybe your good old uncle was paying to support Jake and I?"

    "Was he?" Wayne asked.

    "God, no." She laughed. "He bought Jeremy. Can''t just give away my boy for nothing, can I?"

    I slapped the table with force. "Then why did you keep Jake?"

    She stopped laughing and raised an eyebrow. "Jack didn''t want a baby. He already had a few of those on his own." She stared at me. "Have you met Jake?"

    I didn''t answer her.

    "That boy...he took after you and your father. The looks. The love of baseball. The weak mentality." She snorted. "What an idiot."

    I stood up, knocking my chair over.

    "Please sit down, sir." The guard instructed.

    "Yea, yea, sit." The woman looked up at me, nonchalant. "You have quite a temper. Reminds me of myself from my drinking days." She sighed. "God, do I miss those days."

    Wayne fixed my chair and put his hand on my shoulder to make me sit back down. "Stay calm." He looked at the woman. "Ms. Hollander, why would you agree to sell your eldest son? Do you have any proof to what you say? That he was ''bought''?"

    She looked at Wayne, squinting. "Who are you to Jeremy?"

    "A friend." Wayne answered, giving my shoulder a squeeze.

    I wanted to throw up.

    "Tell me." She leaned forward on the table, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "Have you seen Jake? Does he hate you?"

    I gulped.

    She cackled again, making me shiver. "I bet he does. Sneaking behind my back just to play a little baseball. He looked up to you and Jeff. I told him it wasn''t worth it. I knew what kind of life you were living. The high life. The good life. You weren''t coming back." She paused. "It''s too bad I couldn''t put him out of his misery sooner."

    "Jake is happy and has a good relationship with Jeremy." Wayne stayed steady as I shook with anger.

    She looked at Wayne again, squinting. "You know Jake...?" She laughed suddenly. "You must be his foster family. I knew something was off about you. Giving me a weird feeling." She leaned closer to him. "I heard I did quite some damage to him. Can he even hold a bat anymore? Can he run? Can he ever be normal?"

    "With all due respect, Jake is no longer your business." Wayne stated. "I''m here with Jeremy, as a friend, to help him get some answers on why his uncle was paying you."

    "I already said." She shrugged. "I bet he was excited to hear that I''m no longer around. Saved him a few extra grand. The least he could do is send me some cigarettes. That''s the only vice I have left in this dump."

    I closed my eyes as she complained about the lack of alcohol in the prison. I needed to be calm. Like her. She''s in here for attempted murder and it''s almost like I''m the criminal. Be calm. Be cool. I collected myself and opened my eyes to stare her down. "Did Jack know that you were abusing Jake?"

    She stopped her mindless rant. She leaned back in her seat. "Why wouldn''t he know? Didn''t you know?" She laughed. "I didn''t have any problem hitting you when your father was around; why would I stop with him being gone?"

    That struck a chord within me. Yes, I knew.

    "I thought you would come back the day after you signed your big league contract." She grinned. "I waited months for something to happen to me. Either you coming back or the police coming to take Jake. Nothing. That''s when I demanded more from Jack. Why should he get all the benefits of you making it to the show? I did the same amount of time as him. Hell, I even gave birth to ya." She laughed.

    Maybe I really am a criminal. How could Jake ever forgive me? It must be because he''s still young. He''s going to grow up to detest me. I hate myself.

    "You have more of my genetics than I thought." She said.

    I immediately turned to the side to throw up. I couldn''t handle it anymore. Her words. Her voice. This whole...thing...

    The guard opened the door to call for assistance while Wayne got up to help me.

    "You can''t handle the truth?" The woman laughed. "The irony. You and your dad''s family are all the same. Hypocrites. Talking to me about being a good person. Ha. We''re just different kinds of assholes. There''s no such thing as good people. At least I owned up to what I am."

    I could hear shuffling feet and could vaguely tell that she was being taken away. Napkins and a water were held out in front of me.

    "Just spit on the vomit." A stranger said. "Someone will be here to clean it up."

    My eyes were watery. I could only tell myself that it was from throwing up my breakfast. I cleaned up and slowly got up on my feet.

    Wayne stood close by, looking like he was ready to catch me if I fell over. "Come on, Jeremy. Let''s get some fresh air."

    I mindlessly followed him and a guard out of the maze of hallways.

 757 V2 ch229

    Wayne reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. "You do what you need to do. What you want to do."

    "I don''t know." I closed my eyes tight, trying to get that woman out of my head.

    "How about you come home with us then?" He offered. "We can make it home in time for lunch with Mary and the rest of the boys."

    I shook my head. "I don''t think I can look at Jake right now."

    "You can''t let what she said, get to you." Wayne kept me steady with his hand. "Why would you give her words any value?"

    "Was she wrong?!" I jumped up, feeling anxious. "My whole life...my time with my uncle''s family, I thought I was one of them. Instead they just used me as a cash cow. All of my rookie contract is gone. I have nothing but the cash in my account. I''ve treated Jake like air and abandoned him to live this lie."

    "Jeremy. Jeremy. Calm down." Wayne pulled me into a side hug, stopping me from jumping around and pacing. "Just because you''ve made some bad decisions doesn''t mean you''re a bad person. There''s still time to fix things. Look how you and Jake were in the beginning. Now you''re just like any two brothers. Things can get better if you just try."

    "But, Jake-"

    "Jake''s waiting for you to come over for lunch." Zeke cut me off, having come out from their car. "I heard Dad say we can make it in time for lunch so I let him know. He''s expecting you. If you don''t want to let him down, just show up."

    My eyes stung and my nose felt funny. "Okay. Yea, I can do lunch."

    "Zeke, you just follow us." Wayne instructed. He guided me to the front passenger seat and got me to settle down.

    After getting on the main highway, Wayne cleared his throat. "I know you''re under a lot of pressure right now, but I think it''s time to start planning your next step."

    "My next step..." I echoed.

    He glanced at me before putting his eyes back on the road. "Calling your agent? Calling your lawyer? I know you don''t want to think so far ahead right now. It''s stressful, I get it. But you have to know...the repercussions this has on your public image. Plus, I don''t know how much access he has to your money. You have to protect yourself, Jeremy. Get that financial planner and start putting your money away for retirement. You never know how long a career in baseball will last."

    Wayne went on, talking about dividing up my money into savings accounts, stocks, bonds, and retirement accounts. But my mind was on what he said before that. ''You have to protect yourself.'' He was right. I had to. I''ve made so many bad decisions, putting my trust in the wrong places...why am I so muddle-headed?

    Wayne became silent as the phone started to ring.

    "Jeremy!" My agent answered. "Thank goodness! I was getting worried that you were going to pull another disappearing act."

    I cleared my throat. "No. I''m here. Heading to see my brother now."

    "Good, I''m glad. Does that mean you''ll be at the game tonight?"

    I hesitated.

    "Jeremy?" He asked.

    Wayne reached over and snapped his fingers in front of me. Very rude but it got my attention. I looked at him. He nodded aggressively.

    "Hold on..." I told my agent, putting him on hold so he couldn''t hear. "Wayne...I don''t think I''m in the mood to play tonight..."

    "Think about your commitment to the team, Jeremy." Wayne warned me. "You''re a MVP candidate. Do you really want to throw that away? All your hard work? When I said you have to work on the next step, I meant baseball too. You''re going to play in that game tonight. Play well. Face your team and apologize for skipping out last night. Then face the reporters in the postgame interview. It''s time to grow up."

    I bit my bottom lip, unable to refute. "Yea...okay." I took a deep breath and but my agent back on.

    "Well?" My agent asked, sounding nervous.

    "I''ll play." I told him. "I might be running behind to warmups because I''m stopping for lunch, but I''ll be there. Ready to play and to win." I swallowed. "Also, I want you to find me a new lawyer. One that my uncle has no connections with. We have a lot of work in front of us to get his hands out of everything that belongs to me."

    "No problem! Leave it to me!" I could hear him typing. "We''ll get started this afternoon. We''ll put together a list of your assets and liabilities. Everything that belongs to you. Then a list of things that you pay for that''s in their name."

    "Cut off any payments that aren''t going to anything in my name." I scratched my cheek. "For those in my name...we''ll have to go over it in person. I...don''t want to take their home." I couldn''t make them homeless. I may have been used, but there''s worse ways to treat people.

    "I''ll get to work." He paused. "Do you want me to prepare a statement for you?"

    "No." I glanced out the window to watch the scenery pass by. "I''ll address it after the game. The team will have the PR covered."

    "Okay. Sounds like a plan!" He exclaimed, sounding less worried. "Call me when you''re on the way to the stadium."

    "Sure." I hung up. I looked to Wayne. "Thank you."

    He was surprised. "You don''t have to thank me, Jeremy. You-"

    "No." I cut him off. "I do." I showed a small sad smile. "I...I''m so thankful to you and your family. For taking Jake in. What if I never got the chance to see him again? What if he went to one of those stereotypical foster homes where the abuse continued? I''m happy he has you guys." A wave a guilt passed over me. "And...I''m sorry. Again. For not believing you about Uncle Jack. It''s just..."

    "You had rose-colored glasses on." Wayne finished for me. "That''s understandable. He''s your uncle. He raised you. For better or for worse, you had to give him some benefit of the doubt. I just didn''t want to see you hurt. I''m just sorry it happened so soon and unexpectedly."

    Was it so unexpected? Looking back...I feel like there were some very obvious signs. I let out a short laugh, making Wayne jump.

    "I''m so dumb." I shook my head. "I never questioned him, but I questioned Jake and you guys before even knowing you all. It''s amazing I''ve even gotten this far in life."

    "You''re not dumb." Wayne was quick to correct me. "Don''t get down on yourself like this. Like I said, everyone makes mistakes. When asking for forgiveness, make sure to forgive yourself. Stop burying yourself in guilt. You''ll never get anywhere like that."

 758 V2 ch230 Jake POV

    "Mom, are you cooking lunch..?" Noah asked as we stood in the doorway of the kitchen. On Saturdays, it was normal for her and dad to be gone all day, showing homes to their clients. Today was an exception, of course.

    Mom looked up after putting a pan in the oven. "Yes. I think Jeremy can use a home-cooked meal today."

    "Is he coming back yet?" I asked.

    She nodded. "Zeke just called me to let me know that they''re on their way."

    "How is he?" I felt stiff. It couldn''t be easy for him to see her.

    Her lips thinned. "Not sure. Zeke said Dad was going to drive him home. He said they were only in there for an hour or so. We can only wait and see."

    "Don''t worry, Jake." Noah slapped me on the shoulder. "Jeremy is tougher than you. He''s going to be just fine. I bet he even got to relieve a lot of his childhood anger out on that woman."

    "You really think so?" I frowned, not entirely believing him. Noah didn''t know my birth mother. What kind of living devil she was.

    Noah nodded. "I know so!" He looked to his mom. "What''s for lunch?"

    "Lasagna. Salad. Maybe some mixed veggies."

    Noah made a face. "What about dessert?"

    Mom put her hands on her hips. "Noah James. Is sweets all you can think about?"

    Noah laughed. "I''m just kidding. You know I like lasagna, Mom. I like anything you cook." He pulled me away. "Well, we have to go clean up. I''ll be back to help set the table."

    "Uh-huh." She squinted at us as we left.

    On the stairs, Noah pouted. "I can''t help it if I have a sweet tooth."

    It was my turn to pat him on the shoulder. "Maybe we can get ice cream after lunch."

    He cheered up immediately. "Yes!"

    I smiled and watched as he rushed up the stairs, feeling more energized.

    We took turns showering, then worked on cleaning our room. Dad and Zeke had made a mess when they had planned to build us a bat rack for the closet. We got most of the stuff off our beds so we could sleep last night, but now we pushed it off to the side and reorganized it so the space would be ready for Dad when he got back.

    "You think Jeremy will play in the game tonight?" Noah asked as we watched a baseball game in the living room.

    I shrugged. "Depends on how he''s feeling, I guess."

    "Noah." Zeke beckoned for him to come.

    Noah went over, leaving me to stare at Dad and Jeremy alone.

    Dad had walked around the car to Jeremy, putting a hand on his shoulder and looked like he was guiding him to the garage. Once inside, Zeke had shut the garage.

    I was face to face with Jeremy, but he wasn''t looking at me. Dad gave me a small nod, tilting his head to Jeremy. Then he left us alone, going inside after Noah and Zeke.

    "Are you okay?" I peered up at Jeremy, trying to catch his eye. "Did...she do something to you?"

    Jeremy shook his head. "No, no. She''s locked up. They kept her handcuffed the whole time."

    I let out a sigh of relief.

    Jeremy scratched his head. "I...I found out that she was getting money. From Uncle Jack. They both had the idea to use me to make it to the pros...and then cashed in."

    "Are you okay??" I asked, worried.

    "Am I okay?" He looked surprised. Then looked me in the eyes. "Are you okay?"

    "Yea..." I glanced away. "It kind of hurts knowing, but..." I looked back up at him. "It can''t hurt me as much as it hurts you, right? You were raised by him and his family. You were one of them."

    "Yea.." He echoed. "I was one of them." I could hear him gulp. "Not anymore though. I''m severing ties with Jack. I''m not some credit card he can swipe when he wants. I''ve given enough."

    I felt pain for Jeremy. Without thinking, I got close enough to put my arms around him. "I''m sorry, Jeremy."

    He hugged me back. "No, Jake. I''m sorry. I''m sorry for leaving you with that crazy and never going back. I don''t think I can ever forgive myself after seeing her today."

    "I''ve forgiven you." I reminded him. "I''m happy where I ended up. Probably wasn''t the best path, but the result is more than I can dream of."

    He pulled me tighter. "I''m still sorry. I''ll keep saying sorry. I can''t see me stopping."

    I let out a small laugh. "I used to say sorry a lot too. Now I don''t even think about it." Feeling uncomfortable, I wiggled out of his grasps. "Let''s go inside. Mom made lunch."

    Jeremy hesitated. "Are you really not mad? At me?"

    "At you? No." I shook my head. "Actually, after the initial shock, it''s comparable to ripping off a bandaid. Hurts for a second, but then nothing." I showed a small smile. "I''m just glad you didn''t know." I paused. "Though...I think that hurts you more. Sorry."

    He let out a short laugh. "We do say sorry a lot." He put his arm around my shoulders and guided me into the house. "We''ll get through this together."

    We headed for the kitchen where the most noise was coming from. The whole Atkins family was sitting down and moving the food around. I noticed an extra chair on my side of the table. Taking the first step, I sat beside Noah and pointed at the empty chair between me and Dad.

    Jeremy sat down.

    "Are you going to play tonight, Jeremy?" Noah asked as the food was being dispersed.

    "How inconsiderate." Kyle snorted. "Why is your head only full of baseballs?"

    "It''s a valid question." Noah stuck his tongue out at Kyle. "If he''s playing, then I know he''s good. If he''s not, then I''d suggest he just stay the night with us."

    "I''m playing." Jeremy cut in the argument. "I have work to do. Have to prove that the big contract was meant for me." He glanced at Dad. "Plus, I have more than just work to do."

    "Yea?" Dave asked between bites of salad. "Like what?"

    "David." Mom scolded. "Don''t pry."

    "No, it''s fine." Jeremy said. "It''s going to be news by tonight, I''m sure. I''m going to cut relations with Jack. There''s a lot of legal work that needs to be done so I have to take care of that." He scratched his cheek. "If you guys don''t mind, I still have tickets reserved for you all. This wasn''t the way I had planned the weekend, but I did have Rose prepare some tickets."

    "Yes! A million times yes!" Noah started to shake in his seat.

    "I don''t know if that''s a good idea..." Mom hesitated.

    "It''s going to be okay, Mary." Dad told her with a smile.

    She gave in easily. "Okay then."

 759 V2 ch231 A’s Game

    After lunch, Jeremy had to hit the road. He was running late as it was, but still talked to Dad off to the side. Almost like they were hiding something.

    "They''re definitely hiding something." Noah read my thoughts out loud.

    I nodded in agreement.

    Jeremy said his goodbyes then left.

    "What were you and Jeremy talking about?" Noah went to pester Dad as soon as Jeremy closed the door.

    Dad grinned. "Just talking about how many seats are available. I think we can afford to invite a few extra friends."

    "We were originally going to bring Rhys." Noah said. "Should I still call him?"

    "I''ll do it." Zeke said, pulling out his phone.

    "How many seats are available..?" Kyle asked, leaning against the wall. "Can I invite Marie?"

    Dad looked at me. "What do you think?"

    I shrugged, confused. "About what?"

    "About who to invite."

    I shrugged again, but also caught Kyle''s pleading look. "If we invite Marie, we have to invite Kaylee."

    Dad nodded. "Okay, we still have two more seats."

    "If we invite Kaylee, we should also invite Alisha." Noah suggested.

    "One more seat left."

    "Hey, hey!" Dave interrupted. "Why are you three inviting girls?"

    "Alisha is part of the team now." Noah said. "Plus, she''s a friend."

    "I don''t have any other friends." I added. We hung out with the girls a lot in our free time.

    "What about Garret??" Dave said.

    Dad pointed at him. "Last seat goes to Garret. Make sure he can go." He looked towards his wife. "How should we drive there? Two cars? Three?"

    It became a busy time as everyone started to make calls and plans for the drive there and back. Rhys said he would meet us there. Marie said she and Kaylee would come to our house right away. Garret was the same. Alisha needed to be picked up though since her parents were already gone for the night.

    We started to get dressed in our A''s gear and taking what we might need for the night.

    Garret showed up first, decked out in his own A''s jersey and hat. He checked in on me as soon as he saw me. "Jake! How ya doing?"

    "Good." I nodded.

    He was taken aback. "You sure?"

    I nodded again.

    "We didn''t expect much from that crappy uncle." Noah explained. "Jeremy has it rough though."

    Garret nodded. "I was watching the game last night. They said he didn''t even show up." He looked back at me. "But he''s an adult. He can handle it himself. I was more worried about how you were feeling."

    Marie and Kaylee showed up next.

    With them here, we split into two cars. Zeke would drive the twins, Garret, and Marie. Dad and Mom were going to take Noah, Kaylee, and myself to pick up Alisha and then meet up at the stadium.

    Kaylee got in the car first, getting into the last row. I made eye contact with her, and before she could say anything, I got in the backseat with her. I didn''t want her to think that we aren''t friends, and to remind her that I wasn''t too scared of her. Plus, I know Alisha will be happy to sit in the same row as Noah.

    Sure enough, when we stopped by her house to pick her up, her grin expanded seeing Noah in the middle row.

    She climbed up and buckled in. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Atkins." She glanced to the back. "Hey, Kaylee!" Then she made eye contact with me. "You okay, Jake?"

    I nodded. "Yea. It''s fine. Or, at least, it''s going to be."

    "Good, I''m glad." She nodded. Then she turned to Noah. "Coach really liked what he saw in that scrimmage yesterday."

    "Yesterday feels like a lifetime ago." Noah complained.

    Alisha laughed. "Really? I feel like this summer has really blown by. We should hang out as much as we can before school starts at the end of the month."

    The two started making plans on how to spend the last couple of weeks.

    "Did you find out why your uncle was paying your birth mom?" Kaylee asked me, keeping her voice low like she was asking something she shouldn''t.

    I shrugged. "I only know that it concerns Jeremy. I think he was using him..?"

    She made a face. "Wasn''t it even profitable?"

    I scratched my cheek. "It must have been. Jeremy spent the last of his rookie contract on Jack''s problems. Jeremy''s going to cut ties with him, I think." I sighed. "Jeremy isn''t in a good state of mind. He went to go see our mom in prison."

    "Wow!" Kaylee gasped. "I''m surprised."

    I raised an eyebrow.

    "He seems like the type to run and hide from his problems." She explained. "Good for him."

    "I guess." I wasn''t sure. "I wouldn''t want him to visit that woman though. She''s...not a good person."

    Kaylee shook her head. "No. I think it''s good for him. He hadn''t seen her in how long?"

    "Over a decade."

    "It''s a good reminder for him to see what you had to put up with." Kaylee stated. "I might change my ''dislike'' to a more neutral position."

    I cracked a smile. Kaylee and Noah are so similar sometimes. They hold grudges.

    We were the last part of the group to show up at the A''s stadium. The others were all waiting out front for us. Dad took the lead, getting our tickets from the ''will call'' window, then had us wait patiently just inside the gates.

    "I''m here! I''m here!" Rose came jogging over decked out in her work uniform, representing the A''s in a more professional manner. She greeted Mom and Dad, taking all the tickets from them.

    Dad introduced her to our friends that we brought.

    Rose grinned. "You guys are in for a treat today. Jeremy had to pull some strings up top to get you this."

    My stomach dropped. Jeremy really doesn''t hold back when we come to the games. He should do more to save his money. I don''t want him to lose this contract money too soon.

    Rose noticed my discomfort right away. She lead the way, walking beside me. "Don''t worry. This was a stipulation in his new contract. He wanted to celebrate by having you and your family come. This didn''t cost him anything!"

    I wasn''t convinced. Nothing in this world is free.

    Rose took us up, stopping on the floor with private suites.

    "No!" Noah gasped. "Really?!?"

    "Really." Rose grinned. She stopped at one of the doors and opened it for us.

    "This is so cool!"

    "Right behind home plate?!"

    "Is all this food for free??"

    "There''s a fridge?!"

    Everyone started to explore, but Dave and Noah were the ones to explore and exclaim about all the amenities.

    The suite really had it all. A table full of food. A fridge full of bottled drinks. A giant screen tv with indoor seating, then normal stadium seating just outside the sliding door. It was a lot.

    I glanced up at Rose as she closed the door. "Jeremy doesn''t have to pay for any of this..?"

    She grinned. "It''s a small perk to his very big contract. Don''t worry so much about his money. Jeremy is doing just fine." Her smile weakened. "He''s about to drop a lot of deadweight."

 Chapter 760 - V2 ch232 (Postgame Interview)

    "Are you going to stay with us, Rose?" Mom came over at that moment to ask. "Or do you have to go back to work?"

    Rose straightened up. "Unfortunately, I do most of my work during the games. I''ll probably join you guys during the seventh inning stretch."

    "Sounds good." Dad nodded, coming over. "I''m happy that Jeremy has someone like you in his life."

    Rose blushed. "I-I-I don''t do much." She backed up to the door. "I''m going to go now. See you guys later. Enjoy the game. Bye." She left before any of us could say bye back.

    Mom slapped Dad on the chest. "You scared the girl. What''s wrong with you?"

    Dad grinned. "What?? I''m sure she took it as a compliment. Someone that worried about Jeremy, can''t be that bad. She even reached out to call Noah to get to Jake. I hope her and Jeremy can stay together for the long term."

    Mom rolled her eyes. "Leave the kids alone." She glanced my way. "Why don''t you go join the others, Jake? You know the food won''t be there for long. Not with the twins around."

    I cracked a smile and went to join the others. Mom knew the twins well...they both had two hot dogs on their plates and grabbed multiple bags of peanuts and popcorn.

    "I can''t believe they don''t provide any dessert." Noah complained as I joined him around the buffet.

    "All this junk food isn''t enough for you?" Kaylee joked.

    "It''s not sweet junk food though." Noah sighed. He finished filling his plate and pointed to the sliding door. "I''m going to eat outside. You guys coming?"

    "Yep!" Alisha raised her full plate. "I''m already done."

    Noah nodded. "Cool. Let''s go."

    I hurried to fill my plate and followed them out. Kaylee was right behind me, so the seating order became Noah, Alisha, me, Kaylee, then two open seats. It didn''t last long though. Marie and Kyle came to join our row.

    At first I was nervous being stuck between Alisha and Kaylee, but I stopped overthinking it as the game started. The lineup for both teams was announced, and it was strange to hear that Jeremy would be the designated hitter.

    "They''re probably letting him off easy for tonight." Kaylee noted. "His only focus would be hitting." She cracked a smile. "Too bad we don''t have the DH position in high school. You could hide how bad you are at fielding."

    Dave and Garret started to laugh behind us.

    I felt my face heat up.

    "Hey!" Noah hollered. "Jake is so much better than he was six months ago. Give him another six months and he''ll fit right in."

    "Jake already stands out." Rhys laughed. "There''s no option of fitting in and that''s a good thing when it comes to baseball."

    "The season can''t come soon enough." Noah started to bounce in his seat.

    His excitement didn''t die down because the A''s took an early lead thanks to Jeremy''s two-run home run. The A''s were killing it throughout the game, with Jeremy getting most of the attention thanks to his multiple hits. You would have thought that he took a vacation day yesterday instead of being stressed out. Just this morning he saw our birth mom. I aspire to be as composed as him in the future.

    It was a fun night, stuffing our faces with food and cheering for the A''s. It''s difficult to say if we would have this much fun if it wasn''t for the A''s and Jeremy playing well. Rose showed up during the seventh inning stretch like she said she would. And luckily for Noah, she came with bags of cotton candy.

    The game ended with the A''s winning 13-2. Jeremy was definitely the star of the game, going 4-4 at the plate with two hits being homers.

    Our group had moved to inside the suite to watch his postgame interview.

    [Broadcaster: Jeremy Patterson! You were absolutely on fire tonight, my man!

    Jeremy: Haha, I did what I could to make up for last night.

    Broadcaster: Can you tell us what happened to you last night? I know you have a lot of public family drama going on, but...

    Jeremy: I won''t talk too much about it. My uncle made his choices for his own reasons. For now, me and my brother will be cutting him out of our lives.

    Broadcaster: I''m sorry to hear that. I didn''t mean to bring you down after such a great game.

    Jeremy: No, no, it''s fine. I think a big reason why I did so well tonight was to show everyone that this won''t hold me back. It won''t stop me from playing my game and working to the ultimate goal: winning the World Series. I''m sorry for the distraction and inconvenience my teammates and coaches have to put up with. I''m also sorry for not responding to those who have reached out to me. Just know, I''ll get back to you. Thanks.

    Broadcaster: Glad to see you''re doing alright! Don''t let the media get to you.

    Jeremy: Ha...aren''t you part of the media?

    Broadcaster: ...

    Jeremy: Any other questions for me? Despite all that''s going on in my personal life, I''m in a good mood.

    Broadcaster: Let''s talk about your MVP run. You''re leading the AL in average, homeruns, RBIs, and only third in runs scored. Are you feeling good with these stats?

    Jeremy (scratched his neck): I feel good when my team is winning. We have a great team, and now that Maberry is all good, our lineup is solid.

    Broadcaster: So you don''t want to be MVP?

    Jeremy: I didn''t say that.]

    The interview shifted to talk about the postseason and how hopeful the A''s are to win their division

    "Looks like he''s doing okay." Kaylee said, standing beside me.

    I stopped watching the tv and looked at her. "Yea. I don''t think I could do what he did. Seeing that woman..."

    "Well, she didn''t almost kill him so it''s different." Kaylee shrugged.

    "Abuse can''t be measured." I took my hat off and pushed my bangs out of my eyes, then put the hat back on. "There are a lot of factors. But, I think it''s hard to face any abuser. On any level."

    Kaylee twisted her lips, looking unconvinced. "If anyone dared to hit me, I''d hit them back."

    It felt wrong to laugh, but I let out a small chuckle. Kaylee was raised to be the bully, not to be bullied. Everyone has ideas of what they would do if they were in that kind of situation, but you don''t actually know until you''re there.

    "How''d your camp go this week?" I asked, trying to change the subject. I didn''t want to feel down on myself right now. It was a good night to be happy and stay happy.

    "Good." She nodded. "Didn''t see much among the incoming freshmen, but a lot of the returners have improved over the summer. Especially KJ."

    "Oh. Does that mean you''re not going to try pitching anymore?" I asked.

    "I''d like to." She said in a low voice, glancing towards Marie who was busy talking with Kyle. "My parents can''t afford to send me to all those specialized camps like Marie, but I''m hoping Marie can just coach me herself. Especially before she goes off to college."

    "Have you asked her?"

    She rolled her eyes. "No. She''s been busy lately. Softball, softball, Kyle, more softball, more Kyle."

    I tried not laugh, but didn''t succeed. "Aren''t you the one that wanted them back together?"

    She sighed. "This is better than angry, heartbroken Marie. Trust me. I''ll try to get tips from her these next couple of weeks before school starts. Then I can practice during this semester with a coach watching me. I''d like to give it a go."

    "I''m sure you''ll be able to do it." I told her, confident in her confidence.

    "Of course I''ll be able to do it." She snorted. "It''s a matter of whether I''ll be great at it or not."

    I smiled awkwardly, not sure what to say anymore.

    Kaylee looked me in the eye. "You''re not a big scaredy-cat like you used to be." She slapped me on the shoulder with force. "Keep it up."

 Chapter 761 - V2 ch233 (Sunday)

    We didn''t get to see Jeremy after the game, but I sent him a text, congratulating him on such a good game and thanking him for the experience in the suite. His reply came in just as we pulled back up to our house, almost over two hours later. He was just thanking me and telling me his schedule. He had a day game tomorrow, then they would hit the road that night for a couple of away games. He would have another off day on Thursday when he gets back.

    I hesitated to reply. Tuesday I would have my procedure on my scars. Dr. Griffiths already said that I would have to rest a few days and stay out of the sun. I don''t know if Jeremy would mind coming over and just hang out inside on his one day off. It''d be better for him to spend the day with Rose.

    I left him on read and got ready for bed. It was late after sending everyone home and I was mentally drained from the social gathering.

    Sunday morning, Noah woke me up. "C''mon. Let''s go for a run."

    I opened one eye. "Go with Zeke." We stayed up way too late to go running this morning. It''s inhumane.

    "Zeke and Dad went to the hardware store to get the stuff to change our closet. C''mon. Please?" Noah pleaded.

    "The twins can''t go..?" I mumbled, still unwilling to get up.

    "They''re already throwing the ball outside. Dad said he would grab them some catcher''s gear on his way back with Zeke."

    "And you didn''t go with them?"

    "With Zeke and Dad? Nah. I only wanted to go to the sports store with Dad alone. I rather let Zeke have some one on one time before he goes off to college." He paused. "Will you get up now??"

    I groaned.

    "We can go to The Cages later."

    I stopped moving. "Are you sure?"

    "Yes!" Noah said confidently. "I''ll get someone to take us. No matter what. Mom. Dad. Zeke. Or the twins. I promise I''ll get someone no matter what the cost."

    I laughed and slowly moved out from under my sheets. "Okay. I''m sold." He left me alone so I could get dressed and then I met him downstairs.

    "No bananas." Noah said, throwing me a granola bar. "We can have cereal after."

    I ate the bar, still feeling full from last night. A glance through the back sliding door revealed the two identical twins doing an identical stretch. From the back, I couldn''t even tell who was who. Maybe if they didn''t have their baseball hats on.

    Noah and I left the house together and started to jog. I thought he would leave me behind, but we stayed in pace with one another. He would speed up, but I still kept up.

    Two blocks away from the house, he turned to me and said with ease. "Sprint home on three. One, two, three!" He took off.

    I ran after him, but my pace was noticeably slower. I was already breathing hard when we were together; I had to push myself to the limits in the last two blocks. Noah waited for me on the front porch, stretching.

    I joined him, putting my hands on my head, focusing on taking deep breaths.

    "You''re doing great, Jake." Noah grinned. "I really think you can reach my speed in just a couple months if you start training for it."

    I just panted as I looked at him skeptically.

    "Really." Noah said sincerely. "You and I are almost built the same. You should work on your speed and practice stealing bases. We''ve got at least six more months until the season starts."

    I thought about how many times I was walked in Friday''s scrimmage. It''s a very real possibility that I might be walked a lot in the future, and stealing bases is a good goal to set. "Let''s work on it after I recover from my procedure."

    "Yea..." He nodded in agreement.

    We stretched a little more before going inside to have breakfast. As we were eating, Zeke and Dad came home, walking in through the garage door. Dad came over to greet us while Zeke called for the twins to get the gear from the car. Soon, all of them were on the move. The twins got their much-wanted catcher''s gear and took it to the backyard to open up. Zeke and Dad got to work in the garage, moving pieces of wood around and talking about our closet measurements.

    "You know Jake..." Noah smiled at me. "I''m really glad you came to our family. I would be lonely without you."

    I nodded. "Same."

    He laughed. "It''s not the same. I''m sure if you went somewhere else, you would make friends. For me...we usually have little kids around for fostering. They''re nice and cute, but it''s not the same as having someone my age around to get along with. This is how things normally are. Dad and Zeke. Dave and Kyle." He kept saying ''it''s not the same'' and I agreed.

    "I don''t think it''s the same either. You''re special Noah. One of a kind. I don''t think I can make friends with just anyone." I finished my breakfast. "Look at me now. All my friends are thanks to you."

    Noah turned red and got up immediately. "I''ll go shower first." He hurried and left me.

    I laughed at the irony of how he didn''t want to be alone and now he left me here alone.

    I showered after him, then we sacrificed our room to Dad and Zeke, watching them take the planks of wood up there. Tools of all kinds were brought up and spread out.

    Staying out of their way, Noah and I went to the backyard to watch the twins.

    "Do you think they''ll finish today?" I asked Noah about the work going on in our room.

    "If they don''t, Mom is going to make them finish it tomorrow." He chuckled.

    "Ouch!" Dave exclaimed after taking a pitch off the face mask. He jumped up and took the mask off, and pointed at Kyle. "Is your accuracy complete trash now?"

    Kyle waved his glove around. "It''s not my fault that your reflexes suck. Maybe you should practice a little more. Not everyone could be as talented as me."

    "Talented? Bro, where?" Dave snorted. "You couldn''t even hit the spot where I wanted you to throw."

    "It was close." Kyle shrugged. "Stop being a baby about it and get into position."

    "No, I think it''s my turn." Dave refused.

    Noah laughed. "You guys are ridiculous. You''re wasting valuable practice time. Tell you what...I''ll be catcher for you guys."

    "What''s in it for you?" Kyle squinted.

    Dave put his hands on his h.i.p.s. "And why would we need you? We can take turns just fine."

    Noah stood up. "Won''t it be better for you to do different exercises as I catch? Plus, all I need is a ride to The Cages later with Jake. Preferably after lunch."

    Dave started to take off his gear. "Deal."

    "We aren''t going to talk about this?" Kyle asked him.

    "Do you want to catch?" Dave asked. "You just hit me in the head."

    "You had a mask." Kyle shrugged.

    Dave rolled his eyes and finished taking off the gear.

 Chapter 762 - V2 ch234 (Procedure)

    Noah was great at catching. His reflexes were quick no matter how fast Kyle threw. He knew the standard pitching signals so there was clear communication between the two. After thirty pitches, Kyle switched with Dave. Kyle went off to the side and started doing squats, probably to build up leg strength.

    I watched them all. Observing the differences and changes that the twins were working on in their pitching was like a mental game for me.

    Occasionally, I would see a very good pitch and wonder if I would have connected. Then I would see an easy pitch that I could probably hit out of the park. I didn''t say much and just steadily watched until Zeke brought us lunch. I guess he and Dad had to leave at some point and brought back fast food since Mom was working an open house.

    It was a good feeling to return some normalcy. No camps, no teamwork needed, and no real sense of schedule. We just did what we wanted until it was time to move on.

    Dave kept his word, driving us to The Cages in the afternoon. He chose to stay with us, taking a few rounds in the cages himself. He wasn''t great like Garret, but he did have a steady swing. I think if he worked on it, he could easily be a better batter on our team. Guess he just likes pitching more.

    Monday followed the same routine of the twins practicing their pitching. Noah and I running on our own. And Dad and Zeke finishing up on the closet, while Mom continued to work away from home. Dave took us to The Cages again while Kyle chose to meet up with Marie.

    Tuesday morning was different though. It was the day I got to have my scar removal laser treatment.

    Everyone had showed up to the table for breakfast, giving me the feeling that we were going to school or something.

    "Are you nervous?" Dave asked me.

    I shook my head. "Not really." Then I thought about how the doctor would have to see all my scars out in the open. "Maybe a little." I put my bagel down, not feeling so hungry anymore.

    "You''re making him nervous." Noah accused Dave. He looked at me. "Are you sure you don''t want me to come?"

    "I''m sure." I nodded. If I could, I''d go alone. I''ll have to settle going with Dad though.

    "We''ll all be home, waiting for you." Mom smiled at me.

    I scrunched up my nose. "You don''t have to."

    "Jake will probably need rest afterwards." Dad said. "Let''s not overwhelm him."

    "What do you think I should make for dinner?" Mom asked.

    Dad looked to me. "What do you want to eat tonight, Jake? You get to pick."

    "Soup." I said.

    "What kind?"

    I shrugged. "Any kind. I''m not picky."

    "Do tomato soup and grilled cheese!"

    "Potato cheese soup with cornbread!"

    "No, no, clam chowder! It''s been so long."

    Noah and the twins started to argue over what soup should be served tonight for dinner.

    Mom knocked against the table. "Jake gets to pick."

    All eyes went to me.

    "Umm." I pointed at Dave, picking his suggestion. "Tomato soup with grilled cheese."

    "Yes!" Dave pumped his fists.

    No one was particularly upset by my choice. It''s not like you can hate on grilled cheese.

    Everyone followed Dad and I to his car. It''s almost like they thought I was going away for a long period of time.

    I cracked a smile and reassured them. "I''ll see you guys later."

    "Text me on your way back!" Noah instructed as he waved.

    Dad started to drive, taking us all the way to Dr. Griffiths office. The nurse greeted us with a smile and took us to the examination room, instructing me to take my shirt off and wipe down with these special wipes.

    Dad looked at me. "Need me to step out and give you privacy?"

    I nodded.

    He and the nurse both left me in the room alone. I took my shirt off and started to clean my body, but came to a stop when I realized I couldn''t do my whole back.

    I took deep breaths before opening the door a crack. "Dad..?"

    "Done?" Dad asked lightly.

    I swallowed a lump in my throat. "I can''t do my whole back. Can you do it for me?"

    "Sure."

    I stepped back to allow him to enter, then turned around.

    I could hear him opening a new wipe, then felt him wipe down the parts I couldn''t reach. Thankfully he said nothing. He must be accustomed to the way I look by now. Or he knows that nothing needs to be said. We all felt something about these scars, but today was the first step in starting anew.

    Dr. Griffiths came in alone, without the nurse, and greeted both Dad and myself. He had me lay down and started to introduce the tools that he would be using against my scars. "Now, remember, these scars aren''t going away immediately. Basically, we''re creating a new scar on top of the old one to even it out and hopefully it''ll heal to match the new skin tone."

    "You''ll be in pain so make sure to take some generic painkillers as needed." He continued to advise me. "It''s almost comparable to a sunburn. Try not to move too much these next couple of days. Stay out of the sun. In three or four days, you can resume all your normal activities. We''ll have a checkup in a couple of months to see when to plan the next treatment."

    I nodded. This wasn''t a one and done situation. He already told me last time that it might take a couple of laser treatments to get to where I want to be. That''s okay.

    Dr. Griffiths turned the machine on and got to work. The pain was bearable for me. Kind of like pokes with a needle. He took quite a long time since there were so many scars and constantly asked me if I needed a break. But I was fine. I was good. And most importantly, I was eager. Eager to see what I would look like.

    "Okay. That''s it." Dr. Griffiths finished the final touches, putting a cream to promote healing on the areas he worked on. "Remember, no high-leveled activity. Keep these wounds clean and let them breathe so no tight clothing. Call me if you think there are any signs of infection. I''m talking pus, high fever, and generally not feeling good."

    I got up and my whole body ached. "Can I see?"

    He looked surprised. "Do you want to?"

    I nodded.

    "Most patients want to wait a few days of healing before looking, but yea, you can go look." He pointed to a long mirror on one of the walls.

    I went over and examined myself. I was red. And swollen. I definitely didn''t look good. It was hard to see what the new me would look like. For now...I looked like a lobster.

    "Don''t be upset, Jake." Dad tried to comfort me. "You''ll look better in a week. In a month. And then after another round-"

    "I''m okay." I told him, smiling. "I know...it''ll be awhile. I just wanted to see what it would look like now. To attack the scars that have been attacking me."

    Dad reached out and messed up my hair.

 Chapter 763 - V2 ch235 (Get Well Soon)

    The drive home was rather quiet. Dad asked me if I wanted anything to eat for lunch, but I wasn''t feeling it. My body ached to the point where it was comparable to baseball training. I just wanted to lay down. When we got home, no one was there to greet us. It was completely quiet.

    "They probably went out for lunch." Dad said. "Let''s set you up in the living room so you can watch tv and rest."

    I nodded.

    Dad went up to my room and got my pillow and comforter. He then helped me lay down, put the blanket on me, and turned the tv on. "Any special requests?"

    "Is there a baseball game on?" I asked, feeling a little drowsy from the pain. It didn''t help that Dad tucked me in. I feel like it really is bed time.

    "I''m sure there''s an east coast game I can find." He told me, flipping through the channels. He settled on the Atlanta Braves playing the New York Mets. He placed the remote near me on the armrest. "I''ll be in the office if you need anything."

    I fell asleep soon after he left. The sleep wasn''t good with my whole torso hurting, but I didn''t really wake up until I heard the doorbell ring. I could hear a bunch of people whispering and slowly opened my eyes. Only to find out that I wasn''t alone in the room.

    "Dang it." Noah muttered. "You guys woke him up."

    "It wasn''t me." Dave said defensively. "I told Mitchell in the text not to ring the doorbell."

    I looked around at all the people currently in our living room. It felt like everyone I knew from baseball was here.

    "Hey Bambi, how ya feeling?" Garret squatted down to be eye level with me.

    I rubbed my eyes, making sure that I wasn''t dreaming. When I confirmed I was awake, I looked around at everyone. "What are you guys doing here..?"

    "Sending you some well wishes!" Garret grinned. "You didn''t tell us that you were having a procedure today. We had to find out from Dave''s Instagram."

    I looked at Dave.

    He looked away, seemingly guilty. "I didn''t share anything. Just said good luck to you on your procedure today. I didn''t mean to invite everyone over."

    "Oh." I said. Then did another look around. A few faces were missing, but there was some surprising appearances. "And...you guys...were just watching me sleep..?"

    They all started to laugh.

    "No!" Garret told me. "We were watching the game quietly so you could rest." He pointed at Mitchell who stood in the doorway with Kyle. "It''s his fault that you woke up. So if you''re cranky, blame him."

    Mitchell scratched his chin. "Sorry, I didn''t check my phone. I came over in a hurry."

    I pursed my lips. "I''m okay. Just sore and tired."

    "What did you have done?" Garret asked. "The twins and Noah wouldn''t say."

    They came all this way...it would be rude not to say. I cleared my throat. "Scar removal treatment." It''s not like the guys didn''t know I had issues. "I had a lot of uneven, ugly scars. The laser treatment supposedly will make it smooth and more uniform. Best case scenario, they''ll be small and white, not standing out so much."

    "Did it hurt?" Jason asked, sitting on the floor in front of the tv.

    I shrugged. "A bit. My torso aches. I should be good to go in a couple of days."

    "I''m glad it''s nothing serious." Andy spoke up. "I hope you feel better soon."

    "Me too." A lot of the guys echoed.

    The doorbell rang again as the guys were speaking all at once. Kyle was the closest so he left, then came back with Alisha. She was holding a bunch of different balloons and a tray of cookies.

    She awkwardly stood in the doorway looking around at everyone. She shifted from foot to foot. She made eye contact with me. "Jake! How are you?" She started to tiptoe around the guys spread out on the floor. She reached me, almost elbowing Garret out of the way. "I brought you some cookies and balloons. I hope you like them."

    Helpless, I looked to Noah, who was seated by my feet.

    Noah got up. "I''ll take the cookies!"

    "Boo!"

    "You better be sharing with the rest of us!"

    "Noah won''t."

    "Agreed."

    "Just pass them around." I waved my hand at Noah lightly.

    Noah took the tray of cookies from Alisha and opened it. He offered me one first, but I shook my head. I was still feeling a little queasy. Noah took one for himself then passed it around to the others.

    Alisha then made him take the balloons as she took over the spot he was originally in.

    Noah rolled his eyes and took the balloons out of the room. I pulled my legs up to make room for him before he got back.

    Everyone just sort of hung out and watched baseball together, eating the cookies Alisha brought. It was an unexpected surprise seeing the guys show up to make sure I was alright.

    "I really appreciate it, you guys." I whispered before falling back asleep.

    The next time I woke up, it was just me and Noah on the couch, baseball still playing in the background.

    "Where''d everyone go..?" I mumbled.

    "Mom kicked them out." Noah explained. "She was mad that we let them come over while you were resting. Make sure to tell her that it was okay." He got up and looked me over. "Are you sure you''re okay? You''ve been sleeping all day. You didn''t even wake up when Mom came to take your temperature."

    I slowly sat up, grimacing. "I''m just really sore. Like someone beat me up. Which...I think the laser did."

    Noah looked at me, worried. "I told you, you didn''t have to do this. No one is going to judge you for your scars."

    "It''s something I really wanted to do though." I told him. "I don''t like how insecure it makes me feel. I want to learn how to swim without worrying about the stares."

    Noah sighed. "If you think it helps then okay..."

    I looked around. "Where''s Mom and Dad? The twins? Zeke?"

    "The twins are playing in the backyard with Mitchell and Garret. The two of them invited themselves over for dinner." He told me. "Zeke and Dad are looking over the cubbie they built in our closet. Zeke said he would clean your bats for you and start putting them away. Mom should be in the kitchen."

    I slowly got up from the couch and stretched.

    "Do you want to go to the kitchen table?" Noah asked.

    I nodded. "Yea, I''m finally getting hungry."

    He walked beside me as I slowly shuffled my feet to the kitchen. When I sat down in my usual seat, he went to tell Mom that I was hungry.

    Mom came out with a bowl of soup immediately with Noah trailing behind her. "I just started on the grilled cheese sandwiches so you''ll have to wait a few more minutes."

    "I think I''m okay with just soup." I told her. "Thanks."

    "Okay, honey. Just let me know if you need anything else." She looked to Noah. "Go around and tell everyone that dinner will be soon."

    Noah took off, heading upstairs first.

    The table started to fill up quickly. Everyone that sat down asked me how I was and I responded that I was just sore. It was a good night and very comforting to know that so many people cared about me. It''s something I didn''t have until these last couple of months.

 Chapter 764 - V2 ch236 (The End of Summer)

    After dinner, Noah guided me back to the couch and helped me get comfortable. He picked out a sports movie for us to watch, but it didn''t matter to me. I fell asleep soon after it started.

    The next two days passed in a similar fashion. Noah stayed indoors to hangout with me as I recovered from the laser treatment. Once I was feeling better, we met up with some guys from the team at the park and played another scrimmage. Afterwards we went to get a pizza together and finally, really, say goodbye to those who had graduated in the spring. Julian, Mahki, Kelvin, Alex, and even the pitchers like James, Troy, and Matt. They were moving on.

    Zeke had already started to pack his clothes and personal belongings. It was clear to see that he wasn''t going to stay very much longer either.

    When I felt up to it, I would follow him and Noah on their runs, happy to see the two racing in front of me. Zeke started to take us to The Cages every afternoon, treating us to ice cream after.

    A couple weeks before school started, Mom pulled me aside. "Jake, the school called me and wanted to know if you wanted to be in the same classes as Noah again, and then match up your math class with the twins?"

    I nodded. That sounded great.

    She raised an eyebrow. "I don''t think you need Noah anymore. As Dr. Moore would advise, you need to get rid of the crutch and stand on your own."

    I deflated. "So I can''t have the same classes as him again?"

    "Hmm." She thought about it. "How about we compromise? You have six classes to take, and the twins will definitely be in your math class so I''ll let you have Noah in two classes?"

    I thought it over, feeling a little unwilling. I knew that it wasn''t good for me to rely on Noah all the time, but doesn''t everyone want to share the same classes with their best friend? "What if-"

    "No, don''t do that." She cut me off. "You know that Dr. Moore works at the school now. If you have any problems, your teachers will allow you to see him at any time regardless of the reason." She gave me a small smile. "Jake, I know you''re worried, but you can do this."

    I sighed and nodded along. "Okay."

    She grinned and messed up the hair on my head. "I believe in you."

    That made me feel a little better. I joined the others in the backyard and told Noah the bad news. He was also upset that we wouldn''t have all the same classes, but knowing that we would have two together was pretty good.

    Alisha was jealous when she found out that we already knew we would have two classes together. We went to her house to hang out, inviting Kaylee over too.

    "Can your mom try to get you in the same class as me when you aren''t with Noah?" Alisha asked us. The four of us were sitting at on of the small tables in her backyard.

    I shook my head. "It''s left up to chance now."

    "We don''t even know what classes we''ll have together." Noah sighed. "Well, technically I know we won''t have math together."

    "I''ll be with the twins again." I nodded.

    "Ew." Kaylee made a face of disgust. "That can''t be pleasant with the two of them together. Do they bully you?"

    I shook my head.

    "They totally do!" Noah disagreed. He looked at Kaylee and told her. "They copied his homework all semester. I really don''t know how they got by on their tests."

    Kaylee frowned. "Such sc.u.m." She pointed at me. "You better stop giving them freebies."

    I shrugged helplessly. "I''m already doing it anyways."

    Kaylee nodded. "Exactly, so try to get something out of it. If they want to copy your homework, let them, but get something in return."

    Noah laughed. "Right?! Jake is too innocent. He knows nothing about making deals that are beneficial to both parties."

    I pouted. "Sorry if I''m not that good at swindling others like you two."

    The three laughed at me.

    We spent the afternoon eating snacks and talking about what we expected for our sophomore year of high school. I was more comfortable with Alisha and Kaylee than I ever thought possible. They were as cool as Noah. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=12185250005052805)/v2-ch236-(the-end-of-summer)_%!d(string=51286569637696229) for visiting.

    "I still can''t believe you guys all got together without me." Kaylee complained.

    "It''s not like it was planned." Noah shrugged. "Everyone just sort of came."

    "I saw the news on Insta and just showed up." Alisha laughed, a little red in the face. "I didn''t expect to see all the guys there. I really thought I was the only one that had the idea to come."

    "You were the only one to bring gifts." Noah said to console her.

    "Yea, but Jake didn''t even have one of the cookies." Alisha looked at me like I had done something wrong.

    "Sorry." I apologized. "I didn''t feel like eating after all that. I only had soup later on. For the record, I only started feeling normal just yesterday."

    "Has it all healed over already?" She asked.

    "Meh." I shook my hand around. "Kind of. Like, it''s better, but I''m not ready to let others see me yet."

    "Guess you won''t be learning to swim until next summer." Kaylee snorted.

    "We''ll still have warm days every now and then." Alisha said. She smiled at me. "You''re welcome to use my pool anytime you want to learn. We''ll occasionally heat in the fall and spring depending on how sunny it is for the week."

    I gave a noncommittal nod.

    Eventually the conversation shifted to something other than me. Kind of. Alisha and Kaylee were curious how things were working out with Jeremy.

    I knew some reporters were still talking about Uncle Jack and what kind of price Jeremy had to pay to bail him out, but I don''t think anyone knew he visited our birth mother in prison. After a couple days of addressing it, the mentions he got were less frequently about his personal life and more about his hitting. He was on another hot streak in the middle of August.

    We spoke on the phone instead of him visiting me on his off day. I think Mom or Dad reminded him that I was recovering from the laser treatment because he didn''t bother me by coming over.

    "Jake?" He called out to me near the end of our call.

    "Yea?" I answered, wondering why he needed to say my name.

    He cleared his throat. "I originally wasn''t going to come to your court hearing, but...things change. And I''d like to be there. If you don''t mind?"

    I remembered that he wrote a letter to the judge to be read out loud. "Sure. I don''t mind. But what about your schedule?"

    "It''s a home game. I won''t be able to stay after your hearing, but I want to be there for you. After all this...I want to be present for your new start."

    "Thanks Jeremy." I smiled to myself.

    "Oh. Is it okay if I bring Rose?" He asked.

    "Does she want to come..?" I was surprised. There wasn''t much reason for her to come, was there?

    He chuckled. "Hey, she could be your sister-in-law soon. She''s part of the family."

    I nodded. "Yea. Okay. I don''t mind. She''s nice."

    "Yea, she is."

 Chapter 765 - V2 ch237 (End of V2)

    The rest of summer really flew by. Training with Noah and Zeke. Going to The Cages almost every afternoon. Plus, we hung out with Alisha and Kaylee every couple of days.

    The last week of summer break, Mom took us to the school to get our new books, locker assignments, and class schedule. To our surprise, I had three classes with Noah.

    "Yes!" Noah pumped his fists as we compared schedules.

    Mom laughed at our excitement. "Seems like you guys got lucky."

    Noah pulled my schedule from my hands and placed it next to his on the table. He used his phone to take a picture. "I''m going to send these to Alisha and Kaylee to find out if we have any of the same classes."

    I nodded. "Good idea." I especially wanted to know if they were in my classes that I didn''t share with Noah.

    We spent the day organizing our books and preparing for school. Mom went to her office and came back with empty binders and notebooks for us to use. Two days later it was the twins turn to get their school stuff. I confirmed that I had the same math class as them and celebrated that I at least knew one person in each of my classes.

    Mom took all of us for haircuts the day before my court hearing. Zeke and I only needed trims. Noah and the twins needed more work done to even their mess of hair. Even Mom and Dad got cuts.

    "Great." Mom grinned at us during dinner that night. "Everyone looks so good. Tomorrow I want to take a lot of pictures. You boys better find your suits tonight and wear them in the morning."

    "Suits?" Dave asked, frowning.

    "Yes." Mom looked at him. "I had them all washed after your baseball banquet so I expect them to still be clean. Wear good shoes. I''ll do everyone''s hair in the morning."

    Noah grinned at me. "You excited?"

    I nodded. I''m more excited than he could know. This would make things final. I would be with the Atkins family forever. There was no takebacks.

    Friday morning I woke up in a flash. There was no drowsiness in me today. I wanted to be the one to wake up Noah, but to my surprise, he was already gone.

    I frowned. Did he really go for a run this morning? I sighed to myself and headed downstairs alone.

    "Good morning!" Mom greeted me as I walked into the kitchen with just pjs on.

    I wasn''t the only one. The twins were both there in their pjs, already eating their pancakes.

    "I made chocolate chip pancakes for today." Mom told me, placing a plate in front of me.

    I looked around. "Where''s Noah and Zeke?"

    "Oh, they needed to run some errands." Mom told me. "They''ll have to meet us at the courthouse if they take too long."

    I frowned. "What errands?"

    "Are you scared they won''t make it in time?" Dave asked between bites.

    "Don''t worry." Kyle told me. "They''ll be there."

    No one was giving me answers. I pursed my lips and looked to Dad.

    Dad felt my stare and put down his coffee mug. "Do you really want to know? Because I think you might like the surprise they''re trying to prepare for you."

    "Wayne." Mom hissed.

    "What?" Wayne shrugged. "You know how anxious Jake gets. You guys should have considered his feelings beforehand."

    Mom looked at me, a little apologetic. "Sorry, Jake. We just wanted to do something nice for you."

    I glanced around the table. "Does everyone know but me?"

    They all nodded together.

    I thought it over. I guess as long as they show up, I''m fine. I''m just a little sad that we couldn''t share in the excitement together. "It''s okay. As long as they come, I''m happy."

    "You''ll like what they''ve prepared, I promise." Mom told me.

    I nodded. Yea, I''m sure I would. Zeke and Noah are probably the most attentive to my feelings. I ate my food quietly then hurried upstairs to get dressed.

    When I came down, Mom was working on Kyle''s hair. She did mine last. She stepped back and smiled down at me. "You look good."

    I blushed. "Thanks."

    Dad swung his keys around his finger. "You ready?"

    I nodded. I''ve been ready.

    The five of us got into his car and took off. He found parking and we headed for the courthouse.

    I paused at the sight of familiar faces. Noah jumped up and down, waving for me to look. Him and Zeke stood in front of our friends from the baseball team. Marie, Kaylee, and Alisha were there. Jeremy and Rose. Gramma and Grampa.

    "Well?! What are you waiting for?" Grampa demanded. "I didn''t fly all this way for you to stare at me."

    I rushed over and hugged him.

    "Oof." He gasped before chuckling. "Looks like you''ve been putting on some weight, kiddo."

    "Taller too." Gramma chimed in.

    I hugged her next.

    "We went to pick them up from the airport early this morning." Noah told me, standing right beside me. "On our way there, I thought you might want some more support from your friends so I invited everyone we knew and told them to meet here."

    "Congrats, Jake!" Alisha hopped over to say.

    "Yea, we''re happy for you." Kaylee grinned. "You''re going to be an Atkins for real now."

    I started to tear up as all the friendly faces congratulated me for making it this far.

    Jeremy pulled me into a side hug. "Don''t cry. This is a happy moment."

    "You can cry when you''re happy." Rose rebutted.

    Even Rhys made the drive down. He grinned and slapped me on the shoulder. "I hope this sense of security brings you peace of mind."

    I nodded.

    After a couple go arounds, Mr. Pickens urged Mom and Dad to get us inside. He told the crowd that they could come in and watch if they wanted. It wouldn''t be a very long procedure. Collectively, everyone moved to the courthouse and went through the security. We were directed to a room where Mr. Pickens, Mom and Dad, and I all sat at the table in front of the judge''s bench.

    Zeke, Noah, and the twins sat right behind us with Gramma and Grampa. Jeremy and Rose sat in the first row as well. Everyone else took up the next two or three rows and sat in silence as we waited for the judge.

    It didn''t take long before the bailiff announced the judge''s arrival. An older woman walked in with her black robe and sat in the center chair. She ordered us to sit and started to look over the paperwork in front of her.

    "Wayne and Mary Atkins for the adoption of their foster son, Jake Hollander?" She looked at Mr. Pickens. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=12185250005052805)/v2-ch237-(end-of-v2)_%!d(string=51306296690919832) for visiting.

    Mr. Pickens nodded. "Yes, your honor. My clients have passed all State evaluations and are ready to make things official."

    "No objections from the State. Any objections from blood relatives?" She asked plainly.

    I swallowed a lump in my throat and clenched my fists.

    "None, your honor." Mr. Pickens spoke about the status of both my parents and the estrangement between me and my uncle. "We also have a letter of statement from his elder brother, Jeremy Patterson. It should be item 8C."

    She flipped through and found it, looking it over. Then she looked up. "Is Jeremy Patterson in the court today?"

    Jeremy stood up. "Yes!" He looked nervous. "Is it alright if I read my statement for the court to hear?"

    "You may." She granted.

    Jeremy moved to the front and got a piece of paper out from his pocket. "I have my own updated copy."

    "Go ahead, Mr. Patterson." She instructed.

    Jeremy faced me and started to talk. "I''m writing this letter to the courts of California to reject my rights of guardianship for my younger brother, Jake Hollander. Not because I don''t want him in my life, but because I want the best for his future. The Atkins family has done tremendous work to heal my younger brother both mentally and physically. In a time of need, it wasn''t me that was there to help him, but these complete strangers. If they can already do so much for a stranger, then I can''t imagine how they''ll go above and beyond to make sure my younger brother succeeds in all that he does. I know of no other set of parents that are more caring, loving, and tolerant than Wayne and Mary. They have a sense of humor, a sense of justice, and are able to accept those who are different from them. I''m thankful such a wonderful family will be taking care of my younger brother and I hope to still have a part in his life." He folded the paper and put it away. Then looked at me. "You''re an awesome kid, Jake. And it has nothing to do with me. I''m just along for the ride. If you''re at your happiest with the Atkins, then I''m happy for you."

    "Thank you." I said, eyes stinging.

    Jeremy nodded and went back to his seat.

    "Without any objections from the state or blood relatives, I see no reason to deny this proceeding." The judge announced. "Henceforth, Wayne and Mary Atkins are granted permanent custody and guardianship of Jake Hollander."

    The group behind us started to clap and cheer. Mom pulled me into a tight hug, almost suffocating me. Everything went as planned. I''m Jake Atkins.

 Chapter 766 - V3 ch1

    "I''m happy you found your forever home." Mr. Duncan congratulated me outside the courthouse. He had come to visit us and was officially no longer my caseworker.

    I smiled up at him, happy to see him for once. I had thought long and hard what my life would be like without the Atkins. "Thanks for finding them for me, Mr. Duncan."

    He looked surprised, but returned a smile of his own. "It''s part of my job, Jake. Seeing a kid end up in his forever home is always the end goal."

    "I thought the state is always about reunification?" Noah rolled his eyes.

    Mr. Duncan shrugged, helpless. "We have our guidelines to follow. I do what I can." He shook hands with Mom and Dad. "Mary, Wayne, thanks again for your hard work. Let me know if you guys are interested in fostering again."

    Mom looked apologetic. "Probably not anytime soon. Don''t cross us off the list, but-" She smiled my way. "We have our hands full at the moment."

    Feeling embarrassed, I turned away and started to thank my friends that showed up.

    Alisha took charge, inviting everyone to her house for a celebration. Her parents and our parents started talking about where to order pizza from and how much they would need to cover everyone present.

    "We have to hit the road." Jeremy said to me, holding Rose''s hand.

    I nodded, understanding. He had a game tonight. It was okay for him to skip some of his pregame workouts and preparations, but I didn''t want him to miss it all. "Thanks for coming." I smiled.

    He reached out and messed up my hair that Mom had meticulously done. "Anything for you, kiddo."

    Rose smiled too. "Let me know the next time you boys can come to a game."

    "It''ll be harder with school starting next week." Dad had come over to say, resting his arm around my shoulders. "We''ll have to coordinate on the weekends."

    Jeremy nodded. "Sure. I understand. I can also visit on my off days. Once the season is over, there''ll be more time and opportunities for me to come over."

    Dad nodded. "It''s all about balance. You''re welcomed to come over anytime." He smiled at Rose. "You too."

    Rose blushed. "Thanks."

    The crowd started to get smaller as I said goodbye to those who couldn''t stay or couldn''t make it to Alisha''s. With two cars, we had to split up. Mom and Dad took our grandparents. Zeke took me, Noah, and Dave. Kyle went with Marie and Kaylee. It didn''t matter so much how we got to Alisha''s, but it did stagger our arrival times.

    As we filled up her backyard, it definitely had a party feel to it. Similar to Noah''s birthday, the a.d.u.l.ts hung out on one side and us teens hung out on the other.

    Mom went around taking pictures of me with all my friends. Me and the guys from the team. Me with Dr. Moore. Me with a few classmates. Me with Kaylee and Alisha. Me with Noah, the twins, and Zeke. Me with my grandparents. Me with the coaches. There is no one I didn''t take a picture with.

    "I think Mrs. Atkins is more excited than either of you." Alisha said as we ate pizza that the a.d.u.l.ts ordered.

    "She just likes to doc.u.ment things like this." Noah shrugged.

    "You like to take pictures too." Alisha pointed out. "But for real, she''s like really, really, really excited."

    "She worked hard." I explained, smiling towards Mom''s general direction. "I think she''s just reveling in the success of me getting adopted. Her and Dad had to do a lot of classes, training, and interviews. It probably wasn''t something they had planned on doing before. Plus, there''s a lot of stories of how adoptions don''t go through."

    "Were you worried about it not going through?" Kaylee asked.

    I shrugged and turned my attention to my food. "Not too much. Even if they got denied, I would still get to be with them. I don''t have any other parents but them."

    "He would have cried." Noah ratted me out. "Jake''s a big cry baby."

    The girls laughed at my look of distress.

    "I think Jake Atkins has a nice ring to it." Alisha told me, smiling.

    "Probably has something to do with him dropping an extra syllable." Kaylee stated plainly.

    Alisha looked at me. "Did you ever think about taking Jeremy''s last name? That should have been your last name originally, right?"

    I shook my head. "I never thought about it." I always wanted to be an Atkins.

    "Speaking of Jeremy, how''s he and his uncle drama?" Kaylee asked. "Did he cut him off completely?"

    I shrugged, not sure. "We don''t talk about it. And now that the news is over it, there isn''t much to be said." I thought about how hard he took it. "I think...he''s distracting himself with baseball for now."

    "Yes!" Noah exclaimed. "He needs to! The A''s have never looked so good." He grinned my way. "And with you as an ''in'', we can even go to some playoff games. That would be so awesome."

    I smiled and nodded. If that happened, I would definitely take Noah to a playoff game. He would die from the excitement.

    We spent the rest of the day there, talking about everything and nothing. As people would leave, they all stopped by me to congratulate me again. There was a lot of the talk from the guys on the team how there would still be four Atkins on the team and that the other schools might be scared that Zeke repeated. It was a good time.

    Later that night, Mom and Dad told us the plan for taking Zeke to school. Tomorrow, he would have to pack up all his stuff in the family car and we would have the option to go with if we wanted to, but we would have to take an additional car if all of us went.

    "If we go, can we stay the night?" Noah asked.

    "Where the heck would we stay?" Dave asked. "Do you want all of us to squeeze in one tiny room?" He scoffed. Then looked at Zeke. "No offense, but I''ll pass. There doesn''t seem to be any reason for us to go. I''ll help you pack the car though."

    Zeke shrugged. "Yea, it''s not a big deal. Rhys will be there to help me move my stuff into the dorm." He looked to his parents. "Are both of you going?"

    "Of course!" Mom exclaimed.

    Dad nodded along. "We wouldn''t miss it for the world." He looked to Noah and me. "Did you two want to come?"

    Noah nodded. "Yea! I want to see! I''ll help too."

    I nodded after him. If Noah''s going, then I want to go too.

    Kyle spoke up. "I''ll stay home too. Probably get some pitching in, then maybe go on a date with Marie."

    Dad squinted at him. "No girls over while we''re away." He looked to Dave. "You''re in charge."

    "Yes!" Dave pumped his fists.

    "What? Why?!" Kyle looked stunned.

    "Because Dave''s not in danger of i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed a nonexistent girlfriend." Dad said.

    "Oh, burn." Noah looked at Dave with a smirk.

    Kyle looked to be in a better mood.

    Dave rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

    "So will you guys be gone until Sunday?" Kyle got the conversation back on track.

    "No, we''ll be back late tomorrow night." Mom said. "We''ll get Zeke settled in. Hopefully have dinner with Rhys and his parents, then we''ll come home."

    "Sounds like a plan." Dad nodded in agreement.

    "Mr. Johnson won''t be there." Zeke said. "He''s on a series of away games with the team."

    "That''s too bad." Mom sighed. "He''s really missing out on move-in day."Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=12185250005052805)/v3-ch1_%!d(string=51449675047300548) for visiting.

    "Mom, it''s not a big deal." Zeke''s lips twitched, revealing a small smile. "We''re not even moving a state away. For Rhys, it''s even closer than you guys."

    "You wouldn''t understand." Mom brushed him off. "Our oldest sons are moving out. This is a huge milestone." She started to tear up. "Back to back big days. I don''t know how I''ll get through this weekend."

    Dad pulled her into a hug and the rest of us stealthily made our way out of the kitchen.

    "You really cool with us not going?" Kyle asked Zeke as we climbed the stairs. "Like, I''ll go, if you really want me to."

    Dave laughed. "You''re acting like Zeke is Jake. Zeke''s a big boy. He can move into his tiny dorm room all on his own if he really wanted to."

    Zeke answered. "It''s really not a big deal. I''m not moving that far away and I''ll be home one weekend a month."

    "Ew." Dave snorted. "Why would you come back? Live your college life."

    Kyle gave him a small shove. "Can''t you think about Mom for a second? She obviously isn''t ready for Zeke to be on his own."

    Dave scratched his nose. "Oh. Right."

 Chapter 767 - V3 ch2 (Zeke move-in day)

    Saturday morning, I woke up to the twins fighting in the hallway. I rubbed my eyes and saw them slowly going down the stairs with a giant box between them. They were yelling at each one another to carry their half of the box.

    "Did they wake you?" Dad said from behind me. I turned to see him standing there, smiling, holiding two suitcases.

    I shrugged. "It''s not too early." I glanced at the suitcases. "Do you need help?"

    He shook his head. "No, no, leave it to me and the twins. They volunteered to help pack the car so they should stick with it." He then added. "Zeke and Noah went out for a run and should be back soon for a late breakfast of sorts."

    "Oh. Okay. I''ll get dressed." I closed the door and went to find some clothes.

    When I went through my shirts, the Stanford Baseball shirt that Mom bought us during Zeke''s visit stood out. It seemed like the perfect day to wear it in support of Zeke so I put it on and headed to the kitchen.

    "Bet you five bucks that Noah will want to match him." Dave gestured to me, speaking to Kyle.

    Kyle noticed my shirt and laughed. "Nah, I''m not taking a losing bet."

    They went upstairs together, probably to grab more of Zeke''s stuff to take it to the car.

    I made it to the kitchen just as Mom set a platter of pancakes down in the middle of the table. She smiled at me. "Good morning. Help yourself!"Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=12185250005052805)/v3-ch2-(zeke-move-in-day)_%!d(string=51569427325447670) for visiting.

    I nodded, sat down at my normal seat and started to fill up a plate. I loved it when Mom did big breakfasts like this, including eggs, hash browns, and bacon. Definitely gives the feel of a breakfast buffet.

    "You''re already dressed and eating?!" Noah made his entrance and crashed into his seat beside me. He noticed my shirt. "Oh! Nice! I''ll wear mine too."

    I glanced back. "Zeke isn''t with you?"

    "He went straight upstairs to shower." Noah used the collar of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face. "I would too but I''m starving."

    The kitchen got busier as everyone came in one at a time, filling up the table and working on making the food disappear. Zeke came down in his Stanford Baseball shirt, sparking some excitement from Noah and heckling from the twins.

    "I can''t believe you''re joining them in wearing matching shirts." Dave laughed at Zeke after Noah had ran upstairs to shower and change. "So embarrassing."

    "I think it''s a cute idea." Mom said, happy.

    "Exactly." Dave pointed at her with his fork. "If you think it''s cute, then that guarantees it. Who goes off to college in matching shirts with their family?"

    "Me." Zeke said plainly. "You have a problem with that?"

    Dave was thrown off by Zeke''s attitude. "No. I just can''t believe that this is something you would willingly do."

    "I told Rhys to wear his too." Zeke said with a hint of a smile. "We''re representing a future championship team."

    I was also surprised by Zeke''s attitude. Not that I thought he would mind, but I didn''t expect him to match us too. Let alone, get Rhys in on it.

    Noah came down dressed in his matching shirt and smiled with pride. If I didn''t know him well, I would have thought that he wanted to go to Stanford too. But Noah is set on entering the big leagues after graduation.

    Zeke, Noah, and I, all squeezed into the middle row of the family car thanks to Zeke''s stuff taking up all the space in the backseat and trunk. Dad drove and Mom was in charge of navigation. Zeke had to take over once we got on campus though. He directed them to his dorm building, which was more on the outer edge of the main campus.

    "It''s actually not busy..?" Mom questioned, looking around at the full lot. "I can''t believe we actually got a parking spot. I heard horror stories of having to park miles away."

    Zeke chuckled. "It''s only move-in day for athletes. Normal students can''t move in until Tuesday. Then classes start Thursday." He got out and stretched out his legs, moving his body after a long cramped ride.

    We got out as well and gathered by the trunk.

    "Is Rhys already here? If you know your dorm building, do you know what room you''re in?" Mom started to bombard Zeke with questions. "How do you get your key to the room?"

    "Mom, relax." Zeke tried to calm her down. "Coach has everything settled. If we walk into the building, someone should be in the commons area, passing out the keys and checking in the athletes." He checked his phone. "Rhys and his mom should be here soon."

    "Why don''t you take your mother to get checked in and I''ll wait here with the younger two?" Dad offered. "We''ll keep an eye out for Rhys."

    Zeke nodded and headed for the building with Mom right beside him. I could tell she was talking the whole way just by the way she moved her head around, looking in the direction of other people that were around.

    "Your mom might be crying the whole way home." Dad sighed.

    Noah laughed. "Yea? What''s new?"

    Dad shot him a look. "You be on your best behavior. This is Zeke''s big day. I don''t want you to upset your mother."

    "I know, I know." Noah said unhurriedly. He looked around, taking in the sight of people unloading their cars and moving into the dorms. "It''s weird to see a bunch of teens just moving into one big building. It''s like a long sleep-away camp."

    Dad laughed. "Yea, sort of. Especially for athletes. Coaches do their best to have players room up together because they should be on similar schedules."

    "Zeke got to pick Rhys so that''s pretty cool." Noah commented. "If I went to college, I would also want to pair up with a teammate."

    Dad and I shared looks of surprise.

    "I would be your roommate." I told Noah. We already have experience sharing a room together.

    Noah laughed. "I couldn''t imagine you going to college. You''re already a guaranteed first-round pick. Probably the first pick!"

    Oh.

    "Hey, don''t say that." Dad advised. "Zeke was a first-round pick too."

    Noah scoffed. "Yea, but he''s crazy. If I''m anywhere in the first ten rounds, I''m going to be a pro." He grinned at me. "It''d be cool if we could end up in the same program in the majors and be roommates then."

    I nodded.

    We talked more about Noah''s eagerness to be a pro until a car honked at us and stopped right behind us. Rhys and his mother waved before finding a parking spot nearby. As they joined us, Zeke came back with Mom, making our group get a bit bigger.

    Zeke explained to Rhys where and how to get checked in while Mom spoke to Mrs. Johnson.

    It was a slow start, but after finding their room and deciding who would have what bed, desk, and dresser, it got a lot faster. Us guys did all the unloading, while the moms worked on unpacking.

 Chapter 768 - V3 ch3 (Zeke move-in day)

    It took quite a few trips for us to empty both cars and get all of their stuff in one bedroom. By the time we did, both moms had made the beds and started to put clothes away in the wardrobe.

    Deemed as ''useless'' and ''in the way'', the moms sent us out with Dad.

    "Take them to the store and get some snacks and drinks for the room." Mom instructed Dad outside the door. "Rhys was kind enough to supply the mini fridge and microwave, so it''s only right we stock up for them." She waved us away.

    "Okay..." Dad answered. "Text or call if you ladies think of anything else they might need for the room."

    "Thanks, Wayne." Mrs. Johnson smiled.

    The five of us headed for the car.

    Noah glanced up at Zeke and Rhys. "You guys are just going to trust them to decorate your room?"

    Rhys chuckled. "Yea. Why not? We can always change it if we don''t like it. If Mom''s happy, I''m happy."

    "I think they''re enjoying this more than you two." Noah rolled his eyes.

    We got in the car and Dad drove us to the nearest store. He pushed the cart as Zeke and Rhys started to fill it up with all kinds of items.

    "Don''t you have a cafeteria to eat in..?" Noah watched as they picked three different cereals to put in the cart.

    "The caf isn''t open twenty-four hours." Zeke replied. He picked out a thing of bagels and put it in the cart. "Since Mom and Dad are willing to pay for our first grocery visit, we need to take advantage."

    Dad''s lips twitched, but he didn''t fight it.

    Zeke and Rhys combed through the aisles, grabbing microwaveable meals, snacks, and then a couple cases of water and Gatorade.

    Noah and I were just along for the ride. We did have to help bring the items in though after getting back to the school. Mom was satisfied with all that we had bought and helped them organize and make room for it all. No space in the room was left.

    In the evening, Mom picked out a nice restaurant for us to go to with Rhys and his mom. The whole dinner was great with a happy atmosphere. Occasionally one of the a.d.u.l.ts would remind Rhys and Zeke about studying hard, but not making school their whole life.

    "I want you boys to have fun and really take on the college experience." Mom said. "But, I swear, I better not hear of you knocking a woman up, getting into fights, or needing to be bailed out of jail. Having fun and being lawless are not synonyms."

    "Mom." Zeke rolled his eyes.

    Rhys laughed. "Don''t worry, Mrs. Atkins, I''ll keep Zeke in line."

    Mrs. Johnson reached over to give Rhys a light slap on the shoulder. "You''re the one that needs babysitting. Don''t think I won''t be dropping by to check on you two, because I will. Randomly throughout the week or on the weekends. I have time."

    Rhys rubbed his shoulder. "You act like I won''t be coming home every weekend."

    "You can''t do that." She argued. "You have to live the college life. Parties on the weekend."

    "How is that being responsible?" He laughed.

    "You''re only allowed to come home one weekend a month." Mrs. Johnson told him.

    "Can we still come by for laundry days?" Rhys asked, jokingly.

    "Of course!" His mom nodded. "It''ll be better than using those crappy machines at the university. Trust me."

    "Sounds good. Thank you." Zeke responded politely after a pointed look from Mom.

    After dinner, we went back to the school and parked in front of their dorm building. Oddly everyone got out and Dad turned off the car.

    "Guess it''s time to say goodbye." Noah said nonchalantly, putting his hands in his pockets.

    Rhys reached out and messed up his hair. "For now."

    Mom was the first to pull Zeke into a hug. Mrs. Johnson also reached out to Rhys. Dad got his turn with both, giving a more manly slap-hug, before letting go.

    Rhys smiled at me and Noah. "You kids be good and don''t slack on your training without Zeke around. Maybe we can plan a baseball game trip one of these weekends after school gets going. We can stay at my house and whatnot."

    "Sure." Noah nodded. "Jeremy mentioned we could see him on the weekends too. We''ll have to look which teams are playing home games on what weekends." He looked up at Zeke.

    Zeke reached out and pulled him into a small hug for a second before letting go. "Try not to get in too much trouble. For Mom''s sake."

    Noah laughed and pushed off him. "I''ll see what I can do."

    Zeke looked to me next. "It''ll be up to you to make sure Noah doesn''t get too crazy."

    I straightened up.

    Zeke let out a small laugh and pulled me into the same small hug he did with Noah. "Don''t hesitate to call or text. Especially if the twins are giving you guys a hard time."

    I grinned as I stood beside Noah. Zeke may act fair and impartial, but that''s not true. He always took our side over the twins. It''ll be weird with him gone every day now.

    Mom gave him one last hug, then it was time to go. Rhys and Zeke wait on the sidewalk and watched as we drove away.

    I could hear Mom sniffling in the front passenger seat while Dad tried to comfort her.

    "Mom, you know you have to cry this much for each of us in order not to show favoritism, right?" Noah grinned.

    "Of course I will!" She nodded like crazy. "Just the thought of you boys growing up and leaving me alone makes me tear up. I''ll cry for each of you on your first day of college."

    Noah laughed. "So you won''t cry for me because I''m not going to college? Are you backtracking already?"

    She blew her nose into a tissue before glancing back. "If I can convince Zeke to give college a try, then I''ll be able to convince you too!"

    Noah snorted. "You weren''t the only reason for Zeke to go to college. There were so many outside factors influencing him these last few months."

    Mom shifted to look at me. "What about you Jake? Will you break my heart and not go to college too?"

    I held back a smile. It looked like her heart would break no matter what decision I made.

    "Mary." Dad reached out to pat her leg. "The two of them have a couple of more years. Let''s work on the twins first."

    She groaned. "Those two! I''ll get them to commit to a college this semester even if it kills me."

    "Mary." Dad said again.

    "Okay, I''m not that crazy." She laughed to herself. "Zeke didn''t decide until the last second so I won''t give up until I see them actually moving into the dorms of a college."

    "I just wonder if they''ll go to the same school or not." Noah mused. "Did either of them like any of the schools they got to visit this past summer?"

    "Nothing definitive." Dad answered. "Kyle likes one place more, and Dave likes another place. They might be considering their options of entering the draft too. I told them not to worry about tuition, but I think having an athletic scholarship is what they''re aiming for."

    We spent the rest of the car ride home talking about the twins options and what they might choose and when they might choose. There was always the possibility of them committing to a college, but then reneging after getting drafted. Choices. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=12185250005052805)/v3-ch3-(zeke-move-in-day)_%!d(string=51593135561690271) for visiting.

 Chapter 769 - V3 ch4 (First day of school)

    It was funny to talk about the twins making important decisions about their future the whole car ride home, only to find the two wrestling in the living room, acting very immature.

    Mom put a hand to her head and looked away. "College? Them? What was I thinking?" She headed for the stairs. "Wayne, this one is all you."

    Dad looked at the twins, who had to know that we were home, but were still wrestling. It was hard to tell who was winning when they were like this. Two identical people constantly on the move, trading positions and trading who had the power.

    Dad sighed. "Isn''t that enough?"

    "No!" One of them shouted back, slapping one twin with the pillow.

    I looked to Noah for help. "Who is who?"

    Noah whispered. "Dave''s in gray, Kyle''s in blue." He named the color of their shirts, slowly backing up. "They''re not stopping. Bad sign."

    I didn''t ask and backed up with him.

    Dad''s posture had changed when he realized the twins weren''t stopping. He clapped twice. "That''s enough. If you don''t stop now, the both of you will be walking to school for the next month."

    The twins reluctantly pulled away from one another, both sweating and breathing hard.

    Dad crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Care to explain?"

    "Dave ruined my date with Marie!" Kyle complained.

    Dave scoffed. "You''re so dramatic." He looked at Dad directly. "Kyle''s just upset because I wouldn''t give him some alone time. I already let them go to a movie alone and then they wanted to eat without me. That''s a bit much."

    Dad looked to Kyle.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "I said he could eat with us if Marie could invite one of her friends. Make it a double date. It would have been fine."

    "I don''t want to go on a date with any of her stupid friends." Dave said.

    Dad glanced back at me and Noah. "Noah, you''ll sleep in Dave''s bed tonight. Dave will sleep in yours. Obviously none of us will be getting sleep tonight unless we separate them." He looked back to the twins. "Go to bed. If you''re still both angry tomorrow morning, we''ll talk it over some more."

    "He''s the one being unreasonable." Dave frowned. "Why should I give up my bed. Make him go."

    "You''re the one with the bad attitude. You can''t get along with anyone." Kyle shot back.

    "GO." Dad commanded.

    Noah and I hurried away first. In our room, he hurried to change into pjs and left with a short, "See you in the morning, Jake."

    I nodded.

    Shortly after he left, Dave came in, dressed for bed. He looked at me. "Get in bed and I''ll turn out the light."

    I got under the covers and he turned out the light before getting into Noah''s bed.

    It was oddly quiet for the next couple of minutes. Just before drifting off, Dave woke me by clearing his throat. "I''m not actually that mad at Kyle. We were messing around and then I lost my cool for a second."

    "Okay..." I answered.

    "I don''t want you to think that I go around fighting people." He sighed. "I know you have an aversion to physical violence so don''t be mad at me."

    I fought back a laugh. "I''m not mad." It didn''t look like they were fighting for real. Just a very intense wrestling match.

    "Was it sad saying goodbye to Zeke?" He asked.

    I nodded in the dark. "Yea. Mom cried."

    He chuckled. "That''s why I chose not to go. Plus, goodbyes are too sad."

    I nodded again. "It was pretty sad."

    "Well, if I know Zeke, he''ll be coming back all the time."

    "Yea."

    We drifted off to sleep. The next morning things between the twins were a little tense, but it gradually got better as the day went on. We spent some time with Gramma and Grampa before sending them off to the airport, and then prepared for school.

    Monday morning, Mom did another big breakfast to celebrate the start of school. The twins fought over who would get to drive and when. And Noah talked about how excited he was to go to baseball practice everyday again.

    Dave, winner of the morning argument and driver to school, parked in our old spot near the varsity field. Him and Kyle walked up to the school together while Noah and I waited for Mr. Miller to show up.

    "Feels good to be back." Noah grinned, staring out at the varsity field.

    My lips twitched. "Weren''t you excited for school to get out for summer break?"

    "Yea, because baseball was over." Noah explained. "But now...now we''re preparing for a completely new season."

    For Noah, life revolves around baseball.

    Mr. Miller showed up in his golf cart and gave a small honk. "You two still being lazy and unwilling to walk up the hill?"

    Noah laughed and sat in the front with him. "How else will I get to bug you in the mornings?"

    I got in the back. "Thanks."

    "Yea, yea." Mr. Miller started to drive us up and pointed at the new building by the basketball courts. "They just finished installing the new weight lifting gym. Heard Jeremy had a hand in hiring someone with the right credentials. Very legit."

    "Jeremy did?" I asked.

    Mr. Miller laughed. "Yep, with the stipulation that the baseball program has priority to pick their slot times first. The football coaches threw a small fit but AD Barber set them straight. If they don''t like the rules, they can stick with the old equipment."

    "Nice." Noah grinned. "I think the athletic director likes us the most. We''re winners after all."Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=12185250005052805)/v3-ch4-(first-day-of-school)_%!d(string=51597840144716674) for visiting.

    We talked a little more before having to actually head for our lockers. When doing the school registration, we had gotten all our books already and moved them to our new lockers in the sophomore hall. Since Noah and I have the same last name now, our lockers were right next to each other. Like the twins.

    "Good morning. Hello. Welcome." Our first teacher of the day greeted everyone that walked in with a warm smile. She waved throughout the room. "Sit anywhere you like, but keep it to four per lab station."

    Noah and I picked out an empty back corner to occupy, leaving one side of two stools open.

    "We''ll probably do more experiments in chemistry than we did in biology last year." Noah noted. He pushed his backpack over one of the empty spots across from him. "We should save a seat for Kaylee or she''ll be mad."

    I nodded. We already spoke with Kaylee and Alisha about our schedules to find out what we would have together. Kaylee would be in our chemistry class this semester, and then in our elective cooking class after lunch with Alisha.

    Kaylee showed up barely a minute later and seemed genuinely surprised that Noah would save her a seat with his bag. "Thanks." She pushed his bag back to him.

    "No problem." Noah replied. "Mrs. Langford seems pretty chill. I hope she lets us keep the seats that we picked."

    The fourth empty seat was taken by a quiet girl that Kaylee called over. "This is Cassie." She told me directly, then glanced at Noah. "Need an intro?"

    "Nah, we''re all friends here." Noah smiled at Cassie. "We''ve had a few classes together, right?"

    Cassie nodded politely without saying a word.

 Chapter 770 - V3 ch5 (First day of school)

    Noah wasn''t bothered by her silence. I was also a quiet student so it wouldn''t be right for us to give her a hard time.

    Mrs. Langford started class after the final bell rang. It was an easy first day based on going over the syllabus and introducing ourselves to the class. She let us stand where we sat and just say our name and a little about ourselves.

    "Hey! I''m Noah and I like to play baseball."

    "My name is Kaylee and I''m on the softball team."

    When it came to me, I stuttered a little bit, feeling my anxiety rise. "I am, I mean, my name is Jake." Mrs. Langford nodded encouragingly. "Uh, and I play baseball too." I sat back down in a hurry.

    Cassie had to go next. She stood up and said softly, "I''m Cassie. I''m part of the yearbook committee." She sat back down and focused on the planner that she had in front of her.

    The hour flew by with nothing else going on but introductions. I paid attention to taking in everyone''s name though. Noah may have gone to school with most of these classmates, but I haven''t so I always feel anxious when I don''t know their name yet they know mine. It was a good opportunity.

    I recognized a few other baseball players in our class, but thankfully, no one that was outright mean to me and Noah.

    After the bell, Noah and I parted ways with Kaylee and went to our lockers to change books.

    "Want me to walk you to your class?" Noah asked as we zipped up our backpacks.

    My second class of the day was going to be the toughest. Socially. I was put in a Spanish III class without Noah. Kaylee and Alisha were only taking Spanish II so they couldn''t be in my class either.

    I hesitated to answer Noah. I didn''t want to sound like a wimp, but...I wasn''t going to know anyone.

    "I''ll just walk you there." Noah decided. "It''s not out of my way. Let''s go over and maybe we''ll see someone you know before walking in the room."

    We walked to the according hallway and stood just feet away from the entrance of my class. Noah studied every face that walked by, especially those that walked in. He gave a small cough. "Something we didn''t consider is that Spanish III is normally for juniors and seniors." He frowned.

    I shifted from foot to foot. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=12185250005052805)/v3-ch5-(first-day-of-school)_%!d(string=51613802390678386) for visiting.

    "Hey guys, what''s up?" Sean gave us a small head nod, stopping to speak with us. "Don''t know which class is yours?"

    Noah brightened at the sight of Sean. "Hey! No, no, we know." He reached out to hold onto Sean''s shoulder. "Sean, you''re a junior right?"

    Sean gave a slow nod, looking skeptical. "Yea. Why?"

    "Are you taking Spanish III?"

    He glanced at my classroom door. "Well, yea. I''m going there now. Coach Luis is actually my teacher."

    "Coach Luis is Mr. Martin?" I blurted out.

    "Yea?" He raised an eyebrow. "You guys didn''t know?"

    Noah continued to hold Sean''s shoulder. "I didn''t know, he''s not my teacher. But, Jake his him next. And you have him next. So keep an eye out for him, okay?"

    Sean loosened up and laughed. "Oh. Okay. Sure thing. Man, you had me scared like something was about to go down." He checked his watch. "We should head in before the bell rings."

    Noah let him go and smiled at me. "Success! You have someone you know." He started to back up. "I''ll see you at break. Meet me at our lockers!"

    I nodded.

    Sean smiled at me. "Ready?"

    I nodded.

    We went into the classroom together and sure enough, Coach Luis was behind the teacher''s desk looking at something on his computer.

    "Look, there''s Mitchell. Let''s go sit near him." Sean motioned for me to follow him.

    "Hey, what up?" Mitchell gave Sean a high five as Sean sat beside him. He looked at me. "Hey, Jake." He laughed. "Can''t believe we''re in Spanish together again. I''ll be counting on you for tutoring."

    I looked around, trying to decide between sitting in front of them or behind them. And which side do I pick?

    "Sit here." Sean had sat sideways in his chair and patted the empty desk behind him.

    I obediently sat down just as the bell rang.

    Coach Luis waited as a few stragglers showed up and found some empty seats to sit in. After giving an extra minute or two, he stood up in the front of the room. "Good morning and welcome to Spanish III. I know a lot of you are excited to be back in school but please keep your talking to a minimum." He waved a stack of papers. "I''ll pass out the syllabus and we''ll go over it as a class. I don''t care whether you pay attention or not, but don''t interrupt another classmates learning experience. Grades are dependent on you, not me."

    I wasn''t surprised by the mixed signals Coach Luis was sending. It was a mix of being strict and relaxed. I felt it on the team. In the beginning I was scared of him, but came to realize that he just liked winning in baseball. He''s not unreasonable.

    Coach passed out the syllabus to those in the front row. "Take one and pass it back. Let me know if I missed anyone."

    He went to the whiteboard and pointed at some pre-written work. "You can address me by Mr. Martin, Coach, or Coach Luis. Do not flat out call me just Luis. Show a little respect. Being a coach and teacher is something I take pride in." He went on to talk a little about himself before going over the rules of the classroom and major assignment due dates. "I don''t believe in tests. We''ll do Friday quizzes to review what I''ve gone over throughout the week though. Then a midterm and final to comply with school and district rules, but as long as you pay attention to my lessons and read your text book, you''ll be fine."

    "Is that all?" Mitchell snorted under his breath.

    Sean stretched his leg out to kick him. "Don''t slack unless you want to repeat again."

    I smiled at the actions of the two. This wasn''t so bad. I didn''t have Noah, but I still had friends from baseball. I really like how this school year is shaping up.

 Chapter 771 - V3 ch6 (After school practice)

    I met up with Noah at our lockers on our break and switched books before finding somewhere to eat our snacks that Mom had packed us. After the fifteen minute break, Noah and I went our separate ways again. I had calculus with the twins.

    There was no anxiety when it came to this class. Besides having the twins with me, I also already knew the math teacher, Mr. Petrus. He was the same old man from last semester. A former foster kid himself and an avid watcher of our home games. I gave him a smile as I walked in and found the twins at our old table.

    "How''s your day going?" Dave asked as I sat down.

    I shrugged. "Okay. I have Sean and Mitchell in my Spanish III class so I know someone in every class."

    "We don''t have that problem." Dave laughed.

    I frowned. "Why do you and Kyle have every class together when I''m not allowed to share every class with Noah?"

    "Because we''re identical twins." Kyle answered. "We may or may not have history of going to each other''s classes in middle school."

    "I''m better at science and math while Kyle is better at art and English." Dave said. "Less so now. Now, we''re pretty much even."

    Kyle nodded in agreement.

    The twins were past their argument from the weekend so sitting between them for the next hour wasn''t so bad.

    After calculus, I went back to my locker again to switch books. Noah also showed up to do the same.

    "Hey, Noah. Hey, Jake." Alisha found us just as we were about to part ways again.

    Noah nodded. "Hey. Here to grab Jake?"

    Alisha nodded. "I thought it would be better if we walked into class together instead of meeting there. Less stress."

    I smiled, thankful for her thoughtfulness. I had geography next with Alisha. No Noah again.

    Noah waved. "See ya at lunch."

    I waved back.

    Alisha talked the whole way to class and only paused to greet her friends that she saw in the halls. She got more animated when she saw familiar faces in our class; dragging me to sit with her and her friends. It was weird to be a part of a group but not actually part of the group. Alisha made sure to include me, but I didn''t say much with her friends around.

    After class she walked me back to my locker and spoke with Noah for a little bit, even inviting us to eat with her and her friends. Noah glanced my way before refusing. We went to our normal table and ate by ourselves like usual. We talked about the classes we didn''t share together until the bell went off.

    Our last two classes of the day, we had together. We had cooking together with both Alisha and Kaylee. The tables were grouped for six so we were able to sit together with two others joining us. The last class was English and I only had it with Noah. After the school day ended, it was time for practice.

    We walked down to the car and met up with the twins to grab our bags. I followed them down to our club room by the varsity field.

    "Are we allowed to use this?" I asked. It wasn''t like the teams have been picked yet. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=12185250005052805)/v3-ch6-(after-school-practice)_%!d(string=51618853272220865) for visiting.

    "Yea, anyone can use this room to get changed." Dave said. "It''s just that most use the normal locker room since that''s where their lockers are. We have our car to store our backpacks, but they have to lock theirs up."

    "Oh." I nodded. That made sense.

    I had worn a t-shirt that I could play in so I only had to change into baseball shorts so I could move more freely during practice.

    "Wow. You didn''t go to the bathroom to change." Kyle commented after I pulled up more shorts.

    I felt my face heat up.

    "Why are you watching him get dressed? Weirdo." Dave threw something at Kyle, starting a small fight.

    "If I had to change shirts...I probably would have gone to the bathroom." I told them honestly. I wasn''t very conscious of my scars on my legs. They aren''t too bad. It''s the ones on my whole torso that make me stand out.

    "Maybe after another laser treatment or two, you won''t even think about it." Noah clapped me on the shoulder. "Let''s go play some ball."

    "Coach said to meet up on the JV field." Dave reminded us.

    Leaving the way we came in, we rounded our field and walked over to the JV field, where players were already gathering. At 3pm Coach came down with his staff of coaches and had us gather around.

    "I''m Coach Wilcox." He started with his name. "Most of you attended the summer camp, but if you were unable to then that''s okay too. You''ll have the next couple of months to prove to me that you belong to our program. We are missing a few players due to the fall sports they may participate in like football and water polo. That doesn''t mean they won''t make the teams, it just means you have more of an opportunity to show me what you got."

    I looked around and noticed that there were significantly less players.

    "Monday to Thursday, 3pm to 5pm, we''ll work on skills. I''ll divide the groups up, usually by position, and send you off with the different coaches." He continued. "On Fridays, I''ll have different teams put together for scrimmages. With less players present, we''ll do four teams but might need some pitchers to play on the field."

    Someone raised their hand.

    "Yes?" Coach looked to him.

    "For those playing other sports, will they have a separate tryout?" The player asked.

    Coach nodded. "I''ll have something posted closer to the roster selection dates, asking them to come to the afternoon practices, where I''ll watch them more closely."

    "Over the summer camp, you said if we strike out Jake Atkins, we automatically get to be on varsity." Someone else spoke up. "Does that still hold up?"

    Coach chuckled. "Most definitely."

    Noah nudged me with a grin as the players started to whisper and mumble among themselves. I tried to make my presence as small as possible.

    "Any kind of strikeout? Like can it be swinging, looking, or off a foul tip?"

    Coach nodded. "Anything." He grinned. "Just a small reminder for those who don''t know Jake. He''s our batting champion and the best freshman in all of CIF. He has maybe struck out two or three times over the course of thirty games."

    I blushed as more and more players looked my way.

    Dave gave me a nudge. "Help a brother out. Let me get you one time."

    Kyle threw himself at me and pulled me into a light headlock. "C''mon, Bambi. Show us some sibling love."

    I laughed, slightly helpless. "Do you really need me to?"

    The twins were starters in the rotation. Not that far behind Garret in skill. I don''t think they need me to cheat and give them a freebie.

    Kyle laughed. "Nah, but it would be cool to say. And cool to claim. I can go around telling people that I was able to strike out the best batter on my team, in the league, and in the division. Probably even the whole state."

    "Jake will probably be listed in the rankings when the new season starts." Dave said thoughtfully. "He''s probably even going to be higher than us." He looked disgusted. "We finally get rid of Zeke and now have to live in another brother''s shadow. Unbelievable."

    I smiled at their jokes, happy to hear ''brother'' over and over again.

 Chapter 772 - V3 ch7 (Challenge Jake)

    Coach eventually finished answering all the questions that were asked. Most of which was by the few players that weren''t able to come to the summer camp. Practice started with a jog around the JV field a couple of times, then as we stretched, Coach put us in groups by position.

    The infielder group was divided into three, and I was still with Noah. And we got Mr. Miller. Good. To make things even better, our group got to start with batting drills. I could feel the stares whenever it was my turn in the batting cage, but I was getting good at blocking it out.

    The week flew by. Classes. Practice. Classes. Practice. On Friday, Coach divided us into the teams and had announced it as we stretched. Afterwards, he came over to where I was and squatted down since I was sitting in the grass.

    I felt a little nervous staring into his sunglasses. "Yes, Coach?"

    "A few pitchers have approached me and my other coaches, asking if they could face you today." He told me. "I''ve come to realize that not everyone will get a fair chance to face you because of how I put the teams together. So I was wondering how you felt about doing a few extra at-bats after your scrimmage?"

    "Is this something that will happen to Jake every Friday?" Noah asked Coach before I could come up with an answer.

    Coach thought about it. "Maybe. We can figure something out like having pitchers sign up on Thursdays so it won''t be a guessing game for Jake on how many pitchers he''ll face every Friday."

    "So I would have to stay late on Fridays?" I asked, feeling hesitant.

    "Would that be a problem? This is completely voluntary. I know I''m asking a lot from you, but I thought you might like the extra swings. Plus, it grants me an extra look at the pitchers and how they progress over the next few weeks." Coach said.

    I scratched my cheek. "I want to, but...I have to ask Mom. She makes us dinner shortly after we get home from practice. There''s also the twins. They''re the ones who drive us to and from school."

    Noah started to laugh. "Mom would be okay with it. And who cares what the twins think. They can''t leave without us."

    "How about we start next week?" Coach said. "You get permission from your mom and I''ll start a signup sheet for the pitchers interested."

    I nodded.

    That night, at the dinner table, I told Mom what Coach wanted me to do.

    Mom looked concerned. "Why do all the pitchers want to face you?"

    "Because if they strike him out, they automatically get to be on varsity." Dave explained. "I don''t mind staying late on Fridays because I want to participate too."

    Mom was still unsure. "Isn''t that a little too much pressure put on Jake?" She looked at me. "Are you interested in doing this?"

    I nodded. "I like batting, and I like to see different pitchers."

    "Aren''t you scared of striking out?" Mom asked, worried. "What if you have a bad day and a lot of people get you out? I don''t want your coach to blame you."

    "I''m pretty confident I won''t strike out." I told her honestly.

    "Ugh. So c.o.c.ky. It''s like another Noah." Kyle joked. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=12185250005052805)/v3-ch7-(challenge-jake)_%!d(string=51630016965960216) for visiting.

    I felt my face flush. "Sorry."

    Noah poked me. "Don''t apologize to him." He looked at Mom. "Jake''s so good, even Garret can''t strike him out. If the other guys make it happen, then they should be on varsity too. All Jake has to do is put the ball in play."

    Mom looked to Dad. "What do you think?"

    Dad shrugged. "Everyone seems to be pretty confident in Jake''s ability. Leave them to it." He changed the topic, looking to the twins. "We need to decide who is driving to and from the game for tomorrow. I don''t want to hear of any fighting or anything that could distract either of you from the road."

    Tomorrow, we were going to meet up with Zeke and Rhys, and then go to the A''s game together. This would be the first time that either of the twins would be the driver for the long trip without anyone else to supervise them.

    "I''ll drive there." Dave said. "Then Kyle will drive back on Sunday. All the driving between will be left to Zeke."

    Dad nodded. "I want regular updates." He started to lecture us on how to behave on the short trip. Him and Mom still had to work this weekend so they couldn''t come.

    Jeremy got us tickets for both the Saturday night game and the Sunday afternoon game. Saturday night we would stay with Rhys and his mom. It was going to be a baseball filled weekend.

    It was great. I was happy to see Zeke again. Noah and the twins pestered him and Rhys about their college life and how their first team practices went. They also shared snippets of our week like what our class schedules were like and how practice was going.

    "Yea, and now Coach is going to let the pitchers challenge Jake every Friday. But they have to sign up by Thursday." Noah told Rhys and Zeke as we waited for the A''s game to start.

    "Wow!" Rhys exclaimed. "Your coach is gutsy."

    Zeke looked to me. "You want to do this?"

    I nodded. "Yea. I like seeing the different types of pitchers. Even though they''re hit-able, I get to see all the different kinds of pitching forms."

    "You''re not afraid of any of them?" Rhys asked. "There could be a hidden talent among them."

    "Ehh." I tapped my knee. "I think I can handle anyone. It might not be pretty, but there''s no one in the high school level that makes me think I''ll strike out."

    "Ugh! If I had the chance, I would strike you out in high school." Rhys claimed. He gave the twins a look. "You two better challenge him too. You can''t just be taking it easy."

    Kyle grinned. "Of course. We''re working on it. Probably won''t sign up the first time or two." He wiggled his brows at me. "There''s probably going to be a lot of pitchers signing up the first two weeks. I''ll give it a go when I believe I can really strike him out."

    Dave nodded in agreement. "Yea. Give me another month of training and I''m sure the outcome will be unknown."

    "Rhys, do you want another shot at Jake? We can probably do a showdown tomorrow morning before we come back here." Noah said.

    Rhys replied. "I''d like to, but like the twins, I''m working on something. Maybe in a couple of months."

    "Months?" I asked.

    Rhys winked. "Trying to learn a new pitch. Won''t say what it is."

    Dave''s leg started to bounce. "Can you tell me and Kyle?"

    Rhys grinned and shook his head. "No way. Don''t know if it''ll work out yet or not. It''ll take some time." He pointed at me. "One thing is for sure, a small-time high schooler ain''t going to own me."

    I laughed.

    The game got underway and we started to cheer Jeremy and the A''s on. They were still leading their division at the end of August and there was even more talk of Jeremy being a leader in the MVP race.

 Chapter 773 - V3 ch8

    It was a great boy''s weekend. The twins fought less. Zeke talked more than normal. Noah stayed out of trouble. And I hung out with them happily. Jeremy''s team won both games we watched and invited us to dinner after Sunday''s game.

    With all of us together, it didn''t feel like there was too much of an age gap between me and Jeremy. He was only three to four years older than Rhys and Zeke. Another year for the twins. Then seven years for Noah and I.

    He got along great with everyone, especially when he talked about his early struggles in the minors. It''s hard to believe that he went through a year long slump, but he did. And got out of it. Then reached the majors as young as he did.

    "I''ll debut before you." Noah said confidently as dinner was winding down. He clenched his fists. "That''ll be my goal."

    Kyle laughed at him. "Shouldn''t your first goal be getting better at batting before the next season starts? Then graduating high school and even getting picked in the draft?"

    "Not going to look at colleges?" Jeremy asked Noah after hearing Kyle.

    Noah shook his head, then stopped and shrugged. "Mom will probably make me look like Zeke did, but I won''t be going. It''s just a waste of time. Of my time at least."

    "Yea, don''t knock the rest of us that picked college." Rhys laughed. "For the record, I don''t think I''m wasting my time. And I know for a fact that Zeke isn''t wasting his time."

    Jeremy nodded. "I know some friends that just graduated and will graduate this upcoming year. College is perfect for furthering your education while working on your game. Yea, you''re not getting paid, but minor league pay really sucks. I had to share a room with three other guys at one point."

    Noah made a face. "Weren''t you drafted near the top? Why didn''t you just use your signing bonus-" He stopped suddenly and looked at Jeremy, apologetic. "Sorry. I just remembered."

    Jeremy shrugged. "It''s fine. It''s not something I can hide from. I had given the majority of the money to my uncle and just lived from small paycheck to small paycheck. Absolutely brutal, but I didn''t stay long at those lower levels. The worst was a winter league I did in Florida. Living conditions were almost bare minimum." He laughed. "It was a sight to see when I made my debut and the clubhouse supplied the food. I ate so much before the game that in the middle of an inning, I had to take a bathroom break. So embarrassing."

    We laughed, imagining the sight of him rushing for the restroom.

    "Those guys in San Diego never let me forget it either." He covered his face with a hand and shook his head. "I''ll be hearing it for the rest of my life."

    "There are worst debuts." Rhys said sympathetically.

    We talked some more, then it was time to go. Jeremy waved and parted ways with us, heading to his own car. While the rest of us piled into our car and headed back to Rhys''s house. We dropped him and Zeke off there instead of their college because apparently Rhys was going to take his car to school so they can have access to it.

    Back home, Mom sent us straight to bed because it was still a school night. When I woke up the next morning, I found Noah doing some ab exercises on the floor of our room.

    I frowned. "How long have you been up?"

    "Twenty minutes ago." He huffed.

    I rolled out of bed and joined him on the floor.

    He grinned at my actions, but didn''t say anything.

    I copied his movements.

    Throughout the week, we got into the routine of doing those ab workouts in the mornings. We didn''t have time for long morning runs before school so this would have to do.

    At the beginning of Thursday''s practice, Coach made a few announcements including the closing of the signup sheet for pitchers who wanted to challenge me after Friday''s scrimmage. He also told us that we would start using the new gym on Monday''s and Wednesday''s so we had to be sure to have tennis shoes.

    "Are we all going to fit?" Someone asked.

    Coach shook his head. "Not everyone will go. Depends on the groups. Some weeks there will be players who go twice, some once, and some none." He continued. "Maybe in a month or two, I''ll switch it up. Eventually when we divide you into teams, each team will have its own day and time."

    "I hope to be the person that doesn''t go at all." Noah told me. "We have weights at home we can use. I don''t want to give up valuable practice time for that."

    "Jeremy said it was important to build your strength though." I reminded him. "We can also practice at home, but the gym will have weights and machines that we don''t have at home."

    Noah made a face. "Tsk. I can''t believe you''re for this."

    I grinned. "I know how important it is to build up strength. When I was in the hospital for a long period of time, it was really hard to move after I recovered."

    Noah laughed. "I remember the first time you ran with me. I guess I could imagine what it was like for you in the hospital." He paused. "You don''t talk about that much."

    I shrugged. "There''s not much to say. I did nothing. I spoke to no one. It was...a very lonely time in my life."

    Noah reached out to pat me on the back. "Just a memory now."

    I nodded. Yea. It was just a memory now. A memory that was growing older by the day. Probably won''t be something I forget though.

    Coach held me back after practice, passing me a list of names. "Here''s a copy of tomorrow''s challengers. They''ve already picked what catcher they''re going to use and I noted that down in case you cared. I also organized the list in the way they''ll go. I grouped it by what catcher they''re going to use, so the catchers didn''t have to constantly change out."

    "Wow." I stared at the full page of names and counted. "Twenty-six?" I looked up at Coach. "Do we really have this many pitchers in the program?"

    He laughed. "Not usually. Or at least we don''t actively use them. Some boys like to think they''re ''pitchers'' but we might only use them as outfielders. I think this week will only have a lot because everyone wants an easy ride to being a member of the varsity team."

    "So some of them aren''t even pitchers at all?" Noah laughed. "Jake is going to kill them on one pitch."

    I thought about it. "One pitch? Shouldn''t I let them do more?"

    Coach shook his head. "No. You go at this like you need to put the ball in play no matter what. Don''t give them any freebies. They want a spot on varsity, then they have to prove it." He patted me on the shoulder. "If I see you go easy on them, it''s your roster spot that''s in jeopardy."

    My face fell.

    "That''s not funny, Coach." Noah told him. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=12185250005052805)/v3-ch8_%!d(string=51652957745233998) for visiting.

    Coach grinned. "Who said I was joking?"

 Chapter 774 - V3 ch9 (Challenge list for Friday)

    "He can''t really mean that." Dave told me on our drive home. Noah had already recapped what Coach said to me about giving up my roster spot. "You''re the best hitter in our league. Maybe even the state. Really. He can''t bench you."

    "He can if he thinks he can win without you." Kyle said.

    Dave slapped him on the arm. "Why would you say that?"

    Kyle hit him back. "Because it''s a possibility, okay? Coach only has to win games. That''s his only job."

    "Can you two not hit each other while up front?" Noah said as he clutched the shoulder belt. "I think from now on, I''ll sit in the front passenger seat."

    "Denied." The twins said simultaneously.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Do it again, and I''ll tell Mom. And then I''ll also tell her my idea about separating you two." He looked at me, but my attention was still on the paper I was holding. The list of pitchers I was going to face. "Jake, don''t think too much into what Coach said. I don''t know anyone who can strike you out. Garret can''t do it and neither can the twins."

    Garret wanted to face me...

    I scanned the list and didn''t see his name. I sighed with relief.

    Kyle laughed at my heavy sigh. "Were you worried that Garret wanted in on the action tomorrow?" I nodded. "Well, he thought about it, but we told him he should wait a little like us. The catchers are all booked up with a bunch of wannabes."

    "Thanks." I told him sincerely.

    "Sure. Plus, Garret can just meet us at the park anytime. It''s not like he''s in a rush."

    I owed Garret a face-off. We thought about having one after the summer camp but then all that Jeremy drama happened. "Yea, if we stay home this weekend, we could do that."

    "If we stay home?" Dave asked, pulling into the driveway and putting the car in park. "The A''s are out of town. Where else would we go?"

    I shrugged. "I kind of thought we would see Zeke and Rhys again."

    Noah shook his head. "If there''s no plan now, then it''s probably not going to happen. But, that''s okay. We can train on our own and even go to The Cages. It''s been so long since we last went."

    "Barely a couple of weeks." Kyle snorted and got out. "I don''t mind staying home this weekend. Marie and I don''t get a lot of time to hang outside of school."

    "Noah, will you catch for me this weekend?" Dave asked. "I can drive you and Jake to The Cages in exchange."

    "You can''t just take the car." Kyle frowned at his twin as we worked on getting our bags out of the car.

    Dave shrugged. "I''m not ''just taking'' it. I''m driving our younger brothers to The Cages. Something Zeke used to do. Whatever you want the car for can''t be that important." He raised an eyebrow. "If it''s for dating, you can take Marie''s car."

    Kyle rolled his eyes and headed for the door.

    Dave glanced at the list in my hand. "Want me to tell you about the pitchers you don''t know?"

    I hesitated. Normally, I would like the surprise to make it more challenging, but...

    I nodded. "If you could just tell me who''s a real pitcher and who''s just trying to make the varsity team?"

    "Sure thing." He said. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=12185250005052805)/v3-ch9-(challenge-list-for-friday)_%!d(string=51659667557902557) for visiting.

    "It probably isn''t too hard to point them out." Noah added. "Just the players who don''t normally go with the pitchers group. Either because a coach deemed them not good enough or because they aren''t confident enough to go for it."

    "But confident enough to take on Jake?" Dave let out a short laugh. "Freshmen are always so arrogant."

    "I wasn''t. Jake wasn''t." Noah defended the both of us.

    Dave threw his arm around Noah and pulled him into his armpit. "What a lie! You were the most arrogant! Blind confidence, I tell ya."

    We got inside the house and went to the kitchen table, dropping our bags in the hallway. Dave had let go of Noah and started to point out the players that didn''t join the pitching group during practice. Both him and Noah started to add comments to everyone''s name like what year they were and, if they knew, their specialty pitches.

    Kyle, who had gone up to shower, came down after awhile and saw us sitting at the table, going over the list. "You guys...Mom''s going to be upset if you don''t clean up for dinner."

    "I''m going!" Noah took off first.

    Dave handed me my sheet back. "You''ve got this. Easy-peasy." He headed for the stairs too.

    I nodded. I felt pretty good after Dave and Noah pointed out those players who were just trying their luck. I didn''t see any returning varsity players wanting to go up against me. Even the seniors and juniors from JV was scarce. One name was missing that I just thought of: Joey. Joey Henderson.

    With Noah and Dave gone, I had to turn to Kyle. "I don''t see Joey on the list." In fact, I don''t remember seeing him in the practices either. He was a pitcher who could hit so I feel like he stands out.

    Kyle laughed. "He''s busy."

    I stared at him, confused.

    "Football plays in the fall." Kyle expanded on why he was busy. "You haven''t gone to any games so you wouldn''t know, but he''s the QB. Of the varsity team now, I hear."

    "Is he any good?" I asked. "I mean, is he better at football or at baseball?"

    Kyle shrugged. "I guess the same..? I don''t know. I don''t pay too much attention to football." His eyes widened like a thought just came to him. "Hey! We should go to the game tomorrow night."

    "The football game..?" I asked, trying to keep up with his thought process.

    "Yea." He nodded. "You have to have the full high school experience. And going to a high school football game is vital. We can invite Marie and Kaylee. Go as a big group."

    "What time is the game?" We still had practice after school, and we even had to stay late.

    "Not until 7pm." Kyle said. "It''s a home game too, at the stadium down the street." He pulled out his cellphone. "I''m going to call Marie. You go tell Dave and Noah."

    I nodded slowly.

    Kyle paused before facing me head-on. "Tell Noah first. Mention that you thought of Joey and I told you that he played football. Don''t tell him that it was my idea to go. The two of them just want to oppose me whenever I talk about hanging with Marie." He put his hands together. "Please?"

    I nodded again. "Sure. I want a normal high school experience too."

    "Yes!" He pumped his fist. Then patted me on the head. "Thanks, Jake."

    I smiled. Kyle being happy made me happy.

    "What are you two plotting?" Mom came in, wearing her work clothes.

    "Mom! Hey, you don''t have to cook dinner for us tomorrow." Kyle hurried to tell her about our plan to go the football game.

    Mom grinned. "That''s a great idea. I love you guys getting out and experiencing new things. Jake''s never been." She nodded at me. "Give it a try. If you don''t like it, you kids can leave whenever you want."

    "Can we get money for hot dogs and popcorn?" Kyle asked. He bargained with her on how much we can get while I made a move to go upstairs to tell the other two.

 Chapter 775 - V3 ch10 (Plans for Friday)

    Kyle got Mom on board with the idea of going to the football game Friday night so I didn''t have to say much to Noah and Dave. Dave wasn''t too against it even after hearing that Kyle was going to invite Marie and Kaylee too.

    "I think we should invite Alisha." Noah said after I got back to the room from my shower.

    I nodded along, not seeing a reason to object.

    He frowned. "But I don''t want her to think it''s a date."

    "Is going to a football game considered a date..?" I asked, not understanding. We hang out with Alisha all the time and those aren''t considered dates.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Isn''t Kyle taking Marie?"

    "Good point." I pulled my phone off the charger. "Want me to invite her instead?"

    Noah nodded. "Yea. You do it. She won''t think too much into it if you send the invite."

    I tried not to laugh. "What do I say?"

    "Here. Give it to me." He took my phone away and started to message her.

    I started to walk away, but Noah held me back. "Where are you going?"

    "Downstairs?" I shrugged. "It''s almost dinner time."

    "No. You still have to help." Noah told me. "We have to make sure it still sounds like you in these texts."

    I rolled my eyes. "How about I just tell her in class tomorrow? That sounds more natural."

    "Yea. That sounds better." He gave me my phone back. "Good thinking, Jake." He slapped my back and left the room first. "Let''s go see if dinner is ready!"

    I shook my head. Everyone always accuse me of overthinking, but Noah does it too. Over dumb things like inviting Alisha. Aren''t we all friends? We can invite friends to do friend things. I hurried after him, eager to eat.

    Dad was on board with us going to the football game tomorrow night. He smiled at Mom. "Looks like we can still have another date night."

    "Ew."

    "Gross."

    Mom grinned.

    Friday classes were mostly quizzes and were just generally easier to get through. Maybe because we have the next two days off and there wasn''t any urgency to do homework.

    We saw Kaylee in our first class, chemistry.

    "My sister already told me." She said to Noah after he asked about the game. "We''re going to meet at your house after getting cleaned up from practice."

    "Don''t rush." Noah told her. "We have to stay late in practice today for Jake."

    Kaylee shot a grin my way. "I heard. The baseball players in my other classes were talking about it. I can''t believe some of them think they have a chance. Crazy."

    I grinned, feeling only a little embarrassed. "Well...they want to take a shot at it. I don''t mind. Noah and Dave helped me go over the list so I know who to watch out for." Then I added. "A lot of the returners didn''t sign up. Some might be busy with other sports."

    "True. True." She nodded. "Quite a few play football. I know of some that play golf."

    "Lame." Noah commented.

    "At least they''re being active." Kaylee shrugged. "A couple girls that showed up to our camp aren''t showing up to the practices after school."

    "Why not?" I asked

    She shrugged again. "Because it''s not mandatory. The coaches can''t really hold you to it because we aren''t technically in season. It just sucks to see some of them not taking it seriously."

    Noah nodded. "That''s annoying."

    We spent most of the class talking about our teams and incoming freshmen. Kaylee asked about the other sophomores we see and might have problems with, but Noah said most of the guys did football in the fall. What a relief. I wouldn''t want to have to deal with some of them every day.

    Right before fourth period, Alisha met me at my locker like she has been for the last two weeks. I didn''t know if I was on her way to class, or if she just wanted to see Noah for a few seconds, or if she was just being genuinely nice.

    Noah gave me a look and mouthed the words: don''t forget.

    I nodded.

    As we got closer to the classroom, I could see some of Alisha''s friends waiting for her. I gulped. I knew I said that it would be more natural to ask her in person, but I don''t think I could ask her in front of all her friends.

    "Um, Alisha?" I slowed down my steps.

    "Yea?" She looked at me with a smile.

    "Well, uh..." I froze up, trying to find the words. Maybe I should have gone with the text.

    Alisha paused in her footsteps, making me stop as well. "What''s up, Jake?"

    I scratched the back of my head nervously. "Did you want to come to the football game with us tonight? All of us are going. Marie and Kaylee too."

    She laughed. "Yea, sure." She left out another laugh. "I was a bit scared on what you were going to ask me. You looked so nervous that it made me nervous."

    I gave a small laugh, feeling relieved. "Seeing your friends made me a little more anxious. Noah and I were going to text you last night, but I figured I would see you in class."

    She frowned for a second. "Why didn''t Noah just text or call me?"

    I looked away, not sure if I should tell her that he didn''t want her to think it was a date. "Not sure."

    "Uh-huh." She said lightly.

    We met up with her friends and walked into the class as a group. She stopped asking me about Noah and started to catch up with her friends as we took our seats. Sitting with a bunch of girls is a little nerve racking, but I was kind of used to sitting there silently. They didn''t talk to me much, but they didn''t shun me either. If we had to group up for class work, they still included me which was nice.

    At the end of class, a girl asked Alisha if she was coming to the game tonight.

    She smiled at her friend. "Yea, I''m going with Jake and the Atkins brothers. If I see you, maybe we can sit together."

    The girl was surprised. "Oh. Okay. Sure!" She nodded at me and then waved before walking off.

    "You don''t have to go with us if you want to go with your friends." I told her as we walked back to the sophomore hallway.

    "We''re friends too, Jake." She smiled. "And you ask first. If I already had plans, then I would have told you so. So are we just going straight from practice or what?"

    I shrugged. "Don''t know. Noah might though."

    We waited around my locker until Noah showed up. Alisha asked him what the plan was for tonight.

    Noah switched his books in his locker. "If you want to ride with us, you can. We''ll go back to our house after practice so we can clean up. Then Marie and Kaylee should be coming over. We can take just one car to the stadium and go as a big group."

    Alisha nodded. "Okay, I''ve got to let my parents know. See you guys at practice." She left us.

 Chapter 776 - V3 ch11 (First Challenge Friday)

    Friday practice means scrimmaging. Coach had divided us up into new teams and had us play for five innings. It was fun. Less intense than during the summer because we knew we would play again next week.

    After both set of games finished, quite a few players hung back at the JV field to watch the pitchers challenge me. Coach didn''t want us on the varsity field to keep the grass in good shape. Whatever that means.

    The pitchers were off to the side, warming up with one another. Only a select few got a catcher to pair up with. There just weren''t enough catchers.

    First up was the few who had chosen Mitchell. Or maybe it''s the few that Mitchell chose to go with? Because the first few were pitchers. I can''t see Mitchell pairing up with those who don''t actually pitch on the regular.

    "The first few will be the hardest." Noah reminded me. "Put the ball in play and you win."

    I nodded. I was coming off a good game, knocking two different pitchers out of the park in my last scrimmage so I was feeling hot.

    Mitchell nodded at me as a greeting as he got behind the plate and I stepped into the batter''s box. Mr. Miller was acting as umpire to make the calls. I chose to be a righty since all of today''s opponents would be right-handed.

    The first opponent was a junior from the JV team. Noah and Dave both had good things to say about him: control and moderate speed. Been practicing curves.

    He got set and started his motion. A fastball, probably at his fastest speed, high and outside. Could probably get a lot of others to miss, but not me. I swung and made perfect contact, sending a line drive to an empty right field.

    "Hit." Mr. Miller said. He waved at the next pitcher in line. "Next. C''mon, keep it moving. I don''t want to be here all evening."

    The junior frowned as he came off the mound.

    Next up was a senior. Same deal for him. He threw me a breaking ball first, coming inside, but I knocked it to left field, going right down the baseline.

    "Next!" Mr. Miller hollered.

    While the pitchers switched, I lightly swung my bat back and forth, staying warm. I glanced back and could see Coach with the other coaches standing behind the fence, watching us and taking notes. Alisha was with them, holding a clipboard and pen. She caught me looking and gave me a thumbs up.

    My face heated up as I looked away.

    In the dugout behind me, Noah, the twins, Garret and a few other guys hung out, casually clapping when I got a hit. It was a good feeling to have a few guys on my side as I looked down the long line of pitchers waiting to face me.

    I worked efficiently, swinging on the first pitch for every pitcher. Mitchell eventually switched with another catcher, waving at me as he walked off.

    As we moved to the normal players, I had an urge to let some pitches pass by for balls, but it would just waste my time. All I had to do was put the ball into play. So even on bad pitches, if it was doable, I tried to hit it fairly. Near the end, it got really bad. Being on varsity, I was used to a higher standard. Some of these guys...weren''t going to make it.

    "That''s it for today." Coach came into the field and told me as everyone who stayed late started to pack up and leave. "Thanks, Jake."

    "No problem." It was nice to get some extra swings. I sat down to take off my cleats and change into my shoes. "Will it be less players next week?"

    "Possibly, but might be better pitchers." He answered. "Those who are in other sports right now can only fit it in their schedule so it''ll be random. I asked Garret, but-"

    "I''ll face Jake this weekend!" Garret had cut in. He laughed. "I don''t want to embarrass him in front of the players here. It''ll make him look bad."

    "Make you look bad." Noah corrected him.

    Garret reached out, but Noah dodged his grabby hands.

    Coach just shook his head at the two of them. "Good lord, it''s going to be a long year with you two around." He glanced at me. "I like hearing that you guys are putting extra work in. That''s how you become better players. Have a good weekend." He left us to rejoin his coaches.

    I packed up my bag and all of us started to get ready to go. Alisha joined us at the last second after grabbing her backpack.

    "What were you writing on the clipboard?" Noah asked her as we loaded the car.

    "Just how many pitches Jake faced. It was pretty easy." She said.

    I got in the very back, leaving them two to sit in the middle row. Kyle got in the driver''s seat and Dave got in the front passenger seat.

    "Was Coach interested in any of those guys?" Noah asked. "None of them looked that good, but it was hard to tell from just one pitch."

    "He didn''t say anything about them. Just how many pitches." She repeated.

    Once we got home, Kyle left us behind, racing for the shower.

    "Marie and Kaylee should be on their way." Noah told Alisha as we walked into the house. "Do you want to wait in the living room or at the kitchen table?" He looked to me. "Jake, you can shower first."

    I nodded and left them alone. Dave walked upstairs with me too.

    "Wear your baseball sweatshirt tonight." Dave said to me before I split off to my room.

    I looked back at him, confused. "Okay..?"

    "It''s for school spirit." He shrugged. The sweatshirt did say ''WHS Baseball'' so I guess it counted. "If you wear school colors and bring your school id, you get in for free."

    "Oh." I didn''t know that we might even have to pay. "Okay, I''ll wear it."

 Chapter 777 - V3 ch12 (Football Game)

    After my shower, I got dressed and headed back downstairs.

    Noah spotted me and turn to Alisha. "Jake''s done. I''ll go take my own shower real quick. Be right back." He hurried up the stairs, leaving me alone with Alisha in the living room.

    Alisha saw me wearing my baseball sweatshirt. "Are you cold?"

    I shrugged. "Nah, it''s comfortable. But Dave told me to wear this for school spirit so we can get in for free."

    "Oh, man." She lightly hit her forehead. "I forgot. I should have had my parents bring me a different shirt or something." She was in a pink t-shirt which was definitely not our school colors or logo. "Do you have a shirt I can borrow..?"

    I shrugged again. "Yea." I had a practice shirt with the WHS logo on it as well. "It''s just a t-shirt though so you might get cold."

    "Just go through Noah''s stuff." Dave entered the room, and had overheard us. "He has a bunch of school gear that me, Kyle, and Zeke have passed down."

    I nodded. That was true. The twins and Zeke were taller than us and were constantly putting their old clothes with our laundry. I looked to Alisha. "Do you want to come up and try to find something?" Because I wasn''t comfortable picking for her.

    Alisha looked hesitant. "Isn''t Noah taking a shower?"

    "Yea, but he gets dressed in the bathroom so you''ll be fine." Dave told her.

    The doorbell rang.

    "That should be Marie and Kaylee." Dave headed for the front door. "We''ve got to get moving if we want to find parking."

    I took Alisha upstairs to the room I shared with Noah.

    "Wow. It''s surprisingly clean." She commented. "I thought most boy''s rooms were usually dirty. Or at least messy."

    "Oh." I guess that was the stereotypical thought, and sometimes it was true. But I think it was easy to keep our room clean because we didn''t spend a whole lot of time in here besides when it was time for bed. I opened the closet for Alisha.

    "Wow!" She exclaimed and came close. Instead of focusing on the clothes though, she started to admire the bat cubbie Dad and Zeke had put in. She ran her fingers of the bats. "Are these all yours?"

    I shrugged. "Kind of, but if Noah or somebody wanted to use one, I wouldn''t mind." I wanted to tell her they were from Rhys and his dad, but for one, she didn''t know him, and two, Zeke suggested I didn''t mention it.

    She pulled out some and saw that they were used. "Wow." She pointed at the one that was by itself in the corner alone. "Is this one broken or something?"

    I shook my head. "No. That''s the one Jeremy gave me. During the championship game, after my other bat broke." I pointed to the shelves above. "These are where my broken bats are."

    "You''ve already broken three?!" She exclaimed.

    I blushed, embarrassed. "One just happened over summer." I pointed at the one in the middle. "Championship game." Then at the last. "I broke my first bat at my first time at The Cages. Noah got them to lease us a bat, then I broke it by accident, but Noah defended me. He barely even knew me. He took on the owner and when Mom got mad, he still defended me."

    Alisha gave me a warm smile. "Noah''s a good person and a great friend."

    "Yea." I smiled and nodded. Seeing some WHS gear hanging up, I pointed at the sweatshirts, jackets, and shirts that she could choose from. "You can pick any of these."

    As she pulled a sweatshirt off the hanger, Noah walked in, fresh from the shower. Alisha blushed and hurried to put the sweatshirt on, messing up her hair in the process.

    Noah laughed at her appearance and reached for a sweatshirt himself.

    Alisha patted her hair down in attempt to fix it.

    "Let me get my shoes and socks on, then we can go down together." Noah said, sitting at his desk in order to put his socks on. We waited for him, then went back downstairs where the other half of our group was waiting.

    We loaded up all in one car, with Kyle driving and Marie in the front passenger seat. Alisha, Noah, and Kaylee all sat in the middle row, while Dave squeezed in the very back with me. I didn''t really get why we had to take one car until we showed up at the stadium. The parking lot was packed. Granted, it wasn''t very big, but I was still surprised how many people showed up to the games.

    Dave noticed my look of shock. "They only play twelve games or whatever so everyone goes when they can. It''s more like an outdoor party than people actually watching the game."

    I nodded along. I had some kind of vision of what to expect from a few movies that Noah made me watch.

    We lined up to enter the gates, preparing our school id''s. Thanks to that and our ''spirit wear'', we got in for free. We struggled to find a big enough spot in the bleachers for all of us together, but we made it work, finding some friends to sit with. I felt like all of them knew people, waving and stopping to say ''hi''. A few classmates would give me a small nod or smile, but no one really went out of their way to make a conversation.

    I didn''t mind at all. I wasn''t a social butterfly like the others.

    "Gosh, I can''t tell who''s more popular, Noah or Alisha." Kaylee whispered to me as we watch some teens stop to talk to the other two.

    I thought about how Noah had some trouble with those in the same year as him. "Maybe Alisha. She''s nice to everyone."

    Kaylee raised an eyebrow. "And Noah isn''t?"

    My lips twitched. "Noah is the best person I know."

    She laughed at my remark. "You''re deflecting." Then nodded. "Yea, Noah is easy to get along with, but sometimes he can be annoying to look at." She glanced at me. "Are you guys having any trouble with those idiots in the baseball program?"

    I shook my head. "Nah, everyone is pretty much focused on baseball when we play." I glanced to the football field, where players were warming up. "It helps that a lot of the more problematic ones are busy with other sports."

    She nodded. "Yea, you''ll have it easy these next few months."

    We spoke casually about school and sports as the game started. Kyle and Marie were in charge of getting food from the snack bar. Eating stadium food reminded me of going to A''s games to watch Jeremy. This was kind of like that, but at least I knew the rules of baseball. Football...was rocket science. Noah explained the basics but even he didn''t understand some of the penalties we saw.

    Our school ended up losing by three points, which didn''t seem so bad, but I happened to see Joey throw his helmet down. Guess he didn''t like the way he played? Or the way his team lost? Seeing him lose my cool made me uncomfortable and embarrassed for him.

    "Typical." Noah snorted, seeing the same thing. "Throwing a temper tantrum like that...what a child."

    "He''s definitely a hothead." Dave remarked. "There''s a few guys I know that are like that."

    "Like yourself?" Noah laughed.

    Dave gave him a small shove into Alisha.

    "See?!" Noah laughed even more as Dave proved him right.

 Chapter 778 - V3 ch13

    Dave let Kyle drive us back, letting everyone keep the same seats. We had a fun night. School without the classes. I wondered if this is how other students felt watching our games?

    "Do you think we''ll go again next weekend?" Alisha asked Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "I don''t know. It depends on if the A''s are playing at home and whether Jake wants to go."

    Dave leaned forward. "You mean on whether you can convince Jake to go." He grinned.

    Noah pushed his face away. "Shut up. Jake likes going too." He glanced back at me. "Right, Jake?"

    I nodded.

    "It looks like the A''s will clinch their division soon." Kaylee commented. "Is your brother excited for playoffs?"

    I nodded again, then grinned at Noah. "But, Noah is more excited I think."

    Noah sat up straight. "Of course! The A''s have been sneaking in the playoffs only to be kicked out in the first round. This year is our year! Everything is lining up perfectly!"

    I believed it too. This year has been the best of my life. It would only be fitting if Jeremy had a great year too. He hit a few roadblocks but that''s nothing.

    Halfway through the week, the A''s really did clinch their division, securing a spot in the playoffs. Unfortunately as September ended, they hit a rough patch, losing quite a few games. It didn''t mean too much, but it wasn''t a good feeling as October started.

    Just like how I thought Noah was more excited than Jeremy, I also thought he was more stressed. The night before the A''s would take on the Tampa Rays, I had called Jeremy to wish him luck while Noah paced around nervously.

    "You guys know to leave early tomorrow?" Jeremy asked. He had given us tickets for the first home game of the ALDS.

    "Yea, Mom and Dad said they would pull us out of school early so we can beat the traffic." I told him. "We already told our coaches that we would miss practice." I glanced at Noah. "Noah''s so nervous he can''t sit still."

    "That''s not true." Noah came over so he could speak up for himself. "Jeremy, how confident are you in tomorrow''s game? I mean, we''re missing practice for this, so you have to win."

    Jeremy chuckled. "You don''t have to go if you don''t want to."

    "No!" Noah exclaimed. "I can''t miss this! Who''s to say I''ll be able to experience this again?"

    "He''s been this high strung all week." I told Jeremy calmly, already used to Noah being loud and anxious.

    "Was he like this before your own championship game?" Jeremy asked.

    "Not really."

    "It''s different!" Noah told us, still excited. "I was in control then. I got to play. I got to bat and field and just be there for my team. Tomorrow, it''s out of my hands. I can only cheer from the stands. Ugh! Why can''t I be in the majors already?!?" He fell to the floor and stared up at the ceiling.

    My lips twitched and I tried to hold myself back from laughing.

    Jeremy didn''t. He laughed outright. "I''m glad I became an A. I don''t think I could stand Noah cheering against me. I''ll see you guys tomorrow. Rose will meet you at the gate."

    "Sure." I let him go, knowing he needed to rest.

    We did too. The plan for tomorrow was school, leave at lunch time, then meet with Jeremy and Rhys at his parent''s house. We were all going as a big group, taking two cars. Rhys''s dad didn''t make the playoffs with his team so this would be his first time joining us. His mom too. With the three of them and the seven of us, it was an even ten.

    When we showed up at their house, Mrs. Johnson showed us to the spare rooms so we could drop off our backpacks. We were planning on staying the night so we wouldn''t be on the road so late tonight.

    We spent a couple of hours at their house before heading to the stadium nice and early. It was only then that I got to see how busy it was. We ran into traffic despite leaving adequate time before the game started. Then there was the crowd. It was like a giant party outside the stadium as everyone waited for the gates to open.

    Dad called Rose to give her our specific location. She showed up in her A''s gear and greeted us. Dad introduced her to the Johnson''s and then she volunteered to take some photos for Mom''s album.

    "I heard the stadium already sold out for tonight and the possible game four and game five?" Noah asked Rose as she guided us to our seats.

    Rose nodded. "It was quick! Thankfully management offers players their choice first." She glanced back at our parents. "Jeremy said you guys didn''t want any game four or five tickets..?"

    Dad laughed. "We''re hoping the A''s win the first three so there won''t be any game four or five. But even if there were, the boys can''t go. It''ll be a school night."

    Rose nodded. "I understand. I''m hoping they do it in three too." She showed us to our seats and had a staff member come over to get our drink order. "Don''t forget to message me if anything goes wrong. I''m still on the clock after all."

    "Noah might need a chill pill." Dave remarked glancing at Noah''s bouncing leg.

    Rose laughed. "I can''t offer you any of those, but I''m sure he''ll settle down once the game starts." She left us to go back to work.

    Noah turned to look me in the eyes. "Jake, I''m so happy right now. I already loved you as a brother, but now I really love you. Thanks for having another brother on my favorite team."

    I laughed at his seriousness.

    Dave slapped Noah on the head. "Wake up already. You''re so annoying."

    As game time neared, the stadium really started to fill up. Not an open seat in the house. It was also crazy loud. As every starter was introduced, all I could hear was the roaring of the crowd. The national anthem is the only thing that brought some peace to the spectators.

    "Play ball!" A little kid announced from the home team dugout. The crowd cheered and it began.

    Noah was still anxious as the A''s pitcher dealt with the Rays. He cheered for every out and only took a breath as the teams switched. The first A''s batter struck out off a foul tip. The second batter earned a walk. Jeremy was up third.

    Noah got up to his feet and pulled me up as well. "Come on! We have to cheer."

    I awkwardly stood, feeling self-conscious as others stayed seated. Noah was unbothered, yelling for Jeremy to get a hit and drive in some runs. I couldn''t say if he heard Noah or not, but miraculously Jeremy made great contact and powered the ball out of the park. A home run!

    Noah jumped around, grabbing onto me and yelled as loud as he could. I have a feeling Noah wouldn''t settle down at all tonight. Or throughout the series. Maybe the whole month of October should be given up.

 Chapter 779 - V3 ch14

    Noah stood 90% of the time. Thankfully he wasn''t as tall as Zeke or Dad yet, so he didn''t obstruct anyone''s view behind us. I only stood during the big moments, and there turned out to be a lot. The A''s beat the Rays pitcher down early, while not giving up too many hits themselves. The A''s won 6-1, looking good all around.

    After the game, a postgame interview with Jeremy was held on the big screen in the stadium. We watched that as the stadium slowly cleared out for those who wanted to beat the traffic.

    "Jeremy, thanks for joining me." A lady with the microphone said, standing beside him. "This is your first appearance in the postseason and you did amazing! Two hits, two runs scored, one homerun, and three RBI''s. How does it feel to have this kind of success early on?" She held the microphone under his chin.

    Jeremy chuckled. "Feels pretty darn good. I had some friends and family in the crowd tonight and they had really put some pressure on me to come out hot." He waved in our general direction.

    "Moments like these make me feel like I''m living in a dream." Noah sighed.

    I laughed. Jeremy seemed to like Noah, constantly calling him out in interviews. I''m glad. I hoped that Noah didn''t affect his play, and it seems like it was only for the best.

    We waited for most of the crowd to clear out before leaving too. I sent Jeremy a text on the ride home, congratulating him on a good game. He sent me a reply before we even got back to the Johnson''s house, asking if he could treat us to brunch. I showed Dad, and he talked it over with Mom and Rhys''s parents before agreeing. For the most part.

    "Tell him to meet us here, but we''ll be the ones to treat him." Dad instructed. "Also ask him to bring Rose if he wants."

    I nodded and sent the message.

    Jeremy agreed.

    Saturday, he and Rose showed up and met everyone again. Taking such a big group to brunch, Mom called ahead to make reservations and then we headed over.

    "You look much more relaxed today." Rose told Noah as we all sat down.

    Noah laughed. "Yea, a win does that for me." He looked to Jeremy. "If Patterson was a little bit more reliable then I wouldn''t be so stressed."

    "Hey, I''m only a second year player." Jeremy defended himself. "I should give you Maberry''s number."

    "Maberry isn''t going to be MVP." Noah shot back.

    I looked up at Jeremy. "Do you think you''ll really be MVP?"

    "Of course!" Noah slapped the table in his excitement.

    "Noah James." Mom scolded.

    Noah simmered down. "Sorry, Mom." He turned back to us. "But really. There''s no question Jeremy is the American League MVP. He killed it."

    "Now you have confidence in me?!" Jeremy joked.

    Noah shrugged. "When it comes to this? Yea. The MVP and regular season is a marathon. The postseason is practically a sprint. There''s no time to be in a slump because it''ll cost you the series."

    Dave laughed. "Can you stop putting so much pressure on him?"

    "Yea." Kyle agreed. "There''s eight other starters on the team and a whole lot more players that could be a game changer."

    "Zeke never shied away from the pressure." Noah pointed out.

    Rhys laughed. "Yea, there are some players who thrive on it. Zeke is the type that can come out stronger." He glanced at me. "Jake probably prefers no pressure."

    I nodded.

    "But you''ve done so well!" Dave reached over to poke me in the cheek.

    I think every high-pressure scenario has taken some years off my life. "My anxiety..." I didn''t need to finish.

    "Everyone''s different." Jeremy cut me off. He grinned at Noah. "Don''t worry about me. We just need our pitchers to stay hot. They control a lot of the game as players who touch the ball the most."

    This led to the twins and Rhys talking about pitching. Mr. Johnson even spoke up, giving the boys pointers.

    After brunch, I said goodbye to Jeremy and Rose. They would both be leaving on the team plane this afternoon to get to Tampa, all the way across the country.

    We also had to part ways with Zeke and the Johnson''s. Rhys and Zeke would get to stay another night before going back to school, while we had to go back to our own home. Mom and Dad still had work to do.

    Sunday late afternoon, Noah, me, and the twins, gathered in the living room to watch the A''s take on the Rays. It was almost like a repeat performance of game one. Jeremy and Maberry both had solo shots while the pitcher didn''t give up anything. Dad brought home pizza for us to eat as the game finished. A relief pitcher for the A''s gave up a run, but they still got out of it, winning the game 4-1.

    Going to school on Monday, there was a sense of excitement for those that were A''s fans. A few classmates would approach me to compliment Jeremy, but thankfully Noah would take over.

    In Spanish, Mitchell and Sean asked about the game experience.

    I smiled. "It was cool. Very packed. Everyone there was an A''s fan."

    Sean laughed. "Of course. They''re playing the Rays. That''s an even smaller fan base. If they played one of the big teams like the Red Sox or the Yankees, then it wouldn''t really feel like a home game. You can fans of those teams anywhere."

    "It looks like it''ll be them and the Yankees in the ALCS." Mitchell said. "Both of them have won games one and two. Only one away from moving on." He looked at me. "Are you guys watching the game after practice?"

    I nodded. "Probably." Noah would never pass up the opportunity to see the A''s in action. Especially in playoffs.

    "I wonder if we can get Coach to end practice early so we can watch the game." Sean said thoughtfully. "Watching baseball could be considered as practice."

    "Why don''t you text him and ask?" Mitchell suggested. He nodded his head at Coach Luis, who was working at his desk. "Ask Coach Luis to say something and that might help too."

    "You know what? I will!" Sean got up out of his seat. He approached Coach Luis and spoke with him quietly.

    I watched nervously, still a little afraid when it came to Coach Luis. But soon, Coach Luis was nodding at what Sean was saying. Then he sent Sean back.

    "What''d he say?" Mitchell asked.

    I looked up at Sean too.

    "He''ll call Coach during break." Sean grinned.

    After class, I met up with Noah near our lockers and told him what Sean did and said.

    Noah beamed. "Yes! That would be awesome!"

    I raised an eyebrow. "You want to miss two practices in a row?" We had already skipped Friday and now if we miss Monday, that''s four days of not playing baseball.

    "Like Sean said, watching baseball is a form of practice." Noah stated. "Also serves as inspiration. That''s where I want to be. Now if we had a game, I would rather play than watch."

    By the end of our fifteen minute break, Coach sent out a mass text stating that practice was canceled and to pass it on to the freshmen since he didn''t have everyone''s numbers. Noah forwarded it to Andy and told him to pass it on too.

 Chapter 780 - V3 ch15

    The twins were also excited to know that practice was canceled so we could watch game three from start to finish. Kyle invited Marie, but she said the girls still had practice and she didn''t want to come over sweaty. Dave got the idea to invite some of the guys instead. It started with Garret and a few other pitchers that they knew.

    Then it grew. Noah invited Andy and told him to bring some friends if he wanted. I sent Sean and Mitchell a text in our Spanish group chat. They agreed to come and our living room just filled up for the game three watch party.

    "Well, look at this!" Mom exclaimed as she walked in the doorway of the living room. "A full house again!"

    "Hey, Mom!" Dave jumped up. "Did you bring the pizza?"

    "I did!" She jerked her thumb to the kitchen. "Already set them on the kitchen table. Why don''t you go get the paper plates and napkins out?"

    "Thanks, Mom!" Dave left first.

    "Thanks, Mom!"

    "Thanks, Mrs. Atkins!"

    "Yeah, thanks!"

    The room of almost twenty-five echoed.

    "No problem." She smiled. "Waters can be found on the kitchen counter or in the fridge. I''ll be in the office if you boys need anything." She waved and left.

    "You''re mom is so cool." Jason said, getting up from the floor. "My mom would stress out having this many boys over for dinner."

    "Meh." Noah shrugged. "She''s used to it. We were always a house full of boys. What''s a few more? As long as we don''t break anything, she''s happy."

    We got up and went to the kitchen for food and drink, returning to the living room just as the second inning was beginning. The first inning was uneventful for both teams. So was the second. And third. Fourth, fifth, and sixth. It was a pitcher duel.

    "Why the heck is Jeremy so unlucky??" Noah groaned as we watched the Tampa shortstop make a diving stop on Jeremy''s line drive. "That could have easily been a double!"

    "You have to remind yourself that Tampa is in a do-or-die position." Garret said. "If they lose this game, they''re done for the season."

    "You think the A''s are taking it easy?" Dave asked.

    "Maybe not ''easy''. But they definitely don''t have the same feeling as the A''s." Garret answered. "Plus, you can''t deny the Tampa pitcher''s skill today. He''s just totally dominating, throwing at the corners like that."

    The A''s pitcher wasn''t doing that bad either, but was pulled in the sixth inning after giving up back to back hits. The replacement just made things worse, giving up a walk and then more hits, putting us in a 0-4 hole. The living room seemed to get quiet as we watched the A''s come up on multiple innings.

    Only Jack Maberry hitting a homerun in the top of the ninth could give us some hope. But, it wasn''t enough. The A''s lost 1-4, and everyone left our house in low spirits.

    "I can''t believe we missed out on practice for that." Noah said with disgust as we worked on our homework. He pulled out his phone. "I''m going to text Jeremy myself."

    I reached out to stop him. "Don''t you think he feels bad enough..?" I asked. "Would you like it if the twins told you, you need to play better?"

    Noah sighed and put his phone down. "Yea, I guess. It would be like kicking him when he''s down." He grinned at me. "But don''t think I''ll just let this slide. I''ll bring it up in the future to give him a hard time. How can a MVP player just come up empty like this?"

    I smiled and gave a small laugh. "You''re the one that says bad games happen."

    "Yea...to humans." He scoffed.

    Noah''s bad mood last all night, all Tuesday, and throughout Wednesday, up until game four started. The A''s used Tuesday as a travel day, and didn''t start game four until 6:30pm. That meant we had to practice and do our homework before settling down to watch in the living room. We didn''t invite all the guys like we did Monday, but some still came over like Garret, Bryce, Brian, and Jason.

    Mom didn''t order pizza again and instead cooked up some sides like mashed potatoes and green beans, while having dad grill some steaks.

    "I think I really might move in." Garret said happily as he cut up his steak.

    "You act like you don''t get to eat at home." Dave rolled his eyes.

    Garret shrugged. "It''s a different feeling when you''re eating with friends. You were born with brothers. You don''t know what it''s like to be on your own."

    "I like eating here too." I told Garret.

    Garret poked me in the side. "Yep...looks like it."

    Noah laughed. "Are you calling him fat?"

    "It does look like he''s finally put on some weight." Garret nodded.

    I crossed my arms over my stomach, not liking the stares.

    Garret laughed. "It''s a good thing. You have to have some extra weight so you can go through a growth spurt. Look at Noah. He''s losing some of his face fat as he grows."

    Noah sat up straighter. "5''8". Six feet isn''t too far."

    Kyle laughed. "Ha! I was six feet tall my sophomore year. You''ll have to wait until your senior year at the rate you''re going."

    "Maybe you won''t even reach six feet." Dave suggested with a smirk.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I''m just starting to go through puberty. I have time. Plus, Mom and Dad are both over six feet tall. I better get to be that tall."

    The atmosphere was much lighter than Monday''s. It helped that the A''s got up early thanks to a three-run homer from Jack Maberry. We watched and cheered from the couch as the A''s won game four 6-2. They won their first series and would get to move on to the American League Championship Series.

    "They''re going to play the Yankees!" Noah shouted as the game came to an end.

    "Thank god they won game four. If they had to play a game five, that would give the yanks even more time off to rest." Dave shook his head. "It''s going to be tough. The Yankees have a good team this year."

    "Yea, because they blow through their salary cap and choose to pay the luxury tax." Kyle shook his head. "So annoying. I wish it didn''t come down to who pays the most for the best players."

    "We just paid a lot for Jeremy." I pointed out.

    "That''s different." Kyle told me.

    Noah pulled me away. "Don''t bother getting into it with them. They just love hating the Yankees. I can''t imagine what would it be like if they got picked to play there. I would tell every news outlet how much they used to bash the Yankees."

    I followed him upstairs. "When do they play against them? Who''s home first?"

    "I''ll look it up." Noah shrugged. "It''ll probably be harder or at least more expensive for Jeremy to get tickets to any of these games."

    "Why?" I asked, pulling out my phone once we got to our room.

    "Because it''s the Yankees! Their fans are everywhere and will drive up the ticket prices." He sighed. "But I won''t be too greedy. As long as the A''s win then I''ll obediently watch from home."

    Obediently? I laughed.

 Chapter 781 - V3 ch16

    "The ALCS starts on Saturday." Noah told me, looking at his phone. "The A''s get to be home for game one. Then travel to New York on Sunday, then stay for three straight away games: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Off Thursday, play game five on Friday, if they need to. Potential game six would be Saturday and game seven would be Sunday."

    "It''s a seven-game series." I stated, understanding that they might only have to play four games. Or all seven. It just depends. "Do you think the A''s can win?"

    Noah nodded. "Of course I do!"

    I smiled.

    The rest of the school week flew by, with the only excitement coming from Friday''s practice. We scrimmaged and then I got to face a few of the pitchers afterwards. After a month of this, most of the regular players stopped trying to pitch to me.

    "You feel any improvements among those repeat challengers?" Coach asked me afterwards.

    I unlaced my cleats and put on my regular shoes. "Not really." I paused. "Well, I don''t give too much of a chance for them to throw more than a pitch or two. Do you want me to?" I looked up at him.

    Coach shook his head. "No. Just checking to see if you saw anything special that I couldn''t."

    I gave a small shake of my head. I felt like most of my challengers were freshmen and sophomores. Not to bash on their skill due to age, but I just think upperclassman have more of an advantage when it comes to pitching. They''re physically better all around.

    Coach let out a small sigh. "Don''t worry about it then. When the fall sports end at the start of November, we''ll start seeing some more players joining us. I''ll pick out the last challenge date to be right before thanksgiving break. I''m sure that''ll motivate some of the older boys. Especially if they aren''t sure if they''ll make the varsity roster."

    "Okay." I nodded, happy to hear that there would be some changes next month.

    "Have you and Garret faced one another yet?" He asked.

    I shook my head. "Our weekends haven''t really lined up." I was either gone or he was busy. "I told him we could just do it here on Fridays, but he said he didn''t want to embarrass me."

    Coach let out a short laugh. "That kid..."

    "You''re not talking about me, are you?" Noah had walked over to join us.

    "No. Garret." I told him.

    "What about him?"

    I shrugged and looked at Coach.

    Coach waved his hand around. "Don''t worry about it. I''ll have a talk with him to see what he''s been doing. Get on out of here and enjoy your weekend."

    "Bye, Coach." I waved after getting my bag on my shoulder.

    "See ya on Monday!" Noah called out to his back.

    Coach waved again but didn''t look back.

    Noah and I left the field and joined the twins at the car. Even though Jeremy had a home game tomorrow night, we decided not to go this weekend. Mom and Dad had a lot of work to catch up on and just couldn''t make the drive. It didn''t help that Zeke and Rhys had a school thing going on so they couldn''t meet up with us either.

    Jeremy said it''s better not to force things and just see if they''ll have to play a game five next weekend at home. Of course Noah took offense to that, because it meant that the A''s would have to lose a game.

    Game one on Saturday went really well though, with Jeremy going 3-3 at the plate, hitting another homerun this postseason. The A''s won 6-4. Sunday, they traveled to New York while we treated it like any other day. The twins worked on their pitching with Noah acting as their catcher, then Dave would drive us to The Cages. Kyle would use his free time differently, visiting with Marie or whatever.

    With the next few games being held in New York, it meant that the games would start 4pm our time. Unfortunately Coach wasn''t about to let us cancel practice for the whole week. He did take pity on us though and ended early Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We would get home and rush to shower, then gather in the living room, usually joining the game somewhere around the third inning.

    Monday was a tough loss for the A''s, losing 1-4. Noah was a mix of happy and angry. Happy that Mom and Dad could possibly take us to the Friday home game, but angry that the A''s couldn''t come up offensively. His anger only amplified when the A''s won both game three and four by big blowouts.

    "They could have swept them!" Noah complained Thursday morning in our chemistry class. Today the A''s and Yankees would be traveling back to Oakland to wrap up the series. "If they had just scored a few more runs in game two..."

    "You''re still on about that?" Kaylee rolled her eyes.

    "Yes! I am! So what?" He slouched in his seat and leaned forward on the table in a lazy manner. "We could already be headed for the World Series, but noooo, we have to play a game five."

    Kaylee looked to me. "Aren''t you guys going to tomorrow''s game?"

    I nodded. "Yea, we''re going to leave school early again like we did two weeks ago."

    "Are you staying the night there again?" She asked.

    I nodded again. "By the time the stadium clears out, it''s already so late. Dad says it''s just safer not to force the long drive. Plus, we have friends to stay with."

    Kaylee looked to Noah. "It sounds like you don''t want to go. Can I have your ticket?"

    "No way!" Noah sat back up with more energy.

    Kaylee laughed. "That''s what I thought. You''re such a baby sometimes."

    "Only when it comes to the A''s." I added to defend my friend. I scratched my nose before looking at Kaylee. "Did you want to go to the game? If I knew, I would have asked Jeremy for more tickets."

    "It''s fine." Kaylee told me. "Like you said, the drive is long. My parents wouldn''t be okay with me staying the night with a bunch of boys either."

    "Yea, your parents are real psychos." Noah snorted.

    Kaylee shrugged. "It''s the hand I was dealt. At least they aren''t-" She stopped herself, glancing my way.

    Noah made a face. "Yea, there are worst parents out there. Sorry."

    Kaylee shrugged.

    I knew they were sensitive around me when it came to bad or crazy parents, but I was okay for the most part. I have the Atkins for parents now. They''re the best.

    Friday, Mom pulled us from school early again. We packed up the car once more and ate lunch before hitting the road. Meeting at the Johnson''s house again, it kind of felt like d��j�� vu. We hung out at their house for awhile before hitting the road in two separate cars. Somehow traffic was even worse than before, taking over an hour just to reach the parking lot. It took another thirty minutes to pay for parking and to get a spot. They were organized, but it was just so busy.

 Chapter 782 - V3 ch17

    "That was brutal." Rhys groaned as he stretched right after getting out of the car.

    "It wasn''t that bad." Dave said, watching as Rhys cracked and popped. "Dude, are you okay? You sound like you''re 80 years old already."

    Rhys gave a weak laugh. "I''m just super sore and stiff. We started some small group workouts at school and yesterday was rough."

    Noah looked up at Zeke. "Are you sore too?"

    "No." Zeke answered simply.

    "We aren''t in the same groups." Rhys told Noah. "I obviously have to go with the pitchers. Zeke has it easy, just chilling in the outfield. So casual."

    Zeke just shook his head and ignored him. He turned his back to us to wait for our parents.

    "I bet Zeke does twice as much as you." Noah told Rhys, nonchalant.

    Rhys faked a pout. "You''re biased."

    Noah shrugged. "Only because I know this is true. No one works harder than Zeke." He frowned. "I''m not even a close second."

    Rhys reached out and tipped Noah''s hat up. "Hey, keep your head up. Zeke had a three year head start on ya. I think it won''t be long until you catch him."

    Noah grinned.

    In front of the gates, there were long lines and big groups waiting for the stadium to open. We waited too. We waited for Rose to show up and take us through a different passage. It was like a shortcut to save us the hassle of waiting outside the stadium and it allowed us to start eating early.

    This time when the stadium filled up, there was plenty of Yankees fans. In fact, too many.

    "Almost feels like an away game." Kyle said.

    Dave sneered. "Hopefully the A''s end it here. I''d love to see the Yankees fans cry."

    The game had a rough start though. The starting pitcher gave up a three run homer and to make it worse, he got hurt. If that wasn''t bad enough, the new pitcher gave up two more runs. That seemed to be the theme of the night: things continuously getting worse. Maberry and Jeremy were both held down at the plate, not getting any hits. The rest of the A''s team wasn''t much better. It was a long, tortuous, nine innings. The A''s lost 0-7 and it was the Yankee fans that got to celebrate.

    Noah cursed under his breath so his mom couldn''t hear. But once we were back in the car with the guys, he let it all out. No one stopped him. None of us were happy about the result. Even Zeke had a frown the whole drive home.

    I knew our feelings couldn''t compare to Jeremy''s. I sent him a message of condolence. I didn''t have many losses I could compare it to, but one stuck out. The 0-10 loss to University Prep in the Foothill Classic. I also didn''t pay well in that game, not getting a single hit.

    The next morning I had a missed message from Jeremy.

    Jeremy: Game six. We''ll do it. I''ll contact Wayne to see if you guys can come again. Probably won''t be the same seats, but I can figure something out.

    I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and reread his message. "Noah?"

    "Yea?" Noah had just finished getting dressed and was tying his shoes so he could go down for breakfast.

    I shoved my phone in front of his face, making him freeze. He snatched my phone from me and took off running. I followed after him.

    "Dad! Dad!? Daddddd!" Noah hollered as he ran down the stairs.

    "What''s wrong??" Dad met us at the bottom of the stairs, looking us up and down like he expected us to have a missing limb.

    "Is this true?! Can we go??!" Noah held my phone out to Dad.

    Dad took the phone and looked at the text. His lips twitched. "This is what you were screaming for?"

    "Whats going on?" Dave came out of the living room with Rhys.

    Noah didn''t answer. He just stared at Dad, not daring to blink.

    "Jeremy invited us to the game tonight." I told him softly.

    "Wow. Back to back playoff games?" Dave questioned. He looked to Dad. "Are we able to stay another night?"

    "Mom and Dad would be okay with it." Rhys added.

    Dad laughed and shook his head. "You boys...I already spoke with Jeremy." He looked at Rhys. "And your parents. They both agreed that you boys can go together, but us a.d.u.l.ts will sit this one out."

    "You don''t want to go?" I asked.

    Dad looked at me. "Don''t get me wrong, we like going. But, we would also like a night where our lives didn''t revolve around baseball. We''ll go have a nice dinner with Rhys''s parents and wait here for you kids to come back."

    "Yes!" Noah pumped his fists.

    Dave and Rhys also looked excited. The two went to go find Kyle and Zeke to tell them the good news. Tonight''s game would be a little bit earlier but we still had time to kill. Our parents allowed Rhys to take us sightseeing, spending the daylight hours by the bay. Zeke was good at keeping the time, making sure we left with enough time to sit through all that traffic again. I would have brought my homework if I knew I would be spending so much time in the car, just watching the clouds move in.

    "Hey!" Rose greeted us in front of the stadium again. "Tough loss last night, huh?"

    Noah held his head. "Please. Don''t remind me."

    She laughed. "Jeremy had the same sentiment. He''s eager to put last night''s loss behind him." She glanced at me. "Did he tell you that you guys won''t have the same seats as last night?"

    I nodded. "He said it might not be possible."

    "Anywhere is fine for us." Zeke told her. "We''re just happy to be here."

    She grinned. "I''m happy to hear that. Follow me." She took us in the same way, but the paths changed. She stopped at the suite level and started to look for the right door.

    Noah gulped. "We''re going to be in a suite??"

    Rose glanced back at us and grinned. "Yes. Jeremy has a friend that booked a suite. He asked if they could split it so he could get you six in."

    "That still has to be crazy expensive." Rhys commented. "I''m starting to feel guilty. My dad could never do this for me and my friends."

    "Jeremy makes more than your dad." Dave pointed out.

    Rose stopped at one of the suites doors. "Alright. This is it." She opened it and revealed an empty room. "Looks like they''re not here yet. You guys need me to stick around for introductions?"

    "Do you know them?" Noah asked.

    She nodded. "Yes, it''s Jack Maberry''s family. His wife, their kids, his brother, and his cousin. That''s all I know of."

    "Guess you can''t be yelling at Maberry tonight." Kyle laughed at Noah''s frozen expression. He looked at Rose. "You should have heard Noah last night. He had nothing nice to say about anyone in the game."

    Noah looked guilty. "It''s not my fault they played poorly."

    Rose laughed and waved him off. "No offense taken. I felt the same way. Really. The A''s were my team before Jeremy came up here. Now I''m really involved. They better win tonight. I can''t stand watching a game seven."

    "Same." Noah lamented.

 Chapter 783 - V3 ch18

    Rose left us in the room on our own, needing to go back to work. We helped ourselves to the food laid out, but held back since we knew we would be sharing this room with Maberry''s family.

    "Do you know how expensive this really is?" I whispered to Rhys so the others wouldn''t hear my concern.

    Rhys patted me on the shoulder. "Like Dave said, your brother makes more than my dad. What I think is expensive may not be expensive to Jeremy."

    I frowned. I didn''t want Jeremy to be spending all his money on me. He already did that for Uncle Jack. I''ll need to talk to him about this. I like going to games with Noah and everyone, but not if it''s going to cost him a lot of money.

    "No reason to worry about it now." Rhys added. "Just enjoy the night."

    I guess...

    Shortly after we got settled in the outdoor seats, we could hear some voices from the inside. Maberry''s family must have shown up.

    "Hello!" A woman holding a baby came out to greet us. "Which one of you is Jeremy''s-" She stopped abruptly at the sight of me. "You must be Jake! You look just like Jeremy."

    I blushed and put my head down.

    "Jake''s a bit shy." Noah stood up and took over. "I''m Noah. This is Rhys, Zeke, Kyle, and Dave."

    She gave a small wave. "Hello, everyone. You all can call me April. Mrs. Maberry makes me feel old." She held up her baby. "This is Junior. I also have a four-year-old daughter, EJ. She''s with her uncle right now."

    The conversation lagged a bit as we didn''t know what to say to her.

    "Don''t mind me." She laughed, a little self-conscious. "If you all need anything, let me know and I''ll handle it."

    "No, it''s alright." Noah answered. "You don''t have to wait on us. Sit down and watch the game in peace."

    She laughed. "It''s fine really. As the oldest one here, I''ll be responsible for you guys." She turned at the sound of someone coming into the suite. "Sounds like everyone is here now! Let me introduce my daughter, EJ." She pointed at the little girl being held by a tall young man. Then at the young man. "And this is my brother-in-law, Parker."

    Parker gave us a head nod. "Hey." He paused. His gaze rested on Rhys. "I know you from somewhere. Do you play locally?"

    Rhys nodded. "Yea, I graduated from St. Francis just this past spring. But I haven''t played in over a year."

    "Oh." He gave a small smile. "I graduated from Mitty two years back."

    Rhys grinned. "Small world."

    "That''s great that you guys are close in age." April said. "I''ll take EJ inside so she can eat before the game starts."

    Parker put the little girl down and watched April take her kids inside. A different guy came out, passing the family of three by.

    "This is my cousin, Conner. Conner, this is Jeremy Patterson''s family." Parker introduced.

    Conner gave everyone a friendly smile. "Hello, hello. I''ve heard a bit from the news, but I''m surprised to see such a big group."

    "Jake is Jeremy''s actual brother." Noah explained who everyone was. How I was adopted and that Rhys is a friend.

    "Crazy complicated." Conner whistled, settling down in the seat. "But most families are like that. It''s cool that you guys all play baseball together though."

    "Do you play too?" Kyle asked.

    Conner shook his head. "Nah, not really."

    "He''s lying." Parker said plainly. "Conner plays for a community college in the area. Will enter the draft next year."

    We all looked at Conner strangely. Why would you lie?

    "Hey, hey." Conner said. "I wasn''t lying. Compared to the serious players here, my skills can''t compare. I''m not on y''all''s level." He looked at Zeke. "First round draft pick, right?"

    Zeke glanced at him. "I''m going to Stanford."

    "That''s what they all say." Connor nodded in a knowingly manner.

    "I''ve already started classes and missed the report date." Zeke added.

    Connor scrunched up his nose. "What does college have that the pros don''t?"

    "Time."

    "Education."

    Zeke and Parker spoke at the same time.

    Zeke nodded at Parker. "Yes, I need time too."

    "Your stats make you look pro-ready though." Conner said.

    Zeke cracked a smile. He gestured at me. "If you''re basing it on stats, I know a player with better numbers."

    Conner peered at me. "You''ve got a point. I can''t imagine such a small kid in the big leagues."

    "You should have seen him at the beginning of the year." Dave laughed. "He was like three inches shorter and twenty pounds lighter. Looked like a fifth grader."

    I felt my face heat up again.

    "You act like you''ve never been short or small before." Noah rolled his eyes. Then moved them to Conner. "If you think school isn''t any good, why are you in one right now?"

    He looked to Parker. "Went to kill some time with my family."

    "You go to the same school?" Kyle asked Parker.

    He nodded. "I took some time off for an injury then used community college to get back in the swing of things."

    Rhys nodded, understanding. "I got hurt as well and had the same idea." He grinned. "But then Zeke here chose Stanford so I had an ''in'' I could follow. Plus, getting a ring or two might be nice."

    Conner sat up straight and nodded in agreement. "Yes! I wanted a ring too!"

    "Did you get it?" Noah asked.

    Conner grinned. He pulled out his phone, gave it a few taps, then showed us a picture of him and Parker posing with rings on and a championship hat of some sort on their heads. "JUCO champs. Crazy tournament this past summer."

    "Wow."

    "That''s nice!"

    "You must have a crazy good team!"

    We spent the rest of the time before the game listening to Conner recount the story of their championship run. He did all the talking, with Parker only adding corrections here and there. Once the game started though, Conner didn''t keep up the chitchat and started to focus on the game.

    Game six had the best pitcher from each team going tonight. It started tight, few hits, fewer walks, a couple of strikeouts and awesome dives, but in the sixth inning, Jeremy broke through, hitting a ground rule double. Maberry added onto that, hitting a double of his own, allowing Jeremy to score. The following batter also hit a double to score Maberry. 2-0. Pitcher got pulled and the offense stopped there.

    The A''s held their lead until the top of the ninth. A yankee hit a two run homer to tie it up. We could only groan in frustration. Luckily it was only a tied game. Unfortunately the A''s came up empty in the bottom of the ninth. Extra innings, here we go.

    Tenth inning was scoreless. So was the eleventh. In the twelfth, Jeremy was the lead off batter. Noah was standing the whole time, yelling his lungs out for the both of us. Jeremy came through, almost as if he could hear Noah''s yell for him to hit it out of here. He smack the ball down the right field line. The right fielder tried to make a jump but came up empty. Home run!

    "WE''RE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!!" Noah jumped and hugged me with one arm, waving his free arm like crazy.

 Chapter 787 - V3 ch22

    Game two of the World Series, a few friends came over again to watch. The happy atmosphere of having friends over died in the first inning as the Nationals took an early 3-0 lead. Then the A''s came up empty-handed.

    The guys all groaned and a few expletives were let loose.

    It only got worse from there. The Nationals continued to score runs while the A''s couldn''t get any in. Near the end of the game, Maberry hit a three run homer, but no on celebrated. How could we? The game ended with the Nationals winning 12-3.

    "That was a good game..." Garret sighed. Everyone glared at him. "What? It was! For the Nationals anyways. Successful hitting and pitching. They scored runs when there were runners on the bases. Only one relief pitcher gave up runs. This is what a win should look like. They practically coasted and had fun." He grinned. "That''s what we look like most of the time."

    Bryce shrugged. "I think we have a few close games though. Like counting on Jake here to win the championship."

    Noah grinned and threw his arm around my shoulders. "Jake''s even stronger now. He''ll be able to carry us all the way back."

    "If Jake is the new Zeke, who is the new Jake?" Dave mused.

    "For the record, Jake had better numbers than Zeke." Kyle pointed out.

    "Yea, but he couldn''t hit homeruns then." Garret replied. "Now Jake is Zeke. I can''t be Jake. Although my hitting is good, it''s not very consistent." He looked to Noah. "You have to put more work in the cages before the season starts."

    Noah started to flex. "Watch me! I''ll be getting on base all the time!"

    We joked and laughed with one another until the guys had to go back to their own homes. The A''s are now down two games and have to travel tomorrow to Washington DC for three straight away games.

    Thursday morning, the whole school seemed to be talking about the A''s big loss in game two. I could feel a few extra stares directed my way. Occasionally I could hear Jeremy''s name in passing and knew that a lot of people probably weren''t saying anything good about him.

    I sent him an extra text at lunch, wishing him a safe flight and reminded him that there was still time to turn things around. Noah said I shouldn''t worry unless they lose game three. If Noah still has faith, then so do I.

    Friday morning, we packed up the car with our bags full of clothes. Our weekend trip starts here. Dad drove us to Stanford university first to pick up Zeke and Rhys, along with their baggage. Dave squeezed into the very back row with me and Noah, then off to the airport we went.

    Rhys''s parents declined going on the trip so it was just the eight of us. Which...is a lot. We were like a party moving throughout the busy airport and Mom was constantly doing headcounts.

    I stuck close to Noah, feeling nervous. His constant commentary made me feel less anxious and it took a lot of time away as we waited at our gate for the plane. When it came time to board, Noah asked me if I wanted the window, middle, or aisle seat.

    I gulped, my breathing became more sporadic. "I think...I''m having...a panic attack." I was getting dizzy and my body didn''t want to move.

    Dad overheard me and reached me in two steps. He guided me out of the line and helped me sit back down in the waiting area. "Breathe, Jake. Take some deep breaths. In and out."

    I tried to cooperate, but I felt like the whole family was watching me. Making it more embarrassing. "They''re...staring."

    Dad glanced back at the rest of the family. "Mary, why don''t you get the rest of them settled in their seats on the plane? Jake and I will take a minute."

    "Can''t I stay?" Noah asked. "Jake?"

    I gave a short nod and closed my eyes, trying to calm my heartrate down.

    Mom must have taken the other four because I felt less eyes on me. I didn''t want to be a baby, but I hate the looks. The stares. The uncertainty that I''m still not normal.

    "Why don''t we talk this one out, Jake?" Dad prodded me lightly.

    I opened my eyes and peeked at him. He sat down right beside me, casual. Like we weren''t in a hurry to board a plane that could soon be leaving without us.

    "What''s making you anxious right now?" He asked. "Is it the strangers? Or the plane?"

    "Both." I frowned. "The plane is full of strangers. So close. So tightly packed."

    "I know it''s not easy, but try not to think too much about it." Dad said. "You can sit between me and Noah the whole flight and just sleep. No one on this plane is going to hurt you. They''re going to be doing their own thing."

    My brows furrowed.

    "I have an idea!" Noah rummaged through his bag and pulled out headphones. "Here. We can plug this in your phone and just listen to some music to relax. Tune everyone out and keep your eyes shut." He held out his free hand. "Phone."

    I pulled my phone out and handed it over.

    He played with it and set me up with a playlist to listen to. "Already set on airplane mode. Put it in your ears and let''s go."

    I put the headphones on and was surrounded by music. Noah gave me a thumbs up and then pulled me to my feet. Dave closely followed as we got back in line. Our tickets were scanned and down the walkway we went. Noah led the way, and Dad stayed right behind me, occasionally patting my shoulder for reassurance.

    I kept my eyes on Noah''s back as we boarded the plane, trying to not pay attention to the strangers already in their seats. Noah stopped to put his bag in the overhead bin and then helped me with mine. He slid into the window seat, I sat in the middle, then Dad in the aisle.

    Noah waved his hand over my eyes, signaling to close them. I buckled the seat belt and sat back with my eyes closed. The music played the whole time. I could feel the plane moving and then came the roar of the engines as we prepared to take flight. I gripped the armrests on both sides of me.

    Dad covered my right hand with his own hand. So did Noah, almost as if he was copying his dad. I didn''t take a look, not even when the plane leveled out.

    I didn''t think I would be able to fall asleep, but relaxing with my eyes closed and the music playing, I ended up being able to. It may have helped that Dad and Noah were patting the tops of my hands to soothe my nerves.

    I only woke up when Noah pulled my headphones out. "Hey, Jake, we''re about to land."

    "Did I have to be awake?" I asked, feeling groggy from sitting in an uncomfortable position for a long period of time.

    Noah looked beyond me, to Dad.

    Dad gave my arm a small pat. "I just want you to get used to flying. We still have to get back home. Maybe exposing you to what it''s like will help. Plus, you were bound to wake up when we start the descent."

    The two of them kept up a small conversation, talking about the flight and tonight''s game. They successfully distracted me until the plane touched the ground.

 Chapter 788 - V3 ch23

    We waited in our seats as the other passengers hurried to get up and get off. Taking our time and giving ourselves distance helped me. More like a comfort I guess. Like Dad said earlier, these strangers are in a hurry to get on with their lives. They aren''t here to bully anyone or even make conversation.

    Because of the five-hour long flight and the three-hour jump forward, it was already evening when we got to the hotel. We barely had enough time to change into our A''s gear and then immediately left for the stadium. And by ''left'', I mean we walked out of the hotel and continued to walk to the stadium. Our hotel was only two blocks away from the stadium.

    We weren''t the only ones walking. The sidewalk was full of fans, mostly Nationals fans though. Like 97% Nationals fans. There were only a few green jerseys spotted besides our group.

    I looked around, interested in the lively atmosphere. There were vendors selling food and drinks for lower prices than inside the stadium. There were a few people selling Nationals souvenirs and it only got busier the closer we got to the stadium.

    Mom had us stop to take pictures with the stadium in the background. Afterwards, when we got real close, she called Rose to find somewhere to meet up. We blindly followed Mom while she received instructions from Rose.

    "Over here!" Rose waved both arms to get our attention.

    Mom hung up and we joined Rose by a secured entrance. She spoke with the security guard as we came through the gate one at a time. The a.d.u.l.ts made small talk as Rose led the way to our suite.

    "This is amazing!" Noah whispered-yelled. He was taking in all the sights like me, proving that he had never been here either.

    "It''s so packed." Dave looked around too. "I''m glad we get to stay in a suite. Otherwise we might cause trouble, wearing these away-team jerseys."

    I stiffened.

    Zeke reached out and patted me on the shoulder.

    Rose opened the door to our assigned suite, which was about halfway down on the visitors side. Maberry''s brother, Parker, and their cousin, Conner, were both already inside.

    Zeke stepped forward to introduce our parents to them while Noah and the twins made a move for the food. Rhys and I also joined them. I don''t know about everyone else, but I didn''t get to eat on the plane ride so I was starving.

    The suite didn''t have too many people in it which made it more comfortable. There was adequate space and food. Noah and I loaded up and took it to the outside seating, watching the grounds crew refresh the infield as a few player warmed up in the outfield.

    "There''s Jeremy!" Noah pointed him out for me.

    Jeremy and Maberry were both still in sweatshirts, stretching along the baseline with a trainer watching over them.

    "HEY! JEREMY! HEY!!!" Noah was jumping up and down, waving his arms, trying to get his attention.

    I don''t know if he actually heard him or if it was a coincidence, but Jeremy looked our way. He got up from his stretch and waved with both hands.

    Noah nudged me. "Get up and wave too."

    I complied. Standing and waving, I could feel a few looks coming from the neighboring suites.

    Jeremy and Maberry went back to stretching and preparing for the game. Game three definitely had a better start than the first two. For the first time in the series, the A''s took the lead first, thanks to a solo shot from Jeremy. Even better, the starting pitcher for the A''s came out with his best stuff despite not being the number one pitcher in the rotation. He held the Nationals down the first five innings.

    "Watch the Jumbotron, Jake." Mom patted me on the shoulder, pointing at the big screen in left field.

    Confused, I watched as the screen changed and started to wish people ''happy birthday'' and ''happy anniversary''. I knew what was coming and started to smile.

    "Stand up and face me." Dad said, waving his phone. "I''ll take some pictures while we can. I think it''ll last like thirty seconds."

    I got up and stood in the first row, facing back towards Dad, but also keeping an eye on the big screen.

    "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKE A.!" The screen flashed.

    My grin deepened.

    Dad took pictures. Noah jumped in and so did the twins. Dad continued to take pictures even after my name was gone. It was a great night.

    Jeremy came up in the top of the sixth and hit a three-run bomb to push the score 4-0. The A''s continued to dominate even after a pitcher change, only giving up one run. They won game three 4-1.

    We moved inside to watch the postgame interview with Jeremy on the tv. Jeremy answered a few questions before pausing. "Do you mind if I take a minute?"

    The interviewer nodded and held out the mic for Jeremy to speak into.

    Jeremy grinned at the camera. "Just want to take a second to wish a happy birthday to my little brother, Jake Atkins. Thanks for bringing all the luck today!"

    I felt my face heat up as the guys looked my way.

    We hung out in the suite a little longer, letting the crowd die down before heading back to the hotel. Conner and Parker were staying in the same hotel and even told us that the A''s stayed there too.

    It took some time before bed arrangements were made between the two rooms. The twins were deemed the biggest risk and moved to the other bed in Mom and Dad''s room. Zeke and Rhys were stuck with me and Noah. The rooms weren''t connected, but were right next to one another.

    Everyone was so quick to fall asleep after showering and getting in pajamas. I didn''t though. I couldn''t. I had already slept so much on the plane and now being in a foreign room in a different state made me feel a little queasy. It wasn''t a big deal, but I didn''t like the change. Plus, Noah moves in his sleep.

    My phone buzzed with a text. From Jeremy. Asking for my room number. I answered fairly fast. He responded after a couple of minutes, telling me he was outside the room.

    I moved quietly throughout the room, getting to the door just as Zeke sat up.

    He squinted at me.

    "Jeremy''s outside." I whispered.

    Zeke gave a nod.

    I opened the door and was a little embarrassed with how loud it was. Thankfully the other two didn''t wake up.

    "Hey." Jeremy smiled, holding...a bat.

    I frowned. "What are you doing? Shouldn''t you be asleep?"

    He held the bat out to me. "Here. A physical birthday gift. I know I said this trip was your gift, but this wasn''t planned."

    I reached for the bat and ran my hands over the wood, finding that it had been used. "Is this..?"

    "It''s the bat from tonight''s game." Jeremy grinned, putting his hands in his pockets. "Two homers and a win. It served me well."

    I gripped and swallowed a small lump in my throat. "Don''t you want to use it tomorrow?"

    He shook his head. "Nah, I''ve got a few others to use. This one is for you. I gave you Dad''s bat that meant something and I figured I should give one of my own. I didn''t know how to make it special until I had a great game on your birthday. Your first birthday that I''ve celebrated."

    My grip tightened, making my knuckles go white. "Thanks Jeremy. For everything." I hesitated.

    He opened his arms and stepped to me. "This is a hugging moment."

    I accepted and hugged him back, thankful that he made the first move. We separated after a few seconds. "Jeremy, thanks. Again." He did so much to put together the best birthday. A lot of thought and a lot of money. It''s hard not to be appreciative.

    Jeremy patted my head. "Get some sleep. Mary said she wanted to take you around the capital for some sightseeing. Have a good rest because tomorrow will be a long day for you."

    "Will I get to see you tomorrow too?" I asked.

    Jeremy nodded. "Yea, I''ll stop by your room again tomorrow night since I won''t be able to see you before your flight on Sunday."

 Chapter 789 - V3 ch24

    After a few more words, Jeremy left and I went back inside the room. Zeke was sitting up the whole time until I entered the room and closed the door behind me. I lightly walked to my side of the bed I shared with Noah and placed the bat against the wall.

    The next morning, Noah woke me up to ask about the sudden appearance of the bat. After explaining where it came from, he frowned.

    "I didn''t...get you anything." He rubbed the back of his neck like he was stressed.

    I shrugged. "I don''t need anything."

    "Jake''s too easy to please." Rhys laughed as he put his socks and shoes on. "Besides, birthdays aren''t about the gifts. It''s just a celebration."

    I smiled. "Yesterday was the best birthday I ever had."

    Noah wasn''t convinced. "I have until Thursday to come up with something."

    "What''s happening Thursday?" Rhys asked.

    Noah explained. "Our friend Alisha is throwing a Halloween party, which will now be a party for Jake''s birthday. Do you want to come?"

    Rhys laughed. "Uh. I think it''s a little inappropriate for me to show up to a high school party. I''ll pass, thanks."

    Noah looked at him, skeptical. "You came to my party though..."

    "We have plans to go to a teammate''s party on Halloween." Zeke spoke up. He looked at me. "Did you want us there?"

    "Nah!" Noah answered. "You guys live your college life."

    Zeke didn''t pay him any attention and continued to look at me.

    I answered him. "It''s okay." I''ll know a lot of people there, plus with Noah around, I was never alone.

    Mom came knocking at our door to announce that we were going to go sightseeing before the game tonight. She had to rent a SUV for all of us to fit comfortably and made Dad the designated driver while she gave him the directions.

    It never occurred to me how much there was to see and do in the nation''s capital. Every stop we made, Mom took pictures of all of us until our cheeks hurt. There were a few stops that we could only see from the car due to limited time. All of us were worn out before we even got to the stadium for game four.

    It was a great game though and I''m glad we made it. Conner and Parker got along with Zeke and Rhys. Noah gave commentary about the game, telling me what was done well and what could have been done instead. I didn''t know if it was because my lack of knowledge, but sometimes I felt like he could be a coach already. The A''s beat down the Nationals 8-1, tying up the series. Jeremy and Maberry were both hot, getting multiple hits and accounting for most of the runs scored and driven in.

    Unfortunately, after such a long day, I fell asleep before Jeremy made it to the hotel. I woke up to a surprise he left though: another bat.

    "Is he just going to give you a bat a day?" Noah laughed, looking at one of the bats. "This one is also used so it must be from last night''s game."

    "I think...he gave this one because it means something to him." I took the bat back and placed it with my bag. "These are bats that were used by Jeremy in the World Series. From games where he played well. And I got to see it too."

    I guarded the bats the entire way back to the airport, only giving them up to Dad when it came time to board the plane.

    "I don''t know if it''s a good thing or bad thing that the game five will be over by the time we land." Noah grumbled as we waited to board.

    "It''ll be like ripping off a bandaid." Dave sighed. "Some suspense though. Will they take the lead in the series? Or give it up?"

    Noah pursed his lips. "At least they have to go to game six. No shut out here."

    The trip back went much smoother. Noah had the headphones already plugged into my phone and we waited to board last. I kept my eyes closed until falling asleep. Dad woke me up as we started the descent.

    Noah was turning on his phone to check the score just as we touched down on the runway. Dad gave him a look but it was no use. Noah''s attention was all on the A''s. He grinned immediately. "They won! We have the lead in the series! One more to go!" He pumped his fist.

    The A''s had another blowout win, 7-1. Maberry and Jeremy did it again. They''re a good combo. Plus, the pitching has really stepped up this past weekend, holding the Nationals to one run a game. The A''s potentially winning the World Series is all the boys could talk about on our way back home.

    We dropped Rhys and Zeke off first, sending them straight to their dormitory a couple hours before dinner. The goodbyes were getting easier knowing that we would probably see them again soon.

    By the time we got home, it was time for dinner. Dad drove us through a drive-thru and we ordered freely. Mom didn''t even say anything when Noah put in an order for some chocolate chip cookies. We got back to the house, took everything inside, then settled at the dining room table.

    Halfway through dinner, Mom disappeared to the kitchen, then came back with a small circular cake in hand. Fifteen candles were lit after she placed it in front of me. Dad turned off the lights and the singing started. I was incredibly shy as the family of four sung ''happy birthday''.

    "Make a wish!" Noah yelled after they finished singing.

    I stared at the small flames. A wish...I didn''t have any wishes in mind. This was everything I ever wanted. I glanced at Noah, helpless.

    "Wish for the A''s to win the World Series." He whispered.

    Dad slapped the back of his head lightly. "Don''t tell Jake what to wish for." He smiled at me. "Make a wish for you."

    I thought about it before blowing out the candles.

    "What did you choose?" Noah asked.

    Dave snorted. "If he says, then it won''t come true."

    I laughed as they argued over the legitimacy of birthday wishes. I wouldn''t tell them just in case, but I wished for things to stay like this. A happy family. A warm home. Food on the table every day. There''s nothing else I need.

    The A''s traveled back to Oakland Sunday night. I only knew this because Jeremy called me before his plane took off. Even though they had Monday off, they wanted to be back to look over film and prepare for Tuesday''s game six. Jeremy also told me that he had another bat for me.

    I laughed. "At this rate, you really are going to give me a bat every game."

    He chuckled. "Only for the World Series games. At most, there should be four. For four wins. Enough to win the series. I don''t want to give you any bats that have lost a game."

    I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "You''re as baseball crazy as Noah."

    He laughed. "You''re heading there too. Its addicting, isn''t it?"

    I thought it over. "Yea...it is."

 Chapter 790 - V3 ch25

    Noah could only talk about the A''s all day Monday. He told everyone about our trip and how the A''s looked good both on offense and defense. He didn''t even care that some of our classmates weren''t really into baseball, like Cassie in first period. She just stared at him blankly until Kaylee intervened and told Noah to shut up and do the lab.

    She put us back on track during chemistry, but as soon as we finished, Noah was back at it. When we got to practice, it got worst...or maybe better. He had teammates and other players to talk to about the weekend games.

    "I have a few announcements I want to make." Coach raised his voice as we were stretching, implying that the conversations had to stop around him. When he got everyone''s attention, he nodded. "I know you''re all excited about the A''s bouncing back to take the lead in the series, but now it''s practice time. I would like for you to focus on becoming a better player instead of talking about it."

    Coach looked around. "As some of you can tell, our groups are getting bigger. The fall sports are ending and we''ll have some more players joining in on these after-school practices. There will be some who do winter sports and will have a separate tryout in a couple of weeks. Also, we''re going to start putting together the teams. Nothing will be official and will be subject to change, but I want to start getting a feel for my new starting lineup. It''ll allow for more personalized coaching too."

    He waved at me. "Jake, stand up."

    I clumsily got up on my feet and stood straight.

    "So far, no one has been able to strike Jake out." Coach pointed at me. "I know some haven''t had the chance and some are waiting, but I want you to let me know soon. This Friday, there''s no school which means no practice. Therefore, no challenges for Jake. That leaves two Fridays left before I start official tryouts. Then it''s thanksgiving break. When we come back from break, I''ll have preliminary rosters set and cuts made."

    His words felt heavy. I looked around and saw quite a few players looked unsure.

    "This week is midterms so practice won''t be mandatory." Coach continued. "If you need to study or need extra time to work on your projects, use it. Although I like your focus being on baseball, grades come first. In order to play in the spring, your grades have to qualify. I take pride in the scholar athletes on my team. Work hard."

    Coach nodded at me, signaling that I can go back to stretching. Practice had a more somber and serious feel as his announcements hung in the air. Midterms. Roster selections. The semester was really moving too fast.

    On the way home, Kyle surprised us by saying he wasn''t going to go to practice this week.

    Dave nodded in agreement. "I''m not going either." He glanced back at me. "I was hoping you weren''t either."

    "I''m not struggling in any of my classes..." I said, unsure if they were trying to imply something.

    "We need more help reviewing for the calculus midterm." Kyle sighed.

    Noah laughed. "Are you serious? You''re asking your little brother to tutor you?"

    Dave threw an empty water bottle at him. "Shut up. You aren''t taking calculus so you don''t know. This stuff just comes naturally to Jake. We haven''t even been copying his homework that much anymore."

    My lips twitched. Maybe not as much, but still do. If anything, the only change was them asking me to explain some of my steps. "I can help you guys review."

    Noah groaned. "What about me? I want to practice."

    Kyle shrugged. "How about if we study in the library after school while you practice? When you''re done, you can let us know and we''ll come down."

    Noah sighed with relief. "Yea. Okay."

    Tuesday after school, we started to study. Kyle invited Marie along to study calculus with us. She didn''t have the same class, but still had the same teacher. I was a little insecure with her asking me questions, but soon understood that she was at a similar level as the twins. She understood, but couldn''t apply the lesson properly. Two hours passed quickly.

    We met up with Noah at the car and went home to watch game six. It was a major letdown right away thanks to a bad start from the starting pitcher. He was pulled in the first inning, but the damage was done. We started in the hole, losing 4-0. The A''s ended up scoring two runs, but never caught up. They lost 7-2 and would have to play game seven tomorrow night.

    Everyone was restless as we went through classes on Wednesday. There were midterms to take, projects to turn in, and a final World Series game to watch. The twins and I had our math midterm on Thursday so we still studied in the library after school while Noah practiced. The twins were distracted, but I didn''t mind repeating myself a few extra times. I was also nervous for Jeremy.

    Our home continued to be the host for watching the game. This time it was packed. Almost everyone we knew came. Even though baseball was a long, drawn out game, every inning felt suspenseful. The sighs and clapping were louder, however in-between it was practically silent.

    The A''s took the lead in the third inning thanks to a two-run homerun from Jeremy. A few of the guys slapped me on the shoulder like it was me who had done it. The trend of the game stayed in favor of the A''s. Maberry and Jeremy weren''t alone on the offense. Almost everyone had pitched in with getting a hit or earning a walk.

    The Nationals didn''t stand a chance. They got behind and stayed behind. The A''s closed them out in the top of the ninth and were declared the World Series Champions. The whole living went crazy celebrating for them like we were them.

    Noah shook me like crazy and was the loudest of the bunch, hollering about being champions.

    I made a quick escape in order to send Jeremy a congratulatory text. He played well. In fact, he did the best.

    "Jeremy''s going to be crowned MVP for sure." Dave left the living room too and saw me with my phone by the stairs. "You should go back in there and watch."

    My lips twitched. "I think...I''ll pass." The yelling and jumping around hadn''t stopped yet.

    Dave grinned. "You can try watching it on your phone." He came over and showed me what app to click and somehow got it to play the scene of the A''s celebrating on the field. "Go watch it in your room if you want to be able to hear."

    I nodded. "Thanks." I hurried upstairs.

    There was a lot to watch, with coaches and owners giving speeches. Everyone had good things to say about the A''s and that made sense. Because they''re the winners. They''re the best. There isn''t anything else they could do to improve.

    Sure enough, Jeremy was named MVP and soon stepped up to take the microphone. He waved, grinning the biggest I''ve ever seen. "Thank you! This means a lot to me. Especially as a young player just making my way into the show. This was always a dream of mine and I''m happy to accomplish it so soon. Now I can make more room for new dreams. Like back to back champions!" He lifted his award and let the cheers and applause rain down on him. "Thank you again! Thanks to the fans. My friends. My family." He grinned and pointed at the camera. "Jake, I have one more bat for you!"

    I laughed by myself. Jeremy...so much like Noah.

    Noah came to find me within seconds. "He said you''re getting another bat!"

    I showed him my phone. "Yea, I saw."

    Noah grinned. "I''m glad you didn''t miss it. Jeremy did great." He paused. "I''ll do better. In fact, when I make it to the World Series, you can have the bats from my good games too."

    I laughed and shook my head. "It''s not a competition."

    "But it is!" Noah exclaimed. "I have to be the better brother! I can''t let him beat me."

    I grinned. "You''re the best brother."

    Noah grinned back at me. "I know. I just like hearing it."

 Chapter 791 - V3 ch26 (Halloween/Birthday Party)

    Noah didn''t sleep well that night. And thanks to him, neither did I. He fidgeted back and forth, occasionally mumbling something about the A''s. The both of us woke up Thursday morning with dark circles under our eyes and moved sluggishly.

    "Did you boys stay up all night?" Mom asked at the breakfast table.

    I shook my head, but stopped because it made me dizzy.

    Noah spoke up. "Not intentionally. Just restless knowing that the A''s won the series." He grinned and pointed at the A''s shirt he was wearing. "I bet everyone is wearing A''s gear today."

    "Or costumes because it''s Halloween." Kyle pointed out.

    "Lame." Dave chimed. "Costumes are for kids."

    "So you''re not dressing up for tonight''s party?" Mom asked him.

    "I''ll put on a baseball hat and pretend to be a player." Dave shrugged.

    Noah laughed. "Yea...pretend. I guess even you don''t think you''re a baseball player."

    "Noah." Dad sighed.

    "I''m kidding!" Noah said defensively. He let out a big yawn. "I don''t think we have to dress up either. I''m not. By the time we finish practice and shower, I''ll be lucky not to fall asleep."

    I nodded in agreement.

    Throughout the school day, I was sluggish. Thankfully most of my teachers didn''t want to have midterms on Halloween and it was all spread out. I probably would have made some dumb mistakes. Like I did in practice. If we were scrimmaging, my team would probably want to bench me. I had missed a few grounders and when doing a batting drill, I didn''t have the normal focus I usually had.

    Back home, I volunteered to shower first so I could take a short nap as the others got ready. Noah woke me up when they were all ready to go.

    Dave laughed at me as soon as I came downstairs. "I think you could use a baseball hat too."

    I patted my hair down, realizing it must have dried funny from laying down with wet hair.

    "I''ll go get you a hat." Noah told me, running back up the stairs.

    I looked around and noticed Kyle was missing. "Are we still waiting on Kyle?"

    Dave grinned. "He said Marie is going to pick him up." He lowered his voice. "I saw his text from her. She''s bringing him a costume to wear tonight. A couples costume. I''m hoping it''s something mad embarrassing."

    My lips twitched. I''ll be wishing Kyle all the best.

    Noah came back and the three of us left together.

    Just outside Alisha''s, cars were parked along the street. A clear sign that we were late. Alisha''s friends must have started to come over right after she got home from practice.

    Dave glanced down at us. "Remember not to drink any alcohol. I know Alisha''s parents are here, but that won''t stop kids from sneaking some alcohol. I don''t need to tell you how much trouble we would get in if either of you make a mistake."

    "We should be saying that to you." Noah snorted.

    Dave grinned. "As long as we''re all on the same page."

    We walked up the pathway and on the front door was a friendly note to ''come on in''.

    Noah opened the door and walk through first. Something big and red dropped on him, landing on his head. I let out a small yelp and reached for Dave.

    Noah laughed and picked up the prop. "Don''t worry, Jake. It''s just a spider." He shook it in front of me so I could see that it was just Halloween decor.

    Dave pried my fingers off of him and threw his arm around my shoulders instead. "Don''t worry, we''ll let Noah go through first."

    Go through..? I took a closer look at the entryway and saw that the whole first floor had black dr.a.p.es from ceiling to floor, forcing us to go only one way.

    Noah closed the door behind us and raised the spider back into position. "This is a pretty cool idea. I didn''t expect Alisha and her family to be so into Halloween. C''mon! Let''s go see what else they set up!"

    I gulp, moving a little closer into Dave''s side, making him laugh. He didn''t say anything to make me feel bad though. He just guided me through the makeshift maze throughout the first floor. We watched Noah take on all the scaries, people and props. Dave laughed at almost everything that attacked Noah, but I didn''t really loosen up until we made it to the backyard.

    I was practically sweating and gasping for air.

    "I don''t think haunted houses are your thing, kid." Dave patted my head as I controlled my breathing.

    "Hey! You''re here!" Alisha''s shout made me flinch.

    I was still running high on anxiety. Dave was right. This isn''t my holiday at all.

    Alisha was apologetic. "Sorry, Jake...I probably should have warned you. I wasn''t thinking."

    I swallowed a small lump in my throat and nodded at her.

    "I think Jake needs a minute to calm down." Noah said. He looked around. "Are there any open tables we can sit at?"

    Alisha looked too. "Not really...there''s some in the a.d.u.l.t section if you don''t mind?"

    I didn''t mind.

    Alisha took us to where her parents and their friends were, finding us a couple of seats at the end of a table. Dave made sure we were settled before going off to find his own friends. Alisha''s mom came over to check on us too, then told us she would bring us burgers as soon as fresh ones came off the grill.

    "Awesome! Thanks!" Noah told her before facing me. "See? Not so bad. Honestly, you would think-" He stopped abruptly.

    "Think what?" Alisha asked, confused.

    I looked at him too, not sure what he was going to say.

    Noah waved his mind. "Never mind. What I was going to say wasn''t going to make sense. Anyways." He looked to Alisha. "I''m surprised you didn''t dress for Halloween considering that you''re throwing a Halloween party."

    Alisha laughed and stood up. "Look." She unzipped her jacket and revealed a cheerleader outfit underneath. "It''s too cold though." She complained. "Bring back summer." She zipped her jacket back up and sat back down.

    "Noo. No summer. Spring is good." Noah argued. "I don''t want to skip over baseball season."

    The two had a conversation as I calmed down. Alisha''s mom brought over the burgers and some mini-sized candy to eat. Afterwards, Alisha took us around to look at the decorations and mingle with some friends, classmates, and teammates. Thankfully she didn''t bring up the scare I had coming through the maze.

    Kyle and Marie showed up, dressed like Bonnie & Clyde, with squirt guns in hand. Kaylee immediately ditched them to join us. She was dressed in all red, wearing a devil horn headband.

    "Very fitting." Noah nodded.

    She rolled her eyes. "At least I did something." She looked between me and Noah. "You two put in no effort."

    "Too tired." Noah shrugged.

    Hanging out at Alisha''s felt different than hanging out at school. For starters, we didn''t see Alisha and Kaylee during lunch. Just in class. So there was a limit to how much we could talk. Here, we caught up on the drama, talked about the A''s winning, and our upcoming roster selections.

    Near the end of the night, Alisha handed me a cupcake with a candle in it and started to sing ''happy birthday''. Almost the whole backyard was singing, making the blood rush to my face. I didn''t hesitate to blow out the candle to get the attention off of me.

    "Not done yet!" Alisha''s dad came over, using both hands to carry a giant bucket. He placed it in front of me. "Son, I think you''re time at the batting cages is going to be paid for for the next couple of years." He chuckled.

    My jaw dropped at the sight of all the coins. Almost five gallons worth. That''s insane. Everyone must have brought a couple dollars worth of coins. My eyes stung as I looked around. I cleared my voice. "Thanks. Thank you. Everyone. I appreciate it." I didn''t know what else to say. I''ve never gotten such a big gift from classmates before.

    "Bring back another championship title!" Someone hollered.

    A lot of people laughed and chimed in similar comments.

    Noah slapped me on the back. "Happy birthday, Jake."

    "Happy birthday!"

    "Happy birthday!"

    I clenched a fist. Now...I really feel like I belong. Not just within a team. But in a friend group. In school. I no longer stuck out as the abused kid. Or the kid that''s in foster care. I''m Jake Atkins. A teen that''s good in baseball. That belongs to a baseball family. That''s good at math. Maybe a little quiet and awkward, but isn''t everyone on some level?

 Chapter 792 - V3 ch27 (Challenger List)

    With the three day weekend, Noah and I spent more time at The Cages with Dave. Noah had to play catcher for the twins in the backyard in exchange. Kyle put his focus on pitching, but every time we left, he would leave to hang out with Marie.

    "I don''t think I''ve ever been to the cages so much in my life." Dave chuckled as we drove home Sunday evening. "Hey Jake, do you think I''m getting better?"

    I nodded. "You''re more steady."

    Dave laughed some more. "Guess I''ll be giving Noah and Garret a run for their money. Maybe if I get real good, I can play in the outfield too."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Stop dreaming. I work on my hitting even more than you do. At most, you''ll be better than normal. I don''t see you hitting any homers like Jake will."

    Dave took this chance to flex his right bicep, showing off his physical growth. "I don''t know. Weightlifting every week has already started to show some results." He glanced back at me. "Tell Jeremy ''thanks'' again."

    "Tell him yourself." Noah said.

    Dave pulled into the driveway and parked the car. "I could, but it feels so strange. Like...he''s famous, okay. But he''s also Jake''s brother. There''s a mix of reverence, but also we somewhat know him. I always feel weird like he might think I''m trying to cozy up to him."

    "Why would he think that..?" I asked, not understanding.

    Dave sighed. "We haven''t heard him talk about his uncle''s family since all that went down. His own uncle used him for a payday. I don''t want him to think I''m the same. Especially since we aren''t that close."

    "Oh." That''s right. Jeremy hasn''t really mentioned them at all. Not even his cousins. Our cousins. At one point he wanted to introduce me to them, but now he hasn''t said a word.

    "You''re overthinking." Noah told him. "I feel like Jeremy knows us pretty well by now. Just say ''thanks, we appreciate the new weightlifting room'' and he''ll probably say ''no problem, lifting is vital for every athlete''."

    I grinned. That sounded pretty spot on.

    Monday, back at school, we got our midterm tests and projects back. Nothing out of the ordinary happened until we got to practice and saw the growth in the group. Fall sports ended last week unless they moved onto the playoffs.

    "Guess the football team didn''t make it again this year." Dave chuckled as we put our cleats on. He patted me on the shoulder. "Watch out for Joey now that he''s back. If he gives you a hard time or goes after you, tell Coach right away."

    I found Joey easily. He was surrounded by a few other juniors from the former JV team. Korrey was in that group too. He was the offensive mvp while Joey was also known for being a good hitter among pitchers. They were back. All those that played football, golf, or cross country were.

    The groups Coach put us in were a little bit lopsided. The players who haven''t been with us since the beginning were grouped together after Coach explained that he wanted to pay more attention to them with the time we have left before thanksgiving break. The rest of us have already gotten enough exposure.

    Thursday after practice, Coach handed me a sheet paper. "The list is a little bit long so I''m thinking we''ll go straight into the challenges tomorrow after school."

    "Like after warmups?" I glanced at the list and was surprised how many had signed up. This was even longer than the first go around.

    "How will all these pitchers warmup?" Noah peeked over my shoulder. "Hey! Why did Garret sign up?"

    Coach grinned. "I asked the same question. He said he has to make sure it''s known who the best player on the team is." He scratched his chin. "Maybe we''ll divide into smaller groups depending on their selected catcher. Obviously won''t be perfect or ideal, but they''ll just have to deal with it."

    "What will the rest of us do?" Noah asked.

    "The rest of you won''t be my problem." Coach told him.

    "That''s cold, Coach." Noah joked. "But really, what will we do? It''s not like we can scrimmage without pitchers."

    Coach tilted his head, looking past us. We turned around, but only saw the twins standing around, waiting for us to catch up. "We''ve got a few pitchers unwilling to challenge Jake. They can be used for the scrimmage tomorrow."

    Noah made a face. "Dave versus Kyle?" He put his hands together in prayer. "Please let me be on Dave''s team."

    Coach laughed. "It won''t be up to me. I''ll let the other coaches decide the teams. There''s no guarantee Dave will face Kyle, but they''re two very good pitchers who can work multiple innings as Jake goes through his challengers."

    Noah looked at the list. "Joey, huh? You better make sure Jake doesn''t get hurt, Coach."

    "I''ll be watching very closely." He nodded. He parted ways with us. "Get washed up and get some rest for tomorrow. Can''t just take it easy even though it''s been a cakewalk for you before."

    I looked at Garret''s name on the list. What a surprise. "Do you think Garret has been practicing outside of practice? Like the twins?"

    Noah nodded as we walked towards the twins. "No doubt. Especially if he really wants to prove himself as the best player on the team."

    "I already think he''s the best though..." Garret could do it all: pitch, hit, play in the outfield, and was quick around the bases.

    "It''s a challenge Jake." Noah said. "He probably feels inadequate inside. Like something is lacking. By striking you out, he would put himself beyond the twins. It would be hard to top that off."

    "Top what off?" Kyle asked as we joined them.

    Noah continued walking. "Just talking about Garret being on the challenge list."

    "No way." Kyle snatched the paper out of my hands and started to read off a few of the names. "Garret?? Really?? What''s he trying to do? Embarrass himself with these losers? He already has a spot on the varsity roster."

    "He wants to be known as the best." Noah explained what Coach said to us.

    "I think he''s making a mistake." Dave pursed his lips. "Being unable to strike out Jake will make him look like all these other pitchers. Unoriginal."

    "Maybe he has something up his sleeve?" Noah shrugged.

    "Unlikely." Dave said. "We would see it during bullpen sessions. He''s letting his ego get ahead of himself. He should know that it''s highly unlikely he could strike Jake out."

    "How do you know if you don''t try?" Noah raised an eyebrow.

    Dave paused. "Maybe. It''s not like Jake is completely perfect. But...is this the right time to do it?"

    "He says he wants to be the best on the team." Noah repeated. "In order to do that, it has to be public. Not just in our backyard where it''s only us." Noah looked at me. "Don''t go easy on him."

    "I won''t." I swore. Garret might have something to prove, but so do I. I was only an average player on the field. Batting is where I made my case for being on varsity despite my lack of skills in other aspects of the game.

 Chapter 793 - V3 ch28 (Challenges 1)

    "There''s another anomaly on this list." Kyle pointed out once we got in the car to head home.

    "What is it?" Noah peeked over his shoulder to look.

    "Robbie." Kyle pointed at one of the names. "Looks like a pair of anomalies. He''s pairing up with that freshman catcher, Oscar."

    Dave started to drive. "Hmm. That is indeed strange. I would even rank that higher than Garret wanting to challenge Jake. He hasn''t tried until now. So why?"

    "Because time is running out?" Noah suggested.

    Kyle slowly shook his head. He turned to give me the paper back. "Watch out for this guy, Jake." He thought back for a second. "You''ll recognize him from that time Noah''s scrimmage went too long. He was there watching beside us."

    I nodded. I remember. "What does he throw?"

    Kyle twisted his lips. "A little bit of everything, but it''s not like he''s particularly good at any of them."

    I stared at him blankly.

    "He can throw it all." Dave said. "A curve, screw, slider. He just makes it up as he goes."

    "I don''t remember him that much." Noah spoke up. "I think I''ve only faced him a couple of times, and pretty sure I got out. But in my defense, I wasn''t good at hitting then."

    "You''re not good now either." Kyle laughed.

    Noah pinched him.

    "Ow!" Kyle rubbed his shoulder. "You being this aggressive just shows that I''m right."

    Dave pulled into the driveway of our home. "I don''t know. You haven''t seen Noah put in work at the cages."

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "I see him everyday at practice. I can see the improvement." He hopped out first and headed for the front door with his bags.

    "I hope to play against him tomorrow." Noah grinned.

    ***

    Friday after school, we gathered and warmed up normally. For the most part. A good part of the pitchers and almost all of the catchers separated from us in order to start warming up for their pitching.

    "Do us a favor and don''t lose to Garret." Dave whispered as we stretched. "I can''t imagine how big his head will get if he strikes you out."

    I nodded. "I''ll do my best."

    Dave grinned and reached out to slap my shoulder. "I believe in you."

    Coach took over, announcing the scrimmage teams taking place on the lower fields. My challenge would take place on the upper freshmen field because it had more space for the others to warm up. The field didn''t matter to me. In fact, I liked the idea that Garret wouldn''t get to be on the mound that he''s most comfortable with.

    Noah was also satisfied. Coach had put him on Dave''s team...facing Kyle.

    Coach came over to specifically talk to the twins. "I don''t want any wild pitches. You even show signs of losing your control, I''ll have the coaches pull you boys. I want to hear about a quality competition between you two. Not a fight." He looked down at Noah. "That goes for you too. No wild plays or doing anything dangerous that might cause an injury."

    Noah grinned. "Coach, I''m not that kind of player anymore."

    Coach narrowed his eyes at him.

    Noah straightened up. "I mean, I was never that kind of player. That kind of vibe isn''t suitable for baseball."

    Coach rolled his eyes. "Don''t make me regret this." He looked at the twins. "Batters from both sides are varsity caliber so take it seriously, just don''t go above and beyond."

    "Ugh. You''re so particular." Kyle groaned. "Try, but don''t try?" He looked at Dave. "This can be considered a rematch right? Now you can''t say it isn''t fair because Jake and Garret won''t be on my team."

    Dave pointed at Noah''s face. "Don''t let me down today."

    Noah nodded seriously.

    Coach was satisfied with their attitude and went to check on the pitchers warming up. Watching him go to that group, I realized...all catchers...are probably busy. I glanced to Noah and the twins, wanting to say something, but Dave beat me to it.

    "Oh crap." Dave was staring at the group like I was.

    "What is it?" Kyle laid down in the grass to do some back stretches.

    "You don''t have a catcher." Dave let out a short laugh.

    Kyle sat up immediately. "Wait. What?"

    Noah caught on. "All the catchers are tied up, helping the pitchers warmup and stay ready to challenge Jake. At least for the first bit." He shrugged. "Coach might want all the catchers to stay there to be fair."

    Kyle frowned. "It''s already not fair. Dave has you. You''ve been catching for us and even know the signs. Who the heck will I get?"

    Noah grinned. "Not our problem. Maybe you should go find the coach in charge of your team and start checking for players that can catch. Or at least know the signs." He laughed and Dave joined in.

    I cracked a smile as Kyle jumped up and started jogging to Coach Luis.

    Dave held out his fist to Noah. "We''ve got this."

    "Heck yeah!" Noah bumped his fist, smiling.

    The two of them eventually had to leave me so Dave could warm up for the scrimmage. Noah also had to find some backup catchers gear from the coaches. All players participating in the scrimmages started to leave too.

    It was a little lonely at first, especially with all the coaches gone, but then Alisha came over with her clipboard in hand. "Hey, Jake. You ready?"

    I picked up my bag and gave a small nod. We headed for the home team dugout on the third base side. I put my bag down and got one of my bats out and started to stretch with it.

    Alisha surprised me by sitting down in the dugout.

    I paused. "Don''t you have to sit with Coach behind home plate?"

    Alisha shook her head. "Coach isn''t sitting. He''s participating."

    I turned to look for Coach. He was walking and talking to the group of pitchers...holding an umpire''s mask.

    "He told me to doc.u.ment the at-bats for every pitcher-catcher combo and the result that you get off." She explained with a smile. "Hoping you make it easy on me and just hit the first pitch into fair territory."

    I nodded. "That''s the plan." Then I thought about the few troublesome guys on the list. "Well...maybe at first. There''s a few that will probably get past one pitch."

    She laughed. "I can''t tell if you''re being modest or serious. I remember Noah being excited that you could hit of Garret back in February. Things can''t really change that much, right?"

    I shrugged. "It''s been eight months since then. I would say it''s still in my favor though. Because I''ve gotten better too."

    She grinned. "You''ve got this."

    I stepped further out of the dugout to start taking some practice swings. After a little more waiting around, Coach came over and made sure I knew what the plan was. Then he called one of the freshman catchers over and let the first pitcher throw a couple off the mound.

    It was time to start. I didn''t hold back, hitting the first pitch to center field with ease. The pitcher stepped off the mound, looking embarrassed. Coach had me step back to let the next pitcher throw a couple of pitches off the mound. Then it was my turn again. One and done.

 Chapter 794 - V3 ch29 (Challenges 2)

    Alisha should be happy. For the first ten pitchers, I knocked their first pitch out. The most time consuming part was the pitcher getting a few warmup pitches off the mound. I understand that it made it fair, but I saw it as a waste of time. I just had to patiently wait for the better pitchers to show up.

    The catcher eventually changed to a familiar Junior I''ve seen around. He hung out with Mitchell, but that didn''t mean he was as good as him. He did stand out more than the earlier freshmen and sophomores though so that''s something. He also had slightly better pitchers paired up with him. I say slightly because I handled all of them with ease.

    I got to face a special sophomore. Someone I completely recognized and didn''t like. Marshel. Marshel Butler. Friends with Austin. He stood out to me from the bus incident and winning ''best sportsmanship'' award on the freshmen team in the spring. What a joke. A hypocrite.

    Simply putting his pitch into fair territory wasn''t enough for me. I smacked his first pitch as far as I could, dead center. With no outfield fence, the ball rolled until the grass slowed it down to a stop. Definitely would have been a homerun. I smiled to myself as Marshel walked off the mound with his head down. Too bad Austin isn''t a pitcher too because I''d like to give him the same treatment.

    The first pitcher that required more than one pitch was Matt. He was now a senior like the twins and Garret, but he was hardly used last year during the season. Just a few relief spots here and there. He worked hard regardless of his play time though so he stood out.

    Seeing how almost everyone tried starting me off with a fastball, Matt went a different route, throwing a curve outside. I chased, getting a piece of it, but the ball dribbled foul.

    I stepped out of the box and glanced back at Coach. "Is it too late to switch batting sides?"

    Coach shook his head. "As a switch hitter, you can change sides during an at-bat as long as it''s not during the pitcher windup. To be safe, always declare ''time'' and then switch."

    I nodded. "Time." Then walked behind the catcher and Coach so I could bat as a lefty.

    "Make sure to note down his switch." Coach called out to the home team dugout. Alisha nodded obediently and scribbled on her paper.

    "Is the switch significant?" The catcher glanced back at Coach to ask.

    Coach shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. We''ll see."

    Everyone got set again.

    I didn''t think the switch was necessary, but I thought it would be easier. Trying something new. It''d be cool to incorporate switches in games when I find out what the pitcher can throw instead of just waiting for my next at-bat. Not that I expect to struggle enough to warrant changes. It would just be nice to realize I have this option and not to be embarrass when I want to try it out.

    Matt throws curves away from right-handers, so what will he do now that I''m a lefty?

    Matt started his motion, and the ball came my way. Literally. He threw a fastball inside, trying to jam me up. It''s not easy to hit something coming right at you. But...it should be a ball. I let it pass.

    "Ball." Coach confirmed.

    The catcher threw the ball back to Matt. Matt got set again, shook off the catcher''s first sign, then nodded at the next. He started his motion and the ball came out of his hand. Another curve. I watched as it broke in towards me. I brought my bat down and hands in, swatting the ball to where a second baseman would probably be. Not pretty, but my only job was to put it in play.

    Matt left the mound in a relaxed manner. He met me off to the side, near the dugout Alisha was in. "Hey, I thought for sure you would let that one pass too."

    I glanced to see the catchers changing and a new pitcher warming up. Seeing that I had a minute, I explained to him my thought process. "It would have been a borderline call and Coach isn''t really fair."

    Matt let out a laugh. "Yea, he''s a bit tough on you. I thought I would give it a try though."

    "If there we''re position players, I probably wouldn''t have made contact on that pitch." I told him honestly. "You saw how it went to the second baseman spot. I would have like for it to at least get past the infield." I smiled at him. "You picked a tricky spot."

    Matt grinned at my compliment. "Thanks. I''ve been working on my control. Aiming for those corners."

    I nodded and listened to him a little more before Coach called me back to the plate. I walked over with my bat in hand. A senior catcher from the JV team and a junior I didn''t know on the mound. It was another one and done pitcher. The catcher stayed as an unfriendly opponent took the mound to warmup. Joey.

    Ugh.

    I wasn''t scared of Joey''s pitching, but I was definitely worried about him as a person. He reminded me of Chris. Just too...aggressive. The need to be right. To be on top.

    I watched him throw a few pitches off the mound before Coach called for me to step up. I chose the righty''s box. From what I remember, Joey only switched between a four-seam fastball and a two-seam fastball. Slight difference but no big breaking ball to be wary of.

    Joey was set. I pulled my bat back, ready as well. Joey nodded, straightened up, then kicked his leg forward. I forgot how aggressive his pitching was too. It matched his personality.

    I swung, but the ball took a small dip. I fouled the ball back into the catcher.

    "Strike one." Coach spoke up as the catcher got up to throw the ball back to Joey.

    I pursed my lips together. I was obviously a little too eager, not even waiting to see if it was the two-seamer or the four. I calmed myself down and got set again. I don''t need to be mean and hit a bomb off him. Just hit into fair territory so he doesn''t get a free pass to be on the varsity team.

    Joey got set once more. His second pitch went outside and dipped again. Two-seamer again. I held back from swinging. The catcher caught it near the corner of the strike zone.

    "Strike two." Coach declared.

    Coach really isn''t fair. I pouted back at him.

    "I may have blinked." Coach shrugged as the catcher threw the ball back.

    I didn''t believe him for a second. He might just want to know what would happen if I had an 0-2 count. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Joey doesn''t have anything on me. I''ve got this.

    Joey got set and started his motion. Knowing him, he will want to finish this at-bat off at once. Using his fastball right down the middle. I started my swing as soon as the ball left his hand and timed it right. Surprisingly, the ball started to dip again. A third two-seamer?? I frowned and pointed my bat down more to get a piece of the pitch, then pulled it down the third baseline.

    "Fair." Coach called out as the grounder hit third base without going beyond the foul line.

 Chapter 795 - V3 ch30 (Challenges 3)

    Joey squinted at third base like he expected a replay.

    "I said fair." Coach repeated himself.

    Joey looked like he wanted to argue, but clenched his jaw shut and left the mound without issue.

    I was surprised he took that so well. I glanced back at Coach.

    Coach wasn''t looking at me though. He had waved the next pitcher to step up for practice pitches and then he made a move towards Alisha in the dugout.

    With nothing to do, I followed him over, curious as to what he wanted to say.

    "Alisha, mark down that Jake hit a grounder to third base for me, please." Coach told her. "Go ahead and mark down that he hit a grounder to second for Matt too."

    Alisha wrote down the notes next to each name.

    I looked up at Coach, curious as to what it meant. Did I do something wrong? Does that count against me? Should I be trying harder?

    "This is more for them than for you." Coach told me. "You might think I''m testing you here, but don''t forget, I''m trying to find pitchers that belong on the varsity team."

    Right. I nodded slowly.

    After that small break, Coach went back and I stepped up to the plate again. We had quite a few more pitchers to work through. Near the end, I started to see better pitchers, and then finally came up against one of the pitchers the twins warn me about: Robbie.

    He was paired with a freshman I didn''t know, but I could guess who it was. Oscar. The twins and him talked a little bit about him when we watched the end of Noah''s scrimmage. I couldn''t recall much about the catcher, and I knew even less about Robbie. Despite being in the same baseball program, I never had to face him in one of our practice scrimmages.

    Knowing that he was right-handed and threw a lot of different kind of pitches, I chose to be a righty too. Only for better view of his motion. I gripped my bat a little tighter, eager to see what his first pitch would be.

    Robbie got set, lifted his left leg, held it for an awkward beat, then kicked it forward. I was slightly distracted from his form and only realized the ball was on it way after a blink. I went through my own motions: step forward and bring the bat to meet the ball.

    The ball took a small dip just before the plate. I got a piece of it and the ball went foul down the first base line. As Oscar threw a new baseball to Robbie, I tried to think about that last pitch. It was hard to tell if it was a weak curveball or a good two-seamer.

    I got back in the batter''s box and tried to focus on Robbie''s pitching arm. Don''t get distracted by his windup. That''ll just mess up my timing. His speed isn''t anything like the twins or Garret so I can just rely on swinging when the ball comes out of his hand.

    Robbie got set and started his motion. Lifted his leg and held it up, but my eyes were on the glove. As soon as his left leg came forward, I was already zoned in on his hand. The ball had a spin to it, coming my way. It broke inside as I adjusted my swing. I pulled it down the right field line.

    All eyes watched as the ball drifted foul.

    I heard the catcher let out a puff of air. I glanced back at him, surprised.

    He laughed, a little self-conscious. "Sorry."

    I shrugged.

    Someone from the side threw Robbie a new ball as we all got back into position. Robbie nodded at Oscar almost immediately. They probably had a plan in place. Two strikes against me. What would they pick to be a strikeout pitch? Can''t be a fastball. That would be a waste. Unless they threw it outside of the zone to try and get me to chase. That makes it a possibility then. But, I think he''ll stick to a breaking ball.

    I watched closely as he started his motion again. He surprised me again by speeding up his whole windup, not bothering to hold his leg up for an extra second. It threw me off as I started my swing. My thought process only got more jumbled as the ball randomly dipped as I started my swing. I brought my bat down on it, catching the top part of the ball. I fouled it back, bouncing it on home plate before it hit Oscar on his chest protector.

    "Dang it." He muttered. He looked mad.

    Meanwhile, I was confused. What just happened? The ball didn''t have a spin like a breaking ball. Was it a two-seamer? No way. It broke too much. I scratched my neck as I took a breather outside the batter''s box.

    "Shake it off, Oscar!"

    "Get the next one!"

    "You almost had him."

    Stunned, I slowly moved my eyes over to the pitchers that were still waiting for a turn to face me. They all seemed to be trying to cheer up the catcher..? Not Robbie, who was on the mound?

    "You would have struck out if Oscar had caught that foul tip." Coach reminded me. He waved at me. "C''mon. Step up. You don''t normally get so much time in between swings."

    "You''ve got this, Jake!" Alisha called out from behind me.

    I relaxed my shoulders and got back in the box. Bat back, elbow up. So what if Robbie could throw a pitch that I wasn''t accustomed to. I wasn''t used to curves and sliders and screws before either. Pitching machines only had speed. I figured out everything else out so I can figure this out. I only had one requirement: put the ball in play.

    Robbie did his quick motion again and the ball came right down the middle. It didn''t stay that way, dipping again. My swing was a little awkward, but I pulled through, pushing the ball back the way it came. Somehow, I had gotten under the ball and popped it up. Right to Robbie on the mound.

    I stared at my bat, unable to comprehend what just happened. Again. I thought I hit the ball solidly but...all of a sudden I was under the ball? Did I misjudge it?

    "Good effort, boys." Coach clapped his hands.

    Robbie came off the mound, handing the ball off to a new pitcher while Oscar got up and let a new catcher take over. The two of them met up and walked back to their bags. Oscar was talking animatedly while Robbie just shook his head slowly.

    "Jake?" Coach called out to me. I looked at him. He nodded towards my dugout. "Want to back up and let the pitcher throw some practice pitches for a minute?"

    "Oh. Yea." I backed up, giving them space.

    Coach went over to Alisha again. "Alisha?"

    "I wrote down pop up to pitcher position." Alisha answered.

    Coach nodded. "Perfect. Also, give him and Oscar a little asterisk." He cracked a smile. "They almost got Jake. What an unexpected surprise."

    My face got warm as I felt embarrassed. "Coach...do you know what those last two pitches were?"

    Coach hummed and took a second to think about it. "I have a guess, but I''m not sure that it''s accurate. I was only a step behind you, but it''s hard to tell with a catcher anticipating a foul."

    "What''s the guess?" Alisha asked. "Should I write it down?"

    "You can." He said. "My guess would be a knuckleball."

 Chapter 796 - V3 ch31 (Challenges 4)

    "Knuckleball?" I repeated after him. I vaguely knew of the pitch from all the games Noah made me watch. But it didn''t come up often.

    "Minimal spin and erratic movements." Coach told me. He patted my shoulder. "Don''t think too much about it. Not very many people can throw a knuckler, and only 10% can throw it like Robbie just did. I''m surprised too. Knuckleballs are hard to control, but it looks like Robbie and Oscar had worked something out to make it effective."

    I hugged my bat to my chest. How can I not think about it? If Oscar had caught my foul tip, it would have been a strikeout.

    "Hey, hey, I said don''t think about it." Coach held my shoulder and gave it a small shake. "That was a one-time thing. Really. Robbie probably won''t be able to corner you on two strikes again. If he doesn''t do that, then his knuckleball is useless."

    I frowned. "Can''t get just throw the knuckleball all the time?" I thought it was a pretty good pitcher. It fooled me twice.

    He shook his head. "It''s movement is unpredictable. Even to the pitcher and catcher. Knowing that, you could either attack his other pitches early on. Or if he goes with just the knuckleball, then you could estimate which might fall out of the zone for a ball." He gave my shoulder another squeeze. "There''s a reason it''s not a popular pitch."

    Oh. I sighed with relief.

    We went back to home plate. I stepped into the batter''s box while Coach got behind the catcher. We started move through the list of pitchers again. I cruised through, hitting the first pitch into fair territory every chance I got.

    At the end, Mitchell and Garret were waiting for me.

    Coach and I stepped back to let them warmup together.

    "I''ll be completely fair this time." Coach told me in a low voice. "Borderline pitches will have to be dependent on Mitchell''s placement. I don''t want to give either of you an advantage over the other."

    "You don''t think I''ll be able to hit the first pitch?" I asked with a small smile.

    Coach chuckled. "Why do you have confidence against Garret, but not against Robbie? I feel like it''s pretty clear who the better pitcher is."

    I scratched my cheek. "I wouldn''t say it''s confidence. More like, I''m comfortable? I know Garret. He''s good. If he beats me, I won''t feel bad about it."

    "You should never feel bad about striking out. Or getting out." Coach told me seriously. "It happens. No one is perfect. Not you. Not Zeke. Not even your brother, who is bound to be MVP of the American League."

    He says that...but if someone strikes me out, they get to make the varsity team. Won''t that mean one of my friends will lose their spot? There were a few seniors that graduated, but I don''t want to be the reason someone doesn''t make it.

    "Swing freely." Coach told me.

    I nodded slowly. I planned to anyways. It''s just Garret. Even if he strikes me out, he deserves to be on varsity. Plus, the record is in my favor.

    Mitchell nodded at me as I got in the lefty''s box. "Lefty, huh? You know it''s more advantageous for the pitcher to face the same sided batter, right?"

    I paused. "I...didn''t." After all, I found it easier to face Garret''s cutter from this side of the plate.

    Mitchell shrugged. "It''s whatever you''re comfortable with."

    I glanced back at Coach.

    Coach grinned, yet didn''t say anything.

    I couldn''t tell if Mitchell was being serious or if he was trying to psych me out. Maybe a little bit of both? I''ll have to ask Noah later.

    Garret got set and started his motion. His first pitch was a fastball, high and inside. I leaned back.

    "Ball." Coach stated.

    "Tsk." Mitchell threw the ball back to Garret and got set once more.

    Garret nodded at the sign and straightened up. He started his motion and threw another fastball at tremendous speed. Low and away. I gritted my teeth and took a swing at it, catching the ball at the end of my bat. It was a line drive...just foul of the third baseline.

    I stepped out of the box to take a practice swing. Garret''s speed surpassed all the others. It was hard to adjust after seeing so many mediocre pitchers. I stepped back into the lefty''s box after Garret got a new baseball.

    1-1. Garret nodded at Mitchell and got set again. He did his motion and the ball was coming to us quick. I had long started my swing beforehand, knowing I would need that extra millisecond to keep up with Garret. The pitch was low and away again. The only difference was that it was the cutter and it was dropping off. Unable to pull my bat back and let it pass for a ball, I reached out and fouled the pitch off for strike number two.

    1-2. Garret had the biggest grin as he stood on the mound, looking down at me. Mitchell got him a new baseball and squatted down behind home plate again. Garret nodded once, straightened up and waited for me to get set.

    I took an extra second outside the batter''s box. I know I said I''d be okay if Garret struck me out, however I still wanted to win. I want to be like Zeke, a pillar for this team''s offense. Especially since I know I can''t emulate him on the field.

    Now...what would Garret do? Normally, I would guess another cutter. Or something that''s also low. Shouldn''t he have learned a new pitch? What would it be? I bit my lip. I have a guess.

    I know of another left-handed pitcher that learned a new pitch over the summer.

    I walked around Mitchell and Coach in order to stand in the righty''s box.

    "A bit late." Mitchell remarked.

    I relaxed my shoulders, trying to ignore him. He was trying to get inside my head. Maybe I was a little late, but I have experience.

    I was set and Garret started his motion. His throw was similar to a cutter. I started my swing, prepared for something low and inside. The ball took an even bigger break. I opened up my stance and sliced the ball to right field. I knew it! I grinned at Garret as he looked to the ball in right field.

    "Wow." Mitchell stood beside me. "I can''t believe you were able to hit that. And to even send it to right field."

    I smiled at him. "I''ve seen a slider before. From another lefty. He''s even better."

    "Really?" Mitchell was surprised.

    I nodded. "Zeke has a friend named Rhys. He''s going to Stanford too." I lowered my voice. "He also throws faster than Garret. His slider is much better too, but don''t tell Garret. His is good too."

    I can just imagine how much he''ll dominate between his speed, cutter, and now a slider. The twins would have to learn a good breaking ball to ever catch up with him.

    Garret came off the mound with a heavy sigh. "Why couldn''t you just stay in the lefty''s box? I would have had ya chasing that slider."

    I grinned, happy with my performance at the end. I''ll have to text Rhys to thank him.

 Chapter 797 - V3 ch32 (end of practice)

    "I can''t let the twins down." I said proudly. I can''t wait to see them and have them compliment me on a job well done. Garret may be the better pitcher, but he''s still on the same level as the twins if he can''t strike me out.

    Garret pulled me into a headlock and patted my helmet loudly, trying to give me a headache. "You''re starting to sound more and more like those Atkins. Now that you have brothers, you don''t care about friends, do you?"

    I laughed as I tried to get out of his grasp.

    "There''s always next week." Coach reminded him.

    Garret let me go. "You think I can change anything in the next week, Coach? It took me forever to learn that pitch as it is." He sighed dramatically. "All that work just to have one pitch hit to the outfield."

    I looked to Mitchell. "Does that mean you''ll pair up with other pitchers next week?" Because he only worked with Garret today.

    Mitchell nodded. "Yea, I already promised a few of the other guys I would pair up with more pitchers next week. Don''t know if it''ll change the outcome for anyone though." He laughed. "You really killed it today. Great job."

    "Thanks." I accepted his compliment.

    "You three clean up here for me." Coach instructed. "There isn''t any reason for you boys to join in the scrimmages so late. Take it easy and collect all the baseballs, then you can head home." He headed to Alisha.

    Garret pointed at the bucket of balls near the first base dugout. "Mitchell, you can stay over here and collect the balls that we throw in." He nodded at me. "You don''t need your glove. Just leave your bat here and let''s work on getting all the baseballs you hit back to Mitchell."

    It was my turn to sigh. If I knew I had to clean up, I wouldn''t have hit the baseballs everywhere. I would have tried condensing where the balls would go. Garret and I jogged out to the grass and picked up the balls, throwing them towards Mitchell, who was in charge of putting them in the bucket. It didn''t actually take that long since Garret did a lot of sprinting for the far ones, and his throws were really accurate.

    We cleaned up, put everything away, and packed our bags. As we headed for the parking lot, we ran into some players coming up from the lower fields.

    Dave started to laugh obnoxiously. "Let me guess. Jake still kicked your butt?"

    Garret rolled his eyes. "At least I gave it a shot."

    Dave reached for me, putting an arm around my shoulders and leaned down. "Did you strike out at all, Jake?"

    I shook my head. "I came close a few times, but no."

    Dave grinned.

    "I got him to a 1-2 count." Garret defended himself.

    "What was the deciding pitch?" Noah joined us.

    "A slider." I told him. I looked up at Dave. "I hit to right field. Definitely would be a hit."

    Dave shook me around. "What a champ! A new pitch can''t even throw you off. You and Noah have made me proud today!"

    I looked to Noah.

    Noah beamed and straightened up. "I got two hits off Kyle. And Dave pitched three scoreless innings with me as a catcher."

    "You can play catcher?" Mitchell asked. "Should I be worried I''m going to lose my chance to start on varsity?"

    Noah laughed. "No way. I still prefer shortstop. That''s where all the action is. Catching is okay because you get to touch the ball a lot, but it''s not that exciting."

    We talk some more about their scrimmage and my challengers until Kyle showed up in the car, honking at us to hurry it up. We said goodbye to Garret and Mitchell before heading to the car.

    "Dang, so impatient." Dave muttered as he climbed into the front passenger seat.

    "Someone''s a sore loser." Noah wiggled his eyebrows.

    "I''m in a hurry not because I''m in a bad mood." Kyle stated as he started to drive us home. "I have a date with Marie tonight and need to shower." He glanced at me using the rear view mirror. "How''d it go?"

    "No strikeouts." Dave answered for me. "Not even to Garret. Apparently his new pitch is a slider."

    Kyle was skeptical. "Why would he pick a slider? It''s so similar to the cutter."

    Dave had an answer to that too. "Probably because it''s so similar."

    I nodded in agreement. "Yea, I think so too. If batter''s are expecting the cutter and he throws the slider, there''s bound to me a lot more strikeouts." I scratched my cheek, a little embarrassed. "He almost got me too. If it wasn''t for Rhys, I would have expected it. Luckily I switched from lefty to righty at the end of the at-bat."

    "How did it go against that Robbie guy?" Noah asked. "Didn''t the twins tell you to watch out for him and his freshman catcher?"

    I turned red from embarrassment. "Uh, he almost got me." I took a minute to explain his pitching sequence, the appearance of the knuckleball, and how Oscar dropped the foul tip.

    "Wow." Dave mumbled. "That''s pretty lucky."

    "If he struck Jake out, would that make him a better pitcher than us?" Kyle squinted at the road. "Jake, what''s your plan for next week?"

    "Coach said he probably won''t try again next week." I told him what was said earlier. "Coach said it was a one time thing."

    "The element of surprise is off the table." Noah nodded. "Same goes for Garret. That freshman though is probably kicking himself, thinking about what could have been."

    "It''s not like I got a good hit off the next pitch." I told them about the pop out. "That might factor into Coach''s decision on whether they make the team. He told Alisha to write it down. Same for Matt and...Joey."

    "Joey didn''t throw anywhere near you, right?" Dave turned all the way around to make eye contact with me.

    I shook my head. "No. He was fine. I guess. He threw nothing but two-seamers. Got me cornered to an 0-2 count thanks to Coach." I told them about Coach''s lenient call.

    The three continued to ask me about the pitchers until we got home. Then Kyle broke away, racing upstairs, in a hurry to take a shower and get dressed. He left just as Mom and Dad got home with a couple of pizzas.

    "Home by eleven!" Dad called out just as the door slammed shut.

    "Do you think we should have Dave go with him?" Mom asked Dad as we set the table.

    Dave made a face of disgust. "No way. I''m not his babysitter, Mom. You can go check on him if you want. He''s just going to the mall to watch Marie try on clothes. He doesn''t even think they''ll watch a movie. So lame."

    Noah laughed. "That would be the worst kind of third wheel. I could never." He looked at Dad with excitement. "Guess what I did today?"

    "What?" Dad asked.

    Noah started to tell him about our whole practice.

    After dinner, we all showered and got in our pajamas. Without any baseball to watch, Noah and Dave settled on playing movies I haven''t seen before. It was fun for me because it was just so new, but I couldn''t understand how they could rewatch a movie they had already seen. It made me appreciate them even more.

 Chapter 798 - V3 ch33

    Saturday morning, Noah and I went on a morning jog. Dave joined in, giving Noah some competition. The two went to the backyard to do some bullpen work while I went through our old ab workout. If Zeke was here, he''d be proud at us for putting in extra work on our day off. Out of season too.

    Kyle woke up late, but was quick to join in on the workout. He warmed himself up with a short run and some more elaborate stretching before pulling me into playing catch with him. Once he was ready, Dave willing got off the fake mound and let him throw some pitches to Noah.

    Dave waved at me. "Let''s go in and prepare lunch."

    I followed obediently despite not knowing how I could even help him. With Mom and Dad working most weekends, we were left on our own for lunches. Dave really did the most out of all of us. Whether that''s from Zeke''s talk a couple months ago or from the fact that he ate the most, it''s hard to tell.

    Dave decided on meatball sandwiches and a salad to go with it. My only job was to supervise the meatballs in marinara sauce, occasionally stirring it on the stove. Dave got the rolls out, cut them in half, and placed cheese inside. Then he worked on the salad.

    After lunch, Dave took us to the cages while Kyle waited at home to be picked up by Marie.

    Sunday followed a similar pattern. Sunday dinner, the boys talked about plans for thanksgiving break like how Zeke was coming back home and the grandparents will be visiting.

    Dad looked at me. "Do you still want to do another laser treatment? Dr. Griffiths office has an opening that Monday at the start of your break."

    I nodded right away.

    "Doesn''t that mean Jake won''t be able to do anything most of the break?" Noah asked.

    Dad glanced my way. "I think Jake understands that."

    I looked at Noah. "It''s better for me to do it now when I can. Once the season starts...there''ll be no time. And I really...really want to do it."

    Noah looked guilty. "Oh, right. Well, we can do things at home too. Zeke will be home and I can do the morning runs with him. Then we can just have movie marathons. With Gramma and Grampa coming, we''ll have a full house again. You won''t be bored."

    I wasn''t worried about being bored. "You can still catch for the twins. I''ll watch."

    "Hey, does this mean you''ll be willing to learn how to swim next summer?" Dave asked.

    I shrugged. I tugged the end of my t-shirt. "It depends...on how they look."

    "It doesn''t matter how they look." Dad corrected me. "It''ll depend on how you''ll feel."

    "I would feel more comfortable if you learn how to swim, Jake." Mom spoke up. "Every time you''re at Alisha''s, there''s a small chance of you falling in. Although, their pool isn''t that deep, I still think swimming is a good skill to have. You don''t have to be great at it. There''s also full body swimsuits you can wear too."

    "I think those are meant for the ocean, Mom." Kyle laughed. "Jake would stand out even more if he wore that to Alisha''s."

    Mom gave him a look.

    Kyle shrugged. "What? It''s true." He looked to me. "You already stand out as the best hitter on the team, why care if you stand out some more. If you own up to it, you won''t feel so self-conscious." He rolled his eyes. "I can''t believe I''m saying this, but be more like Noah."

    "Hey!" Noah was offended. Only for a second though. He smiled at me. "Just follow my footsteps."

    I nodded. I already aspire to be more like Noah. But my scars still need treatment. I won''t pass up the chance to try to make them blend in a little more.

    After dinner, I got a call from Jeremy. He wanted to know my plans for thanksgiving break.

    I cracked a smile. "We were just talking about this at dinner. Mom''s parents will come over for the week. Zeke will come back from college. Dad also said I could have my second laser treatment that Monday."

    "Oh. Oh!" Jeremy took a second to understand my plans for the week. "So you''ll be chilling at home most of the week. That''s not bad. I-" He stopped.

    "What''s up?" I prompted him, trying to avoid any awkwardness about my scar removal treatment.

    He chuckled. "It''s nothing. I was just overthinking. I''m happy if you''re happy."

    "I''m happy." I told him. It suddenly struck me why Jeremy might be a little weird. Not because of my treatment, but because of the holidays coming up. I''m positive that he''s not spending it with Uncle Jack. "Hey, did you want to come over here for thanksgiving? One more person won''t make a difference at the table."

    He laughed. "No, thank you, but no. Rose and I are going to go see her parents for thanksgiving. We''ll leave the Wednesday before thanksgiving. Maybe I''ll come by that Monday or Tuesday to see how you''re doing."

    "I''d like that." I said honestly. "You might have to think twice if you don''t win the MVP award though. Noah would give you a hard time."

    He laughed again. "Don''t worry, I''ll win. The other finalists don''t measure up. Just wait for the good news to come on Thursday."

    "I will." I nodded.

    We talked a little more about our week and shared small bits about our life. Him and Rose were house hunting and spending more time together because of the off season. I talked about facing Garret and Robbie. I had one more challenge day left this week, but then next week Coach will be hosting official tryouts for those who couldn''t practice after school. Then it''ll be break.

    We said our goodbyes and hung up for the night.

    Another week of school and practice passed with a little more excitement. Rookie of the Year awards were announced on Monday. Manager of the year was announced on Tuesday. Cy Young awards were announced on Wednesday. Then it was finally time for MVPs to be announced on Thursday.

    Coach handed me a new list of challengers for Friday, but I didn''t spend very much time looking it over. I was in a rush to get home with Noah and the twins. We turned on the sports channel and waited for the announcement.

    ["There were many worthy candidates for the American League MVP this year, but one player in particular took the lead in the second half of the season. Jeremy Patterson had a busy year on and off the field. An injury to the A''s led them shopping around for a trade and they found their guy for a heavy price. So many of us in the studio were stunned, but the A''s organization obviously saw something we didn''t: a World Series Championship. Patterson was instrumental in leading this team to their first championship in the last three decades. This young man has a bright future ahead of him and the A''s made sure to lock him up for the foreseeable future."]

    With the announcement officially made, we jumped around and celebrated. I sent a text to Jeremy to congratulate him on his award. Noah and the twins did the same, with the idea that we would blow up his phone with our excitement.

 Chapter 799 - V3 ch34

    Mom and Dad came home just in time to see us throwing the couch pillows at one another. Mom didn''t get mad and merely sent us upstairs to take our showers before dinner. As we all sat down for dinner, Mom was last despite trying to hurry us along.

    "Who was it on the phone?" Dad asked her while we filled up our plates.

    "It was Rose." She surprised us with her answer. We all turned to look her way. She smiled. "She invited all of us to a celebratory dinner this weekend. Saturday, at the stadium, they plan to get the team together to celebrate Jeremy''s achievement."

    "Wow!"

    "That''s gotta be exciting!"

    "Do you think Zeke will want to come?"

    "He might be busy with school."

    "I''ll text him and tell him about it."

    "It''s a black tie event." Mom spoke over the boys. "That means all of you need to find the suits you wore to the banquet a few months back. Make sure everything still fits and that you can find your shoes, ties, and belts."

    "Does Jeremy know?" I asked. It was strange that Rose would call Mom. Wouldn''t it be more normal for Jeremy to tell me directly?

    Mom shook her head with a smile. "It''s a little bit of a surprise. From what I understand, Rose will make him go to the stadium for some made up reason."

    "How is she going to get him to wear a suit?" Noah asked. "I''m not wearing a suit if he doesn''t have to."

    "I''m sure she can handle it." Mom said. "Even if she can''t get him into a suit, it''s his day. He doesn''t have to wear one." She pointed at Noah. "You do. No matter what."

    Despite Noah''s resistance to wearing a suit this weekend, he was the first one out of all of us to look for his whole outfit right after dinner. He had it all laid out on a chair.

    "Aren''t you going to get yours out?" He asked me, watching as I climbed into bed.

    I made a face. "I''ll do it tomorrow after practice."

    "I''ll just do it for you." Noah started going through the closet again. Sure enough, when I woke up Friday morning, my outfit was laid out next to his. Noah''s excitement was unmatched. He wasn''t just happy for Jeremy; he was excited to be hanging out with the whole A''s organization on Saturday night.

    "Do I even want to know?" Kaylee asked, squinting at Noah who was bouncing in his seat.

    "Even if you wanted to know, we can''t tell you." Noah stuck his tongue out at her.

    I raised an eyebrow. "Pretty sure Mom only said not to tell Jeremy..."

    "What if it leaks out and gets back to him?" Noah whispered to me.

    I stifled a laugh. "I don''t think Kaylee would tell anyone."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Fine." He sighed. "If you must know, we''re celebrating Jeremy''s MVP award at the A''s stadium tomorrow night with the whole team. Jeremy doesn''t know so keep it on the down low."

    It was Kaylee''s turn to roll her eyes. "You''re such a loser."

    I grinned.

    That set Noah off and the two began to argue about whether this classified as cool or not. And if it did, does that make Noah cool? And would Noah even be invited if it wasn''t for my relation to Jeremy. And this, and that, and it just kept going.

    I was happy to leave Noah for once when it came time for second period. Him and Kaylee barely acknowledged my leaving as I went to Spanish III.

    Having Coach Luis as a teacher made me realize how laidback he really is...off the field anyways. On Fridays we took short quizzes and then got free time afterwards. Sitting with Sean and Mitchell, I used my free time to look over the list of players that Coach gave me yesterday. Just to make sure there were no surprises.

    Only one particular pair stood out. I looked up at Mitchell and interrupted his conversation with Sean. "You''re pairing up with Joey?"

    Mitchell paused for a second. "Well...yea."

    I blinked. "Why?" The two of them were complete opposites.

    Mitchell shrugged. "There''s not one single reason. We''re both juniors. We pair up sometimes during practices. He''ll likely make it to the varsity team. He asked me to. It''d be rude to say no." He stopped. "Hey, are you worried because of his attitude problem?"

    I gave a small nod.

    "Don''t worry about him." Mitchell told me with confidence. "Coach has really set him straight, for the most part. I mean, he still has an attitude problem, but don''t expect him to take it out on you. Coach had a talk with all the pitchers about sportsmanship. I''ll keep him in line too."

    "Hm." I nodded slowly, not convinced.

    Only about half the amount of pitchers signed up compared to last week, with the majority of those coming from other sports. The quality was better per pitcher, but there was no Robbie or Garret there to stun me. Bryce and Brian both chose not to take part, and the twins would never. I did see Matt again. Marshel too.

    There were no slip ups today. I was never pushed to a strike two. Not even against Joey. He had made a face, but didn''t say a word. He took long strides off the mound and threw his glove in his bag before taking off. Like Mitchell said, he still has an attitude problem. But as long as he doesn''t take it out on me or any other player, then it''s livable.

    As the last catcher again, Mitchell stuck around to help me collect the baseballs. Then we casually hung out in the parking lot until the twins and Noah showed up. The twins were both complaining about not be able to pitch today while Noah bragged about how well he did off of Brian.

    "Since Coach is hosting tryouts next week, we probably can''t use the bullpens here." Mitchell said. He looked at Dave and Kyle. "If you guys don''t mind, I can come over every day next week for split bullpen sessions. Maybe even a couple days of thanksgiving break too?"

    "That''d be great!" Kyle agreed immediately. "We only have Noah to throw to, and it''s hard splitting time with him when he keeps running off to the batting cages."

    Noah grinned. "Well if you guys have Mitchell, then Jake and I will do nothing but hang out at the cages."

    "How are you going to get there?" Kyle shot back.

    "You can drop us off after school, then Mom or Dad can pick us up after." Noah said, coming up with a plan right off the top of his head.

    Dave nodded. "Yea, that''ll work. Even if Mom or Dad don''t want to do pickup, whoever isn''t pitching to Mitchell at that time, can go pick you guys up."

    Noah beamed. I was happy too. A straight week of just casually hitting the baseball? I couldn''t wait.

    Mitchell went to his own car to go home, while we did the same.

 Chapter 800 - V3 ch35 (Jeremy’s MVP)

    Friday night, Mom made sure our suits fit us properly then took them away so she could iron. The twins were tasked with finding Zeke''s and making sure he had everything since we were going to meet him at the Johnson''s house. Mom invited Rhys and his parents after getting the ''okay'' from Rose, but his parents declined.

    Noah thinks it''s because of Mr. Johnson. He did work for the opposing team across the bay.

    Saturday, we did our usual morning routine of running and playing with the twins until lunch. Mom had sandwiches ready for us, then she hurried us to take showers and get dressed so we could hit the road. We didn''t have to wear the suits during the car ride, just sweatpants and t-shirts. Once we got to the Johnson''s, we changed outfits and met up downstairs.

    Even though his parents weren''t coming along, Rhys still was. He had also dressed up and had done his hair. We all took one car to the stadium, squeezing beyond max capacity.

    At the stadium, a parking attendant directed us where to park, close to the team offices where Rose would take us through sometimes. We still had to go through security, then walked into the building, directed down a few halls.

    "Where''s Rose?" I asked Noah softly as we walked among strangers.

    "She''s probably with Jeremy, right?" Noah shrugged. "If we''re surprising him, someone has to be responsible for bringing him here."

    I nodded. That made sense.

    We were guided to the banquet hall, tables with place cards were scattered around. Mom asked someone where to find our seats and we were taken straight there. I sat between Mom and Noah, happy that we weren''t in the middle of the room.

    Noah started to point out all the players, naming them with ease. Jack Maberry came over with his wife and kids, sitting at our table. Mom and Dad were happy to have some other a.d.u.l.ts to speak with despite the age gap. Maberry had also brought his brother and cousin, both of which sat near Zeke and Rhys. Parker and Conner were only a little bit older than them and had plenty of topics to talk about. Especially when it comes to baseball.

    As we got closer to Jeremy''s projected arrival time, Noah dragged me to the bathroom so he wouldn''t have to go alone. I didn''t mind getting away from the big crowd that had now gathered in the banquet hall. I stood just outside the restrooms, casually checking my phone.

    "Hey." Someone called out, making me look up.

    I didn''t recognize the voice, but it wasn''t like there were too many people standing idle in the hallway.

    The person that called out was a teenager. Brown hair and eyes. Slightly dark. I knew him in an instant. He and I shared a few of the same features. A lot of people say that Jeremy and I were a lot alike, but this guy...definitely looks more like Jeremy''s brother than me. Maybe it was the temperament.

    I swallowed a lump in my throat and gave a small nod for a greeting. I couldn''t come up with anything else. What do you say to a cousin you''ve just met for the first time?

    He wore a suit and tie like me, but had more of Jeremy''s build. He was shorter than the twins and Zeke, but carried more muscle. I flat out look like a kid next to him. With that thought, I unconsciously took a step back, hitting the wall.

    His eyes flashed and he stuffed his fists in his pockets.

    I stared up at him, unsure if he was waiting for me to speak up or what.

    I could vaguely hear a flush, then water coming from the sink, the automatic paper towel dispenser, and finally Noah came out.

    "Hey, Jake, do you think-" He stopped mid-sentence, catching onto my wary attitude. He turned his attention to my cousin. "What''s up? Can I help you?" He squinted.

    He looked away. "I need to use the restroom." He walked by, going in where Noah came out.

    Noah glanced at me. "You good?"

    I bit the inside of my cheek, unsure. I tilted my head to the way we came, signaling that we should head back. Only when we got further away, did I tell him who that teen was. "Jack''s kid."

    It took Noah a minute to realize I wasn''t talking about Jack Maberry. "Your uncle Jack?" His eyes went wide. He glanced back. "He didn''t say anything mean to you, did he?"

    I shook my head. "He only said ''hey''. Nothing else."

    Noah relaxed a bit. Only to tense up again. "If he''s here, then your uncle must be here too." His eyes roamed around the room as we headed back to our seats.

    "You''re looking really sketchy, Noah." Kyle told him as we sat down. "Did you guys do something wrong?"

    Noah didn''t stop looking. He lowered his voice. "I think Jeremy''s family is here. We ran into the cousin outside the bathroom."

    Kyle leaned forward to look at me, frowning. "What did he say?"

    "...''hey''..." I shrugged again.

    Kyle blinked. "That''s it?"

    I shrugged for the millionth time. It''s not like we know one another. I don''t even know his name. Jeremy may have mentioned it before, but I didn''t remember.

    Kyle nudged Noah. "Quite moving like that. You''re being suspicious. Just wait for the dude to come back from the bathroom and see where he goes to sit down."

    Noah quit it like Kyle instructed and focused on the door.

    The teen eventually walked in, heading straight to his table and sitting with two girls and a woman. Uncle Jack''s family, but no Uncle Jack.

    Dave leaned in. "Was that him?"

    Noah nodded. "Is it possible his uncle didn''t come?"

    Kyle nodded. "It''s possible. It''s not like they''re on good terms at the moment."

    "But...the rest of them came..?" I whispered.

    "Well, it''s not like Jeremy can blame his cousins for what their dad did. They were just babies. They also can''t control the money moves their dad makes." Kyle was the voice of reason.

    "Things have to be so awkward." Dave said. "On one hand, it''s your cousin, on the other, it''s your dad. Being underage makes it worse. You can''t bite the hand that feeds you."

    "He doesn''t look underage to me." Kyle said.

    Noah looked to me. "Do you know?"

    I scratched my cheek and thought about it. "I think...he''s the same age as the twins?"

    Dave nodded. "Yea, I remember him saying that at dinner one time. He had a cousin our age."

    Kyle shrugged. "If you say so."

    "What are you boys whispering about over here?" Mom asked form the other side of me. She was occupied earlier, but now had time to turn her attention to us.

    Noah explained the whole thing as quickly as possible, even gesturing to where Jack''s family was.

    Mom thought about it. "If you see him, ignore him. As for his family, be polite and show some respect for Jeremy''s sake." She directly stared at Noah. "I''m talking to you. It''s Jeremy''s special night so don''t go picking fights."

    Noah smiled innocently. "Mom, I''m fifteen. Give me some credit."

    Mom laughed outright.

 Chapter 801 - V3 ch36 (Carson)

    [Carson POV]

    "You took a long time." Gabby said as soon as I got back from the restroom. "I almost thought you bailed."

    "Gabby." Mom scolded lightly.

    Gabby rolled her eyes.

    "I saw Jake outside the restrooms." I said honestly, stopping a would-be argument between Mom and my 15-year-old sister. The two of them can make something out of nothing and just make this night even more miserable than it already is.

    Gabby scrunched up her nose in dismay and looked away.

    Mom was more impassive. "Oh."

    Only my youngest sister, Makenna, had something to say. "Is he mad at us too?" At 14, Makenna was a little bit childish and innocent. Until our father had a falling out with our cousin. Now she was constantly concerned about feelings.

    I tapped the table, thinking how to answer her. "I''m not sure." It''s not like he knew us, so how could he be mad at us? But...he was closer to Jeremy now.

    "Of course he doesn''t like us." Gabby told her. "He''s had a shitty life and Dad had a hand in it."

    "Gabby, enough." Mom''s face tightened.

    Makenna was distressed. "Dad said he didn''t mean it."

    Gabby rolled her eyes. "When are you going to grow up? Dad-"

    "Enough." Mom raised her voice a little more. The three of us stared at her. She cleared her throat. "I said, enough. The past is in the past. Nothing we can do to change earlier decisions."

    Gabby sneered and got up. "It''s an attitude like that, that got us to where we are now. Tell me Mom, how many times did you think back about that boy? Do you feel even a hint of guilt knowing that you almost had a hand in his death?" She pushed her seat back loudly and got up. "I''m going to the restroom." She stormed away.

    I slowly got up. "I''ll go after her."

    "Carson..." Mom looked up at me with watery eyes.

    I sighed. "It''ll blow past eventually, Mom. Gabby is having a hard time at school. You know how mean teenagers can be."

    Mom looked to Makenna and reached out to hold her hand. "No one giving you a hard time at school, are they?"

    I left them and went to track down Gabby. I found her in the hallway on her phone. I leaned against the wall beside her.

    "I''m not sorry." She stated firmly. "I said what I said."

    I nodded slowly. "I understand, but you can''t speak to Mom like that. She may not be a good person, morally. But, she''s still our mom. And...a good mom."

    Gabby put her phone away in her small clutch. She stood straight yet didn''t look me in the eyes. "I want things to go back to the way they used to be. Does that make me a bad person?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t know. It''s not like I can judge you. I miss how it was before too."

    She looked up and down the hall before getting closer and lowering her voice. "Do you think Jeremy will ignore us tonight?"

    I glanced down at my younger sister. We never were this close until the fallout between our dad and Jeremy. I shook my head slightly. "I don''t think he''ll ignore us if he sees us in person."

    "When''s the last time you guys talked?" She asked. "He didn''t reply to my congratulations text."

    "He probably had a thousand of them." I reminded her.

    She pouted.

    I had no more words of comfort. Jeremy was always the one to pacify my sisters. I wonder if it was because he felt like an outsider and wanted to please them or if I was thinking too much. These past few months have me second guessing everything I know.

    ***

    Jeremy showed up and the whole room broke out in applause. Noah hollered as soon as the A''s teammates started yelling for Jeremy. Jeremy grinned and waved with one hand as the other was wrapped around Rose''s waist. A few bigwigs approached the pair first, stealing them away.

    Jeremy and Rose had seats front and center with the manager, general manager, owner, vice president and so on. With the mvp here, food was soon served, taking up a lot of our attention.

    Towards the end, someone found a microphone and gave it to the general manager.

    "Thank you everyone for coming out tonight to celebrate Jeremy''s accomplishment this past season." He talked a little more about Jeremy''s historic season with the A''s before handing over the mic. "And now introducing you to your American League Most Valuable Player, Jeremy Patterson."

    Jeremy accepted the microphone amid more applause. He laughed freely and signaled for his teammates to take it down a notch. "Thank you, thank you." He grinned as he looked around the room. "I love being here, back home, playing for an organization that I grew up watching. First off, I have to thank my friend and teammate, Jack Maberry, for getting hurt and allowing me this opportunity to shine."

    Laughter filled the room.

    "Next year that award will be mine!" Maberry hollered from our table for the whole room to hear.

    Jeremy grinned. "Good luck. You''ll need it. Because the only way I can top this year''s championship and mvp award, is by doing it again."

    The team laughed, cheered, and made jokes.

    Jeremy said a few more words before wrapping it up. "Really though, thank you for coming out you guys. I know it''s the off-season and a lot of you have wives and kids you want to spend time with. I appreciate it. I look forward to winning with this team again next year. Let''s do it!" He pumped his fists and the room exploded in cheers.

    Jeremy made his way around the room, speaking with everyone equally.

    "I wonder if he''ll talk to us first or his uncle''s family." Noah muttered, almost reading my mind.

    "It''s not a competition." Kyle rolled his eyes. "Jeremy will probably just speak to whoever is closest. There''s so many people here, it''d be hard for him to plan it out."

    That''s true. I nodded. It wasn''t like it was a big deal anyways. I can see and talk to Jeremy whenever. He should focus more on his friends and teammates.

    "They''ve set up a dessert table!?" Noah gasped, eyes on the long table of sweets. He glanced around and slowly got up. "Jake and I are going to go walk around."

    "Liar." Kyle scoffed, but got up too. Dave also followed along.

    We lined up with the other guests, forming two lines on either side of the table. We picked up plates first and then used tongs to pick up all different kinds of desserts. Noah focused heavily on cookies while I tried to grab one of everything. Besides the normal favorites, I wanted to try the other desserts that I haven''t eaten before.

    When reaching for one of the desserts, my pair of tongs clashed with someone else''s.

    "Sorry." I mumbled and glanced across the dessert table, making eye contact with a girl around my age. I recognized her as one of the girls of Jack''s family. My throat got clogged.

    She recognized me too. Her eyes narrowed and she put the tongs down without grabbing one of the desserts. She pursed her lips and moved forward to the next selection.

 Chapter 802 - V3 ch37 (Gabby)

    "She seems just as friendly as Kaylee." Kyle scoffed from behind me.

    I glanced back at him.

    His eyes were still on the girl. "She looks a bit familiar." He realized in an instant who she was. "Wasn''t she sitting with your cousin? So she might be one of your other cousins?"

    I gave a small nod. I glanced across the table and saw the girl picking up a few more desserts and left the line with her plate.

    "Well isn''t she just a ball of sunshine." He muttered. He gave me a small pat on the shoulder. "If any of them start to give you a hard time or make you uncomfortable, don''t be afraid to just turn around and leave. You don''t owe them anything."

    I nodded, happy that Kyle cared enough to watch out for me. We may have had a small rough patch at one point, but it''s really blown by now. Whether that''s sticking up for me in the summer camp or having my back right now.

    I moved along the table and grabbed a few more desserts before following Noah and the twins to a small corner of the room.

    "Why didn''t we just go back to our seats?" I asked them.

    Dave looked at me like I was dumb. "And let Mom see how many sweets we grabbed? I think not."

    Noah nodded along. "Right?! Plus, Zeke is there too. I don''t want to die during thanksgiving break."

    What they said makes sense. I started to try all the snacks I grabbed. Bitting one, then a different one. I guess I was going too slow, because Noah started to help himself to my half-eaten desserts, giving a serious review of each one.

    Getting a dry throat, I told them I was going to go to the beverage table. The three of them all asked me to come back with an extra water for them. I agreed and moved through the crowd towards the table. I grabbed four waters, tucking them in my left arm and pressing it against my body so I wouldn''t drop them.

    Turning back to go the way I came, I knocked into someone and dropped the water bottles. "Sorry!" I hurried to pick up the waters that were trying to roll away from me. One. Two. Three. Where''s the fourth?

    "Here." A girl''s voice said clearly, with a small edge to it.

    I looked up and saw my cousin from earlier. She was a bit taller than me, holding out one of the bottles. She gave it a small shake. "Are you going to take it or not?"

    I swallowed and took it from her, adding it to my arms.

    Her lips twisted as she looked down at me. She turned away.

    "Um, thanks." I hurried to say before she walked away. Though she didn''t come off as ''nice'', I thought about how Kyle compared her to Kaylee. Kaylee was a different kind of ''nice'' too.

    She stopped and glanced back at me. "You don''t hate me?"

    I blinked, a little confused. "Why...would I hate you?"

    She took a step towards me and squinted. "You recognize me, right?"

    I blushed, a little embarrassed. "Yea..." But I don''t remember your name so please don''t ask me.

    The gloominess around her lightened up a little. "I think what my dad did was wrong. My mom too." Her shoulders sagged and an air of depression quickly took over.

    I didn''t know what to say. It''s not like I could tell her ''it''s fine'' or ''it''s okay'', because it really wasn''t. I shifted from foot to foot.

    "Jake!" Jeremy made a timely appearance, with Rose by his side. He was immediately caught by surprise seeing that I was with our cousin. "Oh, hey Gabby." He looked a little stiff.

    Gabby. A name for the face.

    Jeremy looked between each of us before asking me, "Is everything okay?"

    Gabby had a look of hurt flash across her face, before snorting. "We aren''t all bad." She turned around and briskly walked away.

    Jeremy frowned, watching her go before turning to me. "She didn''t say anything mean to you, did she?"

    I squeezed the water closer to my body. "No. She helped me picked up the water I dropped."

    Jeremy ran his fingers through his hair, looking a little relieved.

    Rose tugged on his arm. "You probably upset her by asking that outright."

    Jeremy shrugged, a little embarrassed. "I was worried." He looked to me. "I didn''t know she would be here."

    "That was my idea." Rose told me. "No Jack. Just your Aunt Ilene, and your cousins: Carson, Gabby, and Makenna. I was going to warn you, but didn''t think you would run into one another when sitting at different tables."

    I glanced to where Gabby was headed. "Is she going to be okay?"

    "I''ll check on her later." Jeremy sighed. He left Rose and picked two of the waters out of my arms. "For now, I''ll walk you back to Noah and say hi to him and the others."

    "Okay." I smiled up at him. "Congratulations, again."

    He chuckled. "Thanks." We made small talk as I showed him where Noah and the twins were eating desserts. We passed out the waters and he stuck around with Rose, talking about baseball.

    ***

    [Gabby POV]

    I don''t like it here anymore. This stadium, this town, this family. Nothing feels right. Nothing feels real. The cousin I looked up to as I grew up is no longer who he used to be. The same goes for my family. No one was the same. I want to go back to the way things used to be, but know that it wasn''t right either.

    I walked away from Jeremy as soon as he practically accused me of bullying his little brother. I couldn''t stand his look of concern. Concern that I was doing something wrong. He should know me better than that.

    I left the banquet and went for a short walk all the way down the hall until security turned me around. Just outside the banquet was Jeremy, talking with a teammate. I struggled between going over or just putting my head down and ignoring him. I didn''t get the chance to choose.

    Jeremy noticed me right away and said a few words to his teammate before approaching me. He ran his fingers through his hair like he normally does when he''s stressed. Is it me? Am I making him stressed?

    "Sorry, Gabby. I didn''t mean to scare you away from Jake like that." He told me.

    I crossed my arms across my chest. "You don''t scare me. I chose to leave. I can tell when I''m unwanted."

    Jeremy sighed. "You''re not unwanted."

    "Really?" I sneered. "When''s the last time you called me back or replied to my text? You obviously don''t want me around now that you have a real younger brother."

    Jeremy was stunned by my outburst. "What? No. No. I''ve just...been busy."

    "Don''t lie to yourself and don''t lie to me." I rolled my eyes. "Even when you were struggling in the minors, you would always get back to me within a day. Now...it''s been weeks. I get it. My parents are shitty people so that makes me a shitty person."

    "No!" Jeremy raised his voice at me, making me flinch. He cleared his throat and spoke normally. "No, Gabby, it isn''t like that. I really am busy. Plus, I don''t know how to make this relationship work right now." He sighed. "Your parents have made things complicated. We used to be as close as siblings, but now I don''t know what to do, okay?"

    "Then why are you punishing me for what they did?" I asked. "You''re ignoring them and therefore ignoring us. Consciously or subconsciously." I bit my lip and lowered my voice. "I miss having you to talk to. Dad''s always mad and Mom''s constantly nagging me. Carson is distant and Makenna is unbelievably naive."

    Jermey pulled me into a hug. "Hey, hey, it''s going to be okay. Everything will start working itself out soon. I just needed some time to cool off. I didn''t mean to take it out on you guys."

    My eyes started to sting. "I''m scared that you''re going to leave us for Jake. I know it''s selfish, but-"

    He chuckled. "I''m not leaving one for the other. I''m adding Jake to the family I have. You can add him too."

 Chapter 803 - V3 ch38 (Thanksgiving Break)

    Besides seeing Jeremy briefly and stuffing our faces with food, not much else was going on. I didn''t mention Gabby to Noah, because there wasn''t much to say. She handed me a water and then took off after Jeremy showed up. I wonder if he ever went to check on her. Probably. He''s the type. I still remember how defensive he was of them when we first met.

    We stayed the night at the Johnson''s, sticking around for lunch the next day. Eventually Zeke and Rhys had to go back to school and we had to go home.

    As it was the last week before thanksgiving break, Coach held tryouts after school as planned. After school, the twins would take Noah and I straight to The Cages and drop us off before heading home to meet up with Mitchell. Dad primarily picked us up in the evening right before dinner. Mitchell would stick around for dinner every day and until it was time for break. But that didn''t stop him from coming over.

    Saturday, Mitchell came over just after Noah, Zeke, and I got back from our morning run. He sat down with us for breakfast before going out to the backyard with the twins. He wasn''t the only player that came by. Garret and Jason came over after lunch with the excuse that they didn''t have siblings to hang out with. Garret stayed with Mitchell and the twins while we took Jason to the batting cages. Once we were there, we coincidentally ran into Julian and Andy.

    "Are you guys going to come here every day?" Andy asked while we took turns in the cages.

    Noah glanced at me.

    I shook my head. "I won''t be able to. I have a doctor appointment on Monday and won''t be able to do much until after thanksgiving."

    "You can come over and hang out anytime though." Noah added. "Mitchell and Garret will probably be coming over everyday to play with the twins. Zeke and I will be running in the mornings. Maybe we can go to the park and run a few drills too."

    Andy looked to Julian, who was talking to Zeke about their first semester of college. "Yea, I''m sure I can convince Julian into going over." He looked at me. "We won''t be bothering you, right?"

    I shook my head again. "No. I''ll just be chilling on the couch in front of the tv." I thought about it. "You might get to see Jeremy one of the days. He said he was going to stop by before thanksgiving."

    "Will he be annoyed if there''s extra people?" Andy asked me, frowning.

    Noah laughed. "Nah. He''s pretty relaxed. I think if we kept it small, he wouldn''t mind signing a few autographs so bring an extra ball if you want. We''ll let you know what day he comes over."

    Andy showed some rare excitement, taking his turn in the cages with newfound enthusiasm.

    Sunday followed a similar pattern, but Gramma and Grampa showed up. Mom went to pick them up from the airport and we had a special dinner at a restaurant to celebrate their appearance. With them staying for the week, Mom and Dad had converted their office to a spare bedroom with the use of an air mattress instead of making the twins give up their beds like before.

    Monday morning, I didn''t go running. Neither did Noah and Zeke. Everyone was awake at the breakfast table and sent me off like I was going on a road trip. A laugh really took the edge off as Dad took me to Dr. Griffiths office.

    We got back in time for lunch, but just like last time, I didn''t feel like eating. Mom helped me get comfortable in the living room, setting up a few fruit bowls within reach. I dozed off just as she put the tv remote in my hand. When I woke up, only Grampa was in the room, reading a book.

    "Where''s everyone else?" I asked lightly, readjusting my sitting position as carefully as possible.

    He looked up from the book. "I sent them away. Being crammed in here while you''re trying to get some rest isn''t any good. Those boys need to get out and play, burn off some of that extra energy." He paused for a second. "Mary explained to me the ''what'' and ''why'' and told me how it''ll take you a couple days to bounce back. You probably don''t want my opinion, but I''m going to give it to you anyway. Understand?"

    I gave a small nod.

    "You don''t have to erase your scars. They''re your battle scars of a war you won." He stated. "If anyone says anything to you about it, have Noah beat them up. I''ve got your backs."

    My lips twitched. I had a funny feeling that Noah really took after his Grampa. He said a few more words about not shying away from my scars but I could only listen and not follow through. No offense to Grampa, but he didn''t know how it was for me.

    I slowly and casually munch on some fruit that Mom left out as I listened to Grampa share some stories about his high school days and the fights he got in. When Mom and Gramma came home, the two both scolded him for trying to teach me how to get in fights.

    With so many of us around for dinner, Mom didn''t make us sit at the kitchen table. Noah, the twins, Garret, Mitchell, Andy, and Jason, all ate with me in the living room, keeping me company. They all came over again on Tuesday, as did Jeremy and Rose. Our house was similar to a community center where all kinds of people were coming and going. With Jeremy''s appearance and my recovery, a few more teammates came by with snacks to wish me well while getting an autograph from Jeremy in return.

    I would occasionally fall asleep for minutes at a time, but no one gave me a hard time. I was a patient after all. I recovered nicely and was only a little sore by the time Gramma and Grampa had to fly back to their home on Sunday morning. We didn''t have an emotional goodbye since they planned to come down for another week in December.

    Sunday night, we said goodbye to Zeke too. He had another couple weeks of school and with finals coming up, he wouldn''t have time to come home on the weekends.

    "I''ll send you a picture of our roster when it gets posted." Noah told him as Zeke got in Dad''s car. "I don''t think there''ll be too many surprises. Our starting lineup and rotation are pretty much set."

    Zeke raised an eyebrow. "Nothing is a guarantee." He glanced at me and the corner of his lips had a small upturn. "With maybe one exception."

    "Two! Two exceptions!" Noah thrusted two fingers in Zeke''s face. "Jake and I are probably the most reliable players on the team."

    Dave scoffed from behind us.

    Dad didn''t stick around to hear the two of them bicker. With Zeke loaded in, he started the car and took off, taking Zeke back to college.

 Chapter 804 - V3 ch39 (Roster Selection)

    I somewhat expected Coach to tell us his decisions on the roster during or after a practice, but Noah explained that it would be awkward for those that didn''t make the cut. Coach would have the lists posted outside his office during or after school.

    Tuesday we would start practicing with our assigned teams. Even though I had a good idea that I would still be on Varsity with Noah and the twins, I was still excited to see where everyone else would go and to find out who would be on my team.

    Coach got the lists out early because by lunchtime someone had taken a picture of the lists and forwarded it by text.

    Pitchers:

    Garret Knudsen

    David Atkins

    Kyle Atkins

    Bryce Finn

    Brian Swoope

    Joey Henderson

    Matt Dalquist

    Tyler Larsen

    Robbie Harwell

    Marshel Butler

    Outfield:

    Tanner Erickson

    Korrey Alvarrez

    Jesse Shipman

    Logan Porter

    Infield:

    Noah Atkins

    Jake Atkins

    Jason Morris

    Sean Isner

    Mitchell Torres

    Dalton Nelson

    Oscar Garcia

    I was familiar with everyone on the new varsity team, on some kind of level whether that be a lot or a little.

    "I kind of expected that Joey would make the team, but why Marshel?" Noah said with a twisted expression. We both took out our lunches after sitting at our usual spot. "Did he stand out at all when he faced you these last couple of weeks?"

    I shook my head. If anything, I tried my best to make him look worse.

    "I feel like Coach is testing us." He bit into his sandwich. "Us...or him. Coach also left two open spaces on the roster so there''s room for change."

    I shrugged, helpless.

    Noah chuckled. "Well, we can just ignore him. We don''t usually do much with the pitchers anyways."

    "What about the other two sophomores?" I asked, mentioning Logan and Dalton. I didn''t know either of them well, just vaguely. Logan had won the ''most improved'' award from the JV team before summer break. Dalton had won ''most improved'' from the freshmen team. I think Coach could be testing them too. Maybe we''re all being tested. Official tryouts may have ended, but it felt like Coach was still grading us on our performances.

    "They''re okay." Noah told me. "I think Coach has good vision. Dalton went from nearly not making the freshmen team to varsity within a year. Logan moved from the freshmen team to JV starter after the midseason rearrangement. They''re both hardworking. Focused on baseball and not being jerks." He paused to swallow some food. "They were at your birthday party. At Alisha''s."

    I rubbed my nose, embarrassed that I didn''t remember.

    "The team looks good." Noah nodded and swiped his phone to look at the next page. "I wonder how Andy did. I kind of think he deserves a spot on varsity more than this other freshman, Oscar." He went through the next list. "Yep! JV! Like I thought!"

    "Is he the only freshman on JV?" I asked.

    "Nah." Noah shook his head. "I see a couple of others. Do you remember Max? He''s a pitcher."

    I nodded slowly, having some kind of impression of him.

    "Too bad our least favorite classmate didn''t get cut."

    "Who? Austin?"

    Noah sighed. "Enemy number one. Oh well. Out of sight, out of mind."

    Noah and I went over the three rosters, making a few comments here and there while we ate lunch. After lunch we had class with Alisha and Kaylee, and used the free time in class to go over the rosters again.

    "We got our rosters too." Kaylee spoke up. "No surprises."

    "Still relying on Marie to carry you guys?" Noah joked.

    Kaylee raised an eyebrow. "You guys rely on Jake."

    "Jake doesn''t hit and pitch." Noah rebutted.

    The two bickered back and forth like normal until it was time to split ways and go to our last class of the day. After school, the twins took us to The Cages, choosing to spend the afternoon batting instead of working on their pitching. It was a rare sight to see Kyle here, but it soon became a comedy show as Dave showed him up at every speed. The twins were no longer similar players; they each had their own style on the mound and at the batter''s box.

    Tuesday morning, the twins parked in our old spot near the Varsity field. From now on...we were back. Mr. Miller showed up in a timely manner to take Noah and I up to the school.

    "Has Coach picked a captain yet?" Noah asked him during the ride.

    Mr. Miller glanced at him. "Not yet. The plan is to watch how you all interact with your new teams. It''s not like last year, where we already had a captain returning to take charge."

    "Zeke was a good captain." I spoke up for him.

    "The best I''ve seen." Mr. Miller agreed.

    Noah didn''t say anymore on the topic about captains to Mr. Miller. As we got to our lockers though, he brought it up again. "Do you think I would be a good captain?"

    I nodded almost immediately. "Yea. Definitely."

    Noah let out a small laugh. "I shouldn''t have asked you. You''re biased." He thought about it. "So are the twins. And it''s a little awkward to ask anyone on the team. That would make it seem like I''m campaigning to be captain."

    "I think you act like a captain during games." I pointed out, trying to comfort him without sounding ''biased''.

    Noah rubbed the back of his neck. "That''s because I''m serious about winning. I don''t know how to act like that during practice because you''re with the team. In practice, it''s us versus us. Not us versus the other team."

    I shrugged, unable to help him.

    After school we walked down to the car to switch out our backpacks for our baseball bags. Then headed for the Varsity locker room by the field. Noah and I went to our old spot, getting baseball pants out of bags. I took a deep breath and hurried to change. My shirt was okay to practice in so I only had to do that little bit. I looked around to see if any of the guys were looking at me, but everyone in here were too busy talking.

    I caught Noah smiling at me. "See? That wasn''t so bad." He bent down to put his socks and cleats.

    It really wasn''t so bad. I got my cleats on too and tied my laces as my heart rate came back down to earth.

    Noah and I joined a few others heading for the dugout. We spread out our bags and pulled out waters and gloves, getting ready for practice. The dugout filled up quickly, but there was still no sign of the coaches.

    Garret frowned and looked around. "Coach and them must be held up or something. Let''s go to the outfield and start our warmup. No slacking. Just because we made it to the roster the first time, doesn''t mean Coach will keep you."

    With Garret taking the lead, the rest of us followed. It had been awhile since we ran through the old warmup. With less people, it was easier to do the dynamic stretching. I had actually forgotten a few and had to look at Noah to copy his movements.

 Chapter 805 - V3 ch40 (Christmas Classic)

    We worked out until Coach showed up and called us in. "Take a knee, boys."

    We collectively lowered ourselves.

    "First off," He started to address us. "Let me congratulate all of you. For making the varsity team. Even the returners. All of you should know how I am by now. No one is guaranteed a spot on my team."

    "Even Jake?" Dave interrupted with a smile.

    Coach glanced at him then at me. "Even Jake. I''ve only ever had one player that was a guarantee starter. Zeke Atkins. My best player to come through. Zeke wasn''t just a good player, but a good leader. As captain, he didn''t let me down once." He shifted his eyes around. "Speaking of captains, I haven''t picked one yet for this upcoming season. There are quite a few reasons for this. One, this team isn''t set in stone. Like I just said, you''re all replaceable. Two, I want to see the chemistry among you all. Will someone step up and lead on their own? Or will this be a team where everyone carries their own weight? Will I need to appoint the captain or will the team unanimously agree on one player?"

    Coach chuckled. "Don''t worry, I won''t let us go too long without a captain. We have less than three weeks until our first tournament. After the New Year, I''ll have a decision."

    "Wait, wait, go back." Noah jumped up. "A tournament?? In December!?"

    Coach grinned. "The Christmas Classic." He started to pace back and forth. "As winners of the Division III CIF tournament, we''ll be getting a lot of attention and a lot of invites to special tournaments like this. This will be opportunity to try out some lineups and give our pitching rotation some real game experience before season. What I like about these tournaments is that they don''t count against us in league play."

    Noah started to get restless. He wasn''t the only one. I looked around and could see the excitement in my teammate''s faces.

    "Our first challenge is going to be getting game ready with less than two weeks of practice." Coach continued. "The last week of school is finals so we won''t be allowed to have any practice. Friday, after school, we''ll board the bus and head for the bay. Group play will be Friday night, plus two games on Saturday. Double elimination. You lose twice, you''re out. Sunday will be the semifinals and Monday will be the finals. I have high expectations of us so plan accordingly."

    "Do we know what teams we''ll be playing against?" Noah asked. "The exact location of the games?"

    Coach answered. "Location and time will be sent out to your parent''s emails later this evening. Opponents will be listed too if you guys want to do a little research in your own time."

    I don''t, but I''m sure Noah does. He''ll do enough for the both of us.

    Coach started to clap his hands. "Alright. That''s enough. For now, let''s get to work. Pitchers and catchers, hit the bullpen. Outfielders to the cages with Coach Miller. Infielders with me and Coach Luis. We''re going to start working on turning double plays."

    Everyone split up accordingly.

    After spending most of my free time at the cages, I wasn''t mentally or physically prepared to practice double plays. And it showed. Dropped balls. Bad throws. Misses. I committed at least one kind of error there could be.

    Coach was patient and none of the other infielders said anything to me. Bad or good. Noah spoke up when it came time for a water break. "Don''t worry, Coach. We''ll practice this more in our free time."

    Coach gave a short nod. "I know Jake had a small procedure done last week. You can use that excuse for now, but when it comes game time, I''ll be judging fairly."

    I nodded obediently. I didn''t look good today. There was no hiding it. Coach was generous enough to blame my treatment from thanksgiving break, but I knew that wasn''t it. My body was already healed and nothing hurt. I just needed some more practice targeting my fielding. Double plays are bound to happen at least once or twice a game. I can''t be the weakest link.

    The nights were getting shorter and colder. On rainy afternoons, Coach had us run sprints and work out in the new weight room. Clear days were spent on fielding. Even when it was time for the infielders to work in the cages, I stayed with the outfielders and practiced catching fly balls. I didn''t really want to, but gave in when Garret told me he would be with that group too. He had to keep his balance between pitching, hitting, and fielding.

    He wasn''t the only one. Brian, Bryce, and even Joey, all took turns in the cages and participated in a few outfielder drills. Of course, being in a group with Joey and Korrey made me uncomfortable, causing me to make a few more errors, which just led to a vicious cycle of being embarrassed and committing more errors.

    That''s where Garret came in. It was similar to my time during the midseason tryout. Garret laughed with me, made jokes, and worked his hardest to get me to loosen up. With him there, it was like a shield to block out the looks from Joey and Korrey.

    Just when I started to get back to my normal self, we had to discontinue practice for finals week. A mere bump in the road. Noah bartered with the twins to get them to help us to practice double plays. Kyle was acting as a first baseman, while Dave was in charge of hitting grounders to either me or Noah. In exchange, Noah was used as a catcher in the backyard, using only the porch light to see. By Friday, he had one too many bruises.

    Friday was going to be a crazy day. We were to take our final finals, then somehow get to the game location during rush hour traffic. Mom and Dad did decide on getting two hotel rooms in the vicinity of the tournament so we had to have our bags pack and ready to go in order to leave right after school.

    Two familiar faces were waiting for us at the field: Zeke and Rhys. College had finals this past week too and ended perfectly. After this tournament, we were going to take Zeke home for winter break. It''ll be nice to have him around full-time again.

    "Cutting it close!" Rhys exclaimed, meeting us in the parking lot.

    Dad sighed while helping us get the baseball bags out of the car. "Don''t mention it. Traffic was horrible. I don''t know how Coach could agree to a Friday night game that''s nowhere near the school."

    Noah shrugged. "I''m fine."

    "I told you, I could drive." Kyle said. "I''m not pitching today, after all."

    "Can you even compare your driving to Dad''s?" Dave rolled his eyes.

    Zeke looked down at me. "Are you ready?"

    I nodded. "Noah looked up the team beforehand. Today will be easy."

    "Shh. Don''t jinx it." Noah whispered, covering my mouth with his hand. He dramatically looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Then looked up at Zeke. "Tonight is our first game without you. Watch us dominate as you sit in the stands." He grinned, showing both rows of teeth.

 Chapter 806 - V3 ch41 (VS Bayhill HS 1)

    As players, we had to leave the four of them behind and go find our field to start warmups. We weren''t the first ones there, but we also weren''t the last. The members of our team showed up in pairs or small groups, quickly filling up our designated dugout. For the first game, we were assigned to be the ''visitors'' and got the dugout on the first base side.

    I shivered as a big gust of wind came through.

    "The ball is going to be flying today." Coach stated, walking into the dugout. He looked around as everyone finished getting ready and tying their cleats. "I hope you all did well on your finals, but also took the time to prepare for this weekend."

    "I''m ready, Coach!" Dave stood straight. "I can start tonight!"

    Coach chuckled. "You can have tomorrow morning''s game."

    Dave grinned, happy with what he heard.

    "Hey! That''s not fair." Kyle bumped Dave over, trying to get Coach''s attention. "Why don''t I start game two? I''m the better pitcher!"

    Dave snorted and pushed him back.

    Noah grinned at me. "Looks like we''re back to normal."

    "Garret, you have the start." Coach ignored the twins and moved on to the game one starter. "Ideally, I want to keep you under 50 pitches so you can be available for Sunday semifinals. If we get that far." The dugout got quiet under Coach''s look. "I''m taking a risk here. If we want this to work out as planned, that means we need runs. Early run support and a strong relief." He pointed at Bryce. "You''ll warmup alongside Garret. Before 50 pitches, we''ll see where we''re at in the game."

    Bryce nodded. "Yes, sir."

    Coach sent us out to start the pregame warmups. Midway, Garret and Bryce left with both catchers, Mitchell and the freshman, Oscar. We practiced fielding and got some swings in before gathering in the dugout again. As it neared game time, Coach announced the lineup:

    1 SS Noah

    2 1B Sean

    3 2B Jake

    4 P Garret

    5 CF Korrey

    6 LF Jesse

    7 RF Tanner

    8 3B Jason

    9 C Mitchell

    Mitchell and Garret came back from the bullpen as Coach sent the remaining pitchers to the bullpen just in case things went sideways.

    "Keep it light in the bullpen." Coach instructed. "Tomorrow is a doubleheader and we don''t know what to expect just yet. I''m talking to you two." Coach pointed at the twins. "If you want to start tomorrow, you better not fool around."

    "Sure thing, Coach." Dave nodded.

    "Probably some light throwing." Kyle shrugged.

    As visitors, we got to bat first. I finally gave up on keeping my sweatshirt on, putting it in my bag. Thankfully Mom had made us wear long sleeves underneath the jerseys. She kept an eye on the weather so we would be prepared.

    Noah and Sean went out with their bats and took some practice swings as the opposing pitcher threw some warmup pitches off the mound. I stood just inside the gate of the dugout with Mr. Miller and Alisha nearby. He was explaining to her how to scorekeep, probably wanting her to take on more tasks than she did in practice.

    Coach stood beside me. "If they get on, aim for a homerun early. If neither of them do, keep the ball within the field."

    I looked up at him, confused.

    He patted me on the shoulder, not saying anything else.

    The umpire called Noah to the plate and yelled out, "Play ball!"

    "Go Noah!"

    "Get a hit!"

    "Start us off early!"

    The shouts came from the few parents that could make it and from our own dugout. Mom''s voice reached my ears and I turned to look for her in the stands. She sat high center with Dad right next to her. Rhys and Zeke sat one row in front of them. Next to Zeke, a man dressed in all black, including a beanie and a scarf was looking directly at me. He lifted his hand at chest level and gave a small wave.

    My lips twitched as I fought off the smile. Jeremy really came to watch. I had mentioned the tournament to him earlier in the week, but he wasn''t sure if he could make it for the first game thanks to some advertis.e.m.e.nt he had to film.

    Ding.

    I turned my attention back to Noah just in time to see him make contact with a pitch. He had hit a grounder to the shortstop for a routine play, becoming the first out on our side. After his sprint to first, he came back to grab his bat and take it back to the dugout.

    "Tough break." Garret told him, standing just a few feet behind me. I nodded at his comment.

    Noah shrugged. "I should have taken a few more pitches. He doesn''t look like much. They might be saving their good pitchers for tomorrow."

    "Too soon to say." Garret shrugged.

    I went out to the on deck circle as Sean moved to the batter''s box. Sean took a few more pitches than Noah, but swung and missed on a heavy curve that fell out of the zone.

    No one on base. Coach wants a base hit, not a flat out homerun. I got into the righty''s box, slowly examine the field for any openings I could exploit. The right field line wasn''t covered well. The right fielder was also inching in like he expected a short bloop single from me.

    I watched the first pitch for a called strike. The pitcher had a good amount of speed. The second pitch was a curve that was similar to the one Sean struck out on. Ball. 1-1. I pulled the next pitch foul of the left field line. 1-2. I fouled the next pitch again. 1-2. And again. 1-2. And again. 1-2. Once I could see his frustration, I made solid contact on the following pitch, hitting it to the right corner. Then I was off.

    I sprinted to first and saw the right fielder chasing the ball so I went for two. I didn''t need to slide and stood safely on second base as the pitcher got the ball back from the outfield.

    Garret stepped up, in the lefty''s box. The pitcher checked on me after nodding at the sign. Then he threw a fastball low and away. Garret swung, catching the ball at the end of his bat, hitting the ball the opposite way down the left field line. I was off on contact, knowing that there was no way the left fielder could make the catch. Mr. Miller waved me on to run home.

    I rounded third and kept my eye on the catcher''s movements in front of home plate. I could tell there wasn''t going to be a play at the plate, so there was no need for me to slide. What a relief. I smiled lightly as I tagged home plate and heard the cheers of my teammates, my family, and the others. Up 1-0 in the first inning.

    Garret stood on second with pride.

    "Nice running!" Noah grabbed me as soon as I entered the dugout. "For once, you looked like a natural."

    I laughed, thankful now sliding was needed. I have a funny feeling that I wouldn''t be able to live my previous baserunning down if I didn''t do well this tournament.

 Chapter 807 - V3 ch42 (VS Bayhill HS 2)

    Korrey was up after Garret. He also made contact on the first pitch, but it was a fly ball straight to center field. Easily caught to end our offense. We grabbed our gloves and hit the field for the bottom of the first.

    "Jeremy made it." I told Noah as we warmed up near second base.

    Noah found him in the stands with ease, right next to Zeke. "Wow. Could you imagine how crazy it would be if everyone here found out? I bet he''s by signing autographs all night."

    I made a face.

    Noah quickly added. "But of course we won''t say anything. Jeremy looks like he purposely bundled up to avoid such a situation." He thought for a second. "Or maybe he hates the cold as much as you do."

    I pulled at my long sleeves, silently wishing I could wear my sweatshirt. "It doesn''t get this cold in Southern California."

    Noah chuckled. "You''ll get used to it. Remember when you first came in February? This is usually the worst of it. At least until the rain starts."

    I made a face of disgust.

    Garret finished with his practice pitches and the bottom of the first started. He made short work of the first two batters, striking both out, getting them to swing and miss his cutter. He hasn''t thrown the slider yet. The third batter made good contact on a fastball early in the count, hitting a grounder towards Noah at short. Noah fielded the ball smoothly, throwing the third batter out at first.

    We jogged back to the dugout together, passing Garret who was walking with Mitchell.

    "No sliders?" Garret was asking him.

    Mitchell shrugged. "Don''t throw it if you don''t have to. You have great command over your pitches today so don''t mess with what''s working."

    "Eh? But I kind of wanted to try it out in a game." Garret muttered.

    Mitchell stood firm. "If they can''t hit your cutter, then what''s the point?"

    The two were on their own to talk it out. Noah and I sat near our bags, drank some water, and watched our team come up to bat. Jesse, a senior from the JV team, led us off. I had some impression of him as the winner of the JV defensive mvp. Their coach said something about him moving from center field to third base, but surprisingly he was back to the outfield with us.

    Jesse followed in Korrey''s footsteps, hitting a fly ball to center field. No one did any better this inning. Tanner struck out swinging, and Jason grounded out to third.

    Bottom of the second. Garret took on their cleanup hitter, doing his best to work the whole strike zone. The count stayed at 2-2 while the batter fouled off a few more pitches. For the tenth pitch, Garret pulled off the slider, but the batter still made contact. He pulled it to the gap between Noah and Jason. Noah made a diving stop with his backhand, then pulled off a miraculous throw to first to get him out. The crowd and team cheered for his play.

    Noah got up and dusted himself off with a smile.

    Garret nodded in his direction before facing the next batter. He didn''t go with the slider anymore, sticking to fastballs and the occasional cutter. He earned a strikeout, looking. And a strikeout, swing, to end the second inning. Four strikeouts in two innings? He''s on fire!

    Top of the third, Noah and I prepared to go up to bat. He moved out to the on deck circle directly while I waited with Sean near the coaches.

    Mitchell was first up. He hurried to take off his gear and went directly to the batter''s box, only taking a couple of practice swings. He attacked the pitcher early on, making solid contact on the second pitch. He smacked a line drive down the first baseline. If it wasn''t for the first baseman making a spectacular diving catch to get him out, he could have had a double easily. Mitchell came back, shaking his head.

    "Next time." I told him, nodding.

    Mitchell cracked a smile. "I think that was my best chance. Hitting isn''t really my thing."

    "Don''t let Coach hear you say that." Garret motioned for Mitchell to zip it. "You have to make it your thing whether you like it or not." He pointed at me. "Do you think Jake likes running? Definitely not. Yet, he still has to try his best or Coach will replace him."

    I shivered. It felt even more cold than before.

    Noah worked the count and the pitcher more seriously than his first at-bat. His effort paid off as the ump gave him ball four and signaled for him to take a base. He jogged to first, Sean moved to the batter''s box, and I stepped into the on deck circle.

    Sean made contact with a pitch early on, but hit it right to the shortstop. The shortstop threw the ball to second, who turned and threw to first.

    "6-4-3 double play." I heard Mr. Miller explain to Alisha. "Just put 643DP."

    I tried to hold back a sigh. I''ll have to lead off in the top of the fourth.

    Bottom of the third. Garret handled the bottom of the lineup with ease. He destroyed them honestly. Batters seven, eight, and nine, all went down swinging, giving Garret three more strikeouts to his stat line. He was pumped as we came back to the dugout to get ready to bat.

    "Coach, I think I can pull of a perfect game." He smirked, holding his bat on his shoulder.

    "Do you want to try?" Coach asked, making me pause. He looked Garret in the eyes. "We don''t have the run support I would like to have. I had plans to save you for the semis, but it''ll be worthless if we don''t make it to the semis."

    Garret turned serious. He glanced at me. "You can hit a homerun?"

    I nodded.

    Garret shrugged and told Coach, "Let Bryce warmup and be ready to come in the bottom half of this inning. I''m still under 50 pitches."

    "Are you sure?" Coach asked.

    Garret grinned. "I believe in this team too, Coach. It won''t be too late for me to throw a perfect game in the semifinals."

    Coach chuckled. "Alright.

    Garret and I left the dugout together.

    He reached out and patted me on the top of my helmet. "We need to solidify the lead and run support to give Coach and Bryce some peace of mind. Get that homer, Bambi."

    I nodded obediently and moved to the batter''s box. I was still a little stunned that Garret would give up his chance at claiming a perfect game. No walks, no hits, no runs. It''s not something every pitcher can do. As far as I know, Garret hasn''t had one yet. The twins had one each and it was something they use to make fun of Garret when they can.

    I couldn''t let him make the wrong choice. I said I could hit a homerun so I will. I calmed my breathing as I stepped in the righty''s box. Bat back, elbow up, knees slightly bent. The pitcher got set too, nodding at the catcher and starting his windup. He threw a fastball low and outside. I stepped a little in, swinging, and connecting. I hit the ball perfectly with the barrel of my bat, sending it to right field again. This time with height. It flew over the right fielder and then the wall.

 Chapter 808 - V3 ch43 (VS Bayhill HS 3)

    I don''t know who started it, but when I rounded third base, I started to hear chants of ''Bambi!'' I lowered my head, feeling more than a little embarrassed. It must have been Garret. He had just called me that before my at-bat. I tagged home plate to push the score to 2-0.

    Garret pulled me close to him and smacked my helmet. "I knew you could do it! Great job! Watch me do the same thing." He gave me a small push towards our dugout.

    The team greeted me with high-fives, slaps on the helmet and shoulder, and compliments all around. Even the two other sophomores, Logan and Dalton, had nice things to say. Noah wasn''t mad with them so I smiled back and nodded. I reached my bag and changed out my gear.

    "I heard Coach say that Bryce is still going in." Noah said. "That''s gotta suck for Garret. He''s thrown really well so far. Three completely clean innings. Strikeouts are high too."

    "He said he''ll try again in the semis on Monday." I repeated what I heard before my at-bat.

    Noah grinned. "I wouldn''t compare anyone to Zeke outright, but Garret gives off the same vibe. The constant belief that we''ll win. And he''ll do anything to get us there to the final stage."

    Ding.

    We both turned to watch Garret''s line drive fly to left-center field, hitting the fence and dropping to the warning track. Garret was already on his way to second by the time the center fielder threw the ball in. No need for a slide.

    Korrey moved to the batter''s box, taking an extra swing before stepping in properly. The pitcher nodded at the sign, checked on Garret at second, then started his short windup to pitch. Ball. Ball. Foul. Called strike. 2-2 count.

    My eyes were drawn to Garret as he kept inching further and further. The pitcher never attempted to pick him off, just merely glancing back at him now and then.

    Mr. Miller, who had been giving phony signs the whole time, finally gave a real one. Hit and run. Korrey would have to put the ball in play to allow Garret to move to third. 2-2 count; if he strikes out, there''s a good chance Garret can get picked off by the catcher.

    Next pitch. Korrey started to swing as soon as the pitcher let go of the ball. He connected and got it past the infield. Both him and Garret took off running. Mr. Miller waved aggressively at Garret to go home. Garret made the sharp turn and the right fielder threw the ball straight to the catcher. Garret started his slide early, just narrowly missing the tag.

    "Safe!" The ump extended his arms.

    Garret popped up and pumped his fist. 3-0. He came into the dugout, stopping in front of Coach first. "Run support should be enough for Bryce."

    Coach let out a small smile before turning his attention back to the game.

    Everyone congratulated Garret on a job well done. Me included. Garret''s slide was so perfect, it wasn''t something I could do in the foreseeable future. Maybe ever. I just wouldn''t be that decisive or dedicated or talented.

    Jesse put a damper on our offense, hitting into a 6-4-3 double play like Sean did to end the last inning. Tanner followed it up with an unassisted grounder to first.

    "Tanner, take a seat." Coach told him when he came back to the dugout. "Bryce will be replacing you in the lineup."

    Tanner hung his head.

    "Don''t think too much into it." Coach consoled him. "Whoever the last out was going to be, would have had a good chance at being replaced." He looked to Garret. "Garret, take center. Korrey will move to right." He left the dugout to announce the pitcher change to the umpire.

    The rest of us jogged out and started to warmup.

    Bryce came jogging out of the bullpen, meeting Coach and Mitchell at the mound. Coach said a few words to them before going back to the dugout. Mitchell stayed on the mound for an extra sentence or two then walked back to home plate. Bryce took a few practice pitches off the mound, occasionally kicking the dirt and moving his shoulders up and down.

    Bryce had to start at the top of the lineup, a batter that Garret was able to strikeout. Bryce had a steady windup, yet threw surprisingly fast. Especially now with the added muscle. The batter was able to connect, hitting the pitch back up the middle.

    Noah came sprinting forward, cutting off the grounder and fielding it smoothly to Sean at first. He walked back to his position with one finger up. "One out!"

    "One out!" We echoed.

    Bryce wasn''t bothered by the contact and continued to throw fastballs in the strike zone. The second batter pulled a grounder to Noah''s right. Noah made the stop and threw the ball perfectly to first, beating out the fast runner. "Two outs!"

    "Two outs!"

    I glanced over at Noah, but he only had eyes for the batter. I could practically feel him begging for the ball to come his way. The third batter got sucked into the vortex of Noah, hitting another grounder within his reach. Noah didn''t stumble for a second, staying focused, and threw him out at first to end the inning.

    Noah practically skipped back to the dugout, running on an adrenaline high. He paused next to Bryce and Mitchell to give them a thumbs-up. "Keep them coming!"

    Garret bopped him on top of the head with his gloved hand. "Don''t pressure him. We have a combined no-hitter going."

    Noah pouted. "I think you''re the one putting pressure by saying that."

    Bryce chuckled. "No matter what either of you say, I''ll go out there and do my best." He grinned at Noah. "If I could control it, I would make all the grounders go to you. Only you could handle each one with such precision."

    "Noah''s reflexes are unmatched." Mitchell commented while taking off his gear. He would be second up this inning after Jason. "The twins talk about it all the time. How Noah could be a catcher if he wanted to. It makes me nervous."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "No thanks."

    "Noah''s too restless for that." Garret added. "He would also probably argue balls and strikes with the umpire and get thrown out."

    "I wouldn''t!" Noah rebutted. He put his glove on the bench and got his helmet out. "Catchers have a lot more work for little reward. I''ll pass." He pulled his helmet on and grabbed his bat. "I have other things I want to work on."

    Jason had already gone out of the dugout, making it to the batter''s box. Mitchell hurried out as well to stand in the on deck circle. Noah went over to the opening to watch the pitcher with all seriousness.

    Noah had said all that, but I had a hunch on why he didn''t want to play catcher. He liked to stand out. And being behind the plate, catching for the twins, probably would put a damper on that. It''s also why he didn''t play in the outfield like Zeke. To him, his brothers had already had a claim on those positions. He needed something of his own to be good in.

 Chapter 809 - V3 ch44 (VS Bayhill HS 4)

    Jason got jammed early in the count, hitting a short fly ball to left field. Mitchell followed it with a weak grounder to short. Two outs and we''re back to the top of the lineup. Noah took some swings as he got to the batter''s box. Sean moved to the on deck circle while I was in the hole with Garret right beside me.

    Noah knocked his bat against his cleats before officially stepping in the box. He eyed the pitcher, holding his bat back steadily. First pitch, low and inside for a called strike. Second pitch had a similar trajectory, but Noah fouled it off for strike two. Third pitch was a high fastball; exactly what Noah was looking for. Noah made perfect contact despite it being above the strike zone. He hit a line drive that dropped way before the right fielder could get to it. A solid single.

    Sean moved to the batter''s box and I went to the on deck circle. The pitcher was a little restless after giving up the hit to Noah. It didn''t help that Noah kept taking a big lead off of first. The pitcher did a check throw twice but couldn''t get Noah. His first pitch to Sean was a ball.

    He started his second pitch without doing a pickoff attempt. Noah took advantage and started sprinting to second base. The pitcher had no choice but to throw it off the plate for the catcher. The catcher caught the ball and made the big throw to second, but the tag didn''t come down in time. Noah successfully stole second. He called time and got up, dusting himself off.

    The pitcher wasn''t in the right headspace. His third pitch to Sean went wild, hitting Sean in his butt. Hit by pitch. Sean tossed his bat back towards the dugout and jogged to first while rubbing his butt.

    Before I could make a move to the batter''s box, the opposing Coach came out of his dugout. He went up to the pitcher''s mound with the catcher. The pitcher had to give up the baseball and went back to the dugout with his head down. A new pitcher came jogging in from their bullpen.

    "Jake." Coach called me back to the dugout.

    I turned back and went over. He and Garret were both waiting for me. "Yea?"

    "Watch his warmup and tell me what you think." Coach had lowered his voice. "Two on, two out, I really want you to go for it, but I''m fine with just one run scored. Noah''s on second so a hard hit single is the minimum."

    I kept my eyes on the new pitcher on the mound. The opposing coach had gone back to the umpire off to the side and told him of the change while the pitcher threw a few practice pitches. There wasn''t anything special about his style that I could see.

    "You can''t really tell the speed from practice pitches." Garret muttered.

    Speed wasn''t really problem for me. I watched a couple more. "I think I can get it out of the park."

    Garret and Coach both turned to look me in the eyes.

    "How positive are you?" Coach asked.

    "Well...chances are, his first pitch will be a fastball. So if I aim for that...pretty positive." I told them.

    Garret let out a small laugh. "If you believe, then I believe. Jake doesn''t say things he isn''t sure of."

    Coach patted me on top of the helmet. "Attack early for the insurance runs."

    I nodded. Coach gave me a small push forward when the umpire called me to the plate. I picked to bat from the right side against the new pitcher. No particular reason. The guy checked on Noah and Sean at the bases before facing me. He nodded at the catcher, got set, and started his motion.

    Like I predicted, the pitcher didn''t start off with a breaking ball. Fastball. In the zone. I took a small step and a big swing. I pulled the ball to left field and started running. It was over the fence. I knew it. My teammates knew it. And the spectators knew it.

    As I rounded the bases, I could hear my name among the cheers and could specifically point out Rhys. I glanced up after rounding third and saw three young men near Mom and Dad, clapping for me. Jeremy, Zeke, and Rhys. It felt kind of special to see them like that.

    Noah pulled me into a headlock as soon as I tagged home plate to make the score 6-0. "That was perfect! You gave that pitcher no time to get going!" He practically dragged me back to the dugout where I accepted a few high fives and compliments.

    Noah let go of me when we got to our bags. He was talking a mile a minute about his successful steal when we heard the ''ding'' of a bat hitting a ball. We simultaneously turned to see Garret''s fly ball get caught by the right fielder near the warning track.

    "Too bad, so sad." Noah laughed. "You still got something on Garret today." He slapped my back, making me cough. "Two homers! I have a feeling that we''re going all the way this weekend!"

    I grinned and nodded in agreement. We took the field under the stadium lights; the bottom of fifth inning got under way. Bryce gave up a single to the first batter up, but we countered with a 6-4-3 double play on the next batter. Bryce ended the inning with a swinging strikeout.

    Bryce approached Garret back inside the dugout, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, Garret."

    Garret laughed. "For what?"

    Bryce made a face. "Giving up the hit. Ruined our combined no-hitter."

    Garret rolled his eyes. "Dude, we''re winning. Who cares about a single. Just tie up this game and earn your win. Heck, put it behind you and focus on your at-bat coming up. You should be in the hole, not talking nonsense with me."

    Bryce nodded and went to go get his batting gear on.

    The top of the sixth started with Korrey, who hit a fly ball to center field. Then Jesse followed it up with a short fly ball that the shortstop was able to track down in the shallow outfield. Bryce was able to put the hit he gave up behind him by getting a single of his own. It didn''t amount to much though thanks to Jason''s ground ball to short. The shortstop merely flipped it to the second baseman on the bag and ended our offense.

    Bottom of the sixth, Bryce kept finding good spots in the zone, giving the other team nothing good to hit. The seventh batter hit a hard grounder, right to Jason at third, who was able to throw him out at first without much difficulty. The eighth batter got jammed and hit a short pop-up in my vicinity. I didn''t even have time to feel nervous before making the catch for the second out. Ninth batter hit a normal grounder to Sean at first. He scooped it up and tagged first base before continuing to the dugout.

    6-0 going into the seventh.

 Chapter 810 - V3 ch45 (VS Bayhill HS 5)

    Mitchell, at the bottom of our lineup, would start us off in the seventh. He''s been doing really well behind the plate, calling a good game, but it took a toll on his batting. He had a nice line drive in the third, but it was caught. Then a grounder to the second baseman. His third at-bat wasn''t any better, hitting a routine grounder to short. At least he''s making contact. It''s only a matter of time before he sneaks one to the outfield.

    Noah stepped up next, Sean to on deck circle, and I stood in the hole with Garret right beside me.

    "This is a good start to the season." Garret commented, smiling. "A solid win in a big tournament that we don''t normally participate in."

    I nodded.

    Noah smacked another single to short right field. Sean moved up and I moved to the on deck circle. Unfortunately I wouldn''t get the chance to have a fourth at-bat. Even with a fast runner like Noah on first, Sean hit into another double play.

    I let out a sigh and headed back to my bag.

    Coach clapped his hands loudly, getting everyone''s attention. "One more inning, boys. Stay awake out there. We''ve played a good game so far, offensively and defensively. Don''t give up anything easy in this last half inning."

    I nodded along with the rest of the team, picked up my glove and jogged onto the field.

    Bryce, on the mound, took some practice pitches before facing the top of the lineup once more. The leadoff batter worked the count a little bit better, fouling a couple pitches off before smacking a line drive. Noah jumped up and snatched it out of the air and the crowd gasped and applauded his great play.

    "One out, two to go." Noah threw the ball back and waved two fingers.

    The second batter did a step better, getting the ball to the outfield. Garret, in center field, got underneath it and made the catch for out number two.

    Third batter showed some impatience, swinging early and connecting on a high fastball. The ball was above the infielders heads but looked like it was going to drop in no-man''s land. However, Garret was in center field. He came sprinting in, laid out and made a diving catch before the ball could hit the grass. He slid for an extra second, then popped up, holding his gloved hand high in the air.

    "Out!" The umpire gave the official call.

    The batter went back to his dugout with his head down while me and my team gathered in the infield and started to high-five one another.

    We did the usual end of the game stuff, talking about the game as we changed out of our cleats and packed our gear.

    "The first game tomorrow is going to be 9am." Coach told us as we packed. "Same field, but other dugout. Be here by 8am, and make sure to eat a good breakfast. I don''t need your focus to drift to food during the game." He glanced at Dave. "You''ll get the start."

    Dave grinned and nodded with confidence. "I''ll be ready." He paused for a second. "Are we going to worry about pitch count for me and even Kyle? To stay under 50 so we can pitch during the finals?"

    Coach rubbed his chin. "We''ll see. Alisha will keep track of the pitch count and when you get close, we''ll look how the game is playing out. We can''t assume that Jake will get a homerun whenever wherever."

    Dave nodded again, understanding that every game is different. We knew very little about our opponents too. All we had was last year''s records to go off of.

    Coach looked to Bryce. "Bryce, you stayed under 75 pitches, so after two full days of rest, you could possibly be on the mound on Monday, if we make it that far. Don''t mess around in the bullpen or anything. Focus on recovery."

    Bryce nodded solemnly, taking Coach''s words seriously. Coach had a few more words to say before letting us go find our parents and family to either go to the hotel or go all the way back home.

    "Coach?" I heard Sean stop Coach from leaving as the dugout emptied.

    "What is it?" He looked at Sean.

    Sean glanced around and made eye contact with me. "Uhh, well, it''s not like I want to say this, but I don''t think I should be batting between Noah and Jake."

    I nudged Noah.

    Noah heard his name and got the signal from me. He immediately made a move to join Sean and Coach. "Why? What''s the problem of batting between us?"

    Coach lifted an eyebrow at Sean too.

    Sean shrugged, helpless. "I hit into two double plays. It''s a bit demoralizing, isn''t it? The only time I got on base was when the pitcher threw a ball at me. I just feel like Jake needs someone with a high on-base percentage to bat before him."

    "And that can''t be you?" Coach asked.

    Sean was hesitant. "I know you want me to say that I can do it, but it''ll only make me feel worse if I can''t."

    Coach stared at him for an extra second, waiting to see if he had anything more to say. "Okay. Tomorrow you''ll bat first instead of Noah." Sean tensed up. "I expect to see an improvement." Coach gave him a pat on the shoulder then walked away.

    Noah looked at Sean, curious. "When did you get a fear of being in the top of the lineup?"

    Sean shrugged. "It''s not a fear. Realistically, my numbers aren''t good in the top four spots. There''s less pressure when you''re at the bottom and not expected to make it on base."

    Noah laughed. "Coach expects everyone to get on base regardless of the batting order." He threw his arm around Sean''s shoulders. "All that pressure is in your head. Think about it, once the game starts, everyone has a chance to lead off the inning."

    Seeing that Noah was busy talking with Sean, I followed the twins to the stands.

    "Great game." Jeremy met me halfway, like he was prepared to leave too.

    "Thanks." I smiled. "I''m glad you could make it."

    He smiled too. "It helps that it''s nearby. Tomorrow, I''ll bring Rose. I already spoke with Wayne and Mary. I''ll treat your team to a team lunch at a nearby restaurant."

    I thought of the expensive place he took me and Noah to before and shook my head. "Nah, you-"

    "It''s already a done deal, Jake." He cut me off with a small laugh. "Seriously, don''t worry about things like money. You just play baseball and continue doing well in school. I''ll handle everything in between."

    I rubbed the back of my neck, a little embarrassed. "Thanks, Jeremy. I know the team will be happy. Do you think I should tell them beforehand for motivational purposes?"

    He chuckled. "Sure, if you want." He glanced around. "I''ve got to hit the road and get some sleep if I want to make it to the morning game."

    I nodded. "Sure, I''ll let you go. See you tomorrow."

    He lifted his hand and gave a small wave as he headed for the parking lot.

 Chapter 811 - V3 ch46 (VS Lowell HS 1)

    Because of the late game, we had a late dinner, followed by getting into bed late. It just got later and later. By the time Noah and I got into bed after showering, it was past midnight. I barely said ''goodnight'' before passing out.

    I woke up to Noah bouncing on our shared bed. "Jake! C''mon. Wake up! Time for breakfast."

    I pulled the blanket higher above my head and rolled away from him.

    Rhys laughed. "Wow. Two different types of players."

    Noah and I were sharing a room with Zeke and Rhys, while the twins got Mom and Dad again.

    "Jake, it''s really time to get up." Zeke said firmly. "Wash your face and get your uniform on. Rhys, you can go take Noah downstairs for breakfast. He eats more than Jake."

    "What about the twins?" Noah asked, calming the bouncing down.

    "Mom and Dad will have them covered. Hopefully they''re already eating too." Zeke said.

    I heard some movement in the room. The door opening and closing. Then silence.

    "You have ten more minutes to fully wake up." Zeke stated, going back on what he said earlier.

    My body relaxed, happy to hear that Zeke wasn''t going to rush me. I couldn''t tell the difference from resting my eyes and falling back asleep. It merely felt like a blink before Zeke pulled the covers away from me.

    I groaned and got up a little unwilling.

    "Wash your face, you''ll feel more awake." Zeke repeated what he told me before.

    I dragged myself to the small bathroom and did my usual morning routine before wiping my face with a freshly wet washrag. With my uniform on, I didn''t feel ''more awake'' but at least I could keep my eyes open. Outside the bathroom, Zeke had my baseball bag over his shoulder and my team sweatshirt in hand.

    "Here. It''s going to be extra cold this morning. A little bit of a breeze too." He gave me the sweatshirt.

    I tugged it on over my head and got my running shoes on.

    "Thanks." I yawned and we left the room together.

    The elevator ride down was silent. On ground level, I glanced up at him, confused as to why he didn''t have anything to say. Before games, I kind of expected him to say something motivational.

    "What is it?" Zeke caught me looking.

    I shrugged and looked down at my feet. "I just thought you would have some advice for me before the doubleheader today."

    He let out a small chuckle. Then I felt his hand on my head, pushing down my hat. "I''m no longer your captain, Jake. Just your brother. I''ll be in the stands, cheering for you like Mom and Dad. It''s not my responsibility to put any more pressure on you."

    I looked up at him and fixed my hat. What he said made me think back to yesterday. Zeke really didn''t say much to us before the game yesterday. Just asked us if we were ready.

    "Jake! There you are!" Noah hollered and waved near the breakfast bar. "Hurry up and eat. Dad said we need to leave soon."

    I hurried over, leaving Zeke behind. I grabbed a plate and started to load it up with eggs, bacon, and a bagel. I sat down and started to eat when Zeke suddenly put a cup of milk in front of me before going to Mom''s table and sitting with her and Dad.

    "I can''t believe you got Zeke to carry your bag." Kyle laughed.

    "Right?!" Dave joined in. "That''s not the Zeke I remember."

    I blinked, not seeing the big deal.

    "Ignore them." Noah waved his fork at me. "They''re just jealous." He looked at the twins. "Jake is obviously different."

    Kyle nodded. "Yea, but it''s still a rare sight. This is the same brother that made me carry Dave''s bag when he got hurt on the playground. Where''s the justice?"

    "That''s because he had to carry Dave." Noah squinted at him.

    "Pshh. He was fine." Kyle scoffed.

    "I sprained my ankle." Dave defended himself. "Really badly."

    "You''re ridiculous. Always getting hurt and shit." Kyle mocked.

    "Language!" Mom raised her voice to scold Kyle from the next table over.

    "Busted." Noah laughed.

    By the time we got to the fields, I was much more awake. It helped that Noah and the twins never stopped talking. Our group split into two smaller ones, as us players headed for the dugout. Dave stopped the nonessential talking and found Mitchell almost immediately.

    Kyle shook his head. "It''s not like he has much to do today. Gotta stay under fifty pitches."

    "Are you going to stay under 50?" Noah asked.

    Kyle twisted his lips. "Depends on how the game goes, right? I don''t want to cut myself off at 50 and then we don''t even make the finals. I''d feel pretty dumb."

    "I believe in us." Garret joined us with a grin, putting his bag down. "Today''s first game is no biggie. They should be worse than the team from yesterday."

    "Good for Dave, but the second game today is a bit different." Kyle said. "We looked them up too. I''ll have the bigger challenge of today."

    Garret slapped him on the shoulder. "Bigger challenge of the two, but not a challenge to you."

    Kyle grinned.

    "Honestly hate the pitching rules." Garret sighed. "I feel like I could pitch every day."

    Kyle gave him a small shove. "Ball hog. You already get to play every day, every game."

    "Work on your hitting and you could too." Garret stuck his tongue out.

    The dugout filled up with our teammates and got a little crowded as everyone started to open up their bags and put their cleats on. Warmups were led by Garret until Coach called us in. He sent Dave and Mitchell to the bullpen with a pitching coach before focusing on us.

    He gave out the lineup:

    1 1B Sean

    2 SS Noah

    3 2B Jake

    4 CF Garret

    5 3B Jason

    6 RF Korrey

    7 LF Jesse

    8 C Mitchell

    9 P Dave

    "Bullpen be ready." He continued. "Ideally we would be able to pull Dave out before he hits 50 pitches. I know it''s about presumptuous, but I think we''ll need him for the finals on Monday." He looked around and smiled when he didn''t see any objections. "Glad you boys believe it too."

    Despite the early morning start, everyone was eager and ready to start the game against Lowell High School. We went through the rest of our game preparations before getting back in the dugout and getting organized.

    I ditched the sweatshirt, a little unwillingly, but sucked it up. I still had a long sleeve under my jersey so it wasn''t too bad as long as the wind didn''t blow.

    Our pitchers left for the bullpen while Dave and Mitchell came back. Coach went over to them and said a few words as we prepared to take the field.

    "Is Jeremy and Rose here yet?" Noah asked me. I had told him last night about my small conversation with Jeremy before he had to leave.

    I glanced to the stands and shrugged. "Hard to tell. I can''t even see Mom and Dad." It was surprisingly crowded compared to last night''s game.

    "A lot of people have Saturday off." Noah hummed. "I bet they had to find a more private area to watch from." He looked around too; up until Coach called us over and sent us out to take the field for the first half of the inning.

 Chapter 812 - V3 ch47 (VS Lowell HS 2)

    Dave came out strong and fast. He got the first two batters two strike out, completely whiffing. The third batter did a smidge better, making contact and lifting the ball to left field. Jesse was there to get underneath it and caught the ball with ease.

    Noah and I jogged back to our dugout together.

    "I know where everyone is." He told me in a low voice as we switched our hats for helmets.

    I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he was talking about.

    "Mom and Dad. Rhys and Zeke." He dropped his voice to a light whisper. "Jeremy and Rose."

    "Oh?" I put my glove on the bench and picked up my bat.

    Noah tugged his batting gloves on, picked up his bat, then led the way back to the dugout entrance. He paused before stepping out. "Look just past left field. I noticed them when Jesse was making that catch." He stepped out and started to take some practice swings.

    My eyes drifted to left field. The outfield fence was a little high, but backed up to a slope so I could see them. Four men: Zeke, Rhys, Jeremy, and Dad were standing casually, eyes on the field. Mom and Rose stood behind them on higher ground, looking like they were talking.

    Rhys seemed to notice me looking out there. Or maybe he was trying to get my attention, because he soon started waving an arm around. It was a greeting? Or maybe...

    I gripped my bat a little tighter and turned to Coach, who was talking to Alisha about the lineup. "Coach?"

    Coach looked at me.

    I inched closer. "Can I...try to hit a homerun in my first at-bat?"

    Coach didn''t even look surprised. "If you''re more than 75% positive that you can get it, then you try for it."

    I nodded and went back to my spot. I have to watch the pitcher a little more to see how he is. I wanted to hit a homerun towards my family, but I don''t know if it''ll be possible. Especially...as I watched this pitcher throw wildly.

    Sean walked on four straight balls. Noah was thrown only one called strike among four balls out of the zone. He jogged to first and pushed Sean to second. The catcher got up and went to talk to his pitcher on the mound.

    "He''ll probably try to throw a strike on the very first pitch." Garret whispered to me as we both stood near the on deck circle. "I heard what you said to Coach. If you want to hit a homer, first pitch is your best chance."

    "Will it be a breaking ball though?" I whispered back.

    Garret looked away, pretending not to show interest to those players on the mound. "As a pitcher, if you have back-to-back walks, you''ll want a quick, solid, strike. So fastball. Probably even right down the middle."

    I was skeptical. "Really?"

    He gave a small nod. "Really. Stop thinking like a batter, and think like a pitcher. Pitchers want to get in good on the count after two walks. Batters are probably thinking, don''t bother swinging until this guy throws a strike. Which is a good rule to go by normally. But you want a homer."

    "Okay." I believed in what Garret had to say. He''s a pitcher too after all. He knows the coin on both sides.

    The umpire broke up the small meeting on the mound and called me to the batter''s box. In the righty''s box, I slowly got set, trying to give off an impression that I wasn''t going to swing. I was going to watch and wait. I don''t know if my indifference mattered to the pitcher or catcher, but Garret was right to predict that the first pitch would be a fastball in the strike zone.

    The pitche was a little high, but that just made it easy on me. I swung my hardest and pulled the ball to the left field line and started my run to first. As I rounded first I had a good view of the ball going over the fence. I kind of assume that Rhys would be the outgoing type to try to catch it, but it was Jeremy chasing after the ball. He caught it with bare hands then held it up for me to see.

    I grinned and rounded second base. After tagging home plate, Noah and Sean were there to give me high-fives before going back to the dugout together, where we were greeted by more high-fives.

    "Dang, they''re already pulling the pitcher?" Mitchell''s comment grabbed everyone''s attention as all eyes drifted to the mound.

    The head coach for Lowell was already taking the ball from the pitcher''s hand and waving at his bullpen.

    "He did give up two walks and a homerun." Jason shrugged before walking to the on deck circle with Garret.

    Mitchell shook his head. "Only ten pitches though. Ten pitches, then they pulled him? That''s gotta hurt the self-esteem of any pitcher."

    "High school baseball is cutthroat." Coach said, bringing down the atmosphere in the dugout. "I don''t say this to be mean, but winning is important in high school sports. It points out the champions. The best around. It gives even more exposure to athletes trying to get into colleges or the big leagues."

    "I don''t know what you all are being sentimental for." Noah grinned and raised his voice. "We did that. We took a pitcher out before he even got his first out. We''re just that good."

    "You got a walk." Sean laughed. "Don''t act like it was us. It was all Jake. Putting them down by three runs in the first inning? That sucks...for them." He grinned too.

    "Hey, it''s not my fault the guy didn''t want to throw me any strikes." Noah rebutted.

    The two bickered and joked as the new pitcher threw some warmup pitches off the mound.

    "Hey, that was your brother with the catch, right?" Mitchell scooted closer to me after I sat down on the bench.

    My lips twitched as I thought of Jeremy beyond the outfield, making the catch on my homerun. "Yea.."

    "Wow. I can''t believe he came." Mitchell murmured. Then stiffened up. "Not that I think he shouldn''t come watch you. I just mean, that, I feel like, he should, I don''t know, be preparing for baseball season?"

    I let out a small laugh thanks to Mitchell''s stumbling on what to say. "No. I understand. I didn''t think he would come either. But he lives close by. And it''s the weekend." I thought about it. "Coach hasn''t announced it to the team yet, but he''s going to treat the whole team to lunch today."

    "Wow." Mitchell''s eyes widened in disbelief. I understood. Sometimes I couldn''t believe it either. Not that Jeremy was some baseball star, but that he was a star that wanted to be apart of my life. To watch my high school games, donate a gym to my school, call to talk about my classes. Sometimes none of it felt real. The Atkins taking me in, getting me into baseball, then adopting me. I''ve been on a lucky streak as of late.

 Chapter 813 - V3 ch48 (VS Lowell HS 3)

    The new pitcher was finally ready to restart the first inning. He wasn''t as wild as the last guy...but our batters were able to make contact. Garret was the best, hitting a hard line drive...right to their shortstop. We could only sigh. Jason and Korrey hit similar fly balls, both to left field. The pitcher wasn''t dominant, but good enough to get the batters out and get his team out of the inning.

    We went to the top of the second with a 3-0 lead. The cleanup hitter led them off right, hitting a single right up the middle. Noah and I had no chance at it. Dave didn''t let it get to him. He put his attention on the next batter, only occasionally checking the runner on first.

    With Sean holding the runner at first, I shifted more towards him, trying to cover the hole he was leaving.

    The next batter got a piece of a pitch, hitting a fly ball to center field. Garret sprinted in and made the catch, stopping the runner from taking off. It was also too shallow for him to tag up on. Plus, who would run with Garret playing center? He''s our best pitcher with the fastest pitch.

    The sixth batter barely made contact, sending a dribbler my way. The runner on first took off with speed, making me anxious. I fielded the grounder and threw the ball to Noah covering second. Noah had to stretch upwards to get my bad throw, but still beat the runner. He then threw to first as the runner slid into him at second, knocking him down into the dirt.

    "Out!"

    "Out!"

    We turned the double play, but at what cost?

    I hurried over to Noah just as the opponent got up and jogged back to his dugout, not even checking on Noah. "Noah!"

    Noah grinned up at me as I helped him to his feet. "I''m fine. No worries." He didn''t wait for me to apologize and took off for our own dugout.

    I chased after him.

    "You good?" Dave asked Noah once we got inside the dugout.

    Noah grinned and shrugged. "Yep."

    I wasn''t convinced and hovered over him as he took a seat on the bench.

    Noah pulled on my sleeve and dragged me to sit down on the bench too. "I can''t watch the game with you in front of me."

    "Did it hurt?" I asked. "You came down really hard."

    Noah laughed. "Yea, it hurt, but only for a second. It happens."

    "Don''t think too much, Jake." Garret laughed as he slid over on the bench to sit with us. "If Noah says he''s fine, then he''s fine. Seriously. If it bugs you, just do better next time." He grinned. "I hit the ground harder than he did when I made that game-ending catch yesterday. Why don''t you worry about me?"

    I started to worry about him. "Are you hurting?"

    Noah laughed. "Don''t get him started, Garret. We''ll be here forever. Jake is a natural worrier. And overthinker." He nudged me. "The other guy cushioned my landing. You want to worry about him too?"

    I felt the two of them starting to make fun of me. But I couldn''t help it. I didn''t want to be the reason Noah got hurt. And of course I care whether either of them are hurt or injured. Seeing them laugh and crack jokes though put me at ease.

    Bottom of the second. Jesse popped out to the shortstop. Mitchell hit a line drive within reach of the shortstop. It was a quick two outs. Dave was up next. He fouled off the most pitches of anyone in the lineup and then finally got a good hit over the shortstop. He rounded first base, but didn''t attempt to stretch it out to a double.

    Sean came up to bat. Noah had already gone to the on deck circle. I sat in the hole, waiting to see if we could make something out of Dave''s rare hit. Sean got jammed on an inside pitch, hitting a grounder to short. The shortstop fielded the ball easily, deciding to just toss the ball to his second baseman to get Dave out and end our inning.

    Dave took off his helmet and shook out his hair. "Man, I''ve almost forgotten what it''s like to be on base in a real game. I for sure thought the pitcher was going to pick me off at first."

    Noah laughed as we put our batting gear away. "Yea, we could tell. You almost looked like Jake, practically hugging first base."

    "Hey!" Dave defended himself. "My strides are longer than his. I was definitely further out."

    Garret patted me on the head. "For being the batting leader for our team, you get picked on a lot. By your own brothers too."

    I shoved his hand away. "Like you don''t participate too."

    Garret laughed and took a defensive stance. "Wow. Be careful boys. Bambi is growing some horns."

    "You mean antlers." Mitchell corrected.

    "Are you guys playing baseball or not?" Coach raised his voice.

    All of us broke it up and took the field in a hurry with the exception of Dave. He casually walked to the mound, used the rosin bag, then threw a couple of warmup pitches to Mitchell. I don''t know why he slowed his pace down, but it worked. The bottom of their lineup didn''t stand a chance. The first guy hit a routine grounder to Noah at short. Batters eight and nine struck out, swinging.

    "Pitch count, Coach?" Dave immediately asked when he got back to the dugout.

    Okay so him slowing down may have something to do with him being conscientious about keeping his pitch count low. Low enough to do another inning? Garret only got to do three yesterday, so Dave might be trying for four?

    Coach turned to Alisha. "Tell him."

    "36." Alisha told Dave clearly. "Statistically, you could do another inning."

    Dave looked to Coach with a grin.

    Coach nodded. "I''ll pull you at 49 just to be sure though. I don''t care whether that''s in the middle of an at-bat, if I have to."

    "Three strikeouts, nine pitches. That''s all I need." Dave went to sit down on the bench.

    Noah snorted. "So ambitious."

    Dave smirked. "Remind me again, which of us have a hit this game?"

    Noah tugged his batting gloves on and tightened them. "Just wait. I''ll get a hit in just a second." He grabbed his bat, and with his helmet on, headed out to the field.

    I tugged my helmet on too.

    Garret knocked his bat against his cleats. "Just so you know, you''re not the only Atkins''s brother with a hit. Jake''s got you beat." He laughed and dodged a water bottle thrown at him by Dave.

    "Jake doesn''t-" Dave stopped himself at the sight of me. He coughed. "I mean, I wasn''t comparing myself with Jake. Just Noah. I think we can all concede to Jake''s dominance at the plate."

    I glanced at him. "But if we have to compare?"

    Dave took a righteous stand. "Then it''s by how many hits you''ve gotten to how many I''ve given up. One to one."

    I left the dugout with a laugh. I don''t think I''ve ever had so much fun in the dugout. Today was something special. Everyone is in a good mood. We''re winning and playing well.

 Chapter 814 - V3 ch49 (VS Lowell HS 4)

    Noah started us off with a solid single to right field mimicking his single from yesterday. Aiming for those high fastballs intentionally is really starting to work out for him. If he could pull it to the left though, I wonder if that would give him enough space to turn his singles into doubles. Probably not. They don''t have enough power behind his hits.

    I moved to the batter''s box, only for the catcher to get up and jog to the mound. He wasn''t the only one. A coach from their dugout went up there too.

    Unsure of what to do, I backtracked to the on deck circle.

    "Not the same coach, so it isn''t a pitcher change." Garret mumbled.

    The umpire broke it up. The coach went back to his dugout and the catcher headed to home plate. I was waved back up, but noticed the catcher staying up on his feet. I knew what was coming. I casually held my bat back in the batter''s box, only to stand there and watch four balls pass by beyond the strike zone. An intentional walk.

    I sighed, tossed my bat back to my own dugout, then jogged to first.

    "Chin up." Coach Luis clapped his hands twice. "Garret is up next."

    Right. I nodded. Garret bats after me.

    With Noah on second and me at first, the first baseman didn''t stay on the bag. He was a bit behind me as I took a small lead. I glanced at Noah and tried to copy how much he stood off the bag, but quickly decided that was a ''no'' for me. Noah was on the move, taking a big lead, then going back to the bag whenever the pitcher turned to look. He kept it up throughout Garret''s entire at-bat. I don''t know if it had any influence on the pitcher''s mentality, but Garret was able to get the ball through a gap and to the outfield grass.

    Everyone sprinted to their next base. I stopped at second seeing as the left fielder threw the ball back in really quick. Luckily there was Mr. Miller giving Noah the ''stop'' signal otherwise it would have been a close play at home plate, and probably not in our favor.

    Bases loaded, no outs for Jason.

    Mr. Miller signed for a hit and run. Basically all of us would take off running after the ball leaves the pitcher''s hand and Jason has to make contact. Has to. No matter what. Or Noah will probably be out at the plate.

    The pitcher started his motion and threw his first pitch to Jason. Noah, me, and Garret all started to run to the next base. I heard the sound of Jason making contact, but didn''t bother to look. My focus was on reaching third base.

    Mr. Miller held me there, signaling no slide. I stood on third securely and looked around to see the result. Noah was easily safe at home, but Garret and Jason were both called out. Jason must have hit a grounder right to one of the middle infielders for them to beat Garret and turn the double play. The three of them all went back to the dugout, leaving me alone on the field.

    I stayed ready to run home as soon as Korrey made contact on any pitch. He hit a fly ball to left field again, ending the inning, leaving me stranded on third. I jogged back to the dugout satisfied with our 4-0 lead now. Not bad, if you ask me.

    Dave came out for the fourth inning, but got off on the wrong foot, giving up a single on the very first pitch.

    I felt more bad than he did though. If anything, giving up that single help him focus in on the following batters. He struck out batters two and three. The cleanup hitter, with the only other hit off Dave, smacked a hard grounder to Noah. Noah dived in the dirt to stop the ball, and was able to toss it to me at second base to get the final out.

    Back to the dugout.

    "48." Alisha told Dave, who probably asked her what his pitch count was. "One more and Coach would have taken you out."

    Dave grinned. "I''m just that good." He sauntered over to Coach. "What do you say? Want to let me bat this inning too? I''m feeling hot."

    Coach rolled his eyes. "Take a seat. You''re done for the day." He looked down the dugout. "Dalton. You''ll pinch hit in the number nine spot. Start stretching."

    Dalton Nelson. A sophomore like me and Noah. He jumped up at the sound of his name and rushed to get his helmet and batting gloves on. He was ''in the hole'' before Mitchell could make it out to the on deck circle. Granted, Mitchell had to take off all of his catching gear.

    "How do you think he''ll do?" I whispered to Noah as we sat with our bags.

    "Who? Dalton?" Noah shrugged. "Who knows. Pinch-hitting isn''t exactly easy. You''re coming in cold and don''t really have much feel for the pace of the pitcher."

    "Do you hope he does well?" I whispered.

    Noah was taken aback. "Of course! I want to win. Plus, Dalton isn''t all that bad. We just aren''t close. I was kind of shunned from the other freshmen last year, but he didn''t have it any easier. He almost didn''t make the team."

    I remember. Noah had also complimented him and the other sophomore, Logan, for being hardworking. I glanced around to look for Logan. I wonder how he felt about Dalton getting a chance to play before him. Teams are weird. You might not like everyone and wish them well, but you still want to win. Noah said he wanted Dalton to do well, but I know that if it was Austin, it might be a different story.

    Logan had his eyes trained on the field, looking more serious and focused than anyone else in the dugout. Feeling guilty, I turned my attention to the field too.

    Jesse was up first. He got a small piece of an outside pitch, popping it up to the first baseman. Mitchell came up second, hitting a single to center field. Noah started to tug on his batting gloves. Dalton''s first varsity-leveled at-bat...was underwhelming. He swung and missed three straight fastballs. I could only hide my grimace as I put my helmet on.

    We were back to the top of the lineup. Sean in the batter''s box, Noah in the on deck circle, and me in the hole. Sean made solid contact with a fastball, pulling it down the third baseline. The third baseman made a diving grab before falling in the dirt.

    "Out."

    Noah and I took our bats back to our bags.

    "Sorry." Sean muttered to us as he put his batting gear away too.

    "Don''t worry about it." Noah shook his head. "They just got lucky. You hit that pitch very well. Should have been a double down the line. Nothing you can do about it."

    "You''re making contact." I added.

    "Yea, it''s just a matter of time before one gets through." Noah slapped Sean''s back and jogged out to his position.

    I gave Sean a small smile, picked up my glove, and headed out too.

 Chapter 815 - V3 ch50 (VS Lowell HS 5)

    Coach also came out, talking to the umpire about the pitching change. It was Tyler Larsen jogging to the mound from the bullpen. The senior slowed up as soon as he reached the infield, walking up the mound to meet Coach. They spoke for a few seconds until Mitchell came out of the dugout, finally dressed in his catcher''s gear.

    Mitchell went to the mound first to greet Tyler and probably to make sure they''re on the same page, then headed to home plate. Tyler was allowed some practice pitches before the fifth batter stepped up to the plate. He didn''t get off to a good start, pegging the batter on the backside on the very first pitch.

    "Next one, next one." Noah clapped with his glove as we slightly shifted our fielding positions.

    Tyler nodded in acknowledgement before facing the next batter. He threw another pitch inside, missing the strike zone and thankfully the batter. The next pitch was in the strike zone, and the batter saw it coming from a mile away. He knew Tyler wanted to throw a good strike and timed it well.

    He hit a line drive over Noah''s leaping reach. The ball bounced before Jesse could get to it, but he fielded the ball the best he could, getting it back to Noah, stopping the runners at first and second.

    I covered second as Noah walked to the pitcher''s mound. He gave the ball to Tyler and said something behind his glove. Tyler spoke into his glove too, having a small conversation with Noah until the umpire came out from behind the plate.

    Noah jogged back to his position and Tyler got set again. He was now on batter seven and had calmed down, throwing the first pitch for a good strike. The batter had completely missed. Tyler followed along Mitchell''s lead, placing his pitches in good spots. The batter struck out swinging.

    "That''s the way to do it!" Noah clapped with his glove.

    Batter eight stepped up next. Tyler checked on the runners at first and second before getting set. I was standing a little closer to second base, trying to keep the runner from taking such a big lead off the bag. Tyler threw his first pitch and the batter swung his bat, making perfect contact. He sent the ball right back the way it came. Tyler ducked and I dove for the line drive coming up the middle, sliding in the dirt.

    The whole crowd gasped.

    "To second!" Noah yelled at me.

    Behind me the runner on second was caught off guard by my catch. He was almost halfway to third, but turned back to make a dive for second base. From the dirt, I threw the ball...poorly. Way off the mark. Noah couldn''t make the catch and the ball went to the grass in the outfield. The runner on second base jumped up and thought about making a move for third again, but Garret had been sprinting in to cover my bad throw. He scooped the ball up with his bare hand and threw it directly to Tyler, who stood just off the mound.

    There was a mix of claps, cheers, and complaints from the stands.

    "What a lucky catch!"

    "He''s lucky the center fielder was coming in or we would have had runners on first and third instead."

    "Should have been a double play."

    I slowly got up from the dirt, trying to dust myself off. Physically and mentally.

    "Time." Noah told the umpire, giving me time to get back into position. Noah jogged over and checked on me. "Great catch! You hurt at all?"

    I shook my head and sighed. "Only my pride."

    Noah laughed. "Shake it off. Don''t care about the throw. You stopped them from scoring. That''s a good thing."

    I bit the inside of my cheek and shrugged.

    Noah gave me a small slap on the shoulder before going back into his own position so the game could resume. Tyler handled the ninth batter spot with ease, getting him to strike out swinging. That ended the top of the fifth inning and we headed back to our own dugout.

    "Good catch, Jake." Sean grinned as we met at the dugout entrance.

    I nodded politely. "Thanks."

    "He''s still stressing about his throwing error." Noah told Sean. "He''s probably not taking your compliment seriously."

    I felt my face warmed up from embarrassment.

    Sean gave me a knowing look. "You already made a great stop, don''t stress about that throw. Didn''t we get out of the inning? They still have zero."

    I nodded again.

    Noah headed for our bags, getting his helmet and gloves on. "You can''t talk sense into him, Sean. He''s just going to be stuck in his own head for a little bit."

    Sean laughed.

    I silently moved to get my helmet on too.

    Noah was first up to bat this inning and I was on deck. Standing just outside the dugout, I could hear Coach addressing the outfielders.

    "Did you guys see how Garret backed that play up?" He said. "Even though it wasn''t an outfield play, he still came running in on the off-chance the ball got by Noah. Ball, base, back-up. The three B''s of baseball are the basics. If you can''t get the ball, cover a base. If someone is covering that base, then back-up that play. This is how you play great defense."

    I was too busy listening to Coach and therefore didn''t pay attention to Noah''s at-bat. Noah came back with a sigh, having struck out swinging. "New pitcher. Man, I was really hoping for no strikeouts this tournament." He went back inside the dugout.

    I moved to the batter''s box slowly, knocking my bat against my cleats. New pitcher, huh? It''s not like the last guy was sucking. He only gave up those three runs in the first inning and one run in the third. It''s more of an offense problem for the opposing team.

    I stood in the batter''s box and waited to see what kind of pitches I would be dealt. Fastball outside for a ball. Fastball inside for a called strike. A curve ball out of the zone for ball two. A curve ball in the zone for a called strike. With a 2-2 count, I fouled off a couple of more pitches before aiming for the fastball. Found one and made good contact with the barrel of my bat, but didn''t pull it to left field like I''ve been doing. It was a line drive to right field.

    As I ran to first, I had a great view of the right fielder catching the ball before it could leave the field. Out. Me.

    I turned back and picked up my bat before going to the dugout. I glanced at Coach as I walked into the dugout, but he didn''t speak up. I went to my bag in silence.

    "He''s human!" Mitchell exclaimed, making the dugout laugh.

    I even cracked a smile.

    "Seriously, though." Sean grinned, sitting right between my bag and Mitchell. "I thought Jake would go through the whole tournament without getting an out."

    Noah wiggled his brows. "Maybe next tournament." He smiled at me and patted the bench. "Take a seat, Jake."

 Chapter 816 - V3 ch51 (VS Lowell HS 6)

    The guys near us didn''t have much time to roast me on getting out. Garret struck out to end the inning in such a short time. It''s been awhile since we''ve gone three up, three down. Especially the core of our lineup. First time today to end the fifth inning.

    Surprisingly, Coach didn''t say anything about our lack of offense. He walked out with us onto the field, heading for the umpire.

    I looked at Noah as we jogged to second base.

    "I heard him tell Tyler that he was done for the day." Noah explained. "Matt should be coming in."

    Not even ten seconds later, Matt was slowly coming out of the bullpen and started jogging to the mound. He met Coach and Mitchell at the mound, and was given the baseball.

    "Matt will close out the game." Noah said confidently.

    I gave a small nod. I thought so too. Matt has definitely improved from last year. Facing him a couple of times now, I could tell he has worked hard. Matt really lived up to our expectations and shut down the first three batters of the opposing team. All strikeouts.

    In the dugout, everyone bumped fists with Matt.

    "But can he do it again?" Dave asked.

    Noah laughed. "You''re just jealous because you didn''t have an inning like that."

    "I have many innings like that under my belt." Dave claimed proudly.

    "Just not today." Noah snickered.

    Dave had enough of his snide remarks and pulled him into a headlock without warning.

    "Let go of him." Coach commanded as he broke the two apart. He looked around the dugout. We had a pretty light atmosphere going with this potentially being our last chance to bat. "I get that you guys are happy where we are in the game, but things can change. Finish the game strong, you hear?"

    "Yes, Coach." Our dugout echoed.

    Jason would lead us off this half of the inning with Korrey and Jesse following him. Jason was 0-2 today, but had one RBI. He swung and miss on the first pitch.

    Coach raised his voice. "Eye on the ball, son. Your head is moving too much."

    Jason nodded towards our dugout. He fouled the next pitch for strike two. Fouled the third pitch. And the fourth.

    Noah nudged me. "I think he might get the first hit off this guy." Noah''s premonition came true before I had a reply.

    Jason got the ball over the infield and made it to first base. Korrey came up next, then came back just as quickly. He struck out swinging on three breaking balls.

    "You have to be a little more patient." Coach pulled Korrey aside for a more private conversation as Jesse came up to bat. Mitchell moved to the on deck circle.

    "Uhh...am I supposed to find a bat..?" Tyler asked with a nervous chuckle.

    The guys laughed.

    Garret got up and looked where Coach was talking to Korrey. He turned to Tyler. "Wait a second. If Jesse hits into a double play, Coach will probably want you to finish the game out."

    Jesse smacked a line drive to left-center field, finding wide open space. Jason had a good lead off first base; add that with Jesse''s great hit, and Mr. Miller waved him home. The relay throw came in from the center fielder to the shortstop, and from the shortstop to the catcher. Jason slid just under the tag, his hand brushing over home plate.

    "Safe!" The umpire declared. 5-0.

    Jesse stood safely on second base, taking in the cheers and claps from the parents that came. His first hit of the tournament came with an RBI and I''m sure he felt good about it.

    Jason came back to the dugout, giving out high-fives and fistbumps.

    "So..." Tyler glanced at Garret.

    Garret looked at Coach, who was done talking with Korrey. "Hey, Coach, do I need to loan Tyler a bat and helmet?"

    Coach looked down the dugout, eyes roaming until they stopped at a sophomore. "Porter. Get on deck."

    Logan jumped up and rummaged through his bag for his batting gear. Coach turned to the other pitching coach and told him to have Marshel start warming up. Another sophomore.

    "Looks like Coach is testing the kids." Tyler put on his sweatshirt and sat back down, knowing he wouldn''t have to go back out there.

    "Kids? You''re barely two years older than us." Noah rolled his eyes.

    The two went back and forth as Mitchell battled with the pitcher. He fouled off what he could, even though it looked pretty ugly. He pulled a pitch down the third baseline, within reach of the third baseman. However, the third baseman was distracted by Jesse''s running to third. The third baseman fumbled the baseball, losing the chance to get Jesse, so he threw it to first base. Overthrown. Jesse sprinted home and the score went 6-0.

    Mitchell grinned from first base. Even though it wasn''t an official hit due to the third baseman''s error, there was no reason to be upset. We''re winning.

    Logan moved to the batter''s box. Sean to the on deck circle. Noah put his helmet on and I got mine out. Logan swung and connected on the very first pitch, hitting it to the shortstop. The opposing team was able to turn the double play and get out of the inning before we could get back to the top of our lineup.

    Noah and I put our helmets away.

    Everyone grabbed their gloves and hit the field. Coach came out to announce another pitcher change. Marshel came running in from the bullpen, showing excitement.

    "Chill." Noah mumbled. "Don''t tire yourself out before you even get to the mound."

    My lips twitched. "What happened to cheering for your teammates?"

    Noah shrugged. "I wasn''t necessarily against him. It''s not like he heard me."

    Coach spoke with Marshel on the mound until Mitchell came out of the dugout with his catcher''s gear on. He came to the mound for a short chat before Coach headed back to the dugout. Mitchell went to his position, allowing Marshel to throw some practice pitches off the mound. Marshel looked sharp, steadily throwing in the zone.

    His first opponent was the cleanup hitter, who was 1-2 for the game. The cleanup hitter came out swinging, hitting a hard grounder towards Noah. Noah had to backhand the ball, then threw across his body to beat the runner to first.

    "Out."

    I clapped for Noah''s good play. He nodded at me and got back into position. Two more outs to go.

    The fifth batter got in the box and Marshel got set.

    Marshel threw another fastball in the zone. The batter made perfect contact, pulling a line drive to the left, right between Jason and Noah. Noah laid out to make the catch, landing in the dirt with the baseball in his glove.

    "Out."

    Our friends and family cheered as Noah got up and threw the ball to Marshel. Marshel had pursed lips, and didn''t give Noah much acknowledgement.

    Noah didn''t seem to mind. He just dusted himself off and got back into position again.

    Marshel took on the sixth batter, cornering him after a couple of foul balls. I really thought the batter was going to be able to put the ball into play, but Marshel switched things up, throwing a great curve ball that the batter completely missed.

    "Out! Game!"

 Chapter 817 - V3 ch52

    We didn''t have a whole lot of time to celebrate the win on the field. There were still games after us so we merely high-fived and hurried to the dugout to pack up. Coach didn''t let us run free; instead he took us off to the side of the field and waited for all of us to gather.

    I sat next to Noah as we took our cleats off. Our teammates were doing the same while talking about the game and what the next game might be like. The assistant coaches hung out behind us as Coach got in front to address the team.

    "I''m happy with the way the game went. We got a nice solid win and it might just allow us to move on to the semifinals tomorrow." Coach said. "But to secure that advancement, we need to win this afternoon." He looked at Kyle. "I''ve got someone watching the Balboa game as we speak. We''ll go over the game plan after lunch."

    Kyle nodded.

    Coach looked around and found me. "I believe Jake has lunch plans for the whole team. Jake? Want to tell the team yourself?"

    I froze.

    Noah nudged me.

    I cleared my throat and tried not to look around too much. "Jeremy said he wanted to treat the whole team to lunch. If you guys don''t mind..."

    Garret was the first to laugh. "Why would anyone mind? A free lunch on the reigning MVP? We''re living the dream!" He looked around. "If anyone needs a ride, I can take four extra."

    "What about our parents..?" Logan asked, looking at me directly.

    "Parents are included." Coach spoke up to answer him. "I''ll be sending out a group text message to all of you with the address in a few minutes. Players and families are invited."

    We finished packing up and started to get up to find our families. I followed Noah and the twins, finding Mom and Dad with Rhys and Zeke. No Jeremy.

    "Jeremy and Rose got a head start to the restaurant." Dad caught me looking around. "It''s not too far from the fields. We should get going too, that way we show up before the team. I don''t want to put Jeremy in an awkward spot, meeting your teammates and their families on his own."

    "Why? It''s just like meeting his fans." Noah shrugged.

    "I''m sure Jeremy could handle it." Rhys said in agreement.

    "He probably doesn''t want it to be all about him." Zeke shrugged, hands in his pockets. "He wants to treat the team to lunch for Jake''s sake. Not to do an impromptu meet and greet."

    Regardless of what we thought, Dad still rushed us to the restaurant, dividing us into two cars. The twins got to go with Zeke and Rhys, while Noah and I went with our parents.

    "You both had very nice hits today." Mom said from the front passenger seat. "And those catches! What reflexes you must have to snatch those line drives out of the air."

    "I just got lucky." I said shyly.

    Noah laughed. "Would you say that about my hit too, then? That I just got lucky?" He slapped my lightly on the arm. "C''mon, you have to own up to your accomplishments, not just your mistakes."

    "I saw nothing wrong with the way you boys played." Mom volunteered. "It was a great game. A complete shutout for the other team."

    Mom had compliments for our game all the way to the restaurant. With her and Noah going back and forth, it was hard to refute their statements. No one would blame me for my error, or even let me talk about it. It was probably for the best, not to dwell on it.

    We met back with the other four boys at the restaurant and walked in on a nearly empty place.

    "Watsonville High School baseball team?" A lady asked from behind the hostess counter.

    Dad nodded and looked around. "We should have two others already here? To make reservations for the whole group?"

    The lady grinned and nodded. "Yes, Jeremy Patterson reserved the whole restaurant for your team and families."

    "...the whole restaurant..?" Dad echoed.

    "Jake! Over here!" Jeremy waved from a near empty table, standing beside a sitting Rose.

    Noah pulled me along and we led the way back to Jeremy''s table.

    "Great game." Jeremy held out his closed fist to bump with the three of us.

    Kyle declined. "I''ll save my congratulations for after the game I pitch in. It''s weird to hear ''good game'' when I didn''t even get to go out there."

    "You''re thinking too much of yourself." Rhys told Kyle. "It''s a team thing. There are a bunch of bench players but they should still be congratulated on a win. They put it the same amount practice as the starters."

    Rhys and the twins sat down one table over and started talking about how pitchers differ from bench players. Zeke, Mom, Dad, Noah, and I all sat with Jeremy and Rose, filling up the table. Slowly, the team started to trickled in. Coaches, players, and the families who were there to watched the games. Everyone stopped by our table first to greet and thank Jeremy for treating us to lunch. It was hard to get a word in while the parents all wanted to talk. It wasn''t until everyone found a table to sit at the servers started to bring glasses of water around.

    "I figured all the players will be restricted to water." Jeremy stood up and addressed the room. "Parents, coaches, and any non-players can order any drinks you guys want."

    "I can''t even get a lemonade?" Noah joked.

    Jeremy laughed. "You have a slice of lemon in your water. That is good enough." He sat back down and smiled at me. "I caught your homer in the first inning; do you think I can get an autograph?"

    I felt my face heat up.

    "It''s just one of many." Noah clapped me on the back. "Better get used to it. It''s like how you doc.u.ment your broken bats now. Jeremy or you can write the date of the game and that he was able to catch it. It''d be cool."

    "Want me to go get it from the car?" Rose asked.

    "Nah, it can wait until after lunch." Jeremy relaxed in his chair and picked up the menu. "You guys have time until your next game so order what you want."

    "Dessert for lunch!" Noah exclaimed, bouncing in his seat.

    "Noah James." Mom said sternly.

    "Kidding, kidding." Noah calmed down.

    The restaurant had servers for every table, going around taking orders. Being the huge group we are, no one mind the order the food came out. Whoever''s food was ready first, got to eat first. A lot of the players sat together or moved around to talk to other teammates. Noah was the most social, getting up and talking to almost everyone. The twins, Garret, Mitchell, Jason, Sean, etc.

    I stayed in my own seat, mostly listening to the conversation around me. Mom and Rose were talking about the housing market, whereas Dad, Jeremy, and Zeke talked about Zeke''s first semester at college. I really felt comfortable. And happy. My two families were blending quite well.

 Chapter 818 - V3 ch53 (VS Balboa HS 1)

    "Alright, now that everyone has had their fill," Coach stood up in the center of the tables so all of us could hear him. "Let''s talk about the upcoming game. Balboa High School is well known for their baseball program, winning their conference for the last two years. They''ve won both of their first two games like us, but have a higher run differential so we need the win."

    "Don''t hold me to 50 pitches, Coach." Kyle straightened up in his seat. "Let me take them on."

    Coach studied Kyle''s face for a long second before nodding. "Alright. You have the mound until I think it''s unsuitable for you to go on. We still have a few pitchers in the bullpen at our disposal so don''t think you have to get us through all seven innings."

    Kyle nodded; not giving any attitude for once.

    Coach looked around at everyone. "Game is at 4pm. I want us all to meet up at the field at 2:45pm to get dress and start our warmups off to the side. There won''t be a whole lot of room to work with, so make sure you stay loose." He spoke a little more before dismissing us. He went back to his group of coaches and they left the restaurant together.

    Jeremy turned to me. "Want to follow me to the car?"

    I shrugged and nodded at the same time.

    Jeremy turned to Dad. "Hey Wayne, Jake and I will be in the parking lot. You guys take your time. I already gave the manager my card."

    Wayne glanced between the both of us and nodded. "Sure. We''ll be out eventually."

    I followed Jeremy out to the parking lot, giving head nods to my teammates that I passed or that were leaving at the same time. Jeremy took me to his black suv, opened the driver''s door, and leaned in. He found what he was looking for, pulling out a baseball and a pen. "Here ya go."

    I was handed the two items and stared at it blankly. "What should I do?"

    "Sign your name, of course!" Jeremy laughed. He reached out and took my hat off my head. He swung the cap around in circles using his index finger.

    I did my best to hold the ball steady in one hand and signing my name with the other. I finished my first name, then paused.

    "Finished?" He asked.

    I shook my head. "No. Just trying to think how to sign my new last name. It''s my first time."

    Jeremy stopped what he was doing. "Oh." He paused for a second. "Do you want to practice..?"

    I clicked the pen a couple of times. "Nah...I think I''ll just give it a try." I looked up at him. "Will it bother you if I mess up?"

    He chuckled. "Not at all. In fact, it would make me feel better about my first autograph. I was so nervous and surprised that I nearly spelt my own name wrong."

    Wow. I looked up at him, not completely believing him. "You were surprised?"

    He gave a small shrug. "Well, yea. Training and practicing with every spare second; it''s not like I remembered the fans aspect of the game. You can still see it now...how I''m not always sure what to do or say to fans."

    I shook my head. "I don''t see it."

    He laughed again. "Thanks. Makes me feel like I''ve been improving then."

    I signed the ball and gave it back to him, eyeing my new name. Jake Atkins. It didn''t stand out or anything, but it made me feel good inside. No more ties with the woman who gave me birth. Jeremy and I had seemed to move on from her for good. She was put away and neither of us had plans to visit her anymore. The only hiccup was...Uncle Jack...and his family.

    I glanced down, looking at my feet, feeling unsure of how to ask Jeremy about them. "What are your plans for Christmas?"

    Jeremy didn''t answer me right away.

    I looked up and found him looking unsure.

    "I wanted to talk to you about that." He scratched his cheek lightly.

    Oh. I waited.

    "Rose and I are definitely going to stay with her family on the day of Christmas." He stated firmly. I nodded, understanding his decision. "But for Christmas Eve, I-I mean we-Rose and I, are going to visit my...family."

    I raised both eyebrows in shock.

    "Not focusing on Uncle Jack, but our cousins. Even Aunt Ilene. And her family." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I don''t know how to explain it to you, but I can''t just cut ties with all of them just because of Jack. Aunt Ilene still raised me. Carson, Gabby, and Makenna were raised as my siblings. I have a lot of ties with them and-"

    "You don''t have to explain yourself to me." I finally caught up to what he was saying and jumped in to assure him that I would be fine.

    "I do though." He told me. "I want you to know where I''m coming from. That I''m not on his side, nor am I forgiving him. Heck, I don''t even want to talk to him yet. I just-" He paused. "I just don''t want to give up all my family. All my memories. All my childhood."

    I tried my best to channel my inner Dr. Moore. What would he say to Jeremy? Unfortunately, I''m not Dr. Moore. I''m just a teenager. I shrugged. "It''s okay, Jeremy. I won''t be upset with you."

    "Rose and I will come visit you next weekend." He stated like it was already planned.

    "Okay."

    The conversation fell a little flat.

    "Any special requests for Christmas?" He suddenly asked.

    I slowly shook my head. I didn''t need anything. Then it hit me. Christmas isn''t just about receiving gifts. It''s about giving too. And I haven''t gotten anyone anything. I looked up at Jeremy, feeling a little eager. "What would you want for Christmas?"

    He grinned. "Hey, if you''re not helping me, then I''m not helping you. Guess we''ll both be going into this blindly." He nudged me. "Willing to share what might make you happy?"

    I shrugged, helpless.

    "Jake!" Noah''s shout could be heard across the parking lot. He stood with the rest of the Atkins and team, waving at me.

    I lifted my hand to wave back. "Guess lunch is officially over." I looked up at Jeremy. "Thanks for doing this. It was pretty special."

    Jeremy pushed down the bill of my cap. "This is nothing. Every team should have bonding meals like this every so often. Really builds chemistry within the team. Makes you feel more like friends."

    My lips twitched. I wouldn''t go that far. Some of the guys are not people I want to be friends with. At the very least, they don''t want to be friends with me.

    We split up in different cars again and headed back to the fields. We killed time by throwing the ball around, watching other teams in other brackets play, and just sitting around. Jeremy and Rose couldn''t be with us for fear of being a distraction, but they promised to be back for game time. Mom and Dad spent their time talking with the other parents that could make the trip, coming up with plans for tomorrow''s potential game.

 Chapter 819 - V3 ch54 (VS Balboa HS 2)

    Game three of the tournament.

    "Win here and we are automatically put into the semis." Coach reminded us as we put on our cleats. The time had come for us to prepare to warmup again as the other game before us came to an end. "Kyle will get the start, but I want the bullpen to pay attention to the pace of game. Even though Kyle is one of our best pitchers, you have to be prepared for anything."

    Coach then announced the lineup.

    1 1B Sean Isner

    2 SS Noah Atkins

    3 2B Jake Atkins

    4 LF Jesse Shipman

    5 CF Garret Knudsen

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 RF Korrey Alvarrez

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Kyle Atkins

    We warmed up off to the side until the game finished, then we moved our gear and equipment to the third base dugout. We were going to bat second and take the field first.

    "Do you guys think it''s strange that Coach put Jesse between Jake and Garret?" Jason asked me and Noah as the three of us stood near second base, practicing some fielding with Sean at first.

    Noah shook his head. "Not too weird. Coach likes to keep up with the changes. Jesse had a good double in the first game. Now, it would be weird if Coach kept him there for multiple games."

    Jason looked at me. "What do you think?"

    I shrugged. I''m not thinking about it at all.

    "Why do you even care?" Noah asked Jason. He smirked. "Is it because you got pushed down a spot in the lineup?"

    Jason rolled his eyes. "I just feel like Garret batting behind Jake is the best option. If Jake gets walked, we have another valued hitter coming up right after."

    Noah gave him a slap on the back. "Worry about yourself. It''s not like we can change Coach''s mind. It''s already set."

    "Yea, I guess so."

    Baseballs were thrown back towards the dugout as Kyle finished his warmup pitches on the mound. Mitchell did a check throw to me at second and I pretended to tag the imaginary runner. I tossed the ball to Jason and he threw it to Noah.

    Noah lightly underhanded the ball back to Kyle on the mound. "You''ve got this, Ky."

    Kyle nodded and we all got set in our positions. Kyle came out strong and fast, getting the first batter of the game to strike out, swinging.

    "Yes!"

    "That''s it!"

    "Great pitch!"

    The crowd clapped and complimented Kyle''s first strikeout of the game. For the most part. I could hear a few dad''s that were clearly from the other team.

    "You have to watch the ball all the way through."

    "You''re moving your head too much."

    The first batter went back to his dugout, not paying any attention to those in the stand.

    I scanned the bleachers, finding my family just a few rows behind our dugout. Jeremy and Rose were sitting in between Mom and Dad. Zeke and Rhys sat in front of them, nearly blocking my view of Jeremy.

    The second batter connected on Kyle''s third pitch, hitting a hard grounder between me and Sean. Sean made the diving grab, then turned to throw it to Kyle, who was sprinting over to cover first base as I tried to back up the play. Kyle beat the runner to the bag for the second out.

    I went back to my position as did Sean and Kyle. Kyle took an extra second on the mound to gather himself as the next batter got set in the batter''s box. The third batter swung and made contact on the very first pitch, hitting a grounder to Noah at short. Noah handled it with ease, throwing him out at first. We went to the dugout with smiles, happy with the nice start.

    "Only ten pitches." Alisha was telling Kyle when we got in. He must have asked for the pitch count as soon as he got in the dugout.

    "You need to ask Alisha for that?" Noah scoffed. "Learn to count yourself. Plus, why would it matter? Didn''t you say you wanted to pitch the whole game?"

    Kyle stood tall. "There''s nothing wrong with me checking in. Alisha''s keeping up with the stats so I should just ask her. It''s more reliable. I have to put my whole focus on pitching." He grinned.

    Noah ignored him and went to his bag, taking off his hat to put on his helmet. I was doing the same. We both would get to bat in this first inning. Noah tugged on his batting gloves, tightening them before picking up his bat and heading for the dugout entrance. I trailed after him, only to stop just before exiting.

    Sean was already out there, taking practice swings as the opposing pitcher did his light warmup. Sean checked with Mr. Miller before stepping into the batter''s box. Mr. Miller gave him a mix of signs, but basically he had the freedom to do what he wanted. And what Sean wanted to do was swing at the first pitch, which was slightly high above the zone. Sean was able to get it to the outfield for a bloop single to start our offense. The guys in the dugout clapped and shook the fence to make some noise.

    Noah moved to the batter''s box and I went out to the on deck circle. With a runner on, no outs, Noah was given different instructions. Be patient.

    Turned out to be a good decision as the pitcher was a little wild. He threw two fastballs high, out of the zone. Then one way outside. Then one in the dirt. Noah tossed his bat back towards our dugout and jogged to first.

    I went up as a lefty, checking with Mr. Miller too. His only signal was for runners to go on contact. I''ve always had freedom to choose what to do. But now, I felt a little more responsibility with Zeke gone. I have to do my best to drive in some runs. Simply getting on base just isn''t enough anymore.

    Too bad this pitcher was having a bad start. He threw another high fastball. The catcher went up and spoke to him for a minute before coming back. Whatever he said wasn''t helpful because he was still throwing outside of the zone. On a 3-0 count, I got lucky and saw a hittable pitch within reach. I wouldn''t be able to knock it out of the park, but a good hit to the outfield would do.

    I smacked the ball right up the middle, bouncing to the center fielder. Sean and Noah were both well on their way as I ran to first. Sean made it home under the tag and Noah slid into third safely. 1-0. Runners at the corners. And still no outs.

    "Good decision." Coach Luis patted me on the shoulder, giving a head nod as well.

    Unsurprisingly, the opposing team''s coach came out to speak with the pitcher and the entire infield.

    "Although he was wild, his coach is probably telling him to start throwing down the middle." Coach Luis told me. "You''re gonna have to be able to run on contact. You''ll get some leeway on the lead off with Noah on third, but be aware."

    I nodded along, accepting his advice willingly. Coach Luis knew a lot when it came to the game. I''m not a great baserunner like Noah, but I wasn''t the slowest on the team either. It would be ideal for our team to score some more while we''re in such a position.

 Chapter 820 - V3 ch55 (VS Balboa HS 3)

    The opposing team left their wild pitcher in, and like Coach Luis had predicted, he started to throw right down the middle. Jesse took one for a called strike. Mr. Miller gave the sign for him to swing and for us runners to go on a grounder, but watch for fly balls. The second pitch was outside, but Jesse reached for it, getting the ball with the end of his bat, sending it down the first baseline.

    I took off sprinting for second. I watched the shortstop guarding second, trying to figure out if I would need to slide. He looked set for making a catch so I made a dive for the bag, hugging it like an idiot. Then I felt a tap on my backside. They were holding a tag on me so I didn''t dare move until the ump granted me a time out.

    Taking my time to dust off, I looked around to figure out what was the outcome. Noah had scored and Jesse was out. 2-0. Not a bad result at all. Garret came up with only one out and me in scoring position.

    The opposing coach came out again, signaling the end of this pitcher''s performance. He sent the pitcher back to their dugout and waited for the new pitcher to come in from the bullpen. As they let the pitcher throw some pitches off the mound, Mr. Miller waved for me to join him at third base.

    I jogged over, still slapping some dirt off my uniform.

    "Great hustle." Mr. Miller told me, putting his arm around my shoulders and leaning in to speak in low tones. The infielders were gathered near the mound speaking to one another, but they were still close enough that we had to whisper in order not to be overheard.

    "Garret will swing freely, but you need to be careful of fly balls." Mr. Miller instructed. "If it''s far enough, tag up and get to third. If it''s a hit, then look at me for the decision on whether to head for home plate or not."

    "And if it''s another grounder?" I asked.

    "As long as you don''t run into the infielder who''s fielding then you should be fine." Mr. Miller said. "Don''t worry about taking too much of a lead off second; do what makes you comfortable."

    I glanced up at him with a small smirk. "Uh, I feel comfortable being completely on the bag."

    Mr. Miller slapped the top of my helmet and laughed. "I think you''ve been hanging with Noah too much. Trying to get smart with me? Get real." He gave me a small scolding until it was time for me to go back to second base.

    The new pitcher started to pitch to Garret, aiming for good spots in the zone. Not nearly as wild as the starter. Garret watched one for a called strike, then fouled the second for strike two. He was cornered. The third pitch was low and away for ball one. The fourth pitch broke inside, but Garret had already started his swing and was able to pull it to right field.

    I kept my heel on second as I watched the right fielder track down the fly ball to the fence.

    "Go!" Multiple people yelled out as soon as the right fielder made the catch.

    I sprinted to third, eyes on Mr. Miller. He gave the signal for staying up which made me relieved. I hated to slide more than anything.

    Jason was up next. I took a small lead off third, always making sure I was closer to the bag than the third baseman was. Since the pitcher was a righty, and had a perfect view of me, I felt a little stiff. I didn''t want to make a mistake.

    Jason was able to foul off two pitches back to back, but was caught looking at strike three. We went back to the dugout together with our 2-0 lead.

    "Ugh." Jason grunted. "I can''t believe the guy threw a strike on the 0-2 count. Isn''t it like an unspoken rule for pitchers not to throw a strike in the zone?"

    Kyle outright laughed as he passed us on his way out. "That''s for traditionalists. If I think I can get you on three, then that''s what I''m trying for."

    "Yea, but you also like to show off." Jason sighed.

    "As a batter, when you''re cornered like that, you have to defend the plate no matter what." Coach took over, sending Kyle to the mound with his eyes. He looked back at us as we traded our helmets for hats. "I would rather have you striking out with a swing instead of a look. I''m not saying to swing at just anything, but make sure it''s close. If he gets a generous call then that''s fine. But that last pitch right there was good."

    Jason sighed. "I know. There won''t be a next time." He left the dugout.

    Coach looked at me. "You did well."

    "But?" I asked.

    He laughed. "No buts. Not for now. You keep your head in the game." He sent me out of the dugout too.

    Kyle started the top of the second inning against their cleanup hitter. Kyle threw his fastball outside, but the righty pulled it to left field. Jesse came sprinting in, making the catch, and threw the ball back to the infield. The fifth batter also pulled the ball, but it was a grounder instead. Jason fielded it perfectly, making a nice solid throw to Sean at first to beat the runner.

    The sixth batter was the one to get one through the middle, earning a single. Kyle bounced back by striking out the next guy on three pitches to end the inning.

    "These guys really like to swing." Mitchell mumbled inside the dugout, taking off his gear to get ready for his at-bat.

    "Definitely speeds up the game." Kyle nodded in agreement. He glanced at Alisha.

    "You''re at nineteen!" Alisha answered the unspoken question.

    "And that''s with a strikeout." Kyle took off his hat and put on a helmet. "Nine pitches against four batters. Three pitches to one, and the rest are averaging two."

    "More balls that get put into play, the more likely they''ll land for hits." Mitchell muttered, putting his helmet on and grabbing his bat.

    Kyle gave him a hard slap on the back. "Hits are bound to happen. Stay steady and guard the plate."

    Mitchell nodded stiffly and headed for the on deck circle.

    "You think he''s under a little too much pressure?" I asked Noah as we sat down and drank some water.

    "Who? Mitchell?" Noah questioned.

    I nodded. "He sounded out of sorts..? Or maybe a little tense?"

    Noah shrugged. "Probably, but that''s not necessarily a bad thing. Diamonds are formed under pressure after all." He chuckled. "He''s probably been thinking too much. It''s his third game catching behind the plate under 24 hours."

    Korrey got jammed, hitting a pop fly just foul of the first baseline for the first baseman to catch, bringing up Mitchell next. Mitchell''s at-bat was noticeably slower than Korrey''s. He pushed the pitcher to a full count, even fouling off a few extra pitches before getting a single to center field.

    Noah grinned at me. "See? A diamond."

    It was impossible not to smile back.

 Chapter 821 - V3 ch56 (VS Balboa HS 4)

    Kyle strolled up to the plate and glanced at Mr. Miller for the sign. Mr. Miller surprised all of us, by asking for a bunt.

    "Has Kyle been practicing his bunts?" Garret came over to ask us.

    I stared at him blankly before turning to Noah. Noah was expressionless.

    Garret chuckled. "Well, at least, he looks confident."

    That was true. Kyle stood in the batter''s box, totally prepared to swing. On the very first pitch, he dropped his bat and got into bunting position, just as the ball came out of the pitcher''s hand. The first and third bas.e.m.e.n came sprinting in. Mitchell was already taking off for second base. Kyle connected, pushing it down the third baseline. The third baseman made a barehand play, throwing the ball to the second baseman who was covering first. Out.

    But Mitchell was safe at second. A successful sacrifice bunt. Kyle came back to the dugout with his head held high.

    Noah, who had his helmet on and bat in hand, rolled his eyes as he passed him. He went out to the on deck circle as Sean moved to the batter''s box.

    "Not bad at all!" Garret congratulated Kyle.

    I put my helmet on and grabbed my bat just in time for Garret to grab me by the shoulders. "Be honest, you''ve been giving him lessons."

    I shook my head. "I really haven''t."

    Kyle was putting his helmet away. "Feeling threaten, Garret?" He chuckled. "You won''t be the only pitcher that''s good at the plate."

    Garret let me go so I could stand in the hole. "Pshh. You''re so far down the list of pitchers who can do well in the box. I''m obviously first. Then Bryce. Brian. Joey. Dave."

    "Dave isn''t better at hitting than I am." Kyle rebuked.

    "Remind me again, which twin has a hit in this tournament?" Garret smirked.

    Kyle let out a curse before replying. "I''ve only had one at-bat. Just wait."

    Sean earned a walk. Noah went up next and I moved to the on deck circle. Nothing came of the runners on bases this inning though. Noah got jammed on an inside pitch and hit a slow roller back to the pitcher. He fielded the routine grounder to end the inning.

    Top of the third, Kyle started with the eighth batter in the lineup, getting him to strike out on a foul tip. The ninth batter, which I recognized as the pitcher, made Kyle work the hardest, throwing more pitches than any other at-bat. To make it worse, he ended up getting a single off of Kyle.

    Back to the top of the lineup we go. Kyle stunned the first batter, catching him looking at strike three. Second strikeout of the inning, and fourth of the game. The next batter hit a solid line drive to right-center field, and the baserunner from first made it all the way to third on his single. With baserunners at the corners, two outs, Kyle got the third batter in the lineup to hit a routine grounder to Noah at short. Third out. We headed back to our own dugout.

    "Do you really want to know?" Alisha asked Kyle as soon as he got in the dugout.

    Kyle waved her away. "Forget about it. No need to worry about my pitch count."

    He had thrown too many pitches this inning. No one cracked any jokes this time around. Kyle wasn''t doing bad, but he wasn''t looking all that great either.

    I hurried to switch out my hat for a helmet and left the dugout with my bat in hand. I would start our offense for the bottom of the third inning. Jesse and Garret would follow.

    Seeing how the pitcher wanted to face me head on, I felt good about aiming for the fences. I fouled off a few breaking balls until he came at me with his fastball. From the righty''s box, I pulled the ball to the left corner field. The left fielder started to chase it down and I started to run the bases, only slowing down when I saw that the ball was gone. 3-0.

    Jesse was waiting for me at home plate, lightly clapping me on the shoulder after I tagged the plate. I nodded at him, smiling just a little bit. Garret was in the on deck circle already after putting my bat in the dugout. He grinned and held out his closed fist. I bumped it and went in the dugout to accept more congratulatory comments.

    "Awesome!" Noah slapped my back as I took off my helmet and put it away with my bat. "You''re crushing it. Seeing you in action makes me super impatient for the season to start."

    I smiled, happy with the way my hitting was going too.

    "Jake''s going to crush any and all batting records the school may have had thanks to Zeke." Sean laughed. "At least you''re keeping it in the family."

    I blushed.

    Noah and Sean talked a little more about what records Zeke might have left behind and some that he couldn''t break while he was on varsity. Our offense was limited to my solo shot to left field. Jesse hit a grounder to the pitcher, similar to Noah''s from last inning. Garret made great contact, hitting a fly ball to right field, but it didn''t have enough under it. The right fielder made the catch at the warning track. Jason followed that up with his own fly ball to right field for a bloop single. Korrey ended the inning with a grounder to their second baseman.

    Top of the fourth. Kyle started with the cleanup hitter. The batter pulled a hard grounder down the third baseline. Jason was thankfully there, and made a great throw to first. It was a close call that went in our direction for the first out. The next batter was able to hit a line drive above Jason''s reach, earning a double. The fourth hit Kyle''s given up so far.

    Kyle wasn''t too fazed, and was able to get the next guy to strike out, swinging. The following batter hit a long fly ball to center field. Garret chased it back and had to make a jump for it. He bounced off the fence, still holding the ball. The third out of the inning.

    There was a mix of cheers and groans from the stands. The game was still close and that could have been a run scored for the other team if Garret couldn''t make that play.

    "You got caught a little out of position." Coach said to Garret, pulling him aside as soon as he got back into the dugout.

    "I know." Garret nodded, understanding Coach immediately. "I need to work on my positioning in center field."

    Coach frowned, thinking. "We could always move you back to left field and have one of the others take over."

    Garret waved his glove, shaking his head. "No, I''ve got this. I just need to practice some more."

    Bottom of the fourth, our offense came up empty. Mitchell popped out to the second baseman, Kyle struck out looking, and Sean struck out swinging. Three up, three down. Top of the fifth we go.

 Chapter 822 - V3 ch57 (VS Balboa HS 5)

    Kyle took the mound, facing the bottom of their lineup again. It followed a similar pattern too. The eighth batter struck out swinging and the pitcher, batting ninth, hit another single. Kyle was back up against the top of the lineup again for the third time. The leadoff batter had struck out the previous two times, but was able to pull a bloop single to right field for a single this time.

    Runners on first and second, one out. Kyle must have been overcompensating, because for the first time this game, he walked a batter to load the bases. He was still throwing fast but it was getting wild.

    The third batter in the lineup had a generous 3-1 count before connecting on one of Kyle''s fastballs. An RBI single to right field, bases still loaded, score became 3-1.

    Mitchell asked the ump for ''time'' then headed for the mound. I glanced at Noah and he was headed there too. Noah waved all of us infielders in towards the mound. Sean, Jason, and myself all jogged up to join Kyle on the mound.

    "You''re losing control." Noah told Kyle bluntly after noticing that Mitchell didn''t say anything.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "No shit Sherlock. I''m out of rhythm." He rolled his shoulders back and forth.

    Mitchell spoke into his glove, keeping his voice down. "We can get out of this. Just keep the ball low, but try not to throw in the dirt."

    Kyle nodded.

    "Just keep in mind that these guys are good too." Noah spoke up. "So don''t get down on yourself. Channel your inner Dave and be arrogant for no reason."

    That drew a laugh from Kyle. "Okay, I know. Don''t worry, I''m fine. You all just be ready to stop any grounders."

    We broke up the meeting on the mound before the ump reached us. With everyone back in their positions, Kyle had to face the cleanup hitter. He checked the runner on third.

    Noah and I were both closer to second, eyeing that chance at a double play. Jason was close to third while Sean stood more off of first to watch for grounders too. Definitely some gaps.

    Kyle kept his pitches low as planned. The count was 1-2 when the batter made contact, hitting a grounder to my left, out of Sean''s reach. Although I was close to second base, I was playing back so I had the chance to cut off the grounder before it reached the outfield grass. It happened in milliseconds.

    I got the baseball, sliding in the dirt, then I completely turned to throw the ball back to Noah at second, barely beating the runner to second. Or so I thought.

    "Safe!" The umpire closest to the bag declared.

    Noah didn''t hesitate to throw to first, getting the batter out, hoping to complete the double play. A double play that went down the drain.

    The runner from third scored, making the score 3-2. The runner from second stayed on third as Sean walked the ball back to Kyle on the mound.

    "You think he''s safe?" Noah asked the nearby umpire to repeat himself.

    I couldn''t hear what the umpire said to Noah for a few reasons. I was too far. They were too quiet. And the crowd was getting loud because of how close the game was. One run difference.

    Coach came out of the dugout to talk to the home plate umpire. The other umpires went to join him. Including the guy who called the runner safe at second.

    Us infielders gathered just behind the mound.

    Sean put his arm around my shoulders and leaned down to whisper. "That ump must be blind. I can''t believe he called the dude safe. You had him beat."

    I looked to Noah. "Do you think he can change his mind?"

    Noah let out a short laugh. "No. Unfortunately this isn''t the big leagues. There are no replays and challenges in high school ball."

    Jason cursed under his breath. "Hopefully he doesn''t blow any more close calls. Kyle needs to get this next guy out."

    Coach quit his conversation with the umpire and headed for the mound. Mitchell was trailing after him. We got closer too, standing around Kyle and Coach.

    Coach shielded his mouth with his hand. "It''s a tough break, but put it behind you guys." He looked at Noah. "Face this batter, but don''t be afraid to walk him. You know what I mean?"

    I looked at Noah, not knowing what Coach meant. Maybe it''s a pitcher thing? But normally, Coach hates walks. He likes to say ''there''s no defense against walks'' all the time.

    Noah caught my questioning look and spoke up, looking at me. "Coach wants Kyle to throw at the hard spots in the strike zone. The borders. Try it out. But first base is open so he can walk the guy if it''s not working out."

    "We don''t want to intentionally walk him though." Coach added. "The player in the batter''s box now had a double off of Kyle so I don''t want him to face the batter head on."

    I nodded slowly, then glanced up at Kyle.

    He caught me looking at him and pushed my baseball cap down over my eyes. "Don''t worry. We won''t lose the lead here. With you and Noah guarding the middle, I can rest easy that I won''t be giving up anymore hits."

    My hands started to sweat. I took my glove off so I can dry my hands on my pants.

    "Now you''ve done it." Noah scolded Kyle. "Can you try not to put anymore pressure on Jake?"

    Sean laughed. "No kidding. There''s a reason we call him Bambi."

    Coach gave me a small slap on the back. "You already made one great play, have some confidence."

    Somehow this meeting on the mound became a pep talk for me?

    Coach left for the dugout and the rest of us got into position.

    "Jake." Noah called out to me.

    I glanced at him. Noah gestured for me to get closer to second base while he shifted more away. Jason was covering third since there was still a runner over there. Sean had more freedom to stand off of first since there was no one on his base.

    Kyle started his battle with the fifth batter. He kept his pitches low, getting the guy to swing and miss twice. 0-2. Kyle threw low and away. The batter had to reach to make contact. He the top part of the baseball, hitting a grounder my way. I charged the ball and made the play to first. My throw was a little off, but Sean recovered it nicely.

    "Out!"

    Finally. I sighed with relief.

    "We got out of that one." Noah clapped me on the shoulder as we jogged back to the dugout together.

    I nodded.

    "You made some great plays out there." Garret told me when he got back inside the dugout too. "That ump must be missing his glasses, because even I could see that the runner was out at second. Glad it didn''t land us in anymore trouble."

    Yea, it was a close one. A lot of baserunners for Kyle this last inning. I looked for him in the dugout, finding him and Mitchell talking to Coach. I wonder if he''s staying in or getting pulled.

 Chapter 823 - V3 ch58 (VS Balboa HS 6)

    I didn''t have time to eavesdrop or see what was going on. The bottom of the fifth started with Noah so I had to hurry to the on deck circle. My hurrying was insignificant though. The coach for the other team came out to tell the umpire of a pitching change so we had time.

    Noah backed off the plate and sauntered back my way. He didn''t say anything to me, and just watched the new pitcher throw some practice pitches off the mound. Noah was solely concentrating on him. I don''t know if it helped, but Noah was able to make contact on the first pitch, a high fastball. Noah had changed his swing and pulled the ball to left field.

    He started to run to first as the left fielder sprinted to get under the ball. The left fielder made the catch and Noah was out. Tsk. Great contact.

    Noah jogged back to the dugout and I moved to the batter''s box. The catcher stood standing, not squatting behind home plate. My eye twitched.

    The pitcher threw a ball way outside for an intentional ball one. Sure enough...

    I held back my sigh and tried to pump myself up. A free base. It''s still good for the team. I dropped my bat and jogged to first base. Coach Luis nodded at me.

    The new pitcher on the mound faced Jesse next, and was able to get him to strike out, swinging. Unexpectedly, Garret struck out in a similar fashion to end the inning. Garret only had a sacrifice fly from the first inning and that was it. No hits for him today.

    Top of the sixth, Coach let Kyle go back out on the mound. Whatever they talked about must not have too much of an impact on whether Kyle gets to keep pitching, because Coach didn''t even step out after Kyle gave up a single to start off the inning.

    The next batter hit a hard grounder between me and Sean. Sean reached it first, diving in the dirt. He jumped to his feet and threw the way he was facing: to Noah at second base.

    "Out."

    Noah threw to Kyle, who went to cover first.

    "Safe."

    Another failed attempt at a double play. At least this time was too close to call. Kyle went back to the mound and the batter got to stay on first.

    Sean paused by me as we were going back to our positions. "My bad. I should have let you gotten that."

    I shrugged. "I don''t think I can do any better than what you did. I would have probably just thrown to you at first." The runner had a good lead and I was facing the wrong way.

    Sean went to first base to hold the runner there while I moved back to the grass so I could cut off more angles.

    Kyle was facing the eighth batter in the lineup, who has struck out twice. And that''s probably why we let our guards down. On the very first pitch, the runner on first base took off.

    "Safe." The umpire declared.

    I glanced at the old man as I walked away from the collision. I had a small limp thanks to the player hitting into my ankle.

    Noah came over. "You good?"

    I shook my foot. "Yea. Just got me good." I lowered my voice. "Is this ump blind or what?"

    Noah pursed his lips and whispered back. "Don''t think too much about it. At least he''s not making the calls at home plate." He took the ball out of my glove and threw it to Kyle, who stepped off the rubber. "He''s fine."

    Kyle nodded and got back into position. As did we.

    Kyle continued his face off with the eighth batter, who ultimately hit a grounder to Noah at short. Noah checked the runner on second before throwing to Sean at first. The runner at second base stayed where he was.

    Two outs.

    The ninth batter was formally the pitcher, who had two singles, but now it was someone new. A pinch hitter. He blasted a ball to center field. Garret went back to the warning track and made a great catch to save our lead.

    "Only hurt for a second." I kicked out my foot and shook it for him to see. "Probably going to bruise."

    Coach frowned. "Let me see."

    We went to the bench and sat down. Coach checked my movements before pulling the sock down to take a look. Drew wasn''t here so Coach had to examine me himself or go get the tournament trainer.

    Coach looked me in the eye. "What do you think? Can you stay in the game? I don''t want to pull my best batter in such a close game."

    "It''s okay, really." I told him, pulling my sock back up.

    Coach gave me a small nod. "Alright. Don''t forget to ice it after the game."

    Bottom of the sixth, Jason grounded out to the first baseman. Korrey hit a single, but was stranded there because Mitchell hit a fly ball to center and Kyle struck out swinging. Since Coach let Kyle bat, he had the intention to let Kyle finish out this game.

    Top of the seventh and top of their batting order. Kyle still had the speed. He struck out the first batter, getting him to swing and miss at a high fastball. The next guy up singled to left field, but it was okay. Kyle struck out the third batter and then jammed the cleanup hitter to hit a pop fly to Noah.

    We won. I sighed with relief. 3-2. Closer than the first two games. Also the first time this tournament that we''ve given up runs.

    "Great game, boys." Coach nodded as he looked around. "You guys really pulled through when it mattered." He looked directly at Kyle. "Especially you. Giving up hits is part of the game, but as long as you keep your cool, you can get out of it. I''m satisfied with the result."

    "But..?" Noah prompted.

    Coach grinned. "But, I see a lot of practice in our future. This tournament was a great way to see some holes in our playing. Both defensively and offensively." He looked at me. "Ice the ankle and make sure to keep it elevated so it doesn''t swell."

    "I need ice too." Kyle bumped me. "Let''s go together."

    "I''ll send out a mass text for the team once we find out about tomorrow''s game." Coach said as we started to break up and pack up.

    "I''ll take the bags." Noah told me and Kyle. "You two don''t have to drag them around. Just go get your ice and I''ll catch up with Mom and Dad."

    Kyle grinned and patted Noah on the shoulder. "So obedient today."

    Noah swatted his hand away. "I can''t say I would do this if you had lost the game with your control issues."

    Kyle lost his smile real quick and rolled his eyes. "Brat." He threw his arm around my shoulders. "Let''s go Jake."

 Chapter 824 - V3 ch59 (Ice)

    Kyle guided me to the trainer''s tent, obviously knowing how to find it better than I. He also was the one to speak to the trainer for the both of us. "We just need a couple bags of ice." He said to the trainer who was bandaging an ankle of another baseball player.

    The trainer pointed to an ice machine that was plugged into an extension cord. "Fill up your own bags. Do you need me to saran wrap it to your body?"

    I looked up to Kyle.

    Kyle nodded. "Yea, I''ll need help, but I can help my brother." Kyle nodded towards the ice machine, taking me over.

    "Brothers on the same team? That''s pretty cool." The player who was getting his ankle wrapped remarked.

    Kyle''s lips twitched. "Yea, we get that a lot." He filled up a bag of ice and tied a knot before handing it to me. "Go sit."

    I obediently took the bag and sat down on an open chair as Kyle prepared another bag of ice.

    "There''s actually a team here that has quite a few brothers on it." The player kept talking. "I heard they won CIF last year. My high school isn''t in their bracket, but if they win this afternoon, we''ll play them tomorrow. I wonder if they all get to play at the same time." He chuckled. "Could you imagine half the players on the field being your family?"

    Kyle laughed with him. "Yea, yea I can." He set his bag of ice down and helped me lift my foot. "We should probably take your shoe off."

    I kicked my shoe off. Kyle placed the bag on the top part of my foot, letting the ice cover both the inside and outside of my ankle. He grabbed a clear roll of saran wrap and used it to keep the bag of ice stationary.

    The trainer finished with the player and came over to help Kyle wrap his bag of ice to his right shoulder.

    "A pitcher?" The player got up and started grabbing his bag. "How''d you do today?"

    Kyle gave a friendly smile. "Our team won." The ice was firmly attached to him.

    The player left the area first, giving a small wave. "Well, I have to get going. Good luck this season."

    What a friendly guy.

    I looked up at Kyle. "Why didn''t you say anything?"

    "I can walk." I held my shoe and started to show off my walking skills while having a bag of ice taped to me.

    Kyle caught up to me easily, but kept pace with me as we walked away from the trainer''s spot. We met up with everyone rather soon since Noah had pointed them to our direction. Noah had also given our bags away to Zeke and Rhys to carry.

    "Great game, Ky." Rhys told Kyle. "I was getting worried that you wouldn''t last all seven innings."

    "How''s the ankle?" Dad asked me. "Did you have the trainer look at it?"

    "I''m okay." I reassured him, dodging the question a little bit. "Did Jeremy and Rose go home already?"

    "He was stuck signing some autographs." Dave answered.

    "We''ll meet them for dinner." Mom told me. She also glanced down at my foot. "I don''t think you should be up on your feet with that ice bag. Let''s get you to the car and prop your leg up for a bit." She turned to Dad. "Can you carry him?"

    "I can do it!" Noah raised his hand.

    Zeke stepped in front of him, giving the baseball bag he was carrying back to Noah. "It''s best if I do it." He turned and squatted in front of me. "Jump up."

    "You played well." Zeke told me lightly as he maneuvered through the crowd of players and parents.

    I sighed. "Not that well."

    "Don''t dwell on it now." Zeke told me. "When this tournament finishes, we can use Christmas break to work on your fielding. Practice those double plays with Noah so the chemistry will be flawless."

    "Did you see the call that the ump missed?" I frowned.

    "Yea, that can happen. Hopefully he won''t be one of the umpires tomorrow." Zeke said. "I''m sure Coach will approach the tournament staff and say something about him." Zeke spoke more about the game until we got to the car. He opened the door and put me in the middle row, propping my leg up. "Ankle is okay?"

    I nodded. "Really. It''s just a little sore. Like knocking bone against bone."

    He frowned. "It''ll probably bruise, knowing you."

    I was helpless when it came to that. My body had a weak start. I was only starting to put on weight and muscle these past few months.

    "Coach says we''re playing at 2pm tomorrow." Noah climbed into the car and sat across from me. "Branham High School...never heard of them." He looked to Zeke.

    "Garret''s pitching tomorrow so I doubt it''s the ''same level''." Noah snorted. "Plus, we have Jake. Best hitter around."

    "The best in the state." Someone added. Just a few feet away from the car door was a familiar face.

    "Mr. Cameron!" Noah jumped back outside the car and went over to shake his hand. "What are you doing here?"

    "Covering high school baseball is my job." He laughed and held up his camera. "I took a few action shots today from the first game, but didn''t have the time to see you boys afterwards."

    "I just can''t believe how far you travel for your job." Noah remarked.

    Mr. Cameron laughed again. "You might feel like I travel a lot, only because I happen to be following you guys all the time. Everyone else can be settled with a short video or phone call. It''s the top players I have to report on." He looked at me. "How are you, Jake?"

    I gave a small nod. "Good."

    He glanced at the bag of ice wrapped to my ankle. "Got hurt?"

    I shook my head. "Just knocked legs with the other team in game two."

    Noah''s question attracted the rest of our group. Mom, Dad, Rhys, and the twins all came over and greeted Mr. Cameron.

    Mr. Cameron grinned and gave a nod. "I believe so. The county''s top players have been ranked already and I have it on good authority that Jake is in the top three. Those rankings have been sent to state so I''m looking forward to where Jake will land."

    My face got warm from all the attention directed my way.

 Chapter 825 - V3 ch60

    "What about me?" Kyle asked.

    "Yea, what about the rest of us?" Dave shoved Kyle away from the group.

    Mr. Cameron laughed. "The list should be out after the New Year. I don''t know everyone''s ranking, but I''ve heard Jake''s name thrown around a lot. With his batting average leading your league, and a few others, it''s hard not to put him in the top player prospects. Especially with the CIF win and rookie of the year award."

    "You''re fielding is probably holding you back from the number one spot." Noah told me honestly.

    I nodded in agreement.

    "And your ugly baserunning." Kyle joked.

    "Don''t forget your small size." Dave added. "They''ll hold that against you. For now. Once they see the homers you''re dealing out, I''m sure it''ll change."

    "I bet Garret is number one now that Zeke is graduated." Noah said thoughtfully. "If Jake is in the top three, then I''m sure a double threat like Garret has to be above him. He can hit and pitch."

    "His name is popular too." Mr. Cameron nodded. "I''m going to watch your game tomorrow because I want to interview him. He should be on the mound, correct?" We nodded. "Yea, I thought so with the way your Coach was holding down his pitch count despite the no-hitter he had going in game one. Tomorrow''s going to be a good game."

    "You know the other team?" Noah asked.

    "Sure do." He nodded. "They won their league last spring, but lost in the first round of CIF. They have good teams year in, year out."

    Mr. Cameron hung out with us for a little longer, talking about player rankings for the twins. They both had outstanding seasons last year and were trending upwards on the list for county, state, and nation.

    We stayed to the point where the ice had melted against my ankle. Same with Kyle. Noah helped me take the wrapping off and handed the bag of water to Kyle since he was taking his to a nearby trash can. We said our goodbyes to Mr. Cameron and headed back to the hotel. Jeremy had called Dad mid-conversation and made plans for dinner. He and Rose were just going to bring a bunch of takeout to our hotel.

    It wasn''t obvious at first, but during dinner, I noticed Noah being quiet. It''s not like he went totally silent, but more like a loss of enthusiasm. This was the same teen who wanted me to wake up super early this morning. It wasn''t hard for me to guess what was on his mind. Baseball. Always. But after meeting with Mr. Cameron and talking about player rankings, I''m guessing it was specifically about that.

    I didn''t know what to say or how to cheer him up, but luckily I wasn''t the only one to notice. After dinner, we went back to our respective rooms to shower and get ready for bed. When I exited the bathroom with pajamas on, I overheard Zeke and Rhys talking to Noah.

    "The rankings aren''t that important." Zeke was saying.

    I slowly dried my hair with a towel. "Kind of...embarrassing..?"

    Rhys laughed and Zeke cracked a smile.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I shouldn''t have asked you. What I meant was, don''t you feel validated? That you''re doing well enough to be considered one of the best?"

    I shrugged. "Not really. If anything, I feel more pressure to do better. I''m only up top because I can hit the baseball better than others. When it comes to fielding..." I shook my head, helpless. "I feel like a poser. A fake. A fraud."

    Rhys laughed. "Don''t worry about it. You''re a great hitter and that can take you to more places than being great at fielding." He looked at Noah. "You shouldn''t worry either. You''re only a sophomore. Even Zeke wasn''t on any list his sophomore year. There''s time for you to improve and show them what you can do. Just be steady and resilient. You''re 3-7 at the plate so far this tourney. That''s a great start."

    Noah frowned. "Being on the list will get my name out there though. I want to attract scouts and go pro after high school."

    Zeke turned out one of the lights. "Like Rhys said, there''s time. Nothing you can do about it right now. Continue to play well during games and everything else will follow."

    Noah and I got under the covers of our shared bed.

    "For the record, I wasn''t even number one in my county ranking either." Rhys got in his bed.

    "And you haven''t yet either." Rhys told him. "Now get some rest. I want to watch a good game tomorrow."

    Zeke turned off the other light, leaving us in complete darkness.

    Between waking up early and playing two games today, I fell asleep rather quickly. Waking up to movement around the room, I squinted and saw Noah was missing.

    "They already went down for breakfast." I heard Zeke before I could see him.

    I glanced around the room and didn''t see him until he popped up from the floor. He had been doing ab exercises. I checked the time, 8:45am.

    "Breakfast ends at 9am so I told Noah to come back with breakfast for you." Zeke got back on the floor and started to stretch. "Game at 2pm, be at the field by 1pm. Not a whole lot of time for lunch so I told Noah to grab a lot of food that you guys can eat throughout the morning."

    I let out a yawn and stretched too. Feeling a ''zing'' in my ankle, I pulled the blanket away to check.

    "How''s the ankle?" Zeke stopped what he was doing and got close to check it out.

    No bruising, but there was swelling.

    I did what I was told as he went out in the hall. He must have ran into Rhys and Noah on his way back to the room because the three of them walked in together.

    Zeke placed the bag of ice on my swollen ankle.

    "That''s gotta be super uncomfortable." Noah placed two plates of food next to me on the bed.

    "Are you going to be able to play, Jake?" Rhys asked. "Did it hurt when you tried to walk on it?"

    "I didn''t try walking yet, but I''m fine." I told him. I picked a banana out of the food given to me. "Nothing I can''t handle."

    "Don''t push yourself." Rhys sat on his bed. "It''s just a Christmas tournament that doesn''t mean much. Don''t be risking your season for this."

    I shrugged. "It''s fine. Really." I looked at Noah for help.

    "Jake''s tough, but he''s not dumb." Noah spoke up for me. "If he says it''s fine, then believe him. My god, he must be annoyed with everyone treating him like a baby."

    Zeke picked up his phone. "Jake is too tough and doesn''t know when to give up. We should have Coach look at it. Maybe get it taped up if he feels unstable."

    Zeke glanced at him.

    Noah pretended to zip his mouth shut and tossed the key.

 Chapter 826 - V3 ch61 (VS Branham HS 1)

    Our room got busy after I finished icing my ankle. Mom, Dad, and the twins came in to see what was going on with my ankle. Dad agreed with Zeke that Coach should be making the final decision. Coach was staying in a nearby hotel and it didn''t take him long to show up.

    Coach was a little more reasonable than my family. He let me prove that I can jog by having me go up and down the hallway. His suggestion in the end was, "Let''s see how warmups go. If he can still field and swing his bat like normal, then let''s not mess that up. It''s not really a sprain so I don''t think it would do Jake any good if we restricted his movements."

    I nodded enthusiastically. Yes, I don''t need tape. It''s really just a lump. We wasted this whole morning for nothing. Coach left first, saying he wanted to meet up with his staff. We snacked a little more until it was time for us to leave as well.

    When we got back to the tournament grounds, it was noticeably less busy than before. The eliminated teams and their families no longer had a reason to stay. Coach told us to gather in the third base dugout of field #2. Both teams had three wins, but we beat them in run differential so we got to be the home team.

    Garret was going to pitch today so after leading us through the basic warmup, he left for the bullpen with Mitchell and the pitching coach. We split into smaller groups and rotated between fielding grounders, fly balls, batting practice, and some other stretches.

    Coach checked in on me periodically, making sure I wasn''t being affected by my ankle. "Manageable?" He asked me as everyone got back in our dugout, preparing to take the field in the first inning.

    I nodded and gave him a thumbs up. "No trouble."

    "If it gets worse, you tell me." Coach lifted his sunglasses to make eye contact with me.

    I nodded obediently. "Yes, Coach."

    Coach then addressed the team, going over our lineup for today once more.

    1 SS Noah

    2 P Garret

    4 3B Jason

    5 CF Korrey

    6 C Mitchell

    7 1B Sean

    8 LF Jesse

    9 RF Tanner

    "It''s do or die time, boys." Coach clapped his hands together. "Win today and we get another game. Don''t forget, three B''s: ball, base, backup. On offense, I want to see you guys swing. No one better be caught looking. Anything close, you try to foul it off."

    He looked at Garret. "You got this."

    Garret nodded. He glanced around the dugout. "Let''s go!" He was the first one out of the dugout. The rest of us followed.

    Although there was less families hanging around, the game had a more official vibe to it. There was an announcer broadcast, going over who was playing where. You could hear claps and cheers for each name, meaning our families really came through to show their support. I was able to find Mom and Dad easily. Mostly because of Jeremy''s presence. He had a small line forming beside the metal bleachers. Looks like he was signing autographs again.

    The umpire called for balls in and for the first batter from Branham High School to step up. His name and position was announced, then he stepped in the righty''s box. Garret started him off with his fastball, the batter fouled it back for strike one.

    New ball, next pitch. Garret threw another fastball, inside. The batter connected, hitting a grounder to Noah at short. Noah fielded the ball smoothly and got him out at first. One out.

    Batter two stepped up. Garret moved his fastball around the zone, getting to a 1-2 count before throwing his cutter. It went inside on the batter, who wasn''t able to react in time. Strikeout. Two outs.

    Batter three, another righty, attacked Garret''s first pitch, a fastball. He hit a solid line drive...right at Noah. Three outs. We went back to the dugout in high spirits. Three up, three down.

    Garret didn''t get to have a break. Noah, him, and I were the first ones up. I was in the hole, watching Noah''s first at-bat, studying the pitcher. He had a good fastball and after watching him striking out Noah on three pitches, I could only assume he had great control too.

    "Decent effort." Coach told Noah as he got inside the dugout. "Your timing is just a bit off."

    I went out to the on deck circle, taking some practice swings as I watched Garret take this guy on. Coach had said that Noah''s timing was off, and I could tell that Garret was the same way, but slightly better. He fouled off quite a few pitches, being a tad late. The pitcher threw a curve, to change it up, but Garret was waiting for it. He pulled the pitch to right field for a single.

    Seeing that Garret had success against the curve as a lefty, I chose to be a lefty too. I glanced back at the still-standing catcher. Was he not ready?

    He held his gloved hand out over the righty''s box, calling for an intentional ball. The pitcher obliged, throwing me four balls and sending me on my way to first base. At first base, I saw a familiar face: the player from the trainers area yesterday.

    He recognized me too, greeting me with a smile. "Wow. Didn''t expect you to be one of the brothers I was talking about yesterday. I didn''t say anything to offend you guys right?"

    I shook my head.

    "Good." He grinned. "I was worried I did and that''s why you guys didn''t say anything." He looked me up and down. "I really didn''t expect you to be Jake Atkins either. You''re having a really good tournament. I thought you''d be bigger since you''re capable of hitting homeruns."

    Never have I had such a talkative first baseman. It really threw me off. With him standing on first with me and trying to have a conversation, it was hard for me to lead off. Distracted, I had a late jump when Jason hit the ball. It was a grounder to short. The shortstop threw to the second baseman, beating me by a mile, who then threw it to first to complete the double play.

    On my way back to the dugout, Coach Luis caught up to me. "Jake, wait up." We walked into the dugout together. "Do you know that guy?"

    I shook my head, then shrugged. "I just saw him yesterday. Him and Kyle made small talk."

    Coach Luis nodded. "He''s a real talker. I don''t think you could have made it to second on Jason''s grounder, but it didn''t help that you barely got two feet off of first. Next time, ignore him and focus on the at-bat."

    I nodded, feeling a little bad. "Yes. Sorry."

    "I can understand you''re not used to it, but don''t let it happen again." Coach Luis went to go talk to Coach.

    I went to my bag and put my helmet away. Put my hat on and grabbed my glove.

 Chapter 827 - V3 ch62 (VS Branham HS 2)

    I was the second to last one out of the dugout. Garret was slower than me, surprisingly. He walked up the mound like something was on his mind. I bet that first baseman was talking to him too when he was on first during my at-bat. ;

    Just as I was hoping that Garret wasn''t too affected, the cleanup hitter connected on the first pitch, hitting a line drive to the corner of left field. Jesse was sprinting to get the ball, picked it off the grass and threw his hardest to Noah, who went to be the cutoff. Noah turned to me at second, but the batter already made it here without needing to slide. ;

    Noah threw the baseball back to Garret on the mound. Garret was expressionless when turning to face the next batter. I usually didn''t care to note who the batter is or what position he plays, but the next batter up was that talkative first baseman. Garret cornered him quickly into a 1-2 count. He then threw his best breaking ball, the cutter. ;

    The batter must have been waiting for that exact pitch, because how else could he hit it to center field perfectly? ;

    The runner from second already had a good lead, and with his fast speed, I could tell he wanted to go home. ;

    "To home!" Noah called out as Korrey fielded the ball on a hop. ;

    Korrey threw his hardest, not bothering to throw to Noah, his cutoff. The ball wasn''t going to make it in time. Mitchell got the ball and threw it back to Noah at second to stop the batter from moving to the next base. An RBI single for the talkative first baseman. Tch. ;

    Noah called time and walked the ball up to Garret on the mound. Mitchell also walked up the mound to join their conversation. I glanced at Sean at first. Seeing him standing on the bag with that batter held me back. Whatever Noah wanted to talk about with Garret shouldn''t concern me. They''re the best when it comes to baseball knowledge. I wouldn''t be able to contribute anything. ;

    The ump stepped up and called for the game to resume. Noah went back to his position as did Mitchell. ;

    1-0...Branham with the lead. We haven''t been down in a game at all this tournament so this was a new experience. Maybe not ''new'' because we''ve been down before in a game. The last time being in the CIF finals. ;

    Batter number six got into the lefty''s box, an unusual occurrence. There weren''t too many lefty''s normally, especially ones willing to face a left-handed pitcher. He was able to make contact like the previous two batters, but only hit a routine grounder to me. I flipped the ball to Noah at second base, and he completed the double play to Sean, beating out the batter. Two outs.

    My shoulders sagged in relief. Despite the confidence I had in Garret, I was still tense. Garret must have had some relief too. No baserunners now and two outs. He struck out the next batter to end the inning. He walked back to the dugout as the rest of us jogged it in. ;

    "What''d you say to Garret?" I whispered to Noah as we sat down on the bench. Neither of us would be going up to bat anytime soon. ;

    Noah shook his head. "I didn''t say much. Garret was the one who did the most talking."

    My eyes drifted to Garret, who stopped next to Coach to say a few words. ;

    "Don''t worry about him." Noah slapped me on the shoulder. "A few hits given up isn''t anything that can hold him up. His pitcher mentality is the toughest on the team. He''s not fragile like Kyle."

    I cracked a smile. ;

    Bottom of the second, our batters came up empty. Korrey and Mitchell had back to back strikeouts. They went down swinging like Coach said to, fouling off what they could, pushing the pitch count up a bit. Sean made contact early in his at-bat, but it was a routine grounder to short. ;

    Top of the third. Garret handled the bottom of their lineup in a similar fashion as they did us. Strikeout. Strikeout. Then the top of the order grounded out to short. Three up, three down, and Garret looked good. ;

    Bottom of the third had a rough start. Back to back strikeouts again. Jesse and Tanner weren''t able to foul off as many pitches as Korrey and Mitchell so there was no plus side. Just...outs.

    Noah moved to the batter''s box, Garret was on deck, and I stood in the hole. Just as I was thinking to myself that having two outs against us was a downer, Noah got pegged in the back from an inside fastball. Noah tossed his bat back towards the dugout and jogged to first, holding a hand to his back. It must have hurt. ;

    I glanced at Coach to see if he was going to go out there to talk to Noah. God knows how he''s been watching me like a hawk for a swollen ankle. Coach had pursed his lips but didn''t move an inch. I moved to the on deck circle. ;

    Garret took one last practice swing before moving to the lefty''s batter''s box. Last at-bat, he got a single on a curveball. I wonder if he was going to aim for the curve again or if the pitcher was just going to use his fastballs. ;

    Noah took a lead off first base. The pitcher looked over his shoulder to check on him, but didn''t step off the rubber. He kicked up his front leg and started his motion, and Noah took off! I froze and watched in anticipation.

    Garret swung and missed. The catcher jumped up and transferred the ball to his throwing hand at the same time in order to get a quick throw off to second. Noah slid into second base, head first, as the tag came down from the second baseman. ;

    "Safe!" The ump closest to the action spread his arms out wide. ;

    Noah called ''time'' before getting up and dusting himself off. Our dugout clapped and cheered for him. We were showing some signs of life. A runner in scoring position!

    The pitcher seemed a little annoyed at the stolen base. He did two check-throws to make sure Noah was staying closer to the base. It proved to be a fatal distraction when he finally threw his second pitch to Garret. It was a fastball...right down the middle. Garret connected and blasted it to right-center field. Then he took off. ;

    He wasn''t the only one. Noah was the fastest on the team and it really showed as he ran from second, rounded third, and tagged home plate before the center fielder could get the ball in. Garret made it to second base without needing to slide. An RBI double. Tie game, 1-1. ;

    I high-fived Noah on his way back to the dugout. ;

    "Let''s go!" He cheered as he walked back into the dugout, getting the rest of the team pumped up. ;

    I walked up to home plate, choosing to bat from the right side this time. ;

    It didn''t matter though. The catcher stayed standing, holding his right hand out over the other batters box, calling for another intentional walk.

 Chapter 828 - V3 Ch63 (VS Branham HS 3)

    "Hey, welcome back." The first baseman greeted me with a grin as I took my base.

    I pursed my lips together in frustration.

    "C''mon buddy, lighten up." He reached out to give me a slap on the back, but I dodged.

    "Refrain from touching our players please." Coach Luis spoke sternly, addressing the first baseman.

    "Sure, sure." He got into position.

    The pitcher checked back on Garret at second, then pitched to Jason at the plate. Jason had previously hit into a double play, where, coincidentally, Garret and I were on base. Now it was two outs so he was put into a tighter spot. On a 0-2 count, he pulled the ball down the third baseline. The third baseman scooped it up and tagged the base closest to him, ending the inning.

    I looked at Coach helplessly when I got back in the dugout.

    Coach clapped his hands to get the team''s attention. "Alright boys, we''re back to where we started. Tie game. Let''s play some great defense and not give up the lead so easily." He looked at Garret who was putting his helmet down. "It''s the best of their lineup so don''t hold back. If you get tired in the last stages of the game, we still have a solid bullpen to rely on."

    The starters hurried to take the field, even Garret had a pep to his step. But that made sense. He had an RBI double. I had nothing. I switched out my gear and slowly walked by Coach, hoping he would say something.

    "What''s up, Jake?" Coach finally asked.

    I sighed. "I don''t think they''re going to let me hit at all."

    Alisha let out a small laugh, surprising me. "Oops. Sorry. I didn''t mean to. It''s just...never mind."

    Coach''s lips twitched. "Don''t bother about it, Jake. I don''t mind you getting the free bases. Especially since I know your ankle is a little swollen. It reassures me that you probably won''t do much to aggravate it. As for the offense? Leave it to the rest of the guys. You can''t carry them to a win all the time with every single at-bat."

    I bit the inside of my cheek, unsure. Just because Coach said to leave it to the others doesn''t mean I can just sit back and relax. I want to help my team win too. I jogged out to my position.

    Top of the fourth, Garret started with the second batter in the lineup. He was his first strikeout of the game. Garret cornered him quick, 1-2 count, when the batter was able to hit a high fly ball. So high.

    I snapped out of it and went to cover second base once I saw Noah tracking it down somewhere behind third base. Jesse was also sprinting in from left field, trying to get there. Noah called him off as he made the spectacular catch, with his back to us, catching the fly ball over his shoulder. One out.

    The next batter hit further than the previous one, hitting his fly ball towards center field. Korrey sprinted and made a good catch too for the second out. It seemed to be the pattern at the moment. The cleanup hitter who had the double in the second inning, hit a solid line drive to right field. Tanner made a diving catch, rolling on the grass and slowly getting up as the crowd cheered.

    We jogged back to the dugout.

    "Coach..." The crack in Tanner''s voice drew everyone''s attention.

    Coach frowned. "Have a seat. I''ll ask for a trainer to come over."

    Tanner held his gloved hand in his lap, grimacing in pain. "I screwed up. Something''s definitely hurt."

    Coach shook his head. "You can''t blame yourself. That was a great dive. The landing was awkward but there wasn''t much you can do mid-air." He glanced around the dugout, eyes settling on Logan Porter, a fellow sophomore. "Logan, warmup. You''re going in for Tanner."

    The dugout was rather quiet in the bottom of the fourth inning. We had nothing to cheer for. Korrey grounded out. Mitchell struck out swinging. Sean hit a fly ball to left field. A trainer had showed up to check out Tanner and it wasn''t good news. He would have to go to the nearby hospital for x-rays.

    Logan ran out to right field, stretching and getting some static stretches in. He then threw the ball back and forth with Korrey in center field. He didn''t look as nervous as I was when I first took the field. I guess this is technically his first time playing on the field but not in a game. Yesterday, he had one at-bat where he grounded into a double play.

    Top of the fifth, the batters from Branham High School were still making contact off of Garret''s pitches. A fly ball to center caught by Korrey and another fly ball caught by Logan made for quick outs. Garret finished them off by getting the seventh batter in the lineup to swing and miss all three pitches.

    When we got back to the dugout, Tanner and one of the other coaches were gone. As well as the trainer.

    "Tanner is getting checked out at the hospital." Coach addressed the situation. "Hopefully it''s nothing serious, but we''ll know more after the game. Stay focused on what we need to accomplish here. Jesse, Logan, Noah. We need runners on base."

    The three prepared for their at-bats.

    As did Garret. He stopped near me as I took off my hat. "Bored?"

    I shook my head.

    He let out a small laugh. "Don''t lie. I saw your face when you got walked both times. I get it. It takes a lot of fun out of the game. The other team doesn''t like to do it either. God knows I''d be annoyed if I had to walk a batter every time I saw him. Just shows how good you are."

    I shrugged. "They didn''t seem to hate it too much. The first baseman is friendly every time I come to the base."

    Garret''s eyes narrowed and he turned a little serious. "Don''t be fooled. That''s not being friendly. He''s just trying to disrupt the flow of your...our game." He took a minute to explain. "I''m not saying that some first basemen aren''t friendly, because I''ve met talkers before. But this guy knows what he''s doing. Getting inside your head, distracting you from the game. It''s annoying."

    I nodded in agreement. "Yea...last time he tried touching me but thankfully Coach Luis said something."

    Garret pointed at me. "I bet he tries to touch you again. Just watch. He knows now that you don''t want to be touched so he''ll do what he can to take your mind off the game."

    I groaned. "Ugh."

    Garret gave me a small pat on the shoulder. "It''s annoying, but there are some people like that. Just tune it out. Reset your emotions and keep your eyes on the pitcher. That''ll calm you down."

    Jesse struck out. Logan went to the plate and Noah moved to the on deck circle.

    "Come on, this is probably our last at-bats." Garret nodded his head to the field as he head for the dugout entrance.

 Chapter 829 - V3 Ch64 (VS Branham HS 4)

    Logan''s first at-bat of the game, and the second of the tournament. He was cornered quick by the fastball, falling to a 0-2 count. The pitcher tried to finish him off by throwing a curve, but Logan was able to connect. He pulled the ball to left field.

    The left fielder sprinted forward to make the routine catch, but it became clear that he lost sight of it in the afternoon sun. The ball bounced off the outside part of his glove and rolled in the grass. He hurried to recover the baseball and threw it back in to the shortstop. The shortstop did a quick glance to make sure Logan didn''t try for second base.

    Our team clapped and cheered for Logan. It didn''t matter if he reached on an error. As long as we have a baserunner.

    Noah moved up to the batter''s box and Garret left the dugout. I grabbed my bat and took over Garret''s spot.

    Noah''s first pitch was inside, way inside, forcing him to jump back out of the way. He had been hit last time by a similar pitch so I was worried for him. I glanced at Coach.

    Coach was frowning, but still said nothing. He caught me looking at him instead. "Don''t worry, I''m watching."

    I turned back to the action. On the very next pitch, a high fastball not even in the zone, Noah swung high and got the ball past the infield. It bounced before the right fielder could make a play on it. Logan stayed at second, and Noah stood safely on first base, bumping fists with Coach Luis.

    Branham''s coach came out of the dugout and headed for the mound with his catcher.

    I stepped out of the dugout and stood near the on deck circle with Garret. We watched on as their coach took out the pitcher and brought in someone new from the bullpen.

    "What a shame." Garret muttered under his breath.

    I glanced up at him, confused. "You rather face that other guy?"

    Garret shot me a grin. "Of course. I''m 2-2 against him." He chuckled. "It may have looked like that dude was having a good game: six strikeouts in four innings, and only gave up three hits, but I was totally owning him in the box. Their coach even sees it, that''s why they''ll bring in someone new."

    That someone new was a left-handed pitcher. Lefty vs lefty. The umpire let the new pitcher throw some pitches off the mound before calling for the game to resume. With the game tied 1-1, two runners on, and one out, Garret stepped up to the plate. I was solely focused on his at-bat instead of taking practice swings. I probably wouldn''t need it anyways.

    Garret let the first pitch go by for a called strike. The second pitch, he laid off for a ball. Then another ball. The fourth pitch, he connected, sending the ball to right-center field, and everyone started to move. Logan took off from second and on his way to third, was waved on by Mr. Miller.

    The center fielder got the ball and threw it in to the second baseman. Noah rounded second, but came back to the bag instead of trying for third. Seeing that, Garret stayed at first. The second baseman faked pumped his throw to home, but kept the baseball. Logan slid on home plate and jumped back up to his feet. We took the lead 2-1.

    I felt a little awkward holding my hand out for a high-five for Logan, but he didn''t embarrass me. He simply slapped my hand and headed inside the dugout.

    Before making it to the batter''s box, the catcher stayed standing just behind home plate. I glanced at the new pitcher and he didn''t object. I wonder if their coach said something when he brought the new guy in. Like it wouldn''t have mattered what Garret did, they were going to walk me. Four balls later, I was on first and pushed Garret to second and Noah to third.

    The first baseman didn''t say anything to me this time around. It probably had something to do with them losing, the bases being loaded, and only one out.

    As much as I wanted to score in a few more runs, Jason hit into his second double play of the game. He was 0-3 on the day, failing to bring in any runs despite the multiple times he had runners in scoring position. He let out a curse loud enough for everyone to hear.

    "Shit!"

    Coach Luis put an arm around his shoulders and lowered his voice to talk to him on their way back to the dugout.

    Once inside the dugout, we switched out our gear in order to go play defense. Jason was clearly waiting to exit the dugout at the same time as me and Noah.

    "Sorry guys." He shook his head. "I don''t know what''s wrong with me."

    I shrugged and looked to Noah.

    As expected, Noah knew what to say. "Just a bad day at the plate. Shake it off. We all have games like that with one exception." He grinned in my direction.

    Jason sighed and shook his head again. "Basically just used this game to prove that I''m not suited to bat behind Jake."

    "Tough act to follow." Noah nodded. "Don''t mind. Coach likes to change it continuously."

    "Says the guy that''ll never bat behind Jake." Jason scoffed.

    Noah shrugged. "I don''t know if that''s a bad thing or a good thing."

    The conversation had to come to an end. We split up, going to our respective positions. Top of the sixth, Garret handled it on his own. The eighth, ninth, and first batter all struck out swinging, whiffing on Garret''s cutter. Him and Mitchell bumped fists as they went back to the dugout together.

    Bottom of the sixth. Despite another new pitcher, our offense couldn''t get anything going. Korrey flew out to center field. Mitchell struck out swinging. And Sean hit a fly ball to right field. We went to the top of the seventh with only a one-run lead.

    Coach didn''t even hesitate to send Garret back out there. His pitch count was high, but irrelevant since he was never going to be eligible to pitch for tomorrow. And we won''t have anymore games in the foreseeable future. Plus...Garret was hot. He hadn''t given up a hit since the second inning.

    And he wasn''t going to stop now. The second batter hit a grounder to Noah at short for the first out. Then Garret threw nothing but cutters, adding the next two batters to his strikeout list.

    Mitchell jumped up from behind the plate and rushed the mound. Noah had him beat. Then Sean and Jason joined in. The rest of the team wasn''t too far behind. We were going to the finals tomorrow!

    I wasn''t as aversive as I used to be, but I still skirted around the edges of the group. Happy to be involved, and happy to be apart of a team that new me well. Besides, most of the attention was on Garret. He threw all seven innings, gave up only two hits and one run, while getting ten strikeouts. If that wasn''t enough, he crushed it at the plate, going 3-3 and had the only two RBIs of our team. Definitely today''s MVP.

 Chapter 830 - V3 Ch65

    We took some time on the field, just congratulating one another on getting to the finals. Coach had to holler at us to get back to the dugout and clean it up so we can get moving. He wanted us to go watch some of the other semifinal game to see who was going to be our opponent tomorrow.

    As we left the dugout and field, we met up with the families and friends who could make it out. I focused on finding my own and the first thing to greet me was a bag of ice from Zeke. Noah was greeted in a similar fashion.

    "I got ice for the both of you." Zeke explained. "The other semifinal game has already started so let''s get moving."

    Noah rolled his eyes and declined the bag of ice. "I''m fine."

    Noah spoke too soon because he was grimacing just a second later when Dave came up to him and slapped him on the back. "That was a close one-" Dave raised an eyebrow at Noah, who grunted and groaned. "You good?"

    Zeke held the ice bag for Noah a little closer to his face. Noah reluctantly took it. He lifted his shirt to put it on his back and then tucked his shirt back in so it would stay.

    Noah dragged me away. "We''re going, we''re going. Jake, let''s leave our bags for Zeke to carry since he''s so ''caring''."

    He spoke mostly for Zeke''s benefit, not even giving me a chance to grab my bag.

    "Wait for me!" Dave took three steps to catch up with us. "I''m the one that needs to watch the other semifinal the most."

    We were the first three players from our team to reach the other field. We found a relatively empty bleacher down the first baseline, staying out of the way of the families and friends of these two teams. We showed up just as the two teams were switching offense and defense.

    Noah let me sit on the end against the bars, and helped me prop my leg up on the same row. He then placed the ice on my swollen ankle before settling himself.

    "Looks like it''s the top of the third inning." Dave commented, looking out to the scoreboard in center field. "0-0. Pitcher duel?"

    "Too soon to say." Mitchell overheard Dave as he approached the bleachers. He put his bag down at the bottom before climbing up to our row and sitting near Dave. "You haven''t even seen a pitch yet, have you?"

    Dave shrugged. "The other option is that both teams suck at batting?"

    Noah laughed and I cracked a smile.

    As the game started up, the announcer introduced the next batter to start the top of the third inning. The rest of our team showed up, dropping their bags near Mitchell''s, then climbing up the bleachers. A few families joined us as well. Noticeably absent was our family. And Garret.

    In the middle of the third inning, I glanced around and could spot Garret talking to Mr. Cameron.

    "Postgame interview with the best player in the county?" Noah let out a small laugh. "I bet he''s talking his ear off."

    "Who? Garret?" That doesn''t sound like him.

    Noah laughed some more and shook his head. "No. Mr. Cameron. He has so much to say and so many questions. It''ll be a miracle if Garret watches any of this game."

    "He needs to focus on resting anyways." Mitchell chimed in. "He pitched a complete game today, but still has to prepare for playing in the outfield tomorrow."

    "I wonder how Tanner is doing." Kyle spoke up from towards the front of the group. "Has Coach said anything to anyone yet?"

    No one answered and the silence felt heavy.

    Noah stood up and untucked his shirt to get the bag of ice out. "No need to stress over what we can''t control. Coach should have an update for us when he comes over too." Noah plucked the bag of melted ice from my ankle. "I''ll go toss this trash."

    As the game progressed further, it became clear that Dave was right to call it a pitchers duel. Both pitchers were retiring batters left and right, giving up few hits. It made the game go quick, but we were still waiting on a defining moment for someone to take the lead.

    "I''m surprised neither coach is taking out either pitcher." Jason said lightly.

    "It''s hard to take out a pitcher when he hasn''t done anything wrong yet." Kyle replied. "You don''t want to put in a cold arm."

    "Yea, but it''s a gamble either way. Someone has to get tired."

    Kyle shrugged.

    Eventually, it came down to the bottom of the seventh. And ended 0-0. Extra innings? I watched the game seriously, trying to figure out if either team had the advantage.

    Dave groaned as the eighth inning was also scoreless. "Can someone do something already? I''m hungry."

    Some of the other guys grumbled in agreement. Our came ended just before 5pm, but now we''re headed for 7:30pm.

    As if answering his request, the very next batter pulled a fastball to left field for a solo shot homer, giving the visiting team a 1-0 lead.

    Noah let out a long whistle. "Wow. That one was crushed." He was hard to hear among the cheers.

    That was it for the game. The pitcher was finally replaced and the new one closed out the inning. In the bottom of the ninth, the coach changed the pitcher on the mound as well, but with a high standing point. He had the lead. The closer of the game gave up one hit, but was still able to end the game in extra innings.

    "Stuart Hall. Sounds fancy." Noah remarked as we listened to the announcement of the winner of the game.

    "Private school for sure." Kyle agreed.

    "Coach finally showed up." Sean spotted him first and stood up to greet him.

    Other guys started to follow suit, but Coach held his hand up to stop everyone. "Sit down for a second. I''ve got a couple of announcements. Speaking with the parents present, we set up a reservation for dinner at a nearby restaurant."

    "Yes!"

    "Awesome!"

    "Please have steak!"

    Coach let the guys talk and show some excitement for the upcoming meal.

    "Any word from Tanner yet?" Jesse''s question made the team go quiet as all eyes fell on Coach.

    Coach nodded slowly. "Mr. Miller and his parents are with him now." A slight pause. "He fractured his wrist. It''ll take some time before they can get him in a cast, he won''t be rejoining us for tomorrow." Every sentence he spoke, a heavy pressure seemed to enclosed the team. "I''ve spoken to his parents. The best thing for him now is to rest. Not knowing what time he''ll be done with the hospital, it''s better for his parents to take him straight home afterwards."

    Coach cleared his throat. "I know it''s hard to hear as his teammates, but this is only a fraction of what he''s feeling. I hope you guys take some time to send him a text, letting him know that we''re here for him." He looked around. "Don''t let this weigh you guys down. We have plenty of players who are outstanding in their own right. We play as we normally would."

    "Yes!" The team answered in unison.

 Chapter 831 - V3 Ch66

    As a team, we moved together towards the parking lot. Coach had sent out the address for the restaurant so everyone started to split away from the group, getting into their own cars.

    Noah and I were last to the lot, moving slowly thanks to my swollen ankle. And maybe because of his back.

    I glanced at him. "Does your back hurt still?"

    Noah scoffed. "Just a bruise." He paused for a second and lowered his voice. "After tomorrow, we''ll have a nice break. Probably no tournament until February. There''ll be plenty of time to rest then."

    I nodded, understanding what he was saying. I felt the same way. My ankle hurt, but it was still good enough that I can play on it.

    "Where''s Mom and Dad?" Kyle sighed, looking left and right in the parking lot. "They''ve been missing for so long already. Rhys and Zeke too." He glanced at me. "Have you heard from Jeremy since the end of our game?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t have my phone on me."

    "There''s Rhys, coming now." Dave pointed at a car driving into the lot. Rhys was behind the wheel and Zeke in the front passenger seat. The car stopped in front of us and we piled in.

    "Where have you guys been all afternoon?" Kyle asked. "You didn''t want to watch the other semifinal?"

    Rhys laughed. "Why would we do that? It''s not like we''re playing them tomorrow."

    "Where''s Mom and Dad?" Dave asked next.

    "At the restaurant." Zeke said. "Same with Jeremy."

    The drive wasn''t more than fifteen minutes. We met up with everyone and their families inside the restaurant and found that the whole place was rented out for us and set up to accommodate everyone. Wow.

    I spotted Jeremy talking to Dad off in the corner.

    "Let''s go over here!" Noah tugged me in the opposite direction. We sat at a four person table that already had Bryce and Brian present.

    "What are you guys doing over here?" Bryce asked, smiling.

    Noah sighed. "Can''t a guy just eat in peace?"

    "You want to try ordering something you shouldn''t?" Bryce guessed quicker than I could. But I liked his guess. I definitely believe it.

    Noah cracked a smile as he slid a little lower in his seat. "If you be silent, we can still be friends."

    Bryce and Brian both laughed.

    "It''ll be hard to get away with ordering any dessert or soda." Brian warned. "I''m sure someone will be making their rounds." He nodded in Zeke''s direction.

    "He''s no longer our captain." Noah stated firmly. "He shouldn''t be butting in our affairs. He has his own team to worry about now."

    Noah sounded sure of himself, but I didn''t buy it. There were way too many of us around for him to get away with getting any sweets. Even if a teammate didn''t sell him out, there were coaches watching and other family members present.

    Servers started coming around with glasses of water for everyone, scratching out the chance of having a soda tonight. Even parents and coaches got water. It was a sharp contrast to the ''choose anything for dinner'' style. My whole table ordered steaks, with the exception being me.

    "No meat??" Brian shook his head at me after our server left with our table''s order. "How are you ever going to put on some weight if you don''t eat any meat?"

    I scratched my cheek lightly. "There''s meat in my soup. It''s chicken noodle."

    Brian grabbed his chest, covering his heart. "You''re killing me."

    Bryce laughed. "Jake, the chicken in chicken noodle soup is nowhere near enough protein that you should be taking in." He looked me over. "You''ve put on some weight compared to last year, but you''re still the smallest on the team. Eat some more meat and grow taller." He glanced towards Jeremy''s table. "You have good genetics."

    I nodded slowly. "Yea...I know."

    "Maybe your parents should take you to a nutritionist." Brian suggested.

    "Nah." Noah cut in and waved him off. "Why change what''s working. Jake''s got a couple more months until the season starts. As long as he''s not losing weight, that''s a win. Don''t forget, he hasn''t gone through puberty yet."

    I felt my face get hot as the other two agreed with Noah. "I''ve-I''ve started...going through puberty." My voice got quieter towards the end of my defense.

    Bryce laughed. "Sure. Started. But you haven''t had a growth spurt yet and your voice isn''t deep at all."

    I sat up a little straighter. "I''ve grown. A couple inches."

    Our dinner conversation was strictly about growing and gaining muscle. It lasted even after our meal came. Still feeling like my soup wasn''t good enough, Brian gave me some of his steak even though I really didn''t want to eat it. I couldn''t turn him down though. He has good intentions.

    "Boys." Coach greeted us, stopping at the end of our table, between Bryce and Brian. He scanned our nearly empty plates. "After you''re done, you can leave at anytime. This meal was bought by Jeremy again. Make sure to thank him on your way out and get some rest." His eyes stopped on Bryce for an extra second. Then he moved on to the next table.

    "What was that about?" Brian asked.

    "If you ask us, who are we supposed to ask?" Noah snorted. He lifted his brows. "Maybe Bryce can expect some play time tomorrow. Tanner is out."

    Bryce frowned. "But we still have Garret, Jesse, and Korrey. Plenty for the outfield. Logan and Sean can also play out there."

    "So you don''t want the chance to play tomorrow?" Noah asked. "Might want to say something to Coach now."

    "I''ll play!" Brian volunteered.

    "Who said I didn''t want to play?" Bryce refuted. "I just think there are other options before me. Especially since I''ve been working on my pitching all semester."

    "I''ll pray for you." Noah put his hands together.

    Bryce threw a wadded up napkin at him. "Shut up. Besides, we don''t know if that''s what his look even meant. Maybe I''m the second option after Dave starts."

    Brian sighed. "I doubt it. Coach hasn''t used the bullpen much. Garret and the twins are hot. It''s tough to compete. Plus, I wouldn''t wish any of them to have a bad day."

    "You know, we were talking and figure Garret might be the new number one player overall in the county." Noah said.

    "I believe it." Bryce nodded in agreement. "Hard to compete with that double threat." He nudged me. "Unless you''re like Jake here. Dominant at the plate and can own any pitcher."

    I shrugged, feeling off. I knew it was a compliment, but it was hard to take.

    The three of them talked about the potential top five, top ten, top twenty, and so on. There wasn''t too much time to dissect the whole county thanks to it being the end of the meal. We had to start leaving, going back to our hotel rooms to get ready for tomorrow.

    There wasn''t much time for me to talk to Jeremy, but he gave a small wave before leaving in his own car. "I''ll be there tomorrow. Make sure to take care of that ankle."

 Chapter 832 - V3 Ch67 (VS Stuart Hall HS 1)

    I woke up to the room door closing. Rather loudly. I peeked out of the covers and saw Zeke holding two bags of ice. I pulled the covers back up.

    Rhys laughed. "C''mon Jake, it''s not that early. I can''t imagine what you''re like before school."

    "He''s usually like a zombie. Just going through the motions." I heard Noah from afar. He must already be out of bed. "Zeke, I don''t need ice. That''s just going to make me as stiff as a board."

    "Mom''s getting a heating pad from the store right now." Zeke replied. "Ice it now. We''ll have brunch. Then you can use the heating pad before we go to the field."

    There was no fighting Zeke on this. I felt the comforter being lifted near my feet. "Lift the legs, Jake."

    I complied.

    Pillows were put under my feet, and then the freezing sensation followed after he put the bag of ice on my ankle. By now, it felt kind of nice. I must have dozed off, because the next sensation I felt was the cool bag being lifted off of me.

    "Let''s go meet the others downstairs for food." Zeke said.

    Reluctantly, I peeled the sheets and comforter off of me, then let out a full body stretch.

    "How''s the ankle?" Rhys asked.

    I rubbed the sleep from my face. "It''s alright."

    Rhys looked to Noah, who was changing shirts. "You got pegged pretty good. Doesn''t bother you too much?"

    Noah looked over his shoulder, unsuccessfully trying to look at the bruise forming on his back. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

    "You ordinarily get hit with a baseball?" Rhys laughed.

    Noah chuckled. "Hey, I do what I can to get on base."

    "Okay, tough guy." Rhys laughed some more. "Don''t be putting your body on the line every game. That''s some dangerous decision-making."

    "Yea, yea, I know." Noah waved him off. "Getting hits is better than getting hit."

    Noah was the first one out the door. Zeke and Rhys followed, while I trailed after them. In the lobby of the hotel, we met with the twins and Mom. We went in the buffet style restaurant and took turns filling up our plates. The twins took the most turns, going back for seconds, thirds, and fourths.

    Mom looked concerned by their third plate. "Isn''t that a bit too much? I don''t want you boys getting sick from overeating."

    Kyle shrugged. "I''m not playing today so no worries here." He raised an eyebrow at Dave. "Are you trying to throw up on the mound today?"

    Dave rolled his eyes. "I''m hungry. This is breakfast and lunch. Food is fuel. Don''t you guys want me to do well today?"

    Mom was helpless.

    "Mary, they''re growing boys." Dad came just in time to defend the twins. He handed a bag to Noah. "Your mother got this for you this morning. Make sure to take care of it after using it. And definitely don''t forget to pack it."

    "Is that where you''ve been?" Noah asked, frowning. "You''ve already missed most of the meal."

    "If you must know," Dad rubbed the top of Noah''s head. "I was working on extending our stay an extra night so after the game, we don''t have to drive back right away. Stick around, have dinner with Jeremy and Rose. Tomorrow, we''ll follow Rhys home and have lunch with his parents. Then we''ll go home." Dad stood back up. "Now, I''ll take some time to get myself something to eat." He left to go get his own food.

    "A simple ''thank you'' would have been appreciated." Mom looked at Noah.

    Noah rubbed his nose. "How was I to know all these plans that you guys make? I''m the youngest! I just go with the flow."

    "Jake''s the youngest." Kyle pointed at me.

    "We were born in the same year, we''re basically twins." Noah replied.

    "That''s not the same at all." Kyle told him.

    The two started bickering, but thankfully the meal was almost over. We all went back to our rooms to relax and get ready for the game. Noah got to heat his back and did some stretching to get loose. I got dressed in the bathroom, pulling on a freshly cleaned uniform thanks to Zeke. Him and Rhys apparently went to wash all of our uniforms before going to bed last night.

    It wasn''t long before Noah started to get restless and started to rush us to leave. After consulting with Mom, we left ahead of them and the twins, becoming the second to arrive at the fields, right after Coach. Coach checked in with the both of us, making sure we were good to go. He moved on as soon as Bryce showed up.

    "Looks like he really might be in the lineup today." Noah said as we got our cleats on.

    Noah was right. Of course.

    After everyone showed up and gathered around to put their cleats on, Coach took some time to announce the lineup.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 1B Sean Isner

    3 2B Jake Atkins

    4 CF Garret Knudsen

    5 3B Jason Morris

    6 LF Bryce Finn

    7 RF Korrey Alvarrez

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P David Atkins

    A lot of eyes drifted to Bryce after his name was called out.

    Coach finished with the lineup and looked around. "I know it''s a bit unusual to have Bryce starting in the outfield, but this isn''t his first time ever so be assured." He said a few more words before getting us to start our warmups.

    "Coach just basically told us that we''re replaceable." Jason whispered as we did our stretches. He glanced at me. "Well, besides Jake."

    Noah laughed, "I think he''s just looking for some more hits from the outfield. We shouldn''t be feeling the pressure. Bryce should. Coach is basically gambling on him to do something at the plate."

    "I hope he gets a hit." I spoke up.

    Noah nodded. "Of course. We all do. Well...maybe with an exception of one or two." His eyes drifted towards the group of outfielders on the other end.

    "Hey, we''re all one team." Sean said. "As long as the team wins, we all win. No one should be hoping for a poor performance from anyone."

    "I feel like you can say that because you''re a starter." Jason pointed out.

    "You''re more of a starter than I am."

    "What do you mean?"

    "You have way more starts than I do from last year."

    "I guess, but I think Noah has more than me. Heck, even Jake." Jason made a face of faux distress. "Underclassmen have more seniority than me."

    Sean laughed. "Come on. Let''s start throwing."

    The two of them paired up as did Noah and I. The rest of the team was starting to do the same. Dave and Mitchell left for the bullpen with a coach. After that, we split into smaller groups to work on fielding and hitting. Then it was game time.

    The finals of a Christmas tournament had quite a bit of fanfare. The lineups were announced and the national anthem was played. The stands weren''t packed, but it was clear that a lot of family was here to watch the last game of the year despite it being a weekday. I was able to spot our group, almost dead center behind home plate: Mom, Rose, Jeremy, and Dad. Rhys and Zeke sat just a row in front of them, almost as if they were guarding Jeremy. And maybe they were. During the game, I can''t tell if Jeremy was bugged often for autographs and pictures like he was before his games.

 Chapter 833: V3 ch68 (VS Stuart Hall HS 2)

    According to Coach, the home team of the finals game was decided by a simple coin toss. 50/50 chance and we lost. Technically. As consolation, we got to pick our dugout first, and we went with the third base side.

    Noah, Sean, and I would be the first three up to start the inning and game. Garret got prepared as well, tugging on his batting gloves while standing with me beside the dugout entrance.

    "Hey, Coach, know anything about this pitcher?" Garret greeted Coach as he took his usual spot near the front.

    Coach gave a short nod. "Pitched on Friday. Complete game shutout."

    Garret let out a low whistle. "This team has as many good pitchers as us?"

    "They would have to, in order to get this far." Coach gestured to the game that was starting. "Pay attention. Take notes. Don''t be a sitting duck in the batter''s box."

    Knowing that Stuart Hall had another good pitcher on the mound, I was convinced. Convinced that this game wouldn''t be as easy as Dave had anticipated yesterday. He thought they were using good pitchers yesterday, but I guess we''re in a similar position today.

    The pitcher on the mound was a righty. Tall. Muscular. And had a bit of facial hair growing. Definitely a senior.

    He cornered Noah to an 0-2 count before getting him to swing and miss a curveball in the dirt.

    Sean went up next, while I moved to the on deck circle.

    "Nasty stuff." Noah muttered to me on his way back to the dugout. "I think it''s something you can handle though, Jake."

    "What about me?" I heard Garret ask.

    Noah went inside the dugout and I could no longer hear how he answered Garret.

    Sean wasn''t much better than Noah, getting to a 1-2 count before striking out on the curve. That seems to be his go-to pitch when he has the batter cornered. Useful info.

    I slowly moved to the batter''s box as my name was announced. Cheers and claps and chants of my name were heard from the stands. Since the righty has a curve that the other two were caught chasing, I decided to get in the left-hander''s box.

    I was feeling a little nervous, but not because the pitcher was good or because I was worried about my performance at the plate. I was nervous that this team was going to intentionally walk me like my last game. I want a chance to swing the bat.

    It was only after the first pitch was thrown inside for ball one did I believe that this game would be different. It made sense. Not every team would avoid me. That would be insane.

    After going a whole day of not hitting, I took my time with this at-bat. I worked the count, fouling off a couple of pitches while letting some pass for ''ball''. Feeling satisfied after hitting double digits, I attacked the outside fastball, hitting it to left field. I dropped my bat and took off. I knew I didn''t get under it enough to hit it out of the park.

    I rounded first just as the left fielder caught my fly ball near the foul line. His momentum carried him into the side fencing, but he seemed to be okay.

    Their spectators went crazy, cheering and clapping even louder than ours had when I had come up to bat. I felt slightly embarrassed as I jogged back to my dugout.

    "Good work." Coach clapped his hands twice when I got back. "You made the pitcher work and got a good hit to the outfield. That great play made by the left fielder is out of your control."

    I nodded and went to my bag. I couldn''t control the outfielders, but I can do better on trying to place my hits. I put my helmet and bat away, grabbed my glove, put on my hat, and jogged out to my position at second base.

    Dave took a few practice pitches on the mound, then the first batter for Stuart Hall was announced. The leadoff batter attacked the first pitch, sending it right back to Dave. Dave reflexively reached out to grab the ball with his barehand. He was unsuccessful. The ball smacked his hand and rolled off towards Jason near third base. Jason picked the ball up from the grass and threw it to Sean at first, but the runner beat the throw. Safe at first.

    Out of habit, I started to move back to my position, but then I heard Coach call for time. I turned back to see him already out of the dugout, jogging to Dave on the mound. Jason and Noah were already on either side of him, huddled together. Sean and I hurried to join everyone else.

    "How bad is it?" Coach asked Dave.

    Dave showed us his right hand: a crooked pinky sticking out grabbing all the attention. "I''m not a doctor, but definitely not good."

    I made a face of disgust. The other infielders were the same.

    Coach sighed, turned back to the dugout and waved for someone to come out. The tournament trainer.

    He took one look at Dave''s hand. "Dislocation. You''ll need to go to the hospital and get x-rays and let them reset it for you."

    "Can''t you do it?" Dave asked. "It doesn''t hurt that much. I can still keep going."

    The trainer shook his head. "It''s better to get x-rays before resetting. Just to make sure there''s no fracture or other complication. Are your parents here?"

    Dave nodded. "Yea..." He looked to Coach for the final verdict.

    "Go." Coach said. "Get your finger taken care of immediately. Don''t risk your senior season." He stepped off the mound towards left field and started to wave, gesturing for Bryce to come in. Then he looked to Mitchell. "Bryce is probably the most prepared to take the mound, but don''t cut corners. Warm him up properly." He looked around at us infielders. "I shouldn''t have to tell you guys this, but keep your head in the game."

    The trainer, Dave, and Coach all went back to the dugout together. Jesse came jogging out, heading for the outfield, to take the spot that Bryce just vacated.

    "Rough way to start the game." Jason muttered under his breath. The four of us were standing together, close to second base, watching as Bryce played catch with Mitchell. "I''m starting to think you guys are the most injury-prone family I know."

    "Hey, that''s not fair." Noah shrugged. "We have a big family. So something is bound to happen. And we all play positions that have the most contact with the ball. And," he added, "I''m not injured. Just bruised. Jake also isn''t ''injured'', just a little banged up."

    "If you have to defend yourself that much, then it can only be true." Sean laughed. "But also, that''s just the life of any athlete." He sighed. "Sucks about Dave. And Tanner. At least they''ll have time to heal up and be ready for the season when February rolls around."

    "Dislocated pinky is practically nothing." Jason said. "I''ve done that a time or two. They just set it back and tape it to your other finger for a couple of weeks."

    "Yea, but you''re not a pitcher like Dave." Sean pointed out. "He''s going to go out of his mind not being able to throw a ball for the next couple of weeks."

    "Good." Noah nodded. "Serves him right. Maybe that''ll teach him to stop trying to steal my spotlight. If he hadn''t deflected that hit, I could have gotten to it and made a great play. Top ten on sportscenter for sure."

    The two laughed and I cracked a smile.

 Chapter 834: V3 ch69 (VS Stuart Hall HS 3)

    Dave was out, but our spirits weren''t down. Noah, Sean, and Jason kept the conversation light with a couple of jokes while Bryce warmed up. He didn''t do a full pre-game warmup, but the umpire did allow him quite a bit of time because of the unexpected injury to Dave.

    I scanned the crowd and saw that both Mom and Zeke had left their seats. Presumably to take Dave to a nearby hospital.

    Once Bryce was ready, the umpire called for the second batter to step into the batter''s box, and for the game to resume. The rest of our team was in position, ready to get going again.

    Bryce started the batter off with a fastball outside. The batter swung and got a piece of it, hitting a hard grounder to Sean''s right. Both runners took off. Sean made a diving stop, jumped up and threw to Noah, who was covering second base, to get the first out. Noah threw the ball back to Sean, who hurried to cover first base. The batter was out as well. A 3-6-3 double play.

    Sean threw the ball back in and dusted himself off. He grinned as some of the crowd clapped for their excellent play. I was happy as well. Dave''s baserunner was out as well as batter number two. We''re back to a clean slate.

    The third batter stepped up. Bryce gave himself some time to reset. He did his complete windup and motion, throwing his fastest fastball right down the middle. The batter had the timing and speed down, and sent a solid line drive to center field.

    I turned back just in time to see Garret sprinting in and making the diving grab on his right side. He jumped up with the ball in glove.

    "Out!" The nearby umpire gave the signal.

    Garret tossed the ball in and followed after it.

    In the dugout, Coach quickly addressed the team. "Dave is out with a dislocated finger. He''ll be fine. For now, we''ll stick with Bryce. I''ve already let the bullpen know what''s going on." He looked at Garret. "Get your helmet on. Let''s try to spark a fire on offense."

    "Yes, sir!" Garret mocked saluted and hurried to his bag.

    Jason and Bryce were also going to come up this inning.

    I sat next to Noah on the bench. "How''s the back?"

    Noah grinned at me. "Let''s just say, I''m thankful that tomorrow is an off day. No extra workout for me."

    I frowned. That...doesn''t sound like Noah. Usually he''s always on the move.

    Noah laughed. "I''m good for now. Really. This is nothing." He glanced at my ankle. "You good?"

    I shook both of my ankles, proving that I was in good shape.

    "A bunch of wrecks you kids are." Coach said, surprising me by how close he was to us. He paused near us, looking us both up and down before nodding to himself. "Next tournament, I''ll have to ask if Drew can just come along with us. I can''t keep having you boys falling apart."

    Noah laughed. "We''ll be fine by the next tournament. Tulare Invitational again, right?"

    Coach nodded. "In February. Give me time to get you boys healthy and back in shape. I''ll still be talking with Drew though." He shook his head a little before moving on to Mitchell. He had a short conversation with him as well, but most likely it was pertaining to Bryce and the current game.

    Garret fouled off a couple of pitches before hitting a line drive right to the shortstop. Jason struck out, swinging. Bryce, who was concerned about his lack of batting practice lately, actually got a good piece of a pitch, launching it to the right field corner. Unfortunately it had too much air underneath it, giving the right fielder plenty of time to get underneath to make the final out.

    Bottom of the second inning. Bryce was the last out so he was literally the last one out of the dugout to take the field. I think it was good for him to take some time to calm down and transition to pitching. Especially since the first inning went so fast for him. At least his pitch count was low, letting him conserve some stamina.

    Facing their cleanup hitter, Bryce threw a low fastball almost in the dirt. The batter swung aggressively and missed miserably. He missed the next pitch, a high fastball out of reach. This team was really aggressive at the plate, swinging at anything. I can guess what Coach had to say to Mitchell now. Probably telling him to ask for more pitches outside of the zone. The cleanup hitter struck out, swinging at another low fastball.

    "That''s the way!" Noah clapped his glove, cheering Bryce on.

    The fifth batter didn''t swing at the low stuff, but Bryce was able to jam him on an inside pitch. The ball rolled slowly towards Noah. He charged it and made a barehanded play to get the second out.

    "Aye, keep ''em coming!" Noah grinned at Bryce.

    Bryce grinned back and pointed at Noah. The next batter hit a harder grounder within Noah''s reach. Noah scooped it up and threw the ball to Sean at first. Sean stretched and made the catch while keeping his foot on the base.

    "Out."

    Third out to end the inning.

    "Great fielding." Coach nodded at Noah as we entered the dugout.

    Noah grinned. "If only Bryce could make them hit it all my way."

    Bryce laughed. "If I had a choice, I would."

    Top of the third, Korrey led off. He struck out on three pitches. Mitchell did better, connecting, hitting a grounder to the first baseman. He flipped the ball back to the pitcher who came sprinting over to cover first base, beating Mitchell by a millisecond.

    "We''ve got to do something to tire this guy out." Sean muttered as the two of us stood near the dugout entrance.

    Jesse had taken over Dave''s spot in the lineup and was up to bat. Noah stood in the on deck circle.

    "I''ll foul off more pitches." I said quietly.

    "That''s not a bad idea, but it''s not sustainable." Coach jumped in from the side. "If we want something to happen on offense, we can''t just rely solely on you. Everyone has to exercise patience at the plate while being aggressive at the same time. It''s not easy, but it''s still early in the game."

    Jesse pulled a fastball down the third baseline. The third baseman made a great stop and then an even better throw to get him out at first.

    "Next at-bats we start over." Coach said, looking at me and Sean, then Noah who just came back in the dugout. "Don''t get anxious just yet. We can get to this guy."

    Noah nodded. "Yea, I think so too."

    I was surprised. I looked at Noah, questioning his confidence.

    "The guy likes to throw curveballs into the dirt when he has two strikes against us." Noah pointed out. "I was hoping to do something this inning, but it can wait. Probably for the best since there won''t be any outs when I start off the fourth inning."

    To do something? To do what? Not swing?

 Chapter 835 - V3 Ch70 (VS Stuart Hall HS 4)

    There wasn''t much time to question Noah''s plan of attack when we had to take the field for our defensive half of the inning.

    Bryce was going up against the bottom of the lineup, but that didn''t mean much against such a good team. The seventh batter hit a hard grounder right at me. I handled it well, throwing him out at first. The next batter made solid contact, hitting a line drive down the left field line. But Jesse was there, making a diving grab for the second out. He rolled in the grass before getting up and throwing the ball back in. His catch was even more impressive than Garret''s, but it should be expected from the former defensive mvp of the JV team.

    The last batter was the opposing pitcher. It was clear he wasn''t a two-way player like Garret, or even like the twins. Or Bryce. Bryce can bat. This dude simply swung and missed every fastball Bryce threw, whether it was in the zone or not. He struck out and we were still tied at zero after three innings.

    I hurried back to the dugout, trailing after Noah. "So? What''s the plan?"

    Noah grinned back at me. "You just be you. The plan for me, is to run."

    We got to our bags and started to switch out our gear.

    "What about me?" Sean asked, coming over with his helmet on and bat in hand. "I''m the one in between you two."

    "Be ready for the fastball." Noah told him before leaving us behind.

    Sean looked down at me. "What kind of shit-advice was that?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t know." I looked up at him. "But...are you ready for the fastball?"

    Sean rolled his eyes. "As ready as I''ll ever be. I''ll have to go for it since the curve is too much for me. Noah''s plan so far is just for individuality. Nothing really screamed team effort."

    I shrugged again. I could be me. That wasn''t hard. Sean and I moved to the exit. He went out to the on deck circle, while I stood in the hole.

    It wasn''t long before Garret approached me with his bat in his hands. "I heard Noah talking about getting on base this inning."

    "He has a plan." I slowly nodded and repeated the vague explanation he gave me and Sean.

    Garret laughed. "Well, we''ll just have to trust him. As long as you get on and I come up, we''ll score a run either way."

    Garret had the confidence this inning too. I was starting to feel the energy around us. The game was still tied at zero after three innings. Things were bound to change.

    The top of the fourth inning began as soon as the umpire waved for Noah to step up to the plate. The pitcher cornered him just as quickly as before, getting to the 0-2 count.

    "Here comes the curve." Garret muttered as we watched the pitcher use his deciding pitch on Noah once more.

    Noah swung fast, but was way too early. He then dropped his bat and took off for first base as the baseball bounced off the catcher''s chest padding. I couldn''t even register what was going on as I cheered for Noah running to first base. The catcher got the ball and made his throw to the first baseman, but it was too high. The right fielder was there to backup the play, and threw the ball back in before Noah could try for second base.

    Our team and fans cheered for Noah.

    I was happy, yet still confused so I looked up at Garret. "What was that?"

    Garret grinned and pointed at Noah. "That was some smart thinking!" He glanced down at me. "It''s not uncommon for those to strikeout, to try to run to first after the ball has been dropped. It is uncommon for players to plan to do it though. That was perfectly executed. He could have made it to second base if that outfielder didn''t come in to backup the play. That was smart on his part too."

    I nodded. Coach is always talking about how important backing up the plays were. "So what now?"

    Garret chuckled and pointed at the empty circle outside our dugout. "Now you get out there and hope Sean doesn''t hit into a double play."

    "Oh! Yea." I hurried out of the dugout and moved into the on deck circle just as the pitcher was preparing to throw his first pitch to Sean.

    He changed it into a pickoff attempt, throwing to his first baseman to try to get Noah out. Noah easily beat the tagged and got up after the ball was thrown back to the pitcher. Noah started taking his lead off of first again. The pitcher tried another pickoff attempt, but Noah still beat him back. The pitcher was either annoyed with Noah or was trying to stall for time. I would definitely believe the first one.

    The pitcher finally threw towards home, a fastball that came inside on Sean. As a left-handed batter, he made contact and smacked it just between the first and second basemen. Noah and him both started running. As did the right fielder.

    The right fielder got the ball back in but Noah made it to third base while Sean stayed at first.

    I came up to the plate with two on and no outs. My smile started to falter when I saw the catcher get up and jogged to the mound.

    "Jake." Garret called me back to the on deck circle, where he stood, waiting to go after me. I quickly went back, wanting to know what he had to say. "They''re probably going to walk you."

    Just kidding. I didn''t want to know that. I sighed.

    Garret let out a small laugh. "There''s no getting around it. You''re too good. If anything, I should be the one sighing. They rather face me with bases loaded and no outs than try to face you."

    I looked up at Garret, not feeling as bad.

    "Don''t worry, we''ll score no matter what." He patted my shoulder with a grin. "You take that intentional walk with pride."

    I nodded.

    The catcher and pitcher finished their meeting on the mound and the umpire called me to the batter''s box. The catcher stayed standing as I chose to bat from the right. Sure enough, the pitcher threw four intentional balls outside the zone, sending me on my way to first base.

    Sean moved to second and Garret got in the lefty''s box. Garret had made solid contact before in his first at-bat so there was no need for me to be anxious for him. I just had to worry about when to run.

    Garret worked the count, fouling off three straight fastballs before fouling off a curve. The pitcher tried to mix in some balls, but Garret wasn''t fooled. He was locked in. Anything close and he would swing. The rest would pass by for balls. On a full count, Garret made perfect contact, smashing the ball straight to the center field fence.

    I jogged out halfway to second base, watching as the center fielder tracked the fly ball down to the warning track. He jumped at the last minute and came down with Garret''s hit. Shoot. I ran back to first.

    Luckily, Noah was able to tag up with ease, scoring the first run of the game, 1-0.. Sean also tagged up from second, advancing to third as the center fielder threw the ball back in.

 Chapter 836 - V3 Ch71 (VS Stuart Hall HS 5)

    It wasn''t the best thing that could have happened; I would have really preferred to see Garret''s grand slam. But we''ll take it. A one run lead in a championship game is a good start. We also still have runners at the corners and only one out as Jason came up to bat.

    As he was high-fiving Noah and Garret, the coach for Stuart Hall came out of the dugout and called for a time out so he could go speak to his pitcher on the mound. The catcher went up to join them, and it wasn''t long before he waved the infielders in to join them.

    I looked to Coach Luis who was just beside me.

    Coach Luis got closer and lowered his voice. "They''ll probably keep the pitcher in, but have someone else starting to warm up. Might be telling the infielders to try for the double play in case Jason puts the ball into play."

    I nodded. This pitcher was good. It''d be weird if they took him out just because he gave up one run. Heck, he has only given up one hit and that was to Sean just before me.

    The umpire had to approach the mound to break up the team meeting taking place. Their coach went back to his dugout while the rest of the players got back into position. The pitcher got set as Jason stepped up to the plate.

    I took a small lead off first base. The first baseman wasn''t holding me to the bag as he himself was positioned a little further out. It was the third baseman that was playing close to his base, trying to keep Sean on the actual base. The pitcher attempted to pick him off, completely ignoring me.

    I inched a little further out, trying to be a little more courageous. The pitcher could try to throw my way, but I wouldn''t put it past Sean to try to steal home. But this team wasn''t fooled. To be this good, they had to have the experience. The pitcher kept his attention on Sean at third and Jason at home. I wasn''t even part of the equation.

    Mr. Miller gave out a few signs, only to indicate that Jason could swing freely and for us runners to be ready to go. Had to be wary of pop flys.

    The pitcher got set and started his motion, throwing a fastball towards home plate. Jason swung and missed for strike one. Then it was another check throw to third. The second pitch was another fastball and another strike. Jason was having trouble keeping up.

    0-2 count again. Chances are...it''s going to be a curve.

    I clenched my fists and tried to further my lead. If he did throw a curve in the dirt like before, I could make a run for second base even if Jason strikes out.

    The pitcher got set, went through his motion, and threw his third pitch. A fastball! Jason swung...still late, but at least he got a piece of it.

    "Come back!" I heard Coach Luis call out to me.

    I sprinted back to first base and kept a foot on the bag as I watched the fly ball go to the right field corner. The right fielder made the catch right before the foul line.

    "Go!"

    I took off for second base. As soon as I was in diving distance, I went for it. Not because I wanted to, but because I had a feeling that I needed to. Just as I was sliding over the base, stopping on my stomach, I felt the tag come down on my backside. That was close!

    "Safe!"

    I looked back at home plate and saw Sean slapping hands with Jason. He had scored and Jason would be credited with a sacrifice fly. 2-0. Our team and the fans clapped and cheered for the duo as they went back into the dugout.

    After the ball was thrown back to the pitcher, I got up and dusted myself off, keeping my feet on the base. At least until the second baseman and shortstop started to move back to their usual positions.

    Two outs, Bryce stepped up to the batter''s box, taking some heavy practice swings. Mr. Miller gave the sign for him to hit and for me to go on contact. With the two outs, and our small lead, I didn''t have to worry about any running errors. Just try my hardest to go home. Feeling more confident, I stretched my lead off of second base a little more.

    The pitcher looked at me and took a step off the rubber. I rushed back to second. I could hear a couple of laughs from nearby and even a few from the stands. My face started to heat up as I glanced back to the mound. The pitcher stood there, ball in hand, and a smirk on his face.

    Okay, so I fell for a bad fake. Better to be safe than sorry. I had to repeat that to myself a couple of times before coming off the bag again for a small lead.

    The pitcher turned back to home plate, not bothering to mess with me anymore. I obviously wasn''t a threat with my small lead. And he still had the speed to take on Bryce to get that third out. I took a deep breath and stretched my lead two more steps.

    The pitcher got set, did a full windup, then threw his fastest pitch of the game. In a blink of an eye, Bryce sent it back the way it came. The sound off his bat echoed in my ears as I started my sprint. Mr. Miller waved me on fully, at least hinting to me that Bryce really did get a hit. It might be a play at home.

    I did my best to pick up the pace as I rounded third. The catcher stood ready to receive the ball. Just beyond him was Korrey. He was gesturing for me to slide.

    "It''s coming in!"

    "Go down!"

    "Slide, Jake, slide!"

    Everyone was speaking all at once the closer I got to the plate. From the corner of my eye, I could tell that the baseball was coming in faster than me. When I got close, I started my slide, feet first. The catcher caught the baseball and his glove came down on me as I felt the smoothness of home plate underneath me.

    "Safe!" The umpire declared.

    I grinned and got up slowly, doing my best to avoid the catcher. I took one step and my ankle almost gave out under me.

    Korrey steadied me and asked with concern, "You good?"

    "Yea." I shook my leg out and felt some pain. I waved him off and walked back to the dugout alone. Mitch reached me next since he was standing in the on deck circle. I tried to wave him off too, but he didn''t listen. He just lifted me a little to lessen the pressure off my ankle. Once inside the dugout, he had to leave. Which was fine because Noah, Garret, and Coach had me surrounded immediately.

    Noah helped me sit down. "How is it?"

    I lifted my leg onto the bench and slowly rolled my ankle joint. "Not bad.. Just a bit of pain from sliding in like that."

 Chapter 837 - V3 Ch72 (VS Stuart Hall HS 6)

    Coach looked to Garret. "Get the trainer."

    Garret nodded and left immediately.

    "I''m okay." I told Coach straightforwardly.

    Coach nodded. "Sure, I''ll believe it when I hear the trainer say so."

    "Don''t worry." Noah patted my shoulder and pointed towards the mound. "We have some time. They''re doing a pitcher change."

    I sighed, but there was nothing I can do. Coach was in charge. Garret came back with the trainer. He examined my ankle with the shoe on and then with the shoe off.

    "It''s a low grade sprain." He concluded. "If you want, I can tape it up to stabilize the joint. Or if you''re pulling him out now, we can ice it." He looked to Coach.

    Coach lips twisted. He looked me in the eyes. "Can you play on it?"

    I nodded. Absolutely.

    Coach told the trainer. "Tape it, please."

    The trainer opened up his bag and started to pull out the necessary supplies. He sprayed the ankle with sticky stuff, then used a soft wrap and then tape. My ankle did feel more stabilized, yet I couldn''t move it at all.

    "Just in time." Noah muttered.

    I was awkwardly trying to put my sock on over the wrap when I saw the umpire called Korrey out for looking at a called strike three.

    "Here." Garret picked up my cleat, got my foot inside, then tied my laces in record time. He gave it a slap. "Let''s get out there."

    The three of us were the last to take the field, earning an extra look from the umpires. Garret had a longer run out to center field and started to play catch with Korrey who was in right. Sean at first started to throw grounders at me and Noah, warming up before the bottom of the fourth. We still had half a game to go.

    Bryce finished his warmup on the mound and all the spare baseballs were called back to the dugout. Bryce would have to start with the leadoff batter for Stuart Hall. He''s the only one to have a hit for them so far.

    Bryce cornered him quick to a 0-2 count. He responded by hitting a ball outside of the zone to right field. Korrey got underneath it and made the catch with ease. The second batter had more patience. He worked the count, getting to a 2-2, fouling off a couple until Bryce threw back to back balls. Walked him.

    "Next one, next one!" Noah clapped with his glove, trying to get Bryce to settle down.

    Bryce took a moment to use the rosin bag and kick at the rubber on the mound. He checked the runner on first before going after the third batter. With a runner on, his motion had to change a little and I think that helped throw the batter off. He struck out swinging for the second out.

    "Nice!"

    "Great work!"

    "Keep it up!"

    Bryce kept an eye on the runner as the cleanup hitter stepped up to the plate. Bryce was able to strike him out last time so if he did it again, it would be a great way to end this inning. Unfortunately, that''s not how it worked out. The cleanup hitter got one through the gap between me and Sean. The runner advanced all the way to third, aggressively beating out Korrey''s throw. The cleanup hitter stayed on first.

    Runners at the corners.

    Jason threw the ball back to Bryce.

    As I got back into position, I glanced at Noah to see if he was going to make a move to talk to Bryce on the mound. He looked as if he was hesitating.

    Bryce didn''t waste any time to look at us. And he certainly didn''t his time to reset his mental state of mind. It was apparent in the next batter. The fifth batter absolutely crushed the very first pitch that came down the pipe. I didn''t even bother to turn my head to watch the ball go over the fence. The crowd''s cheering and the opposing team''s dugout celebration was enough for me.

    As the runners trotted around the bases and scored three runs to tie the game, Noah approached the mound. Sean, Jason, and I were close to follow.

    "Sorry, guys." Bryce took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair, clearly stressed that we lost our lead.

    Mitch joined us, mask off. "It''s...okay..." He hesitated and looked at Noah. Saying that didn''t sound right.

    Noah reached out and placed a hand on Bryce. "Don''t worry about it now. Can''t go back and fix the past." He sighed. "I should have came to the mound after that single to give you a short break. You''re not the only one at fault. Just settle down and end this inning."

    I nodded along.

    "It''s not like we haven''t been tied this whole time anyways." Jason chuckled. "Stop them here."

    Bryce shook out his arms. "Right, right."

    The umpire came up to the mound to break us up.

    I don''t know how much the small pep talk helped, but Bryce got the third out from batter six. He sent a high fly ball to center field and Garret made the catch before the warning track. That would be it for the fourth inning. Tied at three apiece.

    Inside the dugout, the atmosphere was drastically different than from when we left.

    Garret clapped his hands. "Hey! Don''t get down on yourselves. Three more innings. Let''s change things around."

    The guys all around agreed and got their heads up.

    I spotted Coach talking to Bryce and Mitch. Mitch was first up to bat this inning so he only stuck around until he got his gear off and his helmet on. He nodded at something Coach said then left the dugout. Coach still stuck with Bryce.

    "He''ll probably get another chance to go back to the mound." Noah whispered to me as he got his own batting gear on. He would definitely get to bat this inning. "It''s a tough call, but you want him to get a chance to redeem himself."

    I nodded and held back a sigh. Pitchers had it tough. I wouldn''t have the mentality for it.

    Mitch wasn''t gone long. He struck out swinging and returned with a frown. Jesse was up next and unexpectedly smacked a line drive in left-center field, earning a double; his second hit of the tournament. The action got some of the dugout talking again as Noah stepped up to the plate.

    Sean moved to the on deck circle. I wasn''t far behind, getting my helmet on and holding my bat. Either of them get on base and I would have a chance to come up this inning too.

    Noah didn''t have a strategy planned out like last time given that this was the new pitcher brought in at the end of our last offensive inning. That didn''t mean he was unhittable as Jesse just proved. Noah made contact with the end of his bat, sending a slow grounder down the first baseline.

    The first baseman didn''t hesitate to charge the ball and then flipped it to the pitcher who was running to cover first. He beat out Noah by a step. There was some consolation though: Jesse advanced to third.. We have a runner in scoring position.

 Chapter 838 - V3 Ch73 (VS Stuart Hall HS 7)

    Sean took a deep breath before heading for the batter''s box. Noah passed me by on his way back inside the dugout as I headed outside for the on deck circle. I held out my hand for a high-five and he obliged.

    Sean had previously hit a single in his last at-bat so there was a certain level of excitement as he came up with a runner on third. We could take the lead back as soon as we lost it.

    The pitcher, as a righty, was able to easily do some check throws to the third baseman, keeping Jesse closer to the bag. After two, the pitcher threw his fastball right down the middle, but Sean whiffed. 0-1. Another check throw. There were some audible ''boos'' as the ball was thrown.

    "Face the batter head on!" Some man yelled from the stands. I glanced his way, but couldn''t spot the man.

    I don''t know whether the pitcher heard the man or not, or whether he chose to listen because of that loud instruction, but he really did face Sean head on. He stopped worrying about Jesse on third and started throwing the heat in the strike zone. Sean went down swinging, ending our offense.

    "Let''s goooo!" The pitcher pumped his fists and yelled for everyone to hear.

    His team, dugout, and fans took the lead in yelling and getting loud.

    "Heads up, chins up!" Garret clapped his hands in the dugout. "We aren''t losing." He was quick to take the field and the rest of us followed.

    Including Bryce.

    I casually checked the bullpen to see if anyone was warming up. Nope. Okay, we''re sticking with Bryce this inning. He would start with the seventh batter.

    Bryce was put in a tough spot early, throwing two balls outside the zone, not even getting the batter to flinch. He bounced back with two strikes, getting to the 2-2 count. On the fifth pitch, the batter made contact, hitting the ball just over the infield. It took once bounce before Garret got to it and quickly threw the ball back in. A leadoff single.

    Noah, who had the ball, went to the mound to take it back to Bryce. He covered his mouth with his glove to say a few words that I couldn''t even hear despite being the next closest player around.

    Bryce nodded. Then nodded again. Whatever Noah was saying, he clearly agreed with. He also got extra time to calm down after giving up a hit. Noah stayed until the ump started to walk their way.

    The game resumed with a runner on first and Bryce facing the eighth batter in their lineup. He did one check throw, then threw a fastball inside the zone for a called strike. He threw a similar fastball near the same spot for a swing and a miss. 0-2. Bryce shook off Mitchell''s sign twice before agreeing on one.

    Low yet center in the zone for a called strike three! Before I could even change expressions, Mitch threw the ball to Sean at first base and the runner dived back. Mitch threw nice and low, near the base for Sean to catch and go lay on the tag almost simultaneously.

    "Out!" The closest umpire declared.

    Sean grinned as he straightened up.

    "Are you kidding me?!" Stuart Hall''s coach came jogging out of his dugout and started to argue the call with the crew of umpires.

    I quickly moved away and joined the other infielders just off the mound as the game was put on hold. Mitchell also came from behind the plate to make it complete.

    "Wonderful throw, man." Sean slapped Mitch on the back. "I almost missed that sign."

    Mitch chuckled and readjusted his chest padding. "I''m just thankful he didn''t try to go for second instead. Could you imagine how stressed Jake would be during a pickle?"

    The guys all laughed as I rolled my eyes. Just because they were right, didn''t mean I appreciated being the butt of the joke.

    "The baserunner is gone." Noah glanced at the coach talking to the umpires. "No redos allowed." He grinned at Bryce. "You have a clean slate once more. Even though the next guy is the pitcher, don''t slack."

    Bryce snorted. "I never slack off."

    "You know what I mean." Noah laughed. "Stay calm and don''t get lost in your head."

    We talked a little more as the opposing team''s coach let the umpires get an earful. Eventually he was warned to return to his dugout or he would be ejected. He complied though it was clearly heard that he didn''t agree with the call. I didn''t have a good view nor was I prepared to look when it happened so I couldn''t say if we got away with one or if the ump had it right.

    Bryce finally got to face the ninth batter, the relief pitcher. So I would have to face him at the top of the sixth. Bryce shut him down quickly, getting him to swing at a ball in the dirt on a 1-2 count. The inning ended and we were still tied.

    I hurried back to the dugout and switched out my gear. I stepped out of the dugout and Garret was only a step behind.

    He laid a hand on my helmet to hold me back from taking practice swings. He leaned in and lowered his voice. "If they give you the chance to hit, swing for the fences."

    I looked up at him, surprised. "Shouldn''t I try to tire the guy out if they let me bat?"

    Garret turned us slightly back towards the dugout, our teammates within our sights. "Don''t bother with that strategy. We need a run. We need the lead. Attacking the pitcher to make him tire is useless right now. There are only two innings left. This is probably your last at-bat."

    I gripped my bat tightly. That''s right. This really might be my last at-bat depending on the situation.

    "Batter up!" The home plate umpire called for me.

    Garret gave my helmet a pat and stood up straight. "If you don''t get the chance, I''m right behind you."

    I relaxed my shoulders and headed for the batter''s box, choosing to bat from the right side. Once I was set, the pitcher started his motion. So, he was going to throw to me. I did have this chance. No matter whether it''s in the zone or not, I''ll have to try to aim for the fences like Garret said.

    The ball had movement like a breaking pitch, drifting away from me and towards the other batter''s box. I swung fast and hard, hitting the ball opposite field corner. The right fielder chased it to the fence, jumped, and came down empty-handed.

    My teammates in the dugout went wild and got loud. I clenched my fist as I started my victory trot around the bases. Both Coach Luis and Mr. Miller gave me light slaps on my backside and spoke words of encouragement. I tagged home to make the score 4-3.

    I glanced up in the stands to see Dad and Jeremy standing tall and clapping their hardest. Rhys was also still there, but didn''t take up as much space or had much of a presence compared to the two of them.. I grinned and gave them a small wave as I headed back to the dugout.

 Chapter 839 - V3 Ch74 (VS Stuart Hall HS END)

    Garret handed me my bat before I went back to the dugout. His grin may have been even bigger than mine. "Bambi, you really know how to deliver!"

    I took my bat to the dugout and started to receive claps on the back. Jason was on deck and Bryce in the hole. Looking like he''s going to pitch again. I grinned and nodded as they showered me with praise.

    Once officially inside, Noah tackled me and started to jump around. "You''re practically a mini-Zeke!"

    My lips twitched and I denied it. "No, no." My batting could be comparable but I still lacked the skills in fielding and in the knowledge of the game. If anything, I would say Noah was close to being a mini-Zeke. He had the same quality in leadership and definitely had the baseball knowledge. His fielding was also number one otherwise he wouldn''t be the starting shortstop for our team.

    Just as Noah wanted to say more, we heard the echo of the bat making contact with the ball. We turned to the field and some of the guys started to yell and cheer.

    "Let''s goooo!"

    "Get out of here!"

    "Garret! Garret!"

    "Back-to-back!"

    Garret had hit a bomb over the right-center field fence, putting my homerun to shame. He jogged around the bases with a faster pace and without any added theatrics. But the smile on his face said it all as he touched home plate. 5-3. We''ve got ourselves some breathing room.

    The dugout was electric as everyone talked over one another and moved around. Jason moved to the batter''s box and Bryce stepped out to get on the on deck circle. The two congratulated Garret on his way back in.

    "Game is not over yet." Coach raised his voice over everyone else. "The momentum is back with us. Don''t give it up again."

    "Yea!" The guys said together.

    I got back to my bag and put my helmet away and got my hat on. I used the time I had to look over my bat.

    "Something up?" Noah trailed after me.

    I handed him the bat with a sigh. "It''s done for."

    Noah examined the bat and found the spot I was talking about. I didn''t hit the ball with the most solid part of the bat and caused some uneven splitting. "Bummer. You''ll have to retire this one. You remembered to bring a spare, right?"

    I nodded and took the bat back. I put it in my bag and showed the other so he knew for sure. I took a seat and let out another huff of air.

    "Hey, no need to feel bad." Noah sat beside me.

    "I''m not feeling...bad." I shrugged. "Just a little...nostalgic? I think. It''s not like I hate breaking these bats, but...the feeling is just...I can''t explain it." I dropped my head.

    Noah laughed freely and gave me a nudge. "Stop. Stop. A bat is meant to be used. Cleats also can wear out and get torn up. We have bats to spare now. How about you turn your focus on whether you want to ask that pitcher to sign your bat after the game?"

    I shook my head almost immediately. Absolutely not. It''s one thing to ask someone I know...it''s near impossible for me to approach a stranger.

    "Okay, okay, don''t make yourself dizzy." Noah placed a hand on top of my head to get me to stop shaking. "We can just mark the date and maybe write a couple sentences on what happened like you hitting a homerun to take the lead in a championship game."

    I nodded, happy with that.

    He laughed. "Our closet will soon be a shrine to your broken bats. Almost like a museum I guess."

    We talked about my bats and how to organize the closet in the future as the rest of our offense flunked out. Jason grounded out to short, Bryce flew out to left field, and Korrey got jammed, hitting a grounder right to the first baseman. Despite the three going down in order, our spirits were still high.

    Bryce picked up right where he left off. The first batter hit a high fly ball to right field, but Korrey had plenty of time to get underneath it for the first out. Then Bryce earned another pair of strikeouts to end the sixth inning.

    Our offense stayed slow though. Mitch fought hard to get himself walked, only for Jesse to follow up with a grounder to short. It was a 6-4-3 double play. Noah, up next, made solid contact, smacking a line drive right to the shortstop for the third out. Another three up, three down thought it looked different on paper.

    The decline in the batting didn''t affect us as a team. Bryce took the mound once more as the cheers rained down. Three outs away from being a tournament champion. Bryce had to take on the core of their lineup for the third time this game. Batters four, five, and six.

    The cleanup hitter got a hold of the very first pitch, sending it right back towards Bryce. He ducked to get out of the way. Noah was right there behind him, making a diving catch to stop that line drive from reaching the grass. I could clearly hear the groans from the opposing dugout.

    Noah jumped up and threw the ball back. "One out! Two to go!"

    We echoed him as a team.

    Bryce tipped his hat in Noah''s direction and grinned, unbothered that the cleanup hitter made such good contact.

    The fifth batter didn''t attack the first pitch early on like his teammate. He stretched the at-bat out, trying to get Bryce to slip up and throw something he wanted. He was the only player on Stuart Hall that had the RBI''s from the homerun so there was no way Bryce was going to give him anything close to the hot zone. That didn''t stop the guy from sending a fly ball to center field.

    Garret tracked it down to the center field fence and without having to jump, made the catch for the second out. The crowd started to get louder; our fans had completely taken over. Just chants of ''W-H-S'' rang out as the sixth batter got in the box.

    I almost wanted to join in as Bryce quickly cornered the batter to a 0-2 count, but I stayed focus. The previous two had put the ball in play so this guy might not be any different. Sure enough, the bat rung as he sent a line drive down the first baseline. Sean was there to snatch it and raised his gloved hand high.

    "Out!" The ump called the third out for the game.

    The guys started to swarm the mound. Noah found me first and we started to jump around. The next fifteen minutes were us going crazy on the field until the coaches reminded us that we had to go collect our medals and the championship trophy.

    Tournament organizers got us set and started a small ceremony congratulating us on winning this year''s Christmas tournament. We each got medals personally handed to us, but they didn''t stop there.

    "For tournament MVP, it''s only fitting that the player came from the championship team, Watsonville High''s sophomore Jake Atkins! He hit an unbelievable five homeruns this weekend. And only recorded two outs at the plate." The announcer could be heard throughout the broadcasting speakers talking about my statistics.

    Noah pushed me forward to accept an additional medal from one of the organizers.. I looked down at my chest in disbelief. I was MVP? Of this whole tournament?

 Chapter 840 - V3 Ch75 (postgame)

    The medals around my neck clinked as we started to clean up our dugout. We took off our cleats and packed up our bags.

    Coach started to address everyone. "Congrats, boys. What a way to end the year. We won''t resume practice until school starts again in January. Don''t forget your gloves and cleats on the first day."

    "Shouldn''t we start practicing again after Christmas and New Years?" Noah asked.

    Coach shook his head. "No, rest up. Let''s give everyone time to heal. Games don''t start until February so an extra week off is fine." He looked around. "When I say that, I trust that everyone here knows what I mean. Those that are hurt, focus on getting better and don''t make things worse." He made eye contact with me and moved on to Noah.

    "What are you looking at us for?" Noah shifted his eyes, looking guilty.

    "I''m not just talking about you two. There''s also Dave and Tanner." Coach said. "I''ll be sending texts or calling you guys up randomly to make sure you''re getting better. To start the season off right, we need to be healthier. For those who don''t have any problems, they should know how much to train on their own."

    Mitchell stepped up. "Everyone has each other''s numbers by now. Pitchers, don''t hesitate to call or text me for a bullpen session. No matter if you''re a starter or a reliever. I won''t be going anywhere all break."

    "Same." Oscar stood up from his spot.

    "I''ll be preparing our field for the new season." Mr. Miller spoke up and added. "I don''t mind unlocking the bullpen, but if you use it, you have to clean it up."

    "No problem!" Mitchell agreed with a grin.

    Coach said a few more words, before wrapping it up. "I''ll give Dave''s medal to you, to give to him." Coach tossed one to Noah. Then another towards Garret. "This one belongs to Tanner."

    Garret nodded. "I''m going straight to his house tonight. See how he''s doing."

    There was some small talk as we started to split up in smaller groups.

    Kyle came to us and surprisingly picked up both of our bags. He rolled his eyes at our wide eyes. "Shut up. You guys did well today and I know you''re a little beat up." He paused as we started to walk out of the dugout. "How was Dave when he left the game?"

    "Dislocated finger for sure." Noah answered. "He didn''t seem to be in too much pain. Wanted the trainer to reset it right then and there so he could continue."

    Kyle snorted and let out a small laugh. "Good thing he didn''t. It worked out that he left." He spotted our group within the crowd. "Looks like we lost half of the fam thanks to Dave."

    We joined the group of three: Dad, Rhys, and Jeremy.

    "Great game!" Rhys was the first to say while the other two nodded in agreement. Rhys tipped my cap up to reveal more of my face. "And you! MVP! Congrats!"

    "Thanks." I fixed my hat.

    "How''s Dave?" Kyle asked Dad. "Is he done with the hospital yet?"

    "Rose took him and Mary to see Dr. Shanfield since we aren''t too far from his office. He''s also not too busy at the moment since it''s so close to the holidays." Jeremy spoke up. "They''re done and had already said they would meet us back at the hotel."

    We all remembered Dr. Shanfield since he was the one I got to see for my leg injury just a few months ago. It''s also where we ran into Jack Maberry for the first time. He was the A''s team doctor and was very accommodating to me even though I was just Jeremy''s younger brother. That''s nice of him to see Dave just before Christmas.

    "Is it serious?" Noah asked his dad.

    Dad shook his head. "Nope. Just a straight dislocation. No fracture, and no surgery needed. Dr. Shanfield was able to reposition the finger and gave us a follow up appointment in a couple of weeks."

    "He''s out for weeks??" Kyle was shocked.

    "Even though it''s his pinky, it''s also his pitching hand." Rhys shrugged. "It''s better to be safe than sorry."

    "Exactly." Dad nodded. "But there''s nothing to worry about. He''s got some time until the season starts. The Tulare Invitational isn''t until mid-February. As long as the healing and rehab goes well, he could probably start that very first game."

    "No." Kyle rejected. "That''ll be my start."

    We cracked smiles and laughed. I guess Kyle was no longer worried about Dave coming back for the season.

    Dad looked at me and Noah. "Do you two want to grab ice here or at the hotel?"

    "I want to take a nice hot shower first." Noah said. "I don''t think I even really need ice. The heating pad worked better to get me ready for the game." He twisted as if to prove that he was feeling better.

    "Okay, okay." Dad looked at me. "How about you Jake?"

    "My ankle is all taped up." I told him.

    "I can help take it off in the room." Rhys volunteered. "Then you can ice it as Noah showers."

    "By the time you boys are all cleaned up, it should be dinner time." Dad stated. He glanced at Jeremy. "You''re the local here now, any suggestions?"

    Jeremy grinned and looked down at us. "How do you guys feel about celebrating with steak?"

    "Yes!" Kyle pumped his fist.

    "I think it''s overpriced since the MVP here might just be ordering soup." Noah shrugged. "But it''s not my money."

    Dad let out a small chuckle. "We''re only in town for one more night. Let''s let Jeremy pick. Tomorrow night, the MVP will get to pick." He winked at me.

    I felt my face flush. Everyone kept saying ''MVP'' and even though I did well, it just sounds...unreal. The six of us piled into Jeremy''s suv and went back to our hotel.

    Dad was the first to split off, going back to his room to make some calls for his real estate business. It was hard to remember that today was still a Monday. Normal people still have work. Kyle followed him back too, wanting to change out of his uniform and maybe just take a quick shower to rinse off. He said he got to throw for a little bit in the bullpen and had worked up a small sweat.

    That left Jeremy to follow the three of us back to our room. Noah grabbed his clean clothes and got in the bathroom first. I sat on the bed so Rhys could start unwinding all the tape off my ankle. Jeremy went to the ice machine in the hall and filled up a bag to put on my now bare ankle.

    "How does it feel?" Jeremy asked, sitting on a spare chair. Rhys sat on the bed he shared with Zeke.

    I shrugged. "Not bad at all. I think I''ll be fine by next week."

    "Take it easy and let it heal properly." He instructed. "Like Wayne said, there''s plenty of time until the season starts."

    I nodded. "Yea, Coach said the same kind of thing.. He wants us all healthy for when the season starts."

 Chapter 841 - V3 Ch76

    We talked a little bit more about healing before talking about Dave''s injury. Jeremy reassured me that he would be in good hands with Dr. Shanfield looking over him. And I believe it. Eventually Noah came out dressed and it was my turn to shower. I turned the water on hot and let it rain down on me. I did a few stretches before finishing.

    Back in the room, the amount of people had multipled.

    I was quickly pulled into a headlock. Dave tangled up my wet hair and laughed loudly. "Mr. MVP!"

    I laughed too and struggled to get out of his hold.

    "Be careful!" Kyle called out.

    I quickly froze, realizing that Dave was injured.

    "You''re worrying about nothing, Kyle." Dave let me go. "Even Jake wasn''t freaking out and I had my arm around his neck."

    "I forgot." I glanced at his right arm. "How''s it feeling?"

    Dave lifted his right arm to show a wrist brace was on and his pinky was taped to his ring finger. "I feel great! I was allowed to take some strong painkiller before he reset the bone. The brace is just for caution. Mom thinks I''ll be too reckless without a heavier reminder."

    "Putting Jake into a headlock counts as reckless." Kyle argued. He turned to the others. "Tell him, guys. I''m not the crazy one here."

    Zeke, Rhys, Jeremy, and Noah, all nodded in agreement.

    Zeke walked over to get between us. "Kyle, you don''t have to be so loud. A simple warning or reminder would suffice." He focused on Dave. "But he is right. You''re just high on drugs right now. As soon as that fades, you''ll probably going to be in pain."

    Dave laughed. "Jokes on you guys. I have painkillers for the next two weeks." He pulled a bottle out of his jacket pocket and showed it off like his own MVP medal.

    Zeke''s eyes narrowed. "You better take that as instructed."

    Kyle snorted. "Mom shouldn''t have even let him hold it to begin with."

    "Let me see." Jeremy came closer. Dave willingly handed him the bottle. Jeremy looked it over and slowly nodded. "Yep, this is the strong stuff. Be careful with it. Also...you know you can''t drive, right?"

    "Yea, yea, they told me." Dave waved the braced arm freely. "Not like I should anyways." He put his injured arm around my shoulders. "You guys are just a bunch of worrywarts. Let''s worry tomorrow and let''s celebrate Jake tonight!" He started to sway me side-to-side. "MVP! MVP!" He chanted.

    I laughed, glad he was feeling well enough to mess around. It wasn''t long before Noah joined and started to shout along. I also pitched in, really happy that I won the MVP of the tournament. Just for this moment alone.

    Eventually, we had to leave and meet Mom and Dad downstairs in the lobby. We split up into two groups to take two different cars. Noah volunteered the two of us to go with Jeremy. Dave came along too.

    "Is Rose not coming with us?" Noah asked as we walked to the car. "I didn''t see her in the lobby."

    "She was probably tired from doing the doctor visit with Mom and Rhys." Dave butted in. "Could you imagine? What a drag!"

    Jeremy chuckled. "No, well technically she was tired. It''s been a long weekend. But she got a notification that something she ordered was ready at the store so she needed to go pick it up. It''s some Christmas presents for her parents. She said she would meet us at the restaurant."

    "She''s pretty cool. Are you guys living together yet?" Dave asked.

    "Not officially." Jeremy told him and winked. "Ask me again in a couple of weeks."

    "Wow! You''re moving fast!" Dave caught the hint.

    Jeremy turned sheepish as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Do you think so?"

    "What''a fast?" Noah asked, interested.

    I also paid attention.

    "They''re going to move in together ''officially''." Dave raised his eyebrows up and down.

    "I thought you guys already lived together though?" Noah asked Jeremy.

    Jeremy shrugged. "I mean, I bought a house. That she stays at six days out of the week. The next step is to naturally ask her to marry me."

    "We''ll be invited, right?!" Noah got excited.

    "Naturally!" Jeremy nodded. We arrived at his car and got settled in. Me in the front passenger seat right beside him; Dave and Noah sat behind us.

    "We''ll get to see so many professionals up close!" Noah exclaimed. "I should bring an autograph book and tell your guests that it''s like an attendance sheet."

    The three of us laughed and Jeremy started to drive.

    "Are you trying to propose on Christmas?" Dave asked, leaning forward.

    Jeremy glanced back using the rear view mirror. "Sort of. We''ll go to her parents place on Christmas, and then we''ll come back to my house. That''s when I''ll do it."

    "Ew. Romantic." Dave commented.

    Noah pulled him back and leaned forward. "Are you going to do rose petals everywhere? You see that kind of stuff in the movies all the time."

    Jeremy''s lips twitched. "Am I that predictable?"

    "At least you''re making it more intimate with just the two of you." Dave said. "It''d be awkward if you asked in front of her family and she said no."

    Noah smacked him. "Don''t say that."

    "What? It could happen."

    "Yea, but you don''t say it to his face."

    Jeremy chuckled. "It''s okay. I thought about that too. Sometimes I feel like we''re moving too fast, but when you know, you know." He paused. "And, it''s okay if she says no. I don''t think we would break up over it. Just postpone that next step."

    "Sometimes you sound so old." Dave blurted out, making Noah and me laugh. "No, no, seriously. Jeremy is like what, only five years older than me, and seven older than you two. And he''s talking about buying houses and getting married. Like damn, do I have to start preparing for that shit?"

    Jeremy laughed too. "Obviously not. Everyone goes at their own pace. I know guys my age that married their high school sweethearts. And I also know guys way older than me that don''t even have a significant other at the moment. Heck, some guys I went to high school with are still in college. It just depends."

    "Do you guys think Kyle would marry Marie after high school?" Noah mused.

    Dave faked gagged. "Ew. No. That would be a dumb move."

    "I think..." I spoke up and the other two quieted down. I cleared my voice. "I don''t know about marriage, but I think they would go to the same college. Kaylee says Marie has been looking into the same schools as Kyle."

    Noah laughed and nudged Dave. "Looks like you''ll be third-wheeling for the next four years."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "If I even go to the same college as him."

    I turned back to look at him, surprised. I couldn''t imagine the twins not being together. They even spent the summer going to recruit camps together.

    "I agree." Jeremy said. I swiveled my head to him. He shrugged. "I think this is a good age to start making decisions on your own about your future. Don''t be like me....just doing what I was told since junior high."

 Chapter 842 - V3 Ch77

    "Do you regret it?" Noah asked in a low voice.

    Jeremy shrugged. "It''s too late to regret, but I''d like to think I would have done things differently if I could go back in time." He glanced at me.

    "I kind of like how things ended up." I told them. I wanted to make it clear that surviving my childhood to get to be an Atkins was worth it. Grown up Jeremy is also probably better to have around than his teen self. Plus, how could he become MVP and a World Series champion without all that baseball in his teen years?

    "All''s well that ends well." Noah said in agreement. "But thanks for the advice." He grinned. "No matter what Mom and Dad say, I won''t be going to college."

    Jeremy looked a little stuck and unsure of what to say.

    Dave laughed. "Don''t worry, he wasn''t going to go to college anyways. His mind has always been on going pro."

    "Good goals to have." Jeremy nodded. "But it''s a tough road to take. Shit pay for those in the lower leagues. Constantly traveling and moving. I''m the exception not the rule. Some minor league players never even make it."

    "I''ll make it." Noah declared confidently. He poked me in the arm. "What about you, Jake? I can see you being a top pick. Your batting skills could carry you up the ranks real quick."

    I shifted, feeling a little uncomfortable. "I''ve got some time to think about it."

    "True." Noah nodded. He looked at Dave. "It''s the twins turn to make decisions before us. Are you leaning towards any certain college yet, Dave? Or are you waiting for Kyle to pick?"

    "I kind of actually want to go to Stanford..." He surprised all of us. "If Zeke and Rhys were still there that is. But I have a feeling that they''ll go all the way, get that College World Series ring and then move on to the pros. They aren''t the type to sit around and wait."

    "Zeke said he was going to get his degree in two years." I said in a low voice. Zeke had taken classes over the summer already and was even doing one online over winter break now.

    "Yea, two years." Noah nodded. "So you would get one year with him. And I''m sure if Zeke stays, Rhys would stay too."

    "Yea, I don''t know about that." Dave was noncommittal.

    "Go pro." Noah told him.

    Dave laughed. "Not right out of high school. I don''t think that''s for me. Unless I could suddenly become a first round pick like Zeke, then I''ll just grind through college. Enjoy the atmosphere."

    Yea, that sounded like Dave. He''s more go-with-the-flow kind of guy, while Kyle seemed more of the type to fight to go pro. I felt kind of sad just thinking about how they might go their own ways after high school. It''s bound to happen no matter what, but still, what a depressing thought.

    "Don''t sleep on being a second round pick or even third to thirtieth." Jeremy told him. "You''re competing against those who played in college too. The field is wide. Just see how you''re feeling as the season start. Maybe commit to a college that you really like and let that be your backup plan."

    "Yea, I''ll probably start talking to Kyle and see what kind of colleges he plans to narrow it down to too." Dave replied.

    At the restaurant, we met back up with the other half of our group. Rose was the last to show up, sitting down next to Jeremy at our secluded table. It was a nice dinner, talking about the highlights of the tournament and the upcoming break we''ll be getting from baseball.

    We all went back to the hotel together, where I had a more private goodbye with Jeremy.

    "I''ll see ya after Christmas, kid." Jeremy reached out to mess with my hair.

    I nodded. "Have a good holiday. With Rose and her family. And...you know..." I shrugged, not wanting to mention our extended family. They were still strangers to me, but to Jeremy...that his Atkins family. I understood his complicated feelings.

    "Thanks." He smiled. Then he extended his arms and pulled me into a brief hug. "Don''t be afraid to text me tomorrow even though I''ll be with them."

    We separated. "Well, we''ll be at Rhys and with his family so I might be busy too." I started to slowly back away. "See ya later."

    "Later." He smiled and left to go back to his car.

    I walked through the lobby and saw Mom and Dad near the lounge. Mom was sitting down, faced away from me, taking a phone call on her cell. Dad was slowly rubbing her back while looking around. He waved me over, but signaled for me to stay quiet.

    I joined them.

    "Okay... Okay... Yes, Dad, I know, but-" From the sound of it, Mom was on the phone with Grampa.

    Dad leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Tell Zeke to come down."

    I nodded obediently and headed for the elevators. Everyone else was gathered in our room, playing on their phones as the tv was playing some football game. They all greeted me lightly since I was only gone for a few minutes.

    I looked for Zeke and made eye contact with him.

    "What''s up?" He asked.

    "Dad wants you to go downstairs to the lounge area." I frowned. "Mom is on the phone with Grampa."

    Zeke stood up and headed for the door. "Okay, I''ll be back."

    "Why don''t we go too?" Noah jumped up. "I''m not ready to go to bed yet. We can go down and walk around."

    The door closed behind Zeke as if that was his answer.

    "Rude." Noah huffed.

    I scratched my jaw, feeling a little uncertain. "I think we should wait here. Dad acted as if...that was a serious phone call." They probably would have been in their room to take that call if they weren''t waiting for me to say goodbye to Jeremy.

    Kyle muted the tv and looked up at me from his spot on the floor. "How serious?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t know. It''s just a feeling." I was pretty good at guessing bad phone calls by now.

    "What do you think it is?" Noah asked.

    "Well, if it''s not Grampa, it has to be Gramma." Kyle analyzed. He got up from the floor and nudged Dave. "Hey, don''t doze off just yet. Something might be happening."

    "Huh?" Dave got up slowly from the floor too. Only to fall onto our bed.

    "He''s probably about to crash." Rhys said. He helped Dave get into a more comfortable position; putting a pillow under his wrist and head. "Let him rest until we actually know what''s going on. It could be nothing too serious."

    Kyle and Noah were reassured and seemed to calm down. The tv volume was raised and they got comfy. I tried to be as normal as possible, but my intuition was telling me that Grampa wasn''t calling with good news. If it wasn''t anything serious, Mom''s whole attention wouldn''t be on the call itself. She would have at least acknowledged my presence and maybe even told Grampa that I was nearby. Instead....I don''t think she noticed me at all.

 Chapter 843 - V3 Ch78

    I started to imitate Dave, falling asleep until god knows when. I woke up to the sound of the room door opening. Zeke and Dad came into the cramped room. No Mom.

    "Do you guys want some privacy?" Rhys sensed the atmosphere and started to get up. Where would he go? I don''t know.

    "No, no." Dad waved at him to sit back down. "It''s okay for you to hear this too because we want to ask you for a favor."

    "Sure. Anything." Rhys agreed blindly to his future request.

    Dad looked at the sleeping Dave. Zeke went over and patted him awake, completely gentle. I couldn''t tell if he was patient because Dave was hurt or because we were about to hear some bad news. Dave got up slowly and sat upright once he saw Dad.

    Dad took a deep breath. "There''s no easy way to say this, but Gramma is getting ready to go." He grimaced. "Your Grampa has been told to call hospice and prepare for the end."

    "What? Hospice?! When did she get so bad?" Noah''s jaw dropped. The rest of us had similar looks of disbelief.

    "Last week, she had an appointment with some doctors." Dad tried to explained. "We knew there would be some cause for concern, but I guess this morning she took a sharp turn for the worse."

    "What are we going to do?" Kyle stood up. "How''s Mom? How''s Grampa? Why didn''t you guys tell us sooner?"

    "We had hoped they would be able to make it down for the holidays." Dad said. "But since last week, they had cancelled their flights to focus on themselves first. I need you guys to understand that we didn''t mean to keep this from you. But we didn''t know that this morning would change where we stand. For now, we''re making plans to go to them instead."

    "How? It''s practically Christmas." Kyle stressed. "All the airports are packed and ticket prices are probably insane."

    Dad raised his hands and motioned for Kyle to calm down. "I know, I know. You don''t have to worry about that. The first thing we''re going to do is let Zeke and your mom take the car and hit the road bright and early tomorrow." He looked to Rhys. "If you don''t mind, the rest of us will ride along with you back to your house."

    "Zeke and Mom are going to drive all the way to Grampa''s?" Dave''s jaw dropped. "Isn''t it over twelve hours by car?"

    "Mom needs to be there as soon as possible." Zeke spoke up. "Flying just isn''t an option right now."

    "I signed up for a flight alert for the rest of us. We''ll just have to play it by ear." Dad let out a heavy sigh. "I know this isn''t how we expected to spend the holidays, but I hope you boys can cooperate."

    "Of course!" Noah was the first to agree. "It''s not like we had much planned out to begin with. I rather go to Grampa''s than be alone at our place for Christmas."

    I nodded along.

    The night became messy as Zeke was packing up to leave our room to go stay in Mom and Dad''s. Dave volunteered to take his place here and to get his stuff in the morning. He was back asleep in minutes. Dad left with Kyle and Zeke.

    Rhys fixed the pillow under Dave''s right hand as we also got ready for bed. We all soon fell asleep. Only to be awaken to some groaning and grunting.

    I peeked and squinted in the dark, hearing someone fumbling around.

    "What''s happening?" Noah asked, sitting up in our shared bed.

    "Pain." Dave spat out.

    "I know, I''m coming." Rhys said. "I''m going to turn the light on guys. Dave needs his painkillers." A click and the room was lit up. I closed my eyes shut. "Here, Dave, I''ve brought you a Gatorade to drown out the taste."

    "Should we tell Dad?" Noah asked.

    "No, he''ll be okay soon." Rhys told us. "It''ll take some time for the pills to get to work, but he''ll be asleep again in no time."

    "Okay." Noah laid back down.

    Eventually the lights were turned back off and Dave''s complaints became softer.

    I felt like I barely slept when Kyle came knocking on our door. It was my turn to let out a groan as I tugged the comforter over my head.

    Noah mumbled. "I''m going to take a shower to wake myself up. Hopefully Mom doesn''t leave before I''m done."

    "Mom and Zeke already left." Kyle declared. I peeked a little out of my shield of blankets to see him sitting down on the chair. "Don''t bother with the shower. Let''s just pack up and hit the road." His eyes found mine. "C''mon. You can sleep in the car."

    "Or even at my house." Rhys offered, patting Dave''s leg to wake him up. "Let''s go. I''ll send my mom a text and maybe she''ll make us breakfast."

    "What time did Mom leave?" Noah asked, frowning. "I can''t believe she left without saying goodbye."

    "She..." Kyle hesitated. "Well, it doesn''t matter when. They were up and ready to go, so they went. You can call her if you want. Zeke said he would drive them for the first bit. But wait until we get on the road ourselves."

    With that, the morning started. Kyle and Rhys took charge packing everything and Noah helped after washing his face and brushing his teeth. Dave and I were the slower ones, dragging our feet through the motions.

    My ankle was weak and I stumbled through my morning routine. Dave struggled more than me though. As someone who is dominant in his right hand, trying to use his left for things like brushing his teeth was...messy.

    "Here, let me help." Rhys squeezed into the bathroom to help Dave out.

    "Rhys, don''t baby him so much." Noah joked.

    Kyle shook his head. "He knows what it''s like. Even more so than Dave."

    Noah hummed. "Yea, yea, I know. I was just making a joke. Lighten the atmosphere."

    It was hard to do. Gramma was dying. Mom and Zeke were gone. The rest of us didn''t even have a plan to get there. Heck, I''m not even sure how we were going to get home from Rhys''s house.

    Packed up, we headed downstairs and met Dad in the lobby. Rhys led us to his car and unlocked it. Dad offered to drive but Rhys said he would since he knows the area better. It wasn''t necessarily a long drive, but there was quite a bit of traffic. Some people still worked despite it being Christmas Eve while others were finishing up their shopping.

    I rested my eyes until Noah nudged me, hinting that we were here. Both of Rhys''s parents were home and greeted us after he had parked in the driveway. We were soon ushered into the house and straight to the dining room that was set up with a full spread.

    "Help yourselves!" His mom said before sitting beside her husband and our dad.. "Wayne, tell me the latest. What do you guys need from us?"

 Chapter 844 - V3 Ch79

    Dad spoke with Rhys''s parents about borrowing a car to get us back home. Then we would bring it back when we got a flight out of the Bay Area. They agreed immediately. Originally we had planned to stay to visit with them and hangout but with what''s going on, we went home right after the big breakfast. We thanked his whole family before going home.

    It had felt like forever since we had been home even though it was only a long weekend. We unpacked what we had and sorted the dirty from the clean. Dad then had us repack a bag each filling it with warm clothes. He himself had packed for Mom and Zeke.

    Then...we waited.

    "I hate this." Noah declared. He was lying flat on the couch staring at the ceiling. "What the heck are we supposed to be doing?"

    "Just chill like Dave." Kyle said from the other couch, nodding his head at his twin. Dave was asleep again with his hand propped up on a pillow.

    "He''s on drugs. I can''t be." Noah pointed out.

    Kyle sighed. "Just watch tv. You were supposed to be resting anyways so this isn''t much different."

    "I just want to go too." Noah complained. "It''s weird just waiting around. Why aren''t flights becoming available yet?"

    "Because it''s the holidays." Kyle said. "Everyone is flying and had booked their tickets well in advance. Plus, I''m sure there are cancellations in the more weather prone areas. That''s probably causing delays and flights to be redirected. Here." He picked up the remote and changed the tv to the weather channel. "We can watch the weather."

    Noah groaned.

    However, I was interested. The meteorologists were discussing storms, snow accumulations, and canceled flights. Traffic wasn''t much better. I hope Mom and Zeke don''t run into any problems. We had enough going on.

    Eventually, it started to repeat itself so Kyle put on a movie before getting up and stretching. "I''m going to go check on Dad. You guys just chill here." He headed out of the room, but paused in the doorway. He glanced back. "If Dave wakes up, make sure he drinks some more water with his painkillers."

    "Sure, sure." Noah waved his hand to shoo him away. "Go see if Dad needs anything."

    Kyle left and the movie played on.

    Noah and I were drawn into the movie for different reasons; I''ve never seen it before whereas Noah likes anything to do with sports. It wasn''t until Dad walked in that we realized Kyle never came back.

    In fact he was the one to ask. "Where''s Kyle?"

    Noah sat up right. "He went to go check on you awhile ago. Have you heard from Mom? Do we have a flight yet?"

    Dad sighed. "Zeke just called to say they were getting close. Just a few hours away now. Should be there just after dinner." He glanced at Dave. "Kyle probably went to his room; you guys give him some space for now. I''m going to call and order some pizza for us to munch on. It''ll be linner. Lunch and dinner. Maybe something will show up tonight."

    We nodded along, not objecting to anything he said. He sighed once more before leaving us.

    "What do you think Kyle''s doing?" I whispered to Noah as he put on another movie.

    "Probably talking to Marie." He shrugged.

    I nodded. Made sense. I glanced at Noah. "Are you going to text Alisha?"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "We aren''t dating."

    Guess that''s a no. It''d be a little strange to bring it up anyways. Why bring down anyone else''s Christmas with some bad news? Plus, it''s not their gramma.

    We casually watched the movie, only pausing for when Dave woke up. I got him a water and Noah helped him with his pills. He stayed up, listening to the latest update Dad had just given us. The pizza was delivered soon after that.

    As we took our plates full of pizza back to the living room, it was hard to tell that it was actually Christmas Eve. It just felt like a normal weekend of eating junk food and being lazy. Yet...compared to my past Christmas Eves, this wasn''t so bad. There was no easy way to tell that to Noah and the twins though. It would just make the atmosphere even more depressing.

    Dad and Kyle made an appearance, eating pizza and breadsticks with us in the living room. Noah had moved on to some lighthearted Christmas movie that was supposed to be a comedy.

    "What are we going to do about tomorrow?" Dave asked, already yawning again.

    All of us seemed to sigh at once.

    "I think we should save opening gifts for when we can all be together." Dad proposed. He made eye contact with me. "This isn''t what we had hoped to do for your first Christmas, Jake."

    "It''s okay!" I hurried to comfort him. I hesitated on what to say before coming up with: "I''m happy to just be you guys."

    Dad smiled as did the other boys. "Well, hopefully, we''ll be on our way to Grampa and Gramma tomorrow." He got up. "I''m going to try to call some of the airlines again before going to bed. You boys are all packed, right? Just in case?"

    We all nodded.

    Dad gave a sad smile before leaving us alone in the living room.

    "Mom and Zeke should be there by now." Kyle commented, staring at his phone. "Should we try to call them?"

    "Send Zeke a text first." Noah told him, leaning closer. "Just ask for an update and see if it''s even appropriate to call right now."

    "I think you guys should hold off and wait for them to reach out to us first." Dave said, getting comfy on the couch again. "They''ve had an even longer day than us. Driving all that way, catching up with Grampa, and seeing how Gramma is. There''s a lot."

    "Ugh." Noah flopped back to his spot on the couch.

    The night started to wind down with no news. Just as Dave fell asleep and the three of us started to get worried from not hearing from them, Dad came in with another update.

    "Your mom is with your gramma right now." He said softly. "You boys can text Zeke for updates, but try to be considerate. Don''t disturb your mom for now."

    "Is it...really bad..?" Noah asked. His voice didn''t carry the usual energy he had. "I get that she''s dying, but are we going to be able to say goodbye?"

    The room got silent and it seemed like no one was able to breathe peacefully.

    "I''m just not sure, Noah." Dad reached out to rub Noah''s head. "What she''s like right now, from what I understand, is bed bound and on oxygen. She can''t talk. She can be like this for an hour or maybe another week. Maybe a month or two at most. There are any clear cut answers. What we can do now is give your mom some peace to spend some last moments with her."

    We all nodded.

    "Is Grampa okay?" I asked, worried.

    "Physically, he''s doing alright.." Dad reassured us, conveniently leaving out how Grampa is mentally and emotionally.

 Chapter 845 - V3 Ch80

    We all went to bed, not feeling our best.

    Before falling asleep, I thought about texting Jeremy, to tell him what was going on. However, I knew he had spent the day with...his family. And tomorrow he''s going with Rose to spend the holiday with her family. He might also propose to her. It''s better if I wait an extra couple of days. Besides, I don''t know what''s happening anyways.

    "We have a flight!" The lights of our room flickered on and off. Kyle stood in the doorway, doing his best to wake us. "Let''s go!"

    Half-asleep and squinting at the bright lights, I forced myself to get up. I changed and followed Noah out the door in record time. All bags were thrown in the trunk and we were off. I could hear Dad talking about the plan and our flight, but sleep overcame me once again, knocking me out.

    When I woke again, we were stopped at Rhys''s house, picking up Mr. Johnson. I merely closed my eyes and was asleep again.

    Once at the airport, Noah dragged me along after handing me my backpack. Dad thanked Mr. Johnson and gave him the keys of the car back. They shared a short conversation before Dad took the lead to walk through the crowd.

    San Francisco International was right on the bay. Being so close to the ocean in December meant I was freezing. The fog was also so low, it felt like it was raining. The feeling was brief as we got inside the airport. Dad had us find a seat as he lined up to get to the ticket counter.

    Noah and Kyle spoke to one another while Dave and I stayed slumped over our backpacks. I could no longer sleep comfortably, but I also couldn''t keep my eyes opened.

    Dad took awhile before coming back. He took a deep breath. "Okay, listen up."

    I squinted up at him. Kyle nudged Dave to wake him.

    "We have tickets, but no seats." Dad said.

    "Meaning?" Noah frowned. I was in the same boat as him, not understanding.

    "Means we can only board if people don''t show up for their flight." Kyle kicked the legs of Dave''s chair, jostling him. "Airlines do this often. It''s a scam."

    Dave grunted.

    "For now, it''s our only way out." Dad said. "We''ll go to the gate. Get on the waitlist and I''ll talk to the front desk person over there. We might have to take separate flights, but I''ll make sure you four are the first to go."

    I stiffened up at the word ''separate''.

    Dad noticed immediately and reached out to put his heavy hand on my thin shoulder. "Don''t worry, Jake. You won''t be alone." He glanced at Dave, who was dozing off again. "Neither will Dave."

    Dave''s pain had come down a lot and didn''t beg for painkillers, but it was evident that being on the painkillers took the edge off. And made him drowsy. He definitely couldn''t be trusted alone, especially in a big airport like this.

    "I''ll be with Jake!" Noah volunteered.

    Dad shook his head. "I''ll be with Jake. You get Dave. Kyle can go alone."

    "Why do I get Dave?" Noah glanced at his sleeping brother. "I think I rather be alone than responsible for him."

    Dad thought about it, hesitated, then finally shook his head. "Maybe if this was normal circumstances, you could be trusted to travel alone. But I think, for now, we should just play it safe."

    Dave let out a loud snore.

    Noah raised an eyebrow. "You think I''ll safer with him?"

    "Okay, let''s not waste any more time." Dad ignored Noah and started to pick up his bag. He also grabbed Dave''s. "Let''s go through security first."

    We followed Dad obediently through the long line of security. Having been on flight before, I wasn''t as nervous going through the check-in routines. We had to wait an extra second thanks to Dave''s brace, but it was all fine. Then it was off to the gate.

    It was strange being at such a busy airport on Christmas morning. Lots of people were coming and going, talking with their family or friends happily. There were only a handful of people that I could find that were alone.

    Dad sat us down with the bags on the first set of empty chairs we could get. Then he lined up to speak with the worker behind the counter. The line wasn''t overly ridiculous and his conversation took the longest.

    He came back with a tight smile. "Alright boys, we''re on the list." He pointed at the tv screen and we could see numbers one through twenty. Five of which had the name ''Atkins'' and then each of our first intial. We held spots three to seven. Not first up, but there was hope. "If we can get only one on, Kyle will go. If it''s two, Dave and Noah."

    "You and Jake won''t go first?" Noah frowned.

    "Can''t you understand Dad''s struggle?" Kyle knocked Noah on the top of his head.

    Noah pouted and rubbed his head.

    Dad sighed. "Let''s just relax, boys. We''re on the list. There are multiple flights and multiple airlines. We''ll just play it by ear first." He looked around. "I think I spot a donut store further down. I''ll go get you guys something to eat." He turned and was on the move again.

    "Stop asking Dad so many questions." Kyle immediately instructed Noah. "Give him a moment to breathe, man."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "It''s not like I''m playing twenty questions. I just want an idea of what the plan is."

    "The plan is get to Mom. Don''t worry about the details." Kyle replied.

    The two started to bicker, and I casually listened. Tension was a bit tight so I could understand how the two couldn''t keep it together. We were all in a rush to get to Mom and them by tonight. But some things were merely out of our hands. I was going to try not to stress until actually boarding the plane.

    I paused. Last time...I had the help of Noah and his headphones. I immediately tugged on Noah''s sleeve.

    Noah glanced at me, not completely willing to let Kyle win this spat. "Yea?"

    "Did you bring your headphones?" I asked in a small voice.

    Noah went blank. He bent down to his bag and started to search. "Kyle, check the other bags for headphones."

    Kyle actually complied and bent down too. I also checked my bag even though I knew I didn''t pack any. But one can hope.

    Dad found the three of us going over his and Dave''s bag. "What is it? Did we forget something important? Dave''s meds?"

    "Nope. We have those." Kyle showed it to confirm. He glanced at me. "Jake doesn''t have headphones. I also didn''t think to pack any."

    Dad actually relaxed. "Okay. That''s fixable. The mini market over there will have some." He placed a box of donuts on Noah''s lap and a bag of drink on Kyle''s. "You two eat first. I''ll take Jake to see if there''s a similar pair. Maybe we''ll grab some snacks too."

    I got up and pushed my bag closer to the sleeping Dave.

 Chapter 846 - V3 Chapter 81 (Christmas)

    "Any particular one that you like?" Dad asked as I looked at the wall of electronics.

    I twisted my lips, unsure. The only one I recognized seemed to be the most expensive. Which would be a waste since there''s a pair at home. Plus, I don''t usually need headphones.

    "I believe Noah has this exact pair." Dad took the most expensive pair off the wall. "Better to be safe than sorry. It''ll be too late to regret when we''re up in the air."

    I couldn''t argue with that.

    We roamed around the small store. Dad started to use me as a basket, handing me the snacks and candies he knew that the boys would like. Occasionally, he would ask for my thoughts and opinions, but for the most part, he just grabbed one of everything. We left the store with a bag in each hand for the both of us.

    Dad let out a sigh. "How are you taking this, Jake?"

    I looked up at him, slightly confused. "Taking what? The bags?"

    He cracked a smile. "No. This. What''s going on right now. I wanted your Christmas to be different. It''s your first one with us so it should have been special. Instead, Gramma might...be passing soon."

    "Oh." I looked around to make sure the boys weren''t going to sneak up on us or anything like that. I lowered my voice too, just in case. "I''m okay. This is the best Christmas I''ve ever had. I feel bad for saying that with-"

    "I understand." Dad''s smile showed some relief. "I hate that for you though. That someone passing away is still the best you''ve had. But I promise you, it''s only going to get better from here. Next year will be different."

    "Being with you guys is enough for me." I told him. I looked up at him again. "I''m worried about Mom. She''s going to be really sad."

    "No doubt about it." He sighed again; probably the hundredth of the morning. "Even an expected death can catch the family by surprise and the grief that comes with it can''t be measured. But don''t worry, this feeling is only temporary."

    Our conversation naturally died as we approached the boys. All three had crumbs on their faces and shirts. Dave was in worst shape with drink stains on his sweater.

    "It''s just an injured pinky, Dave." Kyle snorted as he dried some of the liquid. "How are you this uncoordinated?"

    "It''s obviously the painkillers." Noah chuckled. He jumped up when he saw us come back. He quickly started to go through the bags in my hands. "Let''s see what we''ve got here!" Noah started to pick out his favorites.

    "You just ate. Leave it alone." Dad placed the other bags by our backpacks.

    "I''m not going to eat it now." Noah started to put his snacks in his own bag. "I just gotta make sure they make it to my stomach and no one else''s."

    Kyle rolled his eyes and Dave laughed.

    Dad checked on Dave while I helped myself to a donut.

    Noah handed me a chocolate milk. "I save you one of these and made the twins take the apple juice." He let out a small laugh. "Dave thought he was drinking milk, got freaked out by the taste and spat it out. It was hilarious. I guess Kyle could feel some of it on his face and that''s why he''s cranky."

    I smiled. The twins can claim that Noah is the biggest troublemaker, but whenever they''re together, there''s never complete peace either. I feel like only Zeke was well behaved in this family but even then, his stubborn personality could upset his parents.

    The excitement of getting to the airport and checked in had worn off after the first three hours. It became mid-morning and a new flight out was starting to gather. Dad was going to the front desk every thirty minutes to make sure they kept checking other airlines for possible flights out. Dave was a little more awake now, playing games on his phone. Kyle was also on his phone, but it was clear he was texting Marie because every now and then he would tell us what gift she just opened. Noah replied to texts of his own, just telling friends and teammates ''Merry Christmas'', not bothering to mention that we were going to visit our sick Gramma.

    I glanced down at my phone. I didn''t have nearly as many texts, just some from the guys on the team that knew my number and Alisha. They seem perfunctory but I think that was the point. I did have two texts that stood out, Jeremy and Kaylee.

    Kaylee: Hey, I heard from Marie... How are you holding up?

    I hesitated on how to reply, but I figured it was okay to do so since Kyle already told Marie.

    Me: I''m okay. We''re going to be there today. Hopefully. Just hanging out at the airport for now.

    Kaylee: Don''t worry, it''s Christmas. Miracles happen.

    I didn''t know how to reply. I understood the theory from the recent movies we had watched that had a centralized theme about Christmas miracles, but I wasn''t really a believer. Thankfully, she had sent a follow up text.

    Kaylee: At the very least, it''s statistically possible that someone will have to miss a flight today, lol.

    I smiled. Yes. Statistics.

    Me: I hope you''re having a good holiday at least.

    Kaylee: Besides having to go to church yesterday and today, it''s pretty decent :)

    I recalled her very religious parents and smiled.

    "Whatcha looking at?" Noah peered over my shoulder.

    I accidentally closed out of my texting app, then reopened it. It immediately went to the unread message from Jeremy.

    Jeremy: Merry Christmas! Rose said yes! Now we''re going to tell her family, wish me luck!

    Noah read the text over my shoulder. "Good for him!" He glanced at me. "But...you didn''t tell him what''s happening?"

    I shrugged. "There wasn''t any real time. Yesterday, he was with his family and then we came here early this morning. I don''t know how to tell him without bringing him down."

    "It''s not his Gramma." Noah rolled his eyes. "What does he have to be sad about? Here." He took the phone away. "I''ll tell him. A simple phone call will do the trick." He pushed a couple of buttons and the phone started to ring with the speaker on.

    "Hey, Jake! Merry Christmas!" Jeremy answered the phone happily.

    Noah looked at me with meaning.

    "Oh, yea, thanks, you too." I let out a small cough.

    "It''s kind of loud in your background." He said. "Are you next to the tv?"

    "Uh no." I looked at Noah. Anytime now.

    Noah raised the phone. "Sorry about that, Jeremy. We''re at the airport and your on speaker."

    "Airport?" Jeremy became alarmed. "Are you guys leaving for vacation? Wayne and Mary didn''t mention anything to me. When will you be back?"

    Noah looked at me, but I was looking at him. "We''re not exactly sure." Noah said slowly. "And it''s not for vacation. Very sudden and a surprise to us as well. Long story short, we''re going to see my grandparents because my gramma isn''t doing so good. Mom and Zeke are already there. The rest of us are at the airport waiting for a flight." Noah quickly explained the situation and why we called instead of texting back.

    "I''m sorry to hear that, Noah." Jeremy sighed. "This has to be rough. I''m glad you made Jake call me. I would have been worried if I did a surprise visit to your home and you guys weren''t around."

    "Communication is key." Noah said with a grin. We had heard that phrase from Dr. Miller a time or two.

    So had Jeremy. He let out a small chuckle. "Yes. Very important." He paused.. "Why don''t you give the phone to your dad? Maybe I can help with the plane ticket situation."

 Chapter 847 - V3 Ch82 (Reunited)

    Noah shrugged and took the phone to Dad, just a few seats down. "Hey Dad, Jeremy thinks he can help us get tickets?"

    Dad was surprised by the sudden phone in his hand, but it only took him a second to adjust. He took Jeremy off speaker and they started to talk. Noah came back to his seat next to me.

    "What do you think he can do?" Kyle leaned over to whisper.

    I shrugged.

    Noah rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The only thing he can do differently than us is throw more money at the problem, right?"

    "You don''t think Dad didn''t try that?" Kyle snorted. "How do you think we got on the waitlist? That is still technically buying a ticket. On the day of. Do you know how expensive that can be?"

    "Well don''t ask me then." Noah rolled his eyes.

    We all kept glancing at Dad. Then he suddenly got up and got in line to talk to the worker at the desk again.

    "He''s making a move." Noah mumbled. "They must have a plan or at least, an idea."

    There was nothing we could do but watch. Dad didn''t look impatient in line, casually talking to Jeremy on the phone. Once it was his turn with the worker, it looked liked he put Jeremy on speaker again and lowered the phone. The worker originally was polite and distant, but something must have been said because we saw the surprise in her eyes. She nodded and smiled. Nodded some more. Picked up a landline phone and called someone.

    "What''s she doing?" Noah mumbled.

    "Maybe talking to her coworker or boss?" Kyle whispered. "What if Jeremy is using his status to steal us a couple seats on the next flight?"

    "You can''t steal seats." Noah rolled his eyes.

    The woman hung up and continued to nod at Dad, saying something. Dad had a look of relief. It was like a silent film for us, trying to figure out what was happening. One thing became clear though, Dad was satisfied with the result. He turned to us and smiled.

    "Should I go ask what''s going on?" Noah suggested.

    Kyle shook his head. "No. Don''t mess anything up. Who knows what they talked about."

    We awkwardly watched Dad and the worker chat a little more, and the line behind him started to grow.

    "Attention passengers of flight number 2613 at gate 27." A voice came on the speakers overhead. That was our gate, and that was the next flight to Seattle, Washington. "We have overbooked this flight and are looking for volunteers to take a later flight either tonight or tomorrow. We will provide overnight accommodations and some form of compensation." There was a pause. "We have a family with us today on the waitlist that are traveling for a family emergency so volunteers would be greatly appreciated. The family of five has also offered compensation of their own on top of what we will provide so all interested parties, please proceed to the help desk at gate 27."

    Noah grabbed my arm and started to bounce in his seat a little. "That''s us! Dad and Jeremy must have offered something big."

    "Like what?" Kyle asked, frowning. "Season tickets? A meet and greet? Or just straight cash?"

    "It probably depends on what the person wants." Dave spoke up for the first time in awhile. "Who cares. Just let us on the plane please."

    We nodded in agreement. It was nice of Jeremy to help us out in this way. Whatever it took to get on the plane and leave the Bay Area. As a group, we watched Dad and the worker at the counter, trying to find out who was in line for help and who was in line to inquire about ticket compensation. I noticed that Dad would still hold up my phone every now and then, speaking like Jeremy was still on the line.

    I don''t know who said it; probably one of the people to ask about the compensation, but it didn''t take long for us to hear Jeremy''s name being whispered around us. Dad shook hands with a couple that were talking to him and showed them my phone.

    Noah started to get antsy. "It''s happening."

    He wasn''t the only one getting impatient for Dad to return. We all watched eagerly as Dad met with others and shook more hands, and just overall looked thankful. When he came back and handed me my phone, we looked up at him with so much hope.

    "We''re in." Dad gave us the affirmative and we let out a small cheer. He looked at me. "Jeremy was a big help. I don''t know how we can repay him for his help."

    "What did he have to agree to?" Kyle asked.

    "He came on FaceTime to prove that he was him and then agreed to three different meet and greets that will also have tickets attached. He passed along his agent''s phone number for the people to contact and something will be arranged either during spring training or the regular season." Dad explained.

    "I would have asked for season tickets." Kyle said.

    Dad shook his head. "That''s way too expensive."

    "Right. That''s easily worth tens of thousands." Noah said. "We don''t even have season tickets." He nudged me. "Maybe ask Jeremy for season tickets for us."

    I shook my head. No way. He just said that was a lot of money.

    Noah laughed. "I''m kidding. I like the idea of being a season ticket holder, but we have our own games to worry about. And maybe next summer, we''ll start going to visit more colleges or go to other baseball camps."

    "You don''t want to play softball again?" Dave laughed.

    Noah smiled and shook his head. "Nah. That was fun, but it ain''t going to make me a better player."

    The atmosphere among us really loosened after we secured plane tickets. I had sent Jeremy a text to thank him.

    Jeremy: No problem! Just doing what I can. Fly safe and text me when you land.

    I agreed. Barely an hour later and we started to board the plane. Since our tickets were from different groups of people, we had to split up. Noah and I took a pair of tickets that guaranteed me a window seat while he sat in the middle. Dad and Dave stayed group together, while Kyle volunteered to sit alone.

    I put my headphones on, put the volume on high, closed my eyes and tried to relax. Eventually I could hear the flight attendants going over the basic instructions and soon the plane was moving. I wasn''t afraid of flying. It''s the idea of being up in the air with a hundred plus strangers that made me anxious.

    Whether it be from stress or lack of sleep or both, I dozed off before we made it in the air. The flight from San Francisco to Seattle was just barely over two hours so it wasn''t long before Noah was nudging me awake during the plane''s descent.

    We made it.

    The plane parked at a terminal and everyone got up to grab their bags from the overhead bins. We eventually got ours and started to leave the plane. We waited for Dad and the twins and then it was off to baggage claim. Not to pick up any extra bags, but to meet Zeke.

    He was going to be the one to pick us up. Surprisingly, he wasn''t alone.

    "Grampa!" Noah took off running.. Grampa stood beside Zeke, looking older than the last time we saw him during summer time.

 Chapter 848 - V3 Ch83

    We had a short reunion near baggage claim before Dad started to usher Zeke to lead us to the car. Noah talked Grampa''s ear off until then. Zeke helped us load the bags in the trunk and then we decided on the seating arrangement. At Grampa''s insistence, Zeke was tapped to drive us home while he gave directions from the front passenger seat. Dad was stuck in the middle row with the twins while Noah and I got the very back like normal.

    "How''s Gramma doing now...?" Dave asked Grampa weakly, likely afraid of the answer.

    Grampa looked back Zeke. "You know how to get back on the highway?" He completely ignored Dave''s question.

    Zeke nodded. "Yes, sir."

    Dave glanced at Dad, but Dad was resting against the window with his eyes closed.

    "I heard you boys won your Christmas tournament. Very nice." Grampa congratulated us.

    "Jake was MVP!" Noah added.

    "That''s what your mother said." Grampa nodded, still not addressing Dave''s question. "Good for you, Jake. Zeke told me all the details on how well you boys did. As long as you''re out there having fun, I''m happy for you."

    "Baseball is always fun." Noah grinned.

    I snorted causing the twins to laugh.

    Noah nudged me. "What? Isn''t it?"

    "Playing with you guys is fun, but I still get stressed." I answered.

    Noah waved me off. "That''s such a minor feeling. Just brush it off. Focus on the fun of winning."

    The forty minute drive to Grampa''s house was mostly filled up by Noah''s chatter. Occasionally Grampa would say something to redirect the talk away from Gramma and Mom. It made me a little anxious, but I just had to remind myself that losing his wife must mean that he''s taking it the hardest. He probably wasn''t in the best condition to talk about it.

    Zeke pulled up to a single-story home with a very spacious yard. It was wet everywhere thanks to a very dark sky, but no rain was currently falling.

    "When we get inside, try to keep the volume low." Dad instructed as we got our bags out of the trunk. We nodded obediently.

    Grampa and Zeke were the first ones in the house. As they went in, it wasn''t long before Mom came out. Her eyes were bloodshot and a bit swollen underneath. She pulled the twins into a tight hug without saying anything. Then she did the same to Noah and me.

    I tried to hold still, hoping that she got some sense of relief from the hug.

    It didn''t last long until she moved on to Dad.

    I was going to wait for them, but Noah quickly tugged me into the house. "Give them some alone time."

    Inside the house, I was met with a different decade. Everything was old from the carpet, to the couch, to the lamps on the side tables. Every part of the wall was filled with photo frames, showing a much younger Grampa, Gramma, and Mom. I spotted the boys as kids too. Mom and Dad''s wedding photo. Zeke''s baby pictures followed by the twins then Noah. I moved around slowly, trying to take in every saved memory they had up on the walls.

    "You''re up there too." Grampa said from behind me, making me jump a little. He cracked a smile. "Come. I''ll show you." He led me towards the kitchen, revealing a wall that had much more recent pictures. I saw one of all of us boys in our baseball uniforms, recognizing it as a picture that was taken from my first ever tournament. Then there was us holding awards. Some action shots of me alone. Zeke''s graduation. Noah and me during summer break.

    I felt my eyes sting as I reminisce some of the past year with the Atkins family. Even though Grampa and Gramma didn''t visit much, they still hung up pictures that Mom clearly sent them. I knew they accepted me the first time we met, but it was shocking how much they included me.

    "Save your tears for later." Grampa said in a low voice. "This isn''t something to be sad about." He let out a heavy sigh.

    Almost instinctively, I turned to him and opened my arms. His face softened as he pulled me into a hug. My arms could go all the way around Grampa''s terribly thin frame, making my heart hurt even more.

    "I think her only regret would be not seeing you boys finish school and getting married." He patted my shoulder. "She remembered you until the very end."

    I froze. The very end?

    Grampa let me go and wiped the wetness from the corner of his eyes. "You go back to your parents. I''m going to tell Noah and the twins myself. One on one." He gave my shoulder a heavy pat. "It''s okay. It''s okay. We knew this day was coming soon. She''d be upset if you all hung around to watch her suffer." He gave me a small push back to the front door.

    With a blank mind, I could only follow his instructions and go back out. Mom and Dad noticed me immediately. Mom came back to hug me again. This time I knew the meaning behind the hug. She lost her mom. Forever. I hugged her back and she let out a sob.

    The rest of the day didn''t get any better. More hugs and more tears. Dave took it the hardest, but blamed it on his swollen pinky. No one gave him a hard time. This Christmas Day would go down in memory as their worst so I did my best to be there for them. Even if that meant letting Noah hang off of me after he fell asleep from crying so much.

    Eventually takeout was ordered from an opened Chinese restaurant. Everyone ate together in the living room seeing as the kitchen was too small. No one mentioned when or how Gramma went, just that she was gone. After we finished eating, Grampa went to his room and came back out with five packages all wrapped in Christmas paper.

    "Oh Dad, maybe-" Mom started to tell him something, but he cut her off.

    "It''s Christmas." Grampa stated firmly. "I would like to give out the gifts that we had planned for the boys." He started to pass out the packages. "Your Gramma had been preparing since Zeke''s graduation."

    I held the soft package and looked at Noah. Noah took the lead and tore open his gift. He held up a hand-knitted sweater. He turned it around to show everyone the front. "Look! I''m they''re favorite! Number one!" On the upper left chest side it said ''Noah'' and had the number one just underneath it.

    "That''s just your jersey number." Kyle lifted his own sweater and showed it off. Just below his name was his jersey number too.

    I hurried to open up my own. It was super soft, gray, and in the front it said ''Jake'' and then a zero below it. My lips twitched. I didn''t like not having a real number, but now I didn''t mind it so much.

    "It''s too bad Gramma didn''t know what number you would be in college, Zeke." Dave said, holding his own sweater while looking at Zeke.

    Zeke held his sweater with his old high school jersey number on it. "I''ll get this number again. Do my best to keep it."

    "Same." Noah said.

    "Same." Dave echoed.

    "I always did like this number." Kyle agreed.

    I clutched my sweater. "Yea."

    "Okay, okay, enough. We have plenty of time to be sentimental later." Grampa said.. "Look at your cards."

 Chapter 849 - V3 Ch84

    I opened the envelope and pulled out a card. A thin piece of paper fell out. I picked it up and stared at it. A check.

    PAY TO THE ORDER OF: Our grandson, Jake Atkins

    $10,000

    I looked up at Grampa immediately.

    "This-" Kyle jumped up.

    "I think I might still be high on the painkillers." Dave commented, holding his head. "I don''t think I can believe what I''m seeing."

    "What is it?" Dad asked, trying to look over Noah''s shoulder.

    Noah pulled his check close to his chest. "It''s mine. Don''t worry about it."

    Grampa laughed. "It''s no big secret. Gramma and I have thought about this for awhile now. Zeke''s in college. Dave and Kyle are just a step away. Noah and Jake should be prepared as well. College ain''t cheap." His smile faded a bit. "I just wished she would have made it far enough to give these gifts herself."

    Noah was the first to jump up and go hug Grampa. "Thank you, Gramps. Gramma too." He took a step back and grinned. "But I''m not going to need this for college. I''m going straight to the big leagues."

    "Noah." Dad called out.

    "What?" Noah faced him and took a proud stance. "You can''t bully me into going."

    Grampa laughed. "No, you can not. As long as you have thought it through, you can decide on your own."

    "So I can still keep this?" Noah waved his check.

    "Probably best if you put it away in a savings account first." Grampa said. "No future is set in stone." He glanced towards the twins. "You both are looking around right? Don''t be like Zeke and worry about scholarships this and that. Go where you want to."

    He looked at Zeke next. "You just use that however you see fit. Books. Extra training. Maybe even a date or two."

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "I see."

    "Dad." Mom got up from the couch. "This is just too much. They''re just kids. You still have years to spend this money on yourself."

    Grampa also stood up. "Mary, my time is short."

    "Dad. Don''t say that." She went over and put her arm around his shoulders. "We haven''t even finished saying goodbye to Mom. You can''t leave me just yet."

    "I''m in no hurry." He chuckled. "But there are things I want to be able to give out myself." He took her hand and gave it a small pull. "Why don''t we go talk in the kitchen? Wayne can handle the checks for the boys."

    They left and I quickly handed my check to Dad.

    Dad studied the thin piece of paper. "Guess we''ll have to work on getting you a bank account, Jake."

    I waved my hands. "You guys can hold it."

    Dad smiled. "All the other boys have one. It''s supposed to teach them responsibility. You can''t let your account go in the negatives or you''ll get charged fees."

    "With this, I think he''ll be okay." Dave laughed and gave Dad his check too. "I think when I turn 18 in a couple of months, I''ll open up an investment account. Put all this in the stock market."

    Dad nodded thoughtfully. "That isn''t a bad idea." He glanced at Zeke. "Maybe you should look into that as well. It''s never too early."

    Zeke handed over his check. "There''ll be professionals who do that for me when I become a pro."

    "I don''t know." Dave scrunched up his nose. "I kind of like knowing where my money is." He looked at me. "Do you know if Jeremy watches his own money?"

    I shrugged. Then realized. "Ah, I forgot to text him." I hurried to find my phone and sent him an update. The most important thing was telling him that Gramma passed away before we could see her.

    Jeremy: I''m sorry for your loss, Jake. Let me know if there''s anything I can do for you guys. Would it be weird if I showed up at the funeral?

    I paused. I wouldn''t know. I don''t even know how this works. A funeral. I looked at Dad, hesitant.

    Dad finished collecting the other two checks from Noah and Kyle. Both of who wanted to hold it themselves. Dad noticed my look. "What is it?"

    I simply handed my phone over for him to see.

    Dad smiled. "Very thoughtful. Just tell him that we''ll know more in a couple of days. From what I know, Gramma and Grampa agreed to be cremated so it''ll probably only be a memorial service."

    I nodded and gave Jeremy the reply.

    Christmas Day was an emotional rollercoaster full of up and downs. From fighting to get a flight here to find out that Gramma had already passed to getting a lump sum of money. Nothing really went ''according to plan'' even though we had so many hopes.

    Mom and Grampa eventually came back to the living room to join us as the boys took turns sharing their favorite Gramma memory with me. I knew they were worried about me and my first Christmas with them just like Dad was at the airport, but I don''t think they realized that I was trying to comfort them too. I was sad that Gramma was gone but I also wasn''t as close as they were. They grew up knowing this old lady was around to give them snacks, gifts, and...unconditional love. I was a little jealous, but it''s okay. Grampa had already expressed Gramma''s regret to not see us finish growing up. She still thought of me even towards the end. I had already put on the sweater that she made. It was oversized, but so was everyone else''s.

    "It''s so you can grow into it." Grampa said after Noah brought up the sizing problems. "She knew she wasn''t going to do anymore after this." Grampa shook his head.

    That comment brought down the room again. There was some kind of guilt that surrounded us like it was wrong to be happy when she had just passed. The rollercoaster continues.

    Grampa went to bed first, citing his old age for being so tired so soon. Mom and Dad went to the guest room soon after. The rest of us were stuck in the living room, having to make do with sleeping on the floor and couches. Zeke and the twins were well-versed in getting the quilts and extra pillows out and converting the room to a comfy sleeping area. Being tired from the emotional day, all of us fell asleep quicker than normal.

    The next morning, Dad''s cooking woke us up. We went through a simplified morning routine before going over to help. There wasn''t much space for us, but we could still carry our own plates and utensils. Mom and Grampa were both missing as we ate in the living room.

    "They had to meet with the coroner and the funeral director." Dad gave us an explanation early. "Which gives me the opportunity to talk to you boys about Grampa."

    "What about him?" Noah stopped eating to ask. The rest of us also slowed up.

    "Nothing bad." Dad waved us off. "Last night, he told your mother that he''s ready to move now that Gramma is at peace."

    "I wonder if he knew that months ago and that''s why he didn''t want to move." Kyle rubbed his forehead. "Grampa never wants us to care too much."

    "Parents don''t like to worry their children.." Dad smiled.

 Chapter 850 - V3 Ch85

    "With Grampa moving in, there has to be some rearranging." Dad announced.

    "Isn''t it easy?" Dave asked, using his left hand to awkwardly stab his scrambled eggs. "Zeke is at college. Move Noah and Jake into the bonus room with us."

    Dad slowly nodded. "That''s what we were thinking. But first." He looked at me. "How do you feel about sleeping in the same room with the twins on a full time basis?"

    I shrugged. "It''s fine." It''s not like I have to share my bed with them.

    Dad looked at Zeke. "This will also affect you when you come back to visit and on breaks. Not sure what the summer will look like for you yet either. We can try to move our office out of the house and convert that as well."

    "Too much trouble." Zeke shook his head. "I''ll just sleep on the couch when I visit. Or make the twins share a bed and take one of theirs."

    "Hey!" The twins responded simultaneously.

    "Why not make Noah and Jake share when you come back?" Kyle argued. "They''re smaller."

    Zeke raised an eyebrow. "Jake doesn''t like people in his personal space. You just got him to sleep in the same room as you guys. Don''t push it." He looked at Dad. "Spring break, I won''t be back because of baseball. As for the summer, I''m thinking about playing in the Collegiate Summer League so I wouldn''t be around."

    "Don''t you have to apply for that?" Dave asked. "Like they only take the top players?"

    "I am a top player." Zeke stated, staring at Dave.

    Dave laughed. "You haven''t even played one college game yet. God. And people think I''m the most arrogant one."

    Dad redirected the conversation back to the main point. "Alright. That''s a good goal to have. We''ll definitely support you any way we can. If you do come home for the summer, it won''t be too late to convert the office then." He continued. "Okay, so I''m thinking, after Gramma''s memorial service, I''ll take Zeke and Kyle home first to help rearrange the rooms. We''ll have to switch the bunk bed with Zeke''s bed. Then clean out the room so Grampa has enough space for his own stuff."

    "What about me?" Dave interjected. "Why do only you guys go home?"

    "Look at yourself." Kyle snorted, tapping his brace.

    Dave pouted. "Doesn''t mean I can''t help."

    "You''ll be helping Grampa here." Dad said. "Dave, Noah, and Jake will stay with Mom and him to help pack." Dad started to organize our plan for the next few days if not weeks.

    When Grampa and Mom got back, their eyes were a little red, but they soon jumped in to help the planning. Grampa wasn''t going to be ready to say goodbye to his house, but he wanted to pack more than just essentials.

    Gramma''s memorial service was scheduled for Sunday December 29th. The days leading up to the service, Grampa received a lot of phone calls and visitors. There were countless introductions but Mom assured me that I didn''t have to remember any names. Noah said he also didn''t know all these people either so I didn''t have to stress.

    I did keep Jeremy in the loop and he did come to the memorial service on Sunday day. He stood quietly next to me as we listened to the speeches talking about Gramma. He tried to keep a low profile, but there were still a few men who came up to Jeremy afterwards. He shared a small conversation with them as the rest of people started to leave the building.

    We were the last to go. Grampa got to bring home his wife''s ashes for the first time. He tried to be tough and straightforward, but he still let out a few tears when he thought no one was looking. The tears made an appearance all week as we helped him pack up some of his house.

    Dad, Zeke, and Kyle got plane tickets home with Jeremy, saving Mom a drive to the airport. Jeremy took them in his rental car and off they went. New Year''s was a bit dull without them, but having Noah around was like a party in itself. He really kept the atmosphere light as we watched some countdown on tv. It was very low-key, but I wasn''t complaining.

    A couple days later, we had the car packed with Grampa''s stuff. His clothes, his pictures, his personal items that couldn''t be left here. He decided to donate some of his furniture to a local shelter, along with items that he no longer wanted or needed. His house became an empty shell and it made him sad again.

    With the car being so packed, Mom came up with the idea to drive Grampa to our house by herself. At first, no one agreed. It was a long drive and it was still winter. Going through the mountains with a passenger that wasn''t in his best shape might lead to trouble. But Grampa said he wanted to go...and wanted to hold Gramma''s ashes the whole way. With Mom being the only driver, they decided to only drive a few hours a day until they reached our house.

    That meant Dave, Noah, and myself had to fly back alone. Mom booked the tickets and made sure we made it to the airport in time. It was still busy seeing as it was still around the holidays, but we didn''t have to fight for a seat on the plane anymore. It wasn''t cheap though. Noah got a glance at how much his mom spent per ticket and faked having a heart attack.

    Jeremy was the one to volunteer to pick us up from the airport in San Francisco. It was the usual hour and a half drive back down to Watsonville and then finally home. It''s been over ten days. Almost two weeks.

    Walking in the house, nothing looked different. The Christmas tree was still up in the corner with gifts still perfectly wrapped.

    "I''m surprised Kyle could hold himself back." Noah let out a small laugh.

    "I heard that!" Kyle yelled from up the stairs.

    "Let''s go check out our new room." Noah grinned at me.

    I followed him upstairs. Jeremy and Dave followed behind. The first room we saw was our former room. A bed, a dresser, and a desk. Not one personal item was left in there. It was ready for Grampa to make it his own.

    Once we got a look at the big bonus room, we were stunned into silence. Dad and the boys didn''t just switch beds and drag our stuff over. It was completely redone. Against one wall were two sets of bunk beds. Against another wall, four wardrobes were set up and organized, separating everyone''s clothes. And noticeably, in one corner were my bats. Organized and arranged like they were before. I immediately went over there.

    The cubbies that Dad had built with Zeke''s help had somehow made it out of the closet that I had shared with Noah. The lower half had the bats, while the top had the shoeboxes of broken bats.

    "We did the best we could." Jeremy came over with me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Wayne didn''t know how to take care of your bats so I came over to take a look. Some are in great condition and I put those here first. These other ones are only in so-so shape. I''d be careful about using them.." He pointed out how he arranged the bats for me.

 Chapter 851 - V3 Ch86

    "We did have to sacrifice a desk." Kyle added.

    "It''s okay." I spoke up. "I can do my homework at the kitchen table." I smiled at my collection of bats.

    "I''m feeling restless." Noah grinned as he came over to run his hand over the bats. "I think we should go relax at The Cages tonight. It''s been so long."

    I looked to Dad to see what he would say.

    Dad looked thoughtful as he studied me and Noah. "Hmm. How''s the ankle, Jake? Noah, have you been kind to your back?"

    "We haven''t done anything at Grampa''s." Noah said. "We were just light aches and pains. We''ve had plenty of time off. Come on, pleaseee?"

    I rotated my ankle generously to show that it wasn''t hurting me at all.

    "I reject that idea!" Dave spoke up. He raised his right hand still in a brace. "If I can''t have fun, you guys can''t either."

    "You''ll get that off on Monday." Dad assured him. "If you don''t want to go, we can do something different."

    "If we''re finally loosening up around here, then I want to go on a date with Marie." Kyle said. "This break hasn''t been what I imagined at all."

    Dad nodded. "Okay, but if you want to use Mom''s car, you have to use extra caution."

    Kyle waved him off and pulled out his phone. "No worries. I''ll just ask Marie to drive us. We''ll probably go to the mall for dinner and a movie." He looked at Dave. "You going to come?"

    Dave looked at him, looked at me, then back to his twin and nodded. "Yea, but can I pick the movie? I don''t want to watch some sappy love story for two hours while I''m stuck being the third wheel."

    Kyle grinned. "Marie can bring a friend. Don''t worry."

    "Ew. Do not set me up." Dave rolled his eyes in disgust.

    Kyle shrugged. "Remind me again who set me up with Marie?"

    Dave looked a little guilty. "I did not. Remember, we went to a party." He looked at me and Noah and started to send a signal with his eyes.

    I wasn''t receiving it though so I turned to Noah.

    Noah laughed. "First high school party. Unforgettable." He looked up at Jeremy. "Did we ever tell you about it? We ended the night by getting pulled over by the cops."

    Jeremy looked confused and maybe a little upset.

    "For breaking curfew. Not because we were drunk driving." Dave quickly butt in.

    Jeremy looked at Zeke.

    Zeke raised an eyebrow. "Mom and I were visiting colleges down south."

    Dad clapped his hands. "Okay, okay. Enough." He looked at the twins. "No parties. If you guys want to go to the mall with Marie, then that''s fine but be back home by 11pm." He looked at Zeke. "What do you plan on doing?"

    "Cages." Zeke answered.

    Dad looked at Jeremy. "Would you like to go with us and have dinner there?"

    Jeremy nodded. He hesitated for only a second before saying, "You don''t have to go with us if you need to get some work done. I know you''ve been busy with the room situation this past week."

    Dad looked down at me and Noah. It was then that I realized he looked exhausted. He had bags under his eyes and maybe a few more wrinkles that I hadn''t noticed before. "Do you guys mind? Your mom and I have been away for too long and there''s some work that''s been getting put off."

    "Yea, Dad, it''s fine." Noah shrugged. "We get it. It''s been a rough week."

    Dad smiled lightly and rubbed Noah''s head. "It has. For everyone. All of you need to go out and relax."

    "Why don''t you relax too?" I asked.

    Dad gave a small smile. "Believe it or not, getting things off my to-do list is relaxing. Especially if I get it done before your mom gets home. I don''t want her to worry about work stuff too while she helps Grampa settle in." He looked around at us. "All of you will have to help him get accustomed to the house. I don''t want him to forget about Gramma, but maybe not think about it so much."

    "Of course we will!" Noah agreed immediately.

    We talked a little more before we started to break up. Dave and Kyle wanted to shower and change into better looking clothes to go out tonight. Apparently Marie was going to be coming by to pick them up soon. Kyle promised Dave no setups and even texted a few others from their grade that they were going to the mall. Dad cleaned up a little bit before heading into his office downstairs.

    "Do you want to sit up front?" Zeke asked me as the four of us approached Jeremy''s car parked on the street.

    "What? No. I sit with Noah." I said, confused that he would ask.

    Noah threw his arm around my shoulders and laughed. "You hear that, Jeremy? I''m his favorite brother."

    Jeremy laughed too and Zeke smiled.

    I didn''t refute his statement. It wasn''t like I intentionally picked favorites. I''m just more comfortable with Noah and he was my first true friend.

    We put our bags in the trunk and got in.

    It had been weeks since we had been to The Cages. Jeremy and Zeke seemed to want to make us eat first, but we had snacked earlier. We wanted to get to the actual cages and just start having fun. At first we had stayed together as a group of four, casually taking turns in the cage hitting 70mph pitches.

    At 75mph though, Jeremy started giving Noah professional advice on his hitting. Nothing was wrong with that, but Zeke offered to take me to the 80mph cage so we can keep swinging. We split into two and I went off with Zeke. With him and Jeremy around, there was no way either Noah or I could take it more seriously. It helped that Zeke kept it casual too. His swings were light and carried no power.

    I tried to mimic his relaxed movements, not trying to be perfect. Zeke silently expressed approval and we moved on to the 85mph cage...where we came across an unusual scene. Instead of a batter in the cage, getting swings in; there was a catcher. Catching the fastballs coming out of the machine.

    "Is that allowed?" I whispered to Zeke. We weren''t the only ones watching the guy catch.

    Zeke gave a small one shoulder shrug. "If it wasn''t, I''m sure someone from the staff would let him know. The owner has cameras for liability purposes."

    I looked around to see if Noah and Jeremy were around to see this, but they were still in the 75mph cage, drawing their own crowd. Probably because Jeremy was recognized. We were at a popular spot for baseball players after all.

    My eyes went back to the catcher when I heard the machine slow down, signaling the end of his session. The guy got up, dug into his pocket for a coin and put it into the slot for another round. He went back to his catching spot and got set once more. He wasn''t perfect by any means. He had one miss that hit him in his chest protector and another went off the knee guard.. But for the most part, he was catching them.

 Chapter 852 - V3 Ch87

    He finished and again got up and dug out another coin.

    "Come on, man." A guy called out. "You''ve been in there for six turns now. Let the rest of us have a chance."

    The catcher inside merely glanced at the guy, then put his coin in. He then put his mask down and got set again to start catching.

    "Shit. This is ridiculous." The guy cursed and left, heading inside.

    I flinched and leaned towards Zeke as the guys passed by us.

    Zeke switched his bat to his other hand, letting me encroach his personal space. He gave my back a light pat. "It''s fine." He gestured to the 90mph cage. "You want to just move on?"

    I nodded. We were just here to swing the bat. I wasn''t set on any particulars that had to be done. We moved on. There was only a person or two near the 90mph cage and we got in pretty quick. Zeke first. Then me.

    I came out just in time to see Mr. Williams, the boss and owner of The Arcade and Cages, walk by. He gave a quick nod to Zeke and stopped at the cage beside ours. The 85mph cage with the catcher. Who was still catching.

    "Doesn''t his arm get tired?" I asked Zeke as we watched. I couldn''t imagine catching such fast pitches continuously.

    "Catchers see about 30 pitches an inning and that''s just the average." Zeke said. "So he should be able to catch at least 200+."

    The catcher finished a round and got up again, heading to the coin slot.

    "That''s enough, Justin." Mr. Williams raised his voice. He waved at the teen. "Come on out. You know there''s an unspoken rule for the cages here. Only three coins at a time per person. Sharing is caring and what have you."

    The catcher glanced at the boss. "It''s an unspoken rule as you said. Which means I don''t necessarily have to follow it." He defiantly put a coin in and got set behind the fake plate once more.

    Mr. Williams let out a curse under his breath, before muttering. "You''re going to make me make it an official rule, you damn brat."

    "Who are you mad at now, Boss?" Noah happened to be coming over with Jeremy right behind him. He spotted the catcher in the 85mph cage. "Wow! I didn''t know we were allowed to do that! That''s pretty cool."

    "You have to sign a liability form and wear your own gear." Mr. Williams stated. Then he clenched his jaw. "And you have to listen to me."

    Noah raised his eyebrow, slightly confused and interested. Jeremy moved to me and Zeke just as the catcher ended his session.

    Mr. Williams didn''t pay any attention to us and made a move to enter the cage. He blocked the coin slot by standing in front of it. "Don''t think I won''t ban you from the property, Justin."

    Justin, the catcher, frown. He put his mask under his arm and stood tall up against the boss. "I''m a paying customer. I should have the right to play as I please. I''m not hurting anyone."

    "Yea, Boss, let him play." Noah cheered.

    "We couldn''t get a turn." Zeke told Noah calmly.

    Noah was quick to change to change sides. He put his hands on his hips. "Dude, do you think you own the place? If you want more turns, then get back in line or move on to the 90mph cage."

    "Why don''t you move on?" Justin shot back.

    Noah glanced at us.

    "We did." Zeke said with a small shrug. "Jake said it was okay."

    Noah eyed me as if he needed confirmation. We came here together all the time and he knew my routine of working my way up, working both sides of the plate. I gave him a small nod to let him know I was fine.

    Noah looked at Mr. Williams. "Ban him, Boss. This is borderline bullying."

    Mr. Williams just shook his head. "You kids."

    "I could have gotten some more work in by now." Justin pointed out rudely. "If you don''t mind." He gestured to the coin slot that Mr. Williams was guarding.

    Mr. Williams shook his head. "Three turns at a time. Leave for at least one. Maybe try a different speed." He was looking outside of the cage and made eye contact with me. "You know what? Maybe you should try something different. Something new."

    I inched even closer to Zeke. Mr. Williams sounded like he was talking to the catcher, yet he was still looking my way.

    "Let Jake foul tip some slower pitches back with this guy playing catcher." Mr. Williams instructed.

    "Tch. No need." Justin quickly shot down. Or so I thought. "Let''s do it here. 85mph." He smirked my way. "Unless you can''t even touch something at this speed."

    Noah scoffed. "Dude, please. Sit down. Jake would probably hurt you with the fouls. Bet you wouldn''t even be able to catch half."

    Justin looked offended then his expression got cold. He glanced at Mr. Williams. "You can''t be serious."

    "Catch half or move on." Mr. Williams declared, going with Noah''s comment. "If you want to do it at 85mph, then that''s on you."

    "I think we should ask Jake if he even wants to participate." Zeke said, freezing the atmosphere. He looked down at me. "What do you think, Jake? Are you up for fouling some pitches for this guy? If not, we can just move on. Go inside for video games instead."

    I started to fidget back and forth. I like batting but hate confrontation.

    "Jeremy can do it instead." Noah looked back at Jeremy, who almost started to fade in the background. If it wasn''t for the fact that he was attracting a small crowd by being so recognizable, you would have thought he was a spectator. And maybe he kind of is. This isn''t his home. He didn''t hang here.

    I stepped forward. "No. I''ll do it."

    Noah pumped his fist and then held it out for me to bump. I obliged. "Don''t go easy on him. Seven drops and you''re done."

    "If he can even foul it back seven times." The catcher put his mask back on. "Let''s go. If I catch half, I''m going to get as much work as I want in." He moved behind the home plate and squatted down.

    Mr. Williams came out of the cage just shaking his head. He made eye contact with me. "Counting on you, kid. Put him in his place and let me have some peace. It''s not good to hear a bunch of complaints on such a busy night."

    I gave a small nod. Mr. Williams was fairly nice. Even if Noah felt scammed the first time I met him. He''s always been polite and greeted us in a friendly manner. Not to be biased, but the catcher didn''t sound like the good guy at all in this situation.

    I had to be the one to put a coin in and then got set up casually in the righty''s box. All I had to do was foul the balls back. It was out of my hands whether he catches them or not. Fouling came easy to me.. Especially in the cages where it was only fastballs.

 Chapter 853 - V3 Ch88

    With it starting, I got into hitting mode. I tuned out the others outside the cage. The first pitch came and I slap my bat just on the under part, fouling it back. There was a clear sound of it hitting the back fence.

    I did the rest in a similar fashion. When the machine powered down, I stepped back and headed for the gate.

    "The fouls were too high, out of reach." The catcher said.

    Surprised, I looked back at him. He had stood up and took his mask off again. Feeling some aggression, I did my best to ignore him and leave the cage.

    "He fouled them back." Noah was quick to come to my defense. "That''s all he had to do. Honestly. You should be thankful that he didn''t aim it at you."

    I quickly shook my head. "That would be mean." Very painful if you missed and whatnot. I would feel bad if it hit him in his face mask.

    Noah threw his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to where Zeke and Jeremy were. "I know. You aren''t the type to intentionally hurt someone. Let''s go get some ice cream and forget this guy now that you''ve successfully kicked him out for others to have a chance."

    With Noah taking the lead, we left Justin and Mr. Williams behind. Inside, Jeremy beat Zeke with his wallet, paying for all of our ice creams. We sat down and casually talked about the recent changes going on.

    "When does your season start?" Jeremy asked Zeke.

    "Mid-February." Zeke answered. "You''ll already be reporting to spring training."

    Jeremy scratched his cheek with a small laugh. "Oh. I was thinking about seeing one of your games beforehand. Maybe I''ll catch one during the season." He looked at me. "If the timing is right, you guys can come stay with me and Rose after the game or something."

    "You AND Rose." Noah moved his eyebrows up and down. He grinned at me. "Jake, any thoughts on your future sister-in-law?"

    "She''s very nice." I commented.

    "Anything else?" Noah poked me.

    I shrugged. "What else?"

    Noah laughed. "Jake has people divided into two groups: nice and not nice." He looked at Jeremy. "Yea, we won''t mind watching Zeke and then going to bug you. Maybe a weekend will line up to where we can watch him and then you."

    "It''ll be tough." Zeke said. "Trying to find a gap between high school, college, and pro baseball is complicated. Not to mention you still have school to worry about."

    Jeremy smiled and lean back. "I may not know much about college baseball, but if I remember correctly, the College World Series is mid June. High school baseball ends in May. We''ll have something to look at there."

    Noah slapped the table. "Make it to Omaha, Zeke. We''ll go watch every game!"

    Zeke rolled his eyes, but I could see the faintest of smiles hanging on his lips.

    We talked more about our upcoming seasons. Jeremy promised to come to our next tournament, the Tulare Invitational. We would be coming back as last year''s champions so Noah was adamant that we repeat. And who would want to say no to that?

    Zeke wouldn''t be there for that one though. He had his own season to prepare for. He seemed absolutely confident in getting in the starting lineup, but playing center field was in question. He also told us that the cleanup spot was secured by Bradley Thompson.

    "Oh, I''ve heard about him." Jeremy acknowledged. "We get a lot of comparisons sometimes in articles and whatnot. He''s only a year younger than me, I believe?"

    "Comparisons?" I asked. We didn''t know Jeremy when we had visited Stanford last year so I didn''t really pay attention to his name.

    Jeremy rubbed his nose, slightly embarrassed. "Well. Just a few. You know I went pro immediately after high school. We had similar stats and numbers, but the following year, he chose college. They talk about these kind of things all the time. Like, who made the better decisions."

    "You. Clearly." Noah grinned. "Rookie of the Year. MVP of the World Series and of the season. You''re a walking highlight reel."

    Jeremy laughed and coughed to cover up that laugh. "Everyone has different roads to the same destination. There is no right or wrong." He glanced at Zeke. "Just do what you want. Trust me. I may have early success, but I still have some regrets."

    The conversation slowed down after that. We knew of some of his regrets. Jeremy wanted to be a professional, there''s no doubt. But he was also guided and pushed by his uncle. He also didn''t pay close attention to what his uncle was doing and what he had done. There was guilt in his voice and I just knew he couldn''t always push past what had happened to me.

    "I''ll be going pro after high school." Noah stated confidently. "It probably won''t be as smooth as you, Jeremy. But I''ll make it." He looked at me. "Jake will have the easiest time."

    I looked down at my ice cream, feeling a little self-conscious. I didn''t like to think too far into the future.

    "Boss!" Noah called out suddenly.

    I lifted my head and saw the old man approaching our table. He nodded his head at Jeremy and Zeke, before facing me and Noah. "Thanks for the help out there, boys."

    Noah put his fingers together and gave it a rub, the universal sign of money.

    Mr. Williams laughed. "I know. Nothing is free when it comes to Noah." He gestured back to the snack bar. "I''ll let the guys know in the back to write down your name. 50% off food and snacks for the next month."

    "Tch." Noah rolled his eyes. "That''s it?"

    Zeke glared at him.

    Noah sat up straight. "Thanks, Boss." His eyes almost disappeared from smiling so hard. "Best believe I''ll take advantage of it."

    Mr. Williams laughed. "I have no doubt." He glanced at me. "That kid was interested in you quite a bit. Don''t be surprised if you see him around when you come in the future. He seemed to settle down a little after I told him about your accomplishments."

    "Accomplishments?" I echoed.

    "Batter prodigy." He winked at me.

    I blushed with embarrassment.

    "Don''t worry, Jake." Noah stood up and patted his chest. "If that guy dares to find you for trouble, we can handle it."

    "We?" I repeated. "Shouldn''t we not handle it?"

    "You can put him in his place with ease." Noah stated confidently. I couldn''t tell if I was flatter with his faith in me or terrified that I would have to deal with that catcher in my future visits.

    "Mr. Williams." Zeke spoke up. "I think it''s better if Jake isn''t harassed in the future. Or he''ll no longer want to come."

    I nodded. I came here for peace.

    Mr. Williams rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Very true. I''ll have to talk to that damn brat again." He sighed. "He''s more troublesome than Noah here."

    "Hey!" Noah shouted.

    "Don''t worry." Mr. Williams told me. "If that kid bothers you, come to me. We''ll ban him if we have to."

    Sounds serious. I glanced at Zeke.

    "You attract more business for Mr. Williams." Zeke said plainly. "He can claim one of the best batters in the county, if not the state, gets his work done here."

    Mr. Williams nodded, then left us alone.. Maybe to go look for that catcher.

 Chapter 854 - V3 Ch89

    The day eventually came to an end. Jeremy took us home and then had to head back up to the bay, where he lived. Dad was dozing off on the couching, attempting to watch the weather channel. Probably to keep an eye on Mom''s way home with Grampa. Zeke had to wake him up and send him upstairs to his own room with the excuse that he now sleeps on the couch in the living room.

    "If the twins aren''t home by midnight, wake me up." Dad instructed.

    Zeke nodded. "Don''t worry. I''ll be up until they come home."

    Dad smiled, grateful. "Thanks, Zeke. We''ll take you back to school as soon as your Grampa gets settled."

    "No rush." Zeke waved us off. "Noah and Jake, you two should get to bed too. Take your showers and make sure the room is organized how you like it."

    It was a new experience, showering in the other bathroom. I could tell that someone had recently super cleaned it and my money was on Kyle. Simply because I couldn''t imagine Zeke or Dad doing it.

    As for how our clothes were organized, Noah and I weren''t bothered. Since day one, Noah had been opened to sharing his clothes with me and it stood that if I needed an item, he would let me get it myself. I did make sure we had our school bags around just to make sure it wasn''t lost in the transition. Break was more than half way over.

    I don''t know about Noah, but I fell asleep almost after touching my pillow. It was a comfort to be in my own bed after so long. I heard the twins at some point, disturbing my sleep as they moved around the room. I merely hugged my comforter tighter and turned away from the noise.

    For the next couple of days, we really started to do our own things. Kyle hung out with Marie every chance he got; occasionally bring Dave out too since he couldn''t join us at the cages. Zeke drove us to the cages every day on the premise that we wouldn''t try too hard and possibly get reinjured. I didn''t mind. I liked swinging the bat and Noah also liked the video games in the arcade. We definitely took advantage of Mr. Williams reward on discounted food.

    We would see Justin, the catcher, getting his work in but he never did approach us. Me. I don''t know if that was because Mr. Williams spoke with him or if Zeke and Noah''s presence deterred him.

    Mom and Grampa made it back with the car and we all pitched in to help so they wouldn''t have to. They had a long drive. The first thing Grampa did was place Gramma''s urn next to his bed to keep her by his side. Grampa was quiet the first day back, but was quick to join the rhythm of things here. On the day that Dad took Dave to the hospital to get his finger checked on, Grampa came with me, Noah, and Zeke to The Cages.

    We didn''t keep him there for very long since we were worried he''d get tired. Noah kept the conversation going, telling him all about our team and how we hoped to be repeat champions. We had a tournament early next month to prepare for and he would actually get to see.

    "A tournament might be too much too soon." Grampa said on the way back home. "I''m an old man. Sitting outside in the cold for a couple of games a day will wear me out."

    Noah wasn''t convinced. "We''ll have a break in between. Go somewhere warm and get some food. We always do."

    "If we lose, there''s a chance that there''s only one game." I spoke up.

    "Jake!" Noah groaned and rolled his eyes. "We''ve talked about this. You can''t speak so negatively about baseball or you''re just jinxing yourself."

    Grampa laughed. "Jake''s a realist. Losing is always a possibility." He glanced back at me from the front passenger seat and winked. "But I know you boys won''t lose. At least make it to day two and then maybe I''ll watch those games."

    "That''s more like it!" Noah nodded happily. "You can also stop by a practice and see us play there."

    I thought about Grampa watching me run laps and slowly shook my head.

    "Games are enough for me." Grampa shot Noah down.

    "Why not? What else are you going to do?" Noah huffed.

    The car filled up with silence. Zeke gave a small shake of his head. Noah took on a look of guilt after I poked him in the leg.

    "I''m not sure what I''m going to want to do yet." Grampa let out a heavy sigh. "Take some time to think about. Maybe join a community group for seniors? I don''t think I can help your parents with their work. Too complicated for me. I''m not much of a cook like your mom either."

    "Joining other seniors isn''t a bad idea." Noah tried to become enthusiastic about it. "You can bingo and shuffleboard. Maybe checkers or chess."

    Zeke pulled the car into the driveway and we got our stuff out. Zeke and Noah took the lead while Grampa and I followed behind.

    "What would you do if you had free time?" Grampa asked me.

    I was taken aback before smiling. I twisted so he could see my bat in my bag. "This. Go to the cages and hit some baseballs."

    "You don''t do that just to get better?" He asked.

    I shook my head. "I find it relaxing." I looked up at him. Skinny and frail. And old. Very old. He probably couldn''t swing a bat. "I also like doing math problems."

    Grampa laughed. However, I didn''t understand what was funny. Maybe I wasn''t that good at suggesting what old people do.

    We walked into the house as a group, attracting the twins from the living room.

    Dave proudly held up his right hand. No brace on it anymore. "I''m free!"

    "Yea, free to do physical therapy." Kyle snorted and laughed.

    "Just a couple of times to make sure it healed right." Dave quickly followed up. "The doctor said I can start throwing a ball in a couple of days so when school starts I guess."

    "But shouldn''t pitch until after seeing the physical therapist." Kyle pointed out.

    "How about swinging a bat?" Noah asked.

    Dave looked at Kyle. Kyle shrugged.

    "If no one said no, then it should be fine." Zeke said. "Double check with Mom." He went to put his bag in the garage.

    "Hey, you''re back." Mom came out of her office, smiling at the small gathering we were having. She waited for Zeke to come back inside from the garage before speaking again. "I know these last two weeks have been rough for everyone, but I was thinking we could finally do Christmas tomorrow morning?"

    My eyes went to the Christmas tree surrounded by presents. It was intentionally ignored for so long now, that looking at it felt kind of wrong.

    "Why not tonight?" Noah asked.

    "I figured we could give Jake the whole Christmas experience." Mom grinned. "Tonight will be like Christmas Eve. I''ve got some gingerbread house kits still in the kitchen cupboard. I''ll go and get some shopping done now so we can be ready?"

    "Sounds great!" Noah grinned. "Can I go to the store with you? I can help push the cart!"

    Kyle gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Thank you for your sacrifice."

    I subconsciously took a step back.

    "I''ll go too." Dad came down from upstairs. He looked at Grampa. "Any special requests for Christmas dinner tomorrow?"

    "Cranberry sauce." Grampa nodded and headed for the stairs. "I''m going to go sort my laundry. Maybe take a nap."

    Dave pulled me back. "We''ll go show Jake some Christmas movies. Get in the mood, ya know."

    Mom looked at Zeke.

    "We''ll clean up the kitchen and dining room." Zeke stated, stopping Dave in his tracks. "It''ll be easy with the four of us."

    "Ow! My hand!" Dave grabbed his right hand dramatically.

    "Liar." Kyle slapped him upside the head.

    Dave immediately came back with a slap of his own.

    "Zeke''s in charge." Dad said and headed for the garage, completely ignoring the twins. Mom and Noah followed him out.

    Zeke stepped between the twins and yanked on the back collar of their shirts. "Quit it. This is Jake''s first Christmas."

    "What? This is practically tradition." Dave laughed. He looked at me and smiled. "Good thing you stuck with us. Shopping for Christmas is absolute torture."

    "Noah only likes to go so he can pick his favorite candy." Kyle added. "It''s really not worth it. We can just buy our own favorites with our own money. No need to go with Mom." He shivered. "She''ll fill up three carts with ease."

    "Yea, to feed everyone." Zeke rolled his eyes. "You two get the kitchen done. Make sure the oven is cleaned up and there is room in the fridge.. Jake and I get the dining room."

 Chapter 855: V3 ch90 (Celebrating Christmas)

    Chapter 855: V3 ch90 (Celebrating Christmas)

    "Why do you guys get the dining room?" Kyle complained.

    "Because I''m in charge." Zeke answered with a smirk. He moved to the dining room and I followed.

    We definitely had the easiest job. The dining room table was already cleaned. Zeke instructed me to do the vacuuming while he reorganized the table and chairs. Three on each long side and one at each end of the table. I maneuvered the vacuum as he moved them back and forth. Then he had us move the China dishware from the glass cabinet to the sink in the kitchen. He washed and I dried. The twins had it tougher. Kyle was scrubbing the oven on the inside while Dave cleaned out the fridge and reorganized it so a few shelves were empty.

    Zeke and I finished first, putting the dishes back in the glass cabinet, ready to be used for tomorrow. The only reason the twins finished before Mom came home with the groceries was that she had taken hours. It was practically time for dinner.

    "We don''t need dinner." Noah told me when I asked about it. He raised the bags he was carrying. "We have this! Come on!" He went to the table and dumped the bags. Candies and cookies of all kinds were spread out and covered most of the table. Noah started to organize it by sorting what went together and what didn''t.

    Mom wasn''t too far behind. She brought in a few boxes of pre-made gingerbread house cutouts. Noah was quick to push one in front of me and one if front of himself. Then he ran to get plates and knives. I followed his lead in building a gingerbread house, using the icing as glue to keep the four walls together. Then the roof. Then it was time to decorate. The twins and Zeke showed up and made their own.

    Grampa came in to check our progress. He made comments and suggestions while sneaking in a handful of cookies.

    Mom caught him in action. "Stop snacking so much. Pizza will be here soon, Dad."

    Grampa waved his hand carelessly. "I''ll still have room for pizza. Don''t worry about it."

    "Dad." Mom stressed.

    "Mary, I''m old. Let me a little before I leave this world." Grampa said.

    Dad came in and steered Mom away from the mess on the dining table. And from saying any more to Grampa about his eating habits. I knew where Noah got it now. It''s hereditary.

    The pizza arrived as Noah and I finished our houses. We took our food to the living room and started a Christmas movie. Grampa joined us. Then Zeke. Then the twins. Dad and Mom. At the end of the movie, instead of staying up late to watch another, Mom sent us to bed.

    "Why don''t we just do gifts now, Mom?" Noah said, stealing looks at the presents under the fake Christmas tree.

    "Too late." Mom rubbed the top of Noah''s head. "I already bought everything for tomorrow. You know what though? I give you permission to wake up everyone if you''re the first one up."

    "Mommmm." Kyle groaned. "He''s going to wake us up at like 5am now."

    "Jake is getting his first taste of a Noah Christmas." Dave laughed.

    I made a face. "I''m not waking up at 5am." Not even for presents.

    "I''ll drag you down here, dead or alive." Noah raised his fists. He laughed. "Well, awake or asleep."

    Noah was true to his word. But so was I. Early the next morning, he ripped my comforter off me. Before I could hug the pillow tighter, that too was ripped away. I went to the next best thing: acting like a plank of wood, eyes shut.

    Noah didn''t give up. He grabbed me under my arms and someone else grabbed my ankles. I was officially off the bed. I groaned and peeked to see who had my fight. Dave. I guess his finger didn''t hurt enough now that it''s ''Christmas''.

    Noah dragged me downstairs, talking a mile a minute. Once in the living room, he pushed me onto the big couch, between Zeke and Kyle. I eyed Zeke''s blanket across his lap. He had slept down here so he must have been Noah''s first victim.

    Zeke generously tossed the blanket off of himself and onto me. I wrapped myself up like a burrito and rested with my eyes closed. I could here Mom coming down, yet she didn''t come to the living room. Dad did. Then Grampa. Noah and Dave didn''t even let the elderly off.

    Mom came in to the full living room and smiled when she caught me opening one eye. "Merry Christmas, Jake."

    My lips twitched. I didn''t want to smile. I wanted to sleep.

    Noah and Dave completely controlled the morning. They started to pass out the gifts, making smaller piles in front of everyone. Then as soon as Mom gave the word, they started to tear into their gifts. Kyle also moved with speed. I tried to imitate Zeke, opening the paper softly at the tapped corners and then seeing what it was, but soon I was infected by the excitement.

    I got so many presents, I couldn''t imagine how much time Mom and Dad put into it. They gave me all kinds of clothing from shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, joggers, and even funny socks. I had expensive items like wireless headphones and some kind of handheld gaming console. I was given a baseball blanket with the A''s logo on it. New cleats. New glove.

    I looked around constantly to make sure I wasn''t special. I wanted the boys to get good gifts too. And if Dave and Kyle''s raised voices were any indication, it was all good. Noah kept showing me every new gift he would open.

    "Look at this hoodie!! I''m going to wear it to school on our first day back!"

    "This bat is the best one for high schoolers right now! If you would just use aluminum, I bet you would hit homers every at-bat!"

    "The new Nike''s!"

    Almost through the gifts, I started to smell...cinnamon. I looked at Mom, the only one who would be cooking right now.

    "The cinnamon rolls must almost be done!" Kyle jumped up. "Stay where you''re at Mom! I''ll do it!" No matter how mature Kyle pretended to be, he still had a sweet tooth as well.

    "Put them on the stove, then put the icing on." Mom instructed. "Make sure to let it sit for awhile. And please, do not eat the icing by itself. That''s just gross."

    "No promises!" Kyle was already gone.

    Mom and Dad seemed to be having a small moment of their own as they each opened gifts that the other got them. Noah didn''t want to watch them kiss so he pulled me out with the excuse that Kyle would probably eat all the icing and put none on the cinnamon rolls. He wasn''t totally wrong. We came in as Kyle was eating the icing and only half the rolls were covered.

    The morning was full of laughs and I almost didn''t want it to end. We ate the cinnamon rolls and talked about the gifts we got. Mom wanted us to take some pictures after despite all of us being in pjs. Gifts were put away and played with. We took turns showering and getting dressed.

    Near noon, Mom placed snack food on the table for us to eat freely. Apparently Christmas dinner was going to be early like at 4pm. I didn''t understand and Noah didn''t know the reasoning either. Mom recruited Dad''s help and it wasn''t long before we were called to set the table.

    Honey glazed ham. Mashed potatoes. Green been casserole. Cranberry sauce. Toasted rolls. It was similar to thanksgiving, but with a few replacements. Mom also brought out homemade cookies and we all reached for that first. Mom laughed and let it go.

    This is how I imagined Christmas would be with the Atkins. Just so much joy. I appreciated the gifts but the unconditional love and laughs is what really made it.

    "Your Gramma would have wanted to be here. To make it to this moment." Grampa said mid-dinner. He smiled. "I''m glad I got to see it too." He looked at me. "Jake, what do you think of your first Atkins Christmas?"

    I swallowed the food in my mouth, almost choking. Noah gave my back a heavy pat. I coughed, feeling a little embarrassed. I looked around and sat up straight. "I don''t have any attachments to holidays, but being with you guys is the best feeling. Holiday or not, I''m happy to be here."

    Noah pulled me sideways and we started to sway as he started to sing, "Have a holly jolly Christmas. It''s the best time of the year." The twins jumped in quick and soon it was all of us, even Grampa was clapping along.

 Chapter 856: V3 ch91 (End of Break)

    Chapter 856: V3 ch91 (End of Break)

    Our little makeup Christmas really stood out as winter break came to an end. It was one of the last times we were all together because Zeke had to go back to college. He started to pack up and then Friday before school started, he loaded up the car. Mom and Dad hesitated on who would take him and who would stay here with us.

    Grampa solved it by suggesting they both go. "Take a break. I can hold down the fort here."

    Mom looked worried as she glanced at the twins.

    "They''re teenagers, Mary." Grampa waved her away. "They''re not babies anymore. It''s not like I need to change their diapers or worry about them drawing on the walls."

    "That''s why I''m worried." Mom let out a small laugh. "The bigger the kid, the bigger the problem." She looked at Noah and me first. "You kids..."

    "We''re fine, Mom." Noah smiled. "Have a small vaca with Dad. A night or two. It''s whatever. Jake and I will probably just go to the cages. Dave or Kyle can drive us." He looked at Grampa. "Do you want to watch us, Gramps?"

    Grampa shook his head. "No, no. Why are you always trying to get me to leave the house? I''m trying to conserve energy. Want me to die faster?"

    I cracked a smile. Grampa constantly talked about dying and I was starting to understand that it was just his sense of humor. It wasn''t ha-ha funny, but it was funny to see how his comments got Mom going talking about how he''s going to live for a long time.

    "I''m already over the average age of death, Mary. I''ll take what I can get." Grampa rested his hands on mine and Noah''s shoulders. "They''re good kids. I trust them to play some ball and then come home before dinner." His eyes moved to Kyle. "Now that''s the one you need to speak with."

    Kyle did his best to look innocent. "I get home before curfew and I don''t even borrow the car. Marie does all the driving."

    Mom squinted at him. Then looked at Dave. Then back to Kyle. "You two stick together. If Dave takes the boys to the cages, you go too." She looked at us. "All four of you. If one leaves the house, the other three should be right behind."

    "Ah, Mom." Kyle complained. "This is the last weekend before break ends."

    "You don''t have any baseball next weekend." Mom pointed out. She clapped her hands together to signal the end of the conversation. "That''s it. Your Dad and I will take Zeke back to school. And stay there for tonight and tomorrow night. We''ll come back Sunday. Your Grampa is in charge."

    "Why is it always Zeke and now Grampa? Can''t I be in charge?" Dave mumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

    "Can you handle it?" Mom asked, looking at Dave.

    Dave straightened and nodded. "Yes, ma''am!"

    Mom glanced at Grampa. Grampa gave a small nod. She sighed. "Okay, Dave is in charge. No alcohol. No girls over." She glanced at Kyle. "And Dave gets to make command decisions." Kyle rolled his eyes.

    "That means you have to be responsible for breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Noah told Dave with a smile.

    "You kids can eat at home." Mom quickly shot down any ideas Noah might be having. "We''re only gone two nights. Not a week."

    Mom left it at that and went to go inform Dad and Zeke what she had planned out. Soon, her and Dad''s bag were thrown down next to Zeke''s. With just the three of them, they took her car and hit the road after lunch.

    Grampa went upstairs to his room to go nap, saying old people like him get tired after a meal. I didn''t think it was just old people. I also kind of wanted to take a nap. Sharing a room with the twins wasn''t as quiet as when it was just me and Noah. They bickered before bed and a little extra in the morning.

    Dave pulled out the keys to the car and gave them a shake. "To The Arcade? Video games and some practice swings?"

    "Why not go to the mall instead?" Kyle pushed. "We can all leave and go our own ways there. Watch a movie. Heck, they have an arcade too."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Lame. It just doesn''t compare." He tugged on my sleeve. "Let''s get our bags, Jake."

    "Dave." Kyle called out to his twin.

    Dave shrugged and smiled. "You''re out-voted. Why don''t you just invite Marie to the cages too?"

    Kyle frowned. "Fine." He pulled out his phone and started to text.

    I paused, making Noah stop too. "Tell Marie that Kaylee can come too."

    Kyle raised an eyebrow at me.

    "Yea, it''d be dumb to leave her at home when we''re all going." Noah added, saving me from having to explain my unexpected comment.

    "Are you going to invite Alisha too then?" Dave teased.

    "Uhh." Noah hesitated.

    "Yea." I nodded. Alisha is nice. And a friend. It should be okay. She can always say no if she doesn''t want to go.

    All three girls said yes and met us at The Arcade. Alisha was the only one not to bring a bag with a bat and helmet. Kaylee assured her that they could take turns with her gear.

    Kyle and Marie split from the group first, saying that they were going to play mini-golf together. Dave was given the two bags with the excuse that he was in charge so he had to be responsible for the bags.

    Dave rolled his eyes, but still held the bags all on one shoulder.

    "You look like someone''s dad." Noah laughed.

    The five of us went back to the cages and I passed out some coins that I''ve had since my birthday. Dave left for the 75mph cage putting us down to a group of four. We moved down to slow-pitch so Alisha could feel included.

    "I''ll go first!" Kaylee volunteered and got her helmet on. She went in.

    Alisha looked embarrassed as she saw that we were near so many younger kids. "Maybe I can just watch? I don''t want to hold you guys back."

    "Nah, it''s fine." Noah shrugged. "Jake always starts slow and works his way up. I''m used to it."

    I looked at him. I started slow, but not this slow.

    "Hey, Jake!" Kaylee called from inside the cage. I faced her instead. "I''m going to work on batting from the left side. You make sure to tell me if you notice anything out of whack."

    I nodded. "Okay."

    She put the coin in and got set in the lefty''s box.

    "That''s smart." Noah said, standing beside me as we watched her swing. "I should do the same thing. Work on batting from the left side. Probably won''t ever use it in a game, but it should improve my hand-eye coordination."

    I nodded. "Probably."

    Kaylee was more than decent batting from the left side. It was obvious that she had practiced this before. Even though it was slow-pitch, she made perfect contact every time. I don''t think Noah will be able to pull that off if he tries from that side too.

    Kaylee finished and Noah went in next.

    "That was good, Kay!" Alisha gave her a small hug.

    Kaylee rolled her eyes, but had a smile on her face. "It''s okay. I can''t do anything too fast yet, but I''ve been working on it." She looked at me. "What do you think? Any advice?"

    I shook my head. "Every swing was correct. How fast can you go?"

    "Struggle begins in the 70s and then 75 is a nightmare." She laughed at herself.

    "Try bunting?" I suggested. "That''s what I did when I couldn''t hit the ball. It''s easier to make contact if your bat is already out there. Helps you get more comfortable too."

    "Yea, I should. Thanks!" She smiled.

    We watched Noah attempt to bat from the left and got a good laugh as he struggled with the timing. His awkward first-step motion was also getting crossed up. He was good-natured about it and laughed too, occasionally letting out a small curse.

 Chapter 857: V3 ch92 (End of Break)~filler~

    Chapter 857: V3 ch92 (End of Break)~filler~

    With Noah making fun of himself, Alisha felt more comfortable to give it a try. She did completely fine, having some practice from last summer. When it was my turn, Noah suggested I give myself a handicap.

    "Do it with your eyes closed!" He grinned and gave me a nudge.

    "That''s stupid." Kaylee rolled her eyes. "Don''t listen to him, Jake. You''ll hurt yourself."

    "I think I can do it." I said. I glanced at Noah. "Can I watch the first two?"

    "No way. Who are you trying to impress?" Noah laughed. "If I can look bad in a slow pitch cage, so can you."

    I smiled and laughed a little. Well, it was just for fun. I put a coin in and hurried to place my feet in the righty''s box. I closed my eyes tight and pulled my bat back. Hearing the machine speed up to spit out the ball, I waited until it made the sound of coming out then swung casually. I could feel the ball hit the end of my bat, near the end of my swing. I was too fast. I pulled the bat back again and slowed my movements a beat. Still early. Slowed it up even more and felt a little more solid.

    With the timing right, I did my best to keep the same pace and same swing. The fastballs that came out of the machine weren''t super accurate but I was still able to make contact with every pitch. At the end, I opened my eyes and smiled, turning to my friends.

    "You must have been peeking!" Noah hollered. "What a scam. How do you look better than my attempt at being left-handed?"

    I shrugged as I came out. "It''s slow and I''m sure it wasn''t that good to look at."

    "You perfectionist!" Noah pulled me into a headlock but couldn''t get to my hair with my helmet on. He let go of me and picked up his bag leaning against the fence. "I''m going to try again."

    "What a waste of time." Kaylee said as I joined her and Alisha. "It''s not like he''s going to get proficient in it anytime soon. It''s better if he just focuses on his mechanics of his normal swing and get a better batting average."

    "I think batting from the otherside can help the mechanics." I spoke up, trying to defend him. "Trying something new forces you to be more aware of what you''re doing."

    "I think he''s just having some fun." Alisha volunteered. "Doesn''t have to be so serious all the time."

    Kaylee pulled out her phone and pointed the camera at Noah, who started another session.

    "What are you doing?" Alisha peeked.

    "Having fun." She smirked. She had her Instagram app opened and was recording Noah with the video function. After a horrendous miss, she stopped and gave it a caption: ''starting shortstop for WHS'' and then a few laughing emojis. She posted it after tagging Noah, me, and Alisha. "You guys better share it too!"

    Alisha was on it immediately. She whipped her phone out and started to type. I hesitated, but still pulled my phone out.

    Kaylee snatched it from me and took charge, opening my app, and going to notifications, where she opened her own original video. "Any additional comments?"

    "I don''t know...maybe I shouldn''t."

    "Too late." She attached the ''see-no-evil monkey emoji'' and posted it to my stories. She handed me my phone back with a smile. Ruthless.

    Noah came out of the cage, smiling. "I killed it that time."

    "Ha, don''t kid yourself." Kaylee grinned. "Let me show you how it''s done, once again." She went back in with her helmet on and bat in hand. She put the coin in and did really well

    Towards the end, Noah pulled out his phone. "Geez, my phone just keeps vibrating. Is something happening or what?" He checked it with a frown.

    Knowing that it was his notifications from social media, I scooted closer to Alisha.

    "Guys!!" Noah looked to me and Alisha. "How could you do this to me?" He pointed at Kaylee coming out of the cage. "I can expect this from her but not you two!"

    "It''s funny." Kaylee grinned at him. "Can''t keep funny to just ourselves." She took off her helmet and gave it to Alisha. "Here, you can go."

    Alisha smiled and said thanks before taking the bat too. She got in and did even better. Even better than Noah''s attempt at being a lefty. We spent over an hour in the slower section before Dave came over to check on us.

    He happened to see the video on Instagram and shared it as well, making Noah roll his eyes.

    "Just go back to wherever you came from." Noah tried to shoo him away.

    Dave shrugged. "I wanted to hit some more, but some dude is hogging the 85mph cage. Just to work on his catching. So lame."

    Noah and I exchanged a look.

    "You guys know him?" Dave caught on real quick.

    Noah nodded. "Yea, Justin." He gave Dave and the girls a quick recap on meeting him when we were Zeke and Jeremy. "He''s a bit strange and annoying, but Zeke told Mr. Williams that we wouldn''t stand for him bugging Jake here."

    "That''s just crazy." Alisha shook her head.

    Kaylee agreed. "No kidding. Why would he want to put himself at risk to get hurt. If Jake fouls a pitch back at him with the intention to hurt him, that could be it for the season." She paused. "Do you guys know what school he plays for? Has to be in the area so won''t you be seeing him sometime?"

    Noah shrugged. "Don''t know, don''t care. If we see him in a game, it won''t change Jake''s stance on hitting a ball back to where a catcher can get hit by it. He likes to play it safe and foul it down the lines."

    "Putting Mr. Miller and Coach Luis at risk instead." Dave laughed.

    "I don''t..." I refuted weakly. Sometimes I wasn''t perfect and there was always a chance that the ball could go their way. "Besides, I don''t really have to do that anymore." I stood straight, holding some pride that Coach let me hit freely.

    "Yes, yes. What a batting prodigy you are." Noah laughed, putting his arm around my shoulders. "I really hope you crush all records set by Zeke. We should look up his numbers from sophomore year."

    The five of us were done with the cages and went inside to take a break. We got ice cream for half off thanks to the discount set by Mr. Williams then were joined by Kyle and Marie. We all stuck together while playing some games before eventually going home.

    Grampa surprised us when we came home with a home cooked meal. "My specialty." He claimed, revealing a full table of food. "Pork chops, right off the grill!" He wore the biggest grin we''ve seen all break.

    "Grampa! That''s a lot of work. Thank you!" Noah was the first one to rush to the table. The twins and I followed.

    It was great having Grampa around, but also meant missing Gramma more often. We couldn''t fool ourselves into thinking she was just at home with Grampa. Especially not when he took over cooking all weekend. I finally saw how Mom became such a good cook though. Grampa even had brunch ready for us Saturday before we went to the mall.

    Dave said we couldn''t be too mean to Kyle so we gave in for a mall day. Marie and Kaylee met up with us. And with Kaylee around, it was only appropriate to invite Alisha. Marie and Kyle were the first to split, choosing to watch a movie before lunch. They were definitely going to make this a date.

    That left Dave with us sophomores. He didn''t mind though. It''s not like he wasn''t familiar with Kaylee and Alisha. It was fun. We stayed for lunch, sticking Dave with the bill and then went home in the evening to find Grampa cooking again. After dinner, we took over cleanup and settled in for a movie night with Grampa. Once he found out that I haven''t seen a whole lot, he picked two classics for me to watch and the other boys complied.

    Sunday morning, Noah woke me up to go on a jog. We lifted some weights and did an ab workout before coming inside for a late breakfast. When Mom came home with Dad, she took us and the twins to the store to stock up and some new supplies for school. Tomorrow would be the first day of the spring semester.

 Chapter 858: V3 ch93 (School Begins)

    Chapter 858: V3 ch93 (School Begins)

    Monday morning was hectic. Our first school morning sharing a room with the twins led to an early shouting match. I stayed under the covers for too long, listening to Kyle and Noah arguing over who should get to use the bathroom first.

    Dad came in to break it up. "Okay, that''s enough." It got a little quiet. "Noah and Jake can use the hallway bathroom still. That means the twins are still responsible for their own bathroom." There were some complaints, but Dad shut them down. "Nope. Don''t want to hear it. You''re all old enough to be working on your own conflict resolution. If I need to intervene like this, then the final verdict is in my hands." He paused. "Someone get Jake out of bed. If you guys are late, I won''t be writing you a note to excuse it."

    "Ugh." The three complained.

    Noah pulled my comforter away. "Come on, Jake. Time for school."

    I let out a small groan of my own, but got moving. Washed my face. Brushed my teeth. Then started to bundle up to face the cold January morning. I double checked my baseball bag to ensure that it had my athletic wear, cleats, glove, bat, and running shoes. Just in case.

    Dave laughed at the sight of me coming downstairs. "Aren''t you a bit too warm with all those layers on, Jake? You know they have heating at school, don''t you?"

    I pursed my lips. "Half of my classes don''t turn on the heating."

    "They must like the cold." Mom gave me a small smile. "You wear what you think is best. Worst case, you''ll put your coat in your locker."

    I nodded and sat down to eat breakfast. We were in a rush with the small delay so I couldn''t fill up. I grabbed an extra bagel to eat on the way to school. The twins decided to keep the rule of whichever one drove us to school, the other would get to drive us home. It was as fair as it could be, sharing driving time with your twin.

    Kyle mumbled as he got settled in the passenger seat. "Zeke never had to split driving time with us even though we had our licenses."

    "Zeke is the oldest." Noah pointed out.

    "By mere months." Kyle scoffed.

    "A solid year." Noah rebuked.

    Kyle turned around to glare at him. "Can you not?"

    Noah shrugged. "I''m just stating the facts."

    "Just wait. You''ll hate having to share drive time with Jake."

    "No thanks." I spoke up, but kept my eyes closed, leaning against the window.

    "Jake, you don''t want to learn how to drive?" Dave asked, currently driving us.

    "Not interested." I answered.

    Noah laughed. "Don''t worry. I''ll chauffeur you around. Anywhere you want to go. We''ll be able to go to The Cages everyday without complaints."

    "We''re pitchers. We don''t need to do batting practice everyday." Kyle stressed.

    "And I''m not a catcher so I don''t need to catch for you guys every day." Noah shot back. He had helped the twins for a couple of days, catching their bullpen sessions, and he never lets them forget it.

    "Like Dad said earlier, we should work on our own conflict resolution." Dave said, trying to sound mature.

    "What are you suggesting?" Noah asked, suspicious.

    "I say you let us get some extra bullpen sessions in on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In exchange, we''ll go right to The Cages after practice on Mondays and Wednesdays. At least for the rest of January until games start." Dave rolled out his proposal.

    I cracked an eye open to glance at Noah. He was already looking at me. Noah understood my interest right away. He looked forward at the twins. "Do I have to catch for the both of you on both days? It''s not like you have to pay for us after all. You''re just drivers."

    Kyle''s lips twitched. "You''re so annoying."

    "Is that a deal or not?" Noah asked.

    Kyle and Dave stayed silent until the car pulled into the school parking lot. Dave was the one to answer. "Fine, but we''ll only stay an hour at The Cages. We still have to get home before dinner after all."

    "Okay, deal." Noah sold his catching services happily. I bet he would have done it for less, like an extra cookie or two.

    Dave parked in the usual spot by the fields and then headed to school with Kyle. Noah and I waited for Mr. Miller to show up in his golf cart.

    Noah''s eyes were locked on the varsity field. He took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. "This season will be different with Zeke, but I don''t think we can lose. With Garret and the twins on the mound, I can''t see them giving up a bunch of runs. And with you blasting out homers, this season will be our best yet. We''ll go completely undefeated. Not one loss. Let Zeke see how we handled the season without him."

    My lips twitched. "Yea, as long as no one gets hurt this time around."

    "Bryce and Brian are waiting in the wings." Noah shrugged, not caring too much about his own brothers. He pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "And I''ll keep a close eye on you to make sure you don''t get hurt."

    I grinned, feeling more awake as we talked about the upcoming season.

    Mr. Miller showed up and gave a small honk with his golf cart. "You brats still aren''t walking to school? You''re halfway through your sophomore year."

    "But who else would you talk to in the mornings?" Noah smiled and got in next to him.

    I sat in the back. "Good morning."

    Mr. Miller took us up. "I heard from Coach about your grandmother. I''m sorry for your loss."

    "Yea...it was unexpected." Noah sighed. "On the bright side, our Grampa moved in with us, but it''s weird to know we won''t be able to see her anymore."

    "She was really nice." I added.

    "Best grandparents around." Noah said.

    The mood was a bit somber as Mr. Miller dropped us off at the front of the school. "Didn''t mean to bring you boys down like that. I just wanted you to know that I''m thinking of you kids. Be good in school."

    "Thanks Mr. Miller." Noah and I said together.

    He left us. Our first day back at school seemed to be a mix of ''hellos'' and ''welcome back'' and ''sorry for your loss''. Gramma''s passing was still relatively recent and it was nice to know that so many cared about our feelings on the matter.

    Even at practice after school, a lot of the guys said some words of consolation. Coach addressed us as a small group too.

    "If any of you need a second, take a second." Coach said, looking at each of us in the eyes. "I understand what it''s like losing a family member. Even if extended family. Death and grief don''t just last a minute or two. We have a month''s worth of practice before Tulare Invitational. If you need a mental health day, just let me know."

    "I''d feel better just keeping busy, Coach." Noah stated.

    Coach patted Noah on the shoulder. "Don''t push it."

    Coach led us to the dugout where the team was putting on cleats and getting ready. "You guys have a seat. I want to have a short talk about this upcoming season."

    We found some empty spots on the bench and the team quieted down as Coach took center stage.

    "First off, welcome back." Coach said to the team. "I hope all of you have healed up over the break."

    Dave raised his hand. "My brace is off and I can move my pinky again."

    Coach stared at him.

    Dave got the hint and sat back. "My bad. I can share that later."

    Coach nodded, then looked around. "As I was saying, get healed. I don''t want you to practice until you''re fully able to go. Players like Dave, coming back from an injury, can go check in with Drew at the start of every practice. If he gives you the green light, then you can talk to me. The rest of us, who are healthy, will be breaking up into smaller groups. I want you guys working on different aspects of the game every day."

    He continued. "The groups will be divided into infield and outfield. Pitchers will be divided into two groups. Every group will hit the weight room at least once a week." He then assigned an assistant coach to each group.

    I was with the usual starters like Noah, Sean, and Jason. Dalton Nelson, a sophomore utility player for the infield was also put in our group. The two catchers: Mitch and Oscar were assigned to the pitching coach. They had to work with the pitching groups everyday, with the exception of going to the gym with us.

    "Before we split up, I have a few more announcements to make." Coach stopped us again. "With that tournament win over the break, and considering our performance last year, AD Barber has told me that we''ve been invited to the Foothill Classic once more."

    "Let''s go!" Noah pumped his fists. "Redemption time!"

    The guys laughed and cheered with him. A drastic difference between last year''s outlook.

    "That''s the energy I''m looking for!" Coach pointed at Noah. "This is the longest heads up we''ve had for this tournament. If you were with us two years ago, you would know that we were out of our league. Last year, we made it to the semi''s and unfortunately fell apart against a great team. This year, I want to win it all. If you can''t picture us winning, let me know and I''ll send you down to JV for some extra inspiration."

    No one said anything.

    "Use your time wisely, boys." Coach said. "We''ll practice hard for the next month and take on the Tulare Invitational. Then we''ll have a couple of regular games to start the season. Then it''s the Foothill Classic. I want us to be in the best shape possible."

 Chapter 859: V3 ch95 (dinner)

    Chapter 859: V3 ch95 (dinner)

    When we got home, Dave didn''t let Noah off despite his happy news. He pulled him into the backyard and urged him to get the catcher''s gear on. It was his turn for a bullpen session, but Noah didn''t mind. He liked to play no matter what it was.

    Mom came out of the office downstairs just as Kyle and I were about to go up to our room. "Where''s Noah?"

    "Backyard with Dave." Kyle pointed.

    Mom glanced out and saw them getting work in. She smiled and looked back to us. "Okay, well I''m thinking about going out for dinner so I might have to cut them short today. You boys go shower and then I''ll call them in for their turn after."

    Kyle nodded. "Sure. Where are we going for dinner?"

    "The steakhouse on the coast." She told us. "Grampa and your dad already know. They''re at the store now, but they''ll be back soon." She glanced at the backyard before lowering her voice. "Zeke said he''ll meet us there."

    "Wow." Kyle was just as surprised as me. "How''s he going to get here?"

    "He borrowed the car from Rhys." She answered. "Hopefully traffic isn''t too bad."

    "Is Rhys not coming too? They could have been carpooling."

    Mom shook her head. "Zeke said Rhys would have some kind of pitching practice this evening. Zeke had just finished practice himself." She frowned. "Hopefully he showered before he left."

    Kyle laughed. "Mom, he''s the most responsible out of all of us. If he doesn''t shower, maybe we should send him to a counselor for some psychiatric help." He nudged me. "Think we can send him to Dr. Moore?"

    "Dr. Moore is a psychologist, not a psychiatrist." I corrected him.

    "It was a joke." Kyle sighed shook his head. "Wasted on you." He started to climb the stairs. "I''m going to shower and try to get some homework done before we go. You might have to keep an eye on Dave and Noah, Mom. Or they might stay out there for hours."

    I looked at Mom. "I think Zeke will shower." It''d be a long smelly car ride if he didn''t.

    Mom patted my shoulder. "Thanks honey. That''s the reassurance I was looking for."

    I smiled, nodded, and followed Kyle''s tracks going upstairs. I showered in the bathroom in the hall and put on some nicer clothes like khakis and a button up shirt. When I came out of the bathroom, I ran into Grampa in the hallway.

    "Lookin'' sharp, young man." He nodded at me and went into his room. "I guess I should change too."

    I didn''t think too much about it until I saw him before we left. Grampa changed out of his daily wear and had put on a suit. Black and white. I''m pretty sure...this was the suit he wore to Gramma''s funeral.

    Noah confirmed it for me by asking him outright. "Are you wearing the same suit you wore to the funeral?"

    Grampa nodded. "Of course. I only have one good suit."

    "It''s not like we''re mourning my career." Noah joked and laughed. "We''re trying to celebrate here, Grampa."

    He scoffed. "What do you know?" He adjusted his tie. "This is a show of respect."

    Noah straightened up and gave a small bow. "I thank you, good sir."

    We loaded up in the suv and headed for dinner. Dad spoke with the hostess and she led us to a table in the back, looking over the beach. Two familiar faces already sat at the table. Zeke was expected, but Jeremy wasn''t.

    Noah rushed over and started talking a mile a minute about he became vice captain. Zeke and Jeremy didn''t mind at all and listened with patience as the rest of us got seated around.

    When Noah was finished, I addressed Jeremy. "I thought you wanted to celebrate on the weekend?"

    Jeremy laughed and gave a small shrug. "What can I say? When I spoke with Wayne and found out that Zeke was headed down, I thought I would just crash the party while giving him a lift. That drive is no joke during rush hour."

    "We''re happy you could make it." Mom told him.

    Our table of nine was the biggest there. The server did her best to get our drinks before taking our food order. Once it was out of the way, the whole table started talking at once. We got to hear about Zeke''s college practice and how he was getting ready for the season. He even told us about Rhys and how he earned the second spot in the pitching rotation.

    Jeremy had to explain to Mom that Rose couldn''t make it since she was visiting her old college roommates on the East Coast to ask them to be her bridesmaids. They did decide on a venue for their wedding already; apparently Rose had the idea in mind for quite some time but Jeremy wouldn''t tell us the exact location. They wanted to keep it a secret until the invitations came out.

    "Are you going to invite all of us at least?" Noah asked.

    "Of course!" Jeremy grinned and nodded. "You guys are like a bonus family to me. I''d be mad if any of you miss it." He glanced at Zeke and the twins. "We considered all kinds of dates to work around everyone''s generic schedules. Especially if you all are in college by the end of the year."

    "Thanks, but no worries. I won''t be in college." Kyle casually said for everyone to hear.

    There was an awkward pause as most of our eyes went to Mom to see what she would say.

    She frowned. "How can you be so certain? You still have a couple official visits left."

    Kyle looked at her directly. "I saw what I wanted to see this summer. That was enough for me. I''m going to aim to get drafted and go from there. Even if it''s a late round pick. I''ll just work my way up through the levels."

    Mom looked like she wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Dave. "Don''t worry, Mom. I''m still looking at colleges."

    "Do you have any particular one in mind?" Dad asked, clearly interested in his son''s academic future.

    "Vanderbilt." Dave declared proudly.

    Noah let out a low whistle. "You''re dreaming big. Hope you aren''t banking on a scholarship. You''re no Zeke and Vandy sure isn''t Stanford."

    Dave chucked a wadded up napkin at him. "Shut it, punk."

    "For the last time, scholarships aren''t needed." Dad took over. "They''re appreciated, but not necessary. It''s okay for you boys to rely on your mother and I." He glanced at Mom and shared a ''look'' before speaking again. "We don''t want to argue about the paths you want to take for the future. We had to force Zeke to see that college can be an option. We shouldn''t have to do that again. If the twins think they have made some satisfactory visits, then they can make their decision whenever they want."

    "Decision made." Kyle stated confidently.

    All eyes drifted to Dave.

    Dave laughed, a little self-conscious. "I mean...I''d have to see if the coach there would be down to have me. I''ve only really talked to their pitching coach."

    "Go visit and see what it''s like." Noah then whispered loudly and dramatically. "At minimum, ask if they can lower the GPA requirements for you."

    Dave threw a piece of bread at him this time.

    It smacked him on the nose, but Noah just laughed and picked it up to eat. "Thanks. I was getting hungry."

 Chapter 860: V3 ch96

    Chapter 860: V3 ch96

    With the food coming out and being placed in front of us, the conversation slowly drifted away from the twins. I knew it wasn''t really over for good with Dave still in talks with the coach and whatnot, but I didn''t expect Kyle approaching Jeremy as we were leaving the restaurant later that night.

    "Hey, Jeremy?" He called out as Mom and Dad said a more private goodbye to Zeke.

    Jeremy turned to him, stopping our small talk about baseball equipment. "Yea? What''s up?"

    Kyle shook his phone to draw attention to it. "Do you think I can get your number? I may have some questions for you about getting drafted and going through the minors."

    "Sure thing!" Jeremy shared his number before saying, "You didn''t have to ask me straight up. You could have gotten it from Jake or Noah. Even your parents. Just don''t be selling the number online." He joked.

    "Not like we''d get much for it." Dave laughed. However he still added the number in his contacts too. "I always thought Zeke would be the first person I know to go pro."

    Kyle glanced at Zeke, who was still busy with our parents and Grampa. Then he looked back at us and lowered his voice. "Do you guys think I can make it to the show before Zeke since I''ll have a year head start? Maybe two if he stays for his junior year."

    Noah grinned. "Wouldn''t that be nice? Tough competition though."

    "Depends on a lot of different factors." Jeremy told us. "What the organization needs and when they''ll need it. If you''re good enough to climb high up. If a team needs pitchers immediately and drafts pitchers, it doesn''t necessarily mean you''ll get a chance early." Jeremy gave a small shrug. "I think the average of years spent in the minors is 4 to 6 years. Even then, about a third of the guys don''t even get a chance at the majors." He looked directly at Kyle. "You have to be 100% positive that this is the path you want to take. If it doesn''t work out, you can go back to college for an education, but there''s no college ball to play once you sign that contract."

    Kyle pumped his fist. "This is what I want to do."

    "What happens if you don''t get drafted?" I asked, unsure.

    "You find a community college or something." Noah was the one to answer.

    We talked some more about the differences between getting drafted or going to college. Then it was time to say goodbye. Jeremy still had to drop off Zeke back at his school on top of the hour plus drive back to the bay. The rest of us headed home.

    Noah shocked all of us by being the first one to talk about homework. "Don''t forget to do your homework, you guys. It''ll be better for us if we stay on top of it so no one struggles when we start having to miss class for games."

    "We don''t need you to remind us." Kyle rolled his eyes.

    Dave laughed at his twin. "Why are you butthurt about it? Not like grades matter to you now."

    "You don''t know that. I still have to have a college option to fall back on if I don''t get drafted when I would like. I''m not trying to struggle from the 40th round." Kyle fired back. "If im that low, I''ll try school."

    Mom looked hopeful.

    "But considering I had some ranking last year, I hope to be higher." Kyle said.

    "When do you think player rankings will come out again?"

    "County? Probably soon. Mr. Cameron said after the New Year during that tourney. State? I don''t know, but maybe near the same time. Nationwide? I have no idea."

    The conversation shifted as we got to our room and pulled out our schoolwork.

    "Jake will be in the top three!" Noah smiled and patted my shoulder, reminding me what Mr. Cameron said.

    I have a weak smile back; Not exactly excited about the attention that''ll come down.

    "I hope we can break the top ten." Dave looked at Kyle. "We''re behind Garret obviously, but not many can compare to our numbers in our own league."

    "Just showing up is the first step." Kyle said confidently. "That and making the list for state and nation. I don''t care how high I am, as long as I can get my name showing up in front of the scouts."

    "With Jake on our team, scouts will show up. You just have to make sure every start on the mound counts." Noah pointed out.

    "You''re pretty upbeat for someone who won''t be making the list for top players in the county." Kyle squinted at Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "I thought it through. Zeke wasn''t on any list his sophomore year. I shouldn''t mind too much. Maybe by the end of the season though, things will change."

    My lips twitched. He stole that from Rhys. I was there for that pep talk.

    The talking came to a standstill as we all got to work. After finishing, it was already getting super late. I changed into my pajamas and wrapped myself up in my comforter.

    Kyle was last to bed, meaning he had to turn the lights off. Just as I was about to doze off, he spoke into the darkness. "If I don''t get drafted and end up going to a community college, would you guys make fun of me?"

    "Absolutely." Dave answered immediately, laughing to himself.

    "Albert Pujols went to one." Noah said.

    "But he''s a hitter." Kyle pointed out.

    "Can''t say I know any pitchers off the top of my head." Noah sighed. "I won''t make fun of you because some college is better than no college. And I''ll be a part of the no college crowd." I could hear him grinning.

    "Just aim for being drafted in the tenth round or better." Dave said, no longer making fun of him. "Those guys can get a signing bonus over six figures. So if you don''t make it in the minors, you can just retire and go to a college that''ll take your old ass then."

    Kyle scoffed, but didn''t say anything against Dave''s point.

    "You should ask Jeremy about signing bonuses." Noah added. "He would know more." He paused before adding some more. "Community college is just an extra two years of training. If we don''t get drafted at all after high school, we''ll put in more work."

    "Yea." Kyle agreed.

    "Any clue what you want to do in the future, Jake?" Dave asked.

    "Sleep." I yawned and flipped over in my bed. The three of them got a laugh, but thankfully gave it a rest.

    The rest of the week flew by as we got some training, practicing and lifting in. Garret took more of a leadership role as the days passed. Noah wasn''t that much different, but I noticed that between the start and end of practice, he didn''t goof off at all. He was also getting better during our time at The Cages. Just a lot more focused.

    It felt weird though that he didn''t brag to our classmates when word got out that he was the vice captain. If anyone would ask, he would just nod and say a few words, acting like it was nothing. I knew he was excited deep down though. This was something that Zeke and the twins didn''t do. He felt accomplished and that was enough for me. I like the fun Noah, but I also didn''t mind the cool-headed Noah. He could save his antics for our free time so I wouldn''t have to run laps.

 Chapter 861: V3 ch97

    Chapter 861: V3 ch97

    At the end of practice on Friday, Coach gathered us for a short chat.

    "The first round of our first tournament has been announced." He stated. "As returning champions of the Tulare Invitational, we got someone who had been knocked out early last year. I''m not saying it''s going to be easy, but at the very least, we''ve seen and played this team before."

    "Don''t keep us in suspense, Coach." Bryce said with a smile. "Who''s the first victim this year?"

    Coach smiled back and didn''t say anything about Bryce interrupting. "Katella."

    I turned to Noah for help. I don''t remember Katella. I wasn''t the only one either. About half the team was turning to one another. It must have not been a very memorable game.

    Noah adjusted his hat on his head, looking a little embarrassed. "Oh. Them." He caught me looking at him and knew what I wanted to ask. He let out a strange cough. "You might not remember them so well because we were on the bench for that one."

    Oh. I started to feel embarrassed too.

    "Hey! I think I remember this one!" Dave slapped his twin on the back, making Kyle stumble forward. "Wasn''t there some guy that asked Zeke for an autograph afterwards? The pitcher!"

    Kyle glared back at him. "Yea, yea. I remember, but you didn''t have to hit me like that."

    "It''s not my fault I''m getting stronger." Dave flexed his bicep to show off some growth.

    I didn''t pay too much attention to their bickering; I was still trying to recall why I was benched. I had some impression of a player asking Zeke for an autograph early in the season. I think...it was near the incident with Golladay. I grimaced at the thought of the former school counselor. Thankfully Dr. Moore came in and took on the extra work here after that. I''m sure more kids than myself appreciate him.

    "Garret handled them last time with ease." Noah spoke up, getting the team''s attention. He was looking at Coach though. "Will he start us off for this tournament again?"

    Coach looked around at all of us. "You kids know me. I like to come out with our best when it comes to tournaments. There are no do-overs if we lose."

    "No disrespect, Coach, but I think any of our pitchers can take on Katella." Garret was the one to step forward. "I''m not trying to be arrogant, but when it comes to this particular tournament, we crushed it last year. Though we have some new guys on the roster, we still have a good chunk of last year''s players."

    Coach hummed, not exactly objecting or accepting his statement. His eyes drifted to the twins. "What do you two think?"

    "I''ll do it." Kyle stood ramrod straight. "You may think Garret is our best, Coach. But I don''t think I''m any worse than him."

    Coach looked at Dave. "And you?"

    "Save me for the finals, Coach." Dave grinned. If Kyle was as stiff as a board, then Dave was as loose as a goose. "I have confidence we''ll be there again this year."

    Coach took a minute before slowly nodding. "Okay. Fine. Kyle gets the start for game one." He looked at Garret. "Any requests from the captain?"

    Garret shrugged. "Let''s get through game one first."

    Coach nodded, satisfied with his answer. He let us go home after that.

    "Brett McCauley." Noah said a name out loud as he was looking at his phone on the way home. "That was the guy."

    "Are you really looking up the game from last year?" Kyle asked, turning to look back at us from the front passenger seat. "What was the score?"

    "We won 5-0." Noah answered.

    Kyle smirked. "What ''we''? You were on the bench, remember?"

    Noah glanced at me before glaring at Kyle. "Don''t you know when to keep comments to yourself? I''m not bugged by it, but Jake might be."

    Kyle took a second before looking at me sheepishly. "Sorry, Jake. I..." He couldn''t finish his sentence.

    I didn''t know what he wanted to say, but it was okay. "I''m fine." As long as I don''t think about why I had to be on the bench for that game.

    Surprisingly when we got home, Jeremy''s car was parked out on the street. He and Grampa were casually watching a hockey game on tv; Dad and Mom were not in sight.

    "Hey, how was practice?" Jeremy asked.

    "Good." Noah looked around. "Did you bring Zeke home again? Is he upstairs?"

    "Uh, no." Jeremy said, stunned.

    "Can''t he visit without Zeke?" Grampa asked Noah with a sharp look.

    "Of course!" Noah nodded, correcting his attitude. "Absolutely. I just thought...since he brought him last time..."

    "Zeke is immersed in preparing for his own season." Jeremy explained. "I called him earlier today to see if he could get away for the weekend, but from what I understand, they''re having a scrimmage tomorrow. You guys didn''t know?"

    All of us shook our heads.

    "His schedule doesn''t list any scrimmages." Noah complained. "If I knew, I would-" He stopped mid-sentence and started to grin at Jeremy.

    Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "You''re smile is a bit creepy, kid."

    "Since you''re already here...can''t we go home with you tonight?" Noah asked, inching closer to Jeremy before getting down on his knees to be eye-level. "Don''t you want to show us your new house?"

    "Count me in!" Dave raised his hand. "I want to see a pro''s house. And Zeke''s scrimmage of course." He added in a hurry.

    Jeremy looked at me. "What do you think? Want to spend the weekend at my place? I can talk to your parents and bring you guys home with me and then bring you back Sunday."

    I nodded. Sounded like a good plan to me.

    "Kyle?" Jeremy asked, looking directly at him.

    Kyle looked to be struggling to make a decision. "I want to...but..."

    "You already have plans with Marie." Dave finished for him. He patted his twin''s shoulder, lighter this time. "Sucks to suck."

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Go. Have fun without me. Unlike you losers, I have a date tonight and need to shower." He turned on his heel and left.

    "What about you, Gramps?" Jeremy turned to ask, surprising all of us. "You up for a drive to see your eldest grandson play in college?"

    Grampa hesitated.

    "Come on, Grampa." Noah encouraged. "It''ll be fun. We can show you where Zeke goes to school and whatnot. You''re always cooped up in the house. And it''ll be quiet here with us gone. You know Mom and Dad will just have to work the whole weekend. And then they''ll feel guilty that you were home alone the whole time."

    That did the trick.

    "Heck, why not?" Grampa nodded. "I don''t know how much longer I''ve got. Better take this chance to see Zeke play while I''m still around."

    Noah laughed. "That''s the spirit."

    Jeremy looked at me, sharing some concern. I gave him a small smile so he could tell it wasn''t a big deal. That''s just how Grampa talked.

    The evening started to pass faster as we rushed to take showers and pack an overnight bag. Mom and Dad were stunned by the suddenness of it all but once they heard Zeke had a scrimmage and Grampa wanted to see, they gave us the official green light to go after dinner.

 Chapter 862: V3 ch98

    Chapter 862: V3 ch98

    By the time we got to Jeremy''s house, it was late. Super late. Near midnight. That didn''t stop us from exploring though. His new home couldn''t compare to his condo from before. I already felt like I lived in a big house now, but his was bigger with less people.

    "We''re still decorating and whatnot." He explained while showing us around. "So if it looks a little bare and empty, don''t judge me."

    Grampa had taken the first guest room he saw and got ready for bed immediately. He probably didn''t even notice that the room only had a bed. I guess all that matters is that it had sheets and pillows.

    Jeremy let the three of us take a room each.

    "I''m just surprised by how many guest bedrooms you have!" Noah said as we finished looking upstairs. "Who does all the cleaning and the laundry? Washing the bedding after guests come and go sounds like such a hassle."

    Jeremy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I do have a housekeeper. She doesn''t live here or anything, but comes twice a week and is always on call."

    Dave let out a low whistle. "Money is a huge convenience." He eyed Jeremy. "You''ve got a professional handling your new money, right?"

    Jeremy coughed once, looking uncomfortable. "Yes." He glanced at me, hesitating. I thought he wanted to bring up his Uncle Jack, but in the end he gestured for us to follow him downstairs. "Come on. Let me show you guys the highlights of my home."

    The living room was probably the most decorated; it had couches and matching chairs around a glass coffee table. There were a few lamps in the corners, paintings and pictures hung on the walls, and personal items filled the space indicating that Rose lived here too. She was in half the pictures either with Jeremy, her friends, and what looked to be her family. Jeremy also had a mix. I recognized some with his current teammates, there was a couple with me, one with all of us boys, and then some with...his family.

    I''ve only seen them in person once during Jeremy''s celebration, but I could recognize them. Uncle Jack, Aunt Ilene, their three kids: Carson, Gabby, and Makenna. I quickly looked away from the photos and moved on to the kitchen.

    The kitchen itself was the biggest I''ve ever seen. Long counter tops surrounded by stools really threw me off since I''ve never seen it styled like that before. We moved from kitchen to a dining room that had the biggest table ever.

    "Are you planning on throwing dinner parties?" Noah was also amazed by the size of the table. "This seats fourteen! That''s crazy!"

    Jeremy smiled. "Well, you never know."

    "Do you and Rose eat in here? Or just at the counter in the kitchen?"

    "Usually at the counter." Jeremy confirmed.

    "Don''t you think you have too much space for just the two of you?" Noah asked.

    Jeremy nodded slowly. "It feels that way sometimes. But we expect to have our families over like you guys are doing right now. And maybe in the future...there''ll be kids."

    Jeremy showed us a few more features of the house like a media room which was like his own little private theater. He had to promise Noah that we could use it tomorrow night to watch a movie. Then he also converted one-third of his garage into a weight room which drew some more interest and attention from Noah and Dave. I quickly moved on in order to not get dragged into a surprise workout in the morning. Jeremy also had a pool and jacuzzi in his backyard similar to Alisha''s.

    After a good night''s sleep, I woke up and got cleaned up. I was the last one to get downstairs. I found Jeremy, Noah, Dave, and even Gramps at the kitchen counter, eating croissant sandwiches.

    "Jake! You made it down!" Noah patted the empty stool beside him. "Sit and eat while it''s still fresh. Jeremy ordered these from a bakery nearby. They''re so good!"

    Jeremy pushed a plate and wrapped food in front of me. "Just keeping it light. I figured we''ll eat lunch near the school''s stadium."

    "Did you invite Zeke?" Noah asked.

    Jeremy nodded. "Yea, I tried, but he said he would eat lunch with Rhys and his teammates. So I didn''t mention you guys to keep the surprise until it''s time for the scrimmage. We can kidnap him for dinner."

    "Rhys too?" I asked.

    "If he wants to join, he''s more than welcomed." Jeremy smiled at me.

    After breakfast and another look around the mansion, we got into Jeremy''s suv and headed for Zeke''s college, Stanford University. Jeremy was a very effective tour guide considering he was a local in his teen years. He showed us some landmarks as he casually drove us towards the campus, taking the long way. Grampa was the most interested, starting a conversation with Jeremy about Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. We had a nice early lunch just a few blocks away from the school, making sure our tummies were full for the game.

    At the university, Jeremy parked as close as he could to the stadium. We had to take it slow with Grampa with us. He wanted us to leave him behind but none of us were down for that. We just moved slowly as a group.

    As it was a scrimmage, we didn''t have to pay for admission, but Jeremy had spoken with someone to get a more isolated seating just behind home plate. I didn''t understand why until he was approached and asked for an autograph by two teen boys near my age. He let us go sit as he signed a few random scraps of paper and took some selfies.

    "Zeke!" Noah called out as loud as he could. "Zeke! Over here!" He jumped and waved his hands excitedly.

    Zeke, who was just by his own dugout talking to a teammate, would have to be deaf and blind to miss Noah''s call. He jogged over and stood just feet away from us. I couldn''t tell if he looked surprised, but he sure sounded like it when he said, "Grampa?!"

    Grampa was settled down in a seat and nodded at Zeke. "Good luck out there."

    Zeke glanced at Dave. "What''s going on?"

    Dave gave him a brief overview of last night.

    Zeke cracked a smile. "You guys would be better off practicing than watching me play in a game that is insignificant." Then he looked at Grampa. "Thanks for coming, old man."

    "Yea, yea, yea." Grampa waved him off. "Don''t worry about us. Focus on your game."

    Zeke could only give a small shake of his head and walk back to his dugout.

    Just before the game got started, I heard Jeremy speak to the small crowd that had lined up to see him. "Thanks for the support everyone, but I''m actually here to watch the game with my family. Tell you what, I''ll stick around after for a few more if you want. But for now, I''m going to ask for some privacy."

    Nearby security stepped up and sent everyone away to go sit down; finally giving Jeremy some space. He joined us and the game soon began. Noah and Dave were completely into the scrimmage, looking up both rosters on their phones and talking about the players. Jeremy was more objective, talking about plays made and gave ideas how he would have done things differently. I think...it was more for my benefit. So I did my best to listen and to learn.

    Zeke had a good game, going 2-3 at the plate; one double and one single. No RBIs or runs scored, yet his team still won. Seeing a college game for the first time, I spotted some differences between both high school and professionally. It really opened my eyes to the different levels and what should be expected. For the first time, I had a thought for the future.

    After the game, Zeke had a meeting with his team and went to shower before meeting back up with us. Not like we were in a hurry. Thanks to Jeremy''s early meet-and-greet, it seemed to attract even more people after the game. He patiently signed his autograph and took pictures.

    With Zeke back, we headed back to the car, talking about the game, his teammates, and what it might be like in the future. We found out from Zeke that Rhys was making a short trip home himself so he wouldn''t be joining us. He didn''t play in the game today so he left right after without needing to shower.

    "Probably want to spend some time with his dad before the season starts." Noah said. "I couldn''t imagine what it''s like having a parent gone all spring and summer."

    "Ha." Dave let out a small laugh. "Be real. We can''t even imagine a parent having a normal 9 to 5 job. Mom and Dad may be busy sometimes but they still have flexible schedules." He looked at Zeke. "I think they''ll plan some trips to watch your home games. Even at the cost of not going to ours. Flashback to little league days."

    Noah laughed. "There were only a few clashes. Besides, I rather them go see his when they can. Kyle''s not going to college. You''re thinking of going to a school across the country. I certainly am not thinking about going to college. And Jake is a wild card. Zeke''s their best bet."

    Dave gave me a small nudge. "What do you think, Jake? You could join me at Vandy and we can play together."

    Noah pulled me away. "Jake would never go that far from home."

    "He''ll leave no matter what if he goes to the minors. At least he won''t be alone if he goes to college with me." Dave had a point.

    It''s not like I could get drafted by the same team as Noah and ensure that I could follow him throughout the minors. If I was still...dependent...going to a college with Dave for a couple years wouldn''t be so bad.

 Chapter 863: V3 ch99 (Ranking)

    Chapter 863: V3 ch99 (Ranking)

    The weekend blew by with our visit to Jeremy''s. Saturday night, he took us out to some fancy steakhouse before going home to use his home theater for the rest of the night. Zeke ended up staying with us until Sunday. Jeremy treated us to a big brunch at a restaurant near the university before dropping off Zeke. Then he took us all the way home.

    The house was unsurprisingly empty when we got home. Mom and Dad had some open houses to show while Kyle had plans with Marie. Our small group started to go our own ways too. Gramps wanted a nap and Dave wanted Noah to catch a bullpen session for him. Noah shocked me by agreeing so readily and without charging Dave anything extra.

    That left me alone with Jeremy. We grabbed some snacks and waters, and sat out on the back porch so we could watch the other two warmup and play.

    "Are you coming again next weekend?" I asked casually.

    He shook his head. "No, I probably won''t be able to visit again until your next tournament. Rose and I will be gone next weekend for a small getaway. And then I''ll go to Carson''s tournament the following weekend." He paused and looked at me.

    "What?" I asked, unsure of what he wanted.

    "Just making sure that you were okay with that."

    My lips twitched. "I won''t tell you how to live your life. If you''ve got plans, you''ve got plans. Plus, you have to prepare for your season too, right?"

    He nodded. "Yea, I get my workouts done on the weekdays. Trying to strike a balance. Somehow." He laughed. "Though I just feel like I''m doing the bare minimum most days. In work and life."

    "I think you''re doing better." I gave a small shrug. "Thanks. For this weekend. It was fun."

    He smiled, looking relieved.

    I knew what Jeremy meant by trying to strike a balance. He was talking about between me and his Uncle''s family. I don''t how it''s working out for them on the other side, but for me, I think it''s alright. Jeremy accepted all of the Atkins family and that was enough.

    The rest of January got buried under hours of practice, workouts, and school work. Early February, the Monday before our tournament, there were newspapers waiting for us at the kitchen table instead of our usual breakfast.

    "Is this what I think it is??" Noah was the first to make a move and snatch it up.

    "Mr. Cameron gave us a heads up last week that we might want to secure a few copies." Mom said with a smile.

    Kyle and Dave hurried to snatch up their respective papers and started to flip through.

    I was still clueless to what they were looking for when Noah started to jump around and shout. "Number one! Number one!" He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. "You''re number one!!"

    "That''s crazy!" Kyle started to shake me too.

    Dave wasn''t left out either. "Last year it was Zeke, this year it''s you! My family is too awesome!"

    I started to get dizzy from being knocked around but their excitement was contagious. I jumped with them, happy that they were happy. Even though I was still trying to register what they were happy about.

    "Okay, okay, stop jumping around. You guys didn''t even read the rest of it yet." Dad spoke above the three. "You can celebrate some more after."

    "Let me see!" Kyle broke away first and picked up the newspaper again. He was quick to yank Dave away. "Look! We''re in the top ten! You''re number eight and I''m number seven!"

    More jumping ensued.

    Noah had calmed down, giving me a chance to look at this paper they keep talking about. It wasn''t front page news or anything, but it did take up a whole page. A list of players were numbered from one to twenty-five. Some small pictures including one of me at the plate. And a write-up talking about the top twenty-five players in our county.

    Oh. That''s what they meant. I went into a daze staring at the paper. I was listed as the number one player in the county. Just like Zeke was last year. Wow. Me. I hurried to look for Garret, who we originally thought would be number one. He stood at number two, right under me.

    I looked at Noah, slightly confused. "They think I''m better than Garret?"

    Noah slapped me on the back. "Why not? You''re the best batter we know. No one can get you out. Heck, not even Garret, who''s the best pitcher around."

    My heart started to pound, like it wanted out of my body. I held my forehead, trying not to get sick.

    "I think you''re too focused on who''s number one, Noah." Mom came over and pointed at the bottom of the list. "You may be last on the list, but that''s number twenty-five in the county."

    "No way! No freakin way!" Noah got away from me and stood over the newspaper like it was a sheet of gold. "I made it! I made it?" His excitement died sooner for himself than for me. He looked up at Dad. "Is this real life?"

    "I can assure you that this is reality." Dad smiled and nodded. He looked around at all of us. "It''s also not a surprise that your school is ranked first in upcoming projections for league and CIF."

    "Everyone expects us to repeat!?" Dave pumped his fists. "Yessss. Let''s get it, boys!"

    Noah looked at me, still processing his own ranking. "I''m on the list. Zeke didn''t even start his sophomore season on the list."

    I''m glad it wasn''t just me feeling this way.

    "What did you expect? You''ve already got a year of starting under your belt." Kyle hit Noah on the back; no doubt leaving an imprint of his hand. "You''ve even got some accolades already. Defensively, I don''t think there''s a better shortstop than you. A lot of others agree. Imagine where you''ll be if your bat can be just half as good as Jake."

    "Okay, that''s enough. We''re very proud of all of you." Mom clapped her hands together to get our attention. "Hurry up and grab a bagel and some fruit. You boys keep messing around, jumping all over the place, and you''ll be late for school."

    With Mom''s reminder, we calmed down and got a move on. Food was grabbed, and the bags were loaded into the car. Dave drove us without any music playing. The twins were too busy talking about the rankings.

    "This is a good start for me to get my name out before the tournament this weekend." Kyle said, happily. "I''ll have some eyes on me when I shut down Katella in game one."

    "Eyes will already be on our game thanks to Jake." Noah pointed out. "Plus, our whole team is projected to do well."

    "Don''t ruin this for me, brat." Kyle waved a fist at us in the backseat. Noah''s remarks couldn''t keep the joy off Kyle''s face though.

    We weren''t the only ones that saw the paper this morning. Baseball player or not, word got around that rankings were out for the beginning of the season. Our school was projected number one in the league and overall. That was enough cause for celebration, but with five of our players on the top players list for the county, it seemed like everyone was talking about it.

    All the stares and talk around my number one spot made me sick to my stomach. Lunch was impossible to eat and then it became impossible to focus during my time in the weight room. When Coach called me out, I thought I was going to be in a world of trouble. Laps for sure.

    He caught me off guard though by bringing me to a small office near the trainer''s room. He sat down behind the desk and gestured for me to do the same across from him. "Take a breather, Jake." He gave a small smile. "I''m sure you need it after hearing about the rankings."

    I nodded and sat down, trying to relax. Whatever Coach has to say, it''s better than running laps.

    "Any thoughts you want to share with me?"

    I shook my head.

    He let out a small chuckle. "That''s alright too. You''re not the only one surprised by the list. We, me and the staff that is, were sure that Garret would be number one. You were in the talks of being up there." I nodded. Mr. Cameron said the same thing winter break. "But there''s no hiding greatness. You''re the best batter I''ve ever seen. Everyone sees it too." He tapped on his closed laptop. "I''ve been getting some emails of interest. In you."

    "In me?" I frowned. Just me?

    "Not just you." It was like he could read my mind. "As a high school coach, I have some contacts with those at the college level. Even some scouts. I wanted to get your thoughts on your future before I pass along your contact information."

    "Thoughts on my future?" Without a second thought I got up and stepped outside his office and threw up just outside his door.

 Chapter 864: V3 ch100

    Chapter 864: V3 ch100

    I vaguely heard Coach call out for someone to go get Noah, but I was too busy gagging on what was leftover in my stomach and mouth.

    "Here." Coach held a cup of water beside me. "Don''t drink. Just rinse your mouth."

    I hurried to do so. I also blew the disgusting snot out of my nose to hopefully get rid of everything. I sidestepped twice to get away from the stench of my own vomit.

    "What happened to Jake?!" Noah could be heard from behind me. I soon felt his hand rubbing my back, trying to soothe my choking coughs.

    "Not exactly sure, but I want you to go call one of your parents to let them know. Get the twins up here too." Coach instructed.

    By the time I was cleaned out and finally calmed down, the twins were nearby with one of them on speaker phone with Mom. Noah stood right beside me, no doubt watching me closely in case I relapsed.

    Kyle held his phone close to me. "Hey, Jake, it''s Mom. She wants to talk to you for a little bit."

    "Okay." I breathed out.

    "Hi, honey." Mom''s voice came out of the phone and calmed me down a little. "Coach Wilcox told me a little what he was talking about before you got sick." She continued through my silence. "I just want to know if you think you''re sick-sick? Or if you think this may have been anxiety-induced?"

    "Anxiety." I answered without hesitation.

    "He didn''t eat a whole lot at lunch, Mom." Noah spoke up. "Should we take him home and get him to eat a sandwich or something? Or cookies? You always give me cookies when I don''t feel well."

    "Jake probably needs space and rest more than anything." Mom said. "I''m already on my way to pick him up. You three go back to practice as normal. Jake is going to be alright."

    The twins looked unsure, but it was Noah who asked me outright. "Is that okay, Jake?"

    I nodded. I was more than okay with Mom coming to get me. I didn''t want the three of them to hover over me and miss their practice. We have a tournament to prepare for this weekend. After checking with me, Mom, and Coach, the three left me behind and went back down to their respective groups to get some work in.

    In just a few minutes Mom was walking my way. And she wasn''t alone. Dr. Moore was right beside her, briefcase in hand.

    "We''ve got it from here." Mom said a few more words to Coach and finally took me away from the embarrassing situation.

    I glanced at Dr. Moore. "Did Mom call you?"

    Dr. Moore gave a friendly smile and shook his head. "No, we just ran into each other in the parking lot. I was on my way out and she came in. Said you were having a rough time?"

    I nodded. I looked at Mom and found her attention all on me. Coach had left us alone so it was just them and me. My hands felt shaky and sweaty so I rubbed them against my shirt. "I don''t know what I want to do in the future. I also don''t think I should be first in the rankings. Thinking about it doesn''t make me feel too good." I paused. "Also. I really want to brush my teeth."

    "I have some gum for now." Dr. Moore dug through his briefcase and pulled out a half-empty pack of gum.

    "Thanks." I helped myself, taking one and quickly putting it in my mouth. I then looked at Dr. Moore, waiting.

    He gave a small smile. "Are you thinking I might have the answers?"

    I nodded.

    He laughed. "I''m sorry to break it to you, but if you don''t know what you want to do in the future, then I won''t know either." Before I could look down in disappointment, he reached out to hold my shoulder. "But why rush it? The future is the future. Maybe give yourself another year before thinking about it."

    I nodded slowly.

    "As for ranking first?" He scoffed. "What''s so bad about that?"

    "I don''t think I should be first." I stressed again.

    "Unfortunately and fortunately, it''s not up to you. From what little I know about high school baseball, I at least understand that there''s no singular person deciding this ranking list. It''s a group of coaches, directors, maybe writers, who knows. But I''m sure if they think you should be number one, then you''re number one. If they don''t think you deserve it anymore, then they''ll take it away. Easy as that."

    "I didn''t know you felt so strongly against being first, Jake." Mom rubbed my back. "I''m sorry kiddo. I might be a little too used to Zeke and his nonchalant attitude when it comes to these kind of things. I thought you all would be excited."

    I had a feeling that only the twins were truly excited. I know I wasn''t. Noah also didn''t look convinced this morning. I wouldn''t say he was on edge as me, but definitely not himself.

    "Take it slow. Don''t mind all the extras right now." Dr. Moore said. "Just be yourself. Do your homework and play some baseball. That''s all there is to it." He smiled at me again. "If you ever feel anxious or confused, maybe just even insecure, you can find me at my office at anytime during school hours."

    I nodded.

    He looked at Mom. "Mary, you have my number. I''ve got to get to the office, but contact me if you need to." He said a few more words before a short goodbye, then we separated in the parking lot.

    I turned to Mom. "I think Noah is also insecure about his ranking."

    Mom blinked in surprise. She let out a small sigh. "Thanks, Jake. I''ll have a small talk to him too. You kids...I don''t know if I should be happy that you both are so humble or concerned that there''s not enough self-confidence." She gave my back a small pat. "Let''s go home. You can shower and brush your teeth. I''ll prepare some soup for dinner."

    I gladly followed along, feeling lighter than before practice. Neither Mom or Dr. Moore brought up colleges or pro scouts and I wonder if everyone else could avoid it like them. Maybe I could tell Coach that I''m not ready for such a decision. Though I''m pretty sure he knows that now.

    Soup was a good choice for dinner to help with my weak stomach. The other three didn''t complain about it, but did eat all the rolls that Mom had warmed up. Mom also dealt out some cookies to cheer everyone up. I was limited to the smallest amount due to my earlier episode, but I wasn''t offended. I knew Mom had my best interest at heart.

    The rest of the week flew by. Coach had checked in on me early Tuesday morning where I had to assure him that it was just a moment in passing. I was fine and would be good to go on Saturday.

    "I''ll let the scouts and college coaches know that you''re not interested in making any kind of decision so soon." Coach told me. "If anyone approaches you, just tell them you can''t speak without a parent or coach present."

    I nodded, happy that Coach knew where I was coming from.

    Friday practice was more casual as we walked through the plan for Saturday''s first game. It was going to be super early which meant an earlier warmup and an even earlier leave time. I was already trying to calculate how early I should go to bed.

    Grampa was the one to have a pasta dinner ready for us when we got home in the early evening. It was weird to eat before showering, but the whole process helped me go to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

 Chapter 865: V3 ch101 Game One: Katella HS (1)

    Chapter 865: V3 ch101 Game One: Katella HS (1)

    Saturday morning, we reached the sports complex and mixed in with other players and parents. Mom and Dad said they would stay in the car with Grampa until it was closer to game time. I bet he was getting to sleep in some more. I wish I could. I yawned for the hundredth time as I trailed behind the twins.

    "I bet you''re wishing to be back in bed." Noah accused beside me.

    Feeling guilty, I glanced away from him.

    Noah laughed and gave my back a slap. "Don''t worry. I''m not mad or anything. I know what you like. Sleeping and batting. Come game time, I''m sure your attitude will change and you''ll be more awake."

    I relaxed.

    "Hey! Hey!" Some random player, wearing a different school''s uniform ran over and stopped just in front of the twins, causing us to stop just behind them too.

    I looked up at him, curious as to whether the twins knew this guy, only to realize I recognized him. Noah was just showing me this guy''s school picture just last night when we were looking over his stats. Brett McCauley. He was the pitcher that started against us last year and asked for Zeke''s autograph. I had some impression of him even though I never got a chance to hit against him.

    "Yo! What''s up, man?" Dave greeted the player in a casual manner. "It''s Brett, right?"

    Brett nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! That''s me. I''m glad that you guys can remember." He looked past the twins and made eye contact with me. "Are you playing today, Jake?"

    I was caught off guard after be calling out. Also slightly embarrassed that he remembered that I didn''t play last year against him. I looked at Noah to answer.

    Noah grinned. "We''ll be in the lineup this time. No problem." His grin turned to a smirk. "You''ll be facing off against the best team in division three in the area. Are you nervous?"

    His comments stunned Brett and he seemed to freeze up.

    "Hey, guys, hurry it up!" Garret''s voice carried over the crowd and he was easy to spot waving his hand. Most of our team seemed to be near him.

    "We''re being called." Noah took the lead to walk past the twins and Brett. He spared him a glance. "We''ll see each other on the field soon enough."

    "Y-yea." Brett murmured, lost in thought.

    As soon as we joined the group, the twins started to laugh and gave Noah subtle looks of appreciation.

    "You can always count on Noah to play some kind games." Dave patted Noah on the shoulder. "Without Zeke holding you back, I see some troublemaking in your future."

    Noah scoffed. "Unintended or not, he made Jake uncomfortable. I only dealt it back."

    Kyle shrugged. "You didn''t lie." He grinned. "You did well, vice captain."

    Noah stood proudly.

    "Okay, okay, stop fooling around." Garret broke up the conversation. "Everyone is here. Let''s follow Coach and Alisha to get checked in. You guys know the drill, lowest to highest jersey number."

    "Nervous?" Noah raised an eyebrow at me.

    I shook my head. "Not about lining up."

    Noah laughed. "Last year, around this time, was your first game ever. You legit didn''t even want to take your sweatshirt off and lineup behind Zeke."

    My lips twitched as I hugged myself with my sweatshirt. "I still don''t want to take layers off. It''s so cold."

    Noah laughed again.

    We didn''t have much time left to take it easy. Coach showed up with Alisha right by his side. Somehow she looked upbeat and just generally happy. Early mornings, even on a weekend, didn''t bother her. She helped Coach check the roster and to take attendance. She was in charge of watching the bags as we lined up to do the pre-tournament ceremony.

    As returning champs and the highest seed, we took the field first, hearing a crazy amount of cheers. I stood behind Garret, our captain. I glanced back at Noah and whispered. "Shouldn''t you be behind him?" Since he was the vice-captain and all.

    Noah shook his head and kept smiling. "I''m just a backup. Maybe if Garret wasn''t around. But for now, we follow him."

    I nodded. Makes sense. I started to scan the crowd as other teams were introduced. I could spot Mom and Dad with ease as they were the tallest couple standing up front. Grampa and Jeremy were right beside them, looking like the tallest trees in a forest. I smiled, happy that they could be here. Zeke has a doubleheader today against a big school so Mom and Dad were talking about going in between our games. Or, worst case scenario, we lose and all go to watch him play instead of playing anymore ourselves.

    Safe to say, everyone believes we''re playing a game two this afternoon. I think so too. No offense to the pitcher, Brett, but this was the same school that lost to our backups last year.

    After the ceremony, we claimed our dugout along the third baseline and started to get organized. Cleats on, gear out, bags put to the back. Garret led our pregame warmup and we soon broke up in smaller groups.

    Come game time, Kyle and Mitchell came back from the bullpen and took a small break as Garret addressed us as a team.

    "New year, new us, but same concept." Garret looked around. "We hustle on every play. Sprint to first when you make any kind of contact at the plate. When we take the field for defense, don''t forget the three B''s. Ball, base, and backup the play." He glanced at Coach.

    Coach nodded. "Our team is young but not inexperienced. If I see any slacking, I''ll sub you out." He gave out the lineup.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    3 2B Jake Atkins

    4 CF Garret Knudsen

    5 1B Sean Isner

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 RF Jesse Shipman

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Kyle Atkins

    "Bring it in." Garret huddled us together and we started putting our hands in the middle. "Win on three. One, two, three-"

    "WIN!" We shouted together.

    Us starters took the field, the spare pitchers went to the bullpen, and the rest took a seat. Kyle threw some practice pitches off the mound as we did our usual warmup between innings. It wasn''t long before the ump called for balls back, and for the first batter to step up to the plate.

    It was a familiar face and name. Brett McCauley. He should be pitching today, but he''s still leading off. When we had looked up his stats from last season, we didn''t pay too much attention to his offensive stats considering how good our starting rotation is.

    Sure enough, Kyle shut him down early, striking him out on the fourth pitch, down low. I could hear Mom yelling the loudest. "Way to start it off, Ky!"

    Kyle let out a smirk. The next batter made contact on the first pitch, smacking a grounder to Noah at short. Noah handled it with ease, throwing him out at first. Kyle gave a small nod, looking back at Noah.

    "Let''s get it!" Noah clapped his glove.

    Kyle got set to face the third batter. He cornered him quick, 0-2, then got him to swing and miss at a low and away fastball. Strikeout. The third out. Eight pitches in one inning and no balls came my way. I smiled along with the rest of the team as we headed back to the dugout. We weren''t even gone for ten minutes. Good start.

 Chapter 866: V3 ch102 Game One: Katella HS (2)

    Chapter 866: V3 ch102 Game One: Katella HS (2)

    Bottom of the first. Noah, Korrey, and myself would start it off. I stood beside Noah as we got our helmets on.

    He tugged on his batting gloves and flexed his fingers. "Let''s get on the board early, yea?"

    I nodded, trying my best to be as confident as him.

    He grabbed his bat and left the dugout first. Korrey wasn''t far behind, getting into the on deck circle. I stood in the hole, near Coach, and Garret who was also getting ready to bat after me.

    Brett, on the mound, did some practice pitches that...weren''t too impressive. I couldn''t tell if it was just because it was a simple warmup or maybe because I''m used to watching the twins every day, but either way I wasn''t scared by it. Not even slightly nervous. If anything, it helped me relax.

    Brett on the other hand, was the nervous one. Noah was called to the plate as the game officially resumed. Brett couldn''t get a pitch over the plate for a strike, walking Noah on four straight balls. Noah jogged to first base and Korrey moved to the batter''s box. I left the dugout after a pat on the back from Garret.

    Korrey also earned a walk on four balls, heading to first and pushing Noah to second. My turn. I barely took one step to the plate before the catcher got up and jogged to the mound. I paused and waited for them to finish their small meeting. When the catcher came back, I put my feet in the righty''s box, and he squatted behind the plate.

    I glanced at Mr. Miller down the third baseline. He gave me the sign to ''hold'' and not to swing. He probably wanted me to wait until Brett could throw a strike. If not, we''ll just let him load the bases for Garret. Mr. Miller and I had worked on a special set of signs for me during the off-season given my talent in hitting. I had a ''swing freely'' option. A ''hold''. And there''s even a sign to tire out the pitcher by fouling off some pitches.

    Mr. Miller was originally concerned that I would be offended by him assigning signals for me to follow, but I quickly let him know that I would take all suggestions. I kind of like when decisions were made for me.

    Brett''s first pitch to me was a ball. My first, but his ninth in a row to start the game. I wonder if Noah really got to him this morning? It does sound intimidating when you hear how many players from our team alone made it to the top 25 in the county. A county that he lives in too. And as far as I know, no players from his team made the list.

    Second pitch was a borderline call, but the ump gave it to him. Strike one. 1-1. I glanced at Mr. Miller. He looked at me with some intensity before giving the swing sign. I gave a short nod. I didn''t need to understand his reasoning, just follow along and do what I''m told. I did a quick scan of the field. All players were in relatively normal positions. Just got the gaps to work with or a homerun. I don''t know how far I can power it out so I should aim for the holes.

    Brett''s pitch also mattered too. Lucky for me, he chose a fastball in the zone. Probably hoping to get back in a rhythm. I swung and made good contact, sending it down the left field line. It was a line drive that smacked into the outfield fence, perfectly bouncing back to the left fielder. I was already running, but nowhere near as fast as Noah. He sprinted from second base on contact and made it home with ease. Korrey slid into third before the tag and I reached second base without issue. I huffed a little as the surrounding spectators cheered and clapped. 1-0, we were on the board like Noah said. I grinned, happy.

    Noah picked up my bat and high-fived Garret as they switched places. Garret had runners on third and second, no outs. We''re in a good spot. With the pitcher''s attention on Korrey at third, I took a healthy lead off second base. The third baseman had to stay near his base to keep Korrey close, but I could go out as far as the middle infielders.

    Garret was given the right to swing when he wanted to, granted that it was close in the zone. It happened the very first pitch. Solid contact, just right of the second base. As I glanced back at it, I caught sight of the second baseman snatching the line drive out of the air and heading in my direction.

    Oh shit.

    I tried to make a dive at second base, but felt the tag beforehand.

    "Out!" The nearby ump hollered for everyone to hear.

    I felt my face heat up. A line drive double play. Oh no. I got up and dusted myself off lightly before jogging back to the dugout.

    "My bad, Bambi." Garret told me as we got into the dugout together. "Couldn''t sneak that one through."

    "Jake, come here." Coach called me over before I could even answer Garret.

    I sighed and went to him, still feeling some shame being caught off the bag.

    "Tough break." Coach gave me a pat on the top of my helmet. "Don''t let it scare you next time. You had good positioning, coming off the bag like that. You''ll get used to reading situations and figuring out how to react faster." He paused. "I rather you make that kind of mistake than hugging the base for dear life. Understand?"

    "You''re not really good at consoling him, Coach." Alisha let out a small laugh beside him.

    "It''s okay." I quickly answered Coach. "I understand. Don''t play scared." That was a saying I had picked up from the Atkins brothers. They were all risk-takers.

    "Exactly!" Coach smiled back at me, wiping away the small anxiety I did have. "Take a seat and get some water."

    I nodded and walked away. Having Alisha near Coach all the time kind of help in the sense that I wouldn''t have to be nervous about what she thought of me. Even if I did get in trouble with Coach. She''s a good friend and just a good person overall. Never mean to anyone.

    At my spot, I checked on my bat and put my helmet away, replacing it with the team cap. I barely had a sip of water before it was time to switch back to defense. Sean had hit a fly ball to left field for the third out of the inning. That Brett guy got off easy thanks to that double play, only down by one.

    Kyle took the mound again in the second inning. He kept his fastballs in hard to reach places, but all the batters he faced, still made contact. The cleanup hitter hit a hard grounder to third. Jason had it covered. He charged the ball and threw it to Sean at first for the first out. The fifth batter hit a high, but short, fly ball to Jesse in right field for out number two. Then, similar to Garret''s at bat, batter six made solid contact on a pitch from Kyle. He hit a hard line drive, but right to Jason. Three outs, time to switch.

    Jason grinned at Noah as we got in the dugout. "I believe that''s two to one."

    "Two to one?" Noah frowned.

    "I''m responsible for two outs and you''ve only gotten one." Jason laughed. "It''s not very often I get more action my way than you."

    Noah rolled his eyes but still laughed. "Yea, we''ll see how long that''ll last."

 Chapter 867: V3 ch103 Game One: Katella HS (3)

    Chapter 867: V3 ch103 Game One: Katella HS (3)

    Bottom of the second.

    Noah and I took a seat on the bench while Jason hurried to change out his gear. He was first up to bat to start our offense. Jesse and Mitchell would follow.

    "He''d have to get a walk and score a run to tie me offensively." Noah grinned.

    "Would a hit beat you or tie you?" I asked, curious as to what he consider what was better.

    Noah thought it over quietly then slowly started to nod. "Beat me. For sure. I can''t necessarily claim the run scored by myself since it''s thanks to you I got the chance. If Jason got on base and had you hitting behind him, I''m sure he would score a lot too."

    As we were talking, Jason was working the count. He made good contact, hitting a line drive towards center. The center fielder came sprinting in and made a diving catch to steal away Jason''s would-be hit.

    "Tch. Unlucky." Noah shook his head.

    The whole dugout seem to share the same sentiment. All the guys consoled Jason when he got back in the dugout.

    "Plain unlucky."

    "You''ll get him next time."

    "Great swing."

    Jesse was up next. He also made contact, but it was just a routine fly fielded by the left fielder. Mitchell struck out swinging to end the inning. Still 1-0, but with Kyle on the mound, it felt like more.

    He shut them down again in the third. Lineout to Garret in center. Then back to back strikeouts. Both swinging. Granted, it was the bottom of their lineup, but still, a good feeling.

    Bottom of the third. Kyle led it off. He swung, made contact, but it was just a simple pop up to the shortstop. Noah moved to the batter''s box and Korrey to the on deck circle.

    I happily put on my helmet. Brett isn''t as wild as when we started, but a lot of our guys were making contact. It''s only a matter of time before one sneaks through for a hit.

    Ding.

    Sure enough! Noah slapped a grounder right up the middle. He rounded first as the center fielder threw the ball back to the infield, keeping him at a single.

    I hurried out of the dugout to get in the on deck circle. I was hoping for a repeat of the first inning, but Korrey killed the inning with a 4-6-3 double play. Even with Noah''s good lead and a slide that potentially obstructed the shortstop, Katella High School executed it perfectly. The inning was over and I wouldn''t get to bat with someone on base next inning.

    I did my best to resist groaning but the look on my face must have said it all

    Garret grinned at me as we both put our helmets and bats away. "Next inning is ours. We''ll run up the score to give Kyle some insurance."

    I smiled and nodded back. "Yea." Definitely.

    We took the field for the top of the fourth. Kyle was back to facing the top of the lineup. The first batter hit a grounder to the right of Noah. Noah made a sliding grab, completed a whole turn and threw a bullet to Sean at first.

    "Out!" The umpire declared. The the ball beat the runner.

    Kyle gave a small fist pump in Noah''s direction. Noah returned the gesture. "Get ''em!"

    The second batter also made contact. But it was a more routine grounder. To Noah again. He easily fielded it for the second out. Then hollered. "Two outs! One to go!"

    Batter three put up the biggest challenge to Kyle so far. He steadily got to a full count before fouling off a couple of pitches in a row. Kyle was hitting some good spots in the zone, but the batter wouldn''t give up anything close. He finally got one ball in the air. Left field. A short fly ball.

    Noah was chasing it back while Korrey came sprinting in.

    "I got it! I got it!" Noah was yelling, eyes solely glue to the ball. Korrey held up just as Noah started a slide and caught the ball over his shoulder. The third out!

    Spectators couldn''t help but clap and cheer for the amazing grab. Even better than the lineout that Katella got from Jason.

    Noah flipped the ball to Korrey as they started to jog it in. Korrey threw it to me and I passed it along to Sean, who left it at the mound.

    "I believe it''s now four to two." Noah hurried to tell Jason inside the dugout.

    "Bro, that catch was just too hard to replicate." Jason held up his hands in surrender. "I concede defeat. That first one you dug out of the dirt was already too smooth. You just cover way more ground than I do."

    I nodded. "Yea. There''s no way I can do that kind of catch on my side." I swapped my hat for my helmet and grabbed my bat.

    "Start us off strong!" Noah gave my back a slap.

    I stumbled away from him and the bench. A few of the other guys said similar lines of encouragement. It felt good to be counted on.

    I took a few simple practice swings until the ump called for me to step up. I checked with Mr. Miller one last time. Do what I want. And what do I want? I wanted to try for homerun. See if I had the power for it.

    I took a deep breath and slowly let it out as I got set in the box. I dug my back foot in. It would be best if I attack the very first pitch. Maybe get into this guy''s head my way like Noah did his way before the game. If he gets beaten down mentally, it might help out the rest of my team later on.

    The first pitch came in the low far corner. Okay good. I completed a fast and heavy swing, hitting the ball with the thickest part of the barrel of the bat. Then carried the ball up and out. Dropped the bat and started to run.

    I only started to slow down after first when I saw that the ball had cleared the left field fence. Yes! 2-0! I rounded the bases with a brisk jog and high-fived Garret at home plate.

    He handed me my bat back. "Awesome! Great hit!"

    "What a bomb!" Sean told me from the on deck circle.

    I was greeted by more compliments in the dugout. I grinned and went back to my spot in high spirits. I put my gear away after checking out my bat.

    Noah grinned. "Look at you. You''re really like the mini-Zeke." I started to frown and he hurried to add. "At the plate. That is. You can''t deny it. I''m a hundred percent positive that you''ll hit more homeruns than he did his sophomore year."

    I relaxed and sat down. "Yea. I can do that." My self-esteem wasn''t that high, but I did have confidence in my hitting. Especially lately.

    "Look at you!" Noah pulled me in and gave my head a good rub.

    The atmosphere was good all around. It only got better once Garret pulled a line drive down the right field line and ended up on second base. No stealing this hit from him.

 Chapter 868: V3 ch104 Game One: Katella HS (4)

    Chapter 868: V3 ch104 Game One: Katella HS (4)

    Garret stood on second base with a big grin. Just before Sean could get in the batter''s box, the opposing head coach came out of their dugout and headed for the mound.

    "Pitcher change for sure." Noah said in a low voice.

    Sure enough, Brett handed the ball over to his coach and left the mound. Their coach waved to their bullpen and a new pitcher came out.

    "Pitchers live a sad life." Noah sighed, putting his hands behind his head. "He only gave up two runs off of four hits yet he''s done after three innings. I could never give up the mound so easily."

    I held back a laugh. "I don''t think pitchers give it up easily. The twins and Garret rather do it all, no matter how bad it gets."

    "That''s true, I guess." He watched the new guy warmed up. "But it feels different when it comes to those three. They''re great starters. Best of the best. Top ten in the county, yea? Well, now look at this guy. He doesn''t look any better than Brett. All he''s got is a fresh arm."

    Noah had a point. The new pitcher didn''t look any better. He completed his practice pitches and then Sean stepped up to bat. Fielders were in position and Garret took his lead off second base.

    Sean worked the count to 2-2 with a couple extra foul balls before launching one dead center. The center fielder went back to the warning track and made the catch for the first out. Garret had gone back to second and tagged up, sprinting hard for third. He dove head first into third base as the ball came back to the infield. Runner on third, one out.

    Jason was up next. He had that solid line drive stolen him in the second inning, so it felt good when he got the ball to drop just before the left fielder could get to it. He stood safely at first while Garret scored. 3-0.

    We clapped and cheered along with the spectators. Garret came back to a round of slaps and pats as he walked through the dugout. Jesse moved to the batter''s box and Mitchell to the on deck circle. Kyle stood in the hole, beside Coach, talking.

    I caught the signs that Mr. Miller was dealing out. One stood out as it was my least favorite. Steal. Jason took a good lead, but the pitcher hardly spared a glance. It was perfect. Jason got the jump on him as soon as he started his motion to home. Jesse faked a bunt before pulling back and letting the ball pass by for strike one. The catcher hurried his throw to second but it was off the mark.

    "Safe!" The umpire called out.

    Jason called for ''time'' and dusted himself off as he got up from the dirt.

    The pitcher only got beat up after that. He gave up back-to-back RBI doubles to both Jesse and then Mitchell. The score reached 5-0 with Kyle up to bat. Still one out. The pitcher must have been rattled, and ended up walking him.

    Katella''s head coach came out for the second time this inning. Another pitching change as Noah and Korrey stood on deck, ready to add to the score. I was in the hole, completely ready for another chance at the plate.

    "If you get up, go ahead and try for another homer." Coach told me in a low voice so no one else could overhear. "This is a good time to swing for the fences, and see how much power you have within you. No stress if you can''t get it out. And no blame if you actually get out."

    I nodded. I wanted to try too. Not to break Zeke''s sophomore record or anything, but to see how consistent I can be. "I''m going to try from the left side of the plate."

    "That''s all up to you." Coach gave me a small pat on my shoulder and walked away to talk to Garret. Probably to suggest the same thing to him. We had a good lead and Kyle was looking solid on the mound.

    When the pitcher was ready, it was Noah''s turn. He already had a walk, run scored, and a single so far on the day. He decided he wasn''t done yet. He added a RBI single, bringing the score to 6-0.

    Mitchell, who scored that sixth run, grabbed Noah''s bat and bumped fists with Korrey, then with me, on his way back to the dugout.

    Kyle on second and Noah at first. One out. Korrey got jammed on an inside pitch, popping the ball up foul of the third baseline. The third baseman made the catch for the second out, bringing me up to bat. Instinctively I almost got in the righty''s box, but then hurried to circle around the catcher to get to the lefty''s side.

    The new pitcher didn''t have much on his fastball. I didn''t even bother with the count, just looking for something I could send out. A high fastball was my pick. I pulled it to the right and had a good view as the right fielder chased it down, pushed off the wall and made the highest jump I''ve seen. He came down with my ball. Third out. Inning over.

    I was still processing that amazing play I just saw when Noah caught up to me. We walked into the dugout together, just behind Kyle.

    "You were robbed!" Noah sighed regretfully.

    My lips twitched. "Yea." That ball was so close to being gone. "It doesn''t feel bad though."

    "But your perfect average is already gone!" Noah sighed again.

    I shrugged. "I liked the swing. And the connection. Like you said, I was robbed. Of a homerun. So it''s kind of like..." I tried to find the words.

    "It''s a play you just tip your cap at and move on." Kyle glanced back at us. He nodded at me. "You did good. Don''t listen to Noah''s talk about perfection. Baseball is a sport where you fail more than you succeed." He went to his bag to switch out his gear.

    "Says the dude that''s currently being perfect." Noah mumbled under his breath.

    I elbowed him as we changed out our own gear. "Why does it sound like you''re jinxing him?"

    Noah laughed. "I can''t help it sometimes. Kyle is just too annoying sometimes. Don''t worry, I won''t let any balls slip through on my side."

    "Why do you have to put it that way?" I complained. I don''t want the ball coming through on my side.

    Noah just laughed and ran away to get to his position. I could only take a deep breath and go to my own spot at second base.

 Chapter 869: V3 ch105 Game One: Katella HS (5)

    Chapter 869: V3 ch105 Game One: Katella HS (5)

    Top of the fifth. Kyle''s first opponent was the cleanup hitter. He made it look easy, getting him to strikeout looking. The next two were routine grounders, both fielded by Noah at short. That made Noah a happy player. He was the type to want every ball to go to him so he can make every play. And Kyle was making it happen today.

    I was the complete opposite, asking for no balls to go my way. Not even easy ones. If a ball doesn''t come my way, it means less chance for an error.

    Bottom of the fifth, Garret started us off right: a single to right field. Sean spoiled it by hitting a grounder right to the shortstop. Shortstop flipped it to the second baseman at the base, who then threw it to first base to complete the double play. Jason barely got a piece of the ball, popping up to the first baseman to end the inning.

    Top of the sixth, I saw my first action of the game: a pop up, not even to the outfield grass. It was routine, no harder than practice. The next batter made solid contact with Kyle''s high fastball, blasting it to the outfield. I whipped my head back to watch Garret chase it to the center field fence. And like how I was robbed, Garret returned the favor. His jump wasn''t as high, but it was still a great play.

    "Nice!" Kyle pumped his fist and pointed to Garret in center field.

    Garret threw the ball back in to Noah and pointed back at Kyle. The perfect game continues on. Kyle got the ball back in his hands and made it count. He got the last batter in the lineup to swing and miss, earning his sixth strikeout of the game.

    Bottom of the sixth, our bottom half of the lineup couldn''t stir up any action. Jesse hit a fly out to right field, Mitchell got caught looking at strike three, and Kyle just struck out swinging.

    Noah who was left in the on deck circle looked like he wanted to say something to Kyle, but held back. He made eye contact with me as he switched out his gear and let out a sigh. "It''s so hard to be a responsible vice-captain. I really wanted to tell Kyle that his no effort at the plate cost me another at bat, but it''s fine. We''re winning and he''s doing hot. Hard to complain with that combo."

    No kidding. "Yea, cut him some slack." I said as we left the dugout. It''s not like the game was close.

    Noah laughed. "Yea, I know. I thought it through before opening my big mouth. I''m just so greedy." He glanced at me. "You''re the one usually hopping for extra chances at the plate."

    I shrugged. "We have game two this afternoon." I''ll get at least three more then. "And then there''s also tomorrow."

    "Yea." He grinned. "I''ll save my snippy comments for the more desperate times. I won''t hold back on you either. No brother is safe from my lecturing."

    "I''m used to it." I grimaced at the thought of Zeke constantly pulling me aside to talk about my mistakes and less than stellar effort.

    Noah laughed some more. We parted ways and went to our respective positions. Kyle was ready to go on the mound. Top of the lineup one more time. I shook out my clenched fist, trying to stay loose.

    First batter became a pinch hitter, but he could only watch Kyle pitch past him. He struck out looking. The second batter came up next. He wasn''t going down without a fight, swinging at anything close. His count stayed at 1-2 for a couple of foul balls, then Kyle threw a high fastball for ball two. Then another for ball three. The batter just wouldn''t take the bait. Kyle threw the ball down the middle, but on the far side of the strike zone.

    "Ball! Ball four. Take your base." The ump was saying words but it was being drown by groans and a chorus of ''boos''. The batter dropped his bat and started his jog to first.

    Noah walked to the mound as Kyle got the ball back from Mitchell. Seeing no indication that I should join, I hung back, watching the two brothers. Kyle took his hat off and used the sleeve of his jersey to wipe the sweat off his forehead. It was only sixty degrees (Fahrenheit) yet he was doing the most work out on this field. I don''t know what Noah said, but Kyle simply nodded, put his hat back on, and looked to home plate. Noah gave him a slap on the backside and jogged back to his position.

    Batter three stepped into the batter''s box. I inched more to my left to try to cover some more of the gap since Sean had to stay on first with the runner.

    Kyle threw the first pitch for a called strike right down the middle. He stood tall on the mound as if to say that he wasn''t done yet. Second pitch was outside and fast. The batter barely got a piece of it, hitting a grounder to my left. Thankfully I was already inching over. I was able to approach it with my body facing a little more to second. I fielded the ball and threw to Noah on second base. We got the lead runner just as he started his slide. Noah threw the ball to Sean at first for the second out. Perfect.

    Well. Almost.

    We cheered and hurried to the mound to celebrate Kyle''s no hitter. Mitchell was the first to him, lifting him off his feet and swinging him around. There were cheers, clapping, and high-fives all around. Coach let us celebrate for a few minutes before reminding us that another game had to take place on this field.

    We packed up our bags and cleared out the dugout, holding a postgame meeting just outside the field.

    "Great start, boys." Coach clapped twice. "This is the kind of start I was thinking of. Solid start on the mound from Kyle puts us in good shape. I won''t pick a starter for this afternoon until we know our opponent."

    "Are we going to watch the game that decides who plays us?" Sean asked.

    Coach nodded. "As long as you aren''t leaving the fields with your parents, stay and watch. I have snackbar vouchers so lunch is on me."

    "You were given those for free, Coach." Alisha said with a laugh. Her ratting him out had us laughing too.

    "Okay, okay. You''re all in good spirits. Keep it up, but don''t wear yourselves out." Coach said with a grin. "Take it easy. Eat lunch, watch some baseball, maybe do some stretching. Stay flexible." He locked into Kyle. "You make sure to do a proper cool down and ice that shoulder. This is just the beginning."

    And a good beginning it is. Winning game one with a no hitter gave me flashbacks of last year. Last year, just the thought of messing up made me stressed. This year, I knew where I wanted to go. As long as I did my best, no one would get mad. This team may not have guys like Zeke, Mahki, and Julian, but it definitely felt like it was more cohesive.

 Chapter 870: V3 ch106 In-between games

    Chapter 870: V3 ch106 In-between games

    Coach wrapped up the team meeting and passed out the snackbar vouchers. He then told us the field number for the game that would decide our next opponent. We still had an hour or so before then so we broke up into smaller groups.

    Noah, me, and the twins went to find Mom and Dad first. Grampa and Jeremy too. We found three of the four in a more open area. The one missing wasn''t hard to spot either. He was off to the side, surrounded by a few players, parents, and whatnot.

    "Jeremy''s probably happy that this is the last tournament he can make." Kyle snorted-laugh. "It''s gotta be annoying being surrounded every time you hit the fields to watch a game."

    "There''ll be less people around tomorrow." Dave said, then slightly paused. "Well, hopefully. I guess it depends how many locals in the area want to see him and get autographs." He looked at me. "Why couldn''t your brother be more normal? Like just an average MLB player?"

    Noah and Kyle laughed at Dave''s comments. They were absurd, no doubt.

    "I''m sure Zeke would have been the same way by the time we''re seniors if he had gone pro right away." Noah told me with a simple shrug. "Can''t complain about winning the lotto in the sibling department."

    That''s one way to look at it.

    "Honey! Congratulations!" Mom pulled Kyle into a side hug as soon as we got close enough. "Another no-hitter in the books. I''m proud of you!"

    "Thanks, Mom." Kyle turned red with embarrassment as he tried to stand on his own, but still stayed beside Mom. He looked at Grampa. "Well, Gramps? What do you think?"

    "You kept it short." Grampa nodded at him and gave him a thumbs up. "I hope to see more games like it."

    Noah laughed and nudged Dave. "You hear that, Dave? It''s going to be your turn to deliver."

    "We don''t know who''s going to pitch yet." Dave rolled his eyes and pushed Noah away. "Maybe Coach will save me for the finals. I''ll be the first to hold the tournament trophy then."

    "Realistically, Jake will probably be first because he''s most likely to be tournament MVP." Noah rebuked.

    "Why you little-" Dave pulled Noah into a headlock.

    "Boys." Dad said sternly. "Knock it off." He looked at me. "Jake, don''t take his words too seriously and give yourself any pressure. As long as you kids have fun, that''s the most important."

    "Baseball is always fun." Noah quickly replied, pushing Dave off of him. "Really Dad, there''s no pressure. No problem. Jake is so much better than last year. Physically and mentally. I could tell during the game." He threw his arm around my shoulders and grinned. "The kid wants to hit bombs."

    I gave a shy smile, just a little embarrassed by the attention. Noah knew me best.

    "It''ll be exciting to see how many he can get this weekend." A new voice joined us. All eyes went to Mr. Cameron. He gave a small wave and got closer to join the group properly. "Sorry to interrupt. I wanted to congratulate you players on the first win of the tournament. Strong start." He looked at Kyle. "Great showing on the mound. That ump robbed you on the walk from my perspective."

    "Thank you!" Kyle pointed at Mr. Cameron. "I thought the same way. No way did I miss that. I painted that edge perfectly."

    Noah faked-cough. "BS." He straightened up after a look from Mom. "I mean...obviously...it wasn''t THAT perfect." He shrugged. "You want to paint the edges, you have to realize you give the ump more power to screw you over."

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "I bet you''re not this tough on Jake getting his homerun stolen. Like tell him to hit it harder and farther and all that crap."

    "Language, please." Mom sighed with exasperation. She looked at Mr. Cameron. "Sorry, Chris. These boys...all they know is how to fool around. If you want to ask them some questions, please do so in my presence so I can make sure they don''t embarrass me too much."

    "Embarrass you?" Noah looked offended. "Mom, you''re a mom. You''re the embarrassing one."

    Dad reached over to slap him upside the head.

    "Ow!" Noah rubbed his head. The glare from Dad made him freeze. He let out an uncomfortable laugh before looking at Mom. "Sorry, Mom, just joking."

    "So help me God." Mom shook her head. "What in the world was I thinking having so many boys?" She made eye contact with me.

    I smiled, thinking how happy I am that Mr. Duncan had found this family to place me with.

    Mr. Cameron finally got to ask a few questions, mostly for Kyle about his shining performance on the mound. He did ask me about my homer and what I hoped to accomplish for this tournament. That''s where Noah took over and said we would be repeat champions.

    "I believe it." Mr. Cameron winked. He tried to ask about the next planned pitching, but we said that would just have to be a surprise since we didn''t know either.

    He left and Jeremy finally got away from his dwindling crowd. He offered to take us to brunch since it was still early for lunch, but we had plans. Snackbar vouchers and a game to watch.

    Jeremy looked at Mom and Dad and Grampa. "You three don''t want snackbar food, right? How about I take you out? We''re a bit out of my normal hotspots but I still know this area."

    "They get the good stuff and we get a hotdog...that''s messed up." Noah joked.

    "If you''re lucky, I''ll come back with some leftovers." Jeremy wiggled his brows. "Some sweet leftovers."

    "Go. Go! What are you guys waiting for?" Noah suddenly started to shoo them away. Ulterior motives for sure. Jeremy got him good with the promise of sugar. "Grampa''s probably cold and exhausted. Let him warm up inside so he''s ready for game two."

    Mom and Dad were helpless to Jeremy''s and Noah''s persuasion. They reminded us to have our phones on just in case and took Grampa back to the car.

    Jeremy stopped right beside me, reached out and gave my shoulder a pat. "You did well. Get some rest but make sure to stretch so you don''t get stiff."

    I nodded. "Thanks." I cleared my voice. "And thanks for coming." It''s always good to see him getting along with my ''new'' family. I couldn''t really return that feeling for him, and I think that probably hurts him.

    Jeremy smiled and followed Mom, Dad, and Grampa out to the parking lot.

    "Jake, you okay?" Noah poked me in the cheek. "You kind of zone out for a second. And you look a little...off."

    I shrugged. "I''m alright." It''s Jeremy I worry about. I should probably ask Dr. Moore about it. He''s the expert in this kind of stuff. I casually shook the thoughts away and looked at Noah. "Should we eat before the game? Or take it to the game?"

    "Take it there." He answered. "Get a good spot to watch."

 Chapter 871: V3 ch107

    Chapter 871: V3 ch107

    Noah and I separated from the twins at the snackbar. They got their food then met up with some of the other pitchers from our team. I wanted to get in line, but Noah subtly held me back, trying to distract me, showing me some baseball videos on his phone.

    Abruptly, midway through one of the videos, he clicked it off. "Great, they''re finally gone. C''mon, let''s hurry."

    "Who? What? Where?" I was unprepared, and unable to keep up with Noah''s train of thought.

    "The team. They''ve cleared the snackbar area." He tilted his head and gestured. "We have to hurry so we''re not late for the game." He dug through a small pocket of his bag and pulled out some dollar bills.

    I frowned. "We don''t need the money. The voucher covers a hotdog, a bag of peanuts, and a Gatorade or water bottle."

    Noah laughed and gave my shoulder a pat. "Jake, that''s just the basics. We''re going to need extras." He pulled me to the snackbar. "Let''s go."

    At the counter, we handed over our vouchers to get the ''basics'' like Noah said. Then he started to add on his ''extras''. "We would also like two soft pretzels, two small popcorns, and two funnel cakes. Oh and two packs of Big League Chew. Oh are those chocolate chip muffins? Yea? Two of those as well then."

    Noah had the worker busy, grabbing items to fulfill his order. Soon there were two big piles of food, taking up space on the counter. The line had grown behind us by the time we left, hugging the food to our chest, trying not to lose anything.

    A very sudden and hard shoulder check made be drop the funnel cake, spilling powdered sugar everywhere. I grunted in pain, but still tried to squeeze out an apology. "Sorry."

    "Excuse you." The person said, coming off aggressive, and maybe a little hostile.

    I glanced up at the guy. He was in a teal uniform with some powdered sugar on it. I gulped.

    "He said sorry already, man." Noah backtracked when he heard the exchange. "It''s just sugar. Wipe it off yourself."

    Unexpectedly and very abruptly, the guy in the teal uniform smacked the bottom of Noah''s funnel cake into his all black uniform, making even more of a mess.

    "Hey! What the hell?!" Noah glanced down at the mess at our feet.

    "It''s just sugar." The guy said. "Wipe it off yourself." He strutted away from us, joining a few of his teammates in the same jersey.

    "What the hell was that?" Noah repeated, squinting at the group. "Do we know that guy?"

    "You know the team." Garret said from behind us, making us both jump. He grinned. "I knew you two must be up to trouble, but I didn''t expect to almost witness a fight."

    "A fight?" My eyes widened. "Us?"

    He raised an eyebrow. "You kids have a short memory. You can''t recognize that jersey? They''re from San Marino."

    Noah stiffened up.

    I frowned and tried to go through my memories of what team was what. Maybe I do have some kind of memory problem..? At the very least, my memory was not as good as Garret''s or Noah''s.

    "Looks like Noah has recalled." Garret said. He glanced at me. "Need some help?"

    I nodded. I rather be given the answer instead of trying to figure it out on my own. We''ve played so many games against so many teams. Months of baseball. I could remember Katella after Brett''s interaction with Zeke was brought up. Maybe I can remember San Marino after a hint or two.

    "We played them in the tournament last year. Game three." Garret told me. "They were the first overly aggressive team we played last year. They injured Jason on a play at second, then pea-brain over here thought it would be a good idea to retaliate and injured their catcher." Garret jerked his thumb at ''pea-brain'' Noah.

    Noah let out a heavy sigh. "Yea. That game was a not so good memory." He looked at me. "We had a fight and everything."

    I started to nod along. "Yea, yea. I can picture some of it." I glanced back at those guys. "Do you think...he remembered us too?"

    "Ha. No doubt about it." Garret scoffed. He bent down on one knee and started to pick up our trashed funnel cakes. "People don''t just go around being jerks without intention. My bet...he''s either the catcher that got hurt. Or a friend of said catcher. It''s not like we ever found out how bad his injury was."

    I looked at Noah, worried. "Is this guy going to retaliate for your previous retaliation?" This sounds like a serious vendetta. And a serious problem. I''m missing Zeke already.

    Noah sighed. "I''m sorry, Jake. That guy definitely targeted you because of me."

    Garret came back from throwing away the trash. "Let''s get back to the game we''re supposed to be at. We can worry about those San Marino guys later." He led us back to where our team had gathered on a bleacher at one of the fields.

    "I knew you were trying to be sneaky!" Kyle snatched away Noah''s chocolate chip muffin. "Thanks, kid."

    Dave relieved me of my small popcorn. "And I''ll be taking that."

    Noah rolled his eyes and found a spot higher up to sit. I followed. Garret stayed with the twins and sat with them.

    "What happened to your jersey, Noah?" Sean asked. "You''re a mess."

    Noah had put his food down and was finally able to wipe the sugar off his jersey the best he could. "An unfortunate run-in with a former opponent. It''s whatever." He sighed as he sat down. "Hopefully it''s not someone we''ll see again."

    My eyelid twitched and a bad premonition came about.

    We watched the game casually, making comments and jokes along the way. The winner was Silver Creek HS. We met up later in the afternoon, where Coach decided that Bryce would get the start on the mound. Dave would stay in the bullpen like the others just in case.

    He wasn''t needed though. Our whole lineup crushed Silver Creek with everyone at least earning a hit. Noah had a double and single to his name. I added a homerun and three intentional walks. Not that fun for me, but I could understand that their pitchers just couldn''t compete.

    After game two, we were in the dugout taking off cleats as Coach talked about tomorrow.

    "9am. Be at the main field." He instructed. "Game starts at 10am." He made eye contact with Dave. "It''s a team you know and handled before so you''ll get the start."

    "A team I know?" Dave chuckled. "Let me guess, San Marino?"

    I froze. Them? Again? Really?

    Noah sighed.

    "San Marino it is." Coach confirmed with a slow nod. He looked around the dugout. "For those who weren''t here last year, San Marino has a very aggressive play style. Every play, heck, every pitch will matter. Last year, we won 6-1, but don''t let the score deceive you. We had multiple collisions. Hard tags. And some very blatant hit by pitches."

    Jason let out a curse word.

    "I''m going to speak to the officials this evening." Coach continued. "If any of you get hurt, I''m stopping the game right then and there. We are not risking our season for some low-level tournament like this one."

    "What about our ranking, Coach?" Noah asked. "If we drop out from the tournament with a forfeit, it''s going to affect that, won''t it?"

    Coach rubbed his forehead. "It''s not an easy decision to make, but I stand by what I said. I can understand playing hard and giving every play 100% but I won''t stand for an outright battle of who can hurt the other team the most. We''re here to play baseball and we''re here to win."

    "I think they''ll probably come after me, Coach." Noah stood up. "I took their guy out last year. If all inside pitches come my way, I understand. I also don''t think you should give in on my account. I promise not to let myself get hurt, but I think we''re going to see a lot of close calls."

    "You can''t make that promise, Noah." Garret shook his head and spoke up. "Coach is right. Don''t sacrifice your season for a single game like this one. Our team ranking doesn''t mean much so don''t stress. We won the whole thing last year without much of a ranking so why care for it this year." His eyes shifted to me. "They won''t necessarily come after you in particular. Instead they might come after our best player."

    I shivered at the thought.

    "Jake''s tough. And he''s smart." Noah said. "He can read pitch projectories very well so he can avoid any close ones."

    I nodded at that. "I''m good at dodging."

    Coach pinched his nose for a second before taking a deep breath. "We''ll play it by ear tomorrow. Go home and rest up."

 Chapter 872: V3 ch108

    Chapter 872: V3 ch108

    "You kids don''t look as excited as you did after winning game one." Mom noticed as soon as we approached her, Dad, Grampa, and Jeremy. "Is something wrong?"

    "Yea, we''re playing an old foe tomorrow." Kyle put hand on Noah''s head. "The brat is going to have to face the consequences of his actions tomorrow."

    Noah didn''t even fight Kyle like usual. He merely sighed. "Do you guys remember San Marino from last year? They were the aggressive team that hurt Jason''s foot. And then I hurt their catcher. Then they pegged Zeke in his last at-bat."

    "Oh, yes. We remember your and Jake''s first fight." Mom gave a small smile and pulled Noah closer to her and away from Kyle. "It''s okay though. We moved past that. We don''t go around getting back at one another."

    "Yea, WE don''t." Dave emphasized. "But no promises from the other guys. Coach is concerned that tomorrow there might be some aggressive plays. Maybe even a fight."

    Jeremy frowned. "Has your coach spoken with tournament officials? They can speak with the umpires and coaches for both teams."

    Dave nodded. "Coach said he would. He did so last year too. Lot good it did us. One of our guys got hurt, Noah got in trouble for hurting someone else, and I got ejected for no reason."

    "''No reason''?" Kyle scoffed.

    "Hey, I had my teammate''s back." Dave puffed up his chest. "Besides, it wasn''t that fast or hard of a pitch." He nudged me. "Someone throws at your head, I''ll get them in the ankles for you."

    "Do not." I started to shake my head. "I don''t want you to hurt anyone."

    "It''s kind of part of the game, kid." Kyle shrugged. He looked at Jeremy. "Tell him."

    I looked at Jeremy and he looked at me. Jeremy cleared his throat. "Well, having your team''s back is important. It''s a good feeling to know you''re covered if a fight breaks out. Just knowing that they also care about your well-being is special too. However." He glanced at Kyle and Dave. "It''s also important to note to consider what your teammate would want you to do in this kind of situation. Jake is obviously very much against violence and I understand that is not how he would want to resolve any conflict."

    "Very well put." Mom commented with a smile. "Thank you, Jeremy."

    "I guess the best revenge will be to strike them out so they can''t even get on base. Plus, winning." Dave said. "I''ll be good tomorrow, promise."

    "It''s not you we''re worried about." Kyle sighed.

    We went out to dinner that night with Jeremy, going to a steakhouse we had been to before. Rose met us there, surprising all of us including Jeremy. She had been busy preparing for the A''s season even though preseason wasn''t going to start for another week. She got to meet Grampa and promised to be there tomorrow, hoping to see a doubleheader. That got the boys going talking about how we were going to beat San Marino again.

    They had a lot of high hopes, but I just feel like Coach was very clear that we might forfeit if it was too much.

    Sunday morning, we had another early start. Mom had washed our uniforms last night and made sure they were ready for us. We dressed up and I started to layer some warmer clothes on. We piled in the car and headed on out.

    In the parking lot, we were surprised by Zeke standing with Jeremy and Rose.

    "Zeke! You came!" Noah was the first to reach him, practically jogging.

    Zeke had a small smile. "You guys surprised me, so I made sure I can surprise you. San Marino today, huh?" His eyes narrowed at Noah. "Be good."

    "I''m always good." Noah rolled his eyes. "Don''t worry about me. I won''t do anything risky."

    "You mean dumb." Dave corrected. He grinned at Zeke. "Glad you can make it. I''m going to crush it today."

    Zeke held out a fist for Dave to bump. "Give it your best. Keep them out early." He looked at me. "Score early."

    I nodded and bumped his fist in similar fashion.

    Kyle waved his hand in front of Zeke''s face. "Hello? What about me?"

    Zeke grinned and patted his shoulder. "You already did your part yesterday. Dad sent me some pictures and said it was a no-hitter. Another strong start for you. This will be your best season yet."

    Kyle laughed, clearly appeased.

    As a group we moved, heading to the field like we were supposed to. Mom and Dad kept a slower pace, staying with Grampa. Jeremy and Rose did the same. Zeke kept up with us and stopped by the team to say ''hi'' to his former teammates. He had a small private conversation with Garret before going back to the bleachers where the adults were.

    "What''d he say?" Noah poked Garret.

    Garret laughed. "Wouldn''t you like to know?"

    "Yea, that''s why I''m asking." Noah poked him again. This time a little harder in the rib cage. "What was it?"

    "It didn''t pertain to you." Garret told him, then his eyes shifted to me.

    I raised an eyebrow. "Was it about me?"

    Garret nodded. "He wanted me to tell you to be careful on base. With tags. You don''t have to lead off so much for this one. Keep it close so they don''t have a reason to lay any hard tags on you."

    Noah laughed. "What tags? Jake will hit homers or bust."

    "He got walked a lot in game two." Garret shrugged. "I''m sure we can expect some more of the same."

    I made a face of disgust.

    "Looks like everyone is here. A moment before we head to the dugout." Coach clapped to get everyone''s attention. "I''ve spoken with the officials and the umpires for today''s first game. They assured me that both teams will be warned at the first sign of any overt aggression." He locked on to Dave. "Keep those pitches over the plate."

    "Yes, sir!" Dave gave a mock salute.

    Coach ignored it and announced the lineup:

    1 1B Sean Isner

    2 CF Garret Knudsen

    3 SS Noah Atkins

    4 2B Jake Atkins

    5 3B Jason Morris

    6 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    7 RF Jesse Shipman

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Dave Atkins

    "I''m batting after Garret?" I blurted out when he was done.

    Coach didn''t seem to mind. He gave a short nod. "I''m trying to figure which way would be best. You''ve been given some chances to swing so far this tournament with a few exceptions."

    "I only got to swing once in game two yesterday, Coach..." I pointed out.

    Coach pursed his lips. "And I''m sure San Marino will give you one chance too. At the least. Make it count."

    I swallowed a lump in my throat.

    Coach moved on and spoke with the bullpen about being properly warmed up during the game in case Dave needs a relief. When he was done with the basic, he led us onto the field and to the third base dugout.

    We all started to change into cleats and move our equipment and gear to where it needed to be. I took the heaviest sweatshirt off and started to slowly stretch a little before we went out as a team to do a proper warmup led by Garret.

 Chapter 873: V3 ch109 Game Three: San Marino (1)

    Chapter 873: V3 ch109 Game Three: San Marino (1)

    "Start strong." Noah gave Dave a hard pat on the back as we passed him on the way out of the dugout. The game was about to begin.

    Dave got on the mound and threw some more practice pitches until the umpire called for the game to begin, and for the first batter from San Marino to step up to the plate.

    Dave had a clean first inning: strikeout, strikeout, and a fly out to Jesse in right field. His pitch count stayed low and he went back to the dugout pumped up. The bottom of the first inning was about to begin.

    Sean, Garret, and Noah.

    "Get ready too." Noah told me before leaving me behind.

    I nodded, mostly to myself. No matter what, I would at least make it to the on deck circle. Putting on my helmet earlier wouldn''t hurt. I got ready and grabbed my bat. I checked it over one more time for chips or breakage.

    Sean grounded out to the third baseman. Garret moved to the batter''s box and Noah left the dugout. I watched Garret''s at bat with eager eyes. He was 4-7 at the plate so far this tournament. Nothing that left the park yet, but a pair of singles and doubles. He was my best bet to get a chance to bat this inning. Garret came through, pulling the ball to right fight for a base hit. He stayed on first as the right fielder got the ball back in.

    I moved to the on deck circle and Noah got into the batter''s box. He dug in and got set as the pitcher nodded to the catcher. I nervously watched on as the pitcher threw a fastball inside. Noah leaned back to dodge. Ball one.

    "Watch out for those inside pitches, ump." Coach called from the dugout.

    The ump waved him off. He didn''t seem worried about that kind of pitch. Which would normally make sense, but he doesn''t know San Marino.

    Noah swung and miss at two fastballs in the zone, putting him at a disadvantageous 1-2 count. The pitcher checked on Garret at first before throwing another pitch Noah''s way. Noah tried to open up his stance and take a swing at such an inside pitch, but ended up popping it up to the second baseman. Garret retreated to first, not tempting any other play.

    "Tough pitcher." Noah stopped beside me and whispered. "Speed comparable to twins and the location is tough. Those inside pitches are really hard to decipher." He went back to the dugout.

    It was still too early to judge this pitcher on three at bats, but habitually I chose to bat from left side. The lefty''s box just genuinely felt lucky. Garret''s a lefty and he got on base. Granted, Sean bats from the left too but he couldn''t get on in his first at bat. But I don''t remember him getting too many inside pitches like Noah.

    I took the first pitch as a called strike. It was down the middle and maybe a little inside. Like he wanted to try to scare me off, but maybe thought he might over do it. It''s a theory. I glanced at the outfield. The three were in good positioning, standing more back. They also think I can hit it far and might be looking to rob me if I can only barely get the ball over the fence. When it comes to distance and power...I''ve got some but it''s better to aim at the corners. That was the shortest distance required for a homerun.

    "Strike two." The umpire called as a fastball came by.

    I frowned.

    "Take your time out there!"

    "Be patient, Jake!"

    "You''ve got this!"

    I heard familiar voices coming from my dugout. They''re probably worried about the count. But I just got lost in my thoughts for a second. If Coach and the team was right, I might only get one chance. I couldn''t risk messing it up.

    The third pitch was outside for ball one. 1-2. This is the count he got Noah to jam on. A pitch that looked inside for righty''s on the border of being a ball or a strike. There''s a good chance he might try to throw it again.

    I watched closely as the the ball came out of his hands. I was sure of the trajectory. The best way to get a homer would be to go to the opposite way so I tried my best using the barrel of my bat. The ball went down the left field line. Garret started sprinting on contact, not caring about whether the ball would be caught or not. There were already two outs so it''s not like he had to worry about a tag play.

    I had dropped my bat and also started to run. I was looking left, trying to find my ball. But I couldn''t. I frowned, trying to see what the left fielder was doing.

    "It''s gone, Jake!" Coach Luis told me once I tagged first. "You did it! It''s a homerun."

    Sure enough, the second base umpire was giving the signal for a homerun. I did a brisk jog around the bases and tagged home where Garret met me with my bat. Jason and Korrey gave us high fives on our way back into the dugout.

    I glanced down at my bat. I had felt something was wrong during contact. Being suspicious, I examined the bat.

    "Way to come through, kid!" Coach slapped my back, almost making me drop my bat. He quickly noticed my uneasiness. "What''s wrong? Did you bust your bat?"

    I grimaced and gave a slow nod. "I think so. Not completely, but the contact didn''t sound or feel right. It may have splintered on the inside."

    Coach frowned. "Do you have a backup?"

    I nodded, more sure of myself. "I carry around two." Especially after last year''s CIF finals when I broke a bat mid-game. I got lucky last time, getting a spare from Jeremy. With all the extras given to me from Rhys''s dad and from Jeremy, I could afford a break or two. I just had to be sure to carry at least two bats with me to games.

    Coach let out a small sigh. "Alright. Put that one away and take out the other so you know which one is good and which one needs to be retired." He gave a small shake of his head. "Wooden bats..."

    I left him and headed for my bag on the bench. The guys started to notice that I wasn''t in the mood to celebrate my homerun so they let me be. A few said some nice things and I nodded to acknowledge.

    "Busted bat?" Noah asked as I got my bag out.

    "Yea, I think so." I switched the bats. "It didn''t outright snap or shatter but..." I trailed off.

    "Let it go." Noah told me. "Can''t worry about it now."

    "I know." I just felt a little sad about it. I took off my helmet and put on my hat.

    Before sitting down, there was a solid ''ding'' coming from the field. I turned in time to watch the ball drop in front of the right fielder, almost similar to Garret''s earlier hit. Jason stood on first with a smile as our team cheered for him.

    "Huh." I mumbled and sat down.

    "What is it?" Noah asked, curious.

    I gave a small shrug. "I thought lefty''s might have an advantage against this guy. But if Jason can get a hit, I think everyone has a fair chance too."

    Noah laughed. "I''m not sure Jason would appreciate that remark."

    My face flushed. "Don''t tell him I said that."

    Noah grinned. "Sure, sure."

    No matter how good Jason''s hit was, it amounted to nothing after Korrey hit a fly ball right to the center fielder to end our inning.

 Chapter 874: V3 ch110 Game Three: San Marino (2)

    Chapter 874: V3 ch110 Game Three: San Marino (2)

    Top of the second. Dave had to face the core of their lineup. He looked sharp, but San Marino was still able to make contact. First a grounder to me, but it was basic and easy to field for the first out. Then a short fly ball to right field. I hesitated for a second too long on whether I should chase it back like Noah usually does. Luckily, Jesse had a good read on it and had the speed to come sprinting forward to make a diving catch for the second out.

    Batter six in the lineup had the best at bat so far, working a full count and fouling off a couple extra. On the twelfth pitch during his at bat, he pulled one to left field. Korrey ran back to the fence, but it was useless. The ball was gone. A solo shot to make the score 2-1.

    You could hear their fans cheering all around. It was a little disheartening, but Noah wasn''t the type to be bothered by outside noise.

    "Don''t mind. We still have the lead." Noah clapped with his glove, looking specifically at Dave. "Just get it back with a strikeout."

    Dave grinned and gave a small shake of his head.

    My lips were also pulling into a small smile. Noah had no scruples about picking on the opposing team while picking on his older brother. He basically told Dave that he can only redeem himself was with a strikeout. Dave came through though, getting the next batter to strikeout on a pitch that nearly fell in the dirt.

    Dave pumped his fists and turned to show Noah a smirk. "How''s that?"

    "I like it!" Noah laughed and gave a thumbs up.

    Bottom of the second, our team didn''t have the same kind of production as in the first. There were no hits, and certainly no runs scored. The San Marino kept a lot of his pitches inside and it didn''t help that we had three righty''s going up. Jesse got jammed and sent a grounder right to short. Mitch couldn''t connect and struck out. Dave also got jammed and pulled a grounder right to third to end the inning.

    "Damn, his pitches are tight." Noah sighed and complained. "It''s annoying when a good pitcher can throw right at you for a strike in the zone. Makes it even more stressful and difficult."

    "At least we''re making contact so it''s not all bad." Jason said as we took the field. We had a little extra time before we started the third inning considering our catcher and pitcher duo had to switch out their batting gear.

    "You can say that because you got a hit." Noah rolled his eyes.

    Jason laughed. "If you want me to claim that it''s a fluke, that''ll be impossible. On the score sheet, it''s a hit. I need every one I can get."

    The two chatted and I drifted over to Sean who was on my side of the field. I lowered my voice and kept my body facing the outfield. "Did you get any inside pitches during your at bat?"

    Sean raised an eyebrow at my actions and answered, also in a low voice. "I don''t think. Nothing to what he can do to righty''s."

    I slowly nodded and glanced up at him.

    Sean smiled at my look. He covered his mouth with his glove. "Are you trying to tell me to ignore any chance of him throwing inside to us on the left side?"

    I shrugged. "I think it''ll improve your chances of a hit if you can eliminate a location. Especially if it''s one-third of a strike zone."

    Sean grinned and winked. "I hear you."

    We had to separate and get into position for the top of the third inning. Dave shut down the bottom of the lineup with back to back strikeouts. Then it was back to the top. The first batter had been Dave''s first strikeout victim. This time he was able to connect and hit a hard grounder right back up the middle.

    Noah beat me to it, making a sliding stop, popped up back on his feet and threw a fast one to Sean. I hurried to cover second just in case.

    "Out!" The umpire pumped his fist and gave the signal. Noah''s throw had beat the runner. Thanks to a long stretch by Sean too. We went back to the dugout, upbeat from the clean inning.

    The top of our lineup got ready to bat. Sean, Garret, and Noah were guaranteed to get their chance. I would need one of them to reach to get mine.

    I saw Sean talking with Mr. Miller before he headed for the batter''s box. Mr. Miller had covered his mouth to say something, gave Sean a pat on the shoulder, and then went to his spot down the third baseline.

    I checked over my backup bat before moving to stand beside Noah and Coach near the dugout entrance. It was good to go, no worries.

    The pitcher was set and ready. The umpire called for Sean to step in. On the very first pitch, Sean started his swing and made perfect contact. Our whole team rushed to push up against the fence.

    "Go! Go! Go!" Noah chanted as the ball soared over the infield and then the outfield before clearing the fence. It was gone!

    We shouted and cheered as Sean rounded the bases and tagged home plate, making the score 3-1, us. Sean grinned as he came back to the dugout and accepted a round of compliments. He gave me a slap on the helmet. "Good read on him, Bambi." And gave me a small shake.

    "What was that about?" Noah asked me when he should have been leaving the dugout.

    I looked to Garret outside instead, hoping to share with him what I had shared with Sean. But soon realized it would be useless. The San Marino Coach had come out of their dugout and signaled for a pitcher change while heading to the mound. Garret took a few steps back, retreating towards us.

    Noah nudged me, probably still wanting an answer.

    I shook my head. "It doesn''t matter now. There''s a new pitcher." At least I was now able to get up this inning too, thanks to Sean''s solo shot.

    Noah left the dugout and stood near Garret. They shared a few sentences before spreading out and taking some practice swings. The new pitcher looked average, but slightly special in the sense that he was a lefty. We hadn''t faced very many lefty''s on the mound as a team.

    Thanks to Garret being on our team, I knew that they had a slight advantage just because they were rare and their delivery was different.

    "Boys, pay attention." Coach told everyone in the dugout. Only a few of the guys were chatting about Sean''s homer, but I guess he wanted everyone to look at this pitcher.

    He got closer to me. "When you get up there, pick the right-handed box. I think they chose the lefty to come out of the bullpen to combat against our own lefty''s. You, Garret, and Sean account for most of our offense so far."

    "Oh. Okay." I didn''t understand very much pitching strategy, but Coach hasn''t led me astray before.

 Chapter 875: V3 ch111 Game Three: San Marino (3)

    Chapter 875: V3 ch111 Game Three: San Marino (3)

    Garret would be the first lefty to face the left-handed pitcher for us. Garret did get cornered quick, falling to a 1-2 count. With two strikes on him, he swung at the next closest pitch, pulling it to right field. The right fielder caught it with ease for the first out of the inning.

    Noah moved to the batter''s box and I got to leave the dugout for the on deck circle. Noah made early contact, hitting a hard grounder in a good spot between the third baseman and shortstop. But the shortstop made an amazing stop and an even better throw to first, just barely beating Noah out.

    "Tch." Noah shook his head as he went back to the dugout. He really almost got it through. If the shortstop was just a bit slower or if his throw wasn''t so on point...Noah could have gotten on.

    I gave him a sympathetic look before stepping up to righty''s box. I had taken one last practice swing, but before getting in, the catcher stood up and told the ump ''time''. Then he jogged up to the mound. He was joined by the rest of the infield.

    Unsure, I glanced to Mr. Miller down the line. He waved me over. I hurried and jogged over. He lowered his head and voice. "Chances are, they''re thinking about walking you."

    "But...there''s nobody on and two outs." I frowned.

    Mr. Miller showed a small smile. "You hitting a homerun every game in this tournament so far is hard to get past. So even though Jason got a hit against that last guy, they''re thinking about taking their chances with him instead." He looked like he wanted to say more, but the umpire came out from behind the plate to break up the meeting on the mound.

    It was time for me to go back. I got in the batter''s box while the catcher got behind the plate. He didn''t sit back down. My jaw clenched and I resisted frowning or making an expression noticeable. Getting a free base isn''t a bad deal. Four intentional balls later and I was jogging to first. Coach Luis gave me a small nod.

    Jason stepped up to bat and the catcher got down into position. I started to inch off first base, eyes on the pitcher.

    Unfortunately, his eyes were also on me. In an instant, he took his foot off the rubber and threw to his first baseman. I made a dive back for the bag. After touching the base, a heavy glove smacked my back.

    "Safe!"

    The glove stayed on me and I refused to budge. I glanced up at the ump. "Can I ask for time?"

    He nodded and lifted his hands. "Time!"

    The first baseman took his glove off of me and threw the ball back to the pitcher on the mound. I slowly got up and dusted myself off.

    "You good?" Coach Luis got close to ask me in a whisper.

    I gave a short nod. "Fine." San Marino was still San Marino. I wasn''t surprised by the heavy tag. It wasn''t the worst thing they''ve ever done.

    The game resumed. I inched off the base, not trying to attempt another check throw my way. The pitcher nodded at his catcher''s sign. He threw his fastball almost down the middle, Jason swung and miss. The catcher suddenly threw the ball down the first baseline.

    Without thinking, I dove back to the bag. The first baseman hit me in the helmet with his gloved-hand. Hard.

    "Safe!"

    "That was intentional!" I heard Coach Luis. "He hit my kid in the head."

    "It was a fair play." The umpire replied simply.

    "Time." Coach Luis sounded annoyed. "I need to look my player over after that hard hit to his head."

    "Time!" The ump called out.

    Coach Luis squatted down where I was still holding the bag. "Jake?"

    "I''m okay." I told him. "Just give me a minute." I stayed down, trying to calm my breathing. I wasn''t in pain. Yea, it hurt to take a hard slap, but I had my helmet on. What made my heart go out of control was a simple flashback to my mom hitting me. I wasn''t scared of pain, yet I was scared of getting beat. It''s...unexplainable.

    I swallowed a lump in my throat and slowly got up. I dusted myself off and adjusted my helmet.

    "Do you need an athletic trainer to check on you?" The umpire asked.

    I shook my head.

    Coach Luis frown and his lips twisted in dismay. He leaned in and whispered. "Stay on the bag, run on contact." He could sense my hesitancy immediately and continued. "Don''t worry. You won''t get in trouble with Coach. Let''s not take too many chances right now. It''s still early and we have the lead."

    "Okay." My shoulders relaxed a little.

    The game was called to resume and Coach Luis had to back up a few steps. The first baseman stayed on the bag, as did I.

    "You scared already?" He snickered.

    I ignored him, eyes on Jason. With me staying literally on the bag, I would have to sprint if he made even the littlest bit on contact. But also, with my foot on the base, I didn''t have to look at the pitcher.

    Jason was able to make contact with a pitch on a 2-2 count, but it was a simple pop up to the shortstop to end the inning.

    At the dugout, Coach stopped me. I was soon surrounded by Coach Luis, Mr. Miller, Noah, Garret, Kyle, Alisha, and a few others that I was closer too.

    "How''s your head?"

    "Did he hurt you?"

    "What are we going to do?"

    I took my helmet off as if that would prove to them that I''m not hurt. "It''s okay, I''m okay. Nothing hurts, it was just a rough play."

    "But it took you a long time to get up." Alisha pointed out.

    I felt my face heat up, no doubt turning red. "It wasn''t because it hurt. At least, not physically."

    Coach clapped twice. "Let''s take the field for now. I''ll talk it over with the other coaches." He made eye contact with me. "If something is wrong, speak up."

    I nodded. Something was always wrong with me, but I knew what he meant. I wasn''t going to have a breakdown like I have had before where I just freeze up. The flashback startled me, but I would be okay. I''m not the same person from last year.

    I hurried to my bag to grab my hat and glove, rushing to join the others on the field. Noah kept shooting looks my way, but I gave him a subtle nod. I was fine. Really.

    Top of the fourth, Dave had to face batters two, three, and four. Batter two struck out swinging, leaving Dave pumped. Batter three hit one down the first baseline, where Sean made a diving stop. I was running to cover, but it was Dave who got there first to catch Sean''s throw. The runner got there second, and looked like he wouldn''t slow up. Dave tagged the base and turned out of the way of the runner for out number two. Dave''s eyes stayed on the runner who was going back to his dugout.

    "Two outs, one to go!" Noah called out and a few of the guys echoed.

    That got Dave''s attention. He went back to the mound with the ball to face San Marino''s cleanup hitter. Last time it was a grounder to me, this time it was a fly out to left field.

 Chapter 876: V3 ch112 Game Three: San Marino (4)

    Chapter 876: V3 ch112 Game Three: San Marino (4)

    We jogged it back to the dugout.

    "They''re getting a little restless, Coach." I heard Dave say. "That runner was definitely looking for a collision or some kind of interference call. Sean was quick, but it was close."

    Coach scowled and let out a curse. He looked around the team. "Everyone keep an eye out. We won''t give up on this game just like that, but don''t make any risky plays. We''re more than halfway through. Hang in there."

    I sat down on the bench with a sigh.

    "This isn''t as bad as last year, but that''s probably because they had a talking to from the tournament people." Noah sat beside me.

    I nodded. I was thinking the same thing.

    The lefty stayed on the mound and mowed through our guys. Korrey struck out. Jesse grounded out to short and Mitch grounded out to third. Top of the fifth we go.

    We took our positions on the field and threw the ball around as we waited. Mitch was last up to bat so it took him an extra minute to get his gear back on. Until then, Dave threw lightly to Logan who simply had a mask on and sat crouched behind home plate. Mitch came out and took over, getting some faster pitches from Dave.

    Dave''s first opponent of the inning was batter number five. He attacked the very first pitch, blasting it to left-center field, dropping the ball between Garret and Korrey. The batter made it to second base by the time the ball got back to Noah. Noah glanced at the runner to make sure he was staying, then threw the ball to Dave on the mound.

    "Okay, okay. Next one." He said.

    Mitchell gave the sign from the plate for us to shift accordingly due to the runner on second.

    Sadly, the next guy up was the only other guy to get a hit off of Dave. And it was a solo homerun back in the second inning.

    Our outfielders were given the sign to back up. We could allow a hit, just not one beyond the fence.

    Dave missed his spot a couple of times, throwing two balls outside the zone. Then he tried to come back in, but the batter had a read on it. He made solid contact and the ball went flying. To left field. Again. I tried not to cringe or show any emotion as the ball left the field. The score changed to a tie, 3-3, as the runners rounded the bases and tagged home to score.

    A new ball was given to Dave.

    Noah took some long strides to get to the mound. He subtly motioned for the rest of us to follow. I jogged it in, showing up the same time as Noah. Jason and Sean weren''t that far behind.

    "We''ll get it back." Noah stated. Not just to Dave, but to all of us.

    I nodded, completely believing in him. There hasn''t been a time yet, where we didn''t get it back. Jason and Sean also looked unconcerned.

    Noah pointed at Dave. "The only question now is, can you start getting some outs? Or do we need someone else to come out of the bullpen?"

    Dave glanced out at the bullpen, where we could see some movement. "Are you kidding? I''m still hot. I''ve only given up three hits and my pitch count is low." He grinned. "I''ll shut them out from here. Leave it to you guys on offense to get me the win back."

    Noah grinned and bumped his fists. "Damn straight. Let''s see it."

    The rest of us joined in and then had to hurry back to our positions before the ump got antsy.

    Dave seemed to calm down and threw only strikes. Batter number seven got a piece of one and lifted it to left field just like the previous batter. I held my breath as Korrey chased it down and made the catch on the warning track. One out. I sighed with relief.

    Dave got back on track after that though. He struck out the next two guys. One swinging, and the other one looking to end the inning. We hustled back to the dugout for our turn at offense.

    "Dave, you good?" Coach questioned as soon as we got in.

    Dave paused to talk to Coach. "I am!" He let out a depressed sigh. "That guy is good and has my number. Giving up that double was really my only mistake."

    Coach thought about and gave a small nod. "Okay, you can bat this inning and pitch another. Maybe a pitcher change when he comes up again."

    Dave let out another sigh. "Yea. Okay."

    Coach slapped his back. "Don''t let it get you down. You''re bound to face a batter like that sooner or later." He gestured to me. "You don''t want to be like the other teams we face, where they can only intentionally walk our best batter. It''s better to bring another pitcher in. We can even use Garret for one at bat, and still keep him for the finals."

    Dave went to get his helmet on. "I don''t really like that guy being compared to Jake. He doesn''t deserve it."

    "He has more homeruns than me this game." I mumbled under my breath.

    Noah was the only one to hear me. He laughed and bumped me. "I bet if they were brave enough to pitch to you, you would smash another one out of the park."

    I don''t really smash balls. I try to get a homerun using the shortest amount of distance required.

    Dave left the dugout and headed for the plate. Sean was out in the on deck circle and Garret right behind him in the hole. Noah started to put on his gear too.

    Dave stood no chance against the lefty in the batter''s box. He struck out swinging.

    Coach gave him a look.

    Dave looked embarrassed. "What? I can''t help that all my attention is on my pitching. I''ll clean up these losers in the sixth." He hurried to his bag to put away his batting stuff.

    Sean got in the lefty''s box and was set. The pitcher started his motion and then threw past him for strike one. And for strike two. Ball one. 1-2, Sean got under the next pitch, hitting it just beyond the infield. The center fielder came sprinting in and made a spectacular diving catch for the second out.

    "Everyone has now faced this guy and we''ve got no hits." Coach grumbled as I stood beside him. I was ready to go if we could get a couple guys on base before the inning ended.

    Garret was up to bat and Noah was on deck.

    Garret made solid contact, but it was a line drive right to left field. We didn''t take the lead back as soon as we wanted.

    But next inning, I would get my chance. Maybe. If they even pitch to me.

    Noah and I switched out our gear in silence, lost in our own thoughts. We hurried out to the field, jogging to our positions.

    Dave would start at the top of the lineup for the third time this game. The early batters had nothing on him. No one except the sixth batter really did any damage. Dave got the first guy to strikeout swinging. The second batter chased an away pitch and hit a grounder down the line.

    Sean had to dive for it, stopping it from going to the outfield. Then he threw it to Dave who was in a foot race to first base against the batter. Dave tagged the base nearly at the same time as the batter. They both fell together and I heard Dave start cursing.

 Chapter 859: V3 ch94

    Chapter 859: V3 ch94

    To say I was ready for the extra work we were putting in, would be a gross understatement. By the end of the first week, there wasn''t a muscle that didn''t hurt. I took an ice bath Friday night, starting off the weekend with a lowlight.

    Unsurprisingly, Noah was the complete opposite. He was hyped. Even catching bullpen sessions for Dave and Kyle when we were home didn''t bother him any. He was like the energizer bunny that just keeps going and going. Sure, he complains about aching and sore muscles, but he continuously pushed through. On the field and in the gym, I was still somehow chasing after him. He was even getting better in the batting cages after practicing with me so much.

    He and the twins could joke that I was like Zeke all they want, but I knew it was only when it came to my performance at the plate. Noah''s drive and passion was the most like Zeke. I don''t know what Zeke was like his sophomore year, but I can''t see Noah being too far off.

    He felt even closer the following Monday when Coach held a small meeting before practice.

    "I know some of you have been waiting to hear my pick for captain." Coach addressed us as we sat in the dugout. Everyone stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. "Y''all are a great group of boys that don''t need to be told twice to get to warming up. Garret does a great job leading and keeping everyone''s focused."

    All eyes shifted to Garret, yet his eyes stayed on Coach.

    "I''ve talked to Garret about being captain." Coach looked to him. "Garret, do you want to take over from here?"

    Garret nodded and stood up. He got up near Coach and faced us. "I''m honored to be acknowledged by Coach as a leader of this team. However, as a pitcher, I don''t think I can lead the team well during games. Now you might think, you''re an outfielder too. Yes, but I think there''s a difference between leading in practices and leading in games. That''s why I''m proposing we have a vice captain this year. Someone who is on the field every game and holds the best qualities of a captain like being positive, leading by example, and who genuinely cares about the team."

    "Who do you propose?" Bryce asked.

    "I nominate Noah." Garret looked our way, staring right at Noah.

    Noah froze. Then he jumped up. "I''ll do it!"

    "He''s got my vote." Sean spoke up.

    I nodded in agreement.

    "I know it''s a bit improper of me to take the position of captain and then pick my own vice captain." Garret said. "So if any of you disagree, just say the word. I''ll put this team first no matter what."

    I looked up and down the bench to see if anyone was going to speak against it. My eyes lingered on fellow sophomore Marshel Butler. He was frowning, but didn''t disagree outright.

    "Can I ask what being a vice captain entails?" Kyle asked. "I don''t think I can handle Noah telling me to run laps every day."

    The team all seemed to laugh together. I grinned too. I don''t think Noah would even let me off, let alone the twins.

    Garret shook his head. "No laps. I''m not Zeke and neither is Noah. We''ll let Coach be in charge of disciplinary actions. Basically, Noah would only lead warmups if I''m not here for practice or maybe on game days when I pitch. As a starter in the infield, he''s in a good spot to keep everyone level-headed. I know personally, being on the mound, there''s no one else I would rather have behind me."

    Noah grinned, turning red in the cheeks.

    "I think he controls the atmosphere very well." Dave spoke up. "Especially in games."

    "I agree."

    "Me too."

    "It makes sense. A lot of shortstops are considered captains."

    "Yea, they control the tempo of the infield."

    Our teammates voiced their support for Noah to be second in charge. I grinned happily, knowing that the only person giving out laps is Coach.

    Coach clapped his hands twice to signal for silence. The team complied. "Alright. There you have it. Garret has the lead. Noah will be the support especially on game days. You can go to either of them if you have trouble and want a peer to hear you out."

    He soon let Garret take us out for warmups. The team was a bit hyped with the news of a captain and a vice captain. I felt that it was only natural. Garret was the best player on the team and Noah was...well he was Noah.

    I wanted to congratulate him and talk about it, but saw that he was completely focused on warming up. We still threw the ball with one another and then we divided into our groups and went to the determined station. Unfortunately we got infield practice with Coach so there was still no time to talk to Noah.

    After practice, Coach asked Noah and Garret to hang back for a short chat. That left me with following the twins back to the car.

    "I''m going to send Mom and Dad a text." Dave said after putting his bag in the car and pulling out his phone. "They''ll probably want to celebrate this, yea?"

    "Definitely." Kyle nodded. He pulled out his phone. "I''ll text Zeke. Noah would be happy to receive a call or text from him."

    I pulled out my phone so I wouldn''t feel left out. Who could I text? Jeremy? He might not care though. Well, it wouldn''t hurt.

    Me: Guess what?

    Jeremy: What''s up?

    Me: Noah was deemed vice captain!

    Jeremy: That''s awesome! Should we celebrate this weekend? I''ll call Wayne to see if he''ll let me treat you guys to some fun.

    Jeremy had asked for my opinion, but quickly skipped over how I would answer. Maybe it was rhetorical.

    Noah came to the car after we had finished with our texts and were talking about our upcoming calculus test. He buckled in and relaxed in his seat, a little quiet.

    "What did Coach have to say?" Dave glanced back at him.

    "We spoke a little about what he expects from us as leaders of the team." Noah''s lips twitched. "Specifically, I shouldn''t be starting any fights with my teammates or anyone else in the baseball program for that matter."

    I thought about last year''s hiccup with Austin.

    So did the twins. They both scoffed in unison.

    "I told Coach that I would let bygones be bygones. They don''t look for me and I won''t look for them." Noah continued. "Coach wasn''t exactly satisfied with that answer. He said he wanted me to come to him the first sign of trouble. No matter how minuscule. I told him fine, but I have a bottom line."

    "What? Bashing on your fielding?" Kyle joked as he drove us home.

    "No." Noah glanced at me.

    "What?" I asked.

    "Jake is your bottom line?" Dave figured it out first. Noah nodded. "That makes sense. I find that acceptable too. If someone lays his hand on Jake or goes at him, then let''s fight it out."

    Kyle laughed and joked some more. "I bet Coach would love that."

    I smiled, happy to have a family like the Atkins. I don''t like to entertain the thought of fighting or getting hurt, but it wasn''t exactly a secret that my mentality was a little sensitive. I''m sure if anyone said anything mean to me, Noah would take over in a heartbeat. But I also think that''s another good trait for a captain to have. Loyalty. And a sense of justice. There has to be integrity.

 Chapter 878: V3 ch113 Game Three: San Marino (5)

    Chapter 878: V3 ch113 Game Three: San Marino (5)

    "Motherfucker!" Dave''s sharp yell overrode the umps call for an out. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

    Sean was there first. Noah and I got there near the same time to see Dave trying to yank his foot away from the other guy''s shoe.

    "Stop fucking pulling me." The other guy barked, yanking their feet in another direction.

    "You both need to calm down." The umpire squatted down. "Your cleats got tangled. Stop and let me help you."

    "Tangled?" Dave scoffed. "You mean his spikes got stuck in my laces because he purposely stepped on me. Are you just going to let that slide!?"

    "I didn''t purposely step on you!" The guy argued back. "You were in the base path. I have the right away."

    "The fuck you do." Dave got up immediately once the umpire got his laces out of the guy''s spikes of his cleats.

    The other guy also jumped up and got into Dave''s face. "You''ve got a problem, asshole?"

    "Yea, I do!" Dave didn''t back down. He pointed at the baseline. "You''re supposed to stay outside that line. It''s called interference when you don''t!"

    The two started to get louder as they shouted over one another. The umpire got between them and it didn''t take long for the coaches from both dugouts to join too.

    Sean and Noah got Dave away from the guy as the San Marino players started to leave their dugout. I awkwardly stood around as the umpires tried to cool down both sides. After a five minute delay, the home plate umpire warned both sides.

    Coach met us infielders just beside the mound. He looked down at Dave, who was squatting down looking at his right foot. "How is it?"

    "Doesn''t hurt much." Dave shook his head as he re-tied the laces of his clear. "More annoyed than anything so I blew up on the guy. I rather we both get warned before something more serious happens."

    Coach frowned. "Look me in the eye and tell me your foot doesn''t hurt."

    Dave stood up, just a little taller than Coach. He looked him in the eyes. "Coach, I''m good to go. Nothing more than a bruise. I swear."

    Coach didn''t look totally convinced.

    "If I give up a baserunner, you can take me out." Dave tried to bargain. "We have two outs now. I''ll end it now on the next batter. Then you can have a trainer look over my foot in the bottom half of the inning."

    "Okay. You got it." Coach nodded and left us to go back to the dugout.

    Noah handed me his glove and then started to massage Dave''s shoulders. "Calm your heart rate down. Don''t go in stressed and throwing wild. You''ve got this."

    Dave rolled his head around, stretching his neck. He stepped away from Noah. "I''m good. You guys just stand there and look pretty."

    Jason laughed. "Sure. I wouldn''t mind being a model."

    Sean grinned and shook his head. "Don''t worry, we''ve got your back."

    I nodded along and handed Noah his glove back. We all went back to our positions and Dave got on the mound. He did his best to stay loose, shaking out his arms. He came through and did what he said he was going to do: get the next guy out. He went down swinging and we went back to the dugout in a decent mood.

    "Dave. Trainer." Coach said once we got inside. He pointed Dave towards a man at the end of the dugout. Dave went willingly.

    Noah, me, and Jason all got ready for our turn to bat. Noah stopped just before leaving the dugout, causing us to stop too. He looked back at us. "I think I have a plan."

    I was all ears.

    He made eye contact with Coach, and Coach came over. "Why aren''t you boys out there yet?"

    "I want to take a gamble Coach." Noah stated.

    My lips twitched while Jason outright laughed.

    Coach kept a straight face. "I''m listening." His eyes glanced at the field. "Be quick about it."

    Noah nodded. He kept his voice low. "I think I''ll bunt to get on. The guys is a lefty, so when he finishes his motion and throws, he''ll be turned around away from first base. Neither of the corner infielders play in. I''ll try to go down the first baseline and then hopefully beat it out."

    "It''s an idea." Coach gave a small nod, finding his plan acceptable.

    "That''s just the first step. That''s not the actual gamble." Noah didn''t stop for questions. "I don''t think they''ll pitch to Jake. His walk will push me to second." He looked at Jason. "This is where you''ll come in. On the very first pitch to you. I need you to have a very big swing, and a very big miss. I''ll use that opportunity to steal third so you have to distract the catcher. Make some small talk." He looked back to Coach. "With me on third, no outs, I''ll have ample opportunity to score. Off a wild pitch or anything to the outfield."

    "Give it a go." Coach gave his permission, making Noah grin like he already won. He looked at me. "If they do actually pitch to you, give them hell. If they don''t and you''re on first, make sure to be off the bag, as far out as their first baseman. The pitcher will be looking at you. If you can distract him, that''ll be good enough to get on base"

    "Not to be a Debbie-downer, but what if Noah doesn''t get on base?" Jason whispered.

    "We can only hope that they''ll pitch to Jake then." Coach said.

    It was time for us to split. Noah headed for the plate and I stood on deck. Jason was right behind, still talking with Coach.

    I mindlessly swung my bat around as I watched Noah''s at bat. Like he said, the first and third basemen were back beyond the bases. No inside play. Then again, who do you know is dropping bunts to get on base? I nervously watched on.

    Noah didn''t show bunt, but as soon as the pitcher followed through on his motion, Noah dropped the bat and softened the ball''s bounce off his bat. Everyone was moving all at once. Noah took off sprinting to first base. First baseman hesitated to cover base or to get ball, end up deciding to go with the former. The pitcher twisted to go to to the ball, but the catcher beat him to it. The catcher scooped up the ball and threw to first...it pegged Noah in his back. We heard a small yelp, but Noah still ran it out, tagging the base.

    He looked to be in obvious pain as he talked with Coach Luis.

    "You''re outta here!" The umpire motioned an ejection and pointing at the catcher.

    "What?!" The catcher screeched and rushed back to the umpire. "Are you kidding me!? You''re going to throw me out for accidentally hitting the runner?"

    "He stayed with his running lane." The umpire stated. "I can only assume you did it intentionally considering the circumstances."

    The catcher was not happy about that explanation and started to go off, yelling at the umpire. The San Marino coach wasn''t that far behind. He came storming out of his dugout and started to yell his opinion too.

    I stayed back, inching closer to my own dugout, trying to stay away from the screaming match. Meanwhile the other umpires joined in the loud and angry discussion. It wasn''t long before the umpire ejected the San Marino coach too.

 Chapter 879: V3 ch114 Game Three: San Marino (6)

    Chapter 879: V3 ch114 Game Three: San Marino (6)

    It was almost like a repeat of last year.

    The San Marino coach didn''t take his ejection lightly. He made sure he got his two cents worth as he yelled at the umpires. The catcher was the first to go back to their dugout under the guidance of an assistant coach. I could see him taking his gear off. Someone else started to put it on. Presumably the new catcher.

    "Jake." I heard Coach call for me.

    I turned to face him and Jason.

    Coach gave a small nod. "This opportunity is even better than we expected. A backup catcher. If and when you do get walked, make sure to get off that bag. You''re faster than you think. Go out as far as the first baseman." He instructed.

    I nodded. I glanced back at Noah on first with Coach Luis. "That looked like it hurt."

    Coach''s lips twitched. "I bet it did. I don''t think the catcher did it intentionally though. He was probably just frustrated and made a bad throw. It happens."

    "Noah''s tough." Jason said. "He can handle it. After the game, we''ll reward him with a bag of ice and some ibuprofen. He''ll be good to go for the championship." He winked.

    I grinned. Noah was always ''good to go'' for a baseball game. Especially if it''s a championship game.

    This delay was even longer than the last as the umpires had to escort the San Marino coach off the field where he was met with tournament officials that could hopefully calm him down. The home plate umpire met with an assistant coach from their dugout and talked it over as a new catcher came out and caught some practice pitches.

    After everything was sorted and those that were ejected left, the umpire called me up to bat. As I walked up, the catcher stood up. Yep. An intentional walk. Just as we thought.

    I dropped my bat and jogged to first, pushing Noah to second. I swallowed a lump in my throat and shook out my hands. This would be the most important step. Noah has to get to third safely.

    Coach Luis gave me a small pat on the helmet and nodded. I took a deep breath and started to step off the bag. The first baseman was five to six feet off the bag but was behind me. They were hoping for a double play.

    I felt a little nervous being so far out, not to mention that the pitcher had such a good view of me. But he simply kept an eye on my, glanced back at Noah, then turned his focus back on Jason.

    I tried not to look at Noah, keeping my eyes on the pitcher who held the ball. I didn''t want to give away the fact that we were trying for a steal.

    The pitcher kept his motion short and threw a fastball towards home. Noah was sprinting. Guys were shouting all around.

    "Go!"

    "Steal!"

    "Third!"

    Jason did a crappy swing and completely whiffed. His big ugly motion had some influence on the catcher, slowing him up. The catcher caught the ball and jumped to his feet, then did his best to throw to the player covering third. Noah dove head first and the tag came down. I had, possibly, the worst view.

    "Safe!" The umpire extended his arms.

    It soon felt like everyone was yelling, but our dugout was the loudest. Noah got up and clapped twice towards Jason in the batter''s box. "Let''s go!!"

    The energy was high all around. Jason connected on the very next pitch, a fly ball to right field. I turned to watch so I could tell if I was to run or stay. The right fielder made the catch and I went back to first base in a hurry. But no one cared about me.

    "HOME!"

    "GO HOME!"

    The right fielder threw over my head, intending for the baseball to go straight to the catcher at home plate. Noah was doing another head first slide, arms stretched out. The baseball got to the catcher and he turned to make the tag. Another close play. All eyes went to the home plate umpire.

    He extended his arms "Safe! Safe!"

    Noah jumped up and pumped his fists. He and Jason went back to the dugout, heads held high as they were greeted with cheers. We took the lead 4-3, thanks to Noah''s plan and Jason''s sacrifice fly and the inning wasn''t over yet.

    Korrey came up next. Unfortunately he hit into a routing 6-4-3 double play. But that was a-okay! No harm, no foul. I headed back to the dugout still satisfied with our one run lead.

    "Garret, you have the mound." I heard Coach say just as I came back in the dugout. He looked at Dave and held up a hand to stop his disagreement early. "You did great, Dave. You kept us in this game the whole time. Good work. Do your cool down and take a break." His eyes roamed the dugout. "Jesse, move to center. Tanner, you go out to right." He made some moves and the guys agreed.

    I switched out my gear.

    "You guys have fought hard. Don''t stop now." Coach said. "Shut them down and keep them out of the championship game one more time."

    Noah grinned. "You''ve got it, Coach!"

    The nine of us hurried to take the field. Coach let the umpire know of the pitching change, getting Garret some extra time to warm up and get some practice pitches done.

    Top of the seventh inning. Three outs away from a win. Garret had to start with their cleanup hitter. He didn''t get a hit off Dave, but has been making contact. This third time up wasn''t any different. He smacked a hard line drive that Noah had to jump for. He came down with the ball and the first out. Garret handled the fifth batter on his own, getting him to strike out swinging.

    Then it was the sixth batter. The guy responsible for all runs driven in for San Marino. Two homers. Three RBI''s. Garret waved at Mitchell to join him on the mound.

    I checked with Noah to see if we were supposed to go up too. But he shook his head. Good thing too, because Garret and Mitchell''s conversation was really short. Not even a full minute. Mitch went back behind home plate but didn''t squat down.

    I heard a few ''boos'' from the San Marino dugout and fans as Garret threw four intentional balls to walk the batter. Garret wasn''t bothered. He shut down the next batter for another strikeout and effectively ending the inning and the game.

    We exchanged high-fives with the guys on the field and then with those in our dugout. We laughed as we packed up our bags.

    Coach clapped his hands once to get our attention. "First off, good game boys. I''m proud of all of you. You really pulled through when the going got tough. You were tougher." He looked at Noah. "You were innovative. Sometimes we need a little creativity to get through games like this. Play the small ball." He paused. "We''ll talk more after lunch. For now, clean up and let''s get out of here."

 Chapter 880: V3 ch115

    Chapter 880: V3 ch115

    We exited the field together as a team. As soon as the other guys saw Zeke, they all made their way over to say ''hi''. However, Zeke only had eyes for Noah. He took Noah''s bag from him and squinted. "Don''t you have somewhere to be?"

    Noah frowned and murmured. "Somewhere to be..?"

    "Get your back checked out by the trainer, kid." Coach said from behind us. He knew instantly what Zeke was talking about. "I want to see an ice pack strapped to your back within the hour."

    "Yea, yea." Noah waved them off. "I know the drill. I''m fine, but gotta be cleared by the trainer. We really need to start dragging Drew to these tournaments." He looked at me. "Want to come with?"

    I scoffed. "No, thanks."

    Noah laughed and gave a small wave as he started to back away. "Okay, I see how it is." He turned and jogged lightly towards where the trainer''s tent was.

    "You''re not going to follow him?" Coach glanced at Zeke.

    Zeke gave a small smile. "I''m not his captain or his coach. Just going to trust that he knows how to take care of himself now."

    I tried not to laugh.

    Zeke noticed. "What? Is he so unreliable as a vice captain?" He reached out and took my bag from me.

    "I think Jake remembers a former captain trying to play while hurt last year." Coach pointed out.

    Zeke had the decency to give a sheepish smile. "There''s a difference between playing hurt and playing injured."

    Coach didn''t look convinced. He gave a small shake of his head and looked at me. "I can only hope you don''t become one of them. Take care of yourself. Your body is important. Especially if you want a future in this game."

    "Any interest?" Zeke asked Coach.

    "In Jake? You know it." Coach smirked. "I''m sure there''ll be even more after this tournament." He reached out to give me a small pat on the shoulder. "Don''t talk to any strangers without your brothers or parents around. Got it?"

    I nodded. Then started to look around for my missing family members. Mom and Dad was about ten yards away with Grampa, who was sitting on a bench. Dave was talking their ear off. Just a few feet away was Kyle talking with Jeremy and it looked like Rose was checking something on her phone.

    "Let''s go over." Zeke said, noticing me looking over. "We should have lunch a little earlier to fuel up. That way it''ll be digested come game time."

    "Go on." Coach waved us away. "There''s plenty of time before finals. Take it easy. The other semifinal game should be concluding soon too. I''ll check out the box score and then send out a mass text to the team."

    We said our goodbyes and joined the rest of the family. Dave was recapping his feelings in the moment of the game, very animated despite giving up three runs and being pulled out before the last inning.

    "Good game, kiddo." Grampa gave me a small poke with his bony finger.

    I took that as an invitation to sit down beside him on the bench. "It was alright." I shrugged. "I did what I could."

    "You succeeded in the one opportunity given to you." Grampa said. "That''s more than enough." He said some more nice things about the game while we waited for Noah''s return.

    Noah came back with an ice pack and said he was fine. "Nothing more than a bump. I don''t even think I''ll bruise, really."

    With everyone gathered, lunch was decided and we headed out together. We split up to take the two cars and met at a restaurant. They put us near a back corner, giving our group plenty of room which was good for Jeremy. Professional baseball players aren''t always recognizable, but someone as popular as Jeremy definitely was.

    "If you''re serious about going pro and entering the draft, then you need to start looking at agents." Jeremy was talking directly to Kyle.

    "Zeke didn''t have an agent." Kyle pointed out.

    "You lose college eligibility if you get an agent." Zeke joined the conversation.

    "That used to be how it worked." Jeremy nodded. "Now high schoolers can employ agents as long as they pay the going rate and you discard the agent before enrolling in college." He looked at Mom and Dad. "I don''t know where you guys stand on Kyle''s decision, but having an agent for him can really be beneficial. If the cost is too much, I can help out."

    Mom frowned, but it was directed at Kyle. "I really think you should take one more look at the colleges. Why not join Dave at Vanderbilt?" She looked to Dave. "That reminds me, do you want to hold a commitment ceremony like Zeke''s?"

    "Nah." Dave laughed. "I''m not as popular. When I get the papers, we can hold a small get together or something. Then do the signing."

    "Mom, I did the visits all summer." Kyle redirected back to him. "That was way sooner than Zeke. There is no changing my mind. This is the path I''ll be taking."

    "What if you don''t go high in the rounds?" Noah asked between bites of bread. "Maybe go undrafted completely?"

    Kyle grinned. "No way I don''t get drafted. As for being a low pick? That''s fine. Just means I''ll need to show a little more effort in the minors." He looked to Mom. "I''m ready for this. This is what I''ll be doing."

    Mom hesitated.

    Dad looked to Jeremy. "Would you really suggest getting an agent? We already have a lawyer that can look over contracts for us."

    "Yea, but he doesn''t specialize in sports contracts." Jeremy said. "Having a good agent can put your name out there, plus he should have strong negotiation skills. Maybe have some connections with endorsements. Having a regular lawyer like yours isn''t bad though, and it can help you when signing a contract with your agent."

    "Can we just use your agent?" Noah asked.

    Jeremy shook his head. "No, I wouldn''t recommend him." After a brief pause. "I had to get a replacement after Uncle Jack..." He trailed off. For obvious reasons, Jeremy didn''t like his first agent. And the one he had now was merely a placeholder.

    "I know a couple of people." Rose spoke up. "Seeing as Kyle is still in high school, it''s probably better to go with a more affordable option. An agent that''s looking for a way into the majors."

    Jeremy nodded in agreement. "You should start your search with former or current advisers. That was the term used before agents were allowed to help high schoolers with the draft. My first agent was actually considered an adviser until we signed that first contract. It helped us get through some loopholes."

    Dad looked at Kyle''s pleading look and sighed. "Alright. If this is what you want to do, we''ll take a look. Rose, if you can find some names and contact information, send me an email so we can go over it."

    "Sure!" She smiled. "I know a few potential avenues you can try." She looked around the table. "Should...we also be considering having the same agent for all the boys...? Or...?"

    Mom and Dad looked at one another. Then around the table. No one really had a clue.

    "As long as I''m the priority, I don''t care." Kyle said, folding his arms across his chest. "I''m the first one to enter the draft."

    "I''ll be next!" Noah raised his hand excitedly.

    "Consider someone that could potentially take on all five." Mom told Rose. "The boys don''t necessarily have to agree with them being the agent in the future, but it''s a good start."

    "They can be the agent to Kyle first." Jeremy said. "Then an adviser to the rest."

    No one had a problem with that.

 Chapter 881: V3 ch116 Game Four: Wheatland HS (1)

    Chapter 881: V3 ch116 Game Four: Wheatland HS (1)

    During lunch, four of us received the same text from Coach.

    "Wheatland High School?" Kyle mumbled under his breath. He had read out loud who our next opponent will be.

    "That sounds familiar." Dave frowned. He looked to Zeke. "You remember the name Wheatland at all?"

    "They lost in the first round of CIF last year." Zeke stated. "More of a hitting team. Can''t remember any significant pitchers from their team. Especially since they lost before we could face them." He looked at me. "They''ll probably avoid you if they want to challenge you guys to an offensive contest."

    "Yea, but we''ve got Garret on the mound so they''re already behind." Noah pointed out.

    "Garret''s going to be on a limited pitch count since he did the last inning in the last game." Kyle made a clicking sound in his mouth.

    "Garret doesn''t have a limit to worry about." Noah rebuked.

    "Maybe not a specific number." Kyle conceded. "But a lot of factors will be in play. Fitness and mental strength. He already played a game today, getting some work in. And now you''re asking him to do the hard stuff in the second game? I guess Coach is telling the bullpen to stay loose and expect to see an inning or two."

    "That''s fine. We still have Bryce and Brian. They''re pretty solid." Noah said, still relaxed.

    I nodded in agreement. "I also think Tyler and Matt are reliable seniors."

    Dave laughed. "They would be happy to hear you say that. Especially since they don''t get a lot of real game time action. Coming from the number one player in the county, it''ll probably be a core memory for them."

    I felt my face heat up. I may be listed as number one in the county, but it never felt real. I hold the same spot as Zeke did last year, yet I''m not much like him.

    "I wonder if I''ll move up after yesterday''s performance." Kyle grinned, then looked to Jeremy. "Were you the top player in your county, Jeremy?"

    Jeremy let out a small laugh. "I was a top player, but not the top player."

    "You weren''t number one?" Noah''s jaw dropped. I also found it unbelievable.

    Jeremy gave a small shrug. "What can I say? I lived in a very competitive county down south. Division one. I think I made it to the number one spot a time or two, but never kept a grip on it like Zeke did."

    "Different circumstances." Zeke said. He looked at Jeremy. "Not everyone can have the same success as you when you went pro."

    "Right?!" Noah got excited. "Rookie of the Year and already have one MVP award under your belt. All before most guys even make their MLB debut."

    Jeremy chuckled. "Yep. We all take different paths trying to get to the same destination. Champions." He looked to Kyle. "Rankings are good to get your name out there though. Attracts more attention from scouts and teams. It''ll also help to attract some agents your way."

    "It''ll definitely help when I tell them that you''re a top prospect." Rose agreed. She had her phone out and apparently looked something up, because she turned to Dave and said. "I suggest you wait to make your commitment until after meeting with the agents and advisers. Things get messy and I don''t want you to lose your NCAA eligibility. They''re very stingy when it comes to the rules."

    "Sure. I can wait." Dave said. He looked to Mom and Dad. "I think I just came up with an idea. If you''re interested?"

    Mom smiled wryly. "I''ll hear you out."

    "Why don''t we go to Vanderbilt and hold the signing there?" Dave got excited. "You could come see the school and get a look at where I''ll be. Meet my coaches and whatnot. We can go for spring break! It''s in Nashville so there''ll be lots to do the rest of the time."

    "It''s not a bad idea." Dad sounded interested and tap the table.

    "Uh, yea it is." Kyle spoke up. He looked at Dave. "Did you forget that we still have games during spring break? Some of which should be league games."

    Dave deflated. "Oh. Right." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I guess I got a little confused since Zeke got to run off during midterms week last year."

    "We can take a look at the schedules and save the idea for later." Dad didn''t completely shutdown Dave''s idea. "Maybe find a weekend you boys don''t have any games. Potentially, make it a long weekend by skipping school on a Friday and Monday."

    Quite a few jaws dropped. Mainly the twins.

    "No way!"

    "Really?!"

    The pair spoke at the same time, making it hard to decipher who said what.

    "We''ll see." Mom agreed. "Grades will have to be A''s across the board for anyone to be missing school."

    "But Mom-" Kyle started to argue. "I don''t even need A''s. I''m not going to college so my gpa won''t mean anything."

    "I would like all my boys to be scholar-athletes again at the team banquet at the end of the season." Mom looked at him. "Going pro doesn''t give you an excuse to slack off in your studies."

    "Allow us at least one B." Kyle tried to bargain.

    "Let''s revisit this later." Dad got in between. "We don''t even know if we''re going anywhere yet."

    That didn''t stop the twins from talking about the potential trip after lunch when we rejoined the team. The pair couldn''t be on the mound at all in the finals so it was probably good for them to have something to grab their attention.

    Coach gave out the lineup early as we got our cleats on in the dugout. As top seed and returning tournament champs, we got the third base dugout and got to bat in the second half of the innings.

    1 1B Sean Isner

    2 SS Noah Atkins

    3 2B Jake Atkins

    4 P Garret Knudsen

    5 3B Jason Morris

    6 C Mitchell Torres

    7 CF Jesse Shipman

    8 RF Tanner Erickson

    9 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    "This is it boys." Coach looked around. "One more win and you can be champions. We can start this season off right. Just as good as last year."

    "Yeah!" A lot of the guys cheered in agreement.

    "Wheatland is known for making contact so be ready out there. If they catch you dozing out there, I won''t hesitate to sub you out." He looked at Garret. "How are you feeling?"

    "Not bad." Garret smiled and nodded.

    Coach nodded back. "Do your best. You''ve already used up 17 of your allotted 110 pitches."

    "17?" Garret stopped Coach from saying anything more. "What do you mean 17? The intentional walk shouldn''t have counted against me, right?"

    Coach gave a small shake of his head. "If it was before, it wouldn''t have. But I was told by the staff that we could have simply told the umpire to send the batter to first for an intentional walk instead of using up your pitches."

    "Like in the MLB now?" Noah asked.

    Coach nodded. Then sighed as everyone started saying how unfair it was and how it shouldn''t have counted since we didn''t know. "Alright, alright. I''m not happy about it either. But as you can tell, we weren''t the only ones to know. Jake uses up four pitches for his intentional walks too. It''s something to keep in mind this season. For now, nothing can be done. Garret, you have 93 pitches. Sounds decent but these guys won''t be easy."

    Garret nodded in understanding.

    "That means the bullpen will definitely be used this game." Coach continued on. "I expect everyone to be ready to go. I''ll have Alisha keep an eye on pitch count and once Garret gets too close, we''ll start having you guys warm up depending on the situation."

    "Who''s at the top of your list to be used, Coach?" Marshel asked. He was probably antsy from not being used at all this weekend. And from only doing one inning in the Christmas tournament. I don''t know how much he got to pitch last year as a freshman for the lowest-leveled team, but he certainly won''t get the same kind of pitch counts as Garret and the twins.

    "I simply don''t know at this time." Coach stated. "What I do know is that I''m keeping my options open. One of those options is keeping Bryce on the bench." He looked at Bryce. "You did well in game two, but you don''t have enough rest days to reset your pitch count. It''s better for you to stay in the dugout and be a potential utility player or pinch-hitter."

    "Yes!" Bryce acknowledged.

 Chapter 882: V3 ch117 Game Four: Wheatland HS (2)

    Chapter 882: V3 ch117 Game Four: Wheatland HS (2)

    Finals always made me fidgety from all the attention and extra stuff we would have to do. From the announcements and the speeches to the bigger crowd. It was just more noisy in general. In regular games, it was mostly just students and parents from the home team with a few traveling parents.

    "Tournament''s are good for scouts and recruiters." Jeremy had explained earlier. "Just think, instead of two teams being seen, you get a whole lot more variety plus there''s more opportunities to see a player in one weekend than you normally would in a week. Of course, the bigger the tournament, the more attention it''ll attract."

    One tournament upcoming came to mind. The Foothill Classic. It was a couple of weeks away, but the crowds were definitely going to be bigger. And the teams would be better.

    After all the introductions, we were finally allowed to take the field. Garret got on the mound for his practice pitches. The rest of us did what we needed and soon the umpire called for the extra balls to be thrown in so the game could start.

    First batter up was a lefty. Lefty versus lefty. Garret always has the advantage in my mind, but this guy didn''t go down without a fight. He fouled off four pitches, let two wide pitches pass for balls, then finally put one in play, pulling it down the first baseline. Sean made a diving stop before the grass. He jumped up and saw Garret coming over to cover from the mound. He underhanded the ball to him and Garret tagged the base for the first out.

    Garret had better luck with the next batter, getting him to strike out swinging on the fifth pitch. The third batter took the least amount of pitches, but made the best contact, hitting a line drive to left field. Korrey sprinted in and started to slide, catching the ball before it hit the grass. Out.

    Coach clapped his hands when we had all gotten back to the dugout. "Alright. That''s what we''ll need. Defense stay sharp." He scanned the dugout and stopped on Garret with Alisha and Mitchell. No doubt discussing pitch count. "Garret, I don''t need you monitoring your pitch count so seriously. Alisha has it covered. When you''re close, I''ll know and I''ll let you know. Right now, you have to switch to the offensive."

    Garret laughed. "I know, I know. Can''t help it sometimes." He gave Alisha a small pat on the head. "When we get back to the top of the order, tell me where I''m at."

    Bottom of the first, Sean and Noah were the first to leave the dugout while I stood in the hole. It didn''t take Garret long to switch his equipment and come on over. He tightened his batting gloves as he nodded at me.

    I nodded back, then focused on the pitcher. "Doesn''t he...seem...not too good?" I questioned.

    Garret grinned. "Isn''t that good news for us?"

    I nodded. Then paused. "Why would they put him on the mound then?"

    "It''s a tournament so there could be a lot of reasons." Garret jerked his thumb at himself. "Like me, limited pitch count. They could have a better pitcher in the pen, and just use this guy to test us out. Or maybe they already used up all their good pitchers so far and plan to have a hitfest with us."

    I nodded again. Makes sense. Not everyone could have a stacked pitching staff like us. We had an unfair advantage with the twins and Garret. In fact, next year...we would only really have Bryce and Brian as starters. I frowned. That could be a problem.

    Sean earned a walk and jogged to first base, bringing up Noah. Garret gave my shoulder a heavy pat and woke me up from my thoughts of the future. I got out of the dugout and into the on deck circle. It was a short stay, because Noah didn''t waste any time attacking a pitch in the zone. He looped it over the third baseman''s head for a base hit. The player if left field got the ball back in time, keeping Sean at second and Noah at first.

    I hit my bat against my cleats and headed for the batters box slowly. I kept my eye on the catcher but he stayed down in a squat position. Just waiting on me. Alright, I would get to swing!

    I went around the catcher and umpire and got in the lefty''s box. For the last two games, I''ve gotten one chance to swing and then it was intentional walks from there on. Both times I did hit a homerun... I wanted to try to keep it in the park this time. Maybe it would give me more opportunities to swing in the game.

    The pitcher really was mediocre. Especially for a finals game. There was no point for me to foul a bunch and waste his pitch count. Heck, it was probably better to keep him on the mound. I connected on the third pitch and it flew to right-center field. Neither of the two outfielders on either side of the fly ball would be able to make the catch. All of us were on the run.

    After rounding first, I didn''t dare slow up. My goal was second base.

    "Go for two!"

    "Second!"

    "Throw home! Throw home!"

    Shouts were coming from every direction. Players, coaches, parents. Everyone. My eyes were on the center fielder who got the ball and was making the throw in. I thought they were trying for me so I did my best to slide into the base. Hugging the bag, the tag I thought was coming simply didn''t.

    I looked to home and that''s where all the action was. There was a play at the plate between Noah and the catch.

    "Safe!" The home plate umpire declared.

    Noah jumped up from the dirt and slapped hands with Sean. Then they were greeted by Garret before going back inside the dugout. Noah took my bat and looked back at me with a huge grin. We were on the board. 2-0.

    I got up and dusted myself off.

    Mr. Miller gave out some false signs for show. Garret had the free pass to swing as he''d like. This pitcher was no problem. But Mr. Miller did give me the sign to take a bigger lead. Good chance I would be heading for home if Garret could get it far enough.

    Sure enough, he did his part and I was off. Mr. Miller was already waving me around before I tagged third. I hit the base and headed home. Jason was gesturing and yelling. "Slide! Slide!"

    Fudge. I pushed off and dove head first. My head got hit by the catchers leg.

    "Safe!" 3-0.

    Jason helped me up. "You good?"

    I nodded. "Barely knocked."

    He slapped me on the helmet. "Great work!"

    I went back to the dugout, all smiles.

    "The helmet protect you okay?" Coach was the first to ask.

    I nodded and took it off. "I''m okay. For the most part." I held up my hands that got a little tore up from the two slides.

    Coach frowned. "Start wearing gloves."

    "I''ll think about it." I grimaced, wiping my hands against my jersey.

    "It''s not a suggestion. It''s a requirement." Coach stated. "I can''t be losing you due to scrapped hands."

    I sighed.

 Chapter 883: V3 ch118 Game Four: Wheatland HS (3)

    Chapter 883: V3 ch118 Game Four: Wheatland HS (3)

    "I''ll convince him, Coach!" Noah came over and started to drag me away. "That was a tough collision. Did he only you get you on the helmet?" He asked as I sat on the bench.

    I nodded. "Yep. Didn''t feel much than a push."

    "Hold out your hands." Noah instructed and I listened. He unscrewed a water bottle and poured some on my hands. "Rub them together and it''ll be cleaner."

    It stung but I did what I had to do.

    "Does it hurt?" Dave came over to ask. "Need me to get the first aid kit?"

    "Its not bleeding." I dried my hands with my jersey.

    "You''ve got to protect those hands, kid." Dave said with a smile. "They''re made of gold, ya know."

    "They''re doing a pitcher change." I ignored his comments about my hands and watched what was going on at the mound.

    The opposing coach had come out of their dugout and went to the mound. The pitcher handed over the baseball and left to go back to his dugout. A very short appearance, facing only four batters. A new pitcher came jogging in from their bullpen. Their coach handed him the baseball and left the mound to say a few words to the umpire.

    "This is probably their main guy for this game." Dave said, watching. "Too bad no one is allowed their phone. We could probably go to the tournament website and see if he pitched in any of the earlier games."

    "You didn''t put your phone in your bag?" Noah asked him.

    Dave shook his head. "And get in trouble with Coach? No way. I like my job as a starter."

    "Lame." Noah scanned the dugout, pausing to stare at someone. "I think I know who can look it up."

    "Who?"

    "Alisha!" Noah called out and left us.

    Dave rubbed his chin. "Not a bad thought. Alisha can definitely check and won''t be in trouble."

    "Does it matter if we look or not?" I asked, unconvinced of its usefulness.

    "In the grand scheme of things, probably not." Dave answered. "We have the lead. If the guy is good, then so what? Garret will have to be better. If he''s not good, even better news. Though, with you around, looking at his pitch count might be helpful." He grinned at me. "If his pitch count is high enough, you can knock him out with a couple of foul balls."

    My spirits rose for just a minute before remembering Coach''s pregame talk. "I think...if their pitch count is a concern...they''ll just give me an intentional walk. The kind where they won''t even have to throw a pitch."

    "Oh...yea." Dave let out a heavy sigh. "I forgot." Then he cheered himself up. "But! They did pitch to you the first time around. So that''s a good sign!"

    "I thought so too..." I took off my hat to brush some hair out of the way. "But I think...if they''re bringing in someone who cares about pitch count...I might not get another chance."

    "Tsk." Dave let out a puff of air. "Annoying. Even Zeke didn''t see this many intentional walks."

    I shrugged, helpless.

    The game was called to resume after the pitcher got his practice pitches in. Jason hit a routine grounder to short and Garret was unable to move up. Mitch struck out swinging then Jesse ended the inning with a fly out to left field. We still had our solid 3-0 lead, but the way that the pitcher came in and got three outs right away just didn''t feel good.

    Top of the second. Garret went three up, three down too. With a lot of help from the outfield. Jesse caught a fly ball at the warning track, Tanner caught one near the foul line, and then Korrey made another great diving grab, stopping a line drive from becoming a base hit. Unfortunately these balls weren''t put into play on the first pitch. They all came after the batters got to nearly full counts. It made Garret frown and even let out a frustrated curse when we got back to the dugout.

    "Alright. Don''t lose your cool." Noah was the one to actually speak up and give Garret a pat on the back.

    "Easier said than done." Garret sounded annoyed. "They''re clearly aiming on racking up my pitch count. Fouling easy pitches. And that ump...giving them an extra inch on all these ball calls."

    "Then we''ll do the same." Noah said. He nodded towards the pitcher on the mound. "The dude did exactly thirty pitches yesterday. He stayed there to be eligible to pitch on no rest. That means he''s basically on par with you. 80 pitches allowed this game. We can do our best to foul anything close. We may not be experts like Jake, but unlike those guys, we have a lead."

    Coach nodded. "Noah''s got the right idea. If they want to make the pitcher work and get knocked out, we''ll do the same. Let''s see who has the deeper bullpen." He looked at Garret. "Trust your team. Go hard and stop worrying about getting a complete game in. You aren''t like the twins who have to sit the bench. You''ll have a spot in the batting order waiting for you to get your revenge."

    Garret let out a small laugh. "Okay, Coach. I know."

    Bottom of the second, our lineup changed tactics. Instead of attacking early like we did with that last guy, we were told to take our time. And our pitches. Be less concerned about the results of the at bat and more worried about accumulating pitches.

    Tanner did his best, getting to a 2-2 count. He tried to foul a pitch down the third baseline but instead it was a fly ball. Our dugout made noise, yelling ''drop!'' Hoping for the best. Instead, it was the left fielder to make a spectacular play, sprinting beyond the foul line and catching the ball before it hit the grass. Out. Korrey used up eight pitches before getting the green light from Mr. Miller to swing freely. He smacked a hard drive right back up the middle. The center fielder got his turn to make an amazing dive and catch, then rolled in the grass. Out number two.

    Back to the top of the lineup, Sean stepped up to the plate. Noah stood in the on deck circle and I was just inside the dugout, not expecting much. The purpose was set: try to get the pitcher to throw more. Everyone did their part even though they all got out. Sean worked a full count for a little before grounding out to short. The pitcher had done well over twenty pitches; he won''t last long.

    And like Noah said, we aren''t the ones under pressure to score. Garret took the mound top of the third. His pitches got fouled off a little more than normal, but the other guys weren''t able to make much of it. Two fly outs to Korrey in left field, then a swinging strikeout. Not bad at all.

    "These guys hit to the outfield too much." Noah grumbled as we switched our gear. He hadn''t been able to touch the ball yet. After three innings, it was definitely an uncommon experience for him. "Maybe I can get moved to left field. Just for today."

    I rolled my eyes and grabbed my bat.

    "What?" Noah saw me and questioned. "I just feel a little stifled. Korrey''s getting all the action. You would think they could switch it up."

    I smiled and just shook my head. There was no saving Noah. He wanted all the action, all the time. I just couldn''t relate.

 Chapter 884: V3 ch119 Game Four: Wheatland HS (4)

    Chapter 884: V3 ch119 Game Four: Wheatland HS (4)

    Noah may be joking between innings, but he took his batting just as seriously as he did fielding. He had put in more work during the off-season and it was starting to show. He swung late, getting some ugly fouls, but hey, whatever works. He got an unlucky call on the ninth pitch, a ball called for a strike. Noah shook his head at the ump and made his way back.

    "That guy''s strike zone is clearly off." Noah grumbled, passing me on his way back to the dugout.

    I shrugged. Nothing we can do about it.

    I was helpless myself. Before I could even step into the batter''s box, I heard the catcher telling the umpire their intentions to walk me. Saved themselves four pitches. I pursed my lips, tossed the bat back towards the dugout, and jogged to first.

    "It''s a free base." Coach Luis tried to comfort me. "Don''t pout about it."

    With me on base, Mr. Miller gave Garret the sign to swing and for me to run on contact. But I had to be wary of fly balls. Garret got set in the lefty''s box, nodding at Mr. Miller''s signs.

    With a chance to drive in a run, there was no need to worry about the pitch count for the guy on the mound. It''d be better to put the ball in play. Garret did his part, slapping the ball down the third baseline before taking off for first. I took off for second.

    I didn''t watch the play at third, but somehow the ball beat me to second base. The second baseman who received the ball, tried to make the throw to first to complete the double play. Instead, his throw went wide of the first baseman. I hurried off the field, seeing that Garret was going to try for second.

    "Hold!" The pitcher told the first baseman who got the ball. There wasn''t going to be a play at second base to get Garret out.

    Jason came up empty-handed after Garret. He barely caught a piece of a ball outside the zone, hitting it right to the first baseman, who fielded it on his own to end the inning.

    Coach didn''t have much to say between our switch back to defense. We took the field to defend the top of the fourth.

    Garret was back to facing the top of the lineup. The first batter, the lefty, didn''t mess around and attacked the ball early, pulling another grounder to the right.

    To me! I got my glove in the dirt and fielded the grounder, throwing the ball to Sean at first before the batter could reach. The first out.

    "Good!" Noah called out and clapped with his glove. It might have been a compliment, but I know he was secretly hoping a few grounders would be put into play his way. And I wouldn''t mind that at all.

    The second batter also swung and connected early; this time getting the ball to right field, out of reach for me and Sean. Tanner fielded the ball back to us, keeping that batter to a single. The third batter had a similar performance, a bloop single over Jason, advancing his teammate to second.

    I glanced at Noah, worried. Back-to-back singles? Is it time to go talk to Garret?

    Noah''s eyes stayed forward, but I could see that he was frowning.

    Cleanup got on with a single to left. Tanner threw a bullet straight to Mitchell, guarding home. The runner backed up to third, not daring to have a close play at home.

    "Time." Noah called out to the nearest umpire and headed for the mound.

    After seeing Sean, Jason, and Mitchell head for the mound, I hurried to join too.

    "They''ve changed tactics." Noah said in a low voice, covering his mouth with his glove.

    "Absolutely." Mitchell had his mask off and mouth covered. "We''re no longer seeing a battle at the plate. They''re jumping on the pitches early." He looked directly at Garret. "I-" He stopped himself.

    "It''s okay. I know what you''re going to say, and I agree." Garret took his glove off and held the baseball in both hands. "I''ve started to slack off."

    All of us got quiet. With Garret being the captain, it was hard to give criticism. Unless... I glanced at Noah.

    "They lured you into it." Noah said. "Don''t mind. We have to get back on track now." He looked around at the rest of us. "Let''s do our best to keep the damage small. Double plays preferred, but don''t waste an out by overthinking it." He focused back on Garret. "We have a three run lead. Try to keep them to two. But even if you don''t, you know we have your back."

    Garret nodded.

    The home plate umpire broke up our meeting, sending us back to our positions. Bases loaded. One out. I looked to Noah for directions on where to stand and sure enough he was ready for me, gesturing for me to play with heels on the outfield grass.

    The fifth batter was up next. Garret threw his cutter twice for balls, both fell out of the zone. Then he came back inside only for the ball to be launched into center field. Jesse made the catch and hurried with his throw. The runner on third tagged up. Noah acted as cutoff, caught the ball and relayed it to home. Mitchell knew the play was no good. He greeted the ball and hurried to throw it to Jason at third. The runner from second base got scared off and retreated back to second. The runner on first never moved. 3-1. Two outs.

    "Two outs! One to go!" Noah hollered. A few of the guys echoed.

    Batter six seemed to deliberately target Garret''s cutter, swinging at the first pitch, getting a piece of it and sending the ball between me and a distant Sean. I dove for it and missed. Tanner had to come sprinting in, charging for the ball. The runner on second was long gone, rounding third and heading home. Tanner barehanded the ball and threw directly home. Mitchell had to reach for the ball and then try to make the tag on the sliding player.

    "Safe!" The umpire extended his arms. 3-2.

    Mitchell gave the ball back to Garret on the mound. They shared a minute talk, giving me some time to dust myself off.

    I couldn''t make the play. If I did, we''d be out of this jam. Heck, if I had at least stopped the ball, that runner wouldn''t have made it all the way home.

    "Get out of your own head!" Noah clapped his glove. "Two outs, one to go!"

    I couldn''t tell if his words were for me or for Garret. Maybe Garret couldn''t either. Garret and Mitchell took on the seventh batter with fastballs. His fastest. No playing around or trying to get good placement. Simply overwhelmed the batter and earned a strikeout to end the inning. We kept our lead, but the margin was now at minimum.

    "Rough inning, but way to fight it." Coach greeted us back in the dugout. He looked at Garret. "They got to you."

    Garret nodded. "I slipped up. Got careless with my pitches."

    "Not every pitch needs 110% effort, but it does need 110% of your attention." Coach told him. He nodded towards Alisha. "Go get your pitch count. One more inning left for you at most. I have Brian warming up already."

    Garret nodded again and went over to Alisha.

 Chapter 885: V3 ch120 Game Four: Wheatland HS (5)

    Chapter 885: V3 ch120 Game Four: Wheatland HS (5)

    I took a seat on the bench. Noah trailed after me and sat down too. I looked at him, expecting a pep talk of some sort. He noticed me looking at him and looked right back at me. We stayed that way for a beat too because Kyle noticed.

    "Are you two practicing your twin telepathy?" He came over and questioned. "Why are you staring at each other like that?"

    Noah snorted. "We don''t need practice. I know all there is when it comes to Jake."

    I nodded in agreement. Noah was pretty good at reading my mind. He was the easiest to communicate with because he didn''t always require me to talk.

    "So? What is it then?" Kyle leaned in and did an exaggerated whisper. "Are we talking shit on Garret for nearly giving the game away halfway through?"

    A half-empty water bottle hit Kyle.

    "Ow! Hey!" Kyle narrowed his eyes on the culprit: Garret. "That''s abuse of power! I''ll get you impeached." The guys nearby let out some laughs.

    Another water bottle was thrown; this time it was completely full. Kyle caught it. He walked it back to Garret and started to talk to him. No doubt giving him a hard time for that last inning.

    "I don''t think you made any mistakes in that last half." Noah told me now that Kyle was gone.

    "Maybe not officially." I sighed. "But you probably could have fielded that grounder."

    "We all have our talents." Noah laughed. "I don''t compare my hitting to you, so don''t do the same to my fielding. Plus, it was a hard play. If you aren''t anticipating, then it''s probably a 50-50 chance."

    "How do you anticipate something like that?" I asked, a little exasperated.

    Noah shrugged. "Instincts. I don''t know. It''s a feeling." He gave my shoulder a light pat. "You probably just need more game experience. You''ve only played a season. You''re great. Don''t sweat the small stuff."

    "I want to be better." I kicked my cleats together, a little anxious. I don''t mean to nitpick or refute everything Noah was saying, but I don''t like knowing I could have done more.

    "Then we''ll practice more." Noah answered simply. "Honestly I would grade your fielding on par with anyone else on our team and in our league. Not every ball that comes your way is going to be an all-star play. Get the ones you can. If anything, I think you should put in extra practice on your slides. Especially getting walked like that all the time. If they walk you, you should go steal second. Every time. Make them pay."

    That''s not the extras I was hoping to do for the team.

    Noah laughed at my look of distress. "Stop. It''s not that hard. You get used to it. Wouldn''t it be awesome to punish the opposing team every time they walk you?"

    Punish them? Or myself. Noah had a point, but I was a little unwilling.

    Bottom of the fourth. Mitchell struck out swinging. Jesse popped up to the second baseman. Tanner did the most work by making the pitcher throw ten plus pitches before poking a single right up the middle. Wheatland''s coach came out of the dugout, signaled for a pitcher change, and went to the mound.

    That was quick. We didn''t do much damage to the pitcher''s ERA or WHIP but we got him to step down. Before Garret too.

    The new pitcher came in. There wasn''t much we could see as Korrey was called out on strikes. The umpire''s strike zone was definitely a little questionable.

    "Back to basic, boys." Coach instructed as we got ready to take the field again. "Don''t worry about stretching out your at bats, and worry more about getting on base. New pitcher, new mindset." He gave Garret a pat on the back. "Finish strong out there."

    Garret nodded. He did his best, going three up, three down. The first guy got a solid line drive off him, but it went right to Jesse in center field. The last batter in the lineup hit a routine grounder to Jason at third. Back to the top of the order. The guy randomly dropped down a bunt, thankfully right in front of Garret. He made a spectacular grab and throw to first to end the inning and his outing.

    "Damn. They really want me off the mound." Garret wiped the sweat off his forehead under his hat. "That bunt had to be intentional. Who bunts in that situation?"

    "Anyone who notices that the corners are hanging back and are playing flat-footed." Coach answered, sending looks to Sean and Jason.

    Sean let out a self-conscious laugh. "Looks like I''m first up. Better go get ready!" He scampered away to his bag, leaving Jason alone for the lecture.

    Noah and I went to our bags too. Hats off, helmets on.

    "Better be getting some gloves on, Jake!" Coach hollered from the entrance of the dugout.

    I stiffened up. I''m not used to them.

    "Wear them." Noah grabbed a pair from a smaller pocket of his bag and handed them over. "It''s not like it''ll matter. Chances are, they''ll probably intentionally walk you again. But maybe you''ll have a chance to steal so protect the skins of your hands."

    I sighed, and reluctantly accepted the gloves. They were used and already broken in. Much thinner than I thought. I opened and closed my hands a few times before picking up my bat. Wearing gloves isn''t something I should draw the line on. I warily looked at Noah''s bat as he led the way towards Coach. That''s where I draw the line.

    Sean was first up, facing the new pitcher that came out at the end of last inning. He took a few practice swings as did Noah, who went out to the on deck circle. The ump called for balls back and for Sean to step up to the plate.

    He got in the lefty''s box and showed a bunt.

    Garret laughed as he joined me near the dugout entrance. He wasn''t the only one. Half the guys in the dugout chuckled and joked how Sean was messing with the guy because of their last batter.

    Wheatland corners hesitated but were still drawn in. The pitcher started his motion and Sean drew his bat back real quick. The pitch came and Sean swung, blasting the ball out of the infield. Then the outfield. A homerun!

    The guys went crazy cheering for him as he rounded the bases. The crowd was just as loud. I high fived Sean on his way in and on my way out. He pumped his fists and greeted the team in the dugout.

    4-2.

    That was Sean''s second homer of the day. Game one, he went 0-3, but for the rest of the tournament he hasn''t been shutout at the plate. He has the power to get the ball out of the park. He was only behind me in homers. Then again...only the two of us have homered in this tournament. Garret had one from the Christmas tournament, but it was starting to look like he was going more for contact and getting the ball to empty spots around the field.

 Chapter 886: V3 ch121 Game Four: Wheatland HS (6)

    Chapter 886: V3 ch121 Game Four: Wheatland HS (6)

    I don''t know whether the pitcher was shaken by the hard-hit, one-pitch, homerun, but he was wild facing Noah, giving him a couple balls outside the zone. Noah knew the strike was coming and made great contact, sending the ball to center field. The center fielder sprinted in and made the catch for the first out. Noah came back, not looking disheartened at all.

    Just as I was about to walk up, the catcher got up and went to the mound to speak with the pitcher. I turned all the way back around and joined Garret near the on deck circle.

    "I think I''m going to get walked." I complained to Garret.

    Garret grinned. "You make it sound like a bad thing. It''s a free base! Couldn''t be better for me. I feel more energized when I see one of you guys on base already. Just that much closer to scoring. If only you could make it to second."

    I rolled my eyes. "Maybe Coach should let me bat after you instead. You get on and get to second for me."

    "I''m sure he''ll test it out." He replied. "Coach doesn''t like to do the same thing twice. But we need the better batters behind you since you keep getting a free pass."

    That''s true, I guess.

    The umpire went up to the mound to break up the meeting. He and the catcher got back behind the plate and stayed standing. I overheard the catcher tell him about the intentional walk and the umpire signaled for me to take my base.

    Tch. I gave my bat a small toss back towards the dugout and jogged to first. It didn''t stop there though. Before Coach Luis could say anything to me about the walk, Garret was given an intentional walk too. I stared blankly at the incoming Garret. I guess I would be on second base after all.

    Coach Luis gave me a small pat on the shoulder. "Get moving."

    I snapped out of it and jogged to second. We had two on. One out. Good chance. I glanced to Mr. Miller. He was signaling for running on contact. Be ready to tag if it''s a fly ball. Jason got to swing freely. Gotta get the ball to the outfield though to help me make it beyond third.

    Jason came up to the plate. If I were him, I''d feel pressured by the other guys. They rather make him hit than face me or Garret.

    The pitcher threw the first pitch for a called strike. Jason swung and missed pitch two. Pitch three was a ball outside. 1-2. Jason connected on the fourth pitch. A grounder. To shortstop. I tried sprinting to third base, but I could still hear the ''Out!'' calls by the umpires. They were able to turn a 6-4-3 double play.

    I slowed down and jogged back to the dugout.

    "God damn it." Jason was cursing up a storm. He took off his helmet and tossed it on the bench; it crashed to the floor and made me jump. I paused, unsure of what to do and where to go.

    Noah was the first to react. He picked up the helmet and handed it back to Jason and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, hey. You''re acting like you just lost us the lead. Chill out. We''re winning, remember."

    Jason let out a heavy sigh. "Just mad I couldn''t capitalize after two intentional walks." He clenched his fists. "I need to do better."

    "I''m sure there''ll be plenty of opportunities in the future." Noah told him. He looked around the dugout. "No one here is perfect. Getting jammed like that happens. You can''t let it get to you. It''s in the past, don''t let it become the future."

    Garret nodded his head in agreement. He smiled and nudged Jason. "What''s worse: you hitting into a double play or me giving up two runs? Baseball games aren''t won or lost on just one guy. Pitchers have to pitch, hitters have to hit. It''s a team effort."

    "Why is Brian out on the field before everyone when he''s the one coming from the bullpen?" Coach asked, coming back into the dugout after notifying the umpire of the pitching change.

    "Small pep talk, Coach." Noah answered.

    Coach looked to Garret and he nodded. Coach spoke again. "Garret to center. Jesse move to left. And Korrey, your spot will be taken by Bryce." He looked around at us guys. "Well? What are you waiting for? Take the field!"

    Everyone got a move on. I was one of the slowest, still trying to calm my heart rate.

    Noah must have seen me flinched or just knew I''d be thrown off by Jason''s outburst. He stayed behind as I got my glove and hat. "Jason is just frustrated and mad at himself. Players can get heated like that after bad beats and errors. You''ll get used to it." He smiled. "We usually have a chill dugout with our win streak so you won''t see it often."

    I hummed know acknowledgment. This wasn''t a team problem, it was a me problem. I can outgrow it. I just need to work on myself more. I know Jason. He''s a good guy. He may have shown an aggressive moment, but he''s not an aggressive person. I get mad and frustrated too. It just shows differently.

    Top of the sixth, Brian on the mound. This was his first appearance this season. He didn''t see any play time in the Christmas tournament or so far this past weekend. It has to be tough to have patience as a pitcher. You see other guys being used as starters and then you have other guys being picked before you as reliefs. Besides the twins and Garret, Bryce had been on the mound most. And he was the same grade as Brian. And they joined the varsity team together last year as sophomores. I don''t know if I could stand the constant comparison. The twins might know how it feels. Or...maybe all pitchers know.

    Brian did well in his first game of his junior year. He went three up, three down. Fly out to center, groundout to me, and another fly out to center. Yea, the balls had been put into play, but it was a good team we were facing. Champions of their league last year just like us.

    Bottom of the sixth, our offense came up with another dud. Mitchell grounded out to short. Jesse popped up, and the shortstop tracked it down in the outfield grass. Tanner went down swinging. The bottom half of our lineup was struggling to perform. It wasn''t just this game either. Game three in the morning wasn''t pretty for them. Game one and two were more evened out. I don''t see Coach letting us use this lineup more in the future.

    "Close it out, Brian." Coach gave him the green light to continue. Coach had originally planned on using the bullpen more this game, but it didn''t look like it was needed after all.

    We took the field in the top of the seventh with a 4-2 lead. Three more outs away from becoming tournament champions once more.

 Chapter 887: V3 ch122 Game Four: Wheatland HS (7)

    Chapter 887: V3 ch122 Game Four: Wheatland HS (7)

    Brian started with the fifth batter in the lineup. A guy who has gotten the ball to the outfield twice this game. A fly out to right in the first and a sac fly to center in the fourth. He made contact once more, off of Brian, hitting a single to right field. It didn''t seem to get to Brian as he proceeded to get the next two batters to strikeout swinging, but then he hit a bump. Or, to be more precise, a player. It was a wild pitcher that got the eighth batter on his thigh.

    He limped a little bit as one of his coaches came to talk to him. He walked it off and jogged to first. Their was an announcement of a pinch hitter for the pitcher spot in their lineup. Two on, two outs, new guy up to bat.

    Brian and Mitchell agreed on the pitch type and placement, then got to work. The batter swung and missed pitch one. 0-1. Fouled off pitch two. 0-2. Let a ball pass. 1-2. Fouled one back. 1-2. Fouled one down the left field line. Jesse couldn''t catch it before it dropped. 1-2. He straightened out the next connection a little more, sending the ball over the left field fence. A three run homer.

    I stared in disbelief.

    The crowd was going wild for Wheatland''s team and their dugout was shaking the fence, cheering for the guy who just took the lead away from us. 4-5.

    "Bring it in!" Noah hollered, motioning for the infielders to meet at the mound.

    I wasn''t the only one who was caught by surprise by the homerun. Jason and Sean. Mitchell and Brian. No one saw it coming. From a pinch hitter too. Unbelievable.

    "Snap out of it guys." Noah clapped with his glove. "We still have one more out to go. Then we''ll get our chance to steal it back. This game isn''t over yet."

    "Yea." Brian took off his hat and wiped the sweat coming off. "Just give me a second." He rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his jersey.

    Mitchell laid a hand on his shoulder and lowered his voice. "That was a good pitch. The hitter had a read on it. I probably should have called for another ball out of the zone. Try to get him to chase. This one is on me."

    "Team sport, Mitch." Noah didn''t let him claim the blame. He didn''t deal it out either. "It''s just one run. The top of our order will come up in the bottom half of the inning. Everyone will be responsible if we don''t win." He grinned. "But no worries, I don''t plan on losing."

    Our small meeting on the mound was broken up by the umpire. We went back to our positions leaving Brian up there by himself. He had to start at the top of the lineup now. Two outs, one to go. The first batter was the lefty; he had groundouts to me and Sean. Plus a failed bunt right to Garret.

    He pulled another grounder on my side of second base. I had to dive and stretch my glove across my body. Got the ball check. Transferred it to my throwing hand. Check. Then threw it to Sean at first-

    The ball went wide. Sean had to step off of first to make sure the ball didn''t leave the field of play. The batter was safe at first.

    I stuck my face in my glove, embarrassed.

    An error. We have two outs and I just screwed up the third.

    "Deep breaths." Noah was beside me in seconds, arm around my shoulders. "You''re fine. You''re fine. Don''t panic. Deep breath in, then slowly exhale."

    I focused on his commands.

    "We gotta finish this inning, Jake." He said. "Stay calm. You''re fine."

    I put my gloved hand down and slowly nodded. "I''m fine." I repeated after him.

    Noah backed up slowly at first, heading to his position. "Two outs! One to go!" He yelled over the endless background noise coming from the dugout and stands.

    I couldn''t beat to look out there. My eyes were solely on the next batter. Brian shared the same focus. He took on the next guy like my screw-up didn''t matter. Batter two made contact, hitting a grounder up the middle. Noah cut it off by sprinting in, and throwing the guy out at first to end the inning. He immediately made a beeline to me and stayed with me every step of the way back to the dugout.

    "Shake it off boys." Coach greeted us. "It was an unlucky break. You can''t expect a pinch hitter to come in clutch at a time like that. Unless it''s Jake." He cracked a smile and a few guys laughed. Coach looked at me, but I averted my gaze. "Jake. I''m not mad about the error. It was a tough play to make. Honestly the scorekeeper might call it an infield hit."

    He caught my attention. I looked at him.

    "I need you to stay strong, pull through, and get ready for your next plate appearance. Can you do that?"

    I nodded slowly.

    No one spoke to me as I went back to my bag and changed out my gear. Noah hovered nearby silently, getting ready too.

    Bottom of the seventh started with our number nine spot in the lineup. Currently held by Brian. I avoided looking at him (and everyone else for that matter) but I could hear Coach giving him the opportunity to bat. He was first up. Sean on deck. Noah and I just in the hole.

    Brian sparked hope early, busting out a single to right-center field. Sean moved to the batter''s box. Noah hesitated to leave me behind. I looked at him finally and gave a small nod. His shoulders relaxed and he gave a small smile before going out to the on deck circle.

    Sean got jammed on a pitch, hitting a grounder to the second baseman. He flipped it to their shortstop, who tagged second base for the first out. He then threw to first to complete the double play. Two outs. Bottom of the seventh. Down by one.

    I swallowed down a lump in my throat, feeling sorry for Noah who was up next. Noah didn''t look like he had even 1% of my anxiety. In fact, he looked like he craved to hit a homerun to tie it up. Thankfully, he could control his urges and let some wild pitches pass for balls. He got walked.

    I started to feel numb as I approached the plate. The catcher stayed standing. He turned to the umpire and said something. The umpire looked at me.

    "Intentional walk. Take your base."

    I was unsurprised. No redemption for me. I tossed my bat back and headed for first.

    Wheatland''s coach came out and headed for the mound. The catcher hurried to join. The pitcher handed over the ball and headed for his dugout. A pitcher change. Right before Garret''s at bat. They must be thinking about facing him head on. I felt the spark of hope reignited.

    The new pitcher came jogging in from the bullpen. He shared a short conversation with his coach and catcher. The two left him on the mound with the ball. The catcher got behind home plate to catch the practice pitches while the coach went to the umpire to talk about the change.

 Chapter 888: V3 ch123 Game Four: Wheatland HS (8)

    Chapter 888: V3 ch123 Game Four: Wheatland HS (8)

    I was stunned by his pitching motion.

    "He throws sidearm." Coach Luis put his hand on my shoulder and leaned down so he could talk in a low voice near my ear. I resisted the urge to pull away. Coach Luis wasn''t a bad guy, just very intense about baseball.

    I looked up at him.

    Coach Luis moved his hand to the top of my helmet and forced me to watch the guy warm up on the mound. "Pay attention. It''s not often you see one of these guys in action. Golden West, in our league, has someone similar. You missed that game last year so you probably don''t remember, but we lost."

    Oh. I stared intently at the pitcher. It was hard to watch from this angle though. With him being right-handed, all I got to see was his backside.

    "Sidearm pitchers are especially tough on lefty''s because of what they can''t see. The pitcher might be limited in how long they can last, but in a tight spot like this...they''re a good tool. Probably their closer." Coach Luis continued in low tones but the first baseman could still hear him. He kept glancing our way with a smirk on his face. "But don''t panic. I don''t think he can be that good if they still avoided you with a walk." The first baseman frowned and looked annoyed. I have a feeling that Coach Luis was intentional.

    I tried not to ask any questions, but I really was interested in this guy. It would be even better if I was the one at the plate. One thing was certain though, Wheatland thought they could get Garret with him so he has to be good-good. Garret wasn''t just number two in the county for his pitching.

    The umpire called for the game to resume. The pitcher got set on the mound and Garret stepped up to bat. Mr. Miller gave the sign: sprint on any contact. There were already two outs...no worries about tag plays. Noah was given an extra sign: go home. He was the fastest on the team and we were down by a run. We have to take the chance.

    Noah took a lead off of second. Inching closer and closer to third.

    The pitcher looked back at him. Noah didn''t budge. The pitcher stepped off the rubber. Noah slowly went back to second base. The pitcher got set once more. He faced Garret, checked on Noah again, back to Garret. He started his motion. I had a bad view of him but a good view of Garret''s swing and miss. Strike one.

    Pitcher got the ball back. He got ready on the rubber. Check on Noah. He wasn''t satisfied with how far Noah was off second base, so he stepped off and threw to the shortstop coming over to cover second base. Noah dove back and took a tag on the shoulder.

    "Safe."

    The shortstop gave the ball back to the pitcher. The pitcher got set once more. We started to get into this pattern of him checking on Noah between every pitch. Even after Garret fouled a ball back. The pitcher got a new ball and threw it back to his teammate covering second. If they wanted to wear Noah down, he picked the wrong guy to go after. I''m sure I would have made a mistake by now after four check throws. Heck, I probably wouldn''t even bother to get off the base. But Noah is different. He loves the attention. He''s probably wishing that the pitcher messes up so he can go off and run to third.

    The count stayed 2-2 for awhile as Garret fought the guy off with a couple of foul balls. Coach Luis got really into this at bat, clapping and cheering Garret on for every pitch. Garret must be doing an even more impressive job than I was thinking.

    On the tenth pitch of the at bat, Garret poked the ball between the shortstop and third baseman. Noah was off. I was too; sprinting for second as I watched the left fielder come in to field the ball. I stood safely on second and watched the outfielder throw the ball straight to the catcher at home. Where Noah was heading.

    It was almost simultaneous. Noah slid into home with his hands outstretched while the catcher came down with the tag. I couldn''t tell.

    "Safe!" The umpire extended his arms.

    The catcher got up first and started to argue.

    Noah popped up and headed back to the dugout amidst claps and cheers. All the guys were swarming him as soon as he got in. Then they were yelling out Garret''s name. Garret proudly pumped his fist on first base.

    We were tied up now. 5-5.

    The umpire had to warn the catcher before he could settle down. The catcher went up to the mound and spoke with his pitcher as Jason got ready for his at bat. The pitcher occasionally looked back at me, but didn''t do any check throws. I wasn''t as daring as Noah so the guy had no reason to try and get me. He went after Jason at the plate. Jason went down swinging, striking out to end the inning.

    I jogged back to the dugout.

    Coach was already addressing the team. "Extra innings. Brian, you better have started your cool down."

    "Already doing so." Brian answered while stretching.

    "Matt will be taking the mound." Coach told the rest of us. "Stay focused out there. Let''s hold them here and take the lead back in the bottom of the eighth."

    "Yes!" The guys said together.

    Everyone broke apart to go their own way. Coach went out with Mitchell to the mound to meet with Matt. Garret and I were the last ones to change out our gear at our bags.

    I met Noah out by second base. "Good run."

    He grinned and gave a small shrug. "I did what I could." He raised his eyebrows. "You see that pitcher though? Garret had to work for that single. I''m glad it worked out."

    I nodded. Me too.

    Top of the eighth. Senior Matt Dalquist on the mound. Wheatland didn''t play around. There was no time. Someone had to score for this game to be decided. Batters three and four flied out to Jesse in left field. Unfortunately the next guy got a better piece of it, pulling it to left field and getting it over the fence. A solo shot home run. 5-6.

    Noah clapped with his glove to get the infield''s attention. "Don''t mind. Onto the next one."

    Matt touched the brim of his hat and nodded. He turned back to Mitchell and got ready for the next batter. He put that home run behind him and got the next guy to strike out swinging. Back to the dugout we went.

    I met Noah at our spot on the bench. "You didn''t hold a mound meeting for that?"

    Noah shrugged. "What good would it do? It won''t change the outcome. And Matt isn''t the type to need a pep talk. He''s got a good head on his shoulders."

    Matt was really easygoing. Last year, he had very few appearances and no complaints. He just went with the flow.

 Chapter 889: V3 ch124 Game Four: Wheatland HS (9)

    Chapter 889: V3 ch124 Game Four: Wheatland HS (9)

    Bottom of the eighth started with Mitchell. He was rushing to get out of his catcher''s gear.

    "Take your time." Coach came over to say something. "We''re only down by one." He looked to Jesse, who was getting ready to bat too. "Jesse, take a seat. Bryce, get your gear on and take some practice swings." His eyes drifted around, probably looking for more options. He finally stopped at a fellow sophomore. "Logan. Grab a bat. If there''s a chance, you''ll take Matt''s spot in the lineup."

    The dugout was full of activity as we got ready. Everyone was on the move. Except for those of us who had our chance last inning. I sat beside Noah and tried to calculate the probability of me coming up this inning. It was highly unlikely. Unless we tied it up.

    Down 5-6. Mitchell made his way out of the dugout.

    "Come on." Noah got up and dragged me to stand up as well. He moved us forward, up against the dugout fence. "Let''s go, Mitchell! You''ve got this!"

    Noah wasn''t alone in his cheers. More than half the team was yelling out supportive commentary and clapping along to liven up the atmosphere. I settled for gripping the fence and focusing on Mitchell.

    He got under one of the pitches early on, popping it up high. The catcher jumped up, threw off his mask and tracked it back. "I''ve got it! I''ve got it!" He called off the first baseman that was running in. He made the catch for the first out. "One out! Two to go!"

    I glanced at Noah.

    "It''s alright. Don''t mind!" Noah said.

    Mitchell came back and Bryce went up. Tanner moved to the on deck circle. It made sense why Coach put Bryce in for Jesse and not Tanner. Jesse was 0-3 at the plate in this game while Tanner at least has one hit. Question is...how will Bryce fair against a sidearm pitcher.

    Bryce worked the count to a favorable 3-1. Just when I thought he was going to try to get walked, he made contact, hitting a line drive down the left field line. He dropped the bat and started sprinting. The left fielder was also sprinting. It became a race once Bryce rounded first and headed for second. The left fielder got the ball and threw over the shortstop, straight to the second baseman on the bag. Bryce slid in, feet first. His momentum carried his body over the bag, but he held on. It was up to the ump.

    "Safe!"

    "YES!"

    "That''s what I''m talking about!"

    "Awesome!"

    "Great job, Bryce!"

    Our team got loud. We had a runner in scoring position!

    Tanner moved to the batter''s box. Logan moved out to the on deck circle. He was coming in for Matt after all. Sean was in the hole. Noah didn''t make a move for his helmet so I stayed to watch too. I didn''t want to jinx anything.

    Tanner was the opposite of Bryce, getting into a 1-2 hole real quick. Mr. Miller gave a few signs out including for Bryce to fake a steal to distract the pitcher. Bryce had good speed so it was doable. He took a bigger lead. The pitcher was unusually concerned about baserunners. I brought it up to Noah.

    "He''s probably not too used to them." Noah answered, eyes still on Tanner. "He''s got such an unusual motion. I bet he''s a closer."

    "Coach Luis said the same thing."

    "Yea, well, closers are supposed to be lights out. Three up, three down. No more." Noah said. "With his style, it probably burdens his elbow and can''t throw too much. He was on a league champion team last year to make CIF so I can''t imagine him inheriting too many baserunners either."

    Ding.

    Tanner made contact. I held the fence and the yelling started. Tanner was running to first. Bryce had a lead, but waited to make sure the ball wouldn''t be caught. The right fielder had ran a bad route, made a jump, and missed. The ball bounced off the wall. Bryce started to sprint; Mr. Miller waved him on to go home. The center fielder was the one to get the ball and make the throw in. Tanner slid into second while the ball was relayed home. Bryce had slid freely over home, jumping up without ever being tagged. 6-6! We tied it again!

    Our dugout went crazy as if we had already won. I shook the fence with a few others. Noah and the twins were the loudest, screaming for Tanner. Bryce was welcomed back into the dugout with slaps on the helmet, shoulder, and back. It was a good run.

    Noah went to his bag and got his helmet on. He was in the hole.

    The catcher and other infielders went up to the mound to comfort their pitcher. No coaches from their dugout came out so they must be sticking with him. It turned out to be a good choice. He got Logan to swing and miss, striking him out for the second of the inning. Sean was up next. Tanner was given the sign to take more of a lead, but the pitcher didn''t even bother looking back this time around. It must have been said in his last mound meeting with his teammates. His focus was solely on Sean at the plate. He got him to strike out too, ending the inning, pushing us to the ninth.

    I went to my bag and put my helmet and bat back. Same went for Noah.

    "Bryce, stay in." Coach instructed. "Go out to left. Logan, take a seat. Tyler is coming in to pitch in your spot."

    Logan gave a stiff nod.

    Bryce joined the rest of us in taking the field for a quick warmup. Tyler was already on the mound from the bullpen. He threw some practice pitches with Mitchell before we started the top of the ninth.

    Tyler Larsen was a senior and played last year too. He didn''t get a whole lot of chances last year but came through under pressure at the moment. Him and Mitchell''s game plan consisted of using fastballs out of the zone and breaking balls that looked like they were on the borderline. The umpire was generous with anything close, practically forcing Wheatland batters to swing or take a called strike. Batter''s seven and eight went down swinging.

    The ninth spot was the same guy who came in to pitch hit back in the seventh inning. He made contact, hitting a sharp grounder right at third base. Jason was playing close to the line and made a diving stop. He jumped up and threw his hardest to Sean at first. Sean dug out the ball, catching it on a hop, completely stretched out as the batter came sprinting down the line.

    "Out!" The umpire made a decision on the close play.

    Yes! I smiled with relief. No playing catch up this time around. Noah, me, and Garret were due up in the bottom of the ninth. This is a great chance! The best so far!

    I hurried to the dugout, just steps behind Noah. We met at the bags and changed out our gear.

 Chapter 890: V3 ch125 Game Four: Wheatland HS (10)

    Chapter 890: V3 ch125 Game Four: Wheatland HS (10)

    "Hold up." Coach stopped us from leaving the dugout. "Let''s talk for a second."

    "We''re all ears." Noah said. I nodded along.

    Coach lowered his voice. "Noah, if you get a chance to get on base, you''ll have to make it to second. Get into scoring position." He looked at me. "Jake, there''s quite a lot of scenarios that could happen. But realistically, if I were them, here''s what could happen. Noah gets out, and they choose to take you on. It''s a sidearm pitcher. You''re a sophomore. They''re probably convinced that you only bat from the left side since it''s been awhile since you''ve switched. Then if they get you two out, they have options with Garret. Possibly walk him or pitch around him."

    I was confused as to what Coach wanted me to do.

    "Keep it simple with him, Coach." Noah understood me. "It''s easy for me, because I''ll always know what to do. With Jake, you have to give him a task. A problem to solve."

    Coach nodded, seemingly understanding. "Right. Jake, bat from the right side. If they take you on, you have to try for a double at minimum. If they walk you-" He paused for a second. "If they walk you, you have to decide: steal second or I''ll send in a pinch runner for you."

    "Coach, I''ll get on before him." Noah stated. Confident. "Jake won''t need a pinch runner."

    Coach made a clicking sound with his mouth. He looked at Noah. Then at me. Then back to Noah. He shook his head. "I can trust you two to do your best. But you can''t always plan out what will happen in reality."

    "Are you sending out a batter or going to forfeit?" The umpire had walked over and made his presence known. Apparently he was frustrated with how long we were taking.

    "Coming!" Noah sprinted out first, heading directly to the batter''s box.

    I looked at Coach. "I believe in Noah." I left the dugout next.

    I stood in the on deck circle. Noah took some big practice swings before stepping in the batter''s box. I watched as he faced this sidearm pitcher. Swinging strike. Ball. Ball. Swinging strike. 2-2 count. The pitcher started his motion and so did Noah. Noah showed bunt, connected with the pitch, then took off. The ball rolled down the third baseline. The third baseman came sprinting in. He had to barehand the ball and make a hard and fast throw go first. He was just a millisecond too late. Noah was safe.

    "Noah!"

    "Woo-Hoo!"

    "Get it!"

    Our dugout was overwhelmingly loud. One on. No outs. I''m up.

    A coach from the other dugout came out and headed for the mound. The catcher and infield went in too. Pitcher change? No. Didn''t look like it. Must be meeting to talk game plan.

    "Wonder which it''ll be." Garret came out of the dugout ready to bat too. "Will they let him face you? What about me?"

    I smiled. Either way, I thought we were in a good spot.

    The meeting on the mound broke up. The coach went back to the dugout. The catcher came back to home plate and squatted down. Yes! I gripped my bat and happily got into the righty''s box. He glanced up at me, but nothing was said. The ump called for the game to resume.

    I got my first chance to see a real sidearm pitcher. I watched his setup and motion with my full attention. It was definitely a new experience. I can see why it would be beneficial against lefty''s. Limited vision of his release.

    The first pitch went wide of the strike zone for ball one. He got the ball back from the catcher. He checked on Noah at first but didn''t do a check throw. He got set, started his motion, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Noah taking off. A steal? Or did I miss a hit-and-run sign? Unsure of what to do, I chose to do nothing. I stayed upright.

    The catcher caught the ball, jumped up and threw his hardest to second base. Noah went in sliding. The shortstop made a tag.

    "Safe!"

    I let out a sigh of relief. Gosh. That scared me.

    The catcher turned to the umpire. "We''re going to walk him now. Call up the next batter."

    What? Is that allowed? The umpire gave me a look. I hurriedly dropped my bat and jogged to first. On the way, I could hear a few ''boos'' from the stands, but our dugout was fine with it.

    "Get him, Garret!"

    "Crush it!"

    "Captain! Captain!"

    I stepped on first and turned to watch Garret come up to the plate. Mr. Miller told him anything close, swing. We run on contact.

    "Be aware." Coach Luis told me specifically. "If Noah goes home, you go to third. That way, if he''s thrown out, we still have a runner in good position."

    I nodded.

    "Anything to the outfield, tag up, go to second." He advised.

    We needed a replay of the seventh inning.

    The pitcher occasionally glanced back at Noah, but still didn''t throw back. He looked like he was resisting the urge for check throws. He had to keep his attention on the batter at the plate. No outs. Two on. Garret up to bat. I felt my heart start to pound. I''m thinking it''s already game over.

    Garret must have been thinking the same thing. He came out swinging, fouling a few of the pitches out of the field of play. Parents and spectators were yelling ''heads up'' every so often. It took him quite some time to get one straightened out and sent to left field.

    "Tag up! Tag up!" Coach Luis was shouting.

    I kept a heel on the base and watched the ball fall into the left fielder''s glove, then I took off for second. I had a good view of the left fielder throwing the ball in to third base, going after Noah. Noah couldn''t watch and wasn''t tempted to. His eyes were on Mr. Miller, who was gesturing for him to go down for a slide. Noah complied, diving under and between the third baseman''s legs. The tag came down, but he was already holding onto the bag. Safe.

    I stood at second, happy with not having to slide and even happier that we both advanced safely. There may be one out but now no chance for a double play.

    I looked to our dugout and saw that Coach was calling Jason back to the dugout. Seems like we''re going with a pinch hitter. But who? Dalton? He was the other sophomore on the team and the only field player who hasn''t gotten up yet.

    I squinted when I saw Kyle coming out. What? That can''t be right. Kyle''s not a hitter. Let alone in a clutch situation like this. Even more unexpectedly, the catcher spoke to the umpire, and soon kyle was jogging to first. They intentionally walked him? Oh, they intentionally walked him. They''re looking for a double play now. That makes sense.

    Mitchell was 0-4 this game and 0-6 on the whole day. Yesterday was better for him. He came up to the plate. Ready to go. Him and Noah had the most attention on them. Mitchell had to get the ball to the outfield. It was necessary.

    This time around, the pitcher committed to do check throws to Noah on third base. Had to keep him closer to the bag. Mitchell dealt with the weird pauses, not getting anxious or annoyed. He was patient. And it paid off. He got the ball in the air and lifted it to center field. Sure, it got caught. But Noah tagged up and sprinted home. There was no play at the plate. 7-6. We won!

    Everyone seemed to swarm Mitchell and Noah at home plate all at the same time. I didn''t join in completely, but got closer than before. I smiled and laughed as the guys pushed Mitchell around. The guys from the bullpen came sprinting in to join. We spent a good ten minutes in pure bliss.

 Chapter 891: V3 ch126

    Chapter 891: V3 ch126

    "This past weekend, Watsonville High''s baseball team swept their second tournament win in a row, not counting those from last season. They''re having another strong start to the season and we can only go out and show support for them when we can." Monday morning our school had put on the morning announcements on every TV in every classroom. Besides some school related events, it mostly talked about us. Then the softball team. They had a tournament coming up this weekend.

    "I think they''re just excited that basketball ball season is ending." Kaylee whispered to me and Noah. No doubt she didn''t want to offend the few basketball guys in our class. None of which were on varsity, but none of the levels were that good.

    "The soccer teams had a chance to win league." Noah noted. "I heard they had a good freshman on the team. Next year will be better for them."

    The pair talked more about how the other school sports were fairing while I listened to the announcements.

    My phone vibrated. I got a text.

    Noah looked at me. He must have heard it too. "Aren''t you going to look?"

    I shook my head and whispered. "No, we''re in class." I reminded.

    Noah shrugged. "So what? Just peek at it. I''m sure it Jeremy. He''s probably at the airport by now."

    "Jeremy''s going to spring training already?" Kaylee asked. "It''s still so early. Pitchers and catchers don''t report until after Valentine''s Day."

    I nodded.

    "Noah explained. "Him and his fianc��, Rose. They wanted to go down to Arizona early to meet up with some of his old buddies."

    Guys who knew him in high school. Even old teammates. That were either living in the area by coincidence or joining other pro teams for spring training. He told us last night over dinner. He was excited to see his friends finally making it to the big leagues since he was one of the few to jump up the way he did. He still knew some guys that were still in college too, but Jeremy just had a big jumpstart between getting drafted out of high school and going to a team that needed him to debut. Then he was so amazing after winning Rookie of the Year, that he got traded to a team that happened to have an injury early on in the season. A wild ride, for sure. Some would even say that the stars aligned for him.

    Mrs. Langford started to teach chemistry and we needed to pay attention and write down notes. After class, the three of us were about to split up for our next class, but Kaylee held us back.

    "Do you guys know if Kyle has anything planned for Friday?" She asked, glancing around to make sure she wasn''t overheard. It was suspicious.

    Noah shrugged. "Practice, like usual? Why? What''s going on Friday?"

    Kaylee looked at him. Then me. I shrugged too. Then back to Noah. "Are you for real?" She sighed, exasperated. "It''s Valentine''s Day?!"

    "Oh." Noah and I said simultaneously. He shrugged again. "I don''t know. Probably? I think he would remember. And it''s not like we have a game this weekend."

    "We have a tournament this weekend." Kaylee reminded. She rubbed her forehead. "Just give him a subtle reminder. Marie likes surprises. And she likes to do fun things. It better not be something lame like dinner and a movie."

    Noah gave her a mock salute. "You can count on me, ma''am."

    She rolled her eyes. "I doubt it. You''re blind when it comes to these kind of things. If it doesn''t involve baseball then I might as well count on Jake. At least he has more empathy."

    "It''s a curse." I added my two cents. "I see him in Calculus after the first break."

    "Okay, text me just so I at least know he''s thinking of it."

    "Okay." I nodded.

    We three had to split up for second period. Mine was Spanish III with some familiar faces. Sean and Mitchell. I walked into the class and saw the pair surrounded by other Juniors. I sat down nearby like usual and overheard them talking about Mitchell winning the game.

    The bell rung, but no one made a move to get to their seats. Coach Luis was the teacher and he seemed not to mind. Especially since everyone was interested in our baseball game yesterday. How did the guy hitting the game-winner feel?

    "Don''t treat him like a star." Sean laughed. "Mitchell did more work behind the plate than at the plate. I''m the one who hit a homerun. Come swarm around me."

    Some of the guys laughed while others threw some junk at him.

    "Jake is the real star!" One of the guys I didn''t know spoke up. "I heard other teams are so scared of him, they hardly pitch to him. And when they do, he can knock it out of the park!"

    "Jake can bat even better than Zeke."

    "He''s ranked above Garret in the rankings."

    "That''s crazy."

    "We should go to more games this year!"

    "Theyre bound to win league again!"

    "Yea, the team is stacked!"

    Coach Luis let the class talk some more about our baseball team for twenty more minutes, but then called the whole room to attention. "As much as I like to hear how great the team is, we do have to learn something today. It wouldn''t be a Monday otherwise."

    "Ah, man."

    "I was hoping we could just treat this as a free period."

    "That would have been nice."

    Coach Luis smiled. "We''ll do practical work today then. Speaking and conversing in Spanish only. No written assignments due."

    Some cheered while others groaned. I didn''t mind. I had a small conversation with Sean before he was pulled away by his friends. Then I spent my free time on my phone, checking the text I had from Jeremy.

    Jeremy: On the plane now. Will send another message when I land. Have a good day at school!

    I smiled to myself. Jeremy sounded more like a dad than a brother. I couldn''t imagine Zeke sending me something like ''have a good day''. If anything, he would tell me to make it a good day. Practice hard. Don''t let the twins copy my math homework. Things like that.

    Me: Have a safe trip!

    At break, I hung out with Noah at our lockers. We snacked and he talked about Zeke''s upcoming game schedule. His season would officially start this weekend. Three straight home games: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

    "Do you think we''ll just go there for the weekend?" I asked.

    Noah made a face.

    "You don''t want to?" I asked, surprised.

    "I mean, I want to see the games. But I don''t want to stay there all weekend." Noah explained. "Besides, we still have practice on Friday so we wouldn''t make it in time for the Friday game. There won''t be anywhere we could play and practice."

    "Can''t we play at the school?"

    Noah thought about it. "I don''t know. Maybe a little. Maybe Mom and Dad will talk about it at dinner."

    The bell rung. It was time for third period. We finished our snacks and split up once more. I went to Calculus and found the twins already there.

    I got closer to Kyle, trying to alert him of my presence but his eyes were glued on his phone.

    "Don''t pay attention to him." Dave told me, waving me to join him. "He''s preoccupied. Looking up some date ideas for Valentine''s Day."

    I nodded, understanding. I quickly pulled out my phone.

    Me: Kyle is looking up ideas before I said anything.

    Kaylee: Great! Happy that''s he''s not a complete idiot.

    I smiled and put my phone away.

 Chapter 892: V3 ch127

    Chapter 892: V3 ch127

    "Gather around, boys." Coach said as we started to come out of the dugout for practice. "I want to take a moment to talk before we start for today."

    On the infield grass, we did a half circle around him and the other coaches stood just a bit behind him. He motioned for us to go down. Some simply took a knee, but I chose to sit. I had a feeling this wasn''t going to be a short talk.

    "First off, I didn''t say enough after the game yesterday, but I''m proud of you all for pushing through the extra innings and adversity." He said. "There was never a moment where I thought you guys lost your passion and dedication. It was always onto the next pitch. The next play. I love that mindset."

    "Why do I hear a ''but'' coming?" Sean muttered under his breath.

    Coach smiled. "Let me ask, by a show of hands, who was dissatisfied this past weekend despite winning the tournament?"

    Jason, Jesse, and Korrey immediately raised their hands. Followed by Logan. Brian. Marshel, who didn''t get a chance to pitch. Joey Henderson, a Junior that didn''t get to pitch either. Tanner.

    I also slowly raised my hand.

    "What are you doing, Jake?" Noah asked, surprised.

    I swallowed a lump in my throat as more eyes looked my way. "Coach said...who was dissatisfied. Me. I barely got to bat."

    "Is he complaining about being too good?" Dave laughed.

    Noah''s lips twitched, however he raised his hand too. "I think I could have done better, Coach. Not just at the plate, but as a leader too."

    Garret raised his hand. "I wasn''t that good in clutch situations."

    Sean raised his hand. "I got to hit two homeruns, but I thought I could have done even more."

    Kyle raised his hand. "I shouldn''t have walked that batter in the top of the seventh of game one and lost my perfect game."

    "Boo." Dave jeered. "That just sounds like you''re showing off." Then he raised his hand. "I gave up two homeruns. To the same freakin guy."

    It didn''t take long for everyone to join in raising their hands, finding one reason or another.

    Coach nodded slowly. "Okay, hands down. Let me set this straight, I don''t think anyone perform poorly. I just believe, as a team, we could have left yesterday''s teams in the pit early on like we did Saturday."

    "San Marino wasn''t good. They just had one good player." Dave stated.

    "Wheatland was good at taking advantage of the situation." Garret said.

    "Tournaments can be tricky." Coach continued. "It puts a lot of stress on the roster. Even during the busiest part of our season, we would never play four games in two days." He looked at me. "And I don''t suspect you''ll be dodged around when it comes to league games."

    "Really?" I asked, hopeful.

    "It''ll depend on the situation of course. But with bases empty, an no outs, I can guarantee you one at bat where you get a chance to swing."

    "You want Jake to lead off?" Noah questioned, reading into what Coach was hinting. "What about the rest of us?"

    Coach looked around. "The rest of you continue to practice and don''t worry about the lineup. It''ll change as the season goes on. Everyone will get a chance to bat before or after Jake. Until I find the right fit. This week, I want to focus on practicing hit-and-run plays. Avoid double plays, advancing the runner. Homeruns are good, but let focus on the small ball. Noah showed us a lot of good baserunning this week. He can''t be the only one. Just like how Jake can''t be the only power hitter."

    Baserunning...I had a bad feeling.

    "Warmup like usual, then pitchers and catchers will go off with Luis and the others. Miller will help us by pitching off the mound. Jake will be our first baserunner. Sean at first. Dalton at second. Noah at short. Jason at third. Everyone else will hit, trying to get the ball past the infield with a grounder. Infield will try to turn the double play. Two bird with one stone."

    "Shouldn''t I be practicing the fielding part first instead?" I asked quietly. That''s what I struggle with the most.

    "You''re the one with the highest on base percentage." Coach told me directly. "We need to work on your baserunning more than anything. Your fielding is passable with the help of Noah, but when you''re on first, your lead offs are too short. You hesitate too much." Coach went on. "Your slides may look passable, but they''re easy to brush off the base. You have to work on placement. Where the ball went, where will it go. Should you start sliding or stay upright?"

    "He gets it, Coach." Noah spoke up for me.

    Did I? I don''t think so. I felt even more lost. I miss the days of Zeke batting behind me.

    Coach let Garret take us away for warmups. After going through it, he took the pitchers and catchers away, heading to the bullpen where the coaches were waiting for them.

    "Shouldn''t Garret be practicing this too?" Korrey asked aloud.

    "Psh. Garret is a power hitter." Noah said as our group headed for Coach and Mr. Miller. "Maybe Sean could get an exception too if he didn''t hit grounders so often."

    "Working on it." Sean sighed.

    "Jake, go get your helmet on." Coach instructed. "Batting gloves on too! I want you protecting those hands."

    Ugh. I turned back to the dugout and jogged to my bag. Hat off, helmet on. No glove needed, but a pair of gloves instead. I tugged them on as I hurried back to the group.

    "Go to first and watch for the signs I give." Coach told me.

    I guess I didn''t need to hear the rest. I jogged go first. The infielders were sent out right after me.

    Sean patted the top of my helmet. "Good luck, Bambi. Try not to be scared when facing Noah."

    ...I wasn''t scared before, but now I''m wondering if I should be?

    Coach got the rest of the guys set up. Mr. Miller was on the mound with a bucket of balls and a netted screen to protect him from being hit. First up to bat, Jesse. Former JV defensive MVP. He had gone from playing center field to third base last year, yet now he was back in the outfield.

    Coach gave the sign for hit and run. I took my lead off first. Mr. Miller threw a hitable pitch to Jesse. Jesse connected, hitting it on the ground between Jason and Noah. I was sprinting to second, but Noah was able to stop the grounder and threw me out before I could make a decision on what to do. Dalton made the throw to first, the ball whizzing past me.

    "Out and out." Coach declared from home. "Back to first Jake. Try to get a bigger lead."

    Yea. Okay. I jogged back to first and took a deep breath. Coach gave out the same sign with Korrey up to bat now. I got off of the base and inched my way to second. Mr. Miller threw me for a loop by throwing the ball to Sean at first. I hurried back and Sean tagged me.

    "Safe." Coach said. "Jake, pay attention. Even though Mr. Miller is a coach, he''s also the pitcher. He has to do his part to keep you closer to first. They want this double play. They need it."

    Pure distress. If I didn''t know better, I would think that the coaches were picking on me.

 Chapter 893: V3 ch128

    Chapter 893: V3 ch128

    "Bro, you look terrible." Dave told me at the end of practice as we packed up our bags. "What did they do to you? Make you roll in the dirt to make sure you weren''t afraid of it?"

    "That would have been better." I sighed, kicking my cleats off in exchange for my comfortable shoes.

    Noah laughed. "C''mon. It wasn''t that bad. It was a great practice."

    "Define ''great''." I mumbled under my breath.

    Noah picked up my bag. "Okay, you big baby. It was a tough workout, but you''ll feel good about it soon enough."

    "Not soon enough." I rebutted. I dragged my feet as the four of us walked back to the car.

    "Be careful. Coach might think you sound tired and out of shape. You wouldn''t want to do a bunch of conditioning practice instead, would you?" Kyle nudged me.

    I looked up at him. "I would."

    The twins laughed as I struggled to get in the car. Everything hurt. I tried so many slides today. A couple of collisions; thankfully weren''t serious. Short sprints that didn''t matter because I was already out. It was horrible. I rather run and do drills with Drew again.

    At home, we took turns with showers and eventually went down for dinner when called by Mom and Dad. I was a little listless as I put food on my plate and finally relaxed into the seat.

    "You okay, honey?" Mom asked, eyes on me.

    "He''s fine. Tough practice." Noah said between bites.

    Dave laughed. "Noah''s the one that made it tough apparently. Lots of sliding for Jake."

    "Hey!" Noah interrupted. "I got to work on hit and runs with him too. Only hit into a double play twice."

    "Out of how many tries?" Kyle asked.

    "I forgot." Noah coughed. He turned to Dad. "Zeke has a series at home this weekend. Are we going since we don''t have games?"

    "Wait. What. No." Kyle looked to Dad too. "Don''t tell me we''re spending this weekend up near Stanford."

    "Do you have something else to do?" Dad asked Kyle before answering.

    "It''s Valentine''s!" Kyle exclaimed. "Marie has a tournament this weekend so we can only do something Friday evening after practice."

    "Did you come up with a date idea yet?" Dave asked, curious.

    "Probably picnic on the beach at sunset." Kyle paused. "If I can convince Coach to end practice a little early. Working on a backup plan if that doesn''t work out. Maybe like a revolving sushi bar. Maybe do an escape room? That''ll be fun!"

    "An escape room??" Noah was interested. "Can I go with?"

    "No. It''s a date, stupid." Kyle refused.

    "Kyle." Dad warned.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "C''mon Dad, you know I can''t do a date that often during the season. Even more so with all these guys around." He gestures to us.

    "Hey." Dave said, offended. "You eat lunch with Marie every day. How is that not a date?"

    "Because it''s school! We can''t make out without getting caught by a teacher or supervisor. They''re so strict." Kyle complained. He looked to Mom. "What do you think, Mom? Do you and Dad really want to go to a baseball game on Valentine''s Day? Wouldn''t you rather go on a date with him instead?"

    Mom looked thoughtfully in Dad''s direction. Dad looked around the table. "Is anyone opposed to staying home Friday night instead of going to zeke''s game?" He look more pointedly at Noah.

    Noah shook his head. "I already checked. His game starts at 6pm. Even if practice ended early, we wouldn''t make it in time with traffic and all that. Not really worth the rush. I rather try the escape room that Kyle was talking about."

    "You are not trying the escape room with us." Kyle shot down again.

    Noah looked at me. "What do you say?"

    "Escape room?" I shook my head. "I don''t know what it is, but just from the name of it, I don''t want to try."

    "Oh. Right." Noah looked to Dave. "What about you?"

    "Me?" Dave laughed. "Maybe on another day. But one thing is for sure, I am not hanging out with my little brother on a Valentine''s Day on a Friday night."

    "And where exactly would you plan to be?" Mom asked.

    Dave shrugged. "I don''t know yet. Maybe have a singles party at the mall? It''s not like I''ve given this a whole lot of thought. I just know what I don''t want to do." He grinned at Mom.

    Mom squinted at him. "As long as it''s not a party-party with alcohol present."

    "Sure, sure." Dave agreed.

    "Okay, sounds like we won''t leave Friday." Dad took control. He glanced at his phone. "Saturday''s game is in the afternoon so let''s leave early enough to eat there. Sunday is another afternoon game, and we''ll come home after dinner with Zeke." He looked around the table. "Make sure homework is brought if needed. If I see any grades slipping during the season, then I''ll be looking into mandatory supervision with a tutor."

    "Does that mean we''re just going to be with Mom and Dad for Friday night? Grampa too." Noah asked, glancing at the twins. "Kyle clearly wants to be with just Marie. Dave sounds like he''ll be with friends."

    "You can hang out with your friends too." Mom offered.

    I looked to Noah. My friend.

    "I''m going to the senior center for a get together." Grampa spoke up, unwilling to be the only one without plans.

    Dave laughed. "I don''t think Mom and Dad want you crashing their date either, kids."

    "We''ll find something fun to do too." Noah said confidently.

    "Ten bucks say you two end up at the batting cages." Kyle said.

    "Easy money." Noah nodded. "We''ll go to the mall and movies instead."

    "How are you going to get there?" Kyle asked. "I need the car for my date."

    "Dave can borrow my car." Dad suggested. "As long as he''s responsible to bring Noah and Jake to their destination and back home. Your mother and I will give Grampa a ride to and from his event."

    Dave nodded. "Okay. I''m willing."

    The weekend plans started to take shape and it was just Monday. The next day I moved slowly and stiffly as we got settled in class.

    "Tough practice yesterday?" Kaylee asked, eyebrow raised.

    "Meh." Noah shrugged. "Coach just wanted to work on some play scenarios. Jake''s just getting used to sliding."

    "Bet you scraped up your thigh." Kaylee looked sympathetic.

    I gave a small nod. "No bleeding. Just rubbed some skin off."

    "The struggles of an athlete, my friend." Kaylee patted me on the shoulder. "It gets better. Then worse. Then better. Then eventually, you retire."

    "That''s the dream." Noah grinned. "Unlike you though, we get to play a little longer."

    Kaylee sighed and rested her chin in her hands. "Must be nice to be a guy. Even if it''s nearly impossible to make it to the pros, at least there''s the option. Softball is popular, but not worth billions."

    "At least you''re good enough to play in college. That''s an extra four years." Noah actually comforted her. "Have anyone interested in you yet?"

    "Not specifically me." She sighed again. "Just teams that are interested in Marie and I''m just collateral. Like a plus one invited to the party for convenience."

    "That''s annoying." Noah said. "Hasn''t she picked one yet?"

    "She did...but didn''t officially sign since she was waiting to see what Kyle would do. But obviously, Kyle isn''t planning for school." Kaylee added. "Our parents are trying to push her to commit though. If she holds out any longer, she might lose the full ride."

    "Just stay local. Go to Stanford." Noah shrugged. "Zeke goes there and likes it. Good campus. Great school. D1. Top sports programs."

    Kaylee lips twitched. "That''s not local. That''s nearly two hours away."

    "Hour and a half." Noah corrected. "Your parents could see her games still."

    "It''s not up to me." Kaylee brushed him off. "She''ll have to make her own decision soon enough." She looked between us. "What are you guys doing Friday?"

    "Probably the mall and movies." Noah sighed. "I was interested in this escape room thingy that Kyle was talking about, but he said he wanted to do it with Marie only."

    Kaylee laughed. "No duh." She leaned back in her seat. "We can do it. As a group. You two. Me. Alisha."

    Noah sighed and shook his head. "Jake won''t be able to do it."

    Kaylee looked to me. "Ah, claustrophobic...right."

    I gave a tight-lipped smile, trying to appear apologetic.

    "Another time then." Kaylee said. She tapped the table mindlessly. "We can probably do a movie night at Alisha''s. Maybe play board games."

    Noah looked to me for my opinion.

    I helplessly shrugged, hands up. "I don''t know how to play any board games."

    Noah slapped the table and grinned. "Alright. Let''s ask Alisha. We have to teach Jake the cruel realities of the world of board games." He nudged me. "This is how friendships are built. And lost."

    "I don''t think it''s that serious." Kaylee rolled her eyes.

 Chapter 894: V3 ch129 Valentine’s Day

    Chapter 894: V3 ch129 Valentine��s Day

    "What time do I need to pick you guys up?" Dave asked as he drove us to Alisha''s on Friday night. Alisha had given us the green light to come over Friday night with Kaylee. Mom and Dad weren''t onboard with us being at a girl''s house unsupervised, but Alisha''s parents called them and explained they would actually be around, holding their own date night in their backyard.

    "Don''t know. Just have your phone on." Noah answered Dave.

    "That''s not very helpful." Dave rolled his eyes.

    "Sometime between not too early and not too late." Noah elaborated. Kind of.

    Dave could only give a small shake of his head. He pulled into the driveway and let us out. "Later losers."

    Noah and I waved as he drove away. Then we walked up the driveway to the front door.

    "I always forget how rich Alisha''s family is." Noah said under his breath. "Like we have money, but she has moneyyyyyy."

    "She''s also an only child." I pointed out. Less money to be spent.

    Noah nodded and rang the doorbell.

    The door opened within seconds revealing Alisha and Kaylee.

    "Hey! We just ordered pizza, come in!" Alisha grinned.

    Noah reached for his wallet in his back pocket. "Oh, I didn''t even think of food. Want us to pitch in?"

    "Nah. My dad paid and he wouldn''t want your money." Alisha pulled Noah''s arm so he would go into the house. She reached for me, but I hurried on by. "Sorry, Jake. I won''t grab."

    I gave a small smile. "Force of habit."

    "Kaylee and I already started setting up the media room downstairs." Alisha told us. "Blankets and pillows. Snacks and drinks. And a few board games."

    "Media room?" Noah laughed. "Sounds fancy." He glanced around. "Should we say ''hi'' to your parents first?"

    Alisha turned a little red. "No. They''re swimming in the backyard. Trust me, it''s better for us to wait for them to make an appearance."

    Noah laughed even harder. Kaylee also giggled. I mimicked Alisha and felt my face heat up. I guess her parents are super close.

    Alisha took us downstairs and showed off her media room. Basically just a living room in a basement: couches, big tv, movies on shelves. A few game consoles pushed in the corner. Then a stack of games.

    "I say we teach Jake the easy stuff as we wait for the pizza to come." Noah sat down on the carpet and started to go through the boxes. "Come here, Jake. Tell me what ones you don''t know."

    I didn''t know much...Connect four and Jenga.

    Kaylee sat down too and pulled out one of the longer boxes. "Start with Life. It''s fun and interesting."

    "Not really easy though because it has so many rules." Noah rubbed his chin, thinking. "We could do monopoly first and that''ll prep him for it."

    Kaylee hesitated. "But monopoly takes forever."

    "First one to go broke, loses and it''ll end the game." Noah suggested. "The rest of the placements can be decided by the value of cash and properties."

    "All assets mortgaged to find out total value of each player." Kaylee nodded. "Okay. It can be done. And it''ll be easier to eat while playing."

    With the rules decided, the two started to prep. Clearing space on the ground and placing down the board and game pieces.

    "Pick your player." Noah held out a handful of silver pieces towards me and Alisha.

    Alisha picked the dog piece.

    I raised an eyebrow. "Does it matter?" Because all these pieces look strange. A hat, a thimble, a car, a shoe, a wheelbarrow... "What does these mean?"

    "It''s not that deep, Jake." Kaylee said while setting up the fake money. "It''s just who you are on the board."

    I picked the hat. Noah and Kaylee picked theirs next. Kaylee took charge of the bank while Noah was in charge of the properties. They gave me a quick rundown of the game and it sounded simple enough. Roll dice, move your piece, try to buy properties, avoid rent, and save money.

    It was an easy start. We were still in the early phase of trying to buy up all the properties when the food arrived. Alisha and Noah volunteered to get up and go get it, along with some plates.

    "You getting it so far?" Kaylee asked me. She sat on my right, while Noah had the spot on my left.

    I nodded.

    "After the properties are all bought up, we can start trading." She glanced at the stairs. "Never take the first deal. Whoever takes the initiative is usually the guy who wants it all. I know you like Noah and all, but play a little fair for me and Alisha."

    I nodded obediently. I was having fun. It wouldn''t be fair if I just let Noah run off with all the properties.

    Alisha and Noah came back. We took a short break to get food separated, then resumed as we ate. Turns out...Kaylee should have warned Alisha. I was new to the game but from the sighs and groans that came out of Kaylee every time Noah and Alisha made a trade, I could tell it was lopsided.

    "Kaylee, can I-" Alisha was about to make a trade offer.

    "Absolutely not." Kaylee cut her off. "I''m blacklisting you and Noah. I''ll only trade with Jake now." She looked at me. "I suggest you blacklist them too. Let''s team up and make one of them the losers."

    "Sounds like you''re the sore loser already." Noah laughed.

    "You''re practically stealing her properties." Kaylee complained.

    "It''s just at a discount for me." Noah smiled.

    The two went back and forth continuously while Alisha and I played the role of spectator. That was, until Kaylee dragged me in.

    "Give me your yellow and green properties, Jake." She instructed. "I''ll give you my red and purple."

    I complied.

    "Hey! That''s not a fair trade at all." Noah gave me a look. "Jake, why would you do that?"

    "Because...she said so?" I looked at the properties I was given. "And she gave me the ones I needed."

    "Whose side are you on?"

    "Uh, no one''s, right?" I looked around. "I''m just trying not to be the first loser."

    "Good answer." Kaylee grinned and complimented me. "Though aiming for first isn''t too hard either. It''s all about the luck of the roll." Kaylee picked up her dice and rolled them for her turn. She safely landed on her newly acquired property.

    As the game went on, it was apparent that Alisha was at a disadvantage. She quickly had to mortgage her properties to start paying rent on other''s properties. Then finally she ran out. Ultimate loser.

    I was in a better position. My properties weren''t worth as much as Kaylee''s and Noah''s but I was safe. Kaylee beat out Noah just by a couple hundred dollars. She started gloating immediately. Noah rolled his eyes.

    The two of them went back and forth as they cleaned up and packed the board game up. Then the pair pulled out the Life game and started to set up. Noah wanted to up the stakes between the two of them, but Kaylee vetoed the idea because we were all individual players again.

    "Not everything has to have a consequence or reward." Kaylee said. "What if Alisha or Jake become the first loser again? Their loss doesn''t matter but if I lose to you, I have to face a punishment? No thanks."

 Chapter 895: V3 ch130 Kyle’s Date

    Chapter 895: V3 ch130 Kyle��s Date

    Kyle was the first one in the shower after getting home from practice. He hurried through, stumbling around as he got dressed.

    "Wow." Dave, his twin, commented while watching him put on dress pants and a dress shirt. "You''re getting a bit fancy for a beach trip. And even more so for an escape room. What else are you planning on doing."

    Kyle paused in his rush. He gave a side smile to his twin.

    Dave sat up right. "What is it? What are you planning?"

    Kyle gave a small shrug. "We''ll see how it goes. I''ll tell you afterwards if it goes well."

    Dave squinted at him. "And if it doesn''t go well?"

    Kyle finished getting dressed and started to comb his hair. "I don''t know. I haven''t given it much thought on what can go wrong."

    "Taking the optimist route, I see." Dave laughed.

    Kyle grabbed his wallet and keys, then hurried out of the room and down the stairs.

    "Have fun. Be safe." Mom called out after him.

    Kyle waved his hand and jumped into the driver''s seat of the family car. On his way to Marie''s house, he did a quick clean up job on the front passenger seat. It had accumulated some dirt and grass from the baseball field.

    He had barely put the car in park when Marie came jogging out in a mint green floral dressed. She put her small black purse and cardigan in her lap after getting into the front seat. "Get me out of here. My parents are driving me nuts."

    Kyle smiled. "Your wish is my command." He put the car in drive and headed west for the coast. He glanced at her. "You look good in that dress."

    Marie smirked. "I look good in every dress."

    He laughed. "Why not wear them more often?"

    "Too much of a hassle with school then practice. Better to save on laundry too by wearing a t-shirt that I can also practice in." Marie explained. She looked Kyle up and down. "You look good in what you''re wearing, but I doubt you''ll be wearing it to school every day."

    "Touch��."

    The pair talked about their respective practices before Kyle pulled into a small parking lot across the street from the beach. "Okay, we''re here."

    "The beach?" Marie looked skeptical. "Isn''t it a bit too cold? And it''s going to get dark soon."

    Kyle pointed at the ice cream shop nearby. "This is just the appetizer. Let''s grab an ice cream and walk on the pier. To the end and back."

    They went in, got a single scoop on a cone, and crossed the street. The pair weren''t the only ones to walk the pier on Valentine''s Day, on a Friday night. It was moderately busy with some couples holding hands, others were stopped near the railing.

    Kyle switched hands to hold his ice cream, and used the free hand to hold Marie''s.

    Marie smiled up at him. "Not a bad start."

    The pair walked to the end of the pier over the ocean, watching the sun starting to sink.

    "I''m going to miss this." Marie said out of nowhere after finishing her ice cream. She pulled her hand back from Kyle''s. She pretended to take a picture of the sunset with her fingers.

    "It''s not going anywhere." Kyle put his hands in his pockets.

    Marie leaned on the rail and looked up at him. "But you are. The draft is in four months. Who knows where you''ll be." She sighed. "My parents want me to commit to a college and all, but what if there''s a better choice? Somewhere closer to you? I don''t want to end up on different ends of the country."

    Kyle subtly brought out a small box of his left pocket. "You should do what''s best for you, like how I''m doing the best for me." He pulled her closer to his side with his right arm around her shoulders. "Even if we ended up on different sides of the world, I would still only date you."

    Marie rolled her eyes and laughed while leaning into him. "You have to say that. We''re still dating. I''m sure after you get drafted, things will change. They always do with distance."

    Kyle lifted his left hand and held out the small box to Marie. "Here."

    "What''s this?" Marie flipped open the box and revealed a ring. Two tiny hearts, two different colors, touching one another. A name on either side. Kyle. Marie. "Kyle-"

    "It''s a promise ring of sorts. I promise my feelings won''t change. Not with distance and not with time." Kyle said with confidence. "I faltered once last year and I know I messed up. You''re insecure about it and that''s why you won''t commit to your college."

    "I am NOT insecure." Marie refuted, still caressing the ring.

    "Stop putting off your commitment then. Go to the best college, play for the best coach, and become the best softball player." Kyle held onto her wrist. "Don''t put your life on hold. Let''s grow together."

    She pursed her lips. "You know, if we break up again, I''m not giving you this ring back. No matter how expensive it might be."

    Kyle laughed. "It''s just some birthday and Christmas money. I couldn''t afford the best of the best. Just getting our names on it was 80% of the cost." He smiled at her. "So? Are you going to put it on?"

    Marie blushed, picked the ring out of the box and tried it on her middle finger. "Perfect."

    Kyle frowned and leaned in. "Shouldn''t it be on the ring finger? I thought I got the size right for that finger."

    Marie slapped her hand on his chest. "I''ll wait for a real engagement ring. For now, this is perfect." She leaned up and in, planting a light kiss on his lips. She hesitated before whispering, "Can I wear it to school?"

    Kyle was bewildered. "Yea. Why wouldn''t you?"

    She gave a small shrug, a little self-conscious. "I don''t know. It''s like announcing that we plan to stay together after high school. It''s engraved for goodness sake''s."

    Kyle laughed. "Yea. That''s the point." He hugged her close and went in for a longer kiss. After awhile, he looked out at the horizon. "We should get going. The sun is about done with us."

    She nodded in agreement.

    The two of them walked arm in arm, leaning close to one another.

    "Are you still leaning towards UCLA?" Kyle asked about her college decision.

    "Yea. It''s just got everything. Location. Athletic prestige. I would get charged in-state tuition and the scholarship would cover it all."

    "What if they take back the scholarship offer since you took so long?"

    "Then I''ll go to their competitors to spite them. Arizona State." She said righteously, pretending to flex her free arm. "I would pitch against them every time we faced them to show them what they''re missing."

    "Will you call the coach tomorrow?" Kyle asked.

    Marie shrugged, leaning into him. "I don''t know. Maybe. It''s the weekend though. Maybe they''ll be playing a game."

    "Send an email when we''re at dinner then." Kyle suggested.

    Marie looked up at him. "Why do you sound like you''re more in a hurry than I am? I already said my backup plan."

    Kyle gave her a tight side hug. "I know, but it''s your top choice. I don''t want you to miss out just for a moment''s hesitation."

    "Okay, I know." She nodded.

 Chapter 896: V3 ch131

    Chapter 896: V3 ch131

    "So you basically proposed to her." Dave said to Kyle in the middle row of the family car. We were all headed to Zeke''s school for his game on Saturday. Kyle had just told us that he gave Marie some special ring last night while at the beach and Dave was already interrupting.

    "No, it''s different." Kyle denied. "Like I said, it''s a promise ring."

    "Sounds like a pre-engagement ring to me." Noah shrugged from beside me.

    "Mommm." Kyle complained. "Can you explain to these simpletons that it just means I''m taking the relationship seriously."

    Mom fought back a laugh. "You''re right, but...they''re also right." She reached back to rub Kyle''s knee. "Don''t worry, honey. It''s not something to be embarrassed about."

    "I''m not embarrassed." Kyle huffed. "I just don''t like them calling it an engagement ring."

    "I didn''t. I said ''pre''. ''PRE.''" Noah emphasized. "Honestly sounds like you''re trying to prevent her from dating in college."

    "Obviously." Kyle said, exasperated. "Why would I want her to date in college? We''re dating while she''s in college."

    "Territorial." Dave noted.

    "It would be strange if I wasn''t." Kyle shot back.

    "You could always follow her to college." Mom suggested with a happy smile.

    "Mom." Kyle rolled his eyes. "I''m not going. Work on your other sons."

    "I''m going." Dave shrugged. "I already told the coach there. He wants me to sign the paperwork soon." He looked forward at his parents. "So I don''t think there''s enough time to do anything special like a trip there."

    "We could still do a trip." Dad thought it over. "Sign the paperwork when we got home tomorrow night. Then do a celebratory weekend as we get to check out your campus and the surrounding area."

    "Yea, we''ve never been to Nashville before so it''ll be fun." Noah said. "See the school, see the field, and see the city."

    I cracked a smile. I liked how Noah listed the field separate from the school. If he was to pick college, it would surely be based on the look of the baseball field. I''m sure whether the team is championship-worthy might play a roll into it too. Maybe.

    We talked about the tentative trip and what sights we would want to see. This lasted the whole hour and a half drive to Zeke''s school.

    "Did Zeke remember to buy the tickets to get the student discount?" Dave asked Mom as we unloaded ourselves from the car. "Or are we just going to sit in the bleachers, wherever we find?"

    "Dont worry, we''re meeting up with the Johnsons." Dad said. "Zeke said he gave the tickets to them since he knew they would be here today."

    "Does that mean Rhys is going to be pitching today?" Noah asked, excited to see his friend in action.

    "I would guess there''s a pretty good chance." Dave commented.

    We started to merge with a small crowd that was gathering just outside the baseball stadium. Mom had to call Mrs. Johnson to find a place to meet and then led the way. We found Rhys''s parents, but they weren''t alone. His uncle, aunt, and little cousins had all come.

    "His first official start in college." Mrs. Johnson explained the presence of her family. "We all had to show up. Especially with it being a weekend. How many times will we have this opportunity?"

    "Right!" Mom agreed with her. They started to talk about the more memorable games they''ve seen of Zeke''s and Rhys''. It didn''t take long before all adults started joining in and talking about them.

    "This is his first game since his surgery, right?" Dad asked Mr. Johnson.

    "Officially." Mr. Johnson said. "He was able to do a few innings here and there for scrimmages, but from what I understand, the coach will let him do as much as he can today. Just to see where he''s at. He does well in practices, but we know it''ll be different in a game setting."

    "I''m sure he''ll do great." Noah butted in. "Rhys is the best pitcher I know. If he can get Zeke out, he can do it to everyone else."

    Mr. Johnson chuckled and patted Noah on the back. "He''ll have to face a lot of people like Zeke in a row today. He''ll be lucky to get five innings in to qualify for a win."

    "I bet he does more than five." Noah said, confident. He grinned up at Mr. Johnson. "What do you want to wager?"

    "I''m not going to bet against my own son." Mr. Johnson grinned. "He already has a history of proving me wrong; no need to add to the list."

    "How about we watch the game and cheer for our team like normal families." Dad suggested to Noah, giving him a look.

    Noah slowly backed away as he laughed. "Yea, yea, of course. I was just joking. About the bet. I still think Rhys will perform well. And Zeke too."

    Noah ended up only being half right. Rhys had a great game. Seven innings, only gave up four hits and two walks. Zero runs and eight strikeouts. Zeke...didn''t do as well. He went 0-2 at the plate with two walks. In his defense, the other pitcher was good, only conceding two runs in the six innings that he pitched. Stanford ended up winning 2-1.

    The Johnsons invited all of us back to their house for dinner to celebrate Rhys''s first collegiate win. It was going to be a party of sorts with all of us gathered, but they didn''t mind at all. Mom promised them we would head over after checking into the hotel.

    "No rush." Mrs. Johnson said. "The boys have their postgame stuff and we still have to clean up a little and get the food ready."

    "Let us know if we need to bring anything." Mom told her. "We''re quite a few extra mouths to feed. Why don''t I put in a catering order in for pasta and bread? Keep things easy on you."

    The two moms talked it over as we headed for the parking lot.

    I looked at Noah, who had been rather quiet since the end of the game, but he was on his phone. I leaned over to get a peek.

    Noah didn''t hide it. He showed me what he was looking at: stats for the Stanford baseball team. "I wanted to know how Zeke''s doing so far."

    "They don''t include scrimmage stats." Dave said, getting a closer look. "Yesterday was their first game of the season. What''d he do?"

    "2-3. And a walk." Noah said. "So with today''s stats, it''s 2-5. And a couple of walks. Responsible for two runs scored and one RBI overall."

    "That''s not a bad start." Kyle commented. "I wouldn''t be surprised if he kept that average all season."

    ".400?" Dave laughed. "That''d be insane."

    "But not impossible." Noah grinned.

    "Has he not hit any homeruns yet?" I asked, squinting at the phone. I couldn''t see if they kept track.

    "Not yet." Noah moved the stat sheet on the phone. "Both hits yesterday were singles. Don''t worry. He''s probably adjusting slowly. You know how Zeke likes to take his time."

    "He just has more patience." Dave corrected.

 Chapter 897: V3 ch132

    Chapter 897: V3 ch132

    "There''s Zeke and Rhys!" Noah pointed the two out as we pulled up to the Johnson''s house.

    They both waved from the driveway, making it clear that they saw us too and intended to wait. Dad parked on the street and let us all out. The twins immediately cornered Rhys to talk about his experience on the mound today. That left Zeke with me and Noah.

    "Making us regret not coming to last night''s game instead." Noah complained.

    Zeke fought back a smile. "You wouldn''t have made it time anyways. Rush hour traffic would have made you too late." He looked to me. "What did you guys end up doing last night?"

    "Hang out with Alisha and Kaylee." I answered. "Board games and movies."

    "Get this! Kyle gave Marie a ring last night!" Noah told Zeke with glee.

    Rhys overheard and looked to Kyle. "You have your girlfriend a ring already? You haven''t even graduated high school yet."

    "Tsk." Kyle rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "What would a bunch of singletons like you guys would know?" He took the lead to head for the front door.

    "Ouch. Low blow." Rhys said while laughing.

    We made our way into the house and it soon became a whirlwind of food and drinks while dodging his little cousins running around. The adults kept inside while we moved outside. The twins went to play around on Rhys''s fake mound further out.

    I pulled my coat tighter around me.

    Rhys noticed. "Want me to go get you a blanket?"

    I was about to say no, but Noah cut me off. "Yea. You probably should. Jake gets cold very easily. Won''t be long until his teeth starts chattering."

    Rhys laughed and headed back inside. Returning less than a minute later. He laid a heavy gray blanket on me and started to tuck it in around me, basically trapping me in my chair. "There. That''ll do." He says back in his own chair.

    "A better way to stay warm is working out." Zeke said, looking at me. "Keep moving and your body temp will keep you warm."

    Noah laughed. "Give Jake a break. He''s had a tough week of practice. Don''t be scaring him by saying workout."

    "Oh?"

    "What have you guys been practicing all week?" Rhys asked.

    Noah went on to talk about the drills we had been running for the last five days. Working on hit and runs. Stealing and sliding.

    "A lot of offensive work." Rhys nodded. "Make sense. You guys have some good players, but it''s too easy to pitch around them. Everyone else has to hurry and get good too."

    "Shouldn''t we do more work in the batting cages then?" Noah asked.

    "A bit. But it would be better if they can face live pitching." Zeke spoke up. "I bet Coach will have the twins and Garret get some live action in next week."

    "We have a game on Wednesday." Noah pointed out.

    "Isn''t league." Zeke replied back rather quickly. He must know the schedule better than me. "It wouldn''t surprise me if Coach doesn''t go with one of the big three." He lifted an eyebrow at Noah. "Also wouldn''t surprise me if you guys hit the bench."

    "Noooo." Noah dramatically laid his head down on the table.

    "Aren''t non league games still important?" I asked, speaking up for the first time in awhile. "Something about rankings, right?"

    "They''re still important." Zeke answered. "If Coach thinks it''ll be a close game, you''ll be in. If not, expect some time on the bench." He paused before saying, "I think Coach is hoping for a better result in the Foothill Classic this year."

    Noah came back to life, slapping the table loudly in the process. "Yes! Of course! I want to win it all!"

    "Foothill Classic." Rhys mused. "How did you guys do again last year?"

    "Made it to the semifinals." Zeke answered.

    Noah sighed dramatically. "Don''t mention it. We had a lot going on. Zeke got hurt. Jake didn''t get any sleep beforehand and nearly had a breakdown during the game. Had to leave early."

    "So your coach doesn''t want you guys to rely so much on star players this year." Rhys nodded. "Playing against bigger and better schools, everyone in the lineup has to pull their own weight. Bench and bullpen included."

    I looked at Rhys. "Did your school ever go to the Foothill Classic?"

    Rhys nodded. "Last year actually. I believe they were knocked out in the first round." He gave a small shrug. "They may or may not have blamed me."

    "Why would they do that?" I asked, stunned. Rhys was recovering from shoulder surgery last year. He couldn''t even throw a baseball yet.

    Rhys waved a hand like he was trying to brush the memory away. "It''s dumb. I didn''t have a good team atmosphere."

    "Imagine a team of Chris''s." Noah told me. I shivered. "Exactly. Not every team has good chemistry like ours."

    Rhys laughed. "You have an unfair advantage. Half of you guys are brothers. What a scam."

    "You''ll have a bigger challenge next year." Zeke spoke up, looking directly at Noah. "No twins or Garret to have your back. Plus, more players from your grade level will move up to varsity."

    "I can handle it." Noah sat back in his chair, giving off a really relaxed impression.

    Zeke turned to me. "Have you spoken to any of the other sophomores on your team?"

    I froze.

    "That''s unfair." Noah answered for me. "How many people does Jake talk to in the first place?"

    I nodded in agreement.

    "I''m just saying, the atmosphere will be different next year."

    "Next year is next year." Noah said. "This year is going to be amazing. Even without you. Repeat champions, right Jake?"

    I nodded quickly.

    "Let''s go undefeated." Dave showed up with Kyle right behind him. "That''s something Zeke hasn''t done. Let''s show him up."

    Rhys laughed. "What are your thoughts on that, Zeke?"

    "They''ll have to win the Foothill Classic first." Zeke cracked a smile. "Hopefully University Prep isn''t your first opponent."

    "Hey! Don''t jinx us!" Noah yelled.

    "We have to do better this year." Dave sat down between me and Rhys. "Last year, I didn''t even get one inning done before an ejection. This time, I''ll get Coach to let me start game one."

    "I''ll be getting game one." Kyle shot him down. "We should clearly do the order that worked for the last tournament."

    "Did it really work though?" Dave was skeptical. "Last game went into extra innings. It''s not like we crushed them."

    "It was a good team."

    "But the Foothill Classic will have even better teams." Dave looked at Noah. "What school did you guys have that run-in with? You know...at the batting cages...then at the tournament?"

    "Sunset Preparatory." Zeke answered. He clearly remembered. "They''re local to us a bit. Their coach was friends with Mr. Williams."

    "Oh yea." Noah nodded. "Haven''t seen those guys since."

    "They probably have their own batting cages at school now." Kyle guessed. "Fancy rich kids."

    "We technically have cages at school too." I pointed out.

    "We also got a brand new gym thanks to Jeremy." Dave added.

    "I think private schools don''t get a whole lot of advantages." Noah said. "At least, not the small ones."

    "Private schools are mostly for religion."

    The conversation got shifted off of baseball. We only hung outside for an extra hour before we had to split up. Zeke and Rhys needed to go back to school. Sleeping in their dorms before games would make things easier on them in the morning. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson had their hands full with their relatives while Mom and Dad took the rest of us back to the hotel.

 Chapter 898: V3 ch133

    Chapter 898: V3 ch133

    Sunday''s game was right during lunch time so Mom and Dad let us go crazy at the snackbar.

    Noah squinted at my small pile of food. I had two hotdogs, a bag of peanuts, and a large coke fitting on a small to-go tray. "That''s all?!? Are you planning to get up later to get more?"

    I frowned. "I thought this was a lot."

    "No way. Don''t you want to grow? You have to eat more." Noah straightened up, showing off how much taller he was than me.

    "Don''t take his advice." Mom cut in, leaning forward in her seat to look at me. "That''s just junk food. It won''t really make you grow. You''re doing just fine. You''ve come a long way as it is."

    I sat up straight in my own seat. "Am I really growing?"

    Mom smiled. "It won''t be long until we buy you some new clothes."

    "I''ve got some hand-me-downs for you." Noah told me. "And I''ll start taking clothes from the twins."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "I don''t think you''ve grown that much. Chill bro."

    Kyle nudged me. "You can have my old stuff instead. I have better style than them after all."

    "We share a closet, dude." Dave rolled his eyes. "What''s mine is yours. And yours is mine."

    We talked a little more about size, including height and weight. The twins were identical in looks and build, but they compared biceps to show that the circumference was just a little bit different.

    Kyle grinned as he flexed. "All those handstands are starting to pay off."

    Noah was confused. "Handstands? When do you guys do that?"

    "Before bed." Dave said. "Not every night. Just occasionally against one another or right before taking a shower. We thought we would give it a try."

    "You got that from the guy here at Stanford, right? What was his name again?" Noah asked, looking out onto the field where players were preparing to start the game.

    "He was a pitcher." I pointed out. So he wouldn''t be on the field right now. He would be in the bullpen.

    "His name was Shawn." Kyle answered. "And he graduated last year so he wouldn''t be out there anyways."

    "Oh. Do you know what happened to him?" Noah asked.

    Kyle shrugged. "We only met once. It''s not like we exchanged contact info."

    Noah''s lips twitched. "You can still follow him on Instagram or something. Just to see what he''s doing. Maybe you''ll be meeting him in the minors later this summer."

    "You''re right. I should just follow him." Kyle pulled out his phone and started to tap away. He suddenly paused and looked up. "Does anyone remember his last name?"

    Dave laughed. "Yea, right. I don''t know if we ever bothered to ask. Just go to the Stanford roster on the team website, then change the year to last. That''s not too hard."

    Kyle took the lead and started to act on Dave''s idea. He found the guy in no time, clicked ''follow'', then proceeded to look through his profile. "Looks like he''s still playing baseball. Must be the minor leagues."

    "Can you figure out which pro team he''s affiliated with?" Noah asked, getting up to peek at his phone.

    "Just look him up yourself." Dave pulled Noah back to sit in his seat. "The game is about to start."

    Zeke and his team took the field.

    In the top of the first, they fell behind by three runs early on, but was able to get in the bottom half thanks to a two run double by Zeke and then another double to drive him home by Bradley Thompson. The game became a complete hitfest, constantly going back and forth with multiple pitcher changes. What would normally take a little over three hours, the game was stretched to almost four and a half. To make things worse, we still had to wait around over an hour for Zeke to finish his postgame meeting and shower. It was only after he joined us could we take him out to dinner.

    "Rhys didn''t want a free meal?" Dad asked as we loaded into the car. "He could have squeezed in the very back with Noah and Jake."

    Zeke shook his head. "No, he still has homework to do before tomorrow. I told him I would let him know where we go and then bring him something back. If you guys don''t mind?"

    "Of course we don''t mind!" Mom answered, buckling in. "His parents are closer and treat you to more meals than we''re able to do for Rhys. When''s your next game? Can we take you both to dinner then?"

    "I''ll help you download the schedule to your phone, Mom." Zeke told her. "Next game is on Tuesday. Only thirty minutes away but at 6pm so I wouldn''t recommend you come to that. There''ll be traffic and we have to take the team bus. There''ll be plenty more to come to later."

    "Next weekend?" Noah asked, poking his head through. "But we won''t be able to go, because we have a game Saturday."

    Zeke chuckled. "No, next weekend we travel to Texas for a round-robin tournament. Our flight leaves Thursday night. We won''t play another home game until the end of the month, but you guys will be playing in the Foothill Classic by then. But after that, I''ll have a string of home games and maybe you guys can come then."

    "Wow. We basically won''t see you until March." Dave said.

    "Not even a whole month." Zeke said.

    "We should get the schedules down on one calendar." Dad suggested. "That way your mother and I can plan to go to as many home games as possible."

    "Even if they conflict with our games?" Dave asked.

    "Contrary to belief, your father and I don''t have to do everything together." Mom said, looking back. "We can split up and multitask. Take turns going to games. Tuesday, I''ll make an early drive to avoid traffic and watch Zeke and his team. Zeke, who are you guys playing?"

    "Santa Clara." He told her. "I''ll send you the stadium address." He pulled out her phone.

    "I can go on Tuesday too. The boys don''t play until Wednesday." Dad added.

    Mom glanced at him. "You want to leave the four of them with Grampa alone?"

    Dad smiled. "You can''t baby all of them at the same time. The boys know what to do after practice: showers and homework. Your dad would probably like to take control of the kitchen again. He always liked cooking."

    Mom sighed. "Yea, he would. I just worry with him getting older."

    "I know." Dad subtly patted her knee.

    After dinner, we took Zeke back to school with some food for Rhys. The drive home from there wasn''t too bad and we made it before it got too late.

    Grampa was still up and waiting for us. He had avoided going to the games this weekend because he had something to do at the senior center. He was becoming more and more involved with other senior citizens.

    "How''d you like having the house to yourself, Dad?" Mom asked Grampa. "I really think you should have come with us. We missed you."

    Grampa shook his head with a light smile. "Mary, I''m a grown man. I don''t need to be dragged around all the time. I''ve got to see Zeke play just a bit ago. The drive is a bit much for me. You don''t expect me to travel to all the away games for the other boys, do you?"

    "Of course not." Mom told him. "I don''t want to feel like you''re forced to do anything and I know the traveling can be rough."

    "You''re forcing him to make dinner on Tuesday." Noah reminded.

    "Noah James, go get ready for bed." Mom pointed to the stairs.

    Noah laughed and ran off first.

    "Tuesday? What''s going on Tuesday?" Grampa was interested.

    "Zeke has a game." Dad explained. "We''ll probably leave early in the afternoon to beat traffic. But the boys won''t be able to come. They have school and practice. So we were hoping you would take over dinner for them."

    "Of course! It''s no problem!" Grampa headed for the kitchen. "I have to see if I need to go grocery shopping."

 Chapter 899: V3 ch134

    Chapter 899: V3 ch134

    Before practice on Monday, Coach gathered us for another meeting on the field. "Today, we''re going to have some fun."

    "A scrimmage?"

    "Batting cages?"

    "Pitching contest?"

    Ideas were thrown out by the players on the team.

    Coach grinned. "How about a little bit of everything?"

    "Uh, do we get to pick...?" I spoke up, having a funny feeling that I already knew the answer.

    Coach gave a small shake of his head. "Nope. I''ve already got it planned out." The guys quieted down. "Dave and Kyle, grab your bags and head up to the JV field."

    "Whattt?" Dave asked, confused. "Are we being dropped?"

    "No, you''re both going to pitch in their scrimmage." Coach answered. "Tyler and Matt, you guys go too." He sent the four pitchers away and moved on. "Garret, Sean, Tanner, and Korrey. You four go to the cages. Brian and Mitchell, go with Coach Luis to have a light simulation in the bullpen. You''ll have the mound on Wednesday."

    "Wait." Kyle stood up. "We have to pitch against JV players while Brian gets to do a real game? Are we getting punished?"

    "Keep talking and you might be." Coach said. He looked around. "I know you''re all curious as to what we''re trying to do here. To win games, we need to do more than just let the good players start. Everyone on the roster has to be able to be a game-changer at any moment. To establish a legacy, we need to ensure the underclassmen can carry on once the seniors graduate. Do you understand what I''m saying?"

    "You think we''re great, and you want the program to continue to be great when we''re gone." Garret said, taking a stand.

    Coach nodded. "I''m thinking from here on out, if I don''t expect to use our big three, I want you guys to get work in against JV. Expose them to high-caliber pitching while keeping you guys game ready."

    "Are we doing this all season?" Dave asked.

    "I hope to do so, but of course it''ll depend on our schedule. This week we only have one midweek game, then a Saturday game. Brian gets to go first. Bryce will have Saturday." Coach held up his hand to Dave to stop him from protesting. "Both games aren''t league games. Good opportunity to get the guys a chance on the mound. Get the bullpen some real work."

    "Might as well. They won''t be needed during my starts." Kyle said confidently.

    "It''ll be embarrassing the day you do need us." Tyler laughed.

    Kyle stood proudly, crossing his arms across his chest to make his biceps look bigger. "If you check last year''s stats, I had the most innings."

    "By two." Garret hid behind a cough.

    "If you boys don''t start moving, you''ll do some running instead." Coach threatened.

    The twins, Matt, and Tyler went to the dugout and grabbed their bags.

    "Yo, Noah, Jake!" Dave shook the car keys. "We''re taking the car up to the upper lot near the JV field. Find us afterwards." I guess he was going to drive Kyle and the two seniors up too. How convenient. For them.

    I pouted while Noah waved them off.

    "Coach, do you still want me to lead warmups like usual before the four of us go to the cages?" Garret asked.

    "Yes. But let me finish handing out the assignments so you all know where to go after warmups." He looked to Brian. "Bullpen. Got it?"

    Brian nodded.

    Coach looked at Bryce. "Get a little bit of work in with Oscar, then you both will go to the cages." He looked around. "The rest of us will continue to work on hit and runs."

    Joey Henderson, a junior pitcher, raised his hand. "Can I join the others at the cages? I don''t know if you remember Coach, but I can also hit. I did well on JV last year."

    Coach''s lips twitched and it looked like he was holding back a laugh. "Don''t worry, Joey, I know how good you are. If you want to hit the cages, you can do so." He looked around. "Robbie. Marshel. Do you two mind helping with hit and runs? Or do you also want to practice some hitting?"

    "I don''t mind." Robbie shrugged.

    "I want to pitch." Marshel took a stand. "Hitting isn''t really my forte and neither is practicing hit and runs."

    Coach looked at him directly. "What do you suggest we do about you then?"

    "I-" He stopped and looked around, noticing everyone looking at him. He scratched his cheek.

    "Can I make a suggestion, Coach?" Noah asked.

    Coach glanced at Noah. "Go ahead. You seem to be the only one."

    "Let Marshel pitch." Noah said. Marshel looked stunned. Coach tapped a finger on his other arm. "We''re working on hit and runs right? We need a pitcher. Jake can be the hitter. And I''ll be the runner on first."

    "It''s an option." Coach looked to Marshel.

    "I''ll do it!" Marshel said confidently.

    I slowly raised my hand. Coach nodded at me. "Uh, does that mean I should intentionally hit grounders near the infielders?"

    "Coach, can I try my best to get Jake out?" Marshel asked before Coach could answer my own question.

    Coach nodded at Marshel. "Yes. Do your best. We''ll take Oscar from Bryce and just let Mitchell do extra bullpen work." Coach looked to me. "I''ll let you hit freely for a little bit. If it''s too one-sided, we''ll adjust. Give Marshel opportunities to face the others."

    Coach went over to pat Garret on the shoulder. "Warm them up, Captain."

    "Yes!" Garret waved at all of us. "Let''s go."

    The rest of us joined those that were standing and headed for the outfield.

    Noah jogged next to me, almost touching. I gave him a weird look. He wiggled his eyebrows. "Crush him."

    I let out a small laugh.

    "What?" Noah tried to act innocent. "I''m not being a bully here. He''s the one that wants real pitching practice." He lowered his voice. "I think Coach wants you to give him a hard time too."

    "Really?" I asked.

    Noah nodded. "Coach is all about teamwork and doing what''s best for the team. Marshel didn''t sound like he wanted to help out. Could you imagine refusing Coach?"

    I shook my head. "I didn''t even know that could be an option."

    "The twins like to push Coach''s buttons, but look at them. Two of the best pitchers in the county going up against the JV squad." Noah said. "Coaches don''t know it all, but our Coach knows best."

    I nodded. I thought so too.

    Garret had us spread out on the foul line and we started our warmups. Moving while stretching. Stretching with some moves in between. After jogs, half-sprints, and full sprints, we went back to the dugout for gloves and baseballs. Time to get the shoulders warmed.

    After a couple of longer throws, we broke up into smaller groups, all heading our own way. Back at our bags, Noah put on his helmet and I did the same. With the addition of grabbing my bat.

    Noah nudged me and gestured to the mound. "Someone is eager to face a beat down."

    I looked and saw Marshel there, already throwing some practice pitches to the freshman catcher, Oscar Garcia. Oscar spent most of his time in the bullpen so we didn''t interact much, but I still remember his catching for Robbie last semester. He was good at catching and placement. I wonder if Coach was going to be umpire?

 Chapter 900: V3 ch135

    Chapter 900: V3 ch135

    "Robbie will take first." Coach started to give out instructions to the others on their positions. "Jesse, you have experience at third. Logan, play short. Dalton, you stay at second." He sent them out and away before turning to us. "Noah, I don''t need to help you with baserunning, correct?"

    Noah gave a short nod. "Don''t worry, Coach. I''m a pro." He gave a crooked grin. "Plus, I don''t think it''ll matter much in the beginning." He jogged to first base.

    Coach looked at me. "Don''t hit any homeruns. It''ll be a nuisance to get the baseballs back."

    My lips twitched. "Do you want them to land in the same area?"

    Coach shook his head but was smiling. "You do what you want."

    Didn''t sound like a ''no'' to me.

    He moved behind Oscar and signaled for Marshel to wrap it up. He threw one more pitch and got the ball back from Oscar again. Coach waved for me to step up. "Don''t be fouling any of the balls back. I don''t have any protective gear on."

    "I''ll protect you, Coach." Oscar assured him.

    "You could probably block some, but it''s better to tell Jake not to aim it back here just in case." Coach patted the catcher on his helmet.

    "I''ll keep it in play." It was my turn to reassure Coach. I got in the lefty''s box and got set to face Marshel. It wasn''t the first time and I honestly didn''t know why he would expect different results in only a couple of months.

    Marshel started with a fastball, just a little inside. I could have let it pass for a ball, but I wanted to start out strong. I swung, connected, and hit the ball right up the middle towards center field. Noah took off, running and tagging second, heading to third.

    I looked back at Coach. "Was I supposed to run too? There''s no one in the outfield to field after all."

    Coach shook his head. "No, you don''t have to run." He raised his voice. "Get back to first, Noah."

    Noah turned back and jogged back to first.

    Oscar went and got a new baseball from a nearby bucket. He threw it to Marshel.

    I had stepped out of the box and took a couple of practice swings. Trying to hit an inside pitch up the center was a bit tricky with my swing angle. Probably would have messed up if he threw faster.

    Everyone was back in position for pitch two. I stepped up. The pitch came...and went back to center field with the swing of my bat. Noah was running the bases again.

    I glanced back at Coach as Oscar went to get a new baseball. Coach gave me a small nod. "Keep going."

    I didn''t mind. Marshel was just a little bit better than a pitching machine. I got into the groove, constantly hitting the ball towards center field. To keep my mind busy, I tried to estimate whether a center fielder would make the catch or not. I had to keep the ball high enough out of reach for the middle infielders, but low enough it could land before a center fielder would get to it.

    "Coach...the bucket is out of baseballs." Oscar spoke up after half an hour of this. He showed the empty bucket to Coach as proof.

    "You and the others go gather the balls." Coach told him, then looked at Marshel. "Come here."

    Oscar left and Marshel came.

    I awkwardly stood off to the side. "Want me to go help with the baseballs...?"

    "No. I want you here for the conversation." Coach said. I gulped. He turned to Marshel. "How do you think you did?"

    I froze. Awkward. So awkward. How was Marshel supposed to answer that? He couldn''t even make me miss one pitch.

    "l don''t think it was a fair comparison so it''s hard to say." Marshel told him.

    "Fair?" Coach let out a small laugh. "You''re both sophomores, correct?"

    "Yes, but-"

    "No. Hold on. You''re both on the varsity team. You both have the same coach and same practice times." Coach started to list out what we shared in common. "The positions are clearly different, but I''m not grading you on your hitting or fielding. Just your pitching in which you specialize in. Jake specializes in hitting. So. What''s the difference? Where and how can I make this a fair competition?"

    "Jake is ranked number one in the county!" Marshel blurted out, exasperated. "Why do I have to face him? Why can''t I take on any of the other starters?"

    I looked at Coach, trying to avoid any eye contact with Marshel. He was clearly in an emotional state right now. I didn''t want him to take his anger out on me.

    "Do you get to choose who you face in a game?" Coach asked him. "No. You don''t. You have to face whoever comes out. I understand that you''re frustrated. You made varsity, but won''t get the same play time as you would in the lower levels. I''m leaving it up to you. Do you want to stay? Or go down?"

    It got silent. I glanced at Marshel and saw him with fists clenched at his side. He looked like he was struggling with the decision.

    "Why don''t we ask Jake his opinions first." Coach suggested in a lighter tone. He nodded at me.

    I looked at him blankly. My opinion? On what? His pitching?

    "Jake? Got anything to say about Marshel''s pitching?" Coach prompted me.

    I was drawing a blank. "Uhhh." I could only shrug, helpless. "He''s not bad?"

    Coach stifled a laugh by coughing.

    "How can I not be bad?" Marshel asked. "I couldn''t even get a pitch by you?"

    "Neither can the twins." I pointed out.

    That made Marshel pause.

    Coach gave me a look and I realized I was on the right path. I thought about what to add before coming up with something. "I don''t know much when it comes to pitching, but I can tell you what throws me off as a batter. Weird windups. Unusual throwing styles. Breaking balls."

    Marshel looked me in the eyes. "You think I can be better?"

    I shrugged. "Shouldn''t you ask Coach? He''s made me a better player." Whether I liked it or not.

    Marshel looked to Coach. "Should I try learning a breaking ball?"

    Coach hummed. "You should try talking to Coach Luis or one of the pitching coaches about it. They''re not just around for supervising. They can lead you in the right direction, if you want to be led. They''ll also be there every step of the way if you want to practice something new."

    "I want to stay on varsity." Marshel suddenly answered Coach''s previous question. "I want to pitch. I really do. Sitting in that bullpen is painful. But I want to get better and I want to face the best. And to face the best, I have to be here."

    Coach nodded slowly. "I like your determination, Marshel. You''re young, a bit immature. But I believe you''ll grow into being a starter. You have to open up though. Look around. Everyone wants to play, everyone wants to win, everyone wants to be the best. You have to use the resources you''re given to get that extra edge." He smiled. "A small reminder for you, Garret and the twins were once in the very same position as you. Fighting to get a start, fighting for time on the mound. Dave and Kyle would even take up relief spots just to get a little more. You''ve got to ask yourself, do you want it as bad as they do? Do you practice as much as them?"

    Coach looked at me. "How much do the twins throw at home?"

    I shrugged. "Almost every other day. We have to bargain for time at the cages. Like, Noah will catch a simulation for them one day. Then we go to cages the next. Some days they just use this board thing that helps them with their placement. Tells them the speed too." Dad got it for them last year, I remembered.

    "What about other kinds of practice? Weightlifting? Running?" Coach asked.

    "Yea, we do that too." I shrugged again. "Doesn''t everyone?"

    Coach looked back at Marshel. "Check with your teammates in the bullpen. I think you''ll find yourself on the low end of practicing outside of practice time."

 Chapter 901: V3 ch136 @ Lincoln HS (1)

    Chapter 901: V3 ch136 @ Lincoln HS (1)

    1 2B Dalton Nelson

    2 SS Noah Atkins

    3 1B Sean Isner

    4 CF Garret Knudsen

    5 RF Korrey Alvarrez

    6 LF Jesse Shipman

    7 3B Jason Morris

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Brian Swoope

    A lot of eyes were on me after Coach had announced the lineup. I shifted uncomfortably. Noah had pursed his lips together, looking like he was holding himself back from saying something he shouldn''t.

    "I''ll address the elephant in the room: yes, I didn''t put Jake in the lineup today." Coach said, looking around. "Not to punish him or this team. I think Jake is great. Heck, it''s acknowledged by those guys that decide player rankings. But I feel like this team''s mindset has changed a little after the Christmas tournament and the Tulare Invitational. You guys think you need him to win." He waved his hand at some of the guys who wanted to speak up. "No, no. It''s clear in the dugout. I''ve started to hear sighs and groans when Jake gets intentionally walk instead of cheers of a free base."

    "That''s just because we know Jake can do more." Noah pointed out.

    "Today is a good time to show me that you aren''t leaning on him." Coach said. He looked at me. "There''s still plenty you can learn from watching. There''s also an opportunity to become a pinch hitter. Make sure to warmup properly. Regardless if you''re in the lineup."

    I nodded. I trusted Coach. It would suck not getting to hit regularly, but there''s still a chance.

    Coach gestured to Garret. "Alright. Take them out and warm up."

    Garret led us through the normal pregame warmup.

    We had to travel to Lincoln High School for todays game. We played them last year at home so it kind of makes sense that it would be our turn to travel. The drive was less than an hour and we traveled with the other two levels of the baseball program.

    On the way here, Noah sat beside me like usual and we used his phone to look up last year''s results. We could only really winning. I at least remembered being nervous since it was our first home game last season.

    The twins had actually split that game, both pitching a few innings. Both had given up a homerun to the same guy. Noah had gone 1-4 at the plate, whereas I went 1-1 with three walks. Zeke didn''t let me hit much early on. He went 3-3 and we won the game 5-2.

    Another good thing about knowing I wasn''t in the starting lineup was that I could spend extra time in the batting cage as the starters used the field to get some work in at their position. Come game time though, I was on the bench.

    At first it wasn''t lonely since our team was up to bat to start off the game. Dalton grounded out to the pitcher. Noah struck out swinging. Sean reached on a single. Then Garret flew out to center to end the offense. Most of the dugout moved around and left to take the positions on the field, leaving me behind with only a few other teammates: Tanner and Logan.

    Everyone else was in the bullpen. Dave and Kyle didn''t even have a chance to pitch today, but both wanted to stay in the bullpen so they could get some work in with the backup catcher, Oscar.

    Seeing limited options, I sat down next to Alisha, who also came to the game on the bus. She had to sit with the coaches though, going through some papers with one of them. Even now she was holding a notebook for scorekeeping.

    "It''s more for keeping track of stats." She had told us before. "There''s an official scorekeeper who also keeps track of pitch count and reports all that to the league for their records. I''ll occasionally check with them to make sure I''m getting it right. But also, Coach Wilcox will have me write down notes if he wants to remember something for later."

    So far the paper was still relatively clean. It stayed that way for awhile. Brian had a great start in the first: strikeout looking, fly out to Jesse in left field, strikeout swinging.

    Noah noticed me moved from our usual spot. He stopped and sat on the other side of me. "Watching Alisha scorekeep?"

    I shrugged. "Might as well. She said Coach will sometimes give insights to the game so this spot is probably the best for me." I gave him a small smile. "I''d probably learn more if you were on the bench too so you could do a breakdown of the game for me."

    Noah laughed and slapped me on the shoulder. "You know, I would like to. And I don''t mind doing it for other games. But I rather be on the field. We can do breakdowns of the A''s games when the season starts."

    "The announcers do that on TV." I pointed out.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "What happened to you liking my insights? Now I''m not good enough for you?"

    We joked for a short bit as our team''s offensive fell flat. Korrey grounded out to third, Jesse had a sharp lineout to left field, and Jason went down swinging. Noah had to get up and leave.

    "It''s crazy how different you two are sometimes." Alisha said to me with a smile. "I just know that if it was Noah sitting here on the bench, he would be going stir crazy."

    I shrugged lightly. "Noah lives to play baseball. I''d be okay with just going to the cages." I felt a pair of eyes on me and somehow just knew it was Coach. "But I also like winning with my team. That''s the most important. Yep."

    Coach chuckled, just a few feet from us. "You don''t have to force yourself to lie, Jake."

    I straightened up. "It''s not a lie. I like winning. Losing doesn''t feel too good." Noah and the twins would be upset if we lost. We only had a few experiences last year and I rather not see them down like that again.

    "Losing is a part of the game." Coach stated. "The best teams in the MLB will lose 60+ games in a season. If they''re lucky, they''ll win 60% of their games so they can make it to playoffs."

    "Right..." I trailed off. I don''t think winning and losing will matter much to Noah then when he makes it to the majors. As for the twins, they take things more personally. It''ll depend on their performance on the mound.

    A sound of a bat hitting the ball drew all our attention to the field in time to see Noah diving for his right. He stopped the ball, jumped to his feet, and threw a bullet to Sean at first.

    "Out!" The umpire declared.

    "His reflexes have to be the fastest I''ve seen." Coach muttered so only we could hear. He looked at me.

    I felt embarrassed.

    "You have fast reflexes at the plate." Coach said pointedly.

    I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yea..."

    "We can train you to be just as good as Noah." Coach nodded slowly. "You have a weak base, but you''re improving by leaps and bounds. With the exception of your baserunning."

    I wish I could go hide out in the bullpen.

 Chapter 902: V3 ch137 @ Lincoln HS (2)

    Chapter 902: V3 ch137 @ Lincoln HS (2)

    Brian gave up a single right after that, but there was no worry. The next guy hit a grounder right to Jason. Jason threw to Noah at second, Noah stepped on second base, and threw to Sean at first. Double play to end the inning. The guys came running back to the dugout.

    Top of the third, bottom of our lineup. Mitchell was slow to get his catcher''s gear off. Brian even beat him outside the dugout, already taking practice swings. Mitchell came out second, yet was first up to bat. His at bat was a short grounder to second for the first out. Brian came up next, Dalton moved to the on deck circle, while Noah stood near me and Alisha.

    Noah didn''t say much, keeping his eyes on the field, watching the pitcher. Brian hit a solid single to center field and stood on first as Dalton stepped up to bat.

    I wasn''t paying attention to Mr. Miller signs so I was surprised when Brian took off as the pitcher started his motion. The pitch made it to the catcher, who jumped up and threw to second base. A tag came down as Brian slid into the base.

    "Safe!" The ump said.

    Our dugout started to cheer for Brian''s run.

    "Maybe you should be taking some advice from the pitcher on how to run the bases, Jake." Tanner joked as he came over to sit near me. He had seen my ugly baserunning in last year''s midseason tryout and hasn''t let me forget it. Even though I''ve had some improvements.

    "I don''t remember you ever stealing second." Garret said as he stood by the dugout entrance with his bat in hand and helmet on. He was hoping to get a chance to bat this inning.

    "Ouch!" Tanner held his chest. "A shot straight to the heart." He raised his eyebrows. "Remind me how many bases you stole last year?"

    Garret pretended not to hear him. He spoke to Sean about the pitcher during the rest of Dalton''s at bat. Dalton nearly made perfect contact with a fastball, hitting it in right-center field. Brian was already on the run from second, having a good jump as it was. The ball was relayed back in as he tagged third and headed home.

    Brian slid into home, feet first. The catcher caught a well placed ball and made a tag attempt.

    "Safe!" The home plate umpire extended his arms. 1-0. First run of the game.

    Brian was welcomed back into the dugout with high fives, claps, cheers, and compliments.

    "Not rusty at all." Coach nodded at Brian, showing some satisfaction with his offense. "Do just as well at the plate as you do on the mound, and you''ll eventually have more reason to start over the twins."

    I held back a laugh, but Alisha didn''t.

    "Too bad the twins weren''t here to hear that." She said to me. "I''ll have to tell Noah later."

    I smiled and shook my head. She was handing over material to Noah to give the twins a hard time. I can already hear the bickering now. "Maybe they''ll want to go to the cages more then." I thought of the positives. This could be beneficial for me.

    Noah made contact early in his at bat, hitting a hard grounder just barely within reach of the shortstop. The shortstop threw to second and got Dalton out, but they couldn''t complete the double play against Noah''s speed. Sean went up next and hit a short single, making Noah unable to score on it. Garret followed up with a long fly ball to the center fielder just at the warning track.

    Bottom of the third. Brian started off unstable. A single, walk, and another single to load up the bases. All to the bottom of their lineup. He got out of the jam though. The number one batter popped up foul to Mitchell. The second batter struck out swinging. Then the third batter popped up to Sean at first to end the inning.

    "Don''t say it, Coach." Brian sighed when he came back. "I was too eager. Don''t worry, I''m settled now." He looked at him. "Am I on a pitch count?"

    "No." Coach answered. "But if you continue to load bases like that, it won''t be long before I pull you from the mound."

    "I won''t!"

    I peeked at Alisha paper to see where his pitch count was after that scary inning. Nearing 50. Not too good considering pitchers are only allowed 110 in a game. If he wants to do a complete game, he''ll have to waste less.

    Top of the fourth. Korrey led off with a single to left field. Jesse popped a pitch up high into the air. The catcher threw his mask off and tracked it down near the dugout, making a good catch for the first out. Jason struck out looking at a breaking ball that landed in the zone. Mitchell ended the offensive with a pop out to the shortstop.

    Bottom of the fourth. With Mitchell being the last out, Brian took some practice pitches with Jason pretending to catch. Then it was back to business. Brian kept his pitches low, yet still in the strike zone. It was effective. Three up, three down. Groundout to Noah. Groundout to Jason. Groundout to Noah.

    Top of the fifth. Brian hit a fly ball to left field that was easily caught. Dalton snuck a grounder between first and second for a single. During Noah''s at bat, Mr. Miller gave Dalton the sign to steal. I watched him closely, trying to study his setup. He went out for a normal lead, eyes on the pitcher. The pitcher did a check throw to first and Dalton went back safely. The first baseman gave the ball back to the pitcher and Dalton took his lead again. As soon as the pitcher kicked his leg to start his motion, Dalton took off for second base.

    Noah swung and missed on the pitch intentionally, slowing the catcher down by a millisecond. The catcher transitioned to his throw and the ball went to the shortstop, covering second base. A slide and a tag. It was up to the umpire.

    "Safe!"

    "Yes!"

    "Nice run!"

    "Woo-hoo!"

    Our dugout got loud and it stayed that way when Noah hit the very next pitch down the left field line. Both sophomores took off. Dalton had a good lead and was waved on home by Mr. Miller. The ball was thrown back to the infield. The shortstop threw home. The catcher caught the ball but gave up on the tag since Dalton was already in. The catcher threw his hardest to second base. The second baseman made the catch and tagged Noah.

    "Safe!"

    "This is why we run!" Coach clapped his hands together. "This is the kind of aggressive baserunning I want to see."

    The inning went on with Sean hitting a long fly ball to left field; Noah tagged up and made it to third, making Coach even happier. Garret followed up with a standup double; Noah scored easily. Korrey struck out, leaving Garret stranded.

    Bottom of the fifth, up 3-0. Brian gave up a single to the seventh batter for the second time. The next guy up hit a hard line drive, but Noah was there to steal it out of the air. The runner retreated to first. Batter nine, their pitcher, struck out swing. Top of the lineup hit a fly out to left and ended the inning.

 Chapter 903: V3 ch138 @ Lincoln HS (3)

    Chapter 903: V3 ch138 @ Lincoln HS (3)

    Top of the sixth. We got the bases loaded thanks to walk by Jesse, a single by Jason, and then another walk earned by Mitchell. As Brian came up to bat, Lincoln''s coach came out to do a pitcher change. Brian came back near the on deck circle and talked to Dalton a little bit.

    "Going to tack on a few more runs." Noah grinned at me as he held his bat.

    "You have a lot of confidence for someone who is only 1-3 at the plate today." Sean laughed.

    "I didn''t say I was going to be the one to do it." Noah replied. "Brian and Dalton have the best odds. No outs. Bases loaded." He looked towards Coach. "If Brian doesn''t have an RBI at the minimum, you should take him out."

    Coach squinted at him. "Only if you don''t mind that I do the same to you. RBI or bench."

    Noah forced out a laugh. "You know I was just kidding, Coach."

    Coach gave a small shrug. "I don''t think I was."

    Sean patted Noah on the back. "I don''t think you''ll be playing the last two innings."

    "Would you like the same opportunity, Sean?" Coach asked.

    Sean shook his head. "No, I''m good, Coach."

    "I think your focus needs more work." Coach said. "Let''s give you the same opportunity. If neither of you perform, we''ll give you a break from the game."

    Nearby teammates stifled their laughs to avoid being a part of the challenge. Requiring an RBI or you get subbed out carries a lot of pressure.

    "Logan, Tanner, make sure you guys are warmed up." Coach said to the two known players on the bench. He caught me looking at him. "If you were to go in, it''d be for a pinch hit situation."

    I nodded, understanding. If this game somehow became close, it would be better to put me where I was needed in the lineup. Somewhere I could make a change in the game.

    The new pitcher was done with his practice pitches and it was finally Brian''s turn to bat. Bases loaded. No outs. Brian came through on a 2-2 count, hitting a short single to right field. The outfielder made the catch on one hop and threw all the way home, stopping Jason from advancing anymore. But that was okay. Jesse scored making it 4-0. Still bases loaded, still no outs.

    Dalton went to the batter''s box and Noah moved out to the on deck circle. Dalton made contact for the fourth time today, hitting a sharp grounder up the middle. It almost looked liked it was going to get through but the second baseman had slid into the grass and made the stop. He threw it to the shortstop covering second. The shortstop was in a bad spot, facing the wrong way from first. He had made the tag on second base to get Brian out, but his throw to first didn''t make it in time to convert the double play. Dalton was safe at first. Meanwhile, Jason had scored easily and Mitchell advanced to third. 5-0.

    Runners on first and third, one out. Noah hit a line drive to left, bouncing it safely in the grass. Mitchell scored, Dalton advanced, and Noah got his RBI. I clapped and cheered with the rest of the team. 6-0.

    Sean got unlucky, hitting into a double play to end the offensive. He came back to the dugout and let out a heavy sigh. "Who''s going in for me?"

    "No one." Coach said while slapping him on the back. "It was a good hit. Switch your gear and get back out there."

    "Wow, thanks Coach. I really thought you were being serious with us." Sean said with relief, moving to his bag.

    "I was. But then I remembered that no one else has a first baseman''s glove. And you''re a lefty so I would have to make Garret play and it''s just not worth the hassle." Coach was brutally honest. "Don''t worry, next time I''ll make sure we bring a righty''s first baseman glove just in case."

    Some of the guys laughed and gave Sean a hard time too as they ran out onto the field. The rest of the game didn''t have much action. Brian gave up one more hit, but other than that, it was smooth sailing. Top of the seventh Garret hit a lead off double, but no one was able to bring him home. We won 6-0.

    The ride back to school was full of laughs and smack talk. I happily listened, not bothered too much about my lack of play time.

    Surprisingly, when we got home, it was Grampa who was the most upset.

    "I heard that coach of yours didn''t put you in today." Grampa said when we sat down at the dinner table. He was sitting across from me, with the twins. "What was his excuse for not playing the best player in the area."

    I felt my face heat up. "I''m not the best player."

    "Best batter." Noah helped out.

    "Same thing." Grampa looked to Noah. "Weren''t you supposed to help him out?"

    Noah shrugged. "Coach wanted us to play and win without him. I''m sure Jake will play in the next game on Saturday."

    "We won''t." Kyle stabbed the food on his plate. "Coach already said Bryce will get the mound. So lame."

    "Kyle." Dad looked at him.

    "Meh. Maybe we''ll pitch against the JV guys again. Tomorrow or Friday." Dave said. "That''s not so bad."

    "Yea?" Noah asked. "How''d you guys do against them?"

    "Destroyed them both ways." Kyle laughed. "Their coaches pulled us off after eight innings."

    "Eight innings?" Dad looked concerned. "Is there a coach keeping track of pitches?"

    "Of course there was." Dave laughed. "Even though it''s just practice, Coach keeps a close eye on that kind of stuff."

    "Heck, he even sent Drew to supervise our cool down." Kyle added. "If we had it our way, we would keep going to find out who would crumble first."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "I said it wouldn''t matter because it''s not like we can judge who has the better team of hitters. The JV team has players from all grades and the skills vary. Some could have a good day and others could have a bad day."

    "Sounds fair to me." Kyle said. "It''s a pitcher''s duel. First one to falter loses."

    "Why don''t we compare by strikeouts then? That''s more personal of a skill." Dave asked.

    "Do you two have to compare each other in everything?" Mom asked, sounding tired. "Look at Noah and Jake. They''re the same age, playing similar positions and they get along."

    "That''s different." Kyle answered. "Noah is clearly the better fielder and Jake is the better batter. They already know what stats they beat each other in. Dave and I, we share too much in common. Something has to give. Just like how I know I was the better pitcher last year because I had the better stats."

    "I got injured." Dave argued. "You got more starts than me."

    "Not getting hurt requires a bit of skill." Kyle shot back. The two of them started to get into it, breaking down who led what stat.

    "Sometimes I miss my quiet dinners." Grampa joked. He looked at Noah. "Is Saturday''s game home or away?"

    "Away." Noah told him. "We''ll have a home game on Tuesday that you can come to. It''s in the afternoon so it won''t be so cold either."

    Grampa nodded. "Alright."

 Chapter 904: V3 ch139

    Chapter 904: V3 ch139

    The twins actually got another chance to pitch against the JV team on Friday. They went up to the upper field with Robbie and Joey this time around. The four hadn''t returned when Coach started to wrap up practice talking about tomorrow''s game.

    "Be here before 8am." Coach told us. "Bus leaves once my watch hits 8am on the dot."

    I resisted the urge to groan.

    "It''ll just be us. No lower levels, no girls team. We''ll have the bus to ourselves to spread out, so you''re welcomed to bring a pillow to bring a pillow to get comfy." Coach told us. "We''re going to meet at a neutral location near Sacramento. That''s a three hour drive. We''ll have lunch there at the park, then warmup for an hour, then it''s game time."

    "Are we supposed to bring our own lunch?" One of the guys asked. I couldn''t tell who.

    Coach shook his head. "You don''t have to. Lunch will be provided. Sandwiches and chips. I already put in a catering order that will meet us at the park."

    There were a few more questions before Coach cut us loose, sending us away for the day. Noah and I packed our stuff up.

    "Make sure to tell the twins about the bus time." Garret said to us. "I''ll text the other two."

    "I''m sure they''re still up there playing." Noah checked the time on his phone. "Coach ended things early for us. Want to just come up with us to watch the end? Then you can let them know?"

    Garret checked his own phone. "Yea. Okay. Let''s go see." He glanced at us. "You aren''t just saying this to get a ride to the upper fields are you?"

    Noah laughed. "Would I do that?"

    I did my best not to give him away. Because he definitely would do that.

    We finished packing our stuff up and followed Garret to his car. He gave us a quick ride up and followed us to the JV field. Sure enough, they were still going. Dave was on the mound facing a familiar face: Austin. We showed up just in time to see him strikeout.

    "Nice pitching!" Noah yelled out for Dave to hear as he came off the mound and went to the visitor dugout with the other field players.

    Dave looked over and gave a friendly wave.

    "What inning are they in?" Garret asked a nearby coach. Someone I recognized from the banquet. Assistant coach Jace.

    "Bottom of the seventh." He answered. He looked at the three of us. "Wilcox let you guys out early today?"

    "Long travel day tomorrow." Garret shrugged.

    He nodded in understanding. "Are you pitching?"

    Garret shook his head. "Bryce is the starter." He looked out at Kyle who was taking the mound. "How are the twins doing?"

    "Absolutely destroying us." The assistant coach sighed. "The gap between them and us is too much. I told Wilcox to find someone else to stimulate them." His eyes drifted to me. "Do you want to pinch hit Jake?"

    Uhhh. I shifted my eyes to Garret, confused.

    "Trying to end the game?" Garret asked. "Is it tied or something?"

    "Tied at zero. Again." He nodded. "It might do the boys some good if they see that the twins aren''t unbeatable."

    "That''s not very good though..." I said in a low voice. "Kyle might think I''m picking on him."

    "Jake beats on the twins all the time." Noah put his bag down. "Let me get my cleats back on. I can-"

    "I think we should let the game play out as is." Garret volunteered. "Dave just did his seven innings. Let Kyle do his." He turned to Jace. "They did a full game. Don''t make their own brothers ruin the pitching duel. That would be a bit harsh."

    Noah sighed. "Yea, we might actually get in trouble at home." He turned to me. "You''re right too. It''s not good to pick one to bully. We have to bully both at the same time."

    I let out a small laugh. "When would we be able to do that?"

    "The next time I catch for them at home." Noah said. "You can bat against both and crush them. Make them regret ever feeling good about beating down the JV guys."

    The coach nearby laughed. "Someone else is always better." He looked to Garret. "Have you and the twins talked about college commitments or entering the draft yet?"

    "Kyle and I are entering the draft for sure." Garret told him. "Dave is signing." He glanced at us. "To Vanderbilt, right?"

    "He didn''t want to pick Stanford? With Zeke?" The coach was surprised.

    Noah shrugged. "Vanderbilt is a pitching school. Dave has always been more concerned about being a better pitcher. Maybe he wants to face Zeke instead." He nudged me. "Zeke can bully Dave in college if they ever meet."

    "Freshmen don''t usually get a lot of playing time unless they''re very good. Vanderbilt already has a lot of good pitchers. Dave might not get his chance." Garret sighed. "Hopefully I don''t run into Zeke in the minors in the future. Even if I become stronger and faster, psychologically he would have the edge on me."

    "Would you still get to bat in the minors?" I asked.

    "Depends on the team and league." Garret answered. "I''ve started talking to some people and I''ve made it known that I would like to keep batting in the future. But chances are, I might become a pitcher only. They''re saying that the MLB will make the National League change and allow a DH like the American League."

    "That''s interesting. But definitely bad for you." Noah said. Then glanced at me. "It would put Jake in a better spot though. DH. Imagine if we could have a DH...Jake wouldn''t have to learn fielding or baserunning. Wait. Maybe he would still have to work on that." He laughed and Garret joined him.

    I stuck my tongue out at them. "I''m getting better."

    "You are!" Garret slapped me on the shoulder. "Soon you''ll be stealing bases like Noah."

    My lips twitched. I didn''t say I was good enough to steal a base. Just a little more confident that I won''t look like a dummy, tripping over my own feet.

    We chatted as Kyle blew through his three outs, ending the inning. Him and Kyle were kicked out of the dugouts and sent to Drew off to the side. The pair did their cooldown together as Joey got on the mound and half the team took their positions on the field.

    They played for a couple more innings until Robbie gave up the game-ending run.

    "He didn''t throw any knuckleballs." I pointed out. At first I thought he didn''t need them, but he didn''t throw one and got the loss out of the four varsity pitchers.

    "Probably has something to do with the catcher." Garret told me. "As far as I know, only Oscar has a decent catch rate with him. Even Mitchell struggles during practice."

    "Is it because he practices it more with Oscar?" Noah asked.

    Garret nodded. "Yea. Mitchell has a lot on his plate as it is. Learning to catch a specialty pitch like that is a bit difficult. It''s also hard to predict already so it''s better to just leave it to Oscar."

    "So if Robbie came to relieve a starter, we would switch catchers too?" I asked. I remembered last year, Jordan would only catch for Garret so it wasn''t something I was unaccustomed to.

    "Probably."

 Chapter 905: V3 ch140 Bus Ride

    Chapter 905: V3 ch140 Bus Ride

    "You''re not going to the game today, right?" Noah asked Mom and Dad at the breakfast table early Saturday morning. They had said something last night about possibly not going.

    "We have to be at two separate open houses this afternoon." Mom looked apologetic. "And that drive is just way too much. Maybe on a weekday we could make it work. Plus, it''s almost spring, we''re about to start getting busy again."

    "We have to let these kind of games go." Dad explained some more. "Next weekend you boys have that one tournament coming up. It''s better for us to make good use of our time, work this weekend, and take off next weekend."

    "Yea, yea." Noah nodded. "I understand."

    Mom looked to the twins.

    "We for sure won''t get to play." Kyle shrugged. "Pretty much going for moral support."

    Dave nodded too, biting into his bagel and cream cheese. "We''re not even allowed in the bullpen today. Coach says we''re only allowed to warmup with the team and then we''re practically ball boys. That freshman, Oscar is treated better than us."

    Noah was skeptical. "He hasn''t even gotten a chance to play yet. How much better can it be? You don''t think he likes being in the bullpen, do you?"

    Mom turned to me, ignoring her boy''s discussion on starting in games versus practicing in the bullpen. "What are your thoughts, Jake?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t mind. I didn''t play last time so I don''t know about today either."

    "Last year, we had a close one with these guys." Kyle recalled.

    "We did? Did you have to look it up?" Dave asked.

    Kyle looked at him. "Can''t you remember every game you pitched? I started against these guys. Did the whole game too." He pointed with both hands: one at me and one at Noah. "They didn''t play. Neither did Zeke."

    "Huh." Noah slowly nodded. "I vaguely remember something like that. There weren''t a whole lot of games where I sat the bench. It was a pitcher''s duel, right? Something close?"

    "We won 1-0." Kyle confirmed.

    They talked a little more about what they remembered from the game until it was time to head to school. Mom handed us each a bag of snacks before sending us off. "Have some extra during lunch and some on the way home. Don''t forget to share. Oh, and stay hydrated."

    "Yes, Mom." The twins chorused.

    "Cookies?!" Noah spotted in his bag. "Thanks, Mom!"

    "Thanks." I echoed their sentiments.

    "Oh, Jake, wait a moment." Mom jogged to the living room and quickly came back with a blanket in her hands. "Here. Take this. It''ll be cold on the bus."

    My heart warmed as I took the blanket. I smiled up at her. "Thanks Mom."

    She smiled back and continued to usher us out the door.

    Kyle drove us to school and parked in the upper lot, near the few cars that were there. Just the other juniors and seniors who drove themselves to school. We put our bags in the storage port under the bus and boarded, passing the coaches who were keeping track of everyone showing up.

    "You cold, kid?" Mr. Miller laughed at the sight of me.

    I had wrapped the blanket around me, already scouting which seat to take. I gave a small shrug. "It''s cold every morning."

    "You''ll adjust eventually." Noah patted my shoulder. He chose a row to sit and pointed to the seat across. "Sit."

    I listened and sat down. The twins separated taking the seats behind us. The rest of the team was loading and grabbing their own seats too, happy to be spread out for the long drive. Some of the team slept, others did homework. Most were on their phone like myself. I was casually looking up the A''s spring training. Jeremy had to report after the weekend.

    They had a lot of good things to say about the World Series Champions. Most of the team was coming back. Jeremy and Jack Maberry were coming off great postseason performances. The pitching staff is all healthy with a couple of prospects to look out for.

    After an hour of reading all that I could, I switched to social media, something I haven''t been on as of late. In my notifications, I saw that I had quite a few more followers. Unsure of what to do, I scooted closer to Noah to get his opinion. "Do I just follow everyone back?"

    "No, silly." He answered, scooting to the aisle too. "Follow who you want. Who you know. Who you want to know." He leaned over my phone with me. "Jake...some of these guys are on the team." He laughed. "Definitely follow them or they''ll think you''re ignoring them."

    I hurried and followed the few guys I recognized. Most of which were new on the roster like Dalton, Logan, Oscar, Joey and Jesse. And I hovered over Marshel''s username, really unsure. I looked around to see if anyone was looking at us.

    "Don''t hesitate." Noah took my phone and clicked to follow. "At the very least, for now, you''re teammates. It''s good to keep the team chemistry flowing. If he becomes a problem, you can always just ignore or unfollow. It''s not like you''re on very often anyways." He started to go through the list, pointing out some classmates and asking about others I could possibly recognized.

    "Look, this is Mr. Cameron!" Noah rolled his eyes. "How can you not follow him? He comes to so many of our games. He takes pictures and sends them to Mom. He''s practically your number one fan."

    I coughed, embarrassed. "No, no. That''s just his job."

    Noah clicked on his profile and showed me some of the posts Mr. Cameron had made. Most recently was a team picture. Our team...pictured...winning the Tulare Invitational. I was named underclassmen MVP and Garret was overall MVP. Mr. Cameron noted it could have been given to me if I wasn''t walked so much.

    "We''ll probably see him next weekend at the Foothill Classic." Noah remarked. "I wonder if the schedule for that has come out yet." He closed me out of the app and started to Google the tournament, coming up empty-handed. He sighed. "Probably will know Monday."

    "You probably shouldn''t look until after Tuesday''s game." Kyle said from behind us, making me jump. Kyle looked a little apologetic. "Sorry. Wasn''t intentionally listening until you said something about the tournament next week."

    "Would you want to pitch game one?" Noah asked.

    Kyle leaned even more forward so he could lower his voice. "For sure. I''m not superstitious but-"

    "All pitchers are superstitious." Noah cut him off.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "It''s been statistically proven that I perform way better in game one''s of tournaments." He frowned. "I need to get my redemption from last year."

    "What game was that again?" I asked, not very good at recalling who was on the mound and when. At some point Dave got ejected. I remember that. And losing against University Prep...I remember that.

    "Game two, against Durham Preparatory." Kyle clenched his fist. "Gave up five runs in five innings."

    "Ouch." Noah shook his head. "That is a bad game for you."

    "It was a bad game for Jake too." Kyle pointed out.

    I looked at him blankly.

    "He and you were a part of a triple play thanks to the mess up with the infield fly rule." Kyle stressed, trying to jog our memory.

    "Jake made mistakes all the time." Noah brushed off. "He was still learning the game."

    I nodded. I definitely won''t make that kind of error again. Zeke made me run so many laps early on last season. No mental errors allowed.

 Chapter 906: V3 ch141 @ Shasta HS (1)

    Chapter 906: V3 ch141 @ Shasta HS (1)

    We showed up at the public park, got off the bus and spread out to stretch our legs. Noah and I walked to the public restrooms, and came back to the coaches passing out the food. We took our share and found a spot on the empty playground. Noah ran back to the bus to go get his bag of snacks. He shared his with me and said we could share mine on the way back home.

    "I''m only going to believe you if you give me half the cookies now." I squinted at the first bag he had reached out for.

    Noah laughed. He took half of the cookies out and handed them over. "Don''t worry. I wouldn''t ever short you. Now the twins..." He squinted and showed a wide grin. "They deserve all the cheating in the world."

    I laughed. Noah must have been picked on a lot as a kid. Which I can believe easily after only knowing the twins for a year. Noah spent most of lunch telling me about him versus the twins in their younger years. He was at a disadvantage for most of it unless Zeke interfered.

    I had some good laughs at his expense. One thing that made me really like Noah was that he didn''t ask me to share parts of my childhood with him in exchange. It''s not like I had any good stories to share; just a lot of sad ones. And I don''t want to make anyone feel bad. It''s all in the past and I like it that way.

    After eating and chilling, we got rid of our trash and went back to the bus for our bags. We moved with the team towards the field, settling for the dugout on the first base side. We were the visiting team and it was normal for the home team to want the third base side.

    "Let me go over the lineup before you boys get your cleats on." Coach paced back and forth in front of the dugout fence as we all found seats.

    1 2B Jake Atkins

    2 CF Garret Knudsen

    3 1B Sean Isner

    4 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    5 RF Logan Porter

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 P Bryce Finn

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 SS Dalton Nelson

    "As you can see, we''re trying some new ideas." Coach nodded in my direction. Probably more towards Noah because he addressed his absence in the lineup. "Noah had a good outing in the last game. His spot as a starter isn''t in jeopardy. I just want to give Jake a chance to work with Dalton. You never know what can happen in the future like injuries." He looked directly at me. "You have to be prepared to work with anyone."

    I nodded. I did get some work in last summer at the Stanford camp with other shortstops. Everyone has a different style and tendencies.

    "As for Jake''s leadoff spot, this might be a permanent feature in our lineups. Especially if the intentional walks are happening during league play."

    "You think they would?" Garret asked, surprised.

    Coach gave a single nod. "It''s a possibility given that his stats are easily available online. Unless every team saves their ace pitcher for us. Which is also a possibility." He looked at Garret. "I don''t want you thinking I''m cutting your time on the mound, but I want to use these non league games to find a solution to those who want to pitch around Jake. So our power players, guys I know who can launch the ball, will get priority to bat after Jake."

    "My stats will get to see an increase in RBI''s." Sean chuckled, rubbing his hands together.

    "Besides Jake and Garret, everyone else will have a chance to move around in the lineup." Coach ignored Sean and continued on. "Especially those at the bottom in the lineup. Because once the game gets going, those are the ones that will have a chance to get on before Jake gets up to bat again." Coach said a little more before leaving the dugout to let us finish getting ready.

    The other team''s bus had showed up and they started to unload.

    "Good thing Mom and Dad didn''t come after all." Noah sighed. "I guess it''s my turn to sit on the bench with Alisha." His eyes searched for her. "Wait. Did she not come?"

    I gave a small shake of my head. "I haven''t seen her. Maybe the drive was too long."

    Noah looked a little guilty. "I''ll send her a text. I don''t want her to think we didn''t even notice she didn''t come." He looked for his phone in his bag.

    "Should I text too?" I asked.

    "Nah. I''ll mention you in my text." Noah started to type away.

    "Now that I think about it, she would have been in charge of checking off the players who got on the bus instead of the coaches." I told him.

    He nodded.

    After the text was sent, we had to leave the dugout and start warming up with the team.

    The game went extremely well. We went up early in the top of the first inning thanks to my leadoff walk followed by a homer from Garret. Just how Coach imagined. Right after that, Sean got hit by a pitch and there was a mound meeting. Sean wasn''t hurt and the pitcher stayed in the game. Korrey popped out to the shortstop, then Logan hit into a double play.

    Bryce got the first out by a grounder to Jason at third, but lost his perfect game and no hitter to the second batter''s single. The third batter hit a fast grounder my way. I fielded it to Dalton at second base and beat the runner. He threw to first and completed the double play.

    I jogged back to the dugout, eyes on him. He glanced back and caught me looking at him. He held out his gloved hand and gestured for me to tap it. I complied. I guess he wasn''t bothered by my throw.

    Sitting down next to Noah, I asked his opinion. "Did that look okay?"

    Noah smiled and gave me a reassuring nod. "Yep. As good as it can get. You didn''t miss a beat. Didn''t waste a millisecond."

    My body relaxed as I felt relieved.

 Chapter 907: V3 ch142 @ Shasta HS (2)

    Chapter 907: V3 ch142 @ Shasta HS (2)

    Top of the second. Jason flew out to center. Bryce hit a single to left field followed by Mitchell''s walk. Shasta''s coach came out and did a pitcher change early on. Clearly this wasn''t the same guy from last year. With two on, one out, and a new pitcher on the mound, Dalton got jammed and popped up a ball to the left of third base in foul territory. The third baseman ran over and made the catch for the second out.

    I came up to the plate, two on, two out. I was wondering if they were going to walk me to load the bases, but after seeing the first pitch for a called strike, I had confirmed that they were facing me head on. Which makes sense I guess. Garret behind me had already hit a homerun. They wouldn''t want to load the bases for him. I smiled. This is what Coach was hoping for.

    Mr. Miller gave out a few fake signs from the coach''s box near third base. I was given the green light to swing whenever. First step: size up the pitcher. Mediocre speed, decent placement near strike zone. I fouled off anything close to avoid being a victim of a called strike out. When I found the pitch I was looking for, I pulled it to right field, down the line. Over the right fielder''s reach. Then finally over the fence. Home run!

    I did my trot around the bases, greeted by Bryce and Mitchell at home, where I was handed my bat back. In the dugout the team celebrated happily.

    "You crushed it, man." Noah slapped me on my back as I put my gear away.

    I gave a small laugh and shook my head. "That was not the definition of ''crush''. Just barely scrapped by. A better right fielder would have gotten it. A higher fence would have stopped it."

    "I''m glad you''re aware." Coach was right behind us, making me flinch a little. "Sorry."

    I shook my head again, a little lighter.

    "You''re smart at the plate and know what to aim for." Coach told me. "Especially against pitchers that don''t have much skill. I''m happy to have a smart kid like you in the lineup. You know where to take advantage and that''s not something most could do."

    "When it comes to hitting, Jake doesn''t need much help." Noah agreed.

    Garret made contact with the ball, drawing everyone''s attention. It was caught at the warning track by the center fielder to end the inning. He came back to the dugout with a helpless shrug. "I really thought I could power that one out of here. I need to do some more weightlifting." He grinned my way. "Want to join Jake?"

    I put my glove and hat on, then hurried out of there. I knew there was no right answer with Coach around. I either say ''yes'' and regret because Garret is clearly stronger than me. Or I say ''no'' and Coach doesn''t think I''m trying hard enough.

    Bottom of the second, Garret did the most work. Even more than Bryce the pitcher. All three outs were thanks to him chasing the balls all over the place, catching them before they could touch the grass.

    "If you don''t make it in the majors as a pitcher, you can always fall back on being an outfielder." Kyle laughed while slapping him on the back.

    "At least I have a backup option." Garret brushed him away. "I can hit and field. Baseball will be my future no matter what."

    "You don''t think it''ll be in mine?" Kyle squinted at him.

    Garret grinned. "Of course it will." He lifted an eyebrow. "You''re related to Zeke after all. Baseball will be in your periphery."

    Kyle chucked a water bottle at him. "Just wait. I bet I''ll beat you to the majors."

    Garret laughed some more. "I see how you didn''t say you would be a higher draft pick. At least you have some self-awareness."

    The two started to mess around and talk some more smack during the inning. We had another good show on offense. Sean did hit into a groundout at third for the first out. Korrey smacked an even harder grounder at third, causing the fielder to fumble with the ball and allowing Korrey to reach first on an error. Logan hit a line drive to left-center for a double, driving in Korrey for our sixth run of the game. If that wasn''t enough, Jason hit a home run of his own to drive in two more runs. Up 8-0. We were on pace to win by the mercy rule, leading by ten after five innings, but we didn''t pull it off. Bryce hit a fly out to right and Mitchell struck out swinging.

    Bottom of the third, Bryce continued to do well on the mound. Three up, three down. Strikeout swinging. Fly out to right. Groundout to Jason at third.

    Top of the fourth. Dalton popped out to short. I hit a single. Garret hit a line drive that was snagged out of the air by the shortstop. I dove back to first base as soon as I could and remained safe. Sean hit a single too, pushing me to second base. Korrey flew out to left field to end it.

    Bottom of the fourth. Bryce gave up a leadoff single. Bounced back with a strikeout. Then gave up another single. The cleanup batter came up with their their first scoring opportunity with runners on first and second. He hit a hard grounder right down the third baseline. Jason dug the ball out of the dirt and sprinted to third, tagged the base, then threw to Sean at first. A double play all by himself! We went back to the dugout in high spirits.

    Top of the fifth. Logan flew out to left field. Jason remained in good form, hitting a line drive to the right corner for a standup double. Then he was able to make it home on Bryce''s single. 9-0. We really thought we were going to get the mercy rule, but Mitchell flew out and Dalton went down swinging to end it.

    Bottom of the fifth. Bryce got back-to-back strikeouts. Walked the seventh batter. Eighth batter hit a grounder to Dalton at short, who fielded it cleanly.

    Top of the sixth, I led off. With no outs and no one on, they pitched to me again. It felt good. This is how it should be. Noah might like tournaments because of how much he gets to play, but I like having a chance to bat seriously. I pulled another long one to right field for a solo shot. My second home run of the game. The guys in the dugout went crazy. There weren''t any spectators so I could hear every one of them specifically.

    Especially Kyle. "See that, Garrrt?! Bet you can''t get two in a game!"

    Garret came close. His hit went off the fence and bounced back to the left fielder. However he still made it to second earning a double. That was pretty much it for our offense for the rest of the game though. Pop out to the pitcher. Fly out to left, fly out to right.

    Bottom of the sixth. Shasta couldn''t get anything going. A strikeout and two fly outs. Top of the seventh we went three up, three down for the first time today but it bothered no one.

    "Do I get to finish it?" Bryce asked Coach.

    Coach gave a short nod. "Pitch count is all good."

    Bryce took the mound for the seventh time. It wasn''t a strong finish by any means. He gave up two hits, a walk, and a run. But he made it out. We won 10-1 and Bryce got his first complete game.

 Chapter 908: V3 ch143

    Chapter 908: V3 ch143

    We boarded the bus in a good mood. Well...most of us. Bryce was catching a lot of grief from the big three on losing his complete game shutout.

    "One more inning. Three outs." Dave stressed. "What happened?"

    Bryce sighed and slumped in his seat. "I don''t know."

    "He choked." Kyle said with a laugh.

    "Don''t worry, we''ve all lost it at some point." Garret told him. "My sophomore year, I would be all over the place."

    "Yea, because you only had speed. No control." Dave stated.

    "At least I got to start." Garret straightened up proudly. "Look where I''m at now. Best pitcher in the county."

    "Second best player in the county." Kyle corrected. "You''re only the highest pitcher because you can hit. I bet if they just judged on pitching skills, it''ll be a tough call."

    "I would still be number one!" Garret grinned. "You and Dave can fight for number two."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "You''re ridiculous. You''ve had more bad starts than us."

    "That''s because I had more starts overall."

    Bryce was stuck in the middle of their discussion, occasionally getting jabbed about the one run he gave up.

    I turned to look at Noah, who was on his phone at his seat. I leaned over. "What did Alisha say?"

    Noah simply showed me his phone.

    Alisha: Girl probs, don''t ask

    Right below that Noah told her we won our game, that he didn''t get to play, and that I did well.

    I slowly nodded, feeling my face heat up. "Oh." Awkward. What do you say to that?

    "Maybe we can take her some chocolate tonight." Noah suggested. "That''s what girls usually crave, right?"

    I nodded again. Sounds right to me. "Will one of the twins even take us?"

    "Psh. Why bother with them? We''ll just tell Mom." Noah said. "She''s a girl. She understands this stuff."

    Makes sense to me.

    Noah started to type on his phone. "I wonder how Zeke and his team did today?"

    Zeke had his tournament this weekend in Texas. It was in a different kind of format, playing three different teams and the one with the best record wins. If they have two records that are the same, they go by run differential. Zeke said that this tournament doesn''t mean much, but Noah found out that it could improve their National ranking. Yesterday they won.

    "Currently playing!" Noah said, eyes on his phone. "I wonder if I can find a way to watch." He tried looking for a livestream but could only find a radio broadcast. He played it on blast, trying to drown out the bickering twins but it only helped so much.

    The drive home took some time. Having snacks being traded and passed around really helped. By the time we pulled back into our city of Watsonville, Zeke''s team had won their second game in their tournament. He played well going 2-4 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored.

    We got home and found Grampa watching tv in the living room. No sign of Mom or Dad. They did say that they were going to be at some open houses this weekend. I was the only one that really needed a shower, while the other three simply changed out of their uniforms. I came back downstairs and only found Noah and Grampa.

    "Kyle wanted to go out with Marie." Noah told me. "Dave caught a ride, probably going to the mall and movies. I don''t know."

    "You two should have gone out too." Grampa told us. "When I was your age, getting out of the house was the time I could have fun."

    "Meh." Noah shrugged. "It''s almost dinner time so why bother?"

    "They''ll probably stay out for dinner." I said, taking a seat on the empty couch.

    "Maybe we should have Mom and Dad take us somewhere special for dinner without them." Noah tried to come up with an idea. "You did the best today after all."

    "Wherever is fine." I reached for the couch blanket and started to wrap myself up. "Soup in front of the tv would be good. No running around. No homework."

    Grampa laughed. "You sound like you''re ready to retire."

    "He gets better when it gets warmer." Noah told Grampa. "You can take the boy out of Southern California but you can''t take it out of the boy. He just craves the warmth."

    On cue, I shivered. "Hey, I can''t help it. It''s what I''m used to." I grew up in a warmer climate and this was out of my comfort zone. By the end of baseball season, the start of summer would be better for me."

    "I understand." Grampa said. "I spent a summer in Florida and thought that was going to be the death of me. The humidity. The heat. The bugs."

    Noah laughed. "You babies."

    "What climate do you like living in?" I asked him, wondering if he preferred a certain season.

    "I try not to care too much about the weather or climate." Noah said. "I''ll have no control over where I get drafted to or what it''ll be like when I''m there. It''s better to take a neutral approach so you don''t get disappointed." Noah looked at me. "The pros play from March with the dream of getting to October. You''ll run into really hot games. Really cold games. Maybe a little bit of sprinkling if an umpire says to play on. Windy games in Chicago. I think one time Minnesota saw snowflakes on opening day!"

    "Zeke was drafted by the Minnesota Twins." Grampa mused. "I bet your mom was really happy he chose to stay relatively close. I wonder if he would have made the same choice if a closer team would have picked him?"

    "Like the A''s or Giants?!" Noah asked, but then shook his head. "Nah. It was a pipe dream. Zeke sounded pretty set in going to college."

    "He was originally set on entering the draft." I threw out there.

    "Teenagers. So fickle-minded." Grampa chuckled. "If I had a dollar for every time I changed my mind, I would be better off even now."

    "Well I won''t be changing my mind." Noah declared. "It''s the pros for me. No matter how late I get picked. I''ll fight it out in the minor leagues." He looked at me. "What about you, Jake?"

    "I don''t know." I stayed in my blanket. "Dr. Moore said I have time to decide."

    "A lot of time. A lot can change." Grampa nodded. "Dave picking Vanderbilt is the biggest surprise I saw coming. Him and Kyle separating? Strange sight to see."

    "They were bound to at some point anyways." Noah pointed out. "How many twins make it professionally? The chances of ending up on the same team? Nearly zero percent." He thought about it. "Unless one of them enter free agency and then try to plan to get the same team to sign them. It could work if they ignore money."

    "I''d ignore money to play with you." I told Noah. That would be a great relief. "Could we do that right away?"

    "Not right away. That''s impossible." Noah explained. "Drafting. Signing. Rookie contracts. Then you have to be good enough to make it to the big leagues. Well we both have to. Be decent enough that other teams want us. It''s a whole thing."

    "Oh." There goes that idea.

    "You boys are thinking so far in advance." Grampa spoke up. "Give yourselves a break. Enjoy your time in high school. Win another championship with the twins and then without. Take your time."

    "Yea, yea, we know." Noah grinned.

    We spent the rest of the day hanging out and watching tv with Grampa. Talking about everything from our game, Zeke''s game, and to the upcoming home game on Tuesday. Mom and Dad did take us out to a nicer dinner than normal with Grampa which illicited complaints from the twins.

    "You guys did that on purpose." Kyle accused.

    "Yea, the one time you eat the good stuff is when we''re gone." Dave agreed.

    "I don''t make the decisions around here." Noah said with a smile. "Take it up with Mom."

    They did not take it up with Mom.

 Chapter 909: V3 ch144 Monday

    Chapter 909: V3 ch144 Monday

    "Feeling better?" Noah asked Alisha early Monday morning. We had stopped by her house Saturday night, but only saw her mom. She sent a thank you text to Noah and I on Sunday, but this was our first time seeing her since Friday.

    She looked pale and tired. But could still muster up a smile. "I am. I''ll be at practice today."

    "Don''t stress yourself out." Noah told her. "Today should be easygoing. Tomorrow is a home game." He looked at her. "Will you be in the dugout for that?"

    "Yea. Of course. I like helping when and where I can." She made a face. "I just knew I couldn''t survive that long bus ride on Saturday. You don''t think the coaches will be mad, right?"

    "Nah." Noah laughed. "Maybe if Zeke was still around. If he was still captain...it''d be interesting to see what he would do or say."

    Alisha turned red, looking as embarrassed as I felt. "I''m going to class. See you guys later."

    "See ya!" Noah waved.

    "Later." I echoed. After she was out of earshot, I nudged Noah. "Can you not embarrass her like that? I bet she''ll be nervous about joining the team this afternoon."

    Noah shrugged. "It shouldn''t be embarrassing. Don''t you remember taking health class last year? It''s a normal bodily function."

    I rolled my eyes. "I''m just saying...I wouldn''t like it if I was Alisha." I don''t even like it now.

    "Don''t worry. I won''t say anything too much now that we know she''s okay." Noah said. "I''ll even keep an eye on the other guys though I doubt anyone else knows. We didn''t tell the twins. Coach won''t say anything either. That would be weird weird."

    I nodded. We walked to class together and met up with Kaylee.

    She was wearing a WHS Softball shirt. And a big smile. "It''s gameday."

    Noah grinned back. "Good luck! Maybe we''ll come by after practice. Kyle will probably want to see Marie play. Do you guys have a snackbar near your field?"

    "No official snackbar." Kaylee told him. "But I know students will come by, trying to sell snacks on their own. Drinks too like Gatorade and cold water."

    "Does it start right after school?" I asked.

    "Game doesn''t start until 4pm." Kaylee turned to me. "Gives us some time after school to get changed in the locker room and then head to the dugout. We don''t have a fancy club room like you guys."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Our field is the farthest away. Of course we need a clubhouse down there."

    The two started to debate and I casually listened.

    "You guys get all the good stuff."

    "Please. We don''t even have showers down there. You can easily use the ones in the locker room."

    "Ew. No one uses the school showers. They''re so old and gross. They even have mold."

    "You just like to complain."

    I let out a small smile. I don''t think the two realize how much alike they are. Constantly wanting to be right and have the upper hand. Their love for their sports and winning.

    The school day finally started. The usual classes with the same classmates and teachers. It was a good feeling as a couple of them congratulated me another good game from the weekend. Some asked if I would play tomorrow, but I could only shrug. No one really knows the lineup except for Coach.

    During practice that afternoon, I got my answer: I was in. And so was Noah. It was going to be Garret''s turn to sit out.

    "I want you and the twins focused on getting ready for this weekend." Coach told the big three. "Don''t overwork yourselves physically, but get some time in the bullpen with Mitchell and Oscar. This weekend will be a challenge."

    "Do we know who our first opponent is going to be yet?" Kyle asked.

    "Not until Wednesday." Coach answered. "However, it shouldn''t matter. No matter who it is, we''re going in with the same mentality: win. Be prepared for anything."

    "What if we got University Prep as our first game?" Bryce muttered. "Wouldn''t that suck?"

    A couple of guys threw their gloves at him.

    Noah included. "Shut up. Don''t jinx it." Noah caught Coach looking at him. "I want to save them for the finals, Coach. Then crush them. Show them that we weren''t at our best last year." He nudged me. "Right, Jake?"

    I nodded in total agreement. That game was one of my worst. I had a nightmare before and couldn''t sleep at all. Then I was jumpy all day and couldn''t focus. Ended up being taken out early after taking a baseball to the body.

    "If Bambi ain''t scared, I''m not scared!" Dave declared.

    "Fine. You get University Prep then." Garret grinned.

    "I will!" Dave looked at Coach. "Give them to me. I''ll crush them like they''re the JV team."

    Coach''s lips twitched. "I like the enthusiasm. Really, I do. But we don''t even know if we''ll meet those guys. Always focus on the game in front of us." He turned to Joey. "You get to the bullpen and get some stretching in. You''ll get the start on the mound tomorrow."

    "Yes!" Joey pumped his fist.

    "Everyone else, practice today like you want to play tomorrow. Only the infield is set. Anyone can play in the outfield tomorrow." Coach clapped his hands and practice started.

    Afterwards, with Noah and the twins, we took the car up to the higher lot and parked. As a small group we went to the softball game and started to hunt for seats.

    "I see Marie''s parents." Kyle told us and gave a small nod in their direction. "I''m going to sit with them. You three make yourself scarce."

    "With pleasure." Noah muttered, leading Dave and I in the opposite direction. That also conveniently passed a classmate selling some snacks. "Homemade cookies?" Noah looked impressed.

    Our classmate shook his head. "Not really. Just toll house cookie dough that I baked."

    "Give me two bags for each of us." Noah pulled out his wallet. "How much?" He didn''t haggle and paid as much as the guy wanted. He held the cookies and found us seats up in the bleachers.

    Just as we were sitting down, we saw Kaylee coming up to bat.

    Noah stood back up and cupped his hands around his mouth. "KILL IT KAYLEE!"

    I clapped in support.

    Kaylee didn''t even glance our way. Maybe she didn''t hear Noah. Though I thought he was loud enough, there were quite a few people cheering for her. She got cornered on a 1-2 count before blasting one to the left field fence. She took off sprinting. The ball bounced just short of the fence and the left fielder hurried to throw it in. Kaylee reached second, standing up. We clapped and cheered with the rest.

    She looked our way and pointed.

    Noah waved with both hands before giving her the thumbs up. Then he sat down.

    "When did you guys become such good friends?" Dave asked, already opening a bag of cookies.

    "We''ve been friends since last year." Noah rolled his eyes. "We hang out all the time."

    "You fight with her all the time." Dave said.

    "You fight with Kyle all the time." I pointed out, opening my own bag of cookies.

    "Touch��."

 Chapter 910: V3 ch145 VS Modoc HS (1)

    Chapter 910: V3 ch145 VS Modoc HS (1)

    "You played well." I told Kaylee Tuesday morning in our first class, putting my backpack beside my chair.

    "Thanks." She smiled.

    "Are you and Marie coming to our game?" Noah asked.

    "I don''t think so. Maybe if Kyle was pitching."

    "Wowww." Noah exaggerated. "I see how it is. We stick around and cheer for you girls, but you can''t do the same."

    Her lips twitched. "It''s not the same. You were going to stay anyways. Plus, I heard that your Coach has been keeping some starters on the bench. And if that''s enough, you have people to sit with. I won''t. Marie is not going to stay when Kyle isn''t pitching. It just won''t happen."

    "You don''t have any other friends?" Noah was skeptical.

    "Now you want me to bring my own friends? Am I in charge of your cheer squad or what?"

    Noah looked to me. "Help me out here, Jake."

    "How...?" I asked, unsure of what to say.

    "Give her a reason to watch the game."

    Mmm. I thought it over. "Well. It should end rather quickly? So you won''t have to stay there for long."

    Noah and Kaylee started to laugh.

    "Where''d you get that from?" Noah asked me.

    I shrugged. "I vaguely remember this school. It was one where we won in five innings. Mercy rule."

    "Oh, yea? Who pitched?"

    "Everyone? It was a bullpen game."

    "Okay, if the batting prodigy is thinking it''s going to be another called game then I''m in." Kaylee said, still laughing.

    Noah patted me on the shoulder. "Don''t let us down."

    "W-w-what? Was that wrong?" I started to fidget.

    "No, no. Don''t revert back." Kaylee started to wave her hands at me. "You sounded so confident earlier. Don''t let that go."

    "He''ll be fine again when the bat is back in his hand." Noah assured.

    The two made fun of me until the teacher came in to start the class. During the morning announcements we heard about the softball team''s win and then how we would have a game in the afternoon.

    Kaylee stood up amid the announcements and raised her voice. "Come out to the baseball game after school to cheer for our classmates. Jake is guaranteeing that it''ll be a quick one."

    I buried my face into my hands, refusing to look at anyone. Some of our classmates laughed while others asked for more details. The rest of the school day passed by in a similar fashion. It was like everyone knew that I said it would be a called game.

    Some guys from the team clapped me on the back, claiming to like my confidence but it was really just a facade. I was just repeating what happened last year.

    Thankfully Modoc High School didn''t have any major improvements. Joey started against them, going three up, three down. As we started the bottom of the first and I came out with my bat, I heard quite a few familiar voices in the stands.

    "Let''s go, Jake!"

    "Hit a bomb early on!"

    "Gotta start scoring early!"

    "Jake! Jake!"

    "You''re so popular." Sean laughed as he came out of the dugout too. He was batting right behind me in the lineup.

    I had a feeling that this wasn''t popularity. Just marketing from Kaylee and Noah earlier. My body was getting warm despite the February gloom. I hope I don''t trip. I don''t think I''ll be able to go back to school again.

    "Batter up." The umpire waved for me to come up.

    I inched my way as my name was announced. I got in the lefty''s box, having a good view of my dugout. They were all standing up against the fence, almost willing for me to make something happen early on.

    I did my best, blasting the first pitch down the left field line. It stayed high and cleared the outfield fence for a leadoff home run. I rounded the bases as the stands got super loud. I was too embarrassed to look at them and kept my head down as I tagged home.

    Sean was the first to pat me on top of my helmet. "Keep your head up, Bambi! They''re cheering for you!"

    I hurried back to the dugout with my bat.

    "Nice one!"

    "Awesome!"

    "Great job!"

    "You''re on fire!"

    I reached the end and could finally relax my shoulders as I approached my bag. I took my helmet off and put it away.

    "You really follow through, man!" Noah gave my back a harsh slap. "You should have pumped your fists to the crowd or said something back to them."

    I rubbed the spot and gave him a look. "I couldn''t." I was too busy watching my feet. I couldn''t afford to step on my own laces.

    "You''ll get used to it." Noah tried to be more comforting. "Just look how far you''ve come. Last year, this time, you could barely make eye contact with Coach."

    "He''s a good coach." I remembered how bad I was early on. Coach really stuck with me. I cringed at the thought of the dumb errors I''ve made. Physically and mentally.

    "Sure is! The best I''ve ever had." Noah smiled with agreement.

    Noah was eighth in the lineup today so I thought we would sit together until we took the field again, but everyone on offense got a chance at the plate.

    Sean hit a single. Jason walked. Jesse walked. Tanner had an RBI single. Mitchell did too. Then Logan. Noah was actually the first out but still earned an RBI on a sacrifice fly to left field. Mitchell and Logan both advanced to third and second base respectively. Joey hit a similar fly ball to left field which was also caught. Mitchell tagged up, but the throw to home was more on point and he was tagged out for a double play and to end the inning. Up 5-0 we took the field with high spirits.

    Joey didn''t transition well from batting to pitching, giving up a leadoff double to their cleanup hitter. He calmed down after Noah caught a line drive from the next guy. Struck out the sixth batter while the seventh batter hit a routine grounder to Noah.

    Bottom of the second, I came out of the dugout amidst an even louder chant of my name. I ducked my head and pretended to take some practice swings. A part of me wanted to try for the fences again, but the more rational part said to play it safe. At the plate, I connected with an early pitch and earned a single.

    That was enough for the Modoc coach though. He came out and called for a pitcher change. The starter did not fair well against our lineup at all. The new guy had a better start, getting Sean to strike out swinging. Jason popped up to the second base, leaving me on first as Jesse came up to bat.

    "They should be trying to advance you to second base." I heard Coach Luis mumble under his breath.

    I understood his frustration, but I didn''t mind being left on first. We had a sizeable lead and I don''t really like running. No hit-and-run plays mean I won''t embarrass myself in front of all my classmates. At least not today. The turnout is just too high.

 Chapter 911: V3 ch146 VS Modoc HS (2)

    Chapter 911: V3 ch146 VS Modoc HS (2)

    Jesse had been struggling for awhile now. I knew he had won Defensive MVP for the JV team from the banquet last year so he has superior fielding skills, but he hasn''t adjusted to the varsity level pitching. Or so I thought. On a 2-2 count, he made perfect contact. The ball soared over the infield, the outfield, then finally the fence. A home run!

    I hurried home and waited for him. He stepped on home and we high-fived.

    "Finally!" He exclaimed with relief. Back in the dugout, he was greeted by a lot of slaps and compliments. Especially from the other seniors on the team.

    Tanner struck out to end the inning. Top of the third was kept simple by Joey''s strong start. Groundout to Noah. Swinging strikeout. Single from the leadoff guy in the lineup. Followed by another swinging strikeout.

    "Finally averaging more than one strikeout an inning." Dave joked with the Junior. "Now you''re getting on our level."

    Joey rolled his eyes and headed for his bag. There was a good chance he would come up to bat this inning.

    Mitchell had to hurry to get his catcher gear off and then rushed out to the batter''s box.

    Noah shook his head lightly as he put his glove away. He would get to bat this inning for sure. "Mitch needs to stop pressuring himself like that. The umpire isn''t timing him or anything. Might as well take the time to get your gear off and get into the mindset to switch to offense."

    "I''ll have to talk to him." Coach said, eyes on Mitchell as he swung and missed the first pitch. "You can see it in his stance. He''s not ready."

    "He''s eager for another hit." Jason shrugged. "I relate."

    "Same." Noah sighed. "But he''s simply rushing to go from catcher to hitter when he doesn''t have to."

    "It''s not like he bats leadoff every time." Joey defended. "And you don''t know if..." Joey let his sentence trail off and die after hearing Mitchell strikeout on three pitches.

    Coach patted Joey''s shoulder. "He''s not in trouble. Don''t worry, it''s my job to guide him and help him find the right mindset." His eyes drifted to Noah.

    Noah picked up his bat and started to leave. "Welp, I''m going to be on deck. Coach knows best."

    Coach snorted at Noah''s back. He glanced my way suddenly. "Don''t listen to everything Noah says. He has good knowledge of the game, but not of being a Coach."

    I simply nodded. I thought Coach really knew best. Noah does know a lot too, but I just think everyone on varsity knows a lot compared to me.

    Coach went up to Mitchell as soon as he came back. The two spoke quietly. Coach subtley reminding us that we weren''t welcomed in this discussion. Which was alright. Everyone shifted their focus on the field, cheering for Logan.

    Especially Joey. "Get on base! Whatever it takes!"

    Dave nudged him. "What do you mean whatever it takes? We''re winning dude."

    "Aren''t we trying to mercy-rule them?" Joey''s eyes drifted my way.

    I pretended not to hear him.

    "So what if we are?" Dave shook his head. "It''s only the third inning. Even if we made it to ten now, you still have to pitch five innings. Do you really want a called game that bad?"

    "It''d be his first." Kyle laughed and came over, slapping Joey on the shoulder. "If I were you, I''d be more concerned about keeping that shutout. You don''t want to be like Bryce and regretting your poor ERA."

    My lips twitched as I kept my eyes on the at bat. Kyle was taking shots at a player that couldn''t defend himself. Bryce was in the bullpen with most of the other pitchers. Plus, Bryce was more sad about the grief he had gotten for giving up that one run instead of actually giving up the run. Especially with the twins and Garret bringing it up every chance they got.

    Logan earned a walk. Noah moved to the batter''s box. And Joey was able to escape the twins, moving to the on deck circle.

    No one stayed in those spots for long. Noah hopped on the first pitch, hitting the ball to right field. Logan already had a head start, sprinting with all his might. Mr. Miller waved him on, trying for third. Him and the ball were both coming into third. The third baseman caught the ball and Logan started his slide. The tag came down and it was close.

    "Safe!" The umpire called out.

    "To second!"

    "Two! Two!"

    The third baseman didn''t have time to argue with the umpire and hurried to throw to second base. Noah had decided to go for second when they had done the relay to third. He slid into the bag while the second baseman cut off the ball early and faked a throw to home, making Logan go back to third.

    Our dugout went wild, cheering for the pair. I pulled my helmet on tighter and grabbed my bat. I was on deck behind Joey.

    "Do you think they''ll walk Joey?"

    "And try for the double play? No way."

    "Not with Jake on deck."

    The team discussed what Modoc might do, but after a short mound meeting, they decided to face Joey. Maybe because I was behind him. Or maybe because he was a pitcher in the nine spot. Either way, Joey made them pay for it. He connected on a 1-1 count, sending the ball well beyond the outfield, clearing the fence easily. A three-run home run!

    Logan was the first to touch home, grabbing Joey''s bat. He shot me a look that I couldn''t decipher. It barely crossed my mind as Noah was the next one to touch the plate and grinned my way.

    "You aren''t the only one getting better."

    I grinned back. I felt it. Our whole team was better. Even compared to last year with the old seniors of Zeke, Mahki, and Julian.

    Joey touched home to make the score 10-0. Fist bumps, high fives, slaps on the back...it was like we won already.

    Modoc''s coach called for a pitcher change and went to the mound.

    I backtracked where Sean was, closer to the dugout.

    "Come here for a second." Coach called out to us two. We took a few more steps back and Coach leaned out. He covered his mouth and spoke in a low tone. "Both of you will do your best to swing for the fences."

    I looked at him, surprised. "You want me to try for another home run?" In a game that we''re already winning? That doesn''t sound like Coach. He''s usually more likely to pull me out to give someone else a shot.

    "You specifically try for one in center field." Coach told me.

    I was even more taken aback. "That''s a bit too far. I can''t guarantee something like that."

    Coach let out a small chuckle. "I don''t expect you to. But now is a good chance to see what you can do against live pitching. See if your power is catching up to the rest of you."

    "What if I get out?" I asked.

    Coach laughed even harder. As did Sean. "Then you''re human."

 Chapter 912: V3 ch146 VS Modoc HS (3)

    Chapter 912: V3 ch146 VS Modoc HS (3)

    "Don''t tell me you don''t remember Zeke getting out?" Sean laughed some more. "Are you trying to set multiple records on having the best average in the league?"

    I felt my face heat up. "Oh. Right. Ok. Yea, I can try."

    "It''s not like I want you to get out, Jake." Coach explained. "I think we should take this opportunity to see how far you can knock the ball without having to overthink. Just pure reflexes. No need to worry about a fast pitch, fast swing, launch angle, or whatever else goes on in your head. Muscle it out. Let your body do all the work." He went on. "This upcoming weekend, we''ll face better pitchers. Better batteries. Speed, location, and pitch type. You remember last year right?"

    I slowly nodded. "Yea, but only University Prep held me hitless." And I wasn''t myself that day.

    Coach grinned. "Yea. You''re good. No doubt. But we''re going to need more."

    "You''re Zeke this year." Sean spoke up. "Instead of just trying to get on. You have to drive us home."

    Oh. Right. That does change things a little bit.

    The umpire called for the game to resume. Modoc got in position and I headed back for the batter''s box. Don''t think. Just swing. Sure. Okay.

    I watched the first pitch fall in the zone for a called strike. The pitcher had mediocre speed. Barely 80s. Coach wants me to try to get this one beyond center field? I looked out beyond the infield and it just felt like the field was bigger. No, wait, of course it''s bigger. The center field fence is the furthest distance required for a homerun. The second pitch was a ball inside, forcing me to back up a little. On a 1-1 count, he threw his third pitch. The trajectory tells me it''s in the zone. I started my swing and tried to make the best contact, using the most power. The ball went back the way it came, up the center.

    I started to run and watched as the center fielder backed up a few steps. Arm raised. The ball simply fell into his glove. Not even to the warning track. I turned back to go get my bat and go back to the dugout.

    "Good try!"

    "You''ll get it next time!"

    "Good swing!"

    Shouts coming from the stands made me look their way. I saw familiar faces and smiled at their consolations.

    "You''re human after all!" I heard Kaylee yell. She was up front, not even a foot away from the fence. She grinned and waved. "Gotta hit the gym!"

    I headed back with a smile.

    Sean passed by me with a smile too. "No pressure on me now. Thanks."

    I walked back in the dugout as Jason headed out for the on deck circle.

    "She''s right, ya know." Noah slapped me on the back. "We''ve got to go back to lifting more."

    "We''ll incorporate that more." Coach rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I''ll have to check with the league to see how much practice time we can have. Or maybe we can open the gym for you guys and not have it count against us if the coaches aren''t present."

    "Wouldn''t the ball have gone further if he just switch to an aluminum bat?" Logan asked from his spot on the bench.

    I started to shake. My head. My whole body. My nerves.

    Noah held my shoulder down and lowered his voice. "Don''t worry. He doesn''t know. You''re fine." He guided me to my seat.

    "Jake doesn''t touch or use an aluminum bat." I heard Coach say straightforwardly. "It''s better if you leave it alone. In fact, I don''t want to hear any more on the subject unless you''re batting better than Jake. If having an aluminum bat was really so much better, he wouldn''t have the highest average on the team." He was speaking louder as if he was addressing the whole team.

    "You''re okay. You''re fine." Noah kept repeating to me. "You''re good. Stay calm. No one is mad at you. You''re the best in the lineup."

    "How is he?" Coach sounded closer, but more quiet. "He looks like he''s about to zone out for good. Should I get your parents?"

    I shook my head. I''m okay. I''m fine. I''m good. Like Noah said. Logan wasn''t mad at me. He wasn''t accusing me.

    "I don''t know..." Noah trailed off. "He probably shouldn''t go back on the field. When he gets like this...we''ll be lucky if he doesn''t pass out."

    "I-I-I won''t." I stuttered.

    Noah took my helmet off and messed up my hair, looking directly in my eyes. "You''re okay?"

    "I''m okay." I swallowed a heavy lump in my throat.

    Coach let out a heavy sigh. "Alright. Take a breather. Dalton will go in for you."

    I opened my mouth, unsure of what to say. I don''t want to be benched. But...I also didn''t feel like playing anymore.

    "The game is pretty much over." Dave took a seat next to me. "Joey said he''s going to keep them scoreless for the fourth and fifth innings. Get the mercy rule win."

    "It''s considered a complete game shutout." Joey yelled out.

    "It''ll be embarrassing if you don''t pull through." Kyle laughed. "Be careful. I think the other dugout heard you."

    "Dalton, get your glove. You''re going in for Jake." Coach moved away from me, giving me more space.

    Noah started to put his glove on. Guess Sean got out to end the inning. The dugout got quieter as nine players left to take the field.

    Dave bumped his shoulder into mine. "Hey. It''s going to be okay. Just keep getting better."

    "Go straight to the big leagues after high school and no one will ask you to touch an aluminum bat." Kyle came over, sitting on my other side.

    "I rather have him follow me to Vanderbilt." Dave joked. "Help me win a couple of national titles."

    "If you really cared about that, you would have gone to Stanford. Join Zeke and Rhys."

    "Nah. Zeke would only be there for a year. Who knows about Rhys." Dave replied.

    The two talked, filling up the silence. It was a good distraction. I tried to listen to their pitching talks as our game wrapped up.

    Joey gave up a couple more hits in both innings but didn''t give up a run. Our team didn''t add anything either. 10-0 win in five innings.

    I went through the motions of packing up, vaguely listening to Coach''s postgame speech.

    After the game, Noah steered me away from our classmates with the excuse that I was sick. We ditched the twins and found his parents and Grampa walking in the parking lot.

    Mom and Dad took one look at me and I think they knew. Mom reached out once I was in arms reach, pulling me into her. "You had a good game, Jake. Why don''t we let you pick what''s for dinner?"

    "Not hungry." I mumbled, accepting her hug while not hugging back.

    "Soup? That''ll cure him." Noah spoke up.

    Mom guided me to Dad''s car. We loaded up and headed home. Shower. Dinner. Homework. I felt numb to it all.

 Chapter 913: V3 Ch147

    Chapter 913: V3 Ch147

    "Jake!"

    "Wake up, Jake!"

    "Get Mom and Dad!"

    There was screaming. A lot of screaming. It was so loud. I twisted and turned.

    "Give him some space." A deep voice commanded, soothing me a little. "Jake. It''s time to wake up, Jake."

    I blinked. Blinked again. I reached up to rub my eyes.

    Dad was right next to me. Just beyond him were the twins. Noah. Mom.

    I looked at them blankly, unsure of what was happening. I shivered, feeling cold. My face felt strange. I causally gave it a wipe, finding that it was wet. I was wet. I swiped under my eyes. I was crying.

    "It''s okay, Jake. You''re okay." Dad gave my leg a pat.

    I looked up at him and shivered again. "I''m c-cold." My teeth started to chatter.

    <sub>.</sub>

    Mom inched closer. She spoke softly. "Why don''t you go take a warm shower? Get that sweat washed off and get into some clean pajamas?"

    I nodded. I wanted to take a hot shower. I untangled myself from the blankets and comforter with Dad''s help. Once I was up on my feet, I started to sway. "I don''t feel so good."

    "I''ve got you." Dad helped me to the connecting bathroom.

    My stomach churned and I knew what was coming. I leaned over the toilet and my dinner came back up.

    "What should we do?" I heard Dave in the distance.

    "Why don''t you guys sleep on the couches in the living room?" Mom suggested.

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    I spat and gasped for air.

    "Take it easy." Dad rubbed my back. "Do you want to rinse your mouth?"

    I nodded.

    He helped me to the sink and turned it on.

    I quickly rinsed my mouth. "They don''t have to sleep on the couch. I''ll go."

    "You''re sick, Jake." Dad told me.

    "I''ll be okay after a shower." I shook a little bit and held the sink. "Please. Don''t make them go." I didn''t want to displace them. This was their house first. The twins had this room all their life. Maybe if it was just me and Noah like it used to be, I wouldn''t think too much, but now there''s three of them to the one me.

    "Okay. I''ll tell them." Dad squeezed my shoulder. "Stay here. Let me grab your clean clothes so you can shower in the other bathroom." He left me to go talk to the others.

    Mom came in shortly after, keeping some distance. I vaguely remember that last time I got sick like this, I yelled at her or something. Scared her. I clenched the sink.

    "Is your stomach still upset, kiddo?" Mom asked, leaning against the door frame.

    I shook my head. Then nodded. "I don''t know. It''s-" I paused. "I can''t tell."

    "That''s okay." Mom said. "Rinse your mouth a few more times. After you shower, you can brush your teeth."<sub> </sub>

    Dad came up behind her, holding my clothes. "I''ve got the boys to lay back down. I''m going to go put your clothes in the other bathroom. Get the shower started so it''ll be warmer in there." He disappeared.

    I pushed away from the sink, done with rinsing my mouth. Mom hovered closer to me, afraid I might fall. Feeling bad, I reached out to her like she did for me after the game. She accepted me immediately, half-hugging me to the other bathroom. She patted and smoothed down my hair.

    "It''s going to be alright, Jake. Everything is going to be alright. Your dad and I will be just outside the bathroom. If you need anything, just call out." Her voice cracked like she had been the one to cry.

    Sure enough, after I showered and got in new pjs, the pair were just outside my door. They weren''t alone. Grampa was just outside his room, the one I used to share with Noah. The three of them took me downstairs and got me settled on one of the couches. I was surrounded by pillows and blankets. Mom started to put crackers and water nearby. Dad brought an empty wastebasket from their office and put it right beside the couch.

    Grampa sat on the other couch, turned on the tv, and started to flip through channels. "Mary, Wayne, you two should go to bed. I''ve got it from here."

    "Dad, no, you need to sleep too." Mom told him. "I''ll stay with Jake just in case."

    I watched as the three tried to decide who should stay with me. It made me feel good. Like I was wanted. Like I was safe. I couldn''t tell who had won since I drifted off to sleep.

    <o>,m It was more peaceful the second time around. I woke up naturally, feeling like the living room had some natural light to it. I sat up and looked out the windows. The sun was a bit too high to be morning. The house was also too quiet.</o>

    "They kept you home from school today." Grampa''s voice startled me. He had shuffled back in the room and sat down on the other couch. "It sounded like you needed a mental health day."

    "Oh." I laid back down and pulled the blankets tighter. If I didn''t have to go to school, then I''m going to stay comfortable.

    "Do you want to eat anything yet?" Grampa leaned forward to get a better look at me.

    I shook my head. "No. I''m not really hungry."

    "Do you think you might throw up again?"

    I shook my head again. "Not really. I just don''t feel like eating." I looked around. "Did everyone leave?"

    Grampa nodded. "Those boys went to school. Wayne and Mary also went. To talk to your coach and that doctor of yours."

    I knew what doctor he was talking about. Dr. Moore was the only doctor I saw frequently. Less so now. And maybe that was a problem. I sighed.

    "Don''t get down on yourself." Grampa must have heard how deep my sigh was. "There''s nothing wrong with needing a mental day or two. Considering what had happened to you and where you are now, I think you''re doing great."

    "If I was great, I wouldn''t need a shrink." I muttered. I caught him giving me a look. I pulled my blanket closer. "It''s embarrassing. I-"

    "It''s not embarrassing. Getting help is good. Being helped is good." Grampa told me. "I''m high school, it''s normal to feel embarrassed about everything. But unless you''re caught farting during a speech, then is it really so bad?"

    My lips twitched. "But...now...everyone is probably going to know."

    "Know what?" Grampa shrugged. "From what Noah told me, your coach is on your side. You''re the best hitter around. Why change? Especially on some advice from some other kid who is not doing as well?"

    "I just don''t like everyone thinking-"

    "Same." Grampa cut me off. "I don''t like anyone thinking either. It''s overrated. We do it too much."

    I let out a small laugh.

    I heard something coming from the front door. Like it was being unlocked from the outside. Then some footsteps.

    I was frowning, trying to figure out why Mom and Dad didn''t just come from the garage like normal, when a surprising face showed up in the living room. I sat upright even faster. "Zeke!"

 Chapter 914: V3 Ch148

    Chapter 914: V3 Ch148

    Zeke revealed a small smile. "I heard from Noah that you were taking a day off." I started to fidget, but he continued. "Same here. Figured we could spend our day together."

    I was shocked.

    Grampa was skeptical. "You have a random Wednesday off? No school? No practice? How did you make it home without a car?"

    Zeke sat down next to Grampa, relaxing into the couch. "I borrowed Rhys''s car. No practice today since we had a game yesterday. As for school, I can miss a class or two. Not all of them take attendance."

    Grampa squinted at him. "Sounds like you were already prepared to take a mental health day of your own."

    Zeke let out a short chuckle. "You''ve caught me."

    My jaw dropped.

    "Underestimated college baseball?" Grampa asked, smirking.

    I was even more stunned.

    Grampa looked to me. "You were too preoccupied last night. Zeke here didn''t do so well in his own game last night."

    <sub>.</sub>

    I looked to Zeke, not totally believing Grampa. He and Noah were too much alike.

    Only Zeke was straightforward. His lips twitched. "I''m bound to go hitless a time or two. I''m no batting champion. Why didn''t you compliment me on my weekend instead? We got first. Beat all three teams."

    Grampa rolled his eyes. "Always fishing for compliments." He put his hands on his knees and slowly stood up. "Jake hasn''t had anything to eat in awhile. I''m going to make some oatmeal." He left me alone with Zeke.

    "Did you really have a bad game yesterday?" I asked him, nervous.

    Zeke gave a short nod. "0-3 at the plate. Two strikeouts. One looking, and one swinging."

    "Was the pitcher very good?" I asked, interested.

    "Everyone is very good." Zeke told me. "But yesterday, it wasn''t like I was overwhelmed by his pitching. I was just overwhelmed with everything."

    "You? Overwhelmed?" I didn''t believe it. I couldn''t. Zeke is more stable than any of the boys. Even over Jeremy.

    Zeke let out a sigh. "There''s a lot going on. School, traveling, practice and games. Friday, we traveled to Texas for the tournament. Two games Saturday. Two games Sunday. Our Sunday night flight was pushed back to Monday morning. Monday, I still had classes to go to. Homework to do. We still had a small workout with the team. Tuesday, another round of classes and then an away game."

    "Sounds like a lot." I nodded. I don''t think I could handle that kind of pressure.

    "I''ll get used to it soon enough." He looked at me directly. "Just like how you got used to us. Being here. Talking." He tilted his head. "Eventually you''ll get used to being asked about the bat situation."

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    I slumped back. "I don''t know...maybe."

    "Let''s break it down. You don''t like them, so you don''t use them. No one forced you yesterday, right?"

    "Not really." I shrugged weakly. It was more like a suggestion and then I psyched myself out. It only got worse because I had nightmares last night.

    <o>,m Grampa came in with two bowls. He handed one off to Zeke, then one to me. "That''ll warm you up." He sat back down. He looked between us, back and forth. Back to Zeke. "What did I miss?"</o>

    "Talking about what makes Jake scared of what others think."

    "Meh. Everyone is like that every now and then." Grampa said. "It''s not until you get to my age, and then you really don''t care. Not even a little. Don''t have enough time left to care." He wagged a finger at me. "You do what you want. Or don''t do what you don''t want."

    I poked at my oatmeal with a spoon. "Easier said than done." I swallowed. "I want to be normal."

    "No such thing." Grampa was quick to refute. He caught my look. "Every person is unique. You. Me. Zeke. Noah. Your parents. Even the twins. Normal is fiction."

    I looked to Zeke. He looked pretty normal to me.

    Zeke gave a small shrug. "I was going to go with: we all have our different challenges. Mentally. Physically. Psychologically. We overcome them though."

    The two of them seemed to be trying to give me a pep talk and I tried to appreciate it. But like I said, easier said than done. I also couldn''t control my brain or dreams. Nightmares so real that it''s like I''m reliving that experience. I don''t know how or why my brain would pick that.

    ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? ????(???)?????.???.

    ***

    "Let''s take a moment to talk, boys." Coach greeted his team, walking into the club room as they were just about to finish changing. He spotted the twins and Noah, already dressed and waiting. They knew what was coming.<sub> </sub>

    The team settled down, taking seats and looking up to their coach.

    He cleared his throat. "Some of you may have noticed or heard, Jake didn''t come to school today." Most sets of eyes went to Noah to confirm that Jake wasn''t there. "He didn''t have a good night. Woke up sick. No need to be too concerned, but I want to talk about what happened in the dugout yesterday." His eyes drifted to Logan Porter before scanning the rest of the room. "Some of you know Jake from last season and some of you don''t. Last year, Jake came as a transfer student. If you haven''t heard already, he left an abusive home and is now formally adopted by the Atkins. He has a lot of history to work through, one of which is aluminum bats. If the newcomers haven''t noticed yet, he won''t touch one."

    "Can we ask why?" A sophomore pitcher, Marshel Butler, asked. "Why he doesn''t have to help get the others bats off the field? Why he won''t try to use one at the plate? He can hit further with it, can''t he?"

    "Why is it any of your business?" Noah jumped up and asked. "Would you like me pestering you, asking why you can''t throw 90mph yet? Garret and the twins can; why can''t you? Why aren''t you taller? Why aren''t you better?"

    Coach cleared his throat. "That''s enough."

    "If Jake is bothered by this, by you, and quits, I''ll quit too." Noah stated. He glanced back at his brothers.

    Dave reached out and pat him on the head. "Don''t be so dramatic. No one is quitting." He looked around. "I think most of the team can agree that Jake is our best hitter." He got a lot of head nods in response. "Why change what''s working? Jake''s nickname is ''Bambi'' for a reason. He''s skittish and easily scared. If we make a big deal out of this, no doubt, he''ll run." He looked towards Marshel. "Let me ask, can you replace him in the lineup?"

    "I just don''t like people getting special privileges." Marshel shrugged.

    "I''m not sure what you consider a special privilege is?" Garret stood up. "Not picking up others bats? Not a big deal. Heck, if we were a bigger school, we would have a bat boy and no one would have to."

    "Good idea." Coach spoke up. "I''ll get us a bat boy. As for Jake using a different bat? Forget it. It''s not up to anybody in this room." He looked around and no one said anything. Most even looked unbothered. He nodded, satisfied with this group. "I believe this is the best team, the best roster we''ve had in quite some time. But for the sake of team chemistry, I''m not afraid to change it up."

    A quick knock alerted everyone that someone had came to their club room. Garret, who was already standing, went over to open it up, revealing the school''s athletic director.

    "You have news for us?" Noah straightened up. "The first opponent for the tournament this weekend?"

    AD Barber nodded. He looked at Coach. "You want me to just go ahead and say it?"

    Coach nodded. "Of course. No matter who it is, our goal won''t change."

    AD Barber pulled out his cell phone and read off a text. "Game one of the Foothill Classic has been decided. Watsonville High School versus University Preparatory High School, 8am." He looked up. "From what I can understand, you''ll be the visiting team."

    The room was drop dead silent. Until Dave threw his glove at Bryce. "You jinxed it!" He wasn''t the only one. Soon, quite a few gloves were chucked at Bryce.

    The athletic director couldn''t tell what was going on at all. He said a few more words to Coach and left afterwards.

    Coach clapped his hands to get the team''s attention back on him. He chuckled at the sight of Bryce. "Alright. Guess we''re going to get our revenge game out of the way first. Not bad." He looked to Garret. "You''ll have-"

    "I want it, Coach!" Kyle stood up.

    Coach looked at him. "You?" He frowned at looked back at Garret. "What do you think, Captain?"

    Garret looked at Kyle. "Why should you get the start? Just because you want it isn''t enough for me. All of us want it, with the exception of Bryce."

    A few of the guys laughed and started to give some grief to Bryce.

    "Because I believe I''m the best." Kyle looked Garret in the eyes. "Statistically, we''re neck and neck. With you only having the edge on strikeouts. I want this chance to prove myself. I know I''ll keep us in the game."

    Garret raised an eyebrow. "You don''t think I can do the same?"

    "We know you can. We won game one last year with you. This time, we should use the approach we have in tournaments that we''ve won. Like the last one. We''re able to use you later against more difficult teams."

    Garret looked to Coach. "I like his confidence."

    Coach squinted at the pair before settling. "Okay. Kyle will get the start on the mound. Garret will still prep too though. I don''t want this game getting out of hand. Kyle, I''m giving you two runs. That''s all you can give up before I pull you."

    "Why two?" Dave asked, curious.

    "Because that''s how many I estimate we can score with our lineup." Coach explained. He looked at Noah, who looked pensive. "Don''t tell me you''re nervous about the game, Noah?"

    "No. Well, not for me." Noah looked up at Coach. "Do you think we can get the game pushed back later?"

    Coach shook his head. "No way."

    Dave caught on. He started to laugh. "Coach you might want to rethink that two runs you''ll think we''ll get. Jake is not a morning person."

    Coach rubbed his forehead as a few of the guys laughed. It was well-known that Jake didn''t like the cold and he didn''t like morning games. Morning games weren''t a common occurrence so it hardly came up. Now that it did with a great team as the opponent, Coach had to come up with an idea.

 Chapter 915: V3 Ch149

    Chapter 915: V3 Ch149

    Mom and Dad came home with an expected guest for lunch: Dr. Moore. The three of them came into the living room, surprised to see the three of us watching some spring baseball game. Probably even more surprised to see Zeke.

    Dad frowned at him. "You''re not skipping class, are you?"

    "Not one that takes attendance." Zeke answered, more honest with his dad.

    Mom glanced at Dr. Moore. "We didn''t know he''d be here. And we definitely don''t condone skipping classes."

    Dr. Moore let out a small laugh. "Don''t worry. I''m not the type to judge. Although I believe going to class has a lot of benefits; an occasional skip can do some good for young people''s mental health." He smiled at Zeke. "How are you doing?"

    "I''m in an adjustment period right now." Zeke told him.

    Dr. Moore nodded. "Sounds like you''re very self-aware." He looked to Mom and Dad. "I would like a moment with Jake alone, if you guys don''t mind?"

    The room quickly cleared.

    Dr. Moore sat on the same couch as me. I moved to give him more space.

    "Well?" I asked after a moment of silence.

    <sub>.</sub>

    Dr. Moore cracked a smile. "Well what?"

    "Aren''t you going to say something to make me feel better?" I asked. Dr. Moore always had words of wisdom for me. How could he just come up empty-handed now?

    "You''re already feeling better." Dr. Moore pointed out. "I could tell when I walked in. You looked so relax, just sitting with Zeke and your grandfather. If you''re comfortable, there isn''t much more I can do."

    "What about..." I trailed off, not willing to mention the bat drama.

    "You just give it some time." Dr. Moore reached out to pat my leg. "It may not be quick, but you''ll move on. I''ve seen so much improvement in you already." He paused. "If you want, I can recommend trying out a desensitizing therapy."

    "What''s that?" I asked, confused.

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    "It''s targeted for those with PTSD, phobias, and/or anxiety." He explained. "Basically we would use other stimuli to get you used to what you fear. Work our way up to you being fine with using that kind of bat. Honestly, you''re already doing it on your own without being intentional about it. The first step would be being around the bat. You do that constantly. You watch your brothers, friends, and teammates use the bat."

    I nodded slowly. "What-what would be after that?"

    His smile slowly faded as he became serious. "Of course, touching the bat, holding the bat, etc. There''s a lot to consider before taking that next step. Like, will this really be helping you? A baseball bat isn''t an everyday item. Do you even need to? Do you want to? From what I understand, you do just fine with a wood bat. Which is used at the professional level."

    "Not in college though." I pointed out.

    Dr. Moore slowly nodded. "Yes, that''s a point to consider." He looked at me directly. "I know you''re a little sensitive when it comes to thoughts on the future though. So many considerations. But you have a lot of time."

    I slumped, pulling on my blanket. "Can''t things just stay as they are now?"

    Dr. Moore let out a chuckle. "We all have a time or two where we want to hit the pause button. How about we let things be for now? You use the bat that you like. You don''t have to do anything extra. Next year, you''ll be an upperclassman. Then you''ll have the option to revisit this issue."

    I shrugged. "So I don''t change for now?"

    "You do it without noticing as it is." Dr. Moore stood back up. "Kids like you...are resilient. You''ll bounce back. You''re already on the mend. Anytime you want to talk about anything, you can find me at the school."

    "What about your original office?" I wondered.

    He fiddled with his glasses. "I''m actually thinking about shifting to working strictly with high school students."<sub> </sub>

    "Oh." I was taken aback. "Why?"

    His look was more pointed. At me.

    "Because of me?" I asked, shocked.

    "A good portion of the switch would be from hearing your story. How the school system failed you. But you aren''t alone. There are so many impressionable young minds being abused and having no escape. If I could help more like you..." He let out a sigh. "Maybe I would feel like the world is going to be a little bit better."

    I couldn''t really understand. But I was happy for his choice. "My old schools didn''t have someone like you."

    "That should start to change." Dr. Moore lifted his hand. "Stop by and see me tomorrow just so I can be assured."

    "Sure." I nodded and lifted a hand to wave back.

    Dr. Moore left the living room, presumably to go find Mom and Dad. Zeke came back first, alone.

    He leaned against the door frame. "Want to get out of here before they start to hover over you?"

    I tilted my head. "Where would we go? To lunch?"

    He nodded. "Yea. Lunch. Get some exercise in." He must have seen my look of panic, because he started to laugh. "Good exercise. The cages." He emphasized.

    I relaxed for a second, but then tensed up again. I lowered my voice. "I don''t know if we should... Won''t Mom and Dad want me home instead?"

    "You want me to stay here and listen to their lecture about skipping school?" Zeke scoffed. "Hurry and get dressed. I''ll get your bag from the garage. Meet me outside. I''ll be in Rhys''s car." He walked away not giving me a chance to say no.

    I only hesitated a second before flipping the blanket off of me. It''s not every day I get a chance to go to the cages. Without the twins complaining and bugging Noah to catch for them in exchange. This was a good deal.

    As I came back downstairs, I could hear Mom and Dad still talking to Dr. Moore in the kitchen. About him converting to a school psychologist full-time. I eased up on my steps the closer I got to the front door. I had a feeling they didn''t know Zeke and I were going out.

    The front door made the smallest of sounds but it felt like a whole freakin'' announcement to the world.

    "You''re not running away, are you?" Grampa caught me red-handed.

    I quickly let go of the door. "No, I-" I glanced outside and saw Zeke already sitting in the car. "Zeke-he-" I didn''t know how to explain myself.

    Grampa chuckled. "That boy... No matter how mature he acts, he''s still the same little hellion he was as a kid." He pulled out his wallet, and grabbed some money out. "Okay, don''t worry, I''ll tell Mary and Wayne. You boys go have some fun." He stuffed the money in my hand and gave me a helpful push out the door. He closed it right behind me before I could say thanks.

    I went to the car and got in the front passenger seat. "Grampa saw me..."

    Zeke started to drive. "Oh yea? What did he say when he let you go?"

    "Something about you being a ''hellion'' still like when you were a kid..?" I looked up at Zeke, skeptical.

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "Don''t listen to that old man so much." He caught sight of me holding some bills. "Did he give you money too?"

    I nodded and held out a mix of denominations. "Yea. He said to have fun and that he would tell Mom for us."

    Zeke smiled. "Okay. Maybe you can listen a time or two."

 Chapter 916: V3 Ch150

    Chapter 916: V3 Ch150

    We didn''t eat first since we both recently had some oatmeal. We went directly to the cages and Zeke started me low.

    "We''ll go at your pace."

    I looked up at him. "You''re going to stick with me?"

    "I wouldn''t leave you on your own." Zeke gave my shoulder a small pat. "Get your helmet on and go first. Do both sides."

    I eagerly put on my helmet and got my bat out. I left my bag with Zeke and went inside the cage. I put the coin in and got to work. Hitting it back towards the machine like I used to. It was like hitting a reset button on myself. I did my left side first subconsciously, then my right. Even though it was slow, I could tell my right side was losing something off the edge. I frowned as I came out.

    "Feeling alright?" Zeke asked.

    I started to shake my head, but then realized he might be asking because I was just sick this morning. "Yea, I''m fine. Just feeling a difference. I only bat left in games and I think my right side is...neglected."

    Zeke nodded thoughtfully. "I can''t say I know the feeling. Let me go in and try."

    "Try to bat both ways?" I asked.

    "I should be able to do it at this speed." Zeke went in with confidence. He did his normal right side first. Then from the lefty side.

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    He came out. "Is it an awkward feeling? Like using a spoon with the wrong hand?"

    I shook my head. "No. That''s what you guys feel because you don''t normally practice your non-dominant side. It''s like...if I was going to face Garret as a righty...I think I would struggle."

    "Hmmm. It might be a good idea to get the twins to face you on the right side a little more often. Start incorporating it into games again. Don''t forget that it can be useful in the future. You have an advantage; don''t give it up."

    I nodded, understanding. We spent the next two hours hitting in the cages and talking about our swings. Zeke knew a lot about hitting for distance and having the strength to do so. He also told me about their own weightlifting coach and how I should focus more on my core and hips. Arm strength was catching up. We eventually ate some pizza in the snackbar area and then headed home.

    He pulled into the driveway but didn''t get out.

    I stopped myself from getting out of the car. "You''re not coming in?"

    Zeke shook his head, smiling. "No way. Gotta beat the rush hour traffic and get back to school. Might go meet up with some of the guys before dinner and hit the gym."

    "Oh. Okay." I opened the door, remembered my bag, and turned to wave. "Thanks for today. I had fun."

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    "Me too." Zeke told me. "I needed it just as much as you."

    I closed the door and he pulled back out of the drive. After a final wave, I headed for the front door. As soon as I opened it, Mom was striding out of the office.

    "You''re back!" She watched as I closed the front door behind me, then squinted. "Zeke already left?"

    I nodded. I had a feeling that Zeke wasn''t just avoiding traffic. But that''s what I told Mom. "He said he had to beat rush hour traffic. Gym with his teammates..." I shrugged.

    Mom sighed and held her forehead. "This kid. Maybe I shouldn''t have pushed college so much on him. He''s probably overworked and stressed."

    "We can check on him this weekend." Dad came out of the office, overhearing Mom''s worries. "We have that tournament for the boys in the area. We go early on Friday after their practice, maybe see the end of Zeke''s game if possible."

    "Should we split up this weekend? You go to the boys tournament? And I''ll watch Zeke''s?" Mom tapped her cheek, thinking.

    "Let''s play it by ear." Dad suggested. "The tournament is close to Stanford so maybe there''ll be room to work something out. We''ll have to wait and see what time the first game will be Saturday, but we definitely can see Zeke Friday night."

    As the two discussed, I went to the garage to drop off my bag. Back inside the house, Mom''s eyes were drawn back to me. "Jake, did Zeke feed you? Do you want me to make some snacks before dinner?"

    I shook my head. "We ate. Just recently so I''m not hungry at all."

    "It wasn''t all junk food, right?"

    I hesitated, thinking of my pizza and coke.<sub> </sub>

    "It''s normally okay every once in awhile but your stomach won''t feel good like that." She started to lecture me. I patiently accepted it. Mom concluded after a five minute rant. "We''re going to do a lot of veggies tonight. I need to go to the store." She looked at me. "Come with?"

    I nodded. Anything to make her happy and forget about me eating junk food.

    Mom went to grab her purse while Dad went back to the office. Mom and I got into her car.

    "Where was Grampa?" I asked, thinking that he didn''t show up to save me from the lecture.

    "He went to that senior center." Mom told me as she drove us. "It''s good for him. I''m glad he''s getting out and making friends in the community. Him and my mom, your gramma, didn''t do much back in Washington. They had each other."

    "Is Grampa going to come with us this weekend?" I asked another question. It was going to be a big tournament.

    "I''m not sure. We''ll have to ask him at dinner." Mom tapped the steering wheel. "We''ll have to know to decide how many rooms to get. Though...he doesn''t really like long drives."

    "When Jeremy took us to see Zeke play with Grampa, I noticed that the drive tired him out." I commented. "I don''t think he''ll come."

    "If you really want him there, he would go. I know it."

    I smiled. "Yea, I know too. But I don''t want him to go through too much hassle. There''s still a lot of home games he can go to."

    She nodded. "How is Jeremy? Have you two been in touch?"

    I nodded slowly. "We text occasionally. A little less now that he has practice and spring training games."

    We talked a little more about Jeremy. Rose. Zeke. Then she asked about my classes, school, and making friends. How everyone was treating me. I was a little drained, but I didn''t want Mom to worry. We talked as we shopped. She didn''t forget to emphasize what kind of foods were healthy and what I should be eating more.

    By the time we were done and got home, it was evening time. The family car was in the driveway.

    "Looks like the boys are home." Mom remarked. "When you get inside, make sure to send them out to help get the groceries."

    I nodded. I grabbed two bags to carry inside.

    "Jake!?" I heard Noah before seeing him. He bolted out of the living room and rushed me. "You''ve been gone forever!"

    I held up the bags. "We went to the store. Mom said to come outside to help."

    "Yea. Sure." He waved my comments off and followed me to the kitchen. I wanted to place down the bags. "You''ll never guess who our first opponent is on Saturday!"

    I set the bags on the counter and shrugged. "Is it one of the teams we played last year?"

    "Yep! Absolutely!" Noah''s eyes were practically sparkling. He was eager.

    I took a guess. "University Prep?"

    "YES!" Noah shook me, excited. "Redemption game! Let''s go!"

    I smiled. Noah wanted revenge. Me too. I was better than last year. I won''t be hitless this time around.

    "The only bad news is that the game starts at 8am."

    "8 in the morning?!?" My jaw dropped. "Is that even legal?"

    Noah laughed and slapped my shoulder. "Come on. It''s not that bad. It''s just like going to school. You''ll be fine."

    I sent a glare in his direction.

 Chapter 917: V3 Ch151

    Chapter 917: V3 Ch151

    The next day, I felt a little uncomfortable when it came time to go to school. It wasn''t so much the school aspect, but seeing my team. It wasn''t the biggest breakdown I''ve had...but it''s the first of the year. With new teammates. I guess I was just embarrassed mostly.

    Mr. Miller didn''t say anything about me being gone yesterday. The first thing he said was, "You ready for Saturday?"

    I nodded.

    "Tough first game." He said, driving Noah and me up to the school''s main building. "We''re going to need you in your best mental state."

    "I''m okay now." I spoke up.

    Mr. Miller nodded. "Happy to hear it."

    "Zeke came down from school and took him to the cages." Noah ratted me out. "I''d feel better too if I could skip school and play around."

    "How is he doing? College giving him a hard time yet?"

    "No way!" Noah scoffed.

    "He''s adjusting." I repeated what Zeke had told me yesterday.

    Noah turned back to look at me.

    I shrugged. "That''s what he said."

    "College baseball isn''t as straightforward as going into the minors." Mr. Miller told us. "If you go pro, then baseball is everything. You only have to focus on getting stronger, better, and staying healthy. In college, you have school worries on top. Because if you do bad in class, you don''t get to play. Plus, he''s a freshman. I''m sure the traveling is still new to him. A nice little warmup before he becomes a professional traveler."

    We talked a little more about Zeke before splitting from Mr. Miller. Just inside the school, I gestured to the front office. "I''m going to stop by and say ''hi'' to Dr. Moore."

    "Didn''t you already see him yesterday?" Noah asked, but still followed along.

    "Yea, but I just need to show that I''m okay today too." I maneuvered around the students and staff already filling the office. I peeked in Dr. Moore''s office and saw him at his desk, doing work on his laptop. I gave the door a tap.

    Dr. Moore looked up. "Jake. Noah. Good morning."

    "Morning!" Noah waved.

    I lifted a hand too. "I''m good."

    Dr. Moore nodded. "I see it. Keep it up. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

    We exchanged a few more words, then it was time to go to our lockers. We still had to swap books and dump off some stuff. Near our lockers were a couple guys. Two in particular stood out. Logan and Dalton.

    I slowed up.

    Noah didn''t hesitate to throw his arm around my shoulders and started to guide me. "Don''t panic. Logan talked to me after practice. He just wants to apologize."

    I whispered back. "I''m not panicking. I''m embarrassed. Why didn''t you just tell him ''it''s fine'' and leave it. I don''t want an apology. I rather pretend it didn''t happen."

    "Man up." Noah nodded at the pair as we got closer. "Hey guys, what''s up?"

    Logan looked at me directly. "Hey. I just want to say sorry about..." he paused. "You know, for the game on Tuesday. I didn''t mean to sound pushy."

    "It''s okay. You didn''t know." I focused on my locker, trying to avoid this conversation.

    "I want to say sorry to you too, Noah."

    I paused and looked at Noah. Noah also looked frozen.

    "Same here." Dalton added. He looked nervous, holding the straps of his backpack. "Sorry. For last year."

    Nothing was said for a long minute.

    Noah closed his locker and started to laugh. "Alright, no need. The past is the past." He waved his hand like he was trying to wave away smoke in his face.

    "Really, man." Logan said. "We get it now. We understand that giving you the cold shoulder wasn''t cool. When I moved up to JV midseason last year, I could feel it from some of the guys. We''re different. We can reach the next level while some of them..." He shrugged. "Some of them probably won''t be able to make varsity ever."

    Dalton nodded sheepishly. "I''ve gotten some grief for jumping from the freshmen team to the varsity team. Even though I''m not a starter and they know that..."

    I looked to Noah, totally unsure of what to do or say.

    The school bell saved the day.

    Noah reached out to put a hand on the both of them. "Really, guys. It''s okay. We''re long past that. I have only one concern and that''s beating University Prep on Saturday."

    I finished with my locker, closing it.

    "Was that really such a tough loss for you guys last year?" Logan asked. "Jake is no joke at the plate."

    "Jake was still new to the team last year." Noah quickly brushed off. "Zeke was hurt. Kyle had already pitched. Dave was ejected from the previous game. It was a series of unfortunate events. This weekend will be different. I know it."

    We split from them after a quick ''goodbye'' and ''see you laters''.

    I glanced at Noah as we walked to our class. "You''re really forgiving them?"

    Noah shrugged. "Yea, why not?" We reached our classroom. He opened the door and we both went in. "It''s not like it''s going to cost me anything. And holding a grudge is pointless. We''re teammates now. And probably will be next year and maybe the year after that."

    "Oh." I was impressed how Noah could just brush it off like that. I didn''t know what it was like to have friends and then to have them abandon you, but it couldn''t be a good feeling.

    "Don''t get me wrong." Noah sat in his seat and I sat in mine. "We can be chill, but we won''t really be true friends again."

    "Ohh." That made sense.

    "They put me on the spot like that, but it''s not like I can say ''no, I don''t forgive you''. That would make things awkward." Noah talked about it some more. "Plus, it''s not like they''re the real instigators. More like those on standby. They waited to see how things played out. Now that we''re on the same team, it''s only proper that we bury the hatchet."

    Kaylee showed up and sat in her seat nearby. "Hey, guys, what''s up?" She looked at me. "Feeling better?"

    I nodded.

    "Kaylee is more of a friend than those guys." Noah pointed at her. I nodded again.

    "More of a friend than who?" She asked, curious.

    "Just some of the guys from last year." Noah shrugged. "Logan and Dalton came by this morning to apologize about last year."

    "Oh yea?" She sneered. "Hope you didn''t forgive them. Give those idiots an inch and they''ll take a mile."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Of course I forgave them. I no longer give a shit. The past is the past." He repeated the same phrase from just a moment ago. I might have believed him the first time he said it, but now I was a little skeptical. It kind of sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

    "What are you going to do if they try to bully Jake like they did you?" She asked.

    "First off, I wasn''t bullied." Noah corrected. "It''d be more appropriate to say I was shunned. Or ignored."

    "Synonyms of being bullied." She smirked.

    "Second off," Noah continued, ignoring her. "Jake is my bottom line. They do anything or say anything, I have no problem setting them straight. Worse case, it gets to Coach. And Coach will always back Jake."

    I smiled as the two went back and forth, going through fake scenarios. I didn''t think Logan or Dalton were real bullies. Like Noah said, they were more like spectators.

 Chapter 918: V3 Ch152

    Chapter 918: V3 Ch152

    Coach made Thursday''s practice tough with the excuse that we''ll go light tomorrow. No one else on the team tried to talk to me about the end of Tuesday''s game and that was perfect for me. It''s enough to have a therapist to talk to. I didn''t want to tell everyone every little thing that was wrong with me.

    One thing I didn''t expect was Joey coming up to me at the beginning of practice, holding out his fist.

    Feeling confused, I still took the hint and bumped his closed fist.

    "Never really got to tell you good game on Tuesday." He grinned. "Like you said, we got the mercy rule and I got the complete game shutout."

    Oh! I hurried to nod. "Yes, you pitched well. And you also had that home run in the third. Keep it up."

    He grinned and swaggered away, passing the twins with a smirk.

    Dave rolled his eyes. "Bro, you ain''t shit yet. It was only five innings."

    "It only had to be five innings." Joey lifted his chin. "I''m just happy to join the club of having a shutout."

    "When we were juniors, we had no hitters and even a perfect game." Kyle shot back.

    "How many pitchers did a shutout and hit a homerun?" He kept grinning. "I''ll wait."

    "I have plenty of homers and plenty of shutouts." Garret joined in. "What matters the most in the championship." He patted Joey on the shoulder. "Stay on this level and maybe you can get a ring at the end of the season too."

    "Tch." Joey dropped the smile and started to get ready for practice properly.

    "You know," Noah turned to me as I tied the laces of my cleats. "We''re the only ones with a chance for four rings."

    "It''ll be a bit harder next year without Garret and the twins." I whispered, trying not to be overheard.

    Noah grinned and slapped me on the shoulder. "So you''re saying you''re a believer this year. Good! Glad to hear it!"

    Practice was brutal, running drills and sprints. Diving and sliding. The twins obviously didn''t have it the same way. Their preparation for the weekend made the two sweaty, but nowhere near as dirty as me and Noah.

    "Hey, Noah, since you''re already so dirty, do you want to catch for me a little in the backyard?" Dave asked.

    "No, I should be the one to get some extra work in today." Kyle butted in before Noah could answer. He was the one driving us home.

    "No way. You should be on relaxed mode." Dave corrected. "You keep it light tomorrow and be ready for Saturday."

    "You don''t think you''ll pitch Saturday?" I asked.

    Dave shook his head while smiling. "Nah. Unless Kyle does bad early on."

    "Shut up." Kyle rolled his eyes.

    Dave looked back at Noah. "Well?"

    Noah thought about it. "Yea. Why not? I don''t have much homework to do." He looked at me. "Want to come out and watch?"

    I shook my head. There''s no point in me doing that.

    We got home and split up. Dave and Noah went straight to the backyard while Kyle and I went upstairs to the room.

    I dumped my backpack off and pulled out my phone.

    "You want to shower first?" Kyle asked.

    I looked up at him, feeling a little embarrassed. "Uh, I was going to do an ab workout before showering. So you can go first."

    Kyle nodded. "Alright. I''ll be done in a bit." He pointed his finger at me. "Don''t do too much. It won''t make much of a difference before Saturday. I don''t want you hurting yourself."

    I nodded obediently.

    He grabbed a change of clothes and went into the attached bathroom. I pulled a video up on my phone to follow, laid down on the floor, and got some exercise in. When Kyle came out, down with his shower, I called it quits and took my turn in the shower.

    I came out, combing my hair, thinking about what to bring this weekend for schoolwork.

    Kyle abruptly stood up from his bed. "Jake! You''re taller!!"

    "Huh?" I looked up at him, confused.

    He came over, grabbed my wrists, and lifted them over my head. "Look! The shirt is getting short on you. For real this time."

    My lips twitched at that last part. Makes it sound like he was previously comforting me on getting taller by lying. He let go of me and moved to his dresser. "Come. I''ll pass you some shirts that are a little smaller on me."

    I followed along.

    He grabbed out four shirts and handed them over. Then he hesitated. "By the way, I don''t know if it matters, but I couldn''t see any scars. You know. When you lifted your shirt."

    I froze. But only for a second. I scratched my cheek. "Thanks. They have been looking better."

    "Maybe you''ll try swimming this summer." He went to lay back down on his bed, picking up his phone.

    I shrugged. "Maybe."

    "Are you and Noah going to try out for the travel team this year? I''m sure they''ll be happy to have you now."

    I shrugged again.

    "You don''t always have to do what he does." Kyle pointed out. "If you like going to the camps, do that. If you like playing in games, try travel ball."

    I put my new shirts away. "I don''t know. I didn''t have options before."

    "And now you have so many." He laughed. "Yea, I can see how that''s overwhelming."

    We were called down to dinner soon after. Meeting up with Dave, Mom, and Dad. And a very smelly Noah. I slowly shifted away from him as I loaded my plate.

    Mom started to talk about the plan tomorrow. Quick showers after practice. Make sure to pack tonight so we''re prepared. Traffic would be brutal, but we would have a chance to catch the end of Zeke''s game. He had a home series and would play Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

    "No offense, but I hope we only see him tomorrow." Noah said with a grin.

    "We understand." Dad said. "But you have to also understand that if you lose game one- Don''t give me that look Noah." He continued. "If you guys lose early, we''re going to Zeke''s game Saturday afternoon. And if you guys win and have conflicting schedules, your mom and I will split up."

    Noah looked to Grampa. "And you''re just flat out not coming?"

    Grampa coughed. "I go to the home games. You can text me updates after you win."

    Noah pointed at him. "That''s the support we need. Confidence in us winning." He looked to Kyle. "You''re not nervous at all, right?"

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Why would I be nervous? They didn''t beat me last year. Even if they would have, I''m a new guy on the mound." He waved his fork around. "Hopefully Coach knows not to put Bryce in for relief at all against them. He''s got some psychological shadow."

    "Realistically, if we need a relief, it''ll probably be Garret. Unless we''re getting our butts kicked." Dave said.

    Noah laughed. "No way. We have Jake. No butt kicking here." He nudged me. "You have to start us out strong."

    I scooted away from him. "Yea, I know. Don''t touch me though. I don''t want to have to shower again."

    Noah let out a very exaggerated gasp. "Jake! How dare you! Don''t tell me I disgust you." He leaned over.

    "Noah James." Mom warned.

    Noah laughed and went back to his space. "Kidding, Mom."

 Chapter 919: V3 Ch153 Night Before

    Chapter 919: V3 Ch153 Night Before

    Friday went according to plan. School. A light practice. Hurry home to shower, then we were off. Off to sit into some traffic. It wasn''t as bad as the outbound traffic but it certainly took a long time. Too long.

    "Do we go straight to Stanford or forget the game and get checked into the hotel?" Mom asked Dad.

    Dad glanced in the rear view mirror to look back at us. Only I was the one to look back at him. The other three were sleeping.

    "Tough decision." He said, looking thoughtful. He made eye contact with me again. "Jake, you''re the only one up. What would you rather do? See the last bit of Zeke''s game? Or get settled into the hotel? You do have a very early morning tomorrow."

    "See Zeke." I shrugged. I wasn''t tired yet. Plus, it would feel weird to choose not to see him when we''re so close. Who cares if it was the end of his game.

    Dad got off at the appropriate exit and made his way to Stanford''s stadium. The constant start and stops at the street lights prompted the other boys to wake up. A lot of yawns, groans, and complaints started to fly around. Dad pulled into a packed parking lot.

    "By the time we park and get to the field, it''s going to be over." Noah muttered.

    "But we still get to see Zeke." I pointed out.

    "I''ll drop you all off up front, don''t worry." Dad did what he said, getting as close as possible before letting us out. "I''ll meet up with you all in a few."

    Mom kissed him on the cheek real quick. "Thanks, honey."

    We all piled out of the car. With Mom leading the way, we followed her into the stadium. She was in charge of tickets and had them scanned by a worker.

    "Just in time to catch the win." The old lady joked.

    "Happy to hear that, ma''am." Mom smiled back at her.

    Our seats were nowhere near as close as we previously had, but that wasn''t an issue. Their stadium could only seat a couple thousand so every seat was a decent one. We really did only catch the last inning, sadly. No real action but getting the win and celebrating afterwards.

    We hung around in our seats and talked about dinner as we waited for Zeke to be done with his team. As the custodians came around cleaning up, we took the hint and started to leave the stadium, intent on waiting for Zeke before going back to the car.

    He eventually made it out, walking side by side with Rhys. Both of them had their backpacks on and dressed in normal outfits.

    "Thank god!" Noah jumped up. "Any longer and I thought I was going to starve to death. Let''s go somewhere close, please!"

    Dad, who joined us late, looked to Rhys. "You just stopping by to say ''hi'' or do you have time to join us for a late dinner?"

    Rhys grinned and rubbed his stomach. "Definitely hoping to bum a meal off of you guys. I''ll drive myself though. Want to stay in the dorms tonight." He looked at Kyle. "You''re not the only one pitching tomorrow."

    "Good for you!" Dave slapped his shoulder.

    "Let''s move quickly then." Mom pulled out her phone. "I think that Italian place nearby stays open late."

    "I''ll ride with Rhys, but put my bag in the car." Zeke took his backpack off and handed it to Noah.

    Noah looked surprised. "You''re not going to go back with Rhys after dinner?"

    Zeke shook his head with a small smile. "I don''t have to do nearly as much in the morning. Might as well check out the hottest game around. I heard there might be a chance of an upset."

    Noah swung the bag around happily. "Yes! You know it!" He laughed some more. "I bet you want this revenge even though you''ve moved on to college."

    Zeke fixed his shirt. "It''s not revenge. They lost a lot of seniors. Half the starters will be new." He looked around at us. "Not afraid?"

    "Not even a little." Kyle grinned, confident.

    We had a great dinner. Good vibes with lots of carbs. Zeke went with us afterwards to check in at the hotel while Rhys went back to the dorms. Mom and Dad got connecting room, with two queen beds each.

    "Should we let Kyle get a bed to himself?" Dave whispered to Noah. "I''ll bunk with Zeke. You and Jake share the other room with Mom and Dad."

    "I say we let Jake choose." Kyle spoke up, clearly having overheard his twin.

    "Me?" I was stunned. "Why me?"

    "You''re one of the big keys to winning tomorrow." Kyle reasoned. "So am I. But I''m used to sharing beds. You''re always on the edge of the bed when you share. It''s late and we need you well-rested for the morning."

    I looked around and no one seemed to disagree. I was embarrassed and touched at the same time. Kyle wasn''t the type to put so much thought, but lately I''ve felt him becoming closer. Like his sense of empathy was growing.

    I felt my face heat up. "Okay. Thanks."

    "Who would you like in the other bed?" Noah asked. "Me and Zeke?"

    Ehh. I looked up at Dad and Mom. "I rather have them."

    Noah looked stunned. "Not me?"

    My lips twitched. "Mom and Dad won''t wake me up so aggressively like you do. You''re just so loud and energetic in the morning. Like you have a good ''on'' switch. I''m more slow to getting up and stuff."

    "You have good awareness." Zeke told me before going into the other room. "Let''s go. You guys heard him. Leave him be."

    Noah looked like he wanted to say more, but Dave quickly dragged him away.

    Kyle followed behind them and closed the connecting door. I sighed with relief. I then picked the bed closest to the door and looked back at my parents. "Can I have this one?"

    Mom nodded with a soft smile. "Yes. Of course! Go get your pjs on and get to bed first."

    I got my soft flannel pants out and changed in the bathroom. I came back out to see Mom turning down the sheets for me. I smiled, feeling good. This was the best family. I was so happy I was placed with them. That they wanted me.

    I got into bed and snuggled under the sheets and comforter. I watched Mom and Dad as they moved around the room, unpacking necessities, hanging up all of our uniforms.

    Dad caught me looking. He frowned. "Are we keeping you up? Don''t worry, we''re almost done."

    I shook my head. "No. I''m okay. I''ll fall asleep soon."

    Before they had turned out the lights, I was down for the count. I had a good sleep, with no dreams. I slowly woke up to the sounds of Mom and Dad getting ready. One shower. Two shower. It started to get louder and lights came on.

    I peeked out from under the covers.

    "Rise and shine." Mom greeted me with a smile.

    I stretched and yawned. Then shivered. It was a bit cold despite the AC not being on. It was only going to be colder outside. I slowly got moving.

 Chapter 920: V3 Ch154 Foothill Classic

    Chapter 920: V3 Ch154 Foothill Classic

    The complex of baseball fields amazed me for the second time. I shuffled my feet, trailing behind the family. They seemed to have come to a consensus of leaving me alone this morning. Which I appreciated. I was under a couple layers of clothing, trying to stay warm...and awake.

    We found our team gathering near the registration tent. This tournament was more official than the last. All players had to be accounted for before the tournament started. If you weren''t, you couldn''t play.

    "Look! They even have scarf designs!" I could hear Mom exclaim from a few feet away. She was at a different tent that was selling tournament merchandise. Shirts, sweatshirts, just a lot of clothing and knickknacks with the tournament name on it.

    "If you want one, just tell them." Noah nudged me. He could see that my eyes were on Mom. I didn''t move, but Noah forced me to. He dragged me over to Mom and Dad. "Can we get some souvenirs before the tournament even starts?"

    "What were you thinking?" Dad asked him.

    "For me, I want the lanyard. I should start driving soon and when the twins leave, I can put the car keys on it." Noah justified his want. He tilted his head towards me. "I think Jake is interested in the scarf. As soon as he heard Mom, his eyes were glued to her."

    I felt my face heat up.

    "I think it''s a good idea." Mom pitched in. "Jake is always cold, and this scarf does have a good design with the baseballs."

    "But it''s practically March already." Dad pointed out.

    "He can wear it for another month." Mom said. "And it''s not like he can grow out of a scarf." She decisively turned to Noah. "Go check with the twins to see if they want something from here too."

    Noah nodded and took off, back towards our team. He returned within a minute. "Dave said sweatshirt, extra large. Kyle said he''ll just take a hat."

    Mom took charge and went to tell a worker what she would like while pulling out her wallet. We stepped away to give more players and families space to see what was there. Mom came back and handed three items to Noah to take back for him and the twins. She wrapped the scarf around me twice and let the ends hang down.

    "It''s probably good that Grampa didn''t come." Noah said. "He''d probably be worse off than Jake."

    "Your grandfather has seen harsher winters and wetter springs." Mom replied. "Jake will get used to it in a couple of years."

    Years. I had years here. I felt warmed up on the inside as we waited for registration to get over with. Before we could go to our field for warmups, we had to do a pre-ceremony introduction.

    As the captain, Garret took the lead while the rest of us lined up by our jersey number.

    I looked back at Noah. "Shouldn''t you be in front of me as vice captain?"

    Noah waved his hand freely. "Nah. It''s just one more position in line so why bother?" He put his hands on my shoulders and gave me a quick massage. "Besides, having you up front with Garret shows off our talent right away."

    I rolled my shoulders to get Noah to let go.

    The ceremony introduced each time in the ranked order. Last year we were dead last, this year was different. Out of sixteen teams, we were number nine. Noah said it was due to a mixture of reasons; From our performance in last year''s tournament, our CIF division win, and thanks to our team ranking to start out this season.

    Number one was clear: University Preparatory High School. There were some vaguely familiar faces I could see in their line, but I knew they lost some of the biggest seniors. They weren''t the same team from last year. And neither were we.

    The ceremony ended and the teams started to separate. We got our bags and headed to the field as a group, leaving our families behind.

    "Coach Wilcox!" Some man called out while jogging over. He held a big camera in his hands. "Excuse me. I was wondering if you and some of the team could answer my questions regarding your game against University Prep."

    "You can ask after the game." Coach stared him down. "Right now, my team needs to get properly warmed up." He continued walking.

    "Is Jake Hollander here for the game this morning?" The guy asked.

    I nearly tripped over my own feet.

    A lot of looks were directed my way.

    "Formerly known as Jake Hollander; his name is Jake Atkins." Mr. Miller corrected. "And you won''t be asking him any questions without his parents present so maybe you should go find them in the stands first."

    I shifted closer to Noah and kept my head down.

    Noah shifted closer to me and we sped up in the same pace. No one stopped to talk to the man while Mr. Miller diverted the man towards the bleachers where fans go.

    "That was weird." Dave mumbled under his breath.

    "Not really." Garret slowed down a step to be with us. "Hollander was his last name last year and he was good. It''s rare for someone to change their last name in high school so I''m sure it raises some questions." He looked at me. "Don''t get spooked over this. It''s normal for them to ask about you as the number one player in the county."

    "What do I tell them?" I asked. "About the name change?"

    Garret shrugged. "Whatever you want? That you were adopted. It''s not a terribly big secret. There''s been some talk about your family history last year with Jeremy in the news. Almost everyone in school knows, so why hesitate telling a stranger?"

    "I don''t really want to talk about my past." I tugged on the ends of my scarf to tighten it a little.

    "Then don''t." Noah told me. "Like Coach said, Mom and Dad have to be present. They can take on all the hard questions. Heck, you don''t have to talk to them at all."

    "I don''t know. You can''t just not talk to them." Dave scratched his cheek. "That might give you some negative attention. There''s always Mr. Cameron. He''s a good reporter guy. You can trust him."

    "Honestly, most reporters probably want to ask you about your batting." Garret said. "It''s not negative. They just want to ask about your skill and maybe about your future intentions."

    "Future intentions?" I repeated.

    Garret nodded. "Sure. Like don''t you want to win league? CIF?"

    I nodded. I do.

    "They''ll ask about tough opponents and some opportunities you plan to take like colleges already reaching out to you. If there''s a front runner you already have. That kind of stuff."

    "You don''t have to give them a straight answer." Dave hurried to add. "You can tell them that your first focus is winning league."

    I nodded aggressively. Yes. That. My first focus is winning league.

    <o>,m "Your first focus is winning the game in front of you." Coach spoke up, clearly overhearing our conversation. He glanced back. "The only thing that should have your attention right now, is how to score against one of the best teams in the state."</o>

    I gulped and gave another nod.

 Chapter 921: V3 Ch155 University Prep HS (1)

    Chapter 921: V3 Ch155 University Prep HS (1)

    1 2B Jake Atkins

    2 CF Garret Knudsen

    3 1B Sean Isner

    4 3B Jason Morris

    5 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    6 C Mitchell Torres

    7 P Kyle Atkins

    8 RF Tanner Erickson

    9 SS Noah Atkins

    Coach had announced the lineup before warmups, but everyone stayed focused, not bothered by who got the start and who didn''t. Coach was fair. He did what he could to help us win.

    I was only worried about Noah batting at the end of the lineup.

    Turns out, he was fine with it. He was grinning as I pulled my helmet on. "You get out there and show them who''s boss." He pulled out the batting gloves stuffed in my side pocket. "Don''t forget these."

    I sighed and tugged them on.

    "Keep those hands protected." Noah looked out to the field where University Prep was being introduced as they took their positions. "I think you should attack early, catch them off guard."

    I nodded. "Coach and I discussed. I should aim for the corners early on to get the first run on the board."

    Noah laughed and slapped me happily. "Alright. I like how confident you sound and how awake you are."

    I nodded again. The sun was finally up too, burning away some of the marine layer. I grabbed my bat and headed for the dugout entrance. Garret was already outside the dugout, swinging his bat lightly. I nodded at him and he nodded at me. No more words were needed. We had a clear goal of scoring early. If my hit doesn''t make it over, I knew I could make it to second base at the minimum. It would then be up to Garret to drive me home.

    "NOW BATTING, NUMBER ZERO, JAKE ATKINS." The announcement was made as the umpire waved at me to come to the plate.

    "Let''s go, Jake!"

    "Get ''em!"

    "You''ve got this kid!"

    Cheers came from my own dugout and from the stands. I strained to hear Mom or Dad, but couldn''t. Before stepping in the batter''s box, I glanced back to the bleachers directly behind home plate.

    "We''re here, Jake!" A deep voice seemed to speak over the crowd. I zone in on it, finding Zeke between Mom and Dad.

    I relaxed and smiled a little. I stepped into the lefty''s box and pulled my bat back, ready to face this guy. The first pitch came in and fast. Really fast. I stepped back.

    "Strike!" The umpire declared, drawing cheers from the University Prep fans.

    "Stay calm, Bambi!" A yell came from the bullpen.

    My lips twitched. It was Dave. If he was closer, I would tell him I wasn''t scared. I was a little surprised by how fast this guy was. Easily faster than Garret and the twins. Somewhere in the mid-90s. But that''s okay. I could still get it.

    Since he went a little inside on the first pitch, it''s reasonable to guess that he''ll go outside on the next. I got set once more, trying not to give away what I was looking for.

    The pitcher was set too. He did his full windup and once the ball left his fingertips, I was committed to swing. Sure enough, his pitch was trailing towards the other end of the strike zone. I hit the ball with the barrel of my bat, blasting it the opposite direction. It was flying down the left field line and I was running to the other. I rounded first and saw the closest umpire waving his finger around. Everyone started to yell my name. Jake, kid, Bambi. All of the cheers were for me. I rounded the bases, slapping hands with Mr. Miller after tagging third. I stepped on home plate and Garret handed me my bat.

    He slapped me on top of my helmet and gave it a shake. "That''s the way! Great hit! Nice job!"

    Sean slapped my back as I passed him.

    Inside the dugout, it only got more crowded as all the guys wanted to congratulate me.

    Noah was quick to save me, gesturing for everyone to keep their distance. "Okay, okay. Let Noah have his space. He just did what he normally does. Why are you guys going all crazy?"

    Kyle pulled me into a headlock and slapped me on the helmet a couple of times. "That''s the kind of insurance I need before I get on the mound. You showed them real quick that we aren''t the same team they mercy-ruled last year."

    Just as I got back to my spot on the bench, I heard the ''ding'' of the bat and the gasps of the crowd. I whipped my head towards the field and scanned to find the ball. The left fielder was sprinting in, then he laid out and dove for the baseball, catching it just before hitting the grass.

    A mix of sighs and cheers echoed from the crowd. Our dugout sighed for only a second before clapping for Garret.

    "We''re putting it into play, boys." Coach announced. "Don''t get impatient."

    I took off my gear and put my hat on.

    Sean and Jason came up empty-handed. Sean went down swinging, struggling with the speed. Jason connected early, but it was just a routine grounder to their shortstop.

    "Man, he was fast-fast." Jason sighed as he took his helmet off. "Where do they find these guys?"

    "At least you touched the ball." Sean said.

    "They recruit them." Garret pointed out, answering Jason''s question. "They''re a private school, paying for good players." He patted Jason''s shoulder and headed out first. "Let''s take the field!"

    The rest of us hurried out as well. Well, most of us. Kyle strolled out while Mitchell jogged go home plate. He squatted down as Kyle walked onto the mound. The pair started to do their own warmup.

    Sean threw me and Noah some grounders, and then to Jason once he came out. The umpire gave us two minutes before the first batter for University Prep was announced.

    Kyle got set on the mound and the batter stepped into the righty''s box. Kyle threw a fastball, high and inside forcing the batter to back up.

    "Ball." The umpire declared.

    Kyle glanced my way as he got settled on the mound in between pitches. He gave a small nod. I resisted the urge to shake my head. This guy...messing around on the first pitch. I knew he did it intentionally like how I had to back off my first pitch. I appreciate the thought, but I really hated the idea of retaliation. No matter how small.

    Thankfully, Kyle got serious and threw the next pitch for a called strike. Third pitch, the batter swung and fouled it back. Strike two. Fourth pitch, Kyle threw a ball away from the plate, getting the guy to chase it. Swing and miss for a strikeout.

    Kyle didn''t give an inch in the next showdown. No free pass. That guy went down swinging too. Our fans in the stand clapped and shouted out compliments for Kyle.

    "Two outs! One to go!" Noah called out.

    "Two outs! One to go!" The guys on the field echoed.

    The third batter connected on Kyle''s first pitch to him, hitting a line drive up the middle. Garret sprinted in, slid, and caught the ball before it hit the grass. He jumped up and waved his glove.

    "Out!"

    A clean first inning for Kyle!

 Chapter 922: V3 Ch155 University Prep HS (2)

    Chapter 922: V3 Ch155 University Prep HS (2)

    We jogged back to the dugout. The attention of the team was split between Kyle''s solid performance on the mound and Garret''s spectacular grab to prevent the hit.

    "Too bad Bryce isn''t in the dugout with us." Sean laughed. "I''m sure he''s catching a lot of grief in the bullpen. His performance against these guys definitely can''t compare to Kyle today so far."

    Kyle shrugged. "I''m not competing against Bryce from last year. I''m competing with myself from last year." He grinned. "And I''m feeling pretty darn good."

    "Last year, you started in a hitfest." Noah mused.

    "It wasn''t necessarily a ''hitfest''." Kyle argued.

    "Five runs in five innings isn''t considered a hitfest?"

    "Shut up." Kyle pushed Noah away. "I need to go get ready for my at bat."

    Noah laughed at his back. "Touch a nerve?"

    Kyle lifted his middle finger, but kept walking to his bag.

    I nudged him. "Should you really be saying that?"

    Noah shrugged with a smile. "It''s my job to keep him grounded. It''s not like I would say these things if he had a bad first inning. It''s all about timing."

    "Would you say that to me?" I pointed out.

    Noah shrugged again. "You''re different. I tease everyone base on their personality. You don''t see me calling Kyle names like ''Bambi''." He laughed. "He''d probably throw the baseball at my head or something. Don''t we laugh about your fielding and running all the time?"

    "Oh. Good point." I nodded. Kyle has it easy compared to my ugly baserunning. God forbid Coach ever asks me to steal a base anytime soon. I just know what the guys will do: outright laugh.

    Top of the second inning, the University Prep pitcher was hot. Too hot. Korrey struck out swinging. Mitchell struck out looking. Then Kyle went down swinging. It was ugly for us.

    Noah who made it to the hole, had to come back and switch out his gear. "Okay, that was rough. No worries though. We aren''t the ones losing."

    We took the field for the bottom of the second inning. Kyle was last out after being the last out. He didn''t rush himself though, casually moving to the mound and getting his practice pitches in before facing the cleanup hitter.

    The cleanup spot is notoriously known for being the best hitter on the team even if it wasn''t true for our team. University Prep stuck with tradition though. And it was proven real quick that this guy had some skill. He attacked Kyle''s first pitch, hitting it above my reach. Tanner had to come running in, and fielded the ball back to me. I turned and saw the guy already on first. He had rounded the bag and faked going to second.

    "To me." Kyle called out, getting my attention.

    I willingly threw the ball back to him, near the mound. Kyle got on the mound and started to toe the rubber as the rest of us shifted into position. With a runner on first, Sean had to be on the bag so I shifted over more and played with my heels on the grass. This is when I would have the most ground to cover.

    Kyle got the fifth batter to a 1-1 count when the runner on first suddenly took off. Kyle rushed his pitch.

    "Ball!"

    Mitchell caught it, stood as he shifted the ball to his throwing hand, then did his best to throw to Noah, who was covering second. The runner slid into the bag feet first. Noah had to get out of position to catch Mitchell''s throw that was going a little wide. He caught the ball and made the tag as the guy slid onto second base.

    "Safe!"

    Groans and cheers echoed in the early morning mist. University Prep now has a runner in scoring position. No outs.

    "UNIVERSITY! UNIVERSITY! UNIVERSITY!"

    "Sounds like their cheer squad showed up." Noah mumbled to me as we walked to the mound together. He handed the ball to Kyle.

    Kyle frowned as he took it back. "I should have thrown a strike and forget the runner."

    Mitchell had just jogged up to join us. He patted his head. "My bad. Not a good throw at all."

    "Let''s keep him close to second." Noah lowered his voice and spoke into his glove. "Check throws to me, Kyle."

    "What part of forget the runner did you not get?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.

    "I''m not saying we have to get him out. Just keep him close to the bag. He''s fast. A single will allow him to score." Noah explained.

    "Wouldn''t it be better to throw on Jake''s side, considering the way Kyle is on the mound?" Mitch asked.

    Noah shook his head. "We''re trying to spook him. Not Jake." He glanced at me. "No offense."

    "None taken." I shrugged. I definitely prefer the ball going to him anyways.

    "Just play catch." Noah told Kyle. "Don''t do anything fancy like throw a fast one at his body. We keep him contained. Until we have an out or two."

    Kyle started to understand and nodded. "Alright. Okay."

    "You''ve got this!" Noah patted Kyle on the back and backed off the mound.

    I jogged away too. As did Mitchell. Kyle had the mound to himself. I played back towards the grass, but more shifted towards second. Even though Noah was going to cover for check throws, it''s not like the other team knows that just yet.

    Mitchell gave the sign to Kyle and Kyle nodded. A fastball inside but still in the strike zone. Kyle followed through. The batter swung and missed for strike two. Mitchell threw the ball back to Kyle. Kyle got set again. Mitchell gave the sign for check throw. Kyle stepped off the rubber, turned and threw to Noah. The runner dove back for second. Noah placed the tag late.

    "Safe." Clearly.

    Noah kept the tag on for an extra second before throwing the ball back to Kyle.

    The runner got up and dusted himself off.

    Mitchell gave the sign to check again. Kyle obliged. The runner didn''t have to dive back this time, but Noah held the tag until the umpire declared him safe again.

    "Tch. Annoying." I heard the baserunner mutter. He took an even shorter lead off of the bag though. So it must be working. Noah knew the game.

    Kyle focused on the batter with his next pitch, throwing a fastball up high. The batter swung late and missed. Strikeout for out one.

    The sixth batter did better, making contact on Kyle''s first pitch, lifting it to left-center field. Both Korrey and Garret were running towards each other.

    "I''ve got it!" Garret called Korrey off.

    The baserunner was holding at second, trying to tag up. Noah moved out to the grass to be cutoff and I moved to the base.

    Garret made the catch and the runner took off.

    "To third!" Noah yelled.

    Garret must have heard or had the same idea even. Because he threw straight to Jason, covering third. He was our best arm on the team and it showed. The baseball went directly to Jason. The baserunner had great awareness and immediately turned back to me and sprinted for second base under me.

    "Two! TWO!"

    Jason threw the ball to me. I caught it and tried to get the tag down as the guy came in sliding, feet first. My glove knocked against his body and my grip loosened. The ball slipped out.

    "Safe!"

 Chapter 923: V3 Ch157 University Prep HS (3)

    Chapter 923: V3 Ch157 University Prep HS (3)

    Kyle was closest, picking up the baseball that got away from me, and he called for time out. We had to regroup. Especially after missing out on such a good double play.

    I looked up at Kyle.

    Kyle immediately smiled, laughed, and patted me on the shoulder. "Just one look at you and I know what you''re thinking. Sometimes you''re easier to read than a picture book."

    I put my head down, embarrassed.

    Kyle guided me back to the mound where the rest of the infielders were gathering.

    "Nice try." Sean said.

    "I could have thrown it a bit better." Jason sighed.

    "Nothing lost, nothing gained." Noah clapped with his glove.

    I looked around at the guys. None of them seemed upset by my drop.

    "Right." Kyle agreed with Noah. "I''ll get the next guy. No problem."

    The umpire broke up our little meeting, sending us back to our positions. With two outs, Noah no longer cared about Kyle keeping the runner close to second. Kyle didn''t care about the big lead either. His attention was all on the batter in the box. On a 1-2 count the seventh batter hit a routine fly to left field. Korrey made the catch to end the inning.

    Back inside the dugout, Noah and I both got ready to bat. He was on deck and I was in the hole.

    "Hey." Noah glanced at me. "You''re good right?"

    I looked at him, confused.

    He tilted his head. "You know." He stressed. Realizing that I didn''t know, he nodded back at the field. "That dropped ball. That''s not on you. It was a tough play."

    "Oh." I gave a small shrug. "Yea. I know."

    Noah didn''t look convinced, but he couldn''t stick around to play twenty questions with me. He finished getting ready, grabbed his bat, and left the dugout.

    I moved slower, tugging on the stupid gloves. I pulled my helmet on and grabbed my bat, moving to the dugout exit.

    "Hey, kid." Coach joined me, with Alisha right behind him, holding her clipboard. He glanced at her. "Tell him the pitch count for that guy."

    Alisha didn''t speak. She just turned the clipboard my way. It was a scorecard for our offense. And the opposing team''s pitching. An even twenty pitches.

    My eyes narrowed. This guy is having it pretty easy. I looked up at Coach. "You want me to up it?"

    Coach gave a nod. "While we have the lead, it''s best to get them knocked around. I don''t want the pitcher to think he''s in control."

    I glanced at the pitcher who just got Tanner to swing and miss on a pitch. "Okay. I can do that."

    <o>,m "Don''t stress yourself out." Coach put his hand on my shoulder and lowered his voice. "Tiring him out is your goal. Getting a hit on top of that would just be extra credit."</o>

    Tanner quickly struck out, coming back sooner than anyone would have liked. Noah moved to the batter''s box and I went out to the on deck circle.

    Noah surprised everyone when his at bat turned into a battle. His swings started to get ugly, and most of the time were late, but he knocked a few fouls while letting the obvious balls pass. He earned a walk and some claps.

    "Good eye!"

    "Way to hang in there!"

    I hesitated to go up, looking back at Coach. Was I to stick with the original plan? Even with Noah on, one out, and Garret behind me? I felt like this was a good opportunity to try for another run at least.

    Coach clapped his hands. "Make him work."

    Okay. I guess I am sticking to the plan.

    I walked up to the plate, getting in the lefty''s box. Real quick, fell to an 0-2 count thanks to a couple of fouls. The pitcher didn''t seem to want to pitch another ball. Noah''s walk must have gotten to him. There were a few borderline pitches I wanted to let by for a ball, but they were too close. I didn''t know this umpire well enough to risk it. I definitely couldn''t be called out on strikes. No way.

    Sixth pitch: foul. Seventh: foul. Eighth: foul. Ninth: foul. I kept them coming down the third baseline, trying my best to keep them low and on the ground. Hard to do against a pitcher with this speed. After the fourteenth foul, my arms felt heavy and my hands really ached. This guy was good. But he was getting tired. Multiple times he took off his hat and wiped his sweat.

    Mr. Miller gave a sign for a hit-and-run. It was time for me to put the ball into play. I knocked my bat against my cleats before getting set. The pitcher spared Noah a brief glance over his shoulder, then focused on me. He completed his motion and Noah took off. I connected with the pitch, hitting it the same way I''ve been doing for the last fifteen minutes: down the third baseline.

    I couldn''t see the play. Only heard the outcome.

    "Out!"

    "Out!"

    I tagged first base. Late.

    A double play? When was the last time I hit into a double play? Last year?

    I started to walk back, feeling some kind of way. Lost? In disbelief?

    "It was a great play." Coach Luis walked beside me as we headed to the dugout together. He bent over to pick up my bat and handed it to me. "That third baseman was ready for you. All those fouls definitely drew him closer to the line. He played it well, making a barehanded grab, then completing a great throw to second. It was close. Maybe another ump would have called Noah safe."

    I wiped my face with my hand. "My bad."

    Coach Luis gave me a slap on the back. "Next time." He split away inside the dugout.

    I looked for Coach and made eye contact with him.

    Coach raised a hand as if to stop me. "Don''t say it. It wasn''t your fault."

    "I could have done something different." I said instead of saying sorry.

    "Same here." Coach gave a short nod. He let go a long breath of air. "Nothing we can do now. Go change your gear and get out there before the ump looks for you."

    Right. I hurried to my bag beside Noah.

    Noah let out a sigh after finishing his change.

    I looked at him, putting my hat on. "You okay?"

    Noah looked taken aback. "Am I okay? Are you okay? I knew you needed some time to relax after that drop. You just get into your own head sometimes. You stare off and check out."

    My lips twitched. "I mean, I''m not happy about it. Makes me think, if Zeke was here, I would have quite a few laps to run already."

    Noah was stunned. Then he laughed. We left the dugout together. "Man, ain''t that the truth. Heck, maybe with him in the stands, he''ll still suggest we run when we get home. I wouldn''t put it past him to suggest it to Coach."

    "Ugh." I slowed my jog up as we approached second base. "He wouldn''t do that...would he?"

    Noah laughed. "I think you know deep down inside." He gave me a slap on the shoulder. "I''m glad you''re okay. I would hate to see you get into a slump over little things."

    "I''m going to do better. Be better." I told him. I didn''t want to dwell too much on the drop. It led to no runs scored so put it away mentally. As for the double play...I could only take Coach Luis''s word for it. That it was a good play. Next time, I won''t be so strict in my swing. At minimum, I should get it to the outfield.

 Chapter 924: V3 Ch158 University Prep HS (4)

    Chapter 924: V3 Ch158 University Prep HS (4)

    Bottom of the third. Kyle knocked out the rest of the lineup, getting back-to-back swinging strikeouts. The top of the order had previously been struck out, however he connected the second time up. Hitting a grounder within Noah''s range. Noah scooped it up and threw to Sean at first to end their offense.

    Back inside the dugout, Noah finally stopped hovering over me. I liked that he cared, but hate having him think that I was so weak. I mean...he''s not wrong. It''s just not a good feeling.

    Garret led us off this inning, hitting a single to right field right away. Sean did the same, pushing him to second. As we cheered, the University Prep coach came out of his dugout.

    "No complete game against us." Noah smiled with pride.

    I smiled too. We weren''t the same team from last year.

    The new pitcher that came in didn''t seem as fast during his warmup off the mound. Once he started his showdown with Jason, however, it was obvious that he was a different kind of pitcher.

    "That was clearly a curveball." Noah muttered as we watched Jason swing and miss the first pitch.

    "Looks as good as James." I remarked, referencing a senior that ultimately became a closer for our team.

    Jason swung and missed the second pitch.

    "Damn. That looks nasty." Noah muttered under his breath.

    I nodded. Just from this view alone, we could see a lot of movement on this guys pitch. It''s probably even more crazy at the plate.

    The pitcher threw a fastball outside and Jason swung at it. He barely connected, hitting a grounder to second. The second baseman rushed it, flipping the ball to the shortstop at second base, who then threw to first. Sean and Jason were out on the double play, but we still had Garret safe at third now. Korrey was up next with Mitchell and Kyle behind him. As former offensive MVP from the lower level, I kind of expected something to happen. At least something more than a strikeout. I hoped for it.

    I grimaced at his ugly swing and miss. And again.

    "Trouble with a curve?" Noah muttered under his breath so only I could hear. "C''mon man."

    Korrey went down swinging, leaving Garret stranded at third.

    "Dang. Wasted opportunity." Noah stood up and got his glove on. "Why does University Prep get to have so many good pitchers?"

    My lips twitched. "We have a lot of good pitchers too." Especially compared to those within our league.

    "Let me complain." Noah rolled his eyes. "It''s good for me to get the frustration out. I''m not like you, who keeps it bottled in."

    I nodded slowly, understanding. I internalized a lot and it feels heavy. Keeps me weighed down. Noah isn''t the type to do the same.

    We took the field for our defensive end of the inning. Bottom of the fourth, Kyle continued to look good. He earned back to back swinging strikeouts. Then he was back to facing the cleanup hitter. The only guy who had a hit off of Kyle so far.

    Behind the plate, Mitchell gave the sign for everyone to play back. The infielders nearly touched the grass. The outfield played near the warning track.

    Kyle''s first pitch to him was fouled down the third baseline. Kyle tried to get him swing at an outside pitch next, but he didn''t fall for it. Ball one.

    "UNIVERSITY! UNIVERSITY!"

    The chants got louder, dominating all other cheers that were for Kyle and our team.

    The unified chant became nothing but screams and gasps as their cleanup hitter connected on the third pitch, pulling it down the third baseline. This one stayed fair, falling beyond the outfield fence. Korrey had chased it back but there was no chance. That ball was long gone. A solo shot.

    The guy held up a fist as he ran around the bases, slapping hands with his coaches at the corners. At home plate, the celebration continued and the cheers for University Prep was universal.

    Noah was the first one to the mound. Jason, Sean, Mitchell, and myself had to hurry up.

    "I''m not a rookie guys." Kyle frowned. "I don''t need you guys hovering over me every time I give up a hit or run."

    "I''m just here because Noah came here." Mitchell hurried to say.

    All eyes went to Noah.

    Noah had picked up the rosin bag from the edge of the mound. He tossed it up and down, catching it and then let it fall back to where he had picked it up. He looked up to see us looking at him. "What? I needed to use it to dry my hand out." He grinned at Kyle. "Next one within my zone, okay?"

    Kyle rolled his eyes and turned his body away from us. "Get lost."

    Sean laughed and left first. I backed up too. Mitchell said something else to Kyle before leaving. Jason and Noah also got off the mound, backing up into their positions. Kyle was alone again, waiting for the next batter to step into the box.

    The fifth batter in the lineup attacked early, maybe thinking that Kyle would be shaken from the homerun. Instead, it was a good pitch, nice and low but still in the strike zone. The batter caught the top of the ball, hitting a grounder back up the middle. Kyle dodged. Noah was right behind him, covering the gap. He scooped up the ball with his glove, made the transfer to his throwing hand, and threw to Sean at first.

    "Out!" That was it for the fourth inning. Score tied 1-1.

    "Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy." Noah grinned as we jogged it back to our dugout.

    "Why didn''t Kyle field it himself?" I asked.

    A heavy hand landed on top of my head. I glanced back to see that it belonged to Kyle. "Got a problem with it?"

    I shook my head the best I could with him still holding onto me.

    Kyle laughed and let go. "Don''t worry. I didn''t intentionally miss. I just knew that Noah would have a better result fielding it. I was in no shape to get the ball and make the play. Maybe if it was more to your side, I would."

    I nodded. "Because I''m worse than Noah." That makes sense.

    Noah pulled me away from Kyle. "You''re not worse than me. You''re just not as good as me when it comes to fielding. Don''t listen to Kyle''s nonsense. He''s just lazy when it comes to fielding."

    "Don''t act like you didn''t want that grounder." Kyle called out to us as we went to our bags and he went to his. He would be second up this inning.

    "It''s not a big deal." I told Noah, shrugging. "If I was Kyle, I would dodge too."

    Noah laughed. "I have a feeling that you''ll leave me for the outfield when you decide you have enough arm strength."

    I shook my head very adamantly.

    Noah was surprised. "Really? I would think you would like being in the outfield more. Less action. No fast grounders coming at your body."

    "No way. There''s a lot more than go wrong out there." I told him.

    "Like tripping over your own feet." Garret laughed as he walked by us. "I''ll never forget Jake''s midseason tryout." He used his hands to demonstrate. "Jake went ''splat!''"

    I covered my face as some of the guys laughed too.

 Chapter 925: V3 Ch159 University Prep HS (5)

    Chapter 925: V3 Ch159 University Prep HS (5)

    "I''m glad you boys are still in the mood to laugh." Coach addressed everyone in the dugout. "If you don''t mind, we need to get our bats out there."

    "I''m coming, Coach, I''m coming!" Mitchell was at the end, trying to get his catcher''s gear off. He tried to jog out in a hurry, but Coach stopped him. "Coach?"

    "Take it easy. I don''t mean you have to physically tire yourself out before getting to the plate." Coach looked around. "Their pitcher has a good breaking ball. We all can see it. Best curveball I''ve seen at this level. I''m not asking everyone to get a hit, but I would like to see the ball put into play. Don''t get caught looking. But don''t try to chase." He looked at Mitchell. "I don''t care if you have to try to bunt. Make that pitcher work. No free passes."

    "Yes, sir!" Mitchell nodded. He left the dugout, head held high.

    Kyle trailed behind him at a more leisurely pace. He was on deck and Tanner was in the hole.

    Noah would only get a chance up if one of those three got in. He still had to get prepared though. After Mitch hit a grounder right to first for the first out, Noah got finished getting ready and moved to the hole near the dugout entrance and Coach.

    I also had to get ready. Hat and glove off. Helmet and batting gloves on. I checked over my bat, feeling some small dents and grooves. This bat was well used. It felt kind of special knowing that I was using the same bats as a pro.

    Kyle struck out, swinging at a curveball that nearly landed in the dirt. He came back with a sheepish grin.

    Coach simply shook his head. "When we get back, the pitchers are going to practice bunts for a week. In high school, there''s no such thing as a pitcher only. Only in college and the majors."

    "Ha. Ha." Kyle let out a weak laugh and hurried to his bag with his head down.

    Tanner was up next. Noah was on deck and I moved to the hole, standing near Coach.

    He looked down at me. "You think I''m being tough on them?"

    "Who? Kyle?" I asked.

    "The pitchers." He elaborated.

    I shook my head. "Bunts are easy. Running is hard."

    Garret laughed as he joined us near the dugout entrance. "Don''t listen to him, Coach. Jake has an unfair advantage." He put his arm around my shoulders. "Easy is a relative term. I think pitching comes easy to me, but I wouldn''t say it''s easy for you."

    I looked up at him. "Do you think bunting is hard?"

    "I think it''s boring and wasteful." He seemed to freeze, no doubt feeling Coach''s eyes burning into him. He cleared his throat. "I mean, it''s a select skill with limited use. As a power hitter, my skill lies more in getting the ball to the outfield."

    I nodded. "I think that''s better too."

    Tanner put the ball into play, putting a pause on our conversation. It was a simple grounder to the second baseman for the third out. Noah was the first back into the dugout. Coach stopped him by raising his hand.

    All three of us were confused, looking up at Coach.

    "Noah will show everyone how important a good bunt is next inning." Coach announced.

    "You think he can lay down a good bunt off that kind of curve?" Garret was surprised.

    "Of course I can." Noah said confidently. He gave Coach a thumbs up. "You can count on me, Coach. Not only will there be a bunt laid down, but a runner on first." He looked to me. "Drive me home, yea?"

    I pulled my batting gloves off. "Uh, I''m not sure..."

    "You''re not sure?" Noah asked.

    "It''s a hard curve. Not that fast. I don''t think I can hit it out of the park." I shrugged helplessly.

    Noah turned to Garret. "You''ll have to drive us home."

    Garret pushed Noah on the head and left to go back to his bag.

    Coach patted Noah on the head. "Stop putting pressure on everyone."

    "You did it first." Noah accused.

    "Go get your gloves." Coach ordered us away.

    We hurried back to our bags and switched out our gear for defense.

    Bottom of the fifth, Kyle was back on the mound starting with the sixth batter. The guy had previously hit a fly ball to Garret out in center field. He connected again, sending a sharp line drive right to Garret once more. Out number one.

    Batter seven hit a grounder out of Jason''s reach, but Noah was there, getting the ball with his backhand. He slid, jumped up, and threw a fast one to Sean, twisting his whole body.

    "Out!" The umpire ruled in our favor.

    The runner looked like he wanted to argue but was redirected by his first base coach to go back to their own dugout. Good. I sighed with relief. Not like an umpire can change his mind anyway; there''s no replays at this level.

    Batter eight hit a routine fly to Korrey in left field to end the inning.

    Back in the dugout, Noah and I got ready for our at bats and left the dugout together.

    "What''s the plan?" I asked quietly as we watched University Prep players take the field. The pitcher was on the mound and the catcher behind the plate.

    "For me? Do what Coach said." Noah grinned. "For you? Find some open space."

    Yea, okay. That was obvious enough. I definitely don''t want to hit into a double play again.

    The umpire gave them a minute before calling for Noah to step into the box. Noah surprised me, and probably everyone around, by swinging at the first pitch and completely whiffing. It was ugly. Horrendous even. He stood up straight as some laughs could be heard.

    "Eye on the ball!" I heard Zeke''s voice clear through the noise. It made my shoulders relax, knowing that he was still around. Him and Mom and Dad. All in the stands cheering us on.

    The second pitch was another curve. Noah shifted his bat to a bunt, dropping the ball down the third baseline, trying to catch the third baseman slacking. Noah didn''t stick around to see if it would stay fair. He dropped his bat and was sprinting to first. It was the catcher who came out from behind home plate to go get the ball. He seemed to hesitate, trying to decide if he should let the ball roll foul. I guess he determined it would stay fair because he picked it up and threw to first. Another close one.

    I held my breath.

    "Safe!" The umpire declared. Our favor again. I clenched my fist and let out a puff of air.

    I moved up to the batter''s box, choosing to be a lefty again. I need to be extra comfortable right now to get a hit. I focused on the pitcher, but his focus was split between me and Noah at first. He did two check throws before throwing me a pitch for a ball.

    "C''mon Bambi!"

    "Knock it out of the park!"

    "Get a hit! Get a hit!"

    The chant to get a hit started to grow. All of my dugout, some of the families and people in the stands. It almost felt like everyone was cheering for me. University fans had a smaller chant echoing, feeling distant, ''Get him out.''

    The pitcher checked on Noah again. Then threw a curve my way. It was falling into the zone perfectly. For me. Not so much for him. I swung and sent the ball down the right field line, making the outfielder chase it to the corner.

    "Nice!"

    "Good hit!"

    "To three!"

    "Three!"

    "Slide!"

    Everyone was yelling as I ran to first. I rounded first base, but saw that the right fielder had gotten the ball. I didn''t want to risk it so I retreated back to first, happy with my single.

    Noah was never satisfied with staying on second. He had long committed to going to third. I watch the relay throw come in and go to third base, but Noah was already holding onto the bag. Clearly safe.

 Chapter 926: V3 Ch160 University Prep HS (6)

    Chapter 926: V3 Ch160 University Prep HS (6)

    "Great job." Coach Luis came in close to tell me as I stood on first base. "It was a good spot to hit to, allowing no close play at third."

    I nodded.

    Garret came up to bat amidst some of the loudest cheers I''ve heard today. Two on, no outs. Noah in scoring position.

    The infielders went to the mound, including the catcher. They had a short meeting with their pitcher before getting back into position. I don''t know what they talked about, but the pitcher did a couple of check throws to third before throwing a pitch to Garret.

    Coach Luis kept telling me to lead. Lead off the base. I did my best, trying to get out as far as the first baseman, but every time the pitcher threw to third, I still went back to base too.

    Garret made contact on a 2-2 count, hitting the ball down the third baseline. I took off, eyes on second. I could hear a lot of yelling, but it only made sense when I got a look. I stood safely on second with the second baseman nearby. Meanwhile between third base and home plate, Noah was caught in a rundown. The third baseman must have fielded the ball straight to the catcher, then Noah must have turned back. Now he was stuck. Back and forth, as the nearby players threw the ball to one another, keeping him trapped.

    University Preparatory really showed their skill, almost treating this like a drill. Not one of them faltered. Noah was the first of them to slip up, his knee falling to the dirt. A tag landed on his shoulder.

    "Out!"

    "Let''s go!" The catcher hit his chest protector and showed a lot of energy.

    I glanced back to first where Garret and Coach Luis was. Neither of them looked happy. It was hard to be when missing out on a good scoring opportunity. The score remained tied.

    Noah jogged back to our dugout as the cheers rained down for University Prep.

    My heart was pounding as I realized I was the lead runner now. Sean came up to bat with one out. I was technically in scoring position. If he could get the ball to the outfield, there was a good chance that Mr. Miller would send me home.

    Mr. Miller gave the sign for Sean to swing. Garret and I need to take decent leads and look to advancing. Avoid a double play if possible. It wasn''t. Sean hit a grounder right to the shortstop making me dodge. The shortstop flipped it to the second baseman, who threw to first. 6-4-3 double play. The most common in the game.

    I slowed to a jog, turning to go back to our dugout. I took off my helmet and met up with the rest of the team.

    "Don''t get down on yourselves." Coach said for everyone to hear. "We''re doing just fine. It''s still 1-1. There''ll be a couple more opportunities for us to get the lead back." He looked to Kyle. "Stay steady."

    "No problem, Coach." Kyle answered. "I can go another five innings if I have to." He walked out of the dugout with Mitchell right behind him.

    Coach looked out at the pair, contemplating.

    I went to my bag and switched out my gear, hurrying to catch up to Noah. I met him out on the field near second base. "Are you okay?" I asked as he fielded a ball back to Sean.

    Noah shrugged. "Physically, yes. My pride took a hard beating though. I can''t believe I fell. I almost had it. Safe one way or the other."

    "I don''t know." I said, unconvinced. "They looked like pros."

    Noah was quiet for a second.

    Sean bounced the ball my way and I took the time to field it back to him.

    "Next time." Noah said. "Next time, I won''t be caught."

    I watched him during his turn to field the ball from Sean. He looked serious. And that''s the way he was. Always running to the challenge and not from it like me. Noah was already up to do it again. I didn''t even want to try it once.

    Kyle continued to do well, but was using up more pitches. The last hitter in the lineup pushed him to a full count before striking out on a foul tip. Back at the top of the lineup, the batter fouled a lot before making solid contact, smacking a line drive, thankfully in Noah''s reach. Noah practically snatched it out of the air like a magic trick. Kyle tipped his cap to him after getting the ball back.

    "Two outs, one to go!" Noah hollered, holding up a finger.

    Kyle used up ten more pitches before getting the third out. Another strikeout though. His ninth in six innings. He came off the mound amidst applause from the stands.

    Kyle frowned before I heard him mutter. "They''re clapping like I''m done." He his swiveled to the bullpen beyond the outfield. "Fuck." He entered the dugout and approached Coach. "Are you going to pull me? Who''s warming up already?"

    "Pitch count." Coach looked to Alisha.

    Kyle stared her down too.

    Alisha held her clipboard, looking a little apologetic. "You''re at 96 pitches."

    Kyle turned to Coach. "I have 14 more available. One more inning. I can do it."

    Coach reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. "Kyle." He looked him in the eyes. "You did well, son. Take a break. Do your cool down, rest your shoulder. Leave the rest of the game to your teammates."

    Kyle''s lips thinned and stretched. He looked upset. He gave a short nod and headed for the end of the dugout.

    Coach looked to Jesse. "If we get to Kyle''s spot in the lineup, you''ll pinch hit."

    Jesse nodded. Everyone was making some moves in the dugout.

    I sat down near my bag with Noah right behind. He glanced down Kyle''s way a time or two, but didn''t say anything and didn''t make a move to go speaks to him. Which I understood. Kyle needed some space to cool down. Not just physically, but mentally too. He''s had a long game and put in some great work.

    "Who do you think will go in for him?" I asked Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "Not Garret and probably not Dave."

    "I think Dave would be a good option." I offered.

    "Too good. He''s a starter." Noah replied. "We need a reliever to come in and can shut them down. Garret would be best, but he can''t warm up in the bullpen when he''s on the field with us." He took off his hat and wiped some sweat off his head. "I''m more concerned with our offense. We need to score to win. Top of the seventh now and honestly I see us going into extra innings."

    Jason hit a line drive right to the third baseman causing for some groans to be let out.

    "Don''t you usually like going into extras?" I asked.

    Noah grinned. "I do. But against such a good team...it adds a different kind of pressure. Fine for me, but the pitchers that we have..." He trailed off.

 Chapter 927: V3 Ch161 University Prep HS (7)

    Chapter 927: V3 Ch161 University Prep HS (7)

    I couldn''t wrap my head around a pitcher''s mentality. I don''t have whatever you''re supposed to have. The endurance. The strength. The speed. It just sounds very draining.

    Korrey popped out to the third baseman, followed by a groundout to second from Mitchell. Bottom of the seventh we go.

    Coach came out with us, going to the umpire to announce a pitcher change.

    Noah, Sean, Jason, and I stood on the infield grass together, watching Brian come from the bullpen.

    "What''s up, guys?" Brian joined us, giving each of us a fist bump.

    "You ready for this?" Sean asked. "These guys aren''t a walk in the park."

    Brian played with his glove, squishing it open and closed. "I know. I want this shot to face one of the best teams in the state."

    "You''ve got it tough." Noah patted his shoulder. "Be wary of the cleanup hitter. Don''t be afraid to walk him."

    "He''s the only one that has gotten hits off of Kyle, right?" Brian double checked with us.

    We all nodded.

    "I say we keep it low." Mitchell covered his mouth with his glove as he spoke. "It''ll be hard for him to get it out of the park then."

    "That''s only if you get the batter before him out." Sean covered his mouth too. "I think I''m with Noah on walking the guy. Especially if the batter before him gets on."

    "Okay, I''ve got it." Brian nodded back.

    After a few more words, we split up to leave him alone on the mound. Mitch went back behind the plate to catch some practice pitches while the rest of us fielded some grounders.

    Brian was up against batters three, four, and five. He started a little wild, getting to a 2-0 count before batter three hit a long one, dead center. Garret chased it back, put a hand on the fence, then used the fence to get a better jump on the ball. He came down with it and saved the game.

    I put a hand to my chest, trying to calm down. It was almost like my heart stopped. Now it was racing. I don''t know how Garret does it. No way I could stay calm enough to get that ball. Heck, I don''t even think I would be tall enough.

    "One out! Two to go!" Noah had gotten the ball back from Garret and threw it to Brian on the mound.

    Brian didn''t look unsettled despite that near homerun. That doesn''t mean he doesn''t feel it though. His first two pitches to the cleanup hitter, bounced before getting to the plate. It was ugly.

    "Stay calm." Noah raised his voice so Brian could hear him.

    Brian nodded to himself as he toed the rubber. He didn''t look back at us, his attention was on the cleanup hitter. The only one to kick our butt today.

    Brian threw his third pitch, low and away. The cleanup hitter swung and hit the ball the opposite way, just over Sean''s head. It bounced and went into the corner. Very similar to my last hit.

    Tanner ran it down and I ran out to the grass to be the cutoff. From what I knew of this guy, he was definitely going to go for two. Tanner got to the ball, picked it up, and threw it to me, showing off some amazing accuracy. I tried not to think too much as I transitioned the ball from glove to hand, then threw to second base where I knew Noah would be.

    What I didn''t expect was that the cleanup hitter had already slid into second base. Easily safe.

    "Time." Noah looked to the ump.

    The umpire granted it.

    Noah waved us in as he jogged to the mound. I hurried in with Sean, Jason, and even Mitchell from behind the plate.

    "Shit." Brian said under his breath.

    "Don''t worry. We''re still in it." Jason gave his back a pat.

    "Exactly." Noah nodded in agreement. He lifted his glove to cover his mouth and lowered his voice. "We all know the situation. We''re tied in the bottom of the last inning. They have a runner in scoring position that we have to stop no matter what. Anything in the infield, check runner, then throw to first."

    "Shouldn''t we get the guarantee out?" I asked, unsure. "That would put us with two outs and probably a runner on third. He''s fast."

    "Maybe if it was another team up to bat." Noah shook his head. "We can''t forget what kind of team University is." He looked to Brian. "Don''t force yourself too much. Keep it close to the zone. Heck, a walk wouldn''t be so bad either, because then we can force a double play. Just no hits."

    Brian nodded.

    The home plate umpire came to break us up. Brian was given the ball back and we got into position. He performed better against batter five, getting him to foul twice, cornering him at 0-2. The batter connected on an outside ball, hitting a grounder between first and second. It was out of Sean''s reach. I made a dive to stop it from getting to the outfield grass. My chin hit the dirt, making my teeth rattle.

    I used the gloved hand to flick the ball up to Sean since he was on his feet. I don''t know if the runner on second was trying for third. He must have because as soon as Sean had the ball, he threw to third and didn''t pay attention to the batter running to first.

    I pushed myself up from the dirt and got to my feet in time to see Jason chasing the runner back to second. Noah was holding up his arms to make an ''x''. He didn''t want Jason to throw? We could do a rundown though. I frowned as the runner got to be safe back at second.

    "Time."

    A timeout was called once more.

    "You alright?" Sean said to me.

    I looked at him, confused. "What? Yea."

    Sean looked to our dugout and waved. Coach and Mr. Miller came running out.

    I was even more confused as the pair approached me. They weren''t the only ones. Noah, Brian, Mitchell and Jason. Two umpires.

    Mr. Miller held a towel out towards my face. "Here. Hold this to your chin."

    "What?" I touched my chin. It stung. I looked at the small amount of blood on my chin.

    "Looks like a good size raspberry." Coach muttered.

    "A what?" I asked, letting Mr. Miller hold the towel to my chin.

    "Just a flesh wound." Noah waved me off. "Put a bandaid on and he''s good to go."

    I nodded. Sounds fine then.

    "Stop moving." Mr. Miller instructed. "Tilt your head back and let us get a better look."

    "Let''s get an athletic trainer to look at it." One of the umpires said. "That or take him back to the dugout."

    "You want us to play without our best player?" Noah''s voice raised an octave.

    "The trainer is coming into the field now." Sean said.

    "If the bleeding won''t stop or if the trainer decides it''s too deep, then he''s out of here." The umpire told Coach directly.

 Chapter 928: V3 Ch162 University Prep HS (8)

    Chapter 928: V3 Ch162 University Prep HS (8)

    "Back it up, boys." Coach told the team. "Let the trainer have some room."

    A middle-aged man came into my line of vision, looking down at me. "Hi there. My name is Steve. Pull away the towel for a second."

    I did so.

    "Scrapped you pretty good." Steve pushed my hand back to my chin. "I can clean it real quick and put a bandage on it. Should be fine."

    I sighed with relief. I wasn''t the only one. All the guys nearby started to talk about me, reassured that I could stay in. It''s a special feeling knowing that you''re needed by a team. Even if there was no guarantee that we could keep it tied and get another chance to bat in extra innings.

    Steve, the trainer, handed his bag to Mr. Miller and used him as a makeshift table. He pulled out some supplies to clean my chin, making it sting. He used a bulky bandage and molded it to my chin. It felt awkward and made me feel silly, but I knew I couldn''t play if I kept bleeding.

    "Good as new." Steve gave his verdict, packed up the trash, and hurried to leave the field.

    Mr. Miller and Coach had to leave the field too, going back to our dugout.

    "Okay, okay. We''re fine. We''re rolling." Noah clapped with his glove as we held a small meeting on the side of the mound. "We''re in a decent spot. Double play is the goal." He looked at Brian. "But don''t worry if it goes to the outfield. A fly out can only advance a runner."

    Brian nodded.

    I touched my bulky chin.

    "Anything to add, Jake?" Noah asked me, noticing that I had something on mh mind.

    "It''s probably not much." I shrugged. "But this guy has lifted the ball in the air twice. Both to Garret."

    Mitch nodded. "Yea. Don''t worry. I remember. This guy drops his shoulder a lot in his swing." He pulled his mask down. "I have a pitch sequence in mind. It might help. It might not."

    "We play the ball." Noah added, covering his mouth with his glove. "Jake, keep closer to second base. We won''t do check throws, but I want to hang more back so Jason can guard the line. Sean, play normally and don''t worry about your guy. Lead runner is priority. We give up that run and it''s over." He grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "And I don''t want it to be over for us. We still have to return the favor from last year."

    "Yea!" We agreed and left Brian on the mound alone.

    I tried to smooth the bandage over my chin as I got into position. It was a little bothersome. Like Noah instructed, I stayed closer to second base than he did. Jason played closer to the baseline and Noah played back, nearly on the grass. It gave him more angles to cut a lot of grounders off.

    Mitch and Brian got to work on the sixth batter. Starting with a low one in the dirt. The batter let it pass for a ball. Brian got the ball back and got set again. He looked back to make sure the runner wasn''t too far off. Then back at the batter. The second pitch was outside, yet the batter swung and missed. 1-1. Third pitch, Brian threw inside and the batter swung, getting jammed. The ball was popped up. A short fly ball to the left. Noah sprinted and ran it down, catching the ball practically over his shoulder. He didn''t stop and slow down afterwards. He turned and threw the ball back to Jason covering third base, sending the runner back to second base.

    Jason walked the ball back to Brian at the mound, said some words, then jogged back to his position. Two outs, bottom of the seventh. One out left and then we get a chance. Brian just has to focus on the batter. That''s probably what Jason told him or something. No pressure of baserunners if you just get the batter out.

    Brian was zoned in on batter seven, but the batter was just as focused, pushing the count to 3-2. I nervously kicked the dirt between every pitch wondering what was going to happen. A hit? A grounder? A fly out? Just no hit. With the full count, I had the hope of a strikeout and the anxiety of what would happen with a walk.

    The batter put the next pitch in play. A grounder up the middle, but Noah was there. He scooped the ball up and simply raced to second base, tagging it for the force out to end the inning.

    He grinned as we jogged back to the dugout. "Not a bad result at all."

    "Brian, get a helmet on." Coach instructed once Brian got in the dugout. "You''ll bat."

    I glanced at Brian who was barely two feet away from me. "Can you hit a curve? The guy has major movement."

    Brian laughed. "Yea, of course I can. I''m a pitcher. That makes me a better hitter."

    Quite a few pairs of eyes drifted to Kyle at the other end of the dugout.

    "What''s his excuse?" Noah joked.

    "I heard that!" Kyle hollered.

    A lot of the guys laughed and started to give Kyle some grief.

    A pitcher that could hit wasn''t necessarily rare in high school, but I knew that at the higher levels, they would start to shift more. Especially with the use of a designated hitter spot in the pros.

    "You alright, Jake?" Alisha asked me, looking directly at my chin.

    I touched the bandage. "I think so. It doesn''t hurt or anything."

    "Gonna look ugly the next couple days." Noah laughed.

    "I''m glad you''re feeling quite cheerful, Noah." Coach squinted at him. "I better see it transition to you doing well at your at bat."

    Noah saluted. "You can count on me, Coach." He pulled my sleeve. "Let''s get our stuff on, Jake." We went back to our bags together.

    I moved slower, putting my glove down and taking my hat off.

    Noah was already pulling his helmet on. He glanced at me. "Scared to jinx it?"

    I cracked a smile, laughing how easy Noah could read me.

    "Don''t worry." Noah stated confidently. "I got this guy once before. I can do it again."

    "Another bunt single?" I questioned.

    Noah shrugged. "They might play in on me. It''ll depend on the situation."

    The atmosphere felt pretty light. Maybe too light considering we were playing last year''s division one champs. Maybe because it was the ginormous difference between last year and now. Last year was a swift defeat. This year, we''re taking them to extra innings. The exact opposite.

    I pulled my helmet on, glancing down at the batting gloves. Do I wear them? Do I not?

    "Put them on." Noah nudged me.

    I sighed and did so.

    ''Ding''

    "Nice hit!"

    "Go! Go!"

    Claps and cheers rained down as Brian sprinted for first. He had attacked the first pitch, hitting it to center field, dropping the ball just out of reach of the center fielder, who came sliding in. The center fielder hurried to get the ball and threw it in so Brian had to stay at first. A leadoff single.

    I tightened my batting gloves and picked up my bat. Noah left me and the dugout to move to the on deck circle.

 Chapter 929: V3 Ch163 University Prep HS (9)

    Chapter 929: V3 Ch163 University Prep HS (9)

    Tanner was about to step up to the batter''s box, but paused when he saw University Prep''s Coach come out of their dugout. A pitcher change. After one batter. Tanner retreated back to Noah. Mr. Miller came from the third base coach''s box to talk to them.

    I looked to Coach.

    He felt my eyes on him. "Got a question?"

    I shrugged. "What are we going to do?"

    "Naturally we play baseball." He smiled and gave my shoulder a pat. "Don''t fret. We''ve got to see what they''re throwing at us first."

    The new pitcher came jogging in from the bullpen. He was huge.

    "Damn. That''s a teenager?" I heard Logan utter in disbelief from the bench behind me.

    I glanced back and gave a nod to show that I didn''t believe it either.

    "What are the chances that that guy is their number one pitcher this year?" Garret asked no one in particular as he came up to stand near me and Coach, ready for his at bat.

    "You don''t think they started with their number one pitcher?" I asked.

    "Hard to say; looks can be deceiving." He grinned, moving his eyebrows up and down. "We didn''t start our number one pitcher."

    I cracked a smile and tried not to laugh.

    The new pitcher spoke with his coach and catcher before taking some practice pitches. The way the ball hit the mitt sounded very convincing to me. The first guy was fast-fast, but this guy seemed to have more control and power.

    "He''s got to be a senior." Alisha remarked. "I don''t think anyone in our school looks that mature."

    Garret straightened up. "Excuse you."

    Alisha shrugged. "He''s nearly twice your weight easily. He looks more like a football player than a pitcher. And I''m not talking like quarterback or wide receiver. He looks like a linebacker."

    I took a glance at the man on the mound and nodded in agreement again. We''ve faced some tall pitchers before; even some with facial hair. But none of them looked as big or as scary as this guy.

    "As long as Tanner and Noah don''t hit into a double play, we''ll have a chance with you." Garret said in a low voice, not wanting to be overheard. He patted my shoulder. "Don''t be afraid of his looks."

    My lips twitched. I was definitely afraid of his looks.

    Our dugout got quiet as Tanner started his at bat. He went down swinging and missing three straight fastballs. He was a bit sheepish as he came back to the dugout with his head lowered.

    "Sorry, Coach." Tanner apologized, taking off his helmet. "That guy is a beast."

    Coach slapped him on the back. "Brush it off. The game isn''t over yet."

    I left the dugout for the on deck circle as Noah headed for the batter''s box. Before stepping in, he looked at Mr. Miller down the third baseline and did something unexpected. He patted his shoulder, moved his hand to his waist, then slid it across. That was the sign for a hit-and-run. But...it shouldn''t be Noah giving the signs. I tried to keep a blank face as I looked at Mr. Miller.

    Mr. Miller seemed to hesitate, but Noah wasn''t stepping all the way in the box until he got an answer. Mr. Miller looked towards our dugout. He must have gotten the nod from Coach, because he ended up repeating the sign. Brian, at first base, touched his helmet in acknowledgment.

    I gripped my bat tight and held my breath as the pitcher got set and started his motion. Noah showed bunt, drawing the corner infielders in. The ball was coming in high and a little wide. The pitcher must have known to make it a ball or maybe the catcher had some kind of game plan.

    Instead of dropping the ball with a bunt or even taking the bat back, Noah reached out and gave the ball a push with his bat. It popped over the first baseman''s reach. He had a late jump being caught off guard. The baseball landed near first base and dribbled towards the outfield grass.

    University Prep became a mess as the second baseman, who was originally coming over to cover the base, ended up chasing the ball down. Noah and the first baseman were in a foot race to the bag.

    Meanwhile, I spotted Brian tagging second base and full on sprinting to third. My eyes widened.

    "Three!"

    "To third!"

    The second baseman picked the ball up and turned around. Brian slid into third and Noah had already tagged first.

    "YES!"

    "Nice one!"

    "Jake!"

    "Jake!"

    "Jake!"

    The cheers quickly changed from cheering for Noah''s hit to chanting my name. I gulped and shivered. All the eyes from the stands were on me.

    The second baseman walked the ball into the infield grass to hand it to the pitcher. He stayed there as the catcher and other infielders came in to join them. They were going to have a small team meeting.

    "You good?" Garret asked me, hitting his bat against his cleats.

    I nodded, very stiff.

    "You''re not scared of him right?" Garret whispered under his hand.

    I shook my head, still stiff. Very discreetly, I tried to motion to Garret that it was the crowd behind me.

    Garret immediately understood and laughed. He slapped me on the back. "Gosh, Bambi. You''re ridiculous. You''re scared of our own fans?" He laughed some more. "Most players get a high from the cheers and chants. Take it in. Feel the love. They all want you to do well."

    "I don''t think all of them do." I pointed out. There were definitely more University fans; they just didn''t have much to cheer for at the moment.

    Garret nudged me, squinting at the mound. "Looks like they''re arguing."

    I looked out at the mound. The pitcher and catcher were nearly in each other''s faces. Before I could process what was happening, the University coach came out of their dugout and stormed up the mound.

    I stepped back, almost bumping Garret.

    "Stay cool, kid." Garret held my shoulder in place, leaning down. "They''re probably talking about how to deal with you. A simple look at that pitcher, and I know he wants to take you on. Especially after giving up that blooper to Noah."

    My lips twitched. But then I frowned. "You think the others want to walk me?" I looked up at Garret. "But then they would have to face you with the bases loaded."

    "Yea, but there''s only one out." Garret explained. "It''s probably best to have a force out at home. No matter who is at bat." He straightened up. "Guess it''ll be up to me. Only fitting since I couldn''t drive in Noah before." He was thinking about that play in the sixth inning. "This time I''ll get it out of the infield." He stated it confidently.

    The home plate umpire headed to the mound and broke up the meeting, sending the coach back to his dugout and the players back to their positions. He looked my way when he headed to the plate with the catcher. "Batter up."

    I nodded and walked to the batter''s box.

    The catcher stayed standing. He looked at the umpire. "Intentional walk."

    "Take your base!" The umpire told me rather loudly.

    The crowd let out a mix of boo''s and cheers as I dropped my bat and jogged to first. Noah jogged to second base and the stage was set for Garret. Our best player. Our captain.

    Coach Luis gave me a nod with a small smile. I relaxed my shoulders and took a small lead. Mr. Miller gave out the sign. Run on contact. Avoid the double play. It was all up to Garret now.

    The pitcher shook his head at the catcher''s first sign, then nodded at the second. A strong fastball. Garret fouled it back for strike one.

    "Let''s go Garret, let''s go!"

    "Let''s go Garret, let''s go!"

    "Let''s go Garret, let''s go!"

    Our fans tried to start a chant, but was soon overpowered by a louder one when the pitcher got Garret to swing and miss the second pitch.

    "STRIKE HIM OUT!"

    "STRIKE HIM OUT!"

    "STRIKE HIM OUT!"

    My hands started to shake. I rubbed them on my pants to dry off my sweat. When did it get so hot? It was still mid-morning in February.

    "Second base, Jake." Coach Luis said, sounding a little distant. "Put all your focus on getting to second base. That''s your only job."

    I nodded. Or maybe I was shaking. I swallowed a lump in my throat. Took a deep breath. Then inched a little more out. Second base was my job.

    Garret fouled off the third pitch. And the fourth. Even the fifth which was clearly a ball. He was probably nervous too. On the sixth pitch, there was a clear ''ding''. I bolted for second. My eyes were only on second. At second base, I''ll look around, but for now I have to be the first one to second base. I couldn''t be the first out of a double play. The shortstop was going out to the grass and the second baseman was standing at the bag. I watched closely. He wasn''t going to get the ball. I stop on second base, ideally safe.

    I finally spotted the ball as the left fielder threw it in. The shortstop caught the ball and immediately threw it home. That''s when I realized that Noah had headed home after rounding third. There was going to be a play at the plate. Noah made a dive as the catcher caught the ball. They collided.

    "Safe! SAFE!" The umpire extended his arms.

    Noah jumped up, grinned, and waved to the crowd as he headed for our dugout with Brian. He did it! He really did it this time! We''re up 3-1!

    I grinned. We have a two run lead. I looked at Garret at first and he was talking to Coach Luis. The game wasn''t over yet, but a huge weight had been lifted off my chest. It felt easier to breathe.

 Chapter 930: V3 Ch164 University Prep HS (End)

    Chapter 930: V3 Ch164 University Prep HS (End)

    The pitcher shut down our offensive after Garret''s two RBI single, striking Sean and Jason out. He stormed back to his dugout, ignoring his catcher that was trying to catch up to him. I jogged back to my dugout, feeling like I was floating. Three more outs and we beat University Preparatory.

    "There''s the man!" Jason pulled Garret in the dugout and shook him, still excited despite striking out himself.

    Garret laughed and grinned. "What did you expect? I''m a senior. I''m the captain. If you can''t count on me, who can you count on?"

    "Hey, hey, I''m the one who got the first single." Brian jumped about, holding his glove.

    "Okay, let''s worry about how to distribute credit after the game." Coach spoke above everyone else. He looked at Garret. "Great job. Do you think you can take the mound with a short warmup?"

    "Of course!" Garret quickly broke away from the group and hurried to his bag. "Mitch, meet me at the mound!"

    "Sure!" Mitchell was finishing strapping his gear on.

    Coach looked to Brian. "You move to left field and Jesse will shift to center."

    Brian was surprised. "I''m staying in?"

    "Do you not want to?" Coach squinted.

    "I''m going!" Brian was the first to leave the dugout. Most of the others trailed after him.

    I was the slowest, changing my helmet for my hat. It took an extra minute to get the batting gloves off, then I grabbed my glove.

    "How''s the chin?" Coach checked on me before I left the dugout.

    ? I touched the bumpy bandage on my face. "It''s fine. Doesn''t hurt and I''m definitely not bleeding through."

    He nodded. "Alright. Get out there with the others."

    "Yes, sir!" I ran out onto the field.

    Garret was already throwing with Mitchell. To me, it was clear that it was a standard warmup. He didn''t throw his best or hardest. No cutters.

    We weren''t the only ones to make adjustments for the bottom of the eighth. The University Prep coach had come out to talk to the umpire. Seeing two new faces on deck, they must be pinch hitters. They''re in a tough spot. Do or die. Two runs or they go home early.

    The new hitter was announced, replacing the eighth spot. Garret got set on the mound. Since he''s a lefty, I had a better view of his face. His confidence was overflowing and it translated well into his first pitcher, throwing a cutter for a called strike. The batter swung and fouled back a fastball. Then he swung and missed the third pitch, another cutter.

    "That''s the way!" Noah clapped with his glove.

    Garret smirked before getting back on the rubber. The nine spot was announced as another pinch hitter. It didn''t scare Garret off even a little. It also didn''t worry me. My anxiety stayed calm with Garret on the mound, looking like he was in his best form. It took a couple extra pitches outside the zone, but he got the second guy to strike out too.

    "Yea!" Garret let out a small roar before getting the ball back. He strutted around the mound, absorbing the cheers raining down. It didn''t sound like University had any fans left. It was all for Garret.

    Back to the lead off spot, University used a third pinch hitter. Previously that lead off spot was occupied by a guy who was 0-3. Seems like University was grasping at straws to come up with something offensively. Thankfully this wasn''t the right answer for them. Garret struck the guy out, swinging, and missing all three cutters.

    Noah rushed the mound and jumped on Garret. Garret caught him as they both smiled and laughed. Garret put him down and was soon surrounded by Mitchell, Jason, and Sean. I came in close, but didn''t join the dog pile. Our teammates from the dugout joined in next. Then the three from the outfield, along with the bullpen.

    Noah threw his arm around my shoulders, still grinning. "We did it, Jake." He laughed. "We really did it."

    The atmosphere made it seem like we won the whole tournament. The whole team celebrated until the umpires and coaches rushed us. Another game still had to be held on this field this morning.

    "Pack up and head out." Coach instructed. "We''ll talk outside of the fields."

    "Can we see our parents first?" Noah asked. "Zeke is here, but he''ll have to leave soon for his own game."

    "Okay." Coach smiled and looked around. "Take it in boys. Be happy, but don''t get too arrogant. This is only the beginning. We have three more games to win."

    "YEA!" A lot of the guys echoed.

    I bagged up my stuff with Noah. We met the twins just outside the dugout.

    "That guy really had your number." Dave shook his head at Kyle.

    Kyle sighed and looked up at the sky. "No kidding. It was a bit of a tease, doing so well against those guys. Then get smashed by him. It was like playing against Jake."

    Dave spotted us. He reached out to push my hat down. "Yea, Jake is pretty hard to beat."

    I smiled and fixed my hat.

    "Um, excuse me, but Jake went 2-3 today whereas I went 2-2." Noah stood tall with his chest puffed out.

    Dave pulled him into a headlock. "You better be just as good for the game when I''m on the mound." He jokingly dragged Noah for the gate to leave the field.

    Kyle and I followed. "You we''re pretty great the plate today, Noah. What made you think to do the fake bunt against that beast on the mound?"

    Noah struggled out of Dave''s grasp. "They knew I was fast with that last bunt single. I was definitely lucky that the first baseman didn''t have any hops. Or it would have ended in a double play."

    "You''re gambling during our game?!?" Dave got a better hold of him and practically dragged him out. "Wait until Zeke and Mom hear. You''ll be done for."

    "It was a calculated risk." Noah laughed-coughed.

    Kyle shook his head as we trailed behind them. "That brat."

    I shrugged. "It worked, didn''t it?"

    Kyle looked up at the sky again and sighed just as he did previously. "We were pretty darn lucky today."

    "You pitched really well on the mound." I told him. "That''s not luck. And it had nothing to do with Noah''s...''calculated risk''."

    Kyle chuckled. "Thanks."

    As soon as we left the field, a team brushed past us, making me take cover behind Kyle. He was taller and bigger than me so less likely I''d be bumped.

    This must be one of the teams that played next. They didn''t say anything to us specifically, but I instinctively turned to look at them when I heard my name.

    "That''s Jake Atkins."

    "He''s smaller than I thought."

    "Can he really hit a homer with that small frame?"

    "Shut it."

    I tripped over my own feet, bumping into Kyle''s backside. My chin hit into his back and I hissed, trying to stay on my feet.

    Kyle turned around. "Bro, you good?"

    I rubbed the bandage edges into my chin, glancing back at the team that went by. "I-"

    "You nervous that they knew your name?" Kyle laughed.

    I shook my head. My mouth felt dry. I licked my lips trying to moisten them. "I-I saw-"

    "Saw someone you know?" He stepped closer to me, trying to look at the team that was waiting to get in the third base dugout.

    I nodded slowly, then shook my head. I didn''t really know him. I had only seen him once or twice in person. Maybe heard him talk at Jeremy''s celebration party at the stadium? Yea, I must have. That''s why he sounded familiar when he told his teammates to ''shut it''. One look at him and I was freezing up.

    "Jake? Jake?" Kyle was shaking my shoulder.

    "Yo! You guys coming or what?" Dave hollered from further away. He and Noah must not have noticed that we weren''t following until now.

    Kyle put his arm around my shoulders and forcibly turned me towards them. "Come on. It''s okay. Let''s join the others."

    I put my hand on my chest. "I think I''m going to have a panic attack."

    "What? Now?" Kyle stopped and froze.

    My heart was pounding, my hands were shaking, and I felt confused. How could he be here? Did Jeremy know that the both of us were going to play in the same tournament? Me and his cousin? Why didn''t he say anything if he did?

    ????

 Chapter 931: V3 Ch165

    Chapter 931: V3 Ch165

    "Breathe, Jake! Breathe!" Kyle ordered.

    I leaned into him, forcing him to hold most of my body weight. I took deep breaths. Kyle smelled like his deodorant, sweat, and fresh cut grass.

    "What''s going on?" Noah had come all the way back for us, realizing something was wrong.

    "He''s having a panic attack." Kyle stressed. "What do we do? Where''s Dad?"

    "Okay, don''t panic with him." Noah told Kyle. He bent his knees a little to look me in the eyes, watching me take deep breaths. "He''s still conscious. That''s good."

    I suddenly bent over and threw up a bit of my breakfast. I almost face-planted but Kyle was still holding me up.

    "That''s not good." Noah changed his opinion.

    I eyed my vomit and saw that some got on Noah''s shoes. I coughed and spat out some more residue.

    "What do we do now??"

    "Hey, isn''t that Jake?"

    "What''s going on?"

    "Kyle? Noah? What''s wrong?"

    "Is he sick? Should I get Coach?"

    "Mr. Miller is right behind us."

    "Here give him some water."

    So many voices. So many pairs of feet surrounding me.

    "I''m here." A deep voice cut through. "Give him some space, boys."

    "I can''t let go of him, Dad." Kyle told him. "He''s becoming deadweight."

    "It''s okay. I''ve got him." Thicker arms took over. "Jake, I''m going to move you more out of the way, okay? Are you done throwing up?"

    "Is everyone looking at me?" I put my hands on my knees, feeling uncomfortable.

    "Everyone is a bit of an exaggeration." Dad rubbed my back.

    I closed my eyes. "I''m sorry."

    "No reason for you to be sorry." Dad comforted me.

    "Everyone was happy. Celebrating. And now..." I trailed off.

    "Now they''re just worried about their friend and teammate." Dad added. "As soon as you stand up straight and show them that you''re fine, they''ll be relieved. Not mad."

    I used the back of my hand to wipe my spit on my lips. I did my best to straighten up. With Dad''s help, I could look at my teammates. Most of them had gathered around, making it seem like we were having a team meeting. It blocked off a lot of strangers from my view.

    I swallowed and nearly gagged. Gross. I still have a gross mouth.

    "Here." Garret was the one to hand me an already opened bottle of water. "Use this to rinse your mouth."

    I nodded my thanks. I took a small sip and swished it around before spitting it out. I tried to give the bottle back.

    "Keep it." He told me. "You''re not looking so hot."

    "I''ll hold it for you." Kyle took over, noticing that my hands were still shakey.

    I cleared my throat. "Well, I''m okay. I just need-" I paused. I didn''t know what I needed.

    "How about you go rest?" Mr. Miller offered. He was the only coach around so he had some authority over everyone else. "We still have another game. Rest up. Get some electrolytes in you. Maybe checked out by the trainer." He looked around. "The rest of us should meet up with Coach and have our postgame meeting."

    "And just leave Jake?"

    "Doesn''t that feel wrong?"<> </>

    "Why don''t we bring him to Coach?"

    "Because," Coach showed up on the fringes. "As your Coach, I know my players. Jake doesn''t want you guys hanging around. Let him clean up and recover. We''ll talk over the game, discuss potential next opponent, and maybe what we should eat between now and our next game." He looked at me, then at Dad.

    "I''ve got him, Coach." Dad said. He looked at Noah. "As one of the leaders of the team, don''t you know what to do?"

    Noah''s lips twisted.

    "Really. It''s nothing. An overreaction." I mumbled. "Caught off guard."

    Noah clenched his jaw, but nodded. "Alright. You go with Dad." He raised his voice when facing the team. "Come on, come on. Let''s go talk about how I won us this game."

    "Yea, right." Garret scoffed. "Your effort was admirable but I''m the one who finished it. Both ways."

    I relaxed as they moved away from me.

    "Can I help you to the restroom?" Dad asked. "Or we can go to the parking lot?" He tried naming a few places that didn''t seem to have so many people around.

    "Parking lot. Car." I answered.

    Dad helped me, keeping me close and taking on most of my body weight. I''m positive he would carry me if I asked. But that would be embarrassing and childish.

    In the parking lot, I could breathe a little easier. Dad took me to our car, opened the passenger side door and let me sit down. "Okay. Want to talk about it now? Or need a minute to process?"

    I shrugged weakly. "I don''t know what wrong with me. It was just a momentary freak out." I coughed a little. "I was just so surprised."

    "Surprised by what?"

    Oh. That''s right. He didn''t see what I saw. "Jeremy''s cousin."

    "Jeremy''s cousin?" Dad was taken aback. Confused, he took a minute to process as well. "I''m sorry. You''ll have to help me out here. What is it about him has to do with this-oh. Ahh." Dad caught on. "He''s here."

    I nodded once.

    "That is surprising. What a small world." We stayed there in silence before Dad spoke again. "You don''t think Jeremy knew, did you?"

    "I told him we were invited to this tournament." I said, starting to feel a little frustrated. A little mad. "He said ''good luck'' so I know he saw that message. He acknowledged it. Why? Why wouldn''t he warn me?" I gulped as a scarier thought came to mind. "You don''t think that their dad is here, do you?" I started to feel my heartbeat again.

    "Breathe, Jake, Breathe." Dad started to mimic taking deep breaths and letting it out slowly.

    I did my best but I was feeling a little sick again. My stomach was cramping. "I think I''m going to be sick again." I scooted to the edge so I could lean over the outside of the car.

    "Jake. Jake. It''s okay. He''s just a person. Like any other stranger on the street." Dad held my shoulders.

    "NO! No! He''s not just a stranger." I felt my eyes start to water. "He left me with her. Don''t you get it? He knew she was dangerous and left me."

    Dad pulled me into his arms, hugging me as I started to cry. "Okay, I know. I know it hurts. I know you''re scared."

    That''s how Mom and Zeke found us. Me, crying into Dad''s shirt, and Dad doing his best to calm me down.

    "Oh good. You found us." Dad looked at Zeke. "You need to get back to school now?"

    Zeke looked between us. "I can catch an Uber or something. Maybe call Rhys to come get me. I''m not that far."

    "No. It''s perfect." Dad said. "Jake doesn''t want to be here and could use some distance. The drive to Stanford could do him some good. Give him a chance to reset."

    Mom stepped closer. "What''s going on?"

    "I''ll explain later." Dad took out the keys and handed them to Zeke. "You drive." He looked at Mom. "Do you have your wallet? You should probably plan to have lunch with the other three without us. Maybe treat the whole team."

    "Of course!" Mom reached and rubbed my arm. "It''s okay, Jake. You take as long as you need. When things start to feel tough, just know we''re on your side. No matter what."

    "Even if I dont want to come back here?" I asked quietly.

    "Our hotel is just around the corner." Mom gave me a reassuring smile. "No one would be upset if you can''t play anymore."

    She was lying. But it was a good kind of lie. One that I needed to hear.

 Chapter 932: V3 Ch166

    Chapter 932: V3 Ch166

    I moved to the backseat and Dad sat with me, leaving Zeke alone up front to drive us back to his school.

    I stared out the window and watched as we left the complex. Getting further and further away from those baseball fields.

    "Do you think he saw my game?" I mumbled.

    "I honestly don''t know." Dad told me. "But there''s a couple of people we could ask." He pointed out.

    I was confused. "Who?"

    "Jeremy. Or...the cousin."

    I looked at Dad. "Can you ask for me?"

    Dad gave me a knowing look. "Some things you should do on your own to cultivate some independence."

    I showed him my empty hands. "I don''t have my phone on me?"

    "I can call." Zeke offered from up front.

    Both Dad and I turned to look at him in the driver''s seat. Zeke kept his eyes on the road, but could feel our stares no doubt. "Jake''s in a sensitive situation right now. I don''t think you should make him call Jeremy. He might not be able to convey his concerns."

    "You think you''re a better choice than me though?" Dad asked.

    "I think you''re also coming from a sensitive place." Zeke answered. He must have felt Dad''s gaze sharpen. "You''re protective of Jake. Understandable. I am too. But I''m also distanced enough to realize that Jeremy will be in an awkward position if you just go quizzing him. You''re Jake''s dad, not Jeremy''s. You say you treat Jeremy like family, but no one likes their family accusing them of potentially putting their brother in harm''s way."

    "I wasn''t going to accuse him." Dad defended himself, sounding a little like Noah.

    "You would ask him outright." Zeke shrugged. "It''s just your way."

    Dad scratched his chin, looking a little guilty. "Okay. You seem to have an idea of the situation and how to handle it." He glanced at me. "What do you say, Jake? Do we let Zeke handle it?"

    I nodded until I made myself dizzy. Anything is better than me calling. I felt sick just at the thought of confronting Jeremy. I didn''t want to be hurt, and I didn''t want to hurt his feelings either.

    "I''ll make the call when I park." Zeke stated.

    "Are you going to park near the stadium?"

    "Yea, I don''t need to go to my room for anything. My gear and uniform will be in the clubhouse."

    "What about getting something to eat? Your game isn''t until the afternoon. We can go pick something up for you. We aren''t in any rush."

    "There''ll be food in the clubhouse, Dad. They take pretty good care of their student athletes. Especially when we''re in season. They''ll have a wide variety available since it''s the weekend too. Don''t worry about me so much."

    "A dad never stops worrying."

    I started to doze off with my head resting against the window. Hearing Dad and Zeke talk about the school and his team made me feel a little more comfortable. It''s like things had returned to normal. Like I never saw Carson and like I didn''t have to worry about running into my uncle.

    ***

    (Third-person pov)

    Zeke reached the parking lot near his university''s baseball stadium. He glanced in the rearview mirror. Jake was out, asleep. He must be exhausted from the game and what had happened afterwards. Zeke and his father both exited the car and tried their best to shut the doors lightly, not wanting to disturb Jake''s rest.

    The two stepped away from the car.

    Zeke pulled out his phone and started to type on it.

    "Aren''t you going to call?" His father peered over to take a look at what was taking his son so long.

    Zeke''s lips twitched. "Dad. It''s spring training right now. First, we have to check to see if he has a game going on. He might panic if he sees a bunch of missed calls from us."

    He coughed. "Right. Spring training just started."

    Zeke shook his head. He found what he was looking for. "He has a game in the afternoon so it should be okay for me to call." He looked at his dad again. "I''m going to put it on speaker so you can hear, but...don''t be too much, alright?"

    "I know. I know. I''ll let you handle it. For now."<> </>

    Zeke made the call and put his phone on speaker. It rang twice before it was answered.

    "Zeke? Hey." Jeremy sounded a little out of breath. "What''s up?"

    "You''re not busy, are you?" Zeke asked in a neutral tone.

    Jeremy laughed, still trying to catch his breath. "No, no. Just a little winded. I was goofing off with some of the guys just now. We do have a team meeting in half an hour though so I can''t stay on for too long. Did you need something from me?"

    "Not necessarily. I went to the boys tournament today. It was just around the corner from Stanford."

    "Yea, yea. Jake told me about it. They were going to play the team that kicked them out last year. How''s it go? Jake hasn''t text me the result yet or anything."

    "They won in extra innings." Zeke told him. "It was University Preparatory. Have you ever played against them before?"

    "Hm. Yea, I think so. Not in league but in our division."

    "Oh. So have you been in this tournament before? The Foothill Classic?"

    "Uh, maybe, probably. It''s been a couple of years now. They start to blend together." Jeremy was starting to get suspicious. "Is there a reason why you''re asking me this? Did they say something about me? Is Jake okay?"

    Zeke glanced at the teenager sleeping in the car. He chose to ignore Jeremy''s last question. "So there''s a chance they could play your alma mater?"

    The other side of the phone went silent.

    "Shit." Jeremy muttered. "Yea. Shit. Fuck. There might be. Hold on. Let me look." He went silent again. "Yea, they''re there. At the Foothill Classic. Their first game is at 11, should be starting soon."

    "Yea, Jake thought he saw your cousin." Zeke said.

    "Our cousin." Jeremy automatically corrected. "Carson. He''s a senior. Did they meet? Is the winner of their game playing him?"

    "Hmm. Not sure." Zeke said. He made eye contact with his dad, who gave a reassuring nod. Zeke cleared his throat. "Is there a chance that Carson''s parents will be at this tournament?"

    Things started to click for Jeremy. "Did Uncle Jack say something to Jake? Did something happen? Is Jake alright? Zeke, I''m starting to think you''re not telling me something."

    "As far as I know, he didn''t see Jack." Zeke said honestly. "As for Jake...he''s not okay. He had a panic attack and had to leave the field with my Dad''s help. Jake is a little on edge about seeing Carson and even more on edge about potentially seeing Jack."

    "Where''s Jake now? Why didn''t he call me? Why didn''t Wayne call me?" Jeremy sounded like he was in a hurry.

    "Jake is sleeping in the car. Tired himself out physically and mentally." Zeke answered. "Dad is right here next to me. He wanted Jake to call you himself, but Jake..." He trailed off.

    "Is Jake mad at me?" Jeremy asked with concern.

    "No, not really. I think he''s scared that you knew and didn''t tell him. He doesn''t like surprises after all." Zeke said. "I thought it would be better if I called you. Brother to brother. You didn''t know; nothing you could do about it."

    "But I should have known." There was a loud smack like Jeremy had hit himself.

    "Jeremy, Wayne here." Zeke''s dad spoke up. "Don''t beat yourself up over this. It''s a small world. Playing baseball, they were bound to run into each other at some point. Right now, Jake''s biggest concern is if Jack is there at the field. Do you think you can find out for us? Also, maybe send me a picture of him and your family for me? Just so we know who to look out for?"

    "Wayne, you have to know, I didn''t think this could happen. Is Jake okay? Are you going to take him to a hospital? Should I come back? I can come back. I can be back by dinner." There was a lot of background noise like Jeremy was on the move.

    "Jeremy. Jeremy!" Wayne called out. "Relax. Stop what you''re doing and take a deep breath and listen to me."

    Jeremy froze and the other side of the line got quiet.

    "You don''t have to rush here. You''ve got your responsibility there. A game to play in." Wayne reminded him. "Just help us out a little. Call and find out if your uncle is there. Send me a picture. As for Jake, I don''t think we''ll do a hospital trip. He has had these attacks before. It''s tough, not going to lie to you. But he''s been getting better. You just have to understand, that to him, Jack is a very similar existence to your mother."

    "Okay... okay..." Jeremy mumbled. "I''ll call my aunt. She''ll definitely be there."

    "Hey, no stress. Take it easy. There''s plenty of time." Wayne told him. "We took Jake to Stanford to drop Zeke off. Maybe we''ll stick around here awhile. I think their next game won''t start until 3pm. Jake will have time. And you know what, there''s a chance that Jake might just want to take the day off."

    "Can he do that? Doesn''t he want to play in the tournament?" Jeremy asked.

    "To be honest with you, I don''t think Jake cares that much about baseball." Wayne chuckled. "Without Noah to drag him around, I think he would be satisfied to just be at the cages. Don''t worry, his coach is very understanding of his situation."

    "Yea... okay..."

 Chapter 933: V3 Ch167

    Chapter 933: V3 Ch167

    I woke up feeling hungry and groggy. I held my growling stomach and looked around. I was still in the car, but no Dad or Zeke. I heard some muffled talk and found the pair outside of the car. I unbuckled and joined them outside.

    "You could have slept a little longer." Dad told me with a smile. "It''s good to get some extra rest."

    I put a hand over my stomach. "I woke up because I''m hungry." I said sheepishly.

    "Anything in particular you want to eat?" Dad asked.

    "What about the others?" I asked.

    "They can eat and we can eat. It doesn''t necessarily have to be together." He looked at Zeke. "You good here?"

    Zeke looked at me. "Do you want to have lunch with me?"

    "You want us to take you somewhere else?" Dad asked, surprised that Zeke wanted to join us for lunch.

    "No." Zeke shook his head and then jerked his thumb at the stadium. "Come eat with me here. They have a good spread out for weekend games." He looked at me directly. "See the clubhouse, my locker, and stuff like that."

    "Can we do that...?" I looked up at Dad, unsure. This didn''t sound like it was normally allowed.

    Dad shrugged. "If you want to. I think it would be a very unique experience. Even one the twins and Noah haven''t done."

    I scratched my cheek. "Wouldn''t Noah get upset then?"

    "Stop worrying about everyone else." Zeke ordered. I straightened up. "Do you want to go?"

    I nodded. "I do."

    Zeke went to the car. "Let me grab by bag and send a text to my Coach so he''s not surprised."

    Dad and I waited patiently. Dad sent a text of his own to Mom I assumed.

    Zeke put his phone in his pocket when he was done and had his backpack on. "Follow me. My coach will meet us at the entrance." He looked at me. "Do you remember Coach Leroy?"

    I nodded. He was a nice, beg-bellied guy. We had met a few times now thanks to Zeke. At the college visit. He had come to our house for Zeke''s signing. And we''ve seen him from the few times we''ve been able to see Zeke play. He was similar to our Coach, except he was more laidback. He reminded me of Santa Claus.

    The three of us walked around, getting to the home plate entrance of the stadium. Right up front was Coach Leroy, along with two other guys. I shifted closer to Dad. Dad didn''t mind and even put his arm around my shoulders.

    "Hey, Zeke, what''s up man?" One of the guys greeted first, stepping towards Zeke and doing some kind of handshake with him. Once he stepped back, I recognized him as Bradley Thompson, one of the top players at the college level. He looked down at me. "Jake, right?"

    I nodded.

    He grinned and nodded back. "I almost wasn''t sure. You''re getting taller."

    I subconsciously straightened up.

    Zeke had done a handshake with the other guy and then introduced him. "This is Oliver Combs. A freshman like me. Oliver, this is my dad and youngest brother, Jake."

    "Ah the home run kid." Oliver clutched the front of his shirt, acting like he was in distress. "Send me to the trainer, Brad. I think I''m having ptsd. How will I play today when my heart hurts this much?"

    Zeke''s lips twitched as he watched Oliver act up and play around. "Don''t mind him. He''s just a sore loser."

    "Hey hey! Let''s not pour more salt in my open wound. It still feels fresh." Oliver gave Brad a shove. "C''mon Captain, tell him to be more concerned about my feelings."

    Brad shook his head. "What more do you want? An apology for beating your sorry ass? Maybe you should have hit the gym more."

    "Oliver played for West Valley last year." Zeke told me and Dad, realizing that we were more than lost. The short explanation didn''t help me any. I shrugged, helpless.

    "He doesn''t even remember my school??!" Oliver stumbled backwards, only stopping when he nearly bumped into his coach. "I can''t. I can''t even."

    "CIF finals." Zeke elaborated.

    Ohhh. I looked at Oliver. "I''m sorry."

    Oliver looked stunned. He stood up and stopped messing around. He even looked a little embarrassed. "Don''t apologize. It kind of feels like I''m bullying you."

    "I''m sorry." I said again.

    "Sorry for saying sorry?" Oliver chuckled.

    "Just take what you can get." Zeke rolled his eyes. "You won''t be hearing any apologies from me."<> </>

    "You jerk."

    "Wayne, Jake, good to have you here." Coach Leroy ignored Oliver''s antics and shook Dad''s hand.

    "Sorry to impose on game day, Coach." Dad said. "Thanks for letting us join in."

    "It''s no problem at all." Coach Leroy smiled at me. "Besides, it''s game day for Jake as well, I see." He stated the obvious with me still wearing my uniform. "Tell me, how did you do at the plate today?"

    I cleared my throat. "Two for three, plus a walk."

    "Home run to start off the game." Zeke added. "The walk was intentional in extra innings. Made the bases loaded for Garret Knudsen."

    Coach Leroy let out a whistle. "I couldn''t imagine having to walk the number one player to face the number two. That''s a tough one."

    I looked away, feeling embarrassed. I mumbled. "We played a school from a different county. They had good players too."

    "So modest." Oliver laughed. "I bet you guys crushed it."

    "It was University Prep." Zeke told him. "They won 3-1."

    "Which ''they''?" Oliver started to shake Zeke. "You mean ''they'' as in U.P. beat your brothers, right?"

    I let out a small laugh. U.P. You pee. I wonder if Noah and the twins noticed.

    "My brother''s team won. My alma mater. The same school that beat yours in the finals." Zeke was ruthless.

    "Good school." Coach Leroy told me. "Good performance against them. Their pitching is always top tier. We look at them frequently."

    I froze.

    "Have any come to Stanford?" Dad asked, mostly for my benefit I''m sure.

    "Not in the last decade." Coach Leroy shrugged with a smile. "Maybe my recruiting skills are a little weak."

    I glanced at Zeke and then Bradley. "I don''t think it''s weak." Not at all. Zeke was determined to go pro. It was an absolute until we visited Stanford. Heck, even Bradley could have gone pro last year but he was set on finishing his college career.

    "Thanks, kid, I appreciate it." Coach Leroy waved his hand. "Come on in. Let me show you two what it looks behind the scenes." He took the lead with Dad and I following right behind. Zeke and his two teammates trailed in last, starting to talk about last night''s game and this afternoon''s game.

    "Klein Field is one of the most beautiful fields at the college level." Coach Leroy said. "But what I like the most about it is how close it can be to the school buildings. Mostly everything is a ten minute walk. Twenty if you''re Oliver."

    "I heard that!" Oliver yelled from the back.

    I grinned. Oliver probably has a problem taking his time or showing up late.

    "Some schools require a drive to their home stadium and that could be difficult to arrange for freshmen and sophomores. Some schools don''t let underclassmen bring their cars to college." Coach Leroy went on. "And with being a big division one school, we get a lot of funding. Which is pivotal in how we can afford the best equipment."

    We had gone down some stairs and a big hallway. He flipped on a bunch of lights showing off a full on gym through glass windows. "Weight-lifting stations. Cardio machines. Anything to make our players better and give them the ability to succeed." He looked back at me. "Have you been lifting, Jake?"

    "I''m not very good at it, but we go to the gym at my school once or twice a week." The gym Jeremy had paid for. It was also good, but nowhere fully equipped like this. This looked like it belonged in some catalog for how to open up a franchise.

    Coach Leroy took us to the club room next. Every player had his last name over a small cubicle with a folding chair in front of it. Inside the cubicle, it was like a full closet, holding so many different types of uniforms and Stanford items.

    Zeke took me to his specifically. "Home jerseys. Away. Specialities. Warmup shirts, shorts, long sleeves, sweatshirts, beanies, and hats."

    Hats. He had nearly ten. All with the Stanford logo.

    I gulped. "How do you know what to wear on what day?"

    Zeke pointed to a wall with a whiteboard. On it, there was a field drawn out and players names at each position. Pitchers were on a list beside it. Bench players. Injuries. On the upper right of the board it said the date and that they were wearing white.

    "Food is ready!" Oliver rubbed his hands together and practically skipped to the far side of the room. There were two folding tables set up, holding giant takeout pans.

    "That''s why he''s here early." Bradley gestured to Oliver.

    Oliver had already grabbed a plate and started to load up on pasta, putting two different sauces on it. "They remembered the parmesan this time!" He was done in record time. Not even bothering to sit before eating.

    "You have to have a salad before you get seconds, Oliver." Coach Leroy paused his conversation with Dad to say to his player.

    I smiled as Oliver pretended to be deaf.

 Chapter 934: V3 Ch168

    Chapter 934: V3 Ch168

    I ate with Zeke and Bradley, while Dad stuck with Coach Leroy to ask about more amenities that baseball players have access too. Oliver was there too, but he never sat still, constantly moving around the room and going in and out. Every time he came back in, it was like he was escorting his teammates in.

    When he came in the nth time, he was with a familiar face. Rhys!

    "Hey, what do you know, it''s one of those Atkins boys." Rhys came over with a backpack on his shoulder. "Kyle sent me a text earlier, bragging about his stellar performance against the big school. Didn''t think I would see you at lunch. Now be real with me, how good was Kyle?"

    "Good! Very good!" I nodded energetically. "He kept them to one run over six innings!"

    Rhys grinned. "How about the strikeouts? Any walks? Hits?"

    "Nine strikeouts. No walks. Only two hits given up to the same guy. Who had the solo shot off of him in the fourth inning." Zeke broke down Kyle''s stat line.

    "Damn. I thought he was exaggerating." Rhys laughed. "That kid is storming on up." He knocked on the bill of my cap. "You guys are going to absolutely dominate this year if Kyle can do this against a top tier school like University. Practically a free ride until CIF. Never mind the fact that they got you in the lineup too."

    I felt my face heat up. "Yea..."

    I was starting to put my anxiety attack behind me. I was back to feeling good about our win over University. Accomplished. A bad loss that hovered over us for almost year was returned to them.

    Eventually Zeke and his team had to get a move on. Players started to change into their pregame outfits to go warm up. Rhys had to leave even sooner so he could start throwing the ball with another pitcher.

    "Whatever you decide to do, it''ll be okay." Zeke patted my shoulder. "Dad and Mom will be there the whole time." He cracked a smile. "And you know Noah. He wouldn''t let anything happen to you."

    I nodded.

    Zeke went out with the rest of his teammates.

    "I''ll walk you guys out." Coach Leroy announced to me and Dad.

    "You don''t have to." Dad told him. "We can go the way we came in. We understand that you''re busy on gameday."

    Coach Leroy let out a chuckle. "Not much I can do before the game besides watching them warmup."

    "What if they slacked off?" I asked as we started to leave too.

    "On gameday?" He laughed again. "No, not on this level. Every one of them wants a chance to do something more. At this level, if you aren''t giving it your best the whole time, there''s a coach or worse, a scout, that''s going to notice. If one of my assistants tell me that Zeke didn''t do his bp work, then it''s the bench for him. They''re all little adults. They know what''s expected of them. Whether they get it done is a different story."

    "What if one of them does all their work and puts in the most effort, but isn''t performing well during the game?" I asked, referring to a slump.

    "That''s where I have to put in the most work." Coach Leroy told me. "It''s not hard coming up with a lineup. The hardest part is ensuring that the lineup is one that can succeed. You have a bunch of young men trying to adjust to their newest phase of life. It''s not easy. Mentally or physically."

    I nodded, thinking how tired Zeke sounded when he came to visit earlier this week. He had a bad game Tuesday and then came down to see me Wednesday when I had had a bad day too. "So what do you do?"

    "It depends. Every player is unique and therefore unique in their needs."

    "What about Zeke?"

    He laughed outright. "Zeke is easy. I do nothing."

    My jaw dropped.

    "Zeke has his own motivation from within. He also has great self-control and self-awareness." He explained. "He can take a step back and see where he''s going wrong. He can reset and readjust himself."

    "And what if he can''t?" Dad spoke up. "What if he gets stuck."<> </>

    Coach Leroy shook his head. "Zeke won''t get stuck. He''ll simply find a new route to get to his destination. A small detour or two is no big deal. Now, if there comes a time that I think his detour is taking too long, I''ll simply remind him to turn on the gps."

    "Uh. What?" I was getting confused. I hate metaphors.

    "The gps will have Zeke''s path to being a great player. You got to get back to the basics. What made him get here in the first place? Zeke''s one of my easiest guys though. Him and Bradley have a different kind of mindset compared to others. They know the Majors are waiting for them." We walked out of the stadium and Coach Leroy stopped. He looked down at me. "Do you remember how you got to where you are?"

    I nodded slowly. I''m still young. I haven''t forgotten anything.

    "Do you feel like it''s been a long road?"

    I shrugged. "Sometimes."

    "Now you have shortcuts to get back, because you already know the road." Coach Leroy stuck out his hand. "It was nice having you here, Jake. I wish you the best of luck in the rest of your tournament this weekend."

    I shook his hand lightly.

    Coach Leroy turned to Dad. "Good to see you, Wayne. If you have any concerns about Zeke''s wellbeing, don''t be afraid to contact me."

    Dad shook his hand too. "Good luck on your game this afternoon too, Coach."

    Coach Leroy walked back, leaving me and Dad on our own.

    Dad looked down at me. "So."

    I looked up at him. "I feel better."

    "I do too." Dad smiled. He pulled out his phone. "I don''t know if this helps, but Jeremy didn''t know that you and his cousin would run into one another. And I believe that. It''s been years since he was in high school and it''s a special case considering you two are in two different divisions. The odds were small."

    I sighed. "What do I do now?"

    "Jake, do you want to play baseball today?"

    "What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

    "That''s the only question you should be asking yourself." Dad told me. "Do you want to play baseball this afternoon? I can guarantee it won''t be against Carson. What I can''t guarantee is whether they''ll be there."

    I rubbed my stomach, feeling unsettled. "What if they want to talk to me?"

    "You don''t have to do anything you don''t want to do." Dad stated firmly. "If they approach you, I''ll cut them off. For a civil discussion. We can push this off until later. For now, ask yourself, do you want to play baseball this afternoon? If not, we can go back to the hotel and get cleaned up. Maybe sightsee. Or we can even stick around and watch Zeke''s game."

    I was tempted. Watching Zeke''s game would be easy. No confrontation. No worries of another anxiety attack. But...I was still worried about the team. Like Rhys said...we can dominate. I didn''t want to let them down. I''m sure they''re all worried too.

    Dad waited for my answer without pushing.

    I rubbed my hands together, nervous. "We won''t play Carson today, but there might be a chance tomorrow."

    "That''s only if you win and move on to tomorrow. And if his team wins their second game and move on too." Dad pointed out.

    "I can play today." I looked Dad in the eye. "I mean, I want to play. Maybe we won''t even make it to tomorrow and that will make me feel bad for missing out this afternoon." I''ll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.

    "Okay, let''s head back then. Your brothers and team are waiting for you." He smiled.

 Chapter 935: V3 Ch169

    Chapter 935: V3 Ch169

    Eastside College Preparatory.

    That''s the school to avoid. It''s where Jeremy went and where Carson is currently going to. Jeremy told Dad that Jack was there to watch Carson play, but couldn''t say for certain if he saw me. He didn''t personally talked to Jack. I can''t imagine how stressed that relationship is with what has happened in the last year. He wasn''t invited to Jeremy''s MVP celebration, however Jeremy and Rose did visit them during Christmas.

    "Ah, a good spot." Dad remarked as we watched a car pull out. It was in the second row so not much walking would be required. "I think I''m feeling pretty lucky. Maybe I should go buy a lotto ticket later."

    "Okay, Noah." I called him by the wrong name intentionally.

    Dad frowned. "God help that boy."

    "We won today thanks to his risky play." I pointed out.

    Dad parked the car. "That kid will be the death of me, I swear. Almost the complete opposite of Zeke."

    "I think Noah is a lot like Zeke." I replied. "When Coach Leroy said Zeke wouldn''t need help out of a slump, I thought about Noah. He knows where he wants to go. He won''t get lost."

    "A detour to college would be much appreciated." Dad mumbled.

    I laughed and gave a small shake of my head. "No way. Noah won''t."

    "Why not?" Dad demanded. "Zeke went. Why do you think Noah won''t go if they''re so much alike?"

    "Because Noah has more to prove?" I shrugged. He had to compare himself to Zeke and the twins. Zeke had no one close to follow after.

    "What about you?" Dad asked.

    "What about me?" I repeated back to him.

    "How do you feel about going to college over entering the draft?"

    I shrugged.

    "Just look at Zeke at Stanford. Good school, good coach, good feelings."

    I nodded. "Yea." Then I shrugged. "But Zeke would be gone by then." He won''t stay the four full years. No way.

    "By then, you''ll have to do some things on your own." Dad said. "You won''t be able to follow Noah through the minors and Majors. And even if you guys get to the Majors, it''s very unlikely you''ll be on the same team."

    "You don''t think we''ll get to the Majors?" I frowned. That''s all the boys thought about. Talked about.

    Dad looked around. For what, I don''t know. He looked at me. "Don''t repeat this to your brothers, okay?" I nodded. "Making the pros feels close now, doesn''t it? I mean, we have Jeremy around and he plays for their favorite team. Rhys''s dad is a coach. Heck, Zeke was drafted. But the reality of all that can be broken down to small numbers. There''s only a 6% chance of a high school baseball player making it to the NCAA. From there, only 10% get drafted by a MLB team. Only 66% of first round picks make it to the majors. An even smaller amount will actually get to have a career there. I think it drops to the single digits in the twentieth round. Minuscule chances after that." He sighed looking at my stunned expression. "I don''t say this to doubt the future, but sometimes I really worry when you kids make baseball your whole life. What will happen if you kids don''t make it?"

    "Noah won''t give up." I told him, confident in that. For sure. Noah would make it. Zeke too. Heck, the odds are already in his favor.

    Dad chuckled. "Why can''t you be this confident in yourself?"

    I shrugged, embarrassed.

    "Okay, okay. I get it. Noah''s personality is hard to compete with. Like you said, he''s set out on his path already. I could only hope a girl would attract him to college when he gets closer."

    My lips twitched. "That didn''t work with Kyle."

    Dad grinned and shook his head. "You''re just determined to go against me today, aren''t you?" He put nodded towards the fields. "You ready to go find your team?"<> </>

    I nodded.

    We got out of the car together. He grabbed my bag out of the trunk and carried it for me. Before we reached the tournament center, two faces were headed our way. Noah and Mom.

    Noah slapped me on the shoulder while looking at Dad. "Good work, Dad. He looks as good as new."

    I cracked a smile.

    Mom looked relieved. "Alright. Looks like the number one batter is available for game two."

    My face turned red. "Has the opponent been decided? Did you guys watch them play in their first game? Or did they play at the same time as us?"

    "Now you''re asking the important stuff." Noah nodded. He put his arm over my shoulders and started to lead me a certain way. "Let''s go back to the team. It''s almost time to go to the new field soon anyways."

    Mom and Dad followed close behind.

    "We got to see some of the end of their game. Unfortunately it was cut short." Noah told me.

    I grimaced. "Mercy-ruled?"

    He snapped his fingers with his free hand and pointed it at me. "You guessed it. Pray for Dave. He''ll need it. This is a powerful lineup. Probably on par with University if they had better pitching."

    "How do you know about their pitching?" I asked, curious.

    "Stat sheet. They used two guys in a five inning game. Gave up four runs between the two." Noah shook his head.

    My jaw dropped. "They gave up four runs and we''re still able to beat them by ten?"

    Noah nodded. "Coach was thinking Garret should pitch, but you know how the twins get going. Kyle brags, Dave quips that he can do the same. Their energy is unmatched when it comes to competing on the mound."

    I doubt it. "How did Garret take it?"

    "Garret, of course, said that he would take over as soon as Dave gives up two runs." Noah laughed. "Two runs? That''s generous of him. He''s just trying to sound fair because of his captain status. Can''t look as selfish as usual."

    "I think it helps that he''ll still be on the field." I pointed out. "And he''ll see Dave in the dugout. He''ll have a firm grasp on how Dave fares against these guys."

    Noah talked some more about the upcoming game until we approached the team. Most of the guys were sitting around on a grassy patch, talking to one another or relaxing.

    "Hey! Jake''s back!" Dave jumped up and rushed me. He scared me by lifting me under the armpits and swung me around. "Boy, am I glad to see you?"

    I let out a laugh. "I heard it might be a hitter''s game."

    "I said, Jake might not even get a chance to help out besides intentional walks." Garret joined us. "You should be relying on me more, Dave. I''m the one leading the team offensively this tournament so far."

    "You think they''ll walk Jake? No way." Dave argued. "We saw those guys. They don''t care about walks, hits and runs unless it''s their own." Dave put me down and patted the top of my head. "Jake will be padding his stats this game. It''ll be a pure hitfest."

    "I don''t know." Kyle came over too. "That''ll depend on the score. Maybe they won''t care at first, but as long as you hold them like you claim you can do, they''ll probably resort to intentional walks at the end. Look at University. Even they had to intentionally walk Jake in the end. It depends on the situation."

    Dave moved my head so he could look me in the eyes. "Home runs. That''s all you''re allowed to do. No matter what Coach says." He moved to Noah. "I want to see some real speed this game. Stolen bases. You better stretch every single to a triple." He looked at Garret. "If you get out even once, I''ll think you''re sabotaging me."

    Garret rolled his eyes.

    ???????????????????? f????????????????????????????ovel.c????m, for the best novel reading ????????????????????????????????????????.

 Chapter 936: V3 Ch170 Heritage Oak HS (1)

    Chapter 936: V3 Ch170 Heritage Oak HS (1)

    I was welcomed back into the team seamlessly as Dave dominated all conversations, talking about our offensive output. We slowly got ready, putting on our cleats and making sure our bags were packed with all the equipment.

    Coach came over with his assistants and let Dave continue his chatter until it got closer to warmup time. "Alright, that''s enough. Save some energy for the game, will ya?"

    The whole team quieted down and Coach took center stage. "New lineup." He got straight to the point.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Atkins

    3 CF Garret Knudsen

    4 1B Sean Isner

    5 RF Jesse Shipman

    6 LF Tanner Erickson

    7 3B Jason Morris

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Dave Atkinoach paused, his sights on the pitcher section. "Brian and Bryce, you two will be in the dugout. Potential pinch hitters. The rest of the bullpen are on standby depending on Dave''s performance. We saw the end of their win in game one. They''ve got the power hitters."

    "Coach, I''ve got this." Dave stated, taking a stand.

    "I hope you keep that same mentality when you take a beating." Kyle muttered.

    "I''m tough enough." Dave declared.

    "Two runs, Coach. Tell him." Garret spoke up.

    Coach''s lips twitched. "You three...give me a headache. Who''s the coach here? You or me? If I say he''s on the mound, then he gets the ball. If I say he''s off, then he''ll be riding the bench. Everything depends on the moment." He looked to the sky. "If I had it my way, all three of you would be in the bullpen to be someone else''s problem."

    "We''d have the noisiest bullpen in the world." Noah nudged me.

    I grinned, not denying it.

    "Don''t say that, Coach."

    "You know you''ll miss us next year."

    The twins started to riot.

    "Kyle stays in the bullpen." Coach raised his voice.

    "What? Why?" Kyle argued. "I''m done for this weekend. I should get to be in the dugout where the excitement is."

    "Maybe tomorrow. If we make it." Coach''s gaze sharpened. "I don''t want you messing around when Dave''s on the mound this afternoon."

    "You never cared before." Kyle huffed.

    "I want to win this one, boys. The whole tournament." Coach addressed the whole team, looking around.

    Kyle settled down at that.

    Noah stood up. "Me too. We beat the toughest team there was last year. It''ll feel too shitty to lose to anyone else now."

    "Yea!" Some of the guys echoed in agreement.

    Coach motioned for all of us to get up. "Let''s go." He led us to a field where the other team was already warming up. Once again, we were banished to the first base dugout as visitors. Despite beating University Prep, we were still the lower seed compared to these guys.

    "I like batting first." Dave put his bag down in the dugout and got his glove out. "We''ll get on early and I''ll have room to work with."<> </>

    "Sounding scared." Kyle smirked.

    "Kyle, you don''t need to warmup so come help Alisha." Coach pointed to our friend standing with the coaches. "She''s still working on the stat sheet and what it should look like in the end. You''ll supervise."

    "Tsk." Kyle dragged his feet and went over.

    The rest of us finished getting ready and left the dugout with Garret taking charge.

    Come game time, the team was loose and ready for action. Coach sent Kyle to the bullpen as soon as Dave and Mitchell came in from their warmup. Kyle took his bag and left with the coach, relievers, and backup catcher, Oscar.

    Noah and I were prepared for our first at bats, standing near the dugout entrance. We watched as the other school, Heritage Oak, take the field as their starters were announced.

    "I don''t think they''re a private school." Noah said.

    "Oh?" I glanced at him.

    "They don''t have the word ''preparatory'' in their school name." Noah laughed. "Their school probably just has a big population."

    "Jeremy went to a school with the name ''preparatory'' in it." I told him.

    Noah stopped smiling and got serious. "Yea, Dad told Mom, who told us. I was the one to check the bracket so Dad could know that we wouldn''t face them for game two, nor would they be around. Their game two is a night game."

    "Would they...be game three..?" I asked.

    Noah scoffed. "IF they make it. They barely won their first game 1-0."

    "Oh." I didn''t know that.

    "Anyways." Noah continued. "Keep them out of your mind. You''re here to play some baseball. Have some fun. Hit some homers."

    I gripped my bat a little tighter. "I think I''m going to play it a little safe first. Get a hit, get on base."

    "Gotta restore the confidence." Noah nodded. "That''s fine. This is the team to do it against." He lowered his voice and leaned in. "Don''t worry. I won''t let Dave give you a hard time."

    I smiled and nodded my thanks.

    The two of us moved out of the dugout and started to take some practice swings as we observed the pitcher.

    Noah was soon called up to the plate and the game got started. Noah fouled two pitches down the third baseline before the third stayed fair. The third baseman was there though. He scooped it up and made a great throw to first, just barely beating out Noah''s speed.

    "Isn''t the tie supposed to go to the runner?" I heard Noah grumbled as he went back to the dugout.

    I moved to the batter''s box with a small smile. Noah was the first out so that could only mean he''s going to hear it from Dave. That''ll take a load off of me.

    The pitcher was average. I casually fouled some down the third baseline like Noah, drawing the third baseman closer to the line. I could see the shortstop start to shift over too. On the very next pitch, I hit the ball up the middle. It bounced in the outfield grass before the center fielder could get there. I had rounded first and slowly retreated back, content with my single.

    Coach Luis gave a nod of approval, making me relax even more. The panic attack from hours before was starting to feel like yesterday. New game, new me.

    Garret followed my single with one of his own, also to center field. We stood at second and first, with Sean up to bat. Sean was only 1-4 at the plate from the first game. Which isn''t bad, especially considering it was against University. Mr. Miller threw out some signs. He wanted us to run on contact. Be wary if it was in the air and retreat back. Trying to avoid the double play here.

    Sean fouled back a multitude of pitches, making the count near twenty already. He gave Mr. Miller a look and Mr. Miller changed up the signs. A sacrifice bunt...? I gulped. Gotta run it out as soon as the pitcher makes his move then.

    I tried to stay loose as I took a few steps off the bag. The pitcher merely glanced back at me, then started his motion. Once he was committed, I made the commitment to run to third.

    "Three!"

    "To third!"

    "Bunt!"

    Everyone was yelling. I had a good view of the third baseman going in for the bunt and then got caught in no man''s land. I didn''t have to slide into third. The catcher had to come out from behind the plate to make the play, picking up Sean''s bunted ball and then threw it to first for the force out. Still two on, but now with two outs.

 Chapter 937: V3 Ch171 Heritage Oak HS (2)

    Chapter 937: V3 Ch171 Heritage Oak HS (2)

    Jesse started his walk up to the plate. This was his first appearance this tournament. I could hear his name from the stands and wondered if his family was here.

    Mr. Miller gave the sign for him to swing freely. Garret and I had to run on contact no matter what. Jesse acknowledged and started his at bat. Two balls went wide befor a called strike in the zone. On a 2-1 count, Jesse connected and popped the ball over my head.

    I didn''t dare look behind me and just sprinted for home. Tanner, who was on deck, picked up Jesse''s bat and yelled, "No slide, Jake!"

    I tagged home for the first run of the game. Then I turned around to see the play. The left fielder had come all the way in to get the ball and threw it in. Mr. Miller held Garret at third despite him being pretty fast.

    I jogged back to the dugout and high-fived everyone on my way back to my bag.

    "Garret should have ran home!" I could hear Dave complaining to anyone who would listen. "Who doesn''t know that he''s the fastest on the team. He had a good lead off of second."

    "Hey!" Noah stood up, offended. "I''m definitely the fastest. You can''t take that away from me."

    "Obviously Miller was playing it safe." Mitchell looked ready for his own at bat. "We can''t be letting Garret do close plays at the plate. Not this early in the season. And definitely not when we have the whole game left to play still."

    "Dave''s a little too amped up today." I heard Sean mutter a few seats down. He was sitting with Brian and Bryce.

    "That''s not necessarily a bad thing." Brian shrugged. "I felt energized earlier when I got put in the game. Didn''t it all work out?"

    Bryce nodded. "Yea, I don''t think it''s a bad thing for pitchers unless it messes up their control. Give him an inning or two to calm down. Maybe after we score a few more runs, he''ll shut up."

    Unfortunately our offense ended when Tanner hit a fly ball to the center fielder.

    I put my hat on and grabbed my glove. I followed Noah out of the dugout or at least I tried to. I was suddenly pulled back by the collar of my jersey. I grabbed it at my throat and threw a glare at the offending hand.

    Dave laughed. "Sorry, didn''t mean to come off that aggressive." We stepped out of the dugout together. "I just wanted to make sure you know that I''m not pressuring you for homers. It''s not a necessity. Noah said you probably want to play it safe and that''s okay too. I trust you."

    I relaxed. "I mean, it''s not like I won''t try for one later. I just wanted...to get the feeling again."

    Dave pushed down my cap. "Don''t worry. I''ll go easy on you." He pointed out at Noah. "Now, he and I are going to have a problem. A groundout to third. How weak."

    Noah turned around, clearly having heard Dave talk some smack. "Bro, unless you can do better, I don''t want to hear it."

    "Next inning." Dave grinned and nodded. "Just wait."

    "We playing, or what?" Sean joined us. "Why are all of you trying to play first base?"

    I was the first to split away, jogging to my spot at second. Noah went further than me at short. Dave took his time getting to the mound since Mitchell had to put all his catching gear back on. He came out of the dugout last and warmup went smoothly.

    When the umpire called for the first batter to step up, I made sure to pay attention to Dave''s control. At least, that''s what I intended to do, but it was difficult. The very first batter connected on the very first pitch, popping it high up in short left field. Noah was sprinting over behind Jason, and at the foul line, he made the catch over his shoulder while diving. The applause and cheers rained down when he popped back up, ball still in the glove.

    Noah grinned and threw the ball to Jason. "One out! Two to go!" He jogged it back in.

    Jason smiled too and threw the ball back to Dave.

    Dave caught the ball and rubbed his nose, looking a little embarrassed. He got set once more as the next batter came up to the plate. This batter connected on the very pitch as well, pulling it down the line. Jason ran forward, caught the ball on a hop, then had to do a tough throw to first. Sean had to stretch out, nearly in the splits, to scoop it up out of the dirt.

    "Out!" The umpire closest declared.

    Sean stood up slowly, and moved around to stretch. I hesitated to go over or not.

    "You good?" Dave asked, coming off the mound.<> </>

    Sean tossed him the ball underhanded. "Yea, I just need a minute." He walked around, casually kicking the dirt.

    Dave got back on the mound and took his time to get set, probably for Sean''s benefit. Batter three swung and missed Dave''s first pitch to him. Mostly because Dave threw it in the dirt. Dang. These guys were serious about swinging at the first pitch. Dave threw the second pitch in a similar spot, but the guy held up and let it be a ball.

    1-1 count. Dave got set once more. Mitch had called for a ball high and outside. We were catching on them swinging at anything close. Dave obliged and did his whole motion. The batter did swing, catching the ball with the end of his bat. It flew up the middle. I turned around to see Noah running back and Garret running in. I hurried to cover second.

    "Mine!" Garret called Noah off. Noah split away and Garret made a dive for the ball. He somersaulted and got back up, ball in glove.

    "Out!"

    The first inning ended. With only five pitches from Dave.

    We jogged back to the dugout, feeling some kind of way.

    Even Coach was frowning when we all got back. "Okay, not bad. Some very good plays. That''s the kind of energy I like to see. Shows that practice is paying off."

    "I think we''re just lucky it didn''t go Jake''s way." Dave took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair.

    I froze.

    Noah slapped my back. "That''s a joke, Jake."

    Some of the guys were smiling, but no one was really laughing.

    "You good, Sean?" Coach caught the sight of Sean stretching, using the bench to have his foot propped up.

    "I think so." Sean leaned forward. "I just need to stretch some more. Be more flexible."

    "My bad on the throw." Jason patted his shoulder as he headed for his bag. He was first up to bat this inning.

    "You did what you could. And I did what I''m supposed to do." Sean put his leg down. "Really, I''m fine."

    "Keep an eye on it." Coach gave him a look.

    Sean nodded. "Yes, Coach."

    Everyone moved around the dugout as some prepared to bat and others like me and Noah took a seat.

    "I couldn''t catch that ball like you." I sighed. "It was an awesome play. If it came my way-"

    "Then Sean would fight you for it." Noah laughed. "The reason I can make those kind of plays is because Jason knows I want it. Plus, it was more in Tanner''s area, but he was playing too far back. It''s not like I can do that every time."

    I sighed again. "I don''t think I''m going to like this game very much if the ball keeps getting put into play."

    "Ah, you don''t trust Dave either." Noah grinned. "Don''t worry. Anything near me, is mine. Heck, only Garret is allowed to call me off of a ball."

    "Ball hog." Garret threw his glove at Noah from three feet over.

    Noah laughed and returned the glove. "It''s called being a playmaker."

 Chapter 938: V3 Ch172 Heritage Oak HS (3)

    Chapter 938: V3 Ch172 Heritage Oak HS (3)

    Garret looked beyond him and at me. "Ignore him and his so-called playmaking. Do what you can. If it doesn''t work out, it''s Dave''s fault anyways for letting the batter touch the ball."

    "I''m still in the dugout, you jerks." Dave pointed at Garret with his bat as he passed by. "I knew you were going to be an annoying captain." Dave was third up to bat this inning behind Jason and Mitchell.

    "Aren''t all captains annoying?" Garret laughed. "If you want, I can do my best Zeke impression." He turned serious. "Five laps if you strike out."

    Dave shivered. "Gross." He headed for the dugout entrance. "That must be some bad juju. I almost believed you."

    As the leadoff for this inning, Jason worked a 2-2 count before hitting a ball late, sending a slow roller to the second baseman. The second baseman charged the ball and flipped it to the first baseman very smoothly. I don''t think I could even do that much. At least, not without falling on my face.

    "His fielding is pretty good." Noah remarked. "I bet the shortstop is better though." He grinned. "That''s where the best go first." He took off his hat and put on his helmet. He started to tug on his gloves.

    "The best are always on the mound." Garret corrected.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I''m sorry. Remind me again, who''s number one in the county?"

    "Not you." Garret slapped him on the back of the head.

    "Best at fielding go to shortstop." Noah said. "Is that better?"

    "Center fielders are really good too." Garret rubbed his chin.

    "You''re so conceited." Noah stuck his tongue out at him before moving closer to Coach.

    Garret looked at me. "Who do you think is better at fielding, me or him?"

    My lips twitched and I chose to say nothing.

    Thankfully, Mitchell put the ball in play, grabbing everyone''s attention, including Garret''s. The ball soared to left-center field. The left fielder tried to slide to make the grab, but the ball bounced under his glove. Mitchell rounded first and headed to second as the center fielder went to get the ball. Mitchell stood safely on second by the time the ball was thrown back in to the infielders.

    We clapped and cheered as did the spectators. Dave moved to the batter''s box and Noah went out to the on deck circle. I changed my hat to a helmet, and picked up my gloves and bat. I moved to the hole as I tugged my stupid batting gloves on.

    "Make sure to note that the left fielder couldn''t make the play on Mitchell''s hit." Coach was telling Alisha, pointing at a spot on the clipboard. Alisha nodded and started to write. Coach noticed me approaching. "How are you feeling, Jake?"

    I tightened the straps on the gloves and gave him a thumbs up. "I''m fine." I started to look over my bat.

    "Anything wrong with the bat?" He asked.

    I shook my head. "No. Just checking. I don''t want to break any more if possible."

    Coach laughed and Alisha also smiled.<> </>

    Dave struck out swinging, cueing me to step out of the dugout. Noah must have said something to make Dave roll his eyes as they switched spots. Dave patted me on the head. "Revenge me, Bambi."

    I let out a small laugh and nodded obediently.

    "That''ll be five laps for you Dave!" I heard Garret holler as soon as Dave got back in the dugout. Laughs echoed soon after.

    "I''m saving my energy for the mound." Dave said with a raised voice.

    I couldn''t hear what was said after, but more laughs followed.

    With two outs and a runner on second, Noah did his best to get the ball in play. He let the out of reach pitches pass for balls and then swung at everything else. With a 2-2 count, he got jammed on an inside pitch, barely pushing the ball just a yard or two in front of him. He dropped the bat and took off. It could be considered a bunt with where the ball landed. At first I thought it wouldn''t be bad since the first and third basemen weren''t prepared, but I didn''t consider the catcher. He scrambled from behind the plate, got the ball, and threw Noah out at first.

    I knocked my bat against my toes. Darn it. I went back inside the dugout to switch out my gear. Noah joined me.

    "That catcher is very aware of bunts." Noah noted. "That or he has some very fast reactions. Be careful of fouling any balls back. Safer down the lines."

    I nodded.

    Bottom of the second inning. Dave started with the cleanup hitter. Just like the previous batters, he swung early. Unfortunately Dave''s pitch was a little too good. In the zone. The batter hit a line drive to the corner of right field. I went out to be cut off man for the relay, but had no chance to throw the guy out by the time Jesse got the ball to me. He stood safely on second with the same amount of pride that Mitchell had.

    I threw the ball to Dave, who had stepped off the mound. He looked a little bit angry. Wisely, no one said anything. Not even Noah.

    Things only got sketchier from there. The fifth batter hit a short fly to right field. Jesse got there in this time and hurried the throw to prevent the runner from tagging up. I did a pump fake to ensure that the runner retreated back to second, then gave the ball back to Dave once more. The sixth batter got under one of the first few pitches, popping it up just past second base. Noah came sprinting over and caught it, stumbling a couple steps but kept his balance. He threw the ball to me and I threw it back to Dave. Noah got back into position.

    I recognized the seventh batter as the pitcher. Dave did too and maybe that''s why he tried for a strikeout, throwing his pitches back in the zone. The guy took advantage of that and hit the ball on an 0-2 count. The runner on second had immediately taken off during Dave''s motion. He was definitely going home.

    I moved to cover second base while Noah moved to the grass, arms up, waiting for the ball from Garret. Garret scooped it up out of the grass, switched the ball to his left and threw the ball in. Noah turned around and was about to throw it to Mitchell at home, but held back. The runner scored and score was tied at one.

    Dave looked pissed off.

    I looked to Noah, worried for the both of them. Noah called for time and headed for the mound. Sean, Jason, and Mitchell all looked to be coming in too. Once I saw that it was going to be a team meeting, I joined in.

    "You could have thrown home." Dave muttered.

    Noah put the ball into Dave''s glove. "No. It would have been too close. It''s not worth it."

    "Easy for you to say. It''s not your ERA." Dave wasn''t appeased.

 Chapter 939: V3 Ch173 Heritage Oak HS (4)

    Chapter 939: V3 Ch173 Heritage Oak HS (4)

    Noah shrugged. "You''re right. I don''t give a crap about your stats. I''m here to win games."

    "In case you didn''t notice, that was the tying run." Dave jerked his thumb at home plate. "We could have given it a shot. Since when did you start playing it safe?"

    We all looked at Noah. Dave was right there. Noah was always a gambler. Even earlier today against University Prep.

    Noah rubbed his chin and thought about it. "Okay, maybe you''re right. I should have at least made that throw to Mitchell and let him decide." He pointed at Dave. "But you also need to admit that you''re getting a little distracted up here."

    "Yea, cause I''m getting pounded, bro." Dave waved his hands around. "Take a look. I haven''t gotten one strikeout and we''re almost through the lineup. I''m a bit on edge. These guys keep hacking at the ball."

    "Let them. We''ll use our fielding to get them out." Noah squinted. "You''re not thinking of trying to replicate Kyle''s nine strikeouts, are you?"

    "Not anymore. Damn." Dave cursed under his breath. "I''m looking like shit all around. Can''t do it on the mound or the plate. Best believe I''ll be doubling my practice on Monday."

    Noah rolled his eyes and hit Dave in the chest with his gloved hand. "Stay present, dude. We have a game to win first. Take it all in stride. You give up hits, but we''ll get it back. These guys aren''t the best on the mound either. We''ll back you up with a couple of runs and you''ll feel better."

    "You literally just implied that I wasn''t the best on the mound." Dave rolled his eyes. "Jesus. I wish I could get a do over on today."

    I nodded in agreement.

    Sean nudged me and gave a small shake of his head.

    Oh. Dave might think that I''m thinking that he needs to start over. I coughed to clear my throat. "One run isn''t a big deal."

    "And if I give up another? And another?" Dave shot back.

    I looked to Noah for help.

    "Then Coach pulls you and we get a less temperamental pitcher on the mound." Noah shrugged. "Not our problem." He laughed. "We''re trying to help you, bro. Just calm down. One batter at a time. Tell me what''s worse: giving up some hits and runs with a win? Or with a loss?"

    "God. You suck." Dave started to wave. "Leave. Go. Shoo, shoo. Get away from me."

    We were all kicked off the mound with the exception of Mitchell. Him and Dave shared a couple of words before he went back to his spot behind home plate. With a runner on first and two outs, the eighth batter stepped into the box.

    Sean stood on first with the baserunner and I shifted over. Dave looked wild, throwing pitches everywhere but in the zone. I say look, but he was actually following Mitch''s signs to throw outside, high, in the dirt, or inside. The batter swung at most of it, getting to a 2-2 count before popping the ball high up in the air. Super high. I looked up to try to find it. From the trajectory off the bat, it shouldn''t leave the infield. My hat did a poor job blocking out the afternoon sun, leaving me just looking up at nothing.

    "I''VE GOT IT!" Noah yelled. I looked at him and saw him running my way, looking up.

    Instinctively, I started to back up.

    The runner on first had long taken off, tagged second and was on his way to third.

    "Jake, move!"

    "Out of the way!"

    "Watch out!"

    A lot of yells had me more confused. Move? Move where? I was already backing up.<> </>

    I was suddenly yanked by the back of my jersey, nearly choked. How familiar. I looked up at Dave, but his eyes were on Noah. Noah was tracking the ball down and caught it somewhere between first and second. Kind of where I was standing the whole time. Oops.

    "Out!" The umpire signaled the end of the inning.

    Dave sighed with relief. He let go of my jersey and fixed my collar for me. "Sorry, Jake. Didn''t mean to choke you out like that."

    "It''s okay. I didn''t know where to go." I rubbed my neck as we headed back to the dugout together.

    Dave laughed. "Yea, I could tell. That''s okay, the sun got in the way."

    "Didn''t get in Noah''s way." I looked back just in time for Noah to join us.

    Noah had thrown his arm around my neck. "Of course not! I''ve got the reflexes of a cat. This is a natural talent."

    "You know cats don''t have the fastest reflexes in the world of animals, right?" Dave asked.

    We got in the dugout.

    "Yea, but I don''t want to compare myself to a fly. Cuz then you would say-"

    "Shoo, fly, don''t bother me." Dave laughed and pushed the two of us away.

    "Predictable." Noah muttered.

    We separated at our bags. I started to change out my gear. I was first up this inning.

    "Do your best for a homerun." Noah lowered his voice. "We need some runs to comfort Dave. Or he''s going to be a wreck all game."

    I nodded in understanding. Dave wasn''t usually on edge, but he might feel pressured with how well Kyle did this morning. Kyle was the same way when he saw his identical twin do well while he struggles. I couldn''t tell if it was a twin complex or just a pitcher problem.

    I tugged the batting gloves on and grabbed my bat. I headed out, not receiving any special directions from Coach. Garret was just a couple steps behind me, coming out ready for his at bat too.

    We took practice swings, watching the pitcher warm up.

    The umpire called me up and my name was announced.

    "Let''s go, Jake!" My name echoed throughout the stands and dugout. I wanted to look for Mom and Dad, but I didn''t want to risk seeing people I didn''t want to see. I couldn''t let them get to me. Not when Dave needs some run support.

    I stepped up, picking the lefty''s box. I tapped my bat against the plate, then pulled my bat back, set and ready. I wanted to return the same attitude that these guys have been having against Dave. Attack the first pitch. Too bad the first pitch was low. I let it pass for a ball. For a chance at a home run, I needed something higher. I didn''t have the strength to golf it out of here.

    The second pitch looked a little outside but maybe it could work. I swung fast, arms outstretched. The bat hit the ball and flew down the left field line. I didn''t run right away, watching the ball, praying it would stay fair. The left fielder sprinted for the corner but he didn''t make it in time. The ball stayed fair and made it over the fence.

    I jumped a little as I hurried to do my run around the bases. I slapped hands with Coach Luis at first and then with Mr. Miller at third. At home plate, Garret slapped me on the head and handed me my bat. Sean did the same slap on the head when I passed him coming out of the dugout. Then high-fived the rest of the team as I headed back for my spot.

    Dave was there waiting with Noah. He picked me up and placed me on the bench. "Bambi hits bombs! I should see if Mr. Cameron can use that as a headline when he writes about our wins this weekend."

    Noah laughed. "I don''t think too many people will understand unless we explain Jake''s nickname."

 Chapter 940: V3 Ch174 Heritage Oak HS (5)

    Chapter 940: V3 Ch174 Heritage Oak HS (5)

    The two chatted as I pulled my batting gloves off. I put them in my helmet and placed it on my bag, then picked up my bat. I frowned as I looked at the spot that hit the ball. Even though I made solid contact, it didn''t sound like normal. I sighed. Probably have to retire this bat or save it for the cages.

    "Did you break it?" Noah leaned over.

    "No." I shook my head, then put the bat away in my bag. "But I probably shouldn''t use that one anymore. It''s okay. I brought two spares this time."

    "What a hassle." Noah commented.

    A loud ''ding'' followed by gasps and cheers made everyone look out onto the field. Garret was already turned to come back to the dugout.

    "What happened?" I asked.

    "Line drive caught by the second baseman." Dave was the only one of us that was looking. He sighed. "That''s too bad. Could have been a double if it got to that gap in the outfield." He rubbed his hands together. "Time to go give Garret some hell."

    "I don''t know if you should be talking smack when you''re so bad at batting." Noah laughed.

    "I definitely don''t want to hear that from you, Mister 0-2." Dave pointed at Noah.

    "Meh. It happens." Noah shrugged. "I''ll still have another chance or two at the plate."

    Dave shifted his attention to his fellow senior. "What happened, Garret? Couldn''t give that extra iota of strength?"

    Garret grinned and shoved him away. "How about you worry on how you''re going to earn strikeouts at the mound and not when you''re up to bat yourself?"

    Our dugout was lively with the two of them going back and forth on their snide remarks. It only got better when Sean hit the ball against the outfield fence. He took off running and the clapping started. Our excitement faltered when Sean rounded first and started to limp while running. He had to made a dive for second base when he saw the relay coming in.

    Coach''s jaw clenched as he looked around the dugout. His eyes settled on Bryce. "Bryce. Start jogging and stretching." He left the dugout. A time out was called as Coach and Coach Luis met with Sean at second base. Bryce bent over to tie his cleats and then left the dugout too, warming up on the foul side.

    "Can Bryce play first?" Dave asked Garret, pausing their small fight with words.

    Garret scratched his nose. "Sure. He''s athletic. Why not?"

    Dave was skeptical. "Just because he''s a good athlete doesn''t mean he knows how to play first. There''s the whole positioning aspect. Don''t we have a backup first baseman at all?"

    "I think it''s me?" Jason offered. He had just put on his helmet. "If Sean comes out, I''ll probably shift to first and leave third open for Bryce."

    "Why don''t you sound very confident?" Dave squinted.

    Jason shrugged. "I have a first baseman''s glove. It''s broken into. It''s just...I don''t have any game experience besides an inning or two."

    The dugout got a little quiet.

    Garret patted Dave on the shoulder. "Probably best if you let more balls fly to the outfield."

    Dave swatted him away. eevl.

    The two coaches helped a limping Sean come back to the dugout and sat him on the bench. A lot of us started to hover around, trying to figure out what went wrong.

    Coach shooed us away. "Back up. The trainer will come in a bit. We think it''s just a strain."

    "Strained what?" Jason asked.

    "I probably strained my groin." Sean grimaced-smile. "I didn''t feel right after stretching out for the ball that last inning. And running just aggravated it." He looked directly at Jason. "Do you need my glove or did you remember yours?"

    "Of course I brought mine. Always have it on me. Just in case."

    "Good. You''ll be taking over for Sean at first then." Coach announced. He looked around, resting his eyes on Korrey. "You''ll go out to right field for Jesse and Jesse will move to third."

    Korrey nodded. Jesse was up to bat next and wasn''t around, so he would have to find out later.

    "I forgot that Jesse can be an infielder." Noah said as we went back to our seats. The trainer had came in and wanted to look over Sean. Plus the game was resuming with Bryce at second and Jesse up to bat. "Hopefully he doesn''t encroach on my space."

    "I didn''t forget." I told Noah, feeling a little proud. "He won Defensive MVP for the JV team last year. They talked about how he moved from the outfield to the infield."

    Noah laughed. "Okay, good for you. Learning about your teammates. Definite improvement from last year."

    I felt good about it too. Last year, I didn''t even want to talk to anyone. Barely a sentence to Noah if I had to. Now I would call at least half the guys on this team my friends.

    Jesse, who had the single that drove me in for the first run in the first inning, got the ball through the infield once more. Bryce took off as did he. Bryce rounded third base as the ball was relayed back into the infield. Once Jesse saw that they were trying to throw home, he ran for second.

    "Safe!" Bryce easily beat the tag. The catcher tried to throw back to second, but Jesse stood there, already safe. 3-1. We welcomed Bryce back happily.

    Bryce wasn''t as happy once he found out that he wouldn''t be going in to play defense. His day was over after simply scoring a run.

    That didn''t hamper the rest of us. Especially when Tanner followed up, hitting a double of his own, driving in Jesse to make the score 4-1. Jason got walked next, prompting the Coach to come out of their dugout and signal pitching change.

    Between the hits, Sean''s injury, and now the pitching change, this inning felt longer than half the game against University. Can''t complain too much since we were giving Dave solid run support. I hope he calms down on the mound next inning. For now, he and Mitchell were taking practice swings, watching the new pitcher.

    Noah already had his batting gear on, in the hole. I went ahead and got ready too, making sure to pick a new bat out of my bag. Just as I was about to reach Noah, Mitchell hit the ball to the outfield. It went directly to the center fielder. He made the catch and quickly threw it straight to the third baseman.

    Tanner looked like he had wanted to tag up, but smartly stayed at second. That center fielder had an arm on him.

    Dave moved to the batter''s box and Noah left the dugout.

    "Five laps if you strike out!" Garret called out to Dave.

    Dave''s shoulders got tense and straightened out.

    Coach was looking at Garret.

    Garret shrugged. "Better to have some fun, Coach. He''s not having a good start on the mound."

    Coach tilted his head. "You think giving him a hard time is fun for him?"

    Garret nodded confidently. "Absolutely. Otherwise he would wallow in self-doubt. He has to tough it out this game and accept that he''s not in good form. It happens." He got closer to Coach and lowered his voice. "Try not to take him out until after five innings. As long as we''re still winning, that is. Give him this win for the stat sheet and hopefully he can put it behind him."

    Coach hummed thoughtfully.

 Chapter 941: V3 Ch175 Heritage Oak HS (6)

    Chapter 941: V3 Ch175 Heritage Oak HS (6)

    Dave swung and missed the first pitch. Not going to lie, it looked very ugly. And Garret let him hear it.

    "You know why we call you window shutters?Because you''re just swinging in the breeze!" Garret yelled out, drawing some laughs from our dugout and nearby spectators who heard him.

    My lips twitched. "Are you cheering him on or trying to start a fight?"

    Garret shrugged. "Whatever it takes to get him going."

    I didn''t know if it was a coincidence or not, but Dave was able to connect on the next pitch, punching it through the whole of short and third. Tanner and Jason took off sprinting once it was clear that it was a hit. Tanner made it home from second and Jason stopped at third, all on Dave''s single. Dave looked to our dugout and flexed both biceps until Coach Luis hit him on top of his helmet.

    Noah moved to the batter''s box and I went to the on deck circle. Noah didn''t let Dave outshine him that easily. He made solid contact during his at bat, hitting the ball in right-center field. Jason scored with ease, Dave made it to third, and Noah was safe at second. The score went to 6-1. It was still only the third inning.

    With two on, two out, I stepped up to the plate.

    Down the line, at third base, Dave was clapping his hands obnoxiously loud. He didn''t even have to say anything. I knew what he wanted. A homerun. Maybe we could make a run for the mercy rule.

    Regrettably, I came up short. I had tried to hit a homerun down the left field line like I had at the start of this inning, but something was off and it gave the left fielder a chance to chase it down and catch it at the fence. The spectators and team let out a collective sigh.

    I picked my bat back up from the ground and went back to the dugout. Dave and Noah too.

    "Can''t be perfect all the time." Dave slapped my shoulder and left me behind.

    "Would have been nice though." Noah commented.

    "Yea, it would have been." I sighed.

    "Would have been crazy if you hit two homers in one inning. No one would ever want to pitch to you again."

    I laughed. "Yea." That might have been true.

    We went to our bags and switched out our gear.

    Bottom of the third. Dave started with the number nine batter. He had swung late and smacked a grounder my way. I fielded the ball calmly, throwing it to Jason who was at first base now, for the first out.

    Dave hit another rough patch after that. A single. Another single. A great catch by Garret in center field. A third single which was able to drive in a run, making the score 6-2. Just when I thought things were about to go really south, Dave ended the inning with his first strikeout of the game.

    Back in the dugout, Dave unexpectedly asked Alisha for his pitch count.

    She revealed her clipboard. "Thanks to the first inning, you''re only at forty."

    Dave looked disgusted. He looked at Coach. "You''ll let me use all 110, right?"

    Coach studied Dave''s expression before saying, "As long as the game isn''t in jeopardy, you''ll stay out on the mound. You lose too much control, I''ll take you out then too. You know our motto, no walks, no free bases. Make them work for it."

    Dave nodded, satisfied with his answer.

    We had our shortest out of the game, going three up, three down. Garret''s fly ball was caught by the right fielder. Korrey, who go Sean''s spot in the lineup, struck out swinging. And Jesse who was 2-2 also had his fly ball caught by the right fielder.

    "I just want to point out that I have as many hits as Garret so far this game." Dave stated proudly for all to hear before jogging out of the dugout. No doubt avoiding Garret''s reply.

    Garret felt some eyes on him and laughed good-naturedly. "I''m not Zeke. Or Jake for that matter. We all know my best skill is pitching. Then fielding. Batting and base running. Heck, I''m a five-tool player."

    "Sounding a little defensive there, Garret." Noah laughed. "You don''t have to explain yourself to us. Save it for the reporters and scouts."

    There wasn''t much more time to talk about it because we had to take the field for a throw around. It took me a minute to think about, but I realized that Garret hadn''t done much at the plate so far today. Including the first game, he''s 3-7. That wasn''t bad at all, but considering all three hits were singles, it was exactly ''Garret''. No extra bases at all. Maybe some of that smack talk he was giving to Dave was also to himself. I''ll point it out to Noah next time we''re in the dugout.

    Bottom of the fourth, Dave had his best inning of the game. Strikeout. Pop up to Noah. Strikeout. He roared after getting that third guy to miss. Inside the dugout he looked at Alisha.

    "53." Alisha showed him the proof. "If you want to finish this game, you just have to do less than twenty pitches an inning."

    Dave nodded with a smile. "Alright. Good pace." He looked around. "No pressure guys, but if we score six more runs, you can give me a chance to mercy them."

    "Dang. You''re so needy. How about you get those runs yourself." Noah hip-checked him.

    Dave flexed a bicep. "Friendly reminder that this pitcher has as many hits and RBI''s as you."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Friendly reminder that I have saved more potential hits this game than I did for Kyle this morning."

    "You boys should be in competition with yourself and not with your teammates." Coach spoke up, probably tired of their constant chatter during this game. "All I ask, is that no one makes any silly errors. Stay focused despite the solid lead."

    "Yes, Coach." Everyone echoed.

 Chapter 942: V3 Ch176 Heritage Oak HS (7)

    Chapter 942: V3 Ch176 Heritage Oak HS (7)

    Top of the fifth. Tanner started us off with a single, followed by a walk from Jason. The coach came out of the dugout again. He didn''t signal for a pitcher change though. Instead, he went to the mound to talk to his pitcher. The catcher and shortstop joined the pair.

    Mitchell and Dave were both on deck, talking to one another. Noah was in the hole and I hurried to join him.

    "How much more you think we can rack up?" Noah asked me.

    "I''m just hoping I get a chance this inning." I looked at him.

    "Don''t worry. I won''t be the third out." Noah grinned. "I can''t let Dave give me anymore grief."

    I lowered my voice. "Just remind him how many hits you had against University. You didn''t get out at all."

    Noah held his head high. "You''re right. My numbers for this tournament are steady."

    I wanted to use this opportunity to bring up Garret''s batting, but a quick look around, I saw that he was already coming over with his helmet on, bat in hand. He was eager too.

    The coach went back to their dugout, and the players got into position. Mitchell stepped up to the plate. The pitcher continued to be wild, only getting one pitch near the zone. He walked Mitchell, and his coach came out again, signaling the end of his time on the mound.

    "What was the point of that?" I asked.

    Noah shrugged. "He''s probably tired or something. The coaches saw it coming, waste some time with the first mound meeting to get someone else warming up in the bullpen. Or maybe they told him something along the lines of ''hey, we''ll give you one more chance and if you can''t do anything, you''re out''."

    I nodded, starting to understand more tactics of baseball. More time was taken for the pitcher change, stretching out the game. In a couple of minutes, Dave was called up to the plate by the umpire. Noah had gone out to the on deck circle and was taking practice swings.

    Dave must have been feeling confident at the plate since he had a single in his last at bat. He fouled off the first two pitches, putting himself at a disadvantage. The new pitcher didn''t bother wasting a pitch away or in the dirt, the next one was close, forcing Dave to swing. He connected and sent the ball to center field. All baserunners stayed close to their respective bases. Sure enough, the center fielder made the catch. Tanner on third tagged up and ran home. Jason tagged up from second and sprinted to third. Mitchell stayed at first, knowing there was a good chance he could be thrown out at second.

    7-2. Dave and Tanner came back to the dugout as I went out to the on deck circle.

    Noah promised he wouldn''t be the third out of the inning, and he came through. He smacked a hard grounder through the infield on the right side. Jason came home to score, 8-2, while Mitchell ran the bases, shooting to round second base. Mitch tagged second and stumbled. He got caught in no man''s land as the ball was thrown back in from right field. Noah wisely stayed at first. It wasn''t long before Mitchell was run down for the second out. He came back, looking embarrassed.

    I tried not to laugh, knowing that feeling all too well. The other guys in our dugout were a whole lot less sympathetic, immediately cracking jokes on Mitchell''s running skills.

    I came up next, eager to stretch out this score. Getting to a mercy rule would be a bit of a stretch. At minimum we would have to score four more runs and then Dave would have to have a clean fifth inning. Highly improbable.

    Mr. Miller passed out the signs for me at the plate and Noah at first. I was to swing freely and Noah had to run on contact. With two outs, he didn''t have to worry about tagging up at all. Noah didn''t hesitate to start his run as soon as the pitcher released the ball. Even I was surprised. I wasn''t sure if this was supposed to be a hit and run or if he wanted to solo steal. So I did what I could: put the ball in play. It flew to the outfield fence, bouncing back to the right fielder. I was already on my way to second when the ball was relayed back in. They weren''t worried about me though, instead they were throwing to home. Noah wanted to go all the way.

    "Safe! Safe!" The umpire judged the close call as Noah came sliding in feet first and the catcher was coming down with the tag. 9-2.

    Noah jumped up and pumped his fist towards the crowd. He slapped hands with Garret and Korrey, then went into the dugout. The catcher walked the ball back to the mound and shared a short conversation with his pitcher. Hard to come in and give up a couple of hits right away.

    The catcher went back and Garret stepped in the lefty''s box. He was given the same instructions. Hit freely. I was to take off on contact. Garret didn''t get the same opportunity as me though. The pitcher must have been shaken, because none of his next four pitches were close. Garret walked to first. The pitcher got a lucky break with Korrey''s at bat. Korrey randomly swung on a pitch inside, hitting a grounder straight to the guy at short. The shortstop scooped it up and tagged second before Garret, killing our offensive. Everyone jogged off the field.

    Coach was already talking to Korrey by the time I reached. "I understand that you''re impatient and eager to show up at the plate, but you have to start showing some game awareness. That pitcher hadn''t thrown one strike to Garret. You should have let him keep going until taking a called strike."

    I went to my bag, putting away my helmet and gloves. Noah was stretching beside me, glancing towards Coach and Korrey. I nudged him.

    Noah shrugged, not even looking guilty for eavesdropping. "What? Coach is coaching. Everyone should be listening." He lowered his voice. "Though that''s pretty much common sense."

    "I don''t want to hear about what''s common sense when it comes to you, Noah." Garret walked by, putting his glove on.

    "You''re just jealous I have more hits than you today." Noah laughed, following him out.

    I was right behind them, adjusting my hat.

    "I''m saving my best for tomorrow." Garret grinned and took off jogging to the outfield grass.

    Tomorrow was feeling closer and closer with our growing lead. It made it harder to swallow. I could potentially run into Jeremy''s alma mater. And his cousin that was more like his younger brother than I was.

    "Yo. Clear your head." Noah slapped my back and walked on towards his spot.

    I shook my head.

    Jason, at first, rolled out a few fake grounders for us to throw back to him. Dave took some practice pitches off the mound before starting the fifth inning.

    He started with the number nine spot, getting the guy to strike out swinging. It wasn''t easy, making his pitch count climb thanks to quite a few foul balls. The number one batter came out swinging as well, making excellent contact, hitting a line drive out to center. I whipped my head around to see Garret running back to the fence. He stretched out his right hand with the glove and caught the ball at an awkward angle before hitting into the fence. He bounced back and landed in the grass.

 Chapter 943: V3 Ch177 Heritage Oak HS (8)

    Chapter 943: V3 Ch177 Heritage Oak HS (8)

    Tanner and Korrey were there with him in seconds. Garret stayed on the grass for a beat too long. I looked to Noah to see what he was going to do.

    Noah was already walking to the mound, where Dave just came off of.

    I hurried to join them.

    "Chances that he''s hurt?" Dave was mumbling in his glove.

    "100% that hurt." Noah shrugged. "Chances that he''s actually injured? I wouldn''t know. It didn''t look too bad. He probably just needs a minute."

    And a minute he took. Garret only got to his knees by the time Coach went jogging out there with the trainer that was just with Sean earlier. Korrey and Tanner gave them some space. Mitchell, Jason, and Jesse joined us on the infield grass.

    "We''re going to be fucked if Garret can''t pitch tomorrow." Jason covered his mouth when he spoke.

    I started to nod along but Noah slapping Jason on the chest with his glove made me pause. "Shut it. Don''t let anyone in the bullpen hear you say that. It''s nonsense like that that puts a pitcher down before he even gets on the mound. I think any of our guys would be able to keep us in the game. It''s up to the rest of us to score runs to back them up."

    "You''re right." Jason admitted, not mad at all despite being scolded by a younger player. "That was probably just a bit dramatic of me."

    Noah jerked his thumb at Dave. "We''re already doing a very real example of subpar pitching on the mound while our bats are dominant."

    Dave slapped his hand away. "And to think I was touched for a moment there."

    Mitchell laughed. "You know he''s just joking about you. You''re doing great while facing such an offensive team. I doubt Kyle or Garret would be doing any better if it was swapped."

    "He''s lying." Noah staged whispered.

    Dave bopped him on the top of his head. "Good lord. It''s going to be a long season with your ego inflating."

    The atmosphere lightened up. For a second. Until we saw Garret going back to the dugout with Coach and the trainer. Coach made a detour our way.

    "Jesse, you play center." Coach announced. "Garret''s going to sit the rest of this one out. We don''t think it''s serious. Just got the wind knocked out of him, but it''s better to be safe. Have a closer look and give him some more time to rest before tomorrow."

    "Sure." Jesse took off, running towards center where the other two outfielders still hung out.

    Coach glanced back to the dugout and saw Dalton come running out. He must have told Garret who to send out. As soon as Dalton joined us, he continued. "Don''t stress. You boys have a comfortable lead." He patted Dalton on the shoulder. "You already have some games under your belt, so keep it steady."

    Dalton nodded, the excitement in his eyes were clear to see. Coach left after a few more words, and we split up soon after. The umpires called for the game to resume. Bottom of the fifth. Two outs. No one on.

    The long pause must have thrown off Dave''s rhythm. He gave up a pair of singles and then walked a batter to load the bases. Things were escalating, but Noah never made a move to the mound so I stayed in my position as well. Mitchell looked even more unsure than me, but also never came up.

    Even more shockingly, with the bases loaded, Dave pegged the next batter in the back. A run came in. 9-3. e.c

    "One more chance is all you get." Garret''s voice came out of our dugout.

    Dave straightened up and understandably, didn''t look to the dugout. He bounced back with a hard-earned strikeout to end the inning.

    I was satisfied with him getting out of the jam and still having a six run lead. Not everyone felt the same though.

    Especially Coach. "One more walk or hit by pitch and I''ll pull you."

    Dave frowned.

    "You like tired out there." Coach added. "You can take a break now if you want. We have quite a few relievers that want a chance on that mound. I wouldn''t mind giving it to them considering we have a healthy lead."

    Dave hung his head and didn''t argue. He accepted the threat and headed for his bag.

    I sat with Noah on the bench. It would be unlikely that the two of us would get a chance to bat again so soon. "That was a little harsh."

    "No defense against a walk." Noah said plainly. A phrase I''ve heard more than a time or two. And not just from him and Zeke. "If it was just a few bad singles, you can chalk it up to the team being good. Walks mean the pitcher is getting tired."

    "Or that the umpire is a little tough." I shrugged. "I think you guys are being too hard on him. Those batters know how to swing at anything close. It''s hard to get it by." I raised an eyebrow. "Would you scold me if I get out in my next at bat? Even though we''re winning?"

    Noah paused. "Well. It''s different with you."

    I shook my head. "I don''t think it''s a good feeling. You don''t like being picked on either."

    Noah took off his hat. "Yea." He messed with his hair before putting his hat on. "I''m going to go talk to Coach." He got up and left.

    Top of sixth wasn''t much. Jesse walked. Tanner struck out swinging. Jason walked. Mitchell hit into a double play.

    Bottom of the sixth. Dave got back on that mound, looking tense. He started with the seventh batter. It was their pitcher spot originally, but now has had a few changes. Their coach put in another pinch hitter meaning a new pitcher will start the next inning for them. Dave got him on an inside pitch, forcing a grounder down the line. Dalton charged it and made a barehanded play, throwing the batter out at first.

    The next batter had a more drawn out at bat, forcing Dave to throw more pitches. More pitches meant more errors. He ended up walking the guy. Dave put his hands on his knees and had hung his head.

    Coach didn''t make a move like he said he would though. I looked to Noah.

    Noah clapped with his glove. "Alright. It''s fine. Let''s get this double play."

    Dave slowly straightened up and looked around. Seeing that Coach wasn''t coming out of the dugout, Dave looked surprised but it soon changed to determination. He shut down the number nine batter with a swinging strikeout. The lead off guy got jammed too, barely poking a grounder on the grass. It was more like a bunt. Dave charged off the mound, picked the ball off of the grass, and made a rough throw to Jason at first.

    "Out!" Inning over.

    "Thanks Coach." Dave said immediately upon entering the dugout.

    Coach glanced at Alisha. "Tell him what he''s got left."

    Alisha looked apologetic. "Twelve pitches left allowed."

    "Dang. You''re nearly at a hundred." Jason whistled.

    "Can you finish it?" Coach looked directly at Dave.

    Dave nodded. "I''ll give it my best shot. Strikes only." He looked around at the fielders coming in. "I''ll be counting on you guys to get the outs."

 Chapter 944 V3 Ch178 Heritage Oak HS (9)

    Chapter 944 V3 Ch178 Heritage Oak HS (9)

    "Yea, yea." Tanner gave him a small push. "How about you go get ready for your at bat so we can get this win already?"

    "Yea!" A few guys echoed.

    ? Dave laughed and rushed to his bag. Noah and I were doing the same. Dave and Noah left the dugout together and I was right behind them in the hole.

    Nearby Sean and Garret sat on the bench, talking about tomorrow. Everyone seemed to feel that we had this game wrapped up. We were going to the semifinals in one of the most elite tournaments in the state.

    Garret caught me looking his way and waved for me to join them.

    I shufffled my feet on over, feeling a little worried that he was going to tell me that he was hurt and wouldn''t be able to play tomorrow.

    "Don''t look so anxious, Bambi." Garret got up and gave my back a solid pat. "I''m not fragile. Coach just wants me to take it easy. This game is as good as done."

    My lips twitched. "Zeke would never say that."

    "No two captains are the same." Garret said nonchalantly. "If we lose this game, then we aren''t as good as we thought we were."

    "Noah would say you''re jinxing us." I pointed out.

    Garret rolled his eyes. "You only think about your brothers."

    "Hey, not to interrupt, but have some sympathy for the guy who can''t play and let me at least watch." Sean waved his hand, gesturing for us to stop obstructing his view of the game.

    Garret and I took a step one way.

    Garret took a second to glance at Dave''s at bat before looking at me again. "Hey, are you going to try for a triple?"

    I was taken aback. "What? Why?"

    "For the cycle of course!" Sean got excited from his seat. "You already have a single, double, and homer. A triple and you''ll hit for the cycle."

    I slowly shook my head. "I don''t think so."

    "You''re already counting yourself out?" Garret asked.

    I sighed. "It''s not like you guys haven''t seen me run before. What makes you think I can make it to third?"

    "You''ve got decent speed." Garret remarked. "It''s just your coordination that needs a little work. Come on. Give it a go."

    It was my turn to roll my eyes.

    Dave hit a fly ball to left field. It was caught for the first out. It saved me from talking to Garret and Sean about this cycle business. I went to the on deck circle as Noah moved to the batter''s box. Noah was given free reign to swing and do whatever he wanted. He chose to swing for the fences, connecting on an early pitch and smacking a line drive to right field. The right fielder sprinted and lept for the ball, making a fantastic catch for the second out.

    "Dang it." Noah muttered as he passed by me. "That one felt so good coming off the bat too."

    I nodded. I knew the feeling.

    When my name was announced as the next batter, there was a sudden roar from the spectators and it felt like everyone was cheering for me. Even the other team''s families and friends. I nervously looked around and it truly looked like everyone was yelling for me to do something.

    "You''re up, kid." The umpire prompted, feeling that I was taking too long.

    I got in the lefty''s box and watched the pitcher get set and start his motion. I started to get the sense that hitting for a cycle was something special. Even more of an accomplishment than if you hit a couple of homers.

    "Strike." The umpire called out after I let the pitch pass. The catcher threw it back to the pitcher. Everyone got set once more.

    "Let''s go, Jake!"

    "Hit it to the fences!"

    "Triple for the cycle!"

    Phrases started to be more clear. Definitely all for me. No one said a word of encouragement to the pitcher.

    I really don''t think a triple is easy so I''ve got to try for the next best thing: a homerun. I tightened my grip and started my swing as soon as I decided on the pitch. I pulled it to right field this time. Cheers and gasps filled the air as I dropped my bat.

    "Run!"

    "With speed!"

    "Start running!"

    I was running alright. I just know not to be sprinting for third base.

    The right fielder tracked the ball to the fence, did a needless jump, and the ball cleared the fence. A solo shot to push the score 10-3. I high fived Coach Luis and Mr. Miller. Even Dalton who had taken Garret''s spot in the lineup.

    In the dugout, I was greeted with even more slaps, claps, compliments and smiles.

    "You wimped out!" Garret accused.

    I laughed, feeling a little guilty.

    "A homer is definitely not wimping out." Noah came to my defense. "He went above and beyond!" Noah threw his arm around my shoulder and saved me from Garret''s complaints. "Don''t let him bully you. You don''t get extra points for hitting for the cycle. Zeke said that himself. He''d be happy that you picked a homer too."

    I laughed.

    Dalton was quick to end the hitting, hitting a fly ball to short right field. Bottom of the seventh, Dave kept the ball within the strike zone, prompting the ball to be put into play by Heritage Oak players. The second batter hit a fast one back up the middle, but Noah flashed to that dead spot and made the play to throw him out at first. The third batter struck out swinging, putting Dave''s pitch count at risk. Alisha held up three fingers. That''s how many pitches he had left.

    Dave gritted his teeth and threw the first pitch to the cleanup hitter, right down the middle. The hitter willingly swung, made contact, and hit a hard grounder to his left. Dalton and Noah moved towards one another.

    "Got it!" Noah boomed. He gloved the bouncing ball, transferred it to his right hand and threw a bullet to Jason at first. Jason caught the ball on a hop.

    "Out!" Game over.

    ????r

    We went back to the dugout with smiles and laughs.

    "Thanks for holding up." Noah told Dalton. "I know that ball should have technically been yours."

    "You''re the shortstop." Dalton shrugged. "That means you''re in charge. Every ball can be your ball."

    Noah laughed and didn''t deny it.

    "You really racked up the pitches today, Dave." Garret pulled Dave into a short hug, patting his head. "You made it, man."

    Dave laughed and rubbed his shoulder. "Definitely the hardest workout in awhile. San Marino wasn''t even this tough."

    "Make sure to do a proper cool down." Coach raised his voice over the chatter. "Let''s clean up and get out of here boys. We''ll meet outside the field and talk about the game plan for tomorrow." He scanned the dugout and stopped at me. Then moved to Noah. "Keep a close eye on him, Noah. We don''t want to repeat what happened earlier today."

    "Yes, sir." Noah gave a salute.

    I wiped the sweat from my eyebrow, feeling self-conscious. "It won''t happen twice in one day, Coach." I was just caught off guard. And overwhelmed. Now I know my uncle wasn''t here. That was enough.

    Coach maintained eye contact with me for an extra beat, then nodded. "Alright then." He raised his voice. "You boys better leave this dugout in better condition than we came into." He walked out with his other coaches.

 Chapter 945: V3 Ch179

    Chapter 945: V3 Ch179

    Everyone got their cleats off and packed their bags. The guys from the bullpen had showed up and helped us take out the trash and team equipment.

    "You didn''t let me down, Davey!" Kyle gave Dave a good shake, grinning like he was the one that got the win.

    Noah squinted at him. I knew he was skeptical. Because I was too. Kyle would normally give Dave a hard time no matter how well he did. Especially in this kind of game where he gave up so many hits and even hit a guy to walk in a run.

    "Don''t mind him." Matt said, rolling his eyes. "Kyle collected some benefits in the bullpen because he bet that Coach wouldn''t replace Dave."

    Tyler, a fellow senior, sighed. "Coach just likes playing favorites. I really thought we would have a chance today."

    Garret raised his eyebrows. "What benefits? Shouldn''t Kyle have been resting?" He had pitched in the first game of the day.

    "I think you''ve forgotten how uncomfortable some of these bullpens can be." Tyler answered. "One small bench can''t fit all of us. Some either have to stand or sit in the dirt." His eyes drifted to Oscar, the only freshman on the team right now. He was a backup catcher and always in the bullpen. His jersey had a lot of dirt on it for someone who didn''t play.

    Garret shook his head. "You guys better not be bullies in there. You''re a senior, take control."

    "You can''t control Kyle." Tyler shrugged. "Even I sacrificed my jacket as a cushion for him after that disastrous fifth inning."

    I looked to Noah. "Why does it sound like Kyle was making bets in the bullpen?"

    Noah grinned. "Sounds like we''ve got some leverage for the future."

    I smiled and shook my head.

    Everyone started to leave the dugout in smaller groups. This time Noah and Garret stuck on either side of me. The twins trailed right after us, talking about some of the challenges Dave ran into earlier in the game like how the opponents were very swing-happy.

    Beyond the gated entrance to the field, adults stood around talking to one another, players were around in smaller groups, and even little kids were running around. It was very lively, especially as the sun was getting ready to set. Games still had to be played.

    "Hello Jake." A man stopped us by standing in the way. He held a small notepad and pen. A reporter. "I''m Rayhan Farrell, from Sports Page Magazine. Can I have a moment of your time?"

    Noah frowned.

    Garret spoke up first, sounding neutral. "I''m sorry, sir. We just finished a game and need to meet up with our Coach. Can you save your questions for later?"

    The man looked at Garret and nodded. "Sure. Of course. I wanted to ask him some questions too."

    Garret took the lead and started walking again. Noah and I kept close. As we walked towards the coaches and some of the team, I could feel countless eyes on me. On us. It was like we were surrounded. I stuck a little closer to Noah and kept my eyes forward, on Coach. We joined the group and sat down, with the exception of Garret, who went to stand with Coach, talking in a low voice.

    "Pretty sure you''re going to have to talk to some of these vultures." Noah mumbled under his breath as we waited for the rest of the guys to show.

    I shrugged, helpless. "Can''t we just say no?"

    "They''ll just keep bugging you then." Noah shook his head. "Let''s see what Coach says."

    After everyone took a seat or a knee, Coach clapped his hands once to silence us. He looked around at the team. "It was a great day, boys. Kyle kept us in the game against University and our bats were alive against Heritage. Tomorrow, we''ll strive for the same outcome: a win. We don''t have an opponent yet. Their game is about to start so if anyone wants to hang back with me and some of the coaches, we''ll stay as a group. For those going home or a nearby hotel, rest up. Tomorrow, we''re bound to play a team on a similar level to University Prep." He nodded at Garret just a few feet away from him. "Garret will start game three."

    "Didn''t he hit the fence kind of hard?" Joey asked. "Why not let him rest for game three and save him for the finals?"

    "I''m good to go. No problems." Garret spoke up, looking at Joey. "We''ll worry about finals when we get there."

    "Exactly." Coach nodded in agreement. "As for Sean," all eyes went to our team who had limped his way here. "He''ll be on the bench for sure. Jason will cover first. As for the rest of the lineup, I''ll determine that after knowing the next opponent. I''ll send out a text with tomorrow''s information regarding opponent and game time as soon as I know." He said a few more sentences about the pair of wins today before letting us go.

    Before Noah and I even got up to talk to Coach, several men approached him.

    "Coach Wilcox."

    "Hey, Coach."

    "Do you mind answering some questions?"

    "I also have some questions."

    Ehhh. I looked to Noah but he also was surprised. We''ve never seen our coach swarmed like that.

    Coach was completely calm, holding up his hands, signaling for them to quiet down. "Yes, yes, I know." His eyes drifted to Garret. "Join us, Garret." He then looked my way. "You two as well. Jake. Noah."

    "I''ll go get Mom and Dad." I heard Dave say from behind me.

    I dragged my feet as I went with Noah to join the crowd. It seemed to get a little bigger when Coach invited us over. Like even more people wanted to talk to us. I looked up at Coach, unsure of what was next.

    "If there are any coaches or scouts that want to talk about interest or future commitments, I just want to say that now is not the time." Coach addressed. Over half of the group seemed to collectively backup.

    I sighed with relief. But then felt a little anxious. That many people want to talk about my future? I resisted the urge to turn away. They had already backed up. There was nothing more I could do.

    "Okay, then." Coach looked around. "What do you all want to talk about?"

    "I specifically wanted to ask you about your team''s win over University Preparatory High School." A man spoke up. After getting a nod from Coach, he continued. "With beating the number one team in the Northern Section, do you have some expectation for your team this tournament? This season?"

    Coach answered directly. "Yes. I expect my boys to try their best. Winning has, is, and will always be the goal."

    "There''s no denying that you have a stacked roster this year with a great senior rotation. Do foresee your big three seniors to repeat similar numbers last year?"

    "Absolutely." Coach nodded. "Garret, Kyle, and David are the best pitchers I''ve seen come through Watsonville High School. The three of them will only get better throughout the season as we get them back in shape."

    "Are you saying that to comfort David Atkins, who had a less than stellar performance in the second game today?"

    "David put in the work today. He did seven innings and gave up only three runs. He got the win. There''s not much more I can ask of him." Coach sounded relaxed. "No pitcher is perfect and I don''t ask mine to be despite their history of a couple perfect games among them. A feat that hasn''t been accomplished in over a decade. As long as my boys keep a steady mind and work hard, the results will come."

    "Last year, your team was mercy-ruled by University Preparatory." Someone else spoke up. "This year, you''ve won with a little bit of cushion. What was some of the key differences to get this kind of turnaround?"

    "First off, I consider us lucky to face them so early on in the tournament this year." Coach started. "Last year, we met in the semifinals and had lost some star players. None of the big three pitchers could go and our former number one player was hurt. Being able to come out with our best lineup was a big difference maker."

    "I have the box score from last year with me. It says Jake Hollander went 0-2. Is this the same player, Jake Atkins? Can we ask him about this?"

 Chapter 946: V3 Ch180

    Chapter 946: V3 Ch180

    I tensed up after being named.

    Coach rested his hand on my shoulder closest to him. To either point me out or to reassure me. I didn''t know. "Jake did have a name change last year. He is now Jake Atkins. From what I remember, Jake got sick the previous night and didn''t sleep well. He didn''t even finish that game. This year, Jake was healthy and ready to go. Clearly seen from his leadoff homerun."

    I nodded along, expressing that Coach was right.

    "Jake is definitely the fastest upcoming baseball player in the state." Someone remarked. I remembered him as the guy that introduced himself as Rayhan. "Since you''re here to supervise, we would also like to ask him some specific questions."

    "If it''s not related to the two games we''ve just played, maybe you can save those questions for a later date." Coach strongly suggested.

    "In the next game, he might potentially face his cousin that was raised with professional Jeremy Patterson." Someone else spoke up. I recognized him too. The aggressive reporter from this morning. I started to feel sick to my stomach. "Can''t we ask about his thoughts and opinions on this next game? I heard they still have a tumultuous relationship. We can all tell that Jake has a very...muted personality."

    I subconsciously took a step back. Muted.

    Coach held me in place, strengthening his grip on me.

    "What thoughts can he have?" Noah laughed. "That guy''s team hasn''t even made the semifinals yet. We don''t like making speculations. Besides, Coach already said that we try to win every game we play. No matter who the opponent is."

    Someone else cleared their throat before changing the subject. "Question for Coach Wilcox about the status of your bullpen. You''ve only used one relief pitcher today, Brian Swoope."

    "I was also used in relief." Garret pointed out.

    The guy laughed. "Yes, but you aren''t necessarily a relief pitcher from the bullpen. I want to know if we can expect to see more changes on the mound tomorrow?"

    "Garret is projected to start our third game tomorrow." Coach answered. "As for whether he needs a relief, that will have to be seen. I''m not unwilling to use my bullpen in any game. What I''m unwilling to do is take a good pitcher off the mound because of a couple of hits."

    "With your big three pitchers being used in the first three games, what do you plan to do in the finals?"

    Coach grinned. "Win, of course."

    Coach answered a few more questions with Garret occasionally chiming in. Anytime I was addressed or had my name called, I would start to twitch but Coach held me down with that hand and answered those questions for me. After almost half an hour of this, I spotted Mom and Dad approaching with Dave. Finally. Kyle stopped them to talk for a second and then as a group, they got closer.

    Coach noticed too. He gave my shoulder a squeeze and let go. "Alright. I think everyone understands our mentality going into tomorrow. I''m going to go watch the other game now if you want to join me too."

    Some of the men agreed and talked about the chance of me running into my cousin. feel.c

    Why?

    I bolted for Mom and Dad, happy to have them around.

    Mom immediately pulled me into a hug and whispered. "You did it, Jake. Good job. I''m proud of you." I knew she didn''t mean the game. It was staying around all those strangers. Maybe also happy that I didn''t have my second breakdown of the day.

    "Favoritism." Noah faked-cough, forcing us a part.

    Mom let go of me and hugged Noah next. "You did well too. Also, another multi-hit game. Congratulations!"

    Noah beamed. He puffed out his chest. "Only up from here."

    "Mom, I definitely did the best today." Kyle inserted himself between Noah and Mom. "I should get to pick what''s for dinner, right?"

    Mom looked at Dad.

    Dad laughed. "Yes, I think we all can agree that you had done the best today."

    Noah nudged me. "You hear that? Your two homers aren''t enough to pick dinner? Tomorrow, you''ll have to hit three."

    Dave and I immediately laughed.

    "Hey! We came to the consensus that Jake can pick any other time. He''s too good to compete with every game." Kyle argued. "He''s another Zeke. He''ll get to pick more than his fair share of meals in the future."

    "Okay, okay, don''t go acting like I starve you guys." Dad motioned for Kyle to lower his voice.

    "I might as well be starved if I can''t pick my favorites." Dave groaned. "This is one of the few times I pitch the same day as Kyle and I disappointed myself."

    Dad patted his shoulder. "How about you pick breakfast tomorrow as a consolation?"

    "Breakfast is free at the hotel, Dad!" Dave cried out.

    The rest of us laughed, knowing that Dad was teasing Dave all in good fun. I started to relax being around them for just a second when I realized a couple of men had started to approach.

    "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Atkins. I''m Eric Delgado, a scout for the Texas Rangers. I just wanted to check in to find out the status of what your four boys might want to do in the future. I don''t think any of them have committed to college yet, correct?"

    "I''m committed to Vanderbilt." Dave took a step back. "We''re actually going to take a trip there soon so my family could see the campus."

    Eric immediately wrote that down on a legal notepad. Then looked at Kyle.

    Kyle straightened up and pulled his shoulders back. "I''m going to the draft. For sure."

    Eric cracked a smile. "Just like how Zeke was ''for sure''?"

    "If only." Mom muttered under her breath.

    "It''s an absolute for me." Kyle told him. "Zeke had changed his mind after visiting colleges. I''ve already done my visits and my decision remains the same: enter the draft."

    Eric nodded and wrote some more. He looked up again, this time towards Noah.

    Noah opened his mouth, but Dad cut him off. "Our two youngest sons won''t be making any decisions this year. They''re still underclassmen. Still need to take their SATs. Visit some colleges. You know."

    Eric nodded again. "Yes, yes, of course." I noticed that although Eric did all the talking, a lot of the men nearby were taking notes too or typing away on their phones. Eric looked at me and I tried to resist the urge to hide behind Noah. "You''re an amazing batter, Jake. Haven''t seen someone so young and so successful at the plate in quite some time."

    "Hmm." I hummed, unsure of what to say.

    "You make it sound like Zeke was old in high school." Noah laughed. "Only a few years separate us. Zeke was great his junior year, only one year older than us now."

    Eric looked like he wanted to reply, but paused. Then he lit up like he had an idea. "You and Jake are both 15?"

    "Yes?" Noah was confused by such an ordinary yet out of place question.

    "Have you two consider to tryout for Team USA?"

 Chapter 947: V3 Ch181

    Chapter 947: V3 Ch181

    "We''ve got to try!" Noah shook me excitedly as we walked back to the car. We finally escaped the reporters and scouts. "This would be so awesome! Could you imagine?"

    I weakly shook my head. I really couldn''t imagine.

    "Aren''t you supposed to be on a travel team and then get scouted?" Dave asked. "Like the travel team has to be good enough to elite tournaments in other states. Even if you guys got on a travel team this summer, I doubt it''ll be good enough to get the attention."

    "There has to be some identification tryouts and events." Kyle refuted. "They don''t necessarily have to be on a travel team."

    "This sounds like something Noah can look into if he''s really interested." Mom suggested. "It shouldn''t interfere with the high school season so maybe research on your own time. I don''t think your coach would appreciate the distraction."

    "Yea, of course Mom!" Noah was practically bouncing. "I just think this would be a cool opportunity. Something Zeke and the twins haven''t done. It''s uncharted territory for us." Noah grinned my way. "What do you say, Jake?"

    The twins and our parents looked at me.

    I shrugged. "I''ll do whatever you do."

    "What if you make it and Noah doesn''t?" Kyle asked.

    I shrugged again. "Then I don''t go?"

    Dave laughed. "You''re a real follower, Jake. So easygoing. No ambition."

    "Jake isn''t like me." Noah said. "He doesn''t live and breathe baseball. That''s okay. I''ll get him to change his ways soon enough."

    "I just don''t think I would want to do it alone." I told them.

    "Jake, you would have to." Noah told me seriously. "Representing the freakin'' national team is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You can''t just give it up."

    "Simmer down there, wild ones." Dave took over. "No need to pressure Jake when you don''t even know the first step. How about we first settle dinner? Get cleaned up and start to prepare for tomorrow?"

    Ugh. Tomorrow. I frowned and looked up at Dad.

    "Don''t give me that look, Jake." Dad saw it immediately. "Once we know who the other team is, then you can start worrying."

    We got to the car and put everyone''s bags in the trunk. Dad drove, Mom was in the passenger seat, the twins sat in the middle row, while Noah and I squeezed in the very back.

    "I can''t wait until you guys graduate." Noah sighed, trying to get comfortable. "No more third row seating."

    "You''ll be driving yourself next year? Or make Mom and Dad do it?" Dave asked.

    "Of course we''re going to try for our licenses." Noah said. "When Jake turns 15.5 in April, we''ll go get our permits."

    "Shouldn''t you already be trying for that now?" Kyle asked. "Otherwise you won''t be able to get your license until he turns 16 in October."

    "It''s better to do things together." Noah answered. "Can''t we still drive with our permits?"

    "Well only if you have an adult in the car too." Kyle laughed. "Looks like Mom will be driving you guys to school the first couple of months of your junior year."

    "No shame." Noah shrugged. "As long as we get qualified before next season so Mom and Dad don''t have to drive so much back and forth."

    We talked about what next year would look like without the twins until we got back to the hotel. We took turns showering before getting ready for dinner. Kyle selected a steakhouse nearby so we chose to walk as a group. It was after we finished ordering that we got the text from Coach. Our opponent tomorrow will definitely be Eastside College Preparatory.

    I wasn''t surprised. Just felt a little defeated. I slumped in my chair.

    Dad had said on my left. "What will you do, Jake? Play or stay at the hotel?"

    "Stay at the hotel?!" Noah repeated after Dad in disbelief. He was on my right. He was stunned at the options. "Jake doesn''t want to play?"

    "I think it''s more like he doesn''t want to play what''s-his-name." Kyle pointed out.

    "His name is Carson." Mom corrected.

    "Jake." Noah had put his hand on my shoulder and leaned close to look me in the eyes. "We can''t do this without you. You''re our core."

    I sighed. "I mean, it''s not that I don''t want to play. And I don''t have animosity with Carson. I just..." I swallowed a lump in my throat. "I don''t want to run into his dad. It gives me the same sinking feeling as having to see my birth mom." I crossed my arms to cover my stomach. "He didn''t do anything."

    "How about we see how you feel in the morning?" Mom suggested. "If you don''t sleep well, no one will push it." She gave a pointed look at Noah.

    Noah let go of me. "Yea, Jake. Sleep on it. No nightmares, then you''re good to go. If you do have a rough night...well...try not to throw up on me." He made the twins laugh.

    "Why don''t we let Jake sleep in our room?" Dad suggested. "Just in case."

    "Sure."

    "Yea."

    "Okay."

    Noah started to pull out his phone. "What did Zeke end up doing today in his game?"

    "2-4 at the plate. Both doubles. One RBI and one run scored." Dad answered, saving Noah the trouble of looking it up. "I invited him to dinner while you boys showered but he said he was going to stay with his team."

    "Partying tonight?" Dave joked.

    "No way. I bet they''re watching video of the game today." Noah said.

    "His game tomorrow is near lunch time so he won''t be able to make it to our morning game this time." Kyle pointed out. He looked at Dad. "Will we eat dinner with him tomorrow?"

    "Sure. If he''s not too busy with homework." Dad nodded.

    Throughout the meal the topics of our family conversation shifted from baseball, school, and friends. Mom was the one asking about our classes and especially adamant that the twins don''t slack before graduation. Noah really wanted to look up how to represent USA baseball, but Dad didn''t want him on his phone too much while we eat. Afterwards, we walked back to the hotel and got settled.

    I thought it would take me awhile to fall asleep, but maybe because we played two games, I was wiped. I merely blinked and that was it for me. The next thing I know, Mom was waking me up Sunday morning with a smile.

    "Good morning, Jake. Did you sleep okay?"

    I nodded and yawned. I stretched out and slowly sat up. Sure enough, some light was coming through the window. I slept. Maybe having that lunchtime breakdown between games had something to do with it.

    I put my uniform on and washed my face before going down with her for breakfast. Dad had taken Noah and the twins already, I guess.

    In the elevator, Mom surprised me with some information. "Jeremy flew in from Arizona. He took a day off and is already at breakfast with the boys." She gave a reassuring smile. "When he called us this morning, we were also shocked. But we appreciate the effort. He wants to act as a buffer between you and the family that raised him. If your uncle is there, Jeremy will handle it. There will be no confrontation for you to face. Just a game to play."

 Chapter 948: V3 Ch182

    Chapter 948: V3 Ch182

    Sure enough, Jeremy sat a big table with the rest of them. He saw me approaching with Mom, and he looked more nervous than how I felt at the moment.

    "Hey there, sleeping beauty." Dave patted an empty spot next to him. "Take a seat, I''ll get you your food."

    I squinted at him, suspicious.

    Dave laughed as he got up. He guided me to the seat, pulled it out, and forced me to sit down. He gave my shoulders a short massage. "Don''t be so skeptical. I''m just showing care and concern for my littlest brother. You have a game to focus on. I can be a runner for you and get the food." He left for the buffet.

    "I...didn''t even tell him what I want..." I watched him walk away and then looked to Noah.

    Noah waved his fork casually in the air. "Don''t mind him. He''s just too excited for a game he can''t play in." Noah raised his eyebrows. "Want to know a fun fact? Jeremy doesn''t think we can win today."

    Before I could even digest that ''fun fact'', Jeremy started to refute. "For the last time, that isn''t what I said." He looked at me, slightly twitching like he was anxious. "I just said that Eastside was a good private school. We''ve been contenders since before I even went there. The coach has been there for decades and built a very steady program. It''s tough to beat."

    Noah shrugged. "All I know is that University Prep won CIF for division one in the Northern Section last year. And we won division three. And just yesterday, we beat them." He smirked. "Remind me where Eastside was in all this?"

    "We-" Jeremy wanted to explain some more.

    "We? You aren''t on their team anymore." Kyle cut him off rudely. "I think you need some more practice on how to be neutral."

    "Kyle." Dad used his strict voice to warn him. He turned to Jeremy. "Don''t mind them Jeremy. The twins both pitched yesterday and won''t be able to do anything today. That always puts them in a mood. We appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to be here today." He looked around at the rest of us.

    "Yea."

    "Sure."

    Noah and Kyle mumbled after getting the final look from Dad.

    I looked at Jeremy. "Do you know if he''ll be there?"

    Jeremy straightened up. "I''ve been in contact with Aunt Ilene. She said they would all be there today. She and I have shared the location services on our phones so we''ll be sure to keep an eye on one another. She personally told Uncle Jack that you don''t want contact with him. No confrontation." He looked a little sheepish. "I also reached out to Carson. He said he would treat you like any other player."

    I kind of relaxed, settling in my chair.

    Dave came back with a big pile of food on the plate and set it in front of me. "Fuel up, Bambi. We need you to crush it today. A couple of homers will do the trick."

    My lips twitched. On two accounts. The amount of food he got was too ridiculous and then the homer request. "I''ll try my best."

    "That''s the spirit." Noah slapped me on the shoulder. "You''re already strong enough to get out of bed this morning, Jake. Let''s make the finals this year!" ee.co

    I smiled at his excitement and started to eat. It was reassuring to know that Jeremy was here to run interference in case we saw his family. Maybe he would even sit and stay with them instead. That was okay. My biggest concern was trying not to run into Uncle Jack.

    We finished breakfast, gathered up the bags and got in the car. Jeremy drove himself, intending to meet up with Aunt Ilene. Presumably with the two girl cousins: Gabby and Makenna. Maybe Uncle Jack too.

    "I just feel like he doesn''t expect us to win." Noah explained as we drove to the fields too. "He came off like we''re the underdogs."

    "He''s not wrong." Dad replied. "Your team is the visitors for a reason. Lower seeding."

    "What a scam. We got a higher seed than last year but keep running into the better teams. It screams conspiracy if you ask me." Kyle huffed.

    "There''s just no other upsets at the moment." Dad said.

    "Who cares about batting first or last anyways?" Dave sighed. "We''ll be on the bench, sadly."

    "Do you have a preference, Jake?" Noah asked me.

    I yawned first before answering. "I think I used to like batting in the second half of the inning, but now I''m leaning towards the top half."

    "You like being the visitor?" Noah couldn''t believe it.

    I shrugged. "If we''re winning, we still get to bat all seven innings. If we''re the home team and winning, you only bat for six. I like more chances to bat."

    The twins laughed.

    "Can''t argue with that logic."

    "Especially with him tearing it up at the plate this year."

    We parked in a less crowded lot and grabbed our bags. The twins couldn''t pitch today, but since they were on the roster, it was only right of them to bring their gear. They still have to warm up. Maybe throw the ball around. And in an emergency they could be used as a position player. It would have to be a really bad emergency though.

    We walked together, looking for our teammates and coaches. Everyone started to show up in two''s and three''s.

    "Yo, was that Jeremy I saw?" Garret asked me, jerking his thumb in a general direction.

    I couldn''t specifically see Jeremy, but seeing some reporters trying to get closer to someone was kind of a dead giveaway. "He is here. He''s going to be a buffer between me and his family."

    "His family is your family." Garret knew a good part of the drama that followed my blood family. I''m sure they twins told him a lot of details too. "You can''t avoid them forever."

    Noah stuck his tongue out. "We didn''t say forever. At least today. This game. We need to guard Jake so he can contribute to our win."

    Garret grinned and pushed down Noah''s hat over his eyes. "You don''t have to worry. I think a lot of us here will be watching out for him. The twins can be in the dugout for backup despite how annoying they are."

    "Hey!" The twins said simultaneously. The three started to fool around and only called it truce when Coach cleared his throat from behind them.

    "I made the lineup." Coach announced and everyone got quiet, giving him their undivided attention. "Leading off, Bryce. In center field."

    Everyone was surprised on some level.

    "Bryce won''t be available out of the bullpen, nor do I plan to utilize him on the mound." Coach expanded. "Eastside is very similar to University. Good pitching, and good bats. Bryce can handle the fielding, but I''m really choosing him for his speed. Speaking of speed, Noah will bat second, play at short. Jake bats third, plays at second. Garret will cleanup. Jason at first. Korrey in right. Expect a lot of work out there today." Coach added, looking at Korrey. He was surprised but nodded in response. "Jesse at third. Watch that line. Tanner in left. Mitchell behind the plate."

 Chapter 949: V3 Ch183 Eastside College Prep (1)

    Chapter 949: V3 Ch183 Eastside College Prep (1)

    We took over the dugout along the first base side and prepared for the games. Garret led the first half of warmups until it was time for him and Mitchell to split. Noah took charge for a little before we were divided into smaller groups. Infielders worked on grounders more while outfielders caught fly balls, plus some batting practice for everyone.

    Before the appointed start time, we did some pregame stuff like the National anthem and heard our starting lineup announced. Then it was time. Bryce, Noah, myself, and even Garret were gearing up for our first at bats.

    I tried to be casual as I scanned the field, finally spotting Carson out in center field. That makes sense, I guess. Jeremy plays in the outfield too. A lot of great batters do.

    "Try not to get lost, Jake." Coach had approached me and spoke in a low voice so only I could hear. At first, I was confused. Lost? I wasn''t going to go anywhere. But he expanded. "Keep your focus on what''s in front of you. When you''re batting, you should only be looking at the pitcher and open spaces. When fielding, eye on the ball. Don''t let yourself get hurt out there."

    I showed him a weak smile. "I''ll be okay, Coach." I wasn''t terrified of Carson. Just his dad. And he wouldn''t be on the field.

    Coach gave my back a slap. "Give it your best shot."

    I nodded.

    Bryce''s name was announced. He moved to the batter''s box and got set. As did the pitcher and the rest of the team. The pitcher was a tall, right-handed pitcher. We didn''t know much besides watching a few practice pitches. Unsurprisingly, he had a good speed. He had to in order to pitch for a private high school that could afford to recruit players.

    Bryce swung and missed the first pitch. Fouled the second. Then got caught chasing the third. Struck out on three pitches. The cheers from the stands were on par from those in the University Prep game. Almost as if they made their JV and freshman teams come to cheer as well. They did live closer so it was a strong possibility that the players just came themselves.

    Bryce came back. Noah went to the plate. And I went out to the on deck circle.

    Bryce stopped beside me, placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned in to whisper. "That third pitch was a breaking ball. Did you see it?"

    I shook my head. I didn''t have a good view and wasn''t paying that close attention. My focus was more on what Bryce would do. Not what the pitcher was doing.

    Bryce gave my shoulder a squeeze. "Stay in the lefty''s box." He reminded me. It was better to face a breaking ball coming in instead of chasing it away for most players.

    I was the exception. Garret was too. As a pitcher that is. His cutter breaks in on righty''s since he''s left-handed.

    Noah''s at bat was similar to Bryce. Swing and miss. Foul. Chased a pitch that broke away from the plate. I frowned. That pitch would have been a ball if he could hold back.

    "Don''t hold back." Noah told me as we passed by one another. He went back to the dugout and I headed for the batter''s box.

    "Let''s go, Jake!"

    "Get a hit!"

    "Hit a homer!"

    "Knock him out early!"

    Chants rained down from the bleachers. Most of them were for me, but I could hear some calls for ''Blake'' to strike me out. That must be the pitcher.

    Blake was good. No denying it. I should attack a fastball early for my best chance at a home run. It would lift my team''s spirits and put me in a good mood having the lead early. Blake got set and so did I. He nodded at the catcher''s sign, straightened up, and started his motion. The ball left his hand and I was about to start my swing, but something was off. I held back.

    "Strike." The umpire called from behind after the pitch landed in the catcher''s glove. The catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher.

    That was...a two-seam fastball, I believe. It has a little movement, coming inside on righty''s since he''s a right-handed pitcher. But as a lefty, it tails away from me. He does sacrifice some speed for it. I stepped out of the batter''s box and took a practice swing or two as I tried to think things through. I could try moving to the righty''s box, but then he could just throw the same breaking ball he threw to Bryce and Noah. And that definitely had more movement than a two-seamer.

    I got back in the lefty''s box. The only plan I could come up with was going to work the count. Make him tire out and throw me a fastball.

    The second pitch was a similar pitch. I let it pass.

    "Ball." This time the call went my way. Too soon to say whether he has great control and aimed outside, anticipating I would swing or if he had just missed the zone.

    Third pitch. A third two-seamer. I gritted my teeth and swung, fouling it down the third baseline, nearly hitting Mr. Miller.

    1-2.

    Mr. Miller clapped his hands. "Good swing, good swing. Straighten it out."

    I took a deep breath and got back in the box. I fouled the next one, knowing it was too close to let it pass. Then another foul. And another. Foul. Foul. Foul. Foul. Still 1-2.

    At some point the chants started to root against me.

    "Strike. Him. Out!"

    "One more!"

    "You''ve got this, Blake!"

    "Strike him out! Strike him out!"

    Foul. Foul. Ball in the dirt. 2-2.

    My arms were starting to feel heavy. This guy was good. I knocked my bat against my cleats, trying to get in the zone as if I were at the cages. That''s all this is. He''s only using the two-seamer and I know where it generally lands.

    "Don''t give in, Bambi!" Dave''s voice boomed from the dugout. "Make him work!"

    I cracked a smile and started to hear ''Bambi'' and ''Jake'' from my dugout. My team isn''t doubting me. They know I can do this. It may not be a home run, but I can foul off some pitches.

    Foul. Ball. Foul. Foul. Seventeen pitch at bat. Full count. The pitcher didn''t even wipe the sweat coming down his cheek.

    I got set once more. I could try to continue this, but it wouldn''t have any benefits. This guy was determined not to throw me a regular fastball. He probably could guess that I didn''t have the power to get the ball out of the park when it''s not that fast.

    The pitcher nodded at the sign and straightened up. He started his motion, doing a full windup. I zoned in on his release point, watching the ball leave his fingertips. Two-seamer. I started my swing and reached out as the pitch came to the plate. I connected, popping the ball over the third baseman''s outstretched glove. The ball dropped in short left field. I ran to first and stayed when I saw that the left fielder had came in already.

    "BAMBI!" My teammates from the dugout behind me screeched and cheered.

    I looked back at them and showed a small smile. I knew it was better for morale to show the guys that this pitcher isn''t unbeatable.

 Chapter 950: V3 Ch184 Eastside College Prep (2)

    Chapter 950: V3 Ch184 Eastside College Prep (2)

    Garret was up next. Two outs and just me on first. Since he was a good lefty batter too, I was looking forward to see what this Blake guy had in store for him. Would Garret only see two-seamers too?

    The answer came on the first pitch. A regular fastball, with no movement. Garret had swung late and fouled it back for strike one. Pitch two was the two-seamer drifting outside. Garret got a piece of it and I took off.

    Garret''s hit was a grounder right to the shortstop. He scooped it up and stepped on second base before me, ending the inning. I had to turn back to the dugout.

    "My bad." Garret admitted generously while taking his helmet off. We entered the dugout together with Coach Luis right behind us. "I didn''t think he would throw a breaking ball so soon. I thought it was his deciding pitch against Bryce and Noah."

    "I think the righty''s see a different breaking ball." I told him. "We see the two-seamer. Probably the only things he''s got against lefty''s?" I took my helmet off too.

    "Well, it''s hittable. We''ll get him next time." Garret stated.

    We separated and got ready to take the field. I was only a couple steps behind Noah, heading to our position near second.

    "You really made that guy work." Noah nodded with approval.

    I shrugged. "He''s good. I was trying to get him to throw me a fastball, but he wouldn''t."

    Noah frowned. "Probably some kind of strategy. Tell Coach when we get back to the dugout to see if he noticed anything."

    I nodded.

    Garret finished his practice pitches on the mound and the spare baseballs were thrown back to the dugout. The first batter was announced and stepped up to the plate. A righty. Garret cornered him quick on an 0-2 count, then jammed him with the cutter. The grounder went straight to Noah, who fielded it cleanly to Jason at first.

    The second batter didn''t stand a chance against Garret. He swung and missed on three straight fastballs. Garret pumped his fist after earning that first strikeout. Two outs and only used six pitches.

    The third batter was announced: Carson Patterson. I saw him on the on deck circle so it wasn''t a surprise. It was just weird to hear his name and the cheers that followed it. I wonder if Jeremy was clapping for him. He had to be if he was sitting with his family. I guess it would be more weird if Jeremy clapped with me while sitting with them. I resisted the urge to scan the crowd. It''s better not to look for something that can hurt me.

    Garret started him off with a fastball. He let it pass for a called strike. Mitchell threw the ball back to Garret and everyone got set again. Mitchell passed on another sign. Garret nodded and started his motion. This time Carson swung, connected on a fastball. There was a loud ''ding'' and my head snapped to the right, just in time to see Noah diving and snatching the line drive out of the air. He hit the dirt but held up the glove.

    "Out!"

    Noah got up, left the ball at the mound, and jogged back.

    "Damn." Garret dusted Noah''s jersey off a little. "You have the fastest reflexes around. I didn''t even see the catch because the ball came off the bat so fast."

    Noah laughed, happy with the compliment. "Right within range." He patted Garret on the back. "You''re looking sharp too. Keep it up."

    We all filed into the dugout. Jason, Korrey, and Jesse would start us off.

    I took my glove off and held it under my arm as I approached Coach.

    "Concerned?" Coach noticed my presence right away.

    I shrugged. "It might be nothing, but did you see that the pitcher never threw me a fastball? I thought it might be a lefty thing, but he threw a normal fastball to Garret. I saw a lot of two-seamers."

    "Alisha. Sean." Coach called the pair over. Alisha still held a clipboard while Sean was simply dressed in the uniform despite not being able to play.

    "Yea, Coach?" Sean looked between me and him.

    "We''re going to start keeping track of pitch types."

    Alisha looked scared. "Coach...I really don''t know that much."

    Coach''s lips twitched. "It''s okay. I know you''re still learning. You keep track of the game like normal, but on another sheet you''ll write down what Sean says." He looked to Sean. "The pitch breaking away from lefty''s, looks to be the two-seamer according to Jake. He''s obviously got a good fastball. The pitch breaking away from the righty''s must be a curveball."

    Sean nodded then glanced my way. "What am I looking for?"

    I shrugged. "I think I''m the only one not seeing a regular fastball."

    "Is that going to be a problem?" Sean asked, surprised. "I know you saw a lot of pitches during your last at bat and not one of them was a regular fastball?"

    "All of them moved." I lowered my voice so the other guys couldn''t hear. "I''m thinking it''s a strategy to avoid me hitting the ball too deep." I didn''t have the strength to carry a breaking ball.

    Sean''s eyes narrowed.

    "Why is that a problem?" Alisha whispered, sensing the pressure.

    "It means someone will have to get on base before Jake''s at bats to make him effective." Sean explained a little. "If only Jake is getting on..." He shook his head.

    "Garret bats after him though." Alisha pointed out. "He''s a great batter too."

    "Garret isn''t the problem." Sean told her. "Unless he can get the ball out of the park, then it''ll be up to Jake''s baserunning."

    My nose started to tingle. Don''t cry. It''s okay. I gripped my fists. "I''m going to go talk to Noah."

    Sean nodded and added. "Him and Bryce together."

    Good point.

    "It''s still early boys." Coach inserted. "Don''t rile yourselves up. For now, let''s observe and then we can start planning." He looked at me. "Don''t pressure the two. Try to approach them with ways to avoid swinging at the breaking ball."

    Oh. I nodded and headed back to my seat.

    Noah was there but Bryce was with Mitchell and Garret. Even the twins were over there.

    An idea popped in my head. I nudged Noah and motioned for him to follow.

    "I think he''s topping out at 95." Dave rubbed his chin thoughtfully as they all looked out at the pitcher on the mound taking his practice pitches.

    "97 has to be his fastest." Kyle replied.

    "I saw it from the box." Bryce said. "I''m telling you guys, it''s the low 90''s. It just seems faster because of his throwing motion."

    Sure enough! They were discussing the pitcher. I knew I could count on them discussing the guy as soon as I saw them grouped together. Pitchers have an uncontrollable urge to compare themselves to one another.

    "What do you think, Garret?" Mitchell asked, taking his chest protector off. He had a small chance coming up this inning.

    "Bro, I saw two pitches. One fastball and one that took off away a little." Garret nodded at me. "Jake says it''s a two-seamer."

    Perfect. I have an in.

 Chapter 951: V3 Ch185 Eastside College Prep (3)

    Chapter 951: V3 Ch185 Eastside College Prep (3)

    I nodded. Then cleared my throat, getting ready to talk about it as naturally as possible.

    "A two-seamer ain''t shit." Kyle rolled his eyes. "It maybe breaks an inch. I think it''s the curve that''s more troublesome. Especially considering how many right-handed batters we have."

    Garret shrugged. "That''s true. Jake was able to hit it and I even got a piece of it. Next time I should adjust my swing to be more prepared for a small break. Don''t want to be grounding out all the time."

    "I don''t think I saw the two-seamer." Noah added his input. "Mine was straight up: fastball, fastball, then curve." He bumped his shoulder into mine. "I actually want to see you bat from the right next time to confirm that it was a curve. Maybe tell me that it''s hittable."

    I made a face. "Why would you try to hit the curve and not the fastball?"

    Noah scratched the tip of his nose. "I don''t know. Maybe because it''s slower?"

    "It is slower." Bryce mumbled more to himself than anything. "But the placement on the edge like that... too hard to reach." He clapped his hands together. "I''m going after the fastball. Forget the curve."

    "What if he gets you to two strikes?" Dave raised an eyebrow. "Then there''s a good chance that the curve is coming."

    "If he can throw a curve in the zone like that, and the umpire calls me out on strikes, then so be it." Bryce rubbed his hands together. "But that''s only if he gets me to two strikes. So far, none of us were pitched a curve in the beginning of our at bats."

    "Yea, but that could change." Kyle pointed out.

    "Sean and Alisha are keeping track of pitches now." I spoke up.

    "Yea? Put that loser to work." Garret laughed and stood up. "I''m going to tell him what my two pitches were." He squeezed by.

    I looked at Noah. "I think you should attack early too. If you just put the ball in play, you''re fast enough to probably be safe."

    Noah laughed. "I know I''m fast, but I don''t think I can drop bunt singles all the time. Especially against a pitcher with so much power and speed. Dropping the curve on the grass will be easier for me."

    We continued to talk about the pitcher and what we could do against his stuff. Unfortunately, it was talk that the first three couldn''t listen to. Jason popped out to the second baseman. Korrey powered a fly ball to center which was easily caught for the second out. Then Jesse went down swinging, chasing after the guy''s curve.

    Bottom of the second. Garret would have to start against their cleanup hitter. It proved to be a tough batter. The guy fouled off a handful of pitches before earning a single. The next guy was also good, hitting a flare single to short right field.

    My stomach dropped when the ball hit the grass. If I was Noah, it would have been out. Korrey came in and picked the ball up, throwing it in to Noah at second, preventing the runner from going to third.

    "Next one! Next one!" Noah threw the ball to Garret and clapped with his glove.

    Garret took an extra minute, using the rosin bag and walking off the mound. He seemed to be recollecting himself. I took a deep breath and tried to do the same. Garret got back on the mound and looked to Mitchell for the signs. Mitchell gave out a sign for the fielders for double play, then signs for Garret''s pitching. Garret nodded. He checked both runners then threw his first pitch to the number six batter. The batter attacked, swinging and connecting on the first pitch.

    Noah started to run back to center and I hurried to cover second base.

    "I''ve got it!" Bryce called Noah off, making the catch while running in. Noah peeled off his run to get out of the way. Bryce threw straight to Jesse at third, blocking off any attempt for the runner to tag up and move on. One out.

    Everyone got back into position. Garret stayed steady, checking on the runners to make sure there were no steals. Throughout the seventh batter''s plate appearance, he did a couple of check throws to make sure that runner on first didn''t get a huge lead. We wanted to turn a double play.

    We got our wish when the batter got jammed on Garret''s cutter, hitting a grounder to short. I raced to second as Noah got the ball. He barehanded it, throwing to me immediately.

    "Out!"

    I threw to Jason at first.

    "Out!"

    Double play complete.

    We went back to the dugout in high spirits.

    "Good hold." Coach said as we filed into the dugout. He looked specifically at Garret. "Don''t forget that yesterday''s pitches still count to your 110 pitch count. Don''t be afraid to use the cutter more to jam them like that. If they could hit a grounder to Noah more often, we''ll be in good shape defensively."

    "I agree!" Noah grinned. "100%! Let all grounders go to me!"

    Garret nodded at Coach. "I know. My pitch count got high against that cleanup hitter, but he''s tenacious like Jake. Looking for a good pitch."

    "Walks can be strategic." Coach reminded. "Maybe not in that previous situation, but keep an open mind."

    "Will do!" Garret nodded.

    Noah frowned as we took a seat. "Walks is the easy way out."

    I shrugged. "I find them annoying. Especially with runners on."

    Noah conceded. "That''s true. Very much a downer." He sighed. "I guess I just have more expectations for Garret. And the twins. They''re so good. They shouldn''t walk anyone."

    I let out a small laugh. "Garret said that cleanup hitter was as good as me. I think the twins would walk me instead of letting me hit as I please."

    "Yea? Let''s find out." Noah raised his voice to call them over. "Dave! Kyle! Come here a sec."

    "You''re just rubbing salt in their wounds." I shook my head.

    The twins came over.

    "Yea?"

    "Whats up?"

    "Would you face Jake head on?" Noah asked outright.

    Dave nodded. "Yea! Why?"

    Noah looked to Kyle who hesitated.

    Kyle made a face. "I mean...it depends. What''s the score? What''s the situation? Runners? Outs?"

    "Would you walk him in any kind of scenario?" Noah asked.

    Kyle nodded. "Yea. I can think of a few. Runner on second with one or no outs. Since first is open, walk him and try for a double play. Runners on second and third, with two outs. Heck, maybe even bases loaded and two outs, if the score is right."

    "Bro." Dave shook his head in disappointment. "You''re such a wimp. You''re Bambi #2."

    Kyle gave him a small shove. "Shut up. I just use my head a little more than you. I''m also realistic. Maybe if the game didn''t matter, I''d be more willing. But playoffs? No. League games? Heck no."

    Tanner struck out which meant Noah was in the hole. He started to put on his helmet at batting gloves. "Okay, okay. I get it. I was just curious."

    "It also depends on the coach too." Kyle added. "Who bats after him. Just a lot of little factors can add up."

    Noah grabbed his bat.

    "Get on base this time!" Dave told him as he left.

    I started to get my helmet and gloves out too.

 Chapter 952: V3 Ch186 Eastside College Prep (4)

    Chapter 952: V3 Ch186 Eastside College Prep (4)

    Mitchell got cornered on the fastballs and chose to watch the curveball go by.

    "Strike! Out!" The umpire declared.

    Mitchell looked at the catcher''s glove and then up to the sky. On his way back, he shared a sentence with Bryce. Bryce nodded and then went to the batter''s box. Noah moved to the on deck circle. I hurried up with my gear.

    "Would you still walk Jake if Bryce and Noah got on?" Dave asked Kyle. "Knowing Garret is next?"

    "Depends if I''ve gotten Garret out multiple times so far in the game." Kyle answered. "But knowing him and myself, and adding in Jake? Yes. I''ll absolutely walk him and load the bases. Me versus Garret? I would destroy him."

    "Bro, you would probably only have a 50/50 chance." Dave argued. "A strikeout would be improbable so you would have to rely on your fielders."

    Kyle rubbed his chin then lit up. "Oh! I know! After walking Jake. I would just do some check throws in hopes that he would make a mistake."

    I shivered and turned away from the pair. I already hate walking and check throws would just make things a hundred times worse. Just as I got to the ''hole'' spot, there was a loud ''ding''. Bryce was running while the ball was flying to left field. The left fielder tracked it near the foul line and dove for it. He slid in the grass after making the catch. Cheers came from the stands and their dugout as the guy jumped up and threw the ball back in. Then their whole team ran back to their dugout. eev.

    Noah and Bryce came back too.

    Bryce sighed while trailing behind me back to the bags. "I think I got the two-seamer too. Even as a righty. Second pitch should have been fastball...I mean technically it was. But it came in a little. Almost like a small cutter from Garret."

    I nodded, not sure what to say. Bryce was just letting me know that the two-seamer wasn''t exclusive to lefties.

    "I feel like only the first pitch to everyone is a fastball." He continued. "If you don''t get a jump on it early, then he has a bigger advantage with those breaking balls." He sighed again. "I hate guessing games."

    "You''re a pitcher." Noah rolled his eyes as we switched to our gloves. "You have the advantage of knowing what a pitcher thinks." He looked at me. "Don''t be afraid to rack up his pitch count some more for us. I''m afraid he might be their ace." He put his hat on. "Maybe we should have asked Jeremy for some insider information."

    My lips twitched. "He hasn''t been in high school for years. He hasn''t played with these guys."

    Noah wasn''t convinced. "One of them is the cousin he was raised with. I''m sure they''ve done pick up games at the park or know one another from travel ball."

    Oh. Maybe then...

    We hurried to take the field to finish up the third inning. Garret made quick work of the end of the lineup. Batter eight hit a fly ball right to Bryce in center field. Batter nine was the pitcher, Blake. He struck out swinging. Back to the top of the lineup, the leadoff popped out to Jesse at third base.

    "I think I am going to try to bunt that first pitch fastball." Noah mumbled to me as we got ready for our plate appearances again. This time it would be us leading things off.

    I tugged my batting gloves on. "I thought you said it was hard?"

    "It is. It will be. But I have to take a chance." Noah put his helmet on and picked up his bat. "Like Bryce said, every first pitch is a fastball in the zone. Except to you."

    "Are you going to tell Coach?"

    "Nah. Mr. Miller will probably tell me to swing freely anyways." He paused. "If I get on...Don''t foul. Get a hit on the first pitch. I''ll get to third. Maybe home if you can get it to a tough spot."

    I nodded. "Okay." A hit and run with Noah on and me up to bat would be ideal.

    Noah and I left the dugout together, taking a few practice swings, timing it with the pitcher''s warmup stuff. Noah left me in the on deck circle when his name was called.

    "Let''s go, Noah!"

    "Get it this time!"

    Noah took a stance in the batter''s box, not at all looking like he would bunt. But as soon as the pitcher started his motion and the ball came out of his hand, Noah made his move. His right hand went up the bat, he bent at the knees and then when the ball came, he used his bat to push the ball in the direction of the second baseman. The ball was rolling and Noah was sprinting. The pitcher was the fastest to the ball, picking it up with his barehand and throwing while falling off balance. The first baseman stretched out for the catch and Noah came barreling down the line. It was close.

    "Out!" The umpire signaled.

    The crowd roared. Either in disbelief that he was out or in disbelief of the great play.

    Noah got his bat and came back with a small shake of his head. He didn''t say anything to me, just jogged past to get to the dugout.

    I walked up to the plate and made a decision to bat from the right. If I wasn''t going to be allowed to attack the fastball, then I was going to aim for the curve. Get it to a spot in the outfield and try for a double.

    The pitcher nodded at the catcher, straightened up, then started his motion. I simply watched the first pitch. A curveball outside.

    "Ball."

    I blew out a puff of air. Sure enough. No fastball. Maybe he would still throw the two-seamer inside. The second pitch came, another curveball falling outside the zone.

    "Ball."

    Tch. I gripped my bat. I thought the curve was closer. At least it was for Mitchell. He was called out for looking.

    Pitch three. Same curve, same trajectory. I gritted my teeth, shifted my hands towards the knob of my bat and reached for the curve, getting a piece of it. The ball flew opposite, down the right field line. I dropped the bat and took off. I tagged first just as the right fielder was getting to the ball in the corner. I pushed myself to go faster. Second base was the goal.

    There were a lot of screams and shouts coming from all directions. I focused on the shortstop covering second base. He looked ready to make a catch. I need to slide. Feet first or head first? I made a lunge for second base, landing hard on my stomach, sliding a little over the bag. A heavy pat came down and stayed on me.

    "Safe!"

    I refused to move an inch with the tag still on me. After a beat, I looked up and a little back towards the umpire. "Time?"

    "Time!" The umpire granted.

    The shortstop took his glove off of me and walked the ball to his pitcher on the mound. I slowly got up and dusted myself off. The bandaid on my chin was hanging off my face so I took it off and stuffed it in my pocket. I lightly dabbed my chin to make sure I didn''t cut it open again. Nope. No blood. Stings a bit but it was just a surface wound from yesterday.

    The umpire called for the game to resume. The players got back into position and Garret''s info was announced.

 Chapter 953: V3 Ch187 Eastside College Prep (5)

    Chapter 953: V3 Ch187 Eastside College Prep (5)

    Only one out and I was on second. This was a good chance. Mr. Miller thought so too. I was to run on contact. He would tell me if I could try for home. Garret got in the lefty''s box...and the catcher stood up. He turned to the umpire and said something to indicate an intentional walk. Garret turned, gave his bat a small toss towards our dugout, and jogged to first.

    Jason moved from the circle to the batter''s box. The pitcher started him off with a curve outside the zone for a ball. The next one was able to fall in the zone for a called strike. Jason must have started to feel that the curve was the only pitch he would see. Third pitch was another curve; this time Jason swung...and missed. 1-2 count. Fourth pitch, Jason swung at what he thought was going to be another curve, but it wasn''t. The pitch hit the thinner part of his bat and rolled to the shortstop. I did my best to sprint to third.

    "Out!"

    "Out!"

    I tagged third and slowed to jog back to the dugout. Eastside had completed a double play, probably just the usual 6-4-3. I entered the dugout just behind Garret and Jason.

    "Damn." Jason cursed. "I definitely feel targeted." He took off his helmet and ran his fingers through his hair as he made eye contact with Coach. "Sorry, Coach. I was too zoned in on trying to reach that curveball."

    "No worries." Coach said. "Today''s going to be a tough battle. This tournament has so many great players, we''re bound to stumble a time or two. Just stay focus." He looked around and addressed the team. "That goes for everyone. Don''t get down on yourselves. We''re in it to win it. Heads up and backs straight. We''ll take advantage of the few opportunities we''re given."

    "Yea!"

    Everyone got moving.

    I switched out my gear, but before I could leave the dugout, Coach made me stop. Sean and Alisha were with him too. He took the clipboard from them and showed me who''s been seeing what. "What do you think?"

    "I don''t know what to think." I gave a small shrug. "I do know that hitting the curve is easier for me. I can get it to land in a similar spot again." I looked at Coach. "I could probably foul off a bunch too. Should I try to?"

    Coach rubbed his chin. "For now, yes. The boys aren''t as adept as you at hitting the curve. What I find more concerning is how conservative they are at defense. Walking Garret despite already having him get out in the previous at bat?"

    "Conservative? Or cocky?" Sean questioned. "Like Jason said, I think he was targeted. They knew they could get him out. These guys are as good as University. It''s stifling."

    Coach chuckled. "You forget...we''re as good as University." He nodded at me. "Take the field. Something will have to change to break this game open."

    I hurried out to take my position. I could only hope that we were the ones to break the game open and not Eastside. It would be hard to swallow if we were losing at any point in this game. Like a rock on your chest.

    Luckily, we had Garret on the mound today. He got the second batter to go down swinging. The third batter, Carson, made solid contact on a fastball sending it out to center, but Bryce was there to make the catch. The cleanup hitter, who previously had a hit, had popped up a short fly. It could have been a short flare single, but Noah was able to track it down and make a catch over his shoulder to end the inning.

    Top of the fifth. Korrey hit a fly ball to right. Jesse smacked a grounder to short and Tanner hit a grounder to second. Three up, three down. Bottom of the fifth, Garret held them down with Noah''s help. A pop out to Noah in the short outfield grass. A groundout to Noah. And then a swinging strikeout.

    Garret rested his hand on Noah''s head as we entered the dugout. "You''re all over the place today, kid."

    "Yea, you''re covering his ass." Kyle laughed. "I can''t imagine how many more hits Garret would have given up if it wasn''t for you."

    "They have as many hits as Jake does." Garret rolled his eyes. He approached Alisha. "How''s the count?"

    Alisha didn''t speak. She simply pointed at a spot on her clipboard and it made Garret frown.

    "Does this include yesterday''s pitches?" He asked.

    She nodded.

    Garret rolled back his shoulders. "Alrighty then. I''m doing alright. Two more innings."

    Top of the sixth. Mitchell struck out swinging. Bryce pulled a grounder right to the third baseman. Noah hit a grounder to his favorite position: shortstop. Another three up, three down. I was left in the on deck circle with nothing to do. I was ineffective if there were no runners on. I sighed and went back to the dugout. Noah was right behind me.

    "Do we know the pitch count on this guy?" Noah groaned and complained to Alisha.

    Alisha nodded. "I do. 89."

    Noah glanced at me. "Think you can have 21 pitch at bat and get rid of this guy?"

    I shrugged. "As long as he doesn''t intentionally walk me, I should be able to."

    We went to our bags and switched out our gear.

    "Go for it. It''s too demoralizing to see him smoke us like this." Noah said.

    "You think they don''t have any good relief pitchers?" Dave laughed as he stood nearby. "You might have a better chance facing this guy as he gets tired."

    "Would we?" Noah asked seriously. "Look around. Only Jake has gotten a hit. The rest of us need a break."

    Dave looked at me. "The next inning is the seventh. I think you should just aim for the fences the best you can. Don''t be afraid."

    "I''m not afraid." I hurried to correct. "I just don''t have that kind of physical power. I need a fastball."

    "You hit that curve pretty far into the corner." Dave pointed out.

    "That''s near the best I could do." I told him, putting on my glove. "It comes down to mathematics. Speed and location of the pitch versus the speed and launch angle of my bat."

    Dave held up his hand. "Please stop. It''s the weekend. I wouldn''t understand anyways."

    I shrugged.

    Noah and I were the last ones to leave the dugout.

    "Do you think you can help me get a hit by fixing my launch angle?" Noah asked.

    I shook my head. "I have great control over my swing. Good eyesight. It''s not something I could tell you to do. You just have to practice it in the cages."

    Noah sighed. "Worth a shot."

    Bottom of the sixth. Garret earned back to back strikeouts from the bottom of the lineup before getting the leadoff guy to hit a grounder to Noah. Noah may struggle at the plate, but no one could compare to his fielding. He could cover twice as much ground as me and had the reflexes to deal with any bad bounces.

 Chapter 954: V3 Ch188 Eastside College Prep (6)

    Chapter 954: V3 Ch188 Eastside College Prep (6)

    I got ready for my third plate appearance once more.

    I know Noah wanted me to foul it off until I could get this pitcher taken out of the game, but I wanted to run it by Coach first.

    "Go for it." Coach gave the green light. "Just know that he won''t be pulled against you even if he hits 110 total pitches."

    "So the limit isn''t really a limit?" Alisha asked from the side. "That''s dumb."

    "It''s a little flexible if it happens when facing a batter." Sean told her. He looked at me. "Are you going to attack from the right or the left?"

    "I can earn a double off the curve like last time." I told him. "So right."

    "That''s if they don''t walk you." Garret said, approaching. "They may want this guy to face the rest of us behind you one last time before he''s pulled."

    I sighed. That''s true. I left the dugout with Garret right behind me. We took practice swings as the pitcher warmed up on the mound. My name was announced and the umpire waved me over. I walked around him and the catcher to stand in the righty''s box.

    The catcher stayed squatted behind home plate, reassuring me that I at least wouldn''t be intentionally walked. The pitcher nodded, got set, started his motion, then the first pitch came. It drifted inside. The two-seamer. I let it pass for a ball.

    My eyelid started to twitch. I had a funny feeling. It could only be confirmed after a couple of more pitches. Two-seamer for a called strike. Two-seamer for a ball. Two seamer foul. Two-seamer in the dirt to make the count full.

    I wouldn''t be allowed another curveball I guess. A two-seamer wasn''t impossible to hit but coming inside, it was harder to foul. I didn''t want to foul it off my body like I had done against Rhys last summer. I''m just going to have to commit for the hit and forget the endless fouls to knock this guy out. The only question now is do I pull it down the left field line or try to slice it down the opposite way?

    I took a quick look around. The outfielders left both corners fairly opened. Left or right? The next pitch came. Clear two-seamer drifting in. I decided to go with it, smacking a line drive down the left field line. My bat made an unusual sound in the process, and I could see a piece of it go down the line too, just at the third baseman. I hesitated for a second.

    "Run! Jake! Run!"

    Right. I dropped the rest of my bat and sprinted to first. I rounded the bag, unsure of what I would see. My hit didn''t go as far as I had planned or hoped for, but the left fielder still had to sprint in for it. I decided to go for two. The left fielder threw the ball in, to the shortstop and by the time he turned around, I was safe at second. He called ''time'' and it was granted.

    Some coaches came out of the Eastside dugout, most going to the third baseman and one that looked like the head coach went to the home plate umpire.

    The third baseman handed a chunk of wood to his coaches. It had came from my bat.

    I felt my face heat up, embarrassed.

    After a short discussion, the umpire went to the group and took the piece of wood. He also carefully looked over the infield grass, picking up a couple of smaller pieces. He then walked over to our dugout with all pieces of my bat.

    Coach came out. They spoke and Coach was given all the pieces of my bat. The umpire then went back to the other coaches from Eastside and talked some more. About fifteen minutes were wasted before the game was called to resume. But after they signaled for an intentional walk, we hit another long pause. The Eastside coach came back out and signaled pitcher change.

    The Blake guy still had like 10 pitches available so I wasn''t sure why they didn''t want him to face Jason. Until I saw the new guy. A lefty. Lefties didn''t necessarily have an advantage over right-handed hitters but it was more prominent at this level because of the different delivery.

    Jason got jammed, and hit a grounder to the second baseman. I took off for third and Mr. Miller signaled for me to stay.

    "Out."

    "Out!"

    A double play. But we finally have a runner on third. Me.

    "Gotta run as soon as he makes contact." Mr. Miller told me lightly.

    That was the only advice he could give with Korrey up. Korrey already had two fly outs to the outfield. He added one more to center and the inning ended so simply despite the long stops.

    I jogged back to the dugout, helpless.

    "Jake." Coach stopped me. "A minute."

    I took off my helmet and got closer to him. "Yea?"

    "You have your spare bats, right?" He looked down at me, kind of intensely.

    "I have one good spare left." I rubbed the back of my head. "And then a questionable bat that I used yesterday and didn''t plan on using it today. Was going to retire it when we get back home." I looked around for my broken bat. "Did you already throw away my broken one?"

    "No. I set it aside for you." He lowered himself to be more eye-level with me. "Don''t panic. But Eastside has made a formal complaint about your use of wooden bats."

    My heart started to thump.

    Coach reached out and held my shoulder. "I clearly pointed out to the umpire that there was no ban against wooden bats in the tournament bylaws. Don''t worry, I checked. The umpire does request that you let him examine your spare before your next at bat though. So make sure you grab the good one. Don''t use one that has a better chance of breaking, understand?"

    I slowly nodded. Then swallowed a lump that was forming in my throat. "I''m not in trouble am I?"

    "No. Accidents happen." Coach reassured me.

    "What happens if I break another bat?" I squeaked.

    Coach frowned. "Do your best to avoid it. But like I said, accidents happen. We''ll cross that bridge when we get to it." He squeezed my shoulder. "Go grab your glove and take the field."

    I nodded and hurried through the dugout. Most of the guys had already left to take the field.

    "You good?" Kyle came over and asked me.

    Dave was right beside him. "What did Coach want with you?"

    I explained the situation.

    "Damn. They''re targeting you." Dave cursed. "I bet they were just waiting for an opportunity like this."

    I shrugged. "I don''t know how. It''s not like I break bats every game."

    "How''d you break this one?" Kyle asked.

    I mimicked my swing. "I only saw the two-seamer and that drifts inside on right-handed batters. And with me pulling it down the left field line, I connected with a thinner part of my bat."

    "Damn." Dave cursed again.

    "Well. He''s out now." Kyle said. "This lefty looks decent but not unbeatable. Next time around-" he stopped himself. I understood. We didn''t know if there would be a ''next time around'' for me. We were now in the bottom of the seventh. Unless everyone''s bats get hot next inning...I might be done offensively. I

 Chapter 955: V3 Ch189 Eastside College Prep (7)

    Chapter 955: V3 Ch189 Eastside College Prep (7)

    I was the last to take the field. Garret finished his last practice pitch just as I got into position. He started this inning with batter two. Three and four just waiting for their chance too. Bottom of the seventh with a limited amount of pitches left put a lot of pressure on Garret.

    He threw his cutter consecutively against the second batter, getting to a 1-2 count before the guy swung and missed. Strike out.

    "Nice one!"

    "Keep it up, Garret!"

    "Hold them here!"

    Just as Garret received praise, Carson''s name was announced and his team said chants of their own.

    "Carson!"

    "Your chance is here!"

    "Get on base!"

    Carson had made contact in his two previous plate appearances. I mimicked Noah and backed my heels to the outfield grass. Jason and Jesse guarded the lines. Garret continued to throw his cutter, but Carson must have predicted it and swung at the first pitch. Good for Garret''s pitch count, but it was bad that the ball fell into the left field grass for a single before Tanner could get there.

    Tanner scooped the ball up and returned it to the infield to Noah. Noah saw that Carson stayed at first and walked the ball up to Garret on the mound. The cleanup hitter was next and he had gotten a hit off Garret back in the second inning.

    Noah handed the ball over and shared a sentence or two before going back to his position.

    Garret got set. As did Mitchell. Mitchell signed for a check throw and Garret obliged. He had the advantage as a lefty facing first base. Carson had to get dirty, diving back to first base. Jason didn''t bother with the tag and threw the ball back to Garret.

    Garret got a few ''boos'' from the stands and opposing dugout. Garret didn''t mind and even went ahead to do another check throw, forcing Carson back again. The ''boos'' got louder.

    Mitchell asked for a fastball outside. Garret got set and did his short motion since there was a runner on. The cleanup hitter made contact, hitting the ball just foul. Strike one.

    I fixed my hat and tried to stay focus. The cleanup hitter had great power but there was still a chance that we could turn a double play.

    Garret''s second pitch was his cutter, inside for a ball. He threw another for a called strike. A fastball away was fouled again. Garret went with a fastball low but the batter held back and took the call for a ball. 2-2. Garret mixed in another check throw to the dismay of the fans.

    "Keep him honest, Garret!" Kyle could be heard from our dugout.

    "That''s right!" Dave agreed.

    "C''mon batter. Hit the ball my way." Noah clapped his glove.

    Whether it was intentional or coincidence, the batter really hit the ball Noah''s way. Kind of. It was a fast grounder off Garret''s foot, deflected Noah''s way. Noah caught the ball with his right hand, sprinted two steps to tag second, then threw to Jason as Carson was sliding into second base. Noah swiftly got out of the way.

    "Out."

    "Out."

    "YEA!" A lot of guys cheered. Almost as if we had won. But it was just getting started. Extra innings we go.

    Jesse was the first to Garret, helping him with his weight. Noah and I soon joined.

    Noah went on his other side and tried to scoot under his armpit. "Lean on me, I''ve got you."

    Garret grinned and shoved him away in the head. "Get away from me, brat. I''m fine. It''s just tender."

    Coach met us just outside the dugout, frowning. "How is it?"

    "Just bounced off me like a hacky sack, Coach." Garret reported.

    "Let the trainer have a look." Coach ordered.

    "Aw, man." Garret rolled his eyes.

    "You''re done with the mound, but center field and batting will require a lot of effort. I don''t want to see you hurting your season for a game." Coach went into his safety monologue as we all filed into the dugout.

    Garret was dropped off at the closest spot next to Coach, Sean, and Alisha. The trainer soon came over to take a look.

    I wanted to look too but Noah dragged me away. "Don''t mind him. I believe him. He''s fine."

    "You really think so?" I asked.

    "Yea. If it had really hit him, the ball would have died near the mound. Potentially being an infield single. If anything he helped guide the ball within my reach." Noah smiled.

    That''s the only thing he could smile about. Top of the eighth and bottom of our order, we came up empty-handed once more. Jesse struck out. Tanner hit a grounder to the shortstop. And Mitchell hit a grounder to the first baseman. Everyone retreated back to the dugout in low spirits.

    "I can''t believe we can''t get one break." Noah mumbled to himself. "Something''s gotta give."

    Yea, and I just hope it''s the other team.

    "Tanner, you''ll take a break. Bryce shift to left and Garret will take over in center." Coach gave a rundown of the changes he wanted to see. He left the dugout soon after to tell the umpire of the pitching change too.

    The four of us infielders met Coach on the mound as Tyler jogged in from the bullpen. Coach handed him the baseball. "One batter at a time. One pitch at a time."

    Tyler nodded and played with the baseball in his hands. "Yea, Coach. I get it."

    Coach glanced back at the dugout where Mitchell was just coming out. He was the last out so it took him an extra few minutes to get his catching gear back on. Mitchell joined us and Coach continued. "This game isn''t close to being over yet. You boys have your backs against the wall, but I believe in you. All of you. Our defense isn''t second best to anybody."

    Noah stepped forward proudly. "Let them put the ball in play, Ty. I''ve got anything up the middle."

    Tyler grinned. "Who ya kidding? I haven''t pitched since the finals of the last tournament. That''s three weeks of practice and being bottled up. I''m ready to burst free."

    Coach went back to our dugout and Tyler got to throw some off the mound. When the game resumed, he started with batter number five. Tyler said he was ready to burst but so was Eastside. The batter smacked the very first pitch back the way it came. Luckily Noah was there to snatch the line drive out of the air before it could get to the outfield.

    "That''s what I''m talking about!" Noah threw the ball back to Tyler.

    Tyler let out a small laugh and faced the next guy, unbothered by the sharpness of the last hit. He stayed calm and worked the zone with Mitchell, getting the sixth batter to strike out. Batter seven pulled a pitch down the line, but Jesse was there to make the play. His defensive skills were definitely top tier and he was able to throw the guy out across the diamond.

    "Stay warm, Tyler." Coach instructed when we all headed back inside the dugout. "You''ll do the next inning too." His eyes drifted to Bryce, one of the last to get back to the dugout. "Start us off strong."

    "Yes!"

 Chapter 956: V3 Ch190 Eastside College Prep (8)

    Chapter 956: V3 Ch190 Eastside College Prep (8)

    Top of the ninth we go. Back to the very top of our lineup. Bryce and Noah would get their chance before me.

    Garret and I stood just by the dugout entrance watching the two take practice swings.

    "This is probably our best shot." Garret mumbled so only I could hear. "Not just to score but to prevent them from scoring. In the bottom half of the inning, they''re back to their bottom end of the lineup."

    I held my bat closely and whispered. "Do you think Bryce has a chance?"

    "Against a lefty?" Garret smirked. "Of course. In the bullpen, he''s probably seen me pitch the most out of all of you guys. Him and Brian. Then Mitchell and Oscar."

    "Mitchell couldn''t do anything..." I sighed.

    "Mitchell has to put a lot more thought into calling the game." Garret shrugged. "He does twice the mental work. He''s like a coach on the field."

    That''s true. I couldn''t do something like that.

    Bryce''s name was announced and he moved to the plate. Bryce aggressively swung at the first pitch and got a hit over the infielders. He stood on first safely, clapping his hands as our dugout roared to life.

    Garret grinned. "That was perfect!" He raised his voice. "Good hit!"

    Bryce''s grin was about to split his face. He had the first hit on the team besides me.

    I moved to the on deck circle as Noah walked up to the batter''s box. He checked Mr. Miller for the signs. Mr. Miller must have thought that Bryce had the right idea: attack early. He signed for a hit and run. Bryce would take off as soon as the pitcher started his motion. Difficult to do against a lefty that faces first base.

    Sure enough, he did a check throw and Bryce had to dive back. This time, it was his turn to get booed. I don''t know if Bryce knew he wasn''t going to throw to first again or what, but as soon as the pitcher kicked up his leg and almost went forward, Bryce took off. The pitcher made a split second decision to throw the pitch away out of the zone. Noah read it well and stuck out his bat in gave the ball a small tap forward before sprinting for first.

    The catcher was closest. He was prepped to catch a ball out of the zone but it turned to him scrambling forward for the ball. He picked it up, saw Bryce at second so threw to his first baseman. The ball hit Noah on his back shoulder on the left side. Noah tagged first and the cheers rained down.

    I looked back at my dugout and knew it must have been okay for Noah to get hit by the ball.

    Garret came out of the dugout, smiling. "Whatcha waiting for, Bambi? Noah''s safe. The catcher will probably get charged with an error for that."

    What a relief. I turned back to the field and saw that the whole infield was gathering at the mound. A coach came out from Eastside''s dugout and joined them.

    "Probably discussing what to do about you. And then me." Garret got closer to tell me and whispered. "You''ll probably be walked."

    "Then what about you?" I asked.

    "They''ll have to do a pitcher change for me." Garret told me. "No way they let me face a lefty."

    Everything went as Garret predicted. I was issued an intentional walk to load the bases and Eastside''s head coach came out to tell the umpire about a pitching change. I gave my bat a light toss back. There was no controversy regarding my bat since I wouldn''t even get the chance to swing it.

    "You gotta run on contact, kid." Coach Luis told me during the pitcher change. With the first baseman hanging near the mound with the other infielders, it was just us. Bryce and Noah both went to Mr. Miller for a quick meeting of their own.

    "What if it''s a fly ball?" I mumbled. "Shouldn''t I try to tag up?"

    Coach Luis let out an abrupt laugh. "With your lackluster baserunning? No. You go on contact. If it''s a fly out, you better hussle your ass back to first. Leave the tagging to the speedsters."

    I nodded. Alright. I could do that.

    The game was soon called to resume. The infielders went back to their positions and my two teammates went back to their bases.

    The new pitcher was right-handed. Facing Bryce at first, he did a check throw. Bryce had to stay closer to the bag, but so did the third baseman. The shortstop was shifted over more to cover the bigger gap. The second baseman was closer to second and a little back. The first baseman was way over. Coach Luis gave me a look and I knew I had to go out more. We didn''t want to get into another double play.

    Though a big part of that relied on Garret. He stood ready in the batter''s box, patiently waiting for the pitcher to turn his attention on him. The pitcher did a second check throw before throwing his first pitch to Garret.

    It was a fastball high. Garret let it pass. The catcher caught it while coming out of his crouch and did a check throw of his own to third. Bryce was safe. I also retreated a little more back to first, nervous to be targeted. Thankfully I wasn''t the lead runner.

    The pitcher''s second pitch was slower, but moved like a curve. Garret let it fall in for a called strike. The pitcher did a check throw and collected his share of ''boos'' from the stands. His third pitch was a fastball in the zone. Garret made contact. I ran for second, watching the ball fly to center field. Once it was clear it was going to be caught, I ran back for first. Coach Luis motioned for me to stay standing.

    Bryce safely tagged home for the first score of the game.

    "Safe!" A loud yell came from the umpire watching third. Apparently Carson out in center threw to stop Noah''s advancement but couldn''t.

    "BS!" A coach came out of Eastside''s dugout again. He stormed up to the umpire and shouted. "The tag was on him before he tagged the base. He''s out!"

    The umpire tried to distance himself as the home plate umpire came over to talk with the coach.

    I looked to Coach Luis for his decision. He just stared them down at that corner.

    All the umpires got together before sticking with the call. The coach went back to his dugout and the game continued. I was at first, Noah at third, only one out for Jason. Who...was having a bad day. He had hit into two double plays. I''m sure Coach would want to put in a pinch hitter if it wasn''t for the fact that we needed Jason to play first. Coach probably felt he could use another chance since we already had a run scored.

    I looked to Mr. miller to see what he wanted Jason to do. Only to find that he was giving signs specifically to me...to steal second.

 Chapter 957: V3 Ch191 Eastside College Prep (9)

    Chapter 957: V3 Ch191 Eastside College Prep (9)

    I tried to look away, but made eye contact with Coach Luis. His eyes narrowed and I knew I couldn''t get away with missing the signs. I resisted the urge to sigh, looked back across the diamond at Mr. Miller and gave the sign that I acknowledged his call. To steal a base. Second base. Ninety feet.

    I swallowed a lump in my throat and inched out. One. Two. Three. Four. Five feet. The pitcher merely glanced back at me, mostly focused on Noah at third. He even did a check throw to third, trying to keep Noah closer to the base.

    I know it did for me and I was on the opposite side. I had retreated back to first until the pitcher got the ball back and reset himself on the rubber.

    "Be brave, Bambi!" Dave hollered from the dugout.

    "He ain''t worried about you! Take that lead!" Kyle added.

    I felt the first baseman''s eyes on me.

    I slowly took my lead, trying to act as normal as possible. As soon as the pitcher lifted his leg, I took off. Which wasn''t the right decision. I could hear screams from all over. I saw the shortstop catch the ball and start running towards me. Shoot. I cut back. The ball came over my shoulder to the first baseman. It was his turn to chase me down. I cut back again.

    "TO HOME!"

    "HOME!"

    "RUNNER!"

    The second baseman caught the ball and I turned back again.

    "Go! Go back to second!" Coach Luis was waving me to turn around again.

    I didn''t think, I just did what I was told. Second base was clear of any player so there was no need to slide.

    I turned to look at home plate just in time to see the umpire repeatedly extending his arms.

    "SAFE! SAFE!"

    The crowd roared and Noah jumped up and hopped back to the dugout, waving his arms at the crowd. We added a run: 2-0. I also stole a base. I clenched my fist and gave it a small pump.

    The Eastside Coach came out and started to argue you some more. It''s becoming a common occurrence. But I can see why. It''s a close game. Finally tilting our way on a couple of close calls. And he was going to let the ump hear about it.

    "Jake!" Mr. Miller waved me over.

    I jogged over. "Yea?"

    "Not bad, kid." Mr. Miller patted me on the helmet and leaned down while covering his mouth. "Don''t lose your focus just yet. If the ball is on the ground, I want you to be sprinting to third. If it''s to the outfield, look at me. I won''t make you tag up on any flies, but if it''s a hit, you''re headed home."

    I nodded.

    The game took a couple minutes to resume again. I went back to second base and the defense got back to their positions. Jason stepped up to the plate once more. The pitcher got set. I took my lead off of the bag, glancing back at the shortstop to see how close or far he was from me and the base.

    "Back!"

    Someone yelled and I rushed back to second. A look around told me that the ball wasn''t thrown. The pitcher must have just took his foot off the rubber. I took a lead again, intending to go a little further. My efforts didn''t amount to much as the pitcher started to focus on Jason. He got him to go down swinging. The same happened to Korrey. Back to back strikeouts. Whatever. We had a two run lead. Three more outs stood between us and the finals.

    I had a feeling that I was floating back to the dugout. I was soon greeted by cheerful teammates and claps on the back despite not being the one to drive in a run or to even score a run.

    "Great run, Bambi!"

    "Not bad!"

    "You''re doing a lot better!"<.com></.com>

    "Zeke would be proud!"

    I got to my bag and took off my helmet. Noah was there, waiting. I gave him a small smile. "I have a funny feeling that you told Mr. Miller that I needed to steal second."

    Noah laughed while getting up. "Hey man, I''m not the coach. Just a player with some crazy ideas."

    "What if you couldn''t score?" I asked, putting on my hat and grabbing my glove. "Or what if I was tagged out?"

    "I would definitely be safe if they kept trying to tag you." Noah shrugged. "Similar to a sac fly in my opinion."

    We left the dugout together, jogging to our spots on the field. We did a small throw around as Tyler got some practice pitches in. Bottom of the ninth, he started with batter eight. It was a pinch hitter.

    Everyone got set. Tyler did his windup and threw his first pitch. The batter shifted into a bunt stance.

    "BUNT!"

    The batter connected, dropping a slow roller between first base and the mound.

    Originally, I ran forward, but soon saw Jason coming out from first. He was going to the ball first. I made a beeline for first base, as did Tyler. Jason threw the ball to the running Tyler and it became a footrace between him and the batter.

    "Safe!"

    Tsk. I let out a puff of air. Tyler walked back to the mound, not focused on the guy at first anymore.

    I looked at Jason. Jason called ''time'' and went to the mound with Tyler. I hurried to follow. Noah and Jesse came in too.

    "Tough break." Noah said, not down at all. "They probably got that idea from me."

    "Small ball is a part of the game." Tyler wasn''t bothered. "Honestly wouldn''t be surprised if they try it again." He looked to Jesse.

    Jesse covered his mouth with his glove. "You think I should play in more to watch for a squeeze? Try for a double play?"

    "Nah. Take the out at first." Tyler told him. "Don''t try to get fancy. If needed, I can give up a run."

    "Your ERA would be trashed." Noah joked.

    "A win is a win." Tyler looked around at all of us. "I can''t say I''m the best one to have on the mound, but I know how Coach would want us to play. Steady. Get the ball, get the out."

    We all nodded. We broke up the small mound meeting and got into our positions. Jason stayed at first with the runner. I was shifted more over. Noah was near the same while Jesse also played in.

    The ninth batter, originally held by a pitcher, was replaced with another pinch hitter. He showed bunt right away. Tyler wasn''t bothered. He checked on the runner, did a shorter motion and threw his first pitch the batter. The batter pulled his bat back and took a full on swing, fouling it back.

    Uhhh. I looked around. I was not expecting that. Was he swinging now? Should I back up more?

    Noah gave a small shake of his head. I wasn''t sure if it was for me necessarily but I took it as ''don''t change''.

    Tyler got a baseball back from Mitchell and got set once more. He threw another pitch, lower and inside. The runner on first had took off for second. The batter dropped his bunt on the ball and it went down the third baseline right to Jesse. Jesse picked the ball up and threw to Jason at first.

    "Out."

    And the runner was safe at second.

 Chapter 958: V3 Ch192 Eastside College Prep (10)

    Chapter 958: V3 Ch192 Eastside College Prep (10)

    One out. Back to the top of the order.

    Noah clapped with his glove. "Alright! One out! Play''s at first!"

    Tyler got set. Mitchell didn''t ask for a check throw, but Tyler did look back and took his foot off the rubber, eyeing the runner. The baserunner walked back to second, not taking a lead again until Tyler faced the batter. Tyler and the batter got into a drawn out battle before the batter got a piece of a pitch, hitting a grounder my way.

    Before I had even gloved the ball, Noah was yelling. "To first!"

    I fielded the ball, throwing the batter out at first. The runner from second had advanced to third base.

    "Two outs!" Jason said, throwing the ball to Tyler on the mound.

    The second batter was replaced with a pinch hitter. The previous guy had three strikeouts so I guess they didn''t want him to try for the golden sombrero.

    "Play''s at first!" Noah repeated again. "We''ve got your back Ty!"

    Tyler worked hard and the batter only hit a grounder to Noah. Routine work for him. As soon as that third out was called and the game was officially over, everyone started to run to the mound. We were going to the finals.

    I grinned as I hung on the outskirts of the big group. Until I caught a glimpse of Carson. He was on one knee in the on deck circle, still holding his bat. He was looking at my team celebrate our long-desired win. His eyes drifted until they connected with mine. He dropped his head before I could look away, stood up, turned back to his dugout and took his helmet off. I only watched for a second before a heavy arm pulled me back to the reality of my team''s win.

    "Rest up, Bambi!"

    "We''ve got one more game this weekend!"

    The twins had arrived from our dugout. The two shook me back and forth until I forgot about Carson. Our team wasn''t rushed off since the other semifinal was played at the other field. We took a minute to celebrate the win with everyone from the dugout and bullpen before going back to the dugout.

    As we took off our cleats and packed up, Coach addressed the whole team. "Way to hang in there, boys. I know the hits weren''t coming for us and it''ll be like that against the best teams so don''t take it to heart. After lunch, we''ll have some extra time before the start of Finals. If anyone wants, we can do extra batting practice."

    "I''ll throw some BP!" Kyle offered.

    Coach looked at him, skeptical.

    "I''ll take it light, Coach." Kyle swore. "Nothing serious to jeopardize my shoulder. I can just work on accuracy and throwing to the hard spots."

    Coach slowly nodded. "Okay." He looked at Dave. "But nothing from you."

    Dave was offended. "We both pitched yesterday, Coach!"

    "Yea, but Kyle didn''t max out." Garret pointed out.

    Dave rolled his eyes. "You maxed out too."

    "I''m not trying to volunteer for BP." Garret shook his head, slouching on the bench. "I''m in recovery mode completely. My whole body aches. This weekend has been very physical."

    "Tournaments take a toll on the body." Coach stated. "After today, we''ll start having some more rest days in between games." He looked at Garret. "If you need a break, we can afford to start you on the bench for the finals. Come in when we need you."

    "If we need you." Noah snorted. "How many more tough teams can there be? We beat University. We beat Heritage Oak. We beat Eastside. These division one schools have nothing on us."

    "You know I''m always good for a game, Coach." Garret refused. "Just don''t expect me to run into anymore fences. When I get home tonight, I''ll be taking an ice bath."

    "We won''t have practice tomorrow." Coach said. He looked around. "All of you have worked hard this weekend. Physically and mentally." He zoned in on the pitchers hanging out by the exit. "Who wants to start-"

    "ME!!" Joey jumped up, cutting Coach off before he could finish.

    Coach chuckled. "Well then. Looks like we have our starter for the finals."

    "C''mon Coach."

    "That''s not fair!"

    "I wouldn''t mind making a spot start."

    "Well if it''s Joey, I guess we still have a chance to go in."

    The pitchers who haven''t done anything this tournament started to complain and crack jokes at Joey''s expense.

    "You guys are just jealous that I was the only one to pay attention." Joey puffed out his chest.

    "I''m thinking our team''s ERA is about to take a dump." Noah whispered to me.

    "He''s not bad." I elbowed Noah.<.com></.com>

    "Better than Marshel I guess." Noah snickered. He still held a grudge against our fellow sophomore.

    I had nothing to say that. One, I definitely thought Joey was better than Marshel. Two, I didn''t really like him either.

    "Okay, simmer down." Coach motioned for us to zip it. "Let''s round up your parents so I can discuss lunch plans." He spotted me, then looked to the twins. "Make sure to guide Jake to your parents. Don''t stop to talk to strangers."

    Dave laughed. "We ain''t five, Coach."

    "No one is going to kidnap our baby brother." Kyle declared.

    "I think Coach is talking about the reporters." Noah laughed. He rested his hand on my head. "Gotta protect the baby before finals. Save the questions for the end of the tournament."

    "Jake''s becoming our own little celebrity." Garret joked. "Man, how did I get left behind like this?"

    "I just wonder if all games will be like this now?"

    "Zeke attracted a reporter or two. Especially against the better schools."

    "We should probably expect more of the same these next couple of years."

    "It''s good exposure for us too. But only if we make it count."

    A lot of the guys talked, comparing me to Zeke. I glanced at Noah to see if he was bothered, but his attention was more on his phone. We packed up and left the dugout in smaller groups, going to find our families.

    Noah was on my right while the twins walked on either side of us.

    "Great game, Jake."

    "Your hit streak continues."

    "Can we ask you some more questions?"

    "How does it feel beating your cousin?"

    I paused.

    Noah grabbed my arm. "Ignore them."

    "Wait." I glanced to the person who asked about beating Carson. "I wasn''t...focused on that."

    "What were you focused on then?"

    I shrugged. "Playing baseball." I looked to Noah. "I think I mostly thought about Noah''s fielding."

    Noah grinned. He hooked me around the back of my neck and looked at the reporter. "You heard it here first, Jake Atkins looks up to me. He aspires to be as good as me."

    "You made some amazing grabs today, Noah!"

    "Very strong throws!"

    "His baserunning is the best I''ve seen in quite awhile."

    "Yea, I wanted to ask about that double steal and how it was planned."

    We left those people behind and found Mom and Dad off to the side, talking to some parents.

    "You boys were awesome!" Mom complimented. "It was such a close game!"

    Dad laughed. "Your mom couldn''t take a bathroom break until you guys got on the scoreboard."

    "I was scared to miss out on the action, Wayne." Mom lightly slapped him.

    I looked around slowly. "Did Jeremy..." I let the question die in my mouth, spotting Jeremy walking to the gate and onto the field.

    "You think he''s going to go find Carson?" Kyle mumbled.

    "That...I mean...it looks like it." Dave answered. He looked at me. "You good, Jake?"

    I shrugged. "I think so." I sighed. "I guess I''m feeling better than Carson."

 Chapter 959: V3 Ch193

    Chapter 959: V3 Ch193

    During lunch with the team and everyone''s family, I got a message from Jeremy.

    Jeremy: Sorry to bail without saying anything first. You played great today! It was a good game.

    I stared at the message for a second too long I guess.

    Because Noah peered over my shoulder to take a look. He snorted. "Took him long enough." He looked at me. "You should ignore him."

    My lips twitched. "It''s not like it was intentional. He went to support Carson after a tough loss. Wouldn''t you guys do the same for me?"

    Noah rubbed his chin. "Yea, yea. I know he would come to you if you had lost, but it doesn''t feel right. Kind of like a traitor, you know?"

    I shook my head. "I don''t think so. Carson is probably more of a brother to him than me. Like how I think you''re more of a brother, than he is, to me."

    Noah didn''t like my answer. He lounged back in his chair. "It''s different though. I just feel like he owes you. Nothing dramatic like a million dollars. But maybe a little more attention?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t have any feud with...them."

    "Well, if you''re fine with it, I''m fine with it." Noah took a sip of his drink. "He''ll probably stick around to watch you in the finals anyways."

    I nodded. That was likely. I switched from my texting app to search up Zeke''s game. "You think Zeke''s game is going yet?"

    "Yea. By now, definitely." Noah leaned closer as we watched the online updates. "Just play the radio version out loud. No one is going to mind."

    I hesitated. We were in a restaurant and although we had a big group, it would be rude to the other customers.

    Noah clicked play, ignoring my dilemma. As soon as the broadcast could be heard, we attracted a lot of attention from our teammates.

    "Are you guys listening to a spring training game?" Jason asked.

    "No. Stanford versus Grand Canyon." Noah said. "Zeke''s in left field. Batting third."

    "Damn." Sean scooted closer. "Hard for me to believe that there''s a better player than him on the same team. I hope they make playoffs."

    "Too soon to say." Garret nodded.

    "Bradley Thompson isn''t that much better than Zeke. He just has more experience at this level." Noah defended. "Maybe halfway through the season, they''ll switch it up."

    "Just depends on who''s hot."

    Everyone was jumping in, talking about the next level, Zeke, the game we played in, and the game we were about to play in. It was a good meal. I didn''t have any friends before my big move to Northern California, yet now I had a whole team. At least half the guys I knew well and could talk to on my own. I wasn''t totally reliant on Noah like last season. Things were good.

    ***

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Atkins

    3 CF Garret Knudsen<.com></.com>

    4 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    5 3B Jesse Shipman

    6 RF Tanner Erickson

    7 C Mitchell Torres

    8 1B Jason Morris

    9 P Joey Hendersooach gave out the lineup at lunch. He wanted to move things around a bit. Bryce and Brian were still eligible to pitch so he wanted them both back in the bullpen. We were at the furthest point in the tournament now. It was likely that the bullpen would play a role in how it ends.

    Our opposition for the finals was set to be Franklin High School. Coach said they were from the Sacramento area and were formerly known as a powerhouse public school. But in the last two years they had slipped in D1 rankings because of subpar pitching performances. Now it looked like they were back to the top. Sort of. They were climbing and surprisingly their ranking for the tournament was lower than us, making us the home team for the first time this weekend.

    After warmups, Coach had a small meeting before we took the field. "Don''t take anything easy. Three B''s. Ball. Base. Backup." He looked at me. "If we see some more bunts your way, go to first. Jason will go the ball. You don''t even have to think about it."

    I nodded.

    He looked to Joey. "Try not to be too amped up out there. Keep calm. Focus on Mitchell''s mitt." He looked at Mitchell next. "The game is in your hands. Try to keep the ball low. Make them work if they want that ball in the outfield. We don''t care about how many pitches each batter racks up."

    "Try to get them to hit the grounders all to me." Noah suggested with a grin.

    "Bro, you''re bound to make an error sooner or later." Kyle gave him a small pat on the shoulder. "Try taking it easy and let the pitcher work."

    "No errors for me." Noah waved him off.

    "I don''t think anyone has an error so far for this tournament. At least not on our side." Sean pointed out. He glanced my way and opened his mouth.

    "Don''t jinx it." I whispered.

    Sean laughed. We all knew how bad of a start I had last season. Constant errors. For fielding. For baserunning. For mental mistakes that Zeke deemed an error. It was painful to look back on.

    The announcer could be heard going through the intros of both teams. It was our cue to take the field. We ran out and heard the claps after every starter''s name was announced.

    "And on the mound, Junior, number 18, Joey Henderson." The guy said over the speaker system. "Leading off for Franklin High School, number four, shortstop, Alec Nelson."

    "Start us off strong, Alec!"

    "Get on base!"

    "You''ve got this."

    The cheers for him came out clearly. Joey didn''t get any words of encouragement that was specifically for him. Most of the crowd sounded like they were here for Franklin High School.

    I scanned the crowded stands for Mom and Dad. They would cheer for everyone on our team at all times. I frowned the more I looked. They weren''t in their normal spots like upper center or closer to our dugout. Just as I was about to give up I spotted Mom climbing the stands. She found a spot and sat alone. No Dad. I frowned. No Jeremy either? Maybe they went to meet somewhere more private. There were reporters around after all.

 Chapter 960 V3 Ch194 Franklin HS (1)

    Chapter 960 V3 Ch194 Franklin HS (1)

    Ding.

    I was caught flat-footed and didn''t react in time for a ball going over my head. Luckily Noah had my back. And that the ball was more of a flare. Noah slid in the grass to make the catch before it hit the grass.

    "Out." The umpire confirmed.

    Noah threw the ball to me and got up. I hesitated to turn around to throw it back to Joey. I was afraid he would be mad that I zoned out on the very first batter.

    Noah jogged to me. "Yo, you blinked?"

    I frowned, not understanding.

    Noah winked at me. "You must have blinked when the bat made contact with the ball. Don''t worry, it happens." He took the ball out of my glove and threw it to Joey on the mound. "One out!"

    "One out!" I heard Jason and Jesse echo.

    Noah paused as he looked me in the eyes. "You good, Jake?"

    I pursed my lips. "Dad and Jeremy aren''t in the stands."

    Noah patted my shoulder. "Maybe Dad had to go save him from a reporter. Don''t worry. We can ask someone to ask Mom when it''s our turn to bat." He forcefully turned me around in the right direction. "Two more outs. You''ve got this. Everything is fine."

    I nodded slowly. Yea. Everything is fine. Noah got the out so technically, I didn''t mess up. I glanced at Joey on the mound, but he was already facing Mitchell. As long as he wasn''t glaring at me, I could calm myself down and focus.

    Joey faced off with the second batter, getting to a 2-2 count before the batter hit a fly ball right to Tanner in right field. He did it better against the third batter, getting him to swing and miss on a 2-2 count, earning his first strikeout of the game.

    Everyone jogged back to the dugout.

    I was the slowest, too busy scanning the stands for Mom to see if Dad and Jeremy joined her yet.

    Mom smiled big and waved when she caught me looking. I gave a small wave back and went into the dugout.

    "Distracted?" Coach asked me with raised eyebrows.

    I slowly nodded, glancing back out. "Dad...and Jeremy aren''t here yet."

    Kyle came over in a rush, maneuvering between our teammates. "Hold on, I''m coming!" He stopped between me and Coach. "I spoke to Dad through the fence just as you guys were taking the field. He-" Kyle stopped. "Uh, Jeremy...showed up with Carson..." He looked at me. And I looked at him. "Dad wasn''t sure how you would feel so I''m supposed to ask?"

    I frowned. "He just brought Carson? No...others?"

    Kyle shook his head. "Nope."

    I gave a small shrug. "Okay, then."

    "Kyle, get back to your dad and give him the green light." Coach instructed. "Jake, you''re on deck, get going."

    Right. I hurried to my bag and changed out my gear. Noah already had his name announced and was walking to the batter''s box. I got on deck and took a couple of light swings during Noah''s at bat.

    On a 2-1 count, Noah pulled the ball down the line. The third baseman was able to handle the grounder and made an excellent throw to first to beat out Noah''s fast legs. One out.

    "Now batting, second baseman, number zero, Jake Atkins."

    I took one last look at the stands. I spotted a few bodies moving up the stands towards Mom. Dad led the way, Jeremy followed, and Carson was last. Kyle got the message out. I didn''t mind if Carson wanted to watch. I could have used more of a head''s up since I''m not the type to like surprises.

    I stepped into the righty''s box, casually dug my back foot in, then got ready, looking at the pitcher. Mr. Miller didn''t sign anything specific; I was able to do anything I want. And what I wanted was to make up for that small lapse in the start.

    The pitcher threw a fastball in the zone. Easy. Too easy. I swung fast and made solid contact. The ball soared to left field. I sprinted to first, rounding the base just as the left fielder watched the ball go over. It was gone.

    The umpire waved his finger around to gesture a homerun. I slowed up a little bit as I rounded the bases. From third to home, I looked up in the stands for the millionth time. Mom and Dad were harder to spot now that people were all standing and clapping, saying my name. Bu they were there. Yelling, smiling, and waving. Jeremy and Carson were right beside them, clapping too but it also looked like they were trying to talk to one another. I tagged home, scoring the first run of the game. 1-0.

    Back inside the dugout, the guys slapped my back or the top of my helmet. I made it safely to my bag where Noah and the twins were.

    Noah was grinning. "Does it feel good to show off?"

    I took off my helmet and put it away. "I wasn''t showing off. I was trying my best to make up for my mental error."

    Dave laughed. "You''re so clear-cut. You don''t have to constantly worry about doing well because you lacked in another aspect."

    "Right? It''s like he''s a people pleaser." Kyle said

    "But it makes me feel better." I sat down.

    "Dude. You didn''t even make an error." Noah shook his head.

    "Yea, thanks to you." I sighed.

    "Even without me, it wouldn''t be considered an error. You didn''t touch it. Bobble it. Mess up a throw. It would have just been a bloop single." Noah said.

    "Yea, but that''s still considered a mental error. And Joey would be mad."

    "There''s no fixing him." Dave shook his head.

    Our conversation was cut by the loud sound of the bat hitting a ball. Garret hit a line drive right to center field for the second out.

    "I think you''re a perfectionist." Noah told me, getting back to the topic. "You constantly want to do well."

    "I don''t want to hear that from you." I cracked a smile. "Who said earlier that he wouldn''t have any errors?"

    Noah wagged his finger. "That''s a goal. An aspiration."

    "Two peas in a pod." Kyle said.

    We only talked a little more during Korrey''s at bat. He struck out to end the inning then Noah and I had to join the others in taking the field again.

 Chapter 961 V3 Ch195 Franklin HS (2)

    Chapter 961 V3 Ch195 Franklin HS (2)

    Top of the second. I don''t know whether it''s because we were talking about errors or if I was just bound to mess up sometime, but when the cleanup hitter hit a hard grounder my way, I stumbled over my own feet to my right. The ball went off my glove and rolled away from me. I scrambled for it, got the ball back in hand and saw that the batter was almost to first, I threw my hardest. Which just made things worse.

    The ball soared over Jason''s head, towards the visitor''s dugout and the runner tagged first base, continuing to second. Mitchell got to the ball, picked it up and looked around. He held onto it and didn''t bother to throw to Noah at second base. Instead, he walked it in, heading to Joey on the mound.

    "Time."

    I let out a heavy sigh, slowly heading to the mound like the others. "I''m sorry, I-"

    I started to apologize but Noah cut me off. "It was a tough grounder. Not much you could do about it. But that throw..." He shook his head. "You gotta stay calm. Play with urgency but don''t overreact." He patted my shoulder. "We probably jinxed you in the dugout. That''s my bad."

    "As long as you don''t let it get to you, everything will be fine." Mitchell said. He handed the ball to Joey. "Don''t worry about the runner; focus on the batter."

    I was too nervous to look at Joey. He couldn''t feel ''okay'' about my error. Double error, I guess. Off the glove and a bad throw. If I could, I would like to be invisible right about now.

    A few more words were said before we broke up on the mound. Most notably, Joey said nothing. I couldn''t tell if that meant he was mad at me. Or just neutral about the situation. Maybe it would depend on how the inning would go.

    With everyone in position, and a runner on second, Joey faced off with the fifth batter. On a 2-1 count, he pulled a fastball down the line. Jesse was there to make the grab. He glanced at the runner.

    "To first!" Noah called out.

    Jesse threw the ball beautifully to Jason at first to get the first out.

    "Third!" Jesse yelled. The runner from second had committed to run to third base.

    Jason grabbed the ball out of his glove, but decided not to make that throw. He took a few steps in and lightly tossed the ball to Joey. "One out!"

    Joey caught the ball and did a short walk around before getting to the rubber. He did a check throw to Jesse at third. Jesse caught the ball off balance, clearly surprised. So was I and everyone else in the infield. Mitchell didn''t give the sign for check throw. Joey got the ball back and got set again. He took on the sixth batter, occasionally doing check throws to third to keep the runner close to the base. On a full count though, the batter made contact and got the ball to drop in the outfield grass for an RBI single.

    If that wasn''t enough, the very next batter hit an even better ball to the outfield for an RBI double. 1-2. We were losing for the first time this tournament in the finals. All started by my error.

    "Bring it in." Noah signaled to the rest of us after calling for a timeout. He looked to me first. "Stay calm, stay cool."

    "Shouldn''t you be saying that to me?" Joey blurted out, turning red in the face. But not like he was angry...just embarrassed. I knew that feeling well.

    "Nah. You''ll be fine." Noah told him. He jerked his thumb at me. "But this guy is on the verge of a panic attack. Tell him you''re not mad about that error so he can bring down his heart rate."

    I nudged Noah with my shoulder, thinking he was making things worse.

    "Of course I''m not mad about his error. I''m mad at myself for giving up hits." Joey said.

    "I don''t think anyone would get mad at Jake ever." Jason chuckled. "His batting is responsible for more than half of our offense." Jason gave my shoulder a pat. "Really, kid, I think you''re doing fine." He looked around. "All of us are in good condition. We''re down by one run. So what? Not the end of the world. We''ll get it back soon enough."

    The umpire came and broke up the small meeting, sending us back to our positions once more. Joey was nearing the bottom of the lineup with batter eight. He ignored the runner on second base and went after the batter, earning his second strikeout of the game. He closed it out with one more strikeout from the ninth batter, the pitcher. We went back to the dugout in better spirits with that strong finish.

    "Jake-" Coach started.

    "I got it handled, Coach." Noah said proudly. "Jake is in good condition. Unbothered by his error."

    "Yea, because Zeke isn''t here to punish him with laps." Garret came in and laughed. He patted me in the head. "Don''t worry, Jake. I''m a captain that doesn''t believe in physical punishment. You''ll just have to field a few extra grounders this week at practice instead of hitting the cages."

    I frowned. "That sounds like physical punishment to me."

    "It''s relative to the offense you made." Garret grinned.

    "Well, it''s not the worse thing ever." Noah told me happily. He was a good mood despite being down a run. I followed him back to our spot and we both took a seat, taking our gloves off. "Not gonna lie, I was afraid you might need a moment in the middle of the game."

    I shook my head. "I''m okay." As long as no one yells at me.

    "It''s been a rough weekend for you though. I get scared when I see something might put you off. We''re close to the finish line. Don''t lose focus."

    I gave a small smile. I understood Noah''s worries well. Sometimes something so small and unexpected could make me have a panic attack. Followed by a vomiting session and I might be out of it for the rest of the game. It felt nice having so much care and concern directed my way, even if it was embarrassing.

    Bottom of the second, Jesse led off, hitting a stand-up double to left field. Tanner''s long fly ball allowed Jesse to tag up and make it to third. Mitch poked a grounder up the middle for an RBI single to make the score 2-2. We were already back. Just like that. I hoped for a little more, mostly for Joey''s peace of mind, but we came up empty-handed. Jason flew out to short right field and Joey hit a routine grounder to third.

    Noah and I had originally made it so close to being up again but had to retreat and put our bats back. We hurried to take the field. Jason rolled ground balls to us and Jesse for a warmup. We did more since Mitchell and Joey took some extra time to come out after our offensive half inning. It allowed me to feel comfortable and somewhat confident that I wouldn''t mess up again. Even if I botch the grounder, I worked on throwing right to Jason''s glove. They could have one base off my mess up, not two.

 Chapter 962 V3 Ch196 Franklin HS (3)

    Chapter 962 V3 Ch196 Franklin HS (3)

    Top of the third. Joey gave up a hit right away to the leadoff. Tanner got the ball in quick to keep the guy to a single. He threw the ball to me. I checked to make sure the runner stayed at first before throwing the ball back to Joey.

    Joey waited for the second batter to step up before getting set. He checked over his shoulder at the runner on first before looking at Mitchell. He nodded at his sign and threw his first pitch to this guy. The batter made solid contact, hitting a line drive to left. Korrey came sprinting in and made a dive and slide for the ball, catching it before it hit the grass for the first out. The runner retreated back to first base as Korrey popped up and threw the ball back in.

    The third batter attacked early too, pulling the the third pitch to him down the line. Jesse made a diving stop. He jumped to his feet and threw to Jason at first. It was going to be close.

    "Out!" The umpire declared.

    I dropped my shoulders in relief. Two outs. And the runner at second now. Not terrible.

    Jason threw the ball back to Joey. "Hey, two outs! Focus on the batter!"

    Joey nodded. He walked around the mound for an extra second before getting on the rubber. He nodded at Mitch''s pitch selection, throwing his first pitch to the cleanup hitter. The batter had started his swing, but with the pitch coming inside, he tried to adjust and looked awkward as it connected. The ball dropped in the left field grass for a base hit. Korrey charged it, barehanded the ball, and threw it straight to Jesse at third. The runner from second was easily safe on third base, but he was stopped from trying to run home.

    I could feel the tension getting tight between my shoulders again. Runners on first and third. Two outs. The fifth batter got set in the batter''s box. I had a bad feeling that if we went down another run or two, our team atmosphere might not be as cheerful or comfortable as before.

    Joey did his best to work the zone, getting the batter to a 2-2 count, but then the batter made contact. The ball flew off the bat and went to the outfield. Dead center. Garret chased the ball back and I felt myself holding my breath. Garret jumped just before getting to the fence. He knocked into it again for the second time this weekend, stayed on his feet and held up his gloved hand in the air. Out.

    I let out the breath I was holding. Thank god. Still down a run but that''s within reach. I jogged back to the dugout with the others.

    "Way to tough it out." Coach told Joey. "You just earned yourself another inning."

    Joey gave a weak smile. I didn''t hear what he had to say though as I had to get to my bag and switch my gear. I was on deck after Noah as we started our offense at the top of our lineup.

    "I''m going to get on base this time." Noah stated as he tightened his batting gloves.

    I tugged mine on as well and glanced at him. It sounded like he was talking to himself so I didn''t know if I should say anything. It took me a minute, but I decided too. "I''ll drive you home..."

    Noah laughed. "Yea? I believe in you." He turned and went out with his bat.

    I tugged my helmet on, grabbed my bat and hurried after him. We left the dugout, separated, and started to take practice swings. Some more seriously than others.

    "Do me a favor." Noah stopped and got close to me. I nodded. "If I get on first-I mean, when I get on first, let me steal second before you work your magic." I nodded again. He smiled. "Thanks, Jake." Noah was called up and headed for the batter''s box.

    It was weird to be thanked for something so minuscule. I knew what Noah wanted. If I kept fouling a bunch of pitches, he couldn''t successfully steal. I would have to watch some pitches and be stuck with what I''m given.

    During Noah''s at bat, I kept anticipating for him to drop a surprise bunt or get the ball to the outfield, but instead he earned a walk. Maybe not the way I imagined him to get on base, but it was still a successful result.

    I moved to the lefty box and got set, examining the players in the outfield.

    "Get him, Bambi!"

    "Get a hit!"

    "You''ve got this!"

    "C''mon Jake!"

    The cheers were overwhelmingly in my support. Like everyone was here for me.

    The pitcher got set. Noah took a lead off of first. The pitcher started his motion and Noah was off. The catcher caught the ball and jumped up, throwing with a huff to second base.

    "Strike." The ump said.

    "Two! Two!"

    "Second!"

    "Runner!"

    Noah slid into second base and the tag came after.

    "Safe!" The other umpire extended his arms.

    Noah looked up and asked for ''time.'' The umpire granted it and he got up to dust himself off. The shortstop walked the ball to the pitcher on the mound. They shared a short talk before breaking up.

    I got set in the batter''s box again as play resumed. A part of me wanted to foul off a bunch of pitches and stretch out my at bat, but I just had a feeling that it wouldn''t result in a run scored. If I foul too much, the pitcher might get frustrated and just walk me. Or maybe the catcher won''t ask for any close pitches. Right now they have me at one strike so the next pitch is probably my best chance to get the ball in play.

    The pitcher got set after glancing at Noah on second base. He did a quicker version of his last pitch but the speed wasn''t faster, nor was the ball in a good spot. For him. For me, I could make it work. I swung at the low fastball, letting the ball go to the opposite direction. I took off for first and the ball headed for the left field corner.

    I rounded first with gusto, watching the left fielder chase the ball back. It was almost identical to my last hit, flying over the outfielder and fence for my second homer of the game. I grinned as I tagged the remaining bases and headed home.

    Noah was there waiting, slapping my hand as soon as I tagged the plate. We had the lead back 4-2.

    Noah threw his arm around my shoulders and yelled over the cheers. "Can you hear them?!"

    I looked to the crowd and spotted Mom and Dad easily. They stood with everyone else, yelling my name. I don''t know how or who started it, but the crowd started to chant together.

    "M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!"

    I felt my face flush.

    Noah laughed. "Come on, let''s get back."

    Garret high-fived us on his way to the box. "I want to start requesting to bat before you two. You take all the glory."

    Noah laughed. "That''s not a bad idea. I''ll tell Coach." He dragged me back to the dugout, only giving me space when the other guys on the team wanted to congratulate me.

    "I think you''ve already surpassed how many homers Zeke hit his whole sophomore year." Dave said cheerfully. "Only took you a couple of tournaments. We''re going to be breaking some records this year!"

 Chapter 963 V3 Ch197 Franklin HS (4)

    Chapter 963 V3 Ch197 Franklin HS (4)

    The good times didn''t end when we started to get settled, taking off our helmets and batting gloves. Garret hit a double off the center field fence, making it to second base easily with no need to slide. Korrey got a piece of an outside pitch, hitting a slow roller down the first baseline. The first baseman chose to scoop the ball up with his glove and tagged the incoming Korrey, allowing Garret to reach third. Jesse who just had a double last inning, hit the pitched ball to the outfield again for an RBI single. 5-2.

    Franklin''s coach came out of the dugout and signaled for a pitching change. He took the ball from his pitcher and sent him back to the dugout while waiting for the new guy to come from the bullpen.

    "Even without our best pitchers, this game doesn''t feel anywhere as stressful as it was against University." Noah said as we watched the new pitcher warm up.

    "I agree." I stretched out my legs. Normally after an error, I''d be on edge for the rest of the game. But with the mixture of winning, getting comforted by Noah and the guys, and even hitting two homers already...I was feeling good.

    The new pitcher came in and finished a couple of practice pitches off the mound before the ump called for the game to resume. Tanner hit a solid line drive right to the second baseman for the second out. Mitch hit a line drive to, getting it to the outfield but the center fielder made a spectacular dive and catch to end the inning.

    Top of the fourth. Joey dealt with batter''s six, seven, and eight. Groundout to Jesse at third. Fly out to Tanner in right. A groundout to Jason at first. Three, up, three down. Unfortunately, we did something similar in the bottom half of the inning. Jason struck out swinging. Joey hit a fly ball to left field. Then Noah got really unlucky, striking out on a foul tip.

    He came back to me on the on deck circle with a look of distress. "Dang it. That was my chance. I really wanted to continue my hit streak." We walked back into the dugout together.

    "What hit streak?" Garret laughed. "You didn''t have a hit in the last game against Eastside."

    Noah frowned. "My last at bat was a bunt single."

    "The catcher hit you with the ball." Garret laughed. "Pretty sure that counts as an error."

    "No way. I had it beat even without the bad throw." Noah looked to Alisha. "What did you put it down as?"

    "Umm." Alisha averted her eyes. "Well, it''s not like my notes are official. I just take them for Coach."

    Noah''s jaw dropped and he looked for Coach. "Did you mark that as an error?"

    "Why worry about it now?" Coach narrowed his eyes. "Are you going to take the field or get benched?"

    Noah didn''t argue and hurried to his bag. I was right behind him. Everyone else took it as a warning as well.

    Top of the fifth. The last batter in the lineup was replaced with a pinch hitter. He made solid contact early on in the count, pulling a line drive to the left. Jesse jumped up and snatched the ball out of the air, easily saving an extra bases hit.

    Back at the top of the lineup, Joey earned his fourth strikeout of the game. Followed up by a fly out to center to end their offensive. Joey had only given up two runs over five innings and one of those wasn''t even earned because of my error. Not a bad outing at all.

    Bottom of the fifth. I was first up and hurried to get my gear switched out.

    "I wouldn''t rush if I was you." Noah said with a shrug. "I doubt they''ll try pitching to you for a third time. I think they get that you''re unbeatable by now."

    My lips twitched. "I''m not unbeatable."

    "Nearly." Noah laughed.

    I grabbed my bat and headed out. Garret wasn''t far behind. The two of us watched the pitcher take his pitches then I was soon called up.

    The catcher stayed standing and turned to the ump. "Intentional walk."

    The umpire looked at me and gestured to first. "Take your base."

    I tossed my bat back towards the dugout and started to jog to first as ''boos'' rained down from the stands. Even though I knew they weren''t for me, I still felt bad.

    It only lasted a minute before Garret''s name was announced. Then a new batch of cheers for him took over. Garret put in the work, getting to a full count before hitting a fly ball down the left field line. I went further out, watching the ball carefully as the left fielder tracked it down. He made the catch beyond the foul line and I retreated back to first.

    "He''s got to put more power into his swing." Coach Luis shook his head in disappointment.

    Korrey came up next. He had been hitless all weekend. A depressing stat for a former offensive mvp from the JV level. He finally came through with a single, pushing me to second. But Jesse, who had two hits already today, came up empty, striking out. Tanner struck out swinging too, leaving us stranded with another scoreless inning. Score was still 5-2 in our favor though so it was hard to be sad about it.

    "I''ll need someone to get a hit for us next inning." Noah said as I took off my helmet and stuffed it into my bag. "Not even a real hit. Just get on base. By walk or error."

    "I thought Coach implied you didn''t get a hit last game?" I whispered, trying not to be caught by Coach.

    "Doesn''t mean I can''t start a new hit streak." Noah shot back. Then shrugged. "Besides. Last game was still today. So I could technically claim to have a hit streak going by referring to how many days it lasted and not how many games."

    I stifled a laugh.

    We grabbed our gloves and hit the field.

    "You think Joey will last the whole game?" I asked as we saw him take his practice pitches with Mitchell.

    Noah shrugged. "I don''t know. Depends on him. Depends on Coach. We''ve got a comfortable lead so I don''t know if it would be better to let him have at it, or let the bullpen get some work in. Tough decision." He grinned and smacked the inside of his glove. "Either way, I''m hoping the ball comes to me."

    "I hope so too." I mumbled, but Noah still overheard and laughed.

 Chapter 964 V3 Ch198 Franklin HS (5)

    Chapter 964 V3 Ch198 Franklin HS (5)

    964 V3 ch198 Franklin HS (5)

    Top of the sixth. Joey had to deal with the hardest part of the lineup. Three. Four. Five. Granted, he��s kept them at a combined 1-6 with only the cleanup batter having a single. But the ball has been put into play a lot. Batter three was no exception, launching the ball dead center. Garret sprinted back to the warning track and made the catch for the first out of the inning.

    The cleanup hitter put up a fight, working the full count until Joey threw a ball way outside. It went off the backstop and the batter jogged to first base after tossing his bat towards his dugout.

    I glanced at Noah. Our team was very adamant about not giving out walks. It was better to give up hits. Just yesterday, Dave got grief about his two walks and I just think he has more leeway than Joey.

    Noah��s face was neutral and he stayed in his position. He caught me looking his way and clapped his glove. ��Okay, okay. One out! Let��s eye that double play!��

    That��s right. I got set for the next batter. I��d prefer if the ball came to me for this double play. It��ll be easier to throw to Noah at second, instead of making the throw from second to first. I flexed my glove open and close a few times.

    The fifth batter hit the ball way out of reach for us though. There would be no routine double play with the line drive flying to right-center field. Garret sprinted over and completely laid out to make the diving grab, stopping the ball from hitting the grass. From the ground, he tossed the ball to Tanner who had came over to cover. Tanner threw the ball to Noah at second, making the runner retreat to first.

    Noah took a few steps towards the mound and tossed the ball to Joey. ��Two outs! One to go. Play��s at first!��

    Joey turned the ball over a couple of times in his hands before putting his glove back on and getting set on the mound. He did a check throw twice for the runner on first before taking the batter on. It didn��t help him settle it seemed. The sixth batter ripped a ball to left-center field, hitting the outfield fence before Garret or Korrey could even get there.

    The runner from first had taken off as soon as the bat was swung, giving him a great lead. Rounding second, then rounding third. He was going to go home!

    .....

    I nervously stood by second base, watching Garret throw the ball in to Noah, and Noah relaying it home to Mitchell as the runner slid over home plate.

    ��Safe!�� The umpire stated. 5-3.

    The batter made it to second base with ease and Mitchell walked the ball back to the mound where Joey was. Noah jogged in too, joining their small mound meeting. Seeing Jesse and Jason stay at their respective corners, I stayed out of it too. My nervousness could affect Joey and vice versa. I��m sure Noah was saying something like hitting the ball towards him and Mitchell was telling Joey to just focus on the batter.

    The umpire broke up the meeting when it was time. Mitchell and Noah got back into position, and Joey got set on the mound. Joey took on batter seven, getting him to a 1-2 count before stalling. The batter hit five consecutive foul balls before popping a high one into fair territory.

    Noah chased it down in the short outfield and made the catch over his shoulder. Out.

    We jogged it in.

    ��Good game, Joey. Way to hang in there.�� Coach acknowledged. ��Cool down and see me after.��

    Joey��s face fell. ��Can��t I bat before you take me out?��

    Coach shook his head. ��No need. You take a break.�� He looked at Dalton down the bench. ��Dalton, you will pinch hit for the number nine spot.�� His eyes shifted to Mitchell, who was taking off his gear. He didn��t say anything and moved to talked to Alisha.

    Noah and I sat by our bags, with both of us taking off our hats. Noah already put his helmet on and started with his gloves.

    ��What?�� He caught me looking and gave a small shrug. ��At the very least, I��ll be on deck. Gotta be ready anyways.��

    ��I didn��t say anything.�� I pulled out my batting gloves, looking them over. I��ve only worn them a couple times now, but the dirt and sweat made them look older.

    ��It would be better if someone got on and we build up more of a cushion.�� Dave slid over, closer to Noah. ��Who knows who Coach will use to try to close out the game. This one could be another extra innings game if things go south.��

    ��Or we could just lose.�� Kyle walked over.

    Noah threw some seeds at him. ��Shut up, will you?��

    Kyle shrugged. ��It��s just a possibility. A very small one.�� He looked at Dave. ��I heard overheard Coach. He��s going to go with the sophomore.��

    There was only one sophomore in the bullpen. Marshel Butler.

    Noah��s lips twitched. ��You��re joking. We still have some seniors left that we could use.��

    Kyle smirked. ��Feeling like the game is a little closer now, don��t you?��

    ��I always feel that way.�� I spoke up. ��Though this game does feel a little more relaxed than the others this weekend.��

    ��That��s because you��re having a good time at the plate.�� Dave told me. ��Don��t slack off. There��s a consequence to relaxed games. If the players don��t keep up with the sense of urgency, the defense and pitching could collapse.��

    ��I wouldn��t let that happen. Neither would Coach.�� Noah got up and grabbed his bat. ��If Marshel pitches, Coach will probably only let him give up one run before calling in Matt or Tyler.��

    ��Possibly.�� Kyle nodded.

    Noah headed for the dugout entrance, eager to get his shot at...starting a new hit streak? Or continuing it? I don��t know. I was still confused where he technically stood.

    ��Think you can hit another homer?�� Dave slid closer to me. ��Pull off something Zeke has done?��

    I ran my fingers through my hair and gave a small shake of my head. ��I don��t know. I don��t even know if I��ll get a chance up. It��ll be nice if the game just ended like this. 5-3.��

    Kyle laughed. ��You��re easily satisfied.��

    Really? I didn��t think so. But I would definitely be happy with the team and tournament win. I didn��t want to see a so-called collapse. Or worse. A comeback from the other team.

 Chapter 965 V3 Ch199 Franklin HS (6)

    Chapter 965 V3 Ch199 Franklin HS (6)

    Mitchell took his time taking his gear off and switching to the offensive. He seemed steady for his plate appearance, working the count until hitting a grounder to to the right. The second baseman easily dealt with it and earned the first out. Mitchell came back to the dugout, Jason moved to the batter''s box, and Dalton went out to the on deck circle.

    Coach followed Mitchell to his spot on the bench and spoke to him as he switched out his gear.

    "Probably prepping him for the seventh inning." Kyle squeezed between me and Dave. "Underclassman to close out a championship game?" He gave a shake of his head. "That''s some bad news."

    "It''s only bad news if Matt and Tyler can''t close it out after him." Dave pointed out.

    My heart started to pound in my chest a little louder. I didn''t like hearing the twins talk about the future downfall of Marshel. It put me on edge.

    A loud ''ding'' rang and a lot of gasps and yells followed. The twins both jumped up and took three strides to the dugout fence. I hurried to follow.

    "GO! GO! GO!"

    "YESSSSS!"

    "WOO-HOO!"

    "Run, Jason, run!"

    The ball went over the right field fence and the umpire waved his finger around.

    "You''re not the only one hitting bombs on this team!" Dave said excitedly while shaking my head with his hands.

    I rolled my eyes. I knew that. Jason had just hit a homer a couple weeks ago in a regular season game. He''s done it before, done it now, and I''m sure he''ll do it again.

    Jason came back to the dugout, high-fiving everyone. I was near the end, holding out my hand too. Jason grabbed my hand instead of slapping it and gave it a good shake. We spun in a circle.

    "We aren''t going to make you carry us all the time, Bambi." He laughed.

    I grinned as we separated. I had to grab my bat and move through the dugout to get to the entrance.

    "Take it easy and don''t force it, if you get a chance up." Coach instructed me during Dalton''s at bat.

    Dalton struck out swinging and came back with his head lowered. I hesitated to come up with something to say to comfort him but I had nothing. We passed each other: him going in and me going out.

    Noah got in the batter''s box. He connected on the first pitch fastball, dropping the ball in the outfield grass for a base hit. He rounded first base fast, but didn''t push for two when he saw that the center fielder got the ball back in already.

    I went up next, choosing to bat as a righty this time. I slowly got set, eyeing the catcher to see if he was going to tell the umpire I was intentionally walked again. But no, he got into a squat.

    I happily got set, pulling my bat back. The pitcher got set, checked over his shoulder at Noah, then started his motion. Noah took off, the ball left the pitcher''s hand awkwardly. As I was processing what was happening, I reacted to the pitch too late, not realizing it was coming at me. I hurried to turn away, taking a hit to my lower back. I grunted and took a few steps away from the box.

    A lot of jeers rained down from the stands.

    Garret approached me first. "You okay?"

    Coach was barely a step behind. "How are you, Jake?"

    I rubbed the spot on my lower back. "I''m fine, I think."

    Coach frowned. He looked back to the dugout. "Logan. Get your helmet on."

    I looked to Coach, confused, but also had a feeling I knew what was coming.

    "Let''s get some ice on it." Coach put his hand on my shoulder and guided me to the dugout, not allowing any room for an argument. "You''ve had a good game. A great weekend. Let the other boys wrap it up."

    I pursed my lips and went back with him.

    Logan paused as we ran into each other at the entrance. He looked at me. "You good?"

    I gave a short nod.

    "There''s two outs. Run on contact." Coach reminded him.

    Logan left. The rest of the team started to come by to check on me. I tried to assure them that I was fine and not really injured. Just took a fast one to the back. I was going to bruise at most.

    Dave got me a bag of ice and held it to the spot as Kyle saran wrapped it to my body. In the process, we heard the sound of Garret''s hit and the crowd''s gasp. We watched on as the ball made it over the right fielder and fence. Homerun. The second this inning!

    I grinned and celebrated with the guys as we watched our score increased to 9-3. Thanks to Garret, we have a whole lot more cushion room.

    I relaxed on the bench and started to untie my cleats. I couldn''t go back in so might as well get comfy.

    Noah sat beside me and started to taking his batting gloves off. "Man, you can''t catch a break. Not one day goes by without you getting hurt."

    I scratched the back of my head. "I was slow on that one." I gave him the side eye. "Somebody didn''t warn me that they wanted to steal second."

    Noah laughed. "Don''t you know? I said I wanted to extend all walks and singles to second base. Try to contribute more."

    Everyone on this team wanted to do more. It was like we were all competing with our former selves. I think having so many returning varsity members helped. We knew what it was like for Zeke to have to make all his plate appearances count. He was a true pillar of the team. I may bat like his mini-me, but I have more help than he did. Our average runs per game is definitely higher than last year. And it was only just beginning.

    Korrey hit a double, but it was followed by a groundout from Jesse. Not much they could do. They both had good games, getting two hits each. They came back and the team started to transition to defense. Three more outs and we would be champions.

    My legs started to shake as eight players and a coach left the dugout.

    "You nervous?" Dave asked, sitting beside me. Kyle sat on the other.

    I shook my head. "Not about the game, but what comes after."

    "Seeing Carson?" Dave tried again.

    I paused, looking up at him. "Uh...no. I actually kind of put him in the back of my mind now. He''s...fine." I gave a small shrug. "I''m actually more worried about the postgame stuff. Like reporters, scouts, coaches. Any questions I might have to answer about my future."

    Kyle laughed. "Just wave them off and say you''re keeping your options open. If they ask again, repeat it again. They''ll eventually get the hint."

    "They''ll probably keep asking until there is an answer." Dave pointed out. "Just something you''ll have to deal with until you do make a decision. Get used to it and treat it as background noise."

    The pair gave me advice as we waited for the game to resume. Coach had went to the mound to meet with Marshel from the bullpen and he was finally back, allowing Marshel to take practice pitches off the mound.

 Chapter 966 V3 Ch200 Franklin HS (7)

    Chapter 966 V3 Ch200 Franklin HS (7)

    Top of the seventh. Marshel had a small advantage of starting with the eighth batter in the lineup. He did a short walk around mound, then kicked the rubber before getting set. The batter was ready and Mitch gave Marshel the sign. The first pitch came...and went wide. So wide that Mitch had to reach for it off balance. He got up before throwing it back to Marshel.

    "At least it was fast..." Dave mumbled under his breath.

    "I''ll reserve my judgement a few more pitches in." Kyle said, sounding disdainful of Dave''s comment.

    The second pitch was high, making Mitch pop up out of his crouch. 2-0 count. Mitch threw the ball back and waved his hands, motioning for Marshel to settle. "Good speed."

    Marshel did another small walk around before getting set again. His third pitch stayed in the zone, but the batter had an easy read on it, hitting it to the short outfield for a single.

    "Oh man." Kyle sighed.

    "What happened to reserving judgement?" Dave raised an eyebrow.

    "I didn''t say my judgement yet." Kyle shot back.

    The ninth batter was replaced with a pinch hitter. We didn''t get to see him action though. He didn''t have to swing once during his at bat as Marshel had thrown four balls, clearly outside of the zone.

    Dave and Kyle made eye contact, leaving the words unspoken.

    Mitchell went up to the mound to talked to Marshel.

    "Want to bet whether Noah speaks to him or not?" Kyle snickered.

    "I bet he would." I hurried to say. I believed in Noah. Nothing could come between him and winning a baseball game. Not even an old feud from last year.

    "I''ll ride with Jake on this one." Dave agreed. "Marshel messes up one more time, I bet Noah goes to the mound and rips him a new one."

    Kyle laughed. "That''s a ripoff."

    Mitchell came back from a short chat with Marshel and squatted down. Marshel checked the runners before throwing a pitch. It was a called strike. Most of the guys around clapped and said some words of encouragement.

    "Well, if he gets his head straight, Noah wouldn''t speak to him at all, so you still have a chance." Dave told Kyle.

    We watched Marshel get a little more settled against this batter, getting to a beneficial 1-2 count. But then the batter made contact, hitting a short flare into right field. Tanner sprinted in, caught the ball on a hop and threw it back to the infield as fast as he could. The runners only advanced a base each. Bases loaded. No outs.

    Noah called for Dalton to throw the ball to him as he headed for the mound. Dalton shook his head and walked the ball to them at the mound, calling for time. Jason, Jesse, and Mitchell hurried to join.

    "Dalton might be afraid that Noah will hurt Marshel''s feelings." Dave rolled his eyes.

    "You''re just jealous that no one defends you." Kyle laughed.

    "At least I got my bad game out of my system." Dave said. "I can only go up from yesterday. What about you? Going to throw perfect games from here on out? It''ll be hard to keep that up."

    The two bickered back and forth, but my eyes stayed on the mound. Noah kept his mouth covered with his glove and his hat blocked most of his facial expressions from this faraway, but I could see him squinting at Marshel. No doubt, he was telling Marshel to get his act together. The team meeting at the mound lasted until the umpire broke it up. Everyone went back to their positions.

    The second batter in the lineup got set in the batter''s box. He was hitless today, yet has mad contact in all three at bats. He could easily get the ball to the outfield. I nervously clenched my fists. I had to keep reminding myself that we had a solid lead. Even a grand slam won''t tie the game.

    Marshel threw a series of pitches low in the zone. Some for balls, some for strikes. On a 2-2 count, the batter understood that he wasn''t going to get anything closer than that. He hit the low ball for a grounder up the gut, barely missing Marshel on the bound.

    Noah ran behind second base and scooped the ball up. Sprinted to second and tagged the base before the runner from first could reach, then threw the batter out at first, turning a double play by himself. Everyone cheered. Our team for him. Franklin for the runner on third who had scored their fourth run of the game. 9-4.

    Two outs, runner on third.

    "What a relief." Dave nodded. "Noah''s the most reliable behind the mound."

    Kyle nodded in agreement. "That''s the show-off in him. He just has to get the ball; make that play." He laughed to himself. "His only redeeming trait."

    I frowned at him.

    "Kidding." Kyle stopped laughing and coughed to clear his throat. He stood up. "Let''s get ready to charge the field. One more out to go!" He started to walk towards Coach.

    "Charge the field?" I looked to Dave.

    "After a win like this; a championship win, we''ll go to the mound and celebrate." Dave reminded me. "You normally start at second base so you would see us coming from the dugout and bullpen."

    Oh. Right. I nodded and got up with him. The rest of the guys on the bench stood all against the fence, yelling cheers for Marshel as he faced the third batter in the lineup. Another guy who hasn''t gotten a hit.

    Marshel must have felt relaxed by the two outs because he looked even better, throwing strikes in the corners of the zone. Much more like himself. He threw a slight breaking ball on a 2-2 count. The batter swung and Mitchell caught the foul tipped strikeout, effectively ending the game. 9-4.

    "We won!" Dave shook my shoulders and bolted out of the dugout with the guys.

    I hurried to follow, trying not to stand out so much as the team swarmed around Marshel on the mound.

    Noah found me first, coming over and giving my shoulder a slap. "The best of the best."

    I grinned back at him and slapped him on the back too. "You made a great play there."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Let''s stay happy and not talk about the last inning."

    I laughed.

    The outfielders and bullpen joined us and we started to congratulate one another. I even slapped Marshel''s hand and told him ''good game''. He deserved it. He hung in there. We took a good ten minutes celebrating and talking with one another. It probably would have gone on longer if the tournament officials didn''t stop us and ask us to participate in a closing ceremony as the champions.

    We were told to line up, facing the stands behind home plate. A couple of older men came around, putting medals around our necks as they announced our whole roster over the speaker system.

    "This is the first time in the history of The Foothill Classic, that we had a division three school win the whole thing. Let''s hear it for Watsonville High School one more time."

    The families clapped and yelled for us while others politely clapped. I found Mom and Dad easily now that the crowd was thinning out. Beside them were Jeremy and...Carson. All four were clapping.

    "With 11 hits, five of which were homeruns, our tournament MVP, without a doubt, is Watsonville''s Jake Atkins!"

    Noah started to shake me by the shoulders while Jason patted the top of my head on the otherside of me. A man came by and handed me a small plaque.

    ''FOOTHILL CLASSIC MVP''

 Chapter 967 V3 Ch201

    Chapter 967 V3 Ch201

    "Way to finish strong, boys." Dad pulled me and Noah into a simultaneous group hug, giving us an extra squeeze.

    "Ah, c''mon Dad." Noah complained. "Everyone''s looking."

    Mom pulled me away from them and checked my back. "Does it hurt Jake? Do you want some ice?"

    I shook my head. "I just took the ice off. I''m okay." I pulled my jersey out of pants so I could show her my lower back.

    Mom gently put her hand on the spot. "Oh, Jake. That looks awful."

    I tried to twist around to see, but could only catch a glimpse. "Really? It didn''t hurt that much."

    "Jake''s just tough like that." Dave patted me on the head. "High pain tolerance."

    I scanned the crowd, looking for Jeremy and...Carson.

    "They went to Jeremy''s car to get away from the crowd." Dad read my mind easily. He reached out to take my baseball bag. "Do you want to go see them as we load up the car?"

    I nervously tapped my fingers together and thought about it. "I want to tell Jeremy thanks for coming. Again. He''s supposed to be at Spring Training."

    "You know if you''ll go, you''ll have to see Carson, right?" Kyle pointed out. "Can you handle it? What if you have another anxiety attack?"

    I looked up at Dad.

    "Why don''t I take you to them to say goodbye? Mom can take the other three to the car and get it situated?" Dad suggested.

    I nodded.

    As a group, we headed for the parking lot. I did my best not to make eye contact with any of the strangers we passed by, knowing that it could be a scout or reporter. I didn''t want to invite any more questions about my future or even talk about the championship game.

    Mom took the twins and Noah back to the family car while Dad led me to a much farther spot. I recognized Jeremy''s car out of the way. Both windows were rolled down. When we got close, Jeremy got out of the driver''s seat. Carson also got out from the passenger side.

    I started to slow down. But I didn''t stop. I couldn''t stop this from happening. Meeting Carson officially, on my terms.

    "Great game, Jake!" Jeremy greeted me first, meeting us near his trunk. "A couple of homeruns added to your stat sheet. I think you have more this tournament than you did all last season, right?"

    Carson came towards the back, staying a few feet away.

    I nodded at Jeremy. "I only had one last season. In the championship game at the end. The one you went to."

    "Crazy how much you''ve improved." Jeremy grinned happily.

    It''d be weird to tell him that it was thanks to the Atkins care, making me eat more carbs to gain weight and build muscle. So I told him the partial truth. "I got a little taller. It helps if I can aim for the corners." I glanced towards Carson, wondering if he felt awkward that Jeremy was complimenting me.

    Jeremy noticed my gaze. He reached out and pulled Carson closer to the group. "This is Carson. I know you guys have had a few run-ins before, but I wanted to introduce you guys." He looked at Carson. "This is Jake."

    Carson nodded at me. "You''re a great batter. The best I''ve seen."

    I felt my face flush. "Thanks."

    "I think you''ll have trouble in the future once teams figure out that you can''t power hit a breaking ball." Carson told me suddenly.

    I thought back to his team''s game plan earlier today. "Yea, I can see that happening. But it''s okay. I can still get a base hit."

    Carson let out a laugh. Slightly startling me.

    Jeremy grinned and reached out to pat me on the shoulder. "You''re sounding more and more like Noah. I''m glad his confidence can rub off on you."

    Dad laughed. "It''s a trait that all baseball players seem to develop." He looked at Jeremy. "Are you returning to Arizona tonight or tomorrow?"

    "Tonight." He answered. "Going to take Carson for a quick bite to eat, then drive to the airport. Carson can take my car back home for me so it''s easy to deal with."

    "You''re not in trouble with your team, are you?" I asked in a hurry.

    "No trouble." Jeremy reassured me. "Really. Everything is settled. Do me a favor though and check your schedule for me when you get home. Maybe you all can come to opening day? I think it''s the first Friday in April."

    I started to nod, but Dad made a sound. "Oh. We actually have plans...to be out of state." Dad explained. "The boys don''t have any games that weekend and we were thinking about going to Nashville. Sightsee and visit Dave''s future college."

    Jeremy pursed his lips. "Ah, I see. That''s okay. Opening day is hectic anyways. There''ll be a lot of other opportunities to come." He looked at me and gave a weak looking smile. "Send me your schedule. Maybe I''ll have an occasional off day to come see too."

    I nodded. "Sure." I glanced at Carson. "Maybe after our seasons...we can see an A''s game together?"

    Jeremy brightened up. "Yes! Definitely!" He pulled Carson in, wrapping his arm around his shoulders. "Late May, early June is when high school baseball ends so we could try to plan out a weekend. Either doing something here in the bay or perhaps even on the road." He looked at Dad. "Am I allowed to take Jake out of state?"

    "With proper planning, I don''t see why not." Dad agreed.

    My eyes stayed on Carson, not hearing him voice his opinions.

    Carson looked me in the eyes. "Would you really feel okay with that? I don''t want you to be uncomfortable. You don''t have to force yourself."

    I nervously pinched at my pants. "It''s fine. I don''t have a problem with you in particular. I just...need ample preparation. No surprises. And..." I hesitated. "I don''t want to see your dad."

    "Jake-" Jeremy started to say.

    But Carson cut him off. "Yea, that''s understandable." He leaned against the car. "Would you mind if my sisters joined? You''ve seen them before, at Jeremy''s congrats party a couple months ago."

    "Gabby and Makenna." I said their names to let him know I remembered. I nodded slowly. "As long as I can bring my brothers too?" At the very least, Noah.

    Carson nodded. "Sure. Something to look forward too."

    Dad laughed as he looked to Jeremy. "Sounds like you''re going to have your hands full. We''ll check everyone''s schedule in the future. It might be better if we can find a time that Zeke can help you supervise the twins."

    Jeremy scratched the back of his head. "I''ve never had a problem with them. I''m sure you''re just worried. It''s okay, I understand. I''m not really parent material. I''m more likely to mess up somewhere."

    "No, no. Really." Dad emphasized. "The twins might look mature and give off that feeling that they''re reach adulthood, but altogether, I barely trust them driving Noah and Jake to and from school."

    Jeremy chuckled. "Zeke''s maturity does make them look bad. Heck, I feel like he''s older than me sometimes. I would have gotten in less trouble if I was half as responsible. He-" Jeremy stopped himself. He seemed to think of something and started to shake his head. "Well, we''ll see." He checked his watch. "I''ve got to hit the road." He looked at me. "Would it be weirder to ask for a hug or just come in for a hug?"

    My lips twitched.

    "We''ll do a side hug." Jeremy decided. He came close and squeezed an arm around my shoulders before letting go. "Good luck this season!"

    "Yea, you too." I looked to Carson next. "Good luck, Carson."

    Carson smile and nodded. "Thanks. I''m sure you guys will win league again if it''s any indication by this tournament result."

    I grinned, happy with the endorsement.

 Chapter 968 V3 Ch202

    Chapter 968 V3 Ch202

    "You would actually want to hang out with them?" Noah was skeptical after hearing what we had talked about.

    Dad and I had gotten back to the car and Noah was curious about our short conversation with Jeremy and Carson.

    I shrugged. "I don''t mind it. I...actually kind of felt...bad."

    "Why? Cuz we beat them?" Noah asked.

    I shrugged again. "Maybe a little for that. But also, more for Jeremy. He''s trying hard to balance out these...this relationship between us. I just don''t want to make things anymore difficult for him. He''s already done so much."

    "It''s called making it up to you." Noah rolled his eyes. "Don''t you remember how mean he was in the beginning?"

    The car got quiet.

    I took off my hat and put it in the space between us. "I know." I whispered. "But that was only for the beginning. He''s trying to change. And be there. It''s only right to give some effort in return. I don''t want everyone to feel sorry for me all the time. I want to be...normal."

    "Hard to be normal when you''re on pace to break Zeke''s record for home runs your sophomore season." Dave pointed out.

    Noah laughed outright. "Yea! Wouldn''t that be something?!" He leaned forward. "Mom, are we going to stop by Zeke''s school before going home?"

    Kyle pulled out his phone. "Is his game already over?"

    "His game is already over." Mom confirmed. "But we aren''t going to stop by. Zeke has homework to do this evening. Besides, Grampa is waiting for us at home with dinner. He said he would make a feast for the champions."

    We all smiled and laughed. No doubt, Grampa was only too happy and eager to take over the kitchen.

    "You think he''s going to grill up some steaks?" Dave asked.

    "What else do champions eat?" Kyle joked. He checked his phone. "Yo, Zeke did well today. 2-3 at the plate with a homerun. He''s getting into the swing of things."

    "I bet he''ll have the highest average on the team this year." Noah practically bounced in his seat.

    "As a freshman? No way." Dave shook his head. "Bradley Thompson is still on that team. Don''t forget."

    "I didn''t say he would have the most homers." Noah shrugged. "Just highest average."

    We mostly talked about Zeke and his college team on the way home.

    "He has a game Tuesday evening..." Noah hummed over Zeke''s schedule. "We won''t be able to make it unless practice is canceled. Fat chance of that." Noah looked to his parents up front. "Mom, are you and Dad going to Zeke''s game Tuesday?"

    "Yes." She answered confidently. "Grampa will be in charge of dinner, don''t worry."

    "Ah man, I want to see him play more too though." Noah looked to the next game. "Looks like a home series next weekend versus Kansas State University." Noah raised his voice again. "Mom, can we spend next weekend in Stanford?"

    Mom checked her phone. "Possibly."

    "Who do we play this week?" Dave twisted around to look at Noah.

    "Only one game. At Santa Fe." Noah shrugged. He scrolled on his phone. "Oh, but next week, we''ll have three games. Alisal. Golden West. Servite. Ugh, Golden West and Servite are both away games. Dang, that''ll be tough."

    "What?" Kyle twisted around too. "We play those two so soon?? Last season we played both of them late in the season."

    Noah shrugged. "I guess. It''s not like I make the schedule. It''s fine to me."

    "Fuckkk." Kyle groaned.

    "I''d like a shot at one of those." Dave rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Last year, I didn''t play in any of those four games. I have to make sure Coach knows I want to start one of those. I don''t care about Santa Fe or Alisal. Those aren''t league games."

    "You can''t have Servite." Kyle told him. "They''re mine. Coach let me have at them twice. Both times I got pulled after giving up some homers. I have to bury those guys this year. Make sure they know that I don''t give up easy runs like that anymore."

    "You gave up a homer against University." Noah pointed out.

    "Shut up. That''s different."

    "Kyle." Mom said with warning.

    I frowned. "I think it was Servite''s catcher that cut my arm with his cleat." I stuck out my arm that had a barely noticeable thin white line. "Twelve stitches."

    "Golden West was our one loss that you weren''t there for." Noah added. "I''m happy to take them on so soon. Everyone''s healthy and ready to go."

    "Not Sean." I spoke up.

    "He''ll be fine next week." Dave said. "Probably. I hope."

    "He''ll have to work with Drew to get better. It''s just a strain so a week or two off should be more than enough." Kyle said. "Though Jason and Jesse at the corners aren''t bad either. Jesse had more hits this weekend than Jason so if Sean came back, who knows what Coach will want to do?"

    "But Jason hit a home run." I brought up, feeling a little sad that he might lose his spot.

    "That was his only hit this weekend." Kyle sighed. "He''s probably not feeling to good about it even though we won the tournament. Like I said, just depends who''s hot and who''s available. Coach is never set in his ways."

    "Except when it comes to using Garret." Dave said. "You gotta imagine that Garret will get one of the starts against Golden West or Servite."

    "Probably Golden West." Kyle quickly answered. "He got the start against them twice." He grinned. "Guess that leaves you with Alisal."

    The conversation was taken over by the twins as they talked potential starters for next week''s games. Ultimately it was up to Coach, but that didn''t stop the twins from verbally competing with one another.

    We got home a little late for dinner, but Grampa was ready for us. As soon as we walked into the house, we could smell it. Dinner. The twins rushed to the kitchen. Noah and I were right behind them.

    Grampa just placed a giant bowl of salad on the table. "Good timing." He straightened up. "Congratulations on winning your tournament. I know how important it was to you boys. I didn''t make it so I thought I would make it up. I''ve got some NY Strips on the grill coming out soon. Baked potatoes will be coming out of the oven. Help yourself to the salad and bread first."

    My stomach growled. The smell was just too much for me. I hugged my stomach in embarrassment. "Thanks Grampa."

    "Yea, thanks, Gramps." Noah sat down and grabbed some bread rolls.

    "Dad, you''ve done too much." Mom must have overheard while walking in from the garage. "Take a seat yourself and let me get the rest done for you. You''re going to tire yourself out doing big meals like this."

    "It''s not like I do it every day." Grampa headed for the kitchen. "You can help, but you are not kicking me out of my kitchen."

    Mom followed after him.

    The twins and I sat down too and started to grab some rolls before Noah ate them all.

    Dad was last to walk into the dining room. He made eye contact with each of us. "This is a one time deal. You boys shouldn''t start eating without the cook."

    "Grampa said we could." Noah said with a shrug.

    "We won''t eat the main course without you guys." Dave said after swallowing the last of his roll. "Its been so long since lunch. Have mercy."

    Dad let us go, heading for the kitchen to find Mom and Grampa.

 Chapter 969 V3 Ch203 Back At School

    Chapter 969 V3 Ch203 Back At School

    Grampa''s big dinner feast put us all in a food coma Sunday night. I didn''t usually like eating so much meat, but Grampa made it taste great with the seasonings and then the sauce on the side. I think I could become a steak lover too if they all tasted like his.

    After dinner, there was a round of fighting for shower time and an additional round of complaints about homework. Mostly from the twins on both ends. Without much homework to do, I was first in shower and first in bed. I scrolled through my phone finding a few unread texts. One from Jeremy, saying he made it back to Arizona. One from Kaylee, simply saying congratulations. And then from Alisha...I had received a bunch of pictures.

    The team celebrating the final win. Us lining up to receive our medals and a team trophy. One of me, holding the MVP plaque, laughing at something Noah said beside me. I saved all the pictures and went to Instagram. I had only a few posts, with the last one being from Christmas. I added the pictures and tried to tag the guys I know.

    "You''re not asleep yet?" Dave peered over, trying to see what I was doing.

    "I''m trying to post some pictures that Alisha sent me." I explained. "I don''t know everyone''s username though."

    "I know some." Dave started to help out, mostly with the upperclassmen. He had to pull out his own phone to look up the underclassmen, but then it was done.

    I was about to push the post button when Dave stopped me.

    "You''re not going to put a caption?" He gave it some thought. "Like we''re unbeatable. Or we''re the champions. Kicked some serious butt this weekend."

    My lips twitched. "No..." I think the pictures are self-explanatory. I clicked post.

    Within seconds there was a ''like'' and a comment.

    TWINKYLE: 6IP 9K 0BB 2H 1ER

    Dave scoffed after reading over my shoulder. He whipped out his phone and hurried to reply to Kyle''s comment, stating that Kyle couldn''t even get a win. Kyle replied that Dave was just jealous that his stat line was better looking.

    I looked around the room we shared and didn''t even see Kyle. He must still be in the hallway bathroom for his shower.

    It wasn''t long before the post started to blow up with ''likes'' and comments. I hurried to put my phone on silent. I didn''t know so many of the guys would still be awake. I''m glad they liked the pictures though. I added a comment to tag Alisha for photo credits.

    Noah finished his shower and joined Dave in his conquest to bring Kyle''s ego down. I laughed a little before closing my eyes and getting comfy. It''s been a long day.

    ***

    Monday morning after a weekend of baseball felt like some kind of punishment. Wake up early to sit in a room with no windows. I yawned for the third time during breakfast.

    "Did you boys stay up too late?" Mom squinted at me in particular.

    Noah laughed. "Don''t look at Jake like that, Mom. He was the first to fall asleep. Here. I''ll show you." He opened his phone and pushed it over.

    Mom let out a small laugh.

    Curious, I leaned over when Noah got his phone back. It was a closeup picture of me drooling on the pillow. Noah had type above it: ''dreaming of another CIF win''.

    I frowned. "You didn''t put that up for everyone to see, did you?"

    "No, I went with this one instead." Noah switched to a same picture but different caption: ''MVPs need their beauty sleep''.

    I looked to Mom for help.

    "It''s cute, Jake." She smiled.

    The twins laughed.

    I resigned to my fate. This is what happens when you join a prankster type of family. I should have known.

    We gathered up our bags and loaded up the car. The twins parked near the field and walked up while Noah and I waited for Mr. Miller.

    "How''s the back, Jake?" Mr. Miller asked as soon as he pulled up in golf cart.

    I sat in the back. "It''s fine." I tapped my scab on my chin. "This bothers me more. I just want to pick at it."

    "You don''t want your face bleeding throughout class, do you?" He asked.

    "He just said he wanted to. No that he actually would." Noah got in the front and Mr. Miller started to drive us up to the school. "Jake has good self-control. He''ll be fine. What''s on the menu for practice today?"

    "Recovery runs." Mr. Miller stated.

    I felt my body tense up. "I think my back is a little tight today."

    "Drew can help you out." Mr. Miller grinned.

    I resisted the urge to make a face.

    We got off the cart near the entrance and said our ''thanks'' before heading for our locker. Just as we were switching out our books and homework, Kaylee showed up.

    "Congrats again on the big win." Kaylee nodded casually. "Heard you guys had a couple of close ones before the finals."

    "Yea, game one and three." Noah answered. "But it was no problem. We played teams that didn''t fear facing Jake at all. It''s more annoying seeing him get intentionally walked."

    I nodded in agreement. The previous tournament, the Tulare Invitational was nothing but a bunch of walks. I was happy with how much action I saw this weekend.

    "Yea, Marie gets that kind of treatment in closer games." Kaylee made a face.

    "Zeke had quite a few intentional walks last year too." I added.

    "The price to pay when you''re just that good." Noah patted my shoulder sympathetically.

    The first bell rung and the three of us started to walk to our chemistry class.

    "You guys only have one game this week, right?" Kaylee asked randomly.

    "Yea, Thursday is away. Why? Are you guys going too?" Noah looked at her.

    "No we have two home games this week. Wednesday afternoon. Then Friday night." She shrugged. "Just wondering if you guys want to come and support?"

    "Wednesday, we can come over after practice." Noah said confidently. Then he rubbed the back of his head. "Not sure about Friday. We were thinking about going to Stanford for the weekend to see Zeke play."

    "Oh, okay, cool." Kaylee looked unbothered, but her tone sounded a little disappointed.

    I opened my mouth. But then closed it. I wouldn''t know what to say to make her feel better.

    Luckily, Noah started to ask her about her team. "Besides Marie, the rest of your team is pretty good, right?"

    "League champions practically in the bag." Kaylee bragged.

    "You''ve just begun." Noah raised an eyebrow.

    "Our team is just that good." She grinned. "We only have one competitive school in our league. We play them Friday. So we get by them, then we''re basically coasting."

    "Oh, that''s why you want our support this week. You need some hype men." Noah started to bounce around. "Man, I wish we would start our league games at home. Instead we have to play Golden West and Servite away."

    "When?" Kaylee asked.

    "Next week." Noah told her. "Thursday and Saturday." He waved her off. "Don''t think I''m asking you and your team to drive out. You guys are also in season." We entered the class and went to our lab station. "But I think we should show up on Friday for your game."

    "What about your weekend with Zeke?" She asked, looking slightly hopeful.

    "We wouldn''t be there in time for his Friday night game anyways." Noah pulled out his phone. "Let me run it by Mom though. Hopefully she didn''t book a hotel for Friday yet."

    The bell rung again and our teacher showed up. Halfway through class, Noah confirmed that we would be there for the softball game Friday night. Kaylee grinned.

 Chapter 970 V3 Ch204

    Chapter 970 V3 Ch204

    Noah wasn''t the only one to ask Mom about this weekend. At lunchtime, Kyle came by our spot to tell us. "Hey, just so you guys know, I''m the one that told Mom that we shouldn''t leave for Stanford until Saturday morning. We still have practice on Friday, and you know rush hour traffic will be a nightmare, so we''ll miss most of Zeke''s game. Might as well save the money on a Friday night room and just stay Saturday night. We''ll still see two of the three games so it''s not a big deal, right?"

    I looked to Noah. "I thought you sent Mom a text."

    Noah laughed. "I guess the sisters had the same idea." He waved Kyle away. "Don''t worry about what we think. We planned to go to the softball game on Friday night too. They need our support."

    Kyle smiled, looking relieved. "Okay. Good. Yea." He looked around. "If you can, try to invite more people. I think they''ll really appreciate the support."

    "Leave it to me." Noah patted his chest. "I''ll make sure to have those stands packed like it was a championship game."

    I shivered.

    Noah looked at me. "What was that for?"

    I shook my head. "Not everyone likes packed stands."

    "Nah, that''s just you." Noah laughed.

    "Yea, but you''ll have to get used to it." Kyle laughed too. "I think after this weekend, our stands will be packed every game. Home or away. You''re going to be better than Zeke at the plate. Definitely one of the best players in the state if not the country."

    "When does state rankings update?" Noah''s leg started to bounce. "Or the national rankings? I can''t wait to see how high Jake is after this tournament."

    I put down my sandwich and pushed my food away, feeling a little sick. "Can we not talk about this?"

    Kyle gave my head a small pat. "Alright. But you know, it''s not bad. This is good news for you. This is what every baseball player wants."

    I pursed my lips, unwilling to agree. I wanted to do well, yes. But winning games is good too. More focus on the team effort than the individual talent. Thankfully, Kyle didn''t stick around for all of lunch. He still had to see Marie and eat with her so he left not long after.

    "Getting your name high up would be great for making team USA." Noah pointed out, scrolling on his phone.

    I nearly choked on my water. "You''re still...interested in that?"

    "Of course! The best of the best!" He flashed me his phone. "Without being on a great travel team going to Nationals, we have to take the other route: National Team Identification Series. When our region starts hosting clinics and tryouts, I''ll be first to know and first to sign up. You too."

    "How many regions are there?" I asked, picking at my half-eaten sandwich.

    "Six: Northeast, Northwest, Midwest, Southwest, Southeast, and South. California is divided into Northwest and Southwest. But I now know that some of the first round tryouts aren''t going to be too far from us. We don''t have to travel to another state like some others have to."

    "First round...means there''s a second round?" I mumbled.

    "Duh. They can''t just make a judgement after one go around. We have five other states worth of kids wanting to join one team."

    I sighed. "Sounds like a lot."

    "Don''t worry, you don''t have to do anything but show up and bat like you usually do."

    "Oh. Is that all?" I rolled my eyes.

    "I don''t get why you sound so against this. Let''s give it a try? What else would we do this summer?"

    I shrugged. "Last summer was fun." It was safe. We didn''t have to venture too far from home. Plus. "What if...you don''t make it and I do?" I frowned. The twins had said that before and I said I wouldn''t go. My biggest fear was being alone.

    "Then you keep going!" Noah patted the table. "I have confidence to get past the first round, but you for sure, should be representing our region. I will go to North Carolina as your personal cheerleader to get you to the big stage. Come on, this is a once in a lifetime shot. Something Zeke didn''t even try for."

    "Why didn''t Zeke give it a try?" I asked.

    Noah paused. Tilted his head and scratched. "I don''t know. I''ll call him and asked later." He went back to his phone. "First step is finding out those tryout dates. The Bay Area will have four of them: North, South, East, and West. We clearly fall under South, but they state that it doesn''t matter which one you go to. You can actually go to multiple ones to try to get to round two."

    "I''m not saying no." I told Noah. "I just won''t guarantee that I''ll go all the way. Even if I get selected. I think you see me in a different light and forget how bad I am at running and fielding."

    Noah waved his hand freely. "Don''t worry. You''re a work in progress. Who isn''t?"

    I grinned and shook my head. Noah always seemed to have all the answers.

    After lunch, we had our cooking elective with Alisha and Kaylee. Talking about this week''s softball games, Alisha wanted to join as well. Kaylee''s smile was bright and she happily told us about her team and how they''re also at their best. It would be something special if both of our teams won CIF this year.

    After school, we gathered with the rest of the team in the clubhouse, getting ready for practice. Coach made a surprise appearance. He usually met us in the dugout or out on the field.

    "Take a seat." He instructed. "Let''s talk about the plan for this week." He waited for everyone to settle and pause what they were doing. "I''m sure most, if not all, of you have peeked at the schedule. Only one game this week. At Santa Fe. Not in our league, but we play them every year around this time. Returners may remember winning 4-0 last year. It''s a good warmup for things to come next week."

    He looked to Sean. "You''re on rehab recovery with Drew and Jake."

    Me? I slumped in my spot.

    "Jake isn''t hurt like Sean." Noah came to my rescue and pointed out.

    Coach looked to me. "Want to show us your back and prove that it didn''t hurt?"

    I thought about the discoloration that Mom had already started to see. Then shook my head.

    "You''ll spend the first half of this week recovering. Take Thursday off. Friday, you''ll hit the ground running." Coach told me. My stomach dropped at the word ''running''. Coach looked to Sean. "We''ll go off how you''ll feel before starting to train to the max again. You definitely won''t play Thursday either."

    Sean nodded.

    "Dang, Coach, are you benching all the starters?" Garret joked. "Am I on the chopping board next?"

    "You and the twins." Coach confirmed. "You three won''t be playing Thursday. You''re going to spend this week training for next week."

    Kyle jumped up. "I call Servite!"

    "Golden West!" Dave jumped up too.

    Garret looked to Coach with raised eyebrows. "You''re not going to use me for Alisal are you? It''s not even a league game."

    Coach looked at his three star pitchers. Kyle. Dave. Garret. Back to Kyle. Back to Dave. Back to Garret. "Okay. We''ll play it like this. Kyle gets the start next Saturday against Servite. Dave will start against Golden West on Thursday." He looked to Garret. "You''ll be the relief if either of them has a problem, but I want you going in thinking about your bat."

    "So I don''t even get the start against Alisal?" Garret was bewildered.

    "You can have it." Coach conceded. "But you have to stay under 75 pitches to get the reset before Thursday''s game." He looked to the twins, grinning like idiots. "Don''t think you''ll get any extra leeway because you have the starts. You two look like shit, I''ll pull you even if you only give up one run. These games matter."

    "Yes, Coach!" The twins said simultaneously.

    "You three work with Luis and Foley." Coach named one of the pitching coaches. "I want you giving 110% to practice this week. If they want you to do 200 squats, I want to hear you doing 220!"

    "Yes, Coach!" All three hollered.

    "Sooo." Noah looked around. "Who gets the start on the mound this Thursday then?"

    Coach narrowed his eyes at Noah.

    Noah straightened up. "I mean, whoever it is, I''ve got their back. Number one defensive player right here." He nodded at Coach.

 Chapter 971 V3 Ch205 Cheering

    Chapter 971 V3 Ch205 Cheering

    I was afraid of being stuck with Drew for the next couple of days, but he actually wasn''t that bad. He had Sean and I going to his trainer''s room up near the lockers to get heat and then stretched out.

    Sean and I took a small table, laying down with very hot heating pads.

    Sean was looking up at the ceiling when he sighed and said. "This isn''t a bad time to be hurt."

    I nodded in agreement. "It''s nice to be inside when it''s cold outside."

    Sean laughed and turned his head to look at me. "Jake..."

    "What?" I couldn''t move much with the heating pad on my back. It felt nice. Definitely loosening up my muscles.

    "I wasn''t talking about the weather." He laughed some more. "I just meant, that it was good to be hurt the week we only have one game. I basically have ten days to get better before league play. Not a bad deal."

    "You missed yesterday''s games." I pointed out. "Those were important."

    Sean held his chest. "Ouch. I feel attacked."

    I let out a small laugh.

    "Man, it''s great seeing you come out of your shell a little more." Sean said with a friendly smile. "Not gonna lie, I was a little worried for this season before it started. No Zeke. No seniors like Julian and Kelvin. You''ve really stepped up. With Garret and the twins, I have no doubt that we''ll repeat being CIF champions."

    I grinned back at him. "I feel good with the juniors on the team too. You, Mitchell, Brian and Bryce."

    "Is it too much to imagine being champions until I graduate?" Sean chuckled.

    "I don''t think too many people like to imagine losing." Drew came over and took the heating pad away from Sean. "C''mon. Let''s focus on getting you better."

    "I think I''ll be fine with just resting?" Sean looked at his heating pad sadly.

    "Yea, I think so too. But we can work on some of your other muscles to keep you in shape." Drew told him. "You don''t want to lose your starting spot so early in the season, do you?"

    Sean groaned.

    I happily watched from the side. Resting with and without heat. Drew did take a look at my bruise near the end of the scheduled practice time and asked some questions. He didn''t see any worries, so I simply had to heal up.

    "Wednesday, we''ll go the gym together." Drew told me. "So don''t forget to wear regular running shoes. I''ll lead you through a light weight-lifting session." He looked to Sean. "You''ll follow along and do some stretches. Arm workouts should be no problem for you."

    Come Wednesday, we weren''t the only group in the gym that Jeremy sponsored. We were joined by Garret, the twins, and their pitching coach. Of course, the trio were having a way more difficult workout. They were on a heavy circuit, constantly on the move with their coach instructing them.

    Meanwhile, Drew kept telling us to take breaks and to watch for our injuries. Drew had me doing a little bit of everything while avoiding working out my lower back. Sean did all upper body work.

    "You look like you''re really enjoying your time with Drew." Dave huffed and puffed to me as I took a water break. "I thought you didn''t like him."

    I shrugged. "I like Drew. I just don''t like running with Drew." I looked around the gym. "This isn''t so bad. I can feel myself getting stronger by seeing that I''m able to lift more than last year."

    "It''s measurable unlike running." Dave nodded. "I get it. Plus, baseball players don''t have to run much in a game. Just have to have fast reflexes."

    "Noah runs a lot." Garret came over to grab a sip of water and to wipe his sweat. "He chases down those short fly balls all the time, thankfully. He also uses his legs to run that bases. It can also be measurable. Just time your sprints between the bases."

    "Good idea." Drew snuck up on us. He smiled at me. "By Friday, you should be good enough to work on it."

    I glared at Garret.

    Garret laughed.

    "Knudsen! You''re up! Let''s go!" His coach pulled him to the bench press.

    After our workout session, Kyle handed Dave the keys. "Do me a favor and take my stuff to the car. I don''t want to miss anymore of the softball game."

    Dave accepted. "Yea, yea. I know." He looked at me. "Want me to take your stuff too? I''ll drive Noah and I back up here to be closer to the softball field."

    "Might as well." Kyle answered for me. "Don''t forget to grab him a jacket from the car. He''ll definitely get cold."

    "Yea, yea. I know." Dave repeated. He waved us off and headed down to the lower field to collect Noah and the car.

    Kyle and I started to walk to the softball field, which wasn''t too far from the gym. Sean and Garret trailed behind us, showing some interest in supporting the girls too. The four of us found a near empty bleacher behind the visitors dugout and sat down.

    "Is Marie pitching today?" Garret asked Kyle once we were settled. We seemed to come between innings and our school was jogging to take the field.

    "No, she and her Coach want to save her energy for Friday night." Kyle said. "Even though there''s no pitch limit in softball, doesn''t mean she can do it all. That should be her in left field." Kyle pointed out.

    I looked around the field and found Kaylee at short. I knew of another girl in right field from class. And I even knew the pitcher. "KJ is the pitcher."

    The three of them looked at me.

    Sean was the most surprised. "You know KJ?"

    I nodded. "She played on the softball team last summer with us. She''s Kaylee''s friend." I thought about it. "She''s a Junior now, like you. She used to be on JV. She''s nice." She was quiet and just really liked to pitch. I remember Zeke getting an opponent''s pitcher to talk about college with her and maybe pitching mechanics.

    "Yea, I remember seeing KJ around last summer." Kyle nodded. "She was really quiet. Friends with Marie and Kaylee."

    "Wow. Yea, I''ve had a few classes with her. She really doesn''t say much." Sean agreed. "I just didn''t expect that even Jake would know her."

    I shrugged. It''d be weirder if I didn''t say anything after playing softball with her for a month plus during summer break.

    "LET''S GET IT, GIRLS!!" Garret hollered louder than anyone else as the inning started. He clapped and waved before taking a seat again. He looked at Kyle. "Don''t let me do your job again."

    "My job?" Kyle was taken aback.

    "The team is led by your girlfriend." Garret pointed out, stretching out into a more relaxed position.

    Sean nodded in agreement. "You should be their number one cheerleader."

    Kyle turned a little red. "I think I''ll just stick to cheering for Marie."

    "Don''t worry." I spoke up. All eyes went to me. "Someone louder than Garret will take over as soon as he shows."

    As if on cue, we heard a yell. "COME ON KJ! YOU CAN TAKE THEM!" Noah. He and Dave were walking in front of the stands, practically right behind the backstop. Noah attracted all kinds of looks as he yelled out more cheers. "STRIKE OUT THE SIDE! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"

    Our small group all laughed.

 Chapter 972 V3 Ch206 Cheering 2

    Chapter 972 V3 Ch206 Cheering 2

    Noah and Dave found our group and came over. Noah was easiest the loudest person in the stands, cheering for KJ as she faced the opposing team''s batters. She didn''t strike out the side, but she did go three up, three down. The team went back to the dugout and with Noah''s lead, we all clapped for them.

    "Hey, pull up the roster on the school''s website." Noah nudged Dave.

    "Why?" Dave asked, yet still got to work.

    "How am I supposed to cheer for all their at bats if I don''t know their name?" Noah rolled his eyes. "You can''t just half-ass these kinds of things."

    I don''t think Noah ever did anything without full effort. Even when he complained about our summer workouts with Zeke, he always pushed himself to the max.

    With Noah''s lead, the cheers and chants for our school''s softball team got noticeably louder. The twins, Garret, and Sean all joined in, taking turns to holler out compliments. I don''t know what the game was like before, but our girls started to get hits and run up the score.

    When Kaylee came up to the plate, Noah nudged me. "C''mon. Aren''t you going to join?"

    I frowned. "I''m not really...loud." I''m more of a clapper, where I could blend in.

    "You know her though." Noah prodded.

    "You know her too."

    "Yea, but not gonna lie, I want to say something mean."

    My lips twitched.

    Kaylee fouled the first pitch down the line.

    "Tell her to straighten it out." Noah pulled me up to stand.

    I cleared my throat as I looked around. Seeing that everyone''s attention was on the game and not on us, I took a deep breath. "Straighten it out, Kaylee! You''ve got this!" I plopped back down before anyone could look at me.

    Noah laughed. "Why do you look so guilty? It''s just cheering on the girls team. They did so for us during CIF."

    "I think you''ve pushed him far enough out of his comfort zone." Kyle laughed too. "He probably has to decompress if you want him to do it again on Friday."

    Kaylee did straighten out the next ball, earning a standup double to left field. Everyone clapped and hollered.

    We casually talked about the girls and their game during the short breaks as it went on. Then we talked about our own game tomorrow, but only for a second. Out of the six of us, only Noah could play. Noah was eager but Kyle simply moved on, talking about the softball game Friday night. Garret suggested the whole baseball team to come out and support. We could make it a team-bonding event of sorts.

    After the girl''s team won, Garret and Sean said goodbye and left us. We hung around so Kyle could talk to Marie.

    Noah was a little unwilling. "It''s not like he won''t see her tomorrow." He grumbled.

    Dave sighed. "Well, not too much. We leave at noon for the game. By the time we get back, it''s dinner, homework, bed."

    "There''s still Friday." Noah pointed out.

    As we three stayed where we were, some of the softball players passed by.

    "Hey, Noah!"

    "Thanks for cheering for us!"

    "You plan to come Friday, right?"

    "Of course!" Noah patted his chest and stood tall. "I''m going to get the whole baseball team to come. We can''t lose as a home team!"

    The girls laughed and waved.

    "Why didn''t they thank me?" Dave asked, confused.

    "Because you weren''t loud enough." Kaylee stopped to talk to us. KJ right beside her. "All of us could hear Noah. He had something to say all the time." She looked at Noah, impressed. "I thought for sure you would yell until you were hoarse."

    Noah grinned and put his hands up. "What can I say? I can talk a mile a minute all week. Yelling a couple of cheers for a couple of innings is nothing."

    Kaylee looked at me. "I''m more surprised that I was able to hear you, Jake."

    I felt my face heat up. "You did well. Good game." I looked to KJ. "You too. Your pitching looks better."

    KJ looked stunned. Then she beamed. "Yea? You really think so?! I''m trying to add a drop ball and it seems to be working, earning me some more groundouts."

    I nodded.

    "Have you been in contact with some colleges now?" Noah asked her. She did share her worries with us and Zeke last summer about not getting any attention as she was on the JV team.

    KJ''s smile only got bigger. "I have! Before making the varsity roster, I filled out a few inquiries and signed up for this recruiting website. Just the free version, of course. But it let me upload some stats and highlights."

    "I asked my parents to record KJ''s pitching today." Kaylee cut in. "We''ll edit out some of the filler and the few hits that she gave up. Save most of the space for her strikeouts."

    "Good idea!" Noah looked at me. "I think I want a highlight reel. All my great catches. Show off my reflexes. The way I can steal bases."

    "You guys get so much attention as it is." Kaylee nodded my way. "With Jake already set to pass up Zeke''s home run record the very season after he had set it...bound to catch a lot of looks."

    I forcefully swallowed a lump forming in my throat.

    "Don''t mention it." Noah waved Kaylee away. "You''ll make him get sick. Jake still doesn''t do well when the attention is all on him."

    Kaylee reached out to hold my shoulder. She looked me in the eyes. "Just think. The next time you make an error, everyone will already know your name." She laughed at my terror-stricken face. "I''m kidding, Jake. Well, not really because there is some truth in that. But it''s no biggie. In the majors, you don''t have to field. Your hitting is so superior already. You keep it up and every team will want you to be their designated hitter."

    I sighed. Mostly with relief, but also a little sad for myself. I frowned. "College level allows for a DH too, right?"

    Kaylee was surprised. "You''re thinking about going to college?"

    I shrugged.

    "Jake is keeping his options open." Noah answered for me. "But yes, Jake, you can DH in college."

 Chapter 973 V3 Ch207 @ Santa Fe HS (1)

    Chapter 973 V3 Ch207 @ Santa Fe HS (1)

    Thursday morning, I struggled to get out of bed. Not just because it was the usual morning drag. But because some of my muscles were super sore from yesterday''s lifting session. The only consolation was that I wasn''t alone. The twins were even worse off, unwilling to lift their arms to even eat breakfast. Instead they were fighting over who should drive.

    "It''s your turn." Dave told Kyle. "You drive us to school and I''ll drive us home."

    "And I''m saying that we should just switch." Kyle argued. "You drive us to and I''ll drive us home."

    "You know what, you should just take both today. Drive us to and from school." Dave sounded like he conceded.

    Kyle wasn''t fooled. "No, no, no. You drive. My arms are really heavy. I was lifting more weight than you were yesterday."

    "That''s all relative. You don''t know if your arms are worse than mine just because you added a couple extra pounds."

    "You guys are such babies." Noah snorted.

    "Why haven''t you learned to drive yet?" Kyle asked. "You could be practicing right now. How else will you be ready next year with us gone?"

    ? "Jake and I want to do it together. But he doesn''t turn 15.5 until the end of April." Noah stated. I nodded along. I rather learn with Noah or just not at all. "Besides we still have Grampa, Mom, and Dad. We aren''t going to be stranded without you guys."

    Kyle looked to Mom. "Mommm. Can you drive us today?"

    Mom gave a kind smile. "Okay, I can do drop off. But leave your keys here so your Grampa can pick you up later this evening. Your dad and I have a dinner meeting and won''t be back in time."

    "Yes!" Kyle pulled out his keys and set them on the table. Grampa wasn''t up yet. He slept in while we prepared for school. Not like I was jealous or anything.

    On the way to school, Noah sent Mr. Miller a text saying that we wouldn''t need a ride up. With Mom taking us, she dropped us all off at the top of the hill near the school entrance.

    "Thanks, Mom!"

    "Bye, Mom!"

    The twins left the car first; a little wobbly so we laughed.

    "Good luck today, Noah." Mom smiled. She looked at me. "And who knows, Jake. Maybe you''ll get to pinch hit today. Have a good day, boys." She drove off.

    Noah pulled out his phone. "I''m going to send Grampa a reminder text. I''m clearly going to do the best out of the four of us so he should make what I want for dinner."

    "Steak again?" I asked as we walked to our lockers.

    "No. I''m thinking tacos." He typed away.

    Our school day went quick with us having to leave at noon. The bus met us at the upper lot and all three levels of the baseball program started to board the bus. Noah and I put our baseball bags in storage down under and kept our regular school bags to do homework.

    "You sit in the fourth row, across from Garret." Coach told Noah.

    Noah was thrown off. "What? Jake and I usually sit in the back."

    "You''re a captain now." Coach glanced at me. "Jake can still sit in the back if needed. But you and Garret are between the coaches and players."

    Noah looked my way and bit his lip. "What do you want to do Jake?"

    I hesitated. Sit in the back without Noah or sit where everyone is behind me. I don''t like these options. I frowned. "Who will sit directly behind us?"

    "We can get someone nice like Jason or Sean." Noah kept his voice low. "Maybe one of the twins as long as they sit separately from one another. They would be too annoying together." He patted my shoulder. "Let''s get on first and see what we can do."

    I looked at Coach and he nodded back while gesturing for us to get on. Noah went first and I followed. He scanned the bus to see who had already showed, which were mostly freshmen and Garret.

    "Coach tell you to sit there?" Garret casually pointed at the seat across from him.

    Noah nodded slowly. "Yea. I''m just looking to find a good candidate to sit in the row behind us." He glanced back to see who was coming on. "Oh! Here comes Sean." Noah allowed me to have the inner seat and waited for Sean to board. "Yo, Sean. Mind sitting behind us?" He pointed at the spot.

    Sean raised an eyebrow, glanced at me for a second before nodding. "Sure. No problem. I''m happy to be towards the front now as an upperclassman."

    With that settled, I focused looking outside the window and not on the others boarding. Noah chose to take out his lunch, opening the bag of cookies first. Seeing his reflection in the window, solely focused on eating and not the others getting on, I thought he had the right idea and joined him, pulling out my lunch too. By the time we finished, the bus was full of the three teams and we were on the highway.

    Noah easily dozed off. I pulled out my phone to play with, casually texting Zeke and Jeremy separately. Zeke sent daily texts to check on each of us which I thought took a lot of effort since he had so many brothers, but he made the time. Jeremy made the time too, but I felt like there was more time in between our texts and he always sounded like he was in a hurry. I try not to compare them to one another, however I sometimes forget that the two aren''t the same. They each have their lives of friends and baseball. Zeke has school and Jeremy is full time playing again.

    When we got closer to Santa Fe High School, Coach got up and slowly went down the aisle stopping a few rows back. I turned to get a look, accidentally waking Noah up.

    "We almost there?" He yawned.

    I nodded.

    "You''ll get the start, but don''t expect to do the whole seven innings." Coach said to somebody then came on back. With him out of the way, I could see who he was talking to. Bryce.

    I nodded to myself, happy with Coach''s decision. Without Garret and the twins, my next pick would be Bryce too. Then Brian. Then...maybe Joey. Too hard to say about everyone else.

 Chapter 974 V3 Ch208 @ Santa Fe HS (2)

    Chapter 974 V3 Ch208 @ Santa Fe HS (2)

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 1B Jason Morris

    3 CF Korrey Alvarrez

    4 LF Tanner Erickson

    5 P Bryce Finn

    6 3B Jesse Shipman

    7 RF Brian Swoope

    8 2B Dalton Nelson

    9 C Mitchell Torres

    Coach gave out the lineup after the basic warmup, sending Bryce and Mitch to the bullpen. Brian in right field was a surprise to everyone, even himself. He was very energetic during the second half of warmups, chasing fly balls all over the place.

    "He''s going too hard." Sean mumbled to me. The two of us were off to the side, doing a lighter workout. Sean was still hurting, whereas Coach said they wouldn''t use me unless they absolutely needed me. Depressing.

    At the start of the game, Noah, Jason, and Korrey got ready to kick things off. Sean and I settled near the coaches. Alisha had a dentist appointment this afternoon and wasn''t able to come so Sean took it upon himself to help with the scoring and Coach''s notes. I was there to learn.

    Noah started us off hot, hitting a solid line drive in a gap. He made it to second without needing to slide. Mr. Miller motioned for hit and run. We were going to be aggressive early on. The pitcher started his motion and once the ball left his hand, Noah took off. Jason made contact, pulling the ball down the line. The third baseman caught it on the hop and it was very convenient for him to tag Noah out. He tried to complete a double play by throwing to first next, but Jason made it safely.

    Noah came back to the dugout, stopping near us to talk to Coach. "I think you should give me more opportunities to steal."

    "You''re just mad that the hit-and-run didn''t work out." Kyle was nearby. Him and Dave stayed in the dugout with Garret; all three moved stiffly and unwillingly.

    "It''s unfortunate that it went straight to the third baseman. Tough break." Noah nodded. "But I just think I can do a little more offensively."

    "It''ll depend on the situation, but I''ll talk with Miller about incorporating it more." Coach slowly nodded. He looked to Sean. "Write that down."

    Korrey hit a double of his own in the right field corner. He didn''t need to slide because the relay throw was headed home just like Jason. Jason slid before the tag came down. Safe. 1-0.

    Tanner struck out for the second out. Bryce, our starting pitcher for the day, stayed calm and relaxed in the batter''s box, earning a walk after seeing nine pitches. Jesse was given the green light to swing and the runners were to go on contact. Jesse came through with an RBI single to make the score 2-0. Bryce made it to third, but was left stranded after Brian hit a fly ball to left field.

    Bottom of the first inning. Bryce walked the first batter on a close call by the umpire. It was fine though. The second batter hit into a 6-4-3 double play. Noah to Dalton to Jason. Bryce got the third batter to pop up to Noah to end the inning.

    Top of the second. Dalton walked and Mitch pushed him to second base with his base hit. Noah came up for his second at bat already with two on and no outs. On a 2-1 count, he blasted the ball deep towards center field, causing a bunch of us to get off the bench in shock. The center fielder chased the ball back, glanced at the fence, causing him to lose sight of the baseball. It bounced off the fence and went in the opposite direction. He scrambled for it as our baserunners were scoring. First it was Dalton. 3-0. Then Mitchell. 4-0. The center fielder threw the ball to the shortstop, who relayed it to the third baseman as Noah came sliding in.

    "Safe!"

    Most of the guys on the team shook the dugout fence and yelled out compliments for Noah''s two RBI triple. Jason followed up with an RBI single, easily driving in Noah to make the score 5-0. Still no outs.

    "Fuck, you''re fast!!!" Dave reached out to give Noah an excited shake as he came back in the dugout. "First triple of the season!"

    "It was so close to being a homer." Noah sighed. Then grinned. "But that''s okay. There''s always next time. I''m already 2-2 for at the plate in the second inning with two RBI''s." He raised a clenched fist. "We''re in great shape today!"

    Garret laughed. "Yea, I don''t think Coach will be asking me or Jake to pinch hit today. Heck, if you guys keep this up, it might be a called game."

    Sadly, we didn''t score anymore in the second. Korrey got into a double play and Tanner hit a routine groundout to short.

    Bottom of the second. Bryce gave up a single to their cleanup hitter, but recovered. He earned a looking strikeout from the fifth batter, jammed the next batter for a groundout to himself, then a swinging strikeout. Kept Santa Fe scoreless.

    Top of the third. Bryce hit a leadoff single. Jesse, up next, hit into the third double play of the game, the second by us. With two outs, and no one on, Brian went down swinging. Three up, threee down. A bit of a downer.

    Bottom of the third. Bryce got the eighth batter to groundout to Jason. The last batter in the lineup, the pitcher, hit a fly ball to Brian in right field. Back at the top of the order, Bryce gave up a single. But it was okay. The next batter hit also hit a grounder Jason''s way at first and he dealt with it easily.

    Top of the fourth. I was hoping to see a repeat of the second inning but it just wasn''t happening. Dalton struck out swinging. Mitchell hit a fly ball to left. Noah hit a ground ball the opposite way between first and second base. The first baseman did a nice dive for it and tossed the ball to the pitcher who was racing to cover first base. He and Noah stepped on first base nearly at the same time. Unfortunately the umpire ruled in their favor.

    Noah took off his helmet and came back into the dugout as everyone prepared to take the field. "What a shame. I thought for sure I was safe."

    "Close call." Sean shrugged. "Nothing you can do about it."

    "Nothing but be faster for next time." Noah said, heading to his bag.

    "Noah''s never satisfied." Sean gave a small shake of his head as he noted the play down.

    I nodded. "He''s always striving to be better. Even when we complained about endurance and strength training with Zeke during the summer, he never slacked off."

    We watched him leave the dugout, jogging to short.

    "That''s a good trait to have." Sean said. "Especially in a captain. Knowing what you have to do to improve and making the effort. I definitely think he''s the most reliable player on the team." Sean paused. "I''m not saying that you aren''t reliable. If anything, I would say you''re clutch. You''re an excellent batter that can really change the momentum of the game."

 Chapter 975 V3 Ch209 @ Santa Fe HS (3)

    Chapter 975 V3 Ch209 @ Santa Fe HS (3)

    "I wouldn''t call Noah reliable." Kyle snorted from a few feet away. "He''s just a show off."

    "I appreciate his enthusiasm at fielding." Dave grinned. "He covers so much ground. Name another guy on the team that makes as many stunning plays as he does."

    "He''s just fast." Kyle pointed out. "And he plays a position that sees the ball the most after pitcher and catcher of course."

    "I say he''s on the road of becoming a five-tool player." Garret grinned. "Better than Zeke when he was a sophomore."

    "Don''t tell Noah that. His head might get too big to stay on his shoulders." Kyle rolled his eyes.

    "What are the five tools again?" I asked Sean. I remembered Noah saying something about Zeke being a five-tool player last year. I wanted to know how close Noah was to achieve that as well.

    "Fielding. Throwing. Running. Hitting. And hitting for power." Garret answered before Sean could. He smiled as he flexed his arm. "I''m a perfect example.".com

    I nodded in agreement. I thought so too.

    "You''re probably the most arrogant captain in the history of our school." Kyle rolled his eyes again.

    Garret grinned. "You''re just jealous that I have more opportunities. You can only blame yourself."

    The trio kept up the smack talk as the bottom of the fourth started. On the very first pitch to the third batter in the lineup, the guy blasted it out, dead center. Korrey chased it back to the fence but it was futile, the ball cleared it easily. Santa Fe scored their first run to make it 5-1.

    "Alright, alright!" Noah hollered. "Don''t mind! You''ll get the next one!"

    "That''s rough." Dave made a face.

    "He''s still doing well." Garret commented. "Just need to get back on track."

    Bryce got a new ball thrown to him from the umpire and got reset. He now had to face the cleanup hitter who previously had a single. Bryce worked hard, using eleven pitches before the guy poked the ball down the first baseline. Jason scooped it up and tagged first for the first out. The next two batters grounded out to Jesse at third and Dalton at second respectively, to end the inning.

    Bryce and them started to come back into the dugout.

    "Way to bounce back!" Noah gave him a pat on the back before passing him. He hopped on the bench beside me, still talking to Bryce. "It''d be nice if you would be able to let them hit towards me. I''ve only touched the ball once today."

    "I''m at zero." Sean sighed.

    "Same." I shrugged helplessly.

    Noah laughed and knocked his shoulder into mine. "Don''t act like you want to be fielding. I know you. You just miss batting. Don''t worry, we can go to the cages this weekend and you can get it out of your system."

    I rolled my eyes. "We can''t. Tomorrow night is the girl''s game. Then Saturday we leave for Zeke''s game. Don''t come back until Sunday."

    "Saturday morning." Noah pointed out. "We can''t even check in at the hotel until 3pm so we probably won''t leave until after lunch."

    I paused. Then nodded. Alright. Not a bad idea.

    Top of the fifth. Jason. Korrey. Tanner. Three up, three down. All swinging strikeouts. While I was talking to Noah and Sean, I didn''t see that the opposing team had switched pitchers. He dominated the early part of our lineup so bad that our dugout lost the good atmosphere.

    Bottom of the fifth. Bryce continued to let the ball be put into play. A groundout to second. A lineout to center. And a pop out in foul territory that Mitchell went to get. He got the job done and Coach told him so.

    Bryce lost some of the air from within. "What? I''m done already? I can close it out, Coach."

    "I believe it. But I want to see someone else on the mound." Coach rested his hand on Bryce''s head. "You did well. Go cool down."

    Bryce pouted. "But I''m first up. Can''t I at least bat one more time?"

    "No. It''s decided." Coach nodded at Logan who had his helmet on and bat in hand.

    Bryce could only sigh and start his cooldown to protect his shoulder. Logan, as the pinch hitter, reached first base after hitting a hard grounder off another new pitcher, down the third baseline. The third baseman fumbled with it and couldn''t get the throw off.

    Jesse followed up with a grounder of his own. To the second baseman, who flipped it to the shortstop. Shortstop stepped on second and threw to first. Double play. Brian, up next, got his first hit of the game, a single to right. But he was left stranded after Dalton''s fly out to the right fielder.

    Bottom of the sixth. Coach left the dugout to announce the pitching change. Soon, Joey came jogging out of the bullpen. After his practice pitches, he started off against the leadoff of the lineup. He crushed it, getting him to swing and miss three times.

    "Yooo." Dave whistled, impressed. "Looking hot."

    "I-" Garret was about to add to it but the very next batter hit a single.

    The trio got quiet as Joey started to pitch against the third batter. He pulled the ball down the line for a double. Tanner got the ball in quick to keep the lead runner at third.

    I nervously looked around, but no one said anything.

    The cleanup hitter got jammed, popping out to Dalton. The fifth batter made solid contact, hitting a line drive to center. I held my breath as Korrey came sprinting in and made a dive at the ball, catching it just in time. He slide in the grass before popping up.

    Sean let out a sigh of relief. "God dang, that had me nervous."

    I nodded in agreement.

    Garret approached Joey as soon as he came in the dugout and started to talk to him. I don''t know whether he was giving advice as a captain, but it helps that he''s a pitcher too.

    Tol of the seventh and we started with the last player in the lineup. Mitchell struck out, ending his game with one hit and one run scored. Not bad. Noah, who had a hot start earlier, couldn''t get the ball in play but he did earn a walk. Jason came to the plate, with one hit on the day. He added to his stats after hitting a big fly to right field. Another run and two RBI''s scored for him. 7-1. Korrey also hit a deep ball, but it was too high, giving the center fielder enough time to get under it. Tanner walked, reaching base for the first time today. Logan pulled a pitch to the third baseman again, who was able to catch the pop up to end our half of the inning.

    Bottom of the seventh, Joey got on the mound once more. He threw some great pitches, but Santa Fe had a good read on him. A single. Swinging strikeout. Lineout to center. Then the nine spot was replaced by a pinch hitter who did his job, hitting a hard single in the gap, pushing the runner to third. The leadoff batter hit his second single of the day, making the score 7-2. Number two batter hit a grounder up the middle, but Noah was there to scoop it up and beat the runner to second to end the inning and the game. We made it.

    I followed everyone out of the dugout to high five the starters and congratulate them on a good game.

 Chapter 976 V3 Ch210 The Weekend

    Chapter 976 V3 Ch210 The Weekend

    Friday''s practice was brutal. For me and the twins at least. The three of us were stuck with Drew, doing all kinds of sprints drills, even using the uphill incline against us. Garret was able to go back to the gym with his coach, switching up the muscles he was going to focus on. The pitching coach said he had less time to recover than the twins so it was better if they didn''t stick to the same path. Meanwhile, Sean was able to rejoin the team, although at a slower pace as he eases himself back in.

    At the end of it all, I had an urge to just go to sleep after showering at home, but I knew I couldn''t miss the girl''s game. Everyone was going. And I meant everyone. Our whole team. Our classmates. Basically anyone that Noah talked to this week.

    By the time we got to the softball field, the three sets of bleachers were mostly filled with even more people standing around them.

    "Noah! Jake! Over here!" Alisha was waving her arms wildly, trying to get our attention. She was sitting with other sophomores, some I knew from class.

    Noah told the twins. "Looks like our friends saved us a spot. Later!" Noah walked away.

    I gave the twins a wave and followed after.

    "Here! I made some signs!" Alisha thrusted posters at us as soon as we joined.

    Mine was just a softball with Kaylee''s name in it. I glanced at the others around us and they had all different names. Alisha really went all out.

    "I saved Kaylee''s for you." Alisha told me. "I figured she''s the only one you might be comfortable yelling and waving the poster for."

    My lips twitched. Why did I come over to the cheer squad? I should have stuck with the twins.

    "You gave me Marie?" Noah twisted his lips, not pleased. "I know other players on the team. Why don''t I give this to Kyle?"

    "No way." Alisha denied his request. "Besides, I think it''ll be great. Who will yell for Marie the loudest? Her boyfriend? Or the boyfriend''s little brother?"

    Noah was sold. He held the sign above his head and faced the field, where the teams were just starting to be announced. "NUMBER ONE PITCHER, THERE''S NO ONE BETTER! MARIE! MARIE! MARIE!" She soon came out of her dugout, walking to the pitching circle. She glanced our way and gave a small nod.

    "WOO-HOO! Let''s go, Kaylee!!" Alisha cheered when Kaylee left the dugout. She looked our way too. I lifted the poster so she could see. She grinned and jogged to her position at shortstop. Alisha looked to Noah. "Kaylee''s considered good at shortstop, right?"

    Noah grinned. "That''s where all the best fielders play."

    Marie had a hot start to the game, striking out the side. Our school was excited to see the offense come out after such a good show on the mound, but it was tough to see them go three up, three down. Kaylee had made solid contact, but the third baseman caught he line drive. The opposing team really was good. It was mostly a pitcher''s duel for the first five inning. In the sixth, the girls finally made a move when Marie got a double. That seemed to open up the gates for their hitting and pushed the score 3-0. Even Kaylee had an RBI single. The other team had to change pitchers to stop the bleeding. But the girls hung on. Marie had an outstanding game only giving up two hits and two walks. No runs and eleven strikeouts.

    After the game, Noah and I knew Kyle was going to wait around to meet up with Marie so we would have to do the same. Alisha asked us for a ride home and Noah agreed, despite not even being the driver.

    Kaylee found us after her team''s postgame meeting. "Thanks for coming you guys." She smiled at the poster in my hands. "Alisha did this, right?"

    Alisha grinned, grabbed the sign from me and thrust it into Kaylee''s. "Hold it up. I''ll take some pictures for you. You played so well! Definitely like Noah!"

    "Hey!" Noah hollered, looking offended.

    Kaylee laughed and Alisha took pictures with her phone. After messing around for a bit, the twins came over with Marie and KJ.

    "I told Alisha we could take her home." Noah quickly told Dave, who had the keys.

    Dave looked to Alisha. "Do you have to go home right away? I don''t mind, but we were thinking about going to The Arcade for pizza and some games."

    "Sounds fun!" Alisha smiled. "I just have to text my parents real quick. They won''t mind."

    Kaylee looked at Marie. "We''re going like this?" She gestured to her dirty uniform.

    "Yea? Why not?" Marie shrugged before smirking. "Are you trying to impress someone?"

    "No. Of course not." Kaylee quickly denied. "I just feel gross from the dried sweat."

    "We can wash our faces in the bathroom."

    Friday night became a small party of sorts. Four sophomores, one junior, and three seniors. Kyle actually paid for two pizzas and drinks for everyone. Maybe to impress Marie, because that''s not a regular move for him. We spent the rest of the night eating, joking, and playing games.

    Saturday morning, Noah woke me up for a morning run. I tossed and turned before getting up. Noah was relentless so it''s better not to fight it. I remembered the days of summer that he didn''t want to run with Zeke, yet now he had his own motivation. I''m sure being in the middle of baseball season really inspired him too.

    The twins saw us getting ready and actually joined too. The three of us couldn''t catch up to Noah, but it was no longer a struggle for me to keep up with them.

    "It''s not fair." Dave gasped. "I worked out yesterday, doing a bunch of sprints and cardio exercises."

    I made a face at him.

    "Bro, we know. We were right there with you." Kyle rolled his eyes, saying what I had on my mind too. I just couldn''t get the words out as I focused on my breathing. Just because I could keep up doesn''t mean it wasn''t exhausting for me.

    After the morning workout, we ate a big breakfast at home. Then Dave agreed to take us to the cages while Kyle wanted to see Marie. After the cages, and lunch, we hit the road for Stanford. Grampa even joined too, knowing that it was only a one night stay. We checked into the hotel, then went to Zeke''s school for the game. We were so early, we were able to watch both teams warm up. Zeke''s team won both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Zeke did extremely well, going 4-5 at the plate with two walks, five RBI''s and three runs scored. He and Rhys ate with us Sunday evening before we headed back home.

    "You''re going to be able to come to our game tomorrow, right Grampa?" Noah looked at him just as he was about to fall asleep against the window.

    "Why? You''re probably the only one playing." Dave snorted.

    "Yea. Let Grampa recover from this drive." Kyle agreed.

    "It''s our first home game in almost two weeks. And the next home game won''t be for like another two weeks." Noah said.

    "What else would I do on a Monday evening?" Grampa asked with his eyes closed. "Now let me sleep. Car ride naps are the best."

    The twins didn''t look convinced.

    Neither was I. I loved to sleep, but a moving car? That was still a tough one.

 Chapter 977 V3 Ch211 VS Alisal HS

    Chapter 977 V3 Ch211 VS Alisal HS

    Monday''s game wasn''t until 5pm so we had to attend all of our classes It wasn''t hard or anything like that; it just made the day feel long. My day only got longer when Coach confirmed that I would definitely be sitting out again.

    1 2B Dalton Nelson

    2 RF Bryce Finn

    3 SS Noah Atkins

    4 P Garret Knudsen

    5 1B Jason Morris

    6 3B Jesse Shipman

    7 LF Logan Porter

    8 CF Korrey Alvarrez

    9 C Mitchell Torres

    "I''m going to hang out in the bullpen today." Kyle told Dave.

    Dave nodded. "Me too." He looked to me. "Want to join us? You can be our honorary catcher."

    I looked at him with disgust.

    Dave laughed. "Hey, it was just an offer. I just know Garret will crush those guys today so I want to escape to the bullpen and avoid his showboating."

    "Unlike you, Jake has no problem with others doing well." Garret came over and threw his arm around my shoulders.

    I nodded in agreement, not minding Garret hanging off of me.

    "I don''t know." Noah drawled out. "I kind of like knowing that my team needs me. Makes me feel good."

    That''s true. "But I like knowing that you guys can win without me. That way if we lose...I know it''s not necessarily my fault even if I''m playing."

    "I think you put too much pressure on yourself." Garret gave me a pat on the head. "Leave it to me. To your seniors." He grinned. "If we ever lose a game, there''s a good chance it was the twin''s fault."

    "No way!"

    "Rude!"

    Noah pulled me away from the trio as they started arguing for the millionth time who was the better pitcher among them. Coach eventually split them up so Garret could prepare for the game.

    We didn''t play Alisal High School last year so there was no background on how well they could play. The first three batters all made contact with Garret''s fastball, yet they were all groundouts. To second, to third, to short. Garret stayed under ten pitches and was satisfied with that kind of start since his limit today is 75.

    Dalton led off the bottom of the first, striking out on a foul tip. Bryce worked his count to a favorable 3-1 before hitting a single to right field. Noah attacked early, hitting a single to center field and pushing Bryce to third. In a favorable position, Mr. Miller signed for Noah to steal. Bryce would have to pay attention to see if he could steal home if they mess up the throw or forget about him at third. Alisal''s pitcher started his motion and Noah took off as soon as that arm went back. The catcher received the pitch for a ball, jumped up like he was going to throw, but held himself back. Noah was easily safe at second.

    Two runners in scoring position with Garret up to bat. My leg started to shake with excitement. Garret came through, connecting with a pitch and hitting it to the fence. Bryce jogged in to score the first run. Noah sprinted, tagged third, then slid over home plate as the ball was relayed back in. 2-0. Garret safely stood on second, pumping his fist. No doubt the twins were happy that they chose the bullpen today.

    Jason hit a fly ball to center and Garret was able to advance to third on the tag up, yet was left stranded when Jesse hit a routine grounder to third to end the inning.????????e????????????????????????��????????. c????????

    Garret came back with Jesse, still smiling. He took his time to switch out his helmet for his glove and got ready before heading back to the mound. The cleanup hitter led off and made solid contact, causing a loud gasps from the stands. Bryce sprinted at a backwards angle before diving for the line drive.

    "Out!" The umpire confirmed once Bryce got up with the ball in his glove. Bryce threw the ball back in.

    Garret didn''t seem bothered by the constant contact. The next batter hit a grounder to Noah. Then Garret earned his first strikeout to finish off the side.

    Bottom of the second. Logan grounded out to short. Korrey hit a line drive right to the right fielder. And Mitchell hit a fly ball to left.

    Top of the third. Garret got the first guy to pop up to Dalton and second, and then earned back to back strikeouts.

    Bottom of the third. Dalton struck out for the second time. Bryce hit a good ball to center field, but the center fielder made an even better play. Noah also hit within the center fielder''s reach for the third out.

    Noah sighed a few times back in the dugout as he switched his gear. "I can''t be hitting the ball too high. I''m better off trying to beat out a grounder to third or short or something."

    I nodded, believing it.

    Top of the fourth, Noah actually saw his dream come true: the top three batters hit grounders in his direction. To his left. To his right. One that wanted to sneak up the middle but he was there to snatch it up and got the throw off in time.

    Garret and him came back, laughing at something that was said. They split up with Noah coming to me and Garret going to his bag to switch his gear.

    Noah plopped down with a smile. "I wish every inning was like that one."

    I shook my head. I couldn''t relate, but I knew how Noah was.

    Garret led the bottom of the fourth off with a bomb to righ-center field. We jumped up as soon as the ball came off his bat with a loud ''ding''. The dugout went crazy as soon as the ball made it past the fence for a home run. 3-0. Garret was welcomed back with excessive slaps and pats. He really was having a great game.

    The rest of the team...eh not so much. Jason got caught looking at strike three. Jesse flew out to center. Logan struck out swinging at three fastballs.

    Top of the fifth, Garret faced the cleanup hitter for the second time, getting him to pop up to Jason at first base. The next batter got a very generous call from the home plate umpire on a full count. Ball four. A walk. Garret lost his perfect game. I could see a hint of frustration as he got the ball back. The next batter hit a grounder to Noah''s right. Noah slid as he got to it, turned around completely and got the ball to Dalton at second in time for the first out. Dalton threw to Jason to complete the double play.

    "Tough call." Coach commented when Garret came back.

    Garret paused. His lips twisted. "I think I''m going to go over my limit today, Coach. I want to finish it."

    "Are you sure it''s worth it?" Coach asked. "If you go over 75, you can''t be on the mound against Golden West on Thursday."

    "The team doesn''t need me to close it out on Thursday. Our offense will hold things steady." Garret looked intense.

    Coach gave a small shake of his head. "Okay, Garret. The mound is yours today. You''re not allowed to regret it."

    "I won''t." Garret grinned.

    Bottom of the fifth. Korrey hit a fly ball to left. Mitchell grounded out to third. As did Dalton. Rough day for those three. A combined 0-7.

    Top of the sixth, I got a glimpse of why Garret thought he wouldn''t stay under the pitch count. He was throwing aggressively in the strike zone, getting into battles with the batters before getting them to strike out swinging. He did it three times in a row to crush the bottom of their lineup.

    Bottom of the sixth, we had racked on another run. Bryce singled. Noah struck out on a foul tip. Garret singled and Bryce was able to make it to third again with his lead and speed. Jason hit a long fly to center allowing Bryce to tag up and score. 4-0. Jesse walked, trying to ease his bad day at the plate too. However Logan''s grounder to second ended the inning.

    Top of the seventh. Three outs to go. The few of us on the bench all stood up at the gate to cheer for Garret. He hasn''t given up a hit yet. The friends, families, and fans in the bleachers all knew what was at stake this inning. Garret struck out the lead off batter for the first out. His fourth in a row, and his seventh of the game. The second batter worked to a full count but Garret was able to get him to swing and miss on the cutter for the second out. The third batter made early contact, hitting a fly ball the opposite way. Bryce chased it back to the warning track. He put his hand on the fence, waited an extra beat before making his jump. He snatched the ball before it could go over and came down with it.

    "Out!"

    "Game!"

    Garret had pitched a no-hitter!!! Everyone charged him at the mound.

 Chapter 978 V3 Ch212

    Chapter 978 V3 Ch212

    At the beginning of Tuesday''s practice, Coach held a short meeting. Sean and I were told to rejoin the normal team practices and the twins had their focus on their upcoming respective starts.

    "I don''t want you in the bullpen this week." Coach told Bryce. "Stay with the outfielders. I''m thinking about using you Thursday."

    "But Garret isn''t going to pitch on Thursday either." Noah pointed out.

    "What bullpen do we need with me on the mound?" Dave pulled Noah into a headlock. "I can deal with those guys from Golden West, no problem."

    Coach cleared his throat and Dave stopped messing with Noah. "I believe in Dave and the rest of the bullpen. Our pitching is top tier in the high school level. Last year we lost to Golden West 2-3 and then beat them 1-0. Low scoring games so I want to focus on offense. Bryce has been good at the plate this past week so I want him in the lineup."

    "Hard to imagine low scoring games with a team of Zeke, Garret, and Jake." Korrey sighed. "They must have good pitching too."

    "Hey! I hit a home run in the 1-0 win." Garret threw out there. "Meanwhile, Jake went 1-2 at the plate in the same game. These guys aren''t anything special."

    "Except they''re the only league loss you had last year." Jesse pointed out. "Kind of a big deal. Like you couldn''t go unbeaten with a great roster then..."

    "Jake didn''t play in the loss last year." Noah spoke up. "And yea, they do have a good pitching program, but so what? Their best pitcher, Brady, has graduated. Our best didn''t." He looked to me. "You''re not afraid, right, Bambi?"

    My lips twitched. I think I''m afraid that I can''t shake this nickname. "They aren''t University Prep." That was my only loss that I participated in.

    "You heard it here, guys." Noah looked around. "If you''re more afraid or worried than Bambi, then I don''t know what to tell you. You might not be ready for what I want to do this season."

    "What do you want to do?" Dave played along.

    "Go undefeated through and through." Noah stated.

    "YEA!" A couple of the guys echoed.

    "I want to be back to back CIF champions!" Noah raised his voice.

    "YEA!!" The team echoed again and started to get up and move around.

    "Alright, alright." Coach grinned. "Let''s hit the field and start preparing. We''ve got some important games to win this week."

    With us fired up, Coach raised the difficulty level. We were diving in the dirt and grass for grounders. Practicing catching out of reach fly balls. Doing sprint drills around the bases like mimicking steals and pickles. By the time we got done, everyone had dirt, grass, and sweat stains.

    Back home, we took turns showering and homework before dinner.

    "Are you three coming to the game for sure on Thursday?" Dave asked Mom, Dad, and Grampa at the dinner table. "I''m pitching."

    "Your father and I will definitely be there." Mom assured him. She glanced at Grampa. "The drive might be a little long for your grandfather though. Golden West is nearly three hours away. Then another three hours back."

    "Servite is much closer." Kyle grinned at Grampa. "You can come to Saturday''s game. When I''ll be on the mound instead."

    Grampa reached out to pat Dave on the shoulder. "I''ll try to catch another one. This is one is a bit out of reach."

    Dave sighed. "Yea, okay. I understand."

    "You''ll be okay without me there." Grampa laughed at Dave''s dejection. "Half the season isn''t over yet. I promise to be there every home game and maybe the closer away games."

    We talked a little more about the upcoming games before finishing dinner and cleaning up.

    Tuesday''s practice followed a similar pattern, going hard until we nearly collapsed. Wednesday went much slower with a walk-through, going over situationals.

    Thursday, after lunch, we packed into the bus with the JV and Freshmen teams. I sat against the window with Noah on the aisle, still trying to get used to sitting in the front of the bus. With Bryce and Sean in the row behind us, there weren''t too many things to worry about. Except for the long drive. It seemed like everyone subconsciously agreed to take an afternoon nap. Noah fell asleep straight up, but when we did a sharper turn, he leaned against my shoulder and seemed happy to find a pillow. My eyelid twitched as I resisted the urge to push him away. My phone buzzed to distract me.

    Jeremy: Good luck on the game today! It''s a league game, right?

    Me: Thanks. And yea.

    I wanted to mention that we lost to them last year, but I know in some roundabout way, it would become clear that he was sort of the reason I missed the game we lost. Better to just ignore it. In the grand scheme of things, it didn''t matter. We still became champions with that one loss.

    Jeremy: I''m sure you''ll crush it! Let me know how it went afterwards.

    Me: Will do. Are you doing okay in Spring Training? I know Noah said they don''t give you as many plate appearances as they look at some newbies.

    Jeremy: I''m okay. Might get more opportunities over this weekend as the coaches look into potential lineups. Tell Noah I''m working on my speed so I steal more bases this year.

    I grinned. Jeremy had recently gotten in on the family smack talk. Especially when Noah gave him a hard time about his lack of steals.

    My phone buzzed again, but this time, a different brother.

    Zeke: Unable to sleep on the bus still?

    Me:...

    Zeke: Try to stay in a meditative state. Kind of relaxed, but focus on what you hope to accomplish today. Is Noah awake or sleeping?

    I took a quick selfie and sent it to him.

    Zeke:...

    Zeke: Wake him up when you''re thirty minutes away from the school.

    I sent a thumbs up emoji. Zeke didn''t have any games this week since his school had end of quarter finals tests to do. Next week, he would technically be on spring break, but will have to stay at school for his team''s practices. Next week would also be his 19th birthday. It would be hard to prank him this year. I started to Google some pranks people could do in long distance.

    After a couple of hours, I nudged my shoulder to shake Noah awake. He yawned and stretched out. "Did I fall asleep on you? Sorry."

    "It''s okay." I told him. It was hard to be comfy on the aisle seat so I should be more sorry for him. "Zeke told me to wake you when we got closer so you would be more prepared for the game."

    Noah nodded in understanding. He glanced at my phone. "Anything else?"

    I started to shake my head. But then stopped and pulled up Jeremy''s message.

    Noah laughed. "I bet I''ll have more steals than him in less games. Send him that."

    I smiled and started to text.

    "Have you been texting them this whole time?" Noah asked casually.

    I shook my head and pushed send for the text. "Not really. I spent more time looking up stuff." I grinned and pulled up the webpage I had found earlier. "Like this?"

    Noah was confused at first glance, but as soon as he read a little, he knew where I was getting at. "For Zeke''s birthday next week?"

    I nodded. "It''s a little pricey, but if we get the twins to join, we can share the cost four ways."

    "Nice!" Noah grinned. "You''re really one of us now."

 Chapter 979 V3 Ch213 @ Golden West (1)

    Chapter 979 V3 Ch213 @ Golden West (1)

    1 RF Bryce Finn

    2 SS Noah Atkins

    3 2B Jake Atkins

    4 CF Garret Knudsen

    5 3B Jason Morris

    6 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    7 1B Sean Isner

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Dave Atkins

    The lineup was given and warmups were done. The top of our order started getting ready for the start of the game.

    "I think we know that guy." Bryce lowered his voice, speaking to me and Noah.

    Noah and I were both taken aback.

    I scratched my cheek. "Did he pitch in the game I didn''t go to?"

    Bryce shook his head. "No. We didn''t play against him in either game." He glanced our way. "He played in that game against Servite. Against Sanchez. We were surprised that they didn''t go with Brady, remember? I think he was the same grade as me."

    Noah started to nod. "Okay, yea. I think I remember. Servite made a lot of contact early, but didn''t score until later on."

    "Yea, Golden West was relying a lot on their fielding in that game." Bryce said. "He gave up a killer three run homer before getting pulled so he''s not unbeatable."

    We nodded. We all had some small impression of this guy. Bryce and Noah left the dugout to take their practice swings. Garret soon joined me in the hole, pulling his batting gloves on.

    The pitcher finished his practice pitches off the mound and Bryce''s name was announced over the loudspeaker. Bryce went up to the batter''s box and got set. He let the first pitch pass for a called strike, prompting some cheers from the home crowd in the stands. The second pitch looked like it would be in the zone too so Bryce swung, sending it to right field. The right fielder jogged backwards a couple of yards before making the catch for the first out.

    Bryce came back and I went out; Noah moved to the batter''s box. There wasn''t much to say when Bryce had only seen two pitches. Noah''s first pitch was also in the zone. He didn''t let it pass, making solid contact. Unfortunately, it was a line drive straight to the shortstop. Three pitches, two outs.

    "His pitches are too tempting to not swing at." Noah complained as he went back in the dugout.

    I moved to the batter''s box, choosing to bat as a lefty. I knew what I had to do in this first at bat. Give this guy a hard time on the mound. He can''t get away doing just a handful of pitches of every inning. Not unless he gives up real hits.

    The first pitch fell in for a called strike. As did pitch two. Pitch three looked the same, but I swung late to foul it down the line. Fouled pitch four, five, and six too. I started to frown, realizing this guy hasn''t missed the strike zone yet. Very good control.

    Mr. Miller got my attention and gave me the sign to hit. I guess he didn''t want me to waste anymore pitches. I sent pitch seven to right field, dropping it in the grass before the outfielder could reach. Just a single.

    Coach Luis gave me a pat on the helmet. "Way to lay it down."

    I nodded.

    Garret came up next. He fouled some line drives down the line before straightening one out to center. The center fielder made a leap and snatched it before it could get over his head.

    I jogged back to the dugout, meeting up with Garret and Coach.

    "This guy really isn''t afraid to pitch to contact." Garret commented.

    I nodded in agreement.

    "We''ve got to hit more grounders." Coach noted. He looked to me. "You did well racking up the count, but I have a feeling that his endurance isn''t too bad. That''s why I asked Miller to get you to hit."

    I nodded again.

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    He looked to Garret. "You have to commit to try to get the ball low or try to use your power to send it out."

    Garret nodded.

    We went back to our bags and switched out our gear, leaving the dugout together to take our positions like the other starters already had.

    Bottom of the first with Dave on the mound. He started out strong, getting the first batter to go down swinging. First out, first strikeout of the game. He grinned as I heard our parents cheered his name. The next batter pulled a grounder to Noah''s backhand. Noah stopped the ball from getting through, transitioned the ball to his throwing hand as he spun around, and was able to throw the guy out at first.

    "Nice throw!"

    "Good job, Noah!"

    "More like that, Dave!"

    Dave got the ball back and got set for the third batter. The batter pulled the first pitch down the left field line. Korrey sprinted to the line and made a sliding catch before the ball could touch the grass. He jumped up and threw the ball back in, excited.

    "Great catch!"

    "Nice one!"

    "Way to save it!"

    Our team jogged back to the dugout in good spirits.

    "Looking good." Coach nodded at Dave.

    Dave grinned and flexed his right bicep. "Feeling good." He then patted Noah on the head. "That was a nice backhand. Good range."

    Noah chuckled. "Of course. I''ve practiced enough to have it down. Nothing''s going to get by me this year."

    Noah and I sat down together as the middle of our lineup started the second inning. Coach talked to Jason, Korrey, and Sean about what we observed in the first inning. Jason tried his best to keep his bat over the ball, hitting a grounder down the line. But the third baseman made a barehand catch and threw him out at first. Korrey hit a long fly ball to left that the outfielder caught at the warning track. Sean''s first at bat back from injury didn''t go smoothly either. On an 0-2 count, he checked his swing, drawing it back too late, but it didn''t matter. The ball was still in the zone.

    "This guy is pretty risky." Noah said as we put our gloves back on.

    I nodded. "He really trusts his fielders. Dave is very similar though." I eyed Noah. "You know this guy is throwing nothing but strikes, right?"

    "Clearly." Noah snorted.

    I covered my mouth with my glove and lowered my voice. "Drop a surprise bunt next time. I bet you''ll beat it out. The corners play back to stop anything from bouncing through."

    Noah grinned and slapped me on the back. "Yes!! Good thinking!" He practically skipped to his position, probably already thinking that he''ll be on base the next time he''s up. Hopefully one of the three before him get on to give him a chance in the third. If not, that''s okay too. He could lead off the fourth and I''ll follow up by driving him home. I felt pretty good myself as we got ready to do the bottom of the second half.

    The cleanup hitter hit a long fly to the right field fence, but Bryce chased it back and made another stellar catch. His second in two games. Even though he was a pitcher, his fielding was no worse than anyone else that plays in the outfield.

    Dave wrapped up the second inning quick with back-to-back swinging strikeouts. He was the loudest of us all as we jogged back to the dugout. "Let''s go!"

 Chapter 980 V3 Ch214 @ Golden West (2)

    Chapter 980 V3 Ch214 @ Golden West (2)

    Top of the third. Mitchell took a couple minutes to get his catching gear off and switch to his batting gear. Dave even beat him out to the on deck circle, taking practice swings like he was aiming for the fences.

    Noah put his helmet on and started to tug on his batting gloves. His legs were bouncing up and down, showing how eager he was. He suddenly looked to me. "Let me steal second if this works."

    My lips twitched. "For you to get up, one of three before you had to get on. I don''t think second would be open, but if it is, I''ll leave it up to you."

    "Everyone will get on." Noah stated confidently.

    Sometimes Noah spoke like it was a premonition, but other times...he was full of it. Mitchell pulled a fly ball to left field, which was easily caught for the first out.

    "Ok, maybe not." Noah laughed as he jumped up. "I''m going to go tell Coach what I plan to do. If I get the opportunity." He bounced his way to Coach looking like the energizer bunny.

    I sighed and started to get ready too. Even if I don''t get a chance this inning, at the very least it''ll end with me in the hole. During Dave''s at bat, I put my helmet and batting gloves on. I grabbed my bat and headed for the hole spot next to Noah.

    Dave was really put in some effort during his at bat. On an 0-2 count, he was fouling the pitches all over the place and then let one pass for a ball. The first called ball from this guy on the mound.

    "C''mon Dave!"

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    "You''ve got this!"

    "Straighten it out!"

    "Prove you''re the better twin!"

    The last comment came from Garret, prompting some laughs in our dugout.

    I think when it came to hitting, Dave did have the edge over Kyle. Not by much but he could get an occasional hit.

    Dave''s at bat turned into the longest of the game so far. Pitcher versus pitcher. 1-2 count. Foul. Foul. Foul. Foul.

    "God damn." Garret muttered under his breath. "He''s going to tire him out."

    "Who will tire who out?" I asked, eyes still on Dave. He let another pitch pass for a ball. 2-2 count.

    "Does it matter?" Garret lowered his voice. "Both of them are working so hard. Dave better make it count. All those foul balls are going to make his arms more tired when he''s on the mound, trying to pitch."

    Dave got to a full count. Then a beneficial call from the umpire, that could have gone either way, was ball four. Dave lightly tossed his bat back to us and jogged to first base amid some claps and cheers from our side.

    Bryce moved to the batter''s box and Noah to the on deck circle. Noah had a chance as long as Bryce doesn''t hit into a double play.

    The pitcher seemed upset by the walk, doing two check throws to his first baseman to keep Dave nearby. But it wasn''t like Dave was a runner. By the time the pitcher turned his focus on Bryce, you could see his rhythm was messed up. He started wild, getting to a 2-0 count before throwing a strike in the zone. Bryce let it pass. 2-1. The next pitch came in and Bryce swung, pulling it down the line.

    Dave took off for second and Bryce was sprinting to first when the third baseman made an excellent stop. Just as our dugout started to groan at the thought of a double play, the third baseman''s throw went over the second baseman''s outstretched glove and the ball rolled into right field. The right fielder was the one to back up the play, coming in to get the ball and throwing it back to the infielders. Dave was safe at second and Bryce at first. A throwing error on the third baseman has allowed us to have a runner in scoring position. And it was Dave.

    I moved out to the on deck circle as the guys started to rally. Coach gave out a sign and Mr. Miller repeated it. The runners had to go as soon as the ball left the pitcher''s hand, Noah was going to try to sacrifice bunt. But I knew Noah. He wanted a bunt single.

    Noah set up like normal, not showing any signs of a bunt, but as soon as the pitcher started his motion, he shift his body and moved his hands along his bat. The third baseman started to sprint in as Noah bunted the ball down the first baseline. He dropped his bat and took off.

    The ball rolled perfectly, making the pitcher the closest to it. The pitcher wasn''t prepared. By the time he picked the ball up and looked around, there was no suitable base to throw to.

    Our teammates in the dugout rattled the fence and started to make a lot of noise. Noah had a successful bunt single. I came up with bases loaded and one out. I don''t know who started it, but soon my name was chanted clearly from the dugout and a little from the stands.

    "JAKE! JAKE! JAKE!"

    The catcher called for ''time'' and went to the mound. He was soon joined by the other infielders and even a coach from his dugout.

    "Jake, over here!" Mr. Miller waved for me to join him down the line. Dave was already there, but so was Bryce from second base. Mr. Miller covered his mouth with his hand and leaned down. "They''ll probably pitch around you, Jake. Borderline calls. Won''t be afraid if they just walk you for one run in."

    "Oh." I sighed.

    "That doesn''t mean you don''t have to swing." Mr. Miller told me. "You probably won''t be able to do too much off the junk they throw you, but if you can get it to land in the outfield for a hit, Dave will easily score and Bryce is fast enough to score from second."

    "Ohhh." I nodded, understanding. Mr. Miller is saying I don''t have to just take the walk. I can try for a hit.

    Dave chuckled. "I''m sure Noah will be itching to come home wherever you hit it to."

    I nodded again. Noah was a risk taker.

    The umpire broke up the meeting on the mound and everyone went back to their positions including us. I chose to bat from the right side again, casually scanning the field for some gaps. Everyone seemed to have a neutral standard spot. Not leaning one way or the other. But that''s okay too. I can try for the corners.

    The first pitch to me was low and away, barely touching the strike zone but the ump gave it to him. "Strike."

    The second pitch followed the same trajectory but dipped even lower. "Strike."

    My eyelid twitched. I resisted the urge to glance back at the umpire. However my teammates had my back and some complaints could be heard from our dugout.

    "Get your eyes checked, ump!"

    "That skimmed the dirt!"

    "Yea, check the ball for scuff marks."

    With an 0-2 count, I was on the defensive now. Gotta be able to reach whatever the next pitch might be. Third pitch kept with the same low corner trajectory. I had to step more in to be able to reach, using the end of my bat to slice it down the right field line. Dropped my bat and started to run.

    "Stay fair!"

    "It''s in!"

    The ball landed just next to the foul line and rolled as the right fielder came chasing it. I tagged first and headed to second. But Golden West didn''t pay any attention to me. It was all on the runners trying to score.

    Dave. 1-0. Bryce. 2-0. Noah did round third like everyone thought he would and was headed home. The relay throw was coming in at the same time. The catcher received the baseball and Noah dove head first.

 Chapter 981 V3 Ch215 @ Golden West (3)

    Chapter 981 V3 Ch215 @ Golden West (3)

    "SAFE!" The umpire extended his arms. "SAFE!"

    I let out a sigh of relief. 3-0.

    Noah jumped up, jeresy covered in dirt. He slapped hands with Dave and Bryce as the three of them headed back to the dugout.

    Garret came up next with me on second and only one out. He pulled the first pitch down the right field line. The right fielder sprinted back to the fence, put his hand out to make sure he didn''t hit the fence before making the catch. I tagged up and sprinted for third.

    Mr. Miller motioned that I didn''t have to slide. I stood safely on third as the ball was thrown back to the pitcher. "Good run." Mr. Miller gave my helmet a tap up top. "Two outs now. Go on contact."

    I nodded.

    Jason did make contact and I sprinted home. With the catcher out of the way, it was clear that I didn''t have to slide. I grinned and tapped home. 4-0. Jason had an RBI single. I went back to our rowdy dugout, greeted with slaps and claps.

    "No stolen base for me." Noah complained as I put my stuff away.

    I laughed. "You still made it all the way home off my double. That should count for something."

    "Yea, just a regular run scored." Noah grinned. "But you got an extra RBI from me so you''re welcome."

    Garret overheard and reached out to flick Noah on the ear. "You dummy. Couldn''t you have stayed on third for me. I could have had an RBI but now I''m empty-handed."

    "You''ll just have to try harder at your next at bat." Noah laughed and gave him a shove.

    Korrey struck out to end our half of the inning. Everyone grabbed their gloves and took the field with high energy, happy with the solid lead.

    Bottom of the third, Dave was at the bottom of the order. Seven, eight, nine. Batter seven got jammed and sent a short pop up my way. I made the catch and Noah hollered, "One out! Two to go!" Batter eight pulled a grounder his way next. No problem for Noah as always. "Two outs! Play''s at first!"

    Batter nine was the originally the pitcher, but I guess he got pulled because they were now announcing a pinch hitter. Makes sense. The pitcher had a rough go in the top of the inning.

    Dave started the guy with an inside fastball for a called strike. His second pitch was set to be an outside ball. The batter swung, trying to reach it, and just barely got a piece, hitting a grounder between me and Sean. Sean made a sliding stop and turned to toss the ball to Dave who was sprinting over to first base.

    Dave caught the ball while still running to the bag. He was in a foot race with the batter. They met at the bag and soon after, Dave went tumbling.

    "Out." The umpire declared.

    Sean reached Dave first, helping him back up to his feet.

    I was a close second. "Are you okay?"

    "Yep." Dave grimaced. "Just got stepped on. No biggie." He tossed the ball back to the mound and limped back to the dugout with Sean''s help.

    The rest of the team trailed in after him.

    Coach directed Dave to take a seat at the nearest bench. He then looked to the side. "Logan, get ready to bat. You''ll pinch hit for Dave."

    "What?!" Dave jumped up. "Coach, are you crazy?"

    Coach narrowed his eyes and pointed at Dave. "I must be crazy to try to save you from being seriously hurt this season. You were stepped on by a cleat. You could be bleeding or worse, have a broken bone."

    "Coach! I''m really not that weak!" Dave pleaded. "You can''t pull me. I''m doing perfect so far."

    Coach put his hands on Dave''s shoulders and forcefully made him sit. Everyone was watching, unsure of what to do or say. I looked to Noah because he would know.

    Noah walked up next to Coach and Dave. "We have a good lead, Dave. We don''t need you."

    My lips twitched. That''s not what I expected at all.

    Garret went over too. "Yea, Dave, take it easy. Kick you cleats off. I don''t want to say you''re accident prone, but your track record speaks for itself. You dislocated your finger not even three months ago. Before that, you had the blister. Before that, you-"

    "Shut up." Dave cut Garret off. "This isn''t like that. I was simply stepped on. This stuff happens all the time."

    "How about...if there''s no blood, we let him continue?" Noah suggested, looking at Coach.

    Coach took his hands off Dave. "Okay. Take off the cleat and sock and prove that it''s nothing."

    Dave pulled his knee up to his chest and started to untie his shoe. After taking it off, he slipped the sock off. There was just the smallest of cuts and thin flap of skin hanging off the top of his foot. Not even a dimes worth of blood but Coach called it.

    .comno//vel//bi/n[.//]net''

    "That''s it for you." Coach said. "Get it checked out by Drew tomorrow. Your pitch count is low enough; maybe you''ll pitch an inning on Saturday."

    Dave groaned, clearly not appeased. He looked at Noah. "Thanks a lot, idiot."

    Noah shrugged. "I tried. Gave you a chance. It''s not my fault your skin broke. Bad genetics. Blame your twin for stealing all the good stuff."

    Dave threw his glove at Noah. "Go away. All of you. Stop hovering over me."

    Everyone backed up to give Dave his space.

    Top of the fourth went quick with a new pitcher in for Golden West. Sean hit a routine fly to center. Mitchell popped out to third. And Logan ended it with a groundout to short.

    Bottom of the fourth, Coach spoke with the umpire as Brian came jogging in from the bullpen. He met us infielders and Coach at the mound and got the ball.

    "Lot of room to work with." Coach told him. "Don''t stress yourself out."

    Brian nodded. "How''s Dave doing?"

    "He just got stepped on. He''s fine." Noah waved his concern away. "Probably best if you stay away from him in the dugout. He''s itching for a fight."

    Sean, Jason, and I all nodded in agreement. It was hard getting benched when you''re doing well and don''t even think your hurt. Coach was just being really cautious.

    Brian did his practice pitches with Mitchell and the game resumed. Back at the top of the lineup. The first two batters hit fly balls to center and right field respectively. The third batter earned a walk after a long drawn out battle with Brian. But he got the cleanup hitter to hit a grounder my way to end the inning. Not bad for someone coming in unexpectedly. Or so I thought.

    ? As soon as we got back to the dugout, Dave started to complain. "There''s goes the perfect game."

    Noah ignored it easily, heading to his bag. I was also a little used to it and followed Noah. We were going to come up this inning after Bryce so it would be a good opportunity to tack on some more insurance runs.

 Chapter 982 V3 Ch216 @ Golden West (4)

    Chapter 982 V3 Ch216 @ Golden West (4)

    Bryce started the top of the fifth with a standup double to left field, cheering up our dugout right away. Noah got under the ball too much and popped up right to the shortstop.

    I could already hear the grief that Dave would give him when he got back to the dugout. I gave Noah a sympathetic look as we switched places.

    I chose to bat from the left side for no particular reason. But it was better for me to give both sides more equal chances and opportunities. I didn''t want to get rusty on one side over the other. I kept things simple in my at bat, hitting a flare single to left field. Bryce played it safe and only advanced to third. We had Garret after us after all.

    Runners at the corners and only one out. It was a good opportunity for Garret who was hitless today. He had a lineout and a fly out to right that I was able to advance on previously. Garret made solid contact once more, hitting the ball dead center. The center fielder caught it at the warning track and Bryce tagged up to score. 5-0. I stayed at first, not seeing a reason to push it for an extra base when we had a solid lead.

    Jason ended our half of the inning with a fly ball to center as well. We went back to the dugout together.

    "Not bad, boys." Coach addressed everyone. "I''m loving the contact. Keep it up."

    We switched gears and took the field for the bottom of the fifth. Brian did his practice pitches and then the game resumed, starting with batter five. He was able to poke the ball through for a single, Golden West''s first hit of the game. The next batter popped out to Jason at third for the first out.

    The seventh batter hit what I thought was a routine grounder down the line, but it took a weird bounce off the dirt, hitting Jason''s glove all wrong. Jason scrambled to recover, picking up the loose baseball and after taking a look around, didn''t make any throws. He walked closer to the mound, lightly throwing the ball back in.

    "Don''t mind." Noah clapped with his glove. "Bad bounce. Nothing you can do about it."

    I clapped too. I know what it was like to make an error in a game. Not a good feeling. Jason wasn''t bothered though.

    ? Hard to say whether Brian was. He walked the next batter, loading up the bases.

    Mitchell called ''time'' and headed for the mound. The rest of us infielders went in too.

    "Sorry guys." Brian immediately apologized.

    Jason laughed. "I think I should be the one saying that. We could have had turned a double play on that grounder that went haywire."

    "It was an awkward bounce. Probably hit a rock." Noah shrugged. "It''ll happen." He looked at Brian. "We just need you to refocus and get back to throwing strikes."

    "They''re putting a pinch hitter in." Mitchell nodded his head at the opposing dugout. He looked at Brian. "Don''t forget we have a five-run lead. Even a grand slam won''t put us in the hole. Stay calm and find my glove."

    Brian nodded, rolling his shoulders back. "Alright. Yea."

    We broke up and went back to our positions.

    Brian tried his best to find Mitchell''s glove to throw a strike, but the pinch hitter had it read. He blasted the ball to the outfield. Garret caught the ball after it bounced off the fence and threw it back in to Noah. Noah turned and threw to Mitchell at home plate. The first two runners had scored but the third was scared back to third base. The batter was safe at second, no slide needed.

    .comnov//el/bin[./]net''

    "Take a deep breath." Mitchell walked the ball up to Brian. "New batter. You''ve dealt with him before."

    Brian did a small walk off the mound and circled around before getting set again. It seemed to work as he dealt with the leadoff, getting him to strike out. His first of the game. The next batter hit a grounder Noah''s way and it was dealt with no problem. 5-2. Still a decent lead.

    Brian looked a little uncertain as he got back in the dugout, glancing Dave''s way.

    Dave ignored him. But he was also ignoring everyone else in the dugout. He was casual on the bench, examining his nails and picking at them a little.

    Mitchell gave Brian a pat on the shoulder as he passed by. "Way to get out of the jam. Golden West is a good team. Especially with runners in scoring position."

    Speaking of Golden West, they were in the process of another pitcher change because of their use of a pinch hitter last inning. The new guy started with Korrey, who hit a single to center, getting on for the first time this game. Sean was up next, also hitless but coming back from his strain groin. He made contact on a 2-1 count, blasting the ball out of the park. We all jumped up and started to cheer as the score got pushed to 7-2.

    Sean and Korrey came back with a pair of grins. This game was nothing like our previous two against Golden West.

    Mitchell hit a single to left field, prompting the Golden West coach to come out again and he straight up did another pitcher change. He obviously didn''t believe his player was going to bounce back from three consecutive hits.

    Brian, Bryce, and Noah were all ready to take on the fifth pitcher for Golden West. I don''t think anyone expected anything better than the previous four, but the guy came out strong and fast. A little wild but he could get the ball over the plate. Brian struck out swinging and then Bryce got jammed, hitting into a double play.

    "Damn. Where did they find this guy?" Noah asked as we went back to our bags together. He was left in the circle and I was in the hole. We would come up in the seventh and most likely would see this guy.

    I shrugged. "There''s a lot of relief guys in our bullpen too."

    "Yea, but this guy looked like the best one we''ve seen today." Garret pointed out. "I wonder if he''s supposed to be the closer."

    "Put in a closer when you''re down by five?" Noah shook his head. "Nah. I bet he''s an underclassman or first year on varsity. Something to prove."

    We speculated as we switched our gear and headed out for the bottom of the sixth with another five-run lead.

 Chapter 983 V3 Ch217 @ Golden West (5)

    Chapter 983 V3 Ch217 @ Golden West (5)

    Brian faced off with the third batter for the second time this game. He walked him when he first came in so I wasn''t sure what to expect. Brian got the count to 2-2 before the batter hit a small flare to right field for a leadoff single. Brian struggled against the next batter, getting behind in the count before walking the guy.

    Mitchell got up and walked the ball to the mound. The rest of us jogged in.

    "I know. I know." Brian sighed before anyone could say anything.

    "What do you know?" Noah raised an eyebrow.

    "That I''m sucking up here." Brian kicked the rubber. "I don''t know if I''m just getting stuck in my own head or if I''m just not feeling it today, but-ughhh."

    "Do you want to continue pitching?" Noah asked.

    "Of course!"

    "Then get back to throwing strikes." Noah shrugged. "I''m more upset with walks than singles. Get them to put the ball in play and let us try to salvage things with a double play."

    We went back to our positions and Brian had to reset himself. He threw the ball to really good spots, I thought, but the batter was just as determined. The batter got under one of the pitches by a lot, popping the ball straight up.

    "I GOT IT!" Mitchell yelled for everyone to hear, calling off Jason who was coming in. Mitchell threw his catchers mask out of the way, tracked the ball, getting underneath it before making the catch in foul territory. First out of the inning. I sighed with relief.

    Which was too soon. The very next batter, Brian struggled again, walking the guy and loading up the bases. This time it was Coach coming out from the dugout that prompted a mound meeting.

    Brian handed the ball to Coach, downcasted.

    Coach held the ball and eyed Brian. "What''s this? Are you giving up already?"

    Brian was taken aback. "Aren''t I coming out?"

    "Did I say you''re coming out?"

    Brian looked unsure. "Well, I''m obviously not doing well. I wouldn''t blame you for taking me out."

    Coach reached out to hold Brian''s shoulder. "I know we find the trio of starters annoying sometimes with the way they fight for the mound, but sometimes that''s a positive. A team needs a pitcher that wants the mound, no matter the circumstances."

    "Bases loaded. One out." Noah commented. "That''s double play material."

    "What if...I give up some more runs?" Brian asked, still not sounding very confident.

    "I''ll pull you the minute you give up too many runs." Coach held the ball out to him. "What do you say? You trust me? Trust your team? Trust yourself?"

    Brian took the ball back. "I''ve got a little more gas in the tank." He cracked a weak smile. "Besides, I think a scolding is waiting for me if I go back like this."

    Coach grinned. He looked around at the rest of us. "Let''s set up for a double play. We''ve got room to work with."

    "Yea!"

    Coach went back to the dugout and we went back to our positions again. Anymore mound meetings this inning and Brian would have to come out.

    Batter seven stepped up to the plate. He had previously popped out to me in the third inning then reached first by that error by Jason in the fifth. Brian faced him head on, throwing the first pitch for a called strike. The second pitch was also in the zone, but the batter connected and pulled it down the line. Jason had to make a diving stop in the dirt. He jumped up with the ball but all the runners had advanced. 7-3.

    Noah clapped with his glove. "Good stop! Throw it back."

    Jason complied, giving the ball back to Brian on the mound. I think that classified as an infield single so Brian got charged with another run. His ERA and WHIP were going to take a hit after this game.

    The eighth batter came up to the plate next. Only a groundout and a walk for him on the day. Brian did better on hitting the corners of the strike zone, getting to a 2-2 count. He threw the next pitch high, above the zone, getting the batter to swing and miss.

    "There you go!"

    "That''s how it''s done!"

    "Two outs, one to go!"

    Our team said a few words to cheer Brian on as the ninth batter came up. He was previously a pinch hitter that stayed in the game after hitting a two-run double. So he was good and he got Brian before.

    Brian missed the zone twice and got to a 2-0 count.

    "Don''t be afraid to let him hit, Brian!" Noah yelled out. He was playing back with his heels on the grass.

    "Yea! We''ve got your back." Sean said from first. He was playing normally, not bothering with the runner.

    Brian threw his third pitch. In the zone. The batter swung and connected, blasting the ball back the way it came. Dead center. My head snapped to center field to watch the ball, not even thinking about my positioning or what I would have to do.

    Garret sprinted back to the fence. He put his free hand on the fence and timed his jump. His glove snatched the ball before it could go over. Out! We made it out of the jam.

    I could practically float back to the dugout with how good I felt.

    Brian didn''t look nearly as good as I felt despite getting out of the jam with only one more run given up. He went back to the dugout with his head down.

    "Start your cool down, Brian." Coach gave him a pat on the back. "We''re going to leave the last inning to Tyler."

    .comn0/v//el//bin[.//]net''

    Brian nodded and let out a heavy sigh.

    "Great catch out there, man!" Garret was welcomed back into the dugout after preventing a potential grand slam.

    Garret walked up to Brian. "Way to hang in there."

    Noah and I finished getting ready for our plate appearances and headed back out.

    "You pulled through so why are you hanging your head?" Dave asked Brian. "You did as many innings as me but had some tough breaks. Put it behind you. We''re going to win after all."

    Brian picked his head up to look at Dave.

    "Let''s do a cool down together." Dave got up for the first time since getting benched.

    Top of the seventh, Noah was set to face that new pitcher that they had brought in previously. He was the best one we''ve seen today if you ask me. Probably if you ask Noah too. The guy got Noah to go down swinging, striking out for the first out.

    I went to the righty box and Mr. Miller signed for me to swing freely. With a decent lead, I wanted to try for a home run. I watched a couple of pitches pass by to study the pitcher a little more. On a 1-2 count, I did my best to swing the hardest I could, hitting the ball straight up the middle. The center fielder caught it well before the warning track.

    As I walked back to the dugout, there were plenty of cheers for the pitcher, praising him for getting me out. I tried not to make eye contact as I rushed back to the dugout.

    Coach nodded at me. "Good swing, but the power isn''t there yet. Aiming for the corners is still an option, you know."

    I nodded back at him. "I know. I just wanted to give it a try since the pitcher was really good with the speed and location."

    "I like seeing you try out new things in the right setting. Good thinking." Coach talked to me a little more about this pitcher. Garret poked a single through the infielders, getting a hit off the guy. "It''s good to see him get a hit before the game ended." Coach randomly said about Garret. He glanced at me. "How do you feel hitting after him?"

    I shrugged. "I think it''s the same."

    Coach shook his head with a small smile. "Might be that way for you right now. But I want to take some stress off of Garret. He might be trying to hard when he doesn''t have to."

    "Okay." I nodded.

    Jason hit a groundout to the shortstop to end the inning.

    Coach came out to talk to the umpire about a pitching change and soon Tyler came jogging in from the bullpen. He met with Coach and Mitch before starting to take some practice pitches.

    A fresh arm on the mound did wonders. Or maybe Tyler had a lot of pent up frustration from not getting a whole lot of time on the mound. It''s been over a week and a half since he pitched in the semifinals against Carson''s school in the tournament. Tyler handled the top of the lineup with speed and force, throwing an occasional curve to get their timing thrown off. He struck out the side to end the game, putting everyone in a great mood.

 Chapter 984 V3 Ch218

    Chapter 984 V3 Ch218

    "You okay?" Kyle was asking Dave after the bullpen guys all rejoined the team. "We saw you get stepped on and had been helped back to the dugout."

    Dave rolled his eyes and put his bag on his shoulder. "I''m fine. Coach is just being overly cautious. What a wasted start. He should have at least let me continue until I gave up a hit or walk or something."

    Kyle nodded in agreement. "Yea. That''s some kind of bs." He looked down at Dave''s foot. "Did you cut it? Did it start bruising already?"

    Dave rolled his eyes and glared at Noah, who just finished packing up his bag. "Dummy over there had me try to prove that it wasn''t bleeding. I had the smallest of cuts. Don''t even need a bandaid. Not really bruising either. Coach wants me to have Drew check it out tomorrow. Probably will be your backup in the bullpen on Saturday."

    "Garret would be good to go on Saturday too." Noah added as we joined the pair officially. All four of us headed for the bus.

    "Good to have a strong backing, but I think I''ll be okay." Kyle grinned.

    "Is now a bad time to mention that you didn''t get the win in either of your starts against them last season?" Noah casually asked.

    Kyle shoved him, knocking him into me. I tripped and fell on my knees.

    "Way to go, you idiot." Noah stopped to help me up.

    Kyle came over too, taking my bag from me. "Let me get this for you." He pretended to dust me off. "Gotta keep you fresh for Saturday."

    I wasn''t going to fight him for my bag back.

    We talked a little more about the game before loading up in the bus. The atmosphere on the bus was a little weird.

    I gave Noah a look when we sat down on our bench. "Why do I feel like the mood on the bus isn''t right?"

    Noah got back up. "Let me go around and see." He went down the aisle, further along the bus. I took a glance back and spotted some freshmen that we knew like Andy and Andre. Noah spoke with them a little. Then with some others. He even talked to a couple of sophomores without starting a fight.

    "What''s wrong?" Sean boarded the bus and saw me looking back. "What''s Noah doing back there?"

    Bryce was right behind him as they slid onto their seat. "Does the bus feel extra quiet?"

    Noah came back and whispered. "The freshmen got mercy-ruled. The JV team lost in a heartbreaker in the bottom of the seventh."

    Oh. I sat back down, a little less concerned.

    "Going to be a long ride back home for them." Sean sat down too. "Not exactly how anyone wants to start league play."

    "What was the score for the freshmen?" Bryce asked.

    Noah leaned over. "18-1."

    "Damnnnn."

    "Are they that good or are we that bad?" Sean mumbled.

    I turned, interested to know.

    Noah shrugged. "Hard to know since we didn''t see. Honestly, I rather be kicked into the ground than lose a close one like JV."

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    I scoffed. "You can''t stand losing, period."

    Noah laughed. "Yea, okay. It''s pretty much even for me. But I''m sure it''s two different kind of hurts."

    The coaches boarded the bus and started to find their seats as everyone got settled in as well. The drive home was even more quiet than the ride there. The bus was dark and it was easier for the guys to fall asleep.

    I did my usual routine of checking my phone and sending out some texts, telling Jeremy and Zeke how I did and how we won. For Zeke, I also added some comments on Noah and explained what happened with Dave.

    By the time we got back to school and Kyle drove us home, it was nearing 10pm. Grampa had dinner ready for all us, making steak salads.

    "Couldn''t you have added some more meat..?" Kyle poked around his salad, looking for the good stuff.

    "Too much meat before bed is bad for you." Grampa shot him down.

    "Tomorrow, we should get steak to celebrate the win and prepare for Saturday''s game." Dave said between bites.

    "Tomorrow night, I''m going out with Marie." Kyle said. "We should save that for Saturday night."

    "You''re going out the night before you pitch?" Noah gave a small shake of his head. "Risky business."

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Shut up. I''ll go to bed at a decent hour and wake up promptly." He glanced at Mom. "She''s going to be there on Saturday so maybe save her a seat if you can? You know how pack it gets at Servite."

    Oh, right." Mom nodded. "I remember. This is the school that we show up early to." She looked at Grampa. "You''ll be impressed with how this high school baseball stadium looks and fills up, Dad. Even the boy''s home crowds can''t compare."

    "Mommm." Noah and Kyle groaned simultaneously.

    "If it bugs you, let me pitch instead." Dave said to Kyle.

    "Ha. You wish." Kyle said.

    "You should just take it easy." Dad told Dave. "Let your foot recuperate and you''ll get another chance to start after midterms."

    Dave looked disgusted. "No baseball for a whole week. I think my foot will be just fine."

    "Hey, it''s not like Coach is picking on you." Noah pointed out. "He sat Jake for the last couple of games for his bruise." He shrugged. "Coach just wants you to be good."

    "Yea, yea, whatever." Dave mumbled.

    "Use the game to work with Oscar in the bullpen." Kyle told Dave. "Weren''t you wanting to work on a split-finger fastball? You could have it ready by spring break."

    Dave seemed to lighten up a little. He looked to Noah. "Need some help working out this week since we won''t have practice?"

    "Sounds like you''re the one that needs help." Noah snorted. "I won''t do your catching for free, you know."

    "Rides to the cages during spring break, whenever you want." Dave offered.

    "Why not next week?"

    "It''s midterms. Mom''s not going to let us leave the house to fool around."

    Noah looked to Mom.

    Mom nodded. "Yea, I would like it if I can keep you boys on a tighter leash during midterms week. I don''t want to see anything less than a B." She looked at Kyle. "That includes you even if you aren''t going to college."

    "I''ve only gotten one C in my life, Mom." Kyle rolled his eyes. "I''ll be fine. But-" He looked between Mom and Dad. "Is it okay if I go to Marie''s to study? Or she can come here? We do share some classes so it would help to review the info together."

    "You have a twin with the same kind of classes and teachers." Noah pointed out. "Stop trying to get more dates with Marie."

    "I''ll be home so I''ll allow it." Mom nodded. "But she has to make sure it''s okay with her parents too. I know that they''re...very strict."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I''m not a fan of them."

    I nodded in agreement.

    "And that''s okay." Dad spoke up. "You don''t have to like everyone and everyone doesn''t have to like you. But you must treat everyone with respect."

    "He did good today." I spoke up. All eyes went to me. "He spoke with some sophomores on the bus. No conflict." I added the last part in a hurry.

    Noah puffed out his chest proudly. Then the conversation shifted to talk about the lower levels losing today.

 Chapter 985 V3 Ch219

    Chapter 985 V3 Ch219

    Dave did get cleared to play by Drew on Friday afternoon, which probably ticked him off more than being injured would have. He spent quite a bit of time being dissatisfied with how much he didn''t get to pitch yesterday. Noah distracted him by telling him about my idea for Zeke''s birthday.

    "I''m in!" His eyes sparkled. "One million percent in!" He pulled me in for a hug and swung me around. "You''re a genius!"

    He put me back down and I fixed my hat. "No, not really. I just had some time to Google and search the web. And when I saw it..." I grinned.

    "You knew it would be perfect." Dave snapped his fingers. "Oh! We should get Rhys in on it. Not to help us pay for it, but to record it for us."

    Noah nodded energetically and started to bounce with excitement. "Yes, yes, yes!!! Okay, we need to book this tonight to make sure we can afford it and to make sure we can find someone or some group that is free on his birthday on Tuesday."

    "Birthday? Tuesday?" Kyle joined us late. "You guys talking about Zeke?"

    The plan was shared again and it was a given that Kyle wanted in. "It''ll be cheaper to split it four ways. Let''s see what''s available when we get home."

    With Zeke being away for college, there was no reason to hide our plans or keep it secret from our parents and Grampa. In fact, they gave it their stamp of approval. Which reassured me that we wouldn''t get in trouble spending so much money on something that couldn''t really be considered a gift.

    It took longer than we thought to find what we were looking for. Kyle had to leave midway to take his shower and leave for his date, promising that he would pay his share to whoever paid for it all.

    Dave called Rhys that night to let him in on what was happening and to find out some info that we would need to pass on like Zeke''s room number and his class plus practice schedule. Rhys was excited to join the group and didn''t need to be sworn to secrecy.

    After that was settled, we cleaned up and got ready for dinner. Our night stayed relaxed in preparation for the game tomorrow. Kyle was home by 9:30pm and in bed by 10pm. He must be taking tomorrow more seriously than anyone else on the team. After all, like Noah said, although Kyle didn''t lose to these guys last year, he definitely didn''t win. I think both times, we had to come back after being down.

    I frowned at that last thought. After laying in my bed in the dark for a couple of minutes, I had to satisfy my curiosity on how I did against them last year. 4-5 at the plate with two walks. I sighed with relief. That was against their fastest pitcher too. Who had graduated.

    Saturday afternoon we met at the school with all the teams to take a bus to Servite.

    .comn/0v//elbin[.//]net''

    "Uh, Coach? Am I in the lineup today?" Bryce stopped to ask. "Or should I prepare to go to the bullpen?"

    Coach didn''t answer him right away and was rubbing his chin. "You''ll stay in right field for now. With Dave being available out of the bullpen, I don''t see me going with you, or even Garret, if Kyle runs into trouble."

    Bryce was just told that he wasn''t going to pitch today yet his eyes nearly disappeared when he smiled. "Thanks, Coach. Don''t worry, I took some extra batting practice yesterday, just in case." He boarded the bus with an extra pep in his step.

    Kyle snorted and looked at Dave. "People think we''re the ball hogs on the mound, but look at Bryce and Garret. Pitchers taking up spots on the field."

    Coach overheard and immediately look our way.

    I calmly took a step back. So did Noah.

    "Kyle, what''s your job?" Coach asked.

    Kyle shrugged. "To pitch."

    "More specifically?"

    "To pitch well...?"

    Coach looked exasperated. "To not give up any runs."

    "Yea. Same thing. That''s basically what I said."

    Coach tilted his head. "What is a batter''s job?"

    "To hit the ball." Kyle answered.

    "To drive in the runs." Coach added. "Offense and defense. It''s my job to pick the pitcher I think will give up the least amount of runs. And to pick out a lineup that will score the most amount of runs. Bryce accounted for two of the runs scored on Thursday. Do you want more run support or less? Because I can put him in the bullpen if you want."

    Kyle finally started to see that Coach wasn''t in the best mood. He laughed a little awkwardly. "What? Coach, come on. We definitely like the best hitters on the field. In fact, I prefer less people in the bullpen. It''s a different kind of stress." He hurried onto the bus before Coach could say more.

    Coach looked at Dave. "Don''t mess around in the pen today. Just light stretches to stay ready. You, Matt, and Tyler have to be ready in case Kyle doesn''t make it through." He glanced at the bus that Kyle boarded. "Though he does look good mentally right now."

    "He went to bed on time and woke up without any trouble." Noah spoke up. "I think he''s looking for revenge today." He smirked at Dave. "Don''t worry, I don''t mind catching for you tomorrow when you don''t get any action today." He pulled me and we started to board the bus too.

    "One run and you should call me in, Coach." I could hear Dave behind us say.

    The bus ride wasn''t dead silent like Thursday''s. Servite wasn''t far so no one napped. We reached the nicest stadium in our league and started to head for the visitor''s dugout as the other two levels left to find their own field.

    "Do you think they''ll lose again today?" I asked Noah as we changed into cleats.

    Noah tapped his finger against his leg. "Hmm. Obviously I can''t say for certain because I don''t know what all happened on Thursday, however I think JV would have a better chance of bouncing back than the freshmen team. Also depends how good Servite is this year too." He looked at me. "These guys might not be afraid to intentionally walk you depending on the situation so don''t get overwhelmed."

    "As long as you don''t ask me to steal I base." I joked.

    Noah laughed. "Of course. No way would I ask. But can''t guarantee that Miller won''t."

    I let out a small sigh. No walks, no steals. No walks, no steals.

    "Of course, if they have another guy like Sanchez then no way they would walk you. Especially in a home game." Noah''s eyes narrowed as he looked at me. "Tune out the crowd."

    "I try to." I resisted another sigh.

    Noah patted me on the shoulder. "You''ve got this, man. Your bat is unparalleled."

    I smiled back at him. "And so are your legs. Fast around the bases and can cover the most amount of ground as a shortstop."

 Chapter 986 V3 Ch220 @ Servite HS (1)

    Chapter 986 V3 Ch220 @ Servite HS (1)

    We warmed up in high spirits even if the stadium started to fill up and doing home team chants and cheers. Like Noah said, tune it out, so I put all my focus on warming up; taking every grounder and fly ball seriously.

    Coach didn''t officially tell us the batting order until we got back in the dugout, though he had already implied that we would have the same starters at Thursday. Just moved around a little.

    1 RF Bryce Finn

    2 SS Noah Atkins

    3 CF Garret Knudsen

    4 2B Jake Atkins

    5 1B Sean Isner

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    .comno//vel//bi/n[.//]net''

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Kyle Atkins

    "Jake as cleanup!" Noah slapped me on the back. "It''s about time."

    "It doesn''t mean much. Just symbolic." Kyle said. "We all know that he''s the cleanup no matter where he is in the lineup." Him and Mitchell had came back to the dugout and the other pitchers were getting ready to head to the bullpen.

    The top of order got ready as Coach gave a small speech. "It''s a new day, boys. Against a new team at a new venue. Away games can be tough for a multitude of reasons but the fans have to be number one. We''re lucky today is a weekend and we won''t be alone. Keep your heads up and good luck out there."

    Bryce and Noah left the dugout first to take practice swings. Garret and I also were ready, standing in the hole near Coach. Most of the team was watching the pitcher warmup off the mound. He was tall, well-built, and he threw fast.

    "I don''t think I remember him from last year." I mumbled to Garret.

    Garret shrugged. "Lots of reasons for that. Sanchez was their number one. Sometimes the schedule doesn''t match up. Maybe he came up from JV."

    I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "You think this guy came up from JV?" The sound of the ball hitting into the catcher''s glove was deafening. "His warmup pitches are at least 85mph."

    Garret shrugged. "I was just giving out reasons we haven''t seen him yet. Another option: he could be an underclassmen." He looked to Alisha. "Hey, Alisha. Can you try to look up this guy and see what his numbers were last year?"

    Alisha nodded, pulling out her phone. She started to type away, going to Servite''s roster last year, trying to find the guy by his jersey number. She shook her head. "I''m not seeing his number."

    Garret looked to Coach.

    Coach held up his finger. "Hold on. The announcement should be coming soon."

    "Pitching for Servite, Sophomore, Cody Peace." The crowd clapped and cheered for the home team as the positions were announced over the loudspeaker. Soon after, Bryce was announced.

    "Check the lower level rosters." Garret looked to Alisha again.

    "On it!" She never lifted her head.

    I kept my eyes on the pitcher. Cody. He was big for a sophomore. Bryce and Brian were sophomore pitchers on varsity last year so it''s not too much of a surprise. But he was on par with Bryce now after Bryce spent a summer working on his physique.

    Cody started off as fast as expected, getting a called strike against Bryce on the first pitch. Bryce was able to foul back the second pitch. On an 0-2 count, the pitcher threw something different, catching Bryce by surprised. He swung to early, missing the curve. Strikeout. On three pitches.

    Bryce came back to the dugout as the crowd cheered for Cody. He looked embarrassed. "I didn''t expect the breaking ball. Looked like a curve."

    I nodded.

    Garret gave him a pat on the shoulder as he left the dugout. "Don''t mind. Still early. We''ll work on the guy and figure him out in no time." He left for the on deck circle.

    Noah must have had the idea to attack the fastball before seeing a curve. He swung on the first pitch, a fastball inside. His bat made a weird sound as he got jammed, using the thin part near his hands. The ball rolled forward, straight to the pitcher. Cody only had to take two steps to pick the ball up and throw to his first baseman, beating out Noah for the second out.

    Noah jogged back, picking up his bat. I came out of the dugout to stand in the on deck circle and he paused for a moment. "This guy is supposed to be a sophomore like us? He''s looking like the twins."

    I nodded in agreement.

    "You should have an easy time if he doesn''t throw you nothing but curves." Noah went back in the dugout.

    Hmm. I watched Garret''s at bat closely. I should choose the left side too. Better to have a curve to come at me than to tail away. Garret fouled off a few fastballs, holding an 0-2 count. This guy on the mound really didn''t like to throw balls. But...he also wasn''t throwing Garret his curve. On the sixth pitch, Garret was able to poke the ball through the infield for a single.

    I slowly walked up to the batter''s box, going with the left side for sure now. Garret never saw the curve, maybe I won''t either.

    "C''mon Jake!"

    "You''ve got this!"

    "Let''s go!"

    "Drive him home!"

    I put a foot in the batter''s box, checking with Mr. Miller down the third baseline. He gave the sign to hit freely. Nothing special was added. I got set in the box and eyed the pitcher as he did his motion.

    I watched closely, only to see something unexpected. A curve ball on the first pitch. It fell in for a called strike. I tried to keep my face expressionless but in reality, I wanted to complain. Sure enough, I would see more breaking balls in the future. I can''t wait for the day I''m strong enough to blast it over the fence. For now...it was too slow. The physics just won''t work in my favor.

    Needless to say, the next pitch was another curve. I let it pass for another called strike. I stepped out of the box as the catcher threw the ball back. I looked at Mr. Miller. Maybe he was able to read my mind because he soon gave out a new sign. Garret was to start running once the pitcher was committed to throw. Hit-and-run.

    The pitcher started his motion, throwing his curve once again. Besides the movement on a curveball, his was significantly slower than his fastball so easy to read. Garret took off and the fielders started to move. I swung and connected, pulling the ball to right field. The right fielder caught it on a bounce and hurried his throw in. I was safe at first while Garret had made it to third since he had a head start.

    Sean came up next. The pitcher didn''t mind me on first, but did a check throw to third, trying to keep Garret closer to the bag. Mr. Miller signed for me to take a bigger lead. I inched out some more, not as far as the first baseman but further than I would have liked.

    The pitcher threw his first pitch to Sean, getting him to swing and miss the fastball. 0-1. Another check throw to third, but Garret saw it clearly. The second pitch was another fastball, Sean made contact, popping the ball high in the air. I ran to second until I heard the umpire declare the out. The first baseman had went in to catch the ball on the infield grass.

    Dang. I jogged back to the dugout with the others. Garret pulled me and Sean in. "Hey, hey, don''t mind. That was pretty good for our first time out against a new pitcher on a good team. We already proved that he''s not unbeatable."

    I nodded. "I think I''ll be only seeing his curve though." I sighed.

    "You won''t know that for sure." Garret let go of me as we started to go to our bags separately. "Maybe he did that because I was already on first. With no one on in front of you, he might do it differently."

    I nodded again, slowly understanding the situation.

    We switched out our gear and hurried to join the other starters that had taken the field already.

 Chapter 987 V3 Ch221 @ Servite HS (2)

    Chapter 987 V3 Ch221 @ Servite HS (2)

    Kyle finished his practice pitches and the bottom of the first started. The leadoff swung early, connecting on the first pitch. It was a routine grounder to Noah for the first out.

    "One out!" Noah hollered. Other guys on the team echoed.

    The ball was given back to Kyle on the mound. Kyle reset himself for the second batter. He led off with a fastball inside for a called strike. Then outside for a swing and miss. 0-2. Kyle threw high and outside, getting the batter to reach out, still swinging and missing. Strikeout.

    Kyle and Mitchell worked around the zone some more for the third batter, getting to a 2-2 count before getting him to swing and miss on an inside ball. Second strikeout.

    Three up, three down. Everyone jogged back to the dugout with some energy.

    "Did you find his stats from last year?" Garret asked Alisha, drawing some attention from around the dugout.

    Alisha nodded. "Split time between the two lower levels." She handed over a piece of paper. "I wrote down the stats for you for each level."

    "Don''t get hung up on who he was last year." Coach spoke up. "I won''t stop you guys from being curious. Especially since you''ll be able to research your opponents at the higher levels. But don''t let it get to you. We''re facing who he is today and we already got two hits. Let''s add a couple more." He clapped his hands.

    Jason and Korrey left the dugout, ready to lead off the second inning. Mitchell was working to get his gear off.

    "Well?" Noah peered around Garret''s shoulder to try to look at the paper. He let out a low whistle. "Damn. How do they keep finding these guys? I''m gonna have to see this dude for two more years too."

    I got closer to peek too. My jaw dropped. Cody Peace didn''t give up a run at the freshmen level. His WHIP was well under one meaning he didn''t give up a whole lot of walks or hits. And the strikeouts almost averaged two an inning. At the JV level his numbers shifted a little more. An ERA of 2.08, WHIP was 1.12, yet the strikeouts to innings still stayed high. Probably thanks to that curveball.

    "Servite has a good pitching coach." Bryce commented after taking a look too.

    "I think I remember that from last season." Noah nodded slowly. He looked at me, slightly concerned.

    I had an impression of the pitching coach too. We had talked about him before with the scout, Willie. He was good and could go on to higher levels, but was trying to stay local since his daughter was still in grade school. I had heard this during a hard time in my life with the confusion of where my dad was with my brother. It made me sick.

    "I''m fine." I assured Noah, knowing what he was worried about.

    Cody got Jason to hit a light grounder down the first baseline. The first baseman scooped it up and tagged the bag before Jason was even close. Korrey attacked a fastball, hitting the ball harder than of us before him, but the line drive was caught by the right fielder for the second out. Mitchell had it worse, striking out to end our side. Three up, three down for them too.

    Mitchell being the last out meant that Kyle just threw lightly with one of the guys from the dugout while he waited for Mitchell to suit up. Kyle only took two real practice pitches before the umpire called for ''balls in.''

    The cleanup hitter dug into the lefty''s box. He was a big guy. And the first baseman. He got a good piece of Kyle''s first pitch, hitting a line drive to my right. Before I could even look, Noah was mid-dive, snatching the ball out of the air and landing down in the dirt.

    "Nice catch!"

    "Good play!"

    "You''ll get him next time."

    Jason helped Noah up as I jogged over. Noah shooed us away and gave the ball back to Kyle. "One out!"

    Kyle took a small walk off the mound, cleaning his cleat and using the rosin bag before getting set again. I smiled as he took his time. I knew he was doing it to give Noah an extra minute to catch his breath.

    Kyle had more of a fight with the fifth batter, throwing all kinds of fastballs all over the place besides down the middle. On a full count the batter connected on a high fastball, hitting a flare out of my reach. Bryce came in to field the ball back in, keeping the batter to a single.

    I felt a little guilty even though I know things like that happened. I just felt underwhelming after Noah made such a spectacular stop. Kyle wasn''t even looking my way or kicking the dirt in anger. He just reset himself to prepare for the next batter. He did a check throw, but the runner was safe. He got the ball back and had to do his short motion now with someone on. Though the runner was a big guy so I couldn''t see that he could even try to steal a base.

    The sixth batter got to a 1-2 count before pulling the ball. Another grounder within Noah''s reach. I sprinted to second just in time to receive his throw. I transitioned the ball from glove to my right hand and got the throw off to Sean at first. The big guy peeled off, brushing by me as the umpires announced both outs.

    Noah was beside me in a second, glaring at the guy''s back. "He''s just trying to intimidate you. But if he gets that close again, don''t be afraid to put out your elbow for protection."

    I made a face at him. "No thanks. I''ll just do better at getting out of the way. I did stay on the base too long."

    Noah sighed. "We should work more on flipping double plays. Different throwing angles and all that."

    .comno//vel//bi/n[.//]net''

    I nodded.

    We jogged back to the dugout and prepared for our at bats. Noah was third up, after Kyle and Bryce, so he was definitely going to see some action. I was fifth down the line after all them and Garret. So a bit of a stretch to get to me. But not impossible.

    Kyle striking out to start the third inning wasn''t unexpected but it still was a bit of a downer. One less chance of me coming up. Bryce tried swinging early in the at bat to avoid the curve that he struck out on. He hit the ball awkwardly with the small part of his bat, hitting a dribbler to the pitcher. The pitcher fielded it cleanly for the second out.

    Noah moved to the batter''s box. Garret went out to the on deck circle. And I stood in the hole, near Coach.

    "He likes throwing inside." Coach was saying to Alisha specifically while she took notes. "And when the batter is cornered, he''ll throw the curve to finish them off. I imagine we''ll be seeing this kid next time the way he''s taking care of business."

    Noah got jammed on an inside pitch again, looking very similar to his previous at bat and to Bryce''s. I shook my head as the pitcher fielded the ball for the third time this game so far.

    "Any ideas?" Coach saw me shake my head.

    I shrugged. "Open up their stance more?" That''s what I would do. "Or foul it off until I see something better."

    Coach laughed. "Alright. I''ll see what they can do. Next inning, Garret and you will have a chance. I''ll talk to Sean and Jason."

 Chapter 988 V3 Ch222 @ Servite HS (3)

    Chapter 988 V3 Ch222 @ Servite HS (3)

    "I should have leaned in and taken a hit to the arm." Noah muttered as he stuffed his batting gloves in his bag.

    I elbowed him. "That''s technically illegal. The umpire can call it a strike if it''s still in the zone. Instead of leaning in, open up your stance and put your left foot out more."

    Noah suddenly grinned. He grabbed his glove and threw his arm around me as we left the dugout together. "Look at you! Starting to know all the rules!"

    .comnov/el/b/in[./]net''

    I pushed him off, slightly embarrassed. I didn''t know all the little rules, but I really did pay attention to ones that surrounded batters.

    Bottom of the third. Kyle handled them extraordinarily well. Batter seven hit into a groundout to Noah. Then it was back-to-back strikeouts again for Kyle. Four through three innings. He pumped his fists excitedly as we went back to the dugout together.

    "How''s his control?" I heard Coach asking Mitchell in a low voice.

    Mitchell was smiling. "Impeccable."

    Coach nodded.

    I went to my bag to switch out my gear and headed back out. Garret joined me in seconds, tightening his batting gloves. We didn''t talk much as we watched that Cody guy warm up on the mound and throw some more practice pitches. He wasn''t looking any different than from the first inning.

    Garret''s name was announced and he stepped into the lefty''s box, leaving me in the on deck circle. Garret fouled the first pitch down the line. Then the second was straightened out to center. The center fielder sprint in at an angle and made a diving catch to get the first out.

    Garret came back. "I probably should have made him work some more."

    "I will." I told him, heading for the lefty''s box.

    Cody got set, did his windup, and threw his first pitch to me. A curveball in the zone for a called strike. The second pitch was similar. 0-2. I was cornered. I took a deep breath and prepared for the real work. Cody threw me another curve and I fouled it back. Fourth pitch: a curve; I fouled that back too. Foul. Foul. Foul. The eighth pitch was a curveball in the dirt. I let it pass for my first ball. 1-2. Cody didn''t give up the curve at all. Foul. Foul. Ball. Foul. Ball. Full count. Foul. Foul. Foul. We were on our way for a twenty pitch at bat.

    My arms were feeling a little shaken. Fouling the ball back out of play wasn''t easy but I need to keep this going. If this guy wanted to throw nothing but curves to me, then I''ll let him.

    Another curveball hit the dirt before home plate, granting me a walk. I tossed my bat back to the dugout and jogged to first as I tried to tune out the crowd. I could hear some ''boos'' and had a feeling it was for me and not the pitcher.

    "Good effort." Coach Luis patted me on the helmet.

    The first baseman and I stayed close to the bag as Sean got ready for his at bat. Mr. Miller signed for me to go on contact. I had to take some kind of lead. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my pounding heart as I started to slip away from first base. Just a few feet out.

    "Back!"

    Cody didn''t even glance at me before trying a pickoff attempt. I dove back for first base but my hand hit the first baseman''s cleat instead of the base. A tag came down heavy on my shoulder as I reached out with my other hand.

    "Out!" The umpire declared and the crowd went wild.

    I kept my head low as I got up and jogged back to my dugout.

    "Jake." Coach reached out to stop me from passing him.

    I stopped but still didn''t look up. I could feel my face heating up. I was embarrassed through and through. All that work to get on base just to be called out on the first pickoff attempt.

    "Jake." Coach repeated. "Look at me."

    I cringed as I lifted my head.

    "You had a good at bat, making that kid work." Coach stated. "Great decision making."

    "But..." I prompted, wanting him to get the bad part over with.

    "But nothing." Coach gave my shoulder a squeeze. "You did your best. Nothing wrong with that. Getting picked off is a bad feeling, but I don''t think you did anything wrong. You weren''t too far out. The kid on the mound has a good motion. He didn''t even hint that he was thinking of a pickoff. They must have done their research on you from last year and their coach probably instructed a pickoff as soon as you got on first."

    "They didn''t try last time I was on." I pointed out.

    "Yea, because Garret was on third." Coach said. "It''s more convenient for him to throw to third. Plus, Garret is fast. If they had done a pickoff attempt to first and messed it up, Garret would have scored easily."

    Sean hit a grounder to the second baseman to end the inning.

    Coach let go of me. "Change out your gear. And keep your head up. This game isn''t over because you were picked off. We have three more innings to make a move. You''ll get at least one more chance."

    I nodded and went to my bag.

    Noah was there, waiting. "You okay?"

    I gave a weak shrug. "Feeling a little less bad. But I think I should have hit the ball instead of settling for a walk now."

    "Next time, you will. I believe it." Noah told me.

    I smiled and finished the switch. I pulled my hat down on my head and picked up the glove. "Let''s go. I don''t want to mess with Kyle''s rhythm."

    Noah snorted. "If us taking an extra five seconds messes him up then we can just put Dave on the mound."

    I smiled as we took the field, getting into position.

    Top of the fourth. Kyle was back at the top of the lineup. The first batter swung late on the third pitch, hitting a pop up in shallow left field. Noah was there to track it down and made the catch. The second batter also got under a pitch too much, hitting a routine fly ball to right field. Bryce made the catch with ease and threw it back in to me. I returned the ball to Kyle. The third batter made more solid contact on Kyle''s first pitch, hitting a hard grounder my way.

    I got my glove down in the dirt and my body behind the play. Then I pulled the ball out of my glove and threw it to Sean at first.

    "Out!"

    I smiled.

    "That''s the way to bounce back!" Noah rushed to me, slapping me on the shoulder.

    "Way to back it up with your body." Coach also complimented when I got back to the dugout.

    I sat down near my bag with Noah as the top of the fifth started.

    "We need to start making things happen." Garret entered the dugout and started to address the team. "Everyone. I want to see some swings and connections. Just like what they did to Kyle, we can do to their guy."

 Chapter 989 V3 Ch223 @ Servite HS (4)

    Chapter 989 V3 Ch223 @ Servite HS (4)

    It looked a little promising when Cody walked Jason to start off the fifth. But then it seemed like Cody had switched gears...or tactics I guess. He struck out Korrey on three pitches; all three pitches were his curveball.

    "Does he think his fastball is not effective suddenly?" Noah mumbled.

    "Maybe the fastball is losing speed." Garret threw in his opinion. "And because he''s losing speed, he''s overthrowing and that''s why Jason got walked."

    Mitchell struck out too. Three curveballs.

    "Kyle doesn''t have a chance." Noah sighed, taking off his helmet. He was supposed to be in the hole. But the matchup wasn''t good. We wasted another baserunner. " He looked at me. "Is there a secret to hitting a curve?"

    I sincerely thought about it.

    "Normally you would avoid the curve and aim to attack a fastball." Garret said.

    "If there''s a spin, and you see it coming to your waist, hold back." I suggested. "Those would be balls. But like Garret said. Better to aim for a fastball."

    Kyle struck out as expected.

    We took the field for the bottom of the fifth. Kyle and Mitchell were last out of the dugout and got less time to warmup. Kyle gave up a leadoff single to the cleanup hitter. Next up, the fifth batter popped a fly ball high into the air. I started to track it back to the outfield grass. I felt a lump form in my throat as the ball started to come down.

    "I''ve got it!!" Bryce hollered.

    I immediately froze and didn''t know what to do or where to go.

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    Bryce slid barely two feet away from me, snatching the ball before it could hit the grass. He hurried back up to throw the ball in to Sean. He then patted me on the shoulder. "Sorry, Jake. Didn''t mean to steal one away from ya."

    "It''s okay. Thank you." I sighed with relief, happy with how it ended. It was better for Bryce to catch it for multiple reasons. One, he''s a better fielder than me. Two, he was facing the right way whereas I was coming at an awkward angle. Three, he also had a better arm to get the ball back in, in case the runner wanted for try to tag up.

    "One out!" Bryce called out as he backed up to his spot. Some of the guys echoed.

    I jogged back to my position too.

    "Come on, Kyle." Noah clapped his glove. "To me this time."

    Kyle glanced back and rolled his eyes for Noah to see. He looked over his left shoulder to check the runner at first before facing the sixth batter. Whether it was because of Noah''s request or because this guy had previously hit into a double play, when he connected, the ball went right to Noah. He fielded it to me, I stepped on second base and threw to first, and made sure to get completely out of the runner''s way. Even if it wasn''t the same runner.

    With the double play accomplished, the inning was over and we jogged it back in to the dugout.

    "Can''t your jinxed mouth say something more beneficial to me?" Kyle asked Noah, showing annoyance. "Like strike out the side."

    "What could be more beneficial than getting two outs off one pitch?" Noah shrugged, heading to his bag. We were going to start back at the top of our lineup.

    Kyle rolled his eyes and continued further down the dugout where Mitchell was.

    "A few more strikeouts would make him really happy." I commented. "After all, Marie is here watching."

    Noah snorted and rolled his eye. "Please. If my mouth really worked right, all the hits would come my way. I would dominate this game with my fielding."

    I nodded slowly. That was very much true.

    Noah left the dugout before me, going out to join Bryce. I got ready too though, joining Garret in the hole.

    Garret grinned down at me. "Here we are again."

    I smiled and nodded back.

    "Let''s do some real damage this time." He patted me on the head.

    I nodded again.

    Bryce was called to the plate. Still Cody on the mound. Bryce watched the first pitch to see if he was still sticking to the curves. He was. Called strike. 0-1. Bryce didn''t watch pitch two. He swung and fouled it off towards our dugout. 0-2.

    "C''mon Bryce!"

    "You''re a pitcher too! Don''t let him get you!"

    "Straighten it out, you''ve got the hang of it!"

    Our dugout cheered for our teammate. Bryce fouled off another curve ball. Then another. On the fifth pitch, I don''t know what happened, but Cody threw a fastball. Bryce made him pay by hitting it through for a single.

    "I wonder if he was just trying to throw Bryce off with his speed or if his elbow is hurting from all the curves?" Garret mused before leaving me for the on deck circle.

    We were bound to tell on the first pitch to Noah. A fastball outside for a ball. Mr. Miller gave Noah a sign to bunt to get Bryce to advance. He had to lay it down the third baseline. Noah acknowledged as did Bryce since he would have to start his run sooner.

    Cody got the ball back and reset himself. He then took his foot off the rubber to throw to first.

    "Back!"

    Bryce dove back to first and the tag came down.

    "Safe!" The umpire declared.

    ? The first baseman threw the ball back to Cody on the mound. Only then did Bryce get up and dust himself off. Cody faced Noah again, doing a quick motion. Noah wasn''t thrown off by it; he shifted into bunt position, bending his knees and moving his fingers. The ball bounced off his bat and he took off. Bryce was already halfway to second base.

    "Stay fair! Stay fair!" Kyle was the loudest one, standing against the dugout fence.

    The third baseman and pitcher charged the ball. The pair didn''t make a move to pick it up and watched as it slowly rolled down the line until it came to a stop.

    "Fair!" The home plate umpire was there to make the call.

    The third baseman picked the ball up and checked the runners. Bryce and Noah were both safe. No need to throw the ball. The two of them walked back to the mound and the rest of the infielders joined them.

    I left the dugout to stand with Garret.

    "They''ve got a tough decision to make." Garret grinned. "Noah really came through with that bunt single."

    I nodded. Servite will have to decide whether to pitch to Garret, who has a single and a lineout to center, or to walk him and load the bases for me. Either way, I think we''re in a pretty good spot. I looked up at Garret and covered my mouth. "You can get a hit, right?"

    "No guarantee on whether it''ll be a hit." He squinted. "But it''ll definitely get to the outfield. I have the advantage on this kid. Honestly, if I was their coach, I would pull him and put someone better in."

    "Why don''t they?" I asked. The guy has done well, but now he''s given up back-to-back singles. He was showing fatigue.

    Garret shrugged. "He''s a sophomore and it''s early in the season. Maybe they want to see what he can do in this kind of pressured situation." He grinned. "We can''t let them get away with this."

 Chapter 990 V3 Ch224 @ Servite HS (5)

    Chapter 990 V3 Ch224 @ Servite HS (5)

    The umpire had to break up the meeting on the mound to get the game to resume. All the players went back to their positions and Garret was called to the plate. He left me in the circle and casually got set in the batter''s box. Mr. Miller signed for everyone to wait and see.

    Cody got set. Checked the runners then threw his first pitch to Garret. A fastball inside for a ball. 1-0. The catcher threw the ball back. Cody repeatedly looked around to check Bryce and Noah at second and first.

    Mr. Miller gave the sign for Garret to swing only after he has seen a strike. The pitcher may be wild or tired. Pitch two fell in for a called strike to clear that up. Garret had the green light to swing. The runners have to pay attention if it''s in the air or on the ground.

    With the count at 1-1, Garret swung at the next fastball he saw, blasting it dead center.

    "Go, go, go!"

    "It''s gone!"

    "It''s short!"

    "Catch it!"

    Everyone was yelling all at once as the center fielder raced back to the warning track. Bryce and Noah retreated back to their bases and held a foot on the bag. As soon as the ball fell into the outfielder''s glove, the two of them took off. The center fielder threw the ball back in to the shortstop. He turned around as Noah slid into second base and Bryce was already standing safely at third.

    Servite''s pitching coach came out of their dugout and called for time.

    Garret came back with his bat, motioning for me to follow him back towards the dugout. Sean and Coach were nearby. "Too bad I couldn''t get it to leave the park. I''ll definitely be hitting the gym this week while we''re off."

    "You did your job to advance the runners." Coach nodded. He looked at me. "Chances are, they''re going to walk you." He looked to Sean. "Bases loaded, one out. You know what you have to do right?"

    "Hit it as far as Garret did." Sean said.

    "But what if they only throw you curves?" I asked.

    Sean grinned. "I switch hit too, Jake, remember? Just not as perfect as you. I just need that one fastball for one chance." He looked to Coach. "You don''t think they''ll replace the pitcher after loading the bases?"

    Coach shook his head. "They''re looking for a double play. Expect the pitches to be low." He looked at me again. "You need to take a big lead off of first. As far as the first baseman. With bases loaded, you should be nearly one-third of the way to second. Take off on a grounder, retreat if it''s a fly ball."

    I nodded and tried not to recall getting picked off just a couple innings ago.

    The umpire broke up the mound meeting again for the second time this inning. Next time a coach comes out of the Servite dugout, that would be it for Cody on the mound. Everyone got back to their positions and I stepped up to the plate as a lefty. Only for a second before the catcher informed the umpire that they were going to intentionally walk me. As expected. I dropped my bat and jogged to first.

    Sean came up to the plate next. He tapped his bat against the plate before pulling it back and getting set. Cody on the mound did a pick throw to third base, making Bryce retreat. The third baseman returned the ball to his pitcher and stayed on the base, trying to hold Bryce there. With the third baseman playing stationary, the rest of the infield was shifted, making the first baseman play nearly ten feet away from first.

    I took a deep breath and started to lead off the bag. One step at a time. The first baseman glanced at me. As did Cody. But no move was made. Cody got set and did a quick motion to pitch to Sean.

    A fastball. But not as fast as it had been before. Sean swung, connected, and sent the ball to right-center field. I retreated back to my base, as did the other two. The ball went far but it had so much under it that the center fielder had enough time to get there and make the catch. Bryce and Noah took off. I pretended to, but as soon as that ball was thrown, I stayed at first. Bryce scored the first run of the game. 1-0. And Noah was safe at third.

    .comno/v//el/bin[./]net''

    The stadium felt a little quieter as I could only hear cheers for our team, Bryce, and Sean. The two of them went back to the dugout and celebrated with the rest of the guys as Jason came up to the plate. Servite didn''t do any mound meeting or pitcher change and just let Cody continue.

    With two outs, Noah and I had easy jobs: run on contact. Jason go to a 1-1 count before hitting a fly ball to left field. As soon as the catch was made and the inning was over, I circled back to go back to the dugout.

    "Alright, alright!" Coach tried calming down our dugout so he could talk to us. "Two more innings to go. Six outs. Don''t slack off."

    "I''ve got this, Coach!" Kyle took the lead to take the field. Mitchell hurried after him.

    Noah, Jason, and I, took an extra second to switch our gear and hurried to take the field too. Kyle got plenty of time to warmup this go around and he came out smoking hot against the seventh batter. Three straight swing-and-misses for his fifth strikeout of the game.

    Batter eight was replaced with a pinch hitter. It didn''t amount to anything; just a grounder to Noah for the second out. Batter nine, formerly the pitcher Cody, was replaced with a pinch hitter too. I didn''t know how to feel about that just yet. He was tough to beat for the team, but he was getting tired and we started to make some moves. Now there''ll be someone new on the mound for the seventh inning.

    The pinch hitter for the nine spot ripped one of Kyle''s fastballs down the right field corner, sending Bryce on a long sprint. Bryce got the ball back in to me, however the batter made it to second already. No play. I threw the ball to Kyle, hesitating on what to say as the fans roared to life for Servite. They had a runner in scoring position and we were back to the top of the order.

    "Two outs! Play is still at first!" Noah hollered for everyone to hear.

    "Two outs!" Guys echoed. I did as well, trying to show support for Kyle.

    Kyle had his toughest battle yet with the leadoff batter. Mixing in a couple of check throws to Noah at second, Kyle was finally stuck at a full count. He threw a strike in the upper corner and the batter hit it up the middle. I was late, however Noah was already playing close to the base for those check throws. He caught the ball and made the transfer to his throwing hand as he spun around, then threw a strike to Sean at first.

    "Out!"

    One more inning to go!

 Chapter 991 V3 Ch225 @ Servite HS (6)

    Chapter 991 V3 Ch225 @ Servite HS (6)

    We went back to the dugout in good spirits.

    "I think I heard you chanting for the ball to come your way." Jason laughed at Noah as we walked down the aisle.

    "I wouldn''t put it past him." Sean snorted. "Bases could be loaded and he would still want the ball to be put into play. To himself of course."

    Noah laughed. "I''d be able to handle it."

    "Kyle." Coach''s voice cut through the dugout.

    Kyle had just put his helmet on. He squinted at Coach. "You''re not thinking of putting a pinch hitter in for me, are you?" He was third up this inning.

    Coach didn''t say anything yet before Kyle started to plead his case. "I''ve only given up three hits. No walks. I''m not done yet. Let me finish this out!"

    "What if we get a runner on third?" Coach asked.

    "I''ll drive him home."

    Garret laughed. "We''ll be lucky if you just take the strikeout, okay?"

    Kyle shot a glare at him.

    "Let''s play it by ear." Coach didn''t give in. He looked at Korrey and Mitchell. "New pitcher. You should already be out there, watching him warmup."

    Watching the new guy didn''t mean we could hit off the new guy. I don''t think we saw him last year either. We would have remembered someone so good. This guy breezed through our bottom lineup. Korrey and Mitchell struck out looking. With no baserunners, there wasn''t much meaning to having a pinch hitter so Kyle got to bat. He at least went down swinging but it wasn''t good.

    "Damn. He''s got to be hitting the 90''s." Noah cursed as we prepared to take the field. "His changeup be something else too. How effective. I''m glad he didn''t come in against Sean when the bases were loaded."

    .comn/ov/elb/in[./]net''

    "Same!" Sean chuckled. "Servite has some tough pitchers. Is the coach teaching them this shit? Or is he just finding them randomly?"

    We jogged out.

    "Finding them. They''re a private school still after all." Jason said as he hurried to third. He was 0-2 at the plate today so he wasn''t in the best of moods.

    Most of the team actually didn''t have a hit. Even Sean, who had the RBI off the sacrifice fly, didn''t have a hit on the books.

    Bottom of the seventh. Kyle did only a couple of practice pitches to get adjusted before taking on the second batter in the lineup. On a 1-2 count, the batter hit a fly ball to short left field. Noah raced back to make the catch over his shoulder before Korrey could get there. Kyle struck out batter three for his sixth strikeout of the game.

    Everyone in the stands seemed to be standing up and yelling as the cleanup batter stepped up to the plate. He had one of the two hits that Kyle has given up.

    "C''mon Kyle!"

    "Finish them!"

    "Let''s go!"

    Kyle threw a fastball outside for a ball. The batter didn''t take the bait at all. Kyle threw a fastball low and missed the zone for ball two.

    "Don''t run away now!"

    "Face him head on!"

    "He''s scared!"

    Kyle''s third pitch was his fastest this at bat, trying to stay in the zone. The batter finally swung and smacked the ball up the middle. Garret caught the line drive without having to move much. He jogged it back as we all went to the mound to congratulate Kyle on the win. It was also a complete game shutout against one of the better teams in our league.

    "Good game." Was repeated for everyone as we slapped hands. The guys from the dugout and bullpen came out as well before we went back to the dugout to pack up.

    Kyle rolled his shoulders and did some small stretches. "Oh man. I think my back is a little sore."

    "From that last pitch?" Noah asked nonchalantly.

    "No." Kyle grinned and straightened up. "From carrying the weight of the team today."

    Someone threw some sunflower seeds at him as some of the guys groaned.

    "Hey, you can''t win without us." Sean pointed out.

    "Geez. Pitching a complete game shutout isn''t enough for you?" Kyle joked. "You want me to drive in the runs too?"

    "Coach, you better wrap it up before we start throwing more stuff at Kyle." Garret laughed.

    Coach grinned. "Okay, okay. We all have to listen to Kyle''s gloating for the bus ride back. Tough price to pay with our offense not keeping up today. But don''t worry. You boys will have the week off as you turn your focus to midterms." He looked around. "No practice is allowed Monday to Friday, but don''t think you can just slack off. Next Saturday we have a doubleheader at a neutral site. Try to get some kind of workout in this week either hitting the cages or throwing with a teammate. I have applied with the school to leave the gym open after school from 3-5. It''s not mandatory and it''s open for everyone, across all sports."

    "You won''t keep track of who shows up?" Logan asked.

    Coach shook his head. "I won''t even be present. There''ll be two certified trainers to monitor the gym and answer any questions you might have." He squinted. "Just know that if anyone struggles next Saturday, it will be noted."

    "Can I start one of the games Saturday since my start was cut short?" Dave asked.

    "You could." Coach rubbed his chin with a small grin. "But then that means you won''t be eligible for Monday''s game at OLU."

    "I want OLU!!!" Dave jumped up. "Let me have them! Please, Coach, please!!!"

    Coach grinned. "You''ve got it. Make sure to prepare adequately."

    "Yes! Absolutely!" Dave grinned.

    "So many away games." Noah grumbled. "When do we start playing at home again?"

    "Right after OLU." Coach had an answer for him. "We play another league opponent, Redwood."

    We talked more about the schedule as we cleaned up the dugout and started to head out.

    "Yo!" Someone hollered. "Who''s in charge around here?"

    Everyone paused to look at the Servite guy who came over. He was the relief pitcher we saw in the seventh.

    Coach had left first to get to the bus with the other coaches, so it was Garret who stepped up. "I''m the captain. Garret Knudsen. What can I do for you?"

    "I want to face the scrawny kid." His eyes searched through our group before resting on me. He pointed at me. "Him."

    Scrawny? I looked down at myself. I was a little smaller than the rest of the guys on the team, but I was no longer ''scrawny''. I had gained a lot of weight.

    "You''ll have to wait until next time then." Garret shrugged. "We''re not interested in one on one showdowns." He waved for the team to move. "Let''s get back to the bus, guys. The coaches are waiting."

    "The JV game is still going." The guy said. "You guys have time." He looked at me again. "Are you scared of something?"

    I looked to Noah for help.

    Noah snorted and took a step in front of me, blocking the guy''s sharp look. "Jake is number one in the county. He has nothing to prove to you. Maybe next time, get your coach to face him head on." He gave me a tug and we started walking again.

 Chapter 992 V3 Ch226

    Chapter 992 V3 Ch226

    Garret and Noah told Coach about the confrontation as soon as we got back to the bus.

    Coach frowned. "I''m glad you guys didn''t fall for something like that. I''m going to go talk to their coach and athletic director." He looked at me. "It''s okay to play on your own time, but in your team jersey, don''t mess around. Stick to team events like the game."

    I nodded obediently. I had no intention taking on some stranger. Whose to say he won''t throw a pitch at my head?

    .comn/ov/elb/in[./]net''

    We boarded the bus after putting our bags below in storage and Coach left.

    Garret sat in the row across from us and faced our way as we got settled. "I think we have to be more careful with Jake."

    I frowned.

    "He''s not made of glass." Noah laughed.

    "He kind of is." Garret shrugged. "But I am too. We''re pillars of the team. I know you like to have fun, Noah. But this team is like a well-oiled machine right now. One part goes missing and who knows what will happen. You guys be careful when you''re at the cages or the park. Don''t get baited into meaningless challenges."

    Noah nodded. "Yea, I get that." He took off his hat and pushed his hair back before putting the hat back on. "Don''t worry. We won''t do anything stupid. Jake probably isn''t even interested in taking on strangers. He''d be more content in the cages."

    I nodded. That was very much true.

    It took an extra half an hour before our JV team showed up and started to board. They came back with their heads down and sullen looks

    Noah stopped Andy. "What happened? Another loss?"

    "Another blown game." Andy frowned. He got out the way so the other guys could pass. "Our Coach told us to take the week to decompress and whatnot as we focus on midterms. He said the gym will be open. You guys going?"

    Noah looked to me.

    I shrugged. I didn''t have a problem with going but...

    "I think we need to check with Mom first. She might want us to focus on studying."

    Andy nodded. "Well, I''ll be there. But if you guys play any baseball or do drills even, invite me." He patted the seat and moved to the back.

    "The lower levels are not looking so good this year." Garret commented from across the aisle. He gave a small shake of his head. "Next year, you guys might have it rough."

    "Nah. It''ll be fine." Noah sat back and relaxed. "Sometimes you need to go through adversity to come out stronger. I bet they take on OLU next week and bounce back."

    Garret wasn''t convinced. "After Golden West and Servite, OLU is a top caliber competitor in our league."

    Noah grinned. "So? Want to bet on it?"

    Garret snorted and got comfortable in his seat. "No thanks. I''m not interested in your silly bets."

    Noah grinned at me. "Look at him. That big baby can''t stand that I''m right."

    I grinned back. "I think he knows it''s a losing bet."

    Garret rolled his eyes. "I''m just not going to be the idiot to bet that his school program loses. That''s lame."

    The bus ride back to school was quick. Everyone took their bags and started to split up. Some players could drive. Others had to wait for their parents to get them. Dave drove us home, not caring about Kyle''s bragging since he had his own start to look forward too. He told Mom, Dad, and Grampa as soon as he walked through the door.

    Dave then wanted to drag Noah to the backyard for a bullpen session. "Come on! Let me practice the splitter today. I want it to be game ready by the time we face OLU."

    Noah didn''t have much room to argue as it was a Saturday. I think he also felt bad for Dave being pulled early on Thursday.

    Mom looked to me and Kyle. "What about you two?"

    "I''m going to shower then meet up with Marie at the mall." Kyle smiled. "You guys can have dinner without me." He patted Grampa''s shoulder. "Thanks for coming."

    Grampa nodded. "You pitched extremely well today. Go celebrate with your girlfriend."

    Kyle didn''t need to be told twice. He took off, racing up the stairs.

    Mom shook her head. "I don''t whether to be worried or happy. This kid." She looked at me. "Well, what about you? Do you want me to drive you to the cages? Or take a shower?"

    I shrugged. I didn''t want to go to the cages without Noah. "I''ll just shower, then see where Noah and Dave are at in the backyard."

    "Want to pick what''s for dinner?" Mom asked me.

    "Shouldn''t Kyle?" He had the best game after all.

    "He''s busy apparently." Mom laughed. "We''ll let him pick tomorrow."

    I looked to Grampa. "I liked the steak salad we did before."

    Grampa perked up. "I''ll need to go to the store then. Let''s also make pull-apart garlic bread."

    "We should do baked potatoes too." Mom suggested. "We''ve got to keep the carbs up for Jake. And Noah too. They''re growing after all."

    I smiled and straightened up to show my new height.

    Mom and Grampa got to planning dinner and Dad left them to it as he took a phone call in his office. I went upstairs and started to pull out clean clothes to wear. I took a shower in the hallway bathroom and dumped my dirty clothes in a basket like the other boys.

    When I was done, three people had left the house already. Kyle got picked up by Marie while Mom took Grampa to the store for some groceries. I went to the backyard and saw Dave pitching off the fake mound to Noah, who was completely decked out in catcher''s gear.

    It was peaceful watching the pair work out in silence. Nothing had to be said between them. Noah caught his pitches and easily threw the ball back from his knees. I could see Noah occasionally signing for certain pitches and locations. Dave complied and they worked in sync. Noah asked for the splitter and Dave tried throwing it more and more often as they got deeper in his pitch count.

    After catching one of the pitches, Noah got up, surprising both me and Dave.

    "What''s up?" Dave asked, wiping some of the sweat from his face.

    "That was 110." Noah took off the glove and started to unbuckle the old catcher''s gear.

    "What?" Dave was shocked.

    "110 pitches. That''s the max allowed to a high school pitcher." Noah said. He finished taking the gear off and started to stretch. "Make sure to do a cool down."

    Dave let out a laugh. "Oh. I didn''t even know you were counting. You know that''s only for games, right? We could have continued."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Dude. Don''t overdo it. Save some of that energy for OLU. I''ll catch for you again on Tuesday and Friday. That''s it."

    Dave sighed. "When did you become such a worrywart?" He started to do some stretches too. He saw me watching from the deck. "Yo, Jake. When did you get here?"

    My lips twitched. "I''ve been here. Mom and Grampa went to the store. Kyle went out with Marie. And Dad''s in the office."

    "So you''ve been watching?" Dave lit up and he moved closer to me. "What did you think of my splitter? Is it game worthy yet?"

    I shrugged. "I guess. It''s a little harder to tell from over here."

    "Stand in the batter''s box next time!" Dave grinned. "You don''t have to swing. Just good to have someone else around to look at it."

    "You could also look at it as an umpire." Noah added. "Multiple point of views." He looked to Dave. "You can face off with Jake on Thursday with Mitchell. Make sure he''s available to catch. It''d be good for him to see how your splitter moves."

    "Then should I really let Jake see it all week?" Dave mused.

    The pair talked it over, back and forth over the advantages and disadvantages as we slowly started to move back to the house.

 Chapter 993 V3 Ch227

    Chapter 993 V3 Ch227

    At the dinner table Saturday night, Dad surprised all of us by telling us an agent called.

    "Was it the one Jeremy was talking about?" Noah asked.

    Dad shook his head. "It wasn''t. So I reached out to Jeremy to send us the contact info for his friend. Then I called him to see if he was available to meet up with all of us." He looked around. "This agent would potentially only be for Kyle. At the moment. You guys are free to ask questions, opinions, and suggestions though." He looked specifically at Dave. "As someone going to college, you have to be careful. He can not represent you talking to pro teams or you might lose eligibility."

    "Don''t worry, Dad." Dave shrugged. "I don''t plan to have any talks with pro teams or scouts. I''m going to Vanderbilt. The pitching coach there has been asking for my workouts and videos and even sends suggestions for me. This is definitely the guy I want to be working with the next couple of years."

    "I''m glad that you''re happy with your pick." Mom smiled.

    "Thanks." Dave grinned. "Besides. I rather not be the first one through the system. I rather have a reference of how it''ll go. Let Kyle take the lead." He raised his eyebrows. "The only question is will I go before or after Zeke."

    "After." Noah rolled his eyes. "Zeke ain''t wasting any extra time in college. He''s probably going to take another round of online classes this summer."

    "He could take some in person too." Mom said.

    "Nah. He said he was going to play in a college summer league." Noah reminded Mom. "I looked that up. It''s like a warmup to how the minors are. Travel a lot. Uses wood bats." He shrugged. "It''ll have to be online classes."

    Mom frowned. She looked to Dad. "Should we be preparing more for this? Has Zeke spoken to you about joining a summer league? Like where he''ll be? Will he need to rent a place for the summer?"

    Dad shook his head. "I haven''t heard anything about it beyond that he has to apply with some teams. We can take a visit to see him and ask about his summer plans. It''s still early so he might not even know." He looked to Dave. "Do you have an idea of what you want to do this summer now that you''re committed to a team?"

    Dave blinked. "Uh...wouldn''t I just stay home?" He chuckled. "It''s not like I need to showcase my skills anymore. Probably just do what Zeke did, right? Workout at home. I think I can show up early to get settled into the dorms like Zeke."

    Dad wasn''t convinced. "I think you should ask your pitching coach the next time you talk. Ask him what he likes an incoming freshman pitcher to do the summer before college? I''m sure they''ll have some kind of plan. It''s good to take the initiative."

    Dave nodded. "Yea, you''re right. I''ll bring it up the next time we talk. Casually. I don''t want him to think I''m not focused on my own senior season."

    "So when would we meet Kyle''s agent?" Grampa asked. "I want to see this man in person before I trust him with my grandson''s future."

    Dad nodded. "I was hoping Jeremy could introduce us in person so it would be less awkward and intimidating for him. We''re a big group and not everyone is accustomed to having so many people at one table for lunch or dinner. Unfortunately, Jeremy is getting ready for his season and I don''t want him to sacrifice what little free time he has left. So I got the contact info and explained a little bit of the situation. He has agreed to meet us at a restaurant tomorrow for lunch." He looked at us. "This is a formal meeting so you boys better make sure to have your nice clothes set aside for tomorrow."

    "How nice?" Noah asked. "Like a suit? Or just a button up? Dress shoes or are my clean shoes good enough?"

    "Minimum is some kind of collared shirt. Either button up or polo. Shoes being clean is also a minimum." Dad stated.

    "I''m not wearing a suit to lunch." Dave laughed.

    I shook my head too. "That sounds a little much."

    "Yea, me neither." Noah joined in.

    "I feel like Kyle probably should." Dave rubbed his chin. "After all, this could be his agent. The agent is probably going to wear a suit so it''d be weird if Kyle didn''t."

    "Kyle can make his own decisions." Dad spoke up. "That includes whether or not this gentleman will be his agent. This concerns Kyle''s future. If he doesn''t get a good feeling about this guy, Jeremy''s friend or not, then we''ll search out other options."

    "Kyle''s going to be so surprised when he gets home." Noah smirked. "I bet he''ll be unable to sleep."

    Dave laughed. "It''s probably best that he didn''t know before hanging out with Marie."

    "What time do you think he''ll come home?" Noah asked.

    "Probably right at curfew. 11pm."

    Mom frowned and looked to Dad. "Should we text him to be home by ten?"

    "No, we shouldn''t go back on curfew rules." Dad disagreed. "It''s a good form of time management and responsibility. Kyle can decide on his own when to come back."

    "So we should tell him about tomorrow''s plans." Mom reached for her phone. "He might want to be home earlier."

    "I think you should leave him on his own." Dave said between bites of his bread. "This will be a good lesson for the soon to be adult."

    "You''re going to be an adult soon too." Mom frowned.

    "Yea, but I''m not running around with a girl on the weekend." Dave shrugged. "I''m also going to college. That''s like a trial period for being an adult. Kyle''s taking a more serious path. He''ll be on his own, god knows where."

    Mom put her phone back. "You''re right. Kyle has his own choices. He has to know there might be consequences if he makes poor decisions like staying out late at night."

    "But if you don''t tell him..." I spoke up and all eyes went to me. I swallowed a lump in my throat, kind of scared that I spoke up in the first place.

    "Go on." Grampa urged me.

    With Grampa as help, I continued. "If you don''t tell him, then he''s not going to know if it''s a bad or good decision. It''s not good to be surprised like that."

    "Jake has a point." Dad reached out and patted me on the shoulder. "In the future, Kyle might be surprised with a sudden move either up or down in the minors. He''ll adjust. He won''t make a bad decision like hitting up a bar after finding out."

    "I''ll text him then." Mom said more decisively. "I just don''t want him to think I''m intentionally asking him to come back early and miss out time with his girlfriend."

    .comno//vel//bi/n[.//]net''

    "It''s better to leave the decision up to him." Grampa nodded. "Just notify him in a neutral tone."

    "He''ll probably come home immediately now." Dave sighed. "Our quiet time will be ruined."

 Chapter 994 V3 Ch228 Intro To Ryan (1)

    Chapter 994 V3 Ch228 Intro To Ryan (1)

    Dave knew his twin well. Not even twenty minutes after the text, Kyle was running into the house, shouting. "Dad! Mom! Dad! Is it true? Am I really going to meet an agent tomorrow??"

    We were just finishing dinner, eating the last of the rolls.

    "Yes." Dad answered with a nod. "I was telling your brothers; plan to wear something nice."

    "Of course!" Kyle sat down at the table and started to ask his questions. "What''s his name? Where''s he coming from? The Bay Area like Jeremy and Rose? Is this their friend? Or just an acquaintance?"

    Noah got up and so did I. We already knew that Dad didn''t know much. It was better to escape Kyle''s rambling and save ourselves the headache. Unfortunately, we shared a room with him and couldn''t completely escape. Going to sleep with him talking about tomorrow wasn''t the best of lullabies, but at least he wasn''t terribly loud.

    The next morning however...

    "Get up, get up, get up." Kyle made a racket. "Todays the day I meet my agent."

    "Shut up." Dave grumbled. "We don''t even see him until lunch."

    "Yea." I muttered, pulling my comforter higher.

    Noah was the only one to actually get up. "Thanks Kyle. I''m going to use this time to go for a run. Anyone want to join?"

    I almost held my breath, praying for sleep to come back to me.

    "You know what? I''ll go." Dave started to move. "Anything to get away from Kyle''s excess energy."

    The three of them made started to move around the room and I finally started to slip back into dreamland.

    The next time I woke up was because of Mom. "Good morning, Jake. Do you want to come down for breakfast? Or wait until lunch to eat?"

    I stretched and got up. "I''ll have breakfast." I know how much effort Mom puts into Sunday breakfast and I couldn''t pass that up. I followed her downstairs where Dad and Grampa were already eating. "What happened to Kyle?"

    "I made sure he left with Noah and Dave." Dad smiled. "He''s a little overwhelming with his excitement today."

    "It''s a big deal." Grampa said. "It''s his future. Like when Zeke committed to his college and coach. Kyle is taking a different kind of commitment."

    "Well, it''s just the first meeting." Mom said. "Who knows if this is the right agent for him. He might want to explore other options."

    The three adults talked casually about what the next step would be if Kyle liked the guy or didn''t.

    "Rose gave me quite backup options." Dad reassured them. "Heck, we can meet with all of them separately and then make a decision too."

    Eventually the twins and Noah came back from their run and ate breakfast. The twins took turns showering first while Noah went to the garage to lift some of the free weights. Seeing them all doing their own thing, I went to the living room to watch some spring training baseball with Grampa. He dozed off within minutes.

    The rest of the morning was much quieter after the boys ran. Everyone seemed to calm down. Most importantly, Kyle. Because with him calm, Dave wasn''t so annoyed. Noah also felt good after his workout so he didn''t stir up any trouble. A couple hours later, we were all dressed semi-formally and packed into the family car. Mom gave up her spot in the front passenger seat for Grampa and sat in the middle row with the twins. She also explained to Kyle that he didn''t have to commit to this guy right away. Let him explain who he is and what to expect.

    We showed up to the restaurant early. Surprisingly enough, we weren''t first. The guy was already here. The host brought us to a big table that sat eight. Near the head of the table, a man in a navy blue suit was typing away on his phone. He was unexpectedly young, looking like he was still in his 20''s. I guess I was expecting someone Dad''s age or older.

    The man saw us coming, put his phone away, and stood up. "Hello, how are you? I''m Ryan Ward." He reached for Dad''s hand first.

    Dad shook his hand. "I''m Wayne Atkins. We spoke on the phone." He turned his body to show us. "This is my family. My wife, Mary. My father-in-law Lynn. Four of my five boys: David, Kyle, Noah, and Jake."

    Ryan shook each of our hands very briefly before focusing on Kyle. "Kyle, your the potential client, correct. Looking at entering the draft this summer?"

    "Yes." Kyle answered stiffly.

    Noah nudged me and whispered. "Looks like he''s getting cold feet."

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    I shrugged and whispered back. "He''s talking to a complete stranger about his future. How comfortable can you be?"

    Ryan gestured to the seat at the head of the table. "I understand that you''ll be the main focus of today''s meeting. Let''s have you sit there. I''ll sit on your right and your parents on your left."

    We all started to find out seats around the table. Kyle at the end. Dad. Mom. Dave. Grampa on the far end. Me. Noah. Then back to Ryan on the other side of Kyle.

    A server came around to get our drink order and ask if we want appetizers. Noah looked hopeful but Mom gave a shake of her head. After the server left, Ryan started to speak again.

    "I''ll tell you guys about myself first to get acquainted." Ryan said. "I understand you got my information from Jeremy, but I actually went to college with Rose on the east coast."

    "What made you move out west?" Mom asked politely.

    "I was born and raised near DC." He answered. "I stayed on the east coast for college. I''m a former college athlete that got hurt and had to retire. Thought of a few friends who were from California or moving to California and I thought why not give it a go? The weather is more mild; not a whole lot of snow. And the summers are great. Plus, there might be more opportunities out here for someone like myself."

    "What sport did you play?" Noah asked, interested.

    "Why wouldn''t you go to LA to become an agent?" Dave asked. "Aren''t there like big agencies there you can join?"

    "I played football. Wide receiver." Ryan answered Noah first. "Blew out my knee in the worst possible way."

    "Why didn''t you rehab it and try to continue on?" Noah hurried with a follow-up question.

    Ryan chuckled. "Maybe I could have if I had the motivation for it. I wasn''t passionate about football. I was honored for the opportunity it provided me. Lifetime friends. A sense of achievement. And even paid for some of my college. But I knew I didn''t have the drive to make it to the pros." He looked to Dave. "As for why I didn''t choose an agency in LA or something similar, I just didn''t think I could start as an errand boy. There''s a hierarchy in any big company. I thought I would just skip that step and find a few players I could represent on my own and start at the bottom by myself."

    Dad frowned.

 Chapter 995 V3 Ch229 Intro To Ryan (2)

    Chapter 995 V3 Ch229 Intro To Ryan (2)

    "What are some of the advantages and disadvantages you have come across after going the solo route?" Mom asked.

    "One of the advantages would have to be that I can decide who I want to go after and cater to." Ryan looked at her. "When you first join an agency as an intern, you''re automatically stuck at the bottom of the totem pole. You run the errands like getting coffee and filling the paper tray in the printer. Then you slowly move up and do some of the reports. We''re kind of similar to scouts, looking for the best players to represent or who has a lot of upside. Sometimes you''ll come across great players with poor attitudes, but since you''re not in charge, you just have to deal with it. Personally, I rather represent mediocre players with good personalities."

    He continued. "Another advantage is the connections I''ve found through former classmates and teammates. Rose and I studied public relations and sports management together. I have others who have introduced me to a young player trying to break into the draft and have even represented low-leveled veterans in the MLB and NBA."

    "And the disadvantages?" Dad prompted.

    "Smaller income." He said nonchalantly. "I was in a way more difficult spot last year than right now, but it''s not surprising given the clientele I represent. They don''t have a lot of money. I don''t have a lot of experience. You have to show some sacrifices in the beginning, but thanks to a few connections I''m finally at a decent spot where I can pay the bills comfortably."

    "What''s the highest draft pick you''ve represented or still represent?" Noah asked.

    "That''s a good question." Dad added. "We don''t really know where Kyle is even projected for in the draft but we do understand that he''s a great pitcher."

    "The highest player I represent was a ninth-round pick from last year." He looked to Kyle. "He was a high schooler just like you. As a high schooler, you can''t formally hire me as your agent or you would lose your eligibility. I would be considered your advisor. I can''t represent you but I can help you look over contract and explain what they mean. Help you know what to expect before, during, and after the draft."

    "But you would be my agent after?" Kyle asked.

    Ryan made a hand motion to zip it. "We can''t even have an oral agreement for what comes after. You are strictly hiring me for my time and help as an advisor."

    Kyle frowned. "But I don''t even care about my eligibility. I''m not going to college."

    "That''s okay if you know that." Ryan said. "But I would really suggest having a backup plan. Commit to a college. In case you get injured or in case you don''t go high in the draft. There are a lot of benefits in being committed. It gives you more leverage too after your drafted. Say you go in the ninth round like my previous client; his first offer for a signing bonus was only $20,000." Ryan grinned. "The team had a max of $150,000 available. At the negotiation table you could request a higher bonus or you would just go to college. Then they''ll more than likely come back with a new offer."

    "How much was he able to get?" Noah asked.

    "$97,500." Ryan answered. He looked back to Kyle. "So are you in contact with any college coaches at all? Maybe commit without even the need for an athletic scholarship and they''ll take you on?"

    Kyle twisted his lips. "I can reach out to a few." He nodded towards Dave. "My twin brother has already committed to Vanderbilt. Although I absolutely want to go pro, I guess that would be a good backup."

    Dave perked up. "I can help you talk to the coach."

    Kyle looked to Mom and Dad. "What if I do get injured and fall through the draft? Would you still want me to go to college? Especially an expensive school like Vanderbilt?"

    Mom nodded with a small smile. "Absolutely. There''s also Stanford with Zeke."

    Noah snorted. "Like Kyle could get into Stanford."

    "Noah James." Mom narrowed her eyes at him.

    Noah straightened up. "I mean without help, of course it would be tough. But the coach there is friendly and easy to talk to. I''m sure he understands being committed but aiming to be drafted."

    Dad looked at Ryan. "Okay, so we need to look into getting Kyle committed to a school. What else can we do to help his chances?"

    Ryan grinned. "Stay healthy and play well." He looked at Kyle. "Your health is your wealth. Don''t push it too hard and tear up your shoulder. If something feels wrong, immediately stop and go get checked out. Not by your school trainer, but by a professional orthopedic surgeon. You have to invest in your future."

    The server came back with the drinks and asked if we were ready to order. We had previously been to this restaurant before so we went ahead and ordered similar items with Ryan ordering last. The server left us on our own once more.

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    "I''m not the one that usually gets hurt." Kyle told Ryan, picking up where we left off. "If I make it to the draft, become a decently high pick and the signing bonus they start with is six digits...is that when I can bring you own as an agent to negotiate for me?"

    "Yes, that''s a perfect scenario." Ryan nodded. "In fact, that would be ideal. I just like going over what to expect when things go wrong. No good agent will tell you to hire them as the agent immediately. You want to keep your options open. In case of injuries, in case of low ball offers, and in case you don''t like the team''s management or something." He looked to Mom and Dad. "I understand that your eldest son, Zeke, turned down Minnesota. Can I ask if there were any special circumstances at the time? Was he upset with their management or offer?"

    "Oh no, nothing like that." Mom hurried to say. "We didn''t even speak with them. Zeke had committed to Stanford and was really set on going there without a doubt. We guessed that Minnesota thought that they could change him mind?"

    "The signing bonus for a first round pick can vary between 1.5 million to nearly 8 million for first picks overall. It''s a lot of money to walk away from. A very big gamble." Ryan explained. "A lot of rumors were around and I want to make sure we''re on the same page. Especially if you plan to hire me within the next few months."

    "Is it okay if we ask what your rate is?" Dad asked. "We''re new to this and will probably want to look up averages and compare them to yours."

    "Sure. Absolutely." Ryan replied. "It''s also good to meet up with a few different potential advisors to see what you like. I''m not going to lie, with Kyle being Zeke''s younger brother, he is surely on a few radars and will be targeted as a potential client." He picked up a briefcase off the floor and started to pull out a few papers. "Here''s what I charge as an advisor pre-draft and what I charge as an agent post-draft. This other paper is something like a checklist that I suggest all potential draftees to do. Like go in for a full body checkup with your doctor to make sure there are no surprises with your health. I also suggest having an accountant or financial advisor on hand for after you sign a contract to handle your taxes. Also on that list you''ll find having a commitment to a college."

    Dad handed the checklist to Kyle and looked over the other paper with Mom.

 Chapter 996 V3 Ch230 Intro To Ryan (3)

    Chapter 996 V3 Ch230 Intro To Ryan (3)

    "Shouldn''t I be the one to look over his rates?" Kyle glanced at Dad. "You guys may pay him before the draft, but I would be the one to be paying afterwards if everything goes as planned."

    Dad slowly nodded. "You''re right. This is your future."

    Kyle took one look at the paper and his eyes drifted back to Dad. "I''m definitely reimbursing you guys when I get my signing bonus."

    Dad frowned and Mom shook her head. "You''re a minor. Still in high school. This is our responsibility. Just like if you chose to go to college, we would help you out to start, this is the same. It makes sense that you would pay for the agent yourself afterwards because that becomes a percentage of your signing bonus and future salary."

    "Speaking of salary, I want to clarify that you know how much minimum wage is for the minors right?" Ryan interrupted, focused in on Kyle.

    .comn/0v//elbin[.//]net''

    Kyle slowly nodded, then gave a small shrug. "I don''t know exactly, but I know it''s a small amount."

    "Rookie level, which you most definitely will start at, is $400 a week." Ryan said. "Class A minimum is $500. Double A $600. Triple A is $700, but over half the guys will be making more than that. Especially guys who are sent down from the majors."

    "$400 a week?" Mom was the most surprised. "Will he have to find places to rent as he moves around? Especially in more expensive cities, I don''t see how he can have any money leftover after rent."

    "It''s different for every team at every level." Ryan explained. "Nicer programs will have something already arranged like dorms near their stadium. Some have hosts families that will loan out a room or two in exchange for season tickets. Some will have rooms available for rent. It''s definitely one of the tougher aspects of going pro." He looked at Kyle again. "This is really why it''s important to get in touch with a financial advisor. Not just because of taxes, but to make sure your signing bonus isn''t blown in the first year or two. Put it away, invest, do what you can."

    Kyle nodded. Then paused. "This might be a dumb question, but am I supposed to buy all my own food with $400 a week? With knowing Jeremy, we know that the A''s provide food for them."

    "Again, depends on the team and level. It''s the luck of the draw. Worst cases I''ve seen, players are supplied cheese, meat, and bread to make their own sandwiches before a game."

    I frowned. Zeke''s team was college level and they had a whole pasta bar setup.

    "Better teams or more popular teams will have more money to provide better food." Ryan went on. "You can also talk about a food allowance with the team or even in your contract to make sure it''s not coming out of your direct paycheck. They''ll give you a set amount for every meal, every game day."

    Kyle nodded. "I think that would be good. I wouldn''t say I''m a picky eater. I just get hungry and I don''t think I can live off sandwiches every day. Protein is important right?"

    Ryan smiled. "Yea, but baseball is a business. It''s all about profits for them. There has been more improvements made to the minor league system lately like healthcare and tuition assistance, but I won''t lie, the early years will be rough."

    Our server showed up with the food and the table got a little quiet as everyone took their first bites.

    "Compared to the guy you had last year that was taken in the ninth round, what do you think of my prospects?" Kyle asked Ryan. We all kind of stopped eating to listen in.

    "I believe your prospects our higher." Ryan said confidently. "Not just because you rank higher than him in the state and nation, but because you''re a pitcher and those are always a little more valuable."

    "You know my rankings?" Kyle was taken aback.

    Ryan grinned. "Of course. Being in this position that I am, I have to do some research on you. Your stats, your rankings. I did ask Rose if you had any concerning behavior like kicking puppies or stealing gum from gas stations. It''s not just you judging me if I''m good, but vice versa. I don''t want to have a client that has some problematic issues."

    "Did you look up all of us?" Dave asked, curious.

    Ryan nodded. "Yes. I understand that although Kyle would be the first potential client, the rest of you are also interested in playing beyond college in the future. It''s never too soon to look at your options, only too soon to make your decisions."

    "How recent were the rankings for state and national?" Noah asked, looking down at his phone, obviously trying to look it up.

    "State was updated over a week ago and national ranking was updated Friday." He glanced at me. "I think this is the highest a sophomore has ever been for the state of California and maybe even the nation."

    I froze, feeling butterflies in my stomach and a lump in my throat.

    "Are you checking state or nation?" Dave asked Noah, pulling out his phone. "I''ll look up the other."

    "State!" Noah clicked and tapped, scrolled, then looked at me with sparking eyes. "You''re amazing, Jake!"

    "Well?" Grampa prompted. "What is it? Are you trying to keep us in suspense?"

    "He''s number five in the whole state!" Noah announced. Jaws dropped all around.

    Grampa reached out and slapped me on the back. "Well done, kid! Good work!"

    "That''s higher than when Zeke started his senior year." Kyle was stunned, looking at me with wide eyes. "You''ll probably be number one in the state by the end of the season."

    I felt my face heat up. I''ve got to be the worst fielder on the list. "What about the rest of you?"

    Noah scrolled a little bit, then grinned at Kyle. "Lucky number 13 for you."

    Kyle gave a small fist pump. "I''ll take it!"

    Noah scrolled and frowned. "Well. Dave. I don''t know how they make the list, but-"

    "Kyle probably jumped up because he beat University." Dave said, unbothered. He was still looking at his phone. "Just tell me I''m on the list and I''ll be happy."

    "Garret is number 21. I guess Kyle''s game over University helped him a lot." Noah said. "You''re at 33."

    "33rd best player in the state?" Dave looked up with a smile and nodded. "I can live with that. Did you make the list?"

    Noah scrolled and scrolled. He gave a small shrug and put his phone down. "No. But it''s okay. It''s not like I have some attention-grabbing skill. I''ll make the top 100 sooner or later."

    The table lost a little of it''s excitement.

    "That''s a very good attitude to have." Ryan remarked. "You''re still an underclassman. Don''t get caught up in how everyone else is doing. Ranking also don''t mean a whole lot in the long run. It''s a good way to grab attention and it might give someone a head start, but there are plenty of guys that climb and make it despite the odds. Consistency is key."

    Noah nodded. "Thank you." He looked calm, but I could see his hands clenched in his lap. There''s no doubt in my mind that he wants to make the list and climb it just as high as his brothers.

 Chapter 997 V3 Ch231

    Chapter 997 V3 Ch231

    Dave cleared his throat. "If it makes you feel better, we both didn''t make it on the top 500 in the nation. There''s only Jake, Kyle, and Garret." He looked at Kyle. "You didn''t break into the top 100, but you''re close. 143." He looked to me and grinned. "Do you want to guess where you''re at?"

    I held back a sigh and tried to play along. "Statistically within the top 25."

    Dave burst out laughing. "Damn. You were spot on." He showed me the phone. I was number 25, plain and clear to see.

    Noah nudged me. "That''s exactly where Zeke was this time last year! You''re soaring. Those home runs in the tournaments must have really helped."

    Noah and the twins were super excited about my ranking. It felt nice and dreadful all at the same time. I don''t think they understood what my feelings were on my ranking. I felt sick and started to pick at my food.

    The rest of lunch flew by as everyone ate and Dad took care of the bill. Ryan tried to pay for his share, but Dad wouldn''t let him.

    "You already made the drive to come meet us. I appreciate the thought, but let me." Dad explained. "The boys do have midterms this week so I''m not sure when we''ll get in touch again. Either to hire you or to let you know of our future plans."

    "Sure. You have my info. And if you guys have anymore follow-up questions, reach out." Ryan stood up as did the rest of us. "I do hope to take on other draft prospects. At least five, but if you do hire me, Kyle would be my highest priority." He looked at Kyle. "I honestly believe your rankings, talent, and skill will put you in the first five rounds easily."

    "Do you think I can be a first round pick?" Kyle asked, completely serious.

    "If everything went well for you this season, like staying healthy and keeping up the same stat line throughout, I believe there would be some interest in the first round." Ryan said. "But nothing too high. Don''t take this personally, but your speed isn''t top ten worthy. There''ll be college guys and maybe even a few high schoolers that can throw well over 100mph."

    "Thank you." Kyle reached out to shake his hand. "I''m glad you were honest with me. I''ll talk it over with my parents and let you know soon, what my plans are."

    "No problem. More importantly, commit to a college asap." He emphasized again.

    We walked out and said our goodbyes before heading home.

    "He was very informative." Mom commented on the drive home. "I wish we spoke to someone like him before Zeke graduated. Just to have this knowledge and perspective." She glanced at Kyle. "Are you going to ask Dave to call his coach when we get home? Or do you want to wait until after school tomorrow?"

    "The sooner, the better." Kyle said. He looked at Dave. "If you don''t want to call for me this afternoon, just pass me the number and I''ll make the call myself."

    Dave grinned. "It''s fine. I''ll call and introduce you, then you can take over. It would be a little weird if you just cold called him. He''s chill. I don''t think he would mind sending you the National Letter of Intent immediately since you would basically be free."

    "I''m actually going to ask that if I do end up going to Vandy, then I want to make sure I would get a scholarship offer for my sophomore year." Kyle said. He twisted his lips. "I''m not playing for free. If things go south, I''ll go to Vandy with you and ride it out. But I don''t want to be stuck with a crazy amount of loans or make Mom and Dad drown in my tuition payments."

    "Look at you being considerate." Noah poked the back of Kyle''s head.

    "Sure. I don''t think he''ll mind." Dave said. The twins talked more about the pitching coach and the school. Kyle had actually been there before on the visit with Dave, but he wasn''t totally convinced on it before.

    "I''m going to text Garret the links of the rankings list." Noah butt into their conversation. "Or maybe I should just post the links and tag you guys in it?"

    "Post and tag!" Kyle voted. He turned around in his seat to look at Noah. "Please, please, please. If I do it myself, it''ll look like I''m bragging."

    "Don''t you want to brag?" Dave rolled his eyes.

    "I want to but I won''t do it outright." Kyle said. He put his hands together. "Come on, Noah. Aren''t you proud of us??"

    "Okay, but I''m mostly proud of Jake." Noah focused on his phone and started to type away. He had taken screenshots of our state rankings, including Garret too. Then our national ranking. Garret was 172, with potential of breaking into the top 100 before the season ended.

    "Garret''s going to be so pissed that you''re ahead of him." Dave chuckled. "At least I''m not completely alone."

    "They probably made this before Garret''s no-hitter." Kyle said thoughtfully. "Coach has been holding him back a little too, letting us and the juniors get more opportunities."

    "Speak for yourself." Dave scoffed. "I was pulled out of a game for nothing. My opportunity went straight to Brian."

    "You get another chance Monday against a good team." Kyle pointed out. "Garret and I probably won''t pitch this upcoming weekend against ACA. They suck. Coach will let others go out. Then after OLU next Monday, it''s weaker teams like Redwood and Porterville."

    "Redwood wasn''t bad." Dave pointed out. "You and Garret saw them last year and didn''t necessarily have good games. Pretty sure you were pulled early or something."

    "I gave up a pair of homers and lost my cool." Kyle corrected. "You know what, that''s fine. I should ask Coach if I can have them. Leave Porterville for Garret."

    "He could get a perfect game." Dave grinned proudly. "That''s where I got mine."

    "Didn''t Jake pass out at Porterville?" Mom cut in, showing some worry.

    "Jake''s fine now." Dave shrugged.

    "Best shape he''s ever been in." Kyle added.

    "I think it would be good if we did a check-up for all the boys, Wayne." Mom ignored the twins and spoke to Dad as we pulled into the driveway. "Kyle needs a thorough look over anyways, right? So let''s just take all four of them at the same time."

    "I agree." Dad put the car in parked and we all started to pile out.

    "Done." Noah proclaimed. "You guys should share it to your stories too so we get more exposure. Even though I''m not in the lists, it won''t be long once I pull off some more amazing stops. Get on a hit streak and pad my stats." He rambled on as he followed the twins into the house.

    I hung back, staying outside a little longer.

    Dad locked up the car and was the last one to the front porch. He raised his eyebrows at me. "Something on your mind, Jake?"

    I nodded. "Yea." I looked around to make sure the other three weren''t nearby, then looked up at Dad. "Would I get in trouble if I skipped a class to see Dr. Moore?"

    .comn/0v//elbin[.//]net''

    Dad reached out to hold my shoulder. "No. Of course not. I can listen to you now if you just want to talk?"

    I rubbed my stomach. "It''s not a huge deal. I just...don''t feel too good about my rankings. Aren''t they too high?"

    Dad gave me a squeeze. "No. You''re very much deserving of the praise. Before going to see Dr. Moore, make sure to get a note from the teacher whose class you''re missing." He looked at the door where the trio went through. "Do you have a class in mind that you want to skip?"

    I nodded.

 Chapter 998 V3 Ch232 Dr. Moore Visit

    Chapter 998 V3 Ch232 Dr. Moore Visit

    The class I chose to skip was my second of the day: Spanish with Coach Luis and some of my teammates. Noah walked me to my class like normal, nonstop talking about how he wanted to workout this afternoon even though it was midterms week. He was trying to convince the twins to stay after school so he could lift in the gym. Dave was leaning towards it. My focus wasn''t really there this morning as I thought about what to say to Coach Luis, Sean and Mitchell, and then Dr. Moore.

    I went up to Coach Luis desk as my classmates came in and found their seats, talking to friends. "Hey...Coach..."

    Coach Luis raised an eyebrow. "What can I help you with, Jake?"

    My shoulders relaxed with that question. There was no comment about my state and national rankings. There was no obvious rejection like sending me to my seat. "Do you mind if I go see Dr. Moore in the office during your class time?"

    He paused, then looked me in the eye. "Are you prepared for the midterm on Wednesday?"

    I nodded in a hurried. "Yes. I''ve been keeping up and rereading my notes. I won''t have anything less than an A."

    Coach Luis smiled. "You don''t need an A. You would be just fine in my class with a C. I just don''t want you to miss the review if you needed it." He reached for a pad of paper and started to write me a hall pass for Dr. Moore''s office. "Do your parents know that you need to see the doc? Do you want me to tell them?"

    "Dad knows and he probably told Mom." I looked around before lowering my voice. "I didn''t tell Noah though. Or the twins. I just need some one-on-one time."

    Coach Luis nodded. "Okay. Take it easy." He handed me the note.

    I accepted it with a relieved smile. "Thank you." Coach Luis looked scary, but he was the third best coach I had after Coach Wilcox and Mr. Miller. I headed back out of the classroom, running into Sean, who was coming in. Dang it. I was hoping to just avoiding them.

    "Where ya going, Jake?" Sean gave a friendly smile. "Our seats are the other direction. If you need to run to the bathroom, you can just leave your bag here."

    I flashed my hall pass. "I''m actually skipping class to talk to Dr. Moore."

    "Are you okay?" He asked immediately, looking me up and down.

    "It''s fine. Just routine." I told him, trying to keep it simple.

    "Okay. Yea. Good for you to keep checking in with him." Sean squeezed by and headed for his seat. "I''ll see you tomorrow then. Don''t let Noah and the twins train too hard this week."

    I nodded and left without anymore incidents. I went to the front office and navigated my way to Dr. Moore''s office. The door was wide open and the man was behind his desk looking down at a paper.

    I lightly tapped the door. "Dr. Moore?"

    He looked up and smiled. "Jake. I''ve been expecting you. Your Dad sent me a text last night just as a head''s up." He added when he saw my surprise. "Why don''t you come in and close the door so you can talk?"

    I stepped in, closing the door behind me. I dropped my backpack in one seat and sat in the other. "Did he say why I was coming in?"

    Dr. Moore shook his head. "No. And I didn''t ask. Honestly, you never need a reason to come see me. It doesn''t have to be so forced. But since you have something specific this time, why don''t you go ahead and start."

    I placed my hall pass on his desk. "Well. The state and national rankings came out. For high school baseball." I cringed. "I''m high up there and a lot of people are excited. Especially Noah. And the twins too."

    "Let me guess." Dr. Moore pushed his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose. "You''re not loving it."

    "I-I-I don''t think I''m as good as everyone says I am." I sighed and leaned back in my seat. "My batting has everyone fooled." I rolled my eyes. "During our game on Saturday, I got picked off." I looked at Dr. Moore. "No one else on our team has been picked off at first this season. No one else."

    "Ah, but no one else on your team has any many home runs as you." Dr. Moore smiled.

    I frowned.

    "I''m trying to keep up with the school teams." Dr. Moore told me. "A lot of students play some kind of sport, especially the underclassmen because they have more chances to play because of the freshmen leveled teams."

    "Have you seen some baseball players beside me?" I asked, kind of interested in knowing if I wasn''t the only broken one.

    "I can''t tell you that directly, but I will tell you that most of the kids I see here, participate in athletics. That''s why I''m trying to take an interest in the school activities." Dr. Moore explained. "Student athletes have some added pressure trying to balance school and sports." He picked up a pen. "Can I ask where you ranked? Just more out of a personal curiosity than professionally."

    "5th in state. 25th in the nation." I sighed again. "Just saying it out loud makes me feel queasy." I looked him in the eyes. "Zeke was 25th in the nation around this time last year."

    Dr. Moore nodded. "I can see where and how you''re conflicted. You don''t feel like you''re on the same level as Zeke."

    "Zeke was good at everything."

    "I heard that you had a better average than Zeke last year."

    "Yea, but-"

    "No buts. That is the truth." Dr. Moore cut me off. "Even as a non athletic person, I understand that these rankings may not be accurate. They''re human made and humans make errors. This is a group of people making a list of kids that they''ve never personally met. Just statistics from games that they''re able to see."

    "So I should just tell people that they''re wrong when they talk about my rankings?" I asked, confused.

    "No, a simple ''thanks'' should suffice." He shrugged. "Or say nothing at all. It''s fine if you want to completely ignore it."

    "It''s hard to ignore." I complained. "It''s all Noah wants to talk about."

    Dr. Moore smiled. "Noah''s just happy for you. If you say you don''t want to hear about it anymore, I''m sure he would respect that. As for everyone else, brush it off. It''s just something new that''s being talked about. It''ll go away."

    I thought back to last year. When rankings came out, we did talk about it immediately afterwards but it became less frequent as the season went on. Instead, we mostly talked about the next opponent. The next practice. How we could improve.

    "Do you think I sound like a baby?" I asked, feeling pretty pathetic.

    "I think you''re looking for the word ''insecure''." Dr. Moore said. "More than likely, you''re developing imposter syndrome."

    I looked at him confused.

    "Basically when people start to doubt themselves, their skills, their accomplishments, they feel like a fraud."

    I started to nod aggressively. "I do feel like a fraud!" I looked at Dr. Moore, feeling hopeful. "How do I stop?"

    He laughed. "There''s no immediate stop to it. All you can do is take some steps to remind yourself of who you are. Lay out the facts...like you''re a very good batter. The best around."

    I felt my face warm up. "The ''best'' is a little much."

    "Name a better batter."

    "Jeremy?" I suggested.

    "A better batter in high school." He corrected. "Remember, we''re talking about high school rankings."

    I came up empty.

    "Next would be something like we''re doing now. Talking about your feelings." He continued. "We''ve addressed that you''re the best. Now be happy for yourself. Celebrate your successes and work on your failures. We''ve got to let go of your quest for perfection."

    We spent the next hour talking about the rankings and how I could deal with the uncomfortable way it made me feel. After the bell rung, I went to meet Noah at our lockers to start step one: get Noah to cool it.

    "You wouldn''t believe how popular my post has become since yesterday." Noah started talking right away. "We''re practically going viral."

    "Noah." I paused and waited to make sure he was listening. He was looking at me, waiting. "I actually don''t feel good listening about my rankings. It makes me feel...like a fraud. I understand that I''m a good batter, but with my errors and other lousy traits..." I trailed off.

    "So? Your bat makes up for it clearly!" Noah smiled.

    I reached out to hold Noah''s shoulder. "Noah, it doesn''t make me feel good." I emphasized again.

    "Okay, okay. I won''t talk about it so much." Noah started to get it. He gave a small shrug. "I actually like having you so high up, giving me something to brag about. I didn''t make either list and it''s a bit of a letdown."

    I tried to give him an encouraging smile. "So you work harder. That''s what you do. Besides. Was Zeke on either list his sophomore year?"

    "No!" Noah blurted out. He grinned. "Neither were the twins." He shook his head. "How could I forget that?" He laughed. "I''m so stupid." He looked at me. "I''m definitely going to get Dave to stay with me after school to work out in the gym. We both need the stress relief."

    "I can do some studying in the library." I volunteered. "I don''t want to go to the gym and have a bunch of eyes on me now that you''ve told everyone the rankings. I would feel like an animal in the zoo."

    "Sorry." Noah rubbed his nose. "I was just so excited for you."

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    "Thank you." I nodded. "I''ll try to work hard too so I don''t let you guys down." I grinned. "Just not this week."

    "Don''t worry, it''ll blow over after spring break. Everyone will forget soon enough." He patted my shoulder.

 Chapter 999 V3 Ch233 Midterms Week

    Chapter 999 V3 Ch233 Midterms Week

    I wasn''t the only one that picked to go to the library after school. Kyle did too. With Marie and Kaylee. Kyle and Marie picked a small table near the back.

    Kaylee came over to my table instead of staying with her sister. "Noah and Dave at the gym?"

    I nodded. "Why didn''t you go? It''s open to all athletes."

    She pointed at me. "Exactly. All athletes. I rather go during our elected slot time for softball. I bet it''s packed right now. With athletes who are in season and want to approve. Or athletes who aren''t in season and want to stay in shape or even just burn off steam because it''s midterms week."

    I shivered, even more happy that I didn''t go.

    Kaylee laughed. "Yea, my sentiments too. I like lifting, but I would hate to constantly have to re-rack the plates." She started to pull out a binder and a book out. "I''m going to study Spanish. Want to join?"

    I shook my head. "No, I''m a year ahead. It''s different."

    "Right, right." She nodded. Then turned her focus on her book and notes.

    I pulled out my math book. Not really to study, but to work ahead on some tougher problems. I liked being able to help the twins when they need help or just a little extra clarification. The feeling of being needed.

    The two of us worked in tandem, ignoring louder whispers around us. A lot of students came to the library for tutoring or group study. Some had to work on projects while others were just waiting for their ride home.

    As it approached 5pm, the librarian announced that she would be closing soon. Clean up. Log off the computers. Check out books if you needed it. Kaylee and I packed up, then started to approach our respective siblings.

    "I just don''t get why you would choose to commit to Vandy instead of UCLA." Marie muttered, rolling her eyes as she got her backpack on.

    "I''m not actually going." Kyle defended. "It''s a backup plan. Not even really a backup plan. It''s more like a negotiating tool."

    Kaylee looked confused as she turned to me to whisper. "Kyle is committing to a college?"

    I let Marie and Kyle take the lead as we left the library together. Once they were ten feet ahead of us, I answered. "Yea. To Vanderbilt like Dave. He met with a potential advisor yesterday that suggest he have a fallback plan in case he gets hurt or if his signing bonus is low, he can threaten to go to college instead."

    "Why not commit to the college his girlfriend is going to?" Kaylee rolled her eyes, looking a whole lot like her sister.

    I gave a small shrug. "I don''t know. It''s convenient that Dave is already in contact with the pitching coach? Or he just didn''t think too hard about it. After all, he''s still entering the draft."

    "Boys." Kaylee said with disgust and rolled her eyes again.

    pAn,D a-??? ?1,c-o-m Poor Kyle was going to have a rough week. I could already tell. Meanwhile, Dave and Noah were working out like crazy this week. We didn''t stay after school on Tuesday. Instead they did a full on bullpen session in the backyard. I hung out with Grampa, watching some baseball on TV. Kyle was hiding out in his room, either studying or begging Marie for forgiveness. Wednesday and Thursday, Dave and Noah were back at the gym, doing who knows what. I stayed in the library with Kyle, Marie, and Kaylee. The tension between the couple loosened up as the days went on. I couldn''t understand the complexities of relationships very well, but with Kaylee''s help I kind of understood how Kyle messed up.please visit panda-:)????1.co)m

    Midterms throughout the week came and went. I didn''t struggle at all and helped the twins with math. Even Noah came to me with a couple of questions about the formulas he had to use.

    Come Friday afternoon, it was all over. We went home together, but started to break up. Kyle was going to hang out with Marie for the rest of the day while Noah caught another bullpen session for Dave.

    I put my bag away and went to my bats to start cleaning them. Tomorrow the season would resume and there wouldn''t be very many breaks between practices and games. Midway, a sweaty Dave came upstairs.

    "Found you." He wiped the sweat off his face with corner of his sleeve. He looked around. "Can you grab a bat and come downstairs? I need someone in the batter''s box."

    "Okay." I got up and put the bats away. "Do I need to make contact? Or just stand there?"

    "Stand there."

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    I grabbed a bat that I didn''t plan to use for games. It was one I had tried before, but I was pretty sure it was cracked on the inside or maybe something had splintered. I didn''t have the heart to throw it away so this would be a good opportunity to put it to use. I went down the stairs, trailing after Dave.

    Noah was randomly doing squats even though he was wearing the bulky catcher''s gear. "Took you guys long enough. I''m nearly at a hundred."

    Dave shook his head. "You''re going to tire yourself out before tomorrow''s doubleheader? Coach won''t like that."

    Noah scoffed. "You think Jake and I even have a chance to play tomorrow? Highly unlikely." He thought about and shrugged. "I should have a higher chance than Jake at least."

    I rolled my eyes. "That''s not fair. I need game experience more than you."

    "Ah, but Coach is going to want you to be healthy for Monday''s game." Noah squatted into position behind the fake home plate. "He won''t take a chance of you being injured against such a weak team like ACA."

    "I don''t think either of you should play tomorrow." Dave declared, stepping onto his fake mound. "Monday is important to me. I''m going to need the best fielder and best hitter combo to back me up."

    I grinned and stepped up to the plate. "I''m okay if we both get sat. It''s only fair."

    "Coach better let me pinch hit at least once." Noah muttered.

    We were all set. Dave started his motion and threw a fastball right down the middle. He grinned. "That''s a strike against Jake. You two better not forget it."

    Noah and I both rolled our eyes. We all knew I wasn''t going to be allowed to really swing the bat. We''d break a window on the first pitch or something.

 Chapter 1000 V3 Ch234 ACA Doubleheader

    Chapter 1000 V3 Ch234 ACA Doubleheader

    Saturday morning, our team met up at the school to board the bus. It was just us so everyone got their own row and started to spread out. These were my favorite kind of trips.

    When we got to the neutral location, we unloaded our bags from the bus and followed Garret to the field. The first game, we were considered visitors and would sit in the first base dugout. As we set our bags down and got unpacked, looking to change into cleats, Coach started to address the team.

    "Today, we''re facing a familiar opponent. We did a doubleheader with them last year and won both with ease. Garret did game one and the twins split game two." Coach recapped. "Today, we''re going with Joey in game one. Game two will be Brian''s." He looked at Brian. "But you''ll pair up with Oscar so Mitchell can have a break."

    Everyone looked towards Oscar, the only freshman on the team. He stared blankly back at Coach.

    "Is that a problem, Garcia?" Coach called him out by his last name, looking for a response.

    "Small problem." He answered, causing some of the guys to snicker. He ignored the laughs and looked at Coach, serious as can be. "Am I supposed to make the pitch decisions in game two? Or will I look to you in the dugout for the calls?"

    "Good question." Coach nodded. "I''ll make the decisions early on. If we get a good lead, I''ll leave it up to you and Brian to figure out." His eyes drifted to me. "Jake, you''ll start on the bench."

    My lips twitched and I looked to Noah.

    Noah reached out to pat me on the head. "Maybe you''ll get a chance to pinch hit."

    "You will too." Coach commented. "Anyone on the bench will always have a chance to pinch hit or pinch run."

    Noah was stunned. "What? You''re going to bench me too?" He saw that Coach was serious. "Who will be the middle infielders without the both of us? Dalton can''t be in two places at once."

    "Dalton will play short." Coach stated. "Sean at second." He looked to Jason. "Jason will cover first and Jesse will play third."

    Coach had really thought this one through. Sean was the utility guy last year, abled to play anywhere. Makes sense that he can shift. Jason has already tried out first base just a couple weeks ago and there was no need to talk about Jesse, the former JV Defensive MVP.

    .comn/ov/elb/in[./]net''

    Noah let out a heavy sigh. "I should have trained even harder yesterday."

    Garret reached out to pat his shoulder. "Rest is good for you. Gives your body time to heal up. And from the bench you can get a new perspective. Maybe help Jake out with positioning or something."

    "I''m glad you feel that way, Garret." Coach nodded at him. "Because you''ll be on the bench with them. Korrey, Logan, and Tanner will be the starting outfielders."

    "But Coach...I''m the captain." Garret was stunned.

    "So lead by example." Noah grinned.

    "You''re such a baby." Kyle scoffed. "You might as well get used to watching games because when you get drafted, they''re not going to let you be a dual-player." He looked at Coach. "Can I go to the bullpen?"

    "Sure. Everyone but Garret and Dave." Coach stated.

    "Coach, I''ve been off all week." Garret stood up. "Let me at least go to the bullpen for a throwing session."

    Coach shook his head. "You may not have had any games or official practices, but I know you. You didn''t rest this week. Don''t worry, you''ll be in the lineup on Monday." He looked around at the rest of the team. "Just because I''m benching the two best hitters on our team, doesn''t mean I''m trying to make this a close game. No. We have a good team with a solid foundation. I''m giving everyone an opportunity to show why they made this roster. Don''t prove me wrong."

    "If it''s close, we would still have a chance to see some action." Noah muttered under his breath.

    I looked around and saw the guys being energized by Coach''s speech. They were ready for the challenge even before warmups. Especially those that didn''t see the field often. "Maybe Dave will take us to the cages tonight." Because I don''t see us getting a chance to play today.

    Noah nodded. Then he laughed. "Mom and Dad are lucky they didn''t split up. I would have felt bad for whoever got stuck with our games to only not watch us play."

    I nodded in agreement. Mom and Dad went to Stanford today to watch Zeke''s game this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon. At first they debated whether they should go at all, then maybe if they should split up, to ultimately deciding that Zeke didn''t have a whole lot of home games they could see often. They would be gone by the time we got home later today. Grampa would be in charge tonight to make sure that we get home and eat properly, with the added bonus of making sure Kyle was home before curfew. It was pretty much a given that he would be spending all his free time with Marie.

    After warmups, Noah, me, and Garret were banished to the far bench, out of the way for the starters. Garret and Noah were great to have around for comments about the game, but when Dave came by, it just became a competition between him and Garret. Or him and Garret talking about Joey on the mound.

    Joey had a great start for game one, not allowing a relief pitcher to take his spot out there. He shut down ACA, holding them to just three hits and no runs. With the help of our offense taking a ten run lead, the game ended after five innings. Mercy-ruled them real quick. Everyone had hits with Sean having the most RBI''s thanks to a three-run home run. Joey had five strikeouts, averaging one an inning. He also gave up a walk, earning some lecturing from Dave and Garret.

    Game two lasted longer, time wise. Not inning wise. It was another mercy rule, but Brian lost the shutout. I wouldn''t say he lost to Joey in the stats department though. He also gave up three hits, yet he had more strikeouts at seven and had no walks. Tough to compare.

    The bats stayed alive for the offense, not giving any of us benchers a chance to hit. We won game two 13-1. Sean had another home run, really padding his stats. No one in the lineup came up empty-handed, either getting hits, RBI''s, or scoring runs.

    Seeing everyone so happy, I no longer felt bad being on the bench. Coach was right to give the other guys some game time to get them in the spirit of things. Everyone looked confident as we reloaded the bus and went back to school in the mid-afternoon.

    "I''m texting Mom that we''re already heading home." Noah said. "If we had known that both games would be finished so soon, we probably could have gone to see Zeke play too."

    I checked the time. "No way, his game today started at 2pm. It''s already 3:30pm so it might even be halfway over." I went to pull up the box score.

 Chapter 1001 V3 Ch235 (Filler)

    Chapter 1001 V3 Ch235 (Filler)

    By the time we got home, Zeke''s team had won their game. Zeke had a decent game going 1-3 at the plate. That one hit was a two-run homer. Noah had already asked Mom how far that home run went and complained that Zeke was a one-hit wonder. It didn''t take long for Zeke to text back, saying it was better than what Noah had done today in two games.

    Noah looked at me, squinting. "Was it you who told him?"

    I shrugged, a little guilty. "Well yea...he had asked me how today went." I had also told Jeremy and Mom. They all wanted to know.

    Noah sighed. "Two more days until Monday. I''ll show him then." He started to text again.

    All four of us changed out of our game uniforms and threw them in the dirty laundry. What a waste. Kyle was the only one to choose to shower, getting ready to see Marie. Grampa came home from the store just as me and Noah were getting our shoes on.

    "How was the game, boys?" He asked.

    Noah stood up and helped take the bags from him. "Lame. None of us played. Not the twins. Not me. Not Jake. We hardly even touched the field."

    "That''s too bad. Did your team still win?" He started to unpack the grocery bags in the kitchen.

    "Yep. Won both." Noah looked at everything that was being unpacked. "Are you grilling steaks again?"

    "It''s a beautiful evening to be grilling in the backyard before the sun sets." He looked us up and down. "Were you two trying to go somewhere?"

    "The cages to hit a few, but we can just help you out here instead." Noah grinned. "Will you let me flip the steaks?"

    "Heck no." Grampa jerked his thumb towards the front door. "Go get the rest of the stuff and let''s get to work."

    Dave came downstairs just in time for us to tell him the change of plans. He was on board with it. He rushed to the car and grabbed all the bags in one go, not needing our help.

    Grampa truly put us to work, cutting up vegetables and putting them on skewers to grill too. It was something new to me, helping make dinner with others. Before the Atkins...I was on my own...just barely getting by. It was hard to look back and remember how often I would be hungry. Now, everything was a given. We ate out or Mom prepared it. She didn''t like us ''helping'' since we would make a bigger mess than she would have liked. Grampa didn''t mind though.

    "It''s a learning process." He grinned as Dave burnt one side of his steak. "This is also why I won''t let Noah touch the tongs. I''ll teach you kids one at a time. When Dave succeeds, we''ll move on to the next."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "And if he doesn''t succeed?"

    Dave threw some vegetable scraps at Noah. "Shut up. It''s my first time."

    "Well, he''ll go to college soon enough." Grampa rubbed his chin.

    "I will master this before then!" He proclaimed. "Absolutely!" He accidentally dropped some oil on the fire, making it grow and get to hot. Grampa pushed him out of the way and took over.

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    We ate a fulfilling dinner and cleaned up afterwards. I thought Grampa would go lay down immediately after eating, but he actually asked us to get our shoes and jackets on.

    "Uh, it''s a little late to be going to the cages now." Noah pointed out.

    I nodded. "We can just go tomorrow."

    "That''s not what I had in mind." Grampa simply answered. He looked at Dave. "I''ll give your directions and you just drive."

    The four of us went in the family car and the mystery trip started. Grampa had us taking a highway I usually don''t go on unless we''re leaving town for away games. We didn''t stay on very long and exited just a town over.

    Dave started to laugh. "I think I know where you want us to go now."

    "Don''t spoil it." Grampa instructed.

    Ten minutes later we pulled into a parking lot of a bowling alley.

    Noah was just as surprised as me. "Bowling?"

    Grampa grinned. "Of course. Everyone should bowl a time or two every year. It''s good exercise and good fun." He opened the door and got out first. "If any of you can beat my score, I''ll donate a little extra to your college funds."

    "How much is a little?" Noah was immediately interested.

    We exited the car and Dave locked it up.

    "$500." Grampa grinned. He looked at Dave. "You can put it in your savings and start saving up for dates."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "I''ll invest it, thanks. If Kyle was here, he''d be the one to spend it on a girl."

    "I''m glad we''re doing fun stuff without him." Noah grinned. "Thanks Grampa."

    "Yea, thanks Gramps." Dave added.

    I hurried too. "Thanks Grampa."

    Grampa looked towards me as we walked. "You''ve probably never bowled, right?"

    I shook my head. "No, but I know the concept and theory."

    Grampa chuckled. "Good. I won''t be going easy on you boys. You have to really work to beat me if you want that money."

    I thought Grampa was just teasing, but he turned out to be dead serious.

    Walking into the bowling alley, it was dark with bright lights flashing around. Cosmic bowling had just started, making it more festive as kids ran around and teens laughed near the snack bar. Grampa led the way to the front desk, paying for three games each and rental shoes. We found our lane and picked out bowling balls that our fingers could fit into.

    Dave made the lineup youngest to oldest, forcing me to go up first. I nervously looked around to see how everyone else was throwing the ball down before giving it a shot. It was a little reassuring that it was dark and everyone else seemed to be minding their own business. I walked the ball up to the line, then did my best to glid it down the lane. The ball veered off and only hit one pin in the corner.

    Dave outright laughed. "At least it wasn''t a gutter ball!"

    "Don''t worry, Jake." Noah told me when I came back for another ball. "I haven''t bowled in years so I''m probably just as bad. We''ve just got to beat the old man."

    ''The old man'' was tying his shoes, looking extra fragile in the glow of the light lasers. Yea, I should be able to get more pins than Grampa. He didn''t even look like he could pick a ten pound ball up.

    I did my second ball, trying to keep my wrist straight as I tossed the ball. I earned five more pins and relaxed a little more. I was improving already. Not bad.

    Noah went next. He had better aim than I did, hitting the head pin straight on. The ball went through and pins started to fall, leaving the corners. A split. Noah tried to throw his second ball at one of the corners but it went into the gutter.

    "I will be winning that $500." Dave grinned as he switched spots with Noah. His first ball did look the best, hitting the head pin, knocking down nine of the ten pins. His second ball was able to knock that tenth pin for a spare. He led the way between me and Noah.

    "Good start." Grampa complimented Dave as they switched spots.

    "This will be a walk in the park." Dave laughed. "It''s like underhanded pitching."

    Grampa picked up his ball, making it look easier than I thought. He lined up further than Noah and I did, took two and a half steps, pulling the ball back with one hand before letting it go. It hit the head pin a litt off, however all the pins fell down. A strike.

    My jaw dropped. Same with Noah and Dave.

    "Fuck." Dave whispered. "Did we just get hustled?"

    "We didn''t say we would give him $500, right?" Noah asked.

    Grampa came back to the seats with a friendly smile. "Well? What are you waiting for? You''re up, Jake."

 Chapter 1002 V3 Ch236 @ Pre-OLU

    Chapter 1002 V3 Ch236 @ Pre-OLU

    Grampa crushed us in bowling. He scored a 224. Dave was the closest with a 162. Noah was at 107. And I was last at 88. It was a great time though despite no one winning Grampa''s money. We found out that Grampa used to be in a league a few years ago before him and Gramma got too old.

    On the way home, Dave told him he should join a seniors league to get out of the house more. Grampa waved him off and said he couldn''t bowl every week. Just every now and then with us would satisfy him.

    "Is the $500 on the table every time?" Noah asked.

    "Sure!" Grampa grinned. "Maybe you''ll catch up to me before I die. What a sight that would be."

    We laughed even though we shouldn''t. Noah really got his attitude from Grampa. A lot of his personality couldn''t be explained with just Mom and Dad, yet with Grampa...they acted like two peas in a pod.

    Kyle felt left out when he found out that we went cosmic bowling and had a chance to win $500. He looked at Grampa. "Can''t I come with Marie? She doesn''t have to compete. Bowling can be a fun date."

    Grampa had laughed at him. "Sure, sure. I think we can have up to eight on a lane."

    p����d��-��?�ͨ���.�㨮�� Sunday morning, we woke up and followed Noah on his run...at a much lighter pace, of course. We took turns with the free weights, adding an exercises and the twins even competed in handstands before Noah reminded Dave that he shouldn''t be messing around the day before a game. That prompted Dave to call it a morning and went in to shower. Kyle bragged until Noah challenged him. Kyle made his escape next.

    I stuck it out with Noah, finishing the complete workout. I had a lot of energy to burn after midterms and not being able to play yesterday. After the morning routine, Grampa surprised us by saying he was able to find Zeke''s game on TV. We couldn''t pass up the opportunity to watch him play from home.

    Zeke did better than yesterday, going 3-3 at the plate with a double and two singles. He didn''t drive in any runs, but he scored twice in a game that his team won 6-1.

    After his game ended, we got lucky and was able to watch Jeremy and the A''s play Sunday evening. It became a whole day affair, watching baseball and eating in front of the TV. Luckily Grampa told us to clean up just before Mom and Dad got back home.

    Mom stood in the doorway as we were watching baseball highlights. She squinted as she looked around. "You boys didn''t just eat junk food today, right?"

    "Not with Grampa around." Dave patted his stomach. "We had pasta for dinner. Gotta carb up before tomorrow."

    .comn0/v//el//bin[.//]net''

    "What time is the game tomorrow?" Dad asked.

    "3pm." Dave answered. "Warmups start at 2pm. Bus will leave our school parking lot around 12:30, I guess." He looked to Mom. "So we have to have an earlier lunch."

    Mom lifted an eyebrow. "That''ll be up to your grandfather. Your dad and I will be busy if we want to make it to the game on time."

    Dave bolted for the stairs, hollering for Grampa.

    Monday morning, we had time to kill. It was to close to game time to do any running, practicing, or training. At least for the three of us. Kyle went for a jog and came back asking for Noah to catch for him. It doesn''t take much to get Noah to play with a baseball. He accepted casually. Dave and I just chilled in front of the TV, watching some sports news show that was talking about some players who got injured during spring training. Recently a shortstop had torn his ACL when rounding the bases.

    I cringed at the thought.

    Dave laughed at my face. "Don''t worry, Jake. You don''t run hard enough for that to be a problem. Plus, it''s just a freak accident. That stuff doesn''t happen on the daily."

    My hands covered my knees. "I''ve had a lot of different injuries before. But nothing like that. How do they fix your ligaments?" I''m more of a broken bone kind of person.

    "Surgery. Takes forever to come back." Dave sighed. "Those guys are out for the season." He cheered up. "It''s more common in football and soccer so don''t worry about that. It''s more important to take care of your arm." He grabbed his elbow and started to stretch. "Tommy John surgery is our Achilles'' heel."

    I shivered, remembering the scar Rhys had. A whole year away from baseball...I don''t think any of my brothers could do it. Not Jeremy. Not Zeke. Not either of the twins. And definitely not Noah.

    Grampa prepared steak salad for lunch. Matching it with fruits and some slices of garlic toast. It was a good meal to have before going to school to catch the team bus. We saw a few other player eating a bagged lunch before boarding or even taking snacks onto the bus. Spring break meant kids were off from school, not parents. I was thankful to have a family like the Atkins.

    Coach nodded at us as we boarded. The ride wasn''t long. Just enough for a brief nap from some of the guys. Not Noah and I. Noah was texting Zeke, asking if they were going to compare stats today. Zeke had one more game in the series against that school and he was kicking butt. Noah was crazy to pick today.

    Unexpectedly, Noah got a text from Rhys saying he wanted to compare with Dave today.

    Noah laughed as he let me read the text. "Rhys must have seen my text to Zeke. It''s rare for him to be pitching the same day as Dave." Noah got up and looked for Dave in the bus. "Yo Dave. Want to compare stats with Rhys today?"

    "Hell yea!" Dave yelled back. "He''s on!"

    Noah sat back down and started to text back. I smiled and shook my head. "I don''t know why you like to add more pressure to yourself."

    Noah grinned. "Because it''s good practice." He shrugged. "Plus it''s good timing." He nudged me. "Why don''t you text Jeremy and get him in on the action? You versus him. In stats."

    I shook my head again. "No way. You want me to compare to a pro? That''s crazy. He''s also seven years older."

    "How is it not fair?" Noah shot back. "He''s a pro playing against pros. Heck some of the guys he plays against is like 15 years older. You actually have an advantage being so good in our age group."

    I hesitated. "I don''t know."

    Noah shrugged. "I''ll text him myself. I would bet on you against him."

    "We''re not actually betting on anything, right?" I asked, suspicious. "I don''t want Mom to get mad."

    "Purely for bragging rights." Noah assured me. He sent Jeremy a text. That he was going to compare stats with Zeke. And Dave was comparing against Rhys. Then asked if he wanted to compare against me. Jeremy didn''t need extra convincing, he replied that he was in.

 Chapter 1003 V3 Ch237 @ OLU (1)

    Chapter 1003 V3 Ch237 @ OLU (1)

    OLU was another private school with a good baseball stadium. Thankfully we played there during spring break, when not a whole lot of people would show up. Unless you were fans of baseball or had good friends on the team, there wasn''t much that could make people go to school when they don''t have to.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 CF Garret Knudsen

    3 RF Bryce Finn

    4 2B Jake Atkins

    5 1B Sean Isner

    �Ѧ���d�� ��?�ͨ�l(�㨰m) 6 3B Jason Morris

    7 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Dave Atkins

    Bryce was back in the lineup again against a good team. I couldn''t imagine what the other outfielders were feeling. It''s not like he''s twice as good as them. He''s just a little more consistent in getting at least one hit again. Guys like Tanner and Jesse could go hitless for a couple games and it kills the momentum.

    "You guys should know what to do by now." Coach addressed the team, eyeing the early players in our lineup. "Get on, and advance the runner. I don''t want to see any looking strikeouts today. With two strikes, you shouldn''t be watching anything that close."

    "Even if the umpire is blind?" Jason asked.

    "The scorebook won''t say the umpire was blind." Coach replied. He squinted at Jason. "Anything close, Jason. Defend that plate or go down swinging."

    Jason nodded in a hurry. "Yes, sir."

    Coach was taking this game as seriously as Servite and Golden West. This was a league game and you can''t go easy. Winning league was key to going to CIF.

    Noah and Garret left the dugout first, going out to take practice swings as the pitcher started to warmup off the mound. Bryce and I stood near the dugout entrance, looking out and studying the pitcher.

    "I don''t believe you''ll see any action today, Jake." Coach rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

    I tried not to show a look of disgust. "You think I''m going to be intentionally walked?"

    .comno//vel//bi/n[.//]net''

    "If the circumstance calls for it, yes." He nodded. "OLU likes to play it safe. Both of the games last year were close." He frowned. "The year before that. We lost to them and couldn''t win league because of it."

    Oh yea. I straightened up. This was the team that held Zeke and the twins down. With Garret too. And other seniors I didn''t know.

    "Servite had won the year before because of the record situation." Bryce sighed. "I was on JV as a freshman and they were always good no matter what." He frowned. "I''m going to go talk to Mitch to tell him to watch for the steals when there are baserunners." He went to look for our catcher.

    The game officially started when the umpire called for the extra baseballs to go into the dugout and for Noah to step up to bat. I gripped my bat tightly in anticipation.

    The pitcher threw a fastball and Noah tipped it for a foul. 0-1. The pitcher got a new ball, reset, did his motion, and threw a fastball way outside for ball one. 1-1. His third pitch looked to be top speed down the middle; Noah fouled it back. 1-2. Come on, Noah. The pitcher got a new ball, did a full windup, threw a fastball a little outside. Noah swung, hitting the ball near the end of his bat, sending a fast dribbler down the first baseline. The first baseman scooped it up and beat Noah to the bag for the first out of the game.

    Noah jogged back. Garret went to the plate. And Bryce hurried back from his conversation with Mitch to get in the on deck circle.

    "Geez." Noah took his helmet off. "I was just a millisecond late to that pitch."

    I nodded in agreement. "Or if you had just gotten more under it to give it some lift." Would have been a single.

    "Focus on the next at bat." Coach told Noah, patting him on the shoulder.

    A loud ''ding'' rang in the air and shouts started to be heard from all around. Garret was sprinting to first, tagging the base, going for second. The ball that he hit was picked up by the left fielder, who threw it in with an urgency. His throw was on the money, directly to the second baseman covering the base. The second baseman caught the ball and laid the tag down as Garret slid in feet first.

    All eyes were on the umpire. He extended his arms. "Safe!" His declaration caused our dugout to shake the fence with excitement.

    Coach held me back an extra second. "Be careful out there if they do pitch to you. It won''t be simple and straightforward."

    I nodded. He gave me a pat on the helmet and I went out to the circle.

    Bryce had a decent at bat, fouling off four straight fastballs before missing on inside ball. He shook his head at me. "The guy is hitting some good spots around the zone. Tough to tell on those borderline calls."

    Hmm. I nodded in acknowledgement and headed for the batter''s box. I chose to be a lefty simply because Garret had success in his first at bat. I wasn''t superstitious like Noah, but...the odds played a roll in my decision making.

    I glanced back at the catcher, who stayed in a squat. Okay, so no intentional walk. That was a good thing. I could possibly make something happen. Garret could score from second even on a well hit single. Sure enough, Mr. Miller thought so too, giving us the signs. I could swing freely, and Garret would run on contact no matter what.

    The pitcher did his windup. The ball left his fingertips and I tightened my grip, wanting to start my swing. However the ball came inside on me. Real inside. I hurried to jump back and the catcher caught the ball where I was just standing. Ball.

    "He''s aiming for our guy, ump!"

    "Keep an eye on him!"

    "Don''t let him do it again."

    "Good eye, Jake! Good eye!"

    "Way to watch the ball!"

    The catcher stood up to throw the ball back to his pitcher. He glanced at me. "It wasn''t intentional."

    My eyelid twitched. Somehow I didn''t believe him. I don''t know whether it''s because I was skeptical of everyone and everything or whether it''s because he didn''t apologize. I rolled my shoulders back. It was just a brushback pitch. I could handle it.

 Chapter 1004 V3 Ch238 @ OLU (2)

    Chapter 1004 V3 Ch238 @ OLU (2)

    The pitcher nodded at the next sign and I held my bat tight. Anything close and I would send it to a gap. I really wanted to hit a home run, but now isn''t the time to be picky. The second pitch came...and went way outside. The catcher dramatically dove for it, stopping it from being a wild pitch.

    He stood up and showed the ball to the umpire before throwing it back to his pitcher. "Yea, he''s a little nervous today. Don''t mind."

    I made a face. Bryce thinks this guy has good control. And Bryce is a pitcher. And my teammate. I think I''m going to believe him over some opposing catcher.

    The third pitch was a high fastball. I paid attention to how the catcher was already jumping out of squat. A little early. He either has amazing reflexes or he knew that the pitch was going to be high. The catcher threw the ball back to his pitcher and gave a hand gesture to settle.

    I gripped my bat and tried not to obviously frown. This is just a show. These guys aren''t going to throw anywhere close to the strike zone. The pitches are likely to be closer to my body. With a 3-0 count, I had to be careful. Just in case they throw a little wild, directly at me. I focused on the pitcher, eyes on the ball without even the intention to swing. Unsurprisingly, the pitch came inside. Enough to make me step back, but not as dramatic as before.

    "Ball four. Take your base." The umpire said.

    I gave my bat a small toss towards the dugout and jogged to first.

    Coach Luis held the top of my helmet and leaned down. "Good eye. Keep paying attention out here. Go on contact."

    I nodded. With Garret still on second base, the first baseman didn''t try to hold me to my base, allowing me to take a bit of a lead. It was all for naught though. The pitcher could suddenly find the strike zone against Sean, getting him to an 0-2 count before Sean popped out to the third baseman. We all jogged back to the dugout.

    "Jake." Coach stopped me. Bryce was next to him. "Bryce thinks the pitcher is intentional with his wild throws to you. You agree?"

    I gave a short nod. "Just compare how many pitches the other four saw outside of the zone."

    Coach frowned. "I''ll talk to the umpire when that pitcher takes the mound again." He pointed at me. "Be careful. Be aware. I don''t think these guys play dirty, but I also don''t trust anyone."

    I nodded. I went back to my bag and switched out my gear, joining the others who had already taken the field. Dave was already halfway through his practice pitches with Mitchell. I fielded some grounders from Sean and somehow Noah got closer to me.

    "You good?" He double-checked.

    I nodded. "No harm, no foul." I frowned. "I think Coach might be right about these guys not pitching to me. Or at least, they''ll be pitching around me." I sighed. "I don''t know if I''ll be any help today." I kicked the dirt. I get benched in the non important games and when I do play, I get walked all the time. I miss playing in The Foothill Classic. I got to really bat then even if I did see a few occasional intentional walks. But at least those made sense.

    Noah didn''t say anything else after checking in. He jogged backwards to get into position as the umpire called for the game to resume. Dave was already nodding at the sign from Mitchell. The lead off batter was set and Dave started his windup. The batter connected on the very first pitch, smacking a line drive to left. I snapped my head to the right to see Korrey sprinting in and laying out for the ball. He caught the ball and slid in the grass. He was slow to get up and throw the ball back in to Noah.

    Noah called time and walked the ball up to Dave on the mound. "Damn. You need to throw to some harder spots like their pitcher does."

    Dave took the ball from him and spun around to face Mitchell. "Just get into position, you brat."

    Noah laughed and jogged back to his spot. I knew the break was more for Korrey than anything, but Noah also doesn''t pass up chances to give his brothers a hard time.

    Batter two also came out swinging. He missed the first two pitches before hitting a grounder to Noah. Noah dealt with it smoothly for the second out.

    Batter three also came out swinging. They had the same idea that Coach gave us: anything close, swing. Batter three connected, hitting a single to Korrey in left-center. It didn''t have enough time for him to get under it like the last one. But it was okay. The cleanup hitter hit a very high, yet short, fly ball to right field. Bryce had plenty of time to get under it and make the catch to end the inning.

    We jogged back to the dugout to switch to the offensive. Coach came out to speak with the umpire as Jason, Korrey, and Mitchell all got ready for their at bats. Seeing our Coach speak to the umpire, OLU''s coach came out too, making it a party of three.

    "He wants to know what Coach has to say." Noah explained. He looked at me. "Is it about the wild pitches to you?"

    I nodded.

    Coach didn''t look happy when he came back. He came over to me and Noah, where we sat with our bags. "I need you to be extra aware in that batter''s box, Jake."

    I nodded.

    Noah frowned. "What did the umpire say?"

    Coach shook his head. "He can''t do much until something happens. If someone gets hit or hurt, he''ll warn both sides." He twisted his lips. "It''s their coach I have a problem with. He had the nerve to say that Jake''s batting scares his pitcher, making the pitches wild. He''s just covering his ass in case Jake really does get hit." He spotted Dave. "I''ve got to make sure Dave doesn''t throw any pitches too close. I want them busted. Not us." He left.

    I sighed.

    Noah looked over. "You okay, Jake?"

    "Just annoyed." I rolled my eyes. "Watching out for wild pitches, be on edge for sketchy plays...I just want to hit. Like everyone else."

    Noah patted my shoulder sympathetically.

    Our half of the inning went quick. Not necessarily because the pitcher was super good. All three outs came from contact. Jason got jammed on an inside pitch, hitting a slow roller to the pitcher; he was quick to come off the mound and threw him out at first. Korrey and Mitch hit line drives to right field and second respectively. Well hit, solid contact, just right to the fielders though.

    "We''ll get a chance next inning." Noah told me confidently. Dave walked past to put his helmet back. "Of course we have a small disadvantage with Dave leading off, but I''ll definitely pull something off."

    .comn0/v//el/bin[./]net''

    "HEY! I heard that!" Dave hollered.

    I laughed and Noah grinned. I couldn''t play like this without Noah''s constant pep talk and digs on the twins. He made it easy to stay and play it out. Otherwise who knows how frustrated I would be.

 Chapter 1005 V3 Ch239 @ OLU (3)

    Chapter 1005 V3 Ch239 @ OLU (3)

    Bottom of the second had a bit of a late start with Mitchell being the last out. It gave Dave an extra second to calm down after Noah''s verbal attack. Dave started with batter five, getting him to go down swinging for his first strikeout of the game. I saw him glance back to smirk at Noah. Unfortunate move on his part. The next two batters hit grounders to Noah, making him responsible for two of the three outs in the inning.

    And Noah let him hear it as they jogged back to the dugout. "That''s what I''m talking about! Throw the splitter more. I want all the grounders!"

    Mitchell chuckled, earning a glare from Dave. Mitch shrugged helplessly. "What? Your splitter doesn''t have enough break yet, so they keep getting the top part of the ball. It''s not like I can control where the grounders go."

    Dave stormed to his bag, switched his gear, and headed for the dugout exit with his bat. He passed Garret on his way out.

    Garret gave him a thumbs up. "Nice pitching."

    Dave snorted and left.

    Garret was taken aback. "What''s his problem?"

    "Hes not getting strikeouts." Noah answered, putting his own helmet on. He grabbed his bat and went out too.

    Garret and Bryce got ready a little bit slower. I just sat by my bag, hand on my helmet. Ideally, I want bases loaded before I come up.

    Dave was called to the plate. He fouled off the first pitch...the closest he ever got. I don''t want to say that Noah called it, but...

    .comn0/v//el/bin[./]net''

    He came back, glaring at Noah as they switched places. Noah shrugged innocently. Garret went to the on deck circle and Dave was back in the dugout. He stopped to talk to Coach before stopping beside me, running his fingers through his hair. "That guy can work the plate alright. Don''t trust him."

    I nodded, eyes on Noah who just showed a bunt before the pitcher even straightened up. The catcher changed the signs and the corner infielders shifted in.

    "He''ll throw a ball." Dave noticed what I was looking at it and started observing too.

    His guess was correct. A ball outside. Noah took back his bunt in time. The catcher threw the ball back and squatted again. The pitcher got set and Noah showed bunt again.

    "What is this idiot doing?" Dave muttered.

    This time the pitcher threw a pitch in the zone. Noah bunted it foul, sprinting as soon as the bat made contact. I squinted at him as he went back to pick his bat up and get in the batter''s box. 1-1 count. "He''s faking it."

    Dave tilted his head. "What? You think so?" He watched as the pitcher got set. Noah showed a bunt again. "The corners are going to start moving in as soon as the pitcher throws."

    "Exactly." I grinned and preemptively got up.

    As soon as the pitcher released the ball, the corner infielders made a move in. However, Noah withdrew his bunt and did a quick swing, connecting with the ball. He popped it over the first baseman''s reach and sprinted to first base without issue.

    "That''s the way, Noah!"

    "Good hit!"

    "Show your speed kid!"

    Dave laughed and pulled me in. "You guessed it!"

    I grinned, happy too. "Noah is all about deception. When his bunt went foul, he didn''t look too upset about it. It looked intentional. He was baiting them to come in."

    "Noah has guts!" Dave pumped his fist. He let me go and headed for his bag. He still had to put his helmet away and think about pitching next.

    I started to get ready for my at bat. Garret was up at the plate and Bryce was in the hole. With Noah on and one out, we were in decent shape. It would be better if...

    Mr. Miller flashed the sign for Noah to solo steal. Garret had to take a pitch. Risky. But it would rule out the double play if it succeeds.

    The pitcher nodded at his catcher and got set. He checked over his shoulder at Noah. Noah leapt a foot forward. The pitcher took his foot off the rubber. Noah stayed where he was. Dave was right; Noah has guts. The pitcher threw to his first baseman and Noah dove back, not afraid to get his jersey dirty. The first baseman threw the ball back to the pitcher and everyone reset.

    Noah was a little cautious as he led off again, looking wary as he inched. But it was just an act. As soon as that ball left the pitcher''s fingertips, Noah took off. Garret swung and missed, throwing in acting of his own. The catcher jumped to his feet as he transitioned the ball from glove to throwing hand, however the throw was off because of Garret''s presence in the lefty''s box. Noah was safe.

    The few fans in the stands cheered, while the guys in the dugout yelled out compliments for Noah. Mom and Dad could even be heard.

    The pitcher must have not like the steal by Noah. He did two check throws to second before throwing Garret his second pitch. Garret ripped it to right-center field. Noah took one look back before taking off. He knew the outfielders weren''t in any position to catch this fast liner. The center fielder was the one to get to the ball first and chose to throw it over his cutoff, aiming straight to home. Garret went to second to make it a double. Noah slid into home just as the catcher got the baseball. 1-0. Our dugout lit up with excitement.

    Noah was welcomed back with plenty of smiles and slaps on the back. I didn''t have time to say much as it was my turn to go out on deck. Bryce was up. Mr. Miller gave him the sign to try for a sacrifice bunt. Garret would take off for third as soon as the pitcher got rid of the ball. He wanted to catch OLU off guard after that RBI double.

    The pitcher did two check throws to second. Not fast enough to make Garret dive in the dirt though. Just trying to keep him closer to the bag? Or maybe trying to calm down before facing Bryce. When he finally did face Bryce, he was stunned at the sudden bunt that Bryce laid down. It was the first baseman who had to come in, get the ball, then threw to the second baseman covering first. Bryce was out, yet Garret was safely on third.

    I bumped Bryce''s fist on his way back to the dugout. As I took one step towards the box, the catcher was already walking to the mound. He wasn''t the only one. The whole infield joined. I took a few steps back to Sean at the circle now.

    "Think they''ll walk you?" He asked me.

    I nodded slowly. "Probably." I gave him a look.

    Sean sighed. "Yea, I know. I''m an easier target to get out."

    "Not all the time." I hurried to comfort him. "When you do get the ball in the air, it''s been a homerun more times than not." He had a powerful swing. It''s just...the connection point wasn''t always good.

 Chapter 1006 V3 Ch240 @ OLU (4)

    Chapter 1006 V3 Ch240 @ OLU (4)

    Sean laughed. "Thanks for the vote in confidence, Jake. Hopefully I don''t let you down."

    I hope you don''t let yourself down, I thought to myself.

    The umpire broke up the meeting on the mound and called me to plate. I chose to bat from the righty''s side this time. Hoping for different results with a different choice. It didn''t help. The first pitch went high, making the catcher pop up for it. The catcher threw the ball back, eyeing Garret on third.

    With two outs, I was in a tough spot. I couldn''t do something risky like putting the ball into play. Any grounder, and I would be out. If there had been only one out, we could have tried another sacrifice bunt to get Garret to score.

    The pitcher did a check throw to third before his second pitch. Another high, outside ball. 2-0. His third pitch came inside, making me take a step back. 3-0. Not as aggressive as my last at bat, but that was probably because Garret was on third. If he really had a pitch go wild, Garret was fast enough to score. The fourth pitch was low, nearly in the dirt. 4-0. A walk.

    I ditched my bat and jogged to first. Sean was up with runners on the corners, two outs. On a 2-2 count he pulled the ball down the third baseline. But with the third baseman playing stationary, it was a routine play.

    "Don''t mind." I heard Garret saying to Sean. "You we''re in a tough spot. At least you know you''re making contact. Try to bat from the left side so you stop pulling to third." Sean could switch hit to some extent.

    "At least we''re on the board." Sean told himself.

    Garret nodded. "Exactly. Let''s switch to defense."

    Bottom of the third. Dave was starting with the bottom of the lineup. Batter eight was a lefty that pulled a grounder my way. It was easy to deal with, fielding it and throwing him out at first. The ninth batter was the pitcher and Dave dealt with him on his own, getting his second strikeout of the game.

    Back at the top of their order, the leadoff with the tough lineout to Korrey in the first, snuck a single over Noah''s reach. The second hit off of Dave so far. Dave wasn''t too bothered, going after the next batter without doing a single check throw. The second batter hit a high fly ball to dead center. Garret waited for it, made the catch to end the inning, then we all started to jog back in.

    Top of the fourth. Jason went down swinging. Korrey got a single, but Mitchell hit into a double play to bring it to a quick end.

    Bottom of the fourth. Dave was dealing with the core of their lineup: three, four, and five. His pitch count took a sharp incline against batter three, who fouled off five straight pitches before hitting a fly ball to right. Bryce chased it down near the baseline and made the catch for the first out. The cleanup hitter had a long at bat too, getting to a full count and a couple extra fouls before finally missing and striking out.

    "Two outs!" Noah hollered. "Way to hang in there Dave!"

    Dave smirked, not looking tired at all. The fifth batter made contact earlier in his at bat, hitting a grounder to Noah. Noah to Sean at first to end the inning.

    Dave came back to the dugout, pumped up. "Alright! Things are going my way." He pointed at Noah. "I''m going to get on base this time; just watch!"

    Dave, Noah, and Garret were starting off the inning again.

    "I like the confidence!" Noah nodded with a grin. "But you still gotta follow through."

    All of three of them got ready. Noah and Dave left the dugout first, taking practice swings as the pitcher warmed up again. The umpire called for the game to resume and Dave took a couple of long strides to reach the batter''s box.

    The pitcher didn''t waste any ball on him, throwing in the zone immediately. Dave was able to foul off four pitches in a row. On the fifth pitch, everyone was surprised that the ball went right for Dave''s ankles. Dave tried to avoid it, but still got clipped and fell to the dirt. Noah and Mr. Miller got to him in a hurry.

    I jumped up with the others, off the bench, and clutching the dugout fence.

    "What the heck, ump?"

    "That was intentional!"

    "You can''t keep this guy in if he can''t control the ball!"

    Coach stormed out of the dugout with a deep frown. He checked on Dave first, who was still sitting in the dirt, talking to Noah. Coach then approached the umpire and started to raise his voice. The OLU coach came out of his dugout too.

    Mr. Miller and Noah helped Dave to his feet. The umpire pointed to our dugout and then to OLU; both teams were warned. Anyone and everyone could be tossed on the littlest offense. Coach trailed after the three, still talking to the umpire until he got to the dugout.

    "Logan!" Coach hollered. "Get on first!"

    Logan hurried to his bag, put his helmet on, then hurried out. Mr. Miller and Noah also had to go back to the field. One was the third base coach and the other was due up to bat.

    I squeezed between the guys, getting to Dave, who was pulling his knee up to his chest. His fingers were massaging his ankle.

    "Are you okay?" I asked.

    Dave frowned. "Most likely just a bruise. Got me right on the bone."

    "Take your cleat and sock off." Coach instructed. "You''re done for the day."

    Dave groaned. "Come on. What the fuck. Why is this my life?"

    Coach''s lips twitched and didn''t bother to scold Dave for his language. "The luck just isn''t going your way. All you can do now is get checked out and make sure that you''ll be ready to go on your next start."

    "Fuckin'' bullshit." Dave mumbled, untying his left cleat. He pulled off his sock, and there was a nice little bump forming on the outside of his ankle.

    Coach lost the faint smile and the frown was back. "You better get x-rays to be safe. Are your parents here?" He looked at me.

    I nodded. "Should I call for them?"

    .comn0/v//el//bin[.//]net''

    "No way." Dave rolled his eyes. "Let me finish watching the game first."

    I looked to Coach, wanting his opinion first. He was in charge. He knew what to do more than anyone here.

    "Go." One word.

    I hurried to the end of the dugout and left the back way to see the area by the stands. Dad was already walking this way. I waved my whole arm to catch his attention. Once he spotted me, he picked up the pace and reached me in a couple of strides.

    "Coach says Dave should get x-rays." I reported. This was the first time that one of the boys were hurt and I was to get Mom or Dad. Even though Dave was hurt, I was feeling a little cheerful in my chest. I didn''t need our parents for once.

    Dad frowned. "How bad is the pain?"

    I gave a small shrug. "He''s not crying." Then I whispered. "It''s hard to tell. He said some curse words but I think he might just be mad."

 Chapter 1007 V3 Ch241 @ OLU (5)

    Chapter 1007 V3 Ch241 @ OLU (5)

    Dad grinned. "Alright then. Can you take me to him?"

    I led the way back and we went the back way through the dugout to Dave who sat near the entrance. Just as we got to him, a sound from the field drew some cheers. Noah hit a bloop single, pushing Logan to second. The OLU coach came out again, heading for the mound this time. Probably a pitching change.

    "How does it feel?" Dad focused on Dave, kneeling down to get a better look.

    "Fuckin'' fantastic." Dave glared. "How do you think it feels to get pulled from your second start in a row?"

    Dad raised an eyebrow and placed a hand on Dave''s shoulder. "I get that you''re upset, son. But I need to know how your ankle feels? Do you want to go to the ER right now? Or do you think you''ll be fine until tomorrow morning and get checked out at the doctor''s office?"

    Dave got quiet. He looked down at his ankle that was growing by the second. "I-" He stopped himself. "I don''t think it''s an emergency, but I still want to get it checked out tonight. Just so I know, and that Coach knows, that I''m fine and can practice tomorrow."

    "Okay. We can make that work." Dad stood up. "I''ll go find you a bag of ice. When we get home, we''ll see if an urgent care is open. If not, it''ll be a long wait in the ER." He looked to me. "Shouldn''t you be getting ready?"

    "Oh. Yea." I rushed to my bag, taking my hat off and put my helmet on.

    A loud ''ding'' rang out to grab my attention. I turned to watch with the team as Garret''s fly ball went to deep center field. The center fielder tracked it back, waited, jumped as the ball came down and made the catch. Before we could even sigh, Logan and Noah were sprinting to their next bases after tagging up. The center fielder made the throw to the shortstop covering second base as Noah slid in, knocking the shortstop over.

    "Safe!"

    Our dugout got loud and cheered for the pair, welcoming Garret back despite the fly out. Garret stopped by Dave and Dad. "How does it feel?"

    "If someone asks me again, I might clip them in the ankles with a fastball." Dave rolled his eyes. He caught sight of me as I passed by with my bat. "Now I know how Jake feels when everyone is hovering over him. I might as well invest in a shirt that states ''I''m fine.''"

    I grinned at the thought. It could be a community shirt that we pass around to the teammate who needs it the most that day.

    Just as I got to the on deck circle, Bryce hit a line drive to the right field corner. Logan scored easily and Noah was rounding third base with speed. The right fielder got to the ball late, and threw it in to the second baseman acting as a relay thrower. Instead of trying to get Noah out at home, he threw to the shortstop at second base.

    "Down!"

    "Slide, Bryce!"

    "Two!"

    Bryce either reacted quickly to the shouts or he had already planned on sliding. He went feet first as the tag came down.

    "Safe!" The umpire declared, causing a lot of groans and complaints from the home team.

    .comno//vel//bi/n[.//]net''

    I was on my way to the batter''s box, trying to get some kind of look at the pitcher when the catcher stood up and said to the umpire, "We''re intentionally walking him."

    "Take your base." The umpire said to me.

    I scowled. Tossed my bat back towards the dugout and headed for first. I don''t know if I''m happier or not with an intentional walk instead of seeing the four pitches. Probably had something to do with the pitcher change. Plus first base was open and they were going to look for a double play to get out of this jam.

    Sean chose to bat from the left side like Garret had suggested previously. Unfortunately there wasn''t a change. He still hit a grounder right to the third baseman. The third baseman tagged his base to get Bryce out, then threw to first to get Sean out.

    Our offense came to a sharp halt but not until after we scored some runs. A 3-0 lead is a good feeling, especially when we had to do a pitcher change.

    Coach left the dugout to tell the umpire and soon Brian was jogging in from the bullpen. A bit of a flashback from the Golden West game.

    Back in the dugout, Dad was gone and Dave had an ice pack on his bulging ankle. Dave waved all the guys to get away from him and to take the field. "You losers better show Brian some excellent support out there." Don''t lose his shutout basically.

    "I guess Kyle will be driving us the next few days." Noah commented as we took the field.

    I shrugged. "It''s his left that''s injured. You only use your right to drive." Driving with two feet is a big no-no.

    "Mom won''t let him drive injured. Period." Noah laughed. "I can imagine the argument already. Even if Dave gets the all-clear tonight from a doctor. Mom will probably say no driving for the week."

    I tried not to laugh. "Poor Dave."

    Noah''s eyes sparkled. "We should look up some good luck charms and start showering him with gifts."

    "You say that and I think of incense." I tilted my head. "I don''t want our room to smell bad."

    "Crikets are good luck!" Noah snapped his fingers.

    I looked at him, confused as heck. "Crickets? Like the bug?"

    "Yea, it was in a cartoon movie, Mulan." He waved his hand as he jogged to get into position. "We''ll watch it later this week since we''re on break."

    Bottom of the fifth. Brian came out hot, blowing three fastballs right by the sixth batter in the lineup, earning a swinging strikeout right away. Our team clapped for him and said a few words.

    The next batter hit a high fly to right field. Both Sean and I were tracking back, but Bryce came sprinting in. "I''ve got it!" He hollered and we got out of the way, leaving him to make the catch on his own. He grinned and threw the ball back in to Brian directly. "Way to stay out of my way, guys.l

    We waved him off and went back to our positions. Just when we thought Brian was in a rhythm, he had a long, drawn out, at bat and ended up walking the eighth batter. Must be hard on the pitcher to see someone on base after throwing nearly twelve pitches in one at bat. All that work for nothing.

    The ninth spot in the lineup was replaced with a pinch hitter. He also made Bryce work, fouling off a couple of pitches before straightening one out to right field. Bryce ran to his right and made the catch to end the inning. He threw the ball back in to the mound and we all ran back to the dugout.

 Chapter 1008 V3 Ch242 @ OLU (6)

    Chapter 1008 V3 Ch242 @ OLU (6)

    Top of the sixth. Jason led off with a standup double after hitting a line drive to the left field corner. The boys rattled the fence as the OLU coach came out again, announcing another pitcher change. The pitcher left with his head hung allow as a new one came jogging in from their bullpen. The coach shared a short convo with the new guy and catcher before leaving them to it. The pitcher got to throw a few pitches off the mound and then the umpire called for the game to continue.

    Korrey stepped up to the plate next. Mr. Miller gave him the green light to swing freely. A lot could happen with a runner on second and no outs. A lot of opportunities to get Jason to third. Korrey made solid contact on a 1-1 count, but the line drive went straight to the first baseman for the first out. No chance for Jason to tag up to advance to third. It didn''t matter though. Both Mitchell and Brian came up empty-handed in their at bats, striking out.

    Bottom of the sixth we went. Brian and Mitchell were a step behind in taking the field as they were the last outs. They started back at the top of OLU''s lineup. Brian came out hot, getting the leadoff guy to go down swinging; his second strikeout so far. Dave only had three in the first four innings.

    The second batter made contact on Brian''s fastball, hitting it up the middle for a single. With a runner on, we shifted, trying to position to turn a double play. Brian got the ball back on the mound and took an extra second before getting set. He checked over his shoulder at the runner, but only to keep an eye on him. He was going to go after the batter since we have a three run lead.

    Mitchell gave the sign and Brian nodded. A fastball outside. Brian did his shorter windup with a runner on, pitching hard and fast to the designated spot. The batter had a good read on it, hitting the ball with the thickest part of his bat, sending it to deep right field. I practically held my breath as I watched Bryce chase it back. He stopped at the warning track and could only watch it go over. A two-run homer. 3-2.

    The OLU players ran around to tag their bases as their team celebrated. My eyes went to Brian on the mound, who looked crushed. Mitchell walked up to the mound, as did Noah. Sean, Jason, and I all followed along.

    �Ѧ���d�� ��?�ͨ�|(�㨰m) "Sorry, guys." Brian took his hat off to wipe some sweat away.

    I looked to Noah. I wasn''t the only one. The other three did too. He was our vice-captain. He would know what to say to a struggling pitcher.

    "Do you want to give up?" Noah asked, surprising all of us present.

    Brian''s head snapped to Noah''s direction. "What? No."

    .comn/0v//elbin[.//]net''

    "Then why say sorry? Sorry that we''re going to win?" Noah reached out to lightly punch Brian in the chest. "We''re not here to give you a hard time. Dave will probably do that on his own. I''m just here to tell you that I''ve got your back." He grinned. "We still have a run on these guys. And guess what? We''ve done all the scoring without Jake. So what are you afraid of?"

    Brian straightened up. "No more hits. I can do this."

    "Nah. Let them hit." Noah punched the inside of his mitt. "To me preferably. But seriously, you''re not playing alone."

    "Yea, we''ve got your back." Jason slapped Brian''s back.

    "Stop getting sucked into your own head." Mitchell nodded. "You keep acting like giving up runs is the end of the world."

    "It could be the end of my time on the mound." Brian pointed out.

    "Did Coach come out? No." Sean started to back up when we saw the ump coming. "You''ve got this."

    "We trust you so trust us." Jason backed up too.

    "Keep calm." Noah retreated.

    "Don''t be afraid to shake me off." Mitchell went back with the umpire to home plate.

    I scratched my chin, trying to come up with something. "You''re one strikeout away from tying Dave."

    Brian laughed and I took that as a good sign.

    With everyone back into position, Brian got set too. He was facing the cleanup hitter. He threw the first pitch for a ball. 1-0. The second pitch was fouled back. 1-1. The third pitch was hit to center field. Garret jogged in and made the catch, throwing it back to Noah. "Two outs!"

    "Two outs! Play''s at first!" Noah echoed, throwing the ball back to Brian.

    Brian got beat by the fifth batter who hit a single to right field. However, he bounced back just fine, getting the next guy to strikeout. He seemed to let out all the tension in his shoulders and they dropped.

    "Way to stick it out." Coach told him. "Cool down. Tyler will finish this game out."

    Brian show a sad smile like he figured that was coming. "Okay." He avoided making eye contact with Dave and moved on.

    Dave shook his head but didn''t say anything.

    Top of the seventh was the top of our lineup. A new pitcher was called to the mound as well. Noah and Garret did a quick equipment change and left the dugout. Bryce and I weren''t too far behind, already changed and waiting in the hole.

    Noah was having a pretty solid game so far. 2-3 at the plate with two runs scored. He''s definitely done his job as leadoff today. Mr. Miller gave the sign to swing freely and Noah did. When he was cornered on an 0-2 count, he hit a fly ball to right field. The outfielder caught it easily for the first out. Just had too much air under it.

    "You dropped your shoulder." Coach told Noah when he came back to the dugout. "You''d be better off trying to hit grounders with your speed."

    "I don''t want to be bunting all season." Noah joked. He went back to his bag.

    Garret had a pair of doubles and an RBI for the day. Also doing his job at the plate very well. He made solid contact on a 2-2 pitch, but the shortstop was there to jump and snatch that line drive out of the air. Two outs.

    Bryce went to the plate and I went to the on deck circle. One more out and I would be left stranded here, done for the game with just three walks. How lame. Definitely made me think of my early playing days last year. When Zeke would ask me to get walked and how many times I was left in the circle, not getting that one more chance.

    Bryce had that important two-run double in the fifth that solidified our lead. He''s been very good about getting a hit every game, but today I need him to have two. Let me have one more chance. Bryce attacked the first pitch, getting to the gap for a single.

    I gripped my bat tighter as I walked to the plate. I got in the righty''s box and decided to just watch the first pitch to see what they wanted to do. The catcher didn''t say an intentional walk so I had to be careful of the pitcher even if it was a new guy up there.

    The pitcher shook off the first sign from his catcher. Then the second. And a third shake before nodding. I didn''t know what to expect, but I soon had an idea when the first pitch landed in the strike zone for a called strike. 0-1. Maybe this guy wanted to face me head on?

    The catcher threw the ball back. I got set for real this time. I had to take advantage of this very next pitch if it was close. I didn''t want the battery to change their mind and walk me instead. The pitcher glanced back at Bryce before getting set. He shook off the catcher twice before nodding. I swallowed a small lump in my throat, anxious. Anxious to add something to this game. The second pitch came, with a small break to it but doable. I swung for the first time today and connected, hitting the ball to the gap in right-center field. Bryce was already rounding second when the center fielder got to the ball. The center fielder threw it in and I stayed at first while Bryce slid into third.

    Sean came up next. Normally with two outs and runners at the corners, one might suggest to load the bases so there could be a force out anywhere. But Sean was 0-3 at the plate today, not catching any breaks either. OLU chose to take him on, and Sean made them pay for it, hitting a flare single to left field. I made it to second while Bryce scored. 4-2. A little extra cushion for Tyler when he comes in.

    I was ready for Jason to hit another double like he did in his last at bat, but the right fielder was able to catch his line drive to end our attack. That was okay though. I finally did a little something and felt better as the game was coming to a close.

    Tyler came in for the bottom of the seventh and kept his hitless streak alive. Batter seven struck out swinging. Batter eight hit a pop up to me. Batter nine, another pinch hitter, hit a grounder in Noah''s reach. Noah dealt with it swiftly, throwing the guy out to end the game. Everyone went to Tyler on the mound first to congratulate him. Then each other.

    Dave was the only one left out, staying seated in the dugout with his ankle raised. He wasn''t alone for very long though. I saw Kyle go directly to him from the bullpen instead of celebrating our win with us. Kyle said something to Dave to make him laugh and soon the pair came out together. Kyle had Dave''s arm over his shoulder as he limped out of there.

    Seeing the twins, most of the team approached them, trying to stop Dave from hobbling about too much.

 Chapter 1009 V3 Ch243

    Chapter 1009 V3 Ch243

    While we were celebrating our win, getting on the bus, we found out that the lower levels had lost again. Close games they couldn''t pull out of. It didn''t affect me, but Coach certainly frowned when talking it over with the coaches. It hit the back of my mind once we got back to school.

    I carried Dave''s bag as Noah and Kyle helped him to the car, not letting him put any pressure on his ankle. At home, we met up with Mom, Dad, and Grampa.

    Dave was taken to the couch in the living room. Everyone hovered as Mom took a look at his ankle.

    "ER for sure." Mom frowned. "It''s so swollen. Did you actually keep the ice on?"

    "Yes, Mom." Dave said.

    "Want to take him now?" Dad asked. "You or me?"

    "I will." Mom said.

    "Can I eat first?" Dave pouted.

    Mom hesitated. It was getting late.

    "I''m not a real emergency." Dave pointed out. "They''ll make me wait in the waiting room for hours. Do you really want me just snacking on vending machine foods?"

    "Let''s just order pizza." Kyle suggested. "Fast and easy."

    "Fine. But you all are having a side salad with it." She gave in. She looked at Dad. "Wayne, can you put the order in? I''m going to get Dave another ice pack." Dad nodded and stepped away to make the call. She looked at me and Noah. "Showers. Pajamas. You know the drill."

    Kyle didn''t sweat nearly as much as us so we had to go first while he stayed with his twin. By the time we were down, Kyle was in the room, typing on his phone. No doubt texting Marie. Noah and I went downstairs and found Grampa sitting with Dave so at least he wasn''t alone.

    "I think we should both take him." Dad was re-discussing with Mom. "The other three will be fine for the night. This way I can help him move around until we find out the situation."

    Mom agreed. Dinner arrived and was soon going through the digestive process. Mom told Kyle to put the leftovers in the fridge and reminded Grampa to send us to bed when he went upstairs too. Dad helped Dave out to the car in the garage, not letting him putting any weight on his bad foot. I saw Dave grimacing and thought maybe it was more serious than I thought. I shared that thought with Noah and Kyle when we laid down in bed.

    "It''s on the bone." Noah sighed. "Even if he didn''t break anything, he won''t be doing much this week."

    "It''s fine. He already signed with Vanderbilt." Kyle told us. "Even if he''s out for the season, he knows what the next step is."

    "A pitch to the ankles won''t end his season." Noah refuted.

    "He''s out for two weeks. Easy." Kyle sighed. "We''ve only got a little over a month left of baseball."

    "Okay Debbie Downer." Noah huffed. "I bet he''s doing drills by next week. Back in the bullpen when school starts up again."

    "I hope you''re right." Is all Kyle said.

    I''m pretty sure I was the first to fall asleep, but also the first to wake up when I heard some noises in the dark. I blinked and saw Dave''s silhouette hobbling to his bad with Dad''s help.

    "Are you okay?" I whispered.

    Dad and Dave stopped. Dad turned my way. "He''s going to be okay. Just has to take the week off and let himself heal."

    .comn0/v//el//bin[.//]net''

    "That''s good." I yawned and snuggled back under the comforter. I could hear Dad get Dave settled, returning a time or two, placing things near him.

    "Jake?" Dave''s whisper cut through the dead quiet room.

    "Hmm?"

    "Do you think I''m a suck-ass pitcher?"

    My eyes opened immediately and I sat up. "What. No."

    "Shhhh." Dave shushed me. "Keep quiet, man." He paused. "Do you think I''m a bad pitcher?"

    p����d��-��?�ͨ�|���㨮�� I started to shake my head but remembered he couldn''t see me. "No, no. You''re good." I tried to think of ways to reassure him. "You''re just a little unlucky right now. Look what you''ve been doing when healthy. You haven''t given up any runs since.."

    "The Foothill Classic." He finished for me. "Semi-finals. I didn''t do that well then either. It was the teams batting that won that game."

    I stared into the dark. "That was against a good team. A better division with better talent." I sighed. "I like playing teams like that. More of a challenge. They let me hit."

    It was Dave''s turn to be stunned. "It won''t always be like this. I''m sure."

    "Same for you." I told him. "I know how easy it is to get down on yourself when you feel like you''re not doing enough."

    "Thanks, Jake." He yawned. "Next time, for sure. I''ll crush it."

    "Yea."

    It wasn''t long before I could hear him start snoring. The next morning, Noah went on a run while Kyle and I trailed behind. Dave stayed at home with Grampa while Mom and Dad got to work.

    "You know." Kyle said between breaths. "You do, do enough."

    "Huh?" I huffed, confused. It wasn''t often I could keep up with Kyle on a run. It was taking most of my energy to keep pace and he wanted to talk?

    "I heard you and Dave last night." He continued. "You said it''s easy to get down on yourself when you feel like you haven''t done enough. I just wanted to be the one to tell you, you''ve done more than enough. I can''t imagine what you were like before coming to us, but seeing you now..." His head bobbed up and down. "You''re doing your best. We all see it. On the team, in school, even with Jeremy."

    "Thanks." I gave a small smile. "I think...everyone needs to hear that sometimes." I glanced at him. "Maybe you should tell Dave something similar too."

    "Dave and I have a different way to communicate." Kyle grinned. "It''d be different if I knew he was out for the season. But since he can make his way back again? I can''t let him off so easy." He started to pick up the pace. "There''s only so much time left that I can be on the same team to compete with you guys." He lifted a hand as I trailed further behind. "I gotta beat you when and where I can. See you at home."

    I rolled my eyes.

    As expected, I was last one back to the house. What I didn''t expect was to see Dave in the garage with Kyle and Noah, doing a workout. Nothing involving his legs but he was there lifting weights, doing ab exercises, even challenging Kyle to a handstand competition.

    No one bothered to shower since we had practice after lunch. Dave refused any of our help and hobbled everywhere even if it meant he had to take it slow. When Noah asked why he didn''t get crutches, Dave laughed.

    "Crutches? For a bruise? What a joke." Dave scoffed. "Besides. The doc said I should keep moving to keep the blood flow going. I just can''t jump or move very fast."

    "Did you get anything for the pain?" Kyle asked as we watch Dave struggled on the way down to the varsity field.

    "No. They said to stick with Tylenol." Dave rolled his eyes. "Mom told them that she thinks I''ve taken too much lately and is worried about addiction."

    "Very realistic concern." Kyle nodded.

    "No way. I wouldn''t become addicted to anything other than baseball." Dave refuted.

    The pair started to argue about the odds of becoming an addict to prescription painkillers. In the dugout, a lot of the guys came by to check on Dave and see how he was feeling. Coach did the same when he showed up, coming to him first. Dave did a lot of reassuring, saying he had to rest a week and then see how it feels.

    "You''re with Drew. All week." Coach instructed. He looked to Mr. Miller. "Drive him up. I don''t want to see him messing around down here."

    Mr. Miller nodded and Dave didn''t have any room to complain.

    Coach waited until all the guys were on the bench, lacing up their cleats before he started to talk. "Yesterday was another good game. All of you are putting in the work and effort to make this a good season. We have two more league games this week. Redwood Thursday and Porterville on Saturday. Don''t think about slacking for even a second." He looked to Kyle.

    Kyle straightened out and grinned. "When have I ever gone easy on someone? I hope to shut these guys out. Maybe a no hitter. I wouldn''t rule out a perfect game."

    "You''re such a braggart." Bryce rolled his eyes.

    "You''re just jealous." Kyle merely shrugged.

    "Garret you get Saturday''s game." Coach ignored the other two. "I don''t want to give either of these teams a chance to surprise us. Next week we have some non-league games that the others can try for." His eyes scanned the pitchers like Bryce, Brian, Joey, and Marshel.

    Garret nodded.

 Chapter 1010 V3 Ch244 VS Redwood (1)

    Chapter 1010 V3 Ch244 VS Redwood (1)

    Spring break wasn''t anything special as we fell into a routine of working out together in the mornings, eating a lunch by Grampa, and going to practice. Afterwards, we would either go to the cages as Kyle fought to spend time with Marie. He would have to compromise and meet up with Marie at the cages, who brought Kaylee too. With Kaylee going, it made sense to invite Alisha, basically taking her with us after practice. Dave hobbled for the next few days, not looking any better by the time Thursday''s game rolled around.

    He was banned from the bullpen and stuck in the dugout with us. Despite us beating Redwood twice last year, Coach didn''t mess around and bench any starters. In fact, Bryce was still in the lineup with his hot bat.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 RF Bryce Finn

    .comn/ov/elb/in[./]net''

    3 2B Jake Atkins

    4 CF Garret Knudsen

    5 3B Jason Morris

    6 LF Jesse Shipman

    7 1B Sean Isner

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Kyle Atkins

    Garret was back behind for the first time in over two weeks, since the Golden West game. Sean didn''t do well behind me and I don''t know if there was any particular reason or if he was just unlucky. He could also be in a slump and maybe that''s what Coach wants to find out today.

    As the home for the first time in forever, and for the first time this season against a league opponent, our stands didn''t look half bad despite it being spring break. Of course, that was thanks to the girls softball team. Marie''s boyfriend was on the mound so it wasn''t too surprising that almost their whole team showed out to support.

    "They better show up for me on Saturday." Garret squinted. "I can''t lose out in popularity as the ace."

    Noah patted his shoulder. "At least you shouldn''t lose out on pitching."

    Garret glared at him. "You don''t think the stands will be filled when I pitch?"

    Noah shrugged. "The advantages of having a girlfriend I guess. Plus, who wants to come to school on a Saturday as spring break ends? No one."

    Their discussion had to end there as it was time to jog out to our positions. Kyle stood tall on the mound, throwing his practice pitches to Mitchell. He looked confident and relaxed at the same time. He''s really been maturing from last year. Last year, the second time we played Redwood at their stadium, Kyle had to be removed from the game because he lost his cool after giving up two home runs.

    The first time we played Redwood, they scored quite a bit off of Garret too, so I was expecting some action early in the lineup. Instead, Kyle shut down the first batter with his speed, getting him to strikeout. The second batter hit a routine fly to Bryce in right field. Then Kyle struck out the third batter to end their half of the inning. He pointed at the stands before coming into the dugout.

    "Might as well blow her a kiss." Noah snickered.

    Kyle reached for him but Noah dodged, rushing to his bag to change his gear.

    "Don''t mess around, Kyle." Coach commanded.

    "The vice-captain clearly started it." Kyle accused.

    "Don''t give him the opportunity to give you a hard time." Coach simply told him. Then he looked at Noah. "You better do your job out there."

    "Yes, sir!" Noah left the dugout in a hurry.

    Bryce followed out soon after.

    I was also ready to go, standing in the hole, messing with my gloves.

    Coach got closer to me and lowered his voice. "You won''t have to be so on guard with a potential hit by pitch." I looked up at him. "I spoke with the league and they sent out a memo that any obvious targeting against the best players will be punished. Not that I think Redwood would do anything like that. I just wanted to bring it to the league''s attention. The only downside is being unable to tell what''s intentional and what''s not."

    I asked what I really cared about. "Do you think Redwood will let me hit?"

    "Youll find out soon enough." He gave me a pat on top of my helmet and went to Alisha.

    Noah didn''t waste any time after being called into the batter''s box. He hit a single into short right field, kicking off our offense. He gave our dugout a provocative look, kind of showing off.

    "That brat." I heard Coach mumble under his breath. Coach gave out a sign to Mr. Miller and he repeated it for Noah and Bryce.

    I went to the on deck circle, feeling nervous for Noah. He had to steal while Bryce took a pitch. Noah didn''t even look the slightest bit nervous. He took his lead off the bag like normal. When the pitcher looked over his shoulder, Noah even inched back to the base. It was just a ploy. As soon as the pitcher started his motion, Noah was taking off. The pitch was in the zone for a called strike; the catcher hurried his throw to the shortstop covering second base. Noah slid into the bag and the tag came down after. Safe.

    "Bet you can''t do it again!" Someone yelled among the cheers. I had a faint guess that it might have been Kaylee in the stands.

    Mr. Miller didn''t give him the sign to steal again, but to run on contact. Noah had to be ready to retreat if it was a fly ball instead though. Bryce swung and missed the second pitch. 0-2. He was a little cornered now. The pitcher threw an inside pitch next, forcing Bryce to swing and defend the plate. He got jammed, hitting a grounder back the way it came. Noah took off to third. The shortstop could only field it to first for the first out. Bryce came back.

    "Way to advance the runner!"

    "Not bad!"

    "You made contact."

    "Let''s go Jake!"

    "Bring him home!"

    I kept my head down as I walked to the batter''s box. I glanced at the pitcher and saw him staying in a squat. My heart started to pound a little faster as I got set in the righty''s box. I looked at the pitcher. But he was looking at Noah. He did a check throw to third.

    Mr. Miller gave me the green light to bring Noah home. I didn''t want to scare the guy and blast the first pitch out for a home run. I had to think of my future at bats. So I chose to go with poking the ball through the gap on the left side for an RBI single. Noah went back to a happy dugout and I stood at first, satisfied with my choice. 1-0.

    With only one out and Garret behind me, we were in a good spot. He had the longest at bat so far, getting to a 3-1 count before hitting a single of his own, pushing me to second. Jason came up next. Mr. Miller signed for us to be careful of the double play so be ready to run on contact.

    On a 1-1 count, Jason made solid contact, hitting a hard line drive down the line. The first baseman snatched the ball and tagged first base before Garret''s dive back. A double play. An extremely fast and rare double play.

    "Unlucky!"

    "Don''t mind!"

    "Next time!"

    p����d��-��?�ͨ�|���㨮�� "Keep making contact, boys." Coach told everyone as we switched gear in the dugout. "Putting the ball in play will allow for more opportunities." He looked at Jason. "It was well hit. You can''t help that it went to the first baseman so brush it off."

    Jason nodded.

    Top of the second. The cleanup hitter got on base by hitting a single to center. Kyle didn''t show that he was too upset about it, but I could tell by the back-to-back check throws. His constant check throws kept the runner closer to first though which helped when the fifth batter hit a grounder my way. I threw to Noah. Noah stepped on second and threw to Sean at first, completing the double play. Kyle finished them off by striking the sixth batter out. He didn''t point at the stands this time around, but still looked in a specific spot.

    "You''re such a sap." Noah laughed, bypassing him to our bags.

    "You''re just jealous." Kyle headed to his own bag.

    "No. You''re just trying to overcompensate after pissing her off when you said you would sign with Vanderbilt." Noah laughed.

    Kyle chucked a bag of sunflower seeds at him.

    "Thanks." Noah caught it, opened it up and helped himself. Then he passed me the bag.

    Noah''s comments didn''t escape the rest of the team. Garret especially. He went over to the quiet Dave to ask about it. I''m sure Dave explained the meeting with the advisor, prompting even more questions from Garret. He was another player aiming to go pro after high school after all.

 Chapter 1011 V3 Ch245 VS Redwood (2)

    Chapter 1011 V3 Ch245 VS Redwood (2)

    Bottom of the second. Jesse led off, making contact early, a routine grounder to short for the first out.

    "He''s been struggling at the plate." Noah mumbled under his breath so only I could hear. "He needs to hit the cages."

    I shrugged. "Coach knows what to do."

    "Yea, bringing in Bryce to play in the outfield." Noah gave me a pointed look. That really was one of the answers Coach came up with for the struggling parts of the lineup. Bryce didn''t seem to mind though; he''s a good fielder and his bat has been consistent lately.

    Sean was up next. He fouled off a couple pitches before catching up with one, hitting it to center field for a short single. With him on first, Mitchell came up next. He was a catcher that focused a lot on calling games, but he could still hit. Just not lately against the better teams we played. Mr. Miller gave out the signs; Sean to take a big lead, look for chances to steal. Mitchell to only swing on really good looking pitches.

    Sean was definitely in the top half of the team of being fast. He willingly took a big lead, prompting the pitcher to do a check throw and he had to dive back.

    Noah, who had gotten ready for his at bat, got up to get a better view. "You''ve got this, Sean!"

    The pitcher got set again and Sean started taking his lead once more. Sean jumped further out when the pitcher went to throw his pitch. The pitcher must have wanted to change his pitch last minute but somehow tossed an easy one for Mitchell to crush. Sean took off. The ball soared to right-center field, hitting off the fence. Sean was rounding the bases with speed and Mr. Miller was waving him home as the center fielder threw the ball in. The second baseman relayed it to the catcher at home, but Sean beat the tag by two seconds. 2-0. Mitchell stood on second with a grin.

    Kyle went out to the plate, patting Sean on the shoulder. Probably saying something like ''nice run.'' Noah went out to the on deck circle, and Bryce was in the hole. I was itching to put my helmet on too.

    "Great baserunning." Garret complimented Sean, welcoming him back to the dugout.

    "Can''t let Noah have all the limelight." Sean laughed.

    With a two run lead, our dugout wasn''t stressed at all. Even when Kyle struck out swinging and then Noah''s line drive was caught by the right fielder, no one felt down on themselves.

    Top of the third. Kyle and Noah, the last two outs of our offense, did all the work. Batter seven hit a grounder to Noah''s right. He made the stop across his body and got the throw off in time. Batter eight hit a high pop up that didn''t even leave the infield grass. Noah called for it first, eyes on the ball the whole time before making the catch. Batter nine was the pitcher and Kyle got him to go down swinging to return the favor. Three up, three down. Bottom of the third we go.

    "Redwood must have lost a lot of seniors last year." Noah commented as I changed out my gear. "One time through their lineup and I''m not impressed. Kyle is going to crush these guys."

    I nodded in agreement. "It''s hard to believe that these guys scored more than a few runs off of Garret."

    "Bet Garret wishes he pitched against them instead." Noah laughed.

    "I''ll do just fine on Saturday." Garret overheard Noah. "Unlike your brothers, I''m not holding grudges. It''s a new year, new team, and a new me. I''ll do my best no matter who it is."please visit p����?��-:)????1.co)m

    "Yea, but doesn''t it drive you to do better? Just a little?" Noah grinned.

    Garret rolled his eyes. "The twins chasing after me is enough motivation. Trust me."

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    I nodded along. I trusted him. The twins were not only vengeful against old losses, but they were always trying to compare and beat Garret. Heck, I''m pretty positive that Kyle will rub it in that he''s had five strikeouts so far after going through the lineup once. He''s averaging more than one an inning so that stat will be shining like the sun.

    I couldn''t listen anymore as it was time for me to get out to the on deck circle. Bryce was already out there, taking some practice swings while watching the pitcher. He was soon called up to bat by the umpire. Bryce got to a beneficial 2-0 count before making contact and pulling a pitch down the line. The third baseman made a spectacular diving stop. Jumped to his feet and just barely threw out Bryce at first.

    "Almost." I told him on his way back.

    "I was just a half of a second slower." He shook his head. "Noah could have beaten that out."

    p����?��-no��?1����o�� I laughed and headed for the batter''s box. Even Bryce was comparing himself to a teammate. It''s probably inevitable. We play together every day. We know who''s good and who might be in a slump.

    I chose to be a lefty this time. No one on and only one out. I was curious what this pitcher might want to do. The catcher stayed in his squat and the pitcher got set after nodding at the sign. The first pitch caught the outside of the zone for a called strike. It was really interesting which teams decided to face me like Golden West and others avoided me like OLU. Servite was kind of a mix. They had targeted me when I was on first to pick me off. Every team was unique in strategy. I couldn''t tell you what Redwood was trying to do beyond this pitcher trying his best. He threw another borderline pitch that went my way for a ball. 1-1. His third pitch was closer. A good spot. I couldn''t help myself. I swung fast and hit the ball far, going the opposite way to the left field corner. I dropped the bat and took off. Rounding first, the ball finished its ride over the fence for a home run. 3-0. My first since the Foothill Classic.

    I grinned as I tagged the bases, slapping hands with Mr. Miller near third, with Garret near home plate, and Jason at the dugout entrance.

    Coach grinned. "Good speed on that swing. I wish we could measure exit velocity."

    I didn''t know what that meant so I just nodded and made my way through the dugout, accepting compliments and smiles from the team.

    "You''ve still got it!" Noah grinned as he slapped me on the back.

    I took my helmet off and smiled back. "It helps that he wanted to face me head on. I like straightforward teams like this."

    Noah laughed. "Doesn''t everybody?" He got serious. "They probably already lost some league games and know that they aren''t in the running for league champs. Maybe let their pitchers try to face you for their own experience?"

    I shrugged. "Maybe." We''ve never been in a position where we were losing games and didn''t have a hope for the season. I couldn''t comment on what that felt like or what coaches would do in a situation like that.

 Chapter 1012 V3 Ch246 VS Redwood (3)

    Chapter 1012 V3 Ch246 VS Redwood (3)

    Garret hit a single of his own, triggering the Redwood coach to come out and head to the mound. The catcher and other infielders joined them. They had a discussion and the pitcher stayed in.

    Jason had a long, drawn out at bat, making the pitcher work. I could tell Jason really wanted to swing his bat on ball four, yet he held back and accepted the walk, pushing Garret to second base.

    Two on, only one out. Back to Jesse again. Noah gave me a look and I returned it with a sigh. Unsurprisingly Jesse got out. A swinging strikeout. The pitcher and his teammates looked happy about it.

    Noah got up. "I''m going to talk to Coach."

    I raised an eyebrow, watching him go over just as Jesse came back in the dugout. They both stayed over by Coach, having a small discussion during Sean''s at bat. Sean had a single just last inning, but couldn''t repeat it. He did make contact though. It just happened to go straight to the third baseman. He didn''t even have to throw to first. He just ran to third base with the ball in his glove, beating Garret for the third out of the inning.

    Top of the fourth we go. Mitchell was on deck when Sean ended the inning, so it took him some time to get his catching gear back on. Kyle did some light throws to Logan, who had came out to squat behind home plate with a catcher''s mask and glove. Mitchell came out and Logan went back. The lead off hitter was soon called to the plate.

    I don''t know what happened to Kyle, but he suddenly went wild, missing the strike zone blatantly. He got lucky that the batter swung and missed twice, getting to a full count. But then he threw a pitch in the dirt. Walking the lead off.

    "Booo!" A familiar voice yelled from the stands. "Learn to throw a strike!"

    My lips twitched and Noah outright laughed. Kaylee had no mercy. Even on her sister''s boyfriend.

    Kyle turned to glare at Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "What? It''s not like I''m the one that said it."

    Kyle''s lips moved, but I couldn''t hear what he said.

    Noah clapped with his glove. "C''mon. Settle down. Let them hit! I''ve got your back."

    And he really did. Kyle''s first fastball to the second batter was returned the way it came. Noah caught it on the second hop, sprinted to step on second base, then threw a fastball of his own to Sean at first base. A double play by himself.

    I clapped with the rest of the crowd and teammates.

    "If only your bat could keep up with your fielding!"

    Noah waved at the crowd, still smiling despite Kaylee''s remark. He already had a hit for the day so he couldn''t be feeling down. Heck, his second at bat was a strong lineout. He was also coming up in the fourth so he must not mind at all.

    Kyle seemed to throw even harder against the third batter. Foul. Foul. Then a swing and a miss for his fifth strikeout of the game. We jogged back to the dugout.

    "Kaylee is almost a professional at jeering like someone else I know." Kyle remarked, specifically eyeing Bryce as he said it.

    Bryce grinned. "I think I could give her some pointers."

    Some of the guys who knew, laughed. Including me. Some of the best jeers I''ve heard came from Bryce during the end of summer scrimmage we did with the old team.

    "Why don''t you try some out now while the other team is pitching?" Kyle suggested as he switched his gear.

    Bryce rolled his eyes. "You just want to see me get ejected."

    "You can get ejected?" I was surprised.

    "Only if the umpires find it offensive. Then I can get thrown out for unsportsmanlike conduct." Bryce shrugged. "It just depends. But I''m not taking chances. Leave it to the fans to give the other team trouble."

    "Write some down and we can pass it to Kaylee." Noah laughed while getting ready to bat too.

    "I think she''s jeering the wrong team." Kyle muttered as he headed out.please visit p����?��-:)????1.co)m

    Mitchell hurried up. He was going to lead us off. He only got a couple of practice swings in before stepping up. He was facing a new pitcher put in by Redwood. On a 1-1 count he popped the ball high up in the air and it drifted back. The catcher jumped up and threw his mask off and out of the way. He tracked it down near his own dugout and made the catch for the first out.

    Kyle went up next. He came back just as quick as last time. A swinging strikeout. Didn''t even foul tip a pitch. And Kaylee let him hear it.

    "Stick to pitching!"

    p����?��-no��?1����o�� A lot of the softball girls laughed and joined in.

    "Marie can do both; why can''t you?"

    "We know who the better twin is!"

    "Try learning a little from your little brothers!"

    Noah didn''t make things better when he followed up with his second single of the game. A lot of girls were yelling for Kyle to take notes.

    "I''m a god damn pitcher!" I heard Kyle roar as I moved to the on deck circle.

    Bryce ripped a stand up double down the left field line, driving in Noah for the fourth run of the game.

    "Bryce is a pitcher too!"

    I laughed to myself as I heard Kyle get a whole lot more grief. Even though he was throwing a shutout, none of those girls were going to let him off.

    Two outs and a fast runner on second. All it took was a single from me to score Bryce to make the score 5-0.

    "You could have pushed that to be a double." Coach Luis gave me a pointed look.

    I tried not to cringe. "We''re winning?" And Garret hits after me.

    Clach Luis didn''t say anything more, but his look of disappointment said it all. I wasn''t trying hard enough. I pursed my lips. When Garret made contact, I took off on a hard sprint, rounding second and headed for third. Mr. Miller gestured to slide. "Down!" I dove head first for the base and a tag came down.

    "Safe!"

    I sighed with relief and Mr. Miller called for a timeout. I got up and dusted myself off, feeling a little lighter.

    "Good run." Mr. Miller told me. He squinted. "Why didn''t you do that on your own hit? Could have had another run."

    I dropped my shoulders in defeat.

    Mr. Miller gave me a slap on the back. "I''m just joking. You''re good, kid. Don''t worry."

    Jason struck out to end the inning, making me worry. Mr. Miller was right. I could have bumped the score if I wasn''t so afraid of making errors when I ran the bases.

    I was a little nervous heading back in the dugout, afraid to make eye contact with Coach. But I still did it. I had to know if he was upset.

    .comn0v/el/b/in[./]net''

    "First to third, Jake." Coach nodded. "You have the speed. Don''t be afraid to mess up when we have such a big lead. It''s all about effort."

    I nodded, relaxing again.

 Chapter 1013 V3 Ch247 VS Redwood (4)

    Chapter 1013 V3 Ch247 VS Redwood (4)

    Top of the fifth, Kyle took the mound with a look of determination. He had to start with the cleanup hitter, someone who had previously got a single. This time, he couldn''t even touch Kyle''s pitches and went down swinging. Batter five fouled off one, but also went down swinging. Batter six straight up missed all three pitches and became victim number eight. Kyle went back to the dugout, putting a hand behind his ear as he looked to the stands. Almost as if to say: I can''t hear you.

    "What a show-off!"

    "Marie can do even better than that!"

    "Try not to lose the shutout."

    A bunch of comments came down from the girls.

    "You can do it, Kyle!" Only Marie sounded supportive.

    Garret, one of the last to get into the dugout, laughed. "I don''t think I want them to show up for me on Saturday. They''re more like a firing squad than a cheering squad."

    "They''ve just never forgiven him for dumping Marie." Dave laughed too from his spot on the bench.

    Bottom of the fifth. The second pitcher stayed in for another inning despite giving up two runs in his last inning. It worked out for him; performing even better. Jesse got jammed on an inside pitch, hitting a slow rolled just a few feet forward. The pitcher had to come off the mound, pick it up, and threw it to first for the first out. Jesse, Jason, and Kyle were the only ones who haven''t gotten a hit yet. Jason did have a walk though if that was any consolation.

    Sean struck out, swinging at a pitch that drifted low and away. Mitchell went up next, getting his second hit of the game, a single to right field. It didn''t amount to anything with Kyle batting right after him with two outs. Kyle was able to foul off a pitch at least one time before striking out to end the inning.

    "Don''t worry. At least you can pitch." Noah grinned as the two of them walked into the dugout together.

    Kyle rolled his eyes as he took his helmet off.

    "I prefer batting with no outs anyways." Noah said a little more seriously. "Gives me more opportunity to steal if I get on."

    "We''re up 5-0 and you''re thinking of stealing bases again?" Garret laughed. "You''re ruthless."

    "I''m perfecting my craft." Noah claimed righteously. He finished switching out his gear and headed for the exit. "If I can''t hit homers like Jake, then I''ll just have to turn every single into a double by stealing it." He grinned at Garret. "Just look at your three singles today. No RBI''s or runs scored. That''s just for show."

    Garret bopped him on the head with his glove. "We''re winning. You''re not going to get me to feel bad about my singles. I already pitch and hit. I don''t need to steal bases too."

    Everyone jogged onto the field and got into position. Mitchell was slow again, needing extra time to get his gear on. Definitely a disadvantage for him to be on base and Kyle to be the last out. Kyle threw causally to Logan before Mitch came out in full gear. They did three pitches of full speed. Then it was time for the sixth inning to start.

    Kyle didn''t need any extra practice pitches anyways. He was hot and continued to do well. Batter seven went down swinging. Batter eight hit a routine grounder to Noah. And the ninth batter who was replace by a pinch hitter couldn''t come up with anything. He became Kyle''s tenth strikeout victim.

    Kyle pumped his fist and let out a small roar before heading back to the dugout. This time the girls clapped and cheered properly for him. There was no denying that he was having a great game. He slapped hands with Dave before taking a seat beside him.

    .comno//vel//bi/n[.//]net''

    "He''s going to break his own record." Noah said confidently as we changed into our helmets and batting gloves.

    I nodded in agreement. Kyle was tied with his own personal record. Just one more to go with one inning left. "What''s the school record? Is it by Garret?"

    "Of course. It''s 12." Noah moved his eyebrows up and down. "It''s within reach. To tie it. And even beat it." He went to leave the dugout. So did Bryce.

    I went to the dugout entrance with my bat. This would be our last time up for the day. Unless something terrible happens and we completely blow the seventh inning.

    Noah was called to the plate, facing a new pitcher. The guy started off wild, getting to a 3-0 count before throwing one in the zone for a called strike. 3-1. Noah fouled off the next two pitches since they were close. The following pitch went low, nearly bouncing on home plate for ball four. Noah ditched his bat and jogged to first.please visit p����?��-:)????1.co)m

    Bryce went to the batter''s box and I went out to the on deck circle. Mr. Miller gave Noah the green light to do what he wanted and of course Noah was going to try to steal. Bryce knew it too. The pitcher didn''t do a check throw; kind of a mistake I thought. He did his motion and once that ball left his fingertips, Noah was off. Bryce let the pitch pass for a called strike. The catcher caught the ball, transferred it to his throwing hand, made the throw, and the shortstop caught it and brought the tag down on Noah.

    "Safe!" The umpire declared.

    "Yes!"

    p��nd�� no��?1,��o�� "That''s great!"

    "He''s so fast!"

    "No one useless is allowed on varsity after all."

    Bryce fouled the next pitch down the line. He barely fouled the next pitch too but the catcher caught for a foul tip strikeout. Bryce gave a small shake of his head as headed back to the dugout. He was probably disappointed in himself. I knew the feeling.

    I went to the lefty''s box and got set. The pitcher looked back at Noah at second before facing me. He did a quick setup, throwing a pitch within the zone. I mindlessly swung just as the ball broke outside. Shoot. I reached out for it and poked it just above the third baseman''s reach. I made it to first easy, but Noah had to stay at third because that bloop single didn''t go very far. Plus it was on the side he was running on. Not very good. I resisted the urge to face palm my forehead.

    "4-4 today. Good work." Coach Luis congratulated me at first base.

    "Thanks." I answered politely. With one out, I had to take a bigger lead to avoid the double play. And with Noah on third, the third baseman had to stay closer to the bag, making all the infielders shift. Including the first baseman. I was supposed to be out as far as him. I took a deep breath and worked up the courage to get over five feet off the bag. Six feet. Seven feet.

    I was skittish while Noah was confidently faking a run every time this guy pitched. On a 2-1 count, Garret totally owned the fastball high in the zone, blasting it to right field. The outfielders didn''t even chase it back. The ball cleared the fence and the stands erupted. A three-run home run.

    I hurried my run around the bases, slapped hands with Noah and we both waited for Garret. He tagged home the score was bumped to 8-0. We went back to a rowdy dugout and Redwood''s coach came out to speak with his players at the mound.

    When the game resumed, it picked up with Jason at the plate. On a 1-2 count, he poked a grounder up the middle for his first hit of the game. A single to center. Jesse followed up by earning a walk. With that, everyone in the starting lineup but Kyle had reached on base. I thought Kyle might get a fourth chance, but Sean''s hard hit line drive was amazingly caught by the left fielder. The left fielder even made the very next catch, chasing Mitchell''s fly ball to the warning track.

    We switch sides one more time. Mitchell took another long minute, trying to get his gear back on. Logan came out to catch for Kyle, but he waved him to go back. He settled for some shoulder exercises and waving his arms around before Mitchell was ready. They did three practice pitches and was ready to go.

    Kyle was back at the top of the order for the third time around. However, that had no effect on him. He got the first guy to strikeout just as easily as he had started the game.

    "Nice one!"

    "Keep it up!"

    "You''ve got this!"

    The fans in the stands, including the girls softball team, was cheering Kyle on. Two outs away from winning this game with a shutout. But on a personal level, one strikeout away from tying Garret''s record.

    The second batter made contact for the third time this game, hitting a grounder to Noah''s right. Noah reached across his body to make the stop, then made a terrific transition and throw to first to get the second out.

    The third batter had struck out twice against Kyle. As soon as he was cornered at two strikes, everyone was clapping and yelling for Kyle to get this guy. Kyle did his best, throwing hard and fast. The guy swung too late. Strikeout! His twelfth of the game!

    Kyle jumped up. Noah got to him first, tackling him with a hug. Mitchell a close second. Sean and Jason. Even I joined in. The outfielders, the bench, the bullpen, the coaches. It didn''t take long for some of the girls to sneak onto the field. Classmates too.

    Marie found Kyle in the crowd and threw her arms around his neck. "Congratulations!"

 Chapter 1014 V3 Ch248

    Chapter 1014 V3 Ch248

    With so many strangers on the field, Coach didn''t stick around. He just reminded us that we still have practice tomorrow then left with the other coaches. Only Mr. Miller hung around, trying to herd everyone off his precious field so he could put some work in.

    Noah and I packed up and caught up to the limping Dave just as he reached our parents and Grampa.

    Dave gave Grampa a sad face. "Look. You''re a lucky charm. Every time you come to watch Kyle pitch, he does so well. I pitch, you don''t come, and I get hurt."

    "David." Mom said sternly.

    Grampa rubbed his chin. "No, Mary, he''s got a point. I''ve seen a lot of good games so far this year." He reached out to pat Dave on the shoulder. "Next game you pitch, I''ll be there. Home or away. Rain or shine. I can''t carry the blame of you getting hurt all the time. Your grandmother would be angry at me."

    Noah laughed and looked to Dave. "What will be your excuse if he is there and you mess up?"

    "Then obviously my little bro didn''t have my back." Dave pulled Noah into a headlock and started to mess around.

    Dad pulled the two a part. "Absolutely no messing around when one of you is hurt. Do you want to sit on the bench even longer, Dave?"

    Dave sighed and let go of Noah. "You''re right, you''re right." He looked down at his ankle. "It''s not as swollen but still feeling zaps. Definitely will be in the dugout on Saturday again."

    "After Saturday, we have some non-league games." Noah pulled out his phone. "Chances are, Coach won''t let you pitch in those. Or if he does, they won''t be full games. Just an inning or two to see how you feel." His eyes widened and he looked up from his phone. "Guess who are next league game is after all that?"

    Dave leaned over to take a look. "Golden West?! Fuck yea! Sweet revenge is on its way!"

    "Language, David." Mom said in a warning tone again.

    Kyle came over with Marie and Kaylee. "Coach is not just going to let you pick who you pitch against and when." He looked to Mom. "Can Marie and her sister come over for dinner?"

    "We were thinking of eating out and letting you pick?" Dad raised an eyebrow. "Will their parents mind?"

    "They''re working." Marie spoke up.

    Kyle shrugged. "I don''t mind just getting tacos. Cheap and easy."

    My stomach growled and I was the first to nod in agreement. Tacos were faster than steak.

    "Okay, you take Dave and the girls." Dad instructed. "Noah and Jake can ride with us."

    We split into two groups and took two cars. I sent out the obligatory texts to Jeremy and Zeke. I went 4-4, Noah went 2-3, and Kyle did really well on the mound. Noah''s text was more detailed talking about his stolen bases, my home run, and Kyle''s strikeouts. Not the ones he earned on the mound, but the three he had at the plate. I grinned.

    We met up at the taco place and got lucky to find a table big enough for our group. Chips and salsa were brought, a drink order was placed and we got situated. After drinks, we put in our orders for the tacos we wanted and the conversation had settled on Noah ratting Kyle out.

    "I got texts from Zeke and even Jeremy!" Kyle complained. "Pitchers don''t have to hit in the majors. There''s a DH!"

    "Your girlfriend hits better than you." Dave pointed out. "And she''s the best pitcher in her league."

    "She''s an overall great player." Kyle corrected. "She can play anywhere. I''m a pitcher only. No hitting, no fielding."

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    "Clearly." Noah snorted.

    Kaylee and I laughed.

    "You''re going to miss me when I''m gone next year!" Kyle pointed at Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "That''s next year''s problem."

    "I''ll miss having you guys and Garret." I spoke up.

    Dave threw his arm around my shoulders. "You''re my favorite brother. Follow me to Vanderbilt." He shook me from side to side, bumping me into Noah.

    "Jake is too advanced for college." Kyle shook his head. "He should go in the first round like Zeke."

    "Jake will have plenty of time to decide." Mom said for me. "But like with all of you, he''ll do the mandatory visits." She looked to Noah. "You too. No matter what you decide, I want to see some fallback options. You heard what Ryan told Kyle, it''s good to be committed to a college for negotiations too."

    "I''ll have something picked out before senior year." Noah said. He looked to Kaylee. "You looking at any colleges yet? Maybe follow Marie to UCLA?"

    Kaylee''s face twitched with a small sneer before becoming neutral. "No, but if I was to be looking, I would like something on the other coast."

    Marie frowned.

    "Vanderbilt has a good softball program too." Dave missed these minuscule facial expressions as he ate the chips. "It''s not all the way on the east coast, but c''mon. It''s Nashville. It''s surrounded by a lot of fun things. We''re actually going to visit next weekend."please visit p����?��-:)????1.co)m

    "I''ll put it on a list to look at." Kaylee answered casually. She looked to me. "If you''re going to Nashville next weekend, you won''t be here for the A''s home opener. Does Jeremy know?"

    I nodded. "Yea. We''ve talked about it. Things are tough with everyone in season, but we try to make things work." I grinned. "Zeke is playing at Arizona State this weekend and Jeremy is actually able to go since he''s still in Arizona until Monday. It''s cool that he doesn''t mind including my brothers as his brothers now."

    "That is cool of him to care more about you than himself." Kaylee glanced at Marie for a millisecond. "Relationships are about give and take."

    I nodded in agreement, trying to see if Noah was picking up on the weirdness between the sisters. The food came just at that moment, shifting the conversation to how good the food was.

    After dinner, Kyle took the girls home while the rest of us squeezed into Dad''s car. Grampa sat up front with him. Mom and Dave in the middle. Noah and I in the very back. Just as I was thinking how to talk to Noah about Kaylee, Dave turned to look back at us.

    "Is something going on with Kaylee?"

    I nodded while Noah looked surprised.

    "I thought so too." I pursed my lips. "She''s usually team Marie on everything. But she sounded...weird. Like she was upset."

    Noah was shocked. "You think so? I thought Kaylee sounded normal." He rubbed his chin. "I guess it was weird that she didn''t want to play with Marie. We can just ask when school starts on Monday if we don''t see her anymore this weekend."

    "It''d be hard to follow Marie to a top school like UCLA." Dave pointed out. "But I don''t know. She sounded like she didn''t entertain the thought. I know she has it rough with her weirdo parents, but" He shrugged. "There was just a vibe that was off."

    "Why don''t you guys ask Kyle?" Mom suggested. "His girlfriend should know more."

    "Mommm." Dave and Noah groaned.

    "Kyle is biased." Dave rolled his eyes. "If something is wrong, he would take Marie''s side. Plus, what if she doesn''t even tell him. He''s going to think we''re starting drama."

    "Kyle has rose-colored glasses on when it comes to Marie. She can do no wrong." Noah added. "I''ll just ask Kaylee in person. It''s better than sneaking around."

    "Let''s invite her to the cages tomorrow?" I thought about it. Tomorrow was a Friday. Cages are casual and Kyle and Marie wouldn''t hover over us.

    "Yea, sounds good."

    "Let''s invite Alisha too. After practice?" Noah worked on the plan.

    Kaylee might be more willing to open up with our small friend group. What we didn''t expect, was the news she was about to break when we played games Friday afternoon at the arcade.

    "You''re moving?" Alisha was the most shocked.

    "To follow Marie to college?" Noah deadpanned. "That''s dumb. She might as well have stayed local."

    Kaylee gave a machine a small kick. "Yea. It is dumb. It''s insane how dumb it is. They want to change jobs and move down south just to be able to watch more of her college games. They''re already looking for the ''right'' church to go to before they house hunt."

    p����?��-no��?1����o�� "That sounds like a nice thing to do...for Marie." I shrugged, unsure of what to say.

    "Nice?" Kaylee sneered and rolled her eyes. "It''s called favoritism, Jake. They wouldn''t do the same thing for me."

    "What does Marie have to say about this?" Noah''s eyes narrowed.

    "All she can talk about is how I can go to a better high school with a better softball team." Kaylee shook her head. "She just doesn''t get it. My friends are here. My team is here. We''re on pace to win league here." She twisted her lips with an evil looking smirk. "A big part of me wants to see Kyle sink in the draft and go to college. Go to Vandy. Then I want to see what she would do? Follow her boyfriend after we all move down south? Ha. What a joke."

    Noah reached out to hold her shoulder. "Nah. That''s too easy. She can just transfer schools. Let him go pro and wish him a long journey of being on the road."

    Kaylee cracked up laughing. "I want him in the minors for years. Over four years so she would have to travel with him."

    Alisha looked as unsure as I felt. "Okay, enough about her. But what about you? Does this mean you''re leaving this summer?"

    "Depends on the house hunting." Kaylee shrugged. "We could be moving right after Marie''s graduation. No later than the start of august."

    "So Marie and Kyle won''t spend the summer together?" I asked.

    "If Kyle gets drafted early June, he leaves soon after graduation too." Noah pointed out.

    Oh. I looked to Kaylee. "I''m sorry."

    "Yea. Me too." She sighed.

 Chapter 1015 V3 Ch249

    Chapter 1015 V3 Ch249

    Saturday morning, I woke up shaking. At first I thought it was an earthquake, but soon enough, I could spot Noah on the side, pushing and pulling my mattress. I groaned. "It''s too early. The game isn''t until after lunch."

    "No!" He exclaimed. "You''ve gotta get up now for breakfast with Mom and Dad. I need your face to plead our case!"

    "Plead our case?" I squinted out from covers. "What''s going on?"

    "The tryouts!" He jumped down and started to pace. Our room was empty so it meant the twins must have gone downstairs for breakfast already. Noah went to his desk, picked up his laptop, and brought it to my bed. "Look! They''ve posted the tryouts for the Northwest regional team!"

    I looked at the website. They had selection events listed all over the Bay Area and even near the state''s capital. Locations also included in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. I looked at Noah''s determined face. This is what he''s been waiting for since that tournament. "What''s the plan?"

    Noah grinned. "Get up. Wash your face, brush your hair. Brush your teeth and get dressed. In record time. C''mon. Hurry up!"

    I took a deep breath, flipped the covers off, and hopped to it. Noah got finished getting ready too. We took one look at one another and nodded. He grabbed his laptop and we headed downstairs.

    The twins could be heard talking with the occasional interjection from Dad. I started to get sweaty hands, which was weird. I''m not even the one going to be doing the talking. That was Noah''s job. I was just there for sympathy points.

    Noah took a deep breath and walked in the room. "Good morning, family." He paused at the empty chair. "Where''s Mom?"

    Dad raised an eyebrow. "She''s taking a phone call in the office."

    "Already?" Noah checked the time. "Who is calling her at 8:30am on a Saturday morning? The injustice."

    "People looking for houses?" Dave shrugged. "Why do you need Mom too? Is Dad not good enough?"

    "It''s not like it''s a surprise. We''ve talked about this before." Noah started his speech, casually taking my seat next to Dad. I took his next to Mom''s empty seat as he started to talk more. "To make it to Team USA, you have to shine in National Team Development Program opportunities. One of which, is the NTIS. The National Team Identification Series is like a big baseball tournament at the end of the summer where the different regions play each other."

    He didn''t just have Dad''s complete attention. Even the twins and Grampa were listening in, no longer eating their breakfasts. Seeing everyone freeze to listen to Noah made me wait to grab my own food despite being so hungry.

    "To represent our region, the Northwest, we have to participate in some selection events like a tryout." Noah went on. "Being in one of the more populated areas, we''re lucky that we have multiple opportunities to try to make it to round two. Other states like Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming will only have one day each. No flexibility at all."

    "So there''ll be tryouts in the Bay Area." Dad nodded. "When?"

    "In a couple of weeks!" Noah turned his laptop to show the dates and locations to him. "The first round has to be completed by mid-May to have selectees ready by early June for round two."

    "Where would round two be?" Kyle asked, curious. "The Northwest region is covering a lot of ground. I can''t imagine them inviting a bunch of kids to the middle of nowhere, Wyoming."

    "Maybe it''s based off where most of the players are from." Dave said thoughtfully. "Like if most of the guys that make the team is from Wyoming, of course it would be held there. That would make more sense."

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    "I think you two are a little too invested in this." Grampa said, sitting between the two. He looked at Noah. "I think you two are perfect for the job. The best ball players I know in high school. Go for it."

    Noah grinned.

    The twins simultaneously rolled their eyes.

    "What about us, Gramps?" Dave asked.

    "Yea, why can''t we be the best you know?" Kyle added.

    Grampa grinned. "You can''t even hit."

    That immediately riled the pair up, talking about what''s tougher, hitting or pitching.

    "You guys are too old anyways so it doesn''t matter." Noah spoke up, trying to end their heated debate.

    Grampa got up and excused himself. He looked at Noah and me. "If your parents don''t give you the money, come to me." He went to the living room.

    Dad looked helpless and called out after him. "It''s not always about money, Lynn." He looked at Noah. "But let''s start talking about it. How much?"

    Noah selected one of the dates on his laptop. "$150 a tryout!" He smiled proudly.

    "Does it cost more in round two?" Kyle asked.

    Noah glared at him.

    "What?" He shrugged. "It''s a valid question. You know Jake will make round two easily. He''s the best hitter around."

    Dad nodded in agreement. "It is a valid question." He looked at Noah. "I think if you want to entertain this idea, we need to see the full numbers. How much for each round? What dates and locations are we talking about? Where is this big tournament taking place at the end of the summer?" His eyes narrowed. "Have you thought about what will happen if one of you makes it and the other doesn''t?"

    Noah took a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket. "I did write down the projected costs. They''re just estimates because I don''t know where round two will be. I also don''t know whether food will be covered by the team or if there''ll be financial assistance. I did find out that the flight to the tournament in North Carolina will be covered. Not the flight home though which was weird."

    Dad looked over the paper, slightly impressed with the info that Noah wrote down. "You''ve done a decent check." He looked up at us. "But what about the second part, whether if only one of you makes it?"

    "You can say it, Dad. Jake will definitely make it. I''m the one in question." Noah stated. He turned serious. "Don''t worry. I won''t complain. If it doesn''t work out for me, I''ll participate in some college camps and train at home. It''s not like Jake will be gone all summer."

    Dad looked at me. "Jake? What do you think?"

    I tapped the table as I felt more eyes shift my way. The twins. Noah. I tried not to make a face. "Well...if Noah doesn''t make it...can''t I just drop out?"

    "That doesn''t sound like you''re very committed." Dad said.

    Noah nudged me. "C''mon. This is a once in a life time opportunity. You could be the future of Team USA. Don''t you want to face better pitchers?"

    His last question made me pause. I do want to face better pitchers. I looked to Dad. "But I don''t think I can do it alone..."

    Dad looked sympathetic right away. "Okay, tell you what. I''ll let you guys sign up for this first tryout."

    "Yes!" Noah pumped his fists and I smiled.

    "But we are going to revisit this issue after some discussion with your mother." Dad warned. "I don''t want any of my boys quitting midway. We''ll see where this goes after the first round."

    I nodded. I believed Noah could make it through round one with me. He has the best reflexes of any player I know. And now that his bat is keeping up, he''ll be able to show off his speed.

 Chapter 1016 V3 Ch250 VS Porterville (1)

    Chapter 1016 V3 Ch250 VS Porterville (1)

    1 1B Sean Isner

    2 SS Noah Atkins

    3 2B Jake Atkins

    4 LF Bryce Finn

    5 P Garret Knudsen

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 RF Jesse Shipman

    8 CF Korrey Alvarrez

    9 C Mitchell Torres

    Coach gave out the lineup and let us warmup with Noah taking the lead since Garret had to go to the bullpen.

    Last year we beat Porterville twice. Most famously, it''s where we traveled with the girls for the first time and challenged them with stats. Marie had a great game, but Dave was even better, going perfect through five as we mercy-ruled them, 11-0. At home, we beat them 9-2 with Garret getting the win.

    "You guys traveled with the girls when you played at Porterville?" Alisha asked as we prepared to take the field.

    "Yea. So you won''t be the only girl all the time." Noah grinned. "Though I don''t know whether Coach will allow you to sit with the other players even if they''re girls. You fall under staff if you ask me."

    "I''ve got to sit with Kaylee every chance I get!" Alisha said with determination. "She''s moving and I feel sad about it."

    Noah shrugged. "It''s a shit hand, but you know, in a couple of years, we''ll all go our own way anyhow."

    Alisha slapped him on the arm. "She''s our friend. That''s leaving. Be sad about it."

    Noah looked offended. "Of course I''m sad. I said it first, it''s a dumb move by her parents. But there''s nothing we can do about it. Not her either. She''ll have to make the most out of it. For two years."

    Alisha sighed.

    I also started to feel uncomfortable. "It doesn''t sit right with me...that her parents can just uproot her life and move her."

    "Shit parents." Noah said. He glanced at me. "There are worst out there."

    "Yea, but it still doesn''t make it right." I frowned.

    "Like I said, two years. Then she''s an adult and can go wherever she wants." Noah sighed. "This wouldn''t be a problem if Marie just stayed local."

    "UCLA has one of the best softball programs around." Dave joined our small conversation. "You can''t just ask her to give up her dream. It''s the best decision for her. You can only blame the selfish parents. They''re obsessed with how good she is and how far she can go. If anything I feel bad for Marie. She can''t escape them."

    Our numbers and names started to be announced, signaling that it was time to take the field. We all shared a look, knowing that we had to put this conversation behind us. For now.

    Noah and I left the dugout with the other starters. Garret was on the mound, throwing his practice pitches to Mitchell. He started the top of the first strong, getting the first batter to strikeout. The second batter popped up a short fly that Sean had to take a few steps back for, catching it before he could even hit the outfield grass. Garret finished it off with another strikeout, using his cutter to get the guy to completely whiff.

    We jogged back and started to change gear. Sean and Noah were the first to leave the dugout as Bryce and I gathered in the hole.

    Sean ripped a pitch down the third baseline, but somehow the third baseman got to it to make the stop, and threw him out at first. Sean came back, Noah went up, and I went to the on deck circle. Noah made solid contact on a pitch too, but this time it was out of reach for the third baseman. Noah took off as the left fielder chased the ball down. Noah stood safely on second when the ball made its way back to the infield.

    The dugout and stands got rowdy as I made my way to the batter''s box. It soon turned into a chorus of ''boos'' after the catcher stood up and told the umpire, "We''re going to intentionally walk him."

    I sighed. Ditched the bat and jogged to first. Bryce came up with two on and only one out. Just no double play.

    "Let''s go, Bryce!"

    "Make them pay!"

    "This guy doesn''t have it!"

    Everyone seemed to be yelling in support for Bryce. We didn''t have a huge stadium like Servite or the other private schools, but our families and friends definitely showed up for us.

    Bryce let the first two pitch pass, getting to a 1-1 count. He pulled the third foul down the line, falling to 1-2. The fourth pitch he blasted to left field, clearing the fence for a three-run home run. Bryce really did make them pay! Noah tagged home, I followed, and we waited for Bryce before giving him some high fives. Back in the dugout, he got the most attention as everyone congratulated him for a job well done. Coach picking him to be in the lineup despite mainly being a pitcher was really paying off.

    "It''s gotta be hard on the outfielders to see guys like Garret and Bryce do so well." I sighed, mostly to myself, as we put our batting gear away.

    "Coach said it before, baseball is cutthroat." Noah shrugged. "He does what he can to help us find a winning lineup. The guys are still on the team. If they want to start again, they have to make the most of their chances." He grinned. "I''ll be in a similar position when we try out for the regional team."

    "That double was well hit." I told him. "If you can keep that up..." I trailed off.

    .comno//vel//bi/n[.//]net''

    Noah nodded. "Yep. That''s exactly what I''m gonna have to do. Speed will be easy to show off in a tryout. I have to succeed at the plate though to get a foot in the door." He pointed at me. "You can''t slack off either. We''re going to be seeing all kinds of players at this thing. In a tryout, there''s a lot of fielding that needs to be showcased."

    I shivered. "Yea, I know."

    Garret hit a single, distracting the both of us. Unluckily, Jason quickly followed up with a ground ball to short. The shortstop flipped it to the second baseman who threw it to first to complete the double play. 3-0 is a strong start though so no complaints.

 Chapter 1017 V3 Ch251 VS Porterville (2)

    Chapter 1017 V3 Ch251 VS Porterville (2)

    Top of the second. Garret breezed through the core of their lineup. The cleanup hitter smacked a sharp grounder to Noah, who caught it and made a perfect throw to Sean at first. Then Garret used his cutter to strike the next two players out. He roared along with the crowd, in high spirits.

    Dave slapped Garret excitedly when he came back into the dugout. "Yes, man! That''s the way! Two outs an inning and you won''t have to share the record with that stinky guy anymore!"

    Garret grinned, yet he didn''t deny it.

    Our half of the second inning went nearly just as fast. Jesse and Korrey both made contact, hitting fly balls to the outfield and then Mitchell struck out swinging.

    We switched back to gloves and took the field for the top of the third. I saw some action for the first time in the game, catching a short pop fly for the first out. Then it was all Garret again. He struck out the bottom of the lineup back-to-back. He slapped hands with everyone on the way back to his seat in the dugout. Dave was all over him, cheering him on like that was his twin.

    "I bet Kyle is already sweating and pacing nervously in the bullpen." Noah chuckled as we got ready to bat. He was on deck and I would be in the hole.

    I nodded in agreement. "He only just tied the record two days ago."

    Noah shrugged. "Serves him right with all that bragging he does." He lowered his voice. "This is good for Garret though. He''s finally going to get the attention he deserves if he can rack up the strikeouts on the mound while getting the hits at the plate."

    "I thought it didn''t matter if pitchers can hit since there''s a DH?" I picked up my bat.

    "It''s still a good quality to have for a fallback option if his pitching can''t cut it. He can switch to being an outfielder and make it to the MLB with his bat."

    We went near the entrance where he had to leave me. He joined Sean out there to take practice swings. The game was called to resume and Sean went up first. He hit a single to right field, clapping his hands once as he stood on first, happy to continue the small hitting streak he had going for the last five games.

    Noah had a long hit streak going too, however he already had a hit in the first inning. In the third inning, he went down swinging, missing a low and outside pitch. He smiled sheepishly as we traded places. "I won''t go chasing like that again."

    I grinned and nodded, heading to the plate. I eyed the catcher as he squatted down after throwing the ball back. I raised an eyebrow. They were going to pitch to me? Now? I guess it makes more sense than the last at bat where first was open. Now Sean was on first with one out. Maybe they were hoping for a double play. Something I haven''t done since playing University Prep last month.

    I kept my facial expression calm and tried not to show off my excitement. This was a good opportunity for me. With Mr. Miller''s green light, I felt ready. It just so happened that the first pitch was his fastest down the middle. I swung and pulled it down the line. Fair, high, far, and gone. A two-run home run.

    I rounded the bases and met Sean at home plate. We slapped hands with each other and then with a waiting Bryce.

    Bryce grinned. "You just couldn''t let me have all the glory, could you?"

    I shrugged. "I''ve got to swing when I get the chance to."

    Sean threw his arm around my shoulders. "I''ve got to get in on this action too!" He guided me to the dugout. "I''m pretty sure we have more home runs as a team now than we did last year."

    "For sure!"

    "I''d believe it!"

    "Jake alone is on pace with Zeke''s senior year!"

    I felt my face heat up and hurried to my spot away from the guys. I didn''t mean to show off. I just wanted to do my best. And it was such a good pitch.

    "I''m thinking your stats and rankings alone can get you on the regional team." Noah said thoughtfully. "Maybe we can save money on a tryout."

    I thought about it seriously as I put my helmet away. I would kind of like that but would also feel like I''m missing out. I frowned.

    "Just kidding." Noah laughed. "If they cared about that stuff then they would only use that kind of info and not hold tryouts." He changed the topic a little. "I wonder if we would stay with Jeremy that weekend? Or would he be too busy since he''s in season?"

    "I think Mom and Dad will want to go with us." I pointed out. "Zeke plays at home that weekend so kill two birds with one stone."

    "That''s true." He glanced at me. "Would you rather watch Zeke''s college game or Jeremy''s pro game?"

    "Wouldn''t we all go to Zeke''s?" I asked. "He plays less games than Jeremy. We can watch the A''s all summer and even practically in the fall."

    "Sounds like you''re playing favorites."

    I squinted at him. "Sounds like you want to watch the A''s."

    Noah laughed and held up his hands in defense. "I can''t help it. They''re my favorite team. But you''re right. We''ll probably pick to watch Zeke."

    Bryce hit a single, cutting into our conversation as we clapped and cheered him on. Unexpectedly, Garret pulled the ball to the right, hitting a grounder to the second baseman, who flipped the ball to the shortstop covering second base, and then threw to first. A double play. Something he hasn''t done all year because he usually gets under the ball.

    "Dang. Can''t even talk shit on him right now." Noah muttered as he grabbed his glove. "But as soon as he gives up a hit, all bets are off."

    I grinned and shook my head. "You''re so picky."

    Top of the fourth, Garret was back to facing the top of the order. The lead off guy actually hit the ball to the outfield, but Jesse tracked it down and made the catch for the first out. The second batter was late on a swing, hitting a grounder to me. I fielded it cleanly to Sean at first. The same thing happened to the third batter, being late and hitting another grounder to me. I stuttered step for just a second before going to the ball and fielding that one to Sean as well.

    I could feel Noah''s jealous gaze as we jogged back to the dugout. I shrugged helplessly. "It''s not like I can control it. Send your complaints to the pitcher."

    Noah immediately took my advice and slowed up to be next to Garret. "Use the cutter more. I want more grounders to come my way. I''ve only had one so far!"

    .comn/0v//elbin[.//]net''

    Garret laughed. "Yea, yea, I know. Don''t worry. I''ll mix it in more along with the slider. I just wanted to see how much I could control my fastball mid-game."

    Back in the dugout, Dave let Garret know his pace for the strikeout record was affected. "Not even one? Do you want to be tied with Kyle at the end of the season?! Don''t waste this perfect opportunity."

    Garret shrugged. "There''ll be more chances next month. Besides, I feel like I''m doing something better than a strikeout record." He grinned.

    He wasn''t the only one. Dave. Noah. All the guys nearby started smiling too. We could all feel something special was going on. Garret was dominating these guys through four innings. He was more than halfway there to a perfect game.

    Jason led off in the bottom half of the fourth with a walk. Jesse hit a sharp grounder nearly up the middle, just barely stopped by the dive of the second baseman. He threw to the shortstop from the dirt. The shortstop stepped on second base and Jason slid into him, breaking up the potential double play. Korrey followed up with a single just after Mr. Miller called for a hit-and-run. With Jesse''s early jump off of first, he made it to third. Runners on the corners with one out for Mitchell.

    The Porterville coach came out and signaled for a pitcher change. He took the ball from his player and slapped him on the back as a new guy jogged in from the bullpen. After a short throwing session off the mound, the umpire called for the game to resume.

    Mitchell came through, punching out a single to left to drive in Jesse, making it 6-0. Just as I thought I might get another chance to bat so soon, Sean struck out and Noah hit a fly ball straight to center, leaving me on the on deck circle.

    Noah came back with a sheepish look again. "At least I didn''t strike out again?"

    I laughed. "It''s okay. You made good contact. It just went right to the guy. If you had hit it to the gap, you would have had a double for sure."

 Chapter 1018 V3 Ch252 VS Porterville (3)

    Chapter 1018 V3 Ch252 VS Porterville (3)

    Top of the fifth. Noah got an answered prayer right away, fielding a fast grounder from the cleanup hitter for the second time this game. He practically beamed after the out was called and slapped his glove. I think everyone could hear his thoughts: come to me again. Garret struck out the fifth batter, mixing in his new slider with the old cutter. The sixth batter made contact on his first pitch fastball, hitting a long fly ball to right. I held my breath until Jesse made the catch and threw the ball in before jogging it in.

    What a relief. The perfect game was still in play. Two more innings to go.

    "Think they''ll pitch to you again?" Noah asked as we reached our bags.

    I started to get ready since I would lead off this inning. "Maybe. They don''t seem to be intentionally avoiding me." I shrugged. "They''re already down by six. Why avoid me now with bases empty?"

    "Good analysis." Noah smiled and nodded.

    I finished pulling on my batting gloves, picked up my bat, and headed back out. I lightly took practice swings as I noticed a new pitcher on the mound for Porterville. Bryce joined me outside the dugout, staying a few feet away so he could get his swings in.

    I got into the righty''s box, confident. The pitcher did his complete windup and motion. The ball left his fingertips. I started my swing a little early with the intention to pull it to the left. The spin on the ball was off and the ball started to drop. A breaking ball. Shoot. I still completed my swing and made contact, hitting a line drive to left field. The left fielder came sprinting in and made a diving catch before my hit could touch the grass. Out.

    I rounded first base the opposite way to foul territory, then jogged back to my dugout. Bryce patted me on the head.

    Garret grinned. "It''s been nearly two weeks since you hit into an out. How does it feel?"

    "Not as bad as getting picked off first." I said honestly.

    Garret laughed and let me into the dugout as he went to the on deck circle.

    "A little too overeager, Jake." Coach told me. Then he looked to Alisha. "Note that."

    The rest of the guys didn''t think it was a huge deal so I made it back to my spot without wanting to disappear or pass out.

    "It was a good catch by that guy." Noah was more interested in the fielding. "Seeing plays like that make me want to be in the outfield sometimes."

    I started to shake my head. "I don''t think I could do something like that."

    Noah frowned. "You need to work on it. Catching line drives and fly balls will definitely be a part of the tryout."

    I rolled my eyes. "I know, I know."

    "I''m being serious, Jake." He clapped his hands together. "Let''s work on the fundamentals again. Like we used to when you were first getting accustomed to the team."

    I made a face. "Does that mean less time at the cages?"

    "Of course it does!" Noah exclaimed. "But don''t worry. It''s only for the next couple of weeks. We''ll put the extra time and work in on the fielding. After tryouts, we''ll go back to the cages more often."

    I sighed in defeat. "Okay."

    .comn/ov/elb/in[./]net''

    Bryce struck out, coming back to the dugout, and sitting by Dave, probably to talk about pitching.

    Garret hit a single off the first pitch he saw. Jason came up next with one on, two outs. He hit a line drive to left-center. Garret took off because even if it was caught, it would be the third out. He hustled, tagging second and heading to third. The ball had dropped in for a hit and was being thrown straight to third. Mr. Miller signaled for him to slide. He did so as the third baseman caught the ball and put the tag down.

    "Safe!"

    The third baseman hurried to throw to second base where Jason was sliding in.

    "Safe!"

    Two runners in scoring position for the struggling Jesse. Coach pursed his lips, looking like he wanted to call him back to the dugout and put a pinch hitter in, but he didn''t. Jesse hit a grounder to second to end our offensive.

    A lot of the guys didn''t make eye contact with Jesse as we jogged out to take our positions. But I feel like they had similar thoughts to me. That was a good opportunity with runners in scoring position. Maybe we would have been abled to reach a ten run lead and mercy this team. But I had to remind myself that I was the first out of the inning. I was just as responsible as Jesse for the inning to end.

    Garret and Mitch were the last two to come out of the dugout. Garret waved off the practice pitches and signaled that he was ready to go to the ump. The umpire called for all the extra balls to come in and for the batter to step up to the plate. Garret was at the bottom of the lineup. Seven, eight, nine. Garret breezed through all of them, ditching his fastball for the cutter and slider. Back-to-back-to-back strikeouts.

    Dave looked like an eager puppy when Garret came back to the dugout. A big part of him wanted to jump and cheer Garret on, but the bigger part must have told him not to mess around when Garret was just three outs away from a perfect game.

    Bottom of the sixth started with another pitching change. Korrey went up first, hitting a fly ball to center but it just had too much air under it. The center fielder had plenty of time to get there and make the catch.

    "Just need one person to get on and I''ll get my chance." Noah mumbled as he got ready for his at bat.

    I glanced at him. "You better not be the last out then."

    Noah burst out laughing.

    His wish came true right away thanks to a single by Mitchell. Noah hurried to the on deck circle and I finished getting ready too.

    Sean made solid contact, pulling the ball to left field. Similar to Bryce''s home run, his flew out of the playing field and our dugout got loud. The third homerun for our team today. Sean was really blasting them out this year just like me, even if his average couldn''t compare. He was right behind me in hitting homers, even higher than Garret now. Mitchell and Sean came back to a happy dugout and started to goof off.

    I moved to the circle outside the dugout and watched Noah''s at bat. Even if he got out, I would still have my chance to bat. But I knew how hard he was trying to get his second hit of the game. He fouled off four straight pitches before getting a single to center.

    I walked up to the plate and chose to go left this time. Noah usually like to steal if he was on first but with an 8-0 lead, he didn''t showboat. Which is good. Because I think they may have intentionally walked me if first base was open and a runner on second. Try to force a double play from Bryce after me. Mr. Miller gave me the green light to do what I want. I watched a couple of pitches, getting to a 2-2 count before fouling some off. I wanted to make sure this guy didn''t have a breaking ball. And it didn''t look like it after the ninth pitch. So I took my shot, connecting and hitting a long fly ball to center with the best of my ability.

    The center fielder raced back to the warning track, made a jump...and came down with my farthest hit yet. He threw it back in and I headed back to the dugout.

    "Nice try, Jake!"

    "That was a close one!"

    "Hit the weight room!"

    I heard Mom, but I also heard Kaylee. I didn''t know she would be here. Her sister usually only came when Kyle was on the mound. I wanted to search the crowd, but it was time to go in.

    "Yea, Jake, hit the weight room!" The guys in the dugout started laughing and echoing Kaylee''s comment.

    I felt my face heat up and hurried to my bag.

    Bryce hit a fly out to center like me and came back to a dugout that was hollering at him to ''hit the weight room.'' I joined in and laughed, happy that I wasn''t the only one to catch some grief.

    Garret took the mound for the top of the seventh, back at the top of the order. The first batter got jammed on the cutter, hitting a grounder to Noah. Noah dealt with it for the first out. The second batter followed the same pattern, taking away Garret''s chance to tie his own record with Kyle. It didn''t matter though. He was on a different mission now. One more out to go. The third batter swung and missed on all three pitches becoming strikeout victim number eleven. But who cared?! All of us sprinted for Garret on the mound to celebrate his perfect game!

    Garret threw his glove in the air and hugged the incoming Mitchell. Noah jumped on the two of them soon after.

 Chapter 1019 V3 Ch253

    Chapter 1019 V3 Ch253

    After all the celebrating, Coach ushered us to the dugout so we could pack up, clean up, and hear him speak.

    "Great game, Garret." He congratulated first, nodding towards our captain. Another round of applause and hollers rained down as Garret grinned. "Okay, okay. Save it for later. Let me talk about next week." He looked around as we quieted down. "Next week, we have two games. Soledad High School and Foothill High school. Both away and both we haven''t seen before. Bryce will get the start on Tuesday and Brian on Thursday. As of now, I don''t plan to bench any of the regular starters until we have a solid lead in the game. But if things look tight, I won''t be afraid to use Garret or Kyle to close it out."

    "What about me, Coach?" Dave complained. "I''ll be ready to go in a couple of days."

    "You focus on rehabbing and making sure you''re in tip-top shape for Golden West the following week." Coach shot him down. "Especially since I know you''ll be missing a couple of practices with you trip next weekend."

    Dave rubbed the back of his head and muttered. "I''m not the only one going away."

    "Where are you guys going?" Sean asked. "A family trip?"

    "Yea, to Nashville." Noah answered. Then looked at Coach. "Don''t worry, Coach. We''ll still train on vacation. You can count on me."

    I glanced at him through the corner of my eye. Noah was becoming more and more like Zeke. Was this growing up and becoming mature?

    Coach dismissed us and headed out with his assistant coaches. They had to clean up the field and take care of the mound and the batter''s boxes. We finished packing up our bags and cleaning the dugout before heading out.

    "Want to take a guess if those are reporters or scouts?" Kyle nodded his head at the stands. A group of adults were still seated and clearly taking notes. They stood out from the families who were gathering and waiting for us to leave the field.

    I spotted Alisha talking to Kaylee, alone. No Marie. I nudged Noah and he saw what I was looking at.

    "We''re going to talk to our friends real quick." Noah said before ditching the twins.

    "Tell Mom." I reminded them before going too.

    "Yo! You made it." Noah nodded at Kaylee as we joined them.

    Kaylee gave a one shoulder shrug. "Yea. I didn''t want to stay at home today."

    "I was just inviting Kaylee over for the rest of the day." Alisha told us. "Do you guys want to come over too? We can do movies and games again?"

    "Yea! Sounds fun!" Noah answered.

    Alisha looked to me.

    I cleared my throat, knowing she wanted me to answer for myself. "Yea."

    "You sure you don''t want to go to the cages instead?" Kaylee teased.

    "Hanging with you guys is fun too." I assured her. If anything the cages is where I find peace. It had a more calming effect on me.

    "You''ll probably go tomorrow." Kaylee said. "It''s good to decompress after a game." She grinned. "Even if you guys crushed it."

    I wanted to nod but Noah shot me a look.

    "We''re going to take a small break from the cages." Noah explained. "Focus on getting Jake more confident for the regional tryouts in a couple of weeks by working on his fielding."

    Kaylee perked up. "Regional team?"

    Noah happily gave her the background of the tryouts and how it was the start of making Team USA.

    Kaylee replied. "That sounds really cool. Hey, if you guys need help, I can meet you at the park tomorrow at hit some balls for grounders or something in the air."

    "That''d be great." Noah gave her the thumbs up. "Want to meet us there mid-morning?"

    "Yea. Just let me know when you guys leave your house and I''ll leave mine." She looked to Alisha. "You should come too. You don''t have to do anything and can just hang out with us."

    "I can still help!" Alisha claimed. "I''ll bring my glove too." She looked over our shoulder. "Someone is talking to your parents."

    Noah and I both turned to look. A familiar face stood with our family, talking to Kyle and Dave very energetically.

    "Oh. That''s Mr. Cameron." Noah nodded and turned back to the girls. "He''s a reporter. Probably wants to talk to Jake honestly." He looked at me. "We should probably go so he doesn''t wait so long."

    I nodded. Mr. Cameron was very nice and would definitely wait around if he had questions to ask.

    "We''ll come over after we shower." Noah told Alisha.

    "Sure. Sounds good." She looked to Kaylee. "Want to just come with me now? We can set up and start watching a movie?"

    "Definitely!" Kaylee agreed instantaneously.

    We said a quick goodbye and went to join our family.

    Grampa reached out to pat me on the head. "That was a good homer, kid."

    "Thanks." I smiled at him. Then I dropped the smile and scratched my cheek. "The hit to center wasn''t a very good one. I could have done something different."

    Grampa laughed. "Be careful. That kind of attitude has you sounding like Zeke."

    "That''s not a bad thing!" Noah threw his arm around my shoulders. "It just means he''s striving to be better. A good quality to have."

    Mr. Cameron laughed. "I have to say, I agree. But I believe all of you boys have that drive to do better. It''s been fun watching all of you this season. Already showing improvements from last season. Your whole team is well put together."

    "Back-to-back champions, here we come." Noah stuck out his chest and declared. He made eye contact with Dave. "Granted, we need certain players to stop getting hurt and dragging us down."

    "I''m not even hurting." Dave rolled his eyes. He looked at Mr. Cameron. "I''ll be getting a second shot at Golden West the next time around. Make sure to be there for that one."

    Mr. Cameron laughed. "Sure. I''ll definitely have to be at that one. I honestly think they''re you''re biggest opponent in the league. With Servite being a close second. For opposite reasons. One got the most hits off of you guys while the other held you to the least amount."

    Kyle scoffed. "I held those losers down to three hits all game. They ain''t sh- much." He stopped himself from cursing in front of Mom. "I think Golden West is better because at least they don''t hide from Jake."

    I instinctively nodded, preferring the team that pitched to me than the one who didn''t.

    "It''s all about strategy." Mr. Cameron smiled. "The two of them play for the first time next week, so it''ll be interesting to see who will get that number two spot behind you guys."

    "My money is on Servite." Noah offered. "That have good pitching and coaching. We had a close game against them. Golden West wouldn''t be a close game if they didn''t hurt Dave."

    "Yea!" Dave immediately chimed in.

    "Sounds like a family divided." Mr. Cameron joked.

    "Jake just like Golden West because they let him hit." Noah waved his hand around carelessly. He looked at me. "Who would win? Servite or Golden West?"

    I shrugged. "It''s not like I know all their pitchers."

    "That Cody guy we faced from Servite was good."

    I shrugged again. "He has a good pickoff..." I was still able to get a hit off of him.

    Mr. Cameron chuckled. "Do you guys mind if I quote you or any of this conversation?"

    None of us looked sure so we all looked to Mom.

    Mom gave Mr. Cameron a small nod. "As long as you leave out Kyle''s comments. I don''t want him looking like a ruffian."

    Mr. Cameron nodded in understanding. "Of course. I wouldn''t paint any of your boys in a bad light. They''re all good kids. Not just good at baseball, but personality-wise. You''ve raised them up well."

    Mom beamed, happy for us to be complimented. "We try to steer them in the right direction."

    "There''s always speed bumps." Dad grinned. "Teenage boys have a lot of growing up to do. As long as they know how to admit their wrongdoings and mistakes, they''ll know how to make it right."

    Mom nodded in agreement. "Right. It''s a little overwhelming knowing that I''ll have two more adults soon." She wiped the corner of her eyes.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Adults? God only knows how they''ll survive in the future."

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    Kyle pulled him into a headlock. "I''ll be just fine, thank you." He looked at Mr. Cameron. "Have you heard anything from the grapevine about me being drafted?"

    "I''ve heard that you''re committing to Vanderbilt actually." He raised an eyebrow.

    "As a backup plan!" Kyle hurried to say, letting go of Noah. "Can you leak that for me? Just make sure my name is out there and that I''m looking forward to entering the draft?"

    Mr. Cameron nodded. "Of course I can. I don''t know how many will take my word for it." He looked to Dave. "Are you still set on college?"

    Dave nodded. "Yea, I like the relationship I''m starting with the pitching coach. He really knows what he''s talking about and I feel like I can develop well there." He grinned. "Plus, I know it''ll make my mom happy."

    Mom pulled him into a hug.

    "He''s trying to become the favorite." Noah snorted. He elbowed me. "When he leaves for college and Kyle goes elsewhere, we''ll easily be the favorites then."

    I laughed.

    Mr. Cameron looked to us. "And what about you two? Any college you want to visit this summer? Or are you playing travel ball? I know last summer you two took it easy."

    "We''re actually trying out for the regional team in a couple of weeks." Noah started to bounce excitedly. He explained the early parts of the plan to Mr. Cameron.

    Mr. Cameron listed and nodded along. "I can''t say I know the process well, but I''ll be cheering you boys on. I''ll make sure to pay more attention to it. It''s also another good way to get noticed by colleges and scouts. Especially playing top tier players from other states." He paused and glanced at me, then back at Noah. "I don''t want you thinking I''m looking down on you Noah, but-"

    "You don''t think I''ll make it." Noah finished for him. "Yea, I know I don''t shine as bright as Jake. But I think I can make it through round one. Round two is where I''ll run into my challenge." He shrugged. "If I don''t make it, I''ll try another way to get noticed by Team USA. Maybe get invited to one of their special events in the fall. I won''t give up."

    Mr. Cameron looked to me again, lips pressed together. "Don''t take this the wrong way either, Jake. But will you be able to play without any of your brothers on the team? I know it''s a little soon."

    "We''re not ruling it out." Dad spoke up. "We actually just started talking about this this morning. So it''s still new and a work in progress."

    He nodded, understanding my feelings well. "I''ll leave it at ''good luck'' then."

 Chapter 1020 V3 Ch254

    Chapter 1020 V3 Ch254

    We talked with Mr. Cameron more about our playing and games we looked forward to. Then it was time to go home. On the way, Noah told Mom about us going to Alisha''s to hangout.

    Dave raised an eyebrow. "You''re not going to Garret''s? He sent out a text. He''s having a small get together to celebrate his perfect game."

    "We''ll go to the next one." Noah shrugged. "It''d be too mean to bail on Alisha and Kaylee now."

    "Bring them with. I''m taking Marie." Kyle said.

    Noah made a face that Kyle couldn''t see. He still had some feelings about Marie and he wasn''t alone. "No. It''s okay." He looked to the front of the car where Dad was driving. "Dad, can you pick us up later tonight?"

    "The twins can pick you two up on their way home." He suggested.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I don''t think Alisha''s parents will let us stay over until midnight."

    "Then I''ll shorten their curfew to 10pm."

    "Noooo." Dave groaned.

    "On a Saturday night, Dad?" Kyle protested.

    Dad looked to Mom. Mom took over, twisting her body around to look back at us. "Okay, we''ll pick up the younger boys, but I expect you two to be home by midnight. Not leave Garret''s at midnight, but be in bed by midnight." She squinted. "And no drinking. Alcohol mixed with teens is bad news."

    "Garret won''t be throwing a party-party." Dave said in a hurry.

    Mom gave a small laugh. "I know how teenagers can be. There might not be alcohol to begin with but that doesn''t mean someone won''t show up with it. You kids get in trouble and see if I let you leave the house ever again."

    "Okay." The twins agreed.

    Back at home, Grampa went to take a nap. Mom and Dad went to their office. Noah and I fought the twins for a shower first, ultimately winning since they didn''t even play in the game today. Once we were ready, Mom drove us herself to Alisha''s. She parked and came to the door with us, wanting to talk to her parents for a little bit. Alisha and Kaylee took us away revealing that pizza was already here. We started eating as Alisha picked a movie I haven''t seen before.

    Mom popped in twenty minutes later to confirm a pickup time at 9:30pm. She asked Kaylee if she wanted a ride home, but Kaylee said she was staying the night with Alisha. Mom smiled, waved, and left us to our small party of four.

    "You''re not going home?" Noah asked Kaylee while the movie was still paused.

    Kaylee shrugged. "It''s not a big deal. Friends stay over at their friends all the time. Besides, this way Alisha and I can meet up with you two tomorrow at the same time. Good planning."

    I remembered something important. "Don''t you go to church on Sunday mornings?"

    "Giving it up." She shrugged. "Why be a part of a church community that we''re going to leave soon? It''s fine. I''ll have to join a new one down south."

    The room got quiet. It felt a little more real the more Kaylee talked about moving.

    I scrunched my brows together, trying to catch a fleeting thought. I frowned. Then it came to me. Something I had a small look into when thinking of escaping my mom. "Have you thought about...boarding school?"

    .comn0/v//el//bin[.//]net''

    All eyes went to me.

    "You know...like a private school you live at..?" I gave a small shrug, unsure of myself.

    "Yea!" Noah joined in. "That''s not a bad idea." He looked to Kaylee. "You''re good at softball. Good grades."

    Kaylee started to slowly nod. "That''s not a bad idea."

    "Would your parents really let you go for that?" Alisha was skeptical. "They don''t seem the type to let you be off on your own."

    Kaylee grinned and her eyes nearly disappeared. "Maybe if I find the right one. All girls. Maybe religious. Like a female version of Servite." She pulled out her phone. "You guys can push play. I''m just going to look some more into this."

    We left her to it. After the movie finished over an hour later, we started to pull out a board game. Kaylee had to leave her google search, but from the way she talked about it, it seemed like she had some insights on what to look for. She even talked about reaching out to some of the coaches. To that, Noah told her to put together a highlight reel of all of her best plays and her stats from last and this year. Alisha immediately volunteered to help with the highlight clip by taking some video at her upcoming games.

    It was a fun night despite the fact that we were talking about Kaylee leaving us. But at least this would be on her terms. If she could get into one of these specialized schools, I''m sure she would be happier there than with her parents.

    The twins didn''t get home until after we fell asleep and they stayed asleep when we woke up for a morning run. Even after our run, small lift session, and big breakfast, they stayed in bed. We walked to the park with our baseball bags after telling Grampa. Mom and Dad were busy with open houses and wouldn''t be back until dinner, so he planned to have a bbq for lunch. He even let us invite the girls.

    It was a decent way to end spring break. I didn''t hate fielding that much when it was just us and the girls. The few mistakes I made were laughed at before being corrected. I definitely think Noah kept it casual with Alisha trying to help which made it easier on me. After practicing, the girls did go home with us, walking back with all the gear. We ate Grampa''s bbq with the twins until Marie showed up. She hung out with Kyle for the afternoon until it was time for her to take Kaylee home. Alisha caught a ride home with them, clearing out the house a little.

    The end of March and the start of April mixed in a lot of baseball. Jeremy''s season was officially starting. Mom and Dad missed our Tuesday game to go see Zeke''s game at Sacramento, staying the night up north and leaving us with Grampa.

    Tuesday''s game against Soledad was a nice 5-0 win. Bryce did five innings, giving up two hits and one walk, while earning five strikeouts. Tyler finished the game, giving up only one hit while earning four strikeouts in two innings. He was really turning into a closer. Noah went 2-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base. I went 2-2 with two RBI''s and one run scored.

    Thursday we won by a couple of more runs, beating Foothill 7-0. Brian did six innings, giving up two hits and two walks, earning five strikeouts. Coach let Matt close this one out and he didn''t give up any hits or walks. Noah went 2-2 at the plate, with another two runs scored and added another stolen base to his stat sheet. Coach pulled him midway but not as quick as he pulled me. I had only one at bat and I made the most of it by hitting a two-run shot to left field.

    Dave also had a good week even though he didn''t see any time on the mound officially. He got cleared to run by Drew and soon he was pitching in the bullpen. Wednesday, he got to pitch three innings against the JV team, giving up no hits and proving that he was ready to go. The JV and freshmen teams seemed to be struggling a little less, winning a couple of close games.

    Thursday night we packed up and made sure we were ready to go on Friday morning. It was time for our trip to Nashville, Tennessee. We had to leave early to beat rush hour, getting to the airport with a lot of time to spare. Which happened to be planned by Mom and Dad. We ran into Zeke and Rhys with their team. They were leaving for Arizona again this weekend, this time playing at University of Arizona.

    "It would have been perfect if we were playing Vandy at all this season." Rhys laughed. "But we''re more likely to see them in Omaha at the end of the season."

    I stared at him confused.

    "Omaha, Nebraska is where the College World Series is held." Zeke explained to me. "Where the top eight schools go after winning the super regionals."

    Sure. I nodded along.

    "Sounding real confident for someone with two months of baseball left." Dave smirked. "A lot of league play for you guys. This weekend. Next weekend. The weekend after that. No pressure."

    "Psshh." Rhys scoffed. "Our team is hot. I''m not worried about the weekend games. It''s the weekday random games we play that stress me out. It doesn''t look good skipping class the next day, but I have to if I''m the one that pitched."

    "That''s why Coach Leroy is sticking you on Fridays and Saturdays only." Zeke''s lips twitched.

    Rhys laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yea. It''s for the best. I wasn''t made to multitask like you and some of the others. I have a one-track mind."

 Chapter 1021 V3 Ch255 Weekend Trip (1)

    Chapter 1021 V3 Ch255 Weekend Trip (1)

    Zeke and Rhys had to leave with their team first. We got to walk them to their gate and said our goodbyes. That little get together made us wide awake until it was time for our flight. This time I came prepared with headphones, a backup set, and a portable charger.

    Mom surprised me by picking last row seats for our family. I got the left back corner, then Noah, then Dad on the aisle. Across the aisle was Mom and the twins. They started to complain, but Mom reasoned with them that getting off the plane ten minutes later wasn''t going to kill them. Especially if it gave me a better flight experience. And it did. It was comforting to know that no one was behind me. I had a good view of the plane and the window seat was a plus. Add in the music coming from my headphones, it was the safest feeling on a flight I''ve had so far.

    The flight was four and a half hour long, but we also gained two hours for the time difference. At the Nashville airport, Mom sent us with Dad to pick up the checked baggage while she worked on getting the car rental. We reconvened to go find the rental on the designated lot. It wasn''t long before the twins started to beg for lunch. Noah and I weren''t as loud, but we didn''t disagree at all.

    "We''ll check-in first then go somewhere nearby for lunch." Mom took charge. "I''ll start looking up places that are in walking distance so you boys can''t be too picky."

    "I''ll take anything at this point." Dave grumbled, holding his stomach. "I should have packed some snacks for the flight like Noah did."

    Noah grinned. "I was willing to share. But you chose to sleep."

    Dave groaned some more.

    Dad let Mom out at the front of the hotel so she could start the check-in process. He had to find parking in a separate structure, where we unloaded the car and carried everything down, went to the hotel and waited for Mom. She came back with room keys and up we went again.

    They had arranged a suite with two separate bedrooms conjoined with a small living room. The couch folded out to be a bed that Noah and I were going to share. We merely looked around, dumped our bags, and headed back out.

    Mom had us walk two blocks to the restaurant she picked out. On the way, we passed multiple bars and restaurants that had live country music playing. None of us were necessarily big music fans, but it was something new. I had never seen live music performed before. The restaurant we went to wasn''t as lively, but that was because they put all their focus on food. It was definitely southern based, including a lot of fried food that we didn''t normally eat. The burgers all looked huge as did the steaks. There were unusual items like grilled catfish tacos and shrimp with grits. Mom did some venturing, ordering deviled eggs made five different ways. Thankfully, Dad chose a more normal appetizer like chips and queso.

    "Are we going straight to the school after this?" Noah asked as he started to dig into the chips. He wasn''t alone.

    "No, we''re doing that tomorrow." Dave knew some of the itinerary as he had reached out to connect with his future pitching coach. "Mom didn''t want to rush anything today."

    "I figured we could do some sightseeing, ending at this local park to watch the sunset." Mom spoke up. "After that, we''re going to the Grand Ole Opry. It''s a must do anytime you go to Nashville. Something they''re famous for."

    Noah was a little less interested and turned his attention to Dave. "Are we going to watch them play a game tomorrow?"

    Dave nodded. "Yea, game''s at 1pm so probably have lunch there." He shrugged. "The campus is pretty cool to walk around and look at too. Don''t know what we''ll do afterwards." He looked to Mom.

    Mom finished taking a sip of her water and cleared her throat. "We were thinking you guys might want to do something on your own like go karts or topgolf."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "You and Dad want to go on a date. We get it."

    We laughed and talked some more about what to expect this weekend. After lunch, we continued to walk around, observing a lot of musicians trying to make a name for themselves. Mom started to guide us to some museums like for fine art and state history. She even got us into the Tennessee sports hall of fame because she knew that would interest us more. It was a lot of walking that ended at Cumberland park, watching the sun start to set behind the city.

    After that we had to catch a cab to get to the concert hall. It was a twenty-five minute ride that Kyle used to look up dinner ideas. With him being proactive, his suggestions were taken seriously and Mom and Dad allowed him to pick. It was clearly country themed again.

    Over dinner we talked more ideas for Saturday night with Dave taking the lead. He didn''t research what to do like Mom and Dad did before the trip, but talked about some of the surroundings that attracted him to pick Vanderbilt.

    "They don''t have a major league team, but there is a minor league one." He spoke between bites of his pulled pork sandwich. "They also have teams in the NFL, NHL, and MLS. I''ll never be bored."

    "You shouldn''t be bored if you''re studying for classes while playing college ball." Dad pointed out.

    Dave rolled his eyes. "I''m not Zeke, Dad. There''s no way I''m going to focus like that. It''ll drain you. It''s good to go out and explore. Look at Jake. Doesn''t he look happier on this trip? And he doesn''t even listen to country music."

    "I know some." I frowned, trying to defend my limited music knowledge. Most of which I picked up from Noah or the car radio.

    "The Nashville Predators do have a home game tomorrow night." Kyle spoke up, having used his phone to look into Dave''s suggestions. "It''s so close too. There stadium is only a mile or two away from the college." His eyes shone with excitement as he looked to Dave. "You could practically become a season ticket holder. Go to every home game."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "Maybe when they start the season in October. But by January, I''ll be in pitching mode. That''s when I plan to go out the least."

    Mom held her forehead. "We''ll have to plan surprise visits for you. I just know it. I''ll worry every time I think that you''re out and about in a big city like this, hardly knowing anyone."

    Dave shrugged. "I''ll know the guys on the team by then. Classmates too. Besides, weren''t we talking about this because you wanted us to do an activity on our own? Going to a hockey game is fun and takes a lot of time."

    "How much do the tickets go for?" Dad was interested.

    Kyle slid his phone over. "Depends where we sit of course. Usually nosebleed seats would be good enough for us." He grinned. "But this would be Jake''s first hockey game. So be a little more looser with that wallet, Dad."

    .comno//vel//bi/n[.//]net''

    Dad pursed his lips as he looked at Kyle''s phone. He leaned towards Mom to show her the pricing too.

    "It''s okay." I told them in a hurry. I didn''t want them to overspend on me. "I don''t care what we do. Everything is pretty much new to me so just going is enough."

    "It''s okay to splurge every once in awhile, Jake." Mom told me, glancing up. "Especially on first time experiences. We can always earn more money. But the things we get to see and do and who we spend time with is more important."

    "It helps that I won''t need any money for this summer." Kyle added. "I''m looking at a decent payday myself."

    "A payday that''ll you''ll be immediately putting away." Dad eyed him. "When we get home, you need to finalize your advisor and start looking at CPA''s."

    "I''m going to stick with Ryan." Kyle confirmed. "He''s genuine and knows Rose. I think we''re on the same wavelength. As for accountants..." He rolled his eyes. "Just let me use the same guy you guys use for tax season."

    "No. You need a specialist." Dad told him. "Your taxes are about to be very confusing as you play across different states. I''ll be more comfortable if we find someone who knows how these things work in a professional league."

    "I feel like Jake would make a good accountant." Dave looked at me. "Cause you''re so good with numbers."

    I tried not to laugh at him. "It''s not just being good about numbers."

    The conversation shifted to accountants and eventually back to hockey tickets. Dad paid for them online before we finished eating and headed to the concert.

 Chapter 1022 V3 Ch256 Weekend Trip (2)

    Chapter 1022 V3 Ch256 Weekend Trip (2)

    By the time the show ended and we got back to the hotel, all of us were dropdead tired. The waking up early to fly, all the walking to look around, and then staying up for the show. I did like the concert though. It was multiple artists and it wasn''t just all country. Noah even noted some songs down that he liked and wanted to download later.

    Everyone was slow-moving the next morning as we took turns to shower. We had breakfast downstairs, near the hotel lobby. Our hotel was close enough to walk to the campus. Dave pointed at a building to say he went to a class on his visit there. Kyle rolled his eyes and said he was there too. From the walk around, it was clear that Dave was excited about his future school while Kyle''s lukewarm attitude showed that he didn''t love it, but also didn''t hate it.

    Mom and Dad was actually interested taking us into some of the buildings since they weren''t totally empty despite it being a weekend. We got to see classrooms big and small. Dave pointed out almost every dining hall there was...and there was a lot. Dorms. Libraries. Even a campus gym. He talked about how it had everything nearby since it was so close to downtown. There was nothing that he wouldn''t need that wasn''t in walking distance.

    Dad grinned when he heard that. "What a relief. I was worried how you would feel without a car, but it sounds like you''ll be just fine without."

    "Daddd." Dave groaned.

    "Zeke doesn''t have a car in college either." Dad shrugged.

    "Zeke has Rhys who has a car." Dave pointed out.

    "Then make a friend who also has a car in college." Noah shrugged. "Like you said, you have everything around you. If anything, Kyle would need a car if he goes to the minor leagues. Up and down, East and West. Who knows where he''ll end up or how often he''ll have to move."

    Mom frowned. "That''s a good point. Very insightful, Noah." She looked at Kyle. "Once we sign on Ryan, you have to start a list to ask these kind of things. Is it better to have a car or not? What will housing be like early on?"

    Kyle sighed and took out his phone. "Okay, okay. I''ll write it down so I don''t forget." He peeked at Mom. "Will I be buying my own car with my signing bonus? Or will there be a graduation gift?"

    Mom looked to Dad, unsure herself.

    "They can''t buy you a car and not buy me one." Dave sneered. "That would be completely unfair."

    "If I''m paying, then it''s definitely going to be something I want to drive for a long time."

    "Just get something like a midsize SUV. Enough to carry your life around as you hit the road."

    "I''m not going to be on the move that much. You guys keep exaggerating."

    "You don''t really know until you get there."

    "Just look at Zeke. He''s going to play summer ball who knows where. How is he going to lug his clothes and gear to wherever if he takes a plane?"

    The two bickered like normal as we continued to look around. Closer to game time, Dave steered us to the stadium which was on campus just like Stanford''s. Everything really was in walking distance. But it was a lot to do in one morning. I couldn''t wait for us to get settled into our seats.

    "Let''s rest here a minute." Dave found a spot to sit just twenty yards from the stadium entrance.

    "Let''s rest inside." Noah said. "I''m hungry."

    I nodded in agreement. Hotel breakfasts just aren''t as fulfilling as Mom''s cooking.

    "Dave made plans for us to meet his coach out here." Kyle sat down too.

    The rest of us were surprised and looked at Dave.

    Dave shrugged. "I know Mom and Dad want to meet him. Besides, Kyle needs to meet him in person too. Just in case." He smiled at Kyle. "You slip to the late twenties in the draft and I bet you pick here instead."

    Kyle rolled his eyes, yet didn''t deny it.

    "I''m glad you made an appointment for us to meet your coach." Dad said to Dave. "With how much you''re looking forward to coming here, I already feel like this is a good decision for you."

    A few minutes later, a young man dressed in the Vanderbilt baseball uniform came jogging over. My first thought was he was a player sent out to say that the pitching coach was busy preparing his team for the game. What I didn''t expect was for the twins to get up and shake the man''s hand.

    Dave pointed to Mom and Dad. "These are my parents, Mary and Wayne." Then us. "My two younger brothers, Noah and Jake." Then he gestured to the man. "Guys, this is my soon-to-be pitching coach, Joe Hayes."

    My jaw dropped. This guy didn''t even look older than Jeremy. Yet he was a pitching coach?

    "It''s very nice meeting you all." The man reached out to shake everyone''s hands. Quick and firm.

    "Thanks for coming out before a game. We understand how busy you can be on days like this." Dad said. "It is reassuring to put a face with a name. Though I have to say, I didn''t think you were so young."

    Joe laughed. "Yea, I get that a lot. Another reason I like to meet the parents early on. I also like to give out my phone number to parents just in case of emergencies too. Like if you can''t reach your sons and need me to check in on them. I can also check in on their grades without you hounding them for it."

    "Really?! That''d be great." Mom took her phone out in a hurry. The coach passed along his digits and had her send him a text to say who she was so he could save the info too. "I have to warn you. I''m a worrier. Especially when I know these two so well."

    He laughed. "Most parents worry no matter who their kids are. It''s how it is. We do keep our players in check with their grades and even their social activities. But honestly, since I''ve been here these last two years, I haven''t seen any problems in the program. Most of our players are trying to shape themselves for the MLB draft so there''s not a whole lot of extra time for them to get into trouble."

    "I don''t get into trouble." Dave jumped in. "My mom just thinks I''m a little rambunctious. But don''t worry, Coach, my mind is completely on pitching."

    "That''s good to hear." He patted Dave on the shoulder. "Summer workout plans start to come out in late May and early June. So don''t slack off when your season ends."

    "I won''t." Dave looked serious.

    The young coach looked at Kyle. "I''ll still be sending you a copy of the summer workout plans as well even though we know your intentions to go pro. Once you signed with us, we''re committed to get you here in the best shape for the start of fall ball."

    Kyle nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate the effort and time you have put in for me."

    "It''s all in the name to create a better team." He looked to our parents. "I''ve explained to Kyle that we have no more athletic scholarship to give if he does join us the next school year, but with his grades and SAT scores, his academic scholarship will cover a good part of his tuition."

    Kyle straightened up and looked at his parents with pride.

    Dad smiled. "Another stressor off the table, thank you."

    "And of course, if he returns for his sophomore season, we will have some athletic scholarship money freed up from the graduating seniors. We don''t give out full rides, but we do our best to cover what the academic scholarship doesn''t cover."

    "So Dave doesn''t really have a full ride either?" Noah asked, interested in the situation.

    "Well, what we do is turn over his grades and testing scores to our academic liaison who can estimate how much he''ll get from that. From there, depending on the player''s skill level, we give out athletic money. Dave will be completely covered between the two. His only out of pocket cost will be his textbooks."

    "And school supplies." Noah corrected.

    The coach smiled at him and gave a small shake of his head. "No, we actually like to treat our players to things like that. We host something like a small party, where the players get to know one another and pack their empty bags with notebooks, binders, pens, even calculators if they''re in higher level math classes."

    "Wow." Mom grinned. "Sounds like a great idea. Even though it''s not a big cost, it''s a way to bring your team together early on."

    .comno/vel//bi/n[./]net''

    We got to talk with the pitching coach for a few more minutes until he had to get back to his players. He would be in the dugout today with the head coach and the team.

    "He''s very young." Noah noted first after he left.

    "He knows what he''s talking about though." Dave said. "Being relatable is a good quality to have for a pitching coach. How is he going to know what I''m talking about if we aren''t on the same wavelength."

    "How do you like the head coach though?" Dad asked.

    "He''s okay." Dave shrugged. "I''ve only spoken to him twice. He''s older than you, so I was kind of surprised that he would pick such young coaches. Just shows that he knows what he''s doing too."

 Chapter 1023 V3 Ch257 Weekend Trip (3)

    Chapter 1023 V3 Ch257 Weekend Trip (3)

    Mom and Dad grilled Dave more about his coaches and Dave happily answered. I was happy that he liked his future school so much. It must be nice knowing what your next step is. Meanwhile, Kyle had it different. He didn''t know what round he would be drafted, where he would go, for how long he''ll be there, who or what the coaches would be like. That sounded intimidating.

    After the game, we went back to the hotel together. Mom wanted us to change into warmer clothes before we walked to the ice hockey rink.

    "All of you better have your phone on so I can reach any of you at any time." She nervously moved around the room.

    "You can track our location through the phone." Kyle reminded her. "And the arena isn''t even a full mile away. We''ll be fine."

    "New city, new worries." Mom looked to me. "Don''t leave any of their sights. If you feel...unsteady...at all throughout the night, you send me a 911 text and we''ll come get you immediately."

    I nodded obediently.

    "Come on, Mom." Dave said. "We know how to take care of Jake. And each other. I know you think we''re unreliable, but just think of all the times we''ve gone to the A''s game without you guys."

    .comno//vel//bi/n[.//]net''

    "That''s different. I knew Jeremy and Rose were there." She said. "There were multiple backup plans in case something went wrong. Rhys''s parents were nearby too. Out here, it''s just us." She frowned and looked to Dave. "You''ll be so alone out here your freshman year. Maybe-"

    "Mommmm." Dave rolled his eyes. "I''ll be okay then like I''ll be okay now. Now are you going to let us go or do you want us to be late?"

    Mom looked at Dad. He smiled and took over. "Okay, let them go. We know where they''ll be and how they''re getting there and back. If anything is out of the ordinary, we''ll go find them. And Dave''s right, they are very cooperative when it comes down to it."

    We said our goodbyes and Mom gave out more safety tips. She ended up walking us down the lobby with Dad, watching us leave as a group.

    "Man..." Kyle shook his head as we walked to the hockey rink. "Mom is going to lose it when we leave this summer." He glanced at me and Noah. "You two better be prepared to have a helicopter mom."

    Noah shrugged. "I don''t mind."

    "I like it." I piped up. I felt the twins look my way. "It''s reassuring. That someone will come looking for me."

    Noah laughed and threw his arm around my shoulders. "You know I would come. Heck, I should already be with you."

    The walk to the arena really was quick. We all sent Mom a confirmation of arrival text and sent a group pic of when we reached our seats. We weren''t up against the glass around the ice rink, but we did have a good overall view on the second level. I knew less about hockey than I did football, but Noah had the all around knowledge and passed it along throughout the first period. It wasn''t a good feeling see how aggressive the players got doing all kinds of body checks, but it also made me grateful that I didn''t play a contact sport.

    During the first intermission, the twins were responsible to get us dinner and snack since Dad gave them the extra money. Meanwhile, Noah and I both sent Mom updates through texts.

    "I think you''ll be okay if you make the team and I don''t." Noah laughed to himself.

    I frowned. "Team?"

    "Yea, the regional team." He relaxed in his seat. "You''re all worried that you would be alone without me. But even if I don''t make it, I don''t think Mom would let you be completely alone."

    I smiled.

    Noah laughed again. "Hey now, you''ve got to work on your independence before graduation otherwise how will you ever go pro?"

    I scratched my cheek. "I don''t know about going pro. I kind of like the idea of college more." If I had to choose.

    "What do you like about it?" Noah raised an eyebrow.

    "I like how there''s a set plan." I told him. I explained all the benefits I saw in Dave''s choice and disadvantages I saw in Kyle''s choice.

    "That make sense." Noah nodded along, not writing off my feelings. "But there''s still two years before you have to make that decision for good. We have to commit to a college before our senior season no matter what. Like Ryan said, it''s a good negotiation tool." He grinned. "Which school do you prefer so far? Stanford or Vanderbilt?"

    "Stanford." I didn''t hesitate.

    "Same." Noah agreed.

    I blinked at him in surprise. "Really?"

    "Sure." He shrugged. "It''s nice looking. I''m familiar with the area now." He grinned. "It''s not too far from the A''s stadium. Also not too far where Mom feels like she needs to call me every day."

    I laughed. "Yea, I guess it''s the same for me. Plus, I like Coach Leroy. He''s friendly."

    "Yea, having a relationship with the coach and knowing what he is like beforehand definitely helps."

    We talked more about the benefits of going to college until the twins got back with the food. They complained about the lines and prices as we happily ate. The hockey game was made up of three 20 minute periods with intermissions in between. It was a fun night even if I did cringe and wince every time the players made harsh contact. At least I wasn''t scared. These guys knew what they were getting into and were getting paid for it.

    We sent updates continuously and walked back to the hotel after the game. Mom and Dad weren''t out for much longer than us, coming back as we prepared for bed. As soon as Mom confirmed that we were all in one piece, she seemed to relax and go back to normal. That''s when I realized she didn''t let fear stop her. I wanted to be as brave as her, I thought to myself as I started to fall asleep.

    Sunday was our last full day in Nashville. After a hotel breakfast, we took the car just outside of the city to go on a morning hike. We also visited the Parthenon which was a full scale replica of the one in Athens. Mom always found ways to sneak in a history lesson or two. Next up was Belle Meade Plantation and winery. For obvious reasons, we couldn''t see the winery part.

    We had lunch at a bbq spot where I went out of my comfort zone to try ribs with different rubs. It was good and I would never say no, but I can''t say I would intentionally eat there again. Thankfully Noah talked Dad into letting us get ice cream afterwards. Kind of a palate cleanser. Our afternoon activity was a surprise visit to a treetop adventure park. At first the twins acted like they were too old for something like that, but seeing me and Noah getting ready, they made excuses to join in. It was another thing I hadn''t tried before and I was happy to say I enjoyed most of it with the only exception being nervous of the tight enclosed spaces. I didn''t stay there for long though. We were always on the move.

    We killed a couple hours there before going back to the hotel to relax. Dinner was a restaurant with a live music show. When we got back to the room that night, we were able to catch the end of Jeremy''s game...a sad lost to a division opponent. I sent him a text to say that he''ll get them next time and went to bed.

    Monday was check-out and travel back. We had a flight over four hours long but went back two hours so we got to the Bay Area just in time for lunch. Zeke and Rhys got back to town before us, late last night. We went from the airport to a restaurant near their campus so we could all eat lunch together.

    Zeke''s team won two out of their three games this past weekend. He hit for his average, adding another home run to his stats while Rhys did five innings, giving up three hits and one run. When the twins wanted to start giving Rhys a hard time, he smirked and stated that he had ten strikeouts in those five innings. They rolled their eyes and animatedly started a discussion about which stat is the most important to a pitcher. Noah said ''wins'' but all three of them quickly refuted him. Zeke had to save him from their lecturing saying wins only mattered to a team. Stats were for the individual.

    After we dropped the college students off back at school, we officially headed home. To the house. Gramps met us at the door and it suddenly felt like I was gone for much longer than I really was.

 Chapter 1024 V3 Ch258

    Chapter 1024 V3 Ch258

    We still went to practice on Monday, surprising the guys and the coaches. Mom said we shouldn''t have planned on being there so we told Coach and them that we wouldn''t make it. Coach immediately sent Dave to the bullpen to work with the pitching coach and Mitchell. It was just going to be light work since he was still the projected starter for Wednesday''s game against Golden West. Maybe they were working on a game plan since these guys did get a few hits off of Brian.

    Kyle went to join other pitchers on some kind of running; I guess it''s just conditioning work. The rest of us were divided into infield and outfield, taking turns for batting practice while working on situationals.

    After practice, we went home to take showers and to make up some missing class work. During dinner, Mom and Dad informed us that they were going to Zeke''s game tomorrow and would stay the night there.

    "But you''ll still go to Wednesday''s game, right?" Dave asked. They nodded. He looked at Grampa. "And you too. It''s a home game so you can''t miss it this time."

    Grampa laughed. "Where else would I go? I''ll be sitting front and center, with a great view of you striking your opponent''s out."

    Dave looked relieved.

    "I''ll be in the bullpen in case you get hurt again." Kyle spoke up.

    Noah outright laughed and I tried to hold myself back.

    "Mommm." Dave complained.

    Mom looked at Kyle. "Can you not be so pessimistic about your brother? Say something nice?"

    Kyle shrugged. "His track record speaks for itself. Dude hasn''t done a full game since the Foothill Classic. Over a month ago now. I think it''s pretty fair of me to say that I''ve got his back and can finish the game this time if he can''t. He doesn''t seem to like when Brian finishes it for him."

    Dave glared at him. "That''s because I don''t want to be taken off the field. Coach keeps putting me on the bench for the most minor inconveniences."

    "I appreciate the effort your coach puts in to keep you healthy." Dad took over. "It''s important that you don''t go on, pushing your limits until you break." He looked around the table. "That goes for all of you. Bend, don''t break." He looked directly at Kyle. "I think you can better rephrase your words of encouragement to Dave."

    Kyle looked guilty before looking down at his food. He stabbed a couple of vegetables with his fork. "Yea, yea, I believe in him. Seven full innings. Get the win."

    Dave patted his own chest. "I''ve got this."

    After dinner was more homework and making sure we were ready to go back to school tomorrow morning. Tuesday, Noah started to advertise our game tomorrow, trying to draw a big crowd for Dave''s return. I still couldn''t understand how they like having more people in the bleachers.

    "I''ll be there." Kaylee nodded. "After practice, of course." She looked at me. "Is Jeremy going to come?"

    I tilted my head. "I didn''t ask him...?"

    "Just wondering." She shrugged. "Since he has a day game tomorrow, he should be done in time for yours in the evening."

    I pulled out my phone. "I''ll mention it." It''s been a while since I saw Jeremy. Lately we''ve been barely keeping up with texts. I think Zeke has seen him more this past month than me.

    "Don''t even bother." Noah told me. "After tomorrow''s 1pm game, he probably has to get ready to catch a flight. They play Thursday at Houston."

    I put my phone back down. "I''m glad you keep up with the schedule."

    "It''s on the app." He rolled his eyes. "Honestly there''s probably only a game or two left that he could even come to. His schedule is maxed out." He grinned. "But we''ll have no problem seeing him this summer."

    I smiled back and nodded. Then I look at Kaylee again. "How are things in your family?"

    "Yea! Any change since last weekend?" Noah asked too.

    Kaylee gave a small shake of her head. "No. Marie''s still going to UCLA. And my parents still are looking to moving down there too. I started to email some schools that have boarding programs, but the few replies I''ve gotten say they don''t have any athletic scholarship to cover. And these schools be super expensive. If I don''t have a scholarship, there''s no way I can convince my parents."

    "Well...how are your grades?" Noah asked.

    "I get mostly A''s. Some B''s. But nothing that stands out for an academic scholarship either." Kaylee shook her head. "It''s not looking good for me." She sighed.

    "It''s too early to give up." Noah told her. "Keep emailing. Keep doing well in your games. It''s not over until the fat lady sings, right?"

    "I just hate everyone right now." She mumbled, slouching in her seat.

    I frowned, not used to seeing her so down. "You should try talking with Dr. Moore."

    Kaylee looked at me.

    I shrugged and continued. "When I don''t feel good, I go to see him. Talk about my worries and frustrations." I covered my stomach. "Everyone talking about the future makes me sick. I like the present very much."

    "You hate the unknown." Noah corrected. He glanced to Kaylee. "He''s right though. Talk with Dr. Moore. Heck, maybe he can talk to your parents about how detrimental it is to move so late when you''ll be graduating in just two years."

    "Yea. Okay. I''ll see if I can go on my break." She said.

    During break, I pulled out my phone again to text Jeremy. "Hey, are you still interested in going to the A''s game after the regional tryout?" I asked Noah first.

    Noah nodded. "Yea. Why? Are you changing your mind about seeing Zeke play?"

    I gave a small shoulder shrug. "Maybe we see Jeremy that Saturday night and then Zeke Sunday afternoon before going home?"

    "I agree!" He said happily.

    I sent Jeremy a text about us signing up for a tryout thing in the Bay Area next weekend and he was quick to reply that he would come to support us. Maybe take us to the stadium after. I said I would talk it over with Mom first to make sure it was alright to do so.

    After school and practice, we went home for showers and homework. During dinner, I brought up next weekend.

    "Jeremy said he would come to support. And then we could see him after." I nervously looked at Mom. "He has a home game at 6:30pm."

    Mom looked at Dad. "You already looked over the schedules, right?"

    Dad grinned as we all looked towards him. "Yes. I''ve looked over everyone''s schedule. Next Friday, you boys play away. Not too far, but we''re thinking we take you straight from the game to the hotel in the bay."

    "Uh, is this for all of us?" Kyle asked. "Or can I just go home with the team after the game? That way I can still hangout with Marie that weekend."

    "That''s fine." Mom nodded. She looked at Grampa. "Don''t let them be in the house together unsupervised."

    "Yes, ma''am." Grampa gave her a salute and made most of us laugh. Kyle rolled his eyes.

    "As I was saying." Dad cleared his throat. "On Saturday, the boys tryout is 8am to noon."

    "8am?" I repeated with a look of disgust.

    "Four hours?!" Noah''s eyes shone with excitement. "If it''s that long, we should be doing some kind of game play."

    "I wouldn''t know anything about that." Dad shook his head. "But I do know that Zeke''s game is at 2pm that afternoon. So we should be able to watch his game and see Jeremy play that night."

    "Wow. Really?" Noah pumped his fists. "It''s going to be a whole day of baseball."

    "Can I go tell Jeremy?" I asked Dad. "Maybe he''ll want to see Zeke play too."

    "He has to do him pregame workout though." Dave pointed out. "Probably leave after having lunch with you?"

    "You can call him after you finish eating." Mom said, pointing at my half-eaten plate.

    I turned my focus on my plate and ate in a hurry. Mom started to talk to Kyle about the rules for next weekend, basically she didn''t want to become such a young grandmother. Even I had to laugh. After dinner, I called Jeremy and explained the plan for next weekend and to see what he thought.

    "Okay, I''ll definitely be there for your tryout." He answered. "Hopefully they have somewhere for parents to watch from a distance, I imagine. I can stick around for lunch, but after that I''ll have to go to the stadium."

    "Yea, we thought it might be too tough for you to watch Zeke''s." I nodded.

    "How many tickets do you think you''ll need for that Saturday night?" He asked.

    "Me. Noah. Mom. Dad. And Dave. Kyle is going to stay home because of his girlfriend."

    He chuckled. "Hey, that''s teen love." He got serious. "Ask Zeke and Rhys too."

    "Oh yea." I forgot them. "Okay. I''ll text Zeke and then let you know."

    "Sounds good." He yawned. "Good luck on your game tomorrow. You beat this team already, right?"

    "Yep. 7-3. Dave got stepped on that time and Coach pulled him early. So he''s really pumped to give it another try." I looked around and made sure no one was around to overhear me when I whispered. "He was perfect for three innings. It was the pitcher after him that gave up the runs."

    "I see." Jeremy laughed. "Well tell him good luck too."

    I cracked a smile. "Not to Noah?"

    He laughed some more. "Noah makes his own luck."

    .comn0/v//el/bin[./]net''

    I grinned, understanding that too. If something didn''t go Noah''s way, he would just try, try, try again. We said ''goodnight'' and hung up. I sent Zeke the text and got a quick reply that him and Rhys would be happy to come too. I quickly passed that along to Jeremy. A party of seven to see him next Saturday. That would be after a week-long road-trip for him.

 Chapter 1025 V3 Ch259 VS Golden West (1)

    Chapter 1025 V3 Ch259 VS Golden West (1)

    1 1B Sean Isner

    2 SS Noah Atkins

    3 RF Bryce Finn

    4 2B Jake Atkins

    5 CF Garret Knudsen

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Dave Atkins

    Wednesday was here. Since it was a home game, we only missed our last class of the day to head down to the field to get ready. We changed into our uniforms and got ready for warmups. After a short talk about our lineup, Dave and Mitchell were sent away. The rest of us were divided into two groups: fielders and batters.

    Golden West showed up as we switched around, making sure everyone had a chance for batting practice even if they were starting on the bench today. I occasionally looked their way to see if that junior from last time was going to go to their bullpen for warmup, but instead I saw a much smaller guy leave with their catcher. New pitcher today, I guess.

    Our positions were announced when we took the field for the top of the first. Claps and cheers rained down from the stands. We had a good showing today of family and classmates. I could hear a few guys call out Dave''s name as he took his practice pitches off the mound. They must be seniors like him.

    Golden West was good at making contact. The leadoff hitter smacked a hard and fast grounder by Dave''s feet. He dodged and Noah came over to catch it on a hop. He was fast enough to throw the guy out at first.

    Noah clapped with his glove. "Let''s go!"

    "One out, two to go!" Some of the guys hollered.

    The second batter had made more solid contact, hitting a line drive over the infield, towards the right. Bryce came sprinting in, made the catch as he dived into the grass. He popped up and threw the ball back in. "Two outs!"

    The third batter hit a fly ball to center field. Garret didn''t have to move too much to get under it and make the catch.

    "At least your pitch count is looking good." Noah laughed as he bypassed Dave on the way to the dugout.

    Dave shook his fist at his brother''s back. "You better get on base or watch how I''ll come for you."

    Everyone got into the dugout and the top of the order got ready for their at bats. Including me in the four spot. Cleanup hitter. My record hasn''t been very good in there, but today was a new day. I just need someone to get on and I''ll do my job of driving them in.

    Sean was up first against the pitcher we haven''t seen before. He was about the same height as Noah and as thin as me. We''ve seen quite a few average pitchers but this guys just was the opposite of the previous guy we saw for Golden West.

    I mentioned it to Bryce as we sat in the hole.

    "I don''t know what their other pitching options are like, but I heard the guy we saw before got hurt in his game against Servite." Bryce told me.

    "Oh. I forgot that Golden West played at Servite last week." I frowned. "Does that mean Servite won?"

    "It was a beatdown." He nodded. "15-4 in five innings. Mercy rule."

    My eyes widened. "15 runs? Off that guy?"

    Bryce let out a small laugh. "No, no. Not all off of him. He gave up four before leaving with injury. I don''t know all the details. I''m just speculating from what I read in the news."

    I wanted to ask more about it, but Sean hit a fly out to right field, coming back to the dugout. Noah went to the plate and Bryce had to go out to the on deck circle. I glanced around and saw Garret busy talking with Coach so I couldn''t ask him. No one else was close by and I felt awkward leaving the spot I was already in. I guess it could wait.

    Noah got cornered on a 1-2 count. He fouled off three pitches, doing his best to defend the plate before chasing a breaking ball in the dirt. A swinging strikeout. He hung his head in defeat as he came back to the dugout.

    "If you can''t laugh at yourself, I can help you out!" Dave laughed at Noah as he walked inside.

    Noah started to laugh too. "Okay. Not the best of starts. But don''t worry, I''ll keep my hitting streak alive, even if I have to go back to bunting singles."

    Dave scoffed. "Where does your confidence come from? Share some with me."

    "I''m confident you can let those guys hit more grounders my way."

    I smiled and left the dugout to stand out on deck. It was just for show though. Bryce pulled a ball to left field and the outfielder was able to get there with plenty of time. End of the first.

    .comn0v/el/b/in[./]net''

    I sighed and took my bat to my bag.

    "It''s only the first, Jake." Noah laughed at me.

    I switched my helmet for my hat, took my batting gloves off and grabbed my regular glove. "I know. It''s not really like I''m sad about it." I rubbed my nose. "I''m just a little paranoid. Whenever I''m cleanup, I never really get to do my best at the plate."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "That can''t be right. You''ve never had a bad game before."

    "I didn''t say I was bad." I frowned. "Just not at my best. Against Servite for example, I only had one hit. Then I was walked twice. And on one of those, I was picked off at first." I rubbed my face with annoyance at the memory. I think I hate intentional walks more than if I got out myself. At least I had a chance. But walks have their advantages too. For the team. If I don''t get picked off like an idiot.

    "Come on. You''re being too hard on yourself." He led the way out of the dugout as we slowly jogged to our positions by second base. "That was a one run game. Hard for all of us to have any good stats."

    I gave him a look. "Oh yea? What about against OLU? We scored four runs and I didn''t have an RBI or a run scored. Just one hit with three walks. Not exactly screaming ''cleanup'' if you know what I mean."

    Noah laughed. "Okay. So you''re not liking the vibe of the spot. That''s fine. Tell Coach next time that you''re becoming superstitious. He''ll change it around again."

    I paused to look at him. "Really? You think so?"

    "No." He laughed again. "Sorry. But I''m pretty sure Coach would make it more permanent if you said something like that." He got close enough to slap my back. "Stop worrying when we aren''t even losing. It''s a bad look. How will you ever build confidence if you''re always nitpicking?"

    I sighed. Noah was right. We haven''t lost a game yet; no matter what the lineup looks like. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and got into position.

    The top of the second. Dave''s pitch count nearly doubled when facing their cleanup hitter. On a full count, he threw his split finger fastball, getting the guy to swing and miss. Batter five made early contact on a fastball, smacking a line drive right at Jason. He reacted quickly and made the catch before anything bad could happen. Jason threw the ball to Noah, who threw to me, then I threw to Sean. He walked to the mound a little before tossing it back to Dave. Batter six went down as Dave''s second strikeout of the game and the last out of the inning.

    "Fudge." Jason faked curse as we jogged back to the dugout. "I thought that line drive was coming for my face. I was this close to having a black eye." He held his forefinger and thumb very close together.

    "Or worse." Noah chimed. "Could have broken a bone in your face." He shivered. "That would have been nasty."

    Everyone went to their bags.

    I hurried to get ready as first up this inning. I was first out, taking practice swings as the other team did their warmup and throw around. Just as Garret came out to join me on deck, I was called to the plate.

    "Get him, Jake!"

    "Crush it!"

    "Hit it out of the park!"

    I tried to tune out the cheers as I got set in the lefty''s box. The pitcher on the mound got set. He did a full windup and his pitch came across the plate in the low 80s for a called strike. Decent. He threw his second pitch, it was going to be in the zone. I didn''t see any reason to waste time so I connected and hit a single to left field.

    The ball came back to the pitcher. But more surprisingly, a coach came out of their dugout.

 Chapter 1026 V3 Ch260 VS Golden West (2)

    Chapter 1026 V3 Ch260 VS Golden West (2)

    I glanced at Coach Luis and saw him frowning. The players went to the mound just as the coach sent his pitcher to the dugout.

    "Already?" I was taken aback.

    "They must be bringing in a lefty." Coach Luis got closer to say to me since it was just us by first now.

    A new pitcher came jogging in from the bullpen. He received the baseball from his coach, said a few words to his teammates, then his teammates stepped off the mound while the catcher jogged back to the plate. He started to take some practice pitches.

    I looked at Coach Luis, not sure what to ask.

    "The saying is that in same-sided matchups, the pitcher will have the advantage." Coach Luis told me. "Of course, it''s not for certain. Lot of factors in play."

    I nodded.

    The new pitcher finished his warmup off the mound and everyone started to get into position again. Garret stepped up to the plate, tapping it with his bat before pulling it back. He was ready. The lefty pitcher looked directly at me and instinctively I shuffled a little back to the bag. He smirked and threw his first pitch to Garret. A curveball that Garret grazed for a foul.

    I went back to first, not liking this feeling. I hate being on a base that the pitcher faces. It''s even tougher for me to take a lead.

    The pitcher got set once more. I took a small lead of three feet off the base. I tried to keep my eyes focused in on the ball in his glove. Don''t make eye contact, I told myself. It would just psych me out. The pitcher did his motion, throwing the ball towards home plate. Garret started his swing and the ball started to break. Another curve. Garret caught it this time, pulling a grounder to the right. I took off. The second baseman got the ball, tossed it to the shortstop who tagged second and then threw to first.

    "Out."

    "Out."

    A double play sent me and Garret back to the dugout. Before even getting back all the way, I spotted the Golden West coach coming out again. I slowed up to watch him take the ball from the pitcher. But the pitcher didn''t leave the field, he jogged out to left field as the original left fielder jogged to the dugout. A new pitcher also came in from their bullpen.

    "Jake." Garret called to me and I hurried back inside the dugout. Him and Coach stood together with Alisha and Mitchell nearby.

    "I think I''ll be seeing that guy again in my next at bat." Garret frowned. "That''s the only reason to move him to the outfield."

    "What a waste of moves." Mitchell commented.

    "It''s a game plan that just worked effectively on us." Coach stated, glancing at Garret.

    Garret straightened up. "Hey, I can hit his curve. It''s not that special."

    "Couldn''t get it to the outfield." Dave scoffed from a few feet away.

    Coach ignored them and looked at me. "Got scared?"

    I nodded without hesitation. "I don''t like when pitchers can see me so easily."

    "I think we can expect it more in the future. Next time, try for a double." He suggested.

    I nodded.

    Our inning came to an end with Jason striking out. There wasn''t a whole lot of time to discuss as we switched gear and prepared to take the field again.

    "Looks like a bullpen game for Golden West." Noah told me as I went to my bag to put my helmet away.

    I slapped on my hat and grabbed my glove. "That''s not a bad thing is it?"

    "Yes and no." Noah shrugged. "It has advantages and disadvantages. Like the pitchers don''t have to worry about pitch count at all since they''re just doing a round through us to get to Garret. So they can go all out and not worry about saving any energy. We also don''t get to see the same pitcher twice. Again, pros and cons. Pro: if we suck against one, we get to try against another. Con: there''s no figuring a pitcher out. It''s a new guy every time."

    We took the field together and went to our respective positions. Top of the third, Dave handled the bottom of their lineup just fine. Batter seven hit a routine grounder to Noah at short. Batter eight hit a fly out to Bryce in right field. Batter nine, their third pitcher of the game, dropped a bunt but it was basically a grounder that went right to Dave at the mound. Dave picked it up with his right and threw it to Sean at first. Three up, three down.

    "Not a bad go around through their lineup." Dave grinned as he shook his arms out, walking through the dugout.

    "Too bad your strikeouts are lacking." Garret entered the dugout just in time to stop his bragging. "You won''t even be a contender for ''King of the Hill'' this year."

    "If Kyle beats you, that''s the same as me beating you." Dave shrugged nonchalantly. "We''re identical twins. I can do whatever he can do."

    "That''s not the same and you know it." Garret rolled his eyes. "You''re just trying to comfort yourself for losing out early on."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "So what. It''s not my fault that I''m already falling behind on innings pitched. Heck, even Brian has me beat in that category."

    The two bickered and talked stats as the bottom of the third started. Korrey was up first and Mitchell was hurrying to take his gear off to get on deck. Dave was also slowly getting ready as he chatted with Garret.

    I turned to Noah. "Hey, did you hear that Servite beat Golden West last week? Bryce just told me."

    "Yea? Not like it matters too much. We''ve beaten them both." Noah relaxed in his seat and took a sip of water.

    "Servite mercy ruled them 15-4."

    Noah started to choke and cough out his water. I patted his back until it cleared.

    "What? That''s crazy." His voice cracked. He cleared his throat and looked down the dugout. "Yo, Bryce, come here a second."

    Bryce casually got up and came over. The two of them started to talk about last week''s game between our two closest competitors.

    I listened as I watched the game. Korrey popped out to the shortstop. Mitchell went up next and Dave left the dugout. Sean stood in the hole near Coach and Alisha.

    "Shit. It''s hard to believe." Noah rubbed the back of his neck. "The same team we could only get one run off of, gave up four to these losers?"

    "That''s what you don''t believe?" Bryce scoffed. "I think it''s insane that they could get 15 runs off Golden West. We only have one hit so far. If we wanted 15 runs in five innings, we''d have to score five an inning now."

    Suddenly everyone gasped and hissed, like they were in pain. I looked to Mitchell and saw him kneeling down, caressing his left arm. Coach and Drew were out there in a heartbeat.

    "What? Hit by pitch?" Noah turned his attention to the game.

    "Hmm."

    "It looked like it hit his hand when he started to swing." Jason commented from the side. "A breaking ball that didn''t break."

    "Ouch."

    Coach spoke with the umpire as Drew took Mitchell back to our dugout. Coach came back soon after them. He looked around. "Nelson, put your helmet on and get on first."

    Dalton jumped up. Dug out his helmet and pulled it on as he hurried to first base.

    "Is Mitchell out of the game?" Bryce got up. "What?"

    "He has a courtesy runner for now." Coach addressed the whole dugout. "Let''s let Drew do his assessment and determine if he''s fine to go back out there or not. Someone tell Oscar to be stretching and warming up in the bullpen."

    Everything seemed to be happening in a matter of a couple of minutes. Drew shook his head and told Coach that it was better if Mitchell went for x-rays. There were too many small bones in the hand that he could have broken. Better safe than sorry. While he had given his opinion, Dave had hit into a double play, third base to second to first. End of the third.

    He came back with Dalton, immediately going to Mitchell who had an ice pack on his hand already.

    "Ok, looks like we''re going with Oscar." Coach said.

    "What. No." Dave whipped his head to Coach in a hurry.

    Coach raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean no? You need a catcher out there and I''m ending Mitchell''s day until he gets cleared by a doctor."

    "You can''t stick me with a freshman, Coach. I''m having a good game."

    "I don''t know if you''ve realized, Dave, but this is your only option. If you don''t like it, you can sit the bench."

    Dave pointed at Noah. "He can catch for me!"

    The dugout got quiet.

 Chapter 1027 V3 Ch261 VS Golden West (3)

    Chapter 1027 V3 Ch261 VS Golden West (3)

    "What?" Noah looked disgusted. "I''m not going to catch for you. I play shortstop, dummy."

    Some of the guys laughed at Noah''s outright refusal.

    "Don''t be like that!" Dave made his way through the team to get to Noah. "You catch for me all the time at home. Now I need a catcher. This is your time to shine."

    "I shine just fine at short, thank you." Noah rolled his eyes.

    "I''m throwing a perfect game, Noah." Dave pleaded. "Don''t leave me with a rookie. I need someone who knows me behind the plate. Help a brother out."

    "Why don''t you ask Kyle then?" Noah shot back. "He''s your brother too. That has also caught for you."

    "You guys playing or not?" The umpire came to our dugout entrance to hurry us.

    Coach pursed his lips and looked to Mitchell. "Can Noah wear your equipment?"

    "Of course!" Mitchell nodded immediately.

    "Put it on!" Coach said firmly to Noah. "The rest of you, get out there and be ready to play some baseball!"

    Everyone started to move.

    "Who''s playing shortstop then?" Sean asked.

    "Nelson!" Coach looked around, trying to find Dalton.

    "On it, Coach!" Dalton grabbed his glove.

    Mitchell got up and led Noah to his bag, pointing at all the stuff a catcher has to wear. "I honestly think you''re a better pick for behind home plate than me with how much you catch for your brothers. You''ll do just fine."

    "I know that." Noah stressed. "I just don''t want that. I like playing short where the action is."

    "Now you''ll see action every pitch." Garret laughed, leaving the dugout with Korrey and Bryce.

    The rest of us left too.

    Dave went to the mound and did a light warmup with Logan just wearing a mask behind home plate. Noah came out and Logan went back.

    "Balls in! Coming down!" Noah hollered as he squatted behind home plate, having not even caught one practice pitch yet.

    I got in place at second base. Dave threw a fastball to Noah. He popped up and threw a bullet to me at second. I caught it and did a casual fake tag.

    "Damn." Dalton muttered. "That was good. Hard to believe he doesn''t practice that every day."

    My lips twitched. Noah was just that good. He didn''t do flashy things at the plate like home runs, but everything else? He relies on his pure athleticism.

    The ball was thrown back to Dave at the mound and the batter stepped up to the plate. Back at the top of the order.

    There was an awkward pause as Dave looked at Noah waiting for a sign that didn''t come. Noah just had his glove up, waiting. I resisted the urge to cover my eyes...Noah doesn''t have to give out signs normally when he catches for Dave.

    After the pointed look, Noah understood and soon gave out the sign. A fastball down the middle. Dave immediately shook his head. Noah looked like he laughed and gave a new sign. Dave nodded and got set. Fastball inside, a brushback pitch for ball one.

    Noah threw the ball back to Dave. Then he gave out a new set of signs. Dave nodded and got straightened out. A fastball inside but still in the zone for a called strike. Noah and Dave worked well together despite never syncing up for an actual game. Heck, an actual practice. Dave only shook Noah off that first time, liking his choices so far.

    The lead off hitter was late to a pitch and barely hit a grounder down the first baseline. Sean scooped it up and held up his hand to stop Dave from coming over. He beat out the runner to the base for the first out. The second batter got cornered quick, 0-2, then chased a ball in the dirt for Dave''s third strikeout of the game. The third batter made the best contact, hitting a grounder to short. Dalton was there to make the play and threw him out to end their half of the inning.

    "Wow. You were pretty good out there, Noah." Jason told him as we all headed to the dugout.

    "Thanks." Noah shrugged.

    "I can''t believe you knew all the signs." Sean commented. "I just know the basics."

    "Same." Noah laughed. "Dave is bit predictable so I can figure out what he wants. Even if I''m not giving the perfect signs, he''ll know that I''ll know what he wants."

    "I''m not predictable. I''m strategic." Dave corrected. "Your very first sign was crap. Want me to get bombed right off the bat?"

    Noah shrugged. "You wouldn''t get to use your perfect game as an excuse to keep me behind the plate."

    "I think it would be pretty special if you caught a perfect game for your brother." Mitchell said as we filed into the dugout.

    I nodded in agreement.

    "Yea, yea. I''m doing it, aren''t I?" Noah started to take the gear off by our bags as everyone went to sit down. We were starting the bottom of the fourth with the top of our order too like Golden West just did.

    "I kind of like you behind the plate too." I whispered to Noah.

    Noah glanced at me, eyebrow raised.

    I gave a tiny shrug and looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I don''t know either. It''s like a kind of reassurance. You''re good at every position. And this position touches the ball the most along with the pitcher."

    Noah laughed. "I''m not omnipotent, Jake. Gosh, I''m starting to feel like I''m doing more than just catching for Dave because you guys are making a big deal out of this."

    "It kind of is." I pointed out. "Coach must think so too since he chose to go with you instead of Oscar."

    That made Noah think as he finished getting ready for his at bat. He let out a small sigh as he picked his bat up. "The things I do to keep this team going." He laughed and headed for the exit.

    I casually got ready for my at bat too, not sure if it would get to my turn, but at the very least I would be left in the on deck circle. Just as I got to Bryce and Coach, Sean poked a grounder up the middle for a single. Our dugout livened up and Bryce left me for the on deck circle.

    Coach focused on Mr. Miller, looking to what he was deciding to do with Noah up to bat now. He gave the sign for a sacrifice bunt. Sean had to start his run as soon as the ball left the pitcher''s fingertips and Noah had to get the ball down fairly for us to catch them off guard.

    I held my breath as Noah got set. The pitcher checked on Sean at first, but no check throw. Just a glance. He started his motion and Sean started his run a second too early. The pitcher must have change the pitch to a high fastball. Noah shifted his hands and got his bat up on the high pitch. He did his best to make contact and the ball did drop, rolling to the incoming pitcher. The pitcher picked the ball up with his right and checked back at second where Sean just slid in safely. He had to settle for throwing Noah out at first. Not bad.

    I let out a sigh of relief. Bryce went up to the plate; I left the dugout as Noah came in. We slapped hands and the game continued. Bryce was given the green light to swing freely. Sean had to pay attention to the possibility of advancing to third. Either on a ground ball or if Bryce hit a fly ball he could tag up on. Bryce came through with a long fly ball to right. The right fielder had to make the catch at the warning track. Sean tagged up and sprinted for third. He needlessly slid into third and clapped his hands as he stood up.

    He wasn''t the only one. The whole crowd seemed to livened up as I headed for the batter''s box. Two outs with a runner on third. With me coming up to bat. I was nervous on what Golden West was going to do. A pitcher change? A walk? I looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. The catcher was already squatting while the pitcher was eyeing Sean at third.

    I looked around and saw most of the fielders playing back. Infielders and outfielders. The infielders really wanted to focus on getting me out while the outfielders wanted to catch any fly ball I may hit.

    The pitcher did a small walk off the mound to make Sean inch back to third. Then he got back on the rubber. Nodded at the signage. I gripped my bat. I know Coach said to try for a double in my next at bat, but I had to play it safe here to get us on the board. The first pitch came, outside. I swung and connected, hitting a line drive just out of the reach of the first baseman. Sean ran home, I sprinted to first. And the right fielder caught the ball on a hop before throwing it back in to prevent me from going any further.

    1-0. Claps and cheers filled our small baseball field.

 Chapter 1028 V3 Ch262 VS Golden West (4)

    Chapter 1028 V3 Ch262 VS Golden West (4)

    Garret walked up next and sure enough, the coach came out of the opposing dugout again. He signaled for a pitcher and player change. The lefty came back in from the outfield and the pitcher went to the dugout as an extra player came out to go to the outfield.

    "Two outs." Coach Luis reminded me. "You take off no matter what."

    "Okay." I nodded. "But like...when?" I looked up at him.

    Coach Luis pursed his lips, looking like he was holding back a laugh. "I guess whenever you feel comfortable."

    I scratched my neck. "It''s a lefty, Coach." I was never comfortable with a pitcher that could see me at all times.

    Coach Luis didn''t hold back this time and laughed. "Alright, kid. I understand. Let''s do this; leave when Garret makes contact. With two outs, there''s no sense in trying to get you to steal."

    My shoulders relaxed.

    The umpire called for the game to resume and Garret stepped into his batter''s box. This time he took a more patient approach, letting the pitch throw his curves freely. Strike. Ball. Ball. Strike. 2-2. On the fifth pitch, I could see Garret adjust his swing and did his best to reach the ball. He made better contact, hitting a fly ball to center. I took off. I tagged second base and on the way to third, I could hear the groans. No doubt, his fly ball was caught. I slowed to a jog and went back to the dugout.

    "Good decision-making." Coach acknowledged me when I came back in. "Next time you''re up and if we still have the lead, you take your chance."

    I nodded and went back to my bag.

    Noah was finishing getting his shin guards back on. "Another reason I wouldn''t want to be a catcher; you''re constantly having to take these things on and off. It''s okay at home because I just wear it for an hour straight." He complained but he didn''t sound truly upset.

    We separated and went to our positions with the rest of the team. Dave did his practice pitches and soon the cleanup hitter stepped up to the plate. Dave got him to strike out last time, but now he showed patience as he worked the count to full. Dave had to stay in the zone, unwilling to face Noah''s complaints if he walked the guy. The cleanup hitter got a piece of a pitch and smacked it high into the air. Dalton backpedaled to center and I flat out went to second base. I knew I wasn''t the type to track down a high fly into the shallow outfield like that.

    Garret came sprinting in. "Mine! MINE!" Dalton peeled away just as Garret started his slide and made the catch before the ball could touch the grass. Out.

    "I could have caught that myself." I heard Dalton in the distance.

    My eyes widened.

    Garret got up and tossed the ball to Dalton. "Yea. Sure." He sounded perfunctory. Garret started walking back to center field.

    Dalton turned my way and threw me the ball. I avoided eye contact and threw it to Dave on the mound. I didn''t know whether Dalton was just saying that to let Garret know or whether he was mad that he was called off. Either way, I wanted no part of it.

    Dave dealt with the next two batters perfectly, getting two more strikeouts added to his stat sheet today. Him and Noah strolled back to the dugout together as the rest of us jogged it in.

    "Dalton." Garret called out. "Hold on a minute." The two of them stayed outside the dugout for a short conversation.

    I didn''t stick around to overhear. I just went to my bag, took my glove off, and sat down.

    "What''s going on with them two?" Noah asked, nodding his head their way. He took off his chest protector before sitting down.

    I quickly told him about the small exchange after the fly ball.

    Noah snorted, but held himself back from saying anything as the two came back to the dugout.

    Bottom of the fifth. Jason and Korrey left the dugout first. Dalton was in Mitchell''s spot in the lineup so he also got ready to go out for his at bat. As soon as Jason hit into a groundout to first and Dalton had to leave to go out on deck, Noah waved Garret over.

    Garret raised an eyebrow and walked over. "Shouldn''t you be hanging out with your pitcher and talking strategy?" That''s what most catchers did so I looked to Noah too.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "That''s lame. Plus, Dave is already in the hole." He lowered his voice. "I wanted to know what you said to Dalton."

    Garret glanced at me and figured out that I must have told him. He lowered his voice too. "I''m only telling you because you''re the vice-captain. Anybody else and I wouldn''t gossip. Basically I told Dalton to keep his attitude in check. He was thinking that I wouldn''t have called you off if you were in short. I told him that wouldn''t matter because it didn''t happen." He gave a small shrug. "Then I laid it out for him. One, I''m the center fielder, I get to make all the calls on the grass. Two, I''m the captain and I know what''s best. Three, I''m the better player."

    "You even found time to brag about yourself." Noah chuckled.

    "Is it a lie?" Garret shot back.

    "Okay. Go away. I don''t care since you already spoke to him." Noah waved him away.

    "Such attitude." Garret grinned yet he still walked away, going over to talk to the injured Mitchell.

    Korrey got a groundout to short and Dalton struck out to end the inning. Noah put the chest protector back on and grabbed the face mask as we headed out. He beat out Dave who was left on deck in the offensive but it only took an extra few seconds before he went out too.

    They continued to work well together with Dave not having to shake off any of Noah''s signs. If it wasn''t for the batter, I would have thought I was watching them work out in the backyard like normal. Dave struck out batters seven and eight bringing his total to seven so far. The ninth batter was a pinch hitter who had a little more luck, hitting a fly ball to left field. But Korrey was there to make the catch and end their half of the inning.

    The dugout was a little more muted as everyone got back in. Dave was the first to switch his gear and get back out there, ready to lead off. Sean left for the on deck circle too.

    Noah, beside me, worked on taking off all the catching gear. He would bat for sure this inning.

    "Don''t give Dave a hard time if he gets out." I reminded Noah. "You don''t want to rile him up before..." I trailed off, not wanting to be the one to jinx it.

    Noah grinned. "Yea, yea, I know. I''m more worried about myself right now. My streak is at risk here."

    Oh. Yea. I nodded in understanding. I liked to do more for the team like driving in runs and Noah had more individualistic goals like getting on base every game.

    Unsurprisingly, Dave struck out to start us off. No one said anything about it and let him walk back to his spot on the bench in peace. No one wanted to be responsible for taking him out of his pitch perfect mindset just before he took on the seventh inning.

    The dugout didn''t stay quiet for long though. We roared to life when Sean blasted a ball to deep center field. We only got louder when the ball cleared the fence and bumped the score to 2-0.

    Noah went up next. Bryce was on deck. And I was in the hole.

    Noah attacked the very first pitch he saw, hitting it to right field for a base hit. He stood on first, looking eagerly at Mr. Miller. Mr. Miller gave him the green light to go ahead and steal. Bryce had to pay attention in the batter''s box and try not to foul any of the early pitches.

    I moved out to the on deck circle.

    Bryce left the first pitch pass for a called strike. He glanced at Noah at first, but didn''t make any unnecessary moves. Yet, we could tell what he meant. Noah should go on the next pitch. Noah was relaxed with his lead, not going too far off the bag so as not to grab any special attention from the pitcher. However, as soon as the pitcher started his motion and lifted his leg, Noah bolted for second. Bryce took a called strike two. The catcher jumped up, but ultimately didn''t throw to second. He chose to give the ball back to his pitcher.

    Now Bryce was cornered at 0-2. He had to defend the plate and swing at anything close. Which led him to reach out for an outside pitch, hitting a fly ball to right. The right fielder backed up a little for it. Made the catch. Noah tagged up and took off. The right fielder hurried his throw straight to third and it went wide. Noah slid into third and the third baseman missed the ball. Noah didn''t hesitate to scramble up on his feet and sprint home. The third baseman got the ball and threw to his catcher at home plate. Noah started his slide and the tag came down.

    "Safe!" The umpire declared. Bryce went to help Noah up and the two went back to the dugout happily.

    I was happy too. With Noah getting to third, I had just started thinking that I should play it safe and drive him in. But with him doing it all with his legs, I had the opportunity to try for a homer. I stepped up to the righty''s box and got set. The pitcher looked agitated from how this inning was turning out for him. He was another righty from the bullpen that didn''t seem to have a breaking ball. He threw his fastball around the zone, getting to a full count as I fouled a couple of pitches off. When he finally threw me one nearly right down the middle, I took my shot, pulling the ball down the left field line. I ditched my bat and ran for first.

    After rounding first, I had a good view of the left fielder getting to the fence. He timed his jump and snatched my ball that was about to go over and brought it down. A spectacular catch. My jaw dropped as his team headed for their dugout.

    "Just a little short." Mr. Miller told me as we went back together.

    "I thought I had it." I frowned. Maybe I really do need to spend more time in the gym. That was a good pitch and a good swing.

    "Brush it off and focus." Mr. Miller patted me on the shoulder. "One more inning then you can think it over."

    I nodded. "Right." I hurried through the dugout, switched my gear, and hurried back out. I didn''t want any of my issues to cause Dave to have an issue. He was three outs away from a perfect game.

    It was hard to think that just over a week ago, Garret had his and now Dave''s comeback was going so smoothly. I tried my best to keep focused as the inning started.

    Back at the top of the lineup. Dave dealt with the guy cleanly, getting him to chase on an 0-2 count, getting his eighth strikeout of the game. Batter two wasn''t the same at all. He found a perfect pitch to pull to left field. A line drive. I moved to second base to cover and my heart started to pound. Korrey sprinted in and dove for it. He slid in the grass and held his glove up. The ball was caught. I let out a breath I was holding. Two outs. One to go. The third batter made contact the previous two times. Fly out to center and a grounder to short. He repeated the latter and it was up to Dalton. He made the catch, transferred the ball to his throwing hand and threw it to Sean, beating out the runner.

    We swarmed to the mound, heading for Dave. But Dave was headed for Noah. Noah jumped and Dave caught him, swinging him around happily. This time, I didn''t even stress or think as I joined the pair of brothers. I was probably happier than the both of them.

 Chapter 1029 V3 Ch263

    Chapter 1029 V3 Ch263

    The celebration took even longer to break up this time around. Two perfect games from two different pitchers in a span of not even two weeks. We were riding high, bouncing around, grinning like a bunch of idiots.

    "Heck!" Kyle exclaimed, pulling Noah into a headlock. "You''ve got to catch for me too now!"

    "No way!" Noah shoved him away. "You guys can''t trap me there. Try to think of how Mitch would feel."

    "Yea, how is Mitchell?" Kyle stopped messing around and went to look for his catcher.

    He wasn''t the only twin to disappear. Dave, the star of the game, the MVP, was off to the side, talking to Oscar. The freshman backup.

    "Come on. Let''s go." Noah spotted them two as well.

    I physically cringed, not really wanting to know how awkward that conversation must be between the two. It should have been Oscar to go in after Mitchell got hit by that pitch, but Dave made the decision to go with his brother. It can''t be a good feeling.

    "I just wanted you to know that I didn''t think poorly of you as a catcher." We heard Dave saying. "I was just in this groove and I needed a catcher to match my energy."

    "You don''t think I would have matched your energy?" Oscar sounded confused.

    "It''s about the connection." Dave said, moving his hands around. "You''re a great player behind the plate. Good skills like placement and all that. But you''re still new to when calling games. I knew if Coach put you in for Mitchell, the pace would get messed up. I would either have to shake you off the whole time or you would have to look to Coach in the dugout to make pitch selections like last time."

    Oscar didn''t look offended. He looked thoughtful. His eyes shifted as he saw Noah and me approaching. Dave noticed him looking and looked too.

    Dave reached out and pulled Noah closer. "I''ve been pitching to Noah for years. He just knows what I want and what I can do. Heck, most of the time we wouldn''t even need signs."

    Oscar slowly nodded. "I understand. It''s nothing personal. You just wanted what''s best for you."

    Noah laughed. "It''s personal. You can say it. He''s selfish."

    Dave shrugged helplessly. "I am. A little bit. I just knew what I wanted. And I had to see it through. Everyone knows I haven''t been having an easy time on the mound this season." He looked at Oscar. "I know how it feels to lose your chance at playing in a game and I wanted to apologize."

    "I''m not mad." Oscar looked at Dave directly. "A little disappointed, but I entered this season knowing I wasn''t going to get a lot of playing time. I''m a freshman at the highest level. I''m using this year to learn and get better. Maybe challenge Mitchell for his starting spot next year. Definitely be a starter by my junior year. I''m more interested in knowing how to get connected with pitchers when I can''t get game experience." He laid out what he saw for himself in the future and what he wanted. I was impressed with his calm demeanor and how steady he was talking to a senior pitcher like Dave.

    Dave took off his hat and scratched his head. "Well. I don''t know. It''s not just game experience that matters to a battery. It''s practice too. Mitchell and I paired up a lot over the summer especially. Like don''t you pair up with Robbie a lot? You know what he likes to do and what he''s good at."

    "Yes, I do know the rhythm that Robbie likes to follow." He said.

    Coach chose that moment to come by and gesture for us to get back to the dugout. "Time to cleanup and let us take care of the field."

    "Will Oscar be the catcher for Saturday?" Noah suddenly asked him.

    Coach stopped to look at our small group. He frowned. "Why? Are you thinking I''ll make you catch again?"

    Noah grinned. "Come on, Coach. We''re just talking. Dave didn''t want him to feel bad."

    "I know what Dave was thinking asking you to be his catcher. Trust me, as soon as he gave up a hit or walk, we would have switched you out immediately." He looked at Oscar. "Without a doubt, you''ll be the starter on Saturday." He frowned. "As soon as we know the extent of Mitchell''s injury, we''ll think about next week." He started to look around. "That kid better not be messing around at a time like this." He left us, probably going to look for Mitchell and ask why he wasn''t heading to the hospital yet.

    "He didn''t say whether I''ll be making the pitch selection." Oscar watched Coach''s back with intensity.

    "Ask him tomorrow at practice." Noah shrugged.

    "I think it''ll depend on who''s on the mound." Dave commented. "Not too many guys will trust a freshman with the pitch selection. It''s different when it''s coming from Coach."

    We walked back to the dugout and joined the others in cleaning and packing up. Mitchell was sent out by Coach as he listed instructions to get checked by a doctor. X-rays would be needed if he wanted to practice.

    Coach addressed the team afterwards, just before we left for the night. "Good game, boys. Excellent composure by Dave on the mound with solid fielding behind him. I would like to see more hits on Saturday so tomorrow will be a batting practice kind of day."

    "Who gets to pitch Saturday?" Kyle asked. His face was practically begging ''pick me, pick me''.

    "I''m giving the ball to Robbie to start with." Coach announced. "It''s no secret that Mitchell will rest Saturday even if nothing is broken. And if it''s worst case scenario, we might be seeing more of Oscar behind the plate. He and Robbie have worked together before and I especially liked them when they faced Jake last year."

    "Does that mean I''ll be doing the pitch selection?" Oscar took the chance to ask, speaking up in front of the team for the first time.

    Coach nodded. "Absolutely. If the offense cooperates and we get a bigger lead, I would like to see you pairing up with quite a few pitchers in a live situation." He squinted. "If I don''t like what I see, we''ll change it up. That goes for everyone."

    Noah rubbed his nose and whispered to me. "I have a feeling he''s talking to me."

    I raised an eyebrow.

    "I think I''m the third string catcher now."

    My lips twitched. "He can pull someone up from JV."

    "Booo. No way." Noah didn''t like that idea. "The lower levels are on a struggle bus. Our team, our roster, is perfect right now. We can''t be messing it up."

    I shrugged. Coach never kept things exactly like it was. He likes to experiment and isn''t afraid of change. Especially when it comes to winning.

    Coach dismissed us and set us free. Out by the bleachers, a lot of the students had gone home already, leaving the adults. Parents and...scouts. And reporters.

    Mr. Cameron was easy to spot as he beelined for us as soon as we walked off the field. "Dave, awesome game! And Noah, I didn''t know you could catch! Really unexpected."

    "Is it?" Noah deadpanned. "I have two older brothers that pitch. Who would believe that I didn''t know how to catch?"

    Mr. Cameron was stunned by the attitude.

    "Don''t worry about him." Dave laughed. "He clearly doesn''t like doing it. But I appreciate him stepping up when our regular catcher got hit by that pitch."

    "Yea. That''s tough." Mr. Cameron said. "Do you guys know if he''s okay? What will be the plan for the rest of the season if he''s hurt?" He eyed Noah in particular.

    Noah sighed. "I''m not going to become a catcher if that''s what you''re wondering. We have a reliable backup who will definitely be behind the plate on Saturday. For now, we''re waiting to hear back from Mitchell. He went for x-rays, I guess."

    Mr. Cameron noted it down. Then looked at Noah. "I also noted that you were able to continue your hit streak. Your batting average has impressed quite a few people. Especially when they look at your stolen bases."

    Noah perked up, excited about this kind of thing. "Yea, I''m quite happy about it too. Getting on is important for the team, but being able to get those extra bases really make me feel like I''m contributing."

    Mr. Cameron asked him a little more about his at bats. Then talked to Dave about his pitching. He saved me for last, asking how I felt about our league record as we were more than halfway through the regular season. "Your last game of the season is less than a month away now. Any thoughts?"

    I pursed my lips and thought about it. Noah and the twins would probably say something like ''we''ll win it all'' but that''s not really me. Even Zeke would say something like that, but he would also- I looked at Mr. Cameron. "We''ll win one game at a time. We don''t take any game easily."

    He nodded. "You guys do have the best record with Servite just behind you with their one loss. I believe it''ll be a deciding factor for the season when you guys play them the second time around. You''ll have the advantage of being the home team too."

    "That''s not an advantage for Jake." Noah laughed. "He''s more scared of people cheering for him than against."

    Mr. Cameron laughed along, knowing me and my personality. He didn''t make a big deal about it and just asked more questions about the next few games before saying goodbye and that he''ll see us Saturday.

 Chapter 1030 V3 Ch264 (Math Lesson)

    Chapter 1030 V3 Ch264 (Math Lesson)

    I saw Mitchell in my second class of the day and immediately looked down at his left hand. It was a nasty shade of blue and had a lump on it. I looked at him in a panic.

    Mitchell read my expression and laughed as he waved for me to sit down. "It''s ugly, I know. But nothing broke so it''s not bad news."

    I frowned as I sat in my seat. "Not bad news doesn''t mean good news."

    Mitchell shrugged. "Instead of being out for the rest of the season with a broken bone, I''m out for two weeks with a contusion. It''s kind of a small win."

    I did the math in my head. "You''ll be back for Servite."

    He nodded. "Until then, I''m on ice and Tylenol. Probably do workouts with Drew that doesn''t involve catching. Or stuff like weights and push-ups."

    I reached out to pat his shoulder with pity. I knew what was coming for him.

    Mitchell was taken aback. "What''s that look for?"

    Sean laughed. "I think Jake thinks you''ll be running the whole time."

    I nodded.

    Mitchell frowned. "No way. Right? I''m a catcher. We don''t need to run. It''s not like I''m slow, but I don''t need to steal bases like Noah."

    "It''s probably to work on your endurance." I told him. After giving it some thought, I kind of knew Drew and his motto. "I see a lot of squats in your future too."

    Mitchell looked stunned.

    "If I ever get hurt again, I hope it''s something in the legs still." Sean joked. "I''ve seen what Drew does to those with healthy legs."

    We talked about Drew and his training tactics until class started. Coach Luis was laidback, but everyone still gave him respect. I don''t know if that was because he looked uptight or if everyone just wanted to keep him happy. I knew that he was just straightforward and would classify him as a good guy.

    After Spanish was a break. I met Noah at our lockers, grabbed a snack, and told him about Mitchell''s hand.

    "Two weeks? Damn." He munched on an apple. "There''s five games before Servite. He''s really missing out. Hope Oscar can handle things behind the plate."

    "You think the twins might ask you to catch for them?" I asked.

    "No. And even if they did, the answer would be no." He told me. "They have a proper catcher. They can''t be picky. They don''t know who or what thir catchers will be like in the future. Old or young. Big or small. Good or bad. They have to deal with what they''ve got."

    That sounded right so I nodded along. We talked about watching the softball game after practice today while eating some snacks. We parted ways and I headed to Calculus with the twins.

    Just as I entered the classroom and was about to head for my seat, Mr. Petrus waved me over. Besides teaching my favorite subject, he was my favorite teacher to be near. He understood me on a deeper level and never called on me in class to talk.

    "I saw your game yesterday, Jake." He told me with a small smile. "Congrats on the win."

    "Thanks." I replied automatically. "Actually, it was all thanks to Dave''s pitching."

    "Yes, he did well too. But I actually wanted to talk to you about your fly out at the end."

    Oh. I rubbed the back of my neck embarrassed. "Yea...I''m working on hitting for power. I think I might start lifting more to get stronger."

    "Perhaps." He tapped his desk rhythmically. "But I know you. You weren''t using strength before to get it over the fence."

    "I like to use angles." I didn''t mind telling him about my thought process since it did involve some math. "The corners of the field are the shortest distance so I try to aim there. All of my homers are the corners."

    "But not yesterday." He pointed out.

    "Yea. I don''t know. It happens I guess." I shrugged.

    "I don''t think you''ve noticed since it''s been subtle." He said. "But your swing has changed."

    Instinctively, I started to shake my head, no. I know my swing.

    "It''s only a little bit but it''s there." He continued. "In math, we need a lot of the variables to come up with an answer in an equation, right?"

    I nodded.

    "You even spoke about angles and aiming for corners so I know you use a lot of thinking in that batter''s box. But you''re so zoned in, you''re not taking a look at what has changed."

    I frowned. "What has changed?"

    The bell rung signaling that class was now in session.

    "I think you''ll be extremely interested in today''s lesson." He stood up slowly, looking small and fragile, kind of resembling Grampa. "Go ahead and take your seat."

    I headed to my assigned seat with the twins. They looked curious as to what we were talking about, but couldn''t say anything as Mr. Petrus started to talk to the class. I hurried to get a notebook and pencil out, ready to take notes.

    Mr. Petrus didn''t dance around what he wanted to teach today. "I''m sure we all know how good the baseball team is." A lot of eyes drifted our way and sounds of agreement were made. "I watched yesterday''s perfect game by our very own, Dave Atkins." Applause broke out and Dave took a stand to bow and be obnoxious. "Yes, yes, very well done. I like to show how much calculus can be found in everyday life such as baseball games."

    He went to the whiteboard with his dry erase marker and continued. "In baseball, calculus can be used to optimize the pitcher''s throw to achieve maximum efficiency. Also, calculus can be used to calculate the projectile motion of baseball''s trajectory and to predict if runners can make it to the next base on time given their running speed and the speed of a hit ball." He started to write down two very important formulas.

    I earnestly copied everything down from what he said to what he was writing. He talked about how to find the kinectic energy of a baseball thrown and how players could figure out how much force they need to exert on the ball to reach the place where they want the ball to go.

    "Granted. It''s much easier said than done." He commented. "Meanwhile, figuring out the collision of a bat and ball are a little bit more complex. Every player has a typical swing with small variations. We can calculate the average force on the bat during a collision by first calculating the change in the ball''s momentum. We know that the momentum of an object is the product of its mass and its velocity." He continued on talking about force and time, and how we could find the force of a batter''s swing.

    A lot of questions were asked from the class and Mr. Petrus patiently answered. He gave out examples on the board and we worked through the problems as a class. The pitcher formula was much easier grasped than the batting force, but I started to understand what he wanted to point out to me. Nothing like going around in a maze to tell me that my mass has changed, affecting my force. Kind of like me thinking if I was stronger, I could hit the ball farther. Which I wasn''t totally wrong about. I just didn''t factor my recent growth in height and weight.

    "What a headache." Kyle complained after the bell rung and we packed up. "I''m going to have to go pro no matter what round I get drafted in. I just can''t sit through math anymore. Such a pain." He patted Dave on the shoulder. "I wish you the best."

    "I have to pick a degree that doesn''t require high level math classes." Dave stated firmly.

    "I suggest a Bachelor of Arts instead of a Bachelor of Science." Mr. Petrus had snuck up behind us, making the twins jump and look embarrassed, getting caught talking trash on his teaching subject.

    "Thank you, Mr. Petrus." I told him sincerely.

    "Keep working, Jake. But don''t forget to have fun." He instructed.

    I nodded with a smile. "You made it fun for me today."

    He nodded back and walked to his desk, letting us leave without further comment on the twin''s complaints.

    "What the heck?" Dave muttered when we were in the clear.

    "You thought that was fun?" Kyle asked me, jerking his thumb back at the classroom.

    I nodded. "Enlightening too."

    Dave held my head between his hands. "You poor unfortunate soul. We need to take you out more. To the beach. Ride some rollercoasters. Go rock climbing. Anything else than math."

    I laughed and gave a light slap to push him away from me. "You don''t get it. There''s a lot of math in baseball. I like math. I like it even more knowing that it''ll make me a better player."

    "You''re so weird." Kyle shook his head.

    Thankfully, I didn''t have to stick with the pair for too long. I headed straight to my next class that I had with Alisha.

 Chapter 1031 V3 Ch265 Dr. Visit

    Chapter 1031 V3 Ch265 Dr. Visit

    The girl''s softball team won with ease, with a lot of help from Kaylee and Marie at the plate. The sisters garnered a lot of attention afterwards, leaving us no time to stick around and talk. By the time we got home that night, it was time for dinner and then showers. After mine, I stepped on the scale we had in the hallway bathroom. The number surprised me and I stepped off, let it reset, then stepped on again.

    "No." I mumbled to myself. "That can''t be right."

    I went to the big bonus room that we all shared and started to look for the tape measure.

    "Looking for something?" Dave asked. I told him and he joined in on the search, finding it in a junk drawer. He helped me out and told me the results. "You''re almost five foot seven." He let out a whistle. "You''re really sprouting up now!"

    I was finally taller than Noah when he was a freshman. It was hard to feel myself getting taller when I was surrounded by giants like the Atkins everyday. Dad was the tallest person I know, and Mom was second. Zeke was just about the same height as her and the twins weren''t far behind.

    I looked at Dave. "Hey, do we have a second scale around?"

    "A scale? Like to weigh yourself?" He shrugged. "I don''t know. Just use the one in the hallway bathroom."

    "I did." I frowned. "I don''t think it''s right."

    "Come on. Let''s see." He led the way back to the hallway bathroom and got on the scale. It went to 182.3 pounds. "Yep, that''s about right for me." He stepped off and looked at me. "What did it say for you?"

    I got back on, thinking maybe it recalibrated itself when Dave stepped on. But no. The same numbers flashed. 113.4 pounds. I''m weighing less than before.

    Dave laughed and picked me up under my arms, lifting me in the air. "Yea. I can believe it. Dang, Noah is gonna have to start giving you his cookies or something." He put me down and noticed that my look of distress. "What is it?"

    "I''m losing weight." I looked at him, worried.

    He blinked. Surprised. "Really?"

    I nodded quickly.

    He guided me out of the bathroom and into the hallway. "Then, let''s go talk to Mom or Dad. I don''t think you''re supposed to lose weight when growing. Most guys gain weight then get taller."

    "I did!" I told him as we went down the stairs. "I was gaining weight. When I got my last laser treatment, they take your weight and height like every other doctor. I just...don''t know where it went?"

    "Are you eating less?"

    "I don''t think so." I shrugged. "I mean, I''m not snacking as much now that we''re in season." There just wasn''t enough time.

    We went to our parent''s office and found the pair sharing a computer, looking over something work related.

    "Did you two finish your showers?" Dad spared us a glance.

    "Yea. Noah''s in the shower and Kyle''s on the phone with Marie." Dave patted my shoulder. "Jake might have a problem."

    That grabbed both of their undivided attention. Both of them stood up and came closer.

    "What''s going on?" Mom asked, looking me up and down like I might have hurt myself.

    "I''m losing weight." I told them.

    Mom and Dad visibly relaxed, but still had a look of concern.

    "How much weight?" Dad asked. "It''s normal for athletes to fluctuate with the intensity of practice."

    "He''s 113 pounds!" Dave told them. "And we just measured how tall he was. Almost five foot seven."

    "113?!" Mom repeated with a gasp. She immediately reached out to hold my hands, pulling my arms up. "He''s been thin, but now that you''ve said it, I can see it. He''s really bony." She looked to Dad. "Wayne, we''ve got to make an appointment. What if something''s seriously wrong?"

    My heart started to palpitate. "Do you really think so?"

    Mom paused and saw the look on my face. She started to backtrack. "No, no. Nothing too serious. Maybe it''s because we''re not focusing on high calorie foods? Yea, that could be it."

    "If something was seriously wrong, I don''t think you would be growing taller." Dave slapped my back. "It''s just concerning. Get checked by a doctor. I think I''ve seen him more this year than anyone else. Nice to finally have someone catch up to me."

    I rolled my eyes, but I did feel better.

    "I''ll call tomorrow morning and get you an appointment soon." Mom told me.

    ''Soon'' turned out to be during school the next day. She sent me a text during Spanish saying that she would come get me and take me to Dr. Walker''s office. Before Spanish even ended, someone from the office brought me an off-campus pass.

    "You missing practice today?" Sean asked as I packed up.

    I shook my head. "No. Just a doctor appointment and then I''ll be back."

    He and Mitchell nodded, not asking anymore questions. I finished cleaning up, waved to Coach Luis, and headed out. I stopped by my locker to ditch the heavy books and then went to the front of the school. Mom was in her car, waiting in the loading zone. I hurried up and got in on the front passenger side.

    "Where''s Dad?" I asked, buckling up.

    She started to drive. "Meeting with a client. We tried switching to no avail." She sighed. "Sorry, Jake. I knew you would be more comfortable with him than me."

    I shrugged. "I''m okay with either."

    She smiled. "Yea? That''s good." She asked about my classes and we talked about school until we got to the office.

    At the office, Anna May checked us in and directed us to an empty exam room. Mom took the side chair, leaving me the exam table. Anna May came in to do some of the usual stuff like weight, height, blood pressure, temperature, and pulse. Soon after she left, Dr. Walker came in. He greeted Mom, then me.

    "I understand you''re concerned about your weight." Dr. Walker said to me. "I have to say, I share the same sentiment. It''s an improvement from the first time I saw you at 99 pounds, but compared to the physical you did at the end of the year..." He shook his head.

    My heart dropped.

    "What do you think is the problem?" Mom asked, worried.

    Dr. Walker looked between the two of us. Seeing our scared looks, he started to laugh. "It''s not a huge problem. It''s just something we have to monitor. I believe his weight gain spured him to grow taller. It''s a good sign that he''s healthy. The problem lies in the fact that he''s an athlete, burning calories and energy. The body also needs energy to grow. If there''s not enough fat to supply the energy, the body will start to break down the muscle. I''m glad you came in when you did. We''ll get you back on that high-calorie diet. Let me guess, you''ve stopped eating lots of carbs and been eating more protein?"

    Mom looked a little guilty. "We try to have balanced meals, but yes, he''s not been focused on eating carbs for a long time. We just thought..."

    "That he would get over it?" Dr. Walker nodded. "Yes, most do especially after reaching their ideal weight. Jake''s case is a bit special since he''s a teenage boy going through puberty at the same time."

    I felt my face heat up. Now I wish Dad had taken me instead of Mom.

    "Is there anything else we can do besides getting him to eat more?" Mom asked, avoiding the puberty talk.

    "We''ll send him to the lab for a blood draw and make sure there''s nothing we''re missing." He looked at me. "Any questions for me, Jake?"

    I started to shake my head, but stopped myself. "Do you know whether this will help me gain muscle mass?"

    He nodded. "Yes, weight gain while strength training is a way to build muscle mass. I can print some literature on it if you''d like?"

    I nodded. My biggest problem right now was mass. With a small mass, my force value is lower no matter how I mess with my swing.

    "I''ll also print some meal ideas for you." He continued. "You go ahead and get your blood drawn and I''ll get everything together."

    "Thanks." I told him.

    "Thank you." Mom repeated, standing up with me.

    We went out together, heading to the small lab adjacent to his office. I got a few vials of blood drawn for tests and we went back to his office. Anna May handed me a small stack of papers, saying they talked about weight gain and building muscle. Some of it also included how to prepare high calorie meals and how to eat frequently to encourage weight gain.

    It was still early for lunch, but Mom took me to a nearby bakery to have a snack. We sat down and she started to look over the papers as I ate a big croissant.

    "You have to take this seriously, Jake, if you want to see some change." Mom told me. "Back to a constant fruit and veggie snack between classes. After school and before practice. This says that you''ll still have to eat a lot of protein just in smaller portions. Don''t be shorting yourself."

    I nodded.

    By the time she took me back to school, it was the middle of Geography. I tried to ignore all the stares as I went to my seat, but one person in particular couldn''t be ignored because she sat right beside me. Alisha.

    "Where were you?" She whispered.

    I glanced at the teacher who had his attention on the board. "Doctor appointment."

    "Everything okay?"

    I nodded. "I just need to gain some weight."

    She unexpectedly put her arm next to mine. I was clearly skinnier. "Heck yea you do. I just know I weigh more than you. Don''t tell me anymore or I might feel bad about myself."

    My lips twitched. I don''t know whether she should be the one feeling bad or me. I''m the one skinnier than a girl. But at least I''m a little taller; I straightened up in my seat, proud of something.

 Chapter 1032 V3 Ch266

    Chapter 1032 V3 Ch266

    Friday''s practice was light as Coach spent most of his time with Oscar and a couple of the pitchers. Most of us were sent to the batting cage to take turns getting work in. Noah and I were the exception though. Noah convinced Mr. Miller that we had to practice turning double plays, so we spent almost an hour taking turns diving in the dirt while the other covered second base.

    After getting home from practice, Grampa greeted me by handing me a banana. "Mary says I have to make sure you''re eating a fruit or veggie at all times. Watching TV? Have some carrots. Doing homework? Eat some apple slices." He laughed at my look of defeat. "Don''t worry, kid. We''ll fatten you up in no time. Tonight, we''ll have my homemade pasta. I''ve already started."

    After we all showered and sat down for dinner, Mom and Dad talked more about the plan for next weekend and what to expect. It was mostly for Kyle who was choosing to stay home with Grampa. He was to periodically check in and if anything went wrong, he could expect to be grounded until graduation. Which was only two months away so I don''t know how much of a deterrent that was.

    After dinner, we all chose to stay in, watching the A''s game on TV. Jeremy and his team were in Seattle playing the Mariners. It was still early in the season and no one in their division had taken off yet. Not like a Florida team that had already won ten games in a row. That was crazy.

    By the time the game ended, with an A''s loss sadly, it was time to go to bed. Our game tomorrow was going to be in the mid morning, meaning a somewhat early bus ride. Quincy was an hour and a half away, but most memorably, it was the away game where Noah and Austin got into it.

    After a big breakfast thanks to Mom, we showed up to school and put our bags in storage under the bus, saying ''hi'' to the other guys. The twins boarded early while Noah and I hung outside of the bus. Noah was put in charge in of watching what I ate, when I ate, and how much I ate. And he took his job seriously, urging me to eat a banana before we boarded even though we legitimately just ate.

    "Please tell me you had something else to eat this morning besides a banana?" Alisha showed up with a small backpack.

    I looked to Noah since I was still chewing.

    Noah explained that we already ate breakfast and that I was just snacking, trying to up my calorie count.

    Alisha reached out to hold my shoulder. "I have a feeling you''re going to become a little fat boy."

    "I''m not little." I told her as soon as I swallowed. I straightened up to emphasize that I was taller than her now. Just barely. But Alisha is taller than most girls in our grade.

    Alisha and Noah laughed at my actions. We casually talked about my plan to gain weight so I can gain muscle as we watched the three levels of teams board the bus. Noah had a row reserved as the vice-captain while Alisha sat with the coaches so we weren''t in any hurry.

    "Hey, Andy!" Noah called out and waved to our favorite freshman.

    Andy said something to his friends and split from them to join us. "Hey guys. Alisha." He nodded casually.

    "You''re sounding kind of tired." Noah commented. "Did you stay up too late last night?"

    "No." He sighed. "Just feeling a little stressed about today."

    "What? Why? It''s game day!"

    Andy looked around before lowering his voice. "You guys know how we''ve had some tough losses, right?"

    Noah and I nodded. We''ve heard about a few of them. Especially the ones where we share a bus ride home. I couldn''t really say how they were doing at home games though.

    "Well it''s causing some tension within the team. Bad bats versus bad pitching. Everyone''s blaming everyone. It''s starting to feel like everyone is picking sides. Coach Holman hasn''t been happy about it." Andy sighed again, looking more down than I''ve ever seen him. "I kind of wish I was on the freshman team instead. Even though it''s not much better record wise, they have a better vibe."

    "Yea, because they''re all freshmen." Noah pointed out. "You''re more likely to get along with the guys you''ve been seeing and playing with for years. JV and Varsity are different. It''s put together based on skill level."

    Andy frowned. "Is there a way to get the team to start acting like a team?"

    Noah started to nod then shrugged. "I''m sure there is. But I''m not on your team so I can''t really say what the problem is. Is it just because you guys are losing? Or are there bad apples bringing the morale down? Who''s your captain? Is he taking charge when problems arise?"

    "We have two. A Junior, Michael. And a sophomore, Austin."

    I cringed. "Austin? A captain?"

    Noah also looked skeptical. "How the heck did your coach pick captains? Two guys that both play shortstop?"

    Andy shook his head. "He didn''t pick. It was a vote. Michael won the first spot. Then Austin. We voted after the first tournament we participated in so we knew the guys. And right now they''re taking turns at short."

    "Taking turns?" Noah was astounded while I was confused. "No wonder you guys aren''t doing well." He shook his head. "I''ll mention something to Coach Wilcox when I get a chance. You should have known that captains with conflicting interests can effect the team cohesion. They''re both fighting for the same spot. Maybe not outright, but I know Austin..." It was Noah''s turn to sigh. "Such an idiot. I bet he''s going around to the sophomores first and just starting shit."

    I nodded in agreement.

    Andy raised an eyebrow.

    "I''ve never liked him." Alisha put her two cents in. "Everything is like a popularity contest to him. I don''t know how everyone likes him and his superior attitude. Just a trash human being."

    I nodded in agreement some more.

    "You''re pretty good, Andy. Why weren''t you picked as captain?" Noah asked.

    Andy cracked a smile. "Who wants a freshman as captain? Don''t worry, I know my place in the outfield. I''m the starting center now and I''m not afraid to assert myself out there."

    "That''s good. Keep it straight out there. Don''t be afraid to speak up in the dugout too." Noah advised. "Don''t let things get so bad that there''s no saving it. Don''t think that it''s not important because it''s not Varsity. You and your team are the future of the Varsity level. If you all hate one another now, it won''t be much better in the future."

    Andy nodded. We talked a little more before he went to board the bus.

    "I don''t know what Holman is thinking." Noah frowned. "He''s gotta know it''s bad news for captains to be trying to play the same position."

    "Maybe he''s hoping the team could figure it out themselves?" Alisha suggested. "Like one of them has to be the better person and give up their spot and try something new?"

    "I bet Michael would...unless he knows he''s playing better at short than Austin." Noah said. "Makes me dread what next year will look like."

    "You''ll have to take charge." Alisha smiled. "Shouldn''t the vice-captain become a future captain? You can''t let these idiots mess around when these games matter so much more." She looked at me. "And you''ll have to be tougher too, Jake. Don''t let those losers bully you."

    I didn''t know how to respond. I wasn''t outright bullied by them last year. Just whenever we crossed paths, sparks would fly. And the few sophomores on my team right now weren''t too bad. Dalton and Logan mostly hung out with one another. And Marshel was constantly with the pitchers so our paths didn''t cross too often.

    "Coach would never let Jake be bullied." Noah stated firmly and confidently. "He''s the real ace on the team."

    "I thought aces were supposed to be pitchers?" Alisha asked.

    "Yes, that''s right. Jake''s just that good." Noah slapped my back. "MVP for sure. Of the team and of the league. No one can compare."

    "We don''t know that." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Don''t say things like that. It sounds like you''re bragging about me. Or like showing me off like a trophy."

    "Okay, but when it really happens at the end of the season, you can''t complain when I really do brag about you." Noah told me.

    All the coaches started boarding, signaling that it was almost time to go. The three of us headed for the bus and got on, finding our seats. Alisha sat on the aisle next to Mr. Miller. We were just a few rows back, right at the end of the coaches. I went in first for the window seat. Then Noah on the aisle side. He started talking with Garret across the aisle about the expected lineup today.

 Chapter 1033 V3 Ch267 @ Quincy HS (1)

    Chapter 1033 V3 Ch267 @ Quincy HS (1)

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 RF Bryce Finn

    3 2B Jake Atkins

    4 CF Garret Knudsen

    5 1B Sean Isner

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    8 C Oscar Garcia

    9 P Robbie Harwell

    The official lineup was given and warmups were done. The top of order got ready including me and Noah.

    "I''ve let you boys have the last two days easy, focusing on just batting practice." Coach addressed the team. "Show me that it was worth it. I want to see hits. Any strikeouts and I might think to replace you."

    "Yes, Coach!" Most of the team echoed.

    "How do you feel about walks, Coach?" Noah called out, then patted me on the shoulder. "Some of us don''t get a choice."

    I pushed him away.

    "Any baserunner is good in my book." Coach said before going over to Oscar and Robbie.

    "Hear that, Jake?" Noah grinned. "You''ll be okay with you intentional walks today."

    "Do you know something I don''t?" I frowned.

    Noah shrugged as we finished getting ready for our at bats. "Statistically speaking, you''ll probably be walked at least once today. I''m not saying every at bat, but it''s been pretty clear that our league opponents are wary when you''re up. Especially if there''s a runner in scoring position."

    I held back a sigh. Noah was right. There were a lot of scenarios where it made sense to walk me. I wonder if Zeke felt this helpless.

    "Don''t worry." Bryce joined us and patted me on top of my helmet. "A win is a win no matter what we do at the plate. Whether you go 0-4 or 4-4 or even all walks. Just have fun out there. If they walk you, make them pay by stealing a base."

    "That''s not the first time I''ve heard that." I muttered. "But that''s not fun for me. That''s stressful."

    "A constant worrywart." Bryce laughed.

    Him and Noah left me behind in the dugout as they went on deck for their practice swings. As soon as Noah''s name was announced, he headed for the batter''s box.

    "Let''s go, Noah!"

    "Start us off strong!"

    "Watch the ball, Noah."

    Mixed in the cheers from our dugout, I could hear Mom and Dad too. I peeked out and found them in the center bleacher behind home plate. They weren''t hard to spot since the stands weren''t that full on a Saturday morning. Mostly adults with a few children, which were probably little siblings. Very few high schoolers showed up. Nothing like how our home games have been at all.

    Noah got to a generous 3-1 count before hitting a single to right field. Bryce moved to the batter''s box and I went out to the on deck circle. Mr. Miller gave out the signs, giving Noah the green light to try for a steal. Bryce had the option to swing or not. If he connected, it might even work out even better. The pitcher looked over his shoulder at Noah, then back to Bryce at the plate. He got set and did his quick motion, throwing a fastball going low. Noah had already taken off for second. The catcher had to dig the ball out of the dirt and made an ugly throw to second. Noah held second base safely as the tag came down late.

    "Safe." The ump confirmed.

    The ball was thrown back to the pitcher and then Noah got up. He dusted himself off before getting ready again. Bryce watched the second pitch pass for a low called strike. He swung at the third after deciding it was within reach. He swatted the ball to left-center field and Noah was off, knowing that it was a hit for sure. The two of them sprinted and our dugout roared with excitement. Noah didn''t have to slide over home plate, but Bryce had to slide into second as the left fielder chose to throw the ball straight there to the second baseman covering.

    The umpire extended his arms.

    1-0. Great start. I smiled and slapped hands with Noah on his way back to the dugout. Before I had even made a decision on which side to stand in though, the catcher was telling the umpire, "We''re intentionally walking the next batter."

    "Take your base number zero." The umpire told me.

    I ditched my bat and jogged to first as our dugout started to shout out.

    "Make them pay, Garret!"

    "Crush it out of the park!"

    "Get it, Garret!"

    "Has to be in the air!"

    Coach Luis nodded at me as I got set on first base. Mr. Miller started to give out the signs as Garret stepped up to the lefty''s box. He was to swing freely, but we''re hoping for something in the air to avoid the double play.

    Garret didn''t get a hit against Golden West a few days ago, going 0-2 with a groundout into a double play and a fly out to center. Both times though, a lefty was brought in to face him. Quincy didn''t make any changes like that so soon. They let their right-handed starter face Garret, starting with a low fastball for a ball. The second pitch went wide, 2-0. To try to come back, the pitcher threw one close to the middle. Garret''s hot zone. He took full advantage, pulling a line drive to the right corner.

    I wasted a second to watch to make sure it would drop before the right fielder could get to it. After tagging second, Mr. Miller was in sight waving me on. When I got closer to third, he signaled down to slide. I took off, jumping for third base, hands and head first. I didn''t feel a tag, yet I could hear cheers.

    "They tried for Garret at second." Mr. Miller told me as I got up and dusted myself off.

    "Garret made it to second?" I was stunned and looked back to see him also dusting himself off before pumping a fist towards our dugout.

    "He''s got the speed. He''s a real five-tool player. Six, if you add in the pitching." Mr. Miller said. "That kid is going to go far."

    I nodded. I was a total believer in Garret. Some games, it felt like he does more than Zeke ever did. He definitely has to go higher than Kyle in the draft with his bat being included. I know they said that pitchers don''t bat anymore, but Garret had a backup plan if his pitching couldn''t make it.

    Quincy''s battery had a quick meeting on the mound before getting back into position. I thought they might load the bases to aim for a double play like before, but they decided to face Sean. Sean had been hot lately with the homers. He came close in this at bat, but the center fielder made the catch on their warning track. I tagged up and sprinted home, happy that he hit so far that there wouldn''t be a play at the plate. 3-0.

    Garret had tagged up too, doing an easy slide to third, popping up on his feet. So smooth. Not going to lie, I was jealous. I shared a fist bump with Sean and we went back to the dugout together, high fiving the rest of the guys. Everyone was in a good spirits with our hot start.

    Mr. Miller must have felt that we had a chance to tack on more and gave Garret the signal to run on contact if it''s a grounder and to tag up if it''s in the air. Jason hit a hard grounder off the mound that went to the shortstop. The shortstop looked to home like he wanted to try to get Garret out, but some guys had yelled out for him to throw to first. He did so and took the easy out.

    We were okay with it too, happy with our four run lead. Our first inning came to a close after Korrey hit a fly ball to left field. He left Oscar stranded on deck so it took some time for the freshman to get his gear back on. Robbie casually threw with Logan until Oscar came out, dressed and ready.

    When the game was called to resume and for the first batter to step up, I started to feel nervous. This was Oscar''s second game behind the plate this season and the first time he wouldn''t be relying on Coach to make the calls.

    The leadoff hitter popped a high fly ball early in the count. It carried down the right field line, hanging high enough for Bryce to get under it to make the catch for the first out. That wasn''t so bad. I relaxed my shoulders and watched as our battery took on the second batter. He got to a 2-2 count before going down swinging. Batter three came up next, hitting a routine grounder to Noah to end the inning.

    Back in the dugout, our battery had to get ready for their own at bats. Oscar would lead off with Robbie right behind him. Coach usually put the pitcher/catcher combo at the bottom unless that pitcher was Garret. Oscar didn''t make the team because of his hitting and it showed. He went down swinging at three pitches; two of which, weren''t even close. I could only cringe and keep my mouth shut. Robbie fared a little bit better, making contact, popping out to the shortstop. Noah didn''t do anything like his first time up, hitting a grounder down the line for the third baseman to scoop up and throw to first. Maybe if it was slower, he could have beaten out the throw.

 Chapter 1034 V3 Ch268 @ Quincy HS (2)

    Chapter 1034 V3 Ch268 @ Quincy HS (2)

    We changed sides and went out for the bottom of the second inning. Robbie started with the cleanup hitter. On a 2-2 count, the batter made contact, hitting a hard grounder up the middle, closer to my side. I took three steps and stretched out my left across my body. The ball went off the palm of my glove and rolled to Noah. Noah picked it up, but no throw could be made to get the out at first.

    I slowly straightened up and heard the claps and cheers of the home team.

    "Tough play to make." Noah came over to say.

    I sighed. "Don''t worry. I''m not going to panic." I knew why he came over. I didn''t have a good track record when it came to making errors and freaking out afterwards. I was more mad at myself at the moment. I had been practicing grounders for the last two days; why did I mess up now?

    "Don''t mind." Robbie had stepped off the mound and showed his glove towards us.

    Noah threw him the ball and smiled. "Yea. Let''s look for two!" He walked backwards to get into position.

    I gave Robbie a nod and got back into position too.

    Robbie went back to the mound. He nodded at Oscar''s sign, checked over his shoulder to make sure the runner wasn''t too far off first, then started to pitch. As soon as he lifted his leg, the runner on first took off. Instinctively, I started to move to second base too. The batter actually swung and connected; the sound made me stutter step, unsure if I should be fielding instead. Luckily, he pulled the ball down the line to third base. It was a slow rolled though. Jason had no play at second, so he threw straight to first for the first out.

    The ball was given back to Robbie and we reset our positions. Noah and I played a little closer to the base since Sean and Jason didn''t have to guard down the lines. They played a little more back, trying to get angles for any grounders. The sixth batter didn''t give us infielders a chance though, hitting a bloop single to left, pushing the runner to third. Now we have runners at the corners with only one out.

    I glanced at Noah, unsure if he wanted to say anything. Noah held back, making a face but ultimately deciding to say nothing. Everyone got set once more as Robbie took on the seventh batter in the lineup. The count got to 1-2 before the batter smacked one down the line to the left field corner. Runners took off. I went to second base to cover. Korrey picked the ball up and overthrew it, out of Noah''s reach. Robbie was the one to get the ball on a bounce and checked the runners. Batters four and six made it home safely, making the score 4-2, and the batter made it to second base. A two-run double.

    "Bring it in." Noah called out, signaling for time to the ump. All of us infielders joined him at the mound; Robbie and Oscar included. "A bit ugly, not gonna lie."

    I cringed. "Sorry." That first baserunner was my fault after all.

    "It happens." Noah shrugged. "But now we need to get back on track." He looked to Robbie. "Do you want to possibly walk the next guy and try for a double play?"

    He shook his head and looked to Oscar. "I think it''s time for you to start calling for the knuckleball."

    All eyes went to Oscar.

    "You don''t have great control over it." Oscar stated.

    "It''s not supposed to be controlled." He told him.

    "Coach doesn''t like walks." Oscar made another statement. Not sounding like he was totally against it, but more like he didn''t want to get in trouble. Maybe.

    "Give it a go with the first guy." Noah said. "If it works out, great. If it doesn''t, that''s fine too. We''ll be set for a double play." He clapped with his glove. "Let''s go!"

    We broke up the short mound meeting before an umpire came to break it up. Everyone got set again. This time Robbie started with a knuckleball. The batter swung and missed for strike one. Robbie switched back to a fastball high in the zone for called strike two. Oscar requested a fastball low and away, but Robbie shook him off. Back to the knuckle. The ball broke downwards as the batter swung, causing him to strike out.

    "Alright!"

    "That''s the way to bounce back!"

    "You''ve got this, Robbie!"

    "Two outs, one to go!"

    Batter nine was the pitcher. He went down just as easily with the same pattern of knuckle, fastball, knuckle. We got out of the second holding a two run lead.

    Back in the dugout, Coach pulled Robbie and Oscar aside. I wanted to know what they were going to talk about but I was second up this inning.

    "You okay?" Noah asked me as I got ready and he sat the bench. "You looking a little out of it." He added when he saw me looking at him.

    I shrugged. "I can''t say that the error doesn''t bug me, but I''m no longer thinking about it. I''m thinking about Robbie and Oscar. I''m thinking about whether I''ll be intentionally walked again or not. I''m also thinking about if Grampa is bored being home alone or not."

    "First off, it''s not your job to worry about the pitcher. Second, an intentional walk is a free base, don''t complain. Third, Grampa definitely doesn''t just hang around the house when we''re gone. He''s a social butterfly, probably making friends at the community center with other old farts." Noah broke down my thoughts real quick.

    I grinned and grabbed my bat. "I''m going to tell him that you called him that."

    "Called him what?" Noah put on a look of innocence.

    Too bad the twins were in the bullpen and couldn''t back me up. I headed outside of the dugout, passing Coach and the other two still talking.

    "I want you to become more of a game caller, Oscar. Today''s game is a great opportunity for you." I overheard before walking out.

    I had complete faith in Coach that he could guide Oscar. He''s great at coaching no matter the level. Even when I was a newbie last year, he could show me the way. He also did his fair share in shaping Noah and the way he is now. Of course, Zeke helped too.

    I stood a few feet away from Bryce and started to take practice swings as the pitcher warmed up off the mound. Bryce was soon called up and left me behind in the on deck circle. The pitcher was a little off when facing Bryce. Just couldn''t find the strike zone and ended up walking him.

    I stepped up next, eyeing the catcher, who remained in his squat position. I guess they weren''t walking me now. Maybe because first base was opened last time so it made sense to walk me then because they could go after a double play. But now, with a runner on first and no outs, maybe they were hoping I could hit into a double play. The infielders were definitely set up for one.

    The pitcher still struggled with his control, throwing me two balls before landing one in the zone for a called strike. I casually scanned the outfield, thinking about aiming for the corners. I wasn''t confident in my home run rate, but you never know. The pitcher isn''t throwing slow by any means.

    Another pitch landed for a called strike. 2-2. The pitcher got the ball back and got set again, glancing at Bryce at first. Bryce probably had the speed to steal, but Mr. Miller didn''t make him. Maybe he didn''t want to see the steal and then with first base open, Quincy High School would walk me despite the count?

    The pitcher did his motion and the pitch was delivered. I took a step and timed my swing, connecting with the thickest part of my bat, pulling the ball to the left field corner just like their guy did. Except my hit made it over the outfield fence for a home run. I tagged the bases in a hurry, feeling a good high from the hit. I stepped on home plate, making the score 6-2. We got the two runs back.

    "Awesome, Jake!" Bryce slapped my hand and then threw his arm around my shoulders. He steered me to the dugout and we celebrated with the team inside.

    "That''s number six." Coach told me, stopping me in my tracks.

    "Six?" I frowned. I''ve had way more than that this season.

    "Number six in the regular season." Coach said with a small smile. "Tournaments don''t count to your regular season stats. But." His smile got bigger. "Six is how many Zeke had his Sophomore season too. And you still have a lot of games left to play."

    I started to grin too.

    "That''s the most a sophomore has had in our school their sophomore year." Coach told me. "With ten games left to play, you''ll crush it."

    I nodded. "I will!"

    Coach patted me on the shoulder and let me go back to my bag.

 Chapter 1035 V3 Ch269 @ Quincy HS (3)

    Garret made contact before I sat down. I turned to look as the right fielder track the ball down beyond the foul line and made the catch before hitting the fence. I cringed. Dang. Bet that hurt.

    "Wow!"

    "What a catch!"

    "He''s so fast; he can cover a lot of ground."

    "That''s too bad." Noah commented on Garret getting out. He looked at me as I set my batting gear to the side. "What was Coach saying to you?"

    "That I tied Zeke''s sophomore record for homers in the regular season." I explained the short convo.

    Noah''s eyes shone with excitement. "Oh man! I can''t wait. Do you think you can bust out another one today?"

    I laughed. "I can''t do it all the time. I need a pitcher with good speed, decent control, and preferably no breaking balls. I don''t know if they''ll keep this guy in for much longer." I added just as Sean hit a single up the middle.

    "Yea...he''s already given up six runs." Noah agreed. "Too bad, so sad." He grinned. "Well, I believe you''ll break the record no later than next week. We have three games against non league opponents so they shouldn''t shy away from you too much. There''ll be lots of opportunities."

    I nodded.

    "It''ll be great to break the record before we go to the regional tryouts." Noah talked as Jason started his at bat. "It''s like something you can put down on your list of accomplishments."

    I made a face. "We have to list down accomplishments?"

    "Probably." He shrugged. "It''s a way to rule out some no brainers and to focus on the real potential. With you be ranked in county, state, and country, you''ll have a lot of eyes on you."

    I frowned. "What about you?" Noah wasn''t ranked in state or country.

    Noah laughed. "Don''t worry about me. I know how to show off and catch some looks. I believe in my fielding. I believe in my speed. As long as I can make contact during my at bats, the rest will fall into place."

    I relaxed a little with Noah''s confidence.

    Jason hit a single to left field, prompting a mound meeting for the Quincy players, but no coach came out. The umpire eventually went to the mound to break it up.

    Noah slowly got ready for his at bat as we worked our way down the lineup. Korrey hit a sharp liner right to the second baseman though for the second out. Noah no longer bothered getting up despite being in the hole. With Oscar up and two outs, I kind of knew why. Oscar swung and missed three times for his second strikeout of the game.

    "Can''t be a good feeling." Noah sighed and took off his helmet. "Hope he doesn''t think about it too much when he''s behind the plate."

    "I don''t know; he seems pretty level-headed to me." I said, putting my hat on and grabbing my glove. If anyone should be feeling bad about their plate appearances, it should be Korrey. He''s either been bad or plain unlucky. I feel like Coach might be more likely to bench him than anyone else.

    We took the field for the bottom of the third. Oscar and Robbie were the last to come out of the dugout. They had a shorter amount of time to warm up before the umpire called for the batter to step up. We were back to the top of the order of Quincy''s lineup.

    The first batter came up and got set. Robbie nodded at Oscar''s signs and got set too. He did a full windup and motion before pitching a fastball to the outside. The batter was able to reach it and pulled it to left field. Korrey came sprinting in, dived for it, making the catch before hitting the grass. There were some applause and a few shouts from our team of guys. That was a heck of a catch. Maybe his fielding will keep him safe from getting pulled from the game like my hitting does for me.

    Unfortunately we weren''t lucky the next time. The next batter was able to get the ball in the grass before Korrey could get to it. He caught it on a bounce and threw it back in to Noah as the batter rounded first. Noah threw the ball back to Robbie and most of us shifted around, aiming for a double play.

    It didn''t work. The third batter hit one into a gap for a single too. Runners on first and second with the cleanup at the plate. I bit my lip and wiped my sweaty hand against my jersey. I didn''t feel as comfortable as I normally do with the twins or Garret on the mound. My worry was proven right after Robbie walked the cleanup hitter to load the bases.

    Noah called for ''time'' and headed for the mound. He didn''t call for all of us to join him like last time so I looked to Sean and Jason to see what they were doing. Jason took the lead to start jogging in, prompting me and Sean to do the same. Oscar, Robbie, and Noah were already talking about what''s going on when we joined.

    "My control isn''t there today." Robbie stated. He patted Oscar on the shoulder. "We aren''t catching very many breaks today."

    Oscar was frowning. "Just play catch."

    "What do you want to do for the next batter?" Noah asked. "It''s not like Coach will take you out right away."

    "I want to throw my knuckle." He said, glancing at Oscar.

    Oscar was still frowning. "That''s risky. I don''t have a hundred percent catch rate."

    There was a silent pause as everyone looked around. Robbie was a little too passive, seemingly uncaring about the runners or what Oscar wanted.

    "Let him try it out." Noah took charge. "If it''s no good, switch it up to fastballs outside and high."

    Robbie looked to Oscar. Oscar thought about it for a second before nodding. He put his mask back on and headed back for home plate.

    "You''re a Junior, Robbie." Noah said. "You''ve got to show some command on the mound."

    Robbie shrugged lightly. "It''s not like I have a whole lot of game experience. It''s fine. No matter what happens, it''s my own stats."

    Noah pursed his lips and didn''t say anything more. Jason and Sean had already left for their own positions so we went back too. Everyone got set, bases loaded, one out.

    Robbie went to his knuckleball, throwing it six consecutive times before walking the fifth batter. He walked in a run, pushing the score 6-3. Still have a buffer zone but now the winning run was at the plate. It''s not a good feeling. However, Robbie didn''t show any signs of frustration. He just went back to his fastball like Noah had told him too. The sixth batter connected on a high fastball, hitting it to right-center. He drove in two runs and stayed at first while pushing the other runner to third. 6-5.

    I kicked the dirt, not liking the rhythm of this game at all. We haven''t given up this many runs in a game since the finals of the Tulare Invitational back in February. And we were only in the third inning still.

    "Aright! Settle down!" Noah hollered, clapping his glove. "Focus on the batter! One out!"

    I don''t know whether his shouts helped or if we just got lucky, but Robbie was able to get the next guy to go down swinging. His fourth strikeout of the game. Batter eight was the catcher and he pulled a grounder down the line. Jason was there, playing close to the bag because of the runner. He fielded the ball and made the throw to Sean to end the tumultuous inning.

    All the starters jogged back to the dugout, losing a lot of the earlier excitement. It was back to being a close game with us only having a one run lead.

    "Do your cooldown, Robbie." Coach said when Robbie walked in. "Logan is going to pinch hit for you."

    Robbie didn''t look surprised, nor did he make a big deal out of getting benched so soon. He just got out of the way and started to do some stretches.

    "Want me to take over, Coach?" Garret asked. He hadn''t pitched since his perfect game a week and a half ago.

    "No." Coach shook his head. "Marshel is already warming up. We''ll see what he can do on the mound and what we can do at the plate. You can be ready as a potential closer."

    "Okay." Garret went to his bag and started to get ready. He wasn''t even up until fifth but maybe he was hopeful with us being back at the top of the order.

    Noah didn''t waste time or spared a word about the ugly half inning we had just seen. He simply got ready and went out to take some practice swings. Logan was out there soon enough too as first up.

 Chapter 1036 V3 Ch270 @ Quincy HS (4)

    We weren''t the only ones to make a change. Quincy put a new pitcher in, probably wanting to keep the game close now that their offense had almost caught up. He dealt with Logan easily, getting to a 1-2 count before getting him to chase a ball in the dirt. Logan came back with a frown.

    Noah moved to the batter''s box and Bryce went out on deck. I had all my stuff on and ready to go as I stood in the hole. Garret was only a foot away, sharing some thoughts about the game with Coach.

    Noah did well during his at bat, ignoring low fastballs and aiming for a high one. He was able to hit a single to right field, bringing some energy back to the dugout. Bryce went to the plate and I left the dugout. Mr. Miller passed out the signs, not specifically telling Noah to steal and giving Bryce the green light to swing. Noah didn''t have much of an opportunity to get a good lead when the pitcher had done two check throws to keep him honest. The pitcher being distracted by Noah helped Bryce during his plate appearance. He got to a beneficial 3-1 count before connecting with a fastball and blasting it to left-center field. Both left and center outfielders chased it back but there was no chance. That ball was gone. A two-run homer! 8-5. Our cushion was back.

    Noah ran the bases and Bryce followed soon after. They high fived at the plate and the I high fived them on their way in.

    This year was different from last season. Before it was mostly Zeke homering with the occasional one from other seniors like Mahki and Julian. A time or two from Garret. Now it was like half our lineup could hit homers. Me, Garret, Bryce, Sean, even Jason and Mitchell. The future was looking bright.

    I chose to bat from the left side this time around. The bases were empty with one out so they should be pitching to me again. The catcher stayed down to confirm my hypothesis. Mr. Miller gave me the sign to swing freely. And I did. I fouled a few pitches off before finding one I liked. I then pulled it down the right field line, trying to get it up and out. The right fielder was fast, sprinting to the fence, stepped on it, and got a better jump to get the ball. My jaw dropped.

    "Nice catch!"

    "Wow!"

    "That was unbelievable!"

    Yea, I couldn''t believe it as well. I picked up my bat myself and headed back to the dugout.

    "That kid has some serious skills." Garret patted me on top of the helmet.

    "You were robbed!" Sean told me as he came out of the dugout and I went in.

    All the guys in the dugout had something to say about my out. I should have just stuck it out as a righty. But there wasn''t anything I could do about it now. I got back to my bag where Noah and Bryce were talking about whether they could do the same thing.

    "It''s not something I practice." Bryce defended himself.

    "Neither do I." Noah said. "But I bet I could do it. You just have to show your athleticism."

    "Hey, I''ve got to protect my future in pitching." Bryce argued. "Climbing or hitting the outfield fence hurts. You''ve got to be crazy or ignorant to try something like that."

    "Or desperate." Noah corrected. "Besides, Garret is a pitcher too but he doesn''t hesitate to throw himself at the fence to make a great grab."

    "No way would I make that catch." I added, plopping down on the bench. I can barely make regular catches, let alone chasing one down so far away. You have to be fast and coordinated.

    "Don''t you have good control over your hits?" Bryce asked me. "You should have stayed away from that guy after he was able to chase down Garret''s fly ball. Obviously anything high in the air will give him enough time to get under it."

    I gave a small shrug. "I didn''t think that hard about it. I hit a home run on the right side already, so I wanted to try out my left. It''s also easier to pull the ball than to hit to the opposite side."

    "I feel like none of us can really ask about Jake''s batting." Noah chuckled. "No one can compare to his average. Heck, I bet he could be perfect if he didn''t try for a homer."

    Bryce laughed too. "Yea, I know. I was just saying." He patted me on the shoulder. "I wasn''t bashing your hit at all. No denying that you were robbed."

    "I know." I nodded. "We were just talking baseball."

    Garret''s stand up double got us up on our feet, clapping and cheering before sitting back down.

    "He keeps getting hits when we''re not on base." Bryce joked.

    "He''s only clutch when it''s the bottom of the seventh, two outs, bases loaded, down by three." Noah said.

    It took me a minute before I understood.

    "Hey, that''s the best time." Bryce laughed. "I rather have a player who''s good in clutch situations than a .300 hitter."

    "Do you think Jake would be walked in that kind of situation?" Noah rubbed his chin. "I know Dave said he would avoid it. But I really wonder what would happen."

    Bryce laughed. "Too many factors to consider. How close is the game. How good their hitting is. What pitchers we have left. I know for myself, I would need to hear the order from Coach, at the mound before I intentionally walk a run in. No matter what the score is. My pride wouldn''t be able to do it."

    Sean hit a long fly ball dead center, making us jump to our feet. The center fielder got to the warning track and made the catch. Garret tagged up and went to third, sliding and popping to his feet with a second to spare.

    "I think you''re right." Noah said as we sat back down. "If I was a pitcher, I would be too competitive and straightforward. I wouldn''t want to intentionally walk in a run either."

    Jason hit a grounder to second to end our offensive, leaving Garret stranded at third.

    We grabbed our gloves and headed out for the bottom of the fourth. Coach joined us too, going out to tell the umpire of the pitcher change. Marshel came jogging out of the bullpen. All infielders gathered at the mound as Coach took a baseball and handed it to Marshel.

    "You know what to do?" Coach asked.

    "I''m ready, Coach!" Marshel nearly shouted.

    His ''enthusiasm'' made my heart palpitate. Hopefully he was predicting the future and that he was really, ready.

    Coach spared a glance at Oscar. "Take it easy. Not every out has to be a strikeout. Don''t be afraid of intentional balls, just use them wisely."

    "I know." Oscar nodded, in a much calmer tone than Marshel.

    Coach looked to the rest of us. "Don''t fall asleep out there boys. I want the rest of the game to be clean."

    "You calling my boy out, Coach?" Noah asked, throwing his arm around my shoulders.

    "I won''t mess up again, Coach." I hurried to say. Still apologetic for my earlier error.

    "Just stay focused and everything will fall into place." Coach said, leaving us for the dugout.

    Sean, me, Noah, and Jason all stepped off and went to our positions to throw the ball around as Marshel did his practice pitches off the mound. The umpire gave us two minutes before calling for the game to resume.

    Marshel started with the bottom of the order. It was the pitcher spot. It wasn''t the guy on the mound though. A pinch hitter. So we''ll definitely see a new pitcher again next inning. Marshel''s first pitch went high for a ball. Pitch two was also high but the batter swung and connected for a line drive to center field. Garret came sprinting in, making a scooping catch before it could hit the grass. What a relief. One out.

    Marshel went to the top of the order. This guy had made decent contact twice now and did so for a third time, except this time it landed in the outfield grass and the guy was abled to stretch it out into a double.

    Noah got the ball back and threw it to Marshel. "Don''t mind. Focus on the batter."

    Marshel didn''t answer. Just took the ball back to the rubber and got set. He ignored the runner on second base though so maybe he did hear Noah and just didn''t want to acknowledge. The second batter popped a high ball straight into the air. Noah went on the infield grass and called for it, making the catch for the second out. Batter three also ripped a line drive, but it went straight to Jason to end their inning. That double didn''t amount to anything much and we kept our three run lead this time.

 Chapter 1037 V3 Ch271 @ Quincy HS (5)

    We jogged back to the dugout. Our half of the fifth didn''t go well at all with the new pitcher. Korrey grounded out to third, then Oscar and Marshel both struck out swinging. It was hard to tell the pitcher''s skill when he took on the worst part of our lineup. I could tell Coach wasn''t happy with the result but there wasn''t much that could be done. Oscar was technically the only catcher we had right now and Marshel is more focused on pitching than hitting.

    Bottom of the fifth. I was getting a little antsy with how often we''ve been waiting on Oscar to get his gear on and come out. It was simply unlucky to be warming up before the battery. It just felt like less time.

    Marshel had to start against the cleanup hitter too so cue the worrying. This guy was the one where I messed up so I felt my anxiety climbing. My hands were sweaty and my mouth was dry. Marshel was throwing hard, but not hitting good spots around the zone. On a 2-0 count the batter connected for a line drive towards short. Noah jumped to his right, arm outstretched, snatching the well hit baseball out of the air like a magic trick.

    I clapped with a few others.

    "One out, two to go!" Noah hollered after throwing the ball back to Marshel.

    Marshel seemed to calm down for the next batter. Or he was getting better calls from the ump. Either way, he got the guy to go down swinging for his first strikeout of the game.

    "YEA!" Marshel roared, making me flinch. He must be really excited. I couldn''t remember the last time he got to pitch in a game so I''m sure that played a big role in his attitude.

    Batter six, who had two singles already and accounted for a run scored and two RBI''s, got a piece of another pitch. Too much under it though. Garret came in a little and waited to make the catch to end the inning.

    "You okay?" Noah asked me as we jogged it in.

    "Yea. Why?" I asked, confused.

    He shook his head. "I saw you cringe, but maybe it was just the noise." He gave a pointed look at Marshel.

    I had to purse my lips together to not laugh. I nodded. "Yea. It was just...unexpected."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Let''s just hope he doesn''t showboat after every single one. That can get us in trouble with the umps."

    I made a face, but couldn''t speak since we were in the dugout now. I didn''t really think he could have too much more. His control wasn''t consistent, and neither was his speed. If I was against him, I wouldn''t have to try very hard today. It won''t be long until Quincy has a read on him. They already had a couple of good line drives; it''s just that most were caught.

    Noah also didn''t say anything more about Marshel as we got our gear on to get ready to bat. This would be our fourth time through, and it didn''t look like Coach had any intention to pull any starters yet. I guess that three run lead isn''t enough comfort for him either.

    I stood in the hole as Noah and Bryce took their practice swings. I was interested in watching the pitcher from the last inning that dealt with the bottom of our lineup with ease. He had good speed, but the control wasn''t on par yet.

    "Be patient out there, guys." I raised my voice so Noah and Bryce could hear me. They both gave subtle nods, letting me know that they heard me.

    Noah was called up first. He got set as did the pitcher. The first pitch came right down the middle for a called strike.

    I held back the urge to face palm myself. That was a good pitch for Noah to swing at. When I said be patient, it didn''t mean to watch the good stuff go right down the pipe. Ugh.

    "Don''t let a meatball like that go, Noah!" Garret leaned against the fence to yell.

    Noah turned back and gave the ''ok'' sign.

    This time I couldn''t help but bring my hand to my head.

    Garret laughed from beside me. "He''s messing around."

    "And you can laugh at that?" I asked, incredulous. If Zeke was here, Noah would have guaranteed laps waiting for him.

    "It''s ok until he messes up." Garret said. "We''re winning and he''s doing pretty decent at the plate. I trust him." Noah was 2-3 so far with two runs scored and a stolen base.

    The second pitch came, low and outside for a ball. The third pitch had the same trajectory. 2-1. The fourth pitch came right at Noah, but with his reflexes, it was no problem to dodge. 3-1. I held my bat tight. This guy really did get wild like I thought. The fifth pitch was a borderline call that went Noah''s way. A walk. He dropped his bat and jogged to first.

    Bryce went to the plate and I went out to the on deck circle. Bryce only saw a pitch and a half. The first one was a ball and the half was because he turned away as it came at him, taking it to the hamstring. Coach took one step to the exit, but there was no need. Bryce was already off to first, jogging like normal.

    The catcher got up and went to the mound to talk to his pitcher. It was a short conversation that didn''t need the infielders to join. That catcher came back and got in a squat. So they were going to try to pitch to me. I got in the righty''s box and already knew that I had to swing at the first close pitch I would get. I didn''t want to get walked. Though...it wouldn''t be bad to load the bases for Garret.

    The pitcher did a quick motion and his first pitch definitely looked in the zone. Sorry Garret, I want it more. I swung and connected, getting the ball just over the shortstop to left-center field. Noah, Bryce, and I were all on the move. Some faster than others. I rounded first and saw the center fielder picking up the ball and throwing it in. I braked and backtracked to first base.

    Noah and Bryce had better jumps. They both slid into home and third base respectively. 9-5. Runners at the corners with no outs for Garret was nearly as good as bases loaded. Garret did what I did, attacking the first pitch which was in the zone. He hit a long fly ball to center field. It was caught and I went back to first. Bryce tagged up and went home to make 10-5.

    Quincy''s coach had seen enough and came out to announce a pitcher change. Two players too late. The game felt drawn out from all the pitcher changes and hits and walks. I was really used to the twins and Garret blazing through. Heck, Brian and Bryce also do well at getting the outs. After the pitcher change, Mr. Miller gave me the sign to run on contact to avoid a double play if possible. Sean struck out, not making me worried about it. Jason followed up with a grounder to third, leaving me at first.

    "Hand me your stuff to take back and Noah will bring out your glove and hat." Coach Luis told me.

    "Oh. Okay." I took my batting gloves off and my helmet, holding them out to him.

    Coach Luis put the gloves in the helmet and strolled back.

    I awkwardly moved towards second base, unsure of what to do with these free few seconds. Thankfully, Noah didn''t make me wait for long.

    He showed up with my glove and hat, smiling. "It''s not everyday when Coach Luis is being nice, saving you a trip to the dugout. I''m starting to think you''re his favorite."

    I couldn''t help but smile. Last year, I was completely terrified of Coach Luis. "I doubt I''m his favorite. Pretty sure this was out of convenience." I put my hat on and then my glove.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Garret was left on third just a few innings ago. He didn''t get any help."

    I shrugged. "Wouldn''t that be on Mr. Miller?"

    He sighed. "We need someone like an equipment manager. Or like a real bat boy. But not just for bats. In the majors, the bat boys are in charge of so much more."

    I made a face. "Why would anyone want to be a bat boy?"

    "If they like baseball, but can''t play it."

    "Can''t Alisha?"

    "She''s more like a scorekeeper." He thought about it. "A statistician? She keeps record of the games and takes notes on what Coach says."

    "Sounds like an assistant." I commented.

    We started to separate and go to our respective positions. The bottom of the sixth would start soon.

 Chapter 1038 V3 Ch272 @ Quincy HS (6)

    Marshel started with the seventh batter. He worked the count to full before hitting a fly ball to center field. Garret sprinted back at an angle, got underneath, and made the catch for the first out. Five outs away. If he can go three up, three down for what''s left, we won''t have to see the cleanup hitter. Just as I thought that, Marshel started to miss his mark again, walking the eighth batter. We could still turn a double play though.

    The ninth batter was replaced with another pinch hitter. I couldn''t even keep track anymore how many there have been. This guy connected on the first strike Marshel has thrown since the fly out. It was a line drive headed for center. Garret came sprinting in at the ball and had to dive for it. He wasted no time getting back to his feet and throwing the ball back in to ensure the runner stayed at first. Two outs.

    Back to the top of the order. The guy has made contact all three times. Fly out to right. Line out to left. And already had a double against Marshel. He did it again, but this time with a runner on. A runner who was fast and had a good jump of the bag. He scored to make it 10-6. The leadoff batter clapped at second base excitedly, trying to get his team amped up.

    Marshel got a new baseball and angrily toed the rubber. I glanced Noah''s way to see what the game plan would be. He looked on calmly like it wasn''t a big deal. And maybe it wasn''t. It was only a run and we still have a good lead.

    The second batter in the lineup pulled a high fly in short left field. Noah ran back, called for it, and successfully made the catch to end the inning. I left out a breath I didn''t know I was holding. I really wish I had Noah''s confidence when it came to moments like this.

    I told Noah that on our way back to the dugout and he laughed outright. "That''s not really confidence. It''s wishful thinking. Optimism." He glanced around before lowering his voice. "I have confidence in one person only. Myself."

    I frowned. "Not the twins? Or even Garret?"

    "Pshhh." Noah scoffed. "Heck no. You can''t rely on pitchers. You can only rely on yourself to make the plays around you and get the job done."

    My lips twitched. "That doesn''t sound very captain-like."

    "Zeke''s the same way. I''m positive." Noah grinned and went back to normal. "Besides. I only told you. Who else will know that I''m not acting like a captain?"

    Good point.

    Top of the seventh went quick besides another pitcher change. Our bottom of the order went three up, three down. Korrey struck out, going 0-4 for the day. Oscar matched his 0-4, but with all strikeouts earning a golden sombrero. Thankfully there was no school tomorrow so no one should give him a hard time on Monday. After those two outs, Coach let Marshel go out to hit, meaning he would finish the game. Marshel actually made contact this time, but it was routine fly ball to center.

    One more inning to go. Three outs.

    "The twins and Garret should pitch next week." Noah told me as we went out to our positions.

    I nodded. I''m biased and preferred them the most. The games went smoother defensively and they''re also shorter time-wise. Less time to be worried and stress. This game had mentally drained me since my error in the second inning. The old me would have crumbled by anxiety by now. Maybe sooner.

    Marshel started with the third batter in the lineup. It was a single to left field. Cleanup next. Marshel was out of sorts, walking him on four straight balls. Runners on first and second. Noah called ''time'' and waved everyone in towards the mound.

    "What do you want?" Marshel frowned.

    Noah looked Oscar. "You know you can call ''time'' yourself and approach the mound, right?"

    I wasn''t the only one confused. Sean and Jason looked to Oscar.

    "I didn''t think it was a concern yet." Oscar spoke up, taking off his mask.

    "Two on. No outs. And it''s not a concern?" Noah slowly nodded. "Okay then. Let''s break it up." He went back to his position first.

    I didn''t need to be told twice. I hurried back to my position. I didn''t know what Noah''s plan was by hosting that twenty second meeting but I was always going to be on his side versus anyone else. Sean and Jason also went back to their positions. Oscar shared a sentence or two with Marshel before heading back to home plate and putting his mask on.

    Batter number five took Marshel''s first fastball deep for an RBI single. The runner on first also made it to third despite a good throw from Bryce. 10-7.

    Oscar got up and said something to the ump before heading for the mound. I looked to Noah and he was also moving in. A second meeting so soon? Okay. Jason, Sean, and me also joined once more.

    "Now what?" Marshel grumbled under his breath.

    "Now you shut up and listen." Noah looked to Oscar. "Anything you want to say?"

    Oscar glanced to our dugout. "Shouldn''t Coach come out?"

    "You want me off the mound?" Marshel was immediately offended.

    Noah covered his mouth with his glove. "Shut up, man. Oscar, you don''t get to decide pitching changes. Just pitch selections. And honestly, it''s looking pretty iffy for you dude."

    Oscar looked surprised. The most expressive I''ve seen him all game. "It''s not my fault his control isn''t there today. Wouldn''t it be better to bring someone fresh in?"

    "No doubt." Noah agreed. "But Coach is clearly set on testing us. And by us, I mostly mean you two. And you two are failing. Look at what you''re doing. With two on, no outs, you didn''t come here to set Marshel''s head on straight. Now the tying run is at the plate. We have to be aggressive here. Take control." He looked at Marshel. "You better get a better grip on the ball or you''re stat line is going to be pretty damn ugly today."

    Marshel frowned. "I know."

    "See? That''s the stuff you have to say to him." Noah said. "Mound meetings are good to break up the other team''s rhythm and momentum. Gives our guy a break too. Give a pep talk."

    "That wasn''t a pep talk." Oscar pointed out.

    Sean laughed. "I think you''re the one getting the pep talk, kid."

    Oscar looked thoughtful, but the umpire broke up the meeting, saying we were taking too long. We all had to go back to our positions and get reset. Marshel did look a little better with that small bit of a break. He got the next guy to strike out. The following batter hit a grounder down the third baseline. Jason had a good approach on it, scooping it up and throwing to me at second base. I stepped off the bag and threw to first to complete the double play and end the game.

    My shoulders dropped with relief. I really started to sweat after Noah pointed out that the tying run was at the plate. It probably stems from the distrust I have in Marshel. But he really did pull through after Noah''s comments. So maybe he realized some importance too along with Oscar.

    We all started to high five on the infield grass as the outfielders jogged it in and the bench and bullpen joined us.

    "I''ve got to say, I really started to worry." Garret commented. "You should have called me in to close, Coach."

    "It was a good learning opportunity." Coach gave a small smile. "Trust me, if it got within a run, you''d be out there to settle it."

    Garret straightened up with pride, feeling good that Coach would have trusted him in such a close game.

    "I don''t understand why you guys had back-to-back mound visits?" Bryce brought up.

    I looked around, but no one was saying anything. Almost like it was planned, a lot of eyes went to Noah. Noah looked to Coach, who nodded. Noah looked around before answering. "First time around, nothing was said. Just a test run. Second time around, I told Marshel to get his shit together."

    Quite a few of the guys laughed. Marshel turned red, either from embarrassment or anger. I didn''t know.

    "No, but seriously?" Bryce was surprised.

    "Yep." Noah nodded. "I also told Oscar that it''s his job to disrupt the flow of the game."

    "I don''t think I''m ready to make the calls for a game." Oscar added, bringing down the atmosphere for a second.

    Coach nodded. "You ran into a few hiccups. It''s okay. It''s a learning experience for everyone." His eyes narrowed. "I can help with calling games. What I can''t do is bat for you. I don''t want your plate appearance to be an out every time, understand?"

    "Yes, sir." Oscar answered smoothly.

    My eyes shifted to Korrey, who looked uncomfortable. But Coach didn''t say anything directly to him.

 Chapter 1039 V3 Ch273

    Coach actually didn''t add much more. He just told us to rest up and be ready to go Monday. "We''ll go with Garret." He announced. "Oscar, you''ll start off calling the game, but if I don''t think you''re syncing well with him, I''ll take over from the dugout."

    "Garret gets to pitch before I do?" Kyle cut in to ask.

    "Obviously." Garret grinned. "I''m number one."

    "I should get the next game then." Dave laughed.

    "You wish." Kyle elbowed him in the ribs.

    "Quit it." Coach ordered. "I''m going with Garret because he''s the easiest to get along with." He glanced at Noah. "You guys might want a different catcher behind the plate."

    "Yes!"

    "No."

    Noah shot Dave a glare. "I''m not your personal catcher."

    "Come on. We worked so well together." Dave grinned, coming over and trying to pull Noah in a side hug. "We legit can''t be anymore perfect together."

    Noah looked to Coach, showing some signs of distress.

    "I''m not ruling the possibility out." Coach stated. "I''m not going to sabotage the team and ruin what works. We''ll still give Oscar his chance on Monday with Garret. As for which twin gets Wednesday''s game...I''ll decide later." He looked around. "Pack it up and head for the bus. I''m going to check on the other teams." He mentioned the lower levels.

    "Yes, sir." A lot of the team said together.

    Coach left us and we went back to the dugout. We packed up and cleaned up, before leaving together as a team. Garret led the way back to the bus in the parking lot. Only Mr. Miller was there, talking to the bus driver. He started to direct us to put the bags underneath in storage, but didn''t let us board.

    "Both teams are still playing." He told us. "You guys can either go watch one of their games or hang out around here with me."

    "Why can''t we board the bus and take a nap?" Bryce asked.

    Mr. Miller looked at him directly. "I think it may be best if you go show support to your schoolmates."

    Noah moved his eyebrows up and down. "I''m guessing if you choose to hangout here instead of watching baseball, it might not look so good." He glanced at me. "Want to watch JV or freshmen?"

    I made a face at the decision. I didn''t know very many freshmen. But also...JV might have a lot of drama. We just spoke to Andy before we left for this school so I can''t really stand to see them have a confrontation or fall apart.

    "C''mon Jake." Noah nudged me. "I know what you''re thinking. Don''t pick the easy choice."

    I scowled. "Why do you want to watch the JV game? It''s like a trainwreck."

    "Exactly." He snapped his fingers. "Hard to watch, but you also can''t look away."

    I looked around to see what the other guys were picking. There seemed to be a consensus that everyone was going to head to the JV game. I frowned.

    "What are you two doing? Still dawdling?" Kyle stopped to ask as more of our team started to leave. Dave stopped too.

    "Jake isn''t really wanting to watch the JV game." Noah shrugged and told them.

    They both looked to me. I gave a small shrug. "I just don''t like the feeling it''s giving me." I thought of another reason. "And no one is really interested in the freshmen game. What if they feel bad that no one came to see them?"

    Dave laughed and slung his arm around my shoulders. "Okay, kid. I get you. Let''s go cheer for the babies." He started to steer me to the freshmen field.

    "I''m obviously going too." Noah hurried to my other side. "It''s probably wrong of me to want to watch the collapse of the JV team anyways."

    Kyle was only a step behind. "What''s going on with them anyways?"

    Looks like they all decided to agree with me. I felt lighter knowing I wouldn''t have to watch the JV team with mixed feelings. Noah used the time it took us to walk to the field to tell the twins about our conversation with Andy.

    The freshmen field looked extremely rough. There was absolutely no infield grass and the outfield grass barely looked any better. We sat in a nearly empty bleacher near the visitor''s dugout. They didn''t have a scoreboard to tell us the inning or the score, but we knew it was the bottom half of an inning since Quincy was up to bat and our guys were on the field.

    "Any of you know the pitcher?" Kyle asked as he stretched himself out and got comfortable.

    I shook my head, clueless.

    "Trevor." Noah answered. We all glanced at him. He blinked. "Don''t you guys pay attention in camp?"

    "Your memory is pretty good." Dave commented.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "I''m just not self-absorbed like you guys are." He noticed my hurt expression. "Not you, Jake. It''s different."

    "Why is it different?" Kyle asked. "It''s not like we would see him often. We don''t bat against him at all. Maybe see him around in the pitcher workouts." He shrugged.

    "Because Jake has social anxiety." Noah reminded them. "He avoids eye contact with just about everyone. Heck, we came to this game because he didn''t want to see the other one because of anxiety."

    "We also came to support the freshmen." I added.

    "Yes, yes. The fresh meat." Dave joked.

    Just then, a Quincy batter made contact, hitting a sharp line drive to center. The center fielder came sprinting in and made a great catch before the ball could drop.

    I gave Noah a pointed look.

    He understood in a millisecond. He stood up and clapped. "Nice catch! That''s the way!"

    "Yea! Good one!" Dave echoed without getting up.

    The two of them looked at Kyle.

    Kyle sighed before raising his voice. "You boys got this!"

    Trevor got the ball back and faced the next guy. He struck him out, looking pretty good. They rolled the ball to the mound as our freshmen team all jogged it in. I guess that was the third out. We got a lot of looks from the guys jogging back in, as if they were curious who would be cheering. I saw a few looks of surprise and confusion. I tried to be friendly and lifted a hand casually to wave.

    "Let''s get it boys!" Noah clapped excitedly. "Get some baserunners and wreak havoc!" Noah cheered for every batter that came up, calling out their name and changing it up for every single one. I don''t know if it was because of him and his cheers or not, but our guys did well, get back to back base hits, driving in runs, and not giving up easy outs. The twins started to get into it too, yelling out cheers while clapping. I was team clapping. It was one thing to yell out cheers for people I know like Kaylee during her game, but I didn''t want to mess up some of their names. Like I trust Noah, but he could still be wrong.

    Their dugout was getting energized too as they raked in the runs. Maybe they were losing or in a close one, because it was definitely a different vibe for the freshmen team as they took the field for the bottom half of an inning again. Trevor was back on the mound and did well, going three up, three down. The infielder started to convene and slapping hands.

    "Looks like they won." Noah nodded with pride before standing up.

    "As they should." Kyle stood up too.

    Dave and I got up as well and we all started to walk down the stands.

    "You boys want to hang around a second?" A coach from the freshmen dugout asked us.

    "Do you need us to?" Kyle asked.

    Dave elbowed him. "It''s not like we''re in a hurry. The bus ain''t going to leave any faster if we leave the field now."

    Kyle glared at him and rubbed his side. "I was just asking; not being rude about it."

    "We''ll stick around, Coach Ryan." Noah told the guy.

    He nodded. "Thanks." We watched as his guys celebrated before heading back to the dugout. He waved them over like he was holding a postgame meeting with a fence between us. "Not bad, boys. Way to hang in there until the end. I''ve got to say though. I didn''t see that spark coming until Noah here, started to take charge with the cheers and chants." A lot of eyes went to Noah. "I''m not saying you guys didn''t work hard. You did. I just believe his support came in a timely manner. Could you feel it?"

    Trevor was the first to nod. "Yes, Coach. It''s definitely a good feeling hearing someone call out my name to cheer me on. It''s uplifting."

    A few others agreed.

    "It''s important to keep your head up no matter the score or how many innings left." He talked some more about their game and what aspects they performed well and what needed work.

    "Anything you guys want to add?" Coach Ryan looked to us.

    I immediately took a step back.

    However, Noah took a step forward. "We weren''t able to see much, but from what I saw, you guys did your jobs. No errors. Physically or mentally. And even if you did, way to brush it off." He noticed some kid picking his head up. "Fun fact, Jake had an error today."

    A lot of eyes drifted to me. I wanted to go hide in a hole.

    "But he didn''t let it take him out of the game." Noah continued. "He just had to pick himself up and try harder next time. Don''t waste your thoughts on what you could have done better until after the game when you can afford to do some reflection. Then put it to action and work on it."

 Chapter 1040 V3 Ch274

    Coach Ryan thanked Noah for sharing, then asked his own team if they had anything to share.

    "Not really about our game, but did you guys win?" Someone asked.

    Noah grinned. "Of course! 10-7."

    "It wasn''t as pretty nor as perfect as the games I pitch." Dave jumped in, referencing his perfect game from just a couple days ago.

    "Did your hit streak continue?" Someone different asked, but was looking directly at me.

    "Yea, even added another homer!" Noah excitedly told them. "Coach said he tied our brother''s record for sophomore home runs. Granted, this is very specific. I''m sure there have been sophomores that have done more than six home runs in a regular season. Our school only keeps track of varsity stats though so it''s a little biased."

    "Only the varsity level matters." Someone said lightly.

    "It''s true that it gets the most attention, but I think every level matters." Noah replied.

    "Can you say that even though you went straight to varsity?"

    Noah had everyone''s attention now. He didn''t look awkward about answering though. He just grinned. "You get to play. That''s the most important. Having fun is right up there. And then, working to improve. Think of it this way, you have a goal to get to a higher level. I think the lower levels work the hardest because of that. Once people make it to the top, then some start to slide." He shrugged. "Coach Wilcox isn''t afraid to change things up at any time. No one is a guaranteed starter and no one is guaranteed a spot on varsity. Heck, even Jake has been benched a few games."

    I made a face at his back. Can you stop bringing me up? It''s drawing unwanted attention.

    "Yes." Coach Ryan agreed with Noah''s comments. "Noah has some very good insights when it comes to practicing. I think he has done very well to not become complacent despite what level he has made. He practices hard and strives to do better. Noah has a hitting streak of his own and works to do his best for the team as a whole." He clapped his hands. "But enough about them. Let''s clean up and head to the bus; I''m sure everyone is waiting for us. We have three games this upcoming week so don''t overdo it tomorrow. Stretch and throw the ball if you want." He spoke more directly to certain members of his team and let us go back first.

    "Man." Kyle chuckled lightly. "I almost believed you back there, talking about how the lower levels matter."

    "It''s not like I was lying." Noah shot him a glare. "Each way has its benefits. Just look at you and Dave. You guys were freshmen on a JV team and got wrecked a time or two. Makes you grow as a player. But at least those stats aren''t held against you since you weren''t on varsity." He grinned. "Think how much better your ERA and WHIP would be for your high school career if it didn''t include your sophomore year."

    "Why you-" Kyle reached out for him and the two started to mess around, going in circles.

    "Man, my numbers would be unbelievable." Dave muttered. He glanced at me before reaching out and patting my shoulder. "Sorry for you, Jake."

    "Me?" My stats were pretty good. Some of the best.

    "All those errors your freshman year will be haunting you for years to come." Dave laughed.

    I grimaced. "People don''t really look at that though...right...? It''s mostly batting for fielders?"

    Dave shrugged. "For you, they definitely won''t care too much. It''s just funny to think that after your senior year, someone could ask why you made so many errors in your high school career."

    I covered my ears, not wanting to even think about it.

    As we approached the bus, we started to see some of the guys from our team.

    "Hey, that game is over too?" Noah ditched Kyle and went to ask Sean.

    Sean looked to us with wide eyes. "Man. You guys missed the shitshow. Do yourselves a favor and steer clear of Coach and the JV team."

    "Why? What happened?" Noah frowned.

    "Yea. What do you mean by shitshow?" Kyle asked.

    Dave and I hurried up to join the group.

    "It was crazy!" Bryce joined in. "A full on brawl broke out. I wouldn''t be surprised if some guys get dropped from the program."

    "What?"

    "A fight? With who?"

    "And Coach saw it all?"

    "A fight within themselves." Sean explained. "After losing another close one, they had some kind of confrontation in the team meeting and things just erupted from there. We were just about to leave when they were suddenly tackling one another."

    "Do you know who started it? Like who threw the first punch?" Noah started to ask for more details.

    Sean and Bryce both shook their heads. "It was hard to tell. Very sudden. And soon all of them were involved."

    My stomach dropped. "That sounds horrible."

    "I''ve never seen anything like it." Sean shook his head.

    "I''ve seen fights between teams but never within a team." Bryce shrugged. "I just don''t get what could have happened. Coach ain''t going to be happy."

    Mr. Miller started to let us board, not commenting on a fight he didn''t see. It was all the varsity players could talk about though. There were a lot of rumors going around, talking about why they would fight, but there seemed to be a general consensus that it was because they lost today.

    The freshmen team started to load their bags below and board the bus too. They overheard bits and pieces from our guys, leading to some more speculation. The coaches stayed off the bus and talked amongst themselves too. It was quite a long wait before we saw parts of the JV team. The bus got quiet as some of them loaded their bags and boarded. They were sweaty and dirty, but I didn''t see anything that screamed ''fight.''

    That changed when the second half of the team showed up. Most of them had bags of ice. One in particular stood out: Andy. He was holding a bag of ice to his face with Alisha right next to him, like she was guiding him back.

    Noah stood up and frowned. The twins were only a few rows back and stood up after seeing Noah do so. I slowly stood too, unsure if something was going to happen.

    Alisha helped Andy sit next to Garret across from us. She spared us a glance. "He''s okay, but I think his eye might swell shut." She looked outside the bus. "I have to go back to Coach and help."

    "Thanks, Alisha." Andy told her.

    She left soon after.

    "Who hit you?" Noah asked.

    Andy didn''t bother turning his head when an ice bag was covering half of it. "Not sure. I just caught a random elbow to the corner of my eye. It''s not a big deal."

    "Not a big deal?" Noah repeated. "You can''t play baseball with a black eye. What the heck happened out there?"

    Andy shook his head. "It was a long time coming. I said tension was building up between pitchers and hitters. Maybe a little bit of upperclassmen versus underclassmen too. I probably should have stepped back and let it play out, but somehow I got caught up into it too." He looked like he wanted to say more, but the coaches were starting to board. Alisha and Coach were last.

    He let her sit and started to move down the aisle to stand in the middle of the bus. "Apparently, I''ve been too relaxed this season." His voice sounded deeper than normal. He looked a little scary as he glanced up and down the rows. "I knew there were a couple of hot tempers in this program from tryouts and preseason. What I didn''t expect, was that it would get in the way of playing baseball."

    The bus stayed silent; no one wanted to become Coach''s target.

    "Monday, the original JV roster will meet me by my office after school." Coach instructed. He saw a few nods from those guys. "You boys will not be playing in Monday''s game. None of you."

    There were a few gasps and looks started to dart around.

    "Noah." Coach hollered.

    Noah stood up. "Yes, Coach?"

    "You''re going down to JV."

    My jaw dropped. So did a few others.

    Noah surprisingly didn''t ask any follow-up questions. He nodded. "Okay."

    "Jake. Sean. Korrey." Coach called out. "You three will join him." He looked our way. "Bryce or Brian? Which of you want to pitch?"

    "I''ll do it!" Brian''s arm shot up in the air.

    "I''ll play outfield and be his relief, if you need me to, Coach." Bryce offered.

    "Good." His eyes drifted to the far end of the bus. At the freshmen. "Who wants a chance to start for a JV game?"

    Hands were raised. Either with eagerness or hesistancy. Coach picked out a few of them, moving them up for Monday''s game. "Everyone I''ve mentioned for JV, will meet with Mr. Miller at the upper field after school for warmups." He started to head for the front of the bus. "For those meeting me at my office, make sure to bring your running shoes."

    I shivered and glanced sympathetically at Andy even though he couldn''t see me.

 Chapter 1041 V3 Ch275

    It was a long quiet ride back to our school. No one chatted or dared to gossip with Coach in a bad mood. I had so many questions for Noah, but chose to wait until we got back to our car where it was safe.

    Dave beat me to it though. "I can''t believe you agreed so readily to go down to JV." He helped us packed the trunk and then we all got in.

    "It''s not like I could say no." Noah said calmly. "Coach knows what''s best. He himself won''t be at the varsity game Monday."

    "I just thought it was weird that he picked you first." Kyle said from the driver''s seat.

    "I think it''s because I''m the vice-captain." Noah said nonchalantly. "He needs someone to lead a short-handed team. Garret was already picked to pitch on Monday. He has to pair up with Oscar and try to lead a depleted varsity team. I''m tasked with the lower level. So I understand."

    "I feel like he took away too many of the good hitters." Dave commented. "Jake, Sean, and Bryce?" He whistled low. "I just hope he isn''t giving away our perfect season for this."

    "You can''t blame him." Noah said. "He has to think about the whole program. All three teams. Not just ours."

    "This coming from the guy who complained about playing catcher for one game?" Kyle snorted.

    "Hey! I like what I like!" Noah refuted. "I''ll complain no matter what if it''s not shortstop. I like the action. Playing JV won''t be a problem. I get to play short and Mr. Miller will probably let me bat first. So lots of at bats for me."

    "Uh...Noah..." Dave said hesitantly. "Is now a bad time to mention that you might have to play catcher for Brian?"

    Kyle burst out laughing.

    "He can pair up with one of the freshmen." Noah stated firmly.

    "Were any of them catchers?" Dave asked.

    We arrived back at the house and started to unload our bags. Mom and Dad heard us making a racket and came out of their office.

    "The other games must have run long." Mom commented while smiling. "We were starting to get worried."

    "The JV team had a fight." Kyle told her. "The whole team. With themselves. Coach got mad and now Noah and Jake have to play in the JV game on Monday."

    Mom and Dad were just as shocked as we were. Noah quickly gave them some backstory about how divided the team was. Then he grinned. "Bet you guys didn''t expect to watch any JV games after last year."

    "Why would they go watch you guys pick on another JV team?" Dave thumped Noah on the head.

    Noah rubbed his head. "Why would they watch the varsity game that we aren''t playing in? You two won''t get a chance on the mound either so it''s pointless."

    Mom and Dad shared a look.

    "Well, actually." Dad cleared his throat. "We had been entertaining the thought of going on a trip since you guys weren''t playing any league games this week. And now that it''s shaping up to be like this..."

    "A trip to where?" Noah asked.

    All eyes were on them.

    "To Reno, Nevada." Mom answered. "We could do a drive through the mountains. See Zeke play his game on Tuesday, then drive back."

    "Drive?" Dave sounded disgusted. "That''ll be hours. How long do you guys plan to be gone?"

    "Leave Monday, come back Wednesday. Maybe even be back in time for your game Wednesday too."

    "Oh. That sounds fine." Kyle nodded.

    Noah shrugged. "Basically how long you''re gone when you''re watching Zeke at Stanford anyways."

    "If I''m starting on Wednesday, you guys better leave super early and get here on time." Dave told them.

    Mom looked to me.

    "Have fun? Tell Zeke and Rhys that we said ''hi''?" I was unsure if they were looking for approval or just expected me to have something to say like the others.

    Dad reached out and patted me on the head. He smiled at Mom. "The boys are growing up. Don''t worry. Gramps will be here to keep an eye on things."

    Mom smiled softly for a second before narrowing her eyes at us. "The JV fight is concerning. I don''t want you boys getting mixed up in all that, you hear me?"

    "Don''t worry, Mom." Dave waved her worries away. "Jake couldn''t even stand the idea of JV team having a tense atmosphere. That''s why we watched the freshmen team. We aren''t fighters. Just baseball players."

    Dad looked to Kyle.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Don''t look at me like that. I don''t fight either, Dad. Name one time I''ve intentionally thrown a punch."

    "I like how you have to add intentionally." Dave snickered.

    Noah laughed too, causing Dad to look at him directly next. Noah stopped. "C''mon Dad. I''ve a man that uses words. I dont fight-fight. But if I did, it''s because someone hurt my brothers first."

    Dad squinted at him. "That wasn''t reassuring."

    "Coach will have it under control on Monday." Noah said. "No fights while you''re gone, I swear."

    After we finished talking about the JV team and Mom and Dad going on a trip, we started to clean up. Noah and I needed to shower. Dave didn''t bother, but Kyle did since he had a date with Marie tonight. Grampa and Mom got together to make dinner for everyone after Kyle left. Noah took the time to call Zeke about what had went on today, but it went straight to voicemail.

    "He''s probably already on his flight back." Noah sighed. "Too bad. It''d be nice to get his opinion on the matter." He looked to me. "You gonna tell Jeremy that you''ve been demoted for a game?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t think it matters. Like you said. It''s not a league game and Coach knows what he''s doing. I trust him."

    Noah grinned. "How many bombs will you hit on Monday?"

    I slowly shook my head. "If we''re playing the JV field...probably none." I explained. "They don''t have a real outfield fence." It led to a soccer field so it had to be easily disposable.

    "Oh. Right. I think they''re stakes in the ground with caution tape." He laughed. "Bryce better not let a fly ball by or it might be a home run if the batter is fast enough." He rubbed his hands together. "Maybe I can get one."

    "Would that even count?" I asked, tilting my head.

    p��nd��---no��?1,��o�� He nodded. "As long as it''s not an error by the outfield, if I run all the bases fast enough, it would go down as a home run."

    I gave him a thumbs up. "I''m rooting for you."

    He laughed. "Why does it sound like you won''t be trying for any of that?"

    "I don''t want to trip and embarrass myself." I told him. "Especially in a JV game. That would make me feel bad. I rather just play steady. Take our win. And hope Coach isn''t going to redo the rosters again."

    "No way." Noah said. "He''s just mad at the whole JV team. They''ll just run for the next couple of days. Wednesday, things will return to normal."

    I hoped so.

 Chapter 1042 V3 Ch276 (Filler)

    The rest of the weekend flew by. It wasn''t like we had much time left anyways. Saturday night, the three of us took Grampa bowling, trying to beat him with our improved scores. Kyle complained about missing out, but Dave was quick to let him know that he was on a date and it was something he had to live with.

    On Sunday, the four of us went on a morning run followed by weights and a brunch. Kyle rushed to the shower first afterwards to get ready for another day with Marie. The rest of us were slower. Noah and I made plans with Alisha and Kaylee to go work out at the park so we didn''t bother with showers. After hearing our plans, Dave decided to go to Garret''s with a few other seniors.

    Kaylee couldn''t believe the drama that went down yesterday. She was even more astounded when she found out we would be playing for JV tomorrow afternoon. I think it really took her mind off her own problems with her family and potentially moving away. She promised to be there tomorrow for us after her own practice which was nice. Alisha wanted to go too, but said that Coach wanted her to be with him and the JV guys. Probably to track times and take notes.

    We did practice grounders, short fly balls, high fly balls, and turning double plays. Kaylee did her best to hit what we need, but it wasn''t always perfect causing Noah and her to bicker. I switched with her halfway and allowed her to practice too. Even though she and Noah fought the most, they didn''t make one mistake when playing together.

    After playing, we walked back to our house with the girls and had a late lunch that Grampa made. The girls got picked up by Alisha''s mom afterwards. The twins didn''t make an appearance until right before dinner. Everyone was relaxed and in a good mood, talking about everything and nothing all at the same time.

    Monday morning was a different story. I was still half asleep at the breakfast table as Mom lectured everyone. From Grampa, all the way down to me. No one was left off. "It''s a school night, so no going out or staying up late. It''s school, baseball, homework, bed."

    "What about dinner?" Kyle asked. "Are you going to starve us?"

    "Don''t be obtuse, Kyle." Dad said with a warning look.

    Mom turned to me. "You." I straightened up. "I''m expecting pictures of everything you eat these next few days." I nodded. She looked to Grampa. "You''re going to have your work cut out for you, Dad. I''ve left a list of ideas for snacks and meals for the boys. Make sure Noah stays out of the sweets and that Jake eat more veggies and protein."

    "I understand, Mary." Grampa smiled. "Don''t worry, worst case scenario, we go out to eat. We''ve done this a few times now; why are you all in a panic?"

    Mom frowned. "We haven''t been gone this far before." She looked at Noah next. "Stay out of trouble for the next 48 hours please."

    Noah nodded. "I''ll wait until Wednesday before creating some trouble." Dad sent a look his way and Noah straightened up. "C''mon, you guys know me. I don''t go looking for trouble. But for the sake of your sanity, of course I''ll promise to be on my best behavior. I''ll make sure the twins don''t fight. Jake will eat. Homework will be done. We''ll be fine."

    Mom needed to hear a few more reassurances before letting us go to school. She and Dad would leave shortly after us. Noah gave Grampa a reminder that we wouldn''t be on the varsity field today so he might have to do a little more walking. Grampa took this opportunity to show off his shiny new cane, even more happier with the deal he got on it. We said our last goodbyes and hurried out the door.

    "Do you need us to park somewhere different?" Dave asked us as he drove us closer to school.

    "Nah." Noah wasn''t bothered. "It''s not that much farther. Plus, Jake is probably more comfortable still changing in our club room and then we''ll walk to the JV field."

    Oh. I didn''t even think of that. I rubbed my eyes to wake myself up. "I can just change in the bathroom."

    "Nah. The whole JV team will be near the locker room up there to talk to Coach. Better to avoid all of them." Noah told me. "They''re going to be in a bad mood. Coach too."

    I nodded.

    "We''ll have plenty of time." Noah continued. "We''ll change like normal with the guys. Wish them luck, then take a walk over. Maybe try to steal away a few of the varsity fans." He grinned mischievously.

    "Hard to do with Garret on the mound today." Dave parked the car in the usual spot.

    We all got out of the car and took our backpacks. The twins left first, making the walk up to the school while we waited around for Mr. Miller. He drove by in his golf cart like normal, picking us up and taking us to the school entrance. We made small talk about the game this afternoon before parting ways.

    School was normal. Classwork, lessons, avoiding eye contact with the teachers. Met up with Kaylee and Alisha a few times. After school, Alisha and Kaylee went towards the lockers while Noah and I headed down.

    eaglesnov?1,��o�� We ran into a few of the guys from the team. No one was surprised that we were going to get changed like normal. Probably because everyone else had the same idea. Bryce, Brian, Korrey, and Sean were all getting dressed and ready in the club room too. It was a good idea because we then walked as a small group to the JV field. It made me feel a little more secure despite the fact that we were about to play a game with a bunch of freshmen that I didn''t know.

    "Where are you guys going?" Someone called out to our group as we left the vicinity of the varsity field.

    "JV field." Noah took charge and answered for our group. "The JV team needs some help today!" He announced and waved around as he started to get some attention.

    "JV games don''t matter though."

    "What about going undefeated?"

    "Our best batters aren''t batting today?"

    Noah pointed at the kid who said that last comment. "Garret would be so offended." He grinned. "Don''t worry, we have complete faith in our coaches and our team. With Garret on the mound, there''s a chance that he throws another perfect game. He can also score his own backup runs. Have some more faith in the captain."

    Sean laughed. "I think Garret would be more offended with the pressure you''re putting on him."

    "Nah. He''s used to it." Noah smiled back. "Besides, if he starts slipping up, the twins will be clamoring to take his place. He''ll do just fine."

    We entered the JV field and went to the third base dugout, finding some spots to put our bags and gear. Freshmen started to show up afterwards. They were quiet as they scooted around us, reminding me of...me. Shy. Timid.

 Chapter 1043 V3 Ch277 VS Evergreen (1)

    "A bit of a mellowed-out dugout." Mr. Miller commented as he walked in with a couple of guys behind him. One I recognized.

    Noah did too. "Beef Stu! What are you doing here?" He went over to bump fists with our former softball teammate.

    The friendly old man bumped his fist with Noah''s then stepped towards me to do the same. "Miller had to call in for some reinforcements. Needed some stand-ins I heard."

    Noah laughed. "Yea, we''re a little stretched thin all around."

    Stu nodded, then glanced around. "This is a bit of a dump compared to the varsity setup. You guys sad about missing out?"

    I shook my head.

    "Nah." Noah shook his head too. "It''s no biggie. Just a game. You know me, as long as I get to play, I''m happy." He held my shoulder. "And Jake here, couldn''t possibly care less. He''s probably more worried about running into the troublemakers. Heck, he''d be happier in the cages."

    "Hey, I care." I bumped him.

    "Sure you do." Noah patted the top of my head.

    I swatted him away. "If I didn''t care, I wouldn''t play. I''ll be out there trying my best like any other game."

    "Think you can hit an in-the-park home run?" Stu asked as he glanced towards the outfield. "There''s a lot of space out there."

    I automatically started to shake my head. No way.

    "Then are you really trying your best?" Stu asked me, looking into my eyes.

    I paused, not knowing what to say.

    Luckily Mr. Miller made his presence known, clapping his hands together to get everyone''s attention. "Alright boys, let''s get this party started. Noah will lead warmups. After that, I want Brian and Scottie in the bullpen, getting acquainted."

    "No worries." Brian spoke up. "We''ve worked together before and even met up yesterday."

    A chubby, pimply teen beside him started to nod. That was somewhat reassuring.

    "Good." Mr. Miller nodded. He eyed some of the freshmen. "I know half of you might be shy or even nervous about the situation. Take it easy. Introduce yourself to one another if you''re not familiar. I have faith that we''ll win with the few upperclassmen leading us." He nodded at Noah. "Take them away."

    Noah took over, leading us through warmup and stretches. He also took control of the introductions. He called out each guy individually to say their name, grade, position, and favorite baseball player. He was nice enough not to call on me first but I knew he wouldn''t let me off.

    I didn''t make eye contact with anyone and focused on stretching. "I''m Jake. A sophomore. I play second base. And...I guess...I have to say...that Jeremy Patterson is my favorite professional player."

    Bryce laughed. "Don''t sound so reluctant to admit it. How would he feel if he knew?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t know very much about pros. I could say Maberry. He was very nice."

    "Now you''re just showing off." Sean said. "We''re talking about players we like. Like they play how we want to play. You''re talking about guys you actually know."

    I shrugged, helpless.

    "Okay, okay. Stop picking at his answer." Noah broke it up. "Let''s pair up and start throwing the ball around. Come on, Jake." He called me away, saving me from the spotlight.

    1 SS Noah

    2 1B Sean

    3 CF Bryce

    4 2B Jake

    5 LF Korrey

    6 RF Brandon

    7 3B Miguel

    8 C Scott

    9 P Brian

    "As you guys can see, I''m starting every available varsity player given to us." Mr. Miller looked around at the small team in our dugout. "With a solid lead, I''ll use some subs in the later innings. Let''s see what we can do against these guys."

    Noah was the first to leave the dugout. "Let''s do it!"

    The rest of us fielders hurry to follow. Brian and his catcher, Scott, were the slowest; exchanging a few words before separating. Brian went to the mound and Scott went to the plate. They started to warmup with the rest of us.

    One thing I noticed right away was how quiet things were. There were no announcements of the lineups beyond giving them to the umpires and scorekeepers. There were only two small bleachers with two handfuls of adults, all on our side. I spotted Grampa up front. He made eye contact and lifted a hand. I waved back.

    The game started very casually, almost feeling like a scrimmage. Brian dealt with the top of the order with ease. A swinging strikeout. A fly out to the freshman, Brandon, in right field. Another swinging strikeout. We went back to the dugout, slapping him on the back and giving out compliments.

    Stu went out to be the first base coach and Coach Jay, an assistant from the freshmen team, went to the third base coach''s box.

    �Ѧ���d�� -n?��e| , c?m "I''m going to aim big." Noah told me as we got ready for our plate appearances. "I want to see how far I can hit one."

    I made a face. "Why not play it safe first?"

    Noah laughed. "Jake. You''re here. It''s already safe. I just want to push myself first time up. Next time around, I''ll drop a bunt if I have to. Besides, don''t you like to try different things every now and then?"

    "I like to when we already have the lead." I pointed out.

    He patted me on the shoulder. "I think your vision is a little skewed from only playing varsity. We''ll win this game without a problem." He turned to leave me and the dugout.

    "I hope so." I muttered under my breath. Coach was already in a bad mood. I can''t imagine how he''ll react if we mess this up.

    Sean left the dugout too. Bryce and I stayed in the hole, listening to Mr. Miller talk to Scott about his pitch selection so far. I thought he did well with Brian, but obviously Mr. Miller saw room for improvement.

    Noah was waved to the plate by the umpire and our half of the inning began. Noah let the first pitch pass for a called strike. 0-1. The second pitch, he swung hard and fast, hitting the ball in the air of right field. He started his run and so did the outfielders. The guy got underneath the ball and made the catch for the first out.

    Bryce went out to the on deck circle and Noah came back. He pointed at me. "You jinxed me. I know it!"

    I cracked a smile.

    Noah covered his ears. "Don''t want to hear it. I know what you did. Lalala." He went back towards our bags.

    Sean hit a long fly ball dead center. It would have been a home run on our usual field, but here the center fielder was able to chase it further back without a worry of running into a solid fence. He made the catch for the second out. Bryce did something similar. Like all three of them wanted to try to blast the ball out of here. I sighed and went back to the dugout in defeat.

    "Okay. Not the best of starts." Mr. Miller clapped his hands. "Let''s get back to getting the ball on the ground. Drop it in for hits. There won''t be any easy home runs here." He looked at me.

    "I''ll be playing it safe!" I hurried to tell him.

    He grinned. "Jake knows what to do." He looked around. "If you guys don''t drive him home in the next inning, maybe I will start switching things up. We''re here to play and play to win. If you guys want to fool around, I can send you to Coach Wilcox and the JV team."

    Bryce patted Mr. Miller on the back. "We weren''t fooling around. We were trying our best. Don''t worry Coach, we''ll do it better next time. We won''t make you look bad."

    Mr. Miller squinted at him until he went to his bag. "I''m holding you upperclassmen to a higher standard."

    "Got it!" Brian headed for the exit. "I''ll keep the offense at bay so you can relax Mr. Miller."

 Chapter 1044 V3 Ch278 VS Evergreen (2)

    Brian really did take care of business on the mound. Him and Scott worked well. I think. Or maybe Brian was just that much better than JV players? It probably helped that they had spoken and made a game plan. They got the cleanup hitter to swing late, hitting a grounder down the line to Sean. He scooped it up and beat out the batter to the bag for the first out. Batter five became strikeout victim number three. Batter six made the best contact, hitting a line drive...right to Bryce though. We jogged it back to the dugout.

    I switched into my batting gear and headed for the exit. Mr. Miller stopped me by resting his hand on top of my helmet. "Start us off strong, kid. Don''t fool around."

    I nodded obediently and left the dugout. My practice swings were casual as I studied the pitcher. He had a the basics down but nothing to make him special. The umpire let him throw a few more practice pitches before waving me up to the batter''s box. Mr. Miller said not to mess around. I knew it meant not to foul off a bunch of pitches. Attack early and get on base.

    The first pitch just happened to be a good one. He probably wanted to get ahead on the count, but too bad for him, I wasn''t watching. I swung and connected, sending it to the gap in left-center. I dropped the bat and took off. I tagged first and rounded to second. On the way to second, I had a clear view of the center fielder getting the ball. I eased up and stopped at second, happy that there was no need to slide.

    "Good hit!"

    "Great job!"

    "Nice one!"

    Our little dugout shared some compliments...at least until I heard Noah.

    "You could have done one more!" He hollered out, heavily implying that I could have gotten to third.

    I wish I had the courage to yell back and ask him how many bases he got. That would shut him down. Instead I simply waved and got set for Korrey''s at bat. I had to be careful here. I had to tag up if it''s a fly out. And be ready to run if it''s on the ground, but do my best to not get tagged out.

    Korrey seemed to want to try to hit it beyond the outfield just like the previous three before me. I watched the ball fly to center and went back to second base. The center fielder had plenty of time to get under it. As soon as he made the catch, I took off for third, eyes on Coach Jay beyond the base. Coach Jay signaled for no slide and I stopped to stand on the base, turning to watch the ball get back to the infield and then back to the pitcher.

    "Good run." Coach Jay told me. "Be ready to go on a grounder and watch for another tag up opportunity."

    I nodded. I took a small lead, trying to calm my heart rate down despite the pitcher being able to look right at me. He stepped off the rubber to do a check throw and I stepped back to the bag. No need to slide when I''m still so close. The guy didn''t throw the ball over. He got set and I took my lead off the bag again. The pitcher turned his focus on Brandon, the freshman playing right field. He dealt with him easily, getting him to go down swinging. Miguel, the freshman for third base, had better luck, sneaking a single up the middle. I tagged home, scoring the first run of the game.

    "Good hit." Mr. Miller told me on my way in the dugout. "Don''t take Noah''s shit. You aren''t him."

    I smiled. "Yea. I know." I went to my bag and took off my helmet. I glanced at Noah.

    Noah had just finished yelling and clapping for the freshman''s RBI. He plopped back down and smiled at me. "Look at you, playing it safe."

    "I scored a run." I gloated. "Remind me what you did?"

    "I''ll get one next time." Noah rolled his eyes.

    Scott, the freshman catcher, struck out real quick to end the inning. We switched sides and Brian went back out on the mound. Top of the third, bottom of the lineup. Groundout to first. A groundout to me. And a strikeout. Three up, three down. And we were back on offense with Brian up first.

    Brian started us off right unlike the other four guys. He singled to right, bringing up Noah. Noah didn''t aim for the sky this time, but he also didn''t lay a bunt. He got a good piece of a high fastball and hit a single to center. Sean moved to the batter''s box, Bryce to the on deck circle, and I stood in the hole, eager that the guys were serious now.

    Sean made contact, ripping a hard grounder to the left. The shortstop made a diving stop. From his knees, he decided to throw to third despite Brian having a good jump off of second. The throw was bad and went past the third baseman. Bases loaded after an error. Still no outs.

    With the dugout full of freshmen, they didn''t make as much noise as Noah alone would have, but they still cheered. I clapped too as I headed for the on deck circle. "You''ve got this Bryce."

    Bryce crushed the first pitch to left-center just like my own double. He matched it but added two RBIs, pushing the score to 3-0. I slapped hands with Brian and Noah after they tagged the plate.

    "See. Told you I could do it too." Noah had time to say to me as the Evergreen High School team got together for a mound meeting.

    It was a short gathering that didn''t involve their coach or a pitching change. Either way, it would have been fine. The meeting broke up and I was called to the batter''s box. I switched to be a lefty and pulled the first pitch to right-center field, getting two RBIs of my own as Sean and Bryce scored. I had to slide into second base this time though, but I thought I did it fairly well.

    "Great job!"

    "Nice hit!"

    A few compliments could be heard from our dugout. We had a 5-0 lead now. Very solid. I wouldn''t care if the others wanted to aim for the fences now. Which is exactly what Korrey tried to do. Again. And again it was a fly out to center. And again I was able to tag up and reach third. I was back in the same position as before; On third with one out. This time around Brandon made contact, hitting a grounder. I sprinted home and Miguel signaled no slide. 6-0. Brandon and I went back to the dugout with matching smiles.

    "That''ll be it for you, I think." Mr. Miller told me with a smile.

    I paused in my return, dropping my shoulders. "Really? Already?" It was only the third inning.

    Mr. Miller patted me on the shoulder. "You did your job and gave us a good lead. Now let some of the others get to experience this level."

    "Okay." I sighed. It was a light day of work for me. I barely felt warmed up.

 Chapter 1045 V3 Ch279

    Noah and Brian were the only ones that fully played the JV game. The rest of us starters became benchwarmers and cheer squad of sorts. Especially when Sean and Bryce joined us. They were the loudest and knew what to say. We won the game 7-0 with Brian throwing all seven innings. He only gave up two hits, no walks, with ten strikeouts. Noah got another hit, Sean finally got his first. Korrey was the only varsity player that didn''t get a hit.

    Everyone in the dugout could tell he was frustrated after his third fly out of the game. Mr. Miller held him back for a private talk, leaving the rest of us to clean up the dugout and field. Being a varsity member from the start, I never had to intentionally take care of the field. There was always Mr. Miller waving us off. I thought Noah would be as clueless as me, but he actually took the lead and divided up the jobs among us.

    Afterwards, we grabbed our bags and said a few words to Kaylee before going to Grampa. He congratulated us, making a quiet remark that the game lacked the same intensity as the higher level. Which made sense. But also, we were the higher level with a few freshmen mixed in. It also wasn''t a league game so it lacked the same atmosphere.

    We made our way to the varsity field, spotting some familiar faces do uphill sprints. Coach stood at the top, whistle in his mouth and hands on his hips. Alisha was right there next to him clipboard in hand.

    "Excuse me. Aren''t you Jake Atkins?" A strange man approached just as we reached the edges of the varsity field.

    I frowned, but nodded.

    "Why aren''t you playing in the varsity game today? Are you injured? Did your coach suspend you?" He rapidly asked three questions in a row.

    I immediately looked to Noah.

    Noah stepped up and as expected, spoke up. "Our coach decided to shuffle things around in the program today. It''s not a big deal. Wednesday, we''ll be back."

    "Does your coach often bench the best player on his team?" The guy narrowed his eyes.

    "Our coach does what he thinks is best." Noah stood tall. "And I think it''s pretty evident from our previous championship win and our undefeated season so far that he knows what he''s doing."

    "You don''t feel the least bit slighted about not playing today?" The guy looked directly at me.

    I shook my head. I did play today. Got a couple of hits. And we won. But I didn''t tell him that. He didn''t sound like he cared about that kind of stuff.

    Thankfully, the varsity game ended causing some cheers and shouts to take over. The guy glanced to the field and Noah grabbed me, pulling me towards Grampa.

    "We''ll go home with you, Gramps." Noah gave him a meaningful look.

    Grampa nodded. "Make sure to text one of your brothers. We''ll go pick up dinner on our way home."

    "You''re not going to cook for us?" Noah asked.

    "Not today. Too short on time. Tomorrow will work though." He answered as we made our way to Mom''s car. He opened the trunk and we put our baseball bags away.

    We got in and he started to drive. We went to a drive-thru, picking up a lot of junk food that Mom wouldn''t usually let us have. Grampa reasoned that fries came from a potato so it was considered a vegetable. He also said tomorrow would be healthier so we shouldn''t eat him out to Mom. Neither of us were willing and when we got home, the twins promised not to tell either. Over dinner, they talked about Garret''s dominance on the mound, only giving up two hits. We talked about ours and how Brian only gave up two too.

    Noah and I didn''t bring up the guy that approached us because it didn''t seem like it mattered. Until it did.

    We went to school the next day and found out from Mr. Miller that Coach was called into an early morning meeting with the athletic director, the principal, and some school board members. I immediately twisted around to look at Noah, wondering if he was thinking the same thing I was.

    "Is he in trouble?" Noah asked Mr. Miller as we got a ride up to the school.

    "Can''t say for certain." Mr. Miller sighed. He stopped to let us off. "Don''t be surprised if somebody from the front office wants to talk to you boys. They might interview some of the players."

    My heart rate started to climb. "What do they want to know?"

    Mr. Miller shrugged. "I''m just speculating. The AD will most likely back Wilcox. Just depends on what the others want to do about it."

    I felt a small sense of dread throughout the day until Math with the twins. Then it got exponentially worse. Some student from the front office came to get me. I looked at the twins for help.

    "What''s this?" Dave asked, confused. I guess he hadn''t heard about Coach maybe being in trouble.

    "Can one of us go with him?" Kyle looked to Mr. Petrus.

    "That''s not advisable." Mr. Petrus handed the note back to the student. "But, I''ll allow one of you to walk him to the office. Don''t be gone so long. The other should be taking notes to help Jake out."

    "I''ll go." Both of the twins said simultaneously while standing up at the same exact moment. It made a lot of the class laugh and ease some of the atmosphere.

    "Pick one, Jake." Mr. Petrus told me, sounding patient despite the student still waiting.

    I looked to Dave.

    Dave nodded and grinned. He patted my shoulder. "Alright. Let''s go see who''s wanting to talk to you."

    We left my stuff and headed for the exit with the student walking with the hall pass. He led the way to the front office and I used the walk to quickly recap to Dave what had happened yesterday and what we heard from Mr. Miller this morning.

    Dave frowned. "I''ll walk you all the way in. If there''s no one at this meeting that you feel safe with, I''ll tell them to call our parents instead."

    I dropped my shoulders with relief. That sounded good.

    We were met by Principal Bowden as soon as we entered. He looked at Dave with surprise. "We really only wanted to talk to Jake for right now."

    Dave nodded. "I know, but if Jake isn''t comfortable answering questions in this kind of setting, I think it''s best if you wait for our parents to get back in town."

    "Jake isn''t in any trouble though."

    "Doesn''t matter." Dave stood firm. "Jake has to have reasonable accommodation no matter the circumstance. If you don''t believe me, you can just ask his therapist."

    I nodded along, absolutely agreeing.

    "Dr. Moore is here in the office today if that would make you more comfortable." Principal Bowden looked to me. "But please, let me emphasize again that you''re not in trouble. Me and a few others just want to ask you some questions regarding your time on the baseball team."

    "And I''m telling you that it doesn''t matter if Jake''s in trouble." Dave stressed. "He simply doesn''t feel comfortable around strangers." He looked to me. "Dr. Moore or do you want to refuse and wait until Mom is back in town."

    I hesitated. Waiting until Mom and Dad get back was very tempting. It wasn''t just as simple as not liking strangers or feeling uncomfortable. My anxiety would be put to the test. But...they said I could have Dr. Moore there. He would understand me. And would understand the situation better than me. It would be a two-way tool. I didn''t want Coach to be in trouble and I just had a feeling that he would be if I didn''t go in there right now.

    I looked up at Dave. "I''ll have Dr. Moore with me."

    ?��?d��-�ǦȦͦ�|��?��m He clapped me on the shoulder. "Okay, man. You''ve got this. Dr. Moore will be there. If things go south though...and you choose to run...come find us. We''ll solve it together."

    I nodded.

    Dave hovered a little longer as Principal Bowden walked me to Dr. Moore''s office. Dr. Moore was more than a little surprised to see us together.

 Chapter 1046 V3 Ch280

    "What''s going on?" He immediately asked.

    "Well, we''re interviewing some of the baseball players to get their responses on their Coach and their situation within the team and program." Principal Bowden explained.

    I made a face of disgust.

    "Sounds serious." Dr. Moore stood up. "How about I talk to Jake for a minute to make sure we''re on the same page and then we''ll join you in your office?"

    "Okay, that''s fine." Principal Bowden nodded. "We''re actually going to be in the conference room though so just bring him in when you''re ready." He looked at me. "Don''t be nervous, Jake. You''re not in any trouble." He reiterated again before leaving.

    Dr. Moore came around his desk and closed his office door. "What do you think is going on, Jake?"

    I glanced at the door, nervous. I lowered my voice and quickly gave a recap of everything that has happened this last week. The tension and fight of the JV team. How Coach got mad and benched them, asking some of us to cover for the missing team. How we won. And then that weird guy that tried talking to me yesterday, sounding upset that I was sent down to JV for a game. To how Mr. Miller said there would be a meeting about Coach this morning.

    It took longer than a minute, but Dr. Moore didn''t rush me. He gave encouraging nods and asked a few follow-up questions. "Alright. I get the gist of it."

    I looked him in the eye. "I don''t want Coach to be in trouble."

    Dr. Moore reached out and patted my shoulder. "I understand. Don''t worry, I''ll be in your corner. You need any help answering the questions and I''ll jump right in." He opened the door and led the way to the conference room. He opened the door and greeted the five men in the room, shaking everybody''s hand.

    I knew two of the five. Principal Bowden and AD Barber. The other three were in suits and looked a little more serious. I kept the table between us, not intiating any contact.

    "Jake, take a seat and relax." Dr. Moore steered me towards the middle seat, facing the five other adults. I sat down and Dr. Moore sat on my right, comforting me a little. "So from what I gather, we''re here today because you all want to ask Jake some questions about his baseball coach?"

    "Yes." Principal Bowden took over. "Let me introduce everyone. Jake, you might recognize the athletic director." I nodded. "These three other gentlemen are from the school board. Mr. Osborne, Mr. Willis, and Mr. Figueroa."

    My lips thinned and I tried not to frown.

    "Gentlemen, this is Jake Atkins, formerly Jake Hollander." Principal Bowden introduced. "He''s a sophomore on the baseball team and has been on it since he came here last year. He''s currently the best player in the league."

    "The county." AD Barber corrected. "He''s the best in the county. Top five in the state, and climbing. No doubt, the best batter we have and we will ever see come through here." He looked at me with a softer expression. "Jake, do you like Coach Wilcox?"

    I immediately nodded.

    AD Barber looked down at the man at other end, Mr. Willis. "The best player on the team is happy with the coach is that enough for you?"

    "Is he really?" Mr. Willis was skeptical. He looked directly at me. "You were sent down by Coach Wilcox for a JV game. What are your thoughts on this?"

    I blinked. Thoughts? I had none. I glanced at Dr. Moore for help.

    Dr. Moore read me perfectly and spoke up. "Can you be more specific Mr. Willis? Thoughts is a very broad term and can represent anything and aren''t even perfectly controlled."

    "Okay, I''ll be more direct." He said. "Were you mad at your coach for sending you down?"

    I shook my head.

    "Why not? Don''t you like playing on varsity?" He continued.

    I shrugged. "I don''t really care either way."

    "You don''t care?" His voice went an octave higher.

    ?��?d���ǦȦͦ�| I looked to Dr. Moore. Was I supposed to repeat myself or was this rhetorical?

    "Jake''s interest in baseball is limited." Dr. Moore explained. "He actually didn''t start playing on any teams until coming here. He strictly learned how to hit in batting cages and that''s his preferred activity."

    "So he doesn''t even really know how a team is supposed to function." Mr. Figueroa spoke up.

    "You can''t say that. He was on a championship team last year. Freshmen of the year." AD Barber shot back. I was starting to see that he was on Coach''s side. Which was good. I''m glad someone had his back.

    "I understand you like the guy, Barb, but that doesn''t mean he''s a good coach." Mr. Willis took over again. "Who benches the whole JV roster on gameday and then uses the starting members of the varsity squad? It doesn''t make sense."

    "He already explained the circumstances around that." AD Barber leaned forward on the table. "The team was out of control. As soon as he found out, he took over. That''s what he''s supposed to do."

    "And I''m saying he went about it the wrong way."

    "How was it wrong? All three levels won. No harm was done."

    "Except for the fact that we''re getting calls about the benching of our starters. For no real reason."

    I looked to Dr. Moore on my right, unsure of what to say or do. I didn''t mind not being the center of attention, but I didn''t like the awkward bystander feeling either.

    Dr. Moore cleared his throat to draw attention to himself. "Excuse me. If you guys don''t mind, Jake is missing valuable class time for this so I would like to turn it back to him."

    "Yes, of course." The principal nodded. He asked me. "Jake, let''s keep it simple; why do you like Coach Wilcox?"

    I relaxed a little, not upset with this kind of question. "He''s nice." That''s the most important to me. "He also has taught me a lot about baseball. Like how to play and stuff. I-" I scratched the back of my neck, embarrassed. "I didn''t play on the field before. But he was still patient and a good teacher." I thought back to how skittish I was in the beginning. "If he was a bad coach...I wouldn''t have played."

    The room was quiet for a beat.

    Mr. Osborne, the third man who hadn''t spoken up yet, finally did so. "Would you continue to play if Coach Wilcox was no longer your head coach?"

    I was taken aback. Would I? Maybe? I mean...Noah and the twins would still be there. But would they play without Coach? Maybe if Miller or Luis took over? I thought about the question for awhile and none of them disturbed me by talking.

    I frowned. "I don''t know...it depends on a lot of things." I took a deep breath. "But, I trust Coach Wilcox. He''s never put me in a bad spot. He didn''t do anything wrong. He''s just trying to fix the JV situation before it gets worse. I''ll go wherever he needs me."

    "If the best player we have isn''t upset, then I just don''t know what we''re doing here." AD Barber sighed. "I say we let things play out. The boys are winning. Do you really want to risk their perfect performance?"

    "Wilcox risked it first." Mr. Willis pointed out. "Yesterday when he benched almost half his starters by sending them down for a meaningless game."

    "He didn''t risk it." I hurried to say. "Garret pitched. He''s the best."

    Eyes shifted around as everyone looked at one another.

    Principal Bowden stood up. "Alright. We thank you for your time, Jake. We''re going to talk some more, but you can get back to class. Make sure to get a hall pass from the front office." He looked at Dr. Moore. "Dr. Moore, do you mind pitching in for a little bit?"

    "Sure thing." Dr. Moore fixed his glasses. He gave me a small pat on the shoulder. "Good job on getting your opinions across, Jake. I''m happy for you."

    I let out a small smile and half of my body relaxed. I got up and started to head for the door. Then I thought of something...the man from yesterday. I turned around. "Umm."

    "What''s up, Jake?" Dr. Moore noticed my hesitation first.

    "Um, yesterday. There was this guy that approached me and Noah." I twisted my lips. "I don''t think he''s allowed to do that without my parents or coaches."

    "Yes. That''s a very good point." Dr. Moore agreed immediately. He looked to the five men across the table. "I think it would be wise to look into this. Our students, especially on campus, should be safe from badgering adults who should know better."

    The principal nodded. "Most certainly."

 Chapter 1047 V3 Ch281

    I was gone less than an hour which was good, because the twins didn''t take notes properly. Thankfully a friend of theirs loaned me his so I could get it copied before class ended. After class was done, the twins started to ask about what was said and what had happened. I quickly explained that the school board had members that were upset, but the principal and athletic director didn''t seem to be. Not much was said to me besides them asking if I was mad that Coach sent me down for a game. Just as I finished with the recap, Noah came sprinting over.

    He looked me in the eyes. "I heard from the twins that you were pulled in the office." I had to explain again. Noah frowned. "You would play without Coach?"

    I tilted my head in confusion. "I mean, we just did that yesterday. With Mr. Miller."

    Noah facepalmed himself. "That''s not the same. We would still have Coach as a coach."

    "I don''t want Coach to leave either." I defended. "But the question was whether I would play without him or not. And I have. And as long as you or the twins are there, I''ll keep playing."

    Dave laughed as he threw his arm around my shoulders. "Jake isn''t always on the same wavelength. He does what he wants. How he feels. I''m sure if they give us a bad coach, Jake would be the first to leave."

    Kyle reached out to hold Noah''s head. "Stop worrying. Nothing bad is going to happen to Coach. He''s at the helm of a championship team that is looking to repeat. It would take a massive push to get him out."

    The bell rung to signal that we were late for our next classes. The twins left while Noah walked me to my next class.

    "Are you mad?" I asked Noah, confused whether I did the right thing or not.

    Noah shook his head. "Not at you, but at the situation. People messing around when Coach is just doing his best." I nodded in agreement. He sighed. "Hopefully it''ll be settled by practice." He dropped me off at my class, waving at Alisha before running off to his own.

    We ended up not having to wait until practice to find out a result. Just as we got to our lunch table, a lot of the team started to show up. The twins, Garret, Bryce, and Brian. Sean, Jason, and Tanner.

    Garret started to talk over everyone, forcing the rest of us to get quiet. "Okay, it''s no secret that Coach ran into some trouble yesterday. It''s no biggie though. I''ve spoken with the principal, athletic director, and some of the guys on the school board. I think we''re all on the same page that Coach is the best to have at the helm. If things change, who knows how we''ll be affected."

    "What happens to the JV team?" Brian asked. "Are they still in trouble?"

    Garret grimaced. "Big trouble. Now higher-ups realize they have a problem. It''s drawing a lot of attention. I don''t know what they''ll decide to do about those idiots."

    "Would they cancel the rest of their season?" Sean frowned.

    "Unlikely." Garret shook his head. "Coach would definitely fight to have them back in action. With missing players or coaches, I don''t know. The JV team now will definitely have some effect on the Varsity team of next year so benching all of them doesn''t seem like a wise idea."

    There was a lot of speculation during lunch. I didn''t have anything to contribute. I was just happy that Coach wasn''t going to be gone. If he''s there, everyone will be assured. If there are no problems with our team, then it''s no problem to me. Next year''s problem can wait until next year.

    After school, as we gathered in the clubroom to get changed and ready for practice, Coach made his presence known. "Listen up, boys." All eyes went to him and everyone slowly stopped moving to make it even more quiet. Coach looked to Garret. "First up, I want to compliment our captain holding things down yesterday both on the mound and at the plate." He looked to the freshman catcher, Oscar. "You as well. Your work with Garret didn''t go unnoticed. Tomorrow you''ll work with Kyle and Friday will be Dave. Practice in the bullpen accordingly. Go over the signs and make sure you understand what they want to do on the mound this week."

    "Yes!" Oscar stood straight and nodded like a soldier who just received his orders.

    Coach looked around the room before continuing. "I''m glad that everyone took yesterday seriously without me present. Both games. Not going to lie; both winning really made me look good when it came time to face my superiors." He let out a heavy sigh. "In all my time as the head of this program, I''ve never had to let go any staff during the season. This decision didn''t come lightly, but it''s a change I have to be willing to make. Coach Holman and his assistants will no longer be with the program. I''ve also decided to bench a few select players for the rest of the year."

    Wow. I had a good feeling that a certain sophomore was on that list. I resisted the urge to smile. It was a serious situation. A few guys lost their jobs. Kids were done for the season despite having a month left.

    "Who''s going to lead the JV team?" Dave asked casually.

    "Coach Luis." Coach surprised us.

    "Is he getting demoted?" Bryce asked, tilting his head in confusion.

    "It might feel that way. But his pay will be the same. He''ll actually have more responsibilities and I''m asking a lot of him to try to regain control of that team."

    "Will he be back with us next year?" Sean asked.

    "Who will be the first base coach for us now?" Noah asked.

    "Heck, he would still join us for playoffs, won''t he?" Jason asked.

    "Let''s take it one game at a time." Coach answered. "For now, I''ll have Coach Riley take over at first." He named a coach we''ve seen help out from time to time.

    "Okay."

    "Yea, that works."

    "I bet Coach Luis straightens out those brats today."

    "Hopefully they run again today."

    A few of the guys started to joke and laugh, easing the atmosphere.

    "Alright, enough messing around." Coach clapped twice. "Let''s use this week well, practicing and taking on these games with purpose. Next week will be a whole lot tougher."

    "Yea!" A few guys chorused.

    We finished getting ready, took our bags to the dugout, then followed Garret''s lead for warmups. Practice didn''t have any of that earlier drama. Things were back to normal. For us anyways.

    The JV team had an overhaul. And as we walked through the parking lot after practice, we could see them running uphill sprints. Coach Luis wasn''t going to go easy. He followed Coach Wilcox''s style and knew what to do with a problematic team. Run them down until they''re too tired to fight. Zeke definitely learned from him too; making us run any time a mistake was made. It''s definitely a way to learn your lesson, but not my favorite.

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 Chapter 1048 V3 Ch282

    Mom had left me a couple of texts to call her back after practice. I did so after getting home and the others started to shower as Grampa was downstairs, cooking.

    "Jake? You okay?" She immediately answered and started to talk. "We didn''t take our phones to Zeke''s game this afternoon and we saw all these texts and calls." She rambled on and sounded concerned.

    "Mom." I spoke up, making her pause. "I''m fine." I rubbed a spot of dry sweat off my forehead. "Nothing really happened. Dr. Moore was there."

    "Yea, but we should have been there instead." She went on, talking about how inappropriate the school handled things and how they should have been informed if they wanted to interview her child. That led to her asking me about the man who questioned me and Noah yesterday. "That man better pray he''s self-employed or his employer will be hearing it from me. Do you know if he looked like a reporter? A scout?"

    I shrugged and switched the phone to the other ear, getting tired of holding it up for so long. "I''m not sure. I didn''t even do the talking. Noah was there. He might have a better guess."

    "We''ll be back in time for your game tomorrow afternoon." Mom said. "As soon as you or Noah see that man, you point him out to me."

    My lips twitched at the thought of her taking on that stranger, demanding to know who his boss was. "I thought you guys were going to take the trip slowly. Sightsee and all that."

    "I can''t do that peacefully, knowing you guys might be running into trouble."

    "There''s no trouble anymore. Coach is safe." I told her.

    "Not safe from me." Mom said. "I don''t understand how he can leave you boys unattended when you''re obviously under the spotlight. Letting any random person approach you at the fields..." She trailed off.

    "Coach was busy." I defended. "Plus, we were just walking to wait for the twins. That guy recognized us right away. I told the principal myself that it shouldn''t have been allowed." I said that last sentence with a bit of pride.

    "Good. You did good." She sighed. "I''m not really mad at your coaches in particular. I''m just upset I wasn''t there the one time someone approached you."

    "It probably wouldn''t have gone down the same way." I told her.

    She was quiet for a second. "Jake, I''m proud of you. You really held it together today. I honestly expected...that you would be upset."

    "I was. In the moment." I frowned. "I didn''t feel too good when they came to get me from class. My stomach churned and my heart was pounding. But with Dr. Moore there, I felt a little more confident. That someone was in my corner and could translate my unspoken thoughts." I looked around, making sure the coast was clear before whispering. "I still don''t think I handled it well." I explained how Noah was upset that I didn''t threaten to quit if Coach was gone.

    Mom actually laughed when she heard it. "Oh, Jake. Don''t take him too seriously. Noah has a very strong sense of justice. He doesn''t like to entertain the thought of something not going his way. While you, you think about the worst. If Coach Wilcox was gone, I know you would still be upset. But you would still look to Noah, right? To see if he would play?"

    I nodded. Then realized she couldn''t see me. "Yea. And the twins. If they played for a different coach, I would try too."

    "That sounds more like you." Noah''s voice made me jump and nearly drop my phone. He laughed as he got close. "I really thought it was crazy that you said you would play for another coach. I''m glad it''s because you were planning on playing with us no matter what."

    "Give the phone to Noah, Jake." Mom instructed.

    I simply handed it over.

    "Yea, Mom?" Noah wasn''t bothered. "Yea, I''ll definitely be able to spot the man that approached us. My memory is one of my strong points!"

    Noah was true to his word. Wednesday afternoon, he was scanning the crowd with a purpose and found the guy. He pointed him out to Mr. Miller and then Mr. Miller found Mom and Dad. Then the athletic director. Then the principal. The whole group approached the guy, attracting a lot of attention. I was curious what would happen to him, but Garret was leading us to start warmups.

    Soon it was game time and the guy was long forgotten. Cupertino didn''t stand a chance against our hot offense and an eager Kyle. We shut them down and the mercy rule took effect after the fifth and we won 12-0. It was a great way to show everyone that the team wasn''t bothered by the happenings around us.

    Kyle dominated, only giving up one hit over the five innings and it was just a bloop single. Just barely out of reach. Other than that, he gave up no walks and no runs. His eight strikeouts had him bragging all night, from dinner to bedtime, all we heard was him. Noah tried to use my stat line of going 2-2 at the plate with four RBIs as a way to get Kyle to shut up but it was no use. Noah had a decent game too, going 2-3 at the plate, scoring both times he reached.

    On Friday, Dave got his much anticipated turn on the mound. He struggled early against the better team, giving up back to back hits before settling down. The third batter popped out to Noah in short left field and then cleanup gave us the opportunity to flip a double play to get out of the jam.

    Our bats didn''t do as well at the away game, only scoring four runs through seven innings. But that was enough. After Dave''s stumble in the first, he only gave up one more hit through the rest of the game. He did seven innings of shutout ball, didn''t walk a soul and struck out seven. Despite the performance, he was happy to see Kyle board the team bus as we stayed with Mom and Dad.

    He wasn''t the only one. Noah only had one hit in four at bats and didn''t score that one time. With that subpar stat line, he was happy to send Kyle away so we wouldn''t have to listen to his bragging. And without Kyle, there wouldn''t be bickering between the twins about who did better against which team. It''s hard to take any sides when they faced different teams with different skills.

    I was just happy that Coach already named Garret as the starter for Monday''s game at Porterville. It meant that the twins had time to cool down physically and mentally. Probably will gear up again after the weekend to argue who should start Thursday against Servite. Thank god for some separation.

    Our parents had us pack Dad''s car before school this morning so we simply added our baseball bags to the trunk after the game and hit the road. It was late when we reached the familiar hotel near Zeke''s school. We didn''t mess around as we rotated for showers and got ready for bed. Mom and Dad stayed in one room, while I stayed with Noah and Dave.

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 Chapter 1049 V3 Ch283 Regional Tryouts (1)

    I groaned as the alarm went off early Saturday morning. I felt like I had merely blinked. Dave expressed the same sentiments as I, pulling the covers over his head. I mimicked his actions and snuggled closer to my pillow.

    "Today''s the day, Jake!" Noah said excitedly as I heard him move around the room. "We start our journey to Team USA. I hope I get a little lucky with my hits today. Find the holes and get some good bounces. I hope my bunts all die in a ditch. I''ll use my speed to shine and make a name for myself."

    I played dead as Noah rambled on. As soon as I started to fall asleep again, Dad was shaking me, telling me I had to get dressed and ready. I wasn''t the only one slow moving; Dave dragged his feet, getting dressed in normal clothes. Noah and I wore some old practice clothes with shirts that had our school''s name and logo on it.

    Breakfast in the hotel lobby was unappetizing. The scrambled eggs were too soggy. The cereal choices sucked. The bacon was undercooked. I wanted to skip it all for a ten minute nap, but Mom was next to me in a heartbeat, pushing a bagel and cream cheese in front of me. Then she found an apple and a banana. I sighed and admit defeat. I was up and I had to eat.

    "Don''t look so sad, Jake." Noah grinned. "We get to play baseball today."

    I glared at him. "We could play baseball at a normal time. Like in the afternoon."

    Dave laughed. "Don''t be like that, Jake. A lot of baseball happens in the morning. Especially something like this. Tryouts, camps, and clinics. Didn''t you guys wake up and play baseball during the Stanford camp?"

    Noah nodded. "Yea. Baseball all day! I actually warmed up to the idea of doing more camps like that this summer. Just to get to play baseball all day." He smiled. "But that''s just a backup plan if I don''t make the regional team with Jake."

    "We don''t know yet if Jake is making the team." Dad pointed out. "I know you kids like to think he''s unbeatable at the plate, but it just depends on what they''re looking for."

    "Dad, if they''re not looking for the best hitter in the state, then they''re stupid beyond belief." Noah snorted.

    Dave nodded in agreement. "I wouldn''t be surprised if they pulled Jake aside right away. An automatic pass for the second round."

    "That''d be nice." I let out a big yawn.

    "If you''re talking, how can you be eating?" Mom sat down with her own breakfast. "We have a long day ahead of us. The tryout. Zeke''s game. Jeremy''s game. It''s best to fuel up and start the day strong."

    "Meh." Dave shrugged. "I''m just a spectator all day. Nothing special."

    "Make sure you stretch properly and take care of your body." Dad said pointedly. "You don''t want to get a sore shoulder or strain anything this weekend. Take it easy, but do so consciously."

    Dave rolled his eyes. "Yea, Dad, I know. I can take care of myself."

    "Says the guy that gets hurt the most." Noah snickered.

    I cracked a smile.

    Dave kicked Noah''s shin underneath the table and earn a glare from both adults.

    After eating, we made sure to have our baseball bags with all of our equipment. I brought four bats this time, not allowing for any mishaps that could lead to embarrassment for me. We loaded up the car and headed to a baseball park that easily had six full size fields. Definitely on par with where we play the Foothill Classic.

    We planned to arrive early, yet we weren''t the first ones here. There were twenty or so teens already lining up near a couple of tables. Probably checking in. We got out of the car and headed to the trunk to get the bags out.

    A heavy hand landed on my shoulder, making me jump and nearly trip over my own feet. "Woah, hold up." A familiar voice said as the hands tried to steady me.

    I looked back and saw Jeremy. I relaxed and let out a breath of air.

    "Sorry about that, Jake." Jeremy said sheepishly as he took his hands back. He adjusted his ball cap so he could see us better. "Didn''t mean to scare you. Thought you saw me approaching."

    "It''s the morning." Noah stated.

    "Jake is still half-asleep." Dave elaborated. He looked around real quick. "Did anyone notice you yet?"

    Jeremy shook his head. "No. I was waiting in my car until I saw you guys pull in." He grinned. "I figured I can try to blend in if I stay with you and your parents. You guys are tall enough for me to hide behind."

    Noah laughed and Dave straightened up.

    "Happy you can make it, Jeremy." Dad smiled and nodded. "Did Rose have to stay behind?"

    "Yea, she has an early day at the stadium." Jeremy talked about his girlfriend''s job in promoting and customer relations a little bit before turning his attention back on me. "You ready for today?"

    I shrugged. "We did some extra fielding these last two weeks and I don''t fumble with the ball so much." That''s all I could do to prepare.

    Jeremy smiled and patted me on the head. "You''ve got this." He then reached out and did the same to Noah. "You too, kid. Steal a few bases when you can and things will fall into place if you can just get on. Don''t be impatient at the plate. Not all these kids will be varsity level."

    "Right. It''s all our age." Noah agreed. He shook out his arms. "I don''t have to be perfect today. I just have to do my best. Don''t let anything by. Throws have to be accurate. I need to make contact at the plate and run out hard every time."

    I rolled my eyes. "That sounds like you''re striving for perfection."

    "Well we all can''t be perfect at the plate like you." Noah stuck his tongue out at me.

    "How about you get them checked in while Dave, Jeremy, and I stay out of the way?" Dad asked Mom.

    Mom nodded. "Yea, stay out here in the parking lot. I''m sure there''ll be some kind of organization where we can follow along from the stands." She looked at me. "If you and Noah get into separate groups, just know we''ll be here for you."

    Ugh. I made a face of disgust. I forgot that there was a chance of that happening. "Why can''t we just do it together?"

    "Come on, it won''t be that bad." Noah said cheerfully.

    Dave leaned in and dramatically whispered. "Do you really want to field before or after him? The kid likes to show off."

    I nodded slowly. "You''re right. It wouldn''t be too bad to be separated." Get the pressure to perform well on the field away from me.

    "Hey!" Noah butted in. "You can''t say that when Jake has the advantage at all the batting drills."

    Mom broke things up by steering Noah and me towards the check-in spot. "I''ll be back boys. Try not to attract too much attention."

    "Hard to do when he''s a pro ball player at a baseball event." Noah pointed out in a low voice. "I bet he''s signing autographs in the first hour."

    I nodded in agreement.

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 Chapter 1050 V3 Ch284 Regional Tryouts (2)

    We joined the line that seemed to be getting longer and longer. I glanced at Noah, starting to feel more awake and more unsure.

    Noah noticed and smiled encouragingly my way. "It might look like a lot now, but we''ll be in smaller groups later. Don''t stress."

    Mom put her hand on my shoulder. "You can come find us at any time for any reason."

    I nodded, happy that they weren''t going to be too far. I don''t know what we would do if this tryout conflicted with Zeke''s game. Actually...I think I do know. Mom and Dad would choose to be there for me. And Zeke wouldn''t mind one bit.

    The lines started to get divided as someone in charge yelled out instructions. "Last names starting with A all the way to H on the far left. I to R in the middle. And on the right we have S to Z." With the line divided into three smaller ones, things seemed to be going quicker.

    Even Mom commented. "Someone up there knows what he''s doing."

    "I would hope so." Noah joked. "Otherwise the Northwest will probably be a bunch of losers in a couple of months." Mom gave him a pointed look and he zipped it.

    The shorter lines moved much faster and it only took a couple of minutes before we reached the front. Behind a table, were a couple of men, each with stack of papers before them.

    "Name?" The guy in charge of our last names didn''t even look up to make eye contact.

    "Noah Atkins." Noah went first.

    "Infield?" The guy found a line on a piece of paper and was highlighting it.

    "Shortstop." Noah corrected.

    "Can''t be picky, kid." He went to a different stack of papers and pulled out one. The sheet had the same number written all over it: 333. "These are stickers." The man finally looked up at Noah. "Put them on everywhere you can. Front. Back. Sides. Helmet. Thighs. This is your identity for the day. Lose it and the coaches just might forget about you."

    "Got it." Noah accepted the sheet and stepped to the side to let me go up next. "This is my brother Jake Atkins. Infield too."

    The guy went back to work, highlighting my name right under Noah''s. He found a sheet of stickers with the numbers 334 all over. "Same deal. Peel them and stick ''em." He looked to Mom next. "Are you their guardian?"

    She nodded.

    He grabbed two pieces of paper and slid them her way and put a pen on top. "We''ll need you to sign a release for the both of them. Basically you won''t sue us if they get injured during the tryout."

    That made Mom frown.

    "It''s just like when we sign up for high school baseball, Mom." Noah spoke up.

    Mom nodded and bent down to sign. She filled out each and slid them back towards the guy. "Since the boys numbers are next to each other, will they be in the same group?"

    "Probably. At the very least in the beginning." He filed the paperwork in a box next to his feet. "The first hour and a half to two hours, we''ll be moving in stations like a basic tryout. In the second half of the morning, we''ll do simulations and maybe even a scrimmage of an inning or two." He looked at the both of us. "There will be coaches in charge of the stations. Ask them if you have questions or if you need to run to your bag or the bathroom. Coaches with clipboards are graders. Do not ask them questions. Not about the stations and not about your scores."

    I nodded immediately.

    "They''re not really coaches then if they''re not doing the actual coaching." Noah said casually. "More like scouts for the team."

    The guy let out a short laugh.

    "Noah James." Mom glared at him.

    Noah shrugged. "I''m just kidding." He nodded at the guy. "He laughed."

    The man smiled. "It''s okay. Don''t worry." He pointed to the closest field. "Infielders will start here. Make sure to warmup properly on your own because we''re going to jump right into things at 8am sharp."

    "Sounds good." Noah nodded. He gestured for me to follow. "Let''s go, Jake. Mom, you can go back on your own, right?"

    It was rhetorical because we were already leaving her behind. She waved and smiled as I looked back. She gave two thumbs up and wished us luck.

    Noah and I found a spot to put our bags and took a seat on the grass to get our cleats on. After that, we started putting our stickers all over our clothes. Noah was willing to put his on his helmet but I didn''t want to. I figured it was enough to have the numbers showing on each sleeve, on my back and stomach. I put the extras in my bag in case any of the originals fell off as we moved around.

    "Let''s get loose." Noah twisted back and forth. "Just follow my lead."

    I nodded.

    We did a shortened version of our school''s workout. At first, we were the only pair moving with purpose, but as soon as we started throwing the ball back and forth, quite a few others started to do the same. Either matching up with friends they came with or strangers they just met.

    Noah stepped further back with each throw, but since we knew one another well, he knew when to stop and bring it back to a comfortable distance for me. Unlike some of these other guys that were competing for the longest throw or something. Baseballs were flying everywhere and it was getting a little messy as more and more guys showed up.

    Noah read my discomfort and jogged it in. He slapped my shoulder and we headed back to our bags. "It''s almost time. Let''s take a water break."

    Just as we picked up our bottles, a sharp whistle pierced through the air. "Bring it in and take a knee!" Someone shouted. We ditched the waters and jogged to the outskirts of the giant group of teenagers. Everyone took a knee, revealing an old man in the center. He was very old. Like Grampa''s age.

    "Listen up." He said loudly once, waiting for everyone to quiet down before speaking again. "I''m Coach K, one of the assistants for the Northwest Regional Team. I will be in charge of this first station here. We''ll be fielding grounders and pop ups for the infield. I don''t care what position you played before. Everyone will do every position."

    "Catching too?" Someone asked.

    "Pitchers and catchers have already been put in their own groupings." Coach K answered. He looked around. "Try not to interrupt and waste time with stupid questions. This is a tryout. Not a camp. If you don''t know how to play by now, then I''ve got news for you, this isn''t the level you can play at. Go back to your club teams and get more practice in for a chance next year."

    I glanced at Noah, trying not to fidget too much. This guy sounded tough. Noah gripped my shoulder and held on as the coach finished talking about the infielders station.

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 Chapter 1051 V3 Ch285 Regional Tryouts (3)

    "I don''t know anything about first base." I complained to Noah as we lined up like the coach instructed. Everyone was going to take turns fielding at first and even making catches from across the diamond.

    "It''s just like playing second." Noah brushed me off. "Field ball, tag base. No ball, go to base. Don''t take it too hard if it''s not perfect. This isn''t your ideal spot anyways."

    The line went quick as everyone got three attempts. A ground ball would be hit down the line. Scoop it up and tag first. A pop fly would just barely go over the player''s head so either turn and run or jog it backwards. I prayed for an easy one. The third would be running over to first to cover and wait to receive a baseball from somewhere else. I didn''t worry about that at first, but when I started to see the throws that would come in, I wanted to hit the skip button. It was bad throws, making a first baseman do a full body stretch to dig the ball out.

    Noah noticed it too. He patted me on the shoulder. "Okay, two out of three. You can do a grounder, no problem. Pop flies, easy peasy."

    I took my glove off to wipe my sweaty hands. We haven''t even really started yet and I was stressing. I didn''t even feel better when I saw others making errors. It just made me feel even more unsure. Like if they can''t get it, what makes me think I can get it.

    "Hey, whatever happens, it''s not going to be the end of the world." Noah told me as it got closer and closer to being our turn. "You can make it up later with your bat. For every mistake you think you made, try to hit a home run afterwards."

    "Yea." I nodded.

    Soon it was Noah''s turn. His number was called out as he got into position. First up, the hard hit grounder down the line. He scooped it up in one fluid motion and sprinted to first base, making it look easy. He got back into position and some guy hit a pop fly over Noah''s head. It looked to be a tough one, but nothings too tough for Noah to field. He turned and sprinted back, looking over his shoulder, he made the catch in the short outfield grass. A few of the guys started to talk about the nice play.

    Noah set up as a first baseman again, solely focus on the coach with a bat in hand. The coach hit a grounder to the left. A guy fielded the ball and intentionally threw horribly towards first as Noah set up, foot on the bag. Noah stretched out and dug the ball out after a bounce. He straightened up and tossed the ball back.

    My turn. I took a deep breath and got out there as my number was called out. I stood where all the footprints were. Somewhat helpful. First up, the grounder. The guy with the bat hit one down the line like he was supposed to. It was easy to deal with since my glove was on the left hand. I secured the ball and sprinted to tag first.

    "Good job!" Noah clapped.

    I felt more embarrassed since he was the only one cheering. This was a competition. These other guys probably didn''t want me to do well.

    I threw the ball back and got into position again. My pop fly was much easier to deal with than Noah''s, easing a lot of my tension. I just had to take three steps back and make the catch. Now came for the tough part...positioning to catch a throw to first. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I got set. The guy hit the ball to the left and I sprinted to first. I put my right foot on the bag and held up my glove. The expected bad throw came, bouncing twice before bouncing off the edge of my glove.

    "Next!"

    I sighed and walked out of the way.

    "Okay, okay. Keep your head up." Noah threw his arm around my shoulders. "What can you be sad about? That was to be expected."

    I rolled my eyes and got away from him. "Can''t I be upset that I didn''t get it? That was probably the easiest miss of the day."

    "Who cares?" Noah kept the smile on. "Next up is second base. You play that all the time. We''ve worked extra hard on turning double plays. It''ll all balance out."

    "It''s just embarrassing." I lowered my voice and used my eyes to hint at Noah at the other guys. "I bet all of them are happy that I messed up. It''s like they''re laughing at me." I frowned as my stomach churned. My hands went to my stomach. "I think I might be sick."

    Noah dropped the smile and got serious. "Jake, I assure you, most of the guys here are worried about themselves. Just like you and just like me. We''re all focused on doing our best. Too focused to care about what someone else does. Good or bad." He held my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. "It''s not even like you absolutely want to play on this team anyways so who cares if you make it or not, right?"

    My lips twisted and I pointed at him. "You care. You''ve been saying it for the last month."

    That made Noah pause. He took a step back and took off his hat. "Well, I guess it''s because I''m not so sure of myself. I feel pressure knowing that you''re the best batter. Like ever. This team will no doubt make room for you when they see you in the batting drills. For me though...I don''t stand out. So knowing that you''ll make it, I feel like I''ve got to hype myself up to do extremely well so I can try to make it too."

    I felt a little sad. I was dragging down Noah''s mood on tryout day. "Sorry."

    "Hey, don''t apologize!" Noah put the smile back on. "I''m okay! I''ve been playing catch-up my whole life. So I''m used to it. You just have to hold yourself up and play like normal. Stop the stressing and treat it like practice. A practice where Zeke will make you run a lap for every mistake you make." He joked. "But then you have a chance for redemption at the hitting stations. I believe in you, man. You''re the best hitter I know and that''s all you need to be able to make this team."

    I nodded. "Okay." My stomach was settling and I felt less anxious. I had the tendency to overthink and worry about the future when I don''t know how things will play out. The chance of making the team or not. With Noah or not. Neither of those things could happen in the next week so I should put it off. I can worry when that moment gets here. Just like trying to decide between college and entering the draft to become a pro.

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 Chapter 1052 V3 Ch286 Regional Tryouts (4)

    *Third person perspective*

    "You''re late." A man in his 60''s squinted at the young man walking over. He was impatiently tapping his right foot as the other approached calmly.

    "I''m just the guy in charge of the team you give me." The young man shrugged and put his hands in his jacket casually. "Just like in the majors. GM puts the team together and the manager will play who he thinks is best on the roster."

    "You still have some input." The older gentleman reminded him. Brent Coffey was the Team Director for the U16 Northwest Regional team. "This tryout is one of the most important with the quantity of players present. You know we won''t get much from Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming." He narrowed his eyes. "Those states will have one tryout each. Make sure you show up on time."

    "The higher the quantity, the harder it is to find the diamond in the rough." The man started to look over the papers on the table. "See anything special yet?" The young man in his late twenties was Coach Robert Jacobsen, the youngest to head a regional team at any age level.

    "That''s why we ask the kids to list their accomplishments, Rob. It highlights and draws attention to stars."

    "Shouldn''t their performance do that on their own?"

    "Depends." Brent handed over a piece of paper. "Take a look at this."

    Robert accepted the paper and gave it a glance. "Uh. Am I supposed to be seeing something here?" The numbers that graded the player were all average.

    "This is the best player we have here today."

    "Are you joking?" Robert''s facial expression twisted into disbelief. "Are your guys grading to a higher standard or something? It''s important to grade at the level that reflects the boy''s age."

    Brent handed over the next paper. "Here''s the second part that covers the hitting stations like bunts and aiming for the opposite field."

    It only took a second before Robert''s jaw dropped. "Perfect scores? All around? Now you got me thinking that your guys are too lenient in grading." Robert pursed his lips and looked back and forth between the two sheets of paper. "These numbers shouldn''t be so unbalanced. It makes sense to be better at certain positions on the field due to experience, but these batting numbers just feels fake. You''re telling me a power hitter can perfectly place bunts ten out of ten times?"

    "This is the best player we''ll get from California." Brent grinned. "He put his state ranking down as number five, grabbing our attention before we even set up today. I checked again last night. His state ranking is number two now."

    Robert let out a low whistle. "16-years-old and already number two?"

    "He doesn''t turn 16 until October." Brent told him. "This kid is a batting champion. I''ve looked him up. He''s on a hit streak that goes back to his freshman year. Had the game-winning homer to help his team win the division three title last year too. Since then, he''s been hitting more home runs while reaching base successfully every game this year. You''d be shocked how many walks he has too."

    "Damn." Robert''s eyes widened. "Why didn''t we see this kid coming up last summer? Who does he play travel ball for?"

    Brent shook his head. "None is listed. I''ve tried googling him but it''s just a lot of highlights from this season. I did find an article that his older brother is Zeke Atkins. A first rounder from last year that declined to go pro and joined Stanford down the road."

    Robert snapped his fingers. "I knew that last name sounded familiar. Makes think of those diet shakes." He rubbed his hands together. "Sounds like we have a cleanup hitter. Let me go see this guy in action."

    Brent took the papers back and put them in a folder. He tucked it under his arm and started to walk. "They''re do simulations on field one with the best of them. Tentatively. I''ve got coaches at all the fields keeping their eyes open so we don''t miss a great play or a sleeper hiding among the regulars."

    "I''ve got to say. You really have this under control." Robert complimented. "I''ve seen some GMs that just rule out no name guys simply because they don''t have the pedigree."

    "I''m not a GM." Brent corrected. "I''m the Team Director. I don''t have to work with salaries or that nonsense. I''m strictly picking out the best players we can get our way." He gestured to a field they were passing. "Field two has some diamonds in the rough for you to take a look at too. This may be a team I''m building, but I''m looking to you to lead these kids to a couple of wins."

    "Yea, yea. I know." He put his hands in his jacket pocket. "Let me get one look at the superstar and then I''ll go scope out the other fillers."

    "Don''t call them that." The older man instructed.

    "I won''t do it to their faces."

    The pair reached field one and climbed the center bleacher reserved for coaches and staff. Multiple men were taking notes and commenting to one another on the players.

    "How''s the pitchers looking, Hastings?" Brent sat behind one of the guys as he asked, taking a look over the man''s shoulder.

    "Not great." The man shook his head. "Whenever I start thinking we have an ace, they bring up 334 and he crushes them."

    "334?" Robert asked as he sat down and started scanning the field.

    "That''s Jake Atkins." Brent answered. He pointed at a skinny teen of average height in the on deck circle. "Good timing. We''ll see him in action soon."

    "Let me save you the time." Hastings didn''t even look up. "The kid gets a hit. Exactly to where Alex will request. He hasn''t messed up once. I started to keep a different stat sheet for how pitchers do against him so their numbers look more normal without him making them look bad."

    "Good idea." Brent nodded.

    "He''s a tiny thing for being a power hitter." Robert put his elbows on his knees, leaning forward.

    "I wouldn''t even classify him as a power hitter." Hastings commented.

    "Oh? What is he then?" Robert turned his head.

    "An anomaly." He replied. "This guy bats from both sides and hasn''t messed up once. You ask him for a double and he''ll hit the outfield fence. You want a sac bunt, he''ll drop the ball perfectly down the third baseline, an equal distance from the third baseman, the pitcher, and the catcher. Heck, load up the bases, say two outs, give him an automatic two strikes, and even add that you''re down by three. He''ll hit to the corner for a home run."

    "On one pitch? How''s that possible?" Robert asked.

    "It''s not just one pitch though." Hastings finally shifted to look him in the eyes. "He''ll foul off as many pitches it takes before the pitcher messes up and throws something he''s looking for. I''m telling you, the control he has at the plate is beyond belief. I''ve never seen any high schooler be able to purposely hit multiple foul balls consecutively. His size is deceiving. This is the best hitter I''ve seen at any level."

    "Wow." Robert nodded. "Sounding more and more like our superstar."

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1053 V3 Ch287 Regional Tryouts (5)

    *Back to Jake*

    I was getting tired after all the fielding drills we did. For hours. I didn''t mess up so much at second and short, but my throws from third weren''t on point. Same for the outfield work we had to do. Noah said to put it out of my mind, but I couldn''t help cringing at the time I tripped and missed a fly ball and then there was the throw to home that really looked bad. I was simply happy that I would end this stupid tryout with the batting drills. It was just something that could take my mind off the earlier work.

    At first, it was straightforward, facing a random pitcher that was also here for a tryout. Then another one. Then a third. At some point they started to pull players away for other drills like bunts and situationals. Which I liked because the coach would be very clear on what he wanted to see. It made my job a lot easier, not having to think so much. Maybe it was normal for players to know what to do in situations, or maybe they just did their best every time, but it was a reassurance to me that I did what I was told. No misunderstandings. No mistakes.

    At one point I had even forgotten that Noah wasn''t around. We were divided into different field and I was on my own. But I came up to bat often as they started to put more focus on the pitchers that were rotating on the mound.

    "334!"

    My number was called and I went up, helmet on and bat in hand.

    "The team director and head coach wants to talk to you." The coach stopped me from going forward and pointed back down the left field line where a gate was. Two figures stood in the distance.

    I held my bat a little tighter. "Oh."

    He saw that I wasn''t moving. "I''m sure it''s good news. You''re an excellent hitter." He grinned and reached out like he wanted to touch me.

    I dodged. Then felt my face heat up. "Thanks." I hurriedly turned away from him and that awkwardness, physically and mentally trying to put that behind me.

    I slowly made my way to the two figures down the left field foul area. They were both leaning against the fence, looking like they were talking to one another. The closer I got, the more details I could see. A man older than my parents and another that looked Jeremy''s age. One of them was supposed to be the head coach?

    "Mr. Jake Atkins." The old man called out my name once he saw me approaching. "Come closer, son. I''d like to introduce you to Coach Robert. He''ll be in charge of the U16 team this summer."

    I hummed and looked at the young man, Coach Rob. He barely looked Jeremy''s age. Kind of the same build. "You look more like a player than a coach." I blurted out.

    Coach Rob laughed and got off the fence. "Yea. My playing days ended earlier than I thought they would too. But don''t worry, I have a few years of experience coaching now."

    I nodded slowly, like I understood. I didn''t. I was still trying to do the math in my head, wondering if he started coaching right after high school. I spotted two familiar faces creeping closer from behind. Jeremy and Dave. Good! Maybe they spotted that I had been pulled aside and wanted to see what''s going on. Yes!

    The young coach could see that he didn''t have my attention and glanced back behind himself. "Is that your family or friends?"

    "My brothers." I answered. "My parents are here too but I don''t know where. Do you want to talk to them?" Please talk to them instead of me.

    "At some point, yes." The older man said. "Listen Jake, we really like what we have seen today from you."

    "Really?" I asked in disbelief, recalling that trip in the outfield.

    "Most definitely." He nodded and patted a folder he was holding with his other hand. "You are, without a doubt, the best batter here today. The best we''ve seen this past month while doing these tryouts. I want to formally invite you to the Northwest Regional Team this summer."

    I took off my helmet to give myself time to figure out what I should say. Like do I just say okay? But I kind of want to wait until I know Noah''s playing. Oh, that''s a good question then. I cleared my throat. "So round two-"

    "No need." The old man cut me off. "You''re the first player we want to put on the roster. Officially. What that means is that we''ll give you a practice regimen to work on your own time. After the final roster is set, we''ll have a week-long training camp before we go to North Carolina."

    The panic started to rise and I looked to Dave and Jeremy who had stopped their trek. They must have saw the look of fear on my face and started to come over again.

    "Hey, I think I know one of your brothers from somewhere." Coach Rob mumbled as he saw them get closer. And closer.

    I started to move closer to the fence too so when the two of them came over, they could stand near me with just the fence in between.

    "What''s going on?" Dave whispered to me.

    "They''re saying I''m on the team?" I scratched the top of my head. "Like that''s it. I don''t have to do round two or whatever."

    "Good work!" Dave reached over and messed up the hair on my head.

    I felt my face heat up and swatted his hand away.

    "Hi, I''m Jeremy. Jake''s eldest brother." Jeremy didn''t pay too much attention to us messing around. He took the opportunity to introduce himself to the two men, one old and one young. The older one explained that he was the Team Director, Brent Coffey and the younger was the Head Coach, Robert Jacobsen.

    Jeremy looked surprised at the young man. "Robert Jacobsen? You played for the A''s organization out of high school?"

    "I never made my debut." Coach Rob himself was surprised, looking at Jeremy. "Did we perhaps play against one another? Or see each other in a selection camp?"

    Jeremy looked embarrassed. "No, I''m actually five or six years behind you. But I was just really getting into baseball when you had...your accident."

    "Oh." Coach Rob nodded. "Yea, if you''re a local, you would have heard about it. After that, I turned to coaching." He squinted at Jeremy. "I''ve got to say though, you look very familiar."

    Jeremy glanced at me, pulling on the front of his hat.

    "He''s Jeremy Patterson." Dave jumped in to save him from the awkwardness. Jeremy didn''t use his last name in the introduction. "He plays for the A''s now."

    Coach Rob blinked. And blinked again. He looked to Mr. Coffey. "Are you just messing with me today because I showed up late?"

    Mr. Coffey glared at him. "I''m not you. I act professionally." He looked at Jeremy with a much kinder expression. "Sorry for not recognizing you. I''ve been focused on putting them team together for the U16 boys. You had an amazing season last year. I love watching you play." He looked my way and smiled. "I can see why Jake is so good at the plate now."

    Dave snorted.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1054 V3 Ch288 Regional Tryouts (6)

    Jeremy looked embarrassed. "I actually have nothing to do with his playing abilities. We just recently reconnected last year. Jake''s been adopted by a great family that has contributed way more to his skill in baseball than I have."

    "That''s where Zeke Atkins comes in then?" The coach mused. "A very interconnected baseball family."

    "Yea, pretty much." Dave said in a relaxed manner. "We''re all into baseball and not going to lie, we''re all very good."

    I covered my face with a hand, embarrassed. He''s totally bragging.

    "C''mon Jakey." Dave reached out to mess up my hair again. "Don''t hide our accomplishments. Be proud."

    I peeked through the fingers of my hand. "Did you see me in the outfield?"

    Dave burst out laughing. "Not only did I see it, I recorded it too. I was so ready to see you try out there. In a couple of years, it''s going to be on your best bloopers reel. No one would believe the best hitter around could be so bad on the field."

    I was in distress. I wanted Noah to defend me.

    "I didn''t really believe it either." Coach Rob agreed with Dave. "Brent showed me the fielding scores, then his hitting scores." He looked me in the eyes. "You''re a very lopsided player only focusing on offense. I have to warn you, we don''t have a DH position in the summer tournament."

    I wanted to dig a hole and call it a day. Discussing my lack of fielding skills and knowledge is one of the worst topics I could think of. Well...I could think of another.

    "You can''t blame Jake. He''s done really well in the last year." Dave ''defended'' me. Then came the blow. "If you really want to know what he''s bad at, just check his baserunning."

    "Jake only has one year experience playing baseball." Jeremy told the two adults, ignoring Dave''s shot at me. "Before high school, he has only worked out in the batting cages." He gave more details about my playing experience and said what I could contribute at the plate would be more beneficial than anything else.

    "Most definitely." Coach Rob nodded. "I''m already planning for Jake to be our cleanup hitter. He''s easily breezing by those his age. I can see Jake getting selected for the National Team Development Program at the end of August. He could be on Team USA next summer."

    My heart started to pound and my stomach got queasy. Everything was moving too fast. I made the regional team? I''m the cleanup guy? He thinks I can reach the next level?

    "I think...I need...to use the restroom-" I bolted for it, ditching my bat and helmet.

    ***

    "I''ll follow." Dave started to jog after him. "I''ll text Mom and Dad."

    Jeremy looked apologetically towards the two men. "Sorry about that. Jake gets nervous...a lot." He looked towards Brent. "Not to give you a hard time, but probably wasn''t the best idea to call him over on his own."

    "Is he shy or something?" Coach Rob looked at the thin back of the kid running away.

    Jeremy was hesitant, debating how much he should or should not share. "It''s a little more than that. I think it''s best if you speak to his parents before moving on to the next step. Or maybe have his parents present when you want to talk to him. He''s a very special kid, but he has a lot going on. You''ve got to treat him with kid gloves."

    The two shared a look.

    "Would you help me find his parents now?" Brent asked, taking over. "I would really like to get him on board. It''s best to be on the same page."

    "Sure. They''re probably still watching field two." Jeremy told him. "They have another son trying out."

    "Name?"

    "Noah Atkins. They signed up together. He''s number 333." Jeremy said. "He''s a shortstop for his varsity high school team. Him and Jake are very close. There would be a lot of advantages to have him on the team with Jake."

    "With number one being?" Coach Rob asked.

    "Jake would play." Jeremy grinned.

    ***

    I reached the bathroom...and ended up staying outside. I wasn''t actually sick-sick.

    "You good?" Dave asked as I leaned against the bathroom building.

    "I think so." I held my stomach. "I actually don''t think I''m going to be sick. I just had to get away. Things were moving so fast and I...panicked."

    "Not bad." Dave nodded at me like he was appreciative.

    I raised an eyebrow as I looked up at him. "Not bad?" I repeated.

    "Just remarking how much you''ve improved in the last year." Dave smiled. "Heck, just a couple months ago you would vomit at the idea of messing up in the outfield and making a fool of yourself. Now, you know it''s not going to be the end of the world."

    I held my hand up to stop him. "Noah and I already talked about it this morning. Every mistake I make on the field, I can make up for it at the plate."

    "That''s good. But it''s also easier said than done. I''m proud that you followed through." Dave grinned. "And I''m proud that you already made the team. You''re freakin'' awesome. Kyle and Zeke are going to be impressed too."

    I felt my face heat up. "You really think so?" I scratched the back of my head.

    Dave pulled me into a headlock and gave me a noogie. "Your modesty can be so provocative sometimes. Makes me annoyed. You''re so good and you don''t even realize. Listen, just because we like to joke about your errors, doesn''t mean that you''re any less of a player. Heck, your rankings across the board is proof of that."

    I struggled to get away from him, laughing from being tickled a little. "Okay. I know. I''m good."

    Dave let me go and pointed at my face. "You lack the confidence, but don''t worry, I''ll push you all the way there if I have to." He straightened up. "Since you made the team, I bet you started to worry about Noah. And playing baseball with him." I nodded. "Well, I''ll allow you to worry about him. Stress for him. Heck, help him train even more. But if you think for one second that I-heck, any of us- will let you pass up on this opportunity, you''re nuts."

    I sighed. I figured this was coming. I could tell as soon as Noah started talking about this thing. Even when Dad paid for the tryouts, I had a feeling I would be pushed. The Atkins family was all about growth. Each of us had our moments of weakness and then the uphill climb.

    Noah''s challenge was to make the team. Mine was to stay on without getting cold feet.

    "I''ll do my best." I worked up the courage to say.

    "What was that?" Dave put a hand to his ear. "I can''t hear you."

    "I said," I raised my voice. "I''ll do my best!"

    "Good! Glad to hear it!" Dave laughed and pulled me away from the bathroom. "Let''s go find Mom and Dad and tell them the good news. They''ll be so happy!"

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 Chapter 1055 V3 Ch289 Regional Tryouts (7)

    Dave walked me to field two where our parents were supposedly watching Noah. Instead we found them with Jeremy and those two guys that control the team. The regional team.

    I halted mid step. "Maybe I should go back to my field. My bat and helmet are probably still lying on the ground somewhere. It''d be bad if I lost it." I started to retreat.

    "Nope." Dave stopped with his arm around my shoulders. "First we go by. You thank the director for the opportunity to play this summer. You tell the coach that you''ll work hard. You''ll tell our parents that you''re excited and looking forward to it. Then you can go back for your stuff." I dragged my feet, but Dave was adamant.

    We reached the small group and a lot of eyes were on me. Dave gave me a small pinch. I cleared my throat. "Sorry for running off like that."

    "Hey, when you gotta go, you''ve gotta go." Coach Rob gave a friendly smile. He seemed to be a very laidback kind of guy. Like the Stanford coach...Leroy. Except a younger version. It felt a little odd, but not uncomfortable.

    I tried to smile back.

    "We were just talking to your parents about your summer plans." The team director said. "No travel ball to interfere is preferred, but what we really need to block off is the month of August. We do a week of intensive training for the newly formed team, then we fly out to North Carolina to play the other regions."

    "We''ll be there every step of the way." Mom told me.

    I frowned. "Isn''t the summer the busy season for you guys?"

    "This is a big deal." Dad smiled at me. "We''ve got to be there to celebrate your important milestones like this one."

    "I want to go too!" Dave added, slapping my back. "I''ve never known someone to have a chance to represent our country. It''s a first for me!"

    Mom looked like she wanted to say something to Dave, but held back. She probably didn''t want to say it in front of some strangers.

    Jeremy walked over to pat me on the shoulder. "I''ll try to make it to a game if I have an off day. Send me the schedule as soon as you get it." I nodded and he smiled. "Well, I''m glad I was here to hear the good news. You''re going to do great." He checked his watch. "Your camp is running a little late so I think I''m going to head out now. I''ll see you guys at the game tonight, right?"

    I nodded.

    He slapped hands with Dave casually, then went to shake Dad''s hand. He said his goodbyes to them and then even to the team director and Coach Rob.

    I saw that the players at field two were starting to pack up and were surrounding the coaches on the field.

    "Looks like they''re wrapping up." Dave looked to me. "You want me to go back with you to pack up your stuff?"

    "What about Noah?" I started to search the field for him.

    "He''s going to take a minute." The team director surprised me by answering. He saw my look of confusion. "Field one and two have the best players we''ve seen today. A majority of them will be invited to round two. Right now, the other assistants are going around, naming players selected and gathering them up to talk to a coach. We''ll confirm numbers with names and contact information."

    I felt instant relief knowing that Noah was moving on. He accomplished his goal today and would definitely be excited. He also would be happy for me getting picked already too. "That''s good." I said before looking to Dave.

    "Let''s go get your stuff." Dave waved at me to join him and we walked back to field one, leaving Mom and Dad with the two other men. I was more comfortable leaving it up to them to do all the talking. I can show up and hit where they tell me to.

    Dave and I moved casually, with him doing most of the talking. "This is crazy. You''ll definitely be representing Team USA soon enough. You''re practically going to be a pro before I am. Dang. I wish I looked into this stuff before. It would be cool to do." He expressed some regret, but quickly bounced back. "But I guess we all did something a little different. Kyle and I focused more on camps and becoming better pitchers. Definitely helped me become who I am today so it''s too hard to wish it away. Hey, Kyle''s going to be bummed that he''s going to miss this."

    "Miss it?" I asked. We stopped to pick up my bat and helmet, taking it to the nearly empty dugout.

    "Well, yea. The draft is in June." Dave said. "As soon as he gets picked, he''s probably heading out to who knows where."

    "Oh yea." I sighed for him. "It''ll be weird with all of you gone." The house would be much quieter. But it''s also a little sad.

    Dave laughed. "Then come follow me to Vandy. We could be taking on the College World Series together. I''ll dominate on defense and you on offense."

    My lips twitched as he advertised his future school. He really sounded like a recruiter as he talked about all the benefits. I loaded up my bag and changed out of my cleats as Dave went on and on. College with Dave didn''t sound so bad. Someone would be there in a new place to help me out and watch my back. It sounded less scary than entering the draft and just going.

    Dave took it upon himself to carry my bag and gave me a break from his college talk. "I bet Noah is going to go into hyperdrive mode with the tainining."

    "We can go to the batting cages more." I shrugged. "It would help Noah with hitting and I would like to go more often." We went significantly less when baseball was in season. I miss last summer where we went almost every other day.

    "It''s better if I train him myself." Dave said excitedly.

    "You?" I asked. "How?" Not to give Dave a hard time, but I was honestly curious. Noah did a lot of training on his own like the runs and home workouts. He was also the one to decide what to practice and when and where.

    "Me versus him, of course." Dave got in front of me and walked backwards. "You might not feel it, but I''m a great pitcher. One of the top in the county. There can''t be that many 16-year-olds better than me. If Noah can start hitting off of me more consistently, than he can make the team with you." Dave clapped his hands together. "Kyle and Garret will have to help out too. Just add a few extra showdowns at the end of every practice. Noah sees better pitchers more, the better he''ll do."

    I grinned. "You''re not justifying this just so you can strike him out a time or two, are you? Why does your training sound more like it''s for you?"

    Dave showed off his right bicep and started flexing. "You think I''ll only get him a time or two? Let me remind you that Noah can only get a hit off me like one-fourth of the time."

    I wanted to light a candle for Noah and all his future suffering. Because I know that he wouldn''t turn down the training idea at all. He would go in with confidence and face the twins and Garret with the same amount of eagerness as he does with games. Baseball is baseball to him. The twins will be bragging about their small wins over him until he starts getting the hang of it. I sighed yet smiled.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1056 V3 Ch290 Saturday (1)

    We rejoined Mom and Dad minus the regional team employees. It took a load off knowing that they weren''t waiting around to keep talking to me. What more can be said besides ''welcome to the team''.

    "How ya feeling, Jake?" Mom asked me.

    I shrugged. "I feel okay."

    Mom looked at Dad and they shared a look. Mom turned back to me with a raised eyebrow. "Jeremy said you had to go to the restroom. Did you throw up?"

    I shook my head. "No. I thought I might and panicked. But I just needed a break."

    Mom looked relieved.

    "Yea, Mom. Jake''s fine." Dave added his two cents. "I was right behind him the whole time. He didn''t even go in the bathrooms. He was just doing some deep breathing next to the building. Just loves those shit fumes I guess."

    I pushed him. "You''re disgusting."

    Dave laughed. "I''m kidding. Everything''s fine. Jake is excited to be on the team."

    "Excited, eh?" Dad eyed me.

    I shrugged again. "I''m not opposed to it so much. Especially if you guys are around. And Noah has moved to the second round. He might make it too. Then I really wouldn''t be alone." I clenched a fist, hopeful.

    "Do we know when the second round is?" Dave asked, cracking his knuckles.

    "The first weekend of June." Dad said. "It''s the weekend before finals. I don''t love it, but I know there''ll be no stopping Noah."

    "Wow. That''s a little more than a month to go." Dave said. "Why the long wait? I thought it would be like in a week or two."

    I looked at him. "They have a lot of tryout dates. For the other states too." Even I knew this. Granted it was because of Noah and how much he talked about it.

    "I guess we''ll have plenty of time to get Noah ready." Dave rubbed his chin. "Though I don''t like how it comes right after CIF. Kind of distracting."

    "Noah knows how to prioritize." I said. I glanced at Dad. "When it comes to baseball."

    "We''ll be keeping a close eye on his grades as the school year comes to an end." Mom told me. "Yours too."

    "I have good grades." I defended myself quickly.

    "Soooo good." Dave agreed. "I don''t know what he''ll do for math next year. Our school doesn''t have anything after calculus."

    I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling worried. Math was my favorite subject. And Mr. Petrus was my favorite teacher. I didn''t want to be done with either of them.

    "You have to take four years of math so I''m sure the school has some kind of backup plan." Dad assured me. "Maybe even some classes at the community college."

    "Dang Dad." Dave chuckled. "I just got him to be comfortable at this next level and now you''re just kicking him to the curb, pushing him to college by his lonesome."

    I looked to Dad, nervous. "How would I even get there?"

    "Drive yourself?" Dad also sounded unsure.

    I was taken aback. "Drive myself?"

    "You''re almost the age to start learning and then you can try to get your license at 16. Noah too." Dad started to reason. "If neither of you are qualified by the start of next school year, we can do rides to and from, but it would be difficult if you needed a ride to the local college every day."

    "Colleges don''t usually have class every day." Dave said. "Most of the stuff I''ve been looking at anyways. There''s like Mondays and Wednesdays. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Just Saturdays."

    "You''ve been looking at your class catalogue?" Mom asked, looking more happy than she did when Zeke graduated.

    Dave rolled his eyes. "Yea, Mom. I''ve already committed to going to college. I''ve got to take it seriously. Also, athletes get preferential treatment to organize our schedules around practice times there so I have to be prepared."

    "Have you picked a major?" Mom got closer and started to pester him, holding onto his arm.

    "No way, Mom." Dave rolled his eyes again. "It''s my freshman year. I''m just taking gen ed courses. I don''t want to drown myself in schoolwork like Zeke." The two started to college things and the conversation was very much centered on Dave. Which was good. I didn''t like the attention and I liked it more when the boys can get one-on-one time with our parents because I feel like I hog it a lot.

    Noah finished the end of the tryout and came sprinting over with his bag and a piece of paper flapping in the wind. "Guys! I did it! I made it to the next round!" He immediately noticed my empty hands and came to a halt. "Jake? Where''s your sheet?"

    I looked to Dad. "Am I supposed to have a sheet?"

    "You?! You didn''t get one??!" Noah frowned and started to look around. "What happened? Did something go wrong in the rest of your simulations?"

    Dave escaped Mom and threw his arm around Noah''s shoulders while laughing. "Stop fretting like a mother hen. Jake did his usual stuff. Impressed the staff. And became the first player on the Northwest roster."

    Noah dropped his stuff and tackled me, pulling me into a bear hug. He laughed, jumped around, and shouted. He sounded more happy for me than himself. I laughed along too and joined in the jumping. It felt more official and more like a celebration with Noah around.

    Dad eventually got us to stop, picked up Noah''s bag for him, and the paper was given to Mom. We went back to the car as Noah talked about his play and how well he did when it came to stealing bases. He had beat out a few infield grounders and his fielding during the simulated plays got to shine too.

    "Jeremy saw a few of them so I''ll have someone to back me up when I tell Zeke." Noah said excitedly. Then he realized Jeremy wasn''t around. "Oh, did he leave already?"

    "Gotta get ready for the game." Dave shrugged. "He and I were able to just catch the coach telling Jake that he made the team. So that was cool for us. Jake didn''t freak out either." He winked at me.

    We packed up the car.

    "Hotel first for showers?" Mom asked Dad in the front seat.

    "No way, I''m so hungry." Noah complained.

    I nodded in agreement. It was just a little past noon now. That was the longest practice I had ever done. Just so long even if it wasn''t as intensive.

    "I thought we were going to eat at Zeke''s game?" Mom turned back to look at us. "His game starts at 2pm so I don''t think we have time for both, lunch and showers."

    "Why can''t I just go smelling like this?" Noah sighed.

    "Hygiene, Noah." Mom wagged her finger.

    "How about we go through a drive thru for a quick snack to hold them over?" Dad suggested.

    Mom frowned.

    "Please, please, please?" Noah begged. "I''m so hungry. I''m starving. If you don''t feel bad for me, at least think about Jake."

    Mom looked at me. I gave her my best sad face and held my stomach too. She sighed. "Okay. Just something small though."

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1057 V3 Ch291 Saturday (2)

    Mom held true to her word. We were given a small fry and a small onion ring to share. Yet, she also ordered three side salads. Noah rolled his eyes and refused. Dave graciously accepted, willing to eat anything. I didn''t get a choice. Mom said I had to eat for the calorie count and I knew it too.

    We stopped at the hotel so Noah and I could shower and change into clean clothes. We showed up to Zeke''s game just barely on time. Rhys was on the mound, having just thrown the first pitch, a called strike.

    "Get him, Rhys! You''ve got this!" Noah yelled excitedly as we walked to our seats.

    "Let''s go, Rhys, let''s go!" Dave did a cheer and clapped.

    The pair drew a lot of attention, making me want to dig a hole and hide. Instead, we found our seats and got comfortable. Rhys had a good start, striking out the first two batters before getting the third to fly out to Zeke in right field.

    The rest of the game wasn''t that easy for him. The opposing batters started to foul off a lot and added in a few bad misses and his pitch count started to sore. He was taken out after just five innings, nearing a hundred pitches. He only gave up two hits and had eight strikeouts though so I thought he had something to be proud of. Instead he hung his head as he went to his dugout after the fifth.

    "Shouldn''t he be happy?" I turned to the nearest pitcher next to me who would understand.

    Dave gave a small shake of his head. "Nah. He''s probably frustrated. Five innings? That''s weak sauce."

    "But he can get the win." I pointed out. Stanford had the lead thanks to the dynamic duo that is Zeke and Brady. It was a small lead, but it could still give Rhys the win.

    "This isn''t high school anymore. Five is bare minimum for a starting pitcher." Dave explained. "College is like the pros. Nine innings. He did just a little over half. You should want more from your starters. Rhys just racked up a high pitch count too quickly. It''s a bummer and yea I still think he performed well. But twenty bucks says he doesn''t think he performed well."

    "Pitchers are hard to please." Noah joked. "It has to be a perfect game. Until they get old and are barely in the league. Then they''re happy with five innings." He looked at Dave. "Hey, you think Garret can get another perfect game against Porterville again?"

    "He better." Dave rubbed his hands together. "Or there''ll be hell to pay."

    I let out a small laugh.

    "I''m not sure whether it''s better or worst to face the same team twice." Noah mused. "Like on one hand, you have history on your side if you did well so hypothetically you should be able to handle them again. On the other, the team has more opportunities to get used to your style." He glanced at Dave. "You think Kyle will get Servite on Thursday?"

    Dave made a face of disgust. "Probably. I want my chance against a great team too. But Coach does lean towards the history part."

    "Coach is flexible." I spoke up. "He doesn''t limit himself to linear thinking." I smirked at Dave. "Otherwise you wouldn''t get a second chance against Golden West."

    Dave flicked me on the arm. "Brat. The first time, I got hurt too quickly. It doesn''t count."

    "I feel pretty comfortable with you or Kyle on Thursday." Noah added. "Servite''s hitting is subpar."

    "No." I twisted so I could look Noah in the eyes.

    "No?" Noah was taken aback by my sudden outburst.

    "They got a couple hits off of Kyle." I reminded. "But more importantly, they crushed Golden West a few weeks ago." I gulped. "15-4. Mercy rule."

    Noah frowned.

    Dave laughed and nudged him. "You''re slipping, Noah. Even Jake is beating you to the facts."

    Noah''s frown deepened. "You think it can be a problem?" He asked me.

    I gave a small shrug as I resettled back into my seat. "I don''t like it." It scared me when I first heard it from Bryce. "Their pitcher was good too...Cody Peace."

    Dave nodded along. "Oh for sure! Guy with the low/high curve. Nasty. He was like a sophomore too or something. Better hope you guys don''t see him again. We only had a few hits ourselves."

    We talked about the upcoming games this week as the rest of the Standford game went on. Zeke''s school held on and won 3-2 with Rhys getting that win. Mom didn''t let us go crazy at the snackbar, but we still had the signature, hotdogs, peanuts, and soda. She wanted to worry about our intake since we had another baseball game to watch this evening, but I heard Dad hold her back saying that it was okay to not think so much on a good day like this. We could be healthy tomorrow. Didn''t stop Mom from finding me a carrot and celery mix to have with a little bit of ranch. Too little, but I accepted my fate.

    We had to hang out on the campus for over an hour before Zeke showed up. Alone.

    "Where''s Rhys?" Dave asked.

    Zeke gave a small shake of his head. "Spending some extra time in the trainer''s room."

    "Is he okay?" Mom asked, worried as the rest of us.

    "Relatively." Zeke replied vaguely.

    "Well, should we go see him? Maybe take his mind off of the game? Even though I think he played very well." Mom asked.

    Zeke shook his head. "Nah. He needs alone time. Probably wants to wallow in his own misery for a little bit. Trust me, he''ll be fine soon. Recovery day tomorrow and back at the gym on Monday." He looked down at me and Noah. "How was the tryout?"

    "It was the best!" Noah started to rave. "We got to play all morning. All sorts of drills and tests. Jake got named to the roster already! And I moved on to round two! In early June. Not sure where it''ll be exactly just yet. But I''m sure they''ll pick a location where most of the players come from."

    "Exciting." Zeke patted Noah on the head. "Don''t let it distract you from your baseball season though."

    "Yea, I know." Noah said.

    Zeke looked to me. We held eye contact for an extra beat before I looked away, embarrassed.

    "Jake''s going to go through with it." Dave told Zeke. "I was there when the coach was talking about him hitting cleanup and how he would have a good shot at being on Team USA in the future. It was crazy and amazing all at the same time! It feels even bigger than you getting drafted in the first round for some reason. Maybe because I knew you were going to turn it down."

    "And Jake won''t turn this down?" Zeke asked.

    "No way!" Dave answered for me. "He''s going to go all the way and we already promised to be there for it. I want to see what this summer tournament is like too. I heard it''s like seven different age groups or something."

    Dave and Noah gave Zeke the whole entire rundown as we headed for the car. Zeke put his overnight bag in the trunk before we started to load up. Next stop, Jeremy''s game. Like always, he left us tickets at the will call window. It wasn''t the best seats, but it was still comfortable. The best part was always the free food where we could make requests shamelessly without having any adults tell us no. Zeke included.

    Jeremy had a bad game unfortunately, going 0-3 at the plate with one walk. He wasn''t the only one to stink it up out there. Most of the team went hitless and the pitchers gave up runs left and right. The A''s lost 9-1 and it put a damper on how well the day was going.

    I sent Jeremy a consolation text on our way out. We were tired from the long day and couldn''t see him after his postgame stuff. We still had a chance to get together again tomorrow.

    With Zeke crashing in the hotel with us for the night, Noah came to share my bed and Zeke shared with Dave. We changed into pjs and immediately started to get comfortable in bed.

    "I don''t know why you didn''t just stay in your own dorm tonight." Dave complained to Zeke as he tugged the comforter to his side.

    "Like I said, Rhys could use some time to decompress. No one likes to be sad when others are around. It''s more alienating." Zeke didn''t fight over the blankets and laid down.

    "You guys don''t let me be sad alone." I pointed out.

    Dave laughed, probably thinking about how he followed me to the bathroom earlier today. "You''re different Jake. You''re like a kid to us."

    "Rhys gets 24 hours from me." Zeke told me. "Any more sulking after that, I reach out."

    I thought about Rhys''s time healing after his big time surgery. I wasn''t around then, but I heard bits and pieces. Zeke would constantly call to check up on him and when that wasn''t enough, he made visits. Like going on the weekends in the summer time. He probably understood Rhys better than anyone so I had faith he was doing the right thing.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1058 V3 Ch292

    The rest of the weekend flew by. There wasn''t much time left. We saw Zeke play in another game, and in this one he did much better yet suffered a loss. Jeremy also did the opposite of yesterday. He performed better at the plate and the team won in good fashion.

    We got home late Sunday evening and found Kyle and Grampa watching a movie in the living room. Well. Sort of. Grampa was mostly doing the watching while Kyle''s eyes were glued on his phone.

    "Did you boys have a good weekend?" Grampa turned the TV off and slowly got up.

    "A great weekend!" Noah told him. He recalled the whole thing from our win on Friday to Jeremy winning earlier before we came home. He didn''t miss a detail.

    When it came to me being named to the roster, Grampa slapped me on the back and Kyle jumped up from the couch.

    "Shouldn''t we celebrate or something?" Kyle asked, looking to his parents who were cleaning up their office a little bit.

    "We should probably wait to find out about Noah''s situation." Dave piped in. "If he makes it, it would be weird to hold two different celebrations."

    "Can we not tell anyone else about me making it?" I asked, trying to sound firm but it sounded more like a question.

    "Why? Thinking about backing out?" Dave squinted at me.

    I rolled my eyes, a little frustrated. "No. I said I would try. I just don''t want to draw more attention to myself."

    "You know it''ll come out eventually, right?" Noah shrugged. "Who cares if everyone knows? It''s good news! They think you''re the best around."

    "He is the best around." Kyle corrected with a smirk. "The only player that''s better than him in the state is in the south."

    Noah''s head snapped in Kyle''s direction. "What! Jake moved up?"

    Kyle shook his phone with a smile. "He''s not the only one."

    "Damn!" Dave reached out and snatched the phone away. "I thought you were just texting Marie." He opened up the app that Kyle had in his history and started to scroll. "All three lists were updated! County, state, and nation!"

    "Let me see! LET ME SEE!" Noah nearly tackled Dave to the ground.

    I just looked at Kyle, feeling lightheaded. "I''m...I''m number two? In the state?"

    He grinned. "You sure are! Mr. Cameron called the house to try to interview you yesterday, but I-" He looked a little guilty. "I told him you guys were at the tryout for the regional team. Sorry. Didn''t know we were keeping it a secret."

    "No, that''s okay." I told him. "I just don''t want everyone to know that I already made the team. It''s no secret that Noah had wanted us to tryout. We can just say we both moved on to round two."

    "That''s still pretty big news." Kyle said. "I think you just have to face it, you''re a big name in high school baseball. Colleges are sending letters and pamphlets by the hundreds now. Next year, you''ll probably get calls from colleges."

    I groaned, went to a wall, and let my head fall against it.

    "Jake!" Mom caught me in the action and immediately came over. She turned me around and looked at my forehead, rubbing it with her thumb. "I already worry a lot about you boys when you''re on the field. Can you try not to hurt yourselves at home?" Her voice got sharper as she looked at Noah and Dave who were still messing around in the living room.

    Dave ultimately won, being taller and bigger. He held the phone over his head. "We''ll do it in order, stop fighting for it." He grinned at Mom. "You should call Dad over for a second as I read the new rankings."

    Mom agreed and went to pull Dad out of the office. Everyone got resettled in the living room, finding somewhere to sit as Dave stood in the center, ready to start making the announcements. Dramatically, of course.

    "Mom, Dad." He addressed them with fake seriousness. "Let me congratulate you two on having four sons in the top twenty of baseball players in the county. Number one, still our very own Jake Atkins." Noah clapped until I threw a pillow at him. "Number three, Kyle Atkins. Number five, your favorite son, me. Number nineteen, Noah Atkins."

    Mom, Dad, and Grampa actually started to clap too.

    "Im very proud of you boys." Mom smiled. "You all have had a great season so far."

    "Save the compliments until the end, ma''am." Dave cleared his throat. "Moving to the state level. All four boys have made progress."

    Noah jumped up and started to bounce around. "Progress?! It means I''m on the list! I''ve made the list?!"

    Kyle threw his pillow at Noah too. "Shut up. We''ll be here forever if you keep interrupting."

    "Says the guy who already knows." Noah rolled his eyes, but ultimately calmed down. Sort of. His legs still bounced up and down, excited.

    I felt excited for him too. He didn''t make the list for top 100 in the state before.

    "Jake is at number two! Only losing to a senior pitcher in SoCal." Dave announced. "I moved to twenty-eight. And Noah has made his debut on the list, barely holding onto the edge, at ninety-nine!"

    Kyle jumped up. "You skipped me." He snatched his phone away. "You''ve lost your announcement privileges." He took his phone to Mom first. "Look where I''m at Mom. Number ten! In the whole state!"

    "Wow. Congratulations!" Mom clapped.

    "He only jumped up three places." Dave snickered. "I moved up five."

    "I''m on the list!" Noah yelled over everyone else.

    "Okay, okay. We''re very happy for all of you." Dad tried to take over. "Let''s wrap it up and hear about the final list. You boys still need to check your homework, shower, and get to bed. Tomorrow is a school day with a game." He reminded.

    "Jake climbed a few places to get seventeenth in the nation." Kyle went over the list. "He''s the only sophomore in the top twenty-five. Freakin'' awesome." He held out his fist to me and I bumped it. "I had the biggest jump, getting to 112th. Dave merely made the top 500, getting to 487th. Noah is still not there."

    That immediately put a damper on Noah''s mood. "I''ve still got a ways to go. Next year, I''ll be on that list. Making the state''s top 100 as a sophomore is a good start."

    "How do you know your jump is bigger than mine?" Dave started to bicker with Kyle. "I could have been in the thousands for all you know."

    "You think you''re that bad?" Kyle laughed. "Then don''t get so mad when you have to sit the bench Thursday."

    "You already had a go at Servite. It should be my turn."

    "I did well. I can do it twice. Garret gets to see Porterville for the second time tomorrow."

    Mom gave Dad a look. Dad got up and started to usher the twins to the stairs. "Let''s go. Finish your night routine and get to bed. You have plenty of time to argue with one another tomorrow when you''re in the bullpen."

    "Daddd!" The twins groaned and complained simultaneously.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1059 V3 Ch293 @ Porterville HS (1)

    We weren''t the only ones to see the changes and updated lists. Early Monday morning, it felt like everyone in the school had their eyes on me. Some were excited for me and the whole team, asking us when the next home game was. Noah took over as spokesperson and acted as a buffer. Not all were happy for me. There were a few people in the outer edges that looked on in disbelief or frustration. My favorites were those that didn''t care at all.

    I was happy to leave for our away game at lunch time, boarding the bus with the varsity softball team. Noah and I were one of the first on, followed by Kyle. He sat right behind us...that was unusual.

    Dave wasn''t too far behind, but when he got on, Kyle didn''t let him sit beside him.

    "Marie will sit next to me."

    "You can''t sit next to your girlfriend on the way to the game." Dave rolled his eyes, but still sat on the bench across the aisle.

    Noah rolled his eyes too, but didn''t say anything.

    Our bus started to fill up with our teammates and the girls team. A lot of the guys fist bumped or complimented me on their way to their seat, kind of draining me of any energy I had left. I was also getting low on enthusiasm.

    "Yo. You look dead." Kaylee said as she took the seat in front of us.

    Alisha was right behind her, taking the spot beside her. "Don''t say that. He has a game in a couple of hours." She gave me a thumbs up. "You''re great, Jake. Keep it up!"

    I gave a weak smile. "Thanks."

    "He''s been hearing how awesome he is all morning." Kaylee scoffed. "I say we keep him grounded." She looked at Noah. "Want to do a repeat of last year?"

    "A repeat of what?" Alisha asked.

    Noah grinned at Kaylee. "Jake versus your sister? Garrets on the mound today so I don''t know how fair that is for her. She''s gotta compete with the two best players in the county? You''re just putting her in a bad spot."

    "How about Jake and Garret versus the whole team then?" Kaylee mused. "That''s got to be fair."

    "I don''t think we should." I spoke up.

    "You''re right." Noah grinned. "It still wouldn''t be fair for them. Garret had a perfect game last time and you''re now number two in the state."

    I held my head as I knew what was coming. Kaylee and Noah started a war with words as the rest of the bus finished loading with players and coaches.

    "I don''t get it." Alisha interrupted to stop the fighting. The bus started to move so the girls were sitting down, but were twisted so they could still talk to us.

    "It''s a matter of honor." Noah leaned forward. "Our best versus their best." He explained last year''s competition and how we won.

    "You practically sandbagged us." Kaylee pointed out. "I still maintain that you withheld facts that should have been said before."

    "It''s not my problem that you looked down on Jake." Noah rolled his eyes.

    "Why don''t you guys just compare?" Alisha cut in again "Like just you two." They went silent as she held their attention. "I think you two are very similar in terms of athletic ability and the situation of your teams. You both bat early in the lineup and play short. It''s more head on. Plus, this way, you guys can leave Jake out of it and give him a break."

    I smiled gratefully at Alisha. In fact, I gave her two thumbs up. "I think that''s better. Don''t drag other people in your bets."

    "Who would be the judge?" Kaylee asked after thinking it over.

    "Just look at the stat sheet straight up." Noah said.

    "No way. What if we mercy rule them in five?" Kaylee asked. "If I only got two plate appearances and you got three, it wouldn''t necessarily be even."

    "You didn''t worry about this last year."

    "I saw we get a judge."

    "Three judges then." Noah nodded. "Alisha and Jake can be two of them."

    "No way, they both leaned towards you. You''d win on just pure favoritism." Kaylee scanned up and down the bus. She frowned, not liking her options. "I don''t think we could pick anyone from either team. They would just be biased."

    "I compare with my brothers all the time and they''re not even this picky." Noah sighed.

    I let out a laugh.

    Noah looked at me, eyebrows raised. "You don''t agree?"

    I shook my head. "No way. The twins fight every time. About innings. Hits given up versus strikeouts. It''s never ending."

    "What if we sent our stat lines to Jeremy and Zeke and let them decide blindly?" Noah suggested.

    "Only if you don''t say who does what." Kaylee squinted. "We say final score of game, innings played, plate appearances, and count hits, RBI''s, and runs scored."

    "And stolen bases." Noah added with a deep grin.

    Kaylee twisted her lips, but agreed.

    "I say we just use Jeremy." I put my two cents in. With the three looking my way, I reminded them. "Zeke might know who is who by looking at the scores. He still keeps up with our games and stuff. I don''t think he would be biased, but just to be safe. And fair."

    "Okay. So we just use Jeremy." Kaylee nodded.

    Noah nodded too. Then looked at me. "Are you going to text him now or later?"

    "Later. When we know the lines. I''ll just send it to him and say pick A or B." I decided.

    "Sounds good." Kaylee commented. "Don''t let me catch you secretly texting him." She looked specifically at Noah. "Don''t think I don''t know that you have his number too."

    "I''m willing to hand my phone over to ensure the integrity of the bet." Noah said.

    "To who? Me?" Kaylee raised an eyebrow.

    "In your dreams." He nodded his head towards Alisha. "To a neutral third party who I know wont go through it."

    "Yea because she lacks the opportunity since she''ll be in the dugout with you guys." Kaylee laughed.

    "Hey!" Alisha elbowed her.

    The terms were finally agreed on and Noah''s phone was turned in to Alisha. Mine too. Just in case. After that though, the rest of the ride was easygoing with mostly everyone eating until we reached the school. It was the school in the mountains, surrounded by trees. A very woodsy vibe.

    "Try not to pass out this time, kid." Dave slapped my back when we got off the bus, causing some guys to laugh while the others asked about it.

    I felt my face go flushed.

    "You''re in better shape now." Noah assured me. "At most, you''ll probably just get winded."

    We unloaded the bus, taking our bags even though we were gonna have to watch most of the girls game first. Which is fine now. We''re kind of used to cheering for them, more so this year than last. A lot of that had to do with Kaylee inviting us to watch more, but some can be due to Kyle and Marie''s relationship.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1060 V3 Ch294 @ Porterville HS (2)

    Unexpectedly, KJ was on the mound for the girls. Not Marie. A lot of eyes looked to Kyle for answers. He merely shrugged and said Marie can''t pitch every game. They should save her for the important ones. I guess that makes sense. It just felt weird since softball doesn''t have pitch limits or rest days like we did so Marie could pitch every game if she wanted.

    They ended up not needing her though. KJ had things under control; she kept the opponents down, racking up some strikeouts along the way. I liked how our team cheered for her and the girls both ways. It definitely felt more unified than last year.

    Noah was the loudest despite his competition with Kaylee. He still cheered for the girls, including her plate appearances too. "It doesn''t matter much if she does well. I just have to do better." He told me after Kaylee got on with a leadoff double.

    It would be hard to do. Kaylee finished her game going 3-3 at the plate in five innings. A pair of singles and one double. No RBIs, but she scored all three times thanks to Marie. Oh, and one stolen base that Noah claimed should have been an error on the catcher. He complained about it as we got ready for our game, up until it was time to warm up. Then he was focused.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Atkins

    3 CF Bryce Finn

    4 1B Sean Isner

    5 3B Jason Morris

    6 LF Brian Swoope

    7 RF Logan Porter

    8 C Oscar Garcia

    9 P Garret Knudsen

    Coach may have sounded like he was keeping the status quo with Garret pitching but our lineup held a few surprises. Brian in the outfield? Logan too? Weird combo. Bryce makes sense since he''s been getting a lot more plate appearances this year. But also putting Garret at the end is a new one. Especially against a team he''s done well against on both sides.

    Garret made a face, but didn''t complain. He accepted the arrangement and focused on warming up with Oscar. Come game time, the pair were sitting in the dugout together while the top of our lineup got ready.

    Noah led us off with a hard hit double to left field. Mr. Miller gave us the green light for a hit and run. As soon as the pitcher was committed to throwing the pitch, Noah was off. The pitch came and I hit the ball to the gap. Noah scored off my single, making it 1-0. No outs.

    "Good job." Coach Riley said to me as I stood on first. I nodded back at him, still finding it weird without Coach Luis. Coach Riley was okay though. We didn''t interact much before, but he still knew me and my situation so he never stepped over the line and kept his distance. It was comfortable.

    Bryce was up next. He worked the count until he took a bad called strike three. He had to go back to the dugout and Sean came up. He also worked the count, but got a better result: a walk. I jogged to second base and Jason moved to the batter''s box. Jason popped out to the shortstop and we couldn''t leave our bases. Thankfully, Brian came through with a double, scoring in me and Sean, pushing the score to 3-0. Logan struck out to end the inning.

    Garret had a clean first inning, going three up, three down. The first batter grounded out to Jason at third. The second batter went down swinging. The third batter made solid contact, but Noah was there to snatch the line drive out of the air before it could get to the outfield.

    Top of the second. Oscar led off. With a swinging strikeout. But that was okay. I still had Garret and Noah in front of me. Either of them get on, and I get my second at bat so soon. Garret pulled through with a single. Noah matched it with one of his own, pushing Garret all the way to third. I knew what Noah wanted when the opportunity presented itself so I held my bat back and didn''t swing. On a 2-1 count, Noah stole second with the catcher not even attempting a throw. How could he with Garret on third, ready to run?

    With the pieces in place, I attacked the next best pitch I saw, hitting a hard line drive into the outfield fence. I ditched the bat and started to run. I tagged first and rounded to see the outfielder overthrowing his cutoff man. I went for two. I slid into the bag, hugging it to stay on, but no tag ever came down. They went for Noah who went on home. However Noah was too fast and was safe. Him and Garret scored two runs making it 5-0. I called for time and dusted myself off as I caught my breath. The air was thin, but my body was doing okay and reacting very well.

    Sean lined out to the third baseman. Then Jason popped out to the shortstop. Again. He looked frustrated as we jogged back to the dugout and made the switch to defense.

    Garret started the bottom of the second with the cleanup hitter. He hit a groundout to. Pay. The fifth batter got his hit to the outfield, only for Logan to catch the fly out. Garret got the sixth guy to go down swinging. His second of the game. Good pace.

    Porterville did a pitcher change to start the third to try to hamper our scoring prowess. They found a guy that worked. Brian flew out to center. Then Logan and Oscar both had swinging strikeouts. It wasn''t pretty and it was definitely clear where our weakest part of the lineup was.

    Garret redeemed us by dealing with the bottom of their lineup perfectly. Like really perfect. Three swinging strikeouts. None of them stood a chance against him. Especially with him bouncing between the cutter and slider more smoothly.

    Garret clapped Oscar on the back as they headed into the dugout together. "Good work. Your reflexes are top tier."

    "Thank you." Oscar answered politely. He took a seat as Garret started to get ready for his at bat. "I think my batting is holding me back from overtaking Mitchell though."

    Garret laughed. "You''re honest with yourself and that''s a good start. Work harder on the hitting drills and maybe go to the cages more often." He put his helmet on and headed out with a bat in hand.

    "Better tell Mitch to watch his back." Noah whispered dramatically as we also got ready. "I would hate to have a freshman coming after my starting spot so soon after taking control."

    "You were that freshman, you dope." Jason hit Noah on the top of his helmet.

    Noah laughed. "It''s all part of the game. The better player plays. Gotta be on top of things."

    Jason frowned and went to sit down.

    I elbowed Noah. "That wasn''t nice."

    Noah gave a small shrug. "That''s baseball. Jason needs to get hot or he''s gonna sit like some others." He glanced down a ways at a sullen Korrey.

    I grimaced.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1061 V3 Ch295 @ Porterville HS (3)

    "I''ll tie Kaylee here with a hit." Noah said before heading out to the on deck circle. "A double could win it."

    My lips twitched. Now didn''t seem like a good time to remind him that this might be his last at bat if we can get to ten after five innings.

    Garret led us off with a stand-up double. Noah moved to the batter''s box and I went out to the on deck circle.

    Noah made solid contact, hitting a line drive to right. All eyes followed the ball. Including an incoming right fielder. He dove for the ball, catching it before sliding in the grass. Noah had to quit his run to first and jog it back. He picked up his bat on the way and let out a heavy sigh. "Is it too much to hope we don''t mercy rule? Let me have some redemption."

    I laughed and went to the plate. Just like in the first, Mr. Miller wanted us to do a hit and run. It''s just Garret on second instead of Noah this time. I hit the very first pitch even though it was a little high out of the zone. It went to center, bouncing before the outfielder could get there. Garret was already long gone, rounding third and coming home on my single. The center fielder fielded the ball and threw it in. The pitcher cut it off, not allowing a play at the plate. Instead he faked a pump to keep me at first. I didn''t think of making it to second anyways even if they did go home.

    Bryce got jammed on an inside pitch and popped out to short. Sean also got jammed but hit a grounder to the pitcher instead. The pitcher threw him out at first and ended the offensive. He was definitely better than the first guy. He''s gone two innings and only given up one run.

    Back in the dugout, I switched my gear beside Noah.

    "Looks like the mercy rule really might not happen." Noah muttered. "That guy is definitely better than the first guy."

    I grinned. "Yea. I thought that too. But isn''t that good for you? To have another at bat?"

    Noah let out a sigh as we started to leave the dugout. "I don''t know. It''s depends on what I do in that at bat. Just a single and I know she wins. No need for Jeremy''s input."

    We split up and went to our respective sides on either side of second base. Garret was back at the top of the lineup to start the fourth. Batter one popped out to Sean at first. Batter two became strikeout victim number six. Batter three hit a long fly ball to right. Logan chased it back and made the catch on the warning track. End of the fourth.

    Top of the fifth started with Jason. He led off with a single, probably feeling good that he got something today. Brian followed up with a double, pushing Jason to third.

    I looked to Noah. "Keep up this pace and you could bat again this inning and we can still mercy rule."

    Noah''s face twitched. "When did you become so hopeful?"

    "You don''t think so?"

    His lips thinned. "I think I''m a realist. The guy on the mound isn''t bad. We have a couple of guys that struggled against him when he first came in."

    "I thought I was the realist between us?" I asked, tilting my head.

    Noah laughed. "Shut up. I just feel differently because of the stupid comparison. It''s too stressful going second. I know exactly what she did and somehow have to beat it." He shook his fists. "Next time, we have to pick the game where we play first."

    I laughed and shook my head. "Maybe don''t bet next time."

    "You''re no fun."

    Unsurprisingly, Logan and Oscar both continued their struggles at the plate. Neither could make contact for even a sacrifice fly or fielders choice or anything to help the baserunners. Both struck out swinging. Garret moved to the plate and Noah went out to the on deck circle. I stood in the hole, ready to go out. I had faith in Garret getting a hit again. He was 2-2 for today.

    He continued to stay hot; blasting a ball out of the park for a three-run homer. 10-0. The run differential for mercy rule was in effect. He just had to shut them out for one more inning. The guys slapped our hands on their way in, celebrating.

    Noah got set in the batter''s box and I went to the on deck circle. Noah was somehow in an even more difficult spot. He gets out and ends our half of the inning and we just know Kaylee will brag about the win and how Noah even had an extra chance. Get a single and Kaylee still wins by default. Because Noah will be short a run scored. Unless...I drove him in.

    C''mon Noah. I gripped my bat tight and cheered for him silently. Not even bothering to take any practice swings.

    The pitcher was a little rattled from Garrets banger. He threw three straight balls. The fourth came, looking a little outside. Noah still swung, making me cringe. He made contact, hitting it the opposite way. The ball got over the infielders and dropped in for a base hit. I let out a breath I was holding.

    I got in the righty''s box and knew what I had to do to help Noah. Hit a home run of course. That way he can tie Kaylee. The pitcher gave me a semi-decent pitch to start and I pulled it down the left field line, clearing the fence. Two run shot. 12-0. I rounded the bases, slapping hands with Coach Riley at first and Mr. Miller at third. I met Noah at home and he pulled me into a playful headlock.

    "You dummy." He laughed. "You couldn''t wait an extra pitch so I can at least steal another base?" He practically dragged me back to the dugout where I met with more compliments and high fives.

    I took my helmet off at our bags. "Sorry. I was too focused on driving you in for a run. I was thinking you could tie her up and it would be settled."

    "Not really even since I have that lineout." Noah sighed, putting away his helmet too. "Oh well. Nothing we can do now."

    That was right. We would rather lose to Kaylee than to have Garret blow his perfect game. He was three outs away from a mercy ruled perfect game. Something Dave did last year and Kyle argued that it counted as less. But I think it counted more because that means the whole team was working on the offense too.

    Bryce flew out to center to end our offensive. We took the field for the bottom of the fifth, not saying anything to Garret. Garret didn''t notice, completely zoned in on the cleanup hitter. He got the guy to strike out swinging. The fifth batter got under a pitch, popping out to Noah. The sixth batter was Garret''s eighth of the game. The team started to swarm him at the mound. Me included. Garret''s second perfect game this season. Against the same team, but still an accomplishment.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1062 V3 Ch296

    "We should have agreed upon a prize or a punishment or something." Kaylee mumbled as the bus was loading so we could head home.

    "I''ll agree as long as you don''t pick something so extreme." Noah gave a nonchalant shrug.

    "That''s no good. Because then, is it even a punishment?" Kaylee thought about it.

    "Then pick a prize." Noah leaned forward. "Anything you want to have? Or anything you want to do?"

    Kaylee frowned for a second before she perked up. "I do have something I want to do." She looked to Alisha. "Can we go to your house this weekend? Maybe Saturday?"

    "Sure!" Alisha nodded. "You guys know my house is open. My parents are really cool with me having friends over."

    "What are we going to do?" Noah asked.

    Kaylee grinned. "It''s a secret." She glanced at the bus entrance as Marie and Kyle got on. "So your next game is Servite on Thursday? Yea, we''ll be there to cheer for you guys." The topic change threw me off and I took an extra second to realize it was deliberate.

    "Yea, Coach hasn''t picked a pitcher yet." Noah went with it. "Good chance it''s Kyle again. With Dave as a backup."

    "It''ll be another pitcher''s duel." Kyle had joined in after overhearing. "Me versus that Peace guy." He reached over to pat me on the head. "Counting on you Mr. Two. Try not to get picked off this time."

    I slapped his hand away. "I won''t make the same mistake twice." Against the same guy. Hopefully. I kind of do have a bad history with my baserunning. I frowned.

    "Don''t psych him out." Noah hit Kyle in the stomach. "Get lost."

    Kyle slipped into the row behind us again, sitting with Marie. "I''m not messing with him. I''m encouraging him to hit harder. Like a double. Or more preferably a homer."

    We talked about the upcoming game for a good part of the ride home. By the time we got back to the school, it was late into the night. We all got off and got our bags out from under the bus. We said goodbye to our teammates and the girls before going our own way.

    "Did Mitchell catch for you guys in the bullpen today?" Noah asked the twins as Dave drove us home.

    "Nah." Dave said, shaking his head. "Even though his hand looks better. He still has to be cleared by Drew. He was just in there for emergency. Which, with Garret on the mound, unlikely to happen. Especially against a sad Porterville team."

    "I remember when they used to not get blown out all the time." Kyle commented. "I wonder if they''ll be dropped to a lower division."

    "It wouldn''t matter to us." Dave laughed. "We''ll be long gone. Heck, even the babies will be out by then."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "We''re not babies. Just two years behind you." He scooted up. "I think it would be cool to switch up the leagues and face someone new."

    I made a face. "I don''t think so. I like knowing what''s coming."

    "You''ll know after you play them the first time around." Noah shrugged.

    "We get enough ''new'' in the tournaments." I pointed out.

    "Yea, isn''t it fun?!" Noah grinned. "I also like tournaments because of how many games you can play in a weekend. It''s definitely the best. I can''t wait to go pro and just play baseball all day, everyday."

    "Pitchers can''t relate." Kyle shrugged.

    "Maybe if you turned into a relief pitcher." Noah pointed out.

    "That''s lame." Dave said. "What relief pitchers do you know? Your name gets so easily forgotten."

    Noah easily named all of the A''s current relief staff.

    "You''re a baseball geek. You don''t count." Dave told him. "I want to be known in every household. Not just the team''s fan base. I want every opponent fan base to see me on the probable starter list and groan at the anticipation of the beat down I''m about to give their team."

    Kyle laughed. "Yea, yea. Me too. But also, I''ll be there quicker."

    The twins took over talking about pitching and which route would get them to debut faster. Kyle had the edge entering the minors this summer after the draft, but like Dave pointed out, it depends a lot on opportunity and luck.

    We reached the house and walked in just as Dad was setting the dining table. Mom and Dad showed up for our away game, still worried that I might pass out again but I showed them. I was okay. In the best shape of my life. We ate a late dinner, telling Grampa about the win and mostly talking about how he can''t miss Thursday''s game since it was home. He assured us he would be there.

    Tuesday was a normal day up until it was time for practice. Coach gathered us before warmups and made an announcement.

    "Dave will get the start on Thursday."

    Everyone was stunned. A lot of eyes shifted to the identical twins with identical looks of surprise.

    "You''re going to want to know why, right?" Coach guessed, looking specifically at Kyle.

    Kyle wordlessly nodded.

    "You started both games last year." Coach reminded him.

    "They weren''t bad." Kyle defended lightly. "The second time was just a little rougher."

    "Exactly." Coach snapped his fingers. "I''ve taken a look at their schedule history from this season and last. And the year before. They historically performed better the second time they faced a team. Their coach knows how to make adjustments. So we''re making one of our own. They haven''t seen Dave at all."

    Dave stood tall. "Don''t worry, Coach. I''ll be in my best form."

    "If you wanted to change it up, why let me pitch yesterday?" Garret asked. "Dave could have had Porterville and I would have taken Servite."

    "They''ve seen you too." Coach shook his head. "It''s better like this. Dave is good. Show some faith in him."

    Dave puffed out his chest. "Yea! Why are you nitpicking? Coach trusts me so I''ll get the job done." His eyes found mine across the room. He grinned and pointed at me. "Score me one run. And I''ll handle the rest."

    I nodded obediently.

    With a pitcher picked out for Thursday, we took the field and practiced as normal. Mitchell and Dave did their stuff off to the side with Drew hovering nearby.

    On the way home from practice, Kyle didn''t seem upset as I thought he would be. Noah thought so too and said it for him to hear.

    Kyle shrugged. "Coach won''t change his mind no matter how upset I get. I''ll just be ready in the bullpen for when the time comes."

    Dave snorted. "Might as well prep for the next game because this one is mine. I''ve sat for way too much this season. I want to go out with a solid performance at home."

    "There''s still a handful of games left." Noah pointed out.

    "Two weeks. Six games, including Thursday." Kyle stated. "Probably a start or two left for each of us, depending what Coach wants to do. You gotta think that Bryce and Brian might get one more start before playoffs."

    "I don''t know. Bryce has been good in the outfield and in the lineup." Noah said.

    "But he''ll be taking on more responsibility on the mound next year." Kyle reminded.

    We got to the house and started to unpack. We met with Mom, Dad, and Grampa at the dinner table, where they were talking about Zeke''s birthday tomorrow. We all shared laughs at the thought of tomorrow.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1063 V3 Ch297 (Zeke’s Birthday)

    *Third Person Perspective*

    In the early morning, someone turned on a loud speaker, playing the opening of 50 cent''s ''In da Club''. A tall blonde girl took the speaker down a freshman residential hall causing some groans and yells. A few doors opened either a crack or all the way, but at the sight of the lady, no one said anything and let her continue on her way.

    She stopped in front of a door and banged on it twice. The speaker got louder as the lyrics started.

    "Go, go, go, go, go, go

    Go, shorty

    It''s your birthday

    We gon'' party like it''s your birthday

    We gon'' sip Bacardi like it''s your birthday

    And you know we don''t give a fuck it''s not your birthday"

    Behind the door were two guys in the late teens. Zeke Atkins and Rhys Johnson.

    Rhys was under the covers, holding a pillow over his head to try to block out the racket. He glared at the guy who was sitting on the adjacent bed. "That is clearly for you. Go answer it."

    Zeke, dressed for an early workout, didn''t budge. His eyes narrowed at his roommate. "Do you think I''m dumb? Someone had to tell those brats what time I go for my morning run. Otherwise how would they know to send something so ridiculous so early?"

    "They simply asked me what time you normally wake up." Rhys groaned. "I didn''t think it would be whatever this nonsense is." The banging on the door happened again. "Fuckkkk. What the hell can it be?"

    "You''re more than welcome to open the door yourself." Zeke told his best friend. "You live here too."

    Rhys rolled his eyes, but flipped the covers off. "Fine. You might not mind, but I do. I''ll accept whatever booby trap this is but if it''s messy, you have to clean it up. It''s your brothers." He slowly got up and stretched. "It''s going to be hard to go back to sleep after this." He reached for the door knob and slowly opened the door.

    Seeing a crack, the girl turned the speaker off. "You up? I''m looking for a Zeke Atkins."

    "Yea. He''s here." Rhys opened the door fully and revealed a lady wearing a huge heart and holding five balloons. "What-what is this?"

    "It''s a singing gram, of course!" She pushed her way past Rhys and saw the young man on the bed. She held the strings of the balloons out for Zeke to take. Seeing that he wasn''t going to accept them, she simply let go and let them float to the ceiling. She then reached to her backside, pulled out a party popper, and set it off, sprinkling confetti all over the sitting Zeke. Then she sung.

    "Happy birthday to you,

    Happy birthday to you,

    you live in a zoo,

    you look like a monkey,

    and you act like one too!"

    She pulled out another party popper.

    Zeke snatched it away. "Thank you. That''s enough."

    She frowned and stared at the item in his hands. She sighed. "Well, if you''re sure." She headed for the exit. "See ya later."

    Zeke frowned and looked to Rhys. "Later?"

    Rhys had a look of pure innocence. "Don''t ask me. I''m just collateral damage." He looked at the confetti all over the floor and Zeke''s bed. He shook his head and climbed back into his own bed. "Good luck today, man. You might just need it."

    Zeke felt his eyelid twitch. He pulled out his phone but nothing was there. His four brothers wouldn''t be up for another hour; even if they were awake, they wouldn''t answer his calls. He was gonna have to face today head on.

    Nothing unexpected popped up until his 10am class. It was in a lecture hall of about a hundred students. He sat front and center, listening to the instructors lesson plan intently.

    There was a faint sound of music causing him and a few others to look at the double doors that led to the main hall. They suddenly burst open and a girl in sparkly, bright neon outfit came strutting in, singing Katy Perry''s ''Birthday''.

    Zeke recognized her as the same girl from before. Sure enough, he really saw her later. He sighed and rubbed his eyebrow. At least she had a decent voice. Though the dancing performance left a lot to be desired.

    "Boy, when you''re with me

    I''ll give you a taste

    Make it like your birthday everyday

    I know you like it sweet

    So you can have your cake

    Give you something good to celebrate."

    She sung and placed a small single layer cake before him. She took off the lid and stuck a candle in it and lit it with a lighter.

    "So make a wish

    I''ll make it like your birthday everyday

    I''ll be your gift

    Give you something good to celebrate!"

    Zeke''s eyelid twitched again. He raised a hand to stop her from singing the rest of the song. "If I blow out the candle, can you please go away? We''re in the middle of class."

    "Booo!" A few guys said from the back while laughing. Zeke spotted a few of his teammates.

    "If that''s what you want to do." The girl gave a friendly smile.

    Zeke let out a puff of air and the candle went out. The girl pulled out a party popper and set off another confetti bomb upon Zeke. Zeke closed his eyes to regain his composure, which turned out to be a mistake. The girl had another popper go off in a second.

    She lifted her hands like a conductor and started to wave them around, signaling for the whole class to join in as they sang ''Happy Birthday.''

    "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR ZEKE

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

    The whole class broke out in applause. The girl bowed and headed out of the classroom, not bothered by the disruption she just caused.

    Zeke looked to his professor. "Sorry, Dr. Williams. I''ll clean this up as soon as you''re done."

    Dr. Williams chuckled. "I think we hit a good spot to call it quits for today. It''s not everyday that we get a impromptu show. Happy birthday, Mr. Atkins. I hope you have a fantastic day." He looked up at the rest of the class. "Everyone is dismissed. Have a good Wednesday and don''t forget to remind your friends that it''s Zeke''s birthday in case no one has heard yet."

    The class got loud as everyone packed up and talked happily among one another. A few shouts of ''happy birthday Zeke'' and ''thanks Zeke'' were called out as Zeke cleaned up the confetti. He couldn''t just leave it for the janitor when it was so excessive.

    During lunch, Zeke was a little more aware, paying attention to his surroundings in case that girl had another performance coming up. Unexpectedly, it wasn''t her he had to watch out for.

    A three man mariachi band came in the cafeteria, playing their music for all to hear. Zeke lowered his head and avoided eye contact, but it was no use. They were zoned in on him, stopping just feet away from his table.

    "Hola, Zeke! It''s your birthday, we''re here to party, and sing to you! It''s from Jeremy. Hope you are bueno, the fun will rain-o the whole day through. From the gulf up to the mountains, the city lights and fountains, we hope you''re birthday''s excellente. Today you''re 19, so perhaps you should celebrate, ''cause today is your day! Hola Zeke, you deserve a grand fiesta, and later on siesta, and the best of everything! Happy Birthday!"

    They dramatically stopped and applause started up as all the students nearby acknowledged the performance.

    Zeke nodded politely at the men. "Thank you."

    They started to play their music again, but just as they exited the cafeteria.

    Rhys laughed from two seats over. "Shit. Even Jeremy is in on it? Maybe you should start going away for your birthday? Like hide out at some air bnb where your brothers can''t find you."

    "This is definitely war." Zeke spoke calmly with a hint of a smile. "They really surprised me with this one though."

    "You''d be surprised who came up with the idea." Rhys laughed.

    Zeke squinted at him. "I thought you didn''t know."

    "I really don''t know any real details about your day." Rhys stood his ground. "I just got a call that asked for your schedule. But they did leak that someone had an idea for your big day."

    "Noah." Zeke said. "He''s the only one to be so creative and foolish at the same time. I''m guessing the twins are the ones financing it."

    "No idea about whose money. But eh, you''re wrong. They said they were going with Jake''s idea."

    Zeke raised both eyebrows, impressed and surprised. "Okay." He pulled out his phone.

    "What are you doing?" Rhys leaned over.

    "Setting a few reminders so I can properly plan for their birthdays this year. It has to be as ''special'' as mine was."

    "Hard to top." Rhys grinned. "Best of luck to you."

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1064 V3 Ch298

    I couldn''t stand how nervous my phone was making me, all day Wednesday. I was scared that Zeke would try to call. Just looking at it made my anxiety at an all-time high. I put my phone in my locker to keep it away and calm myself. It only helped a little. I still had to see Noah and the twins throughout the day, wondering how Zeke liked his present. It seemed like a funny idea at first, but now I had a few regrets. What if he got mad? Zeke took school very seriously.

    At the end of the school day, it was time for me to take my cellphone back out of the locker.

    "Stop being a baby." Noah elbowed me as we headed down to the fields. "I''ve already shown you my phone. Zeke hasn''t messaged us at all." Just as he said that, his phone started to ring.

    ZEKE

    Noah cleared his throat and answered, putting him on speaker. He started singing ''happy birthday'' and we could hear Zeke''s light laughter. It eased a lot of my nerves knowing he wasn''t mad mad.

    "How many more, Noah?" Zeke asked when Noah finished singing.

    "Whatever are you talking about?" Noah played dumb.

    "How many times did you sign up for this girl to sing to me?" Zeke repeated more thoroughly.

    "Girl? Singing?" Noah kept it up. "That doesn''t sound right. You always scare girls away. I can''t imagine one serenading you. Especially on your birthday." He grinned. "Well, we''re almost at the fields for practice. Have fun at yours. Gotta go. Bye." He hung up.

    I let out a sigh of relief.

    "See? It''s fine. It''s his birthday. It''s too be expected." Noah said.

    With that kind of assurance, I turned my phone on. I only had one missed message. From Jeremy. I clicked and saw that it was a video. I pushed play, not sure what I was supposed to be watching. It seemed to be a trio mariachi band, playing music as they entered a cafeteria. I caught sight of a familiar face in the video and started to grin.

    "What the heck are you listening to?" Noah peered over my shoulder to see. "Yo, is that Zeke? What are we watching here?"

    We stopped walking and watched the video with interest. There was a short song that sang happy birthday to Zeke from Jeremy. Noah started to crack up at the look of Zeke''s face as the whole cafeteria hollered and clapped. "Wow. That''s amazing. Save it and send it to me."

    I complied willingly.

    Noah saved it to his phone too, but took it a step further when he started to edit it. He took a shorter version of the main video and posted it on Instagram for all to see. He tagged Zeke, wishing him a happy birthday and thanking Jeremy for the video.

    I sent Jeremy a courtesy text so he knew Noah had it too. And to also thank him. I know we didn''t arrange for any videos to be taken. It was already expensive for how many times we ordered a singing telegram.

    "Yo, you guys trying to be late for practice?" Brian asked, jogging to catch up. "You know what time it is?"

    I put my phone away, feeling guilty.

    Noah didn''t. He got the video to restart. "Check this out." He handed his phone over to Brian.

    Brian watched the full video and got a laugh out of it. "Hey, that''s pretty cool. I kind of want to do something like that for my dad. I wonder how much that was."

    "You probably have to wait until you start making money." Noah told him as the three of us continued our trek to the lower field. "Jeremy set that up so we don''t know the exact price but we can tell you that we spent a few hundred on getting Zeke multiple singing grams today."

    "Singing grams?" Brian was taken aback. "Do you have any videos of that?"

    Noah shook his head sadly. "No. Didn''t think of it." He clapped his hands together. "I''ll text his roommate and see if he can try on the next two attempts." He pulled out his phone.

    "Two more?!" Brian was stunned. "What are you doing to him?"

    "Believe it or not, this was Jake''s idea." Noah told him. "Me and the twins just added on. Of course, there''s four of us so there should be four performances. And now with Jeremy, we all did our part."

    "Damn. I couldn''t imagine Zeke''s face throughout all of that." Brian shook his head. He looked at me. "Good thinking though, Jake. I just wish it could have happened here."

    I laughed. "I''m glad it didn''t. I couldn''t imagine how many laps we would have to run."

    "We?" Brian squinted. "That was a ''you'' idea. Not we. I''m a spectator. Not a co-conspirator."

    We reached the clubroom and part of the conversation was overheard, drawing some attention to it. Some of the guys asked about what we were talking about, but Noah simply told them to check his Instagram story when they get a chance.

    The chance was soon for some as they were already ready for practice. Others just looked over the shoulders to watch. Everyone had seen it by the time Noah and I got ready.

    Coach came walking through. "Let''s get a move on, boys. David, Mitchell, take it easy. Make sure to stretch with Drew and be ready for tomorrow." He looked around at the rest of us. "Tomorrow''s game will start at six in the evening. Either eat a big lunch or a small meal before coming in. Be here at 4:30 to change and set up."

    "A couple hours after school. How awkward." Someone complained. "Not enough time to go home and relax, but do I really want to hang out in the school''s library?"

    "Clubroom will be open right after school like normal." Coach stated. "Batting cages are free to anyone who wants to get some extra work in."

    I perked up, looking at Coach with a smile.

    "Jake, you better control yourself in there and not overdo it." Coach zoned in on me. "If anyone sees Jake doing more than forty pitches at a time, take him out and take over."

    A few of the guys laughed. Coach hurried us along and practice got underway. We didn''t do anything too strenuous and worked specifically on hitting curves. Coach thinks it''ll be Peace again so we had to do some prep work, no matter how small.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1065 V3 Ch299 VS Servite HS (1)

    *Third Person Perspective*

    "It''s going to be a tough game today, boys." Coach Wilson addressed his team as the bus drove him and his varsity baseball team to an away game less than an hour away. He looked around, making eye contact with a select few. "Watsonville has been making a name for themselves for a few years now. They capitalized on it last year going all the way. I want us to get this win and really challenge them to see who wins league."

    "We''ve just been unlucky." A senior, Allen, spoke up. "We keep having these small losses. Last year, Golden West sneaked by, beating us by one. Then these guys did it twice to us. Straight up, blaming luck."

    "Yea, and has nothing to do with them having the best family in baseball." Someone joked and laughed. "Face it, it''s more like bad timing. The Atkins first had Zeke, followed by twin pitchers, and then two more for the infield. They''re practically a team on their own."

    A few of the guys laughed and joked.

    The upperclassmen didn''t share the same carefree attitude. A lot of them felt the sting of those close losses last year. Especially those that were friends with some of the best pitchers in the league last year like Alex Sanchez and Ernest Williamson. Seniors that didn''t get to even win league and go out on top.

    "I don''t think they''re all that great." A sophomore spoke up, quieting the bus down with his statement. He had a scowl on his face, clearly opposed to the compliments the Atkins family got.

    Coach Wilson looked at the young man for an extra beat. "Do you want to try opening a game on the mound instead of closing it, Danny?"

    Danny sneered. "Defeats the purpose of a starter, don''t you think, Coach?"

    Coach Wilson gave a light shrug. "Hey, I''m just offering so you have a for sure chance against the second best player in the state. You''re so adamant that you could take him. Why not take the chance and face him right away? He would definitely be in the beginning part of the lineup."

    Danny rolled his eyes. "Don''t think you can trick me, Coach. I''m a closer. I rather save the game than be a flash in the pan." He glanced at his teammate in the row across from him. "Face him head on this time, Cody."

    Cody didn''t look up from his phone. "I follow Coach''s plans."

    "Yea, because it worked so well like last time, right?" He snorted.

    Cody gave him the side eye. "It did work. Look at Jake Atkins stat line. He had one hit. A single that led to nothing. He wasn''t baited in the second plate appearance, but I was still able to pick him off first. Coach''s instructions did work."

    Danny snorted. "You walked him to load the bases, then gave up the sac fly that made us lose."

    "No fault of Coach''s. I got tired and was losing control." Cody defended his coach.

    "Exactly! You got tired!" Danny twisted in his seat to look at him directly. "If I was brought in just a bit sooner, we could have kept them at bay."

    The bus was silent. It wasn''t the first time these two underclassmen argued over time and performance on the mound. They had history from their freshmen year last season when they both played for JV.

    "Not exactly the tone I had wanted to set on the way to the game." Coach Wilson chuckled like his star pitchers weren''t just bickering over their last loss. "Let me remind everyone here, that we win and lose as a team. There''s always something more someone could have done. Even myself. Our loss against Watsonville last month could be blamed on me not taking Cody out sooner. I underestimated them and overestimated us. I thought we could pull off a double play, but things didn''t go our way. It happens. You boys will see it more in the higher levels. You can''t win them all."

    "Unless you''re Watsonville." A relief pitcher pointed out. "They''re on the longest active win streak stretching back from last year. In the one game that that kid didn''t play in. It''s crazy."

    "No kidding." Another starter said. "Have you looked at his stats. His average is highest in the country at all levels, plus his strikeout percentage is nearly nonexistent."

    "Every player has his advantages and weaknesses." Coach Wilson tried to regain the attention of his team. "We will do our best to fend him off at the plate." He looked at Cody. "Don''t give him one good pitch that can make it to the warning track. Everything has to be low and a breaking ball. Just like before, don''t be afraid of the walk. His baserunning is subpar. You have to try multiple pickoff attempts to keep him close to the bag."

    "Yes." Cody nodded.

    He spared a glanced at Danny. "Pay attention from the bullpen. I''ll try to be more proactive myself. If we get in a jam, we''ll be counting on you."

    "Tch. Of course." Danny crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back. "But also, if we get blown out. I want to face him. Man to man."

    "Bro, you''re not a man. You can''t even drive yet." Someone said, making most of the bus laugh.

    Coach Wilson held his hands up, motioning for the team to settle down. "It''s not just the pitchers who put in the work today. The starters need to start taking care of business at the plate. I want to see a lot more contact and a lot more hustle. If the opportunity arises, let''s slap a few more grounders towards second base and make the best player in the league do some work."

    "Yea!" The team echoed.

    "Do we know if it''s the same twin as last time?"

    Coach Wilson shook his head. "It''s very likely. I can confirm that it''s not their lefty, Garret Knudsen. He just did his second perfect game against Porterville. He won''t be eligible due to pitch count, but definitely in the lineup. Either before or after Jake Atkins as the number two on their offense."

    "Makes me miss Alex." A senior said.

    "Same."

    "Right."

    "I don''t think we''ve seen David. We''ve seen Kyle for three years straight." Allen spoke up. "I know they used to pitch very similar to one another, but Kyle has changed. Don''t know if the other did too."

    "Once we see who''s working out in the bullpen, I''ll start working on our own lineup." Coach Wilson said. "Everyone warms up with the same intensity as this might be our last game of the season. Because if we don''t win here, Watsonville is on their way to winning league again."

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1066 V3 Ch300 VS Servite HS (2)

    "It''s popping for a Thursday night." Sean commented as he walked into the clubroom. There were a few of us hanging around. Me. Dave. Mitchell. Joey. Matt. "Those bleachers are packed." He sat down a few spots from where I was laying on the floor. "You good, Jake?"

    "He can''t hit in the cages." Mitchell said. "He''s probably contemplating life."

    "Who is stopping him from going to hit a few? Coach?" He guessed.

    "It''s all those people that want to watch him." Dave explained. "We came down right after school, thinking it would be less crowded. And it was. Until Jake started hitting. He attracted a crowd. A lot of scouts, coaches, and randoms. Jake is decompressing right now."

    Sean nodded understandably. He leaned over me. "Jake, just to prep you, we''re going to have a packed house tonight. We have more people here than ever before. A lot of Servite fans seem to be showing up too. Honestly, if we had a place as big as them, it would be a sold out show."

    I felt some tension in my back loosen up. My hands also unclenched.

    "Uh, am I crazy or did Jake just relaxed after I said that there were a lot of Servite fans?" Sean asked, looking around at the others.

    Dave laughed. "Yea, he''s weird like that. His own fans stress him out. People cheering against him? It''s fine. People rooting for him to do well? Stick a fork in him. He''s done."

    "It''s going to be tough for him." Mitchell added. "The more popular he is, the more fans there''ll be."

    "You guys are acting very nonchalant for having our best batter on the floor." Sean remarked.

    "Noah already went to get Dr. Moore. The psychologist." Dave waved him off. "Plus, we still have time. Only worry when Jake throws up and then panic when he passes out. This is baby stuff."

    Sean nodded in agreement and moved away on the bench a little more so I had more space.

    "I think it''s wild that this is the best batter in the state." Joey commented from his end of the room. "I feel like I should do a showdown with Jake. But make it very public and have all his fans show up to cheer him on. It''d be something out of a movie. I act as a villain. Supporters of the protagonist show up. Jake crumbles under the expectations. I strike out the best and make a name for myself. The supporters realize it''s their own fault and blame themselves."

    I shivered.

    "Damn, man." Matt cursed. "Whose team are you on?"

    "What? I''m just speculating. Heck, it''s merely a dream." Joey said. "We all know I can''t really beat him. Jake, I have absolute confidence in you." He called out to tell me.

    "Can you not?" I flipped over onto my stomach. Everyone had confidence in me. They all believed in me. Great. Fantastic. But what happens when I let them down? Will they still like me and accept me? Or will they all be mad and disappointed?

    Noah and Dr. Moore chose to enter at this point in time. Mr. Miller and Coach were right behind them. My audience was growing bigger. Maybe if I close my eyes tight enough, I''ll disappear. Or melt into the floor and never come out again.

    "And you don''t think we need to call your parents?" Mr. Miller asked.

    "Nah." Noah said. "This is minor. He just needs a pep talk from a pro." He slapped Dr. Moore on the back. "Counting on you, Dr. Moore. Warmups starts in an hour."

    Dr. Moore was the only one of the four to approach me. He surprised me by getting down on the dirty floor and laid beside me. "Hey, Jake."

    I pursed my lips together. "Hey."

    "I see that you have pressured yourself into a downward spiral again."

    "It happens." Noah said.

    I rolled my eyes.

    "I''ve got to ask." Dr. Moore ignored Noah and continued. "Do you think you feel pressured because you might let them down? Despite the fact that you''ve been phenomenal."

    My heart started to pound at the hidden compliment. "I''m not as great as everyone thinks I am."

    "You are." Noah added from across the room.

    "Well, let''s say you do let them down." Dr. Moore''s suggestion didn''t make me feel so good. "What''s the worst that can happen?"

    "Everyone hates me?"

    He chuckled. "I think it''ll take a lot of work and effort to get everyone to hate you. But okay. Say that they did. So what? Does their opinion matter?"

    I tapped the floor. "Not necessarily."

    "Whose opinions matter to you?"

    "My family. My friends. My coaches. My teammates." I listed the four groups.

    "I don''t think any one of them would be mad if you got out or made an error." Dr. Moore told me.

    "I know, but I''d be mad at myself." I sighed.

    "Ah. See. Your opinion of yourself matters the most." Dr. Moore said. "You set unbelievably high standards for yourself. If you don''t succeed and meet those expectations, you hurt your own self-esteem. It''s a vicious cycle that you have trouble leaving."

    I frowned. "What can I do? It''s not like I can rewrite the way I think. I want to do my best and help the team win."

    "You''ll have to change the way you think. Slowly but surely, it''ll come." Dr. Moore told me. "You have to remind yourself constantly, that the people in that are rooting for you, won''t leave after an error or two. They want the best for you too. Why is that a bad thing?"

    "He''s not used to it." Dave snapped his fingers and pointed at me. He started to wag his finger. "You weren''t used to talking for a long time too, Jake. You can rewrite anything about yourself as long you work on it and give yourself time."

    "Very good, Dave." Dr. Moore said from his spot beside me on the floor. He looked at me. "Even if you become the worst baseball player of all time, that''s not everything that makes you, you, is it?"

    "Nah. He''s annoyingly good at math!" Dave added his thoughts again.

    My lips twitched.

    Dr. Moore waited for me this time, not answering to Dave.

    "It''s not everything, but it feels like a big part." I said.

    "It can be as big as you want it to be." He shrugged. "Or however small you want it to be. Just like how you have to physically practice baseball to become a better player; you have to work on yourself mentally too. Cut yourself some slack. It''s good to set goals, not deadlines."

    "Shouldn''t goals have deadlines?" Joey asked.

    Dr. Moore started a small group talk. "Goals are intangible and nonlinear. Someone going to college for example, can say he wants to graduate in the normal four years. Someone else might want to do it sooner like three. Person C could want to do it in five years to give himself more time to focus so he can have better grades. But just because these three people have given themselves deadlines, doesn''t mean they can''t accomplish the goal: graduate college."

    Dr. Moore continued to talk about the limits we set on ourselves and how it could hinder us from full potential. All the others in the room seem to be interested which was comforting. I wasn''t a weirdo for needing a therapist. I was just uninformed.

    As more and more players walked in, we moved off the floor and on to a bench. Eventually it was time for Dr. Moore to go and for me to get ready for the game.

    "Every cheer for you is a well-meaning wish." Dr. Moore told me as I walked him out. "They want you to do well, but if you don''t, then they''re probably just going to cheer harder." He clapped me on the shoulder. "And even if they all got mad at you, who cares? Your parents and brothers still love you. That won''t change. These small panic attacks you have will pass. Just hang in there."

    I smiled shyly, but happy to know I have something to rely on.

    "Good luck today. I''m rooting for you and the team." Dr. Moore waved and left.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1067 V3 Ch301 VS Servite HS (3)

    With my mind settled and the team present, we got ready for the game more seriously. Everyone was dressed and on time. Even Kyle and Oscar, who were already playing in the bullpen came to the dugout.

    "Hey Coach, I think you''re right about them expecting me to start today." Kyle said lightly with a smirk. "Saw a few wandering eyes looking at the bullpen and some satisfaction on their faces."

    Dave laughed. "Sucks for them." He nudged Mitchell. "Let''s mix the splitter in. Kyle doesn''t have it so they won''t be expecting it."

    Mitchell grinned and nodded. He liked the idea.

    "It''s not like it''s a huge surprise." Coach said. "They''ll eventually see Dave warming up too. If anything, they might think Kyle hurt himself in the bullpen. Kyle, Joey, and Tyler should be ready to be called upon if Dave gets into a tight spot." Coach instructed.

    Garret led us out for our pregame routine in the late afternoon sun. The sun wouldn''t set until mid-game. Hopefully it didn''t affect my fielding at second base.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Atkins

    3 LF Bryce Finn

    4 CF Garret Knudsen

    5 1B Sean Isner

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 RF Brian Swoope

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Dave Atkins

    Before taking the field to start the game, Coach had a talk with Dave. Then he turned to Mitchell. "If your hand hurts when catching or hitting, let me know. Oscar is in the bullpen and ready. Noah''s a decent backup too. He works well with the twins."

    Noah rolled his eyes but couldn''t dispute.

    Mitchell adjusted the straps on his gear. "I know, Coach. Don''t worry."

    Coach looked to Dave one more time. "For the sake of god, just don''t get hurt this game. Don''t break a nail. Don''t dislocate your finger. Don''t get stepped on."

    "Coach, it''s starting to sound like a curse you''re putting on me." Dave stopped him. "I''m not injury prone. Just a little unlucky."

    "Sounds synonymous to me." Noah laughed.

    Dave reached for him, but Noah dodged and headed out to take the field. It was time. Our names and positions were announced as we jogged out and started to throw the ball around.

    "At second base, Jake Atkins."

    I tried to play blind, deaf, and dumb. Fielding a ball back to Sean at first as people clapped and cheered for me. Everyone had varying amounts of cheers, but no one was left out. Even Brian, who surely didn''t expect to be in the lineup today.

    The umpire called for the game to start and the first Servite batter stepped up to the plate. Dave threw a fastball in the outside of the zone for a called strike one. The batter got a piece of the second pitch, popping it up. Sean backed up and made the catch before the outfield grass.

    The second batter got cornered on an 0-2 count when Dave showed his first splitter of the game. It dipped low and would have been a ball, but the batter swung and missed. Dave''s first strikeout of the night. The third batter made contact early, pulling a short fly on the foul side of the third baseline. Jason was there to make the catch and we all jogged back. Dave gave us a good start and kept his pitch count low.

    Noah and I got ready simultaneously before heading for the exit.

    "Jake. A second." Coach called me to the side.

    Noah left me behind and I went up to Coach. "Yea?"

    "I''ve been thinking about what was said earlier in the clubroom." He said, looking me in the eyes.

    I knitted my brows together. "Yea?" I repeated.

    "If Noah doesn''t get on before you, I want you to aim for the fences." He instructed.

    I was taken aback. "But...you know that guy will only throw me curves. I can''t hit a breaking ball that far yet. I need it fast."

    Coach reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. "It''s okay to fail. I want you to see that. But that''s only if Noah is out. If he''s on, advance the runner."

    "What if I don''t fail?" I started to feel a little stubborn.

    "Then we''ll have a one run lead and the team will be ecstatic." Coach squeezed and let go. "Do your best. Don''t worry about what comes next."

    "Okay." I nodded and left the dugout for the on deck circle.

    Seeing Cody back on the mound didn''t feel real until I heard the solid ''plop'' sounds the warmup pitches made in the catcher''s glove. Still got that speed.

    Noah had the idea to attack fast and early before the curve came out. He made contact on the very first pitch, but it was a weak grounder down the line towards third. The third baseman was able to barehand it and throw Noah out at first. Just barely. Noah was fast and it was close, but the ump said he got him.

    Noah jogged it back and I moved to the batter''s box. Mr. Miller gave out some fake signs, but we knew it was up to my discretion. Coach already said to try for the fences, and maybe I would, but I also knew I wanted to rack up the pitch count against this guy. He''s good and he can last awhile. Servite still had other good pitchers, but maybe we could capitalize on a mistake later on.

    I chose to be a righty. I started fouling a few pitches right away, placing myself in an 0-2 hole. Cody didn''t miss very many pitches from the strike zone even when consistently throwing a curve. It was scary how good his control was. As a sophomore too.

    I couldn''t let anything close pass by in case the ump gave me a bad call and call me out on strikes. I eventually got into the zone of fouling off, only snapping out it when the crowd yelled, "Ten!"

    I didn''t realize what they meant until I fouled the next one. "Eleven!"

    "Twelve!"

    "THIRTEEN!"

    "FOURTEEN!"

    It was time to start looking for a decent one. Preferably that landed in the middle or higher. To give me some more help on the home run. Seventeen was the magic number. I hit it to the opposite corner in right field. Having a good view...of the outfielder making the catch.

    The cheers turned into groans and sighs. I picked up my bag and started to take the batting gloves off as I headed inside.

    "Very smart thinking out there. Good work." Coach told me.

    I gave a tight grin and went to my bag.

    "I think you have the right idea with the foul balls today." Noah told me when I joined him. "These guys are good but you can fend them off. Make them work."

    "Yea, but they have a lot of good pitchers." I said, putting my stuff away before sitting down.

    "Who cares?" Noah shrugged. "It''s not just a physical workout. It''ll put some pressure on them mentally."

    Yea, maybe it could.

    Bryce made contact, hitting a grounder to short. It was a routine play to end the inning.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1068 V3 Ch302 VS Servite HS (4)

    *Third Person*

    "Shit, that guy is tough." Mikey said as he took off his catcher''s mask inside the visitors dugout. "You can''t tell me that shit wasn''t on purpose."

    "What else could you expect from the best batter in the state?" Blake, a senior that played left field, said. "Accept the out and take it as a win. Cody''s pitch count isn''t sky high or anything."

    "It''s just bad news if you ask me." Mikey shook his head.

    "The bullpen is stocked and ready." Allen said, putting on his helmet. "You just know that Danny is itching for us to get to the end of the game already."

    "He''ll get his chance eventually." Coach Wilson said. "No matter what the score is, I want him to face Jake Atkins once today."

    "Want to crush his spirit, Coach?" Someone asked, making a lot of guys laugh. It was well known among the team how intense and arrogant Danny can be. But that''s what made him a good pitcher. He wasn''t afraid of a challenge.

    "It''s called sparking his enthusiasm." Coach Wilson corrected his player. He went to his pitcher on the bench. "How you feeling, Cody?"

    Cody had taken his hat off to wipe his sweat. "Not bad."

    "I think you have to mix in more intentional balls. Don''t worry so much about the count or trying to strike him out." Coach Wilson told him.

    "I did." Cody spoke up to stop him. "I tried to paint around the strike zone, but anything close, he would swing. He doesn''t trust the umpire on 0-2 count. He''s very cautious. Patient. Persistent." He pursed his lips. "If there''s a runner on, we should probably walk him."

    Coach Wilson nodded. "Okay. I trust your judgement. We''ll be even more careful than before. Maybe if we try hitting his way at second a little bit, we can mess with his mental state. Small advantage."

    "I say we just bean him." Ty, the third baseman suggested with a shrug.

    Mikey hit him on the back of his head with his glove. "Are you stupid? We''ll get murdered if we do that. All these people in the stands aren''t just fans. There are scouts out there and probably some official people from both of our schools. Maybe even the district. Plus, Cody could be thrown out and even suspended."

    "Not all suggestions are good suggestions." Coach Wilson stated. "We won''t be throwing any beanballs today or in the future. Hurting a player is taking the easy way out. There is so much more you can do before getting to that point."

    The top of the second inning started. All of the guys on Servite had the idea to hit the ball towards second, but none could do it well. The cleanup hit a hard grounder up the middle, nearly hitting the Watsonville pitcher. But the shortstop came sprinting in from behind. Made the catch, made the throw, made the out.

    "He''s freakin fast." The batter complained.

    "Nah, you''re just slow."

    The guys messed around and joked.

    The fifth batter, Allen, pulled his grounder too much, hitting it right to short for the second out. "It''s hard to aim a grounder with this guy on the mound. I say we give up on it, Coach."

    Ckach Wilson nodded. "It was a good effort. Kyle''s twin has a breaking ball that he doesn''t. Looks like it dips a little more."

    Batter six, Blake, didn''t know he didn''t have to try for a hit towards Jake Atkins anymore. He made contact like he had hoped, but it went to the shortstop''s side. The shortstop made his third play, and out, of the inning. Blake came back with a look of annoyance. "How can these guys have a whole bunch of good pitchers?"

    "Is it a whole bunch?" Someone asked. "We know of three. Garret, best in the county for pitching. Then the twins. They''re all seniors and have to leave sometime."

    Blake sighed. "I''m a senior. I''ll be leaving at the same time."

    "Okay, game''s not over yet." Allen clapped his hands together. "We win today and we''ll have a better chance of winning league than before. Let''s stay focused."

    "Yeah!"

    Servite players grabbed their gloves and took the field for the bottom of the second. Cody stepped on the mound, doing a handful of practice pitches before the cleanup hitter for Watsonville stepped up. Cody narrowed his eyes and got serious. Garret Knudsen might be the best pitcher in the county, however his hitting was no joke either.

    Cody Peace landed a curve in the zone for a called strike one. He got the ball back and toed the rubber. Cody was on the list of top county players too. As a pitcher, he was only behind the three that were on this opposing team. Danny was jealous, but he just didn''t have the innings pitched like Cody did.

    Cody ranked 8th overall in the county. As a sophomore too. It would normally be a headliner for an underclassman pitcher to be in the top ten, but it''s hard to compete when the number one was also a sophomore. And three of the top ten were brothers.

    Garret connected on a slower curve, pulling it to the right. The second baseman caught it after two quick skips and threw him out at first. One out. Sean Isner, another good hitter for Watsonville came up. This time it wasn''t a quick attack. It was a tough batter. On a full count and a climbing pitch count, Cody threw a fastball inside. One of his fastest. Sean got jammed and the ball popped up. Ty on third came in to make the catch for the second out.

    Cody thought he was cruising. The first five batters are usually the toughest. Especially with this team. However, it was the sixth batter that made the best contact, hitting a line drive right back his way, but higher. Cody frowned and his stomach dropped as he swiveled his head back to center field. Allen came sprinting in, then dove forward for the ball. He slid in the grass as he made the catch. No one knew for certain that he had it until he lifted his glove hand. The closest ump pumped his fist to signal out. End of the second.

    The guys from Servite all complimented Allen on his great play as they got back into the dugout. The bottom of the lineup got ready for their turn to bat. Batter seven grounded out to third. Mikey grounded out to short. Cody got a good piece of a fastball that was sent to the outfield. Garret chased it to the warning track and made the catch.

    "Something''s gotta give." Mikey complained as he got his catching gear back on.

    "Well let''s hope it''s them before us." Ty said before leaving the dugout.

    "It''s always been close between us and them." Allen left the dugout too.

    "Stay focused, Mikey." Cody told his catcher as he put his hat back on. "Just because it''s the bottom of their lineup, doesn''t mean we can slack off."

    "I know, I know!" He grabbed his mask and followed his pitcher out. "I just want to score first and get on the board. I like defending a lead, not chasing after one."

    Cody didn''t agree or disagree. He just headed for the mound. They did their set of practice pitches and started with Watsonville''s seventh batter. He grounded out to second. Batter eight became Cody''s first strikeout victim soon followed by another to end the inning.

    Cody clenched his fists tight as he went back to the dugout. He was relieved that he kept pace with the opposing pitcher, but was also tense for the next inning. He would be back at the top of the order.

    "Feel better with the strikeouts?" Coach Wilson came over to talk to his pitcher who just sat on the bench.

    "I would feel better with a run." Mikey said as he passed by, sitting down too, only unbuckling some of his gear, not taking it all off.

    Coach Wilson ignored him and kept his eyes on his pitcher.

    "I''m in good condition." Cody told him.

    "Will you walk Jake or try to pitch to him? I''ll leave it up to you completely."

    He pursed his lips. "I''m not sure yet. I feel like I can''t give him too many chances. Him hitting into a fly out in the first felt too easy. Like he was still in control because of the foul balls. Too intentional." He stretched out his arms and rotated back and forth. "Walk him and save my elbow from the constant curves. That''s what I''m leaning to."

    "Make sure to do your check throws." Coach Wilson said. "He''s skittish and not the best all-rounder." He looked to Mikey. "You too. Mix in a throw to first if you see the opportunity. Even if it''s botched, he probably wouldn''t go to second."

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 Chapter 1069 V3 Ch303 VS Servite HS (5)

    Top of the fourth and back to the top of their lineup. I kicked the dirt a little as Dave got set. The game was moving fast and slow all at the same time. Fast as in, it took less than an hour to be through three innings. Slow because nothing has happened yet. For either side. I had a feeling that the team to strike first would have an overwhelming advantage.

    The first batter made contact on a 1-1 count, hitting a routine grounder my way. I got my glove down, and fielded the ball, throwing him out at first for the first out. The second batter was the only one that struck out against Dave last inning, and he did it again this time, but looking. I thought it was a good call, but the guy had something to say to the ump.

    The ump said something back, but I was too far.

    All of a sudden the batter threw down his bat and I flinch back. He got closer to the umpire to the point that Mitchell got up and stood between them. That didn''t necessarily help things as the guy bumped into Mitchell''s chest. Mitchell tilted his head and started to say something back. Dave, Sean, and Jason were there to back him up in seconds.

    Servite''s on deck batter reached at the same time. A few of their guys started to come out of the dugout. Instinctively, I backed up, not willing to get involved. A hand landed on my shoulder and I jumped.

    Noah laughed. "Okay, okay. What are you getting jumpy for. This guy isn''t mad at you. He''s not even really mad at us in particular. He''s angry at the ump."

    The Servite head coach came out and started to gesture for his players to get back into the dugout. He then went to the batter that was having the fit. The batter seemed to realize he was in trouble with his coach when he saw him. He stopped his talking to the guys and to the ump. The coach said something to the umpire and took his player back to the dugout.

    Suddenly, the umpire yelled. "You''re outta here!" And motioned for an ejection.

    That riled up the player even more but his coach was there to take him back to the dugout. The coach handed him over to his assistants and other players, then went back to the umpire.

    "Wow." Noah whistled. "I wonder what he said."

    I frowned. "Does it matter? He was already walking away. That coach had him under control."

    "It might matter." Noah shrugged. "It''s high school ball. A curse word could get you thrown out."

    Dave, Sean, Jason, and Mitchell came walking to the backside of the mound as the coach talked to the umpire.

    "That guy is high strung." Jason shook his head.

    "Who? The ump or the batter?" Noah asked.

    "Both." Sean made a face.

    "This umpire is probably on edge now." Mitchell said, holding his mask in his free hand. "Don''t say anything in the box. And definitely don''t give him any kind of look that can perceived in the wrong way."

    "Jake''s safe." Noah laughed. "He won''t look at anyone twice. Especially strangers."

    I rolled my eyes.

    "Such attitude from a guy that started to back up at the sight of a confrontation." Noah laughed again.

    We spent another minute or two talking, before the Servite coach went back to his dugout and the umpire called for the game to resume. We all got back into position after the lengthy delay.

    Dave face the third batter. The very first pitch was put into play: a single to left. Bryce could only play it on the hop and return the ball to the infield. After eleven outs, Dave gave up his first hit of the game.

    It was a little sad, but nothing could be done. Runner on first and now Dave had to face the cleanup hitter. The batter previously hit a grounder to Noah, this time he went to my side of second base. I made a lunge for the fast grounder, but didn''t get it. Brian came sprinting in and fielded the ball to keep it at a single. Runners at first and second now.

    I dusted myself off and adjusted my hat. I had to reset. As did Dave. Something bad was brewing and I think we all could feel it. A lot of the cheers that could be heard right now, were for Servite.

    Dave had a tough battle with the next guy. Just when I thought Dave could get out of this jam with his splitter, the batter connected with it on a 2-2 count. The ball flew to the left corner and hit into the fence. The runners were already on the move. Bryce threw the ball in to Noah and Noah relayed it home. The first run had score but Mitchell scared the other runner back to third. He then checked on the batter who was already at second base with me.

    1-0. Servite. The crowd roared with excitement.

    Mitchell called time and walked the ball back to Dave on the mound. I glanced at Noah for direction. Noah stayed in position so I did too. Mitchell spoke to Dave while covering his mouth with his glove. When they were done, he put his mask back on and went back to home plate. Whatever that was said, really helped Dave. He got the next guy to go down swinging and we were officially out of that mess. With a run deficit.

    I wanted to talk to Dave; maybe to find out what had gone wrong, but I was due up in the bottom of the fourth. Only behind Noah. The two of us got ready together and left the dugout together.

    "I''ll get on this inning." Noah said confidently, lightly knocking his bat against his cleats.

    I didn''t like the sound since it was different from my own. I tried to ignore it. "You''ve got a plan?"

    "I''ve always got a plan." Noah grinned.

    We distanced from one another, taking practice swings as the pitcher prepped. Noah went to the batter''s box with all seriousness. He pulled his bat back and had his eyes trained on the pitcher. Real confident. The pitcher did his windup and started his motion. As soon as the ball left his fingertips, Noah put his bat in front of him, in bunt position. He did his best to drop the pitch into the field of play then ditched his bat and took off to first. The catcher was the first to get to the ball as it rolled to the left. He stayed hunched over it, looking to see if it''ll go foul, not bothering to throw to first. It stayed fair and Noah was safe at first.

    Our first hit. I grinned as I walked to home plate. Typical Noah. He''s been relying more and more on the bunt and with his speed, it''s been working out a lot.

    "Come on, Jake!"

    "You''ve got this!"

    "Dont run away from him, Cody!"

    "Take him on!"

    I got in the lefty''s box this time. I didn''t have a plan at first, but now...I kind of wanted to try for the fences again. I couldn''t do it with my right, but now the variables had changed.

    Cody did a check throw to first, but Noah safely made it back from his lead. Our group of fans ''booed''. That''s something I''ve never had to experience. An outright ''boo.''

    I stepped out of the box as the pitcher got the ball back. When he throws to me, it''s most likely going to be a curve. But with that being true, Noah would have a higher chance to steal when there''s a breaking ball thrown. It''s just not as fast. But there''s a small chance, that just maybe, he does throw a fastball. I proved in my last at bat that I want him to rise in the pitch count. He might not believe that I would attack him so early. Especially since his pitch count was below thirty after three innings.

    It''s a gamble. A risk that I''m willing to take. Worst case, I fly out again. Noah could still tag up and then there''s Bryce and Garret behind me. Coach would agree with me. I got back in the box, set.

    The pitcher didn''t do a full windup, going straight into his motion. The pitch came fast. Fastball. Not a curve! I purely reacted on instinct, swinging at full force. I connected and pulled the ball to right field again. Except, this time, the right fielder didn''t have a play to make. He could only watch it go over his head and over the fence.

    2-1. Us. Back on top.

    The whole place got loud at contact and it only got louder when it was official. I ran the bases as my name was chanted. I put my head down, embarrassed. I tagged home and Noah was the first one to jump on me, throwing his arm around my shoulders and dragging me around. Bryce slapped me on the top of my helmet. As did Garret. In the dugout, it only got crazier. If I didn''t know better, I would have thought we had already won the whole championship.

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 Chapter 1070 V3 Ch304 VS Servite HS (6)

    *Third Person*

    Mikey slowly made his way to the mound as Jake Atkins trotted around the bases. "Okay, let''s admit that was a bad idea, and move on."

    Cody unclenched his jaw. "Right. I know."

    Mikey put his arm around his shoulders and leaned in as they walked to the back of the mound. "No, I don''t think you do. You''re probably feeling upset. Mostly because of the shit talking going on between you and Danny. Brush it off. It''s not wrong to lose to the best hitter in the state. Heck, it''s expected.

    Cody elbowed hit away. "I''m just annoyed that I was too predictable. I should have played it safe and walked him. Don''t worry, I''ll put it behind me. For now."

    "If you''re sure." Mikey gave him one last look before walking back to home plate. He gave his coach a subtle sign to keep an eye on Cody. They''re now losing and still don''t have an out this inning. Might be time to have the bullpen warming up.

    The third batter for Watsonville took a fastball down the middle for a called strike. Mikey liked the speed that Cody showed. It was also good to show that you aren''t afraid of the strike zone after giving up a homer. The second pitch was a curve that looked high, yet landed in the zone for called strike two.

    "Damn. That''s nasty." The batter muttered.

    Mikey grinned. But didn''t want to start talking after losing the lead so fast. Cody was good. More than good even. Mikey just didn''t think he would be so calm after getting owned on the first pitch.

    Cody got the number three batter to go down swinging, earning some cheers from the stands. They probably understood how important it was for Cody to get back on track so soon. The cleanup hitter was next. Garret Knudsen. This was another good test.

    Mikey wanted to call for a curve first, but Cody shook him off. Mikey gave the sign for fastball outside. Cody nodded. He got set, did his windup, and threw one of his fastest pitches of the game. Garret swung right away and connected. Mikey jumped to his feet and the batter started to run. The ball soared to center field. Allen chased it back, reached the warning track, waited so he could time his jump just right. He made the catch before the ball could make it over. He landed and held up his glove to show that he did it. The batter was out.

    Mikey let out the breath he was holding. That was a good hit. If it went anywhere else but dead center, it would have been gone.

    The ball was returned and everyone got in position. Cody didn''t shake Mikey off anymore, throwing more curves and got the fifth batter to groundout to short. End of the fourth. They went back to the dugout.

    "I thought you weren''t going to throw that guy a fastball." Ty complained to Cody in passing. "He demolished it. Hey, do you think he''s stealing signs?" He turned to Mikey who was taking off his gear. "Have you seen him look down at you at all?"

    Mikey laughed. "No way. He doesn''t even stand in the back of the box. He just has great reflexes."

    "He probably planned to swing at the first pitch no matter what." Coach Wilson came over to say. "Just pitching to him, gives him an opportunity. The runner on first is known for speed. If he had planned to steal and was successful, that would lead to first being open. I would take control there and request that you guys intentionally walk him at that point. Where he took advantage is that he knew you probably wouldn''t throw a curve. Why? I don''t know. Could be something as simple as a feeling or something elaborate as that you''re tipping off pitches."

    Cody swiftly turned to look at his coach. "You think I''m tipping?"

    "I can''t see anything outright so don''t worry. But also don''t rule it out. You never know. It doesn''t help that the cleanup guy almost took you yard on a fastball pitch as well." He looked to Mikey. "Pay attention."

    "Does that mean Cody will go out for another inning?" Mikey asked.

    He nodded. "Even if Brian and you get on, I trust Cody can lay down a bunt to advance you guys." He looked at Cody. "One more inning at least. Then I''ll start considering a relief appearance."

    "From Danny?" Someone asked.

    "Probably. It''s still a very close game."

    Brian was first out of the dugout, ready to start the fifth. He played second base for Servite and had seen two grounders his way. He previously hit into a groundout in his first at bat and hoped to perform a little better this time around. Unfortunately, hopes aren''t guaranteed. He struck out swinging and went to the dugout as the crowd cheered for the pitcher.

    Mikey was a little better, getting the ball into play, but the speedy shortstop was there to make the play. The same thing happened to Cody. The pair were in the dugout together, getting ready to get back out on the field.

    "That guy is like a magnet to the balls." Mikey complained. "How many has it been already? Like five times?"

    "Six." Cody corrected. He put his hat on. "Probably has to do with the way the pitcher throws. We tried going opposite to the second baseman, but no one could intentionally do it."

    "Ugh." Mikey finished getting his gear back on. They walked out together with one going to the mound and the other headed for the plate. The umpire gave them a few extra minutes for the practice pitches before waving the sixth batter up for Watsonville.

    He had previously had a hard hit line out. This time, Cody stuck with the curve more. The batter still connected but the fly ball was weak. Allen in center field had plenty of time to get under it to make the catch. The seventh batter did something similar, flying out to center. The eighth batter pulled his hit to left, but it was still a routine fly. The fifth ended without much action.

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 Chapter 1071 V3 Ch305 VS Servite HS (7)

    "We''re making contact, boys!" Garret clapped his hands. "Keep your heads up." He picked his glove up and was the first to head out. We followed, not that far behind.

    There was a slight delay since Mitchell was the last out. He needed extra time to get his gear back on. Dave did his practice pitches with Dalton who simply wore a mask. It worked until Mitchell was ready. Then he took over to catch a few before the top of the sixth started.

    Dave was starting his third time around their lineup. The first guy slapped a hard hit line drive over my head on a 2-1 count. I whipped my head back to watch Garret come sprinting in and laying out to make the catch. Brian came jogging over to check on him as he was slow to get up. Garret handed the ball to Brian and it was him who threw the ball back in to me. I caught it and transitioned to throw to Dave on the mound.

    Dave kept an eye out in center until the two separated and headed back to their respective positions. Seeing them break up, he got back on the mound. Batter two was someone new since the previous guy got ejected. Dave cornered him quick to 0-2, but when he threw his splitter, the guy made contact, blasting it to right center. It bounced in the gap and rolled to the fence. Garret and Brian were both racing for it.

    I went out to be cutoff, but Brian, who got to the ball first, threw it straight to Noah covering second. The tag came down as the runner slid in to the base.

    "Safe!" The umpire extended his arms.

    A mix of groans and cheers rang throughout.

    Noah called time and walked the ball up to Dave. He said maybe a sentence or two before handing it over and walking back to his position. Dave got set for the next guy. We all did. This batter had the first hit of the game and the first run scored. He was a playmaker.

    Dave worked it to a 2-2 count before giving up a bloop single to left. The runner advanced to third. Runners at the corner with one out. We needed a double play.

    Regrettably, we didn''t get it. Cleanup hit a deep fly to center. Garret was able to make the catch on the warning track, but there was simply no play at the plate. The runner from third was able to tag up and score with ease. 2-2. I audibly heard Dave''s curse. I glanced at Noah, yet he stayed where he was. Mitchell didn''t make a move either. They just let Dave face it on his own. A runner on first, with two outs now.

    The next guy up previously had the RBI double. I was feeling nervous for Dave, automatically thinking that things could get worse. But Dave got him to groundout right to Sean. Sean scooped the ball up and waved us off as he ran it to first by himself. With the third out called, we started to jog it in. Except for Dave. He slowly walked back, not in a hurry despite being first up to bat in the bottom of the sixth.

    Just as I was thinking of what to say, Korrey came out with his helmet on and bat in hand. He moved to space and started to take practice swings. No doubt, the writing was on the wall. Dave was done for the day and Korrey would pinch hit for him.

    "You did well, Dave." Coach said.

    Dave let out a heavy sigh. "You''re lying to me, Coach. We both know I wasn''t at my best."

    "You held them to two and kept us in the game." Coach said. "That''s more than enough."

    "Yea, you can cry about your lack of strikeouts later." Garret laughed as he got into the dugout after coming in from center field.

    "And you can cry about your lack of hits." Dave shot back.

    "Let''s save the retorts for after the game." Coach ushered them along. "Noah, Jake." He stopped near us as we got ready to bat too. "We''re at an important crossroad right now. They''re sending Cody Peace back in for another inning. I''ve already told Korrey to be prepared. We all have to make the most of it before they bring in that other good sophomore."

    "I''ll do whatever it takes, Coach." Noah grinned.

    I could only nod along even though I had a feeling that this guy might not face me after the home run.

    It was like Coach could read my mind because he addressed it right away. "If the two of them get out and they decide to walk you, you''re going to steal."

    I made a face.

    "Don''t give me that." Coach looked me in the eyes. "I''m serious, Jake."

    "No offense, Coach. But they might try to pick me off like the last time we played them." I pointed out.

    Coach pursed his lips. "You get picked off this inning and you can expect to run a lot tomorrow."

    Noah laughed. "Stop scaring him, Coach. You know he can''t take a joke." He slapped me on the shoulder. "Just do your best, Jake. In whatever it is." He left to go out to the on deck circle.

    Coach reached out and rested his hand on top of my helmet. "Just like Dave, you''ve done your part. The only reason we have a pair of runs is thanks to you. If you get out, then you''re out." He let go. "If you do anything else, you''re helping the team. Simple as that."

    I nodded.

    Coach went to go talk to Garret and I moved to the hole spot near the entrance. Sure enough, Cody was finishing up his practice pitches. He had enough gas in the tank for another inning apparently. The umpire called for balls back and for Korrey to step into the batter''s box. The bottom of the sixth was about to begin.

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 Chapter 1072 V3 Ch306 VS Servite HS (8)

    I didn''t really like Coach''s choice to use Korrey as a pinch hitter due to his recent struggles, but he really came through on his very first pitch, knocking it back up the center. It was a one hop to the center fielder for a base hit. Korrey stood on first, energetically clapping his hands. "Let''s gooo!"

    The fans, friends, and family in the stands yelled for him too, excited with a runner on. This game hasn''t had a lot of offensive action.

    Noah walked to the batter''s box and I went out to the on deck circle. Before anything else could happen though, the Servite coach came out and signaled for a pitcher change. He went up to the mound as did all the infielders. Noah retreated back my way. Our own Coach called us all the way back to the dugout entrance where he was joined by Bryce and Garret.

    Coach covered his mouth as he spoke. "Noah, you''re going to drop a sacrifice bunt again."

    "It''s not a sacrifice if I''m safe, Coach." He grinned.

    Coach patted him on the shoulder and then looked to me. "Jake, there''s a good chance they''ll walk you even with a pitcher change. It would be idea if Noah can get on before so we can load the bases. But be prepared for anything. If Noah is out but Korrey advances, you know you''ll take the empty base. If that happens, I''m interested in trying a double steal. Try to be a distraction."

    "Coach." I spoke up. "I want to be honest with you, I don''t know what you mean."

    Garret laughed. "Just be yourself and that should work."

    "If you trip, then that should do the trick." Noah explained. "As long as Korrey can reach third safely, then it won''t matter if you get caught in a pickle and get out."

    I hated that plan. I looked Noah in the eyes. "Be safe."

    The guys nearby all laughed.

    "Don''t get down on yourselves if it doesn''t work out." Coach told us. "This is the same guy that closed us out in one clean inning. There''s not a whole lot we can go off of."

    "He took out the bottom of the lineup." Garret recalled and reminded everyone. "Though he was the same guy that came over afterwards and wanted to face Jake." He glanced at me. "If that guy gives you a chance, just one pitch, you have to take it."

    I nodded. "Yea." I wouldn''t waste a pitch. Not now. And definitely not with someone on.

    Noah and I left the group and watched as the new guy started to throw his practice pitches. He was just as fast as the previous one. I didn''t see him practice throwing a change up, but I could vaguely recall that he had one. Without seeing it for myself in the box, I didn''t know how good it was.

    Noah was called back up to the plate and left me behind. Coach gave the signs to Mr. Miller already, who had relayed it to Korrey. Noah got set and stared down the pitcher. As soon as the guy kicked up his leg, Noah shifted his bat to a bunt and Korrey started running. The pitcher threw probably the fastest I''ve seen in high school. Noah''s bat shook as it made contact and the ball dropped just feet in front of him.

    I could immediately tell something was wrong. The way the fastball came off his bat wasn''t right. I was frowning as the play unfolded. The pitcher was quick to come off the mound after his motion was completed and fielded the ball cleanly to first, beating Noah by more than enough feet. Noah jogged back, clutching his right hand.

    "What''d you do?" I approached him and asked.

    "I dropped a bunt to advance the runner." Noah said with a grimace. He kept walking to the dugout, leaving me behind.

    I wanted to follow, but my name was being announced and the umpire was looking impatient. I didn''t want to piss him off like that other guy did so I hurried to the plate. I got into the righty''s box without even thinking. I was still processing that Noah might be hurt when the first pitch came and went.

    "Strike!" The umpire''s yell and the crowd noise came back into focus.

    I stepped out of the box for a second to refocus. Things are moving fast. Noah advanced the runner and first was opened, but they weren''t walking me. I missed my chance to swing and hit the first pitch fastball. Now I had two choices left: swing and hit the next one or watch a few more pitches.

    "You''ve got this, Jake!"

    "Keep your eye on the ball!"

    "Two more strikes to go, Danny!"

    I stepped back in the box and the pitcher was set. He looked over his shoulder at Korrey at second. Then it was a quick motion. I clenched my bat, ready to swing at the 90mph pitch. But when he let go and I started my swing, something was off. It took a millisecond for me to adjust and awkwardly foul the ball back into the netting.

    "Good one!"

    "You''ve got him cornered now!"

    "Come on, Danny!"

    "That was ugly, Jake!" A familiar voice cut through and sounded like it was right behind the fence. Kaylee. My lips twitched, but I didn''t look back. This pitcher needed my full attention.

    He got set again. Same routine. Checked on Korrey at second. Quick motion. Pitch. I hurried my swing to catch up with the fastball. I fouled it back into the netting again. Unintentional. But I realized I''ve seen two different types of pitches. The first foul was his change up. The second was the real fastball. Difficult to tell a part and I needed to start my swing early enough for the fastball.

    "Stop messing around, Jake!" Kaylee hollered among the cheers.

    I wish I could tell her that I wasn''t. I wanted a bit more than she did. I wanted to drive in the run. But right now, my hands were tied. His change up looked flawless so far. It wasn''t like Cody''s curve where I could see the difference in fingers. I frowned as the at bat became longer. Foul. Foul. Foul.

    In my hunt of finding a difference in the fingers, I found something different in the way the pitcher got ready. He was very mechanical in accepting the pitch selection, checking on Korrey, and then throwing with a quick motion. It wasn''t something in his actual motion that I could see a difference in the two types of pitches, but by the seventh pitch, I noticed the weird thing he did on the rubber. Before throwing a fastball, he would toe the rubber twice, like he was impatient. Once for the change up. I couldn''t tell how accurate it was in a small sample size, but I had to take a chance.

    On the next pitch, where he hit the rubber once after nodding at the catcher for the pitch selection. He got set and checked over his shoulder. Then it was back to me with a quick motion. I planned for a pitch in the low 80''s. The ball met my bat across the plate and I pulled it to the left corner. My hands let go of the bat and I took off.

    Korrey had long started his run. The ball came back in just a beat to slow for a play at the plate. 3-2. I slid into second, breathing hard as the stands roared with excitement. I slowly got up and dusted myself off.

    The pitcher was still staring out in left field like he was in disbelief. The catcher had to call his name twice before throwing him a baseball. The pitcher did a lap around the mound before resetting. He then got back in routine of nodding at his catcher''s signs, toed the rubber. Checked on me. I stayed close to the bag, not willing to tempt fate. Plus I was interested in his anomaly. He did a quick motion to Bryce, getting him to swing and miss.

    I had the perfect view of watching him continuously operate. He made short work of Bryce and even Garret. Getting the pair to strike out to end the inning. I rushed back to the dugout and found Noah on the bench with Drew right beside him. He was holding an ice bag, covering Noah''s whole right hand.

    "Bryce is moving to short and Korrey will stay in the game, going to left." Coach said. He had to leave the dugout to announce the pitcher change to the umpire.

    "Whatcha waiting for, Jake?" Noah asked. "Get your glove and get out there. We have three more outs to get."

    I frowned. "Is it bad?"

    "Nothing''s broken." He grinned.

    I looked to Drew.

    "He''s going to need x-rays just to be sure." Drew told me.

    "Hey, what happened to doctor-patient confidentiality?" Noah grumbled.

    "I''m not a doctor." Drew rolled his eyes.

    "Don''t worry about me, Jake." Noah told me. "Get the job done and lets end this game here. If Kyle starts messing around, you have to be the voice of reason to bring him back to reality."

    I let out a small laugh. "Kyle won''t need it."

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 Chapter 1073 V3 Ch307 VS Servite HS (End)

    And I was right. Kyle had everything under control. Him and Mitchell worked seamlessly to get the sixth batter to strike out. The next guy hit a grounder to short, but Bryce was there to make the play, not looking out of place at all. The eighth batter hit a fly ball to center, where Garret only had to move a couple of steps. That was game!

    Sean came over and slapped me on the back. "Great game, Jake."

    I smiled up at him. "Yea, good game."

    The infielders gathered to congratulate each other on the win. Mitchell went to Kyle first and then they met us. The three in the outfield jogged in together and the guys in the dugout also came out and started slapping hands.

    I went to go find Noah, spotting him holding the ice to his right hand still. But Drew was gone. I was about to ask when Noah told me.

    "Drew went to find Mom and Dad. You know him. A worrywart." Noah shrugged casually. He didn''t look mad, upset, scared, or frustrated. None of the emotions I''ve seen when others have gotten injured. So I took it as a good sign.

    I sighed with relief. "Well, I''ll help you pack up if you want." I glanced down at his feet and found that his cleats were already off.

    "Dave already took care of it." Noah said. "All my gear is in the bag. Just make sure to grab it for me. I''m pretty positive Mom will want me to go to the doctor as soon as she finds out."

    I nodded in agreement. Mom and Dad were both like that. They took injuries and our health seriously.

    "Yo, Loser!" Someone yelled from the other side of the fencing. I found Kaylee real close and instinctively moved towards her. "You had us all scared for a minute there."

    I let out a soft laugh. "That makes the two of us."

    Noah walked over too. "Hey, we''re a pair of winners. Save that loser talk for the other guys."

    Kaylee glanced down at Noah''s hand. "What''s up with that? Got your fingers smashed on the bad bunt?"

    "It was a successful sacrifice bunt." Noah corrected her. "I advanced the runner."

    Kaylee rolled her eyes. "How much of a success if you got hurt and miss the rest of the season?"

    "Luckily it''s not too bad. Don''t think they broke." Noah lifted his right hand. "Want to see?"

    Kaylee nodded. "Yea. Let''s see the damage."

    Noah''s left hand took the bag of ice away and we saw his right hand for the first time. His index and middle finger were extra red on the palm side of his hand. But yea, they didn''t look broken.

    "What''d you do wrong?" Kaylee asked, while thinking about it herself.

    "Fingers too far out." Noah put the ice back on it. "The pitch caught the bottom part of the bat along with my fingers. Didn''t hit directly so that''s a win. Man, if I broke my finger this late in the season..." He let the sentence die as he shook his head.

    Kaylee calling us over to the fence became a cue for our classmates to come over and talk about the game. Noah fielded a lot of questions about him getting pulled in the last inning, but he didn''t mind. He let everyone know that he would be fine and ready to go as we got closer to the playoffs. We only had a handful of games left, yet we pretty much sealed the league win with this win over Servite.

    A lot of the classmates that came over also asked me about the win and whether I was nervous being cornered 0-2 in that last inning.

    "Jake''s always nervous." Kaylee pointed out and everyone seemed to agree. I felt my face flush with embarrassment, but I didn''t turn away.

    I wouldn''t call all these teens my friends. However, they were friendly. We''ve shared some classes for a year now. They didn''t know me well, but they knew of me. Noah played spokesperson a lot of the time for me and they didn''t mind or make fun of me. They even came out on a Thursday night to cheer for the baseball team so I found them very supportive.

    "Hey, Jake, Noah." Coach called for us. We turned away from the fence and saw him standing near home plate with the Servite coach. And...the two pitchers.

    I glanced to Noah.

    Noah lifted an eyebrow, yet started to walk over. I gave a small wave to Kaylee and our classmates before going with Noah. I felt my mouth dry out a little bit.

    "Jake, Noah." Coach addressed. "This is Coach Wilson from Servite. His players, Cody and Danny, wanted to come over to introduce themselves."

    Thankfully none of them wanted to shake hands. I wasn''t comfortable with being touched by strangers that we just beat in a game. Especially the pitcher, Danny; he seemed very confrontational. Noah also couldn''t shake hands with his ice pack.

    "You boys played very well." Coach Wilson said in a friendly manner. Not at all looking like the loser for tonight. "I always like playing against your school. Your coach really knows how to put a team together to get the best out of you." He looked at me directly. "And you, Jake. You''ve really soared in the last year. I can hardly remember what you were like in the first game. Now you''ve taken the league, and state, by storm."

    I looked to Noah for help. What was I supposed to say to that?

    "Thanks." Noah answered. "Jake has really put in the work to get where he is today." He glanced at the two pitchers. "Is there a reason you guys wanted to pull us aside? Or did you just want to compliment Jake?"

    "Yeah." Danny stepped up, arms crossed. "I want to know what travel team you guys are playing for this summer. What tournaments have you entered?"

    Noah was just as surprised as I was. "Oh. We actually don''t have a team."

    "What?!" He exclaimed, dropping his arms. "What are you guys doing all summer then? Skills camps? ID camps for colleges? The best exposure you can have is playing more games."

    "Is it really any of your business what we do with our summer?" Noah asked nonchalantly.

    "Yea, it is! I want a rematch and don''t want to wait until next year." He said loudly.

    I took a step back.

    "Okay, okay, settle down." Coach Wilson put a hand on Danny''s shoulder. "I said you could ask about the summer. Not make demands of someone you just met." He gave a pointed look to Cody.

    Cody nodded before turning to me. "I don''t need a rematch to know that you''re better. I can wait until next year. I do want to ask a presumptuous request."

    "From me?" My voice chose this moment to crack. I felt my face heat up as I cleared my throat.

    "Yea. You can just answer yes or no." He said directly. "Am I tipping my pitches?"

    I tilted my head in confusion. "Uh. I don''t know?"

    "How did you know I would throw a fastball versus my curve?" He asked a followed up question.

    "That''s not a yes or no question." Noah pointed out.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1074 V3 Ch308 Kindred Spirit

    I looked to Coach for help.

    "You don''t have to answer if you don''t want to, Jake." Coach assured me.

    I tried not to die of embarrassment as I rubbed some dried sweat off my cheek. "I''m not really sure what he''s asking." I said in a low voice.

    "Am I tipping my pitches?" Cody repeated. "Is there a telltale sign that gives away what my pitch will be?" He elaborated. "I feel like you and your team could possibly tell."

    "Oh. Jake probably could." Noah shrugged. He nudged me. "Tell him how you know."

    Oh. "Well, when you''re throwing a curve, your index and middle fingers are on the outside. When it''s a fastball, they come out on top of the ball." I tried to show him what I would see.

    Coach Wilson laughed. "That''s not really what he meant. That''s not actual tipping. That''s the normal consequence of throwing different pitches. You have excellent vision then, Jake. I''m not surprised you have such skill given your success."

    "Actual tipping is like when the pitcher does something out of the ordinary." Noah explained to me. "Like closing and opening their glove for different pitch types. It could be something as small as biting their lip for when they get ready to throw a breaking ball."

    I immediately looked to Danny.

    Danny was taken aback. "What was that look for?" His eyes narrowed and he stepped closer. "Do you think I''m tipping pitches?!" His raised voice gathered a lot of attention from both teams.

    I had flinched back and Noah stepped in front of me.

    "Is there any reason to yell about it?" Noah sneered.

    "He basically cheated to get that double off of me!"

    "Cheating? It''s part of the game." Noah rolled his eyes. He glanced at me. "Want to pack up?" He was clearly inviting me away from this guy and this situation.

    I glanced to our team that was starting to get closer, clearly interested in this conversation. Dave and Kyle stood together; they probably were talking about one another''s performances.

    I pursed my lips. Then peaked over Noah''s shoulder to try to look at this guy. He didn''t look like a bad person. He was loud, yes, but so were the twins. The constant need to get better and dominate on the mound. I rubbed the back of my neck, unsure. "Do you...want to know?"

    Noah swiveled around to look at me and block me from Danny at the same time. "What are you doing? These are our opponents. The kind that we have to see next year. And the year after that. If you''ve got an edge, you should take it."

    "But I think it''s the right thing to do." I stressed. "If Dave or Kyle had a tell and someone saw it. I would hope they would let them know so they could fix it."

    "Who cares about the twins." Noah rolled his eyes again. "They''re grown. If they get bombed, they''ll start figuring it out. Just like this guy can."

    I squinted at him. "Do you think I''ll lose to him without this advantage?"

    Noah started to shake his head. "No." Then he paused. He lowered his voice. "Do YOU think you would?"

    I shrugged. "I wouldn''t promise a perfectly hit double, but I know I wouldn''t strike out."

    Noah sighed. "You really want to tell him?"

    I nodded. "Yea." He might be loud and a little scary, but- "He didn''t walk me. It would have been a different game if he walked me."

    "Tch." Noah rolled his eyes. "I bet we could have still pulled off a win. You walk. Korrey and you do a double steal, rattle him. Maybe cause that distraction we were talking about and Korrey would have scored."

    I let out a short laugh. "Yea? I think it was closer than you thought."

    Noah took a deep breath. He turned back to Danny and stopped blocking me. "Jake is willing to tell you. On the condition that you keep your distance and stop the yelling." I grinned. Noah knew me best. "He''s only doing this because he feels bad so don''t take it for granted."

    "Noah." Coach said in a warning tone.

    Danny stared at me eagerly. His coach and teammate were still standing nearby too, also interested. I guess they haven''t noticed.

    I headed for the mound. "I''m not a pitcher so I don''t know why you do it, but I''ll show you." I got on the lump as the others started to surround me. "After nodding at your signs from the catcher, you do this," I toed the rubber twice before setting. "And that''s your fastball. For the changeup, you do this." I toed it once.

    "That can''t be right." Danny immediately denied. "I wouldn''t do something so stupid." He started mumbling under his breath.

    I shrugged, not sure what to tell him. That was how I saw it.

    "You probably didn''t realize it." Cody spoke up. "Now that he has said something, you should try to be more conscious of it." He looked to his coach. "We have a few videos that he can watch, right?"

    "Yes, that should be his homework for the weekend." Coach Wilson agreed. He smiled at me. "Thank you, Jake, for taking some time to advise him. And to reassure Cody that he doesn''t tip his pitches. You guys will go all the way again, I believe. Especially with you in the lineup."

    "Oh. Thanks." I nodded. I stepped off the mound to stand near Noah. His ice bag was starting to become a bag of cold water.

    "Do you guys want to join my travel team?" Cody spoke up to ask. "It''s closer to our school obviously, so I understand if you can''t do the hour drive twice a day."

    "Yea, that would be too much for our parents." Noah said. He smirked. "Plus, we actually really do have plans this summer."

    "Camps?" Danny joined our conversation. "Which ones? We can compete there."

    My lips twitched. This guy...

    "Stanford for sure." Noah told him freely now, different than twenty minutes ago. "That''s where our brother goes so that''s kind of obligatory."

    "Zeke Atkins, right?" Danny asked. "I heard he was good. I want to try to face him. Do they let high schoolers face off against the college players?"

    "They''re more like camp counselors." Noah said. "You know..." He grinned. "If you want to face better players, you should do what we''re doing. Trying out for the regional team."

    The pair both looked surprised and confused.

    "That''s the stuff you do if you want to try to make Team USA, right?" Danny mused.

    "You can make Team USA in a few different ways." Cody told him. "Playing travel and going to the big tournaments is the same thing. They''ll have people selecting players to invite for a camp of sorts." He looked at us. "You guys are taking the regional team route instead of playing for a travel team? That''s significantly less games."

    I felt a hint of relief.

    "Already made it to round two." Noah grinned. "Can''t pass up trying something new. Jake''s pretty much a lock." I glanced at him and he quickly redirected. "Travel ball is similar to high school if you ask me. Constantly playing with the same guys, against the same guys. How are you supposed to get better?"

    "Practice." Cody said at the same time that Danny said. "Exactly!"

    Danny looked like he found a kindred spirit with Noah. "Is there any way I can make it to round two? Is it like a tryout?"

    The two started to talk about the process of making the regional team. It started to go so long that their coach had to really force Danny to go back. It was time for them to travel back to their school as it was getting late. We all still had school tomorrow.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1075 V3 Ch309

    Most of our team had left or had started to leave. Coach and Mr. Miller started working on cleaning up the field together with help from a few other volunteers. Coach didn''t have a normal postgame speech since the Servite coach and two pitchers had wanted to stick around to talk for a bit. Garret simply passed the word around that Coach would start tomorrow''s practice with a team meeting.

    Noah and Danny really started to click when talking about the regional team and playing against better players. They promised to find one another on Instagram before Danny was pulled away by his coach. His whole team had left for their bus. They still had an hour drive back in the dark night.

    Mom was also getting impatient. She came onto the field to find Noah herself. His ice bag had long melted and she didn''t like the sight of his fingers. She took the lead in taking Noah away while pointing at Kyle. "Drive your brothers home and start taking showers. Your father will drop Noah and I off at the hospital first and then bring dinner home with Grampa."

    "Okay."

    She guided Noah away and that was the cue to go. I finally got to take my cleats off and pack up my bag. A good thing about leaving late, there were no more coaches or scouts or reporters or whatever else waiting to talk to me. Though, I did waste a lot of time talking to the other team so I don''t know how much better that is.

    "I can''t believe you guys suddenly became friends with those guys." Kyle said as we loaded the bags into the trunk.

    I shrugged. "I wouldn''t say friends." I paused. "Well maybe Danny and Noah became friends. They were making plans to meet in round two of the regional tryouts."

    "You''re not bothered by that?" Kyle asked. "That dude could probably beat us single-handedly."

    I shook my head. "I don''t think so. He said he was a closer only."

    Kyle was taken aback. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Okay. Maybe his endurance is pretty bad. But still."

    Dave laughed. "Don''t bother. We don''t have to see that guy anymore. That''s their own problem."

    We got into the car and buckled up. Kyle started the car and drove us back to the house.

    "It''s just like Noah to make friends in baseball. He used to do it a lot more before high school." Dave said.

    "Noah is friends with everybody." I pointed out, thinking of all the classmates he knew and was on good terms with.

    "Noah''s has a friendly personality." Dave agreed. "But I''m talking about something different. Before high school, he would make friends in baseball whenever, wherever, and with whoever. He just hit a wall after making the team and leaving some of those friends behind."

    I bit my bottom lip, remembering how that played out. "Well, Noah can make new friends. Danny is crazy about baseball like him."

    "What if he steals your best friend?" Kyle joked.

    "Noah''s my brother." I stuck my tongue out at him.

    The twins laughed. They talked a little more about Cody and Danny, saying how good they were for sophomores. We would have serious competition for two more years. I didn''t want to think about it. I liked to live in the moment and not have more anxiety than I already do.

    "Did Cody say he was going to try out for your regional team?" Dave asked when we got home.

    I shook my head. "No. He didn''t say much after I assured him that I didn''t see any tipping of his pitches. He and Danny were kind of like opposites. One was loud and outspoken. The other quiet and introspective."

    "Kind of like you and Noah." Kyle laughed.

    We unpacked our bags and cleaned the car out a little bit. Kyle brought up Noah''s backpack and Dave carried his baseball bag. Back in the shared room, we started to get organized. I was to take a shower in the hall. Dave in the room''s bathroom. Kyle would clean up the room a little bit. It started to feel a little quiet without Noah around.

    It started to get closer to bedtime when Dad and Grampa showed up with some tacos. They simply put the spread out on the table. Dad only had one taco before getting a call from Mom that they would be done soon and would need to be picked up. Dad left Grampa with us and left almost as quickly as he came.

    "That was quick." Grampa noted. "He was just barely dropped off. Must be a good sign since he''s coming home so soon."

    "Bet he still has to sit out on Saturday." Dave said. "Worst case, Monday and Tuesday."

    I was surprised. "We have three games in a span of four days?" I think the most we''ve done is three in five.

    "It''s fine." Kyle waved. "I dont even need a full day of rest. I''ll probably get Saturday. Garret can have Monday. Dave should be eligible again by Tuesday."

    "Nah, I bet Coach starts the juniors. Bryce and Brian need work before the season is up." Dave put his two cents in. "We''ll be rested and ready to go for playoffs."

    Kyle laughed. "Ok, but you know we still got Quincy and OLU after those three games, yea? Enough for everyone to get a start."

    The two started to guess what Coach would do and I focused on eating. Grampa ate two tacos before moving to the living room. I wasn''t far behind, but doubled the amount he could eat. The twins actually took the initiative to clean up after us before Mom and Dad came home with Noah.

    Noah walked in with nothing covering his fingers and I automatically let out a sigh of relief.

    "How long you our for?" Dave asked. He was probably the most invested just because he had to sit out a lot for injuries.

    "Meh." Noah shrugged. "Nothing''s wrong so not at all. My fingers just got jammed. Probably just depends on how it feels when I pick up a ball or bat tomorrow."

    "The injustice." Dave said dramatically.

    Mom gave him a look.

    "Kidding." He quickly straightened up. "Glad it''s not serious. Five more games before playoffs. Let''s finish strong."

    Noah grinned. "Yea." He was sent off to take a shower.

    The three of us were stared down by Mom. "I assume that the three of you finished your homework since you''re just sitting around, watching tv?"

    I nodded while the twins swiftly got up.

    "Kyle, hang back. You have additional work that needs to be done." Dad said. "Ryan Ward sent you an email through me so we could look it over together." Dad and Kyle headed for the office.

    Dave escaped safely.

    Mom looked to me.

    "I did my homework during school." I quickly told her.

    She smiled. "Good. I know it''s tough to balance school and sports, but you have to know which has the priority. You only get thirteen mandatory years of school. Afterwards..." She gave me a sad smile. "I try to get you boys to college, but I know it''s not in the cards for all of you." She gave me a different look, the kind I couldn''t decipher. She went to join Dad and Kyle in the office.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1076 V3 Ch310

    Friday morning, we all woke up to a surprise. Two giant blisters forming on Noah''s fingers. He showed them off at the breakfast table, talking about popping them so he could practice today.

    "If you do it carelessly, you''ll make things worse." Dad told him before instructing. "Make sure to see the trainer after school, but before practice. He''s better at handling these things. He treated Dave''s alright and he only had to sit out a week or two."

    "Dad. That''s the rest of the season." Noah rolled his eyes. "I''m not a pitcher. It''s not that serious. Pop them. Put on a bandaid. Call it a day."

    "See the trainer. Talk to your coach." Mom reinforced.

    "I know, I know." He grumbled.

    "Jake, don''t doze off. Eat more eggs." Mom put a new pile of eggs on my plate.

    "Okay." I said and continued to eat.

    "Oh yea, Mom." Noah said. "Can we go to Alisha''s tonight? Kaylee will be there too. Games, movies, general fun. That kind of stuff."

    "I don''t know." She frowned. "You have an away game tomorrow afternoon."

    "Yea, I know." Noah nodded. "Girls are traveling with us tomorrow to." He tilt his head. "We could just stay at Alisha''s for the night and the four of us could go to school together. That would make things easier."

    Dave started to laugh. "Did you really just ask to stay the night at a girl''s house? You''re nuts."

    Noah ignored him. "What do you think, Mom? You''ve seen Alisha''s house and met her parents."

    Mom didn''t immediately refuse.

    "Did you even run this by Alisha before making plans to stay the night?" Dad asked.

    Dave''s jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

    Kyle was even more stunned. "You''re not actually thinking about letting them stay the night, are you? With girls?"

    "It''s not like we would share the same bed." Noah shrugged. "What''s the big deal?"

    "The big deal is that you don''t share the same gender." Kyle pointed out. "Boy and girls having a sleepover? One thing comes to mind: sex."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Maybe to your mind." He smirked. "You do know that guys can also have sex with guys? Girls with girls too. Oh no! Maybe no sleepovers for anyone ever again." Noah shook his head. "You guys are making a big deal over nothing. Alisha''s place is so big, we would probably have our own rooms."

    "If they''re allowed to sleepover, then I should have Marie sleepover." Kyle stated.

    "That''s not the same and you know it." Dad gave him a pointed look. He then shifted his attention to Noah. "Honestly, I don''t think it''s the best idea. Maybe not the worst, but it doesn''t have the best of looks."

    "Right." Mom agreed. "The timing also isn''t right. If everyone has a game tomorrow, they should sleep in their own bed for the night." She looked at Noah. "I know you don''t think it''s a big deal because you''re all friends, but a lot of parents wouldn''t be comfortable with the idea." She held her hand up to stop whatever Noah was going to say. "Don''t think it''s just up to us and Alisha''s parents. I have a pretty clear understanding of what Kaylee''s parents would disapprove of."

    "Okay, that''s valid." Noah was understanding. "Then can I ask what time is curfew?"

    "What time do you have to be at school for the bus ride to the game?" Mom asked.

    "Not until after lunch. Like 1 to 1:30." Noah said.

    "Okay, then I would like you home by 11pm." She looked to the twins. "Who wants to car tomorrow?"

    "Me!" They both answered simultaneously.

    "Whoever wants the car, has to be responsible for the younger two." She added.

    Kyle hesitated.

    "That''s fine." Dave spoke up. "I can pick them up on my way home."

    "Where are you going?" Kyle was surprised.

    "Hang with Garret and the guys." Dave said. "We figured you already made plans with Marie so we didn''t invite you."

    Kyle frowned.

    "Sounds like a plan." Noah said. "After practice and showers, Dave can take us to Alisha''s then go on his merry way. Then pick us up like 10:30ish so we''re home in time."

    Mom nodded. "I agree." She looked to the twins. "Will either of you need money for dinner?"

    "I''m good." Dave said. "Garret''s dad wants to try out his new grill. Garret said it''s going to be like a barbecue taste testing. They have all kinds of meats prepared." He grinned at Mom. "Don''t worry, Mom, I''ll have some fruits and veggies too."

    "No promises here." Noah snickered.

    Breakfast ended soon after as we hurried to school. We split from the twins, catching a ride with Mr. Miller to the top of the hill. Noah showed his fingers off and Mr. Miller said that he had to get checked by Drew this afternoon.

    "I know. Mom said." Noah waved.

    I waved too. "See you later."

    "Let''s go." Noah was on the move. I followed him through the halls until he found who he was looking for.

    Alisha.

    "Hey, we''re going to get together tonight instead of tomorrow." Noah said.

    "Sure." She replied easily with a smile. "Does Kaylee know?"

    "I sent her a text on the way to school." Noah said. "She should be here soon."

    "Any food requests?" Alisha pulled out her phone. "I''ve got to let my parents know and I''m pretty sure they''ll ask what we want to eat."

    "Can''t go wrong with pizza." Noah said.

    I nodded.

    "I think we should try something fun like baking mini cakes. And then we can decorate them too." Alisha suggested.

    "We already have a cooking class together." Noah raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to do more cooking?"

    "I watched a Christmas movie recently and they were decorating gingerbread houses so I kind of wanted to do that too. But like, summer theme?"

    Noah laughed. "Wouldn''t summer theme desserts be ice cream or like sweet fruits. Heck, even pie."

    The two talked about desserts for a minute until Kaylee found us.

    "So we''re going with tonight?" Kaylee asked. "Any particular reason?"

    Noah shrugged. "I just think we have more time tonight. We can have dinner and whatnot. Alisha is talking about making little cakes. Tomorrow night, we get home from the away games a little bit late. It''ll look too suspicious if we want to hang out after showers and dinner."

    Kaylee nodded. "Yea. Makes sense. Plus, who doesn''t want to relax after a game? Okay." She clapped her hands together and looked at Alisha. "Is the shopping all done?"

    Alisha nodded. "All materials have been bought."

    "Your parents are really okay with this?" Kaylee asked.

    "Yea. They''re the coolest." Alisha grinned. "My dad even wanted to add ideas of his own, but my mom had to remind him that some of that stuff is illegal now."

    I became alert. "Illegal? What are we doing exactly? I thought we were just doing the same things as last time."

    Kaylee smiled and nodded. "Yea. We are. Plus, some new things." She reached out to pull me closer so she could whisper. "We''re going to ''TP'' a couple of houses tonight." She looked at me excitedly.

    I blinked. And blinked again. Totally blank on what she meant by that. "TP? A house? What?"

    Kaylee looked to Noah. "I think we need to watch some movies that show him what we mean."

    "Nah. Let him Google it." Noah waved. "We don''t have much time to work with. We have to be back at Alisha''s by 10:30 so Dave can pick us up."

    "Wouldn''t it be better if my dad just drove you guys home on the way?" Alisha offered. "That would give us some extra time in the dark. Honestly, it''d be better if you could stay over so we could do this in the middle of the night."

    "Yea, I already asked that." Noah shrugged. "No go. Mom knows Kaylee''s parents would get upset."

    Kaylee rolled her eyes. "So dumb." She glanced at me. "Start looking it up and be ready for tonight. We aren''t just hitting one house."

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1077 V3 Ch311 Friday Practice

    When I googled ''TP'' a house, I didn''t know what I was getting into. They wanted to decorate someone''s house and yard with toilet paper?? I looked at Noah and Kaylee in confusion during our shared chemistry class.

    "Why do we want to do this?" I whispered.

    "Because it''s fun." Noah told me. "It''s a prank. Kind of an old school prank, but it''s funny. Sucks for the people who have to clean it up. Especially if the morning dew makes it stick to everything." He and Kaylee shared a laugh.

    I knitted my eyebrows together. "And you''re sure we won''t get in trouble for this? Kind of feels like vandalism."

    "Not causing property damage." Kaylee said rather quickly. "So even if we do get caught, it''s just going to be a lecture. Look, would Alisha''s parents be willing to help us if it''s breaking any laws?"

    "Oh." That makes sense. Alisha''s parents are cool, but I don''t think they would drive us around to help us break any laws. She even said they thought it would be fun.

    "Make sure to wear dark clothes tonight." Kaylee told the both of us. "Especially like a black hoodie so we can have the hoods up and be less recognizable."

    Noah nodded. "Yea of course. Try to bring some eye black stuff and we''ll put it on our faces tonight."

    "Yea, will do."

    The two spent most of class sharing ideas and even mapping out where to first. There were three houses on the list, all in the same neighborhood. Two of them would be intentional and one would be incidental since we''re in the area. We would also look less suspicious.

    It was crazy to me that Kaylee wanted to do her own house. Even crazier was that hers was one of the intentionals and not the incidental. She reasoned that since she was staying the night at Alisha''s, Marie would have to clean it up on her own Saturday morning. She wanted it to be Sunday morning before church but said this works too.

    After school, I followed Noah to the trainers, and ran into a few familiar faces. Guys and girls, athletes that played in the spring that we shared classes with. A few of them were surprised to see us.

    "You guys are here too?"

    "What''s up?"

    "Did Jake get hurt?"

    "Hey, hey." Noah looked at the last girl who asked if I was hurt. "Why do you assume it''s Jake? Why can''t it be me?"

    She grinned. "Who ya kidding? You would never admit an injury. I would bet my small savings that if you broke a bone, you wouldn''t even ask for a bag of ice."

    "Well that''s where you''re wrong." Noah showed his two fingers with a peace sign. "I''m hurt with blisters."

    "Wow. How''d that happen?" She got closer to take a look. "Don''t tell me it was that awkward bunt you did yesterday."

    "Better than having them broken." Noah shrugged.

    "It''s a full house for a Friday, huh?" Drew joked as soon as he saw how busy his room was. "Okay, most of you know the drill. Those with official competition today goes first. Golf has priority. Then swim." Drew started to get everyone organized as he began to work.

    "You should probably head down without me." Noah told me. "I don''t know how long this will take."

    "Okay. Should I tell Coach that you''re here?" I adjusted my backpack.

    "Most definitely." Noah answered. "Just in case Mom or Dad call him and rat me out. It''s just a couple of blisters so I''ll be fine."

    I nodded. "Okay, see ya down there." I waved and left the room.

    "Wow, I don''t think I''ve ever heard him talk before." Someone said just as the door closed behind me.

    My lips thinned. I''m not embarrassed by not talking. Nothing to be ashamed of. Gotta take those baby steps. I headed to the lower field with a little extra speed so I wouldn''t be late.

    Seeing Bryce and Brian in front of me. I cleared my throat as I approached. "Hey guys."

    They both looked and then waited once they saw it was me. The three of us continued to walk.

    "Hey Jake, where''s Noah?" Bryce asked.

    "Trainers." I answered.

    "What happened?" Brian was surprised.

    They both were. "Didn''t he say he was fine last night?"

    I nodded. "Nothing''s broken. He did wake up with some blisters with fluid in them though."

    "Probably something like a friction burn." Bryce proposed. "Having fluid in them sucks though."

    "Yea, if he wants to play, Drew will probably drain them." Brian agreed. Then he looked over his hands. "I gotta take care of my fingers more. Blisters might be fine for field players, but it''s a death sentence for a pitcher."

    Bryce shoved him. "No it is not. Don''t joke about that. You''ll offend every pitcher who ever had Tommy John."

    Brian looked remorseful. "Yea, that''s true. I was just being dramatic. A blister keeps you out for a week at most. I would really die if I needed Tommy John."

    "That-that still isn''t the end of the world." I stuttered over my words in a hurry. "Our friend, Rhys, had Tommy John his senior year, and is already pitching for Stanford."

    "He made a comeback." Bryce acknowledged.

    "You''re on a shorter leash after that kind of surgery." Brian shook his head. "Things aren''t ever the same."

    We reached the clubroom and got inside. A lot of guys did a double take, seeing me with Bryce and Brian instead of Noah. I swallowed a small lump in my throat and told them where Noah was.

    "Meh." Garret shrugged. "As long as his fingers aren''t broke."

    A lot of the guys agreed.

    I went to my usual spot and started to change. I had one more person to tell and was ready when he showed up.

    Coach nodded. "Good. Glad he didn''t need to be told twice. We have to take every little injury seriously right now. Do more stretches and pay attention to your warmups. If someone pulls a hamstring, I''ll be livid." Coach took center stage as he spoke to everyone. "A little on yesterday''s win; it was very needed and I''m happy they chose to pitch to our best player."

    Some of the guys whooped and hollered. The closer ones clapped me on the back. Dave messed up my hair.

    I shook my head away and put my cap on to protect me. "It was a team effort."

    "It very much was." Coach agreed. "Some of you may be down on yourselves from not getting a hit, but I didn''t think for one second that we would lose. Everyone was making contact."

    "Except Dave." Kyle pointed out.

    "I only had one chance." Dave threw a water bottle at him.

    Kyle swatted it away. "Excuses."

    "Bro, I have more hits than you this season."

    "No, you don''t. Prove it."

    "Look it up yourself."

    The twins started to talk back to one another.

    "Seeing that you two are so energetic, I think you should hit the track for this afternoon''s practice." Coach told them. They instantly zipped it. "That''s better. As I was saying, I liked how everyone did yesterday. I know we all think that we have league wrapped up, but I don''t want us to let up for a second. We have three league games left. Fuck around, and we might just find ourselves on the outside looking in."

    "I''ll pitch tomorrow!" Kyle volunteered.

    "No, we''re going with a fresh arm." Coach shot him down. "Joey, you''re with Mitchell today. Keep it light, but not easy. Does that make sense?"

    "Absolutely, Coach." Joey nodded. "I''ll be focused and intentional in my preparation for tomorrow."

    "Good." Coach nodded. He scanned the room and stopped to look at Marshel. "Marshel, you''ll get your chance on Monday. Home game versus non league, but still essential to our success as we finish this season out." He moved on to Brian. "You get Tuesday''s away game. So don''t expect to bat on Monday."

    Coach dealt out some pitching assignments for the next few games before letting us move to the dugout. Garret led us through the routine warmup and I was doing fine until it came time to pair up and throw the ball.

    "Jake with Dalton!" Coach called out. "You two will be practicing turning double plays later in anticipation that Noah will be sitting tomorrow. It''s always good to have inner infielders work together and work on their connection."

    I looked to Dalton. He had picked up a baseball and came over. "Do you want to be the one to go out or stay on the line?"

    "I usually stay on the line." I answered lightly.

    "Okay." He simply said before jogging out.

    Much smoother than I thought. I pumped myself up for doing a lot of things on my own today. Dalton and I threw the ball back as he slowly backed up, getting further and further away. It wasn''t long until he got to my max distance. Noah would have known to stop but Dalton didn''t.

    I froze for a second, hesitating on whether to throw or if I should speak up. Either option would be embarrassing. Dalton seemed to understand the pause and jogged it in a few steps. My shoulders relaxed and I threw the ball back to him.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1078 V3 Ch312 Friday Night

    "Okay, not bad." Coach complimented Dalton and I after a successful double play completion. We both moved to him. "I see no problem with your synergy. You two will work just fine tomorrow." I had a feeling he was saying that for my benefit more than Dalton''s.

    Dalton nodded. "I can play anywhere you need, Coach."

    Coach gave a simple nod back. "Good. Get to the cages and get some swings in. We might do some batting practice today. Have the twins come see me."

    Dalton jogged away.

    Coach looked at me. "Any issues with Dalton?"

    I shook my head. "No. We don''t talk much." There was a time in the season that he questioned my willingness to touch an aluminum bat, but we got past it. Him and Logan were both the two other sophomores in the dugout and they weren''t bad. We just didn''t have much interaction besides saying ''good game''. They weren''t anything like Chis from last season.

    "Okay. You and him will start tomorrow. Noah''s got the bench." He told me. "If we do get a good lead, I''m thinking of taking you out early."

    "Oh." I tilted my head. "Who would play second?" Dalton was usually the utility guy.

    "Porter, most likely." Coach said. "It''ll depend on the situation. Anything close and you''ll stay in. I would like to give some more guys, more at bats. See some live pitching. Try to improve their morale. We can''t just rely on you in CIF play."

    "We''ve got Garret. And Sean''s been good too." I pointed out.

    Coach grinned. "Yea, they''ve been good for us on the season. But I''m clutch situations, you lead the team." He looked around as everyone was practicing. "This team has it all. I don''t want it to go to waste."

    "Me too." I nodded in a hurry.

    The twins showed up and Coach asked them to throw some batting practice to a selected few. I was left off the list, but I didn''t mind. I didn''t need live batting practice. I wouldn''t mind it one way or the other, but I knew others on the team would appreciate it more. Plus, I had access to the twins at home so they would pitch to me whenever I wanted.

    At the end of practice, we found out that Noah did get his blisters drained and covered in iodine to prevent infection. He spent the last two hours running laps and working up a sweat. I don''t know how good that would be for his fingers, but Noah sounded positive that it would be fine. We went home to take showers and start to get ready for the night.

    Noah and I were done first, waiting on Dave to finish so he could drive us over. Mom and Dad were somewhere for a work thing while Grampa was at the community center with other seniors for bingo night.

    The only black in my closet were baseball related with either our last name on it or our school''s initials in big lettering. I turned to Noah. "I don''t have anything that''s all black. Everything I own basically has an identifier."

    Noah laughed. "Just find something dark and generic. Come on. It can''t be thag hard."

    "Show me what you came up with then." I crossed my arms over my chest.

    Noah started to go through his clothes on the hangers. A lot of Watsonville Baseball shirts and sweatshirts. Besides what we''ve collected in the last two seasons, we also had hand-me-downs from Zeke and the twins. Noah frowned. "Okay. We''ll just improvise."

    "Improvise?" Dave asked, coming back into the room as he combed his hair. "What do you guys have to improvise?"

    "Dont worry about it." Noah said casually. He grabbed his baseball sweatshirt and gave me a pointed look.

    I grabbed mine too. Noah probably has an idea.

    Dave let the matter drop easily as he finished getting ready. We left while Kyle was still getting ready, and Dave took us to Alisha''s. He dropped us off, waving goodbye as he pulled away.

    I stared down at our sweatshirts in our hands. "So what are we going to do?"

    "First idea, find something like duct tape to cover it. Backup plan: wear it inside out." Noah said as we walked to the front door. He rang the doorbell.

    Alisha answered within seconds. She waved us in. "Come in. Food''s already here."

    We walked into the dining room and saw Kaylee at the table with Alisha''s parents. They had previously told us to call them by their first names: Dan and Jenny. But it felt wrong to call an adult by their first name when Alisha still had to call them ''Mom'' and ''Dad''.

    "Come in, come in!" Jenny waved us in. "Everything you may need or want should be at the table. We have pizza, salad, fruit, and all sorts of drinks."

    Noah sat down, leaving me the seat between him and Alisha''s dad. I nodded politely to him as we made eye contact.

    "Salad is mandatory for you, Jake." He told me. "Your mother has made it clear that you''re trying to increase your calorie count while eating healthy. Are you trying to bulk up?"

    I nodded. "I can hit more home runs if I increase my size. Right now it''s very difficult unless I aim for a corner. And breaking balls make things difficult too."

    He wagged his finger at me. "Listen to your bragging. This can''t be the same kid that was too shy to say a word last year."

    "It wasn''t just because I was shy..." I mumbled.

    Noah laughed and leaned in. "You''ll make him revert back the more you point it out. Heck, he''s already on edge about tonight." Noah lifted his eyebrows up and down.

    "No..?" I hesitated. "You guys said it was okay."

    "It''s okay as long as we don''t get caught." Kaylee picked up her slice of pizza and started to eat.

    Noah started to load his plate with pizza and watermelon slices. "Pshhh. Even if we get caught, what''ll they do to us? Call the cops?"

    "Meh. My mom might." Kaylee rolled her eyes.

    "Jason would be cool about it, I think." Alisha pointed out the incidental victim of tonight''s plan. He lived near Kaylee and Marie''s house. Hopefully he stays late at Garret''s tonight.

    I swallowed a small lump in my throat. "What about..?" I gave them a knowing look. The third victim for the night. A very intentional one.

    "What about Austin?" Kaylee finished for me. I nodded and she shrugged. "Nothing he can do to us."

    "What if he told Mom?" I looked to Noah.

    Noah thought about it. "Hmm. Maybe we get grounded?" He sounded unbothered. He laughed at my fallen face. "What''s the big deal, Jake? Getting grounded is nothing for us. We don''t go anywhere. They''ll still let us practice and play baseball. This is like when we pull birthday pranks. Just some good-natured fun."

    I don''t think Austin would think it that way. I just didn''t like the idea of pissing him off and starting a fight or anything.

    Alisha''s dad made a giant salad on a plate and put it in front of me, pushing some dressing choices closer too. "Don''t worry, Jake. I''ll be with you four the whole time."

    I was still surprised by that.

    And he could tell. He gave a friendly smile as he handed me a fork. "I know what it''s like to be a teenager. It was a lot of fun times, but sometimes we did something we shouldn''t have. I rather be there to supervise in case you guys run into trouble so you don''t have to make bad decisions."

    "And I''m here to remind him what''s legal and what''s not." Alisha''s mom smiled at her husband.

    Alisha''s dad laughed a little self consciously. "Hey, I didn''t know egging could be vandalism. I''m glad we talked it over."

    The conversation shifted to pranks he had pulled during high school. At one point he did get serious, talking about some mistakes he had made. "Never, and I mean this with all my heart, never get in a car with a drunk driver. Don''t be a drunk driver. I would rather wake up at 2am to come get you kids than to wake up at 2am to a cop knocking on my door."

    It got a little somber.

    Until I spoke up. "I wouldn''t drink."

    He smiled and patted me on the shoulder. "Good job, son. I know how I was and I just like to assume the worst. I would prefer if none of you drank, but it''s better to be honest above all else."

    "Yes, Dad." Alisha rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I know the drill. Don''t worry, when I start getting lit every weekend, I''ll be calling you to be my DD."

    Her mom didn''t get upset, she simply smiled until her eyes turned into half crescents. "Alisha, if you think I won''t send you to rehab and then military school, then let me remind you that your college fund can be applied to those options."

    "Kidding, I was kidding." Alisha said. "I''ve tried beer, remember? It smelt bad and tasted worse. No desire here."

    I ate my share of food, eating two slices of pizza after the big salad. It was interesting seeing other family dynamics and seeing the pros and cons. Alisha''s parents were the second best pair I knew after my own. The only downside with her family is that she was basically like a third wheel the whole time. She constantly complained how lonely it can be without siblings. Things only got better when she got older and had more friends to invite over. Now she had a good balance with friends and family, plus she got to control her alone time to how she liked it.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1079 V3 Ch313 Friday Night (2)

    Kaylee''s parents were on the bottom of my list though. They had a clear goal in mind for what they expected of their daughters. Which wouldn''t be so bad if it didn''t sound like an absolute requirement. Anything less, and they were considered failures. I''ll never forget our first dinner with them and how mean they were to me. Someone they barely knew. Noah said they were the stereotypical bad bible thumper that gave all believers a bad name.

    I could only say that they were successful. I definitely didn''t think well of them. I felt bad for Kaylee who was having a tough time with her parents and the indifference she was feeling from Marie. I could relate with my own birth family experience, but now I had no complaints. The Atkins were like the perfect tv family that I had imagined. Not ''perfect'' in the sense that nothing ever went wrong and no one fought, but that they could have peaceful resolutions and keep good relationships with one another.

    "Jake, your turn!" Alisha came at me with a giant black chapstick looking thing. We had long finished dinner and made little cakes like Alisha had wanted. It was fun, but I definitely made the ugliest one. Now we were prepping to leave since it was completely dark out. Noah and I had put our sweatshirts on inside out so it was completely black. If that wasn''t enough, Alisha was now putting eye black over our cheeks. A ridiculous amount. Normally it was used by some players and athletes that needed to reduce the glare of the sun. Now we''re using it for disguise.

    "The car is stocked with rolls of toilet paper." Alisha''s dad came in from the garage. He was also dressed in all black despite saying that he wouldn''t be leaving the car to help us. ''Leave the fun to the kids'' was what he had said.

    "Awesome." Noah gave him two thumbs up. He then looked to Kaylee. "I say we be in charge of doing the houses. We''ll be more efficient and effective. Alisha and Jake have weaker arms so they should just do the yards and cars."

    Kaylee nodded. "Yea, we''ll be faster than them for sure." She glanced at me as I was getting my face covered. "Do you understand how to do this? We gotta be fast."

    "I watched a couple of videos..." I said. "I get it."

    We finished getting ready and put on our hoods. Alisha''s mom waved us goodbye as we went into the garage. Alisha sat in the front passenger seat while the three of us sat in the middle row.

    Noah, in the middle seat between me and Kaylee, started to pull out rolls of toilet paper and pass it around until everyone had two rolls each. "Kaylee''s house first."

    Kaylee nodded. "Yea. My parents should already be asleep by now. And Marie is out with Kyle."

    "So she''s just going to come to this instead of waking up to it?" Alisha asked. "Do you think she''ll clean it up right when she gets home?"

    Kaylee laughed. "No way. Clean in the dark? She''ll probably just be annoyed and complain to her boyfriend." She gave us the side eye. "Better not snitch."

    "What good would that do us?" Noah snickered. "I think it''d be great if she asks her boyfriend to help her clean up."

    That got Kaylee to laugh. "Don''t be light-handed just because it''s the first house, guys."

    Alisha''s dad pulled up just outside Kaylee''s house. Only the porch light was on, thankfully she didn''t live next to the street light. The four of us exited the car, but didn''t close the doors so there wouldn''t be any extra sounds. Kaylee went directly to the porch light and wrapped it with toilet paper, dimming it which provided us with more cover.

    Noah and Kaylee started to work on the house, throwing their rolls back and forth, looking like they had done this before. I looked to Alisha and saw her already decorating the front bushes with pieces of toilet paper. I hurried to join.

    Big trees and cars were done by the pros. Alisha and I did the little pieces all over the yard like snow, getting plenty around rose bushes. I was nervous before, but as soon as we started it all went away. It was fun seeing how the yard started to look like a winter wonderland and how creative Noah and Kaylee could get. Near the end, they gestured for us to go back. Then they threw two rolls directly over the tallest part of the house, letting the rolls stream long pieces until it hit the roof and went for the backyard. They came sprinting to the car and we squished, closed the doors in a hurry, and Alisha''s dad started to casually drive like he wasn''t the getaway driver.

    "Shouldn''t we be speeding away?" Alisha asked him breathlessly.

    "We''ll look more suspicious if we''re in a hurry." He told her. "We''re just trying to blend in for now."

    "Think that thump will wake up your parents?" Noah asked Kaylee.

    She shrugged. "Depends if they turned on their sound machine tonight. Or not. Either way, we didn''t get caught." She leaned forward. "Jason is just a block away, should we drive around more or go directly there?"

    "Let''s not look lost and confused. It''ll attract people who intend to help." Alisha''s dad said. "Point me to his house. We''ll park on the street and scope it out for a little bit to make sure it''s in the clear."

    Kaylee gave directions over his shoulder and we parked a little ways down.

    "Seems quiet." Noah checked his watch. "9:45. We''re cutting it close." Dave still plans on getting us after 10:30 from Alisha''s even though her dad said he could take us home. "Jason''s at Garret''s so we have to be quick. He could come home anytime."

    "I say we keep it light, just the yard." Kaylee said.

    "Maybe the car in the driveway too since there''s only one." Alisha added. "Like try to spell out ''senior'' or something."

    "Too long." Noah shook his head. "We should just do 3B. That''s his position. But we''ll need water so the pieces don''t fly away in the breeze or it''ll just be wasted effort."

    Alisha found a half used water bottle at her feet. "Ready."

    We made sure our hoods were back up and that the coast was clear before exiting the car. This time we did close the doors so his car wouldn''t stand out so much. Alisha passed the water bottle to Noah and then came with me to work on the grass and bushes. Kaylee did a tree nearby while Noah worked on the car. This time was much shorter as we didn''t go as hard. Jason was just collateral for doing Kaylee''s and Austin''s.

    We went back to the car as calmly and quietly as possible even though a few cars passed us nearby. My hands were shaking as we got into the car and hurried to close the doors.

    Just as Alisha''s dad was about to pull away, we saw Jason''s car pulling into the empty spot on the driveway.

    "Oh man!" Noah rubbed his hands together.

    We all watched in anticipation as Jason slowly got out of his car and looked around. He looked stunned. He inspected the other car and we saw him lift his phone and take a pic with the flash on.

    "Should we leave?" Alisha whispered.

    "I think we have to pass up on the last house." Her dad said normally. "It''s almost time for the boys to get picked up."

    "Aw, man." Noah slumped in his seat.

    My shoulders dropped in disappointment too. This was kind of fun. And I thought Austin was well deserving of a little inconvenience.

    "Can we take them home and do the last house ourselves?" Kaylee asked.

    Alisha looked to her dad with hopeful eyes. "Please?"

    He laughed. "I don''t see why not. Maybe I''ll even help you girls out. It''ll be even later in the night so less chance of getting caught."

    "Give him all the toilet paper left." Noah told Kaylee. "Stick it to his windows and cover all the grass. It has to look spectacular. Much worse than yours."

    She nodded, clearly on board. "Don''t worry. I''ll send you guys pics when we''re done."

    Alisha''s dad took us back to the house, where we rushed to wash our faces. Dave showed up just as I dried my face. Noah and I said our goodbyes and went out to the car to meet with Dave.

    Dave did a double take at the sight of me getting in the back. "Uh, Jake? Why is your sweatshirt on wrong?"

    It was only then that I noticed Noah had taken his off.

    "He was in a hurry when we were walking out." Noah answered smoothly for me.

    I nodded. I took the sweatshirt off and put it on right.

    Dave didn''t look convinced. "Okay." He started to drive us home. "So what did you guys do all night?"

    "Mostly chill. Had dinner with Alisha''s parents so it was pretty PG." Noah told him. "We also made little cakes-" Noah slapped his forehead. "Shoot. We forgot them. I''ve got to text Alisha to bring them tomorrow. We can eat on the bus."

    "You''re going to eat a whole cake the ride to a game?" Dave asked in disbelief.

    "Not like I get to play." Noah shrugged, pulled out his phone and started to text.

    "What about you, Jake?"

    I shrugged. "I''m trying to increase my calorie count."

    Dave laughed. "I doubt Mom had cake in mind."

    "She wouldn''t say no." I said fairly confident. Mom was kind of scared by my low weight to increasing height problem.

    We talked about his time at Garret''s before rolling up to our house. We all got out and went inside...finding Kyle trying to leave.

    Mom was refusing. "No way, young man. It''s too late. If it''s not a matter of life and death, it can wait until the morning."

    "It''ll be harder to clean in the morning, Mom." Kyle complained. He saw us coming in. "Look. Dave''s back. I can take the family car instead now."

    "Where are you trying to go?" Dave was confused.

    Noah and I shared a knowing look before joining in.

    "Yea, it''s late." Noah added. "Is anything even open?"

    "Marie''s house got TP''d." Kyle stated with some annoyance. "She called me as soon as she got home and I figured it''d only be right for her boyfriend to help her out and clean it." His eyes brightened. "Hey, if you guys help, it''ll be done much faster."

    "Look at the time." Dave let out an exaggerated yawn and headed for the stairs. "Need to get my pjs on."

    Noah was right behind him. "Yep, yep. We have a game tomorrow. And I''ll probably need to take care of my blisters again if the fluid comes back."

    I silently followed behind the pair, making sure my stance was clear that I didn''t want to go either. The three of us

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1080 V3 Ch314 Saturday

    Kyle ultimately got denied by Mom for going out too late. He said he would go in the morning and asked us to help out then instead.

    "She ain''t my girlfriend." Dave turned over in his bed to face the wall.

    "Not risking an infection." Noah said casually. "Besides, can''t her parents do it? It''s literally their house."

    "You know her parents..." He trailed off and looked to me with a pleading expression.

    "Don''t think of asking Jake." Noah said. "If it''s the morning, he''ll be sleeping. Plus, he''s the only one of us that''ll be playing in the game tomorrow."

    "You guys suck." Kyle sighed.

    Noah laughed. "Because we''re not interested in helping your girlfriend? Get lost."

    "It''s called being nice." Kyle shot back.

    "If it was something more serious than picking up toilet paper, we would help." Noah got up and turned off the lights. "Stop acting like we owe you. It''s not that serious."

    "Whatever." Kyle sighed and got comfortable in his bed. "But I hope you guys help out when we find out who did this. We''ll pay them back for sure."

    "Yea, yea, no problem." Dave yawned for real this time. "I haven''t TP''d a house in a long time."

    The room got a little quiet.

    "Noah?" Kyle prompted. "Jake? You guys in?"

    I froze. "Uhh..."

    "Jake most likely hasn''t done that kind of stuff." Noah cut in. "And I don''t know if we should. Would Mom really be okay with you teaching Jake these kind of things?"

    I had to purse my lips together to stop myself from outright laughing.

    "I don''t know." Kyle said. "It''s a teenage rite of passage."

    "Find out first who it was first and then we''ll decide." Noah told him casually. "Let''s not do anything too crazy with playoffs coming up."

    "That''s true." Dave agreed.

    "Yea, you''re right." Kyle gave in. He groaned. "Gotta set my alarm tomorrow. Maybe I''ll run there in the morning and get a workout in. You sure you do want to join, Noah?" He tried tempting him with the workout.

    "No way." Noah rejected him. "I know Kaylee is staying the night with Alisha. Why would I want to go over when it''s just your girlfriend and her weirdo parents?"

    "I hope when any of you need help, I have the same right to shoot you guys down." Kyle grumbled.

    He eventually quieted down and I could soon hear the light snores of him and Dave. Then Noah. I relaxed, hoping that Kyle would be gone by the time I woke up in the morning. I didn''t know if I could keep a straight face with Noah''s lies and Kyle''s questioning.

    Thankfully, he really was gone when I woke up the next morning. I slept in the latest and the room was actually completely clear. I got dressed in sweats and a practice shirt, then headed downstairs. I could hear Mom and Dad in the office, sounding like they were discussing some kind of property so I let them be. No one was in the living room. In the kitchen, was only Dave, eating a bowl of cereal.

    "Morning." He pointed at the two boxes of cereal on the table. "Just cereal today. Mom and Dad are busy this morning."

    I nodded. "I heard them in the office." I went to get a bowl and spoon, then sat down across from Dave. "I should tell them that they don''t have to come today."

    Dave looked at me, chewing.

    I poured my cereal and milk. "Neither you or Kyle are pitching. Or starting at least. Noah won''t play at all. And Coach told me yesterday that he''s going to look for an opportunity to bench me."

    He nodded. "Yea, you should tell them. Might have to go in the office to say it. Summer is officially arriving with how busy they''re getting on the weekends. It''ll probably help if they don''t feel obligated to go to an away game today that won''t have any of their kids playing."

    I started to eat and spoke between bites. "Yea, I rather them not stress themselves out when it''s no big deal. Where''s Grampa and Noah?"

    "Grampa got picked up by some other old man and went bowling." He said. "Noah was gone before I woke up, so I''m thinking run."

    "You don''t think he went with Kyle?" I asked, trying not to give anything away.

    "No way." He scoffed. "First off, Noah was gone before Kyle. I was awake when Kyle left. Noah probably went on his run since he can''t play. Maybe even a longer run than normal."

    Sounds about right.

    "Oh!" Dave suddenly exclaimed, making me flinch. "Did you see Instagram?"

    I shook my head. "No. I only check it when I''m bored."

    "Same! But I can''t believe you didn''t check when you first woke up this morning." Dave starting tapping on his phone, pulling up what he wanted me to see. "Look! Jason''s house was hit last night too!"

    I saw a few shots of our work. I tried to think of what Noah would say in this situation and could only come up with, "That''s crazy."

    "Right. Really weird." He took his phone back. "I thought maybe Marie''s was just some on her team messing around. But a varsity baseball player too? Can''t be a coincidence so it has to be the same person."

    "Hmm." I focused on eating my cereal, putting a spoonful in my mouth nonstop.

    "But it had to be near the same time. Jason said he got home around ten from Garret''s. And we know Kyle was bugging to go to Marie''s around curfew."

    "Uh-huh."

    "They live close but not super close so it had to be someone that could drive. So juniors and seniors."

    I nodded a little faster than I should. But Dave didn''t notice anything off with me. He just talked about likely suspects, actually thinking it might be a different sport that''s jealous of our undefeated records.

    I finished eating and took my bowl to the sink for a rinse. "I''m going to tell them that they don''t have to come." I pointed to the office and created some distance from Dave and his speculations.

    "Sure! I''ll be in the living room, watching the A''s game. They''re on the east coast this weekend so they should be playing by now." He got up too.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1081 V3 Ch315 @ Redwood HS (1)

    "Are you sure?" Mom asked me after I told her about not coming today. "You boys come first, no matter if you only play an inning."

    I gave a small smile. "Yea, I know. But it''s really no big deal. Coach doesn''t plan on playing me for long and it''s such a long drive for such little action. I rather you guys get your work done and not be so busy tonight."

    She smiled and rubbed the top of my head. "Okay, Jake. As the only player of the day, what would you like for dinner?"

    "Can we have grilled cheese and tomato soup?" I asked. "It''s warming up and soup weather is almost gone."

    "Yes, we can." She thought about it. "I''ll be adding a salad to the menu. Maybe some rolls or baguettes." She started to talk to herself as she came up with ideas.

    Noah did eventually come home, dripping of sweat. He showered just in time for lunch. Mom and Dad were still busy, but had food delivered. Kyle showed up as we prepared to eat. Most of the meal was the twins talking about the mess made at Marie''s and Jason''s. They also talked about prime suspects.

    I was on edge all throughout. Even getting to school to load the bus wasn''t any relief because everyone was talking about. They wanted to know who did it and would they continue. Who would be next?

    I have Noah a look as we sat on our bench in the front of the bus.

    Noah elbowed me. "Stop looking so guilty. Put in your headphones and tune it out."

    "Good idea." I started to dig for my headphones in the small backpack we brought. It was mostly full of snacks and a couple of drinks that Mom wanted me to bring in case I felt hungry.

    "Jake cave yet?" Kaylee spoke low and fast that it took me a minute to process what I heard yet.

    "Nah. He''s hanging in there." Noah grinned. "So far, so good."

    She nodded and headed for the back of the bus.

    "Did they-" I wanted to ask about Austin''s house, but it was hard as the bus started to fill up.

    Noah caught on though. He gave a subtle nod. "I''ll show you later. When it''s just us."

    I turned my music on and put my headphones in for the rest of the ride. We reached Redwood High School and separated from the girls. Today, we would be playing at the same time on our respective fields. It would be a little lonely in the stands. Or so I thought. By warmups, the stands were surprisingly mostly full. On a Saturday afternoon.

    "I think they''re all here for you, kid." Garret laughed as he caught me glancing at the stands a time or two. Or three or four.

    I pursed my lips together. "Even against a team like Redwood?" They weren''t known to be very competitive in our league. Earlier this year, Kyle crushed them, only giving up one hit and no runs over a full seven innings. He also had tied Garret''s strikeout record that game at twelve. I had a good game that day too; going 4-4 at the plate with a homer.

    "You''re a star." He winked.

    "Pretty sure some are here for you too, Captain." Noah interjected. "Climbing the projection list for the draft I heard. Better invite us to your draft party." That was true. Garret was right behind me in county rankings still, but had climbed to seventh in the state and 96th in the nation. Just slightly better than Kyle. And it had to do a lot with him being a duel player. And a lefty, I guess. They supposedly get more attention.

    Garret laughed. "Yea, it''ll be more exciting than Zeke''s college signing. My parents are already talking about catering and having a watch party at home. You guys are more than welcomed to come, but Kyle might want to do a watch party at his own house."

    Noah shrugged. "I''ll keep an eye on projections. If you go on day one in rounds one or two, then it''ll be watch party days. As in plural. Three to ten the next day. Eleven to twenty on the last. Kyle is looking at the fifth round ideally. You''re much closer to getting taken in the second."

    "Thanks, man. I hope so."

    Soon, it was time for warmups. We had to leave Noah behind with the coaches and Alisha. Garret led us through the group stuff. When it was time to pair up, Dalton found me first, putting a baseball in my glove before backing up.

    As game time got closer, Coach gave out the lineup.

    1 SS Dalton Nelson

    2 2B Jake Atkins

    3 1B Sean Isner

    4 CF Garret Knudsen

    5 3B Jason Morris

    6 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    7 RF Jesse Shipman

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Joey Henderson

    Coach was done using Bryce and Brian in the lineup for now I guess. Jesse was in the lineup against these guys before, but Korrey wasn''t. He didn''t even come in as a pinch hitter in that 8-0 win.

    "Lineup will change throughout the game according to the score." Coach announced. "We take an early lead and I hope to switch it up. I want Jake on the bench, giving more plate appearances to others. I would like to see Jason at first, maybe even Oscar behind the plate for an inning or two. We''ll see what we can work with."

    "Five more games to go." Garret spoke up. "Let''s make some school history and finish strong."

    "We''ll go down as the best team this school has ever had." Noah added.

    "Yeah!!" A lot of the team agreed in excitement.

    "Dalton. Jake. Sean. Start us off strong." Coach instructed.

    The three of us prepared for our at bats while Coach moved on to talk to the starting pitcher today, Joey. It had been a long time since his last start. I would say about a month. It was hard to squeeze in with Garret and the twins. Even Bryce and Brian struggled and they were on the team last year. With how hot the big three have been, it''s been rare to see relief pitchers too. Heck, Kyle was Dave''s relief just two days ago. They really hogged the mound.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1082 V3 Ch316 @ Redwood HS (2)

    Despite the gathering of men in the stands, it was rather quiet as the game got started. Dalton went up first, leading us off with a single to left. The guys in the dugout clapped for him, responsible for 90% of the cheers. We really didn''t have any fans on our side like parents or classmates. It''s a Saturday away game...that didn''t mean much.

    I stepped up to the plate next and the catcher stood up. My eyelid twitch, feeling a little annoyed. It''s not like first base is even open.

    "Intentional walk." The catcher told the umpire.

    "Take your base." The umpire said to me, gesturing to first.

    I sighed, tossed my bat towards the dugout, and jogged to first.

    Coach Riley greeted me with a head nod. I played with the strap on my batting glove, feeling down. Sean came up next. On a 2-1 count, he hit a fly ball to the right corner.

    "Jake! Come back and tag up!" Coach Riley raised his voice at me for the first time. I hurried back to first, trusting his judgment over mine. Sure enough, in the right corner, the outfielder made the catch. "Go!"

    I sprinted for second base. The shortstop was covering the base and looked like he was expecting the baseball to come straight to him so I went for a slide. Feet first, I slid into the bag as the tag came down.

    "Safe." The closest umpire said while extending his arms.

    The tagged stayed on so I didn''t dare move. "Time?"

    "Time!" The umpire granted.

    I sighed with relief and slowly got up. I dusted myself off.

    Now Garret was up with two runners in scoring position and one out. He came through, pulling the ball down the right field line sharply. I had long taken off, eyes on Mr. Miller beyond third. He waved me on and I obliged, tagging the bag and headed home. Dalton got Garret''s bat out of the way and pointed at the plate.

    "Down!"

    "Slide!"

    I clenched my jaw and dove head first at the catcher''s feet. I saw the ball roll away and got up freely, making sure I stepped on home plate for good measure.

    Dalton slapped me on the back with a big smile on his face. I smiled back too before leading the way back to the dugout. We went through the dugout, slapping hands with all the guys, happy with our 2-0 lead.

    I made my way to my bag next to Noah and took my gloves and helmet off. I plopped down on the seat, tired from the sprint.

    "Looking good out there." Noah complimented.

    I frowned. "I only walked. Didn''t even waste a pitch."

    He laughed. "I meant the runs. Tagging up and getting to second when the fly ball is going to right is really difficult."

    "Oh. That was Coach Riley." I told him. "He said to come back and tag up. So I did. I just do what I''m told. Take the thinking out of it."

    Noah leaned back. "Still, good stuff. Second to home on Garret''s single is also tough. At least for the old you."

    I cracked a smile. "Yea. For the old me."

    Jason popped the baseball high into the air. The opposing catcher jumped up and threw his mask off. He tracked it back into foul territory and made the catch for the second out. Korrey was up next; he made better contact, hitting a hard line drive right to the shortstop to end our half of the inning.

    Noah''s leg started to bounce up and down. "I think I can just tape up my fingers and go in. It''s going to be too hard to just sit the bench and watch today."

    "Should have gone to the bullpen with the twins and then you could be their catcher." I joked.

    Noah rolled his eyes.

    "You''re not allowed to throw until those blisters start drying out and turn into calluses." Alisha came over and reminded him. She turned to me. "Coach wants to know if you want to play in the outfield at all?"

    I vehemently shook my head. Absolutely not.

    Alisha laughed. "Okay. I''ve got ya."

    I grabbed my glove and had to hurry up my jog out to the field to join the others. Joey did his practice pitches off the mound like he was in a hurry for the game to resume. I didn''t like the pace, but I wasn''t the type to say anything. Noah was though. Especially after Joey gave up a leadoff solo shot to make the score 2-1.

    "HEY!" Noah hollered from the dugout. "Settle down and take your time! This ain''t a track race!"

    The runner tagged home and went back to his dugout. The next batter came up. Joey did slow down, taking his time to get set on the mound. But the batter still made solid contact. I cringed as the ball soared to right field. Jesse chased it to the fence and put his hand against it to prevent himself from running into it. He jumped a little and made the catch. I let out a sigh of relief. I couldn''t have been the only one.

    It was a bit of a rocky start for Joey. The third batter made early contact too, but hit a routine grounder to me. I fielded it to Sean for the second out. Cleanup also hit a grounder, a fast one right at Jason. He handled it nicely and made the throw in time to Sean to end the inning.

    A few of the guys clapped Joey on the back as we headed on in.

    "Good job."

    "Keeping that pitch count low."

    "Keep it up."

    "Don''t let that hit get to you."

    I couldn''t think of anything to add so I silently hit him with my glove too and headed for my spot on the bench.

    "Not the best of starts." Noah said out loud for all to hear.

    I froze.

    "Yea. I know. Can''t get tougher than that." Joey took his statement better than I thought. He headed for his bag.

    I elbowed Noah. "That wasn''t nice."

    "It''s not about being nice." Noah said, unbothered. "I''m making sure he knows. And he has shown that he does. Pitchers require a higher level of concentration. They can''t be rushing themselves and putting themselves at a disadvantage. It''s no good for him or the team."

    "Yea, but, can''t you be nicer about it?"

    "I would say the same to the twins. To Garret. To Bryce or Brian. Joey isn''t special because he has less experience. If anything, he needs to work harder. We''re going to have three big holes in the pitching rotation next year. We need him to pick it up and be one of those guys."

    "Yea..." I trailed off, unable to argue with that. Noah was pretty fair all around with me probably being the only exception. I would even say that he''s tougher on the twins more than anyone.

    Top of the second started with Jesse. His first at bat in quite a few games and he started off strong, getting on base with a stand up double to left.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1083 V3 Ch317 @ Redwood HS (3)

    Our offense couldn''t do much after that though. Mitchell did advance the runner with a sharp groundout to short. But when Joey hit his own grounder to short, the shortstop threw to the catcher at home before Jesse could reach. Jesse tried to retreat back, soon finding himself in a pickle. He was run down for the second out. Dalton hit into a groundout at first, leaving me stranded on deck. Pretty much can guarantee that I''ll see an intentional walk next inning.

    Bottom of the second, Joey looked better on the mound. He jammed the first guy, getting him to pop out to Jason in foul territory. The second guy also pulled the ball towards Jason for a groundout. Next up hit a routine fly out to Korrey in left field. We jogged back to the dugout for the third.

    I slowly got ready for my at bat again near Noah. He noticed my reluctance and laughed. "Why do you look like you''re being punished? Don''t you love batting the most?"

    I made a face. "But they won''t let me bat. Last inning they walked me with Dalton on and no outs. This will definitely be the same thing since I''m first up."

    Noah winced. "Yea. That''s a bit of a downer. Tell you what, tomorrow let''s go to the cages and just spend the day there. It''s been awhile since we''ve done that."

    I nodded. "That''d be nice." A Sunday in the cages is what I could really use. To do what I want completely. Because it wasn''t happening here. Not today. As expected, I was intentionally walked to start the inning off.

    My spirits were immediately lifted during Sean''s at bat though. He blasted the ball over the left field fence, driving the score up to 4-1. I tagged home and waited for him, happy to celebrate with him and for him. He''s been tacking on a lot of homers this year just like me.

    That homer prompted a pitcher change. New guy was effective. He got Garret to ground out to second. Jason went down swinging. And Korrey hit a fly out to left.

    Bottom of the third. Joey was at the eighth batter in the lineup. He hit a grounder my way and I dealt with it easily. I was 2-2 on my grounders so far. The next guy grounded out to Jason. Back at the top of the order, Joey had his rematch with the leadoff guy. Joey may have been doing a little better, but this guy remained hot; hitting a double in the gap. Things felt worse when the next guy followed up with an RBI single, making it 4-2.

    Mitchell jogged to the mound and said a few words before heading back to home plate. I wasn''t sure what he said or if it was effective, but it didn''t hurt. The next hit a grounder right to Sean, who simply scooped it up and took two steps to step on first base. End of the third.

    Coach approached Joey who had just walked into the dugout. He also had a short conversation before letting Joey go to his bag and get ready for his plate appearance. He would be third up this inning.

    I sat down next to Noah for a minute. At worst, I would end up in the hole but still had some time before I got ready for my at bat.

    "This is closer than I would have thought." I mumbled.

    "It''s just an illusion." Noah chuckled. "Last time, after three innings, we were only up 3-0. This just feels closer because they''re scoring."

    "And because I can''t help do anything." I pointed out. "Last time they weren''t afraid to face me. What happened?"

    "They got smarter?" Noah joked.

    I rolled my eyes.

    "No. But seriously." Noah stopped laughing. "Last time, you had three RBI''s and two runs scored. You had a hand in five of the eight runs we had. So they think that if they take you out, they might have a closer game."

    "Garret also had four hits and three RBI''s." I pointed out.

    Noah lifted his hands. "Okay. You got me. I don''t know. Maybe because you''re average is so high? Garret''s is good but not impossible. You''re probably breaking some national record." He snapped his fingers. "I''ve got it! Maybe they want to be able to claim to end your hit streak."

    "By walking me? Lame." I slumped in my seat.

    Jesse struck out swinging to start the fourth. The pitcher then walked Mitchell. I started to get ready and stood in the hole just in time to see Joey hit a bloop single to left. Dalton moved to the batter''s box and I went out to the on deck circle.

    I held my bat tight, hoping. Hoping for another walk. With bases loaded, they would have to pitch to me. Come on, Dalton. I was now impatient, yet focused on the at bat. Dalton fouled off two pitches quick, getting cornered. The third pitch passed for a ball. 1-2 count and Dalton connected, looping a single to right. Mr. Miller held his hands up to stop Mitchell from trying to go home as the ball was relayed back to the infield.

    My heart rate climbed with anticipation. Bases loaded. One out. I could do something. Anything. I took one step towards the batter''s box and the catcher headed for the mound to talk with his pitcher. Gotta be talking strategy. Like they might only pitch me breaking balls. Or maybe try to paint the edges of the strike zone hoping for a generous call from the ump.

    I knocked my bat against my cleats, eager to get started. The catcher came back and glanced at me before looking at the ump. "Intentional walk."

    The umpire was a little taken aback while I was just crestfallen. He looked at me and gestured. "Take your base."

    I slowly turned to our dugout and gave my bat a little toss. Sean, in the on deck circle, was surprised by my move. I started jogging to first and everyone had realized what had happened. Dalton jogged to second, Joey to third, and Mitchell tagged home plate to make it 5-2.

    "Booo."

    "Face him head on!"

    "You''re scared of an underclassmen!?"

    Our bullpen was the loudest to object but there was no going back. The damage was done. My third walk of the day and now Sean gets to come up with bases loaded.

    "If it''s any consolation, you get credited with an RBI." Coach Riley said as I got set on first.

    I gave him a tight smile. It was hard to complain to others. They didn''t understand me as well as Noah. And the twins. And Zeke. And Mom and Dad. This didn''t make the game fun for me. An RBI does announce that I helped the team, but I want to do more. I want to be a part of the action. I want to swing my goddam bat.

    I pursed my lips and kicked at the dirt. Sean came up and was ready in the batter''s box. He had previously hit a home run yet he got to swing again? I just don''t get it sometimes.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1084 V3 Ch318 @ Redwood HS (4)

    Sean worked the count during his at bat. The pitcher mixed in a few check throws to third, trying to keep Joey closer to the bag. Sean connected with a full count, hitting a grounder to what I thought would be the gap between third and short. The third baseman was stationary near the bag, but the shortstop had a wide range of cover. He slid in the dirt to make the stop and transitioned nicely to throw to second. The second baseman stepped on the bag and threw to first. 6-4-3 double play.

    Geez. I took my helmet off in frustration and headed back to the dugout.

    Coach gave me a sympathetic look. Yet, he couldn''t say anything. With this small lead, he had to stick with the starters, not wanting to take a chance to lose this game.

    "Well-" Noah started to talk.

    I shot him a glare and cut him off. "Save it. Nothing you can say can make me feel better. Not even the RBI given to me."

    "Okay, so you''re a little mad, but-"

    "It''s annoying." I cut him off again, feeling my frustration bubbling. "Imagine a game where not one ground ball goes to you. No fly balls to chase or double plays to turn. That''s how it is for me."

    Noah sighed. "I get it. We''ll hit the cages tomorrow. Whatever you want to do. A million foul tips. Hit the ball back at the machine until it breaks. I won''t even let the old man kick you out."

    I let out a heavy sigh. "I can''t wait until tomorrow." I grabbed my glove and headed out for the bottom of the fourth.

    Joey got back on the mound and was ready to go. He had a tough battle with the cleanup hitter before getting the guy to groundout to Dalton at short. The fifth batter in the lineup came up next. On a 1-1 count, he hit a fast one my way. Or so I thought. Joey reacted, trying to field it himself. It was a fast one though and deflected off of him and I got caught going the wrong way. Sean came off first to get the baseball that was rolling in the outfield grass and the batter was safe at first.

    "Sorry." Joey caught me off guard. He rested his hands on his knees for a second before straightening up. "I should have just let you have it."

    "It''s okay." I told him. "We''ll get the next one." I tried to give a friendly smile so he knew I wasn''t bothered by it.

    I don''t know if it helped, but it certainly didn''t hurt. Joey got the next guy to go down swinging; finally his first strikeout of the game. The following guy hit a grounder within Sean''s reach. Sean had to toss it to Joey who went to cover first and that finished the inning.

    Top of the fifth started with our own cleanup guy, Garret. I wouldn''t have much chance to hit this inning so I went ahead and took a seat, taking my hat off too.

    "What did Joey say to you?" Noah asked.

    "Nothing much." I shrugged. "Just said that he should have let me gotten it."

    "Good." He nodded. "Because he definitely should have. Glad he recognizes that."

    "You know, you''re a lot more strict when you''re on the bench." I gave a light laugh.

    "It''s because I have nothing to do but to analyze the game."

    "Any insights?"

    "Just coasting to a win." Noah stretched out his long legs. "Don''t forget, Kyle and Bryce are in the bullpen. If Joey runs into trouble, there''ll be someone there to bail him out."

    A loud ''ding'' of the bat drew our attention to the field. Garret had hit a double. It was soon followed up by an RBI double from Jason. 6-2.

    Coach walked over, stopping in front of me and Noah. "Jake, I''m going to take you out."

    I gave a small shake of my head, a little disappointed that my day would end like this. Three intentional walks. Noah nudged me. I sighed and lifted a foot on the bench so I could reach my cleat. "I''m going to let my feet breathe."

    Coach chuckled. "Do what you want." He looked at Noah. "You keep your cleats on just in case."

    Noah saluted. "Understood, Coach."

    Coach narrowed his eyes. "I overheard that you and Jake want to go to the cages tomorrow."

    I immediately nodded.

    Noah gave me a look. Then he looked back up at Coach. "Of course I''m just going as moral support. The cages are right outside the arcade. I might just play some games. Ones that don''t require my fingers. Like Dance Dance Revolution, Coach."

    Coach squinted at him. "Drew will have the final call on whether you can play on Monday. Don''t be stupid." He moved on, going to tell Logan to warm up and be ready to go in.

    Noah elbowed me. "Thanks a lot."

    I laughed. "I didn''t think it was a secret. And...it was your idea!" I relaxed and untied my other cleat. "So are you just going to watch me the whole time or really play in the arcade?"

    "Probably just a mix." He glared at his fingers. "Start healing already." The blisters had to be drained again earlier today, but it was less than yesterday so it was technically healing. Just not up to Noah''s standards.

    Korrey hit a fly out to right field, giving it enough distance so Jason could tag up and get to third safely. He was 0-3 today and had his own set of frustration settling in. Jesse, who snapped out of his own slump earlier, hit a fly ball to the left field fence. The outfielder was able to make the catch. Jason tagged up and sprinted home, having to slide just to be sure as the ball was relayed in quickly. 7-2. A better lead. Mitchell popped out to end the offensive inning.

    "We''re changing things up." Coach announced before anyone could leave the dugout. "Jake is out. Sean will move to second. Jason to first. Jesse to third. And Logan will go out and be the new right fielder." He looked around. "Got it?"

    "Yeah!" The guys echoed. Jason and Sean went back to their bags to switch gloves.

    Joey went back out to the mound and had a good fifth inning. Granted, it was mostly the bottom of the order as he got the eighth and ninth guys to groundout to short. He was getting them to two strikes, but couldn''t finish the job. Then it was back to the leadoff guy. Who was 2-2 and responsible for the two runs scored. He connected for the third time, blasting it dead center. Garret raced back to the warning track and had to jump for it. He crashed into the fence and stumbled to keep his footing. He held his glove up for proof to the ump. He made the catch!

    Noah and I clapped vigorously for him.

    "Risky catch!" Noah got to Garret as soon as he got to the dugout. "That was totally like a Zeke move."

    Garret laughed.

    The game really didn''t have much action one way or another after that. Joey finished six innings, but his pitch count was too high for the seventh. Coach went with Tyler, who gave up one run but still closed it out. A win, 7-3. Four more games to go.

    The girls team had won their game too, making it a happy bus ride back to our school.

    "I still can''t believe you didn''t do anything today." Kaylee said to me over the seat.

    I shrugging helplessly. "Now that they can say intentional walk, I can''t even swing at a ball outside the zone. No chance. No helping it."

    "I think you should be strategically bad." She suggested casually. "Like start hitting into groundouts and fly outs when you''re in a position that doesn''t matter."

    "You want him to purposely get out?" Noah was flabbergasted. "That''s a terrible idea. Every at bat matters."

    "Walking the whole time won''t make a difference." She pointed out.

    "That''s for the weak teams." Noah said. "The better teams will never walk away."

    "The smart ones will." Kaylee refuted.

    The two spent the next twenty minutes arguing until Alisha got them to call it quits. She interrupted to ask if she could join us tomorrow at the cages. "I won''t bug you guys when you hit or whatever. But maybe we can eat lunch and play mini golf too."

    "I''m not allowed to hit and mini golf might be out of the question." Noah lifted his right hand to show off the fingers for proof. "But yea, meet us there. Jake can hit by himself and we can look at other games we can do. I told Coach I would do Dance Dance."

    Alisha and Kaylee laughed together.

    Noah looked at me. "You don''t care if they come, right?"

    "No. I don''t mind." I thought about it. "If I take too long, come get me."

    "How long do you think you''ll be?" Alisha raised an eyebrow.

    I gave it some serious thought. "Two hours?"

    Kaylee let out a low whistle. "Damn. I''m gonna bring my bat too. I want to get some work in, but I don''t think I can stay focus that long in there."

    "They have less speed options for softball pitch." I pointed out.

    We made plans for tomorrow and eventually the bus made it back to the school, where we went our own ways. Kaylee went home with Marie. Alisha got picked up by her mom. And we left with the twins like normal.

    Home in time for a late dinner, Mom really came through with the soup and grilled cheese. We were all given a side salad and there were spare rolls. The twins complained but I dug right in.

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 Chapter 1085 V3 Ch319 Rest Of The Weekend

    "I think it''s time to bring it up, Wayne." Mom said to Dad towards the end of dinner.

    Dad nodded and looked towards me and Noah. "Jake is officially 15.5 and can apply for his permit. We think you two should start preparing for the permit test so we can start driving lessons."

    "Sure." Noah stayed focus on eating. "I don''t think I need much preparation. Just read the pamphlets at the DMV, right? That''s what Zeke did."

    "We took an online course to learn the rules of the road." Dave said. "That''s what you should have to do too."

    "Zeke did that as well." Mom added, giving Noah a look. "Teenagers can''t just walk in and get their permit. They have to do like twenty-some learning hours, either online or in person. Then a total of six hours with an instructor." She turned to me. "Any opinions, Jake?"

    I made a face. "I have to drive with a stranger in the front passenger seat?"

    She gave a slow nod. "It''s not all six hours at once. We could split it up anyway we like. 2/2/2. Six one-hour attempts. You and Noah would do it together so he would be in the backseat and then you would be in the backseat for his."

    I loosened up. "Yea, that doesn''t sound so bad." I thought of a different problem. "Is the instructor a man or woman?"

    "We can pick what you prefer."

    "A man." I looked Mom in the eyes.

    She gave a small nod and showed a sad smile. "Sure thing."

    "Hey, can I ask Kaylee and Alisha what they''re doing about their permits?" Noah brought up. "I don''t think either of them have mentioned it. Maybe we can do a class and instruction driving together?"

    Mom brightened up. "That would be fun. And maybe it would help learning how to drive with friends as a group. You guys can study together and help one another."

    "We''re going to meet them at The Cages tomorrow." Noah told her. "We''ll ask them then."

    "You''re not thinking about taking some swings, are you?" Dad frowned at Noah.

    Noah shook his head. "Nope. Mostly going for Jake''s benefit. Today''s game put him in a bad mood. But I figured we could still have lunch there and play some games. The girls said they wanted to come too. Kaylee might go to the cages and get some work in as well."

    "Marie said Kaylee was kind of acting distant to her lately." Kyle brought up out of the blue.

    "Gee. I wonder why." Noah said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Maybe it has something to do with her parents uprooting her life so they could watch her sister play softball."

    "That''s not fair." Kyle said. "Marie has no control over that."

    "Imagine if Mom and Dad decided to move us to be closer to Zeke''s college." Noah said. "You''re saying you wouldn''t give Zeke a hard time?"

    Kyle''s lips thinned with displeasure. "It''s not really the same thing."

    "There''s no saving you." Noah rolled his eyes again.

    No one else said anything either way. Dave probably wanted to stay out of it while the other three adults were trying to be neutral.

    "What if Mom and Dad followed Jake to college?" Kyle threw out there. "Would you still be mad at him?"

    "Different circumstances." Noah waved his spoon around. "Jake is the youngest. We wouldn''t have to move around with them. Also, he''s had less time with them so I wouldn''t mind."

    Kyle pursed his lips.

    "I think it''s best if we let them work on their own family matters." Dad spoke up, trying to play referee. "Kyle, you don''t have to do mediation for Marie and her sister. If she wants to see change in attitude, she should change her perspective first. Noah, I understand how it can be difficult to see your friend upset, but this isn''t something we can help with."

    "I''m not the one that brought it up." Noah shrugged. He looked to Dave. "Will you give us a ride tomorrow? We can probably get a ride home from one of Alisha''s parents."

    "Yea. No problem." He glanced at Kyle. "You hanging out with Marie tomorrow? Or me and the guys?"

    Kyle twisted his lips. "Can''t we just bring Marie?"

    "You can if you want." Dave said nonchalantly. "Don''t know of any other girls being there though."

    Dinner ended and showers had to be taken. Mostly me, but the other still wanted showers before bed. Once in bed, I checked my phone and found some texts from Jeremy and Zeke in the group chat, both talking about their games and asking about mine. The twins and Noah had all replied saying I kicked butt, two runs scored and an RBI.

    I was more blunt and wrote in the chat: It sucked. Three intentional walks.

    Noah quickly added: Going to the cages tomorrow so he can release some of his frustrations.

    Jeremy replied: It won''t be like this on the regional team. Definitely not during the NTIS. You''ll have something to look forward to this summer.

    Zeke joined in: You can add more camps to your summer schedule. You''ll do plenty of hitting drills and matchups then.

    Noah: But that also comes with fielding drills.

    Dave laughed out loud. "Are you trying to discourage him, Noah?"

    "Yea, Noah." I looked at him.

    Noah shrugged. "Just being honest. If you just want to hit, going to the cages is more your thing. Don''t fall into Zeke''s trap of getting you to do other things that you don''t want to."

    "Oh yea." I slapped my forehead. "I really was think of starting to look at camps."

    Dave laughed. "Yea, but are the cages really that fun? It''s the same speed. No specialty pitches. No variation."

    "He can just get that from you." Noah pointed out. "You''ll be home all summer with nowhere to go. Why not just practice with us the whole time?"

    Dave gave him a look. "I thought you don''t like catching?"

    Noah smirked. "Why would I have to catch? Jake would just hit everything you throw. I could work on my fielding instead." He laughed to himself. "I could even put in requests and practice all kinds of different positions. Like grounders to short. Fly balls to the corners."

    Dave slapped him with a pillow. "You suck." He then pointed at me. "You''re my goal this summer. I''m absolutely going to get you to strike out. Just once. That''s the confidence boost I''ll need before college."

    "Catchers are very important to a battery." I said, thinking of my time against some minor leaguers. "If Noah doesn''t want to catch for you, Mitchell would be happy to."

    "I don''t need you to tell me that." Dave grumbled as he got into bed.

    I gave Noah a disapproving look.

    Noah shrugged. Not bothered that he just put his brother down.

    Dave also wasn''t bothered by the time he took us to The Cages in the mid morning. He dropped us off and waved goodbye good-naturedly. The girls weren''t here yet, so we walked to the back to where the cages were. I still had plenty of tokens and didn''t need to buy any. On a Sunday morning, the cages were fairly popping. I recognized a few regulars, having become one myself.

    "You''re really going to wait for the 60''s?" Noah asked in disbelief. "There''s like five people to go. Can''t you just go straight to the 90''s? It''s already open and ready for you."

    "I need to warmup. Plus, I like working my way up. It''s easier to feel changes in the slower cages." I told him.

    He made a face. "I''ll just wait out front for the girls instead. Maybe you''ll be at the 90''s by the time they get here."

    I wasn''t. I did make it to the 80''s though. There were less people in line for it too. After every turn finished, I made sure I didn''t see anyone waiting before starting again for the otherside. I got into such a rhythm and without a line, I didn''t want to leave. It wasn''t until someone was waiting that I did leave. Then I realized how long it had been. An hour easy.

    I checked my phone and saw a text from Noah saying they would be inside playing. I was supposed to find them when I was ready to eat lunch. I hesitated between hitting more or going to find them. The decision only got made when I saw a catcher inside the 90''s cage. My eyelid twitched. I know that guy from early this year. Just after we came back from Gramma''s funeral. Justin.

    I took my helmet off and packed my bag, putting it on my back and went inside. Hopefully that guy will be done by the time we finish lunch. But I wouldn''t put my money on it. Last time, it took a lot of complaints and then Mr. Williams had to come out himself.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1086 V3 Ch320

    I found the three of them on a racing game, competing against one another.

    Kaylee laughed as she won. "That''s right. I knew it. I''m the champ."

    "I want a rematch." Noah grumbled. He caught sight of me out of the corner of his eye. He got up. "Yo. You done already?"

    "I might do more after we eat." I shrugged.

    "Good." Kaylee got up too. "Because I haven''t gone out yet." She picked her bag up off the floor. "Noah told us about taking Driver''s Ed together so we thought we would start practicing."

    I grinned. "I don''t think that qualifies as practice at all."

    She laughed. "Hey, you never know. What if I ever need to make a quick getaway? Or what if I want to try to be a nascar driver?"

    "Pretty sure you would still have to follow the rules of the road." I pointed out.

    She nudged me. "Buzzkill."

    We headed to the snackbar area and set our bags down before lining up for food. It was nothing but junk food for us. Heck, Noah was eating an ice cream to start out with. I went with the cheeseburger, feeling hungry from the earlier batting session.

    "Oh, yea. I saw Justin again." I told Noah.

    Noah was surprised. We hadn''t been seeing him around unless it was break from school. "Is that why you came in early?"

    "I was hungry too." I lifted my burger in defense. Then took a giant sip of my coke. "And thirsty."

    "Who''s Justin again?" Alisha asked. "Sounds familiar."

    "You were here once when he was here." Noah told her. "He''s a catcher that hogs up the cages, going multiple times and pisses off the boss, Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams used Jake once to scare him off." He recapped. Then he looked a little sad as he looked down at his food. "We had food half off for like a month. It would have been nice if it lasted longer."

    "Just have Jake scare him away again?" Kaylee suggested.

    I frowned at her.

    She shrugged. "Just saying. It''s a good deal. Doesn''t cost you anything. You''re good enough in the cages. And you get to scare him away so he doesn''t hog it."

    "There wasn''t a line behind him today." I said. "He was in the 90''s. Not too many people want to be in there."

    "You do." She pointed out. "You deliberately came inside because he was hogging it."

    "I came inside because I was hungry too, okay?" I waved my burger around, exasperated.

    "Jake''s a runner." Noah told Kaylee. "He''ll avoid every confrontation."

    "I know." She nodded. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Which is kind of funny if you think about it. Because he hates running."

    "I don''t hate-hate it." I defended myself. "I''m just not good at it."

    "No. It makes sense." Noah said. "Jake would rather run away. Means whatever he''s running from has to be worse than actually running."

    "Guys." Alisha interrupted. "Stop giving him a hard time. Jake is a work in progress just like the rest of us."

    I smiled at her, thankful.

    We switched to other topics like our upcoming end of season games for both the baseball and softball teams. Tuesday would be a travel day with the girls again. Neither of us has seen this school before so it held some interest. Especially for me. Non league opponents shouldn''t care about walking me or not.

    "I just hope to be ready by then." Noah looked at his discolored fingers.

    "Who cares?" Alisha shrugged. "Just worry about playoffs. Those are more important."

    Noah scrunched up his face. "An undefeated season is important to me too."

    "What a show off." Kaylee muttered. "You guys already won league and are playoff bound for the second straight year. Why are you so greedy?"

    "Because this is something we''re doing without Zeke." Noah said, getting excited. "It''s like a badge of honor. Like hey, ''we didn''t need you''." He grinned my way. "All we need is Jake."

    "Jake can''t pitch." Kaylee was quick to point out.

    I nodded in agreement. "Without the twins and Garret, I don''t know how we would fare."

    "Guess you''ll find out next year." She said.

    "We would still have Bryce and Brian to carry the load." Noah said. "Which is a little bit better than the twins if you think about it. They can contribute to the offense." We all shared a laugh.

    "For reals though, I think your biggest challenge will come senior year." Kaylee looked at Noah.

    Noah slowly nodddd, understanding. "Probably. We don''t know what''s coming up."

    We ate and talked about upcoming players. Then upcoming classes. Upcoming Driver''s Education. We agreed taking a course in person wouldn''t be so bad.

    After we finished eating, Kaylee picked her bag up. "Well, I still want to get some swings in. Jake, you in?" She grinned. "Or are you scared?"

    I rolled my eyes and grumbled. "It''s not like he''s in the softball cages."

    "Let''s go then." She looked at the other two. "Catch up with you guys later."

    "Yea, we''ll come out to check on you guys when we get bored." Noah said.

    I picked my bag up and followed Kaylee out.

    She glanced at the guy catching pitches in the 90''s cage. "He''s still there."

    "He can go for awhile." I nodded.

    Kaylee stopped, forcing me to stop. She gestured to the cage. "Aren''t you going to line up?"

    "Uhhh." I hesitated.

    She folded her arms across her chest and looked at me head on. "Jake. This is a good opportunity to stand up for yourself. No Noah to play spokesperson. Just you, asking for what you want."

    I cringed. "Do I have to?"

    "You should want to."

    We looked at one another for a couple of minutes, in a small stalemate of sorts. Justin ran out of pitches and got up to put another token in.

    Kaylee turned to him. "Hey. Justin."

    Justin looked up, through the gate. He squinted at Kaylee. "Do I know you?"

    "No. But we know you. Your turn is up." Kaylee glanced at me.

    Justin got a look at me. I saw the recognition in his eyes. "Jake Atkins, right?"

    I nodded.

    He opened the gate. "I''ll let you have your turn if I can catch behind you." It was worded like an offer, but it sounded more like a heavy offer.

    I made a face. "I can wait."

    Kaylee nudged me. "What are you worried about? It''s not like you''ll let the ball go backwards."

    I twisted my lips. "I really came here to just swing the bat today. I don''t want someone hovering right behind me."

    "Then kick him out." Kaylee pushed me again.

    I took a deep breath. And simply decided to let Justin know, "You''ve been in the cage since I went to lunch. I would like a turn."

    He raised an eyebrow. "And I said you could have one if I could catch from behind."

    "You can watch from behind the fence like everyone else." A deep scratchy voice said from behind us. I turned to see Mr. Williams. He rarely made appearances, especially outside.

    Justin scowled and looked like he was about to argue.

    "If you still want to come here and use the cages for catching, then you''ll listen to me and vacate the cage." Mr. Williams said firmly.

    Justin slowly left the inside and moved to the spot just outside the fence, lining up with home plate.

    I looked at Kaylee.

    She gave a small shrug. "Okay, not a bad start at confronting others. Got some outside help, but that''ll happen sometimes with good samaritans." She patted me on the shoulder. "Go ahead. I''m going to watch you for a little bit as I stretch and then I''ll go to softball cages."

    I nodded. I set my bag down and got my helmet out. Put it on along with the batting gloves. I chose a bat and took my bag inside with me as it had the tokens.

    "Stay in there as long as you want, Jake." Mr. Williams told me.

    I glanced at him, then at the catcher, then back at him.

    "Don''t mind him." Mr. Williams ordered. "He''s had more time in there than everyone else combined."

    "It''s not like it''s frequently used." Justin muttered.

    With Mr. Williams blessing, I put my token in and set up as a righty. I did ten hits. Put a new token in and set up as a lefty. Ten more hits. I glanced back at Mr. Williams, and he nodded for me to continue so I did. Right. Ten. Left. Ten. Right. Ten. Left. Ten. Right. Ten. Left. Ten. Right. Ten. Left. Ten. A hundred hits. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

    At some point, a crowd had developed behind me. Justin. Mr. Williams. A few other teenagers, mostly boys. A few men. Old and young. I spotted Alisha and Noah off to the side, looking my way. I headed for the exit, picking my bag up.

    "Are you done?" Mr. Williams asked.

    I nodded. "Yea, I feel better. Thank you."

    Mr. Williams chuckled. "You looked like you were zoned in. Might want to check that bat over and make sure you didn''t crack it."

    I grimaced. Oops. Didn''t pay attention too much to it. But thankfully I had a lot of backups.

    "Could you have kept going?" Justin suddenly asked.

    I nodded. "Yea." I let my arms hang at my sides. "I''m not supposed to overdo it though. We have three games this week." I slowly squeezed through the small crowd to my friends.

    "Will you be back next Sunday?" Justin asked very loudly.

    I tried not to visibly flinch. I glanced back at him to give him an answer though. "Maybe."

    "Can I be in the cage with you then?" He asked.

    I made a face. "It''s not like I need a catcher behind me."

    "I want to see what it looks like."

    I didn''t get it. I shrugged. "I don''t know. Maybe." I caved a little, feeling bad.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1087 V3 Ch321 VS San Benito HS

    The rest of Sunday was easygoing as we hung out watching Kaylee hit and talked about school stuff. We did play more games inside, running into Justin one more time before he was leaving. He nodded and said a quick goodbye before walking out with his bag of catching gear.

    "We should have asked what school he plays for." Noah mused.

    "Does it matter?" Kaylee raised an eyebrow. "It''s not like you would care. I saw you getting chummy with that Servite pitcher. He''s a direct rival."

    "I guess it would only matter if he was on San Marino." Noah said thoughtfully.

    I immediately nodded in agreement.

    "What''s the deal with them?" Kaylee had never seen them since we only played them in the tournament at the beginning of the year. She had her own team and schedule to worry about.

    "Bad blood. A bunch of cheaters." Noah said.

    I nodded again. "Very aggressive."

    "You think everyone''s aggressive." She rolled her eyes.

    "No, I don''t..." Once I know them anyways.

    Alisha''s mom showed up to get us all. She took Noah and I home first. On the way, Alisha told her about taking Driver''s Ed and she was completely on board, asking to speak to our mom when she showed up. Noah ran in to get Mom as I took my bag upstairs. I had to put away this well-used bat before I forgot.

    Mom spent almost half an hour talking with Alisha''s mom about classes. They had some in mind and Alisha''s mom would run the idea with Kaylee''s mom when she went to drop her off. We later got a text from Kaylee saying it took some convincing, but it was happening. We would be signing up for Driver''s Ed soon, probably in the next opening.

    Over Sunday dinner, the twins talked about how there was a third victim from Friday night. Austin from the JV team. Noah had laughed outright and said he deserved it.

    "Aren''t you worried that we''ll be next?" Kyle asked.

    "If we are, it''s because you guys pissed someone off." Noah pointed his fork at him.

    "I think it''s less about pissing someone off because the three have little in common besides location and sport. But even then, softball isn''t the same as baseball." Dave speculated. "So my guess is that it was merely a crime of opportunity."

    "Just teens being teens." Grampa chuckled. "Actually it''s pretty mild for teenagers. I remember back in my day..."

    The weekend slowly came to a close as we did some last minute homework and prepped our backpacks and baseball bags for tomorrow.

    I woke up early Monday morning to Noah cursing.

    "Freakin'' stupid fingers. What did I ever do to you?!" He let out a few more expletives.

    "You let them get smooshed on a bad bunt." Dave answered.

    "Shut up." Noah grumbled.

    I peered over to get a look at his fingers. They had fluid in them again. I made a face. "That sucks. What are you going to do?"

    "I''m going to rip the excess skin off and put a bandaid on it." Noah headed for the bathroom.

    "Not really advisable." Dave said after him.

    "Don''t care. I''m not a pitcher so it''s not like I need to be too picky. I just need to be able to throw a baseball." Noah said from the bathroom. He only took a minute to do what he said, coming back with a bandaid wrapped around each finger.

    "You''re a gambling man alright." Kyle laughed. "Imagine what Drew and Coach are going to say when you show up like that. You might as well join us in the bullpen today because you''re not getting on that field."

    Kyle had it pegged. After school, on our way down to the varsity field, Drew caught sight of Noah and hollered for him to come over to the trainer''s room.

    Noah waved with his left hand. "No thanks! I''m good today! Ready to play!"

    Drew didn''t believe it for a second. I don''t whether he had trust issues or if he just knew how some athletes were, but he started to jog our way.

    Noah elbowed me. "Why are you looking guiltier than me?"

    I shrugged, feeling guilty. "I don''t know. Out of habit I guess. Whenever I see him, I think I''ll have to run."

    Drew held out his hand. "Let me have a look and I''ll give you the all clear for your coach."

    Noah slowly took his hand out. "Well, it''s already bandaged so-"

    Drew took the bandaids off. His face twitched. He took a deep breath. Then slowly let it out. "Why are you so impatient?"

    Noah shrugged and took his hand back. "It''s fine. No big deal. It won''t hurt much. Just gotta get used to it."

    Drew stared at him. Noah looked back at him, feigning innocence. Drew sighed. "You still won''t be playing today. Follow me back and let''s get some healing cream and new bandage on it. Tomorrow...we''ll leave it up to your coach."

    Noah wasn''t satisfied, but what more could he do? He followed Drew back to the trainer''s room and I continued to walk to the lower field. I met up with the twins by the car to get our bags out. I told them that Drew caught Noah and he wouldn''t be playing today.

    Kyle closed the trunk after we got our three bags out. "Sucks to suck. He should have known that was coming and not fight it."

    "What if Coach wants to use him as a pinch hitter or pinch runner?" I asked, looking at Noah''s bag through the window.

    "No way. If Drew says no, the answer is no." Kyle said. "Besides. I looked up these guys last night. It''ll be easy peasy. Heck, I''ll even bet that it''s a called game in five."

    "I''ll take that bet." Dave stuck out his hand. "Loser cleans bathrooms this weekend."

    Kyle shook his hand. "Deal. I''m in."

    Dave looked at me. "Sorry, kid. But I hope you sit the bench today."

    I laughed. "You think I''m the key to it being a called game?"

    "The biggest key." Dave nodded. "But hopefully these guys know to walk you."

    I made a face at him.

    "Pitchers are also a big key." Kyle added. "I''m thinking Marshel has a lot of pent up energy and will go hard. Probably wouldn''t be able to do more than five innings."

    "Or he could stumble a little like Joey did." Dave countered.

    The two went back and forth as we walked to our clubroom to get dressed and ready.

    Coach had the starting lineup posted early for everyone to see.

    1 SS Dalton Nelson

    2 1B Sean Isner

    3 2B Jake Atkins

    4 CF Garret Knudsen

    5 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    6 RF Jesse Shipman

    7 3B Jason Morris

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Marshel Butler

    It was a solid lineup. One that fulfilled Kyle''s prediction and expectations of a called game. Defensively, Marshel looked great on the mound. More focused than Joey. He did all five innings, only giving up one hit. He had no walks and seven strikeouts. The only complaint I had was that most of the outs were in the air, either line outs or fly outs. Thankfully, none to me.

    Dave was also wrong about me getting walked. These guys didn''t care and just seemed to want to play baseball. My first at bat did result in a walk because the pitcher was wild. He had walked Sean before me too. Garret made him pay for letting us two on, hitting a homer to center, giving us an early 3-0 lead. Next time around, Sean walked again, but I got a good one, pulling a pitch down the left field line for a home run of my own, making it 5-0 after three innings. In the fourth, Mitchell joined the home run gang with a solo shot to left as well. 6-0. Then, in the fifth, we went on a hitting spree against a new pitcher. Sean doubled. I singled. Garret singled and drove in Sean. 7-0. Korrey doubled, driving in me and Garret. 9-0. Jesse got caught looking at strike three. But Jason doubled to drive in Korrey to make it 10-0 and the game was called.

    "Solid performance." Coach clapped Marshel on the back. "Good work out there." He looked around. "Tomorrow, we''re hitting the road. We''ll eat lunch here then meet near the upper lot for the bus. We''re riding with the girl''s varsity softball team as the lower levels stay here. I believe the games will be played back to back due to personnel issues. Means we won''t make it back until late. Talk to your teachers and get a handle on your homework. I don''t want there to be any issues with grades as we approach playoffs."

    "The varsity team has never had an issue with grades, Coach." Garret spoke up. "We all take school very seriously and know what''s on the line if we fail a class."

    "What''s on the line?" I asked.

    "You get benched indefinitely if they catch you failing during the season." Noah told me.

    "Oh." I looked around and no one seemed to be nervous. That''s good.

    62c5b2942708fd12a9ad975e

 Chapter 1088 V3 Ch322 @ Anzar HS

    "Is that all for you?" Alisha''s jaw dropped as I pulled out and laid out my lunch at the table. She and Kaylee decided to join us today since we would have to head for the bus after lunch.

    "He''s bulking, Alisha." Noah told her. "Of course it''s all for him."

    I looked at the spread that Mom had packed me. I had a baked potato wrapped in foil, toppings on the side. A side salad. A container of watermelon. An apple. A banana. A bag of three cookies. A peanut butter sandwich. A small bag of almonds. And a cucumber with a side of ranch.

    "Can I trade you for the watermelon?" Kaylee held out her bag of chips.

    I didn''t see why not so I handed it over.

    "You''re not bulking with chips." Alisha told me.

    "I''m just increasing calorie count to gain weight." I replied. "Mom thinks most of it should be healthy stuff, but she''s not terribly strict on it." I opened the baked potato and started to top it off with butter, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

    "That''s a whole dang setup." Kaylee stated in amazement. "Was the baked potato cooked this morning?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t really know. I guess so? Or at least reheated. Because it''s still warm."

    "Our mom goes above and beyond." Noah told them. "Jake''s been eating like this for weeks now. Really puts my lunch to shame." He held up his bag of two cookies. "Look. I only got two to his three. Mom is officially playing favorites."

    "You ate one between classes." I shook my head.

    Noah thought about it. "Okay. Maybe I did."

    "You definitely did." Kaylee said confidently. "You have no self-control."

    "I do!" He proclaimed.

    "Really?" Kaylee smirked. "How do you explain your fingers then? Where was your self-control then?"

    Noah showed off his red fingers. "They''re not bad. Just a little sensitive. If I kept the skin, who knows how long it would take to drain. It was reoccurring."

    "So impatient." She muttered.

    Noah looked to Alisha. "Has Coach said anything about the lineup? Like whether it''ll be more or Dalton?"

    Alisha pursed her lips and gave a small shake of her head. "No. I usually find out when you guys do. I don''t have any input or like status or anything."

    "It''d be weird if she did know." Kaylee said. "She''s basically like a secretary for the team."

    We talked as we ate, only cleaning up when the bell rang. We walked down to the lot near the locker room. Noah and I found the twins to make a stop by the car to change out our backpacks for our baseball bags. Back at the bus, we slid the bags into storage under the bus and started to board.

    Noah stopped near Coach. "What do you say, Coach? Can I play today?" He showed off his fingers.

    "You can warmup with the team." Coach granted, a small improvement from yesterday. "We''ll see about actually playing."

    "I''ll take it!" Noah clapped his hands together once.

    We loaded up, taking our usual row. I was pretty much used to sitting here now that it''s been a full season. It was the kind of progress that I could see. That I could feel.

    On the ride to the school, the girl''s coach informed the softball team that they would play after us. Usually that never happens. We either play at the same time or we play after them. Never the other way around.

    "Guess we''ll be the headliner this evening." Kaylee grinned and said to Alisha in the row in front of us.

    Noah leaned forward. "We''ll be in the front row cheering. Is your sister pitching? Or KJ?"

    "Marie." Kaylee answered. "Coach has seen this school play before and they''re pretty good."

    "Know anything about their baseball team?" He asked.

    "I know they''re known for their softball team." She grinned. "I think you guys will have it easy today."

    Noah made a face. "Less chance of me starting today then." He glanced at me. "Feeling tired, Jake? Maybe want to have a rest day?"

    I grinned, yet shook my head. "Sorry, Noah. But lately only non-league opponents throw to me." I thought about. "But if they do intentionally walk me, then we can switch."

    Noah was right to guess that he would be benched if this game wasn''t going to be tough. Coach gave us the lineup just before warmups.

    1 SS Dalton Nelson

    2 1B Sean Isner

    3 CF Garret Knudsen

    4 2B Jake Atkins

    5 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 C Mitchell Torres

    8 RF Jesse Shipman

    9 P Brian Swoope

    Noah gave Coach a sad look, but he was merciless. "Unless we absolutely need you, we''ll let your fingers heal for two more days. You''re the last resort. Even after the bullpen hitters."

    "Damn." Noah picked up his glove. "I''m still warming up!" He bolted out first, leaving the rest of us to follow.

    Noah took warmups seriously, throwing harder and farther like he had something to prove. I was happy to have him back as partner, but my shoulder was a little bothered. Like I was trying to throw it out as I tried to keep up with him.

    During the game, he settled into a cheering roll. Especially as we got on the board early in the first. Dalton singled. Sean doubled. Garret hit a sac fly to left that Dalton could make it home on. And I singled to drive in Sean. We were up 2-0 after one.

    Brian held things down on the mound, giving up two hits early but nothing they could score off of. We tacked on another two runs in the third thanks to me hitting a homer after Garret''s single. My third at bat came in the fifth as a lineout to right and after that, it was the bench for me. Which didn''t have any effect on the game. Brian hit a two-run homer of his own in the sixth to make it 6-0 and then finished up the last two innings on the mound to finish a complete game shutout.

    Everyone was in a good mood as we cleaned up and packed the gear. Garret suggested we take our bags to the bus and put them away so we wouldn''t have to worry about it during the girl''s game. We did so and when we found the softball field, we realized we made a mistake. No one grabbed seats and they were packed. Almost like our home and league games.

    I frowned as I looked around, not spotting anyone familiar. One bleacher was completely dedicated for a student section like Servite had.

    Noah let out a low whistle. "Damn. They take their softball much more seriously here."

    "Both teams are undefeated." An older adult let us know. He pointed at a wooden bleacher further down the visitor''s side. "There''s some seats there."

    "Thanks." Garret answered. He waved for us to follow him. He took us to the rickety looking bleacher and started to climb up.

    I felt unsure and looked at Noah.

    Noah grinned and slapped my back. "Come on. It won''t break under your weight."

    The bleacher started to shake and make some sketchy noises as the guys started to climb up and spread out.

    "Okay so if it breaks, we can sue their school." Noah laughed and sat in the first row.

    I sighed with relief and sat down beside him. "I rather it not break."

    "Just think of it as being flexible." Noah handed me a bag of sunflower seeds he had been holding. "Here, I brought the snacks."

    I helped myself. "You think Marie can keep this team at bay?"

    "She''ll have to if she wants to stay undefeated." Noah said casually. "I wish I brought a water from the bus to keep my throat moist while we cheer for them." He nudged me. "Don''t be afraid to join me."

    "Alisha will help you." I said confidently.

 Chapter 1089 V3 Ch323 Bus Ride Home

    The softball game started like it was the playoffs. Lineups were announced. Anthem was sang. The home team took the field as they were announced again. The coaches and Alisha showed up, sitting in the first row with me and Noah.

    Being the visitors, our school was up to bat first. Leadoff was a junior girl who struck out swinging. Kaylee came up next.

    Almost simultaneously, Noah and Alisha both jumped up and got closer to the fence.

    "Come on, Kaylee!"

    "You''ve got this!"

    "Eye on the ball!"

    "Do your best!"

    Almost instinctively, I got up too. I was slower to the fence and slower to cheer, but I swallowed the lump in my throat and gave it my best. "Just make contact. You''re fast enough to beat it out."

    "Yea, Kaylee!" Noah hollered.

    Kaylee didn''t give us anymore time to yell out encouragement as she connected on an 0-1 count, hitting a high bouncer to third. She ditched the bat and took off running. The third baseman had to barehand the ball to have any chance at making a play. And she did it way better than I ever could have. She was a millisecond too late though.

    "Safe!"

    Our small bleacher got loud and cheered for Kaylee as the next batter came up. KJ. She played in the outfield on days she didn''t pitch, but I didn''t know if her hitting was a whole lot better. I was worried about the double play, especially since stealing a base in softball was much more difficult than in baseball. There was no leading when the pitcher had the ball. But Kaylee surprised me and ran as soon as the ball left the pitcher''s hand. KJ took the called strike, and the catcher was up and already throwing after the transition, trying to get to ball to second. Kaylee dived for second with her hands outstretched.

    "Safe!"

    The three of us started to yell and jump in excitement. This team was supposedly good but here Kaylee was, running all over them.

    KJ did make contact on a 2-2 count, hitting a grounder to second. Kaylee took off for third, leaving the second baseman to throw to first to get the guaranteed out. Two out and runner at third for Marie, the best softball player in the league for the last two years now.

    "Let''s go, Marie!"

    "You''ve got this!"

    "Bring her home!"

    I glanced back at the bleacher full of the boy''s baseball team and most of them were on their feet, yelling for Marie. I don''t think she really needed our encouragement though. She smacked a heavy line drive in the gap of right-center for an RBI single, putting her team on the board first. 1-0.

    Kaylee walked by us and held up two fingers, making a v sign for victory. Them scoring first took a load off. With Marie on the mound, it was almost a guarantee that they would win. Almost.

    It was a tough game throughout as there wasn''t another score for the rest of the game. The girl''s hung onto their 1-0 win and went to the bus in a happier mood than the somber one we showed up with.

    Kyle was massaging Marie''s shoulders just a few rows behind us, earning a lot of grief from both teams. There was a lot of people rolling their eyes like Noah, Kaylee, and Dave.

    "You''re all just jealous." Kyle didn''t mind. "My girlfriend is the best softball there is."

    "Yea? I can say the same about my brother." Noah pointed at me.

    "He''s my brother too." It was Kyle''s turn to roll his eyes.

    "Yea, but I''m his favorite."

    "That shouldn''t count."

    "Even Jeremy knows it, so it counts."

    The two went back and forth.

    Kaylee got up on her seat to look back at me. "Does Jeremy really know it?"

    I nodded.

    "And he doesn''t feel bad?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t think so. It''s not like we grew up together. Plus, I knew Noah first."

    "You don''t talk much about Jeremy." She commented.

    I shrugged again, helpless. "Not much to say. He''s busy. We''re busy."

    "You saw him a lot last summer."

    I nodded slowly.

    "Will you see him a lot this summer?" She asked.

    I scratched the back of my head, unsure. "I don''t know. There''s-" I caught myself.

    "What is there?" She kept questioning.

    "There''s baseball." Noah came back to our conversation. "We''re trying out for the regional team. Round two tryouts start early June."

    "Just after playoffs." Kaylee nodded.

    "Then there''s camps to sign up for. Stanford for obvious reasons. Maybe see Kyle play in the minors." He raised his voice to add. "If he can even get drafted."

    "Of course I''ll get drafted!" They started up again

    "I think Garret will go before him." Kaylee locked eyes with me.

    I instinctively nodded.

    "See?! Even Jake thinks so!" Noah hollered, making some of the guys laugh.

    Not Kyle though. "Jake Atkins! You think Garret is better than me?!"

    I cringed in my seat and refused to look back.

    "Face it." Garret laughed along. "I have the advantage, being a lefty. AND being a hitter."

    "Your hitting can''t compare to Jake." Kyle shot back.

    "Jake ain''t getting drafted this year." Garret laughed some more. He got up and looked at me. "Jake, you thinking about entering the draft right after high school yet?"

    I froze.

    "Mom will still make us visit the five mandatory colleges." Noah answered. "Even me, who is definitely going to the draft. Let alone indecisive Jake."

    "Jake''s got a lot to see and compare." Dave winked at me. "Vandy is on the list though, right? I''ll be there by the time you''re doing college visits next year."

    I started to nod. That didn''t sound so bad. Visiting a college where I already knew someone.

    "Would you visit him first or Zeke and Stanford first?" Someone asked.

    I straightened up. "Well, probably Dave first, but only because I think Zeke will be in the minors by the time I do visits."

    "That''s true."

    "We have a lot of good guys climbing up and making it out."

    "I wonder who will be the first to make his major league debut?"

    "Zeke is so good all around, that it would have to be him."

    "Yea, but Garret and Kyle will have the advantage of entering the minors earlier."

    The conversation shifted as the guys all started about who would represent the school first in the major leagues. I relaxed as it got away from me and closer to Zeke and the twins. The coaches finished boarding and we started the bus ride home. It was well into the night by the time we got back. We said quick goodbyes and went our own ways.

    "Man, today felt so long without any time on the mound." Dave sighed as he got into the front passenger seat. "I swear, practices are more fun than games where I don''t even have a hope to pitch in."

    "You pitched in the bullpen." Kyle rolled his eyes. "I caught for you."

    "That''s just casual work." Dave glanced back at me as I buckled up. "Hey, think you want to face off with me after practice tomorrow?"

    "Sure." I nodded. I didn''t mind at all. "Who will catch for you? Mitchell or Noah?"

    "You better be asking Mitchell first." Noah cut in.

    "Yea, yea, I will."

 Chapter 1090 V3 Ch324

    "You''ve got to be kidding." Noah was staring at his fingers in frustration the next morning.

    "What happened?" Dave leaned over curiously.

    Kyle and I were also interested.

    Noah shook his hand and shook his head. "Forget it. It''s fine. Just ugly looking." He headed for the bathroom. "I''m going to wash my face and brush my teeth."

    Kyle looked to Dave. "Was something wrong?"

    Dave shrugged. "I didn''t see anything."

    "Do you think it still hurts or something?" I spoke up to ask.

    "You never know with Noah." Dave said. He started to change.

    Kyle did too. So I pulled myself out of bed to join them. Today was Wednesday and we had our second to last game tomorrow. At home. Monday''s was going to be at home too. For some reason, I didn''t feel as sad as I did last year. Maybe because it felt a little more normal. Or maybe because the twins didn''t pitch all the time anyways.

    After we got ready, had breakfast, and made it to school; I found time to ask Noah about his fingers as we waited for Mr. Miller.

    "It''s not a big deal. Just a slight annoyance." Noah told me, looking pretty forthcoming.

    "Are you still going to practice today?" I asked.

    "Absolutely. It''s really not anything." He showed off his fingers and I couldn''t see anything obviously wrong. "I can''t keep sitting the bench as we wrap up the season. What if I get rusty?"

    I grinned. "You warmed up yesterday. How could you be rusty?"

    "It''s not the same. Games have a different kind of atmosphere and intensity." He looked at me directly. "Like you can mess up in practice. No biggie. It''s not really rushed, it''s more about getting the mechanics down."

    I slowly nodded. I did feel more stress and pressure in games.

    "I''m going to play tomorrow." Noah stated confidently.

    Noah got checked by Drew and Coach before practice and got the all-clear. We paired up like normal and I also didn''t see any abnormalities so it had to be like he said: a slight annoyance.

    "We still staying late?" Noah asked Dave during a water break.

    "Ah. Yea, I think. I forgot to ask Coach or Mr. Miller about using the mound after practice." He quickly ditched us and walked up to the group of coaches.

    Coach listened to what he had to say and then looked at me. I straightened up subconsciously. Coach nodded then he started to walk over.

    "Listen up." Coach addressed the whole group. The side conversations stopped and he got everyone''s attention. "Dave brought up that he wanted to test himself against Jake."

    A lot of eyes went to Dave, who sat back down and picked up his water. He shrugged. "What? I just wanted to use an official size mound. We don''t have a proper one at the park."

    "Can I try too?" Bryce asked, looking at Coach, then looking at me. "I don''t mind staying late. I''ll help clean too."

    Coach held his hand up to stop him. "I was thinking of calling practice to end early anyways. We''ve already done two games this week and have a third tomorrow. I don''t mind if anyone wants to try to face off with Jake." He looked to me. "Do you mind, Jake?"

    I shook my head. "Not at all." These guys would come at me with all that they''ve got. It''s probably the best I''ll see until playoffs.

    "Why don''t we field too?" Noah suggested. "Make it a little harder on Jake."

    My lips twitched.

    "I''ll fill in at second." Dalton stood up.

    "Okay." Coach agreed. "We''ll go with that then. Sean, Dalton, Noah, and Jason will be the infield." He looked around. "Jesse, Garret, Korrey for the outfield."

    "I actually wanted to pitch to Jake too." Garret raised his hand casually.

    "You want Jake now or Quincy tomorrow?" Coach asked.

    "C''mon, Coach. I can do both." Garret grinned.

    "I''ll take Quincy!" Kyle saw his chance for some more time on the mound. "I''m not interested in getting my self-esteem beaten by Jake."

    "If you take Quincy, you can''t have OLU on Monday." Coach raised an eyebrow.

    Kyle took a step back. "It''s been nearly a month since my last start. I want the better team."

    "You started on the 15th. It''s only been two weeks." Noah corrected.

    "And you came in for me last week." Dave added.

    "I''ll take Quincy tomorrow." Garret spoke up. "Make them my third perfect game this season!"

    "Yeah!!" A few of the guys got excited.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "I just want to point out that you''ve done it against the same shitty team twice. It''s not that impressive."

    "It''ll just be more impressive tomorrow then." Garret said. "Quincy scored the most against us all season. So I''ll settle them and show off then."

    "Okay, okay. It''s settled then. Garret tomorrow. Kyle on Monday." Coach looked at Kyle. "You want a turn against Jake or not then?"

    "I''ll pass." Kyle waved his hand. "I''ll save that until the end of the season. I don''t want to mess up my rhythm right now."

    I hesitated after hearing that. "I don''t want to mess anyone up..."

    "It''s strictly voluntary." Coach looked around. "Who all wants a turn?"

    A few hands went up. Dave and Bryce. Joey. Marshel. Tyler and Matt. Not all, but about half.

    I looked at Brian, surprised he didn''t want to try. I thought he was good.

    Brian caught me looking. He grinned and shrugged. "Maybe next week. I just did seven innings yesterday. Gotta do a proper cooldown and rest the shoulder a few days."

    "Oh, okay." I nodded, relieved that nothing was wrong.

    "Let''s give the pitchers some time to do proper warmups with Mitchell and Oscar. Two get ready, then the others will warmup with Oscar in the bullpen. We''ll give each pitcher three outs or three hits before switching."

    "Hit it to me, Jake." Noah grinned.

    I immediately shook my head. No way would I be hitting to the left unless it was in the air.

    "Okay." Coach clapped his hands. "Let''s get moving. Starters, take your positions and we''ll do some fungo drills. Jake, you''re own for stretching and swings."

    The water break ended and we all started to go our own ways. Guys like Kyle and Bryce, who weren''t participating, went on a jog around the field. Catchers and pitchers to the bullpen with a couple of coaches.

    I went to my bag and pulled out one of my better bats. It was hardly used and didn''t show any signs of cracking or damage. I didn''t ever want to break a bat again, but I really don''t want to do it against my own teammates again. It can be dangerous if the bat split and accidentally hit one of them.

 Chapter 1091 V3 Ch325

    "You don''t look so good." Kaylee told me in the morning as we sat down for class.

    "He''s just tired." Noah patted my shoulder, trying to comfort me.

    ��?��m Kaylee smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Has nothing to do with Dave striking him out?"

    I rested my forehead on my desk. This wasn''t the first time I would hear of it and it certainly wouldn''t be the last. Dave got me good yesterday at the end of practice. Too bad I had to hear about it all night and even this morning at breakfast, and now even at school.

    "Don''t worry, from what I heard, Marie said that Kyle claimed that Dave cheated." Kaylee said.

    "Well...not in the normal sense." Noah shrugged. "Technically it was completely fair. But also...not...because it''s Jake."

    Kaylee laughed. "How vague. Tell me exactly what happened."

    I closed my eyes and sighed, recalling late yesterday afternoon. "Dave was last up..."

    ***

    I had gotten hits off the previous pitchers: Marshel, Joey, Matt, Tyler, and even Bryce. Only two home runs, one each off of Marshel and Tyler.

    "My turn finally!" Dave yelled as he took the mound. He waved at Mitchell frantically. "Come! Let''s talk for a second!"

    Mitchell walked up to the mound, mask in hand.

    I frowned and looked back at Coach, who was acting as umpire.

    Coach kept a neutral expression, acting like a true umpire. After twenty seconds, he started to head to the mound as of to break up the meeting. Dave and Mitchell got the hint and separated, with Mitchell coming back to home plate.

    "Wondering what we were talking about?" Mitchell grinned as he asked me. He put his mask back on.

    "Strategy?" I guessed.

    "Guess it''s obvious enough." He squatted behind the plate and got set. "What''s your strategy going to be against Dave? Righty or lefty?"

    I was already in the righty''s box so I got set, letting that be my answer.

    "I guess it doesn''t matter much to you." Mitchell kept talking, even as Dave started his motion. "I believe your average is about the same on either side. Unbelievable. I mean, I already thought it was unbelievable when you had a higher batting average than Zeke."

    The pitch came in fast. I instinctively swung, fouling it down the third baseline.

    A coach threw a new baseball to Dave on the mound.

    "That''s strike one." Coach reminded me.

    I nodded.

    "Not like Jake isn''t used to it." Mitchell said while getting set. "Jake fouls off so many pitches whether we need it or not." Dave was getting set. "He probably does it just to get the extra swings in. Right, Jake?"

    "Uh-huh." I mumbled in agreement as I watched Dave''s next pitch. He wasn''t the fastest on the team but he had great control. And a new breaking ball.

    "I just wonder how someone gets to that point where they can do intentional foul balls." Mitchell talked and talked. "I mean, I can do some. As long as it''s slow enough. But no guarantees like you."

    The pitch was a fastball in the nine-box but outside. Borderline. Coach would definitely give him the benefit of the doubt. I swung, barely grazing it with the end of my bat, fouling it down the first baseline now.

    "Not bad, not bad." Mitchell said.

    I stepped out of the box and frowned at him. "What are you doing?"

    "What do you mean?" Mitchell asked, staying in a squatted position. Someone threw Dave a baseball and he started to toe the rubber.

    "The talking." My frown deepened. "You''re talking so much."

    "I''m allowed to talk." He replied simply. "Ain''t that right, Coach?"

    "As long as it''s in a friendly manner." Coach confirmed. He glanced at me. "You have to step back in now."

    I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Took a step back into the batter''s box.

    "I don''t know why you''re so nervous." Mitchell started up again and my eyelid twitched. "It''s just me. We''ve known each other for over a year now. We see each other every day with class, practices, and games."

    I gripped my bat tight as I tried to zone in on Dave. Just Dave. Forget Mitchell. Forget fielders. Drop the ball into a gap and we''ll be done here. Dave lifted up his leg. Then I suddenly realized that Mitchell and Dave weren''t even exchanging signs. Mitchell just kept talking and Dave was pitching. But their missing the crucial step of pitch selection. This was planned well in advance.

    Dave finished his motion and the ball left his fingertips. I closely eyed them and saw them further a part. He was throwing the splitter. On an 0-2 count, that makes sense. I started my swing and adjusted, still hearing Mitchell in the background. Frustrated, I sped up my swing as the ball dipped, wanted to blast this ball out of here. The ball dipped more than I had anticipated and my bat whiffed.

    "Strike three." Coach declared.

    "WOO-HOO!!! I did it!!" Dave came sprinting off the mound, racing to Mitchell who had caught the ball and stood up. The pair met halfway and celebrated, holding the baseball high into the air like it was a championship trophy.

    "You okay, Jake?" Coach got closer to ask me.

    I had frozen and was still processing. "Was that...still a splitter..?"

    "I believe it''s more of a forkball." Coach said. He pulled a baseball out of his pocket and showed me with his fingers. "They have similar grips. Fastball, two-seamer." His fingers aligned on the seams. Then shifted further apart. "Splitter." His two fingers moved to be holding the ball between them. "Forkball."

    I tried to recall what I saw. "So they dip differently."

    "Splitter dips a little but still fast. Split-finger fastball says it''s part of the fastball family." Coach explained. "Forkball is a proper breaking ball. Offspeed."

    I resisted the urge to smack my own forehead in frustration. I was distracted and not paying attention. I was also a little complacent, having done well against the others. I turned to see Dave running around, showing the ball off to the others, especially Kyle. "Are we still going to do the two other at bats?"

    Coach grinned, following Dave with his eyes too. "I''m guessing not. Dave has probably been waiting for this moment and I don''t think anything you say will get him back on the mound. He wants to end on a good note."

    I let out a heavy sigh.

    "Hey." Coach put his hand on my shoulder. "Don''t get down on yourself. It was a good learning opportunity for you too. Talking catchers are rare but we can still run into them. Just like that first baseman that distracted you and got you picked off. You need to toughen up and tune them out. Background noise, remember?"

    I cringed. "But they''re so close. When I''m in the cages, no one is talking in my ear. They''re all a few feet away."

    He let go of my shoulder and gave it a slap. "You''ll get used to it."

    ***

    "It was definitely an underhanded move." Kaylee agreed with Noah after she got the play-by-play. "I can count on one hand how many times a catcher tried to distract me with a conversation. That crap never happens. They''ve got to stay focused themselves."

    I sighed. "I didn''t even realize they weren''t exchanging signs until the third pitch. I''m so dumb."

    "You''re not dumb. And neither are you special." She told me. "It happens. Besides. It''s one strike out. Probably your first of the year?" She guessed.

    "Yep." Noah agreed. "University Prep didn''t even strike him out this year. Hence Dave''s constant bragging and chatter. So annoying." He looked at me. "They''re birthday is in a month. Want to draw on his face with permanent marker?"

    I considered it. Simple. Cheap. Mom wouldn''t be upset since it would be a birthday prank. "Can they go to school like that?"

    Noah shrugged. "Is that our problem? Season will be over so if they have to miss, then they probably miss their Senior activities before graduation."

    "I''m in." I agreed readily. Dave had been obnoxious for the last twelve hours and I''m thinking it won''t be the last I''ve heard of it for weeks to come.

    "Will you do it to Kyle too?" Kaylee asked.

    Noah shrugged. "Guess we gotta be fair and do it to both."

    "I have a few suggestions on what you can put on his face." Kaylee grinned.

    "Save it for June." Noah nodded.

 Chapter 1092 V3 ch326 VS Quincy HS (1)

    I got a call just as school ended. I checked my phone, surprised to see it was Zeke. Or...I guess...it''s not a surprise. He''s probably heard by now. I hesitated to answer, staring at the flashing name.

    "Who is it?" Noah peered over my shoulder. He gave me a look like I was strange. "Why aren''t you answering?"

    I took a deep breath and answered. "Hello?"

    "How''s it going, Jake?" Zeke asked, sounding very casual and relaxed.

    I grimaced. "You know?"

    He chuckled. "How can I not? Dave''s been blowing up my phone. Rhys''s too. I figured if we were catching this much hell, you must be a million times worse."

    I scratched my cheek, a little self-conscious. "Well, not really. I think Kyle is the most annoyed by the bragging. I just don''t feel good about it. Like how easily I was to get to."

    "Yea...I guess Kyle would get it the worse. Don''t let him bully you into striking out against him too." Zeke paused. "Want to give me your take on what happened? Dave wasn''t clear on all the details."

    I let out a heavy sigh.

    Noah gave me an encouraging nod and smiled.

    "There wasn''t many details to begin with." I twisted my lips in an ugly frown. "Mitchell just kept talking. It was distracting. And...I didn''t realize it until it was too late but they weren''t exchanging signs. Last but not least, what I thought was a splitter was actually a forkball. I couldn''t bring my bat down enough to foul it off."

    "Hmm." Zeke hummed, not really saying anything.

    I glanced nervously at Noah.

    Noah mouthed ''what''.

    I shrugged.

    "What are you going to do differently next time?" Zeke asked.

    "Uhhhh." I looked around nervously. "I don''t know... try not to fall for it?"

    Zeke laughed. "Yea. That''s the basic answer. But be more specific."

    I pursed my lips. "Be more open-minded about pitch selections and watch the pitches more carefully."

    He laughed again. "Jake, I think you have the best vision than anyone else I know in the sport. Watch it anymore carefully and it''ll pass you by. There''s a limit to how fast you can swing."

    "I can start my swing and adjust!" I hurried to defend myself.

    "There''s a limit on that too." He said. "But let''s talking about Mitchell. What did he say?"

    "I don''t know." I mumbled. "It was just mindless chatter. I was just confused why he wanted to talk at that moment when he didn''t with the others pitching to me."

    "Distraction is a tactic that teams will use. Not just in this instance."

    "Yea..." I cringed. I wasn''t the best at staying focused on the field.

    "I think it''s good for you that this happened now and not during an important playoff game."

    I slowly nodded.

    "How are you going to address that specifically?" He asked again.

    I shrugged helplessly. "I really don''t know. It''s not like I can practice in the cages with a catcher trying to make small talk with me."

    "That''s not a bad idea." He commented. "Try it out this weekend. There aren''t any games. Have Noah put on catching gear and squat right behind the plate. He''ll talk your ear off about some baseball facts and that can be your starting point." He thought for a second before saying, "Let me talk to Noah."

    "Oh. Okay." I handed the phone to Noah.

    They talked for a couple of minutes before Noah handed it back to me.

    "Good luck today." Zeke told me.

    "Have a safe trip!" I hurried to say to him. He had a series away starting tomorrow and would travel tonight.

    "Thanks. Bye." He hung up.

    I put my phone and looked to Noah.

    He put his hands behind his head. "We should probably get moving or we''re going to be late."

    "Oh, yea."

    We started walking, chatting about playing in the cages this weekend. We didn''t have any other plans with Zeke and Jeremy both out of town for the weekend. We talked about going to the mall and movies and maybe inviting the girls. We reached the lower field, greeting a few classmates, who were waiting around for the game to start.

    "Going to hit a home run today, Jake?" One of the guys asked.

    I gave a sheepish shrug. "We''ll see."

    "Jake''s too modest. I heard he owns the home run record for sophomores. Heck, it even beat the junior record." Someone commented.

    "Wow. That was owned by Zeke."

    "They were both owned by Zeke." Noah stated. "Jake''s just going to crush them as we go on."

    "Why are you so prideful?" A girl laughed. "You say it like you''re the one beating your brother."

    "Hey, I can still be happy for my favorite brother." Noah grinned. "Maybe by senior year, I can be just as good at the plate. For now, I''ll be the best fielder we got, keep getting on base, and maybe I''ll try to break the stolen bases record. We all have our own talents."

    "Yea!" A guy agreed. "As long as they keep winning, that''s what really matters." He slapped hands with Noah. "Go undefeated! I''ll be there every step of the way!"

    "Me too!"

    "Same here!"

    A lot of the sophomores agreed, nodding and smiling like they were on the team with us.

    I look to Noah to see what he would say.

    He just grinned and raised a fist. "We won''t let you down."

    My stomach churned at the thought of his declaration. I was sluggish for the rest of the pregame as we changed and did warmups. It got to the point where Coach pulled me aside.

    "I know it can be hard taking a setback, but it''s going to help propel you forward." Coach started off by saying. "You can''t be thinking about yesterday when it''s in the past. Look forward to the future."

    I let out a nervous laugh. "What if it''s the future that I''m nervous about?"

    "Then I''ll remind you to stay present." Coach told me with a smile. "One game at a time. And if that''s too much for you, one inning at a time. Take the small wins and they''ll lead to something bigger." He pointed at Garret coming back from warming up in the bullpen. "And if that''s too much. Rely on your captain to lead us to a victory from the mound."

    My shoulders relaxed. Yea. Nothing bad could happen this evening with Garret on the mound.

    Coach slapped my back and we went to join the team in the dugout. The lineup had long been posted and we were preparing to take the field.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 1B Sean Isner

    3 2B Jake Atkins

    4 P Garret Knudsen

    5 3B Jason Morris

    6 LF Bryce Finn

    7 CF Korrey Alvarrez

    8 RF Jesse Shipman

    9 C Mitchell Torres

    "It''s been too long." Noah beat the inside of his glove with his right fist.

    "Not even a week." Sean laughed.

    "A full week!" Noah refuted.

    "God help you if you ever have to miss a full season to injury." Jason said.

    "You better knock on wood!" Noah pointed at him.

    Jason obliged, knocking on a wooden bench.

    Noah turned to Garret. "Give those guys something to hit. I want all the grounders to come to me. I want the most action."

    "Then you should have been a catcher." Mitchell told him.

    Noah slapped him on the arm. "Do you really want me to come for your position?"

    Mitchell laughed and shook his head.

 Chapter 1093 V3 Ch327 VS Quincy HS (2)

    Garret took the mound as the position players were announced, ending with his own. He did his practice pitches with Mitchell before the first batter of Quincy''s stepped up. He got jammed on the cutter, send a slow roller to the mound. Garret was there in a millisecond, picking the ball up and spinning around to throw to Sean at first for the first out. Something similar happened with the next batter for the second out. The third batter went down swinging and we headed for our dugout along the third base side.

    "You''re such a ball hog." Noah complained to Garret. "I said grounders to me. To me." He emphasized. "You did two to yourself? C''mon man."

    Garret laughed. "Hey, if I could pick where it would go, I would make sure it''s just to you. But I''ll take what I can get."

    "Liar." Noah shot back. "If you could, you would pick strikeouts. I know what you pitchers are thinking about all the time."

    "I''m not a pitcher like the twins though." Garret smirked, stopping at his bag. "I''m a hitter." He pulled out his bat and showed it off like a trophy. "And maybe one day, at the end of this season, I''ll pass this on to you. Because after the draft, it''s just wood bats for me."

    Noah rolled his eyes and got his batting gear on. "Might as well get Jake to hand over one of his bats so you can feel special too."

    "Wouldn''t his minor league team provide him a bat?" Sean asked, holding his bat and ready to leave the dugout too.

    "It would just be a team provided item, meaning the basics. They ain''t gonna cater to you. Maybe in the majors." Noah said.

    Coach clapped his hands to interrupt. "Get a move on or I''ll start benching you guys. I don''t care if I have to make Kyle the goddam shortstop."

    Noah zipped out of here first. Sean wasn''t that far behind, needing to go to the on deck circle. I finished pulling my batting gloves on and picked up my bat.

    Noah started our offense off with a well-hit stand up double. He looked at Mr. Miller intently, clearly wanting a sign to steal third but it was a no-go. At least, I didn''t see a sign for him to steal, but as soon as that pitcher was committed to his motion, Noah was taking off. Sean started his swing and connected, poking a grounder through the gap. With Noah''s early head start, he was already coming home when the outfield threw the ball to the catcher. Noah slid over home before a tag could be place.

    "Safe!" 1-0.

    I slapped hands as he headed back in the dugout.

    "That wasn''t the sign, Noah." Coach said stiffly.

    I cringed and hurried to the batter''s box, not wanting to hear Noah get in trouble. I could understand his need to show off after sitting the bench for a few games. Hopefully Coach isn''t upset enough to bench him.

    Mr. Miller gave out the signs, this time really asking for a hit and run because he knew we would succeed. I could hit whatever came my way, and Sean was fast. So fast, that he was able to score off my double from first.

    With three consecutive hits and already down 2-0, the Quincy catcher got up and had a small talk with his pitcher at the mound. I stood alone on second base waiting for the game to resume. It did, with Garret up next. Garret pulled a long fly ball to the left corner.

    "Tag up!" I heard Mr. Miller yell out.

    I tightened my fists, foot on second base until the left fielder made that catch. Then I sprinted to third. Mr. Miller pointed down for a slide. When I was within reach, I dove for the bag. The third baseman must have missed the ball because it ended up hitting me on the leg. .com

    "Safe!"

    I sighed with relief before smiling.

    Mr. Miller slapped me on the top of the helmet when I got to my feet. "Good run!"

    I nodded. Mostly because I agreed. I didn''t think I could tag up on a fly out that went to the same side.

    Jason hit a single to right to drive me home, making it 3-0. I slapped hands with Bryce who headed for the plate. Then Korrey at the on deck circle. Then the rest of the guys in the dugout.

    Our scoring ended with me that inning. Bryce got walked. But then both Korrey and Jesse hit into pop ups to the infield.

    Garret took care of the guys in order during the second inning. The cleanup hitter popped up a ball in foul territory that Sean tracked down. The fifth batter struck out. And the sixth batter in the lineup hit a grounder to me. Which led to a bunch of complaints from Noah.

    .com "Really, Garret??" Noah chased him back to the dugout. "Even Jake gets a grounder?"

    "The guy was a lefty." Garret shrugged. "He''s more likely to hit a grounder towards second. Not much I can do about that."

    "When Dave''s on the mound, I get to see a lot of grounders." Noah grumbled. "I''ll vote for him to be the ace of the team."

    "I lead in all pitching categories." Garret didn''t care about him.

    "Not hitting." Noah stuck his tongue out. "Even I have a double so far. It''s like you can''t hit when you''re on the mound. Pick one or the other."

    Garret reached out to slap the back of his head with his gloved hand. "Shut up. I have time."

    His time would come soon in the bottom of the second. Mitchell, at the bottom of the lineup, hit a fly out to left. Noah singled. Sean popped out to short, not giving Noah a chance to advance. He was, however, able to get to third off of my single. Bringing Garret up with two outs and runners at the corners.

    Garret came up big, blasting the pitch over my head. I took off running. With two outs, you have to go no matter what. Even if it''s caught, just means I''ll reach out dugout faster. I rounded second and saw Mr. Miller waving me on. He was doing a big windmill motion as I got closer, telling me to go home. Guess Garret''s hit landed fair. I stepped on the corner of third and home was within sight. The catcher was looking to his right, hands up, trying to call for the ball. Just beyond him was Noah, getting the bat out of the way and pointing for me to go down. Again. I saw the catcher crouch and I knew it was time. The ball was being relayed back in. I dove for it, sliding over home plate. The tag came after.

    "Safe!" The umpire extended his arms. 5-0.

    Noah practically lifted me to my feet, slapping me on the back until I was coughing. "Look at you! Just running all over the place today!" He pulled me along back to the dugout and we celebrated with the rest of the guys. We were more on pace to mercy rule these guys with five runs in just two innings.

 Chapter 1094 V3 Ch328 VS Quincy HS (3)

    Our offense tacked on one more run with Jason''s RBI single. 6-0. Bryce ended the inning with a groundout though.

    Garret had the best inning a pitcher could do, striking out the bottoms three in the lineup. I thought he did great, but Noah was quick to cut in.

    "If you didn''t waste those balls, it could have been an immaculate inning." Noah smirked at Garret.

    Garret rolled his eyes. "Throwing two perfect games this year isn''t enough for you?"

    "An immaculate inning is more rare." Noah pointed out.

    "Throwing intentional balls is part of strategy." Garret defended himself. "You want to get them to swing and miss. Don''t let them get a hit when you have an 0-2 count."

    "Blah, blah, blah." Noah said. "Pitcher stuff is so boring with all the deception and mind games. This is why I can''t be in a battery. Have to face them head on."

    "You know you would think differently if you were behind the plate." Garret told him.

    "Good thing I''m not." Noah snorted.

    The two separated, going to their own bags.

    "You sound like you''re in a bad mood." I told Noah. "You''ve been picking at Garret at every chance you get."

    "Yea." Noah agreed rather easily. Seeing me look taken aback, he laughed. "I can hear myself too, okay? I think I''m just frustrated that the ball isn''t coming my way and that Dave was annoying last night, plus this morning. Hitting is your relief. Fielding is mine."

    "I can hit grounders and fly balls for you this weekend?" I offered.

    Noah grinned. "Yea, it''s the least you can do for me if I have to be a pretend catcher for you." He thought about it for a second. "Do you think the boss will make me wear catcher''s gear? Even though it''s you hitting."

    I got serious. "You absolutely have to wear catcher''s gear. You''re going to try to distract me. I really might make mistakes."

    "Fine. Fine. I''ll lug the heavy gear all the way there. But I better not hear any complaints about how long I want to play at the park."

    I grinned. "When have I ever complained about hitting?"

    "You think hitting baseballs my way is the same as the cages? No way. I''m going to make you work."

    I laughed. "As long as I don''t have to run the bases or take my turn to field, there won''t be any complaints from me."

    "Ok, let''s see who gives up first." Noah smirked.

    "You''re on."

    Bottom of the third, our offense came up empty thanks to a pitcher change. Korrey struck out. Jesse hit a sharp grounder to first, who was able to snag it and throw to the pitcher who came over to cover the bag. Mitchell got on by single. But then Noah went down swinging to end our side.

    I gave him a pointed look as we were at our bags, changing out our gear.

    "What?" Noah shrugged. "Can''t be perfect all the time."

    True. I nodded.

    Garret started the fourth, back at the top of the lineup. The leadoff guy got jammed for the second time in a row, hitting a slow roller to the mound. Garret was ready for it, sprinting to get the ball and throw him out at first. Batter two popped out to Jason at third. Batter three was the fourth groundout to Garret at the mound, leading to more complaints by Noah. Garret could only be helpless that his cutter was working really well today.

    Bottom of the fourth. Sean led off with a groundout to third. My turn. With our 6-0 lead and no one on, I wanted to take this opportunity to try for the fences. The result was a little less than desirable: a lineout to right. I overcompensated and didn''t get underneath it enough.

    "Nice try, Jake!"

    "You''ll get the next one!"I think you should take a look at

    "Good swing, good swing!"

    I jogged back, picking up my bat on the way as some of the people in the stands called out to me. I was nervous I would hear someone say that I could have done better, but all of the things I heard were supportive. I gave a small wave to them before getting back into the dugout.

    "Looking more comfortable running. Looking more comfortable with the fans." Noah commented as he grinned. He slapped my back when I got closer. "I''m proud of you, kid."

    I rolled my eyes, yet smiled. "You''re only a couple of months older."

    Our half of the inning ended with Garret''s long fly to center. If he had hit it to the corners, it surely would have been gone. It''s okay, we were still winning and Garret was still dominating on the mound.

    Top of the fifth was another three up, three down scenario. Cleanup struck out. Batter five hit a groundout to Jason at third. And batter six was another strikeout victim. This time, Noah didn''t give Garret any grief on the way back despite still not getting a grounder his way. Garret was onto something special again. Something significant. A potential third perfect game in one season. No one said a word to Garret as he headed into the dugout and took a seat near the end. He was the last out so he didn''t have much chance of coming up this half. Neither did I.

    We could have gotten Garret an early perfect game if we had scored more, but with the new pitcher, we just weren''t seeing the same kind of hits. Surprisingly, Quincy took that guy out and put in someone new. He walked Jason to start things off before getting Bryce and Korrey to pop out to short. I could feel Noah''s exasperation as he saw the other shortstop get work in. Jesse got walked, pushing Jason to second. Mitchell ended the inning with a short fly ball to right.

    With him being the last out, it took extra time for him to get his gear on and get behind the plate for Garret and his practice pitches. Didn''t bother either of them though. Garret struck out batters seven and eight again, then the nine spot was replaced by a pinch hitter. The guy got a good piece of a fastball and pulled it to the left. Somehow Jason reacted in time and was able to snatch the line drive out of the air before it could get through to the outfield. Six perfect innings.

    My heart rate started to climb. I was anxious and excited for him all at the same time. I think everyone was.

    Bottom of the sixth. New pitcher. Noah ripped a hard line drive...right to the second baseman for the first out. Sean hit a routine grounder to short. My fly ball to left field came up short and ended the inning. Garret was left in the on deck circle. He slowly went back, taking off his batting gloves and then his helmet.

    I bit my lip and resisted the urge to say anything. I changed my gear and took the field. Garret and Mitchell didn''t take long coming out too. They did a few practice pitches and the game was called to resume, with the leadoff batter to come up first.

    Garret landed a fastball nearly right down the middle for a called strike. The crowd clapped crazily for him. Everyone should know what''s going on by now. Garret threw his cutter next, coming inside. The batter fouled it off for strike two. Garret got a new ball and got set. He nodded at Mitchell''s sign and started his motion. He threw another cutter, going inside on the player a little more. The batter was a little late to jump back and get out of the way. Then the confusion started.

    The batter grabbed the front of his jersey and said something to the ump. The ump suddenly pointed to him, then to first. He tapped his body and indicated hit by pitch. Mitchell was up in seconds, talking to the umpire. Coach came out as the crowd groaned and booed. The other coach came out too as his runner went to first.

    I looked to Noah for help and saw him walking to the mound. I hurried to follow. Sean and Jason had the same idea. Only Mitchell didn''t come as he was arguing with the ump.

    "Mitch looks more upset than you." Jason told Garret.

    Garret gave a self-deprecating smile and shrugged. "He does have a better view than me. I''ve just got to take the umps word for it."

    "I don''t get it. What happened?" I spoke up.

    "He said the ball brushed his jersey." Jason told me, having been closer to home plate than me and Noah who played so far back. "The umpire agreed and that counts as a hit by pitch."

    "Bullshit. What a bad call." Noah cursed, kicking the dirt.

    "Mitchell seems to agree." Sean had eyes at home plate as the drama unfolded. "Someone better drag him away before he gets thrown. Then he''ll be suspended for OLU game too."

    "I''m on it." Noah headed to home plate. "No way are we playing OLU with a backup." We watched as he got ahold of Mitchell and guided him with a heavy hand to the mound to join us.

    Mitchell let out a few more choice words before the guys got him to calm down. "I swear on my life that it didn''t even graze him. What a pretender." He frowned at Garret. "Why aren''t you mad with me?"

    Garret lightly smiled. "What good will it do? The umpire can''t take it back now."

    We all stood around as the three adults finished talking about the call. The opponent''s coach went back while ours came to us. He took one look at Garret, pointed at him and said. "Finish them." Then he left.

    Garret waved for us to go away. "You heard him. Let''s end this." We all went back to our respective positions.

    Garret stuck with the cutter, unafraid of making the same mistake. Or at least being called for a non mistake. The second batter connected, hitting one up the middle.

    "I''ve got it!!" Noah called me off and I froze. Which was for the best. Noah got the ball just behind second base at an angle, sprinted and stepped on second before throwing to Sean at first. Out and out. A double play.

    Garret ended the game with his tenth strike out, still earning the honor of a no-hitter. Noah was the fastest and reached him first. Mitchell and the rest of us were there in seconds, still happy for our captain. The rest of the team from the outfield, bullpen, and dugout joined us too and Coach let the celebration last.

 Chapter 1095 V3 ch329 postgame

    It was actually Garret who broke up the celebration and told us it was time to clean up. It made a lot of us feel like he wasn''t happy or satisfied with this kind of ending.

    Kyle slapped his back. "Hey, man. There''s nothing you can do about a bad ump. You pitched well. We all know it was a perfect game."

    Garret grinned and threw his arm around his shoulders. "You and Dave better not forget it. King of the Mound is mine once again."

    Kyle shoved him away. "I still have one more chance to shine."

    "And you think that can top my two perfect games and a no-hitter?" Garret was skeptical.

    "I could get 21 consecutive strikeouts." Kyle said.

    Garret laughed, holding his stomach. "Your girlfriend has a better chance of doing that than you do."

    Kyle couldn''t exactly get mad at that. Or refute it, in case it got back to Marie.

    Garret caught sight of someone beyond the fence and waved him down. "Hey! Chris! Chris Cameron!" He was actually calling for a reporter we knew. About half of the guys followed behind Garret while the other half started to clean up.

    I naturally followed Noah who naturally followed the drama.

    "Tough break out there, Garret. But still an excellent game." Mr. Cameron commented as he got closer. He looked around at those of us who followed. "Can I ask you guys a few questions about the upcoming playoffs?"

    "Sure, but I got a question for you first." Garret said.

    "Yes?" Mr. Cameron asked.

    "Did I hit that guy or not?" Garret''s eyes narrowed and he turned serious.

    Mr. Cameron slowly shook his head. "It was extremely close. To the naked eye, no one in the stands could tell."

    "I feel like you have something more to add." Noah lowered his voice and got closer. "Tell us you have evidence."

    Mr. Cameron looked around. For what? I don''t know. He looked at Garret. "I''ve seen a video that a scout was recording. He did a replay for some of us nearby." He looked at Garret. "Don''t worry, all these scouts know you threw a perfect game. They''ll pass along the message."

    Garret leaned against the fence and folded his arms across his chest. "What if I want to pass along the message." He looked Mr. Cameron in the eyes. "Can you get me a copy of the hit by pitch scene?"

    "For you to go and post it to some social media site?" Mr. Cameron guessed.

    "Just thinking I could use some social justice." Garret said casually.

    "Yes!" Noah agreed immediately. "It''ll be great to see that ump realize how wrong he was."

    Mr. Cameron wasn''t convinced. "You don''t really want to do that, Garret. It''ll cause a lot of unwanted attention."

    "No. I want it." Garret stated.

    "What happened to saying you can''t go back and change things?" Jason pointed out.

    "I can''t go back and change it. But I should still be allowed to point out his mistake." Garret''s lips twisted in disgust. "That umpire let the batter make the call. If he didn''t see it or realize it the first time around, then he shouldn''t go off the batter''s say-so."

    Mr. Cameron thought about it. He looked around at all of us as we waited. He frowned as he went back to Garret. "Maybe you should talk this over with your coaches. With your parents. The game just ended. You''ll calm down with time."

    "I feel like I''m pretty calm." He looked around at each of us. "Guys? What do you say? Ain''t I calm?"

    "Calmer than I would be." Kyle admitted. "I would have to be ejected after a bad call like that."

    "No joke, I probably would have told Mitchell to miss the next pitch and let it hit the ump." Dave added. He caught sight of me frowning. "But maybe I wouldn''t have if I thought about it a little harder."

    Noah nodded. "Yea, yea, we wouldn''t resort to violence." He looked at me. "You''re not against some public shaming, right? It wouldn''t have happened if this ump did his job."

    My frown deepened. "I don''t think you guys should do anything mean."

    "Residential good boy at heart." Sean chuckled, coming closer to me so he could pull me into a side hug. "I''m with the goody two-shoes. Let''s not mess around too much with playoffs coming up."

    Noah and the twins avoided eye contact, looking guilty. Those three were essentially in agreement with Garret. They weren''t necessarily wrong. Garret did get screwed.

    I looked to Mr. Cameron. "Can we file a complaint though? Like someone has to be in charge of umpires, right?"

    "Yea, send that guy back to little league." Noah chimed in.

    "That''ll be my job." Coach said, making a lot of us jump. Okay...mostly me. Somehow he sneaked up on us, probably catching wind of what Garret wanted to do. "I''ll get in contact to see if I can have the video sent to the officials. The athletic director will back us up too."

    "Are we creating more trouble for you?" I asked quickly, scared that we might lose Coach again.

    "This is pretty standard. To file a complaint with the higher-ups." Coach told me. "Just like when I talk to tournament officials about the trouble we''ve had with San Marino."

    "Oh. Okay." I looked to Garret to see what he would do now that Coach was here.

    Garret didn''t look completely convinced, however he let it go with a breath. He straightened up, facing Mr. Cameron. "Please help my coach get a copy of the video clip."

    "I will." Mr. Cameron agreed more easily now that Coach was involved. "And Garret, you do your best to forget about it. High school baseball will be just a memory once you get going in the minors and perhaps the majors."

    "My last home game was tainted. I won''t be forgetting." Garret told him in a strangely calm tone. "You can include that in your article about the game." He thought about it. "Oh, make sure to add that I appreciate all the students and friends that came to support us. I hope they keep it up as we move along in the playoffs."

    Mr. Cameron nodded. He started to take some notes, asking about Garret''s thoughts on how well the season went and what he could expect from the team in the playoffs.

    "We''ll keep rolling on this train that we''ve got going." Garret answered. "All season, everyone has taken their turn to contribute to offense while we''ve also worked more starting pitchers in our lineups. Everyone is raring to go."

    "As the second best player in the state, do you have any opinions, Jake?" Mr. Cameron asked.

    I was taken aback, forgetting that I was the number two player in the state. The whole state. I swallowed a small lump forming in my throat. Then coughed.

    Noah laughed. "Mr. Cameron, don''t scare him before we even get going. Jake will do what he does best: hit. It''ll be up to our pitchers to keep us in the game so why don''t you question them."

    "I am curious what your coach will want to do for the starting pitchers for the playoffs. Everyone should be eligible to have a go when the first game rolls around." He looked to Coach.

    "It should be me. Clearly." Dave stepped up. "Garret got today. Kyle gets Monday. I get playoff game one."

    Kyle made a face of disgust. "Then you can have Monday."

    "I was told the first playoff game will be next Thursday." Coach spoke over the twins, focused on Mr. Cameron. "That leaves Monday''s starter out. He''ll have to sit the bench."

    "I don''t mind going Monday." Garret said. "The twins can fight over next Thursday."

    "You can''t do back-to-back games you ball hog." Dave argued.

    I smiled as things seemed to return to normal. Coach answered the rest of Mr. Cameron''s questions without naming who would get the first go at the mound. He did say that I wouldn''t be cleanup since he wants to give me more chances for extra plate appearances. That made me happier. I didn''t feel lucky in the four spot. Maybe that made me a little superstitious like Noah. But hey, the stats speak for themselves. I couldn''t perform my best there.

 Chapter 1096 V3 ch330 Friday

    We got home super late with the hold up, but it was still good timing as Mom and Grampa just finished setting the table. We talked about the umpire''s mistake and Dad agreed that it was only right for Coach to take over. Garret shouldn''t create any drama with the draft coming up.

    Mom pointed at Kyle with her fork. "You better keep it clean too. Remember that you''re not just playing high school baseball anymore. You have quite a few eyes on you."

    "Don''t blow it Monday." Dave smirked. "Or all those eyes will be disgusted and you''ll be dropped a few rounds."

    "Shut up. I''ll crush it." Kyle said.

    "And I''ll crush Thursday''s game to get us moving in the playoffs." Dave cracked his knuckles.

    "Coach could still go with Garret. You know he likes to start off strong." Kyle said.

    The two started to bicker over starts.

    Noah turned to Mom. "Are we going to do a more official watch party for Kyle than we did for Zeke?"

    "We''re going to Garret''s for day one." Kyle stopped his fighting with Dave to state. "Day one is just for round one picks and we should be there if gets selected. Day two and three will be streamed online and honestly it''s not that exciting. Let''s just live our lives normally."

    "I think it''s still important." Dad said. "We''ll put the livestream on in the living room and kind of have a bbq. All of you should hang around the house those days."

    "Where else would we be?" Dave shrugged. "It''s during the week. We''ll be coming home from school and doing homework and preparing for finals."

    "Feels anticlimactic." Noah mused. "I guess that''s what happens when one brother is a first rounder and the other is..." He trailed off.

    "You better be thinking of something nice to say." Mom threatened him with her eyes.

    "Well it''s nice to Zeke?" Noah smiled sheepishly.

    "It''s fine, Mom. I know where I stand." Kyle said. "Ryan says I''ll have slim chances to go in the second or third rounds. But we''re really thinking fourth." He grinned. "Still looking at a $400,000 signing bonus. Minimum."

    "You''ll be sitting down with an accountant before signing anything." Mom said strictly. She looked at Dad. "Let''s make sure we call Ryan one more time to make sure we''re ready-" she caught herself. "To make sure that Kyle is ready for this draft. And what will come after."

    "I''ve talked to Ryan plenty." Kyle said nonchalantly. "You guys aren''t the only ones worried about my future."

    "What''s your biggest worry?" Dave asked, interested. All of us were.

    Kyle rubbed his nose. "Well, like how I don''t know where I''m going. We''re an easygoing family, but knowing that as soon as I sign a contract, I''ll be shipped off to a small town in the middle of nowhere had me a little on edge. Ryan said with negotiations, it''ll stretch my time out a bit. Because at that point, I''ll know what farm system I''ll be in so it''ll narrow down the options and give myself time to prepare."

    "You''ll have time to buy a car, right?" Dave asked. "Still thinking an SUV so you can carry around your life?"

    "Yea, I think it''s the best option as a teen in the minors." Kyle and him started to talk car options and what was available on the market. Dave really wanted to take a car to college too the more they talked about it, but Mom shot him down saying he should be spending plenty of time on campus with school and baseball. Plus, he was in the central of the city, everything was within reach.

    Mom then talked to Noah and I about starting Driver''s Ed soon. "We found a school that does both the Driver''s Education and the Driver''s Training after."

    "Training?" I asked.

    "You have to do six hours with a professional instructor, remember." Noah nudged me. "Mom will make sure we get a guy instructor."

    "You guys will be driving yourselves by the time school comes around." Mom smiled, happy for us.

    We wasted a lot of time talking, getting to bed late. Which left me slow-moving on Friday morning. It was a day of tests before getting to practice. Coach kept things straightforward and easy. Kyle would get the start on Monday. Dave would potentially have Thursday''s first playoff game. He said he didn''t know our opponent yet, but there would be a chance that he could change the starter if needed.

    "I feel offended." Dave muttered under his breath.

    "Don''t do anything stupid this weekend." Coach told the team as we packed up in the early evening. "We''re doing something very special with this team this season and I don''t want anyone to risk it." He looked at Kyle first. "No pitching this weekend." He looked to Garret next. "Rest up and stretch your arm and shoulder properly." Then to Dave.

    Dave held up his hands in surrender. "I''ll be good. Just running and stretching."

    "I actually think it would be good if you got some pitching in." Coach told him. "Have a simulated game tomorrow. Then recovery Sunday. Then it''s prep for Thursday."

    "Oh. Yea. That makes sense." Dave agreed. He looked to Mitchell. "Can you come over tomorrow?"

    "Anytime." Mitchell nodded.

    The pair made plans as Coach finished handing out instructions. After that, we finished cleaning up and started to go our own ways.

    "Hey. Noah. Jake. Wait up." Logan called out to us.

    I was taken aback and looked to Noah to see what he would do. I knew Logan even less than I knew Dalton. We didn''t work together much on the field and had even less to talk about. I knew he shared a class with Noah though.

    Logan wasn''t alone in his approach. Dalton joined us too. The twins spared us a glance, but seeing that Noah wanted to hear them out, the pair said they would meet us at the car.

    "What''s up?" Noah greeted.

    Logan lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. "Just wanted to talk to you guys about the summer. Are you going to try out for the travel team?" He glanced at me.

    But I was looking at Noah.

    "Oh we''re invited to play this year?" Noah smirked.

    "C''mon man." Dalton said. "Let''s leave the past behind us."

    "It was just an observation." Noah said plainly.

    "You interested or not?" Logan asked. "Because if you have something better we can do, then I''ll be willing to give that a try instead."

    Noah looked as surprised as I felt. "Well, actually. We tried out for the regional team a couple weeks ago. And-" He glanced my way. "Jake has already made the team. I participate in round two of the tryouts early June."

    "What if you don''t make it?" Logan asked. "Are you doing camps and clinics?"

    I tensed up at the thought of Noah not making it.

    "Yea, I guess. I''ll probably plan it around Jake''s tournament in North Carolina. That''s where the big tournament is held. They use it to select kids to tryout for Team USA." Noah was more relaxed now.

    "You''d go too? Even if you didn''t make it?" Dalton raised an eyebrow.

    "Of course. My parents would go. Dave wants to go too, but it depends on his college report date. It''s just a few weeks of the long summer. If there''s something I''m really trying to do, is the Stanford camp again. With Zeke being there, it just makes sense. Plus, we get a discount."

    Dalton nodded, understanding. "Yea, family discount. My cousins went to the same college and got a discount for that even." He looked at me. "Congrats on making the regional team though. It sounds crazy, but I know what you can do. You''ll be great there."

    I felt my face heat up. "Thank you." I pursed my lips. "But don''t let it spread. I don''t want..."

    "Everyone talking about it?" Dalton asked. "Yea, that''s understandable. You don''t like the limelight." He looked at Logan. "I guess we can look into some camps. My parents might be willing to send me to a couple in exchange of travel team fees."

    Logan hesitated before looking directly at Noah again. "You''ve done both. A summer of travel ball versus your last summer. Which helped you become a better player?"

    Noah grinned. "I see. You want to get better."

    "Don''t we all?" Dalton asked while shrugging. "This season is the most time I''ve ever spent on the bench. We''re not used to it."

    "I want to be able to do more." Logan added. "You don''t know how it feels to be overlooked and have pitchers replace you in your position." I cringed, feeling a little bad for him. It can''t feel good that''s for sure.

    "Then practice more." Noah told him.

    "How much more?"

    "Theres no way to quantify it." Noah said. He turned serious. "But let me put it this way; Jake and I have spent every free weekend at the cages even during the season. And we haven''t ran into you guys there once. Do you really think you''re practicing hard enough? How many hours have you spent at the park, working on your fielding? Coach has said it to us before; just going to regular scheduled practices isn''t enough to take you to the next level. You''ve got to do the extra on your own time."

    I nodded along. Noah was the hardest working player I knew. All the early morning runs. Lifting weights with every spare second. Doing ab workouts in the room before he takes a shower. He definitely put in more effort and energy than I did.

    Logan twisted his lips. "Are you going this weekend?"

    "To the cages? Yes. To the field? Also yes. We don''t have anything else to do this weekend, but practice." Noah said. "If you guys want, I''ll shoot you a text when we go."

    "Okay." Logan agreed quickly.

    Dalton nodded too. "Yea, I want to see what extra work you guys do. Might not make us better players before playoffs, but at least we''ll be able to have a better chance to start next year."

 Chapter 1097 V3 Ch331

    We left Dalton and Logan amicably, and joined the twins at the car. They weren''t too surprised when they heard about our conversation.

    "Sounds like they''re getting more serious. Good." Dave nodded in the front passenger seat. "It''s good for you guys to put the drama in the rearview mirror. Focus on baseball and winning. That''s all that matters."

    "Yea, it''ll be good if they can fill in some holes in the lineup so Bryce and Brian can focus on their pitching." Kyle commented. "You guys will need it with us gone."

    We got home and started to take showers, all having plans to go to the mall and movies tonight. Marie and Kaylee would pick up Alisha and meet us there. Dave split off first, wanting to go find his friends. Kyle left with Marie next, leaving the four of us. We talked about baseball, softball, school, other classmates, and just life in general. Never did I imagine myself at the mall with friends on a Friday night. I was really starting to put some distance between the ''me'' right now and the me that almost died.

    Even last year''s me started to feel unfamiliar. I really owed a lot to Noah for making me feel safe. For the whole Atkins family for taking me in and letting me know the best kind of family. For teammates like Garret, Jason, and Sean. For friends like Alisha and Kaylee. For some of the best coaches and doctors.

    "Yo, Jake. Snap out of it." Noah snapped his fingers right before my eyes. "We''re thinking about going to get a bunch of samples from the chocolate store. You in? Or are you going to stay outside and I''ll bring it to you?"

    I grinned. "I''ll go in."

    The four of us went into one of the smaller stores that strictly sold chocolate. All kinds of chocolate including things dipped in chocolate. A lady behind the counter offered up sample size chocolates. I was lucky and got a chocolate covered Oreo and a chocolate covered marshmallow.

    Kaylee made a face after eating her second sample. "I got a cherry."

    Noah laughed. "Hey, that counts as fruit right? So you don''t have to feel guilty for eating sugar."

    "I wouldn''t feel guilty anyways." Kaylee huffed.

    The two went back and forth most of the night, but it was small petty stuff. It reminded me of the twins and their bickering.

    Kaylee and Alisha invited themselves to the cages tomorrow after hearing that Dalton and Logan would show up too. Noah added that we would be practicing at the park too and Kaylee jumped on that as well. Only Alisha said she would be the designated spectator.

    Mid-morning Saturday, Dalton and Logan found the four of us playing video games.

    "Is this considered practice too?" Dalton joked.

    "Of course!" Noah raised his voice over the game. "I''m working on my hand-eye coordination clearly."

    "You''re pretty good at bullshitting." Logan scoffed.

    "What can I say?" Noah grinned. "It''s a talent."

    We finished our game and turned to face the pair, making our group grow to six.

    "Do you guys want to go straight to the cages or play some games first?" Kaylee asked.

    "I say we hit first." Dalton said.

    "Yea, I want to hit too." Logan agreed.

    I eagerly looked to Kaylee.

    Kaylee nodded at me. "It''s written all over your face, Jake."

    I gave a small smile, happy that she knew my vote.

    "Okay, okay." Noah said. "Cages first then lunch. We can play more later." He looked to Alisha. "Are you sure you don''t want to join? You can use my gear. Even in the slow stuff. I don''t mind."

    Alisha perked up. "You would go to the slow-pitch with me?"

    Noah rubbed the back of the head. "Well, maybe for a little? But I still want to hit with the guys?" He looked around. "Maybe a friendly competition?"

    "Is there any competition with Jake around?" Kaylee pointed out.

    "He can be the judge?" Noah offered with a shrug.

    "No way." I automatically rejected. "I want to hit too."

    We started throwing ideas around before a format was set up: we would pair up and combined scores. I automatically got Alisha on my team. Noah would pair up with Logan. Kaylee was with Dalton.

    "We''ll start slow so Alisha can have a chance." Kaylee said, taking the lead as we started to head back towards the cages. I think you should take a look at

    "How slow?" Logan asked.

    "The slowest." Noah told him. "Jake does it too as a warmup."

    "A warmup?" He looked at me.

    I swallowed a small lump, and started to explain. "It''s not just about hitting the ball fast and hard for me. Taking it slow, I can focus on my arm angle, speed of my bat, my hand placement, things like that."

    "He''s working on his mechanics." Kaylee elaborated.

    I nodded more enthusiastically. "Yes. Exactly. It''s a different kind of practice. Working on my hitting skills like timing and reaction speed."

    "Do you even need to work on that kind of stuff?" Logan was skeptical.

    ????????????????????????????????.????????????

    "Of course." I was surprised he would even ask. Seeing him still not believing it, I started to talk some more. "I''m growing so my angels change. If I''m off by a centimeter, then I lose a lot of control."

    "Wow. I didn''t even notice." Dalton looked me up and down. "You would think you would struggle more this year, but you really took off."

    "That''s because we practiced hitting every day." Noah told them. Our group made it outside and started to head for the slowest machine. "There''s never been a weekend we didn''t come here to hit. Heck, we came a lot after practice sometimes too. Depending on the twins, of course." He told them about the deal he had going, catching for the twins in exchange for rides to the cages.

    I thought it would be a little awkward with Dalton and Logan joining our party of four, but it wasn''t so bad. They all knew each other and knew me. No one forced me too far out of my comfort zone and let me talk when I wanted to. It soon became competitive between Kaylee and Noah as we moved up to faster cages. I did my best to help Alisha, suggesting she just bunt or stick her bat out to help us get points. Her fouls and touches counted yet the five of us had to clearly hit the ball into fair territory.

    Our three teams were pretty even as we neared the end, but Alisha and I took over thanks to my advantage in the 90mph cage. Which led to a fierce battle for number two. In the end, Noah and Logan stole second. Kaylee and Dalton came in third.

    "Geez. Learn to carry your weight." Kaylee elbowed Dalton. She looked at Noah. "Want to do another round, but this time we switch partners?"

    "What about them?" Noah gestured to me and Alisha.

    Alisha made a face. "You guys want to go again?" She held out her two arms. "I''m so tired already. I''m practically shaking."

    Kaylee looked at Noah. "We would have a better chance to beat Jake."

    I rolled my eyes.

    "Nah. It''s no fun if we have to really give him a handicap." Noah rejected. He looked at Alisha. "Well, we did what we wanted, so why don''t you pick next?"

    Alisha chose to go back inside and put our legs to work...at ''Dance Dance Revolution''. I made a face of distress and dropped my bag off near the wall.

    "You''re joking, right?" Dalton asked, putting his bag near mine.

    The others did the same.

    Alisha already started pulling out a couple of dollars. "Come on, it''s fun!"

    "They probably don''t think it''s fun because they''re bad at it." Noah said nonchalantly, already picking one of the spots.

    "Hey, I didn''t say that." Logan got up on the other one and started to stretch. "I might be a little rusty, but definitely not bad."

    The two of them started. Noah dominated per usual, but Logan really wasn''t bad. The girls went next, leaving Dalton and me to go last.

    "Be honest with me, Jake." He said in a low voice. "You''re not good at this either right?"

    My lips twitched. "Alisha makes us play this a lot..." I hinted that I wasn''t bad.

    "Oh man." Dalton said with some worry.

    I tried not to laugh. "Don''t worry, I''m not as good as Noah and the girls. Just follow the beat and look at the screen. We can pick something less difficult too."

    That didn''t help Dalton much. He was either too fast or too slow, not really catching the rhythm. Unexpectedly his errors started to mess me up too. We looked ridiculous and made the others laugh.

    We got lunch after a few more rounds and joked about this and that. After lunch, Alisha''s dad came by to give us all a lift to the park. It was a tight squeeze that made me a little anxious but the ride was over before I knew it.

    At the park, I was designated hitter and Alisha was in charge of collecting the baseballs thrown back to us from the other four. I actually liked this more than the cages once I found out I could make it difficult for them to make the catches. Hitting grounders though made me a little nervous. Especially when Noah told me I had to hit some hard ones at them so they could work on all types of grounders. I didn''t want to hurt anyone so I couldn''t commit to that as perfect as hitting fly balls.

 Chapter 1098 V3 Ch332 VS OLU (1)

    "OLU is a good team, boys." Coach said to us in the clubroom before warmups. A lot of us were still getting dressed or prepping our equipment. "We all know that we''re moving on to CIF. League champions are in the bag. But-"

    "But we want to finish strong and go undefeated!" Noah cut him off and took over. A few of the guys clapped, cheered, whooped and hollered. "These guys spoiled our season two years ago and blocked us out. We can''t give them the satisfaction of putting us down again. Even if it is symbolically."

    "YEA!" The seniors were the loudest.

    "You didn''t even play two seasons ago, you brat." Garret pulled him into a headlock.

    Today was the last regular season game and there was a sense of excitement all around. It was our last home game of the season since all playoff games were held at neutral sites. So a lot of classmates, friends, and family came out. Grampa said he would be here too.

    Coach came closer to me and addressed me directly. "If they do any close plays again, I''ll probably bench you. We need to keep you healthy for playoffs." His eyes drifted to Garret messing around with Noah. "You too, Garret."

    Garret let go of Noah and straightened up. "Yea, Coach. I get it." He grinned and looked around at the guys. "I believe we''ll win with or without me. Same with Jake. We''ve done a lot of different combos this season and it''s never stopped our team from winning. Let''s finish strong!"

    Coach posted the lineup before warmups.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 1B Sean Isner

    3 2B Jake Atkins

    4 CF Garret Knudsen

    ????????????????????????????????.????????????

    5 C Mitchell Torres

    6 3B Jason Morris

    7 P Kyle Atkins

    8 LF Logan Porter

    9 RF Korrey Alvarrez

    Bryce and Brian were both sent to the bullpen, but Coach told them to pay attention because they could still be used as pinch hitters. Meanwhile, Dave was banished to the bench, not having the slightest of chances to take the mound today.

    Kyle smirked. "Don''t worry. You''re not alone. I''ll handle this one on my own."

    "Such a ball hog." Garret snorted.

    Tyler gave him a small shrug. "You lead the innings pitched stat. Go away, man."

    Garret laughed and gave a small shrug. "What can I say? It''s not my fault that I can stay healthy. Plus, I''m the best. Shouldn''t I be the one seeing the most time?"

    The pitchers cracked jokes back and forth as we finished getting dressed. We took our gear out to the dugout and eventually started warmups with Garret in the lead.

    The closer we got to game time, the more and more the stands started to fill. Until it was standing room only. Just before the anthem, I checked the stands, looking for Mom and Dad and Grampa. I frowned when I ran out of time and had to face the flag out in center field.

    Then it was time for a small pep talk before taking the field. I grabbed my glove and listened as Garret shared some more encouragement, but it really sounded like he was going to blame Kyle for any hiccups we run into.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "You''re a shitty captain. Zeke wouldn''t say anything like that."

    Garret shrugged. "We all have our own styles." He grinned and started to jog out to center field.

    The rest of us headed to our respective positions.

    Kyle came out strong, throwing hard and fast. Fast and hard. The first batter went down swinging. The second batter pulled an outside pitch down the line, but Jason was on it. He fielded the ball to Sean at first for the second out. The third batter fouled a couple of pitches off before ultimately missing and becoming another strikeout casualty. I think you should take a look at

    I clapped with my glove for Kyle''s performance, but used my eyes to scan the people again.

    "Great job, Kyle! Keep it up!" I heard Dad''s booming voice coming from the bleacher behind our dugout.

    Kyle casually waved before going back inside the dugout. Hardly paying any attention to the compliments he received.

    Near Dad was a lot of familiar faces. I couldn''t resist waving when I saw that Jeremy and Rose were near them. And then I grinned when I saw Zeke behind them with Grampa. Everyone was here.

    Noah slapped my back to push me along. "Yes, yes, they''re here. Come on. We''re up."

    I blinked. "Aren''t you happy to see them?"

    "Of course." He grinned as we walked to our bags. "I can''t wait to get back out there and show them what I can do at the plate." He slapped my back again and started to switch his gear.

    I did too.

    Noah and Sean left the dugout first. I was in the hole with Garret right behind me.

    The pitcher on the mound wasn''t the same one as last time which was a little bit of relief. At least, just a smidge. I pointed it out to Garret and he simply shrugged.

    "Could be better or could be worse." He said. "You don''t really know until he starts working."

    The pitcher''s first pitch was sent back right up the middle, becoming the first hit of the game. From Noah.

    I smiled at Garret.

    He laughed and patted me on the helmet. "Still too soon. Besides, if he''s bad, would you really see any action?"

    Hmm. Good point. I left the dugout for the on deck circle.

    Sean swung and missed the first pitch for strike one. Pitch two went wide. Pitch three inside for ball two. Pitch four was also inside, but only a little bit and Sean connected, hitting it between the shortstop and third baseman.

    The shortstop made a diving stop. He checked second but saw Noah too close so decided to throw to first for the guaranteed out. Sean came back and it was my name announced as I walked to home plate.

    "Come on, Jake!"

    "You''ve got this!"

    "Bring him home!"

    "Jake! Jake! Jake!"

    A chant started and I resisted the urge to cringe. It''s okay if they want to show their support. Even if I mess up, they''ll cheer for me again. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out as I stepped in the batter''s box.

    The catcher didn''t say a word to the umpire and my fear of being intentionally walked was fading. I felt even more confident when the first pitch fell in for a called strike. That dampened the chant a little bit too.

    Mr. Miller gave me the sign to swing freely and I did so on the next pitch, pulling it down the left field line. I ditched the bat and started to sprint. I knew it wouldn''t make it over. Wasn''t perfect, but it''ll get the job done of getting Noah home for the first run of the game. 1-0. I made it to second base without a slide as the ball was returned to the infield.

    "That''s our boy!"

    I specifically heard Mom and looked to them in the bleachers. I smiled and resisted the urge to wave again as the whole family stood and clapped.

    Noah didn''t wave before but took this opportunity to do so as he headed back in the dugout.

 Chapter 1099 V3 Ch333 VS OLU (2)

    Unexpectedly, we didn''t get anything else done in the first inning. Garret got under a pitch and popped the ball high into the air. The catcher jumped up and tossed his mask out of the way and tracked the ball to make the catch. Mitchell did almost the exact same thing from the right side of the plate, leaving me stranded at second.

    I hurried back to the dugout and switched out my gear.

    Noah motioned for me to slow down. "No rush. Mitchell was last out and will take a few extra seconds to take the field." We walked out of the dugout together.

    "Did you see who else is here?" Noah covered his mouth with his glove as he spoke.

    I started to turn back to look, but he threw his arm around my shoulders to stop me. "Don''t be so obvious."

    "How am I supposed to know what you''re referring to then?" I asked, slightly confused.

    "I saw Kyle''s agent, Ryan." Noah moved his eyebrows up and down suggestively. "He was speaking to a couple of men. One that I recognized as Willie Ramsey, the cubs scout."

    "Okay?" I wasn''t getting it. ????????????????????????????????.????????????

    "So all those other men must be scouts too." His eyes started to shine. "Kyle''s really going to enter the draft."

    I let out a small laugh. "Yea? But we knew that already."

    "But it''s becoming real now." Noah said with excitement. "Last year with Zeke, it felt surreal. Like fake. He wasn''t going. He wasn''t going to change his mind either. Like even though he went in the first round and Kyle isn''t predicted to...I don''t know...it feels crazy. Like after graduation, Kyle will be heading off to a mysterious destination to play baseball all the time."

    Ah. I see where he was going with this now. Noah''s dream was the majors. Full time baseball player is his goal. Technically Kyle was closer to that goal than Zeke right now despite the difference in skill level.

    Noah clenched his fists. "I want all the balls to come my way. Let me make some outstanding plays and get noticed by scouts too."

    "I hope all the hits go your way too." I grinned and we separated to go to our own positions.

    Kyle and Mitch finally took the field and did a set of practice pitches. The rest of us threw the ball around and prepped for the inning.

    Kyle started the second inning against their cleanup hitter. The guy hit it right to Jason, who fielded it to Sean for the first out. I''m sure it made Noah upset that Jason had two chances now, yet he still had none.

    Kyle faced the fifth batter, a lefty that I slightly recalled being decent. I tensed up, ready for anything, especially since lefties were more likely to hit it my way. Unfortunately, he reached first due to a walk. Ball four was a borderline call that went his way and pissed Kyle off. Kyle did two check throws before pitching to the sixth batter. The guy smacked it back the way it came. I didn''t have a play at it, but Noah did. He scooped it up, sprinted to second base while making the transition to get the ball out of his glove, stepped on the base and threw to Sean at first.

    "Out!"

    "Out!"

    Double play. I bumped fists with Noah as we jogged back to the dugout.

    "That ump was a little picky." Kyle huffed as we all got inside the dugout.

    "Keep it in the nine box and it wouldn''t have been a problem." Noah told him. I think you should take a look at

    "It was definitely in the zone." Mitchell defended Kyle. "I have the best view. I can understand borderline calls, but that one most certainly have been a called strike three."

    "So he got lucky." Noah commented. He shrugged. "It happens. Nothing came of it so let it go." He gave Kyle a knowing look. "Don''t mess around."

    Kyle knocked him on the head. "I don''t want to hear that from you." He walked away to get ready for his at bat. He was second up after Jason.

    Jason led us off with a sharp lineout to center causing the whole dugout to sigh. It was that good, but the catch was better. Kyle did surprise us by connecting with a pitch on a full count, but the unsurprising part was that it went to the shortstop for a groundout.

    "Still can''t hit to save his life." Noah joked as he got up with his gear on. It was his turn to stand in the hole.

    Logan was back in the starting lineup for the first time in almost two weeks. Last time he started, he went 0-3 against Porterville with three ugly strikeouts. I don''t know what changed, but against OLU, he hit a flare to right field, dropping the ball in the grass for a base hit. He stood on first base, clapping his hands together with excitement. Korrey grounded out to end the inning though so that was a bit of a downer for everyone.

    Top of the third, Kyle dealt with the bottoms of OLU''s lineup. Batter seven hit a fly out to Logan in left. Then he got the next two guys to both strike out swinging.

    I was excited for the bottom of the third as we were back to the top of our lineup. That excitement really waned as both Noah and Sean struck out. I did my best to give a spark to the offense, hitting a single to right. Garret, on a full count, hit a single of his own and I got all the way to third. Runners at the corners for Mitchell. Garret stole second easily as the catcher kept an eye on me at third. Just as I thought that we had something going, Mitchell got jammed and popped out to third.

    "Chin up. It''s still early." Mr. Miller told me as we went back to the dugout together. "Besides, don''t you like it when it''s close? That means you won''t be benched so easily."

    I nodded in agreement. "Yea. That''s a good point." I smiled. "But an extra run or two wouldn''t hurt. One run just feels a little tight."

    Mr. Miller slapped my back before separating. "The team has it in the bag. You guys are the best team we''ve had at this school."

    It felt like that sometimes and maybe looked liked it on paper, but...I wouldn''t have minded Zeke batting after me again. The reassurance that he could drive me home.

    "You know, if you stole second before Garret''s single, you could have scored." Noah pointed out as I took off my helmet and put it away.

    I put my team hat back on and rolled my eyes.

    Noah laughed. "Hey. I''m just saying."

    "Maybe you could''ve stolen a base if you got on." Kyle poked him in a sore spot before leaving the dugout.

    "He''s not wrong." I smirked, grabbed my glove and hurried out.

    "You''ve changed, Jake!" Noah called out accusatory as we headed towards second.

    I grinned. "Don''t tell me to steal bases then."

    "Yea, yea, I know." Noah smiled back.

 Chapter 1100 V3 ch334 VS OLU (3)

    Top of the fourth was another good showing for Kyle. He repeated his first inning performance: Swinging strikeout. Groundout to Jason. Swinging strikeout.

    I thought Noah would complain to Jason about the grounders he had been hogging, but he let him go on his way. Maybe because Jason was first up for us again. Or maybe because Jason continued to struggle at the plate. He got jammed on a 1-1 pitch, hitting a slow roller to the mound. The pitcher charged the ball, barehanded it, and threw Jason out at first.

    In Jason''s defense, not much was going on for anybody. Kyle hit another grounder to short for the second out and Logan struck out swinging.

    We switched sides and Kyle got on the mound for the fifth time. He was back to their core, starting with cleanup again. On a 2-2 count, the guy connected and blasted the ball in the air. My head swiveled to look back, watching Garret chase it to the warning track. Garret reached the outfield fence, put his hand out to make sure he didn''t run into it, then he timed his jump, going up and came down with the ball.

    I let out the breath I didn''t realize I was holding.

    "Great catch!"

    "Good job!" ????????????????????????????????.????????????

    "Nice work!"

    "Nice catch!" Noah hollered as Garret threw the ball in to him. Noah then turned and threw it to Kyle. "One out, two to go!"

    "Two to go!" We echoed.

    The fifth batter came up. The lefty. We got in position and Kyle shook at Mitchell''s first pitch. Nodded at the second. He got set, did his motion, and pitched. The batter swung. Connected. And ran.

    I cringed as I looked to left field. Logan could only go so far whereas the ball could keep going. A mix of groans and cheers echoed around us. I looked to Kyle with worry. He wasn''t looking back at the ball. Nor at the runner rounding the bases. His eyes were on Mitchell and his glove was held up, signaling for a new ball.

    I looked to Noah. Noah waited for the runner to head to third before walking it in. I slowly followed along. Jason and Sean met us at the mound.

    "Okay, okay, I don''t need the pep talk so don''t crowd me." Kyle rolled his eyes.

    Mitchell was the last one to show up, handing the ball to Kyle instead of throwing it. "How about I say ''I told you so'' instead?" He shook his head lightly. "We know that guy was us good. We shouldn''t face him head on."

    "Running away is demoralizing." Kyle told him.

    Mitchell looked to me. "What do you think, Jake?"

    I looked Kyle in the eye, feeling a little sorry for him. "I like pitchers who like to face me head on too. It''s better for me. Demoralizing is getting a walk when I need a run."

    "Right." Noah agreed. "You basically gave them the momentum now."

    Kyle looked exasperated. "Damn. And here I thought it would be embarrassing for you guys to try to cheer me up after giving up a homer. It''s worse when you''re all lecturing me." He turned to Jason. "As a senior, shouldn''t you be in charge here?"

    "Honestly, I''m just here so I don''t look awkward just kicking dirt." Jason joked. "There''s a lot of eyes and I don''t want to get caught doing something dumb."

    "Like giving up a homer to the opposing star player?" Sean asked suggestively.

    "Screw you guys." Kyle started to shoo us off his mound. "Get out of here. Go! I''ll wrap this up soon enough."

    Kyle followed through, striking out the next guy and then a simple fly out to Garret in center for the last out to end their offense. He slapped his glove and headed for the dugout.

    "One hit, one run." Dave commented while nodding at his twin. "Very efficient. I would expect nothing less."

    Kyle threw his glove at him.

    Dave caught it and laughed. "Come on. It''s not that bad. You got right back on track. In front of your agent and all those scouts. It''s a good look. Don''t ruin it now by throwing a fit in the dugout."

    Kyle froze. Blinking at his twin blankly. "What?"

    Dave lifted an eyebrow. "What part are you stumbling on?"

    "My agent...with scouts...?" Kyle said in almost a whisper.

    "Oh man. You didn''t know?" Dave cringed.

    Noah split between the pair, ready to go out to the on deck circle. "Who cares? Just stick to what you''ve been doing. We''ve got this."

    Kyle immediately turned to me and put his hands together in a pleading posture. "Jake. We need the lead."

    I laughed and his ugly posture. "Noah says we''ve got this. You''re pitching very well." I tried to remind him. "Seven strikeouts in five innings."

    Kyle grabbed my hands. "Jake. I''m serious. We need the lead."

    I slowly nodded, realizing how serious he was taking this. "I''ll do my best."

    Our offense kicked off with a single from Korrey and we all started to move with excitement. Noah was up next and Sean was on deck. I got ready and stood in the hole.

    Noah fouled off the first two pitches and fell 0-2 in the count. The third pitch was low and outside. Just as I was thinking ball, the umpire shocked us all by ringing him up.

    "Strikeout!"

    Noah dropped his hands to the side and turned to the ump.

    "Get him back in here!" Coach ordered Sean.

    Sean, who was closest, got to Noah in seconds and pulled him back. He gave a helpful push to get noah back in the dugout.

    "What were you thinking?" Coach asked him. "Trying to get in trouble with the umps before playoffs? An ejection will still cost you a one game suspension."

    "I was just asking if he was sure." Noah grunted.

    I went out to the on deck circle as Coach started to lecture Noah, saying he shouldn''t do anything dumb right before playoffs. This game is important, but not risk it all important.

    Sean smacked a sharper liner to center. The outfielder only had to move a few steps in to make the catch for the second out.

    I walked up to the plate, trying to tune out the yells and cheers either for me or for the pitcher.

    The pitcher nodded and got set. His first pitch came. Low and outside. Similar to Noah''s strikeout pitch. I let it pass.

    "Strike."

    Groans and complaints could be heard all around.

    I got set again as the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher. They reset and the next pitch came. I fouled it down the line. Then the next one. And the next. I don''t know what compelled me to do so. Maybe the bad call on Noah. Maybe because the pitcher had been in for awhile now. Or maybe just because I didn''t want OLU to have the momentum, but I kept fouling the pitches off. Anything close, anything within reach.

    Finally one went too wide for the catcher. Korrey took off for second, advancing on that wild pitch.

 Chapter 1101 V3 ch335 VS OLU (4)

    Just as I thought we were all going to get set again, the catcher called for ''time'' and went to his pitcher on the mound. The other infielders went to join him too.

    I looked back to my dugout for help. Garret, who was on deck, waved me over as he slowly moved to Mr. Miller down the third baseline.

    "They''re probably discussing if they should walk you." Garret whispered under his hand.

    I frowned. "It''s a 1-2 count." I''m at a disadvantage.

    "You look like you''re just toying with him." Garret said.

    I stiffened, feeling a little guilty.

    Mr. Miller chuckled, reaching out to hold my shoulder. "You''re not in trouble for it. It wasn''t a bad decision."

    "If they walk you, it just means I can be the star." Garret grinned and patted my other shoulder.

    "Better do what you say, or you can expect a lot of grief from Kyle." Mr. Miller warned him. ????????????????????????????????.????????????

    "Hey, I already saved his butt once today." Garret replied. "He won''t be able to say much."

    The home plate umpire went to break up the meeting on the mound, signaling that it was time for the game to resume. Everyone got back into position including me getting back to the batter''s box. I was kind of expecting the catcher to stay standing or say something to the ump after Garret''s speculation, but he just squatted behind the plate.

    Okay? I got set and faced the pitcher. The pitcher got ready and threw a ball low and away; the catcher snatched it up and raised his glove a little bit.

    "Ball." 2-2.

    I made a face. This guy definitely wants to get me looking at a bad called strike. I know it. The ball went back to the pitcher and everyone got set again. The pitcher threw Mitchell will face a new, fresh arm with bases loaded.

    another low and away pitch, but I did my best to reach and poke at it. It was a bloop single to left and Logan was able to advance to third, only stopping with Mr. Miller''s guidance.

    Garret was up with us runners at the corners. Practically the same scenario as runners at first and second with two outs. There wasn''t room for a sac fly. Just as I was thinking that he definitely had to get a hit, the OLU coach came out to the mound, signaling a pitcher change. And if that wasn''t enough, the catcher notified the umpire that they''d be intentionally walking Garret.

    Mitchell will face a new, fresh arm with bases loaded.

    Or so I thought.

    Just as a new OLU pitcher was coming from their bullpen, we had a player coming from our bullpen: Bryce. He jogged to the dugout, and spoke with Coach.

    "Looks like he''ll be a pinch hitter for Mitchell." Coach Riley commented.

    Garret made his way to us and said the same thing.

    But I was more concerned with... "Who will be catcher then? Oscar?"

    Garret smirked as he glanced towards our dugout. "I have a feeling it''ll be your brother. Kyle is easygoing and doesn''t mind working with Oscar. But he probably feels a little tense now that he knows there are a lot of eyes on him today."

    Poor Noah. But it made sense. Noah could catch for the twins and was good at it. Bryce could cover for Noah when we go to the top half of the inning.

    When it looked like things were wrapping up with the changes and warmups, I jogged to second base. I fiddle with my glove straps as Bryce''s name was announced and he stepped up to the plate.

    Mr. Miller gave out the sign. Run on contact. That''s all we had to do. Korrey was fast enough to make it home on a passed ball or wild pitch too. With a good batter like Bryce up, we were in a good spot.

    Bryce really came through on the first pitch, sending the ball to left-center. I had my eyes on Mr. Miller as I sprinted to third, but I could already tell from the cheers that it was a hit. Korrey scored to make it 2-1. And Mr. Miller was waving me on. I stepped on third base and headed home. Korrey was holding Bryce''s bat and signaling no slide. I stepped on home plate. 3-1.

    I turned back and saw Mr. Miller holding Garret up at third as the ball was relayed in. Guess he didn''t want a close play at the plate when we already had the lead. Plus Garret can''t risk an injury from a collision with playoffs just around the corner.

    Korrey and I bumped fists and went back to an ecstatic dugout. We slapped hands with everyone and celebrated taking back the lead.

    Near the end of the line, I saw the unexpected: Mitchell helping Dave get catcher''s gear on.

    I looked at Noah after taking my helmet off. "I thought you would be the catcher?"

    Noah gave me a look of disgust. "Bro. Please."

    I laughed. I wanted to look for Kyle to see his thoughts on this but he was on deck as Jason was up to bat. "Does Kyle know?"

    "It was his idea." Noah enlightened me. "When Coach told us that he was going to bring Bryce in to pinch hit, he asked Kyle if he would be fine with Oscar otherwise he could ask me. He asked me and I turned him down flat. I catch enough at home. He then surprised all of us by asking Dave. Because he''s got a lot for him too at home."

    I nodded. It made sense. The twins used to catch for one another all the time before roping Noah in. "Dave just yes? Just like that?"

    "Yep." Noah shrugged. "Says he wants to surprise the family."

    I grinned. "I think they''ll be surprised. I was. I thought for sure it was going to be you."

    Noah laughed. "Jake. I wouldn''t even do it for you. Let alone for them."

    I kicked his cleat. "You''re such a liar. You did it once so you''ve already outed yourself."

    Noah laughed. "It was the exception. Not the rule." He tilted his head. "But ya know...if you really did pitch in a game. Maybe I would."

    I just shook my head. No way would I ever pitch. I didn''t have the arm for it. Or the confidence.

    Jason popped out to the pitcher to end the inning.

    Kyle came back, pausing in front of Dave. "You really ready for this? It''s a game. Not backyard ball."

    Dave stood, holding the catcher''s mask. "Of course I''m ready. It''s just like playing catch except someone''s trying to hit your pitch."

    "You boys get one run." Coach came over, standing between them. "You give up one run and Oscar is coming in."

    "Sounds fair." Dave shrugged.

    "Would I still be on the mound?" Kyle asked.

    "Depends on the situation and pitch count." Coach told him. "You''ve got to know that this game isn''t the end for us. Don''t push yourself too hard. We still need you for the playoffs."

    "I know, Coach." Kyle grinned. "These guys are just my warm up for the next one."

 Chapter 1102 V3 ch336 VS OLU (5)

    Top of the sixth.

    Dave, in all the gear, lifted his arm and waved to our group in the bleacher. His name and position was announced over the speaker system and I could hear quite a few seniors sounding surprised. Him and Kyle did a warmup and it looked good so I didn''t have any worries.

    It was obvious early on...that me, and everyone else for that matter, was taking this a little too lightly. Dave wasn''t a proper catcher or even a half-decent one. He was a pitcher that solely focused on himself and didn''t even entertain the thought of playing elsewhere.

    Kyle walked the lead off guy for OLU, batter eight in the lineup. He kicked the rubber in frustration. Noah jogged to the mound, waving us to join him.

    Dave came in last, not moving well in all the gear. "Damn, is the ump blind or what? He''s gotta be biased."

    "You''re the problem, you dope." Noah rolled his eyes. "You''re not framing the pitches and holding it. You''re moving too fast."

    "It shouldn''t matter if I hold it...right?" Dave looked around. "The umpire should be looking at where the ball crosses home plate."

    "Bro, it''s part of the game." Noah smacked Dave''s chest protector. "You guys think the catcher just catches? No. He plans. He positions. He poses. Trying catching the ball and just hold it for a second." He looked to Kyle. "And it wouldn''t be a problem if you threw close enough for these guys to swing and miss. Jesus. It''s like we''re in little league here."

    Kyle hit Noah on the head with his glove. "Shut up. That was a test run. We''ve got this. Stop being a control freak."

    Noah rolled his eyes again and gave a small shake of his head. "Well, it''s in your hands now whether you get to stay in or not. I believe in our bullpen even if you load the bases."

    "Get lost." Dave flicked Noah''s hat. He looked at the rest of us. "I''ll hold the ball a little longer. Don''t worry."

    We backed up to our fielding positions while the twins had an extra five seconds together before Dave started to walk back to home plate. A pinch-hitter was announced for the pitcher spot in the lineup.

    I was a little nervous as Kyle started his motion. He threw a fastball on the edge of the zone that the batter let go by. Dave made his catch, holding it.

    "Strike."

    I let out the breath I was holding. Dave threw the ball back to Kyle. "Good pitch!"

    The two started to sync up and the batter went down swinging for the first out of the sixth inning. Back at the top of the order, the leadoff guy ripped a hard one to right field. Korrey came sprinting in and made a dive at it. The runner on first hesitated whether to go back or not. Korrey jumped up, transitioning the ball from his glove to his right hand and threw a rocket to Sean at first. The runner dove back.

    "Safe!" The closest umpire declared.

    Sean threw the ball back to Kyle. "Two outs!"

    "Two outs!" We echoed.

    Kyle dealt with the next guy swiftly. He swung and missed three straight pitches becoming the ninth strikeout victim. Kyle and Dave met up as they entered the dugout, bumping fists.

    "I nearly had a mini heart attack." Mitchell told them as they went to the bench.

    Kyle started to get ready for his at bat. "Nah. We had it under control."

    "Yea. I just needed a reminder." Dave took off the helmet-mask and put it down beside him. "Man, it''s hard to breathe in this stuff. I don''t know how you do it when it''s hot out."

    Coach walked over, eyeing Kyle who already had a helmet on. "You want to go all the way?"

    "Always." Kyle grinned. He nudged Coach. "C''mon. It''s the last home game. Let me finish strong."

    "So selfish." Garret snickered.

    "Pot meet kettle." Kyle rolled his eyes.

    Coach looked to Dave. "If we get back to you in the order-"

    "Then that must mean we put some more distance between us and them." Dave finished for him. "Don''t worry, Coach. I won''t get hurt."

    Coach gave it some thought. "Okay. You two will finish as it is right now. But if I see a runner on second, we''re switching to Oscar. I don''t want to risk any collision or complications at the plate." He suddenly turned to me. "Jake, you''re done. Dalton will go in for you."

    "Brutal." Noah said to me as he got ready to bat too.

    "Garret. You''re done too." Coach announced. "Jesse, you''re in."

    I relaxed a little, wondering if I should untie my cleats.

    Bottom of the sixth didn''t hold much excitement for us. Kyle struck out swinging. Logan popped out to short. Then Korrey hit a long one to center but it couldn''t make it out of the park.

    Our guys went out and took the field for the top of the seventh.

    Garret slid over on the bench to get closer to me and Mitchell. "What a way to end the season. On the bench." He let out a dramatic sigh.

    Mitchell and I laughed along.

    "Hey, hey, the season isn''t over for us." Bryce joined our small group. "Three more wins and the season can be over for us."

    Garret grinned. "Heck yea. Gotta go out on top."

    "I wonder who our first opponent will be on Thursday." Mitchell said. "I want to know so I can look up some of their info. It''s hard facing good teams blindly."

    "We should know by tonight." Garret rubbed his hands. "And with no losses, we should be top dog. No visitors side for us."

    The three of them talked about the upcoming playoffs as we watched the seventh inning play out. Kyle got the third batter to pop up to Sean near first base. The cleanup hitter actually struck out...looking. It made Kyle look a whole lot better, having double digit strikeouts in his last regular season game.

    The lefty that was good came up next. He was good at fouling the hard to reach pitches, and then knocked the ball to right for a base hit, dampening some of the cheers for Kyle. The batter after him hit a sharp liner, but Noah was there to snatch it out of the air, diving into the dirt. He held up his glove and the umpire called it.

    That was game! The few of us in the dugout shared some high fives before going out and joining the others. The pitchers from the bullpen came out too as we started to have a small celebration on the field. Undefeated in the regular season.

    "C! I! F!"

    "C! I! F!"

    "C! I! F!"

    Someone in the stands started to chant and others joined in. So did we.

    I grinned as Noah and I shared a fist bump. He started to jump around and wave at the stands, yelling the chant at the top of his lungs.

    Kyle broke free from some of the other seniors and pushed my hat down before throwing his arm over my shoulders. "Thanks to you Jake, we had a great season. Going out on top is every senior''s dream."

    "Yea!" Dave pounced on us, squeezing in between. "So make sure to finish the job. I don''t want to see one out from you this postseason."

    I tensed up. But only for a second. Dave didn''t mean that literally. I soon forgot about it as the rest of the guys started to move around and we all congratulated one another.

 Chapter 1103 V3 ch337 Postgame

    We were slow to pack up and clean up.

    Coach used that opportunity to close things out. "We still practice tomorrow. Same time, same place. Don''t be late for any reason. The first playoff game is in three days. We can''t slack off in the slightest." He looked around, pausing at Garret and Dave. "Once we know our opponent, I''ll announce an official starter."

    "Shouldn''t it just be Dave and let Garret get the harder stuff?" Kyle shrugged. "We have the number one seed so we should get someone fairly bad."

    "No one will be ''bad''." Coach corrected. "These opponents are all league winners. If a certain team looks worse against lefties, I want Garret to take the lead. Nevertheless, both will be available to go on Thursday. The semifinals will be Monday if we move on, that gives everyone enough rest days no matter the pitch count."

    "When we move on." Kyle corrected.

    "Garret gets to play no matter what so I think I should get the start." Dave said.

    "Bro, you can''t punish me for being an all-rounder." Garret rolled his eyes. He looked at Coach. "We''ll do what you want, Coach." Just as Coach started to nod in approval, Garret continued. "I don''t care if I start or not, but I know I''ll finish it either way. A complete game for me or clean up after Dave messes up."

    Dave threw his glove at him. "You''re a terrible captain."

    As the three of them got into it, Coach rubbed the temples of his head, giving it a small shake. "I will not miss this next year."

    I kind of would. I started to feel sad at the thought.

    We finished cleaning the dugout, grabbed our bags, and started to go our own ways. Off with friends or family. Noah and I walked in front of the twins, leaving through a side gate closest to where we saw our family.

    Mom and Grampa stood there, waiting for us.

    "Mom! Did you see my last catch?!" Noah asked excitedly.

    Mom reached out and pulled him into a side hug. "Sure did! You have the best reflexes out there." She pulled me in next really quickly. "And you went 3-3 at the plate today." She moved on to Kyle. "And you did amazing on the mound, sweetie." She grinned at Dave. "And look at you, trying new things. I got plenty of pics on my phone."

    "It sure was a surprise." Grampa said. "You two always compete against one another. I never expected you two to work together."

    "That sounds like a backhanded compliment, Gramps." Dave laughed. He looked around. "Are the others busy?"

    "Zeke went to talk to some of his friends." She looked to Kyle. "Your father went with Ryan to talk to a couple scouts." She looked to me next. "Jeremy and Rose should be in the parking lot. I think he was asked to sign some autographs and take some pictures. Especially from the visiting team''s families."

    I shrugged, used to it. "I''m not bothered by it. It''s not like I''m the one who has to sign."

    Noah laughed. "It won''t be long!"

    I made a face of disgust.

    look at us. We love baseball and we don''t even collect autographs "Don''t worry, Jake." Kyle told me. "I''ll be signing autos before you. Just in a month or two."

    Dave snorted. "Who wants some minor leaguer''s autograph? Just look at us. We love baseball and we don''t even collect autographs from the minors."

    "We love the game in a different kind of way." Kyle argued. He looked at Mom. "Do you think I should go over to Dad and Ryan?"

    Mom nodded immediately. "Yes, that''s a good idea. But be on your absolute best behavior." She gave a warning look. "Try not to say anything you might regret."

    "Mom, I''m not twelve." Kyle rolled his eyes. He then tossed his bag at his twin. "Hold that." Then he jogged off.

    Dave held the bag out at Noah. "Here. Take this."

    Noah shook his head. "No way. I''m not a sucker like you."

    Dave turned to me. "Then this duty belongs to the youngest." He came towards me.

    Instinctively, I accepted the bag.

    Noah slapped me on the arm. "Are you for real right now?"

    I gave a small shrug. "It''s just until the car."

    Noah rolled his eyes and took the bag from me. "Dude. You can''t just let them bully you." He glanced at Mom.

    She let out a small laugh. "Okay, okay, it''s just a bag. I''ve seen the twins and Zeke help with bags all the time. You guys also parked in the closest spot."

    "Mommmm." Noah complained. Yet...he carried Kyle''s bag the whole way back to the family car. Dave unlocked the car and we loaded the trunk.

    I spotted Jeremy waving to the visiting team''s bus as he slowly walked away with Rose beside him. They joined us, congratulating us on the win.

    Jeremy spoke directly to Dave first. "That was your first time behind the plate in a game setting?"

    Dave grinned. "Yea. Not bad, right?"

    Jeremy laughed. "I was worried at first, but Zeke assured me that Coach would replace you in a heartbeat if it looked bad." He got serious. "But what really shocked me was the signs. I know you gotta know the signs as the pitcher, but I guess I just didn''t think you could give them out too."

    Dave shook his head. "We just did a simplified version. The kind we use in the backyard. Noah knows it too."

    Jeremy looked at me. "Looks like you''re left out."

    I smiled. "That''s something I don''t want to know. Catcher is probably the hardest position."

    "It requires too much thinking." Noah said. "Thank god we''ll have Mitch for another season. He''s steady as a rock. Anyone that can put up with the twins and Garret has to have the patience of a saint."

    "Noah." Mom said in a warning tone.

    Noah shrugged. "Do you hear Dave denying it?"

    All eyes shifted to Dave. He scratched his cheek. "Well...it wouldn''t be good if we had someone super controlling." He made a face. "Like Jordan early last year. He only worked with Garret. No love lost here."

    "Is he playing college ball?" Noah asked. Jordan never rejoined the team after Coach shuffled the roster last season after a big blowup.

    "Yea, some school up in Oregon."

    They talked a little bit about a few other former seniors until Zeke showed up.

    "Surprised you could come down on a Monday." Dave said.

    "Yea, don''t you have classes and practice?" Noah added.

    Zeke explained. "We got back from SoCal late last night so Coach called off practice, but I still did weights and cages in the morning. Skipping the occasional class isn''t going to kill me."

    "I''m going to pretend I didn''t hear that." Mom covered her ears.

    "You already miss a lot of school during baseball season." I pointed out. Zeke''s games sometimes require flights, plus they play multiple days in a row. He must be tired.

    "Did you guys show up together?" Noah looked from Zeke to Jeremy to ask.

    "Yea, I called Zeke once I figured out I could make today''s game." Jeremy gave a tight smile. "I won''t be able to make any of your playoff games this year."

    "It''s not a good look to be playing hooky." Noah joked.

    "The off days just didn''t line up right." Jeremy sighed. Then smiled and gave us two thumbs up. "But I know you guys will be repeat champions again. You''re destined to have a perfect season."

    Noah looked to Zeke. "Does your schedule have conflicts too?"

    Zeke nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. "Thursday night we have to fly to Utah. Monday, I might be able to make it depending on the location. Finals, we have a home game against Gonzaga."

    "Tough team." Dave whistled.

    "If you can make it all the way down here today, then you can definitely make it to next Monday." Noah declared.

    Zeke''s lips slowly upturned. "Not if it''s eastbound. Traffic would be too much to fight. Plus we have a game Tuesday so I have to get some rest."

    "Rest when you''re dead." Noah told him.

    "Noah James!" Mom said sharply.

    Zeke laughed though. "Ok. If I make it, I''m going to expect you guys to travel for my postseason games too."

    "To Omaha!" Dave pumped his fists, excitedly naming the destination of the College World Series.

    "Isn''t that next month?" Jeremy asked, unsure. "Won''t high school still be in session?"

    "We should be hosting the Regionals." Zeke stated with confidence. "Those will be home games. Either at night or on the weekend."

    "We''ll be there, right Mom?" Noah asked.

    Mom nodded. "Of course. We''ll try to make every single game within reason." She glanced at Dave. "Omaha might be out of the question."

    "Why?" Dave dropped his shoulders in depression.

    "A lot is going on in June." Mom pursed her lips. "Kyle has his draft early on. After graduating, who knows where he''ll go or what kind of help he''ll need. The younger two have their round two tryouts for the regional team which we know will require an overnight stay."

    Dave went over to Grampa and put his hand on his shoulder. "What do you say, old man? How do you feel about a trip to the Midwest?"

    Grampa grinned. "If Zeke and his team can get there, I see no reason why we can''t go to cheer them on."

    "We definitely have to go too." Noah clenched his fists.

 Chapter 1104 V3 ch338

    Mom wouldn''t make any guarantees for next month. There were just too many things in the air.

    Dad, Kyle, and Ryan joined us as Noah and Dave made their pleas.

    Kyle was stunned when he realized he wouldn''t be there if Zeke''s team made it that far. I think having his agent around and talking to a few scouts, it really hit him how fast things were moving. He looked to Jeremy. "When did you start playing in the minors? Was it almost immediately after the draft? Or like a week after?"

    "Every draftee will be different." Jeremy told him. He looked to Ryan. "Your agent should be able to give you a better idea of the time range."

    Ryan took over. "It can be as soon as a couple days or as long as a month." He explained. "After getting drafted, besides the congratulatory calls and some celebrating, the organization will send us an initial contract. From there, you can either just say good, sign it, and be on your way. Or we can hit the negotiating table and try to get what we think you''re worth. It also depends on what the organization''s intentions are. Are they sincere? If not, and they try to lowball you, then maybe you do go to college with your brother and hope for a higher draft pick in a couple of years."

    "Imagine all this buildup just to end up going to college with Dave." Noah laughed.

    I let out a small laugh too.

    "It''s called leverage." Kyle glared at us for a second.

    I stopped laughing, but Noah didn''t. He was adamant. "That''ll be a no for me. No matter the draft pick round or how much money there''ll be, I''m going pro."

    "You wouldn''t consider playing college with Jake? Or even Zeke if he''s still at Stanford?" Jeremy asked, interested.

    "It''s a no for me." Noah stated firmly.

    A few of us laughed.

    "I still want you using up your five school visits, young man." Mom told him. She looked to me next. "You too. If Zeke can change his mind, maybe Noah will too."

    "Mom, I''ll do the visits, but I guarantee you. I''m going pro." Noah said. "Even if I''m the very last pick. Or heck, even undrafted. I''ll find my way there."

    Noah was so determined that I had no question in my mind that he would go. I grinned. "I bet he doesn''t even stick around for graduation."

    Noah laughed.

    "Don''t even consider it." Mom pointed at Noah, threatening. "I will see every one of my boys cross that stage even if I have to get your father to drag you across."

    Noah glanced at Dad. "I think I can take him."

    We laughed and joked before settling down to pick a restaurant to eat at. As a friend of Rose, Ryan fit right in and it helped that all we talked about was baseball. It was the biggest part of the Atkins family.

    After dinner and before going our own ways, Ryan asked Dave straightforwardly his opinion on going pro one more time. "I got some feelers out there and your potential pick isn''t terribly low. Are you a hundred percent certain that you want to go to Vanderbilt?"

    Dave hesitated for a second. But then shook his head. "No. I''m not ready."

    "Do you simply ''think'' you''re not ready?" He pressed. "There''s plenty of good coaches in the minors system."

    Which I thought was a good idea. Dave was always a little more insecure than Kyle. I noticed it last year when he hit a rough patch and you could see his frustrations when he got hurt a couple of times this year. He could smack talk with his twin easily, but did he really mean it?

    "No, it''s not the path for me." Dave rubbed the back of his neck. "I already know the coaches at Vanderbilt and what to expect. There''s no guarantee that the quality will be on par. I want to be able to throw 100mph before taking that next step." He laughed. "Who knows? Maybe I''ll beat Kyle to it. Then we''ll really know who made the better decision."

    Kyle elbowed him. "In your dreams." He looked at Ryan. "If anyone tries to give me a bad deal, make sure they know I''m not afraid to going to college with my twin. We would absolutely dominate the collegiate level."

    "Would it be crazy to ask you to transfer if they do end up going together?" Dad glanced at Zeke. "Who knows what kind of havoc they would wreck."

    Zeke gave a small smile. "I think you''ll be safe, Dad. Kyle will go higher than you or he anticipates."

    We broke up for the night after saying goodbyes. Jeremy and Rose would take Zeke back to school and Ryan was going back on his own. Mom and Dad took us in one car while the twins took Grampa.

    We beat them home and hurried to shower first. After our showers though, the twins weren''t in a hurry. They were looking at a laptop together and had grim looks on their faces.

    "What''s up?" Noah came back just a second after me, having used the hallway bathroom.

    "Feels like our birthday came early and someone is pranking us." Dave muttered, straightening up, stretching his back. "I''m going to shower. You can fill them in." He grabbed his pjs and went to the bathroom.

    "Who pissed him off?" Noah asked and we both got closer to Kyle.

    "The playoffs have been officially set. Game times, locations, and matchups are up." Kyle tapped his desk. "We got someone we faced before."

    "Really?" Noah was taken aback. "Who could it possibly be?"

    I made a face. "Don''t tell me San Marino." That team made me feel sick to my stomach with their game-style.

    "West Valley Preparatory." Noah read off the website. He looked at Kyle in disbelief. "Are they doing this on purpose? No way these guys are the lowest seed."

    West Valley was not just someone we faced before. They were our last opponent of the season. Of the playoffs. We beat them to be champions. I could see why Dave was a little upset now. It wasn''t like he was bad in the finals or anything. In fact, he came in for Garret and did his job of holding things down. Three innings, one run. The only problem was...we were losing at the time. His ball also got put into play a whole lot. Only one strikeout in those three innings. I think he knows that Coach will be going with Garret.

    Garret gave up two runs in that game, but it was probably a fluke. The first three innings, he was perfect and racking up some seriously impressive strikeouts. Then he ran into trouble in the fourth.

    "I wish I didn''t hit my pitch count today after all." Kyle sighed. "Another missed opportunity for me." He glanced at us. "You guys worried?"

    "Nah." Noah back up and headed for bed. "We beat them once, we can beat them again."

    I made a face. "I wish it was somebody new."

    "Not afraid of the unknown, all of the sudden?" Kyle joked.

    My lips twitched. "These guys intentionally walked me twice last year. Not exactly looking forward to Thursday." I headed for bed too.

    "Oh right." Kyle shook his head slowly. "And then they made the mistake to pitch to you in the seventh. They probably won''t make the same mistake twice. Especially now that you''re a home run machine."

    "It''ll be up to Garret then." Noah commented, glancing at the bathroom door. "Maybe Dave will get the start...?"

 Chapter 1105 V3 ch339 CIF Quarterfinals: West Valley Prep (1)

    Coach had an answer for us at the beginning of practice. "Garret gets the start."

    "Don''t worry." Garret said. "I''ll finish them off this time. No mistakes."

    "Make sure to stretch properly this week." Coach told him before addressing the team. "I''m going with our strongest hitters so Bryce and Brian will not be in the bullpen. West Valley had quite a few strikeouts against us last year. Especially early on with their starter. They''re a good school with a program that can consistently make it to the playoffs. However, they like to pitch around the best players." He looked directly at me. "Jake. Today and tomorrow, I want you working on steals."

    "Steals?" My jaw dropped.

    "All kinds of baserunning." Coach told me. "I''ll send you off with Miller and a few others. You''ll work on real scenarios and try to get comfortable before Thursday."

    I made a face but didn''t say anything. I had to do what I could for the team.

    "Noah." Coach turned to him next. "We''re going to put your bunts to work this week. We''re going to play small ball and advance our primary baserunner, Jake. He''ll leadoff and you''ll follow. Your only job is to advance him to the next base."

    "So I won''t have to steal?" I scratched my cheek, feeling awkward about speaking up, but I needed to know where I stood in this game plan.

    "We''re keeping options open, Jake." Coach gave a small smile. "There''s always a chance that they pitch to you too, ya know."

    I perked up. "That''d be nice."

    A lot of the guys laughed.

    Coach started to dish out assignments of what he wanted everyone to work on. A lot of the starters got to work in the cages with me and Garret being the biggest exceptions.

    Tuesday and Wednesday passed by quickly. In class, I felt like the teachers were more lenient with assignments and coincidentally, none of them arranged tests for Friday. Our classmates were excited for us, talking about how the school was going to arrange a student bus to go to the game and that they would be there to cheer us on.

    I tried to not panic over them being there. I couldn''t be like Noah and use them as fuel to do better. But I could handle it. As long as I didn''t make any big mistakes.

    "Not gonna lie, I feel like your team is hogging all the attention here." Kaylee told Noah and I on Thursday morning in Chemistry.

    "It''s because we''re going for back-to-back champs." Noah shrugged. "But don''t worry. We know your league champions too."

    "It''s not official until after tomorrow''s game." Kaylee said. She glanced our way. "You guys coming?"

    "Its away isn''t it..?" Noah looked unsure.

    "Yea. It''s fine if you don''t." She shrugged, looking unbothered.

    "It''s not that we don''t want to." Noah told her. "But if we win today, there''s going to be practice tomorrow. Then by the time we finish practice and get to your game..."

    "I said it''s fine." Kaylee glanced at him. "Our quarterfinals game is Tuesday. You can try to make that one. Should be at night like yours. Maybe the school will put together a bus of students for us too."

    "They have to!" Noah declared. "Don''t worry. I''ll talk with the athletic director to make sure it''s the same for the both of us."

    Kaylee hummed, looking down at her homework we were about to turn in.

    I could feel that she was a little down, but I didn''t know what to do or say. I could only follow Noah and hope to go to the playoff game on Tuesday to cheer her on.

    The school day felt a little long as everyone wished us luck for the game tonight. A lot of them said they would go, taking the bus arranged. Noah used that opportunity to talk up the softball team, getting a lot of the guys interested.

    After school, we met up with the twins and went down to the car by the field. We ditched our backpacks completely, only taking our baseball gear with us. We boarded the nearly empty bus, each taking a seat of our own. Noah and I sat across from one another. He tossed me a bag of trail mix to snack on, then got comfy for a nap. I had the urge to try to do the same, but I just couldn''t find that feeling.

    It took us a little over an hour to reach the neutral location, a community college somewhere between us and San Francisco. It was a new spot we''ve never been to, putting me a little on edge. It didn''t help that there were a lot of students roaming around and our arrival drew some attention. I shuffled my feet as we walked towards the field, trying to keep close to Noah.

    He noticed. "You good?"

    I nodded. "Yea, it''s just...new."

    Noah grinned. "Yea, but it''s not like a whole lot has changed. We still have a dugout and we still play the same game." He gestured for me to look around. "And it''s a small place. Practically the same as our home field. You''ve played in bigger locations. Like at Stanford."

    I nodded again.

    "Don''t forget to do some of your breathing exercises." Noah reminded me. "This is just another day at the fields."

    "Sure. Sure." I started doing some breathing exercises and relaxation techniques that Dr. Moore taught me.

    As home team, we chose the dugout that we were most used to, so we took up space in the third base dugout. We spread out and changed into cleats, preparing our equipment.

    Coach also used this time to give out the lineup early.

    1 2B Jake Atkins

    2 SS Noah Atkins

    3 CF Bryce Finn

    4 1B Sean Isner

    5 RF Brian Swoope

    6 LF Korrey Alvarrez

    7 3B Jason Morris

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Garret Knudsen

    "Why is Garret at the end? Doesn''t it feel a little counterintuitive?" Jason looked confused. As did most of us.

    Coach answered. "I want his focus to mainly be on pitching. Hitting is secondary to him today. He won''t get a lot of appearances being at the bottom, but remember, right after him is Jake. We can make things happen. There are endless possibilities."

    "I''ll get the job done on both sides, you guys." Garret declared confidently. "Even without me getting an extra at bat, I think our lineup is solid. We''ll accomplish our goal today."

    "Yeah!" Noah agreed immediately. "Three wins to go! Come on you guys!" He got the dugout charged up with excitement.

 Chapter 1106 V3 ch340 CIF Quarterfinals: West Valley Prep (2)

    After warmups and batting practice, the stands started to fill up. Really fill up. The bus from our school came with 50-60 students. That was just the tip of the iceberg. There were still classmates that showed up with friends and family. My shoulders started to feel heavy and it felt a little harder to breathe.

    Until Noah slapped me on the back. "Why do you even look if you know it makes you uncomfortable?"

    I swallowed a lump in my throat. "I like knowing where Mom and Dad are."

    "Let me look." Noah scanned the crowd. "Okay. I see them. With Gramps. And hey, even Ryan came." He let me look, pointing out the small group. Near them, I could see Kaylee with her friends. Not far from them was Marie and a few other softball players.

    I relaxed, letting out a long breath of air. Everyone that was supposed to be here, made it. I glanced at Noah. "Why do you think Ryan came? Kyle can''t pitch at all today." He had to rest for the mandatory three days.

    "Maybe to network with the scouts that show up?" Noah shrugged. "Nothing wrong with him coming. It''s basically his job to get Kyle''s name out there and for him to be present, ya know."

    "That makes sense." I nodded. "I kind of like the idea of having an agent."

    "You do?" Noah was surprised.

    "Well...as long as I know him, I guess." I shrugged. "It kind of sounds like a buffer. Like how Kyle doesn''t have to talk to all these strangers or anything. Ryan does it for him."

    "He''s his representative." Noah said. "Agents represent what you want or need. I can see how that would be a good thing for you." He grinned. "I bet it would help you even more if Mom or Dad were your representatives."

    I nodded. "That would be perfect."

    Noah laughed while giving me a shove. "Dude, they''re real estate agents. They don''t know the ways of the baseball world."

    I grinned. "Yea, but neither do I."

    "You need a pro." Noah said. "You know, if Ryan works out well with Kyle, maybe we should jump onboard too. Kyle''s like our guinea pig. He''s going before us, so if any mistakes happen, we can learn from them."

    "Excuse me?" Two heavy hands landed on our shoulders.

    Noah peered up at Kyle. "Oh hey. We were just talking about you."

    "Yea? By comparing me to a rodent?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.

    "It''s just an expression." Noah swatted his hand away. He pushed Kyle''s other hand off of me too. "Don''t grab Jake like that. He''ll jump out of his skin."

    "He didn''t even jump that time." Kyle defended, yet still looked me in the eyes to make sure I''m okay.

    "Okay, okay, let''s get this party started!" Garret hollered as he came back to the dugout with Mitchell. The pair had already checked in with Coach and showed some eagerness to take the field.

    Everyone fixed their hats, checked their cleats, and grabbed their gloves.

    We did a small pre-game ceremony of sorts, singing the national anthem, announcing starting lineups for both sides, then we all started to move. Our relief pitchers, including Dave, headed for the bullpen in the outfield. Guys like Kyle, Logan, Dalton, and Jesse stayed in the dugout. Us starters jogged to our positions.

    Garret''s very first pitch was put into play; a routine grounder to Noah at short. He dealt with it easily and grinned as he hollered, "One out! Two to go!" No doubt, he was feeling like he might get more action his way.

    However, the second batter was dealt with Garret and Garret only. Garret didn''t use his fastball, immediately going to the cutter with this guy. The batter went down swinging, becoming the first strikeout victim of the night.

    The third batter came up next. He swung and missed the cutter. Then he fouled off Garret''s still new slider. 0-2. Garret threw a fastball inside and the batter swung and connected, ripping a line drive right at Jason. Jason made the catch and the inning was over.

    "Three up, three down. My favorite phrase." Noah said to me as we to the dugout.

    I nodded in agreement and we both started to get ready for our plate appearances. It''s been a long time since I led off to start the game. Not since our rematch with University Prep back in February. It doesn''t mean much in the grand scheme of the game, but it does ensure that I''ll have the most at bats on my team.

    Noah and I left the dugout at the same time, giving each other some room for practice swings. The umpire called for the warmup baseballs to be thrown back and for the game to start again.

    "NOW BATTING, SECOND BASEMAN, JAKE ATKINS." My name was announced as I walked up to home plate.

    The catcher was already speaking with the umpire. "We''re intentionally walking him."

    The umpire gave me the sign to take my base. I ditched the bat and started to jog to first. All of a sudden ''boos'' and jeers rain down. It took me a second to realize it was for the pitcher and West Valley.

    Coach Riley gave me a look as I stood on the bag. "Be ready."

    I nodded lightly, taking a small lead as Noah''s name was announced. Mr. Miller didn''t have to give any sign from his coach''s box as we already knew the game plan. We had been working on it for the last two days. As soon as that pitcher let go of the ball, I had to take off. Either Noah would lay down the bunt or he''d let it go and I would try to steal. We were going to be aggressive right away.

    The pitcher got set, as did Noah. The pitcher lifted his leg, starting his motion, and as soon as I knew he was committed, I took off. My eyes stayed on second, however I could hear the sound of Noah''s bat making contact. And then...a lot of groaning.

    "Jake! Get back!" Someone yelled, but it was too late. The second base umpire pointed at me and signaled out.

    I slowed up, glancing back at first. The first baseman threw the ball back to his pitcher. Still a little unsure of what had happened, I jogged back to my team''s dugout. That''s where I found out that Noah botched the bunt, popping out to the pitcher, who then threw me out at first. Oops.

    I made a face of distress.

    Noah shook his head as we both started to take our helmets off. "That was crap. All on me. Don''t think too hard about it."

    "Then you let it go too, kid." Garret came over, standing by as we sat down.

    "I''m not one to overthink like Jake." Noah commented. He sighed. "It''s just not the start I had imagined for us."

    "Hey, hey. We''ll get on the board soon enough." Garret said.

    It just wouldn''t happen this inning. Bryce popped out to short to end the inning.

    We put on our hats, grabbed our gloves, and took the field for the top of the second.

    Garret started with the cleanup hitter, who smacked a pitch to left-center field. Korrey got there first to make the catch for the first out. The next batter pulled a pitch far left, down the line, into the corner. Korrey made a sliding catch, saving it before it touched the grass.

    I applauded with the crowd on the great play. Just as I was wondering if something was going on with Garret, he struck out the very next guy to end the side. Another three up, three down. Can''t complain.

 Chapter 1107 V3 ch341 CIF Quarterfinals: West Valley Prep (3)

    "You doing okay?" I heard Coach ask Garret when we entered our dugout.

    "Yea, I just think they''re rather good at connecting with my fastball." Garret shared his thoughts. He and Mitchell sat together to talk about the pitch selection. I heard him saying he wanted to use his cutter and slider more, using the fastball less or at least using it out of the zone.

    "I''m happy that you aren''t a pitcher." I told Noah.

    "What?" Noah let out a small laugh. "Where did that come from?"

    I gestured to the pair that were talking strategy. "If you were a pitcher, you would be like them. And then you would try to get me to be like you."

    "I wouldn''t force you to be like me." He denied.

    I raised an eyebrow. "You play infield; I play infield. You run a lot; I have to run a lot."

    Noah started waving his hands, getting me to stop. He laughed some more too. "Okay, stop right there. You play infield because you have a weak arm." He gave me a pointed look. "You''re stronger now, so you can play outfield if you want. Coach would let you."

    I cringed.

    "And you had to run a lot because you were out of shape. I don''t force you on my early morning runs anymore. These are all coincidences. We have two brothers that pitch, and none of us catch." I opened my mouth to refute, but he covered it with his hand. "I''m not a catcher. That was an exception. I like to play baseball, okay?"

    I nodded and he took his hand away.

    "I''m more into the action and less into the mind games that batteries try to play. It''s not very interesting." He turned his attention to the pitcher on the mound as the bottom of the second inning started. "I rather hit and get on base too. Offense is where you win games. Defense is where you lose them."

    That wasn''t the first time Noah told me that. I grinned. "Catchers can play offense too."

    He nudged me. "Zip it."

    Sean started our half of the inning with a pop out to short. Brian got it a little further, but the center fielder was able to run in to make the catch. Korrey struck out on a foul tip to end the side.

    We took the field for the top of the third inning, but it was all Garret and Mitchell. West Valley''s bottom three batters all struck out swinging. Garret and Mitchell had planned well, utilizing his breaking balls to corner them and then throw a fastball outside of the zone to get them to chase. Garret was perfect through three. And now would get his first at bat this inning.

    But first, Jason and Mitch.

    Jason led off with a bloop single over the second baseman and I immediately finished getting ready for my at bat.

    "If we load the bases, it would be interesting to see if they walk you." Noah rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

    "Don''t jinx it." I told him, exasperated. These were the kind of games that I hated the most. I stood near the entrance and was zoned in on Mitch''s at bat. Just get on, I prayed. Mitch just couldn''t connect though. He swung and missed, three times. He came back to the dugout with an apologetic look.

    "Hey, hey, don''t mind." Kyle greeted him back inside as I moved to the on deck circle.

    Garret stepped into the lefty''s box and the catcher squatted down. I gripped my bat tightly, feeling a little more than annoyed that they were willing to pitch to Garret. I wanted to have a chance to hit, but now I wished for Garret to hit a home run. Make them regret pitching to him.

    Garret pulled the first pitch just foul of the right field line. The very next pitch, he straightened it out and the line drive dropped before the right fielder could get there. Jason rounded second to sprint to third. The ball was relayed in and the second baseman tried to throw Jason out at third.

    "Safe!" The umpire gave his ruling.

    Garret clapped his hands at first. Jason called for ''time'' and stood up to dust himself off.

    My name was announced and I headed for the batter''s box, eyes on the catcher and umpire. I held my breath and gripped my bat, begging in my head for the guy to squat down.

    "We''re intentionally walking him." The catcher notified the umpire.

    I made a face of disgust, feeling...mad. Unbelievably mad. I tossed my bat back towards the dugout and jogged to first, pushing Garret to second. The crowd was already booing and I wanted to join in.

    Coach Riley nodded at me as I got on first.

    "You''ve got this Noah!"

    "Come on, Noah!"

    "This is our chance!"

    "Drive them home!"

    It felt like everyone was here for Noah. I couldn''t hear any chants for West Valley. Maybe they didn''t bring in a bus of students like we did.

    Mr. Miller gave the sign for everyone to run on contact. We had to try our best to avoid any double plays. Noah wasn''t going to be able to bunt with bases loaded and the play being at home plate. At least, not when he was unsuccessful in his first at bat.

    I took my lead off first base, trying to push myself beyond being comfortable. The pitcher''s focus should be the guy closest to scoring. Plus, he faced Jason.

    "More Jake." Coach Riley said.

    I gritted my teeth and took that extra step.

    The pitcher threw his first pitch to Noah. Noah swung and missed and I went back to the bag to reset. The next pitch was a ball. Then a foul for strike two. A ball in the dirt, but the catcher made a clean pick of it. 2-2, Noah made contact, almost hitting a grounder at me.

    I jumped to avoid the ball and raced to second, choosing to dive head first at the bag.

    I heard cheering and peeked around to see what had happened. Noah was out at first. Garret stood on third. And Jason was at home plate, picking up Noah''s at bat. The second baseman must have only had a play at first. I let out a long breath of air, relieved. We didn''t come up empty-handed. 1-0.

    I made sure the ball went to the pitcher at the mound before getting up and shaking some dirt off. Bryce came up next, and Mr. Miller gave the sign to run on contact again. There were already two outs, no chance of a double play.

    I was signaled to take a bigger lead, and I tried. I had to remind myself that it was hard for a pitcher to pick off the runner on second, especially with someone fast like Garret on third. The pitcher really didn''t pay me any mind as his focus was solely on Bryce at the plate. He didn''t even care to check on Garret at all. It was a good idea considering he got Bryce out last time, but luckily for us it didn''t work.

    Bryce hit the ball up the middle and we were off. Mr. Miller waved me on to go home and I tagged third and went. Garret got the bat out of the way and was signaling for me to slide. I made another dive for it, unsure if it was the best idea. I felt the plate under my hand and a beat later, a heavy slap landed on it.

    "Safe!!"

    The crowd roared as I got up.

    3-0.

    I slapped hands with Garret and we headed back to the dugout together.

 Chapter 1108 V3 ch342 CIF Quarterfinals: West Valley Prep (4)

    "Bryce just had to show me up." Noah muttered, yet he had the biggest grin of any of us. He slapped me on the shoulder. "Good run. I think you''ve really perfected your dive."

    My eyes widened. "Do you really think so?"

    Noah nodded. "Absolutely."

    "Don''t lie to him." Kyle slapped Noah on the back of his head. "You''ll just make him feel worse the next time he gets called out."

    "It''s called building confidence." Noah pushed him away. "Don''t worry, Jake. You look the best you''ve ever been."

    My face twitched and I glanced at Kyle.

    "Eh, just hope no one took a picture of your form just now." Kyle patted my shoulder.

    I sighed and sat down. "It''s okay if it doesn''t look so good. As long as I''m safe, I''ll live."

    Sean got jammed and popped out to short. Followed by a fly out to center by Brian and our inning was over.

    Top of the fourth we took the field with Garret having to go through the West Valley lineup for the second time. The first batter in the order ripped a hard liner. Noah was there to snatch it out of the air, jumping an incredible height. He landed on his feet and the crowd cheered him on for his good catch. Noah tossed the ball back to the mound underhanded.

    Garret caught it and pointed at Noah. "Sportscenter Top Ten play!"

    Noah grinned and tipped his cap.

    Garret faced the next batter, and on a 1-2 count, the guy barely connected on an outside pitch, popping it into foul territory. Sean chased it back and Brian was coming in.

    "I''ve got it!" Sean waved him off and caught the foul ball for the second out. He smiled and flipped the ball to Brian.

    Brian then threw it to me and I threw it to Garret. Everyone got back into position as the third batter was announced. He stepped up to the plate and Garret got set. Garret started his motion, threw what looked to be his cutter, and the batter swung and connected, earning a base hit to left. Korrey caught it on the hop and hurried to throw it back in to Noah, holding the guy at first.

    More than a few people let out groans despite it only being a hit. It''s just...it was the first hit Garret gave up tonight, taking away the perfect game and no-hitter in the same swing.

    The cleanup hitter connected early in the count, hitting a sharp grounder right up the middle, just barely missing Garret on the mound. I moved towards second base, but heard Noah call me off, so I backed him up. Noah scooped the ball up and stepped on second for the forceout and to end their offensive. Noah rolled the ball to the mound and we jogged back to the dugout together.

    "Is it sad that you gave up such a basic hit?" We heard Kyle asking Garret.

    Garret shrugged. "I wouldn''t classify the feeling as ''sad'' maybe just a little disappointed. But winning comes first." He grinned. "Plus, the shutout is still in play." He turned to Coach. "How is the pitch count looking?"

    Coach turned to Alisha.

    "52." Alisha read off her notepad.

    "And that''s with more than half the game being over." Garret took his hat off, tossing it onto the bench. "I''ve got this, Coach."

    "Uh huh. Sure." Coach didn''t seem surprised or fazed. "Don''t stress yourself out too much. You can afford to give up some runs."

    "Don''t say that, Coach." Noah said. "It feels like you''re granting him permission to screw up."

    "Hey! When have I ever screwed up?" Garret pulled Noah into a small headlock. "I''ll make short work of their lineup. They can attack the fastball but my breaking balls can end them."

    "Take it easy on your arm." Kyle said seriously. "Giving up a run is small screw up compared to blowing your elbow before the draft."

    "Bunch of worrywarts." Garret chuckled. "I think Jake is rubbing off on you guys."

    "We have a friend who threw out his arm. Don''t push it." Kyle told him, taking this very seriously.

    "I know my limits." Garret let go of Noah and assured everyone. "I won''t play hero." He winked. "At least not until the championship game. Then all bets are off."

    Bottom of the fourth, a new pitcher for West Valley came in. And he made short work of our bats. Korrey went down swinging. As did Jason and Mitchell. Garret was left on deck and I in the hole.

    "Jesus." Noah shook his head. "That guy had a freakin hot start. Good thing that''s not how the game started."

    I nodded in agreement. I switched my helmet for my hat. "He has very good control. Almost like Dave." I thought about it. "His speed is on par with the twins, but I don''t think it''ll be a big problem."

    "Oh?" Noah grinned. "Hoping you might get a chance to swing the bat in the next inning?"

    I shrugged helplessly. "I dont know. I''m trying not to get my hopes up."

    Noah patted my shoulder. "We''ll go to the cages all weekend if you want."

    I nodded.

    We took the field for the top of the fifth. Garret gave up a single to center field. But it was okay because the very next batter hit a grounder to Noah at short. Noah flipped the ball to me as I got to second base. I stepped on the bag and threw to Sean at first. 6-4-3 double play. Noah and I bumped fists and got back into position. Garret got the next guy to go down swinging; his sixth strikeout of the game.

    "You made it look easy, you guys." Coach told Noah and I as we got back in the dugout. "Good work on practicing those double plays."

    I gave a small smile, happy.

    "Don''t be afraid to let more balls come my way, Garret." Noah grinned.

    Garret was getting ready for his at bat. "It''s reassuring to have you behind me, but I just hope you know I go in facing every batter, aiming for a strikeout."

    "So greedy." Kyle muttered.

    "You''re just jealous you don''t have a good breaking ball." Garret told him.

    "I''ll working on it in the minors." Kyle told him. "And when it''s ready, I hope to strike you out."

    "In your dreams."

    "I can only hope we''re in the same circuit this summer." Kyle rubbed his hands together. "I''ll get some long-awaited revenge."

    "You think they''ll let me hit?" Garret snorted. "Unless I screw up my arm completely and have to become a fielder-hitter, then they won''t risk it."

    "Who knows?" Noah said. "Shohei Ohtani is a pitcher that bats."

    "Yea, because he hits bombs." Garret shook his head. "He''s also proven himself. I''m just some nobody from high school."

    "Don''t give it up."

    "I didn''t say I was going to give it up." Garret picked his bat up after putting on his helmet. "I''m just saying they won''t let me hit in real games. I''ll still take batting practice and work out in the cages. Just in case. I could also be an emergency pinch hitter." He headed for the dugout exit.

 Chapter 1109 V3 ch343 CIF Quarterfinals: West Valley Prep (5)

    I was only a few steps behind him, also eager to leave the dugout for a chance to hit.

    Garret''s name was announced. He knocked his bat against his cleats and headed for the batter''s box. He got ready as did the pitcher. I was more than a little jealous that he was getting pitched to but I wasn''t. I didn''t think there was that much of a difference between him and me. Too bad our averages said otherwise.

    Garret was late on the first pitch, fouling it back. The second pitch, he made solid contact, pulling the ball to right field. The outfielder chased it back to the warning track, made a jump, and came down with the ball, causing the crowd to groan.

    I gave Garret a look of sympathy as he came back, but he didn''t look bothered. He just smiled and gave me a pat on the top of my helmet.

    I headed for home plate as my name was announced, but before even getting there I was being waved on. I sighed and ditched my bat, starting a jog to first. One of the worst games I''ve ever played in. So annoying.

    "Booo!"

    "Why are you running away?!"

    "They''re scared!"

    "So pathetic!"

    The crowd jeered and for once, I felt that it was a little uplifting. They also wanted to see me hit.

    "You better get a hit this time, Noah!" Someone yelled out.

    "This guy can''t be any good if he has to walk Jake!"

    "Hit it out of here!"

    Unfortunately for the crowd, Noah had to listen to Mr. Miller. And Mr. Miller wanted to try the sacrifice bunt again. There was already an out this time so Noah really had to lay it down. We planned to do it on the first pitch to try to catch them off guard. The pitcher started his motion and once he was committed, I took off for second.

    The shortstop was covering, leaving me a path to the base. I didn''t have eyes on the back of my head to see the play so I made another diving slide, probably my worst of the day. I landed more like a belly flop and then my fingers hit into the base wrong. I hissed in pain.

    I glanced up and noticed no play being made at me so I got up and looked. Noah''s bunt must have been fielded by the third baseman and he was out. But he still did his job of advancing me to second. It was up to Bryce now that I was in scoring position.

    Bryce was able to foul off the first pitch. And the second. Then he chased a ball low in the dirt for strike three. I headed back for the dugout, taking off my helmet.

    "You had two good swings, Bryce." I overheard Coach saying. "As a pitcher, you especially should know that he wasn''t going to throw you anything good on an 0-2 count."

    "I thought I could reach it, Coach. Won''t happen again."

    "It''s not bad to take chances when we have the lead but you have to use your head out there." Coach spotted me coming in. "How''s the hand, Jake? Saw you shaking it like it hurt."

    I was taking off my batting gloves so I showed him my hands. "It''s okay. Just jammed it."

    He got closer to examine it. "Okay. As long as you''re good."

    I nodded. I switched out my gear and took the field with the others.

    Top of the sixth, in the bottom of the order. Garret made quick work of the eighth batter, getting him to strike out on the cutter. His seventh of the game now. The nine hole spot was originally the pitcher, but the coach came out to notify the umpire of a pinch hitter.

    The new batter stepped in and Garret took him on. I thought things were going well when Garret had him cornered on a 1-2 count, but then the batter made contact. A single to right field. I was already thinking double play like the last inning, but we were back to the top of the order and the guy pulled the ball down the left field line for a single, but the runner made it to third from first. Runners at the corners with only one out.

    I looked to Noah.

    "You''re alright. Let''s see an infield grounder. We''ll turn a double play." Noah was saying encouraging things from afar, not signaling for a mound meeting.

    I trust his judgment so I joined in too. "You''ve got this, Garret."

    Garret jammed this guy with an inside pitch. The grounder went down the third baseline. But because there was a runner on third, Jason was in perfect position to field the ball. Barehanding it to me at second. I transitioned the ball from glove to throwing hand and got the throw off before being barreled into by the baserunner. My vision went sideways and I landed on my stomach as the player took me out. We were a tangle of limbs and I was still processing what had happened and what might be hurting when a pair of hands pulled me out and away from the player.

    Noah looked me up and down. "You good?" He started to dust me off.

    I nodded. "I''m okay."

    "How do you know?" Noah frowned. "You haven''t tried walking yet. Walk it out. Move your arms around. Twist your body." He started to instruct me.

    "Woah, woah, hold up." Garret joined us. "Don''t tell him what to do when you''re not the trainer. Drew is here somewhere." He glared at the opposing player who was slowly walking back to his dugout. "That guy did that shit on purpose."

    "Nothing we can do about it." Sean said, coming over and picking up my hat in the process. He swatted the dirt off and plopped it back on my head. "Do you need help to get back to the dugout?"

    "I''m okay. Really." I rolled my shoulders back and started to walk back for the dugout. With everyone else. The double play must have been good even though I didn''t get to see it.

    Coach was already outside our dugout. Kyle was standing right beside him, being held back by Tanner.

    "We can''t let them get away with this, Coach." Kyle was saying. "We either take it up with the umps or retaliate."

    Noah let out an exaggerated cough. "No retaliation."

    I glanced at him.

    Noah held up his hands. "Hey, I know how you feel about that kind of stuff."

    "Everyone back into the dugout." Coach ordered. He looked at me. "You''re okay?"

    "I''m okay." I repeated.

    He nodded. "Okay. Get checked out by Drew just in case." His eyes found Sean''s. "You and Brian get ready for your at bats. I''m going to go talk to the ump for a second." He glanced at Garret. "Keep them in check."

    Garret herded everyone into the dugout and we all started to give each other space. With the exception of Noah hovering over me as I got checked out by the trainer.

    "Anything hurt in particular?" Drew asked me as I laid down on the bench.

    "No. I mostly landed on him." I explained.

    "He took you out right under your feet." Noah said. "Man, I wanted to tackle him right then and there." He saw my look and cleared his throat. "But I clearly know that that''s wrong." He started to wag his finger. "But if they dare to do it again, I can''t be held responsible for my actions."

    Drew chuckled. "Okay, calm down. No harm, no foul." He finished a stretch on me. "Jake isn''t upset so you shouldn''t be upset."

    "That''s a false equivalency." Noah told him. "His feelings belong to him and mine belong to me. Out of respect to his feelings, I won''t start a fight. But I also won''t be afraid to join in one of I have to."

    I sat up. "I think it''s okay to let this matter drop."

    "We can''t just let them take out our best player." Noah raised his voice. "It''s the playoffs. They''re feeling desperate and will make stupid decisions." He patted my shoulder. "Be careful."

    "Okay. I will."

    Coach came back and the game resumed. He came over to check out the situation but I assured him that it wasn''t anything. Drew confirmed my story and Coach relaxed a little.

    "I told them that I''ll hold them responsible if the game gets out of hand." Coach said. "Not that I think it will. We''re three outs away from closing things out. I''ll go talk to Garret what I hope to see in this last inning." He left.

    Sean got a hit off the new pitcher, sparking some excitement in our dugout. It got even louder when Brian hit a single of his own to right field and Sean made it to third. No outs and runners at the corners. Korrey smacked a sharp grounder almost right up the middle, but the shortstop was there to make a diving stop; from his knees, he shoveled pass the baseball to the second baseman. The second baseman had to turn all the way around to throw to first. They were able to convert the double play, but we were able to tack on another run to make it 4-0.

    All three guys came back and I slapped hands just like all the others.

    "You should have knocked that guy on his ass." Kyle told Brian, elbowing him.

    Brian shrugged helplessly. "You don''t think I would? If I knew Jake wouldn''t get upset, I would have made sure that guy was sore tomorrow." He looked my way. "No offense, Jake. That''s just part of the game sometimes. But I know you wouldn''t have liked it."

    I nodded. "Thanks." I narrowed my eyes at Kyle.

    Kyle shrugged, unbothered. "Don''t look at me like that. I would do that for anyone on my team that got taken out like you did. Eye for an eye."

    "I''m going to tell Mom." Noah snickered.

    Kyle reached for him and the two started to go back and forth. Our inning ended with the next batter; Jason grounded out to short.

    "Dalton, you''re in for Jake." Coach announced. He glanced at me, but I didn''t give any objections. I didn''t love fielding, and was honestly sick of this game. I didn''t even have to bring my bat today.

    Garret had a shaky start to the top of the seventh inning, walking the third batter in the lineup to face the cleanup. Garret relied heavily on his breaking balls before the cleanup hitter hit a grounder to Noah. Noah flipped the ball to Dalton at second, who threw to Sean at first.

    Everyone in our dugout was up against the fence, cheering loudly for Garret now. One more out for the complete game shutout. The fans were shouting and screaming too, all for him.

    Garret took a second to wipe the sweat off his forehead and readjusted his cap. He used the rosin bag and got settled. On the very first pitch to the fifth batter, the guy made contact and popped it high into the sky. Noah started to run back as Korrey and Bryce ran in. Noah called them off and made the catch over his shoulder. That was game! We were moving on!

    I raced Kyle out of the dugout and headed for Noah like the others.

 Chapter 1110 V3 ch344 Postgame

    "Dave was about to leave the bullpen and rushed the field when you went down." Matt told me while shaking his head. "We practically had to hold him down, telling him to wait for Kyle to make the first move." He looked at Kyle.

    Kyle shrugged. "They were holding me back here too."

    "Jake doesn''t like fights." Noah reminded everyone.

    We had just finished celebrating on the field and was packing up the dugout now. A lot of the guys complained about being hungry and Coach promised we would stop on the way home for a big feast. All parents were invited to come too, but us players still had to take the bus back to school for legal reasons.

    "It''d be bad for all of us if we got into a fight anyways." Marshel stated, drawing a lot of attention to himself. "We were winning. If we got in trouble for fighting, wouldn''t we have to forfeit the next game?"

    "That would be a BS decision." Noah tidied up his bag and picked it up. "No point in speculating what would have happened." He cracked his knuckles. "But if it happens continuously, trying to take out our best player, there''s only one way to settle things."

    "Yes, by leaving it to me." Coach took over. He looked around the dugout at everybody. "The season is almost over boys. Two more wins. That''s it. I want everyone to be on their best behavior. On and off the field. No fighting of any kind."

    "Even if Jake gets pegged in the head?" Noah was skeptical. "Because I don''t think I can hold back if he gets seriously hurt."

    "First, you would have to find someone willing to pitch to him." Garret laughed. "Flipping double plays probably puts him at the most risk." He looked at me. "Switch to the outfield. No one will run into you there."

    "Not a bad idea." Coach nodded.

    I froze like a statue.

    "Bambi''s got that ''deer in the headlights'' look." Dave joked and got a few of the guys to laugh. He shook me by my shoulders. "Okay, snap out of it. It''s not the scariest thing in the world. In fact, you should be happy that you won''t be knocked over anymore."

    "I''d be happy if high school baseball had a DH position." I rolled my eyes.

    The guys really laughed at that one.

    "It''s just an idea." Coach assured me. "I''ll be speaking with the officials of CIF to see if they can be a little more aware of aggressive or unnecessary plays. I won''t let you get hurt."

    "I just think it''s crazy that we''re more upset about it than he is." Kyle shook his head.

    "Alright, it''s getting late." Coach clapped his hands twice. "Grab your gear and head for the bus. We''ll do a head count there so you all better not run off."

    "Can we stop to talk to our parents for a bit?" Jason asked.

    "Yes. Just for a moment though. Otherwise no where will be open for dinner by the time we make it out of here."

    We all filed out, one after another. Noah, me, and the twins headed for Grampa, Mom, and Dad. Ryan was still nearby and was even talking to a familiar face. Coach Rob from the Regional Team Tryouts.

    I looked at Noah, somehow feeling nervous.

    "Hey Coach, what are you doing here?" Noah was straightforward as always.

    Coach Rob shook Noah''s hand and then mine. "Of course I came to see the talent. You boys played a good game today."

    I took back my hand and looked away, feeling uncomfortable. How could I have been good at all today? No hits. Was knocked over. Pulled out in the last inning. He probably felt disappointed with this kind of showing. "I''m sorry." I felt obligated to apologize.

    "What are you sorry for?" Coach Rob sounded surprised.

    I looked to Noah for help.

    Noah gave me a knowing look, yet he didn''t speak up for me. "Go ahead, Jake. Tell him what''s up. He''s your future coach. For the summer at least."

    I tried not to visibly cringe.

    Noah turned to Ryan. "Surprised you bothered with a trip out here when Kyle wouldn''t even be allowed in the bullpen."

    Ryan grinned. "Kyle is a confirmed client, but I still have to network and get my name out there. Not just among the players, but all the scouts that came too." He looked at me. "You really attract a crowd."

    I frowned and looked down at my feet, embarrassed.

    Noah sighed and took over. "Jake doesn''t feel good about his walks." He looked to Coach Rob. "Probably feels like you wasted a trip since he didn''t get to do much today."

    "Well, not to say you aren''t important, Jake. But you already have a spot on my team." Coach Rob said, making me look up at him. "I''ll be going to all CIF playoff games. At all division levels. Look for any players who might have not been interested in trying out for the team. Or maybe who couldn''t afford it."

    "Oh."

    "Did you see anything or anyone you liked today?" Noah asked.

    Coach Rob shook his head. "Not for my age group. It''s good to go to these games, but I''m also limited to the freshmen and sophomores. And sometimes the sophomores birthdays aren''t falling in my range either. It''s a tricky process. Most of our players will be from our tryouts."

    "I recommended a decent pitcher to try out." Noah told him. "He''s a sophomore. And, he''s even willing to pitch against Jake."

    Coach Rob looked interested. He pulled out his phone. "What''s the name so I can keep an eye out?"

    "He''ll stand out on his own." Noah shrugged. "But the name is Danny. He throws faster than my brothers."

    "He does not." Kyle slapped Noah upside the head, knocking his cap off. He had come over just in time to hear Noah.

    Noah picked up his hat. "Hey, that''s abuse. Don''t act like a fool in front of your future agent."

    "That was a love tap." Kyle refuted. He nodded towards Ryan before turning to us. "We have to get going. Most of the guys are already on the bus."

    "Yea, okay." Noah turned to Coach Rob. "See you next time?"

    "I''ll be around." He nodded. "You boys do your best and have fun. Don''t slack afterwards though. Round two of tryouts is just around the corner."

    "I''ll be ready." Noah pumped his fists.

    "I''ll be there with Noah." I confirmed.

    We finished saying some goodbyes and hurried to the bus. We put our bags away in storage and boarded a very jubilant bus.

    "Any idea who''s starting on Monday yet, Coach?" Kyle asked as we passed Coach on the first seat.

    "I''m thinking about flipping a quarter." Coach joked.

    "Not a bad idea." Kyle didn''t object.

    Coach got up, looking around the bus. He whistled to get everyone''s attention. "Okay. Listen up. Tomorrow we still practice like normal. Saturday and Sunday, you''re on your own. I''m trusting in you boys to put the work in and prepare for Monday''s semifinal. Tomorrow, we''ll do a coin flip to decide which twin gets the start. The other will be in the bullpen."

    Dave stood up. "I haven''t pitched in the longest. It should be me."

    "Are you the coach?" Kyle snorted.

    Coach sighed and started to wave his hands. "Coin flip. 50/50 chance. It''s as fair as it gets. Otherwise I''m going with Garret again."

    "I''ll be ready, Coach." Garret told him.

    "Of course you will be." Coach sat back down, mumbling under his breath. He had a tough job picking among a lot of good pitchers. But there were worse problems in the game of baseball to have.

 Chapter 1111 V3 ch345 Friday

    Friday morning, I felt like we were in a movie as we walked the halls. Everyone had something to say, either congratulating us on the win, wishing us luck for the next one, or complaining to me about getting walked. I nodded vigorously anytime I heard the third comment. I was just as annoyed.

    Noah did his part to help Kaylee talk about the softball team and how tonight was their last regular season game. Away...so we also heard a lot of apologies. Which was understandable. We wouldn''t be able to go either. But Noah still pushed about their playoff game Tuesday. To the point where I was wondering if he was going to have money riding on the game.

    "Would we even be able to go Tuesday?" I asked. "Wouldn''t Coach want us to practice for the finals."

    Noah grinned. "I''m liking your confidence. But I''m positive I can convince him to give us at least one day. He would understand. We''re all from one school; we''ve got to support one another."

    I nodded along. I think Coach would let us too. Maybe say something about practicing on our own if we can.

    Noah stopped by the front office to make sure they were organizing a student bus again for our game Monday and for the girls on Tuesday. I used the same time to stop in Dr. Moore''s office just to say ''hi'', but also maybe to get away from all the looks I got.

    "Hello Jake. How are you?" Dr. Moore adjusted his glasses as he looked up at me.

    "I''m good. How are you?" I looked around his office, taking in how much he made it his own. It looked a lot like his private office I used to go to. "Do you miss your old office?"

    He smiled and leaned back in his seat. "It''s not going anywhere. In fact, I still do appointments there for my regular patients. I just go there a lot less. I love this change for me, working with teenagers that may need a little more guidance. High school can be difficult to navigate and you do a lot of growing in a short amount of time." He pointed at me. "Just look at yourself. Last year, it was difficult to get a full sentence out of you."

    I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling guilty. "I mean, I still struggle. Yesterday I clammed up talking to a coach. I was embarrassed he came to a game where I didn''t hit the ball once."

    "You didn''t get a hit?" Dr. Moore asked. "How did that make you feel?"

    "Frustrated more than anything." I made a face. "Also bored. But Noah said we can go to cages this weekend to make up for it."

    "That''s a good idea. Redirect that feeling of frustration elsewhere and think that this moment won''t last forever."

    "I hope not."

    He leaned forward on his desk. "I know that the players get better at the higher levels. Have you given some thought to what your future might be shaping out to be?"

    I cringed.

    "I''m not asking you to make a decision, Jake. Just tell me some ideas. Like this summer you plan to play baseball, right? Not that softball league you did last year."

    Oh. I nodded. "Yea. I already made the team, I guess. But Noah still has to do round two of tryouts. I''m going too. To face pitchers." I shrugged. "Then I think after the final team is made, we go to North Carolina to play other teams."

    "Sounds very competitive." He said. "I think you''ll be quite happy when you find out that no one wants to walk you."

    "You think so?" I asked. "The part about no one wanting to walk me?"

    He smiled. "From what little I know and understand about this process, winning isn''t the end goal."

    "It really isn''t!" Noah walked in the office with a big smile. "Come on, Jake. You can''t forget. Making the regional team is just a step. Getting to this tournament in North Carolina is how we get noticed for Team USA. No pitcher is going to make it if they have to intentionally walk you."

    "Oh right." It started to click what this regional team was all about. I was thinking it more like a way to play baseball this summer with Noah, but it meant more. It was a stepping stone. "It would be nice to play against guys that pitch to me." And I wouldn''t really have to worry about winning or losing. Not bad.

    "Right?!" Noah grinned. "This is why you have to play no matter what. Even if I don''t make the team, I want to see you face the best pitchers around the country. See how you compare."

    I tensed up.

    "So Jake will be playing on his own for the first time?" Dr. Moore sounded interested.

    "Sort of. I''ll still be there to cheer him on. Dave wants to go too." Noah glanced at me. "This isn''t Jake''s first time playing alone either. He did so at the Stanford camp last summer."

    I made a face. "Rhys was there with me. I don''t think that counts."

    "Why not?" Noah shrugged. "He didn''t play with you out on the field. He was more like a supervisor. Which Dave and I can do from the stands. Really. We won''t ever be too far."

    I pursed my lips. "Do you think you won''t make the team?"

    "I''m just saying all this to make sure you play no matter what." Noah repeated that phrase again. "I don''t want you passing up on good opportunities."

    My lips twitched. "You sound like Mom."

    Noah laughed. "Well I''m bound to after listening to her for years. Don''t forget, she made Zeke and the twins visit five colleges. I don''t think there''s any saving me."

    "You''re not bothered by that?" I asked.

    "Why would I be?" Noah laughed again. "It''s basically a weekend baseball camp. Stanford will definitely be one of my visits."

    "Mine too." I hurried to say. I knew some of the players. I knew the area. I knew the coach. It could be a good fit.

    "Sounds like you boys will have some planning to do later on." Dr. Moore spoke up. "I look forward to the great things you both will accomplish and achieve in the future."

    "Starting with becoming a two-time CIF champion." Noah pointed at Dr. Moore. "Next game is Monday. You coming?"

    "We''ll see." He smiled. "I hear you guys had quite the showing yesterday. The office staff were talking about having two student buses on Monday."

    "I heard." Noah nodded. "I also tried to convince them to do two for the girls on Tuesday. But they said one. Maybe two if they move on depending on how many students show interest in going."

    "It''s good to show support for your classmates. Especially with so many showing up for you."

    "We know." Noah waved him off. "We like it when people show up for us."

    I coughed.

    "Okay, I like it when people show up and cheer for me." Noah corrected himself. "So I think the girls team will like it too."

    We talked with Dr. Moore for a little bit more before going to eat lunch at our spot. The rest of the school day flew by since there were only two more classes. At practice, Coach did the coin flip between the twins early. Whoever won would have to start preparing. The other would prepare too...prepare to be in the bullpen.

    Everyone was gathered around Coach and the twins, ready for the drama to play out. Coach showed each twin each side of a quarter. "Instead of either of calling it out to pick, I''ve assigned Dave heads and Kyle tails."

    Kyle pumped his fists. "Yes. Tails never fails."

    "You''re dumb." Dave rolled his eyes.

    Coach flipped the coin high into the air and let it drop to the ground. The twins both squatted down and leaned over to get a look. Everyone was trying to see.

    "Tails. We go with Kyle." Coach announced. He turned to Dave. "You''ll have first shot out of the bullpen after him. And...if we do make it to the finals-"

    "WHEN we make it to the finals." Noah stressed.

    "You''ll have first shot to come out after Garret." Coach finished.

    "Yea, yea." Dave said, straightening up. "I get it."

 Chapter 1112 V3 ch346

    By the end of practice, not only did we have a pitcher set to start, but Coach had the info on our next opponent. Gridley High School. They had a good season, only two losses so far and they won their quarterfinal game 3-2.

    "Were they the underdog or favorites?" Kyle asked.

    "Does it matter?" Noah rolled his eyes.

    "I just want to know." Kyle looked to Coach.

    Coach checked his phone. "Underdog but like Noah suggested, shouldn''t matter much. I''ll send you and Mitchell an email about players to pay attention to and what pitches might be best where and when."

    "Sure. I''ll look it over tonight." He looked to Mitchell. "Want to come over to my house tomorrow morning?"

    "Yea, I''ll come over around nine or so." Mitchell stood up with his bag and started to leave like the rest of the team.

    "I''m surprised you don''t want to hang out with Marie tomorrow." Noah snickered.

    "I''ll see her tonight and tomorrow night. Maybe go over for Sunday dinner." Kyle answered.

    "Tonight?" I said, surprised. "The girls don''t get back until later."

    "We''ll have an ice cream date after dinner. Duh." Kyle said.

    "Oh." I thought about it. "With or without Kaylee?"

    It was Kyle''s turn to think about it.

    "Without." Alisha answered as she passed by. "Kaylee is coming over to my place tonight. My mom and I are picking her up from the school parking lot when she gets back." She looked at Noah. "Want to come over tomorrow for a swim? It''s starting to warm up."

    "Will you care if we''re already sweaty and gross?" Noah asked.

    "Nope." She smiled and waved. "Text you later."

    I looked at Noah. "Sweaty? Aren''t we just going to the cages?"

    "Why not work out some before taking a dip? Then cages after?" Noah threw out his idea.

    I sighed. "Okay." It sounded fair.

    Later that night as we prepared for bed, Kyle was looking over the info Coach had sent him. He and Dave were talking it over. Even though Dave was bitter that he didn''t have the start, he still gave Kyle ideas on how he should face this team.

    "Ah! Oh! Jake!" Noah started to shout as he left the bathroom and came into the room. "Look! Look! I thought I heard of Gridley before!" He put his phone in my face.

    I was looking at the Instagram profile of a familiar face. I tried to recall and with the help of the username, I came up with the name, Adam. From the Stanford camp last summer. We had basically spent a week playing and eating together. "Oh."

    "Oh?" Noah repeated. "Is that all you can say?"

    I shrugged. "I''m happy to see him?"

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Aren''t you forgetting something?"

    "I guess so?"

    "Stop keeping us in suspense." Kyle ordered.

    "Yea. What are you trying to say?" Dave added.

    "This guy, Adam. We met at the Stanford camp last summer. His school was just promoted to division three last year. Now they''re already in the playoffs for division three? That''s a big jump." Noah explained.

    "It is." Kyle agreed. He turned back to his computer and started to go over the info again.

    I looked at Noah. "Hey, do you think they''ll pitch to me then?"

    "Hard to say." Noah sighed. He looked at his phone. "Guess we could ask."

    "You mean antagonize." Dave corrected.

    "Too bad Adam isn''t a pitcher." Noah mumbled as he started to type. "Then antagonizing might work." He chuckled. "It''d be nice if I could goad others into pitching to Jake seriously."

    "I would pitch to you, Jake." Dave told me.

    "Do you want to tomorrow?" I asked.

    His lips twitched. "Maybe after playoffs. Let''s not mess around too much before these last two games."

    "Okay." I laid back down.

    Saturday, everyone had let me sleep in and I didn''t wake up until Mitchell rang the doorbell. The twins took him out to the backyard almost immediately barely listening to Noah''s reminder to not hurt themselves.

    Mom and Dad were out working so breakfast was kept simple. I finished eating and changed into workout clothes. I thought we would have to walk to the park to play and practice fielding, but Grampa offered to drive. He sat and watched, occasionally helping to pick up a stray baseball or two. He was also the one to drive us to Alisha''s and promised to get us afterwards so we could go to the cages.

    "Hey guys." Alisha greeted us. She raised an eyebrow at our messy appearances. "Did you guys come straight from the fields? Did you even bring swimsuits?"

    "Yea, we''ve brought them." Noah patted his bag. "Just gonna change into them here. You have towels we can use, right?"

    "Sure! I''ll go get them while you guys change. Meet you guys out back?"

    "Yea we know where to go." Noah confirmed.

    Alisha left us alone and we got our trunks out of our respective bags. Noah changed into his first and I went second. I frowned at my reflection, not liking the way I looked. I wasn''t as defined as Noah and my skin tone wasn''t all one color. I tanned more easily than him and the Atkins family, so I felt like I looked funny. Even if my scars didn''t stand out so much, I felt like I could point out every single one.

    "Come on, Jake, hurry up." Noah urged me.

    I came out in just the trunks.

    "No shirt today?" Noah asked.

    I pursed my lips. "I want to even out my tan."

    Noah laughed. "It''s not even that bad. Yet. In the summer though...you''ll be rocking the farmer''s tan again."

    We headed for Alisha''s backyard, seeing her and Kaylee sitting on the pool''s edge. Noah took off sprinting and then did a cannonball into the pool, splashing the girls intentionally.

    Alisha and Kaylee let their complaints be known. I sat on the edge for a second, but felt awkward so I went in and stood so I could face all three of them, forming a square of sorts.

    Noah splashed me as I got closer. "There. Now isn''t it fair?"

    "How? Jake was already getting in." Kaylee rolled her eyes and kicked her foot out to splash at Noah.

    "You''re so cranky." Noah remarked. "I thought Dave said that you guys won last night. What''s up with you?"

    Kaylee shot him a glare before randomly sliding in completely under the water. She held her breath for a straight minute before coming back up.

    "Needed to cool down?" Noah raised an eyebrow.

    "I heard from the last of the boarding schools I was looking into. No scholarships offered anywhere. I''m moving down south this summer."

    "Wow. That sucks."

    I nodded in agreement. I could leave my old life behind easily with a move but it''s got to be harder for Kaylee. "Do you know when?"

    "No definitive date yet as they look at selling our house here and buying something new down there." Kaylee started to float on her back, forcing us out of her way.

    Alisha slid in the pool too. "I''m still team move in with me and my parents."

    "Ha." Kaylee stopped floating and stood up in the pool. "In my dreams. No way my parents go for that. I just have two years until college and I''m running off. Not looking back."

    "What colleges are you interested in?" Alisha looked thoughtfully at her. "Maybe we''ll go to the same place in the future."

    "Probably somewhere back up north in defiance of them." Kaylee said. "They''ll probably want me to try to make the team at UCLA with Marie. But I won''t even try."

    "Why don''t you just go across the country then? Be more dramatic about it." Noah suggested.

    "I don''t want to be miserable myself." Kaylee told him. "I don''t know. I guess it''ll depend on even if I get good enough to play in college. Then if I''m good enough for a scholarship because I wouldn''t put it past my parents to threaten me to not be willing to pay for my college."

    "I''ll loan you money to go." Noah said nonchalantly.

    "What money do you have to pay for college?" She scoffed.

    "My signing bonus from getting drafted." Noah said confidently.

    She splashed him. "Sure."

    We chilled out after Kaylee''s disheartening news about moving but it wasn''t all bad. Alisha ordered pizza for lunch and we ate by the poolside. I had long forgotten about how awkward I felt about my body and no one brought up my scars or tan lines. Kaylee and Alisha decided to tag along for the cages and arcade, catching a ride with us and extending the fun we were having.

    On Sunday, we didn''t do so many activities, choosing to watch baseball at home instead. We watched the A''s win with a little help from Jeremy and a lot of help from Maberry. We didn''t get to see any of Zeke''s games in Utah, but we heard his team swept the series. Both of their teams were doing well. Jeremy was on a strong start and Zeke was looking for a strong finish before his playoffs began in June.

 Chapter 1113 V3 ch347 CIF Semifinal: Gridley HS (1)

    "I made plans with Adam to meet before warmups." Noah reminded me as we unboarded the bus at a community college. We were at another neutral location for the semifinals and the drive was a long one. I felt like everyone had slept on the bus but me. "Jake? Are you listening?" Noah repeated.

    I hummed and then started to yawn. "Yea. Looking for Adam. I know."

    "You looked wiped. Did you have trouble sleeping last night?" Noah frowned.

    "No. It was just a long bus ride." I told him. I was fine all day, even talking to some of our classmates about tonight. Everyone was excited how close we were coming to being repeat champions.

    Noah and I picked up our bags and started to distance ourselves from our team, keeping an eye out for the opposing team. It turned out that they had already reached the field and was sitting near a gate entrance, waiting.

    "Yo! Adam!" Noah hollered.

    A player stood up and started walking away from his team.

    My lips twitched and I whispered to him. "No way were you able to spot him that quickly."

    He grinned. "The odds were in my favor. What other team would be here waiting? Plus, why wouldn''t he be with his team?"

    I could only shake my head.

    Adam reached us, bumping both of our fists as a greeting. "I should say that it''s good to see you guys, but honestly not looking forward to playing you." He grinned. "Try not to kick our butts too badly."

    Noah laughed. "You know we can''t promise that. Hey, I saw your post about committing to Arizona State. Wasn''t that your dream school?"

    "Yea." Adam said bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn''t get a scholarship offer or anything like that. But preferential treatment will come in handy when picking classes."

    "Oh yea? Do you know what you''re going to study yet?" Noah asked.

    "No way." He chuckled to himself. "I''ll start with the gen eds my freshman year and then we''ll see. I know some guys who went into sport''s management in case they don''t make it to the big leagues. That''s an option. I also like the idea of just majoring in business. Keeps options open."

    Noah patted him on the shoulder. "Good for you. Take your time in picking a major. Use that first year to find your interest and balance out your time between school and baseball."

    Adam laughed. "You sound like you know what you''re doing. Any colleges show interest?" He glanced at me. "Everyone should be reaching out to you, Jake."

    "We''re still underclassmen so there''s no rush." Noah answered. "We just have older brothers and a mom that constantly repeats herself." Noah grinned. "I''ll visit five colleges like I''m supposed to. Officially or whatever. But I''m for sure trying to enter the draft. No matter what round I go in, I''m heading for the minors."

    "You''ve got two years to make yourself stand out." Adam told him before looking at me. "But Jake already has all eyes on him. I couldn''t believe it when I checked out the state rankings and realized I knew someone on it. You''ve had an amazing year."

    I shrugged, feeling a little shy. "Our whole team is doing well."

    "Yea, I''ll say. Undefeated." He let out a whistle, sounding impressed. "I''ve got to say. I don''t have much confidence facing you guys today. Don''t you have like three super pitchers? Just a rotation of tough guys on the mound."

    "Two of them are our brothers." I smiled. "The twins."

    "One of them going today?"

    I nodded.

    "Do you think I have a chance?"

    "Chance for what?" Noah asked with a laugh. "To win? Nah. To score some runs. Ehhh. To get a hit off him? Man, I hope so."

    "Yea, we''ll see what we can do." Adam glanced back at his team. "Well, good luck you guys."

    "I think you''ll need it more." Noah waved.

    Adam went back to his team and we headed back towards ours.

    "Scoping out the enemy?" Garret asked us when we got back.

    Noah shrugged. "Saw a friend from camp." He smiled. "He didn''t sound very confident at all."

    I nodded in agreement. Then I paused. "I should have asked him to make sure the pitcher pitches to me."

    Noah laughed. "You''ll be lucky if he didn''t tell all the pitchers to completely avoid you. Maybe expect some pickoff attempts too."

    I groaned. Adam would definitely remember that I''m not much of a runner. This game may be an easier win, but I don''t think I''ll be having anymore fun than the last one. It''s crazy how fun this season started versus now. I can''t wait for it to be over and do the round two tryout for the regional team. Then everyone would pitch to me.

    The coaches gathered us up and had us march to the third base dugout, picking our side as we wanted as the home team. As we changed into cleats and got ready for the game, Coach announced the lineup.

    1 SS Noah Atkins

    2 2B Jake Atkins

    3 LF Bryce Finn

    4 CF Garret Knudsen

    5 RF Brian Swoope

    6 1B Sean Isner

    7 3B Jason Morris

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 P Kyle Atkins

    "I don''t feel like we need Jake leading off against these guys, but want to take advantage of having him early in the lineup." Coach said. "If we do get a decent lead, I want to give a few of the others chances to hit and play."

    "Define decent?" Korrey asked.

    "Four runs should be enough for Kyle and the bullpen." Coach said, nodding. He looked to Garret. "I''ll only use you as a closer if it comes down the wire. You feel like you can hold a one run lead?"

    "Of course!" Garret smirked. "If I can do seven shutout innings, I think I can handle whatever the twins leave over."

    "Which will be nothing." Kyle squinted at him. "I''m in good condition today."

    "How can you say that when you haven''t even warmed up?"

    "I''ve prepared all weekend." Kyle said smuggly. "I''ll crush these guys and put your game to shame."

    "In your dreams." Garret rolled his eyes.

    "You''re not sounding like a very supportive captain." Dave poked at him.

    Garret swatted him away. "Get lost."

    "Alright, enough." Coach commanded. The team got silent. "Warm up properly. Let''s take this game just as seriously as a rival like Servite or Golden West. We need this win if you all want to make it to the championship."

    "We''ve got this, Coach." Garret straightened up and waved at us. "Let''s take the field boys."

 Chapter 1114 V3 ch348 CIF Semifinal: Gridley HS (2)

    During warmups, the stands filled up. Family, friends, classmates, scouts, coaches, reporters, strangers. It started to feel like a championship game just because of how many people made it. I found Mom, Dad, and Grampa. The three sat in a bleacher behind our dugout and all three waved when we made eye contact. I relaxed my shoulders and Noah slapped my back encouragingly.

    "Today''s going to be a good day." Noah declared with a grin.

    I nodded, trying to find the same feeling.

    We did a pregame ceremony of sorts and the starters took the field as our name and positions were announced. We did a short warmup with Sean rolling the three of us ground balls and us throwing it back to him. I felt better than when I first got off of the bus, which was good because the leadoff batter hit a sharp grounder to me. I was able to make a backhanded stab, turned back to first and get the throw off to Sean for the first out.

    "Wow! Good job! Nice play!" Noah was the loudest, mostly because he was the closest. But a lot of the crowd was cheering too.

    I dusted my pant leg off, feeling a little shy.

    The second batter stepped up and Kyle got set. I focused on them and stopped twitching. Had to be ready in case another fast one came. The second batter made contact on a 1-1 count, hitting a routine grounder to Noah at short. He dealt with it cleanly and now we were at two outs. Kyle was only at five pitches.

    The third batter was Adam. A part of me wanted him to do well, but a bigger part of me was on Kyle''s side. Which is technically my side. Our team. Adam can do well in the future at his college. I smacked the palm of my glove, eager for this first inning to get over with.

    Adam made contact, but unlike his two teammates before him, he hit a high one into the air. I started to track it back into the outfield grass; I could Sean doing the same out of the corner of my eye, making me hesitate.

    "I''ve got it! I''ve got it!" Brian hollered as he sprinted in.

    Sean and I both peeled away and Brian made the catch. He threw the ball back in and we jogged back to our dugout together.

    "I would have made a nice over the shoulder catch like Noah does." Sean sighed to Brian. "You just had to ruin it."

    Brian laughed. "Don''t kid yourself. Jake had a better read on it than you."

    I shook my head. "No way. Once I saw Sean, I was already starting to bail. Maybe go cover a base like first since no one was there."

    "I was there you twerp." Kyle hit me on the top of my head, clearly having overheard us.

    "Jake already made a good play and saved you from giving up a hit." Noah shoved Kyle. "You should be thankful. Not name-calling and hitting him."

    "It''s how I show my love." Kyle moved around to put Noah into a headlock. "C''mon, let''s get you ready for your at bat."

    "Coachhhh, I''m being bullied." Noah complained as he was dragged along the dugout.

    Coach sighed. "Sometimes I really miss having Zeke around."

    A lot of the upperclassmen laughed.

    Kyle did have to let go of Noah so he could get ready for his at bat. I was next to him, getting ready too. We were the first two to leave the dugout and stand out on deck, taking practice swings. Noah was called up first. I couldn''t tell much about the pitcher besides that he was nervous. He pitched four balls all over the place, walking Noah.

    I sighed and headed for the plate. I had a bad feeling that I would be walked too. Just without any of the pitches.

    But to my surprise. The catcher stayed in a squatted position. The pitcher was set on the mound, checking over his shoulder at Noah at first. I held my bat back and got into position too, feeling stunned. This didn''t really make sense. The pitcher didn''t seem particularly good just now.

    The first pitch came and just barely landed outside the zone. But the umpire gave it to him. A called strike. On me. This guy was really pitching to me. I felt a little frozen in the batter''s box, but my mind was working a mile a minute. Do I play it safe and get a hit to advance Noah? Or should I aim for the fences?

    I tightened my grip on my bat and pursed my lips, eyes completely on the pitcher. I already had an answer. The second pitch came and I took my shot, swinging for the fences. I pulled the ball down the left field line and the outfielder chased it back. The ball cleared the player''s glove and then the fence. I did it. A home run! I pumped my fist as I rounded the bases. I met Noah at home plate and slapped his hands before he threw his arm around my shoulders and we went back to an exuberant dugout.

    Everyone slapped my back or bumped my fist. And I was proud to say I didn''t flinch. I knew all these guys. This was my team.

    "I just knew you were going to go for it!" Noah said excitedly as we put our helmets away. "Even if it meant I couldn''t steal a base. I''m happy for you, man. It''s been a long time coming."

    I grinned and nodded along. "Yea, it''s been awhile."

    "What are you saying?" Sean laughed at us. "You were only intentionally walked on Thursday. You got to hit normally against OLU just a week ago."

    "He hasn''t had a homer in almost two weeks." Noah explained. "He''s been itching to get back at it. But if he hits homers all the time, will people keep pitching to him?"

    I shook my head. "I can''t do it all the time." I glanced at Sean. "I had to take advantage of this one. Who knows if I''ll get to see some live pitching again today?"

    Sean laughed. "I wish I had your worries."

    Bryce got a hit and Sean had to leave us to stand in the hole. Noah and I took a seat and relaxed.

    "Feel better?" Noah asked me.

    I nodded. "Yea. It''s always better to feel like I contributed to helping the team." I frowned. "But... I don''t know. It''s also weird that they tried to pitch to me. Like, didn''t Adam tell them I was good at hitting?"

    Noah shrugged. "Probably. But also, I got the vibe from him that he didn''t expect to win this game at all. If you''re not expecting to win, why not pitch to one of the best players in the state?"

    "So you think I''ll have another chance?" I felt like I was floating.

    Noah laughed. "I don''t know. I''m not on their team." He leaned back and stretched out. "Having the lead early is a relief for us though. Now it''s all on Kyle to defend it."

    I shook my head. "Why do you sound like you''re hoping he gives up some hits?"

    "Not hits. Just let the ball be put into play so I can throw them out." Noah corrected.

 Chapter 1115 V3 ch349 CIF Semifinal: Gridley HS (3)

    After Bryce''s single, Garret smacked a long fly ball to the corner of left field. It was near the same spot as mine, but his hit went much high and a lot less further. The left fielder had plenty of time to get under it and make the catch. Bryce tagged up and the left fielder had a slight delay before throwing the ball back in.

    "He didn''t expect Bryce to tag up?" Noah mumbled, sounding confused. "How did these guys make it this far? Coach would murder us if we played dumb like that."

    I shrugged. I wouldn''t know. I thought it was amazing that they moved up a division just a year ago and already won league. I don''t think we could do that. We''ve played higher divisions before and every time, it was a challenge.

    Brian poked a single into right, pushing Bryce to third. During Sean''s at bat, Brian was able to steal second and the catcher didn''t attempt to throw him out. Not with a runner on third. Put us in a real good position though.

    Everyone in the dugout was up against the fence, yelling out cheers for Sean. On a 2-2 count, Sean popped the ball high into the air. Short left field. Bryce got back on third and looked ready to tag up. The left fielder came running in, made the catch, and hurried to throw it in. Bryce faked like he was going home, but knew he couldn''t make it on such a tight play so he retreated back to third.

    Jason came up with two outs, two on. It was our turn to cheer him on and encourage him to score some runs for us. Jason pulled the pitch to the left. The third baseman and shortstop both went to make a play at the sharp grounder as our two runners took off. The ball ricocheted off the third baseman''s glove and then went the opposite direction of the shortstop. An error that allowed both Bryce and Brian to score. 4-0. We''ll take it!

    Mitchell hit a grounder the other way, but no hope for an error here. The second baseman handled it easily and the inning was over.

    Top of the second inning was slow to start with Mitchell having been the last out. He needed extra time to get all his gear on. Korrey came out with a mask on and caught a few of Kyle''s warmup pitches to help out.

    Kyle made short work of the middle of the lineup. The cleanup hitter grounded out to Jason at third. The fifth batter hit a routine fly to center. The sixth batter had the best shot of getting on with a sharp line drive to center, but Garret made an outstanding forward dive to save it. Everyone cheered happily for the play, but I knew of one player that wasn''t happy in the slightest.

    Kyle tossed his glove carelessly onto the bench. Then his hat. "Stupid. Why are these guys so good at making contact?" He pulled his helmet on and grabbed his bat. No one said anything to try to calm him down before he left the dugout.

    Kyle took the lead, going up for his at bat and things didn''t get better. He popped a pitch high and back. The catcher jumped up, threw away his mask, tracked down the pop fly and made the catch for the first out. Kyle came back into the dugout with the deepest of frowns.

    It was too bad that Noah was up after him so there was no hope for Noah to calm him down. It would have to be up to Dave or Garret. Coach would only get involved if it started to affect the game. I couldn''t say anything to help him; not because I was afraid or anything, but I was on deck. And because I was on deck, I had a perfect view of Noah striking out on a foul tip. He came back with a frown of his own.

    I slowly walked up to the plate, picking to bat from the left side this time. If I have a chance to swing that is. The catcher stayed in position and the pitcher got ready after playing with his rosin bag. Okay, it''s happening. I tightened my grip and zoned in on the pitcher. I had one goal in mind: try to hit a homer from this side of the plate.

    The pitcher nodded at the catcher''s signs and got set. He started his motion and threw a fastball. I started my swing and made perfect contact. The ball flew off my bat towards right field. On my way to first base, I had a good view of the right fielder racing to the corner, jumping with the help of the fence and snatching the ball out of the air, robbing me of my home run.

    There was a loud collective sigh before you heard the cheers for the catch. I slowed up and went back to my dugout as Gridley went back to theirs.

    "Damn, you were robbed!" Bryce told me.

    "You don''t have to state the obvious." Garret told him as we walked through the dugout. He looked at me. "It was a good play. Don''t let it get you down."

    I shrugged. "I''m not down. It was a good catch." I grinned. "I''m just happy that they''re pitching to me."

    "With you hitting into a fly out, maybe more people will think you''re human." Bryce joked. "Then everyone will start facing you again."

    I laughed with a few of the guys and went to my bag to switch gear. I slowly thought about it, but maybe Bryce had a point. If I showed some vulnerability, more teams would, or at least should, pitch to me.

    "Hey, Jake? You awake?" Noah snapped his fingers in front of my face. "We have to take the field now. Kyle is practically zooming through his warmup pitches."

    "Oh yea. Let''s go." I snapped out of it and went with Noah to take the field.

    We got into position and the top of the third inning started. We were facing the bottom of the order starting with the seventh batter. Kyle dealt with him swiftly, striking him out. His first of the game. Kyle didn''t seem to relax in the slightest. He threw aggressively to the next guy, getting to a 1-2 count before the guy made contact.

    The kind of contact that made me cringe. The loud echo of the bat as it blasted the ball beyond the infield. Kyle immediately hung his head, not daring to look back. Me either. The umpire at second base was waving his finger around, signaling that it was gone. 4-1.

    I looked to Noah yet he wasn''t walking to the mound to give Kyle a pep talk. He just kicked the dirt as the runner went by. With him gone, Noah clapped his hand into his glove. "Okay, okay. One out, two to go!"

    "Two to go!" Sean and Jason echoed.

    "Two to go!" I hurried to say after them.

    Kyle got a new ball from Mitch, kicked the rubber, then got set.

 Chapter 1116 V3 ch350 CIF Semifinal: Gridley HS (4)

    The ninth batter was the pitcher, who went down swinging at three straight fastballs. Kyle looked to be in good shape despite giving up the homer. I thought he bounced back nicely.

    Back at the top of the lineup, the leadoff hitter smacked the ball hit into the air towards left field. Bryce jogged in a little bit to get under it and made the catch. We jogged back to the dugout together. With the exception of Kyle who did more of a stormy March.

    Noah and I shared a look. Just when I thought he would speak up to say something, Kyle was already pointing at Dave, aggressively. "Not a word."

    Dave stuck out his tongue, however he still dodged Kyle and stayed away. He wasn''t the only one. Kyle sulked at the end of the bench by himself where even Mitchell didn''t go over.

    "You would think we''re losing or something." Noah mumbled under his breath.

    "I guess he''s losing to his expectations?" I shrugged.

    Noah nodded in agreement. "If it''s not that, then it''s the fact he gave up a run and Garret didn''t. Man, I know we''ll miss these three next year on the mound, but I certainly won''t miss their attitudes."

    "I''ll miss them." I said, feeling a little sad about it already. We win today and there''s only one game after that.

    "Meh. We''ll be fine with Bryce and Brian." Noah said just as Bryce went down on strikes. "Okay, not a good omen, but you know they''re reliable. Heck," He lowered his voice, "you know they''re good enough when Coach is starting them in the outfield."

    "I didn''t say they weren''t." I defended. "I''ll just miss having the twins around." I shrugged sadly. "I didn''t get to grow up with them. You had more time."

    Noah burst out laughing. "You should thank your lucky stars you didn''t grow up with them. Let me tell you, my kid years were no joke. They terrorized me-" Noah stopped himself. He grimaced. "Uh sorry Jake. I didn''t mean to."

    I blinked, not really getting where he was getting at and was actually more interested in hearing about their childhood stories. "What?"

    He winced. "Didn''t mean to complain about it when you had it so tough."

    "Oh. Yea. That''s okay." I shrugged. "It''s all in the past. Nothing I can do about it now."

    "Yea, we''ll give you new childhood memories." Noah told me. "When they''re interviewing you in the big leagues, you''ll think of us."

    I laughed. "I already think of you guys." I paused. "You don''t think I''ll really be interviewed, right?"

    "They''re already interviewing you now in high school." Noah grinned. "Don''t worry, you''ll get used to it."

    Garret hit a single to right field, bringing our offense to life. Everyone got up and stood against the fence to cheer. Brian came up next, tacking on a single of his own and pushing Garret to third. Runners at the corners, one out, Sean was up. He hit a hard line drive into the gap, both runners made it home on his stand up double, and we were now up 6-1.

    We celebrated Garret and Brian as Jason went up next. He hit a fly ball to right field that Sean was able to tag up and advanced on. But Mitchell ended our inning with a pop out to the first baseman in foul territory. It didn''t damper our moods though as we took the field for the top of the fourth.

    What did end the excitement was Kyle giving up a leadoff single to the second batter in the lineup. Adam then ripped a line drive similar to Sean''s. The runner on first was fast enough to score, beating out the relay and Mitchell''s tag. 6-2.

    Noah called for time and jogged to the mound. I cringed, not really wanting to go, but couldn''t be the only one not to go. Our whole infield met on the mound.

    "Don''t say it." Kyle said, eyes narrowing at Noah.

    Noah shrugged innocently. "Say what?"

    "The whole ''calm down'' spiel that you usually give. I''m fine." Kyle declared. "It''s just a couple hits. It sucks. Leave me alone."

    "It''s not that bad." Sean spoke up. "We still have a four run lead. That means you can give up three more before getting pulled out."

    My lips twitched as Kyle turned his glare on Sean.

    "I''m not getting pulled." Kyle declared. "I''m going to finish this game."

    Noah spotted the ump walking our way. He reached out to pat Kyle on the shoulder. "Okay, sure. Finish it. Give it all you''ve got. I don''t think you have to sacrifice so much speed for location. These guys want to swing, let them."

    We had to break up the meeting with the umps prompting. I don''t know how effective these small mound meetings were overall, but I do think it gives a nice break for the pitcher. Either to calm them down or pump them up. If I was a pitcher, I would need a pep talk for every batter.

    Kyle faced the cleanup hitter next. He shook off Mitchell a little more, obviously trying to change the game plan. He got the guy cornered on an 0-2 count before the batter ripped a line drive to left. My head snapped to Bryce as he came in and made a diving catch. He jumped up and hurried to get the ball back in to Noah, keeping Adam at second.

    "Let them swing?" Kyle asked sarcastically as Noah returned the ball.

    Noah shrugged. "Don''t throw a strike on an 0-2 count. Isn''t that basic baseball knowledge?"

    Kyle glared then huffed before turning to face Mitchell. His speed did start to pick up, but his pitches were all over. The fifth batter hit a grounder at me. I caught it, saw that Adam had long taken off for third, so I played it safe and got the out at first.

    "Good job." Noah clapped with his glove. He then raised his voice. "Two outs. One to go!"

    "Two outs!" The rest of us echoed.

    Kyle continued with the high speed, lower accuracy and it didn''t have immediate payoff just yet. He walked the next batter to have runners at the corners. A home run and he would be taken off the mound. Luckily, he came through on the very next batter, getting him to go down swinging. Only his third strikeout of the game.

    We went back to the dugout to switch to offense.

    "You good?" I heard Coach ask Kyle.

    Kyle nodded. "Yea. We''re changing things up though."

    "Ok, grab a bat." Coach gave him permission to hit which was also granting him permission to continue pitching. His eyes drifted to me.

    I knew what was coming. I hurried to put my hands together to plead. "One more at bat!"

    Coach chuckled. "Alright. Get your bat too."

    I pumped a fist excitedly and hurried to my bag.

    "You getting pulled?" Noah asked, having already put his helmet on.

    I shook my head. "Not yet. He said I could bat at least."

    "That''s good." Noah finished strapping his batting gloves on and nodded at me before leaving for the on deck circle.

 Chapter 1117 V3 ch351 CIF Semifinal: Gridley HS (5)

    I didn''t take long to get ready and stood in the hole with some eagerness.

    "You have something you want to do?" Bryce asked with a small laugh.

    I shrugged. "I just want to get some swings in. Try for that homer from the left side again."

    Bryce placed a hand on the top of my helmet and gave it a shake. "Give it your best shot. We''re rooting for you."

    I grinned and nodded.

    Kyle popped out to short very quickly, but at least he didn''t look so angry this time coming back. His attention must still be on pitching and how he could finish this game.

    I went out to the on deck circle, leaving Bryce in the hole. Noah was at the plate, tapping it with his bat before getting set. He was 0-1 today with a walk and a run. Not exactly bad, but I know he wouldn''t be happy without at least a hit. He didn''t get it this time either, poking a slow roller to second. The second baseman dealt with it swiftly and threw him out at first.

    Just as he was coming back, the coach from Gridley came out of his dugout and announced a pitcher change. He went to the mound and took the baseball from his player and waited for a new player to come from the bullpen.

    "Ooh. A challenger?" Noah lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

    I gripped my bat tighter in excitement. I smiled. "As long as they''re not calling in a new guy just to intentionally walk me."

    Noah laughed. "Not likely, but also not impossible." He went back in the dugout.

    Bryce came out to take practice swings too as we watched the guy get some practice pitches off the mound. After a few, the ump waved for me to come up.

    "Get him, Jake!"

    "Crush another one!"

    "Let''s add a few more to the scoreboard!"

    I got in the lefty''s box for the second time today. I pulled my bat back and got set, happy to know that the pitcher wasn''t going to walk me intentionally. The first pitch came, just a little outside. I fouled it down the line, behind Mr. Miller in the coaches box. I did that a couple more times.

    Until Mr. Miller clapped loudly. "Straighten it out Jake!" I could hear a bit of impatience in his voice. I felt a little guilty. He probably didn''t like me fouling pitches off his way.

    I tried to pull a few down the right field line, successfully avoiding Coach Riley. The pitcher started to get annoyed, throwing a ball almost right at me. I jumped back to dodge. The next pitch bounced before home plate, making the count 2-2. It was time to go for it. Otherwise I might be seeing a walk.

    The next pitch wasn''t perfect, but I still pulled it to right field. I dropped my bat and started to run. The right fielder got under the fly ball and made the catch, not needing to show off like before. I frowned and headed back to the dugout.

    I picked up my bat on the way and stepped into the dugout.

    "Good try." Coach told me. "Take a seat. Dalton is taking over."

    "Okay." I twisted my lips.

    "Anything wrong?" He asked.

    "No. I just didn''t like the pitch I chose to try to hit." I told him honestly. "There were a lot of better ones."

    "Yea. That you wasted." Mr. Miller joined us. He wagged his finger at me. "I know you like to play around against live pitching but one of these days you''ll mess up and hit me. You can expect to run for the whole season if you do."

    "Sorry." I cringed. I knew it. He was annoyed.

    "You didn''t do anything wrong." Mr. Miller said. "Yet."

    Coach laughed. "Okay, I think we should have more faith in Jake. He would never intentionally hit anyone with a baseball." He patted me on the shoulder. "You''re fine. Take a seat and relax."

    I nodded and left them for my bag. I took my helmet off and nodded at some of the guys who were late to leave the dugout. Then my batting gloves. I stared at them for awhile, wondering when I had become used to a layer between me and my bat. Oh yea, my bat. I picked it up and looked it over too, happy to not find any splinters or dents despite the long at bat and how many foul balls I had hit.

    Top of the fifth inning, Kyle showed a jump in speed and batters were starting to struggle. The guy that previously hit a homer off him, struck out swinging. The nine hole spot was the new pitcher and he struck out looking. Back at the top of the lineup, Kyle did walk the number one batter but bounced back immediately with a force out to Noah at short who flipped the ball to Dalton at second base to get the runner to end their half of the inning.

    Bottom of the fifth. Bryce got pegged on the back on a 1-1 count. Coach went out to check on him, ultimately guiding him back to the dugout and sending out Korrey to be a pinch runner. Bryce assured everyone that he was fine, but Coach wanted to play it safe so he gave him a look and sent him to the bench.

    Garret went up next and surprised a lot of us by going down swinging. He strikes out very rarely, the last time being against Servite. Brian struck out too, making the pitcher look a whole lot better. But then the pitcher walked Sean. Followed up by an RBI single from Jason. Then another RBI single from Mitchell, making it 8-2. The activity was broken up by another pop out in foul territory by Kyle.

    "I never get to come up with people on." Noah complained as he switched gear. "I just want to pad my stats too before the season ends."

    "I thought you only cared about winning?" I joked.

    "Well, we are winning." Noah said. "So why not add a little more?"

    "You already scored a run." I pointed out.

    "I want moreeee." Noah dragged out as he headed for the exit.

    I understood what he meant. I think all players would.

    Top of the sixth started with Adam. Kyle made short work of him, earning his sixth strikeout of the game. The cleanup hitter became strikeout victim number seven. The next guy got walked, but Kyle continued on, getting another strikeout to end the half.

    "Beat you." Kyle told Garret as soon as Garret made it in from center field.

    "Beat me into the dugout?" Garret asked, confused. "No duh. You could walk and beat me."

    "I have more strikeouts than you did last week." Kyle smirked.

    "That''s like the only stat you''ve beaten me in." Garret rolled his eyes and brushed past Kyle. "I gave up less walks and runs."

    "Not hits." Noah pointed out as he pulled on his helmet.

    Garret slapped him on the head. "Shut up and get out."

    Noah snickered and hurried to finish getting ready.

 Chapter 1118 V3 ch352 CIF Semifinal: Gridley HS (6)

    Noah led off with a walk. Not by choice. He looked ready to swing at anything close, but the pitcher was way off. Which led to another pitcher change. The new guy wasn''t much different besides having better control. Dalton struck out looking at a close call. He sighed and hung his head on his way back to the dugout. Coach pulled him aside once he got back.

    Korrey was up next, his first at bat of the game. And he made it count. He blasted a fastball to left field and the ball easily cleared the fence for a homer. Two more runs were tacked on to make it 10-2. This game wasn''t close at all. It didn''t feel like last year''s playoffs where every game was a close one. Which was weird since we had Zeke last year.

    "Another stat padded." I told Noah as he sat back down.

    "Huh?"

    "You wanted to pad your stats and you did a little." I pointed out. "Your on-base percentage went up and you scored another run."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Are you trying to start a fight?" He looked down at his hands before clenching them into fists. "I''m going to hit the gym all summer and get absolutely ripped. I want to start hitting homers too."

    "I don''t think shortstops are known for hitting homers." Bryce laughed, clearly having overheard us.

    "Cal Ripken Jr. Alex Rodriguez. Ernie Banks. Derek Jeter." Noah started to list.

    "Woah, woah." Bryce cut in. "Ripken and Jeter had a crazy amount of time in the MLB."

    "Does that mean they can''t count?" Noah raised an eyebrow. "Did they or didn''t they hit homers?"

    "Jeter wasn''t known for homers." Bryce argued. "He was known for being a captain of a winning team."

    Our captain of our winning team just ripped a hard line drive��right to the third baseman. Garret came back, looking dissatisfied.

    Brian flew out to center to end the inning.

    The top of the seventh was purely Kyle''s stage as he showed his most dominant inning of the game. He breezed through each batter, upping his speed like never before. All three batters were swinging strikeouts. Three more added to his total to make it eleven. Eleven!

    Our whole team gathered out on the field, slapping hands with one another and congratulating Kyle on pitching a complete game in the semifinals. Our excitement felt a little muted as we all had expected to win. Like we all knew it was coming.

    Just like Adam felt like he was going to lose. Noah and I went over after to say goodbye to him before he left with his team.

    "Let''s take a picture real quick." Noah suggested.

    Adam took out his phone and got a teammate to take a few pics before putting his phone away. "Well, it was good to see you guys even if you did kick our butts."

    "Hey, you aren''t walking away empty-handed." Noah grinned. "You did get an RBI double off of Kyle. You can feel good about that."

    I laughed. "Yea, cuz Noah will definitely make Kyle feel bad about it."

    Noah shrugged innocently. "What? Like he''s not going to brag about having eleven freakin strikeouts today? Bet we hear it all week until finals."

    I grinned. "That''s too generous. I bet we hear it for the rest of the school year."

    Noah laughed. "Okay. You''re right." He looked to Adam. "Our brothers can be a little relentless with their bragging."

    Adam grinned. "Guess I know where you get it from." I laughed at that and Adam nodded at me. "Jake''s the most humble. Not just among your team but among everyone I know. Number two in the state and you wouldn''t even know it."

    I felt my face heat up, slightly embarrassed.

    "You say that because you''re not in the dugout with him." Noah said. "He brags all the time. Hitting homers because he wants to." He shook his head. "Sooo annoying." He laughed after I shoved him. "What? You know I''m joking. It''s not bragging if you can follow through."

    We spoke with Adam for a couple more minutes until he was being called away. We had to get back to our dugout to grab our bags and help the team clean up a little.

    "Kyle and Jake." Coach called out. "I need you two to follow me for a second." He looked serious. "We''re going to answer some reporter questions together."

    "Yes!" Kyle pumped his fists and jumped up. He tossed his bag at Dave. "Here, make yourself useful."

    Dave rolled his eyes.

    "I''ll take your bag." Noah started to take it away from me.

    "Do I have to go?" I frowned and looked at Coach.

    Coach nodded. "Don''t worry, I''ll keep it short. You just keep it simple."

    I sighed and followed him and Kyle out.

    Coach led us to the exit, where a group of about twenty people had started to gather. He stood next to our athletic director, whose presence surprised me. But I guess it made sense. We were in the playoffs and drawing a lot of attention.

    "Now everyone is here." Our AD said. He nodded at Coach. "This is Coach Wilcox and he''ll be in charge of this little Q and A session. He''s been with the school for almost a decade now and I''m very proud with what he''s been able to accomplish. We''ve been a competitive team, fighting for league championships since he arrived."

    "Back to back CIF championships would be quite an accomplishment." Someone remarked. "Is there a scenario where you move on to coach at the higher levels?"

    "Presently have no plans leaving Watsonville High School." Coach spoke up. "Coaching at the high school level is satisfying as you get to watch young teenagers grow into young men. These are the ages where we see the most improvement in players and I hope to be a support pillar in that process."

    "You''ve had quite a few amazing players in recent seasons." Someone brought up. "Has it changed your coaching style any?"

    "I try not to keep any uniformed style." Coach answered. "Or, if I had to say that I had a style, I would like to think it''s adjustable. Each player is different. Especially teenage boys. You have the loud, rambunctious, confident types." He place a hand on Kyle''s shoulder. "And then you have the timid and self-conscious type that maybe needs a little more directed guidance and support."

    More than half of the people present laughed. Some man spoke up. "It''s hard to believe that your best batter needs that kind of attention. I think his stats speaks volumes."

    "Stats are irrelevant to personalities." Coach told him. "Personalities will change over time and really, as long as you aren''t a jerk, it really doesn''t matter what you''re like as a person. It just changes how I try to coach them."

    "Was there any particular reason you benched Jake Atkins after the fourth inning?" Someone asked.

    "To give some of other batters a chance to bat and get some work in." Coach said.

    "So there were no injuries or concern?" The person followed up. "You would bench your best player; potentially the best player in the state, just because another player could get work in a playoff game?" The man''s eyes shifted to me. "And this has nothing to do with him going 1-3 at the plate today?"

    "It''s really not that deep." Kyle was the one to speak up. "We had a comfortable lead and we need our best player to be ready for the finals. Coach isn''t rigid and knows how to switch things up. Even if we''re winning."

    "Why change when something is working well?"

    "To be ready for anything." Kyle shrugged. "During the game, I decided to change things on the mound and it worked for me. You can''t be so inflexible."

    Kyle started to take over, answering a lot of the questions about the game and even about the finals. "Yea, I''ll be ready for finals. Probably coming out of the bullpen though."

    There were some questions about him and his future with the draft coming up next month. I started to stiffen, knowing what was coming next.

    "And Jake, what''s your thoughts on the next step? Are there any colleges you''re interested in or talking to yet? Or are you taking the same route as your brother and going pro right after high school?"

    Kyle glanced at me and noticed my frozen look. He threw his arm around my shoulders. "It''s too early for Jake to make any decisions. Our mom will definitely make sure he''ll visit some schools in the upcoming years just like I had to. As well as my twin brother and older brother. We have to explore all options. I do know that Jake is interested in visiting the same schools as those two since he is more comfortable with familiar faces."

    "So would you say he leans more to college?"

    "Again, too soon to say." Kyle redirected the questions and I became a piece of decor. Like a painting on the wall, there was a lot of speculation about me, but I didn''t say anything. I couldn''t. I just didn''t have the answers.

 Chapter 1119 V3 ch353

    "Jake was a complete statue." Kyle was telling the whole family at dinner. "My dude didn''t even flinch like he normally does."

    "I''m not sure that''s an improvement." Dave said with a raised eyebrow.

    "It''s certainly better than vomiting or passing out." Kyle refuted. He patted me on the head. "Good job, Jake."

    "He''s not a dog." Noah slapped Kyle''s hand away.

    "Noah." Mom said with warning.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Why are you always busting me, Mom? Kyle''s the one giving Jake a hard time."

    "That sounded like a compliment to me." Mom said before turning to me. "You okay, Jake? With Kyle patting you on the head?"

    I shrugged. "A lot of people pat me on the head. It doesn''t bug me."

    "It''ll stop once you start getting taller than them." Dave assured me. "Zeke used to pat me on the head all the time."

    "You mean slap you upside the head." Kyle snickered.

    "He''d still do it too if he was here." Noah laughed.

    "Speaking of Zeke." Dad cleared his voice to get our attention. "His game tomorrow is at San Francisco University. Your mother and I are planning to go and will stay the night up there. Your gramps will be in charge of dinner so I want you kids to be on your best behavior. Get your homework done and get to bed at a reasonable time."

    "I''m going to the girl''s game tomorrow." Kyle stated. "Coach already said he would give us the day off, but to expect a tough practice Wednesday."

    "We''re going too." Noah gestured to himself and then to me. He looked at Kyle. "Are you trying to drive there? Cuz if you are, we want to ride with you. Jake on a bus with the baseball teams is hard enough. I don''t want him to get stressed being with random kids from school."

    I nodded in a hurry. "Yea, I rather ride with you."

    "I''m going to need to get the gas tank filled up." Kyle said, looking at Dad. "The girls play over an hour away too."

    Dad pulled out his phone. "I''ll transfer you the money and you can get gas and snacks after school tomorrow."

    "Guess it''s just you and me, old man." Dave joked with Grampa.

    "Go with your brothers." Grampa waved him off. "I don''t need you to keep me company. I''ll hang out at the community center and have dinner ready for you boys when you get back."

    Dave grimaced. "I''m so lame my own grandfather doesn''t want to hang out with me."

    "Do you not want to go?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.

    "I would feel more comfortable about you kids taking the car if there are two drivers." Mom said, sounding a little worried.

    "I''ll go, I''ll go." Dave said, cutting them off. "I was just going to work out on my own and maybe get some extra pitching in. It''s not a big deal. I can take the day off like everyone else." He looked at Kyle. "Is Marie pitching every game until they lose?"

    "She''ll get the start every game." Kyle confirmed. "No pitching limits. But if she gets fatigued, they have others that can back her up."

    The rest of dinner went quick. Then it was shower and bed. Not a whole lot of homework was due thankfully. The next morning was a flurry of looking for our school bags, in a hurry to eat breakfast, and then rushing off to school.

    "Hey, leave the keys with me." Noah said as we started to unload the car. The twins had parked near the top, knowing that we wouldn''t have to go to the baseball field today.

    "What? Why?" Kyle squinted at him.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "So I can take it for a joy ride obviously. No, you dope. Alisha asked if we could bring the signs she made in the car so it won''t get messed up on the bus."

    "She''s taking the bus? You didn''t offer her a ride with us?" Dave asked.

    Kyle handed over the keys. "Don''t forget to lock the car."

    "Yea, yea." Noah took the keys and looked to Dave. "She''s taking the bus with some of her other friends. They''re the ones that came to our game yesterday and screamed really high-pitched."

    The twins left and we waited for Alisha to come to the parking lot, saying ''hi'' to a few classmates and teammates that would pass us by. Alisha showed up with two followers, and all three girls were holding a stack of posters.

    Noah opened the trunk and put the third row down so there would be more space. Every poster had each player''s name and number with some kind of encouragement written on it. There were bright neon posters, posters with glitter, and just so unique.

    "Wow. I don''t think you guys put this kind of effort into our stuff yesterday." Noah commented as we helped get everything in.

    "Of course not." Alisha slapped her hands together, trying to get some glitter off. "I don''t have as much free time with me helping out Coach Wilcox prepare for your games. It''s a lot of note-taking."

    "Our game ended late yesterday and with the drive home and dinner, you still found time to do all this?" Noah gestured. "Yet you claim you can''t do it for us?"

    "Way to sound jealous, Noah." One of the girls, Brittany laughed.

    "Noah hates sharing Alisha with Kaylee." The other girl, Amber, pointed out. She reached out to pat Noah''s shoulder. "Don''t worry, Alisha didn''t do all of this. We did most of the work and just did the details together just now in the library."

    "I expect the same treatment next week." Noah looked at Alisha with expectation.

    Alisha grinned. "It''s the finals. I won''t let you down."

    "What I think we should do is create a banner for the guys to run through." Amber suggested. "Like the cheerleaders do for the football team?"

    "When would we run through it though?" Noah asked with a laugh. "Coming out of the dugout?"

    "It was just an idea." She stuck her tongue out.

    Noah closed the trunk and locked the doors, putting the keys away in his backpack.

    "I have an idea!" Brittany raised her voice. "We definitely should get those big helium ballon letters. M-V-P." She spelt out. "For Jake to be MVP. Get it? It''s going to happen right? All the guys say that he''s like the best in the state right now or something."

    I felt my face heat up. "I''m not the best."

    Alisha laughed. "Yea, just second best." She turned to her friend. "That''s a great idea. I''ll get my parents to buy the balloons this weekend. They last a long time so maybe we can use it for the girls game too if they move on."

    The girls and Noah all discussed potential ideas to use for the future. I just followed along, happy that we weren''t just talking about me. It was just a remark in passing. I could live with that. We reached the main hallway of the school and started to split up. Noah and I still had to go to our lockers and the three girls had class in the opposite direction.

 Chapter 1120 V3 ch354

    "You don''t look nervous at all." Noah commented on Kaylee''s calm demeanor as we showed up to chemistry.

    Kaylee looked up from her phone and raised an eyebrow. "Did I give you the impression that I was like Jake?"

    I rolled my eyes. "It''s normal to be nervous." I spoke up for myself.

    Noah patted my shoulder sympathetically. "Sorry, dude. You really take it to another level. Maybe someday you can be like us. Calm. Cool. Collected."

    "Is your sister nervous?" I asked Kaylee.

    She scoffed. "Her? No way. This is what she''s been dreaming of. Champion of league champions. Don''t tell Kyle, but it kills her that he has a CIF ring and she doesn''t."

    Noah shrugged. "Meh. Just remind her that he didn''t even play in that championship game last year."

    Kaylee chuckled. "Yea. I should. Think he''ll get a chance this year?"

    "No way." Noah shook his head. "Garret gets the start. Dave has first chance to come out. Coach already dealt out the assignments. If the two of them can''t handle it, then I don''t know what more Kyle could do."

    "God, I would hate to be in your bullpen." Kaylee remarked. "The twins and Garret really monopolized the mound all season. The other seniors barely saw any time."

    "Coach did a good job of getting the others to work here and there." Noah told her. "It''s just��when they''re on the mound, it''s hard to school down south? Like if it''s any good?"

    Kaylee blinked in surprise by the sudden change in topic.

    getting them off." He shrugged with a smile. "Doesn''t help that we''re always winning." He got serious. "Do you know where you''re going to school down south? Like if it''s any good?"

    Kaylee blinked in surprise by the sudden change in topic.

    Noah pressed on. "You played two years on varsity here and all you know is winning with your sister. What happens if you go to a crappy school with a crappy team?"

    "What would you do?" Kaylee turned it back on him. "No brothers. Just you on a bad team. Like if you somehow made it to the minors. And it was the worst of the worst."

    "That''s different." Noah pointed out. "There''s little value of winning in the minors. It''s all about personal stats. I would try my best to bump up my average and tack on as many stolen bases as I could."

    "That''s all I can do too." Kaylee pointed at him. "High school is basically the minors on my way to college. If it''s a bad school, I''ll just do my best to shine."

    "What if it''s a really good school?" I jumped in, trying to be a little more optimistic.

    "Yea! That too. What if it''s so good, you can''t even make the varsity team?" Noah twisted my question into something more concerning.

    "Then I quit." She deadpanned. She laughed at our faces. "I''m kidding. Of course I just keep trucking along. I don''t know what you expected to hear. I''ll just keep going until the end of the line."

    That''s right. I could see her playing no matter what. She and Noah shared a lot of similarities when it came to their sports. Noah wouldn''t just stop playing either. If he didn''t make the team, he would up his training until he could be on the team. If the team sucked, he would make it better. Not just by his own physical skills, but by his leadership abilities too.

    The bell rung and class started. The day went by pretty normally besides the few guys that came up to ask me if I was hurt since I only went 1-3 yesterday. Noah had to assure them that I was fine and was trying to hit a homer from the other side of the plate.

    "Guess you can afford to mess around when you''ve got a comfortable lead like that." A guy laughed. "We''ll be there next week for the finals so try to put on more of a show."

    "Sure. Sure." Noah waved him away and we continued walking to our lunch spot. "Gosh, I think you''re more popular than me now."

    I rolled my eyes. "It''s you doing all the talking."

    "Well, if I didn''t, would you?" He shot back.

    I rubbed my nose and tried changing the subject. "What do they mean by show? That I should get more hits or something?"

    "Don''t bother caring about them." Noah advised. "You just listen to Coach. If he says get a hit, then do it. If he doesn''t care, then do what you want." He started to laugh to himself. "If only I could hit on command like you. I would be showing off all the time."

    "That''s why I''m getting walked all the time." I pointed out. "Because I get too many hits. You think I''ll get to hit in the finals?"

    "I gotta imagine so. It''d be kind of lame if they chose to pitch around you. Garret would have to make them pay." He shook his fists.

    We talked baseball over lunch before heading to our shared elective with Alisha and Kaylee. Kaylee had to leave midway as her bus had to leave the school earlier because of warmups and stuff. She waved on her way out as everyone wished her ''good luck.'' The next time we would see her would be at the game.

    After school, Noah and I met up with the twins. Noah returned the keys to Kyle, seeing that Dave wasn''t interested in his turn to drive. We sat in the parking lot traffic for the first time in forever, watching parents pick up their kids, kids loading up the busses, or kids that had to cross the parking lot to walk home.

    I spotted the bus that was taking students to watch the game and saw Alisha in line. I waved as we passed by and she waved back, standing with her friends.

    "Are we all sitting together?" I asked the guys.

    "Why wouldn''t we?" Noah asked, looking up from his phone.

    I shrugged. "I don''t know. Sometimes Kyle sits with Kaylee and Marie''s parents. And Dave sits with other seniors."

    "Their parents won''t be able to make it because of work." Kyle answered.

    "Wow." Dave sounded surprised. "They''re usually all about making it to the games and cheering Marie on."

    "They are for home guys. It''s difficult for away games. Especially on week days. You know they''re weird about these things. Like I''m sure they''ll make it to the next game and finals."

    "Well there''s a poster for Marie that you can hold then." Noah told him.

    Kyle stopped at a gas station to fill up before we got onto the highway. Noah and Dave used the opportunity to go inside the small station and load up on drinks and snacks. Kyle and I didn''t have any complaints seeing that they didn''t leave us out.

    Noah was organized in the sense that he knew what we should have now and save later for the game.

    "Don''t eat so much that you make yourself sick." Kyle warned as he started the car now that we were ready to hit the road. "I''m showing up on time for the game even if that mean I have to hear you barfing in the backseat."

    I made a face of disgust, not liking the imagine he put in my mind.

    "I haven''t done that in so long." Noah rolled his eyes as he started in on his third cookie already. "Don''t worry about me. Just keep your eyes on the road."

 Chapter 1121 V3 ch355 Softball CIF Quarterfinals

    Kyle really did do a good job of driving us to the girl''s game. His focus stayed on the road, only changing the radio station to the A''s game when Noah asked.

    "I feel like we''ve gone to less games this year." Noah remarked as we listened to the starting lineup.

    "It''ll pick up once our season is over." Dave commented. "Jeremy''s always inviting us, but it''s not possible on weekdays. And we''ve been busy on the weekends." He turned around to look at me. "Does Jeremy text you separately out of our group chat?"

    I nodded.

    "Of course. Doesn''t Zeke text each of us separately?" Noah snorted.

    "I don''t know. It''s weird. We aren''t really related to Jeremy." Dave said. "So I just wonder what the relationship is like?"

    I thought about it. "It''s��I don''t know��kind of like how Zeke is away at college?"

    "There''s a sense of distance." Noah commented.

    I nodded. "Yea. Exactly. He''s there. But also not. I mean, he''s cool and everything, but I would say I''m closer to Grampa than him. But also, closer to him than I am to my classmates."

    "I think the age gap plays a roll in it." Noah offered. "When Zeke started high school, I was still in elementary and we weren''t very close. The twins were my tormentors growing up too."

    "We didn''t torment you." Kyle interjected.

    "It''s called sibling love." Dave added.

    "Anyways, I wouldn''t say we got close until I joined them in high school." Noah ignored them.

    I tried not to laugh. "I see."

    "No, he''s right." Dave twisted around to tell me. "There was always this imaginary wall between us and Noah. It''s just two years, but because of that gap, we never officially played together in games and plus we got bigger and stronger than him much quicker."

    "I think him falling out with his friends also made us closer." Kyle said, merely glancing in the rearview mirror. "Like only we can bully ourselves. Not the other way around."

    "I wasn''t bullied." Noah rolled his eyes. "I had other friends. I just put a lot of my focus on baseball."

    I nodded. "Yea. Noah''s very popular. He knows and talks to everyone in our classes."

    "That''s normal after going to school with the same kids for years." Dave rolled his eyes. "We talk to everyone too."

    "I think you guys are popular too." I added.

    "Jake, you''re also popular." Noah told me. "Just comes with the territory of being a great player."

    We chatted casually until reaching the field. We left our backpacks in, but took the posters out. There were already a lot of parents and teens in the stands, but one bleacher behind our school''s dugout was still a little empty. We climbed up and laid the posters out, waiting for the bus of student spectators to come.

    And they did. So did a few other high schoolers that drove themselves like Garret and Sean. I tried not to twitch so much as the stands started to fill up, uneasy being surrounded and trapped up top.

    "Hey, just breathe man." Noah told me. "You''re between me and Dave. Nothing is going to happen to you."

    Dave nodded in agreement.

    "Yea. Okay. I know." I nodded. They were right. Nothing would happen to me. I was surrounded by kids that I knew from baseball and school. No one was as crazy as my birth mom. I was fine.

    The girl''s game started with a small pregame ceremony. Both schools were announced and congratulated for making the postseason. We stood for the national anthem like the girls on the field.

    The Watsonville softball team took the field first with Marie standing on the rubber inside the pitcher''s circle.

    "Let''s go, Marie!"

    "You''ve got this!"

    "Shut them out!"

    Marie made short work of the opposing team, earning two strikeouts before the third girl popped out to Kaylee at short. The bottom of the first, the girls got on the board early thanks to a Marie three-run home run. Kaylee was one of the three that scored so we cheered for her too. But it was mostly the Marie show. On the mound, she dominated, taking a no-hitter to the top of the sixth.

    "She''s like the female version of Garret." Noah muttered under his breath.

    My lips twitched. "I think the girls would argue that Garret is the male version of him." After all, Marie was good her freshman year, already starting on varsity. Garret didn''t make varsity until his sophomore year.

    Top of the sixth, one out, Marie gave up her first hit. The runner stood on first and the next batter also put the ball in play, hitting a grounder to second. The second baseman made the catch, but fumbled the ball a little when trying to transition to throw. She threw to Kaylee at second. Kaylee stepped off second base, but the runner from first still slid into her, knocking her into the air. She came down, arms extended to catch herself. There was a small yelp.

    Before I could understand what was happening, the runner jumped up and started waving for someone to come. Marie was there first. Then the second baseman.

    Marie was waving too, at the dugout. Their head coach came out with Drew, our athletic trainer. The stands got eerily quiet.

    "She''s okay, right?" Alisha asked, holding Noah''s wrist tightly from his other side.

    I looked to Noah for reassurance too.

    "It''s not good. It can''t be." Dave spoke up. "Not if they''re asking for a trainer right away."

    We watched as the infielders gathered, just a few feet away as Kaylee was surrounded by her coaches, Marie, and Drew. The umpires were also gathered towards the visiting dugout, talking with the opposing coach.

    Every minute was ticking by slowly. No updates were given and not much was said from the players on the field. A few people in the stands started to complain, saying they should just take her to the dugout, but then we heard a siren.

    I felt a lump grow in my throat and I also reached out to grab Noah''s wrist. The siren was getting closer and closer until an ambulance and fire truck pulled into the nearby parking lot. Just behind our car actually.

    Noah stood up. So did Alisha. They weren''t the only ones. A lot of people in the stands started to stand up and move around, watching as the EMTs and firefighters unload and head to this field.

    "Someone called 911." Dave stated, also standing on the otherside of me. "Drew hasn''t moved her so it must be very serious."

    "Let''s go." Noah said.

    "Go where?" Dave asked.

    "Go down there. Something''s wrong so we''ve got to be able to do something." Noah said. He pulled me to my feet. He gestured at Kyle. "Come on. It''s your girlfriend''s sister. Go see if you can do anything."

    "What would we be able to do?" Kyle asked, flabbergasted yet he still got up. "If the medics are here, we should let them handle things."

    Noah took charge, leading us down. Me. Alisha. The twins. We maneuvered around the few standing groups, getting to the ground level and headed towards the side fence.

    Marie made way for the medics, who were kneeling down to Kaylee. She looked around frantically, looking like she was searching for someone in the stands. Noah started to wave with both arms to get her attention, even yelling out her name.

    Marie spotted us and lit up. She sprinted towards us full speed. "You''re here. Thank god." She told Kyle, gripping the fence. "I need you to call my parents and tell them that Kaylee is being taken to the emergency room."

    Kyle frowned. "What''s wrong?"

    She was slowly crying, scaring me. "It''s bad. Her arm��it''s snapped."

    We were taken aback, not really expecting that kind of answer. I personally felt a little relieved it wasn''t something more serious or life threatening.

    "It''s poking out and-" She started to ramble.

    "Poking out?" Dave interrupted. "What?"

    "The bone! Her arm!" She raised her voice. And her arm. She pointed close to her her own wrist. "It''s gone through!"

    "I don''t feel so good." Alisha mumbled, probably not liking the imagery that Marie was giving us.

    "I''ll call your dad." Kyle took out his phone and started to dial.

 Chapter 1122 V3 ch356 Kaylee’s Injury (1)

    Things started to happen once Kyle made that call. The medics looked like they got Kaylee stabilized and loaded her up on a stretcher. Drew followed along with them, heading for the ambulance.

    Marie told us a hospital name and said she would go straight there after the game with one of her coaches. Kyle hesitated on whether to go or stay, but Marie didn''t.

    "I can''t be there so you have to be." She told him. "Would you want your younger brother to be alone at the hospital?"

    Kyle glanced at me and Noah. "Okay."

    Unfortunately Alisha was stuck staying at the field. She came with the bus and would have to leave with the bus. The chaperones wouldn''t let her just run off without a parent present since she came with them.

    "I want updates. Constantly." She told me and Noah as she walked us towards the lot. "Make sure she''s going to be okay. Send me pictures. Videos. Any little thought."

    "We will." Noah assured her. I nodded in agreement.

    The four of us loaded into the family car with Kyle at the wheel. He glanced at Dave. "Call Mom and tell her what we''re doing. Grampa too. We probably won''t be home on time for dinner anymore."

    Dave got to work, calling Mom first to let her know where we were going to be. She was still at Zeke''s game in San Francisco. He finished the calls just as we arrived at the hospital. Kyle found a spot and parked the car. We didn''t know where to go first so we entered through the emergency room, thinking she would be there.

    No nurse would let us back to look and they seemed to be too busy to go check on her to let us know how she was. Noah had the bright idea to text Drew for an update. It took awhile, but he got back to us and told us to meet him at the main entrance.

    We left the emergency room and went to the next set of doors which had less patients going in and out. Drew met us right in the lobby.

    "Shouldn''t she be in the emergency room?" Noah immediately asked him. "She went with the ambulance. Marie said the bone went through her skin so what are they going to do about it?"

    "We just got her admitted." Drew said with a sigh. "Right now they''re managing her pain through an IV and are about to go to imaging for some scans. They also have to call in an orthopedic surgeon so it''ll take some time."

    "A surgeon isn''t just waiting here?" Dave asked.

    "For orthro, not usually outside of business hours. Orthopedics aren''t usually emergent." Drew explained. "I can help you guys get registered as visitors and go see her, but I can''t promise that they let you stay."

    "They should let us stay until her parents get here at least." Kyle said. "And Marie and her coach. She can''t just be here alone."

    "That''s my job." Drew pointed out. "For right now, I''m considered her guardian until her parents arrive." He waved for us to follow him. "Let''s get checked in." He took us to the desk where a receptionist helped us get stickers to put on that said our name and our patient''s room number.

    With Drew knowing where to go, he led us through the halls, past a cafeteria and a small garden, to an elevator. Up to the fourth floor. We checked in with another nurses station and went to an empty room. Real empty. Not even a bed.

    "So she''s like getting x-rays done and stuff?" Noah looked at Drew.

    "Yes, to make sure they know what''s going on before they take her for surgery." Drew answered.

    "So it''s surgery for sure? I mean, like tonight?"

    "Soon as the orthro surgeon gets here." Drew explained. "It''s going to be a two part surgery with an orthro and a vascular surgeon. Do you know what a vascular surgeon is?"

    "For the blood vessels." I spoke up after seeing Noah shake his head.

    "Kaylee''s injury has to be treated with quite some urgency because the break is through the skin." Drew talked about the injury some more.

    Then we heard voices and the sound of wheels on the tile floor. Kaylee was on a bed gurney, rolled into the room, with the staff parking it near the monitors and machines. She was hooked up in a lot of places: IV in the left arm, non injured side obviously. A blood pressure cuff. A pulse monitor. Temperature gauge. A few ECG leads were visible, a sign that they were monitoring her heart.

    "Aren''t you quite popular with the boys?" A nurse said to Kaylee with a smile.

    "Sister''s boyfriend and his brothers." Kaylee answered, barely sparing us a glance.

    Her right arm was lightly covered, elevated onto some kind of foam table.

    "Okay, the doctor should be here soon." The nurse started to talk, mostly to Drew. "Don''t let her drink anymore water; certainly no food. The anesthesiologist will come after one more checkup and when we''re prepared to take her in for surgery. Do you know what time her parents will arrive?"

    Drew stepped out of the room with the nurse, promising to call Kaylee''s parents for an update.

    "I say, you''re handling this like a champ." Dave stated, trying to break the silence.

    Kaylee didn''t bother looking his way; she only had eyes for the ceiling.

    Dave gave Noah a pointed look and gestured for him to say something.

    Noah walked to Kaylee''s left side. "Tough fall. They said it''s a break. So what? Maybe just a month in a cast? You''ll be ready by the end of summer."

    Kaylee shook her head once and closed her eyes. "They said three months. Minimum. And if they''re saying that now, you know it''s only to get worse if there are complications."

    I grimaced. "Open fractures take longer. So do fractures near the wrist." I inched closer and stood by Noah by her bed. "Are you in pain?"

    She shifted and looked me in the eyes. And I could see it. The redness. She had been crying or maybe trying not to cry.

    I looked away. "Sorry. Dumb question."

    "Don''t worry, Kaylee." Noah told her softly. "They''ll fix you up and you''ll be on your way. Hey, isn''t this a good excuse to not help your family pack up the house?" He joked.

    Kaylee''s lips twitched. She sniffled a little. "You''re right. I won''t be doing any heavy lifting for quite awhile." She showed a small grin. "Think it can get me out of homework and finals too?"

    Noah laughed. "Homework? Maybe. Finals? No way. They would make you take them verbally if they have to." He got a little serious, glancing at the covered arm. "Are you able to feel and move your fingers alright?"

    She looked at the hidden arm too. "Able to feel them. Not really able to move the fingers so much, but the paramedic that rode next to me said that it was normal with these kind of fractures. I won''t really know how bad it is until after the surgery."

 Chapter 1123 V3 ch357 Kaylee’s Injury (2)

    The orthro surgeon showed up before Kaylee''s parents. He asked us to leave so they could look over the arm and then go over the imaging one more time. We had to say our goodbyes to her and wished her all the luck. The vascular surgeon appeared with the anesthesiologist as we were ushered out. Drew stayed with Kaylee and we went down to the lobby to wait.

    Marie and he head coach showed up first and Kyle gave the update. She was prepping for surgery now. Drew came down with the official notice that they put her under and took her in. Her parents showed up half an hour later, looking more concerned than I have ever seen them.

    Drew greeted them first, explaining in detail what had happened so far. They went to Marie next, hugging her tightly like they were afraid that something like this could have happened to her. Kyle went over and spoke to them in low tones.

    "I still don''t like them." Noah muttered under his breath.

    "At least they showed up." I whispered. "With their speed, they must have left as soon as they got the news."

    "That''s doing the bare minimum." Noah whispered back. "Don''t be impressed."

    It was a long waiting game out in the lobby. Noah sent a few texts out to friends of Kaylee''s including Alisha. There wasn''t much to be said until the surgeon came out.

    "Family of Kaylee Akerman?" He scanned the waiting room, resting his eyes on our group which started to stand up. He came over. "Good news, the surgery was successful. She''s in recovery right now and will be moved back to her room once she starts waking up."

    "That''s great. Thank you!" Marie''s mom, Diana shook the doctor''s hand.

    "What went wrong? How could her arm break like this?" Their dad, Greg asked. "Kaylee has fallen so many times before. Even Marie. How long will her recovery be? Will she be able to play softball by next spring?"

    "With any fall, there''s a chance of things not going right. A freak accident." The doctor said. "What happened to Kaylee isn''t super rare, but not exactly common either. She had something called a Galeazzi Fracture." He lifted his right arm and started to point. "It''s when there''s a fracture closer to the wrist with the dislocation of the radioulnar joint."

    "She dislocated her wrist too?" Noah interrupted.

    "Yes, but not to worry. She is young enough where we can try to let her heal with closed reduction and splinting. After she gets her stitches out and the open wound to heal up without infection, she''ll be in a cast for a few weeks."

    "So we can''t put the cast on her now?" Diana asked.

    The doctor shook his head. "Not yet. Let the swelling go down and the stitching to heal. When we clear the infection period, we can discuss her casting."

    "Will we have to do this here?" Greg asked. "We''re not local to the area."

    The talk shifted to just her parents as they discussed post-operative care. Who they should contact. Where they should go. What about physical therapy and the recovery timeline.

    Dave pulled me and Noah away. "Give them some space. This is out of our hands now."

    Kyle left them alone too, following us. "I guess we should��start heading home? Grampa is probably waiting up for us."

    "We aren''t going to wait and stay until she wakes up?" Noah asked.

    I looked at the twins too. Hopeful.

    Kyle looked at Dave. And Dave looked at Kyle. Dave shrugged. Kyle sighed. We waited an extra half an hour until we were told that Kaylee was moved to her room.

    Marie and her parents went in first to talk to her. Marie came out a few minutes later to wave us in. Noah and I went to her bedside immediately as the twins hung back.

    Kaylee squinted at us like she couldn''t see clearly. "You losers are still here?"

    "Just wanted to make sure you didn''t bail on us." Noah cracked a smile.

    I could see her parents frowning, but I just avoided eye contact with them. I scooted closer so she could see me better. "Can I take a picture for Alisha? She''s worried."

    "Seriously?" Kaylee let out a sudden laugh. "Okay. Sure. But you have to be in it too."

    "Me too." Noah took his phone out and handed it to Dave. "Here. Get a shot of us. Photographic evidence. The beginning of Kaylee''s comeback."

    "That has a good ring to it." Dave smiled. Noah got on the right side of her broken arm and leaned in. "Kaylee''s comeback on three. One, two, three!"

    "Kaylee''s comeback!" Noah was the only one to say it.

    "How''s my hair?" Kaylee started to slur her words. "If it''s ugly, I better not see it again. You hear me, Noah?"

    "Sure, sure." Noah waved her worries away. "Who cares about your hair anyways?"

    Kaylee looked at me. "Jake. Did it hurt this much?"

    I was taken aback. "Did what hurt?"

    "Your mom. She beat you with a baseball bat. I feel like I''ve been beaten with one too." Her eyes were slowly closing as she started to nod off.

    I reached out to hold her good hand. "You''ll be okay. It only hurts for a little while."

    "I''m not going to be able to drive." She mumbled, losing coherency.

    "I''ll teach you to drive when you''re better." Marie came over to reassure her. "You can have my car when I go to college."

    "Your car''s ugly." Kaylee said before she started letting out small snores.

    Marie walked us out. "Thanks for sticking around." She hugged Kyle.

    "No problem." Kyle kissed her on the top her head. "You did great today. Don''t tire yourself out taking care of your sister. Your parents and the nurses are here to do that. Actually, do you want to just ride home with us? We can drop you off."

    Marie shook her head. "No. I want to stay here with Kaylee. That injury was traumatic and I can''t imagine how she must feel. I probably won''t be in school tomorrow."

    "We''re going to head to the car while you guys say goodbye." Noah rolled his eyes. Dave and I were right behind him, not interested in the lovey-dovey scene between Kyle and Marie. "They always act like they aren''t going to see each other for a long time. It''s so gross."

    "You dummy." Dave slapped him upside the head. "They aren''t going to see each other for awhile when Kyle goes pro. And then she goes to college. They don''t even know where in the country he''ll end up."

    "Still think it''s lame." Noah defended.

    "That''s because you aren''t in love with anyone." Dave laughed. "You just can''t relate."

    We got in the elevator and took it down to the first floor. We backtracked our steps to the main lobby and waited for Kyle there.

    "Are you okay, Jake?" Noah glanced at me. "You''ve been kind of quiet. Did Kaylee bringing up your birth mother put you in a mood?"

    I shook my head. "Not really. I mean, it was a surprise but-" I stopped and shrugged. "It sucks that she has to go through this though."

    "All sport injuries suck." Dave said. "Anything that can take the game away from you; it takes the wind out of the sails. Hopefully she''s back to throwing in a couple of months."

    "She will be." Noah said confidently. "This is nothing. Kind of like when the season ends anyways. A bit of a break." He pulled out his phone and looked at the picture that was taken. "I''ll send this to Alisha. She''ll be happy to know that we stayed and talked with her after the surgery."

 Chapter 1124 V3 Ch358

    Kyle came down after a few more minutes and we went to the car. Dave took over as driver as Kyle made the calls to our parents and then to Grampa. Letting everyone know that we were fine, Kaylee had surgery, and that we were headed home now.

    The drive was long and quiet. Noah and Kyle napped for brief periods of time. Dave drove, occasionally asking me for directions since I could use my phone.

    At home, Grampa opened the garage door as soon as he heard us pulling up. "Sorry to hear about your friend." He told us as we unpacked the car. "I''ve got the table set so just come in and eat. You can get your backpacks later."

    We all dragged our feet to the kitchen table and found it full of food. Lasagna. Salad. Mashed potatoes. Green beans. Corn. Rolls.

    Noah immediately grabbed a roll and stuffed it into his mouth. He moaned in delight.

    The twins and I didn''t hesitate to join him. Reaching for the bread before even sitting down. We stayed out late with the hospital visit and waiting for the surgery to be done. It was nearing midnight and none of us had eaten since we had filled up on snacks at the gas station.

    "Okay, okay, no one is taking your food." Grampa came in last. He started to pull out our seats. "Sit down and eat properly. Your parents aren''t here to rush you off to bed."

    "They''re also not here to force us to go to school tomorrow." Dave pointed out. "How about letting us sleep in tomorrow, Grampa?"

    Grampa smiled. "I can. But if you miss school, then you also miss practice. If you miss practice, there''s a chance that you won''t be playing in the finals."

    "We''re going." Noah declared, shooting a glare at Dave.

    Dave started to fill his plate. "Yea, just joking obviously. I don''t want Mom and Dad coming home tomorrow and finding me here. Talk about unwanted trouble."

    Dinner still went by fast, mostly because we were hungry. Grampa still had us clean off our plates but said he would do the dishes and sent us off to our room. I showered in the hallway bathroom as Dave used the bathroom in the room. Kyle and Noah were busy with their phones, probably texting about Kaylee.

    It was a crazy freak accident. There were collisions here and there throughout my short time playing official baseball, but I''ve never seen such a severe injury. Besides feeling sorry for her, I didn''t think I was too bothered. Not until I woke up in the middle of the night with cold sweats.

    I was clutching my comforter and breathing hard like I had ran a marathon. My nightmare was flashing through my mind on repeat. I had fumbled a ground ball and threw too late to short. Instead of Kaylee though, it was Noah. Noah was bleeding and his arm was all red with blood.

    I shook my head to get those thoughts out of my head. I slowly sat up and looked around the dark room. No one else was up. I could hear some snoring from Dave, clearly knocked out for the night. I dragged myself out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash my face. With the light on, there wasn''t much I could imagine. Everything in my vision was real.

    After calming myself down, I turned the light off and went back to bed. I laid down but there was no more sleep for me. Everytime I would start to doze off, I would jolt awake. Soon, the alarm went off.

    I sighed with relief, happy that I didn''t have to try anymore. I got out of bed and stretched.

    "Yo. You got up pretty easy this morning." Dave commented as he got up to turn off the alarm.

    I shrugged. "Couldn''t sleep."

    "Yea last night was scary." Dave said, but I don''t think he understood that I really didn''t sleep. He grabbed his clothes and headed for the bathroom. "I''ll get ready first. You make sure the other two get up."

    I nodded. I went over to Noah; my eyes drifted to his outstretched arm. Completely fine. I gave him a pat. "Hey. It''s time to get up for school."

    Noah cringed and turned away. "Five more minutes."

    I moved to Kyle next. His eyelids were trembling before he was able to open them a little, squinting at me. "Jake?" He sat up. "Are we running late?" He threw off his comforter.

    My lips twitched. I knew he was thrown off by me being up before him. I was usually dead last. "No. On time. Dave''s using the bathroom first."

    The normal morning routine started. All of us moved around the room, either getting dressed or packing our backpacks. We took turns to use the bathroom to brush our teeth and hair. I washed my face too, trying not to look so rundown.

    Grampa didn''t do anything extra for breakfast, but he was there to watch us eat cereal and made sure that each of us took a fruit. He didn''t prepare us anything for lunch, but handed out $5 bills as lunch money.

    "Lunch is more than-" Noah started to say, but Dave slapped him upside the head.

    "Don''t scam Grampa." Dave shook his head and headed out. Dave got in the driver''s seat and we made sure our baseball bags were in before getting in too.

    "$5 really isn''t enough." Noah mumbled.

    "Use your card. You have money." Dave glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Grampa gives us money all the time; stop fighting for extra."

    That was it for the small talk on the way to school. All four of us weren''t in the best of moods, but there wasn''t any extra bickering. Dave parked near our field in the lower lot, then he and Kyle walked on up.

    Noah and I hung back, waiting around for Mr. Miller. We stared out onto the field as the sprinklers watered the grass.

    "You boys look like you had a long night." Mr. Miller remarked, parking the golf cart.

    Noah got on in the front and I got on in the back. "We didn''t get home until super late." He glanced at Mr. Miller. "You hear about Kaylee?"

    "Yes, there was a school wide email sent from the athletic director." Mr. Miller pursed his lips. "Did you guys see it?"

    "The accident? Yes." Noah answered. "Did we really see it? No, not like the girls on the field. I know it really freaked out Marie. We did go to the hospital and saw her before and after her surgery."

    "How is she? Mentally?"

    "Kaylee''s tough." Noah stated. "She''ll bounce back in no time." He cracked a smile. "She sounded upset that she won''t be taking driving lessons with us and Alisha anymore."

    Mr. Miller let out a short laugh. "I understand how that can be a big deal at her age. Missing out on doing things with her friends." He pulled up to the school building. "Do you know when she''ll make it back to school?"

    Noah shook his head. "No idea. Definitely not today."

    "We''ll have to plan something special for when she makes it back."

    "Yea." We both said simultaneously.

 Chapter 1125 V3 ch359

    Mr. Miller wasn''t the only one to ask about Kaylee. As soon as we started walking through the halls, we were greeted by some of the people, asking if we knew about her condition. Noah was the one to do all the talking, explaining that we stayed for her surgery and that she had started the long road to recovery. It happened throughout the day, especially in classes that we had shared with her. Everyone wanted to know. Noah decided to text Kyle to tell him that Marie should send out an update.

    I felt a little numb throughout the day, tired from the lack of sleep, and just a little unwell from the thought of Kaylee''s arm. Surprisingly, Coach addressed her injury just before practice started, asking us to gather around.

    "I know quite a few of you went to the girl''s game last night." Coach said, looking around. "It''s tough to see a friend or classmate get seriously hurt like that, but I want to assure everyone that she went through surgery and it went well."

    "But like well enough for her to play again?" Logan sounded skeptical.

    "Of course! Kaylee''s not a quitter." Noah said with conviction. "She just needs the summer to heal. She won''t be missing anything."

    "She''ll be missing the semifinals on Friday." Logan pointed out.

    Noah froze. His shoulders dropped. "Oh. Yea. That''s a tough game to miss out on, but at least it''s not multiple games or a full season."

    "I hope she has the same kind of optimism as you do."

    Noah glared at him.

    Logan lifted his hands up like he was surrendering. "I meant that in a good way. Her injury was really scary. I can''t imagine playing after something like that."

    "It''s certainly a long road before her." Coach said. "Alisha here, has brought a card for everyone to sign and wish her well. She''ll bring it around during practice. I''m not asking you boys to write an essay or anything. There''s not enough space for that, but try to include some words of encouragement."

    "I''ll sign it first!" Noah jumped up and went over to Alisha. "I know exactly what to say."

    I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

    Noah took the card and pen from Alisha and used the bench as a table top. He only took a few seconds before capping the pen. He showed off the card. Dead center, he wrote in all caps, ''YOUR COMEBACK IS BEGINNING''. Then his name below it.

    My lips twitched and some of the guys laughed.

    "Damn, man. That sounds aggressive." Jason was among those who could laugh.

    "That''s probably what she needs to hear." Alisha commented, sounding a little sad. She took the card and pen. "I''ll try to get you guys to sign during water breaks and stuff."

    "Sure."

    "Yea."

    "Of course."

    "No problem."

    Coach clapped his hands to get everyone''s attention. "Alright, I know the mood is a little somber but we have to push through. We have one last game to prepare for."

    "I''m ready, Coach!" Noah stood tall. "Who we facing? When and where is the game? Definitely can''t be at Stanford this year. Zeke has a home game versus Gonzaga."

    "Shut up and sit down." Garret dragged him back to the bench and forced him to sit. "Coach doesn''t need you acting like a reporter. He''ll give out the information he knows without you acting like a fool."

    Coach grinned. "It''s good to be eager. Give this dugout some energy. We''re playing a familiar opponent."

    "How familiar?" Noah asked, ignoring Garret''s look of annoyance.

    "We''ve played them at the end of last year, during the Christmas tournament." Coach tried to refresh our memory. "Branham High School. We beat them in the semifinals 2-1." He looked at Garret. "You''ve held them down well before, but don''t get too complacent. They''ve had all season to improve."

    "And so have I." Garret smirked.

    Coach looked towards the twins. "You two will practice this week with the intention of playing Monday. Just in case."

    "Naturally." Dave nodded.

    "Of course I''ll be ready to go." Kyle folded his arms over his chest.

    Coach''s eyes drifted to me. He lost his smile and turned serious as he spoke to the team. "Last time, Branham completely avoided pitching to Jake. All intentional walks. No matter if there was a runner on before him or if there were two outs. I can''t say that they''ll have the same mindset, but we should be prepared. Everyone will have to step up." He looked towards the juniors. "Bryce and Brian will be in the starting lineup. They have good swings and we need the offensive power." He moved back to Garret. "Let me know if you need to be at the back of the lineup."

    "No way." Garret immediately declined. "Put me behind Jake. If he gets on, we''ll make sure they pay for it."

    "Yeah!" The guys chorused.

    "Better work on your baserunning this week." Noah laughed as he slapped me on my back.

    "Alright, as for time and place, we should have an answer in the next day or so." Coach said. "Garret, lead them in warmups, but then you and Mitch hit the bullpen."

    Practice got officially underway. During one of the water breaks, it became my turn to sign the card for Kaylee. I checked to see what a few others had written to make sure I wasn''t a repeater and to get some ideas.

    Have a speedy recovery! Best wishes! Hang in there! Get plenty of rest! Take care! We''re praying for you.

    It seemed like a get well message needed caps or an exclamation point. Like you could forcefully cheer someone up. I found a small empty corner to write my message. It wasn''t anything profound or special. It''s just something I used to tell myself when I was in the most pain. Physically and mentally.

    ''There will be better days ahead. Don''t give up. Don''t give in. Hope to see you back in school soon.''

    My message was definitely the longest, but it was out of the way. I left enough space for the others. I handed the card and pen back to Alisha and went back to practice.

    We were doing little stations here and there. Hitting and fielding. Practicing in the cages and on the field. Bunts and baserunning. Nothing was left out. We ran a few situationals near the end.

    Runner on first. One out. A fast ground ball came at me. I fielded the ball and looked at Noah covering second base already. It wasn''t the smoothest transition, but I got the ball out of my glove and threw to Noah. Noah threw it to Sean at first.

    "Out at second." Coach declared. "Could be questionable at first. Let''s run it again." He got a new baseball. "Runner on first. One out." He smack a ground ball within my range.

    I moved to the ball, but my glove in the dirt. Transitioned ball from glove to throwing hand. Threw it to Noah at second base. He threw a rocket to first.

    "Better." Coach gave his seal of approval.

    I sighed with relief. That restless night of sleep might have gotten to me a little bit. I tried to loosen up, shaking my arms and hit my fist into my glove a few times. I can''t afford to mess up. Noah can''t get hurt like Kaylee.

 Chapter 1126 V3 ch360

    Thursday there was no Kaylee in school, but Marie showed up. She had a lot more to tell about Kaylee and how they planned to take her home that night. She would be in school tomorrow. Probably. It didn''t sound reassuring until Kaylee sent a group text to me, Noah, and Alisha.

    Kaylee: Hey guys, I have my phone with me now.

    Alisha: Great! It''s been weird not having you around! When do you get home officially?

    Noah: How''s the arm holding up?

    Me: Are you feeling better?

    Kaylee: Will go home this afternoon if I clear the discharge procedures. Arm feels heavy. Got enough painkillers though.

    Kaylee: I won''t be going to school tomorrow.

    Noah: What about the game?

    Kaylee: I''m going to stay home then too.

    Noah: That''s lame. Want us to come over to keep you company?

    Alisha: Yea! That''s a great idea. We normally hang out on Friday nights so why stop now. I''ll come over after baseball practice.

    Noah: We''ll have to shower first, but then will be over for dinner. Should we bring food or order food?

    Alisha: My mom will order us pizza if I ask.

    Noah: Sounds good.

    I looked up at Noah from across the lunch table. "You know Kaylee hasn''t replied yet, right?"

    Noah smirked. "Can''t give her a chance to say no or turn us down. Five bucks she says something about us going to the girls game with Kyle or something."

    As predicted, the next time our phones vibrated. It was Kaylee��

    talking about us going to the game.

    Kaylee: Alisha can come over, but you guys should probably go to the game with Kyle and cheer for Marie and the team. They''ll need all the support they can get.

    "See?" Noah shook his head. "Too predictable." He started to type on his phone.

    Mine buzzed with another text in the group chat.

    Noah: Don''t tell me how to live my life.

    I let out a laugh. Noah was pretty predictable too.

    Kaylee: Fine. Whatever.

    "See?" Noah smiled. "I knew she wanted us there."

    The rest of the school day flew by. Even though Noah and I weren''t planning on going to the girls game tomorrow, he still advertised for them, making sure everyone knew that they had made it to the semifinals. He didn''t forget to plug in that our finals game was going to be Monday. A lot of people asked where and at what time, but we didn''t know yet.

    Only to find out at the beginning of practice that it would be at a familiar location. One we''ve never played at, but had visited more times in the past year than I can count.

    Noah''s eyes sparkled with excitement. "Don''t be lying to me, Coach. A''s stadium? For real?" He jumped up when Coach nodded for confirmation. "I''m going to play in an official MLB stadium before I even make it to the big leagues. Pinch me, I might be dreaming."

    Kyle obliged, pinching Noah''s tricep.

    Noah slapped his hand away.

    Kyle laughed. "What? You said to."

    "Will the A''s be there?" Sean asked. "That would be cool to play in front of the pros."

    "No, they''re playing an away series." Noah answered. He was the A''s expert after all. I doubted even Jeremy knew more than him when it came to the A''s. Noah looked to Coach. "Are we going to use their clubroom and lockers and stuff? If so, I call dibs on Maberry."

    "Wishful thinking." Coach told him. "We will be in the third base dugout. There will be a room for dressing if we need it, but you guys should honestly be in your uniforms when we board the bus. The game is at 6pm, so we''ll leave right after school on Monday."

    Coach gave a few more details before sending us off for warmups. Despite only having two practices left this season, everyone took it very seriously. We were approaching the end and couldn''t let up now.

    After Friday''s practice, Kyle still drove us home. He and Dave called for showers first though since they had to hit the road for the girls game. They were long gone by the time Noah and I were done with our respective showers. Mom and Dad were still working, but we had Grampa around to give us a ride to Kaylee''s. I had only ever been outside her house so it felt weird to walk in.

    Alisha was the one to let us in and led us to the living room. "She''s a little prickly so take it easy."

    "When is she not prickly?" Noah scoffed. "She''s like a goddam cactus." He looked around. "Is her mom or dad here? Should we say ''hi'' and let them know we''re around?"

    "Don''t bother." Kaylee said with a raised voice. Continuing when we reached the living room. "They both went to the game." Kaylee sat in an old recliner, surrounded by blankets and pillows. Especially her right arm. It was still bandaged and elevated.

    "They left you home alone? That''s wild." Noah made himself at home, plopping down on the couch.

    Alisha gave him a pointed look as she slowly sat on the floor.

    Kaylee''s lips twisted like she was disgusted. "It''s not surprising. They''re concerned their favorite daughter might have a freak accident too."

    The air felt a little stale. Kaylee was already injured and was simply left at home alone. Both parents went to her sister''s game during this time spoke volumes.

    I approached the recliner to look over her arm. "Should you have ice on it? Want me to get you some from the kitchen?"

    She shook her head. "No. I just finished."

    "I gave her ice when I got here like an hour ago." Alisha informed me. She patted the spot on the floor next to her. "Come on, Jake. Sit down. Food should be here in half an hour."

    I sat on the floor, next to Alisha, but closest to Kaylee in case she needed something. I looked up at Kaylee. "Let me know if you need anything; I''ll do it."

    Noah let out a laugh. "You''re looking like a little puppy, Jake. Would you like her to pat you on the head?"

    I glared at him.

    "You''re just jealous that it''s my turn that he follows me around." Kaylee spoke up, barely turning her head towards Noah.

    "Pshh, it''s not your turn." Noah rolled his eyes. "Jake would pick me over you any day."

    "Okay, okay. Stop fighting over Jake. This isn''t a custody battle." Alisha laughed and picked up the remote. "Let''s start a movie. Any requests? Action? Horror? Rom-Com?"

    "Just put on whatever." Kaylee said lightly.

    "We should continue working on expanding Jake''s knowledge." Noah suggested. "Anything that''s a repeat for us is still new to him."

    "I''ve see all the sports movies." I spoke up. "Some action. And then whatever else when we all hang out together."

    "We should work on some cult classics like Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller''s Day Off." Alisha started to control the remote to look it up.

    She started one of her choices and the evening began with no more talk about the girls game. The pizza showed up on time and we ate while watching the two movies. There was some talking throughout, including me asking questions when I didn''t get some of the points. Kaylee did ice her arm again after dinner and then one more time as Noah and I got ready to leave.

    "You can tell me, you know." Kaylee said, eyes on Noah.

    Noah glanced up from his phone. He understood immediately what she was talking about. "Which would hurt you less? They win without you or lose without you?"

    "What would you prefer?" Kaylee answered his question with a question.

    Noah shook his head. "Losing without me hurts, but it would hurt a lot more other people. At least if they win without me, I can still claim some credit."

    She squinted. "I think I''m more selfish than you."

    "So you do hope they lose!" Noah snapped his fingers.

    "I''ll never admit besides to you guys." She looked at the three of us.

    "I won''t tell anyone!" Alisha swore, raising her hand.

    I raised mine too. "I wouldn''t tell."

    Noah chuckled. "Well. You''ve got it. They lost. 5-4. Real nail biter. Dave said that Marie gave up two homers."

    "She''ll be fine." Kaylee shrugged, unbothered. She was no longer the Kaylee from last year that defended her sister with a ferociousness that would make me shake. And somehow��that made me sad.

 Chapter 1127 V3 ch361 Before Finals

    We left that night, but Alisha stayed over, willing to sleep on the couch near Kaylee as she slept in the armchair. It didn''t even occur to me that she was using it as a bed until they said something.

    "What''s up with you?" Noah asked me as we stood outside, waiting for Grampa to show up.

    I shrugged. "Just feeling sorry for Kaylee."

    Noah shook his head, looking exasperated. "How many times do I have to tell you that she''ll be fine? Kaylee is tough. She''s not the kind to mope around and feel sorry for herself. And she definitely wouldn''t want other people to feel sorry for her."

    "It''s called empathy." I told Noah, frowning. "Put yourself in her shoes. Wouldn''t you be upset? She just had surgery a few days ago and her parents left her alone like that?" I shook my head. "She also has to move. I feel like a lot of things are going wrong in her life right now."

    Noah chuckled lightly. I shot him a glare. He stopped laughing, but was still smiling. "Jake, I''m amazed by you time and time again. I would be the type to say that it''s not so bad. It''s not the end of the world even if it feels like it. I just think there is no situation that I can''t turn around. You take a much more realistic approach."

    "I think because I saw Dr. Moore when I first got here." I said. "I used to be a lot more negative."

    "You still are when it comes to baserunning." Noah pointed out.

    I shoved him away. "I''m not as bad as I used to be." I got quiet. "I just think Kaylee has it rough and I don''t want her to be sad or angry or upset." I pursed my lips. "I don''t want her to feel all the negative emotions that I felt when I was at my lowest point."

    "Then we do what we did with you." Noah said simply. I looked at him and he continued. "We be her friends. Maybe refer her to Dr. Moore. Tell her sister that she better be nice to her or else."

    I grinned. Yea. Those were the steps that Noah took with me. Becoming my first and best friend. My Dr. Moore visits. He even threatened Jeremy. I guess it all would work.

    "You know, I''m glad you''re not afraid right now. Like your normal timid self I mean." Noah said.

    Grampa pulled up and parked to let us in.

    "I am afraid." I said honestly. "I''m afraid that Kaylee won''t be the same anymore."

    Noah laughed and we got in. "I think I get why you''re so afraid. You''re relating to her a little too much. Don''t worry, she isn''t you. Kaylee has a backbone."

    "Is your friend doing okay?" Grampa asked as he started to drive us home.

    "She''s definitely in the dumps, but nothing she can''t handle." Noah declared. "We''ll probably see her tomorrow or something. Maybe another movie night since she doesn''t move her arm very well yet. She doesn''t have a hard cast yet. I really don''t know how she can sleep upright like that." Noah talked Grampa''s ear off about Kaylee and her arm the whole way home.

    He was wrong about seeing Kaylee on Saturday though. We woke up and did a workout with the twins, mostly listening to Kyle complain how the softball team lost and hoping that Marie didn''t feel bad. Noah rolled his eyes a lot and I resisted the urge to join him. During lunch, Noah and I got a text in the group chat from Kaylee saying she wasn''t going to have us over this weekend because Marie and their parents would be around.

    Noah glanced at Kyle. "You''re not going to console your girlfriend about the big loss yesterday? You''re just going to hang out here?"

    Kyle shrugged. "I invited Marie out tonight, but she said she wanted to stay home this weekend. It''s fine. We need to prep for our game on Monday. Hey, you want to catch for me in the backyard?"

    Noah gave him a look of disgust. "Heck no."

    "I''ll give you guys a ride to the cages later?" Kyle offered.

    Noah turned to Grampa. "Grampa, can you take Jake and I to the cages?"

    "Sure." Grampa easily agreed. "Maybe I''ll stick around and see you boys practice."

    "Yea!" Noah nodded. "Then you can really see Jake in action. It''s nothing like you see in games. He''s like a robot in there."

    Kyle turned to Dave. "Want to invite Mitchell over?"

    Dave nodded. "Yea, I''ll send him a text."

    The plans for our two groups transpired well. Grampa took us to the bowling afterwards and we sent an invite for the twins to join us. They did��while arguing about their pitching velocity and who had a better showing today. Can''t do anything about those two when it came to pitching.

    Sunday was more relaxed as we watched a bunch of baseball after lunch, trying to get in the mood for finals tomorrow. Noah still went on another run like he couldn''t sit still. I sat that one out, focusing on finishing my Spanish homework before dinner.

    "Is it weird that Jeremy''s going to miss the game tomorrow?" Dave asked me. We were the only two left in the living room, letting the A''s game play in the background as we did some homework.

    I shrugged. "No? He doesn''t come to a lot of games." I tapped my pen on my book. "Actually, he did come a lot in the beginning. When he wasn''t in season."

    "I think he should do what he did last year and skip his game to watch ours." Dave said, bringing up the first time I really saw Jeremy in a positive light. "Like what if your bat breaks again? It was cool that he was there to rescue you and therefore rescue us."

    I frowned at the thought. "I''ll bring extra bats." Three, maybe four. One for each at bat in case I have really bad luck.

    Dave laughed. "Don''t start stressing. I didn''t mean to scare you."

    "I''m not scared." I pouted. "I was just thinking I should bring a bat for every potential plate appearance. Four should be good. I don''t think I''m unlucky enough to break four bats."

    "Dude��you''ll be lucky to just have a proper at bat." Dave laughed. "This is the team that walked you, remember. In a do or die game too. I really don''t think they''ll face you head on."

    "Right." I slumped against the couch, feeling a little dispirited. "I guess I should send Jeremy a text to make sure he doesn''t skip his game. He got in trouble last time." I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text.

    "Is it just you two?" Mom stopped in the entryway of the living room. She raised an eyebrow. "Is it just my imagination or does it feel a little gloomy in here?"

    Dave put his hands behind his head. "Jake''s sad at the thought of not actually batting tomorrow. He''s also sending Jeremy a reminder to not skip his game and get in trouble again. Hey Mom, you think Zeke would ever skip a game?"

    "I would normally say no." Mom said. "But I also didn''t think he would be the type to skip classes." She pointed at Dave. "Don''t let me catch you skipping a class or I''ll fly across the country to keep a close eye on you."

    Dave laughed. "Mom, I''ll be 18 next month. You can''t control me even if I was skipping all my classes."

    "Don''t make me call your coaches right now, young man." Mom started to lecture him on the importance of keeping good habits.

    For some reason it cheered me up, seeing Dave''s look of regret. He chose the wrong time to test Mom on her leniency when it came to schooling.

    "Mom." Dave raised his hands in defense to get her to pause. "Please. You''re making me think I should go pro like Kyle."

    That made her stop. She looked to me and asked about anymore updates on Kaylee. I could only shrug and say that she said she wouldn''t go to school tomorrow again. And clearly not our game.

 Chapter 1128 V3 ch362 CIF Final: Branham HS (1)

    It felt weird approaching an empty A''s stadium and knowing that Jeremy wouldn''t be here. Surprisingly, a familiar face greeted us and the team.

    Rose smiled and she shook Coach''s hand. "You guys made it here a little early. We just finished setting up your changing room."

    "Traffic wasn''t bad at all." Coach told her. "We made good timing."

    "Jeremy''s not here, is he?" I asked, feeling a little worried.

    Rose laughed. "No. Of course not. His game should have already started. If you don''t believe me, you can check the box score."

    I pulled out my phone to double check. Sure enough, Jeremy was batting third and was already 1-1 at the plate tonight.

    Rose waited for everyone to unload the bus and with our bags, we headed for the stadium entrance. We still had to go through security, proving to the employees that we didn''t bring in anything we weren''t supposed to. Rose led us through some of the familiar halls before stopping at a conference room.

    "Here we are." She told everyone. "This is the clubroom where you can change and store stuff as needed." She pointed down a hall. "That way will lead you to your dugout and you guys will have full access to the field for warmups."

    "Is it set up so we can take live batting practice?" Noah asked, eager to get out there already.

    "Yes it is." She looked at Coach. "We''ll be in charge of taking everything down and resetting the field after you and the other school are done with warmups. You guys are here first so you can use it first."

    "Thank you." Coach said. He turned to us. "What are you boys waiting for?"

    "Thanks!"

    "Thank you!"

    "We appreciate it."

    "I can''t wait to get out there!"

    Everyone hurried into the room and started to change and get ready, even pulling the cleats out of their bags already.

    "Before I go, can I speak to Jake privately for a second?" Rose requested.

    Coach looked at me.

    "I''ll be here too, Coach." Noah said, slapping my back.

    Coach nodded and left us out in the hallway with Rose as he went in the room.

    "What''s up, Rose?" Noah asked. "Got a secret message from Jeremy to Jake?"

    Rose gave a small yet short smile. "Well. Kind of. But not the best kind of message. More like a warning so Jake won''t be caught off guard."

    I straightened up.

    Rose looked almost apologetic. "I know your family is a bit of a sensitive topic, but I just wanted to make sure you know that they''re going to be here."

    "Of course our parents are going to be here." Noah replied. "They''re on their way with Grampa right now."

    "No." She shook her head. "Not them."

    Ah. I slowly nodded. "Jeremy''s family."

    She looked a little sad. "Your family too." She pumped her fist. "They''re going to be here to cheer you on."

    "Wait. Wait. Wait. What." Noah was stunned. I would say even more than I was. "Is this a joke? Why would they come to the game?"

    "Well, they are local." Rose said. "And when Jeremy told Carson that Jake would be playing here, Carson said he wanted to come and watch. I think when telling his parents where he was going to be on a Monday night, they decided to come together. All of them. Gabby and Makenna love to watch baseball games too." She named the two girl cousins who I only saw a time or two. I probably couldn''t directly point them out in a crowd. Same goes for their mom.

    But I could recognize Carson and his father, Jack.

    "Jake?" Noah nudged me.

    I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. "It''s fine. They''re just spectators. It''s not like I have to talk to them or anything."

    "That''s the spirit." Noah clapped me on the shoulder. He looked at Rose with all seriousness. "You will make sure that they don''t talk to him, right? Especially Jack."

    "I can be a pretty good buffer." Rose declared confidently. She then wished us luck on our game and left.

    Noah checked in with me again. "You sure it''s no big deal?"

    I shrugged. "I mean, it''s better than being surprised and confronted. And it''s not like I have direct conflict with most of them. Only��"

    "Jack." Noah finished for me. "Don''t worry. I''ll send Mom a text and she''ll be our real buffer."

    I grinned. Yea. She wouldn''t let that man get close to me. "Make sure she and Dad know I''m okay. No��breakdown."

    Noah grinned back at me. "Yea. I will." We went into the room and joined the team in getting ready.

    When everyone was dressed and ready, we left the room for the dugout, getting our equipment out and ready. Everyone wanted to put their helmet and bats in the cubbies, pretending like we were the real A''s team. I happily took Jeremy''s spot for both items, recognizing his jersey number. A few of the guys fought over using Maberry''s spot until Garret took control. And by control, I mean he bragged that he was the best and should therefore have the best. It was hard to compete with a guy who could do it all.

    After we did a quick team warmup, Garret got first dibs at batting practice since he would have to head to the bullpen soon.

    "I can''t believe we''re using the full field." Noah muttered as we watched Garret take his swings and hit balls all over the place. All the pitchers not starting, including the twins, were in the outfield shagging the balls. "There''s going to be a lot of ground to cover for those in the outfield."

    I sighed with relief, thankful I wasn''t playing out there. It was hard enough in my assigned position.

    "I don''t think you could hit a homer even if they let you swing." Noah stated as Garret''s latest hit went off the outfield wall. "Garret hasn''t clear once yet and no offense, but he''s stronger."

    I nodded in agreement. "The corners are already my best bet and these are 330 feet." Our home field was only 300 feet. "I think I could make it with the right kind of pitch at good speed."

    Noah smiled. "Hey, that''s the kind of confidence I like to see."

    When Noah went up for his batting practice and I stood next in line, Coach came over. "How are you feeling, Jake?"

    I shrugged. "Like normal."

    "This stadium doesn''t scare you?" He asked.

    I gave a small smile. "I''ve been here before." I looked down at my feet. "I''ve even stood this close to home plate before. I think the only thing I''m scared of today, is not getting my chance."

    Coach laughed and patted me on the back. "Good. I''m glad. That''s what I like to hear. I have to say, I was kind of worried when Rose asked you to hang back in there. You and Noah looked like something serious was going on."

    I took a glance at the empty stands. "It''s okay. She was just warning me that some relatives would be here. I might have overreacted if I didn''t know beforehand."

    "You''re prepared." Coach stated. I nodded in confirmation. He lowered his voice when he lowered his head. "When taking your practice swings, aim for those corners."

    I looked up at him, confused. "Okay��"

    He gave a small smile. "The other team is watching."

    I glanced past his shoulder and saw that the other team was warming up in right field, behind a protective fence. But their coaches had eyes on us. "Am I trying to get it over or keep it low?"

    "You do your best." Coach instructed. "This is a great field to practice hitting homers at. And who knows, maybe if you get the feel for it and the opportunity, you could make it happen later on."

    I nodded, eager to give it a try.

 Chapter 1129 V3 ch363 CIF Final: Branham HS (2)

    I had forty tries from each side of the plate, but came up empty on clearing the outfield fence. It was actually only accomplished by Sean and Brian. Which made sense with how strong they were. I could only hope that they could do it again during the game.

    After our batting practice ended, Branham took their turn. It was during this time that the stands started to fill up. Mom, Dad, and Grampa were one of the first to show up, sitting behind our dugout.

    I immediately relaxed, losing some of the tension in my shoulders. I wasn''t particularly nervous about the game; just in general.

    "This is it boys." Coach gathered us in the dugout as the field started to be cleaned up and prepared. "It''s been a long road to get here. We''ve fought off some injuries and kept the team relatively healthy towards the end. I''m proud of the work that was put in. By everyone." He looked around. "I know some of you might think we''ve relied a lot on Jake, but guess what. I think we would have made it here without him."

    Some of the guys looked unsure. But Noah wasn''t. He grinned. "Heck yea, Coach. It was a team effort."

    "Exactly." Coach smiled, happy that Noah understood his meaning so quickly. "It took every single one of you to get to where we are today. Every hit, every run, every win��

    led to this. No one player did it alone. We each have our own personal battles, but together, we are undefeated." He grinned. "Let''s keep it that way."

    "YEAH!!" The guys shouted together. Me included. Coach was right. Some of us may have played small or big roles, but no one did it alone.

    "Here''s the starting lineup I came up with." Coach stated once we''ve simmered down.

    1 CF Bryce Finn

    2 SS Noah Atkins

    3 2B Jake Atkins

    4 P Garret Knudsen

    5 RF Brian Swoope

    6 1B Sean Isner

    7 3B Jason Morris

    8 C Mitchell Torres

    9 LF Logan Porter

    There was a small surprise at the end that most, if not all, of us didn''t expect. Logan was in the outfield with Bryce and Brian. I would have guessed Korrey for his hitting or even Jesse for his fielding. But Coach had picked the sophomore.

    Coach paused to look at Logan. "You ready? I don''t want to see you freeze up out there."

    Logan snapped out of his dazed state and stood up. "Of course. I''ve been preparing all season."

    Coach nodded before looking at the rest of us. "As always, I won''t be afraid to use subs when and where I can. You''re not connecting at the plate? Okay, pinch hitter will give someone else a shot. You''re not running at full speed around the bases? I can put in a pinch runner. This is not the game to take lightly. This is the end for us, one way or another."

    Garret stood up and faced us on the bench. "I''ve never loved another team more than this one right here. I''m going to go out there and give it all I''ve got. On the mound and at the plate. Let me finish out on top."

    "Anything for you captain!" Noah shouted as he jumped up.

    The dugout was a little sentimental on it being the last game of the season, but there was also this amped up energy like everyone was ready to sprint to the finish line.

    Someone in charge came to our dugout and started to prep us for the pregame ceremony. Everyone''s name would be announced and we would line up on the edge of the dirt. We stayed out there for the national anthem and then it was time to shake the hands of the other team.

    I cringed and muttered. "Do we have to?"

    "Just slap their hands and say good luck." Noah told me. He smirked. "They''re going to need it."

    Everything went smoother than I thought. No one said anything out of line and we went back to our dugout at the end of it all. Coach sent the relief pitchers to the bullpen with a couple of coaches as the game was almost ready to start.

    "Win on three." Garret told the huddle with our hands in the middle. "One, two-"

    "WIN!" Everyone shouted together.

    The starters jogged out onto the field to our respective positions while the rest went back to the bench.

    I looked at the fresh dirt under my feet, only to be messed up by my cleats. It was starting to feel a little unreal, being in such a big stadium. I glanced at the stands again, seeing it just full on the lower level, from behind the visitors dugout to behind ours. A couple hundred people that included families, friends, and classmates. Maybe a few scouts and coaches. And��Jeremy''s family. I found them sitting behind home plate, towards the back of the section.

    "Jake!" Sean hollered, rolling a baseball to me.

    I reflexively got low to field it back to him.

    "Good." Sean acknowledged and rolled a fast grounder to Noah.

    After a few minutes of giving Garret time to throw practice pitches off the mound, the umpire called for the balls back and for the game to start. "Play ball!"

    The first batter was announced and stepped up to the righty''s box. Garret threw his fastest pitch down the middle for a called strike one. His second pitch was the cutter inside; the batter swung and missed for strike two. The third pitch, Garret threw outside, getting the batter to chase, swing and missed. His first strikeout of the game.

    "Good one!"

    "Nice, Garret!"

    "Do it again!"

    A lot of the students from our school cheered for him.

    The second batter was announced and stepped up as another righty. He made contact on Garret''s first pitch fastball, hitting a fast grounder to short. Noah handled it easily, fielding the ball and throwing him out at first.

    Noah lifted his arm in the air with two fingers raised. "Two outs. One to go!"

    "Two outs!" We echoed.

    I was already thinking of my at bat in the bottom half of the inning when Garret gave up a hit to the third batter. I was taken aback, watching Logan field the ball on a hop and get it back in to keep the runner from advancing to second.

    "Don''t mind." Noah said to Garret, throwing him the ball back.

    Garret got set again, ready to face the cleanup hitter. He was someone I had a better memory of from the Christmas tournament. He was the talkative first baseman that was good at throwing off our rhythm. I frowned and focused on him as Garret started him off with a low fastball for ball one.

    Garret''s next pitch was another low fastball.

    "Runner!"

    "To second!"

    I snapped into action and ran to cover behind second where Noah was already on the base. Mitchell had to get the ball out of the dirt and then jumped up to get the throw off. The runner slid into the bag and into Noah as Noah caught the ball and brought the tag down.

    "Safe!" The umpire declared.

    Noah took the ball out of his glove and tossed it to Garret. "Two outs." He had repeated. "Focus on the batter." He motioned for me to get back into position.

    I jogged back, feeling a little shaken. We weren''t expecting a steal at all. Definitely got caught flat-footed.

    I glanced at the runner at second and saw him taking a good size lead off second. He was zoned in at the action at home plate. He dusted off the front of his jersey with just his right hand, making me feel like something was off. I frowned.

    Garret''s third pitch on a 2-0 count was his cutter, coming inside. The batter swung and made solid contact, ripping a line drive to the left field corner. Logan chased it down, Noah moved to be the cutoff man, and I went to cover second base.

    The runner from second scored and the batter slid into second base as the ball was just relayed back to me.

    The guy looked up at me with a grin. "Hey, Jake, right? Long time, no see."

    I gave a small nod of acknowledgement and headed for the mound.

    Noah called ''time'' and jogged in to join me. "What did he say to you?"

    I shook my head. "Just greeted me." I handed the ball to Garret as he joined us at the back of the mound. I pursed my lips unsure of how to put my feeling into words. "Something is off."

    Garret and Noah looked surprised.

    Garret covered his mouth with his glove. "Don''t worry. I''m just getting warmed up. It might look a little shaky at first since they''ve seen me pitch before, but soon I''ll get into the rhythm."

    I shook my head. "No. Not you." I frowned and lift my glove to cover my mouth. "That last guy on second. He looked weird before you pitched."

    "Wrap it up." The home plate umpire said as he started to walk our way.

    "We''ll talk in the dugout later." Garret assured me as he waved me and Noah off the mound.

 Chapter 1130 V3 ch364 CIF Final: Branham HS (3)

    I went back to my position, keeping an eye on the new runner at second.

    He noticed me and smiled. "You remember me from the Christmas tournament, right? We met in the trainer''s tent."

    "Ignore him, Jake." Noah said from the otherside.

    I backed up to put my heels on the grass and looked at the next batter. Noah can take care of the runner on second by himself. He was better at multitasking and knew I might get distracted if it was me instead.

    The next batter attacked early, making contact on the first pitch. He popped it high into the air towards left field. Jason started to back up, but noticed Noah running back at an angle and then there was Logan running in.

    "I''ve got it!" Noah called off both Jason and Logan.

    Jason peeled away, but Logan kept coming in. The runner on second had long taken off. As he should with two outs.

    "Got it!" Noah repeated right before catching the fly ball. He looked to Logan and said something before tossing the ball to him. Logan threw the ball to me in the infield. I simply rolled it to the mound and jogged towards the dugout with the rest of the guys.

    Garret was waiting for me just inside the dugout, talking to Coach. He noticed me and pulled me over. "Okay Jake, we''ve got some time now. What was it that you saw?"

    I lowered my voice. "I don''t know what I saw, but it didn''t look right." I turned my back to the outside of the dugout so no one from the other dugout could see me. "Normally when you dust yourself off, it''s like this, right." I showed them using both hands. "But the first baserunner, did this." I used my right hand and wiped down my jersey twice.

    Coach frowned. "Definitely unusual."

    "It just looked weird. And then Garret gave up a hit right away so I really felt weird." I told them.

    "You were suspicious." Garret corrected me. "And rightfully so. After that small warning, I didn''t exactly throw what Mitchell asked for. It''s why the batter popped out I think. He was expecting something else."

    "I didn''t look at the runner the second time." I said. "Noah told me to focus on the batter." I started to worry. "What are we going to do if they''re really��" I whispered. "Stealing signs?"

    "We take away the easy signs that decide inside or outside." Coach stated. He looked to Garret. "You and I will go talk to Mitchell and try to change it up a little bit." He looked at me. "You get ready for your at bat and don''t worry about the signs. You have your job and the battery will have theirs."

    I nodded, happy to get it off my chest. I went to the little cubby holder and changed out my glove and hat for my batting gloves and helmet. Then I pulled out my bat and stood just in the hole, watching as the bottom of the inning started with Bryce.

    The pitcher wasn''t familiar which was a little bit of a surprise. I think the last guy did alright. And I remember the reliever was a lefty. Neither of them were on the mound now though. I was unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Too soon to make any judgements.

    Bryce fouled off a couple of pitches, falling early to an 0-2 count, but he was still able to get the ball into play, ripping a hard grounder to short. The shortstop was able to handle it well though, making a backhanded stop and threw Bryce out at first.

    Noah had picked up his bat for him and handed it to him, listening to something he had whispered. Bryce made a stop by me too as I was coming out of the dugout and he was heading in. "This guy is hittable. Speed only in the 70s."

    I nodded and we parted. I took practice swings in the on deck circle, mostly focusing on Noah''s at bat. Noah didn''t swing early like Bryce did, letting the count climb to 2-1. Then on a close pitch he swung, connected, and fouled it back. 2-2. Next pitch went into the dirt, making the count full. Noah watched the following pitch and it was close. The umpire gave it to Noah for ball four. A walk. Noah ditched his bat and jogged to first.

    Moment of truth for me now. I steadily walked to the plate as my name and position was announced. I could hear some shouts and cheers for me, but all my attention was on the catcher. He settled into a squat position. I strained my hearing, trying to find out if he had already said intentional walk or not.

    "Batter up." The umpire glanced at me, prompting me to hurry up.

    I hurried to step in the box, simply choosing to be a righty because I was closest to that side. I didn''t even look at Mr. Miller because I was so stunned. The first pitch came a bit inside, but still within the zone.

    "Strike." The umpire gestured.

    The catcher threw the ball back to his pitcher and I finally believed that I was being pitched too. I took a step back and glanced at Mr. Miller down the third baseline. He signed for me to swing and miss while Noah was going to steal. With a runner in scoring position, I could easily drive him home. I acknowledged with a touch of my helmet lip and got back in the box.

    The pitcher got set and started his motion. Once he was committed, Noah took off in a hard sprint. The pitch came and I swung and missed dramatically, trying to throw off the catcher. The catcher jumped up after catching the ball, but didn''t get the throw off.

    Just as I was feeling happy for Noah and eager for the next pitch, I heard something unbelievable.

    "We''re going to intentionally walk number zero." The catcher said.

    My head whipped back to the catcher and umpire.

    The umpire pointed towards first. "Take your base." He raised four fingers for the scorekeeper to show that it was an intentional walk.

    I tossed my bat back towards my dugout and slowly jogged to first.

    "What?!"

    "What''s going on??"

    "They''re walking him?"

    "They''re really walking him!"

    "Boo!!"

    "Challenge the batter!"

    The yells rained down my whole trip to first base. I reached the bag and slapped Coach Riley''s outstretched hand.

    "I think you''re the only guy I know to get intentionally walked on an 0-2 count." The first baseman told me as he got into position, just a few feet of the bag.

    "Says a lot about your pitcher and team." Coach Riley answered him, surprising me. I glanced back at him. He gave a friendly smile. "Don''t forget who is behind you."

    Right. I took a deep breath and settled my thoughts. I took a bit of a lead, trying to stay in between the first baseman and the bag.

    Garret was announced and stood tall in the lefty''s box. I didn''t even have time to think about Mr. Miller''s sign to run on contact because Garret connected on the very first pitch. I jumped a little and took off for second, watching his hit fall into the gap of left-center. I looked at Mr. Miller and saw that he had already waved Noah to go home. I stepped on second and headed for third.

    Mr. Miller signaled to stay up. So I let up and stopped on third base, trying to catch my breath.

    "Good run." Mr. Miller told me, patting my shoulder. He lowered his voice and spoke close to my ear. "One out, runner on first and third. I want you to go home if it''s a grounder but if it''s a fly ball, stay back at the bag."

    I nodded. We had already tied up the game at one. It would be good to score more, but there was still a chance for a double play.

    Brian was up next. He tapped his bat against his cleats, knocking some dirt off before stepping up. He fouled the first pitch off and let the next pass for a ball. On the 1-1 count, he smacked a grounder right up the middle. I took off for home.

    Sean had moved the bat out of my way and yelled out, "No slide!"

    I stepped on home plate, making it 2-1. Such a good feeling. I slapped hands with Sean and headed to the dugout. Jason gave me a fist bump as he came out and I went in.

    I went down the whole dugout, high fiving everyone. Then I went back to the cubby to change out my gear.

    "Good quality running." Coach told me. "You''re looking very comfortable out there."

    I scratched the back of head. "Thanks. I just really wanted to contribute."

    Coach chuckled. "You''re enough, Jake."

    I smiled happily and went to join Noah on the bench.

 Chapter 1131 V3 ch365 CIF Final: Branham HS (4)

    "Can''t believe they did you dirty like that." Noah told me, referring to my walk after getting down on strikes. "That''s messed up. It would roast any and all of our pitchers who dared to do that. There''s no defense against walks."

    I smiled. "Yea, but it felt good seeing you score off Garret''s hit."

    "Of course." He stated proudly. "When I''m on second, I can make it home on any hit to the outfield." He pointed at Garret, who was on second now. "It''s all about the lead. Look how far off he is. He knows it too. Pitchers don''t like doing pickoff attempts to second. A lot can go wrong. It''s better to focus your attention on the batter."

    That didn''t help this pitcher any. Sean hit a single to the right corner and Garret was on his way home, making the score 3-1. We all got up and cheered for our third straight RBI single.

    Just as Garret got back after scoring, the opposing coach left his dugout and headed for the mound. The whole infield joined him. The coach took the ball from his pitcher, slapped him on the back, and sent him back to the dugout.

    "Wow. They didn''t waste any time." Garret took his helmet off.

    "I think they did waste time." Noah refuted. He pointed at the incoming pitcher. "This is the guy from last time. They should have started with him. Why play games and start that previous guy? Do they like playing from behind?"

    Garret frowned. "Who knows." He put his gear away and went to stand by Coach.

    "Did you already talk to them about potential sign stealing?" Noah asked as we sat back down.

    "Told them. Coach said to let Garret and Mitchell handle it." I said, still not confident in what they''ll do.

    "They''ll probably have Mitchell stop setting up inside and outside. Maybe even try to trick them if someone gets on second." Noah speculated.

    "Oh, I guess that makes sense."

    Noah grinned. "Yea sign stealing isn''t very elaborate. They''re just figuring out which side the ball will land. Now-" He paused to stress. "If they start stealing all signs, we might be in trouble. Garret has an advantage of having three pitch types: fastball, cutter, and slider. If they can easily distinguish the type, then they aren''t just sign stealing. They''ve done real intensive research. That stuff doesn''t happen in the high school level. Technically shouldn''t happen anywhere."

    "Would you do it?" I asked him.

    Noah twisted his lips. "I don''t think it''s worth it. If I have to cheat to get ahead, I wouldn''t feel that good about it." He laughed. "And I actually might feel worse if I can''t even win when cheating."

    The new pitcher finished his practice pitches and the game resumed with Jason at the plate. The pitcher made short work of him, getting him to go down swinging. Mitchell went down in the same way, chasing a ball in the dirt when at a 1-2 count. The inning was over, but the damage was done, we were up 3-1.

    "Dang. Was he this good back in December?" Noah muttered a curse.

    "The only ones to get a hit off him were you and Garret." Jason said. He glanced at me. "You got on."

    I rolled my eyes. "I know. The walks." Didn''t want a repeat of that again, but nothing I could do. I looked at Noah. "If you get on, stay at first and let me see if they let me hit."

    "Sure!" Noah said as we started to head out. "I think I can make it home from first if you can get a hit to a gap or corner. If not, I''ll at least be on third."

    Top of the second. Garret warmed up with Korrey as Mitchell needed extra time to get his gear on. It always made me nervous if he wasn''t there for practice pitches, but it was fruitless. Garret and Mitchell worked well together, getting the first guy to strike out, swinging. The next guy was a lefty and pulled a grounder my way. I got my glove down and fielded the ball just fine to Sean for the second out. The following batter was Garret''s third swinging strikeout of the game and we went back to the dugout in high spirits.

    Noah grinned as we jogged back in. "Don''t have to worry about sign stealing if there''s no runner at second to look at Mitchell."

    I nodded, really relieved to see Garret keep them pinned down. I got ready along with Noah and we both stood in the hole as Logan and Bryce headed out.

    Logan came up empty-handed, chasing all three fastballs and not even tipping one. He came back with a scowl.

    "You''ve got the right amount of eagerness, but you still have to show some patience at the plate." Coach advised as Logan put his gear away. "Anything close, it''s right to swing. But that second pitch was nearly at eye level. Be more aware."

    Logan nodded.

    Bryce seemed to have done what Coach wanted, showing patience at the plate. He stretched out his at bat with foul balls and letting pitches outside the zone pass. On a full count, he fouled another pitch backwards. It soared high into the air. The catcher ripped off his mask and threw it to the side. He chased the foul ball back near the netting and made the catch for the second out.

    I cringed. Then tried to keep a neutral expression as Bryce came back and I went out. We bumped fists as I told him, "Good battle."

    "He''s got speed and movement." Bryce told me before going into the dugout.

    I stood in the on deck circle and watched as Noah struggled against this guy too. He fouled off less pitches than Bryce and ended up going down swinging. That pitcher now had more strikeouts than Garret in less time. Even though Branham was losing, the crowd cheered and clapped for the pitcher''s performance.

    "I''d like to see them be excited when he walks you." Noah complained as we went to switch out our gear. "Our side better boo twice as hard."

    I grinned. "I hope so too."

    Noah looked at me, surprised.

    I shrugged. "I want to boo the pitcher too when I get walked. It''s not fun. I rather hit fly outs and groundouts. I think I have to start sucking next year so I get more quality at bats."

    Noah burst out laughing. "Gosh, Jake. I know we joke about that, but don''t dumb it down for these jerks. Or the guys in our league. Beat them down and accept the walks with pride. You''ll face better players this summer. And who knows, next summer they might all be on your level."

    "Yea.." I nodded. In just a couple weeks we would participate in round two for the regional team tryouts. The players would only be my age, but the skill level would be high as we narrowed down the guys for the final roster.

    Noah and I took the field together and parted ways at second base. Garret started the third inning with the batter in the nine spot. It was just the opposing pitcher. He struck out looking at all three pitches. Back at the top of the lineup, the leadoff who had previously struck out, smacked a grounder up the middle. I didn''t have a play at it with my backhand, but Noah did. He raced over, caught the ball, got it out of his glove and threw to Sean for the second out of the inning.

    "Nice play." I told him as he walked back to his position.

    Noah grinned and held up two fingers in the air. "Two outs. One to go!"

    "Two outs!" Sean and Jason echoed.

    The second batter in the lineup had the first groundout to Noah and ended up hitting another one his way. This time a slow roller. Noah raced to it, barehanded the ball, and threw it right to Sean''s glove with pinpoint accuracy.

    Garret had already been walking to the dugout, having complete faith in Noah''s fielding.

    I did too. I jogged to Noah and we bumped our gloves together. "Good work."

    "If only they would all come my way." Noah grinned. He took off his glove as we walked into the dugout and rubbed his hands together almost like he was praying.

    "I hope so too." I honestly told him. I stopped at the cubby and switched my gear out. I would be first up to start the bottom of the third.

    "Keep a clear head out there." Coach told me as I strapped my batting gloves on. "No matter what, I think you''ll be on first. Riley told me that the guy is a chatterbox. Don''t get distracted and get picked off."

    I cringed with embarrassment. It wouldn''t have been the first time that has happened to me.

    "But also don''t stay so close to the bag that you''re easy pickings for a double play." Coach said. "Last time you did a good job with the first baseman having to be off the bag too, but this time you''ll be the only one on so he''ll be right there with you."

    I nodded. "I''ve got it, Coach."

    "I believe in ya, kid." He slapped my back and sent me out of the dugout.

 Chapter 1132 V3 ch366 CIF Final: Branham HS (5)

    "Now batting, number zero, Jake Atkins." My name was said over the speaker and the cheers rained down.

    I walked around the catcher and umpire this time, getting in the lefty''s box. I had a good view of my own team in the dugout, my family in the stands, and Mr. Miller down the line. The sight of them calmed me down and I looked to the catcher to make his decision.

    He squatted down. My eyes immediately shifted to the pitcher. A part of me wanted to foul off a few pitches like Bryce was able to do, but a bigger part of me didn''t want to give them a chance for that stupid intentional walk. If they dare to do it on an 0-2 count, they dare to do it any time.

    The pitcher did his full windup and as soon as the ball left his fingers, I knew it was a low fastball. Not totally below the zone though, and most definitely within reach. I dropped my back shoulder more as I swung and made contact, doing my best to pull the ball to the gap of right-center field. I ditched my bat and took off amidst the yells and cheers.

    Once I saw that the ball was definitely going between the center fielder and right fielder, I continued to sprint to second base. The shortstop was setup like he was going to receive the ball from the outfield so I clenched my jaw and made a dive for it. The tag came down as I slid onto the base and then it stayed on.

    I frowned and looked to the umpire. "Time?" I requested.

    "Time!" He lifted his arms and signaled. He gave the shortstop the side-eye, probably not liking that long tag either.

    The shortstop took the tag off and stepped over me. I was just happy that he got away, but could hear some chirping from my dugout and from the stands. I got up and dusted myself off, glancing at Mr. Miller for the signs. Garret would get to come up with no outs and me in scoring position. Mr. Miller gave him the green light to swing.

    Just as Garret rounded the umpire and catcher, the catcher stood up and said something to the ump. Garret looked surprised and gave the bat a small toss towards our dugout.

    The home plate umpire raised four fingers and then pointed at first base. Garret was intentionally walked. The pitcher received a few boo''s from our supporters but it wasn''t as severe as when I got walked.

    Brian came to the plate next, tapping it with his bat before getting set. He also had the green light to swing, it was just going to be a little more pressure on me and Garret to avoid a double play. Brian swung and missed the first pitch, then connected on the next.

    I dragged myself back to second base from my lead and kept my back heel on it. Brian''s hit was a short flare to center. The second baseman was going back for it and the center fielder was sprinting in. The ball just had too much hang time allowing the center fielder to get there and make the catch. I took one step off second to feint and the center fielder threw a bullet to the shortstop nearby. I was glancing at Mr. Miller for the signs. Garret would get to come up with no outs and me in scoring position. Mr. Miller gave him the back on the bag in a heartbeat. The shortstop still put his glove on me.

    "Safe." The umpire stated.

    The tag stayed on an extra minute before the shortstop took it back, got the ball out, and threw it to his pitcher. Sean came up next. Both him and Brian had RBI singles in the first, yet now they both came up empty. Especially Sean, who hit into a 6-4-3 double play.

    I slowed up as I approached the dugout.

    "You okay, Jake?" Coach checked in on me as I came back.

    I was taken aback. "Yea?"

    He twisted his lips and was wearing a deep frown. "I just think that shortstop is playing games, holding that long tag on you. Twice. Don''t let it get to your head."

    I nodded slowly. "Yea, it was a little much. But it''s better than constant pickoffs." Plus his tags were so late. It didn''t stress me out too much. Not like it would have early on last season.

    "Damn it." Sean cursed as he got back in the dugout. "Sorry guys. I really messed that up."

    "Could have been better." Noah joked.

    Garret shoved him. "Shut up and get moving." He looked at Sean. "It''s a bad beat, but no stress. We''ve got this."

    We all changed out our gear and took the field for the top of the fourth inning. Garret would face the core of the lineup to start. Batters three, four, and five. It''s also where we had ran into suspicious activity.

    Garret started strong, cornering the guy on a 1-2 count. He threw the fourth pitch outside, trying to tempt him to chase but no dice. The fifth pitch was his cutter inside, but the guy still wasn''t tempted. Count went full. Garret then challenged him with his fastball. He fouled it down the line. And then another foul. And another. He held back on Garret''s cutter that went a little too inside. Ball four. The batter took his base and brought up the cleanup: the first baseman.

    Garret did a check throw to first to keep the runner close to the bag. A second one for good measure. Then when he went to pitch for the first time to this batter, the runner took off.

    "Runner!"

    "To second!"

    "Down!"

    Mitchell caught Garret''s pitch after the batter swung and missed, then did his best to throw to Noah at second. I backed up the play. Noah got the tag down as the runner slid in.

    All eyes went to the ump. "Safe!"

    "No way!"

    "Are you blind?!"

    "Come on!"

    A few yells from the crowd and the sentiment seemed to be that Mitchell''s throw beat the runner. Too bad.

    I frowned and kicked the dirt as I got back into position. Noah walked the ball back to Garret and said a few words that even I couldn''t hear. My eyes shifted to the baserunner as we all got set for play to resume.

    I glanced to Mitchell and saw that the signs were short and simple. No obvious placement. The runner took a normal lead; no signs of another steal.

    The batter fell to an 0-2 count on the next pitch. Third pitch was outside and he was late to it, hitting a hopping grounder to me. I caught the ball and watched as the baserunner ran from second to third. I hesitated.

    "To first!" Noah hollered.

    Right. Get the guaranteed out. I threw to Sean and beat the hitter there for the first out of the inning.

    "Don''t worry about the runner and get the out for now." Noah said, looking right at me. He then took a step towards the mound. "You too, Garret. Focus on the batter."

    Garret gave a short nod. I copied his actions. We had a two run lead. The guy on third didn''t matter too much.

    The fifth batter got caught chasing another outside pitch of Garret''s, popping it foul to the right. Sean chased it near the opposing dugout. He leaned against their small fence, reached as far as he could and made the catch. He didn''t forget about the runner on third and immediately threw a bullet to Mitchell at home. The runner on third retreated back to his bag and we were one out closer to getting out of this.

    The next guy hit a routine grounder to Noah and I relaxed my shoulders. Noah fielded it perfectly and it was over. No damage done at all. We jogged back to our dugout and prepared the bottom of our lineup for the bottom of the fourth.

    "A lot of action your way today." I said to Noah with a smile, knowing he would be happy.

    Sure enough, it put a grin on his face. "Yea, averaging one per an inning so far." He drank some gatorade and sat back to watch our offense.

    There wasn''t much to see though. It was a three up, three down kind of inning. Jason had his second strikeout of the game. Mitchell grounded out to short. And Logan got a piece of the ball for a groundout to second.

    Coach was frowning as we switched gears, clearly not liking what he had to see. This pitcher was doing a good job of keeping us pinned.

    "Glad they didn''t start with this guy." Noah said to me under his breath. "He freakin has our number or something."

    "Not everyone''s." I pointed out.

    "You can have a hit off anyone so you don''t count." Noah pouted.

    "I''m not talking about me." I rolled my eyes. "Garret was good against this guy a few months ago. I think that''s why they walked him last inning when I was on second with no outs."

    "Yea, there were definitely a lot of benefits of them putting him on." Noah agreed. "It''d be great if we could load the bases for him next time."

    I nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 1133 V3 ch367 CIF Final: Branham HS (6)

    Top of the fifth, bottom of Branham''s batting lineup. The lefty hit a high bouncing grounder to Noah, but that was no trouble at all. Noah fielded it for the first out. The next batter smacked a ball high into left field and Logan had plenty of time to get underneath it and make the catch for the second out.

    The pitcher was up to bat now. Compared to his previous at bat, this time he was putting up a battle, racking up quite a few foul balls. He finally got a piece of a fastball and it soared well over my head. I whipped my head back to see Brian racing back. He jumped for the ball and made the catch, coming down and stumbling over his own feet. But the ball stayed in the glove and that''s all that matters.

    I clapped my glove and headed back to the dugout with the others. Noah and I went to the cubby to change out our gear. We would both get a chance to hit this inning. Maybe more so him than me.

    "That was a great catch, Brian." Coach complimented him once Brian made it back.

    Brian took off his hat. "I was scared I wasn''t going to get high enough."

    "I would have definitely fallen on my face." I spoke up.

    "And probably not make the catch either." Noah added with a laugh.

    I could only nod in agreement. I didn''t have that kind of flexibility physically or mentally when it came to the outfield. All my time was spent at second base.

    Bryce and Noah left the dugout soon after, one going to the plate and the other to the on deck circle.

    "You probably won''t get a chance to hit if either of them get on." Coach noted as we watched from in the hole.

    I made a face of displeasure. I was in a lose-lose situation. They get on, I''ll probably get walked. They don''t get on, I have nobody to drive in for an insurance run. I definitely was leaning more one way than the other.

    Bryce launched a long fly ball to center however the center fielder had plenty of time to get under it to make the catch. Noah went up next and I moved to the on deck circle. Bryce came back and passed by with a frown, clearly not liking his performance today. He was 0-3 at the plate and it can''t feel good especially when you were brought in specifically for your hitting power.

    Noah wasn''t in the best of moods either after getting jammed and grounding out to short. He was now 0-2 with a walk and a run. Not exactly screaming good day. He still gave me a fist bump as we went by one another. "Give them hell."

    I nodded. This time I chose to bat right-handed, thinking I can get a hit from each side of the plate. With two outs and no runners on, the catcher stayed in his squat and the pitcher looked ready to take me on. Sure enough, they didn''t think I was much of a threat like this.

    This time around, I did what I wanted and played around with the pitcher and fouling off a lot of his pitches. Anything close. His pitch count really started to climb and it was satisfying. Like yea, you''re better than the first guy, but I can still make you work.

    After twelve pitches, I found a good one to pull down the third baseline. I ripped a line drive to my left and took off. With a glance, I saw the third baseman leap and snatch my hit out of the air, landing on his front side. He held up his gloved hand with pride and cheers erupted. Straight up robbed me of a hit.

    I went back to home plate and picked up my bat as everyone went back to their respective dugouts. I looked my bat over to see if there was any damage, but none visible to the naked eye.

    "I think you had a little too much fun at the plate." Coach remarked when I came back.

    I cringed away, feeling guilty.

    He laughed. "I''m not admonishing you, Jake. In fact, I think you did well. This pitcher has really been pinning our offense down and I''m happy that you can make him sweat. Maybe there''ll be someone new next inning and we can add a few more runs."

    I let out a puff of air, relieved thag Coach wasn''t mad at me. "Yea." It would be tough for me to get another chance at the plate though with only an inning and a half left.

    Top of the sixth, Garret was back to facing the top of the order for the third time of this game. He surprisingly gave up a lead off single, but that wasn''t all. The next batter was walked. Runners on first and second, no outs. Noah waved for us to join him on the mound.

    "You''re looking tired, man." Noah stated, staring at the beads of sweat falling off Garret''s face. "Do you have anymore gas in the tank? Or do you really want one of the twins to clean this up?"

    "Sometimes I feel pity for the twins when you get like this." Garret mumbled. "They must take a lot of grief from you."

    "You don''t even know the half of it." Noah said with pride.

    "Your pitch count is high. In the eighties at least." Mitchell stated. "You can shake me off more if you want. I know how the breaking balls can tire a pitcher out."

    "Guys, it''s not that serious." Garret said with a small smile. "I''m just missing a little bit off the plate. Don''t worry, Coach won''t leave me in if I give up one run. He knows what''s best."

    The home plate umpire came towards us and broke up the meeting. We dispersed and got back into position.

    Garret''s next two pitches made my heart pound as both went wide. 2-0. Mitchell didn''t give exact position signs because of the runner on second so I didn''t know if that was intentional. This batter did already have a single off Garret too so that could play a part. The next pitch went outside again, but this time the batter swung and hit with the edge of his bat. The ground ball came to me. I had the ball in my glove and looked to Noah at second to flip it to him.

    But I didn''t. I couldn''t. Suddenly I was back in that nightmare the night of Kaylee''s accident.

    "Jake!" Noah yelled.

    I raced to the baserunner and tagged his back and then threw to Sean at first.

    "Out!"

    "Out!"

    Sean walked the ball to Garret on the mound to make sure the runner on third didn''t try for home.

    "Dude. What was that?" Noah jogged to me.

    I took my glove off so I can wipe my sweaty hands on my jersey. "Just��panicked."

    Noah looked at me suspiciously. There was no time though. The game had to resume.

    "Two outs! Play is at first!" Noah hollered as he backed up to his position.

    I rubbed the back of my neck and then put the glove back on. I shook my head, trying to forget the image of an imaginary collision. Noah was fine. He wasn''t the one hurt. Kaylee was. And it was a freak accident.

    Luckily, Garret was back on top of his game, mixing his sliders and cutters to get the cleanup hitter to go down swinging and leave the runner stranded.

    Noah jogged right to me. "You sure you''re okay? You look a little pale."

    "Yea. Sorry. I just-" I was about to repeat the word again.

    But Noah finished it for me. "Panicked. Yea I got that. But why? That was routine. You shouldn''t have done such a risky play. If you missed the runner from first, there was a chance that everyone could have been safe."

    We got back in the dugout and a lot of eyes were on us.

    "Hey, it all worked out." Garret walked between us. "No need to grill him. You''re just going to make him more stressed." Garret put his hand on my head. "That was still a good play. Double play executed by yourself."

    "I just want to know if it''s a problem that can happen again later." Noah defended. He looked me in the eyes. "I''m not mad at you Jake. I''m just trying to help."

    I shrugged, helpless. "I don''t know, okay? I just thought about Kaylee''s accident and froze."

    The dugout was a step quieter as everyone recalled her injury just last week.

    "The chances of that happening ever again is nearly impossible." Noah waved his arm. "Heck, I would say it''s even more likely to happen if you don''t start immediately moving. Gotta be proactive. Not reactive." He slapped my shoulder. "Come on. Sit down and calm yourself."

 Chapter 1134 V3 ch368 CIF Final: Branham HS (7)

    "I am calm." I stressed as we went to sit down. "It was just a brief second. I think it''s because I had a nightmare that night after her accident that I just was stunned. I don''t want to be like this, you know."

    "I know." He reassured me. "I''m just trying to help you from doing that again. It was dangerous. Especially for you to tag the runner. Honestly would have been better for you to just throw to first to get that first out. Then Garret could load the bases and the following guy could hit into a double play or force out at home."

    I glanced at Garret who was leaving the dugout to start our offense. "You think Garret''s going out again to finish the game next inning?"

    "Probably." Noah shrugged. "But you can bet someone will be warming up. Coach won''t risk the game just for him."

    I nodded in agreement. Coach wasn''t afraid of benching anyone.

    Garret had a decent day at the plate so far. An RBI single with a run scored against the first pitcher. And then the intentional walk after my double. This time, that same pitcher went ahead and challenged him with the bases empty. On a 2-2 count, Garret sent the ball flying to left field.

    Everyone in the dugout jumped up and leaned against the fence to watch the left fielder chasing the ball back.

    "C''mon!" Noah clenched his fist. "Get out of here!"

    I slowly shook my head after I saw the trajectory. "He didn''t have enough power. It''s tough to hit an opposite way homer."

    The left fielder got to the warning track and put a hand back towards the wall. The ball fell into his outstretched glove for the first out.

    "Tch." Noah clicked his teeth. "What a shame."

    "The closest anyone has gotten to getting out of the park." I said in agreement. I glanced to our right and saw Dave warming up with Oscar in the open bullpen area, just further down. "Looks like Dave is getting ready."

    Noah nodded. "As he should." He lifted a shoulder in a half shrug kind of way. "Just in case."

    I nodded.

    Brian was up next. He pulled the ball to left field, but didn''t have the power behind it either. The left fielder made his second catch and second out of the inning.

    I could hear the infielders chatter, cheering for their teammate on the mound. One more out to go, they said. The pitcher looked exhausted, having done a good job in five innings now. It occurred to me that last time we played, he only went about the same amount of distance. His endurance might be capped at a certain pitch count limit. I could see it. He walked Sean, but bounced back with a strikeout from Jason.

    "Damn, he''s good." Noah said for the upteenth time tonight.

    "I think that might be it for him." I said as we grabbed our gloves and took the field. I shared my insights with Noah about his endurance and how he might have hit his limit.

    Noah nodded. "That would make sense why they tried to go with a different starter. Maybe like as opener like they do in the pros. But it didn''t work out for them."

    We split up and went to our respective positions. Top of the seventh. This was out. Three outs away from another championship win. With Garret on the mound and a two run lead, I felt pretty good.

    Until the first batter ripped a line drive fo right field. Brian made a diving catch, saving it from being a hit. The crowd clapped at the amazing play, yet I was starting to feel a little nervous. Rightfully so when Garret walked the next batter.

    "No worries! We''ve got this." Noah said, clapping with his glove. "One out, play is at first and second!" He glanced at me.

    My heart started to pound. And my stomach felt like it wanted fo flip. I was sweaty and nervous. Please don''t come my way, I prayed as Garret started to face the next batter. The lefty. Lefties are more prone to hit grounders towards second. If a grounder comes my way��

    ''<nullb>Ding''

    The ball flew off the guys bat to left-center field. Logan and Bryce were both racing towards the spot to get there.

    "I''ve got it!" Logan yelled loud enough that it echoed in the mostly empty stadium. He slid and made the catch. He then tossed the ball up to Bryce. Bryce hurried to get the throw in before the runner could tag up and make it to second. Noah was the cutoff guy and redirected the ball to me at second.

    I was late to tag the incoming sliding leg and everyone knew it.

    "Safe!" The umpire extended his arms.

    Ugh.

    "Time?" The runner requested.

    "Time!" The umpire granted.

    I walked the ball towards the mound, feeling a mix of emotions. Relief that Logan made such a great catch. Stressed that we had a runner on second. And a little nauseous.

    "One more out to go." Noah said, jogging in to see me do the transfer. He glanced at me. "You okay?"

    I gave the ball to Garret and gave Noah a weak smile. "The ball didn''t get hit my way so it''s not so bad."

    Noah patted my shoulder. "Play''s at first. Easy peasy. You''ve got this."

    We both went back to our positions. The unexpected happen when the game resumed and Garret threw his first pitch to the new batter. His cutter broke in like normal, except not. It nailed the batter on the knee. The batter went down with a yelp and his third base coach went to check on him.

    "Shit." Garret muttered, walking off the mound.

    We all joined him. Me. Noah. Sean. Jason. Mitchell. And then��Coach came out.

    Garret looked up at the sky, only able to see the black night contrasting with the bright lights. "What a suckass way to end the season."

    No one could say any words of comfort.

    Coach held out his hand and patted Garret on the back. "You''ve done well, captain."

    "Doesn''t feel like it." He muttered and handed the ball over. "Am I sitting the bench as we let Dave close things out."

    "You can finish this game on the field." Coach told him. He pointed to center field. "Send Bryce in."

    "Thanks, Coach." Garret walked off before breaking out into a jog to center field.

    Bryce jogged in when he noticed that Garret was coming for him. Soon, Dave joined us on the mound. The batter that was pegged was helped back to his dugout by his coaches and probably a trainer. A pinch runner was sent out to first.

    "I thought I wasn''t going to get a chance." Dave grinned as he accepted the baseball from Coach.

    Coach glanced at the upcoming hitter. "Looks like they took their pitcher out. A pinch hitter we know nothing of. Don''t take it easy."

    "I''ve got this, Coach." Dave nodded.

    We all stepped off to give him the mound. Mitchell went back to home plate to catch some of the practice pitches as Coach went to the umpire to talk about the player and position changes.

    "Two outs! One to go!" Noah said after the umpire called for the game to resume.

    All of us were in position. Sean at first, me at second, Noah at short, Jason at third. Mitchell behind the plate and Dave on the mound. Mitchell gave the signs and got set. Dave glanced over his shoulder briefly before starting his motion. The runner at second! There was a runner at second! I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

    The batter swung and connected on Dave''s first pitch, ripping it to the left field corner. Logan didn''t have any hope to catch it, plus both runners were racing.

    "Home!"

    "Go home!"

    "HOME!"

    Everyone was screaming repeatedly. The offense and the defense. The runners wanted to score and we needed to stop them. Logan got the ball and threw it in to Noah who was standing on the outfield grass. Noah turned the relay and threw it to Mitchell, who was guarding home plate as the runner from first came barreling in. They collided. The ball popped out.

    "SAFE!!!!!" The umpire stated.

    Dave got the ball and did a pump throw to make the batter retreat to second base.

    The damage was done. We lost the lead. We lost the momentum. And��it kind of felt like��we already lost the game.

    Coach came out of the dugout to check on Mitchell and walked him to the mound towards Dave. The rest of us infielders joined too.

    "We fucked up." Sean groaned.

    corners and rely on Mitchell making the catches."

    Dave looked unsure. "Is that what you were doing with Garret?"

    "It''s my fault." Mitchell had his mask off and looked more tired than I had ever seen. "I didn''t think to change signs with Dave."

    "Change signs?" Dave was confused. "Listen. If it was anyone''s fault, it was mine. It''s hard coming into a game cold."

    "Okay, okay." Coach cut in. "As happy as I am to hear that you all want to fight for fault and be responsible. The problem lies with me. I let it slip." He looked at Dave. "When there''s been a runner at second, he''s been tipping off pitch locations. Throw to the corners and rely on Mitchell making the catches."

    Dave looked unsure. "Is that what you were doing with Garret?"

    "No, we had a number system." Mitchell eyed the umpire headed our way. "No time to explain."

    "Let''s pick the runner off at second instead." Noah said in a low voice, covering his mouth with his glove. "No signs. Dave. We''ve got this. You throw it my side. Fast and low."

    Dave grinned. "Okay. Now we''re talking."

    "Time is up." The umpire warned. He signed that a mound visit was used. "Next time your coach comes out, it''s for a pitcher change."

    "Yes." Coach headed back to our dugout.

    Mitchell went back towards home plate with the ump. We went back to our positions too. Everyone got set��the runner on second took a small lead, keeping an eye on Noah on his backside. Noah played it cool, standing further away than the runner, heels almost back on the grass. As soon as the runner saw that, he took more of a lead and looked at Mitchell, giving out fake signs.

    All of a sudden, Noah sprinted to second. Dave stepped off the rubber and threw a bullet to Noah''s feet. Noah already had his glove in the dirt. The runner made a dive back to the bag. Noah''s glove landed on his. Just before the base.

    "OUT!" The closest umpire yelled and the crowd erupted in stunned applause.

 Chapter 1135 V3 ch369 CIF Final: Branham HS (8)

    "Unbelievable timing!" Jason slapped Dave on the back.

    "You two are probably the only ones crazy enough to even try that." Sean said to Noah.

    Dave didn''t waste time chatting with us. He and Mitchell met up and started to talk near the cubby. They would both be up to bat in the bottom of the seventh, however they still needed to discuss the pitching signs. Coach was right there with them, probably giving advice. Even Garret went over.

    "I think that pick off really saved the atmosphere in the dugout." Alisha stopped by to whisper to us. "Keep up the good work."

    Noah smiled and picked up his water after we had sat down. "It''s not like there''s anything to be sad about yet. Just means we get to play some more baseball."

    I looked at him, amazed at his mentality. I did not share those same thoughts. Instead, I felt sick to my stomach at the idea of losing and everyone being sad and disappointed.

    Mitchell hit the ball, drawing everyone''s attention. It was just a blooper to right, but good enough for a single. The new pitcher was a lefty that I''m sure we played against last time.

    Noah jumped up. "Seems like we might rebound right now." He pointed at me and Alisha. "Don''t call it a comeback!" He went to the cubby to get ready for his at bat.

    I blinked, then looked at Alisha. "What does that mean? Don''t call it a comeback?"

    Alisha looked at me. "Jake��I won''t lie to you. I don''t know either." She shrugged and went over to Coach because he was waving her over.

    Logan was up at the plate with Dave just behind him in the on deck circle. The lefty looked like he was still trying to find the rhythm. On a full count to Logan, his pitch was on the border of the strike zone and the umpire gifted ball four to Logan.

    Our dugout got loud with the exception of me as I got ready for my at bat too. I stood next to Coach, strapping on my gloves.

    "Hope you get your chance, kid." Coach patted me on the back.

    I nodded. "Me too." It would depend on the situation for sure.

    Mr. Miller gave the signs out. Dave wasn''t supposed to swing. At all.

    I glanced at Coach, a little confused.

    "Rather have one out than two." Coach said, expression unchanged. "Plus, the pitcher just walked Logan. If we could load the bases with another walk, that would be perfect."

    Reality didn''t let that perfect scenario play out. The pitcher found his stride and struck out Dave, looking. Dave came back, Noah moved to the batter''s box, and I went to the on deck circle.

    Mr. Miller allowed Noah to swing. With caution. A double play would send us to extra innings. I personally think a walk is best. Load the bases for me. But for Noah, the best would be getting a hit and driving in the winning run. I''d be okay with that too. He would be so happy. Honestly, he deserves it.

    But again, reality was cruel. Noah connected but his swing was short. A fast grounder went just right of the second base. The second baseman was there to make the stop, then he smoothly flipped the ball to the shortstop covering the base with just his glove. The shortstop threw to first. Out and out.

    The groans from our side was louder than the cheers for Branham. I waited for Noah to come back to make sure he wasn''t down on himself.

    Noah picked up his bat on the way in. He made eye contact with me. He cracked a sad smile. "Guess you''ll get that empty slate next inning. Do me a favor and try for that homer, okay?"

    I nodded.

    We want back together. Mitchell and Logan were right there with us, switching gear. Mitchell even had to get his equipment on, leaving Dave to warm up with Korrey.

    Top of the eighth would start with the top of the order. This time, we were back to having the advantage on defense. There were no runners to steal signs and Dave had a fresh arm. The leadoff guy hit a simple fly out to Logan in left and then Dave dominated with back to back strikeouts, proving that Garret wasn''t the only star we had.

    Dave wasn''t afraid to let us know it too. Back in the dugout as we prepared for the bottom of the ninth, he was talking about how he would be the winning pitcher today.

    Garret rolled his eyes as he pulled his batting gloves on. "Dude, that only happened because you gave up the runs last inning."

    "Correction." Dave snapped and pointed two finger guns at him. "You were charged for those runs."

    "I wouldn''t brag about blowing a save." Noah said with a laugh.

    "Bro, you just grounded into a double play last inning." Dave pointed out. "You have no room to talk."

    Noah relaxed on the bench. "It is what it is." He caught me looking at him. "What are you waiting for, Jake?"

    Right. I tightened the hold on my bat and left the dugout first. I took a practice swing and stretched.

    "Now batting, number zero, Jake Atkins." Was announced over the speakers and echoed around.

    "JAKE! JAKE! JAKE!" The crowd started to chant.

    My stomach flipped and I tried to look calm as I stepped into the batter''s box.

    "Don''t let them scare you, Bambi!" Noah was just feet away, leaning over the short dugout fence.

    The corner of my mouth tugged. I knew Noah wasn''t saying that because of the other team, but because he knew I was afraid of the expectations placed on me. I had grown as a player though.

    The first pitch from the lefty came inside and brush me back off the plate for ball one. A few ''boos'' came about. But I didn''t mind. Any pitch that came my way was a sign that I had a chance.

    Did I really think that I could hit a homerun in such a big ballpark? No. Not much confidence there. What I could do was put the ball into play though and give us a baserunner.

    The next pitch came. A fastball a little too high, but it would do. I swung with speed and power, blasting the ball to left-center. I ditched the bat and immediately took off sprinting. I rounded first and headed for second. Just before hitting the base I saw my hit had gone off the wall in the opposite direction of the center fielder. I made the commitment and stepped on second base with power and rounded the bag.

    "TO THREE!!"

    "THREE!"

    "Down Jake! Down!"

    Everyone was yelling everywhere but my focus was on Mr. Miller. He gestured down at the base with both hands. When I figured I was close enough, I closed my eyes and made the dive, arms extended first.

    "Oof." I grunted as my stomach ran into the base. Something hit me on the leg and I knew it was the ball. The third baseman must have gotten the ball cuz I felt a tag on me again.

    "Safe."

    "Yes, Jake!"

    "That was so close from getting out of here!"

    "He really did it!"

    "Jake. Jake! JAKE!"

    My name started to reverberate all around the stadium despite the stadium only being a few hundred people.

    "You good, Jake?" Mr. Miller squatted to be closer to me.

    I nodded and wiped some of the dirt off my face.

    The umpire declared time out. I slowly got up and saw that the coach for Branham came out and went to the mound to meet with his infielders.

    "What''s happening?" I asked, dusting myself off.

    "You put them in a difficult spot, kid." Mr. Milled put his arm around my shoulders. "My guess is, they change pitchers."

    "So soon?" I frowned.

    He glanced at me. "Lefties don''t face third base. They need a righty to keep doing check throws this way. You better pay attention."

    I turned to look at him. "Do I have to leave the bag?"

    He blinked. Opened his mouth. Then closed it.

    "Garret will drive me home without a problem." I stated.

    Mr. Miller sincerely thought it through. He straightened up and let go of me. "Okay. You stay on the base all you want. If it''s clearly a hit, go home. In the air, you''ll be in perfect position to tag up and go home. If it''s a grounder, stay where you are and we''ll change it back to a lead with Brian up to bat."

    My shoulders dropped with relief. "Yea."

    Branham really went through the trouble of changing pitchers despite a lefty having an advantage against Garret. With no outs and me at third, there wasn''t much they could do besides to face him head on.

    The third baseman didn''t talk as much as the first baseman. He stood at third with me, making me a little nervous, but I knew I was safe. I wasn''t going to look like a fool as we tried to win this game.

    I looked at the pitcher on the mound and found him looking at me. I froze. He frowned and stepped off the rubber. I kept a foot on third.

    The pitcher looked to his catcher. After nodding, he stepped on the rubber again. He looked at me once more. I simply watched him too. He did his motion and threw towards home. Garret fouled the ball back.

    "Alright, Garret!"

    "You''ve got this!"

    "C''mon MVP!"

    "Go Garret!"

    "Drive him home!"

    All the chants started to sound off for Garret at the plate. He took the next pitch for a ball. 1-1. The pitcher was outright glaring my way.

    "Too scared to step off?" The third baseman randomly spoke up. I didn''t look at him.

    The pitcher soon lost interest in me as his battle with Garret started to stretch out to a full count. Garret may have been tired on the mound, but it was a different story at the plate. He fouled off a few extra pitches before hitting the ball to center field. The outfielder came sprinting in and made a dive, but as soon as I saw that ball dribble away from him, I took off for home.

    I stepped on home plate and the crown erupted. Our team stormed out of the dugout and raced to me at home and Garret at first. 4-3. CIF Division Three Champions of the northern section.

 Chapter 1136 V3 ch370 CIF Final: Postgame

    Someone had the bright idea to use water bottles and dumped out the water on me. I laughed and took my helmet off. Noah threw his arm around my neck and started to bounce up and down.

    "I knew it! I said it!" He laughed wildly as we celebrated. "Don''t call it a comeback. We were always bound to win!"

    I grinned, doing my best to high five the guys that came around. They were all headed for Garret, the one that completed the walkoff. I don''t know how long we stayed out there on the infield grass, but as soon as half the guys started to sing ''We are the Champions'', someone from the A''s staff started to guide us back to the dugout.

    "Let''s treat the field with some respect and let the grounds crew fix it for the real home team." Mr. Miller took charge, ushering us away from the field.

    Coach stood outside the dugout, arms crossed and a wide grin across his face. "Congratulations."

    "Couldn''t do it without you, Coach!"

    "Yea, congrats to you too, Coach."

    "Let''s do it again next year!"

    The last comment came from Noah. He stood tall with pride. "I want to be a champion every year. A four-peat champion."

    A lot of the guys on the team laughed, especially the seniors. The juniors and below look at one another with a knowing smile.

    "It''s a good goal to have." Coach nodded, not afraid to take on the challenge. "Next season we will be missing some very important players. The returning varsity members will have to work hard to keep this level of play."

    "Not gonna lie," Kyle started. "I''m going to be super jealous that some of you will have more rings than me." He glanced at me and Noah. "But I guess I can be satisfied, having one more than Zeke." He smirked.

    "Does this make us better players than Zeke?" Dave asked with a smile, knowing that he had something over his older brother.

    "It definitely says we have the better team." Garret joined in. "We won once with him and once without. Feels pretty darn good."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "If you''re so much better than him, why don''t you three challenge him head on? Gotta be some good practice."

    "Alright, simmer down." Coach motioned for everyone to zip it. "I know you''re all riding on the high of a victory, but let''s not get carried away just yet. We have to clean up and pack up. I know a couple of gentlemen want to I made a face. "Can I pass?"

    A few guys looked surprised.

    ask a few postgame questions." He looked to Garret than to me. "You two are the star of the show."

    "Yea, okay." Garret easily agreed.

    I made a face. "Can I pass?"

    A few guys looked surprised.

    Noah nudged me.

    "Reason?" Coach asked.

    I gave a small shrug. "I just don''t want to end the good night like that." They''ll ask me what I want to do in the future after high school. Why put myself through that again.

    "Just leave all the talking to the captain, Coach." Noah spoke up for me. "He did all the work after all."

    "Leave it to me." Garret stuck out his chest.

    "Make sure to mention the sign stealing." Dave suggested.

    "I''ll definitely bring it up." Garret said. "Have to defend why you gave up runs and blew the save."

    "What happened to you taking responsibility?" Dave asked. "They wouldn''t have scored if you didn''t let them on."

    They started to bicker and Coach motioned for us to get moving. It was going to be a long bus drive back to the school.

    From the dugout, through the halls, we walked back to our bus in high spirits. Coach and Garret stayed behind with Rose to be escorted where a couple of reporters were. Just outside, our bus was surrounded by friends and family. The supporters bus hadn''t gone home yet.

    "There they are!" Noah grabbed my sleeve and started to pull me to our family. Mom, Dad, and Grampa. The three were very tall and stood out��as did another family��

    Jeremy''s family.

    I started to slow down and Noah noticed. He tracked my eyes to see what I was looking at. He twisted his lips. "Well, let''s go to Mom first."

    I nodded.

    "Good job, honey." Mom pulled Noah into a hug first. And then me. "You boys did so well."

    "It''s starting to feel underwhelming since I didn''t do anything." Kyle commented as he and Dave reached. "Kind of like my championship game was last week."

    "It''s a season-long achievement." Dad said. "I''m happy that you boys could experience this once more."

    "I kind of wish we kept it tied longer so I could do more." Dave complained. "Who knows when I''ll play another game? In the fall?"

    "This time next month, I should be getting my first taste of the minors." Kyle bragged with a smile.

    "Booo." Dave said before pulling me in a small headlock. "You play a bunch of last place losers and I''ll be home challenging Jake all day, everyday."

    "What about me?" Noah asked.

    Dave reached out and pulled him in with his free arm. "Of course I''ll need you too." He laughed. "Who else will I be able to strike out a few times so Jake doesn''t destroy my ego."

    Noah shoved him away and broke free. "I won''t strike out once."

    "Want to bet?" Dave lifted an eyebrow.

    "It''s like the season never really ends in our household." Mom sighed. "Okay, play nice. I want to hear less about baseball and more about school. Finals are in just a couple of weeks. How is everyone''s grades?"

    Dave groaned. "Mommmm. What a mood killer."

    "I know of another mood killer too." Noah''s eyes shifted to the family off in the distance. "I guess they have something to say to you, Jake."

    Everyone turned to look. The sudden attention from us must have encouraged them, because they all started walking our way with Carson in the lead. I only let out a puff of air when I noticed Jack missing.

    Carson lifted a hand in greeting. "Hey. Jake. Good game." He shifted his gaze to Noah. "You too. Your fielding is on top."

    "But not my bat?" Noah spat out.

    Carson shrugged. "Maybe it just wasn''t your day."

    Noah seemed to relax with that.

    "Thanks for coming and cheering the boys on." Mom said politely. She reached out to Ilene and introduced herself. Then Dad, Grampa, and us. Ilene introduced her two daughters: Gabby and Makenna.

    Gabby made eye contact with me. "I thought it was lame that they walked you in that first at bat. Everyone around us was saying that they were scared of you." She smirked. "Hard to see what''s so scary when you''re the one that looks jittery half the time."

    "Gabby." Her mom said with warning. She looked towards me, apologetic. "Don''t mind her. She doesn''t know what she''s talking about."

    "Nah." Noah answered. "Sounds like she does." He grinned at Gabby. "Did you hear us call him Bambi? It''s cause he''s like a baby deer in the headlights."

    "I see it!" She snapped. "Good nickname." She glanced up at Carson. "This loser doesn''t have a nickname."

    "Hey, don''t call your brother that." Her mom gave her a small pinch.

    "What? It''s true." She rubbed the spot she was pinched at. "He lost to Jake and his brothers before."

    Noah laughed. "Well, to be fair, he isn''t the only one. Undefeated champs right here."

    Noah and Gabby seemed to split and have their own conversation.

    Carson glanced at me before nodding at the twins. "Which one is which?"

    "Dave. Kyle." I introduced even though Mom had just done it.

    "I meant, which one is entering the draft and which one is headed for college." He looked a little embarrassed.

    "Oh." I explained. "Kyle is entering the draft. Dave is going to Vanderbilt." I paused before deciding to ask. "What''s your plan?"

    He gestured towards Kyle. "Draft like him."

    Kyle nodded approvingly. "We''ll be in the same draft class. Cool. Maybe we''ll even see one another in the rookie leagues."

    A lot of the conversation seemed forced and a bit rudimentary, but honestly wasn''t so bad. It kind of felt like��a distant acquaintance. Kind of like when we met Jack Maberry''s family and friend.

    Coach showed up with Garret and gave everyone the signal to wrap it up. We had to leave together as a team. Carson and his family said goodbye and quickly left. Mom, Dad, and Grampa left soon after too, saying we would see them at home. Mom even promised to have the pizza there before us.

    "They actually weren''t so bad." Noah commented as we boarded the bus. He glanced at me. "Right?"

    I nodded slowly. "Yea. It''s kind of like when Jeremy first came around. A little awkward. Distant."

    "All extended family is like that." Kyle spoke up. "I thought they were okay too."

    "Yea, nice enough not to make a big deal out of having Jack around." Dave agreed. "They didn''t even bring him up. I can''t imagine how weird their family dinners are."

    "They were probably weird and tense last year, but you have to imagine that they''re past that as a family." Kyle shrugged. "Like what is there to be mad about among them? Jeremy and Jake are the losers."

    My lips twitched. "Thanks."

    "You know what I mean." He pushed my cap down over my eyes. "Though I do wonder if Jack is going to be in charge of Carson''s contract and stuff. It would be extra messed up if he screwed him out of some money too."

    "I''ll ask Jeremy." I volunteered.

    "Yea, don''t forget to tell him that we''re repeat champs." Dave added.

 Chapter 1137 V3 ch371

    On the way back to the school, I sent a few texts. To Jeremy. Zeke. And Kaylee. Jeremy didn''t reply right away; maybe he was already asleep. Zeke replied almost immediately like he was waiting. Mom or Dad probably sent a bunch of updates as he played his own game. A game that his team had won as well. I kind of expected a reply from Kaylee, but got nothing. Maybe she was sleeping already. She did say the painkillers made her really drowsy.

    The drive home was incredibly long. Two hours after a night game and it was practically bed time.

    "Don''t you dare skip school tomorrow." Coach demanded as the bus pulled into the school parking lot. "You boys better not forget that you''re student-athletes. And the student part comes first. I want to see a whole team of scholar athletes when we do our end of the year banquet."

    "When''s the banquet this year?" Jason asked.

    "We should do it after I get drafted." Kyle said. "That way we can just keep on celebrating."

    "Nah, better to have it before." Garret said. "I don''t want to embarrass you by our difference in round numbers." Kyle threw his hat at Garret. Garret easily caught it and tossed it back. "Don''t worry, I''ll give everyone autographs before I go."

    "We''ll have it this weekend." Coach announced. "Not because either of you said anything, but because it''s been booked for months. It''s a banquet. Not a pizza party. Wear your Sunday best."

    The bus parked and we started to unboard. Just as we were grabbing our bags, the other bus of students showed up and it kind of turned into a party in the parking lot. Everyone wanted to talk about the game, the win, and whether we would get rings like in the World Series. It felt like forever until we could get out of there.

    Noah really took charge, telling everyone that we would be in school tomorrow so it wouldn''t be too late to talk then.

    "Man, I''m starving." Noah groaned as we got buckled into our car and headed home. "You would think that those guys would be hungry too."

    "Why would they be? They got to eat in the stands." Kyle laughed. "They''re probably all hyped up on sugar and caffeine. Running high on our win. We didn''t just win a championship; we won bragging rights for our school and for everyone who goes here."

    "Hey, did Marie stay home with Kaylee today?" I asked Kyle. "I haven''t heard back from her today."

    "You sent Kaylee a text?" Noah asked, surprised.

    I nodded. "Yea. Of course."

    "That''s kind of ruthless." Kyle was the one to tell me. "Even I didn''t text Marie. They just lost their chance to be champions. Kind of feels like you''re bragging."

    "No, I was informing." I hurried to correct him.

    Noah gave a small shrug. "Kind of with Kyle on this one. It doesn''t sit right for me to tell her."

    "Well, I told her. Because she''s my friend. I don''t want her to feel left out." I defended.

    Dave pulled the car into our driveway. "Don''t care about them, Noah. I think you did the right thing. When Rhys had surgery, he was depressed and it took a lot of effort from Zeke to get him feeling good again."

    "Kaylee isn''t as weak-willed as Rhys." Noah stated.

    "I''m going to tell Rhys you said that." Kyle laughed and opened his door to get out first.

    "If she isn''t, then why are you afraid to send her a text?" Dave asked rhetorically. He got out too. "Don''t forget to bring in your baseball bags."

    "I''ll send her a text too." Noah pulled out his phone. "Just saying that you''re worried she didn''t reply."

    For some reason that sounded odd to me. But I am worried so I guess he''s right.

    We dragged our bags inside the garage and left them there. Our backpacks made it to the bottom of the stairs as we ditched them to go eat dinner. It''s been a long day and it''s been hours since we ate.

    "You all should have let me stay at home in order to cook a real meal for these boys." Grampa complained to Mom. "Just look how hungry they are. That one is on his third piece already. That can''t be healthy for them." Grampa pointed me out just as I bit into my third slice.

    I felt guilty and set it down.

    "Don''t listen to him." Noah told me. "He''s just being difficult." He looked at Grampa. "Weren''t you happy to see us win the whole thing, Gramps?"

    Grampa answered. "Of course! But I never doubted you kids for a second. I didn''t have to be there to see. I should have been here, making a nice steak dinner for you boys."

    "You can do that for us tomorrow, gramps." Dave pointed out. "Then we can compare it to the banquets this weekend."

    "That reminds me." Mom cut in. "You boys try on your best formal clothes, including the shoes. So we can figure out what we need to get. Dave, Kyle, you two know the drill. If it doesn''t fit, pass it on to Noah and Jake to let them try."

    "Why not just buy them new suits?" Grampa asked.  "They deserve it. And we can afford it."

    "Trying to teach them not to be wasteful, Dad." Mom put a hand to her head, exasperated. "If it was something they actually planned to wear multiple times a month, then I might consider buying them new suits."

    "I think I should get a fully new suit." Kyle spoke up. "I can wear this weekend. Then during the draft. Then-"

    "You would wear a suit at home?" Noah interrupted. "That''s lame. No one would even be here but us. Who you trying to impress?"

    Kyle glared at him. "I want to dress the part of a professional." He cleared his throat. "As I was saying, I could also wear the suit during the signing of my contract. Then there are times I''ll need a suit to look good before games. It''d be a good investment."

    "Sounds good." Dad spoke up for the first time at the table tonight. "I think you have the right idea." He looked at Dave.

    Dave rolled his eyes. "I do not need or want a brand new suit. It''s good enough if I get new shoes because I keep growing."

    "You don''t think you''ll need a new suit to wear in college?" Mom asked. "Zeke wears his formal clothes often enough to get it dry-cleaned once a week."

    "I can worry about it then if it''s a problem." Dave waved his hand carelessly. "For now, I''ll wear what I have. Double check the shoes. Honestly, I think Jake will need the most new items. He''s grown the most this year."

    Noah nodded in agreement. "Yea. And he''s like a beanpole so the twins stuff doesn''t look right on him."

    Somewhat of a plan was laid out for us to try on clothes tomorrow after school. We wouldn''t have practice to worry about after all. If items were needed, we would have to join Mom and Kyle to the mall.

    After eating, Mom excused us to go shower and get straight to bed while she and Dad cleaned up the dining room and kitchen.

    I was struggling to stay awake through my shower and climbed into bed with my eyes barely cracked open. If Coach didn''t threaten us earlier, I really might have tried to skip school.

    "Kaylee said she''ll see us in class tomorrow." Noah said, getting into his own bed, phone in hand.

    I frowned and looked at my phone, feeling a little more awake. I didn''t have any reply from Kaylee. No Jeremy either. Just Zeke still.

    "She doesn''t think she''ll stay the whole day." Noah continued. "Maybe try a class or two."

    "We''ll get to see her no matter what then. We share the first class together." I got comfy, trying to not feel a little sad about not getting a reply.

    "I wonder what they''ll do for their end of season banquet." Noah muttered. "It''s got to be super awkward or even outright awful to celebrate the end of a season when you didn''t win."

    "It''s just a team party, bro." Dave said. "You guys are just spoiled and don''t know what it''s like to end the season on a low note."

    "They might not have that luxury next year." Kyle came in the room and sat on his bed. "Without us and Garret, I think they''ll be giving up more runs. Jake will have to work hard to keep up."

    "Jake doesn''t even get to hit half the time." Dave pointed out.

    "You guys are just jealous. You know it won''t really be like that." Noah argued. "We''ll have Bryce and Brian to take the lead. Joey and Marshel can also hold their own."

 Chapter 1138 V3 ch372 Back at School

    I fell asleep to the three of them arguing over the next season outlook. The next morning, it was hard for me to get up but easy for the other three. They were all eager to show off today at school, especially Dave who got credited with the win. Anytime Kyle tried to remind him that he also got the blown save, Dave pushed it off and blamed the sign-stealing.

    I had a few texts from quite a few people. Most of them said congratulations on the win. I mainly focused on two though, one from Jeremy and one from Kaylee.

    Jeremy: Congrats on the win! Knew you guys could do it!

    Jeremy: Jack won''t be directly in charge of Carson''s contract and money, but he will still have some input. After all, he is his dad. I hope they didn''t upset you with their presence. Rose said you didn''t look it.

    I decided to reply to him right away.

    Me: Yea, it was a bit of surprise, but it was fine. I actually talked with Carson before leaving. His mom talked to mine. Gabby and Noah got along well too.

    Jeremy: Gabby is just as tough as Noah. Maybe like your friend Kaylee. Very outspoken and stubborn. But has a good heart.

    I was surprised he answered so fast. He must have his phone on him.

    Me: Yea, I could see some similarities.

    I hesitated before talking about Kaylee''s situation. It was a bit of a long text, but I wanted to tell him. He''s had teammates with devastating injuries before so maybe he would have some advice. Unexpectedly, Jeremy called me just a few seconds later.

    "Hey, sorry about Kaylee. That''s an insane level of a freak accident." He said right away. "You said she had surgery right after because the bone broke skin?"

    "Yea, I didn''t see it directly though." I hurried to tell him. "But I was there when she had surgery. They said they had an orthopedic surgeon and a vascular surgeon to fix it."

    "Wow. Very severe." He paused. "You know if she needs a second opinion or even just a very professional look, I can ask Dr. Shanfield for a favor. He''s the guy who looked at your leg. He''s not just the team doctor, but an orthopedic surgeon himself."

    "Do you think that would help?" I asked, unsure. It sounded like a nice idea, but Kaylee already had her surgery. What more can the surgeon do?

    "Her injury sounds very serious. She should have to do some follow-ups and probably be referred to a physical therapist that works in this very specific field if she wants to play again. Most physical therapists will want to help her get back to normal. But normal isn''t a top-level athlete. Get it?"

    I nodded but then realized he couldn''t see me. "Yea. That makes sense."

    "Jake! You''re going to make us late." Noah came back into the room loudly. He saw that I was on the phone. "Who''s that? Don''t they know you''re not a morning person?"

    "It''s Jeremy." I spoke into the phone. "I''ve got to get ready for school. I''ll ask Kaylee what she wants to do when I see her in class. Then I''ll text you after."

    "Sure. No problem. I hope she has a speedy and successful recovery."

    We said our goodbyes and hung up.

    I frowned as I got up, not feeling good about the whole ''successful recovery.'' Can you fail at recovering? I turned to Noah to ask. "Can you fail at recovering?"

    "Of course!" He scoffed. "Happens all the time. I knew a soccer player who had a failed ACL reconstruction surgery. He had to do it again and said it hurt twice as much. There''s also risky surgeries like Rhys''s when he had Tommy John. Not everyone can come back from Tommy John and pitch at the same level. That''s considered a failure." He tilted his head. "Were you guys talking about Kaylee?"

    "Yea." I put my shoes on and packed up my bag. "Jeremy said he can get her touch with that doctor for the team. Just in case she wants it. I''ll ask when we get to school."

    Noah shrugged. "If I was her, I would want that kind of pro to take a look. I mean, he can treat professionals. We''re just teens. Feels like overkill, but you never know."

    We went down together for breakfast. Mom urged me to hurry and eat, yet she put a whole giant breakfast in front of me including waffles, eggs, and bacon. For good measure, she put a bagel in my hand when I had finally finished.

    She handed everyone a packed lunch. "We won''t be home when you boys get back after school, but I don''t want to hear about any slacking. Get your homework done and start studying for finals." She pointed at Kyle. "I''m going to check your grades before draft day, so if you want to have a get together for day two, you better be in good shape."

    "When have I ever let you down, Mom?" Kyle rolled his eyes and grabbed his backpack.

    "Sophomore year. Geometry." Mom answered.

    Kyle immediately looked guilty. He waved. "Bye. See you guys at dinner." He was the first one out the door.

    "Are you checking everyone''s grades?" Dave asked Mom.

    She nodded. "The draft is the same week as your finals. If you boys want to still go to Garret''s get together on day one, then I want to feel comfortable letting you be out the night before a big test. Same goes for Kyle on day two." She squinted at him. "Do you need extra help beforehand?"

    Dave shrugged. "A''s and B''s. What more can you ask for?"

    "For you to do your best." Dad spoke up. "The final grades should be a reflection of your best effort."

    "I''ll aim for all A''s." Dave gave him a mock salute and left.

    Dad looked at me and Noah. "If you guys need a little extra tutoring anywhere, let us know. We can arrange something through the school."

    "Nah, I can ask Jake for help with my math." Noah glanced at me.

    I nodded.

    We were just a few seconds behind the twins, but they acted like we held them up. Showing up at school, we saw a packed parking lot with signs congratulating us everywhere.

    Feeling like a flashback from last year, Alisha ran up to us with a giant grin. "It''s like a party or a parade. Everyone who didn''t come last night showed up early this morning to celebrate you guys." She pulled on Noah''s arm and started to drag him away. "I even made some signs last night that the girls are holding. Let''s go! I''ll take pictures of everyone and everything."

    I cringed and wondered if I could make a quick escape.

    "Let''s go, Jake!" Dave threw his arm around my shoulders. "We can''t let everyone call Garret the MVP when you''re the star on this team."

    I resigned to my fate, posing with everyone in group shots, ultimately happy that I was included. It felt like everyone wanted to pat me on the back and ask me if I felt sad about not getting that homer in my last at bat. Dave and Noah took turns fending off the really pushy people, and even going as far to say that I''ll get one next time.

    All varsity members got the same treatment as they showed up near the gym, even those who didn''t get to play a second yesterday like all the relief pitchers, Oscar, Korrey, Jesse, and Dalton. I thought everyone would be in a good mood, but I could see some frustration on those that didn''t get to play yesterday. Or even at all during the playoffs.

    The bell rung and everyone had to start heading towards the school. I automatically found Noah so we could go to our locker together and then class. I still had to talk to Kaylee.

    "Yo, Noah." Joey walked up to Noah''s other side and nodded at me. "Jake."

    I nodded back, feeling a little confuse why he caught up to us. Even though we were on the same team, we didn''t communicate much besides the occasional small talk. Joey hung with the pitchers and was stuck in the bullpen during games.

    "I wanted to talk to you about something, but maybe I can catch up with you at lunch?" Joey said to Noah.

    Noah glanced at me, probably checking for a negative reaction, but it was pretty neutral. Joey didn''t scare me as much as he did last semester, or even just a few months ago. He was loud and high-energy, but not physical to me like Chris was.

    "Sure, man." Noah told him. "You can find me and Jake at one of the picnic tables out in the open. It''s usually spacious and just us."

    "Cool, see you later." Joey patted Noah''s shoulder and took off in another direction.

    Noah looked at me, slightly confused. "That was weird. Wonder what he would want to talk about? Maybe wants to challenge you to some at bats?"

    I was taken aback, but then shook my head. "No way. He sounded like he just wanted to talk to you. Maybe because you''ll be the remaining captain when Garret graduates?"

    Noah shrugged. "Yea. Maybe he wants to do something special for the seniors before the banquet."

 Chapter 1139 V3 ch373

    1139  V3 ch373

    Because we wasted so much time outside before class, I didn''t get a chance to tell Kaylee about Jeremy''s offer until after class. She looked exhausted and annoyed with her arm bulky from a cast. She had it in a sling to keep it elevated, but I don''t know how much help that was since it looked to be irritating her opposite shoulder where the strap went.

    I shared Jeremy''s offer with her as soon as the bell rang for class to end. She stopped struggling with zipping up her backpack to look at me. "Are you serious?"

    "Here. I''ve got it." Noah took her backpack and fixed the papers sticking out before zipping it up. He continued to hold the backpack. "I''ll help you carry it to your next class."

    Kaylee twisted her lips like she wanted to object. But then sighed like she let out all her pent up frustration. "Okay. Thanks."

    "Sure thing." Noah shrugged. "So do you think you want to see Dr. Shanfield? He looked at Jake''s leg last summer when he hit a foul ball off it. The man works with pros so you know he''s good at his job."

    "Absolutely." Kaylee said with determination as we started to walk. "I saw a local surgeon yesterday and he wants to put a bunch of metal in me."

    "What?" I asked, not sure if I heard right.

    She pursed her lips. "He thinks my arm won''t heal right since I''m on the border of being a kid and being an adult. Because my growth plates are set, I might not heal right. He was talking about pins and screws like I was a damn wood shop project."

    I cringed. "That doesn''t sound good."

    "Right." She sighed and started walking. We flanked each side of her and guided her to class. "That''s why I''ve been a little moody. Besides you guys getting another championship ring, I have to face the tough reality that my arm might carry a bunch of metal in it."

    "Maybe it''s for the best?" I offered. "It should keep everything stable."

    "It''s my throwing hand, Jake." Kaylee deadpanned. "Have you ever heard of a player having screws and pins in their dominant hand?"

    I looked to Noah for help.

    Noah shook his head. "No one. That isn''t just to keep it stable. It''ll lock you up. Make you inflexible." He slowly nodded. "Yea, definitely see what Dr. Shanfield has to say. Maybe he''ll have something different to offer. If not," He paused. "Then you get the screws and pins placed. And then it might be possible to get it taken out later? Like after you do all the healing."

    "Guess that might be an option." Kaylee stopped to dig her phone out of her pocket, using only her left hand. She fumbled with it before looking at me. "What''s his number? I want to tell him yes please. Get me in asap."

    I glanced down at how awkwardly she was holding her phone with just her left hand. "It''s okay. I''ll get him to text you instead."

    "You don''t think I can do it, can you?" She asked.

    "I think he thinks that you''ll take too long." Noah explained. "The bell is about to ring and we''re going to be late for class. You know how anxious Jake gets."

    "Ok. Yea." She slid her phone back in her pocket before looking at me again. "Don''t forget to tell him. I want to be able to get my parents to agree right when I get home."

    I nodded. "Sure. I will."

    Noah held Kaylee''s bag out to her and she took it by the handle and went into her class after a brief word of thanks. The bell rung again just as she left us out in the hallway.

    "There it goes." Noah muttered and shook his head. He looked to me. "I''ll walk you to your class."

    I glanced around the empty hallway. "I don''t need it."

    "It''s fine, I want to pop in and say hi to Coach Luis anyways. It''s been awhile." Noah started to walk with me.

    I didn''t think I needed him, walking through the bare halls, but when he opened the classroom door and all eyes went to me, I froze.

    Noah gave my back a push. "Sorry, Coach. Made Jake late. Think you can write me a late pass to my class?"

    Coach Luis walked from his podium in the center of the room to his desk and waved for Noah to come over. "Don''t make it a habit."

    I lowered my head and found my seat near Mitchell and Sean. I sunk in my seat and prayed that everyone would stop staring at me.

    "You good, Jake?" Sean whispered.

    I nodded.

    "It''s not like you to be late." Mitchell pointed out.

    "It was nothing." I assured them.

    Noah got a pass from Coach Luis while casually talking to him about baseball. He waved as he left and Coach Luis resumed class like normal, taking attendance and laying out the lesson plan.

    When Coach Luis let us do our classwork on our own, I found the opportunity to text Jeremy, explaining Kaylee''s new situation. I gave him her number and asked him to text her about arranging an appointment with that doctor. He responded right away. By the end of class he sent me another message saying that he got Kaylee an appointment for Friday when the team was back for a home series. He then invited for me to come to the games this weekend, but I explained that our end of season banquet would be this Saturday. He countered that I could come on Sunday when it''s just a day game. I said I would ask Mom and Dad when I saw them at dinner.

    Noah was hyped to hear that we could possibly be going to the game on Sunday and talked about it during our short break. He talked about it some more at the beginning of lunch when we were walking to our table, but was cut short when Joey appeared.

    "I almost forgot about him." Noah murmured as Joey walked up to our table.

    Joey stood at the head of the table, looking back and forth at the empty space next to Noah and the one next to me. "Where should I sit?"

    "This side." Noah scooted over a little more. He pulled out his lunch and started to unpack it. I did the same. Noah glanced at Joey next to him. "So? What''s up?"

    Joey didn''t have a lunch to unpack. He didn''t even take his backpack off. He just sat down and put his folded hands on the table. "I wanted to get your opinion on football."

    I tilted my head, confused.

    Noah laughed. "You want my opinion on football? Dude, I don''t even play. Hardly even watch. I think you have a good arm though so quarterback suits you."

    "How would you feel about playing though?" Joey asked.

    Noah shook his head immediately. "I''ve never even considered it. It''s always been baseball for me." He put his bag of carrots down. "Are you trying to ask me to tryout or something? Are you guys that hard up for players?"

    I ate my sandwich, completely invested in this conversation. Joey and us don''t run in the same circles so what brought this on? Are they really short for players? I looked Noah up and down and couldn''t imagine him in all that gear.

    "Yes, I do want you to play." Joey admitted.

    "What makes you think I can even play?" Noah was flabbergasted.

    "Your fielding. Your speed." He said. "You would make a great wide receiver. You have the talent and the ability. I think you can make our team better. Give us a real chance for the playoffs."

    Noah was already shaking his head. "Sorry, man. You''re hitting up the wrong guy. I mean, I think you''re right. I am good at fielding and my speed is definitely the fastest on the team, but football��I don''t think it''ll translate well. Besides me not even knowing how to play."

    Joey looked defeated. Then he made eye contact with me. He smacked the table, making me jump. "That''s it!" He pointed at me. "Look at Jake. He didn''t know how to play baseball."

    Oh. I relaxed and picked up my bag of cookies.

    "Jake knew how to play." Noah argued. "He just didn''t know all the rules. He spent his whole life in the cages. He''s held a bat. Seen a baseball. I''ve never even played with a football."

    "Don''t be lying." Joey argued. "All boys have played with some kind of football. Even if it was a toy as a kid. Like the styrofoam kind."

    Noah looked at me. "Ever thrown a football before?"

    I shook my head.

    "Just hear me out. Give it a chance." Joey said. "We have a summer camp in August just like the baseball team did. Heck, I can meet you at a park and we can just run some routes together so you can get a feel of what a wide receiver does."

    "I think you''ve lost it." Noah told him. "I''m a baseball player. Heck, I''ve got plans for most of the summer to play baseball. In the fall, I like playing all those scrimmages and doing drills that the coaches organize. Football isn''t even interesting for me to watch."

 Chapter 1140 V3 ch374

    1140  V3 ch374

    Joey wasn''t accepting Noah''s refusal. He spent the entire lunch period talking about football and what Noah could accomplish as a wide receiver. Joey was confident that with him at quarterback and Noah at wide receiver, they could do something great. I''ve got to say, I was sort of convinced. Noah was the most athletic person I knew and I think a lot of what Joey said made sense.

    We finished eating and eventually the bell rung, forcing Joey to stop talking. He had to go his way for class while Noah and I went to our cooking elective class.

    "Can you believe that guy?" Noah jerked his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing to Joey. He was shaking his head. "He''s nuts."

    "I believe him." I nodded.

    Noah was surprised. "You what?"

    "I believe him." I told him. "You''re good at everything."

    Noah laughed and shook his head some more. "You don''t know what you''re talking about. Football is very much a contact sport. I can''t take a tackle. Plus, that would put me in major danger of getting injured and risking my baseball career. It''s dumb."

    "Oh. Yea. That wouldn''t be good."

    We walked into class and sat at the same table with Alisha and Kaylee.

    "Surprised you''re still here." Noah told Kaylee. "Thought for sure you would call it quits and go home early."

    "Wanted to." Kaylee grimaced. "But no one can take me home. Have to wait for Marie to finish school anyways."

    "I''ve been telling her to just rest in the nurses office." Alisha said, exasperated. "Maybe they can call her parents and force them to pick her up. Or maybe even get permission for Marie to leave early too so she can take her home."

    "Very good ideas." Noah gave her the thumbs up.

    "Maybe next time." Kaylee said. "My last two classes are simple. I definitely am not coming to school tomorrow. It''s harder than I thought. My arm is throbbing and it''s making me cranky."

    Noah laughed. "No different than your normal personality then."

    Kaylee flipped him off discretely where our teacher couldn''t see.

    Our class started with the assignment today being to make muffins. Kaylee was forced to just watch our group in action as we split up the duties of prepping, baking, and cleanup. She still got to enjoy the reward of a hot fresh cinnamon muffin. At least until she dropped it. She wasn''t very adept at using her left hand for all the main tasks yet.

    I slid her my untouched muffin and bent down to clean up her mess.

    "Forget it. I''m not hungry." She grumbled, resting her chin in her left hand, clearly frustrated.

    "I''m not that hungry either." I threw away her trash and sat back down. "I didn''t talk with Noah much at lunch so I was able to eat everything Mom packed me. Still feel bloated."

    "Yea, I eat less when I talk too." Alisha agreed, then paused. "But it''s just usually you and Noah, right? Why wouldn''t you guys talk?"

    A small smile formed on my lips. "I was listening to Joey trying to talk Noah into playing football." I felt like bragging about my best friend. My brother. He''s never played a sport before, yet the best player wanted him to join. Huh. This must be how Noah felt when he first met me and brought me along to play baseball.

    "What??" Both girls asked simultaneously.

    Noah rolled his eyes and finished his muffin. "It was dumb. Joey just lost his damn mind and doesn''t realize that you can''t just pick up a sport you''ve never played before."

    Both Kaylee and Alisha glanced towards me.

    Kaylee grinned, looking happier. "I think I get it. You''re afraid."

    "Yea, afraid of hurting myself." Noah said.

    "No." She shook her head. "Of embarrassing yourself. Who would have thought that Jake would be braver than you."

    I was stunned. "Brave?"

    "He is not." Noah said. Then looked to me. "No offense, Jake."

    "I don''t think I''m brave at all." I shook my head.

    "You are." Kaylee said confidently. "You came to a new school and tried out for a sport that you haven''t played before. You didn''t know all the rules and had to continuously embarrass yourself in the process of learning. That''s brave. If you were really scared, you wouldn''t have given it a chance." She smirked. "Just like Noah is doing with football."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "That''s not the same at all. And you know it. Why don''t I badger you into playing tennis? You''ve got the strength and speed. I think you''ll be really good."

    "Honestly, not a bad idea." Kaylee mused. "Maybe when I heal up, I''ll try something new."

    "And give up the sport you love?" Noah looked disgusted.

    "I don''t know if I love softball anymore." Kaylee said casually like she was saying that she didn''t like homework.

    I kicked Noah''s foot under the table.

    "You won''t feel like that when you get better again." Noah told her. "You''re just saying that because you''re at a low point. Give it time. You broke your arm for gods sake. Those take like six weeks to heal normally, let alone when it has complications like yours does."

    I hurried to nod along too.

    "Meh. We''ll see." She sounded noncommittal.

    The bell rung for the end of class and we had to split up. Noah and I had English together while Kaylee got help from Alisha with her backpack and headed to their own class.

    "Don''t tell everyone about what Joey said." Noah complained to me during our short walk. "It''s just going to be a headache. I shouldn''t have to defend myself on why I don''t want to."

    "Oh, okay. Sorry." I answered.

    "You don''t have to apologize." Noah sighed.

    Noah didn''t have to worry about me saying anymore about the matter, but who would have thought that Joey would take it up with the twins. Apparently they shared an elective class with him at the end of the day and he wanted the twins to encourage Noah to try out for the team this summer.

    Kyle laughed. "I told him that he had the wrong guy. You''re no football player. You weigh next to nothing. You get tackled once and you''ll be flattened like a pancake."

    I glanced worriedly at Noah.

    "That''s why they wear pads." Dave argued as he drove us home. "I can totally see Noah being a receiver like Joey said. He''s tall, fast, and has good hands with great reaction time. He''d be the shoo-in for the number one receiver."

    "Yea, but what happens after that first hit that knocks the wind out of him?" Kyle said. "Football is a true contact sport. Look at their injury rate compared to every other sport and you wouldn''t risk it either."

    "Finally." Noah stressed. "Someone talking sense. Plus, think of all the baseball practices I would have to give up."

    "Hey, I was complimenting you." Dave said. "But sure, you and Kyle have valid points." He looked at me using the rearview mirror. "Plus, Jake probably doesn''t want to spend all his Friday nights watching those lame games. Especially all the hitting. It''s too aggressive for him for sure."

    I was confused how I was suddenly brought up in all this. Thankfully the conversation shifted as Noah brought up Jeremy''s offer to see the game Sunday. Dave easily agreed while Kyle said he would have to talk with Marie to make sure they didn''t have a date planned.

    Dave parked the car in the driveway. "You''re so lame. Gotta check with your girlfriend first? Dude, she ain''t your wife."

    "Shut up. What do you know?" Kyle got out of the car first. "I only have a couple of weeks left to spend time with her before we go our own ways." He shut the door and headed inside.

    Dave shook his head. "That idiot. He only has a few weeks left with us too." He sighed and got out too.

    I glanced at Noah, feeling sad.

    Noah caught my look. He shrugged. "If you want him to come on Sunday too, you can tell Kaylee to keep Marie home. She should really be watching her anyways. If you were laid up like that, I would be right there next to you. Maybe catch you up on every tv show you''ve ever missed."

    "I feel like I caught up on a lot." I defended myself. My time with Noah, Kaylee, and Alisha, included a lot of pop culture knowledge. Very rarely would I feel left out now.

    "Oh, how naive you are, Bambi." Noah laughed and got out of the car.

    Just as we walked into the house, Grampa was holding his keys and rushing us out of the door. "Let''s go to the mall. Come on. Let''s go." He urged. It turned out that he didn''t want to listen to Mom''s advice about reusing the formal wear that everyone had. He wanted all of us in new suits and shoes. Kyle was completely down and Noah only complained about being unable to watch the A''s game now that our season was over. Dave and I were team neutral, and just went with the flow.

 Chapter 1141 V3 ch375

    Mom was exasperated when we finally got home with a handful of bags. She was honestly more mad that we didn''t work on our homework right away first, especially since we don''t have practices anymore.

    Grampa didn''t waste any time today though. Before we left, he had prep dinner and the steaks were on the grill as soon as we got home, followed by our parents. Dad immediately went outside to help while Mom got the kitchen table ready. The rest of us were banished to the room to put our new suits away and start our homework.

    "We''re going to look like freakin pros." Noah said, appreciating his outfit. "I didn''t think I wanted a new suit until Grampa made us get one. Now I think that we''re going to look so fresh."

    "So dorky is more like it." Dave was the least interested out of all of us. "No way I''m wearing that tie. I''ll feel like I''m choking all night. I just want to see some of the guys, eat good food, and collect my awards."

    "What awards?" Noah scoffed. "I bet Garret gets King of the Hill again."

    Items were sent flying his way; a half drank water from Dave and a balled up shirt from Kyle. Noah caught both of them.

    "Shut up, we''ll still be First Team All-League again." Dave muttered.

    "There''s also a scholar athlete award." Kyle added. "Heck, I wouldn''t mind taking Most Improved home."

    "You didn''t improve more than anybody else." Dave shook his head in denial. "If anything, Jake would win Most Improved again."

    I frowned. "I feel like you''re mocking me."

    "Noooo." Dave drawled out. "The most timid kid on the team can now hold his own and isn''t afraid of his own teammates like he was at the start of the season. Your legs also don''t shake as much when you take the lead off first base."

    "Jerk." Noah tossed the bottle of water back at him. "You''re forgetting the home runs. Jake went from consistent hitter to power hitter. He owns the sophomore record for most homers in a season." He looked at me. "That''s why I think you''ll win Most Improved again."

    That sounded better. I smiled at Noah. "Thanks. I think you''ll win the best fielder award again too." I couldn''t name a better fielder than Noah. He had a lot of great plays this past season.

    Noah smirked. "Another Golden Glove. Even if it is just the high school level, it''s a start." He rubbed his chin. "I wonder if I''ll make first team this year, or be stuck at second again."

    "What I really wonder��is what the JV team will look like." Dave brought up. "The whole fight situation and the coach being fired. Is Coach Luis going to be responsible for basing awards off just the last month or so?"

    "God, that would suck." Kyle cringed. "Imagine being a decent pitcher all season and then run into a bad stretch at the end. How embarrassing."

    "What else can they do?" I asked. "I think Coach Luis is a fair coach."

    "Yea, he''ll probably look at the stats from earlier, but most of the decision might come from what he saw personally." Noah said.

    Our conversation got caught short when Dad came upstairs to get us for dinner. He looked around the messy room. "I''m not seeing any books open of any kind." He said suspiciously, looking around at the four of us.

    "Not going to lie, Dad." Dave stood up. "We were just chatting."

    Dad didn''t look too upset, but he didn''t sound please. "I hope you have a good way to explain it to your mother." He looked at our suits hanging up in the open closet. "Make sure to thank your Grampa properly."

    "Obviously." Noah rolled his eyes. "Even though Grampa doesn''t care about formalities like that, I think he would like to go bowling on Friday so I was going to suggest it."

    "Very nice." Dad approved.

    "Oh yea, Dad while you''re here." Noah continued. "Do you think we can go to the A''s game on Sunday? Jeremy offered."

    Dad raised an eyebrow. "I think we should run it by your mother first, but I don''t see why not. Now let''s get moving. They''re waiting for us down there."

    Noah took off first. "Last one has to help with dishes."

    The twins immediately got a move on, pushing one another out the door.

    Dad looked at me. "You won''t really have to help with dishes."

    I gave a small smile. "I know. Mom never makes me."

    "The perks of being the baby." Dad rubbed the top of my head as we walked out together.

    We headed down the hallway and stairs, bypassing pictures of the family up on the wall. I was once jealous of the picture perfect family, yet now my face was occasionally spotted here and there. With just Noah. With all the boys at last year''s banquet. The day we signed my adoption papers and it became official.

    "Jake, you lose. You''re on dish duty." Kyle claimed when I made it to the dining room and sat down like the rest of them. Dad sat on my left like normal and Noah on my right.

    "No, he isn''t." Mom declared like I knew she would. She looked at me. "You just worry about getting your homework done. You kids probably have some end of the year projects coming up soon, right?"

    "Nothing too hard." I assured her. "Plus, without practice, we have a lot more time."

    "Yea!" Noah said with a smile. "So much time that you should let us go to the A''s game on Sunday. Please? Pretty please?"

    Mom exchanged a look with Dad. "We''ve got that open house from 10-3."

    "They''re trustworthy for a day game." Dad gave his seal of approval.

    Mom looked to the twins.

    "I''m staying home." Kyle said. "Going to hang out with Marie, maybe even go to the beach."

    Noah was taken aback. As was I. "What about Kaylee?" We asked at the same time.

    "That was creepy." Kyle pointed at us casually. Then shrugged. "What about her? Marie sees her everyday. She can afford to go out on a date. I told you guys, I only have a few weeks left."

    "I can drive." Dave offered, trying to change the topic. I think he could tell there was some tension. "I''ve done it before. Hey, maybe we can even see Zeke for dinner before we come back."

    "Zeke will be in Washington for the weekend series." Dad pointed out. "He probably won''t be back until late Sunday night. It''s best if you just drive back afterwards." He paused and looked at me. "Unless you want to stay there to have dinner with Jeremy?"

    "Probably should since he''s supplying the tickets." Noah said.

    I also nodded. "Yea. I''ll text him after dinner to make sure that''s okay with him." Sometimes he would have other commitments.

    "What''s Zeke''s schedule for next week?" Dave asked. "Maybe we can see him then? It would be great if he had a home series."

    "Dude. Don''t you pay attention to anything?" Noah rolled his eyes. "This weekend is the end of his regular season. Later next week they start the conference tournament. Zeke''s team has the number one seed locked up."

    "So we should be able to see them play?" Dave raised an eyebrow. "We just don''t know if we''ll see it all?"

    "If he makes the semifinals, we''ll go as a family." Dad took over. "The semifinals will be next Friday and then finals Saturday."

    "Cool." Dave nodded. "Good for him. I have complete faith we''ll see him play two games."

    I nodded. "Me too."

    "Same." Noah said.

    "When you said ''we'' did you mean all of us��" Kyle trailed off, looking at Dad.

    "I''m going so you''re definitely going." Grampa spoke up.

    "Yes, sir." Kyle answered yet he didn''t look too interested. Maybe he wanted another weekend free to date Marie.

    Mom must have thought so too because she assured him that we would be home Sunday morning. That settled Kyle.

    The rest of dinner was pretty calm as we all started to wind down. Afterwards, there was homework to do and showers to take. It wasn''t until the end of the night when I was about to fall asleep, that I realized we didn''t tell Mom and Dad about Noah being recruited by Joey to play football.

    I get that Noah wasn''t interested, but I still thought it was cool. Kind of like an achievement. I think Noah would excel at that just like baseball, the only difference would be his love for the sport. Though Kyle was right about it being dangerous. Mom and Dad should think so too.

    I fell asleep thinking about football and ended up dreaming about it. Nothing elaborate or detailed. It didn''t scare me awake either. All I had was a vague picture of a football being in the air and Noah catching it.

 Chapter 1142 V3 ch376

    The rest of the week was back to the basics. No parking near the field in the lower lot. No more practices after school or seeing all the guys in the clubroom. But��we did see Joey a lot more. He intentionally went out for his way to mention football to Noah at least once at every break. It got to the point where Noah changed up our Friday lunch spot to join Kaylee and Alisha in the quad.

    Kaylee had skipped Wednesday like she said she would. Thursday she came and stayed the whole time, looking better mentally. But by Friday lunch, she was back to looking drained.

    "The car ride is going to be rough if you''re already looking like this." Noah commented between bites.

    Kaylee shrugged. "My mom will bring my pain meds with. I''ll be able to take one as soon as she picks me up during our cooking class. Those usually knock me out real quick so the ride shouldn''t be too bad." She looked at me. "Tell Jeremy thanks again for me."

    I opened my bag of carrot sticks. "I''m sure he knows. He said Dr. Shanfield is the best in the bay so hopefully you don''t need all that work done to your arm." I glanced at it. "It still hurts though? Usually the first week is the hardest but you should feel some improvement."

    "It wasn''t exactly a normal break." Noah pointed out.

    "The pain meds run out after the weekend." Kaylee said. "So a couple more days and then it''s probably not as bad? I don''t know what I''ll do if it is like this though."

    "Maybe the doctor today can prescribe some more pain meds just in case." Alisha offered. "Depending on the situation."

    "Even if he does, it would be hard to convince my parents I need it." Kaylee pouted and glanced at her arm. "They think I''m faking the pain for attention."

    "Honestly surprised that they''re willing to take you to a doctor so far." Noah commented.

    "It helps that he has a prestigious title working with a professional sports team." Kaylee said. "Another thankful point for Jeremy."

    "Speaking of which, do you want to go to his game on Sunday with us?" Noah offered. He glanced at Alisha. "You too, Alisha. So far it''s just me and Noah going with Dave, so you would have to make sure your parents is okay with him being the driver."

    I nodded, happy with that idea.

    "Sounds good! I''m in." Alisha happily accepted. "My parents would be cool with it."

    They usually are. If Alisha had the coolest, most relaxed parents around, then Kaylee was the dead opposite.

    "Kyle''s not going?" Kaylee asked.

    "Wants to go on a date with Marie." Noah answered while rolling his eyes.

    "Now that baseball is over, he''s looking forward to spending more time with her." I added on.

    Kaylee let out a short laugh. "I guess I should be happy that she didn''t just ditch me. I bet she planned to just babysit me on Sunday with him around."

    "So what do you say? Come with us or be a third-wheel with them?" Noah grinned.

    "If I come, wouldn''t they just come too?" She raised an eyebrow.

    "Not if we don''t tell them." Noah''s grin looked deceiving.

    Kaylee brightened up like she wanted to partake, but just as quickly as that smile came, it left. She sighed. "Nah. It won''t work. If I ask my parents to go, I''m sure they would either say no or would want Marie to come with. I''ll just stay home."

    "Are you sure?" I asked. "We can take them too."

    "Yea, it''s fine. My arm is bugging me anyways. No promises that I would be good to go on Sunday. When it''s better, you can invite me again."

    "Any word on when you guys might move officially?" Noah asked.

    "It''s constantly changing. But the idea seems to be after July 4th holiday and before the start of August when Marie needs to report for her summer camp."

    "We''ll get some games in still then." He nodded confidently. "As soon as school lets out, we''ll have a lot more freedom on the weekdays."

    "What about the regional team thingy?" Alisha asked. "Weren''t you guys going to North Carolina sometime?"

    "Not til August." Noah said. "We have round two of tryouts coming up soon. That''s an all weekend thing. First weekend in June. Then we, I mean I." He grinned my way. "I don''t find out if I made the team until mid July when they finalize the roster. Jake already knows he in."

    "That''s a bit of a big gap."

    "They have to host round two in a lot of places to make sure they see all the players that want in. It''s got to be hard work to narrow down a roster from thousands of applicants."

    "You going to be okay if Noah doesn''t make it?" Kaylee suddenly asked me.

    I coughed and started to choke on my snacks. Alisha handed me a water bottle and I drank some to clear my throat. I wiped my mouth. "He said they would still go with me if he didn''t make it." I looked to Noah for reassurance.

    He nodded. "Of course I''ll be there to watch you dominate the best of our age. Dave said he''ll definitely come too. Mom and Dad wouldn''t miss it either. Now Grampa��there''s a good chance he stays home."

    I showed a small smile. "Yea."

    "Is that all you have planned this summer?" Kaylee didn''t sound impress. "Why does it sound even less than last summer?"

    "Maybe because not all the details are ironed out?" Noah shrugged. "We''re definitely doing the Stanford summer camp again at the end of July. But after that, there might be regional team commitments for practices before the tournament. As soon as we get back, we''ll have our high school team camp." Noah scratched the back of his head. "Guess you can say we''re free at first, and then packed at the end."

    "Perfect!" Alisha clapped her hands together. "Means we can spend all the time we can with Kaylee before she goes. We can hang out at my house all summer." She paused. "And at the arcade and cages. We''ll just have to be more careful with Kaylee at first."

    "Yea, gotta see what the good doc has to say first." Noah said.

    Lunch ended and we four went to class together, still shooting around ideas of what we can do. Going to the beach and baseball games seemed to be at the top of the list. Just minutes into our class, Kaylee was called to the office for early release. She grabbed her bag by the handle and left with a small pep in her step. She was looking forward to her appointment for sure.

    Alisha let out a heavy sigh, drawing both mine and Noah''s attention. She pouted. "I feel so bad for Kaylee. I really hope she gets the answer she wants from this doctor. I know she doesn''t want all that metal in her, but if it''s for the best and stops the pain��"

    "We''re not medical professionals. Let''s not speculate and just leave it to the pro." Noah said.

    "I just feel bad and want her to get better faster." She repeated. "Our driver''s ed starts tomorrow morning and it''s sad knowing that she has to sit this out. We were looking forward to learning together. I even started looking at cars to hint at it for my parents and Kaylee had some good ideas."

    I made a face. "Driver''s education starts tomorrow?"

    "Just the learning class." Noah scrunched up his nose. "Four hour class of just learning the rules of the road. No actual driving until who knows when."

    "Should be our third lesson." Alisha offered. "Like I said, I''ve been looking into this for awhile. Unlike you guys, I don''t have older brothers to take me places. Everything would be done by my parents. So lame."

    "But your parents are so nice." I said, surprised.

    "I know, but it''s not the same, Jake." She complained. "You don''t know what it''s like to be with your friends while your dad is cracking dad jokes or when your mom wants to talk about boys. It''s soooo embarrassing."

    I really couldn''t relate. Whenever Mom and Dad were driving, it usually meant we already had a full car. Plus��I only had a few friends.

    "So you''re hoping they gift you a car for your sweet sixteen?" Noah sounded interested. "Do you think that''ll really happen for you?"

    "Of course! I''m their only child! Their baby! They have to love me." She giggled. "Though some of my requests were a little out there. Like wanting a pale pink convertible. I told them I won''t be nitpicks about the color, but convertible would be best. I want to drive along the beach with the wind in my hair and the radio blasting." She spent the rest of the class talking about her dream car and her other birthday wishes. She was definitely going to do another end of the year party to celebrate the end of school, the start of summer, and her sweet sixteen.

 Chapter 1143 V3 ch377 Driver’s Ed

    Saturday morning, I dragged myself downstairs for an early breakfast with Noah as we prepped for the driving lesson.

    Last night we bowled with Grampa and Dave, eating there at the bowling alley. Kyle ended up going on a date with Marie, promising us that he would go next time. Later in the night, Noah and I received Kaylee''s text in our group chat with Alisha. She was going to have another surgery.

    Dr. Shanfield had also taken her cast off because the swelling was too much and it was actually unsafe for her to have the cast on. She was going to stay home the next few days and hopefully when the swelling goes down, she can schedule the surgery. He won''t be making it immobile like the previous idea, but he still wants to put in some hardware. The downside was that she would have to have surgery again to get the hardware removed when it was ready. The process might be longer, but her future would look brighter if this panned out.

    I could already tell that this appointment had lifted her spirits. Even though she was in a precarious position without a cast on, and had to be super careful these next few days, she sounded hopeful through the texts.

    "You boys need to treat this class seriously." Mom said, having sat with us for breakfast. She was going to take us to the place after we ate. She glanced at me as I yawned. "Jake, maybe you need to start going to bed earlier?"

    "He''ll be tired no matter how much sleep he gets, Mom. He''s a slow riser." Noah commented.

    I paused. "I wasn''t always like this." I gave a small smile. "I think it''s because I feel safer than where I was. I don''t have to be on guard all the time."

    "Okay, fine." Mom smiled too. "I won''t make you go to bed earlier, but we''re still bringing it up at your annual physical." She looked to Noah. "Anything going on with you that you may want to bring up?"

    Noah grabbed his chest. "Wow. Mom. Are you saying you don''t know me as well as you do Jake? I''m hurt. Am I still your biological son?"

    "Sometimes I wonder." She said thoughtfully.

    Noah looked hurt for real. "Mom!"

    She grinned. "I''m joking. I know you just as well as anyone else in this house. You like to hide problems the most of it means you get to do what you want. I would have to trust Jake to tattle on you for me to get anything out of you." She looked my way.

    I had the urge to bring up the football and this felt like the opportunity to do so. "Joey wants Noah to try out for the football team."

    Mom froze.

    "Jakeeee." Noah groaned. He looked at Mom. "Don''t say anything, Mom. I''m not interested. And I''ve told him I''m not interested. I don''t have the time and I don''t want to."

    Mom snapped out of it. "Okay. Okay." She repeated. "I think you made a good decision. Football, and contact sports like it, pose a lot of risk for injury."

    We cleaned off our plates and put them in the sink. Mom took us in her car, with me in the back behind her and Noah in the front passenger seat. Mom took us to a business center where our small class would be held.

    She parked, wanting to take us in for the first class. Alisha and her mom were just a minute behind us. We all got checked in and verified, then our moms left us. We were sent to a small conference-like room that had eight seats around a big oval table. There was a whiteboard on one end and a projector hanging from the ceiling.

    "Cool, we''re here first so we get first pick." Noah said, picking a seat. I immediately sat to his left.

    Alisha hesitated, looking at the open seat next to me and the one next to Noah. I casually tilted my head towards Noah and she understood that I was letting her pick what she really wanted. She sat on the otherside of Noah.

    The room filled up quick with four other teenagers and then finally an instructor came in and turned on the projector. The first thirty minutes was just saying our names and introducing us to what the course covers. Twenty-five hours of instruction with half being in person and the other half online. Then we would try to get our permits through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Then they would do six hours of behind the wheel training with us. Then we would be allowed to drive with our parents present until we took the test at the DMV for a real driver''s license.

    I was nervous at first and a little overwhelmed with the idea of just being able to drive in a few weeks, but when the instructor finally started going over the California Driver''s Handbook, I realized that the beginning was just common knowledge. Like what the signs meant and the basics of knowing your car.

    The class was not bad and you really couldn''t doze off anyways in such a small setting. After class, the three of us went outside to wait for our rides to show.

    "We''re probably getting lunch now." Noah said to Alisha. "Do you and your mom want to join? We''ll eat somewhere nice if you do. I just know it."

    Alisha smiled, but gave a shake of her head. "No. I already have plans with Kaylee. I told her I would come over with some smoothies and relax with her since I know she can''t do much on a Saturday night alone."

    I blinked. "You''re not coming to the banquet?" It felt wrong considering she was with us all season.

    She shrugged. "I thought about it and maybe I would if Kaylee wasn''t hurt. But it would honestly feel a little weird to dress up and watch you guys get awards."

    "Is it because we''re all guys?" Noah asked. "It shouldn''t be."

    "It''s different when it''s practices and games." Kaylee said. "For something fancy like this, I feel like I would stick out like a sore thumb. I can just imagine all the parents asking their sons why a girl was there and it just gives me the ick."

    "If anyone says anything bad about you, Coach would have your back." Noah told her. "Us too."

    "Thanks. I appreciate it. But I think this works out just fine. Kaylee can use a friend and I can use a reason not to go to the banquet."

    "If you''re sure." Noah shrugged.

    With that, we parted ways, getting into our respective family cars. Mom didn''t actually have time to take us to a sit down restaurant anyways. We went through a drive thru for burgers and fries, grabbing enough for everyone at home too.

    Mom and Dad left shortly after eating, needing to check on a couple of open houses they had arranged. They promised to be home in time to take us to the banquet, but we would have to start getting ready on our own.

    "Don''t worry, Mary." Grampa told her. "These kids might fool around a lot, but they know when to take things seriously. They''ll be dressed and ready by the time you get home."

    "You too, Dad." Mom looked at Grampa. "I already prepaid for three extra meals so don''t even try to get out of it. I want to see all five of you at least dressed and with shoes on. I''ll be back to help with hair and ties."

    They left and the rest of us finished eating and cleaning up. The rest of the afternoon was spent doing different things for everyone. Noah wanted to go on a run, but no one wanted to join. Kyle went to hang out with Marie for a couple hours. Dave went to Mitchell''s, wanting to try to get a bullpen session in. Grampa was watching tv downstairs. And I��I was doing research.

    I had long been told that I wouldn''t be able to take a higher math in high for the next two years. I had to look at my options of either going to the community college for the credit or maybe take it online. I tried to look it up if I could take an online course over the summer, but they had long been filled.

    After finding some decent options for the fall and what I would have to do, I saved the info for Mom and Dad to look over. Then I went downstairs to join Grampa, watching some kind of cop show that I''ve never seen before.

    Noah came back from his run, briefly stopping by before going to the garage to lift some of the free weights. When he was showering over an hour later, Dave came home next. He also stopped by the living room before going back to the room upstairs. Kyle of course, was last, earning some snide remarks from Noah about his sense of time.

 Chapter 1144 V3 ch378 Banquet (1)

    "I''m not late if I beat Mom and Dad." Kyle defended himself, rolling his eyes as he did so.

    "You know, I think it''s good you''re staying home tomorrow." Noah said. "I could use a break from your face."

    Kyle rolled his eyes again. "I''ll see you at breakfast and then at the end of the night when you get back. Stop acting like I''m never around. I spend nearly all my time with you guys."

    Noah wasn''t impressed.

    Kyle glanced to me.

    I shifted my attention to my dress shoes, spending some extra time to make sure they were shiny.

    "Dave, you know don''t you?" Kyle pushed.

    Dave was tucking in his shirt. "Bro, I don''t have a girlfriend. I can''t relate. This is the only life I know. School, baseball, family. Some kind of combo of the three."

    "What about friends?"

    "All my friends come from school and baseball. It''s fine though. You do you. Just make sure you don''t push it, like missing the important stuff."

    "Like Zeke''s conference tournament." Noah said as he walked out, already dressed and ready. "I''m going downstairs to wait for Mom to do my hair."

    Kyle looked at the door after Noah left. "I really don''t get him sometimes." He sighed.

    I stood up and grabbed my phone. "I think Noah''s just sad." I gave a small shrug as the twins looked to me. "You guys are leaving him behind. It''s hard to get used to change. I didn''t want to come here at first when Mr. Duncan took me out of the hospital. Give him some time to relish in the last of the moments."

    "We will never be like this again." Dave added. "The four of us��sharing a room. It ends in just a few weeks after you get drafted. You pack up and hit the road, leaving us behind." Dave got up too, heading for the door. "I think I want Mom to do my hair one more time too."

    I followed Dave out, not wanting to be left alone with Kyle. In the end, Kyle joined us downstairs within a minute. When Mom came home, he was the first one to hand her the comb.

    Mom brightened up immediately and took the comb like it might disappear. Kyle willing bent down a little bit so she could have a better view. After Kyle was Dave. Noah. Then me.

    She grinned and held my shoulders afterwards. I still had to look up to her. She was the tallest woman I knew.

    "Let''s have some fun tonight."

    I nodded in agreement.

    Mom and Dad were already in professional clothes from doing the open house so they just took a couple minutes to gather themselves. Then we all left together in the family car, including Grampa. He made sure to grumble the whole way, but it was all for show.

    We arrived at the very same country club from last year. And just like before, a lot of the players were still gathered outside, taking selfies and group shots. Mom, Dad, and Grampa went in first to go find seats while we went to join the guys we knew best: the varsity team.

    "Hey, Noah!" Joey started striding our way.

    Noah''s whole face twitch. "Am I really gonna have to hear from him all night? Are the weekends no longer safe for me?"

    I laughed.

    Dave held up his hand to stop Joey. "Before you start, just know, if you mention an unrelated sport, we won''t be inviting you to any training sessions with us this next month."

    That stopped Joey in his tracks. "What kind of training?"

    "The kind that made me and Kyle the kind of pitchers that we are today." Dave said with a smirk.

    Joey put his hands in his pockets. "Okay. I can hold back. When''s the first session?"

    "Not sure yet." Dave answered. Before Joey could complain, he continued. "Next weekend we''re going up to Stanford to watch Zeke play. Hopefully they can win his conference tournament."

    "Of course he will." Noah stated. "Their team hasn''t looked this good in decades. They''re going to Omaha."

    "Wouldn''t that be something." Joey said. "Would you guys all go if they really did make it to the end?"

    "Heck yes." Noah said excitedly. "I might just follow them every playoff game they do. Go along for the ride."

    "You don''t plan to play travel ball this summer again?" Joey asked, eyes shining. I think I could tell what he was thinking.

    "Other baseball plans like camps and stuff." Noah shot him down. "Completely busy until school starts late August."

    Guys like Jason and Sean showed up, wanting to get some pictures in beforehand. Joey really didn''t get much of an opportunity to even bring up football with everyone showing up. Over seventy high school baseball players all gathered around, talking about the banquet, school, and summer plans.

    Things really livened up when Andy showed up with a surprise guest: his brother. Julian, a former starter for the varsity team, had plenty of guys to say hi to and catch up with.

    "Feeling left out, were you?" Jason laughed, clapping him on the back.

    "I had a free weekend." Julian grinned, greeting everyone he knew. Even me. "Dang Jake. What are they feeding you in that Atkins house? You''re starting to grow like them too." He put his hand on the top of my head. "You grew nearly half a foot, I swear."

    "Nothing that dramatic." I gave a shy smile, feeling a little embarrassed, but also pleased.

    "I''m growing too!" Noah straightened up and tilted his chin up, just a couple inches shorter than Julian.

    "Yea, you''ll break that six foot threshold within a year for sure." Julian complimented.

    "It''s not that impressive when you come from giant parents." Andy quipped. He straightened up too, showing off that he was still taller than me. "I''ll be taller than everyone in my family by the time I graduate high school."

    "I still have a chance to be the tallest in my family too." Noah said. "Which should be considered more of an accomplishment than yours. After all, I come from a giant family. Hey, even my grampa is here today. When you see him, you''ll see how well height runs in our family."

    "Any thoughts on being the shortest forever, Jake?" Garret asked me.

    I shrugged. "Not like you can really help it. It''s mostly genetics. I also used to be malnourished so it would be hard to compete."

    We all started talking about height and what we expected to be. What we hoped to be. What other family members were. We also took a few more pictures of our reunion with Julian, wanting to send it to other former seniors like Zeke and Mahki.

    Closer to start time, the coaches started to urge us to come in and find our seats. Once again, we were divided by our team levels. Some of the guys close to Julian wanted him to just sneak in the varsity table, but he declined and went to find a spot among the families. Guess he was the only one to come for Andy tonight. I wonder if Andy got the opportunity to tryout and make the travel team this year. I told myself to not forget to ask at the end of the night.

    Coach gave a small speech to start the night, wanting us to eat first before the awards portion of the banquet. Soon waiters came around with starter salads and glasses of water.

    "Still feels wrong that we can''t even get lemonade." Noah muttered.

    "Don''t be picky." I advised.

    "Okay, Zeke." He called me sarcastically.

    "You can have lemonade at home." I pointed out. "Same with dessert."

    "It just doesn''t feel very festive." Noah pointed out.

    "But it does make me think back to the team meals we have done together." I shot back. "Even with Jeremy paying, all we got was water."

    "Because water is good for you. Duh." Garret leaned over to say.

    Soon the topic shifted to drinks that had electrolytes and whether they should be offered during moments like this. But without a game to recover from or to prepare for, it felt worthless.

    After the salads were done and cleaned out of our way, the main courses were severed, looked like chicken or salmon were the only options. Everyone, players and their families, had to select their choices long ago so it could be prepared beforehand. It was just a matter of making sure everyone got their proper plate.

    "Grampa does it better." Noah said between bites.

    I couldn''t argue this time. The twins didn''t either.

    "I''ve heard some real horror stories of what minor leaguers eat." Garret sighed. "I think that''s my biggest hurdle coming up."

    "You''re going to spend your whole signing bonus on treating your tastebuds better." Dave laughed.

    "Hey, I think I can handle eating sandwiches day after day." Garret defended. "I''m just afraid it might be week after week."

    "Well you won''t spend too much time at the bottom." Noah consoled him. "The higher you go, the better the food should be. And the accommodations. And the pay. And just the overall treatment." He glanced at Kyle. "Some people might have to spend a year or two eating plain turkey sandwiches before getting their foot in."

    "Just getting drafted is getting your foot in the door." Garret corrected him. "But even that can''t guarantee you much." He sighed. "Anything can happen. Opportunities granted, chances wasted. Injuries. Setbacks. I just want to make it to the big stage just once at the very least."

    granted, chances wasted. Injuries. Setbacks. I just want to make it to the big stage just once at the very least."

 Chapter 1145 V3 ch379 Banquet (2)

    "As a potential first round pick, I think your odds are little better than some people." Noah slid a glance towards Kyle.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "What round you get drafted doesn''t matter too much. There''s been players from all over, including the undrafted. Like Garret said, it''s about opportunity. But also, you have to stay healthy and ready." He looked at Garret. "Don''t mess around too much just because you like hitting."

    "Hey, I''m not like Dave, attracting random injuries everywhere." Garret joked, making some of the guys laugh.

    Dave shook his head, but was smiling too. "I''m just a little unlucky. Getting stepped on. A comeback pitch that dislocated a pinky. They''re not really pitching injuries. Just wait, in college I won''t have these kind of accidents anymore."

    "Maybe you need an exorcism?" Noah offered.

    Dave slapped him on the back of the head. "Shut up."

    All the tables got louder with conversation as more and more people finished eating. Eventually someone from the coaches table got up and made his way to the podium.

    The freshmen team''s head coach, Ryan, was tall and burly, and didn''t look comfortable in his suit. He took his jacket off and tossed it on an empty chair. "Hello everyone. As most of the players, and some of the parents, know, I''m Coach Ryan. I''ve been with this program at Watsonville for quite some time and I''ve got to say, every year I''ve been blessed to have such good teams."

    He continued. "The boys won twenty games this year. That''s a new record for even me. The whole adventure wasn''t smooth, and we did have to grow, but as a team we stepped up and really amplified what teamwork was all about this season. One thing I pride myself more than anything on, is keeping a team with good grades and once again, I had a full team full of scholar athletes." He started to call up his roster, one by one.

    I didn''t know all of them, but there were a lot of familiar faces. These were guys that I played with during the week-long summer camp, and then even some played baseball with us all fall before Coach made roster decisions. I also played with a handful of them in a JV game when Coach had that big blow up.

    Once Coach Ryan had them all line up across for everyone to see, we the audience applauded for their accomplishment. Making the team was already an accomplishment of itself. We might not be a huge school, but we were still big enough to have three full levels and still had to make cuts. Then those that got to play had to give up a lot of free time for practices and games so in order to keep their GPA''s up is something to be proud of.

    "While I have the team up here, I want to put the spot on a few select individuals that really made this team shine." Coach Ryan said. "First up, Defensive MVP: Miguel Rojas."

    I clapped a little harder, recognizing the name and face. I''ve played with Miguel a couple of times now and definitely thought he was a better fielder than me.

    Miguel walked over, accepting a small award from his coach as he was talked about. "Miguel is a very coachable player, knowing how to take advice and implement in his practices. He works hard every practice, trying to become a better player. He''s not one to settle and I see him making a move to higher levels next year."

    Noah leaned over to whisper to me. "He has to move up because if he doesn''t, that means he was cut. Only freshmen can play on the freshman team. Sometimes I wonder if Coach Ryan is just bullshitting this award ceremony to please the parents."

    "I thought some of the things he was saying sounded similar to last year." I whispered back.

    "I wonder if we''ll recognize more of it then?" Noah speculated.

    "Now if you have a Defensive MVP, you''re bound to have an Offensive MVP." Coach Ryan said.

    Noah and I made eye contact, both grinning at how familiar that sentence was. I have to say, I had a little animosity towards Coach Ryan because it felt like he was treating the freshmen last year super well despite half of them being super jerks to Noah and by default, me. But now I realized that he treats all his freshmen like that. Kind of like a gardener in charge of growing a row of plants. Gotta water and fertilize. In reality he had to coach and encourage.

    "Tanner Kliss." Coach Ryan announced. The player got out of the line to accept his award too. "Tanner wasn''t the hardest hitter on the team by any means, but he could come through in clutch situations. His on base percentage was the highest on the team and he had the most hits by far. Maybe another Jake Atkins in the making."

    I was called on and a lot of eyes shifted to me.

    "For parents that don''t know or haven''t heard, Jake Atkins is the best varsity hitter in the state so that is very much a compliment." Coach Ryan said.

    I shrunk in my seat, wishing he would speak faster.

    Noah laughed, as did some of the guys at my table. "C''mon Jake. Don''t be shy. Just smile and wave."

    I held my stomach. "Would it be better or worse if I go hide in the bathroom right now?"

    Everyone that heard me, laughed.

    "You didn''t pass out so I think you''re already getting used to the limelight." Garret said. "Just a few more years of compliments and maybe you''ll stop cringing."

    "He''s going to be the most timid major leaguer in the history of MLB." Sean joked.

    "Well if he goes to college, that might toughen him up and even bring out his personality a little more." Jason offered.

    "I think being shy is a personality trait."

    Our table talking in low tones as Coach Ryan was still talking about his players was rude. Talking about my personality needing adjustments was even worse. I miss Zeke. He would have shut them down with a glance.

    Coach Ryan introduced his Most Improved player of the year: Davin Newberry. Another name I knew mostly from the fall semester and being around Andy. I bet if Andy was on the freshman team, he would have won some of these awards. Probably MVP, especially since he can make JV right off the bat.

    The Best Sportsmanship award was granted to Connor Norman, another guy I actually remembered. I was starting to realize that it wasn''t as clueless and sheltered as I was last year. I couldn''t name everyone like Noah probably could, but I think I could hold my own on naming some of the guys. I looked over the whole line and tried to name all of them, and I definitely would get a passing grade.

    "For our team, we like to have the players vote who they think the Team MVP should be." Coach Ryan grinned. "It''s a good tradition and I like seeing how it correlates to what I saw this season. Marc Hall demonstrated what a leader should act like. He treated his teammates with respect and was open to hearing their thoughts and opinions on issues surrounding the team. He has a great glove and knows how to put the ball in play. He drove in the most runs for this team and was very comparable to Tanner at the plate."

    The tallest freshman stepped out of line to accept the award. He nodded at those of us, sitting down and clapping for his accomplishment. "Thank you." He looked at his Coach. "And thank you, Coach. You really did your best to pull out all of our potential to make us better players. Soon we''ll be contributing to the varsity team and hope to continue the streak of being champions." He glanced to our two varsity tables.

    Some of the guys straightened up, feeling like their spot on the team might be challenged. Other guys just smiled and nodded along.

    "Yea, we''re creating a dynasty here." Noah commented. He looked at me. "Do you think we''ll be the first ever high school players to win CIF all four years?"

    My lips twitched. "How would I know?"

    He rubbed his chin. "It can''t be very easy to look up, but I think Mr. Cameron would be able fo figure it out. At least for our Northern Section."

    "Dude, you''re taking it way too lightly." Dave flicked Noah on the ear. "You''re forgetting some of the power schools in division one and two. Heck, you can start with a simple search to see if University Prep had won their CIF division again. Then you would know that they won two in a row too."

    Noah held his ear and looked over at Dave. "They did?"

    Dave nodded. "I wanted to save some of the articles about our championship win by Mr. Cameron. He had also done some on the other divisions. University Prep is the real dynasty. I think it said they won their league like six years in a row now."

    "A dynasty that lost to us." Noah stuck out his tongue.

 Chapter 1146 V3 ch380 Banquet (3)

    Coach Ryan dismissed his team to sit down, yet he continued to stand. "Now, it''s no secret that our JV team has had a very tumultuous season. The head of our program, Coach Wilcox, took charge and did some restructuring. He had one of his assistants, Coach Luis take over."

    Coach Luis stood up and started making his way to the podium. He shook hands with Coach Ryan and they switched spots.

    Coach Luis didn''t smile. He looked a little exhausted like he hadn''t had a good nights sleep. "Welcome everyone. Like Coach Ryan said, I''m Luis. I used to be an assistant to Coach Wilcox at the varsity level, specifically the first base coach. A little after halfway through the season, we had a situation that I''ve never come across before: a fight within the team."

    The whole room was silent. You could hear a pin drop. No one knew what kind of face to make. I looked to Noah, kind of worried where Coach Luis was taking this. Noah watched on calmly, hands in his lap, not even worried in the slightest. Which��I mean��why would he be? Why would I even worry about the JV team? I guess I was just scared Coach Luis would see some backlash.

    "I came into a team that was broken. Divided. Dysfunctional. They needed to start anew. Coach Wilcox ran them around until they had no more energy to waste on stupid stuff." Coach Luis said.

    I looked around, scared that some parents not like the word stupid being used in the same context as their teenagers. No one still made any remarks. Maybe he''s already talked to the JV parents long ago. The JV team was in really rough shape when he got to them.

    "Teamwork isn''t just a group of individuals coming together to work and train. It''s about aligning their goals and efforts with a shared vision. Baseball only has one goal: to win games. To win the most games. To be champions that stand on top of all the other teams." He paused. "When a team does come together and can understand and commit to the same goal like this team did in the last month��

    we can achieve great results. We didn''t lose at all this past month and that is what I''ll be basing these awards off of."

    I glanced at the two JV tables and saw the whole lot of them staring seriously at Coach Luis. He must have really reigned this team in under his control and set them straight. It made me happy and sad at the same time. Happy that they all listened to Ckach Luis and took him seriously, but sad that he wasn''t going to be around to work with our team anymore. Selfish of me, I know.

    "But first, let''s bring up the young men that represented our school and baseball program at the Junior Varsity level." Coach Luis started to call up every player on the roster in alphabetical order of their last name. After he got them all up there, he continued. "Not everyone achieved the necessary 3.5 GPA to have to be considered a scholar athlete so I''ll just be handing out the certificate to those that did without publicly saying their name."

    He straightened up. "Let''s begin with our Defensive MVP, Aaron Fipps." The room clapped as the teenager stepped forward and accepted the award from Coach Luis. "Aaron is a very versatile athlete that has a very strong sense of positioning. His reflexes and timing has stopped many would-be hits and helped quite a few pitchers to keep their stats down."

    Some of the guys I knew as pitchers looked a little ashamed. Maybe that was a slight dig at his own players?

    "For Offensive MVP, I''m going with a freshman." Coach Luis said and I immediately looked to Andy. The only freshman I really knew on the JV team. "I didn''t know this young man well before taking over the team, but once I came in contact with him, I knew he took baseball seriously. He never slacked off and when I said we needed to produce more at the plate, he accepted the challenge and succeeded in getting the ball into play more often than not. Andy Wilson."

    Andy didn''t seemed surprised in the slightest. He accepted the award like it was a matter of fact. He didn''t hold it up with pride and just merely told Coach Luis ''thanks'' before stepping back in line.

    I clapped more for our friend, happy for him. Noah laughed at my expression but he wasn''t clapping any less. I bet the loudest though had to be Julian, wherever he had found a seat.

    "Most Improved was a lot harder to figure out and narrow down." Coach Luis got back to talking about his team. "I only had so much time with these kids that it''s hard to have a baseline. With this, I turned to Coach Ryan for help. A lot of these players had previously played for him. With some discussions and viewing of the games, we both agreed that Caleb Clemens had to be the best decision of Most Improved."

    Noah looked surprised, clapping a little slower than normal. I tried to mimic his timing, not sure if we liked this guy or not. If Noah had problems with him like with Austin, then I didn''t want to cheer for him even if we did go to the same school.

    Caleb accepted the award from Coach Luis and coach kept talking. "I''ve got to say that Caleb made it easy to pick him by switching positions from an outfielder to a very effective pitcher. He had a small learning curve yet was still able to perform on a higher level." Caleb stepped back.

    I nudged Noah to give him an inquisitive look.

    He waved me off. "Tell you later."

    "You would think that with a team so divided, it would be hard to find a player deserving of the award of Best Sportsmanship." Coach Luis continued. "But in fact, it made him stand out so much more. Senior, Michael Tye, treated every teammate with respect and never used his status to make others submit."

    That sounded like another dig. I looked across the JV team but didn''t see anyone looking guilty or ashamed. Michael stepped forward to receive his plaque and said something to Coach Luis in a low tone for only them to hear. Coach Luis nodded and stepped back.

    "Hi everyone. I''m Michael. Obviously." He greeted the room and received plenty of applause and smiles. "Thank you. Honestly, I feel a little embarrassed receiving such an award as a senior. It feels like a cheat. I''m older and supposed to be better and wiser. It''s not like that clearly. Otherwise I would have been on varsity or maybe have won a more competitive award." He said. "I wanted to share a little bit, more so for the players than for the parents. Sorry."

    Michael didn''t sound like any of the seniors on our team. If I didn''t know better, I would have said he was younger. Maybe more childish. He didn''t carry himself the same way as guys like Garret or the twins or Jason.

    "This might sound wrong or weird coming from a senior that only made it as high as JV, but I think it''s important for baseball players to keep striving for more, but also don''t forget to take in the view. Get to know your teammates. Enjoy every practice no matter how difficult. It''s sad to say, but you don''t always know when the last game or practice will be. I don''t regret not being able to make Varsity. I regret not taking in the moment every time I played. Period." He stepped back.

    There was a small pause as some of us looked unsure of what to do. But as soon as one person started to clap, everyone joined in. Coach Luis excused his team and let them sit back down. Then he went around to place the scholar athlete certificates in front of the players that earned it.

    "Michael has more mental strength than I do sometimes." Jason sighed and commented. "I don''t think I could handle being a senior on JV. It''s not like you''re supposed to feel ashamed, but maybe you do feel ''less than''."

    "I wouldn''t. Baseball is baseball no matter what form it comes in." Noah shrugged.

    "Says the kid that started on varsity." Garret laughed.

    Noah shrugged. "I mean even if I didn''t, I would still keep trying until the very last game of my senior year to improve. But I don''t forget to enjoy it. Just being able to play is enough for me. If I''m stuck at double A all my life, I won''t regret it."

    "That''s because you''re already the type to take everything in and be happy." Kyle rolled his eyes. "I bet if we ask Jake about playing on JV, he might not have the same answers."

 Chapter 1147 V3 ch381 Banquet (4)

    A lot of the guys looked to me.

    "Jake would be fine as long as he got to hit." Noah said confidently. He nudged me. "Tell them, Jake."

    I hesitated. "Well. Maybe now I can enjoy baseball as long as I get to hit. But before, like last year, I really only played because Noah played. The pressure of not doing well didn''t make me feel good." Seeing some of the guys look sympathetic, I waved both my hands. "But I''m different now. I liked playing with you guys and all. Even without Noah, I would play with everyone again."

    "But what if you couldn''t hit? Like at all." Garret grinned. "Just endless intentional walks."

    I stayed quiet. The guys started to laugh at the long pause.

    After the JV team got settled back in their seats and the other coaches sat down, Coach made his move. He stood up and walked to the podium. He had everyone''s attention.

    Coach gave a friendly smile. "Good evening. I''m happy that every player in the program could make it tonight. And excited that the families could take time out of their day to celebrate my players and all their accomplishments. The freshman team is one of the easiest teams to put together, yet they have the most growth so I''m looking forward to seeing their progress in the summer camp in August."

    There was some polite applause.

    "As for the JV team..." Coach dropped the smile and looked serious. "I can''t say this has happened before, however it''s not uncommon for a team to be unable to mesh together when there''s an age difference. The JV level is interesting in that there''s players of all types grouped together. You have the really talented freshmen, sophomores and juniors striving for that next step, and then seniors that just couldn''t make that final jump. Everyone has a different mindset and approach. The attitudes needed readjustments and I can only blame myself for not seeing and addressing that problem sooner. And for that, I''m sorry."

    I sighed, feeling sorry for Coach. He had it tough. Besides leading us in practices and games and tournaments, he still had to think of the other two levels.

    "I will have to review my system and I will change. Next year, I''ll strive to make all three teams well balanced and guide them properly." Coach said. "Even though varsity won CIF, there will always be room for improvement." He smiled. "Now let me introduce to you, the CIF Northern Section Division 3 Champions."

    "The seniors: David Atkins. Kyle Atkins. Matt Dalquist. Tanner Erickson. Garret Knudsen. Tyler Larsen. Jason Morris. Jesse Shipman." Coach had paused after every name called, allowing for clapping and comments to be shouted.

    Even though Noah had shown some animosity towards Kyle earlier today, there was no one louder than him. Meanwhile, I tried to clap the same amount for everyone, randomly thinking about how we didn''t get to see senior videos this year like last time.

    "Juniors: Korrey Alvarrez. Bryce Finn. Robbie Harwell. Joey Henderson. Sean Isner. Brian Swoope. Mitchell Torres."

    Our table was mostly gone now as more than half the team stood in line with Coach.

    I wiped my hands on my pants, getting ready to go up. Coach was calling us by grade level and then in order of last name. I should be next.

    "Sophomores: Jake Atkins. Noah Atkins. Marshel Butler. Dalton Nelson. Logan Porter."

    I had gotten up after my name was called and tried not to look out in the crowd so much. I stood beside Mitchell and then Noah joined me on my otherside. Both of them were grinning happily, and it relaxed me. This was a happy event; I should be happy too.

    "And the only freshman on our team, Oscar Garcia." He waited for Oscar to join the end of the line before continuing. "Give it up one more time for these champions."

    The room got loud and I felt my face heat up. I found Mom, Dad, and Grampa in the crowd and focused on them.

    "This team did the best I''ve ever seen in all my years as a high school coach. They went unbeaten for the whole year; the tournaments, the regular season, then the postseason. I''ve never seen anything like it." Coach grinned. "I''m damn proud of these young men and how they pulled through every challenge they faced."

    More applause.

    "I''m going to start with the toughest award of the night." Coach got serious. "King of the Hill. It''s no secret that we have the three best pitchers in the league. Heck, in the county, all three rank in the top five in the county. Even in the state, you probably couldn''t find a better rotation at our level."

    I glanced up the line to peek at the twins and Garret.

    "This is the first year that I caved and got three copies of the same award." Coach lifted three plaques. Some people laughed and some clapped. "Dave Atkins. Kyle Atkins. Garret Knudsen."

    "Coach, you had it right the first time!" Dave exclaimed, accepting the first plaque. "It''s David. One more syllable. C''mon. Don''t be lazy now."

    Coach chuckled. "I''ll get it right next time."

    Dave pretended to be crestfallen. "There is no next time."

    Coach handed out the other two plaques to Kyle and then Garret. He came back to the podium. "Unsurprisingly, I''m sure all three of them are mad about the tie. Thankfully, they''re no longer my problem after tonight." He smiled as some of the parents laughed. "I do have a couple of awards for two of those three. One might be surprised and he might even take it the wrong way. Our Most Improved player of the year is Kyle Atkins." He took a different plaque to Kyle.

    Kyle looked confused as he accepted the award.

    "Normally it''s an award based off the season, but having coached Kyle for the last two years, I saw a major jump in his skill level this past summer. He changed his approach and had seen a jump in his speed."

    "So technically I should have won King of the Hill?!" Kyle blurted out.

    Coach patted him on the shoulder. "You did win. With two of your teammates." He headed back to the podium. "With these three amazingly talented starting pitchers, I had to make one more change this year. Best Closer. We didn''t need one with these three ball hogs. It was hard enough for them to share amongst one another."

    I laughed along with my teammates as we poked fun at the twins and Garret.

    "Okay, now for the other." Coach held up the MVP plaque. "This one goes to the player who does it all. On the mound. In the outfield. A leader on and off the field. Our MVP is the captain himself, Garret Knudsen." He walked the award to Garret as we all clapped for him.

    Garret actually looked surprised. "Me? What about Jake?"

    I overheard and froze.

    Coach chuckled. He faced the room again. "If not everyone heard, Garret said ''what about Jake?'' And honestly, if Garret wasn''t so dominant on the mound, maybe I would give it to our residential best player in the state." He walked back to his podium and picked up an award. "But the thing is, the best player is not always equatable to being the most valuable. In this case, Jake is the best player because of his prowess at the plate. And for that, he is, once again, our winner for the Silver Slugger award." He walked to me and handed it over with a smile.

    "Thank you." I accepted the award and compliments. I wasn''t offended at all for not winning MVP. I knew I wasn''t. I could carry our offense, yea. But only when I get the opportunity. But Garret could do it all and then some. Pitch, hit, field, captain a winning team like this one. It was common sense to me.

    "Our last two awards will go to the same player and maybe you guys will start wondering if the team didn''t have enough stars. It certainly does. Just because you don''t win an award on the varsity level doesn''t mean you weren''t doing enough. Noah Atkins is hard to compete with in terms of doing the most though. You will not find another player with the kind of talent, skill, and drive as him."

    Coach picked up two awards and walked them down to Noah next to me. "Noah is the kind of player you want behind you on the mound. He wants all the grounders and fly balls to be within his reach. No player has the same amount of coverage as him or the athleticism to make the kind of plays he does. He is our best defender, a co-captain, and our Golden Glove winner." He handed over one of the plaques and held up the other. "This year was a tight race for Most Versatile and honestly thought Garret could take this one home too, but Noah''s lead in stolen bases made the decision for me. His speed didn''t just take those bases, but also made it easier for our hitters to drive him home without the need for homers."

 Chapter 1148 V3 ch382 Banquet (5)

    Noah held both awards with pride and Coach let the room clap for the last award given. Or so I thought.

    Coach waited at the podium for the clapping to die down before going on. "Now let''s move on to awards from the league. I''ll work my way up. For Second Team All-League, we have three representatives: Noah Atkins, Sean Isner, and Mitchell Torres."

    He passed out the awards as the room clapped. Back to the podium when he was done. "I want to note that these All-League selections is based on coaches nominating a handful of players each and then the whole lot of us coaches get to vote. Clearly, the more votes, the higher the selection. I mention this because my next four players were all voted unanimously. First Team All-League: David Atkins, Jake Atkins, Kyle Atkins, and Garret Knudsen."

    Noah put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a shake. "Back to back years. Just like our championship rings!" He laughed.

    Coach made his way down the line, passing out the awards. The twins and Garret. And then me towards the end. He shook my hand and handed it over. "Well done, kid. I''ve got one more for ya."

    Noah laughed some more. "I think I know what''s coming." He whispered. "MVP."

    It took me a second to realize what he was talking about.

    Coach cleared his throat to get everyone''s attention. "Last year, I had received two rewards from the whole division three for the first time ever. Some of you were present to see a former player, Zeke Atkins win MVP, Player of the Year. There was also his younger brother, Jake, that won Rookie of the Year, exclusively given to first-year varsity players. This year that rookie has succeeded in winning Player of the Year." He announced.

    Noah and Mitchell on either side of me started to jump around, pushing and pulling me. They weren''t the only ones. I was surrounded, getting pats on the back, shoulder, and head. Everyone was talking all at once. I don''t know who started it, but soon there was a gradual chant of ''M-V-P'' ringing throughout the room. It got louder and louder as everyone joined.

    I just let it happen. Not cringing away. Not feeling cramped or claustrophobic despite being surrounded. I just smiled and went along with everyone, jumping up and down.

    Someone belted out, "We are the champions, my friends!"

    Everyone took cue, having just sung this after winning last Monday.

    "And we''ll keep on fighting till the end!"

    "We are the champions!"

    "WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!"

    "No time for losers, ''Cause we are the champions of the World!!"

    The whole team was laughing, not caring how we looked in front of everyone else.

    "Alright, alright!" Coach raised his voice. He squeezed in and handed me the biggest plaque of the night. "That concludes the official awards ceremony." He looked around, smiling at the lot of us. "You boys have a good summer and don''t forget to train. There''s going to be a big target on our backs next year."

    Coach looked to someone off to the side and said, "Roll the senior tapes and let''s send these boys off with a decent goodbye."

    A projector screen came down and a video started playing with a song in the background. We all took the cue to go back to our seats so we could watch. First up we''re the twins, together. Their name flashed in a cursive script and the pictures that flashed were of them together in every single one. Attached at the hip.

    My eyes stung and I glanced towards them, sad that they have to separate. Noah elbowed me, pointing at the screen. More pictures were flashing, group shots of us, including Mom and Dad and Grampa. A short clip of each twin played, them pitching off the mound, getting strikeouts. One, from Dave, was as recent as earlier this week when he pitched in the finals.

    I was able to hold back the tears when it finally moved on to Matt. Organized by last name again. We finished eating, casually whispering about each senior that showed up. The starters like Garret and Jason made me sad too just because we were closer and had played for two seasons together now.

    After the video finished, the parents were clapping and the room lit up with all the lights. The night was coming to an end.

    "Thanks, you guys." Jason spoke up, talking to the guys around our table. "Thanks for letting me be a two-time champion." He laughed. "I''m definitely going to be one of those old guys reliving my high school days as the best time of my life."

    He started to bump fists and do half hugs. We took a few more pictures with the guys, especially the seniors.

    Then there were also the guys who wanted to take pictures with me and all my awards. This time there was no saving me. My face was definitely red in every single shot.

    Mom pulled us into hugs as soon as we separated from the team. She took her own set of photos until my jaw hurt from smiling so much.

    "Man, I don''t know what you guys will do without us next year." Dave said on our way home, all in the car together. "Do you think you can be three-peat champs with Bryce and Brian? That''s a lot of pressure on them."

    "There''s Joey too." Noah pointed out. "Even if he splits his focus with football. He''s a good starter to put with them. Marshel isn''t so bad too. Mitchell just needs to control him well."

    "I think the biggest weakness will be the outfield." Kyle put his two cents in. "We already suffered from losing Zeke and Mahki. Now they''re losing Garret. The other spots were constantly rotating and Coach even used Bryce and Brian. That means there has to be quite a few openings. Anyone can be in charge out there."

    Noah poked me. "Here''s your chance to make the switch."

    I held up both arms to form an X. "Denied. No thank you. I''m finally getting comfortable at second. Why make it harder on me?" I made a face of distress. "I think I would die if I was playing out there in a game, trip over my own feet, and then have the ball knock me out on the head."

    Noah and the twins burst out laughing.

    "It''s okay to make mistakes, Jake." Dad advised from the driver''s seat. "That''s how we learn and grow. Don''t be afraid to try something new."

    I glanced at Noah. "Yea, Noah, don''t be afraid to try something new."

    "Bowling is still new to me." Noah reached out to pat Grampa on the shoulder. "Right, Gramps? I still need to practice more to get better."

    "I do think you have a good future in bowling if you really put in the time. Maybe even just half the effort you put into baseball." Grampa told him. He shifted to turn towards me. "As for Jake��it''s good as long as he''s having fun."

    "Grampa��" I complained as the other three boys laughed.

    We arrived home late into the night. Kyle wanted us to stay up late to watch a movie with him, but he was quickly shot down.

    "We have a full day ahead of us tomorrow." Noah pointed out. "By the time we finish our run and workout and have a late breakfast, it''ll be time to shower, get ready, and hit the road for the A''s game."

    I raised an eyebrow at him. "We?" I repeated. I shook my head. "I''m sleeping in."

    "Slacking off already, Jake?" Dave laughed.

    I glanced at him. "I''d be willing to wake up for the cages if you want to drive me. I can pay!" I had a lot of leftover tokens from my birthday last October.

    Dave chuckled. "What good are the cages for me? I''m going to do the run and workout with Noah. Gotta stay in tiptop shape before getting to college. I''m taking a spot in the starting rotation as a freshman, no matter what."

    "That''s a very good goal go have." Mom congratulated him, coming by. She looked at the rest of us. "I think it would be good for every one of you to have a summer goal. Dave can be to stay in shape."

    "Can''t that be mine too?" Noah asked skeptically.

    "Dave isn''t trying out for the regional team like you are. He''s more likely to get out of shape." Mom said. She turned to me. "Any ideas, Jake? Anything you want to accomplish this summer?"

    I tilted my head. "I''ve been looking into taking college algebra online this summer. But I don''t know how to get college credit turned into high school credit."

    "Leave that to me." She rubbed the top of my head. "I''ll call the school Monday and start the process. You''ll have to send me the school and course info though so I can get it approved."

    I nodded happily.

    "He doesn''t have to take math his junior year?" Kyle asked. "That''s wild." He nudged Dave. "Maybe you should join his online math class to count as future credit. It would be easy to pass with him in it."

    Mom''s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

    "That Jake is a great tutor!" Dave pulled me in. "I''ll have to look into my college to see how accepting they are of transfer credits. I can keep Jake company this summer. Class with him, workout with Noah. My summer is really shaping up."

    Mom looked to Noah. "Do you want to try an online class too? It doesn''t have to be a college course. You could do something like summer school again?"

    "We''ll be busy traveling, Mom." Noah said confidently. "I''ll come up with a summer goal in a couple of days. Which I should be granted since you won''t let me count staying in shape. Or making the regional team."

    She thought about it. "How about you give me a proper backup plan in case you don''t make it?"

 Chapter 1149 V3 ch383

    Mom''s suggestion lit a fire under Noah. He gave a stiff nod as an answer in the moment, but Sunday morning, I could tell he was working harder than before. He even bargained with Dave, offering to catch a bullpen session in exchange for Dave helping him practice his reflexes and fielding.

    The two of them worked hard all morning, making me look like a couch potato as I literally stayed on the couch. Grampa and I watched some morning baseball of games playing on the East Coast.

    He would occasionally comment ''good play'' or something along the lines of ''idiot''. All his remarks were mostly to himself, but it still put pressure on me.

    I worked up the courage to face Grampa after the seventh ''idiot'' comment that came after a swinging strikeout. "Grampa��"

    He turned to me casually. "Yes?"

    I pursed my lips. "What��makes them idiots?"

    Grampa pointed at the tv and started to wag his finger. "He''s swinging at a pitch in the dirt. What is he if not an idiot? He''s supposed to be a professional."

    The corner of my mouth tug. "But��the pitcher is a professional too��"

    Grampa dropped his hand and looked at me. "There''s still a line of making dumb decisions."

    "Do you think��I make dumb decisions?" I asked, hesitantly. This is what had been on my mind. I was nowhere near the pros on tv yet he thought they were dumb? What about me?"

    "Of course not!" He laughed. "I''m biased! I would never think that way about you and the boys."

    I let out a small laugh. Grampa was still so honest. I''m glad he didn''t see me play last year. He probably wouldn''t be able to bear it.

    After Noah and Dave showered and finished getting dressed for the game, I changed into some A''s gear too and we hit the road. Dave drove with Noah in the front passenger seat and I got the middle row to myself. The ride there was easy as it was Sunday. No rush hour to fight or worry about.

    We made good timing and got to the stadium almost two full hours until game time. We parked and headed to the gate behind home plate. It was the only one that opened this early, and it was the one where we would meet Rose.

    She greeted us near the ticket windows with a big smile. "Hey, boys! Let me congratulate you all before I forget! Well done on winning your championship game."

    All of us were surprised.

    "Did Jeremy tell you right away or something?" Noah asked.

    Rose grinned. "Of course. He''s proud of you guys. I can''t tell you how many times I heard him say undefeated. It''s rare in any sport to not suffer a loss all season." She led us through security and walked along the halls. "I''ve got to say, you guys really inspired Jeremy because now he''s talking about being a repeat champion too. It''s only the end of May." She laughed to herself.

    "Hey, he''s just gotta play steady and the team will make it to playoffs for sure." Noah said. "With him and Maberry carrying the offense, we just need the pitchers to win half their games. Then once we''re in, we have to explode!"

    "It''s still early to be talking about playoffs." Rose didn''t agree.

    "Right. I think the first half of any baseball season is just a precursor." Dave added. "I think after all-star break is when you have to get your act together. Falter in the second half of the season and that''s the end of you." He dragged his finger across his throat.

    Rose looked at me. "What do you think Jake? Do you like strong starts or strong finishes?"

    "Don''t ask him." Dave laughed. "He''s never lost. He probably doesn''t have a strong mentality to lose a bunch of games."

    "That''s not true." I quickly denied. "I played in the game that we lost to University Prep."

    "Yea, but you weren''t feeling good that day." Noah pointed out. "You had nightmares and didn''t sleep well. Heck, you''re not even close to being that person anymore."

    I scratched my face, kind of agreeing with noah. I''ve grown a lot since that loss.

    "I wonder if those punks won again too." Dave got his phone out and started to look it up.

    Noah looked to Rose. "Since we won CIF again, does that mean we get to be recognized on the field again before a game?"

    Rose nodded with a smile. "Of course! Tomorrow morning I''ll be making the calls to all the athletic directors and coaches about coming this Friday night."

    "This Friday?" Noah repeated with a frown.

    I twisted my lips, not liking the sound of that. I don''t want to miss out on Zeke''s conference tournament. We already have to miss the quarterfinals because of school, but would still get to see semifinals on Friday. And while I do have faith in him and his team��I don''t want to accidentally miss it.

    "You boys have plans already?" Rose asked, chuckling. "You three look like I gave you bad news instead of good news. Very few things can compete with being at an A''s game so let me guess." She snapped her fingers. "You already have plans to watch Zeke play?"

    "Dang, we''re that predictable." Dave shook his head, sounding disappointed.

    I nodded at Rose. "Yea, Zeke has his conference tournament coming up. He might be in the semifinals Friday night. And then Saturday would be the finals. We were already planning to be there for him and our friend, Rhys."

    "Well how about Sunday then?" Rose suggested.

    Noah laughed. "Are you seriously going to move the day we get celebrated just because of us? Would you have to do that for all the schools?"

    She gave a friendly smile. "There''s no hard set rules. We''re and try to work with schools, giving them a few select dates that we can host. It''s not like I have to call up all these schools and rearrange them to Sunday to accommodate you guys. There''s a bunch of schools, spring sports, and division levels. I have a feeling that your coach wouldn''t mind coming Sunday."

    "I think we should take the opinions of the whole team first." I spoke up. The three of them looked to me. "Well, it''s not fair to pick Sunday just for us, right? Like what if they all prefer Friday night like last year. I rather miss then make someone else miss if we do it Sunday."

    Dave patted my back. "You''re a nice kid." He pointed at Noah. "Take notes."

    Noah shrugged. "I mean, I am excited about getting recognized on the field, but if it''s really Friday then I know what I would pick. Zeke. We can go to a bunch of A''s game all summer. There''s no guarantee that Zeke will have another one."

    "That would be embarrassing for him." Dave laughed. "Wouldn''t it be awesome if he didn''t make it to the College World Series and then next year, I make it and beat his team? And then I would win a college championship ring before he does?"

    "Yea, no." Noah shook his head. "If that happens, then I''m going to think the whole thing is rigged."

    Dave pounced at Noah and put him into a playful headlock.

    "I''ll talk to your coach and tell him the options he can pass along to his team then." Rose told me as the other two messed around. "I do hope you guys can be here, but I understand." She gestures towards a hall. "Do you guys want to go to the backstop and see some of the visiting team''s batting practice. Jeremy''s side should be done by now. He can probably spare some time to talk too."

    That got Dave and Noah to break it up and put on their most well-behaved faces. I smiled and nodded. "Yea, let''s go."

    She led us there and then had to leave to do some of her responsibilities, promising to come back to take us to our seats personally.

    "Crazy to think we just won here." Dave whistled, looking out to the field. "It makes the majors feel closer than it actually is."

    "Yea, especially for a college commit like you." Noah sighed, taking in the same view. "Kyle is just entering the bottom as well." Noah grinned, looking up at Dave. "Now what would be really great, is if you beat Kyle to making your major league debut despite taking the college route."

    Dave laughed and nodded. "I like the way you think."

    Jeremy came out of his dugout a few moments later, heading straight for us. He grinned. "Congratulations!" He greeted me first, doing a handshake into a half hug. Then he did the same to Dave and Noah. He asked about our finals game and banquet before having to go back to prepare for his game. He wanted to catch up after the game so Dave sent Dad a text that we would be a little late.

 Chapter 1150 V3 ch384

    Rose came back to get us and walk us to our seats even though we knew where to go. "After the game, just sit around awhile and I''ll come back for you." She instructed.

    After she left, a person in a bright neon shirt came and asked for our order. Knowing that Jeremy was picking up the tab on this, we didn''t go too crazy. Just drinks, hotdogs, peanuts, and some cotton candy. I knew it was very costly to do something like this, but Jeremy had assured me multiple times that he could afford it, especially with that new high-earning contract. He''s a multimillionaire.

    I looked to Dave and Noah. "Do you guys know how much Mom and Dad make?"

    "They make bank." Dave rubbed his thumb and first two fingers together, the universal sign for money.

    "Why? Do you need something?" Noah asked.

    I shrugged. "I was just wondering. I guess it just felt weird from having nothing as a kid to needing nothing now."

    "Yea, Mom and Dad has expenses covered pretty well." Noah nodded.

    "They don''t tell us explicitly how much they make, but you can kind of guess by just looking at our material possessions." Dave said. "We live in a big house in a nice town near the coast. We have three cars, not including Grampa''s. All of us play baseball and up until recently, we would spend a lot of money on camps or like when Noah did travel ball. We''re talking in the thousands. Normal families probably wouldn''t have so much to spare on extracurriculars."

    "They have budgets though, and wouldn''t necessarily overspend unless there''s a good reason." Noah added. He patted me on the shoulder. "Don''t worry, you''ll never want for anything again."

    Dave laughed outright. "Trust me, that''s not true at all. You''ll always want something you don''t have. Like right now, I want to take a car to college."

    "You don''t need a car your freshman year." Noah repeated something Mom and Dad had said many times this past month.

    Dave shrugged. "Wouldn''t that make me cooler? And more popular? Having a car is freedom. Without it, you''re telling me to stay on campus and don''t explore the city."

    "You really shouldn''t." Noah laughed. "You''ve got to work on your pitching to make sure you''re a starter freshman year first. Or you''re going to be an embarrassment."

    "The point is��" Dave stressed. "Is that I want a car. My parents aren''t just going to buy me one because I want one. We''re well off, but we''re not rich rich."

    I tilted my head to look over at Dave on the other side of Noah. "Can''t you buy your own car? Like with the money that Gramma left us?"

    "Nah, that''d be a waste a money."

    Noah laughed and I frowned, confused as heck.

    Dave explained after seeing that I didn''t understand. "It''s a different situation if I buy a car with my own money. I don''t have as much as Mom and Dad. I can''t just be throwing that around. I need to save it. Invest it. It''s my fallback in case something happens in college."

    "You''re smarter than you look." Noah complimented him.

    "I don''t want to hear that from you, brat." Dave knocked him on the head.

    "What would happen in college?" I asked, curious as to why Dave thought he needed a fallback plan.

    "I don''t know." Dave shrugged. "What if I don''t like college at all? What if I fail my classes and get kicked out? If they take away my athletic scholarship? If I don''t follow the normal path, it''s good to have some funds so I don''t have to rely on Mom and Dad in an emergency. They would worry or worst, want to ground me and control my life."

    Noah and I laughed at his strickened face.

    "Yea, if you flunked college and had to come back to live��you would get no peace." Noah nodded. "You would find yourself enrolled in the community college as soon as you got back."

    We spent the rest of pre-game time talking about money and what would be the smart thing to do. Dave was interested in investing what he had, but Noah was pessimistic, saying he didn''t know anything and would probably lose it. Dave rebutted Noah, pointing out that he knew more than him. Besides most of it would sit in savings to grow for now, but he could still take a class pertaining to money while in college.

    It''s only when the game started, did they give it a break. I was a little sorry for bringing it up, but still thought it was enlightening. My money from Gramma sat in the bank for now too. I really didn''t have any wants or needs. Mom and Dad covered more than anything I could ever imagine. Grampa too. Even Jeremy contributed a lot.

    The A''s didn''t have a good game for us to see today. It was a warm Sunday afternoon and the whole team just looked sluggish. A lot of strikeouts and little mess-ups. Jeremy didn''t even get a hit, and worse, the A''s lost.

    Grampa probably muttered ''idiot'' a lot if he was watching this game. Which I imagine he would since he knew we would be here.

    After the game ended, the A''s had some kind of promo where the kids 12 and under could run around the bases. Not all of the bases though. They would line up near first, sprint to second, then sprint to third where they would exit towards the stands. It was kind of cute seeing how excited the kids were.

    "Want to go down there and join them?" Noah jokingly asked.

    I shook my head immediately. Falling down amongst a bunch of kids��probably ranks in my top ten of things that will kill me from embarrassment.

    "It''s lame if you can''t do it the traditional way." Dave said. "Like first to third is just half the trip."

    "They''re kids." Noah shrugged. "How much do you really expect them to run?"

    Dave gave him a look. "Kid you would definitely fight to have run the bases properly."

    As the line of kids got smaller, the stands were emptying out. Rose came up and got us, bringing us down to the secret tunnels that led to their clubroom. We didn''t even get to see it when we had played our finals game here. They kept us in the conference room and that''s it.

    We still didn''t get to go in. Jeremy had come out just as we were getting close. He lifted a hand in a wave and joined us in the hallway.

    "Yo, you looked like shit today." Noah stated plainly.

    I elbowed him.

    Jeremy winced. "Definitely not my best. But hey, you can''t get them all, can you?"

    Noah stood tall with pride. "Unless you''re us. Two time champions that didn''t lose one game this season."

    Jeremy laughed and reached out to push the cap of Noah''s hat down over his eyes. "High school is a different ballpark. Wait until you become pro and have to lose one-third of your games at least."

    "Pshh. I''m ready." Noah fixed his hat. "I have some history in losing before. It''s Jake who would have a reality check."

    Jeremy nodded thoughtfully. He looked at me. "Don''t focus too much on it. Just think of all the hitting the future you will do. You will not see intentional walks for 162 games."

    Hm. I liked the sound of that.

    Jeremy said a few more words about not taking the loss to mind as we headed out together. He wanted to treat us to dinner, but having ate so much, we settled on getting something light from a smoothie place. He supplemented his with an extra fruit bowl and some other snacks.

    "Rose told me about Zeke''s upcoming playoffs." Jeremy brought up. "I think you all have the right idea. Bring it to your Coach and team. If they all can come Sunday, we can work something out like last year where you could watch batting practice on the field. Heck, maybe if I talk to my own manager, maybe they''ll let you shag the balls."

    Noah''s eyes sparkled. "That would be best."

    Jeremy grinned. "If it doesn''t work out, then I can just arrange you boys to do it some time this summer. Is it just going to be you three hanging around? We can host you guys at our new place for a long home series or something."

    "That would be nice. Thanks, Jeremy." I smiled in appreciation.

    "Yea, extremely cool." Noah agreed. "This is why I said I wouldn''t care too much about celebrating on the field. Being around you is like having a back door access pass."

    "I do what I can." He said. "When''s round two of your regional tryouts? If I''m in town, I could go watch the day parts of it."

    "Next weekend." Noah answered. "I already checked, you''re back on the road. We''re spending the night at this place anyways. Everyone that made it has to. I think it''ll be a secret test to check on team chemistry."

 Chapter 1151 V3 ch385

    We spent most of the time with Jeremy talking about our regional tryout, and a little bit about Dave going off to college. He couldn''t relate to Dave preparing to going off to college because he chose to enter the draft. He could give more advice on that especially looking back now where he had made some mistakes.

    "So Kyle''s all ready to go?" Jeremy had asked.

    "The only one he can''t seem to part with is his girlfriend." Noah rolled his eyes.

    "It''s not like he''s packed up." I told him. "We still have a couple more weeks of school."

    "Yea, we have finals, Senior activities, prom, graduation." Dave explained. "But mentally, he''s ready. I wouldn''t be surprised if he left the weekend after graduation."

    "That''s exactly what I had to do." Jeremy said. "Which I didn''t mind in the moment. I was ready to hit the road with my car packed and a destination to anywhere. It''s exciting and scary at the same time. But you know, I regret not doing a lot of the senior stuff with my friends. Don''t pass it up."

    "I won''t." Dave replied. "Well, with the exception of prom. Dances just aren''t for me. I wouldn''t even know who to ask. Besides, Zeke didn''t go to prom. He doesn''t seem to regret it."

    Jeremy laughed. "He''s only a year out of high school. Just treat prom like a party instead of a dance. Go out with your friends and have some fun before splitting ways. It gets harder and harder to have reunions as the years go by."

    Noah laughed. "You''re only seven years older than us. I think you''re just more sentimental. Zeke probably couldn''t care less." He looked to me. "How do you feel about dances, Jake?"

    "I''ve never danced a day in my life." I said honestly.

    "You know, if Prom wasn''t restricted to juniors and seniors, I would probably make us go with the twins just to give you the experience." Noah told me. "Maybe something for us to do next year."

    "Would you two take Kaylee and Alisha as dates?" Dave pondered.

    "As a friend group." Noah corrected. "But Kaylee wouldn''t be here next year."

    "Kaylee is having a rough year." I told Jeremy. "She''s moving to Southern California and now her arm is busted up. Dr. Shanfield still wants her to do another surgery, but like his way, to help her recover."

    Jeremy was interested. "Did she say what kind of surgery?"

    I thought about it, but didn''t recall a specific name. "Something about wires or pins to help things align right."

    He nodded. "It''s a difficult situation. Not something as straightforward as Maberry breaking his kneecap and being out a few weeks. She''ll have to pay attention to her physical therapy after the surgery and healing is all done."

    "You know any good doctors down south too?" Noah asked.

    Jeremy shook his head. "I know of some, but none that I would outright recommend. They aren''t as personable and caring as Dr. Shanfield."

    "I believe she''s stuck here until her parents get the green light from the doctor." Dave pointed out. "Like she''s supposed to get the metal taken out afterwards, right?"

    "Sounds right to me." Noah said.

    "It''s not an absolute necessity to have the same surgeon, but I would prefer it." Jeremy said.

    I pulled out my phone. "I''m going to ask to see what her parents plan to do. It''d be nice to invite her to some games before she has to leave." I glanced at Jeremy. "If that''s okay?"

    "Of course!" Jeremy patted my back. "As long as you guys give me sufficient notice, I can arrange it all. No matter how many seats."

    "I''ll be taking advantage all summer." Dave smirked. "Kyle might get to play for some shitty minor league team, but I''ll get to watch the pros in action. It can be considered a form of training."

    Noah laughed. "Yea, same. Training."

    Jeremy grinned. "You''re more than welcome to come into town and stay with Rose and I. We have converted the garage into a home gym for my workouts. Noah and Jake have done some work with me last summer."

    "I couldn''t do anything back then." I sighed at the thought.

    "Better not slack off or you''ll revert back." Noah stuck his tongue out at me.

    "I know, I know. I just wanted to sleep in today."

    "You always want to sleep in." He laughed.

    "Then let''s start working out after lunch?" I sounded hopeful.

    "When would you get to go to the cages then?" Noah shot me down. "Don''t worry, we don''t have to wake up at dawn like last summer. No summer school to worry about."

    "We do have summer school." Dave threw his arm around my shoulders. "We''re taking college algebra together."

    "It''s online. It doesn''t count." Noah rolled his eyes.

    "We still have to set time aside to watch the lessons and do the classwork, then submit homework too." Dave argued. "That''s valuable time out of the day."

    I started to nod.

    Noah gave me a pointed look. "Don''t act like what he''s saying is making sense. It''s not like you''re going to wake up early to do that work. Don''t worry, you''ll get to sleep in longer than you do now. Then we''ll do our run and workout. Have a good lunch. You guys do your class stuff. Then cages. Then be home in time for dinner."

    Dave and I slowly nodded. That sounded like the easiest kind of setup.

    "It can be similar when you guys stay with me too." Jeremy offered. "Though dinner would have to be at the ballpark and I can''t promise that it''ll be healthy."

    "There are plenty of healthy options." Rose lightly slapped him on the arm. She looked at us. "Those waiters have access to salads and some healthier alternatives than hotdogs. I can also bring in healthier drinks like orange juice or you can have water."

    Noah''s lips twitched. "Thanks for letting us know."

    I grinned. I just knew he wasn''t actually going to use the information. We normally ate a healthy diet especially when Mom was in charge. Any chance she wasn''t in charge of what we were eating, Noah would capitalize on all the good stuff.

    We hung out for a while longer, talking and catching up before it was time for us to head back. Dad and Mom didn''t want Dave to drive us back in the dark so leaving in the evening we still made it home in time for dinner with the other half of the family waiting on us. Having a smoothie after all the stadium food, the three of us kept it light and were the first to be excused.

    lights����vel.c��m After dinner, we all took turns showering and getting ready for tomorrow. Doing last minute homework or cleaning out our backpacks.

    This week was a light one��no practices or games. Yet, Coach did send out a text during classes Monday morning, asking everyone to stop by his office after school for a short chat. Noah and I of course knew what it was about. Rose worked fast.

    After school, his little office was crowded with our roster of 20+. I stayed closest to the open door, liking an exit next to me. Coach explained to the team that we were, once again, invited to go to the A''s stadium to be recognized for our championship win and would get to go on the field during pregame ceremonies.

    A few eyes glanced at me. Those who had been there last year. I cleared my throat. "Um." I couldn''t find the words.

    But Noah could. "Here''s the deal you guys, Jake''s brother is only willing to let us on the field for batting practice and meeting players again if Jake is there. We''re busy with going to Zeke''s games this weekend, so we''re only gonna go if you all can do Sunday."

    Everyone looked around, casually saying:

    "Sunday works for me."

    "Yea, I would prefer to meet some players again like last year."

    "I''ve got no plans for a Sunday afternoon game."

    "Right, that works."

    "If anyone has an issue, please speak up." Garret said, looking around the room. No one said anything and he grinned and looked to me. "Alright, Jake. The team has decided. Please hook us up." He put his hands together in prayer.

    I laughed. "As soon as Coach calls them back, they''ll know. We''ll have to be there at the earliest when that first gate opens."

    "Are families welcomed to come too?" Logan asked, raising his hand. "Like onto the field beforehand?"

    I nodded. "I think so. That''s what we did last year." I glanced at Coach.

    "I''ll get all the details when I call them back with our decision to go on Sunday and then I''ll send out a mass text so everyone knows what''s going on. If anyone needs a ride, let your captain know and we''ll get it arranged." He grinned. "See you boys again on Sunday."

 Chapter 1152 V3 ch386

    We got the informative text about Sunday before we even got home from school. Coach and Rose didn''t waste any time. Everything was settled; we would meet near the home plate gate before noon and Rose would lead everyone in, family included. That led to a lot of happy replies from the team.

    "What if someone took advantage and brought like a family of twenty?" Kyle muttered.

    "We''re the big family, you dope." Noah rolled his eyes. "No one on the team is like that. They''re just happy to go along. We should be happy that they''re happy with a Sunday day game. Otherwise we wouldn''t get to be recognized with the team anyways." Noah sounded very fair.

    I nodded. "If Rose said there was a limit, Coach would pass it on to us."

    Noah went to Dave. "Did you ever find out if University won their division this year?"

    Dave shook his head. "No, they lost in the finals though. A close one. 5-4."

    "Dang." Noah rubbed his hands together. "I hope we run into each other next year so I can rub it in."

    I immediately starting shaking my head. "No way. No thanks."

    "You baby, Bambi." Noah pulled me into a playful headlock. "We''re 1-1 against them. We need a deciding edge."

    "And you think you can win without us?" Dave scoffed.

    The bickering went back and forth until Grampa came in our room to check on us. "Doesn''t sound like a lot of homework is getting done."

    Noah stood up and stretched. "It''s about time Jake and I login for our online portion of driver''s education anyways."

    I got up too. We both grabbed our laptops and took them downstairs to the kitchen table. Mom already told us that she wanted us to do the online part down there so there could be an adult keeping an eye on us, making sure we were paying attention.

    I was. I had never imagined driving before moving in with the Atkins. Even after, there was always someone else to do it. In fact, I don''t plan on fighting Noah for time behind the wheel like the twins did with one another. I was mostly going along with it because now Mom and Dad expected me to get my license like Noah. And honestly, Noah waited a couple extra months until I was eligible so it was only right to follow through.

    For most of the week, that online course took up our free time. Just a couple hours a day to get it going. Our next in person class was Thursday night, which coincided with being the final night of conference pool play. Which was hard to understand. Despite having a good season and all, Zeke''s team could still miss out on the playoffs? The format gave me a headache. I just went off of what Noah said, happy to know that Zeke was already safe from elimination. He would definitely be playing Friday night.

    Alisha made plans with Kaylee this weekend while we were going to be gone. Kaylee was finally in a better place with her pain levels, and planning for her next surgery to be Monday. I felt a little guilty that we weren''t going to be around all weekend, but she said we could pay her back by taking great notes in the classes that we shared. There would be a chance that she could miss the whole week, effecting her studying time for finals. Nothing she could do about the timing though. This is what the surgeon instructed. She couldn''t wait too long or the bones could heal incorrectly. But she couldn''t rush it earlier because of the swelling. Her recovery hasn''t been smooth sailing at all.

    When I brought this up to Noah as we prepared our overnight bags for the weekend, he knew what I was getting at. "Don''t worry, like I said before, Kaylee is no wimp." He grinned and patted my shoulder. "She''s got you to look up to, ya know."

    "Me?" I was stunned. "What? How? I''ve never had a devastating injury like that."

    "But you sort of did." Noah pointed out. "You almost died, remember?"

    I was taken aback. "That��" I trailed off, not saying the full sentence of: that wasn''t the same. Because��I did have some horrific injuries. I spent months at the hospital, recovering and then physical therapy. I did think of a difference though. "I wasn''t trying to come back to a starting spot on the varsity team." I pointed out.

    Noah didn''t seem bothered. "No. Probably wasn''t on your mind at all. But, I bet you had a goal in mind."

    I shook my head. At that time��I had nothing. Knew nothing. Knew no one. "I was just going through the motions."

    "Maybe you thought so." Noah told me. "But I think you secretly had a goal. Maybe not to play baseball. But to be back in the cages. It was probably nagging you in the back of your head as you got better and better."

    "I don''t think so��I kind of felt betrayed in that moment of time." I sounded unsure because I was. It''s hard to remember that time of pain as it was, yet alone if I was thinking about getting back into the cages.

    "Yea, you probably did." Noah agreed with me again, making me confused. "But think of it this way, Kaylee probably feels betrayed too. By the very sport she loves. In a position she''s good at, by a teammate she knows. It hurts. No doubt. But for people that love something so much, it''s just a stepping stone for a comeback. Just compare her to last week. Now with the swelling down and a different kind of surgery in place, she''s starting to come back."

    I nodded. "Yea. Okay." I relaxed my shoulders. "I''m glad you think so. I just keep thinking the worse."

    Noah shrugged. "Some people are like that. Just look at Rhys. He didn''t bounce back as well as I had thought. He needed a little extra help."

    I started to worry again. "Do you think we should have Dr. Moore check in on her?"

    "What? Like a house call?" He laughed.

    I held up my hands, helplessly. "I don''t know. Dr. Moore helped me. I think he could help her a little."

    "There''s not a lot of time in school left." Noah thought it over. "If she wanted to see him, it would have to be for reals and with her insurance. Plus it''s messy if she''s moving." He frowned.

    Eventually he scratched the back of his head and let out a sigh. "Okay. I don''t have all the answers. If we think she''s falling in a hole, we''ll make a move or something. Like spontaneously visiting her before school starts."

    I nodded, satisfied with what he came up with. "I like that. I just worry that she won''t take care of herself and her family is just��not good."

    "She''s got someone like Alisha caring for her. She won''t be alone." Noah said.

    "Yea, but Alisha isn''t going to move down south with her." Kaylee was already in a bad mood about the move, so I don''t think she''ll be doing her best without softball to occupy her time.

    Noah groaned. "I swear, I''m going to have her text you every dang day to assure you that she''s fine."

    "That would be great. Thanks." I was relieved.

    Noah facepalmed his forehead. "Dude. I was joking."

    We spent most of the night talking about Kaylee, that Friday morning Noah was eager to ask her how she felt. About her surgery. Recovery. Moving.

    Kaylee rested her injured arm on her desk. "Pretty hopeful."

    Noah gave me a pointed look. Like ''see, I told you so''.

    "If you ever need someone to talk to, I really recommend Dr. Moore." I told her.

    She raised an eyebrow. "Yea, I know. I''ve been to his office a few times. He''s pretty chill."

    I relaxed a whole lot, knowing that she wasn''t afraid to talk to a professional. Dr. Moore knew his stuff and was very reliable. I think him becoming a high school counselor was the best thing to happen to this school.

    "What brought all this on?" Kaylee asked. "You guys scared for me?"

    "I''m not." Noah stated. "I have complete faith that you''ll be back on the field, making waves at your new school. Jake is just endless with his worry."

    Kaylee looked at me and nodded. "Yea, that sounds like Jake. Probably has some kind of weird emotion scale. Extreme empathy?"

    "Yea, Jake doesn''t do well when others are hurting. But for himself��"

    I glanced at him. "I care about myself too."

    "Meh. You have two modes." Noah told me. "First, flight. Something happening that you don''t like and causing you too much emotional distress? You pass out. Throw up. Extreme weakness."

    Kind of hard to argue that when I feel queasy just at the thought of my future and colleges.

    "Second mode, you get physically hurt." He continued. "Then it''s no big deal. You busted your leg last summer, easy peasy. Your arm need stitches from a game, wasn''t even bothered. You just have two extremes."

    "He was wired wrong." Kaylee laughed.

 Chapter 1153 V4 ch1 Conference Championship

    After school on Friday, we went straight home and immediately got ready to hit the road. We had just a couple of hours before Zeke''s game. Grampa hesitated about coming or staying until the last minute. In the end, he gritted his teeth, put a bag in the trunk, and got in the middle row with the twins.

    "Zeke will be happy to see you there." Noah assured Grampa as Dad started to drive.

    "I couldn''t risk not going and his season ending early." Grampa folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes. "If there''s no close parking, Wayne, drop me off up close."

    "Will do." Dad answered.

    With Grampa napping, the car ride stayed mostly silent, only picking up when Noah notified everyone that the other semifinal game came to an end; Oregon had crushed Washington and would be in the finals.

    Kyle and Dave lightly discussed the lineups and what Zeke could expect tomorrow. They tried whispering but it still woke Grampa up. He didn''t say much, just peering outside the window as we got closer to the school and stadium.

    As expected, parking was a nightmare. Dad dropped us all off near the front before going to hunt for a parking spot. Mom took charge of our group aka made us take a bunch of pictures. We were all in our matching Stanford shirts, blending in with a majority of the crowd.

    Mom picked up our tickets from the Will Call window as we let Grampa rest from the walk. She came back and we lined up for security and ticket check. Zeke somehow got us tickets just five rows back from home plate. At first I thought we would be with all the other family members of the players, but it was clear that wasn''t true from the get go.

    A lot of older men were around, chatting up one another, sounding like regulars. They were probably season ticket holders. At least it was a sea of maroon. Some home field advantage for having the best record in their conference.

    That didn''t mean there wasn''t some other fans. Stanford''s semifinal was Arizona and they had a couple of groups standing out here and there.

    The atmosphere felt stuffy and charged at the same time. This is an elimination game. You lose, and that''ll be the end of the line. It''s a long road to Omaha.

    "You guys good here? I''m going to go get your father." Mom checked in with us as we got settled into our seats.

    "Good." We echoed one after another.

    She looked at Grampa. "Want me to come back with drinks and hotdogs?"

    Grampa shook his head. "I don''t need anything right away. The brats probably can''t wait."

    Noah and the twins immediately started to nod.

    I held my stomach. "I don''t think I can eat right now."

    "Are you seriously feeling that nervous?" Kyle asked.

    "For a game you''re not playing in?" Dave added.

    I have a weak shrug. "I can''t help it. The idea of losing and the season being over for him doesn''t sit right with me."

    "Just wait until they get a couple of runs on the board and you''ll feel fine again." Noah told me.

    "I don''t think you were this nervous during our playoff games." Dave said.

    "That''s because Garret was in control against West Valley and then we absolutely dominated Gridley." Noah answered. "Branham was probably where he felt the worse, but even then, we had an early lead."

    "Jake''s not going to know how to lose very well." Kyle commented.

    "It''s probably just elimination games." I tried to stand up for myself. "I know I can''t win them all. I just hope��to win the most important."

    The three of them started to talking about the distant future, making the MLB and then what being in the postseason might be like. We saw a glimpse into it last year thanks to Jeremy.

    Mom came back with Dad just before the pregame ceremonies were set to start, and they were both holding drink carriers. They passed it out stayed for the national anthem and the player announcements before going back to food.

    Rhys wasn''t on the mound for Stanford tonight, but we still cheered for every strike and celebrated every out. Mom and Dad came back in time for Zeke''s at bat in the bottom of the first. One on, one out. He blasted an outside fastball the opposite way for a two-run homer. It felt like everyone had jumped up to bounce about.

    Noah was the loudest, screaming with excitement. The twins tried to compete and I just grinned, happy for Zeke. Mom, Dad, and Grampa, were all on their feet, clapping and beaming with pride.

    Stanford wasn''t done with just Zeke''s homer though. They showed off an impressive lineup, scoring twelve runs against Arizona, while only giving up two on defense. It was basically a hitting clinic.

    We wanted to celebrate the win with Zeke, but he simply sent us a text: Not a winner yet. He was already thinking of tomorrow''s game. The whole team must have. They had less than 24 hours to prepare for a championship game. If I was one of them, I probably wouldn''t be able to sleep.

    Thankfully, I was just a family member in the stands. We went to the hotel after the game and called it a night. I was only woken up when it was clear that I might miss the free continental breakfast provided by the hotel.

    There was no clear plan for the day besides Zeke''s game at 6pm so Mom let us do what we wanted in the room, even letting Dave and Noah go out for a run around the block. Kyle spent a lot of his free time calling and texting Marie. I mostly relaxed with Grampa, watching some baseball. We all reconvene to walk to a nearby restaurant for lunch and then did a little window shopping.

    We left early for the game, hoping to get a better parking spot, but it wasn''t happening. This place was packed once more. We wore our Stanford shirts once more and blended right in. This time, we didn''t get seats behind home plate, but at least it was still behind the home team dugout.

    Once again, Rhys wasn''t on the mound, becoming the conversation center between the twins. Things changed though once Stanford fell 0-3 early on. The starter just wasn''t performing well and was replaced in the middle of the third inning.

    Rhys came jogging from the bullpen, bringing life to our little group. The crowd was a little mellow at first while losing, but things got lively when Bradley Thompson tied the game up with a three-run homer, driving in Zeke and another player.

    Noah threw his arms up, excitedly. This was the exact same reaction he had when the A''s were in the playoffs last year.

    The game became a tug of war between the two teams with Rhys giving up a run, then Stanford scoring one right back in the bottom half of the inning. Rhys settled down and Oregon made a pitcher change of their own and the game went into a stalemate. We went into extra innings and Zeke got his chance in the bottom of the eleventh and runners on first and second, two outs. They didn''t want to walk him and face Bradley Thompson with bases loaded. Zeke came through though, hitting a walk off single to deep right-center. By the time the outfielders got to it, the runner on second was already feet away from home.

    He scored and swiftly ran over to first base where Zeke was. The whole team congregated there, celebrating their walk off championship win.

    We stayed in the stands and celebrated with those around us. I thought we were waiting for Zeke and maybe even Rhys afterwards, but after the stadium started to empty out, Mom started to usher us to go back to the car too.

    "We''re not waiting for Zeke?" I asked.

    "We''ll pick him up tomorrow for the A''s game." Mom rested her hand on top of my head, gently getting the hair out of my eyes. "We need to get you a haircut again."

    "He''s probably going to party with his team." Dave said.

    Kyle scoffed. "Him? No way. I bet he''s in bed before eleven and wakes up at dawn for his morning run."

    "You don''t think he would want to celebrate just a little bit?" Dave held a smidge of empty space between his thumb and forefinger.

    "Not his final goal." Noah said. "He might be in a good mood and stay up with his teammates to celebrate. But he won''t do anything crazy like drink or party."

    "He''s not drinking because he''s underage." Mom said, eyeing the four of us. "And you all better not let me catch you drinking underage either or you''ll be a world of trouble."

    "Zeke wouldn''t drink because it''s bad for his baseball career." Noah pointed out. "Not because he doesn''t want trouble."

    "Pshhh. What a joke. He wouldn''t drink no matter what. He doesn''t know how to lighten up."

    "Oh yea? And you do?"

    The twins started to bicker. Predictably, it was put to rest by Dad.

 Chapter 1154 V4 ch2 Sunday (1)

    Sunday morning, I could hear Noah and Dave getting ready for their run, talking about getting a banana before they go out. Just as I was drifting back to sleep, there was a knock at the door. I opened one eye, curious to who it could be. We boys shared a room while Mom and Dad shared with Grampa so it could be any of them.

    Dave opened the door. "Are you serious right now?" He started laughing, opening the door and pulling in the person with a hug.

    Zeke. I quickly closed my eyes and pretended I was asleep.

    "You came over so early." Noah sounded surprised. "Are you joining us on a run?"

    Zeke chuckled. "Yea, Dad told me that you two still ran yesterday so I asked what time. I brought a clean set of clothes for after." He paused. "The other two aren''t coming?"

    "Not even if you drag me out of this bed." Kyle grumbled.

    Noah laughed. "Nah. Those two need their beauty rest. Come on. Let''s go. Dave and I wanted to stop at the breakfast and grab a banana first."

    There was some more movement around the room before the three left together. I sighed with relief and snuggled under the covers. I got another hour and a half of sleep, only waking again when they came back from their run and started making a racket.

    Dave and Noah were arguing over who would get to shower first while Zeke was drinking from a water bottle, sitting in the room''s one chair at the desk.

    He caught me looking at him. He raised an eyebrow. "Done sleeping?"

    I slowly sat up and stretched with a yawn. "Yea."

    Dave had won the battle over Noah, pushing him out of the bathroom and slamming the door shut.

    Noah came over and plopped down at the end of the bed. "I don''t think I''ll miss fighting over shower time with the twins. Imagine all the free time I''ll have once I don''t have to fight with them on the regular."

    "We won''t miss you either." Kyle threw his pillow at Noah. "Always so loud. Do you not respect other''s needs and wishes?"

    "Dude. It''s time to get up." Noah threw the pillow back. "We''re actually in crunch time. We all have to be showered and ready to go by check-out time."

    We were going home after the A''s game so there wasn''t any need to keep the hotel room for an extra night.

    Kyle got up and stretched too. "Well, let''s go down to eat breakfast then while Dave''s hogging the shower."

    "Go down all gross and sweaty and smelly? No thanks." Noah rejected.

    Zeke slowly got up. "I''ll go with you."

    Noah looked betrayed.

    Zeke reached out to pat his head. "We have to make use of our free time. No point in wasting it. You and Jake get your showers done and we''ll come back for ours." He and Kyle left.

    Noah turned to face me. "Can you believe that?"

    I nodded easily. "Very much Zeke."

    "Ugh. So annoying." Noah rolled his eyes. "Should have just made Kyle go alone."

    I shrugged and got out bed to look for my clothes for the day. Most of the guys planned to wear A''s t-shirts, but with our own team hats since we''re celebrating our championship win after all.

    "You know��the twins birthday is this week." Noah said in a low voice, eyeing the shut bathroom door. "I think we need to come up with something spectacular for Kyle. Specifically."

    I thought about it. "We can''t really do a singing gram like with Zeke." Strangers aren''t allowed on campus.

    "No, it has to be more traumatizing. I don''t want him to be just embarrassed for a day. I want to do something that''ll last awhile. Like when we dyed their hair. Maybe we can shave it this year."

    I let out a laugh. "Kyle ditched the dyed hair with a close cut last time. It''ll probably upset Mom more than him. Especially when it comes to graduation photos."

    "Ugh. You''re right." Noah continued to think it over.

    Dave came out of the bathroom, done with his shower and I used my opportunity to sneak in next while Noah was distracted. When I came out, Noah was still pensive, obviously stuck on what to do this year. We aren''t as prepared as we were before.

    Once he got in the bathroom, Dave called out to me. "Yo, Jake. Tell me, what''s on Noah''s mind? He looks like he''s struggling with something."

    I reflexively hesitated.

    "Is it that serious? C''mon, tell me, I can help."

    I felt a tug at the corner of my mouth as I fought back the idea of Dave helping. I shrugged as calmly as I could and thought of a good excuse. "I think he''s just upset that Zeke was willing to go eat with Kyle instead of all of us together."

    Dave laughed. "Oh. Yea, that can get under his skin sometimes. But I just imagine that Kyle is listening to a lecture of some sort right now and that cheers me up."

    Almost as if on cue, the room door opened and Zeke and Kyle walked in.

    I know, I know, I get it." Kyle was saying. "Can you give it a break already?"

    "I don''t think you really do get it. And probably won''t until you get to your assigned team." Zeke said.

    Kyle made eye contact with me and suddenly gestured to me. "You should be telling all of this to Jake too. He slept in like I did."

    "Jake isn''t planning to go pro in two weeks." Zeke quickly refuted, keying us in with what the conversation was about. I looked away, feeling guilty. "Jake has already made his regional team and still plans on going to the next tryout. He''ll have a coach there to guide him. You''re practically going to be on your own. Those coaches and managers aren''t going to care about you, just about your results."

    "That''s true." Dave joined in. "You really won''t know what you''ll be getting. I already know my pitching coach at Vandy and have a good connection with him. I know he''s going to look out for me and make sure I don''t throw out my arm or something. The minor leagues aren''t going to be a walk in the park."

    "You''re going to the minors after college." Kyle pointed out.

    "I probably won''t start at the lowest level." Dave shrugged. "Players straight out of high school like you are almost always sent to the rookie leagues. Maybe Single A if you''re lucky."

    The discussion shifted and by the time Noah came out, ready for breakfast, the twins were in a discussion of how far Kyle could get his first year and whether he''ll be playing in the fall league and winter leagues.

    "You have to put the work in." Zeke said. "You''re not having a real off season until you actually make it to the majors."

    Kyle was facing the reality that he wasn''t going to have as nearly as much free time in the winter as he thought he would.

    "I think I would want to spend my winters in Australia." Dave mused. "Because it would just be summer there already. How nice. Endless summer if you go back and forth."

    "Do you even consider how long the flight is?" Noah asked.

    "Nah." Dave answered. "But then again, that''s a bit further away for me."

    "Kyle would probably just a Mexican league for winter ball." Zeke said. "After all, it''s closest to where Marie will be. If he shines, he could be selected for the Arizona fall league. That might actually be closer." He stood up. "My turn to shower."

    "You guys ready to go eat?" Noah asked Dave and I.

    Dave got up. "Thought you would never ask."

    I perked up too. All this talk about baseball made me a little confuse. I didn''t know anything about playing in leagues in different countries during the offseason. I wonder if Jeremy did something similar.

    The three of us left and headed down. The continental breakfast was still available, serving all sorts of breakfast items. It wasn''t as good as Mom''s though.

    "After hearing Zeke talk about how Kyle should do a winter league, I started to feel sorry for him." Dave said after we all sat down with our plates. "College has fall ball, practices and some scrimmages, but nothing serious. I''ll still get to come home for the holidays. Spring will be more busy, I''m sure."

    "Yea, but you can just ask Rhys what it was like as a pitcher in a big school. He only pitched like once a week. If that." Noah said.

    "Just gives me more time to practice." Dave didn''t seem to mind.

    "Talking about off-season makes me feel a little sad." Noah admitted. "Having travel ball was nice because it was just more games. More action." He seemed to think about the tryout we had missed out on last year.

    "I think Jake can live without." Dave laughed. "His face right now says it all: I can''t deal with the pressure all year round."

    I poked at my eggs. "I was just thinking I prefer having my free time spent in the cages. But I would still do what Noah wanted to do."

    "That''s why I think you''ll be going pro after high school." Dave nodded. "You follow Noah''s footsteps too much. Come on, follow me to Vandy. I''ll be there for two years alone, then two with you. Then we can go pro together."

    I seriously thought about it. "I''ll consider it."

 Chapter 1155 V4 ch3 Sunday (2)

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Don''t fall in his trap, Jake. He just wants to use you for his own benefit."

    "And what''s wrong with that?" Dave questioned. "If anything, it''s acknowledging his skills while also giving him a safe space to go to in the future."

    I slowly nodded. "I think��I would be more inclined to pick a school depending on who is already there." I looked at Noah. "If you picked a college, I would definitely follow you." Without question. Four more years of playing with my best friend.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Don''t say that. I''m not going to college. Even if I go undrafted, I think I would just take a more unconventional route to go pro."

    "Mom and Dad would definitely be mad at you." Dave shook his head. "Why are you so against the college path? Look, I''m doing it. Zeke''s doing it. So has Rhys. Heck, a lot of pros have. It''s like being parallel to the minors if you ask me. Just with school on top."

    Noah shrugged. "It''s not what I want to do."

    "Mom''s still going to want you and Jake to commit to a school like we did." Dave pointed out.

    "Yea, I''ll just pick one and sign. Just for show." Noah said. "Maybe to Vanderbilt like you. No scholarship needed."

    "I rather you not." Dave put on a look of disgust. "How embarrassing would it be for me if you signed? Then ran off to who knows where? Mom would think I collided with you."

    Noah shrugged again. "I''ve got a couple years to pick. It''s fine. Mom will want me to visit schools anyways."

    "Stanford''s a good pick too." I spoke up. "It''s not too far from home. We know the coach. It''s close enough so we could go to A''s games. Maybe Zeke or Rhys will still be here."

    Noah laughed. "No way. They''ll be gone before we graduate high school. They aren''t sticking around for four whole years."

    "Nothing is set in stone." Dave said.

    We talked a lot about colleges, minors, and unconventional paths like playing in other leagues or trying out. Slowly the conversation shifted to next weekend and our upcoming round two tryouts.

    "It''s a sleep-away kind of thing, yea?" Dave asked. We had long finished eating and were just chilling at the table now.

    "Yea, but I think it''s mostly for convenience for those that are going to be from further away. Like teens our ages will be flying or driving from the other states." Noah said. "We could probably stay at home if we wanted."

    "The drive would annoy Mom and Dad though." Dave nodded, knowing what he was thinking. He turned to me. "Why not stay with Jeremy?"

    "He has an away series." Noah answered. "Already looked it up. Zeke and Rhys will have their own playoffs to worry about too. Otherwise it''d be cool to see their games."

    Dave looked beyond us and waved his hand. We both turned and saw Mom, Dad, and Grampa coming over with their bags.

    "Where''s the other two?" Dad asked.

    "Where''s your bags? It''s almost time to checkout." Mom squinted, setting her bag down.

    "Zeke''s probably packing the room now." Noah said. "He showered last."

    "Yea, you can count on Zeke." Dave nodded.

    I lowered my head, feeling a little ashamed for not helping to pack up our own stuff. I slowly got up. "I''ll go check on them."

    "No, leave it to me." Dad said. He pulled out a chair for Grampa to take a seat. "I''ll also make sure nothing gets left behind." He went back the way he came.

    "Hey, Mom." Dave sat up. "How would you feel if I took the brats to their tryout next weekend?"

    Noah kicked him under the table.

    Mom looked confused. "Why would you want to do that?"

    "So I can watch Zeke''s playoff games. It''ll be a double elimination this weekend as they play three others." Dave explained. "I''ve looked it up and they should be the host because of their ranking."

    Mom shook her head. "You can come along, but your father and I already plan to be here."

    "Okay, count me in. Make sure to get an extra room for me." He grinned. Then looked to Grampa. "What do you say, Gramps? Want to room with me next weekend? Cheer for Zeke on his way to Omaha?"

    Grampa pursed his lips. "I think I''ll sit this one out."

    Dave slowly nodded, showing some sympathy. "Yea, you can take one off. The next weekend will be Super Regionals and we won''t know if they''ll get to host or have to travel."

    "This is about my limit." Grampa sighed. "You boys are just so active and all over the place. It''s too much for an old man like me."

    Mom put her hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

    Dad came back with Kyle and Zeke, and all our backpacks with our clothes and stuff.

    Dave looked to Kyle. "You coming with us next weekend?"

    Kyle was taken aback. "Where?"

    "Here of course." Dave rolled his eyes. "Noah and Jake will have their tryout nearby and Zeke''s school is hosting Regionals. Double elimination. You lose two and you''re out." He glanced at Zeke. "You better win so Grampa can go to Super Regionals."

    Zeke looked confident. "We will."

    Kyle looked unsure. "Maybe I should stay home with Grampa so he won''t be alone then."

    No one said anything that could ruin the mood, but Noah did roll his eyes.

    With all of us gathered, we started to get up and pick up our bags, heading for the exit. Mom stopped at the front desk to check out and Dad took the lead to get the car so Grampa wouldn''t have to walk so far.

    With Zeke, we had a packed car. Not a seat to spare. Dad and Mom sat up front, the twins and Grampa in the middle row, while Zeke squeezed in the back with Noah and me. Zeke made Noah sit on the uncomfortable middle spot, but all our shoulders still touched.

    "We''re getting too big to keep doing this." Dave complained. He also had to sit in the middle seat of the middle row. "I know it''s not efficient, but we really should start taking two cars."

    "Why?" Dad laughed. "You all are starting to leave the nest. The amount of times we fill up this car will become less and less."

    "Are you taking a car to college next year?" Dave looked over his shoulder to ask Zeke.

    Zeke slowly nodded. "I was looking into getting a car for myself this summer. I''m committed to playing summer ball in the California Collegiate League and all their teams are in the southern half of the state."

    "Do you know which team you''ll play for?" Noah asked. "Maybe we can watch you play."

    Zeke shook his head. "As a player moving on in playoffs, I''m going to miss the start of their league. I''ll be assigned to a team when the playoff run ends. Probably to a team that needs me the most."

    "What about the stuff in your dorm room?" Dave asked. "What will you do with it all? Take it home and store it in the garage?"

    "No need to go that far." Zeke answered. "We''re putting it in Rhys''s garage and spare room. We''ve already started moving things we didn''t need anymore."

    "Is Rhys joining the same league?" Noah asked.

    "No, he''s doing some specific pitcher training." Zeke told us. "He can also get insight from his own dad so no need to risk his arm in an inconsequential game."

    "Why are you playing then if it''s not so important?" Dave asked.

    "It''s good practice. This summer league is done with wooden bats instead of the aluminum." Zeke said.

    The whole ride to the A''s stadium was about Zeke''s summer plans. The twins especially wanted to know what kind of car he was looking for and if he wanted to buy new. That really opened my eyes because that meant that he had a lot in his savings.

    "I''m looking for used and reliable." Zeke said. "Gas efficient would be nice too since I want to drive it up and down a few hundred miles."

    "We''ll keep an eye out." Mom said from the front, glancing at Dad with an expressive look.

    I straightened up, curious as to what that may be about. But nothing else looked off. They just let the twins quiz Zeke on his future car purchase until we reached the stadium.

    Dad parked as close as he could and we slowly made our way to the home plate gate, staying at Grampa''s pace. Closer to the gate, we started to run into our teammates and their families if they came. A lot of the guys went to Zeke to congratulate him on moving on to regionals, having seen our stories on Instagram last night celebrating.

 Chapter 1156 V4 ch4

    Coach gathered us up and Rose soon showed up��pushing a wheelchair.

    "Here you go, sir." Rose pulled up right behind Grampa.

    Grampa was shocked. He frowned. "I don''t need that."

    "Yes, you do." Noah took over the handles from Rose. "Thanks, Rose. I''ll push him." He looked at Grampa. "There''s going to be a lot of walking to get to the field and then to get to the seats. Just take a seat and let me do all the work. You''ve had a long weekend. Let me make it easier."

    Grampa''s face softened up, but he still grumbled as he sat down and got comfy.

    When Coach confirmed that everyone had arrived, Rose took the lead, introducing herself and explaining that when we get to the field, everyone would have to follow her instructions and don''t go beyond the ropes that would separate us from the players.

    Jeremy was already waiting around, immediately coming to me and my family. He greeted everyone, Zeke and Grampa got asked a few extra questions since he hadn''t seen them in a while. Next, I introduced him to my teammates, going down the line saying their name and position. Jeremy was patient with everyone, talking and taking pictures. There were so many us that he didn''t get much of a break. Luckily a few other players from both teams came around to take pictures and shake hands. The whole team was buzzing with excitement afterwards.

    Rose took the parents up to the seats while we waited with other employees and the other CIF winning teams that came today. Noah wanted to take Grampa on the field, but since we were walking on the outfield grass, it wasn''t advisable to take him a wheelchair. Zeke took him up to the seats instead, promising to cheer the loudest for us.

    I was surprised by how many other CIF champions were to take the field with us, thinking everyone would have gone Friday and Saturday. But I guess it makes sense. There were over a handful of divisions and more than a handful of sports for both girls and boys.

    Garret was handed a banner, the one that was to be hung up at our school. It was from the CIF federation, stating our championship status with the sport and division. Every team''s captain was handed one.

    Once Rose got back, she started to organize all the groups, instructing everyone on what to do (smile and wave) and what not to do (mean hand gestures and running around the field). Then it was show time.

    The stadium''s PA announcer already had the info on all the schools present and for every one he called out, he mentioned the sport and division, then there would be a burst of applause from those families and friends that came.

    When it came to our turn, our family group was easy to find as they cheered. Jeremy and Rose improved our nosebleed seats to those under the overhang and mostly in the shade. How considerate. I smiled and waved to our group.

    After all the announcements were done, we were sent back the way we came. Then we headed for our seats, getting there just in time for first pitch. It was fun to hang with the team one more time before it got broken up and the seniors graduated. The A''s won with some help from Jeremy, putting everyone in a good mood on the drive home.

    We dropped Zeke off back at his school and continued on the way home, getting back before dark. I love the summer and its late sunsets.

    Monday morning, Noah said we should text Kaylee to wish her luck so we did. She didn''t reply. We found out from Alisha later on that she had to be at the hospital at 7am this morning so she probably didn''t have her phone on her. It felt quiet without her, but thankfully Marie sent out a mass text saying that Kaylee''s surgery went well and she would even be able to go home later in the day.

    "If we didn''t have Driver''s Ed class this evening, I would have liked to go over." Alisha said during our cooking class.

    "Want to go over tomorrow after school?" Noah offered. "We can make Kyle drive us. He should be willing since he would get to see Marie."

    "What about Dave?" Alisha asked.

    "Dave''s cool. He won''t mind going over for a little bit." Noah shrugged.

    "I want to go over so we''ll out vote them." I offered.

    Noah nodded. "Yep. We work on the democracy system." He looked at Alisha. "Want to go with us? We''ll take you home after."

    "I''ll accept the ride there and then stay until dinner, but my dad can pick me up." Alisha made up her mind. "Thanks."

    After school, we finished our homework early in preparation to go to our in-person driver''s lesson in the later afternoon. Noah sat next to Mom up front and I sat in her backseat behind him.

    "Are you boys planning any pranks on the twins on Wednesday?" Mom suddenly asked just as we pulled out of the driveway.

    "We haven''t thought of anything yet." Noah complained. "We''ve been so busy with the end of the season, plus it''s hard to top what we did to Zeke." He paused and slowly looked to Mom. "Why? Do you have any ideas?"

    Mom tapped her steering wheel as she drove. "Not sure if it''s an idea per se."

    Noah turned his whole body to face her. "Just tell us what you have in mind and we can see what we can come up with."

    I got my phone out and entered Google, ready for the search engine to come up with an idea.

    "Your father and I��got the twins-" She stopped herself. "Well, we didn''t necessarily ''get'' them anything. But we''re going to gift them the two SUV''s. The family car will go with Dave to college and Kyle can take your father''s car."

    My jaw dropped. The twin''s are about the get their birthday wish granted. They both wanted cars.

    "Uh��what are we going to drive then?" Noah asked, sounding confused. "We can''t just share your car, can we?"

    "Seeing as you two can''t officially drive for quite some time, it''ll be on the to do list. Maybe wait for a holiday when dealerships have deals going on." Mom mused. "Plus, your Grampa will still have his car so we won''t just be relying on this one." She pat the steering wheel.

    This must be why Mom looked a little stress when Zeke mentioned getting a car too. "What about Zeke��?" I asked her.

    Mom looked a little guilty. "We didn''t expect him to want a car this summer and that''s on us for not inquiring. But we''ve spoken to him this morning and we''ll help his car buying process as long as keeps the price reasonable."

    Noah laughed. "That''s messed up. The twins got their own cars before him. That''s what he gets for being the responsible one."

    "Noah James." Mom glanced at him with a warning look. "It wasn''t something we anticipated. We just worked on the logistics of Kyle needing a car since we don''t know how much traveling he may or may not do this year. And to be fair, Dave should get one too."

    "The price of having twins." Noah joked.

    I grinned. Made sense to me. You can''t just give one a car and tell the other to suck it up. It would be hard to keep a balance. At least with Zeke it was unexpected and he''s more understanding.

    "When can we get our licenses?" Noah asked.

    "After Jake turns 16, we''ll schedule your tests." Mom said. "But don''t worry, we''ll make sure you kids get your practice in every chance we get. For example, going to school at the start of the year. Your father or I will be present in the car while one of you drive us to the school. We''ll drop you off and take the car back. When we pick you up, one of you will drive us back."

    "Sounds like a lot of work for you guys." Noah commented. "Maybe I should have tried to get my permit at 15.5 like the twins and Zeke did. Then I could be in charge by my 16th birthday in July."

    I nodded. "That would have been better. And Alisha could have still done the class with you." And that would mean I wouldn''t have to worry about driving at all.

    Noah laughed. "Yea, right. You wouldn''t have been able to do the class alone. With a bunch of strangers. And then no doubt, you would be afraid to do the actual driving lessons with a strange adult."

    I chuckled, guilty. "The actual driving lesson stills scares me. I really don''t know how to drive at all."

    "We''ll take you boys for practice in a parking lot." Mom assured me with a glance in the rearview mirror. "We''ve done it with Zeke and the twins. Just to get a feel for the car so you''re not so on edge with the instructor."

    I nodded, grateful.

 Chapter 1157 V4 ch5 Twin’s 18th Birthday (1)

    Noah and I had limited time to come up with ideas and even less time to execute them. By the end of class, he had something in mind and wanted to run the idea by Mom. So when she picked us up, Noah asked.

    "How would you feel if we wrapped the cars?" Noah put forward.

    "Like as a present?" Mom asked. "I was kind of thinking maybe you boys could write some goofy sayings on the window with car marker."

    "We can do that too!" Noah said. "But we were looking on the internet and there are plenty of ways to prank someone with their car. We can fill it with balloons. Write on the windows. Wrap saran wrap so it''s difficult to get in. Then use wrapping paper like it''s a normal present."

    "Won''t the twins feel like giving them cars we already have is the prank?" I asked.

    "Only if they''re ungrateful." Mom said while squinting at the road ahead. "Cars are a privilege, not a right. Of course, if they want to return that gift to us, that''s fine too. I tentatively know how much everyone has in savings."

    "That''s intrusive." Noah held his chest.

    Mom laughed a little. "It''s not like it''s too hard to figure out. You boys don''t have any income other than cash gifts from family. I just have to subtract a little, expecting most of your expenses are snacks and playing around."

    "Paying for a singing gram for Zeke was kind of expensive." Noah pointed out.

    "And now you''re saving money on the twins by getting me to buy the supplies." Mom answered.

    Noah grinned at her. "Thanks, Mom. We appreciate your hard work."

    "Yea, thanks Mom." I echoed.

    Mom drove us straight to the store so we could buy supplies. Saran Wrap. Wrapping paper. Rolls of duct tape. Car markers. Balloons. Noah wanted her to buy a helium tank for the balloons, but Mom shot that down.

    "I don''t want these balloons flying away and littering all over the town." She said. "You boys will blow these balloons up yourself."

    Noah glanced at me.

    This time it was my turn to pat him on the shoulder. "I''m counting on you."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "You can''t make me do it all. That''s two cars full. And big cars at that."

    Mom hid the supplies in her trunk before we got home for dinner. At the table we talked to the twins about stopping at Kaylee''s house after school tomorrow with Alisha and they both agreed easily.

    Alisha came to school more prepared than any of us. She had two different packages of cookies and a singular huge cupcake.

    Noah raised an eyebrow as we walked to the car after school with her. "Are we throwing her a party? Is this for everyone to share?"

    "No. It''s for the patient." She stressed. "It''s just something sweet that can cheer her up if she can''t make it to school this week."

    "Shouldn''t you bring patients healthier foods like fruits and veggies?" Noah laughed.

    "My Dad said he''ll bring those by when he comes to pick me up." She stated with a smirk. "I just couldn''t bring them fo school because some would need fo be refrigerated."

    "You''ve really got it planned out." He nodded in appreciation.

    The five of us arrived to their house just as Marie was pulling in too. Neither parent seemed to be around. It made me feel more comfortable, but I had to think that Kaylee might not have liked spending the whole day alone.

    Contrary to that thought, Kaylee looked pretty relaxed and entertained by the tv in the living room. Her arm was elevated on two pillows and there were new bandages where she must have had new incisions.

    She grinned. "Are we having an early birthday party for the twins?"

    "Nah forget them losers." Noah brushed off. She gestured to Alisha. "Plus, Alisha said it was a healing celebration for you."

    "Ooo. Cookies. Can I have one now please?"

    Alisha helped open one of the packages and let Kaylee have one of her choosing. Kaylee took one and waved it away. "Let Noah have one before he burns a hold through me. It''s like he''s never had one before. The look he gives makes me uncomfortable."

    Alisha obliged, holding out the container to me and Noah. We both took one each, though I think everyone could tell that Noah wanted it all. He was exercising a lot of self-control right now by simply not begging for more. Yet. There was still time to change.

    We hung around for an hour to make sure Kaylee was doing well and she was. Absolutely. Even saying she would be at school tomorrow, just with a different kind of splint and sling. Her positive attitude really made it seem like this surgery made a difference.

    Once we got home, we started on our homework. Noah and I wouldn''t have an opportunity to get to work on the cars until the twins fell asleep. This year would be a little more challenging now that we shared a room together.

    It proved even more difficult after dinner as we prepared for bed and the twins started talking about sharing a bed with us.

    "It''s a double-edge sword." Kyle muttered. "If we sleep too close to them, we give them opportunities to mess with our faces. Too far and that''s too much freedom for them. Can only be bad news."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Dude. We''ve got nothing plan. It''s just been way too busy."

    "Then you shouldn''t mind that we share a bed tonight." Kyle still sounded skeptical, eyeing Noah''s reaction.

    I was looking at him too, trying to figure out what we would have to do if the twins are going to watch us this closely tonight.

    "You''re looking awfully suspicious, Jake." Dave had gotten up and looked at my face as closely as possible.

    Instinctively, I backed up. I tried to keep my expression neutral. "I was just thinking about my sleep quality. I don''t think I can sleep if we share a bed."

    "We shared a bed in the hotel just a couple nights ago." Dave wasn''t biting.

    "Those beds are almost double our size." Noah shook his head. "You can force yourself to share space in my bed, but I don''t think you guys will have any luck with Jake. If he can''t sleep because you''re so close, Mom and Dad will deal with you."

    "I was just joining in on the fun." Dave sighed and backed up. "No way will I share a twin size bed with one of you. There''s just not enough space.

    Kyle didn''t back down though. He eyed Noah. "We''re sharing. I just can''t trust you." He followed through at the end of the night as we all got into bed. Kyle joined with Noah and got him to scoot closer to the wall. If that wasn''t enough, he started to search the bed, finding two sharpies in Noah''s pillowcase.

    "I knew it."

    Noah shrugged. "Knew what? I didn''t have the idea or plan to draw on your face until you suggested it yourself."

    Kyle tossed the sharpies on the closest desk and squeezed right next to Noah.

    I didn''t know what we could do with Noah like this and I couldn''t text him with Kyle right next to him. So I did what I would normally do: which was sleep. I was the first one out.

    I only woke when I felt someone close by, slipping arms under my knees and neck. I was startled and started fo struggle but the person held me close and took me out of the room.

    I stared wide-eyed at Zeke''s face as it was illuminated from a phone light. He motioned for me to stay quiet, carrying me all the way downstairs and then into the cold garage.

    I shivered when my feet made contact with the floor as he put me down. "Zeke? What are you doing here?"

    "Mom called for reinforcements when she noticed that Noah might be incapacitated." Zeke grinned and rubbed the top of my head. "Besides, how else would I contribute to this small project."

    The garage door opened again and Dad slipped in, shutting the door as lightly as he could. He looked to Zeke, me, then Zeke again. "Guess the gang''s all here?

    Zeke nodded. "Kyle has a tight grip on Noah so there''s no extracting him."

    "Let''s start working on the balloons then." Dad pointed to the pile of supplies that he brought in earlier. Both SUVs were inside the garage too. It was going to be our workshop.

    I had never blown up a balloon before and certainly never had to tie one. Thankfully, Zeke and Dad were patient teachers and led by example. Every time they got one full, they would show me how to tie it. I could only do one for every three or four they did, but it felt good working beside them and filling up the car with a bunch of balloons.

 Chapter 1158 V4 ch6 Twin’s 18th Birthday (2)

    Of course that was just the beginning. Zeke got the car markers out and started at the trunk of Kyle''s future car, Dad''s former car.

    "Honk if you like pizza?" I read after he was done. My lips twitched. "That''s��"

    "It''ll get the job done." Zeke told me. "The point of doing this is to annoy them with the constant honking." He moved to the back passenger side windows, writing: ''Happy 18th Birthday Kyle!'' And then he put another: ''Honk for me!'' He went to the driver''s side.

    I went over to Dad to see what he was doing. He was rolling the saran wrap around each tire and then slapping a big bow on it. "Remind me to try to keep these bows. They can be reused for Christmas."

    "Christmas is half a year away��" I tried to remind him.

    "It''s never too soon to plan and prepare." He said simply.

    I squatted. "I think you''ll forget though. You and Mom are so busy all the time."

    "Well, if I remember to keep these and stick them with all the other wrapping paper and gift bags, then it''ll be a nice surprise towards the end of the year." He grinned.

    We moved to the next tire and he started to wrap. It wasn''t perfect by any means, but with enough wrap, I could see how the twins will be struggling in the morning. I rested my chin in my hand. "What happens if the twins are late to school? Will Mom take them? Or will you help them clean up at least one car?"

    Dad chuckled. "Well, if they use their heads and actually clean up just one car, I''m positive they''ll make it to school on time. But knowing them��they''ll want to drive their own cars to school to celebrate. Honestly, this pranking won''t upset them at all. If the school thinks it''s appropriate to give them detention, then that''s on them." He looked at me. "But just know, that if they get after school detention, you and Noah might be on the short end of the stick."

    My head slumped, not liking the sound of that. They are our drivers after all. It would make sense that we would have to wait for them if they got detention.

    "If they''re late enough," Zeke spoke up and got our attention. "Then they might get Saturday School."

    "What''s that?" I frowned, unsure.

    "It''s a four hour detention." He explained. "8am to noon. I know a few kids that had to serve because of unexcused absences."

    I cringed. "That sounds awful."

    "Yea, but I bet it would make Noah laugh." Zeke revealed a small smile.

    I nodded. I believe it.

    We spent over an hour, finishing up the wrap job on both cars. Dad decorated the hoods with what bows he had left while Zeke and I blew up a few more balloons to tape on the outside. It looked very good. I had never decorated a car before, but this was better than I had imagined.

    I looked up at Zeke. "Thanks for coming to help."

    "Hey, ouch, I was here too you know." Dad put a hand to his chest, acting hurt.

    I grinned. "Thanks, Dad. I don''t know what we would have done with Noah being tied up." I paused. "What are we going to do in the morning?" I looked to Zeke. Last year, he treated us to an early breakfast.

    Zeke grinned. "Don''t worry. When Noah wakes up, he''ll hurry to get dressed and then we''ll leave right away."

    "You boys don''t want to stick around for breakfast?" Dad asked. "You know your mom will make her best for their birthday."

    "No, it''s okay." Zeke answered. "Let the twins have a nice breakfast with you. They won''t realize there''s a prank until after they eat with you guys and you show them their cars."

    Dad went back to his room, leaving me and Zeke in the living room. We still had some time until it was actually time to get ready and go. When it was closer to when we needed to leave for breakfast at the restaurant, Zeke told me to go get dressed and come down with Noah and our backpacks. He would hide out in Rhys''s car, down a couple of houses.

    I didn''t want to intentionally wake Noah, because that would set off Kyle so I just decided to use the restroom and casually got ready for school like it was normal.

    Noah got up easily as a light sleeper when he heard me rummaging around the closet for clothes. He sat up, eyes wide open.

    Kyle immediately got up too, waking up from his movement. He glanced at Noah then squinted at me. "Jake is already up and getting dressed? I knew you guys were planning something."

    I turned away to hide my smile. I guess it wouldn''t be ''normal'' for me to be up first in any reality.

    Noah and Kyle started to get dress in a hurry, like it was a race. It prompted Dave to get up and moving too. I stared at them as they all moved about, wondering what I should say or do.

    "Jake?" Noah paused a second in front of me. "You okay?" He gave me an exaggerated wink before the twins stopped too.

    I slowly nodded. "Yea. I just didn''t sleep well."

    "Nightmare?" Noah guided.

    I shrugged. "Can''t remember."

    The twins started to slow down their movements, seemingly finding a reason that I would be up before them.

    "I don''t think I heard you at all last night." Dave said, trying to think back.

    I shrugged. "I didn''t wake up crying or sick or anything. Just needed to get up. As soon as I thought it was okay, I started to get dress. I didn''t think that would make you all rush."

    Kyle pointed at us. "I still don''t trust you guys. How do I know you aren''t just pulling a stunt?"

    Noah squished my face between his hands and showed it off to Kyle. "Look at this face. Do you think this face can lie to you?"

    "I really didn''t sleep well." I said earnestly. Then I pushed Noah away and made a face at him. "Don''t do that."

    Noah patted my head. "C''mon on. Let''s go get food. I know you''re cranky."

    I swatted his hand away again.

    "They probably have something planned for us at school." Dave said to Kyle. "I think you can stop worrying until after breakfast."

    I nodded in agreement. And then stopped. What if I just gave it away?

    Noah pulled me to the door. "Let''s go." He grabbed his backpack and I grabbed mine.

    The twins didn''t follow us right away, giving me our chance. I calmly walked behind Noah as we went down the stairs. He glanced back before heading towards the garage. I yanked him back and pulled him towards the front door.

    "Come on. Zeke''s waiting for us." I whispered.

    Noah''s eyes widened with understanding. He took the lead, stopping with his hand on the door. "Is he already waiting in the car? Is it Mom''s car or Grampa''s?"

    "Rhys. A couple doors down." I whispered back.

    "Okay. As soon as I open this door, we take off. They''re going to know something is up by the sound of the front door." He instructed quickly and quietly.

    I nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 1159 v4 ch7

    We sprinted for the familiar car. I could hear the sound of the front door opening again and soon Kyle yelling, "Get back here!"

    I didn''t dare look back. We reached the car, got in, and Zeke started to drive, leaving Kyle behind us.

    "Does he already know?" Zeke asked calmly. A stark contrast to my beating heart and ragged breath.

    I shook my heart and started to calm down. "No, but he''s really suspicious."

    "That hair prank really upset him last year." Noah laughed. He looked at me. "How did you wake up early enough to get everything done?"

    "Zeke woke me." I told him all about helping Zeke and Dad with the balloons and decorating the car.

    "Man, I feel left out." Noah sighed. "I kind of want to do something else." He glanced at Zeke. "Any ideas? I want to embarrass them at school or at least out in public."

    "How about at Garret''s watch party?" Zeke threw out an idea.

    "Oh! That''d be good." Noah rubbed his hands together. "It has to be something visible. Maybe I really should draw on his face!"

    "Next week is the draft and graduation." Zeke stressed. "If you don''t want Mom to kill you, you won''t do something dumb like drawing a dick on his face."

    "Tsk." Noah looked out the window and appeared to be thinking of some ideas.

    He periodically threw some ideas out during breakfast at the diner. Zeke shot a lot of them down early if there was a chance Mom getting mad.

    "Well that might just have to be a chance I''m willing to take." Noah said defiantly.

    "Do you really wanted to be grounded all summer?" Zeke raised an eyebrow.

    Noah shrugged. "What would grounding actually mean to me? They would still let me play baseball."

    "Don''t push your luck." Zeke warned. "If you do something that really upsets Mom and Dad, they would be willing to take away baseball. No camps. No cages. Probably would have to join them when they do open houses."

    Noah made a face of disgust. "No way." He paused before smirking. "That would be extreme. Mom and Dad didn''t even go that far with Kyle''s temper tantrum last year. I like my odds."

    I nodded along, slowly, thinking he had a point. It was hard to imagine that Mom and Dad could be so cruel to restrict Noah to the house all summer. Besides, they were all about getting out and experiencing life.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t do anything drastic." Noah waved his hand carelessly. "Maybe it''ll upset them, maybe it won''t. Honestly Kyle will probably be the maddest no matter what."

    "He shouldn''t be mad today?" I said. "He got a car."

    "Mom spoils them too much." Noah sighed. He glanced at Zeke. "Do you feel bad that they got a car before you?"

    Zeke shook his head. "It''s not really that big of a deal."

    "Aren''t you actively looking for one for the summer?" Noah questioned.

    Zeke nodded. "Yes, but it''s not emergent. I still have a few more weeks of baseball left."

    "I would say you deserve the family car over Dave. He doesn''t even need a car in college. Mom said it herself."

    Zeke smiled softly. "Yea, but you can''t give a car to one twin and not the other. Even if the circumstances are different. Besides, even though I didn''t need a car in college, I think it''s good for Dave to have one."

    "Really? But everything was so close to his school. He could just take an Uber or carpool with friends." Noah said.

    "He doesn''t have a friend there yet." Zeke pointed out. "I had Rhys and Rhys had a car. It worked great for me. For Dave, he won''t know anyone and will have to rely on these strangers for rides. It would put him in a tough spot. I think if I went to a college across the country, where I knew no one, I would also want the freedom that having a car brings."

    I rubbed my stomach, feeling full and maybe a little queasy. "Is it hard��going somewhere you don''t know anyone��?"

    Zeke laughed, surprising me.

    And Noah too. He looked at Zeke wide-eyed. "Did I miss the joke?"

    Zeke grinned. "I found it funny that Jake sounded concerned about something he had already done."

    I froze.

    Noah let out a short laugh too. "Yea, I guess that''s true." Noah reached out and patted me on the shoulder. "Look at you, always worried about being with strangers. You moved in over a year ago with a whole family of strangers."

    "There is an adjustment period." Zeke told me with a small smile. "Just like you had to get to know us; in college, you get to know those physically closest to you first. Like guys on the team. Guys that live on the same floor as you. And then classmates. It''s a lot to take in and remembering everyone''s name in one go takes skill."

    "I don''t think I ever had an experience like that." Noah rubbed his chin. "I''ve known most of classmates since elementary or at least middle school. Camps don''t really count because they''re so brief."

    Zeke shared a little more of his college experience before paying the bill and getting us back to the car.

    "You staying around all day?" Noah asked him, buckling his seatbelt in the front passenger seat. "What about practice? Isn''t your first game in two days?"

    "I''ll stop by the house one more time to see Grampa, but then head back." Zeke said. "I do have practice and even some film to review of some of the potential pitchers this weekend. I just had a little more free time with classes being done."

    "Were your finals hard? Are you going to take summer classes again? Dave and Jake are going to take an online math class this summer." Noah spoke a mile a minute, trying to get all his words in before we got to school.

    "Finals were more difficult than at the high school level, that''s for sure. It was easier last semester when baseball wasn''t going on." Zeke answered with ease. "I won''t be doing summer courses, but I will do extra in the fall again." He glanced back at me. "Good for you, moving ahead."

    I shrugged. "Mr. Petrus suggested it. I don''t know what I''ll do without math during the regular school year."

    "You can probably take another online course and do it in the library." Zeke suggested.

    I nodded immediately, liking the idea.

    Zeke talked more until we reached the school. We got out with our backpacks and waved.

    "We''ll see you Friday night!" Noah declared. "Prepare well and kick their butts. Hit more homers this time."

    Zeke drove off with a laugh.

    "He''s totally going to kill it this weekend." Noah stated confidently.

    I nodded. "I hope so." Especially since we can only see him play Friday. But if he won this weekend and moved on, we would get to see him play more next weekend. I paused to look at Noah. "If he moves on to Super Regionals, do you think it would be local?"

    "Should be." Noah shrugged. "I think there''s a lot that goes in ranking but they''re one of the best so if they move on, they should be hosts again. Why?"

    I gave him a look. "Because next weekend is Alisha''s birthday."

 Chapter 1160 v4 ch8

    Noah looked like he didn''t register what I said until we almost reached our locker. "I can''t believe it. Another year has flown by just like that." He cracked his knuckles almost like he was nervous. "What do we get her this year? Has she said anything about a party? I don''t think she has. She would have definitely started passing out invitations again if she was. But it''s weird she hasn''t said anything."

    Noah was like this all morning, even moaning that without Kaylee in our first class, we would have to wait until break to ask around. I pointed out that he could just text her, but he didn''t like the idea.

    At our nutrition break, we had fifteen minutes to get a snack from our lockers and then look for Alisha. We found her among friends, snacking on a bag on pretzels.

    "Hey, Alisha." Noah approached. He nodded at the other girls in greeting, but immediately got to the point. "What are you doing for your birthday this year? No party?"

    Alisha was surprised and her friends started whispering to one another. "Well I didn''t want to throw a party this year with Kaylee being hurt. But she''s looking better so maybe when she''s ready, I''m thinking of doing a send off party for her. It''ll probably be less people since some go on vacation, but." She stopped and shrugged.

    "Sure. You can count us in, of course." Noah gestured to himself and then me. He put his hands in his pockets. "But if you''re not doing a party next Saturday, what are you doing? Like��just hanging with your parents?"

    "We were planning on taking her to a dinner and a movie." One of the girls spoke up. "Do you want to take her instead?"

    Alisha''s face started to turn red.

    Noah didn''t seem to notice or mind. He just continued with his idea. "That''s cool, but hey, if Zeke''s team wins this weekend and moves on, his school should host the Super Regionals. Do you want to come? It''s just a weekend of baseball, but I''m sure we can do sightseeing too."

    Alisha looked conflicted. "I don''t know."

    "We can invite Kaylee too if you don''t want to be the only girl." Noah offered.

    "I''ll talk with Kaylee first." Alisha said slowly. "If their team doesn''t make it, what do you plan to do instead?"

    Noah shrugged. "Guess I can go to the movies with you and everyone."

    Alisha smiled. "Okay. I''ll let you know next week when we know if they''re moving on or not."

    Noah smirked. "They''re moving on. Zeke''s in good condition." He spent the rest of the break telling her about Zeke coming to the rescue to help with our small prank on the twins.

    We found out later on that the twins didn''t care about being late to school at all. They each drove their ''new'' car to school and waved their keys around freely as they strolled in late for class. Garret found us at lunch to give us the play by play.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Tell me they at least got slapped with detention."

    Garret grinned. "Just an hour worth for each. They said they''re planning to send you guys a text after school so you would be force to wait too."

    Noah looked disgusted.

    I thought about it. "But since you told us��can''t we just send a text to our parents so someone can pick us up afterwards?"

    Noah''s expression improved. "Yea. I''ll text Gramps. He''s home all day."

    "Why not just ask me for a ride home?" Garret asked, stealing a chip from my bag. I handed the bag over so he could help himself. He happily took it and started eating more.

    Noah looked suspicious. "Why are you offering us a ride home? Is this a trap? Did the twins put you up to it?"

    Garret laughed. "Damn, you''re paranoid."

    "We did just cause the twins to get detention." I pointed out.

    "True." Garret nodded. "But I''m not warning you to play some elaborate trap. Instead, I wanted to offer you a ride home so we could play at the park."

    "Play?" Noah asked.

    "Okay, so not really play." Garret said. He looked at me directly. "I want to face you, Jake. One more time before the draft. I know you guys have that tryout this weekend so this would be one of my last chances."

    "Okay." I shrugged.

    "Can''t you act a little scared when you''re up against me?" Garret knocked me on the head.

    I held my head. "It''s not like it''s going to cost me anything if I strike out or do poorly. It''s just us."

    "No stakes, no worries." Noah said. "If you really want to scare Jake, you should invite some of the guys to come watch. Heck, even strangers. That''ll put him on edge."

    I kicked Noah''s shin under the table.

    "Ow." He exaggerated. "See?"

    Garret laughed. "Nah. I won''t do that. This is just for self-satisfaction. Mitchell will meet us there to catch. Two v one. He wants to strike you out just as badly."

    My lips twitched. "He isn''t a pitcher."

    "He''s part of the battery though."

    "Am I just a spectator in all of this?" Noah asked. "Just a spare tire?"

    "You don''t have to come." Garret shrugged.

    "No way you''re leaving me at home. How lame." Noah said. "How about I be your warmup? Face me first. Then you can face Jake."

    "Okay. Sounds like a plan." He got up. "I need to go get my own food from the caf. You kids meet me at my car after the last bell; it''s in the first row." He left with a wave.

    "You really not scared?" Noah asked.

    I shook my head. I''ve faced Garret a few times now. "If he beats me, that''s a good sign for him."

    "You''re not going to go easy on him, are you?" Noah frowned.

    I laughed. "No way. He would never go easy on me."

    Noah relaxed his shoulders. "Good."

    We finished lunch before the bell and headed for our lockers. We had cooking with Alisha and our missing member, Kaylee. At first I was a little worried about he absence again, but Alisha was already telling us that she was fine and could have gone to school today, but wanted to focus on rehab instead.

    "Her arm must be looking good then." Noah nodded with approval.

    "Feeling better already." Alisha said. "I honestly think it might be a little psychological. Like she had a better, well-known surgeon go in and now she''s already feeling upbeat."

    "It probably is psychological." Noah agreed. "But there''s nothing wrong with that. It''s kind of like a pep talk. The surgeon is good so it helps even more. She''ll be doing physical therapy in no time."

    "As soon as that arm is good to go, we''re having a pool party." She declared. "I''ll invite her team and friends. It''s going to be big."

    "You like parties so much, I don''t get why you passed on your own birthday." Noah shook his head. "Had me worried about you."

    "I have all summer." Alisha smiled.

 Chapter 1161 v4 ch9

    Sure enough, Kyle sent us a text in the group chat just after the last bell of the day rang, saying he and Dave had detention. We could wait in the library for them to be done in an hour. Noah replied, no thanks. I gave his message a thumbs up as the twins started to leave angry emojis.

    We walked to the parking lot, finding Garret''s car with ease. With Zeke and the twins, we rarely needed rides so I was little nervous with Garret''s driving, but he was fine. Stopped at yellow lights and waited three seconds at stop signs. He followed all the rules of the road. He didn''t fall into the stereotype of a male teenage driver we had learned about in Driver''s Ed.

    "You''re watching me very closely, Jake." Garret commented. "Looking for a weakness already?" He was driving us home first since we didn''t have our gear with us like he did.

    "No, just watching you drive." I answered.

    "We''re going to take our permit test soon." Noah told him. "You''re a pretty good driver for a teen."

    Garret let out a short laugh. "Yea? I have to be. Can''t put my future at risk for a little speed. Getting somewhere ten seconds faster won''t be worth it if I hurt myself drive unsafely. I think I learned a lot from Zeke. About taking care of yourself in all aspects to prepare for a lifetime of baseball."

    "Yea, he''s like that. No nonsense. All baseball." Noah said. "You going to any of the games this weekend? We can get you an extra ticket if you want."

    "I''ll be watching from home. I have a lot of prep work coming up." Garret grinned. "Plus, it''s Prom on Friday. Don''t tell me that Kyle and Marie ain''t going."

    "Oh." Noah shrugged nonchalantly. "Forgot about that. You taking a girl?"

    "No, going with a group. Some of the baseball and softball players combined. We''re thinking about getting a limo together." He shrugged. "With Kyle and Marie dating, we''ve kind of just orbit around them. It''s a good friend group." He laughed. "It''ll be really awkward if they break up again, but maybe I won''t see everyone as often after high school ends."

    "They''re fine." Noah waved his worry away.

    We got to the house and took our backpacks in as Garret waited in the car. We changed into workout clothes, told Grampa where we would be, then grabbed our bags and headed back out.

    Garret took us to the nearby park where we had a lot of fun memories. With the twins. With Zeke. With our freshmen year team.

    "We won''t be able to do a scrimmage against former players like last year." I commented as we unloaded and headed for the baseball field. "You and Kyle will be somewhere else." So even if we played before others headed off to college, they would be long gone.

    "Are you going to sign right away or is your agent going to fight for a high signing bonus?" Noah asked Garret.

    "Nothing is concrete." Garret shrugged. "I''m sure you guys have been paying attention to Kyle and his agent. There''s all these rumors and numbers floating around. Honestly, if I can really go first round, I don''t think I''ll care about the numbers."

    "Spoken like a true rich kid." Noah nodded in the affirmative.

    Garret reached out to flick Noah''s ear. "Shut up. I''m not rich rich. Just well off. And an only child. Besides, if anyone''s rich, it''s you guys."

    Noah stuck his tongue out before saying. "Just well off." He repeated what Garret had said.

    "It''s all about perspective." Garret went on to say. "If I really do go in the first round, my signing bonus is two million at the low end and like nine million if I go really early. You know how long it took my dad to make two million in his lifetime? Like 15 years. I''m basically getting a shortcut on my finances with just the bonus."

    "Don''t forget that you''ll lose a good chunk to taxes." Noah reminded him. "Then there''s the fees to your agent. To your accountant. Probably have to have a lawyer on retainer. Who knows what else."

    Garret was surprised. "You''ve been paying attention to Kyle''s talks."

    Noah shrugged. "Well yea. This is the path I want to take. No matter how low I go. I''m already saving up money for worst case scenario."

    The two talked about the upcoming draft as we set our bags down and got our cleats on. Mitchell showed up soon after, getting ready too. I thought we would just jump right into things, but Garret had us go through the whole warmup like normal. He paired up with Mitchell for the long toss, and I got Noah.

    Noah and I didn''t go as far as Garret did with Mitchell. We also didn''t throw for as long since he had to start doing his pitching routine. They stopped briefly for Mitchell to get all his gear on while Garret did some stretches.

    Noah offered to toss some baseballs for me to hit into the fence and I accepted. It was kind of like hitting off a tee, but required a little more hand-eye coordination and a faster reaction speed.

    We tried switching after awhile, but I kept flinching with Noah''s swings, not liking being so close to his bat.

    "Forget it." Noah stopped after the third bad flinch. "It''s hard to get in the rhythm with you like this. I don''t want to mess you up before you face Garret."

    "We''re ready!" Mitchell called out from behind home plate, waving his glove. "Batter up!"

    "I''m coming!" Noah headed over with a brisk walk.

    I picked up the loose baseballs and took them back to our bags in the dugout. Then I took a seat to watch Noah''s at bat.

    I don''t know whether Garret was proving a point, but he threw three straight cutters at Noah, getting him to go down swinging.

    "One more time!" Noah hit his bat against home plate and got set. "I dare you to throw me another cutter."

    Garret got set, did his windup and soon the ball was leaving his fingertips. It cut in on Noah for the fourth time. Noah just stood and didn''t swing.

    "Ball!" Noah declared.

    "You kid too much." Mitchell got up and threw the ball back to Garret. "That was clearly in."

    "Says who?" Noah asked. "You''re the catcher, you''re biased."

    They bickered until Noah caved. Garret threw his fifth pitch to him. It started to go in. Noah started to swing, but his angle was wrong. It was the slider. He swung and missed.

    "Damn, you won''t throw me a fastball?" Noah muttered. "You that afraid?"

    Garret laughed as he caught the ball from Mitchell. "You can say what you want. The outcome will be the same, I''m the winner and you''re the loser." He got set again and started his motion. He did throw a fastball this time though. Too fast for Noah to catch. He swung and missed. Second swinging strikeout.

    "Damn." Noah cursed. He headed back to the dugout I was in. "Okay, Jake. Show him what you''ve got. Bring him down a little bit so I can feel better."

    I cracked a smile and grabbed my bat.

 Chapter 1162 v4 ch10 Garret v Jake

    "No batting gloves?" Mitchell asked as I got closer to home plate.

    "I like it better without them." I fixed my grip, getting in the lefty''s box.

    "You''re going to try to chase his breaking balls?" Mitchell squatted into position.

    "I have a good reach." I got my feet set and pulled my bat back, eyes on Garret.

    Garret nodded at Mitchell''s sign and got set. He started his motion. As soon as that ball left his fingertips, I was swinging. It was a straightforward fastball right now the middle. I sent it right back, dead center field.

    "Really??" Noah laughed. "One pitch, one hit. Is that how you wanted to challenge Jake?"

    "I was just showing you the difference between you and him." Garret quipped. "You swung out on the very same pitch that he could hit a line drive to center."

    Mitchell threw Garret a new ball. "Okay, okay. No arguing with the peanut gallery. Get your head on straight."

    "I''m fine." Garret toed the rubber, knocking on it with his cleat. He got set again. Him and Mitchell agreed on the pitch selection and Garret started his motion. This time, when it left his fingertips, I was a little more cautious. I swung a little late on the cutter, fouling it back.

    The next pitch was the slider, and I fouled it down the third base line. 0-2. Slider again, just barely went foul. 0-2. Garret threw a fastball inside. I had to adjust and fouled it down the first base line. 0-2. It was just as difficult for a batter to swing outside and then inside as a pitcher who had to throw it. Pinpoint precision was required.

    Another pitch, but it was breaking outside. Breaking way more than usual. I struggled and tipped it back��into Mitchell''s glove. A foul-tip strikeout.

    "YESSSS!" Garret pumped his fist on the mound.

    Mitchell jumped up and jogged to him to celebrate too.

    I simply stayed in the box. I even took a practice swing at the imaginary pitch. It was harder to reach. The trajectory was a little different. Maybe a new pitch type? Or like a cross between the cutter and slider��but it dropped even more. In terms of how much his breaking balls diverge, the cutter is minimal movement, coming in on righty''s. His slider has just a little more break. Maybe an extra inch. But this-

    I frowned and took another practice swing. It was hard to reach. It dropped out of the zone. I would have to hold back and let it pass for a ball. I looked up at Noah in the dugout. He was staring at me. "Hey��can you be the umpire?"

    Noah jumped up. "Sure!"

    "There''s some extra gear in my bag that you can use for protection." Mitchell had heard me and told Noah. "Grab the mask at least so we don''t have any accidents." He started to head back to home plate. "Let''s keep going. We''ll give Jake one more at bat, then switch back to you, Noah."

    We really did keep going. Most of the afternoon until Dave showed up, telling us it was time for dinner.

    "I was wondering why you guys were at the park for so long." Dave said as we untied our cleats and packed our bags. "I could see you two coming here together for practice, but didn''t expect Garret and Mitchell."

    "Yea, I brought them home to get their gear and then we messed around a whole lot." Garret explained.

    "Messed around?" Noah repeated after him. He rolled his eyes. "If you were messing around, I would hate to see you serious."

    "Okay, Jake and I were messing around and you were getting your butt kicked." Garret pushed Noah''s cap down.

    "You just want to claim it''s messing around since you only struck Jake out once." Noah shot back.

    "Yooo!" Dave exclaimed and came closer to Garret to slap him on the back. "You got Jake to swing and miss? What did you use?"

    I tuned in, also interested what that pitch might be.

    "It''s a hybrid pitch." Garret explained. "A slurve. Slider and curve. Kind of. I can''t explain it very well, but when I throw the ball just a little bit differently-" He picked up a baseball and showed us his grip. "The grip kind of stays the same, but just the angle I throw is a little bit like a curveball. Just a little."

    "You sound so unsure of this pitch." Noah pointed out.

    "It''s still new." Garret said. "I could only get Jake once because he realized I didn''t have the best control over it. That''s why he asked you to be ump."

    I looked up. "Well, that wasn''t my first reason. I just thought it was harder to reach. And since I couldn''t foul it off properly, I would let Noah call it a ball."

    Noah laughed.

    Garret talked Dave on the way back to the parking lot about him experimenting with different pitch types before getting ready for the draft. "You can''t trust their coaches too much since they don''t have the same goals as we do. I want longevity and consistency. Some coaches in the lower level might want that for me, or maybe they''ll just want results for themselves. I''m already kind of toying with the idea of a pitch count for myself. Like not to do a hundred pitches in a game until I hit Triple A."

    Dave shared that he liked his pitching coach so far and confident that he would help him become a better pitcher, but then shared his worry that coaches can change their job especially when they aren''t in charge like the head coaches.

    It took them awhile to break it up and we headed home, more than a little late for dinner.

    Enough for Mom to get worried. "I was about to send your father out to look for you guys."

    "Sorry, I just got caught up talking about coaches and coaching with Garret." Dave apologized first and took a seat. Noah and I did too. "It''s weird to change coaches after being with Wilcox for the last three years. Plus, Garret doesn''t know what he''ll get in the minors." He looked at Kyle. "Be careful out there."

    Kyle nodded.

    But before he could say anything, Noah cut in. "I wouldn''t worry about him. Kyle always looks out for numero uno."

    Kyle rolled his eyes.

    "It''s good to be cautious around new people." Dad advised. "Don''t blindly trust anyone for any reason. Kyle, we don''t know where you might end up and it can be scary going where you know no one. Keep calm and know that your mother or I would be willing to come to get you if there''s even a slight emergency."

    "We would do that for any of you boys." Mom assured, glancing at me and Noah.

    I nodded, understanding. Mom and Dad would definitely do the most to make sure we were all safe and happy.

    Grampa opened the sliding door and hollered for Dad to come help him get the steaks off the grill. He made the twin''s favorite slices of meat, the way they liked it. After the meal, Mom brought out a special ice cream cake for each of them, with their names on it. We sang ''happy birthday'' and they blew out their candles.

 Chapter 1163 v4 ch11

    The week ended quickly after the twins''s birthday. Thursday was a mix of planning and preparing for the weekend. Kyle would stay home Friday night with Grampa for prom with Marie. Mom and Dad would take the three of us to Zeke''s game Friday night, and then Saturday morning we would be taken to our tryout just across the bay. We were all packed up and ready to go before even going to school on Friday. So it was a quick turnaround to get home from school and hit the road.

    Dave argued that he should drive them in his ''new'' car since it was his now. Dad let him, taking the front passenger seat so he could give directions. Mom took the middle row with some of the bags, looking like she was answering emails off her phone. Noah and I took the back row like always.

    Our first stop was the hotel to get checked in and put our bags away in the two conjoining rooms. Then we hurried to Zeke''s school.

    "There''s like, absolutely no parking." Dave groaned as he looked around and drove slowly through the lot.

    "What did you expect? Four schools worth of fans had to come today. The first game is about to end so some spots should clear up." Noah said, leaning forward. "You should just drop us off front and wait for a spot to open up."

    "Are you kidding?" Dave asked in disbelief. "You guys would leave me behind."

    Surprisingly, it was Mom who made the first move, pulling out a ticket and handing it forward. "There''s your ticket. We''ll get your food and drink for you so come straight to the seats." She opened the door. "Let''s go boys!"

    "Yes!!" Noah scrambled over the seat and out the same door. I hurried to follow.

    Dad opened his door too. "This is the responsibility of the driver, son. We''ll see you inside. Take your time and pay attention to safely." He paused after getting out. "Maybe you''ll get lucky and find a spot before the first game ends, then we''ll be outside waiting for you." He shut the door.

    The four of us stepped away from the car and let him drive on to look for a spot.

    "Do you think he''ll really find a spot before the game ends?" Mom asked Dad.

    Dad shrugged. "You never know. Some spectators might leave early."

    Noah had his head down, looking at his phone. "There''s always people like that. No matter what kind of game. He''ll be fine. What I really worry about, is how Stanford will fare against teams like these." He showed me his phone. It was the score of the first game going on. "Texas A&M is beating Cal State Fullerton 12-7. What a hit-fest. Neither of them have pitchers or what?"

    "Could be saving them for Stanford?" I suggested.

    Noah nodded. "That''s possible, but almost everyone had almost a week off so it should have been the best pitchers going. I really expected low scores first because it''s really important you get ahead in this tournament. You lose twice and you''re out."

    I didn''t really understand the double elimination format, but with Noah around, it was like I had a rule book with me at all times.

    The game came to an end soon after Noah had announced the score. Loads of fans in team colors emptied out from the stadium, mixing with fans that were waiting to get in. Dave must have gotten lucky with a parking spot because he was able to join us before we could even get in.

    It was probably the longest I''ve ever waited to get inside a stadium, but Noah explained that they had to make sure everyone left, restock, and clean up a little to prepare for the late game. It also gave the teams time for those to get out and switch with the incoming. Normally the games aren''t this close together but the first game ran late, probably due to all the hits and runs stretching the game time out.

    We waited over an hour before getting a chance to line up to go in. Zeke was able to secure tickets that made sure we had seats. They weren''t the best, but in a packed stadium with standing room only, I appreciated having a seat and having an unobstructed view of the field.

    Today was a great game to see because Rhys got the start too. We would get to see the roommates in action and they absolutely dominated. The whole Stanford team did, really. It started early with a double from Zeke followed up by a homer from Bradley Thompson. Rhys breezed through the first five innings easily, racking up the strikeouts almost earning two an inning. The offense still outpaced his strikeouts though, finishing with 13 runs scored. Rhys ran into a hiccup in the eighth inning, giving up a two-run shot to left and they pulled him after that. The new pitcher finished the job and they won their first game 13-2.

    Throughout the game we had stadium food for dinner, not making Mom happy but there wasn''t much that could be done. She also wasn''t liking the idea of us staying late to see Zeke before we leave, but Dad convinced her that it would be alright since tomorrow''s drive to the camp really wasn''t that far and traffic wouldn''t be too bad on a Saturday morning.

    "Good game!" Noah shouted happily at Zeke and Rhys as they walked out of the stadium, looking freshly showered.

    Rhys grinned and adjusted the ice bag on his shoulder. "You better be talking to me. I carried us to that win tonight." He held out his fist.

    Noah bumped his fist with his own. "Of course! Without you, we''d be here all night. Way to keep their half of the inning short."

    "Yea, you need your beauty rest tonight. Gotta get some good sleep and be ready for your tryout, right?" Rhys grinned.

    Dave laughed. "Yea, it really is just a tryout for him. Jake is already in."

    "Doesn''t mean he can slack at all." Zeke commented. He glanced down at me. "You''ll take tomorrow and Sunday just as seriously as you would any practice, won''t you?"

    I straightened up and nodded. "Of course."

    "Jake wouldn''t take any practice easy." Noah came to my defense. "He would be too scared of messing up to take anything easy."

    My hands subconsciously went to my stomach. I wasn''t feeling queasy, but maybe I was about to.

    Dave patted me on the head. "Just think, last time you fell and ate shit, but still became the first person officially on the roster. Not bad."

    Rhys laughed. "Yea, that was a good video."

    I sighed and looked up at the night sky.

    "Just think of all the hitting matchups you''ll get to do this weekend." Noah rested his hand on my shoulder. "It''ll be fun."

    I relaxed.

    We talked with Zeke and Rhys for half an hour before Mom started to say that we should get back. Dad walked with Dave to go get the car and Zeke hung around until they came back and we loaded up. He and Rhys waved as we drove off.

 Chapter 1164 v4 ch12 Regional Tryout Rd2 (1)

    I slept better than I thought I would. Waking up wasn''t any more difficult than a school day. Noah and I took our bags down to breakfast, knowing that we would stay overnight for this tryout. Dave, Mom, and Dad were already eating at a table when we joined them.

    Mom immediately showed us her phone; a picture of Kyle and Marie dressed up was on it. "Isn''t this adorable? I think I should have made you boys go to more school dances." She glanced at Dave. "I definitely should have made you go last night. You could have watched Zeke''s game today instead."

    Dave rolled his eyes and pointed at the phone. "Mom, I would look just like him. Without the girl. I''m fine with missing out on stuff like that."

    "I saw a lot of the seniors and juniors post pics last night." Noah commented. "I''d probably go once just to say I''ve done it. It''s like a supervised party."

    Mom nodded. "Yea, it''s a rite of passage for high schoolers. I think I sometimes get caught up in you boys playing baseball that I forget to make you try other experiences."

    "Mom, this a different experience." Noah pointed out. "Not everyone lives the same high school life. NARPs wouldn''t know what it''s like to spend all their free time on a sport, trying to improve and get to the next level."

    "NARP?" Mom raised an eyebrow.

    I also looked to Noah, confused.

    "Non-Athletic Regular Person." Noah spelled out.

    "Sounds a little mean." Mom squinted at him, suspicious.

    Noah shrugged. "It''s not meant to be. It''s just a statement of fact. NARPs have a lot more free time to live a typical high school life. It doesn''t bother me. I like playing baseball and getting better." He gestured to Dave. "Dave won''t have a normal college experience while playing baseball either."

    "Dave-" Mom looked to him.

    Dave laughed. "Mom, I''ll do what I can and more importantly, what I want. It''s more normal than Kyle who''s going pro."

    "Okay, okay." Dad cut in. "We get it. No one is living the same life, having the same experiences. We''re happy that you boys have found a passion to follow, but don''t let it overshadow trying something new." He gave a pointed look at Noah.

    "If this somehow turns into me trying football, count me out." Noah got up. "I''m getting something to eat. Let''s go Jake. We''ve got to fill up before this tryout. Who knows when and what lunch will be like."

    I got up and followed him through the small buffet. "I don''t think Dad was pressuring you to try football."

    Noah glanced back at me. "Then you don''t know him well enough. I can already tell Dad''s interested in getting me to try something new."

    "Well��you would be good at it." I said.

    "Drop it. Still not interested." Noah left to go make his own waffle.

    I filled my plate with eggs and bacon before going to sit down. Breakfast didn''t last long as we had to leave soon to get to the camp by 8am. We showed up to a very busy parking lot with a lot of teenagers holding baseball bags and backpacks.

    I swallowed a lump in my throat. "There''s a lot of them. Even more than last time."

    "Of course. These include players from all over the region." Noah said. He pointed at an open spot. "There, Dave."

    Dave saw it and pulled in. We got out and grabbed our bags, following the crowd of male teens and their parents.

    "This is well-organized." Dave commented as we lined up in the first row because of our last name that started with the letter A. "That team director guy is a real pro."

    "He''s gotta be to get this far." Noah commented. He scanned the crowd. "I see a lot of the same coaches from last time. Jake will probably be recognized up front."

    I started to feel fluttering in my stomach, regretting eating so much at breakfast.

    Coach Rob actually found us before we got to the front of the line. He shook hands with Mom and Dad. Then even Dave. Then me and Noah. He beamed with delight. "Glad you''re here, Jake. We''re really going to test the pitchers and catchers this weekend."

    I slowly nodded, liking the idea of just hitting this weekend.

    "You''re still gonna have to do some fielding." Noah broke up my daydream.

    Coach Rob laughed at me crestfallen face. "Don''t worry, Jake. It won''t be anything out of the ordinary. We''ll keep you with the infielders for now, specifically with what you''re comfortable with at second base."

    I relaxed a little. "Okay." I can do that. I''ve played second base for two seasons now. It''s what I know best, even if I wasn''t the best at it.

    "But most of your work this weekend will be at the plate." Coach Rob confirmed. "While most of the player here will be doing more standard tryout activities, we want you to take on the pitchers to start narrowing down who we want on the mound for us."

    "Sounds like a tough job." Dave remarked.

    "You think so?" Coach Rob asked. "I''ve seen a lot of Jake in action lately and don''t think he''s been outright beat at all."

    Dave chuckled. "I meant, a tough job for you. How will you grade the pitchers if Jake''s crushing every pitch? Not to brag about my little brother, but he can beat the best pitchers in high school so the age restriction for this team really gives him an advantage."

    Coach Rob nodded. "Yes, it definitely won''t be easy for us. Or for the pitchers. Honestly, we''re looking more for guys that may stump Jake for just a pitch or two. We don''t actually think anyone will strike him out, but if we can find some that can jam him or make him pop out, that''s a good start."

    "Doesn''t sound like we''ll be together much this weekend." Noah said to me. "You just focus on hitting and you''ll be good."

    I nodded.

    "We''ll make sure you guys are roommates and then there are mealtimes." Coach Rob overheard Noah. "When it comes to scrimmages, we''ll try our best to get you two on the same team."

    "Nah. He''ll be fine without me." Noah said. Surprising Coach Rob and myself. Noah patted my shoulder. "Just like the Stanford camp. We''ll be close enough that you can find me in a minute."

    "Yea��that''s true." I slowly nodded my consent. We''ve done a lot of baseball together even if we weren''t on the same team. Noah will always be nearby.

    "I''m going to hang around too, Jake." Dave said. "You can find me in the stands, watching."

    "You''re not going to Zeke''s game?" I asked.

    Dave shrugged. "It''s not until the evening. The losers from yesterday play this afternoon and then the winners play the night game. By the time that happens, you''ll be having dinner with Noah." He looked to Mom and Dad. "You guys can take the car if you want. Do some shopping or whatever."

    "I think we''ll be a couple of spectators too." Dad smiled. "It''s not every day that we have two boys trying out for the regional team."

    "Great." Coach Rob clapped his hands. "We''re happy to have you." He grinned at me. "This weekend will be fun, Jake. Trust me."

 Chapter 1165 v4 ch13 Regional Tryout Rd2 (2)

    Coach Rob stayed with us until we got to the front of the line. He helped us check in with one of his assistants and handed us numbered stickers again. "These go everywhere. Front, back, pants, shirts, helmet. Then put some on your bags too."

    Noah took off his backpack. "Our overnight bags too?"

    "Yes." He nodded. "We''ll be taking your overnight bags straight to your assigned rooms so don''t leave anything valuable in them either."

    "It''s like bellhop service." Noah started peeling his stickers and putting them everywhere.

    "We can''t waste time." Coach Rob explained. "We have less than 48 hours to see you boys in action."

    "Do you need help taking the bags to the rooms?" Dad asked. "Dave and I can help out since we''re sticking around."

    "No, no. We already have everything arranged." Coach Rob explained to Dad how they were able to sign off on community service hours for those that needed it. After putting stickers on our backpacks, they were taken away and we were ushered out of the line.

    "I''ll come find you later, Jake." Coach Rob said to me before leaving to greet another coach.

    "I''ve got to say, I feel really assured that your coach is so attentive." Mom smiled and patted me on the head. "We''ll be around and easy to find. You just play like you want and try not to stress yourself out."

    I nodded. "I know." I just didn''t know if I could help it.

    Dave and Dad added their own words of encouragement, and not just for me, but for Noah too. He didn''t have a spot on this team yet and everyone knew how important it was to him. And to me. It would probably be just as important to me if he made the team too. Just an extra comfort.

    Noah and I switched into our cleats and left our bags to join some of the guys on a run. I stuck close to Noah, examining those around us and noticing a wide variety. We were all 16 and under so there were teens that looked like young men with their facial hair growing in and then there were some that were smaller and even looked younger than Noah and I.

    A coach jogged to the front of the group and said to follow him. He took us on a giant lap, running around the campus of fields and buildings. He pointed out a few places like the dorms and cafeteria. He then led us back and told us to pair up and start getting warmed.

    I glanced at the long line of guys still checking in. "Are we not waiting for everyone?"

    "They''re probably using this time to start dividing us up." Noah said. "Watch. After we throw for awhile, I''m sure they''ll start pulling pitchers and catchers. Maybe divide us as infielders and outfielders."

    I made a face. "When do you think I can get pulled for hitting?"

    Noah laughed and slapped my back. "Probably not until after lunch. That''s probably when they''ll really get things going."

    Noah was on point with his predictions. During our warmup they would start to pull players by calling their numbers. It would leave some players stranded without a partner suddenly, and I was glad that that wouldn''t happen to me. I don''t know if I''d be a player today if Noah was a pitcher.

    Eventually a coach came by and started to assign the rest of us to another assistant coach. We took our bags and followed him to a field where we focused on infield drills and throws. At every position. I thought I did okay, only having a couple of bobbles and maybe a handful of bad throws. At the very least, it wasn''t my worst showing.

    By the time lunch rolled around, we were sweaty with dirt everywhere. Noah and I made a stop to wash our hands and faces before lining up for the cafeteria.

    "Honestly, we probably should have asked Mom to bring us something from outside." Noah sighed after glancing at his phone. He had gotten a text from Dave that he and our parents went to a local restaurant around the corner.

    "You don''t even know what they''re serving yet." I pointed out. "Maybe you''ll like the lunch."

    Noah was skeptical. And after seeing our options, he was already sending Dave a text to bring him some snacks at least.

    I wasn''t that picky. I accepted the small salad and piled my plate with spaghetti and it''s watery looking sauce. I did skip the thin fried chicken, unsure of its texture.

    "It''s like our cafeteria food at school." Noah mumbled.

    I let out a small laugh. "How would you know? We don''t eat at the caf."

    Noah complained, glancing around at the few options. We found a relatively empty table and started to eat. Well, I did with minimal issues. Noah grumbled, keeping an eye out like Dave could suddenly appear out of thin air.

    "Yo." Noah said and suddenly stood up. I stopped and watch as he started to wave. "Hey! Hey, Danny!"

    Danny? I turned around, trying to spot who Noah was calling. Oh! My eyes widened at the sight of a familiar face. Danny. From Servite.

    He finished filling his tray and came over with his food, placing it beside Noah and taking a seat. "Hey, I was wondering when I was going to run into you guys." He nodded at me. "Hey Jake, still blasting bombs?"

    My lips twitched. "Hey."

    Noah sat back down too. "You should have sent me a message on the gram. We could have met sooner. Heck, you could have gone to the Stanford game with us last night."

    "Stanford game?" He sounded confused.

    Noah explained how Zeke was playing for Stanford and how they were in the midst of a small tournament this weekend.

    "I''m not very interested in college ball." Danny shrugged, unbothered.

    "You don''t plan on taking the college route?" Noah asked.

    "Nah." He shook his head. "I want to enter the draft." His eyes narrowed. "I read that one of your brothers and the lefty pitcher on your team were going pro."

    Noah nodded and talked about Kyle and Garret''s decision. Garret was projected to go early so it was a popular topic. Kyle wasn''t anything to scoff at either, projecting to go in the first five rounds at least. Plus, Noah knew more about Kyle''s path and how he committed to Dave''s college of choice to improve his leverage and how he''s got representation already.

    Danny nodded along, happily listening while eating, occasionally asking follow up questions. Even some about Dave and why he chose a different path than Kyle.

    I started to feel a little queasy and slowed down, poking the food at my plate. I knew what was coming. The dreaded question about my future.

    Except��it didn''t come. Danny never asked what Noah and I had planned. He was interested in what Kyle had to go through to prepare for the draft and what kind of things our parents wanted Kyle to learn before he went pro. Like learning about tax accountants and lawyers and agents and what all it took to make a supportive team.

 Chapter 1166 v4 ch14 Regional Tryout Rd2 (3)

    "Jake, here you are." Coach Rob interrupted Noah and Danny''s conversation, standing near me. He wasn''t alone. He gestured to the man beside him. "I don''t know if you remember, but this is Coach Hastings. He''s our lead on the pitchers and catchers."

    Danny straightened up in his seat, eyes solely trained on Coach Hastings.

    Coach Hastings was looking at me though. He gave me a friendly smile. "You''ll be with me this afternoon, Jake. We''ll have a special field dedicated to the trial."

    "Trial? What trial?" Danny blurted out, unable to hold back his excitement. His eyes kept moving around to each of us, eager for an answer.

    Noah put his hand on Danny''s shoulder and said with a smile, "You were eager for a rematch, right? Well, here it comes. Jake''s going to face all the pitchers today in order to help out the coaches."

    "You''ve faced Jake before?" Coach Hastings was interested, turning his attention to Danny.

    "Had him cornered before giving a walk-off double." Noah stated with a smirk.

    "He cheated!" Danny declared, trying to defend himself.

    Coach Hastings glanced at me.

    Noah snorted. "It''s not Jake''s fault that he could notice that you had a tell. You should be mad that your catcher didn''t catch such an obvious issue."

    "If it was so obvious, why didn''t you get a hit off me?" Danny asked.

    "You came in after my after bat." Noah shrugged. "You should ask yourself why you were put in so late."

    "Cody could handle you with ease. There''s no need for me to waste my pitch count on you." Danny said.

    I felt bad on Noah''s behalf, but Noah didn''t seem bothered. "Handle me with ease?" He laughed. "My sac bunt successfully got our player in scoring position for Jake. You should have swallowed your pride and walked him and maybe then you guys wouldn''t have lost. Again."

    Coach Rob cleared his throat. "Alright, let bygones be bygones. You guys can pick up your rivalry next season." He looked to Danny. "Do you want to be the first to face Jake this afternoon?"

    "I rather it be random." Danny said, surprising me. "Plus, if I go first, I would be at the biggest disadvantage."

    "How so?" Coach Hastings asked.

    Danny answered with a question of his own. "Have you seen him in action?" He shook his head. "He can foul off so many pitches; it''s like a game within a game. I rather he get a little tired first."

    "Jake never gets tired from swinging." Noah said nonchalantly. "You would know if you''ve ever seen him in the cages. He''s like the energized bunny. He just keeps going and going and going."

    "Honestly doesn''t seem like the type." Danny glanced at me.

    I shrugged weakly.

    Danny looked at Coach Rob. "So he''s on the team already, right? He has to be if you''re using him as a prop in the tryout."

    "He''s the number one in the state." Noah said. "Of course he makes the team."

    I started to poke at my food, not really liking this attention.

    "Okay, okay. We''ll keep it random." Coach Hastings cut in. "Jake, after Rob here makes the announcements of where everyone should go, I''ll come find you and we''ll walk down there together. Okay?"

    I nodded.

    The two coaches left us to finish lunch. Noah and Danny were quickly eating while I got slower and slower.

    "Did Cody not tryout with you after all?" Noah had asked between sips of his water.

    "Oh he''s here somewhere." Danny said mindlessly.

    We both looked at him, confused.

    "I thought you guys would be together since you play for the same school. Not on friendly terms?" Noah raised an eyebrow.

    Danny laughed outright. "We aren''t connected at the hip, but it''s not like we hate each other. We have conflicting personalities. Like right now, he''s probably eating outside alone somewhere. He likes the quiet and I can''t stand it."

    Noah slowly nodded. He peered at me. "You know two of the guys you''re facing this afternoon. Cody and Danny. Just over a month ago you beat them both so don''t be nervous. Just recall the last game."

    "He went 1-2 against Cody." Danny pointed out, showing that he didn''t forget that game at all. "That''s only 50/50 odds."

    "Ah, but it wasn''t a strikeout." Noah grinned. "Coach Hastings said it was a showdown between hitter and the battery. Nothing about field players. Jake has a big advantage this afternoon."

    I relaxed my shoulders. Yea. I did have an advantage. I just had to put the ball into play. I didn''t have to worry about players positioning or runners on or anything like that. I showed a small smile.

    "Damn." Danny muttered under his breath. His eyes narrowed as he stared at me. "You''re going down, Jake. No matter what." He started to clean up and stood. "I''m going to find Cody. Make sure he knows the coaches are about to make an announcement."

    Noah waved casually to send him off. After he was away, Noah looked at me. "You good?"

    I nodded. "Yea. I think so. It helps that I just have to put the ball in play. It takes a lot of pressure off."

    "Yea, but don''t take it too easy." Noah said. "Every swing should be for the fences."

    I laughed. "Yea. Okay."

    Noah checked his phone. "Dave said he''s going to bring some snacks, thankfully. But they won''t be back for awhile since the restaurant is a little slow."

    "It''s only for the weekend." I shrugged, unbothered.

    Ten minutes later, Coach Rob stood up on a small podium to make his announcement. The whole cafeteria was quiet as soon as he got up. He first officially welcomed everyone and congratulated on us making it this far. Then he explained that we weren''t the final player pool to choose from; that he had a handful more across the states to host.

    "We''ll be selecting 52 players overall to make up two teams." He explained. "Stats and Stripes. They will have the same amount of games in pool play at the end of the summer. Each of the six regions have two teams so no, we aren''t special. It''s just a way to get more players visible to the committee so don''t bother stressing on whether you''re on the better team or not. Let the games decide that. Your first priority is to show us what you''ve got this weekend to make the final selection." Coach Rob started to split everyone into groups, first sending off pitchers and catchers to their designated field. Then he split the other players into much smaller groups.

    Noah got up when his number was called. He held out his fist for me to bump. "Crush them, Jake. You''ve got this."

    I smiled. "Yea. You too. Show them what you''ve got."

    He picked up his bag and left with the steady flow of players.

    I cleaned up our mess before putting my bag on my back and waited for Coach Hastings. He didn''t show up until Coach Rob was done dismissing everyone and had a small discussion with his other coaches and adults in charge.

 Chapter 1167 v4 ch15 Regional Tryout Rd2 (4)

    "You nervous, Jake?" Coach Hastings asked as we walked down to the designated field together. "Or are you just the quiet type?"

    "Both." I answered truthfully. I glanced up at him. "Not nervous about hitting, but about meeting new people."

    He laughed. "Yea, I understand. A lot of people are like that. I used to be too. Especially back in middle and high school. But as you get older, you start to realize that a lot of people are awkward with first meetings. But as long as you have common ground, it''s much easier."

    When we reached the field, I saw that two other coaches had everyone paired up and throwing the ball across the outfield. Further than I could ever throw.

    One of the men came over, shaking hands with Coach Hastings. "I''ve picked the first ten pairs to start warming up and sent the rest to some open space on the soccer field. I''ll rotate the groups in and out, but let me know if you want to see anyone twice. The catchers will already be up multiple times because of the smaller selection."

    "Sounds good. You''ve got the right idea." Coach Hastings told him. He glanced at me. "Change back into your cleats and start taking some practice swings. Don''t forget to stretch. I don''t want you pulling a muscle in this drill."

    I nodded. I took my bag to the nearly empty third base dugout. I politely nodded at the three men of varying ages with clipboards. They didn''t pay much attention to me, mostly talking among themselves about the pitchers, switching between using their real names or the numbers they were wearing.

    I put my cleats on and my regular running shoes away. I grabbed my batting gloves and pulled them on too. Once upon a time, I didn''t like wearing them, but now they fit so snug that it would feel weird without them. Habit can be a scary thing sometimes. I examined the three bats I brought with me and selected the one that looked the newest. I would be facing a lot of pitch types and speeds so I didn''t want to have an accident.

    I put on my helmet and went back outside the dugout, taking practice swings where the on deck circle would normally be.

    Coach Hastings came back with one of the guys that he had just met. "Jake, this is Ryan. He''s going to be our makeshift umpire for the afternoon."

    Ryan nodded at me in greeting. "I''ve umpired before, but I''ve heard you know your strike zone pretty well."

    I gave a small shrug and chose to explain. "If it''s close, I try to foul it off." I liked to swing. Even if it wasn''t going to be perfect.

    A new catcher came over and we soon started up again. I couldn''t specifically say if a pitcher was good or not, but I knew most of them weren''t as fast Garret or Kyle. Half didn''t even measure up to Dave. But I guess it would be a bit too much to expect those within my age group to be good as players that are seniors.

    I cruised through a couple more groups before getting to a familiar face. Not Danny who I just had lunch with, but Cody. Cody Peace. His appearance made me take a step back. He threw incredibly fast. This was a guy on Garret''s level. I took a practice swing. Then another to make sure I could match his speed.

    Cody has two pitch types. Fastball and curve. Both equally fast and accurate.

    I readjusted my hands before getting back into the righty''s box. Cody was set on the mound, waiting on me. Once I was settled, he started his full windup. The ball came fast after leaving his fingertips. I squinted and tried to adjust my swing. Cody didn''t throw a fastball like most of these guys have been doing. It was the curve. My trajectory was off but I still fouled the ball down the first baseline, making Coach Hastings and a few pitchers flinch away.

    Oops. I stepped out of the box and moved around the catcher and Ryan, getting in the lefty''s box.

    "Is that allowed?" The catcher asked Ryan.

    "Sure is." Ryan assured him.

    I got set, eyes on Cody. He got a new ball from someone on the side and was getting set as well. His shoulders settled and he started his windup again. He didn''t nod at the catcher or anything, throwing me off. The ball left his fingers and I started my swing, trying to keep up with the speed. The ball dipped again, as did my bat. Foul down the third baseline. Tch.

    I knocked my bat against my cleats, buying myself some time to think outside the box. Cody didn''t talk to the catcher before taking the mound and I thought they were just using basic signs since they probably weren''t familiar with one another. But that has to be ruled out with how quick he was with pitch two. He''s just acting on his own. Throwing what he wanted. He didn''t care about the catcher and whether he could even catch his breaking ball or not. It''s a small advantage to him but I had a bigger one.

    I just have to put the ball into play. It doesn''t matter where it goes as long as it''s fair. I calmed down and got back in the box. Cody was already set on the mound with a new baseball. He kicked up his leg as soon as I was fully in the box, confirming my guess that he was trying to use speed to overwhelm me. Rush me. It wasn''t a bad idea.

    Seeing his fingertips at an angle again, I knew it was another curve. I brought my wrists down more, trying to catch a dipping pitch. It didn''t drop as much as the previous two, forcing me to pop it up with the top of my bat.

    "I''ve got it!" Cody''s yell startled me as I saw him coming off the mound, eyes up in the sky. He paused and caught the ball just a few feet away. He looked at me afterwards.

    I rubbed the back of my neck. "You have good control of your curve." I cleared my throat, feeling awkward.

    "Of course." He stated. "I''ve been working on it for over a month now." He tossed the ball to the catcher and walked away as a new pitcher was called to the mound.

 Chapter 1168 v4 ch16 Regional Tryout Rd2 (5)

    "Some history between you two?" Ryan asked.

    I gave a small shrug. "We''re in the same league."

    "Wow. And I thought you would just breeze through everyone." Ryan laughed.

    I gave a weak smile, not feeling as good as I did before. My mind was still on Cody''s matchup as I took on the next few pitchers. It didn''t hold me back though. I calmly put every ball in the outfield, starting a new streak of sorts. Then it was another familiar face. Danny.

    He headed straight for me instead of the mound. I tried to stay calm, reminding myself that I just had lunch with this guy. He''s similar to Noah with how loud and energetic he was, but he didn''t have any bad intentions.

    "Jake, how''s it going?" He asked with a small smirk, throwing me off.

    "Okay, I guess." I gave a small shrug, glancing back at Ryan, not sure how he felt that we weren''t jumping right into the challenge.

    "Yea, can''t be great since I heard you lost to Cody."

    My head snapped and my eyes focused on Danny.

    "Did you not consider it a loss? Hitting a pop out to him?" Danny grinned. "You had the whole field and no other position players. Yet it went only a couple feet."

    I bit the inside of my cheek, unsure of what to say.

    He lifted his gloved hand and used it to pat me on the shoulder. "I''m going to try to one-up that. With a strikeout. Good luck." He slowly walked to the mound.

    Ryan let out a low whistle before saying, "You know some wild ones."

    "They''re from the same school." I said

    He chuckled. "Some friendly rivalry can be good for progress."

    I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Okay. It wasn''t a personal attack. It''s just a challenge. Calm down and settle. You know Danny. He has a fastball and changeup. Same motion, but you know him as a pitcher. He''s going to start fast. He has to. Better to attack early and send him away.

    Danny waited for me to step in the batter''s box and then fixed his feet. He straightened his back, looking tall on that mound. I tightened my grip. It''ll be fast. It''s unrealistic and unreasonable to start with a changeup. Danny started his windup. Halfway through his motion, I had a wild thought.

    Danny was unreasonable.

    The ball left his fingertips and I had changed my mind, not swinging at my fastest. As the ball got closer, I could feel myself grinning. I had guessed right. I connected on the pitch and smacked a line drive up the middle to center field.

    "Fuckkkk." Danny''s curse was loud and echoed on the empty field. He had put his hands on his knees and hung his head. But it didn''t last long. He straightened up and looked towards Coach Hastings and a few other pitchers. "Can I have a redo?"

    My lips twitched. It just very much reminded me of Noah.

    "You might have another chance during the scrimmages tonight and tomorrow. For now, we need to get a move on." Coach Hastings waved him over. "Don''t worry. This is just one small part of the tryout. There are plenty of opportunities to show your stuff."

    Danny''s shoulders slumped. He started to walk off the mound, but then diverted his walk towards me. My grip tightened on the bat I was holding, but I knew it was just anxiety.

    "You swear I''m not tipping my pitches?" Danny asked a question that he had asked just a month ago.

    I nodded. "You''re not tipping."

    "Then how did you know?" He asked, sounding stress. He took off his hat and looked up at the sky. "I really thought I had you convinced that I would start out fast and aggressive."

    I gave a small smile. "Yea. You almost had me."

    "Ughhh." He slapped his hat back on and pointed at me. "Next time. Next time, I''ll get you out. I swear." He turned on his heel and stormed away, going past the coach and pitchers waiting.

    Coach Hastings sent a new pitcher towards the mound and we picked up the pace again. When we finished, Coach Hastings had Ryan send me to join one of the in fielding groups at a different field while he went to deal with his pitchers.

    "You''re an amazing hitter, Jake." Ryan told me as I slung my bag onto my back. "Like incredible. You''re absolutely getting picked to go to Team USA."

    I wiped some of the sweat from my face, unsure of what to say. "Do you know��what that''s like?"

    Ryan was taken aback by my question. He gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. "Not exactly. I didn''t make it this far as a player, but I assure you, it''s a great experience. One in a lifetime opportunity."

    "Oh."

    "You don''t sound too impressed." He remarked and continued before I could defend myself. "And why would you be? You practically breezed through everyone this weekend. I think you should be move up an age group. Maybe they would when they see your skill."

    "Oh." I tried not to think about it. That''s the future. Leave the future problems to the future me.

    We approached a field and I spotted a few familiar faces. Mom, Dad, and Dave. I smiled and relaxed, knowing that Noah had to be at this field too.

    Dave noticed me first, waving and drawing attention from Mom and Dad. They waved too. I waved back.

    "Your family stayed to watch?" Ryan asked.

    "Yea. For a bit." I looked up at him. "Do you mind if I go by? Just for a second?"

    "Yea, of course. You don''t have to ask me for permission." He laughed.

    I sped up and met with the three quickly.

    "I was about to go look for you if you took any longer." Dave commented as he flicked the bill of my cap.

    I fixed it. "I was hitting against the pitchers."

    "Did anyone corner you?" Dave asked, raising an eyebrow.

    I tilted my head. "Cody Peace got me."

    "Got you to strike out?" Dave asked.

    I shook my head. "No. But I did pop out to him. Couldn''t get it by him."

    "And he couldn''t get it by you so don''t worry." Dave nodded.

    "I''m sure you did well, honey." Mom rubbed my shoulder. "Don''t get hung up on one little bump in the road."

    "Yea, there''s no perfection in baseball." Dad assured me.

    Dave cleared his throat meaningfully. "Not to nitpick, Dad, but we do have something called a perfect game."

    I smiled. "Don''t worry. I know what he meant. Batters don''t normally hit it all. Noah said it''s the only sport where you''re good if you''re only failing half the time."

    "Good, keep that in mind." Dave said. He handed over a grocery bag that I just noticed. "Here, put these in your bag. It''s just some snacks for tonight in case dinner is bad."

    "It''s okay." I told him while accepting the bag. "Just not up to Noah''s standards. But he''ll appreciate the snacks so thanks."

    "Don''t let him eat it all." Mom warned me. "And try to make sure to eat an extra serving of fruits or veggies at dinner, okay?"

    I nodded. "We will." I glanced at Dad''s watch to get a sense of the time. "Are you guys going to leave soon for Zeke''s game?"

    "Yea, we''ll hit the road soon." Dad answered. "We won''t be too far if you or Noah need anything."

    "They''ll be fine." Dave said with a smile. He patted me on the shoulder. "We''ll be back tomorrow. Try not to let Noah act like a fool."

    "Yea, yea." I started to back up. "Tell Zeke good luck. Send us updates and we''ll see it at dinner."

    "No problem." Dave agreed.

 Chapter 1169 v4 ch17

    The rest of the afternoon I joined other infielders for a couple of drills before we were dismissed for dinner. Even though Noah and I were on the same field, there wasn''t much time to chat until we headed to our bags to switch our cleats out.

    "How was your hit-fest?" Noah asked as he packed up his bag.

    "It was easygoing." I told him.

    "Did you beat Danny again?" Noah grinned.

    I nodded. "Yea, but-" I gave a small shrug. "I kind of lost to Cody so I don''t think you can give him a hard time." At least, not without me getting a hard time for popping out to the pitcher.

    "Kind of lost?" Noah asked, eyebrows raised. "How do you kind of lose?"

    "Well��I didn''t strike out." I defended myself before explaining. "But I popped the ball up and he caught it. For a technical out. It''ll probably impress the coaches."

    "Cuz no one else jammed you up?" Noah clarified.

    I nodded. "Yea. Most were one pitch at bats. Even Danny''s."

    Noah grinned. "Okay. Not bad."

    We picked our bags up and followed the crowd going towards the dining hall. On the way, I told Noah about some of my at bats. Only a few left an impression just because they threw a breaking ball, but made sure he knew that it wasn''t any harder than playing in our league games.

    "Yea, limitations on age can really work in someone''s favor if they''re spectacular like you." Noah nodded, then grinned. "It''s going to work in my favor too. I doubt there''ll be another great defensive player like me. If I keep up the fielding and just do my norm at the plate, I think I''ll make it too."

    I nodded along, happy so far with how this tryout and whole regional team thing was going. At first I was skeptical and maybe I am still a little nervous, but it''s not as bad as I thought.

    We went through the line in the cafeteria, getting a big square of lasagna and a side salad. We got settled on a table that had the least amount of people nearby.

    "So they have to win three in a row to move on." I started to understand.

    "Lose and it''s over." Noah sighed. "They need to win the first game tomorrow, that way we can go to the rematch against A&M."

    I nodded in agreement. I pulled out my own phone to text Zeke. I also had a text from Jeremy, asking how the camp was going. I sent him a reply. Another text to Mom. By the time I was done, coaches were starting to break us up into smaller groups, presumably teams for scrimmages.

    I didn''t get to stick with Noah for this one, but I did get Ryan in charge of my group. He led us to an empty room where we were told to introduce ourselves and our positions. There were a few guys that said they could play anywhere and that made me wish I had that kind of flexibility.

    When it was my turn, I wiped my clammy hands on my pants before stating, "I''m Jake. I play second base."

    "Jake Atkins." Someone whispered.

    "Him?"

    "Yea, I heard from my friend. He faced the pitchers after lunch."

    "He''s smaller than I thought."

    "You''re not much bigger."

    I shifted uncomfortably as the talks around me got louder. It''s like they''re talking behind my back��except it was in front of me.

    Ryan clapped his hands twice and around went silent. "Alright, I know some of you have interest in one of the top players in the state, but you''ll have plenty of time to see him in action tomorrow. Let''s finish the introductions and then we''ll discuss the plan for tomorrow."

    Ryan got things going again. After everyone had a name and some kind of position, he stood up and started to talk about tomorrow. "As you can tell, we don''t have any pitchers or catchers with us at the moment. They''ll be assigned to us tomorrow with another set of coaches in charge of their rotations. They might want one pitcher doing an inning here and then maybe go to another field for an inning there. So expect to see a wide variety tomorrow."

    "Sounds like they have it tougher than we do." Someone commented.

    "They most certainly do." Ryan agreed. "But don''t let that fool you all into taking it easy. If you ask me, it means there are less chances for you guys to stand out and make the final cut."

 Chapter 1170 v4 ch18

    Ryan let us go for the night and some of the guys gathered in smaller groups. I turned tail and headed back for my room I shared with Noah. A part of me wanted to show these guys I was friendly and worthy, but the idea was nixed when I heard them talking about me. It was just too awkward.

    Back in the room, Noah didn''t come back until I was done with my shower and already getting in bed.

    He looked surprised for a second, but then laughed. "Let me guess, you came back to the room instead of hanging with your teammates?"

    I have a weak shrug. "I didn''t know them."

    "That''s okay. It''s just casual conversation anyways." Noah threw his bag down. "Where''s the snacks?"

    I pointed where I had set it after taking it out of my bag.

    Noah grabbed a bag of pretzels and sat down on the bed to eat. "You''ll have to try to be more outgoing when the final roster is settled though."

    I sighed and pulled my blanket up higher.

    "I''m serious, Jake. We might not be on the same team, even if we both make it, remember? Stars and Stripes." Noah laughed to himself. "I know they said there''s not an A-team and B-team, but it''ll be kind of obvious when we see which roster you''re on."

    "He could try to even out the teams." I pointed out. "It''s not like they get anything for winning."

    "That''s true. The whole point is to get noticed for the National Team identification camp." Noah said. "I''m sure there''s still like some kind of medal game so not completely pointless." He grinned. "I wouldn''t mind coming home with a gold medal and showing it off to the guys."

    I grinned too. "It would be kind of cool to show off something like that." I could see it now. Dave would be excited. Kyle would be jealous. Zeke would be proud. Jeremy would be happy for me. It would be great.

    I glanced into the stands, happy to see Mom and Dave came before Zeke''s game. Dad must be at Noah''s field. I lifted a hand to wave before going back into the dugout.

    "Good work, Cody." Ryan was patting him on the shoulder. "Give us another inning or two like that before leaving." He smiled.

    "Okay." Cody nodded and headed for the bench.

    Ryan made eye contact with me next. "Get ready, Jake. Don''t hold back at the plate."

    I nodded too and went to my bag to switch out my gear. I wasn''t guaranteed an at bat this first inning, but I would definitely make it to the on deck circle. I slowly got my batting gloves on as the first batter went up. He made solid contact, but the third baseman snatched that line drive out of the air with some lightning fast reflexes. I have to be careful of him.

    I pushed my helmet down on my head and picked up my bat. On my way out, I was passing Cody. I kind of expected him to say something, but besides a mere head nod, I easily passed by. I guess I''m still thinking he would be more like Danny, when it''s been proven that he''s not. He didn''t even eat in the cafeteria yesterday. It didn''t seem like he was shy like me, especially when he confronted me after our last game, thinking he was tipping his pitches.

    The second batter up hit a single to center, which moved me out to the on deck circle. My practice swings were light as most of my attention was at the plate. I was hoping the third batter wouldn''t hit into a double play. That''s it. Then I would get my chance.

    Ball. Swinging strike. Foul. Foul. Ball. Pop out to short.

    I sighed with relief and felt a smile tugging on my lips as I walked up to the plate.

    "Go get him, Jake!" Dave clapped his hands twice. "You''ve got this!"

    I didn''t look back at him, but nodded. I stepped in the righty''s box and pulled my bat back, ready. I didn''t particularly remember this pitcher from yesterday, but from what I''ve seen so far, he didn''t amount to much.

    He nodded at the catcher''s sign and straightened up. Checked over his shoulder at the runner on first, then started his motion.

    Fastball. Too easy. I took a step and started my swing. On contact, I pulled the ball to left field and ditched my bat to run to first. By the time I rounded first, the guy playing umpire for the infield was waving his finger around. Home run.

 Chapter 1171 v4 ch19

    I rounded the bases with a brisk jog, tagging home as I heard Dave yelling some compliments. I waved to acknowledge him.

    "Sounds like you''ve got a one-man cheer squad." The second batter waited for me, holding out a fist.

    I bumped it with a fist of my own. "Yea��it''s my brother."

    He grinned. "That''s cool. I wish my siblings could be here too."

    We went back to the dugout together. Ryan congratulated us, but besides him, not much was said from everyone else. It wasn''t a team vibe at all. I pursed my lips together and went back to my bag to switch out my gear.

    The whole morning scrimmage stayed rather quiet on our side as we powered through and beat on the pitchers that came against us. Cody did four innings of no-hit ball, showing off his high speed curveball.

    I swear the loudest one was Dave in the stands. I was sad to see him go, but it was getting close to Zeke''s game time. Him and Mom should be finding Dad, then meeting up with Kyle and Grampa at the Stanford stadium.

    There were a couple of pitcher changes for both sides. I was able to hit two more home runs and a handful of doubles, successfully standing out as a power hitter. There were a few other guys I thought were pretty good at the plate too. We really racked up the runs.

    But without Cody, we started to see more action defensively. I can happily say I only bobbled one throw to first out of the handful of grounders that came my way. It was just a bad transition from my glove to my hand and the throw was off, causing the runner to be safe.

    I thought I successfully shook it off and put that play out of my mind as the game went on. But just as Ryan dismissed us for lunch, I heard some of the guys talking.

    "Number one in the state with an error?" He scoffed. "Come on."

    "Yea, that''s got to be rigged." Another player agreed.

    I slowed my steps.

    "It really eases my mind to see his mid defensive plays."

    "Yea, he''s good at the plate, but not an all-rounder."

    "Nick and Caleb were good at the plate too. Not getting out once."

    Their voices were harder to hear as they got further away. I dragged my feet, not feeling so good.

    "Hey, Jake! Over here!" I immediately heard Noah as soon as I took a step in the cafeteria. I scanned the room and found him waving his arm, already sitting with Danny.

    I nodded so he knew I saw him, then went through the line to grab some food.

    "Is that all you grabbed?" Noah asked with raised eyebrows as I sat down across from him and Danny.

    I shrugged. "Not feeling very hungry."

    "No food equals no energy." He picked up his apple and moved it to my tray.

    "You just don''t want to eat that." Danny pointed out casually. He looked at me. "Pretty sure Noah only grabbed that because a coach was in front of us in line."

    I cracked a smile. "Yea, that sounds like him."

    "Shut up. I eat my fruit and veggies." Noah straightened up. "Why do you think I''m taller than you?"

    "You shut up." Danny rolled his eyes. "I know your brothers are all very tall. You just have good genetics."

    I felt awkward, but Danny looked unbothered. He just moved over to look at Noah''s phone. "What is this?"

    "Stanford elimination game." Noah answered, moving away from Danny.

    Danny shrugged. "4-4. That''s a close one."

    "Yea."

    "You guys going straight there?" He glanced at me.

    I shrugged.

    "Got to meet up with the fam there." Noah answered.

    I nodded. That was true. Even if Dave was getting us, everyone else would still be at the stadium. At the very least, we should be eating dinner with them.

    "Do you practice against your twin brothers often?" Cody spoke up, looking directly at me.

    Noah glanced up and saw that the question wasn''t directed at him. He let out a laugh. "Yea, Jake uses them for batting practice. To improve though? Nah. The lefty on our team was better." He went back to looking at his phone.

    Cody was still looking at me though. So I did what I do best: shrugged. "We play against each other at the local park sometimes. It''s good to see live pitching, but I mostly prefer the cages."

    "It relaxes him." Noah added without looking up.

    "You can invite me over to pitch to you." Danny grinned. "As long as you''re not afraid that is."

    "Sure. If you want to expose yourself to heartbreak week in, week out." Noah chuckled. He looked at Cody. "You going to join too?"

    "No." Cody said lightly. "I''ll face him again when the roster is announced and the team is put together."

    "That confident?" Danny squinted at his teammate.

    He nodded. "I was the only one to get him out. My ranking is high. No one has a faster curve than me at this tryout."

    "Wow. You really analyzed this." Danny said. "What do you think my odds are?"

    "How many hits did you give up during the scrimmages?"

    "Two."

    "Over how many outs?"

    Danny took a little longer, thinking back. "Let''s see. I did one, two, three��fourteen." He nodded to himself. "Yea, it was fourteen. Less innings than strikeouts." He smirked.

    "Your chances are good. I would say 90%." Cody replied, not showing much emotion one way or the other. More like he was just informing Danny of the weather. "If it was just based on this group here today, I would say you made it."

    "Yea, I think so too." He nodded.

    "What about my odds?" Noah asked Cody curiously.

    Cody shook his head. "It''s not easy to estimate field players. Who''s hot, who''s not. Speed, agility, reliability. Without knowing the coach''s parameters on what the cutoff might look like, it would be a blind guess. Some coaches like hitters more. Some like a good defense."

    "Wow. That''s the most I''ve heard you say ever." Noah commented, not too invested in his odds of making the team.

    The team director used a speakerphone to quiet everyone down, cutting into our conversation. He thanked us for our time and effort before turning it over to Coach Rob. Coach Rob told everyone that he would send out an email with the final roster by mid-July. He finished by encouraging everyone to work hard regardless of the results and that he hoped to see our improvements in the future.

 Chapter 1172 v4 ch20

    We were dismissed shortly after. Some guys left in a hurry, while others were more casual. Seeing Noah not moving, I didn''t move either.

    Danny and Cody were part of the slow movers. They stood up and grabbed their bags.

    "We''ll catch you guys later." Danny gave a head nod. "Make sure to message me on the gram if you want a showdown. My schedule is flexible in the summer. I''ll bring this dude along even if he doesn''t want to pitch, he can still play."

    "Sure, sure." Noah briefly looked up and acknowledged. "Jake might like the cages the most, but we still have to practice fielding and endurance training. I''ll send you our schedule after school let''s out. Good luck on your finals."

    "Ugh." Danny scrunched up his face in disgust.

    Unbelievably, that made Cody crack a smile in his cold demeanor. "He''ll need it."

    Danny started to complain as the pair walked away.

    Noah chuckled. "That guy is probably an idiot. God help him."

    I grinned.

    We hung around until Dave called Noah. Which he promptly rejected. I hurried to call Dave back using my phone, and explained that Noah was watching the play-by-play for Zeke''s game so he couldn''t answer. Dave didn''t bother about that and just said that he was pulling up, asking if he needed to park. I said we would just meet him out front.

    We stayed on the line as Noah and I grabbed our stuff and headed out. Dave was in a line of cars of parents picking up their sons. He rolled down his window to wave to grab our attention. We threw our stuff in the trunk and got in; Noah in the front passenger seat and me alone in the mid row.

    "How was it?" Dave asked.

    "Pretty good day." Noah said. "Didn''t have any strikeouts. But I also didn''t see Cody or Danny from Servite. I''m thinking they''re the best two pitchers here."

    "Yea?" Dave glanced back at me.

    I nodded. "I got to see everyone pitch yesterday so I would but those two at the top this weekend. Especially Cody. No one has a faster breaking ball."

    "Such a nasty curve." Dave said in agreement. "God, I would hate to have to bat against him. How embarrassing is it to lose to someone younger than you?"

    "If Kyle drops further than predicted, you think he''ll still go?" Noah asked Dave.

    Dave, as his twin, should know best. "Unless he really gets snubbed, I think he goes pro. Top ten rounds easy. Top five hopefully."

    Noah looked back at me. "Try to look up Kyle''s projection on the draft board. They should have something on him. Like a little into of sorts."

    "Look up Garret first." Dave told me. "He''s obviously looking like round one or two. So he''ll be higher."

    I sat back and pulled out my phone, trying to find the info of draft projections. "Found Garret. Should I read it to you guys?"

    "Yea, go for it." Noah nodded, yet his eyes were still on his own phone.

    I cleared my throat before reading. "Garret Knudsen, pitcher and outfielder, from Watsonville, California. The lefty is projected to go late in the first round thanks to a fastball in the 90''s and a killer cutter that helped him be a strikeout leader on a state championship team. His ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts per nine innings were one of the best at the high school level. If that''s enough, Knudsen is a two-way player, playing center field on his days off the mound. His batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging were second on the team. This is a player that will excel quickly with experience and should be highly valued for his accomplishments." I paused. "Then they listed all his awards since being on varsity. Then they list his height and weight." My eyebrows raised at the next part. "Likely teams: Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Kansas City Royals."

    "Ew." Noah commented.

    "That doesn''t mean anything honestly. Minor leaguers get traded all the time." Dave said. "You''ve got to take these things with a grain of salt. Jake, you find Kyle yet?"

    I nodded. "Yea. I think so." I paused. "He''s in the top 100."

    Noah scoffed. "What? At 99?"

    "98." I corrected.

    "He''s moved up." Dave commented, sounding a little surprised. "Third round potential. Just last month, we were think fourth or fifth. Read it, Jake."

    I took a deep breath. "Kyle Atkins has a familiar last name and with good reason. His older brother, Zeke Atkins was a first round pick last year that passed on the Twins and chose to go to Stanford University."

    Noah snorted. "Hot start."

    "This Watsonville High School product does not seem to want to follow that same route." I continued. "The pitcher is known for his unique style on the mound despite having an identical twin at the same position, David Atkins, committed to pitching powerhouse, Vanderbilt University."

    "Wow!" Dave interrupted me this time. "Even I''m mentioned. Shoot, I probably have a write-up too. Read about me next, Jake."

    "Sure." I cleared my throat. "Kyle Atkins improved his fastball speed in the past year by an average of 4mph. He didn''t lose his control in the process, striking out more this year than last. His innings per a start also increased, and his WHIP and ERA lowered. Expect this Atkins brother to climb in the days leading up to the draft as teams examine his improvement and willingness to go to the minors over college."

 Chapter 1173 v4 ch21

    "David Atkins, right-handed pitcher, committed to Vanderbilt." I read next per Dave''s request. The next sentence made me pause. I frowned and skipped to another sentence. "David showed he was ready for the next level, having closed out the California state championship of Division Three, only giving up one hit."

    "Technically he gave up two runs on that hit." Noah pointed out. "He''s just lucky it was charged to Garret."

    Dave glanced in the rearview mirror. "Is that it?"

    I shrugged, avoiding eye contact by looking at my phone. "Yea. Pretty much. Has some of your stats and awards too like being first-team all conference. That kind of stuff. Says you''re unlikely to sign with a team if drafted."

    "That''s fair." He nodded slowly. "They have me pegged for being ready for college. That''s good. I''m hoping to make an impact right away, even if I''m just a freshman."

    "You''ll be the biggest incoming freshman, I bet." Noah said, talking about how tall Dave was. He wasn''t underweight at all either. Noah glanced back at me, but didn''t say anything.

    Feeling guilty, I looked away. I didn''t want him to know I skipped a sentence about Dave. It wasn''t something I wanted to say to him. Not that I think Dave couldn''t handle it, but it just wasn''t nice. It talked about how he was very injury prone and missed a lot of the season with various injuries. Which I didn''t find fair at all. He doesn''t play every game like a position player and that dislocated pinky was just bad luck. Plus there was the time he got stepped on and Coach pulled him just in case it was more serious.

    Noah may have been a little suspicious about it, but his attention was drawn back to the game. Stanford and Cal State Fullerton kept it close until the end, with Stanford just barely pulling through 6-5. They would get their rematch with Texas A&M.

    We had made it back to the stadium parking lot and hung out in the car with the updates. Mom called us right after the game, telling us that the stadium had to be cleared out and cleaned for the night game so we should just hang tight. They were being taken to an area where grampa could stay seated because of his old age.

    The three of us killed time by texting friends updates and being on social media. I remembered to text Jeremy, telling him a little about our tryout then mostly about Zeke''s game tonight. Surprisingly Jeremy got back to me right away, but then I remembered his game was earlier on the east coast. He should actually be on his way back.

    "I mean, maybe?" Noah shrugged. "Draft starts at 4pm for the west coast and that''s a few hours before the A''s game start time at 7pm. He could do both so Jeremy could be present."

    "You can ask Jeremy." Dave pointed out. "We''re just speculating here. Invite him for Thursday then ask about his plans for Carson."

    "Yea��okay��" I took a deep breath and started to type.

    Me: Nothing special planned for Thursday but you can come over for dinner. You can bring Rose too. Ryan should be coming over as well, I think.

    I mentioned Kyle''s agent, knowing that he was a friend of Rose. They should all move in the same circles so it wouldn''t be awkward.

    Jeremy: We''ll be there!

    Me: Are you going to be able to be with Carson on Wednesday when he''s picked?

    Jeremy: Yea, the organization is going to let us use a conference room for him and the whole fam. They''ll set up a laptop to keep an eye on the second round. I still have to warmup like normal, but should be able to catch the actual moment he''s picked. Just have to sacrifice some team time. No biggie.

    I hesitated for a minute before telling him:

    Tell Carson congratulations from all of us when it happens.

    Jeremy: I will! Thanks!

    I cracked a smile. I could just imagine how happy Jeremy is just because I sent that.

 Chapter 1174 v4 ch22

    "Noah James!" Mom scolded, making him and I flinch. "Can you take an extra second to chew before you choke?!?"

    We were all settled in for a late Sunday night game at Klein field. Dave, Noah, and I were able to meet up with the rest and as soon as we entered, Noah started begging for food. And I couldn''t blame him with my own stomach growling. Lunch was forever ago and we didn''t have much to snack on while waiting in the parking lot. Dad let us go crazy at the snack bar and we stocked up so we wouldn''t have to miss a pitch during the game. This could be it for Stanford after all. If they lost��Zeke would be headed for the summer collegiate league.

    "Mom, I''m almost 16." Noah rolled his eyes. "I think I know how to not choke on my food."

    "Age doesn''t matter." Mom said. "Either eat slower or I''ll take it away."

    Noah grumbled yet complied. I also consciously ate slower just in case Mom got mad at me. It''s not like we were truly starving. Just hungry. I knew the difference.

    Stanford got on the board early thanks to Zeke and Bradley Thompson. They kept the lead as they racked up the runs. Texas A&M had a few opportunities, scoring some runs of their own but they just couldn''t close the gap. Stanford beat them 13-5, forcing a third game between them tomorrow night.

    Most of the stadium was filled with Stanford fans so the atmosphere was at an all time high throughout the game. Every hit. Every run. Every strikeout.

    "It won''t be like this in the minors." Dave told Kyle after the game as we waited for the stadium to clear out a little. "Most of the time, it''s smaller than our fans at high school."

    "Dude, I don''t play for the fans. I''ll be fine." Kyle rolled his eyes.

    "Yea, I don''t need them either, but it sure makes it more lively." Noah said with a bounce in his step. "It just brings more energy. There''s a sense that you''ve got everyone cheering for you."

    "Or against you." Dave smirked. "There''s some satisfaction too when I hear the people from the opposition groan as I strike out their player. Just look at Jake. That groan from your own team can really bring you down."

    The muscles in my back tightened up, but I spoke up about it. "I think that''s more of an anxiety thing for me."

    "Yea, we should probably put you on some meds." Noah laughed.

    "He can see Dr. Moore whenever he needs." Dad spoke up. "I know you all have your preferences, but if something seems off, try to talk it out with one of us. I want to remind you boys that it''s not the end of the world when you lose."

    "Spoken like a man who''s never loved a sport." Grampa shook his head. We all stifled our laughs at Dad being scolded. "I don''t know how you and Mary ended up with five very serious baseball players. To have the athletic ability and the love for the game, it''s the best kind of combo."

    "Zeke got them started and we''ve been trying to keep up ever since." Mom put her fingers to her temples and rubbed. "If I had known then what I knew now, I would have made them try multiple hobbies. I took the easy way out, letting them all play the same sport."

    "At least we don''t all play the same position, Mom." Noah pointed out. "The twins were bad enough fighting for the mound all the time."

    "You boys playing together were the definition of the worst and best of times." Mom sighed dramatically. "So convenient not having to haul you kids to different parks at different times. But good lord the fighting��"

    We made it outside the stadium. There was no plan to see Zeke, given that he''s played two games today and has a very important one tomorrow. Just as we got to the edge of the parking lot, Dad held out his hand to Kyle.

    "Your mother and I will be staying the night so let us use the car. You and Grampa can go home with Dave." Dad said to Kyle.

    Kyle made a face. "Why can''t Dave give you his keys instead? It''s not feeling like ''my'' car when I have to keep letting you use it."

    Dave and I both took a step back to distance ourselves from him.

    Only Noah didn''t mind the potential confrontation. "Dude, if you have a problem with it, buy your own car."

    "Maybe I will." Kyle said. He pulled out his keys and handed them over. "Maybe I should just stay too since it is my car."

    "And miss the first part of finals tomorrow?" Mom asked rhetorically. "I think not mister." She looked at the four of us. "You all will go straight home and straight to bed. If I see any concerning final grades on your report card, the summer you expect, will not be happening."

    Kyle shrugged and put his hands behind his head. "I''m going pro. There are no consequences for me. I get picked, I sign the contract, then hit the road."

    "God, you sound like a douche." Noah rolled his eyes.

    I did my best to put a little more distance, hiding behind Dave.

    "You wouldn''t worry about finals either if you were in your senior year and getting drafted." Kyle said back to Noah.

    "Duh. But I wouldn''t go out of my way to make Mom upset about it." Noah rolled his eyes again. "Legit, I hope you end up in the shittiest small town in the middle of nowhere."

    "Like that would bother me." Kyle rolled his eyes too.

    "Okay, then I hope your girlfriend finds something better in college and dumps your ass." Noah folded his arms across his chest.

    Kyle took a step in Noah''s direction, but Dad reached out to put a hand on his shoulder to hold him in place. "Why are you boys even fighting?"

    "He''s the one treating you guys like sh-" Noah started to curse again, but stopped himself with a look from Dad. Noah shrugged. "Whatever. You''re right. I shouldn''t bother about Kyle." He glanced at me, then was taken aback. "What are you doing so far away, Jake?"

    "Jake sensed a fight on the horizon and got out of the way." Grampa spoke up, answering for me. "I think you boys forget how lucky you are sometimes." He gave a pointed look at Kyle.

    "Ugh!" Kyle dropped his shoulders, making Dad''s hand drop. "You guys always treat me like I''m the villain. Of course I''ll take my finals and graduate high school. I''m not really a delinquent. God dam��"

    "Sounds like everyone is tired." Grampa commented. "Let''s get back home. It''s been a long weekend for everyone." He looked at Mom and Dad. "Don''t worry, I''ll call you when we make it back. The boys and I will be cheering on Zeke from home. Make sure he knows that the season can''t end here."

    "Thanks, Dad." Mom went to hug his skinny frame. She whispered something and he nodded in response.

 Chapter 1175 v4 ch23 Finals Week

    The ride home was awkwardly quiet. The only sound came from the radio playing today''s hits. Grampa sat up front next to Dave, who drove us back safely. Noah and I actually sat in the middle row while Kyle took up the back by himself.

    As we got closer to home, Grampa looked back to see only me awake. "Can''t sleep?"

    I shrugged. "Harder to fall asleep than to stay asleep."

    He laughed. "Yea, it''ll change on you when you get old like me." He glanced back again. "You''re not still feeling tense from the boy''s spat, are you?"

    I glanced at the sleeping Noah.

    "Don''t worry about it. Families fight. Even the best of them." Grampa continued. "Heck, Mary was so stubborn and hardheaded that she would go weeks without talking to me or your grandmother." He smiled. "There were times she would apologize and times where we had to. Even a few times we would just let it die down on its own. Families that can forgive or understand are ones that can stick together. I don''t believe any of you boys will say or do something unforgivable. You''ll always have one another''s back."

    I glanced at Noah and caught him twisting his lips. I gave a small smile. He was awake and I knew he agreed with Grampa. Kyle could be a jerk sometimes but if anything were to happen to him, Noah would be there if he could.

    Dave pulled up the driveway and into the garage. "We won''t beat up Kyle no matter how annoying he is. At worse, we dye his hair again. He didn''t love that."

    I let out a laugh. Yea, he really didn''t.

    "I heard that." Kyle sat up in the backseat. "If you idiots try to touch my hair or appearance again, I''ll draw on all your faces while your sleeping."

    "I''d like to see you try." Noah snorted. He stretched in his seat before opening his door. He hopped out. The rest of us started to get out and unpack the car too.

    "Better sleep with one eye open tonight." Kyle smirked.

    "If you do anything during finals week, Mom will be the first to kill you." Dave patted him on the shoulder. "The best time to do anything is the night before you leave for the minors." He grinned. "Also saves you from any retaliation."

    Kyle grinned and patted him back. "I like the way you think."

    Noah rolled his eyes and grabbed his things before heading inside. "If Jake and I can think of a prank for Zeke when he''s away at college, then you aren''t safe either."

    Kyle and Dave both glanced at me, knowing that the singing gram was mostly my idea.

    I hurriedly grabbed my stuff and followed Noah. Not like it was much safer inside since we all shared a room, but at least with Noah around, he should take the brunt of the twins.

    Noah and I used both bathrooms to shower first, still having the stink from playing baseball earlier in the day. I scrubbed off the dried sweat, kind of feeling like another moment has passed. The tryouts are over. Next step would be finding out the roster next month and heading to North Carolina in August. With or without Noah. I took a couple deep breaths. Either way, he would be there even if it''s in the stands.

    Come Monday morning, I was the last one to wake, dragging my feet through the whole routine. Getting dressed. Brushing teeth. Brushing hair. Grabbing a nearly empty backpack, mostly to carry pencils, pens, and a calculator. Nothing more was due. Just finals to take.

    "You look terrible." Kyle commented when I sat down at the table.

    Grampa but some effort in breakfast, making scrambled eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, and crispy bacon. I filled my plate with it all.

    "I think he looks like his usual morning self." Dave replied. "Drowsy and half-asleep. Better this than-" He stopped himself.

    "Better this than his vomiting because of anxiety." Noah finished for him. "Don''t be afraid to say the truth." He looked at me. "But Kyle is right. You look a little more exhausted than normal. Are you going to fall asleep during your tests?"

    I shook my head and started eating.

    "Give him some time to warm up." Dave said. "Noah, you have your first final with him so just keep an eye on him. You might have to throw something at him if he starts dozing off."

    I rolled my eyes.

    "Looks like he''s more awake than he''s letting on." Grampa chuckled. "Stop picking on him and fuel up. How about we discuss dinner ideas for tonight?"

    "Steak!" The twins said simultaneously.

    "Off the grill." Kyle added. "It''s perfect weather. We can even do little veggie kabobs so Mom knows it''s a balanced meal."

    "Are you kids going to invite any of your friends over to watch the Stanford game?" Grampa asked. "I''ll need a head count before I go grocery shopping."

    "I''ll send out a text to see if anyone is interested." Dave pulled out his phone. "Some might not be able to come if they''ve got to study. Not everyone can be as smart as us."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "You have Jake tutoring you in math all the time. You should be saying that not everyone has a live in tutor like you."

    "Shhh." Dave shushed him. "I know you''ve asked him for help too."

    The bickering lasted all the way until we reached school. I just soaked it in, happy that it was the normal little things instead of a big fight brewing.

    I was definitely awake for the first final of the day, not needing Noah to throw anything at me. During break, Alisha and Kaylee were by our lockers, wanting to know how our weekend tryout went. Noah left out no details, even telling them that I lost to one of those Servite guys.

    I rolled my eyes. "You try hitting a 90mph curve."

    "I will!" Noah said excitedly. "As soon as the summer starts. I want to get Cody to come over so I can give it a go. He doesn''t have to go all out. Just let me see it a couple more times."

    "Ok, but before that, what about this weekend?" Alisha asked. "Is it another weekend at Stanford or should I host a birthday party?" She glanced at Kaylee.

    "Don''t know yet." Noah told her. "We find out tonight if they move on. Hey, if you guys want, you can come over and watch it with us."

    "My parents won''t let me leave the house during finals week." Kaylee shook her head. She gave a small lift of the arm in a sling. "Plus, I have a physical therapy session this afternoon. And Wednesday. And Friday."

    "Wow, that''s a lot." I commented, having some experience with PT during my hospital stay.

    "Just small sessions. Move my fingers and stretch the arm this way and that way." She gave a small shrug. "Months away from throwing a softball."

    "Don''t sell yourself short." Noah patted her good shoulder. "This is just the start. I bet you''ll be able to throw casually before you leave for SoCal."

    Alisha let out a heavy sigh. "Don''t talk about her leaving. It makes me feel sad."

    "Why?" Noah asked, confused. "If anyone should feel sad, it''s Kaylee."

    "I''m just going to miss how things are now. With the four of us." Alisha defended.

    I nodded. "Me too. I don''t like change."

    "Life is always changing." Noah rolled his eyes. "But that''s okay. We''ll all still be friends. Even if we aren''t in the same places physically, just know that we''re all either a text or phone call away." He looked at Kaylee. "Do us a favor and visit Disneyland without us. We''ll visit you and make you play tour guide."

    Kaylee cracked a smile. "Yea? I''ll make sure I''m ready for you guys."

    "I love that idea!" Alisha clapped her hands together. "We should start talking to our parents about it. Like throw the idea around and maybe look up some details like flights and hotels."

    "I feel like we should wait until one of us can drive." Kaylee said with a smile. "I''ll probably be last to qualify, but next summer this could be a thing."

    The bell rung to signal the end of our break. But at lunch, Noah ran the idea by me again.

    "Going back down south wouldn''t bug you, right?" He asked as we unpacked our lunches. "Like I know Jeremy did anything to leave the area because��ya know. Are you going to be the same?"

    I thought about it. "It''s not the same, I think. Besides, I know where she is. There wouldn''t be anything to fear down there anymore."

    Noah grinned. "Good. Because I''m really liking this idea for next summer break. Like if we can talk Mom and Dad into letting us go and making a big trip out of this. Like we can go to some of the stadiums down there and see the Dodgers, Angels, and Padres. It would be awesome."

    I laughed. "I think you better start with the budget layout. Like Kyle did when he wanted to do that pitching camp."

    "I''ve got time." Noah said confidently.

 Chapter 1176 v4 ch24 Monday Night

    After school, we found out from Dave that only a couple of guys from the team were coming over. Garret wasn''t a surprise, given that he was the twin''s best friend and had a future planned for after high school. Mitchell wasn''t much of a surprise either because he catches for them often and still had plans to meet up with Dave this summer to get more work in. Joey did throw me off though, but not as much as seeing Dalton and Logan.

    They were a bit awkward coming in at first, but Noah treated them like any other teammate. He got them each a water and directed them to the living room to find a spot to sit.

    "Wow. Surprised that all the seniors couldn''t make it." Garret commented when we knew no one else was coming.

    "Some of us need to pass our finals because we''re continuing our education." Dave threw a pillow at him.

    Garret caught it and put it behind his back. "Sure. But if you''re still here then I feel like everyone else should be fine too."

    "I''m an honor student too." Dave crumpled up his empty water bottle and chucked it at him. "Plus, you have to consider how many have parents that would be upset if they weren''t at home, studying for said finals."

    "He''s just worried that his party on Wednesday might be a flop." Kyle laughed. He reached out to pat Garret''s shoulder as if to comfort him. "Don''t worry, superstar, finals should be done on Wednesday and everyone will be there to freeload off of you. Make sure to have plenty of snacks."

    "I second that motion!" Noah raised his hand.

    "Yea, I''ll be there Wednesday." Joey added. "I want to see what it''s like when you''re a top draft pick."

    "It''ll be casual." Garret told everyone. "Plenty of food to appease the masses. Even Noah''s bottomless pit of a stomach."

    "I''m not insulted by that." Noah shrugged, unbothered.

    We chatted casually about the upcoming draft as Stanford''s broadcast started doing pregame interviews and introductions. They showed highlights from the previous two matchups with Texas A&M this past weekend and included highlights from the star players. Zeke and Rhys got their fair share of coverage, but Bradley got the most, since he was a projected top five pick in the upcoming draft.

    "Kind of feels wrong that you could be drafted the same round as Bradley Thompson." Dave said to Garret, glancing at him with suspicion. "It''s like you''re a poser."

    "I bet I could take him." Garret held up his left fist. "If I can strike out Jake, I can strike out anyone."

    "Johnson has had a tremendous freshman year, having recovered from Tommy John near the end of his junior year of high school. The only one fighting him for Freshman of the Year in the conference is his very own teammate, Zeke Atkins."

    "I''ve heard it was Atkins that talked him into going to Stanford as he was eyeing to stay at a local community college. His dad is a well-known pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants and would be able to train him privately before entering the draft the next time he''s eligible."]

    "Hey! It was my idea!" Noah shouted at the tv.

    "They did say Atkins." Logan shrugged.

    "Yea, but they implied it was Zeke." Noah rolled his eyes. "I was the first one to bring it up. He was still debating whether to just go in the draft as a late rounder or build up momentum at a community college. I''ve got to get him to set the story straight." Noah clapped his hands together.

    We watched as Rhys did a quick warmup in the bullpen before taking the mound. He did another couple of pitches, working up speed as the announcers talked about his nearly record-breaking season for freshmen.

    Rhys took over and took charge on that mound. His fastball was smooth and his slider could move. He averaged a strikeout an inning, only giving up a couple of hits, but no walks or runs. Yet, he wasn''t even the true star of the game. That was actually a battle between Zeke and Bradley as the both of them hit two homers each! Texas A&M pitchers didnt stand a chance against the pair. The game ended in a lopsided 11-1 beat down.

    We got to watch their team celebrate on the field, throwing their hats and gloves in the air. The announcers talked about how they would host the Super Regional against a well-rounded Auburn program this upcoming weekend. It would be a best-of-three series. Winner would head to Omaha.

    "Would you guys go to Omaha to watch?" Dalton asked Noah.

    "Heck yes!" Noah pumped his fist.

    Even I nodded in agreement.

    "Kyle wouldn''t be able to go though, would he?" Joey asked. "Like how soon do you head off to the minors?"

    "When the contract is signed." Garret answered. He stood up. "If they make it to Omaha, we might already be on our new teams, getting our feet wet."

    "We could get rid of him by next week?" Noah grinned. "What a relief."

    Kyle threw a pillow at him.

 Chapter 1177 V4 ch25 Wednesday (1)

    Mom and Dad were home by Tuesday afternoon when we all got back from school. Mom set the table with a couple of snacks and asked us about our finals. With assurance that we were all good to do well, she then asked if we were going straight to Garret''s after school tomorrow. It was an easy yes.

    Wednesday was like the real last day of tests. Things were about to get real busy with the draft, the twins graduation, and Zeke''s Super Regional this weekend.

    Alisha and Kaylee toyed with the idea of going to Stanford this weekend, but ultimately decided to stay home for Alisha''s birthday. Noah assured her that we would celebrate when summer break started next week. That got Alisha thinking to throw another pool party but next weekend. It would be a lot of kids from school again. I tried not to cringe too much at the idea. It was her birthday and she should celebrate the way she wanted.

    "But if Zeke moves on, then we might be in Omaha next weekend." Noah pointed out.

    "Then we party without you guys." Kaylee shrugged.

    Alisha looked torn. She wanted to do fun things��but with Noah there.

    "If Zeke moves on after this weekend, then we''ll go to your house Monday to celebrate." Noah suggested. "Just whoever can be there. We''ll be responsible for ordering the pizza and you provide the cold drinks?"

    Alisha nodded. "Yea. That sounds okay. I''ll make sure my parents know. I''ve kind of already told them that I want to have friends over often for pool parties. Like not real parties. But gatherings." She glanced at Kaylee. "You''ll have to be careful with your arm, but we can still hang out in the jacuzzi. I just want this to be a summer of fun."

    "Maybe we should have tried to join the softball league again." Noah laughed. "I feel like that kept us together most of last summer."

    "Thank god we didn''t." Kaylee muttered. She wiggled her arm in the sling. "This hurts me enough. I would have hated it more if we had real plans that I missed out on. It sucks enough not learning to drive with you guys."

    "Don''t worry, we''ll be your chauffeurs as soon as we pass our permit tests." Noah grinned.

    "Don''t we have to have an adult with us when we drive though?" Alisha asked. "At least until we get the real license."

    "Dave''s an adult." Noah pointed out. "We can just drag him around too.

    Garret shrugged. "Sure. Let''s go to the kitchen first. See the spread before it gets messy."

    I didn''t know what he meant by spread until I saw it with my own eyes. Every little bit of counter space was completely covered with snack trays. Meats, cheeses, crackers, and pretzels. Fruits and veggies platters. Chips and cookies.

    Noah took the lead to stock up, grabbing a plate and filling it with an assortment. The twins and I were much more calm and conscientious. There were others that would be here soon and wouldn''t be right to make a mess of the design.

    Mr. Cameron asked Garret a few questions about his thoughts, feelings, and expectations.

    "I feel like going in the first round is the general expectation and that would be exciting, but I won''t be bitter if I fall to the second round." Garret was answering a question. "Just means the party will go on a little longer. My dad will connect the tv to the website streaming and we''ll watch on."

    "Any particular place you would like to end up? Either for sentimental reasons or practical purposes?" Mr. Cameron asked.

    "No, because none of it is concrete." Garret grinned. "I''m looking forward to traveling all over the country for my time in the minors. It''s a long road to the majors and this is just a stepping stone. I''ll be grateful to whichever team gives me a chance to grow within their organization and hopefully can contribute to its success."

    Mr. Cameron looked to Kyle. "What about you, Kyle? Any teams in particular you like more than the other?"

    Kyle shook his head.

    "Lies." Noah muttered between bites of a brownie. When he finished chewing, he added. "Kyle would probably like to end up on a minor team that plays in SoCal so he can see his girlfriend more often."

    Kyle didn''t deny it.

    Mr. Cameron chuckled. "That would be nice to have someone you know when you end up in a strange place. But definitely difficult to plan considering the many moves the minor leagues can do." He glanced between Garret and Kyle. "It''ll be interesting to see if either of you can get past rookie ball the first year."

    "I probably have the best chance seeing as I''m going before him and I''m still in shape." Garret smirked.

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "The season just ended. I''m still in good shape. Not resting can be bad for your elbow and shoulder. Be careful not to overdo it."

    Garret couldn''t continue to stay with us as more and more people showed up. He reminded us to get some good seats in the living room before taking off.

 Chapter 1178 V4 ch26 Wednesday (2)

    We restocked our snack plates before going to the living room, leaving Mr. Cameron behind to talk with other adults. Dave casually pointed out Garret''s parents, cousin, and uncles to me. Then we saw our own coaches from the high school show up, along with teammates. Old and new.

    Guys like Mahki and Kelvin. Pitchers like Ryan and Troy. Julian came with his little brother, Andy. Everyone mingled, chatting with one another and catching up.

    Julian came over and tousled mine and Noah''s hair. He squatted down. "Look at you two. Back to back champs." He grinned and nodded with approval.

    "Yo, we''re back to back champs too." Dave got up and gave Julian a half hand shake, pulling him into a hug. "How ya doing, man?"

    Julian grinned. "Pretty bad actually. My college team lost the conference championship game so bad that it made me cry."

    Dave laughed, Kyle rolled his eyes, and Andy looked skeptical.

    "I probably would too if I were you." Noah told him honestly. He stood up too, to be eye level.

    Not wanting to be the only one sitting, I got up to. "I''m sorry you lost." I told Julian. I didn''t follow his college team so I didn''t know how bad it was, but any kind of losing probably doesn''t feel good.

    He laughed and patted me on the head again. "Hey it happens. Baseball is a sport where you can fail half the time and still be considered great. But hey, look at you. Sprouting up like a weed." He eyed me and Noah. "It''s hard to tell when you''re with Noah because he''s getting taller too, but with the twins nearby, it''s clear to see."

    "Thanks." I smiled, always happy to be complimented on my growth.

    Noah straightened up and eyed the twins.

    Dave pushed his face away. "Keep dreaming, bud. We''ve got to stop growing for you to catch us."

    Kyle laughed. "Yea. Plus, by our junior year, we were already six-foot. You''d have to have another growth spurt this summer to catch the old us."

    "I''ll be six-foot soon." Noah declared confidently, patting his own chest.

    We talked a little more about height, but then switched to baseball. Julian had a great season and was invited to play for the California Collegiate League like Zeke. He already knew he was playing for the Walnut Creek Crawdads outside of Oakland. He would stay in a dorm up there, but would be back for a couple weeks in August before school started again. Andy also had plans this summer; his parents were going to let him play for the travel team. I guess with Julian''s help of convincing them that this is an investment in their future, they decided to give him a chance.

    "They won''t be giving me rides though so I''ll have to set that up on my own." Andy shrugged. "After finals week wraps up, the team will get together and I can ask around to see who I can carpool with."

    "If you get in a tight spot, just text Noah." Dave told him. "We''ll be around for most of the summer. I don''t mind going for a drive to watch some baseball."

    "Sorry for not being a high enough pick." Garret chuckled.

    "We forgive you." Kyle sat next to Dave. "But as soon as you get a phone call, everyone better start recording and taking pictures."

    "Of course!"

    "Yeah!"

    "No duh!"

    "I''ll be taking the selfies!"

    The room got rowdy as everyone shouted what they planned to do. I grinned, happy to see everyone else having a good time. Even though the room was over-crowded, I barely felt claustrophobic. Almost everyone here was someone I knew or kind of knew in passing.

    We all watched casually as the draft continued. I kept an eye out for Garret''s name in the bottom bar as they showed the best available players remaining.

    Miami Marlins went with a pitcher. As did the Kansas City Royals. Having already seen two teams that were listed to be interested in Garret, I leaned over to quietly ask Noah, trying not to get Garret''s attention.

    "Some teams can have multiple picks in the first round." Noah wasn''t worried. "Plus there''s compensation picks and Competitive Balance Round A."

    "That''s probably where I''ll fall." Garret had overheard us and turned our way to tell us. He grinned and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Don''t worry. It''ll still be on the TV."

    "Would you still claim to be a first round pick if you go that late?" Noah asked, curious.

    Garret laughed. "I probably wouldn''t say first round. Maybe just my draft number. Like if I''m the 32nd pick, that''s how I would say it."

    "You should do that too." Dave elbowed Kyle. "Just go by your exact pick instead of the round. Especially if you can stay in the top hundred."

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Draft pick doesn''t matter much when you reach the big leagues."

    "You''re just salty that you won''t be as high as Garret." Dave remarked. "Or maybe you''re already being defensive because you know I''ll go higher after some time in college."

    The two started to do their usual: bicker.

    The Toronto Blue Jays went with a shortstop. Seattle Mariners took a pitcher. Pittsburgh Pirates took a second baseman.

 Chapter 1179 V4 ch27 Wednesday (3)

    ["With the eighth pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the San Diego Padres select Robert Hassell, an outfielder from Independence High School, Thompson''s Station, Tennessee."]

    Everyone got a little quieter.

    "The first high school player to be selected this year." Noah commented. "He''s gotta be crazy good to beat you out, Garret."

    And he was. Crazy good was even an understatement in my opinion. Like Garret, he played outfield and did some pitching for his high school team. Unlike Garret, he was recognized as a top collegiate prospect going INTO high school. As a freshman, he committed to University of Tennessee. Which changed to Vanderbilt his sophomore year. He''s been named player of the year for his county all four years and even Tennessee''s Gatorade Player of the Year. He had been to the Little League World Series twice, representing Nashville, Tennessee.

    After his junior year, Hassell was named to the roster for the United States national baseball team to compete in the 2019 World Baseball/Softball Confederation U-18 Baseball World Cup and won the Richard W. "Dick" Case Award as the team''s most valuable player after leading the team in 10 different offensive categories.

    "God damn." Dave cursed. "Just when you think you see the top, there''s another mountain to climb."

    The men on tv, said that Robert had the nicest left-handed swing in the whole draft. He was mainly a contact-over-power hitter��just like me. But like Garret, he threw fast on the mound. Clocked 93mph in his last game.

    "Well, at least you have him there." Noah patted Garret on the back as if to console him.

    Garret held up his hands in defeat. "That''s the advantage of playing on a higher level. Your name is more well-known. I didn''t play for Team USA and go beat a bunch of other countries." He glanced at me. "This sounds more like Jake''s future."

    "Right!" Noah slapped my back. "You can totally take him, Jake! His batting average ain''t shit compared to yours."

    My lips twitched. "Thanks��"

    "And you had more homers than him!" Dave added, reading off the screen. "Really, you make this guy look bad."

    "I will definitely be here for Jake''s draft day." Garret clapped his hands together. "He''s a future number one. I know it."

    ["This is actually Watsonville''s second time in two years, having a first round pick. More famously, Zeke Atkins who declined and decided to go to Stanford where his teammate just got selected as the second pick."

    "Yea, they''re just cranking out some excellent players out there. It''s just a small town, but they''ve made a big impact, having won back to back state championships with the help of this young man right here." Highlights of Garret pitching took over the screen. "This lefty knows speed and his accuracy has to be unparalleled at his age. He also throws a mean cutter that has the same start as his fastball. If that wasn''t enough, he''s been adding a slider to his arsenal."

    "His accomplishments on the mound are some of the best at his level, but let''s not forget that he''s a beast at the plate as well. On the days he doesn''t pitch, he plays in center and bats cleanup. He actually hit the walk-off single for his team to win their last state championship game."]

    The analysts went on and on about him until the commissioner came back out to announce the next pick. I looked back to the others in the room, who were still celebrating.

    "What did they say about him?" Noah left the group and came over to me by the tv.

    I gave him a small summary. Then frowned. "I probably should have recorded it for him. They really like his cutter."

    "His parents probably have the whole program to record to their DVR." Noah waved my worry off. "This is something special after all."

    "We didn''t do much for Zeke." I pointed out, kind of feeling bad.

    "Zeke wouldn''t change his mind." Noah shrugged. "No matter how much I wanted him to. Don''t worry though, he''ll get another chance soon enough. Next year, if he can finish his courses and graduate early." Noah grinned. "It''ll be a great surprise for everyone in the draft. Our small town will be mentioned again." His eyes started to sparkle. "If Kyle gets drafted this year. And Zeke next year. Then it could be us to make it three years in a row."

    I laughed. "Yea."

    "Stupid Dave will probably want to graduate college and mess up the streak." Noah rolled his eyes. Then looked back to me. "Seeing that Robert guy from Tennessee got me thinking, we should hurry up and commit to a college. I want it mentioned that I was an early commit when I get drafted too."

    "But don''t we have to visit the schools first?" I asked, unsure.

    "Probably." He shrugged. "At the very least, Mom would make us. But who cares. It''s just for show. I think I''ll commit to Stanford, no scholarship needed. Just want to use their name and then show off when I go pro."

    I laughed at his idea.

 Chapter 1180 V4 ch28 Wednesday (4)

    The draft went on with the first round wrapping up after the 29th pick. When I asked Noah why it stopped at 29 and not 30, he reminded me of the scandal that just rained down on baseball.

    "The Astros had to forfeit their first round pick." Noah made a face of disgust. "Bunch of cheaters."

    "You gotta keep neutral when it comes to the draft." Kyle reminded him.

    "Good thing I have a couple more years to get over it." Noah shrugged. "Then time in the minors. If I do make it to the Astros starting roster, I can handle the boos and chatter." He gave me a sympathetic look. "Better get a thicker skin, Jake."

    Kyle laughed. "He would pass out. I''d bet on it."

    "Hey! He''s getting better." Dave defended me before pulling my head to his chest. "There, there. Come on, Jake, let''s practice. Say it with me: sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me."

    I froze. "Would they really throw things at me?"

    The three of them burst into laughter.

    "If they do, you''ll have security there to back you up and throw them out." Noah was the first to answer.

    "Yea, and even if they do say some mean things, just pretend your deaf." Dave pushed me away.

    "It''s a good thing you don''t play in the outfield." Kyle told me. "They can get really rowdy out there. Some players have made complaints. I''ve heard Fenway Park is the worst."

    "Jake would totally be a DH anyways." Dave said. "He''d only have to deal with the fans behind the dugout. He could easily tune them out."

    The room slowly lost people as they started to go home. Garret was picked and we had celebrated, joining in with his excitement. His coaches were mostly the first to go, slowly followed by our classmates and teammates. Tomorrow was still a school day even if it was just for show. Maybe sign yearbooks and eat junk food.

    Garret''s parents ordered pizza for those of us left and who had opted to stay. His dad had to switch the tv to the streaming option to show round two.

    "How soon is Carson projected to go?" Kyle asked. He had known that Jeremy was coming over tomorrow to watch for his potential selection. We also told him about Carson being a potential second round pick, but we didn''t give the details.

    "His name should be on the screen soon enough." Dave answered, staring at the tv. It eventually flashed to top available players per position. "Ah, towards the back end."

    "The A''s have the 58th pick." Garret pointed out. "Wouldn''t it be wild if they pick him? Like he would already be at the stadium to celebrate and everything."

    Noah made a look of disgust. "That would be theatrical. Like purely for show."

    "Hey, sometimes it''s like that." Garret pointed out. "You have to make headlines, create stories that people would be interested in. I bet when Kyle gets drafted, they talk about Zeke. Possibly even Dave. Heck, maybe about Jeremy, Jake, and you. It''s a good storyline too."

    Noah glanced at me. "Would you care if the A''s drafted him?"

    I shook my head. "It wouldn''t mean that he''s playing with Jeremy. You guys say it all the time; there''s a lot of moves in the minors. Trades and transactions."

    Noah nodded slowly. "Yea. Right. Doesn''t matter." He folded his arms across his chest. "Make all the stories and headlines they want. We''ve got a better one."

    Carson ended up going sooner than we thought. The thirteenth pick in the second round, 50th overall, the Texas Rangers drafted him. Straight out of high school and being Jeremy Patterson''s younger cousin; he garnered a lot of attention.

    We watched as the screen changed to him and Jeremy high fiving one another before a brief hug. He then hugged his mom��then his dad. I tried to keep a neutral expression, but Noah didn''t. Carson moved to his two younger sisters: Gabby and Makenna. Everyone had big smiles, as they should, but it just felt weird.

    "You think you would be at the A''s stadium like him in two years?" Tyler, one of our relief pitchers, asked me. He looked curious.

    I looked to Noah.

    Noah rolled his eyes. "What are you looking to me for?"

    I shrugged. "I don''t know so I felt like you would know."

    Noah twisted his lips. "We don''t even know next year''s schedule so how would we know if the A''s play or not in two years. Or whether they even play at home or not." He grinned. "Besides, as a future number one, you should probably physically be at the draft."

    A lot of the guys liked the sound of that. Everyone that was left talked about being at the actually draft and voted that I should go. Be able to walk up that stage and shake the commissioners hand and wear my team''s jersey. Some of the guys voted that I should stick to hosting a watch party like Garret. It felt more inclusive which I agreed with.

    "He definitely won''t be going in person." Dave took a stand. "Jake''s so skittish. Plus, he likes to keep things lowkey. We''ll be holding a party for sure."

    "What do you mean ''we''?" Kyle rolled his eyes. "You''ll be in school and I''ll hopefully be making my debut for the majors. We won''t be home."

    "No way you make your debut at 20." Noah laughed. "I would even dare say Jake debuts before you."

    "Yea, even I think 20 is a stretch." Garret said. "College players spend less time in minors than us. We still have to finish growing and developing."

    Kyle stretched his neck high. "If I keep growing, I might be the tallest pitcher ever."

    "No way." Dave rolled his eyes. "Randy Johnson was 6'' 10". Dad''s not even that tall. Besides, I would hate to grow that much. It would mess with my mechanics."

    "It''s not like we would grow half a foot over night." Kyle shot back. "You would make small adjustments just like we have been. Barely noticeable."

    Garret looked towards Noah. "I don''t know. I feel like Noah is sprouting very fast."

    "How? We were taller than him at his age." Kyle shook his head. "I''m thinking he''s the shortest out of all of us." He paused. "After Jake." He glanced my way. "No offense. Our parents are just taller."

    I shrugged, not bothered.

    "Yea, but you guys were always kind of tall even in middle school." Garret argued. "Noah stayed small then grew, then grew some more. I''m thinking by the end of next year, he''s taller than me."

    "That''s not saying much." Dave smirked. Both him and Kyle stood taller than Garret.

    The rest of the second round became background noise as we started to talk about heights. Then genetics. Then college classes some of the guys would have to take. Eventually we looked up Garret''s minor league options.

    As a new signee, he would definitely be starting out at the Rookie level. Which would send him to North Port, Florida. Somewhere none of us had been. Which led to us taking a poll to who had even been to Florida.

 Chapter 1181 V4 ch29

    By the time we got home Wednesday night, it was hurry up and shower and get to bed. We still had to physically be at school Thursday morning. Luckily it would be a half day, so we''d be home in time for lunch.

    I didn''t notice anything off with Kyle until we met at the car after school. He threw Dave the keys, catching us all by surprise considering how much he liked to be in control. Even more so when it''s his car.

    "Jitters getting to you?" Dave raised an eyebrow. He unlocked the doors and we got in.

    "Shaking with excitement." Kyle held his hand up so we could see the little tremors. He relaxed into the front passenger seat. "Why don''t we go get ice cream for lunch?"

    "What about Grampa?" I quickly asked so they wouldn''t forget that he was waiting for us at home with lunch.

    "I bet he grilled some steaks." Dave said, starting the car and sparing a glance at his twin.

    Kyle shrugged. "Yea. That''s better. Way more fulfilling."

    "I''d still be down to get ice cream after." Noah added. "We''ll have a couple of hours until it''s time." He leaned forward. "You going to hook up your laptop to the tv?"

    "There''s not much to actually watch. The rest of the rounds aren''t really televised." Kyle said.

    "Yea, but it''s good to keep track and see when you''re coming up." Dave said. "Kind of like a countdown until you get picked." He paused. "You''re not feeling sorry for yourself because you didn''t go day one like Garret and Zeke had done, right?"

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "I''m not the sulking type."

    Noah burst out into laughter. "Okayyyy. Sureeee." He was totally sarcastic.

    Usually Kyle would have something to quip back with, but he just stayed quiet for the rest of the ride home. He pulled out his phone, looking to send a few texts.

    Unexpectedly, Mom and Dad were home, helping Grampa set the table. Steaks like Dave predicted and my favorite veggie skewers.

    I couldn''t resist and grabbed one right away.

    "Jake." Mom squinted at me. "Did you wash your hands?"

    I paused.

    "It''s not like he''s touching the food with his hands." Noah answered for me, reaching out for a veggie skewer too. "I''m with Jake. We''re starving."

    "I told you to take a snack to school." Mom began to lecture.

    "You wouldn''t let me bring anything sweet!" Noah shot back.

    We took turns at the kitchen sink, washing hands before going to sit down at the table. It was full of extra placemats and glasses.

    "Uh, is Jeremy coming over early to eat too?" Dave asked, eyeing the extra seats. He started to count. "And is he bringing Rose? Who else? It can''t be Zeke! He has a big series that start tomorrow. He''s probably doing extra time in the cages or something."

    "It''s Ryan." Dad was the one to answer, naming Kyle''s agent. "Him, Rose, and Jeremy are all riding together and should be here any minute." He walked out the back door to help Grampa with the grill.

    Almost as if on cue, the doorbell went off followed by a knock knock at the front door.

    A few pairs of eyes looked to me. I stopped eating my skewer, confused. I looked to Noah.

    Noah looked to Kyle. "They''re here for you, dude. You go answer it."

    Kyle straightened up and took long strides to the door.

    Dave laughed as he squeezed between me and Noah. "That was cruel. You chose food over your own brother."

    "Like you don''t." Noah scoffed. He reached out for another skewer.

    As did I. "I think it makes more sense for Kyle to get them. He''s also more talkative than I am. And, I don''t want to be caught not knowing the answer to any of their questions. Like how is Kyle feeling? Because I don''t know."

    "It''s not test, Jake." Dave laughed again. "If you don''t know, you don''t know. Honestly, I don''t know what he''s feeling either. Excited, definitely. Nervous, probably. All I know is how I''m feeling."

    "Which is what?" Noah asked curiously.

    "You three look cozy." Jeremy said as he walked in, followed by Rose. Ryan and Kyle could be heard talking in the entryway still.

    "You''ll be just as tight on that side of the table." Noah told them, gesturing. "We should really invest in an expanding table for occasions like this."

    Jeremy looked to Rose. "How do you feel about one of those? I think it would be a good idea."

    Rose scrunched up her nose. "I guess it would be more practical than just having a giant table going unused most of the time."

    "You guys shopping for the house before holding the wedding?" Noah asked. "Isn''t it supposed to be the opposite way?"

    "Not if they''re already living together." Dave pointed out.

    Jeremy''s face started to turn red.

    "The wedding planning is all under control." Rose claimed with a small smile. She took Jeremy''s hand and led him to the other side to sit across from us.

    "Gotta be in the offseason clearly." Dave noted. "Are we all getting invites? Or are you guys just doing something small?" His eyes widened. "No. I have to go! There''s going to be so many pros there!"

    Jeremy let out a small laugh. "Yes, everyone is invited. I don''t think there''s going to be as many pros as you think. I''m only close to a few guys on the team."

    "Maberry has got to be there, right?" Dave pushed.

    "He''s invited, yes." Jeremy nodded.

    "You didn''t make him your best man? What about Jake? Is he going to be a groomsman?" Dave continued asking.

    "No, I picked a friend from my time in the minors." He answered. "He''s still in double A, but won''t be playing offseason ball." He looked at me. "Sorry, Jake. I didn''t think of you for a groomsman��you''re kind of young. I just picked a few guys I know from baseball."

    "He''s better off without the attention." Noah said. "How many of your groomsmen are players?"

    "All of them." Jeremy looked oddly embarrassed. He scratched the upper corner of his cheek. "I probably wouldn''t have asked as many as I did if Rose didn''t have so many bridesmaids. Gotta keep it even somehow."

    Dave and Noah laughed.

    Kyle came in with Ryan; they both sat on the same side as Jeremy and Rose. Mom and Dad came in, setting out the rest of the sides and drink choices. Grampa came in last, holding a giant platter of steaks.

    "Kyle gets to pick first." He declared, handing over the tongs to Kyle. Kyle made his choice of steaks and passed the tongs to Ryan. Ryan looked embarrassed to go before so many of us and tried to hand it off.

    "Don''t bother. They''re all equally good." Dave assured him.

    The tongs and Grampa made his way around. From Ryan to Rose to Jeremy. Dad at the head of the table. Me, Dave, and Noah. Grampa then let Mom picked before placing one on his own plate. Lunch got underway as everyone started to add some sides to their plates.

 Chapter 1182 V4 ch30

    Lunch was fulfilling and everyone was talking about everything. School was over and the summer really had already started. Jeremy''s team was in full swing, fighting to stay on top of his division. Dave and Noah were excited for Zeke, who could be headed to Omaha next week if he can win the series against Auburn. Kyle could be headed to his new team by then too. There were other big events like me playing for the regional team and Dave going off to college.

    "Sounds like you guys will be busy." Rose commented with a smile.

    "Just depends on how long Zeke''s team can last." Noah said. "Otherwise we''ll be just training here locally." He looked to Jeremy. "And maybe go to some A''s game?"

    "Whenever you guys can come, just let me know." Jeremy stated.

    "You can always tell them no, Jeremy. Or they might take advantage of you this summer." Mom warned.

    "The summer isn''t as long as you think when you''re a teenager." Jeremy said. "I really like treating you guys to games since it''s something I really enjoyed when growing up. I''m happy that I can share that. Plus, it means I get to see you all more when I''m in season."

    "We appreciate the thought, Jeremy." Dad told him. "Just assure me and Mary that you won''t feel pressured into letting the boys go. We understand that you can be stressed during the season. If you''re in a slump-"

    "We appreciate the thought, Jeremy." Dad told him. "Just assure me and Mary that you won''t feel pressured into letting the boys go. We understand that you can be stressed during the season. If you''re in a slump-"

    "I''ll call you right away and snap you out of it." Noah interrupted Dad and finished his sentence. Mom gave him a look of warning, but he shrugged. "What? I''ve done it before."

    "Yea, you''re a real motivational speaker." Kyle rolled his eyes.

    "Hey, you know you can count on me!" Noah grinned. "Don''t worry, I won''t forget about you. I''ll track your small-time minor league team and make sure I text you before every start."

    "I''ll make sure to have my phone on silent." Kyle smirked. "Wouldn''t want you to disgust me before I go out and kill it."

    "I think a reality check will be coming to you soon." Noah shot back.

    "I''ve shared a room with him for half a year now." Kyle said.

    Eyes drifted to me.

    I stopped slouching in my seat. "What?"

    Dave shook his head and put his arm around my shoulders. "Don''t worry about it, kiddo. We accept you the way you are. No matter how mean you are to those of us on the mound."

    I shoved him off. "You guys would get mad if I went easy on either of you. It''s annoying. You say one thing but mean the other."

    Dave laugh. "We''re just joking. We like to beat you when you''re trying. It''s an accomplishment." He looked over to Kyle. "I''ll get more shots at him this summer while you''re on your way."

    "I''ll get better while I''m away." Kyle shot back. "Christmas break, I''ll get all my opportunities."

    "I''m not shagging the balls for you guys." Noah cut in. "I just know that Jake will crush them all."

    "Alright, okay." Mom said as she got up and picked up a few empty dishes. "Why don''t we stop the smack talk for a couple of minutes and get cleaned up? Kyle, should I lay out some snacks for your friends? When is Marie coming over?"

    Kyle shrugged. "It''s just a few guys from the team. We already saw most of them yesterday and they should eat before coming over." He got up to take his plate and cup to the sink. "Marie isn''t coming over."

    "Oh?" Mom paused to look at him.

    All of us were the same. Shocked that his very serious girlfriend wasn''t invited. This was a big deal to Kyle.

    Kyle went to the kitchen with his dishes and came back empty-handed. He realized we were waiting for an explanation when he came back. He shrugged. "If she came, then her parents should be invited too. It would just be��overwhelming."

    "Her parents are real weirdos." Noah stage whispered to Grampa. "They didn''t like me and Jake the first night we had dinner together."

    "How could that be? Jake doesn''t even talk ten words a meal." Grampa was surprised.

    "Exactly. They had some strange thoughts." Noah moved his eyebrows up and down. "Honestly surprised that their daughters are semi-normal."

    "Marie is completely normal." Kyle rolled his eyes. He turned to Mom. "Can you make sure he behaves tomorrow? Her parents will definitely want to sit with you guys at the graduation ceremony."

    Mom turned to Noah, hands on hips.

    Noah immediately put his hands up in self-defense. "I didn''t say anything last time we saw them when Kaylee got hurt. I feel like that is proof enough that I can control myself." He scooted his chair back and got up to take his own plate to the sink.

    Luckily there was some knocking at the front door before Noah and Kyle could get into it.

    "I''ve got it." Kyle went to go answer as the rest of us helped to clean up.

    "Should you be holding Kyle''s phone or something?" Noah asked Ryan.

    Ryan gave a smile and shook his head. "No. It''s all him. I don''t get to work until they send him some offers for his signing bonus."

    "What do you think he''s looking at for a bonus?" Dave leaned in and asked in a low voice so Mom and Dad couldn''t hear as they talked with Rose and Jeremy just feet away.

    Ryan didn''t shy away from the question. "I spoke about this at length with Kyle. It''s not a secret. If he goes in the third round, he''s looking at half a million easy. If he drops, it''ll be less, but still looking at six digits."

    "Our friend, Garret, went 25th yesterday." Noah said. "What do you think he''s looking at?"

    "First round is practically guaranteed two million." Ryan said. "Of course, it''ll depend on how much money the drafting team has to work with too."

    "Damn." Dave let out a curse. His eyes widened as Kyle came in with Garret and the two other graduating seniors: Matt and Tyler. Dave bolted over and threw his arm around Garret''s shoulders. "Heh. Mr. Moneybags. Don''t forget to give me a graduation card tomorrow. I''m flexible and willing to take cash, check, or a transfer over Venmo."

    Garret pushed him off. "No way, man. You chose that broke college life and now you have to live it. Enjoy your nights of ramen and water."

    The five seniors started to talk about college and the future. They were all going to different places, taking different paths.

    Noah looked back to Ryan. "What about those that go late? How much can they expect with a bonus? Do they still employ an agent like you?"

    "Sure. Yea." Ryan answered. "I don''t know if I told you all, but I''ve represented draftees before. No one as high as Kyle, but I''ve looked over their minor league contracts and signing bonuses. Plus a couple of advertising contracts. Nothing too big, but I guess it''s all about perspective. I think the smallest bonus I''ve seen, is 75,000 dollars. That''s practically a years worth of salary upfront."

    Noah slowly nodded. "And how much of that goes to you?"

    Ryan rocked his head side to side, thinking. "It depends. If I''m just helping one-time and you''re not retaining me, probably as high as 20%. Of course, you don''t have to have an agent to negotiate and help advise you. My commission is also negotiable. For example, I have a couple guys I work with right now and most are somewhere between 12-17%. With Kyle, we agreed to 10%."

    "Wow, you gave him a good deal!" Noah blurted out.

    Ryan laughed. "It might look like it, but to me, Kyle is going to be my own biggest payday. He''s the best athlete I represent."

    "For now." Noah jerked his thumb in my direction. "Your biggest payday should be coming in two years. And I''m willing to bet he''s the first of your clients to hit the majors."

    Ryan grinned at me. "I''ll be honored to represent you, Jake. If you choose me, that is. It''s normal to shop around for the best agent that fits your needs. Some have better connections and have been in the game longer. As a future top pick, you should consider those with more experience."

    I slowly nodded. "Yea, I don''t know yet. Mom will still want us to visit some colleges and maybe commit to one. Right? That''s a negotiating tactic you wanted Kyle to do."

    He nodded. "Yes. Most definitely. You can never go wrong having a backup option."

 Chapter 1183 V4 ch31 Kyle gets Drafted

    "I have some ideas for schools we should do official visits to." Noah told me later on as we sat on the couch in the living room.

    I glanced at him, showing I was curious.

    "Stanford is an easy pick." Noah said. "We know the area and the field. Zeke and Rhys would still be there and can be the players we get paired with."

    I nodded, liking the sound of that.

    "Then Vanderbilt." Noah could see me lift an eyebrow.  "Same concept. We know the area at least a little bit and Dave''s there. It''s further away though, so it''ll be difficult to plan out. Probably won''t go during the season so won''t get to see them in action. But do we really care about that?"

    "You like watching baseball more than me." I shrugged.

    "Yea, but I''m not planning to stick around there for reals." Noah laughed. "Hey, maybe we can get Dave to take us to another hockey game when we go. We can treat this visit as a vacation just to see him in college."

    "Would Mom and Dad go with us?" I asked. "What about Grampa?"

    Noah gave me a look of disgust. "Do you really want them to follow us around? It''d be more fun without them. Come on, we''re going to be 16 soon. It''s time to show some independence." He paused. "I''ll be there anyways. You won''t be alone."

    I nodded slowly. "Okay. What else?"

    "Like what other schools?"

    I nodded.

    Noah shrugged casually. "I don''t know. I just picked the first two that made sense." He glanced at me. "Do you want to go down to SoCal? Maybe see any old acquaintances? We were talking about visiting Kaylee after she moves. Maybe pick her sister''s college to visit? UCLA." He sat up straighter. "Heck, if we do. We should try to plan it when Jeremy goes down to play the Angels or the Dodgers." He pulled out his phone. "I''m going to look it up."

    "I don''t think Mom will let us skip too much school." I pointed out.

    The house wasn''t as crowded as Garret''s yesterday, but there was still more than usual. A lot of the guys from the team had Kyle and Garret surrounded, talking about their future in the minors. Jeremy was also there talking about his experience and some of the difficulties he ran into in his early days.

    "Yea, yea. I know. I''m looking at weekends. Or maybe something close. There''s Labor Day. We get that off." Noah was in full research mode.

    I didn''t disturb him. It''s rare for him to take an interest in colleges. Mom would be happy and probably give a lot of leeway for us to visit these schools. I got up and stretched before starting to walk around.

    The house wasn''t as crowded as Garret''s yesterday, but there was still more than usual. A lot of the guys from the team had Kyle and Garret surrounded, talking about their future in the minors. Jeremy was also there talking about his experience and some of the difficulties he ran into in his early days.

    "One minute, you have everything being done for you like your daily necessities are already at home. You can tell your parents you need more deodorant and they''ll get it on the next shopping trip." He was telling them. "Then you find yourself in a new state in a town no one has ever heard of. When I ran out of shampoo and toothpaste, I totally forgot that I was on my own. I had to make time to do my own shopping and then you''ve got to really pay attention to price differences in the store. What you can live with. What you can live without."

    "What about your signing bonus?" Matt asked. "Shouldn''t that have covered it?"

    Jeremy froze for a second. It wasn''t too noticeable, but I could see his smile become a little forced. "I didn''t actually have access to a whole lot. After paying my��agent��then I put a lot into investing and stuff. I wasn''t financially smart right after high school." He looked to Kyle and Garret specifically. "Really guys, take a small online course this summer about what to do with big lump sums that come your way. Don''t make stupid decisions like me and make sure to spread out your money."

    "Yea, but it still worked out for you." Kyle told him.

    "I''m the exception. Not the rule." Jeremy grinned freely. "Not everyone can have the same meteorite rise like myself."

    "It''s that overconfidence and arrogant attitude that put you into tough spots." Rose reminded him, coming into the space.

    Jeremy shrugged sheepishly. "Hey, I''m learning, aren''t I?" He looked around at the guys. "Seriously though. Be frugal. Make smart investments. Don''t give all your money to one man or group." He paused. "Even your parents."

    A lot of eyes shifted as everyone seemed to share a knowing look. Jeremy''s family drama had hit headlines last year and although he survived, there were plenty of stories of professionals who lost all their money.

    Rose took Jeremy away to go talk with Mom in the kitchen. His exit made it easier for the graduating seniors to talk about him and the amount of money that he''s missing. I cringed and shied away from their conversation, knowing that Jeremy would probably feel embarrassed.

    I moved on and found Dad in the office, on the phone, FaceTiming Zeke. Dad noticed me right away and waved me in. "Here''s Jake. He can take you out to the others so you can be there when Kyle gets the call." Dad passed the phone off to me. "I''ve got to find your mother and make sure she''s not getting caught up in trying to make some more snacks for everyone."

    "She''s with Jeremy and Rose." I told him. "I''m the kitchen, talking about their wedding."

    Dad nodded and left me with Zeke on the phone.

    I looked at Zeke, who was looking at me. "Do you want to see Kyle?"

    Zeke lifted a corner of his mouth into a half-smile. "Trying to pass me off already?"

    I gave a small shrug. "It''s Kyle''s big day. I just feel like he would be happy to know you''re here, participating."

    "He probably doesn''t care one way or the other. His mind is on one thing right now." Zeke said.

    I grinned. "Getting drafted."

    Zeke nodded with a smile. "Yea. His long-awaited moment is here. He will hit the road once he has his assignment. I was trying to talk Dad into doing a roadtrip with him to send him off. Even if it coincides with the trip to Omaha."

    I felt my grin grow. "You sound really confident that you''re going to make it there."

    "We''ve just got to play normally." Zeke turned serious. "We hit like we should and our pitchers keep their cool on the mound, and by next week, we''ll be in Omaha, Nebraska." I listened to him talk about his team a while longer until I heard a phone ring.

    Only one person had his ringer on. Kyle. I hurried out of the office just in time to see Kyle take a deep breath before answering the phone.

    "Hello."

    I turned Zeke around so he could see what was going on. Kyle stood in the foyer area, just feet away from everyone else. It was crowded as everyone poked out of the dining room and living room, trying to get a glimpse of what was happening.

    "Yes, I''m Kyle Atkins." Kyle nodded, holding his phone tightly to his ear. "Okay, great. I would really that, thank you. Yes. Yes. Okay. I will. Thanks again. I''m looking forward to joining the system." He pulled his phone away from his ear and hung up.

    Kyle looked up at everyone as they started to inch closer, with eager eyes. "It''s official. The Brewers are drafting me!"

    "YES, MAN!" Dave was the first to pounce, throwing his arm around his twin''s neck and started to swing him around. "That''s what I''m talking about! Congrats!"

    All the guys joined in and became a human pile bouncing up and down with Kyle. Noah may give Kyle a hard time, but he was right in the thick of it, celebrating him being drafted. Mom started to take pictures with her phone, raising it high so everyone could be in the shot. I tried to get closer, showing off Zeke on the phone, making sure it was photographed that he was there too.

    "Zeke!" Kyle had noticed, breaking away from some of the guys. He snatched the phone out of my hands and grinned at Zeke. "Zeke! I did it! I''m a top 100 pick! I''m going to the Brewers!"

 Chapter 1184 V4 ch32

    "The Milwaukee Brewers drafted only one pitcher in the first ten rounds of the MLB draft." Noah read off his phone Friday morning as we sat around the kitchen table, eating breakfast. "Surprisingly, they went with a right-hander straight out of high school, Kyle Atkins. He''s got the basics of what makes a decent pitcher: size, athleticism, arm strength, velocity, and accuracy." He paused as his eyes seem to read ahead. "Ouch."

    "What?" Kyle frowned.

    Noah looked up and gave a nonchalant shrug. "Nothing you don''t already know."

    "Then tell me." Kyle''s frown deepened.

    Noah put his phone down on the table and slid it across. Both twins leaned over to read it at the same time. Dave gave a small wince and looked away. Kyle''s frown changed into something more threatening. Like a scowl.

    "Hey, hey, take those draft recap articles with a grain of salt." Dad spoke up from the head of the table. "These writers have most likely never seen you in action."

    "But they''ve done their research, Dad." Noah said casually. "Kyle doesn''t have a whole lot of arsenal and his experience might be minimal after playing behind Garret these last couple years."

    Kyle got up. "I think I''m going for a run."

    "Me too." Dave stood up and picked up his plate.

    "Count me in." Noah also started to clean up.

    Multiple pairs of eyes settled on me. I looked at my half eaten plate of eggs and hash browns. "But��I''m not done yet��"

    Dad laughed. "Okay, if you guys want to run, go for it. No need to drag Jake along. Let him eat."

    Noah and the twins didn''t drag me along and I relaxed as soon as the front door closed behind them.

    Dad laughed again. "Jake, don''t be afraid to stand up for yourself. If you don''t want to do what they want to do, it''s okay."

    I nodded, then slowly started to shake my head. "If I wasn''t pushed to do half the stuff they do, I probably wouldn''t be where I am today." I took a bite of my scrambled eggs. "But I really didn''t want to give up my breakfast today."

    "Eating is important to your growth too." Dad stated. He started to think out loud. "We should probably take all of you to get a physical done. Make sure you''re all set and growing properly. Kyle needs one done before he goes to his new team and Dave will need one done before college." He smiled. "It''s going to be a busy summer." He got up. "Take your time. I''m going to the office."

    Being the last one to finish, I cleaned up the table and put the leftovers away. I had a feeling that the three of them will want to eat more when they came back.

    Mom and Grampa came back from the store just as I started the dishwasher.

    "Where''s everyone else?" Grampa asked, knocking his cane on the ground twice.

    "Dad''s in the office." I gestured to the shut door. "The twins and Noah went for a run."

    Mom was confused. "Don''t you kids like to run before breakfast? Is this going to be the new routine?"

    I shook my head. "I think it was spur of the moment. Kyle read his draft outlook and it had some discouraging remarks. Dave probably didn''t want him to go alone when he''s upset. And then Noah joined in."

    "You didn''t go?" Grampa raised an eyebrow.

    "I was still eating." I said defensively.

    Mom laughed and took the bags in her hands to the kitchen. "Alrighty then; I''m going to cut some fruit up for them when they get back."

    "I put the leftovers in the fridge." I pointed out.

    "Thanks for helping, Jake." Mom said, coming back a few steps. "Can you get the rest of the groceries out of the car?"

    "Yea!" I hurried out to her car. For a second I was stunned at how much she bought, considering that we would hardly even be home this weekend. I grabbed the handles of multiple bags, trying to take in as much as I could. I made it to the kitchen, only a little out of breath. "Are we still going to Stanford tomorrow?"

    Mom nodded as she started to put stuff away. "Yes, of course. I just figured we could have a few more extra family meals before Kyle has to leave."

    "Do you think it''ll be soon?" I asked.

    Mom stopped what she was doing. She looked to the empty hallway and then leaned over to whisper to me. "Ryan is coming back over tonight. With the contract. I think there''s a really good chance Kyle takes it right away." She straightened up and smiled with pride. "From what I understand, it''s more than fair for where Kyle was drafted at."

    I grinned. "I''ll go get the rest of the bags." I headed back out, happy that Kyle was going to get some good news after reading that tough article. It''s got to show that the Brewers value him. Even if he was coming straight out of high school.

    I made another trip to the car, grabbed the rest of the bags and took them inside. I wanted to help put things away, but Mom was in complete control so I gave her space. I found Grampa in the living room, watching a bowling tournament and joined him.

    "Want me to find a baseball game?" He asked.

    I shook my head no. "There''s only one going right now and it''s not the A''s so it doesn''t matter to me."

    We watched two bowlers go head-to-head for ten frames and then the winner of the two played another guy.

    Mom stopped to check on us before going to the office. "Make sure to send the three to take showers again."

    "What if they want to play some more?" I asked. "Like going to the cages?"

    Mom gave me a knowing look. "You mean if you want to go to the cages?" I gave a small shrug and she just shook her head. "Let''s keep it light today. We''ve got the graduation and dinner celebration tonight. I don''t want to have to hunt you boys down."

    I sighed. "Okay."

    She left, joining Dad in the office.

    "You''ve got all summer to hit the cages." Grampa told me. "I''ll give you boys a ride any time. Maybe you can practice driving with me in the passenger seat."

    "We haven''t done any behind the wheel training yet." I told him. "We have to pass the written portion first and get our permit."

    "Back in my day, we didn''t have to worry about all that nonsense. My dad took me to an open field and told me to start driving. Back then I drove a manual and good lord was my father upset with how many times I stalled. Nearly ruined that old truck in my first week of learning." Grampa paused. "But you don''t have to worry about me getting upset. I know what it''s like to be new on the road."

    I smiled. "Thanks, Grampa."

    "One things for sure, I''ll turn you into a better driver than the twins."

    I laughed. "That shouldn''t be too hard."

 Chapter 1185 V4 ch33 Graduation

    Ryan showed up earlier than expected, meeting us at the football stadium for the graduation walk. He shook hands with all of us from Grampa, all the way down to me.

    "What are you doing here?" Noah asked, confused. "Is it normal for agents to go to high school graduations?"

    "Noah." Mom gave him a pointed look. "I think it''s very nice and thoughtful he wanted to celebrate with us."

    "Sure, I guess." Noah discreetly rolled his eyes my way.

    I nudged him. "It''s probably Kyle''s contract." I whispered to remind him.

    Noah immediately turned to Ryan. "Did you already negotiate the contract? What kind of salary and bonus is he looking at?"

    Ryan glanced at Mom and Dad. "Would you guys like to hear about it first? Or wait until we sit down with Kyle?"

    "Of course we should wait for Kyle." Mom made the command decision. She gave Noah another pointed look.

    Noah cooled down. "Yea. Yea. That makes sense. I know." He looked to Ryan one more time. "Just tell me this, did he make it to half a million."

    Ryan just smiled. But the way he squinted his eyes gave off the impression that Noah was on the right track.

    Noah reached out to squeeze my arm. "Jake. He''s rich."

    I let out a small laugh. "I think you guys were already rich." Certainly well off. They never needed any of the basics like food or shampoo.

    "It''s not the same when it comes from your parents." Noah argued.

    "When what comes from your parents?" Kaylee showed up in our row, finding a seat on the other side of me at the end. Her parents stopped near Mom and Dad, sitting closer with them.

    "Money. Don''t you feel richer when you have control over money you earn versus given to you by parents?" Noah asked.

    Kaylee grimaced. "What money? I legit have ten dollars to my name."

    "Really?!" Noah asked, raising his voice.

    I nervously glance towards her parents.

    "Don''t worry. Even if they heard, they wouldn''t get mad." Kaylee said. "In fact, you''ll be lucky if they don''t convince your parents to have complete financial control over your lives."

    Noah laughed. "I think we would have the advantage here. Mom has always believed that we should learn how to spend and save money. Plus, we got a lump sum when our Gramma passed during winter break."

    "So you guys have money money?" Kaylee''s eyes widened.

    I nodded while Noah shook his head.

    "I''m more inclined to believe Jake." Kaylee said.

    "He doesn''t count. His vision is skewed from being dirt poor." Noah stated.

    I looked at Kaylee. "Just a reminder, Mom and Dad are letting the twins each have a car. And they''ll buy a new one. Isn''t that the definition of having money?"

    Kaylee laughed. "He''s got a point, Noah."

    "Marie has her own car too." Noah pointed out.

    "We each have a bank account that Dad puts money in every week." I told her. "Just to use. Whenever we want."

    "It''s not a whole lot." Noah rolled his eyes.

    "I think we all have different definitions of a lot." She said. She focused back on me. "Like I said, I only have ten dollars to my name. If I wanted to go to the movies with Alisha this weekend, I would have to beg my parents for more money. Maybe sit through a lecture on how the cinema is a waste of money and I should watch something on tv."

    I pulled out my phone and opened my bank app. "We''re not supposed to touch our savings, but look at my checking account."

    Kaylee peeked over, then gasped.

    Noah leaned over. "Hey, how do you have more than me?"

    "I don''t buy ice cream every time we go to the cages." I pointed out.

    Noah rubbed his nose, guilty. "Okay. So that adds up."

    Kaylee sat back up and readjusted her sling. "Noah��I think you could use a reality check. To see how normal teenagers live."

    "What?" He was taken aback. "I am a normal teenager."

    Kaylee rolled her eyes. "You have too much to be normal. Half the school doesn''t even have a fifth of what Jake has in his account. You guys are rich. Maybe not rich rich but still. Multiple cars. Allowances. Heck, none of your brothers had jobs or had to worry about gas money." She shook her head. "And then you start to think of all the baseball games you go to and how your parents can afford to stay in a hotel near Stanford."

    "Okay, so our parents have some money." Noah conceded. "But we were originally talking about how Kyle is going to have money of his own." He moved his eyebrows up and down. "His first contract is in. He''ll get to review it tonight. He''s looking like half of a millionaire."

    "Wow." Kaylee was surprised. Probably even more so than us. "I can''t believe we know someone making so much out of high school. Wait." She paused. "Does this mean Garret gets even more as a first rounder?"

    "At least double. He''s a real millionaire." Noah confirmed.

    "Shoot." Kaylee muttered. "Marie should have picked the better pitcher."

    I nudged her.

    Noah gave a condescending look. "Please. Only an idiot like Kyle would like someone as mean as your sister."

    "My sister isn''t mean to Kyle." She shot back. She relaxed into her seat, changing the position of her injured arm again. "This just feels so surreal though. Like I only know a handful of people working minimum wage jobs. Now I''ve practically have a future brother-in-law that is richer than both my parents. With potential to earn even more." She glanced at me. "Is this how you felt, coming to the Atkins'' family?"

    I grinned. "Like a whole new world."

    "What does that mean?" Noah asked.

    "I just think you guys live an almost fairytale life." I told him. "Honestly, Mom making breakfast most mornings really made me feel out of place. I never had that. Then the whole not worrying about food or money."

    "You''ve got it good now." Kaylee sighed.

    I nodded in agreement.

    Principal Bodon took the stage and stepped up to the mike to welcome all the families and friends of the graduating seniors. He turned it over to a few other adults and even some of the graduates, one speech after another. Unlike last year, I didn''t know any of them. But the consensus was the same: we did it, we''re moving on to the next step in our lives. Wherever that may take us. Up the road or across the country.

    My eyes started to sting as I realize that bigger changes were on the way once again. Zeke went away to college, but at least he was relatively close. We still got to see him here and there. But Dave��he''s going to Nashville, Tennessee. It takes a flight over four hours. Who knows how long for a drive.

    "Are you crying?" Kaylee leaned over and whispered.

    "He does that." Noah whispered back, waving her off. "Especially during happy events."

    I wiped my eyes. "They''re leaving us."

    Noah threw his arm around my shoulders. "Yea, but not for good. We get Dave all summer. We''ve got the holidays and winter break. And besides, you''ve still got me."

    "You better cry the day I move away." Kaylee remarked. "Otherwise I''m going to feel less important than those idiots." She gestured to the field where said idiots were fighting over who should get their diploma first.

    We laughed. Then cheered for Dave as his name was announced. Then for Kyle. Then for other seniors we knew like: Matt, Tanner, Garret, Tyler, Jason, and Jesse. Just like that, a third of our undefeated team was gone.

 Chapter 1186 V4 ch34 Kyle’s Pay

    Post graduation involved a lot of photo taking. The twins together. Seperate. With us. With friends. With teammates. With the parents. Kyle with Marie. With her parents.

    Only Noah felt restless, eager to find out more about Kyle''s contract. Luckily, Ryan didn''t keep us in suspense and pulled it out as soon as everyone was in the house. We sat around the table as Kyle scanned every word on every piece of paper.

    Surprisingly, Noah and Dave didn''t rush him. They just stared eagerly.

    The doorbell rang.

    "That''s probably Marie and her family." Mom stood up. She paused and looked at Kyle. "Why don''t you take it to the office and finish reading it. You don''t need to sign right away, you know."

    "This is just the preliminary offer." Ryan added. "We can talk about it some more. I know Zeke is still in playoffs and maybe you want to see him play until the end so we can discuss the start date with Milwaukee."

    "No. This is more than satisfactory." Kyle looked up. "Mom, let them in. Then you can take some more pictures as I sign this. It''s a good memory. I''m officially a pro. On the same day high school finished."

    "I''ll get them!" Noah popped up and rushed to the front door.

    Mom got her camera out again.

    "There really is no rush." Dad told Kyle. "A few extra days to relax won''t hurt you or your future."

    "Sure." Kyle grinned. "But I''m ready to get back in action. To take the field. To face live hitters. Just watching Zeke play isn''t enough for me. I want to play too. I want to become a better pitcher."

    Marie and Kaylee walked in, followed by their parents.

    Noah scooted around them, taking his seat next to me. "Here, Kaylee. You can sit with us."

    Kaylee sat down, keeping her arm in the sling on the outside. She glanced at our mom, who was taking pictures. "Is Kyle really signing right now? In front of all of us?"

    Kyle stood up and made Dave move over so Marie and her parents could sit. Kyle went to Mom''s empty spot and looked around. "Thanks for being there for me everyone. I will strive to be the best and prove myself."

    "Just have fun." Mom reminded him, snapping pics from behind Dad at the other end.

    Ryan handed him a pen. "Sign away."

    Kyle did so. His name was short and the signature only took a second. But it was real now. He was a pro. Making money from playing baseball.

    He stood up and shook Ryan''s hand. Mom came over to hug him after. Grampa, Dad, and Marie all got up too.

    Noah reached out and slid the paperwork to our end. Kaylee and I both leaned over and Noah tried to find the paper titled, financial compensation. Our jaws must have dropped at the same time. $637,600. Signing bonus.

    "He could really buy his own car and barely make a dent into this." Noah whispered.

    I elbowed him. It was important to Mom and Dad to treat the twins as fair as possible. They couldn''t let Kyle buy his own car, yet give Dave one.

    "What''s that?" Kaylee reached out with her good hand and pointed at a smaller dollar amount. $300.

    "His weekly paycheck for Rookie ball." Noah cringed. "Damn. He really does need that signing bonus."

    "$300 a week doesn''t sound too bad." I commented. "Mom and Dad will stay pay for his phone bill and car insurance."

    "That''s because you''re thinking like a kid." Noah said. "You''re thinking if he doesn''t have bills, then he''s fine. But what about rent? Where is he going to live? It''s not like they have dorms like Dave will have in college. And food? Kyle can''t cook. He can easily spend that much on food throughout the week. Gas for his car? He''s going to have to use his signing bonus money."

    "At least he''s going to be in a better position than those picked later." Kaylee pointed out. "I''m not worried about him in the slightest. Half a million dollars. He''ll live."

    There was a lot of talk about Kyle and his future until the Stanford game came on. NCAA Tournament. Super Regionals. Stanford to host Auburn. Game One. We knew we wouldn''t have made it in time so we planned to go there tomorrow for game two.

    "I can''t believe Rhys isn''t the starter tonight." Dave said in disgust as we watched Stanford take the field to play defense first. "He has practically carried them in this postseason."

    "That''s probably why he needs a break." Dad pointed out. "They have plenty of other pitchers that would like to contribute."

    Stanford had a senior on the mound for them tonight. A guy with a decent ERA and WHIP. He did his job in the first inning, getting Auburn to go three up, three down. No strikeouts though so the twins had a lot to say about that. They quit their chatter when Zeke came up, second to bat, with one out. Dad turned the TV up.

    ["Now Zeke Atkins up to the plate for Stanford. This young man has had an incredible season his freshman year. He had turned down the Minnesota Twins in last year''s MLB draft and it''s hard to see why."

    "Yea, the ability he has shown this year definitely proves that he''s ready for the next step, but he has said before that this was a personal choice and he really wanted to go to Omaha with this team here."

    "They''re certainly on their way. Two more wins and they can book their tickets. Ball up high, 1-0 count."

    The screen showed Zeke and his stats for the season as he got ready for the next pitch.

    "Interesting enough, Zeke has a younger brother that was just drafted yesterday." One of the broadcasters spoke up. "I didn''t believe it at first, thinking it wasn''t a rare last name, but sure enough he share the post to his instagram, congratulating his brother. Third round, 20th pick, to the Milwaukee Brewers."

    "Yea, Zeke very much comes from a baseball family. With some relation to A''s center fielder, Jeremy Patterson-" He stopped mid-sentence to the action at the plate unfold.

    Zeke connected on the second pitch, ripping it to the left corner.

    "And that''ll be a stand-up double for Zeke. His fifth this postseason."]

    The broadcasters started to talk about the next batter, Bradley Thompson, the second overall pick of the MLB draft.

    "They talked about you during Zeke''s at bat!" Dave slapped Kyle on the shoulder. "What do you know."

    Kyle beamed and straightened up in his spot next to Marie on the couch. "Well. It is kind of a headline after all."

    "I bet they would have mentioned Jake after talking about Jeremy." Noah rubbed his hands together. "Then maybe even me and Dave can make this broadcast. I rather be at the game, watching it live. But this is good too. We get to hear all the snippets and see the stats. Hear some stories about the other guys on the team. Plus, the opponents too. At the stadium, we just go in blindly." He laughed.

 Chapter 1187 V4 ch35

    I liked that we weren''t at the game tonight for a completely different reason. And I didn''t know it until later as the game played out. Stanford lost to Auburn. It started off pretty even, but as soon as Stanford replaced their starter with a relief��the horror show started. Hit after hit. A walk. An error. The distance grew between Auburn and Stanford and it wasn''t something that Zeke or Bradley could help shorten on their own. They made a small dent in Auburn''s lead but came up short. They lost 10-7.

    Noah played dead on the living room floor, acting like it was the end of the world. "That was so painful to watch. My heart hurts."

    Dave laughed, giving him a small kick in the leg. "Yea, well, how do you think Zeke feels?"

    Noah jumped up. "Oh man. He''s gotta be pissed. Rhys too. They''re going to come out so hot tomorrow. I bet they put the beat down on Auburn. Definitely going to game three on Sunday."

    "Are we all going to Omaha if they make it?" I asked, glancing at Kyle, who just came back from walking Marie and her family out.

    Kyle shook his head. "There''s no way I can. I should be reporting to my team this week."

    "We should go to the office and start planning that out." Dad said, coming into the living room with Mom right behind him.

    "Plan what?" Kyle shrugged. "I''ll just start driving down south Monday morning. I can make it to Arizona in a day."

    Mom put her hand to her forehead. "It''s an 11 hour drive, Kyle."

    "So?" He shrugged again.

    "You''re not doing that much driving in one day. And especially not on your own." Mom scolded.

    "To a place you''ve never been." Dad added. "We''ll go together."

    "Who''s we?" Noah asked, still on the floor.

    "Kyle and myself." Dad answered. "I''ll help him with the drive. Stop somewhere East of LA, then get to phoenix by lunch time Tuesday. See where he''ll be playing and living."

    "Yea, where will you be living?" Dave asked.

    "The team will put me in contact with a host family this weekend." Kyle said. "They said not to take too many personal items. Rookie ball is only a couple months."

    "Having a host family would be great." Mom commented. "Hopefully you get paired with someone who has experience helping you kids adjust."

    "I think I''ll be fine." Kyle rolled his eyes. "Baseball is going to be my full-time job now. It''ll be similar to when we went away for camps. Wake up, eat, practice, eat some more, practice more, eat again, sleep."

    Dave went over and patted him on the shoulder. "I think you''re forgetting a few important steps. Making and buying your own food for those meals. Plus fitting in to do your laundry every week. Traveling for games. Don''t forget to shower and brush your teeth."

    "Oh my god, your teeth!" Mom exclaimed. "We should have gotten dentist appointments done before you go."

    "And physicals." Dad brought up. "I was thinking we should get them done for all the boys this summer before they start doing all this traveling."

    "I''ll get a physical done with the team in Phoenix." Kyle said. "It''s in the contract. And I can go to the dentist after the season ends in September. Really Mom, I''m only going to be gone for a few months."

    "Wow. And here I was thinking we got rid of you for good." Noah got up and straightened out his clothes. "I guess I can see why you''re in a hurry to go though. There''s limited time."

    Dave laughed by himself. "Man, I leave for college and you come back here. That''s crazy."

    "Hey, I might not stay here. Maybe I''ll be playing winter ball in Mexico or something." Kyle retorted.

    "We''ll talk about your offseason when you come back." Mom suggested. "I don''t like the idea of you going off to Mexico on your own, at 18."

    "How is that any different than Zeke joining his summer league after his season ends?" Kyle asked.

    Mom looked to Dad.

    "Zeke gave us a very well-thought out schedule of when he''s going and where he''ll be." Dad said. "We have the phone numbers of a few of the coaches and training staff, plus the address of where he''ll be sleeping. There has to be a plan, Kyle. We know you''re 18 and can make your own decisions, especially out of defiance, but be smart about it. You''re in a good position with your signing bonus. Most players that do winter ball in other countries are doing it for a paycheck. You don''t have to put yourself at risk for injury like that."

    Noah laughed. "That would be so embarrassing if you got hurt in the offseason. You should just come back here and train properly. Maybe Rhys can put you in touch with a pitching coach in your downtime."

    Kyle seemed to hear what they were saying, and he did start to nod after Noah''s suggestion. "Ok. We''ll see."

    "You can also visit me in Nashville." Dave added. "Check out my dorm and college life."

    "You-" I started to say, but then paused. All eyes drifted to me. I shrugged and continued. "You might want to see what Garret is doing too. Wouldn''t that make sense? You guys are in similar positions. Well off from the signing bonuses; you''re both pitchers; both 18."

    "I wonder if Garret has signed his contract yet." Noah speculated. "He''s in the first round so they''ll probably have to post it." He pulled out his phone. "I''m just gonna text him."

    Dad snatched his phone away. "Don''t text him, asking how much he''s making. That''s rude."

    "Garret won''t mind." Dave said in Noah''s defense. "Plus, it really will be public info. Even how much Kyle signed for will be posted on the internet. I''ve looked up some old compilations to see the differences after talking to Ryan. Round one really is important."

    "Okay, okay, let''s not worry about money that someone else is making." Mom started to usher us out of the living room. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. We need to get to the stadium early to pick up the tickets from the will call window. Zeke must be looking forward to having you boys there."

    "Rhys too." Dave said, heading for the stairs first. "He''s got to be the starter tomorrow. It''s do or die."

    "We just need one extra outfit for Sunday, right?" Noah asked Mom.

    She nodded. "No matter what, we''ll stay the night in the area Saturday. Sunday, we''ll check out and either see another game or just spend time with Zeke." She gave Noah a warning look. "Either way, I don''t want to hear any complaints."

    Noah shrugged. "It''s not really me complaining about them losing tonight. I''m empathizing if anything."

    "You''re so full of it." Kyle gave him a small smack on the head before following Dave up the stairs.

    "Mommm." Noah complained.

    "I think we need to take a small vacation of our own." Mom mumbled to Dad under her breath.

    I cracked a smile, bypassing them to get to the stairs too.

 Chapter 1188 V4 ch36 Super Regionals (1)

    "Wow. This place is packed!" Noah said with eyes wide open. He took a few selfies with the stadium in the background then pulled me in too. "You two jumping in or not?"

    The twins didn''t hesitate, getting behind us and fitting in the shot.

    Mom and Dad trailed behind us, keeping Grampa company since he moved the slowest. This was a familiar place to us after all so no one was worried about getting lost.

    There were a few tents set up in the walkway, either advertising a product or selling one. I guess it didn''t make a difference. Noah pulled me to every baseball related one, from new bats and gloves to other accessories that I haven''t seen much of.

    Kyle stopped at a booth selling little pendants on necklaces and bracelets. They had random numbers everywhere and a sign saying that they could customize. Kyle reached for his wallet.

    Noah raised an eyebrow. "You''re actually interested in this?"

    "It''d be for Marie." Kyle pursed his lips. "But��I probably won''t have the same number anymore. There''s bound to be a few of them as I move up through the levels."

    "You should wait until you know your number." Dave put in his two cents. "Then get her one. Then keep getting a new number every time you change teams and numbers. What an easy gift idea."

    Noah picked up a silver chain with the number one on it. He handed it over to the person. "I''d like this one please."

    "$25."

    Noah paid with his card and the person bagged up the necklace before handing it to him.

    All three of us stared at Noah, wondering what he was doing.

    Noah shrugged nonchalantly. "Dave said it. Easy gift idea. That you can keep reusing too." He lifted his little gift bag. "Today is Alisha''s birthday and I didn''t get her anything yet. She''d be cool with it."

    Dave elbowed Kyle. "You snooze, you lose. Now you can''t do it because it would look like you''re copying your younger brother."

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Why would you get Alisha a necklace with your number on it? You''re not even dating."

    "I don''t have to be dating her to get her something she likes." He looked to me. "Right, Jake?"

    I nodded. "I think Alisha will really like it." Heck, she would like anything given to her from Noah. It didn''t matter much.

    Kyle groaned. He pursed his lips and went to the table, picking up his number in gold and selected a gold chain.

    "Copycat." Dave faked cough.

    Kyle turned to send a glare his way. After paying, he rejoined us. "We bought this at the same time. Doesn''t count as copying. We just agreed that it was a good idea."

    "Sure. I don''t care." Noah shrugged and moved on to the next booth.

    "A bunch of saps." Dave said, throwing his arm around my shoulders. "Come on, Jake. We''re not like them." He dragged me ahead of even Noah, bypassing a booth that was selling aluminum bats.

    I glanced back and saw Noah barely sparing it a look. What really caught his eye was a vendor selling action shots of the players from the two colleges. The four of us went over, looking for a very specific person. Zeke. Zeke hitting. Zeke running. Zeke making a diving catch.

    "Sometimes he doesn''t look like himself." Kyle said, looking at a photo where the whole team was celebrating in the dugout, having a good time.

    "You think Zeke doesn''t know how to have fun?" Dave joked.

    "His happiness is never fake." I spoke up, admiring the shot. I looked back, trying to find our other half of the group. "Mom would really like these."

    "I''ll get her." Noah volunteered. He braved the crowd and came back with just Mom. "Dad and Grampa went to line up at the will call window to get the tickets." He explained their absence.

    "Oh my." Mom said in amazement. "Look how good these are."

    "Well, yea. It''s done by a professional." Noah shrugged.

    Dave socked him in the arm. "Are you saying Mom isn''t professional?"

    Noah rubbed his sore arm. "I meant a pro camera. Like one that is actually designed to take action shots. Zoom in on plays and the ball. Kind of hard to do with an iPhone."

    Mom didn''t care about them and started talking to the vendor about cost per photo. The guy explained it by a photo, but there was a discount if she wanted all of one player. Mom pointed out Zeke and Rhys. "Well take what''s left of them. Any shot their in, add it please."

    The guy got to work, selecting all the shots and really putting a dent in what would be left. When he gave Mom the final total, my heart flew to my throat and I felt like choking.

    "I think��that''s a little too excessive." Dave whispered. "$800 dollars��that''s more than our hotel rooms tonight."

    "If you see something you like, it''s better to take advantage and buy it before you regret it." Mom told us. She looked at the tiny bags Kyle and Noah were holding. "Why don''t you two take those back to the car? Along with the photos."

    Noah rolled his eyes. "Mommm."

    "You don''t want to accidentally misplace it or something, right?" Mom gave him a look.

    Noah and Kyle took her items and had to go back to the car. Mom stuck with me and Dave as we checked out a few more tables, grabbing a couple bags of flavored popcorn that would be allowed in the stadium.

    When we all finally found each other again, Dad led the way with the tickets. Unlike before, Zeke couldn''t get us the best available. It was done lottery style and he had to borrow from Rhys because there was originally only four tickets per player limit.

    For some reason, I thought Rhys''s dad would be with us in the stands, knowing that Rhys was the starter today. But no. It was only his mom and his aunt that I had met before.

    "Oh wow! Look how you boys have grown!" Aunt Linda stood up to let us pass by to our seats. She took the opportunity to pat both me and Noah on the heads. "It''s almost been a year and you two are just shooting up like weeds."

    Noah grinned with pride and straightened up some more. "I''ll be the tallest one in the family. Just watch."

    She laughed and looked to me, glancing down at my leg. The same one she had examined last Fourth of July. "Good to see you, Jake. Rhys has told us that your leg didn''t bother you all season. That''s good to hear."

    "Did Rhys also tell you that''s he''s number one in the state?" Dave pushed us along so he could talk to them. "He just shot up the list like it was nothing. Just can''t be beat at the plate."

    "Oh! That''s exciting!" She looked to Mom. "You sure have your hands full, Mary. All boys. All baseball. All teenagers. I wish you good luck lady." She laughed.

    Everyone got settled in their seats. It wasn''t the best we''ve had here, but being front row of a section on the third base side wasn''t a bad deal. At least the sun wouldn''t be in our eyes as it set behind us.

    I scanned the field, looking for Zeke, but his team wasn''t out there. It was mostly umpires and the groundskeepers, prepping the field for game time. I looked towards the bullpen and could tell Rhys was still warming up. This game was going to be a big one for him. If he had a bad start, it would be tough on the team to recover and pull out a win. And they must win to force a game three.

 Chapter 1189 V4 ch37 Super Regionals (2)

    The anthem was sang and the lineups were announced. Surprisingly, it was Auburn to take the field first.

    "Stanford was the home team last night." Noah explained. "To make it fair, they switch. Tomorrow, they''ll go back to being the home team again."

    I looked around the stadium full of  Stanford fans with very few Auburn navy blue and orange shirts. I just very much doubt that it mattered if they got to bat in the bottom half of the inning.

    Especially when Stanford came out blazing hot. The leadoff batter got on with a single, and Zeke followed that up with a home run. As we were still talking about his blast to left field, the third batter got on with a double and then Bradley Thompson drove him home with his own two-run homer.

    Noah, me, and the twins all stood up and cheered happily. The Auburn pitching coach wasted no time to go out for his first mound visit. They left the pitcher in, but we could already see the Auburn bullpen becoming active as two different players got up and moving. Good thing, because this starter continued to get beat. Back to back singles then finally a pop out. Only to give up another single to the eighth batter. The ninth batter was up with bases loaded. We all stayed up on our feet, cheering him on. Zeke was in the hole, hoping for another at bat this inning I''m sure.

    The Auburn head coach came out this time, taking the ball from his pitcher and patting him on the back. The pitcher hung his head and went back to his own dugout. A new pitcher came jogging in from the bullpen, slowing up as he hit the infield dirt. The coach spoke to him and the other infielders before handing the ball over and leaving. The pitcher got his two minutes to throw a few warmup pitches before the batter was allowed back in the box.

    Everyone was on their feet, clapping and cheering him on. I winced when he came up short, hitting into a routine 6-4-3 double play. I was about to plop back into my seat when I noticed that the other three was staying up.

    Rhys and a spare catcher came out of the dugout.

    "Let''s go, Rhys!"

    "Start strong and don''t let up!"

    "We better not see anything under 90!"

    Noah laughed at Dave''s comment. "Bro. 90 plus all the time? You want him to throw out his arm again?"

    "A good changeup for him will be under 90." Kyle added.

    "Rhys knows how to use a changeup?" I asked.

    "What?" I asked, not getting what was funny.

    "Any great pitcher will know how to use a changeup." Kyle explained. "I just don''t know how willing Rhys is. He likes speed. He throws hard. His slider is even fast. But a changeup is a valuable tool. Especially if the other team knows you like to throw fast."

    The three of them chuckled or smiled.

    "What?" I asked, not getting what was funny.

    "Any great pitcher will know how to use a changeup." Kyle explained. "I just don''t know how willing Rhys is. He likes speed. He throws hard. His slider is even fast. But a changeup is a valuable tool. Especially if the other team knows you like to throw fast."

    Okay. That I understood. It was definitely much easier to hit a fast pitcher if he was consistent. Then you just have to speed up your swing. That''s why it made it so hard to face Danny from Servite sometimes. But as long as I could guess right, I would have the advantage.

    Rhys finished his warmup and the starting catcher came out with his gear on. He took a minute since he was one of the base runners that were left on. With the main pair ready, the first Auburn batter stepped up.

    Rhys kept it fast and on frame, getting the first guy to strike out, looking. The second batter grounded out to short. And the third popped out foul to the first baseman. Three up, three down, and back to Stanford offense. The top of their offense.

    Leadoff stepped up to the plate and Zeke was on deck. The guy before him didn''t get on this time, lining out to short instead. That didn''t slow Zeke down. He hit a line drive of his own, but split the gap in left-center field. He slid into second as the ball got thrown back in.

    We all stood up and clapped for him.

    The third batter got a hit to the outfield, pushing Zeke to third, and bringing up Bradley Thompson. The big guy knocked his bat on home plate and pulled it back, set and ready.

    The Auburn pitching coach called for time and went to the mound for the second time this game.

    Noah laughed and elbowed me. "They''re going to walk him. They have to. He''s just too good."

    Noah was right a lot when it came to baseball. And it didn''t stop tonight. After the coach spoke with his pitcher and catcher, they sent Bradley to first, pushing the previous guy to second. Bases loaded, one out for the fifth batter. The first pitch was low for a ball. They wanted a ground ball to try and turn the double play. They tried again, another ball.

    "This guy has a good eye." Noah murmured, focused on the action at the plate.

    On a 2-0 count, the pitcher finally threw in the zone and the batter took a swing at it, connecting and hitting the ball to the corner of left field, driving in two more runs.

    Stanford was just racking up the runs. And with Rhys steady on the mound, the distance between the two teams only grew. After the fifth inning, there was a big discussion in the Stanford dugout. We couldn''t see much, but could tell that everyone seemed to have gathered in a spot.

    I looked to Noah, who was casually cracking peanuts open and snacking on them. "What do you think is happening?"

    He shrugged, unbothered. "Hard to tell with our view."

    I looked to the twins, who were in a heated discussion about how Auburn should give up on this game or not.

    The game continued to be stretched apart. Zeke and Bradley were both a triple shy of a cycle, but had a combined 15 RBI''s, setting a school record according to Noah''s research. Rhys wasn''t outdone, shining on the mound, having thrown a complete game with 12 strikeouts. The three of them were busy doing postgame interviews on the field and in the clubhouse. We didn''t get to see it until the end of the night, watching the highlights.

    The one that interested me most, was when an interviewer asked Rhys about the dugout get-together.

    ["Now Rhys, walk us through what you and your coaches talked about during the game after that fifth inning."

    Rhys shrugged. "Not much was said. Coach Leroy wanted to know if I wanted to go all the way or save something in the tank for tomorrow." He smirked. "I said I wouldn''t be needed tomorrow. Look how hot our offense was today. Auburn had no answers coming out of their bullpen. I''d be surprised if they had any relief pitchers for tomorrow."]

    Noah laughed. "That''s what I''m thinking too. No way Auburn can come back from a butt-kicking like that. Their morale is shot."

    I nodded in agreement. I don''t think I could pick myself up after a game like that. At least not so quickly. Tomorrow''s game would start at 1pm. That''s barely 16 hours from now. I don''t think I could have a good night''s sleep if I was any of their pitchers.

 Chapter 1190 V4 ch38

    Auburn looked more upbeat Sunday at noon than I would have thought. The game stayed close throughout. Stanford took the lead first thanks to an RBI double from Bradley to drive in Zeke. Those two really made up the offensive power for Stanford and with the pair being hot, it was hard for Auburn to catch up. Stanford''s pitching held it together well and the distance between the two teams grew.

    When the Stanford pitcher got the last out of the ninth inning, the team threw their hats up and charged the mound to go celebrate. Zeke bumped fists with the other two outfielders as they made their way to the infield.

    They weren''t the only ones to celebrate. The whole stadium were up on their feet, clapping and cheering.

    Noah probably had to be the loudest. "We''re going to Omaha!!" He shook me by my shoulders and started to chant. "OMAHA! OMAHA! OH-MA-HAAAAA!!!"

    The twins joined in no time, pumping their fists. "OMAHA!"

    Soon it spread throughout our section and everyone was chanting along. I grinned and joined in too. None of the Stanford fans really got going until the workers started to clear us out, saying that they had to clean up.

    The other college students that came to watch moved the fastest, clearing out of the stadium while laughing and in high spirits. As family of the players, we were allowed to wait for them just outside the stadium.

    Zeke came out and Noah sprinted at him. Just as I thought he was going to jump on him, he started to bounce around, talking excitedly with the biggest grin. Zeke laughed at something he said and nodded along. Rhys was just a step behind, reaching for Noah and pulling him into a small headlock. Noah didn''t seem to mind, looking up at him and talking to him too.

    The three made their way to us. Zeke slapped Dave''s outstretched hand and gave him a half-hug. Then he did the same to me and Kyle. Rhys also greeted us the same way.

    "So do you guys leave for Omaha right away?" Dave asked. "Or do you get a day off? Do you want to come home until you have to leave? The school has to be empty with finals over already."

    Rhys laughed. "I don''t about Zeke, but I''m going home for a day or however long it takes them to book the flights and hotel." He reached out to give his mom a side hug and kept his arm around her shoulders.

    "You''re not going to celebrate with your team tonight?" His mom asked him.

    "Nothing to celebrate just yet." He smirked. "We''ll save it for the big one."

    "Then let us take you boys to dinner." Mom declared. She gave them no room to turn her down, already pulling out her phone and looking for a restaurant that could take our big group.

    "So does this count as his celebration party or my going away party?" Kyle asked.

    "Why can''t you share?" Noah rolled his eyes. "Aren''t you used to it?"

    Kyle reached for him, but Dad intercepted. "Let''s save the rambunctious playing for at home. We''ve got a lot to do this evening. You especially, Kyle."

    "What do I have to do?" Kyle asked.

    "For one, pack." Dad told him. "You need to have a bag of normal clothes, another for your baseball and workout clothes. Organize and clean out your baseball bag. Maybe think of some things you can''t live without for the next couple of months."

    "I don''t want to overpack, Dad." Kyle told him. "Like Jeremy said, it''s only a short stay. I don''t need anything but my glove and cleats. Really. Everything is going to be super basic."

    As Mom found us a restaurant to go to, Kyle and Dad thoroughly talked about what would be necessary and when they can hit the road.

    "Let''s take a day. Tomorrow, you can spend the day saying goodbye to Marie and your friends." Dad suggested. "We''ll also pack up your car. Tuesday morning, we''ll hit the road."

    Kyle immediately lit up. "We should drive all the way through. 11 hours on the road. It won''t be bad at all."

    Dad''s face seemed to twitch, but maybe I was imagining it. "We''ll get a better idea of the itinerary when we get home. You pack up and I''ll plan the trip."

    "What about us?" Noah asked.

    "We''ll plan out your way to Omaha as well." Dad rubbed his hands together slowly. "I''ll probably fly straight from Phoenix to you guys in Omaha. Probably have to rent a car. The hotels are probably filling up so we''ll be working with limited options." Dad pulled out his phone and opened up his notes app, starting to write down what will have to be done tonight.

    He didn''t just wait to get home to start his to do list. After dinner, on the way home, with Dave driving, he could work on his phone and start booking flights.

    "How to compare bowling to long walks through the airport and stadium?" Grampa grumbled, resting with his eyes closed.

    Grampa tried to argue that the traveling would be too much for him, but Dad wouldn''t hear it. "If you can still bowl, you can go to a few more baseball games."

    "Wow, he''s calling you out." Noah laughed at Grampa.

    "How to compare bowling to long walks through the airport and stadium?" Grampa grumbled, resting with his eyes closed.

    "We should look into getting you a wheelchair." Mom said. "Take it with us when we go. Just so you don''t have to walk as much."

    Grampa didn''t reply. Either subtley agreeing or didn''t want to get into a fight with Mom. Mom started to look up manual wheelchairs and Dad was moving on from flights to the car rental. By the time we got home, Omaha was pretty much set. Mom and Dad decided to hope for the best by picking a return flight after the tournament end date. Worst case�� we would be watching teams that Zeke and Rhys weren''t on.

    "Think Noah will want to run tomorrow morning?" Kyle asked while packing a bag. Noah was taking his turn in the shower and it was just me and Dave getting ready for bed. It had been a long day.

    "Maybe. 50/50." Dave shrugged.

    "He''ll run and want to lift after." I stated, getting comfy under the comforter.

    "I think we should all go. One more workout with you guys before I''m with the other draftees." Kyle said nonchalantly.

    "We should play over the line instead." Dave suggested.

    "Nah. It won''t be fair. Whoever has Jake, wins. Let''s just do a workout. Then I can go see Marie and hang out with her for lunch and the whole afternoon."

    "Can I��skip the run?" I nearly whispered, a little scared to voice my thoughts even though I knew Kyle wanted us to do this together. But I wouldn''t even be able to keep up on their run.

    "Yea, okay. But you''ve gotta join us in the garage for some lifting." Kyle zipped up a bag and opened another. "I want to kind of take stock where I am against you guys before going away for a couple of months. Then when I get back, I can do it again to see if there''s any visible changes."

    "And here I thought you were being sentimental." Dave snorted.

 Chapter 1191 V4 ch39 Kyle Leaves (1)

    I still heard the three of them get up and get ready in the morning, but I kept my eyes clothes and my breathing steady.

    "You better be first in the garage." Noah stated while slapping my bedding.

    I groaned and rolled over.

    "That''s some form of acknowledgment." Dave laughed.

    The three continued to make noise for another minute or two before it became dead silent. I took advantage and slept another half hour before stretching and forcing myself to get up. I brushed my teeth and changed into workout shorts and an old shirt of Kyle''s. He had passed on all of his clothes that no longer fit into mine and Noah''s section last night.

    Downstairs, Mom and Grampa were both hard at work in the kitchen. I paused in the doorway and listened to them talking about Kyle.

    "He''s 18, Mary. He''s an adult whether you like it or not." Grampa sighed.

    "I know, I know. But, he''s just barely 18. He''s never been so far for so long. What if something happens and he needs us?" Mom''s face was scrunched up in distress, clearly expressing her fear in letting Kyle go off alone.

    "Then you go. When he needs. If he needs it." Grampa said. "Come on. This isn''t your first time letting him or any of the boys go off alone. You''ve prepared them well. They''ve done those baseball camps on their own. They know how to take care of themselves."

    "Do they really?" Mom sighed. She glanced my way and caught sight of me. "Jake, you''re up. We''re just getting started on breakfast. Want some fruit first?"

    "I''ll take a banana please." I got closer and met her half way, taking the banana she got me. "The boys went on a run and we''re going to do some lifting in the garage."

    "Okay, but don''t let them go on for too long." Mom told me. "I want to help Kyle pack his car before he and Wayne leave this afternoon. And not just his clothes and baseball bag. He should take some clean sheets in case his host family doesn''t provide them. Maybe his pillow. Definitely a blanket or even his comforter." Mom threw out ideas as I ate my banana.

    "I think it''s better if you write down some of these suggestions." Grampa interrupted. "Don''t forget that Wayne needs to pack for this short road trip plus the weather in Omaha. Could be a mixed bag."

    Mom stopped what she was doing and left the kitchen. "You''re right. We should be looking at the weather. The Midwest is more prone to thunderstorms than we are." I watched her go into the office where I presumed Dad was working on the tickets.

    I threw my banana peel in the trash. "I''m going to the garage before they get back."

    "Smart move." Grampa laughed.

    In the garage, I tied my shoelaces and started with jumping jacks. I wanted to work up a sweat before they got here so I didn''t look like too much of a slacker. It worked too.

    Noah came up the driveway first, slowing down to a jog. He picked up a clean hand towel from the shelf and wiped his face and hands. "Damn, it''s warming up." He looked at me as I kept going and nodded. "Good work. You''ve got to stay in shape even if you don''t like cardio. Especially with you representing the region."

    "When will. You. Know?" I asked without stopping. It was already decided I was to represent the Northwest team, but Noah was still on the edge. I''d like to think he''s the best fielder I know, but maybe I''m biased.

    "Not till July." Noah waved me off. "Don''t even think about worrying."

    Kyle came sprinting up the driveway, a little more red in the face than Noah was. He put his hands on his head and took some deep breaths.

    Noah laid down a yoga mat and got to work on doing his crunches to start his ab workout. I stopped my jumping jacks and followed Noah''s lead.

    Dave showed up as I sat down. "Dang it, you guys. I thought we agreed on a steady pace." He put his hands on his knees and glared up at Kyle.

    "I wasn''t the first to split off." Kyle shrugged.

    Dave looked to Noah.

    Noah stopped what he was doing. "Well that was my steady pace. It''s not my fault we have different opinions on what is steady."

    "I should have stayed in bed." Dave groaned. He dropped to the floor and went straight into push-ups.

    Kyle squatted and tilted his head. "Hey, before you do that, why don''t we have a handstand competition? See where we''re at."

    Dave plopped onto the ground with a groan. "Now you tell me." He looked at Kyle. "Are we timing it? Or just head to head?"

    "Both. We''ll go at the same time but still get an accurate time of where we''re at." He looked towards me and Noah.

    I jumped up. "I''ll go get my phone." I ran into the house, up the stairs, and into our room. I grabbed my phone and started to run back.

    "Hey, hey, hey. What''s the rush?" Mom asked, coming out of the office as I came down the stairs.

    "They need the stopwatch app off the phone." I told her while waving it in my hand.

    "They need to take a shower." Mom put a hand to her head and went back inside the office.

    I went back to the garage where the twins had taken over the two yoga mats and were talking whether to do it straight up or closer to the wall in case they fell.

    "You have to play it safe." Dave said. "You''re legit about to go play baseball for a living. Don''t mess that up with a handstand."

    "I''m not dumb enough to do it until I get hurt or fall and hurt myself that way." Kyle rolled his eyes. "We do it without cheats. Straight up. Bending knees and legs are okay, but as soon as anything other than hands touch the ground. It''s over."

    Noah and I stood a couple feet away, watching them agree on the rules and prep themselves. Noah did a countdown and the twins got themselves upside down. I hit start on the stopwatch and observed.

    "Fuck. It''s been too long." Dave huffed.

    "Shut up. You''re going to mess up the results." Kyle struggled to say.

    Seconds finally turned into a minute. Their form was ugly and their arms were shaking. But they held on until a minute twenty. Dave fell first. Kyle didn''t last much longer, maybe an extra five seconds.

    "Jesus. Christ." Dave huffed and puffed as he laid out on the garage floor.

    Kyle was the same way. "My shoulders are burning."

    "My forearms feel so tight." Dave added.

    "I didn''t realize how much that challenged my fingers." Kyle raised his arm and stared at the back of his pitching hand. "I could probably last longer against a wall."

    "Me too."

    I cringed a little as I saw them sweat and lay on the mats. Definitely can''t be used now. But also. "Oh yea��Mom wanted you guys to shower sooner than later." I looked pointedly at Kyle. "And you have to start loading the car." I scratched my cheek. "She was working on a list of things you may need to bring. Just in case."

    Kyle was the first to get up. "Alright. I''m going to go shower first. You guys can go eat without me."

 Chapter 1192 V4 ch40 Kyle Leaves (2)

    "Take a whole case of water and put in the trunk." Mom instructed Kyle. Everyone had showered and ate something fulfilling before being put to work, helping Kyle load his car.

    "Really?" Kyle asked, not sounding very willing. "Come on, Mom. There''ll be water there. At the house. At the field. At the stores, all in the area. I don''t need a case of water."

    "It''s just for emergencies." Mom said, hands on her hips. "It''s good to have water in your car at all times. What if you breakdown in the hot sun, or get snowed in on a mountain. Just do it now so I don''t have to worry about something so small."

    Kyle rolled his eyes, but still squatted down to lift a case of water. He slid it in the trunk. Dave followed up by putting a duffel bag of clothes on it.

    "Where''s your suit?" Mom asked next.

    Kyle made a face. "You really think I''ll need it?"

    "Absolutely." Mom said with confidence.

    Kyle looked skeptical. "Like when?"

    "If you get any meetings or contract signings with sponsors." Noah spoke up. "Or what if you move up already after Rookie ball and they want you to appear in a suit? What about awards at the end of the season?"

    Mom nodded along with everything Noah brought up. "You see?"

    Kyle took a deep breath. "Okay, I''ll go get it." He headed back inside.

    "Don''t forget your dress shoes too!" Mom called out after him.

    Dad came into the garage and raised an eyebrow.

    "I just want him to be prepared for anything." Mom said, putting more of Kyle''s stuff into the car.

    Dad put his suitcase in the backseat. "Don''t stress. Anything he doesn''t have, he can buy there."

    "Wayne." Mom gave him a look. "We''re trying to teach him how to save his money. Use what you already have."

    Dad rubbed the back of his head. "But we don''t want to stress him out either, Mary. He''s got a lot on his plate right now. It won''t be too late to stress sustainability when he comes back in the fall. Right now, he''s short on time and has to make the transition to being a pro. He needs to prioritize taking care of himself first. Eating right, improving his form, and staying healthy."

    Kyle came back out with his dress shoes, simply throwing them in the trunk too. "Okay, anything else?"

    Mom got in front of him and put her hands on his shoulders. "Yea, I need you to promise me something."

    "What now?" Kyle sighed.

    "If you have any inkling of pain or discomfort, you stop. Promise me." Mom looked him directly in his eyes. "I don''t want you coming back hurt your very first season away. I don''t want you to need a major surgery like Rhys. You know me, I can''t handle that kind of heartache."

    Noah burst out laughing. "Don''t worry, Mom. It''s Kyle. He takes care of numero uno. Always puts himself first."

    "And that''s not a bad thing." Kyle stated, unbothered by the small shot Noah took at him. "If anything, Dave needs to take a lesson from me." He looked at Dave.

    Dave laughed. "Please. I don''t get hurt."

    "You get hurt more than anyone else here." Noah pointed out.

    Dave pulled him into a headlock. "I was just a little unlucky my senior year."

    "Okay, okay, let''s finish up here and go out for lunch." Dad clapped his hands together to get their attention. He reached out and placed his hand on Kyle''s shoulder. "It''s your first time being away for so long. Don''t get bothered by your mom''s anxiety. We''re going to miss you."

    Kyle let out a laugh. "Yea, right. You won''t even notice until I come back I bet."

    "It''ll feel like any other summer." Noah shrugged, getting away from Dave while he was at it.

    With the car all packed up, it was time we went to lunch. Surprisingly, we ran into Kaylee and Marie in the parking lot. Mom welcomed them with a smile and they joined our party.

    Kyle looked to me and Noah. "You guys do this?"

    I looked to Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "Yea. So? Weren''t you going to say goodbye anyways? At least this way you get another hour." He gestured to Kaylee. "Hey, you''re still in the sling. Wasn''t that supposed to be off and gone already?"

    Kaylee made a face. "I started real physical therapy, like actually doing something, but they still want me taking it easy when I''m not actively working with it. It''s annoying. I wanted to go in the pool with Alisha last weekend, but still no go. I can only chill on the edge." She looked around. "Alisha wasn''t invited?"

    Noah looked guilty. "I didn''t think to invite her. Mostly Marie for Kyle''s send-off."

    "Not like she''ll get upset." Kaylee shrugged. "When are you going to make up her birthday that you missed? Did you get her anything yet?"

    Noah grimaced, looking even more guilty. "About that��we''re actually going to Omaha tomorrow to watch Zeke and his team. So��maybe after that?"

    Kaylee raised her eyebrows. "You better have a good makeup gift in mind."

    Noah cringed and looked at me.

    I shrugged.

    Kaylee laughed. "Don''t look at Jake for help. What''s he going to do for you? The kid has no social skills."

    "Hey! He''s got��" Noah trailed off and looked at me before looking at her again. He straightened up. "He''s got me. What other social skills does he need?"

    I nodded in agreement.

    "And what do you know about gifting something a teenage girl will like?" She pressed.

    Noah got closer to Kaylee and threw his arm around his shoulders. "Okay, so I can use a little help from a friend. Cmon. What ideas do you have for me?"

    Kaylee grinned. "I''ve got more than a few."

    Lunch was a happy occasion with the girls around. It was less about Kyle leaving and more about eating out with friends. At least for a little while. At the end, when we walked out, Kyle and Marie split off on their own for a minute. Sharing a hug, they kissed and I hurriedly looked away.

    "Who will visit who first?" Noah mused, looking at the pair.

    "No way Marie is going to be allowed to go off to Phoenix on her own." Kaylee shrugged, adjusting her sling. "It''s gotta be Kyle."

    "Kyle for sure." Dave joined us. "He finishes in September, just as college is starting. He''s definitely stopping at her school to visit after his season."

    "Good for them." Kaylee rolled her eyes.

    "Hey, we''ll find time to visit you too." Noah said casually. "Alisha will come too."

    I nodded along.

    "Eh, it''ll be hard to plan." Dave said. "Maybe during winter break if you miss some practices and games. Spring break is even harder."

    Noah kicked Dave''s foot. "Dude."

    Kaylee sighed. "Yea. But it''s a nice thought anyways. Thanks guys." She looked at me. "You guys will still be around for the month after Omaha right?"

    I shrugged. "After Omaha, we don''t have any real plans besides hanging out with you and Alisha. The cages. Maybe go to some A''s games if it lines up right. The NTIS Champions Cup isn''t until August." I glanced at Noah. "We don''t even know about Noah making the team yet, or not."

    "Even if I don''t, I''ll be right there, cheering you on." Noah grinned and slapped my back.

    "Me too." Dave added.

 Chapter 1193 V4 ch41 Kyle Leaves (3)

    "This is it." Mom dabbed her eyes with the sleeve of her t-shirt. We were back at the house minus Kaylee and her sister.

    Kyle''s car, formerly Dad''s, was all packed up. With every little item Mom could think of at the last minute to stuff in. His baseball bag had a seat of its own just to insure he didn''t lose sight of it. He said everything was replaceable except for his gear. His glove was broken in to fit his hand perfectly. His cleats were still relatively new and didn''t give him blisters. His bat was mostly symbolic now, just a reminder that he was able to swing in high school. He said he might still take some practice swings in the cages to let off some steam. Which made Noah laugh and claim that it would just make him more angry.

    Kyle let Mom hug him and just rubbed her back. "Mom, I''ll be back before you know it. You can even try to make it to one of my starts when you guys get back from Omaha. I''ll let you know when I know more."

    Noah''s eyes lit up. "Yes! Another roadtrip! We can also go see the Diamondbacks play and their stadium." He looked at me. "You would like their stadium. It''s indoors most of the season so controlled climate. Way more modern than the A''s. I think it''s even better than the Giants."

    Kyle let go of Mom and reached out to push Noah''s cap down over his eyes. "You''re an idiot. I''m inviting you to watch me play, not the majors."

    "Who says we can''t do both?" Noah swatted his hand away and fixed his hat. "Don''t lie, you would want to go to Chase Field too. I bet you go before we even get a chance to visit you."

    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Why would I wait for you all?"

    "That''s what I thought." Noah grinned. He held out a closed fist. "Good luck down there."

    Kyle bumped it with his own and then held it out towards me.

    I gave him a fist bump too. "Yea, good luck."

    He pointed at me. "You too. When I come back, I want to hear how you made it to Team USA and will be representing the country next summer." He moved onto Dave.

    Dave didn''t settle for a fist bump and threw his whole body at Kyle. Kyle tried to back up to dodge, but Dave still caught him and gave him a bear hug, lifting him off his feet. He tried to spin around, but Kyle stopped him and got put back down.

    "You''ve got a head start on me and Zeke now." Dave slapped Kyle on the shoulder. "At the very least, beat him to the top. Then I can claim that I could''ve done the same."

    Kyle scoffed. Then grinned. "Don''t forget to visit. Then I''ll visit you at school. See what that college life could have been like for us."

    Dave nodded.

    Kyle hugged Grampa, accepting the old man''s request to kick butt. Rookie ball couldn''t be that much different than being at the Tulare Invitational. Just a bunch of all-stars gathering for the beginning of their careers. Kyle hugged Mom one more time, then got into the driver''s seat.

    Dad''s goodbye wasn''t nearly as long as it was simply: "I''ll meet you boys in Omaha." He hugged and kissed Mom, then rounded the car and got in the front passenger seat.

    Kyle started the car and put it in reverse, pulling out of the driveway. He and Dad gave one last wave, honked, and went down the street.

    Dave put his hands behind his head. "Feels weird knowing that we''ll see Dad so soon, but not Kyle."

    Noah shrugged. "I''m used to it in the summer time. You and him always going from one camp to another." He looked at me. "Want to go to the cages?"

    I nodded immediately.

    He looked to Mom, who was still wiping the corner of her eyes occasionally. "We''re going to go now, Mom. We''ll be back for dinner though, okay?"

    "Be back by 7pm." Grampa said. He walked to Mom''s side and started to guide her back to the house.

    Dave rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe we should stay with Mom today?"

    "Dude, she needs a moment to herself." Noah rolled his eyes. "She''ll be okay by dinner."

    "You really think so?" I asked in a low voice, trying not to be overheard by Mom.

    "Yea, yea. She''ll forget about him in no time." Noah waved our worries away. "Soon we''ll be busy in Omaha and then she''ll be catching up on work stuff when we get back. You know how it goes. Just look with Zeke. She missed him, but then she got used to him being gone. Same thing. We''ll visit him later when he knows his schedule and if he''ll get to start in the future."

    "Of course he''ll start in the future." Dave said, knocking Noah on the head. "He''s too much of a ball hog to be doing relief work." He headed for the garage. "Come on. Didn''t you guys want to go to the cages?"

    Noah rubbed the top of his head. "This guy is going to be moody all week, I just know it." He glanced at me. "It''s not Mom and Dad or even Grampa that we need to worry about. It''s Dave."

    I was taken aback. "No��what? I don''t think so. Dave has always-"

    "Dave has always been with Kyle." Noah cut me off. "He''s going to feel alone so let''s keep him preoccupied."

    As we headed to the garage and got our gear to put in the car, I thought it over. Noah was right. Very rarely did the twins do something alone. Last summer they only did one different camp and I couldn''t say for certain what that was like for Dave. I always thought he hated to be compared to Kyle and this would be his chance to stand alone, but maybe the transition won''t be as smooth as I had imagined.

    At the cages, I could already see a difference in attitude as Dave was constantly giving Noah a hard time. Noah gave it right back, mocking Dave''s swing after a bad go around.

    Normally being at the cages was a time for peace and practice, but this afternoon was a bunch of goofing off and smack talk. Noah didn''t leave Dave alone for a second. I didn''t either.

    I was still able to get my swings in and give pointers to the pair while also being a small-time referee. Dave was over-swinging, trying way too hard, leaving room for a lot of ugly swings. Noah was making more contact, but had a lot more fouls than usual, letting Dave give him grief for not being able to get it to go forward. They tired themselves out leading to a quiet ride home.

    Until my phone rang. Jeremy.

    I answered. "Hello?"

    "Hey, Jake, it''s me. I just saw Kyle''s instagram story." Jeremy said. "He''s already on his way to Phoenix?"

    "Yea, he should get there tomorrow." I answered. "Dad and him are going to stop around LA for the night. Maybe get there by lunch time tomorrow."

    "How are you feeling about it?"

    I shrugged. "Okay so far." I caught Dave glancing at me using the rearview mirror so I added a little more. "He''s not going to be gone for too long. Noah said it''s kind of like last summer when the twins would go to a bunch of pitching camps."

    "Yea, he should be back no later than the end of September." He paused. "Hey? I think we play in LA around that time��sort of. It''s the Angels. It''s��"

    "I know." I took a deep breath. "Near where I used to live. Where we used to live." I corrected myself.

    Noah turned around in the front seat to look at me, raising his eyebrows.

    "Jeremy might be near LA when Kyle''s season possibly ends." I explained. I put him on speaker.

    "Yea, I think we can take a look, ya know." Jeremy said. "If the timing lines up right."

    "We would be in school." Noah sighed. "Might just be a Kyle thing unless Mom and Dad agree to let us miss some time."

    "We''ll see. It''s months away. Maybe Kyle would be in the league championship and Mary and Wayne will want to see him in action." Jeremy threw out there.

    "We''re thinking about seeing him this summer when we know the rotation." Noah told him some of our summer plans, which start with a trip to Omaha.

 Chapter 1194: V4 ch42

    "Yo, you''ve been out of it all morning." Noah nudged me as we walked through the TSA checkpoint. "You worried about the flight?"

    "No, I remembered my headphones. I''m ready." I gave a small shrug.

    Noah patted his backpack behind him. "I''m ready too. All the snacks I could sneak out of the kitchen cabinet without Mom noticing."

    "I heard that Noah James." Mom said, just feet away, standing with Grampa and Rhys''s mom. "I let you pack that much, expecting you to share. You better not be responsible for eating half of your stash."

    Dave reached for the zipper. "What''d you get?"

    Noah turned to face him, putting his bag out of reach. "Secret. Besides, we''re about to go through security. Wait until we''re at the gate."

    Dave did wait. At our gate we found six empty seats together, three facing three. Mom, Mrs. Johnson, and Grampa sat down right away. We stood opposite to them as Dave started to go through Noah''s backpack.

    "What the heck?!" Dave was startled and looked back at Noah.

    Noah shrugged. "What? Just take what you want and close it up before Mom sees."

    "Before I see what?" Mom asked warily, rubbing her forehead.

    Seeing that she wasn''t getting up, Noah took his bag away from Dave and started to zip it up. "Nothing. Dave is obviously not hungry right now. He can get something from me later." He placed it by his feet and sat down calmly.

    Dave glanced at me. "What does your bag look like?"

    I shrugged. "I didn''t pack it. Noah did."

    Dave''s lips twitched. "Let me see."

    I handed him my backpack.

    He unzipped and looked. And then looked at me. "Jake��do you realize you''re holding two sets of clothing for every possible day we''ll be here?"

    I shrugged. "I didn''t know how many days or how much to bring. Noah said he would take care of it."

    Dave gave Noah a look.

    Noah shrugged. "My bag is heavier so it''s fair."

    "It''s not exactly fair when you eat all the snacks." Dave rolled his eyes.

    I squatted down to rummage through Noah''s bag, pulling out a bag of chocolate covered pretzels. Then I sat down in my own seat.

    Dave randomly looked up at the ceiling, acting like he was in distress. "I can''t believe you guys sometime. Jake, you''re too naive. Why carry his clothes? Make him carry his clothes and the snacks."

    I shrugged. "My bag was lighter." That''s good enough for me.

    "Sit down and relax, Dave." Noah patted the empty seat on the other side of him. "All this concern is making me think that you''re becoming more and more like Zeke. Do you want to start balding early?"

    Dave plopped down. "You know what, you''re right. Pass me a bag of cookies."

    "Tsk. Wanting the good stuff early." Noah complained but still complied, getting a snack size bag out and handing it over.

    We waited over an hour until it was time to board. My hands were sweating already as I got the headphones out and plugged them into my phone and put them in my ears. I took the window seat, Noah sat in the middle, and Dave on the aisle. Mom, Grampa, and Mrs. Johnson sat behind us, easing my nerves. No one would grab me from behind for sure.

    I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I was buckled in and ready for this flight. It was a nonstop, 3 hours and 30 minutes. The time difference pushed us another 2 hours ahead, meaning it would be lunch as soon as we landed. Normally we wouldn''t eat right away so soon after breakfast, but there would still be time before we could check in.

    After landing we had to line up for a rental car. Mom had to fight with the customer representative, saying she specifically requested a SUV when he had tried to give her a sedan. We lost a lot time there, but Mom got the car we needed and we loaded the trunk with our bags.

    Mrs. Johnson used her phone to find a restaurant near our hotel, asking for our opinions but we were all easygoing. She made the decision and we ate relatively quietly.

    Today was all about checking in and getting settled. We weren''t going to be able to see Zeke and Rhys as they were with their team and had to prepare for their first game. Plus, Dad was flying in from Phoenix, Arizona tonight and we wanted to hear about Kyle''s new ''place''.

    Mom picked Dad up by herself and we all met at the hotel restaurant down in the lobby. Mrs. Johnson joined us, of course, since she was on her own. She felt apart of the family anyways with how long she has known the Atkins and how close she was to Zeke and Rhys at school. She said she wanted to hear about Kyle''s experience too since she hoped things were different than back when her husband was in the minors.

    Dad chuckled at her remark. "Nowhere near as difficult, but still not very sustainable. He''s sharing a room with two other players and ended up on the bottom of the bunk bed."

    "So he''s right at home then." Noah joked, drawing a laugh from Grampa, Dave, and even me.

    "I think he''s finding it even tighter of a fit." Dad smiled. "We had a big bonus room for you boys to share. This is a much more standard room. He had to leave some extra items in his car to make space for the necessities." He looked at Dave. "You could probably take some notes from him on how to share a tight space before you go off to college. Does your coach want you to room with fellow teammates?"

    Dave picked up a roll from the center of the table and started to butter it. "Yea, I''ll get assigned a fellow freshman in a couple of weeks. My pitching coach says the head coach will start sending out emails in July on getting to know one another and then roommate assignments."

    "We should start planning your roadtrip so you can have your car out there." Mom looked to Dave. "And while you''re there, try to find out where you can park it during long breaks like Thanksgiving and Christmas so it doesn''t get broken into. We also need to let your car insurance agent know that you''ll be out of state. Also should look into holiday flights now so we can save some money and book early."

    "I''ll print out my academic calendar for you when I get it, Mom." Dave answered rather casually. "It''s still June. Some schools are just letting out right now. We''ll know a lot more in July. I say our next focus should be getting down to Arizona to see Kyle play. Before we get really busy."

    "When are we not busy?" Noah laughed.

    We really did have a lot on our plate this summer. Zeke''s tournament right now. Seeing Kyle pitch in the minors. The NTIS. Dave going off to school. And those were just the big headlines. I was already taking College Algebra online with Dave. Alisha and Kaylee wanted to hang out and do things. Noah will definitely start getting antsy when we get back and will want to do all kinds of workouts. And there was also the idea of seeing a few A''s games and meeting up with Jeremy.

 Chapter 1195: V4 ch43 College World Series(1)

    Saturday was the opening day of the tournament and the stadium was on its way to being filled up. We showed up early, with Mom letting the three of us splitting off since we had over an hour before Zeke and his team took the field.

    Noah had the bright idea to get ice cream first as we walked around and got a feel for the stadium. Noah knew at a glance that the dimensions were very similar to Klein Field at Stanford, but the seating capacity was way more. Not too surprising since Stanford had a bunch of trees beyond the outfield. But still. Charles Schwab Field was like a mini pro stadium with how many people it could hold.

    "24,000." Dave read off his phone. "That��s almost six times as much as Klein Field."

    "Dang. Do you think Creighton plays in front of that many people every home game?" Noah asked about the school that this stadium was home to.

    "No way." Dave scoffed. "Opening day might be big. And especially if they host any playoff games, but besides that, I don��t think they even get one-tenth of the place filled up."

    Noah made a face. "That��s depressing then. I would hate seeing so many open seats every time I took the field." He nudged me. "What do you think? Would you like to play in a near empty stadium?"

    I didn��t have to think too hard. I started to nod.

    "Wait. You might want to hold that thought, Jake." Dave held up his free hand, looking down at his phone again. He scrolled with his thumb. "Fun fact, Creighton might not fill up the stadium on a normal basis, but they do have the most fans on average compared to the other Big East teams in the conference. Their average attendance is somewhere under 2000 while the other schools are all near 500."

    I cringed. "I think I would be more scared in a small field with 500 if that��s the max capacity. Like that would be considered a full stadium. And everyone would feel so close."

    "Meh. That goes back to the dimensions of the field." Noah said. "You like the A��s stadium cuz there��s extra space between the playing field and stands. If you played at somewhere like Fenway, where the fans are super close, you would be spook."

    "Jake would definitely not be the type to chase a foul ball into fan territory." Dave laughed.

    I shook my head. "I play the middle infield. It should be my job to go in foul territory at all."

    "It��s not uncommon." Noah shrugged. "I��ve done it." He talked about how we would have better angles to see the pop ups better than the corners and whatnot as we strolled around the stadium.

    It started to feel like a lecture and more like torture when I had finished my ice cream. I got lucky though when we approached some kind of cage that was surrounded by fans of all ages. Young and small. Noah was immediately attracted and stopped talking about fly balls and started to push his way through the crowd to see what was going on.

    I was a little hopeful at first, seeing that it was kind of a cage setting, but as soon as I got a good look, I was uninterested.

    Bullpen Speed Pitch, a sign advertised. ��See how fast you can throw and see if you can compare to some of the pitchers in the College World Series.�� There were a few names above faces with a number next to them. I recognized Rhys right away and pulled out my phone to take a picture. The number next to his face said 98.

    "No way Rhys throws 98mph." Noah grinned, taking a picture with his phone too.

    "It��s probably what his fastest pitch has been clocked at this season." Dave said. He handed me his phone and wallet. "Here, Jake. You hold this. I��m going to give this a shot." He started to rotate his shoulders like a warmup stretch.

    Noah quickly did the same, stuffing his phone and a bag of snacks he had hidden in his pocket into my arms. I pocketed each phone and Dave��s wallet, while watching them try to loosen up with what little space we had. As we got closer to the front of a makeshift line, we were able to see a few others give it their best shot. An old man barely topped out at 63mph. A young kid had matched that, earning a few claps and cheers. A grown man who looked like he knew what he was doing, threw a fast one and the radar flashed a 84. It was the highest we had seen until we got up front.

    A young man spoke with Dave, who was then handed a ball. Dave rubbed the ball between his hands with a grin on his face. He stood on the marked spot like it was the rubber on a mound. He did a full windup and let that ball go, directly hitting the fake nine-box setup they had. The radar sign flashed and showed 91, prompting the crowd to applaud and holler in excitement.

    Dave pumped his fist in the sky towards the crowd before walking back to me.

    "Show off." Noah rolled his eyes and stepped up to the guy in charge. The guy handed him a ball and gave maybe a sentence or two of instruction. Noah nodded and went to the marked spot. He didn��t do anything fancy like Dave. He just hurled the ball his hardest. It wasn��t dead center like Dave��s, but still within the nine box. The sign changed to 92 and the crowd erupted. Noah turned and bowed at them. He came back to me and Dave with a smirk. "Would you look at that? I throw faster than a D1 pitcher."

    "Tch." Dave crossed his arms over his chest. "You didn��t give two shits about location. I can throw faster if I lose the accuracy."

    Noah shrugged. "What can I say? My job is to get it towards first base. It��s up to the first baseman to make the catch."

    Dave narrowed his eyes. He let his arms go down and walked back to the man in charge. They spoke and the guy actually gave Dave the ball again, despite already having his turn. Dave gave it a small toss before catching it and walking to the mark. This time he did his quick delivery and the ball made a loud thud against the low section of the fake strikeout zone. Nasty. I already knew it was going to beat Noah��s. Sure enough, it flashed 94, and the crowd went wild. Everyone within ten yards was talking about Dave and his feat.

    "Can you beat that?" A small voice said from nearby. We turned to see an elementary school kid, holding a glove, looking directly at Noah. "Can you? Or is he better because he��s bigger?"

    Noah scoffed. Then grinned. He went over and patted the kid on the head. "Size doesn��t mean everything in baseball." He went to the guy in charge and had a small talk.

    Dave came back, having fist bumped everyone nearby. "Damn. I��m good. I can��t wait for college. I��ve got to be the best incoming pitcher on the team."

    I nodded in agreement. I couldn��t imagine that many guys out there better than Dave and going to the same school as him. That would be insane.

    Noah was handed a new ball, but he didn��t go line up at the marked spot. He got the crowd to back up a little bit.

    "That little cheat." I heard Dave muttered.

    Noah was able to get a bit of a running start before throwing the ball before the mark. The ball maybe grazed the corner of the fake strike zone, however it didn��t matter. All eyes were on the small screen with the numbers. 94.

    I cringed as everyone screamed in excitement. Especially the little kids with the high-pitched voices. Noah went over and high-fived the kid that had asked him if size mattered.

 Chapter 1196: V4 ch44 College World Series(2)

    The two had attracted a lot of attention from their throws, making it difficult to exit and leave the crowd. Sending my discomfort, Noah stopped bumping fists with strangers and pulled me out of the thickening crowd.

    "I think we should try to convince Dad to get us a radar." Noah said when Dave caught up to us.

    "You��re not even a pitcher, dude." Dave slapped him on the back of the head.

    "Yet, I can throw just as fast as you." Noah stuck his tongue out. "And I��m still growing."

    "Yea like a sunflower. Tall and skinny. Ain��t worth much." Dave laughed.

    "You��re just jealous that I��m going to be taller than you."

    "You better hope the growth spurt doesn��t effect your playing at short."

    "Tall players can play shortstop."

    "How tall is too tall?"

    "Quite a few are 6��4"."

    Dave puffed out his chest. "You��ll have to be taller than that if you want to be taller than me."

    "I will." Noah declared confidently.

    The two went back and forth on everything until it was time for us to find our group and our seats. Mrs. Johnson, Mom, Dad, and Grampa sat at the end of one row and us three sat right in front of them. Dad originally wanted us to sit behind them because we were more likely to jump up during the game and block their view, but Mom said she wanted to be able to see us without having to crane her back. So she won.

    "You boys find any souvenirs?" Mrs. Johnson asked as we sat down.

    Noah shrugged. "Nothing really stood out."

    "We should wait and see if they make some special shirts for those that make the finals." Dave suggested.

    "We should get you boys some shirts to commemorate the memory of being here for the first time." Mom stated. "And then if Zeke��s team makes the finals, we can look for something more special or specific."

    "Sure. Whatever." Noah shrugged.

    "Dang it." Dave said abruptly, drawing our attention to him. "I should have pushed Zeke to college more. So I could be the first to come here and play." He looked up at the clear blue sky. "Is it too late to take the pro route? Maybe I can beat Kyle to the top and be the first in this family to do something special."

    Noah patted him on the shoulder. "Forget it. You��ve made your bed and now it��s time to lie in it."

    I looked at him and tried to offer some consolation. "Zeke��s not a pitcher. You��ll be the only one to pitch in college."

    "Yea as long as we don��t count Rhys." Noah said.

    "Rhys hasn��t thrown a perfect game?" I tried to offer again.

    Dave threw his arm around my shoulders. "Okay, Jake knows what��s up. I��ve got something I can do before Rhys."

    "Bad time to tell you that Zeke and Rhys have another year left to do?" Noah laughed. "Feel the pressure. You could even face them. That would be something."

    We talked about their future and the chances of Dave running into them next year. They didn��t have the schedule out yet, but maybe it could happen. Big schools liked to play each other when they can. I would only hope it��s at Stanford so Noah and I could make it too. The clash of schedules and seasons were going to make it tough; we didn��t even see half of Zeke��s home games and he wasn��t that far.

    There was a lot of pregame ceremonies and celebrations as we got closer to game time. Dad gave us money to go buy hotdogs, drinks, and some extra snacks. Stanford was playing the first game of the afternoon against University of North Carolina. It��s expected to be a great game between the powerhouses. Both schools had a long history of having great baseball programs.

    Rhys didn��t get the start today unfortunately as Coach Leroy went with a senior pitcher. It was a bit of a bummer for us, especially after seeing him work so hard in the Super Regionals, but it did make sense. This was a do-or-die game. It was double elimination so you had to lose twice to be out.

    There were two brackets of four teams each, and thanks to double elimination, there��s also a chance you have to play the same team again. If they make it.

    Game one officially was underway and the start was slow offensively. Neither pitcher was unprepared and wanted to blow it for their team.

    During the fourth inning, we had a moment where two ladies followed by a camera man came down the aisle and asked if we were Zeke��s family.

    Noah immediately sat up and pointed us all out for them. Grampa. Mom. Dad. Dave. Him. Me. Even a shout out to Mrs. Johnson and naming her as Rhys��s mom.

    "We heard that you boys had done some impressive throws in the Bullpen Speed Pitch game." One of the ladies took over to ask. "We were hoping to do a short little snippet for viewers at home, showing some of the families of the players."

    Dave glanced back at Mom and Dad. Both of them nodded, showing that it was okay. Noah was in. And I was there on the side.

    The lady that did most of the talking introduced herself as Hanna Stewart and would be the interviewer. The other lady was a producer and she mostly stayed behind the camera man, who set up in the aisle of stairs so he could include us in the shot. The actions of the three attracted attention from around, taking it away from the game.

    "Hi, yes, I��m here with the Atkins family, most notably Zeke��s three younger brothers: David, Noah, and Jake." Hanna spoke into the mic, looking at the camera. "Zeke, known for his strong arm in the outfield and superb batting performance this season has really been a difference maker for Stanford. The freshman may be the youngest on the team but the oldest of his siblings." She glanced at us. "What do you three think of him making it this far? Are you impressed? Do you plan to follow his footsteps?"

    "It��s to be expected." Dave grinned. "Zeke��s never been one to settle. If he��s not at the top, he��s on his way."

    "We won��t follow his footsteps exactly." Noah wanted to answer. "He chose college. Dave chose another college. Our brother, Kyle was drafted. We all have different skill sets and also want different things out of our time in baseball."

    I nodded along, trying to look like a participant.

    "You all seem to share a lot of the same skills and qualities though." Hanna smiled. "Before coming over we heard of you two taking on the Bullpen Speed cage. Tell me, who won and how fast did you throw? Do you think either of could beat Zeke?"

    Noah opened his mouth, but Dave beat him to the punch. "Well those are just fun side games that we don��t take too seriously." Dave put his arm around Noah��s shoulders, giving it a squeeze. "As much as we like to compete, we always cheer for one another more. Zeke does have the strength and experience, but honestly we��ll name Rhys as the fastest among us. We grew up with him as well and it��s always been clear that he was made for the mound."

    Hanna saw the opportunity to ask about Rhys and took it happily.

 Chapter 1197: V4 ch45 College World Series(3)

    Mom was very proud and happy how the interview went, even going so far as giving Noah some extra cash for more snacks. Dave and I weren��t left out either. But I think we all knew it took a lot of willpower for Noah not to take over and bash on how he threw as fast as Dave. At least one time.

    What we didn��t expect was getting some texts from friends and teammates, saying they saw us on tv.

    Kyle was more straight to the point, asking in our group chat, who had thrown the fastest. Noah was quick to reply with a ��94, tie�� text. Which Dave followed up that Noah had a running start.

    The speed of throws only died down when Stanford��s offense started to heat up. It started with Zeke and Brad followed, driving him in. The two kept things afloat especially when Stanford started to give up some runs in return. It went back and forth until the end, with Stanford holding on 8-6. Game one has officially been won.

    After the game and exiting the stadium, Noah delved deeper into the College World Series layout. Tonight, game two of the first bracket that Stanford was in, would be played. Mississippi State versus Washington. Then tomorrow, bracket two would start playing. Arkansas versus Texas. And Florida versus Texas Tech. The winners in each bracket would play each as would the losers. Then the loser of that game will play the winner of the losers before. So like a bracket within a bracket?

    I held my head, still confused.

    Noah put his hand on my head. "Double elimination. Lose twice and you go home. Don��t worry, Zeke��s team won��t lose."

    "I��m more concerned with how long this is going to take." Dave frowned. "These games are all spaced out, no real set schedule. I think I didn��t bring enough clothes. Especially if I do any workouts and runs."

    "The hotel has a laundry room." Mom said while typing away on her phone. "There��s other important amenities like a business room with a fax and printer. A pool with a jacuzzi." She put her phone down to look at Dave. "I��m more concerned how you and Jake will fare with your online class."

    "Mom, we know algebra. College algebra is just an extension of what we learned in high school." Dave wasn��t worried at all. "The teacher posts the lessons online and due dates are spread so far apart. Like only twice a week. We won��t even be here for any of the tests."

    "How do you take a test for an online class?" Noah asked, interested.

    Dave shrugged. "Guess it��ll have to be multiple choice. Maybe some kind of timer?"

    "A timer would be so unfair." Noah said. "Like what if you��re not that good at math and need more time?"

    "I don��t know, man. I��m just guessing." Dave looked to me. "We can probably knock out a couple of lessons this week, no problem. Especially the early stuff. Gonna be easy peasy."

    I nodded. I thought so too. Your journey continues on .com.C?m

    Mom and Dad decided that they would let us go to all the games happening this week, while they and Grampa only went when Zeke��s school was playing. Grampa couldn��t handle the constant walking around and nor did he want to. He was content with watching the highlights on tv and was only concerned about getting to see Zeke play. Mom and Dad probably wouldn��t have minded seeing more baseball, but work was waiting for them. Especially with all the time off they��ve been taking and now they would even be gone for an undetermined amount of time.

    So for game two Saturday night, it was just Dave, Noah, and I. We watched a close one that I thought was rather boring, but Dave was all about it. Both pitchers had brought their best out and it was a pitcher duel until the end. Mississippi State beat Washington 1-0. Meaning that they would get to play Stanford. Washington would play the other loser of the day, University of North Carolina.

    Sunday was just us three again, watching the beginning of the other bracket. Third game of the tournament and Arkansas was out-hitting Texas, beating them down 11-5. We all had a feeling that Arkansas was the best team we had seen so far at the plate.

    Zeke thought so too. He showed up before game four after having a bp session with his teammates as we were just walking around and killing time. He watched highlights on his phone and pointed out the good plays made on both offense and defense.

    "Defense couldn��t have been that great if they gave up five runs." Noah crossed his arms over his chest. "I��d be way more afraid of their bats. Good thing you guys wouldn��t see them until the very end."

    "Is that a good thing?" Dave asked skeptically. "Pitchers will probably be drained, if not on mandated rest."

    "One game at a time." Zeke said. "Tuesday, we play Mississippi State and already know that Rhys is getting the start."

    Dave grinned. "One game at a time, huh? Then why put out Rhys? To make sure he��s ready in case you guys make it all the way to the finals, right?"

    "Rhys gives us the best chance at winning." Zeke didn��t confirm or deny.

    Noah grinned and started to bounce. "Tuesday��s gonna be a good one. I can��t wait."

    "Neither can I." Zeke showed a rare big smile. He stayed with us for game four. Florida lost to Texas Tech 3-6. Zeke occasionally shared his insights and Dave would talk about the pitching that either impressed or disappointed him.

    He was staying at a different hotel with his team so he left us right after the game, having to catch a ride with one of the assistant coaches who was in charge of a rental van. We went back to our hotel too, telling Grampa about the time he had missed and what the brackets were looking like.

    He pointed at the tv. "You guys know I can keep up just fine, right? I don��t have Alzheimer��s."

    "You never know." Dave shrugged. He pulled out his phone. "Kyle��s rookie team starts playing games tomorrow. He hasn��t said anything pitching in a game this week yet."

    "He��s probably busy being a little adult." Grampa said. "Leave him be."

    "Yea, right." Dave looked to me. "There��s only one game tomorrow and it��s in the late afternoon. Want to do some math lessons before lunch or after?"

    "If I say before, does that mean we have to wake up early?" I asked. It was already getting late and I knew I would be sluggish to rush tomorrow.

    Dave reached out and push my ball cap down over my eyes. "Okay, let��s do a lesson or two after lunch. In the morning, I��ll see if Noah wants to do a run and workout in the hotel gym."

    Noah was still in Mom and Dad��s room, telling them about the day we had as they had stayed back in the hotel room. When he did finally come back, he definitely agreed to Dave��s proposal of a morning workout.

 Chapter 1198: V4 ch46 College World Series(4)

    Monday came and I got to sleep the morning away. Grampa too. We were the two slowest to move but not the last to shower. That would be Dave and Noah, who both had worked up a sweat.

    Mom and Dad let Grampa take us to lunch, saying that they would eat something quick from the hotel so they could keep working. We found a restaurant just down the block to try and it was more than good. The best cheese ravioli I ever had. I even asked Noah for the two that he couldn��t finish and he easily said yes. Your journey continues on .com.C?m

    Dave didn��t give me the chance to glance at his plate. He smiled as he patted his stomach. "I can eat all my food, Jake. I��m no rookie like Noah."

    Noah rolled his eyes as he waved a piece of bread at him. "It��s called different preferences. I��m all about the bread. This shit be good. Especially when it��s fresh out of the oven."

    Grampa knocked once on the table. "Language. I don��t want you thinking it��s okay to talk like that in front of your mother."

    "I wouldn��t." Noah defended. "Otherwise Dad or Zeke would knock me on the head."

    I nodded in agreement and finished my last bite. I leaned back into my seat, rubbing my full stomach. "I think we should come here again tomorrow."

    "No way. Let��s try something new." Dave said.

    "You can try something new on the menu." Noah shot back. "It��s not often Jake finds something that he really likes. He ate so much; I think he gained five pounds from just this meal alone." He elbowed me. "You��ll have to workout with us tomorrow morning to burn these carbs."

    I nodded sadly. "I know."

    He laughed. "Come on, it��s not the worst thing in the world. Do some cardio, lift some weights. This time next week, we��ll definitely be back to the cages. For as long as you want."

    After lunch, Dave and I got to work on our math lessons. The college professor had uploaded all the lesson plans, making me think that he had reused them from previous classes. It didn��t matter to me though. They explained the content of each chapter well enough, going over multiple examples. Dave and I made it all the way through chapter four before calling it quits to go to the game.

    Monday night was a face off between the two losers of bracket one: UNC vs Washington. I thought Washington has such good pitching in their first game, maybe they would have another good one for this game. But no. UNC had a good offense when they had played Stanford on Saturday and they only looked better against Washington. They handed them their second loss and sent them packing from the tournament.

    Tuesday��s schedule was slightly different. I did get up with Noah and Dave to use the hotel gym. A few times I would pause what I was doing as the staff from the hotel would check in on us because we were minors. Dave and Noah made fun of me afterwards, trying to say that not everyone was out to get me.

    I defended myself for being skittish. "I know not everyone is out to get me. But you don��t know who is crazy, okay?"

    "Then you just have to be crazier." Dave laughed.

    We didn��t plan to do any lessons today after lunch since there was a doubleheader tonight. Stanford, with Rhys on the mound, would take on Mississippi State. It was never a close game with Zeke and Brady��s offense taking off early. Rhys could have done a complete game, ask anyone. But they took him out early, with the score 7-1. Dave said they kept him under 80 so he only had to rest three days. If they could make it to the finals, he would be used. Stanford finished the game up 12-2.

    Mom and Dad took Grampa back to the hotel afterwards, not really interested in the next game. Surprisingly, Zeke and Rhys joined us in their place as we waited for the next game to start.

    Dave slapped Rhys on his non-pitching shoulder. "Great game. For a second, I thought you were going to fight to stay on the mound to do a complete game."

    Rhys shook his head with a smile. "Maybe if I had a perfect game or a no hitter going. Then I might try to be a little selfish."

    They talked pitching as we waited for the next game to start. It was the first two losers from bracket two. Texas versus Florida. Texas just couldn��t get anything going offensively and fell to Florida, 1-6. That would be it for them.

    Wednesday was another doubleheader and the adults stayed back at the hotel as we watched Arkansas beat Texas Tech 7-4 and then UNC handed Mississippi State their second loss. Thursday, Texas Tech had to play the other single loss team, Florida. Their offense was there, but the pitching just kept giving up the lead and they lost 9-6.

    Finally just two teams left in each bracket. Stanford versus UNC once more. If Zeke��s team won, they would be headed for the finals. If they lose though, they��ll get another try since they haven��t lost two games yet. Same deal for Arkansas in the other bracket. They had no losses while playing a team with one loss already.

    "That douchebag!" Noah cursed at his phone as the three of us were getting ready for bed Thursday night. Dave and I both looked his way, but Noah didn��t elaborate. He just let out a few more curses. "Stupid jerk. I knew he wouldn��t tell us shit. Bet he didnt hide it from Marie." He tapped away at his phone.

    Marie. Kyle. I looked to Dave. If Kyle had something to tell us, it would go through his twin if not the group chat. Dave got close to Noah to look over at his phone. "Why are so riled up? Are you texting Kaylee?"

    "Kyle pitched today." Noah said. "I��m asking Kaylee if Marie knew. Cuz if she did, I swear to god, I��ll never talk to that dick again."

    Dave moved around the room to get to his phone on the charger. "How do you know he pitched today then?"

    "I check his team��s website every day since he got drafted." Noah said. "Right now their game is going and it says he��s on the mound." His phone dinged. "Kaylee said Marie didn��t know either and is asking how I knew." His shoulders seemed to relax a little.

    I looked to Dave. "Are you looking the game up? Is there a way we can watch or listen?"

    "Can��t." Noah answered. "I��ve looked into before. I think the level is too low. Or the season too short. So they don��t have a dedicated radio host. And it��s not like the fanbase can be big enough to warrant one. The rookie team changes every year."

    "So we just watch the play by play?" I asked. Someone had to be keeping score, right?

    "It��s probably way behind, but yea. That��s all we��ve got." Noah started to tap on his phone again. "I��m going to leave him a message that he better call his right when he gets a chance. I can��t wait to hear his excuses."

    "Do we tell Zeke?" I asked next, glancing at the clock. It was already 10:30pm here. Zeke still had a game tomorrow. Granted, it wasn��t do or die for him. "What about Mom, Dad, and Grampa? They might be in bed already, but I think they��ll want to know."

    Noah looked to Dave. "What do you think?"

    "What do I think?" Dave asked, bewildered.

    "Yea. You think like Kyle. Why wouldn��t he tell us about this? Should we make it a bigger deal and tell everyone we know?" Noah said. "I��ll definitely tell Rhys. He should still be up since he can��t pitch tomorrow. He can decide whether to tell Zeke that way I don��t accidentally wake him up."

    Dave ran his fingers through his hair. "I don��t know. The polite thing would be to let people sleep, especially since Mom and Dad are still trying to work, but I think they would think that it��s a big deal."

    "Okay, let��s go to their room and share the news." Noah didn��t need much convincing.

 Chapter 1199: V4 ch47 Kyle’s First Start

    Mom was instantly in panic mode seeing us outside her hotel door. "What happened? What��s wrong? Why aren��t you in bed?"

    Noah squeezed into the room. "Don��t leave us in the hallway, Mom. People will think we��re causing trouble."

    "Are you causing trouble?" Dad asked from the far side of the room, sitting with Grampa on the small couch.

    Mom let me and Dave in, and closed the door behind us. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You kids better not have cooked up some random idea or stunt you want to pull."

    "Come on, Mom. Stop being so cranky." Dave guided her to a bed and helped her sit down. "When have we ever made you so worried?"

    "Every day of your life." Mom sighed. "Okay. Fine. What��s bringing you boys to our room in the middle of the night?"

    "It��s not middle of the night yet." Noah defended. "And if anything, we��re your well-behaved sons. Nothing like the one in Arizona, not sending the slightest news our way."

    Mom put her hand to her head. "Get to it, Noah James."

    "Kyle had his first minor league start tonight!" Noah went to Dad and showed him his phone. "Look! He��s on the mound. K. Atkins. He didn��t even say anything to anyone. Not to me. Not to Dave. Not to Marie."

    Dad took his phone to look. Grampa scooted over and leaned in to see too. Mom wasn��t the exception either. She got off the bed and navigated around the room to lean over Dad��s shoulder.

    I decided to take a seat on the bed. We might be here awhile. I pulled out my own phone with the intention to look up the same webpage. A glance at Dave told me he was doing the same.

    The room was silent as we watched three small screens. K. Atkins on mound, S. Branch at the plate. The calls on the page were simple. Strike. Strike. Ball. In Play (out).

    I let out a sigh of relief.

    "He had him cornered." Dave groaned.

    Noah just shook his head. "Lost out on that strikeout. Should have thrown another borderline pitch."

    "The guy could have swung and connected on a pitch outside the zone." I spoke up.

    Noah and Dave nitpicked every pitch and out. Which honestly were minor complaints compared to when Kyle gave up a hit. And another.

    "Jesus. Is he even trying?" Noah flopped onto the bed dramatically.

    "He��s tiring out. I just know it." Dave shook his head, disappointed. "I told him, his stamina isn��t the same even if he only took a couple weeks off. You go from three hours a day of baseball to three in one week? Yea, you ain��t ready.

    "He hasn��t given up a run yet��?" I sounded unsure as I tried to defend him again.

    "That��s his only saving grace." Dave muttered.

    "It��s hard to tell if you guys are being supportive or combative." Dad sighed.

    "I don��t think they��d be so upset if they knew he was pitching beforehand." Grampa pointed out. He yawned before going on. "I also would like to know what he was thinking. Are we the type to keep secrets?"

    "We��ll definitely ask what the situation was." Mom said. "Even if we can��t physically watch his games or even see him on a screen, I would like him to keep us up to date with his life. What if he got hurt and we didn��t even know he was playing? I��ll have to talk to him again about sending us daily updates. Even if it��s just what he had to eat for lunch that day."

    "I bet if Kyle got hurt, we would never hear the end of it." Noah rolled his eyes. He pushed himself up to a sitting position.

    "Better than being the one hurt and never hearing the end of it." Dave said. "I swear, it��s like salt in a wound. I��m too scared to even sprain my ankle. Thankfully, I haven��t had something serious like Tommy John."

    "I��m sure nobody would make fun of you if you needed something so serious." Dad assured him.

    Noah smirked.

    Dave pointed at him. "I just know this brat would have something to say."

    "Better take care of your arms then." Noah shrugged, still smiling.

    "You didn��t treat Rhys like this." Dave huffed.

    "I didn��t know if he��d be okay." Noah explained. "Now that he��s back and better than ever, I don��t have to take it so seriously."

    "Double standards."

    "Rhys didn��t bully me as a kid."

    Dave and Noah kept up the commentary into the late night as we waited for Kyle��s game to end. Kyle got pulled after six innings. He gave up four hits, including a big one for a solo home run. Four strikeouts, no walks. He didn��t get the win though because his team��s offense also scored only one run. They ended up losing in extra innings.

    "How long do we give him before calling?" Noah asked, looking to Mom.

    Mom looked to Dad. "An hour? Enough time to meet with his coaches and shower?"

    Dad checked the time. "It��s 12:30am now, so how about just half an hour?"

    "Daddddd." Noah groaned.

    "You boys go back to your room at 1am. We either hear from him or we��ll reach out in the morning." Dad said.

    "Can I just send him a text now? See if he��s busy?" Noah asked.

    "Are you going to send something rude?" Mom asked, squinting.

    "I��ll send ��good game�� with a thumbs up emoji." Noah said.

    "I think it��s better if I do it." Dave said. "It won��t come off so condescending."

    "You��re just as bad." Mom told him before looking to me. "Why don��t you give it a try, Jake?"

    I fiddled with my phone as I debated whether to tell them what I had done over half an hour ago. "Well. Actually. I sent him a congratulatory text as soon as he got pulled from the game." I opened the chat with him. "He hasn��t replied."

    Just as I said that, my phone rang. Kyle. I clicked answer and put him on speaker. "You called."

    Kyle laughed. "Yea, especially when I saw that you��re still awake. You with the other two?"

    "We��re all here!" Noah hollered as he hopped onto the bed. "Mom. Dad. Even Grampa is still awake."

    "Not for much longer." Grampa grumbled with closed eyes.

    "Why are you all together? Isn��t it almost 1am there?" Kyle sounded confused.

    "We couldn��t miss it even if you almost made us." Noah said into the phone as I held it up. "I did miss the first inning, but I stand by the fact that it��s your fault."

    "It��s not like I did it intentionally." Kyle sounded irritated as we heard a car door closing in the background. "The manager asked me an hour before game time to do a spot start."

    "Spot start?" Dave asked. "You? Isn��t that more so when you want a relief guy to start before the main one does the bulk of the innings?"

    "Exactly." Kyle answered. "You know that wouldn��t fly for me. I said let me start for real." The car started in the background.

    "Kyle, you better not take this phone call on the road." Mom interrupted.

    "I switched to bluetooth, Mom, it��s fine." Kyle said. "I��m starving and need to find something that��s still open."

    "You didn��t eat before the game?" Mom switched moods real quick.

    "My stomach couldn��t handle it." Kyle explained. "As soon as I knew I was pitching, I didn��t eat at all. Scared I was going to throw up."

    "Such a Jake move." Dave laughed.

    I pushed him with a hand. "Hey."

    "I definitely relate to Jake��s jitters now." Kyle said. "Next time shouldn��t be so bad. I��ll have proper notice."

    "Yea, you shouldn��t have stressed yourself out like that." Noah jumped back in the conversation. "We saw you had a few guys cornered at two strikes and just couldn��t finish them off."

    "This isn��t high school anymore, Noah." Kyle sounded annoyed. "I played against anyone from 18-25. Guys who played four more years than me in a competitive college level."

    "You didn��t do half bad, man." Dave tried to comfort him. "Short notice and still did a full start. Next time will be even better. Put this one behind you."

    "You did well." Mom corrected Dave��s assessment. "We��re very proud and happy for you. We��ll let you go get yourself some food. Have a good rest and we��ll talk tomorrow."

    Noah cleared his throat. "You might want to send Marie a text or give her a call. I think she stayed up to watch you too."

    "Yea, I have a text from her. And Rhys." He sighed. "I think I��m just going to a Taco Bell drive thru."

    We said our goodbyes and I hung up the phone.

    "I��m surprised you didn��t say anything about his dinner choices, Mom." Noah laughed. "I just know you would be all over me if I had said fast food for dinner after a game."

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    "Kyle has self-control." Mom said��but not very confidently. "And it��s just an exception. Not his norm. He had a long day, I��m sure." She glanced at Dad.

    Dad got up from the couch. "It��s not even been a week. We can cut him some slack. When we talk tomorrow, I��ll ask about his eating habits and schedule. Just to gauge if we have to do some coaching on nutrition."

    "He can probably afford a nutritionist with his bonus." Noah scoffed.

    "But can he afford a private chef?" Dave asked. "Maybe he needs a home delivery meal plan service."

    "That��s an idea." Mom nodded, liking the sound of that. "We could also order him some fruit, straight to his door." She picked up her phone and started to tap. "I��ll place an order from his local grocery store. Wayne, get me his address."

    We left their room as Mom started to shop for Kyle from her phone. Dad was right there beside her to help. Grampa looked like he had already fallen asleep on the couch.

 Chapter 1200: V4 ch48

    Friday, we all had a late start. I woke up to the sound of Dave talking on the phone. It only took me a second to detect that it was Kyle on the other line. It was all about pitching and what adjustments he had to make during the game. And especially if he felt gassed.

    "The ump wasn��t very lenient." Kyle complained. "And the catcher and I just weren��t syncing. I kept shaking my head. He kept thinking I could throw a curve. Honestly, more embarrassing for him than for me."

    "Do you pair up with him next time?" Dave asked. "You gotta get on the same page with this guy so he can help you shine."

    "Who knows." Kyle expressed uncertainty. "There��s a couple catchers. None are really designated as a starter, but none are fully just bullpen either. I��ll have to adjust."

    "Be accommodating." Dave said. "Don��t get an attitude-"

    "I don��t get an attitude." Kyle cut him off.

    I stifled a laugh at how much attitude he gave just now.

    "Was that Jake?" Kyle asked.

    I clutched my comforter and peeked at Dave, making eye contact.

    Dave laughed and tossed the phone next to me. "Here. You guys talk. I gotta get in the shower before Noah comes up from the gym." He grabbed his change of clothes and got into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

    "You still there?" Kyle asked.

    "Yea." I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and started to stretch. "How��s your arm feeling today?"

    "A little sore, but that��s to be expected. I was overthrowing a lot." Kyle said. "I also didn��t sleep that well, but I��ll take a nap before I go to the field."

    "Do you guys have another game today?" I asked, a little unclear about his schedule. "Do you practice with the team or with the pitchers?"

    "After a night of pitching, I��ll do active arm care." He told me. "Maybe do a core workout. Watch film if they have any."

    "Wouldn��t they only have film if they broadcast the game? We couldn��t find any video." I told him.

    "It��s much harder to broadcast than to just film. I��m still new to this, but I figure if no one recorded anything, I��ll look into hiring someone to record me when I start."

    "Is that going to be expensive?" I scratched my cheek. That idea sounded more expensive than mom��s idea to send him groceries.

    Kyle let out a rare chuckle. "Nah. I don��t need a professional or something. I think I can find someone to spare a few hours every week to just set up and watch. It��d be great if he had his own camcorder and then I can just supply the memory cards."

    "Is it that important to see yourself?"

    "Maybe not to you because you��re so self-aware. But there��s a lot more to pitching. Am I lifting my leg high enough? Too high? Am I stretching out too far? Revealing my pitch too soon?"

    "Ok, ok." I felt a headache coming on.

    "It��s just for a few weeks." Kyle said. Then he suddenly sighed. "You know, Jake��I don��t think I put myself in your shoes. Not once. But last night was the closest I think I could have ever felt."

    My nose twitched, unsure of what to say.

    "I told Dave and now I��m going to tell you. But neither of you can ever tell Noah or Zeke."

    "What about Mom and Dad?" I automatically asked.

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    "Not them either. They��ll worry."

    I sat up. "Should I worry?"

    He laughed. "No, no. God, I hope not. It shouldn��t happen again." He took a deep breath. "You know how I said I couldn��t eat before the game yesterday?"

    I nodded. But then realized he couldn��t see me. "Yea. You ate late. With the late notice and nerves, you said you would eat after the game."

    "My nerves was so bad once I got the nod that I would start." He cleared his throat. "I threw up my lunch."

    Oh. That��s it? "Did anyone see you? Did you feel faint?"

    "Thankfully I had the clubhouse to myself. Everyone was on the field or in the gym." He told me. "As soon as I felt my stomach rumbling though, I bolted for the bathroom. Not dramatically or anything. I just couldn��t hold down what I had put in."

    "I��m glad you were able to calm down to pitch after that."

    "I had a few hours. I drank some gatorade and water to stay hydrated, but even the sight of a granola bar made me want to heave."

    "I dont think I��ve ever seen you guys be sick." I thought about it.

    "I hope not to be after last night. At least I recovered quickly." He paused. "I just��wanted to say��you��re tough. Tougher than you think. You can bounce back from those lows and keep going. If I had it as bad as you, well, you could probably find me in bed, calling it a day."

    I laughed. Mostly because I couldn��t imagine that at all. None of my brothers were the type to stay in bed. Or even stay still. He��s talking about me bouncing back, but it��s more like I have a lot of support to help me up.

    Kyle swore me to secrecy one more time before hanging up. I finally got out of bed and picked out my clothes for the day. It was already time to eat but we still had to wait for Noah to come back and shower too. Once we three were ready, we met up with Grampa and then found Mom and Dad in the business center. We tried something new for lunch, a Korean barbecue. Which was fun and good, but definitely not quick. By the time we were done, it was off to the stadium.

    Stanford had the first game of the afternoon. Even though they still had the comfort of not having lost yet, they played a very tight game, scrapping by 3-2. They would be moving on to the finals!

    Arkansas had an easier time in the later game, also getting the right to move on after winning 5-2 over Florida. That meant the finals would start Saturday night. It was going to be a best of three series so no matter what happened, we were going home Tuesday.

    "Rhys has to be pitching tomorrow." Noah declared. "Game one. You have to set the tempo."

    "I think it��s better to save him." Dave scratched his chin. "See how they fare. Arkansas has been showing some good offensive performances."

    "I��ll ask Zeke." Noah pulled out his phone. "He has to know. Rhys would want his mom and aunt be there for the last game he pitches this season."

    "They��ll be there for all three games to cheer the boys on." Mom spoke up. "So it won��t matter which game he gets or if he even comes in as a relief pitcher. And, I believe this is a secret, but his dad will be there."

    "For all three?" Noah asked.

    "What about his job with the Giants?" Dave followed up.

    "I can��t speak on his career, but yes, he��ll be there for all three." Mom confirmed.

    "I��ve got to sit next to him." Dave declared. "I want to hear all he has to say about these pitchers. What makes them good. What they can do better. Professional insight."

 Chapter 1201 V4 ch49 College World Series Final

    I''ve seen Mr. Johnson only a handful of times in my short time with the Atkins family. He wasn''t like any dad I knew. Not kind and vocally supportive like mine. Or stiff and strict like Kaylee''s. Or outgoing and friendly like Alisha''s. He was very��calm.

    He had shook hands with all of us when we met up outside the stadium for the first game of the short series. He congratulated me, Noah, and Dave on winning this season again and asked a little more about our summer plans. Noah took over, telling him all about the regional team tryouts and where we stood.

    "Congrats on making the team." Mr. Johnson told me as we stood in line to get into the stadium.

    I slowly nodded.

    "They''re lucky to have you." He continued, hands in his jacket pockets. "I know Noah said you''re going to play even if he doesn''t make it, but don''t force yourself."

    I was taken aback. I looked up at him.

    "They want you. They need you. I''m sure you can get an inside track to representing the country if you decide."

    Mrs. Johnson elbowed her husband. "You know Mary and Wayne want to foster some independence in their boys. Don''t encourage him to stay home if Noah doesn''t make the team."

    "No, it''s okay. I like getting different perspectives, especially when he has seen the highest level of the game." Dad spoke up.

    "Not everyone who represents their region, makes it to the pros. Not all pros played at such a high level as a teen." Mr. Johnson explained. "Zeke, Rhys, and even Kyle have shown you the different paths you take to grow as a player. Don''t force yourself to be uncomfortable when you''re already stressed. It can backfire."

    "I think you can have a little more confidence in me making the team." Noah said, a little grumpy.

    Mr. Johnson gave a small smile. "I think you''ll be fine with or without it."

    We made our way to our seats, taking up two half rows. Grampa, Dad, Mom, and Mrs. Johnson sat behind me, Noah, Dave, and Mr. Johnson. I thought Grampa would sit with us kids but realized that Dave purposely asked Mr. Johnson to sit next to him so he could ask for some pitching advice. It wasn''t just limited to pitching either. Mr. Johnson broke down almost every play, good or bad, Stanford or Arkansas. What he liked, what he didn''t. This was professional insight by a professional coach.

    I probably would have enjoyed it more if Stanford wasn''t on the losing end for most of the game. Rhys didn''t start, and the guy who did wasn''t bad either. But he couldn''t last long. After five innings, and them losing 1-3, Coach Leroy came out to replace him with a new pitcher. It didn''t get any better, they lost game one 1-4 to Arkansas.

    Game two, we kept the same seats. Unsurprisingly, Rhys got his start. Even as a freshman, we could see how much the team has come to rely on him. In a game where their backs were against the wall, they sent him out.

    His father didn''t pick on him or give him undeserved compliments. He kept the same tone and attitude as yesterday, talking to us about what to watch out for as batters against pitchers like Rhys. He shared with Dave the amount of effort and work Rhys had put in after his rehab for his elbow. How he trained differently than before and learned to make adjustments as time progressed.

    "He has come a long way." He said. He glanced at Noah. "Going to Stanford with Zeke was the best thing for him. I have no doubt that he''ll be ready to go pro after his sophomore season."

    "It was better than his idea of community college." Noah snorted.

    "There''s nothing wrong with community college." Mom leaned forward to give Noah a pat on the head.

    "Takes a different kind of mentality to do so." Mr. Johnson added. "It''s a good stepping stone depending on your level. And if you''re comfortable with being a commuter. You have to manage your free time way more efficiently."

    "I rather take on the minors." Noah rolled his eyes. "All baseball. No added school. That''s a real waste of time." He held the back of his head. "Not saying education isn''t important, Mom."

    "I never thought I would be the only college graduate among us." Dave said thoughtfully. "This should put me in the favorite kid spot."

    "Is this a bad time to tell you that Zeke plans to graduate within these two years?" Dad stage-whispered.

    "What a show-off." Dave rolled his eyes. "He just likes to add so much pressure on himself."

    "Do you know what you would even major in?" Noah asked.

    "I''ll decide after my first year. Maybe I''ll want to leave after two years as well." Dave shrugged. "Depends on how things go."

    "I wish Rhys would consider getting a degree." His mom sighed. "He''s just taking the bare minimum to qualify as a full-time student so he can play baseball. Even his first semester."

    "He can always go back and finish it later." Noah shrugged. "That''s what I would do."

    "How reassuring." Mom said sarcastically.

    Luckily Rhys took the mound once more and distracted the moms from the talk of colleges and degrees. He put on a decent showing, earning a lot of strikeouts, but the hits still came too. Fortunately, the offensive guys showed up. Brady and Zeke went back to back to giving some run support to Rhys as he went deep into the game; only getting pulled after 8 very long innings.

    "I bet he wanted to close it out." Noah muttered.

    "He was at his limit." Mr. Johnson said flatly.

    Stanford kept the lead 5-3 to seal Rhys''s win. Game three on a Monday night to decide the final winner. We didn''t hear from Rhys and Zeke that night despite sending them a few texts in a group chat. They did send us replies in the morning, letting us know that of course they were going to win it all.

    I felt nervous for them. More than anything this week. They were just one step away. Don''t lose now.

    A senior was designated the starter, a late round pick bound for the rookie level right after this, according to Dave. He would also be going to the Arizona Complex League. Could be even seeing Kyle''s team soon. He was on fire today, striking out every other batter. He got tired quick and retired after five innings, but the bullpen held it down and the offense boosted them up, winning 5-0. Rhys charged from the dugout and Zeke sprinted in from left field. Their whole team celebrated in the infield, throwing their hats and gloves high into the air.

    Noah let out a puff of air and relaxed into his seat as a lot of other spectators were celebrating or leaving the stadium in a hurry.

    I glanced at him. "You tired?" Thinking that was the only reason he wasn''t jumping and yelling like a few others.

    He smiled. "Nah. Relieved more than anything. They won like they''re supposed to."

    "I want to be here next year." Dave said, hearing our small talk. He stretched his arms. "I feel like I can compete with those guys right now."

    Noah got up and patted him on the shoulder. "Good luck."

 Chapter 1202 V4 ch50 Back Home

    When dad had booked us our flights back to the west coast, I felt personally attacked by the flight departure time. 7am. Which meant we were at the airport by 5:30am. Which meant leaving the hotel by 5am. Which meant being up at 4am to shower and finish packing. I was so tired that I fell asleep shortly after finding my seat on the plane. I was out before the plane even left the gate.

    I continued to be sluggish as we caught a ride to the Johnson''s and took Dave''s car back to the house. I napped every chance I could, but I think it just made me more tired. After lunch, I napped at home in the comfort of my own bed.

    At least until Dave came into the room, telling me that Mom wanted us to strip our bedding to wash it. I slowly got up and helped him, taking sheets and comforters from the four beds to the floor. We had spare sheets to put back on too.

    I paused at Kyle''s bed. "What about Kyle''s? Do we make up his bed? Or just leave it until he gets back?"

    "Let''s make it." Dave decided. "For one, it''ll look better than just a plain mattress. Two, what if he or Zeke come by to visit. Then it''s already ready."

    We finished remaking the beds and took all the used bedding down to the washer and dryer. Surprisingly, Dave got things started instead of just leaving it for Mom.

    "Where''s Noah?" I asked as we walked back upstairs.

    "He left for Alisha''s." Dave said.

    I was taken aback. "Without me?"

    "You would rather sleep." Dave laughed and messed with the hair on my head. "Besides, I think it was supposed to be a secret. He left under the disguise of ''going for a run''."

    I frowned. "How do you know he went to Alisha''s then?"

    Dave smiled and pointed towards Noah''s desk. "He left with a small baggie. One that I remember he got a few weekends ago. The necklace with his number on it?"

    "Oh." I nodded, knowing what he was talking about. Kyle got something just like it for Marie. "I guess it''s a belated birthday present of sorts. I probably should have gotten her something from Omaha."

    "Like what? A baseball shirt she''ll never wear?" Dave laughed.

    "Alisha would wear it." I said with confidence. "She''s so nice. She wouldn''t let a gift go unused."

    "Leave the gift giving to Noah." Dave brushed it off. "Means more from him, I''m sure." He sat at his desk. "Want to see how many math lessons we can get done before dinner?"

    I sat down and turned on the computer. "Yea!"

    Dave and I put a serious dent into our college algebra course, even taking the first unit''s test. It wasn''t all multiple choice like we had guessed. There were fill in the blanks and it wasn''t just for the final answers. Some had blanks in the steps or answers and in the end there were multiple blanks for each step. If that wasn''t enough, it was timed. Not like a countdown, but counting up. Dave said it''s a different way the teacher could tell if anything suspicious was going on like if you took too long, maybe you were looking up the answers.

    We were talking about how we would have to go to the community college for the midterm and final. Both in person. Dave wasn''t as frivolous as before like in high school. He was trying his best to stay on top of this class to get an A. It helped that a lot of the beginning has been review.

    "You guys just study all afternoon?" Noah walked in, wiping sweat on his forehead onto the sleeve of his shirt.

    "That and napped." I answered, putting my study materials to the side.

    "We also remade the beds." Dave added.

    "Cool. Thanks." Noah headed for the bathroom. "I''m gonna shower before dinner." He went in.

    Dave raised an eyebrow and looked to me.

    "What?" I asked.

    "He came back empty-handed." Dave whispered.

    "Wouldn''t it be more concerning if he came back with her present?" I shrugged.

    "Man. You''re no fun." Dave grabbed a pillow off his bed and tried to hit me with it. "You don''t want to gossip at all."

    I dodged. "There''s not much to talk about."

    Alisha may like Noah more than a friend. And Noah knows it. He treats her a little better than most, but he said he didn''t want to do the dating thing like Kyle. Noah was all about baseball. Alisha knows that too, so she wouldn''t pressure him or give ultimatums. It was what it is and is what it will be.

    "Well maybe I''ll have hope to get a girlfriend before him then." Dave mused, putting his pillow back where it belonged. He glanced at me. "What about you? Do you like anyone? Kaylee, maybe?"

    "I like Kaylee." I nodded. Dave stumbled. "And Alisha too. They''re both nice."

    Dave put a hand on the bunk bed frame to hold himself up. He put the other to his head. "Jake. I''m talking about a different kind of like. The kind where you want to date."

    "Oh." I gave another small shrugg. "I don''t really think about it too much. Some people date. Some people don''t. Not many guys on the team have had serious girlfriends." I looked at him. "You. Garret. Bryce. Brian. Sean. Jason."

    Dave grabbed his pillow and whipped it at me. Much faster than before. It hit me in the face and then I caught it.

    "Hey." I frowned.

    "I''m going down to see what''s for dinner." Dave left the room.

    I put his pillow back and went to empty out mine and Noah''s bags from the past week in Nebraska. We had a lot of dirty clothes. A few leftover snacks. Some souvenirs.

    "Where''d Dave go?" Noah asked when he came out of the bathroom.

    "Downstairs to ask what''s for dinner." I told him. "Did Alisha like your present?"

    Noah whipped his head to my direction so fast you would have thought I had called him a cursed word or something. "You��"

    "Dave told me he saw you leaving with it." I shrugged, not hiding it from him. "I just wanted to know if anything changed between you and Alisha."

    Noah cleared his throat. "No. Why would it? It was just a birthday present."

    I watched as he busied himself around the room. Picking things up and putting them back down just inches of difference. "Did something else happened?"

    Noah took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Just��the same as last year��"

    I thought about it. "Did she kiss you?"

    "On the lips." He shook his head. "I told her we''re not a couple, but she said she''ll wait until I change my mind. Or until she changes hers." He sighed. "Girls can be so ridiculous. Like why complicate it. I don''t know where I''ll be in two years and she''ll be in some college. We''re on two different paths."

    I shrugged. I didn''t get it either. "Kyle and Marie are trying."

    "Bad example. We don''t like them as a couple." Noah said. "They put themselves first. Always. I could never."

    "Yea. Because you put baseball first." I grinned. "Alisha knows that. So?"

    "I just don''t want to hurt her feelings." Noah sighed. "Now I''m going to feel awkward every time we go to her house this summer."

    He says that, but I don''t think Noah has ever acted awkward in the time that I''ve known him.

 Chapter 1203 V4 ch51 Learner’s Permit (1)

    After dinner, we had a driver''s ed course in person with Alisha, and I didn''t feel like she and Noah acted any differently than normal. I glanced at her neck, but didn''t see the necklace like I thought I would. Maybe she put it away. I didn''t think she normally wore jewelry anyways.

    "What? Is there something on my face?" Alisha asked, putting a hand to her cheek.

    I shook my head.

    "Are you sure? Is it a pimple?" She pulled out her phone and turned her front camera on so she could see her reflection.

    "You don''t have any acne at all." Noah assured her. "Everyone is jealous of your face."

    "As they should be." She said with a smile and patted her cheeks. "I do my skincare routine daily, plus the occasional mud mask." She looked at us. "Do you guys do any skin care?"

    "Besides soap and water?" Noah laughed. "No."

    "The injustice." She smacked the table and that got the driving instructor''s attention.

    "Are you listening, Alisha?" The man at the front of the room asked.

    Alisha nodded. "Yes. Sorry. Just a random��outburst. On a thought��I had?"

    He gave her a knowing look. "I know these lessons can be tedious as teens think they know it all, but please pay attention. Some rules of the road aren''t as well known as some would like to think." He continued on with the lesson.

    "Sorry." I whispered to Alisha.

    She shrugged it off with a smile and went back to looking at our little handouts on road signs.

    Towards the end of the class, the instructor reminded us to complete the online portion of the lessons. Once we were done, we would get our certificates and be allowed to go to the DMV to get our permits. Then we would have to arrange a time with the instructor to get our mandatory six training hours in a real car done.

    "I feel like I''m ready now." Noah said to me and Alisha as we waited for Mom to pick us up. "I''m going to stay up late and get it done tonight. Then maybe Dave can take us to the dmv tomorrow."

    "You''ll need a parent to sign the application." Alisha reminded.

    "Yea, I''ll have help to fill it out at home." Noah rushed. "Then take it. Have a real license by the new year."

    "I''ll hurry too so we can do it together." Alisha agreed.

    They both looked at me.

    I sighed.

    "Don''t you want to do the training together?" Noah asked me. "Or do you want to be alone with a stranger in a car as they tell you what to do?"

    "I''ll get it done too." I confirmed, a little reluctantly.

    "I wish Kaylee could have been doing this with us." Alisha sighed. "It feels like we''re leaving her out, ya know." This wasn''t the first time she expressed her sorrow for Kaylee.

    "She can celebrate with us when we all pass the permit test." Noah said.

    "That sounds like we''re rubbing it in her face." I pointed out.

    "No matter what, she''s going to be sad and frustrated." Noah countered. "I say we just use it as a reason to hang out at Alisha''s tomorrow night. It''s not like we have school so we could do a pool and pizza party."

    "My parents won''t mind at all." Alisha volunteered. "And I''ll convince Kaylee to stay the night with me too. She could use a break from her house. I think it''s starting to feel crammed with all the packing they''re doing."

    "Do they have a leave date yet?" Noah asked.

    "Not exactly. But I think they already have an interested buyer." Alisha said.

    "They haven''t even put their home on the market yet." Noah was astounded.

    Mom''s car pulled up and we loaded in. I sat up front with her, as Noah and Alisha sat in the back. Noah told Mom about the potential buyer for Kaylee and Marie''s parents house.

    "I believe it." Mom said, driving towards Alisha''s so we could drop her off. "Their house is in a very much desired neighborhood."

    "Why didn''t they ask you and Dad to help sell it?" Noah asked.

    "Probably to save on commission fees." Mom gave the tiniest of shrugs. "Maybe they know this buyer and have an arrangement already. Especially if it''s from their church."

    We talked about the future of their house sale and when they''ll leave for California. They had three cars in their family, but not everything from their house would fit in them.

    When we dropped Alisha off, she waved and promised to do the rest of the driving lessons online tonight. "Don''t forget to take me to the DMV too!" She hurried up her walkway and we watched her enter her house before Mom decided we could drive away.

    "DMV?" Mom asked with a small frown. "Are you guys trying to take your permit test tomorrow?"

    "Yea, then we can set up the driving training hours with the instructor together." Noah said.

    Mom glanced at me beside her. "And you boys think you''re ready?"

    "Mom, the test is the easy part." Noah leaned forward. "It''s when you have to start physically teaching us that you should worry."

    "I always worry. Especially about you. Now sit back." Mom ordered.

    We stayed up late that night, skimming through the lessons and answering the multiple choice questions with a little help from Dave. He didn''t think it was cheating at all, reminding me that I would have to drive with an adult for six months before trying for my license. Most of it was common sense anyways.

    Wednesday morning, I thought I would be waking up to Noah rushing me, but it was a call from Kyle.

    "Hello?" I mumbled.

    "You''re still sleeping? Where''s everyone else?" Kyle spoke quickly.

    I looked around the empty room. "Running maybe?"

    "Without you?" He questioned.

    I flopped back and pulled my covers over, contemplating whether to sleep some more. "Hmmm?"

    "Did you stay up late last night?" He asked.

    "Uh-huh." I mumbled in agreement.

    He got quiet. I almost dozed off before I heard him say. "I''ve got the start tomorrow."

    My eyes snapped open. "Awesome!" My voice cracked and I cleared my throat. I sat up. "You''ll do even better than last time. Eat well. Rest up. What time does the game start?"

    "7pm." He told me. "I should start getting more steady starts now. Every five games. Maybe once a week. Hold on." He started talking to someone near him before coming back on the phone. "Hey, I''ve got to get going. Just let everyone know for me. Dave. Noah. Mom. Dad. Grampa."

    "I will." I promised.

    He said goodbye and hung up. I checked the time 8:30am. My eyelid twitched. This dude was acting like I was really sleeping in. I sighed to myself and got up to get going. Surely Noah would want to go right after he showered after his run.

    After getting ready, I found Grampa in the living room, watching the morning news. He looked at me in surprise. "I thought you would sleep until the other two got back."

    "Kyle called." I plopped down on the couch. "He''s going to get the start tomorrow."

    "Hey!" Grampa pointed at me. "Don''t be sitting down. Go eat a proper breakfast. Your father went to the grocery store last night and purposely bought you kids more fruit. You''ve been slacking for over a week now."

    I gave a small smile and got back up on my feet.

 Chapter 1204 V4 ch52 Learner’s Permit (2)

    Dave and Noah came in the dining room all sweaty from their run. I told them about Kyle pitching tomorrow as I poked at the eggs Grampa made me. He definitely used more than two. This was a lot.

    "Stop playing with your food, Jake." Grampa caught me just as he was coming out of the kitchen. I straightened up and started eating again. "What do you boys want to eat? I can make eggs any way you like them."

    "I''ll just get a bagel later." Dave tried to leave. "I really need to shower. I stink so bad."

    "Hold it right there, David." Grampa raised his voice just a little above normal. He also said Dave''s full name so he meant business.

    Dave froze in his tracks. "What''s up, Grampa?"

    "I don''t want you boys skimping out on breakfast. Your father went to the trouble of stocking up this kitchen with some healthy choices and you kids need to fuel up properly." Grampa lectured.

    Noah took a seat next to me and whispered. "Wow. Don''t mess with Grampa today, eh?"

    I nodded as subtly as I could. I already got read the riot act on eating better now that we''re back from vacation.

    "Ok, ok." Dave came back to the table to sit down with us. "You don''t have to twist my arm, Gramps. I can eat. If you''re feeling fancy, I''ll take an omelette with a lot of cheese please."

    Grampa looked surprised before clapping his hands together. "Yes. I''ll do that. Noah, you''re getting one too." He glanced at me.

    "I''ve eaten so much already." I showed my half-empty plate, knowing he was thinking about making me eat an omelette too.

    "Okay, tomorrow then." Grampa headed for the kitchen.

    I finally put my fork down to take a rest. I slouched in my seat and let my stomach bulge out. Noah and Dave laughed.

    "How long have you been held hostage?" Dave asked.

    "Too long." I grumbled. "I should have stayed in bed. I don''t think there''s any way I can eat lunch today."

    Noah laughed some more. "It''s a little too early to say that. Don''t worry, Grampa won''t be cooking for us. Remember, we''re going to Alisha''s to celebrate after our permit tests. None of us will force you to eat."

    I sighed with relief.

    "Come on, it can''t be that bad." Dave laughed. "Grampa just likes to cook. And he''s been deprived of it all week. Take it easy on him."

    "It''s him that''s not taking it easy." I whispered. I picked my fork up and started to eat again. I wanted to finish and get out of here before Grampa had anymore ideas. I cleared my plate just as he came out with two plates for the guys. I went to the kitchen to rinse my plate and put it in the dishwasher. Just as I got back to the dining room, I heard Dave.

    "Uhh, Grampa��did you put onions in this?"

    "Yes. And green peppers, and tomatoes, and spinach, and cheese. It''s a veggie omelette." He told him.

    "Mine doesn''t look like that��" Noah said. "Mine has broccoli, tomatoes, and just a whole lot more of broccoli."

    "You don''t eat it enough." Grampa told him.

    I stifled a laugh at the sight of them in distress. Serves them right. I went upstairs, going to the shared room to get ready and use my free time to study for the permit test a little more. It really helped. Even more so than the online lessons. I think I was so anxious about answering the end of lesson questions, I didn''t really take in the info.

    By the time Noah and Dave were done with breakfast and showers, I was feeling more confident. This was just like a school test. It''s also going to be multiple choice so I can use process of elimination.

    We grabbed our filled out and signed applications from the office downstairs, then said bye to Grampa, reminding him that we wouldn''t be home for lunch.

    "Your parents will want to see you boys for dinner to celebrate you kids passing your permit tests." Grampa reminded us as we headed to the garage. "Don''t stay at your friend''s too late."

    "Wow, no pressure, eh?" Noah smirked and waved. "Don''t worry, we''ll be back before the sun starts to set."

    "Bye, Grampa!" Dave hollered.

    "Bye!" I echoed.

    We got in Dave''s car, formerly the old family car and he started to drive. We were headed to Alisha''s first to get her. When we pulled into her driveway, she came running out before we could even let her know we were here.

    "Waiting for us?" Dave chuckled as she got into the middle row with me.

    "Duh. I''ve been ready for the last hour." She said. Her right leg started to bounce in place. "I wasn''t so nervous yesterday when we talked about it, but when I was in bed, it was all I could think about. What if I fail?"

    "Then you retake it." Dave answered pragmatically.

    She covered her face. "But that would be so embarrassing."

    "Who would know?" Dave laughed. "It''s summer break. If you fail today, take it next week."

    "I would know." She stressed. "Noah, you, and Jake would know. My parents. Your parents. Kaylee. Her sister and parents."

    Dave laughed again. "You''re taking this too seriously. I assure you, if you read the lessons and understand the basics, it''ll be a walk in the park. Don''t get so hung up on getting one or two or even three wrong. You can get like seven or eight wrong."

    Alisha''s stress made me shift in my sit uncomfortably. "Dave? Do you know anyone who failed their permit test?"

    Dave shook his head. "It''s not like anyone goes around advertising it. It''s just a small stepping stone. But I do know a couple guys that failed the actual driving test to get your license. They had to wait a couple weeks and review what they got wrong. I even knew one dude that had to take it a third time. And that''s your final attempt before having to start over."

    "See, guys." Noah cut in. "The driving portion is harder than the multiple choice test. Stop stressing. Save it for the future."

    "That does make me feel better." Alisha nodded. "I''m smart. I can reason and use common sense. This test shouldn''t hold me back."

    I slowly nodded too. After spending almost two years with the Atkins family, I really learned a lot that would have stumped me before.

    Dave got us to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) and parked. He got out of the car with us and the three of us joined the line that was outside the building. I thought staying in this line, we would take the test right after, but it wasn''t that simple. At the end of the line a worker behind a desk asked what we were here for. Then gave us each a numbered slip. We would have to wait to be seen.

    "Do they have to separate?" Dave asked the worker.

    "You can take all three to the same window when the first one is called, but we need them to have separate numbers to process each." He explained.

    We found seats in a crowded room as TVs flashed different letter and number combos. It took over an hour before we got our chance. I once again thought it would be test time, but no. We had to process our applications, show our birth certificates and proof of residencies. Pay the processing fee of $39. Do a short eye exam. Then take a photo.

    Finally, it was time for the knowledge test. By this point we were ready to take it and leave. It was getting close to lunch and the constant talking around us was getting even louder.

    We were taken to a quiet, smaller room, where a couple other teens were standing in different cubbies. The lady in charge handed us each a long sheet of paper, a pen, and pointed us to the cubbies. "Don''t stand next to one another."

    We did what we were told. I looked over my paper.

    ''When is it legal to drive off the road to pass another vehicle?'' I smiled and circled ''it''s not legal.''

    ''Which of the following is the proper procedure for parallel parking?''

    ''What speed should you be driving when entering onto a highway?''

    ''Who can legally park next to curb painted blue?''

    ''What should you do when there is a school bus ahead that starts flashing yellow warning lights?''

    Then I got a tough one: ''How many feet away should you switch from high beam to low beam headlights when approaching a vehicle coming towards you?''

    I had to guess. It wasn''t the only one that I had to guess on, but I still felt pretty confident when I handed my test in to the lady in charge. I scanned the room as she graded my test, seeing that Noah and Alisha were also in line to get theirs graded.

    The lady in charge suddenly spoke. "Passed." She printed me a small sheet and stapled it to the one that had my picture and info on it. "This is now your permit. Any time you''re driving, you need to have this on you." She waved me away.

    I grinned as I walked out of the room.

 Chapter 1205 V4 ch53

    "Congrats!" Dave threw his arm around my shoulders and dragged me out of the way of the door.

    I grinned and showed him my official permit.

    "See? I knew you could do it." He patted me on the head. Soon he let go of me and pulled Noah, who was coming out of the room. "You pass?"

    Noah grinned. "Easy-peasy."

    Dave pulled him into a loose headlock and messed up his hair too. "Mom and Dad will have to start looking at cars. You kids will be driving yourselves to school in no time."

    "It takes six months." I reminded them. "That was a question on my test."

    "Just before the new year." Noah grinned. "Not too bad. I bet Mom will drive us until Kyle gets back after his season ends. I doubt he''ll let us drive his car though."

    Alisha came out with a smile and we surrounded her next as she showed off her permit. "What a relief! But let me tell you, I had some ridiculously hard questions. For a second, I thought it was over for me."

    I smiled. "Yea. I had a couple hard ones too. And very easy ones. And some that I only knew from reviewing this morning."

    "Guys, one of my questions was about the driving time for someone who had their license, but wasn''t 18." Alisha rubbed her forehead. "There were only three choices, one was ridiculous. And I just picked between the remaining two. I was still wrong. I was being conservative and said 7am to 8pm. But it was like 5am to 11pm. Shoot. Why have any time restrictions at all?"

    Dave laughed. "That''s called a curfew."

    I recalled the time we got caught out and about after a party the twins took us too. "Yea, it''s definitely not allowed to be out after midnight when under 18."

    "That wasn''t as nearly as tough as my question about when to fill out a report of traffic accident occuring in california (SR-1) form." Noah complained as we all started to walk back to Dave''s car. "Spoiler alert, it''s not when you fail to pay your registration."

    Dave laughed. "Okay, you''re still not using all your common sense. Didn''t you hear what you just said? When to fill out a report of a traffic accident? That''s not related to your registration at all."

    "How am I supposed to know that?" Noah asked, shrugging. "I thought it meant you got into a car accident without being properly registered."

    "You wouldn''t report that to the DMV." Dave explained. "A cop would just write you a ticket for that and they''ll report it to the DMV."

    "Okay so it makes sense when you put it that way."

    "What was the write answer?" Alisha asked.

    "Something about having been in a collision with over a thousand dollars in damages." Noah shrugged.

    "I hope I never get into a car accident." Alisha shivered. "My dad had a friend die in one when he was in college and he still talks about it."

    "If the twins can drive without getting into any accidents, then I have complete faith in you." Noah said with a grin.

    "You punk." Dave knocked on Noah''s head.

    Back in the car, we talked about our test questions some more, like what was hard and what was easy. It was clear that all of our tests were different. I''m sure they had different versions to avoid cheaters. On our way back to Alisha''s, Dave decided we would stop and pick up the pizza in order to save on the delivery fee and tip. He parked and got out of the car to go get the food.

    "Are you texting Kaylee to come over?" Noah asked Alisha, who was looking down at her phone. "Or does she need a ride? We can pick her up on the way."

    "She said she would be dropped off by Marie." Alisha answered. "She said she might be a little loopy because she just took a painkiller."

    "Better than being in pain." Noah shrugged.

    "She''s been taking painkillers for almost a month now." Alisha pursed her lips. "I just don''t have good vibes about it."

    "She had two serious surgeries." Noah defended. "That''s basically a reset button. As long as she''s taking it for pain she''s feeling, I don''t see a problem with it."

    "Didn''t you pay attention in health class? It''s easy to become addicted to opioids after a few weeks." Alisha said. "I''m just worried that this will happen right before our very eyes."

    Noah twisted all the way around to look at me. "What do you think, Jake?"

    "Me?" I pointed at myself.

    "You have the most experience with hospital stays and pain. At least more than either of us. What''s your opinion on painkillers?"

    I shrugged. "It''s not like I was responsible for taking a pill whenever. I had a nurse come into my room at designated times. Later, they would ask if I''m in pain. I would nod or shake my head. The end."

    "You didn''t feel high?" Alisha questioned.

    I shrugged. "I didn''t feel anything. Which was good. Broken ribs really hurt. Honestly, it just made me tired. Which was good. Sleep was hard to come by." I paused. "Maybe we can tell someone? Like our parents? Your parents? They would know how to approach this."

    "Nah." Noah quickly disagreed. "They would make a bigger deal out of it than it is. You guys just don''t know Kaylee like I do. Just wait until later."

    "Wait for what?" I asked.

    "Wait until I say something to her. Guarantee she''ll stop taking them right away." Noah said with a smile.

    "You think you can just goad her into not taking her painkillers?" Alisha asked in disbelief.

    "Yea. Of course. She''s easy to rile up." Noah shrugged. He spotted Dave coming back with boxes of food. He sat back on his butt and opened his door just in time.

    Dave stacked the food on his lap. "Careful. It''s hot."

    I didn''t know how Noah planned to approach the topic of drugs and addiction to Kaylee until later in the afternoon. Long after Dave had left us four on our own. We were sunbathing in Alisha''s backyard, making plans to swim the next time we came over. Probably over the weekend.

    "Let''s go watch the A''s play on Sunday." Noah suggested. "It''s a day game so no parents should get upset."

    Three pair of eyes looked at Kaylee, knowing that it would be her parents that would get upset.

    "Yea, it''d be a good reason not to go to church with them." Kaylee grinned. "Make sure to pick me up first. As early as you can."

    Noah laughed. "You might not know, but Jeremy lets us go really early to his games to watch the batting practice. Plus, we gotta give you the behind the scenes tour. We''ll be gone before they even get up."

    "Do we invite Marie?" Alisha asked.

    "I''ll see if I can get away with not having to bring her." Kaylee shrugged. "It''s more an issue with her than my parents though. Since the accident, I feel like she hovers. Don''t do this, don''t do that. Keep your arm dry. Take your pills. It''s obnoxious. Mom doesn''t even nag as much."

    Noah stood up and stretched, walking closer to Kaylee, looking at her arm, no longer in a sling. "It''s looking good. Why take the painkillers if you don''t have to?"

    This was it. I looked at Alisha and she looked at me at the same time. We exchanged a knowing look before focusing on Noah and Kaylee.

    "Of course I have to." Kaylee rolled her eyes. "It''ll hurt if I don''t."

    "How would you know if you keep taking them?" Noah asked, folding his arms across his chest. "You keep holding yourself back like this and you won''t see any improvement."

    "I''m not holding myself back." Kaylee sat up. "I''m doing what I''m told. Take a painkiller every four to six hours. Marie is the one that has me on a schedule."

    "It''s been weeks since your last surgery." Noah pointed out. "You still needing pills can''t be a good sign. Maybe get it checked out again."

    "We could do that Sunday too?" I offered in a small voice, afraid she would get mad. "We''d be in the area."

    "I don''t��know." Kaylee frowned, looking down at her right arm. "Maybe I should. An early checkup. Make sure it''s going better than the first surgery. The pain-" She shook her head. "I might be just nervous to feel the pain again. Like what if it''s not going away?"

    "Stick to Tylenol until Sunday." Noah suggested. "If it''s not enough, then you have something to say to the doc."

    Kaylee looked to me. "Can Jeremy arrange it? I don''t want Marie or my parents to know."

    I didn''t ask why. I just pulled out my phone and sent Jeremy a text. He would be prepping for a game right now, but he would get back to me later.

 Chapter 1206 V4 ch54 First Driving Lesson

    I started a group chat later that night with Dave, Noah, Alisha, and Kaylee. Jeremy confirmed we could have tickets and on the field passes for Sunday. He would also call Dr. Shanfield in the morning to see about us going to his office on Sunday morning. I received a few thumbs up emojis from the group and closed the app.

    I started to snuggle under my covers, trying to get comfortable just as Dave and Noah came into the room with heavy steps. Like they were in a hurry. They both rushed in and Noah stood on the lower bed so he can look at me.

    I peeked out. "What?"

    "Let''s go learn how to drive!" Noah gave my bed a shake. "Come on. You can''t be tired yet. It''s summer break."

    I glanced at my phone that said 10pm. "You want to learn how to drive��this late at night?"

    "It''s the best time to learn." Dave said. "That''s the time that Dad took me and Kyle out."

    "So Dad''s taking us out?" I sat up, taking the comforter off me.

    "Not exactly." Dave shrugged. "Mom and Dad have already turned in for the night. But I can go teach you guys."

    I looked to Noah. "You want to learn from him? Even though you complain about his driving?"

    Noah bounced up and down. "Yea. Come on."

    I slowly got out of bed and pulled a hoodie on. I looked at them again as I put my shoes on. "Are we going to get in trouble for this?"

    "Only if you keep dragging your feet." Noah said, exasperated.

    The three of us moved through the upper floor silently, seeing both Grampa''s and our parents doors shut. We could get out just fine; hopefully we have the same luck coming back.

    Mom''s small sedan and Grampa''s old truck was in the garage so we could go out the front door as quietly as possible. I held my breath as Dave started the car in the driveway, but nothing happened. No one came outside and our phones stayed silent.

    Dave took us to an empty shopping center, pulling into a parking spot next to a row of bushes.

    Noah looked at him from the passenger seat. "There''s so many open spaces with more room to maneuver in. Why the heck did you park next to the bushes?"

    "This is how dad taught us." Dave said as he turned the car off. He unbuckled and opened his door. "You want to try first? Or wimp out and make Jake try first?"

    Noah rolled his eyes and unbuckled. "Of course I''ll go first." He and Dave both got out of the car and switched spots.

    Dave glanced back at me as he put his seatbelt on. "Stay steady, Jake. I''m just going to tell you right now, it''s normal for you two to hit the curb a few times."

    "I won''t hit the curb." Noah rolled his eyes. "You act like I haven''t seen how to drive before."

    "It''s different when you''re in the driver''s seat for the first time." Dave shrugged.

    Noah started the car without a problem. "I think it would have been better if you started with something easy like driving around the parking lot."

    "We''ll get to that." Dave said. "But Dad said it''s better to be humbled early in order to make us drive more carefully." Dave pointed to the gear shift. "When changing gears, make sure you''re pressing the brake."

    Noah pressed the brake and put the car in reverse. He let go of the brake and we reverse a bit fast so he stepped back on the brake. Hard.

    "Oops." He mumbled. He glanced at Dave, but Dave didn''t say anything. Noah let his foot off the brake slower and as we backed up, he started to turn the wheel��we hit the curb and he had to stop. He glanced at Dave again.

    "You might want to pull back in." Dave suggested.

    Noah continued to struggle, pulling in and out, hitting the curb lightly and sometimes hard. Dave let him, not giving him any advice. He stayed surprisingly stoic, not laughing at Noah and mocking him or even giving the smallest of suggestions.

    After I lost count, Noah finally stopped and put the car in park. He looked at Dave. I thought he was upset, but he took a deep breath before asking, "Any guidance?"

    Dave cracked a smile. "Yea." I thought he was going to say something funny, but he started to explain. "You have to pull out straight and steady, until you clear the obstacle. Then you crank the wheel so the car starts turning while in reverse."

    "Can you tell me when to do it?" Noah asked. "Like be clear when and how."

    "Yea, I got you." Dave assured.

    Noah put the car in reverse again, and kept it straight and steady as he slowly backed up. After a few feet, Dave started to tell him to turn the wheel to the right.

    "All the way now." Dave to him. "Ok. That''s good. Now, put it in drive, but don''t totally let up off the brake. You have to turn the steering wheel to straighten yourself out. Yes, yes, there you go."

    Noah grinned, holding the steering wheel with both hands. "I did it. I''m doing it!" He slowly drove around in the parking lot.

    "Ok, now go down one of these aisles where the spaces are pointed at you." Dave instructed. Noah complied, putting the car in park. "Now reverse. It''s a whole lot easier in the slanted spots." Noah did so. "See!? Not bad! Now go ahead and take a couple laps around the parking lot and then you''re going to go back and park in that original spot." Dave glanced back at me. "You''re next, Jake. Stay calm and take your time."

    I gave a short nod. Watching Noah, I kind of had an idea on how to approach this.

    Noah went back to the spot he had difficulty with and parked. He got out and so did I. He patted me on the shoulder. "Don''t stress. Look how many times I messed up. It was a little embarrassing, but it feels good when you get it right." He hopped into the backseat.

    I got into the driver''s seat. For the first time ever. And��I was a bit short on reaching the pedals. I turned to Dave. "I have to adjust the seat��?"

    Dave nodded. "Yes! Definitely a normal first step. Noah didn''t have to since he''s so close to my height, but that''s rare. Just look at Dad when he would drive after one of us had the car, he still has to move the seat back."

    I toggled with the buttons, trying to find what was right for me. I then reached for the gear shift.

    Dave put his hand out to stop me. "Wait. You forgot the mirrors. They need to be fixed too when you adjust the seat. I''ll get out real quick and stand where you should change the mirrors so you can see me." He quickly unbuckled and hopped out, closing the door behind him.

    It took me some time, but I got the hang of the buttons and finally felt ready. Dave was back in the front passenger seat and it was time for me to give it a try. I put the car into reverse and slowly let up on the brake. Following what Noah did earlier, I had the advantage of knowing more. As soon as I felt like I wouldn''t hit the curb, I quickly turned the wheel and made it out of the parking spot without mishap.

    Noah clapped in the backseat. "Super smooth, Jake!"

    "Now, shift to drive and turn the wheel the other way." Dave said.

    I felt the smile on my face grow as I slowly drove in the parking lot without incident. Dave reminded me to use the turn signals, pointing out how to use the windshield wipers, and gave general advice as we pulled in and out of parking spots. Noah and I took turns throughout the night, forgetting the time until one of our phones rang.

    "It''s Dad." Noah cringed.

    Dave and I shared a look of distress.

 Chapter 1207 V4 ch55 Punishment

    Dad was waiting in the dining room as we walked into the house. He sat at the head of the table like normal, like he didn''t just catch us sneaking out.

    None of us spoke. I shifted from foot to foot, scared that we''d be in big trouble. Noah and Dave weren''t pleading for mercy though, so maybe it''s not so bad? I pulled at the hem of my shirt, about to admit fault.

    "Well? How did it go?" Dad asked, looking specifically at Dave.

    I saw Dave relax his shoulders. "It went rather well. They were much better than Kyle and I when you had us try to get out of that spot."

    "You made them try the spot next to the bushes and curb?" Dad asked, looking a little surprised.

    "Well, yea. That''s what you did for us." Dave said. "It''s good to get the hard part of the way first. You said you rather have us hit the curb instead of another car so that lesson really stuck."

    Dad slowly nodded. "Anything else?"

    "They just took turns driving around the lot." Dave said. "They practiced diagonal parking spots and that tough one. I tried explaining the blinker, but we didn''t use it much. Or the windshield wipers."

    Dad showed a small smile. "You can''t teach them everything in a night." He let out a long sigh. "Even you still have a lot to learn, Dave."

    "Me?" Dave was surprised. As was I.

    "Permit drivers need someone 25 and older with a license in the car. At all times." Dad stood up from the table. "As much as I appreciate your efforts in wanting to teach them how to drive, this wasn''t the right way. You personally can show them some things while you''re driving, but you taking them out late at night could have gotten all three of you in trouble."

    "But I thought I was allowed since I''m their brother? Isn''t there a family rule?"

    Dad shook his head. "We can look into that later. But if that wasn''t enough��their driving permits aren''t valid until they have their first training lesson with a driving instructor. Plus, they aren''t allowed to be driving after 11pm."

    I cringed, knowing that it was well past midnight now. "Sorry?" I offered up in a small voice, scared that we were heading to the scolding part of the conversation.

    "Yea, Dad, we''re sorry." Noah added, taking a small step forward. "We didn''t think that much about it. We were just excited to pass our permit tests."

    Dad sighed again. "That''s no excuse. We''re going to have consequences. You boys are getting older. Heck, Dave you''re legally an adult now. But as long as you''re here, under my roof, we have to follow the rules. And sneaking out with your younger brothers, allowing them to break curfew is going to be a big one."

    "Would it have been a different story if I woke you and told you?" Dave asked.

    "I would have gone with and you boys wouldn''t have been breaking so many rules." Dad told him.

    Dave showed a look of distress. "So what now? Are you going to take the car away? Ground us? How bad is the punishment going to be?"

    Dad slowly shook his head. "That car is yours. I have no right to take it away. You can use it as you wish, I can only hope you''ll be responsible with it. Letting your uninsured brothers drive it around is not very bright. If they had crashed your car, you wouldn''t have been covered. Meaning, you would have had to pay out of your own pocket."

    "Oh. I didn''t think about that." Dave said sheepishly., rubbing the back of his head.

    "As for grounding, I don''t think that''s necessary." Dad went on. "You boys aren''t out of control, nor do you regularly cause trouble. Instead I''m recruiting you boys to clean up the house, inside and out before Saturday. Your mom wanted to have a July 4th bbq here and I didn''t think we would have the right amount of time to put it together seeing as we just got back from Omaha. But now she''ll have three strong, hardworking young men."

    "Uh. That only gives us tomorrow and Friday. The Fourth is Saturday." Noah spoke up. "What kind of cleaning are you expecting?"

    "The best kind." He started to elaborate. "Clean up the backyard. Move things around so you can mow the yard properly. The deck needs to be washed down completely. No spiderwebs or dust. I''m going to let your grandfather tell you how to clean the grill so it''s ready to go. Inside, I want the sweeping and mopping done Friday. Don''t forget the baseboards. The kitchen needs to be prepped and ready for the grocery shopping tomorrow so maybe do that first." Dad spent a good ten minutes talking about the chores that needed to be done before the weekend.

    Noah and Dave started to bring up a few objections towards the end, but Dad was quick to shut them down. "Resistance is futile. You either do as I say or we''ll have to have a harder conversation." The boys zipped it. Dad looked to me. "Jake."

    I took a deep breath. "Yea?"

    "I don''t want you thinking I''m mad at you, okay? Not directly. I''m disappointed for how you guys went about it, but I''m also happy that you do normal teen boy activities." He glanced at the other two. "You guys need to use your head a little more. Don''t think of just small consequences like me or your mom catching you doing something you shouldn''t be doing. But think if a cop caught you. One who didn''t want to let you kids off with a warning. What would your coach say? How would this reflect on your brothers: Zeke, Kyle, and even Jeremy. Jeremy''s little brother breaks the law could be a headline on an article."

    I grimaced.

    "Next time, we''ll take your or Mom or even Grampa." Noah told Dad.

    He nodded. "I know. You guys have some sense of responsibility. Just add some more maturity. I don''t want to be too hard on you, but the futures that you want��there''ll be stricter in the court of public opinion." He clapped his hands together. "Alright, it''s getting late. You three have a long day of hard work tomorrow so get to bed."

    We nodded and marched up the stairs one after another. Dad turned the lights off as he trailed behind.

    Once in bed, in the dark, Dave whispered, "Sorry, guys. I didn''t think it would be so serious."

    "Nah. Dad''s just stressing that it could have been more serious." Noah rejected his apology. "It was fun. And a good learning experience."

    I shifted over the ledge so they could hear me better as I whispered back. "It really helped me have more confidence about driving. Before this, I thought Noah would have to drive the whole time between the two of us. But now, I feel like I can do it too. Thanks, Dave."

    Dave chuckled. "We''ll see how thankful you feel when we''re cleaning up tomorrow."

    Noah sighed. "Guess it''ll be a replacement to my normal run and workout."

 Chapter 1208 V4 ch56 Cleaning

    Thursday morning, we three had a slow start from staying up late, plus the slight dread of having to work the whole day had us dragging our feet.

    Grampa had been sitting in the living room when we stumbled down the stairs. He slowly got up. "About time. Let me get heat up your burritos."

    "Burritos?" I asked, rubbing my eyes, not sure if I was all the way awake yet.

    "Yea, I prepped some breakfast burritos to clear up some space in the fridge." Grampa explained. "Individually wrapped, stored in the freezer. Pop it in the microwave for a minute or two and you boys will be ready to go. Dave, come set the fruit out."

    "What''s going to be in these burritos exactly?" Dave asked, taking a bowl of apples, oranges, and bananas from the kitchen counter to the dining table.

    "Scrambled eggs, ham, onion, bell peppers, cheese, some salt and pepper." Grampa started to pull three out of the freezer. He unwrapped one and placed it on a plate before putting it in the microwave. He started it. "This is my first attempt at meal preparation, so you boys have to be honest on how it tastes. I''m thinking I''ll take over for your mom on becoming the house cook. For all meals."

    "Does Mom know that?" Noah laughed.

    "What''s she going to do about it?" Grampa grinned. "She should be happy to lose the chore."

    "You''re her dad." Noah smiled back. "You know how much she likes cooking. I bet you can get away with the breakfast meals, lunches are questionable, but no way you get all the dinners."

    "I''ll do what I can while I still can." He took out the finished heated burrito and gave it to Noah. He put another one in. "I can''t handle all the running around and seeing you boys play baseball all over the place. This is easier on me."

    "So I shouldn''t expect you to go to any of my college games?" Dave asked.

    "Maybe if you play a team on the west coast." Grampa said lightly. "I would hope it''s Stanford, but I know that''s unlikely. You kids aren''t in the same conference."

    "We won''t know until late in the year because the season doesn''t start until February." Dave said.

    Grampa got the second burrito out of the microwave and handed it to me, then put the third in.

    I eyed Noah as he was already a third of the way through his. Can''t be that bad. I let it cool down, helping by blowing on it.

    "Does this mean you''re not interested in seeing Kyle play this summer with us?" Noah asked between bites.

    "Oh! Kyle!" I hurried to put my burrito down and dig my phone out of my pocket. "We should wish him luck before his start today."

    "That''s the spirit." Grampa gave my shoulder a heavy pat.

    I went into the group chat and saw that Dave had already sent a text: do better than last time. And Kyle replied: Will do. I went with the more generic: Good luck!

    "It''s weird to think that he jumped ahead of Zeke." Noah munched on his burrito, not making a move to send a message. He looked back to Grampa. "This would be better with some sour cream or salsa."

    Grampa looked to me. "Do you think it''s dry too?"

    I picked my burrito back up. "I can eat it."

    "He''s not asking if you can eat; we all know that." Noah wagged a finger at me. "But would it be better with some kind of topping?"

    I gave a small shrug. "Maybe salsa like you said. Definitely not sour cream though." I couldn''t imagine having sour cream with my scrambled eggs. Gross.

    Grampa rubbed his chin. "I''ll make sure to add it to the grocery list. Today, you''ll just have to do without."

    Dave got the third and final burrito. "You didn''t answer if you''re going to see Kyle play in Arizona, Grampa."

    Grampa put his hands down. "Well, as long as we keep it short. There''s no time change so it won''t be as hard. It''ll still be difficult to plan with him being a pitcher. He needs to show some consistency and stay healthy."

    "We''ll see how he does today!" Noah went to the fridge and rummaged around, pulling out the milk. "Anyone else want a glass before we start?"

    "Drink milk before going out to work in the hot sun?" Dave asked rhetorically. "I''ll pass."

    "I''ll take a water." I told him between bites of my food.

    "Same." Dave added.

    Noah pulled two bottles out of the fridge, passing them over. "So who wants to tackle what? I don''t really know how to work the lawnmower so that rules me out for that."

    "I don''t know how to mow either." I piped up.

    Dave rolled his eyes. "You brats." He pointed at Noah. "You go clean up any equipment on the grass back there. I''ll start in the front yard."

    "What about me?" I asked.

    "I''ll teach you how to clean the grill." Grampa told me.

    We finished our quick little breakfast and separated. Dave got the lawnmower out of the garage and got it going out front. Noah went to the backyard and started moving all the baseball gear we had just lying around, getting it all out of the way.

    Grampa and I went to the grill and he opened it up. I then glanced up at Grampa. "Is it��dirty?"

    "Of course not!" He laughed. "This is like my second child. I take good care of it. I make sure to do a proper cleaning after every use."

    "Uh. Then what am I supposed to do?" I asked, even more confused.

    "It doesn''t hurt to show you how I clean it in preparation for cooking." Grampa explained. "Every young man should know how to work and clean a grill. You know when I was your age, I was already grilling my own burgers?" Grampa talked about his beginnings of a grill-master as he showed me how to take the grates off and put them in hot, soapy water. He showed me how to check and change the propane tank, wiping down the outside of the grill too for good measure.

    After we were done, Grampa went inside to take a break which secretly meant nap, but he promised to take us out to lunch if we could get the deck all cleaned up by then. Noah joined me on deck duty as Dave eventually came to the backyard with the lawnmower. Whenever I thought we were close to being done, Noah would find something else to nitpick at. After the deep clean of the deck, I had to point out his perfectionism.

    "It''s not me." Noah defended. "It''s for Mom and Dad. We have to show supreme care right now. Or the rest of the summer is in jeopardy."

    "The rest of the summer��" I mumbled, not completely convinced.

    But seeing Dave take a weedwacker to the edges of the yard and then sweeping up the scraps, was kind of credible. They really put in a lot of effort to the backyard this morning.